Dale Earnhardt Jr Urges NASCAR to Penalize Drivers ‘Crossing the Line’, Commends SVG’s Racing Integrity
“I didn’t think anything was dirty in the end, you know?” Watkins Glen Cup winner Chris Buescher clarified regarding the last-lap finish in Sunday’s race.
His competitor was road course veteran Shane van Gisbergen, who was close to securing his second Cup win. However, a “driver error” by the three-time Xfinity champion allowed Buescher to take the lead. Despite this, SVG avoided desperate tactics, which Dale Earnhardt Jr. praised.
When SVG joined from Supercars, he brought a principled approach to racing. NASCAR’s aggressive, incident-prone style caught him off guard, with drivers often pushing their limits. Dale Jr. believes NASCAR should change, while he applauds SVG’s clean racing philosophy.
Xfinity and Craftsman Truck races can often spiral out of control, and Gisbergen faced this chaos head-on this season. From Carson Hocevar wrecking Corey Heim in the Truck championship to Austin Hill clashing with SVG at Xfinity COTA, NASCAR incidents escalate quickly. In contrast, Supercars penalize even accidental dirt dragging on the track, showing the challenge SVG faces. Dale Earnhardt Jr. highlighted this difference recently.
In a Dale Jr Download episode, Dale Earnhardt Jr. noted Gisbergen’s composure at Watkins Glen despite Chris Buescher snatching the win from him. “He was like, ‘I’ll do what I can,’ but that was it! He didn’t go overboard with physical aggression.”
He referenced SVG’s home, Supercars, with its stricter rules. “In Supercars, you can’t bump or push around. You’ve got to figure out how to pass without messing up.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. hopes Supercars’ influence can help curb reckless driving in NASCAR, especially with aggressive drivers like Carson Hocevar and Austin Hill. “I’d love to see younger drivers held more accountable and for NASCAR to penalize dirty driving more aggressively. It might encourage a new style of racing.”
Even though Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Chris Buescher admire SVG’s restraint, he is no stranger to hard racing. SVG was pivotal in Supercars’ shift towards controlling aggressive driving.
