Dale Earnhardt Jr. always shares his straightforward views on races, earning nods from NASCAR fans everywhere. And this time it\u2019s about the big wreck at Daytona\u2019s Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 24, 2025, which occurred early in Stage 1 on lap 27 when Bubba Wallace got bumped by Kyle Larson, spinning him into a chain reaction. Drivers like Wallace, Larson, Austin Cindric, and Alex Bowman were caught in the 17-car mess that reshaped the playoff bubble. But who is truly to blame?<\/p>\n
Wallace\u2019s spotter, Freddie Kraft, took some heat, admitting, \u201cI f\u2014ed up by not telling Bubba we were three-wide.\u201d The crash led to heated talks, with Denny Hamlin later calling out Wallace for the bump that started it. This added fuel to fan debates on social media and forums. Yes, every wreck involves drivers, but does blame always need to follow, or is wrecking just part of the game? Here\u2019s what Dale Jr. had to say about the blame culture.<\/p>\n
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. tackles the blame culture head-on<\/p>\n
On the \u201cDale Jr. Download\u201d podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. pushed back against the NASCAR community<\/a>\u2018s rush to assign fault for the Daytona big wreck, boiling it down to three words: \u201cIt just happens<\/strong>.\u201d He expressed frustration with the immediate finger-pointing, saying, \u201cThe big one, who\u2019s to blame for the wreck? Why is everybody so f\u2014\u2013g wanting to blame f\u2014\u2013g someone for this?\u201d<\/p>\n This direct shutdown came amid discussions sparked by Denny Hamlin<\/a>\u2018s comments blaming Bubba Wallace, but Earnhardt highlighted how such incidents are inherent to restrictor-plate racing at tracks like Daytona, where tight packs lead to unavoidable chaos. Earnhardt drew from his decades in the sport, noting the evolution of fan and media reactions.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been around this sh-t a long time. And when the big one happens\u2026 it just happens,\u201d he added, emphasizing that past wrecks didn\u2019t always trigger prolonged blame games. This perspective ties into his own career, where he navigated similar crashes during the 2001 Daytona 500, finishing second amid the tragedy of his father\u2019s fatal crash, teaching him that racing\u2019s risks don\u2019t always need villains. Dale Jr<\/a>.\u2019s words resonate as the playoffs approach, reminding everyone that strategy and luck play roles beyond individual errors.<\/p>\n By calling out the \u201cinsistent\u201d need to blame, Earnhardt Jr shut down the narrative, pointing to how conversations dragged on for days until Hamlin weighed in. This stance supports drivers like Wallace<\/a>, whose spin started the pile-up but stemmed from typical drafting bumps. Earnhardt\u2019s take encourages focusing on the excitement of close racing rather than scapegoats.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, beyond wrecks, Earnhardt Jr also addressed team dynamics in a separate exchange.<\/p>\n Dale Jr. counters Hill on JRM strategy<\/p>\n Dale Earnhardt Jr. responded to Austin Hill<\/a>\u2018s criticism of JR Motorsports (JRM) for not helping his No. 21 car at drafting tracks, despite being Chevy teammates. Hill said, \u201cWe never had the JRM cars help us. It doesn\u2019t matter if they\u2019re Chevy Alliance or not. They don\u2019t help us at all. They would rather work with a Toyota or Ford than us.\u201d Earnhardt fired back on his podcast, explaining it\u2019s a strategic choice based on Hill\u2019s dominance at Daytona and Talladega, where Hill has nine wins in 22 drafting races since 2022.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n