Kevin Harvick on Xfinity Series Disaster “My A** Would Be in the Trailer”
What’s Happening? Following a disastrous finish to the Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR industry members have spoken out about…
Dale Earnhardt Jr. did not hold back on this week’s episode of the Dale Jr. Download when addressing Sammy Smith’s controversial actions at Martinsville this past weekend. The NASCAR legend says he has spoken with the driver and stressed that though his reputation took a hit, Smith has “a ton of regret” for his actions.
After JR Motorsports driver Sammy Smith intentionally wrecked Taylor Gray, inadvertently wrecked another JRM car, and a large portion of the field, JRM team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted on X, “This racetrack is historic in the grand scheme of all things NASCAR and deserves better.”
With such an ominous post, most fans awaited a fiery episode of the Dale Jr Download this Tuesday. However, while Earnhardt was honest about the incident, there was no temper or ill will towards his driver, as the NASCAR Hall of Famer broke down his conversations with Smith after the race.
Earnhardt reflected on his call with Smith, stating:
“You know, I can’t sit here and tell you, ‘Oh, yeah, man, he’s sorry, he’s really sorry. And man, he’s gonna do better.’ But he says all those things. He says that he understands that he screwed up. He knows he gives himself a black eye, he gave JR Motorsports a black eye. He knows that we’re very disappointed, and he certainly has tons of regret.”
What’s Happening? Following a disastrous finish to the Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR industry members have spoken out about…
To make matters worst, Smith’s move for the win this past Saturday didn’t even garner a win. Smith’s late race wreck cost him a top-five finish and technically cost himself or teammate Justin Allgaier a shot at the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash bonus.
This wreck was the icing on a race that some, like FOX Sports Mike Joy, have compared to a dumpster fire rather than a cake. Some fans even called on Earnhardt to park Smith for a race, something the veteran team owner said is “out of the question.”
While Earnhardt is sticking by his driver, he is upfront about the amount of work that Smith will put in to improve his image amongst the fans and his peers. “He ain’t gonna fix it in 12 hours,” Earnhardt said. ”He’s got a lot of work to do to repair his reputation. That was a heavy blow, you know.”
Earnhardt even addressed the assumptions that Smith is at JRM “because of some extra funding or family connection,” reminding the young driver that he has added pressure due to this perception. He told Smith, “Everybody thinks you’re a spoiled punk. That’s what a lot of people think. I asked him, ‘Don’t you agree that people have that perception of you, probably?’ He’s like, ‘yeah,’ I said, you gave them the opportunity to be right.”
While this was a bit of tough love for Smith, Earnhardt is supportive of his driver during this controversial time, closing out the topic by stating, “He can do it. I know him. He’s a a nice kid, wants this really badly, wants to win, wants to be successful, and I want that for him, I want that for him here [JRM].”
What’s Happening? Saturday’s race at Martinsville Speedway made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Several drivers were involved in incidents throughout…
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Remember that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
