What Happened To NASCAR Rivalries?

Old-school NASCAR beefs used to simmer, sometimes for years. Now? Most don’t even make it to the next race weekend. Fans were ready for a feud after the Nashville run-in between Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.. But by Michigan, it was already squashed—and fans were left wondering: where did all the rivalries go?

• Why do today’s drivers seem too quick to forgive and forget?
• What happened to the long-running grudges that defined legends like Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon?
• How do sponsors and corporate culture put a lid on driver personality and conflict?
• Is social media speeding up the rise and death of any compelling narrative in the sport?

From Petty vs Pearson to Chastain vs the entire garage, NASCAR’s rivalries used to fuel storylines, divide fan bases, and define eras. But today, with hyper-managed media training, brand-sensitive sponsors, and a social feed that forgets everything by Monday, the sport seems too sanitized for anything truly combustible to last. So what happened? Is it the drivers, the system, or the fans themselves? Sound off in the comments—what’s your favorite NASCAR rivalry of all time, and do you think we’ll ever see a good one again?

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