Kyle Busch, rolling into his 20th start in the “Great American Race” on February 16, was hungry to finally snag that elusive Harley J. Earl trophy. But Stage 2 turned brutal as Joey Logano’s bump with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sparked a pileup, and Busch got caught in the mess. Then, NASCAR’s new Damaged Vehicle Policy bit him hard when officials parked him after he couldn’t hit minimum speed post-repairs, leaving Busch to vent on X: “I don’t even think they know their own rules.” Another Daytona dream crashed, but it set the stage for a wild season ahead.

Fast forward to Darlington, and the buzz was still alive; only now, it swirled around another Kyle – Larson, not Busch. Larson’s tangle with Bubba Wallace was the talk of the track, a spin-out that left his No. 5 Hendrick Chevy battered. Enter NASCAR’s updated DVP, teams could now tow to the garage and take their time, points or not. Larson’s crew dove in, patched it up, and sent him back out, only for him to stir up a caution later. Now, why would the No. 5 team do overtime and work hard in the garage when there wasn’t a huge advantage to be gained?

Well, the #5 team made the most of this opportunity in trying to work through the new rules, and this, in turn, was appreciated by Dale Jr.  Not to forget, it would’ve been a gloomy sight to see the best throwback scheme car parked just after 4 laps.

Dale Jr. feels NASCAR is on the right path with the new DVP policy

Denny Hamlin, who himself tasted victory because of his own crew, weighed in backing Hendrick’s hustle. “You gotta give the 5 team [Kyle Larson] credit, like they worked really, really hard to get that car back on the racetrack for multiple reasons,”  said Hamlin in a recent ‘Actions Detrimental’ podcast. He even pointed out Blaney’s misery: “The new DVP policy affected the outcome of the race.” Then, Denny Hamlin responded enthusiastically: “It did, yeah. And it won’t be the last, either. I mean, certainly, as long as guys are able to repair wrecked race cars.” Even after Darlington’s “embarrassment,” as he called it, Hamlin saw the value in fighting to the end, and so did Junior.

Digging into it on the Dale Jr. Download, Dale and Jordan laid it bare. Dale Jr started, “The other conversation is, this is the first race directly affected by the new DVP policy. So with the new policy allowing Larson and his team to go repair the car, people were like, oh well, looky here, now is this approprio (appropriate), I guess some people want to look at it and go, now we’ve got a new problem. No, this is not a new problem. This is the way it’s been for 70 years up until the DVP policy came into effect. Cars could get out there and do this all the time.”

Dale Jr.’s reminiscing about the days when battered cars stayed in the fight, patched up with grit and duct tape, racing on no matter the odds. Interestingly, Jr. used this application during the 2006 Direct TV 500 race at Martinsville. Like Larson, he was caught up in a wreck early in the race and lost the front fender on his #8 DEI car. But, a quick repair job and he was back on the track, and without the fender, he managed a P4 finish. Interestingly, Jr. calls this as his best race he wasn’t able to win.

Even veteran journalist Jordan Bianchi liked this new change in policy: “I had no issue with it. This is how NASCAR was for a long way. I do like the fact that teams have an opportunity to make repairs. We saw a year ago with so many incidents where guys had minor damage and they could have been back in the race track, but they… They expired the supplement in the lobby, right? And so this is a change. It’s unfortunate, but this is the way it is.”

This updated DVP lets teams battle on, just like the gritty, no-quit NASCAR of decades past that Dale cherishes so deeply. Back then, cars limped around with parts dangling, tires shredding, and drivers pushing through sheer willpower. It wasn’t always pretty—sometimes it was a mess—but it was real. Larson’s Hendrick crew channeled that at Darlington, towing his wrecked No. 5 to the garage, hammering it back into shape, and rolling it out again.

Cliff Daniels, Larson’s crew chief, told it was a “real-time opportunity” to test their repair game for future crashes. “To be honest, I think it was good for NASCAR, too, because the criteria was pretty interesting with our car,” Daniels said. “The front clip wasn’t hurt, the suspension wasn’t hurt, the steering wasn’t hurt, and nothing in the radiator or oil cooler was hurt. It was really just the aluminum bumper bar, and that’s a lot of work just to get one of those changed. So, we learned all we could and tried to maximize our day.” Points weren’t on the table, but practice for the next big hit was—and that’s pure strategy. Still, there was the harsh reality of Yung Money wrecking twice and finishing a brutal 37th.

Having witnessed the early half of the season from his studio, Dale Jr will get back on track this weekend. Although he won’t be competing in NASCAR races in 2025, the Late Model races are where the fans will be able to cheer their favorite driver on.

Trending

1

Ex-NASCAR Champion & Motorsports Hall of Famer’s Death Leaves Racing World Mourning

2

NASCAR Rumor: Rick Hendrick Pulls Away Toyota Prospect As Dale Earnhardt Jr. Lets Slip Major Xfinity Update

3

NASCAR Fans Confused as Kyle Larson’s Insanity Forces Roger Penske to Bring the “Larson” Rule to IndyCar

4

Embarrassment for Joe Gibbs Racing as Early Leak Leaves NASCAR Fans Gutted

5

Kevin Harvick Opens His Door For NASCAR’s Next Female Driver Switching Up her Career After Nearly 10 Years

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back in action this weekend

This weekend, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. is climbing back into the driver’s seat at Cordele Motor Speedway in Georgia. It’s the zMAX CARS Tour’s first-ever stop in the Peach State, happening Saturday, April 12, and it’s already buzzing with excitement.

“I’m thrilled,” Dale Jr. said in a CARS Tour release. “It’s exciting to have the chance to take the zMAX CARS Tour to Cordele. Fans in the area have expressed excitement about this race being added to the schedule. Our teams are looking forward to this new challenge.” Dale Jr. is driving his No. 8 for car, joined by 25 other Late Model Stock Car teams and 19 Pro Late Model squads.  He’s bringing a whole community along for the ride.

Cordele’s a 3/8-mile track that’s been brought back to life by Greg and Lori Noland, who bought it in 2024. “It’s been all positive,” said General Manager Ricky Brooks. “The race track and area needs some energy the CARS Tour can bring.” The stands would be filling up, the pits buzzing, and the hope in the air as this small town gets a big moment.

For those who cannot visit the racetrack to watch Jr. in action they can tune into Flo Racing and catch the whole weekend’s racing live from the comforts of their home.