In 2022, NASCAR moved “The Clash” out of Daytona for the first time in generations and despite talks of bringing it back, it hasn’t happened yet. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is starting to sense a lot of reluctance to get the move done.
On the latest episode of his Dale Jr. Download podcast, Earnhardt spoke at length about the future of The Clash. He said that one of the things that NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell appears concerned about is that if the event is bad, it becomes a bad advertisement for the ensuing Daytona 500. But Earnhardt argued that if O’Donnell simply makes sure the event is good, it won’t be an issue.
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“This is it, this is the deal,” Earnhardt explained. “I just got done talking to Steve O’Donnell, right? And he’s like, ‘Man, you know, if we take The Clash to Daytona and it’s bad, it’s like a bad commercial for the 500.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, you know, you just make the racing good and it’ll be a good commercial for the 500.’”
Earnhardt believes that NASCAR is currently “trying to do too much” with The Clash and it’s causing the event to suffer.
“The problem is we’re trying to do too much,” Earnhardt said. “We’re trying to do too much with the All-Star Race, we’re trying to do too much with The Clash. I don’t understand why people don’t agree with this, but The Clash is an appetizer. It is the table-setter.”
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Proposals
Earnhardt proposed that The Clash could just be a showcase of the guys who won the most poles the year before and turn it into a 20-lap race of just 12 or so drivers going all out with no cautions or pit stops.
“How many guys have won poles this year? Is there a pole award for the most poles?” Earnhardt asked. “Like, there used to be a Coors Light pole award at the end of the year if you won like six or five. Let’s just see who’s got the most poles. Eight drivers have poles. Well, let’s get to the end of the year, maybe that’s 12, right? All right.
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“I want to see those f*cking 12 guys run a 20-lap race, no caution, no pit stop, no bullsh*t. Drop the f*cking green flag, give me 12 f*ckers out there going as hard as they can for 20 laps. It’ll be over before you know it, but it’s going to be freaking awesome. That’s what it was. That’s all it needs to be. It doesn’t need to be more than that.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 03: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota, winner (C) Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet, (R) second place and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford, third place pose on the podium in victory lane after the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 03, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Earnhardt believes that The Clash can be a fun event without having to imitate a NASCAR race.
“Let that happen the same day you’re going to qualify, do it on a Saturday or something like that the week before the 500, get everybody out there, have your little ARCA race, have your little Clash and then qualify,” Earnhardt said. “Hey, it’s a full day, all kinds of activity. You’ve got cars on the track, fans can enjoy it. And then the drivers, they can go home for a couple days, come back on Tuesday or Wednesday, we’ll start doing some media, we’ll boil up this Daytona 500 excitement. That’s how they need to do it.”
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There’s a lot of different options on the table. Do you think Earnhardt has the right idea?
This story was originally published by The Spun on May 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the NASCAR section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
