Dale Earnhardt Jr. had some strong comments about restrictor-plate racing after a crash on the last lap of Sunday’s NASCAR race at Talladega – and he now wishes he hadn’t made them.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. regrets post-Talladega comments
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Earnhardt Jr. expressed regret for his harsh words in a telephone interview with SB Nation on Tuesday afternoon, saying he should have thought about how the racing will change in 2013 when NASCAR introduces a new car.
“I regret making a bit of a scene and not considering the fact we’re going to be in a totally different race car for 2013,” he said. “It’s probably going to present a totally different style of racing at those tracks, so I probably have a bit more of a positive outlook on the potential for that style of racing to be really good with the next car.
"It was a bit heat of the moment, and I kind of regret getting that emotional about it. But I was just really upset about how that all went down. We'd run so good. I was really, really happy with my car in that race and I thought we should have been able to finish really good."
After finishing 20th, Earnhardt Jr. faced a pack of reporters and seemed incredulous at their reaction to the last-lap crash. He appeared disgusted when told there were many fans who enjoyed seeing the last-lap crash.
He called those people “bloodthirsty” and said he’d quit racing if NASCAR went to Talladega and Daytona every week.
On Tuesday, though, Earnhardt Jr. said he “should have checked myself a little bit before I stood up on my soap box and went off like I did.”
“I probably should have thought a little more about the future and how things could be totally different and all that – and how all that bitching and moaning could be for nothing when we go to Daytona with the 2013 car,” he said.
As for another part of his post-race reaction – Earnhardt Jr. was seen holding his head after the crash – the driver said Tuesday he was feeling fine and was uninjured.
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