As NASCAR continues its aggressive push for international expansion, one of the sport’s biggest voices—Dale Earnhardt Jr.—isn’t exactly jumping for joy.
While many in the NASCAR world, including 2023 Cup champion Ryan Blaney, have rallied behind the idea of moving The Clash overseas, the Hall of Famer remains indifferent to the entire discussion.
On the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download, Junior made it clear—he just doesn’t care whether NASCAR races overseas or not.
🗣️ “I don’t care if my Cup racing goes overseas. I’m not for it or against it. It doesn’t excite me, you know, but I’ll watch it. But I’m not going to be sad if it doesn’t happen. Does that make sense?”
The Clash: A Perfect Test for International NASCAR?
One of the biggest debates in the NASCAR world right now is whether The Clash—NASCAR’s unofficial season opener—should move to an international venue.
✅ Europe and Brazil have been hot topics
✅ NASCAR has invested in global racing markets
✅ Expansion could bring new fans into the sport
Earnhardt Jr. acknowledges that NASCAR absolutely wants to race in front of new audiences, saying:
🗣️ “NASCAR would love to race in Europe or, you see Brazil in the conversation on social media. And that is something we are absolutely going to see in the future.”
But that doesn’t mean he’s personally invested in seeing it happen.
Calling Out NASCAR Fans for Their Double Standards
Dale Jr. didn’t just stop at giving his lukewarm take on international races—he also called out NASCAR fans for their blatant contradictions when it comes to race critiques.
After The Clash, some fans complained about the race being too clean, while others were mad about aggressive racing. For Earnhardt Jr., this kind of criticism is exactly why NASCAR can’t win with some fans.
🗣️ “I am so annoyed. This was like the perfect example of, ‘Oh, I don’t like that,’ and that’s like the two extremes happening in the very same weekend. The same people complained about how silly the last chance race was and how boring the back half of the feature was. I’m like, gah man, can’t win. You’ve got to take the good with the bad.”
What’s Next for NASCAR’s Global Expansion?
While Dale Jr. might not be excited, NASCAR is moving full speed ahead toward racing internationally. With record-breaking TV deals and Next-Gen cars built for road courses, the possibility of a NASCAR Cup race in Europe or South America is closer than ever.
But whether the fan base embraces it—or complains about it just like The Clash—is another story entirely.
