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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reacts to NASCAR’s New ‘Fastest Lap’ Award: A Nod to the Past or a Gimmick?

Simon Monroy by Simon Monroy
February 5, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reacts to NASCAR’s New ‘Fastest Lap’ Award: A Nod to the Past or a Gimmick?

Sep 20, 2024; Bristol, Tennessee, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) during the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

The 2025 NASCAR season is officially here, and a brand-new twist has been added to the mix—the Xfinity Fastest Lap Award. This fresh initiative, backed by longtime NASCAR partner Comcast, aims to reward drivers who push the limits and clock the fastest lap in a race with a valuable extra point.

While some might see this as a minor tweak, Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks otherwise. The NASCAR legend believes this move rekindles an old-school spirit that the sport has been missing—one that harks back to the days of his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr.

A Throwback to NASCAR’s Glory Days

For Dale Jr., the introduction of a bonus point for the fastest lap brings back memories of how the sport used to reward drivers for sheer dominance. During the 1980s and 1990s, NASCAR handed out points for leading laps—something Earnhardt Jr. fondly remembers tracking as a kid while watching his father chase championships.

“Even leading a lap—bonus. I miss that,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I remember being a kid, and Dad was racing for a championship… Every day was an important day to get as many points as possible.”

Back then, every single point mattered in the title fight. Drivers didn’t just race to win—they fought to lead laps, accumulate bonus points, and strategically manage their races in a way that kept the fans engaged from start to finish.

“We were literally willing Dad into the lead in these races back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, going, ‘God, we gotta lead the lap! All right, we did it! We led that lap! We got that point! We got that five points!’”

Now, with Comcast’s new initiative, that same competitive fire could be reignited in the modern NASCAR era.

The Strategy Impact: Why This Change Matters

The Fastest Lap Award isn’t just a nostalgia trip—it’s also a game-changer in race strategy. With an extra point on the line, drivers and teams will have to decide:

  • Do they gamble on late-race pit stops to set a fastest lap?
  • Will teams engineer short-run speed setups just to secure this bonus?
  • Could these points tip the balance in playoff battles?

One thing is clear—this incentive will force drivers to push harder, even in races where they aren’t fighting for the win.

Comcast’s NASCAR Evolution: What’s Next After Xfinity?

Despite introducing this new award, Comcast is ending its title sponsorship of the Xfinity Series after 2025. The company, valued at nearly $130 billion, is now looking to expand its presence in different areas of the sport.

Matt Lederer, Comcast’s VP of Branded Partnerships & Activation, explained the decision:

“Now, I think it’s time for someone else to take that mantle and continue to grow the series to heights that we can’t even consider at this point.”

But even as Comcast transitions out, its Fastest Lap initiative ensures its influence will remain long after the Xfinity brand leaves the second-tier series.

Will the Fastest Lap Award Stick?

Interestingly, Formula 1 recently dropped a similar fastest lap incentive—but NASCAR is going all in.

Unlike F1, where only the top 10 finishers could earn a fastest lap point, NASCAR’s version applies to the entire field, ensuring that every driver, at every level, has an incentive to chase raw speed.

So, will this new feature stick, or will it fade into obscurity? That depends on whether teams embrace the strategy game it introduces—or if they dismiss it as a gimmick that doesn’t impact the racing product enough.

Either way, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is on board, and for a fan base that adores its history, this move could be just what NASCAR needs to bring back some old-school intensity to race day.

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