NASCAR legend and team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. has publicly called for more crashes in the sport, arguing that modern cars are too reliable and that wrecks improve the viewing experience.
Speaking on his podcast on May 20, 2026, Earnhardt expressed excitement after a multi-car collision on the second lap of the All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway.
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He acknowledged the financial cost of destroying vehicles worth $350,000 each but insisted that the Next Gen cars have become excessively overengineered compared to older stock cars.
Earnhardt: 'We Need More Wrecks'
"I love it! Carnage!
We need more of that s***, we need more wrecks. There's not enough f****** wrecks, man!"
Earnhardt said on the Dale Jr. Download.
He explained that his immediate reaction to the early race chaos was highly positive, contrasting it with his pre-race fear of a boring event.
"When the race started, I was sitting there going 'alright, man, I hope this ain't a total snoozefest', then they started destroying s*** and I'm like 'hell yes!'"
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he said.
Earnhardt noted that the sudden crash caught fans in the grandstands by surprise, with many turning away just before the impact.
Reflecting on his childhood, he recalled examining damaged parts in race garages and argued that modern braking systems prevent drivers from making mistakes.
"That's what we need. I mean, it's a shame these cars cost $350,000, that ain't my fault.
But they need to wreck these mo********ers," Earnhardt said.
He added: "Now you've got these guys, they go out there and run and run and run, nobody makes a mistake, car does everything right.
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The car's hard to drive, I know it is, but it does have great brakes on it – the brakes are way too good – everything on it's way too good, way too overengineered."
