Dale Earnhardt Jr. and TJ Majors are big fans of NASCAR‘s new Damaged Vehicle Policy.
The new regulations, which include a new beached (flat tire) vehicle recovery program, no longer results in cars that end up in the garage area being eliminated from contention. Cars that can’t be repaired on pit road after seven minutes will be sent to the garage where they can return to the track after repairs there.
Cars that can no longer be driven away from the scene of an incident due to flat tires will be towed to the garage where new tires can be bolted on and the driver can resume the race afterwards.
Majors, who is the spotter for Brad Keselowski in the Cup Series now, shared enthusiasm with his best friend and former driver on the latest episode of their Dale Jr. Download podcast.
Specifically, Majors thinks that having damaged cars back on the track can actually improve the racing in the front of the field too.
“The biggest change to me is now when you go to the garage, you’re going to go back fix it, you’re going to come out and be 60 laps down or are you going to have more cars out there that are off the pace?” Majors said. “…It’s kind of like catching the back of the field, More lap traffic. I’d hate to be in that position, but it’s going to create more… It’s like the leader catching the back of the field. When he catches the back of the field, stuff picks up.”
Earnhardt echoed that sentiment.
“You see a guy out there leading the race, you know the guy is second is a little faster but he just kind of hit that wall in terms of dirty air,” Earnhardt said. “When the leader gets the back of the field, that’s when I as a broadcaster in the booth start paying more attention and saying, ‘Alright, does this present an opportunity for second.’ Because now the leader is challenged in dirty air as well.”
Both agreed that for the most part, these slower cars, which are staying out on track in the hopes of gaining points over cars that fall out of the race, will be respectful of the leaders. And yet, accidents can still happen.
“It won’t be a problem most of the time because most when you’re that slow you’re going to be out of the way, and most of those guys aren’t going to impede that stuff,” Majors said. “But you never know when they catch each other at the wrong spot, it could create some scenarios for passing.”
Earnhardt also endorsed the new flat tire recovery program.
“I like the rule, especially for cars that were just getting towed back to the garage with flats and their day was done,” Earnhardt said. “That was some bad stuff, happened to a couple drivers over the last several months. That was a bad look, so I’m glad that’s been adjusted.”
