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  • Dale Jr. and Amazon’s Major Win, Kyle Petty Chastises Chase Elliott, and Much More

Dale Jr. and Amazon’s Major Win, Kyle Petty Chastises Chase Elliott, and Much More

Welcome to Hoot in the Oval — your all-access pass to everything NASCAR. From Denny’s clutch finishes to Ross’s wild moves, Chase Elliott fandom to Bubba’s bold takes — we’ve got the stories that fuel the track and the timeline. Fast, loud, unfiltered. Buckle up, y’all. 🏁

The latest edition of our newsletter covers :

  • Amazon Prime and Dale Jr.’s coverage receives praise.

  • Kyle Petty questions Chase Elliott’s struggles.

  • Is the third car’s addition a good thing for RFK Racing?

  • Mark Martin on the lack of superstars in NASCAR.

🏁Inside the Oval

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Amazon Prime’s 'Analytical' Race Coverage Receives Great Praise

Amazon Prime’s first season of televising NASCAR races on a streaming platform rather than over-the-air or cable TV was a major success. Although Amazon Prime televised just five races of NASCAR Cup’s 38-race season (including two non-points exhibition events), it definitely made an impact.

“They’re really about analytics and bringing that to the fans,” said NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. “They also know they’re catering to a younger fan base and so that’s sort of what they demand.”

Gordon went on to praise Prime’s coverage of various elements, including races onto and off pit road, the number of tires that were changed, and innovative graphics like 'Fuel Burn', which shows how much fuel each driver has left in their tank.

“I know as a viewer and as a fan, that’s what I want to know,” Gordon said. “I love the fuel burn counter. As a driver using the throttle, how that’s affecting that number? I think there’s a ways that we can take that to the next level, but they’ve done a really nice job.”

And last but not least, Gordon noted, “On top of [all that Prime has done], you’ve got Steve Letarte and Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. They are doing a nice job complementing the graphics [which is another Prime innovation].”

Denny Hamlin was another NASCAR ace who became a Prime proponent. “If you look at the people that they have, they know the sport in and out. Dale Jr. hosts a podcast that talks about the sport each week. Steve Letarte is one of the best, if not the best, at just keeping you constantly engaged. I just think it’s the rapport they have with each other that is so good,” he said.

Prime televised five races: the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, as well as Nashville, Michigan, the inaugural Cup debut in Mexico City and this past Sunday’s race at Pocono.

TNT now picks up the next five races: this Saturday night at Atlanta, followed by the Chicago Street Race, Sonoma, Dover and Toyota.

The season’s final 14 races — including the 10-race Cup playoffs — will be split between USA (10 races) and NBC Sports (4 races).

🏁Insider Take

Kyle Petty Raises Serious Questions Around Chase Elliott's Struggles

Chase Elliott hasn’t been performing well in the Cup Series lately. Compared to his form a couple of years ago, it seems as though the 2020 Cup Series champion has fallen off a cliff. Yet, despite these struggles, he remains the sport’s most admired and popular driver.

Speaking on his show Kiss My A**phalt, Kyle Petty raised a serious question about Elliott’s lack of performance.

“Chase Briscoe felt the pressure to win for Joe Gibbs Racing, and he stepped up. Now, remember, Hamlin had already won three times, [and] Bell had already won three times. That internal competition makes you better. It made Chase Briscoe better. So what’s going on with Chase Elliott?” Wondered Petty.

“I mean, if we’re talking internal competition, Larson’s won three, Byron’s won one, dominated Darlington, strong at Nashville, so is Chase (Elliott) stepping up? Since 2023, Chase Elliott has won only one race,” he added.

While Petty acknowledged Elliott’s massive popularity among fans, he questioned how someone of his stature could go this long without winning.

“Have we already seen the best of Chase Elliott?” Asked Petty bluntly.

Petty then pointed out that a couple of road course races are coming up on the calendar. Elliott is often called the 'road course king'. However, Petty noted that despite the title, Elliott hasn’t won a single road course race since 2021.

“We have one ascending Chase (Briscoe)… and we have one Chase that’s just kinda here. And is that good enough? Is that good enough for our expectations? ... In a sport where we reward wins and championships, we need somebody to step up. Chase has got to step up,” Petty concluded.

🏁 Trackside Trivia
(One stat. One year. Every edition.)

1979: First Flag-to-Flag Broadcast of a 500-Mile Race

On February 18, 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first 500-mile NASCAR race to be broadcast live, start to finish, on national television.

A snowstorm across the U.S. left a huge audience stuck indoors. They watched a last-lap crash, a fight on the grass, and Richard Petty taking the win.

🗣️ Pit Politics

FACT CHECK: Has Adding the Third Car Really Improved Brad Keselowski's Team and RFK As a Whole?

It’s been a mixed bag of results for the Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing team so far in 2025.

On the plus side, Chris Buescher’s numbers have improved somewhat from last year after 17 races into the season. Buescher had three top 5s and four top 10s at this point last season. This year, he has three top 5s and six top 10s, and enters Saturday night’s race at Atlanta 11th in the standings.

Ryan Preece has been a strong addition to the team. He was picked up by RFK after Stewart-Haas Racing folded at the end of last season.

To date, Preece has one top 5 and seven top 10s. He’s in 14th place, three spots behind Buescher in the standings.

“When we added a third car, it really allowed us to add resources, particularly on the people side,” Keselowski said.

“We brought in a lot of other talent, like car chiefs and engineers. A lot of people thought that when we added a third team, it’d pull us down. I’d argue that it’s made us better, and I’m really happy to see that for Ryan,” he added.

However, Preece is technically out of the playoff picture as things stand. With Austin Cindric (15th), Josh Berry (16th), and Shane van Gisbergen (31st) all having wins, that leaves Preece below the playoff cut line.

Right now, Preece needs a win to make the playoffs. Team co-owner Keselowski also faces the same situation. Keselowski has had a terrible season thus far in 2025, with zero wins, one top 5, and just three top 10s, leaving him 30th in the standings.

If we compare it to what Keselowski did last season, the decline has been steep. At this point in the season, he had one win and six top 10s and had qualified for the playoffs last year.

Anything less than a win in the remaining nine regular-season races will see Keselowski not make the playoffs for the second time in the last four seasons.

🎙️ Hoot’s Radio Chatter

Mark Martin Puts Blame on One Thing for the Lack of Superstars in NASCAR Right Now

Mark Martin didn’t hold back when discussing the current state of NASCAR. Speaking on Kenny Wallace’s ‘Kenny Conversation’, the NASCAR Hall of Famer pointed to one key issue behind the sport’s lack of standout personalities.

Martin said the current generation isn’t short on talent or intensity, but sponsors and NASCAR’s image management have forced drivers to stay within strict lines. According to him, the sport has moved away from what made it compelling in the past.

“Water(ing) down the personalities hasn’t helped,” Martin said. “I truly believe that the drivers today are not nearly as vanilla as they appear to be.”

Martin noted that even seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson had a strong personality, but rarely showed it due to commercial pressures. He added that while modern drivers are racing at an incredibly high level, they aren’t seen as “superheroes” because they’re forced to act safe and corporate.

Kenny Wallace agreed and took it a step further, calling out Jeff Gordon — now vice-chairman of Hendrick Motorsports — for contributing to the problem. “Jeff wants robotic, corporate drivers,” Wallace said. “He doesn’t want anybody bucking the system.”

Martin concluded that this cultural shift has held back the emergence of the kind of larger-than-life figures that once defined NASCAR, even while the racing itself remains as competitive as ever.

🏁 Lap Back in Time: NASCAR Stat of the Year
(One stat. One year. Every edition.)

1965–1978: Jabe Thomas’ 322-Race Run Without Leading a Lap

From 1965 to 1978, Jabe Thomas started in 322 Cup races without ever leading a single lap — a NASCAR record for that era.

Over 14 seasons, he consistently finished mid-pack, even cracking points by finishing in the top 12 six times. Yet not once did he reach the front during green-flag racing.