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  • Earnhardt Jr. and Harvick Urge Larson Not to Attempt The Double; Michael Jordan vs. NASCAR; Daytona vs. Indy and More

Earnhardt Jr. and Harvick Urge Larson Not to Attempt The Double; Michael Jordan vs. NASCAR; Daytona vs. Indy and 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 :

  • Earnhardt Jr. and Harvick are not inclined to see Larson attempt The Double again.

  • Junior on 23XI Jordan’s legal troubles with NASCAR.

  • Fans defending Daytona 500 over Indy 500… Despite higher views for the latter.

🏁Insider Take

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick Against Kyle Larson Attempting The Double Again

Forget it. Never Again. Don’t Do It. It’s Two Strikes And You’re Out (Don’t Make It Three) — But we mean it in the nicest terms possible!

That was essentially the advice Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick offered to Kyle Larson after his disappointing and embarrassing showing in The Double this past Sunday.

Larson finished 27th in the Indianapolis 500, crashing out and taking two other drivers with him. He then had an even worse finish (37th), crashing in the Coca-Cola 600 nightcap too.

First, let’s hear from Junior, who advised Larson in the strongest language possible on his Dale Jr. Download podcast.

“The whole month is a f***ing pain in the a** between both Indy and NASCAR. … He’s still got his real job to do, and he has to answer to the questions: ‘Which is more important? What matters more? What happens if this? What happens if that?’ It’s like, man, it’s just not worth it.’”

Meanwhile, Harvick was more succinct and to the point, taking to X: “I’m happy that he did it. I think it was great for racing. I hope it’s the last time.”

🏁 Trackside Trivia

In 1992, the Hooters 500 became one of the most iconic races in NASCAR history — it was Richard Petty’s final race, Jeff Gordon’s debut, and Alan Kulwicki’s dramatic underdog victory in the Winston Cup Championship by leading just one more lap than his rival.

🗣️ Pit Politics

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Believes Both NASCAR and Michael Jordan Will Compromise Over Charter Lawsuit

The absolute LAST thing NASCAR wants Michael Jordan to do is take his ball and go home with him.

That is pretty much how Dale Earnhardt Jr. sees the ongoing lawsuit between Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports vs. NASCAR’s charter system.

NASCAR needs Jordan and his multi-millions of dollars more than Jordan needs NASCAR. If NASCAR continues to push, Jordan indeed may just walk away. And you can bet Hamlin doesn’t have enough in the bank to replace MJ’s mucho bucks.

Dale Jr. believes that after both sides finish thumping their chests in displays of braggadocio, cooler heads will prevail and a compromise of sorts will end the legal fight.

Because right now, the only folks getting rich in all this are the lawyers, right? If Jordan were to walk away, it would be one of the most devastating things to ever hit the sport.

Let’s not forget that Jordan sold his NBA team so that he could devote all his time to his Cup team. If he were to leave, lots of others – including sponsors and fans – would likely be sure to follow.

“I think NASCAR wants Michael Jordan to be happy and to be enjoying what he’s doing,” Earnhardt told USA Today. “What’s going to happen, I believe, is both sides will compromise and come to an agreement, and then Jordan will enjoy being an owner and have success.”

🎙️ Hoot’s Radio Chatter

NASCAR Fans Defend the Daytona 500 Amid High Viewership for the Indy 500

Even though the Indianapolis 500 is riding high from outstanding audience numbers — 7.05 million in its first year on FOX Sports, more than 40 percent higher than last year’s race on NBC — NASCAR fans are crying not so fast.

NASCAR’s Daytona 500 drew 6.761 million fans in front of their TVs in this year’s season-opening race, also on FOX Sports.

But don’t forget that the Daytona race was hit by a 3.5-hour rain delay – you could almost hear thousands, if not millions, of TV sets click off during the interim.

Many loyal NASCAR fans believe that if it hadn’t been because of the wet stuff, the Daytona 500 would have drawn upwards of 8 to 9 million viewers this year.

And don’t forget that the Indy 500 drew both IndyCar and NASCAR fans who were curious how Kyle Larson would do in his second attempt at The Double (competing in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600).

If Larson hadn’t taken part in The Double, would FOX’s numbers be significantly lower? It’s anyone’s guess.

But in a way, there’s a Catch-22 at play. While this year’s Indy 500 viewership was the highest motorsports telecast since 2023, the most-viewed race that year was … Daytona 500 on FOX, with 8,173,000 viewers.

Maybe the NASCAR fans have a good point in the Daytona vs. Indy battle.

Daytona’s rain delay once again hinders the audience. Otherwise, it would have been 8-9million.” 

X User

“Congrats for both. Larson definitely helped the Indy numbers. He’s the only reason I watched.” 

X User

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

In 1948, Red Byron won NASCAR’s first-ever sanctioned race — a Modified Division event held on February 15 at the Daytona Beach Road Course.
That victory made Byron the first driver to take the checkered flag in a race officially sanctioned by NASCAR, which had been founded just a few days earlier on February 21, 1948.

📩  Hoot in the Oval Feedback Zone

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