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  • Jeff Gordon’s Warning to NASCAR, Dale Jr.’s Push Against Road Courses, and much more

Jeff Gordon’s Warning to NASCAR, Dale Jr.’s Push Against Road Courses, 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 :

  • Kyle Petty defends NASCAR's international status.

  • Dale Jr. agrees with Petty’s stance on road courses.

  • Gordon warns against the sport’s international push.

  • Kyle Larson addresses his claim of being the ‘greatest driver’.

🏁Inside the Oval

Kyle Petty "Does Not Care What Anyone Says" About NASCAR's Status as an International Sport

Kyle Petty didn't mince words in defending the sport's foothold on the international stage after this weekend's historic Viva México 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.

With both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series taking center stage, Petty declared firmly: “Is NASCAR an international series? I’m going to say, YES. We run in Canada, now we are racing in Mexico, and I love this race in Mexico. It was a historic event, I don’t care what anybody says about it.”

The bold sentiment comes on the heels of a landmark weekend — Daniel Suárez claimed a stirring Xfinity victory in front of his home fans on June 14, and Shane van Gisbergen overcame treacherous wet-to-dry conditions to win the Cup race on Sunday, June 15, completing the first points-paying Cup race outside the U.S. since 1958.

Petty was equally blunt about dismissing detractors: “I don’t care the complainers the whiners, get out of town. This was a historic event for NASCAR. It took us to a city of nine and half million people. It took us to another country. It exposed us to fans that maybe knew what our sport was but had never seen it and now they know what it is,” he said.

For Petty, the very outcome of the race drove the point home. SVG, a New Zealander, won a NASCAR Cup race in Mexico, representing an American motorsport team. That is proof that NASCAR is evolving into a truly global sport, reiterated Petty, adding that the fans will see more of it in the future.

🏁Insider Take

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Agrees With Richard Petty's Shocking Statement About Road Courses in NASCAR

Richard Petty has never been a fan of road course races in NASCAR — and for good reason: Of the 200 Cup races The King won in his career, how many do you think were on a road course?

Answer: Z-E-R-O.

Yep, that’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. Most of Petty’s wins were either on short tracks or massive superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega.

That’s why Petty is against a driver who wins a road course race automatically qualifying for the NASCAR Cup playoffs, like Shane Van Gisbergen did in Mexico City on Sunday.

"You’re making a championship situation by winning a road course (race), which is not really NASCAR to begin with. So from that standpoint, I think they’re going to have to jockey around and change some of this kind of stuff,” said Petty.

Almost as surprising as Petty never winning a road course race is the fact that Dale Earnhardt Jr. agrees with Petty.

“I agree with Richard, road course racing isn't NASCAR. People are going to go, ‘Well, what about Riverside?’ There's been road course racing in NASCAR since the ‘50s,” Junior said on Tuesday’s post-Mexico edition of the Dale Jr. Download.

“When I came in, there was only Riverside, then we had Watkins Glen added in the ‘80s. When I was young and [first started] paying attention to the sport, being a road course racer wasn't important,” he added.

“You tried to just get out of there with the least amount of damage as possible in terms of points and things like that. That was it, then you were done, you were like ‘Alright, put that road course car in the back of the shop [for the rest of the year]'.”

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

2025: Most Lead Changes on a Road Course

On March 24, 2025, Circuit of the Americas hosted a record-breaking Cup race with 20 lead changes — the most ever on a NASCAR road course.

Aggressive passes, pit strategy, and mixed weather kept the field in constant motion. Twenty drivers swapped the lead in a race that felt more like Talladega than a technical road course.

It shattered the previous road-course record and cemented COTA 2025 as the most chaotic and competitive road race in modern NASCAR history.

🗣️ Pit Politics

Despite Mexico Success, Jeff Gordon Warns NASCAR Against Drastic Steps for International Expansion

NASCAR has been on a roll over the last few years, going to new locations such as the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Chicago Street Race, Bowman Gray Stadium and this past weekend in Mexico City.

By most indications, Mexico was a success. But it also makes one wonder what may be next on NASCAR’s travel itinerary.

Hendrick Motorsports vice-chairman Jeff Gordon likes the idea of expanding into new markets, but cautions it should be done prudently.

“Listen, I want to go everywhere in the world,” Gordon said. “I think that NASCAR could make an impact whether it be England, Germany, South America, Australia, you name it.”

After going south of the border, Gordon predicts that the next most likely market for the NASCAR Cup Series will be north of the border: Canada.

The biggest question is, does NASCAR need to expand its current 36-race schedule to, perhaps, 38 races (plus the non-point NASCAR All-Star Race and the pre-season Clash exhibition races)?

“We have to figure out the schedule before we do too much of this,” Gordon said. “We've had one weekend off for the entire year. We can’t do Michigan, Mexico City and then back to Pocono (again) — it can’t happen.”

Gordon is right: The mileage from Charlotte to Michigan to Mexico City to Pocono and back to Charlotte is over 5,800 miles.

“We're excited to take on the challenge but it's going to wear on us and I don't think we can do that back to back, so we’ve got to make some adjustments in the schedule,” Gordon said.

If NASCAR were to go somewhere significantly distant, such as Japan, China, Australia, India or perhaps Brazil or Colombia in South America, it’s almost a certainty that a race would have to be held in December due to both logistic and weather-related issues.

“If we're talking about really truly going overseas, that's a whole other discussion,” Gordon said. “When we went (for exhibition races in 1996, 1997 and 1998) to Japan that was in December, and you're not going to get a lot of popular votes of a long season of 38 races and then go into our off season on top of that.”

🎙️ Hoot’s Radio Chatter

Kyle Larson Sets the Record Straight on His 'Claim' of Being the Greatest Driver in the World

Kyle Larson found himself in the global spotlight when he boldly claimed to be a better all‑around driver than Formula 1 sensation Max Verstappen, sparking heated debate across motorsport fans worldwide. However, his comments were misinterpreted and led to many calling him the ‘greatest driver in the world’.

But the Hendrick Motorsports driver, ever self-aware, has stepped forward to clarify exactly how he feels about that title.

“Although the public thinks that I think that, I don’t necessarily think that I am the greatest in the world,” he admitted, speaking ahead of the Viva Mexico 250.

“But I’ve heard the accolades and the comments for a long time, and being compared to Jeff [Gordon] or Tony [Stewart] or even sometimes Mario [Andretti] and AJ Foyt, guys like that, it makes me feel really good,” he added.

Larson also reflected on the road ahead, noting that at just 32, he still has many years left in racing. He believes that his future accomplishments could be what truly cements his place among the legends he's so often compared to today.

🏁 Lap Back in Time: NASCAR Stat of the Year

1961–1963: Herman Beam’s 84-Race Finish Streak

Between 1961 and 1963, Herman Beam ran 84 consecutive Grand National races without a DNF — a record back then.

In an era when cars broke down regularly and crashes were frequent, Beam quietly built a legacy of reliability. He wasn't chasing wins — he just made sure to finish every race.

It’s one of the most overlooked records in NASCAR history, but one that speaks volumes about consistency in the chaos of early stock car racing.