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Dale Jr.’s Unfiltered Take, Mark Martin Pushes NASCAR to Refocus, RFK Honors Greg Biffle, and More

Dale Jr.’s Unfiltered Take, Mark Martin Pushes NASCAR to Refocus, RFK Honors Greg Biffle, and More

Gowtham Ramalingam
January 10, 2026

Welcome to Hoot in the Oval — your all-access pass to everything NASCAR. From Denny’s clutch finishes to Ross’ 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:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. accepts that he cannot always side with NASCAR
Mark Martin wants NASCAR to focus on fan attendance rather than TV ratings
Brad Keselowski’s RFK Racing honors the late Greg Biffle
Christopher Bell hails the Chili Bowl as an event

🏁 Inside the Oval

Dale Jr. Admits He Can’t Always Agree With NASCAR and That’s the Point

The journey from a full-time NASCAR driver to an influential podcast host has been quite an undertaking for Dale Earnhardt Jr., especially since being in the middle of a crowd and leading through dialogue goes against his personality. And yet, here he is, striking up important conversations with key individuals on Dale Jr. Download and taking the sport toward a positive future.

The platform that Junior has created is not about generating noise or keeping himself relevant. It is more about speaking the truth, however harsh or uncomfortable it may be. Dale Jr. admits that he has never let the risk of enmity dilute honesty in his heart.

When he feels strongly about a decision that he thinks NASCAR has made wrong, he doesn’t hesitate to speak up, even if it irks the suits at Daytona. It is with this same commitment that he has voiced his opinion on efforts to restore the relevance of short-track racing, which has been waning in popularity since the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022.

“I don’t ever want to be a problem, but sometimes you just don’t agree with stuff, or you don’t like the direction we’re headed in, and you think it could and should be better. The show lets me say that,” said Junior, who sees the podcast as a safe space where he can disagree without any risk.

However, nuance of delivery is paramount in that space, and he knows it. “My delivery sometimes isn’t the best, but I think I’m getting better at it. And I think I’m in a good spot now with NASCAR, where they are comfortable with my show being part of the ecosystem,” added Junior.

NASCAR sees his podcast as an asset rather than a challenge. This mutual understanding has allowed Dale Jr.’s voice to coexist within the promotion’s media structure.

🏁 Inside the Oval

“Quit Chasing TV”: Mark Martin’s Simple Fix for NASCAR’s Fan Problem

The harder you chase after something, the higher the risk that it slips through your fingers. This statement has become particularly true in NASCAR’s quest to secure higher TV viewership and ratings.

After watching 20 years of a fruitless adventure chasing television audience, Mark Martin is absolutely done with the sanctioning body messing around with the sentiments of the traditional stock car racing fan.

NASCAR introduced the Chase format and later the elimination-style playoff format to create more drama in how championships are won. The belief was that this would entice the younger generation since such formats have worked wonders for the NBA and the NFL.

However, the numbers have declined despite the changes, making Martin wonder whether it was worth it to tinker with what he believes is the true essence of the sport. Martin’s core idea is that NASCAR must reconnect with its traditional fans rather than chase after TV metrics. He doesn’t care if that means changing the playoff structure or making substantial improvements to the in-track fan experience.

“TV ratings are important, but we’ve chased them for 20 years now, and they’ve gone down consistently for 20 years. It’s time to quit chasing them and just go back to chasing the race fan. And I believe it’s time to start selling tickets to these races, putting people back in the stands,” said Martin, who wants to bring back the days when stock car racing was a family sport that kids would watch with their dads on the track.

Martin has actively pushed this message on social media platforms and influenced NASCAR to reconsider its position on the playoff format. The effort is likely bearing fruit: The body is now on the verge of announcing big changes to the playoff format.

While Martin does not expect a return to the season-long points system, he is happy with any format that doesn’t declare a driver as the champion based on his performance on a single day.

After the recent resignation of Steve Phelps as the NASCAR commissioner, fans have been pitching Martin’s name to take up the position. The icon would surely have some groundbreaking ideas to implement if he were given that kind of power in the sport.

🗣️ Pit Politics

RFK Keeps Greg Biffle’s Legacy Alive With a Meaningful Museum Display

Greg Biffle played a big role in building RFK Racing’s NASCAR legacy through multiple wins in the Cup Series and championships in the Xfinity and Truck Series. Following his tragic death last month, the team has now honored him through a special display in its museum.

The showcase includes several notable pieces from his career, including the No. 16 Ford that he drove for the team, his race suit, and some of the most prestigious trophies that he won.

A plaque placed next to Biffle’s Ford reads, “The team at RFK Racing is devastated by the heartbreaking passing of Greg Biffle and his family. As a person, family man, and driver, his accomplishments helped form a cornerstone of our organization. He was simply one of the best. Greg and his family will forever hold a special place in our hearts.”

The racing world still hasn’t recovered from the shock of Biffle’s death. This gesture from RFK Racing, and its timing, has garnered a lot of appreciation from the fans.

Biffle’s car, in particular, is getting special attention among all the other memorabilia. This is because it was the one Biffle used to secure the 1000th victory for Ford in NASCAR at the Michigan Speedway in 2013.

Biffle impressively beat Kevin Harvick to the checkered flag that day, which also marked his fourth Cup Series win at the track. He later expressed his pleasure in being the driver who helped Team Blue Oval achieve this significant milestone. It was the final time he reached Victory Lane in NASCAR.

The icon passed away in a plane crash at the Statesville Regional Airport in December when he was bound for Florida along with his family. The exact reasons for the accident are still being investigated.

🏁 Trackside Trivia

Nine NASCAR Cup races were decided by a last-lap pass last year — the most in a single season in NASCAR Cup’s modern history.

🎙️ Hoot’s Radio Chatter

Christopher Bell Says the Chili Bowl is Unlike Any Race in NASCAR

The Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, set to be staged from January 12 to 17, is the biggest event in the midget racing world. It takes place annually at the Tulsa Expo Center.

Known as the Super Bowl of midget car racing, it carries a reputation so high that it is often compared to the Daytona 500. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell, who has experienced both these iconic races, feels that comparison is futile.

In a recent interview with FloRacing, he was asked to describe the differences between the two. He promptly declined, saying it is like comparing apples and oranges. However, he praised Chili Bowl National over the Daytona 500, stating one crucial factor that makes it arguably tougher in Tulsa.

The Great American Race is big, no doubt. But it has only NASCAR drivers taking part in it. That’s not the case with the Chili Bowl.

“Anybody can enter the Chili Bowl. So, it’s kind of a barometer for drivers where everybody is there. You get a lot of top drivers from different disciplines and people who don’t compete against each other all the time. It’s a great show,” said Bell.

After winning the Chili Bowl, a race he had grown up romanticizing, Bell has realized how big a role it played in making him who he is today. The JGR driver stated that it is far from being a luck-based race, although one does need a lot of factors to go right to win it.

Of course, this doesn’t mean he is not in awe of the Daytona 500. Bell is a Cup Series driver at the end of the day and wants to win it above everything else.

The world of dirt racing and stock car racing, which has shaped Bell as a racer, is increasingly overlapping with each other. And none could be happier than Bell.

“I love the fact that over the last couple of years, we have seen a lot of NASCAR fans at dirt tracks and more dirt fans at NASCAR tracks. I think it’s super cool that we are coming together as one motorsports community,” concluded Bell.

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

1965: Ned Jarrett’s 14-lap victory at the 1965 Southern 500 remains the largest margin of victory in NASCAR Cup history. Only 15 of the 44 starters were still running at the finish, helping Jarrett build such a massive gap.