Dale Earnhardt Jr. claims he “could have won an F1 race” under one condition

Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes that if Formula 1 raced around the Oval circuits of NASCAR then he would have a serious chance of scoring a win.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. claims he “could have won an F1 race” under one condition

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Via Newsweek)

NASCAR and Formula 1 are considered to be at the premier categories of motorsports as compared to the others. The drivers of both sports race at extreme speeds and generally hold a deep sense of respect. NASCAR Hall of Famer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently opened up on hypothetical successful stint in F1. The 50-year-old has a condition that must be met before he sits inside the world’s fastest single-seater chassis.

Formula 1 and NASCAR have a key difference between the two: the track layout. The All-American motorsport usually consists of oval circuits run for over 300 laps or more. Meanwhile, F1 features a track rich in tricky corners and a mix of low-speed and high-speed turns for fewer laps. NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes that if the two sports were to combine in terms of track layout, he would definitely have a great shot at winning.

Dale Jr. confidently claims that he would win an F1 race only if they raced on ovals. The 50-year-old believes that the pinnacle of motorsport is strictly road course racing, which is completely different from NASCAR. As such, the Hall of Famer would have to train his entire life to be even slightly competitive in the layout offered by Formula 1. Still, racing on Ovals for his entire life meant that he would excel in that format and not be competitive in a F1-style circuit from the get-go.

If F1 raced on ovals, I could’ve won an F1 race. F1 is strictly road course racing. I would’ve had to have trained my entire life to even have been competitive, I believe, but I grew up racing on ovals. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said via @HardRockBet/YouTube.

Dale Jr. furthered his beliefs and pointed out that Formula 1 and NASCAR were two completely different disciplines. The Hall of Famer’s claims were a stark opposite of what Kyle Larson said earlier this year about excelling in F1 from the very beginning. The 50-year-old insists that racing on a road course compared to a race around the Oval was completely different. Hence, it wasn’t a flaw to accept his shortcomings to shine in the pinnacle of motorsport with ease.

That’s really like a completely different discipline. The way you drive an oval versus the way you drive a road course is so different. If they ever ran them on ovals, I’d have a shot for sure!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. added.

Dale Earnhardt Jr claims ‘it sucks’ to see Connor Zilisch sit out for Texas Xfinity race

Kyle Larson is set to replace injured Connor Zilisch in the No.88 Chevrolet for the Texas Xfinity race. Zilisch’s wreck in Talladega caused him injuries that he wouldn’t be able to recover from in time for the Texas race. The 18-year-old will focus on recovery as Larson will take in the seat of the youngster at JRM. Upon this, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared a heartfelt message towards Zilisch and hoped for a speedy recovery.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Conor Zilisch
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Conor Zilisch (Via @ConnorZilisch/X)

Connor Zilisch will recover from a lower back injury over the Texas weekend. Dale Jr. pointed out that it sucked to witness the 18-year-old being subbed out from the race. However, the Hall of Famer accepted that it was smart to sit out of the race and focus on recovery. The 50-year-old further raised confidence in the No.88 driver’s ability to achieve a comeback from the injuries and get back to the front of the field soon enough.

It sucks to see Connor have to sit out but I’m thankful he is being smart and patient with this injury. He’ll be back in the seat and back at the front of the field soon enough.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said via @DaleJr/X.

Dale Jr. is definitely way past his prime to excel in Formula 1 now. Injuries are second nature to such extreme sports, especially NASCAR and F1. As such, racing in the pinnacle of motorsport now might not be the wisest decision for the Hall of Famer. Hence, he is likely to focus on sharing his blunt opinion on the matters surrounding the American motorsport. The upcoming Texas Motor Speedway is set to be extremely interesting due to some changes in the driver lineup.

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