{"id":562382,"date":"2026-03-26T16:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T16:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/562382\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T16:11:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T16:11:09","slug":"dale-earnhardt-jr-names-f1-star-max-verstappen-as-driver-he-wants-in-nascar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/562382\/","title":{"rendered":"Dale Earnhardt Jr. Names F1 Star Max Verstappen as Driver He Wants in NASCAR"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t<img width=\"780\" height=\"439\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-1683827380-e1714445822970.jpg\" class=\"attachment-featured-image size-featured-image wp-post-image\" alt=\"Dale Earnhardt Jr.\"   decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Dale Earnhardt Jr. one of the world&#8217;s richest drivers<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/sports\/nascar\/dale-earnhardt-jr-biggest-career-regret\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dale Earnhardt Jr.<\/a> spoke about a possible crossover during a recent episode of <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SPEEDonFOX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external nofollow\">FOX\u2019s \u201cSpeed with Harvick &amp; Buxton\u201d podcast<\/a>. The moment came when Kevin Harvick asked which Formula One driver he would like to see race in NASCAR. Earnhardt Jr. answered quickly and named <a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/sports\/formula-one\/max-verstappen-shanghai-qualifying-reaction\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Max Verstappen<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The discussion focused on Verstappen\u2019s approach to racing and how drivers prepare across different series today. It also highlighted the growing link between Formula One and NASCAR, especially through shared tools like simulators.<\/p>\n<p>The exchange was direct and centered on racing, with Earnhardt Jr. explaining why Verstappen stands out among current drivers.<\/p>\n<p>Dale Earnhardt Jr. Responds to Kevin Harvick\u2019s Question<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SPEEDonFOX\/status\/2036894162726076834?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external nofollow\">Kevin Harvick inquired<\/a>, \u201cIs there somebody you\u2019d like to see come run a NASCAR race?\u201d Earnhardt Jr. gave a clear answer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMax. He\u2019s like us. At the end of the day, he just loves racing. He\u2019s put in the work and really dedicated himself to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earnhardt Jr. pointed to Verstappen\u2019s focus on racing and preparation. He also spoke about his personality and approach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019d be a fun name to bring over. He\u2019s still very young, he\u2019s opinionated, and he\u2019s not afraid to say what he thinks. And more than anything, he\u2019s a racer. He just wants to race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The response remained focused on Verstappen\u2019s mindset and commitment to the sport.<\/p>\n<p>Shared Preparation Between Formula One and NASCAR<\/p>\n<p>Verstappen competes in Formula One, where drivers rely on preparation before race weekends. A key part of that preparation comes from sim racing. He spends time on platforms such as iRacing. NASCAR drivers also use the same systems.<\/p>\n<p>Simulators help drivers learn tracks, test setups, and improve reaction time. They also allow teams to prepare for different race conditions. This shared use of technology connects drivers across both series.<\/p>\n<p>Earnhardt Jr.\u2019s comments showed how this overlap can help drivers adjust between racing styles. The tools used in both Formula One and NASCAR continue to bring the disciplines closer in terms of preparation.<\/p>\n<p>Differences Between Formula One and NASCAR Racing<\/p>\n<p>NASCAR races present a different set of demands. Drivers must manage tire wear, fuel, and track position over long runs. Races often feature close contact and tight racing conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Oval tracks also require a different approach. Drivers handle corners differently and deal with changing sight lines compared to road courses. These factors make adaptation important for any driver moving between series.<\/p>\n<p>Verstappen has spoken about the challenge of oval racing in the past. He has not confirmed any plans to race in NASCAR, but he has not ruled it out.<\/p>\n<p>The discussion on the podcast stayed focused on what drivers need to compete at a high level. Earnhardt Jr.\u2019s answer reflected how drivers across different series share the same goal of racing and improving their performance.<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/author\/dogliwilberforce\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dogli Wilberforce<\/a> is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. <a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/author\/dogliwilberforce\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">More about Dogli Wilberforce<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on NASCAR\n\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Images Dale Earnhardt Jr. one of the world&#8217;s richest drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke about a possible&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":124249,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-562382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=562382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562382\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=562382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=562382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=562382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}