Richard Petty — NASCAR legend and founder of the sport — spoke out strongly after the recent playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway, expressing deep disappointment with the current direction of racing. He called the race “not real racing” and asked: has NASCAR lost its soul?
Petty said that when he watched the race at Talladega, he saw cars running like they were on the highway, drifting in single file and occasionally changing positions, rather than a battle of equals based on talent and speed.
He stressed that with the current “Next Gen” cars and the aero/dynamic configurations NASCAR is using, the strategy of saving fuel and holding positions has replaced the real racing.
Petty said he doesn’t blame the drivers—they’re doing well within the existing cars and regulations—but he feels, at least in his opinion, that the cars and engineering packages have taken away the ability to differentiate good drivers from those who just “go along.”
“To me, that’s not racing,” he said. “You can go out here and stand on the side of the interstate and watch cars run up and down the road.”
Petty also criticized the post-event handling and the technical regulations, using the term “nicky-picky” to describe minor infractions that are punished too harshly, citing Joey Logano’s disqualification for improperly fitting a bolt or shim after his finish at Talladega.
This reinforces his feeling that the original spirit of NASCAR—competition, skill, and risk—is giving way to technical strategy and detailed regulations.
Petty’s words resonated with the NASCAR community and media, as it wasn’t the first time he’d spoken out, but the intensity of the reaction this time around has really sparked a debate: Is NASCAR losing the “soul” that made the brand what it is? Longtime fans look to races like Talladega or Daytona International Speedway expecting chaos, crashes, and breakouts — but instead they get a lot of group racing, big numbers, and few breakout moves.
NASCAR executives have responded, saying they look at metrics like lead times or car changes, and found that the last race at Talladega was a whopping 67 times among 23 drivers — not a bad number.
But Petty said that while the numbers looked good, the feel of the race lacked excitement and didn’t leave a lasting impression on viewers — something he considers very important.
Petty warned that if NASCAR continues to go in the direction of “less risk but safety,” “more strategy than speed,” the series could lose its traditional audience and the trust of the true racing community. He hopes that NASCAR will listen and make adjustments — from the cars, to the technical package, to the way the race is organized — to restore the “real racing” feeling that he and many fans once loved.
As a living icon of the sport, Richard Petty’s words are not only a personal reflection but also a weighty warning: racing is not just about high-speed turns, but where skill, reflexes, determination, and sometimes risk are celebrated. If NASCAR allows those elements to be overshadowed by technical management or overly mechanical tactics, the “soul” of the sport could be lost.
Looking at NASCAR’s history—where drivers like Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jeff Gordon built a reputation for grit, speed, and bravado—the current changes may make many nostalgic for a “golden era” they believe is gone. Petty believes the race needs to carefully balance technical advancements with retaining the pure competitive and emotional elements of racing.
Ultimately, the question posed by Richard Petty—“Has NASCAR lost its soul?”—will likely be raised again and again in discussions surrounding the future of the series. If NASCAR truly regains its roots as a high-speed race, perhaps it will see “order” and “history” restored. If not, longtime fans may gradually move on to other races or simply withdraw from the scene they once loved.
