Steve O'Donnell on NASCAR after Earnhardt: 'The sport is going to be really healthy'
CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR Vice President of Competition Steve O'Donnell spent some time with reporters discussing the future of NASCAR following Dale Earnhardt Jr's retirement press conference Tuesday at Hendrick Motorsports in Concord, North Carolina.
Earnhardt, a 14-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award winner, blasted onto the NASCAR Cup Series scene in 2000 and has been in the spotlight ever since. After the passing of his father, seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt, at Daytona International Speedway in 2001, Earnhardt was propelled into becoming the face of the sport.
To put in perspective just how popular Earnhardt has been, the last time a different driver won the award was in 2002 when Bill Elliott earned the prestigious honor for the final time.
Although we all knew Earnhardt's career was coming to a close sooner rather than later, no one expected the news to come down right now, nor were any of us really ready to hear it.
As Junior Nation copes with the fact that their favorite driver will be hanging up his helmet at season's end, those same fans will be looking for another driver to root for week in and week out.
Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are just two of the drivers in a deep pool of young talent that Earnhardt’s loyal fans may look to after 2017. O’Donnell is optimistic about the future of the sport, as well as the part Earnhardt will play in molding it.
“Dale Jr. can actually help us as we look at some of the personalities in this sport,” O’Donnell said. “I believe the sport is going to be really healthy.”
That growth does not only rely on the on-track performance of young drivers like Larson and Elliott, but how well their personalities reflect on fans, as well.
O’Donnell says what you see is always what you get with Earnhardt, one of the many reasons why fans have adored him for 18 seasons.
“I’ve always felt like you’re getting the real Dale Jr.,” O’Donnell said. “So, when he’s mad, you know he’s mad and it’s not a front. When he’s happy about something, you know that, as well. You can always disagree with someone and be mad someone but you can respect their opinion. I’ve always done that with Dale Jr. and he’s got that from everyone in the industry.”
When asked about how former drivers like four-time champion and current FOX NASCAR analyst Jeff Gordon and NBC analyst Jeff Burton still contribute their knowledge and opinions to the sport, O’Donnell says he expects Earnhardt to do the same.
“I think Dale Jr. does that on his own,” O’Donnell said. “He’s not hesitate to send you a message every day on here’s what I thought about the race or here’s some ideas you all maybe need to explore. That’s one of the things that’s been great about him. He cares about the long-term health of the sport. I think the other drivers, especially the ones he’s interacted with, see that and know that’s important going forward.”
As far as NASCAR’s agenda in a post-Earnhardt world, O’Donnell says the plans have already been put in place. Now they just need to execute it.
“We’ve got a whole group dedicated to that,” O’Donnell said. “Ten years ago, we didn’t have that initiative in place. A lot of the steps we take with the NASCAR Next program, looking at the XFINITY Series and how we want drivers to come up though the system – that’s all been a key part.”
But O’Donnell also noted that the fate of the future does not solely rest on the sanctioning body’s shoulders. Drivers have to pull their own weight, too.
“With our office in L.A. and putting opportunities out there, we’ve seen Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace and those guys moving around in different entertainment platforms,” O’Donnell said. “That’s important for us to be able to work together.”
“But it’s also on the drivers,” he added. “They’ve got to want to do some of these things outside of the sport to help grow the sport, as well.”
