Richard Petty was disappointed with how the race unfolded at Talladega. The Superspeedway races, since the introduction of Next-Gen cars, have seen relatively clean racing, which is unusual for restrictor plate races. One of the main reasons for this is the fuel-saving strategy employed by race teams, resulting in a lack of intensity in the middle stages of the Cup Series races.
The seven-time NASCAR champion expressed his disappointment with the race at Talladega, where the first two stages were relatively clean due to fuel-saving tactics. Petty described the race as terrible and pointed out how drivers would slow down once they secured the lead.
Unfortunately, the race did not go well for Richard Petty as a team owner either. His driver was involved in a Toyota incident that resulted in a wreck of the iconic No. 43 car. The incident was caused by his teammate, and as a result, the team had to replace the driver for the upcoming race at Dover due to an injury sustained at Talladega.
Petty did not hold back in his criticism, highlighting that every racer slowed down to save fuel, resulting in what Erik Jones described as a parade. Petty emphasized that there was no real racing happening on Sunday.
Petty was not the only racer to speak out against the fuel-saving strategy. Many racing greats, including veterans like [names], were critical of this approach. NASCAR needs to find a significant solution to address this issue at Superspeedways.