Hasn’t NASCAR been a rollercoaster lately? We were all buzzing after the 2025 Martinsville race, and not in a good manner. Wrecks piled up, tempers erupted, and the sport’s old guard is tired. Nowadays, it’s about respect or contempt rather than race. The tracks are being torn up by the young guns, but the veterans? They literally want to throw punches. Next up comes 58-year-old superstar Tommy Baldwin Jr., who has dedicated his life to NASCAR. He didn’t think twice after the Xfinity mayhem at Martinsville, when accidents transformed the track into a junkyard. Baldwin has a brilliant idea.
According to Clint Bowyer, if NASCAR is going to claim that respect will resolve the issue, they will need to remove those security officers in order for them to learn respect. “You’re right,” Elledge said. Baldwin’s response was, “Hell yeah.” She repeats: “Excellent.” “Hell yeah,” he says enthusiastically. Let’s get it done. Baldwin then delivered the blow, saying, “Let’s fight if the drivers are going to do that.” Let’s end this now. Before we move on, let’s knock each other out. Whoever manages to take that man out will no longer play with him. Their motto was “let’s do it.” Cynical, Kraft breaks in, saying, “Those two men were two men who wanted to fight but did not want to fight the other night.” Baldwin wasn’t finished.
“Everyone is terrified of the outcry from keyboard-fingered people on social media and the personal appearance, which is why our world is so soft right now. That’s why I don’t give a damn. I will be as passionate as I am capable of being. I’ve put a lot of effort into this sport to achieve what I have, as well as all of my successes and failures. The words of Baldwin struck like a sledgehammer. Think of legendary figures like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr., who were fiercely combative yet possessed a deep sense of respect. With 76 Cup victories, Dale Sr. dominated the field and won seven titles by bumping and bashing. “The King,” Richard Petty, amassed 200 victories, including seven at the Daytona 500, with a style of competition that still brought him handshakes post-race.
They knew the unspoken rule: respect the sport, the equipment, and the men who made it possible. They raced hard and crashed when they had to. Today’s youth lack that heart, and NASCAR is suffering as a result. “These children didn’t. These children don’t tinker with their vehicles. They weren’t brought up to fix their own cars. When it comes to these race cars, they do nothing. It’s a complete shame that they don’t care about maintaining these cars, the people that work on them for so long, or anything else they do. Open it up, NASCAR. Let them fight, let them knock each other out, and let’s move on if they intend to do it Baldwin added.
This is supported by Denny Hamlin’s analysis of Martinsville, which shows that it’s pandemonium rather than racing. “I would love it if this is a turning point for us where we’re able to race respectfully, stay off each other, and make it less of a contact sport,” said Christopher Bell, who is currently out there vowing to earn Kyle Busch’s respect the hard way. Furthermore, Baldwin and Hamlin are not the only ones who say this.
Other professionals understand the respect conundrum
Another reasonable voice, Jeff Burton, disagrees with the label that some are applying to the Xfinity drivers: “talentless.” He’s upset, though. “It’s not that they’re not talented; it’s that they’re not respected or held accountable for their actions,” Burton stated.
To put an end to the madness, he is calling on NASCAR to enforce harsher penalties both inside and outside of races. From the beginning to the end, the Martinsville Xfinity race was a complete disaster. Additionally, the drivers are being punished severely for it. After being involved in the last-lap collision, Jeb Burton expressed his dissatisfaction openly: “It’s sad when no one drives with any respect.” We wrecked our automobile for what, and I returned back from the dead last night undamaged? It’s embarrassing. That hurt was shared by veteran Jeremy Clements, who has over 500 Xfinity starts: “Very disappointed in the lack of respect on the track tonight.” This fantastic series is a travesty.
Few people raced without simply colliding with the person ahead of them. “Twenty years ago, we didn’t race like this,” said defending champion Justin Allgaier, who couldn’t stand it either. For their vehicles, their teammates, and the sport they love, these guys are in pain. Baldwin wants fists; Burton wants rules. Something has to give in either case.
