Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition, firmly defended the current superspeedway racing package following Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. As debate grows over whether a package overhaul is necessary, Sawyer pointed to both fan reactions and race statistics to argue that the existing setup is delivering dynamic and intense racing moments, leaving many questioning what, if anything, should actually be fixed.
In the aftermath of Talladega’s 500-mile event, opinions in the racing world are divided, with some voices calling for change due to what they perceive as anti-climactic stretches, persistent fuel-saving strategies, and a lack of draft maneuverability that once defined these high-speed battles. Critics frequently highlight these issues, suggesting that modern NASCAR superspeedway formats have lost some of their signature thrill, particularly in comparison to previous generations or the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Elton Sawyer addressed these concerns in a Tuesday interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, drawing from both personal experience and race metrics. “When you’re sitting in race control and we’re standing up and watching, our fans are standing on their feet. We’re four wide, in some cases five wide, then they’re back to single file. Our fans are standing up, they’re cheering,” he explained, describing the intense on-track action witnessed throughout Sunday’s contest.
Backing up his claim, Sawyer cited a remarkable 67 lead changes among 23 different drivers during the event, a testament, in his view, to the ongoing competitiveness of the current package. “Then you get looking at the metrics and you look at the stats after the race, and you have 67 lead changes among 23 different drivers,” Sawyer said. “So, when we look at all of that, it’s like, what are we trying to fix? What’s not going the way we would like it?”
Talladega has recently seen a consistent flurry of lead changes, with each of the last four Cup Series races there featuring more than 65 lead swaps, and every NextGen event at the track topping 57. While most of these lead changes occurred during fuel-saving periods, Sawyer believes the high number is still a significant indicator of excitement and unpredictability.
Comparing the situation to other track types, Sawyer added, “I get it, when we start talking about short track packages, when we have a guy that leads in a 400-some laps of a 500-lap race… we’re going to do our best to try and work on that. But, when you have 67 lead changes among 23 different drivers, I’m not really sure what we’re gonna work on there. But as always, we want to get better.”
Despite the passionate debate, Elton Sawyer remained steadfast on the importance of continual improvement while emphasizing that the superspeedway package is generating high-stakes drama and broad participation among drivers. “So, we want to have 70 lead changes, we want to have 25 or 30 different drivers that lead races. So, I think a lot of words there, but the short answer is we’re always looking at our product, whether it’s superspeedway, road courses, intermediates, short track, we’re always looking at it, trying to make it better.”
This conversation highlights an ongoing tension within NASCAR: balancing the desire for change with defending what already works. As Elton Sawyer’s comments illustrate, questions about the direction of superspeedway racing may persist, but for now, the data and fan response seem to justify a cautious approach, signaling that any modifications will be examined through careful analysis rather than impulse.
