Calls Mount for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to “Stay in America” After Trip to Mexico Gets Compromised

Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of NASCAR’s most beloved figures and a marquee voice in the Amazon Prime booth this season, was set to cover the Cup Series’ long-awaited race at Mexico City. But just a few days ahead of the race, Junior’s travel plans have hit a major snag. With a scheduled flight to Mexico City stuck in maintenance, the clock is ticking. Dale Junior now finds himself scrambling for a backup plan, throwing his in-person presence into serious doubt. However, some fans are advising him to do something quite unusual.

Dale Jr.’s flight fiasco puts Prime coverage in jeopardy

Earlier this year, Junior joined forces with Amazon Prime and TNT for a historic broadcast collaboration in the 2025 NASCAR season. It marked a new era in racing coverage, with Dale Junior bringing both his deep understanding of the sport and his easy-going personality to every race aired on Prime Video. The goal? To elevate the fan experience and he’s been delivering.

Now, despite being scheduled to cover the Mexico City race from the booth, Dale Junior now finds himself grounded—literally. A post that quickly made the rounds reveals that the flight meant to carry him to the International Cup Series event is nowhere near North America. He took to X, posting, “Planned flight to Mexico City apparently is in Singapore, stuck in maintenance, and I will need to be seeking alternative solutions.”  

The message was short, but it packed a punch: Dale Earnhardt Jr. might miss the big show. Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t just another commentator; he’s one of the sport’s most trusted voices, a 15x Most Popular driver in his day, and a big reason many fans tune in. His absence would leave a noticeable gap in Amazon Prime coverage. It’s not every day your lead analyst gets benched by a jet halfway around the world.

Planned flight to Mexico City apparently is in Singapore stuck in maintenance and I will need to be seeking alternative solutions.

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 11, 2025

The race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez marks a historic moment for NASCAR. It is the first point-paying Cup Series race being held internationally since 1958. It is also NASCAR’s return to Mexico City since doing a few Xfinity races in the 2000s. Given the magnitude of this event, fans and Prime Video would want Dale Jr. to be there covering it. However, with his flight stuck and an alternate solution still unclear, the clock is ticking.

And when the broadcast team scrambled behind the scenes, fans didn’t hold back their thoughts either. From playful suggestions to pointed criticism, dear Junior’s travel hiccup has opened up the floodgates, and not everyone is rooting for a smooth landing; in fact, they don’t even want him to take off!

Fans sound off as Dale Jr.’s trip stalls

As soon as Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his flight troubles, NASCAR fans did what they do best—fire off reactions faster than a green flag restart. The replies came in hot, and let’s just say, a few folks didn’t exactly send their thoughts and prayers for a smooth journey.

One fan cut straight to the point: “Stay in America.” The sentiment was echoed more than once across the replies. Another chimed in with, “Stay home, player.’ The tongue-in-cheek tone kept rolling, with a user suggesting, “Stay put, sir. Do the race virtual,” as if hopping on the Zoom call could replace trackside analysis.

Others took a more skeptical view of the event. “NASCAR should not even hold a race in Mexico. NASCAR supposed to be an American sport, not a foreign sport.” One comment read, stirring up an old debate that’s reared its head throughout the week. Another fan went full apocalyptic, declaring, “Mexico City would definitely not be at the top of my list of places to visit right about now.” Some even saw Junior’s grounded flight as more than bad luck. “Probably a sign not to go…” wrote one user, while another put it bluntly: “Just a sign the NASCAR has no business racing in Mexico.”

While plenty of fans are still excited for the international expansion and Dale Junior’s presence in the booth, this pocket of reaction shows just how passionate and divided the community can be when the sport leaves its home turf. Whether Dale Junior makes it to Mexico or not, the fan chatter is already louder than the engines.

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