Brad Keselowski is questioning NASCAR’s development ladder after a string of recent incidents across the sport.

On The Dale Jr. Download podcast from March 6, 2026, Keselowski said the path drivers once took to reach NASCAR’s national series no longer works the same way.

“The problem that we have—this is NASCAR’s industry as a whole—is for whatever reason, we completely abandoned the identity of those four series,” Keselowski said. “Not necessarily the Cup Series, but those four series, kind of like the pecking order, have been thrown away.”

Keselowski pointed to how the ladder once worked. Drivers typically progressed from Late Models to the ARCA Menards Series before advancing to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and eventually the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

“Personally, I think the three series should have three different approval criteria,” Keselowski said.

He argued that drivers with limited experience should follow the traditional route and transition from ARCA to the Truck Series, and eventually to the Xfinity Series.

One recent example came earlier this season in a late-race clash between Corey Day and Connor Zilisch.

Recent Incidents Add Fuel to the Debate

Corey Day, the 20-year-old prospect backed by Hendrick Motorsports, drove his No. 17 Chevrolet into teammate Connor Zilisch on the final lap, sending Zilisch from fourth to 21st.

“We all got together. Rick had a conversation with Corey,” Earnhardt said on The Dale Jr. Download. “We want you here. We believe in you. We believe you're a winner. But we have to do this without being detrimental to each other.”

The controversy surrounding Day is only one example fueling concerns about how NASCAR evaluates and advances drivers through its development system.

Another situation that intensified the debate involved YouTuber Cleetus McFarland. Despite having only six starts in the ARCA Menards Series, he was approved to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

His only Truck appearance ended in a crash after four laps at Daytona, yet he was later cleared to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The decision drew criticism from two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch. “My son has probably run more races than he has, and he’s 10 years old,” he said. He noted that he waited two years between his Truck debut in 2001 and his first Xfinity start in 2003.

For Keselowski, examples like this show why clearer progression standards may be necessary if NASCAR wants each step of its development ladder to serve a distinct purpose.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Somadhand Das

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav