NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. claims that the version of the sport he once knew and grew up with has gone. Earnhardt Jr. has noted the staggering cost behind fielding a car in the Cup Series,

For ways better and worse, Dale Earnhardt Jr. concedes this is a much different NASCA R than the one he grew watching and eventually participated in as a driver at the highest level for nearly two decades. This conclusion was part of a conversation with Kevin Harvick on the NASCAR on FOX Happy Hour show.

Dale Earnhardt was called all of those — he was such a legendary NASCAR figure that just one nickname wasn’t enough. Considered by many to be the best driver in the sport’s history, Earnhardt died in a last-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500 and has since attained almost mythical status among race fans.