Herm & Schrader — “Champions Crowned: Hamlin Heartbreak, Jesse Love's Unbelievable Upset, & The ‘Heim Bomb’”

Episode Date: November 5, 2025
Hosts: Kenny Wallace, Ken Schrader, Craig Moore (Producer/Co-host)
Produced by: Dirty Mo Media

Overview

This episode of Herm & Schrader dives deep into an eventful NASCAR championship weekend, full of dramatic turns, emotional moments, and pivotal decisions. Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader, long-time friends and racing veterans, reflect on Denny Hamlin’s heart-wrenching defeat, the crew chief strategies that shaped the finale, Jesse Love’s dramatic Xfinity championship win, Corey Heim’s record-setting truck series season, and a wild collection of stories across NASCAR and grassroots dirt racing. The show keeps its tradition: unfiltered banter, a touch of irreverence, beer-in-hand wisdom, and true Midwestern storytelling.

Key Discussion Points

1. Hamlin’s Heartbreak and the Phoenix Finale

• Denny Hamlin’s emotional journey

  • Hamlin’s social media presence, featuring his ailing father and Michael Jordan, built up anticipation and created added emotional stakes.
  • [04:04] Craig Moore: “He promoted his own destiny… then you’re thinking, he’s going to pull this off. He’s got a 2 1/2 second lead with four laps to go.”

• The pivotal pit call

  • Debate over Hamlin’s crew chief’s decision to take four tires instead of two, drawing direct comparison to Corey Heim’s earlier truck race strategy.
  • [06:42] Craig Moore: “Hamlin’s gonna put two tires on. There’s no doubt about this.”
  • [07:45] Kenny Schrader: “The biggest difference was... you had Kyle Larson in front of you with two tires, not just a bunch of mid pack cars.”

• Outcome and aftermath

  • Hamlin’s championship hopes undone by a late yellow, putting him back in a pack he couldn’t cut through in a green-white-checker finish.
  • [10:02] Kenny Schrader: “Denny was behind the decision. That’s what matters… it was team against team.”

• Emotions in the garage

  • Kyle Larson, who won, and William Byron, who influenced the race, both expressed sympathy for Hamlin post-race.
  • [12:44] Kenny Schrader: “His teammate won the championship because of that flat tire… if we just make four more laps...”
  • [13:58] Craig (Producer): “Kyle Larson… he honestly, and you could hear it in his voice, he felt bad about Denny’s situation.”

2. NASCAR Points Format and Fan Sentiment

• Discourse around points format

  • The hosts anticipate a points format change announcement, noting ongoing fan unrest.
  • [19:14] Craig Moore: “Fans are foaming at the mouth about this points change… the banquet is now… look for the new points format to be announced soon.”
  • Satirical take: [21:05] Craig Moore: “Next year in 2026, we're not gonna race. We're all going straight to the championship race. We're gonna go green, white, checkered.”

• Championship contenders' tire woes

  • Every playoff contender suffered tire issues, adding to the chaos and drama.
  • [19:53-29:22] Recap of tire failures for Hamlin, Byron, Briscoe, and Larson.

• Social Media & Polls

  • Poll reactions revealed only 56% of fans thought it was a good race, possibly influenced by their driver’s outcome.
  • [22:03] Craig Moore: “Only 56% said it was a good race... I think that’s a heart decision.”

3. Strategic Decisions: The Crew Chief Chess Match

• Hamlin vs. Larson: Tire Strategies
  • Hamlin took four tires, hoping for a longer run or more cautions; Larson was confident with two, having already tested right sides on a prior pit stop.
  • [11:08] Kenny Schrader: “Kyle is just... just give me anything, and I only got to go two laps, you know.”
  • The ultimate difference boiled down to circumstance and a bit of luck.

4. Human Side of Competition

• Emotional Toll on Denny Hamlin
  • [32:37] Craig Moore: “Denny Hamlin starts crying as he’s getting ready to get in the car…”
  • [33:14] Craig Moore: “Denny said his dad’s dying and he’s not going to be here next year. He flat said it.”
  • [33:20] Craig (Producer): “That is where a lot of this emotion from Denny and the drive that he had also to win the championship came.”

5. Truck Series: The ‘Heim Bomb’ & Corey Heim’s Dominant Year

• Corey Heim's Seven-Wide Move

  • The so-called "Heim Bomb": Heim’s move on the restart, taking it seven-wide into turn three.
  • [35:32] Kenny Schrader: “Sure did. Because when they put on four tires, it was like, oh, no... and it worked out really good for them.”

• Heim’s Record-Setting Stats

  • 12 wins—the most ever in a truck series season.
  • First truck champion born in the 21st century, and first from Georgia.
  • [53:45] Craig Moore: “First driver to win 12 races in a single season—broke Greg Biffle's record of nine.”

6. Xfinity Series: Jesse Love’s Stunning Upset

• Championship run

  • Jesse Love comes on strong in the closing laps to upset Connor Zillich, who dominated the season.
  • [38:50] Craig Moore: "Jesse Love wins two races, has the race of his life, just flat ass wins it, passes them all. And Richard Childress and Jesse Love, they win the championship…"

• Historic achievement for Childress

  • Sixth car owner championship for Richard Childress, with five different drivers winning.

• Owner vs. driver titles

  • Discussion about the separation between the car owner and driver championships, and how sometimes they don’t match.
  • [40:49] Craig Moore: “Now here comes... Joe Gibbs did nothing wrong... but they won the car owner championship... does this get too convoluted?”

7. NASCAR Rule Changes and Looking Ahead

• Cup drivers in lower series

  • New rules allow Cup drivers (with more than two years experience) up to 10 starts in lower divisions, bringing back some of the “old days.”
  • Hosts debate whether this is good for the sport and the ever-changing opinions of fans.
  • [42:38] Kenny Schrader: “I think it’s good… anybody ought to be able to run it.”

• Goodbye, Xfinity; Hello, O’Reilly

  • Transition of series sponsorship and what it means for the sport.
  • [45:41] Kenny Schrader: “We want all the new sponsors we can get. Hate to see Xfinity go.”

8. Grassroots & Dirt Racing Mayhem

• Track disaster at Charlotte

  • Rain and a mismanaged surface left the track a “plowed cornfield.”
  • [57:06] Kenny Schrader: “Somebody… decided it would be good to open the track and left it open when the rain came... they had a plowed cornfield.”
  • Features cut short by city noise ordinances; drivers and crew packing up early.

• Stories from the pits

  • Kenny Wallace’s tales of youthful mischief, including getting help on the scales for a first dirt win.

• World Finals anticipation

  • The hosts hype the upcoming World Finals at Charlotte—one of the dirt racing calendar’s biggest events.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• [08:38] Kenny Schrader: “There’s a better than average chance this isn’t going to be a green white checker. It’s going to be a green, yellow, and then another green white checker.”
• [14:21] Kenny Schrader: “There’s a difference between winning the championship and someone losing the championship.”
• [38:50] Craig Moore: "Jesse Love wins two races, has the race of his life, just flat ass wins it, passes them all."
• [35:32] Kenny Schrader (on Heim’s move): “Sure did. Because when they put on four tires, it was like, oh, no... and it worked out really good for them… Corey won. I mean, he was the truck all year.”
• [53:45] Craig Moore (on Corey Heim): “First driver to win 12 races in a single season—broke Greg Biffle’s record of nine.”
• [71:53] Kenny Schrader: “Mikey Waltrip used to say he could drive down the carpool lane by himself because he had so many different people in his head.”

Notable Timestamps

| MM:SS | Segment | |-------|---------| | 03:02 | Hamlin heartbreak post-race, emotional setup | | 06:13 | “Heim Bomb” reference, pit call debate | | 10:22 | Kyle Larson’s in-race advantage with right-side tire knowledge | | 12:44 | William Byron’s apology to Hamlin | | 22:03 | Social media fan poll—the divided reaction | | 29:22 | Discussion on tire failures across the contenders | | 32:37 | Denny Hamlin’s pre-race tears and family situation | | 35:32 | Truck Series: Corey Heim’s jaw-dropping seven-wide move | | 38:50 | Jesse Love’s Xfinity shocker, Childress’s legacy | | 42:38 | Return of Cup drivers to lower series; debate on fan wishes | | 57:06 | Dirt racing woes at Charlotte | | 65:08 | Weekly joke time and light-hearted banter | | 67:46 | NASCAR honors “Sparky Superfan” (attended every race) | | 69:06 | Mark Martin visits Schrader—a tease for future content | | 73:25 | Sydney Sweeney’s surprise appearance at Phoenix |

Craig’s Notes: Key Stats & Milestones (Approx. [47:35] Segment)

• Kyle Larson: Second Cup championship in 11 full-time seasons, 18th multi-champ; third multi-champ in elimination playoff era.
• Ryan Blaney: 17th career win, 4th win of 2025 (personal best), breakthrough year.
• Corey Heim: First truck champ born after 2000, 12-win season (series record).
• Jesse Love: 2023 ARCA Menards champ, 2nd driver to bookend Xfinity season with wins (Daytona & finale).
• Richard Childress Racing: 6th owner title in Xfinity, 103 career wins.

Light-hearted Segments

• Weekly jokes ([65:08] – [66:16])
  • Why did the coffee file a police report? “It got mugged.”
  • Why can’t your nose be 12 inches long? “Then it would be a foot.”
  • What kind of tree fits in your hand? “Palm tree.”
• Dirt racing mischief
  • Kenny Wallace recounts crew chief “accidentally” leaning on the scales so he wouldn’t get disqualified.

Other Tidbits & Feel-Good Stories

• NASCAR honored Sparky Superfan who attended every race in a tricked-out bus.

  • [67:46] Craig Moore: “For NASCAR to stop the driver's meeting and recognize Sparky Superfan... really a feel good story.”

• Sydney Sweeney’s surprise at Phoenix

  • Huge celebrity appearance stuns even hardcore race fans.
  • [73:25] Craig Moore: “NASCAR somehow got her to come to Phoenix… reminded me of Britney Spears… the most famous lady in America…”

• Mark Martin to visit Schrader’s shop

  • Teased as a future Dirty Mo Media YouTube feature.

Tone, Takeaways, and Final Thoughts

The broadcast mixes raw racing analysis with the humor, warmth, and irrepressible personality of the two Kennys. There’s a deep respect for the sport’s emotional and strategic complexity—a sympathy for Hamlin’s defeat, fascination with pit strategy, and pride in up-and-coming champions. Constant snippets of old-school racing lore and playful ribbing give the show a deeply authentic racing soul. For fans who missed the finale, this episode serves as a true-to-life, amusing, and insightful recap of one of the wildest championship weekends in recent NASCAR memory.

End of Summary