Herm & Schrader Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Our Hometown NASCAR Track Put On A Show!
Release Date: September 10, 2025
Hosts: Kenny Wallace ("Herm") & Kenny Schrader
Special Guest: Charlie Marlo
Theme: A deep dive into the NASCAR weekend at St. Louis’ Worldwide Technology Raceway, capturing the atmosphere, stories from the ground, the race itself, driver dynamics, and the broader state of racing.

Overview

This episode wraps in high-octane energy, laughs, and the off-the-cuff honesty that defines Herm & Schrader. The guys spotlight their hometown NASCAR Cup event at St. Louis, exploring what made the weekend a hit—and what it says about the sport, its culture, and its direction, with plenty of dirt racing tangents, local flavor, jokes, and inside stories.

Detailed Breakdown & Key Moments

1. Home Track Vibes & Changing Seasons

• The episode opens with Herm and Schrader poking fun at each other ("How in the world did we agree to do a podcast? – Herm, 02:01), setting a friendly, hilarious tone.
• St. Louis Weather: Noted as a "chamber of commerce weekend" (Charlie Marlo, 11:11) with perfect early fall temperatures that helped draw crowds and created the ideal racing atmosphere.

2. The St. Louis NASCAR Cup Race: Why It Was a Spectacle

The Track’s Transformation

• Schrader reminisces about the old days: “You just hugged the bottom… Now them guys running three, and we see them try to run four wide around there sometimes.” (Kenny Schrader, 03:37)
• St. Louis used to seem an unlikely Cup stop, but the track’s racing has become much more exciting—“as racy as any place” (03:55).

The “Show” Beyond The Race

• Charlie raves about the atmosphere and entertainment:
  • “Bill Murray, Rusty Wallace, Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain, a woman smashing watermelons with her thighs, an actual goat in a Kyle Larson jersey… the show was incredible.” (Charlie Marlo, 05:40)
  • The pyro, music, and midway activities make St. Louis unique beyond the racing itself.

The Perfect Location & Community Support

• Schrader highlights the track’s proximity to downtown: “You look at the arch, move the camera … there’s Anheuser Busch, the mighty Mississippi. And it's not way off in the distance. It's right. Right there.” (08:07–08:20)
• Massive local sponsorship from stalwarts like Anheuser Busch, John Bommarito, and up-and-comers like First Form and Andy’s Custard (08:55), plus a strong base of Fortune 500 companies in the area.
• NASCAR execs (Ben Kennedy, Steve Phelps, Steve O’Donnell) in attendance signal the sport’s investment in St. Louis, possibly even hinting at bigger plans (09:45–10:23).

Notable Quote:
“It just feels like a NASCAR Cup city... If anybody wondered at first, oh, should they have a Cup date? Will it be here for a long time? … St. Louis belongs.”
— Charlie Marlo (09:42)

3. Attendance, Atmosphere, and the “Sold Out” Question

• Herm calls out the often-overused “sold out” label when there are clearly still empty seats. "There's something fake that people are doing. They're saying sold out, and you can clearly see they're not sold out… Is this trying to psychologically win people over to make them come the next year?" (11:35)
• Schrader: “They can say whatever they want… But we’ve seen a lot better crowds than we saw a couple years ago… Things aren’t screwed up. Our sport has got issues — like every sport does — but we’re not on life support at all.” (12:36-13:42)

4. The 2026 Cup Playoff Date for St. Louis

• Schedule update: The St. Louis race moves a week later next year (Sept. 13, 2026) and will be the second race of the playoffs (14:13-14:44).
• Growing acceptance of the playoff format, even from old-school fans: “I like the playoffs… I can’t even believe I’m saying that… But I like the playoffs.” (Kenny Schrader, 14:44)

5. Dirt Racing Ties & NASCAR’s Community Impact

• The NASCAR weekend brings extra crowds and star power (e.g., Kyle Busch & son Brexen) to area dirt tracks (“Doe Run, Highland, Granite City…”), boosting the racing community (17:49–19:13).

6. Race Recap: Denny Hamlin’s Win & Winning Mentality

The Hamlin Moment

• “He gives the sound bite that everybody is looking for… ‘Get on my bandwagon or get run over by it all.’ That is the phrase that has ricocheted.” (Herman Schrader, 20:21)
• Comparison to Darrell Waltrip in fan engagement—embracing the boos and using them for motivation (21:36–22:47).

Hamlin’s Longevity, Fitness, and Mental Toughness

• Five wins in 2025, 59 career wins, 700+ starts (23:42–24:07).
• Discussion of how Hamlin, at age 44 and with influences like Joe Gibbs and Michael Jordan, has built a physical and mental edge:
  “He loves the challenge of beating drivers half his age. He says that’s what motivates him.” (Charlie Marlo, 25:26)
• The consensus: mental strength is a separator. “To be fast, you have to be mentally strong.” (Jimmy Spencer, recalled by Herm, 27:10)

7. Race Incidents, Rivalries, and Respect

Briscoe’s Rise and Race Dynamics

• Chase Briscoe finishes a strong second; early race incident with Josh Berry (“He didn't really dive bomb… He's why Josh wrecked. ... Have you ever parked one of your brothers, man?” – 28:59)
• Discussion of sibling rivalries, driver etiquette, and the sport’s rough-and-tumble nature.

Larson vs. Blaney: Old School Accountability

• Post-race scene: Blaney cuts off a media interview to talk to Larson directly after their incident, highlighting professional, immediate approaches to conflict:
  “This is two champions of our sport… They’re discussing it.” (Kenny Schrader, 31:44)
• Herm credits Schrader for always addressing situations face-to-face: “You've always got out of your car and addressed situations immediately.” (Herman Schrader, 32:02–33:14)
• The importance of handling tempers, with anecdotes about pit fights at regional tracks and the lost art of “having a beer and talking it out.” (34:29+)

8. The “Perfect Amount of Wrecks” Debate

• “Is it bad that fans want to see at least one wreck?” (Herman Schrader, 37:48)
• Charlie: “If I go to a NASCAR race in person, I do want to see at least one wreck. I think most fans want to see at least one.” (38:38)
• Discussion of wrecks as spectacle, entertainment value vs. driver safety, and the ongoing tension between the two.

9. Playoff Standings & Season Takeaways

St. Louis Top 10 Finishers:

(Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, John Hunter Nemechek, Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs; 40:09)

Playoff Bubble

• Noted the surge of Toyotas (6 in top 10); Josh Berry and Alex Bowman in trouble, “must win” territory; the battle between Austin Dillon and Austin Cindric for the cutline (40:37–41:46).
• New points format/stage racing keeps possibilities open: “All they got to do is win one stage, and that's 10 points.” (Herm, 42:12)
• Herm praises Schrader for adapting to NASCAR’s modernization, not just pining for “the old days.” (42:47–43:12)

10. Around the (Dirt) Track: National Dirt Racing Highlights

• Eldora’s World 100: Ricky Thornton Jr. wins by a straightaway after Jonathan Davenport’s tire issues; “They quit selling tickets and quit selling pit passes. That's big. They've never done that.” (Kenny Schrader, 51:12)
• Boone’s IMCA Super Nationals packed with over 1,000 cars—a “big week for dirt racing” (51:12–53:10).
• The rise of streaming and gate receipt worries: more people can watch, but does that hurt track attendance? Still, packed stands at Eldora and area tracks suggest a strong appetite for live racing (54:05–54:40).

11. Local Racing Woes: Three-Day Modifieds Event at I-55

• Herm and Schrader both competed; too many qualifiers and too much time off work!
  • “It all turned out good, but everybody was like, this should be a two day event. Schrader holds up both his hands... I was stuffing the ballot box, baby.” (59:00–60:32)
• Realities of balancing racing and life for “working men” (61:06).
• Broader point: the right event format can draw more cars and fans.

12. Closing: Jokes, Music & The Evolving NASCAR Event

• The episode wraps with a round of groan-worthy jokes (including favorites like, “What did the janitor say when he jumped out of the closet? Supplies!” 50:11 and "Have you heard about the new movie Constipation? It has not come out yet." 64:12).
• Chris Blair texts Herm a photo: three hours after the checkered flag, thousands remain for the post-race John Pardi concert—a new NASCAR era, part race, part festival:
  • “It's an event, not a race.” (Kenny Schrader, 65:35)
  • “People like to enjoy themselves… let the traffic clear out, enjoy a concert.” (Herman Schrader, 65:39)
• Final plug: See Schrader & Charlie on the Kenny Wallace YouTube show, and listen to the podcast on Dirty Mo Media.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “You just hugged the bottom… Now them guys running three, and we see them try to run four wide…” (Kenny Schrader, 03:37)
• “Bill Murray, Rusty Wallace, Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain…woman smashing watermelons with her thighs… actual goat in a Kyle Larson jersey.” (Charlie Marlo, 05:40)
• “It just feels like a NASCAR Cup city… St. Louis belongs.” (Charlie Marlo, 09:42)
• “Get on my bandwagon or get run over by it all.” —Denny Hamlin, recounted by Herm (20:21)
• "We’re not on life support at all." (Kenny Schrader, 13:42)
• “I like the playoffs. … I just got to give in. I like it.” (Kenny Schrader, 43:01)
• “If I go to a NASCAR race in person, I do want to see at least one wreck. I think most fans want to see at least one.” (Charlie Marlo, 38:38)
• “It's an event, not a race.” (Kenny Schrader, 65:35)
• “Weather was awesome and racing showed up and showed out this whole weekend.” (Herman Schrader, 55:13)

Conclusion: What Makes St. Louis Special

This episode is a heartfelt, fast-paced, and unapologetically real love letter to the St. Louis race weekend and its meaning for the racing community. The hosts highlight the fusion of great racing (on pavement and dirt), a top-notch entertainment atmosphere, NASCAR’s smart evolution, and the enduring importance of community and weather. Most of all, it’s about people—drivers, fans, and the local spirit that turns a NASCAR weekend into something unforgettable.

For a full, fun recap—including the inside jokes and memorable banter—this episode delivers the ultimate play-by-play for any racing or NASCAR fan, especially those curious about St. Louis' explosive rise in the Cup Series.