The Dick Trickle Philosophy, "We're gonna die racing", & Phantom Lightning Delays: Best of 2025

Summary

Herm & Schrader – “The Dick Trickle Philosophy, ‘We’re gonna die racing’, & Phantom Lightning Delays: Best of 2025”

Podcast: Herm & Schrader
Hosts: Kenny Wallace & Ken Schrader
Episode Date: December 17, 2025
Production: SiriusXM, Dirty Mo Media
Featured Guests: Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Hermie Sadler, Craig Moore, Charlie, Drew

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Episode Overview

This lively "Best of 2025" episode brings together some of the funniest, most memorable, and most heartfelt moments from the Herm & Schrader podcast’s first season. Hosts Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader revisit standout stories, poke fun at each other's quirks, air racing grievances, and have honest conversations about their unending passion for motorsports. Interspliced with classic anecdotes and fresh takes on NASCAR, the hosts are joined by fellow racing luminaries, making for a raucous, unfiltered celebration of racing culture—past, present, and future.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Herm & Schrader Dynamic and NASCAR Self-Awareness

• [02:27–05:06]
  • Kenny and Schrader riff on the podcast’s origins and the fun of their odd-couple friendship.
    • Kenny Schrader: “I like spending time with you.”
    • Kenny Wallace: “We’re always honest… We have fun. And Everybody loves us because we pick on each other.”
  • Discussion of NASCAR’s rare self-criticism during the Daytona and Xfinity races; praise for the organization’s openness in admitting mistakes.
    • Kenny Schrader: “It’s when you’re screwed up and think you’re okay, that’s when you’re really screwed up.”

2. Dick Trickle: Racer and Philosopher

• [05:07–07:58]
  • Kenny recounts legendary “Dick Trickle Philosophy” stories; Dick’s wisdom applies to both racing and life.
    • Wallace, quoting Trickle: “Do you know why we get married? So we can have somebody witness our life... We always pretend wives are a pain in the ass, but we love them, can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”
    • On vacations: “So we can go back home.”
  • Trickle’s approach after contact on the track: “No, I bumped you. Now, you had to make the decision whether you were going to save it or wreck. And you decided to wreck.” – [07:01] Schrader

3. Owning the “Faux Show Bar & Grill” and Namesake Antics

• [08:09–10:44] Hermie Sadler shares
  • The hilarious story of how trademark trolls tried to monetize his name (which at one time was attached to a porn site), leading to a clever workaround for his restaurant’s name.
    • Hermie Sadler: “Every time I pulled up something that had Hermie Sadler in it, somebody had already bought the rights to my name... So I called my attorney… and said, trademark it right now.”

4. Why Veteran Racers Just Can’t Quit

• [10:44–12:59]
  • Kenny Schrader describes his undimmed passion for grassroots dirt track racing, despite a long career.
    • Schrader: “I guess because I didn't make as much money as all you guys, so I'm still trying to win… What I always wanted to do, and I don't want to do it any less than I used to.”
  • Wallace notes some racers can never leave the track, while others are just done with it—the psychology of “never retiring.”

5. The Value (and Burden) of a Historic Win – Tony Stewart’s NHRA Triumph

• [13:24–18:20] Tony Stewart recounts
  • Winning his first NHRA Top Fuel “Wally” and being the first driver ever to win at IndyCar, NASCAR, USAC, and NHRA levels.
  • Emphasis on what the win meant for his crew, reflecting on pressure and emotion—paralleling Stewart-Haas Racing’s first Cup win in 2009.
    • Stewart [18:19]: “To win an IndyCar championship, three NASCAR championships, the USAC Triple Crown, and now a Top Fuel race… it has never been done.”

6. The Kyle Petty Charity Ride – Camaraderie, Cause, and Community

• [20:24–24:35]
  • Schrader and Wallace discuss their experiences riding with Kyle Petty’s cross-country charity motorcycle event to benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp, created in memory of Adam Petty.
  • Emphasis on how fundraising for sick children brings the racing community together:
    • Schrader: “You meet people and Kyle talks about becoming family… Everybody’s got a name tag on… you just meet so many good people and people that are all there for the same reason.”
    • Wallace: “This ride is heartfelt… who can argue with helping kids?”

7. Modern NASCAR Controversies: Rough Driving & Driver Discipline

• [25:28–31:39]
  • Discussion of Carson Hocevar’s aggressive driving, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s viral sound bite (“No, that’s too expensive” [26:11]), and parallels with notorious rough racers of old (e.g., Ernie Irvan).
  • The show explores whether wild, controversial young drivers like Hocevar are “good for business.”
    • Wallace: “Ticket sales are noticeably up when fans think a driver is going to wreck people. It’s crazy… but it’s real.”
    • Charlie: “I get Ross Chastain about three years ago vibes… great for business.”

8. Points Systems, Playoffs, and What Makes a “True” NASCAR Champion

• [31:39–36:14, 54:34–60:07]
  • Discussion of Wallace’s social media poll finding fans want the old 36-race, season-long points system — echoes of Richard Petty’s outspoken disapproval of the playoff format and road course “win-and-in” rules.
    • Drew [33:54]: “They don’t want the answer because they don’t want the fans to know that it's not up to the fans. It’s up to the TV and the people.”
    • Wallace: “I feel like what I accomplished in my career is being diminished by gimmicks.”
  • Old point system meant drivers like Bill Elliott (11 wins in 1985) or Rusty Wallace (10 wins in 1993) still might not win the championship.
    • Schrader [56:37]: “The people that want the old championship… those guys have already shown their superiority… I also understand why someone likes the playoffs. You’re not going to make everyone happy.”

9. Phantom Lightning Delays and Modern Race Control

• [37:45–40:45]
  • A humorous look at recent “phantom” lightning delays at races, where spectators are evacuated with no visible storm in the area.
    • Charlie: “If there was lightning coming down the road, it could be really bad, so I get why they do it, but as a fan, I would probably hate it.”
    • Wallace [39:17]: “The race ended, like, around midnight. What do you know about lightning delays?”
    • Schrader: “Well, I know you don’t want to get hit by it.”

10. The Pull Between Family and Racing Obsession

• [41:00–44:18]
  • Wallace describes Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s emotional interview after a short-track Cars Tour race, torn between love for racing and family obligations.
    • Wallace: “He said he can only run four races because the races are too hot for him… He’s raced his whole life. He almost started to cry.”
    • Schrader: “I just go race… but I’m more of a fan of the normal family life he has now and what he does to protect it. Makes me happy.”

11. Why Some Drivers Move On, Others Never Will

• [44:18–49:12]
  • Analysis of retired drivers who never look back (e.g., Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace), versus those who “can’t quit” (Schrader, Wallace, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne).
    • Charlie [46:26]: “Baseball, you don’t see a lot of former players getting together in an old man’s league, but you do with hockey.”
    • Schrader: “He [Jeff Gordon] doesn’t want to [race anymore]… He wants to do his job at Hendrick Motorsports, just like we want to race.”
    • Wallace: "People ask me all the time, do you miss NASCAR? And I said, no, because I still race all the time."

12. On-Track Drama: Team Orders, Paybacks, and Playoff Tensions

• [49:42–53:02]
  • Wallace and Schrader relive moments where multi-car teams and family ties (like Ty Gibbs vs Denny Hamlin) complicate playoff battles.
    • Wallace: “If we’re a four-car team and you’re not in the championship race… let me go. We’re all racing for the win but… let me go.”
    • Schrader: “The neat part will be what’s in how it comes across in the team meeting… It’s a little different when it’s the grandson of the owner.”

13. Crew Chief Calls and (Mis)Fortune in Race Strategy

• [64:10–72:04]
  • Emotional breakdown of Denny Hamlin’s near-miss at Phoenix: the heartbreak of a late caution when in sight of victory, and the scrutiny over tire calls.
    • Wallace: “He’s got a 2.5 second lead with four laps to go… it was so emotional.”
    • Schrader [69:18]: “The biggest difference was you had Kyle Larson, one of the best, obviously… in front of you with two tires, several cars in front.”
    • Schrader [71:35]: “Denny was behind the decision [to take four tires]. So there it is.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [05:07] Kenny Schrader: “Dick Trickle philosophy. You can learn a lot there, boy.”
• [07:01] Kenny Schrader (on Trickle): “No, I bumped you. Now, you had to make the decision whether you were going to save it or if you were going to wreck.”
• [13:24] Tony Stewart: “It brought me back to the first race that Stewart Haas Racing won together at the All Star race.”
• [18:19] Tony Stewart: “To win an IndyCar championship, three NASCAR championships, the USAC Triple Crown, and now a Top Fuel race… it has never been done.”
• [26:11] Charlie (on Stenhouse): “He was asked, are you going to talk to him tonight? And he said, no, that’s too expensive.”
• [29:25] Schrader: “He’ll get over Charlie Black Eyes, but he’ll get over.”
• [31:39] Wallace: “Richard Petty come out today… Richard Said I don’t like a guy 32nd into points halfway through the year, winning a road course race and he’s in the playoffs.”
• [33:54] Drew: “They don’t want the [fan] answer because… it’s not up to the fans.”
• [36:14] Wallace: “I feel like what I accomplished in my career is being diminished by gimmicks.”
• [39:46] Wallace: “The final analysis… erring on the side of safety. There’s no lightning, but boy, it looks like it could happen.”
• [49:01] Schrader: “It’s not a nerve. It’s what somebody wants to do… You like spaghetti, I don’t. Just do what you want.”
• [56:37] Schrader: “Those guys have already shown their superiority… I can also understand why someone likes the playoffs.”
• [67:36] Craig Moore: “It was the opposite. Danny took [four tires] and everybody else took two.”
• [71:35] Schrader: “Denny was behind the decision. So there it is.”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:27] – Herm & Schrader’s origin and NASCAR self-critique
• [05:07] – The philosophy of Dick Trickle
• [08:09] – Hermie Sadler’s Faux Show Bar & Grill story
• [10:44] – Why Kenny Schrader still races
• [13:24] – Tony Stewart on his historic drag racing win
• [20:24] – Kyle Petty Charity Ride for Victory Junction Gang
• [25:28] – Rough racing: Carson Hocevar and business of bad boys
• [31:39] – The points system, fan polls, and Richard Petty
• [37:45] – The weird world of “phantom” lightning delays
• [41:00] – Dale Jr.’s family vs racing dilemma
• [44:18] – The psychology of retirement and never letting go
• [49:42] – Team orders, Ty Gibbs vs Denny Hamlin
• [54:34] – Whether the best drivers always win the championship
• [64:10] – Denny Hamlin’s heartbreak at Phoenix and the tire call
• [67:36] – Crew chief strategies dissected

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Tone & Language

The show combines blue-collar Midwestern candor, racing bravado, affectionate ribbing, and genuine soul-searching. Storytelling is colloquial, peppered with self-deprecation and unfiltered honesty, punctuated by heartfelt tributes to peers and brash, crowd-pleasing punchlines.

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In Summary

This “Best Of” episode distills why Herm & Schrader is so beloved: two racing lifers swapping stories (some possibly true), laughing at themselves, debating the state of the sport, and throwing out nuggets of hard-earned wisdom—sometimes profound, usually irreverent, and always straight from the heart.

Whether you’re a longtime NASCAR nut or a “new race fan,” this roundup is the perfect crash course in the joys, controversies, and family that define American motorsports.

Transcript

[Kimberly]

Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Zoey, this thing weighs a ton.

[Drew]

Drewski, live with your legs, man.

[Charlie]

Santa.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Santa, did you get my letter? He's talking to you britches.

[Drew]

I'm not.

[Kimberly]

Of course he did. Right Santa?

[Drew]

You know my elf Drew Ski here.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

He handles the nice list. An elf? I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T mobile. You can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. Right Mrs. Claus?

[Kimberly]

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[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Or give it as a gift.

[Kimberly]

And the best part, you can make the switch to T mobile from your phone in just 15 minutes.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Nice. My side of the tree is slipping.

[Drew]

Kimber, the holidays are better.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

AT T Mobile switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T mobile is available in US cellular stores with 24 month legal.

[Announcer]

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[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

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[Announcer]

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[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

With auto payments, taxes and fees required.

[Announcer]

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[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Visit t mobile.com the College Football Playoff is everything. Toughness, roles, sacrifices. Life's your focus. This is where I think everything you got all damn day. The attention to detail is like none other. Be physical, be flat. We are the winner. Tulane takes on Ole Miss followed by James Madison in Oregon.

[Kenny Schrader]

It's time to bring it first round.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Coverage of the college football playoffs presented by allstate Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on TNT and HBO. Max, are you ready?

[Drew]

Let's get em.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Hey everyone, your old pal Kenny Wallace here. I hope you're enjoying the NASCAR off season and spending time with friends and family this Christmas season. This is our final episode of Herman Schrader in 2025 and boy what a great year we have had in our inaugural season. Thanks to all the guests we've had on Kenny Conversations this year too and all the producers who helped us get that show off the ground. This episode is a look back at our favorite moments from throughout the 2025 NASCAR season. You'll hear myself and Ken Schrader along with some guests who appeared on Kenny Conversations like Mark the Kid Martin and Tony Stewart. We hope you enjoy our last show of the year and we'll see you soon in 2026. Merry Christmas, everyone, and Happy New Year. The following is a production of Dirty Mo Media. I'm looking at Kenny Schrader right now.

[Kenny Schrader]

He had a drink. I mean, yeah, you.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

How in the world did we agree to do a podcast?

[Kenny Schrader]

I like spending time with you.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

That makes me happy.

[Kenny Schrader]

Well, it's all about making you happy.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

We're always honest.

[Kenny Schrader]

We don't know that we're not in trouble already, you know, and sometimes truthful. What makes you think you're not a little different?

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

You're weird.

[Kenny Schrader]

Good.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Herman Schrader. NASCAR has been calling themselves out. It's. It's kind of like, can't you see I'm beating my ass? You know, I mean, NASCAR's upset with themselves because they called themselves out at Daytona. They just, you know, the man stood up in the driver's meeting on Sunday, called themselves out again and said, we messed up in the Xfinity race.

[Kenny Schrader]

So we always, you know, we always joke, you know, like, man, I'm really screwed up, but I'm not that screwed up, because I know I'm screwed up. It's when you're screwed up. It's when you're screwed up and think you're okay, that's when you're really screwed up. They're. They're addressing to the competitors that they need to work on this, and I'm sure that, you know, that's. That's higher on their list.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

And it's a.

[Kenny Schrader]

It's a. It's a judgment call that has to be made really, really quick.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

And. And the racing is so good. So they're put in this position. Like you said, it matters when you hit that caution button, because that's going to control. That's gonna. That's gonna be the winner. Maybe. But anyway. Okay, so we both. Given our opinion. We gave it to you in chronological order, and I think it's just amazing that NASCAR's called themselves out twice.

[Craig Moore]

So.

[Kenny Schrader]

All right, logical order.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Well, we started at. We started at the duel.

[Kenny Schrader]

Oh, I thought.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

And we went on.

[Kenny Schrader]

You know, I thought you. Because you gave your opinion first because it was the Herman Schrader show. That's what I thought. Crown.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

You know.

[Kenny Schrader]

Sorry.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

I'll never forget you coming to me saying Anne said they won't put the name Schrader first. Schrader and Herm. Herman Schrader. I don't know why they put my name first, but I know.

[Kenny Schrader]

I don't. I. I don't care. I just like busting on you.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

We have fun. We have fun. And Everybody loves us because we pick on each other. Or let's just say you pick on me. So, no, I don't think so. Are you ready for jokes or are you ready for the Dick Trickle philosophy?

[Kenny Schrader]

Dick Trickle philosophy. You can learn a lot there, boy.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

He taught us a lot. Okay, so we are towards the end of the show here already. Kenny, can you believe that? That was quick. But, you know, we always tell stories and we have a lot of stories, but I thought people would like this. You know, one of the greatest race car drivers of all time was a great philosopher, Dick Trickle. And we'd get to drinking beer, and Trickle, he'd always have. Have a couple. You know, it's kind of like you. You do the same thing. We're all philosophers. So Trickle would say, he would call you my boy. He'd say, my boy, do you know why we get married? I'd look at him, you know, this is a trick question. I'm like, no, Dick, why do we get married? And he would say, so we can have somebody witness our life. You don't want to live by yourself, do you? So I always thought that was interesting. You know, we, we always pretend that wives are a pain in the ass, but we love them, can't live with them, can't live without them. They keep us straight. The other one, Dick Trickle philosophy. Do you know why we go on vacation? No, Dick, why do we go on vacation? So we can go back home. I looked at him, I'm like, what? It's so true. You're on vacation. You get, you know, and I know you, you struggle going on vacation. And, and it's like, I can't wait to get back to my race shop. I can't wait to get back to my, my bed. So remembering the great Dick Trickle with the. There it is, the dictrical pennant.

[Kenny Schrader]

I, I know behind me, when he had explained to somebody when they'd come up what. Not that he wrecked many people, but it's like, dick, you wrecked me. Said, no, no, no, I did not wreck you. No, I bumped you. Now, you had to make the decision whether you were going to save it or if you were going to wreck. And. And you decided to wreck.

[Drew]

I've heard that.

[Kenny Schrader]

All I did was. All I did was bump you.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Minnesota State Fair, I'll never forget Dick. Yeah, and Dale Senior said that to me. You know, Senior was in an ASA car and we go into turn one, and he knocked the hell out of me. After the race is over, Minnesota State Fair, asa, he's drinking beer and he puts his arm around me, goes, boy, I'm proud of you. He said, you had two choices. You could either saved it or wrecked.

[Kenny Schrader]

You decided to save it.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

You decided to save it, man. We remember two greats right there, Dick Triggle and Dale Senior. You're the owner of Faux Show Bar and Grill, and I like that Faux Show.

[Hermie Sadler]

Let me tell you how that name happened fo show. Some of your people, you may not recognize this name, but if there are people. I went to school at unc, so known for its basketball program, but there was a guy that played basketball at UNCLE that later played on some of the championship teams for the Chicago Bulls. And it wasn't Michael Jordan, but it was a guy named Scott Williams. He played center for UNC and he played on like three national championship teams for the Bulls. Scott was a friend of mine and he lived out in Scottsdale, Arizona. So one of the weekends that I was in Phoenix, I was racing the bush race or the Xfinity race and doing TV that weekend. But I got done with the bush race on Saturday and I was driving from the racetrack after the race. I was going to meet Scott Williams and Charles Barkley in Scottsdale to play golf. And in the process of this, my wife and I had built this restaurant and we were trying to think of a name for the restaurant. So every time I pulled up something that had Hermes Sadler in it, somebody had already bought the rights to my name ahead of time and wanted me to have to pay them to release my name back to me. And I said, well, look, I'm not doing that. My name was attached to a porn site. So john force hermansaddler.com get ready because here we go going at it. So I wasn't going to pay. Ultimately I ended up getting my name back. And but at this time I was hard headed. I'm like, I'm not paying somebody 25 grand to give me my name back. Just go to hermesadva.com and enjoy yourself. But so I was trying to figure out what to name the restaurant. So anyway, I text Scott Williams as I was leaving the racetrack and I said, I'm running about 20 minutes late, but I'm on the way. And he text back to me fo show F o s H o which is for sure or right on or whatever the case may be. So I called my attorney right then, driving through the tunnel at Phoenix and I said, can you check and see if the, if the term fosho has been registered in any restaurant service, you know, anything He Said, no. I said, trademark it right now. So he put the paperwork into trademark the name Fosho. So it's Hermes Sadler's faux show bar and grill. And if nothing else, it's been a tremendous communication piece over the years because people like, why did you name it that? I'm like, because my name was a porn site.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Yeah, Kenny, that book of yours came out years ago called Gotta Race, and it talks about you appropriately. The title is awesome. Gotta Race. Two weeks ago, you said something to me that hit home. You said, okay, so it is now April. When this show airs. It's April. And you said, man, I'm jacked up. Next week, all racing, all dirt racing, all the local tracks start. It's very clear that you still love, love, have a passion for racing.

[Kenny Schrader]

What?

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

I know you. I know you better than anybody. And. And what is it? Yeah, I mean, what is it? Do you. You said something to me one time, we were off and you and I were getting paid to do an appearance, and I looked at you and you were not happy. And I said, kenny, what's wrong? And you said, I'd rather be at a quarter mile dirt track racing than to be doing this. Where do you think this started? I mean, you're different than anybody. Maybe Red Farmer is still there. There's not very many people like you. Why do you got a race?

[Kenny Schrader]

Well, I guess because I didn't make as much money as all you guys, so I'm still trying to win some money. I don't know. I don't know. It's just that's what. What I always wanted to do, and I don't want to do it any less than I used to. I was down last year. I got in 64 and then last. I didn't get to race last week either. And this week, even if it rains out up there early and I could come home and race, but the weather forecast is bad there now. I guess this comes out Wednesday, you know, we'll know more by then, but it just. I don't know, it's what you're supposed to do.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

You do feel weird, though, is what I do know about you. If you're not racing, you're out of sorts. It's like it is your comfort place, isn't it?

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah, it's just like if you're not on a cruise.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

I heard you giving me hell about that, and I got a lot to say about the cruise, that. That's for sure. I feel lucky because I called you a week ago and I said, can we just talk. And so my timing's right. You. You win your first ever NHRA Wally in the big division. What does it feel like two days later to win on the biggest form in nhra?

[Announcer]

You know, the thing that everybody's going to expect out this answer is what it, what it felt like to me to win that. And it did. It was a big deal for me. But honestly, and something you're going to appreciate and understand is it brought me back to 2009 all over again. It brought me back to the first race that Stewart Haas Racing won together at, at the All Star race at Charlotte. To stand there in victory lane and sit there and look, you know, they. And you remember back in that day, they used to bring this semi trailer, this flatbed trailer out and put the stuff on top of it. The crew guys would sit on the edge of it and hang their legs over it and all that. And I remember being at Charlotte in 2009 and having a bunch of the crew guys crying on sitting on the edge of that trailer. And I'm like, what is wrong with everybody? And one of the guys told me, they said, those guys have never won a cup race. They've been with Haas this whole time and never even came close to winning a cup race. And, and it just was the culmination of all of it. And Sunday when I crossed that line and you look for a single light bulb that's about this big that sits on the edge of the wall and it's a little more confusing at the four lines, four wide. Because at the end of the track there is no divider between the four lanes. It's just open. But during the run there's a divider between lanes two and three. So visually it looks like a two wide deal. But you know, you're running a four wide race but you get down there and so for the left two lanes they're looking at for same bulb and the right two lanes are looking for the bulb on the right side wall. And if you win in lane one, it flashes.

[Charlie]

So.

[Announcer]

And we're going by it so fast you don't get a chance to see it flash because you just see it and that's it. So I saw the light come on, but I didn't know whose lane it was. I didn't know if it was myself or Justin Ashley who was in Jane Lane too. But Leah taught me a little pro hack and a tip. She goes, if you don't know whether you want or not, there's always a camera at the top End on a scaffold at the top end of the racetrack and she goes. The closer you get to that, if it's following you, you won. If it's following the other guy, they won. Slowing down, you know, the parachutes and the shutdown areas uphill at Vegas and I'm going uphill and I'm getting slower and I'm slower, I'm getting closer to it. I said, I think the camera's on me. So I'm like, I think we won this thing. So when you come around the corner to where they, they stop you and get you out and safety Safari unhooks your head and neck deal and all that, they always leave the winner to the inside and that there was a big gaping hole there and they're pointing me over to it. So I knew at that point we won. But man, it was such a cool feeling just to finally get the monkey off her back and not have to answer questions, are we or when are we going to win a race? And this and that and. But it didn't take much time. I mean, I did the Fox interview and for FS1 and at the end of the three crew guys that drive to the top end to, to get the car and you know, start the tear down process, they got up, one of them about tackled me on the ground.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

I was going to say, he attacked you.

[Announcer]

He had mass and he had inertia too. He had a lot of inertia going there.

[Kenny Schrader]

So.

[Announcer]

But when, when that happened, honestly it took me back to 2009 to that all Star race and, and some of those guys have won races before. But what I didn't realize is just how much pressure the entire team was holding on their shoulders of trying to get me our first win. I mean, they've won with Leah, with, with this team and everything, but they hadn't won with me yet. And I just truly did not realize. I know for the crew chiefs it's that way because the crew chiefs are the bulk of the equation in drag racing. But I didn't realize how much weight the crew guys were carrying. And in that moment I finally realized it. So as much as I want to tell you about how cool it is for me, I don't even know if it's totally sunk in for me yet. It meant a lot for those crew guys. But I can tell you where it sunk in with me was just realizing. I know winning one drag race in Top Fuel doesn't rotate the earth and doesn't set the world on fire and create some historic moment in drag racing, but it does in motorsports as a whole to do what we've done. And, and I know normally, I don't normally talk about what I've done because I just, I just don't do it. You know, I, I'm just not built that way. But this is kind of one of those moments where you sit there and you look like you look at this and go, we did something that was history making this weekend and I'm very, very proud of that. To, to win an IndyCar championship, three NASCAR championships, the USC Triple Crown, and now to win a top Fuel race. There isn't over the course in the history of motorsports. It has never been done. So to be the first person to do that is just, and keep adding to it. I mean, nobody's ever won an IndyCar championship in a NASCAR championship. So to be able to finally do that and be the first person to do it all, it really adds to the value of, of what that wind felt like.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Hey, this is Dalenhardt Jr. And for the latest Herman Schrader gear, you need to go to shop.dirtymomedia.com We've got plenty of options for everybody and we're adding new stuff all the time, so go to shop.dirtymomedia.com when it comes to money, you deserve to feel safe from fraud and in control. And that's what you get with Cash App. Instantly lock or unlock your card with one tap. If a suspicious charge appears, Cash App declines it and alerts you with security. Lock face ID or biometrics. Protect your account. Order a Cash App card today at Cash App Card. For a limited time only new Cash App customers can use our exclusive code to earn some additional cash. For real, Just download Cash App. Use our exclusive referral code secure 10 in your profile. Send $5 to a friend within 14 days and you'll get $10 dropped right into your account. Terms apply. That's money. That's Cash App. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partners. Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton bank member fdic. Instant discounts provided by Cash App, a Block Incorporated brand. Visit Cash App legal podcast for full disclosures. The College Football Playoff is everything. Toughness, roles, sacrifices. This is where I 50 everything you got all damn day. The attention to detail is like none other. Be physical. Keep playing. We are the winner. Tulane takes on no Miss, followed by James Madison in Oregon.

[Kenny Schrader]

It's time to bring it first round.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Coverage of the college football playoffs Presented by allstate Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on TNT and HBO. Max, are you ready?

[Drew]

Let's go.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

This is the part where I say, Schrader, what you do over the weekend?

[Kenny Schrader]

Well, what wer.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

What you do all week?

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah, what we did from basically two weeks ago, we left. We left on a Wednesday. So basically two weeks ago we left to go up to the Traverse City, Michigan, where the Kyle Petty charity ride started. And the ride started. Well, we didn't make it up there Wednesday. We got up there Thursday afternoon, ride started Saturday morning. And you know, 125 bikes and people from all over the country. We had. We had people from Florida that rode their bikes up to Michigan, people from out west that rode up there, people that ship bikes. So we took off. Traverse City, we took off in the rain, which set, kind of set the stage for, I would say a third of a ride was in some kind of precipitation. And I don't know. I've done it the last four years. This was your third year, I believe. Yes. This was your third year in a row.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Yeah.

[Kenny Schrader]

And you meet people on that ride now, I say you meet them. We only had like 20 new writers this year, so we had over 100 that, you know, had been there before. But you meet people and Kyle talks about becoming family. Well, you, you talk to all these people over the course of the week. And you know what? You might. Everybody's got a name tag on, which is a good thing because out of the 125 bikes, there's probably close with the team that Kyle assembles to do all the different things. There's 275 people or so. And it's. You just meet so many good people and people that are all there for the same reason. First we get to ride the bikes, which is fun and organized. Very, very organized ride. I mean, we're talking as far as hotels and food and everything, but that's just raising money for the Victory Junction Gang Camp. And it's. It is fun. Look forward to it every year.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Yeah. And we're going to spend the better part of the first 20 minutes talking about this. And Charlie, you. You always say that you're a New Race fan. This is a heartfelt reminder why we all go to the Cal Petty charity ride and we raise, I think they raise about $2 million every ride, it seems. That seems to be the figure, Kenny.

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah. Every year right in there. But now it. It cost a lot more than that to run the camp for a year.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Oh, yeah.

[Kenny Schrader]

So this is a You know, a smaller part of the small part of the fundraising necessary for the camp. But, you know, it's probably the biggest one thing.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

So just a reminder, everybody. Cal Petty's son Adam lost his life in turn three at loud New Hampshire. Kyle Petty told just a small story while we were on the Cow Petty cherry ride. He said, you know, Adam saw something like the Victory Junction Gang camp before he passed away. And he said, dad, why don't we do something like this? And of course, Kyle remembered that. And when we all lost Adam, Kyle said, that's what we're doing. We're doing what, what Adam talked about. So this, this Cal Petty charity ride is because of his son that he lost Adam. And yeah, like you said, Kenny, we're always raising money, but this, this ride is heartfelt. You know, Kenny, last year we went to the Victory Junction Gang camp and man, it's, it's. I think in the Midwest we call it gigantic, is a big park and it's incredible.

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah, Yeah. I forget how many, how many kids go through there in the course of the year, but they got, you know, doctors and nurses and all kinds of medical stuff, place for helicopter to land if, if there was a, a big problem. But they bring in the kids with, with different problems, bring them all in for one week and then it's just, it's amazing. It's. We had the opportunity last year to get. Be walked around with one of the campers and that's the kids that come. I said, if you can get. You want to really learn about this place, get a camper. And we were fortunate enough to get one of the campers that was there and walked us through and it's like, it's amazing. It just, I don't know, we've kind of changed our stuff and that's our, that's our primary deal now because who can argue with, you know, helping kids.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Carson Hosavar, you want to take over? Do I say anything else? But he pile drives. Ricky Stenhouse misses it. He misses it and he's not even on him. Carson Hosavar is not on Ricky Stenhouse. Not on him, but goes down in that corner and hits him in the left rear. And then Ricky Stenhouse gives the sound bite. Do you think this ends right here, Kenny and Charlie?

[Kenny Schrader]

I didn't see it.

[Charlie]

What do you think?

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Ricky Stenhouse. Charlie, do you think Ricky Stenhouse responds or not?

[Charlie]

Well, it was funny.

[Craig Moore]

Yeah.

[Kenny Schrader]

Well, that's.

[Charlie]

The sound bite was. He was asked, are you going to talk to him tonight. And he said, no, that's too expensive. Basically saying, no, I'm not going to go over there and punch for the $75,000 fine. But it looks like there will be a. A phone call.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

So, Kenny, we talked before we got on the air here and, you know, listen, debate is good. I said, I remember the Ernie Irvin days where, you know, Ernie won. He's great, but he wrecked a lot of people. Ernie Irvin had to get up in front of you and me and apologize. And he. Ernie Irvin decided to apologize. Do you remember that day when he apologized? Tell me about it.

[Kenny Schrader]

I mean, I just remember getting up at driver's meeting and there's some. There's some video of that, and it shows your brother listening. And he's like, you know, he said, I ain't believing it, you know, but, hey, I don't know Carson Josevar, but if I was starting a cup team, I want Carson Hussel.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Yes.

[Kenny Schrader]

Because, you know, 22.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Is he 22 announced last week. It's like, lord, he's a baby.

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah. And, you know, they always say it's a lot easier to slow someone down than it is speed them up as far as the driver, you know, get him calmed down a little bit. But he's, you know, and he's spire team has made leaps and bounds. Yeah, but it's still not, you know, Hendrik or Penske or. Anyway, he shows just a tremendous amount of talent.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

You said it beautifully. And I want to add on what I like about Carson is on his own during his off cup weekend. He takes his pickup truck that is painted like Dale Earnhardt seniors black number three GM Gooder and Chevrolet. He reminds me a little bit of you, Kenny, where he. He likes vehicles, so he drives his pickup truck that is fully painted black number three GM Goodrunch shirt, goes to Rockingham, goes to the infield, parks it. The TV cameras have fun with it. Not just that, but on Friday night at Nashville, everybody, Carson is in the grandstands with this Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser T shirt. He's showing respect. Carson Hosavar is showing respect with throwback. He's different. He's different, and yet he goes out there and runs second in the cup race. He doesn't have to be all serious. You know, I love you and I love Jeff Gordon, but Jeff could have had a little bit more fun. And Jeff likes everybody. And Henrik tidied up, you know, Jeff Gordon. All our drivers will be perfect. Here's Carson over here just living life and Run second. I'm just saying I like that. I like that. Now, as far as him running into everybody, I'm sure he'll figure that out.

[Kenny Schrader]

He'll get over Charlie Black Eyes, but he'll get over.

[Charlie]

I love it. I Love it. Dale Jr. Said this last night on the post race. If you watched, he goes, you know, he probably should slow down, but I don't want him to. As a fan and a broadcaster and a fan of storylines, I know he's. He's not as old as Chastain was about three years ago, but I get Ross Chastain about three years ago vibes, right. He was pissing everybody off, but he was fast. And then he kind of dialed it back. I was also disappointed when Ross Chastain dialed it back, though, after Rick Hendrick called him out a couple years ago. So I think Carson, host of our is great for business.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

So I'm gonna. I'm gonna be nice here. But our general manager, Worldwide Technology Raceway Chris Blair, he's basically the promoter and he said, I don't know why they dialed Ross Chastain back in. He's good for business. He says it. Ticket sales are noticeably. When those race fans think a driver is going to wreck people, they buy tickets. It's crazy. They really do. You know, you think they wouldn't, but it's. It's like, I'm gonna go to that race, watch that kid wreck everybody. It's hilarious when you just say it, but it's. It's, like real, you know, it really is real.

[Kenny Schrader]

Carson needs to worry about doing what's best for Carson.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

This is a big one and I'm going to go with it because you just brought it up. You took a poll about two weeks ago and you said this poll was very important to you and you put it on X and you said, do you want to see NASCAR go back to 36 points? Races we race all year long and drivers get rewarded with consistency. Like you said, you can't win every race. And sometimes, sometimes you might run 8th, sometimes you might run 15th, but you had to finish the race nowadays. And here's the way I'm going to go. I'm going to give you an example. Richard Petty come out today on his show. Richard Petty come out and said, I don't like a guy being 32nd in the points and he wins the Mexico race and now he's in the playoffs. And Richard Petty went so strong, he said, road coursing ain't nascar. You know, Richard's provocative. And Richard Said I don't like a guy 32nd into points halfway through the year, went in a road course race and he's in, he's in the playoffs. And I, and I, because road course and ain't, you know, he's old school. You know, Richard's the guy that said he didn't like women in nascar. And you know, that's just an example. You know what I mean? So your poll was overwhelmingly, your fan base wanted the old points back. Just talk about what Richard said and your thought it's time to bring back all 36 races.

[Drew]

So this is not my heel to stand on or to die on. It's the fans. I truly believe people discount any kind of poll, okay? I desperately wanted that poll to be taken by all race fans. Not my race fans, not old people. I'm not followed by all old people. Okay? I wanted that to, and I'll tell you right now, all I wanted is to know what the fans want. And I know your question is, well, does it matter? Are we going to get anywhere? No, it doesn't matter. But the fans want someone with a voice to stand up and say what they think. So I am the race fan's voice and I'm going to say something a little inflammatory now. I will shut the heck up. That's why I put the poll out. If the poll came in different, I'd never say another word. But the poll told me that they want me to stand up for them and voice their opinion. And I'll tell you something, NASCAR is not going to put that poll out.

[Kenny Schrader]

Right.

[Drew]

They don't want the answer because they don't want the fans to know that it's not up to the fans. It's up to the TV and the people. That's why I don't like committees. The people on the committee are all beholding to the almighty dollar. And so there's no way they're going to go back to 36 races because they think that that won't be, won't please the TV networks. So you've got people, race car drivers, team owners, journalists, and all these people that don't want that poll to really come out because it contradicts what the money. And listen, the money's important. The sponsors are smaller than they used to be. The TV money is important. But I have always contended, just like I said, I never noticed any more money that I got. You know, these teams should have never started spending so much money in the first place is what I say. If you took money away from them, would they go away? No, they would cry and bitch and moan and cut. You know, and every race team, all 36 teams now, you know, probably have. I'm just guessing, I'm not in the pits. Probably have 10 sets of stickers in the pits. Dude, when I beg to drive Roger Hamby's car back in 1983, and he didn't have one set of stickers all weekend, and you drove that car and you raced and you performed better than the equipment. And then after you did that for a while, like Sterling Marlin did, then you got a chance at a better car.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

And I just.

[Drew]

I don't want everything to go back like that. But I'm just saying I don't think the integrity of our sport's important to me. I feel like what I accomplished in my career is being diminished by gimmicks.

[Kimberly]

Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Zoe, this thing weighs a ton.

[Drew]

Drew Ski, lift with your legs, man.

[Charlie]

Santa.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Santa, did you get my letter? He's talking to you, Bridges.

[Drew]

I'm not.

[Kimberly]

Of course he did. Right, Santa?

[Drew]

You know my elf, Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

An elf. I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T Mobile. You can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. Right, Mrs. Claus?

[Kimberly]

I'm Mrs. Claus's much younger sister. And AT T Mobile, there's no trade in needed when you switch. So you can keep your old phone.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Or give it as a gift.

[Kimberly]

And the best part, you can make the switch to T mobile from your phone in just 15 minutes.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Nice. My side of the tree is slipping. Kimber. The holidays are better. AT T Mobile switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T mobile is available in US cellular stores with 24 monthly bill.

[Announcer]

Credits for well qualified customers plus tax.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

And $35 vice connection charge. Credit and balance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel finance agreement. 256 gigs, $830 eligible board in a new line.

[Announcer]

$100 plus a month plan with auto.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Pay plus taxes and fees required. Check out 15 minutes or less per line. Visit t mobile.com the college football Playoff is everything. Toughness, rolls, sacrifices, life, your focus. This is where I should be. Everything you got. The attention to detail is like none other. Chilean takes on Ole Miss followed by James Madison in Oregon.

[Kenny Schrader]

It's time to bring it first round.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Coverage of the college football playoffs presented by allstate Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on TNT and HBO Max, are you ready?

[Drew]

Let's go.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Kenny Stray. The last time I think I remember this was maybe two years ago at St. Louis. A lightning delay.

[Charlie]

But.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

But let me explain it to you. It. It's Charlie. Now you're a sportster. What do you know about lightning delays at golf games? I mean, this was the weirdest lightning delay I've ever seen. Dale Jr. Kind of made it famous. He's on the CW Network on Friday night for the Xfinity race. And he's like, let's race. There's no lightning. Adam Alexander goes, what are you, a scientist now? So it kind of made it funny, but it's like, hey, let's. Let's talk about this. So, Kenny, they empty the grandstands out. They. They shut this damn facility down. There's no rain. There's no bad weather. You can't see lightning. The lightning supposedly was somewhere. I'm gonna ask Charlie first, because he's a sports or. Charlie, what the hell is going on with this lightning delays that you can't see anymore?

[Charlie]

Yeah, I'm. I'm no meteorologist. I would. I get it. Them airing on the side of caution. If you got metal bats or metal clubs or metal bleachers, I get. I know fans are pissed about it, but if there was lightning coming down the road, it could be really bad. So I get it. Even though if I was sitting in the stands, I would probably hate it.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Too, if I had to leave over two hour delay. Kenny, the race ended, like, around midnight. What do you know about lightning delays?

[Kenny Schrader]

Well, I know you don't want to get hit by it. I don't know. We've had lightning delays before, but. Okay, so two hour delay Friday night, which I wasn't aware of. Think if it was Saturday night's crowd.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Oh, my God. See, everybody? Positive mental attitude. That's why I love you, Kenny Schrader. Yeah, it would have been big if it was Saturday night.

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah, that's been a big deal.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Well, everybody. So the final analysis of lightning delay was my good friend John Scatoni. We're in the plane. I said, john, what's going on? So he brings it up. He's, you know, these pilots now, they got access to everything. He brings it up. And basically, you know, even the airplanes, they can see if the weather is prime, like, if it could happen. So that's what they were. Errand on the side of safety. And they're like, hey, the weather is really sketchy right now. We know it's. There's no, you know lightning but boy, it looks like it could happen. So that was pretty big. Like I said, last time that happened was St. Louis a couple years ago.

[Kenny Schrader]

You're talking real lightning, not Lightning McQueen, right?

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Well, he's Lightning McQueen. If he's coming, he could rough you.

[Kenny Schrader]

He makes some little pass throughs on some of those videos.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

In the news is Dale Earnhardt Jr. All over social media. So Dale Jr. Kenny and Charlie Dale Jr goes to Anderson Motor Speedway, Anderson, South Carolina for the cars tour race. It looked good, it was big. Anywhere Dale Jr. Goes is going to be big. He spins out, coming off. He was trying to get underneath somebody, little bitty track. He doesn't hit anything. That's good. Finishes 10th, qualifies 21st. And he says why do I always qualify 21st? He says I can qualify 21st better than anybody. But let's get to it. The interview at the end he really opens up and I just want you to respond to this. In his interview he said I only want to run four races. He says I feel bad, I need to be with Amy and the kids. He says I've raced my whole life. He says my family is in Texas for a 90 year old birthday party for Amy's grandpa. Then he goes on to say that I'm only going to run four of these races a year. I love this series. He almost, he almost started to cry and that told me he was on our team because you and I get very emotional. He said he can only run four races because the races are too hot for him. So just talk about how you balance that, you know, you know family. He, he feels guilty racing because he's not with his family because he's raced his whole life. And then it's like these things are too hot.

[Kenny Schrader]

I just go race, you know, I just don't go race. Ann takes her vacations, she goes out with the girls, have fun. Our kids don't live here. They're older, they don't, we don't live, they don't live close. I just still go racing. I like it. Makes me very happy to see Junior doing it. Those races are tough. They are tough and those cars are hot. And you know, we used to get, we used to get paid to get in those cars and be hot and race. He's doing it because he wants to now. So if you just want to do it, you maybe pick a little races that you know aren't quite so hot. But man, I'm, you know, we're all Dale Jr fans but you know, I'm Just more of a fan of the. The. The normal family life that he has now and what he does to protect it. I. Makes me happy.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

I had this, Charlie. I had this. You know, I was thinking about this. We got rained out of Quincy last night. So I'm on my way back and I'm thinking what we're going to talk about today. You know, you look at social media and you see a handful of drivers like Kenny Schrader and myself.

[Kenny Schrader]

You.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

You got Kenny Schrader, myself, Tony Stewart, Casey Kane. There are drivers like us that we cannot get enough of racing. We're going to die racing. But then you got the drivers like Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace, you know, Bill Elliott. Bill will play around, but go ahead, Kenny.

[Kenny Schrader]

I was with Bill this week and spent a lot of time talking to him. He rides. He had a black eye where riding his motorcycle, which I love to ride the dirt bike, but I don't think I want to go ride with Bill because they ride three or four days a week.

[Craig Moore]

Whoa.

[Kenny Schrader]

Out Colorado and in down Georgia, and they ride. He said, we're under control, but I think they're under control is a hell of a lot faster than I want to go, you know. But he had a black eye for a twig run through there, ran through his goggle lens. I mean, he could have got his eye, but, you know, he's just. He's. He's doing something. He's just different, you know, different type of vehicle.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Boy, I tell you what, he put that right. Now, Charlie, the reason I bring you into this is Savannah Bananas had Jason is. Who throws 9500 mile an hour all the time now. Jason is retired. And Jason said, Savannah Bananas called him up and said, you know, Jason, we want you to come out to bush daddy. You know, you're famous. We want you to throw the ball. And he says, I'm not throwing the ball anymore. He said, but his family, Jason Israel's children said, oh, dad, please. This would be a big honor. We love the Savannah Bananas. So Jason Israelhausen, the famous reliever for the St. Louis Cardinals, he's retired. He did it, and he almost sounded angry. He said, I'm not throwing the baseball anymore. And it reminds me of like, brother Rusty or, you know, Mark Martin. Claims his eyes are bad, but yet, Mark, what is it? What is it about these athletes? Let's Charlie go first. Some of them say when they're done, they're almost mad I'm done. And then there's me and Schrader and Tony Stewart and Casey Kane. What is it? Why do some say, I'm done? I hate what I used to do. What's your take, Charlie? You go first.

[Charlie]

It's interesting, I think. I think different sports, for example, baseball, you don't see a lot of former players getting together in an old man's league, right? But if there's a celebrity game, Savannah Bananas, that's different. I'll tell you what, though. Hockey players, I know a lot of former blues, they skate together. They have a locker room out there at the. The practice facility, and a lot of those guys get together. But I do think it's. It seems like not the. The greatest superstars still do it, but a lot of the guys still like to go there and skate, play a game and drink some beers afterwards. I know our guy Cam Jansen does that all the time.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Kenny, I want to say this and I want you to respond to this. Somebody roughed me up one time and they said, hey, Wallace, is the reason you still run those dirt cars because you never won any cup races. And I thought to myself, that's not even close. I think I just love racing that much. I mean, I had a. I won, you know, not many. I won nine Xfinity races. But I thought to myself, why do I still run the dirt car? And I. And I. I tell everybody the same thing all the time. It gives me something to do. I don't fish. I don't like doing those black tie affairs. I let Rusty and Mike do that. I can't stand putting a suit on. I can't stand doing that. I. I like racing.

[Kenny Schrader]

What.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

What gives, Kenny? What's your thought on that? The whole process of why do you race and why does Jeff Gordon not race?

[Kenny Schrader]

He doesn't want to.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

What is that? That's weird.

[Kenny Schrader]

No, it's not. It's not weird at all. He doesn't want to do it, you know, so. And his. You know, his. Jeff Gordon still has a job.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Do you have a job that counts?

[Kenny Schrader]

Don't count this, you know, don't count this or your social media bull. Don't count none of that. That's because you want to talk. That's not because you want. Need a job. That's because you want to talk. Jeff Gordon wants to do his job, and at Henrik Motorsports, just like we want to race, he wants to do that job. That's why he's doing it.

[Charlie]

Don't you think that scratches his itch, though? Like, oh, yeah, it's scratch yours.

[Kenny Schrader]

It's the same thing.

[Charlie]

Yeah. You guys race Still. And he can be competitive through Hendrick, and Rusty can be competitive with his dealerships. And you guys are all staying active in different ways.

[Kenny Schrader]

So they had a big race this weekend, right? Get off.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

No, you can tell them on. I hit a nerve because this is a great subject. It is a very big subject and it never gets talked about.

[Kenny Schrader]

It's not nerve. It's some. It's what somebody wants to do. You. You like spaghetti. I don't. What. Who gives a. You know, just do what you want.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

People ask me all the time, you know, when you quit nascar, do you miss nascar? And I said, no, because I still race all the time. It's a great subject matter.

[Kenny Schrader]

We'll.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

We'll move on. Because it irritates Kenny.

[Kenny Schrader]

No, it's not that. It's not that doesn't irritate me at all. There's not a friggin answer. You know, there's not an answer. It's opinions. It's what somebody wants to do. It don't make it. Everybody does what they want to do. So what about Richmond? I didn't get to watch.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

This reminds me, we'll go to Richmond. T.J. patrick, Danica Patrick's dad, he says, Danica is always trying to find the answer to life. And I tell Danica, danica, you're barking up the wrong tree. There's not an answer. Move on. Okay, so. So Ty Gibbs is running along. Denny Hamlin catches him. Denny's fighting for the championship. He's underneath Tai, like a lot. Like he's up to his door. And they get to the corner and Ty won't give it to him. And Denny finally says, I've had enough. And he just. Harry dancing just like he. He hits him, but he don't know he's being hit. Wait.

[Kenny Schrader]

Okay, here again, very smoothly. Yes, very smoothly. Yeah.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Harry would move you and you wouldn't know you're moved. And Danny just barely put that bumper there and said, kid, you're pissing me off.

[Kenny Schrader]

If it wouldn't have been for the TV cameras, he could have denied it. He couldn't deny it.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Well, you gonna go first or am I gonna go first?

[Kenny Schrader]

All right. There's not much to say about it. I just, you know, the. The neat part will be what's in how it comes across in the meeting, you know, at the team. Team meeting. What's. What's said there? I don't know. I. I can see for sure why Danny was aggravated. Yes, for sure. You know, we were multi car team at Hendrick Was only involved in a couple of those deals and we, we worked it out in the Monday, no problem. And it wasn't a problem afterwards. It just. I'd like to know how that one's going to work out because it's a little different when it's grandson of the owner.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

So, you know, they do the interviews, everybody goes rushing there after the race. And Denny gave a little bit of something but. But didn't want to talk about it. And same thing with Ty Gibbs. He didn't want to talk about it, but coach Joe Gibbs, I'll give you his quote. We'll leave it up to the drivers to handle their issues. That's what coach said they're gonna have to look at.

[Kenny Schrader]

That's what he said to the media. Yeah, that's what said to the media. So who knows, you know?

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Well, I'm with you, Kenny. I, I'm. And, and I just, I mean it. I mean, if we're a four car team and you're not in the championship race and I've been up to your door a handful of times, let me go. Because we know, Loudon, we know how hard it is to pass. And so I understand it. You know, we're all racing for the wind. But they weren't. I mean, let me go.

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

You know, Harry, speaking of Mary again, he would chew my ass out. He goes, boy, we're not racing each other. We're racing that leader up there.

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah, not till the very end are we racing each other. We're racing a leader. And while you're jacking with me, we're losing time to the leader. We're getting farther behind him. So you let me go, I'll let you go at that point of the race. We'll race at the end.

[Kimberly]

Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree, Zoe.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

This thing weighs a ton.

[Drew]

Drew Ski, lift with your legs, man.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Santa. Santa, did you get my letter? He's talking to you, Bridges.

[Craig Moore]

I'm not.

[Kimberly]

Of course he did.

[Drew]

Right, Santa, you know my elf, Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

And elf, I'm six three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T mobile, you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. Right, Mrs. Claus?

[Kimberly]

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[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Or give it as a gift.

[Kimberly]

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[Charlie]

Nice.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

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[Announcer]

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[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

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[Announcer]

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[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Pay plus taxes fees required. Check out 15 minutes or less per line. Visit t mobile.com the College Football Playoff is everything. Toughness, roles, sacrifices, life, your focus. This is where I everything you got all damn day. The attention to detail is like none other. Keep physical, keep playing. We are the winner. Chilene takes on Ole Miss, followed by James Madison in Oregon.

[Kenny Schrader]

It's time to bring it first round.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Coverage of the College Football Playoff presented by allstate Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on TNT and HBO Max. Are you ready?

[Drew]

Let's go.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Connor Zillis just won his 10th Xfinity race. So we're going to go to Phoenix and we got. Now there's a lot to unpack here, Kenny, but it's crazy. Connor Zillich and Corey Heim have Both won almost 10.

[Kenny Schrader]

Right.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Well, Connor's won 10 races, so if they don't win the championship, is it NASCAR's fault?

[Kenny Schrader]

Well, they, they both won 10 so far, right? Yes.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

They can win way more.

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah. No, it's not NASCAR's fault because when we all went Daytona in February, we knew what the point system was and we knew what you had to do to win the point system. So if you didn't win it, I mean you, you knew what deal was. Now I heard you learned something the other day.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Yep.

[Kenny Schrader]

You know. Yeah. Your brother Rusty. Yep. With the all. With the old, with the old tried and proven point system that they had forever had a 10 race win year. What year was that?

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

93, I think it was. Rusty won 10 races and, and Dale Senior won way less and Dale Senior won the championship. And I want, I want to give you more material because I want to Hear your thoughts. 1985, Bill Elliott won 11 races and Daryl Walter won three. So the. These people, these fans, I want the 30, I want the true champion. So if we go back to the old days, that means Connor Zillich right now and Corey Haim will have already wrapped up the championship because they're so far ahead in points.

[Kenny Schrader]

If they want to go. I mean the people that want to go back to the old championship It'd be because they're. Those guys have already shown their superior so far this year and won all those races. So, I mean, I can understand that, why they would think that. I can also understand why someone likes the playoffs. It's a. It's a preference. And you're not going to make everyone happy, which we found out. We can't make a lot of people happy like now. You know, it's like last yesterday. You know, there was times that the leader was. I don't know how many. How far ahead did SVG win by one. Was it 13 seconds or something or. I don't know what.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

It wasn't worthy of showing.

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah, but that was because of pit stops and everything else. The racing was great.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

It was really good.

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah. And they. The amount of yellows was. Guess what? Those guys got it figured out because they're not. They didn't have that many yellows. So.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

I just want to stay here for a minute, and I want to ask for your forgiveness, because I know it's aggravating, and it is aggravating to me, too. There is this uproar that we know our hero, Mark Martin, started, and there's a lot of drivers. Keselowski now, I mean, you're not on social media as much as me, but I mean, Brad Keselowski is pissed. He's right there with Mark Martin. He's being more. He's being as boisterous. There is this crazy phenomenon going on right now. Everybody thinks that it. And this is what shocks me. If we just change the point system, millions of people will start watching NASCAR again. And I call bull. I think that's the stupidest thing. So you mean to tell me me and you were at a bar and we're like, hey, the points are changed. I'm going to start watching nascar. Kenny, help me make sense of this.

[Kenny Schrader]

Well, it's. It's what we. It's what. It's opinions. You know, we're gonna make some people happier if we change it. We're gonna. Some people aren't gonna like it. All I know is I do it every week, and I say it on here quite, quite often that I'll get some people, you know, older fans. I don't watch it anymore. I said, well, man, you should have. You should. Yes, because it's. It's better now. It's. It's never been this good. I went to that banquet in 85. That was my first full year in Cup. And I mean, I remember Daryl. You know, Daryl and jokingly bus Darn people. But it's like, bill, I'm sorry you won all them races and stuff. You're not standing up here. I know you're gonna stand up here. You know you're gonna have your. Your year. Which he did, but that was the old. The old point system. All I know is, is points are just a way to. Just a way to keep track however you add them up. But individual races, you just keep. You just keep winning those things and see where you wind up.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

We can go on and on. We'll save it for next week, everybody. But it is exhausting that the races are this good and people are complaining about points. We talk in points, and the races are this good. In the middle of our screen here, Craig Moore kind of looks like he's a hippie, but we figured it out. Is that the Ragin Cajun?

[Craig Moore]

Raging Cajun Jason Johnson. Yeah. So when he won the Knoxville Nationals, I was sitting on the back stretch, and that was that sporting event. Of all the sporting events I've. I've ever been to, that may have been the most thrilling, exciting sporting event I've ever been to.

[Kenny Schrader]

I. I wasn't there, but I was watching, and he was. He was pretty rough on Shot C a couple times. It's like, hey, this is for a lot of money, and I'm turning left. You. You need to. You need to make up your mind if we're going to crash or not. But. And. And, you know, I know they said Shots was a little put out at the start, and then he kind of got over it because it was the Knoxville Nationals, but I know that was a very, very upbeat moment for everybody.

[Craig Moore]

Yeah.

[Hermie Sadler]

And.

[Craig Moore]

And. And when we took. When we. When we got to our seats, there's a guy sitting directly in front of me. He's got a Jason Johnson T shirt on. He's like, jason's going to win it. Jason's going to win it. Now, in my mind, Shots. You know, back then, Shots was the man, and I just. No, Shots is going to win it, by God. Jason Johnson. And I couldn't have been happier for her. He was just such a good. Good dude to begin with, and, you know, his son Jax, you know, and. And the. It was just a amazing, amazing sporting event. Best one I've ever been to. The. The entire crowd went crazy.

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Craig Moore]

So, yeah, Raging Cajun got the. Got the 41 there. Jason Johnson racing, and sadly, we.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

He lost his life.

[Craig Moore]

He did. Yeah. That was years later.

[Kenny Schrader]

Beaver Dam.

[Craig Moore]

I believe so. Yes, it was Beaver Dam. And then it was around the same time that up in Pennsylvania, Greg Hodnett lost his life. We lost two of those guys within a very short period of time. 2 really good. Really good guys.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Guys, if we don't talk about nascar, they're gonna. They're gonna name this a dirt show.

[Kenny Schrader]

We're just a show. I don't know if we love it, right? I don't know what we are. I think we proved that we don't know what we are.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

We will get to dirt racing, everybody. But here we go, Kenny, as we always do. Hey, listen, I listened to this show Friday on the way to Lincoln, man, and I like. You are bored.

[Kenny Schrader]

Oh, you like. You like because you like talking and you like listening to yourself.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

I like it because I don't talk as much. I shut up and I let you and Craig listen. And Craig, one thing.

[Kenny Schrader]

You shut up and let us listen.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

I, I. Yeah, think about it.

[Kenny Schrader]

I did say that.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

I shut up and I listen.

[Kenny Schrader]

Let you listen.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

And Craig, you got such a radio voice, man. When I listen to this show, your voice is so awesome.

[Craig Moore]

Well, I, I appreciate that.

[Kenny Schrader]

It's.

[Craig Moore]

It just, you know, it's like you guys racing for as long as you have. You know, you guys are awesome racers. I guess just over the years, you develop that voice and that delivery and that cadence and, you know, it's all part of the profession. It's been a long. This is the first time I've actually done anything, you know, on air, I guess you could say, in a long, long time. So I'm glad I still got the.

[Kenny Schrader]

Voice and the face for radio, right?

[Craig Moore]

Yeah, absolutely. Face for radio.

[Kenny Schrader]

I thought that's what he was going to say.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Kenny Schrader. I'm just going to say this, and you can make fun of me all you want. You know, we can be mean when we have to, but I do have a heart. I am heartbroke for Denny Hamlin. I am crushed. And we will talk about the pit call, but what do you feel like on this Monday morning for the racers?

[Kenny Schrader]

Well, I mean, you know, unfortunately for Denny, he just. There was a yellow. That was a, you know, not a questionable call. It was a car bouncing off the fence that came out when he sure didn't need one to come out, you know? Yes, I watched an interview the other day, it had to be Saturday at Phoenix where Kyle and Denny were together. And Kyle was saying, you know, hey, it's a. It's a heck of a storyline. And yes, you know, it's. It'd be neat to see him win it, but I'm going to do everything I can to keep it from happening. But, yeah, I feel, I feel terrible for him, you know, but I would have felt good for any one of the four to win it. I'd have been happy to see him win it. I'm, obviously, I'm still a Hendrick guy, but all four of them to get there, deserved, Deserved it if they got it.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Yeah, I could have said any better. I think in my mind that Denny Hamlin did something that was so mentally strong on all his social media apps. He did. He promoted his own destiny. He was showing videos on all his social media of his father saying, denny, you just win this for me. I'll give away my house, my car, if you can win this. And then his dad is showing this video of Michael Jordan saying, you know, keep this cigar in this glass box, and when your son wins the championship, we'll break it. Well, Denny Hamlin is promoting all this days before the race. And then you're thinking he's gonna pull this off. He's got a 2 1/2 second lead with four laps to go. So that's just my opinion. I love your opinion, Kenny. You make me stronger. It's not time to cry over one man losing an emotional victory. But my point was that, and I'm not trying to win any debate here, I'm just giving everybody my opinion. Man, Danny sure did really play it up, and it was so emotional. So, yeah, okay, let's play devil's advocate. What was Denny Hamlin, crew chief, thinking? All right, here's the parameters, guys. This is a way different racetrack than any racetrack in nascar. The, the field gets dropped off over here in turn four. Denny Amlin is parked 30 seconds away, all the way down in turn two. So we get to see who's staying out. We get to see who's staying out. So we clearly see four cars stayed out. Okay, and it's going to be a green, white checker. They come down pit road. The whole field takes on four tires except Denny Hamlin. Now, I'm going to give you my opinion.

[Craig Moore]

It was the opposite. Danny took and everybody else took two.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

I felt like they should have called an audible.

[Kenny Schrader]

It was cars that stayed out. And, you know, we go back to Friday and we're just going. Just because I thought that the Heim crew destroyed themselves when they took four tires. And look what four tires did. And then when they interviewed Zip Adeli, he said, hey, it's a no brainer. It's. It's A four tire call. So, you know, it didn't change from Friday to Saturday or Sunday.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

He's coming down pit road and my wife Kim and myself, I'm, and I, and I'm saying to Kim, I'm saying Hamlin's gonna put two tires on. There's no doubt about this. You can just clearly see that's the call. So I hear you guys. Craig, what, what do you think? What, what were y' all doing in the, in the radio room? What were you guys thinking?

[Craig Moore]

Oh, we were. I, the, the same opinion. The, the Heim move was discussed. It's like, are they gonna, you know, when we saw they put on four tires and everybody put on two and then you had the drivers that stayed out, it's like, okay, they're, they're looking back at what Corey Heim did in the truck race. Now, a cup car is different than a truck, so I don't know, you know, if they handle the same way. You know, what the differences may be there. But maybe they were thinking they could do the dive bomb or potentially maybe they thought that other people were going to be putting on four tires as well. You know, I don't know. I'm not a, not a crew chief, you know, don't know what the thinking is there myself.

[Kenny Schrader]

I think the biggest difference was you had Kyle Larson, I mean, one of the best obviously, because he was one of those four in the, in the running for the championship. But you had him in front of you with two tires, not just a bunch of mid pack cars. Not that a mid pack car can win any day now too. But you had one of the best lined up with two tires, several cars in front of you, five cars in front of you. I think I. Four or five cars in front of you in the restart.

[Craig Moore]

Yeah, I didn't know how he was going to be able to do it when he was, he restarted 10th or 11th. And I, my thought process was I just don't think he's going to be able to do this in a green white checker against the competition that was in front of him.

[Kenny Schrader]

Yeah, but the thing about that there is you have no idea. You, I mean, there's a better than average chance that this isn't going to be a green white checker. It's going to be a green, a yellow, and then another green white checker.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Okay, that was, that's the best thing I've heard since yesterday, Kenny. Good point. Nine times out of ten, we're all going to wreck because this is for everything. And And I'll tell you what, I coming to the white flag, I thought, oh, they're going to wreck because Kyle Larson was on the outside in three and four. They were three wide. How they held that through three and four? Yeah, I like that thought right there. Kenny. Danny might have been okay if they'd wrecked again. So this all goes down to crew chief versus crew chief. Let's talk about that for a minute. The drivers are out there, but now it's crew chief to crew chief. What are you going to do?

[Kenny Schrader]

Well, the only thing, obviously Kyle and them took the two and it worked out, but. And I haven't, you know, I'm not a social media guy, so I haven't been looking at everything, but from one little thing I saw, Denny Hamlin was a hundred percent behind his four tires is. Did I see that right?

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

No, you're right. He said that.

[Kenny Schrader]

So that that's what matters. If it wasn't crew chief against crew chief, it was team against team. And you know, Kyle's, you know, he just give me something, just give me a little something and I'll go, you know. And they, Denny's team decided to four tires is what was their best chance for her. And they decided that said Denny was behind the decision. So there it is.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Check out Dirty Mo Media on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. The College Football playoff is everywhere. Toughness, roles, sacrifices. This is where I think everything you got all damn day. The attention to detail is like none other. Be physical, be flat. We are the winner. Chelaine takes on Ole Miss, followed by James Madison in Oregon.

[Kenny Schrader]

It's time to bring it first round.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Coverage of the college football playoffs presented by allstate Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on TNT and HBO. Max, are you ready?

[Drew]

Let's go.

[Kimberly]

This is a real good story about Bronx and his dad Ryan. Real United Airlines customers.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

We were returning home and one of.

[Announcer]

The flight attendants asked Bronx if he.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Wanted to see the flight deck and meet Kath and Andrew.

[Kenny Schrader]

I got to sit in the driver's seat.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

I grew up in an aviation family and seeing Bronx kind of reminded me of myself when I was that age.

[Kimberly]

That's Andrew, a real United pilot.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

These small interactions can shape a kid's future.

[Kenny Schrader]

It felt like I was the captain.

[Drew]

Allowing my son to see the flight.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Deck will stick with us forever. That's how good leads the way.