Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (2:15)

To this day, that's still one of the most watched NASCAR television broadcasts ever. In 1979, the series had all the ingredients to catapult NASCAR into the American mainstream. And that is exactly what happened. But not until recently did I have my eyes opened up to 1979 in ways I'd never imagined possible. Let me explain. On December 25, 2020, my grandmother, Martha Earnhardt, passed away. In the aftermath of her loss, we spent a lot of time in her house, sitting around and looking through photo albums and keepsakes and records that she had kept. A lot about my dad's career. This included scrapbooks of news articles and a couple that my aunt Kay had created that actually chronicled the 1979 NASCAR season. And that makes perfect sense, right? So my dad, her brother, was finally a full time NASCAR driver After years of struggling to make ends meet. As any proud sister would, she clipped and saved news articles that mentioned her brother, any that she could find, and I mean every single one.

Kathy Watkins (Dale Earnhardt's Aunt) (3:40)

When Dale got the ride with Osterlin.

Sponsor Voice/Advertisement Host (3:42)

We were all so excited. So you just automatically everything that happened and it was documented, you know, you.

Kathy Watkins (Dale Earnhardt's Aunt) (3:49)

Kept the articles and you kept your.

Sponsor Voice/Advertisement Host (3:51)

Tickets, you kept everything. And we tried to go to as many races as we could.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (3:58)

Thumbing through this collection of news articles was like discovering a treasure chest of hidden secrets. I was hooked. I knew a lot about that 1979 season, my dad being a rookie. But these news articles really filled a lot of gaps and a lot of holes and gave me a ton of context about dad, who he was and the path that he was on. This was before the name Dalenhardt meant what it means today. This was my dad at win 0 of 76. I am Dillon Hart Jr. And I can't wait to take you into my family's personal scrapbooks to unpack the 1979 season race by race. Together we will learn all the developments that made that 1979 season so important to our sports history. And one being by no small measure a 28 year old overcoming obstacles and showing flashes of greatness on his way to becoming Earnhardt. Alright, so let's go back in 1970, 1979 and look at some pop culture and sort of understand exactly how far we're going. Y' all remember the Dustbuster? That's Black and Decker's very own famous cordless mini vacuum that was released. Nickelodeon TV cable network began on April 1, 1979. ESPN began broadcasting in September of that year and the McDonald's Happy Meal first went on sale. My goodness. And the top song was My Sharona. We all know that one by the knack. And the Sony Walkman. A lot of people were walking around listening to My Sharona on their brand new Sony Walkman in 1979. Before we go any further, let's take a second to explain the American motorsports landscape in 1979. Honestly, it was at a crossroads. For decades, open wheel racing was king. Beginning in 1956, USAC was the major sanctioning body that governed what we know now as champ Cars or Indycars. But by the end of 1978, many of USAC's race teams departed to form a new series called Kart, leaving open wheel racing in a compromised state. This opened the door for NASCAR to become the new household name in American motorsport as long as as it produced a compelling product. This would make the 1979 season the most important in NASCAR's 30 year history.

Sponsor Voice/Advertisement Host (6:55)

Aura Frames is the answer to every holiday gifting moment. Never struggle again to find the perfect holiday gift. Enjoy unlimited free photo and video uploads. Simply download the Aura app, connect to Wi Fi and start adding memories in seconds. Every gift can be personalized with a custom message that appears when it's first turned on. A thoughtful touch for any occasion. The hunt for the perfect gift can be so hard. An Aura picture Frame makes it so easy because who doesn't love looking at all of their favorite memories in one spot for a limited time? Save on the perfect gift by visiting auraframes.com to get $35 off of Aura's best selling Carver mat frames named number one by Wirecutter by using promo code DALEJR at checkout. That's a U R A frames.com promo code DALEJR. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast. So go order yours now and get it in time for the holidays. Support the show by mentioning us at the checkout. Terms and conditions apply.

Sponsor Voice/Advertisement Host (7:51)

Right now there's a talented person out there who could take your company to the next level. Do you want to hope they see your job post before your competitors or do you want to match with them with Indeed Sponsored Jobs yeah Travis, Hiring.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (8:02)

Indeed is all you need. Join the 3.3 million employers with worldwide that use Indeed to connect with quality talent that fits their needs. Sponsored Jobs Boost your posts for quality candidates so you can reach the exact people you want faster.

Sponsor Voice/Advertisement Host (8:18)

Spend more time interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. Now with Indeed. Sponsored Jobs and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves@inn Indeed.comdalejr just go to indeed.comdalejr right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (8:41)

Indeed.comdalejr Terms and conditions apply. Hiring do it the Right way with Indeed. So now that we know a little bit about how far back in time we're going, you know Dad's going to drive for a particular team and it is owned by a man named Rod Osterlund. You're going to hear that name a lot throughout this story. So let's learn about dad's car owner and the race team. So in 1979, dad would be racing for team owner Rod Osterlin. And Osterlin he had made his living in real estate in California.

Doug Reichert (Osterlin Racing Employee) (9:13)

Rod Osterlin was a construction type business out there in California area where he would go in and build kind of like a resort type of place.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (9:25)

This is Doug Reichert, longtime employee of Osterlin Racing. Doug would play a major role in dad's time with Osterlin as crew chief. But at this point, he's just a teenage Californian trying to find his way into the motorsports world.

Doug Reichert (Osterlin Racing Employee) (9:41)

We all had metal shop, auto shop and all that in school, so we were always messing with cars and stuff like that. Well, my buddy Jeff started dating Lana Osterlin. So as we were going up, you know, we got to talking and we were running at San Jose Speedway with a car there on the oval. And Rod had Roland Wallodica working for him, also doing carpet. Roland Wallodica ran a modified at San Jose. All of a sudden we start talking racing and they just made the decision, man, well, why don't we go race him? So Roland Wallodica, you know, got hooked up with Jeff. We all met one another, so we started building the hauler. We got a bear box, moving trailer, and Roland and his dad, they designed the ramp system that was in the back. And we actually showed up at the racetrack with the first two car hauler on the circuit.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (10:39)

Roland would eventually vacate the driver's seat shortly after that to manage the race team. So Roland is Rod Osterlin's business manager and Rod would actually purchase all of his assets to start his race team from Roger Penske. Alright, so Roger had Bobby Allison and Dave Marcus in that familiar red and white number two. Well, Rod would buy the team all the assets and he would continue using the same number and the same font. And in 1978, they would keep Dave Marcus as their driver and they would have 30 starts during that year with 14 top five finishes. A really solid year. The team had the speed and they were right on the threshold of victory Lane as they approached the 1979 season. But their path to victory lane would be disrupted by a personnel change in the driver's seat. More on that in a second. But first, let's talk Dale Earnhardt. My dad's path to Austerlin racing included a series of events, some of which didn't even involve him. Beginning in the early 70s, he would first appear on the Osterlin racing radar, thanks to his rapid ascent from local semi modified track champion to one of the top late model prospects in the Charlotte area. In fact, when dad inked his deal with Rod in 1978, it was only four years and four months after his very first win on pavement. Just to give you an idea of how quickly he was rising through the ranks, you see, dad followed in his father Ralph's footsteps into the dirt short track circuit. By the early 70s, he was winning dozens of features and even track championships at local speedways like Metrolina and Concord racing for family friend Tommy Russell. But Ralph's untimely death in 1973 would alter dad's career path.

Kathy Watkins (Dale Earnhardt's Aunt) (12:40)

I think after daddy died, Dale kind of raced to prove. I now got to prove to daddy. I got to prove to the world and show my daddy that I can do it.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (12:53)

This is my aunt, Kathy Watkins. She is the second oldest of five Earnhardt children and 16 months older than my dad. She had a firsthand view of dad's developmental years and the impact my grandfather's passing had on him.

Kathy Watkins (Dale Earnhardt's Aunt) (13:08)

Dale never said this to me. It's just a sister looking back at Dale going into that shop. You know, I lived right behind the shop with me and my girls, and I watched him work all hours of the day and night and sleeping on a creeper. But dale in the 70s, I think his mission was proving himself to a ghost.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (13:39)

Upon Ralph's death, dad decided to act on some advice he imparted to him about making it in auto racing. He had to learn to compete on asphalt. This task would prove easy when NASCAR legend Ned Jarrett took over promotional duties Metrolina and laid down a fresh coat of blacktop. Dad would purchase a 64 Chevelle from the reigning NASCAR sportsman champion, Harry Gann, and hit the ground running. It was actually at Metrolina that dad would get his first cup start in a 200 lap 9 points exhibition race in 1974, driving for Richard Brown. Ironically, dad would finish fourth and his eventual car owner Richard Childress, would take home his lone cup victory. Dad would make some other cup attempts in the mid-70s without much success. But his fortune would change in 1978, paving the way to his full time ride with Austerlit. Mechanic mastermind Will Cronkite was preparing to field a full entry for Willie T. Ribs at the world 600 through a deal with track president Humpy Wheeler. But when the deal with Ribs fell through, dad sprung into Action.

Will Cronkite (Mechanic/Mentor) (14:58)

So Howard, Howard Johnson comes on the TV and he starts talking about Will Cronkite's lost his driver. And that's all I hear. The phone rings, since you're dad, he says, can I drive that car?

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (15:10)

Here's Will explaining how dad would end up being his driver in 1978.

Will Cronkite (Mechanic/Mentor) (15:15)

And I said, you know, it's not my car. This is a deal program. I said, I'm not in charge. He says, would you care if I ask Humpy? I don't care. Harold Johnson's still talking about it on the television. Humpy calls, he says, you care if this young boy drives your car? I said, sure, I'd like to do that.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (15:34)

The new duo of dad and Will set out to conquer the 600. And after an impressive 17th place finish, they arranged to make more attempts that season. But old Humpy, determined to find dad the best possible opportunity to showcase his talent, was still at work behind the scenes.

Co-host/Sports Commentator (15:52)

What happened was I'm down at Darlington and your dad, they had a big race at Metrolina that night after Darlington and Osterlin was there. And I said, when are you going back? He said, I'm going back late tonight. I said, well, I'll drive. You can ride with me up there. I know he's taking that rental car. And I said, we might go to Metrolina Speedway. And your dad started last for some reason and he took off and it was a hundred lap race and he hit everything but the women's room and he kept passing everybody. The last lap was Billy Scott was leading and your dad just went down there, caught him in the quarterfinal. Goodbye. And won the race. And Osterlin was overwhelmed with his driving.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (16:48)

The strong first impression led to Rod giving Dad an audition in a Sportsman car for the 1978 World Service Life 300. Dad would exceed expectations, finishing second to Bobby Allison by mere feet. The Osterlin team had seen enough and they were ready to field dad in a full time ride for the 1979 season, running as a teammate to Dave Marcus. This, however, would unfortunately disrupt his plans with Will.

Will Cronkite (Mechanic/Mentor) (17:19)

He calls when he said, hey, I gotta ask you a favor. He said, rod Osterlin wants me to drive his car next year. And he said they'd like me to drive one race this year without ruining his ability to run Rookie of the Year next year. You can't say no. I mean, it's clearly Osterlin had more to offer him than I did. I had nothing in the way of sponsorship. I only had one car. So I said, yeah, I don't have a problem doing that. So this was for the second Charlotte race. I don't remember who, but somebody I, I think Baxter Price qualified the car. But your dad got in at the first caution and finished that race for me and I admired him for that. He said he'd drive five and he did his best to drive five races. I admire your dad's integrity.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (18:07)

Dad's cup debut for Osterlin came in the 1978 Dixie 500 at Atlanta, the second to last race on the schedule. He'd notch his first top five finish in the big leagues, coming home fourth behind teammate Dave Marcus. The young team seemed destined to make a big splash, but unfortunately not everybody was on board with the ambitious two car plan. Marcus was considering what a full time teammate might mean to his own efforts and he didn't like the idea of racing for a car owner who was spread too thin. And on top of that, the Austerland brass had made a personnel change that Marcus, he didn't like.

Dave Marcus (Driver) (18:49)

What actually happened and why I left the team is they fired the crew chief who was Dewey Livengood. That was my crew chief and Dewey had worked for me many, many years before and on my car and built engines for my Hemis.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (19:02)

Here is Dave explaining his decision to depart the Osterlin team despite a fifth place points run in 1978.

Dave Marcus (Driver) (19:10)

I think we had three races left. It's a first year team. Dewey had his Rockingham car ready, his Atlanta car ready and his Ontario, California car and they fired him, no reason given. And Osterman always said to me if there's ever a problem it's just a phone call away. Well, I tried calling him and they wouldn't take phone calls. So you know. And Dewey didn't know why they fired him either. So I go to Rockingham, I drive the car we were running. I think we were either second or third in the points. With three races left. It just was working on me so much and so bad and bothered me when we went to Atlanta. After we qualified I went up in the press box and told the press I was quitting Osterlin.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (19:57)

With Dave's departure, the future was pretty simple. Osterlin would be fielding only one car and dad was now the number one driver for the team. The Osterlin racing driver shakeup was actually just one wave in a turbulent, silly season that saw many of Cup's top drivers either threatening to leave their rides or actually jumping ship. Let's talk about a few of them. Throughout the 1978 season, Diegard Driver Darrell Waltrip was rumored to be driving for a new team in 1979. But by the time the 1979 season rolls around, Waltrip and owner Bill Gardner would have a new five year contract for 79. They buried the hatchet and signed the contract extension midway through the 1980 season. They would be at odds again over the contract. And as we know, Darrell would leave Dygard by the end of the 80 season. For Junior Johnson's number 11 Mountain Dew Buick, now Mc Anderson. He was a new team owner on the circuit and that had began in 1976 with driver Sam Summers. But for 1978, they hired Buddy Baker to drive. The team showed speed, but only captured four top five finishes in 19 starts. Baker, he was looking for greener pastures and would leave the team at the end of the 1978 season. Anderson was so distraught over Baker leaving, whom he said he had built this team around, that he threatened to get out of Grand National Racing altogether. Baker was so torn by the decision to leave that he failed to tell Anderson until three days before the official announcement of his departure. LG Dewitt was the owner of the famous number 72 championed by driver Benny Parsons. They'd won the title together in 1973 and they seemed inseparable. Midway through the 1978 season, DeWitt told Benny that he might have to shut down the whole team due to their sponsor Citicorp, withdrawing its support. Things hadn't been going well for the team in recent months. In a span of two years, DeWitt had lost hall of Fame engine builder Waddell Wilson, crew chief Jake Elder and driver Benny Parsons. And with no sponsor for 1979, it was unknown what type of program they'd put together, if any at all. LG DeWitt was reluctant to set out racing on the season without a sponsor and he also had financial interest in two speedways to protect. The Rainier Lundy team was brand new. In 1978, they'd won at Talladega with driver Lenny Pond at the wheel and famed mechanic Herbnab running the pits. Lenny and Naab were fussing and arguing by May of that season and by July the word was out that Darrell Waltrip was Rainier's choice for the car. In 1979, Lanier pursued Darrell Waltrip for the ride. Pond's fans rallied around him and they cast crew chief Nab as the villain. At the September race in Richmond, a very popular area for Lenny Pond, Pond dropped out with a broken axle. A mob of angry fans had Herb Knab barricaded in his hauler nab eventually made an escape, but he blamed Pond for not putting a stop to all the foolishness. The team sputtered toward the end of the year, rarely speaking to one another until Pond was finally officially released. Racing season is underway. New customers Download the Draft Kings Sportsbook app and use code Dale. Bet $5 and you get $150 in bonus bets instantly. That's code Dale only on DraftKings sportsbook gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER for state specific disclaimers. Check the show notes 21 plus in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. See DraftKings.com sportsbook for details and state specific Responsible Gambling resources. Bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. Eligibility, wagering and deposit restrictions apply. Terms@sportsbook.draftkings.com autoracingterms.

Sponsor Voice/Advertisement Host (24:16)

All right, Aura Frames is the answer to every holiday gifting moment. Never struggle again to find the perfect holiday gift. Enjoy unlimited free photo and video uploads. Simply download the Aura app, connect to WI Fi and start adding memories in seconds. Every gift can be personalized with a custom message that appears when it's first turned on. A thoughtful touch for any occasion. The hunt for the perfect gift can be so hard. An Aura picture frame makes it so easy, because who doesn't love looking at all of their favorite memories in one spot for a limited time? Save on the perfect gift by visiting auraframes.com to get $35 off of Aura's best selling Carver mat frames named number one by Wirecutter by using promo code DALEJR at checkout. That's a U R A frames.com promo code DALEJR. This deal is exclusive to listeners, and frames sell out fast, so go order yours now and get it in time for the holidays. Support the show by mentioning us at the checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Here's the thing about being a great gift giver. When you find something that's truly perfect for everyone on your list, you almost don't want to give it away. Quint's pretty much has your whole list covered. Mongolian cashmere sweaters for $50 when you'd normally pay $200 or more. The Italian wool coats. They look designer, feel luxurious and are made with premium materials. But like everything at Quint, the price won't make you panic. We're talking way less than other brands charge. I personally love Quince because they have everything from clothes for men, women, all the way down to babies, holiday and home. Everything is high quality, usable throughout the seasons as you can layer the pieces and it really is so cozy. The Quince Mongolian cashmere sweaters are so great. I personally have a collection started with all of the colors I they are great staples just to add with a skirt or throw on over a dress. You've got to try them out. Find gifts so good you'll want to keep them with Quint's. Go to quince.comdeljr for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's q u I n-e.com dalejr to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com dalejr.

Narrator/Host (26:21)

The college football Playoff is everything. Toughness, growth, sacrifices, life's your focus. This is where I think everything you got all that the attention to detail is like none other. Keep physical, keep playing. We are the winners. Taine takes on Ole Miss, followed by James Madison in Oregon.

Co-host/Sports Commentator (26:40)

It's time to bring it first round.

Narrator/Host (26:41)

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

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (26:51)

And now we're going to set the class for 1979. I got these kind of grouped into different categories. There's heavy hitters, the supporting cast, and then we're going to talk about the rookies, but so the heavy hitters. We're going to start right off with Richard Petty, the king of NASCAR. He's driving that familiar petty. Any prizes? Number 43. And then you have Darrell Walter, Franklin.

Narrator/Host (27:14)

Tennessee, the Gatorade Oldsmobile.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (27:16)

Bobby Allison is driving for Bud Moore in the famous number 15. Cal Yarborough is in Junior Johnson's car. The number 11 coming off a three in a row championship run, 76, 77 and 78. Benny Parsons, who I told you was leaving LGD Witt is now with MC Anderson in the number 27 car. The person that suggested Benny go to MC Anderson was Rod Osterlin. Buddy Baker is in the Rainier Lundy, number 28. Baker was signed in the offseason in what Buddy considers the best opportunity of his long storied Donnie Allison is going to be driving Hoss Ellington's number one Hawaiian Tropic car. Neil Bonnett, he's going to open the season at Daytona with J.D. stacy, but soon he would quickly bounce around a few different teams. And David Pearson from Spartanburg, South Carolina, he's going to start the season in the famous wood brothers number 21. So now we'll move on to the supporting cast. These Are journeyman drivers or younger drivers coming onto the scene? We'll start off with Richard Childers. He's in the famous number three car that dad would eventually drive one day. And Ricky Rudd is driving for Junie Don Levy in the number 90. Buddy Arrington's driving his own car, number 67. D.K. ulrich in his own car, the number 40. And J.D. mcDuffie in his McDuffie Racing number 70. James Hilton's out there in the number 48. Dave Marcus is going to field his own entries and he'll have the number 02 and the number 71 throughout the year. Dick Brooks who had been driving for Junie Don Levy for so many years is now with Nelson Malik racing in the number 05. Ty Scott is driving for Walter Ballard in the number 30. And Bill Elliot will be fielding his own cars as well as driving for Roger Hanby on a few occasions in the number 9 and number 17. Now we're going to move on to the rookie class and this is a tough field of rookies. Some say at the time the toughest field of rookies ever. You have Terry Labonte driving for Hagan Racing in the number 44. And then you have Joe, Joe Milliken from Random, North Carolina in the DeWitt number 72. You've got dad in the Rod Osterlin number two. And Harry Gant. Yes, Harry Gann is a rookie in the Kenny childers racing number 12. And he's also going to drive the Racehill farms car, number 47. Alright, so I wanted to introduce you to more about Joe Milliken. And the reason is, is because obviously of the four drivers we know a lot about Terry Labonte, we know dad and Harry Gant. But Joe is going to be the one that gives dad the toughest run for this rookie of the year title. So who is Joe Milliken?

Narrator/Host (30:14)

Joe Milliken from Random, North Carolina cut his teeth with a Petty operation.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (30:18)

Well at the age of 15 he went to work for Petty Enterprises. And in the early 70s he was actually the Jackman for Buddy Baker's car. When Buddy Baker drove for the Petty's in that famous number 11 Dodge, Joe.

Narrator/Host (30:31)

Mulligan started on the second row of this race.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (30:34)

He worked his way into the driver's seat and began competing in the late model ranks around North Carolina at tracks like Caraway. And he quickly found Victory lane. He also all during this time worked on Richard Petty's crew. In 1974 he began attempting late model sportsman races in Petty built Dodges. He'd also win a track championship at Caraway. But he impressed everybody with a sixth place finish at Charlotte in a Late Model Sportsman race in that year. He made his cup debut for Buddy Arrington at Rockingham in the same year, running 17th from 1975 to 1978, he continued running limited races on the Sportsman's circuit, driving the Petty built Dodges. He was very impressive with many results in the top five and runner up finishes at Daytona and Martinsville in 1975. And he won the sportsman race at Daytona in 76 and the May sportsman race at Talladega in 1978. For 1979, when Benny Parsons left his longtime ride at DeWitt Racing to drive MC Anderson's car, Joe was tabbed as his replacement due to his connections in the sport through his work at Petty's and his impressive showings on the superspeedways in the Late Model Sportsman races. Okay, now that we have the field set, it's time to embark on the 31 race schedule that would make up the influential season in NASCAR history.

Narrator/Host (32:04)

Here goes Kale on the inside scoot back to the number one corner. Milliken, the rookie driver goes. It's going to be stle the door.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (32:11)

Handle on this season of becoming Earnhardt. We're going to cover NASCAR's deal to bring flag to flag racing to network television.

Narrator/Host (32:18)

Kale hits him. He slides. Donnie Allison slides. And he wins it.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (32:23)

A fist fight that captivated millions and converted an entire new generation of stock car fans.

Narrator/Host (32:29)

And there's a fight between Kaylee Arboro and Donnie Allison. They're angry. They know they have lost.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (32:35)

There's a messy divorce of one of the most prolific partnerships in NASCAR history.

Narrator/Host (32:41)

The great grandfather of for the racing, David Pearson. The Silver Fault, the Wood brothers.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (32:46)

And then there's the points battle between the old guard and the future of stock car racing, Darrell Walter.

Narrator/Host (32:52)

Walter Milliken has fallen out of it for the moment and he seems. We had a lot of talk about Dale.

Sponsor Voice/Advertisement Host (32:57)

Earnings hurt.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (32:57)

Meanwhile, we're gonna follow dad's quest to take top honors in the most loaded rookie class in Cup's existence.

Narrator/Host (33:05)

A tight battle with Terry Lovati and.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (33:07)

Dale Earnhardt as well as the triumphs he'd experienced. Like his first win, the rookie from.

Narrator/Host (33:12)

Kannapolis, North Carolina slices his way to the front of the pack.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (33:16)

And then the challenges and adversity like he'd never faced before.

Narrator/Host (33:20)

That's something I haven't seen in a long, long time. If ever NASCAR races.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (33:26)

Join us next time on Becoming Earnhardt. As we kick the season off with the first of 31 races, Be the Winston Cup grand national champion. Do you really think you can do.

Narrator/Host (33:41)

It your sophomore year?

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (33:42)

We're going to run it. Becoming Earnhardt is a podcast series by Dirty Mo Media. It is written and produced by myself, Dylan Hart Jr. With Bobby Marcos and Mike Davis. Sound design and engineering by Alex Timms and Ben Potts production assistant by Andrew Curlin, Micah Caldwell, Dustin Lee, James Brosan and Sean Sim. This project is in partnership with nascar, NASCAR Media Group and the Motor Racing Network. For full replays of races from 1979 and more, listen to Motor Racing Network's classic races@mrn.com Special thanks to Kay Earnhardt, Schneipes, Kathy Earnhardt, watkins, Doug Reichert, Cadence 13 and Silver Tribe Media. For additional content on Becoming Earnhardt, including exclusive videos, visit Dirtymo Media's YouTube page and follow us on all major social media platforms.

Narrator/Host (34:42)

This is the exclusive table with the View. This is your name on the list. This is three times points on dining with Chase Sapphire Reserve and a 300 dining credit Chase Sapphire Reserve. Now even more rewarding.

Dillon Hart Jr. (Podcast Host and Narrator) (34:52)

Learn more@chase.com SapphireServe cards issued by JP Morgan Chase bank and a member FDIC subject to credit approval.

Narrator/Host (34:57)

The College Football Playoff is everything. Toughness, roles, sacrifices, laser 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 takes on Ole Miss, followed by James Madison in Oregon.

Co-host/Sports Commentator (35:16)

It's time to bring it first round.

Narrator/Host (35:17)

Coverage of the College Football playoffs presented by allstate Saturday at 3:30 Eastern on TNT and HBO. Max, are you ready? Let's go.