The Dale Jr. Download

Episode: Kevin “Two Beer” Pennell: Wild Stories From Working DEI’s Early Days

Air Date: October 15, 2025
Host: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Dale Jr.)
Guest: Kevin “Two Beer” Pinnell

Overview

In this lively and nostalgic episode, Dale Earnhardt Jr. welcomes longtime friend and racing crew fixture Kevin “Two Beer” Pinnell—a legendary behind-the-scenes presence from the Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) days—to share untold stories from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Together, they revisit the wild, formative years at DEI, discuss what made that era and team so special, recount hilarious and hair-raising moments, and celebrate the family bonds that still resonate within NASCAR.

The episode delves into Kevin’s entry into racing, his evolution from jackman and mechanic to core team member, and the tight-knit, sometimes rowdy, culture that powered DEI through its iconic successes with Dale Jr., Steve Park, and others. Memorable anecdotes, technical insights, and testaments to the Earnhardt ethos abound in this first of a multi-part conversation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kevin’s Racing Origin Story

• Getting Involved: Kevin’s journey began in his teens, thanks to family ties—his sister married Tony Eury Jr., ushering him into the Earnhardt crew. (03:15–04:26)
• First Day at the Shop: His introduction to Dale Sr. was intimidating, involving being dragged out from under a car by his ankles and nervously stammering his name.
  • Quote: “The first deal was looking straight up at him. And, you know, his deal was, who the hell are you?...That’s how we struck things off.” — Kevin (05:16)
• Early Days: Memories of riding the farm, pointing out deer, and the intimidating but formative atmosphere set by Dale Sr. and Tony Eury Sr. ("Pops"). (06:11–07:40)

2. Street Stock Adventures & Learning by Doing

• Getting His First Car: Kevin built his first street stock at age 15, learning the mechanical side with help from family, Earnhardts, and scrap yard parts. (08:15–10:51)
• Racing Memories: Kevin, Dale Jr., and friends reminisce about “tearing up a bunch,” learning from mistakes, and the priceless camaraderie of those days. (13:28–14:10)
• Career Direction: The cost of racing pushed Kevin’s dad to nudge him into working for Earnhardt’s shop, leading to valuable on-the-job lessons. (14:06–15:17)

3. The Culture at DEI and Earnhardt’s Lessons

• Work Ethic: Dale Sr.’s ethos was “do it because you love it, not just for the money.” Kevin learned the importance of hustle and patience, sometimes going weeks unpaid until Sr. settled up—in cash and sometimes with tires.
  • Quote: “You do this ‘cause you love it or you do it for the money?” — Dale Sr., as recounted by Kevin (16:42)
• The “Two Beer” Nickname: Given by Dale Sr. after Kevin’s infamous night getting sick outside a bar, cemented with a custom stein that “would only hold two beers.”
  • Quote: “Got back to the shop and he had a stein and said, ‘Two beer...this mug will only hold two beers...whenever you think you’re brave enough to drink again, you can have it.’” — Kevin (19:43)

4. The Deer Head Shop & Earnhardt’s Legacy

• Workplace Lore: The “Area 51”-esque Deer Head Shop, a shrine of memories and learning (“locked the day dad died”), where the core team learned their craft via trial by fire.
  • Quote: “It’s my belief that the day dad died, that door got locked...from what I know, it’s untouched.” — Dale Jr. (23:43–24:36)
• Key Principles: Learning fast, not repeating mistakes, and giving full effort were enforced by “Pops.” The close-knit team taught each other through doing, and sometimes by enduring Pops’ ire. (22:15–23:31)

5. School, Racing, and Life Priorities

• Earning Full-Time Status: Earnhardt Sr. demanded Kevin (and others) finish high school, his way of ensuring “you will graduate, or you won’t step on this concrete.”
• Honoring a Promise: When Kevin graduated, Dale Sr. personally saw to his full-time hiring at the shop—a moment cementing respect between them. (29:07–29:49)

6. The ACDelco Team Years, Steve Park, and Dale Jr.

• The Steve Park Era: Steve’s arrival brought valuable short-track know-how, new chassis experiments (“Stepchild”), and helped lay the groundwork for championship years.
  • Quote: “Steve brought a bunch of short track knowledge that we didn’t have at the time…that’s where Stepchild came along.” — Kevin (32:10)
• Transition to Dale Jr. as Driver: Shock and concern in the shop when Steve Park left for Cup and Dale Jr. was tapped, but “tight-knit” team spirit and belief prevailed.
  • Quote: “Pops had us working so much…didn’t matter who he put in.” — Kevin (40:17–40:44)
• Supported Confidence: The team, though at first unsure, quickly rallied, betting on themselves—and even placing big money on race outcomes.
  • Quote: “We put, like, 200 down...it was well over 400 to 1...But that’s how much belief that we had as a race team.” — Kevin (46:31–46:43)

7. Wild Race Stories & Road Crew Camaraderie

• First Xfinity Races: Early stumbles—missed pits, overshooting stops, running over Kevin on pit road (“You hit me like 50 laps ago!”)—but trust grew as mishaps became bonding moments. (41:33–44:51)
• Technical Tinkering: The team was on the leading edge with springs, shocks, and aero, constantly benchmarking against the rest of the Cup garage. (77:30–80:46)
• Travel Tall Tales: From Japan’s wild logistics (“three-hour bus rides, rooms the size of this table”) to creative parts fixes, the crew’s ingenuity and sense of fun always shined.
  • Quote: “We went to Japan, and it was awesome…but we leaned toward the more Americanized foods…something I’ve wanted to do over again.” — Dale Jr. (70:32–71:00)
• Rivalries: Intense competitive pride, especially in duels against the likes of Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon.
  • Quote: “Mark was like…couldn’t understand how he just got beat by someone on the outside.” — Kevin (58:02)

8. Life Lessons, Highs & Lows

• Learning from Loss & Failure: Honest reflections on the tough days—wrecks at Darlington, moments of wanting to quit, and the redemptions found in post-race shop discoveries.
  • Quote: “Every day in NASCAR...you could be on top of the world one day and literally...thinking you needed to quit the next.” — Dale Jr. (61:12)
• Expectations: The “win or bust” mentality set by Pops and Dale Sr. drove the team to demand excellence from themselves and each other. (49:07–50:12)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Dale Sr.’s impact:
  “You do this ‘cause you love it or you do it for the money?...You’ll find a way to make money, but you gotta love this stuff.” — Dale Sr., related by Kevin (16:42)

• On being run over by Dale Jr. at Daytona:
  “I’m in here because you hit me like 50 laps ago... I didn’t hit you. And I’m like, yeah, you did.” — Kevin (44:37)

• On the DEI shop after Dale Sr.’s passing:
  “Everything was left or was laying in there just like it was two weeks prior...and I’ve never been back since.” — Kevin (24:36)

• On naming and loving racecars:
  “You kind of get hung up on cars...you had names for cars, you knew their tendencies. It’s a little different than it is today.” — Dale Jr. (35:24)

• On the legendary “Stepchild” chassis:
  “That’s why it was called Stepchild. It set off to the side. No one would work on it...and Steve [Park] was in the shop working with us.” — Kevin (32:33)

• On betting on themselves in Vegas:
  “We put, like, 200 down... it was well over 400 to 1... that’s how much belief that we had as a race team.” — Kevin (46:31)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Early Days, Meeting Dale Sr.: 03:15–07:40
• Street Stock Racing & Building First Car: 08:15–14:10
• DEI Shop Culture & Life Lessons from Dale Sr.: 14:06–17:43
• The “Two Beer” Nickname Story: 18:18–20:29
• Deer Head Shop Memories/After Dale Sr.'s Death: 23:42–24:45
• School, Full-Time at DEI: 27:30–29:49
• A New Era: Park, the ACDelco Team, Stepchild: 30:36–34:45
• Transitioning Dale Jr. Into the Seat: 36:39–41:10
• Daytona Mishaps, Betting on Themselves: 41:10–46:43
• Breakout Runs & Rivalries with Kenseth, Mark Martin: 47:05–58:14
• Japan & International Races: 66:53–74:42
• Cup Rookie Days & Staying Ahead Technically: 76:33–80:31
• Reflections & Plans for Part 2: 81:48–82:44

Tone and Vibe

The conversation blends deep camaraderie, endless humor, and raw honesty. Dale Jr. and Kevin banter like old war buddies, swapping stories about hard work, practical jokes, mechanical misadventures, and the pressure-cooker atmosphere of trying to live up to the Earnhardt name—while always retaining warmth and gratitude for the wild ride. Technical details and war stories alternate with heartfelt moments and respect for their mentors.

Preview for Next Episode

Dale Jr. promises a follow-up, hinting that Kevin’s stories could fill more than just a second episode, and vowing to give his guest even more space to share.

Closing Quote:
“Had a lot of fun catching up with him...thankful that yeah, he’s got the memory he does because he had a lot of great insight on his experience...But we had a ton left to cover and we got to get him in here and get right back to it.” — Dale Jr. (85:10)

Summary Takeaway

This episode is an absolute must-listen for fans hungry for the untold stories of the Earnhardt dynasty’s glory years. Kevin “Two Beer” Pinnell’s off-the-cuff recollections—with Dale Jr. adding context and laughter—paint an essential, behind-the-scenes portrait of DEI and the making of a racing family.