NASCAR's Biggest Anomaly

Summary

The Dale Jr. Download

Episode: NASCAR's Biggest Anomaly
Date: September 9, 2025
Host: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Guests/Co-hosts: TJ Majors, Andrew Travis, Tim, Russell
Network: Dirty Mo Media / SiriusXM

---

Overview

In this engaging episode of The Dale Jr. Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and co-host TJ Majors tackle the theme of NASCAR's "biggest anomaly", focusing on recent extraordinary performances, playoff dynamics, and the unpredictable trajectories in stock car racing. Naturally candid and steeped in first-hand racing perspective, the conversation runs from granular analyses of up-and-coming talent, especially Connor Zillich, to broader reflections on NASCAR's evolving championship format and legendary drivers like Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. The episode also features substantial “Ask Junior” listener Q&A, vivid Bristol night race memories, and a signature blend of humor and authenticity.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The CARS Tour & Junior Motorsports Driver Pipeline

(06:20–12:50)

• Championship Battle: The CARS Tour is nearing its season end, with Landon Lewis and Connor Hall closely contending for the championship and a few more drivers still mathematically eligible.
• Connor Zillich’s Hot Streak: Zillich’s winning pace is described as “unprecedented”—8 wins in the last 10-11 races, never finishing outside the top five since Texas.
  • “What Connor's doing, man, is just unprecedented. ...the only person who’s really done what Connor’s doing...was Kyle Busch.” – Dale Jr. [12:09]
• Comparison to Past Stars: Comparison with Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, and especially Kyle Busch, with an emphasis that Zillich is achieving his streak pre-Cup career.
• Impact on Talent Development: The stepping-stone effect is real; Connor Hall’s move from CARS Tour to a NASCAR Truck ride is highlighted as proof the series works.
• Emotional Perspective: Dale Jr. shares his internal conflict as a team owner when one driver’s dominance overshadows others (e.g., Carson Kuopo, Jim Pullman, Sammy Smith).

2. The Anomaly: Zillich’s Trajectory & Format Frustrations

(12:55–18:30)

• Comparing Eras: Speculation whether Zillich’s feat is easier in a field without constant Cup-level drivers; TJ pushes back, but Jr. stresses the raw dominance is an outlier regardless.
• Playoff Format Critique: The possibility that Zillich could dominate the season but lose the title due to current playoff rules.
  • “Denny talked about this on his podcast: I got a feeling that 88 is going to win 10 races and lose the championship ...because of the format.” – Dale Jr. [17:09]
• Momentum to Change: Growing pressure within NASCAR (including owner, fan, and driver sentiment) could drive changes if dominant drivers keep getting edged out by the format.

3. Next Steps: Zillich’s Move to Cup

(18:04–24:41)

• Expectations: How well will Zillich adapt to Cup? Realistic outlook: struggles early, target a top-20 finish in points, especially focusing on road course potential.
  • “If he finishes top 20 in points, that’d be a success next year.” – TJ Majors [18:17]
• Transitions are Hard: The Next Gen car is considered uniquely difficult—different handling, aggressive competition, tight margins for error, especially in traffic.
  • “You got to build up this sort of data point…an entirely new notebook.” – Dale Jr. [24:41]
• Team Factor: Zillich will benefit from Trackhouse’s up-and-down but capable road course cars, as well as SVG’s learnings.
• Long View: Both hosts predict Zillich will find his stride but advise patience through rookie struggles, DNFs, and the learning curve.

4. Cup Series Review: St. Louis, Bristol, and Playoff Cutline Analysis

(26:56–38:19)

• Larson vs. Blaney Incident: In-depth breakdown of Kyle Larson spinning out Ryan Blaney after an aggressive aero move at St. Louis.
  • "He had found a tool and he was trying to use it." – TJ Majors [31:09]
• Josh Berry’s Tough Luck: Recap of Berry’s playoff struggles and missed opportunities, particularly at a track he’d have expected to excel.
• Playoff Cutline Scenarios: Quick rundown of bubble drivers—Austin Dillon, SVG, Alex Bowman, Josh Berry—all on the edge heading into Bristol. Hosts discuss who’s likely to advance and what’s at stake.
• Bristol Tire Change: Intrigue about Goodyear’s new right-side tire and whether weather or set-up could make the night unpredictable.
  • “There's just a big question mark going into Bristol.” – Andrew Travis [37:40]

5. Tire Strategies, Manufacturer Strengths, and Betting Talk

(38:19–47:20; 99:32–114:06)

• Goodyear’s Soft Tire Experiment: Excitement for New Hampshire and Bristol as new tire compounds should add strategy layers.
• Team Strengths: Toyota is currently the power manufacturer, but only at certain tracks. Penske’s playoff “switch flip” and Joe Gibbs Racing’s consistency discussed in depth.
  • “At this point in the season, the Toyotas are [the best].” – Dale Jr. [41:50]
• Denny Hamlin’s Anomalous Longevity:
  • Detailed admiration for Hamlin’s sustained excellence in his mid-40s, comparing him to Harry Gant and Bobby Allison.
  • “He’s getting better. And he's an anomaly.” – Dale Jr. [46:57]
• Championship Format Dynamics:
  • Debate over whether the playoff system rewards the right drivers, especially when comparing Hamlin’s and Logano’s approaches and mindsets.
  • “This format is more about being great on one singular day—be the rest of the season be damned.” – Dale Jr. [52:08]
  • “I disagree. I think it definitely fits Logano better...He loves being the underdog.” – TJ Majors [51:51]

6. Classic Stories & “Ask Junior”: Nostalgia, Advice, & Hilarity

(62:36–94:56)

• Home Improvement Woes: Dale shares a faucet breakdown saga and the discovery of the “hand” towel holders—Adams Family-style.
• Bristol Night Race Memories: Multiple infield vantage points as a kid; heartbreak over Earnhardt Sr.’s ‘84 spin; the feel and lore of Bristol’s legendary asphalt era.
  • “You gotta go feel the vibe.” – Dale Jr. [70:30]
• Advice for Cletus (ARCA at Bristol): Take it easy, don’t force passes, and above all—don’t wreck and have to write a second check!
• Wasp and Bee Battles:
  • Dale describes a kamikaze wasp attack and admits to whacking wood-boring bees—sparking a laughter-filled tangent.
  • “He flew into me wide open and ran into my nose, instantly stinging me right on the nose.” – Dale Jr. [90:15]
• Listener Q&A: Covers FOMO about skipping Bristol, whether he’ll return for one-off races (“I’d run Bristol again...I really do want to do a truck race—but can’t figure out where”), and Bristol night race favorites.

7. Betting & Predictions – White Legs’ Parlay

(99:32–114:06)

• Parlay Picks: Larson and Hamlin are top favorites; Brad Keselowski, Blaney, and dark horses like Josevar and Stenhouse discussed.
  • “Everybody can pretty much run top 10 here if they just stay out of trouble. But only Larson/Hamlin can win the race.” – Tim [113:41]
• Data Nuggets: Last 8 races = different best Chevy each time; caution for prior stalwarts (Kyle Busch/Logano) as they’ve struggled at Bristol lately.
• Long-shot Odds: Ty Dillon, John Hunter Nemechek, and Eric Jones mentioned as big payout possibilities.
• Featured Matchups:
  • Elliott vs. Logano: Lean Elliott.
  • Cindric vs. SVG: Almost unanimous for Cindric.
  • Chastain vs. Bowman: Split room, but “numbers say Bowman.”

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We’re getting to hear the cool music before the rest of the world does… Now the rest of the world’s hearing that song.” – Dale Jr. on Zillich [08:02]
• “I think it’s going to be tough...these cars are much harder to drive.” – TJ Majors on Zillich’s Cup future [18:17]
• “This format is more about being great on one singular day—the rest of the season be damned.” – Dale Jr. [52:08]
• “He’s [Hamlin] like the R.E.M. of NASCAR—just making music.” – Dale Jr. [49:26]
• “He flew into me wide open...it was like a kamikaze move… That was his last heroic move for God and country.” – Dale Jr. on being stung by a wasp [90:15]
• “I’d run Bristol again. If they ever did go to Nashville Fairgrounds, I’d probably contemplate going and running that one as well. I really do want to do a truck race but can’t figure out where.” – Dale Jr. [71:37]

---

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Opening Banter/Health Check & Show Setup: [01:52–06:16]
• CARS Tour/Connor Zillich Dominance: [06:20–12:50]
• Zillich Among NASCAR Anomalies: [12:55–18:30]
• Cup Series Transition for Zillich/Team Factors: [18:04–24:41]
• Larson-Blaney Bristol Crash Breakdown: [26:56–31:46]
• Bristol Tire Talk & Cutline Playoff Analysis: [33:28–38:19]
• Denny Hamlin’s Longevity/Format Debate: [43:55–52:08]
• Listener Q&A / “Ask Junior”: [62:36–94:56]
• Bristol Night Race Memories: [73:51–82:25]
• Wasp Stories/DIY Defenses: [86:28–94:56]
• Betting Segment (“Dirty Bodeaux”): [99:32–114:06]

---

Tone and Style

The episode is lively, witty, and filled with inside jokes and industry lore. Dale Jr. balances analytical sharpness with relatable humor, never shying from poking fun at himself (and TJ). The Q&A and storytime segments lean nostalgic and personable, creating a show both for hardcore NASCAR fans and curious newcomers.

---

Summary for New Listeners

This episode is a quintessential blend of racing expertise, behind-the-scenes storytelling, and good-natured debate. You’ll learn why Connor Zillich is NASCAR’s “biggest anomaly,” hear a defense of changing the playoff format, and get actionable insights into the nuances of the Next Gen car and driver development. The conversations about wasp stings, childhood racetrack adventures, and “hands” towel holders make it as much about life as racing. Whether you’re in it for betting tips, driver scouting, or legendary Bristol lore, Dale Jr. and team keep it fast, funny, and full of heart.

Transcript

[Dale Jr.]

Community Coffee just came out with new great tasting coffees. Their first light blend and iced coffee K cups. This is a family owned coffee company that's been around since 1919 and they are now the official coffee of Dirtymo Media.

[Quince Brand Representative]

First light is bright, delicate and a light roast with notes of honey and brown sugar. Their iced coffee K cups are rich and refreshing and they stand up to ice so your coffee isn't watered down.

[Dale Jr.]

Available in classic black and vanilla sweet cream. Get 20% off these new community coffees by using the code [e-mail] that's code DALE D A L E20 for 20% off [e-mail] hey race fans. It's Ryan Ellis Driver, the number 71 Tableau TV DGM Racing Chevy in the NASCAR Xfinity series. Everyone has been trying to find the best, most straightforward way to watch our races. Well, we've got the answer. Tablo tv. Tablo is a device that gives you free access to 125/plus live and streaming channels, including the CW where you can find every lap of our Xfinity series season. Best part, you only pay once for your tableau device and it gives you the ability to watch forever. No subscriptions. With Tablo, you're able to watch a race live and pause it or record to watch later. Long story short, if you can't be at the track, Pablo is the next best thing. Check it out and if you like it as much as I do, use promo code Ellis at checkout to get 20 off. And right now, while supplies last, you'll also get an exclusive hero card. Free. Free with your purchase. To find all the channels you can get, head to tablotv.com Ryan that's T-A-B-L-O-T V.com Ryan the following is a production of Dirty Mo Media. This is the most fun I've had in this chair in the last hour and a half. Yes.

[TJ Majors]

I don't know if we've ever argued. Did I piss you off over the.

[Dale Jr.]

Weekend or I'm still sour that I wasn't the best man at your wedding.

[Dale]

Who was your best man, Dale?

[Dale Jr.]

Tj. Tj, you don't need a cool vest for that race. What are you thinking? Get him, tj. Hell. Way to start the show.

[TJ Majors]

All right then.

[Dale Jr.]

Hey, Everybody, it's Dale Jr. Back again for another episode of the Dale Jr. Download. It's Tuesday and it's Dirty Air, and I'm here with my great friend, one of my best friends, TJ Majors, how's it going?

[TJ Majors]

Why are you being so nice today?

[Dale Jr.]

I don't know. Maybe I should be nicer. And then. Travis. Travis. Such a great guy. Travis, how you doing? Heard you're not feeling well. I'm not.

[TJ Majors]

We hope you feel better real soon.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, we do. We hope you get well.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah. Second half of the show. You should probably take off.

[Dale Jr.]

Did you take some Advil this morning?

[Andrew Travis]

I took some suit.

[Dale Jr.]

They say that'll help.

[Dale]

Took some Sudafed.

[Dale Jr.]

My wife's like, I got sick head cold last Saturday, and I'm still kind of messing with that. And my wife's like, take some Advil. I'm like, I'm not in pain. And she said, well, you know, it helps with inflame inflammation. I didn't know that.

[TJ Majors]

That's one of the key things that it says it.

[Dale Jr.]

I thought Advil was only for aches and pains.

[TJ Majors]

And pains. Well, now you know, huh?

[Dale Jr.]

Who knew? Well, they don't. They don't promote themselves. I'm sorry, I gotta stop cussing. They don't promote themselves the way they should. I mean, they should promote that because I don't know that.

[TJ Majors]

I think they do.

[Dale Jr.]

I've always. I mean, I am very aware of their ability to help with aches and pains, but it is not common knowledge about the inflammation. Would anybody else agree?

[TJ Majors]

I mean, I kind of knew Andrew.

[Dale Jr.]

Would just walked in. We got a little backup in here because we know.

[TJ Majors]

Go in there and get sick. Go in there and get sick.

[Dale Jr.]

Andrew Travis is struggling to get through the day, and a gigantic Eric Church fan walked into the door to save the day. Yeah. All right. Travis said it doesn't feel good, but I ain't seen the sun smile since he's been in here.

[TJ Majors]

See you later, Sick Boy.

[Dale Jr.]

Where are you going? Going home. You look fine.

[Andrew Travis]

I do want to make it known that Travis will get credit for the podcast. Even though I'm filling in, people on.

[Dale Jr.]

Reddit were saying that I've been an this year, but this is the kind of stuff that they don't see. Travis is sick, cold sweats, got a fever. He's going to come in here, sit down for three minutes, start the show, then get up and let you sit there and talk into that same microphone in that same room.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. This is good luck.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah, thank you.

[Dale Jr.]

Good luck. You're living dangerously. James is also.

[Andrew Travis]

James has been in here for longer.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Everyone is at risk, and. And they wonder why Dale's an asshole this year.

[TJ Majors]

I don't. I don't See, I mean, I don't notice the difference. Well, I think he's been normal. Yeah, well, I'm not saying you're.

[Dale Jr.]

No, no. There. Let's, let's, let's somehow. Let's somehow compliment Dalton and Andrew in all this because the year before they were. They were sitting in here. Right. Or has it been two years? How long?

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah, yeah. Last year.

[Dale Jr.]

Right. So you got. I mean it's all a blur. You guys are sitting here last year and I was. I never ever complained that I was an ass. Put TJ Travis in here and, and my whole disposition has changed for the worse.

[TJ Majors]

I think most of us.

[Dale Jr.]

Travis, you bring the worst out in me is what. What I'm hearing. Tj.

[TJ Majors]

It is. It is good to push your buttons, get you going. I, I find it successful and I can get. You either call me or Travis.

[Dale Jr.]

That's, that's all he does is sit down in here and try to goad me into being a jerk. And they do it.

[TJ Majors]

Not all the time. Travis does it naturally without like they.

[Dale Jr.]

Sit in here and they go, so Dale, how you like that next gen? Yeah. Right, right. No, we're not gonna do that.

[Andrew Travis]

What do you think of the car of tomorrow?

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, we're not doing that. Not. Not again. If we're having like a ho hum show. Right. We gotta get this started.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Going. Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

That is one next. I ain't saying it. I was gonna say right there. Yeah, I know.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

We don't have to talk about it whole show if you don't want.

[Dale Jr.]

Oh well. Anywho, the cars tour is closing in on the end of their season. This the weekend September 13th South Boston Speedway. The auto by Nelson race night. Nelson is one of the team owners. The red and white number 22 been in the car store for a long time. He is sponsoring this weekend's race and yeah. The cars Tour motoring into the finish of their season with only three events left. South Boston up this weekend and then we'll go to Tri county in October and then we'll finish up at North Wilkesboro. Yeah. And we got a tight little battle. I was going to say Landon Lewis, I believe it's a point Landon Lewis and one point Connor Hall. And there's a couple of drivers still mathematically alive. But they think it's going to come down to.

[TJ Majors]

How many stage wins does he have.

[Dale Jr.]

Man.

[TJ Majors]

No stage wins, no playoff points.

[Dale Jr.]

But there is a couple of points for the pole, I think. Yeah. Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

That's cool though.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Moving on into the the. The St. Louis race weekend. Connor Zillich.

[TJ Majors]

Another great run for Connor.

[Dale Jr.]

I mean, look, man, he's driving my car and.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, yes, it's weird.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, it's weird for me. You know, I don't know if anybody ever knows this, but I do not like to talk about my own success or it's hard for me to kind of sit on this show and talk about junior motorsport success. I'm in a position in my mind on this show to try to be somewhat neutral. I know we do, you know, move away from that, you know, middle ground from time to time when we're promoting what we got going on. But, you know, and, and I've talked about Connor at length, about his ability and now everyone else, you know, we said it in here many, many weeks ago that we're kind of getting to hear the cool music before the rest of the world does. Like, we're getting to hear that, you know, man, Damn, dude. Now the rest of the world's hearing that song and you're hearing it in their car. They're in the parking lot or they're like, hey, bud, have you heard this? And you're like, yep, months ago I was, I was a big fan of that song months ago. And he's on a roll. He's on a roll, man.

[TJ Majors]

And it's just working out, man. Like he, you know, like he's just in that. In that weird kind of state where everything just kind of go works, you know what I mean? You don't even do anything different and you win seven of eight or whatever he is. And then, I mean, he's just out riding the wave.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, Connor Hall. Just text, by the way, if anybody's listening to this show and you can make a one off diecast, go to Twitter and respond to Connor hall. Because he's asking me if I know anyone that can make a one off diecast. I don't. I don't know. No anyone. There are people out there.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, there's people out there.

[Dale Jr.]

You're listening. And get a hold of Connor hall, somebody to help him out.

[TJ Majors]

There's a lot of guys that make models and stuff.

[Dale Jr.]

Speaking of Connor Hall, Connor is at. Connor is going to move on from the Cars tour next year. His plan is to move out of our car and try to put himself in an opportunity to drive a truck. Wow. Yeah, Pretty cool.

[Andrew Travis]

That's awesome.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

So this stepping stone is working.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's good. Yeah. Pretty exciting for the CARS tour to see drivers, you know, find and land opportunity at the next level, Connor hall, one of those drivers out there who's trying to make it happen. And so there's two or there's more.

[TJ Majors]

There's more.

[Dale Jr.]

I'm sure there'll be a couple that will come out of the series this year.

[TJ Majors]

The next two or three years are going to be. You're going to have a lot of graduates from the CARS tour moving up.

[Dale Jr.]

Thank you. Right. So what were we talking about?

[Andrew Travis]

Connor Zellich.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Connor Zillich.

[TJ Majors]

So that new song.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, dude, I'm the. It's a. My gut feeling. I'm just gonna let you inside my brain, which is a weird place there. I wish that, you know, obviously, I think my initial. I want to see our other cars winning races. He's winning them all. I'd love to see, you know, Carson Copple realize his potential. I think that he's had a. He had an off year. That deal hadn't worked out like I'd hoped. I'd love to see him get to Victor Lane. I think. I think Carson Kuopo has all the ability to do it. The seven cars struggled with just bad luck and odd weird things happening.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah, he started off pretty strong though, didn't.

[Dale Jr.]

He's hit his speed, Jim.

[TJ Majors]

Great speed.

[Dale Jr.]

Jim Pullman has the. One of the fastest cars in the garage every week. And I'm hoping that the Bug or whatever it is that's got them, you know, goes away here when it counts for the playoffs, because I won't. You know, I'd love to have four cars in the finals. Right. That's like. It's probably unrealistic, but they will.

[TJ Majors]

Justin Jimmer, they're gonna be. They're going to be fine.

[Dale Jr.]

Sammy has done a really good job this year. We talked about it on the show a couple weeks ago or last week, about him working to improve not only himself but. But on the racetrack. And I'm pretty happy, honestly, that he's made some good progress just as a driver. Gotten faster, gotten smarter, gotten better. Racecraft. Normal.

[TJ Majors]

I don't think normal people are going to say, but Sammy has done a really good job.

[Dale Jr.]

But what Connor's. What Connor's doing, man, is just unprecedented. And when you look back in the history of the Xfinity series or the. Back when it was the Busch series, there's really not a lot of guys that were doing this. Kyle Busch was doing this, but he had already become a cup guy, cup winner, a regular cup winner.

[TJ Majors]

I was going to say him and Brad, but they were already kind of cup guys.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. I don't even know that Brad was winning races like this.

[TJ Majors]

I mean, 12 championships in a row.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, I know, but I mean, the.

[TJ Majors]

I don't know how many. One in a row.

[Dale Jr.]

Dude, this. What's Connor done, like, eight wins out of the last 10 or 11?

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

He hasn't finished outside of the top five since Texas, which is an insane stat.

[Dale Jr.]

It is.

[TJ Majors]

I feel like Brad and Kyle would have been in that ballpark.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, you're pumping Brad pretty hard.

[TJ Majors]

I'm just saying. Kyle and Brad both. It was them two every week.

[Dale Jr.]

I don't. I don't agree. I think what. I think Brad was absolutely dominant. Yes. But I don't think he. I don't. I only think one other person has really done what Connor's doing, and that was. That was Kyle Busch. But I could get in that car. And I think Gibbs won 20 races one year. It was like every time Kyle showed up, he won. Yeah, he didn't run every race, but every race he did run, he won. And that's kind of where. That's what Connor Zillich is right now.

[TJ Majors]

Do you think it's a little bit easier now, though, because you're not racing against the cup guys every single week? Like, those guys had to. You know what I mean? Like, when Kyle won, he beat, what, three, four other Cub guys pretty easily or, you know, that many guys? Not easily, not easy. But, like, does that make it easier and for this to be achievable?

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

I'm not saying nothing against Connor. He's kicking ass and doing that.

[Dale Jr.]

You are. You are.

[TJ Majors]

You're.

[Dale Jr.]

You're tarnishing his.

[TJ Majors]

I'm just saying it's. It's hard to compare what some of these other guys could have probably done it.

[Dale Jr.]

I'm just saying. Look, all I'm saying is I think that what Connor's doing. The only thing that I. I could say is similar is the Kyle Busch run. When Kyle could run all the races and Carl Edwards was close, Brad was close, but I don't really remember them being as annoying as Kyle Busch was. So I was an owner in the series during all of those times, and when Kyle was winning all his races and he would come and run, we knew we weren't going to race for wins, you know, and his race had.

[TJ Majors]

To go bad for you to get away.

[Dale Jr.]

That impacted me because I only remember this, and I only put Kyle Busch up there by himself is because I look at the bottom dollar and go, well, at the end of the season, that's a $400,000 swing or a $200,000 swing from. From, you know, winning races to run in second or third or battling for top fives. And Kyle Busch, man, he just was, like, such a nuisance, you know? And I mean that in the most complimentary way.

[TJ Majors]

Even when they move to the races across the country, when couple somewhere else.

[Dale Jr.]

Kyle still flying a way to get there?

[TJ Majors]

Yes.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Start in the back or whatever.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, you're on a road, America.

[Dale Jr.]

We're over here.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, he's not going to run. No, he's still running.

[Dale Jr.]

I think when you talk about the. The way the. When you talk about the way the. The car has finished all these races, you also got to give a lot of credit to Marty Lindley and his team. Their ability to. To build the car that doesn't, you know, doesn't have issues. And you got a rookie driver that kind of hits a few things. You know, he's kind of beat some bangs and got. Had to get physical at Portland and Mexico City. The car was destroyed when even driving straight. But, you know, it's. They build a good little race car, that 88 crew. So, you know, I'm just. I'm on pins and needles because I don't know how long they can keep this going. I mean, yeah, maybe all the way to the end of the year, but. And, you know, you've got all of this success. You're. I think we're kind of out there looking in front of that record of most wins in a season for organization. I think Joe Gibbs has it at 19 or 20. I'm not. I don't know exactly what it is, but that's a. That's a goal. And then obviously, trying to get as many cars into the finals is a goal. And then when you get to the finals, going to win it not, you know, having somebody sneak up in there and take it away from you. Like, you know, that happens from time to time. Denny talked about this on his podcast this week. He's like, man, I got a feeling that. That 88 is going to win 10 races and lose the championship. And just because of the format, because.

[TJ Majors]

He'S done that, because it could happen, then he does that all the time.

[Dale Jr.]

Would happen. Yes. And, hey, but the good news is, is it, Mike, most likely we're going to move away from this format, right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, most likely. I would say the likelihood of us changing the format is very high, and especially if a Connor Zillich wins 10 races and doesn't win the championship. Right. You know, I don't know. I think that there's already the momentum there and conversation around mo Changing the platform and should something again happen this year that would bolster that argument. Yeah, I think you. You.

[TJ Majors]

But none of this.

[Dale Jr.]

It pushes it over the finish line.

[TJ Majors]

None of this really changes. It changes stuff for you, obviously, as an owner, but for Connor Zillich's path forward, it doesn't. His path is already paved, and whether he wins the championship or not, he's going to be a cup guy for a long time.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

How do you think he fares in his first cup season? You know, he compared him to the domination that Kyle Busch had, but, I mean, you look at a lot of these guys who do well in the Xfinity series, but then it takes a little while to get going just because the cup series is so competitive.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah, it's going to take time. I mean, I. I would say if he finishes top 20 in points, that'd be a success next year. Yeah, I think. I think it's going to be tough to go in there. And these guys have a lot of experience and these cars are much harder to drive.

[Andrew Travis]

They're way different.

[TJ Majors]

They're not. Not that they're. They're harder in a different way. Like, everyone's so good and these guys are so accurate with where they place the cars and how they manipulate air, and he's got to learn all that still in. At mile and a half, he's got to go learn all that. So I think it would be. I. I think obviously Connor's really good and he'll figure it out, but it's going to be tough in the beginning and he just needs to be a sponge and learn as he goes, and there's going to be some mistakes and. And go and capitalize at places like the road courses and get good runs and keep building momentum. And I think he has all the world and ability. All the ability in order to do that.

[Andrew Travis]

Last question before we move to the cup race, too. Like, a lot of people can view this as a quick move to the cup series, even though Connor has more than proven that he is an exceptional race car driver. Is only one year in Xfinity not enough. What do you guys think?

[TJ Majors]

I think he's proven that he can move and. And I. I wouldn't leave him in it any longer. If you've got a. A seat to put him in and, you know, funding and stuff for it, I would. I would move him because I, I don't. I think these Cars are so different that he just needs to get in these cars and. And start learning them. You know, you're just. You're just delaying his learning how to drive a CUP car longer and longer. So I wouldn't keep him in something now when he's already proven that he can win in it, that he can move and be successful. I think already.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, I think that. I agree with T.J. i think that. I think, you know, when he's. When you're that successful, it's. It's perfectly fine to go ahead and head on up. But most. Most people, you'd like to see a couple years right in Xfinity. I don't know why, but, like, you know, if you're going to go into the trucks, give me a couple there. I think if you go. If you're. If you're going to seek out arca, I think one year in ARCA series.

[TJ Majors]

Is good mix with some other stuff.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, because just a short. It's a short schedule. You can do all kinds of other things. Cars, tour and other things if you want. Let's predict a Connor Zillich rookie year in Cup. Yeah. All right. Let's predict it. You guys think about, like, what you, you know, give me kind of a not. Not like a perf, you know, not like full statistical rundown. But what do you think the vibe of his season is going to look like?

[Andrew Travis]

I think I. I do think he'll struggle in the beginning just because the cup series is such a big leap in terms of competition and. And car. I kind of agree with what TJ was saying. Kind of like a 20th in points, him maybe being one of those guys fighting for the last fringe playoff spot on points. But the. Really, the big question is, how good is he going to be on road courses? Is that going to be what makes him different than all the other drivers that have come through the Xfinity series at a fast rate? Can he win a road course early or can he. Can he find a way to do it? So I think maybe a win, but I think he can possibly points his way into the playoffs.

[TJ Majors]

I do. I think he'll be. I think his. I think he'll split the road course. I think he'll be real fast on some, and he'll have some. The competition is going to be way harder, but I do think he's. He's already really good at. And once he figures his car out, SVG's got that car dialed in over there for road courses, so I think that he's Going to have a fast car already. He just needs to learn how to race with these guys. But I, I think the ovals are, are going to be challenging for a bit. I. And I think top 20 in points is. I know it sounds crazy, but I think that's going to be. I think it could be hard at times for him because these seasonals are so hard. I don't. You don't see, you know, the other cars don't really light it on fire right now. And Connor's coming in with not much experience at him, but he definitely has the ability to go out and just have a solid Daytona come out decent in the points out of the first couple races if just being smart and that'll really help his season if he can finish the first two races without incident. If you come out of Daytona and Atlanta, Atlanta second. I think you just got to survive those. And if he does, I think he can have a good year.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, I think that, I think he will be, you know, I think he'll be mid pack a lot mostly, you know, mostly due there'll be. That'll be due to two things. Trackhouse has this sort of hot and cold vibe right there. They run the 600, fastest car there by far and then disappear for a while.

[TJ Majors]

See you in a month.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Now they obviously have good speed at the road courses and I think that since SVG is there and kind of understands and is getting better at making the next gen car what it needs to be actually he go, you know, he would get in the next gen car in year one and not really know how to tell, not really know what the car needed to be better. But he just was good enough right to go out there and be quick because of his own pure ability. But now he's drove the car long enough to go, yeah, this is what the car needs. And then I'll be even better. And Connor's going to benefit from all of that knowledge coming in straight away big time and then he'll have his own ability plus a reasonably solid race car. And then Connor then too can start to improve on the car. So wouldn't be surprised if Conor battles for a win at a road course. I think that's not stepping out of bounds, but everywhere else he's learning an entirely new car. This, the short sidewall, the way this car feels, the way the car reacts and steps out and all of those things will be very unique and different than what he's experienced in the Xfinity car. Wouldn't you agree? 100% so he's got to build up this sort of data point or build.

[TJ Majors]

Up a new notebook.

[Dale Jr.]

Yep. Build up an entirely new notebook internally about what the car's capable of doing and how to push the car. Go to Briscoe, going just from one team to another. It took him half the year or the third of the year to really understand what the car's capable of doing. And I think that the margin of error in wrecking the car is so tight that he had to work his way up to that. Right. Without making a ton of mistakes. And he finally found this limit, and now he's doing great things behind the wheel of the 19 car at the cup level. Connor zealous. You got to learn entirely new car. And so I think that you got to be. You. You. You got to be ready for that first year to sort of be rough. Rough. Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

DNFs will happen. Yeah, he's going to. He's going to break a toe link every now and then. Things like that.

[Dale Jr.]

Everybody like, oh, yeah. I mean, there'll be races where he's running. We got to fix what.

[TJ Majors]

We got to fix what.

[Dale Jr.]

And the camera. He'll be running 20th, and then we'll see him on pit road fixing a tow link because we missed it. He hit the wall off of two a couple laps ago. Right. You know what I mean? Struggling in bad air that he didn't know was bad air. Right. Because the air and the way. The way you race around other cars with the next gen is so different than.

[TJ Majors]

Way different.

[Dale Jr.]

The Xfinity car. Right. He drives that Xfinity car down in the corner and drives right in behind somebody and it gets a little dirty air. But in this. In this next gen, he's going to drive across the wake of another car on corner, exit and slap the wall. Right. Because he's not going to know.

[TJ Majors]

And I mean, to be honest, Marty's got it. Marty's got it figured out, too, right now. So he's unloading the car to almost beat every single week right now. And that's going to change next year. And now I want to see my. I want to see how Connor reacts when he is in, you know, 18th place car, and I want to see where he finishes with it. Does he finish 15th with an 18th place car?

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

Or does he make the mistake and finish 25th? You know, but he's so young, man, and he's got. He's so young that this is the right time for him.

[Dale Jr.]

And he.

[TJ Majors]

If he. He just needs to get through next year. Build that notebook up, and he's going to win a lot of races.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Well, let's move on to the cup side. Larson racing aggressive. What. What was that all about? He spins splint. He spins Blaney out.

[TJ Majors]

He did.

[Andrew Travis]

Still trying to figure out what.

[Dale Jr.]

I know. I've watched this replay, and I can't figure it out. Like, what, What I mean, came from five car links back.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah, that was. He had been working, like, Kyle had been working on Blaney a lot, and he had started to figure out ways to do it. And this is like. And I'm talking, like, we're talking. They got to be in a window of a foot and a half of, like, where they place that car for the air and stuff. And the guy in front of you moves a little bit different than he did the lap before, and you misjudge it. It's hard.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

And I saw. I saw him start to make success. He was starting to have success getting right inside Blaine in the middle of three and four, like, and just not turning down the track, staying right on his left side.

[Dale Jr.]

That affects Blaney's car, arrow wise.

[TJ Majors]

I think it packs air on, and he was able to stay there more and more, but it was still super hard. But I think he was just throwing everything he could at it, man, trying to make a pass, trying to do it. And, I mean, I, I, I'm. That he definitely misjudged it. It was a fairly big misjudge, but from the top rope there.

[Dale]

Yo, tj, I see you've been walking around with a new phone. Where'd you get that? New phone?

[TJ Majors]

Yeah, man, I love this phone. I recently joined a consumer cellular family, and they hooked me up, man. I got a great new phone, and the service is awesome.

[Dale]

That's great. But, like, how's it, Iowa, Richmond, some of these other tracks. Because it's great when you're at home, but, like, when I'm on the road, my phone is crap.

[TJ Majors]

You know, I travel a lot with the RFK16, and I have had nothing but success with this phone. I've actually. It has bailed me out numerous times now. I was able to flip the hotspot on and use some Internet on it. Text, calls, everything, man, I'm, I'm. I could not be happier with this phone.

[Dale]

All right, so. But how do I go about getting this? Because I don't have time. I'm not trying to go sit, stand in line at a store, wait, grab a number, wait 30 minutes. Like, I just don't have time for that.

[TJ Majors]

That's the easiest part, man. Just call their 100% US based customer service representatives and in about 20 minutes, you'll be good to go. I chose the two $60 plan. It's not a prepaid option. They help me decide which one was best for me, and I know exactly what I'm paying each month. Everything is easy to understand with no long term contract. Switch to Consumers Hellier now and get 25 off with the code DJD25. That's DJD25 for 25 off. When you switch to Consumer Cellular, go to Consumer Cellular.com DJD and use promo code DJD25.

[Dale Jr.]

Trimble is the technology company that connects your physical and digital world so industries like transportation and geospatial can get hard work done faster than ever. Every day brings new challenges, decisions, adjustments, real time moments that matter. With Trimble on your team, you're in command of purpose built tech ecosystems and connected solutions that keep work flowing end to end. Turn data points into decision points, deadlines into finish lines and possibilities into profits. Check out what Trimble can do for [e-mail] because with Trimble, you can act smarter, move faster, and lead with confidence. Tremble confidence at every turn. Well, let's listen to Larson's comments here. I wasn't meaning, obviously, to go in there and hit him. The lap before, I had gotten in there and gotten inside of him, slid up, got to his door, got him tight. So when you get to the left recorder panel, it tightens up the outside car so that Blaney then can't finish the throttle, and it got to where I could race him down the front stretch. I was trying to do that again. I was a little further back this lap than I was the lap before. So misjudged the point to where I wasn't going to get next to him and tuck in, and I just clipped him. It's all on me. You know, this kind of thing happens. It sucks for Blaney, you know, but even some of the, you know, that's just. I think you're right, T.J. it's kind of the, you know, the best drivers in the world having to be perfectly precise and be aggressive, you know, overly aggressive, and trying to learn how to make this car, you know, pass at a track where it was difficult to pass.

[TJ Majors]

He had found a tool and he was trying to use it.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Which I think is incredibly interesting. Yeah, right. That he's like, man, if I can get. If by the. If I can drive it down in There. And by mid corner, right when he's trying to throttle up, make him tight, like, get the left rear quarter panel and really tighten his car up. Then he'll struggle on throttle, and maybe I can be able to side draft down. I'll be in position for a side draft and position. Maybe take the spot into turn one. And that's, you know, unfortunate that it. That it spun Blaney around. Blaney was able to recover.

[TJ Majors]

He did recover.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, he did. He did.

[TJ Majors]

He slid sideways, and he kept going. So, you know, it could have been a lot worse.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Blaney is one of those few drivers out there that when you make them mad, they give faster. Yeah, I like it. You know, I used to worry about. We used to talk about it quite a bit on this show. Yeah. About Blaney's temper and how maybe that had been problematic for him, but now I believe that it. You know, in a short period of time, it's kind of. He's transitioned to being able to use that as determination, as a tool, as a motivator.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah. I think there's a level that you can get to where it does turn bad still, but I don't think that was. I think had he. A crash right there would have been pretty bad. I mean, you know, really wrecked and tore a toe link off or something then.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. I think all drivers have that point to where, you know, they get that angry. It's not good for anybody.

[TJ Majors]

You ever been there? No, I'm just kidding.

[Dale Jr.]

Josh Barry had another. That's the. He's had the two worst weeks you could possibly have.

[TJ Majors]

Terrible.

[Andrew Travis]

The worst start of the playoffs.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know, man. I. I know that Chase dove down into the corner underneath him and got up the track a little bit. Either got loose or whatever, but did get up the track and just got into the left rear quarter panel of the 21 car, and that's unfortunate, man. Josh needed to have a rebound day to be able to try to find a way forward in the playoffs, but.

[TJ Majors]

And I feel like that track would. I think Josh being the short tracker, I think Josh probably had a good shot of having a good run.

[Dale Jr.]

Felt like that was. If there was a racetrack where he felt more confident to get a good run, that was.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I do.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Well, looking at the playoffs standings right now, we have Austin Dillon SVG and Alex Bowman, and Josh on the outside looking in. I thought I saved it.

[TJ Majors]

I know I was looking.

[Dale Jr.]

I kept it over here, but somewhere we all made our Predictions.

[TJ Majors]

Sick boys probably got it.

[Dale Jr.]

But I believe yours are the. These are the four that you.

[TJ Majors]

I think I might have swapped one with. No, you're right. Maybe I did.

[Dale Jr.]

I think this is TJ's 4. I had Cedric in place of Barry.

[TJ Majors]

I might have one off. I can't remember what I did.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Well, right now, Dalton.

[Andrew Travis]

Dalton just handed it to me. Yours was Cindric Chastain, Austin Dillon, svg.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

Gj, yours was Josh Berry, Chastain, Austin Dillon, svg.

[Dale Jr.]

Okay. Well, we both had Bowman in. Am I right?

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

But to our credit, Ross and Cindric are 11th and 12th, plus 11 and plus 19 going to. Where are we going this weekend? Bristol.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

So what do you think happens at Bristol, tj around the cut line. You know, I think SVG is doomed.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah. That's incredible, though. We all thought that he, like, he's minus 15 with a race to go still, like, that's.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Josh ran top 12 at Bristol earlier this year, but I don't see him going in there and winning the race. Course, the Wood brothers do have a win there in a. In a. In an underdog win with our good friend Elliot Saddle. Alex Bowman.

[Andrew Travis]

He. He's got speed at Bristol. I want to say he's won the last two polls there.

[Dale Jr.]

So Austin Dillon is the kind of guy that I could see top 10 and, you know, getting a top 10, but don't really see him competing for the win or being fast enough to do so.

[TJ Majors]

And last week, they were just. They weren't. Not nearly in the ballpark at Gay Worldwide Technology Raceway. They were not in the ballpark.

[Dale Jr.]

I could see Cedric and Ross doing just enough. Right? Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

Just average race is all they need. And I feel like they're in. They're running good enough. Cedric's been quietly fine. Ross has been same thing.

[Dale Jr.]

Everyone else above that should be in pretty good shape to be able to get through this first round. I did hear, I guess Denny said that they took. They are. You know, the tire that we're taking.

[TJ Majors]

To Bristol is different, maybe interesting.

[Dale Jr.]

Different. Different. It's a different tire.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, yeah. Right sides, I think.

[Dale Jr.]

Oh, really?

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

I'm not.

[TJ Majors]

I think it's. Right sides.

[Andrew Travis]

Right sides.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. So they had it. You know, let's kind of recap real quick. The tire that we've ran there, I think, has been consistent over the last couple of races. We had that wild little, you know, tire issue race.

[TJ Majors]

Real cold weekend.

[Dale Jr.]

Real cold weekend. And that was the first race of last year. And then we had the exact same tire in a completely normal experience at, at this race last year, the second race at Bristol and then we came back to the first race this year and again, no problem. Yeah, they had a little wear in practice, but otherwise it was fine. Now we've gave Goodyear the confidence, I suppose in the last two races at Bristol to make a change. Yeah, good for them, I guess, expecting that not to be super cold now if we were to get, you know, what is the weather?

[TJ Majors]

75 degrees and sunny every day.

[Dale Jr.]

Every day.

[TJ Majors]

Mid 50s at.

[Dale Jr.]

So mid-50s at night.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah. But I don't know if that's enough. I don't think. I don't know if that's cold enough. Yeah, well, that's like, it's like right.

[Andrew Travis]

On the line, but that's the low.

[TJ Majors]

In the middle of the night, you know what I mean?

[Dale Jr.]

Okay.

[TJ Majors]

Like probably 3 o' clock in the morning or something like that.

[Dale Jr.]

Let's see, let's look. Let's look at the weather right now.

[Andrew Travis]

So in the spring of 2024 is 63 degrees high. That was the crazy race.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

So.

[Dale Jr.]

So in the middle of the day it was 60.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah. So I mean, we could be right around that line. But I think there's just a big question mark going into Bristol. That's at least what they're saying on DBC is like nobody really knows what to expect.

[TJ Majors]

Well, I'm here for it.

[Andrew Travis]

I am too.

[Dale Jr.]

It's a Saturday night race. When does it start?

[TJ Majors]

6:37.

[Dale Jr.]

Somewhere in there it's going to start. The race will start around 70 degrees and it should end around 60 degrees. So I think they're going to be in good shape. Yeah, I think they're not going to have like a cool, a cool tire wear situation. But it'll be interesting to watch the right side tire and see how, see how, you know, how it does.

[TJ Majors]

I'm glad they're trying it. Oh yeah, I like it.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I mean, the tire was one of the great things about this weekend at St. Louis that they changed the tire. Tires mattered. In the race at St. Louis the year before, putting on tires did not matter at all. So it had. There was no real strategy with that. So I love what Goodyear's doing. We go to New Hampshire, I think with the same tire we brand at Richmond, this new soft tire. So we'll be.

[TJ Majors]

That could be. That could be a cold one.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, that, the thing about New Hampshire that has me excited is, is how they run the freaking top. Like they go way up the track into the old sealer where way, way higher than the mods run. And the mods get up there and we're going to have the softer tire. So you're going to be chasing. It's just going to be interesting, I think, to see the lines that they choose to run.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah, it opens the door for the track. That track has many different, like seams and different layers.

[Dale Jr.]

New asphalt, old asphalt, sealer, all kinds of different.

[TJ Majors]

The banking kind of goes up. Yeah. And you can put the left on the apron and turn like short track tricks, stuff like that. It's got a ton of that stuff there.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. So I'm looking forward to new.

[TJ Majors]

I am too, actually.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

You're talking about how tires mattered at Gateway. You know, Brad Keselowski stayed out on old tires trying to make some sort of strategy call tj. What was your perspective of. Of that? Like, did you think it was going to work out?

[TJ Majors]

I thought we could net out better than where we were running, which was around. I think we were 12th somewhere. 11, 12th. We were going to be in that area and in. In Iowa. You know, we were just hoping since there was guys with new tires in the back or, you know, in the back a little bit kind of trying to come up through and that you just get more yellows and more yellows and maybe only have, you know, last 25 laps, maybe only have 10, 12 green flag laps actually have to race because you got a lot of yellows. But they didn't. They decided not to wreck. And I'm surprised more didn't stay out and do this strategy, but just something different. I mean, we're in the position where we can do that stuff right now to try to try to go for that. And who knows if we get a lot of cautions and you come out of there with a top five or, you know, even a shot to win if they keep wrecking enough. So just like William did. I mean, William was 30 laps short or so at Iowa and ended up winning the race. So just something to try. And I think we ended up two or three spots behind where maybe. Maybe a couple more than from where we probably were going to run. So. But it was worth. I mean, we can risk it right now, so why not?

[Dale Jr.]

So the Toyota's coming to the playoffs when to win, win two races and two polls. I think there is a little bit of truth to the fact that the Toyotas maybe are the best right now. We saw it early in the season. Penske had a lot of speed at one point in the season Hendrick and Chevrolets had speed or had, you know, were some of the best cars in the garage. And it seems at this point in the season, the Toyotas are. That it also, I think, matters, you know, exactly kind of what tracks we're talking about that we've raced at. Because it seems like some manufacturers tend to be better at other race, you know, certain racetracks than others. You know, how do you see it, tj, in terms of who's got the upper hand right now and can Toyota. If Toyota is the dominant team, if Joe Gibson. Toyota are the dominant teams right now, how long can they sustain that going forward?

[TJ Majors]

You know, I feel like Gateway was a worldwide technology raceway, was a shot for, you know, Blaney and them. That was their strength before and weren't quite as strong this time. Going to Bristol with the tire deal. I don't know if I see one manufacturer better than another right now, because if it comes down to a tire wear race or something like that, you know, that's going to kind of be out the window a little bit. But then we go to Kansas, I think. Right. Kansas is going to be. It's been noticeably strong for the Toyotas. So I. I kind of agree with you. They look strong right now. They do look really strong. I thought Larson. I picked Larson to win. And I feel like Larson, in the beginning of the race had the best car. Like me. Was. He was fine in the beginning of the race and just couldn't. Had some issues and stuff. But I think. Yeah, I mean, I kind of agree with you that, you know, they're definitely. Probably the strongest right now.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. I mean, I think we say this. I don't know if we've said so. Denny Hamlin. Right. Is. There's something that we say every year it feels like, but it's been true. Like, it's not. It's. The statement hasn't been incorrect. Every year we say, man, this is his best shot. What Denny's been able to do over the last handful of seasons to be, I think, a favorite, one of the favorites, one of the contenders year after year after year. And literally every single year, it seems like he's even better. You got to give the guy a ton of credit right now. I think we can say maybe for the first time that he's the best car in the field at this point.

[TJ Majors]

Most consistent.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. I mean, when we go to the racetrack and we've got to do this manufacturer parlay or we got to think about who's going to be good. Denny's always one of the top three drivers every. He's always the top Toyota and it's just impressive.

[TJ Majors]

He's definitely the most consistent right now.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. So can he sustain this? And you know, can they. Can they finally get to Phoenix and get the job done? It really does feel like this. He's in the best position he's ever been in, and we say it every year, but they have literally found a way to continue to improve and find just a couple more percentage points. And Denny will tell you he doesn't believe that he's the best race car driver and he has to work hard to like, get to. Get to be able to take it to those guys that are maybe just a little more talented in pure raw ability. He said that in the past. I don't know if he feels that way now. He may feel like he's the best guy out there now, but his work ethic and his preparation to. At 44 years old, to be able to go out there and compete against those guys that are 8, 10, 12, 14 years younger than you. He has raced a variety. He's raced a variety of generations of race cars, tons of them. And while that experience is valuable, there's also a lot of bad. I won't call them habits, but there's a lot of. There's a lot of things that you. There's a lot of things that you learn experience that you might not should hang on to. Right? And I think what I've been trying to think about, you know, I've always kind of wondered why a really great race car driver falls off at some point, right? They age out. They just can't make the speed anymore. There's a lot of reasons why that happens. There's not, it's not one solid. There's not just one singular answer that covers everybody, right? Everybody experiences this differently. He's at that age, at 44 years old, to where anybody with some sense would look at him and go, all right, when are we going to start to see it? Right? When are we going to start to see the. That follow time catching up with him? It ain't happening. He's getting better. And he's an anomaly. You know, there's kind of. There's guys in the. There's guys in NASCAR in the history of this sport that have. That are. That are like that the Harry Gantz and Bobby Allison's and that can. Can win races well into their 40s. And I think it's a sharpness of the mind, the ability to evolve. You Know, get in this car. He's gotten in this car. We've seen some of the best drivers in the series struggle to understand how it needs to be driven.

[TJ Majors]

He went through a little bit of a dry patch in the beginning of this car. I thought for a little bit, but not like.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, no, nobody's been immune, I don't believe, but to struggles with the next gen. But I'm just saying I want to, I gotta, you know, want to give him all the credit because his, his ability and, you know, he's. You can think what you want about him, but his. He's changed crew chiefs, he's changed race cars. He's went through different generations of race cars, and he's always been able to find. He's always been able to succeed. And whatever that is, whether it, whatever crew chief car, you know, generation of car, whatever that package is, it he finds, he gets it to. He gets it to the top or he gets it. He carry. He makes it success, successful. It's just really impressive to me.

[TJ Majors]

Do you give some credit to the, you know, coach and JGR for, you know, continually putting the pieces around him and giving him fast cars? You know, I know Denny gets a lot of credit for maintaining it and driving the races, but that piece, that is a lot easier to do when you're in those cars like that that are winning, you know, how many races.

[Dale Jr.]

I would say that, you know, when I look at Joe Gibbs Racing, there's one constant. There's a lot of. There's a lot of drivers that have came and went through that organization. There's some that have won championships that it would eventually be let go. And I'm not talking about just Kyle Busch. Bobby Lobani won a championship with him. And then just a few years later, they wanted to move on. You know, one thing that's been a constant is Denny Hamlin. And, and he's definitely had the longest.

[TJ Majors]

Feel like the longest term there.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, he's like the REM of nascar just making music. Yeah, I, I think it's a. I think it's so impressive. And, you know, he deserves to win a championship. He deserves to, to know what that feels like. Yeah, all the things that he, all the, all the wins, all the trophies in the house, all the things that he has in his memory of his career, he, He. He deserves to have a trophy. And so, man, would he. Would. Would he be a unicorn if he were to have all of this and end it all without that title? By far, I think he'd be one of the one. There's no, no, no real comparison. Maybe Mark Martin. Right.

[Andrew Travis]

That's the guy. I think.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah. That's. Denny's got.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

I mean, he's won everything you can win.

[Dale Jr.]

And I'll say this. Mark Martin was. He's one of the best. He's. Mark Martin was one of the greatest drivers of all time. That rarely gets mentioned on the Mount Rushmore. You know, people put dad and Pearson and Jimmy Johnson and Richard Petty up there. But I'll be honest, there's a couple of those guys on that little short list that I think Mark Martin had a little more talent than when it really came down to it.

[TJ Majors]

Just didn't fall the right way at the right time.

[Dale Jr.]

He was in a situation that maybe just wasn't quite enough to get it over the hump, you know.

[TJ Majors]

Do you think the current points situation or the current format. I don't think this format is.

[Dale Jr.]

Saw what Mark Martin could do with Rick Hendrick at the age of what, 50. Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

Towards the end of his career.

[Dale Jr.]

Oh, yeah, right. Imagine mark Martin at 35 driving.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Jeff Gordon's car.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Right. I mean, Jeff Gordon's elite.

[TJ Majors]

I just think this format. But he goes against Danny for that, for the championship.

[Dale Jr.]

This format goes against everybody.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah, well, I mean, Denny is a consistent. He's a consistent. If you give Danny four races, he's going to be a threat because he knows how to put all four of them together.

[Dale Jr.]

This, this format goes. This format doesn't favor or lend itself to anybody.

[TJ Majors]

Now, I disagree. I think it. I think it's definitely fits Logano better. He loves this type of format. He loves being the underdog. He loves coming in there and ruining these things for guys.

[Dale Jr.]

I know, but you got to have the car and the ability on that given day to be able to go do it.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Where is that during the regular season when. When you need to win races and be great? This format is more about being great on one singular day, you know, be the rest of the season be damned. And.

[TJ Majors]

Well, that's what I'm saying. I'm looking at these points. Right.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, he was. He happened to have the good car that day at Phoenix. Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

When Joey's only 21 above the cut line. I mean, Denny, you know what I mean?

[Dale Jr.]

Like, what about that?

[TJ Majors]

But if you put him.

[Dale Jr.]

Where was he before this weekend or where was he when the playoffs were, when the regular season ended?

[TJ Majors]

Not very high.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Probably 200 out.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah. Way back.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. So he just got handed 150 points.

[TJ Majors]

I know that. But this is where he starts to thrive in this situation.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, he. It's easy to thrive when somebody gives you 150 points.

[TJ Majors]

I'm not disagreeing with that. But this. This system aids. It definitely aids guys like that. Like, he.

[Dale Jr.]

He. I think you got to credit Joey's crew chief.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, strategy and what Joey. He's put in situations that he has to step up and make it work, too. And he does.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, yeah. I mean, they do fuel mileage things and different, you know, but they're. They did the fuel mileage. I don't want to be wrong here, but this year I Risk.

[TJ Majors]

Or last year they did.

[Dale Jr.]

Remember Vegas? They won it.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, yeah. Pushing him.

[Dale Jr.]

Was he even good that day?

[Andrew Travis]

I think it was mostly off a strategy.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Yeah. He was average running so average that he just could do the fuel mileage.

[Andrew Travis]

It was Bell's race to win, to lose, really.

[Dale Jr.]

And so, I mean, it's like. I don't know, man. I tough.

[Andrew Travis]

I know it is to TJ's point, I think, where Logano and I think Penske favors in the format. And again, it's kind of the top point after Roval.

[Dale Jr.]

Was that his plan. Was that his plan to get back into the playoffs through a dq?

[Andrew Travis]

Obviously not.

[TJ Majors]

I mean, but he still got in.

[Dale Jr.]

Oh, well, man, it's. He's so good at this. Well, are we talking about.

[Andrew Travis]

But hold on.

[TJ Majors]

But that guy won the championship. The guy that was out.

[Dale Jr.]

No, but he was out before the 48. Guy got disqualified.

[TJ Majors]

That doesn't matter, though.

[Dale Jr.]

So, I mean, he's. You can't tell me that, man. He's. He's the one that knows how to do this better than anybody else because he was out. If the 48 doesn't fail tech 5lbs light or whatever the hell it was because he run over the curb and threw the. Off his car. Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

You know, I don't disagree.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

I mean, I think what favors Joey format and the schedule, it's.

[Dale Jr.]

It's like some. I can't say it. Look, I. Dude, he's a champion. Joey Logano is a champion. He is a badass race car driver. But literally, this. This. You can't tell me that. This. You can't tell me that there's a strategy to.

[TJ Majors]

No, this is not your strategy.

[Dale Jr.]

No.

[TJ Majors]

You don't hope a guy gets thrown out.

[Dale Jr.]

Nobody. Yeah. No. And nobody's going into Vegas going, we're going to run 14th all day, and then I'm on fuel mileage, you know?

[Andrew Travis]

Right.

[TJ Majors]

Didn't Denny make that. I see a clip where Denny said he. He was a better driver than the three time champion.

[Dale Jr.]

Did he?

[TJ Majors]

Well, did I see that? Yeah, which I thought. I'm surprised that wasn't in the show.

[Andrew Travis]

A little big, couldn't you say Logano and Penske could be better than other teams when given the circumstance like, he wins at Vegas. They have.

[Dale Jr.]

They weren't better than other teams. They just happened to be running poor enough to do the fuel mileage. If he was really good, Let me say this. If he was great, Right. And running in the top three or top two all day, they wouldn't have never considered the fuel mileage possibly. Right. It's possible they would have never considered the field mileage and someone else would have leapfrogged or beat them with that same strategy.

[TJ Majors]

That's a back half top 10 move probably to try to win a race.

[Andrew Travis]

And so I don't disagree there.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. And he runs poorly enough to be actually eliminated at the Roval. So, I mean, what do we. What do y'. All.

[Andrew Travis]

What I'm saying, when Penske is given the circumstance of, like, okay, he happens to win at Vegas by luck or skill, whatever, are they better than other teams when it comes to. Okay, we. We can ignore the next two races. We can focus on Phoenix. I would say that Penske does a good job of like playing the game of the playoffs.

[Dale Jr.]

I don't think it's a pinsky. I mean, give. I give Penske all the credit. It's Paul.

[Andrew Travis]

Okay.

[Dale Jr.]

It's Mr. Wolf.

[TJ Majors]

Making them strategy calls. Oh, Paul's great. Yeah, he is. Yeah, Paul's great.

[Dale Jr.]

Brad's crew chief. Yeah. When he won a championship, I worked with him.

[TJ Majors]

With Joey as well. Yeah, Paul's great. Yeah, he. You always have a shot with Paul.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

Like off the wall, you know, kind of. And sometimes it works, sometimes it don't. I'm sure at the Roval, I don't remember how the race went. I'm sure at the Roval, Paul tried something at some point to get some track position. You know what I mean? He wasn't just, oh, we're gonna run here all day. Like, he tried. Like, they're good. Like, Paul's really good. He's really creative. But I think that fits with Joey's driving style in these situations because he can.

[Dale Jr.]

Look, Joey's a great race car driver. And if you tell. If Paul says, joey, I'm gonna put you out here in front of these guys on old tires, and our only shot is to hold them off. Joey is going to give it all he's got.

[TJ Majors]

Is Danny better than Joey?

[Dale Jr.]

Depends on the track, the race, the day car.

[TJ Majors]

There's. I mean, I honestly feel like they're equal.

[Dale Jr.]

They're pretty cool. I mean, you're splitting hairs.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

At that point between who's better than who. Yeah. So.

[TJ Majors]

But Joey's won the big race. Well, three times.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, he has. Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

And the most of this current format too, right?

[TJ Majors]

Well, two in the current format, one in.

[Dale Jr.]

I mean, the other old.

[TJ Majors]

No.

[Andrew Travis]

Unless you want all three in this.

[TJ Majors]

Well, yeah, yeah. Yeah. It was all three. Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

The format hadn't. Hadn't changed a bit. Not a tiny bit.

[Andrew Travis]

I mean, playoff points probably could have changed.

[TJ Majors]

Was he ever a favorite in the championship race ever? I don't think he was.

[Dale Jr.]

That was his plan. Yeah. The strategy.

[TJ Majors]

That was what he. That was. Yeah, that was the strategy.

[Dale Jr.]

Just like he wanted.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Hey, fun conversation. And Joey, he's sitting there this past Sunday running freaking good. Yep.

[TJ Majors]

And it's like, well, Denny stuck behind him.

[Dale Jr.]

I know, but I'm just sitting there, I'm watching the 22 and I'm like, all right, here we freaking go again.

[Andrew Travis]

And that's what I'm getting at too is like, what is it with the teams that can all of a sudden flip that switch when the playoffs.

[TJ Majors]

He didn't even qualify that great.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

And then he's up to track position.

[Dale Jr.]

And could hold it. Yeah. Yeah. Well, what do you say we do? Some ass, junior.

[Andrew Travis]

Let's do it.

[Dale Jr.]

The NASCAR playoffs are here and so is your chance to bring the intensity home. Celebrate every pass, pit stop and photo finish with a collectible car from Lionel Racing, the official die cast of nascar. Built for fans who live for the chase, Lionel Racing die cast is the ultimate trophy. Each car is precision crafted, featuring authentic paint schemes and hand applied decals. Plus, each 1:24 scale die cast is part of a limited edition run, making every piece a must have for true collectors. Whether you're riding with team Larson, backing Team Halen, or cheering for an underdog to take it all, Lionel Racing has the die cast that reps your favorite playoff driver. Follow along with us throughout the playoffs to see which drivers advance and which ones. And we'll feature these diecasts on the set here at the Dale Jr. Download now through the end of September. Get free US shipping when you purchase the Cup Series diecast of a NASCAR playoff driver. Just go to lionel racing.com and use promo code playoffs. That's promo code playoffsional racing.com fall is.

[Quince Brand Representative]

In full swing and it's the perfect time to refresh your wardrobe with pieces that feel as good as they look. Luckily, Quint's makes it easy to look polished so stay warm and save big without compromising on quality. Quince has all of the elevated essentials for fall. Think 100% magnolia and cashmere for $50, washable silk tops and skirts and perfectly tailored denim all at prices that feel too good to be true. By partnering directly with ethical top tier factories, Quince cuts out the middlemen to deliver luxury quality pieces at half of the price of similar brands. I particularly love their tank tops and skirts. These are great for summer and also going into fall. You can layer them with their sweaters. They have the most soft knits as well. Their Tensile Jersey Fit flare dress. I have that in a few colors and I'm absolutely obsessed with those. Keep it classic and cozy this fall with long lasting staples from quince. Go to quince.com deljr for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q U-I-N-E.com dalejr to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com dalejr Travis, you and me, we work in racing.

[Andrew Travis]

Everything needs to be quick. We need that social video quick. We need to get the podcast out quick. Well guess what? The same thing is important when hiring quality candidates.

[Dale]

The last thing you want to be doing is sitting there waiting to try to find candidates. Jobs aren't getting done because you don't know who to hire. You don't even know who to interview for your job.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah, that's right Travis. You realize you needed to hire somebody not today but yesterday. And how can you find amazing candidates.

[Dale]

Fast with Indeed sponsored jobs? Your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can stand out and reach the people you want faster.

[Andrew Travis]

There are no monthly subscriptions, no long term contracts and you only pay for results. That's right. I want to see results and Indeed can get you there.

[Dale]

And that's the thing is you don't want to just spend all this money. You want to pay for something and get it done fast so you can get everything done.

[Andrew Travis]

When it comes to hiring, Indeed is all you need. Join the 3.5 million employers worldwide that use Indeed to hire great talent fast and there is no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this show will get $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs. More visibility@ Indeed.com dalejr just go to.

[Dale]

Indeed.com dalejr right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.comdalejr Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you.

[Dale Jr.]

Hey, Everybody, it's Dale Jr. This is the ass junior portion of the show for the Tuesday show. I have a little frog in my throat from head. Cold of heads. It's Saturday.

[TJ Majors]

You sound so. So like Morgan Freeman.

[Dale Jr.]

Really? I'll take that. But I was just answering a text message from my wife Amy, who is. Found us a faucet.

[Andrew Travis]

All right.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, I have a. Have a faucet in my house that kicked the bucket, so we're gonna get that tuned up.

[TJ Majors]

Didn't have any others.

[Dale Jr.]

No spare faucets. I was. I got. It's the sink in a bathroom, and I went in there to use it, and there was no, not a lot of water pressure. And I've had some issues in the past with some pipes, some in my whole house. Some of the. The teas and the elbows and stuff were by this company that made them out of bad material, and they got sued, went out of business. But we ended up having to go through the whole house and replace every single elbow, every single tee in all of the water lines. And we missed a few. Of course, you know, you're gonna.

[TJ Majors]

Not by the kitchen, though. Right.

[Dale Jr.]

And so those would break, and we would find, you know, we would have a catastrophe bad. But I thought that maybe I had one of those that we didn't find break in the wall. But it's actually the faucet itself. So I took it apart yesterday, and Amy's got me a new one.

[TJ Majors]

You know what Friday they reminded me of, which I thought was kind of creepy. You know, the hands that hold the towels.

[Dale Jr.]

You don't like this?

[TJ Majors]

No, because I. I'm always scared that I'm gonna put the towel on and it's just gonna squeeze. It's gonna squeeze. And.

[Dale Jr.]

Whoa. Who's. Yeah. In our bathroom, I guess bathroom. Or the. The bathroom in the. In the house that everybody uses. Community bathroom. Our towels, their hands that come out.

[TJ Majors]

It's a hand that goes. It's just sits there like this, and I'm like.

[Dale Jr.]

It's like a thing, you know, like the. In Adams family is a hand, and you hang the towel in the hand.

[Andrew Travis]

Oh, that's awesome.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Well, it's pretty sweet. We've had a fun show.

[TJ Majors]

It's been good.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Everybody's been very polite.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah. Dale, you look great.

[Dale Jr.]

Thanks. You Too, man. Andrew Travis is sick, and we're so worried about him. We hope he gets well.

[Andrew Travis]

Yes, he did start the show, though.

[Dale Jr.]

He did start the show.

[Andrew Travis]

Three minutes.

[Dale Jr.]

He gets credit for the. For the producer.

[TJ Majors]

He gets the point.

[Andrew Travis]

I'm nowhere to be found on Racing Reference.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah. But he looked fine for someone's word.

[Dale Jr.]

Want to remind everybody this weekend? Tune in right here. Just listen just for a second. The Cars Tour, there's. They're coming in on their. The close of their season, and they race this weekend at South Boston. We have a great battle for the championship between Landon Lewis and Connor Hall. Landon Lewis drives car, Kevin Harvick's car, and Connor hall drives mine, and they're battling out for the championship. There's some other drivers that are still alive in the points, but looks like it probably come down between them, too. You never know, though. Anything can happen at South Boston, and that'll be live on Flow on Saturday night. So make sure you. You set your clocks to be able to tune in and support the Cars Tour and everything we're doing there. Ask Junior is brought to you by Xfinity WI Fi. Trying to think if I've had anything happen here lately with my WI Fi, but it's been so, so dependable. Yeah, no news is good news is good news. I did. So there's this. There's. There's an. There's an addition at this house where I have my Xfinity WI fi pumping away, right? And the guy that came and wired my. My. The. The addition, he put everywhere. He put a receptacle for. For Internet, he put two. So he put two data. Two data ports in each receptacle. But in the closet where the utility box is where all this cable stuff runs, he only put one splitter. And so only one of the data ports works on all of the. All of the receptacles. And I went in there this past weekend and added a additional splitter just like the one he had in there. And now I got more ports, right? Because I got. So. I mean, my speeds are booming. You know that. Oh, Infinity WI Fi. It's like having a NASCAR engine in your house, literally just running wide open. That'd be pretty noisy, actually. It doesn't make any noise. WI Fi. Xfinity WI Fi is silent. One of the more quieter wifi.

[TJ Majors]

Looking.

[Dale Jr.]

At me like, what the hell? Choose the right plan for you, and you're off to the races. With the best streaming experience for NASCAR and all your favorite sports. NFL's back at it. So you can watch everything. They don't just raise the bar, they stream in overdrive. And. And we're a customer and very happy. But yeah, let's get to the questions, I suppose.

[Andrew Travis]

Let's do it. Yeah. The YouTube chat is popping off. Happy birthday to Josh Evans. So he's. He's in the area. He's going to be checking out some race shops, which is awesome. But this first question is from Ben. Do you have FOMO Fear of not missing out on not racing this weekend at Bristol.

[Dale Jr.]

I enjoyed doing those one offs over the last couple of years. Had some pretty good cars. Might have been able to battle for the win that one night where the battery cable caught on fire, but went back, I think a year later and ended up running seventh or so. So that was pretty fun. But, you know, I'll be honest, in those races, like driving that car, I'd be running along about, you know, stage two, halfway through the race, and I'm sitting there thinking to myself, I wanted to do this. I'm here and I got in the car and I drove it and I'm good, you know, and so nothing about it was, I guess, you know, sitting there running around and going, man, you know, I've had fun.

[Andrew Travis]

I'm.

[Dale Jr.]

I'm pretty content. And I could pull over and get out and not care about the end result.

[TJ Majors]

Was that while the radios worked or didn't work?

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Did the radios not work at some.

[Andrew Travis]

Point last year to do a helmet swap?

[TJ Majors]

Remember last year was like.

[Dale Jr.]

Oh, yeah, yeah. That was chaotic. It was very chaotic. Hey. Yeah. We had to come down. I remember now. We had to come down pit road multiple times, give up tons of track position.

[TJ Majors]

Yes.

[Dale Jr.]

And drove back to seventh.

[TJ Majors]

I know. Yeah, that's.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah, that's impressive.

[Dale Jr.]

I don't know. You know what? I do miss it now. I do. Oh. But I'm. I have no plans to come back and do it. I'll probably regret not running one or two. You know, when it's all said and done, I'll probably go. If you say, you know, if you. If you were to find me at 65 years old. Right. Let's say 15 years from now, I might. I'm gonna absolutely say to you, you know, I should have ran a couple more because they are fun and I am competitive. We got a reasonably good setup there and I love the racetrack and I get up for it and I get excited about it. When I was a kid going to Bristol, the night race was my favorite weekend. Loved it. And I still do Today, even though the tracks changed and things are different and maybe Bristol, that. The Bristol that I loved in, say, 1987 doesn't exist anymore, but I still go there, and I know that it's still Bristol. Right.

[Andrew Travis]

Right.

[Dale Jr.]

I just love the. The vibe. It's not. You gotta go. You gotta go feel the vibe.

[TJ Majors]

You gotta see the track when you walk through them tunnels and stuff when.

[Dale Jr.]

They get going at night and in that cup race. It's a deal, man. You got to check it out. You got to feel it. And I'm going this weekend.

[Andrew Travis]

Oh, yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

I'm gonna go to the Xfinity race.

[Andrew Travis]

All right.

[Dale Jr.]

Taking. I think I'm taking my girls, so we might hop up in a. In a suite and hang out a little bit, but see how our boys do. Yeah. But I, I, I, I, I. I probably should run one or two more, but I don't know if. If and when I'll do that, so. Wilkesboro. I don't really want to run Wilkesboro with a new pavement, but, you know, there's a chance that by time I'm 55 or 58 years old, maybe that pavement's kind of worn out a little bit, and I can just hop out there and do it. I don't have any problem with getting in my Xfinity car in eight years and running a one off.

[Andrew Travis]

I don't do that.

[Dale Jr.]

I would. What the hell? Why the hell not? Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

You know the Roval.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. No. Not running the Robo. I'd run Bristol again. I'd run Wilkesboro once the pavement wears out. If they ever did go to. To. To Nashville Fairgrounds, I'd probably contemplate going and running that one as well. So, I mean, there's. There's. And I. I really do want to do a truck race, but I just can't figure out where to run one that'd be fun for me. Right. I have certain things that I think are fun and, like, Martinsville, my kind of track, but I don't like the racing there.

[TJ Majors]

Not your type of ending.

[Dale Jr.]

It's a little short. You don't even get into the bad side of the tire. Right. To where the tire's messing around.

[TJ Majors]

That's the problem with the truck races is that's.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. The Infinity. I went to run the Infinity race at Martinsville is miserable because the tire. The stages are too short, and you don't get to where you can take advantage of being better at driving a race car.

[TJ Majors]

I agree.

[Dale Jr.]

Because the tire. Once the tire starts to fail and you lose Rear drive and different things. The brakes get mad and the tires blow up. Air pressure because the tire. You got the tire, you got the brakes, man. Like, if you're smart, you know you can do good things early in the run. That'll make your car really great. At lap 80 and 100, which is so much fun. So much fun. But they never get to that point. They never do. The race is already. The stage is over, and they're. There ain't enough power, too. In the Xfinity cars at Martinsville, you. You stand in the gas. It's like stepping in a bucket of water.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah, I didn't. You've never run a truck race before, right?

[Dale Jr.]

Never.

[Andrew Travis]

Dang.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

I could have sworn you ran at least a few, but, yeah. Never stepped foot in a truck.

[Dale Jr.]

Maybe I'll run that truck race at 58 years old, at. Yeah. All right. Don't hold me to it, people. This is just.

[Andrew Travis]

This clip is gonna pop up.

[Dale Jr.]

We're just shooting the crap here. You know what I mean?

[Andrew Travis]

All right, well, this next question ties right into Bristol, which is great. Sam wants to know, what's your favorite memory of the Bristol Night Race? Whether that be driving or going as a kid, I guess.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Favorite memory. I have a lot. Dude, I talked about this one during the documentary. I don't remember if this made the cut on the documentary or not, but 1984, Dad's. I think Dad's leading the race. This is. I'm 10, so forgive me if I got some of the statistics wrong, but I think Dad's leading the race. This is very early. This is only, like, year two or three of living with dad and really, really knowing, like, what my dad does, right, and going to these races and going, holy crap. Like, this is big. This is a big deal. And so we're at the Bristol Night Race. Dad's leading. He's in the Blue Goose, the blue Wrangler car with the yellow hood. And he spins down the front straightaway, and all four tires are flat. And he's kind of stuck, right, Trying to get going, and he gets lapped and ended up losing the race. I think Terry lebonne won or he's in a battle for the championship with Terry. Neck and neck for the most part, up until. Right that point in the season. And I remember, even at 10 years old, being aware enough that, you know, dad spinning out of the lead and having four flat tires and losing a lap, all that was bad. But also the 44 car. Terry Labonte was consistent every single week. And Running top five, top four, top three. And I'm like, we can't have races like this, Iceman. Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

And I was.

[Dale Jr.]

I cried. I was sitting up on. I was sitting on top of a comfort coach van de center of the infield. I'm looking. I remember looking across toward the flag stand and being able to barely kind of see dad's car between dad and Pittsburgh crew and other vans and other obstacles and buildings and so forth. And just there he goes sliding backwards. And I'm like, crap. And I remember, you know, crying because it was heartbreaking. Why?

[TJ Majors]

It was just one race. Still in the playoffs.

[Dale Jr.]

You're a kid, man. You're still in the playoffs. I guess you're joke, you know, we didn't care. We were still in the playoffs.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah, you're locked in.

[Dale Jr.]

It was devastating, man. And that was why racing was amazing. I. That's what we were never. That's one. I remember going. I remember watching a cup. I don't. They. I don't think they had a tunnel but me and I believe Brad Means, Jimmy's son. He's been on the show. We decided we were going to go watch the race outside the track in turn two, up on the grassy hill.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah, you told the story on the gas show.

[Dale Jr.]

And the greatest thing about that was we were like. We had the perfect angle to literally see as the guys were coming around the corner. We could see so perfectly into the car and see them driving. And I remember Michael. This was the year. This was right around Michael Waltrip's driving a 30 Pinzoil car. And at the end, I'm thinking about that Pontiac nose. And it's all. That whole Pontiac nose was like a mold. The whole nose of the car was a mold. When the race was over, the nose on Michael's car and he'll laugh. The nose on Michael's car looked like a jigsaw puzzle. Like it was busted entirely all the way across the front, the bottom. Everything in these perfectly tiny, you know, 2 inch by 2 inch pieces. The whole nose would look like a jigsaw puzzle. And I'm like, damn, you know, hopes. 55 or 500 laps and just baiting and banging. One year they dad and one year dad and Teresa parked the van in turn one and a couple other. So like the Busch race ran and then they all left and got out of the track. And everybody moved their vans wherever they wanted, right. To be able to get out of the racetrack quicker. So dad put his van over in turn one on the interior of turn one. And there was really this rinky dink kind of guardrail guarding us from. But we were 30 yards from the apron. It was a ways the cars couldn't get there. They were going to go down the front straightaway and go by us before they got to the apex of the corner. So we were fine. But me and Brad Means and all our other friends, crew chiefs and driver sons, we all pile up on top of this van. And we watching the cars, we were literally like 50ft away from the cars as they buried into. Coming down into turn one. Wow. And Barry and bounce into the corner and land into that banking and. And up the track they go. And back in the gas and back down the track. Double apex and off of two, just over and over and over and dry. We could watch a lot of things that TV misses. Even back then. You'd see guys in 30th, like knock each other sideways in the corner. Next lap through, the guy retaliates. Next lap through another retaliation one after. And we're seeing it. We're like, keep watch them. Here they come. Oh, he hits him again. You know, and you're only seeing that because you're there. I remember at one particular point, I think Brett Boudine was driving either the 15 for Bud Moore or the 26 car. But he got into a bit of a back and forth retaliation that lasted multiple laps and eventually drew out of yellow in turn one one night. And we were just like, holy crap. Wow. You know, they're all mad at each other, which is great. Yeah. I remember. I remember being there when. I remember sitting in that same spot when sterling back that 22 Maxwell House car into turn one and the thing burst into flames. So we were sitting in the same spot in turn one, right where it happened. And earlier in the race, Sterling spun out, backed his car into the wall. They come down pit road and the deck lid and everything was mashed down. The team thought it was to be able to get the deck lid back up. Andrew. To be able to get. To get the deck lid back up. They set two jack stands on the fuel cell.

[TJ Majors]

Dropped it.

[Dale Jr.]

No.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, just set it on.

[Dale Jr.]

They put two jack stands inside.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

In the trunk. And bungee cord them down to the fuel cell rack. And that held the deck lid up.

[Andrew Travis]

Oh, my God.

[Dale Jr.]

And then he went in there and backed it in the wall again. Those two jack stands went through the field through the top of the fuel cell. When if you look at Pictures of this 22 Maxwell House car, you can see the jack stands tumbling down the banking in the fire.

[TJ Majors]

I never knew that.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. That's why that car burst into flames like it did because it shoved those Jack stands through the top of the fuel cell and just crazy.

[Andrew Travis]

Oh, my God.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah, buddy Bristol, you've got to see in person too. The banking there until you see the.

[Dale Jr.]

They're incredible. I know that. I know people think that. I'm just trolling when I'm posting all these pictures about asphalt Bristol and telling Marcus to pave it when they. When, when that place. If you went to that racetrack in 1987 and and. Or just anywhere around that time and sat down in the corner and watched them go into the turn, man, it was magic. So, so, so cool. And while they're. The next iteration of the racetrack was a lot of fun as well. The concrete version that we had before this, you had to kind of clip this little spot and turn two on corner exit. It was just little quirks about the racetrack that were cool back then and we had exciting, wild, dramatic finishes on the concrete surface. While that's true, the magic of that asphalt, man, was just special. And the way the cars had to run the corner when it was asphalt there, they just. It's just. It's just incredible. And yeah, so the way you talk.

[Andrew Travis]

About it, I wish I could experience Bristol even back when it was like, like the grass, you know, like the grassy on the.

[Dale Jr.]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

On the exterior of the racetrack instead of grandsons. Like, I wish I could just go back and just witness a rice.

[Dale Jr.]

So they didn't sell tickets out on the hill. And mostly when the bush race was going to run, if they were going to be a bush race at night or even in the afternoon, a lot of times when they were going to run that bush race at night, they'd already had happy hour. So happy hour is the final practice. And so on Saturday before the Sunday, or I guess this will be Friday. So on Friday, the cup guys would have their happy hour and then they would be done and they had to get out of the track. There's no tunnel, no walk under, no. No pedestrian walk under tunnel or nothing. So when they opened the gate before the bush race, you had to leave if you wanted to get out and you did. Right. And so everybody that was in the industry, the garage mechanics, crew chiefs, other cup drivers that weren't running in the bush race would usually go up and sit on that grassy hill and then they close the gate. Bush race happens, right? And you either sit there on the grassy hill and watch the race or you go to the hotel, whatever you're going to do. And so it was a lot of industry. It was a lot of mechanics and crew members and different people sitting on that hill right next to the grandstands in turn two. Yeah, it was pretty fun. That's cool.

[Andrew Travis]

I saw just someone mentioned in the YouTube chat, Damon mentioned Cletus, and he's racing the ARCA race at Bristol this weekend. I guess Thursday, I think, a few days. Do you have any advice for Cletus?

[TJ Majors]

Just race the track, but don't try to force anything that's not there.

[Andrew Travis]

And that's good advice.

[TJ Majors]

It's easy to get in trouble Bristol by, by putting yourself in a bad spot. Like, it's easy to find trouble.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, I, I think that he's actually ran there at Bristol, so he's seen the track before. It was when it was dirt. So I don't know if that he's ran it on asphalt, but I know he did some Crown Vic stuff on dirt there and some different things. So that, and I know that, you know, that's. That's like. Oh, man. Well, that doesn't matter. It does. The. The optics of it. Like, you. When you go to a racetrack you've never been to and you drive out there for the very first time, you are. You're lost for a little bit. Right. And you. You got to learn the whole track. So at least he's seen it, pulled out on the banking and even if it was dirty, pulled out on the track. And he knows kind of what it looks like and what's coming. Right. And so I would, I would lean into that. It's going to have a. It's going to have a lot of grip with that tire and that car. But for the most part, you know, I would just. Yeah, I would just take the easy spots. Don't get yourself in trouble trying to race somebody for first for a spot that's difficult to get because he's. He's in a situation too, where he has to. He has the damage clause, you know, if he crashes the car, he's got to repair it. I've talked to him about all this and so he has concerns. Right. About like, expenditure and, you know, I want to go, I want to race, I want to have fun. I'm spending a lot of money to do this. And in my mind, I've spent this chunk to go and be here. I don't want to in the race and have to write a whole nother check. Right. For all the damage.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

And if you wreck there, you're gonna.

[TJ Majors]

For something that's preventable at least.

[Dale Jr.]

So let's just go out there and not have to write another check when it's all said and done.

[TJ Majors]

Yes.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, that's good.

[Andrew Travis]

We got time for a few more questions. This one's from Kevin. He wants to know did you ever solve your wasp problem?

[Dale Jr.]

I'm working on is that time of year where the. They're not on the nests anymore. It's cool, temperatures down. So that's the time where you want to get rid of those old nests. And I have had some luck, honestly, with those paper. They're kind of like paper mache, but they're these expandable paper wasps nests and they're the big kind. They look like a. They look, you know, wasp. An old traditional giant wasp nests.

[Andrew Travis]

But it's paper mache.

[Dale Jr.]

But it's fake. It's fake. You buy them? Yeah, they look. They're supposed to. They're like a decoy.

[TJ Majors]

So what happens?

[Dale Jr.]

No clue what I'm talking.

[TJ Majors]

Never seen one. What happens if we have that?

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, well, apparently they don't. They see that and they don't. They were. They're territorial and they're like, well, there's already a nest here. I don't want to get my ass kicked, so I'm going to go somewhere else. Wow. Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

I never heard that before, but. Sounds right.

[Dale Jr.]

That's why they sell them, I believe, because they probably work. So I have had some success. I put one of those. So I got a boat, I got a houseboat, the Gibson.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

And I keep it at his. I keep it at a dock and there's wasps, the wasp nests and all kinds of stuff happening around the dock, you know, and. But I put one of those in the bimity top of the, of the boat in the, up in the steerage and no wasps. I've been all. There was not one wasp nest built in that boat this summer. Wow. Yeah. So, I mean, I think it works because usually the wasps will get up underneath the fiberglass and build nests up in there and hide in there and your ass will be sitting right next to them and not even know it. And so until they, you know, until they want to come after you. So I put that thing in there and ain't not a one knot, not a, not a wasp one. So I hug one of those outside around my, around my pool area. And this past weekend I was there for two days and didn't see much activity. Wow.

[Andrew Travis]

I'm seeing some people backing you up in the YouTube chat, Bobby said those fake nests do in fact deter.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

So that's good to know.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

Have you been stung by bees a lot?

[Dale Jr.]

I got stung by a wasp once just recently. Oh, well, I've been stung by bees and wasps when I was a kid. Yeah, but you know, as you age, you. You tend to do a pretty good job of avoidance. Yeah, but I. There was a wasp nest in my kids play set outside and I went up there and I had one of these long retractable wands that kind of. It's a duster for like, oh, I guess fans and stuff.

[TJ Majors]

That sounds like a good idea.

[Dale Jr.]

I went up there and I was going to knock that some gun down and I. Not. I hit it and then I ran away like 20ft, right? I back up and I'm like, oh, man. Now I can watch them, you know, they're like, well, they're all mad.

[Andrew Travis]

They're pissed.

[Dale Jr.]

I'm standing there, I'll never forget it. I'm standing there watching them and I'm. They're 20ft away.

[TJ Majors]

I'd pay to see this.

[Dale Jr.]

And you know, in slow motion, there's a wasp and it's like he. He's like flying and he goes. And he goes. He did it. And he turns and I'm looking and he turns and he flies right at me wide open, like right in between my eyes and right into my nose. And it was like a kamikaze move. Like he was like, I'm not surviving this. I'm ready to lose my life for the crew. He flew into me wide open and ran into my nose, instantly stinging me right on the nose.

[TJ Majors]

Oh my gosh.

[Dale Jr.]

And. And I suppose he died. I don't know. In my mind, he. That was his last heroic move for God and country. Yes.

[TJ Majors]

What if he lived? He's a hero.

[Dale Jr.]

I got.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

And I feel the sting and I see him coming, right? And so I'm like walking backwards and I fall, right.

[Andrew Travis]

He knocked you over.

[Dale Jr.]

I fell like in the. Trying to maneuver, right. Trying to get. I'm like trying to get away. This is happening. I can't do anything about it. And I fall down. And then. And then. Yeah, and then I got up and I remember like thinking I was walking back to the house and I'm like, that hurt. This hurts so bad. I mean, it's right. Right on the end of my nose. And Amy and everybody was standing outside the house, saw it.

[Andrew Travis]

And the funniest part is probably like the wasps are small to see, so like they probably are far enough away. You're just, like, falling over, freaking out for no reason.

[Dale Jr.]

Dude. He come flying at me, and I'm like, damn. He's like. He's a. He's aiming right at me. You know, you're just kind of in this. And it was a second. It was like a boom. But it felt like I was like. I was like, wow, man. I was impressed by him. He was like, I'm coming here.

[TJ Majors]

You did not save this on the camera or something?

[Dale Jr.]

No, there's no cameras. Oh, I know.

[Andrew Travis]

We'll just have to recreate it.

[TJ Majors]

I mean, I go back to the beginning of it. A duster in a wasp nest. That sounds like I'm just gonna knock it down.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

Because that sounds like a great idea.

[Dale Jr.]

I hit it and it didn't even fall. And.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, you see? Got a mad first and then you knocked it down.

[Dale Jr.]

No, I didn't knock it down. It didn't. I hit it and I ran. It didn't fall. They got mad. They came out.

[TJ Majors]

Sounds like something you would do at like 12. Like, not at the age you're at now. Like, I don't know. Hey, there's a lot I know I.

[Dale Jr.]

Don'T know thinking about it right now. It's absolutely not something I would do. I don't know what was going on that day. I was maybe hungover or I was in some sort of state of mind where he wasn't thinking clearly.

[TJ Majors]

I'm taking this thing down right now.

[Dale Jr.]

But usually me, I wouldn't mess with it, but. But on that day, I was like, I'm doing it.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

I'm feeling good about it.

[TJ Majors]

Chose violence that day. So they got the wasp.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

T.J. you look like you've been stung a lot.

[TJ Majors]

I've been. Not a lot. I've probably had some similar instances. Not like trying to make them mad.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

Just walking into.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

Bad situations. Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Wasps look mean. Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

The way they're stinger.

[Dale Jr.]

They look. Oh. Like trouble, man. You don't never look at a wasp and go, man, he's cute. That's a cool. I look at a wasp and I'm like, that. That's painful. That's going to hurt.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah. He means business.

[Dale Jr.]

Can we kill this?

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Can you kill.

[Andrew Travis]

They do.

[TJ Majors]

Look, bumblebees are just kind of like, oh, look at bumblebee.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

Wasps are like, there's a few that.

[Andrew Travis]

Hang out by the picnic table right out here. And every now and then they go for my lunch. Like, I have to like, is there a Sacrifice. Some of my food is a nest.

[TJ Majors]

Because I know a guy.

[Andrew Travis]

Just know people. Yes.

[TJ Majors]

Seriously.

[Andrew Travis]

Can we borrow that? Bring it outside.

[Dale Jr.]

Wood carvers. Well, they're a nuisance, but don't sting. That is true, apparently. Does anybody in Chat know if that's true? I've heard that wood carving bees cannot sting or will not sting. I find that hard to believe. They look like they'd sting you.

[Andrew Travis]

I'll look it up.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

Carpenter bees.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

Yes, they can sting.

[Dale Jr.]

Oh, really?

[Andrew Travis]

The female one.

[Dale Jr.]

Oh, my gosh, I did. I've been. I've been whacking the hell out of them things, so. You know what I like to do?

[Andrew Travis]

Thinking you're good.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, they've been. They've been putting holes in my. They've been putting holes in the door jamb around my garage doors. And so it's a. It's per. It's every spring I'm out there with a tennis racket, just going to town.

[TJ Majors]

Well, that's your problem. You didn't have the duster.

[Dale Jr.]

No, no, no. The bracket gets. Boy, you can go out there and get 12 at a time.

[Andrew Travis]

Here's the best part, is that they are generally docile, but will only sting if provoked, which is what you're doing.

[Dale Jr.]

Oh, man, they, they, they're standing there like, hey, how's it going, Pam? They'd be flying, you know, they don't even move. They're just like right above you, like two feet above you. Hey, what's, what's, what's with the rack?

[TJ Majors]

You're gonna get stung again.

[Dale Jr.]

I'm an ass.

[TJ Majors]

You're gonna get stung.

[Dale Jr.]

I mean, they're, they're not. They don't think anything bad's gonna happen. Right? They're just, they're just. Yeah, I feel like a jerk now, but they're, they're putting holes in my, My house.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

You built a house in their area.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah. Yeah. You're. Yeah. This is your fault. Building the house around there.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Yeah. I should have known there was a racetrack there before I moved into town. Right.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah. It's not, it's not their fault.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, it's a track's fault.

[Andrew Travis]

That's funny. It says the males have a white spot on their head and the females have an all black head. So that's when you know if you're gonna get something.

[TJ Majors]

Hey, I thought more about your, your Portland comment with the track because. Just, you know, the track's fault. You know, next time there's a big wreck at Talladega, I'm coming on here and be like, you know what? That track is just terrible.

[Dale Jr.]

Nobody agree. Nobody agreed with me. So they all thought your. Your idea was better.

[TJ Majors]

That's weird.

[Dale Jr.]

They thought my idea of, well, the just get rid of the turn was a bad idea, but, I mean, it would have solved the problem.

[TJ Majors]

By the way, I got lots of what's up General at the track this weekend.

[Andrew Travis]

Oh, that's amazing.

[TJ Majors]

Priest walked by me. What's up, General?

[Dale Jr.]

Damn, Priest.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah, Priest chimed in on it.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, nice.

[Andrew Travis]

Keep it going. Keep it going. Well, that's a good place to wrap up Ash Jr. This week. That was a lot of fun. But thanks, Xfinity.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. All right. Thank you, Xfinity, for bringing us today's Ass Junior segment. In racing and in life, speed isn't optional. It's expected. That's why we go with Xfinity. Wi Fi. Fast, dependable Internet. One price locked in for five years. No contracts, no slowdowns, no nonsense. Xfinity, a proud premier partner of NASCAR. Hey, everybody. You want the latest Dell Jr. Download apparel? Visit shop.dirtymomedia.com we're always adding new stuff all the time, especially like when we say something silly on this show. We'll put it on a T shirt again. Check it out at shop.dirtymomedia.com when it.

[TJ Majors]

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 [e-mail] 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 Bunny. That's Cash App. Cash App is a financial service platform, not a bank banking service provided by Cash App's bank partners. Prepaid debit card issued by Sutton bank member fdic. Instant discounts provided by Cash App, a Block Incorporated brand. Visit Cash App legal podcast for full disclosures.

[Dale]

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Hey Andrew, I got a question for you. When you're dealing with problem in life, like who do you go to to help solve it for you?

[Andrew Travis]

Man, God bless them, my parents and my girlfriend and they are just the best listeners, best people for advice. So they're the ones I go to. What about you?

[Dale]

Sometimes it's a group text with the boys.

[Andrew Travis]

I see you on Twitter a lot too.

[Dale Jr.]

Twitter.

[Dale]

Sometimes I don't know if I should take Twitter as where my problems are at, but a lot of times it's the group text with the friends. But you know, I don't know if that's the right place to be going to.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah, well, you know, there's a difference between that and actually talking with a therapist. And that's where better help comes in. With clinically trained and licensed therapists, they've been around for over a decade. They've helped millions and out of Travis get this, 1.7 million client reviews, they've got a 4.9 rating.

[Dale]

BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences. And if you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time. It's fully online and you can pause your subscription whenever you need to. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally.

[Andrew Travis]

Yeah, Travis, I've used it, I've talked about it on this show, how much it's benefited me and maybe it could benefit someone like you out there.

[Dale]

How much do you like just being able to. The versatility of being on your couch and doing it or it was easy, you don't go in.

[Andrew Travis]

All I did was I jumped on a phone call in my room, you know, and it was, it was, it was, I had my own privacy, I was able to talk to someone. It was about a 30 minute session and I'll say it did wonders to kind of help me realize what was stressing me out, what was causing problems.

[Dale]

Yeah, you're not having to get in your car, drive 30 minutes, deal with traffic, then you're getting upset about traffic or whatever.

[Andrew Travis]

It's pretty easy to stay brick and.

[Dale]

Mortar place like it's so much easier.

[Andrew Travis]

100%. And as the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of Expertise. Find the one with BetterHelp, our listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com DaleJr that's BetterHelp.com DaleJr alright, it's.

[Dale Jr.]

Time for dirty Bodeaux with Tampa Thames. This segment is brought to you by fanduel. Let's get started. Let's go ahead and get to it. Our top manufacturer Parle did not work. The top manufacturer parlay winner would have been Hamlin, Blaney, Elliott. Not a bad combo right there. Why did not one of us go that route? We all went. Larson.

[Tim]

That's weird.

[Dale Jr.]

Yep.

[Tim]

Somebody should have went off the.

[Dale Jr.]

Somebody should have went off. Well, Russell was 2 for 3 with Hamlin and Blaney, but Larson.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Where did Larson finish comparable to Blaney or Elliot?

[TJ Majors]

Larson had some issues.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, he.

[Russell]

He struggled in that last run, but he was. He was running, like, right there.

[TJ Majors]

Wasn't he having shifter issues or something there at one point? I saw him come down pit road to work on some stuff once or twice. Like, Larson finished 12th.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, I had bail. Logano and Larson, like Bale, just won't snap back. You know, he was the top Toyota early in the season. One of, you know, But Denny's sort of taking the helm, and I'm just thinking, man, I'm going to be smart. I'm going to look smart when Bell comes out, gets it done. But he's just not snapping back. And he's mad after this race.

[TJ Majors]

He's mad now. Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

That he took the best car and.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

Need to be better with it. He knows what's at stake, and he knows that his chance at winning a championship every year, you know, this is his time. Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

You know, I feel like we say that every year as well with him. Him and Danny. I feel like we say it almost every year.

[Dale Jr.]

And what was I thinking picking Logano? I mean, I.

[Tim]

He was fast, early.

[Dale Jr.]

He was. But, I mean, I don't. I want. I want to. I want my argument or debate about the. You know, I'm on one side of this debate about Logano and this playoff situation, and, you know, according to this, you're not. His ability to be great in a certain scenario here I am betting that he's going to be the best forward. Yeah. What am I doing?

[TJ Majors]

You can't be back in that.

[Dale Jr.]

No.

[Tim]

You can't support that.

[Dale Jr.]

Anyway, I'm done. Okay. I'm off. The Lugano training betting favorites according to Vegas Larson at 425. What do you think about that, Russell?

[Russell]

I agree. Won the last two races there. Led nearly 900 laps in those two wins. I think it's hard to go against him or Denny this week.

[Dale Jr.]

Pop.

[Russell]

Two and three of the last four. Four with two.

[Dale Jr.]

I. I am gonna put Larson and Denny in my parlay right out of the gate. T.J. russ, I see you nodding. Russ, you going with that as well.

[Russell]

I totally agree on that.

[Dale Jr.]

What about you, Tim?

[TJ Majors]

I agree with that as well, T.J. i do. I do like that a lot.

[Dale Jr.]

Just to be different. It's. It's okay if you want to just do something different.

[TJ Majors]

I mean, I. I feel like you're not gonna win. You can't stay on top, and I. I don't know. Is this the weekend Lars Larson bounces back? I thought it was gonna be last weekend. He had a. I mean, he was real fast in practice and qualifying. Beginning of the race, his lap times were ridiculous, but just like Bell, something just keeps biting him.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

You know what I mean? So. I don't know, man. I'm kind of feeling. I do like Denny. Denny just figures it out there. And if it turns into a tire wear race, I. I do like Denny a lot. I feel like Briscoe might sneak in here again. Yeah, I feel like Briscoe's got a lot of momentum, I think.

[Dale Jr.]

So we're just going to go ahead and get right to our manufacturer parlay, and so I think the. The rest of the crew's going to go with Larson. Hamlin for the Chevy. Toyota. What do you want to do? Chevy, Toyota.

[TJ Majors]

I want to do. I want to do Briscoe and Toyota, and I want to do.

[Dale Jr.]

I don't know.

[TJ Majors]

I'm kind of leaning. I'm feeling like Chase Elliott's gonna have a good run.

[Andrew Travis]

Oh, wow.

[TJ Majors]

Totally different.

[Russell]

All right, so what makes the Chevrolet one so hard is the last eight races, we've had a different Chevrolet driver finish the best Chevrolet driver.

[Dale Jr.]

Wow. Wait, so you can't.

[Russell]

It's so hard to predict this.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. No, I get it.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Russell]

Like, in Bell's been only the best in one of the last 12.

[Dale Jr.]

Like, that's. What about the last two bristols, though? I mean, Larson, who's. Where have the other Chevrolets finished? We know Larson's won the last two.

[Russell]

Here, so then the next. Like, in the spring, it was Byron finished sixth. And then last year in this race, Chase Elliott was runner up to. To Larson.

[Dale Jr.]

Gotcha. Yeah. All right, well, I. Let's. Let's move on down the line with the betting favorites. We mentioned Larson at 4, 25, Hamlin at 450, Blaney at 500, Byron at 600, Bell at 700. So Blaney seems to kind of be the popular choice for the Ford camp week after week. Really? Do you feel pretty confident about that this weekend, Russ? I do.

[Russell]

I just don't think there's anybody else that, you know, shows up Like. Like he does?

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, like.

[Russell]

And he's been the best forward three of the last four weeks.

[Dale Jr.]

Damn.

[Tim]

I'll throw out Brad just at a track with high tire wear. I like my chance with Brad.

[Dale Jr.]

Really? Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

I think this is one of Brad's best tracks.

[Dale Jr.]

You're going with Brad. All right, Brad it is.

[TJ Majors]

I was gonna do the same thing.

[Dale Jr.]

Russ, where are you going?

[Russell]

I'm. I'm sticking with Blaney. I'm not kissing TJ's ass like everybody else.

[Dale Jr.]

All right, so me and Russ have. Me and Russ for the Parlay, have the 5, 11 and 12. TJ is going to go with a 19, 9 and the 6. Tim's 5, 11 and 6. All right, so Tim's on the betting side. Does anything really change for you for this particular race?

[Tim]

I do like Larson Hamlin to win. I'm gonna go with the favorites. I would throw a little bit on Brad, but I don't love it. And I'll throw a Josh Berry top 10 in there. You know, he's. The last two weeks have sucked, but I mean, if he's gonna, they're gonna go for it.

[TJ Majors]

What's Brad's oddstrack?

[Tim]

Plus 2500.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, you don't. That's worth something, probably.

[Tim]

It's worth something. That's why I had to put something on it.

[TJ Majors]

Yes.

[Tim]

We haven't had a non playoff driver win yet the first two rounds, obviously, or first two races. And I, I think this is, you know, this is a race that something can happen.

[Dale Jr.]

What are.

[Tim]

Ty gives his odds plus 1800 to win.

[Russell]

Okay, so he was third in the spring. He's led more laps here than any other track. Been top 10 in three of the last four here. Like, I think that's your, your outside guy. And then also Josevar was really fast here in the spring with average running position better than seventh.

[Dale Jr.]

Wow.

[Tim]

Plus 2800 to win.

[TJ Majors]

I honestly thought Hosvar would be a little faster at Gateway though too, didn't you?

[Russell]

Now, the guys I would stay away from are the, the guys that like five, ten years ago he would think would be the, the no brainers would be Kyle Busch and Logano. Yeah, Logano's got no top tens there in the last nine races.

[TJ Majors]

He struggled. Yeah, he struggled there.

[Russell]

Kyle Busch has been 24th or worse in the last six.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, that's pretty fascinating. So let's talk about some drivers for some top tens. You mentioned Jose Var is a possible candidate for that. Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, who are some, not necessarily dark horses for Top tens. But who are some guys that. Where you can get some pretty good money, pretty good odds.

[Andrew Travis]

I feel like.

[Tim]

I don't know, I don't know why. As a feeling. I feel like Ricky Stenhouse is good here.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, he is. Yeah.

[Tim]

I feel like that's a great feeling.

[Dale Jr.]

It's real.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

It's.

[Tim]

Every time you come here at Ricky Stenhouse pops to my mind.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tim]

I think that's a really good top 10 bet.

[Dale Jr.]

Yep. If the night gets really physical, you know, if we have a lot of long green flag runs, I don't think he can do it. But if the night gets really physical and we have a lot of strategy and a lot of. A lot of guys with some, you know, some problems. Some of the heavy hitters get kind of not some of the traditional top teners get knocked out. Yeah. With some, you know, with some damage or toe links. Yeah. That's kind of race where he can find his way up in there. Yeah.

[Tim]

And I like Magic Mike Kelly. He rolls the dice of strategy and that's a good guy to have when you have a long shot. Top 10 bet.

[Andrew Travis]

What do you guys think of AJ Almendinger? Finished ninth earlier this year. Had a good run at Darlington. Like is he someone to watch?

[Dale Jr.]

I think so. Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

He's been good there. He was good there in Xfinity car.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

What about a Suarez or Ross?

[Tim]

Man, I would stay clear.

[Dale Jr.]

Suarez.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah.

[Tim]

And I mean Ross is weird. Like they qualify really well and then it's just kind of the speed. I feel like just still isn't quite there for me. I just stay away from them.

[TJ Majors]

What about a cindric?

[Tim]

Cedric's tough.

[Andrew Travis]

No cinder's weird because he kind of has to run a points scenario type of race.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[Andrew Travis]

You know, it's not.

[Dale Jr.]

It's not sexy or exciting. It's not.

[TJ Majors]

That's kind of a great way to put it.

[Dale Jr.]

It's not sexy. Yeah.

[Russell]

So the surprise of the playoffs so far, the non playoff guys is Nemachek. He's been back to back top tens. What do you think about him there?

[Dale Jr.]

I think it could absolutely continue it. And he's a short track guy. Grew up on the short tracks. He's, you know, if they're. If they really. If they really do have the. The parts and pieces together to be able to kind of keep this string going. I think he could absolutely deliver from behind the wheel.

[TJ Majors]

I think it's his teammate, Eric Jones.

[Andrew Travis]

Oh, Eric Jones is really good at bursting.

[TJ Majors]

I think it's his Teammate.

[Andrew Travis]

That's a solid. I like that better than John Hunter.

[TJ Majors]

I do too.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, there's a lot of options there. Let's look at the feature featured matchups. Chase, Elliot, Logano. I think I'm gonna go with Elliot.

[TJ Majors]

Yeah, Yeah. I agree.

[Dale Jr.]

Russell. Yes. Yes. Cedric. Svg. I'm gonna take cinder. I'll take center. Yeah, yeah. I think SVG will do fine, but I just feel like cyndrical.

[Tim]

He did struggle there in the spring. Svg.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. What do you think, Russell?

[Russell]

No, no brainer. No brainer. I'm against SVG this week.

[Tim]

Chastain Bowman, Eileen Chastain in this actually. I think Bowman's had a tough two weeks. I think that continues struggle.

[Dale Jr.]

Really?

[Tim]

You think they bounce back?

[Dale Jr.]

I don't know if it's a bounce back. I just think he needs to beat Chastain. He does it. Okay. Okay.

[TJ Majors]

I'm going. Chastain.

[Dale Jr.]

Russell.

[Russell]

The numbers say Bowman.

[Dale Jr.]

But.

[Russell]

But I just don't think is. The numbers say Bowman. I'm just going to stick.

[Dale Jr.]

Leave it there. Austin Dillon, Josh Berry. That's a tough one. It is. This is another scenario where similar to. Similar to Stenhouse, if it's a stop and go, you know, multiple cautions kind of an event, that's the race where, you know, Austin Dillon can avoid the drama, can stay on the lead lap, can find a way to, you know, finish 8th, 9th, 10th. Barry was top 12. I think he finished 12th earlier this year. Yeah.

[Russell]

But Dylan finished 10th. So I know numbers say Dylan.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, yeah, I agree.

[TJ Majors]

This is probably the. For some reason, I'm just not leaning towards Josh on this one and I think Josh has had a great year regardless. But Austin, Austin's the type of guy that's going to get. He's going to get a free pass with 75 to go and he's going to up like 10, 12, 13 somewhere in there. And he just. He's done it over time and time again.

[Tim]

To me, you guys flipped me. I think I'm on Austin now too.

[Dale Jr.]

Wow.

[Tim]

Yeah, I hate to say that too.

[TJ Majors]

That is big for me.

[Tim]

But you're right. I think Austin's ran really well like the past.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

I mean he wasn't great at Gateway.

[Andrew Travis]

No.

[Tim]

But he's always had flashes of speed at these like now for the last like month.

[TJ Majors]

I feel like this race is a. It's a long. You gotta. You gotta really pick and choose your battles at this place. And I think Austin has a lot more experience.

[Dale Jr.]

I'll say this one thing about Austin Dillon, you know, there's races where he's, you know, non existent. They'll have the, you know, the pop off runs every now and then. I don't see him as a guy who makes mistakes, wrecks himself. Even when they don't run good, right? Yeah. When they don't run good and they run bad, he doesn't take a car and do dumb.

[TJ Majors]

Just finishes.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, he just finishes. If not a great. Not a great day, not a great car. Couldn't do anything with it. I got what I got. That's the kind of guy that can grind out a 10th at Bristol due to a lot of guys who can't do just what I talked about. Like they'll run themselves into the wall. They'll run themselves into the other competitors. They'll do things that are going to create issues. They'll have to, you know, they'll have to get down pit road and fix and he takes advantage of the free spots. Take advantage of those spots. Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

Hey, what's Ty Dillon's odds.

[Dale Jr.]

Like?

[Tim]

I only have a win. I don't have top tens right now.

[TJ Majors]

I just think if Kala goes there, I think Ty Dillon could have a quiet, solid run.

[Tim]

Ty Dillon is plus 40,000 to win, so his top 10 mods will be very, very juicy right now.

[TJ Majors]

I mean, if the college cars are good, that's somewhere. But I think Ty could pull one of them off. What do you think, Ross?

[Dale Jr.]

No.

[TJ Majors]

I mean long shot. You don't give him a long shot chance at it.

[Russell]

No.

[Dale Jr.]

Who's the longest shot of long shots that you'd be comfortable putting money on for? Just to give me a top 10.

[Russell]

Like a Zane Smith.

[Dale Jr.]

All right. Wow. Okay.

[TJ Majors]

I'll tell you what.

[Tim]

If you like John Hunter or Eric Jones, they're plus 15,000.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Russell]

I like them way better to win.

[TJ Majors]

Oh, for sure.

[Tim]

If you're gonna throw a little bit of a wind, sprinkle on that.

[Dale Jr.]

I ain't sprinkling no win on that. But I'm just saying, hey, you know, sneaking into the top 10 is a lot easier winning a race.

[Tim]

Yeah, well, they'll. I think those are good top 10 bets, but.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

From this whole conversation, the only thing I've gathered is that everyone can pretty much run top 10 here if they just out of trouble.

[Tim]

But only Larson Hammond can win the race.

[TJ Majors]

I mean, we haven't mentioned Priest or Busher. Busher's one there. I mean, Priest has snuck into the top ten almost all year.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ Majors]

Out of nowhere.

[Dale Jr.]

That's the damn forward that could ruin our our Blaney bet.

[TJ Majors]

Exactly.

[Dale Jr.]

Busher for sure.

[Tim]

Me and teacher on team Brad.

[TJ Majors]

So yeah, I do think Chris and I think Priest. He surprises me every week, man. He comes through so he could ruin it too.

[Dale Jr.]

Well, the Dirty Moto segment is brought to you by FanDuel, the premier gaming destination of the United States. Thank you Tampa Tims. Thank you Russell for coming through. White legs. All right, it's time for the white flag here. The teardown was live on YouTube and Twitter following the race. If you haven't already heard, go over to DirtyMomedia's YouTube page, hit subscribe, turn on your notifications and you won't miss anything. Actions detrimental dropped on Monday following Denny's 59th win. A great breakdown of how the race went. Door bumper clear also dropped. Monday Austin Cindrick was the guest. Wednesday my interview with David Rudemann drops Herman Schrader Speed street also drop on Wednesday and Thursday another episode of bless your heart. Remember Friday the new Dirty 30 will come out. All new 30 minute recap show called Dirty 30. We know everyone doesn't have time to listen to all the shows so we're putting you in some highlights into a 30 minute segment called Dirty 30. Every Friday. We'll see you. Check out Dirty Mo media on Instagram, Facebook X and TikTok.

[TJ Majors]

Honey, do not make plans.

[Dale Jr.]

Saturday, September 13th, okay? Why?

[Quince Brand Representative]

What's happening?

[Andrew Travis]

The Walmart Wellness event.

[TJ Majors]

Flu shots, health screenings, free samples from those brands you like.

[Quince Brand Representative]

All that at Walmart.

[Dale]

We can just walk right in, no appointment needed.

[Dale Jr.]

Who knew we could cover our health.

[TJ Majors]

And wellness needs at Walmart? Check the calendar.

[Andrew Travis]

Saturday, September 13th Walmart wellness event.

[Dale Jr.]

You knew. I knew. Check in on your health at the same place you already shop.

[Andrew Travis]

Visit Walmart Saturday, September 13th for our semi annual wellness event Flu shot.

[Dale Jr.]

Subject to availability and applicable state law, age restrictions apply. Free samples while supplies last year.