
Perfect Playoff Format, Burt Reynolds and Trick or Treat
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Dale Jr.
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Dale Jr.
Mobile.Com network hey everybody, I'm Dylan Hart Jr and this is the Dirty 30. The best highlights from all of our podcasts this week. 30 minutes every single Friday. The Dirty 30 coming at you. Let's get right to it. Joe and Logano had this comment on the playoff format. Jeff Gluck with the Athletic and here at dirtymo Media. Him and Jordan were at Fan Day over the course of the week where they talked to all of the playoff drivers about all the things going on in the, in the NASCAR universe before they went to Darlington. Joe Logano says, as a fan, I want to see drivers scared and our playoff system does that. I've always been the person to say, if you're complaining about it, then just go do better. If you scored a bunch of points during the regular season and you didn't make it to the Championship four, then shame on you. You had a head start and you still couldn't do it. But don't say it's not legit. You could have gone out there and won to get it and you didn't. Just because it didn't work out for you, it doesn't mean change the rules. So the only thing, like I think first thing I want to say is this. You can, you can believe that Joey Logano is a legitimate champion and still believe that the playoffs should be different. So I, I think that Joey is a Legitimate champion. I think that Joey's trophies that he has in his possession are as cool as real and as real and as, and as historic as any other champion in our, in our series ever. Right. All through the history of nascar, every championship has been won under a different set of circumstances. Whether it be how the playoff points are tallied, whether it be the competition level. You could argue, you know, in the 70s there were eight capable cars of winning races. Maybe even less capable drivers of winning a championship.
Dylan Hart Jr.
Oh, way less.
Dale Jr.
Right now we have, oh, it's tough. You know, it's way more competitive. My point being that not just the playoffs and how you score points has changed. The sports evolved. Every championship is unique. So are Joey's. But I don't think that the single race format is the best way to decide.
Dylan Hart Jr.
I don't either the champion.
Dale Jr.
It doesn't mean that Joey doesn't deserve to be celebrated and it doesn't mean that if they were to change, doesn't really dilute or take away from what he accomplished.
Dylan Hart Jr.
What's done is done.
Dale Jr.
Yeah.
Guest or Caller
And he says you had a head start. Well, the points reset.
Dale Jr.
That's the other thing that he's missing. I think when he, at the, if you, if we could look at it, at the end of the regular season, he was over 200 points behind the leader. That advantage was erased in his favor. He went from how many races out of the points lead to like one.
Guest or Caller
And then they get erased after each round.
Dylan Hart Jr.
I see the same way.
Dale Jr.
Yeah, that's the way I see it.
Dylan Hart Jr.
You're definitely this, this system.
Dale Jr.
Joey went from eight races behind the leader in points to one race. I mean, that's nice when, you know.
Dylan Hart Jr.
You win the season with some strong races for your company or your team, like you're going to.
Dale Jr.
Yeah, all.
Dylan Hart Jr.
And he is, he is arguably the best at this type of system. He knows how to grind out every single point and take those like he, he like.
Dale Jr.
Well, the other thing too is, is the 48 gets throwed out. He wouldn't even been in the next round if the 48 wasn't a limit. I mean, there was just so many weird things that happened. And, you know, I just feel like that change is coming and I think that NASCAR has warmed up to the idea that they're hearing enough to convince them that they probably do need to make an adjustment. Now what that is, it's, it's. I would say if I had to guess, we're looking at a probably a three or four race round to decide the title and I think.
Dylan Hart Jr.
I like.
Dale Jr.
I do too. I do, too. I like it, too. You know, Joey can go to bed feeling comfortable and confident. I know people use him as an example as to why we need change. It's a good example to use. It is. It is. But he did win it. He does have the trophy. His name's on the stat sheet. Forever. Forever. Just like Benny Parsons won in 1973, only finishing on the lead lap once all year long. Just like, you know, Kenseth in O3, I believe. Right. He wins the race and just consistently was awesome all year. So consistent then and want it early over guys like Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon. Really, really good competitive teams and he.
Dylan Hart Jr.
Would qualify like 30 to 32.
Dale Jr.
But I think we can all agree that there's not a perfect system. There never will be a perfect playoff format. Never. And. But we all do think that there needs to be a little bit bigger of a sample size of final races for that final round. And I think that's probably what we're going to get.
Dylan Hart Jr.
Do you ever see the page that actually calculates the points like how they used to? Like, I always look at that. I think it's kind of cool.
Dale Jr.
Yeah. Chase Briscoe's within 30, 30 or 18 or something points after his win. I think Chase Elliott still leading the points.
Dylan Hart Jr.
There's. There's top six or seven that are still eligible point wise here.
Dale Jr.
Yeah. I have to be honest, I find that really entertaining. I don't know if that says anything.
Dylan Hart Jr.
Yeah, I mean, I don't look.
Dale Jr.
Is it only entertaining because it's nostalgic?
Guest or Caller
Yes.
Dale Jr.
Because it doesn't exist.
Guest or Caller
Correct.
Dale Jr.
Like, if it was the way it was, I wouldn't feel this way. Yeah.
Guest or Caller
Because you're yearning for it. So it's like you.
Dale Jr.
But if that was. If somebody came in tomorrow and said, we're adopting this right now, going forward, this is what we're doing, would we all look at will. We all kind of like it. Not like it. Not care.
Guest or Caller
You would love it.
Dale Jr.
Would love it. It might.
Dylan Hart Jr.
It might be a little closer. It might be a little closer to. Because we raised differently for play, for, you know, stages and you flip stages more and stuff now for playoff points. So it might even be a little closer.
Guest or Caller
Fans like me would not like it.
Dale Jr.
You wouldn't like it.
Guest or Caller
No, because I didn't grow up with the sport. I didn't grow up with this.
Dale Jr.
You don't like it that Briscoe won the race and now he's within 19 points. Like, that's four spots I want to.
Guest or Caller
Tweak the playoffs, but I like the idea of playoffs.
Dale Jr.
I mean, if Chase Elliott and him were going into the final race of the year, that's four positions, 19 points.
Guest or Caller
I don't disagree with your feelings about. It's just I didn't grow up with this, so I don't have this nostalgia. I don't miss it.
Dale Jr.
No, I get it. I get it. So either way, you're like, whatever, one or the other doesn't matter to me.
Guest or Caller
I want the playoffs tweaked, but. Yeah, but if they went to this, I wouldn't be against it.
Dale Jr.
Yeah. I didn't really want to get into this conversation today, but I think what I'm missing and what I believe has more value than people realize is, is we'd go to Charlotte in October. Dad's right in the thick of the battle, right? Say he's 40 points behind Rusty Wallace or Mark Martin or somebody, right? And we go to Charlotte and 13 laps into the race broke a cam that was a gut punch equal to missing the final four. You're sitting there in the regular season that we know today, but in a 36 race playoff, you've broke a cam, finished last at Charlotte and lost 150 points. Or say he's 40 points behind Mark Martin and Martin. Mark Martin blows the damn motor and dad runs and goes, wins the race. That kind of thing being that impactful in the middle of the season or even at the front of the season, right, that is missing now. You know your driver goes to Daytona in the final race of the regular season and flips out and crashes. It's meh. Just is what it is. He's in the playoffs, so that's what is gone. And those things had you plug in at race 18, 16, 20, because that soul crushing moment was always around the corner. Or the opposite of soul crushing, right? That moment of holy man. We've just busted out and got a 100 point lead today because this guy had bad luck. That moment was always possible in the regular season. So you were there to see it. You knew you needed to watch. 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 you@trimble.com because with Trimble, you can act smarter, move faster, and lead with confidence. Trimble, confidence at every turn.
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Dale Jr.
Deb Williams has worked in NASCAR for decades. The first female reporter inducted into the National Motorsports Press association hall of Fame. You got to interview Burt Reynolds.
Deb Williams
I did, yeah. That was when they were filming Stroker Race.
Dale Jr.
Really?
Deb Williams
Yeah. And they were at Charlotte Motor Speedway filming that day.
Dale Jr.
Great movie.
Deb Williams
Yeah, I liked it. I loved your dad racing gurneys.
Dale Jr.
Yeah, I know.
Deb Williams
It really didn't seem like a movie because you knew so many people that were in it, you know, and you know the big contract that he had in there.
Dale Jr.
Yes.
Deb Williams
That's a spoof on the Darrell Waltrip Die Guard contract.
Dale Jr.
Okay.
Deb Williams
Yeah.
Dale Jr.
So when you got to interview Bert about, I guess you were asking him about the movie being a part of the movie. He's. He's coming off of. Let's see, he's coming off smoking the Bandit and Cannonball Run and all These great. You know, he's a big deal.
Deb Williams
Yeah.
Dale Jr.
What was that like, I suppose, for the sport of the industry? I guess, to have somebody of. Bert. I know. I know the connection with how needham and the 33 car and. And all of that. And Burt was a part owner in that deal. His name on the seat post of that car that Harry Gint drove in. 81, 82. But what was it like, I guess, for this sport, the industry, the buzz to have Burt Reynolds and them making a movie?
Deb Williams
It was a very. It brought attention, you know, a different group of people, and it brought that Hollywood magic. And I was given, like, 20 minutes with him. That was all I had, 20 minutes during a lunch break. And it was like. So I went back to when I first started, where I would write my questions down in the back of my notebook so that I'd make sure I ask everything. And he was very nice, very polite. And, you know, he talked about how he was impressed by the people in the sport and their hard work ethic and everything. And so, yeah, it brought a magic, I would say, to the sport. It created a lot of eyes on it that people had not paid really attention to it before. It put a little glamour in the sport, is what it did.
Dale Jr.
Yeah. A lot of things that happen in that movie that are very relatable.
Deb Williams
Yeah. And Days of Thunder, I can pretty much pinpoint to you where all it happened. Yeah. Because, like, where they're eating ice cream says, don't pee it. We're eating ice cream. That was at Darlington when Benny Parsons was in the car and Harry Hyde was crew chief.
Dale Jr.
Yeah. No kidding.
Deb Williams
Yeah.
Dale Jr.
So your first time being able to pick up a media credential was at Darlington. And there was it. On the credential, it said, no women allowed.
Deb Williams
Yeah. That was Labor Day, 1980.
Dale Jr.
1980.
Deb Williams
Yeah. No women allowed in pits.
Dale Jr.
Yeah.
Deb Williams
Yeah. And you were an exception. Well, I didn't really need to go in the pits that day, but it was interesting because J. Wells was helping out at.
Dale Jr.
Who's that?
Deb Williams
J. Wells was the PR person for Harry Gant for many years on smoking, I mean, in the U.S. tobacco. And he was PR at Rockingham at that time, but he was down at Darlington that year helping Bill Kaiser, who was running PR at Darlington. And he was in the press box. And when I got in the press box and I saw him, and that was on my press pass, I chewed him out. And he's up there going, we're not talking about women like you. We're not talking about women like you.
Dale Jr.
You chewed him out.
Deb Williams
Yeah.
Dale Jr.
Really?
Deb Williams
Yeah. And so the next time I went back, it wasn't on the.
Dale Jr.
Dang. I hear you. You know, how do you feel like, you know, NASCAR has certainly had an evolution over the last. Over my time around the sport. And if I look at, you know, if I really look back into the 60s and 70s, that evolution's just always been constant. You know what? I guess. What's that been like for you as a female, to see the sport sort of adjust and shift away from, you know, some of those policies that just didn't make sense? Such as? Just, like, having that on the pit pass is pretty. Pretty. Feels ridiculous today. But there was a time when, like, someone might look at that and not bat an eye. Right. But today it sounds silly.
Deb Williams
Yeah. Well, it's just like women weren't allowed on pit road, you know, at Indianapolis and back in the 50s and all. But, you know, it was when corporate America started coming into the sport that it started to change because you had women executives in corporate America. And I just don't. I look at a lot of these young people coming along now that didn't have the. To deal with some of the things that my generation dealt with. And I just look at them and think, I wish you could understand so that you could be more appreciative of the changes that have occurred, you know, because they take everything for granted.
Dale Jr.
Sure.
Deb Williams
And it's just like when I started covering at Darlington, there was one bathroom in the press box. There was one at Rock, one bathroom at Rockingham. Martinsville didn't even have bathrooms in the press box. And the first track that had men and women's bathrooms in the press box was North Wilkesboro, which I have always found amusing, but Clay Earl's. And he was. I just say he was so cute because he had to be in his 80s. And it wasn't the current press box. It was the previous press box at Martinsville. He comes to me and he says, I'm thinking about building some bathrooms here in the press box. And he said, but, you know, there's not enough women. I really can't afford to have a men and a women's. I can have two, but do you have a problem with using the same bathroom that the men use? I said, clay, as long as you put a lock on the door, I'm fine. I said, we all travel together. We're all at the same hotels. We're like brothers and sisters anyway. But I said, as long as you have. And you could tell he was Very embarrassed. You could tell he was very embarrassed about having to ask me about it, you know. But, yeah, I told him, I said, as long as you have a lock on it, then that's fine.
Dale Jr.
I've talked to a couple friends that I've made in the journalism side of nascar, and they would admit to a story that they were wrong or, you know, wish they hadn't written. Do you have one that stands out by chance that you're like, oh, man, you know, I definitely didn't have that right. Or I had. I went and had to. You know, is there ever time where you really felt like you had to go and apologize and say, man, I really. I didn't get this correct.
Deb Williams
The column that really stands out in my mind is being wrong. And actually, it was when Brian France actually called me on it, called me on the telephone. But I wrote about how NASCAR was trying to make the drivers vanilla and they were losing the personality of the sport and all. And then after I went to work for a race team, I discovered it wasn't NASCAR that was doing it. It was the sponsors that were doing it and how the sponsors wanted their drivers to be because they were concerned about losing sales if their driver got into it with another driver or made someone mad. And that's when I realized, and I've told many people that when they fuss about NASCAR making the drivers vanilla. And I say, no, no, no, no. You don't understand. It's corporate America that's making the drivers that way, not nascar. And that's the one that really stands out in my mind. But one time, Tim Brewery was after the All Star Race, and it was when Jeff Bodine was the driver, and there had been something in the. In the qualifying, All Star qualifying, that happened. And Dick Beatty had. Who was the garage director at the time, Winston cup director, had penalized him or something. And the PR person for NASCAR at the time came in and gave a statement. And the media center at Charlotte. Well, we get to Dover after the Charlotte race weekends, and Bob Latford, who was handling PR for Budweiser at the time, came into the media center at Dover, and he said, I think you need to go talk to Tim Brewer. He's mad at you. Okay. So I went out there, and Tim and I were sitting on the back of the truck talking, and he was really angry about what I had written. And I said, well, that's what so and so said from nascar. You mean that's what NASCAR said? And I said, yeah, that's what NASCAR said. And then he got mad about that. He said that number 11 is my car and if you want to know anything about my car, you call me. I said fine. If I want to know something about your car at 2:00 in the morning, I'll call you. And we've gotten along fine ever since.
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Dale Jr.
Pretty good. How are You.
Amy
We're here for another episode of Bless yous Heart. Spent a little time in Home Goods and. And Hobby Lobby getting Halloween decorations.
Dale Jr.
Halloween?
Amy
Yeah. How? I mean, I went a little ham on Amazon last week. There's some boxes. Oh, just. There's some new stuff.
Dale Jr.
All right.
Amy
I know this is a touchy subject in our house, the decorations, but the kids are so excited. And who doesn't love Halloween decorations?
Dale Jr.
Halloween is fine. I'm fine with it.
Amy
They're, like, interactive. You can play with it. It's not like it's finicky, so it's more fun.
Dale Jr.
I'm not bothered at all by the amount of decorations. However you want to do it, you know, it's. Where does this stuff go when it's over? What's the problem? Because we don't have.
Amy
We do.
Dale Jr.
We don't have designated.
Amy
We do space. We absolutely do.
Dale Jr.
Well, that's already full.
Amy
I threw a tantrum about not having space, and you gave me a space. I know, but giant, gorgeous racks. No, they're not.
Dale Jr.
Okay.
Amy
No, they're not. It's like two thirds.
Dale Jr.
Okay, Two thirds.
Amy
So I've got plenty of space, and it's got allocations for Christmas and Easter and Halloween and kids clothes and just random stuff I'm trying to hide from you, like for a birthday or whatever. Now I have a space and it's organized, so we're good. But I was getting some of it out yesterday since the boxes were piling up, and I wanted to just start putting it out. But how early is too early to start decorating for Halloween?
Dale Jr.
You can do it.
Amy
I mean, it's September. What?
Dylan Hart Jr.
Right now is perfect.
Amy
What's that?
Dylan Hart Jr.
Right now is perfect.
Amy
Right now is perfect. It's getting cool outside. It feels like the right time.
Dylan Hart Jr.
Yeah, agreed.
Amy
So just go for it. I got mixed reviews yesterday on Instagram. Some people said it's too early. Like, what about just enjoying fall? Why do we have to decorate for everything?
Dale Jr.
You know, I think it's okay to do it because really, our house is down in the woods and nobody really going to see it anyways, so.
Amy
That's true.
Dale Jr.
You know, we weren't. I'm just saying, like, if we lived in a neighborhood where we had neighbors right next door and across the street, you might be a little more subtle. You might work up to it. Right. You might put a couple of things out and then add a little more in the next week and just kind of build up and where it ain't. So, like, bam. Right in everybody's face.
Amy
You're driving down the skeletons through the neighborhood outside.
Dale Jr.
Yeah, but I know. I think I like getting in the mood. Getting. I love the holiday season. I love the, you know, when. When the. When. When people start decorating for the holidays. It's the sign to me that Christmas is coming.
Amy
Christmas is coming. That's right.
Dale Jr.
Yeah. And Christmas is such a special time of year, so just. Such a special time of year. So I am. I'm all about trying to go ahead and get in spirit and do.
Amy
Do the Halloween. All right. While you're gone this week, I will put it out.
Dale Jr.
Yeah, yeah. I'm going. I'm going on a little guys trip.
Amy
That's right.
Dale Jr.
I'm fired up, so I feel like.
Amy
You'Re gonna need a day off when you come back.
Dale Jr.
Would I have such a. Would I be granted such a. Yeah, Staley. Such a grace.
Amy
I'm not gonna sit on the couch for you to lay in my lap for a whole day. So you just go sit in the Elvis room by yourself.
Dale Jr.
No, there's nothing better for a hangover, y'. All. You know, everybody's got cures. There's nothing better for hangover than your wife's.
Amy
Were you just about to call me an old lady?
Dale Jr.
Your old lady's lap.
Amy
God dang.
Dale Jr.
Yeah.
Amy
Yeah. Without me being present. That's how you talk to your buddies about your wife?
Dale Jr.
Well, we kind of. We're doing a show that kind of gets me.
Amy
Good Lord.
Dale Jr.
Into that vein.
Amy
But now you're definitely staying in the elements room by yourself or if you.
Dale Jr.
You lay on her chest.
Dylan Hart Jr.
Yes.
Dale Jr.
I was about to say chest is. If she's in a position where that's possible, then, man, as long as hangovers.
Amy
Your face is down. If your face is up with that old sour beer breath, I'm like, torture. That's torture right there.
Dale Jr.
And he's like. We were. I drank some beer the other day.
Amy
And Amy's like, it was after your race. You came home, you had. Had a sleep and drive home and the whole thing. I went down to the beach. It was a full 24 hours. Almost felt like. Like, God, it's coming out of your pores. You smell like wheat hogs.
Dale Jr.
Out of his nose. Oh, my God, Yes.
Amy
He was breathing it out of his nose like a fire breathing dragon. I'm like, oh, man, go take a shower. Brush your whole face.
Dale Jr.
He puts up with some.
Amy
Yeah, the Halloween. So back to that. We've got costumes ordered. Also, the girls have fallen in love with this movie called the K Pop Demon. Hunters. If you have kids within the range of 5 to 18, I'm sure that they have watched this movie on Netflix and it's just nothing but, like, singing, really. But it's become, like, the only thing the kids think about. So that's what they want to be for Halloween. So we've already. I've already ordered the costumes, and now I'm trying to be talked into being one of the boys from the boy band, not you. I wouldn't sign you up for that. I mean, we're talking, like, crazy wigs and like, it's very anime. Like.
Dale Jr.
Okay.
Amy
Yeah, so it's. It's a lot. But I'm getting ad for ads for masks and Satsdale's thing. Yeah. And I sent him one the other day. I'm like, you really need this. You and TJ should just be these for Halloween. Do you want to tell them what it is?
Dale Jr.
Yeah, you can.
Amy
It's Beetlejuice. You know, where they pull their faces open.
Dale Jr.
Yeah.
Amy
Like, wretched looking. Very funny.
Dale Jr.
You almost need to walk around. We go to TJ's neighborhood. All the wives and dads and then their kids. Right, Kids. She wants me to walk around with a really pretty. Pretty freaking scary looking. Yeah, it's pretty.
Amy
It's Halloween.
Dale Jr.
Like, I am. Everybody on the block's gonna go, damn. Really? That's what you choose?
Amy
Last year, he was that creepy old man, and everybody was still kind of going, like, who's this freaking old guy walking around? Kind of creepy in a totally different way. So I feel like this way, at least the people that are our age will recognize what he is. And it's still scary. But you can see his eyes and everything.
Dale Jr.
Yeah.
Amy
It should be fun.
Dale Jr.
It's the thing where the mouth opens way up and it's like, got a hundred teeth.
Amy
Yes.
Dale Jr.
Seventy molars.
Amy
And the eyeballs are above.
Dale Jr.
His eyes are in the tonsils. It's really weird time.
Amy
And then the other ones that, like, long stretched out f. Yeah, TJ can do that. TJ could do that one.
Dale Jr.
Yeah. That is scary, though.
Dylan Hart Jr.
That'd be fun.
Amy
It's Halloween.
Dale Jr.
I totally do it. I'll totally do it, man. I was.
Amy
I bet Jonathan Davis would do it. He lives across the street.
Dale Jr.
Yeah, we're. Yeah, I'm not. No, he's not getting to do that. I'm doing it.
Amy
Oh, now we're liking it.
Dale Jr.
I'm doing it.
Amy
That's all you got to do is just make him a little jealous. He's all excited.
Dale Jr.
When we were kids, what was Your. Out of all the Halloween costumes that you had when you were young, when you were trick or treating.
Amy
Yeah.
Dale Jr.
What was your favorite?
Amy
So here's the thing about Halloween. And when we were kids, we didn't have all those, like, princess dresses, just dress up all the time. So Halloween was, like, really extra special. And we used a lot of time when we were little, we just wore, like, our previous year's ballet outfits, like our recital outfits. And then one year, my mom made me. You'll like this. I was Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie. And she made the whole thing, the little crop, the little thing that my ponytail went through. I think I was probably about Isla's age, and we don't have it, but I know she has. My mom has photos somewhere, but I think that whole outfit got sold in a garage sale at some point. But it was. It was absolutely my favorite.
Dale Jr.
I wanted to be a football player in real life, and so I had a. My mom got me the entire kit, like the shoulder pads, the pants, with the pads in the pants. So I was a football player. The same pants, same jersey, same helmet, you know, plastic, two bar, for four years in a row.
Amy
Oh, really? And it fit you for four years?
Dale Jr.
Yeah. I mean, I was. When I was. When I got my driver's license, I was 4, 10, 5, 3, 5. 3. 5 foot 3.
Amy
That's me.
Dale Jr.
So, I mean, that's how tall I am. I was short. I was the same size for a long period of time. I'll just say that.
Amy
Yeah.
Dale Jr.
Until I finally got my legs, But.
Amy
Finally got my legs.
Dale Jr.
You got your legs?
Deb Williams
Yeah.
Amy
So that was your favorite? Just being a Washington, I wanted to.
Dale Jr.
Be a football player so bad.
Amy
And is that what it was? It was Washington?
Dale Jr.
No, it was just red had no number on it.
Amy
It was like an unidentifiable team.
Dale Jr.
Totally generic, white helmet.
Amy
You didn't sticker it?
Dale Jr.
Nope. We didn't have stickers.
Amy
Stickers?
Dale Jr.
No, racing stickers. I had a. It was a red jersey with blue and white stripes on the shoulders, no number. It was so cheap. But I loved it. I wanted to be a football player, and it was an excuse to be a football player all day. I was like, you know, if I could do this every day, I'd dress up like a football player.
Amy
When did you stop trick or treating?
Dale Jr.
I can't remember when I stopped trick or treating. You know, I think it was probably 12, 13, because we didn't have a neighbor. We didn't have it organized like this is. You know, we're Going to this neighborhood. We lived on this road and you would go to six houses.
Amy
Oh, okay.
Dale Jr.
You know, it was a lot more work and it was really, you know, they didn't try that hard around there. So you were getting, you're like, you know. So after a while you just kind of quit doing it.
Amy
Oh, we got gobs of candy. I mean, you know, my neighborhood growing up, it's like house, house. It was covered with kids. I mean, people would come to our neighborhood to trick or treat. It was awesome.
Dale Jr.
We had the exact opposite. We had to get in a car and go to like the six houses, drop off, run inside, come back, and then we were trying to get home and see what we got.
Amy
Okay. We had so much candy, dad took half of it to work.
Dale Jr.
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Honey, do not make plans. Saturday, September 13th, okay?
Dale Jr.
Why?
Amy
What's happening?
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The Walmart wellness event. Flu shots, health screenings, free samples from those brands you like.
Amy
All that at Walmart?
Guest or Caller
We can just walk right in, no appointment needed.
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Who knew we could cover our health and wellness needs at Walmart?
Amy
Check the calendar. Saturday, September 13th.
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Walmart wellness event.
Dale Jr.
You knew?
Amy
I knew.
Deb Williams
Check in on your health at the same place you already shop.
Amy
Visit Walmart, Saturday, September 13th for our.
Deb Williams
Semi annual wellness event flu shot. Subject to availability and applicable state law, age restrictions apply.
Amy
Free samples while supplies last. Are you ready to get spicy?
Dale Jr.
These Doritos Golden Sriracha aren't that spicy. Sriracha sounds pretty spicy to me. Um, a little spicy, but also tangy and sweet.
Amy
Maybe it's time to turn up the heat.
Dale Jr.
Or turn it down. It's time for something that's not too spicy. Try Doritos Golden Sriracha. Spicy but not too spicy.
Episode: Perfect Playoff Format, Burt Reynolds and Trick or Treat
Release Date: September 5, 2025
Host: Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Network: Dirty Mo Media, SiriusXM
This multifaceted episode of The Dale Jr. Download dives deep into three distinct but entertaining subjects: the ongoing debates about NASCAR’s playoff format, Deb Williams' recollections of interviewing Burt Reynolds and her pioneering career in motorsports journalism, and a fun, lighthearted segment about Halloween traditions in the Earnhardt household. Dale Jr. and his guests bring personal anecdotes, sharp opinions, and plenty of nostalgia to the table.
Timestamps: 01:09–08:52
Dale Jr. opens with Joey Logano’s playoff comments ([01:09]): Logano defends the current format, arguing that it forces drivers to “step up,” and that if a top performer is eliminated, “shame on you—you had a head start and still couldn't do it.”
Dale's nuanced position: He respects Logano as a legitimate champion but feels the single-race final is not the best way to determine a season-long winner.
On points resets and drama:
Playoff format nostalgia and impact:
Timestamps: 12:52–22:40
Interview with Deb Williams, motorsports journalist:
Deb recounts early career challenges:
The evolution of NASCAR journalism:
Timestamps: 24:47–34:04
Amy and Dale Jr. banter about holiday decorating:
Costume nostalgia and new traditions:
The changing landscape of trick-or-treating:
The tone is candid, nostalgic, and occasionally comedic, true to Dale Jr.’s conversational style. The episode balances passionate NASCAR debates with heartwarming and humorous family tales, providing both insight and entertainment.
This episode is a must-listen for NASCAR fans interested in the evolving playoff landscape, lovers of racing history—especially those with a soft spot for Hollywood’s impact on the sport—and anyone who enjoys a glimpse into Earnhardt’s off-track life. The discussion with Deb Williams offers meaningful perspective on the sport’s growth and inclusion, while the Halloween banter serves as a relatable, heartfelt close to a well-rounded episode.