The Dale Jr. Download – "Steve O’Donnell: NASCAR's Next Big Move"

Date: October 8, 2025
Guests: Steve O’Donnell (NASCAR President), hosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Podcast by: Dirty Mo Media, SiriusXM

Episode Overview

This episode features a candid and comprehensive conversation with Steve O’Donnell, recently appointed President of NASCAR. Dale Jr. dives deep with O’Donnell into the biggest issues and changes in the sport today: the highly anticipated horsepower increase, the evolution of the Next Gen car, the ongoing team owner lawsuit, charters, TV money, facilities, schedule changes, and the future roadmap for the sport. O’Donnell provides transparency and an insider’s view on NASCAR’s internal debates, decision processes, and the sport’s direction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NASCAR Leadership Restructure

• Steve O’Donnell’s new role as President, with Steve Phelps moving to Commissioner (02:20–03:00).
• O’Donnell likens his responsibilities to Mike Helton’s previous role, blending competition and business sides.
• "All the areas in the sport kind of report up through me...making sure we are delivering on where the fans want to go." – O’Donnell (04:00)

2. Returning to NASCAR's Roots

• Emphasis on NASCAR being "authentic to who we are," not trying to be "all things to all people" (05:14–06:25).
• O’Donnell: "Come join us. You're going to have a hell of a time. We've got to get back to that. We've gotten a little bit too defensive. End of the day, man, we got to go have fun." (06:18)

3. Horsepower Increase – The Big News

• Confirmed: NASCAR will raise horsepower to 750 (up from 670) at tracks under 1.5 miles, including road courses (11:09).
• The debate on why changes don’t happen overnight; balancing cost for teams and future-proofing for OEMs.
  • "If you went beyond 750, we looked at almost 40 to 50 million dollar cost to the industry." – O’Donnell (08:20)
• Testing at North Wilkesboro in the offseason to evaluate changes (10:14–10:56).

Notable Quotes

• "We looked at this and said, all right, we can go to 750. You guys all good? Toyota, Chevrolet, Ford? Yeah, we're good with that." – O’Donnell (09:00)
• "We want to try and see what will work here...We potentially want to go to a new engine architecture that's a three-year runway." (09:04)

4. Next Gen Car Evolution & Openness to Change

• O’Donnell details Next Gen’s necessity: reducing costs, opening the door for new owners, and stopping unsustainable spending (13:32–15:45).
• Admits challenges remain for short tracks and on giving teams freedom to innovate again; cost cap could be a future discussion.
  • "Now that we've got the parts and pieces, I think long term you could look at maybe a race team making parts again." (15:59)

Dale’s Take

• Dale Jr.: "The identity of our sport has been a sport with some physicality...I wish it wasn't so technology, I wish it was more old school." (16:35–17:20)
• O’Donnell highlights improved trust and dialogues, and the opening for more team input on car parts moving forward (17:49–19:05).

5. Officiating, Penalties, and the Team Radio Debate

• O’Donnell discusses NASCAR's "line" and the evolving challenge of monitoring team radio for potential rules violations (20:55–22:00).
• "We monitor every communication from every race team...they've certainly gotten smarter on different code words." (20:58)
• The importance of being "damn sure" before issuing penalties due to the high stakes (22:30).
• On separating NASCAR's roles: "There's NASCAR officiating and then there's NASCAR the sport. I wish we could separate the two a little bit." (13:32)

6. Playoffs & Champion Selection Format

• Ongoing committee discussions about the playoff and championship format (24:45–27:30).
• O’Donnell hints at the desire for a champion with more consistency over multiple races, without undermining this year's champion.
  • "If I roll off 10 wins in a year...and go to one race and a couple other guys get into me...and I'm not the champion, okay?" (25:49)
• Emphasis on needing industry and especially driver buy-in to any future format changes.
• "The biggest thing is we need the drivers to feel like whatever's in place, I had the shot..." (28:20)

7. Charter System & Team Owner Lawsuit

• O’Donnell explains NASCAR did not instigate the lawsuit and wants resolution to focus on the sport (32:04–33:06).
• Discusses public release of text messages during negotiations and sets the record straight on context (33:30–35:03).
• Highlights the charter system’s value, its origins in guaranteed starting positions, and rising franchise values (41:05–43:25).
  • "We support charters. We've got 13 teams that signed up with them." (35:40)
• Ongoing differences between the parties; hope for mediation but little recent progress (37:32–39:02).
  • "When you get sued for something and you want a settlement with things that have nothing to do with what you sued for, it's hard to make sense of that." (39:43)

Money Flow & Guarantees

• All new TV money goes into charters for this deal; guarantees for teams have improved substantially (43:48–44:45).
  • "All the new money from this TV agreement...all went to the teams." (43:48)

8. Race Tracks, Facilities, and Competition with Other Sports Venues

• Unique financial challenges for NASCAR tracks: not eligible for the same public funding as NFL/MLB facilities (47:15–49:24).
  • "If you go to SPA in Belgium, it looks like Watkins Glen. But when you go to a Formula 1 race, it's like, holy, this place looks awesome. But it's all temporary stuff." (52:48)
• Short- and long-term investments are being made (e.g., Homestead Miami upgrades), but major overhauls remain challenging (59:11–60:06).
• The necessity to rotate the championship finale (53:54).

9. Schedule Shake-Ups and New Events

• San Diego street race confirmed as an exciting new event.
• Chicagoland returning but with significant investment needed; street course possibility remains (58:09–58:42).
• Miami returning as the championship finale, with "a new feel" promised (59:13–60:06).
• North Wilkesboro gets a points race; All-Star Race moves to Dover with an intent to innovate.
  • Potential for "hero rules" or "run what you brung" All-Star formats at some point (62:22–62:38).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Come join us. You're going to have a hell of a time. We've got to get back to that." — Steve O’Donnell, 06:18
• "Fans miss the days when...60 cars at Daytona 500...that mattered. Right. They love 60 cars. Who's going home. All that went away." — O’Donnell, 41:34
• "When you get sued for something and you want a settlement with things that have nothing to do with what you sued for, it's hard to make sense of that." — O’Donnell, on lawsuit, 39:43
• "If you hire somebody that hasn't lived it, hasn't been in it, doesn't know it, and you bring them in there, they will change with their ideas and their vision. They will change the identity." — Dale Jr., 72:00

Timestamps for Key Segments

• NASCAR's leadership restructure: 02:20–03:00
• Horsepower increase discussion: 06:35–11:25
• Next Gen car and philosophy: 13:17–17:20
• Team radio & officiating: 20:23–23:00
• Playoff format committee: 24:45–28:20
• Charter system & lawsuit: 32:04–43:25
• Tracks vs. other sports facilities: 47:15–53:54
• Schedule changes & new events: 57:34–62:55

Tone & Style

The dialogue is relaxed but direct, full of industry-insider perspective and mutual respect. O’Donnell is candid and pragmatic; Dale Jr. is inquisitive, sometimes challenging but always respectful, drawing conversation toward the sport’s roots and the view from the teams, fans, and current drivers.

Summary Takeaway

This episode provides rare transparency on NASCAR’s regulatory philosophy, economic structure, and ambitions, with Steve O’Donnell’s “open-door” candor inviting trust even where disagreements and tough topics persist. Major takeaways include a confirmed horsepower increase plan, openness to evolve the championship format, a firm stance on charter system value, and acknowledgment of real challenges facing facilities and event modernization. The conversation looks both backward (NASCAR’s core identity) and forward (innovation, new markets, and open collaboration)—all while recognizing the tension that propels and sometimes divides the industry.

For Listeners: Why This Episode Matters

If you’re trying to understand the "why" behind NASCAR’s recent and upcoming changes, as well as the power balance inside the sport, this episode is essential listening. There’s a rich mix of historical context, industry nuance, and real talk—including heated topics like officiating, the business model, and what makes the sport fun and genuinely NASCAR.

End of Summary