We Sparked a Viral NASCAR Hall of Fame Debate…

Summary

The Dale Jr. Download

Episode: We Sparked a Viral NASCAR Hall of Fame Debate…
Date: March 27, 2026
Host: Dale Earnhardt Jr. with Dirty Mo Media, SiriusXM

Episode Overview

In this lively episode of The Dale Jr. Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his co-hosts dive into spirited discussions about Scott Speed’s racing journey, the evolving nature of NASCAR, and—centerpiece of the show—a viral debate over what it should take to join the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The panel openly shares their personal philosophies, challenging long-held conceptions about what constitutes greatness in the sport. Expect candid, at times heated, conversation laced with humor and unique behind-the-scenes insight from some of racing’s biggest personalities.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scott Speed’s Wild F1 Exit and Racing Journey

(02:09 – 10:04)

• Scott Speed recounts his dramatic exit from Formula 1, centering on a chaotic 2007 Nurburgring race for Toro Rosso.
  • Qualified deep in the field but made significant progress in wet conditions.
  • Pit stop confusion: Speed’s car gets his teammate’s tires, resulting in a long, error-filled stop and a crash the following lap.
  • Team owner’s harsh critique: “No, not everybody [crashed], just the wankers.”
    —Scott: “You’re right, Lewis, he’s a wanker! Jenson, you’re right!” (04:26)
  • Speed’s fiery retort to the team boss and his abrupt replacement by Sebastian Vettel.
• Speed confesses he felt ready to leave:
  • “For me, it was just as much of me wanting to go as it was them wanting me gone.” (04:48)
• Transition to NASCAR:
  • Given freedom by Red Bull’s Dietrich Mateschitz to pursue anything.
  • Admits near-total ignorance about NASCAR—“Almost nothing.” (06:55)
• Reflection on Red Bull’s rare approach:
  • “Red Bull’s a marketing company. My last name is Speed, and I’m a very authentic person. So I fit the brand really good.” (09:28)

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2. Darlington Race Recap: Was It Overhyped?

(10:04 – 12:50)

• Drivers break down the 2026 Darlington race, addressing fan complaints it was overhyped:
  • Little difference from previous years; aerodynamic and horsepower changes barely noticeable on-track.
  • Encouraging signs: Fast cars still moved forward (“Good cars drove from the back to the front.” - 11:07)
• Stats and fan reaction:
  • “68% on the good race polls, looks like it’s a little higher than that… 77% right now.” (11:19)
• Dale Jr. on expectations:
  • “Had Denny, you, and some other drivers not been as vocal…expectations were a little higher.” (11:45–12:03)
• Overall conclusion:
  • More passing, but fundamentally still tough. “Next thing you know, we have a pretty normal Darlington race other than I thought passing was a little better this time around.” (12:47)

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3. Viral Hall of Fame Debate: Who Really Belongs?

(15:06 – 24:15)

Should Lower Series and Non-Cup Achievements Count?

• Question posed: Is Justin Allgaier a Hall of Famer?
• Dale Jr’s controversial take:
  • “I don’t think Xfinity, O’Reilly, Busch, Nationwide should count.” (16:02)
  • “It’s the hall of fame, not the hall of really good.” (17:45)
• Pushback from the rest of the panel:
  • “It’s not the NASCAR Cup Hall of Fame. It’s under the NASCAR banner.” (16:08–16:12)
  • “That is a pretty… That is really… That’s actually a lot of nodding in here, too. A lot of other people agree.” (16:17)
• T.J. disagrees:
  • “Not everything works out perfect…There’s still some great race car drivers that didn’t get great Cup rides to show what they could really do.” (16:34)
• Should drivers with dominant careers outside Cup, like Jack Ingram or Mike Stefanik, be inducted?
  • “Show me the stats. Stefaniks… Nine championships. 74 modified wins!” (22:14–22:17)

How Much Should Equipment/Opportunity Factor In?

• Dale Jr. on opportunity:
  • “When it comes time, your career is over, you don’t get bonus points for you were in a bad car. Sorry.” (23:23)
• Comparison to other sports:
  • “We don’t look at a quarterback and [say], ‘Oh, he was good, but if he had a better team, he would have been better, so let’s put him in the Hall of Fame.’” (23:04)
• T.J. on circumstance:
  • “Like, look at Sam Darnold. Everyone wrote him off after going to the Jets. Now he’s a Super Bowl champion—but he’s not a Hall of Famer.”
• Final stance:
  • “You’re out there on an island.”
    —“I know I am. I was hesitant to even say it to begin with.” (24:12–24:15)
• Polls and fan comments indicate disagreement with Dale Jr., but some back his stricter standard.

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4. Are Hendrick Motorsports and Other Big Teams in Trouble?

(26:33 – 31:11)

• Panel worries about Hendrick’s slow start:

  • “This is the furthest into the season without a win for Hendrick Motorsports since 2019, and it is officially time to start worrying.” (26:37)
  • “They’re a little confused and a little worried for sure.” (26:54)

• Playoff talk:

  • “All three of the guys who have been running full time are in the top 10 at points. So…it’s not like, you know, they’re still competitive.” (28:16)
  • Must be top 3 or 4 in regular season points for real championship shot.

• Which playoff favorites from 2025 might miss in 2026?

  • “Josh Berry…not going to make the playoffs, I don’t think.” (29:03)
  • “Austin Dillon’s going to have a hard time making it. Cindrick is another one.” (29:14–29:58)

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5. Humorous Interlude: The Great Carrot Cake Caper

(31:11 – 36:38)

• Off-track, the crew recounts a cake mix-up:
  • In a bid to celebrate Amy’s birthday, they accidentally “steal” someone else’s carrot cake from a bakery.
  • “I just paid for the card… I didn’t pay for the cake. But I’m…walking out thinking…maybe he put a card on it.” (35:35–35:53)
  • Amy: “You straight hijacked a cake.” (36:06)
  • Laughter and apologies ensue as they realize and plot how to make it right, with the inside joke: “It’s our cake now.” (36:28)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Scott Speed:
  • “I guess I thought I could tell the team owner that he can f— off and that everything would be okay. In my mind, it was not.” (04:34)
• Dale Jr.:
  • “It’s the hall of fame, not the hall of really good.” (17:45)
  • “When it comes time, your career is over, you don’t get bonus points for you were in a bad car. Sorry.” (23:23)
• T.J.:
  • “Show me the stats. Stefanik’s… Nine championships. 74 modified wins!” (22:14–22:17)
• Freddie Kraft:
  • “They’re gonna figure this out, right?” (27:29)
• On Carrot Cake Hi-jinks:
  • Amy: “You straight hijacked a cake.” (36:06)
  • Michael: “We can’t return the cake.”
    Amy: “It’s for us now. It’s our cake now.” (36:24–36:28)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment Description | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:09–10:04| Scott Speed’s F1 exit and transition to NASCAR | | 10:04–12:50| 2026 Darlington race analysis and fan reaction | | 15:06–24:15| NASCAR Hall of Fame eligibility debate | | 26:33–31:11| Hendrick’s winless streak and 2026 playoff worries | | 31:11–36:38| Humorous carrot cake delivery mix-up |

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Tone & Style

The episode is unscripted, candid, and friendly yet passionate. Dale Jr. is as blunt and direct as fans expect, never shying away from unpopular opinions, while his co-hosts push back with logic, stats, and humor. The debate about the Hall of Fame is spirited but respectful, revealing just how differently insiders can view racing greatness. Lighter stories, like the carrot cake debacle, keep the energy warm and relatable, showing another side to the crew.

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Overall, this episode delivers a fast-paced mix of racing insight, a viral debate that will keep NASCAR fans buzzing, and the kind of authentic banter that makes Dirty Mo headquarters feel like home—even if you occasionally leave with the wrong dessert.

Transcript

[Dale Jr.]

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[Michael Speed]

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[Scott Speed]

My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

[Michael Speed]

How do you end up leaving F1?

[Scott Speed]

Well, I got. We were doing a race at Nurburgring. Okay. I qualify at that time. I think me and Tony had qualified 17th or 18th on the race. This is a spectacular story start 17th and 18th on the grid. Our car, the Toro Rosso car, was outrageous in the wet. Earlier that year in Monaco, I was actually P1 in practice, in the way. In the rain, in. In P. Free practice. 1. The thing is, our car was really good in the wet. We don't know why. Right before the start of the race, it downpours. I mean, pouring rain. So you have to start the race on slick tires. Me, Antonio, drive from 17th and 18th to. I think I came in the pits 11th after three quarters of a lap. We were flying. I'm passing cars on the. I'm just. You're. You're dog fighting. And I passed Tonio in the last section. Coming to pit road. And so in F1, you can only pit one car at a time. So it was really crucial that, you know, you entered first. So I threw this dive bomb pass on him, and I pass him in the last sector. I come in the pits. Well, they got Tonio's tires waiting, and so I come in, they put Tonio's tires on, then they realize, shoot, we gotta take those off. It ends up being like, well, they're his tires.

[Michael Speed]

It's like a. He's co. Those codes belong on his car and it's illegal.

[Scott Speed]

Yeah. Because otherwise, if he failed, I couldn't, like, take those sets at the time. Okay. And so the pit stop ends up taking forever. We lose a lot of time the next lap. Now we got rain tires on there, but it's pouring so much. The entry to the first corner at Nurburgring is pretty downhill. And going to the brake zone, and I'm pretty conservative. And I don't stop a second. I'm hydroplaning down the hill, off into the gravel. I'm crashed. So the race is over. I mean, the most spectacular two laps, basically. Basically in my F1 career. And I come in and I'm actually, like, in a pretty good mood because it was pretty awesome.

[Michael Speed]

I drove from, like, 18th till.

[Scott Speed]

I mean, it didn't work out, but, like, it was an awesome first lap. And I'm talking to my engineer in France, the. The team owner. France comes up, he's like, what's happened in turn one? And I was like, what do you mean? Like, there's eight cars parked out there. Lewis Hamilton, Jensen, Button, like, everybody, basically, that went into the corner. I was like, well, the same thing happened to everybody else. We hydroplaned in a thing. And he says, no, not everybody, just the wankers. And I was like, you're right, Lewis. He's a wanker Jensen. You're right.

[Travis]

Everybody's like.

[Scott Speed]

And I told him to f off and I, and I walked away and I guess I thought I could tell the team owner that he can f off and that everything was be okay. In my mind, it was not. And the next weekend, Sebastian Fedel was in the car and that was it.

[Michael Speed]

That was the end.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[Scott Speed]

And honestly, it was time like, I, I, it wasn't for like, I didn't have the ability the, the model to process what needed to have, like how to be a racing driver. And for me, I was, it was just as much of me wanting to go as it was them wanting me gone.

[Michael Speed]

Yeah. So you will you go to go to your apartment, pack your.

[Scott Speed]

Well first I met with, you know, they put faddle in the car. Right. And that was the piece aid as

[Michael Speed]

a, as a test driver. Did you not?

[Scott Speed]

No. So I stayed around while fetal. He did two races and when he, when it was pretty clear that he was running in the same spot I was, he wasn't qualifying or finishing any better. Didi called me and said, hey, look, like, obviously the car isn't, you know, really capable right now, but we love you. What do you want to do? And he gave me carte blanche. I could, I could pick basically anything. So it was a really an important time that at least could you have chosen and anything. I could be test driver with the main team and stick around in the Red Bull F1 deal. I could go. You know, basically he wanted to know what I want to do. The easy solution would have been to do like DTM or like sports car racing.

[Michael Speed]

And DTM was cool.

[Scott Speed]

It was, it was. But for me, like, I had done, I had answered the question I had for myself, which is like, how good am I as a racing driver? And I was like, okay, I'm like a, I'm not, I'm not a Lewis. I knew, like, I'm not Lewis. I'm not Nico. But like, I'm a good F1 guy.

[Freddie Kraft]

Cool.

[Scott Speed]

I'm, I'm can sleep. I've answered the question for myself and now I just want, I want to go do something fun. I want to go do something different. I don't want to just keep like, I know where I make. After Formula one, everything was such a huge. In my mind step down that it wouldn't, it just didn't make sense.

[Michael Speed]

So you decided to go home.

[Scott Speed]

So I decided to go back to America. And, and I said, hey, what do you think about NASCAR to Dee Dee? And he's like, I love it. Go, go there. And I thought, okay, I'm going to come back to America and I'm just going to race NASCAR Cup Series.

[Michael Speed]

Just like that.

[Scott Speed]

Just like that. And I got here.

[Michael Speed]

What, before that moment, though, what had you known about Cup?

[Scott Speed]

Almost nothing.

[Michael Speed]

Right.

[Scott Speed]

I actually, man, my.

[Michael Speed]

It's.

[Scott Speed]

I'm embarrassed to say.

[Michael Speed]

What about it? Like, you, you know, you, you just said, you know, that everything was a step down. What about it stood out to you?

[Scott Speed]

Well, it was different. Yeah, I knew it was very different and it would be a challenge.

[Michael Speed]

Yeah.

[Scott Speed]

I did grow up a little bit watching, obviously, your dad, Ernie Irvin. I watched some stock car racing, but not enough to really have any grasp of what it was going to take or what the level was at all. I just thought, okay, there's these southern boys out here running around in circles. Like, surely I can figure this out. I mean, basically Days of Thunder. Yeah, like, it was very. It was very similar. I thought, okay, I'm going to get in here. And luckily, Gunther Steiner was running the, the Red Bull NASCAR team at the time, and he had some kind of wisdom about him to say, hey, maybe let's start off by doing like a year of ARCA and some truck and we'll feed you into this thing.

[Michael Speed]

I'm surprised that. I love this about Red Bull. They went, they built you up to be able to take over a seat in the F1 car, the top echelon of motorsport in the planet. And when that didn't end up working out as everyone had hoped, they gave you other opportunities and you were still in the family and they were still believing in you and knew that there was somewhere in their portfolio that you could, you know, you could have success. I'm just really. Because usually you assume that the guys. Guys get chewed up and spit out and, you know, they have to go fend for themselves and they have to find this, you know, find whatever it is that next opportunity is if they want to be a race car driver. But it seems like in the Red Bull system, you had, you had a personal relationship or something about you that they liked and appreciated and didn't want to lose. And they wanted to. They had all kinds of other avenues for you to go down. You know, that's unique. Do you not see that as unbelievable?

[Scott Speed]

Luckily, yeah, unbelievable. Luckily for me, because I was never the kid that was going to go raise sponsorship or work on his image. The thing that.

[Michael Speed]

Is there anybody else or any other thing comparable to Red Bull in terms of like, hey, man, you know, hey, all right, that didn't work out. That's cool. We got this and this, this, this. You see anything here you like? Like, who the else does that?

[Scott Speed]

Well, I think you gotta remember Red Bull's a marketing company. I know my. My last name is Speed, and I'm a very authentic person. And so I fit the brand really good.

[Michael Speed]

There you go.

[Scott Speed]

And I was also. Was a really fast racing driver.

[Michael Speed]

Yeah.

[Scott Speed]

So I think all those things just fit really good. And certainly with the last name Speed, being an American, having a pretty good personality. I could always talk pretty good on camera. I could always engage with people pretty good. It was. It was just an easy fit for them.

[Freddie Kraft]

Hey, guys.

[Jared]

Welcome to actions detrimental post race six of 2026, which is Darlington.

[TJ]

There's a lot of talk about was

[Michael Speed]

this race overhyped, but how did you feel as a driver in the car? Was this right? Was this darlington different than previous? Not.

[Jared]

Not a lot. It was some, but. But not a lot. I could like the arrow and the horsepower change were equal to me and what. I felt different. And it was a, you know, a very small change. As it. As it was, the downforce is a bigger change than what the horsepower was, but it, you know, it wasn't that different. Still hard to pass. Still a very narrow racetrack where you can't get out of the wake of the. The cars around you. But I thought what was encouraging about it is very similar last week at Las Vegas. Good cars drove from the back to the front. And that's what we've been asking for. Right. I mean, we shouldn't have a problem with what we saw. If you saw in the teardown, I guess that the crowd would say 68% on the good race polls looks like it's a little higher than that. Good.

[Matt]

That.

[Jared]

That means that, you know, the overall vibe is more positive than not 77 right now because that's. That's. This is what we wanted. We knew that, hey, more horsepower, less downforce, lots of tire wear. You're going to have cars dominate because somebody will hit that Rubik's Cube just right. And 2311 did.

[Dale Jr.]

Jared, I will. I'll answer your question, though. And yes, I think had Denny, you and some other drivers not been as vocal of what I think fans heard that and were like, we're going to get Bristol. And I think expectations were a little higher.

[Jared]

Well, I'll tell you this. Had I known my car was gonna drive the way that it drove, I would have not given those warnings. But obviously our simulation was a law, you know what I mean? When everyone was talking about and I think the RFK guys, Chris Buscher was talking about it as well, that man, this thing is. It's hard to make a lap in simul and sim. I agreed. I agreed with that. It was, it was wild. But yeah, they teams figure it out, they tweak it, they get a little better drivers get used to driving it and next thing you know we have a pretty normal Darlington race other than I thought passing was a little better this time around.

[Michael Speed]

Dirty Mo Media Junior Motorsports and I have a new partner this year and we couldn't be more excited about this. A lot of y' all may have heard Arby's has come on board and we're loving every second of it. And Arby's has entered the chat with a meal deal that raises the bar for value. Introducing the new meat and three box for 7.99 that's filled with Arby's quality favorites. Each meat three box includes your choice of one sandwich. The classic roast beef that is hand sliced and slow roasted, the crispy chicken sandwich, or you can go with the crispy fish sandwich. All this comes with the melty mozzarella sticks, some crispy curly fries. Everybody loves those. And a peach cobbler roll for dessert. Guys, you gotta try that dessert. It's really good. And you get a small drink. It's called meat and three, but you're actually getting five items all for only 7.99. Nobody out there is giving you this much value for your money. This is a value meal that won't leave you hungry. You know you don't have to settle for less when you get more from Arby's. Available for a limited time at participating locations. While supplies last, prices may vary. Get your Meat and three box at an Arby's near you today.

[Amy]

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[Michael Speed]

Here's a question for you. Is Justin Allgaier hall of Famer?

[Dale Jr.]

Oh, so I.

[Michael Speed]

No, not yet. What if he wins another championship?

[Dale Jr.]

I mean, I have a controversial take though, with this one.

[Michael Speed]

Well, you got, you know, there's guys in the conversation like Sam Ard, Jack Ingram, Larry Phillips, for example. I mean, there's some guy, Larry Phillips, albeit didn't run in the bush or Xfinity O'Reilly series. But there are guys that are very successful outside of the Cup Series that gets considered. There's truck series champions that are considered for the hall of Fame. Make the ballot for the hall of Fame. I think he should make the ballot.

[Dale Jr.]

I have a country's take that I don't think.

[Michael Speed]

Oh, you don't want to tell it here.

[Dale Jr.]

Xfinity, O'Reilly, Bush nationwide should count. That should be.

[Michael Speed]

Are you serious?

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah.

[TJ]

Why would it not?

[Michael Speed]

It's the NASCAR hall of Fame, not the nascar.

[TJ]

It's under the NASCAR banner.

[Michael Speed]

It's, it's not the NASCAR cup hall of Fame.

[TJ]

I mean, if you look at some of the accomplishments, it's none of them at all.

[Michael Speed]

That is a pretty, that is really. That's actually a lot of nodding in here, too. A lot of other people agree.

[TJ]

That's kind of dumb to me.

[Dale Jr.]

Xfinity's like aaa and do we go look at AAA stats for a baseball player?

[TJ]

Yeah, but not everything works out perfect for everybody to get to the Cup Series. And there's still some great race car drivers that didn't get great cup rides to show what they could really do.

[Dale Jr.]

And I don't disagree with that.

[Michael Speed]

So you're thinking like this, this pioneer.

[TJ]

Yeah, I'm like looking at half these guys on here.

[Michael Speed]

You think Ray Hendrick, those guys that got voted in as modified champions shouldn't get in there.

[Dale Jr.]

Yeah, Well, I don't know the history

[Michael Speed]

of wait, but if you want to be honest about it, that's quite. That's another rung. That's another rung or two down the ladder.

[Dale Jr.]

If it was before, like, the NASCAR was created, then we can have a discussion. But if NASCAR Cup Series was there, then I think that's when it should start.

[TJ]

But it doesn't say NASCAR Cup Series hall of Fame. This is NASCAR hall of Fame.

[Michael Speed]

Yeah. It is literally not the Cup Series

[Dale Jr.]

hall of Fame, but Major League Baseball.

[Travis]

This isn't.

[Dale Jr.]

Baseball includes everything.

[Michael Speed]

I know. Well, that's Major League Baseball. They are literally saying, this is Major League Baseball. Mlb, the top. So the NASCAR hall of Fame is. Is cup and more.

[TJ]

There's a lot of guys that have really great accomplishments that just didn't turn out right.

[Dale Jr.]

But the hall of. In my opinion, it's the hall of Fame, not the hall of. Really good.

[Michael Speed]

Yeah, but it's not cup only. They've. They're not. No one ever came in and said, hey, y', all, this is just cup only. And you're saying that. Yeah. Well, it's not. It's not the hollow.

[Dale Jr.]

That's my opinion.

[Michael Speed]

But you're. You got. I know you're changing literally what the hall of Fame is. It's not.

[TJ]

Yeah.

[Dale Jr.]

You're asking me if I would vote someone in. I'm saying, no, I wouldn't.

[Matt]

All right.

[Michael Speed]

Bam. I hope you're never on the committee.

[Dale Jr.]

I don't think I will be.

[TJ]

Yeah. I don't think we have to worry about that.

[Michael Speed]

It's scary what people think, isn't it, T.J. i don't.

[Dale Jr.]

I think there's more people that would agree with me than you realize.

[TJ]

I disagree with you. I think you're going to be on an island here, man.

[Michael Speed]

Yeah. Tim's. You sat down in this conversation just now. Tim's walked into this, into this, this. What do you think about that opinion?

[Travis]

I agree with Travis.

[Michael Speed]

Are you serious? You're a liar. Oh, my God.

[Travis]

It doesn't get the same amount of coverage.

[Michael Speed]

Hey, don't get offended when I call you a liar. T.J. doesn't like that. He texts me after every show when I call him that, and he's like, stop calling me a liar.

[TJ]

That was after just one other. One problem there.

[Michael Speed]

So isolated incident.

[TJ]

It was a nice.

[Michael Speed]

I don't believe you. I think he's pinching you under the table or something.

[Travis]

No, I totally agree. I mean, I, I, I agree with both sides. I'll say that because the hall of Fame is a museum. We celebrate the sport, but we celebrate the cup guys way more than the

[Michael Speed]

other guys we do.

[Travis]

So that should take higher precedent when

[Michael Speed]

you're hall of Fame class. He's saying no one out of the outside of the cup should ever be elected. We do. Cup success absolutely weighs more into your opportunity to make the ballot. You'll look at the ballot every year and the names that are. That are discussed by the committee and. And see predominantly cup guys, you know, dominating the list, which is.

[TJ]

Right.

[Michael Speed]

Which is fair. That's. That's fine. He's saying that a guy like Justin Allgaier shouldn't even be considered.

[Travis]

It's a conversation, but if. So not Justin Allgaier. But if someone has failed at the cup level and went back and they were more successful in the lower series, which has happened. I know, but I don't. I don't feel like that should count. I mean, if they've never gotten to a certain level, like a short, why

[TJ]

shouldn't it count, though? Maybe they didn't work out right and get into it. Getting to it.

[Michael Speed]

There's a great cup car. That's another great conversation. What if. What if Pinsky, you know, had hung. Hung in there a little bit with Justin.

[Dale Jr.]

Sorry about it. That's it in every sport. Like, what if the dude's offensive lineman would have blocked better form?

[Michael Speed]

I know, but just Justin didn't fail

[TJ]

doesn't mean he's a worse driver.

[Michael Speed]

That means Justin didn't like.

[Travis]

That's why if you didn't get the opportunity.

[Michael Speed]

He never did. He raced Xfinity for Pinsky.

[Travis]

He's a good. He's a good argument. But if there's other drivers that fail

[Michael Speed]

at the top, he did get. He did actually get to cut, but he never really got that kind of solid opportunity.

[TJ]

Yeah, he'd never gotten to a top, like, top 10 cup car.

[Michael Speed]

No, I'm just saying, you know, Justin. I believe. I'm hoping that Justin tacks on a few more things to create the conversation around him being a nominee one day. But I wonder how folks in the.

[TJ]

Well, he's only gonna tell.

[Michael Speed]

I wonder how folks in the comments feel that if you didn't race cup, you don't get a chance to even make the conversation.

[Dale Jr.]

I think most are disagreeing with me, though. One person says A.J. foyt should not be in. He's IndyCar.

[Travis]

Matt Crafton is name coming up. That did me a lot of cup starts that sorry time Truck champion.

[Michael Speed]

Matt will probably be on the Ballot because of what he's done in the trucks. But in Travis's eyes, again, I'm just reminding folks online he wouldn't even be. He wouldn't even get a chance to be in the discussion.

[TJ]

But, like, Mike Stefanik, like, that guy. I'm looking.

[Travis]

That's where I disagree with Travis. He never got to that level.

[TJ]

Maybe he didn't want to go to that level.

[Michael Speed]

That's true.

[Travis]

But he. But no, no, he should be.

[Michael Speed]

He's saying. He's saying he would vote Stefanic in, but not a truck racer. Like, I. I know.

[Travis]

I'm also in the minority.

[TJ]

You're weird.

[Michael Speed]

What is your basis? Because, like, the grassroots guy that does all sorts of badass get your vote, but the guy that wins three truck series championships does not.

[TJ]

Show me. Show me the stats, Stefanics.

[Travis]

What does he want?

[TJ]

Show me his stats.

[Travis]

Oh, dude, that's.

[Michael Speed]

That.

[Travis]

That's. You can't top that. That's incredible. Why is it deserves to be.

[Michael Speed]

Like, he's saying. He's saying it deserved to be in there.

[TJ]

How can you say that?

[Travis]

It's flawed. I know, but that's how the brain works.

[TJ]

Oh, my gosh.

[Michael Speed]

Nine.

[TJ]

Just nine championships.

[Michael Speed]

Nine championships.

[TJ]

74 modified wins.

[Travis]

Deserving.

[Dale Jr.]

But at what level do you think

[TJ]

those were easy to win?

[Dale Jr.]

Easier than a cup?

[TJ]

Are you.

[Michael Speed]

I mean, I don't know that you can say that. I mean, I know. I mean, I don't know you can say that either.

[TJ]

Yeah.

[Michael Speed]

I mean, some of those were harder to win than a cup race.

[TJ]

Nine champions.

[Michael Speed]

I would. I would absolutely guess that some of the races that he won, ran on a modified were tougher to win than a Cup race.

[TJ]

If he was in a Hendrick car.

[Michael Speed]

Yeah.

[TJ]

During these years, what could he have won a championship in the Cup Series?

[Michael Speed]

Oh, I mean, how. Now what are we doing?

[TJ]

Yeah, I'm just saying, like.

[Dale Jr.]

Wait, so then are we gonna create some drivers on a scale? They had this many wins, but it was in a lesser car, so we're gonna boost it. I don't care what car you in. What did you do when you were in the Cup Series?

[TJ]

I just don't think that's a fair.

[Dale Jr.]

Like, we don't look at, like, a quarterback, and, like, oh, he was good, but if he only had a better team, you know, his stats would have been better. Like, so let's put him in the hall of Fame.

[TJ]

I. I mean, look at Sam Darnold. Everyone wrote him off after going to the Jets. Now he's a Super bowl champion, but

[Dale Jr.]

he's not a Hall of Famer.

[TJ]

I'm not saying he is, but it matters. Like what you get.

[Dale Jr.]

No, I agree, it matters. But what I'm saying though is when it comes time of your career is over, you don't get bonus points for you are in a bad car. Sorry.

[TJ]

I'm just saying timing works out.

[Michael Speed]

Y' all are now having an entirely different conversation.

[Dale Jr.]

No, no, I'm not.

[Michael Speed]

I'm just saying I want to let y' all talk, but y' all always do this. We end up going way over here. Nobody even wants to have this conversation.

[TJ]

We started off way over here with this conversation.

[Dale Jr.]

I'm just saying, like, you don't get bonus points because you were in a lesser car.

[Michael Speed]

Okay, Yeah. I mean, no one's arguing that. No one.

[TJ]

Not really arguing that.

[Michael Speed]

So. All right, never mind. It's known to the world that you're, you're, you're. You're out there. You're out there on an island. I know I am.

[Dale Jr.]

I'm with you.

[Travis]

I'm on that island.

[Michael Speed]

Okay.

[Dale Jr.]

I was hesitant to even say it to begin with.

[Michael Speed]

I'm glad he said it. Brave of you to share such a crazy idea.

[Dale Jr.]

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[Freddie Kraft]

Hey, what's up, everybody? Welcome back to Door Bumper Clear. I am still Freddie Kraft.

[Amy]

All right, this is the furthest into the season without a win for Hendrick Motorsports since 2019, and it is officially time to start worrying. Spot on. Spot off, Freddy.

[Freddie Kraft]

Spot off. Does Hendrick ever worry?

[Michael Speed]

I mean, would they.

[Matt]

I think they are.

[Freddie Kraft]

Do you think they are right now?

[Matt]

I think they are, you know, more.

[Freddie Kraft]

You would know.

[Matt]

No, I mean, I just think they are. Is because of their past history. Right. I mean, I think they're all very competitive people and have won a lot, obviously, tons and tons of races, and they are probably feeling a little bit of the pressure. Right. I mean, but they, they know, again, to Matt's point, it's a long year, right. And a lot of things can happen, but they know. They probably know they should be better than they are now. Right. And there's some things that they need to figure out. So, yeah, I think. I think they're a little confused and a little worried for sure.

[Freddie Kraft]

I mean, they're going to figure this out, right?

[Matt]

Sometimes. Sometimes with the situation, you might not be able to. So we'll see.

[John]

Yeah, I would say spot on because I think you can't give up races anymore. And I think with the old format, if you get off to a slow start with a new body style and they are going to figure it out. But back then you could win three or four races and set yourself up with playoff points to be in a really good spot. But the thing that I think they should worry about not that they're not ever going to figure it out. You have to be I think top three, maybe four in regular season points to win this championship. And these are three drivers now that have expectations of winning the championships and if they don't get to the top three, that, that's a long shot.

[Freddie Kraft]

Yeah. And I mean we're talking about them maybe being in panic mode because they haven't want to race. All three of the guys that have been running full time are in the top 10 at points. So it's not like, you know, they're still competitive, they're still running. They just don't have maybe race winning speed right now. The five was pretty good yesterday. I saw him, he ended up back by us about 8th or 9th. So I don't exactly know where. Where he netted out but like he

[Matt]

got in the wall.

[Michael Speed]

He.

[Matt]

He fell all the way back into.

[Freddie Kraft]

At the all at the end he broke. Yeah, I think he broke a toe link or something. Right. But yeah, they, they have speed. They're gonna, they still can. Are capable of running top five. They just have not been able to have that race winning speed that we've seen from them in the past.

[Michael Speed]

Are there any 20, 25 playoff drivers

[Amy]

that you guys think should be worrying

[Michael Speed]

at this point in 2026?

[Amy]

You got Hamlin, Briscoe, Christopher Bell, all the hindrant guys.

[Freddie Kraft]

Well, John, Josh Berry is the guy that's, you know, stands out. He's not, he's not going to make the play playoffs I don't think at this point. They just don't have the consistent speed. Who else?

[Matt]

McGanna's right on the cups right now, right?

[Freddie Kraft]

Yeah, he's 16th right now but I mean he'll. They'll. Them guys. You talk about anybody that figures it out like they'll Paul pull some out of his ass and, and they'll be top 10 at points before you know it. Briscoe's making his way up. You know we talked about yesterday a couple weeks ago how he was. He was buried in points. He's up to 22nd. He is only, I don't know, 30 something out. Maybe 31 points out of the playoffs. So the guys I'd be worried about though, Briscoe's not going to make. I mean I'm sorry, not Briscoe. Barry's not going to make it. Austin Dillon's going to have a hard time making it. I've just. Of the playoff guys from last year, Cindrick is another one. You look at the guys that probably won their way in last year, Matt, that are going to probably have a hard time making it on points.

[John]

Yeah. I think there's, there's two conversations we're trying to have.

[Freddie Kraft]

Right.

[John]

Like worry to make the Chase. I mean. Yeah, Josh. Right. But I also, I go back to. Again, you want to be top three or four in points. With the slow start that Chase Briscoe had, he's going to make the Chase. So it's not a question of whether or not he's going to race for the championship. But I do think that, you know, everyone said we wanted points racing again. The, the consequential nature of these first six races have likely cost Chase Briscoe, unless he goes on a Tony Stewart tear, a chance to win this championship.

[Freddie Kraft]

Yeah. Because he's going to be Stewart.

[Matt]

What about Tyler Reddick?

[Freddie Kraft]

Well, but, you know, he, yeah, like we talked about that a couple weeks ago is like, you know, he's Barry. Like at that point he was 32nd or something like that. It's like, yes, he can get in the playoffs, but that's not going to be enough. Like, it's not like the gap in the playoffs used to be from top to bottom was 20, 30 points, you know, now it's going to be. It's like 160 or something like that or whatever it is. 125 from first to last. So you're not making that deficit up if you just, if you're able to sneak into 16th, you're not. So you need to, like you said, you need to get in that top five to have a legitimate shot at it.

[Michael Speed]

Let me tell us, set this up here. Amy loves carrot cake. We're gonna, you know, get her a carrot cake for her birthday.

[Amy]

We me for the first time ever.

[Michael Speed]

Yeah. And you know, last year at this time, I forgot the carrot cake and I got her what I wanted, which was red velvet. Steve park come in here and delivered us a carrot cake from a local bakery. And Amy loved that carrot cake and said, when you get me one, get me one from this place.

[Amy]

Yes. Well, well, who doesn't like a local bakery? Anyway? It's special.

[Michael Speed]

So I googled carrot cake near me

[Amy]

and it found so, so ill equipped to find a damn carrot cake in town. He has to Google carrot cake near me by chance.

[Michael Speed]

It brings up good eats and sweets by Dan and that is the place that Steve park brought the other. And that is pure coincidence that that is what it gave me.

[Amy]

God gave you that. Go handed you that.

[Michael Speed]

Here's the place you need to go. I screenshot it on my phone, has the phone number on it. And I text it to Stephen. I said, steven, even call this number, order the cake. I'm going to pick it up. Don't go get it. I'm going to get it in my head. I have ordered the cake from a bunt cake place in a over by.

[Amy]

Everybody knows everything but bunt cakes. The bunt cake joints or something.

[Michael Speed]

Yeah, everything in my head, that's where we've ordered the cake from. And so when he says the cake is ready, I drive over to the bundt cake store. I walk in thinking that this is where the cake's at.

[Amy]

Yeah.

[Michael Speed]

I walk up and I'm standing there thinking that there is an Amy cake in the back. The lady walks out and goes, hey, what do you need? You know, what can I do for you? What are you here for? You know? And I'm like, well, there's a birthday cake for Amy in the back. I'm here to get it. She goes, oh, okay. All right. She walks back there, you know, rummages around and produces a cake. And I'm in there waiting on her, and I find a card and all this stuff on the rack. And I'm like, all right, perfect. I'm gonna get a card. I'll draw in it, and the kids can draw in it, and I'll draw in it, and we'll draw in it, and the kids can draw in it, and we'll give her the card, and lady produces a cake. I buy the card, the cake, and walk out. I've got the cake. A day later, Stefan calls and says, hey, man, there's. They still got the cake. I was like, they ain't got the cake. I picked it up. And he's like, nah, man, they got the cake. They say, you ain't came and got it. And he's like, I'm gonna go take it. I'm gonna go take care of it.

[Amy]

I'm gonna go by there and see how what's going on here.

[Michael Speed]

And in my mind, I think he's going to the bundt cake place. And he goes there, picks up a cake, he takes a picture of it, and I'm like, that's way different looking. So I said, stephen, bring that cake to the house. He brings it over. Now I got two cakes.

[Amy]

But we still don't know what type of cake is in the bundt cake box or what other Amy is missing their cake.

[Michael Speed]

Yes. So now we know. I figured it out. You ordered from the right place, because that's the right. That's the. That's the number I gave you. I thought you ordered from Bundt Cake. I went to Bundt Cake, walked in there, and pulled a cake out of that place that belonged to somebody else. And you brought the right cake. So we were able to eat the cake Amy wanted. But somebody from Bundt Cake is cakeless,

[TJ]

or they just made you one.

[Amy]

Somebody else named Amy who also had a birthday this week. We're very sorry. We didn't mean to do that.

[Michael Speed]

You know, in my mind, I'm at the right place with the cake and Amy's. Amy's cake's back there. And I go, yeah, you got a cake for Amy in the back? I'm here to get it. And she goes, oh, okay, let me go back there. She goes back there, comes back out with a cake, and she goes, here you go. Happy birthday. You know, it's got all the things on it. Happy birthday. All the stuff on it.

[Amy]

Yo, you totally did steal somebody's cake. Oh, my God. I feel like we need to go back and, like, apologize. You said you just paid for the card. Did you pay for the card?

[Michael Speed]

I need to look at the receipt. But when. That's another thing. So when I asked her, I put the card on the table and I said, she. She sets the cake down and goes, you're all set. And I go, I know.

[Amy]

And I go, so now we've stolen a cake.

[Michael Speed]

I go, hey, I want to buy this card. And she rings the card up. It's like five bucks. So I didn't pay for a cake.

[Amy]

Oh, my gosh.

[Michael Speed]

But I'm. I mean, look, man, I'm not. I'm walking out thinking, damn, maybe he. He put a card on it or something.

[TJ]

Yeah, if I. If that was the place, I would have.

[Michael Speed]

I'm.

[Amy]

You straight hijacked a cake.

[Michael Speed]

I know. I. I mean, whoever paid. Whoever's cake, it was prepaid, I suppose.

[Amy]

Yeah. We need to go back and pay for the cake.

[Michael Speed]

Yeah, we. We'll take it back another eight.

[Amy]

No, we're not taking the cake back.

[Michael Speed]

We should take it back.

[Amy]

We can't return the cake.

[Michael Speed]

We're not gonna eat it.

[Amy]

It's for us now. It's our cake now.

[Michael Speed]

Okay.

[Amy]

This is kind of like the razor.

[Michael Speed]

Like, we haven't even eaten half of the second cake.

[Amy]

I know. It's really big, man. We're very sorry about the Bundt cake.

[Michael Speed]

Yeah, we are. We'll figure it out.

[Amy]

We're gonna come back and pay for

[Michael Speed]

that bundt cake store and explain ourselves all right, that was another episode of the Dirty 30 presented by Arby's. New meat in three box get more meal for your money At Arby's we had the meats.

[Amy]

Why have we asked our contractor we found on Angie.com to be our kids legal guardian? Because he took such good care when redoing our basement that we knew we could trust him to care for our kids.

[Michael Speed]

Uh, we only met a month ago. Angie the one you trust. Define the ones you trust.

[Freddie Kraft]

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[Amy]

I need to start off the new year right by getting the most for my money.

[Freddie Kraft]

I just opened a goto bank account

[Michael Speed]

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[Amy]

I want to save money on filing my taxes.

[Michael Speed]

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[Freddie Kraft]

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[Amy]

That sounds like a great way to start the year.

[Freddie Kraft]

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[Amy]

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