← The Dale Jr. Download
The Dale Jr. Download
Xfinity Championship 4 Drivers: The Favorite, The Champ, The Outlier & The Outsider
01:09:13
Dale Earnhardt Jr. welcomes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship competitors for a driver tell-all before the big race this weekend. He is joined by Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil and Jesse Love to discuss their seasons and path for surviving elimination at Martinsville. Plus, Dale breaks some news on the show.
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- [00:00]
Justin Allgaier
Bubba Wallace here from 2311 Racing. You know what's slower than a pace car waiting at the car wash? That's when I fire up Chumba Casino.
- [00:08]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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- [00:10]
Justin Allgaier
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- [00:20]
Connor Zilisch
No purchase necessary. VGW Group void where prohibited by law. CTNC's 21 plus, sponsored by Jumba Casino.
- [00:26]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Family owned Community Coffee, just released a new flavored coffee, Grandma's sugar Cookie. It joins spiced pumpkin pecan pies, Community's limited time flavored coffees available now. Grandma's Sugar Cookie has the nostalgic flavors.
- [00:40]
Jessica Muir
Of sweet buttery holiday sugar cookies fresh.
- [00:43]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Out of the oven. And spiced pumpkin pecan pie satisfies fall.
- [00:47]
Jessica Muir
Cravings with warm seasonal flavors of baked pumpkin pie and cinnamon and nutmeg.
- [00:52]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Save 25% on these limited time flavored coffees with code DALE25@communitycoffee.com that's DALE, 25 for 25% off only@communitycoffee.com Y' all are.
- [01:04]
Connor Zilisch
Going to experience things you've never experienced before. Like what the coolest moment is when you do driver introductions. You walk out on the stage and there's four of you standing out there, right? And there's smoke and there's pyro and fans are cheering and you're like, I get to do this as a job. It's really easy to get caught up and be nervous and all the stuff.
- [01:22]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Or think that enjoying it is bad.
- [01:25]
Connor Zilisch
I did the. I did the headphones one year, music on and, like, just blocked everybody out. I'm like, I'm.
- [01:29]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I'm too good for this.
- [01:32]
Connor Zilisch
Terrible idea.
- [01:33]
Carson Hocevar
Terrible idea.
- [01:34]
Connor Zilisch
Terrible idea.
- [01:34]
Justin Allgaier
That's gonna be Jesse.
- [01:36]
Jesse Love
Real different, man.
- [01:38]
Justin Allgaier
That's true. Enjoy it.
- [01:41]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The following is a production of Dirty Mo Media. This episode of the Dale junior Download is proudly brought to you by Xfinity. Here with us today are the four championship contending drivers of the Xfinity series. Xfinity. They've been a great title sponsor for the last 11 years, and we're thankful for all they have done for the series, for its drivers, and for its fans. Let's hear from Jessica Muir, senior director of brand partnerships and engagements at Comcast.
- [02:13]
Jessica Muir
Thanks, Dale. It's great to see you and I'm excited to bring these four great drivers to chat with you today as we head into championship weekend. We'll also be closing out an incredible chapter as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Xfinity series. So thanks for taking a moment to celebrate everything this series and its community has accomplished over the past 11 years. For Xfinity, this partnership has always been about progress and imagining what's possible, modernizing the sport, supporting the next generation of champions, and helping fans feel even more connected to the racing experience. Now, let's get into it with these guys.
- [02:56]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
All right, so on the Dale Jr. Download here, we got a lot of guests at the table. Carson Cooppel, Connor Zillitz, Jesse Love, Justin Allgire, all the four drivers that are going for the championship this weekend in Phoenix. Thank you to Xfinity for bringing all you guys here. It's pretty cool. I don't get to do this too often. And so yeah, I, I kind of want to. At the end of the show, I want people who are listening to this go, I like that guy. I'm going to pull for that guy. Right? So that's kind of the objective today. Everybody's came from kind of a different path, you know, to get to where you're going. Justin, you're the veteran, been around here for a while, defending champion. And the rest of you guys are trying to win your first championship in the Xfinity series. So. But first off, Jesse, you're the only guy who's not on Junior Motorsports race team. I want to welcome you here, man. You ought to feel kind of at home. There are some RCR pieces hanging on the wall around here, so there's a little bit of energy from your neck of the woods in this room. But thanks for coming out.
- [03:58]
Jesse Love
Yeah, absolutely. I've been a fan of the show for a long time. Remember my first episode I ever listened to was I think Darrell Waltrip on the show and I like fell in love with it. Listening talk about how they cheated things up or yes, ingenuity back then, things like that.
- [04:12]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
So check this out. So I can't even lift it. So this is a old. So this, this was glued on top of here, but it broke off. But this is what the radios used to look like. That's how big the radios were back in the day. And this, this is from 1978. Darrell Walter's team used this and this would. They would put this in the car to go through take and it looks just like a radio, don't it? Yeah, like knobs and everything.
- [04:36]
Connor Zilisch
I can't imagine the crew guy, they're trying to pull that out and make it look non conspicuous, just like Pulling that thing out of the.
- [04:42]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I know they brought. They gave me that. One of the guys that was a creature. So I'm the same way. I love the ingenuity. We don't really have that much of it today where our guys can find some advantage.
- [04:53]
Jesse Love
I feel like y'.
- [04:53]
Justin Allgaier
All.
- [04:54]
Jesse Love
Y' all have some.
- [04:54]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Well, yeah, so do you. So do you.
- [04:57]
Jesse Love
Yeah.
- [04:57]
Connor Zilisch
You guys, we just. We just had to talk about Rockingham. Yeah. At the racetrack this weekend, we talked about Rockingham.
- [05:03]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
There's not a race. I am upset with a race team if they actually bring a legal race car to the racetrack because they're doing it wrong. All of the cars got a little bend to the rule in some areas, but, yeah, there's not as much creativity, I guess, as what we used to have back in the day. It's pretty fun listening to some of them stories. But I guess we'll start with you, Jesse. You've raced for championships before. You are a champion in the ARCA series, but I don't really know a whole lot about you prior to that. So, like, what was your route through? Where did you find racing? How did you get introduced to racing?
- [05:43]
Jesse Love
Yeah, so I grew up in California. My dad grew up running quarter midgets with Jeff Gordon and his stepdad, John Bickford and guys like that. So it's kind of always, I guess, in the background. But my dad went to law school, Jeff went to Indiana, started racing sprint cars and stuff. So, yeah, I started racing quarter midgets When I was 5 years old, and then to 10 years old, I started getting into midgets and sprint cars and things like that. And, yeah, I was basically kind of an open wheel guy on California at the time. It was still both dirt and pavement. So I raced midgets and sprint cars for five years, six years, and then started getting into late models and, like, pro late models and things like that. I almost came and ran for you. I remember when I was probably 14 or something like that. I remember that part of my life where I was starting to talk about moving out to the East Coast. But, yeah, based on my whole life, I've always done midgets, sprint cars, dirt and pavement, and then the late model stuff on the background. And then when I was 15, I got the opportunity with Napa and Bill, Mac and Allie to go run arca.
- [06:48]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Yes. And so you've kind of had success at every level. What. You know, how do you feel about your Xfinity career thus far? And having this opportunity to race for a championship is incredible. Having some degree of understanding of what. What battling for a championship is all about is important. I think that you carry an advantage having been through, even though it's a unique system, a completely different system that you raced in in the past and won championships in the past, still just kind of knowing the mentality and the headspace you got to be in. Talk about how your, you know, your Xfinity career has kind of prepped you for this moment.
- [07:23]
Jesse Love
Yeah. Like you said, it's definitely something that you get used to. Right. The pressure of the. Of the situation, even if it's not the pressure cooker format of the playoffs. Right. But still, racing for championships, most of my. My life, I have the, I guess the knack for it now, so there's some confidence in that. But, yeah, Xfinity, it's been tough, right? We obviously, to get some wins was. Was important. Well, obviously we got that. So that's, you know, checklist number one. But after that, it's just. It's been hard to win on a consistent basis, for sure. We've gotten our stuff, you know, good to where we can run up front, and I've gotten better to where I can almost always race for the win on any weekend. Unfortunately, I feel like two guys here have almost all the races, so it scoops up a lot of, I guess, what's available. And we've kind of been right there. So, yeah, I feel like there's been good, there's been bad. But I think what I'm happiest with is I've definitely progressed as a driver, obviously me and Connor both, but we're in Carson, too. And I think Justin was with Josh and Scott, you know, wise a little bit, but we learned so much, you know, and even when we kind of go through dry spells or hard situations, we're all learning so much being part of that wise optimization program. So I've just developed a lot as a person and obviously a race car driver over the last two years, and that's what I've found the most enjoyment.
- [08:51]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
In working with rcr. You know, it's a. We compete, we race hard against each other, but there's a massive amount of respect, I think, between Junior motorsports and rcr, but obviously Kelly, myself, Richard, the family connection that we have with dad's success there and all that, that'll. That'll be there no matter what happens on the racetrack and what happens between us year to year on the Xfinity series. But so I understand what RCR is all about. What's your experience Been kind of getting to know the history. Have you been through the museum? You know, have you really allowed yourself to sort of enjoy what RCR is about? They're a unique sort of outlier up there in welcome. They have their own sort of. They have their own sort of attitude. Their approach to racing, it's a lot more old school, and they'll take it to anybody. They kind of have this sort of unique attitude about it, and they've shown that over the last couple years especially. But what's been your experience racing with Richard and those guys?
- [09:54]
Jesse Love
Yeah, it's definitely a good point. Right. You want to know what you're racing for, right? Obviously, at least how I feel as a driver.
- [10:01]
Connor Zilisch
Right.
- [10:01]
Jesse Love
I'm racing for my guys. My probably God and my family first and then my guys second. Right. So what am I racing for at rcr? Right. I wanted to figure that out pretty quick. And whether it be going through the museum or just getting closer to the people, Richard himself, me and my crew chief, Danny stockman, are really tight. And the whole team as well. We're all pretty young on our team. I don't think we got anybody over 48 on our team. So, you know, all me and my guys, the road guys get along really well. And I know what I'm racing for. I know who I'm racing for. So, yeah, it's been a definitely unique experience. Right. Coming from sprint cars and midgets in California, in the midwest and things like that. To racing for RCR was a big culture shock and something that I really, you know, fell in love with. Right. So I've had a lot of ton of fun, Even just the drives, you know, to welcome. I know sometimes I might bitch about it to Connor. Right. It is. It is a pain to drive that hour. But again, you know what, you're. What you're racing for, and you're back in that history of where RCR has been almost their whole, you know, livelihood. So I really. I've really loved it, really enjoy it. And I get along with everybody there really well. And me and Austin hill are, you know, two completely different people. Right. But we obviously, I think we motivate each other in different ways. So it's been a good relationship there. Now that we have that squared up. And I've really enjoyed my time.
- [11:30]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
You and Connor are great friends. Connor, how did. How do y' all become buddies?
- [11:33]
Connor Zilisch
Yeah, it started.
- [11:34]
Justin Allgaier
It's funny, actually, in 2021, I think I wasn't really into the NASCAR scene yet. And Toyota, he was with Toyota at the time, and they had a karting program and Toyota would pay me a hundred bucks a day to go out there and coach all their development drivers in the go karts. And, you know, at this point, I was trying to get my name on the map. I was trying to, you know, get some sort of notoriety or get picked up or, you know, get some sort of help. So I was doing it and I met, you know, all the Toyota development drivers at the time who were there. Jesse was one of them. And I met Jesse doing that and, you know, he could probably tell you a little better, but he thought, who the hell is this kid trying to tell me what to do? You know? And that's all I really did. I was a go kart racer and I was a road racer, and I didn't know any of the kids that I was helping, but, you know, I was just trying to help them. And, you know, now that I look back on it, it's kind of funny because all those drivers that I was helping, now I'm racing against. So, yeah, I met Jesse through that and we clicked pretty, pretty quickly. And yeah, we've been friends ever since. And you know, it's, it's kind of funny having a friend that you race against every week. I'm sure you've been through it and it's just, it's, you know, it's hard to go through a 33, 35, 38 week schedule and not have people that you can travel with and say, you know, I'm friends with that guy, I can hang out with him. You know, you can become miserable pretty quickly. So I found it important to find people that I enjoy hanging out with on the road. And, you know, you know, Jesse's been someone that I've been able to be friends with for the last few years. And, you know, our relationships unique because of the situation, but I feel like we both help each other more than we hurt each other.
- [13:22]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Yeah, sometimes. I mean, I've had friends in the business and race against them, but they will. It doesn't happen every year, but there'll be times when things on the racetrack can get a little confusing. You expect a little bit more out of that, you know, out of that guy. But I, you know, do you think you've been able to kind of understand the season that you had this year? I mean, I think about myself at your age. I wasn't able to really understand exactly what I was doing and what I was going through until it was in the rear view quite a ways. Right but, you know, so you're having a really historical season statistically, and I know that there's still one more goal right out there in front of you that you want to accomplish and win the championship. And maybe you don't allow yourself to think about the season until it's done, but, you know, it's been a hell of a, hell of a run.
- [14:19]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah, it's, it's pretty crazy, honestly. Every Monday after the weekend, I'll kind of just sit there in bed and when I wake up, I'll kind of, before I go to my pre race meeting, I'll just kind of reflect. I wake up a little early and I'll just sit there and think about the weekend. And you know, obviously a lot of the weekends this year, it's been reflecting on a weekend that we won. So it's pretty, pretty crazy. I think I could tell you that I understand what's going on, but in reality, I don't think, you know, it's, it's really hit me yet, so. It's just so hard. You know, you race every week, you don't have a lot of time to look back.
- [14:57]
Connor Zilisch
You're.
- [14:57]
Justin Allgaier
You, you know, you finish the race and you're already looking forward to the next week. And there's good, good and bad to that because you can burn yourself out really quickly and you can also just not make it fun for yourself. So I've tried my best to be reflective, to enjoy the good moments, to celebrate the good moments with friends and family. And I feel like that's helped me kind of enjoy the season that I've had and not get too focused on, okay, I won this race, now I gotta go win next week. Because in reality that's, you know, that's not the nature of this sport. You know, when 38 guys show up to the track and only one can walk out a winner. Not everyone's going to be happy and you're not going to be happy every week. So it's, it's certainly been, been a challenge, you know, as tough as that is to say a challenge, you know, winning 10 races this year, but kind of grasping it has certainly been something that I've had to learn.
- [15:51]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Your season started out, you know, good, but, you know, by no means I don't think anybody, you know, you weren't running the way you ran over the last handful of races. Season kind of was, it was more, you know, you'd go to, we watched you go to Texas and other races early in the season and we're like all right. You know, there's the. You can see the glimpses. You can see the potential. And Marty, you know, we talk with Marty a little bit, and he talk about coming, how you. Some things that you were going to have to get better at, and you got hurt at Dega. You come back from that, and everything was completely different. Like, you were a completely different driver. It was like a giant leap forward in your ability to close races, your ability to be fast, your ability to have a good car at the end of a tire run, all those things. And I know a lot of it is great race cars, and a lot of it is just good fortune. Some things went the right way and fell the right way, but the wins are impressive. But I thought the, the, the top fives and breaking Sam Large record was probably the more impressive thing for me. Just the sustainability of your, Your performance throughout the season, going through the injuries. How did they not derail the year? How did you. How did you kind of keep your heading the game and not allow. Those are two serious things that could have been great excuses to go, well, you know, this ain't the year, or you could have took more time away or whatever, right?
- [17:25]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah, yeah, it was. It was certainly, you know, as good as the year has been, there have been down moments. And when I sat out at Texas, we had two off weeks, and then we had Texas, and the doctors when I, when I hurt my back, told me to sit out at Texas. And, you know, I remember Kyle Larson got in my car and basically went out and kicked everybody's ass. And, you know, when you watch the car with your name on it and you're not driving it and it's out there, you know, as, you know, the fastest car on the track wins the race. It's frustrating, and it certainly lit a fire under my butt to go out and go do that. And also having three weeks off to kind of just reset, I feel like I was. I was so amped up at the beginning of the year, just excited and, and I went out and I was fast. But then I'd. I'd do something stupid and, and ruin my race. And I eventually got to the point where I was like, I'm tired of doing this. Like, I'm not going to. I'm not going to go out there and, you know, per se, give a hundred percent every week and, and, you know, be fast. Be fast, have a chance to win, and then do something that's going to, you know, ruin the race. So I kind of went back after that. I went to Charlotte. And I was just like, all right, 98%. You know, I'm going to give it my all, but, you know, I'm not going to do too much, and I'm not going to put myself in a bad spot. And we ran second, and then I went back to Nashville the next week and did the same thing. And, you know, I kind of thought to myself, I was like, man, I don't need to give 100% every single week to be fast and to be good. My cars are good enough. I can just go out, execute, do my job, and finish where I'm supposed to. And, you know, know when I finish where I'm supposed to, it's usually a pretty good finish with the cars that we've had this year. So, yeah, I certainly had a mentality shift. And also, you know, when. When two guys fill in when you're hurt, and both times they fill in, they win, it tells you something. I mean, it's.
- [19:17]
Jesse Love
It's.
- [19:18]
Justin Allgaier
It's. It's been a really good year for us, but, you know, my team is a big part of that, so, you know, I'm glad that I was able to get paired up with Marty, and I've learned a lot from him and his background. He's been racing since he was a little kid, you know, with his dad, and it's been really cool to be able to just be a part of it and learn from all the guys on my team.
- [19:40]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Carson, been a lot of fun working with you over the last several years in the CARS tour and seeing you develop as a driver and as a person. Been awesome to get to know your dad better after racing with him for so many years. We really didn't have much of a relationship when we competed against each other in the cup series, but, you know, it's just been a lot of fun working with your family and working with Caden in the late model stocks next year, and he just come off a win at Wilkesboro, so a lot of great energy around all of that. You got an opportunity this year to race full time, and you've made the most of it. You know, it's been a tough year. You've had some ups and downs you had to work really hard to get through in Martinsville. You know, kind of explain, I guess, where your head's at going into the Phoenix race. Do you feel like, you know, you have a little bit of an underdog mentality against these three guys, comparable to the seasons they've had?
- [20:37]
Carson Hocevar
Yeah, definitely. I mean, I feel like we've Brought good race cars. Right. And we've had really good runs, some highlights, I guess you could say. Right. But we haven't had the consistent out the out the door starter practice speed week in, week to week out. And I feel like that's something that I probably need to figure out. But sometimes we've just been a little bit off. Right. And it's tough when you're racing against these three guys and obviously the other 35, it's just, it's a different level. Right. And the car Stewart stuff that we've been doing was super tough. But working with Brian and working with all the late model guys over there, they had been doing it for 10 years straight and that was their weekly thing was just go to Hickory, go to Southern national and you can look back at eight years of notes to go from. Right. But the Xfinity series is just tough and everyone has great race cars, obviously, all my team and Jesse and all the other cars, but just a little bit different than what I'm used to and just seems like it's taken me a minute to kind of figure it out, I guess you could say, and be a consistent front runner. Like I said, we have highlights throughout the year. We finished second a few times and we've had some top fives, but it's not been as consistent as we need to be. And honestly, to be in this spot is. I definitely do feel like an underdog. I mean, I feel like we haven't won a race this year. We've just been really consistent and knocked out some really good runs. And I think we have one DNF from a. From a bone engine. So it's not been like we run 10th every week in rec. We just, we just run 10th or we have that highlight race where we run second and really we were really able to stack the points.
- [22:14]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Yeah, I agree. You know, it's. It's kind of been interesting to see y' all progress throughout the year and find yourself with an opportunity going into Martinsville to get it done. You're in a really good spot points wise and looked like things were going to be going pretty good. Got spun out and had to get desperate at the end of the race. You talked about that being one of the more nerve wracking races you've ever ran in your life. Hard to believe that, but because I've seen you run so many races over the last several years. But, you know, how did you feel when you got across the finish line and you knew what the situation was?
- [22:45]
Carson Hocevar
I was pretty pumped I was very relieved. Going back to the nerve wracking thing. I feel like for me, honestly, probably one of the most nervous points of the playoffs that I was was probably was Talladega, which it's, it's kind of funny we were in this, I think it was end of stage one and we were like plus three from minus 22 and three of the other playoff guys wrecked out already. And then you're in that spot and you're like, ah, man, I got two more stages of Talladega and I just can't wreck. Like I just gotta, just gotta make it through, right? So that was, that was pretty nerve wracking just, just in that sense knowing that you're in a really good spot at the end of Stage one and you still have to, I guess carry it all the way to the end of the race. But Martinsville, it was tough. I mean I thought we had a good car, we, we had really good long run speed and practice and I was worried about our qualifying and we qualified second. So I thought we were going to be like really, really good. And we fired off at the race and we're just a little off, right? And we fell back and we didn't get any stage points in Stage one, which really kind of was a letdown. I mean we were hoping to bank some stage points to Stage one to maybe get some stage two points, but also try to flip it to go for the win. And once we didn't get no stage points to Stage one, it kind of, kind of turned almost into desperation to where we had to, had to do something and we were able to win Stage two, which was, was huge for, for our point situation. I think we were, we into the race plus four, but to put ourselves in a spot we needed stage points and then a decent finish at the end. And we, once we were able to get those 10 stage points and we were in like ninth, I think 10th maybe whenever we got turned around and I think we were, we were in a really good spot because we were ahead of you. I think we were in third. So we really weren't worried because if somebody won it wouldn't have knocked us out. But once we got turned around there, it kind of took that third kind of kind of hope hopefulness out of it and we were just scrapping for, for us to get into fourth and hoping that Sammy or Brandon or Sheldon weren't going to win the race to knock us out. So there's definitely been a lot of good fortune. I guess you could say go our way we've had. We've had just a good, consistent, clean playoff run, but there's definitely been a lot of stuff going our way to. To get to this point.
- [24:55]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
We're allowed to look forward a little bit. I know we want to say Uber focused on Phoenix next weekend, but one of the things that, you know, we've announced that you two are going to share a car next year, and, boy, that pissed off a lot of people because they didn't understand why you weren't going to be full time. What are the odds are you being full time next year? What is the percentage?
- [25:16]
Carson Hocevar
I mean, we're gonna make it happen either one way or the other, right?
- [25:18]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Would you say it's a hundred?
- [25:20]
Carson Hocevar
I mean, yeah, probably.
- [25:22]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Everybody can calm down.
- [25:23]
Carson Hocevar
Yeah, everyone can calm down. Yeah, we're gonna make it happen. Obviously, when that all happened, it wasn't. Wasn't the answer that we wanted. Right. And I'm sure you and me are on the same page on this, but it just couldn't happen. So since then, we've obviously had a really good playoff run, and we're in the final four contending for a championship now, and I guess it's kind of picked up some attention and.
- [25:45]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
And we've been moving in a good direction.
- [25:46]
Carson Hocevar
Yeah. Moving in a good direction.
- [25:48]
Connor Zilisch
Yeah.
- [25:48]
Carson Hocevar
Yeah.
- [25:49]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Moving in a good direction. As in 100.
- [25:51]
Justin Allgaier
Yes.
- [25:51]
Carson Hocevar
Yeah.
- [25:52]
Connor Zilisch
Supplemental.
- [25:54]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
We got to break some news here today. Hey, you got to point across podcast without some breaking news. Justin, you've been. You've been. I tell. I mean, I don't mind saying this in front of these guys, man. You've been the perfect representative for our race team for years. And I know these guys see you at the racetrack. They see what you do on the track, off the track. You're just a great example of what an owner would want in a driver. And you're perfect with our partners and cultivate relationships. And a lot of our partners that are here today are still here with us because of their experiences working with you and. And the success we've had on the racetrack. You have had this really long career questing after this championship. Like this championship that you won last year was. This was the final sort of, you know, thing that you really had to. Had to do or accomplish before you closed the book on an incredible career. We kind of think, you know, where the end of the Runway is, but I think at the same time, very similar to Denny. I mean, at this stage in your career, you're just as good as you've always been. In my Opinion, you know, you. You're losing Jim next year as your crew chief, which is great, but sad. Good for Jim.
- [27:16]
Connor Zilisch
That's great for him.
- [27:16]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Great for him.
- [27:17]
Connor Zilisch
Yeah.
- [27:17]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
But so I know that there's a little extra motivation, I suppose, to. To make sure you go there and try to win the championship, considering this will be your last race with him.
- [27:27]
Connor Zilisch
Yeah, I mean, you know, when we brought Jim on, obviously it was a. Kind of a weird scenario, right? So, you know, I left Phoenix, came here on Monday morning, and LW called me up to the office and. And I walked into a room full of names on a wall, and they're like, hey, by the way, your crew chief and your entire team are gone for next year, and we gotta. We gotta start over. And so I looked at the names on the board and it's. You know, at the time, we were kind of looking for somebody for Josh Berry, I believe, at it, where it was kind of going, and that ended up changing him. And. And so I'm looking at the board and I knew a lot of the names because I had already seen, you know, guys be around and. And there was one name that stuck out in my mind, and that was Jim Pullman, and he wasn't on that board. And. And I think it's funny, you know, looking back on it, we talked about culture up at rcr. You know, Jim was there.
- [28:14]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
He had.
- [28:15]
Connor Zilisch
He had gone up there for a year. And we made the phone call to. To welcome and said, hey, you know, this is a guy that we'd love to talk to and love to interview. And. And, you know, they. They're like, man, I hope his answer is no, but if that's, you know, that's obviously moving him up in. In, you know, his position. So if he wants to come talk to you, we'll let him come talk to you. And he came here actually that night. I mean, literally got off work and came over here, we talked to him, and the next morning I called him and he's like, I'm in. And so I'm like, oh, I don't really want to have that phone conversation with. With. At the time, it was Andy Petrie. Anyways, we got all of that sorted, and so then, you know, we finished second that first year in the points. We won the championship last year. There's a lot of pressure and a lot of want to go out. I mean, I don't know many crew chiefs that can come into the sport and go second, first, first. Right. So just even go second, first, fourth, you know, anywhere in that top four, that's a huge accomplishment as a crew chief. Right? And so for him to get the opportunity to go work for Kyle Busch and go back to rcr, you know, LW and I were laughing, and he's like, he's still got time on his contract. We can tell him he's got to stay. And I said, yeah, but you called and asked up there if we could get him out of his contract. And he said, I know. I wanted you to have the same answer I did. So to see him be able to go up there and have that opportunity. Look, I wanted Jim Pullman because of. I mean, you talk about Danny Stockman, right? Danny and Jim were both RC racers. And I've watched guys in the RC world that, like, their attention to detail is so much different than anything else. Right. But they're also both students of the sport, Right. I mean, I've known Jim since I was a little bitty kid. I remember going up to LaSalle Speedway and he was working on Tony Izzo Junior's Durley model. And, you know, I remember watching him work as a young guy, right. Work on race cars and to see. See him move to Charlotte and become a tire changer and win the last tire changer competition is the fastest tire changer, right? And then to do all the things that he's done, it's. It's been pretty cool. So it's. It's made a huge difference in my career. And to your point, I. I don't think I really knew what I. How much I wanted it last year until after it was done. And then. It's odd. I feel like I'm more motivated this year than I was last year to go get another one. So, you know, it's just. It's been fun and it's been a great ride. And although LW didn't yell at me the other day, he said, somebody said, you're going to retire if you win a championship on stage. And I said, no, that's not going to happen. He said, all right, just making sure.
- [30:49]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
So talk about how winning that championship changed the quest and the relief.
- [30:57]
Connor Zilisch
Honestly, the way the race went changed it more than. More than the actual winning it, right? I mean, just the nightmare of a race that we had.
- [31:09]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
We were out of it.
- [31:10]
Connor Zilisch
We were out of it. I mean, I'm almost two laps down, and I remember. I remember after the race, so feeling so bad because I cheered as soon as the caution come out, not knowing that Anthony Alfredo blew a right front tire. And like, I mean, should have hurt himself, right? I mean, as hard as he crashed, you know, but you're rolling on a pace lapse. You don't know what happened, and there's no car on the track. Right. He was still rolling. And then I watched the replay back, and I'm like, oh, man. But just the whole scenario, it actually is funny. So Jesse and I had had conversations, and I'm open to helping anybody, right? Like, I feel like I help guys here at GMO Sports if they ask for it, but I'm. Anybody that's in the garage if. If they come up and ask. Jesse and I had a few conversations. So, anyways, long story short. Come down to the end of the race, and there's a restart with I don't know how many to go.
- [31:57]
Jesse Love
Overtime.
- [31:58]
Connor Zilisch
Was it overtime? Okay. And so we're like, hey, can we have the top? Right? Cause at the same, like, at this point, like, I was expecting to get a dive bomb on the inside, and I'm like, I don't care if we don't win the race to turn one. I just want the top so we don't get cleaned out. And they were like, no, we're racing for a win. So I'm like, all right, now, my goal is.
- [32:19]
Jesse Love
First I heard of it.
- [32:20]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Huh?
- [32:20]
Jesse Love
First I heard of that.
- [32:21]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Really?
- [32:21]
Connor Zilisch
Yeah. We asked for the top, and they. And you guys were like, absolutely not. We're racing for the win. Wow. So we take the green, and I'm like, now I'm. I'm like, all right, like, something to prove. I got. I got to go right. I get the best restart I've ever gotten, and we go down, and we're, like, side by side. How the 98 even got to the outside of him, I have no idea. But the angle of it from the spotters at Phoenix is always weird. And so I, like. I expect Jesse go all the way the wall, so I, like, hang her right up off the apron. And we. I don't know how we all didn't wreck. I mean, it was. It was ugly. We got smoke rolling off the cars.
- [32:59]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
And the last restart.
- [33:00]
Connor Zilisch
Yeah. And I was.
- [33:02]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I had to get down and stare at the ground for the last two laps. I couldn't.
- [33:06]
Connor Zilisch
Oh, it's terrible. It was terrible. And I had no intention of running into him. I just wanted a really good restart, and I wanted to make sure that I beat him in turn one. And so then I created an enemy. Right. And you think so? Yeah. You were mad at me. You were mad at me. And then. But then over time, it's been fun because I. I really do enjoy the drivers right now. And in the Xfinity series, we have a great. I mean, there's always outliers, right? But we really do have a great group of people in the sport right now, and. And it's fun every week. I mean, we. We all have our challenges, but I want to win this year just because I'm. I've enjoyed the. The racing.
- [33:45]
Justin Allgaier
Right?
- [33:45]
Connor Zilisch
Like, I've enjoyed how much. How competitive it's been this year. I've enjoyed the. The battles that we've all had, and. I don't know. It's good. We're gonna have fun. I mean, I. Like, I look at this table, last year was so different. When I look at the table we sat here at last year and the group that was in it, and it's so different than what it is this year, and it's just. I don't know. It's going to be fun.
- [34:03]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
What do you mean?
- [34:04]
Justin Allgaier
Those guys, I. I would feel scared at the table. With AJ And Austin, it was.
- [34:08]
Connor Zilisch
I don't know. It was just a different.
- [34:09]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
AJ was fun. Remember, he was great on the show.
- [34:12]
Connor Zilisch
He had a good time with it.
- [34:14]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Austin's always going to be Austin. He's always.
- [34:16]
Connor Zilisch
Aj though, was funny because he's like.
- [34:17]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Can'T be anybody's friend.
- [34:18]
Carson Hocevar
He's got to be.
- [34:19]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
He's like, all y'.
- [34:20]
Justin Allgaier
All.
- [34:21]
Connor Zilisch
It was funny, though, because AJ Was like, I got no shot. I don't know why I'm here. I'm just hanging out.
- [34:26]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I'm having a good time.
- [34:27]
Connor Zilisch
And I don't know. It was. But it was. It was cool. It really was a lot of fun. So I would not. I would not. I don't wish my experience last year and how the race went on anybody at this table. I would much rather us all come across the line 4 wide for the win at the end of the race.
- [34:45]
Justin Allgaier
But when I was watching that race back yesterday, I was like, I cannot imagine the thought, like, after Riley side drafted you, whatever. Put a donut on your tire.
- [34:54]
Connor Zilisch
Oh, no. It blew the left.
- [34:56]
Justin Allgaier
Oh, yeah. Yeah. The left rear. Yeah.
- [34:57]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Holy.
- [34:58]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah. And then to come down or whatever, the restart violation, and then I was like, oh, my gosh. I cannot imagine the thoughts that were.
- [35:06]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Going through your head in a backup car. Yeah. Destroy the primary.
- [35:10]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah.
- [35:10]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
You know, you guys know how much time and effort they put into these cars for this race, right? They're, like, massaging on everything. So, yeah, the primary gets wrecked out. I mean, I Think when. When. I don't know how you guys feel about it, but, like, I'm. I know you're all watching all the tape and you're watching last year's races and you're watching everything you watch in car and all that stuff, trying to get ready for this race. But, like, his, his race last year is a great example for anybody to, like, know that, you know, it's never over like you thought. We thought it was over. It's over.
- [35:46]
Connor Zilisch
Hey, listen, I'm telling you right now, if it wasn't such a far walk to the Info Care center, he was ready to quit. Yeah, I was going to come down pit road, pull my pit stall and just get out, but I knew I had to walk all the way to turn one and two, and I didn't walk that far.
- [35:57]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
It's just. Yeah. So you just never know. You know, you just never, never know. And NASCAR is going to keep it interesting, you know, so there'll be. They'll present some opportunities if you find yourself behind a little bit. I expect Jesse said that I. Well, I, I just, It's. I have to feel that way, right? If I, as an owner, like, I'm. I'm trying to wear my media hat today, but as an owner standing there without any control, I can't drive a car. I can't steer. I can't do anything. Can't tell you what to do. I just have to know that in that there's going to be a late restart, and all four of you are going to be right up there in the top three rows, and it's just going to come down to, like, who's willing to do what it takes to. To make it happen.
- [36:41]
Connor Zilisch
I mean, think about Sunday. Martinsville, right? The race is going to green out. William's going to win the race. It's done. Like, there is, like, there's no way that it doesn't work out. And then it never fails when you're like, hey, this is going to be the easiest thing ever.
- [36:55]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I just poked my head in their office and they're watching last year's race. The 19 spins down onto pit road in pit road, and the caution comes out. It's like, hell, he's on pit road. Like, why does the caution need to come out? So, I mean, the yellow flag will fly if the wind blows the wrong way. So just be ready.
- [37:16]
Connor Zilisch
I. Jesse's over here going, man, no.
- [37:19]
Jesse Love
I'm just enjoying my. Enjoying listening.
- [37:21]
Connor Zilisch
Yeah.
- [37:22]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah.
- [37:23]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Let's take a minute to look back on what XFINITY has accomplished and the impact that they've had on the sport since coming on board in 2015. Joining me again is Jessica Meir with Comcast.
- [37:34]
Jessica Muir
The series sure did look different back then. You were racing in a lot more. Life looked different. We both had a couple of kids since then. But in all seriousness, we've been proud to play a part in helping this series grow, really in three ways. First, the sport itself. We work closely with NASCAR to help modernize and elevate the Xfinity Series through storytelling, technology and fan access. From innovative broadcast elements to unique on site experiences to the Xfinity Fastest Lap Award, we think the product on track with the series right now is awesome. Second, the drivers. The Xfinity Series has always been about developing future stars, and that's something we're incredibly proud to have supported. Over the past 11 years, more than 25 drivers have advanced from the Xfinity Series to find success at the cup level. And finally, the fans. NASCAR fans are the heartbeat of the sport and connecting with them has been one of the best parts of this journey. Through Xfinity rewards, ticket giveaways and fan experiences, we've engaged millions of fans and brought them closer to the action, giving them more of the sport they love. It's been an incredible ride and we're so grateful to have been a part of it.
- [38:42]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Man, that's really awesome. You guys touched on every part of the sport, the competition, the drivers and the people in the stands. So thank you Xfinity. Now we're getting back to the four drivers getting ready to compete for the Xfinity Series championship. There's nothing more important for a company than when they're trying to hire new people. But even more important is making sure you get the right person in. Last thing you want to do is have to go through the hiring process again because the first person that you hired just wasn't a fit. Hiring isn't just about finding someone willing to take the job. You need the right person with the right background who can move your business forward. If you want candidates who match what you're looking for, you can trust. Indeed Sponsored Jobs Struggling to get eyes on your job posts. With Indeed Sponsored Jobs, you'll reach the right people and hire candidates who make an impact. Plus, Sponsored Jobs boost your posts for quality candidates so you can reach the exact people you want faster. Spend more time interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. Now with Indeed Sponsored Jobs and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to Help get your job the premium status it deserves. @ Indeed.comdaleJR Just go to Indeed.comdaleJR right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.comdalejr Terms and conditions apply. Hiring. Do it the right way. With Indeed title. How do you guys. You can, you know, it's tables open. How do you guys feel about the competition of this four? You know, when you're, when you're looking at the season and you're going through the playoffs and you, I think at the start of the playoffs, you kind of go, yeah, those are the. Those are the three or four guys I don't want to race, you know. You know, it'd be cool. I feel like, you know, when you kind of weigh the strengths of the other drivers in the playoffs, you kind of hope some make it and some don't. Right. You know, so that it's easier for you once you get to the final if you make it. This is a pretty competitive table. You know, I feel like that everybody's going to be. Everybody's going to have a shot at it. There's no weak link. You know, we talked about AJ Joking last year about not having a shot at it, but I think everybody here is. Really could show up and win this race.
- [40:52]
Justin Allgaier
Who wants to go?
- [40:53]
Carson Hocevar
I mean, I feel like I'm probably a little bit of the outlier not having a win. Right. And, and obviously you. What are you, 10 wins, 10 wins and you're three.
- [41:01]
Connor Zilisch
Hey, have you ever watched the 2018 championship?
- [41:04]
Carson Hocevar
I've seen it.
- [41:05]
Connor Zilisch
Okay. Who wins championship?
- [41:06]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Could be us. No.
- [41:08]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah.
- [41:08]
Connor Zilisch
And Daniel Hemrick.
- [41:09]
Carson Hocevar
Yeah, definitely.
- [41:10]
Justin Allgaier
Was that 18.
- [41:11]
Carson Hocevar
One race seemed wrong to me.
- [41:14]
Jesse Love
That was like 2021.
- [41:15]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah.
- [41:16]
Connor Zilisch
Oh, 2021.
- [41:17]
Jesse Love
Oh, yeah.
- [41:17]
Carson Hocevar
That was his first win of the year.
- [41:19]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
That was his first win of his life.
- [41:21]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah.
- [41:22]
Connor Zilisch
Was it really that late?
- [41:23]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
He's probably. It was won some late.
- [41:27]
Connor Zilisch
Yeah. Yeah. But first NASCAR win.
- [41:28]
Justin Allgaier
Well.
- [41:29]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
And even I don't think he's won in trips.
- [41:30]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah.
- [41:31]
Connor Zilisch
Well, yeah.
- [41:32]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Yeah.
- [41:32]
Carson Hocevar
So you're 10. You're what, three or four? Four.
- [41:35]
Connor Zilisch
Three.
- [41:35]
Justin Allgaier
Three.
- [41:35]
Connor Zilisch
Three.
- [41:36]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah.
- [41:36]
Jesse Love
And you're one and a half.
- [41:37]
Carson Hocevar
One and a half. Two trophies, I think was pretty skewed out. I would count you.
- [41:41]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Yeah, I would count that.
- [41:42]
Jesse Love
It's on my coffee table.
- [41:45]
Carson Hocevar
So, yeah, we're at zero. Right. And that kind of puts us as a little bit of the underdog outlier, I guess you could say. And watching my two teammates win 13 races collectively that I'm racing against in the Final four and Jesse winning one and a half. Honestly, I don't mind the feeling. I'm honestly okay. I feel like if I was in your spot, I'd be pretty nervous not to mess it up, right? And I feel like in my spot, I mean I'm not AJ's mentality of I shouldn't be here, but it's like I haven't won a race and we haven't really done anything. Super smoke and all the lights on us, right? And I feel like this is our opportunity to just go change the, change the season for us and the playoff system we have. I mean I like the 36 race format like you are right. I feel like that's the way that I would like it. But the fact that I'm benefiting off this playoff system that we have now, it kind of makes me kind of kind of like some of it and it's cool, right? I'm sitting, sitting here go racing for a championship and I really don't feel like I deserve to be, I guess you could say. But this weekend for me it's going to be just different. I mean obviously the races, the 32 races up to this point have just been for me consistent and flashes of success and in good runs but no win. And this weekend, like we were talking about Daniel's race in 21, I mean all it takes is, is one really good race at the end of the season to, to be the champion. And obviously I'm looking at it like that, but I kind of go, I'm going into it. Not a lot of pressure. I mean I feel like obviously all of us, maybe not Justin, since you've been here for so long, but I mean, you never know when your last playoff final four run's going to be. So for me, I'm thinking a little bit about that, right? Like this could be, could be it for me, but at the same time that kind of just fuels me a little bit more to, to go out and try to win this championship for all my guys and my family and everything and obviously my dad and me and my mom, everyone's put so much into getting me to this point. And you've been through it all with me the last three or four years late model racing. You gave me a huge opportunity when I was kind of on a dead end road to drive your late model. And if you'd asked me that year when I was running supers of my dad, I would never would have thought I'd be here. Just super thankful for this opportunity to be Here, and like I said, not a lot of pressure going into it and just going to go, try to.
- [44:04]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Go, try to pull it off. Connor, you're on. That's a great point. You're on the other side of things. In a situation like Corey Heim, where you've had a season where you would obviously had the championship locked up in other formats.
- [44:18]
Jesse Love
You.
- [44:18]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
You go into the final race and no matter what you've accomplished, right, it doesn't. You got to go out and win this race or you don't. You're not the champion.
- [44:27]
Justin Allgaier
So, yeah, I've had some. Some weird emotions about it. But. But, you know, I look, as I look at it, like, you know, pressure is a privilege. The. The fact that I'm here and. And I feel like I have, you know, more on the line than maybe other guys. You know, I have more to lose. I feel like, Carson, you can go into this and. And at worst, you come out fourth. And, you know, I feel like with the year that you and the one team have had, it's good. And if you come out winning, it's like, holy. You know, I. You know, I made. I made a lot out of, you know, what wasn't a ton at one point. So, you know, I feel like we're. We're all in different spots, but I am. I'm excited for it. I feel like, you know, although the playoffs are what they are and, you know, it might be changing in the future, this is my last year racing Xfinity. I'm to be in the Cup Series next year, and I'm going to struggle, and I want to enjoy this feeling of being, you know, the guy with 10 wins and, you know, the one going into the last race as. As, you know, the one who's been the favorite for the last couple months. I want to enjoy this feeling and. And I want to go out and make the most of it and try and, you know, give my team what they deserve and the championship they deserve. And if we don't, is this year going to be a failure? Not at all. You know, I. I feel like no matter what, this year has been a success. And. And I've tried to remind my guys that and. And tell them that no matter what happens this weekend, you know, we don't look at this year as, you know, this weekend defines our season. So it's tough to do that. It's tough to accept that. But, you know, I. I feel more than anything, excitement for just the opportunity to go out here and race for a championship in My rookie year, you know, if you told me I was going to be in the situation in January, I would have been, you know, hell bent on, you know, how excited I was. So I try and remember that and just remind myself to be excited about the opportunity that I have.
- [46:25]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Yeah, I was raced. I raced in the cup series for 20 years. Every, everything, every lap, every practice, every race, every qualifying session was, man, I hope this goes right. I hope this goes good. You know, running well late in the race, the mindset would always be, well, I hope the caution don't come out. I hope this don't happen. I hope that don't happen. And I never really understood that. Maybe that ain't. That wasn't really the best mindset for me to be in. I was. I talk about this one all the time, man, but I just, I love it. I think it was one of the coolest things I'd ever heard a driver say. Chase Elliot, rookie, his rookie, well, his first time going for the championship, he made the final four and goes into Phoenix. He actually wins the championship that year. But they interviewed him on pit road on Friday, standing next to pit wall, or maybe it was like Thursday. It looks like an empty racetrack. Nobody's really gotten there yet. And they were doing some media, as they do with all the cup, all the four drivers, and they asked him about pressure, and he said that he. He didn't feel any pressure. He had dreamed of this opportunity and that he was thankful and happy to be standing there with a chance to go win a championship that weekend. And I was like, God Almighty. That was the mindset that I should have had all my life. Right? You guys don't get a chance in this playoff format. You really don't get a chance to try to figure out how to get your mind in the place you want it to be for Saturday night. Until you get through Martinsville. Right. You can't allow yourself to think that far ahead.
- [48:09]
Jesse Love
Right?
- [48:10]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
And you have to make sure, all right, everything goes well in this, this semi round that, that I get this chance to. And now, so Martinsville's behind you. You're, You're. You're spending the next four or five days trying to find out where, what headspace you need to be in. You know, talk about, Talk about the emotions, I suppose that maybe you're riding over the next several days as you're trying. You got me. You're going to go early. You got to go to Phoenix early. You're going to get all kinds of questions, the same questions over and over and over and over and over. And you got to have a ton of patience. You got to try to be your best self, and you can't wait to get to the track and just get in the car and just drive some laps and see what kind of car you got. Is the thing going to grow. Grow through the center when I get in it? You know, you're. That's all you care about, right? But you're gonna spend this whole week trying to find out how to get yourself in the right space mentally to go out there and do the job. So how do you do that? How are you preparing? How are you. Who are you talking to? Where are you spending your time? Is your. Are you. Is it just another week?
- [49:17]
Jesse Love
Is it.
- [49:18]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Are you trying to just, like, push? You know, you're trying to blow it off? Is it?
- [49:22]
Jesse Love
I want to hear what Justin says about this.
- [49:24]
Justin Allgaier
Why?
- [49:24]
Jesse Love
Because you've been through before?
- [49:25]
Connor Zilisch
Yeah, I might be. The only thing that's kind of nice about it, right, is. Is knowing what the. Knowing what the scenarios are and knowing what you're going through. And. And, you know, I think I've been through all the emotions, right? I've had years where you walk in, you have a huge chip on your shoulder, and I'm gonna go prove a point. You've had years where you're just thankful to be there, right? Like, it didn't go the way that you wanted it to go, and you're just. You're like, man, I got a shot at it. I've kind of lived all of them. And, you know, like, was it three years ago? We. We had the moment two years ago. Well, I don't even know how to explain it. It'd be three years ago now, right? But, like, we all thought it was. That was the year, and it was gonna be the year that it worked out, and. And it didn't. And then, you know, I don't know. I just. I feel like, for me, I've gone through this, and I think you said it earlier, you never know when the next opportunity is going to come, right? Whether it be Final four, whether it be a win, whether it be even a chance of going the racetrack. I mean, not to bring up you getting hurt, but that could have been the end of it, right? And so I think, for me, I've really come to realize being in the sport for as long as I have and watching people come and go. I mean, how many drivers came in where the next superstar won races, and then two years later, they were gone and they they disappeared and you don't see them anymore, you know, and other drivers come in and they've been like myself, been lucky enough to stay in for a long time and maybe not ever have, you know, superstar success, but go out and have fun and enjoy it. And, you know, I think that for me, this one is, it's very different from last year. Every year's got its own feel and I'm, I'm just like, I'm, I'm calm this year. I'm, I'm way calmer than I've ever been. I'm way more confident and just going there and doing it. But that doesn't mean that it's gonna go well. You know, last year didn't go well and we still won the championship. It could go great and we could lead, you know, all the way to the last lap and get past on the last lap. So, you know, I think for me, I'm just looking at it a little bit more open than I ever have and enjoying the moment and see what happens.
- [51:33]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
What is the, what is the morning like on Saturday, though? I mean, it's easy. You know, you got a couple days, got a little, got a little time before you have to try to start pushing off of that anxiety.
- [51:43]
Justin Allgaier
He doesn't want to reveal all the secrets.
- [51:45]
Connor Zilisch
No, I mean, I, listen, I don't mind. I'll be honest with you. I feel like it's better to get it out.
- [51:52]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah.
- [51:52]
Connor Zilisch
And tell people what your plan is and figure it out from there. But, you know, practice and qualifying is so weird at Phoenix because we're so accustomed now, which is, it's weird that I'm accustomed to it. But you literally go from practice and you go straight into qualifying. Right. Well, that's not the case at Phoenix. Right.
- [52:07]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
So tell everybody what the process is.
- [52:10]
Connor Zilisch
Yeah. So we have a 50 minute practice on Friday, but it's still an impound practice. We only get one set of tires. It's not really different than what we do now. It's just we can make a few more changes. Right. We have some options that we can change. We still have to go back through inspection, do all that stuff, and then we qualify on Saturday morning. Well, you're gonna practice in the heat of the day on Friday afternoon. Right. Then we're gonna go qualify in the morning at Phoenix, where the sun is changing the racetrack significantly. You've slept on it. Right. So as drivers, we all do this thing where we're like, I know what the perfect lap is. I, I, I've envisioned the Perfect lap, and you've slept on it. So you now you have all this false confidence and you go to the racetrack and you're like, I'm gonna lay down a lap. And sometimes you do.
- [52:53]
Justin Allgaier
Sometimes.
- [52:53]
Connor Zilisch
And sometimes you look like qualifying in Martinsville with half these guys, and they drive off into turn one and there's smoke growing off the left front tire, and up the hill they go. Or practice. You make a mistake in practice, right? I mean, us last year at practice, we didn't make a mistake. Car in front of us knocked the oil tank out of it. And, I mean, we all crash going in the corner, right? So I think Saturday is really dependent on how your day goes on Friday. But biggest thing is, if you leave Friday, you feel like you're behind. Saturday starts off poorly. If you leave Friday and you feel confident, Saturday starts off great. Doesn't matter if you're P1 on the board, doesn't matter if you're 25th on the board. As long as you're confident going into Saturday, it changes the game. But that being said, too, I look at last year and I go, it doesn't really matter. I didn't know what my car was going to drive. Like, I didn't have it. You know what I mean? I'm going to this thing. And so I think you just, you know, for us, for me especially, being present in the moment, like, y' all are gonna experience things you've never experienced before, right? Like, I know that sounds dumb. You've been the racetrack, just the process of it, I think all of the media and going through everything that you go through every day, the fanfare and fan interaction is so different when you're in the final four. Probably the coolest moment and all of y' all need to enjoy this, right? The coolest moment is when you do driver introductions. You walk out on the stage and there's four of you standing out there, right? And there's smoke and there's pyro and fans are cheering and you're just looking out amongst, you know, however many thousands of fans are there, and you're like, I get to do this as a job, right? Like, how many kids are sitting up there in the grandstands right now that race quartermates or go karts or late Models or whatever that they're like, man, I would love to be them, right? But then on our side, we're like, man, I would love to be on Sunday doing this on the cup side, right? I'd love to be one of the final four on the cup side. I'd love to be, you know, Max Verstappen. Right? Yeah, you know, whatever. I mean, you can always say, hey, I want to go up. But when you really stand out on that stage and you go through all the media stuff and you said it earlier, you're ask. You're going to answer the same questions 37 times. So what? So what? Enjoy it. Because someday they're not going to ask you the questions. Some point in your career. You're. I mean, look, I'm. I'm to the point where my end of the road is way closer than the beginning. Right. I didn't enjoy a lot of these moments. You know, there's times you go to media day and you're like, oh, man, I got to go through this again. I got to answer these questions. When that's not there, my kids are going to ask me lots of questions. Just not in the same. Not in the same, you know, thought process. So just enjoy it this week because it's really easy to get caught up and be nervous and all the stuff.
- [55:39]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Or think that enjoying it is bad. Right. Like the pre race. Right?
- [55:42]
Connor Zilisch
Right.
- [55:43]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Like, oh, man, I can't let myself, you know, get off my mindset, you know?
- [55:47]
Connor Zilisch
Right.
- [55:48]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I gotta. If I enjoy this, I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing.
- [55:52]
Connor Zilisch
I did the. I did the headphones one year, music on, and, like, just blocked everybody out. I'm like, I'm too cool for this. Terrible idea.
- [56:00]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Terrible idea.
- [56:01]
Connor Zilisch
Terrible idea.
- [56:02]
Justin Allgaier
That's gonna be.
- [56:02]
Jesse Love
Jesse, what was the last time?
- [56:06]
Justin Allgaier
I don't know. You were a headphones guy for a while.
- [56:13]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I don't know about that.
- [56:14]
Jesse Love
We're all different, man.
- [56:16]
Justin Allgaier
That's true. Enjoy it.
- [56:19]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Who do y' all feel like is the favorite? I think it's obvious question, but do you feel like the 88 car is the one to beat?
- [56:29]
Connor Zilisch
Oh, yes. I mean.
- [56:31]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I mean, even with your success, statistically, yes.
- [56:34]
Connor Zilisch
But I mean, I also think.
- [56:35]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I mean, you. Phoenix, man.
- [56:36]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah, no, that's what I was going to say. I said, you know, it doesn't matter how many races that I've won. You know, we're going to Phoenix, and whoever's the best at Phoenix is the one who can win the championship. And I feel like, I don't know, you've always been in the top three at Phoenix, and it's gonna take. You're gonna have to win the race to win the championship.
- [56:58]
Connor Zilisch
I said that last year and I finished second. I was pretty mad about that.
- [57:00]
Carson Hocevar
I know.
- [57:00]
Justin Allgaier
I Know, but with that, I feel like you're gonna have to be. You're not gonna be able to finish fourth and win the championship with. With the four of us. So it's.
- [57:12]
Carson Hocevar
It's.
- [57:13]
Justin Allgaier
It's definitely weird. You know, I feel like I have a lot of momentum, but then I feel like, you know, I watch back all the Phoenix races, and it's like, I feel like Justin. Excuse my language, but I feel like Justin's led every lap. So it's just.
- [57:25]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
It's. It's.
- [57:25]
Justin Allgaier
It's hard to process. But, you know, with that, I feel like it's a really cool opportunity to go to a track that, you know, I finished fourth there last year in the fall, but go to a track that maybe I'm not the best at in the past and have to learn and figure out how to get around there as fast as possible. And, you know, that's. That's exciting.
- [57:49]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jesse. I've. I've been in this position as an owner before. What is. What is the position as the one guy that's on, you know, the unique team? All the other guys are teammates, and you're. You're. You're. You know, you're one of one. So is that a good situation to be in? Do you find positives in that, or. Or is there a way for that to motivate you?
- [58:14]
Jesse Love
Yeah, I don't know if it matters a whole lot. Right. Obviously, Ty was able to upset y' all when y' all had three of the four, I believe. Um, yeah, but, man, I make it. I make it.
- [58:27]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Rough day?
- [58:28]
Jesse Love
Yeah, I make it. I was rooting for Noah. It's okay. Yeah. I make it really simple. Right. Obviously, it's really cool to be in this position. I know that Justin's going to be probably his best on Saturday. Right. I believe that Connor is at his best right now, and I believe that, you know, Andrew and Carson are going to be pushing themselves, be their best on. On Saturday. And all I want is to show up and do my best, and I believe that if we do that, that's going to be enough. Right. But doesn't matter a whole lot to me if there was one JRM guy here or three of them. Right. I think that we're all going to show up and perform at the highest level that. That we know how. And I just have to have the belief, right, that all the work that I've put in throughout my life and especially this year in these last few months, kind of tearing myself back down and building it back up is going to be enough. And I really do believe that it will be right. So who's the favorite? Who's this and that? Obviously I believe that racing is a race by race, I guess sport week by week sport. And you can be the best that day and obviously have something not go your way. The only thing that I feel like I know that I can control 100% is how I show up to the racetrack, how I prepare and run my next best corner.
- [59:53]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Hey everybody. You want the latest Dale 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 Tyler Redick.
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Connor Zilisch
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Carson Hocevar
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With a stranger, A paper title and some blind trust with secure purchase on ebay, you don't have to.
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Carson Hocevar
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Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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Carson Hocevar
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- [61:08]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Well, we know that this is the final year for the Xfinity sponsorship of the series. You know, I've always held the title sponsors of our series on a certain pedestal because of that monetary commitment and the marketing that they do for us and how they lift all of us up. Justin, you've been here a long time. You've been here, I think the entire time that Xfinity has been part of the series. So speak to what they've. What they've meant to you and all the drivers.
- [61:46]
Connor Zilisch
Well, I mean, if you think about it, right, the Titleman sponsor is what we call the series by. Right. Like. Like we say Xfinity and just assume everybody knows we're talking about the Series. Right? I mean that's. That's a. That's A big deal. And, you know, my dad lasts. He calls the Grand National Series. You know, I still got friends that call it the Bush Series and Nationwide Series, right? Like, it's, it's, it doesn't change names very often. And I think that's, you know, we change sponsors, we change, you know, teams, whatever numbers, you know, all these things, but that, that entitlement sponsor kind of stays the same. And, you know, I, I, I remember thinking when Nationwide left and, and, and Xfinity was coming in, like, what's this going to be?
- [62:26]
Carson Hocevar
Like?
- [62:26]
Connor Zilisch
Are they gonna be good? Are they gonna care? Are they, you know, is this just a flash in the pan? They wanna be short term. What do they want? And I remember sitting in that first meeting and listening to them talk and, you know, listen, we've all sat in those meetings where it's rah, rah, everybody's excited, and you're like, man, I don't know. And then you sit in a meeting like what we had with them, and they said all of the right things, but they were showing you how they were going to put it in action. And if I look back over the last 11 years, and I go, they said they were going to do this. They did this, and it's grown to this. And, you know, I mean, we shut the center of Philadelphia down for I don't know how many years and did the Philly takeover, right? I wish y' all would have gotten to experience that. There were guys doing burnouts in the middle of the road. We blew up a show car one year. I think, actually it was an RCR show car. We blew up in the middle of the downtown streets in Philadelphia by doing burnouts, right? I almost took out a cop car. Like, I did a donut and I didn't even know it, and I almost took a cop car out. Anyways, what they have done for this sport, the investment, but more importantly, the time, the energy, I think it's understated what they've meant. And, you know, it's going to change next year, and we're going to bring O'Reilly's in and, you know, it's going to be different. I'm not sure. Do we have to sing the jingle next year? I mean, like, like we always say, as fast as Xfinity Mobile, right? We want to help support Xfinity and what they do, but I don't know that we can sing the jingle next year. So I'm hoping that, you know, we get to find a better way to support. Yeah. Better way to support the Titleman sponsor. But I just feel like. I feel like, you know, look, I'm old, and. And the moniker is. Names are made here, right? So it doesn't necessarily. I kind of. I kind of buck the system. But they truly have invested in making sure that the drivers are. Are getting what, you know, helping the drivers to create. Create a star power that allows them to. To be a Connor Zillich and have an opportunity to go cup racing next year and, you know, grow the. The. The fame and the. The people knowing who these drivers are. Right. And they've been a huge part of that. And so I'm sad to see them go. They're still part of the sport. I mean, they're still gonna be, sure a partner of NASCAR and all that, but I'm definitely sad to see what they're gonna. What they're gonna not be doing for us, you know, in the next year.
- [64:42]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
What's the one thing that each of you appreciated the most, I suppose, about some of the programs that they had involved? And I'll, you know, like, Dash for Cash, community champion, other things, fan experiences, maybe, that they've put together. My favorite was the Dash for Cash. I always thought that was kind of neat, a little. A little akin to the Noble five or the Winston Million, stuff like that. So, I mean, for. They already come in and they're the title sponsor, they already put a lot of money into it for them to do, like, that extra bump was pretty nice, and it made a difference on the bottom line for our budgets and stuff. So that was one of my favorite things. Anything that you guys experienced over the last couple years?
- [65:24]
Jesse Love
Yeah. I think, obviously, they've done a couple different things, right, with taking care of their drivers and their PR reps to doing what you just talked about, but obviously what they're doing this week in that Phoenix. I think they bought out the whole last stage on the cw, Right. So that's just like their one last, I guess, hurrah of. Of how good they've been to our sport. Right. So it is crazy when you think about it. Like, you just look up Xfinity Phoenix and. And I was on somebody else's YouTube account, which isn't, like, hotwired to what I watch.
- [65:55]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Yeah. Rhythm.
- [65:56]
Jesse Love
Well, like, you don't realize, like, we call an Xfinity car, but Xfinity Phoenix. You type it on a random, you know, YouTube thing, it's just gonna pop up like Xfinity routers and Phoenix. Right. So it's crazy how. How our sport has changed Because I remember being. I guess I'd be 14 years old or 13 years old when I was at the bull ring in Las Vegas and, you know, remembering it always being called nationwide car. Nationwide car. So it is pretty crazy, I think, the change that I'm gonna go through next year, how many times we're gonna call it an Xfinity car, and how many times we're gonna screw that up? And now I realize why people like you, Dale, still call it the Busch Series. Because it's gonna be really hard for me to kind of get that out of myself.
- [66:33]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
It's too much work.
- [66:34]
Justin Allgaier
Yeah.
- [66:35]
Carson Hocevar
Yeah.
- [66:35]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
It's lazy.
- [66:36]
Justin Allgaier
I'll add one to Xfinity. I got an email the other day from Xfinity or NASCAR maybe, and they were talking about. They sent me an email asking about a charity that I had in mind. And I read the email, and, you know, I have seven, I think, fastest laps this year. And to the driver who gets the most fastest laps in the season, if Justin gets it this weekend, I think we tie. So I don't know. I don't know what happened then, but what number.
- [67:04]
Connor Zilisch
How many do you have?
- [67:05]
Justin Allgaier
I have seven. I think you've six.
- [67:07]
Jesse Love
Seven.
- [67:09]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jesus Christ.
- [67:12]
Justin Allgaier
But they sent me an email, and they asked about my charity, and they said, you know, the driver with the most fastest laps gets to donate 40 grand to the charity of their choice. And it's just like, I had no idea that was even a thing. But, you know, the little things that, you know, Xfinity thinks about and does that, you know, just go a long way, and not only our lives, but the community as well. So pretty cool. You know, everything that they've done, the marketing they've done with the drivers, and it takes. You can't just spend the money up front and expect that to get your bang for your buck. Like, you have to. You have to utilize it in a way. And even sponsors on the race car, it's the same thing. You have to. You can't just spend the money and expect everybody to do the work for you. And I feel like Xfinity has done a good job putting themselves in a position to get the most out of their. Their investment. So it's pretty cool to see what they've done. And not only that they care about themselves, but they care about our sport. And, you know, I feel like they've left our series. You know, I can't say this because I was 10 when they joined, but, you know, I feel like they've definitely left it then better than they found it.
- [68:22]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Yeah, absolutely.
- [68:23]
Connor Zilisch
They did another one a couple years ago. They actually went into the communities on the race weekend, like, in market, and found groups that needed, like, technology centers. Right. And they were helping to build to help kids have technology they would never even get a part of. Right. Those are all things that. I mean, each one of us has a different story, and I don't know if you have one or not, but each one of us has a different thing that they've done that sticks out in your mind that you go, they didn't have to do that. Yeah, they wanted to do that. And it's pretty awesome. It's pretty awesome what they've done for the sport, but it's also awesome what they've done for the community outside of that.
- [68:58]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Well, you four are gonna go race for a championship. I'm excited about it. I know that no matter who wins, y' all be a great representative to the series and all the, you know, all the teams and all the owners involved for me and for Richard and all the hard work that both organizations have done, it culminates to this. And, yeah, gonna wish you all the best. You know, it's. I can't pick a favorite because I've got three of my guys in here, but, Jesse, I've enjoyed getting to watch you and getting to know you even better. And I know that should you go out there and get the job done, man, you'll do a good job representing all of us really well. So, yeah, I'll see y'.
- [69:38]
Justin Allgaier
All.
- [69:39]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I'll see y' all out west, I suppose.
- [69:40]
Connor Zilisch
Sounds good. Thank you.
- [69:41]
Carson Hocevar
Thank you. Awesome. Thanks.
- [69:42]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Thanks for coming in today.
- [69:44]
Jesse Love
Thanks, Phil.
- [69:44]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
All right, we'll see you. On behalf of everybody here at Dirty Mo, media and the NASCAR fans everywhere, thank you, Xfinity, for your support. It's helped shape this series and create countless moments that we'll never forget. I'll tell you what one of my favorite things has been, and that's watching how Xfinity highlighted all the young talent that is now winning at the cup level. That's a lasting legacy right there alone. But it isn't goodbye for Xfinity. We'll still be seeing them around NASCAR innovating and elevating the fan experiences. Thanks to Xfinity for sponsoring this episode and all you've done for the series. Here's to 11 incredible years.
- [70:28]
Connor Zilisch
Tyler Redick here from 23 Xi Racing. Game night's fun until someone spends five minutes lining up one shot. Chalk. Breathe. Rechock. Still aiming. While they figure it out. I fire up Cumba Casino. I can spin anywhere, anytime. And there's always a new social casino game every week. Spins happen way faster than that shot. Waitings for amateurs play now@chumbacasino.com let's Chumba. No purchase necessary. VGW Group voidware prohibited by law. CTNC's 21 plus sponsored by Jumbo Casino.
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Carson Hocevar
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- [71:29]
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
All right, everybody. There you go. The four drivers that are going for the championship this Saturday in Phoenix, looking forward to seeing who can prevail. It's going to be an exciting run. Three Junior Motorsports drivers and then the RCR driver Jesse Love as well. I honestly feel like any one of them could get in there and get the job done. So, you know, I'm pulling for our guys to bring it home. But Jesse Love's a great young man and we're thankful for him coming in today and being a part of this, this interview. And I, I think all of them shared with us, with you a little bit about why they might be the one you want to pull for and see come through to win this deal. So let us know, who do you think you want to win the Xfinity series championship this coming Saturday? All right, it's time for the white flag. As always, the teardown was live on YouTube and Twitter. And if you hadn't already, go over to DirtyMomedia's YouTube page and subscribe and click on the notifications, you'll get all the stuff that we're doing. Every bit of content that we're creating will be coming to your phone and letting you know, hey, here we are with some new stuff to watch. Also, actions detrimental came out Monday. Denny giving us his point of view on what he's thinking going into his opportunity to win a championship in Phoenix. And then door bubble clear. Jordan Bianchi joined them for their episode this week. Always great to have Jordan around, bring great insight. And then Herman Strader, Speed Street. They have an episode coming out today. Yesterday, me and TJ did Dirty Air as well. And then you have bless your heart tomorrow with my wife, Amy. And then on Friday, the Dirty 30. I hope you guys enjoy your week. Check out DirtyMomedia on Instagram, Facebook X and TikTok.
- [73:22]
Justin Allgaier
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Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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Justin Allgaier
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Connor Zilisch
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