What Dale Jr. Thinks About Dodge's Rumored Return To NASCAR
About this episode
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and TJ Majors return to recap the wild NASCAR weekend in San Diego and their scenic road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway to Sonoma. They debate Kevin Harvick's "one and done" take on the aircraft carrier race, share hilarious stories about dive bars and miniature Jesuses, and discuss the logistics of future street races. Plus, they dive into the buzz surrounding guest hosts for the show and address the hot rumors about Dodge making a highly anticipated return to the NASCAR grid.
After taking a week off to enjoy California during NASCAR’s West Coast swing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns to the Arby’s Studio for a new edition of Dirty Air. He joins co-host TJ Majors to catch up on the last couple of weeks and recap the NASCAR weekend in Sonoma:
- San Diego Street Course felt like a big success
- A dive bar inspired Dale to hide miniature Jesuses
- How will the return to Chicagoland go?
- Dale’s Father’s Day trading card haul
- Taking a look at the NASCAR In-Season Tournament brackets
- Who can make some moves in the points standings?
- Sonoma race winner Shane Van Gisbergen joins the show
During the Ask Jr. portion of the episode, listeners sent in questions regarding:
- Denny Hamlin’s costly spin at Sonoma
- Meeting Travis Kelce in San Diego
- Going to the I Bar after the race in San Diego
- TNT’s first broadcast of the year
- Dale’s 2005 Chicagoland victory
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North Wilkesboro Speedway
"And it's kind of like when we went to Wilkesboro with the Leipzig Stock Cars in 22. Man, you'll never recreate that feeling that we had there. And this was a sort of similar, man. You were just pinching yourself all the time."
A famous, historic short race track in North Carolina that closed down in 1996 but was recently brought back to life for NASCAR racing.
A historic 0.625-mile short track in North Carolina that was a staple of early NASCAR before being abandoned in 1996. It was famously revived, cleaned up, and repaved, hosting the NASCAR All-Star Race starting in 2023.
Shane van Gisbergen
"I'm being interesting to see if they kind of changed the racetrack. I know SVG had a couple of comments where he's like, man, what a real big fan of the course. For some reason, he didn't like a few things about it. I thought it was fine, but I mean, I'm not driving."
A famous race car driver from New Zealand who dominated Australian touring car racing before moving to America to race in NASCAR, where he immediately won his very first race.
A highly decorated New Zealand racing driver and three-time Supercars Champion who transitioned to NASCAR. He famously won his debut Cup Series race at the 2023 Chicago Street Course and is widely regarded as one of the premier road-course racers in the world.
NASCAR Next Gen Car
"it's got some really nasty bumps and difficult things that are going to be really hard for the next gen car challenging for the next gen car. So I'm sure we'll see some accidents or some guys busting their ass, especially if there's a tunnel bump in three and four, that's pretty bad."
The current style of race car used in NASCAR's top series, designed to look more like real street cars and perform better on road courses.
The seventh-generation stock car used in the NASCAR Cup Series, introduced in 2022. It features modern technological upgrades such as independent rear suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and 18-inch single-lug aluminum wheels to closer mirror production vehicles.
Carson Hocevar
"I've got Denny versus Josefar. I feel like the bracket is something Josefar, even though he steps up. He stepped. So have you noticed like the last two weeks he, he's popped off and gotten, you know, qualified really well."
A young, aggressive American NASCAR driver who currently races in the top-level Cup Series.
An American professional stock car racing driver who competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro for Spire Motorsports. He is known for his aggressive driving style and quick adaptation to Cup cars.
NASCAR Stage Racing
"But, um, for a road course race, stages are much more entertaining than not. The race begins and the entire debate in our TV compound was what will SVG do? SVG has f***ed up San San Diego, right? Not on his, not in his doing, but he's came out of there with no points."
A rule in NASCAR where races are broken up into three parts, with short breaks in between, allowing drivers to earn bonus points along the way.
A race format introduced by NASCAR in 2017 where races are divided into three distinct segments (stages). Championship points are awarded to the top ten finishers of the first two stages, adding strategic complexity regarding pit stops and track position.
Dodge
"AJ has talked about the lack of Sim time, the lack of resources they have since they're a dodge team, Chevrolet's taken back or pulled back some, if not all of the, of the support. And so, um, that's going to be difficult."
A famous American car company known for making powerful muscle cars like the Charger and Challenger.
An American automotive brand owned by Stellantis, famous for its muscle cars and its historical dominance in NASCAR with iconic models like the Charger and Daytona before exiting the sport in 2012.
rack and pinion
"Just surprised of, you know, I know those things are going to happen, but that's the one thing that worries me with Tyler Redick is the gremlins, the brake issues, the possible, you know, rack and pin or, you know, steering issue."
The mechanical system that connects your steering wheel to the front tires, making the car turn when you rotate the wheel.
A type of steering mechanism that converts rotational motion from the steering wheel into linear motion to turn the wheels. It was introduced to NASCAR Cup Series cars with the Next Gen chassis in 2022, replacing the older recirculating ball steering box.
NASCAR Charter System
"Their expected return to cup will not trigger NASCAR to increase the number of charters available from 36 to 40. The teams that have charters are guaranteed specific revenue streams along with the starting spot guaranteed in the, in, in the, um, in the field."
A system in NASCAR similar to owning a team franchise in baseball or football, which guarantees the team a starting spot in every race and a guaranteed share of the prize money.
NASCAR's version of a franchise system, introduced in 2016, which grants 36 chartered teams guaranteed entry into every Cup Series race and a larger portion of the purse revenue. The system was designed to provide team owners with tangible, transferable business assets.
CARS Tour
"We got a little late model stock news here for you, the cars tour. We just had a big meeting with the cars, tour owners, team owners. Yesterday in charters. We're doing a charge. I'm just kidding. There's a lot to talk about with the cars tour."
A popular short-track racing series in the South where up-and-coming drivers race 'late model' stock cars, which look like street cars but are built purely for racing.
An asphalt late model stock car racing series in the Southeast United States. Co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and Justin Marks, it serves as a premier developmental ground for future NASCAR talent.
Late Model Stock Car
"We raced at South Boston, uh, the triple crown, uh, of late model stock racing is going on, uh, triple crown at South Boston, Langley, and then Martinsville. Yep. We have, uh, Caden quapole racing in the triple crown along with Lee Pulliam, Lee Strug, uh, Lee wrecked out, got wrecked out at Sobo, got, uh, crashed it."
A type of race car used on local short tracks that looks like a regular sedan on the outside but is actually a custom-built racing machine underneath.
A highly popular class of short-track asphalt race cars in North America, characterized by a custom-built tubular chassis, fiberglass body resembling a production sedan, and a spec V8 engine. They are the primary vehicles used in regional short-track series like the CARS Tour.
Chicagoland Speedway
"Do you know much about Chicago land? Have you done much sin in that track? Uh, what's your expectations this weekend? Yeah. So it'll be on, on sim later. Um, haven't done too much. I've seen some of the videos from the tire test and Larson's on board. It looks crazy. That bump at three and four."
A fast, 1.5-mile oval race track near Chicago that is famous for having a bumpy surface that wears out tires quickly.
A 1.5-mile D-shaped oval superspeedway in Joliet, Illinois. Opened in 2001, it hosted NASCAR races until 2020 and is known for its progressive banking and highly abrasive, bumpy asphalt surface that challenges tire longevity.
Abrasive Racetrack
"I do think the abrasive racetrack, racetracks bring the field closer together. Don't you rust like it definitely changes the raw speed of the car. Can kind of hurt at times, I guess. Yes, but wait, especially when you talk about Legacy, Eric Jones has been great at Darlington"
A race track with a very rough surface that wears out tires incredibly fast, making the cars slide around more as the race goes on.
A racing circuit with a rough, worn-down asphalt surface that acts like sandpaper on tires. This causes high tire degradation, forcing drivers to manage their grip levels and adjust their driving lines over the course of a run.
Ford F-150 Lightning
"...ll this stuff is 2008 and all of it's been hit by lightning multiple times and everything's been replaced and..."
This is a fully electric version of the popular Ford F-150 pickup truck. Instead of a gas engine, it uses large batteries and electric motors to drive, meaning it needs to be plugged in to charge. It looks like a normal truck but runs quietly and has extra storage space under the hood where the engine would normally sit.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is an all-electric version of America's best-selling pickup truck, combining traditional truck utility with modern EV technology. It features dual electric motors, standard all-wheel drive, a spacious front trunk (or 'frunk'), and the ability to serve as a backup generator for a home. It is a highly discussed vehicle because it represents a major step in bringing electric vehicles to mainstream truck buyers.
Steve Hmiel
"My crew chief was Steve Meal. Steve Meal is a legend in, in this sport. Now he's worked for, I'm going to miss a few, but he worked for the Petties for a really long time in the late seventies and early eighties. And then obviously a lot of people remember him as a big part of Mark Martin's team."
A famous NASCAR crew chief (the head mechanic and strategist) who helped guide many legendary drivers to wins throughout the 1980s, 90s, and 2000s.
A legendary NASCAR crew chief and competition director who worked with top teams like Petty Enterprises, Roush Racing, and Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI). He famously served as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s victory at Chicagoland Speedway in 2005.
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