The Dale Jr. Download

The Dale Jr. Download

Dirty Mo Media, SiriusXM

Updated about 5 hours ago
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NASCAR’s 15-time Most Popular Driver and winner of two Daytona 500s, Dale Earnhardt Jr., hosts his very own podcast, The Dale Jr Download on Dirty Mo Media. Earnhardt raises the bar with unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and fascinating, first-person insight into the life of a broadcaster, celebrated racer.

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Episodes (949)

Jimmy Fennig Talks Bobby Allison’s Daytona 500 Win & Career-Ending Crash

Dale Earnhardt Jr. welcomed one of the fiercest competitors and hardest workers in the NASCAR garage to the Download this week, longtime championship-winning crew chief Jimmy Fennig. Best known for his thirty-year tenure at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, Jimmy helped elevate a young Kurt Busch to his lone NASCAR Cup Championship in 2004. Jimmy’s journey to the top of NASCAR’s crew chief rankings came from humble beginnings in southeastern Wisconsin. After growing up under the roof of two generations of dirt racers, Jimmy and his brother Jeffrey decided to try their own hand at the craft, building and racing a sportsman car out of local Hales Corner Speedway. Jimmy quickly realized he preferred turning wrenches to rubbing fenders, and he took a job preparing cars for Wisconsin legend Al Schill. It was through this connection that he’d meet Bobby Allison at Slinger Speedway, beginning a long friendship that brought Jimmy into the NASCAR fold. Jimmy experienced a short track pinnacle, winning the 1986 American Speed Association Championship with Mark Martin, and it was off to the races in stock car land. Jimmy would join Bobby at the burgeoning Stavola Brothers Racing outfit, and they’d capture the 1988 Daytona 500. After Bobby’s tragic career-ending crash at Pocono, he’d take on an ownership role, and Jimmy would follow along, sitting atop the box for Hut Stricklin, Jeff Purvis, and others. When Bobby Allison Motorsports shuttered in 1996, Jimmy was the last one out of the shop, and he’d part for the Liberty, North Carolina location of Roush to reunite with Mark Martin. Dale and Jimmy’s conversation covers the tough competition of ASA in the 1980s, the loyalty and grit of Bobby Allison, and achieving the top accomplishments NASCAR has to offer. Check out Dirty Mo Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 22, 2026 79 min 166 annotations

BJ McLeod Was Once Labeled the Next Jeff Gordon

Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits down with one of the hardest-working members of the NASCAR garage this week, longtime racer and car owner BJ McLeod. After finding his roots in the Florida super late model scene, BJ took lessons he learned early on in his family’s fertilizer and orange harvesting company to successfully assemble a fleet of NASCAR entries. BJ’s racing start came through years of go-kart barnstorming up and down the East Coast with his father, before acquiring special permission to enter the late model ranks at the tender age of 12. Through mentoring from legends Pete Orr and Gary Balough, BJ became a terror at Florida strongholds like New Smyrna and Orlando Speedworld. He’d win the coveted World Series of Asphalt in 2010, and it was time for the next challenge. That next challenge came in the form of the world of NASCAR. BJ put together rides in the Trucks Series before taking on the O’Reilly Series with his own team. When the opportunity to purchase a charter and go Cup racing came about, BJ partnered with fellow racer and businessman Matt Tifft to roll the dice. He would make the financial decision to sell the charter to Spire Motorsports, but still aspired to embark on a Cup racing career, which he independently financed from his other businesses like the Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster. Today, BJ remains one of the hardest-working owners and drivers in racing, akin to 1992 NASCAR Champion Alan Kulwicki. His conversation with Dale covers his humble beginnings, championship years in late models, and fulfilling his unique dream of being a driver/owner in NASCAR. Arby’s Meat & 3 box is available for a limited time at participating locations while supplies last. Prices may vary. Get your Meat & 3 box at an Arby's near you today. Check out Dirty Mo Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 15, 2026 92 min 33 annotations

Johnny Benson on his time at Roush, Mentoring Carson Hocevar, & Concussions

It’s not often that racers go on to have competitive second acts to their careers after retiring from the limelight. This week on the Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits down with a driver who retired a NASCAR Truck champion and retraced his family roots back to the short tracks: Johnny Benson Jr. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Johnny grew up in the shadows of his father John Benson Sr., one of the finest chauffeurs the Midwest had to offer in the 1960s and 70s. John made a name for himself in the supermodified ranks and served as part of the Michigan invasion of the mid-60s to the legendary Oswego Speedway, where he captured the crown jewel Oswego Classic in 1966. At home, he was an accomplished parts builder and fabricator, which is where young Johnny got his first hands-on experience. Once John stepped away from driving, Johnny rose to the occasion to race for the family company, initially stepping into Southwest Michigan’s dirt late model ranks. He quickly graduated to pavement competition, taking on the challenging American Speed Association tour in the mid-1990s, where he captured his first national championship in 1993. The feat landed him on the radar of many in the NASCAR ranks, including none other than Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Ernie Irvan. Johnny received a shot at the big time in the Busch Grand National Series, where he’d continue his winning ways with a season points crown in 1995. He was promoted to the Cup Series, driving for Bahari Racing, Roush Racing and finally MB2 Motorsports, capturing one lone victory at Rockingham in 2002.  Johnny’s Cup opportunities would run their course, but he’d find later success in his NASCAR career driving for Bill Davis Racing in the Trucks Series. He’d become one of the few drivers in NASCAR history to win crowns in multiple series when he won the Truck title in 2008, before returning to his short track roots, getting behind the wheel of a supermodified in International Super Modified Association competition. Arby’s Meat & 3 box is available for a limited time at participating locations while supplies last. Prices may vary. Get your Meat & 3 box at an Arby's near you today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 08, 2026 101 min 31 annotations

Cleetus's Advice From Drivers, Lee Pulliam's Emotional Embrace & Dale’s Fired Up

Only have 30 minutes? Well, this episode of Dirty Thirty packs a full-sized podcast punch into a half-hour runtime - and it's all the best parts from Dirty Mo Media's shows, including: Dale's Martinsville Rant, A Really Angry Fan Voicemail & Jeff Gluck's Interview with Cleetus McFarland. We start off with Dale Jr. giving us a rant for the ages, where he gives a fiery explanation about how he differs from drivers who get upset about door banging at Martinsville. Batting second in the proverbial DMM lineup is Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin and his explanation on why they run so many caution laps in between stages. Next up, we had to highlight the callers in Door Bumper Clear's Reaction Theatre segment who covered everything from makin' babies to not-so-nice Easter wishes. Plus, ahead of his race for Richard Childress Racing at Rockingham, Cleetus McFarland chatted with Jeff Gluck on the Gluckcast about advice he's gotten, how to grow a YouTube channel, and what he wants NASCAR fans to get out of him racing in the sport. And last, but certainly not least, break out the tissue boxes — Lee Pulliam recounts the emotional embrace he shared with his daughter before climbing the JR Motorsports No. 9 at Martinsville and how much she knew it meant to her dad. Thanks for listening! See you next week, right back here on the Dirty Thirty. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 03, 2026 29 min 32 annotations

How Never Giving Up Led Lee Pulliam to JRM

Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits down with late model stock standout Lee Pulliam on the heels of his O’Reilly Series debut at Martinsville. Growing up in Semora, North Carolina, on a farm, Lee’s family’s weekly trips to South Boston Speedway inspired him from an early age. As he aged through high school, he devoted his entire existence to figuring out how to get on the race track. Lee explains that he saved every dollar he could to purchase a race car, and that purchase came in the form of a limited late model that took over a year to get race-ready. He entered the ranks at South Boston, and before long, he carved out a career in the Mid-Atlantic that will be celebrated for decades to come. Lee’s dominance at South Boston, Motor Mile, and other East Coast strongholds earned him four NASCAR Weekly National Championships. While he had a firm footing in the short track world, he only had one opportunity to rise to higher NASCAR ranks, which unfortunately folded after a series of bad luck. Lee returned to his grassroots and continued his winning ways until he made the difficult decision to step away from the driver's seat and concentrate on owner duties. After a triumphant return to the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville, which nearly saw him in victory lane, his emotional post-race reflection motivated Dale Jr. to find him a spot at JR Motorsports, leading to the veteran finally making his O’Reilly Series debut this past weekend. Arby’s Meat & 3 box is available for a limited time at participating locations while supplies last. Prices may vary. Get your Meat & 3 box at an Arby's near you today. Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia Check out our merch collection: https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apr 01, 2026 120 min 35 annotations

Scott Speed: Red Bull, F1, and Why He Left the Driver's Seat

If you’re a motorsports fan, you’ve probably heard the name Scott Speed. From his journey through Formula 1, ARCA, NASCAR, and Rallycross as part of the Red Bull family, the three-time X Games gold medalist has sure done it all. On this week's episode, Dale Jr. sat down with the former Formula 1 racer to learn about his career journey. Though Dale and Scott shared the track for many years, they never got the chance to sit down and chat. Today, that changes. What spawned from a love of racing video games and an admiration for his father's own career quickly grew into national go-kart success and a call from Red Bull. Scott was quickly thrust into the Formula One pipeline, moving overseas and becoming Red Bull’s test driver for F1 as a teenager. Scott became the first American to compete in F1 since Michael Andretti. A career as a teammate to Sebastian Vettel quickly disappeared after a rainy wreck at the Nürburgring and a heated exchange with the team boss. Scott's career took a sharp turn back to America, where he joined the NASCAR circuit, winning multiple races in lower series before going full-time in the Cup Series in 2009. Though Scott's stint in NASCAR was short-lived, he opens up to Dale about how a broken back in a Rallycross race introduced a new career opportunity with former NASCAR driver Josh Wise – taking Scott out of the seat altogether for a role he never expected. Arby’s Meat & 3 box is available for a limited time at participating locations while supplies last. Prices may vary. Get your Meat & 3 box at an Arby's near you today. Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia Check out our merch collection: https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mar 25, 2026 71 min 30 annotations

To Punch Or Not To Punch ... That Is The Question

We managed to jam-pack this episode of the Dirty Thirty with highlights from SIX of Dirty Mo Media's shows this week. Our hosts need to stop making it so hard to pick with these banger moments — this show is only thirty minutes, guys! First up, Denny Hamlin predicts where his final win total lands and talks about what it meant to have his family in Las Vegas for victory number 61. A day later and possibly a dollar shorter from an extra night on the strip, we hear from the fans of Door Bumper Clear in Reaction Theatre, where Wood Brothers Racing President Jon Wood shares what he would personally do to will Josh Berry into some better finishes. After that, legendary wrestler Magnum T.A. describes the circumstances surrounding the car wreck that almost took his life, and still affects him to this day. In Dirty Air this week, Dale Jr. reacts to the news that Carson Hocevar will run a throwback scheme of his dad's — and it just so happens to be Jr.'s favorite paint scheme of the Intimidator's. Speaking of favorites, our favorite power couple came back from spring break, so you know Dale & Amy have tons to discuss about skiing, falling, and laughing all the way. Lastly, Jeff Gluck interviewed Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to get some insight on what goes into (and comes out of) throwing a punch, after Daniel Suarez & Ross Chastain almost got physical on pit road last weekend. Now that's a show if you ask us! Enjoy the show and tune in next time to hear the very best from what Dirty Mo Media has to offer. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mar 20, 2026 30 min 12 annotations

How Magnum T.A. Turned Into Wrestling’s Biggest “What If”

If you’ve ever tuned in to watch Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the Download before, you might have noticed some professional wrestling action figures in the studio backdrop. On this week’s episode, Dale Jr. has the opportunity to sit down with the likeness of one of these figurines: the legendary Magnum T.A. Dale has often shared his love for professional wrestling while growing up, watching on Saturday mornings after cartoon matinees had concluded. It was through this programming that he took notice of Magnum and Dusty Rhodes, as well as the other icons of the 1980s independent scene.  Magnum, whose real name is Terry Wayne Alan, explains that although he was a semi-successful wrestler on the collegiate level, he never dreamed of being a professional. His path into the sport came through a bartending gig he had while attending school in the Chesapeake, Virginia area. His training took him to the Pacific Northwest, where he’d forge a friendship with the legendary Andre the Giant, who was responsible for creating the Magnum T.A. persona. Terry would be on a fast track to becoming the World Heavyweight Champion when a tragic 1986 car crash changed his life forever. He and Dale talk about the state of wrestling in the 80s, unlikely paths in life, and having to give up something you love before you’re ready. Arby’s Meat & 3 box is available for a limited time at participating locations while supplies last. Prices may vary. Get your Meat & 3 box at an Arby's near you today. Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia Check out our merch collection: https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mar 18, 2026 95 min 16 annotations

Brad Was Wrong About SVG, Classic Cheatin' & Chasing Big E

The Dirty Thirty returns, and it's jam-packed full of stories this week. We've got a brand new 30 minutes of the very best tales from our shows. Let's go for a ride! This week, we start off with one of Door Bumper Clear's most long-awaited guests, Randy LaJoie, and in this segment, he talks about following the Intimidator at Talladega, how he still hates Mark Martin's Winn Dixie car, and his MASSIVE wreck at Daytona. Then, we wanted to make sure we heard Denny right, but on Actions Detrimental, he says we could see up to 4 SECONDS of fall-off at Darlington! For the very first time, but not the last, Dirty Thirty features Sons & Daughters, Shannon Spake's new show where she talks to remarkable people with relatable pasts. This week was Coach K., just in time for college basketball's most important time of the year. Following that up is Brad Keselowski, who filled in for Dale Jr. while he was on vacation this week. The topic he wanted to talk about? Looking back, he sees how smart a move Justin Marks made in getting Shane van Gisbergen into the Cup Series. This leads Brad to tell a Jack Roush story of his own, which we know you'll love. We end this show with one of the best tales we've ever heard, from an all-time classic episode, Andy Petree's famous trick spoiler. If you haven't heard this one before, you are in for a real treat. This week is a big one! We hope you enjoy all these moments from our shows. We'll see you next week on The Dirty Thirty! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mar 13, 2026 29 min 30 annotations