Door Bumper Clear - North Wilkesboro with Derek Kneeland: It’s Time For A Points Race

Episode Date: May 19, 2025

This week, Freddie Kraft, Tommy Baldwin, and Karsyn Elledge welcome Kyle Busch’s spotter, Derek Kneeland, on the show to talk about an eventful All-Star weekend from North Wilkesboro. From near-invisible choose cones to unhappy drivers after the race, there is plenty to talk about.In Spot On/Spot Off, the group discusses Layne Riggs saying he “didn’t do anything wrong” when racing Corey Heim for the win, Ryan Preece’s displeasure with his choose cone violation that cost him a shot at the main event, the promoter's caution shaking things up, Logano’s comments on his battle for the win with Bell and whether or not North Wilkesboro deserves to have a points race.  Plus, they field calls from the fans in Reaction Theatre, answer questions from the fans in #AskDBC, and share their long list of nominees for Shit Show Hall of Fame.Timestamps18:37 Spot On/Spot Off1:00:27 Reaction Theatre1:06:38 #AskDBC1:16:58 DBC Picks Catch all the grassroots racing action live with FloRacing. Learn more or sign up at flosports.link/dbc1Want more DBC? Check out and subscribe to the new DBC YouTube channel! Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call [phone] for 24/7 support in Massachusetts, or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York. Want more DBC? Check out and subscribe to the new DBC YouTube channel! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The following is a production of Dirty Mode Media. Called me Frat Freddy the other day in a crew tech. Or he just misspelled fat. Either way, he can kiss my ass. Let's fight. Let's get it over with. Let's knock each other out and let's move on. I think he's a whiny.

That's what I think. Next thing you know, I got no fire seat on. Roundy Nation fans are getting lucky tonight. You want to have gimmicks. Let's go all out. I would never. And here they come, never and like they never have before. Right enough, you love them.

You know, what's up, everybody? Welcome to Door Bumper Clear. I am Freddie Craft, spotter for Bubba Wallace, and Luke Baldwin 17 times this weekend. Hey, Tom. Thanks up, man. Thanks for getting me a gig this week. I appreciate it. All 16 of them.

That was fun. My God. Yeah. How is your day today? Today? Yeah. Today's tired. Today you're pretty bored out.

I was there since Thursday every day, so it was like an almost speed week all over again. I'm pretty war out today, to be honest with you. Carson, how are you today? I'm in the same boat as Tommy, but I was not working. You were right? I was only working Thursday and Friday. I was staying all weekend. And I was being a darf the rest of the weekend.

Yeah, it was fun. She's tired for different reasons. Yeah. I told Megan last night, I said, I said, man, you know, I was coming home and I was like, Big Alas was calling my name on the way home. Mom's here. So I was like, I'm going to be responsible to go home, hang out, Mom and Meg and watch the race. and I said, but tomorrow I'm probably going to have to go to lunch after the podcast and have a couple beers because I said, I haven't had a weekend that long in a long time.

It feels like, you know, since the schedule change, we've not, you know, we haven't had long weekends. But anyway, getting to our lovely guests, one of the. Lovely. Lovely. Well, listen. I did put blush on. He's got one of the weirdest nicknames in the history of spotting. But we'll get to that in a minute.

Derek Neeland, welcome. You are beat probably by far. the most requested spotter that when I put it out there, what spotters do you want to hear from? So I don't know how many family members you got on Twitter, but they all chimed in. I'd probably say some of it's just my lack of holding back on the radio. Sometimes I tend to not do that,

so I should probably do it a little bit better. But no, I appreciate you guys having me on. I'm sorry it didn't work out earlier, but looking forward to doing this. It's a long time coming, and you make it a little bit difficult because you live in Ashgosh. So we have to make sure you're in town. Where are you from? If you ask anybody else, I'm from Canada.

but I live in Maine and I'm like four or five hours from Canada. So I got a good bit to get there. Obviously, the number one question we always get. I always get any time I do another podcast or do a meet and greet or something like that. How'd you get into spotting? I mean, I grew up racing myself. I wouldn't call it racing, but I still hold the wheel a handful of times a year. And it got to the point to where, you know, money's hard on everything.

I mean, Tommy, you know the deal with, you know, helping Luke get up to where he's getting to. and it got to the point where sponsors were just harder to get. And so I quit racing and I started spotting for a buddy of mine, Corey Williams, who was actually one of the head fabricator guys at Hendrick now. And I moved down, started working on decal business here. He moved down like a month after I did. And then when he moved down, we were spotting in the past South Tour. And he was racing against like Brian Scott and some of those guys.

So we had a buddy on Brian's team. And we all kind of started partying and hanging. and out together and stuff. And like two years later, Brian had, and we became really good friends in that time frame. And then Brian had asked me if I'd be interested in spotting at Pocono for an Archer race. That's a good one.

And I'm like, man, I haven't spotted a track over a mile. I don't think I'm your guy. But they pushed and pulled for it and went and did it. And then, you know, they, I think at that time, they just bought the Express Motorsports team, that 16 truck. So I went the next week to Nashville and so on and so forth. That's just basically how it got. started. That's good. Derek actually spotted Bubba's first truck race, right? Was that his first one?

I think so. Daytona. Because they felt like I wasn't ready, which probably made, but God knows probably wasn't. I was a year. I don't know what year that was 2012. He definitely weren't ready Thursday night at the green flag for Luke. Yeah, okay. Try to get a little closer to the front so I can see the guy in the third row missing the shift. I'm sorry. I was looking, I was still looking left when they were at the start-finish line. We all know how that feels, though, like when somebody asks you to fill in or to help somebody or to spot for somebody. Like I didn't want to do that. Oh, yeah.

I'm glad I worked up now, 15, 16 years later. I mean, we had the same issue this week where I filled in for somebody else just for the sake of me doing all of Luke's races in one weekend. I didn't, you know, I didn't necessarily want to take, you know, do it, but we worked out of the deal where, where they got taken care of. So anyway, you talked about a little bit about racing. I know you're still doing some racing. I don't know what you found in the last year, whether it's race car, team guys helping

you. I felt like your racing has really stepped up the last. You know, maybe a year and a half year or whatever it's been to see some really good results. Yeah, I mean, I'd like to get a podium. I feel like now I'm getting greedy. You know, like we were like not finishing in the top 10 and now we're, you know, finishing in the top five. You know, we had a couple fourths and I think an eighth at one of the other races. But helping promote first race I've ever promoted for super late models next Tuesday.

It's going to be the Memorial Day clash at Oxford Plain Speedway 200. So looking forward to that. Was able to help find some money. to help kick in for the Mad Bomber Division that's normally like $500 to win. It's going to be $1,000 to win. Passing mods are normally $1,200 to win and able to find some money for that.

They're going to be $2,000 to win. There's also going to be some quick time awards for the Super Late Mall's first and second. We're going to kind of do like the beginning of the year like we do at Daytona. What is it? The first place guy, you know, they're already locked in,

second place guy, be locked in. So it'll be something kind of different and neat. But yeah, looking forward to, even with our crazy. schedule with, you know, not really having any weekends off, still able to race like seven times. So looking forward to that. Yeah, you do a bunch of cool stuff up there. What's the other race that you do every year?

And I feel like now, was it go-carts? Or was that you? Oh, so, yeah, so I help promote an event up there. It's called the DKR-50. It was a DKR-100 the first year. We had to cut a back guy's falling out of the seat. Well, so it was called the DKR 100, but it was never a 100 lapper. So then it was just a 50 lapper because they already had to stop at 50 or whatever.

to do fuel. So we just left it at 50 laps. But yeah, that's a cool event. I mean, they got guys from Pennsylvania that come up. I had another guy that helped kick in money on it. It's like $5,050 to win a go-card event. So it's really neat. Wanting to eventually get it to be televised.

I think we're getting pretty close to where that'll come through. But iPhone. Sounds like he's missing his calling with all this stuff. If the spotting thing doesn't work out, my pressure washing business doesn't work out, then hey. Anything else you got going on? I mean, what's the name of a pressure? The Social War's business.

Neal and Clean. That's the one that's sponsoring the Mad Bomber in the past mod. All right, well, we had to get that here. No, I just, you know how it is. I mean, like, anytime you can try to, you know, give back, whether it's money or promoting things or whatever. Free spotting. Yeah, I know.

Yeah, free spotting. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. But, no, just, you know, once we get to this point, like, a lot of people looked at what we do as a cool job and we're fortunate to do it, what you got to do, what you get to do, like what we all get to do. So, yeah, I mean, if people like it, they like it. If they don't, then whatever, I'm just trying to do my part.

Yeah. For nobody, anybody doesn't know, like I mentioned earlier, you do have a, you had a strange relationship. And I don't know where it started. If it was with Juan, if it was with Kyle. I know where you're going with this. But when I met Derek, for whatever reason, all of his drivers called him daddy. And I don't, can we get to how this happened?

So it was Juan. I want to say it was at Darlington. was the race where it came up. But we were in the hauler talking about something. And I can't remember what it was he said. But I just remember saying like, ah, daddy likey. And granted, this is like 16 years ago, right? This is something you would say, I think, somewhat often.

Yeah, yeah. It's like a response. I mean, at that point, I was probably only 20. I just thought maybe Juan couldn't pronounce your name. He told you daddy instead of Derek. Actually, when he said, the name was like Dedik. But no, so we're racing. And I came out of our caution comes out, and he says something.

And I said something back. He's like, 10-4, Daddy. Ha, ha, ha. He always had the funny laugh on the radio. So then, like, from there on out, I mean, it was all the way through that year, because I only spotted the last year that he raced. And then the next year, I had Larson. I had Larson for seven years.

And even to this day, if we text, if we talk at all, it's always daddy. Redick is always daddy. Kyle is not. Kyle has broke the daddy streak. I think he's heard it enough on the radio from like Randall. Because all those guys still call me that on the team. But Kyle doesn't. He probably hears it and just doesn't know the backstory.

But I think it'd be weird if he said it. Kyle's going to call anybody daddy. Correct. Yeah. Carly doesn't get jealous when this goes on, does she? No, no. I think we're far enough into the marriage. They're a name at home.

Oh my God. My close doors sometimes, maybe. Jesus. Listen, you mentioned Larson. and if you don't want to get into this, we don't have to. But you did have to make a tough decision at one point to stop spotting for Kyle and go with Reddick who you were spotting for in the Xfinity series. Just go into that decision making how hard was it,

and do you have any regrets about making that change? I mean, it was pretty straightforward. I mean, Larson and I, we had a great relationship, no issues. Just, I mean, it just came down to I wasn't really happy with the team. Like, there was just people that I wasn't really clicking with. Like, the vibe wasn't that great. and Reddick and I were getting a lot of wins in Xfinity that year. We won the Xfinity Championship that year.

And then RCR basically came to me and asked if I was available. I was at the end of that contract year or the option or whatever it was. And I basically just went and told him like, hey, listen, I'd like a chance to talk to other teams. So yeah, so that's kind of how that went down. Obviously, now you look at it and he went on after his mishap that happened the next year, he goes on to win the championship. And at first, he had called and asked if I would spot when he went back to Hendrick. I mean, I was perfectly happy where I'm at.

I'm still happy where I'm at. I mean, it's not just the spotting part either for RCR. Like it goes to, you know, like we talked about earlier, I fly from Maine. Like my travel part's awesome. Anytime I need a rental car to go to Boston or Boston back to Maine, that whole deal is good. So, no, I'm happy for Kyle, happy for Tyler, you know, that he gets, he got that opportunity to go from wherever he was at to that. And yeah, no regrets. I mean, I will say, like, if you look at, I had a lot of personal goals.

I'm sure you did too, like when you get into spotting or get into any type of job, you've got personal goals that you want to achieve. And, you know, I feel like I've been fortunate enough that I've achieved pretty much all of them except for the hardest two, and that's going to be the Daytona 500 ring and a cup championship ring. So will those happen at RCR? I don't know, but, I mean, hopefully, I don't tend on getting done any time soon, but you just you don't know when those opportunities are going to happen either. Yeah, I hear you for sure.

I'd like to be done soon, but unfortunately, I'm, you're getting ready to get, hopes and dreams started. You don't know it yet. You don't know it yet. Luke's running pretty damn good. I might be in trouble here for a little while. Well, how's everybody's weekend at North Wilkesboro? Probably not as fun as mine.

Long. You're probably, where was your camper at? Were you on the bench? I was down at the go-car track, Sugar Shack. That's probably better off for you. That's probably more. your speed down there. That was great.

Weekend, why did you ask Derek? He was really the only old. I guess you guys were in the All-Star as well. I did not get to partake in that one. Had your race go last night? I was pretty good. I thought that was probably one of our

better short-track races that we had. So I think we're making strike. We've been good the last month, but we just haven't really closed up on a race. I don't know. T.J. I don't know if he was asleep, but just let you guys get to his right rear. The rule number one is a spotter

is always protect your right rear. I wasn't expecting. I'm like, all right, cool, we're going to go in there. They're going to roll up. We're probably going to try to plug middle here or something. Like, we're on two also, you know, and only one other guy was, and everybody else was on four. And he goes top of three. I'm like, oh, shit. Like, we're, fuck, we're going for the lead here, you know? They even said, I think that one laugh, we came off of four. They said, the eight led that lap. I'm like, holy shit, we let it laugh.

I can remember the last time we let it laugh. So I was excited about that. But it was a good race, interesting race, the way it all kind of played out. But yeah. A lot of strategy. How was the race with Harrison? Actually, it was pretty good. I mean, the result doesn't show, but, you know, Jerry did a real good job turning a car around,

making a drivable car for last night. And when he stayed out, he did well to hang on as long as he hung on. Well, unfortunately, when you're the last car staying out, you're going to get gobbled up some. Yeah. But, again, you look at it, those were the 20 best, 22 best cars in the field, right? and he, you know, he probably ran with the best cars that we normally race with, you know, week in and week out. And I think when the car should come out, I think we were 16th or 17th at the time. But Jerry gambled, car ran good all day.

I mean, this is what is, man. Racing's hard, but Harrison for the, you know, not being in our stuff and not being in a cup car all year, he did a really good job. Yeah, for sure. For us, it was, we kind of made our bed, or I made our bed on Friday. Bubba kind of relies on me to get them to the pit road opening as aggressively as we can, so I'll give him a mark on the racetrack every time, and just missed it and sped on pit road in Section 1 by, I don't even know, mile an hour, something like that. So we had that 10-second penalty during the qualifying pit stop, put us 15th, drove up to, I don't know,

fifth or six. Car was decent, and then just kind of used it up to get there. Then we were, you know, pit, put tires on it, put two. held on. We were going to, you know, we were going to be okay. Then we got the benefit of priest's mistake where, you know, we got the front row then. So we drove up there, got to second and we just try to try to fight off the tires from there. And, you know, we kind of ran the 43 and the fans. We ran 42 all over the racetrack. You know, you're just trying to hang on for dear life there, trying to get in the race. And unfortunately, we got swallowed up

by some tires there late and just faded. And then so to everybody's surprised we didn't win the fan vote. I couldn't believe. I thought we had that locked up. But you know what? I started to get worried about it was when we were running second and then somebody, I guess it was John Hunter finally passed us and the Dale Jr. Ovation went through the crowd. I was like, oh, maybe we're not going to win this fan vote. I don't know. He wasn't the top five though.

When I seen the four car go to the back and was just hanging out, I was like he must have won the fan boat, you know. Well, they said he had a power steering issue or something, but was either that or because he knew he won won the fan vote. I'm sure he, like I think everybody suspected that he was going to be the guy that was going to win

if he didn't make the race. but yeah I mean all in all I mean it was a great weekend it was nice to see the I felt like the shoe flipped this week the other shoe dropped where Lugano was the best car and got beat by strategy

and untimely cautions where I feel like usually it's the rolls of reverse where he's the guy taking advantage of that so I thought that was it was good to see and I'm sure we'll get into some of Joey's comments as we go here truck race we'll talk about the end of that

in spot on spot off car store race I mean you want to touch on that a little bit I know we got off to a rough start, but then it was pretty good after that. Yeah, the pro race, well, both races honestly got off to a rough start. In Friday, we did not need that being on FS1 for the first time. But they got it together, and nobody cut us off air, so we can't be mad about that.

But it was cool. It was just, I love North Wilkesboro. The vibes there are just great. The fans are always a good time. Saw a lot of DBC fans this week. So, yeah, I mean, Car Store, we had a good weekend. it off and Laden Lewis won our

late model stock race Dailing Kevin in the booth I haven't gone back to watch it yet but the response seemed well on everything else Did you stay up there for the race or did you go back to the hotel

for the late mall stock race? We're back yeah watched it on TV Did you watch it on TV? Yeah because I just found myself I still watch it on flow I had a habit

I don't know what it was you know I watched it on flow you know it was I mean it was essentially the same broadcast It was they just pulled Fox's feet pretty much

Yeah. I just, I mean, like we talked about, I have a habit of just turning on flow at some point. But, you know, Riverhead watching Riverhead Saturday night. We were at Bowman Gray. I was watching Bowman Gray. I was in the stands at Bowman Gray. I was in the stands at Bowman Gray. I was in Strait. I was in Bowman, Gray. I was watching Riverhead. I'm sorry. I was in Bowman Gray. I wish the heat races were over. but yeah I mean everything I don't know how much do you watch flow I mean a lot yeah a lot I mean I probably should have watched flow on Friday night instead of doing the late mall stock days oh did you spot who you spot for we made it the laugh in a quarter and we were involved in all that so did you spot for land in S oh okay yeah gosh he's had a rough street going I feel so bad for him yeah yeah by the way if you do want to subscribe to flow if you haven't already there are friends of pals of dbc these day so you can join at flow sports. dot link slash DBC1 and I'm telling you you will not

ever be disappointed with your flow subscription. You can literally watch racing 24-7. There is a channel on there called Flow 24-7 and you never know what the hell is going to be. It could be a midget race from 1980 or yesterday's cars tour race. It could be anything. I know during the chili bowl I put a hell of a dent in the recliner. Anyway, we've got to move on because we're turning this into a flow commercial.

I mean, it's well-deserved. I mean, they do a really good job. You guys want to get into Sponds? My mom was mad because they didn't interview Luke after the modified race. A lot of people text me about that. You know, because they had, I said, well, mom, if it wasn't such a shit show, they ran out of time, I'm sure, and they couldn't. Well, yeah, that's. Yeah, actually, all that shit, you talk about the car store and you bust my balls for it.

I know. That's the first thing I thought about. I was saying, I was like, I can't wait to give Tommy hell about this tomorrow. Oh. That's it. We'll talk about that later in the certain topic. but God Almighty, I was frustrated. Anyway, yeah, go ahead. Ready for some spot-on, spot-off?

Sure, let's do it. Spot on. Spot on. Did you want to go first on this one? I think he's a whiny bitch. That's what I think. Send it. Why me? This week's segment of spot-on, spot-off

is brought to you by Fox Factory Vehicles. Fox Factory Vehicles delivers the thrill. Their turnkey has to be. Castle-free, custom trucks and SUVs are built to dominate any terrain, all while retaining their factory warranty. If you want more power, you can go supercharged. Build and price your dream ride today at foxfactoryvehicles.com, where performance meets precision. All right, topic number one, truck race. Lane Riggs says he didn't do anything wrong when racing Corey Hine for the lead on the final lap of the truck race.

Spot on, spot off. Freddie. spot off you know this is back to back unsuccessful Hail Mary's for Lane on the last lap of a race and you know

I don't mind you making the move but you got to get better at it for one at least win the race if you're going to do that but you know I think Charles we were in our hauler yesterday talking about Bubba asked me what I thought about it and our crew chief Charles I thought he said it best where

you know if you if you make that move and it's so egregious that the third place guy can pass the both of you, you've probably crossed a line somewhere of fair or foul. So I think that's a fair way to put it. You know, I don't think it could have been a lot worse, obviously. I've seen a lot worse. But, you know, it's just, I don't know, for me, it's just so hard to swallow on a restart where the 11's been the dominant truck all day. I feel like the 11 has been the dominant truck all year and just can't find a way to close it out. But yeah, I was I was spot off for that. I was spot off for his comments about he didn't do nothing wrong and how he's only worried about

himself. Like it's just just comes off a little cocky to me at the end. But yeah, I don't know. For me, it was spot off. Yeah, I mean, you know how I feel about this always. It's just what, have you ever seen the 11 card do anything to anybody? You know, he races very professionally, right? And you normally do that to people that do it to you, right?

And you got to understand that before you get in that situation. So I don't, you know, I think Lane, yeah, he did do something wrong by just not thinking like that and should have raised him clean. And he probably had a good run no matter what, a better chance of winning without doing that. But yeah, just he gave that one possibly away on both sides, right? Yeah. By causing a caution and by not trying to race him clean. Because if he gets a good run off of two and gets into three on the bottom, he wins. It's, yeah, for me and Derek, you can talk about this.

You know, like you said, Corey made a mistake in three and four, I thought, where he tried to cover the bottom, ended up getting loose, opened the door here for him. But, like, I was, like, the one thing I harped on with Luke all weekend was turn one and two for me is a break-even corner. If you can just break even over there and now you get yourself in position to race in three and four, you got a lot more room and a lot more ability to manipulate the other guy's lane where one and two, I feel like you're just on edge the whole time. You know, how did you, how would you approach this? or do you think that was fair or foul?

I honestly, I went back and then as much as we're getting to see the replay now, I don't really see anything wrong with that, in my opinion. What are you fucking great? No, I mean, now you go back to the week before, and that was terrible. I thought that was stupid at Kansas. What he did? You chase somebody all the way up the track and then you hit him and you put him in the fence. Like that was terrible.

But also so was, you know, Carson putting his middle finger out the window for a whole lap. But anyway, yeah, I mean, you know, I like Corey a lot. You know, I spotted for him when he wanted to land on the truck race. He's a good dude. I mean, he obviously overcharged entry of three. Yeah, got himself in the position. He allowed him there. And then when you went into one, like, you got up so high that as soon as they've just even barely touched, your right sides are out of the groove.

So, I mean, that was just, I think he was moving high because of what was the 34. Yeah. You know, I just think he had to end up, he ended up up there because he knew the 34 was going to do what he was going to do. I mean, it was properly planned by lane. I thought that was about his, if you were going to pass, I mean, that's better than a bump and rum. You know, all the way inside the guy. I got to be honest with you. I'm kind of agreeing with you a little bit because he's not in the gray.

Right. He was still in the lane. I just think the problem happened right there, getting into three. There's where his mistake was. Yeah. Like where I'm at, I feel like it was just good, hard racing for the win. You didn't put him in the wall. As I'm looking at, I'm barely touched.

I think you're right. I think he, I think he, I think he, like, he's not, he's not in the bad stuff. I mean, Corey was in the bad stuff. I mean, not, no, after they touched. Yeah, after they touched. Yeah, exactly. After they touch, he's in the great stuff. Yeah, but I don't.

Listen, it looks worse than it was because of how much distance he traveled to get there. Yeah, but he's not in the, he's not, he was still in the rubber there a little bit. So he just spun out. I will say, though, what Corey did, in my opinion, right, getting into one like that, being high, you kind of have to do that. Because if you go in there and try to shallow him up, you're going to get spun out. At least if you're up high and he hits you and you're in the wall, you can keep it straight. Yeah, Corey did everything he knew that Lane was going to do, right? He did all the proper things.

And I just, I just think Lane overcommitted to a move like that. He didn't need to do it. You know what I mean? Like, if he goes in there and racism, you're going to come off a third. two side by side, and then you go down a three and can move them up. I agree. I agree on that. I think... But if Corey covered the bottom in a three, he would have never got it.

Oh, yeah. You just hit your marks. Yeah. You just... I think the 11 car was just too free at that time. I literally... Let's call it a 50-fif. The week before it was not.

You know what's funny? The week before it didn't bother me. And I don't know, maybe it's just because it's him derasing Hosevar, which we've seen Hosevar do it to a thousand people. That's what I... That's what I... Yeah. I didn't mind it because he ran him down.

He had one shot to get him. and Hosevar would have done the same exact thing. And more probably. I don't know that. I mean, Corey might have done the same exact thing. I've seen Corey be a little aggressive, but he's no saint by any means. But, you know, for me, I don't know. And maybe it's just because Corey's 2311. Maybe I have Hymn versus Hosevar bias, which is very possible.

But for me, the week before, I feel like you race guys, like Tommy said, you race guys, the way they race you. And Hosevar would have done the exact same thing in Lane last week. Oh, he would have buried him. Yeah. He would have been wrecked, trust me. I don't know that. I don't know that Hime would have done the exact thing. thing to Lane right there. Like Tommy said, I mean, the 11's done a great job. He races super smart,

races hard, but race is clean. And I mean, nine times out of the 10, they're the dominant truck almost every week. And he's going to be a cup winner probably within the next two years, of my opinion. Oh, yeah, absolutely. No doubt. All right, we get on that. Everybody's settled there. So 50-50. 50-50. Like I said, it was nowhere near. I was a little nervous. I was a little nervous. I think that was a spot-off. Spot on. I mean, that's 50-50. Yeah. 50. All right. Ryan Priest says he's really fucking pissed after he received a choose cone violation

after claiming he couldn't see said choose cone after getting penalized for running over the box. He should be really fucking pissed. At himself. Yeah. I would be really pissed too if I was, is that spot off? Spot on.

What am I? What was the, I don't even know how the question was worded. Ryan Priest says he's really fucking pissed. Spot on for being really fucking pissed. Yeah. Yeah. Spot off for running over the box.

Yeah. Spot on. Yeah. I don't, it's a tough, look, up in a spot of stand, we couldn't see it, right? None of us could see it. But it's the thing is, here's what I'm at that. We couldn't see it, but I knew he hit it. You know what I mean?

Like when he did it, I go, oh, shit, I think he just hit the box. And we waited a half a lap and I was on my way to talk to the official in JR, I'm on my boss. Because they said on TV, you could see it a little bit better because probably a higher angle, different. Well, the lights, the camera lights are different. Yeah. But, yeah. So, I think there was so much wrecking that it happened throughout the weekend. For the modifier.

The modified. I just clean it right off. But, you know, I knew. Because you just know where the damn thing is. Like, no matter what, you know. And I didn't realize it until you weren't up there. Do you up there for the open or no? No, not for that.

So we come to the first choose. And I'm like, all right, here's your numbers, whatever the hell we're running. And I start to look and I go, oh, shit, where the hell's the cone? Like, where's the arrow? But you still know, all right, get way left or way right, whichever way. because you know where the damn thing is. Like, you know, it's a couple feet. It looked to me like Ryan chose, like he made it very obvious.

He went far left at the start, finish line. But then he turned back to the right, looked like probably to get his tires ready. And that's when he drove straight over the cone. And I was like, ooh, I think he hit the fucking cone right there. And it was going to benefit me a lot because we were third. I was going to be able to move up to the front row. So I was like, ooh, I'm going down here.

Well, it's hard, too. I mean, there's a lot of stuff going on in there. You know, you're caught in the moment. There's stuff going on. But, like, he was going to easily. win that race. Oh, he was flying. By far.

At that point, like, you just need to, all right, cool. Like, I just need to keep my bearings on me, not do anything stupid. Just be way one side or the other. I mean, just don't put yourself even close in that spot. Just stay right on the bottom, rub the inside wall until you go into one if you have to. Like, know that you are going to miss it. I wish NASCAR didn't paint it after the race. Yeah.

Well, I would love to be a guessing game for the rest of the night. You know what would have happened? Nothing. We would all, the same way that nobody else got a penalty in the open. We all knew. Like you can't see the thing. Just go one way or the other way. Ryan was the only one.

He just had a momentary lapse of, you know, paying attention where he just, you know, for one thing, you got to, especially if you're going to be on the bottom, you got to work your right front tire and really good to get it to fire off. So as soon as he took that shoes where he thought he committed to the bottom, now he's going right into scrub mode and he's done, you know, hard to the right, hard to the left, trying to get his stuff ready. And unfortunately, he just drove straight over the box. And it's just, you know, if they, I saw people saying like, you know, they repainted it so that's like an admission of guilt.

No, it ain't. They just painted it so you can see it. If we had this, if that thing didn't change at all from the open of the All Star Race, there would have not been anybody that hit it. Thanks to Ryan in the All-Star race. That's what it usually takes, somebody's mistake for nobody else to make mistakes. There's things in place. We see the, you know, you see the arrows on the fence at the cone. Like if you, for some reason you can't see the cone. I mean, Bubba, we hit a Dakota. You know, I was joking last night. Megan was actually the one. that said it. Megan's like, I've never seen somebody draw so much attention to a mistake that they made. You know, Ryan's gone on and on. There's interviews about it. Then he drags that stupid cone all the way across the infield. Looks like an idiot walking across to put that on the wall where you put that on the wall. Here he is walking through the whole garage. You put it on the wall where there's the same markers on the other side of the wall. But I mean, I'm sure you've seen a video by now a hundred times.

But he goes and puts this thing on the wall at the cone when on the other side of the racetrack, there's the same markers on the fence. So I just, you know, you screwed up. own up to it. You're making excuses when you try to blame the fact that you couldn't see it because I don't think that had anything to do with you. I'm sure you would have been able to avoid it if you could see it. But I mean, for me,

it's just a mistake that you can't make it. Like Bubba, Bubba hit it at Cota because you couldn't see because of the glare. Should we have just been screaming about what time the sunsets in Austin, Texas that day because, you know, like we were the only one to hit it. We weren't smart enough to go far enough left. Like, no,

you just not have to go back and never worry about it again. It'd be fine. I would have figured you liked that place I mean, the fastest Kyle's been there. I mean, the spotting there sucks. I hate going there. Move on before you not allowed back of Cota. I'm assuming you are kind of agree.

Well, it's just one of the hardest places to get to, I think, too. I was talking about the cone thing with Ryan. Oh, yeah, the cone thing, should he be mad? Absolutely. Should he be mad 100% out of himself? I mean, the box is there. He's going to win races. I think that's the other thing, too, is like he's running the best he's run

in these cup cars or in cup period and he's probably just trying a little bit too hard and just let it come to him he's definitely going to win races they're running so well yeah all right the promoters caution set up a great finish to the race spot on spot off Tommy yeah absolutely played we thought it was going to be a gimmick and

ended up working out the way they envisioned like most of the time I hate to say when they vision stuff most of the stuff happens for a really good cause for the fans. And besides Michael dropping the flag on the track, which is pretty typical of water. And he might have, knowing Michael,

he might have did that on purpose to create some more limelight on himself. That's Michael. But yeah, look at him. Yeah, look at him. He's doing it. It looks like Will Ferrell up there. But yeah, I mean,

it's set up some strategy calls. ultimately had made the 20 come in and 22 stayed out and launched a great finish. Yeah. I mean, I'm good with it. You know, like we talked about here when Kyle was here a couple of weeks ago, we were talking about this. It's the All-Star race. Give me the gimmicks.

You know, like, whatever. You race for a million dollars. Make it worth something. There's no points on the line. There's no, you know, nothing that pertains to your season-long battles going on here. So give me the giddics. I've seen Gluck was a number. annoyed at the hokeyness of it because they put

on television you guys have been watching on TV obviously probably around lap 200 Michael climbs up into the flag stand and he's doing the thing to the fans like you want to run 10 more laps you want to run five more but that's part of it's the entertainment if it's a gimmick it's a gimmick now maybe I probably wouldn't have spent so much

money on fucking fireworks for the yellow flag that seemed a little over the top for me but I mean that's in Marcus's money he can spend however he wants it's it's uh it was cool And yeah, and listen, Derek, you can talk to this because, you know, we're coming out of stage, well, stage one, whatever that first caution was, was 100 laps, I think, right? Basically, now we could, there was no more planned cautions by NASCAR. It was, you're going to run until 220 was going to be the promoters caution. I think the way the caution fell, whatever lap that was, where there was like...

215? Yeah, 215. Yeah, there was like a 40 lap run to 220. Yeah, and then, you know... 147, I think. Yeah, I mean, because for one thing... 99 hit the wall. or a six. That was the one in the six I think. Yeah. No, the six. Yeah, the six wreck got loose and wrecked. But, you know, for one thing, you can say whatever you want, that caution was only going to fly with 30 to go. They were never going to just throw that in the middle of a run with 100 to go and let it get strung out again. That was going to be a caution with 30 to go and we're going to have a short run to the end. But the caution falling at like 70 to go set it up to where we could see differing strategies of, you know, these guys come put tires on. Now you're going to make a 40 lap run. That's what we're going to make a 40 lap run. That's what we're going to be. We're going to make a 40 lap run. That's

when we've seen Larson do two. And then, you know, now, okay, now you got a decision to make at that, at that comp caution, which we know is coming in, or the promoter caution, we know that's coming in 40 laps and you got a 30 lap run to the end. How much did that play into it? And how much did you guys have planned for that, you know, going into it, going into the race and then even going into that run where you look at say, all right, I think just judging off of the open and everything that we have seen through the weekend, like you knew you pretty much

had to kind of keep tires on it, whether it was two or four. but the way that last caution came out though I mean it was more it was kind of for Larson and for the promoters deal I mean Larson had tanks slapped it had a bent right rear toe link I think and he was limping around

so they waved the caution and I don't know I mean it was it was all right I mean I didn't mind the gimmick part of it I thought it you know I also like the ending so yeah so that was cool

where'd you end up 8th 6 8th yeah it was fun I mean, it was... We ran 250 laps and finished right where we started. Just couldn't get around that guy all day long. It was going to get around him the whole time, yeah. Yeah.

The, yeah, it's just set up a good finish, you know, and that's what you want. You don't want that race to get strung out and be, you know, like it was. Which it did. Yeah, I mean, it did. But the car still, I mean, let's not hold the secret back. I mean, the cars still need work. I mean, it got to the point from that lap 100 caution to lap 190 or whatever big long stretch there was. Everybody's ripping the top.

You dive to the bottom. bottom you get inside well then you're stretched by three car links by time go down the straightaway like just if we're going to run a points race there i think it'll be if we ever do like then i think it's going to be okay because you'll have 35 cars up there you're going to have lap traffic it's going to slow the pace down be a great great race absolutely needs to be in the playoffs too but for only having 20 cars like you need i don't know eight inch tires yeah or you need like do some i mean we do enough stupid shit let's do some more i mean i talked to the good year engineers Yesterday.

They're working on it. Well, sure. Not a, well, not a narrower tire, but making the tire more soft, you know. They are working. They are working, man. I was surprised. But for the restarts and stuff, I mean, that was great racing. I mean, you're going third lane, middle lane, bottom lane, you're hooking the air.

I mean, that stuff was good. It was just when it got strung out and everybody was running the same speed. Yeah, exactly. True. Right? I mean, every race. But wherever we go. But, like, I'm a fan of, like, the old.

school. I know I'm not that old, but I'm a fan of like nine cars finished on the lead lap. Well, that's because there was great crew cheese, great engineers, great drivers that knew how had saved their tires, great. That is how racing should be. It shouldn't have to be like, oh, well, you know, we have to have the stage breaks and we have to have all these cautions to keep everybody packed up because, you know, whatever, whatever. But I just, I like seeing that. I mean, which is strung out. Which don't get me wrong. Well, yeah, yeah, it is. But it's just that is a cool side of it. It's a natural race. Yeah. It's a natural race. Yeah. And listen, like to Derek's point about the car, you know, if we had had that, like with that caution doesn't fall with 70 to go and we have a 100 lap run or whatever, it was, 120 lap run to that comp caution, you're not going to see a dollar of the different strategies.

Guys are going to have 120 laps in our tires. Nobody's going to stay out. I don't think at that point. I mean, unless you're throwing some Hail Mary. You almost have to take four. There may be some guys that put two on just to try. They'll get swallowed up. So, you know, and then once you, if you got everybody on the same strategy, you're probably going to see the 22 drive away with it. because it's so hard to pass when you're, you see, we've seen this all year, you know, you see good racing because guys are on different strategies. Guys are two tires, four tires, no tires. It's been your best racing. If you somehow lose that, then, you know, we're going to go back to complaining about the car a lot because everybody's going to be so even. Exactly.

So you got to have these different strategies, throw these caution. I do not want any gimmick cautions in a points race by any means. Don't start throwing cautions with 20 to go. But, you know, for this, I was fine with it. Yeah. All right. Joey Lugano was not happy with the way Christopher Bell raced him for the win, saying if I could have got to him, he was going around after a move like that. Spot on, spot off.

Freddie. What the fuck? I mean, first of all, he was crying after the race about the caution that we all knew was coming, which like to Derek said, it might have just come out for the five car anyway, because the five was limping around. It would look like a broken toe link. But, I mean, this is probably one of the most hypocritical things I've ever heard anybody say. and to give Joey credit, in my opinion, I didn't, when we went green here, I'm sitting at home watching, I'm like, oh, Joey's a sitting duck.

And then he held them off for like seven laps. And I'm like, this guy is the best defensive racer in our sport. Like I don't know for, like, Bois is so much faster, I don't know that he's going to get him now when I was so sure of it two laps ago because Joey just knows how to position himself. Bell went to the outside of him, one two, and Joey just ran him in the fence. You know, he went to the bottom. He ran him down, got on his door.

and knowing that Joey is as good as he is defensively, if you get an opportunity, you have to take it, and that's what Bill did. And he didn't wreck him. He didn't, like, you know, he just ran him at a room. He ran him down the track. So I don't, I spot off for sure. He's mad about, he's mad about this move right here,

where he just runs him up to hell, you know, if you're good with. It's no different than what he did doing in turn one or two, a laugh or two before. You know, for me. But you said it. I mean, he's one of the best defensive drivers out there, but I mean, you run all over the track. The guy that's running third is the best one.

I think Joey's better than anybody. He'll annoy you more, the one, but Joey, Joey gets it done. Joey, yeah, Joey is clean and you can't get to them. Ross will run you in the fence. A lot of times you can't even get outside of Joey to let him run you in the fence. I think obviously Joey is frustrated on two things, right? The strategy, right? I'm thinking if no matter what, you know, they come in, they pit, they win, right?

Yeah. if they have a good stop. But Joey raced second or first, most of the race, clean. Like when he was trying to pass the six car. He was the only one that could run the bottom three and four. The whole race. I don't think he ever touched the six car once all the times he tried passing him. I think he was a little frustrated at that of not, you know, but he did go down, cut down on him going into one there.

Which, again, that's what starts the process of the drivers being frustrated. Well, again, though, they're racing for a million dollars. And nobody got wrecked. And nobody got put in the wall. And I think that's a big thing for Bell. You know, Bell has made a point of that. I remember him saying that after the Coda race when he raised you guys. He's like, I'm not, I could have went in there and just knock Kyle out of the way.

He goes, but I want to try. But he did that the year before. Yeah. Well, yeah. But I feel like this year, he's made a point of saying, like, I want to be the one that changes the narrative of, you don't have to do that. You don't have to race a guy that way. And I don't know that there was anything really egregious. There was kind of like the Heim Riggs thing, you know.

He didn't wreck the guy. Joey still finished second. He's just, you know, he'd go in there. Joey might have got an extra lap had he not chase him down the hill in the turn one. Like if he had just done his normal entry, he might have got another lap out of trying to defend him off. You know, I mean, it's just funny for me. Like, you know, he gets out of the car. And he's so, first of all, he's mad about the caution.

Like you said, Tommy, what it comes down to is finally, like I said earlier, the rolls were reversed. He was finally the best car and got beat by, you know, strategy or caution. But we all knew that caution was coming. Yeah, like you said, it was coming out, whether it was large. I mean, but like it almost seemed like coming down the backstress, they weren't sure what to do. You know, like they're like, what, should we come? Are you trusted? Like, well, you should have known for 40 laps this is coming.

Like, what were you, what was your plan? You're leading the race. You're dominating the race. Well, I think what was in the back of their heads was the six car in the heat race staying out and, you know, holding those guys off. But it's not five to go, eight to go for a million. That was for heat race, right? That wasn't as much pressure as, you know, for the second place guy to really have to get.

Right. So on the pit box for you, Tommy, like, have you been in this position before? Maybe not in this position because you don't know, you know, when you were a crew chief and you weren't 100% sure when the cautions were coming. Oh, I've, you know. I've been in that position plenty of times. But I'm just saying, like, you didn't know, like, not sometimes where you knew I'm getting a caution in the next 20 laps, whatever. You know, I know. So, like, how much do you know, like plan on that?

Like, you're sitting there leading a race going, okay, no matter, I know this caution is coming in 20 laps. When that caution comes out, I'm doing X. Because you're, we've talked about out here before with Rodney a couple weeks ago, everybody's going to base. everybody's going to base off of you. You're in a no-win situation. Whatever you do, people are going to do the opposite of you? So, like, are you not just sitting on the box going, I don't give a shit? In 20 laps, whenever this yellow comes out, I'm coming and doing two.

I'm coming to doing four. Like, it seemed to me like it was a little disjump, like just, discombobulated, where they didn't really know what they wanted to do when the yellow came out. Well, I think, like I said, I think they based it a little bit off the sixth car the night before of holding those guys off. But, again, that wasn't for a million dollars. and track wasn't as wide either during the east. Yeah, there's a lot of different situations.

But when Akasha comes out and you're the leader, that is the hardest decision to make when you're kind of in that little what-if modes. There's a lot of what-ifs that go through your head. And, you know, I've made some good calls being in that position. And I believe one year with the All-Star Race, with Ward, I made a bad decision in the All-Star race at Charlotte one time and cost me. But no, man, it's just, it's just racing.

I mean, I love when those cautions come out at that time for everybody to have to make the decisions. You love it because you're not sitting on the pit box. No, I would love it. No, I do. I mean, it's the adrenaline rush of, man, okay, you know, I have to make these decisions. I have to do this, you know?

All the pressure, and it's like, I get a kick at all that. You know what I mean? Even yesterday in a modified race, I did something different because I felt that at the end, we're going to have the best tires at the end. And I put him behind everybody, right? Yeah. But I knew that was going to be our last stop because of all the cautions.

And I knew that he was going to have three tires to everybody's two. And eventually he was going to help us if we didn't get in that little bit skirmish on the front stretch. We come down to pay, right? So the modified type of a little different rule package than everybody else. So you can only change two tires at a time. So if you want to do three or four, whatever it is, you got to do two and then come back around and do the other two. So Tommy. I only do three.

You can only do three yesterday. so Tommy did we were going to do three tires so Tommy said all right to do rights come back for the left left rear so Wesleyan Lee put her and I said you want to come back no matter what right he said yep and I said okay we're fourth or fifth in line and I watched the first four stay out as a pit we pit and everybody behind us stayed out and I went oh shit luckily it worked out about as good as it could yeah if we didn't have a little damage I think we probably would have won but uh anyway yeah so I I just got a kick out of that. That was quintessential Joey there at the end of that race

complaining about cautions and getting raced hard when he probably rolls reverse. He's doing the exact same thing to Christopher. So what was the answer on that one? I was spot off. What page are we on? What page is we on? Here we go.

Topic four. I think I know how some of you feel about this. North Wilkesboro should get a cup series points race. Spot on, spot off. Spot on. Derek. Absolutely. Derek, we get rid of code?

What do you sound like? Less road courses and more real racing. I mean, I think everybody's spot on, right? Yeah. It's, you add 20 cars and 150 laps. You know, it's just so many different variables. Obviously, we talked about, you talked about traffic, Derek. You know, that'll make the racing better for one because that's, you know, once you get guys in traffic, that's how you see whose cars are better or not.

Because everybody can kind of hold each other off in clean air. You know, if you've got clean air and you're in traffic, you can hold the, if you're the leader in clean air and you got traffic behind you, you know, you're dirtying up the guys there behind you. your car's driving great well then once you catch traffic now your car's going to drive as bad as theirs and that's where you get to see the difference in whose car's really good and who's isn't look at SVG i mean he straightaway to everybody at the beginning of that open yeah great point yep and then he had four tires made like two positions or so against their two or none and then faded right back six car once he lost the lead well yeah the that's what's that's what you're gonna when you have more cars more laps you're going to have stage breaks you're going to

see a lot more opportunity of guys doing different things and burying. You know, every one of these races now, especially short tracks, you go into our strategy meetings beforehand. There's like, okay, guys, just be prepared. You're going to be in dirty air at some point. No matter what, if you can start on the pole and lead the first 200 laps, at some point, something's going to flip to where you're 10th or worse because, you know, somebody's going to flip a stage, an untimely caution or whatever it is.

But yeah, yeah, like that's the shit you want to see. And that's what's going to make that race great. I was listening just on the way in here this morning. Rudy was doing an interview somewhere, and he was talking about even the way they lay rubber on the racetrack. You know, you might see, you know, like it builds up at Martinsville where you've got the globs of rubber where you kind of got to position yourself around it.

You'll see more of that. Now you might bring even more lanes than we saw this week into it. I don't think there's going to, I think that was their own lanes. That was the end of the race. It's maxed out. But they was still passing on the bottom. They were still passing up the top. They were still passing in the middle.

I will say one and two was cool how, you basically had to be up top to start or, well, I mean, it's kind of mixed matched, I guess. But then, like, as the run would go on, you could actually go, like, all the way down to the line through one and two. Like, it was, that part was cool. Three and four got to the point where you could roll inside somebody, but you really had to have the exit momentum up top. It deserves. It deserves a point rate.

Yeah, for sure. I think we're one of the things. And look how pack that place gets. I know they don't have his main. It was crazy. And Derek, you know, and brought it up, you know, if we do have a points raise there, it's got to replace something. and you assume it's got to replace an SMI track. Unless if NASCAR is willing to get them a second date,

I think that Chicago street race, I don't know how much shelf life is left on that race. Yeah, but we'll have another street race somewhere. So I figure, like, if they take it, if they take it away from there, they're probably just going to move that street race to a different city. If you're looking at SMI tracks,

obviously, I think me and Derek agree, it should be coded just because we don't want to go back to road course. I hate road course racing just for the fact that we're not spotting the whole time. You're kind of out of control. Out of all the control, you give away. You got Emerson too. Well, no, but he's much, much, much better now than he is, than he was on road courses. So that's not so much.

I just hate up giving up. But, yes, I don't like road course racing to begin with. But, you know, for me it would be. Do we need to do it? Yes. We need to have different styles of racing. We just, we're getting to the point where it's. Well, now we have five of them.

Yeah. It's just too many. We need. You know, and who knows what's going to happen with the Mexico date in the future. But, like, if you're talking about just straight SMI tracks, for me, it would be Coda and Texas, who, unfortunately, they both. they both put on really good races this year. You know, a lot of people were happy with both of them. So I'm shouting this out loud to all of our friends in the Northeast.

You better pack Dover. You better pack Loudoun because those are the ones that I'd be worried about if North Wilkesville gets a date. Well, I think since those tracks went to one race, they are packed now. They are. But I'm just saying that the New Hampshire race has been in the 60s on the Glockpole for the last couple years, you know, the only way you're going to make, if the racing product isn't great, the grandstands better be packed. So I'm just telling you that. We can't get rid of loud.

We can't get rid of loud. We need the weekend fun that we have every talk. The last thing I need to do, I love going to Dover. I love going to loud and I love going anywhere to the Northeast. You should probably give Meg a shout out there. Yeah, Meg. Oh yeah, Derek's friend Meg. I've never seen anything like this. So we go, Derek has a little party. What is that Saturday night? Saturday night. He has 7,000 lobsters. Hershey's 6,500 of them. God that guy can eat. He can't.

That's crazy. Does he put old bay on that? He's got his little shaker thing. He's not kidding. He's not kidding. But, you know, so anyway, we'll go out there all the time and hang out with them after the modified race usually on Saturday. How come I wasn't?

We don't like you. Come out this year. But yeah, we go this year because the modified race is at like 8 o'clock in the morning, so we'll have plenty of time to go out there afterwards. But Derek and she's like, he wants a shotgun of beer. He's like, my friend Meg is the best. I was like, I'm always down to shotgun a beer. So I'm like, me and everybody else there has got this key.

You know, we're like, oh, yeah, we're going to poke the hole in there. Meg goes, boom, it just bites this thing. I'm like, what the, what just happened? He's like, where's your husband? I go, it's Nick right over here. And Nick's like, that's my girl. It's awesome. So she's the switch sides, right?

She has switched sides because she's numbed it up. She chipped it up. She's just like, flat out. It's just worn out. Oh, yeah. She's a lot. So shout out to Meg. Yeah.

It kills it. Everybody's got to be good at something. What we're talking about? All right, yeah. We got to get points about it. Wilkesboro. Okay, if they were to give it a points race date, though, where would you want to see the All-Star race, babe?

Rockingham. Rockingham makes a lot of sense. I don't think of that. I would think that, you know, obviously, here's where I'm at on it, it's got to stay home. Yes. It's got to stay in North Carolina, maybe, you know, maybe, or just in this region.

because for one, I think it's not fair to make these guys like a couple years ago we were making guys go to Texas for the All-Star race in the open. There were teams out there that had no chance of making it out of the open and they're going to Texas towing all the way out there for no purse money, right?

There's no, I'm assuming, in the open to? Yeah. I mean, all right, there's a little bit. Not enough to make it worth it going out there. I'm sure nobody wants to see All-Star races being back at bigger tracks. I mean, Charlotte's produced. Yeah, what's what I say?

car for the last couple years. Two things. Like if you're going to go back to Charlotte, would have a double-headed weekend this weekend and then the 600 weekend. But we don't need to be there for six days anymore for the All-Star race. That schedule this weekend is brutal. Listen, if you want, there's nobody, there's no rule that says we didn't have to be there. You would just spot it for every race.

No, I know. But I mean, even for like the fans, like we talked about this before the show. I mean, the hotels and stuff are, you know, 40, 45 minutes plus away unless you're camping, which even camping that's not a huge area of camping. What's that? I stayed one in seven miles away. Did you? Yeah, but there's only so many.

Is it on that main stretch? Like in actual? And for a place that's sold out, like they've got to be coming from somewhere. I stayed at home. I loved it. But, and listen, if you're talking about moving at places, there's no rule that says you have to move it.

We can run back-to-back weeks at Wilkesboro. Oh, my God. How cool would that be? If you get a date, you know, we ran back-to-back weeks at Charlotte. You know, this is just... Let's do a prime time Wednesday night, Wilkesboro. All-Star. Points race.

Nobody fucking watches on Wednesday night. God, don't say that. I'm like the biggest guy for midweek shows. I don't know. I would love a minute. We need more dirt. Well, we need a couple of those and a couple more weekends off. Or even just to get the season shorter to get out of football season.

I've always said I'll race year round. You give us one off weekend a month. Like everybody in the industry would be, I mean, you probably really couldn't race year round. I mean, we're talking about three or four cold months. but still, like, it gives everybody in the industry one weekend off. So you do, let's say you start the month off, you do a Wednesday, Thursday show or Tuesday, Wednesday show, whatever you want to do. And mix match it with, like, Cup and Xfinity or Cup and Trucks. Or if you want to do all three, do all three, do whatever.

But, like, do double headers like we do at Texas or whatever with truck and Xfinity. But they've got a, I mean, I'm just happy to have the job. Don't get me wrong. I love my job. Be careful. Because when you say we, whenever we complain that we, you. you know, have 30 weekends in a row. We're not at home.

We've got now 28. You know, people are, oh, you got a dream job. You don't know how hard it is out here. I'm like, I get it. But still, it's a lot. I've seen a lot of people come down and try and take their ass right back home because it didn't work out for them. So it is a commitment.

We are away from our families for a long time. I think we all agree with that. But like I said, I'm, I am not complaining about the job at all. Love the job. Love what I do. Beats sitting behind a computer at a desk for a nine to five. Sounds like you do that a lot, though. Promoting my ass off.

But no, I do just think it would be cool if they could just figure. And we tried it during COVID, but COVID wasn't really, I mean, you're talking about last second races here that we're making happen. Like, there's no planning for it. So I just, I don't want to keep beating a bit. I would love it. I would love it. But I think it's Wednesday, Thursday show or Tuesday, Wednesday show. When's the last time they tried it, COVID?

The way that race teams are programmed now and the, the cars and the inventory, it's a lot easier to do it now than it used to be. I think from a team perspective, I think... And honestly, I don't even think it's a NASCAR issue. I mean, I think NASCAR would be plenty open to do with midweek shows. Like, they see the grassroots side of it. Like, I think they're all for it. Unfortunately, TV runs so much of our lives. I mean, a lot of the...

I mean, Monday nights have been pretty good when we run, because of rainouts. I mean, the ratings have been pretty good. Yep. I think we... And do it on, I mean, like, you can figure it, just like anything in life, you figure it out. Like, you don't have to compete with football. on a Monday night. You don't have to compete with football on Thursday night. Wednesday night's the best one, right? It's the only one, only night really we don't have football every time.

And if there's a soccer game, who gives a shit? Yeah, I mean, you could run. A lot of people do, apparently. There's a lot, like, that stretch we just did in the beginning of May, was, no, beginning of April, I guess, where I felt like I never got out of plane for a month. Like, we could do that stretch in two weeks, you know, like if instead of being a month long, you know, where it was, I forget, where the hell did we even race? Like Martinsville, Darlington, Bristol. Bristol. You know, you could do that. You could do that. You that in a two-week span. Well, you've got to be careful that because the fans,

you got to go to different regions for the fans. You can't go too far if you're going to run Wednesday and Sunday. You know, no. You don't have the weekend off. Oh, you're saying run Wednesday, had that weekend. Yeah, you'd run Wednesday, Thursday. You'd have that weekend off.

No, just Wednesday, Derek. All right, just one day show. Not two days. All right, sorry. We've proven we can do it plenty of times. We don't have to be in Tallega for three days for one lap. Okay?

We don't have to be. Tommy still tore up about that. It's the worst schedule. We can show up at Talladegh on Sunday inspect the cars, line up and points by lap 10, everyone be in the same spot they always are at lap 10. Speaking of Tommy being fired up, Carson. I'm not.

I think Tommy's the only one that's fired up. I think the only thing fired up was maybe the carton of cigarettes you smoked this week. I didn't. Look, everybody loves a drunk sick, man, okay? All right? It happens. Jesus. What?

It happens. Hey, everybody happened. How was your weekend, though, camping? Did you have fun? It was a good old time. Now I want to buy a camper. Did I see Dale Jr.'s bus right in the middle of the... So he had sold that one.

He just has his fifth wheel now. Because I thought the same thing. I'm like, what the hell's he doing out here in the regular campground? I was like, well, I saw the Starlink sticking out front. And it was all tied up. I'm like, surely that's not here. Yeah, I was like, what's he doing out here with the rest of us? but no, I mean, I had a great time.

Can't beat it. So if anybody's got any campers for sale, let me know. Did anybody break into the go car track? No, she was open and operational every night. We got to see a lot of action, if you will. Action. Yeah. Interesting.

But, yeah, good weekend in North Wilkesboro. Already ready for next year. Fun, fun, fun. So nothing fired up. Nothing? No. I was going to say, how to you one time. You were walking around the garage and you looked angry.

She don't know. When you can't talk to her darn, darned, cars, weekend. Cars hours. I literally said hi to you twice. No, you didn't. Bullshit. I gave you a fist bump once and I said, I gave you a hug, actually. All of, no, wait a say. You walked right past me in the truck garage on Saturday. You gave me a fist bump kept walking and never said hi. Yeah, that was my hell of business. I got a business to run. I got to do. I do. I was mad. Well, okay, the only time I was fired up. No, the only time I was fired up was on lap two of the late model stock race. I'm like, a few motherfuckers get us cut off TV at 9.30. Because that was a concern that

everybody I talked to, you're being generous at lap two. Everybody I talked to was pretty concerned about that. It seemed like to start the race, it was like a hard cutoff of 90 minutes. So initially, like we were not going to be able to go green until nine so that the cup guys could get out of the garage. And then once we agreed to do that lap 25 break or whatever it was, that was how we were able to go green at 815. And but I had heard all weekend and been told that 930, like 815 to 930, that was our TV window. And we were done if we didn't get that race in. I don't know how we would have done it anyways.

But I was texting my mom. It was like 935. I'm like, are we still on TV? Are we still on TV? I was one. I'm like, I told me, we were watching it at home and I told Meg, I said, I don't know what they would do. Like what? It's not just going to go black at 930.

Right. Under green. Like I said, surely they'll cut them a little bit of a very. And I mean, granted, you could have hopped over to flow, I guess, to see the rest of it. Well, and I think whatever was on after us was like tape delayed in HR qualifying. So it's like, we already saw that. So just let us keep going. But.

yeah no Eric Eric did a good job I feel like Eric Dawes is a great job Eric Brennan in the booth always is a great job I feel like you know you get Dale and Kevin in there and I was like I could tell Eric was having to try to figure out his way

how to get in there and talk because obviously Dale's so fired up out he wants to do that play by play every lap Kevin has so much expertise on everything and the sport really he's breaking down all the different stuff so Eric did a good job of kind of finding his voice in there and then he does such a good job

he does a great job Blake again Blake you know, I don't know why Blake's already, not a pit reporter, but, you know, aside from being in the booth on the regular cars to races, he did a great job on Friday night and on the pit road and Caitlin obviously always is a good job. Yeah, it was cool to have Caitlin. That was like a full circle moment because of her time at Langley. So I think all in all, our broadcast team was awesome. I can't wait to go back and watch it. Hopefully they get some more. I know. I can take a break from that pre-race. That pre-race was stressful, though. I've never had to be that minute by minute before.

Well, as always, spot on spot off was full of some great opinions. And we want to give a shout out to our friends at Fox Factory Vehicles for bringing us that segment this week and over the next couple weeks. They deliver the thrill for drivers who demand the best. And they have fully custom turnkey, hassle-free trucks and SUVs that are built to dominate any terrain and retain their full factory warranty. Yeah, our buddy Herm has one. You know, Kenny Wallace from the old Herman Strader show.

And Kenny's is badass. to say, Lisa, it stands out in the crowd. They have optional supercharged models. Do you think Hermes is one of those? Listen, Kenny is always supercharged, so I hope his truck isn't. But whether you're heading to the track or the trail, these rides are ready. No do-it yourself, no delays. Head to Foxfactoryvehicles.com to build and price your next dream ride,

available through partnering dealerships nationwide. Fox Factory Vehicles brings precision and performance you've been dreaming of. You can head to Foxfactoryvehicles.com today and take the wheel. Let's see what everyone else thought about the races this weekend. It's time for reaction theater where fans can call in and voice their opinions from this weekend's race. How many calls have we got, Andrew? We got about 150, 100. We got back up there.

How many we listened in today? How many good ones? That's a different story. I should have called in on Saturday. What, you drunk, Sig? Yeah. Slice bread. Fuck some slice bread.

He can't even make a fucking sandwich. he can't even fucking hold his jockstrap put north of wiltsboro on the fucking regular schedule I think he's having a drunk sig yeah whoever that guy was he said that Carson you remember me out there in the fire How would Carson drunk singing did he

Mark breads I think he said that Joey couldn't hold his own jockstrap I mean I'm pretty sure you can hold your own That is what he said To think that the promotional caution that everybody hated during the week was the thing that kept Joey from winning the All-Star race.

This is the greatest thing ever. Congrats to Christopher Bell. I don't know that anybody, I didn't hate it. We were talking about it with Kyle. For that race, I hate it. I don't like the idea of it any other race, but for that race, I was good with it. That's what that race is designed for, though.

I mean, they used to have debris cautions. Yeah, they always had a promoter's caution. They just didn't put it. Adela Jr., advertising. Dale Jr. caution. It happened a lot. I think we had one in the open. We almost didn't even really use it.

Like it was a kind of 50-50. Listen, if Priest wants to be real mad about something, he can be real mad about the fact they threw a second for motor's caution in the open because there was no reason to throw a yellow for what I think Riley got in the back of somebody in three and four and they just chased it up and touched the wall. And as soon as they hit it, they threw the yellow. So if Priest could be mad, there shouldn't have been a yellow. He would have probably ran down Hosevar and beat him.

and he would have never had to choose, but that's a whole other topic. How many times can hung money step on his dick in one week before his wife starts looking with somebody with a normal-shaped dick? A normal shape? I mean, I'm fairly the same shape besides the other stuff he said. I thought the same thing on the way home last time. I was like, man, he's had a rough couple weeks. Yeah.

I mean, well, forget it. Can't put Kansas. Yeah. Yeah, tough guy. Just tough break guy. Yeah, one can. Poor guy to lead 220 laps and win a raise. Terrible.

But, I mean, I'm telling you what. The Indy car stuff this week is sketchy. Yeah, they're on edge right now, man. They're hauling ass, and they are on edge. And, I mean, I don't know how the approval process is going to go over there in Hendrick next year if they keep this same package because I don't think I want my golden goose sitting in something running 240 down the back stretch at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This next message is for Carson.

Oh, great. Oh, boy. Drunk SIGM-R. I was just curious if we could change the title sponsor of the Licking Windows 100 to go bowling because what the fuck was that first five lap? Anyway, go ahead. That's a good opportunity. Go bowling.

Go bowling 100. Yeah. Carson just put a pitch out there for go bowling to jump bowling. I'll actually hit them up this afternoon when I get back to my desk. Just send them some videos. Look at how good we do. Literally marketing in motion. Oh, dang boy.

And I thought, old Derek and Kyle were going to get Rowdy Nation lucky tonight. I wasn't about to bust. I'll tell you what. Y'all better get on it. Yeah. You know, the week. I don't know if you listen to the Kyle episode, but there's a lot riding. I did.

There's a lot riding on you guys winning. Yeah. A couple people are. A lot of stress. A lot of stress. Another rough week for Rowdy Nation. Another rough week for Rowdy Nation. We let a lap, though.

I don't know if you guys. I don't know if you guys saw that. Maybe you get a little something for leading a lap, you think? Hell, I don't know. a little grab ass. Something. We're trying. You remember the guy

with the crying baby he called in last week? Yeah. He called in again. Baby's still crying? This baby's happy. You boys in miscarcion? You hear that?

That is complete silence. And you know why? Because my baby boy is happy as hell that son of a bitch. Joey when I never lost this race. I was wondering where that was going. So last week, a couple weeks ago he called in

the baby was hysterical crying. And he's, he's, trying to yell over. He's like, you hear that? My baby's crying because Legano 1. He's like, damn, you, Logano, my baby's crying. That's awesome. So now the baby's happy. Congrats to a good night's sleep for the baby. Yeah. The baby one's been good. The baby one's good, but we gotta do better. We don't have, well, we got, like, listen, just, you know, it's, like, nobody called to make fun of Derek. Listen, I would rather to listen to you guys. You said how many calls? I'm sure there was one. 50. There was one on me for sure. You know, we, I don't mind, like,

Don't make fun of Carson because we won't play that one. Make fun of me. Make fun of Tommy. We would love to hear that. We love to laugh at each other. Make fun of whoever the guest is. We can laugh. But those are the one, everybody calls me to, or sends me DMs or whatever.

I called in this week and I didn't get played. And I'm like, it's probably because you said the same exact thing everybody else. Yeah. I said, if you want to be different. Quick. Not a long. It's got to be, you know, something that we're going to laugh at. I know you all think you're funny, especially when you're drunk.

But a lot of times it's just really repetitive for the producer to hear the same thing about how Logano sucks and not everybody gets a participation trophy that's not how this works. So make fun of me, make fun of Tommy, make fun of whoever the guest is that week, especially the guest, that'll get us on there and that'll get us laughing and you'll get on the show.

Well, to leave a better audio message 24-7, you can call our number at 704-802-9-572 and we will play the best ones each week on the show so please make them better than they have it. Peace and love from us.

Dale Jr. Did you know that we've got brand new merch from our Star Stripes and Bears Collection available now? We've got tanks, teas, beach towels, and more just in time for summer. Check it all out at shop.dirtymomedia.com. It's time for AskDBC, and you can send in your questions on X each week using hashtag AskDBC. Tech? Whoa, I don't even, I'm not even trying to read that. The truck series usually produces great racing on short tracks. Are there any short tracks that the truck series should go to that they currently don't. Stafford Motor Speedway. Start there.

They're not a NASCAR track anymore. Well, they can be. They've had tour races there when they're not NASCAR. I mean, you can have a NASCAR race at a non-NASCAR Stangston race track. I've seen it happen. But that would be the one. If you asked me which one to go to, that's the one. I don't, you know, figure it out.

You remember when they first started all the short tracks that used to go? I've said that on here for years. Like, that's how you're going to get. like, you know, go to Pensacola and Bubber Pollard will be in the truck. And go to, you go to Stafford, Keith Rocco, will be in a truck. Remember when they went to Flemington?

How many? Yeah. Like, blew it, ran there. I know that. Like, that's where Stefanik, I think, first started running. Like, you know, that, that's where, I think you get.

That series started. Yeah. I feel like, I swear, I've said on here before, they should run mile and under and then run like Charlotte once or twice and run Daytona in the beginning of the year. And everything else should be like a mile and less for the truck series.

because that's what that series is. That's why they put on their best show is rooting and gouging each other on short tracks. Yeah. The second one is for Derek. You've spotted for Larson and then Reddick and now Austin Hill and Kyle Busch. How have the drivers differed in information

that you share with them and is there ever too much information given? Surprisingly, none, actually. I don't feel like I've... I read that question earlier, and I don't feel like I've spotted any different for Larson, Reddick, Kyle, Austin.

I feel like, you know, was spotting for, you know, butterbean this year with ARCA and Mozac and trucks. Like I feel like it's a little bit more coaching on that side. But like those other guys that we just listed, Kyle actually just a week or two ago, asked for there's never too much information.

He goes, I will filter out what I don't need, whatever. I'm like, man, pull your seatbelt tight because I already feel like I'm talking too much. You know what I mean? So, but no, I wish there was more of a, answer that I could give there, but I don't, all of those guys, even, you know, Larson I was with for seven years, Redick I was with for four years or so. Now I've been with Austin and Kyle for the last, you know, three or four years, and I don't feel like I've had to change with any of those guys.

I mean, if they've asked for a change, then I'll adjust to it, but for the most part, it's been no adjustments. I feel your hardest job is with Austin. No. Austin Hill, no? No. If anything, if anything, he's probably my easiest. Really? Why? Why is that? I think just him and I are kind of two peas in the pods. I know a lot of people don't like him. I didn't say that. I didn't say that. No, no, I know. That's not true.

I would tell you if I didn't like it. For people, I know there's probably 90% of the people watching this. A lot of them don't like Austin Hill, but a lot of people don't like winners. A lot of people love Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Austin Hill drives kind of semi like that, not fully, but semi-like that. I know they hate seeing us when the speedway wins, but the cars are fast. We do a pretty exceptional job at doing that. But we're both rednecks. We both like to hunt.

We both like to drink beer. We're both like just, or two peas in a pod. We just, we just click. Who's the toughest one you spot for? I don't mean tough, but just like. Yeah, I mean, none of them. Kyle was here a couple weeks ago. No, I'm kidding.

I'm kidding. If anything is hard about Kyle is just, like, he's very serious. I guess he wants to win. Like, he's, he's one of the best to ever do it. Like, that's no secret. But the hardest part is, like, during the race, like, he doesn't really talk a whole, like, when you're talking under yellow or talking about things or what other people are doing, whatever. But he's listening to it. If you think that he has missed any of it, he will tell you, like, during the week, the next week.

Like, he's good. I mean, there's a reason he's that good. Oh, yeah. But, yeah, no, there's no really issues that I have with any of them. It's just different ways about how they go about stuff on how they react when you're telling them things like with the car or how like they actually respond back to you under yellow or under green. Yeah. And I think I think that the butter bean reference is the most is the most, you know, relatable to this because. And I don't mean coaching like I'm better.

I'm not. No, no, no. I couldn't hold the wheel even close to how he is. But it's how you spot. And like if I tried to spot for Bubba the way I spotted for Luke this weekend, Bubba would turn the radio off and fire me probably. Like, you know, because you're just, you're having to stay on them more to put, you know, Bubba's already made all those mistakes. And, and, you know, he, you know, he has learned from it. Luke is now just starting. So you got to try to be on their shoulder like, don't do this. You know, don't make this mistake. You know, put yourself in this position, you know, and that's why I feel like I'm sure it's the same way with Butterbean, like you're trying to talk him through a lot more stuff. And you're not, and it's not just mistakes. You're trying to help them be better positioning on the racetrack, whatever it is. But, you know, you're obviously not going to spot for Kyle the same way you spot for Butterbean. Correct. Yeah. I mean, it's just, like I said, it's more guidance and just a little bit more coaching. Like, I know, like, anytime I get a new person at Speedway, it's like, hey, listen, this is your first ever speedway that you've ever driven.

Like, we just need to try to get to the end of these races. So that way you even know why all this stuff happened. That's why you saw these moves happen and this, that, and the other thing. But now, back to the question, I don't feel like I've ever had to adjust. They were all just different personalities. Yeah, once you get guys like that in Cup and even Xfinity, you know, if they're been around for long enough, you just spot the way you spot and it's going to be fine. Yeah.

I know you guys had Butterbean on the show recently. I'm excited to see what he's going to do. He is a phenomenal race car driver. What a nerd that is. And I was actually going to ask if you went to breakfast with him this morning to a awful house. He is a goober. He is. He can hold a steering wheel.

It's hard. Unless you're watching him every lap. And even like from TV, like you don't see everything the way like we do when when you're watching them and spotting for them. But what he can do behind the wheel is, is incredible. Like, I'm excited to see him jump into trucks and Xfinity and stuff. And he's just, I literally text him every time he wins a race or if it has a, something happens or whatever.

And he's just, it's just, when you watch him get out of truck and Victor Lane, like you said, Goober was a better word than nerd. Oh, yeah. He's just like, you're like, it's on his helmet. Like, when he won that race, or is it Kansas? Kansas. When he won that race in Kansas, the only, the first thought in his mind was, I got to get this helmet on camera.

I got to show it. Shout out off axes. Look at his helmet Look at the mullet on the helmet I just love the kid to death And the other part of this cool love too And it's so genuine for him I've only known him for a couple months now

And like I feel like I've known him forever But he's actually coming up for that race That I'm helping promote next week To Oxford him and Kyle Both are coming up there for it So I thought that was cool that he won What's he driving? Who's team?

So I have one car, my own car That one's not going to run That one I'm going to bring to Berlin But I drive for a guy part time And he owns three cars Mike Bryant, SOS towing recovery for watching Mike. That's why I asked, Derek.

I'm trying to help you. There you go. So Mike Bryant, I'm going to drive one of his new cars at that race, and Brendan's going to drive the other new car. And then Kyle's going to be driving

for Gabe Brown and his dad and that team. Well, did you guys see any shit shows this weekend? Jesus. Somebody said, I think it was Andrew. It was like, oh, look at that. We got the shit show in the week,

Waltrip dropping the flag. I'm like, that's not even in my top three this week. This right here. I'm assuming you saw this there. This is crazy. This is in Lancaster. We can share this one.

Those guys are hauling ass. Yeah. Well, they really got faster. Here's the thing that a lot of people don't realize about Lancaster. If you can see it and if you watch the video, the front straightaway is a drag strip. Right. So. Was it a track wet?

The track was. It was raining. But on top of that, you know how the drag strips are treated with all this, you know, V-H-T or stuff. You get that shit wet. It's like ice, as you could see. So that was very unfortunate. They said it was raining just a little bit.

I talked to some people there that said there were, no somebody was there. It said it was raining just a little bit down the backstretch. And then when they went green, obviously, it picked up a little bit. That guy's the winter right there. But in general, the, which near and dear to my heart, I love them more than anything else on this planet.

The Modify boys embarrass themselves. yesterday. You know, just, and it, like, a lot of it was clean up time because we had three blown motors, so that was part of it. But then restarts guys just running each other over, piling each other in. I saw two guys wreck each other for dead fucking last. I saw Austin Beers when I was walking, like, I just parked and I was walking into the track. And I stopped and talked to him for a couple of minutes.

And he's like, man, it just sucks. You know, like, we're finally on the big stage. He's like, and then we just, he goes, we basically wreck everything. I mean, you just, such a missed opportunity for the modified. because that, I mean, I don't think we had a fucking 10 lap run the whole race. The very end, yeah. But it was just, listen, there's nothing on the planet for me better than modified racing. And we would have put on a hell of a show here if we could have got to run more than 15, 20 laps of the time under green.

But it's just, I mean, there's no better word than embarrassing because it's just, it was awful. You know, guys, guys retaliating the three and the 21 run each other over than the 20. 21 just Stephen Copsich was just completely out of line. I mean, that had to absolutely destroy that car. Oh, I'm sure it's destroyed. That's a home-built race car. I mean, and Luke and Craig. Like, that was great.

That's how you race. That's how you try to teach your kids how to race. That was good bumper pushing, like swapping the lead back and forth. Like, there was nothing wrong with that. But just going in there and absolutely annihilating a guy was not good. Lancaster, Mdub, the modified race. And I don't know if it's a fourth one. Priests.

Probably. All right. Yeah. Well, make sure you go vote on our shit show Hall of Fame Twitter poll on who you want to see be inducted into the shit show Hall of Fame this week. Also, last week, AJ's radio rant one. I don't know if we said that. Okay. That makes sense.

DBC picks. Derek, you're involved with this now. All right. Austin. Austin picked the. We're going to have to quit. How come he didn't yellow it because it don't count? They don't count yet.

We're going to have to quit letting them pick themselves. So is it just for a cup? For Charlotte? Yeah. Just Charlotte Cup race. So you've got to go flip it all the way over. Your list is over there on the right. The purple one probably, I think.

Oh, this is all I can pick. And then you can only pick the guys that aren't, like, grayed out already. Because you can only pick a guy once a year. So, like, which one? I can pick all these. You can pick anybody in this list that's not, like, grayed out. Who goes first? Oh, I guess I do because we didn't qualify.

No, Derek. No. Yeah, Friday goes first. Yeah, but you don't go. You got a DNQ. Oh, the worst, yeah. Yeah, the worst goes first. I didn't qualify.

I also was the worst a week before, so it's... The order actually hasn't changed. Yeah. Oh, Jesus. Coke 600. Ooh, I might have to go with a risky pick here. I'm going Helio. Oh, he's not going to be there.

He'll be an Indy. Hellio. Jesus. Kyle Larson. How do you still have him? Because I haven't used him yet. Oh, all right. So you're going to have him come from Indy?

Really? That's why I said it might be risky, but if that race would have went green last year, he was going to ready to kick our ass and so. Dude, Algar was doing a hell of a job in it. That car was hauling ice. I'm going to go Chase Elliott, I think. You think? Or are you going to call us later or let us know?

Yeah, I'll let you guys not know. I'm going to go Chase Elliott. Chase Elliott. I'm trying to figure out this grade out. Oh, yeah. Got it. Tommy. William Byron.

Will it be? Some Hendrick. I mean, everybody can pick you guys. Hendrick homers over here. Damn. Sorry, you can't pick Bowman. He's already great out. All right, Derek.

You're up. Don't let the guests down. Let's see. I don't want to pick ourselves because I feel like that's bad juju Why? It's been on a roll. It's already been picked. I'm not doing that.

I'm going to go Chris Busher. Chris Busher? They have been fast. Without the crew chief, huh? What's up? Without his crew chief? Yeah, he's still there. I mean, he's probably in a bus

or the grandstands. Allegedly. Yeah, right. That's what I got called to the hauler for. Last time I got to call to the hauler. But Charlotte Week, one car, two cars. We got one car.

Cody. Cody and I got Hall of Fame voting tomorrow I was getting ready to say at the end of this episode I might just start the petition now I don't know I don't know that he'll get in and maybe we've got to wait to a better window for him to get in

but what do we got to do to get Hirschman on the ballot like just on the ballot at least because he's listen if there's another you may be able to make a little bit of an argument for Teddy Christopher and Tony Hirschman because Teddy had such a storied short track career but if there's another modified tour driver going in the Hall of

The next one is very clearly Tony Hirschman. No, I disagree. I think, you know, the issue we have right now is we have a couple short track races on the ballots now. Yeah, that's what I figure it's got to wait a while. And I, to be honest with you, if you're looking up the stats and stuff, Doug Colby is probably going to be the next one because of his six championships. So, I mean, you can argue all you want. It's based off doing that.

So I think he's going to be the next one. And I, you know, look. That's not a little too present, though? When he retires, you know, when he ends up retiring. I just think there's... I think he's retired. No. I'm trying to get him back to run.

Sorry, Doug. I'm trying to get him back to run a couple races that Luke won't be able to. But, yeah, we'll see what happens there. But, you know, man, there's some good short trackers on the ballots right now. It's going to be pretty hard. Who's still on the ballot? Is there? Ray Hendrick. Ray Hendrick.

Larry Phillips got in, right? Nope. Larry Phillips is still on there. He still on there? He's still on there. He's going to do in this year. Yeah. but it's going to be tough tomorrow.

I mean, I'm... Take us in that room. Like, what's... I know, because I remember when Stefanik was trying to get in, you were one of the ones, because everybody kind of gets an opportunity. People, they open it up to, like, a discussion, right? Yeah. Like, how many people are both in them?

It's about 40 of us, I think, in that room. And, you know, the normal... Usually the normal people speak up, you know, the Mike Joy's of the world, and a lot of the media people are there, and they speak up, but, you know, to me, it's all about the results. It's all about what you do on the track and the things.

And I look at it a little bit differently. So sometimes when I speak, I look at it as a competitor's side, not the media side. So hopefully I have a little bit different input on what goes on in there. But I enjoy the hell of hell of that. It's one of the best days of the year for me to go and be a part of that. How long does this process take? It's about a three-hour, three-hour process to go through it. Who you're going to campaign for tomorrow?

I don't know, man. It's going to be tough. And they have somebody that stands up there on a stage and starts going through names. They go through it, and they'll run through. We all get booklets of all the stats and all the things to review and look at. And then they pretty much review that and they show it all on the screen, and then it's open discussion. You stand up at your chair? Yeah, you stand up.

You get the mic and you're talking front of everybody. And a lot of living legends are in there, man. It's pretty cool. That's cool. All right. Well, Derek, thank you for coming back. I do I say one more thing, though. Happy birthday to mom. It's my mom's birthday today. Happy birthday. I say hello to her. Can I say hi to your dad? Derek's dad's awesome. Hi, dad. Be careful. I've probably drank a beer out of your leg before. My dad has a prosthetic leg. God. Jesus Christ. It's a thing. And he's an animal. He's awesome. He is an animal. Anybody that's lived through everything he's lived through. We will, we'll see you guys. The New England family. I'll be happy to see you guys Saturday night in September. It's later now this year. I don't know.

We've seen Friday night. Friend Lee. All I've seen Friday night. Lee. Rusty better be better than a game. Better clean his leg off. He's going to have a beer. He's excited about that too.

So, yeah. He's never heard me spot. He might not be that excited about three laps in, especially how many beers I've done. He'll just be excited if he gets to race it all this year. They just keep raining everything out up there. It's terrible.

Depends on how many beers I have before I spot for him that night. Probably have to find your family before we go green. Well, if you don't get to have any before, we'll have plenty for you after, I promise. Anyway, thank again for coming. Absolutely. Thanks for helping you guys. Good time. No plans this week. We're not modified racing. Yeah. We've got to have Franklin County with the Smart Tour on Friday night.

That's why he can't be at our live Fan Day show on Thursday. Oh, yeah. Speaking of Fan Day, Carson, you coming? I'll be there. Cars Tour merch trailer will be open too all day. I did get some Cars Tour merch last year at that Cars Tour trailer when we did a fan day last year. We're on stage at 1 o'clock, I believe. Dale and Amy are at 12 o'clock. Come on out here. Be here. If you want to see Dale,

today's Monday if you want to see Dale and Amy you want to get a wristband for Dale's autograph I would get here sometime around noon tomorrow Oh God don't promote the camping

Please don't camp It's not allowed On the premises They're already putting parking stripes out In the woods In the woods over there There is no camping But if honestly

You can't stay overnight People used to do that They used to set up tents On the sidewalk It's crazy Here? Yeah To get an autograph

And I'm not kidding Like I was joking About coming tomorrow Because you can't stay overnight but if you want to come here, if you want to guarantee yourself a chance to get a wristband, you better be here before the sun comes up.

And I'm talking like 4 or 5 a.m. Because there's going to be a line at that point. But that'll be a fun day. There's going to be a lot of different stuff. I know, bless your heart, it'll be on stage live. We're going to be on stage live with Jordan Bianchi. Also live on Sirius XM.

Also live on Sirius XXM. But there's a bunch of stuff. I know just different merch trailers and a lot of fun stuff here. So come on out. Thursday. it's start like I said get here early if we want a wristband everything starts at uh I think 9 10 a.m or something like that yeah I think fan day itself starts at like nine what times the first

podcast happened Andrew it is at 12 o'clock bless your heart okay all right bless your heart larry mac and daniel trotter are on serious here live before that maybe like around 10 o'clock or so so a lot of stuff going on just come out hang out uh I'll fire jarrott johnson our buddy jimmy's brother is going to be here working some tents maybe some high rock and oh I'll be I told him park his tent right next to the stage. I don't have to go far and maybe I'll fire us. He's a good entertainer. Jared is something else.

But yeah. Anyway, we'll see you guys Thursday, hopefully. And thanks for listening. We will see you guys in Charlotte. We're out. See you. See you. Check out Dirtymo Media on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.