The Dale Jr. Download - 13 - Darlington

Episode Date: May 13, 2013

Dale Jr is back in top-10 form after a 9th at Darlington. Check out Dirty Mo Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is Dale Jr., and you're listening to Dirty Mo Radio. Dale Jr. finishes 9th in Darlington, Mike. Hey, and if we're going just off our phone messages, reactions are mixed. The Dale Jr. download starts now. That's a good car. A little bit more, man. We'll be going to go to. Yes, sir.

Yes, sir. We're not going to do that. On to Charlotte, man. With Mike Davis and Dustin Lee, I'm Taylor Zarzer. It's Monday. It means it's time. Monday. For the Dale Jr. download.

got some fun stuff, as Mike mentioned there with reaction theater coming up. Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there. I hope all the moms out there enjoyed it and were treated right. Now, let me talk about this race a little bit. You heard, I think, an enthusiastic, optimistic Dale Jr. there and as they were climbing out of the car, Stevie as well, let's move on, let's go to Charlotte. That's been kind of a house of horrors for Dale Jr. throughout his career for the most part. So I think that's why you heard some confidence in his voice.

I remember when I was watching the Masters a few weeks ago, and I believe Tiger Woods had a quote regarding Augusta National, and he said, there's holes on this course that sometimes par is a good score. I feel like Darlington is a par as a good score for our team, considering the recent history, the last four or five years that we've had there, we take a par and we move on to Charlotte. I think that's exactly right. And, I mean, you can speak to that.

You've been there many times with Dale Jr. He had a good run there three or four years ago, but I feel like, Mike, in recent years, you tell me if this is wrong or right. That has felt like one of his worst tracks of the year in the last few years. To the point that probably the confidence level wasn't very good at Darlington. It just wasn't something that you go in there feeling super good about it. You know, there's some tracks you go in and going, this is my weekend, this is my track. You know, there's nothing that the car can do that's going to make me, you know,

I'm going to finish top 10 just because of you go into the track feeling that good. is not one of those tracks. And he did go through, I think, from about 2004 to 2008, you know, there was about four or five consecutive top tens, and he was doing really well. But that hasn't been the case in the last four or five years. And Lartre will tell you it's the last four or five years that matter. You know, anything before that, that's ancient history. It doesn't apply now, you know, different cars, different everything.

Everything's changed. So it was a track from a confidence level that we had struggled a bit. Didn't do terrible at. But as LaTartre mentioned in this race, these long green flag runs that they had, we would have been lapped. As it turns out, we never did fall a lap down. And most of the other cars did.

There were a lot of cars that were lapped down. That's right. And I think Dale Jr., you can hear in his voice there. He's looking for progress. Well, he got it. He was looking for good practicing for a few days. He got that. His 10 consecutive laps were really, really strong

in both practice sessions. and then you saw a very competitive car. I know not enough to get to the front with Matt Kenseth and those guys, but still a competitive car. Let's listen to what they had to say throughout the race. Sears, Dale Jr. After the first caution finally flies after a hundred and twenty-three laps. So it seems like we're a little snugget traffic on this restart.

You want to go ahead and free it up just a half a turn or something? I would have messed with a lot. I think the track's heading in that tight direction. We might need to work all a little bit up, but I go pretty easy. just look at me. We couldn't go. This is how we're going forward. Mike, listening to the radio chatter all night, you could certainly tell that they had speed. They were happy with what they had out there, but in order to be competitive with Kyle Busch and Matt Kins, if they need a little more, and Dale Jr. and Steve, you were going back and forth,

not in an argumentative way, but just kind of like, do we mess with, do we free it up a little? But it's going to change from day to night. I don't know if we should do that. You could just tell there was one. little adjustment there that both of them were searching for. Yeah, and I think that given, again, the history that, you know, like I attributed the Tiger Woods quote and, you know, Pars a good score, this has seemed like it be when you're making adjustments, you're not really swinging for the fence here. You would rather take a base hit than a home run. The base hit or the home runs are what gets you up there to win, or it also could send you spiraling backwards. You don't know.

But this is one with the confidence. You're trying to build confidence. These smart racing, subtle adjustments seem to be. the ticket, you didn't want to get Junior dialed out of the racetrack. That back in, he does not like it loose at Darlington. And that back in, especially at the first half of the race, it was into the racetrack. It wasn't scooting out on him. And he was moving forward.

I think he was six when that caution came out. All right, let's hear another back and forth between Junior and Steve Lattard. Here we go after another very long green flag run at lap 302. There you go, bud. You're running them down. Keep working it. Three until our number. I need every job, so you let us know when we're coming.

He's coming. Go high, high, high, high. Clear and cost us out, save fuel. Safe gas. We're real close. One, four. Just like we talked before the race. Kept the side on it, kept defenders on it.

All this green flag ready. He's done a good job, man. Watch you get you a little snack. I couldn't tell you. It's been green the whole time. Yeah, a good work there. Good pep talk from Steve LaTart. Good coaching as well.

I love Steve LaTart. And he's right. Junior did. He drove, he drove a very, very good race, and it was crazy. I mean, nine cars on the lead lap before you finally saw some cautions there at the end. Do you know there were four green flag pit stops in the first 300 laps? Just think about that. Speaking of that, I will say that the pit crew did an excellent job, especially those first two green flag pit stops. Junior would go in and then they would put, they would put him out two positions better than what he was when he went in. So, you know, good, especially under Green Flag racing, that's hard to do. It is hard to do. And you said it earlier, it didn't feel like the track too tough to tame.

You know, it didn't feel like a typical Darlington race where you have so many newcomers out there that aren't used to Darlington that after about 20, 30 laps, they forget, oh gosh, if I don't, if I don't really hug the bottom here, I'm going to be into the wall. And we didn't see as much of that. We saw some Darlington stripes, but... Sure. Yeah, and I wonder why that is. You know, part of me thinks this whole chase, the chase environment and the value, the premium on points makes people just drive a lot safer. It's just something I've always kind of had in the back of my minds the past few years.

I don't know what that is. I still think that as soon as you think you've got Darlington mastered, that's when it actually gets you. So these guys thinking that, you know, and everybody thinking that Darlington wasn't as hard as it used to be next time we go there, it'll probably wad them all up. Right, there'll be 25 cautions. It was. It was interesting to watch that.

All right, let's go to the final pit stop. Caution number four of five in the whole night. The 88 comes in for its final stop at lap 329, and Dale Jr. reported a vibration. Let's hear it. Sure. It just vibrating a little bit, but it's what it feels like with any confidence with that vibration. Again, you could kind of tell right there,

Dale Jr. is wondering, all right, should we stay out? Right. He's thinking about his buddy, Megan Smith, who won two years ago staying out. But I like the way that Stevie explained it after that. He said, there's just too many laps left. That and, you know, the stop before, they actually pitted at lap 313, which would have put them to the good on fuel when there were about four or five cars in

front of them that were not, or they were on the edge. You didn't know if they could make it or not. This put the 88 in good shape on fuel. So they had an opportunity to take a chance and not pit there. But with that vibration going on, and he had been reporting that for a few laps under green as well saying there's something going on on on this right side. I don't think, and the tires, what you mentioned, it just wasn't worth the chance. Well, it's 38 to go.

38 to go on two tires and a vibration? Who does that, right? There's one thing, it's one thing if you, you know, there's 15 to go or 18 to go. Right. I think that it may be a different story right there, but 38 to go, that's too many. Yeah, I agree. And in the end. So you had to pit.

And Ian, solid ninth place finish. Hard is a good score. Yeah, fourth in the points right now. So a very solid start to the season, but let's not act like the elephant in the room is this. Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants a victory. Everyone associated with the 88 team is a little bit frustrated because they want a victory. You're right. PAR is a good score at Darlington, but this team wants a win.

And going into the season, they expected to have a handful. They don't have any. So as you come to Charlotte, you go to Dover, and then Pocono, some good tracks for Junior coming up. He expects to get a victory. And you do too, and I do too. So we're with you, Junior Nation, on that, and the team is as well. Folks, when we're downloading the races each week, there's only one snack food here at Dirty Mo Radio. It's Dale Jr. potato chips, and you can get them too.

It's easy. Go to Dalejurefoods.com, Dalejr Foods.com to find a store that carries them or place an order yourself. That's DaleJR. Foods.com. All right. Here we go. Reaction Theater, baby. Crazyest time of the show, reaction theater. Let's play them, Dustin.

Anytime you live Darlington with all four fenders and a top ten finish, you've got a good night. Good job, boys, keep it up, 088. I mean, that... Well said. Well said. Mail meat head. Are they all that friendly, Mike?

Yes. No, they're not. Next. Great top ten at Darlington, Lady and Black, seventh of the year, but I'm getting sick and tired of seeing the cheating joke get. cars going to victory lane. It's ruined my night.

Wow. Man, can't be good these days without cheating, right? Is that how it is? I guess. I'll tell you what, what a week for Matt Kenseth. I mean, to get that kind of appeal. I mean, the appeal process pretty much took

NASCAR behind the woodshed. I mean, let's be honest. I mean, my gosh, that's a lot of points giving back to him. Then he wins the race. And look, the 48 is one of the best drivers on the planet. but the 20 car to me's most impressive car on the track so far this year.

How about you? Well, without a doubt. Without a doubt. I mean, they're winning the appeals process. I mean, there's nothing they can't win. If I get so much as a parking ticket, I'm sending it to NASCAR pills. Next. Being happy with night, it ain't worth a crap.

We need to get up front and win some races. Bologna. Well, I didn't need the Bleep button. No, you didn't need the Bleep button. Bologna is not a word that you need to bleep. But I, listen, you know what? I think there's two different feelings. I think one feeling is, okay, you know what?

Solid run at a place we've struggled. But in all due, I have to say, that is fair. It is. It's time to win. Sure. I'm not knocking that. That's a fair call. Next.

Man, ever since I've been on Twitter, and especially since the race season started, you realize how many ignorant there are on Twitter. I mean, junior runs, top 10, the first four races of the season, Starts it all great, has a rough patch, keeps the spot in the top five in the points. And you're going to whine because junior finish ninth at Darlington, you're pessimistic. I can't do with it. Well, I would tell that guy, I would remind him of this. There are a lot of people, the vocal minority, the loud minority, who try to find something else to pick on, to scrutinize.

They're never going to give anybody credit because that becomes their style. That becomes their deal. Next. I don't feel like it's complaining me saying that I want wins and we need wins. It's obvious that we need to be up there contending with Johnson and Kansas and Kyle Bush and lead more laps if we want to contend in the chase. We did this last year. We had top ten after top ten and it just wasn't enough.

We need to lead more laps and I'm proud of what we did tonight with a big improvement. But hopefully in these next few weeks we can get up there and really, really show that we were one of the top three or four teams. Mike, because of how they continue to tinker with the format and the All-Star race, I never know what to expect there. I thought Junior had one of the best cars in the All-Star race last year. But I think it's completely fair to expect him to be a contender in the 600. I would expect nothing less. Yeah. That callers, that's a good call right there.

Yeah. That's a good call, fair assessment. And I don't think that anybody disagrees with him on this side of the deal here. So going into Charlotte, yeah, I think expectations should be high. Next. Hey, way to go, Dale Jr. and Stevie and the 88 crew. Solid night at Darlington. But I just think Dale Jr.

Just need to be more aggressive, brother, especially on restarts. You know, go out there and take some chances. If you're wreck, we won't hold it against you. Junior nation's behind him 100%. I think one thing to think about with that is I think Matt Kinzith and Kyle Bush, and maybe even Jimmy Johnson. Johnson doesn't like to take a whole lot of chances. But Kenseth and Kyle Busch, the rest of the season,

you're going to see them taking all kinds of chances. I think Dale Earnhardt, Jr. wants to get that victory under his belt, and then, yes, you'll start seeing those chances. Yeah, I mean, you know, that's funny. He's like, you know, if you wrecked the car, we won't hold it against you. Well, I don't know if you speak for everybody there. That's correct. I certainly don't want to see wrecked race cars.

Next. I'm sure Matt Kenseth is a great guy in all. the shit I'm sick of seeing his in Victory Lane. And one other thing, when in the hell is Junior going to get in the right line for a restart? I'm popping champagne and celebrating because he's in the outside row. Here comes the green flag. We restart. Oh, Kinsis pins of tires, we fall back five spots.

Popping champagne just to get the outside. That's good. Well, he's looking for a reason to have a few, huh? That was the restart that I alluded to earlier, that one where Kinsis spun his tires. and it just bogged up the entire outside line all the way. Yeah, and the inside just blew by him. Yep. Next.

This is Jonathan calling from Henderson, North Carolina, just to say that I think Kyle Bush is a... You know what he was doing when he drove in that corner and looked underneath the case he came. Whether he hit him or not, it doesn't matter. He knew exactly what he was doing. He came too close to comfort and called King to Rec. Junior, came home to the night and played finish.

You know, Junior Nation will take that. Hopefully, we'll see him a little bit better. It's a little bit closer to that next win. All right. I know a dude named John from Henderson, North Carolina. I don't think that's the same one. Hey, this was interesting because we had Casey King fans on Twitter going, can we call reaction theater because we got a gripe.

We got something to say, and I'm like, call on up. Absolutely. It can be the Bobby Labani download, the Jeff Gordon, Casey Kane. It can be anything. Yeah. We could come up some creative names for those. Next. Get all the Hendr's boys together and put the

18 car in the wall once or twice. They go to your best hitter in baseball. You put one in someone's ear. Someone needs to put something, Kyle Busch's ear, and that'll hit him off. What do you think about that, Taylor? That was interesting. You know, I think Casey Kane certainly felt like that Kyle Bush had done him wrong. I looked at the replay a billion times.

It did not look like there was contact. But like Kane said, he did affect the air right. there and maybe that caused him to spin out. But yeah, I can understand why some people of the five fans would be very upset. Yeah, but do we have team orders now to go like charge the mount? Why not? Let's do it. Team boating.

Yeah. This would be WWF right here. Hey, but you know what? It came back and bit Kyle. I mean, yeah. There is no worse feeling than feeling like you absolutely have the best car on the field. And you have something like a flat tire. as he did late in the race, and it cost him four or five spots.

The same feeling for Matt Kenseth, the Talladega. Yeah, that's right. Next. Mike, this one is specifically for you. I'm going to be at the Charlotte Race a couple weekends from now, coming all the way from Iowa. And if you're going to be there, I would like to ask you if you would want to come and have a casual corn dog date with me.

I'll buy, share a couple corn dogs, talk about old Junebug. Get back to me and let me know, and we'll be in. touch man i'll see him charlotte i had gone to a festival in canapolis this week and i had tweeted about how the corn dogs were exceptional yeah if he wants to come by me some lunch i'd like to know what you do with yourself i'd seriously would because your wife is running in what was she running in she was running it was called the canapolis rhythm and run 5k all right she's running in a 5k while you're eating a corn dog two two corn dogs right don't don't slide me on a cornuc i had two corn dogs you live on a farm she's out there doing work on the farm what were you doing while she was doing work on the farm was

this this was sat this was saturday right yeah there was golf on man this is ridiculous you you are with me on the golf though right yeah but i went my i went for a run with my wife on saturday and i didn't eat any corn dogs either why would you go on a run with your wife is that a mother's day present no that's that's sweet that's i'm trying to be healthy next hi my name is diana smith and we We had a blast. We were actually there. My daughter, she's five years old, she's a huge Jill Junior fan, and it was her first race, and she absolutely loved it.

And so we just wanted to say, even though it was clean, not many cautions, not many accidents, that we just absolutely had the best time, and it was so worth seeing the reaction on my little girl's face. So we appreciate that, and everything that they'll do for us every weekend. Thank you, and God bless. That's awesome. That is great. I love wrapping up with that one right there. And you want to hear that kind of feedback when you take your family to the track.

And I'm glad that Darlington, the Lady in Black, delivered on that. And I'll tell you what, plug for Charlotte Motor Speedway is very family friendly. So I hope that a lot of people, they're thinking, hey, man, I want to take my child to the All-Star Race or the 600. You should. It's going to be a lot of fun. Absolutely. All right. Good stuff on.

reaction theater. And hey, before we get out of here, I want to give a shout out to junior motorsports on Saturday night. Another strong finish for both cars with Regan Smith finished in seventh and Casey Kane finished in ninth. And Regan still has a solid points lead in the nationwide series. So junior motorsports still with the lead there by 28 points over Sam Hornish Jr. So really good start. And if you want to see some good Regan Smith personality, you need to check out our Jam 360 from last week. Absolutely hilarious. He brought it. He brought it. The picture of him celebrating afterwards is truly one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

There are four flavors of Dale Jr. potato chips, crispy, original, zesty jalapeno, creole and green onion and Carolina barbecue. There's something for everybody. Go to DaleJR Foods.com right now to get yours today. Let's throw the white flag. All right, Dale Jr. has his normal weekly obligations to do over the next few days, both at Junior Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports. Now on Thursday, he'll be doing production work for Las Vegas, Motor Speedway, and on Friday for ESPN.

Now, folks, I said it last week. I'm going to say it again. If you're coming to the Charlotte area in the next two weeks for race weeks, come see us at Junior Motorsports. We'd love to meet you, love to say hi. You can shop, you can spend your money, you can check out our cars. You can buy raffle tickets for Windale Jr.'s ride. Charity auction, there's just opportunities are endless, Taylor.

Yes, sir. Next Friday, May 24th is Fan Day at Junior Motorsports. Dale Jr., Regan Smith, Brad Sweet. They'll all be signing autographs. Taylor, you will even be doing a live radio remote for your show. The drive heard throughout North Carolina. Really looking forward to that. And don't forget this name, QCB.

QCB will bring it next week. He'll be there. You will want to hear that. And finally, the Sprint All-Star Races this Saturday on Fox. Practice for the All-Star Race is Friday at 1.30. And qualifying is at 6. That is it. Taylor, we're out of here.

For Taylor, Zazer and Dustin Lee, I'm Mike Davis. Thanks for spending your Monday with us here on the Dell Jr. Download. Thanks for listening to Dirty Moe Radio. Have you tried the new Dale Jr. Potato Chips? Are you wondering where you can find them? Today is your lucky day.

Go to Dale Jr. Foods.com to see where you can find the chips in your area or place an order online. You can have them shipped right to you. That's DaleJ.R. Foods.com.