The Dale Jr. Download - 3 - Phoenix

Episode Date: March 4, 2013

Reaction and commentary to Dale Jr.’s fifth-place finish at Phoenix, his second top-five in as many races. 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 Moe Radio. Fifth place finish for Junior in Phoenix, Marty Smith. Substantially more impressive than second at Daytona. Junior download starts now. Dale Jr., talking about that fifth place finish, about the great job. The 88 crew led by Steve LaTart did yesterday. T.J. Majors, the spotter who did a great job.

We'll join us. Ryan McGee will be on the show today. We're going to try to find wherever Mike Davis, the creator of this program, is. little bit, but Marty Smith, the best NASCAR reporter of all time from ESPN. That is not a stretch. That is the truth is here with me in studio today. Man, that's a heck of a run for the 88 team yesterday, especially given where they were a few days earlier. Certainly. They were out to lunch the entire weekend, but they worked on the car. Great communication throughout the weekend.

Dale Jr.'s feedback to Steve LaTart was great. If you would have told Steve LaTart at the beginning of the weekend, we'll give you a fifth place finish if you leave. he would have taken it six, you know, seven days a week twice on Sunday. How important do you think communication is? You're going to hear me say that a lot today in this podcast, Marty. Communication with Steve LaTard and Daler and our junior seems to be off the charts. Everybody in the Sprint Cup series can drive. Not everybody can give feedback that makes a race car better

and that can maintain their composure throughout a difficult start to be great at the end. That is the greatest gain that Dale Learnhart Jr.'s made in the past couple of years. There's no question about it. His confidence is much higher because of Steve Lattart. His patience is in another stratosphere. Ten years ago, we never would have seen or heard this out of his mouth. He would have been bitching and complaining and moaning, cussing Tony Jr. 10 years ago, try three. Right. He's come a long way. Yeah. All right. And to speak more to what you're saying, Marty, let's hear the communication even before they drop the green flag between Stevie and Jr.

All right, man, last week was fun. Now we're into the real race tracks. He's downforce tracks. We're working hard. I appreciate everybody's effort all year long in these cars, build. Practice was fun. I know it made some gains on it, so we'll just keep working hard, man. 312 laps.

We got your back. Keep working every lap. You know, Marty, I think the thing that first comes to mind when I hear that is the positive frame of mind that Steve LaTart puts Dale and Hart Jr. in. Absolutely. And it's permeated his entire life. We've seen it now since they've been together. This is a guy who has a.

word in his life that was not there previously, and that word is accountability. He's accountable to Stevie, to the crew, to Mr. Hendrick, and you know what, above all else, to himself. He's a different guy. I love Steve LaTartre. I mean, well, it's the truth. I mean, it is. I mean, it's unbelievable.

A man has him drinking carrot juice. I mean, if he told Junior to go rescue a cat out of a tree, he'd do it. Now, you were there on Friday. This team did not qualify well, and they didn't practice very well either. They were in the 20s. They were bad. Yeah, and it reflected in the first 50 laps or so in the race, too. Which, again, speaks to the patience that Junior has and the confidence he has in how this team operates at this point.

He would have, in previous years, been mentally affected by mediocrity to start the weekend. We suck, write it off, let's go on to Vegas and have 66 beers. Now it is, okay, this is what we have. Let's figure out how to make it better. Let's stay cohesive. And that's what they've done. To speak to that, here's Dale Jr. talking about what was wrong on those first few long green flag runs about how tight it was coming off the center. It seemed like we got better the longer we ran 20 or whatever.

Do you notice there that there's not an accusatory tone? He is not, there is no blame cast. There isn't any criticism. It is feedback. It is composure. That is a model of composure that was not there in his previous. I mean, I consider it two different careers. I honestly do.

In his previous pre-Steve-Lart career, that did not exist. I love Steve LaTart. A lot of credit to Stevie because you know how hard it is being in the garage every week. for a driver to communicate what's wrong with his car to his crew chief. And LaTartre took a huge swing on it after the third long run. Marty, they end up going from 31st in the field. To the lead. To the lead.

They made some, you know, they gambled a little on pit road, but they got out in front of everybody. And then on that long green flag run with less than 100 laps to go, Daler and our junior is checking out. Yarded them. Yeah, he yarded them. And again, that speaks to many things. First of all, it was a great job by everybody involved getting the car to the front.

But once you're in the front now, it still matters. Clean air is still king. He was gone. Yeah, he certainly was. But they threw a caution and Junior had to come down to Pit Road just like everybody else. Now, Junior was a couple inches ahead of the 99. He was inside the 99 on Pitt Road. Everybody thinks that it's a race off of pit road or it's a race out there on the track.

It's a race on pit road. And Junior's a couple of. inches ahead of the 99 and really felt like he could have beat him back onto the track. But the 13 of Casey Mears, which we have certainly heard about on Twitter from Junior Nation. We have some funny Geico tweets to read later. He had to dive into his pit stall. And here's the communication there. He's outside.

Right there if you can. 47. Keep coming. You're good. 47. Save gas. Long gears. Shut it off right here.

Save gas. Everybody's right on the window. Save gas. That's all the 13. Yeah. And that happens all the time, Marty. mean all the time throughout the race clint boyer had an issue with that earlier in the race too where you just get trapped in there and you know juniors on the inside and that's what happened sometimes

when you're on the inside he said after the race that cost him the race yeah he did and i don't disagree with him because they had so much momentum at that point again his car was fantastic out front and it was hard to pass so uh that definitely had a substantial role in the outcome however you would think to some degree you'd be frustrated that you didn't win or have a top two or three finish but still like you said at the very beginning it's a win fifth in Phoenix

is more impressive than second in Daytona or Talladega when you get to the point as any race team forget the individual when you get to a point where a top five becomes a disappointment you are really on to something special and this is their worst track

well and to speak to that here's Stevie and Jr. after the race. Let's go on five of Phoenix. Man, listening to that makes the hair on your back, your neck, stand up. If you are part of Junior Nation, Marty, your job is to think about all 43 drivers, the big picture. Should Junior Nation be freaking out right now saying, holy cow, we're a contender,

or should you say, relax, it's only two races? Both. I think it should be both. There is so much hope involved in that race team right now, but it is so early. Rarely does someone that's, it just, it might. Certainly, but you have to temper that excitement. I will say this, though, about that feedback that he just gave the team there and that praise that he just gave the team. A small gesture like that from the driver matters so deeply to the guys that build the cars.

A lot of times the driver or the figurehead on the team does not remember that. They don't think about how important and how much that matters to the guys, but it does. It matters tremendously to the people that are fighting like hell to make you fast. I could listen to you say that all day, but we got to keep it rolling first before we talk to some other folks. This podcast is brought to you by Dale Jr. Potato Chips. You can order all four flavors and find a retail store locator near you just by going to Dale Jr. Foods.com. Let's speed dial. Let's go to the communications director for J.R. Motorsports.

He is Mike Davis, and he usually is sitting where Marty Smith is sitting. Are you that excited that you couldn't show up today? What was your reaction to a fifth place finish for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Phoenix, Mike? So that's why you're not here today. So you're under the weather because you do. You sound pretty terrible right now. Thank you. Let me set the scene for you right now.

I was going to say it sounds as if it might be a fetal position puking situation. Well, I am parted out. Oh, that's good. I like that. Well, watching that will make you feel better. We're going to let you go back to bed. You can either watch that, or you can watch the 2009, 2011, or 2012 BCS National Championship Games. Hey, bud, let me know if I should swing by with some pepto.

All right, I will, Marty. Actually, thank you for saying that. I'm curious, did anybody make coffee this morning? Did anybody bring in donuts? I mean, set the scene there. No, nobody did bring. You know what? No, nobody brought coffee or donuts, but I did bring my green.

tea in the effort to try to stop drinking so much coffee. And as I made my green tea this morning, I began to ponder. Is honey, in fact, the greatest condiment ever? Is it the greatest redneck condiment? Man, we are a bunch of weird rednecks. Think about it. Catch up is very versatile. But I put honey in my oatmeal.

I put it in my coffee. I put it in my tea. I eat honey with my chicken. Mike, please come back. Do you see what's happening here? It's a versatile coffee. Mike, get better, man. Get better so you can be back here next week. What is wrong with this fella? Now I won green tea. I'm sorry. I'll bring some back.

Yeah. Hey, go back to bed. We'll see you, Mike. Let's bring in the spotter for the 88 team at the cup level. He is T.J. Majors, T.J. I thought your tweet said it all after the race yesterday. What an unbelievable team effort for you guys there in Phoenix. You've got to be pretty fired up. Yeah, it's one place we've always kind of struggled. Just put together a good in the beginning. but we kind of learned what we needed and adjusted our car. See if we got the car. I'm of the mind that a top five at Phoenix is a far greater accomplishment for this race team than a second place finish and near victory at Daytona.

Explain for me the emotional and psychological impact of fifth at Phoenix versus second at Daytona. Hey, T.J, a couple things I want to ask you about. One is the communication right now throughout the entire team with you and, with you and Stevie, with Stevie and Jr. right now. I mean, you've been with Junior for quite some time now. It seems like the communication right now with the 88 team has never been better, true? Yeah, it's been really good with Stevie and Jr. and myself and everybody. We just all, it just kind of, Stevie understands Jr., Junior understands him, and Stevie kind of fits right. We've played a bunch of clips that would further what you're saying right now, but there was a very

confusing moment yesterday in the race right before the last green flag run. Let's listen to what you had to say, Stevie and Junior, as well. 88 behind the 11? How's that? Where's our official? Trying to let the guy go. They're telling you to go, and then they put you back there? That's not.

Now, T.J., we're going to get your response to what was happening there in just a second. But, Marty, you got the official word from NASCAR just a few minutes ago. I did. I just spoke to NASCAR about this, and here is their explanation. They say that when Junior, they say Jr. turned off his motor. My presumption is in the effort to save fuel. that then enabled that that then dropped him below pace car speed which enabled Denny Hamlin by by law by NASCAR law to pass junior at caution speed therefore he was given the given the position by NASCAR because NASCAR says junior dropped below pace car speed which enabled Denny to go by now TJ that that sounds like the letter of the law there but I know that was not the intent the intent was just a

let the 47 go by. But what a crazy time, especially when you got one to go before they throw the final green flag. Yeah, you were saving fuel, like you said there. You're going to have to live it still. You don't want to give up a free. Still, though, a lot of confidence right now with this team. Time to keep it going there in Las Vegas. Hope you have a great week, TJ, and we look forward to the race on Sunday. Thank you, man. Okay, one more guy on speed dial, the most important guy, the other member of the Dukes with Marty Smith, Ryan McGee, Ryan, senior writer for ESPN the magazine and just an American badass who covers every sport. If you turn on any ESPN channel and they're doing a documentary,

it could be on any sport in the world. Ryan McGee is going to be on it. He is a javan expert. He's an expert on everything. But right now we want you to be an expert on Dale Earnhardt Jr. You've been around this guy his entire time, his entire Cup career, and even prior to that in the nationwide days, you've seen this guy grow up. And how fired up should Junior Nation be right now about a second and a fifth,

or should they calm down? It's early. No, there's a reason to calm down. I mean, you know, everybody kind of missed what was going on during the winless street. But if you watched what was happening during the last two years, he started doing something he hadn't done in a while, which was, you know, he said it himself. You got to be up, and that's how you win championship. These guys now versus these guys three, four years ago.

It could have legitimately won both races. You've kind of eliminated the whole getting top tens. Because that's a warrant about wins. Yeah, compared to where it was. Let's talk communication, bud. I think the greatest gains that Dale has made as a competitor are a confidence, which for him is paramount. He's got to know that his guys are behind him if he's going to be great.

But the other one is communication. How have you seen him evolve as a leader on the microphone? Just by tone. You know, Benny Parsons used to tell me all the time that confidence was worth about 10 extra horsepower. Easily. He said all the time, it's worth doing to win and losing. And it's just, yeah, when you hear in Monterey, I tell you, there was a moment to have, I thought about this. You know, I used a roll.

I got in there the Wednesday before the duels. It was two years ago. It was Steve Littart's first weekend, you know, on top of the tubbox. Totally different tax than any, I had ever heard any of his other crewchie's take, which was, I mean, sliding through the grass. Steve Littar was like, hey, don't worry. It wasn't a big deal. We'll just roll it out and take care of it. And the reaction that Dale Jr. had, and it was silence.

But it was just, you could feel it over the radio, which was, only somebody knew how to push the, what? That was their first. And that then becomes reciprocal. Yeah. We were just, we were talking about that earlier before you came on. Yeah. I mean, for a guy like him, you know, when times were bad and those shoulders, Mark, you know, I talked about it's a hundred times. Just watching him walk through the garage.

It's a different guy. It looks different. He looks like the kid, when we were talking about back in the day, he looks like at the Nashville Fair Series. There's a solace in his eyes that was not there for a very long time. Yeah. There is a comfortableness about himself. It doesn't matter what you do. A quarterback or.

Tough deal when the bond salesman loses his mojo hoax. Yeah, well, just when you start questioning your, and when you stop questioning yourself, whatever the problem was. McGee is the man. ESPN the magazine, senior writer with motorsports, college football, college basketball, a bunch of others. Javelin, blade runner. Absolutely.

I mean, he's on... Usain Bolt. He's on specials on Lolo Jones. It's unbelievable. That's right. I'm working. I'm working on a javelin. I'm working a javelin store now from Marty.

Well, in the meantime, you'll be out in Las Vegas covering Junior and the rest of the gang. Hope you have a great trip out there. You're the best. Appreciate it, boys. Huh. And again, this podcast is brought to you by Dale Jr. Potato Chips.

You can order all four flavors and find a retail store locator near you just by going to Dale Jr. Foods.com. Let's go off the grid. Now, Marty Smith, at this time each week, we try to get a lot of fan response. And you get probably more Junior Nation response than even we get. You get response from all teams, fans of all teams, but Lord knows you probably get the most. Quite a spectacle. Junior Nation.

So give me some fun ones from yesterday. Chris Austin, prune juice apparently makes the driver and car go. Of course. Junior's drinking prune juice and carrot juice these days because of Stevie Lattar. At Jennifer 6973 writes Casey Mears is Dale Jr.'s cryptonite. Dives in front of him there. At Andy Small writes, carrot, period, juice, period. And lastly, at TR Brownell writes, does Dale Jr. feel after today there's any chance of him switching from nationwide insurance to Geico.

Oh, yeah. Well, Geico got him yesterday. I liked one from Summer. She sent you one at a risk of upsetting animal or reptile rights groups. Junior should have ran over that lizard on pit road. I love that. Hell, I miss that one. Yeah, Summer wrote you that one.

Good job, Summer. I like it. That was a very funny one. And yes, this is a podcast. It is audio. It's not video. But also somebody sent you a very funny picture of a couple very funny pictures. Dale Jr. fan pictures yesterday that were hilarious.

But one that had their. dog with a sideways hat of Dale Jr. hat yesterday was hilarious as well. That's a big fan right there. Yeah, if you follow Dirty Mo Radio or Marty Smith, ESPN, you saw what I'm talking about. Any funny stories on Junior you want to share? Any dirt? Let's go back one week.

Okay. I was charged by ESPN to stand outside the Halifax Health Hospital and do live shots all day about the fans that were injured in the nationwide series wreck. Thank God they're all okay. That's a great blessing. Now, the test is behind us. I get this text from junior. He goes, hey, bud, you look pretty damn miserable, if I might say.

I said, you, sir, are astute. So out of nowhere, here comes another text from Dale. He goes, dude, remember, you're in Daytona. It's not Baghdad. He said, there's a damn beach there. So I then send him back. Speaking of photographs of fans, I took a great photo with a fan last. week who has Dale Seniors race car.

It's your avatar now. It is now my Twitter avatar. Yes, at Marty Smith, ESPN. You can see it yourself. She has Dale Earnhardt's car on her back, her entire back. So I shoot that over to Dale, and he goes, amazing! Please observe a silent moment of awesome. He gets it.

That's some good stuff, man. Well, before we get out of here, we got to throw the white flag. Since Mike is sick, we're going to see if Dustin's, who's trying to put his headset on can do this white flag. Dale Jr. will appear on behalf of Am Energy Orange this Wednesday, March 6th, in front of Caesar's Palace. We'll be joined by UFC fighter Uriah Faber and snowboarder Scotty Lago. Junior will jump right back into another appearance on Thursday, March 7th at Sam's Hale Casino

on behalf of Diet Mountain Dew. Do not forget that Junior is making his second nationwide series start of this year this weekend at Vegas and the number 88-taxlayer.com Chevrolet. It is tax season's Taylor. And lastly, Junior's Vegas weekend will include the taping of a special segment from the popular show Deliest Catch. And Taylor promised me I never have to do this again. I got to go to the bathroom. For Dustin, for Marty, for McGee, for T.J. for Mike Davis.

I'm Taylor Zarzer. You've been listening to the Dale Jr. download on Dirty Moe Radio. 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. can find the chips in your area or place an order online. You can have them shipped right to you.

That's DaleJR Foods.com.