The Dale Jr. Download - 416 - Jeffrey Earnhardt - Paving My Own Way
Episode Date: February 22, 2023On this episode of the Dale Jr. Download, it’s an Earnhardt family reunion as Dale Earnhardt Jr. is joined in the Bojangles Studio by his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller and their nephew Jeffrey Earn...hardt. Jeffrey made headlines in the stock car racing world last April when he piloted the Richard Childress No. 3 that his grandfather Dale made famous to a second-place finish in the Xfinity race at Talladega. The interview discusses his time spent in the NASCAR ranks over the last 16 years and the path that has led him to be in a full-time ride in the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 44 Chevy entry for Alpha Prime Racing.While he is an Earnhardt, Jeffrey has made it a point to earn his opportunities in racing based on hard work and merit, not his namesake. As a result, he’s followed a winding, sometimes turbulent road through the motorsports world. He provides great insight to listeners on the differences between top-dollar teams and smaller operations in NASCAR, and what he’s learned from his time spent with both. The Earnhardt family dynamic is also a topic of discussion, as well as Jeffrey’s memories of Dale Sr. and his relationship with his father Kerry. 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.
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This is the perfect example of mine and Jeffrey's relationship.
It was Nashville last year, Nashville race weekend.
I guess the race was Sunday.
It had rained and delayed the finish of the race.
My wife was in town with me, and I'd plan to stay in town after the race and go home in the morning.
I'm calling Amy, and I'm like, man, I'm going to get there when I get there.
Rain, delay, rain delay.
So I ended up getting to Broadway like 1 or 12 o'clock midnight.
We drank some beers and had a great time.
We come out of the bar at about 1, 1.30, and I run into Jeffrey.
And Jeffrey's happy to see me, and I'm happy to see him.
But we're meeting at the end of the night.
Damn it, for once, I wish we could meet earlier in the night, you know, because I would
have loved to have spent even those two hours in Nashville with you.
Hey, everybody, it's Dale Jr. back again for another episode of the Dale Jr. download on this
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023.
I'm sitting here at the table.
I'm not with Mike Davis today.
Mike is under the weather this week and I'm trying to get well so he can get back into the studio.
But Kelly Earnhardt, my sister's going to join me in the Bojangles studio, Kelly.
We're going to have guest Jeffrey Earnhardt on and I thought you were a great person to come in here and help me have this interview.
Jeffrey's been on the show before, but hey, you know the family pretty well.
You know Jeffrey, and maybe we can we can dig up some new information.
All right, I'm ready.
Yeah, yesterday I finally had to ask you, were you asking me to be on here?
Yeah, that's right.
He was talking about his guest.
It might be in sick.
And I'm like, hey, are you asking me to be the co-hosts?
Because I'm ready.
Well, I'm looking forward to it.
You know, Jeffrey, you know, he's got a lot going on in his life.
And we're always kind of curious as to where he's at and what his plans are.
And so we'll get to talk to him today.
That'll be a lot of fun.
you're surrounded by all these die casts.
We've got some new ones on the table.
Yeah, which one's missing?
Mine.
Where is it?
Did we have it up here?
I don't know.
Well, we got Lionel's supporting us this year,
and we're thankful for that.
And so you'll see some new diegast pop up on the table from time to time.
I actually got a new one given to me,
Neil Bonn.
So fans now bring me die cast to the race.
track and they hand me some cool stuff.
I got an autographed Neil Bonnet.
Winners.
Haller.
Yeah.
It's really cool.
It's very cool.
Yeah.
And there's another one on the table right here.
This fan did a damaged race damaged version of a car I raced at Martinsville where I'm missing.
I'm missing my fender and I finished in the top five, one of my fun, one of the
funest races I can remember having at Martinsville.
Yeah, see that from here.
You got a little damage on your bumper there.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They do a good.
They did a detailed job with that.
But, yeah, we're thinking.
for Lionel, especially some of the next-gen cars.
Got Joe Ligonos up there and Austin Cendrick.
Oh, yeah, those are cool.
I haven't seen the big 124th of next gen.
That's awesome.
Pretty cool.
So, yeah, and the one thing, too, man, a new tool coming for the late model stock car.
I'm staring right at an old tool of the sundrop car right now.
And I cannot wait to see this new version for the late model stock cars.
And a lot of people are going to have fun making customs of that.
They take it and sandblast it and create something of their own.
Maybe they got a family member or whatever.
Anyways, we're looking forward to getting Jeffrey in the room.
He's definitely an ally for us.
We want to thank Ally for supporting the guest segment of this show.
They bring us all our guests every single week.
Ally is doing great things in this sport.
If you missed the commercial spot that they ran in the Daytona 500, I don't know how you did,
but you can find that on all of our social handles.
We worked on that together with Alex Bowman, and I was really, really proud to be asked to be a part of that
and really happy with the final product, Ally, again, doing great things in our sports.
So why don't we go ahead and get started, get Jeffrey in here?
Here he comes.
Changed it up on us.
We did.
Jeffrey, thanks for coming.
Yeah.
What's you been doing?
I've been busy, just getting ready for race season.
It's been a crazy couple months, but it's been fun.
Where'd you come from this morning?
My house.
Okay.
All right.
How far do you live from me?
From you, like a stone's away.
Really?
Yeah, not too far.
Right through.
Yeah, all right.
So who are you driving for this year?
A run for Alpha Prime racing this year.
How did that deal come together?
Well, we're trying to look at whether we re-sign with Sam.
Obviously, they had some good stuff going over there,
and we had some good runs last year.
Really, no complaints with that whole deal.
Then we got to looking at Alpha Prime and how they ran at the end of the year last year.
It was Stephen Parsons.
They had some really strong run.
So just started weighing our odds out, and I really wanted to compete full season and do something where I can gain some momentum.
And, you know, I saw the strengths that they had and thought, you know, let's see what they had going on.
And, you know, Tommy and Caesar, they've talked to me about coming to drive for them before.
And I was like, man, I don't know.
You know, they were a young team, you know, getting going.
And like I said, the biggest decision maker was seeing the success they had at the end of the year last year.
So we made the decision to go back to a Chevrolet and go racing with those guys.
Yeah, that's right.
I guess you did change manufactured.
You had built some equity with Toyota, and I know that that was important to you.
So that was probably a tough decision to make that change.
Yeah.
I mean, Toyota's been super good to me and giving me some time and stuff, even at times when they didn't have to.
So I was always very thankful for that.
And, you know, they've done right by me.
And, you know, it is tough.
But, you know, at the same time, full season racing was a big part to switching, you know, to the team I went with.
Yeah, that was the deal.
So stay where you were, you was going to have to do part-time again.
And this was a chance to race every week.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So how did that come about, you know, to be able to do something full-time?
I know that you work really hard on your sponsors.
I was calculating the years of how long you've been doing this.
And it's, you know, it's kind of hard to believe that you've been at this for yourself for 17 years, you know, trying to make it and get to the point where you can run full time with a competitive race team.
Yeah, no, I mean, it's, you know, as y'all know, it's tough to find sponsors these days.
And I've been blessed to be partnering with the Fervalon guys.
They've been a supporter of mine for three years now.
And just been amazing people, an amazing part of my life, my career.
and just been, I mean, they worked just as hard as I do to try and find more sponsorship.
So, Dale and Brian Carmey, the two owners, they've been just amazing,
and I can't thank them enough because they've been a big part to a lot of the sponsors
that we brought in on top of what we've already got from them.
So, yeah, very fortunate and blessed to be able to go and compete full season this year,
and it's, as you all things to the sponsors that we have behind us.
What is for every long?
So they do synthetic turf.
They are the Mercedes bins of turf.
They know they got, it's a little bit more expensive, but it's a much better quality
product.
And they got everything from, you know, your normal landscape grass, stuff that looks just
like normal grass to your putting greens to canine grass, stuff that, you know, your dogs
can go use the bathroom on.
It's going to drain through and clean up nice.
So it's amazing people, amazing product.
They're doing a lot of football fields now.
Now it's to deal with the Cleveland Browns.
Wow.
I don't know that they're doing the actual field that they're working on,
but they're partnered with them and doing a lot of stuff.
The official turf of the NFL Hall of Fame, Village.
And they just got a lot going on.
I'm excited to be a part of what they got going.
So 33 years old, man.
What is a typical day like when you're not at the racetrack?
It depends.
what time of year is it if it's nootland season might be out in the water
yeah we've talked about that you were on her you were on our show in 2019 you're still into the
newfoundland yeah right and what what is the noodling season uh typically runs uh made uh
the beginning of august and noodling is reaching down into mud and pulling a catfish out of a
hole or something yeah yeah we uh we simulate basically the traditional way is a hole in the bank
um that's way it all got started but catfish uh
We'll spawn.
Their eggs can't see UV rates,
so they have to spawn under a structure and a hole,
something like that.
So,
you know,
stumps,
banks,
boat ramps.
We simulate.
We build boxes,
so a four foot by three foot box.
So where you noodle,
you're already noodling out of a box.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So it's,
yeah,
we're basically,
you know,
simulating a structure that they would,
they would typically go in and,
um,
it's just easier that way.
you know, people aren't fishing a hole, you know, and then you're trying to go in there behind them,
not knowing whether they had fished or not, so.
And your arm gets tore up.
How does that happen?
So they got, like, sandpaper teeth.
It don't, it don't hurt too bad?
No, I mean, it takes, you might bleed a little, but it might just, you know, skin the hot off a little.
Do you need to be, I know, I don't know.
I guess it's not a lot.
I still get all my fingers.
What about the, what about the amoebas in the water?
Yeah, you ain't worried about that?
Keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide on the boat.
What do you do with the fish when you pull it out?
You know, if we're wanting to cook some up, we'll keep some.
But most of the time we'll just, we'll tag them, we'll put a little zip tie on their dorsal fin.
That way we know if we've caught it before and turn it back.
Yeah.
It's pretty cool to, you know, catch one you've caught, you know, a couple years past.
It's pretty cool.
Yeah.
But, yeah, I mean, if it's not new in season, you know, normally shot at the shop, you know, first thing in the mornings.
and, you know, sponsor calls, meetings, that game never stopped.
So you still, you're still heavy in working out and staying fit.
I mean, you know, I've seen a lot over the years you've posted social media
these hard, tough workouts.
Is that something that kind of comes and goes depending on your busy schedule
or is this something that's important to you to do all the time?
Yeah, I mean, it's hard to keep a routine and a busy traveling schedule.
I've probably been a little slack on the work.
outside of things recently just because we've been so busy with a lot of meetings, trade shows,
stuff like that. But yeah, I mean, as much as some people don't want to think driving a race
car is tough and it's a sport, you know, it is. And you can't be a slouch and you see guys
getting even more competitive with the way they prepare and try to be physically fit for these
races. So I'm getting up there in age. So I got to stay on top of my game and compete against
all these young guys.
So how did Daytona go this past weekend?
You know, I thought as a whole it was a good weekend.
You know, we had a plan and we were executing on everything we wanted to do.
You know, our plan was to go down there.
You know, we did everything in practice we wanted to,
a couple of single car runs and then got, you know, behind the Jordan Anderson team cars
and got a little bit of an idea of where we were a draft,
but obviously not a true idea.
I did.
So at the start of the rate, we qualified, I can't remember, 20-somethingth, 24th or something like that.
But the win was playing with everybody's lap there in qualifying, you know how important that is.
And I think we might have got a little bit of a bad win because we thought we were a little bit better than that from the previous day's runs.
But yeah, started the race and got up in there and got a good idea of what we had handling was.
and then decided we were going to ride and take care of our stuff and try and play it safe.
And we did, and we took care of our stuff the whole race and then decided to go run hard right there at the end.
And we were sitting 10th, and I saw all y'all's cars up there in the front.
And I was like, well, you know, that's, you got the 21 and then all the JRM cars.
I was like, they're going to be smart here.
We're going to log laps.
And then we'll race the last couple laps.
And like you always do, everybody fights for everything.
Parker tried to do a move that works when it's executed properly, and he cleared himself
and stuff us in the fence, cut it right front down, ruined our day.
But it sucks.
I don't want to say it's part of it, but it is, you know.
Yeah, so park.
At that track it is, I think.
Yeah, so when everybody goes to the top of a racetrack like that, you can, if you want
side draft the car on the outside, try to drag them back, create a hole in front of them,
and leapfrog one car at a time.
And he was trying to do that and was not even close to having you cleared,
but drove up the racetrack and doored you into the wall.
And I think, you know, judging by the public opinion,
it was unanimous that, you know, that was a mistake that he made.
You talked to him after the race.
What was the conversation like?
I mean, I would have liked it to go a little better, you know.
Just didn't seem like there was much respect there.
And that's unfortunate, you know.
I try to be as respectful as I can the guys on the track and race them the way they race me.
And, you know, we all screw up.
We all make mistakes.
But, you know, at least be somewhat apologetic afterwards.
He didn't own it.
I mean, he didn't even know he stuffed us in the fence to start with.
Well, that's what I was thinking.
It's kind of hard at the racetrack.
I mean, these guys aren't seeing replays or not see what's happened.
You're obviously going to think that you're making the right move.
He's obviously going to think he's making the right move.
And so, like, is that really the time, you know, or is it something that you can follow up on to see if, you know,
I don't know.
You may be been in that situation before, but I think it's tough.
I just like seeing Parker sweat.
Yeah.
I know Parker and we're pretty good buds.
But he was,
he made a mistake and I was like, oh yeah,
Jeffrey's going to make him nervous.
I just feel like from the race and like you're coming in the garage,
you don't really feel like you made any mistakes if you're the driver at that point.
You know, you're doing what you can.
You're doing what you can try to do to win the race or put yourself in position to race.
So I don't think that anybody really probably thinks they made a mistake at that point.
Yeah.
Yeah, no, man.
Like when I, like, he didn't, he didn't know, so I'll walk him over the car, showed him where the left front was caved in.
And he was like, oh, I guess I did.
Yeah, so he might could have been a little more respectful about his response.
Yeah, yeah.
I agree.
I understand that.
Man, that does, it does get annoying when they're like, oh, all right.
Oh, well.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's just, I mean, you know, we're a small team.
We're, you know, working hard to get those good finishes.
and, you know, when someone doesn't seem to care that they ruin your day,
it kind of, you know, push you off a little bit.
Yeah, and that's a track that, you know, the playing field's kind of leveled
in terms of what you can accomplish, you know.
You change your tire, you come back out.
Yeah, I had the rest of the race go.
I didn't get a seat.
Yeah, we just sat there stuck a lap down at the end.
Got you.
Did you get across the line in one piece?
Yeah.
That's all matters.
Yeah.
Well, I know where your shop is.
You know where our shop?
We're right next.
We're neighbors.
Do you know that?
Oh, on the, their old shop.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, the late model shop.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's where y'all are.
Well, they have two, yeah.
Oh, you got two now.
Yeah, they just acquired another building right there next to Padula.
So that's going to be like the, yeah, right around the corner.
Okay.
So the heavy fab shop stuff will go on and the building next to y'all's late model shop.
And then all the final setup stuff will be up top.
Where you're hanging out at.
Yeah.
It's up front.
Okay.
Well, so we, you know, we did have you on the show in the past.
and, you know, now that Kelly's here, I thought maybe we could talk a little bit about, you know, just some of the dynamics of the family, you know, and I think me and you've talked about this a little bit in the past, but I've always, you know, I hardly see you.
You know, I don't see you as much, I don't see you as much as I'd like.
It's funny because we do live next door, you know, but, you know, we don't, I don't think either one of the.
make as much effort as we should to see each other.
But, you know, what, where, I guess, you know, over the past, you know,
handful of years, you know, where do you feel like you fit in?
What do you feel like your role or your place is in the Earnhardt legacy?
Yeah, I mean, you know, I've always tried to, you know, do stuff on my own and not have to rely on people.
You had this earning earn hard.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I've always wanted to make sure, like, you know, I'm here because I've busted my butt to be here, you know, not because I was handed something or given the opportunity.
And, you know, I felt like I did get that when I drove at DEI, you know, as a young kid, I didn't realize what I had.
You know, I didn't appreciate it enough.
So moving forward from there, I wanted to make sure, you know, I earned what I got.
Yeah.
And I feel like I have.
I mean, everyone's like, man, like, you know, there could be such an easier route.
Like, and I'm like, I don't, I mean, I don't know for sure that there could be, but, you know, I want to make sure, you know, at the end of the day, people are always going to say whatever they won't.
But at the end of the day, I know I bust my butt to get where I am.
Yeah.
You know, I got here because I worked hard, you know, I feel like I've proven myself on, on the track, off the track, and deserve to be where I'm at.
So it's kind of how I've looked at it.
And some say, you know, why don't you just go drive for junior?
And I'm like, well, if I had –
It's that easy, isn't it?
If I had the money, you'd probably, you know, let me drive for him.
You know, it's a business at the end of the day.
It's not, you know, hey, here's a free ride.
So I don't know.
I feel like I've always kind of – not this – I guess set myself apart from everything
just to make sure that I was earned.
and doing it, you know, doing it my way.
And I feel like that also helps with the pressure of the last name, you know, I know,
you know, what Popldale did, I know what you did, I know what Daddy did, but, you know,
I'm doing my own thing.
I'm doing, going my path and earning it my way.
So I guess that's kind of how I've always looked at it.
And that's kind of how I've always placed myself, I guess, in the family, you know, if I go
this way and do it strong enough, I'm proving I'm going my own route, doing it my own way.
Have you ever given up an opportunity to stay on that path?
Or has that ever come up where you've been forced to kind of make a decision or no or not?
As far as like working on your own or has there been an opportunity that's came
that could have allowed you maybe to do something easier or better that you?
I mean, I don't think necessarily no.
Or maybe not since the DEI kind of opportunity since that.
Yeah, not really since the DEI thing.
I mean, I've got a couple of great guys that work for me.
Nico and Paul, they've been a big part, you know, moving my career forward and just being there to help with a lot of the things that, you know, we have to battle and sponsorships and stuff like that.
So, you know, it's definitely not just me.
You know, I've got, you know, other guys that have made this more, probably more possible than I have myself.
So, but yeah, no, I mean, we've just kept at it, you know, it's not easy, you know, as much as people want to.
think it is it's uh it's difficult and it never ends so we just uh just kind of keep doing our own
thing and and hope that you know one day it all uh pays off everybody everybody in everybody in the
infinity series even us lives one year at a time yeah you don't know what we have no idea what
next year looks like yeah today yeah until it gets here and um which is interesting whereas
you have more stability or a little long term little longer runway
in the Cup series as opposed to what you think you're going to be doing.
I want to know, you know, what has the last, you know, you've had some opportunities to,
you've been in some very difficult positions, driving cars that couldn't stay together,
wouldn't stay together.
You drove great cars for Gibbs.
So you've kind of now, in a way, been able to see,
sides of it. You know, you've been able to see what being with the great team's like,
and you know, obviously, well than most, what being with a team that's struggling to get there
is like. What have you, I guess, what have you learned about yourself in the last
couple of years is, I don't want to make assumptions, but when you had the DEI thing
happened years and years ago, you, you like anybody to, you know, didn't realize,
what kind of opportunity you had or how to handle that the right way or how to make the most of that, right?
And as I've seen you kind of go through the last probably five or six years, it's like you've evolved as a man, you know, to
minimize those mistakes or maximize each opportunity.
You know, some of the things probably don't end the way you want.
them too some of them are frustrating because they don't don't they don't get to the finish
line you have an agreement and it doesn't you know it doesn't it doesn't it doesn't
work out the way it was all promised at the beginning right you know how have you
done how have you changed as a person to you know not blow up not not not through
you know not not not not stop your foot pitch a fit make a scene how do you swallow
your pride in that moment when something goes wrong
and you got to regroup, you got to rebuild.
Yeah, I mean, it's tough.
You've had to rebuild three or four times, I think, in the last six, seven years.
Oh, for sure.
Yeah, I mean, it's tough.
You know, when, you know, the Gibbs deal, obviously, you know, that was looking great.
And I thought, man, this is going to turn out to be, you know, this is it.
This is my break.
You know, this is what I've been busting my butt for.
And then it falls apart, you know, you know, it's like, man, like that.
you know that sucks like but at the end of the day you lay there and cry about her you get up and
get back to work and and that's kind of you know where I've I've looked at it it's like you know
and it's probably one of the I would say even going back to doing the MMA fight like how hard
we work as something to be successful and you know that was even a little more extreme but
that was probably one of the biggest character builders that I've had in my my life was I would
love to I think that I'm glad you brought that up you know
And I love talking about that moment in your life, not because I'm impressed that you trained to be an MMA fighter, got in a ring, and an actual event, and fall in one.
That is impressive for anybody.
But what that had to have done for you as a person, just imagine where you would be today had you not went through that.
Yeah.
Discipline.
Yeah.
No, I mean, I definitely, I mean, it's, I tell people all the time, like the discipline aspect of that and, like, the fact of.
I mean, I've never been, I've never gotten fights in school.
I wrestled, but, you know, I've never gotten fights and stuff other than me and Bobby fighting.
That was about it, you know.
But, you know, to go in there not a fighter and do something like that that I just, it wasn't me.
And do it and be successful at it was a huge character builder to me and was kind of like, all right, well, you know, this is how hard we got to work to be successful.
At what point did you realize that?
Because I think sometimes when you do things like that, you don't realize in the moment of what it's doing and affecting you.
So at what point did you realize how impactful that was for you?
Yeah, I would say, you know, a couple days after, I mean, I woke up the next morning.
I was like, man, I did an MMA fight last night.
You know, it's like almost in disbelief.
Like, you know, holy cow, I did that, you know.
But, you know, you sit back and you look at like what all you pulled out of it.
Like, yeah, it was great exposure.
Yeah.
You know, did something one off.
Yeah.
bucket list checked off um but also like man like i just did something that i had no clue about
busting my butt for two months you know training four hours a day seven days a week
for this fight and and won and i was like man like this is this is this is this proves like
you know if you want it you can go get it you just got bust your butt to do it so that's kind of how
I've looked at, you know, my racing career, you know, we get knocked down, and, you know,
we've been knocked down plenty of times, but we always get back up and we keep fighting.
And, you know, it's something, obviously I have a huge passion to race.
I love it, and, you know, I tell everybody it's an addiction, you know, that we get hooked
to that adrenaline rush of just, you know, going out there and being competitive.
But, you know, if you want it bad enough, you'll figure it out.
And I feel like that's with anything in life.
If you want it bad enough, there's ways to figure it out.
You just got to go do it.
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So you're at the shop
often, every day?
When are you going to get married?
Man, I thought we were talking about the shop.
Well, I'm just thinking
like you're 32 years old.
You know, you...
I'm playing the long game like you.
You are.
He can probably
give you some advice on that when it comes to having kids.
It's worked out.
It does work out, but it's harder, isn't it?
There's some pluses and minuses.
There's some pluses and minuses.
You know, do you think about family?
Do you think about having kids?
I know you probably don't spend much time on that during the day.
Not like driving around your car, you know, daydreaming about these things.
But is that like, hey, man, I'm going to get to that eventually one day?
Yeah.
I do want to have that in my life at some point.
I feel like I always say I don't.
only because like I you know I'm I want to chase this racing thing
forever right and but you've had relationships yeah yeah and what have relationships
like for Jeffrey um difficult you know it's it's hard traveling all the time what's
what's been the problem just the travel the non-stop you know uncertainty being gone
yeah not being able to be together all the time then understanding yeah it's because like
you're going to get up in the morning and leave the house you're not going to come back
till when you come back.
Yeah.
And then you're going to noodle.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And then you're going to go race.
Yeah.
On the weekend.
You might be going to, you might be going two, three weeks.
And for me, it's like, you know, I want to put my heart and soul and racing because that's my passion.
Yeah.
And like, I guess it's not fair.
Yeah, but this girl's going to come along, man, and be, you've, this has happened to you already once.
Yeah.
Where a girl came along and became everything.
Yeah.
Right.
Yeah.
And so I guess maybe having experienced, no, you know, knowing how that.
can, you know, how priorities can, like, flip overnight?
Because it's happened to me.
You know, I woke up one day and I'm like, oh, that's all I care about.
Yeah.
Is this girl I'm dating?
And then now everything else is second, third, fourth, fifth, right?
She went from the bottom to the very top of the list.
And, you know, I wonder, I guess maybe you haven't had that experience, right?
At some point in your life, you at least know, all right, the next time I do that,
I'm going to make sure it's the real deal.
Yeah, I mean, I guess I feel like there's a I guess there's a time for everything and when it's meant to be it'll happen.
Yeah.
But, you know, to, you know, it's like it's not necessarily fair when, you know, I'm so focused on racing.
Like I want to be successful at this.
I want to, you know, I want to do big things and it's hard to, it's hard to give someone else time.
You know, it's like when, I mean, you know how hard it is to be successful at racing.
It's just every day.
Every day.
Yeah, every day.
I wanted to go back as you were talking about your experience at Gibbs
and your best finished in the Xfinity series with RCR, you know,
with your second place there in the three car.
And I mean, I think I know the answer because I own Xfinity race teams,
but just for kind of the listeners and all, what, you know,
because we get that on social media, you know, why don't you do this for Jeffrey?
Why don't you do that or whatever?
But what makes it impossible for an RCR to put you?
in their car or a Gibbs or a junior motorsports or something and you know those those challenges
um i mean it's money it's money yeah i know what it is whatever whatever the number is you know
it's a lot of money yeah yeah and you know i i get it from the sponsor's standpoint like that's
you're asking them to spend a lot of money to put a sticker on a car yeah i mean obviously there's
more than that but you know it's uh it's a big investment for anyone even if you spend
split it up amongst three people, a race, full race seasons, not cheap.
You know, so, yeah, it just comes down to money.
And, you know, I think, you know, it doesn't matter what, you know, big race team you go to
or even a smaller race team.
You know, if you don't have money, you know, you can be the best driver out there
and may never get the opportunity.
You know, we've seen plenty of guys that probably deserved it more than others and they
just never get it.
What typically is the reason for a deal not working out?
What is, what is, I mean, they're all different, I'm sure.
And, and we've, I mean, I can think of some of our own experiences to get the answer to this.
But for you, like, what has been the major source of frustration?
As far as, like, whether you close the deal or don't, or something not finishing.
Like, you talk about the Gibbs opportunity.
you know, what are, what is, what usually is the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, yeah, the, yeah, the, the, yeah, I mean, you know, brands, maybe get in here thinking, yeah, I can do that, I can do that, and they get about three-quarterway through the season or halfway through the season and go, yeah, yeah, this is a lot.
Yeah, yeah, I mean, you know, we've seen it with several sponsors
to come in the sport.
Do you, with Foreverlon, do you, do you have conversations with them about,
hey, you know, let's, you know, these are some of the challenges.
Yeah.
You know, that you're, you know, let's slow roll this thing.
Don't get too, don't get over your skis here.
We speak daily.
Yeah.
I talk to those guys every single day.
And it's about, you know, how we find more money, how we find,
partners of theirs to come in to, you know, offset costs or partner up on this deal and
make this partnership stronger than what it already is.
You know, like I said, they're constantly speaking with companies that they might have
relationships with that or happen to have a family member that knows somebody that works at this
company.
Right.
You know, they're pitching sponsors as much as we are.
So, but yeah, I mean, they, you know, they know where they're at and they know.
know how expensive this sport can be.
And they're smart.
They don't go above their means.
They know what they can do.
They know what they're capable of.
And we try to maximize it the most we can to make it where we can, you know,
we can continue to do this for years to come.
I know that you drove great race cars before you stepped in Joe Gibbs' equipment.
I know that you've had a good car underneath you before.
but when a what about that experience I guess helped you as a driver how so a lot of guys you know we
we would always say like well you know this this a young really you really young driver can't
become great until he drives a good car he can't become great driving a car that won't turn
yeah it has no power that doesn't do things right you know if he's driving a bad race car he's
never going to learn yeah and so
You had a really, you know, that was where you were really, you know, you were in a good car on a more regular basis.
How much better of a race car driver did you become during that experience?
I mean, I think I grew a lot in those handful of races just for the simple fact of knowing what you're looking for.
I mean, if you've always been in not so great stuff, you don't know like the right way a car is supposed to drive.
So you know what you wanted to do, but you don't know that exact feel.
you know until it's under you and I think that was probably one of the biggest things for me like we went to Atlanta we ran I don't know fifth eighth all day long and uh I was I never liked Atlanta before that race and after that I loved it yeah yeah and then they changed it so um but you know that's that was one of the harder tracks we went to and it wear tires out and yeah everyone except Kevin Harvick had it you know Kevin Harv was the only one that had it figured out it seemed like but uh
you know, until you get that car that drives the way, you know,
does what you want to do and it runs good, you don't really know what you're looking for.
Yeah.
So I think just the simple fact of, you know, knowing what feels good,
knowing what, you know, you think a car is supposed to do, what the right car is supposed to do,
I think that was just a big growing part of understanding that feel, I guess.
That was, I remember when I had a late model stock car and we raised.
it for about a year and a half before we ever bumped it did the bump steer on it and so you
know basically when you bump steer a car you're making sure the wheels are pointed in a perfect
direction when the when the tire travels up and down and so if you don't bump steer a car as it goes
into travel the tires are turning you know slightly um but whichever direction you don't know you don't know
which way they're going it's either bumping out or toeing out or towing in and i bumped steered the car
and man the first lap on the track i was like holy moly
this thing is so much better
through the center of the corner
and I have to imagine
I mean like I see you've not
you've not been in a bad race car your entire life
but when you did drive the Gibbs car
you probably were like
that light bulb came on man
you're like damn okay now I know what to ask for
yeah you know and I also wonder
too you're up there running around
the guys that run in the top 10 every week right
and maybe
maybe that was a good experience
in terms of teaching
you some how to be aggressive but also how to be patient you know yeah yeah it was i mean you go from
running 20th when you're running 20th you're like 10-tenths all the time yeah like as hard as you can
get yeah yeah right yeah when you get that good enough race car you can have uh you know dial it back
a notch at times right you don't have to be giving it every damn thing you got yeah i mean i think
you know and you know you got you know you know just
up there. You've got guys that have been there for, I mean, you got young guys up there too,
but you know, you got guys that have experience that you know you can go and race hard against
and be, you know, they're going to respect you. They're going to treat you right on the track.
So knowing that you're able to race these guys, you know, competitive, like hard for these
spots and not worry about them, you know, getting loose underneath you or taking you out.
And it still happens, but, you know, it happens less often than, you know, the guys in the back,
you know, that, you know, may not have the experience that some of these guys do.
Yeah.
Or, you know, the car's not driving as good, so it's more of a handful to hold on to.
Do y'all sit down and talk expectations this year?
Like, do y'all set, like, any kind of specific goal?
I mean, yeah, like, you know, obviously running a full season points are something we're wanting to watch.
And I guess that's why I was so bummed after the Daytona race because it was a good chance to capitalize on points for a small team to, you know, set that, you know, three race marker.
of when the pointry set,
like that could have been a big,
big one for us.
But, you know,
like I'd like to think that we can be right there
around the cutoff line.
I don't think that's an easy goal by any means.
I think it's realistic.
Yeah.
But I think it's something that we can do.
If we race smart all year and race hard and points race,
I think we can be there.
Do you know the, do you look at,
so if I was,
if I was you,
I might then,
think, okay, who are the drivers that are typically at that spot, right?
Yep.
So you're looking at like Clements, Sieg, those type of guys.
And so those are, do you, when you go to the racetrack, is that kind of the class that
you're comparing yourself to?
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, you know, we, we know we're a B team.
We're not an A team like y'all or RCR or Gibbs.
But, you know, on certain days, we can compete with, you know, those A team cars when, you know,
we get our stuff right.
Like, I think we're capable of competing.
with them. I think, you know, you've seen it last year with those guys. They ran shoot inside
the top 10 and all day at Homestead. You know, you go to some of these tracks where the tires
wear out and, you know, driver can shine a little bit. It's a chance for us to make strides
and race against those guys and collect points. And that's what I think in the long term puts you
right there at that cutoff line to be in the playoffs. So, and like I said, just being smart, you know,
not tearing cars up, bringing cars home and making sure you're getting all the points that you can,
you know, when you can.
So I think for me, that's the goal is to be right there at that playoff line and try and make the playoffs.
And have a successful year that builds their program, builds me as a driver,
and something that we can move forward with for next year.
who do you spend time with every time i see you every time i see you're by yourself yeah um categorize
you as a loner yeah i'm outcast uh as far as people in our sport nope just anybody your life yeah
who's close to you in your life i've seen you out of milbridge some out there i was going to ask you
about bobby and brylin yeah and like are you involved in brylin's racing or yeah i mean uh
i try to go out there and support him as much as i can i think it's cool to see you know these young kids
you know out there doing their thing white out there kicking butt and you know
broiling my buddy Jason his son Braden races out there and I think it's just cool to go
out there and hang out but as far I mean I got you know my buddy Willie that I go
Newland with he's normally with me I try not to go by myself just to make sure
nothing bad happens but you would go by yourself I have is it that much fun I
I would think that this is only fun with someone else standing there laughing at you.
I mean, it is definitely more fun when you got, I mean, who wants to go catch a big fish and not have someone to go back about?
Yeah, yeah.
But, you know, my buddy Willie, a bunch of my buddies from high school I still hang out with.
Still know a lot of friends from school.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Where'd you go to school?
Moresville High School.
Moresville.
Same place to you.
Really?
For a little bit.
Yeah.
I saw a soccer picture of you.
Yeah.
I played one year.
It was an interesting experience.
I wasn't very good.
My coach liked me, though.
Yeah, he did.
I was going to go back to, like, memories about dad,
because I know, you know, you were, we just hit the 22-year mark,
so you were 10-ish when we lost dad and just, you know,
maybe some of those memories.
And as you think about, you know, being his grandson in this day and time,
you know, is there anything that you can take from those times with him or memories?
Yeah, I mean, I think that probably one of the coolest was when all three,
y'all daddy you and popoldale ran at michigan was that just seeing the the excitement and you know how
how much it i felt like i mean i was a little kid so i you know just seeing what it meant to everybody
to have y'all three racing each other that's probably one of the ones i remember the most um i thought
that was just really cool um the just i remember all the people around taking pictures and stuff of
the three y'all standing there i thought i thought that was really cool um yeah yeah i mean i i
Obviously, you know, you never have enough time with people.
And I wish I'd have gotten more time with him than what I did, just as I'm sure both y'all do.
And, but yeah, you know, around the track probably, that was probably the coolest thing that I thought, you know, just getting to see y'all get the chance to race together.
There was something else that I wanted to ask about.
I'm just curious about this personally.
And Carrie Dale was on the show, you know, in a.
a big way just talking about his upbringing and obviously not knowing our dad until he was 16 and from
being adopted and stuff and when you guys were born you and bobby were born you were born as keys
which was carrie's name at the time and then you know since then obviously you've you've changed your
name darn hard as carry has which is is is good what um what do you remember about that do you
remember that process because i think you guys were little kids yeah i mean was it something they did or
Did it like what did it you know I think it was it would have been maybe like right after
right around like my senior year maybe so I was a little bit older okay but you know I was
starting to get into the racing thing and you know you know you know daddy had already changed his
name and so then I don't even remember the conversation or how it came about about us going
and having ours changed as well did y'all did you and Bobby your brother both like eagerly want to go
do that or was this something you were like what does that mean why why are we doing this what was the
emotion i'll be honest like i don't remember yeah yeah like i remember thinking like yeah it'd be cool
to you know have the same name as daddy and y'all and i guess that was the thing too like if you're
looking at your dad and you don't have the same last name and you're like i want your name yeah right
i would feel the same way yeah yeah yeah so that i mean i think that was a lot of it and did you have any
Did you have any kind of, I guess, feelings about, like, what does that key surname mean to you?
You know, what kind of emotions were you having about having to put that to bed or change away from that, right?
Yeah.
You know, Ma Ma'all, you know, she remarried to Jack.
And, you know, he was, I remember as a kid spent a lot of.
time with him and everything.
So I know, like, I don't, I don't think it really hurt their feelings having the name
changed.
Yeah.
But, I mean, did you have any reservations, I guess, about that part of it, no?
I don't know.
I feel like I was just so young.
I was like, I guess it's just a name.
But let me set that up.
Yeah.
Your experience with Jack, though, was incredible.
I mean, I've heard so many good things about Jack.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I've just barely kind of got to meet him a little bit.
He was working.
He's managed a hard.
Yeah, maybe multiple hearties, but I know he managed one in particular that me and Kerry got $500 from the spot.
Yeah, on the grid of our street stocker. And I was like, well, that's really cool.
Well, you know, Carrie is really dabbling in this Earnhardt's side of his life, right? He's do, he's diving into what is Earnhardt? What is Earnhardt about, you know, what is this side of me that I don't know anything about? And I don't know how that must have felt for Jack, right?
Yeah.
And for Jack to even be supportive of him and something I was doing too, I thought
it said a bunch about his character.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He was an awesome, awesome man.
Yeah.
It was a lot of fun to be around.
He liked to golf.
He'd always go junking, like, he'd go to the junkyard.
Pick him and carry out.
Yeah.
Buy stuff and take it to the scrap yard.
That actually does sound fun.
Doing that other kids, always cool, walking through a junkyard, picking up old junk parts.
Yeah, I got to know him pretty well because,
and I both raced a lot of the same places when we raised late models and Jack, you know,
came and helped on the lake model.
But I was just setting it up for the listeners, like Jack and Latane is Carrie's parents
that he was raised by.
So those are the grandparents that you grew up under.
And those are your, you know, Easter memories and Christmas memories and all that kind of stuff.
And, you know, as far as dad and Teresa was concerned, I remember dad not wanting even to be
Pawpaw, right?
Yeah.
He didn't want to.
He wasn't ready for that.
He pushed back.
Growing up and getting old.
Yeah.
And our family stuff was more.
more about memos, you know, so we, we would go to memos.
It wasn't as much about Christmas or Easter or anything like that with dad and
Teresa.
So that part of the grandparent thing is not your typical grandparent experience from y'all's
perspective.
And then you had Renee's parents, the Clines, which is how you got involved in racing, you know,
racing up in Wiffle, who were kind of that same type of grandparent and her dad, Richard,
I think his name, yeah, was kind of that same way, you know, as you were growing up,
I remember.
Yeah, he was the one that helped get me.
the racetrack when I first started racing up there and with Virginia and would help me work on
the car. I mean, he was the one that, you know, got me, got me to him from the track, helped me,
you know, do things, which his brothers had raced up there for many years. He'd always, you know,
that's, I guess, what got me into the racing thing was him always taking us up there.
And then I was there one time when they announced they were going to start that class for,
I think it was 12 to 18 could compete in it
and I was 12 years older that time
and I was like I don't want to go race
and you know daddy wouldn't let me I had to begging for two years
so sounds familiar
yeah
where did you live
you live down here
and racing was going to be up there
yeah right and so you ended up sort of
spending my summers up there
right yeah yeah and then we'd drive
like if school was going on we'd drive back and forth
I think that was more so once I started racing
and late models and stuff.
But, yeah, that's where I first started was two hours away from here.
Right.
It's interesting, man, that you, you know, you're in Earnhardt, but you have so many influences.
You know, Jack, you have so many male influences that are not direct lineage of dad, right?
Yeah.
I mean, I didn't know Ralph, but Danny and Randy and all them were influential, but you had, like, multiple sets of grandparents.
parents in a unique way that heavily influenced your racing and your life and where you end up going.
I know that there had been times throughout your life where your relationship with your dad
has been good and difficult, right? What is what is it about you two that makes y'all so hard-headed?
I think we're too much alike, I guess.
Yeah, yeah.
So, I mean, you know, I always wondered about why I don't pretend to know very much.
And Kerry and you both are very private, you know, about what's going on between, you know, much of what's going on in your lives, really.
Yeah.
You have to really call Carrie up and go, hey, man, where have you been?
What have you been doing?
Because he's not going to come to you.
And so, like, you know, what is the, what is it that, I guess what is it, what is it,
that makes you two
butt heads
or is it even
that you do
butt heads?
What is,
what kind of relationship
is it,
is it like,
you know,
with Kerry?
I think it's just,
um,
being too similar.
Like we,
you know,
we both want to think we're right.
And reality,
we're both probably wrong.
But does he,
does he,
does he know much about what,
you know,
details of your racing and things you're doing?
No.
So he,
does he call and go,
hey, man,
what you got going on?
No.
I just try to, like I said, I've always kind of almost outcast myself to do my whole thing.
You purposely, like, sort of keep everybody at arm's length.
I wouldn't say purposely.
It's just kind of how it all works out.
Why does it work out that way?
It's just the way it is.
I mean, I like to be an independent person.
You would like it that way.
I mean, I guess, you know, being able to prove myself, I guess, more than anything.
To your dad?
To everybody.
I mean, I think, you know, I mean, I guess for myself, too.
I mean, proven to myself that this is, this is.
You're more than content, you know, being on your own.
Yeah.
And so is it.
Maybe it's a stubbornness, hard on us, I don't know.
So is the frustration more from Kerry going, hey, man, why don't you tell me what's got going on?
And you're just like, hey, man, I'm busy.
I'm doing things.
Is it, is it, is it, does he?
get frustrated with you because you're not like hey man this is what I'm doing this is what's
happening in my life yeah just letting you know just keeping up to speed I think it's a little bit of both
yeah I mean you know I mean do you wish you heard for him more I mean it would be bad you know
yeah but I just I'm like completely in the dark like on like on why you two sort of have this
sort of you know up and down relationship and I've always kind of been curious as to what it I you know I
I carry, everybody loves Carrie.
Yeah.
Right.
But I guess being his son can be coming with his own set of challenges.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He lives right the road too.
Does he?
Yeah.
What's he doing now?
Tick closer to you than, yeah.
He was racing Exfinity cars a couple years today.
Yeah.
Lover car along.
Now he's, uh, what's he doing?
He sells like high-end security cameras.
He's got an awesome job.
Yeah, he's doing really well.
Yeah.
And then obviously he's got three kids now.
He's got them getting into racing and trying to keep that.
How often do you talk with him?
Probably not as much as I should.
But enough.
But, yeah.
You and him don't get frustrated with each other.
Oh, we do.
Oh, you do?
Oh, yeah.
But, you know, in an understanding manner, I guess.
Like, in an understanding manner, I guess.
It's easy to get over it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You know, I think, my gosh.
guess is.
I mean, me, look, me and Kelly, we, we, that's what I was going to say.
I think my guess is, we can spin each other out in a heartbeat.
Oh, Lord, yeah, I got the talk before, yesterday I got the talk, you know, brothers and sisters,
you know how we act now.
I was just going to get back to kind of the family stuff because I don't want to leave
it hanging.
But, you know, I think, from my perspective, it's kind of the same.
There are similarities in our family all the way from dad down.
that we've all been through and grown up with.
You know, Del and I grew up with stepparents.
We grew up with, you know, half siblings, siblings.
You are in the same, you've been in the same situation.
You know, you live with your mom.
Then you went to live with your dad and Carrie.
Had an older sister, then have a younger sister that are both them.
Then there's you and Bobby, and you still have your mom, you know, over.
And, you know, so there's, you know, there's just dynamics, I know.
know that play a part, but I'm going to use this for him because he knows how I feel about
this, is just to say that family don't last forever.
He knows that.
You know, and so I'm sure there's just things that probably need to be discussed and aired out
at some point.
So whenever the two of y'all feel comfortable.
This is the perfect example of mine and Jeffrey's relationship.
So I think we get along really well.
I think that you like me and I like you.
And I think that we would probably enjoy spending any time together wherever we were at, right?
But it was Nashville last year, Nashville race weekend.
It was Sunday, I guess the race was Sunday.
It had rained and delayed the finish of the race.
I had planned.
My wife was in town with me and I had planned to stay in town after the race.
and go home in the morning.
We were going to visit some friends,
and we were going to go down to Broadway.
And so I'm calling Amy, and I'm like,
man, I'm going to get there when I get there,
rain delay, rain delay.
So I ended up getting to Broadway like 1 or 12 o'clock midnight.
And they're in the bar hanging out,
Amy and our friends, and we drink some beers
and had a great time.
We come out of the bar at about 1, 1.30,
and I run into Jeffrey.
And Jeffrey's happy to see me, and I'm happy to see him.
But we're meeting at the end of the night.
You know, I wish, like, that's been our whole, that's been my whole life around you is that,
damn it, for once, I wish we could meet earlier in the night, you know,
because I would have loved to have spent that, even those two hours in Nashville with you.
I guess, like, I mean, I could definitely do better, but always, I know, I know you're busy.
Dude, me too.
Like, I don't want to bother him.
I know, but that, well, that, well, I could do.
one night we went fishing.
Bo fishing?
Yeah.
I mean, it was a simple thing, and we haven't
never done it since.
But I had so much fun.
Yeah.
I couldn't, I mean, it was, my wife was like,
you got to go.
I was like, should I go?
I don't know nothing about that,
and it's in the middle of the night.
She's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's your brother.
It's your nephew.
Gosh, yes, go.
And I wish we, you know,
I wish we did that more.
I know that's like cliche as hell to say, but, you know.
Well, you said on Broadway, you'd go noodling, so.
I did.
Yeah.
I was drunk.
Yeah.
Maybe I didn't get.
get drunk to go Newland.
I'll bring a cool of beer.
I'm going to tell you a ass right now to stick my arm down in that water in a box
and pulling them things up.
I'm going to have to have a few.
Yeah, maybe some high rock.
I'll make sure it's nothing but a catfish.
I tell everyone all the time.
Have you ever pulled anything else out besides the catfish?
I check with a cane pole.
So I know pretty much what's in there before.
Yeah, before you stick in.
Is there more than one in there?
Sometimes.
Yeah.
We pulled a, the biggest one I've ever called is 50.
pounds and it was in there
high rock
yeah
it was in the same hole
with a 35 pounder
good Lord
so a lot of meat in a box
what did you do
what did you do with that one
did you keep it?
Turn it loose
yeah
that's the one that was on social
media yeah
54 pounds good Lord
yeah we've got some good ones too
what what racetrack
you're looking forward to
man I'm nerd
I'm gonna tell you right now
I don't know Kelly's gonna get mad at me
I'm so damn jealous
that you're going to
run Fontana this weekend because I want to run there so bad. It's the last time that they're going
to be able to race at that track and that asphalt is the perfect age. Well, I told Kelly, I said,
I'd really like to run that one, but we couldn't put nothing together. We could not put nothing
together. Really? I mean, yeah. I mean, that shows you how tough it is. It's definitely difficult.
But no, I'm looking forward to going back to Fontana. We've got a really cool paint scheme
this weekend. It's a Jesus Revolution movie. Oh, yeah, I wanted to ask about that. Tell us about
that. I saw the trailer. It looks good. Oh, it's an incredible movie. You've seen it. Yeah. You got
I saw early. Is it good?
Oh, it's amazing. It's, it really was a great film. Just the production of it, it's, it's really good.
But yeah, the forever long people have a big relationship with Harvest Church out in Riverside and they got one in Orange County as well.
But it's pretty much, the movie's pretty much the whole Jesus Revolution and through Pastor Greg's eyes.
and Pastor Gregg's is the pastor out at their harvest and uh pretty much tells his story of how he saw
you know all these hippies that were you know doing drugs having sex drinking alcohol you know coming
to Christ so you know we got to talking Dale and Brian the owner of Foreverline like man it'd be
really cool if we could help promote this movie somehow so we uh we started a donation page
we've raised enough money that we're going to run uh I think we're going to run Fontana and Vegas
with the Jesus Revolution paint scheme.
I saw a paint scheme.
It's pretty cool.
Off of purely donations
that people from people
that want to promote this movie.
Just to keep the movie on the car.
Yeah.
So really excited about that.
We had a good run going last year
and then we had a battery issue there.
I think the last caution.
I think we were running like 10th
in the Sam Hunt car last year.
It's forever long on every car all year long.
Is it a full deal?
You got any other races?
They're the majority
sponsor.
We're still working on.
selling some sponsorships.
Do you know how many open races you got?
I think we got seven right now.
Okay.
So still working to actively sell those races.
And, you know, like you said, it's hard.
That's important to know, though.
Yeah, we definitely have anyone looking to sponsor.
We got room, as I'm sure everyone else does.
But, yeah, definitely, you know, we'd like to get those sold.
Obviously, you know, every penny helps and can build a stronger race program,
like, you know, at least motors when we can.
Where do y'all get your motors from?
ECR.
Okay.
So we had good steam down there at, uh, at Daytona, and we got a lease motor going to Fontana.
So that's, uh, that's nice.
When it's not a lease motor, right?
What is it?
It's a ECR bought motor.
So, uh, Alpha Prime they own, they're on a couple engines themselves.
Yeah, they got quite a few engines that they don't.
And it's going to be just a little less than the lease.
Yeah.
I mean, it used to be.
Just because it's not went through and.
Yeah.
It's up to, you know, used to, you know, a lease motor would be
you know 12 13 horsefire and now today everything's so up to date and new that's not as much
you're you know you're five six horsefire but you know at this at this level every little every little
crumb helps so you take anything you can get that leads me to ask this question about like as far as
as and dale asked earlier kind of your goals have do you sit down and kind of have ABC races like
races that you know that are where you can perform well and where you want to really do good
and put some of your funding versus, you know, B and C kind of races.
Yeah, definitely.
We try to look at, you know, all right, where do we typically run good at and sit down as a group,
you know, and as I said, forever long is involved in almost every business conversation
meeting we have with my team at GE.
But we say, you know, like Bristol, for example, I feel like I typically run pretty well at Bristol.
I feel like a lot of drivers say that, but we tend to do run pretty decent there.
And I feel like we can go there and run good.
Dover, I really like racing at Dover.
So you sit down and say, all right, well, these are races we should focus on really, you know,
putting a push towards and try to make sure we take the best stuff we can there.
So we can, you know, take full advantage of that opportunity.
But yeah, we definitely weigh out the odds on what's, what's, what's, what's,
going to be more beneficial for us as a team.
Yeah. Awesome.
Well, man, I appreciate you coming and hanging out with us today.
It's been a lot of fun talking to you.
Looking forward to seeing, you know, what you do this year with this opportunity.
Is it a one-year deal?
Yeah, one-year deal for it right now.
So we'll regroup at the end of the year, see what the next year holds.
Got to sign that thing mid-season, man.
It's all about money.
Go out there and get a couple.
The money's there.
You're battling in the top, you know, in the top 10 or top 15 in points and get you a new deal.
Yeah, that's the goal.
Go out there and have some success on the track and be there in the points at the end of the year and prove that we can do it.
Hopefully some more sponsors come aboard and be ready to get after it again next year.
Sounds good, bud.
Awesome.
Thank you.
Thank you, Kelly, for coming in here.
Absolutely.
Thank you, Jeffrey.
Yes, sir.
Jeffrey Earnhardt on the Dale Jr. Download.
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