The Dale Jr. Download - Becoming Earnhardt 1980 Vol. 6 - All or Nothing

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

Dale Earnhardt and Cale Yarborough surely won’t be exchanging Christmas cards in 1980. The three-time champion has had quite enough of the overzealous sophomore from Kannapolis, but as the season comes to a close, he continues to stand in the way of crown number four for Cale and the Junior Johnson team. Dale and the Osterlund team are going to have a difficult day in Atlanta, and his late race effort to gain his lap back will bring his rivalry with Cale to its absolute breaking point. The two exchange blows in the media, and the points margin stands at 29 as they head to Ontario, California for the season finale. Before making the trip out west, Dale is going to ink a sponsorship deal that he will become synonymous with for most of the 1980s: Wrangler Jeans. With a major brand behind him and his future secured in a five-year deal with Osterlund, the sophomore needs to go into the last race of the season and perform. Wouldn't you know it, Dale and Cale lock up the front row for the race at Ontario, and the dash for the 1980 championship is on. Will it be four-time championship glory for Cale, or can Dale Earnhardt become the first driver in NASCAR history to win a championship in his sophomore season after being crowned Rookie of the Year?FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets, which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call [phone] for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York. 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.

The following is a production of Dirtymoe Media. This episode of Becoming Earnhardt is brought to you by Bass Pro Shops, North America's premier outdoor and conservation company. Plan your next adventure at a Bass Pro Shops near you or online at BassPro.com. Later in the episode, my sister Kelly shares her unique perspective on life with dad away from the racetrack. Now buckle up. Here's a brand new episode of Becoming Earnhardt, presented by Bass pro shops.

They say pressure this, pressure that, but I really don't feel that much pressure to the other than normal racing pressure that we've been under all season. And I think DeKale feels about the same. We both been competitive all season and it's came down to the end here. And both of us have been really the ones to beat in the last several races. And I feel like it will just come down to the wire at this race. It's like it has and the rest of them. And every which one of us gets the brakes or is running the best in is lock its thing up here.

Ontario. After 29 races, the 1980 season-long championship has come down to Dad and Kell Yarbrough. Three times before, Yarbrough has won the title. For Earnhardt, if he wins it, it'll be his first. While Dad has five race wins, his four DNFs and only 13 lead lap finishes, have allowed Kale to close in during the final weeks of the season. The only thing I could do is just give it my best shot and hope that. that it's good enough. I think that we've come on a little strong here towards the end. Things have gotten tense between the two.

Kale is claiming that the pressure is getting to Dad, and Dad insists the pressure is on everyone else. I don't feel any pressure at all. I'd rather be leading than behind, and if we can just hang on to our lead, I feel like we'll be the 1980 champion. With two races left in the season, everyone's going to have to be on their A-game

if they want to become a champion. Drama continues to build for Dale Earnhardt. Kail shuts the door on Dale Earnhardt. The second to last race of the season is Atlanta, and Kale is going to dominate. And his feud with Dad is going to reach a boiling point. From the heart of Georgia, the Universal Racing Network brings you the Atlanta Journal 500. The next to last event of Major League stock car racing season,

Kail Yawgirl and Dale Earnhardt, who in the close battle for the Series Championship, We'll be starting back 12th and 13th in the 40 car field. 44 points separate. Dale Earnhardt, the leader, Kale Yalboro, the second-place car. There's much you can say about it. Just go out and try to win.

What's the strategy for the race? Flat out. Kail's not going to back off. I'm not neither. The number 11 car, junior jaunters, sailing out there clean and green. All of a sudden, they discover there is a hole in the windshield. Well, first of all, if the windshield has a hole large enough,

the windshield to start cracking. Cale's going to lead 269 laps, and Dad would be actually trapped a lap down. But what happens in the final laps of the race has Cale hot under the cover? Dale Earnhardt goes below Cale and going into turn one. Dale's going to try to get around him. The daring, Dooley, Darder, has him right on the inside now, pulls right up dead even, and back get the nose in front of Cale coming off a two. Cale probably going to be conservative at this point because Dale is just now getting back in the same lap or trying to,

but Cale moves back to a half of Carlink, now a car link lead in three. During the closing laps, Dad battled side-by-side with Cale in an apparent attempt to get back on the lead lap. Cale refused to let Dad pass him, and Dad refused to give Cale an inch. Cale Yawra not being a bit conservative, he is right on the outside of Dale. They're running side-by-side. They'll earn on hoping against hope that something might happen to Cale's car that would enable him to get back. Kale's trying to battle him off. They come to the start, finish line, the checkers flag is out, and Kale Yawberl wins the Atlanta

Journal 500. After the race, an angry Kale Yarlboro remarked, this is the worst piece of driving I've ever seen in my career as a race car driver. Maybe it was done for me not to let him go, but I was so mad at what he was doing. I was determined that hell could freeze over before I'd let him go by me. I really believe Earnhardt would rather have taken us both out of the race than to see me win. I plan to speak to him about it as soon as I seen. That showed the pressure's getting to the boy.

We got him worried, and I got a special feeling we're going to win in California. Yeah, well, everything went good. I don't know what got into Earnhardt. There were, you know, two laps to go and him being a lap down. There was no way he could gain any position. He was just taking, you know, a chance of taking us both out of the race. Did it worry you when Dale was pulling up beside you? Did you want to race with him?

Did you worry that he might be in the same lap with you? That'd ever crossed your mind? Well, I knew he wasn't in the same lap. He'd been a lap down all day, but, you know, I just made up my mind that I wasn't going to let it pass me, even though I knew it didn't make any difference. There was a stupid move on his part. Dad responded, I wasn't sure I wasn't on the same lap. I was trying to win the race, just like he was.

I wasn't going to wallow on him or anything. I never touched him. I'm a racer and Kale's a racer. Kail's win would wittle. the points lead down to just 29 heading into the season finale. The day after the Atlanta race, Dad is going to sign a sponsorship deal that he would become synonymous with through the 1980s. Wrangler Jean.

It was huge. It was probably one of the first, if not the first million-dollar sponsorship. A lot of your sponsorships back then were $250,000, $500,000 was. considered a really good sponsorship deal, but nobody had ever heard of a million-dollar sponsorship. That was just unbelievable. Rod Osterlin signed a multi-year deal with the company, and Dad was set to make his debut in the Wrangler car at the season finale in Ontario. Rangler would run a campaign that would become iconic with Dad.

One tough customer. Another odd piece of the story on November 4th, Engineed. builder Lou La Rosa was suddenly relieved of his duties with the team. Lou said that when he arrived to work, he had been informed by Roland Vlaca that he was no longer employed by the team, despite Rod offering him an extension earlier in the year. Here's Lou La Rosa. He convinced Rowan that they didn't need me. They'd be more successful.

The other guy didn't know jack shit, he was going to be the superstar. Come about Rowan. because he promised us all over, so he'd go there, he'd smoke them, he'd set new records, and that's gone. I mean, he was the destruction of that team. Here's Doug Richard. Roland, he ran the place. He was the one that was always talking with Rod.

You know, Roland's personality was, he was a very upbeat person, very witty, a lot like your dad, you know, prankster, but he was also hardcore in the vision. of where he was going and all that. They probably said something to one another. That was all it would take. Yeah, I mean, those were two personalities that were pretty strong, Lou and Roland.

And I guess Roland won. That's really fascinating that Lou La Rosa, the engine builder, that had helped the team achieve so much would be cut loose. Right before they go to the final race of the year, Lou would be hired by RCR to build a new. motors for Dad's team in the mid-80s during so much success. With all that said, it's time to wrap up the 1980 racing season as NASCAR is headed west one final time to California.

This is going to be the final race held at Ontario Motor Speedway, which had opened back in 1970. They're going to demolish the track after the race. I remember going with Dad in the mid-1980s to Riverside to compete at the time. the old road course, and we would drive by the site of the old Ontario Motor Speedway, and Dad would point out features in the landscape that was part of the racetrack. It was really cool. The track was built to mimic the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and it's interesting that it did not

survive very long. From Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, this is MRN, the Motor Racing Network, with coverage of the Los Angeles Times 500 Winston Cup Grand National Stock Car Race. There is a big factor in today's race that may affect the outcome of how a lot of these drivers finish as the curtain rings down here at Ontario Motor Speedway for the 1980 Winston Cup racing season. For young Dale Earnhardt and Cale Yarborough could be the most important day in both their racing careers. Today, one of these two will win the most prestigious crown in auto racing the National Winston Cup Driving Championship.

Earnhardt is the young upstart driver second year on the circuit, and Kale Yarbrough in perhaps his last run for the championship, as next year he goes to a reduced racing schedule, 29 points is not very much. Earnhardt must finish in fifth position or better. And if he finishes fifth, he must lead at least one lap. Who will win the national driving title, the Winston Cup points championship?

As we carry on with the race weekend, Kale Yarborough and other veteran drivers seem to think that Dad's going to crack under all this pressure. However, Dad seemed as loose as ever. In fact, his relationship with his old crew chief Jake Elder actually seemed to be strong as well.

In the garage, Dad arranged a low-stakes poker game with Jake earlier in the weekend, as noted in the Charlotte Observer. I think with 30 points, 29 points, and the way he's run all season, they look like they're pretty well prepared. They've been doing it all summer

long. Kail's done a great job coming back and getting close and putting a little pressure on him, but I got to believe that he's just lucky enough and prepared enough to pull it off. Dad and Kail both come prepared and would occupy the front row of the race after qualifying, with Kail taking the pole and dad starting outside. They say pressure this, pressure that, but I really don't feel that much pressure with other than the normal racing pressure that we've been under all season. It is anticipated that both the Earnhardt and Yarborough teams will have the same tire strategy.

Both Doug Rickard and Junior Johnson are planning to change two tires and fuel up. Whenever there's a green flag stop, when there's a yellow flag stop, they are planning to do a four-tire change. Pacecar is on pit road and they're getting ready to put them under green of the Los Angeles Times 500. Now it's Dale Yarbrough up in the lead with the second-place car of Dale Earnhardt, right behind him, nose to tail. Then it's Dio Bonnet, Betty Parsons, Bobby Allison, and Darrell Walters. It's really tight and a long draft on the back straightaway.

Heading back to the start, finish line. Who's going to lead the first lap? It will be Cale Yarborough, and Yarborough picks up the five bonus points, Mike Joy. But Earnhardt just literally pushes him down the front straightaway and back into turn one. It looks like one car. It's so close. Earnhardt tried to go to the outside. Yarbrough moves up a little bit.

They're all strong out, Bonnet running in third place. Everybody negotiating this turn in good shape. The leader dives into two. Kale Yarbrough holding on to the lead. Running in the second spot, Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt's going to challenge to the low side. No, Yarbrough shuts them back. They're in the short shoot heading for turn four.

It is a challenge for the lead. Here comes Earnhardt. He's got it. Dale Earnhardt shoots by Kale Yarbrough going into turn three. Here's a challenge back by Yarbrough again at turn four. Yarbrough and Earnhardt side by side at four. As Earnhardt almost lost it between three and four. They both take turns leading early in the race,

but then disaster began to strike. Everybody here, Mike Joy, is wondering. Has something happened to the Earnhardt car? Or is he just taking it easy, playing it safe, until the field sorts itself out. He is continuing to drop back in the field. Dad's going to fall a lap down when he pitted too early during a yellow flag on lap 71.

Earnhardt comes scooting in again in the Wrangler-Gien's machine to a lengthy pit stop for Earnhardt, but they're checking the car all the way around. We saw no apparent adjustments on the suspension on the car. just a four-tire change as they put him back onto the track. Roland Wololica has confirmed that the problem is the wind. Apparently they're running a bit of a taller gear in the Ostranden car than they might have run under ordinary circumstances,

and Roland suggested that that is what's causing the car to be buffeted around in particular. He would fall tonight, and Kale is going to continue to contend for the victory, and he'd take over the points lead mid-race. Riding just ahead of the leader is Earnhardt. he may go a lap down and turn one. Dad is going to fight back and actually get around Kail as the next caution flies. This is going to get him back on the lead lap. Caution is out here at Ontario Motor Speedway.

The leaders did not get the caution with 151 laps completed. If Dale Earnhardt can come around to the caution flag, ahead of the leader, it will put him on the lead lap. Dale Earnhard, better be careful because Hilton sees that engine coming right out of two, and it could be a little bit early. Dale Earnhardt, who has worked his way back to the front of the pack, is now on the lead left. Junior Johnson actually protested, saying this was an illegal move. This will be a tremendous break for Dale Earnhardt.

Dad's final pit stop is going to come on lap 183, and the plan was to get fuel only. One more pit stop for these drivers here this afternoon, and that is going to put the pressure on these pit crews. You screw up, drop the jack wrong, do something wrong on a wheel, whatever, and it's all over. There begins to be some activity on pit road, Doug Richard, and the Australian crew getting ready to bring Dale Earnhardt in. They are wheel to wheel. Earnhardt and Yarbrough. They were the front row for the race there, and here comes.

Earnhard almost lost it. Earnhardt coming into the pit. I was changing the front tires, so I was into that. And then Dave DeMbrosia was on the rear. Marvachton was on the jack. And we're going to focus on the Earnhardt team. They've got tires for the outside. One can going in so far.

They're jacking up the right side of the car at this point, trying to get that thing out of here as quickly as they possibly can. This is a green flag stop. Here goes the second can of fuel in. Earnhardt ready to leave, and he's gone. So a quick stop for him. Dick Brooks, you had an observation on that. Yeah, they only changed one time. They changed the right rear tire on it.

For some reason, another, they went around with the right front, but they never did put it on. Dale was in an awful big hurry to go. He took off before the jack fell. So Earnhardt has his pit stop out of the way. Whether it's going to be a good one or badman, we're going to have to wait and seize. According to NASCAR, it's a bad when they're calling Earnhardt back onto pit road. This could easily cost him the national driving title here this afternoon. The problem, Barney, was not so much with the tire change, but they are saying that Earnhardt drove over the jack.

He started to pull the car away before the jack went down. That is an infraction, and he will have to come back into the pints. That is going to hurt him. They're going to hold him just long enough to make sure that the lug nuts are tight on the car. If they are, he'll be able to go right back out. All he had to do was come in and stop, and no, they're holding him. They're holding them at the pit, checking the lugs on the right rear. And it looks like they're going to have to stop and tighten them up,

and Earnhardt backs up and misses the wrenchman. This is going to be a costly error for sure. They're going to have to retighten the lugs on the right rear before he can pull away. Now, finally, Earnhard is away from the pits. Now, had Dad fallen off of the lead lap, he would have handed Kale the points championship. It was just that close. But despite all of this, Dad's able to fight back within striking distance of Cales. There are 11 to go here this afternoon, and still in front is Bobby Allison,

riding second is Benny Parsons. Third right now is Neil Bonnet. They're showing Yarbrough as fourth, and we have a runner at the scoring stand to find out exactly how much ground that Dale Earnhardt has lost to the front four. It's possible he may be in the lead lap yet, Garnie, and that would put him in the fifth position as long as he can hold on to that lead lap, and that would sew him up the championship, providing that Kale Yarbrough does not win this race. Benny Parsons is going to go on and win this race.

Kale finishes third and Dad comes home fifth. As they come down to the line, Benny Parsons will win. The Los Angeles Times 500. Here he is, taking the checkered flag. And Mike Joy, here comes the battle for second. Three seconds behind him, diving to the inside is Kale Yarbrough. He moves the junior Johnson Chevrolet up to within two feet, Anil Bonnet, and Bonnet will get second at the wire.

And awaiting Dale Earnhardt. posted in the fifth position of the tail end of the lead lap. As long as Earnhardt comes around and take the checkered flag, unofficially would be the Winston Cup champion. Earnhardt gets the checkered flag and his crew jumps up and down and congratulations. Dad's going to win the 1980 NASCAR championship by just 19 points. Well, we have a new Winston Cup champion, and he is standing by on pit road with Dick Bergeron.

Now, naturally, Dad was on top of the world after the win. He would go on to say Cal won three championships in a row, so I don't see why we shouldn't try. We got a young crew and young ideas, and we're going to go for it. Dale Earnhardt, the brand new Winston Cup champion. Dale, how do you feel right now? Well, first of all, I want to thank the good Lord for seeing us through the whole year and, you know, letting us win the champion.

And I'd like to thank all the people who was involved with Austin Racing this year. Mike Kerb and Warner-Huizen and now Wrangler, Jeans, is involved with us as a sponsor. I hope to, you know, we've won the championship for them, and everybody included. The whole team did a good job, and all my fans and family back home and like to say hi to them. Man, it was a tough one, but we came through it. Dale, what were you thinking in the early laps when you were a full lap down? I wasn't thinking too good a thought, but we just kept on running in there, and we got to run it a little better and got where we could be competitive with the front cars and got her chance to get a lap back.

And fortunately, we did, and then our last pit stop, we sort of messed up to the guys. Guys started to change tires, and then they changed their mind, and we ran over the jack, just turned the jack over under the car, and then they brought us back in, penalized us a half a lap, and it looked like it was going to be in a bind again, but it all worked out. I just can't really say how happy I am. You deserve to be. It's the toughest championship in the world. 1980, Winston Cup champion, Dale Earnhardt.

It's kind of a Cinderella deal. It wasn't something that I strive for. It just happened. I didn't ask for it. And I'm proud of it. I'm still the youngest Creek Chief ever win a championship. The only thing I can say about the 1980 season was it shocked a lot of people because no one expected Dellerhardt to win the championship.

Doug Richard reportedly took the car for a victory lap of his own on the way back to the garage. Well, the race was over. We won the championship. I just got in the car and I went out on pit road And I was going down pit road And lo and behold There's some girl sitting on the wall I said come on get in bullshit

It did got in the car And I just went out around It wasn't fast I just running around What happened to the girl? I don't even know I didn't know her Dad to this day remains the only driver in history To win rookie of the year

and a championship in back-to-back years. Don't go anywhere. There's more becoming Earnhardt presented by Bass Pro Shops up next. But first, check out what my sister Kelly has to share about the next generation of Earnhardt racers and outdoor enthusiasts. We spend time in the outdoors, you know, a lot of times doing stuff, right? So whether it's hunting or it's kind of a hobby or a sport. But in this particular instance, after my mom passed in 2019,

A couple days after that, my family, my kids, me, Wyatt, Carson Kennedy, and LW, we went to a local state park, probably maybe about an hour and a half away and went hiking. The outdoors can make you feel really at peace, you know, and kind of just hiking up through the trails and waterfalls and just really admiring, you know, there's so much that you can look at in the outdoors. That's something, even like with hunting, I don't care as much about going out and getting an antifference. animal as I do just like sitting in a tree stand, you're out there at the crack of dawn, and you get to see the sunrise, and you get to hear the birds chirping, and then you start getting to hear animals running around, whether it's squirrels or birds or whatever it is until the big book comes out or whatever that you're looking for. But, you know, I enjoy all of that just as much as I do the thrill of the activity that we're doing. It's just really kind of looking

around in nature, and if you get to studying it, you know, It's complex out in nature. You know, everything that's going on and how things grow. And, you know, you look at a tree and you go, I wonder how old that tree was or is or, you know, whatever it is. You know, things that are starting from seeds to growing out in the wild. So, you know, there's just really a lot to take in, I feel like, in the outdoors. And it can bring a lot of peace to you, like in that situation with my mom.

I even look back at pictures and I scrapbook. So I've got, like, albums after albums. after albums made for my kids and pictures. And I look back on it sometimes and I think, wow, we stay really busy. But, you know, it's simple things like going camping or, you know, going fishing or going hiking or doing something like that. You know, there's a lot of different things. Butterfly museums.

There's just so many things that are out and about that you can, that you do. And I look at that. We just do, we do a lot of things and spend a lot of time outdoors. Our plans for Wyatt are just to kind of continue to do what we're doing now. We race a lot of different types of things. We go to about 80 races with Wyatt a year, which is a lot. And just trying to get him, you know, diverse in terms of things that he's driving and what he's learning and how he can learn. But kind of the most important thing, I think, is just for him to be a kid.

You know, he's 13. Still likes to do 13-year-old boy things. So he video games and he plays farm sim and hunting games on video and I racing and all kind of things. and he likes to go out and ride motorcycles and four-wheelers and all that kind of stuff. So he still likes just being a kid. So we'll just see where it takes him. You know, we've got five years left of school, so that's important to us. And there's a lot of things that are important to us before he actually decides if racing is going to be a career of his or not.

I love watching Wyatt and Johnny Morris interact. Johnny has just been taken aback by Wyatt and his skills and the fact that he's, you know, been an 11, 12, 13-year-old kid doing some of the things that he's done. Johnny, you know, he'll pick up videos. I'll send him videos of Wyatt Racing or doing something, and he'll pick those videos up. And at his company, a lot of times he does, like, daily. I mean, there's nothing stopping him from just calling a quick five-minute meeting across

Mass Pro Shop. And they get the video going and they get all this stuff going. And then he'll show a quick video of Wyatt. And he'll be like, look at this kid, look at what he's doing, you know, isn't this awesome? So he just enjoys it. I think that's one of the fun things to see about Johnny and whether it's he's interacting with Wyatt or he's interacting with someone. He is passionate about racing. He's passionate obviously about the outdoors.

He's passionate about our military. And it's fun to watch Wyatt's reaction to Johnny too, you know, because I don't think 13-year-old kids really understand somebody. the magnitude of somebody like Johnny Morris, you know, and what he's accomplished and, you know, how hard he's worked in his life to grow Bass Pro Shops and all of that, you know, that's hard for really a 13-year-old to comprehend, you know. But it's been fun. It's fun to watch their relationship and watch it grow and see why it's reaction to Johnny and definitely Johnny's reaction to Wyatt and what he does.

The Earnhardt family has always relied on Bass Pro Shops for our outdoor adventures, and that tradition continues with me today. I grew up shopping there, and now it's a place I love sharing with my own family. Gearing up together for everything from weekend getaways to fishing in the pond. I'm also incredibly grateful for the support Johnny Morris and the entire Bass Pro team have shown across our business ventures, from the race team to Dirty Mo Media. They believe in what we're building, and they've stood behind us every step of the way. They're not just great partners, they're great people.

I also admire Bass Pro's unwavering commitment to those who serve our country. Their legendary salute program is one of the many ways. ways they show support, offering a 10% everyday discount to active duty military, veterans, and first responders. It's their way of saying thank you to the heroes who protect our freedom and way of life. To learn more and see full details, visit basspro.com backslash legendary salute. After winning his first championship, 29-year-old Dale Earnhard is going to hop on a flight from California to Las Vegas with his brothers, Randy, and Danny. And within 30 minutes of hitting the strip. He's going to win $500 playing blackjack. But 18 hours later, despite the money,

the moment, and the excitement, homesickness kicks in. The three Earnhardt brothers from Canapolis, North Carolina, spent less than a full day in Vegas before heading back home to their cotton mill town where they felt most comfortable. So with a championship trophy in hand and a long-term contract in the other, dad and his highly motivated Australand racing team seemed primed to go on a dynasty-like run. But as history would have it, Rod is going to sell the team before all of that could be accomplished. You see, a housing crisis in California is going to cause Australen, who made all of his

money in real estate, to sell out the team in the middle of the 1981 season. Yeah, I'm like Dale. I didn't know a thing. I mean, my explanation of it was is it made it feel like we were just a herd of cattle, and they just sold us off. The threat had been looming at the beginning of the 1980s season, and this was a big reason why Les Richter orchestrated the meeting between Mike Kerb and Bill France to help keep Rod and Dad on the grid. Here's Mike Curb explaining how it all went down.

In California, we had a huge savings and loan crisis in 79, 80, 81, and it really hurt people like Rod Austerlund. It really hurt people like Warner Hodg, and it really, a number of those guys. But the crisis would eventually outweigh the love for racing, and Rod would sell his successful race team to Jim Stacey, also known as J.D. There are very many accounts that Dad did not like Jim Stacey and was really unhappy that his contract was sold to another owner. So after just four races, he would depart and link up with his new hunting buddy, a fellow named Richard Childress, to finish out the remainder of the 1981 season. I would like to say here that Neil Bonnet had actually driven for Jim Stacey in the late 70s.

and I have to wonder that Neil and dad being close friends, maybe Neil got in dad's ear to pre-warn him about a relationship with J.D. Stacey. Now, I know what you're thinking. This is the beginning of the Intimidator, right? Well, not quite. You see, Richard's race team wasn't quite the super team as we know it is today. Richard had been driving the car himself up to that point and was really just a middle-of-the-pack independent.

running a modest operation. He will admit that he was in no position to field a car for a champion like Dad. And despite some funding that came from Rangler, Richard found himself in a massive amount of debt after the 1981 season from trying to step up his operation and be more competitive. He actually recommended that Dad take other offers for more established teams. One of those offers would come from legendary Bud Moore, and in 1982, Dad would be take over the famed 15 car with Wrangler by his side. The Ford years were terrible for him.

Ford was having its own problem, and then, like I said, his career plummeted, and he was wrecking and mechanical problems, and a lot of the veteran reporters wrote him off. That he was just that he had had his success, and unless he changed his attitude and changed his ways, he wasn't going to have any more success. Dad would race for Budmore for two seasons, winning a few races. But ultimately, his affinity for General Motors products had him considering other opportunities. Sounds a lot like Bobby Allison's experience as well. Here is where Dad and RC formed the ultimate partnership that becomes legendary.

They would rejoin in 1984 with the number three car, and Richard Trilder says it best. The rest is history. So what did Dad learn from this season? Honestly, I think that a lot of credit needs to be given to Jake Elder because the team starts the year out, relatively strong, and put together a lot of great finishes. Dad is still very inexperienced and overly aggressive. There were some results probably at both Rockingham events,

the first Martinsville. several races where his aggressive style and sort of his inability to see the bigger picture got him in trouble. He's still young, still learning racecraft, not really understanding how to put together a full season of results to be a championship winner. And everyone else around him knew how to do that. Richard Petty, Kell Yarborough, it's really amazing that the team could be as competitive throughout the year as they were. So even though he was cantankerous and a pain in the butt at times, I'm going to say Jake Elder played a big role in giving the team the points foundation to finish it out once Doug comes along.

Now when Doug comes in to be the crew chief, he's young. Yes, I think he's very inexperienced. He does know enough about the cars, but I think he and Dad put their knowledge together and were able to be competitive enough with what they knew on how to put the cars onto the racetrack and set them up. Dad's pretty sharp about all this stuff. He is a mechanical mind. He understands springs and shocks,

and he runs around and works on all his stuff and talks to all the other drivers. So dad's a sponge of information. I think on paper, when you just look at how strong juniors team was with kale, you would assume that they're going to win. this championship. But somehow dad and the team pulled it out. Guts, youth, just energy, you know, they just made it happen. Dad's going to go on and have some tough years after this before he would eventually, you know, have this incredible career with Richard Childers.

But I really love to look back on these two years, 1979 and 1980, you know, just how fast he came onto the scene. Once he established that full-time ride, all of this is so compelling to me. A lot of credit needs to go to Rod Osterlin for giving the guy a chance. If Rod doesn't give Dad the break, if Dave Marcus doesn't quit and allow Dad to go from the B driver to the A driver, there's so many little things that had to happen for this whole career to pan out like it did. So pretty awesome to relive this.

I learned a ton. I really appreciate everybody who's living. to this. I hope you enjoyed this look back on these specific times in dad's career. He's going to become a household name through the late 80s and early 90s in that familiar number three behind six championships and dozens of race victories. But it's easy to forget where those first of seven championships came from. 1980, it's a gritty sophomore season that saw dad outlast some of the greatest racers of all time. But ultimately, the experience he gained is going to help guide him through a career worthy of putting himself into that category of greatest racers of all time.

I'm satisfied and at ease with what I do. And I'm in Grand National Racing now is what I've always wanted to do. So, you know, I'm very much at home in it and very well pleased with it. So, yeah, I'm happy. Becoming Earnhardt is a Dirtymo Media original podcast series. It is written and produced by me, Dellenhart Jr., with Bobby Marcos and Colby Bass. Sound design by Alex Thames, production assistants, Tiff Powers, Mike Davis, Michael Codwell, and Evan Vecchio. This project is in partnership with MRN, the Motor Racing Network, and the Appalachian State University Stock Car Collection.

Special thanks to SiriusXM, Silver Tribe Media, NASCAR Man, and Bob Ellis. For additional dirtymo media content, visit our YouTube page and follow us on all major social media platforms. Thank you to Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops for bringing us another episode of Becoming Earnhardt. They are such a great friend and supporter of everything we do, so remember to gear up for all your adventures at Bass Pro Shops, North America's premier outdoor and conservation company.