The Dale Jr. Download - Legitimate Champions, Playoff Formats & Bandwagons

Episode Date: September 12, 2025

The Dirty 30 brings you the best 30 minutes from Dirty Mo Media every Friday — the funniest, wildest, and most jaw-dropping highlights from your favorite shows. This week, Dale Jr. and TJ Majors discuss if this is the year Denny Hamlin can win a championship, and Joey Logano’s ability to navigate the current Playoff format the best.On Door Bumper Clear, Jordan Bianchi and Austin Cindric joined Freddie and Karsyn to discuss the best way to decide a champion.On Actions Detrimental, Denny Hamlin explains where his “get on the bandwagon or get run over” comment came from and what he meant by it.And finally, Dale welcomes in NASCAR Cup Series winner David Reutimann to discuss his departure from NASCAR, brain surgery after his career, and how he adjusts to his new normal.  And for more content, check out our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMediaDirty Mo Media is launching a new e-commerce merch line! They’ve got some awesome Dale Jr. Download merch on the site. Visit shop.dirtymomedia.com to check out all the new stuff.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.

Hey everybody, I'm Dillon Hart Jr. and this is the Dirty 30. The best highlights from all of our podcast this week, 30 minutes every single Friday, the Dirty 30 coming at you. Let's get right to it. So Denny Hamlin, right, is there's something that we say every year. The statement hasn't been incorrect. Every year we say, man, this is his best shot. What Denny's been able to do over the last handful of seasons to be. be, I think, a favorite, one of the favorites, one of the contenders, year after year, after year,

literally every single year, it seems like he's even better. You got to give the guy a ton of credit. Right now, I think we can say maybe for the first time that he's the best car in the field at this point. It's most consistent. Yeah. I mean, when we go to the racetrack and we've got to do this manufacturer parlay, or we got to think about who's going to be good. Denny's always one of the top three drivers.

He's always the top Toyota. It's just impressive. He's definitely the most consistent right now. You know, can they finally get to Phoenix and get the job done? He deserves to win a championship. He deserves to know what that feels like. Yeah. All the things that he, all the wins, all the trophies in the house,

all the things that he has in his memory. of his career. He deserves to have a trophy. I just think this format goes against Denny for the championship. This format goes against everybody. Yeah. Well, I mean, Denny is a consistent. He's a consistent.

If you have Denny four races, he's going to be a threat because he knows how to put all four them together. This format doesn't favor or lend itself to anybody. I mean, I disagree. I think it's definitely. Fitz Lugano better. He loves this type of form. He loves being the underdog.

He loves coming in there and ruining these things for guys. I know, but you've got to have the car and the ability on that given day to be able to go do it. Yeah. Where is that during the regular season when you need to win races and be great? I mean. It doesn't seem to, he doesn't. It's this, I just have a hard time buying in to this idea that there is anybody in the walking breathing on this earth that actually

can be better at this format than someone else. This format is more about being great on one singular day. You know, the rest of the season be damned. Well, that's what I'm saying. I'm looking at these points right here. Well, he happened to have the good car that day at Phoenix. Yeah, when Joey's only 21 above the cut line, I mean, Denny, you know what I mean? What about that?

but if you put him Where was he before this weekend Or where was he when the playoffs When the regular season ended Not very high Yeah probably 200 out Yeah way back Yeah so he just got handed 150 points

I know that But this is where he starts to thrive In this situation Well it's easy to thrive When somebody gives you 150 points I'm not disagree with that But this This system aids

It definitely aids guys like that Like he fits him You gotta credit Joey's crew chief Oh strategy Yeah And what Joey he's put in situations that he has to step up and make it work too. Yeah.

And he does. Well, yeah. I mean, they do fuel mileage things and different, you know, but they did the fuel mileage. I don't want to be wrong here, but. This year? I risk it. Or last year. They did, remember Vegas?

They won at Vegas. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Was he even good that day? I think it was mostly off a strategy. Yeah. Yeah, he was running so average that he just could do the fuel mileage. Bell's race to win.

Yeah. To lose, really. And so, I mean, it's like, I don't know, man. It's tough, I know. It is. To TJ's point, I think, where Lugano and I think Penske favors in the format, and again, it's kind of the big topic point after Roval. Was that his plan?

Was that his plan to get back into the playoffs through a DQ? Obviously not. I mean, but he still got in. Oh, well. Man, he's so good at this. What fuck are we talking about? But hold on. That guy won the championship, the guy that was out.

I know, but he was out before the 48 guy got disqualified. That doesn't matter, though. So, I mean, you can't tell me that, man, he's the one that knows how to do this better than anybody else because he was out. If the 48 doesn't fail tech, five pounds light or whatever the hell it was, because he run over the curb and threw the shit off his car. Yeah. You know, I don't disagree. Yeah. I think what favors Joey is the format and the schedule.

No, it's like, I can't say it. Look, dude, he's a champion. Joe Lugano is a champion. He is a badass race car driver. But literally, this, this, you can't tell me that this, you can't tell me that there's a strategy to. No, this is not your strategy. No. You don't hope a guy gets thrown out.

Nobody, yeah, and nobody's going into Vegas going, we're going to run 14th all day and then them on fuel mileage. You know, right. Didn't Denny make, did I see a clip where Denny said he was a better driver than the three-time champion? Did he, well, did I see that? It's not his head. Yeah, which I thought.

I'm surprised that wasn't in the show sheet. A little big. Yeah. Couldn't you say Lugano and Penske could be better than other teams when given the circumstance, like he wins at Vegas, they have the tools. They weren't better than other teams. They just happened to be running poor enough to do the fuel mileage. If he was really good, let me say this.

If he was great, right, and running in the top three or top two all day, they would have never considered the fuel mileage, possibly, right? It's possible they would have never considered the fuel mileage and someone else would have leapfrogged or beat them with that same strategy. That's a back half top 10 move probably to try to win a race. I don't disagree there. Yeah, and he runs poorly enough to be actually eliminated at De Roval. So, I mean, what are we, what are y'all, what?

I'm saying when Penske is given the circumstance of like, okay, he happens to win at Vegas, by luck or skill, whatever, are they better than other teams when it comes to, okay, we can ignore the next two races, we can focus on Phoenix. I would say that his-Pensky does a good job of, like, playing the game of the playoffs. I don't think it's a Penske. I mean, I give Penske all the credit. it's Paul. Okay. It's Mr. Wolf. Making them strategy goals. Oh, Paul's great.

Yeah. He is, yeah, Paul's great. He used to be Brad's crew chief when he won a championship. I worked with him with Joey as well. Yeah. Paul's great. Yeah. You always have a shot with Paul.

Yeah. Like off the wall, you know, kind of. And sometimes it works, sometimes it don't. I'm sure at the Roval, I don't remember how the race went. I'm sure at the Roval, Paul tried something at some point to get some track position, you know what I mean? He wasn't just, all right, we're going to run here all day. Like, he tried. Like, they're good. Like, Paul's really good. He's really creative. But I think that fits with Joey's driving style in these situations because he can put Joe in

situations. Look, Joey's a great race car driver. And if you tell, if Paul says, Joey, I'm going to put you out here in front of these guys on old tires and our only shot is to hold them off. Joey is going to give it all he's got. Is Denny better than Joey? Depends on the track, the race, the day. car. I mean, I honestly feel like they're equal. They're pretty equal. I mean, you're splitting hairs. Yeah. At that point between who's better than who. Hey, what's up everybody? Welcome to another edition of door bumper clear. Things look a little different in here today. Yeah, Tommy, like I said, we kicked them off the show. We just haven't. We've had enough of his shit. Sitting in his place, one of our illustrious media members and fellow Dirty Moe podcast host, Jordan, how are you? I'm well. Thanks, Jeremy. I'm bottom on the bear. Also joining us our actual guest this weekend, Mr. Austin Sindrick.

Both Coreyheim and Connor Zillich will win the championship in their respected divisions after absolutely dominating all season long. Spot on, spot off, Austin. This is tangled, tangled with. Could be a split thing? It's tough. I feel like I could take it two different ways with each of them, but we'll go spot on because they deserve it. Yeah. I mean, and that's the problem.

That's where they're in life. the problem, Jordan of they are clearly the best cars. When I say clearly, I'm talking, Corey Hym has led 40% of the laps this year in the truck series. They are clearly the best cars, best teams in their respective series, but that's not this format. It's not this format. And if neither of them win the championship, it's going to be another, you know, talking point of here is why we need to change the playoff format, et cetera, et cetera.

I will say this. I like Corey Himes' chances better than I like Connor Gillich. And this isn't a knock on Zillich. I agree. I just think that the Hym is clearly head and shoulders. One, he's a great talent with a great team. And two, he's got so much experience compared to a lot of the truck series guys who are still kind of coming into their own. It's such a combination that just elevates him above everyone else.

The thing with Conner Zillich that jumps out to me, he's going to be great. He's going to probably make the championship for just based on the point accumulation he has. The problem is, where's the championship at? It's at Phoenix. And where is Justin Allgaier really good at Phoenix? If Allgaier can get there, I like Allgaier in that format. I really, really do. So it's not really a knock on Connor.

It's just more of a, this is how it sets up well for the competition. Yeah. And if the problem, and I'm, it is, the format is what it is. You can't, you complain about it all you want. You can talk about 36 races. You can talk about 10 races, three race, whatever it is. But that's not what the format is this year. And that's all that really matters.

I would probably suggest deleting all forms of social media if these guys get wrecked at Phoenix. in the final four if you're NASCAR or anybody that wants to support the current playoff system. But I mean, Austin, like for the 23 team, selfishly,

I'm torn because the, the, I grew up racing. My whole life's racing. My dad's raised growing up. Everything I did racing was based on a season long points champion. And that's what I want. But I know that right now,

sitting here today, the only shot I have at ever winning a championship with Bubba in this, right now in this current format is the way it is because we have seven DNFs this year. Our season would have been over in April probably. So where do you sit on this? Like is there needs to be some kind of balance of a little bit of both? Or do you like the current system or do you prefer something like a Longer's 36 race playoff? Well, if I'm going to use Jordan's example as far as Allgaier versus Zill, it should, at Phoenix, if that's what it is.

And Algear wins at Phoenix. They were in a points battle for the regular season championship for the last two weeks. Yeah, what was Connor? able to capitalize the last two weeks and win both those races to adjust him run well. Yes, but did he win? No. So does that make him undeserving? Hard to say if it makes him undeserving or not, but the win total is obviously what sets what sets Connor apart. I think the playoff format is exciting for those who understand it. Yeah. And I think if there are any changes in the future that are to be made, it has to be first and foremost simplifying

in order for more to understand and appreciate. Because otherwise, it's difficult to add more incentives and more items into the fold that, you know, a top 10 provisional in points or something like you got to stop right there because you're going to have, you're going to lose people's, you know, interest because it's going to be really confusing. Right now, I feel like there's a lot of incentive. to run well throughout the year. I mean, talking about Connors won nine races so far.

You're right. If he finishes 20th and every race in the Xfinity series playoffs, he's probably going to be in the championship four. Okay. He's earned the spot to go race for a championship already. Okay, so we have incentives. Same thing with running well throughout the race, stage points, so on. So I think the incentives are all very good to continue to run well throughout the year.

It's just I think if there's anything to refine, it's a simplification to help our race fans and our, and maybe our casual fans be able to be more on board with what's on the line and what's at stake. But past that, it's pretty entertaining because, I mean, going into Bristol this weekend, Alex Bowman could go win. Yeah. Alex Bowman could go win. And right now, he's out.

That's exciting. That's a moment. That's a moment. I mean, no different than Chase Prisco going out winning the Southern 500 with, you know, he was equal to me on points starting. the playoffs. Bang. And,

can Chase Biscoe win the championship? Like, that's crazy, right? I mean, if I was to go out and win Bristol, you'd be like, is Austin Cindrick a serious, serious contender for the, it's just going to,

everybody on Monday morning is going to be having this conversation, right? So, and we wouldn't have that without the playoffs. We wouldn't have that conversation without the playoffs. Hypothetically speaking, if there was a championship round consisting of, say,

four races, would that make it more palable for the drivers? Well, what's fair for the drivers and competitors is never going to be what's best for the fans. And the drivers want more of a longer runway for points. The fans, I think, are some fans. I should take. I'd be careful. Like, they're once shorter.

At least the TV networks do too. But four races, again, hypothetically, would you be okay with that? Would you think that'd be okay? Kind of a fair compromise? I don't even think it needs to be four. Okay. I mean, we have three race formats. Yeah.

Why does it need be? Well, you can have like a format. I'm just spitballing here. of let's say 3-3-4. That's like Jordan knows something that I don't. Well, Jordan knows everything. But you could have a format of like three races and then another round of three races.

And then from that, you whittled down to whatever number that driver count is. And that number of drivers over four races is racing for the championship. That could be, you know, is that a fair compromise where you still have the mentality of you got to go out there and win it, you got to be aggressive because it helps you,

but you also have a little bit more of a run, way where quote unquote the better team is going to be more you know I mean you're essentially taking what the NBA does it's a series yeah each each round is is a series and the the more wins or better finishes you get in the series then bam yeah you are you are the champion so I think yeah it's all stuff that's been done before it's just how do we apply it to our format yeah I think anybody that's hoping for a 36 race season is never going to happen so just like abandon all hope for that hey guys welcome to actions detrimental posts

worldwide technology raceway, St. Louis, Gateway. We have all kinds of names for this track. But man, what a great weekend for the 11 team. Your post-game speech there, is that planned? When did that come to you? Well, you've heard me say it before, right? I mean, I've said it amongst my friends and whatnot before. I do need to clarify, though,

some are making it out to be like jump on the championship bandwagon that's that's not what I'm saying what I'm saying is jump on the 11 car bandwagon because you'll win more you're going to win more you're going to win more than you're going to travel we're going to have a conversation what's wrong off there's just there's just there's just too much championship downplay here I how many times do I have to tell you I want to win races I believe I win the championship that's going to be awesome I'm going to try my damnedest to do it. But when it comes down to a race,

you just don't know, man. I don't, I like to under promise and over deliver when it comes to that. What I'm saying is jump on the 11 car bandwagon and you're going to win more than probably what your favorite driver does. I believe you that you're saying that,

but how it came across is get on it or we're running you over on our way to Phoenix to win a championship. No, so you added all that shit at the end. But that's not what I said. But that's how it sounded. That sounds good. And by thinking, if that's what you meant, it would have been so much, if you're just saying, we're going to win races, like, that's no longer as cool as what it was.

11 against the world. Yes. Okay. Well, that's not, you know, you want to win a natty. You jump on the Ohio State bandwagon. No, you, you jump on the best team. and they're going to win a ton of games and hopefully they win a championship at the end.

No, it's Natty or bust. That was our motto to start the year. Highest it against the world, Natty or bust. Yeah, but you've spent like $35 million to do. 20. I just, I'm clarifying. Everyone can make it their own.

Whatever you want to make it, I'm all for it. I support you. If you want to support me, my fans have gotten louder. thank you. I hear the cheers. I'm with you. It's funny is I could hear some booze before you went with that line. They were kind of murmuring underneath and the one you went there. Then the booze just oh yeah. It was awesome. Yeah. And a lot of it is, you know, I'm just, I don't know, you know,

how many more race wins, you know, I'll have. And so you got to take advantage. It's the only time also that we get to talk to the fans in the stands. Think about that. The only time you can talk to them. You either might get a 10 second interview on the big screen, like staying up beside your car, or you're going to talk to them after the race is over. And it's usually because you won the race. And so, like, that's the only opportunity I have to talk to those 30, 40,000 people, you know, thousand people. I want to give it to them. Any chance I can't because I know that the bulk of them are not fans of and the bulk of them hate see me winning and I just love ruining their day. Well, I got a few messages on Instagram and for the rest of the season, the hashtag

All Aboard has been proposed. I love All Aboard. Put it on a T-shirt. See, the fans want to hop on this train, but they want they want clarification that the train is going to Phoenix. Yeah, what's the destination? We know the train. you're telling us the train ride's going to be fun.

Hop on, it's going to be a good time. But they want to know where the train's going. What does it matter where you're going? And when you jump on a party bus, who gives a shit where the end destination is? Because if it ends at Martinsville, then it's not going to be as fun if it goes to Phoenix. I'm going to try. You know what my dad tells me? Don't try.

Do? Listen, Trave. I'm doing the best that I can do. I know. I mean, our win percentage is stout. Just keep it up. Stout. But, so like, listen, people, I'm talking to this camera.

If you want to jump on the train, you're welcome aboard. We'll take care of you. You're going to have a good time. You might get hassled every now and then. But I can assure you you're going to have more good weekends than you're going to have bad weekends. And I'm probably going to beat your favorite driver that you're currently rooting for. So I say, all aboard. And here's the thing.

If you jump on the train and you have more good weekends than bad weekends, and you win a handful more races before you get to Phoenix or if you even get the Phoenix. And then you don't make it to Phoenix or you don't win. At least the narrative at that point, it'd be like, oh, well, then you deserve the championship because he had eight wins this year. So that'll be in your favor. That's cool. I'm down with that.

Yeah. Listen, the trolls are in my mentions of like, yeah, but another first, you know, another round of 12 exit coming or another round of eight exit coming. I don't give a shit. I just want to win races and beat the out of everyone else every chance I get.

That's what I want to do. They're going to fix this playoff format for next year. Knock on wood. Think it's going to happen. Then let's talk about legitimacy. All right, David Ruderman on the Dale Jr. Download.

You would end up having another win at Chicago Land. So you passed Jeff Gordon and held off Carl Edwards this is in 2010. What do you, you know, where does that win fall, is that kind of the one where you're like, all right, you know, now I feel like

I can celebrate this, I deserve this, I earn this. Yeah, I think so. I mean, you know, of course, I mean, you know, you get to thinking in back of your mind, it's like, well, why can't I win all the time? Because the car was just so good. You thought the car. Yeah. And it's like, yeah, it just, you know, it's like, you know, why can't I, why can't I do this on a regular basis? Yeah. You know, I mean, but I mean, eventually reality sets in, but yeah, it's, it's, it's, I don't know. I mean, looking back, I mean, I wish I would have enjoyed it more. Yeah. For sure.

Oh, I can relate to that. Yeah. Do you have that trophy? Yeah, I have a trophy. Where is it? It's in-house, yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, you're proud.

I don't know. I mean, yeah, I guess. I mean, I will not many people have won at that level. No, no. There's not, but, yeah, I don't, I don't really think about it, especially being through all the stuff I've been through medically wise and whatever. You know, it kind of puts things in perspective, I guess, really. And so I don't really dwell on that too much or think about it too much. I mean, heck, I mean, to just say, when I finished race at Richmond and I walked away,

I don't think I've watched, I think I watched True X win the championship the last five laps. Other than that, I don't watch cup racing at all. Really? Do you think that's because you're just not interested to see it or because you don't want to watch it? I think very few of us have the opportunity to go out the way we want to. You know, I mean, you didn't get to do that? No, I don't feel like I did. So it's like, and it's not because I'm mad at NASCAR or have anything against cup racing.

It's just a self-preservation, I guess, really. If you know, if you're a drug addict, you know, and you want to get clean, you don't hang around with people to do drugs. Well, that's got the same thing. That's the same thing. That's very powerful. Let's talk about the crashes. You've recently had some brain surgery. when was that?

It's been about two years ago, yeah. Yeah. What was that for? Had what was called a Cusick neuroma, which is basically a tumor on the back of your brain. Yeah. And, you know, it's just, it was not cancerous tumor. It's just like a fatty tumor or whatever. Really?

And, yeah, and so. Why do you think you had that? What is? I asked the doctor. I was like, well, it was. Is it because I hit stuff or whatever? And he said, no, you just got lucky. Jesus.

And again, I mean, part of it was ego because we all have it. And I knew sitting down in a dirt car, I was not as good as I thought I should be behind the wheel, you know, because I mean, my background is dirt racing. So, you know, automatically, I felt like as a driver, you just know when you're not performing, right? Yeah. You know, so I said, well, let me go get checked. So I got checked and they did scan and, you know, whatever, all that stuff. And I can't, you know, so I, you know, nowadays you have to go to a specialist and another special, another specialist. And so I went in the doctor's office there and sat down and my x-ray was up on the computer screen.

And I have no idea what I'm looking at at all. But I knew that different color mass in the center was not supposed to be there. Yeah. And that's when the doctor said. He goes, yeah, because you've got a brain tumor. And he goes, it's got your spinal cord pushed way, way over. Really? And as I learned, evident, it's a fairly slow growing tumor.

So I think I probably had it, you know, obviously in the cup series as well. Wow, really? And so, I mean, again, you want to take it, you know, use that an excuse of why you didn't run good sometimes, but you never know. Yeah, you never. You don't know what happened. So where, so they had to go in there and get this out. Mm-hmm. Even though it wasn't cancerous, they had to remove it because of what it might be doing to your spinal cord and making things, you know, complicated and having some issues down the road, right?

So they go in there and, and it's caused some changes in your, in your, in your, you're, in your, cognitive abilities and so forth. Yeah. And so how hard have you worked, I guess, to get back as much as you can? What's that process been like? Yeah, probably not as hard as I should have for sure. I mean, it's easy to get discouraged, right? Sure.

When you're trying to recover stuff. But, I mean, I can't hear at all out of my right ear, had to cut the nerves. Okay. Because the tumor had grown up into my ear canal. And you would think, you know, no more rain than I have, you could get inside and play tennis or whatever, but evidently it's kind of tight quarters. So it took a couple surgeons there, two surgeons. Really? Yeah, to go in there.

Two different surgeries? Yeah, two different surgeons at the same surgery. Oh, my God. Yeah. And so they went there and cut it out and, you know, going in, you know, they said, well, you know, may have to end up cutting your facial nerve, which is, is the end up. up making your face, droop on one side, like kind of like a stroke,

whatever. And, and, yeah, so, you know, so everything to do with them right,

right side leg, right side arm, right side ear, all that stuff. He just basically, it sucks, really. I mean,

you know, I mean, I've gotten better, but the doctor always told me, he goes, you'll have, you know,

you recover and feel okay, and then you'll go downhill, and he goes, and then after, about two years, where you're at is where you're at. You're not going to, you may get a little bit better in some things just by repetition. Yeah. But yeah, so I'm pretty much, you know, as good as I am right now going to get. How have you managed that emotionally and what kind of support have you had to navigate such a challenging thing? Emotionally, I don't, I don't know if I'm

the best person to ask. I think I'm doing okay. I mean, you just kind of have to adjust. That's the new norm, I guess, really. But, I mean, I find myself all the time, you know, telling a guy, so I'll, yeah, bring that car in. I'll, you know, do this and do that. And then I discovered that I can't. I can't do it. I mean, I'm not coordinated.

I had no balance. I walk around like I'm drunk. I can't talk right. Not that ever could, but it's even worse now. I mean, it's just like, it's really, really easy to, you know, get down on yourself. Sure. And, you know, but, I don't. don't know. I mean, I have enough stuff to keep me busy to kind of keep my mind off the fact that

I'm not as good as I was. Check out Dirtymo Media on Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok.