The Dale Jr. Download - Tony Stewart Tried To Help NASCAR & He Hasn't Forgotten Their Response

Episode Date: October 2, 2026

It's time again for another episode of the Dirty Thirty, and this week we have a packed house -- Smoke joined DBC, Cleetus called in to Ask Jr., and Jerome Davis's phone call with Richard Childress.We start off with Tommy Baldwin opening up a can of worms when he asks what would happen if Tony Stewart came across Steve O'Donnell — to which Tony replied: "We'd be in a fist fight." And that's only the beginning...Next up, the CARS Tour announced big news this week when they shared that they would open up their season at Cleetus McFarland's Freedom Factory, and he joined Dale during Ask Jr. to talk about it!Our guest show this week was special because Dale Jr. hosted one of our newest podcast hosts, Jerome Davis, to tell his story. In this snippet, Dale Jr. asks about the team side of PBR and how Richard Childress gave him a call that changed everything.Lastly, Denny Hamlin previews the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series field's points standings, and the Bros get into a debate about who has a realistic chance to win it all.That's all for this week! See you next time on the Dirty Thirty. 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 in short. Let's get right to it. This episode of The Dirty 30 is presented by Arby's new Meat in Three Box. Get more meal for your money at Arby's. We had the meats. Let's say you sat in the room with Steve O'Donnell. Well, first of all, we'd be at a fist fight. Well, you'd get it over with, and then you'd probably sit out and go, okay, man, here's what we've been through. Here's what happened. Here's what I've learned.

Here's what I'm thinking of how to make NASCAR better. And then you guys, you go into an HRA. Hey, man, this is what I learned. Here's what I can make this better. Do you think that would ever happen? Like, you could go and like, I mean, because look, everyone can say everything bad about Steve all they want. but since he's been in charge, he has made a difference. And we haven't seen that in a long time, right?

And you've got to respect that, right? Just as much as he respects everything you've done. You thinking and you being that leader of everything that you've done in your career, walking in there, you could help? Absolutely. But if you remember right, it was probably, what, 2014, plus or minus a year, either 13, somewhere between 13 and 15, 20 of us. drivers went in there. And O'Donnell wasn't running the show then, to be fair to him. That was under the

Brian France regime, which was a shit show. And 20 of us drivers represented every race team in the field and every manufacturer. 20 of us went in there with five things that we said, these are what, being in the seat, driving these cars, these are five things that we know will help make it better for fans, the sponsors, everything, the on-track product. And that's when Gene's definition, who had never driven a race car, never worked on a race team, we presented all this to them. And I even, I literally took my phone in there because we had the Let's Race 2 race at Eldor, which is the World Outlaw Sprint cars with the wings and the USAC, non-wing sprint cars.

And I showed them the highlight reel, which was about five minutes long. The highlight reel, the World of Outlaw race, you saw the first and second place cars on the backstretch in the same screen at the start of the race on the first lap. You never saw the top two cars in the same frame the rest of the race. The USAC race, you saw the top five cars, the entire race in the same screen, and at times the sixth place car in the same frame. And I said, this is what Arrow versus not having all this Arrow does. I said, if you want the racing to be better, and that was one of the things that we had talked about with these guys was get Arrow off these cars, get the cars unsealed, make them to where we have to drive them. And Gene Steffin,

said, well, our data shows the opposite of that. And Mike Helton, thank God, Mike was there because if Mike wasn't there, I would have climbed over the table to the other side where he was, and I would have choked him out. Stephonition, that is. And Mike, Mike's known me enough. I got invited to the trailer enough. If I blinked wrong, Mike goes, he's not a good idea. Yeah, you've had plenty.

I would have said, fuck your data. That's what I basically did without saying it. But that's when I said, and how many cars have you driven? You got 20 guys in the field, and all of them are. are top guys. I mean, we didn't pick guys that are rookies and don't know what they're doing. We had 20 of the top drivers in there. And they just totally dismissed it like we, we didn't know what we were talking about. And that was, that was the day. When I walked out of there, that was the day that I decided I was working on my retirement plan and that I was getting out of the support.

But I do think that meeting started stuff, right? I mean, now, Jeff. But it took too long. Yeah, I mean, but you look at all the guys that left. But now look at all the decisions now are being made so quickly. Well, I don't know because I'm out of it. Right. But what I'm saying is you did make a difference. You guys did make a difference on a thought process. It might have not have got to the right people at that time, right?

Because we can both agree that that leadership group back then was. Yes, absolutely. But I think it's also a scenario where when the fan ratings, when the TV ratings went down and attendance started struggling, at some point you go, we need help. Yeah. And I think NASCAR was finally in a position. where they said, okay, we need to rely on the people that we have that are in the industry to help with this and started. I imagine that's probably what happened. They just started listening finally.

And here's the thing with O'Donnell. If I saw O'Donnell right now, we would be in a fist fight for sure. And that's because of what they did to me in the past. I do think he's making a difference now. And I do think he's trying. I genuinely think he's making a genuine effort to try to make it better. And not because of an ego. I think he genuinely cares about it. I do believe that. 100%. I'm still bitter because of the past and what they did to me. Before we all had cell phones and access to the internet and everything, when those people left the stands, who they thought won the race is who won the race. Well,

that was fine back then. But now you got all this technology. You throw a guy out that wins a race. Look how many times is a winner got thrown out? What, two, maybe three times since that? Plus the gambling now that's in play,

it's so hard to do, right? There's way more things. Yeah. But for the teams, to sit there and go over the edge like that, they don't push that envelope like that because they don't want to have to sit there

and pick up the phone and go, yeah, I know you just saw us in Victory Lane, but unfortunately, we got caught with something that wasn't legal and we had the wind taken away. So that shifted the needle, and I talked to O'Donnell on the phone. I'm like, if you just do that,

and that happens once or twice, you'll solve your problem. Yeah, you have to make an example out of somebody. And you listen to the man tell you on the phone, I know, I know. What the hell are you waiting on then? Quit jacking around. do the right things and move the needle.

He probably didn't have the power. Right. Yeah. So. Well, I hope someday you guys have a fist fight and you get it over with it. I do too. Because I think, I think the two of you, to be honest with you, could get together and make a difference. It's funny you say that.

I've never told anybody this. Last year of Christmas morning, which my wife, if my wife was here right now, she'd take my phone away from me. She knew I was so mad. Steve O'Donnell sent me a text message on Christmas. morning last year. We haven't spoke for a long time. And it wasn't, hey, just want to say sorry about the past, but hey, if we can put this behind us, maybe we can work together. He goes, oh, you know, Merry Christmas, this and that. You know, oh, you know, we're trying to get the needle moving the right direction. You think we could get together. I'm like, you can't even say sorry yet.

And you want my help now? Well, he was trying there. Piss off. I'm still, I'm not going to ever help him. I'm still pissed at you for 30-something years ago. I know, I know. And you got a right to be. he's here the man himself dude I always get on as a surprise guest what do you what do you expect

I didn't recognize you had sleeves oh shit my my seat jacket y'all want to know something funny oh hell here we go

Cletus McFarland has joined us and left us and left us I don't want to be under dress does he know does he know about

Epic Chop Houses do rule he's getting his sports coat on dude did you see that so So Cleetus sends me this photo of the door at Epic Chopchop House's really great steakhouse in Moors and North Carolina. And at the bottom of the door, it says no one allowed in without sleeves. And I swear, I believe they put that on there last week. You can tell it's new.

It's new vinyl. It's new vinyl. You think that's a dig or a little bit of, did you go in and eat? I mean, I think that's from you causing a right. trial on the internet. No. You did call Cleet us out. I would never.

Listen. Look at it. Appropriate dress required. See, you know, have sleeves. Yeah, it does look different.

It is different. It was added. It was added later. Yeah, they must have put that on. Can you contact? Did you go in there? Did you go in and eat?

Or did you stay out? I haven't gone back since you put me on a blast. I thought you took that picture yourself. Oh, is that? Zach went there and he's like, dude, did they add this because you? I'm like, probably, because Dale's tearing me up. Oh, man. He does that, man.

You're not the only one. Trust me. He does it always. Yeah. Restaurants are kicking me out left and right. Changing rules. I mean. Yeah.

So yesterday we had a big announcement of the cars tour. Everybody saw we went to visit you a couple, about a month or two ago. Yeah. down in Florida in Bradenton. Got to see your whole operation. Really, really cool. Got to meet a lot of your folks. And just a great time.

Great piece of property. You got a lot of great things going on. Yes. Cars tour kickoff at the fruit factory. Oh, kickoff. And did you see all the hype that it got? Did it get a lot of hype? I mean, just the Cars Tour page post has a thousand shares.

I love that. I mean, it was popping off. I got more text. from friends that, you know, don't normally come to the track yesterday, then I've gotten in a long time. They're all like, we're coming. This looks awesome.

Yeah, it's going to be something, ma'am. We're going to start the season, uh, 2027 cars tour season, um, with Cletus down at the, the Freedom factory.

And, I think it's great timing too, you know, early February, the weather's going to be awesome. Yep. February 6th is the date. Now there's a, we have in the cars tour for a lot of folks that,

Maybe you aren't familiar. We have the pro late model and the late model stock. Cleetus, you're going to be racing in the pro late model race. I know. And are you going to be in pros, too? I will not be in pros. I'm going to race in the,

what? I'm going to race in the late model stock. What happened? What happened to straight rail dale? Oh, man. I mean, I'm going to see, that makes me want to get a late model stock. Oh my gosh.

All right. Like rent one, you know. Maybe I can rent one because I kind of want to burn you up. Well, you know, guys. We know a guy that probably has some available right now. Well, I can change my mind and I could run the pro. But Harvick's going to be there. Harvick's probably going to race into pro as well.

Who's another name that we should go after to get for this that's not already committed? Denny. That'd be great. Can you work on that? Denny in a late model stock or pro? I can tell you that I talked to Carson last night. I know you talked to Hosevar. Carson would do it.

He said he's in as long as we can have. like a four-car Crown Vic shootout, me, Dale, Kevin Carson. And I mean, as long as you two... He just wants to spin me out. He did say that. That's weird how that works, isn't it? Why don't I just go on the racetrack and let Carson just spin me out and we can get that part over with?

Come on, man. We'll get you to cheat it up, Crown Dick or something. Or I was thinking, have you seen that King of the Hill thing that people are doing with the trailer, first one on the trailer? Yes. Yeah. We could do that. I don't want no part of that.

I'll watch. Who was trying to, was it? I saw a video doing that already trying to get it. And it was one of the most fun things I've done. I would love to watch. We could do that. I'll drive the truck. You drive the car up on it.

It'd be fun. Or you drive the truck and I'll roll over. Dale, you're not accepting terms to a four car shootout yet. Not yet. Not yet. I want to negotiate further. So fans, if Carson Host Farr doesn't race, it's Dale's fault. attack him this week.

I need to get you a caprice or something. Is that a caprice faster? Because then that might matter. I could get you something that's just slightly faster than I want to be able to get away from Carson. I mean, I was surprised at how aggressive he was in my text messages about sending him out.

You've seen him drive, right? He's freaking aggressive all day long. He owns the tank. He bought a tank. I mean, who buys a tank? Did you watch the beginning of the race? I mean, obviously you watched the beginning of the race on Sunday. I mean, I'm always making moves out there.

He does not wait. What does he get? Yeah. Obviously. If he goes on track with you, me, and Kevin, I mean, who knows? I'm a little concerned. Someone's getting spun out. But I'm really fired up about it.

I can't thank you guys enough. You know, when we bought the Freedom Factory, I had no intentions of really like chasing late model races or anything like that but now to have like your guys race of all kicking off there and people so excited about it man i just am so thankful to do it with you guys yeah i was very um very thankful to be to get out there and and and see the track and talk to you guys and uh we had a lot of fun uh that day i thought that was cool that you guys do like site visits and like well yeah we just check it out that was cool so that's leading up that's the week before the clash or what the yes that is the

week before the clash. So you'll have, yeah, if you're in Florida, you can, you can come to Brayton watch the cars tour, enjoy a great weekend. Get ready for some Daytona. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry, I want to interrupt. No, go ahead. Well, I'm saying, then it's speed weeks, right? That's right. Yep. We have, we kind of become part of it off. Yeah, you're kicking off. Yeah, you're kind of become part of speed weeks now. Yeah, so we're like a week before it because I think it starts, like the speed week starts that next week. I think we can consider ourselves kind of the kickoff of speed weeks. Yeah, yeah. It's getting it now.

We're just kicking this thing off. Yeah. It's going to be sick. It's going to be a lot of fun. Yeah, we'll have to strategize more on the getting cars in there, but we'll figure it out. All right, buddy. What's the big project you're working on right now? I'm working.

Hold on. Yeah, I was going to say, what did you just look at over there? I literally have been turning your inches because that's how behind we are. When I start turning wrenches, and that makes things risky for us. But we're working on this, my El Camino. Yep. Oh, wow. Good.

That looks a lot different than the last El Camino I saw sitting right there. Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah. We got a crappy one, and then we got this one. So it's going to make, you know, maybe 4,000 horsepower. Oh, see the S-10? Yeah. You still doing the S-10, Ruby.

And then the Corvette. Yep. Yeah, we got Leroy over there. Did you do the giveaway yet for the Orange Vet? Yeah, it's over. but the firm we use doesn't pick someone for another couple weeks. Nice. Okay.

Yes, sir. No, he's got a lot going on. We try to, man. Yeah. Well, I'm fired up. Thank you guys again. Yeah, buddy. Appreciate you.

Thanks for coming on. And we can't wait to see you next February. That old blue Richard Childers calls me. And he said, hey, I want you to coach this team that we want to do here in North Carolina. And so first off, can you explain to me what the team part of this is? Because I know this is relatively still new. It's new. Yeah.

So what happened is it's been about five years now. And, you know, we got the, so let's set it. So the PRCA was the rodeo and everybody going to Calgary, Cheyenne. Then a group of guys started the PBR. It was 20 of us. Now it's just bull riding, PBR. It's been going on for 20-some years now. I go with 30-some.

Well, the CEO, Sean Gleason, comes up with this idea. He said, why don't we have PBR teams? Five on head-to-head matchups. Teams of five. And we'll sell these franchises, sell these teams, and we'll, we can make a sport out of it. Well, he called me first about, Coach, Sean called me with the idea.

This is how the very beginning got started. And I love the concept. I thought it was a great idea. He said, I got a group in Austin, Texas, wanting to put a team together. I want you to coach it. I said, all right, I'm in. Well, then he calls me back.

He said, hey, the UFC guys wanting Dana White. Dana White. Yeah. Want to do a team maybe in Florida. He said, I want you to do that team. I said, I love it. I think that's a great idea. I'll do it.

I said, but I can't believe that there ain't somebody in North Carolina with all these race teams and all these people up here that wouldn't want a team in North Carolina. Well, I didn't know at the time, but Johnny Morris and Richard had been talking about putting a team together in Missouri. Well, the next thing I know, that's when Richard called me. And Johnny done his own team. and Richard called me about doing the team. I said,

I would a whole lot rather be here than Florida. Well, just because, you know, it's my backyard. Yes, where you live. And me and Richard talked about it, and Richard had sponsored my boor riding. He was one of the guys at the beginning that helped me. I knew him and Tom Tigg. Tom Tick was a buddy of mine.

And so, yeah, we just kind of kicked it off. And men, Richard was buddies. We're a lot better buddies now, you know, because of the team. and then Austin Dillon got involved, and now me and Austin's almost best buddies. I mean, I talk to him daily. And, you know, it's a good group of people to be involved with,

and our team's been pretty successful. And it's been good. Forgive me for my ignorance, but a lot of people, too, I think we'll probably be thinking about this when they're listening. So the PBR are still active. The PBR are still going. guys sing guys were going in there on their own as single guys riding their own events but they're also team events

is a companion to the traditional to pvr yeah so there's a there's there's so half the year is is individual individual the other half of the year's teams was that a hard shift for riders it is yeah it was it was a big deal and it was a tough one for them to understand wrap the brain around yeah do they all seem to get get the idea now they do the money's so much better why

well so let's let's go back to the pbr that a bull rider there's when you get hurt you're done you don't make money there ain't a backup and and the only way you make money is if you ride and you win like you got to show up you got to win that race you don't win that race you don't go to the next one you know what I mean you got to you got to win

well now with the teams it's a little different so let's say if austin dillon and he's our GM and he sees a guy and he says, man, we need that guy. And you got this other GM over here and other team. Well, now they're getting contracts, guaranteed money. Yeah. And now it looks a little different. You know, now I can go buy a place and know I got the money to take care of them payments.

You know, we never had guaranteed contracts before. Yeah. And now the best guys in the world, they're getting pretty good money. Yeah. You know, and it's good to see. Hey, this is Delaherr, Jr., and for all the latest Dale Jr. download gear, including the Imo drink some beer t-shirt we've been talking about here around the office, head over to shop.dirtymomedia.com for all the latest merch.

Let's go through these chase standings. Are there anybody who's now you would consider out of the chase? I mean, I think if you're over 100, you're out. and not only not only a hundred but I just feel as though you now it's like being four shots back in 20th you now it's not just one guy you got to gain 100 on it's lots of people you've got to gain a lot of points on and so I feel like the cutoff is that Gibbs and six in my opinion you think think you think because redick like unless the light switch goes off and then he goes and wins he's got and even two wins with the way the rest of the top three or four running it's large not a perfect day

beat me by 25 points you know what i mean so it's like it's going to be really really tough being over a hundred back that's why i think the line is at gibbs yeah this was there was two outcomes that was awful for the field for the chase and it was either you with the perfect day or Larson and it happened. Yeah. Yeah, I would argue that I think the cutoff is fourth at this point and maybe even third. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I think that I think Blaney has a little higher ceiling just because like I don't think

he's going to have the struggles on the mile and a half that the 22 has. You know what I mean? So I think what you're thinking, if. Tell me if I'm wrong is that you think the 22 is going to bleed more in the next two weeks. No, I just, I just, you just think that's, I don't think I can count on the five car having two blowup weeks. What? The five car, real? He's got like a 15 average finish this year.

And it ain't because he's, that's where he's been running. But what about the last five? It feels like two different seasons. It does feel like it's a, we're dealing with a different Larson right now. I will, like, I don't see him having two bad races. And bad meaning, like, you miss stage points completely in at least one stage and then finish like outside of top 20. Okay.

But you seem to think that's fairly realistic. I just think the law of averages. That's, I'm just, we sat here on this podcast, seven races in. I don't want to believe in the law of average. And what do we say seven races end of the season? no one's ever catching Redding. No, you guys said that. No, y'all said it.

And what did I say to you? I says, well, not if the guy's going to have a 4.0 average finish. No, and no one will catch them. And we had this discussion on the plane, Jared, right? And I says, yeah, if Kyle Larson is going to continue to have a two point something average finish, you're right. It's over. But it's not going to happen.

It's not going to be that way. So I just think you guys need to take a breath and relax. I get it. He's very strong. The difference though is, is he, there's only six races left. You were talking about freaking 15, 16. What are the races left? Vegas, Charlotte, Phoenix, Martinsville, Homestead, Talladega.

I mean, I, I, I, I, we're going to have a bad week somewhere in there. I hope not. Well, I mean, it's, Travis, it's just racing, you don't always finish where your speed is at. Like, all it takes in racing, right, is that myself, Kyle Larson has a bad pit stop. We're right in the middle of where Carson Hosevar is on a restart. And we get in the wreck. It's what happened to Tyler Reddick at Michigan. he was up front, bad pit stop, boom, got it in the middle of a restart rack.

That's just, that is what racing is. That's why it's, that's why a two average finish, a four average finish, that's just not sustainable over time because there are so many variables in racing. So, you know, listen, if you go just off of what has happened in the first three races, the five car is the best. Now, hold on, four rate. If you would have said three races, actually Joe Lugano has been the best.

Yeah. But now that we've got four races, now we're saying, nope, the five is now the best. You think that nothing changes in the next, by race five, race six, you think it's just,

all of a sudden the narrative never changes? I don't think so. I don't think so. I mean, I think the narrative could change. I'm not counting out the 11. I'm not counting out the 20. But if I'm the 12 car, the 54 car and I'm 91 back, I need Larson to have a real bad race. And then even if we finish top five, top five, top five, score 45 points, I'm still 45 points back. And that's not counting if I'm the 12 and the 54th. I have a bad day. Like I need to. So you're 45 back. That means

then if you're the 12 car, you need to go win Homestead. Now you're right back in it. Yeah, just odds would not point in the favor of, I'm going to outpoint five per by 45. Blaney's best tracks. It's also everyone's best track. Yeah, but Larson, if you're, if you're like, can't be everyone's best track. Well, it's a good track for the 11 car. It's a good track for the five car. If you're 20, it's a good track for the 20 car.

If you're 20 back going into Homestead against Larson, you have to win. That's not a spot you want to be in. Now, there's still so many variables in racing. It's the spot you've had to be in to win the championship year after year, after year, after year. Yeah, I think the reporters are getting carried away that if Larson is five back going into Homestead, it's over. I mean, there's still variables in racing. I don't think anybody said, has anyone said five back? Jordan Bianchi is saying that if Larson's 50 back going to Homestead, it's over.

50 is not what he said, but 20. I'm pretty sure it was the number. Not sure. That's what I love about sports talk, right? I mean, we just sit here and argued amongst ourselves about your opinion is X, Travis's Y, and Mime Z. And we all can debate it and have valid reasons for the way that we think. But the truth is none of us know.

And none of us know until we play the game. All right, that was another episode of the Dirty30, presented by Arby's new meat in three box. Get more meal for your money at Arby's. We have the meat.