The Dale Jr. Download - Xfinity Championship 4 Drivers: The Favorite, The Champ, The Outlier & The Outsider

Episode Date: October 29, 2025

Dale Earnhardt Jr. welcomes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship competitors for a driver tell-all before the big race this weekend. He is joined by Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil and Jesse Love to discuss their seasons and path for surviving elimination at Martinsville. Plus, Dale breaks some news on the show.Dale starts by getting to know Love, who is the lone driver competing from outside the JR Motorsports garage. Coming from the prosperous open wheel scene in California, Jesse made motorsports headlines when he became the youngest ARCA Champion in history in 2023. Kvapil comes to the table as a rookie in the series, making the final four in his first full-time attempt. He and Dale have an extensive track history together, as Carson competed in the JRM late model stock program and captured the 2022 and 2023 CARS Tour crowns.  It’s been a banner year for Zilisch, as he’s captured ten victories and has shown dominance on virtually every type of track on the schedule. As he plans to depart for a full-time Cup slate with Trackhouse in 2026, he explains that no matter what happens in Phoenix, this year has been a smashing success. The group of four is anchored by the elder statesman, longtime veteran, and reigning Xfinity Series champion Allgaier. After having gone through this exact process just a year ago, he explains that this year he is much calmer and advises his younger competitors to enjoy every moment and not take anything for granted. And for more content check out our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMediaReal fans wear Dirty Mo. Hit the link and join the crew.👇https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/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.

Y'all are going to experience things you've never experienced before. Like what? The coolest moment is when you do driver introductions, you walk out on the stage, and there's four of you standing out there, right? And there's smoke and there's pyro and fans are cheering. And you're like, I get to do this as a job. It's really easy to get caught up and be nervous and all the stuff. Or think that enjoying it is bad.

I did the headphones one year, music on, and like just blocked everybody out. I'm like, I'm too cool for this. Terrible idea. Terrible idea. Terrible idea. That's going to be Jesse. We're all different, man. That's true.

Enjoy it. The following is a production of Dirtymoe Media. This episode of the Dale Jr. download is proudly brought to you by Xfinity. Here with us today are the four championship contending drivers of the Xfinity series. Xfinity, they've been a great title sponsor for the last 11 years, and we're thankful for all they have done for the series, for its drivers and for its fans. Let's hear from Jessica Muir,

senior director of brand partnerships and engagements at Comcast. Thanks, Dale. It's great to see you, and I'm excited to bring these four great drivers to chat with you today. As we head in a championship weekend, we'll also be closing out an incredible chapter as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Xfinity series.

So thanks for taking a moment to celebrate everything this series and its community has accomplished over the past 11 years. For Xfinity, this partnership has always been about progress and imagining what's possible. Modernizing the sport, supporting the next generation of champions, and helping fans feel even more connected to the racing experience. Now let's get into it with these guys. All right, so on the Dale Jr. download here, we got a lot of guests at the table. Carson Cople, Connerzill, it's Jesse Love, Justin Algar, all the four drivers that are going for the championship this weekend in Phoenix. Thank you to Xfinity for bringing all you guys here.

It's pretty cool. I don't get to do this too often. And so, yeah, I kind of want to, at the end of the show, I want people who are listening to this go, I like that guy. I'm going to pull for that guy, right? So that's kind of the objective today. Everybody's came from kind of a different path, you know, to get to where you're going. Justin, you're the veteran, been around here for a while, defending champion.

And the rest of you guys are trying to win your first championship in the Xfinity series. So, but first off, Jesse, you're the only guy who's not on junior motorsports race team. I want to welcome you here, man. You ought to feel kind of at home. There are some RCR pieces hanging on the wall around here, so there's a little bit of energy from your neck of the woods in this room. But thanks for coming out. Yeah, absolutely.

I've been a fan of the show for a long time. Remember my first episode I ever listened to was, I think, Daryl Waltrip on the show. And I, like, fell in love with it, listening to talk about how they cheated things up for ingenuity back. then things like that. So check this shit out. So I can't even lift it. It's too heavy. So this is a old,

so this was glued on top of here, but it broke off. But this is what the radios used to look like. That's how big the radios were back in the day. And this is from 1978. Darrell Walchup's team used this. And this would, they would put this in the car to go through tech.

And it looks just like a f***o radio, don't it? Yeah. Like knobs and everything. I can't imagine the crew guy they were trying to pull that out and make it look non-specific. like pulling that thing out of the... I know. They gave me that.

One of the guys that was creepy. So I'm the same way. I love the ingenuity. We don't really have that much of it today where our guys can find some advantage. I feel like y'all have some. Well, yeah. So do you.

So do you. Yeah. We just had to talk about Rocky Ham. At the race truck this weekend, we talked about Rocky Ham. There's not a race... I am upset with a race team if they actually bring

a legal race car racetrack because they're doing it wrong. All of the cars got a little bend to the to the rule every you know in in in some areas but yeah there's not as much creativity I guess is what we used to have back in the day. It's pretty fun listening to some of the stories but I guess we'll start with you Jesse you've raced for championships before. You're you are you are a champion in the Arc Series but I don't really know a whole lot about you prior to that so like what was your route through, where did you find racing? How did you get introduced to racing? Yeah, so I grew up in California. My dad grew up running quarter midgets with Jeff Gordon and his stepdad John Beckford

and guys like that. So it's kind of always, I guess, in the background, but my dad went to law school. Jeff went to Indiana, started racing sprint cars and stuff. So yeah, I started racing quarter midgets when I was five years old and then to 10 years old, I started getting into midgets and sprint cars and things like that. And yeah, I was basically kind of an open wheel guy on California at the time. It was still both dirt and pavement. So I raced midgets and sprint cars for five years, six years, and then started getting into late models and like pro late models and things like that. I almost came in rain for you. I remember when I was probably 14 or something like that. I remember that part of my life where I was starting to talk about moving out to the East Coast. But yeah, based on the whole life I've always done

midgets, sprint cars, dirt and pavement, and then the late model stuff on the background. And then when I was 15, I got the opportunity with Napa and Bill McAnally to go run ARCA. Yes.

And so you've kind of had success at every level. What, you know, how do you feel about your Xfinity career thus far? And having this opportunity to race for a championship's incredible. Having some degree of understanding

of what battling for a championship is all about is important. I think that you carry an advantage having been through, even though it's a unique system, a completely different system that you raced in in the past and won championships in the past, still just kind of knowing the mentality and the headspace you got to be in. Talk about how your, you know, your extended career has kind of prepped you for this moment. Yeah, like you said, it's definitely something that you get used to, right, the pressure of the situation, even if it's not the pressure cooker format of the playoffs, right,

but still racing for championships. Most of my life, I have the, I have the, I, I guess the knack for it now. So there's some confidence in that. But, yeah, Xfinity, it's been tough, right? We obviously, to get some wins was important. Obviously, we got that. So that's, you know, checklist number one. But after that, it's just, it's been hard to win on a consistent basis for sure.

We've gotten our stuff, you know, good to where we can run up front. And I've gotten better to where I can almost always race for the win on any weekend. Fortunately, I feel like two guys here have one of those older races. So it scoops up a lot of, I guess, what's available. And we've kind of been right there. So, yeah, I feel like there's been good, there's been bad. But I think what I'm happiest with is I've definitely progressed as a driver. Obviously, me and Connor both, but we're in Carson too.

And I think Justin was with Josh and Scott-wise a little bit. But we learned so much. and even when we kind of go through dry spells or hard situations, we're all learning so much being part of that wise optimization program. So I've just developed a lot as a person and obviously a race car driver over the last two years. And that's what I've found the most enjoyment in. Working with RCR, you know, we compete. We race hard against each other.

But there's a massive amount of respect, I think, between Junior Motorsports and RCR, but obviously Kelly, myself, Richard, the family connection that we have, having with dad's success there and all that. That'll be there no matter what happens on the racetrack and what happens between us year to year on the Xfinity series. So I understand what RCR is all about. What's your experience been, kind of getting to know the history? Have you been through the museum? You know, have you really allowed yourself to sort of enjoy what RCR's about? they're a unique sort of outlier up there and welcome they have their own sort of they they have their

own sort of attitude their approach to racing it's a lot more old school and they they they'll take it to anybody they kind of have this sort of unique attitude about it and and they've shown that over the last couple years especially but what's been your experience racing with richard and those guys yeah it's definitely a good point right you want to know what you're racing for right obviously at least how I feel as a driver, right? I'm racing for my guys. I probably God and my family first and then my guy's second, right? So what am I racing for at RCR, right? I wanted to figure that out pretty quick. And whether it be going through the museum or just getting closer to the people, Richard himself, me and my crew chief, Danny Stockman,

are really tight. And the whole team as well. We're all pretty young on our team. I don't think we've got anybody over 48 on our team. so all me and my guys, the road guys, get along really well. And I know what I'm racing for. I know who I'm racing for. So, yeah, it's been a definitely unique experience, right, coming from sprint cars and midgets in California in the Midwest and things like that to racing for RCR was a big culture shock and something that I really, you know, fell in love with.

So I've had a lot of fun, even just the drives, you know, to welcome. I know sometimes I might bitch about it to Connor. right it is a pain to drive that hour but again you know what you're what you're racing for and you're back in that history of where our CR has been almost their whole you know livelihood so I really I really loved it really enjoy it and I get along with everybody there really well hands up me and Austin Hill or you know two completely different people right but we obviously I think we motivate each other in different ways so it's been a good

relationship there now that we have that squared up and I've really enjoyed my time. You and Connor are great friends. Connor how did how do y'all become buddies? Yeah it started it's funny actually um in 2021 I think I wasn't really into the NASCAR scene yet and Toyota he was with Toyota at the time and they had a carding program and Toyota would pay me a hundred bucks a day to go out there and coach all their development drivers in the go-karts and at this point I was trying to get my name on the map I was trying to you know get some sort of notoriety or get picked up or you know get some sort of help so I was doing it and I met you know all the Toyota development drivers at the time who were there Jesse was one of them and and I met Jesse doing that and you know he could probably tell you a little better but he thought who the hell is this kid trying

to tell me what to do you know and and that's all I really did I was a go-kart racer and and I was a road racer and I didn't know any of the kids that I was helping, but, you know, I was just trying to help them. And, you know, now that I look back on it, it's kind of funny because all those drivers that I was helping now I'm racing against. So, yeah, I met Jesse through that and we clicked pretty quickly. And yeah, we've been friends ever since. And, you know, it's kind of funny having a friend that you race against every week. I'm sure you've been through it. And it's just, it's, you know, it's hard to go through a 33, 35, 38 week schedule and not have people that you can travel with and say, you know, I'm friends with that guy, I can hang out with him. You know, you can become miserable pretty quickly. So I've found it important to find people that I enjoy hanging out with on the road.

And, you know, Jesse's been someone that I've been able to be friends with for the last few years. and, you know, our relationships unique because of the situation, but I feel like we both help each other more than we hurt each other. Yeah. Sometimes, I mean, I've had friends in the business and raced against them, but it doesn't happen every year, but there'll be times when things on the racetrack can get a little confusing. You expect a little bit more out of that, you know, out of that guy.

But I, you know, do you think you've been able to kind of understand the C, that you've had this year. I mean, I think about myself at your age, I wasn't able to really understand exactly what I was doing and what I was going through until it was in the review quite a ways, right? But, you know, so you're having a really historical season, statistically. And I know that there's still one more goal right out there in front of you that you want to accomplish and win the championship.

And maybe you don't allow yourself to think, about the season until it's done. But, you know, it's been a hell of a run. Yeah, it's pretty crazy, honestly. Every Monday after the weekend, I'll kind of just sit there in bed. And when I wake up, I'll kind of, before I go to my pre-race meeting, I'll just kind of reflect. I wake up a little early and I'll just sit there and think about the weekend.

And, you know, obviously a lot of the weekends this year, it's been reflecting on a weekend that we won. So it's pretty crazy. I think I could tell you that I understand what's going on, but in reality, I don't think, you know, it's really hit me yet. So it's just so hard. You know, you race every week. You don't have a lot of time to look back.

You're, you know, you finish the race, and you're already looking forward to the next week. And there's good and bad to that because you can burn yourself out really quickly. And you can also just not make it fun for yourself. So I've tried my best to be. be reflective to enjoy the good moments, to celebrate the good moments with friends and family. And I feel like that's helped me kind of enjoy the season that I've had and not get too focused on, okay, I won this race. Now I got to go win next week. Because in reality, that's, you know,

that's not the nature of the sport. You know, when 38 guys show up to the track and only one can walk out a winner, not everyone's going to be happy and you're not going to be happy every week. So it's certainly been a challenge, you know, as tough as that is to say, a challenge, you know, winning 10 races this year. But kind of grasping it has certainly been something that I've had to learn. Your season started out, you know, good, but, you know, by no means I don't think anybody, you know, you weren't running the way you ran over the last handful of races. Season kind of was, it was more, you know, you'd go to, we watched you go to Texas and other races early in the season. and we're like, all right, you know, there's the, you can see the glimpses, you can see the potential, and Marty, you know, we talk with Marty a little bit, and he talked about some things that you

were going to have to get better at, and you got hurt at Daga, you come back from that, and everything was completely different. Like you were a completely different driver. Did you, it was like a giant leap forward, and your ability to close races, your ability to be fast, your ability to have a good car at the end of a tire run, all those things. And I know a lot of it is great race cars and a lot of it is just good fortune. Some things went the right way and fell the right way. But the wins are impressive, but I thought the top fives and breaking Sam Marge record

was probably the more impressive thing for me, just a sustainability of your performance throughout the season. going through the injuries how did they not derail the year how did you how did you kind of keep your head in the game and not allow those are two serious things that could have been great excuses to go well you know this ain't the year or you could have took more time away or whatever right yeah yeah it was uh it was certainly you know as good as the year has been there have been down moments. And when I sat out at Texas, we had two off weeks and then we had Texas. And the doctors, when I hurt my back, told me to sit out at Texas. And, you know, I remember

Kyle Arson got in my car and basically went out and kicked everybody's ass. And, you know, when you watch the car with your name on it and you're not driving it and it's out there, you know, as, you know, the fastest car on the track, wins the race. It's frustrating. And it certainly lit a fire under my butt to go out and go do that. And also having three weeks off to kind of just reset. I feel like I was so amped up at the beginning of the year, just excited. And I went out and I was fast, but then I'd do something stupid and ruin my race. And I eventually got to the point where I was like, I'm tired of doing this.

Like I'm not going to go out there and, you know, per se, give 100% every week and, you know, be fast, be fast, have a chance to win. and then do something that's going to ruin the race. So I kind of went back after that. I went to Charlotte, and I was just like, all, I'm going to give it my all, but I'm not going to do too much, and I'm not going to put myself in a bad spot, and we ran second. And then I went back to Nashville the next week and did the same thing. And I kind of thought to myself, I was like, man, I don't need to give 100% every single week

to be fast and to be good. My cars are good enough. I can just go out, execute, do my job, and finish where I'm supposed to. to. And, you know, when I finish where I'm supposed to, it's usually a pretty good finish with the cars that we've had this year. So, yeah, I certainly had a mentality shift. And also, you know, when two guys fill in, when you're hurt and both times they fill in, they win, it tells you something. I mean, it's, it's been a really good year for us. But, you know, my team is a big part of that. So, you know, I'm glad that I was able to get paired up with Marty. And I've learned

a lot from him and his background. He's been racing since he was a little kid and, you know, with his dad. And it's been, it's been really cool to be able to just be a part of it and learn from all the guys on my team. Carson, been a lot of fun working with you over the last several years in the cars tour and seeing you develop as a driver and as a person. It's been awesome to get to know your dad better after racing with him for so many years. We really didn't have much of a relationship when we competed against each other in the cup series. But, You know, it's just been a lot of fun working with your family, working with Caden in the late model stocks next year, and he just comes off a win at Wilkesboro. So a lot of great energy around all of that.

You've got an opportunity this year to race full-time, and you've made the most of it. You know, it's been a tough year. You've had some ups and downs. You had to work really hard to get through in Martinsville. You know, kind of explain, I guess, where your head's at going into the Phoenix. race. Do you feel like, you know, you have a little bit of an underdog mentality against these three guys comparable to the seasons they've had? Yeah, definitely. I mean, I feel like we've brought good race cars, right, and we've had really good runs, some highlights, I guess you could say, right?

But we haven't had the consistent out the door start of practice speed week to week out, and I feel like that's something that I probably need to figure out. But sometimes we've just been a little bit off, right? And it's tough when you're racing against these three guys. And obviously, the other 35, it's just, it's a different level, right? And the car sewer stuff that we've been doing was super tough. But working with Brian and working with all the late model guys over there, they'd been doing it for 10 years straight. And that was their weekly thing was just go to go to Hickory, go to Southern National. And you can look back at eight years of notes to go from, right but the Xfinity series is just tough and and everyone has great race cars obviously all my

teammates do and Jesse and all the other cars but just a little bit different than what I'm used to and just seems like it's taken me a minute to kind of figure it out I guess you could say and be a consistent frontrunner like I said we have highlights throughout the year we finish second a few times and we've had some top fives but it's not been as consistent as we need to be and honestly to be in the spot is I definitely do feel like an underdog. I mean, I feel like we haven't won a race this year. We've just been really consistent and knocked out some really good runs. And I think we only have one DNF from a blown engine. So it's not been like we run 10th every week in rec. We just run 10th or we have that highlight race

where we run second and really, we were really able to stack the points. Yeah, I agree. You know, it's it's kind of been interesting to see y'all progress throughout the year and find yourself with an opportunity going into Martinsville to get it done. You were in a really good spot points-wise and looked like things were going to be going pretty good, got spun out and had to get desperate at the end of the race. You talked about that being one of the more nerve-wracking races you've ever ran in your life.

Hard to believe that because I've seen you run so many races over the last several years. But, you know, how did you feel when you got across the finish line and you knew what the situation was? I was pretty pumped. I was very relieved. Going back to the nerve-wracking thing, I feel like for me, honestly, probably one of the most nervous points of the playoffs that I was

was Talladega, which it's kind of funny. We were in the – I think it was into stage one, and we were like plus three from minus 22, and three of the other playoff guys wrecked out already. And then you're in that spot, and you're like, ah, man, I got two more stages of Talladega, and I just can't wreck. Like, I just got to make it through, right? So that was pretty nerve-wracking, just in that sense, knowing that you're in a really good spot at the end of stage one. and you still have to, I guess, carry it all the way to the end of the race.

But Martinsville, it was tough. I mean, I thought we had a good car. We had really good long run speed and practice. And I was worried about our qualifying and we qualified second. So I thought we were going to be like really, really good. And we fired off at the race and we were just a little off, right? And we fell back and we didn't get any stage points to stage one, which really kind of was a letdown.

I mean, we were hoping to bank some stage points to stage one to maybe get some stage two points, but also try to flip it. to go for the win. Once we didn't get no stage points to stage one, it kind of turned almost into desperation to where we had to do something. And we were able to win stage two, which was huge for our point situation. I think we were, we ended the race plus four. But to put ourselves in a spot, we needed stage points and then a decent finish at the end. And once we were able to get those 10 stage points, and we were in like 9th, I think of 10th maybe, whenever we got turned around. And I think we were in a really good spot because we were ahead of you.

I think we were in third. So we really weren't worried because if somebody won, it wouldn't have knocked us out. But once we got turned around there, it kind of took that third kind of hopefulness out of it. And we were just scrapping for us to get into fourth and hoping that Sammy or Brandon or Sheldon weren't going to win the race to knock us out. So there's definitely been a lot of good fortune, I guess you can say, go our way. We've had just a good, consistent, clean. It's a playoff run, but there's definitely been a lot of stuff going our way to get it to this point.

We're allowed to look forward a little bit. I know we want to say Uber focused on Phoenix next weekend. But one of the things that we've announced that you two are going to share a car next year, and boy, that pissed off a lot of people because they didn't understand why you weren't going to be full-time. What are the odds are you being full-time next year? What is the percentage? I mean, we're going to make it happen either. One way or the other, right?

Would you say it's 100? I mean, yeah, probably. Everybody can calm down? Yeah, everyone can calm down. Yeah, we're going to make it happen. Obviously, when that all happened, it wasn't the answer that we wanted, right? And I'm sure you and me are on the same page on this, but it just couldn't happen. So since then, we've obviously had a really good playoff run, and we're in the final four contending for a championship now.

And I guess it's kind of picked up some attention. And we've been able to. Yeah, moving in a good direction. We've been able to. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Moving in a good direction as in 100%. Yes, yes. Supplemental machine.

We got to break some news here today. Yeah, you got the point across. It can't be a podcast without some breaking news. Justin, you've been, you've been, I tell, I mean, I don't mind saying this in front of these guys, man. You've been the perfect representative for our race team for years. And I know these guys see you at the racetrack. They see what you do on the track, off the track. You're just a great example of what an owner would want and a driver,

and you're perfect with our partners and cultivate relationships and a lot of our partners that are here today are still here with us because of their experiences working with you and the success we've had on the racetrack. You have had this really long career questing after this championship, like this championship that you won last year was the final sort of, you know, thing that you really had to do or accomplish before you close the book on an incredible career. We kind of think you know where the end of the runway is, but I think at the same time, very similar to Denny. I mean, at this stage in your career, you're just as good as you've

always been, in my opinion. You know, you're losing Jim. Next year is your crew chief, which is great but sad, good for Jim. It's great for him. Great for him. Yeah. But, So I know that there's a little extra motivation, I suppose, to make sure you go there and try to win the championship, considering this will be your last race with him. Yeah, I mean, you know, when we brought Jim on, obviously it was kind of a weird scenario, right? So, you know, I left Phoenix, came here on Monday morning, and LW called me up to the office, and I walked into a room full of names on a wall. And they're like, hey, by the way, your crew chief and your entire team are gone for next year. And we got to start over. and so I looked at the name was on the board and it's you know at the time we were kind of looking

for somebody for Josh Barry I believe it where it was kind of going and and that ended up changing him and and so I'm looking at the board and I knew a lot of the names because I had already seen you know guys be around and and it was one name that stuck out of my mind and that was Jim Pullman and he wasn't on that board and and I think it's funny you know looking back on it we talked about culture up at RCR you know Jim was there he had he had gone up at there for a year and we made the phone call to to welcome and said hey you know this is a guy that we'd love to talk to and love to interview and you know they they're like man i hope his answer is no but if that's you know that's obviously moving him up and in you know his position so if he

wants to come talk to you we'll let him come talk to you and he came here actually that night i mean literally got off work and came over here we talked to him and uh the next morning i called him and he's like I'm in and so I'm like oh I don't really want to have that phone conversation with with at the time it was antipitry and anyways we got all of that sorted and so then you know we finished second that first year in the points uh we won the championship last year there's a lot of pressure and a lot of want to go out i mean i don't know many crew chiefs that can come into the sport and go second first first right so um just even go second first fourth you know anywhere in that top four that's a huge accomplishment as a crew chief right and um

So for him to get the opportunity to go work for Kyle Busch and go back to RCR, LW and I were laughing, and he's like, he's still got time on his contract. We can tell him he's got to stay. And I said, yeah, but you called and ask up there if we could get him out of his contract. And he said, I know. I wanted you to have the same answer I did. So to see him be able to go up there and have that opportunity, look, I wanted Jim Pullman because of, I mean, you're talking about Danny Stockman, right? Danny and Jim were both RC racers, and I've watched guys in the RC world that, like, their attention to detail is so much different than anything else, right? But they're also both students of the sport, right?

I mean, I've known Jim since I was a little bit of kid. I remember going up to LaSalle Speedway, and he was working on Tony Azzo Jr.'s Der Leigh model, and, you know, I remember watching him work as a young guy, right, work on race cars, and to see him move to Charlotte and become a tire. changer and win the last tire changer competition is the fastest tire changer right and then to do all the things that he's done it's it's been pretty cool so it's it's made a huge difference in my career and and to your point i i don't think i really knew what i how much i wanted it last year until after it was done and then um it's odd i feel like i'm more motivated this year than i was last year uh to to go get another one yeah so you know it's it's just it's been fun and and it's been a great ride and and um although l w didn't yet

yell at me the other day. He said, somebody said, you're going to retire if you win a championship on the stage. And I said, no, that's not going to happen. He said, all right, just making sure. So talk about how winning that championship changed the, you know, the quest and the relief. Honestly, the way the race went changed it more than, more than the actual winning it. Right? I mean, just the nightmare of a race that we had. We were out of it. We were out of it. I mean, I'm almost two laps down.

and I remember after the race, though, feeling so bad because I cheered as soon as the caution come out, not knowing that Anthony Alfredo blew right for an tire and like, I mean, should have hurt himself, right? I mean, as hard as he crashed, you know, but you're rolling on a pace laps, you don't know what happened, and there's no car on the track, right? He was still rolling. And then I watched the replay back, and I'm like, oh, man, but just the whole scenario, it actually, it's funny.

So, Jesse and I had had conversations, and I'm open to help. anybody, right? Like, I feel like I help guys here at Junimo Sports if they ask for it, but I'm anybody that's in the garage if they come up and ask. Jesse, and I had a few conversations. So, anyways, long story short, come down to the end of the race and there's a restart with, I don't know how many you go. Overtime.

Was it overtime? Okay. And so we're like, hey, can we have the top? Right? Because at the same, like, at this point, like, I was expecting to get a dive bomb on the inside and I'm like, I don't care if we don't win the race to turn one. I just want the top so we don't get cleaned out. And they were like, no, we're racing for a win. So I'm like, all right, now my goal is. First I heard of it. Huh? First I heard of that. Really? Yeah. We asked for the top

and you guys were like, absolutely not. We're racing for the win. So we take the green and I'm like, now I'm like, all right, like. Something to prove. I got, I got to go, right? I get the best restart I've ever gotten. And we go down and we're like side by side. the 98 even got to the outside of him, I have no idea. But the angle of it from the spotters at Phoenix is always weird. And so I like, I expect just to go all over the wall. So I like hang her right up off the apron. And we, I don't know how we all didn't wreck.

I mean, it was, it was ugly. We got smoke rolling off the cars. The last restart? Yeah. And I was, I had to get down and stare at the ground for the last two laps. I couldn't watch anymore. It was terrible. It was terrible.

And I got, I had no intention of running into it. him. I just wanted a really good restart, and I wanted to make sure that I beat him to turn one. And so then I created an enemy, right? And, uh... You think so? Yeah, you were mad at me. You were mad at me. And then, uh, but then over time, it's been fun, because I really do enjoy the drivers right now in the Xfinity series. Um, we have a great... I mean, there's always outliers, right? But we really do have a great group of people in the sport right now, and, um, it's fun every week. I mean, we, we all have our challenges, but, um, um,

I want to win this year just because I've enjoyed the racing. Like I've enjoyed how much, how competitive it's been this year. I've enjoyed the battles that we've all had. And I don't know. We're going to have fun. I mean, like I look at this table. Last year was so different.

When I look at the table we sat here at last year in the group that was in it, and it's so different than what it is this year. And it's just, I don't know, it's going to be fun. What do you mean? Those guys, I would feel scared at the table with AJ and Austin. It was, I don't know, it was just a different. AJ was fun. He was great on the show.

He had a good time with it. Austin's always going to be Austin. AJ, though, was funny because he's like. Austin can't be anybody's friend. He's got to be, he's like, fuck all y'all. It was funny, though, because AJ was like, I got no shot, I don't know why I'm here. I'm just hanging out and having a good time.

And I don't know, it was, but it was, it was, it was cool. It really was a lot of fun. So I would not, I would not, I don't wish my experience last year and how the race went on anybody at this table. I would much rather us all come across the line four wide for the win at the end of the race. When I was watching that race back yesterday,

I was like, I cannot imagine the thought. Like after Riley's side drafted you, whatever, put a donut on your tire. Oh no, it blew the left here out. Oh, yeah. Yeah, the leiffer. Yeah. And then to come down,

or whatever, the restart violation, and then I was like, oh my gosh, I cannot imagine the thoughts that were going through your head. In a backup car. Yeah. Yeah. destroy the primary.

Yeah, what a weekend. You guys know how much time and effort they put into these cars for this race, right? They're like massaging on everything. So, yeah, the primary gets wrecked out. I mean, I think when,

when, I don't know how you guys feel about it, but like, I know you're all watching all the tape and you're watching last year's races and you're watching everything you can watch in car and all that stuff trying to get ready for this race. But like his race last year is a great example for anybody. to like know that, you know, it's never over.

Like, we thought it was over. It was fucking over. Hey, listen, I'm telling you right now, if it wasn't such a far walk to the InfoCare Center. He was ready to quit. Yeah, I was going to come down pit road, pull on my pit stall and just get out. But I knew I had to walk all the way to turn one and two,

and I didn't want to walk that far. It's just, yeah, so you just never know. You just never, never know. And NASCAR is going to keep it interesting, you know, so they'll present some opportunities if you find yourself behind a little bit. I expect Jesse

because he said that I just I have to feel that way right? If I as an owner like I'm trying to wear my media hat today but as an owner standing there

without any control I can't drive a car can't steer I can't do anything can't tell y'all what to do I just have to know that in that there's going to be a late restart

and all four of you are going to be right up there in the top three rows and it's just going to come down to like who's willing to do what what it takes to make it happen. I mean, think about Sunday Martinsville, right?

The race is going to green out. William's going to win the race. It's done. Like there is, like, there's no way that it doesn't work out. Yeah. And then, like, it never fails when you're like, hey, this is going to be the easiest thing ever. I just, I just poke my head in his, in, in their office, and they're watching last year's race. The 19 spins down on the pit road in pit road.

And the fission comes out. It's like, hell, he's old pit road. Like, why does the caution need to come out? So, I mean, the yellow flag will fly if the wind blows the wrong way. So just be ready. Jesse's over here going, man, I can't wait. No, I'm just enjoying listening. Let's take a minute to look back on what Xfinity has accomplished

and the impact that they've had on the sports since coming on board in 2015. Joining me again is Jessica Mere with Comcast. The series sure did look different back then. You were racing it in a lot more. Life looked different. We both had a couple of kids since then, but in all seriousness, we've been proud to play a part in helping this series grow, really in three ways. First, the sport itself. We work closely with NASCAR to help modernize and elevate the Xfinity series through storytelling, technology, and fan access, from innovative broadcast elements to unique on-site experiences to the Xfinity Fastest Lap Award. We think the product on track with the series right now is awesome. Second, the Drivers.

The Xfinity Series has always been about developing future stars, and that's something we're incredibly proud to have supported. Over the past 11 years, more than 25 drivers have advanced from the Xfinity Series to find success at the Cup level. And finally, the fans. NASCAR fans are the heartbeat of the sport, and connecting with them has been one of the best parts of this journey. Through Xfinity rewards, ticket giveaways, and fan experiences, we've engaged millions

of fans and brought them closer to the action. giving them more of the sport they love. It's been an incredible ride, and we're so grateful to have been a part of it. Man, that's really awesome. You guys touched on every part of the sport, the competition, the drivers, and the people in the stands.

So thank you, Xfinity. Now we're getting back to the four drivers, getting ready to compete for the Xfinity Series championship title. How do you guys, you can, you know, tables open, how do you guys feel about the competition of this four? You know, when you're looking at the season and you're going through the playoffs and I think at the start of the playoffs,

you kind of go, yeah, those are the three or four guys I don't want to race, you know. You know, it'd be cool. I feel like, you know, when you kind of weigh the strengths of the other drivers in the playoffs, you kind of hope some make it and some don't, right? You know, so that it's easier for you once you get to the final if you make it.

This is a pretty competitive table. You know, I feel like that everybody's going to be everybody's going to have a shot at it. There's no weak link. You know, we talked about AJ joking last year about not having a shot at it, but I think everybody here really could show up and win this race.

Who wants to go? I mean, I feel like I'm probably a little bit of the outlier, not having a win, right? And obviously you, what are you, 10 wins? 10 wins in your three? Hey, have you ever watched the 2018 championship? I've seen it. Okay, who wins championship?

Could be us. No, yeah. And Daniel Hemrick. Yeah, definitely. Was that 18? That was 2018? It's the one race? No, that was not 20. 18 seemed wrong to me. That was like 2021. Yeah. Oh, 221. Yeah. That was his first win of the year.

That was his first win. Ever. Was it really that late? He's probably one. Yeah, yeah, but first NASCAR win. Well, and even... I don't think he's won in the truck to you. Wow. Yeah. So you're 10, you're what? Three or four? Four? Three.

Yeah. And you're... One and a half. Two trophies. I think was pretty skewed out. I would count it. I would count that. It's on my coffee table. Yeah.

So yeah, we're at zero, right? And that kind of puts us as a little bit of the underdog outlier, I guess you could say, and watching my two teammates win 13 races collectively that I'm racing against in the final four and then Jesse winning one and a half. It's a honestly, I don't mind the feeling. I'm honestly okay. I feel like if I was in your spot, I'd be pretty nervous not to mess it up, right? And I feel like in my spot, I mean, I'm not aging.

mentality if I shouldn't be here, but it's, like, I haven't won a race, and we haven't really done anything super smoke and all the lights on us, right? And I feel like this is our opportunity to just go change the, change the season for us, and the playoff system we have. I mean, I like the 36 race format. They like you are, right? I feel like that's the way that I would like it, but the fact that I'm benefiting off this playoff system that we have now, it kind of makes me kind of like some of it. And it's cool, right? I'm sitting and sitting here and go racing for a championship,

and I really don't feel like I deserve to be, I guess you could say. But this weekend for me, it's going to be just different. I mean, obviously the races, the 32 races up to this point have just been, for me, consistent and flashes of success and in good runs, but no win. And this weekend, like we were talking about, Daniel's race in 21. I mean, all it takes is one really good race at the end of the season to, to be the champion. And obviously I'm looking at it like that,

but I kind of go, I'm going into it. Not a lot of pressure. I mean, I feel like obviously, all of us, maybe not Justin, since you've been here for so long, but I mean, you never know when your last playoff final four runs is going to be. So for me, I'm thinking a little bit about that, right?

Like this could be, could be it for me, but at the same time, that kind of just fuels me a little bit more to go out and try to win this championship for all my guys and my family and everything. And obviously, my dad and me, and my mom everyone's put so much into to getting me to this point and you've been through it all with me the last three or four years late model race and you gave me a huge opportunity when I was kind of on a dead end road to drive your late model and if I you had asked me that year when I was

running super as my dad I would never would have thought I'd be here so just super thankful for this opportunity to be here and like I said not a lot of pressure going into it and just going to go try to pull it off Connor you're on that's a great point you're on the other side of things in a situation like Corey Hime where you've had a season where you would obviously have the championship locked up in other formats, you go into the final race and no matter what you've accomplished, right? It doesn't, you've got to go out and win this race or you're not the champion. Yeah, I've had some weird emotions about it.

But, you know, I look at it like, you know, pressure is a privilege. which is the fact that I'm here, and I feel like I have, you know, more on the line than maybe other guys. You know, I have more to lose. I feel like, Carson, you can go into this. And at worst, you come out forth. And, you know, I feel like with the year that you and the one team have had, it's good. And if you come out winning, it's like, holy shit. You know, I made a lot out of, you know, what wasn't a ton at one point.

So, you know, I feel like we're all in different spots. but I am I'm excited for it. I feel like, you know, although the playoffs are what they are and, you know, it might be changing in the future, it's my last year of Racing Xfinity. I'm going to be in the Cup Series next year, and I'm going to struggle. And I want to enjoy this feeling of being, you know, the guy with 10 wins and, you know, the one going into the last race is, as, you know, the one who's been the favorite for the last couple months. I want to enjoy this feeling and I want to go out and make the most of it and try and, you know,

give my team what they deserve and the championship they deserve. And if we don't, is this year going to be a failure? Not at all. You know, I feel like no matter what, this year has been a success and I've tried to remind my guys that and tell them that no matter what happens this weekend, you know, we don't look at this year as, you know, this weekend defines our season. So it's tough to do that. It's tough to accept that. But, you know, I feel more than anything excitement for just the opportunity to go out here and race for a championship in my rookie year. You know, if you told me I was going to be in the situation in January, I would have been, you know, hell-bent on, you know, how excited I was. So I try and remember that and just remind myself to be excited about the opportunity that I have.

Yeah, I was raced. I've raced in the Cup Series for 20 years. every everything every lap every practice every race every qualifying session

was man I hope this goes right I hope this goes good you know running well late in the race what the mindset would always be

well I hope the caution don't come out I hope this don't happen I hope that don't happen and I never really understood that maybe that ain't that wasn't really

the best mindset for me to be in I was I talk about this one all the time, man, but I just love it. I think it was one of the coolest things I'd ever heard the drivers say. Chase Elliott rookie, his rookie, well, it's first time going for the championship. He made the Final Four and goes into Phoenix. He actually wins the championship that year.

But they interviewed him on Pit Road on Friday, standing next to Pit Wall, or maybe it was like Thursday. It was like an empty racetrack. Nobody really gotten there yet. And they were doing some media as they do with all the four drivers. And they asked him about pressure, and he said that he didn't feel any pressure he had dreamed of this opportunity and that he was thankful and happy to be standing there with a chance to go win a championship that weekend.

And I was like, God, I'm on my day. That was the mindset that I should have had all my life, right? You guys don't get a chance in this playoff format. You really don't get a chance to try to figure out. how to get your mind in the place you want it to be for Saturday night until you get through Martinsville, right? You can't allow yourself to think that far ahead, right? And you have to make sure, all right, everything goes well in this, this semi-round that I get this chance to, and now, so Martinsville's behind you. You're spending the next four or five days trying to find out

what headspace you need to be in. You know, talk about, Talk about the emotions, I suppose, that maybe you're riding over the next several days as you're trying, you're going to go early, you've got to go to Phoenix early, you're going to get all kinds of questions, the same questions over and over and over and over and over. And you've got to have a ton of patience. You've got to try to be your best self, and you can't wait to get to the track and just get in the car and just drive some laps and see what kind of car you got. Is the thing going to grow through the center when I get in it? You know, that's all you care about, right? but you're going to spend this whole week trying to find out how to get yourself in the right space mentally to go out there and do the job. So how do you do that?

How are you preparing? How are you, who are you talking to? Where are you spending your time? Are you, is it just another week? Is it, are you trying to just like push, you know, are you trying to blow it off? Is it? I want to hear it, Justin says about this. Why?

Because you've been through before. Yeah. It might be the only thing that's kind of nice about it, right? is knowing what the scenarios are and knowing what you're going through. And, you know, I think I've been through all the emotions, right? I've had years where you walk in, you have a huge tip on your shoulder,

and I'm going to go prove a point. You've had years where you're just thankful to be there, right? Like, it didn't go the way that you wanted to go, and you're just like, man, I got a shot at it. I've kind of lived all of them. And, you know, like, was it three years ago? We had the moment two years ago. Well, I don't even know how to explain it.

be three years ago now, right? Yeah. Um, but like we all thought it was, that was the year. It was going to be the year that it worked out. And, and, um, it didn't. And then, you know, I don't know. I just, I feel like for me, I've gone through this and, and, um, I think, you know, you said it earlier, you never know when the next opportunity is going to come, right? Whether it be final four, whether it be a win, whether it be, even a chance to go on the racetrack. I mean, you know, I mean, not to bring up you, you getting hurt, but like, that could have been the end of it, right? And so, you know, I think for me, I've really come to realize, you know, being in the sport for as long as I have, and watching people come and go. I mean, how many drivers came in where the next superstar won races and then two years later they were gone and they disappeared and you don't see them anymore?

You know, and other drivers come in and they've been, like myself, been lucky enough to stay in for a long time and maybe not ever have. you know, a superstar success, but go out and have fun and enjoy it. And, you know, I think that for me, this one is, it's, it's very different from last year. Every year's got its own feel. And I'm, I'm just, like, I'm, I'm, I'm calm than I've ever been. I'm way calm than I've ever been. I'm way more calming it and just going there and doing it. But that doesn't mean that it's going to go well. You know, last year didn't go well and we still won the championship. It could go great and we could lead, you know, all the way to the last lap and get passed on the last lap. So, you know, I think for me I'm just looking at it a little bit more open than I have or have and enjoying the moment and

see what happens. What is the, what is the morning like on Saturday though? I mean, it's easy, you know, you've got a couple days, got a little time before you have to try to start pushing off of that anxiety. He doesn't want to reveal all the secrets. No, I mean, I don't mind. I'll be honest with you, I feel like it's better to get it out. Yeah. And tell people what your plan is and figure it out from there. But practice and qualifying is so weird at Phoenix, because we're so accustomed now, which is, it's weird that I'm accustomed to it,

but you literally go from practice and you go straight into qualifying. Well, that's not the case at Phoenix, right? So... Tell everybody what the process is. Yeah, so we have a 50-minute practice on Friday, but it's still an impound practice. We only get one set of tires.

Like, it's not really different than what we do now. It's just we can make a few more changes. Right? We have some options. that we can change. We still have to go back through inspection, do all that stuff. And then we qualify on Saturday morning.

Well, you're going to practice in the heat of the day on Friday afternoon, right? Then we're going to go qualify in the morning at Phoenix where the sun is changing the racetrack significantly. You've slept on it, right? So as drivers, we all do this thing where we're like, I know what the perfect lap is. I've envisioned the perfect lap,

and you've slept on it. So now you have all this false confidence and you go to the racetrack and you're like, I'm going to lay down a lap. And sometimes you do. And sometimes you do. And sometimes you look like qualifying in Martinsville with half these guys, and they drive off into turn one, and there's smoke growing off the left front tire,

and up the hill they go. Or practice, you make a mistake in practice, right? I mean, us last year you were in practice, we didn't make a mistake. Car in front of us knocked the oil tank out of it. And, I mean, we all crash going in the corner, right? So I think Saturday is really dependent on how your day goes on Friday. But the biggest thing is if you leave Friday and you feel like you're behind, Saturday starts off poorly.

If you leave Friday and you feel confident, Saturday starts off great. It doesn't matter if you're P1 on the board, doesn't matter if you're 25th on the board. As long as you're a competent going into Saturday, it changes the game. But that being said, too, I look at last year and I go, it doesn't really matter.

I didn't even know what my car was going to drive like. I didn't have it, you know, what I mean? I'm going to this thing. And so I think you just, you know, for us, for me especially, being present in the moment. Like, y'all are going to experience things.

never experienced before. Right? Like, I know that sounds dumb. You've been to the racetrack. Just the process of it, I think all of the media and going through everything that you go through every day, the fanfare and fan interaction

is so different when you're in the Final Four. Probably the coolest moment, and all of y'all need to enjoy this, right? The coolest moment is when you do driver introductions, you walk out on the stage, and there's four of you standing out there, right? And there's smoke, and there's pyro, and fans are cheering.

And you're just looking. looking out of bunks, you know, however many thousands of fans are there. And you're like, I get to do this as a job. Right? Like, like, how many kids are sitting up there in the grand stands right now that race quarter minutes or go-carts or late models or whatever that they're like, man, I would love to be them. Right. But then on our side, we're like, man, I would love to be on Sunday doing this on the cup side, right? I'd love to be one of the final four on the cup side. I'd love to be, you know, Max Verstappen, right? Yeah. You know, whatever. I mean, you can always say, hey, I want to go up. But when you really stand out on that stage and you go through

all the media stuff and you said it early, you're going to answer the same questions 37 times. So what? So what? Enjoy it. Because someday they're not going to ask you the questions. Some point in your career, you're, I mean, look, I'm, I'm to the point where my end of the road is way closer than the beginning, right? I didn't enjoy a lot of these moments. You know, there's times you go to media day and you're like, oh, man, I got to go through this again. going to answer these questions. When that's not there, my kids are going to ask me lots of questions, just not in the same, not in the same, you know, thought process.

So just enjoy it this week because it's really easy to get caught up and be nervous and all the stuff. Or think that enjoying it is bad, right? Like the pre-race, right? Like, oh, man, I can't let myself, you know, get off my mindset, you know? Right. I got to, you know. If I enjoy this, I'm not doing it.

what I'm supposed to be doing. I did the headphones one year, music on, and like just blocked everybody out. I'm like, I'm too cool for this. Terrible idea. Terrible idea.

That's going to be Jesse. What was the last time I did? I don't know. You were a headphones guy for a while. You were that guy. Jesse. He's like, I don't know about that.

We're all different, man. That's true. Enjoy it. Who do y'all feel like is the favorite? I think it's an obvious question, but do you feel like the 88 cars the one to beat? Yes, I mean. I mean, even with your success?

Statistically, yes. But I mean, I also think. I mean, you at Phoenix, man. Yeah. No, that's what I was going to say. I said, you know, it doesn't matter how many races that I've won. You know, we're going to Phoenix, and whoever's the best at Phoenix is the one who can win the championship. And I feel like, I don't know, you've always been in the top.

three at Phoenix and it's going to take you're going to have to win the race to win the championship I said that last year and I finished second I was pretty mad about that I know I know but with that I feel like you're going to have to be taught you're not going to be able to finish fourth and win the championship with the with the four of us so um it's uh it's it's it's definitely weird you know I feel like I have a lot of momentum but then I feel like you know I watch back all the Phoenix races and it's like I feel like just excuse my language but I I feel like Justin's led every lap. So it's just, it's hard to process, but, you know, with that, I feel like it's a really

cool opportunity to go to a track that, you know, I finished fourth there last year in the fall, but go to a track that maybe I'm not the best at in the past and have to learn and figure out how to get around there as fast as possible. And, you know, that's exciting. Jesse, I've been in this position as an owner before. What is the position as the one guy that's on the unique team? All the other guys are teammates and you're one of one. So is that a good situation to be in?

Do you find positives in that or is there a way for that to motivate you? Yeah, I don't know if it matters a whole lot, right? Obviously, Ty was able to upset y'all when y'all had three of the four, I believe. But, man, I make it, I make it. It was a rough day. Yeah. I make it, I was written for Noah. It's okay.

I make it really simple, right? Obviously, it's really cool to be in this position. I know that Justin's going to be probably his best on Saturday, right? I believe that Connor is at his best right now. And I believe that, you know, Andrew and Carson are going to be pushing themselves. be their best on Saturday. And all I want is to show up and do my best. And I believe that if we do that, that's going to be enough, right?

But it doesn't matter a whole lot to me if there was one J.R.M. guy here or three of them, right? I think that we're all going to show up and perform at the highest level that we know how. And I just have to have the belief, right, that all the work that I've put, in throughout my life and especially this year in these last few months, kind of tear myself back down and building it back up is going to be enough. And I really do believe that it will be, right? So who's the favorite? Who's this? And that obviously I believe that race is a race by race, I guess sport, week by week sport. And you can be the best that day and obviously have something not go your way. The only thing that I feel like I know that I can control

100% is how I show up to the racetrack, how I prepare, and run my next best corner. Hey, everybody, you want the latest Dale Jr. download apparel? Visit shop.dirtymohmedia.com. We're always adding new stuff all the time, especially like when we say something silly on this show. We'll put it on a t-shirt. Again, check it out at shop.dirtymohmedia.com.

Well, we know that this is the final year for the Xfinity sponsorship of the series. I've always held the title sponsors of our series on a certain pedestal because of that monetary commitment and and the marketing that they do for us and how they lift all of us up. Justin, you've been here a long time. You've been here, I think, the entire time that Xfinity has been part of the series. So speak to, you know, what they've meant to you and all the drivers. Well, I mean, if you think about it, right, the titleman sponsor is what we call the series by, right?

Like, we say Xfinity and just assume everybody knows we're talking about the series, right? I mean, that's a big deal. And, you know, my dad lasts, he calls the Grand National Series. You know, I still got friends that call it the Bush Series and the nationwide series, right? Like, it doesn't change names very often, and I think that's, you know, we changed sports. sponsors. We change, you know, teams, whatever numbers, you know, all these things. But that entitlement sponsor kind of stays the same. And, you know, I, I remember thinking when nationwide left and Xfinney was coming in, like, what's this going to be like? Are they going to

be good? Are they going to care? Are they, you know, is this just a flash in the pan? They want to be short term? What do they want? And I remember sitting in that first meeting and listening to them talk. And, you know, listen, we've all sat in those meetings where it's a rah-rah, everybody's and you're like, man, I don't know. And then you sit in a meeting like what we had with them. And they said all of the right things, but they were showing you how they were going to put it in action. And if I look back over the last 11 years and I go, they said they were going to do this. They did this.

And it's grown to this. And, you know, I mean, we shut the center of Philadelphia down for, I don't know how many years and did the Philly takeover, right? I wish y'all would have gotten to experience that. We were guys doing burnouts in the middle of it. We blew up a show car one year. I think actually it was an RCR show car. We blew up in the middle of the middle of the downtown streets in Philadelphia

by doing burnouts, right? I almost took out a cop car. Like I did a donut and I didn't even know it and I almost took a cop car out. Anyways, what they have done for this sport, the investment, but more importantly, the time, the energy, I think it's understated what they've meant. And, you know, it's going to change next year

and we're going to bring O'Reilly's in. And, you know, it's going to be different. I'm not sure, do we have to sing the jingle next year? I mean, like, we always say as fast as Exfinity mobile, right? We want to help support Exfinity and what they do, but I don't know that we can sing the jingle next year. So I'm hoping that, you know, we get a better way to support. Yeah, better way to support the titleman sponsor.

But I just feel like, I feel like, you know, look, I'm old, and the moniker is names are made here, right? So it doesn't necessarily, I kind of buck the system, but they truly have invested in making sure that the drivers are getting what, you know, helping the drivers to create a star power that allows them to be a Conor Zilich and have an opportunity to go cup racing next year and, you know, grow the fame and the, the people knowing who these drivers are, right? And they've been a huge part of that.

And so I'm sad to see them go. They're still part of the sport. I mean, they're still going to be a partner of NASCAR and all that. but I'm definitely sad to see what they're going to not be doing for us in the next year. What's the one thing that each of you appreciated the most, I suppose, about some of the programs that they had involved? And I'll, you know, like Dash for Cash, Community Champion, other things, fan experiences maybe that they've put together.

My favorite was the Dash for Cash. I always thought that was kind of neat, a little akin to the Noble Five or the Winston Me and stuff like that. So, I mean, they already come in and they're the title sponsor. They already put a lot of money into it for them to do like that extra bump was pretty nice. And it made a difference on the bottom line for our budgets and stuff. So that was one of my favorite things. Anything that you guys experienced over the last couple of years?

Yeah, I think obviously they've done a couple different things, right, with taking care of their drivers and their PR reps to do what you just talked about. but obviously what they're doing this weekend at Phoenix. I think they bought out the whole last stage on the CW. Right? So that's just like their one last, I guess, hurrah of how good they've been to our sport, right? So it is crazy when you think about it. Like you just look up Xfinity Phoenix and I was on somebody else's YouTube account,

which isn't like hotwire to what I watch. Yeah, rhythm. Well, like you don't realize like we call an Xfinney car, but Xfinney Phoenix, you type it down on a random, you know, YouTube thing. It's just going to pop up like Xfinity. routers in Phoenix, right? So it's crazy how our sport has changed because I remember being, I guess, I'd be 14 years old or 13 years old when I was at the Bullring in Las Vegas and, you know, remembering it always being called nationwide car, nationwide car. So it is pretty

crazy. I think the changes I'm going to go through next year, how many times we're going to call an Xfinity car and how many times we're going to screw that up. And now I realize why people like you, Dale, still call the Bush series because it's going to be really hard for me to kind of get that out of myself. It's too much work. Yeah. Yeah. I get it. I'll add one to Xfinity. I got an email the other day from Xfinity or NASCAR

maybe, and they were talking about, they sent me an email asking about a charity that I had in mind and I read the email and you know, I have seven I think fastest laps this year and to the driver who gets the most fastest laps in the season if Justin gets it this weekend, I think we

tie. So I don't know what happened then, But, you know. What number? How many do you have? I have seven. I think you've six. Six, seven. Jesus Christ.

Ugh. But they sent me an email and they asked about my charity and they said, you know, the driver with the most fastest laps gets to the charity of their choice. And it's just like, I had no idea that was even a thing. But, you know, the little things that, you know, Xfinity thinks about and does that, you know, just go a long way and not only our lives, but the community as well. So pretty cool, you know, everything that they've done, the marketing they've done with the drivers. And it takes, you can't just spend the money up front and expect that to get your bang for your buck.

Like you have to utilize it in a way and even sponsors on the race car. It's the same thing. You can't just spend the money and expect everybody to do the work for you. And I feel like Xfinity has done a good job putting themselves in a position to get. the most out of their investment. So it's pretty cool to see what they've done. And not only that they care about themselves, but they care about our sport. And I feel like they've left our series. I can't say this because I was 10 when they joined. But I feel like they've definitely left it better than they found it. Yeah, absolutely. They did another one a couple years ago. They

actually went into the communities on the race weekend, like in market and found groups that needed like technology centers, right? And they were helping to build to help kids have technology they would never even get a part of, right? Those are all things that, I mean, each one of us has a different story. And I don't know if you have one or not, but each one of us has a different thing that they've done that sticks out in your mind, that you go, they didn't have to do that. Yeah. They wanted to do that. And it's, it's pretty awesome. It's pretty awesome what they've done for the sport, but it's also awesome what they've done for the community outside of that. Well, you four are going to go race for a championship.

I'm excited about it. I know that no matter who wins, y'all be a great representative to the series and all the teams and all the owners involved for me and for Richard and all the hard work that both organizations have done. It culminates to this. And, yeah, going to wish you all the best. I can't pick a favorite because I've got three of my guys in here.

But, Jesse, I've enjoyed getting to watch you and getting to know you even better. And I know that should you go out there and get the job done, man, you'll do a good job representing all of us really well. So, yeah, I'll see y'all. I see y'all out west, I suppose. Sounds good.

Thank you. Thank you. Awesome. Thanks. Thanks for coming in today. Thanks, cell. All right, we'll see you. On behalf of everybody here at Dirty Mode Media and the NASCAR fans everywhere, thank you, Exfinity, for your support.

It's helped shape this series and create countless moments that we'll never forget. I'll tell you what one of my favorite things has been, and that's watching how Xfinity highlighted all the young talent that is now winning at the cup level. That's a lasting legacy right there alone. But it isn't goodbye for Xfinity.

We'll still be seeing them around NASCAR, innovating and elevating the fan experiences. Thanks to Xfinity for sponsoring this episode and all you've done for this series. Here's to 11 incredible years. All right, everybody, there you go. The four drivers that are going for the championship this Saturday in Phoenix. looking forward to seeing who can prevail. It's going to be an exciting run. Three junior motor sports drivers and then the RCR driver, Jesse Love, as well.

I honestly feel like any one of them could get in there and get the job done. So, you know, I'm pulling for our guys to bring it home, but Jesse Love is a great young man, and we're thankful for him coming in today and being a part of this interview. And I think all of them shared with us, with you, a little bit about why that's, They might be the one you want to pull for and see you come through to win this deal. So let us know who do you think you want to win the Xfinity Series championship this coming Saturday. All right, it's time for the white flag. As always, the tear down was live on YouTube and Twitter.

And if you hadn't already, go over to Dirty Mo Media's YouTube page and subscribe and click on the notifications. You'll get all the stuff that we're doing. Every bit of content that we're creating will be coming to your phone and letting you know, Hey, here we are for some new stuff to watch. Also, actions detrimental came out Monday. Denny giving us his point of view on what he's thinking, going into his opportunity to win a championship in Phoenix. And then door bubble clear.

Jordan Bianchi joined them for their episode this week. Always great to have Jordan around, bring great insight. And then Herman Strader Speed Street, they have an episode coming out today. Yesterday, me and T.J. did dirty air as well. And then you have, bless your heart. tomorrow with my wife Amy and then on Friday the Dirty 30. I hope you guys enjoy your week.

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