The Dale Jr. Download

It’s not often that racers go on to have competitive second acts to their careers after retiring from the limelight. This week on the Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits down with a driver who retired a NASCAR Truck champion and retraced his family roots back to the short tracks: Johnny Benson Jr. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Johnny grew up in the shadows of his father John Benson Sr., one of the finest chauffeurs the Midwest had to offer in the 1960s and 70s. John made a name for himself in the supermodified ranks and served as part of the Michigan invasion of the mid-60s to the legendary Oswego Speedway, where he captured the crown jewel Oswego Classic in 1966. At home, he was an accomplished parts builder and fabricator, which is where young Johnny got his first hands-on experience.

Once John stepped away from driving, Johnny rose to the occasion to race for the family company, initially stepping into Southwest Michigan’s dirt late model ranks. He quickly graduated to pavement competition, taking on the challenging American Speed Association tour in the mid-1990s, where he captured his first national championship in 1993. The feat landed him on the radar of many in the NASCAR ranks, including none other than Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Ernie Irvan. Johnny received a shot at the big time in the Busch Grand National Series, where he’d continue his winning ways with a season points crown in 1995. He was promoted to the Cup Series, driving for Bahari Racing, Roush Racing and finally MB2 Motorsports, capturing one lone victory at Rockingham in 2002. 

Johnny’s Cup opportunities would run their course, but he’d find later success in his NASCAR career driving for Bill Davis Racing in the Trucks Series. He’d become one of the few drivers in NASCAR history to win crowns in multiple series when he won the Truck title in 2008, before returning to his short track roots, getting behind the wheel of a supermodified in International Super Modified Association competition.

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The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series was the star of the show this past weekend at Rockingham, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back in the studio to break down the action. He joins co-host TJ Majors to discuss William Sawalich’s first win, Cleetus’ debut, and more:

- Every driver could benefit from a couple of years in the O’Reilly Series

- We have not seen enough from Cleetus McFarland yet

- Breaking Doug Barnes CARS Tour penalty appeal process

- Should Cup race at Rockingham?

- Should NASCAR change its championship eligibility rules for lower series?

- Crew chief Rodney Childers joins the show

- Rockingham winner William Sawalich joins the show

During the Ask Jr. portion of the episode, listeners sent in questions regarding:

- Regretting purchases a day later

- Would Dale take a rocket to the moon?

- Does Dale believe in aliens?

- Which human would you send to greet aliens if they landed on Earth

- Die-cast cars Dale wishes he had

- The Figgy Earnhardt debacle

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Only have 30 minutes? Well, this episode of Dirty Thirty packs a full-sized podcast punch into a half-hour runtime - and it's all the best parts from Dirty Mo Media's shows, including: Dale's Martinsville Rant, A Really Angry Fan Voicemail & Jeff Gluck's Interview with Cleetus McFarland.

We start off with Dale Jr. giving us a rant for the ages, where he gives a fiery explanation about how he differs from drivers who get upset about door banging at Martinsville.

Batting second in the proverbial DMM lineup is Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin and his explanation on why they run so many caution laps in between stages.

Next up, we had to highlight the callers in Door Bumper Clear's Reaction Theatre segment who covered everything from makin' babies to not-so-nice Easter wishes.

Plus, ahead of his race for Richard Childress Racing at Rockingham, Cleetus McFarland chatted with Jeff Gluck on the Gluckcast about advice he's gotten, how to grow a YouTube channel, and what he wants NASCAR fans to get out of him racing in the sport.

And last, but certainly not least, break out the tissue boxes — Lee Pulliam recounts the emotional embrace he shared with his daughter before climbing the JR Motorsports No. 9 at Martinsville and how much she knew it meant to her dad.

Thanks for listening! See you next week, right back here on the Dirty Thirty.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Amy are back with an episode that covers a little bit of everything. What starts with Dale realizing a major rocket launch was happening without him knowing quickly turns into a conversation about social media, the news, and how fast things can spiral online. Along the way, they get into unexpected topics, share personal stories, and revisit moments that bring out both curiosity and humor.

They also dive into reality TV, including all the Summer House drama, along with family life and behind-the-scenes stories you would not expect, before wrapping things up with Ask Amy. As always, the episode is honest, unpredictable, and full of the kind of conversations that feel like you are right there with them. Leave your questions for next week’s Ask Amy in the comments.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits down with late model stock standout Lee Pulliam on the heels of his O’Reilly Series debut at Martinsville. Growing up in Semora, North Carolina, on a farm, Lee’s family’s weekly trips to South Boston Speedway inspired him from an early age. As he aged through high school, he devoted his entire existence to figuring out how to get on the race track. Lee explains that he saved every dollar he could to purchase a race car, and that purchase came in the form of a limited late model that took over a year to get race-ready. He entered the ranks at South Boston, and before long, he carved out a career in the Mid-Atlantic that will be celebrated for decades to come.

Lee’s dominance at South Boston, Motor Mile, and other East Coast strongholds earned him four NASCAR Weekly National Championships. While he had a firm footing in the short track world, he only had one opportunity to rise to higher NASCAR ranks, which unfortunately folded after a series of bad luck. Lee returned to his grassroots and continued his winning ways until he made the difficult decision to step away from the driver's seat and concentrate on owner duties. After a triumphant return to the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville, which nearly saw him in victory lane, his emotional post-race reflection motivated Dale Jr. to find him a spot at JR Motorsports, leading to the veteran finally making his O’Reilly Series debut this past weekend.

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