The Dale Jr. Download is a free audio and video podcast hosted by American motorsports analyst and semi-retired stock car racing driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. It was formerly co-hosted by Mike Davis, JR Motorsports' Director of Communications, who has been a business partner of Earnhardt's since 2003.[1]
| The Dale Jr. Download | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presentation | |
| Hosted by | Dale Earnhardt Jr. Mike Davis |
| Genre | |
| Format |
|
| Language | English |
| Length | 30–180 minutes |
| Production | |
| Production | Dirty Mo Media JR Motorsports |
| Video format | YouTube Spotify Peacock (2022–23) NBCSN (2018–21) |
| Audio format | MP3 |
| No. of episodes | 578 (as of September 18, 2024) |
| Publication | |
| Original release | February 18, 2013 |
| Provider | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Sirius XM, Amazon Music, iHeart, TuneIn, Player FM, Podbean, Podtail |
| Related | |
| Website | www |
History
editThe podcast was launched in 2013 when Earnhardt and his NASCAR Xfinity Series race team JR Motorsports started an online network called Dirty Mo Radio.[2] The "Mo" is an homage to Earnhardt's hometown of Mooresville, North Carolina.[2] Originally, the podcast was hosted by Davis and North Carolina radio personality Taylor Zarzour, with Earnhardt himself only occasionally making appearances on the show.[2]
Earnhardt's first appearance came on the show's 22nd episode, five months into the podcast's launch.[3] A segment was added to the show in 2014 that played audio Earnhardt had pre-recorded remotely in the immediate hours after a race.[3] His involvement increased once again in 2016 while he was recovering from concussion symptoms, appearing on the show regularly to give updates on his recovery.[3] In 2017, Earnhardt took over as the show's regular host along with Tyler Overstreet.[4] Overstreet served as Earnhardt's road manager until the end of the 2017 season when he moved to Joe Gibbs Racing.[5]
After Overstreet's departure from JR Motorsports, Davis returned to co-host the show and has been Earnhardt's regular co-host since 2018. In 2019, interviews with guests became a regular part of the podcast. Guests on Earnhardt's podcast have included Earnhardt's nephew and Xfinity Series driver Jeffrey Earnhardt,[6] former NASCAR president and current NASCAR vice chairman Mike Helton,[7] current NASCAR president Steve Phelps,[8] Earnhardt's former car owner Rick Hendrick,[9] NHRA champion John Force,[10] 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud,[11] and WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin.[12]
Davis co-hosted his last show on November 9, 2023.[13]
Television show
editIn late 2017, NASCAR on NBC announced plans to give Earnhardt his own television show as he joined the network's motorsports coverage.[3] NBC chose to simulcast parts of Earnhardt's podcast, and The Dale Jr. Download debuted on NBCSN as a half-hour television show on June 21.[14][15] The show expanded to one hour in 2019, formally called NASCAR America Presents The Dale Jr. Download.[16] When NBCSN shut down, the show moved to NBC's Peacock streaming service in 2022.[17]
In 2024, Earnhardt revealed that his contract with NBC Sports expired following the 2023 season, meaning the video version of the podcast would now be uploaded to Dirty Mo Media's YouTube channel rather than streaming on Peacock.[18] Earnhardt eventually moved to TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video, who will begin broadcasting the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025.[19]
References
edit- ^ "DEI/Earnhardt Jr adds Mike Davis to team". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. December 17, 2003. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c Gluck, Jeff (February 14, 2013). "Dale Earnhardt Jr. launching online podcast network". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Bianchi, Jordan (October 5, 2017). "Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s podcast shows why he's NASCAR's most-popular driver". SB Nation. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ "Earnhardt Jr. Makes Debut as Host of Podcast, Dale Jr. Download" (Press release). JR Motorsports. February 14, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ Frederick, Cole (December 5, 2017). "Dale Jr. says goodbye to a valued team member". Alt Driver. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ DeGroot, Nick (March 7, 2019). "Jeffrey Earnhardt opens up to Dale Jr.: "I'm cutting my own path"". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ Bonkowski, Jerry (May 21, 2019). "NASCAR America: Dale Jr. Download with Mike Helton, 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ McFadin, Daniel (April 2, 2019). "Dale Jr. Download: Steve Phelps on NASCAR's mistakes, future, and more". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ Martinelli, Michelle (September 25, 2019). "Dale Earnhardt Jr. once offered $1M of his salary to help Hendrick Motorsports". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ Bonkowski, Jerry (April 30, 2019). "Dale Jr. Download: Tune in for wild interview with legendary drag racer John Force". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ Martinelli, Michelle (June 19, 2019). "How Dale Earnhardt Jr. indirectly helped Simon Pagenaud win the Indy 500". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ ""Stone Cold" Steve Austin to appear on Dale Jr Download". WWE.com. May 28, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ "The Best Mike Davis Moments on Dale Jr Download". The Daily Downforce. November 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian (June 14, 2018). "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Will Launch Motorsports Show on NBCSN". Variety. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ "Dale Jr. Download – Hosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Joins NBCSN's Lineup of Motorsports Programming Beginning Thursday, June 21 at 5:30 P.M. ET" (Press release). NBC Sports. June 14, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ "New Season, New Daily Studio: NASCAR America Debuts Tonight at 5 P.M. ET on NBCSN from Charlotte, N.C." (Press release). NBC Sports. February 11, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ "NASCAR America Motormouths and The Dale Jr. Download to Exclusively Stream on Peacock". NBC Sports Group Press Box (Press release). March 15, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ Samra, Steve (February 7, 2024). "Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals NASCAR TV contract with NBC ended, addresses what's next". On3 Media, Inc. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ "TNT Sports, Amazon Prime add Dale Earnhardt Jr. to broadcast team starting in 2025". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. May 7, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.