The day the Wood Brothers let Josh Berry go, two people texted him. One was Joey Logano. The other was Riley Herbst, who had gotten “the worst call in all of motorsports” himself just two months earlier. Riley just wanted Josh to know that it gets better. And it did. Josh went on the best stretch the Wood Brothers had seen since 1976, only to have his future questioned as soon as the results started to slip. Then, despite all of that, he ended up getting a call from Jimmie Johnson and a spot at Legacy Motor Club. On this episode of the Dale Jr. Download, Jimmie Johnson joins Dale to talk about his two newest drivers, Riley Herbst and Josh Berry, and how Legacy’s 2027 lineup came together. Jimmie explains why Josh’s hot streak wasn’t what made the decision for him, and why three years of data ultimately made the case. Riley talks about the long history between the Herbst family and Legacy’s ownership group, going back to off-road and stadium truck racing, and reveals the surprisingly random story behind his No. 84. Jimmie also gets into what it took for Legacy to build its own aero tools from scratch after moving away from its Joe Gibbs Racing alliance. If you follow NASCAR, Legacy Motor Club, Jimmie Johnson as a team owner, or the 2027 silly season, this episode gives you the story behind the moves, not just the version that made the press release. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to the Dale Jr. Download 00:37 Riley Herbst & Jimmie Johnson Join the Show 03:24 How Riley Ended Up at Legacy 08:45 Inside Legacy's Ownership Group 10:21 Jimmie Johnson on Developing Riley 18:13 Why Legacy Went Without a JGR Alliance 24:34 Riley on What He Learned at 23XI 29:33 Building Legacy Around Riley 35:41 Josh Berry Joins the Room 36:07 Josh on His Move to Legacy 39:16 The Pressure of Racing to Prove Yourself 53:12 How Legacy Chose Josh & Riley 59:09 Legacy's Growth & What's Next THE PODCASTS YOU LOVE. THE MERCH YOU NEED. Get it all here: https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ Follow Dirty Mo Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DirtyMoMedia Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirtyMoMedia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtymomedia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dirtymomedia_ All About Dirty Mo Media: https://www.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 (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

Dale Jr. got BACK behind the wheel, and he’s got plenty to talk about after getting back into a race car at Florence Motor Speedway. On this episode of the Dale Jr. Download, Dale breaks down his CARS Tour weekend, his run to a second-place finish, racing Kaden Honeycutt, and what’s next as he continues working with Tony Eury Jr. He also talks about the new safety equipment he tested, including a new seat. Then, the conversation turns to NASCAR’s qualifying metric after rain washed out practice and qualifying at Darlington. Dale and TJ debate whether the current system rewards success, whether qualifying order should be based on points, and if there’s a better way to create a fair playing field. The crew also dives into the ongoing Carson Hocevar controversy following his incident with Brad Keselowski. Dale and TJ discuss Hocevar’s aggressive racing style, the lack of explanation or apology after incidents, and how many times a driver can push his competitors before someone decides enough is enough. Will the No. 6 team retaliate this coming weekend? When will these incidents finally come back to haunt Carson? Finally, the guys break down the championship picture coming out of Darlington. Christopher Bell made a major move in the standings, Denny Hamlin had a difficult points day, and several drivers are going to have their work cut out for them as the Chase continues. As always, the show wraps with Ask Jr and Dirty Mo Dough. Chapters: 00:00:00 Dale’s Florence CARS Tour Race 00:04:30 Why Dale Likes Tony Jr.’s Chassis 00:09:45 The Qualifying Metric Debate 00:16:30 TJ's Comments on Hocevar 00:23:30 If Hocevar Drove Dale's Car... 00:31:30 Who Will Pay Hocevar Back? 00:38:00 Denny Hamlin’s Championship Chances 00:44:30 Josh Berry’s Incredible Streak 00:53:35 Ask Jr 01:10:09 Dirty Mo Dough THE PODCASTS YOU LOVE. THE MERCH YOU NEED. Get it all here: https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ Follow Dirty Mo Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DirtyMoMedia Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirtyMoMedia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtymomedia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dirtymomedia_ All About Dirty Mo Media: https://www.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 (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

The Chase is finally here, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is joined by Steve Letarte, Jamie McMurray and Jeff Gluck for a wide-ranging roundtable on who has the best shot at winning a championship over the next 10 races. The group breaks down the new points format, Ryan Preece’s unlikely path into the Chase, and why the added value of winning could completely change the championship battle. They debate whether Denny Hamlin is the clear favorite, if Ryan Blaney is the biggest threat to Toyota, and whether Hendrick Motorsports has enough speed to make a serious run. They also dive into Ty Gibbs as a potential sleeper, Christopher Bell’s championship potential, Chase Briscoe’s chances, the importance of pit crews, and which races could create the biggest swings in the standings. Plus, they take a closer look at Carson Hocevar’s aggressive style, Spire’s incredible rise, and Daniel Suarez’s stubborn attitude behind the wheel. The conversation continues into the O'Reilly and Truck Series, with Justin Allgaier, Carson, Layne Riggs and Kaden Honeycutt among the drivers looking to make their own championship runs. With Darlington kicking off the Chase, the guys make their championship picks and look ahead to what could be one of the most compelling 10-race stretches NASCAR has seen in years. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:23 How Many Wins it Takes to Be Champion 00:05:48 Why The New Chase Works 00:11:55 Who Can TRULY Win The Title? 00:18:21 Can Anyone Stop Toyota? 00:19:19 Hendrick Isn't Scaring Anyone Right Now 00:23:16 The Biggest Threats to Denny Hamlin 00:27:00 Reddick And Hamlin’s Stats 00:32:36 X-Factors 00:36:42 Biggest Wild Card Outside Talladega 00:43:33 Daniel Suarez is Stubborn 01:02:14 How Denny Hamlin Could Lose The Title 01:09:16 O'Reilly Championship Predictions 01:16:29 Truck Championship 01:21:25 Dale’s Final Thoughts THE PODCASTS YOU LOVE. THE MERCH YOU NEED. Get it all here: https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ Follow Dirty Mo Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DirtyMoMedia Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirtyMoMedia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtymomedia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dirtymomedia_ All About Dirty Mo Media: https://www.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 (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

Dale and TJ are back in studio for Dirty Air. On this episode , Dale breaks down his recent test in a Pro Late Model with Tony Eury Jr. and reveals that he’ll be back behind the wheel in the CARS Tour this Friday night. Dale also talks about the physical toll of testing in 95-degree heat, his battle with elbow pain, and why getting back in a race car has him ready to go. Ryan Preece joins the show after a huge Daytona weekend that punched his ticket into the NASCAR Playoffs. Preece opens up about the emotions of the win, his wild celebration, the pressure of racing at Daytona, and what it means to finally put himself in championship contention. Dale and Ryan also take a deep dive into the racing at Daytona, including the aggressive moves, changes to the car package, fuel saving, bump drafting, and why drivers may finally be getting more opportunities to race instead of simply riding around. They discuss whether NASCAR should bring back points for leading laps, what the package could mean for Talladega, and why handling challenges could make superspeedway racing even more exciting. Plus, Dale shares his thoughts on Ryan’s journey to this point, his relationship with Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher, and why Preece’s Daytona win adds even more credibility to his NASCAR career. And there’s plenty more ahead, including a major CARS Tour announcement involving Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:13 Dale's Florence Test 00:07:20 Hocevar Tweet 00:12:00 Fuel Saving. Can We Fix It? 00:19:45 Ryan Preece's Win Party 00:22:30 Was The Package Any Different? 00:36:00 Did Ryan Expose The Points Format? No 00:42:40 Spinning Through The Grass 00:59:06 JRM's Daytona Race 01:12:36 CARS Tour Announcement 01:18:25 Ask Jr 01:37:30 Dirty Mo Dough 02:01:15 Closing Out THE PODCASTS YOU LOVE. THE MERCH YOU NEED. Get it all here: https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ Follow Dirty Mo Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DirtyMoMedia Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirtyMoMedia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtymomedia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dirtymomedia_ All About Dirty Mo Media: https://www.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 (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.