On February 7th, Dirty Mo Media will embark on a new season of the Dale Jr. Download. While a stellar guest line-up for the year is already taking shape, we recently took to our social media channels to ask listeners who they wanted to see in the Bojangles Studio this year. After tallying the results (yes we actually counted), we’ve compiled a list of the most requested guests.
Please note that individuals who have already appeared on the Download have been excluded from this list.
Carl Edwards
The most requested individual by an overwhelmingly large margin is none other than Carl Edwards, and it's easy to see why. After winning three races and being in contention to win the championship in 2016, the 28-time Cup winner suddenly announced his retirement from racing the following January and seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. Download listeners are eager to hear what the fan-favorite driver has been up to in the years since, and maybe gain more insight into his decision to depart from the top tier of stock car racing.
Cale Yarborough
If you were a NASCAR fan in the mid-to-late 1970s, you couldn’t escape the might of Cale Yarborough. Not only did the South Carolina legend win three Cup championships in a row from 1976-78, but he won 28 races in the process. During the 1979 running of the Daytona 500, Cale helped kickstart the exponential growth of NASCAR when he engaged in a backstretch donnybrook with the Allison brothers during the first-ever live television broadcast of the Daytona 500. The fight would become one of the most memorable moments in auto racing history, immortalizing Cale’s place as one of the most legendary figures the sport has ever seen.
Bill Elliott
There’s not much in NASCAR Cup racing that Bill Elliott didn’t accomplish. He won a championship in 1988, won two Daytona 500s and even has the fastest qualifying speed in the division’s history. He earned the nickname “Million Dollar Bill” in 1985 by winning a one-million-dollar bonus for winning three of the four crown jewel stock car events in the same season (Bill won the Daytona 500, the Winston 500 at Talladega and the Southern 500). While he still finds himself in the limelight due to his son Chase’s success and his part-time competition in the SRX Series, a longform chat with “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” is long overdue.
Steve Kinser
Fans from the dirt racing community made their voices heard by submitting a large number of votes for the Sprint Car King himself, Steve Kinser. If you are unfamiliar with sprint car racing, your education should begin with Kinser, who is arguably the most dominant and recognizable driver in the division’s history. Competing on the World of Outlaws tour, Kinser set records that may never be broken, including 46 wins in a single season (going for 12 straight victories at one point), 20 season championships and 690 career A-main feature victories.
Sterling Marlin
Another longtime, anticipated appearance that topped our poll was, of course, Sterling Marlin. The Tennessean was a fixture in the NASCAR Cup garage, competing in over 700 events over the course of three decades. After racing with solid results through the late 80s for a variety of teams, Marlin wrote his name into the history books when he became the third driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s. He would go on to hang up his NASCAR helmet with 10 Cup victories before returning to his late model roots near Nashville.
Honorable Mentions:
Travis Pastrana
In light of the recent announcement that he would be attempting the 2023 Daytona 500 in a 23XI fielded entry, motorsports legend Travis Pastrana garnered many votes to appear on the Download this year. His resume of high-level competition in motorcycles, rally cars and even stock cars make him one of the most versatile individuals in modern auto racing. As he embarks on what will be his Cup racing debut, Pastrana would bring a one-of-a-kind perspective of the motorsports world as a whole to the Bojangles Studio.
A.J. Foyt
When discussing the G.O.A.T. of auto racing, a name that should be at the top of your list is A.J. Foyt. After closing the books on his storied career in the mid-1990s, SuperTex had successfully redefined what was thought to be possible in motorsports. He has celebrated victories in every major motorsports event in the world, holding the unique honor of being the only driver to have won the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of LeMans and Daytona, and 12 Hours of Sebring. A sit-down with Foyt could become a series in itself.
Bobby Allison
After having a blast with fellow Alabama Gang member Red Farmer last season, it would only be fitting to invite the legendary Bobby Allison to the Bojangles Studio. Allison is remembered as being one of the fiercest competitors in stock car racing history, notching 85 NASCAR Cup wins (yes, 85), three Daytona 500s and the 1983 championship. While traveling on the Cup circuit, Allison would often have a short track late model in tow, where he would seek out local strongholds surrounding NASCAR events. His ability to compete and often defeat drivers from every corner of the country makes him one of the most respected racers in history.
Daniel Ricciardo
Formula One fever has taken the United States by storm, and one driver who seems to be embracing the attention is Daniel Ricciardo. The eight-time Grand Prix winner has become a fan favorite for his big personality and love of NASCAR, specifically Dale Earnhardt. In fact, Ricciardo adopted the famed number 3 in honor of his childhood hero. After winning the Italian Grand Prix in 2021, Ricciardo had a special request: to drive the Intimidator’s 1984 Monte Carlo. The request was fulfilled at Circuit of the Americas thanks to McLaren CEO Zak Brown, and Ricciardo found his way into the hearts of NASCAR fans forever.
Ned Jarrett
Not many drivers found themselves to be synonymous with NASCAR two different ways during their career like Ned Jarrett. After being a mainstay on the Cup racing scene during the 1960s, winning two championships and 50 races, he went on to become one of the most recognizable commentators in NASCAR history. His final two seasons behind the wheel in 1964 and 65 saw him rack up mind-boggling win totals, with 15 and 13 victories respectively. But, upon Ford’s announcement that they were withdrawing from NASCAR in 1966, Jarrett decided to step away from competition at the young age of 34, becoming the only driver in history to retire a champion. He then took a seat behind the microphone, and his journey as a broadcaster saw him work for MRN Radio beginning in 1978, and then eventually CBS and ESPN until 2000.
Stay tuned next week for a major Dale Jr. Download announcement.
