Dale Jr. Download is one of the most loved and followed podcasts in the NASCAR world currently. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mike Davis set the foundation stone for this platform back in 2013 but it wasn’t until 2017 that the iconic driver became a host on it.
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Ever since Junior did, he has interviewed multiple drivers from many different eras and disciplines of motorsports. As it appears, his work has changed the lives of many.
Davis was recently in an interview with former racer Kenny Wallace when he detailed how the podcast helped both Dale Jr. and his guests on a profound level. He said, “It’s a safe, comfortable way for Dale Jr., the lifelong introvert, the shy kid who was always undersized, and bouncing from school to school to school to school, couldn’t even stay in the school…”
“And now he’s now found a way to have a comfortable conversation and people are taking him up on it.” He used the example of Richie Gilmore to make his case. Gilmore used to be one of the key figures in charge of racing at Dale Earnhardt Inc. Ever since he was let go by the team, he’d been blaming himself until he appeared on Dale Jr. Download.
Dale Jr. had spoken to him and explained with patience that he’d never been in the wrong. Davis rightly asked, “Where else are Dale Jr. and Richie Gilmore gonna have that conversation?”
Wallace picked up from there and detailed how he believes that the podcast is 70% therapy for drivers like him. In fact, after his own appearance on the podcast, he was finally understood and adored more by fans.
The purpose of Dale Jr. Download according to Davis
Dale Jr. and his father, the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr., did not have the strongest of relationships. They loved each other but the racing scenario back then did not allow the duo to spend a lot of time with each other and get to properly understand their stands on many matters.
This is why Davis believes that Dale Jr. uses the podcast as a platform to remember his father. He invites people who’ve been close with Dale Sr. as guests and spends hours discussing things with them. This is particularly touching under the light that he began racing in the first place to get close to his dad.
Whatever the reason, it cannot be denied that Dale Jr. Download is serving a beautiful purpose. The most off-beat and forgotten names in NASCAR are brought back into the limelight through it. Such cases are crucial for the current generation to not forget those who built the culture of the sport.
