Dale Jr. and Jimmy Spencer Discuss “Frustrating” Comments from 2001
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- After 20 years, it's time to clear the air. Dale Earnhardt Jr. invites former NASCAR driver and TV personality Jimmy Spencer to the studio for an interview to discuss animosity that had been under the surface for years.
In the first of this two-part interview, Earnhardt opens up about the critical comments that Spencer had after Jr.'s 2001 Daytona win that raised a lot of eyebrows in the racing world.
To listen to the entire part one podcast:
Web: bit.ly/2HcOmhi
Apple: apple.co/2Fkf9Wd
Google: bit.ly/35GckNL
JR never gets old. His memory is incredible. Maybe the most down to earth sports super star ever.
Unfortunately he doesn’t remember a lot of things because of the concussions. But yea. He loves the history of the sport
Yes he was raised right and he is a great guy. Compare him to Ty Gibbs or even the Dillon boys and there is no comparison in their level of grace.
I think he doesn’t remember the really bad times. Like when they talk about he bad meetings at DEI he’ll say “I don’t remember that” even though 5 episodes earlier he remembered it.
I think it’s his way to keep from elaborating on a conversation that he doesn’t want to be public for the sake of not upsetting the other people that were involved
Im not gonna lie...I was not a Dale Jr fan for most of his career for varying reasons. But I have truly enjoyed him as a driver in his later years, as a broadcaster and certainly as a podcaster. Two years ago, on this very podcast you had some rather pointed statements to make about Spencer and how he would never be on your show. Today, this made me smile. You are truly the definition of maturity and we, as racing fans are blessed to have seen you through this journey. Thank you for the example you have set here. You are good people.
I can only imagine the pressure jr was under.
Dale just can’t miss. Every conversation he impresses me.
no kidding! so good!
He’s just a great person.
Agreed. Dale needs to run the show. This interview was out of control compared to his other shows are excellent to watch.
@@graderboy41 Nah if you know Spencer like Jr does you just let him speak his mind. That’s the best Jimmy imo. Jr just really impresses me with his outlook on life and the way he conducts himself.
Need more Jimmy Spencers in NASCAR... Hell bring him back on one of the broadcast networks..... Call him spicy, call him controversial... but one thing Jimmy always has been is ENTERTAINING... ;)
I don't now. I find him a boring story teller myself. Probably the lest entertaining of the old drivers that have been on the podcast. It is all victim oriented. "poor me, poor you, poor your dad... we wuz all victims!"
That's why they call him Mr. EXCITEMENT
there is a reason why he isnt he is a big mouth
Dude tried to bad mouth Mark Martin on his show. Spencer has how many wins again?
@@aaronblankenship6327 loved MArk MArtin and his tenacious racing style... doesn't take away from Jimmy's contribution to the best racing series on the planet... ;)
Love Jimmy Spencer. Hard nose, funny, and was always fast! I miss guys like him, and Ward.
The crying towel was the best bit ever! Nothing else ever came close.
I always pull that out when A driver or a fan whines about something stupid.
Steve Byrnes used to love that bit. RIP.
"I don't have enough towels, Steve!!"
Like Spencer crying about that truck race he thought was his
He's got personality which is lacking in NASCAR these days. He would be fun to listen to up in the booth.
Noah has the personality!
I agree Steyr ... the booth would be great with Jr & Spencer lol. Really enjoyed this interview , one of the best yet !
A spot just opened
@@jsetser001 personality of a wet McDonald’s bag
I'm an old buzzard (65), Jimmy Spencer was a great race driver who was "old school cool". He could have run with the drivers of the 50's & the 60's & fit right in. Like he said, he would race you clean unless you messed with him. He was always straight forward & not afraid to speak his mind. It is character like this man had that is lacking in the sport today. Much respect J.S.
And even today, I wouldn't want to mess with him. He's one tough dude. Than again, I'm 79.
Jimmy Spencer would race you clean? Okay, man.
Really miss Spencer.... He was great for the sport. Nascar needs more like him in order to bring this series back to life.
Sadly, I don't think most fans appreciated him as much as they should have back when he was racing.
Really enjoy watching the Dale Jr Download, but man that’s the most uncomfortable I have seen Jr in an interview! Lol, whew glad that’s over.
Yeah Junior has too much money and time left to bring up old stuff. He’s so squirmy over there hahaaha
Jimmy was even more uncomfortable
I'm impressed with Jr's skill with these tough interviews. This guy's pretty intelligent for a race car driver.
Not to long ago Jr said he would never ever allow Spencer to come on the show, what made him reconsider ?
My favorite Jimmy Spencer moment when when he was talking about AJ Almendinger, and he called him "AJ Pull-my-finger". I just about crapped my pants I was laughing so hard.
That one and when he called Patrick Carpentier, “Patrick Carpet-eater”
Man, Jimmy Spencer still lives up to what he used to always say about himself in third person: "Jimmy Spencer never forgets!" My circle called him the Elephant because of that quote (and because he looks a bit like an elephant, big guy with a huge head). Some unimportant details he does forget, but he still holds those grudges like it happened yesterday! I enjoyed listening to him back when he was a driver and I still do now. Great to see and hear him again, can't wait to hear part 2 of this one.
I thought this was part 2 ?
@@NoWr2Run Yeah, I did too since there was another video with Jimmy Spencer just posted prior to this one. But the video description says "In the first of this two-part interview, Earnhardt opens up about the critical comments..." so I figured that must mean there was going to be another part discussing the tension between them over those 2002 comments, since that wasn't discussed in the first video posted. But now that another Dale Jr podcast video has come out without Spencer in it, I'm guessing that line from the description is just an error.
@@NoWr2Run Well I guess there was another part two forthcoming after all. It just posted today, five days later for some reason.
@@TonyM132 Yes Sir, Just watched, Thanks.
If anyone thinks all teams have always had a fully legal post race inspection car at the Cup level, I have a bridge I want to sell you.
Or land in Florida.
😂
Yeah I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona for you as well
No filter Jimmy Spencer. But he was never afraid to back it up.
Definitely a Jimmy Spencer fan Jimmy was a heel in NASCAR racing as was Dale Sr. No body's friends at the end 🏁🏁🏁 it's all about the money in those days when they actually talked about a purse before the race
I met Jimmy at a couple of race shows I was selling at, and he was signing autographs. He was the ONLY driver to ever walk around and look at the tables, talk to people, AND sign more autographs after his allotted time. He is DEFINITELY a “good ol boy”, and what you see, is what you get. Much respect to him.
these videos & this show has grown over the past 2yrs to be one of the best shows to EVER cover NASCAR. INCREDIBLE!
Dale Jr - you've quickly become one of my all-time favorite broadcasters - your show is a pure joy! You're a gentleman and an awesome interviewer - keep it up!
I love this Pod Cast, this particular episode has to be the most open, transparent, not holding anything back show about what really happens in NASCAR that I've ever seen. The real bonus, two hard charging guys begin open about their rocky past. Thanks for doing this show. And yes, I love Jimmy Spencer and his crying towel!
I love these podcasts but I wish you could hear the whole thing on here.
Same!
Just go to Spotify and listen to it, it free. The only thing that sucks is it isn't filmed, like the Joe Rogan podcast.
@@LawLess737Vids that’s kinda the point of his comment, we wish the whole thing was on here on video, not everyone likes to just listen to something
Ya. , I wish Dale would just go long like Rogan.
Talk man let is get to know the guest , let them get comfortable and be them selfs.
@@LawLess737Vids seems more interesting when you can see their expressions
I remember Jimmy most from his days in the Smokin' Joe's number 23. I smoked Camels at the time and they had a promo where you could collect what was called "Camel Cash", there was one "dollar" attached to each pack. They had a catalog that went with the promo and in that catalog they had all kinds of Smokin' Joe's stuff. Jackets, Zippo Lighters, t-shirts, etc. Great times when the Cup series was in it's prime!
Got me a pretty sweet leather jacket (black and the only thing that was a Camel was the zipper pull ) still wear it almost 30 years later!
i know people that worked at the place that fulfilled the orders for that stuff for Camel and Marlboro..
none of those things were counted, they just opened the package, found the order form, and tossed the rest.
they may or may not have ordered some of the really nice stuff for themselves..
We did the same with Winston. We have all kinds of goodies! Good times.
You really can’t blame Jimmy. We were all ecstatic jr won that race but we also all thought that it was too good to be true. And let’s be honest, nascar has been known to “adjust” things for ratings.
At the same time, Jimmy has no room to talk considering the rumors around his only Cup wins which were given to him in an effort to help Junior Johnson keep the McDonalds sponsorship.
@@hrtmike17 I give you that but jimmy hasn’t had a grudge against jr for 20 years for talking about that McDonald’s car
It was easy to think it that night, but then when Junior went on to dominate the restrictor plate tracks with that #8, that thought left my mind.
@@toddschlicher yep
@@mitchdrew9005 dude, Jimmy’s the kind of racer that’s not thinking about hurting someone’s feelings
I never was a hardcore NASCAR fan, but this show is fascinating. These guys have really tapped into something. I would like to hear them give a little more background on some of the stuff they're discussing for us guys who aren't as familiar with the events and people.
Jimmy wearing that headset funky so he doesn’t mess up his hair piece haha.
Saw Jimmy win in fast jr Johnson car at Daytona. Saw dalejr willn 400 at Daytona. Both had fast fast cars. Enjoyed both wins. Great podcast. Thanks all. Great to see Matthew back on.
They told Johnson not to bring it back after Spencer won the 400 at Daytona, but it showed up again at Talladega later that same month and Spencer won again. It was probably a creation that was legal, but skirted around the rules so much, like Gordon's T-Rex later on, that they didn't want to see it back.
Got to meet Jimmy at the Phoenix race in 2003 my parents wanted to get picture of me and Jimmy together, anyway the pictures kept getting messed up and he wouldn’t let us leave till we got the pictures we wanted. Very cool dude.
More proof that Jimmy Spencer never forgets.
If Bobby Hamilton Sr was alive he’d be freakin great on this show that guy could wheel it
Damn right!
@@KR_Diecasts one of my favorite drivers of all time
God I miss him. Always liked him when he was driving.
Even Bobby Jr I think would be a cool guest.
I didn't always agree with Jimmy Spencer, but I always admired his realness. Definitely made an impact on the sport!
The downfall of NASCAR was getting rid of the gen4 and replacing it with the COT. New car isn't going to help.
the COT had some great racing so I don't know what you're talking about. if anything, it was the Gen6 that hurt the product on track
It may not have helped the racing, but it did help safety. NASCAR is in a tricky spot with the risk of airborne cars endangering fans. A disaster like Lemans 1955 could be the end of Motorsports in America, especially with our hyper safety obsessed culture.
I would like a return to a racier car too. But a balance needs to be drawn between those slipstreamed flying wing gen4 cars and the silly 550hp downforce machines we have now.
I wish I was more of a junior fan when you raced. My god, the perfect personality and face of the sport. It’s amazing how I’m more a fan now than when you raced.
Me too. I didn't like the fact that half of his fans would just up & leave the race if Junior blowed or got into a wreck. I sat at Dega 1 year watching almost everyone drinking Coors Light. But as soon as Junior won the race all I seen were Budweiser cans.
I have been from the beginning. He's gone through alot in the public eye. Fun to have watched him grow and mature
I was less a fan once he went to Hendrick.
I felt for the guy sometimes, I could see he wanted to chew someone out, laugh, cry, whatever, but he gave one of those dry, public relations-type answers, and seeing that happen to him, I finally figured out what it was I couldn't stand about Jeff and Jimmie.
Nice that Jr. Understands Spencer's thoughts and that they buried the hatchet. Am really looking forward to watching the rest of the interview with jimmy. Live in the area of Pocono raceway and would hear the interview with the racers who went to Jimmy's dad junkyard and hearing drivers that were there saying you should have been there.
Jimmy Spencer raced for Jimmy Spencer…not an owner or sponsor just himself. NASCAR needs people like him, now days like all the cookie cutter tracks we have cookie cutter drivers.
I Miss Seeing Jimmy Spencer at the racetrack so much 🤔
Jimmy ain’t changed his mind but he don’t really want hurt dales feelings to his face because he likes him as a person. What else needs to be said. Those guys all get it.
"It's not cheating, it's ingenuity and creativity." Defined for all us: "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying."
If you get caught, you ain’t trying hard enough 🤷🏻♂️🤣
The Sonoma incident was absurd.
The cars passed the templates that NASCAR had provided, but the officials "didn’t like the shape of the fenders". It was ridiculous.
Put “Mr. Excitement” back in the booth……with Bowyer and Gordon.
That July 01 race was a man determined to win. Nobody was beating Dale Jr that day, no man on Earth. That brought tears to my eyes and i'm not ashamed to admit it
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER IN A LONG TIME JR. CONFRONTING THOSE CONFRONTATIONS MAKES FOR GOOD TV/ENTERTAINMENT. PLUS JIMMY IS A CHARACTER 🤠
There's a video on TH-cam called "The Best of Jimmy Spencer on NASCAR Race Hub (2010-2012)" and it's 3 hours and 36 minutes long... 🤯
Always appreciate Spencer’s old school ways, but he’s still a double-talking smartass. I applaud Junior for having the conversation. For the critics, I invite anyone to bring someone who insulted you and questioned one the greatest and most emotional win’s in NASCAR’s history into your “house” after losing your father on the same track a few months earlier. NASCAR needed that to happen, Junior needed that to happen, and the fans needed that to happen. NASCAR nation cried tears of joy that day. I do believe Jimmy knows that now.
I enjoy these interviews. NASCAR use to be awesome and when I say awesome I mean real men , realistic cars and just common people,families that love racing. Spencer is a true testament to that .
Smiles were covering up a lot of built up feelings and yes Jr was right, he needed to talk about it.
I'm so glad Jr had Spencer on his show cause I know sometime back he said he never would. Jr is one of those drivers you either love or hate but I've always been a fan of his and his dad. Hell I wore #3 throughout my time in highschool baseball 😊👍. I love jr's podcast 👍. Glad these two spoke and cleared the air👍👍
More of this please, possibly the best insight that has been provided to date.
I used to NOT like Jimmy Spencer.... but these episodes have changed that. I will say that Jimmy on TV was a great thing. I enjoyed his color commentary. .... DEAR JIMMY SPENCER.... I AM SORRY I thought poorly of you when you were racing.
This is brilliant, please more and more of these old school guest please, who had to fight and scrimp and save to get a drive back in the day!! Their stories are great, like I said yesterday, I suppose Joey Logano's stories would be how daddy paid for everything and he just cruised his way into a cup car with no problems!
Well they weren’t pulling any strings 2008-2012 for JR for sure unfortunately
@T.J. Arnhold oh I agree it made it interesting but hard to enjoy watching when so many times get close and not close it out
I'll just say this. If anyone thinks that the July Daytona race was fixed, then what about Rockingham the week after Dale Sr's death, Kevin Harvick's 1st win at Atlanta only three starts in to his cup career, succeeding Dale Sr. and the Dover race after 9/11?
I always thought the same thing. There are several favorites, and it's obvious when things happen
@@rickarra9396 And I would say without hesitation that if 2001 was all about being fixed, then Jeff Gordon would have been the very last driver in the field to win the championship.
Jimmy with the crying towel was one of the funniest things ever
Very interesting and insightful.
I followed NASCAR as a kid in the '60s all the way up until the '90s, when the cars, drivers, and tracks had changed enough for me to lose interest. Part of stock car racing's appeal was its gritty, rough around the edges roots, but by the late '90s NASCAR was IMO becoming too slick, corporate, and "produced". I guess that's the natural direction any sports goes when there's so much money to be made. The temptation for micromanaging and control becomes too great. With a little age, wisdom, and hearing and reading stories from the sport's insiders, I realized how highly manipulated it was (and is), both publicly and behind the scenes. As I heard it called even back then, it was getting so it felt like the WWF on wheels.
I still occasionally watch videos of the old races and it's interesting to hear insiders talk about what went on behind the scenes. JR came along after I stopped following NASCAR so I didn't watch his career unfold in real time, but I recently stumbled on his podcasts while watching old race videos. He and Mike have a natural talent for this and they do a great job bringing out the inside stories about what went on (and goes on) behind the scenes. Most interesting to me is the perspective of the sport's old guys, as well as that of younger guys (JR and Mike) with deep connections to the old guys and insight into the sport's grittier days.
I've always questioned Nascar's intentions within the sport....Bill Elliott didn't have much good to say about Nascar in his book either. I was at that race Jimmy is referring to...he was strong that day and got caught speeding down pit road, or was he? But I didn't know that payoff stuff happened on pit road. I remember it as Jimmy just moving out of the way before the last lap not helping either one.
This has to be one of the best interviews yet. Nice work Dale!
Jr is such a mature intelligent young man. He is a great representative of racing as a whole!
Jimmy is a great story teller. Love these episodes, the best so far.
I swear. With all the bs NASCAR has implemented blah blah, Jrs podcast is the best thing NASCAR has going for it.
Jr has been able to have rivals, friends, F1 drivers, NFL players and all walks of life, come an open up about EVERYTHING.
NEVER MISS AN EPISODE. i could watch it 24/7.
Spencer's rivalry with Kurt Busch was hysterical! Those 2 provided more laughter in NASCAR at that time.
I’ve never called it cheating when the limits are being pushed.
You can go by the rules or be the guy that helps rewrite the rules.
If you don’t run well,throw some ideas into the car and see it’s effects.
Never be afraid to try something different if you think it might get you to the front.🏁
A flame throwing brake caliper!! Damn Dale, that's something I ain't never seen!
That 2001 July Daytona race was exactly what I needed.. that marks the last weekend I ever watched Winston Cup faithfully every weekend.. I was devastated to a couple weeks of tear earlier that year .. . He's been my hero since 1981 when I was a 8 years old kid.. my 4 crazy uncles & my single mums told me to pick someone & I picked Dale & it was because my uncle Ben really liked him & I thought it was cool to have the word "earn" in his name..
I appreciate jr letting us witness him processing life in front of us. ❤
NASCAR has played "favorites" since Bill France started the deal. The ones that experienced it just don't have a platform to voice their experiences.
Back in the mid-90s National Speed Sport News ran a story about "The Call". Somebody who claimed to be a NASCAR insider said that NASCAR would call a team in advance and let them know they would be given a bit of leeway so there could be a storybook finish. The '94 Brickyard 400 was one of the examples given.
Jimmy should be a broadcaster or do his show on race Hub again
I get the impression he’s just fed up and done with modern NASCAR
I can remenber all Jimmy Spencer cars. 23 was cool.
the last couple minutes is the best. IMHO its not just about the guests, you speak your thoughts too Jr. everyone has their story 😊
why cant dale ask his own questions
I think it was a combination in 2001 between. The DEI cars seemed to run faster out front. 2nd new tires I think 4 to be exact. And finally watch how many people helped push dale jr in those last 5-6 laps. Bobby L. Deserves a lot of credit for pushing. Another car pushed on the outside. And then Michael pushed 2 to go or so. A lot of people have him room they normally wouldn’t have. And look back to the feb 18th race dale jr and Michael made it and nobody could close on them not because dales blocking only but those cars were just awesome compared to anybody else. And also dale Sr because the inspectors liked him his cars could get things threw just like Jeff Gordon’s cars. Nascar is willing to give the people carrying the sport extra wiggle room because they make them the most money. If you want cheats on your car you gotta carry the sport to get a lot threw.
One of the best podcasts ever was when Schraeder was on reminicsing about Dale senior and the bond they all had before his death and what it all meant after. Very emotional pdc.
Always was a fan of Jimmy. Took a lot of crap thru the years. But he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. He always showed his emotions. And off track when I got to meet him he was always super friendly and never forgot where he came from. Thanks JR for having him on. Enjoyed this. 👍🏻👍🏻
Awesome all l can say need more of this. Uncomfortable and upset talk about it great stuff he is your friend for life now it's all of out in the open. Loved it Thank you
Jimmy Spencer...
You are a hero of mine...
Win lose or field filler you were a big part of nascar's best years. And your an amazing nascar personality
Keep digging!!😎
There is a Spence in every sport - all the time. it just depends on society as 2 whether or how much is acceptable. This from a Kurt B fan.We like Jimmy!
I was at that July Race in 2001 ..What an Amazing Race that Night.. And For Dale Jr and Michael Waltrip to Finish 1 and 2 .. What a Feeling That Was.. The Fans Were Going Crazy Over All Of That ..🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁
That smile JR got on his face when Jimmy admitted he wasn’t cheating is priceless lmao
I’ve probably said this before.....
But that’s your BEST DAMN SHOW YET !!!
Junior cant ask questions or it looks bad on him. Sad we cant be honest with NASCAR
Jr. can asked whatever he needs to. But personally if he's that jacked up about Jimmy he needs to speak with Jimmy off the air. There's no reason to call someone out after all these years. Catch up with each other alone and work it out. If you can let it go!
Love these videos. Has anyone ever discussed "the call" ??
One of the best guests yet. I never knew this Spencer. Awesome.
Dale Jr will you talk about what was so interesting about the Junior Johnson McDonald's car?
There is a reason beyond his dad, who I loved and was a legend that JR is also a legend. Beyond racing, what a good and humble person. I will never no him personally, but he seems so grounded and I don't think his position in life is lost on him.
Dale jr haters - "jr sucks he couldnt win without cheating, hes nothing like his father"
Ray evernham- we cheated from 95-99 and won 3 championships
Andy petree - we cheated 93-95 and won 2 championships
Nascar fans who hate dale jr " jeff gordon, and dale earnhardt are two of the best ever to race a car."
Don’t recall his dad ever getting caught cheating. In-particular with Petree. By the way there’s no comparison between Jr. and his dad.
@@paulfischer9933 completely missing my point.... number 1 jr never "got caught" cheating, but he openly admitted to it.... did you watch the podcast with petree???? He openly admitted that they were doing things that other teams werent doing, by all means "cheating".... Jeff gordon, through the admission of Ray E. On the DJD openly said they Cheated to win 49 races and 3 titles from 94-99. . .
Thanks. Dale Jimmy sure do miss you The sport would be boring and flat without Creativity and Ingenuity Creating something that someone didn’t think of IS Not Creating. Thanks Guys and Gals Great as Always
Wow, seeing Jr. uncomfortable on his own podcast made me uncomfortable.
Jimmy Spencer is out of his mind
I still have a #23 Winston car that Jimmy drove. Just wish I could get it autographed one day.
He's talking a whole lot here but saying nothing at the same time. Nothing but a word salad, good to know Spence hasn't changed one bit.
I'm having a hard time following the stories. He's like a beagle: here's a story, there's another story, that makes me think of another one. Sandi
The John Daly of nascar
looking forward to part 2!
This is special on so many levels. If you watch the whole podcast, you can tell from the get go Mr. Spencer knew why he was there. He started talking a mile a minute. Say what you will about Mr. Spencer, the man is honorable in my book. Yes he said some ridiculous words after JR’s win but i feel he really really really regrets it. His body language screams regret, covering his eyes with his hands, messing with his water bottle non stop, and babbling on and on about anything and everything other than his asinine remarks. JR, you are a better man than me and this is why I look up to you. Thanks for the video of this, been waiting all day to get home from work to watch this video after listening to the podcast.
Jimmy Spencer is a National Treasure!! 😂👍🏻
I was never a fan of Dale Earnhardt as I considered him a dirty driver who got away with stuff nobody else did but listening to Jimmy and others talk about him puts a different perspective on him. Keep up the great interviews and shows Junior
Ive talked to dale a couple times on iracing. I grew up in kannapolis moved away and ended back up in kannapolis dale will forever be my favorite driver. Just as nice as can be and although I have yet to meet him in person I will forever treasure just getting to speak to him!
Dale Jr needs the Crying Towel segment w/Jimmy. That would be awesome
I'll never forget vickernism after Brian Vickers had 5 crashs at Martinsville. That was one funny time I remember with Jimmy Spencer lol
That was funny...I'd forgot about that one. THANK YOU
In the same interview they bring up Harvick's comments. Kevin had it wrong.... the problem for the fans wasnt the 8 not winning 8 titles, it was drivers like Senior and Waltrip and Spencer and Schrader and Martin and Wallace and on and on and on were being replaced by drivers that JUST ARENT compelling. Harvick is one of them.
Just about every driver on the track today are one and the same, no one really sticks out. What you said is 100% correct. You had the Jester Darrell Waltrip, The kind hearted Mark Martin, the cocky Rusty Wallace, The overweight Mr Excitement Jimmy Spencer, etc. PLUS a lot of older drivers, there used to be drivers in their 40’s and 59’s going out there, most to have fun. Now anything past 35 and your career is in question. 1980’s- 2000 will always be the greatest era of NASCAR
You need your head examined if you don't think Kevin Harvick, over the course of his career, has consistently been "compelling" -- both positively and, at times, negatively. The guy is a champion at the three highest levels of NASCAR, both as an owner and a driver, and a lock to be a future Hall of Famer. He's also someone who won't take any sh*t on the race track and always a colorful interview.
I can most certainly understand why Jr. was upset. But I can also understand where Jimmie Spencer was coming from with that comment. It’s happened before in other sports. Take the 1998 NBA finals, other games in other sports. They want their superstars to win, or make it be an amazing story. I personally felt in the 1998 NBA finals, being a Jazz fan, that the NBA wanted Jordan to win. That series had many many missed calls that should have gone Utah’s way. Plus I felt Jordan pushed off Russell, but it was Jordan, everybody knew he was going to retire, and the league didn’t want him to go out losing. After Dale Sr. died in the Daytona 500, I feel NASCAR wanted Jr. to win that July Daytona race. Knowing Dale Jr. was still on the track, not getting caught up in any wrecks, they made sure Jr. would win that race. They wanted him to win. Whether Jr’s car was 100% legal or not, NASCAR wasn’t going to count Jr. out on a violation unless it was major. Yes, Jr. was fast all day and led many laps, not saying whether he cheated or not, but NASCAR wanted Jr. to win that race and they made sure it happened that way. But I’m glad both were able to sit down as gentleman and go over that instance to put it behind them, and hopefully Jr. doesn’t continue to hold a grudge against Spencer.
That was a good interview and fun to listen to. lots of small details between both.
I don't think Jr needs to always take blame for wrecks. It's racing. Stuff happens. As for Dale Jr he shouldn't have allowed Jimmy to sidestep a wrong that he did. Hold him accountable. On a different note though I do wish Dale Jr would enter the Smokey Yunick issue with the France family and the Hall of Fame. It seems like it' was a "Dying Wish " for Big Bill but it needs to be addressed and Dale is the only one I know with the smarts to handle it properly.
It wasn’t “fixed” per se, but nascar had to have let a bunch of things slide. That car genuinely looked like it had 200 more hp.
OMG, the Crying Towel was the greatest thing ever.
Great interview guys, also I always liked how Jimmy raced.