Video Description

Dale Earnhardt Jr. welcomes two-time NASCAR Truck Champion Todd Bodine to the Download this week to chat about their shared family history and his path to the pinnacle of stock car racing. Born into a racing family, Todd found himself in racing at an early age thanks to his father’s involvement with Chemung Speedway. Todd’s older brothers Geoff and Brett would both rise from the NASCAR modified ranks in the Northeast to having opportunities in Charlotte for some of the top teams in the 1980s. Todd explains that after he assisted his father with work at Log Cabin Speedway in Virginia, he would follow Brett to Connecticut and begin his own racing career. When a big crash destroyed his car and his owner ran out of money, Todd packed his bags and headed south to Charlotte to join his brothers. It was there that his shared family history with Dale Jr. began, as he would take a job working in Robert Gee’s garage on Rick Hendrick’s Busch Grand National cars. Race fans will remember Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s fierce rivalry with Todd’s older brother Geoff in the 1980s, which became the inspiration for the famed “Days of Thunder” movie starring Tom Cruise. Dale Jr. and Todd share their perspectives on the numerous family run-ins during that time, and Todd remarks that he just saw two drivers racing hard for glory. The conversation also covers Dale Jr. and Todd’s time spent together racing in the Busch Series in the late 1990s. The two would add their own chapter to the Bodine/Earnhardt feud when they had a run-in at Pikes Peak in 1999. Todd brings Dale Jr. a souvenir from the incident, and the two are able to have a good laugh all these years later. Chapters: 00:00 The Early Days of Racing 02:58 Family Influence and Support 06:02 Transitioning to North Carolina 09:00 First Steps in Racing 11:49 Building a Career in Racing 15:07 The Breakthrough Moment 17:57 Racing with the Big Names 21:02 The First Victory 23:59 Navigating Challenges and Sponsorships 29:53 Racing Success and Rivalries 33:01 The Earnhardt-Bodine Rivalry 34:56 Navigating the Cup Series 40:16 Challenges in the Xfinity Series 43:00 The Tabasco Sponsorship Experience 55:10 Transitioning to the Truck Series 01:01:49 Finding Stability and Success in Trucks 01:06:27 Navigating Family Dynamics in Racing 01:10:33 Understanding Rivalries and Relationships 01:12:55 The Transition from Racing to Broadcasting 01:19:44 Reflections on a Racing Career 01:23:44 The Challenges of Aging in Racing 01:28:05 Memorable Confrontations in Racing 01:35:21 Legacy and Impact on the Sport Shop our new 'Stars, Stripes & Beers' merch collection here: https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/collections/stars-stripes-and-beers-collection 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