About this episode
Tony Eury Jr. is more than a cousin to Dale Earnhardt Jr. He's a brother. Dale Jr.'s former crew chief comes to the table of truth to discuss their best days together in racing and the hard truths of the controversial breakups that made the headlines during their careers. From their two years of winning the championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Dale Earnhardt and the Eury's took their success to the NASCAR Cup Series. Tony, Dale Jr. and co-host Mike Davis talk about the challenge of growing together as a team and a family. Dale Jr. wastes no time asking Tony about "creativity" he used on their racecars and how other's in the sport were talking about how fast they were. Tony and Dale laugh about re-gaining their mojo by drinking more. And yes, it worked. They also tell the hilarious story of a test session that ended in Dale Jr. doing donuts in the garage area. Eury details how the 2001 death of Dale Earnhardt impacted he, Dale Jr and the entire Bud No. 8 team in their approach and future trajectory. As many triumphs that the team earned, there was also tension and arguments. Like there typically is with family, the cousins didn't always see eye to eye. The tension led to a severing in the relationship and the first split between Dale Jr and the Eury's in 2004. Tony Jr. and Dale open up to each other about their feelings at the time and the regret they have to this day about the situation. The cousins discuss the Charlotte 600 impromptu presser by "Pops" Eury and how that lit a fuse in the media. Tony Jr. shares a never-before-told story about how Teresa handled the situation in the shop that week. They also open up about Dale's departure from Dale Earnhardt Inc. and how thinks could've been much different. The Hendrick years offered so much promise to Dale Earnhardt Jr. But just like at DEI, there were wins and painful losses. Eury talks about Dale Jr.'s mindset and lack of confidence through the trying times as the two detail the second split in their crew chief-driver relationship. He also brings us inside the Hendrick Motorsports dynamic to share the challenges and struggles within the organization during this period. The table discussion brings the relationship from Hendrick Motorsports through the Eury's next stint with the Earnhardts and Jr Motorsports. Tony Eury shares his thoughts on being Danica Patrick's crew chief and how there were similarities between she and Dale Jr. DIRTY AIR presented by FilterTime Before Tony Eury Jr. came to the table, Dale and Mike discuss: Dale Jr's high-pitched excitement in the broadcast booth at Atlanta The 2022 Ross Chastain Aggression Tour Corey Lajoie's near-win at Atlanta. ASKJR presented by Xfnity Hannah Newhouse brings fan questions to the podcast for Dale about: Ryan Ellis' tweet about stealing sponsors from another driver. Favorite Atlanta Braves players. What was miserable about being a driver and the worst part of being a broadcaster? Would the Xfinity Series benefit from an identity shift to V6 Motors or electric? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.