Joe Rogan Experience #1196 - Dale Earnhardt Jr.

four three two hello Dale hey how you. doing thanks for doing this man. appreciate ya I'm glad to be here. nice to meet you man and nice to found. out that not only you're a race car. driver you're also a bow hunter yeah. yeah do you like this all your your. archery equipment and all that stuff but. me and a buddy of mine owned some land. and and I try to get out there and at. least go twice a year I just love being. in the stands sitting in the woods just.

thinking about what's going on and it's. brain cleansing right everything before. the shot really is what it's all about. yeah yeah that's a lot of it right. hanging out with your being with your. friends and family you know you need one. of those technologies in your life I do. all my friends would come over here just. go whoa yeah that's a that's a life. changer yeah absolutely but it's also a. giant time waster I know I don't know. I've got a golf sim at the house so I. got to figure out where I can put that. golf's the one I've always avoided I've.

always avoided golf because I just saw. it suck away people's time yeah I don't. go that's the thing like I don't have. the time and the patience to really. block that whole day off to go play and. run outdoors but to go over there and. just hit the driver for thirty minutes. on the simulators so fun well I would. imagine with what you do for a living. with I think what you do is one of the. craziest wildest most demanding things a. person could do for an occupation I. don't know it's it's right yeah you.

don't know other than being a soldier or. firefighter or cop or I don't know I. mean later. yeah fighter and bull fighting and bull. riding those type of things those be. boxing that's some bull riders that's on. another level that's another level of. crazy I've hung out with those guys and. they are on another they are crazy. people you know it takes a certain. mentality to to be able to climb onto a. bull yeah they have a certain energy. about them right that they got that I. don't give a [ __ ] energy cranked up the. tab yeah have you ever been in Vegas.

when they have the the bippy finals I. haven't actually but they are really I. know a lot of those guys and our paths. have crossed several times and they it's. every time you're around them you're. like are we gonna end up in jail the. night a real possibility yeah I mean. they're throw backs real throw bad they. are legit wild man agree yeah I mean but. what but driving driving a racecar.

I mean you have a giant engine you're. strapped into a seat. you're hurling down the road at extreme. speeds right next to other cars doing. the same thing just the intensity and. the just everything being on 9:00 at all. times like that is a wild way to make a. living sir yeah thanks I mean I it when. I was a little when I was little. thinking about you know what the hell am. I gonna grow up and be I was my father. was really successful in the sport so I. would go to the races and I would watch.

him race and see him win and watch him. go through Victory Lane and celebrate. and all those things and I thought man. this is what I got to do I got to do. this this is this looks fun this looks. exciting people are you know people are. in all of the drivers the race my father. the personalities and I just wanted to. do it real badly but I knew that the. odds of making it or tough so there's. only 40 guys in the field every weekend.

so there's 40 guys in this in the whole. country that are gonna get the shot to. do it you know and me the odds of me. even with my dad being as successful as. he was I'd have a lot of doors open to. me but the odds of me actually getting. there and being able to stay has a. staying power in the success and talent. I just knew were tough so I didn't know. if I'd ever get that chance but it is. you know I remember the first time I. went to a two and a half mile track it's. Talladega and you hold it wide open I.

was working at my dad's dealership. changing oil he owned this Chevy store. in Newton North Carolina and the phone. rang and he said my dad my dad was on. there then and he was in Talladega for a. test and he said get your helmet in your. suit and meet me at the race track the. next day you're gonna fly in the king. air to the track don't know. don't ask questions just do it and so I. got there and I I knew I was going to. Talladega and I thought man I must be. driving this this is gonna be crazy I'm. gonna go around this two-and-a-half mile.

to track full-speed at 190 miles an hour. I've never done. I've never went faster than 90 or 95 on. a racetrack before never drove anything. bigger than a half mile and I pull that. he's you know I got there he's like. you're gonna test this car get in get. ready he puts me in there and he's like. you got a hold of wide open if you don't. hold a wide open the motors not gonna. work it'll hurt the motor you got to. hold it the way they tuned the motor to. run wide open it has to run it it has to. run at full throttle if you tried to go.

around there at half throttle to burn. the Pistons at a run to lean all those. things so he he was saying that and I. thought to myself is he just telling me. that just to make sure I hold it wide. open because he thought I would I would. I would be a [ __ ] not do it and so I. was like man I'm a little nervous to. hold it wide open but I pulled out on. the track and I mash the gas full. throttle and I'm going down the back. straightaway and I was like I'm looking. down the back straightaway into the next. corner this long corner and I'm like.

how's it gonna stick you know how is the. car gonna house the car not gonna fly to. the racetrack like it I'm going so fast. I don't it doesn't feel like it's going. to stay in the track and and I kept. running kept running that through my. head about my dad saying I got a hold a. wide open I'm like well that's it at all. it'll it'll go wide open around here so. I don't think he would you know I. believe everything he says and you go in. the corner and you turn into the corner.

and there is more grip than you can. imagine like there's so much grip that. the car is stuck to the track with such. grip that you've never felt this before. in your life this is this grip like you. can't slide across that track they took. the tires and the car hold of the track. so tough and tight that nothing is gonna. make it it just goes around there like. it's it's the craziest thing and so now. today when I tell people when I got this.

two-seater car and we take people for. rides and they get in there and I'm like. man what am I gonna do what are you. gonna do to explain to somebody what. this is gonna feel like well there I. will tell you things to pay attention to. pay attention to the grip you're not. gonna believe how much grip this car has. like it's you you're just not gonna. believe that it'll stick to the track. the way it does so pay attention to that. and pay attention ow bumpy and violent. it is you know you drive a Cadillac or. any car down the street well it's you. know six eight inches off the ground. these big old inflated tires and big.

giant sidewalls and it's gonna feel nice. you know when it hits a little bumps our. cars are rigid and sucked to the ground. and don't have much travel in the. suspension and you know it's just it's. it's built to hand to go fast not to. feel good you know and it's gonna it's. rough as hell and shakes shakes the hell. out of you and that's what I remember. about that and and as soon as I got over. that initial fear I think that was the. only time I ever had any real fear of. driving a car as soon as I was like well.

all right what you know anything nothing. else is gonna be as scary as that was. right driving a car and I mean flipping. and when I flipped for the first time. and I you know the cars tumbling and. flying parts flying off the air I'm I I. thought to myself that I wasn't scared. or I never was scared of flipping my. thought was I just did something a lot. of people are never gonna experience you. know I did something that that only a.

few people know what that's like. and and I feel safe I've always felt. incredibly safe inside the car you know. with especially with the I mean in the. last 20 years this the safety stuff has. really been focused on and improved and. better and better and better but I look. at the interior of our cars today versus. 20 years ago in it so I can't believe it. some of the stuff that we used to climb. into but so you felt calm while it was. flipping oh yeah I always well I've seen. cars flip right I've seen it for years.

right so I know it's possible so I get. in there and I got turned around at a. race in 1998 I was racing at Daytona and. I got turned around and the car I saw. I'm flipping it for the first time in my. life and this cars like over three. three thousand pounds so it's it's but. it flies up in the air like it's paper. man it's the craziest thing in the world. it's so weightless you know and what it. felt like to me cuz of the car rolled on.

its side and came down kind of on its. side it felt like somebody rolled a prop. wall of grass up against the car you. know I'm saying when I was on my side. and I could see the ground I felt like I. was right side up because as you're. flipping this the force pushes you down. in the seat so you feel eternally it you. feel gravity all the time like you're. you know as a car's flipping you're. you're pushed into the seat so you feel. great you feel weight of yourself in the. seat that never changes you never kind.

of come up out of the seat like that you. know and so it's like somebody rolled a. prop wall of grass up against the side. of the car and then against the roof and. then against that side and in this you. know it kept doing that and I'm like. it's just the weirdest feeling and you. feel completely safe you know you feel. like you know nothing's gonna harm me. but this and you know just you just one. of the things they always talk about. it's like get your hands onto something. because the spinning makes your arms go. like this and if you watch a lot of old.

wrecks from the sixties and seventies. you'll see the guy's arms come flying. out the window and they're just kind of. flopping around they can't pull yeah. it's spinning so fast you can't pull it. in and your arms would go like that so. as soon as you know you're going upside. down you grab the bottom of the steering. wheel and just kind of you know watch. but I'll flip my pickup truck one time. on Christmas Day and I wasn't holding on. the steering wheel and my arm went out. the window. you know for like a split second it. banging around in the in the in the. window sill and I was like man you know.

I got it back in and grabbed a hold of. steering wheel with both my hands and so. ever since then I've like you know now I. know like any time I'm in a crash you. got to have your hands ahold of. something cuz that's the one thing that. you can't control your you're strapped. in with your seatbelt and everything but. your arms are you know can go anywhere. and in that moment when the car is. rolling or barrel rolling or flipping. you it's so fast. like you can't your arms just go this.

way yeah the craziest thing. world that's the only fear I guess is. that your arm could get outside the. window and get crushed or something cuz. guys have had that happen yeah I would. imagine yeah how'd you flip when you. were on Krypton Christmas Day my sister. she knows this is just won't be news to. her but it's probably not fun for her to. hear every time I tell it but we I had a. pickup truck with the tape deck in it. and I had she got me that Walkman CD. with the adapter for the tape tape deck.

that you stick into you you know you. cassette adapter and she bought me the. Walkman cassette adapter and I'm in my. spit I'm in my truck I got an extended. cab s10 I'm driving from my house to my. mom's house where family reunion is my. dad's there everybody's there whole. family's there I'm a little late and I'm. driving down the road and I got to. messing with that Walkman and I drove. off into the ditch and I hit a driveway. covert or pipe drainage pipe in a. driveway and went like seven flips and.

destroyed this truck and in the middle. of the flippin I remember that happening. and everything all my change jacket. anything that was loose in the car ended. up down into one corner like floorboard. everything sort of collects into that. one corner as its spinning and it. crushed a windshield down the mirror was. down into the radio you know it was. crushed the roof down real bad I was. really lucky I had my hands on top of. the steering wheel and the windshield.

kept slapping my knuckles and knocked on. my busted all my knuckles real bad and. so then I let go and my hands went this. way and then I finally got him back in. and grabbed the bobble steering wheel it. broke it the tires were flipping you. know broken and busted off the truck and. this I got out of the truck and I was. fine didn't have any injuries other than. just the knuckles kind of being scraped. up this met this newly married couple. they just are either got engaged or just.

got married we're driving the other way. and saw the whole thing and they stopped. and they were like you all right I'm. like yeah and of course there's this. line of cars behind me stopped on the. road and this one lady pulls up and I. was like I need to borrow your cell. phone. to call my dad she's like you're in. shock you need to sit down I was like. now I'm not in shock I just needed barb. are you cellphones I walked in the next. car and I got a cell phone from this. person I called my dad and I was like. dad I was like man I flipped my truck.

I had pay I had got financed this thing. for five years as paying $100 a month is. perfect I was working at dealership. changing oil probably making $130 a week. and I mean just got this truck for. probably two three months and used truck. but it was it was good it's junk I. called dad and I'm like man he's gonna. be mad can't be too mad cuz I'm paying. for the truck but he's mad at me because. I'm screwing up family Union and.

Christmas he comes to get me I'd flip. this truck real close to our where our. farm was so he ran over to the farm and. got this flatbed truck and he pulls out. there with the flatbed truck and he. pulls up and as soon as he pulls up. state trooper pulls up and the state. trooper guy and dad talked for a minute. and got state troopers like you know one. single car accident you okay everybody's. okay dad dad are you gonna put this on. the flatbed take it home yeah okay okay. hang on. ain't gonna investigate or anything.

everything's cool y'all just go about. you being so he left so you did us a. solid there and didn't give me any kind. of traffic ticket and so me and dad put. the truck on flatbed and we're driving. back and he started laughing and I was. like man I expected you to be really mad. cuz he was a fire he kind of dad you. know and pulled a belt out and go to. town you know being he was a rough. strict tough tough dude and so I thought. I was gonna get a good cousin at least.

but he started laughing and I said man. what's so funny and he goes I was 18. when this happened he goes when I was 18. years old I flipped my car he's like I. can't get mad he's like it's just I'm. just glad you're not hurt I'm like. that's nice so we drove back I took. pictures of it and got me it got any. insurance for it got like 11 12 grand. for the insurance to be able to buy. another truck so don't work there so. that was the first time you ever flipped. something or that way the first time. that was not a race car was next so the.

race car is like oh I've been here yes. yeah and there's nothing in the race. carts it's not as bad as a pasture car. you only got that strap you know yes. you're moving around and banging around. in there and the race car you're in. there pretty tight. yeah do you feel weird when you're in a. passenger car too is for the lack of. support lack of support and say yeah. yeah you know I I do because compared to. the way our cup cars are now or the race. cars are now man we're cocooned in there. the seat and everything headrests you. got six seven point harness I mean in a.

street car you really just got the strap. I mean it's I certainly you know and. more I'm much more cautious as I get. older on the highway and and people were. like hey man how do you do it how you. drive on how you drive a race car and. then go 45 55 on the road and it's. really easy actually you know just kind. of chill I think at all you're fast. driving out of the way when I was. younger I was getting speeding tickets. all the time but when as I got older I. just didn't care to be in a hurry.

anymore yeah I would figured the way you. drive for a living you just get it out. of your system yeah I got was Lenny of I. had plenty and plenty of high speed. action and high jinks on the race track. I don't I calm down the road what kind. of car do you drive in real life well. that's funny I I just bought a brand-new. Silverado I hadn't bought a truck in a. long time I had I still have my old. Silverado I bought it about oh four oh. six but there's new one I like a lot. everyone's are better I didn't like the.

old ones that much they just looked kind. of basic the new ones are really sweet. looking the character lines and the body. lines it's just a good-looking truck so. about that but my what I was driving. before that I got a 48 pickup truck and. it's all rough as hell on the outside. and original faded all messy and ugly. looking but it's got a Vortech motor and. good drivetrain in it drives good but. it's easy to work on and I just love.

fooling with it I took the original Binx. bench see it out and put these old. bucket seats in from an 80 Chevy Blazer. and so I made it comfortable and just. the way I wanted it so I Drive I drove. that a lot this summer. until I got this new truck and I got a. 76 Chevy Laguna that I love to drive. yeah that thing just kind of floats. floats down the road man and it's a dark. midnight blue tinted windows and just a. really cool I love the 70s in the style.

of the cars in the 70s even the kind of. the bigger ones like in the late 70s. like the 442 Oldsmobile Cutlass yeah. those big big big cars there's something. about those guys that I really did is. that your car right that's my car right. there yet Dan I love that thing man. I had a 1973 Chevelle yeah that reminds. me of that kind of body style that's it. I got a 442 that sorted the sister to. that I was a bill 442 it's red and kind.

of the same tinted when I did the same. wheels same tires same tent same I put a. spoiler like a NASCAR style spoiler on. the back in the front and kind of looked. because those cars were big and NASCAR. so those those cars don't get as much. love as the 60 muscle cars well we'll. get there I think as we get older the. but school gets older really yeah like I. mean nothing I mean this chimera the 67. Camaro those cards yeah I got a 67 I. thought I had a 69 but uh like the 55.

[ __ ] all those things will always hold. their rightful place in history but. these cars like that car right there. that wasn't very cool 10 15 20 years ago. no but as we get older that car becomes. cool you know and and and you know one. day we'll be driving around in like 85. pickup trucks going man this thing's so. so awesome so really yeah I think so I. don't know about that that car might. just be cool cuz you own it I think it's.

got these old character lines man it. died like it does have old care you know. what's interesting I was I was just. talking to a friend of mine about this. when in 1970 my mom bought a barracuda. yeah and when I was in high school in. 1981 I was a freshman in high school and. she had this Barracuda and it was like a. classic car and there was like a classic. muscle car right but like that's only 11. years old yeah like if you had a car. today for. 2007 well there yeah you wouldn't be a. classic it's just a car yeah you're.

right it's weird it is weird. it is weird like a 1969 when I was in. high school in 1969 which is only 11. year old car was amazing. Wow people would stop and stare it at. dude look at that 69 Camaro whoa. I got a 88 s10 that was the first pickup. truck I owned her had that was like what. the car I got when I was 16 years old. and I got one and restored it and which. was a terrible investment but it makes. sense for me because you know because it.

was my first truck but and I didn't. think anybody would give a [ __ ] about it. right cause it's an s10 it's like the. bottom of the barrel and pickup trucks. for Chevrolet in 1988 and but I Drive. that thing around and people were like. wow that's the cleanest stn I've seen in. 20 years that's it right there. that's nice yeah and so that's what. something about seeing one of those. that's in great shape yeah that it made. it through yeah there's not many of them. left I mean for a good reason. but what was your first car my first car.

was a 73 Chevelle yeah that one but so. would you buy us would you get a 73 and. restore it to I would get a 70 that's my. favorite your 69 and 70 or my favorite. years I go back and forth between 69 70. with Chevelle's yeah they're both. amazing years yeah yeah I like those car. they're there they're a big muscle car. you know it's a big ride it's bigger. than the Camaro yeah yeah I have a 1969.

Nova really yeah it's like a smaller. yeah like that right there whoa daddy. looking car that is as classic and. American muscle car as you get it's a. 1970 with silver with black stripes come. oh I used to race Nova's oh my dad raced. a nova yeah no I like Nova's cuz they're. light. it's a light car and cuz you know you. put a big engine in it a new suspension. and you know yeah I have a nova a wagon.

that I just bought a 66 oh wow yeah. that's my next project about it from. everybody for five grand and I'm. it's in its it's pretty bad shape but. I'm gonna that's my next project soon as. I get some time I had this little girl. isla and she's six months so it's kind. of made it tough doing any kind of. pranks. it's awesome but it does everything is a.

little bit on the side you got a call. and check on them yeah yeah it's awesome. though it is amazing I couldn't it's. like getting married and having a kid. and all that stuff is not nothing like I. thought it'd be it's no one can explain. it to you especially right yeah they can. explain to I've had friends that have. kids they just go we'll talk after the. kids right there's no way you're gonna. be able to figure this out until it.

actually happens yeah I've had people. everybody tries to tell you this is what. its gonna be like man you ain't gonna. believe it greatest thing ever. boy you just don't even know and it. still does it doesn't help you know they. don't sink in till you go through the. experience when you go to the experience. you're like damn they were right this is. the greatest thing ever it's a different. kind of love it is it's just it's just. it's hard to explain doesn't doesn't. make ain't no when might if I come home. my daughters run up to me and jump in my. arms and I catch him and they give me a.

kiss and I'm hugging them and there's a. kind of love that doesn't exist in any. other nothing with my life nothing you. could have ever felt before with. anything or anybody else it is it's just. different yeah I can't wait I can't wait. for that she's six months and. everybody's like man and you'll probably. agree there like it goes fast it goes. fast it goes fast. we're sort of in that moment wherever. like come on like can't wait for her to. talk I can't wait to hear her voice like. what is her voice going to sound like. you know what kind of voice is she gonna. have and what is she gonna like and what.

do we want me to do with her and these. kind of things yeah it's awesome. it's awesome but yeah it does put your. projects on the side yes my projects are. on the side god Sam's on the side. buttons on the side I ain't gonna go. hunting this year I was I was gonna go I. usually go in October or November 1st. November and you guys have a spot in. Ohio yeah man. one of the best whitetail spots in the. ountry me and a buddy Martin tricks jr. he races too and we just been buddies a. long time and he's hardcore he's.

heavy-duty into the hunting and so we. got I wanted to hunt but not you know. I'm not going to be going every week but. I knew he was probably interested in. probably buying some land and us. managing it together and learning how. that process goes so we bought this land. and we've put the crop we've put you. know we put the food plots in not. perfect not ourselves but we've managed. the land on how you want to change it. and sort of managing the herd and you. know it's been a really educational. experience and I got a lot of people who.

don't hunt don't even understand what. we're talking about the whole process. yeah like if you buy a nice piece of. land people who especially if you look. at like there's a bunch of organizations. that you know teach classes and how to. manage a giant piece of priety but. laying out food plots and and people buy. these big chunks of property. specifically for whitetail hunting yeah. yeah so we have about a thousand acres. and and that's awesome all we do is boat. hunt for whitetail that's it we'll go in.

there twice a year maybe for what at. least once a year for turkey and we eat. what we kill like we ate we killed we. got a turkey last year and was eating it. that night I mean that's that's amazing. it's crazy yeah when you can eat it and. it doesn't even touch the freezer never. goes in the refrigerator just straight. from the harvest right to the grill oh. yeah it's great it's incredible I love. deer deer jerky is probably my favorite. and we fried turkey nuggets and stuff. like that I mean it's pretty cool that's.

awesome yeah so that's a cool little. getaway for you to write a thousand-acre. little slice yeah yeah it's driving. distance so because I love a road trip I. mean if I wanted to I could fly up there. but I like the road trip the whole thing. for me really is everything before the. shot that you take in the you know on. the deer it's the drive up there with. your buddies talking about what you're. gonna do what you can't wait to do. what's been going on with everybody. getting up there and getting everything. laid out looking at the map on the wall.

you know it get that big laminated map. on the wall be like man. good Stan which way is the wind blowing. let's talk about the wind what swing. gonna be doing tomorrow morning where. we're gonna go tomorrow morning you know. and then you know everybody has you know. everybody gets their hands into cooking. dinner that night somebody you know. everybody gets a side or something. they're dealing with and managing and. it's just fun you know just a lot just. spending time with your buddies cuz you. don't never know it and we don't take. that time anymore we don't really make. time anymore and it's kind of you gonna.

you're gonna go do that for two days. you know so you're gonna make time to be. with each other and enjoy it I like. taking my buddies and like taking. friends of mine that don't hunt or. having ever hunted and letting them sort. of understand what that experience is. like and it's pretty cool it is cool but. it's tough to get someone who's never. hunted before who is an inner hunting. sit in a stand yeah I can't get my wife. to go I wanted Amy to go she's she knows. what hunting is about she's into it but. she don't want to go we got to even got.

the redneck blinds you know the real. humble deals and he's sitting there in. the chair and move all you want yeah you. ain't gotta worry about your scent too. bad or anything like that she won't even. go sitting that I'm hoping little al ago. so we'll see yeah maybe it's better that. she doesn't go yeah I need a little. place where like if you Garrity like if. she wanted to go every time you were. going right do you like it too much yeah.

yeah well how it imagines like again. with what you do for a living having. something that's peaceful and quiet and. now nature would be very important to. kind of balance out the just the wild. hectic nature of race car driver yeah I. mean for me that's getting it when I get. in the stand and I sit down and I look. out across the you know the field and. look at the land and everything man you. ain't got to worry about you no answer.

no email or or getting back to this guy. or setting up this appointment or. answering this question or you know it's. just it's even better it's better than. going on vacation like we go on vacation. with my wife or with my buddies or. whatever you. still can't really ever really on you. know disconnect everything you're doing. it seems like though when I go hunting I. can completely get rid of technology you. know if I want and you know it's it's.

just and sitting in the woods is. peaceful yeah you know there's good for. you it is good it is it's therapeutic. even though nothing's happening it's. kind of cleansing in a way yeah weird. way in a weird way just I think human. beings have a certain amount of. requirement for time in nature yeah I. think and you don't realize you have. that requirement until you're out you. wouldn't yeah you wouldn't know it until. you go sit in a stand you're like wow I. needed a little bit of this I think even. a park you know even people that go to. Central Park in New York City they go to.

that park and sit down by that tree and. they just feel better yeah yeah exactly. that's exactly what it is yeah I mean in. your your work environment is a concrete. slab you know that you're driving how. fat what's the fastest you go to 1501. that passes you work yeah I realize how. fast 215 really is getting that car do. it long enough you forget do you have. apprehension about the horsepower wars.

with just modern consumer cars because I. look at some of these cars that they're. putting out that are amazing like the. new Corvette zr1 right 700-plus. horsepower right from the factory the. Dodge demons like 800 horsepower like. they're putting out these insane race. cars yeah right from the factory that. any dummy like me I could just go to if. I have the cash I go to a Corvette. dealership and pick one up and all. sliding them on the highway yeah yeah I.

don't I don't have a problem with it now. until it becomes common occurrence where. people don't know how to control you. know know how to manage what they're. doing behind the wheel or something like. that but until until that's like a. common issue I don't know that it'll. need regulation yeah yeah I don't. necessarily think I wouldn't be. surprised though that one day maybe you. know regulated because everything gets. you know governance right yeah maybe too. much right maybe we should just. appreciate can do that.

I know I mean I want to be able to build. whatever I want to build right you know. right and yeah if I want that in. production ought to be able to produce. whatever they want I agree but I feel. like I feel it the same way I feel about. guns like I'm very Pro Second Amendment. I feel like I am a responsible gun owner. I have a lot of friends at a responsible. gun owners I've used guns for hunting I. think you should have a gun for. protection I don't think there's. anything wrong with that. but I don't think it would be a bad idea. to have some sort of course that you.

have to go through so you understand all. the aspects of safety and precautions. that you should take and how to. correctly load a gun and clean and God. absolutely yeah and that but this is not. really the case right now you know and. it's not necessary I'm not talking about. gun control as much as I'm talking about. gun safety and gun responsibility I feel. like the same way about a car yeah I. feel like if you're gonna go out and buy. a Corvette zr1 I mean the kind of body. mashing acceleration the g-forces you. can get from something like that right. from the factory zero to 60 in under.

three seconds that's an insane. automobile like maybe someone should. like take you around a track a little. bit that's a great idea. I guess that would be the case if you. were gonna buy something like that or. getting a car like that you would need. some kind of a trainer course they don't. have to pass or three hours on trial if. you're if you have to have a particular. license to drive 18 wheelers down the. interstate you know there should be a. style or type of license that you need. to achieve to have a certain type of. yeah you know you want to go buy a Viper. ACR and take it on the road those crazy.

race car Vipers you can just drive you. probably know how to drive say like. first yeah those things are a little. handful they're little tail happy. they're pretty Taylor yeah they're so. crazy too that the race car one with all. the vents and all the Aero. all around it that is just an insane. thing that you could just go buy that. down on the road oh yeah giant ass v10. in it it's pretty crazy. it's awesome yeah do you so do you drive. like fast cars on the road ever or do.

you mostly are you just like just mostly. driving normal relaxed on the road so I. am I got a lot of speeding tickets when. I was younger. that's a shocker yeah and I and it. seemed like it would just never fail at. anytime. I got behind the wheel of a Corvette or. anything like that I would getting. pulled over for you know rolling through. lights or rolling through a stop sign or. reckless driving or whatever and I kept.

I mean it happened as recently as two or. three years ago I got pulled over for. rolling through a stop sign and speeding. and and the guy's like man you don't. need these tickets like what are you. doing and I was like you're right I. don't know what the hell I'm doing I. don't need to be driving this damn car. is what's up I need to get out of stupid. car I don't need no Corvette with all. this power and so and I've I've got this.

original I got this original 65 Impala. that's been in my family since it was. brand new it's kind of been the. community car it was passed around got. banged up on the corner corner right. front corner a couple crashes here a. couple crashes earlier you just got. needed a car cuz his broke down so that. he used it for awhile and such and it. was just Pat and I finally got it I. bought it for two grand from my dad and. I've fixed it up it's got a two barrel.

283 Wow doesn't go anywhere right and I. just as much rather Drive that car as. little power as it has no and I won't. get myself into any stupid trouble right. you know being in a hurry or being. impatient and so that's you know that's. that's what I that's what I try to do I. actually I don't care about as much what. kind of power the car has as much I like. a driver I want to I like nice cars I.

like you know frame off restoration but. I would rather have a driver that's. reliable and easy to work on and I think. that's why I like that 48 pickup truck. it's got the Vortech motor which is just. a you know it's it's not a powerhouse. it's just dropped in out of a job out of. a junkyard crash and it's it's easy to. work on like me and a buddy of mine put. a letter. wiper motor in it the other day because. it had a little vacuum on it and it just.

didn't didn't work and and it's easy to. it's easy to work on. I put we put these seats in and we put a. we got oh ammo box for a console and. [ __ ] like that do you just enjoy because. it's also it's it's it's something. that's sort of related to what you do. for a living. but then again not and kind of just a. project automobile yeah I I think the. reason why I like to work on cars is.

because it I don't know it makes you it. put it makes you a little invested in. the car there was a there was a pen. there's a point of time where I was just. kind of like that's cool I want to buy. that I'll get that I'll Drive that a. year now I don't like that anymore oh. that's cool when I buy that I'll get rid. of this one get this one and that got. old real fast for me and so I started to. that's when I stuck that's when I put a. little more time in at 65 in power and. fixed it up and and I'm like that's I'm. never let I'm never selling that car.

never gonna sell it that 48 truck I'll. never sell it just because of the work I. put into her you know the time the time. that I've spent with it. I've had I mean you know and I've got. there's people that are helping me work. on these cars I got a buddy of mine it. it actually helps me work on these cars. but when I finished that Nova wagon I'll. probably never sell it even though it's. probably nothing special if someone else. were to look at it but it's what I you. know it's what I put into it yeah you've.

got sweat and the more you work on these. cars the more confidence you get in. trying to do more getting into the jobs. that you didn't think you were capable. of doing have you ever thought about a. build up straight from scratch that's. probably this little Nova wagons gonna. be yeah yeah I wanted a nomad so my dad. had a nomad and it was this thing had. polished aluminum on the on the. underneath floor pan and mirror he.

parked it on a mirror in the shop so you. could look underneath it you know and. look how good the damn thing was it was. a boat it was frame off hardly ever seen. the road I mean just clean. it could be from end end and I love road. trips the Nova wagon I mean the the. Nomad is the perfect road trip car but I. just don't want to spend the money on a. flat on the Nova I mean a Nomad chassis. and body is there just ridiculous to buy.

and I want to build the car I'm not a. expert mater so this Nova wagon is. perfect it's a wagon it's not a Nomad. but it's a little smaller which I like. and if I screw it up it's okay if I. screw it up a nomad build I'd be pissed. why are nomads so expensive I don't know. they're just rare and it's like - you. know it's like though oh it's like the.

old 55 Chevy wagon I'm trying to put it. in my head with a nomad looks like what. year like a 55 56 57 pull up like a 55. Nomad oh yeah see that to me is my. ultimate car but damn man I mean they're. just so hot that's a beautiful car. that's a different era you know and you. look at the muscle cars of like the. 1960s and then you go to something like. this like that's a whole different world. yeah it's a different kind of thing I'd.

like to get there was this one Nomad. this guy chopped up and narrowed up and. they made one of those things it's like. a rat rod yeah that was that was an idea. for this Nova wagon but I think don't. think I'm a shop it up then what keep it. as it is when I was in high school there. was a man in the neighborhood when I was. a kid that had a 55 Chevy and it was the. greatest thing anybody had ever seen in. their lives and we would all wait while. this guy drove by in his five Chevy we.

just couldn't believe it was a real car. that someone could own this it was black. and mint it was a beautiful car manual. transmission he would dress dry buying. that thing we would all just have our. jaws hanging out when I was a little boy. I had hot wheels my favorite hot wheel. was the 55 black 55 Chevy that had to. flip hood lifter flames on the front. it was like an original Hot Wheel and. ever since then you know that's kind of. that's kind of been my car but I went. from the regular you know sedan to the.

wagon I think that know that Nomad is. pretty awesome do you have like a full. garage set up we could do repairs on. things yeah it's kind of a farm shop so. it's it's it's dirty we fix lawnmowers. we do some modern on our cars whatever. needs to be done in there I parked my I. parked my bus in there I got a bus that. would take to the racetrack and so I. mean it's kind of kind of just a big. building weaks got a sandblaster in. there we got a big old we got shear in.

there we can do anything. samandar yeah whatever man chop yes yeah. so tell me about your book yeah you one. of the things that was surprising that I. had heard was your experience with. concussions you know tell me about that. so when I've had concussions in that. flip I was talking about 1998 Daytona I. got a concussion from that crash I'd had. concussions throughout my career at many.

different points and didn't think. anything of them I thought when you you. know when you got a concussion you joked. about it with your buddies about how it. made you feel and you just rested until. it was gone and you raced through it and. eventually it go away and you were fine. you know it was just something that. would go away and you never thought. anything about you never thought about. seeing a doctor you never thought about. getting treatment you didn't know there. was even treatment available for a. concussion you just thought it was.

something like a bruise you know so this. is going on throughout my whole career I. was racing that I was testing at Kansas. Motor Speedway in 2012 blew right front. tire hit the wall at 185 miles an hour. and it screwed me up and so that was a. really not you know that wasn't a. typical crash not something that drivers. deal with usually in their career this. was something that was unique to me and.

it was just a terrible impact at a bad. angle at a very very fast rate of speed. and I got out of the car and I knew. something's wrong with me and I couldn't. you know I couldn't I felt you know just. like I'd been hitting a head with a bat. shocked and shell-shocked in a way or. just couldn't I couldn't shake it off. you know you just kind of wanted to. shake your head and get it out whatever.

it was and you couldn't that's why I. failed me immediately after that crash. we went our tests was done because the. car was killed so we went over to this. place to get some lunch and we're. sitting there and I started getting sick. nauseous. before we ever you know what needin we. just ordered it was just sit down and I. started I'm sitting with my team all my. guys and I'm starting to feel I'm gonna. throw up right there in front of them. and I'm getting nervous and I don't I. haven't said to them that I feel this.

way you know so I don't want to tell. them I feel this way but my crew chief. Steve Letarte is like my like a brother. I was like Steve I am getting sick and. something's wrong with me I don't know. what's wrong but I got to get out of. this room it's a busy lunch hour and. it's full full of people noises talking. chatter [ __ ] going on and I got to get. tail out of there. and as I was getting up to leave my wife. come walking in they were she was coming.

to get me we were going to watch the. Redskins Monday night game and sitting. on the box with Dan Snyder and whoever. else there so we had been plans to go I. said Amy I'm a good lay down in a car I. just gotta lay down in the car for a. minute and I laid down all the way in. the car all the way to the airport I'm. thinking this is this is bad this is. worse than I've ever felt anything but. hopefully it's gonna go away and so we. get the game we get we went in the. Redskins game we watched the game did.

that whole thing and I went about four. weeks of feeling bad and sick for about. four weeks and it finally went away and. I was I knew that was unusual for it to. be that long but in my mind I wasn't. thinking doctor I wasn't thinking. treatment. thinking anything like that it ain't. crossed my mind to tell anybody or that. I really needed I thought you know I. thought that I had been dishonest and. not you know I hadn't I hadn't been.

honest with everybody about the way I. was feeling but I didn't ever think that. it was gonna cost me anything so I. thought all right I'm feeling better I'm. good. go to this race I've been racing the. whole time right finally four weeks. later I'm great I go to another race I'm. racing I crashed and it all came right. back like as bad as it was if not worse. and that's when I said I gotta go to the. doctor this is bad I can't you know I.

can't even you know I can't keep. crashing like this just putting these. concussions so close together is a bad. deal is dangerous and my I couldn't bite. my tongue like my attitude and my. emotions and [ __ ] was out of whack like. I couldn't control my anger and I was. like anybody anybody say something like. I'm like well you know I wanted tell him. to [ __ ] off you know right and that is. just not like me I couldn't I couldn't. like keep myself calm and everything.

that I heard like made me angry it was. the craziest thing even people just. talking about stuff but just get under. my skin on my earth real impatient and. there was some new symptoms but finally. I went to the doctor and and got to I. went to this nearest surgeon Charlotte. dr. petty he's like I want you to meet.

this guy Pittsburgh his name's Mickey. Collins he works with the Pittsburgh. Steelers in the Penguins and I'm like I. I go up there and I'm thinking I'm gonna. meet this guy that works to works with. the Penguins and the Steelers and he. sees you know players but he said he's a. doctor that sees anybody and everybody. like there's kids in there. you know they've got her playing on the. playground there's workers Kahn you know. carpenters housewives everybody's in. that damn waiting room to see this man.

he sees about 25 people a day and he's. an expert on head injuries and he's got. you know he's just he's on the cutting. edge of whatever the hell the new [ __ ]. is he knows and he's you know his team. and his people are investigating it and. so there he fixed me so I go there and. I'm like this would happen this is how. it happened I crashed I hit it I didn't. tell anybody about it I was sick for. four weeks I got better I crashed in.

this race and I feel sick again and he. was like well these are two different. injuries of two different parts your. brain the first injury you you bruised. this right front edge of your brain when. you hit the wall he said this the second. crash you twisted the base of your brain. and injured some things in the back of. your brain and that's why you're having. the emotional and different things like. that so but we went deeper into it than. that he was like you know we did all. these tests and visual tests and all.

kinds of stuff for for and I'd go back. to when we did this thing we do I went. through the gamut for a whole day of. doing tests and then I went back every. week before I you know and in two weeks. I was back racing again I was clear and. so he he took an injury that I hid and. took four weeks to heal and healed it in. two weeks what did he do to him he gave. me I never took any medication on this.

particular issue. he gave me home exercises and eye. exercises there was a I had problems. with focusing and making my eyes work. tracking an object like a bird flying. across the sky or anything like that I. couldn't my eyes couldn't stay on it if. I looked at you my eyes would bounce off. of you and they just wouldn't stay you. know if he said hey man we'll take a. picture and you held up a camera and I. tried to look at the lens and smile my.

eyes would want to jump off of that. object they would want. want to look at what I wanted them to. look at and track anything going. anywhere. and what was the cause of that the the. brain has the ocular stuff I mean you. can have injury to that part of your. brain or you can have an injury to the. vestibular part of your brain that that. if that may like if you have bad balance. then that your eyes and your balance. work together and so if you have.

vestibular issues that can create ocular. issues and that can create that that can. affect your anxiety and depression and. things like so all these you can have an. injury to one part of your brain that. affects four other areas and so and we. talked about that in the book. micki comes into the book and I'm I'll. talk you know I'll say this is what I. was feeling this is what I did and. Mickey will come in behind me and say.

this is the medical science behind that. and this is how we treated it why but I. would have an injury to one singular. area of my brain but I would have four. different symptoms affecting four. different parts of my brain four. different senses and you know he would. have to hone in on the one that was. broken and then know to fix it and when. he started fixing it all the other ones. would start communicating together the. brain would start working again balance. and visual and all those things would. start to work again and anxiety and all.

those things would you know begin to. come back in tune no one you said he. fixed it like what is he doing he well. so he gave me physical exercises to do I. had some balance issues basically if I. was if I turn my head or looked up and. down I would get dizzy and sick like my. stomach returned if I turned my head. left to ride if I looked up and down. just sitting there like the best thing. for me was just sitting on the couch and.

not move and so like literally not move. and I felt fine then but if I moved an. inch man it was like make it make you. stomach nauseous and so I did a lot of. motion I did a lot of exercises that. created a ton of motion with my head. lifting heavy balls up and passing them. over my shoulder this way or that way. taking a ball and turning around and. hitting it this way. taking the ball turn around hitting that. just doing that for for hours and hours.

and hours and so I would train basically. I was training myself to balance again. you know training my training my my body. to balance itself again and and my if I. couldn't see a horizon or a flat surface. I couldn't tell which way was up and. yeah it was so bad and the visual stuff.

there was these I had a string with. these balls on it and I would hold the. string on my nose and hold it out here. and I had to look at all those balls and. it would my my eyes are focusing just. all that's doing is really just making. my eyes change focus from one to the. next to the next and back to the next. next and back and there was this I. charted on the wall and it had all these. letters and all these numbers on it and. I had to do I had to look at that eye. chart and turn my head back and forth. this way but look at that eye chart and.

count and count dude from A to Z but. backwards knew the alphabet so I'd have. to look for the letters where Z you know. and go backwards or 1 1 to 20 you know. oh why are you shaking your head 2 3. yeah it's standing up and walking. backwards and walking forward and what. is this doing to your mind like how does. this fix your mind what is the mystic. process you know I don't know what the. real I don't know what it's the I've had. the problem with me was my vestibular.

system so my ability to understand. balance and understand horizons and so I. was putting my mind in a perplex in a. complex environment or making my mind do. complex things that you don't do every. day and it's just firing up and it's. it's kind of like stretching this muscle. you know it's like it's like they used. to say when you would get hurt to go. into a dark room and hide and or you. know no no electronics note.

just sit in a dark room and wait yeah. and what their what they believe today. is that exposure is what helps pushing. yourself into these complex environments. and doing things that are really. challenging for yourself. even doing that if I put you in front. that I chart and made you turn your head. back and forth and walk walking two. steps forward two steps back and doing. it would be difficult for you so but for. an injured person it's super difficult. it has to be really challenging but it.

just sort of Tunes the mine or to. retrains the brain to do balance to. balance it retains the eyes to track on. objects and to lock on objects and stay. on them and what's crazy as it sounds. like physical rehab oh yeah you had a. knee and physical ring yes there's a lot. of physical rehab to it yeah there's a. ton of it and you don't think about that. when it comes to the mind though I. usually think of the mind is like. something that needs to be healed with. medicine yeah I agree. all the probably 85% of the work that I. did was physical therapy didn't change.

your diet or anything like that because. that they say inflammatory causing foods. or yeah I did not I did not change I. drank strictly drank water I didn't. drink anything other than water and I. incorporated bananas and things like. that into my diet that I never ate. before didn't cause of potassium yeah. yeah when what effect is potassium have. on I just I just hear that it's good for. your brain it's just good for your brain. yeah my doctor didn't say start eating.

this stuff oh it's just you know I you. got you get tidbits like when you go and. get injured like that you're gonna get. people texting you and giving you. information here and there and you kind. of take what you want and go at you know. I don't know about that but did you ever. mess with CBD at all CBD you don't know. what that is no no interesting. CBD is a non psychoactive form of hemp. yeah and it's a radical inflammation. fighter and a lot of people that have. like some pretty significant injuries to. the brain a lot of fighters take it like.

right after fights it used to be it's. still questionable federally yeah. like they're trying there's some pushes. to try to make it illegal just because. of pharmaceutical drug companies kind of. putting pressure on ya doesn't do. anything in terms of like get you high. or anything now I've actually. information I actually read a little bit. about that just a couple weeks ago. because it controls anxiety yes and and. and it's helped a lot of people with. that one of my biggest one of the.

problems that I faced just you know on. the regular everyday is where my anxiety. is like it's not because of being famous. I don't know I think it comes from like. your childhood you know just things that. you experience in life and like what are. you anxious about just general social. situations yeah. yeah I mean I would avoid I would i I've. gotten a lot better like I go I can't. like I would avoid concerts even if I.

loved the band I would just goes to and. if he ever yeah but is it too many. people that are gonna bother you no no I. don't think so and I like being bothered. I don't mind people coming up to me and. saying man that's cool under any bar I. mean that [ __ ] feels great but it was. more about like am I gonna be accepted. is it my scene is I don't know man I. just always had a lot of anxiety over. okay so anxiety about whether or not.

you're going to be fit in it fit in yeah. okay so you felt like an outsider yeah. so that anxiety I don't know if I still. feel I don't you know sorry that [ __ ]. goes away hard takes a long time for. that to go yeah yeah yeah like my wife. she likes ashwagandha you ever heard yes. yes oh she likes that not take that. everyone smile and I think that [ __ ]. works pretty good yeah kind of keeps you.

calm and mm-hmm. yeah you know so but I've never tried. I've read about when I was reading about. ashwagandha is when I read about that. stuff you're talking about I'll get you. some all right it'll help CBD is amazing. and you know it's really good there's. some muscle balms that work really good. on sore joints and stuff I mean but like. and nothing I've ever used before better. than anything. CBD just gets right into the muscles and. just relaxes all the inflammation and. the best part about it is it's 100%. naturally no side effects there's.

nothing right but in terms of like. there's a bunch of different CBD oils. you can take I mean just they chill you. out but they don't get you high or. anything right you're not weirded out. but they just just calm me down right. and I wonder how much that calming down. is because of inflammation just reducing. inflammation and just it's just it seems. that your body has your body knows what. to do with it. any body's like oh I know what this is. is good yeah yeah yeah I mean I got Ted. Nugent into it really man Ted Nugent. before he came on here he was telling me.

how he's all anti marijuana and this and. that and we had this conversation about. it makes people lazy I'm like I don't. think it does man I think people are. just lazy yeah and I told them because I. know he's got some serious knee problems. had all his knee surgeries he's you know. he's a madman used to jump off the top. of the [ __ ] stage and land on the. ground blues meniscus out yeah I got him. on the CBD bomb now and he text me the. other day say there's not a thing I've. ever used it to help me like this before. really yeah so now I'm having cases sent. to him like every week yeah he loves the.

[ __ ] and he's he once in dorset which is. hilarious yeah like the Motor City. Madman Ted Nugent super anti marijuana. wants to enjoy endorse a cannabis. product that's helped his knee in yeah. but it doesn't do anything to you. psychologically it doesn't affect you. yeah call me down yeah that's what I. read about it yeah doesn't have that. part of the part of the drug my son son. has it's a type of epilepsy Brendan. Schaub and he started giving his kid CBD.

oil and it stopped the epilepsy in his. tracks yeah I think I read where there. it's been used for that for years yes. yes yeah for seizures yes. yeah that for seizures yeah it's just a. radical information decrease er it just. figures out a way it does it as some. sort of interaction with your body where. just reduces inflammation but it's just. you know like I said it also calms.

people down alleviates anxiety and no. side effects that's the most important. one some people it gives them a weird. stomach they don't like the way but I. think they're probably taking too much. or maybe it's expired or something like. that. yeah yeah I've never had those issues. but I'll get you something look into. that too right yeah so what else did. they do with you did you do any. cryotherapy or anything like that that. also would reduce information. no no basically I went and in this in. 2012 we did Mesa basic basic physical.

therapy and I therapy I eye tests and. different exercises and in two weeks I. was back in the race car raced for that. was in 2012 erased all the way to 2016. two weeks you felt 100% yeah that's. amazing so with all these crazy exercise. you're doing when did you feel like it. settled in like wow this is really. working pretty I mean into if it was a.

two-week period it wasn't you know it. was a day or two I guess you know I mean. I can't even remember I can't remember. that far back. a day or two yeah I mean I imagine it. was feeling pretty good after a couple. days I'd have to I don't know I mean I. don't know if then affected me right. away or I know I was by time we have I. take an impact test which is basically. kind of measures memory and things like. that all kinds of different stuff and my. measurements had come back to my norm.

you know my basic your you know they. kind of make you take the impact test. beforehand so that gets your your. blueprint of how you are and and then. whenever you get injured you take it. again and they'll line that up again. against that and say okay yeah you're. deficient here this is a problem maybe. it's not diagnosing a concussion but it. wants it it's asking us to look in this. area hmm and so you have a baseline and. then you have whatever post you know. your injury or post crash baseline is so.

I was matching all my normals on that. impact test and that was kind of the. trigger for them to go man if you feel. good you look good here all the things. are saying that you're back you know and. I wanted a grace so I felt pretty good. is it a strange feeling knowing that you. can't see what the damage is. like a brain injuries a strange one. right because it's affecting everything.

in your body but you don't you don't see. it like if you have a broken arm you're. looking at it you know it's in a cast it. gets fixed you know you you're aware of. it you're doing rehab on it you're. looking at it while you're doing it yeah. there's something about the brain where. it's all like you can kind of mindfuck. yourself and say yeah I think I think. I'm okay. yeah that's why so in the in the book I. talk about these notes I started taking. after that crash in 2012 when I would. wreck after that I would get sick and I. wouldn't tell anybody and so I started.

writing these notes in my journal in my. phone and from 2013 all the way to 2016. I had this long journal of crashes and. how I felt and I would crash on Sunday. and I'd write in the journal on Sunday. night Monday morning Monday at lunch. Monday at night you know every three. times a day every day until whenever I. felt good which is usually the Wednesday. or Thursday of that week and I was. writing these notes because I couldn't. tell if I was getting better then the.

the brain injury or any type of head. injury I mean if you said how does it. feel Monday and then you ask me again. Tuesday I'd be I really don't think no. man it just it's there right I don't. know if it's better I just feels bad and. so I would try to write as detailed as I. could on a day on Monday and then try to. write as detailed as I could on Tuesday. and reread Monday and see is it better I. can see in the comments or you know I. can't really remember exactly what I was. feeling Monday but in the comments it. seems better and I would write these.

notes right and so I kept doing this and. I thought I was treating myself and. eventually it caught up with me like I. had about a dozen concussions in a. period of about two and a half years and. I got to where I couldn't walk and I. called my owner and I was like man I. need to talk to you I can't race this. weekend I can't hardly walk and my. balance is so bad that I can't get up. off the couch without holding onto. something and walking across the room. without grabbing stuff as I go and Jesus. he he was like we got to go back to the.

doctor what are you doing he was mad. he's like you know what are you [ __ ]. doing getting a doctor well aren't you a. doctor. and as I can write I need to go doctor I. mean a concussed person doesn't have. good judgment and self-awareness you. know they're yours you're just in a. freaking you're in a it's like being. hungover yeah the worst hangover you. can't make decisions and so I went back. to Pittsburgh and saw Mickey again and I. had to stay out the entire whole half of. the year in 2016 to get better it took. me five months to get well instead of.

two weeks Wow. and that time I was on they put me on. medication that would drop my anxiety. levels so the anxiety levels would stay. down so that I could concentrate on the. injury and what medications I don't know. exactly the names but it was a - it was. very very small doses and it would take. about three weeks for just kind of kick. in I'd have to take it for a while.

before it start working but it just made. me real chill and it made me not analyze. myself every single day when I got up. when I got up I wouldn't go hmm is it. still there is it as bad as it was let. me walk across the room and see how I. feel let me go do this and test this and. try this and try this and try this all. day long and see how I feel it made me. stop doing that because I was driving. myself crazy and he gave me a lot more. physical therapy basketball movements.

anything that got my head moving I do. those exercises for about two weeks some. of them would stop triggering symptoms. I'd go back to this place in Pittsburgh. we'd go through about 30 more exercises. and I'd take home about 15 that made the. symptoms trigger and I'd do them for. about 2-3 weeks and some of them would. stop working I go back to him we'd go. through more physical exercises to you. know kept doing that process over and. over and over I took the medication for. about a year and a half and I had a lot.

of they gave me this computer program. for my eyes and I was wearing these I. would wear these 3d glasses and this. computer program would try to take these. 3d objects and go to 2d and back to 3d. and my eyes. would literally try it would felt like. it's trying to rip my eyes apart it hurt. like physically hurt when this object. would try to go from from 3d to 2d and.

it was going very very slowly and it. felt like it was trying to rip my eyes. apart and imagine your eyes are tethered. together so when you look left they both. go that right and they both go wherever. you look they go together like they're. supposed to and mine didn't want to do. that mine you couldn't physically see my. eyes towed out or going the wrong way. you couldn't see that but when I try to. look over here they both didn't go to. the same place. and that was that action or that that. computer program was strengthening that.

activity of my eyes trying to do. something together and I would walk so. if I I've got these Buffalo on my. property. and they're across the field wait you. know 200-300 yards out across the field. out the back window of my living room. and if I walked across the floor every. step I took would knock my eyes off of. the Buffalo like they're way out there. and I could look at them but if I took a. step my eyes was shaking I couldn't I'd. have to find them again you know and so.

that was that computer program would. strengthen my ability it's called gaze. stabilization it would make it to where. when I walk I don't you know if I'm. walking or bouncing across the room I. could still look at you in the eyes and. you know like a normal person right and. if I when I was in my worst I couldn't. do that and so but that took a long time. to fix and the book basically is me. admitting making those mistakes I should. have went to him as soon as I got sick. again the first time instead of trying.

to document it myself and and hide it. and and manage it myself and trying to. get to whatever the end of my career was. whenever that moment was and retire. thinking I was going to walk away. without anybody ever knowing and I had. to retire after that after that 2016. year of missing half a season and going. through all that I didn't want to go. through it again I had one more year on. my contract in 2017 so I finished that. season and that was that were you. apprehensive while you're finishing this.

yeah. I didn't want to get hurt I didn't want. to go back through that whole process. again and go through that rehab again I. didn't want to get sick again. me and my wife just got married on New. Year's of 2016-17 so we're newlyweds. we're getting she's pregnant we're gonna. have a baby you know I didn't want to go. through any of that stuff sick you know. what I told my doctor you like this. since now we know each other so well. when I was ill in the hospital or when I.

was with Mickey in Pittsburgh as my. wedding was on New Year's and I was this. is probably around October or right know. this was probably in August I said I. need two things I was like I need to be. able to go through my wedding on my. wedding day and my wedding night and. that whole experience I want to do it. with a completely clear head and I want. to be able to remember everything I. don't want to be on any drugs I don't. want to have any symptoms I don't want.

to even be thinking about my head or. reminded about it and in any moment. during that night I wanted my wedding to. be perfect and I want to be able to. climb up in my deer stand without. feeling like I'm gonna fall out of it. and he said he'd fix it and I was. hunting that I was hunting that October. wow you you in in doing these exercises. and then fixing the issues that you were. facing well you you a concern though. about long-term effects. you know I've absolutely over the last.

five years it's it's it's been hard for. me to turn a turn my back on articles. stories about NFL players and their. history and these guys you know the. whole lawsuit brought up so many stories. about what these guys have went through. what their families have went through. it's been impossible not to read that. stuff and fear that is that you know is.

that something that's going to happen to. me if I do I need to be worried about my. you know long-term health and and what. you know I I would it took me the. longest time to watch that concussion. because I just didn't want to know what. he had to tell me you know and I. eventually I got to a place where I. thought I talked to Mickey you know when.

I wasn't hurt in 2016 I said Mickey why. aren't you shutting me down like he he. shut down some player I don't know the. guys name I don't know who whether he. was a hockey player a football player. but the guy was making millions of. dollars and he was in his mid-20s and. Mickey had to say you can't play anymore. and I wanted Mickey to tell me that I. didn't want to have to go out go out the. room and say y'all I'm retiring I don't. want to do this anymore I wanted to say. y'all Mickey said I gotta retire I don't. you know but he wouldn't and he said you.

know you're not where that guy is and I. don't see what's going on I don't see. anything going on with you that tells me. you can't race if you want to race I. said well what if I get hurt again he's. go he said if you get hurt again I can. fix it if you it's up to you if you want. to go through that he said you you're. just as likely to get hurt as you were. before the injury you're gonna race and. racing and racing is dangerous. you got to make up your mind whether you. want to go out there and risk getting. hurt again and if you do I'll fix it you. can come right back here and we'll fix.

it all over again and that's like and I. was like all right if you're not. shutting me down then you must not be. worried about my long-term health and. he's like no I'm not worried about your. home term he'll there's nothing going on. here that I see that would make me. concerned about your long-term health. and so with all that said I got married. I had a little girl I'm sitting there on. them days at home with them and I'm. thinking to myself what if I'm sitting. here worried about CTE or my mind you.

know going away and it never happens you. know am I gonna wait am I gonna sit here. and worry about that at 44. all the way through my 50s and my 60s. and 70s and then one day wake up at 80. and go damn I live a pretty good life. why did I worry about all that hmm. why didn't I enjoy what was in front of. me and so the other so I'm gonna enjoy. what's in front of me not gonna worry. about CTE not gonna worry about my. long-term. and there's another thing to the the.

conversation about concussions is really. just skyrocketed in the you know in the. warp speed over the last five or six. years and the the way they treated me in. 2012 - the way they treated me in 2016. was completely 180 degrees because they. know so much more and they're so you. know they understand so much more about. treating the injury and so if I do have. any problems whenever that is I'm.

confident that there'll be something. there for me that there'll be something. there to give me a good quality of life. I've had a hell of a run I had a lot of. fun I raised hell I partied I won I lost. and if it all ended now I wouldn't be I. wouldn't have missed out on anything. other than my wife and my little girl. and so I'm content with you know where I. can I'm content with where I am all I. want to be able to do is just you know.

be a good father and be a good husband. and I think you know I think I'm gonna. have that opportunity but if anything. does happen to me I think that there'll. be some technology some information some. medicine something that would give me a. good enough quality of life that I would. be able to enjoy those things I think. you made the wise choice in retiring oh. yeah and I think that I'm look I'm very. familiar with head injuries I'm around. people that have had them all the time. and I think it's it's something that.

we're understanding now more than ever. before but someone like you writing a. book about this and your experience with. it I think is really important for. people I think it's gonna help a lot of. people it's gonna help a lot of people. understand it and the more we talk about. this the more this gets out there in the. public the more it helps just regular. folks that have had concussions. understand what a significant thing this. is yeah this there's this book is to not. discourage you from doing what you want.

to do if you want to race race if you. want to fight fight if you want to do. whatever it is play football. I'm not discouraging anymore from doing. that I'm encouraging it I'm just saying. that whenever you do are her. wherever you if you ever do find. yourself with an injury don't make the. bad choices that I made that's really. all I'm doing here is to share with. people the mistakes that I made I never. would have known about Mickey had. somebody not taking me to him I would. have never even considered the fact that. there was treatment for a head injury.

right had I not met Mickey I mean. there's people out there today that that. don't know there's treatment that. they're living with these injuries our. veterans that don't think that they can. be healed there's people in my timeline. all the time saying man I'm glad you're. talking about concussions I had one and. I'm dealing with it all the time boy. it's just nagging me every day yeah and. the truth is is that you don't have to. even live that way. there's better there's a better quality. of life with the information that they. know today even if this injury was 10.

years ago or 15 years ago there's their. stuff today that can help give you a. better quality of life and so that's. what the books about it's an amazing. time and when you think about the fact. that 2012 you had an injury and they. treated you one way 2016 they had. already advanced their techniques and. I'm sure they've advanced even more now. in 2018 it's it's amazing. yeah and we're live we're living in this. mm-hmm we're living in this big learning. experience right now yeah I know they're. starting to do some stuff with stem.

cells as well and you know there's a guy. named dr. Neil Reardon that I've had on. the podcast before that he did wonders. for Mel Gibson's dad so Mel Gibson came. on and went to talk about this they have. to do treatment in Panama because they. can't do a lot of the treatments here in. the United States because they're not. legal yet but the effects that they're. having on people that are they're. bringing down to Panama I'm it's just. mind-blowing you know and I'm hoping. that's gonna also help people with. traumatic brain injuries and CTE and.

some other things as well yeah yeah I'm. excited for them to find a way to detect. CTE in the living human being and they. already have figure out ways they. figured out a way to do that now it's. very very recently that it started to do. that but you know it's a it's a major. concern obviously for fighters but I. would imagine that someone in your line. of work it's not thought about the same. way if people think about it with. football. they won't they don't think about in. terms of they don't they directly. associate boxing with head injury they.

don't directly associate racecar driving. yeah and and I'm hopeful that there are. a lot of drivers that have experienced. what I've experienced and crashed the. way I've crashed and there-there's. drivers that will race their lives. without it you know without ever having. that experience and I'm glad for that. but for the guys that have I've got I've. had veterans retired guys call me say. man I've given to my doctor's number to. so many damn people ever since I've. spoken up about this in 2012 to now and.

this book Mickey says there's there's at. least three people a week coming in his. office talking about me and that's why. they're there and so that's the whole. mission man is because Mickey gave me my. life back twice I'm telling you man in. 16 I was in bad shape and I was I was. without walking without my wife and. without Mickey I don't know that I'd. have made it out then and this book or. anything else and this podcast anything. I'm any opportunity to talk about this. is only to push more people to Mickey so.

that he can do the same thing for they. only did for me that's amazing. there's a guy named dr. Mark Gordon. that's also been on this podcast before. that it does a lot of work with TBI and. soldiers and football players and stuff. like that so there's there's a lot of. other doctors out there that are. specializing in this and realize this is. a significant issue it's so happy that. those people are out there yeah yeah. well they're getting some good you know. they're getting some opportunities to. actually you know get up get up there. and speak up about it and make it known. and I know there's got the me I have.

Mickey there's a bunch of Mickey's out. there yeah and they're you know and. there's a lot getting learned right now. well there's so many people that are. silently suffering that don't want to. open their mouth because they don't want. to appear weak that well that's part of. it too yeah a lot of people don't want. to there's people there's some people. that just don't know where to go you. know I don't think that they can afford. it or don't think that they're they're. gonna get that out you know like when I. when I first went to Mickey I thought I. was gonna go in there and see just. Steelers and NHL players right right.

that's how ignorant I was about it and. you know. he sees every man that's awesome yeah. now do you mean being a race car driver. is such a wild exciting powerful way to. make a living. do you ever get the itch now yeah sure I. am. I ran a race in about a month or a month. two months ago at Richmond Virginia and. it's a we have an Xfinity level we have.

an Xfinity series that's it's sponsored. by Xfinity. and it's basically our college level. they race on Saturdays before the Big. Show on Sunday at the same track and. it's a it's a abbreviated race and I got. a couple Ellen a couple cars that racing. that every week and so I ran in a race. at Richmond to scratch the itch a little. bit and had a blast we ran great led a. lot of laps had fun cops everything we. wanted to accomplish I'll probably run.

one more next year at another track and. probably do that every year until I just. don't feel like doing it anymore just. for fun yeah just for fun but no more. than that and I never go back to the cup. series but so the cups people talk about. it like man you can just go back it's. like you can't just go back it's like. it'd be like when it'd be like one of. the fighters you know just taking a. couple years off and then jumping back.

in for the championship match you know. you just it's two elite you know I'm. saying well that just happened Conor. McGregor just came back after two years. off and [ __ ] could be abner me and lost. got smash yeah so it's good point yeah. making I mean he probably would have. lost anyway to be yeah could be was just. just a monster yeah but who knows yeah. he might not have if I would go back I. wouldn't it would take me six months. just to get up to speed not even really. even get competitive just to get up to. speed physically and and and mentally.

bring yourself to your a-game yeah. and it ain't something you just get out. of and go back in I mean people on the. outside looking at wow you're steering. you're shifting yes the big deal yeah. hit the gas go it's such a man if you. take a week off you just get so behind. what is it that you get behind what well. they're art so our sport we were talking. about this with a friend today and he. made a good point he said there was a. guy he says our sport is the only one.

where the where the ball is governed and. the ball is inspected like the race car. the car right the physical car itself so. technology is one of the things that is. like what's fast today will be obsolete. and slow six months from now you. wouldn't even think about running it and. six months yeah really yeah yeah I mean. it's it's it's constantly evolving and.

somebody next door the guy next to you. and the guy next to him and the guy next. to him is always constantly trying to. build the better mousetrap you know and. and everybody's and what's new and. badass today is it's gonna be okay and. not very good six months from now and. they're constantly so the teams are. constantly working and if you're not in. those cars and current and in that flow. in that changing in that cycle in that. wheel then you can't you're you're.

behind like when you get in the car and. you get around the team like you're. behind on on what's what what's in the. car what's happening with the car and I. don't know it's just not something you. just jump in and out of because you're. not the you're not really them the key. component like your body is your body as. a fighter it you know your body and your. body is the tool a football player same. thing quarterback his arms the tool. right in racing it's the car and so if.

you're not in it and around it every day. you will be behind on technology. understanding what's happening and what. teams are doing what you're neat what. you need to be doing the damn Dash is. full of switches with all kinds of [ __ ]. and this needs to be on this needs to be. off and this needs to be back on and off. and on and there's you know levers. there's brake levers some drivers have. four [ __ ] brake levers there's like. abrir you can shut off the left front. the right rear the right front you can.

put all the brakes from the back to the. front from the back from the left of the. right I mean that's just the brakes and. yeah I mean there's just so many there's. there's just a lot going on that it. would take you a while to get back up to. speed if you were to take some time off. it's not it's just not as easy it used. to be I had no idea there was that many. brake options oh yeah yeah I mean you. could have as many as you own or as. little as you want some guys really.

think that that stuff's a good tool for. them to be able to adjust the brakes and. change how the brakes work on all four. corners of the car and some of them do. they move them during the race while. they're racing you know they're changing. them fooling with them you know in an. IndyCar you know you can adjust the roll. bars and all it wings and all that stuff. and start you know in those cars and. stuff like that so I mean there's a as a. racecar driver there's there's just a. ton of stuff going on in that car that. people don't even know about yeah so it. would just take you a while to get all. that stuff automatic yeah yeah I would.

get in the I would get in the car and. forget about those tools and forget that. I had those adjustments and knowledge. and be getting beat by guys that are. using it every day now how but how much. time are you in a car in a race three. hours probably three and a half hours do. you do anything or do you take anything. to keep you concentrating at your full. potential during that time vitamins or I.

never did I just mixed water and orange. Gatorade so your electrolytes yeah. fifty-fifty yeah. Jimmie Johnson several those guys do. Energy Chews different things a lot of. Gatorade oriented stuff Gatorade the. sponsor for Jimmy so he's gonna have the. Gatorade twos or whatever you must be. sweating like a pig in those things. right you sweat a ton if you lose you. lose anywhere from around six to eight. pounds a race it's all just water weight. and you just. right back on in a day or two these are.

really hot in the car that was yeah so. in in Chicago this year was 150 degrees. in the car whoa he had a sauna yeah we. had temperature we had these temperature. gauges in the car so we're seeing them. on from the broadcast booth we can see. during the in-car camera it'll be. pointed at that temperature gauge and. all of the guys cars were 150 degrees. inside all the drivers and it was. miserable that's insane. so is there any fear of people blacking. out from I don't suppose you know that's.

something that I've always kind of been. concerned with I think that we don't. have that concern today but it is coming. and we need to like if we have a 150. degree in car temperatures I think that. we need to think about how to try not to. have that you know try to do something. to where man it's that really necessary. that we put the drivers through that is. it because the engines in front of you. as you're driving the heat from the.

engine just blows in various. compartments yeah that and the brakes. everything it breaks free yeah the. brakes are gonna be a thousand degrees. on the calipers and that heats radiating. the end of the car the drivers can open. up these knack knack conducts to allow. air into the car but that that's down. well yeah it's gonna slow you down it's. gonna hurt the performance of the car. and so the drivers try to trim the cars. out so much that there's not a lot of. air moving around in the car and it's so. low to the ground there's not moving. around under the car either so that air.

under the car is just kind of baking in. there and just sitting in there. so it they're miserable they're. miserable miserable miserable car that's. when I watch races and I'm like you know. I'd love to get out there and do that. for a few minutes but damn running three. hours in under 50 degree racecar it's. miserable that's great were sticks it is. the worst experience I can't imagine. being in a sauna just sitting there for. three hours never mind. driving a car around a bunch of heather. to focus on something yeah everyone's.

going 200 miles an hour yeah the worst. parts when you slow down like the. caution comes out because that it gets. hotter like it just when the cop when. the college comes out and you have to. come in and change tires and you're. sitting there and you go. eight or 10 pace laps at 50 miles an. hour you're just that's when you get to. think about it you know that's when. you're sitting there going this is hot. you know why you're racing you're almost. so hyper focused on what you're doing. right and it kind of doesn't bother you. is bad distracts you yeah is there. anything they can do to cool you off.

with your suit does your suit anything. there's these new vests that we wear. that has a jail in it and it's you plug. into a little machine that pumps it and. so you unplug it to get out of the car. those work really well actually we use a. used one in the last year my career and. it was very comfortable so there's some. there's some innovative stuff out there. they have a helmet cooler there's a hose. that plugs the top of your helmet and it. blows some air in there it's a little. bit cooler but it dropped those two.

things draws so much amps that the teams. don't want to use them the drivers want. to use them but the crew chiefs don't. want you drawn that many amps off the. rate off the alternator where they want. to use amps for other things that are. gonna make the car go faster yeah not. comfortable that's why there's no a/c. yeah man now when you think back on. doing all that stuff that you did do and. think about those kind of races and. think about all the endurance and all. the different aspects of it does it ever.

seem kind of crazy that you did it yeah. like that I did I raced yeah I mean now. that you're not racing like whoa what a. wild way to make a living yeah like I. can't believe it happened to me no [ __ ]. like my dad was sort of this invincible. hero and I wanted to do what he did I. didn't think I was gonna get to do that.

when I started doing it I was thinking. to myself I can't believe this is. happening to me when I started to win I. want a few race I never man I never so. when I was in when I was 20 years old I. wasn't thinking man I'll be a champion. i'ma win 20 races I'm all the way in 50. races I'm gonna kick some ass I was. thinking I sure would love to do this. and pay my bills I would love to do. just for a living not have to work. changing old wasn't the best you know.

wasn't where I wanted to be right. working in a surge department was fun. but damn I wanted to be a racecar driver. and so when I made it I didn't really I. wanted to win but damn I just wanted to. be able to make money to afford to do it. for a living and that's all I ever. wanted. so the wins Daytona 500 and all that. [ __ ] was a bonus and when I look back on. it now I'm like man I got was so lucky. holy cow was i lucky to do what we did.

and do what I did and win what I did and. very lucky do you think you had such. great success not just because obviously. you're your dad is one of the greatest. of all time but also because your love. for it was what propelled you it wasn't. trying to seek fame or fortune it just. you just truly loved racing and that's. why you became so great at it yeah my. dad's the link to my father opened up a. [ __ ] ton of doors for me opened up so. many opportunities for me all even today.

it made my path much easier than some. other fellows that I know but I think. that my my passion for it and my yeah my. love for it my love for its history my. wanting for it to be healthy the sport. all those things is what probably made. me make good decisions as I went along. you know and when I would talk or get in. a position to make the comment or say.

something I always tried to think about. how that would represent the sport I. didn't understand what building a brand. meant till way too late in my career. good yeah I mean good concentrating on. that it's always a mess yeah I don't. know I mean I wish I'd have known a. little bit about trying to build my. brand now wouldn't been such a hard-ass. and hard to work with a lot of times. like there's been there were some. sponsors I loved and I did everything. they wanted and there was some that I. just weren't I wasn't as good as I.

should have been you know I wasn't you. know I have regrets but I'm just saying. like I didn't. as I was going through this career I. wasn't thinking about me me me right I. didn't even know how to build my own. brand I didn't know what that man I was. thinking about man and I love this this. is great I can't believe I get to do. this I can't believe I'm here I can't. believe I'm racing here racing this. person doing driving this car got this. sponsor [ __ ] you know this everything. everything was the best of the best you.

know I had had great sponsors awesome. awesome equipment everybody always nice. you know hey hey you know it everybody's. so nice. my wife just hates that cuz I'm. everywhere I go I'm like everybody's so. nice how was this but they were so nice. she goes everybody's nice to you you. know she college she says she's I don't. know she just says you you know that's. normal people we we don't get everybody. nice yeah yeah that is interesting yeah.

you live in this world where everybody's. happy to me yes like a hot chick yeah me. [Laughter]. with the world's like everywhere they go. everybody loves them yeah yeah people. super super excited to see them yeah. they know there's danger out there and.

some of these men but sure everybody's. very friendly today right yeah very. similar but a large lady with the. unfortunate looks she's a different view. of the world yes yeah yeah how much did. you learn about racing from your dad. hardly nothing man I mean we I would get. asked all the time what your dad taught. you about X Y & Z and we never talked. about racing really never Wow.

yeah we never talked about reason Eve. mind you started racing nationally yeah. Wow. yeah we never did he was always don't. you know finish he he was so worried. that me and Kelly wouldn't finish school. that we would give up on school he gave. up on school as an eighth grader at 16. years old he was 16 in eighth grade and. quit and never finished high school. never got no GED nothing and people.

would come up to him and say or people. would talk about him even while he was. live and ever since and say look what. this guy made of himself haven't quit. the eighth grade that's awesome and he. always hated that that was embarrassing. for people too you know he was. embarrassed that he quit he knowed how. bad it disappointed his own father so he. was always like worried about where I.

was who I was hanging out with whether I. was you know doing my homework and then. even when I started racing it was who I. was hanging out with what I was doing. with my free time what I was focusing on. whether I was you know thinking about. you know what I was whether I was on. time for sponsor appearances and never. this is how you drive this corner. business I get around this racetrack he. never talked about that stuff it was. always the person I being a man being. right being good to people being on time.

being ready to work looking your best. general you know morals and values he. didn't we never sit down and talked. about racing like I'm true you had to. get around this corner and this is how. you shift and [ __ ] like that. well in that respect it was probably. brilliant of him cuz look the. championships came and you also turned. out to be a great man ah thanks I.

appreciate you saying that I I don't. know I always felt like that when I was. younger I kind of let my father down. because there was this one time I was. probably 12 years old and there was this. me and my buddy we were gonna play man. we're here we're outside we're gonna. play outside my dad's standing over. there and it was a bucket full of [ __ ]. and he's like hey come here. Pope jr. picked that bucket up move it. over here and I went over there and.

tried to pick it up and I was like I. can't lift it and he got so pissed off. at me because they knew I didn't try. and he said to my buddy Ryan he was Ryan. come here pick the bucket up and take it. over there and he turned around and gave. me this look of pure frickin. disappointment and I felt like that set. the tone for our relationship Wow for. one bucket I know I feel like that that. was the that was our relationship in a. nutshell for most of my teenage years.

you know he looked at me as you know I. don't know what he's gonna mount to I. don't know what the skids gonna do I. don't know what what you know what. skills he has or whether you ever get. his act together or whether he's ever. gonna figure himself out you know and I. probably didn't give him much reason to. think different but then when we got. when I started racing when I started. racing to late models I ran 159 races.

and he never came to 1 through 94 95 96. 97 I raced at Myrtle Beach South. Carolina every weekend and he never once. came down there to watch me and so he. didn't know whether I was a good race. car driver or a bad race car driver he. didn't know whether I was you know. working on my car or understanding how. they you know what what how to build the. car fix the car and when I would do good. I'd come home and I'd have a trophy and. I'd say hey man I want and he'd go well.

who wasn't there and I'm like [ __ ] he. really did the first I remember coming. home with the trophy and I could not. wait till he what he would walk I kept. my car in this in this building that was. his and he put all his deer head up. there called a deer head shop I'm. talking 35 40 mounts in this place a. couple elk and he'd come in there every. Monday morning before lunch and I had. that trophy sitting up we'd brought it.

home and it was right in view soon as he. walks in I got a car working on my car. and he comes in there and I'm like yeah. Mike he's like so you want huh he's a. trophy I was like yeah we did and he's. like such-and-such must not been there. there was this one guy named Robert. Powell used to beat us all the time and. he goes Robert must not been there I was. like no you wouldn't he wasn't there she. right I was so pissed off man I finally.

won a damn race I thought he was gonna. come in there and slap me on the back. and man we you know give me him. give me a good talk didn't give you more. motivation that he didn't do that. I I don't think so I don't think he did. I think it made me want to it did not. make me want to win more but then one. day so right around the end of 1997 I. was out of money he was like hey you.

know you're out of money you know race I. was like [ __ ] my life is coming to an. end as far as I know it you know I'm not. gonna. I guess my racing career this is it it's. coming to an end. 1997 he was sitting down talking to he. had a car that races in the Xfinity. series that I told you about on. Saturdays and his driver was leaving to. go to a cup car and he was talking to. his best friend Tony senior is the guy's. name that actually crew chiefs that car.

he's like who were gonna get drivers. thing who should we get we got a hires. driver and Tony senior said why don't. you put Dale junior near he goes what we. serious you really think so he's like. you're gonna spend a little money on. this car why don't you spend it on your. own kid you know once you just put I can. I can probably make a driver out of him. Tony senior says so and so they made the. decision to put me in this car in the. Xfinity series you'd think that dad. would come tell me or we would have.

press conference might be a press. release at least I walked into this is a. month before the race season starts I. think I'm out over I think I'm out of. racing right I ain't even talked to. anybody about what I'm racing or if I'm. racing in a couple months I think that. it's dried up opportunities you're going. I walk into the shop to get something. where Tony and seniors car County. seniors race car was and my name was on. the roof and I was like I thought it was. a joke like a mean joke a prank and they.

were laughing. Tonie senior and some of the guys in. shopper laughing and I'm like man that's. messed up man y'all are dicks we're. putting that name on there this ain't no. funny in there and they were like it's. true man I was like you mean I'm gonna. race this car I'm racing this car and. they're like yeah I was like really and. I mean obviously I was thrilled like man. I couldn't believe it but this is the. way I found out not from my own bed and.

I'm like dad I'm racing the car yep. I mean like days later when I seen I'm. like so I'm gonna race that car yep yep. sure better get ready that's it yeah and. I mean it was he was the strangest dude. but it can't he didn't he didn't really. but once so I started racing that car. and I had had great success we won six. or seven races the first year we won. another six or seven races the second.

year of championships in both seasons so. I mean the choice to put me in that car. worked out better than he probably ever. imagined ever and 159 late-model races. that I ran from 94 to 97 I won 4 in 159. late-model races I wasn't four so he put. me in this car on a whim and a prayer. and we ended up winning championship two. in a row so he is thinking damn this. little you know [ __ ] can drive a car and.

that's when our relationship completely. changed that's when I his arm around me. we were doing [ __ ] together we were. doing we were doing we had sponsored. deals and promotions together we were. doing photo shoots together I saw him. all the time and we talked about all. kinds of you know we talked about life. girls and and everything but racing you. know we didn't talk about racing much. but just fine but it was awesome. and so 98 99 and then 2000 I went to Cup.

he built a cup team around me we had. Budweiser come in for ten million. dollars a year which was a big. sponsorship anybody had in it at that. time. and so and then he got killed in 2001 at. the start of the season in Daytona 500. so those three years 98 99 2000 or as. good as it could get Wow yeah that must. have been amazing what's been amazing. for you to turn that corner yeah it was.

like a light switch. he went from he went from not really. engaging with me me not comfortable. around him feeling ashamed not me not. measuring up he's because he's 10 foot. tall cowboy boots black hat tougher and. [ __ ] now you know Intimidator that was. his nickname and I was blind pale short. as hell not a muscle on me and had.

accomplished nothing you know right and. so it but it overnight it was like. completely changed we we started running. great and people were coming up to me. like dude you're freaking you're doing. awesome and you know and he's and he was. uh he was real happy with that he was. pretty proud that's crazy that he'd. never talk to you about race no that's. just so strange. yeah I can't imagine that was one it was.

only one time that he did that we were. at a track called Bristol Tennessee we. were to track in Bristol Tennessee it's. a half mile high banked race track and. we run 15-second laps around there it's. really fast and it's it's kind of. technical and tough to get around and. I'd been race I'm out there practicing. and I wasn't I wasn't doing it right and. he got up on the he got up on one of the. hollers and got on the radio and started.

talking to me and he was like hey man. I'm gonna tell you how to drive it and. so this one day one time in this one. practice for about five minutes. he's like I'm gonna tell you how to. drive his track so I'm out there driving. and I'm when I he's like I lift right. here and I'd lift getting the gas okay. I'm turning there and he's just telling. me how to drive the track and that was. only time he ever did that. just think of how much it would have. improved you I know it really helped me. there that day I mean it like his like. when he told me how to do it I'm like.

holy [ __ ] this is way I would have never. thought of doing it this way and this is. way better right now so yeah maybe he. could have given me a few more tips on. some things come on man you mean that's. that has to be so crazy because that's. your profession yeah well your dad is a. superhero well I think that you know I. finally made it to cup and I think had. he lived he would have been in my ear. all those years best decision today so.

maybe he just didn't wasn't in a hurry. to do it cuz he didn't know that he. wasn't gonna be around for it right yeah. how hard was it to race after he was. gone I thought about whether I should. quit or not you know I probably if the. if it hadn't paid a lot of money and I. didn't have partners and people that. were dependent on me or counting on me I. probably could easily walk away from it.

but we had a great partner in Budweiser. that was incredibly supportive. I had a lucrative opportunity in front. of me personally to be a be a race car. driver for as long as I wanted to which. I wanted and I just had to go through. missing him really bad for a few months. you know I had to I had to go the race. track and everywhere I looked. you know there's dad there were no fans.

morning there were signs and paintings. and things you know there was just. markings and acknowledgments and just. [ __ ] everywhere for like a year and I. appreciated it I knew why it was like. that but it took a while for me to sort. of get to where I didn't I was I went. there was a little period of me a period. of time where I was real. self-destructive and just like.

I'm a dad you know it everything and you. know took me a while to calm down and. get to work you know for Ferb for a. while there it was just sort of going. through the motions the you know I mean. you must have always known I mean. everyone knows there's dangers involved. in racing cars but when it hits someone. so close as your own father that had to.

change what racing felt like to you hmm. yeah I'm sure it I'm sure it would have. completely been a different experience. emotionally had that not happened had. you know racing for me would have meant. something completely different you know. I just was he was in he was this he was. this invincible guy that you know wasn't.

supposed to get hurt wasn't supposed to. I mean he was he was he was supposed to. get hurt. and drive hurt and be tough and he. wasn't supposed to get killed and leave. us all you know he left the whole sport. you know and and no one knew what to do. like that was like the whole sport was. sitting there going [ __ ] what do we do. you know he was the guy for everyone and. even in even the competitors you know.

looked up to him like he was di like. that that's the man and so it was tough. on the whole sport too big giant void. for the whole sport but I you know we. just huddled together me and my team in. our company we raced for my dad's. company so that whole company kind of. just kind of held held itself together. and everybody kind of pulled together. and worked our way through it that first. year no one just that year you know that.

he was killed now that was just a kind. of a tough year I don't even really. remember anything much about what. happened that year won a couple races. but it was a otherwise you know the. races where we didn't win I can't even I. don't even remember much about him you. know just retaining too much from it it. was just kind of a daze you know oh for. was a great year I think we kind of. finally were coming out of the funk you. know around 2004 it's kind of coming out.

of the cloud of that I would imagine. that being a race car driver and having. your dad be who he was always carried a. lot of weight but did he carry more. weight after he was gone with her more. eyes on you yeah I thought so. you know I thought he he was tough he. knew who he was to the sport he knew he. knew that you know he carried he carried.

a big massive fan base and he knew that. people listening when he spoke and all. those things and so when he was gone I. think some people some people kind of. looked at me to try to carry that same. load and even be that same person and I. just wasn't gonna do it I was like man. I'm gonna be me I'm gonna be the prime. you know like I said he was he's this. 10-foot tall black hat and I'm I'm this. short scrawny pale kid you know I was I. couldn't be who he was I'd have been.

faking it and I couldn't be the. Intimidator you know so I just have. always ever since then been me and if. that's good if you like that great I. think I've been relatable. honest genuine and the fan base that I. gained when when he passed away I. thought we nurtured that and grew that. and I think we did a lot of great things.

in and outside the sport too to do that. so I'm kind of proud of all those things. I thought I handled that well. considering there are a lot of different. avenues to go at that time and I think I. chose some good ones and certainly. probably could have made some different. decisions and. and have regrets but for the most part I. was able to you know add to his legacy a. little bit that was something that was.

important to me I didn't go out there. and win 90 damn races I didn't win seven. championships but I didn't hurt his. legacy I added to it made a lot of. people happy. there was an Earnhardt on the track you. know that was good for a lot of people. tell you got a great perspective well. thanks. you really do any book it's called. racing to the finish it's out now go get. it folks thanks Thank You Dale yes sir.

man I appreciate you having a [ __ ] you. being here great to meet you. great to meet you too thank you we. should do on nice let's do it let's do. it you name it. [Music]. [Music].