With the scene set, it’s off to the races in 1980. The NASCAR Cup Series heads out to Riverside, California, to begin the season, and sophomore Dale Earnhardt is hoping to improve his road course performance. He will, in fact, finish runner-up to Darrell Waltrip, who, after a narrow loss in the 1979 points race, is regarded as a championship favorite for this year. Dale caps his successful West Coast trip off with a new season sponsor and a contract extension with Rod Osterlund, and he’s understandably feeling at the top of his game.

He rolls that confidence into Daytona Beach, where he shows his first glimpses of supernatural ability on the superspeedway high banks. He makes a last lap pass on the outside of Darrell Waltrip to pick up his first victory at the track, the Busch Clash. But when all the marbles are on the line in the Daytona 500, he has to go toe to toe with Buddy Baker and the fastest stock car in the country: Waddell Wilson’s Gray Ghost.

This episode of Becoming Earnhardt is brought to you by Bass Pro Shops. North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Plan your next adventure at a Bass Pro Shops near you, or online at BassPro.com. 

This project is in partnership with MRN, the Motor Racing Network, and the Appalachian State University Stock Car Collection.

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Another year, another scrapbook. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back on his quest to learn the origins of his father’s legendary NASCAR career, and in this season of Becoming Earnhardt, he is unpacking the 1980 season. With the help of some family scrapbooks and his personal collection of racing artifacts, Dale Jr. is seeking to gain a deeper understanding of who Dale Earnhardt was before his seven championships and numerous wins.

In the first episode of this season, we set the scene of 1980, both in the world of motorsports and the world at large. The star of our story, Dale Earnhardt, is fresh off winning the NASCAR Cup Rookie of the Year in 1979, ready to take on the mainstays of stock car racing with his Osterlund Racing crew. His path to stardom goes through the legends of the day, such as Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, and David Pearson, but with veteran crew chief Jake Elder atop the pit box, Dale is feeling confident in his chances. The goal is a season championship ring, but before he can get there, he will have to weather the storms of competition, attrition, and personality.

This episode of Becoming Earnhardt is brought to you by Bass Pro Shops. North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Plan your next adventure at a Bass Pro Shops near you, or online at BassPro.com. 

This project is in partnership with MRN, the Motor Racing Network, and the Appalachian State University Stock Car Collection.

FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

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The dust has settled on the greatest NASCAR Cup season in history, and it’s time to recap all that we’ve learned about 1979. Dale Earnhardt Jr. invites some of the guests from BECOMING EARNHARDT for a roundtable discussion to recount all that we’ve learned and conclude some of our favorite characters ’ stories. Dale’s aunts, Cathy Watkins and Kaye Snipes, as well as Osterlund Racing crew member Doug Richert, return as first-hand character witnesses who helped bring the story of 1979 to life.

The chat once again sets the dial back to the beginning of 1979 and views Dale Earnhardt through the eyes of his family, as he’s getting ready to embark on the biggest opportunity in his young racing career. It also dissects complicated characters like Jake Elder and the team dynamic at Osterlund Racing. They dive into the significance of the NASCAR Cup Rookie of the Year in 1979 and just how close things got in the race between Dale and Joe Millikan. Finally, some new details are revealed about the severity of Dale’s injury at Pocono and his lengthy hospital stay and time out of the driver’s seat.

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After 27 grueling weeks, it comes down to the final four races. Somehow, after all the roster changes, crashes, fights and calamity, there are two tight points races to be decided. As the NASCAR Cup contingent prepares for the last stretch, the season points championship and the Rookie of the Year battles have never been closer. 

Dale Earnhardt surely had the rookie crown locked up after his stunning victory at Bristol in April, but the trusty DeWitt team and their unproven chauffeur Joe Millikan have kept him in sight. After Dale’s disastrous crash and time on the sideline, Millikan took full advantage and strung together a series of top-10 finishes to take over the top spot in the standings.

In the Grand National points race, Darrell Waltrip jumped out to an early lead and never looked back for most of the season. But after a catastrophic sequence of engine failures and crashes, the DiGard team seems to have begun to crumble under the pressure of winning their first season championship. Even worse, the King Richard Petty has been steadily getting closer in the rearview mirror, and he has his sights set on an unprecedented seventh Cup crown. 

Join us as we go down to the wire in the greatest NASCAR Cup season in history. We’ll unpack the final four events: North Wilkesboro, Rockingham, Atlanta and Ontario. By the end of it, we will have decided two incredible points contests, with winners who represent NASCAR’s past and future.

FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets, which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

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As we roll into the CRC Chemicals 500 at Dover Downs International Speedway, our hero Dale Earnhardt has settled back into his role as driver of the Osterlund Racing number 2. However, six weeks out of the action has compromised his stamina, and his first race back the prior week in Richmond saw him seeking out assistance from fellow racer Lennie Pond. 500 miles at the challenging, high-banked one-mile oval in Delaware is demanding enough for a healthy driver, but for someone who is still mending two broken collarbones it’s unthinkable. Then again, that’s the Dale Earnhardt we’ve all come to know so well: never backing down from any challenge.

In episode seven of Becoming Earnhardt, we deep dive into races 25 through 27 of the 1979 NASCAR Cup season. Three 500-mile contests at three of the most demanding speedways on the circuit: Dover Downs, Martinsville and Charlotte. With the Rookie of the Year battle at stake thanks to the continuous, consistent performance of Joe Milllikan, Dale Earnhardt is prepared to risk further injury to his already weakened body to claim the title sure to be the ticket to a bright future in the top ranks of stock car racing.

FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets, which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

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It was a rookie season of the ages, until it wasn’t. A cut tire and Pocono’s unforgiving steel boiler-plate walls left Dale Earnhardt with two broken collarbones and an open-ended timeframe for recovery. The NASCAR Cup circuit would then roll on as he began to mend in an East Stroudsburg, PA hospital. The progress he made in the stock car ranks and his grip on the 1979 Rookie of the Year award would be tested as his closest competitors in the freshman race would continue onward. Even worse, his own ride and future could be in jeopardy, as the Osterlund Racing team makes a call to one of the greatest drivers in history to fill-in during the interim. 

On this episode of Becoming Earnhardt, our exploration of the 1979 NASCAR Cup season unpacks races 20 through 24. Our main character will wrestle with watching from the sidelines as his blue and yellow number-2 gets driven by a NASCAR legend at some of his favorite tracks. The Cup contingent returns to Talladega, Michigan, Bristol and Darlington. When the Osterlund crew finds victory lane without him, Dale makes a miraculous return to the driver’s seat, defying his doctors, the press and the rest of the NASCAR garage.

FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets, which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

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It’s June of 1979 and 28-year-old Dale Earnhardt is feeling as confident as ever. With a notch in the win column and top five finishes in the last three races, the rookie seems to have found his place amongst the stock car racing elite. As episode five of Becoming Earnhardt opens, the NASCAR Cup circuit travels to the Lone Star State to take on the daunting Texas World Speedway. Dale would once again race his way into the spotlight, nipping at the heels of eventual race winner Darrell Waltrip before a mechanical failure sent him into the wall and made him settle for a 12th-place finish. But the impressive showing had Ol’ DW once again admitting in victory lane, “when all the seasoned veterans retire, it’ll be Dale Earnhardt I’ll have to contend with.”

It’s during this episode that the NASCAR garage gets its first glimpse at the on-track aggression that would eventually become “The Intimidator”. In a late race hustle at Michigan International, Dale makes a daring move that sends many top contenders scrambling, bringing about the ire of the very drivers who had been singing his praises. And while this constructive feedback from his mentors may have had him reconsidering his standing in the Cup ranks, it didn’t seem to slow him down any. As the Cup schedule hits the Poconos and Dale takes on the Tricky Triangle for the first time in his career, he is dealt a turn of events that will leave his dreams of being a NASCAR Champion in doubt. 

FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets, which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

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Basking in the glory of his first NASCAR Cup victory, rookie Dale Earnhardt finds himself in the conversation of the top talents in the garage area. Not only has he put the heat on the rest of the rookie class with his triumph, but he’s put stock car racing’s veterans on notice: the kid from Kannapolis is the real deal. But following up his win would be no easy task, as the next event on the Cup schedule would take him to the track deemed Too Tough To Tame, and the Lady in Black had many hard lessons to teach an overconfident freshman. 

After Darlington and his first trip to the Paperclip, Dale and the rest of the NASCAR contingent take on a grueling month of May, which includes the fastest race weekend to date at Talladega, a brutal 500-lapper at Dover and the longest contest in stock car racing, the World 600. Join us on this episode of Becoming Earnhardt as we unpack races 8 through 13 of the greatest NASCAR season ever, 1979. Our main character has found the spotlight, but it will be tested by not only some of the toughest events on the calendar but a toe-to-toe battle with none other than the King of NASCAR himself.

FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets, which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

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In the aftermath of the 1979 Daytona 500, NASCAR found itself on an unimaginable trajectory to becoming the biggest form of motorsport in the country. Some 16-million viewers tuned in to watch the flag-to-flag coverage on CBS, and having witnessed the fight, the King and the rest of the action, they were hungry for more. The result was speedway box offices being flooded with ticket requests, and the largest crowds that had ever assembled to take in stock car racing. Rockingham, Richmond, Atlanta, North Wilkesboro and Bristol were next on the schedule to take a turn at entertaining the masses. And luckily, NASCAR had plenty of talent in the garage ready to seize the spotlight.

One of these talents is the 28-year-old from Kannapolis, Dale Earnhardt. Dale established himself as the rising star to watch during his daring, yet calculated performance on the Daytona highbanks. With the press, fans and racing veterans all singing his praises, he seemed destined to find victory lane. But when would that happen? On this episode of Becoming Earnhardt, we tell the tale of the next five races of the 1979 season and explain how a 500-lap showdown at a bullring nestled in Thunder Valley would propel Dale towards super stardom.

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FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets, which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

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It’s January of 1979, and 28-year-old Dale Earnhardt is ready to embark on the greatest challenge he’s faced in his young career to date: a full season in the NASCAR Cup Series. As the teams and haulers head west to California to kick things off, we zero in on the blue-and-yellow Osterlund Racing No. 2, which Dale will chauffeur for the first time on a road course. After a promising afternoon, his overzealousness gets the best of him, and the Rookie of the Year spotlight is shifted to another promising newcomer.

Once the Los Angeles skyline is behind them, the teams and drivers travel back east, this time on a collision course with history. Thanks to the recent split in the American championship car ranks, the motorsports world was ripe for a new leader. NASCAR had just the bill of excitement to make its case to be a household name in entertainment: Daytona Speedweeks. But little did anyone know what the 1979 rendition of the Great American Race had in store for the world, and how a network television deal, a fight, and the return of NASCAR’s King would win over a new generation of stock car fans.

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FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets, which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

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In 1979, Dale Earnhardt scored the biggest opportunity of his budding career to run in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time for upcoming car owner Rod Osterlund. While there are remnants of that season’s events preserved through television and radio broadcasts, as well as other memorabilia, Dale’s older sister Kaye did what any supportive sibling in the 70s would do: she started scrapbooking. Within these scrapbook pages lie a comprehensive picture of what the 1979 NASCAR season was like from the perspective of the rookie Kannapolis driver. Decades later, it was these very scrapbooks that inspired Dale Earnhardt Jr. to create a new podcast series documenting the monumental season and his father’s rapid, meteoric rise to stock car stardom.

In episode one of Becoming Earnhardt, listeners will gain a better understanding of what the world was like in 1979, not only in motorsports but the world as a whole. The landscape of NASCAR in the late ‘70s is unpacked, and the cast of characters who would set out to compete for the season crown of ‘79 are introduced. We also learn how 28-year-old Dale Earnhardt drove his way through the dirt short track ranks of the Charlotte area to land one of the most coveted opportunities in the NASCAR Cup garage, chauffeuring the number-2 blue and yellow stock cars for Osterlund Racing.

FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

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