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The Dale Jr. Download

329 - Dr. Jerry Punch: Saving Lives

The Dale Jr. Download

Dirty Mo Media & SiriusXM

Sports

4.89K Ratings

🗓️ 3 March 2021

⏱️ 124 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The life-saving trauma doctor and legendary NASCAR and college football TV broadcaster, Dr. Jerry Punch, joins Dale Earnhardt Jr. for a dive into Dr. Punch’s storied medical and commentating career. From his days growing up in Newton, N.C., in the shadows of Hickory Speedway, Dr. Punch’s racing roots run deep. He shares about his childhood when he helped legendary drivers work on their cars and also getting behind the wheel himself. After playing football at NC State under coach Lou Holtz, Dr. Punch pursued medical school. He tells Dale Jr. and co-host Mike Davis what made him want to become a doctor and how he spent his mental health days away from school and at the race track. Ned Jarrett was like a second father to him and helped jumpstart his broadcasting career. Find out how Barney Hall missing an announcing gig at Hickory Speedway led to Dr. Punch’s first opportunity behind the microphone. Plus, learn about legendary Charlotte Motor Speedway PA announcer Bill Connell. How did Dr. Punch balance medical school and a broadcasting career? He explains how one night his two careers intersected at Hickory Speedway when the world lost one of his heroes, Bobby Isaac. Then you won’t believe what almost happened next. Dr. Punch is credited with saving the lives of drivers involved in accidents on the race track. He shares intense details of an accident involving Don Marmor in an ARCA race at Atlanta. Later, he walks us through the scary ordeal when Rusty Wallace flipped at Bristol Motor Speedway. Find out how Dale Earnhardt helped the situation and what he said to Dr. Punch afterward. The Intimidator and Dr. Punch were close friends. However, their friendship didn’t necessarily start out on the best terms. Hear how Jerry tried to confront Dale Sr. one day at Martinsville. Dr. Punch shares incredible stories of the side of Dale Earnhardt many people never saw. Hear how he offered to help Dr. Punch’s pregnant wife on a snowy North Carolina night. Also, a story not many know about the Intimidator making a dying boy’s wish come true. After the Talladega accident that broke Dale Sr.’s collarbone, he called Jerry. Hear how the doctor's office visit went, details about the weekend he tried to race at Indianapolis, and the bone-chilling story about qualifying at Watkins Glen. As Dale Jr. clinched his 1998 Xfinity Series championship, Dale Sr. joined Dr. Punch in the booth. Hear about the emotional moment for the proud dad. Then hear who was terrible at karaoke during the after-party that Dale Jr. doesn’t remember.  Dr. Punch was integral to the filming of Days of Thunder. He talks about the day Tom Cruise and Robert Towne shadowed him at Watkins Glen. Plus, how his input helped cast Nicole Kidman and shaped the medical scenes of the movie.  Hear insight about the relationship Bill France Jr. had with Dale Sr. Dr. Punch remembers a special moment they shared after the 2000 Daytona IROC race and the time Dale Sr. called France during an interview.  Memories from The Intimidator’s 2000 Talladega win are told as Dr. Punch broadcasted the race. He shares his perspective from the booth and what Benny Parsons said about the race while leaving the track.  After Noah Gragson's late-race incident at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Dale Jr. puts his co-team owner hat on and addresses the situation. Plus, find out why Dale’s heart hurt hearing Steve Letarte stepped back into the crew chief role for one race. Hear why it brings back memories of when Dale found out Letarte was leaving the No. 88 team, which he shares openly in this therapy session with co-host Mike Davis.

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is a production of Dirty Mode Media.

0:10.7

The Dale Junior Download.

0:12.8

Hey everybody, it's Dale Junior back again for another episode of the Dale Junior Download.

0:18.3

My co-host Mike Davies is here.

0:20.0

How you doing Mike?

0:21.0

I'm doing well.

0:22.0

How are you doing?

0:23.0

Awesome.

0:24.0

It's Schultz and Leah over there in the booth.

0:25.0

Can we help you find this out with the show today?

0:26.8

We got our guest Dr. Jerry Punch.

0:29.2

So Dr. Jerry Punch, obviously he's a doctor.

0:32.8

But we're going to talk to him about this.

0:35.2

He worked for ESPN a lot of other people throughout his career as a pit road analyst, a pit

0:43.2

road reporter.

0:44.6

Just had a lot of different roles in the sport on the broadcast side.

0:48.6

He's got stories.

0:51.4

He's had some pretty incredible experiences behind the curtain, if you will.

0:55.2

He's going to share a lot of that with us.

0:56.4

He's told me for years that he had a lot of things that he wanted to talk about.

1:00.3

We're going to get him on the show to talk about some of that stuff.

1:04.3

So anyways, before I guess we get to our guest with Dr. Jerry Punch, did you have a good

...

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