Becoming Earnhardt Vol. 3 - The Boy Has Arrived

The Dale Jr. Download

Dirty Mo Media & SiriusXM

Sports

4.8 • 9K Ratings

🗓️ 26 July 2023

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The following is a production of Dirtymo Media.
0:07.4	By the time the last campers pulled out of Daytona International Speedway, the tide and American
0:12.6	motorsports had shifted.
0:15.4	A fight between Kale Yarborough and the Allison Brothers, mixed with petty 6 Daytona 500 victory,
0:22.7	served as the epicenter of a storm that would shake the country to its core.
0:28.6	The weekend's television ratings came in.
0:31.2	16 million people witnessed NASCAR's ultimate showcase.
0:35.8	TV executives were enlated in America, was hungry for more.
0:40.7	An entire new generation of stock car fans were born.
0:44.2	Here's David Hobbs, who saw it all unfold from the broadcast booth.
0:48.0	It was the absolute turning point for NASCAR.
0:51.9	All the TV networks are knocking themselves over to do NASCAR.
0:56.3	It just put them right on the map.
0:57.8	The lost in the commotion and celebration of this historic event was the arrival of
1:02.3	Dale Earnhardt on NASCAR's biggest stage.
1:05.4	Through Daytona Speedway, the 28-year-old demonstrated a type of fearlessness and precision
1:11.5	that was unlike any old rookie.
1:14.6	Dad not only held his own against the sports best, but at times he passed them.
1:20.0	If not for a faulty cylinder in the final 10 laps, who knows what would have happened.
1:25.8	But from this point forward, Earnhardt was to be considered a legitimate contender.
1:31.4	The question many wondered, how long before he would become a winner?
1:36.6	I'm Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	...

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