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via Getty

via Getty

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s NASCAR career wasn’t all smooth sailing. Apart from winning multiple Cup Series races, Junior had a tough time dealing with concussions. As much as he wanted to continue racing, his struggles with the concussions forced him out of action. In 2016, the condition deteriorated to such an extent that he had to take a break from racing, vacating the seat of the #88 Hendrick Motorsport Chevy.

Hendrick Motorsports found themselves in a tricky spot, while they did allow their star driver to take a break from racing, they were in dire need of a replacement driver. And this is when Jeff Gordon stepped in, it was a complete shocker for the fans and even Dale Jr’s close aide, Mike Davis, who recently recalled how things unfolded during the 2016 season.

Here’s how Dale Earnhardt Jr established himself as the host of the DJD

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Jeff Gordon had already hung up his boots after competitive racing in 2015. However, in a bid to help his former team, he hopped back into the Cup car. This was the time when Dale Earnhardt Jr made his first appearance on the podcast show. He shared how he had nausea and balance issues, and he further added that his recovery would require a lot of patience.

Mike Davis, who has been with Dale Earnhardt Jr ever since the birth of Dirty Mo Media, was also surprised to see Gordon back in the Cup car, replacing Jr. “And then, when Dale came on the show for the first time. He had missed a couple of races for concussions. We were in the playoff but that was it. Gordon was also a fill-in, because who could remember? Who could forget that, right? Jeff Gordon filling in for Dale.”

Apart from Gordon’s return to Cup racing, Davis and other guys in the studio were not able to comprehend Jr’s stance of sharing his struggles. “Dale Jr used the download feed to talk at length about his concussions. This was the first time anybody has ever really heard what the heck was going on. And we were all still processing it because even we didn’t know what to do with it.”

 

But this, in turn, helped form the core foundation of a deeper connection with the audience and eventually got Dale Jr on board as the host. “He uses the download to do that. It planted a seed for us that this is a vehicle in which Dale can talk directly to his fans and he can be comfortable doing it. It wasn’t that long after that he was actually the host of the download.” Davis concluded.

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After years of success with Dirty Mo Media and its various offerings, the company, under the leadership of Davis, is now headed in a new direction.

Dirty Mo Media collaborates with SiriusXM

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SiriusXM announced an exclusive podcast agreement with Dale Earnhardt Jr’s brainchild, Dirty Mo Media Production. The deal allows exclusive advertising and distribution rights to podcast shows such as DJD, Actions Detrimental, and Door Bumper Clear. Additionally, Dale Jr’s podcast show will also air twice a week on the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel starting next month.

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CEO of DMM, Mike Davis, sharing his thoughts on the new partnership, said, “One of our main areas of emphasis over the past years had been increasing our collaborations and expanding relationships (…) For Dirty Mo Media, we are relatable, personality-driven brand content creators and documentarians. Combine that with the reach, resources, and credibility of SiriusXM, this relationship will produce fruit and serve our fans well.”

The fans were content with the weekly offerings of the podcast shows online. While this new partnership doesn’t change how fans consume the podcast, they might be treated to some exclusive content via SiriusXM.