“Nothing Lasts Forever”- Dale Earnhardt Jr. Comes to Terms With Disheartening Reality as Best Friend Vacates Revered Hangout

Sad news for Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, as a big change is about to happen in the Bojangles Studio, where he records his current podcast. Since 2013, the studio has been a regular witness to the Dale Jr Download on Dirty Mo Media, which connects racing’s past, present, and future with dynamic guests, candid commentary, and thoughtful conversations.

For more than a decade, fans have watched and heard Dale Earnhardt Jr and his longtime friend and co-host Mike Davis talk about various things, from Dale Earnhardt Sr. to how racing has evolved since the 1900s and so much more. But it looks like the new episodes every Tuesday are going to be different moving forward.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. says goodbye to a friend and talks about the bittersweet reality

Mike Davis and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have been the perfect duo to keep the Dale Jr Download podcast going. From the time they ordered medium-plus steaks to the time they discussed toilet training for Junior’s youngest kid, Mike Davis has been a part of everything. The camaraderie that Junior and Davis share can easily be termed one of the foundations on which the popularity of the podcast stood. But sadly, it’s time for that companionship to take a backseat as Junior’s longtime collaborator, Davis, is set to exit the studio.

However, Davis will still be around as the president of the company, Dirty Mo Media. He will be looking at ways to expand the company and work on new verticals. Despite this being a big change, Mike Davis didn’t want to break this information out. That didn’t stop Dale Earnhardt Jr. from expressing how incomplete the studio would look without Mike Davis.

“I’ve enjoyed working with you and co-hosting this show with you for the last decade,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr., adding, “The Dale Jr download is your vision; us ever getting into the podcast was your vision. Dirty Mo Media is your vision and largely your own hard work.”

“You have built an incredible staff around us for success, and you do find yourself more and more challenged by hosting this show, making sure this show is as good as it possibly can be, and the growth of the business… I understand that nothing lasts forever,” Junior somberly added.

The fact that nothing lasts forever is a lesson that Dale Jr. learned way back in his younger days. Although it’s a hard pill to swallow, it’s the truth. Hence, Junior said, “I knew that someday this might happen, and it’s bittersweet. I always get excited about the show evolving and changing, but it’s hard for me to imagine doing it without you.”

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Junior concluded by saying that nobody would be able to fill Davis’ shoes. Nevertheless, Junior was happy that Davis would be able to focus more on the company and, therefore, have a better vision of their goals. But the fans were shocked. They joined in to express how much they’d miss Mike Davis.

Racing fandom celebrates the Dale Jr Download duo

Since 2013, the show has catered a lot to the rising popularity of NASCAR. It goes without saying that the fans would be disappointed at one of the most important crew members of this show leaving the stage. And that disappointment resounded when they read, “Dale Jr Download – Mike Davis stepping down as co-host in 2024.”

People took to Reddit to share their thoughts. Someone said, “I know it’s reddit tradition to complain about non-driver co-hosts, but damn, I actually really enjoyed Mike as a co-host. I know he works for Dale Jr., but they had real buddy vibes and imo led to good debates.”

Another fan commented, “You can tell him and Junior are close because they’re not afraid to get after each other. They’ve had an entertaining dynamic and I’m genuinely going to miss it.”

“Mike was good because he is probably one of the few people that 1) know all of the buttons to push on Jr 2) has that level of respect between them and 3) isn’t afraid to push Jr on things,” added someone.

A fan wrote, “He was able to ask good questions that another long term and involved fan would ask. He played a very important role in the Download and I’ll miss him”

Meanwhile, another Dale Jr Download fan typed, “The thing I like about Mike is that he’s good for asking the more straightforward questions for clarity to a guest who the entire audience may not be familiar with (think some of the older crew chiefs or drivers that newer fans wouldn’t have any idea who they are).”

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“Sometimes you need to have that person who knows a lot about the subject, sometimes you need to get the person to help paint the picture a little better.”

It is safe to say that Mike Davis’ departure will leave a massive void in the Bojangles Studio. How the podcast deals with his absence going forward will definitely be interesting to see. Would you miss Mike Davis? Let us know how you feel in the comments below!