Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits down with NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer to discuss the current state of NASCAR officiating, the NextGen car, tires, and more - while also taking A deep dive into Sawyer’s own career as a driver. The conversation begins with Sawyer’s early days behind the wheel and the story behind meeting Elton’s now wife and former race car driver, Patty Moise. The two discuss his time racing in the Busch Series, along with his short-run racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Sawyer breaks down the end of his racing career and his transition to working on the competition side of the sport. Sawyer then provides a “peek behind the curtain” and shares what his day-to-day looks like as the SVP of Competition. Sawyer explains the role of a race director, how NASCAR evaluates penalties, and how the appeals process works. He also breaks down what caused the tires at Bristol to react the way he did, shares what they hope to achieve with multiple tire compounds at the All-Star Race, and reveals the potential of Hybrids breaking into the sport. Follow Dirty Mo Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DirtyMoMedia Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirtyMoMedia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtymomedia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dirtymomedia_ All About Dirty Mo Media: https://www.dirtymomedia.com Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction and Background 02:05 - Transition from Racing to NASCAR 03:05 -The Challenges of Short Track Racing 06:21 -Racing Stories with Patty Sawyer 08:43 -Tension in Racing 11:35 -The Decision to Focus on Racing 13:27 - The Finesse of Short Track Racing 15:54 - The Dedication Required in Late Model Racing 50:13 -Transitioning from Race Car Driver to Managing Director 54:05 - Understanding the Sport and Decision-Making Process 56:30 - Challenges of Working in Race Control 01:00:45 - The Role of Communication and Teamwork in Race Control 01:03:36 - Making Difficult Decisions as a Race Director 01:05:15 - The Role of the Appeals Panel in NASCAR 01:08:08 - The Development of the Next-Gen Car 01:08:37 - Collaboration Between Stakeholders in the Industry 01:15:14 - The Potential for New Manufacturers and Hybrid Technology 01:16:41 - Challenges of Officiating and Making Decisions in NASCAR 01:27:36 - Improving Short Track Racing Through Tire Management and Track Treatment