
We’re used to having a couple Red Bull cans in the studio, but today we’ve got a couple Red Bull athletes joining us for a full guest segment on The Dale Jr Download. Ahead of NASCAR’s long-awaited San Diego race, two of the best on the road in Shane Van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch join Dale Jr to talk about the prep they’ve put into this weekend – including crashing in the sim. Connor dives into his rough rookie season in the Cup Series and why the jump from a dominating year in O’Reilly has been so difficult for him, but still a challenge that he enjoys. Meanwhile, SVG is starting to show strength on the ovals, even when Team Trackhouse as a whole is struggling to keep the speed they’ve had the last few seasons. The two talk about what they’re studying when it comes to Denny Hamlin’s recent dominance, how they approach the Next Gen car, and give a sneak peek into their weekend plans in San Diego. Grab a Red Bull and get ready for another episode of The Dale Jr Download. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:30 - Red Bull's New NASCAR Cans 00:05:05 - Red Bull Racing 00:07:49 - SIM Prep for San Diego: It's Rough 00:09:51 - Does it Compare to Chicago? 00:12:00 - The Track is Still an Active Runway 00:13:11 - How Will NASCAR Handle Cautions? 00:18:26 - Racing Each Other as Teammates: Respect on the Track 00:20:32 - Connor's Brutal Cup Series Season 00:24:19 - Trackhouse's Regression in 2026 00:27:54 - Chevy's Struggle to Close the Gap on Toyota 00:30:28 - How Shane Finds Speed Without Living in the Sim 00:35:18 - Looking Ahead 00:37:08 - Superspeedways Aren't Their Friend 00:38:41 - Dale Back at Daytona...? 00:44:23 - Why Denny Hamlin Is Even Better Than the Other Toyotas 00:55:53 - The Jump from O'Reilly to Cup... It's No Joke 01:01:09 - Has the New Chevy Body Fixed the Offset Draft Problem? 01:02:09 - The Heat Soak Conversation 01:03:06 - Track Walks & Pace Car Rides 01:05:40 - Outro THE PODCASTS YOU LOVE. THE MERCH YOU NEED. Get it all here: https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ 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 FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets, which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.

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