Dale Earnhardt Jr. welcomes former Cup Series driver & 1978 Karting World Champion Lake Speed to the studio to learn about his path from karts to Cup. Without the support of his parents, Lake had to chase the racing dream on his own, and started a karting business out of his house to fuel the fire. After finding success stateside, Lake ventured to Europe to pursue the ultimate achievement in karting: The World Championships. After a few embarrassing first attempts at racing internationally, Lake finally won it all in 1978, beating future F1 Champion Ayrton Senna. After achieving the highest honor in the karting world, Lake shares why he wanted to move to NASCAR, and looks back at the moment he busted his ass in his first handful of laps in a Cup car. Lake opens up on his deep connection to faith, and how he learned to trust the inner voice in his head. Once he started trusting that voice, everything changed for him, and he went on to deliver an impressive second-place finish in the Daytona 500 and a win at Darlington several years later. Dale & Lake closed out the interview by discussing his relief efforts following Davey Allison’s passing, his fight with Michael Waltrip, and his experience working with the Motor Racing Outreach. Even at 77 years old, Lake still races. That alone should tell you this is a conversation you have to hear. THE PODCASTS YOU LOVE. THE MERCH YOU NEED. Get it all here: https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ Chapters: 00:00 The Journey Begins: Lake Speed's Early Days 02:59 From Karting to Championship: The Rise of a Champion 06:03 Overcoming Challenges: The Road to Success 08:50 Faith and Family: The Foundation of a Racer 11:59 The World Championship Experience: A Turning Point 14:58 The Transition to NASCAR: New Beginnings 17:59 Reflections on Racing: Lessons Learned 21:02 Legacy and Impact: Lake Speed's Influence on Racing 43:28 The Learning Curve of Racing 46:03 Overcoming Early Setbacks 52:14 The Search for New Challenges 54:11 Finding the Right Car 56:15 Building a Competitive Team 01:00:25 The Transition to Raymok 01:07:02 A Life-Changing Decision 01:12:04 God's Plan in Racing 01:19:22 The Journey to Victory at Darlington 01:25:01 The Importance of Teamwork 01:29:12 The Call to Fill In for Davey 01:32:55 Racing Challenges and Triumphs 01:37:18 Memorable Moments in Racing 01:40:10 Return to Karting and New Adventures 01:43:06 Transitioning from Racing to Life Beyond 01:46:54 Letting Go of the Past 01:52:32 The Birth of Motor Racing Outreach 01:57:30 The Impact of MRO on the Racing Community 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