Mike Davis didn't set out to run a media company – he set out to help tell Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s story. Today, he's President of Dirty Mo Media, leading a company that's grown from a single podcast into a full network of shows, live events, and branded content across NASCAR, motorsports and new verticals outside of the racing world. In Part 1, Kelley Earnhardt Miller takes Mike back to the beginning: becoming Dale Jr.'s publicist during the Budweiser years, helping navigate the historic departure from DEI, and launching the original Dale Jr. Download with no business plan – just an instinct that NASCAR fans wanted more Dale Jr. content. That instinct turned into Dirty Mo Media. As the company grew beyond one show, Mike made the call to move from behind the mic as co-host of the Download to behind the scenes – becoming President and eventually an equity partner, focused on building the infrastructure, team, and strategy behind DMM's expansion. This is the story of how one NASCAR podcast became a media company, and the partnership that made it possible. Part 2 drops next week, where Mike and Kelley go deeper on what DMM looks like today and where it's headed next. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:43 Mike's Start in NASCAR 00:04:24 DEI Tries to Hire Mike 00:09:30 Announcing Dale to Hendrick Motorsports 00:13:00 False Media Narratives 00:14:55 The Idea for The Dale Jr Download 00:20:50 Early Expectations for The Download 00:24:44 Adding Dale to The Show 00:28:29 Mike Leaves The Download 00:36:36 What The F Does Kyle Petty Have to Do With This? 00:40:55 Transitioning Away from The Microphone 00:43:50 Starting Business of Motorsports 00:48:07 Preserving History Through Content 00:52:10 Mike's Creative Mindset 00:58:10 Learning as a Leader 01:01:10 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.