This week, Dale Earnhardt Jr. catches up with a driver who has firmly established himself as one of the top drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, 2023 Champion Ryan Blaney. Ryan enters the studio with major news: he is signing a long-term extension with Penske Racing. He explains what his time with the team and legendary owner Roger Penske has meant to his career and how he can’t imagine himself anywhere else in racing. While Ryan currently finds himself fourth in season points, his year hasn’t been without turbulence. The guys chat about Ryan’s pit road mishap at Texas and his ongoing issues throughout the early events of the year. Ryan explains that he’s confident in the team’s speed; they just need to put all the pieces together. Dale and Ryan share admiration for the new NASCAR points standings, which harkens back to previous favorite times in the sport. Ryan applauds the fact that race wins mean so much more under this format, and it’s no longer about being “welcomed to the Playoffs”. The guys look ahead to Watkins Glen, bond over fatherhood, ponder superspeedway packages and farm animals. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Cold Open 00:00:24 - Intro 00:01:19 - Ryan's Contract Extension 00:01:57 - Why Staying at Penske Was a No-Brainer 00:02:54 - What Ryan Owes Roger Penske 00:03:16 - Roger Penske & Rick Hendrick: Another Breed 00:08:41 - Penske's Struggles & Pit Road Problems 00:09:14 - Ryan's Pit Road Brain Fart 00:11:39 - Penske's Championship Hopes 00:13:40 - Why Ryan Loves the New Points Format 00:15:19 - Texas Race Recap 00:21:16 - Penske's Mile-and-a-Half Problem 00:24:22 - Watkins Glen Will Have... Tire Packs 00:29:07 - Does Ryan Have Input on Pit Crew Changes? 00:31:10 - How to Fix Superspeedway Racing 00:44:11 - Joys & Struggles of Fatherhood 00:47:46 - Dave Blaney Becomes a Grandpa 00:52:47 - The Farm: Llamas, Goats & Five Donkeys 00:59:36 - Carson Hocevar at the Met Gala 01:03:04 - Racing Against Hocevar 01:05:37 - Dale's Closing Thoughts on Ryan 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.