Latest / Kenny Wallace Media / Dirt Racing's "Superman" Jonathan Davenport | Kenny Conversation #11

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Dirt Racing's "Superman" Jonathan Davenport | Kenny Conversation #11 · Kenny Wallace Media

0:00
Hello everyone and welcome to Kenny conversation brought to
0:05
you by Jegs the leader in high performance, aftermarket car
0:10
parts and remember to go to jegs.com for everything and
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anything you need for your vehicles.
0:18
Well it's another big day because we are going dirt
0:22
racing. And as you all know dirt racing
0:26
is in my blood, I've been doing it for a long time now.
0:29
And we have a dear friend of mine on one of the hottest dirt
0:35
racers in the world right now. Jonathan Davenport, Jonathan,
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welcome to Kenny conversation. Thanks for having me on
0:43
definitely yeah. Well Hey listen, let's loosen up
0:47
my friend and I'm going to enter Reduce you to this asphalt crowd
0:50
and we're hoping that all our dirt friends were will come in
0:55
and listen to this conversation. But let me let me say this.
1:01
You're so interesting from my viewpoint because your name is
1:05
Jonathan Davenport but I guess it's a long name because people
1:09
love to call you JD. I guess if they call you JD,
1:12
that means they're tight with you.
1:14
But yet you're Superman. What do you think of having?
1:18
Three names. Do you answer to anyone?
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I'll answer it about all of them I guess people call me JD.
1:24
You're just lazy. They don't call me Jonathan
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what? John and I don't like Johnny, I
1:30
don't like know that so when people people call me that I
1:33
usually have to correct them but I can stand that I can stay in
1:36
JD where did that when did Superman.
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When did that name start? Can you remember one moment in
1:44
time when did Superman start I don't remember exactly my, my
1:51
Graphics guy back in the day helping Graphics.
1:55
He used to have like a Superman the emblem in this Graphics
1:58
logo. So it was on my car and I
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remember back at my home track at Tri-County and Brasstown,
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North Carolina, they had up, they had a race there.
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And if you started on the front row, they would give you an
2:11
option for ten thousand dollar bonus to starting to rear if you
2:14
want to race. So, we did that one night.
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And come up through the field and got a second, had a flat.
2:20
Come back up. Got spun out running like forth
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and come all the way back up was passing for the lead and me and
2:27
the leader hit and it broke the suspension parts.
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So I think that's about the time that it started but I'm not
2:33
really sure. So you said Tri-County is that
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the asphalt track? No.
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No. That's the dirt tracking in
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Brasstown. North Carolina is called
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Tri-County racetrack. Is that Jack compete with?
2:45
Yeah. Yeah.
2:45
Makes sense. If we got a lot of Throughout
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America, you know, like Tri City Speedway here in Granite City,
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dinners, other Tri-Cities tri-counties.
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Well, I want to go forward just for a minute and then I want to
2:57
back up. So you are, in my opinion, the
3:03
hottest thing in dirt, racing over the last five years, or so
3:08
you've won the more big races than anybody.
3:11
Brett Brandon. Overton started started a
3:14
challenge of their at at Eldora but Then you peeled out on him.
3:19
I guess his chassis must have flexed a little bit and he lost
3:22
that car, but we know we know Brandon's good at Eldora.
3:25
But man, you have just you have just killed everybody at the big
3:30
money races. So you're 39 years old.
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In the last year you won two million dollars, Tony Stewart.
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And everybody, they'll door had that the million they called it,
3:42
and you won the Damn Race. You want a million dollars in
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One race? You've done it all as you look
3:51
back over this last year and a quarter.
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When you drive around in your truck or your car by yourself,
4:01
what are you thinking when you just by yourself after what's
4:04
been going on? I just really can't believe what
4:09
an all me and my team has accomplished in the last.
4:16
It's crazy, just to think about it and just to do it over and
4:20
over again week in and week out, you know, we really concentrate
4:23
on the big races. Anytime we're I want to say not
4:27
a smaller arrays but, you know, we can race for ten fifteen
4:31
thousand every weekend, but we're constantly trying new
4:33
things. Testing for, you know, this June
4:38
through late August, run up to September when all the big money
4:43
races show up, like we got a stent were almost every weekend
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we're running for almost fifty thousand dollars.
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So we really concentrated on these three months and you know
4:53
it was it was mid to late April last year before we want our
4:57
first race, but we was just constantly testing things and
5:01
just trying to trying to figure out what we needed to do for
5:04
later in the year. So it normally takes us a little
5:06
while. Get warmed up, but once we get
5:09
rolling, you know, we generally keep it going, but just ride
5:12
around in the truck. Just, I feel like I've came a
5:16
long ways as a person and just what I've done in my career.
5:20
So it's a, it's definitely cool to see what I've accomplished to
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when I really started dirt racing back from myself, I had
5:29
to do it on my own. I went and met some people and
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sleep on their couch and I've moved 15 different times.
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Wherever, wherever my race car was, I would normally move there
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and work on it all the time and didn't matter what town or what
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state it was in. And now I've established myself
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enough that I can, I've got one of the best Crews now so I don't
5:52
have to be there day in day out, work at working on my stuff and
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I can enjoy life just a little bit now and you are enjoying
5:59
life. We see your Ranch down there and
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of course you got a bull named Eldora I believe.
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But hey, Like something that you talked about their you talked
6:09
about running big money races. Now we know all we know the dirt
6:13
racing World. A lot of people were shocked
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that a handful of great, dirt Racers like yourself said, Hey
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listen we're going to get off the grind.
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You know, we're going to get off this five, ten thousand dollar
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deal. We're not going to follow Lucas
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Oil, we're not going to follow World of Outlaws were going for
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the big money races and I remember when you kind of let
6:36
your fans I know that you were going to do that.
6:39
Lance Landers is your card owner Mark Martin and him or dear
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friends out of Batesville Arkansas.
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What made you all first of all? I think it's a wonderful
6:50
decision. It's better than being a
6:53
vagabond during the middle of the summer and just banging your
6:57
head against the wall. What, what was that decision?
7:01
Like when you guys said, hey look, we're going to quit
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running, 100 races a year. We're going to we're going to
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run the big races. How did that conversation?
7:11
Come about? And the decision?
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Well, it was just way the schedule was laid out last year.
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Was a whole lot more big races than they had been every year.
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Seems like they get more and more just the schedule was laid
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out a little different. I felt like we had was laid out
7:29
last year. We was gonna beat her stuff into
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the ground before we ever got to the big races and during the
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week when you, when you follow a series like you have to go
7:37
somewhere. No matter.
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You know what the weather conditions are or whatever.
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So it's it's places you have to go when you run a series that
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you may not want to go or you know, No, you're liable to get
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your stuff, tore up or you know and and not running a series.
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You can save certain cars for certain races but when you run a
7:56
series I mean you're gone for a month and a half two months at a
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time. So you got to, you got to take
8:01
your best equipment with you all the time because you never know
8:03
what's going to happen. But, you know, we decided to do
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that last year and it really worked out for us.
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But all the series really stepped up and 2023 and paying
8:12
more show up money and having more big events and their
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points. Fun is Astronomical.
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It's also what they've done for the racers.
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So we jump back, home board this year and run for the Lucas Oil
8:25
Series championship. And a big part of that was there
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having the dirt track World Championship which is our last
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race Nora and it's a Chase format kind of like NASCAR
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series is doing now so we knock out the top 16 then top 8 in top
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four. So once we get Del door as long
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as we're in the top four and point It's everything's a
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scratch and it's whoever finishes head the rest of them.
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So I follow you on social media and I don't know if it was on
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Snapchat, but you had a car in your race shop, there was a
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little bit of dust on it and you put your finger and you said
9:06
it's about ready to bring this baby back out.
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So do you have that one car that flexes right, does everything
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you want for Eldora, is that the car?
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It is. Yeah, we built that car
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brand-new and about the start of 2021 and I went I ran it at
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Magnolia and won both races there with it.
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And then I went to another place and I'll wait 300 Raceway.
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Another kind of circle racetrack.
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We have to steer really loyal and we won that.
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Yeah, big momentum track. I'm like that's my car.
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I want to take the El Dora so we took it to both the dreams in
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21. Both the world's ever since 21
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Iran that card L do. Laura and it's been really well,
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you know, we want to Worlds with it a dream and a million with it
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so far and been in contention in about all the other ones.
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So that's it's got the same motor in it.
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We normally put new parts on it every time we go but that's
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that's my baby. That's Eldora.
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It's in the shop until either Junior.
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September rolls around Jonathan. We gonna We gonna do your favor
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right here. Jonathan Davenport since 2015 at
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Eldora. You swept it.
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All you want the drain, you won. The World 100 2017, you won the
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World 100. 2019, you won the World 100.
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Then the virus came in and 2021 the Intercontinental classic
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2021 you win the World 100, then the mac daddy 2022 you won.
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The Eldora million 1 million 2022, you on the world one under
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and you just won the dream. To my friend that I would save a
10:51
car for El Dora Dora too. But I think it's a fair
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assessment, you know it when you look at Racers there is a timing
10:59
and circumstances Bill Elliott always said that he'd say Herman
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life's all about timing and circumstances and you know, if
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you win the Daytona 500 it makes sure year.
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Makes your career, is it a fair statement out?
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Jonathan? We know you're good everywhere.
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I'm not trying to back in a corner right now.
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We know you're good everywhere and you went everywhere.
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But is it a fair assessment to say that L door?
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Has solidified major career. Financially everything.
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Absolutely 100%. It's a place that I like and I
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understand and I focus all year on Eldora really, there is cool.
11:39
It doesn't matter where I'm an. I'm always thinking about if I
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make this change or this change or whatever it feels like I'm
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like, oh I could use that Eldora or you know, I love that what
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engine I want to take or what kind of restrictor-plate package
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or However, I do, I've always got Eldora back in my mind cuz
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in my eyes it just below. It just means more there ever.
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Yeah, we get the most fans there, you know, TV coverage.
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So, you know, that there's a lot of other great race tracks out
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there, but I know if you're at Eldora and you've got the best
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car, no matter where you're going to start, you're going to
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finish up from, unless something happens.
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My brother Rusty taught me a lot.
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And every time everybody to go to Bristol for the Cup race,
12:25
they take their junkies cars because they said, oh, we're
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going to wreck Rusty says, no. I'm taking my very best Carter
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to Bristol because I'm going to kick her ass and I know I'm good
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there. I can win.
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So I agree with, you know, the way you look at Eldora, you're
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good there and take your baby and Earnhardt would say I
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remember Dale, senior, he That's right, that's right, baby.
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Hey listen, we all learn from our heroes.
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And Gale senior kept starting in the back of the pack at the bud,
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shootout, one year and I, you know, friends with senior and I
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said, man, you kicked our butt and Senior looked at me and told
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me something I'll never forget, he goes Herman.
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You ride a horse Until It Breaks its foot and he said that car
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haul ass and so you're doing it right.
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Jonathan. I agree with what you're doing,
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you put it all in there and that's your wheelhouse even
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though, you went everywhere. All right.
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So let's on Kenny conversation we're going to throw an audible
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and you you interrupt me because you know the Herminator shared
13:34
my notes with you. Is it am I reading this right?
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Or you an asphalt racer? First well I was a dirt racer as
13:45
far as go-karts but then soon soon as I got old enough I drove
13:49
a first couple cars when I was 10 11 12.
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And then I'd went to Asphalt Legend cars and ran them for
13:57
several years and enter an asphalt late models.
14:00
Until my dad's pocket book, pretty much ran out, and then we
14:04
had to come back home and start make dirt racing. yeah, so your
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dad is Jael You know, I always say, everybody needs somebody
14:13
and you can't stand on the mountain by yourself.
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So after I checked you out, you ran to 2004 NASCAR Busch East,
14:25
you ran ARCA and 2006 is this, right?
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I never an ARCA race now. Iran are in some ASL, which was
14:34
the year that it switched from a essay and we ran a half a year.
14:38
And I think the promoter something And to him I believe
14:42
right after he bought it from Steve Dale and I ran a half a
14:44
year and that the series went under darn it.
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I wished. Well, I'm glad you're where
14:50
you're at in life right now, but a essay was definitely the most.
14:53
It was the everything and that's where, you know, the best came
14:56
from Rusty Mark Martin Dick Trickle out on quickie but so
15:01
that that's pretty cool. So about what age?
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Did you quit asphalt racing and decide I'm going to go dirt, it
15:10
was That's probably right around 18. 19 years old better than 20.
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I remember I moved to Atlanta my senior year in high school to go
15:21
down there to work on my asphalt car and that was the direction I
15:26
wanted to go. I didn't like dirt cars.
15:27
I had dirty. Yeah I had all my friends up
15:31
around the house. You know they'd go to dirt
15:33
races, go to East Bay things like headline.
15:35
I don't go missing their cars. I want to only go Cup racing one
15:38
day that was drills. The correction that I was going
15:41
on. Race Legend cars with David
15:43
Ragan Reed Sorenson show several other guys.
15:48
Kyle Busch mediums talked about racing each other out in Vegas
15:51
before but that was that was the direction I wanted to go and
15:56
where I thought I was headed but at that times where it was
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really starting to turn over and you get to have a big checkbook
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to get there and we just never did get that big break and so my
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grandpa had a couple dirt cars and he had he had two and had
16:11
one drivers. So when I decided to come back,
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he said I could drive one of his for a little bit and that's
16:17
where it all started back home. Dirt.
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That's awesome. And I want to pause for a minute
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because, you know, we've always had in rightfully.
16:27
So we've always had dirt, fans hate on NASCAR and it really was
16:31
because NASCAR raise the prices that they demanded at.
16:36
Instead of buying one ticket to Sunday, you had to buy five, you
16:39
know, Friday, Saturday Sunday. And the fans felt like Mean old,
16:45
NASCAR band and all the dirt people.
16:47
So I think we're bridging that Gap back.
16:50
Now with the help of you know, Kyle, Larson and yourself.
16:54
So recently, you ran the Nascar Cup race, the NASCAR truck race
17:01
at Bristol. I've already asked you this
17:04
question. When you came on NASCAR race
17:06
day, our Big Show at Bristol, but I want to ask you to you in
17:11
front of this audience. Is NASCAR.
17:15
Was it always a dream of yours? Do you have desire?
17:19
Did you want to be NASCAR? Absolutely, absolutely.
17:22
I mean if especially back then I thought if he was going to make
17:27
a living racing that's where you wanted to be as where you had to
17:30
be. And that's, that's where I
17:32
wanted to be, but it just didn't work out.
17:34
But, you know, 25 years later after I change directions, I
17:39
ended up back there for for a special event at dirt on
17:42
Bristol. So it was pretty cool.
17:44
It come full circle. Yeah.
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And you did good. You ran really good.
17:48
Both cars. And there's so much more I want
17:50
to get to. So now Let's V rack any
17:53
conversation, totally dirt racing hardcore, dirt racing.
17:58
You know I'm a dirt racer so we're going to go into the all
18:01
the dirt racing lingo. Let's relax and kind of let's go
18:06
at it. So I want to talk about Kevin
18:10
romilly in the 6 car and sometimes I'm a smart ass to get
18:14
my point across I can write. So all this you know, right
18:20
front down, left rear up you and Kevin started that.
18:25
So now everybody else they just following you in my opinion, not
18:32
interrupt me in my opinion, you were the first one to feel in
18:37
that chassis All right, front down, left rear up with what was
18:41
called the device. Now, we know that the device,
18:45
raise the left rear up, right, fronts down, and you created all
18:49
this side Force, those cars, you're running the dirt, super
18:54
late models. I always tease that there are
18:56
four by eight sheet of ply woods and you and you and Kevin were
19:02
the first one to catch on to this.
19:04
Big-time aerodynamics. Did I say that, right?
19:10
Um, wait was trending that way a little bit, but I think we just
19:14
made a major step and something Kevin dreamed up, you know, over
19:20
several weeks or months or whatever, and it took him like
19:25
many times to get it even close to going on a car.
19:29
We, we were supposed to go test to start a 15 2015 season 5 or 6
19:34
times. We never made it cause we never
19:37
Kevin, never could get this thing to go on the car.
19:40
Are like you wanted to. We do.
19:44
It was crazy and nuts and spacers.
19:47
Are it looked like a trash dump around crazy?
19:51
It was all the left here. We had this whole thing done for
19:55
a week or two except for the left rear and he tried many
20:00
different ways to do it and finally, he got it where he
20:03
wanted it. Then I was always like the
20:05
cleanup guy, like Kevin could come up with a big ideas but the
20:08
small stuff like it, It would it would bottom out or the boat
20:12
need to be shorter or it would bind up or do something.
20:15
So I had to come in and kind of help him clean up everything
20:18
shorten the bolts up, get all the stuff.
20:19
Right. And so we finally got to leave
20:22
like the day before we were supposed to go to Brunswick and
20:26
it all started in a left rear actually on the actual tube and
20:30
then as he Advanced, it figured out what he was doing.
20:33
We moved it to the frame. Is it that fantastic?
20:36
You know, we all know Kevin's weird even Jacqueline his wife's
20:40
you know, he's in his own world but isn't it true?
20:43
You know, people like Thomas, Graham Bell, you know, Alexander
20:49
Graham Bell, you know, these brilliant people are they're not
20:53
in our world. What was he was?
20:56
He difficult to work with because he's so different.
21:00
He can be for sure, just because he can speak on a totally
21:04
different level than And I can and his brain works different
21:07
than ours. And that's the reason he is, he
21:09
is so smart. But you know we figured out how
21:12
to communicate with one another, you know.
21:14
I'm I'm pretty just country just like level like, you know, I
21:21
don't. So yeah.
21:23
We figured out how to communicate and I'd have to
21:25
bring him down a notch or two where I could understand what he
21:28
was talking about and then I was trying to be smarter and where
21:31
he could understand what I was talking about.
21:33
But You know, a couple years together.
21:36
There we got, it figured out, we knew what each other was talking
21:39
about, man. You guys just won everything
21:43
there was and then you know, we watched it all in all, you know,
21:49
all good things come to an end, but following back up on that a
21:53
little bit more, the the device, the device it held it pushed
21:59
that left rear up. Is that right?
22:03
Yes, and no. No I don't it's still like
22:07
mind-boggling because I don't still know what exactly does and
22:10
I'm not sure that Kevin does but it was almost too left rear
22:14
suspensions in one. So we normally have the the
22:17
four-link suspension that we have now but it was also a since
22:22
it was pretty much the four link bolted on this suspension.
22:25
So it was to dampening devices in one.
22:29
So we would get Drew one way and then we would get droop from
22:32
another way. So there was never anything.
22:35
Solid on the left rear so it was always in motion.
22:38
Yeah. He you know I went I went to
22:40
that shop and I was pretty shocked just kind of like a old
22:45
you know, Army building and at the time I showed up he had the
22:49
6 car pushed out underneath the shed.
22:51
But he had that device and he showed it to me and I thought
22:54
I'll be damned there it is at that thing.
22:57
Needs going to Smithsonian Institute it's all set.
23:02
Now, would you say I think what I'm trying to get out of you.
23:07
Did the device change the direction?
23:11
The trajectory of super late model dirt racing?
23:14
I think so I think it really did Even though like it it opened
23:20
her eyes to so many different things that we needed to do.
23:23
So once we figured out, we needed what that did essentially
23:28
just got the spoiler up in the air fund.
23:30
So that was that out. Yeah.
23:31
So then we could get the right front now.
23:33
So we started traveling morning. Out front and we figure out soon
23:36
as we could get the deck up higher.
23:38
Get the Spore up near we would go faster.
23:41
So then after they lemon ated, you know, anything moving on the
23:45
frame or The Birdcage. So then we started working with
23:48
shocks and springs and other things to be able to squat the
23:52
car in the left rear, and raise it up on the right front to get
23:55
through Tech. And then it they almost look
23:57
like they were a tree fell across some broken half because
24:00
we can run the dick up. So I there for the first year or
24:03
so once we figured it out, Out. But yeah, it definitely put the
24:08
sport in in that trajectory for sure.
24:10
Yeah I feel like now this is me saying this, I'm bragging on
24:14
you. This is a compliment.
24:15
I feel like you along with Kevin, you changed dirt, super
24:22
late model racing forever and then you sing you with Lance
24:29
shock the racing world with how much money can be won.
24:35
If you get it together and run like you have it all Dora.
24:39
So there's no doubt in my mind, you're going to be etched in
24:42
history because when I see these dirt late models, now I know
24:48
what you just confirmed and I hope all the dirt Latemodel guys
24:53
are listening and even the kids it was you and romilly.
24:56
That made us all very aware how important aerodynamics are and I
25:02
just think that's awesome. So all right we got about seven
25:07
pieces here and I want one thing I want to go and do that.
25:10
I think is awesome. So my brother Rusty and Larry
25:15
Phillips and Mark, Mark, we raced in Picolo, Oklahoma, Fort
25:19
Smith Arkansas, we race there every Saturday night and met a
25:25
guy named death. Average.
25:27
Well he had a kid named Greg and but great death Ridge and you
25:33
got together. Now I need these are two
25:37
hundreds and I need them to read or else I start hurting.
25:42
Now, you shocked the racing world.
25:46
Everybody stayed quiet for a little bit and then when you
25:49
look at like somebody like a Donny Schatz, Donny Schatz has
25:53
won It All Forever with glasses. You engraved Etheridge got
25:58
together. Is this, right?
26:00
And you started wearing glasses. And I know you were winning
26:05
before but now you went and more tell me about these glasses
26:09
because it also plane into a Superman.
26:13
You kind of look like Clark Kent now.
26:17
Oh honestly, you know, I kind of remember back when I was younger
26:21
and I was racing Legend cars. My vision wasn't that great.
26:25
And I started wearing glasses and contacts and instantly like
26:29
gotten better. And then I was having problems
26:32
with the glasses. Is fogging up and my context
26:35
falling out getting air in them. And so, I went had Lacey's
26:39
always wore contacts. Well, I started out at was
26:43
probably when I was 14 15. And then when I turned 17, I had
26:49
LASIK surgery done, and it was like a completely different
26:53
world. Then I didn't have to worry
26:54
about my glasses fogging up and when I was racing.
26:57
So like I instantly started winning a lot more back then and
27:02
so over time, I'm that was 20 years ago, you know, now so my
27:08
did you feel like you start winning?
27:10
Because you can see better, absolutely awesome.
27:12
Dam breaking news, absolutely. And just after a while, you
27:18
know, your eyesight gets worse and I could, I noticed it nine
27:22
even just driving down the highway.
27:23
I'd see huge Halos around lights glare, really, really bad.
27:28
And so I just went to The eye doctor and like my I still see
27:35
20/20 fine, but when I put the glasses on and the ones that
27:39
Greg got me, there are low glare that helps with that.
27:42
Everything's just HD like before I could see a ridge on the
27:46
racetrack now and tell you it's a three-quarter 11/16.
27:50
So not that good, but I'm just saying, get it.
27:53
I could just see see stuff on the track, how it changes, so
27:57
much more. You go to different places, all
28:00
car, all across the country and the dirt should From Kohler.
28:03
Well if you race in the South all the time, you know that it
28:07
starts out red, it goes to light red, then goes black then the
28:10
rubber goes back to read or in the midwest.
28:13
It don't really do that. It's black when you start.
28:16
And so it's hard to see the traction spots and when I get
28:19
slick and when the rubber starts coming back again, so it just
28:23
the better. You can see, you know, the
28:25
better you are. So this makes me laugh because
28:29
when I started dirt racing, I told Kenny Schrader said Kenny
28:33
wants you to teach me how to race dirt.
28:35
Now mind you, my dad, my brother, Mike Rusty.
28:38
They're all really good on dirt and but I just never did it.
28:42
I got kind of Lucky being the third kid because I went
28:45
straight to Asphalt but a Schrader one time I said how how
28:51
do you know when to slow up on dirt?
28:53
He said when you get on the track lift your visor up and
28:56
look at the dirt he's been in a comical way you know.
29:02
I'm nothing like you but I want 108.
29:05
Dirt races in modifieds and it is so true, right?
29:09
I mean you got to study that dirt while you're racing your
29:13
like half farmer? Yeah, no doubt.
29:17
Like I could after I go back, watch the video and you like,
29:20
you can see the line so easily, or if you're up in the
29:24
grandstands, you can see the line so easily.
29:26
But when you're out there right next to it, like it changes, and
29:30
you don't even know it. At some aspect, but I say just
29:35
the better. You can see the better.
29:37
You're going to be you better. You can see the lane change
29:39
before the next guy, if you can, if you can, you know, get two or
29:43
three spots somewhere, just because they hadn't seen the
29:46
lane change yet. Well, then, you know, it's two
29:48
or three spots your head, do you think?
29:51
Okay, so we know that you just got done winning Eldora and you
29:56
started six, you passed everybody.
29:59
You got to the rubber before them.
30:02
Two-part question. Do you think people like you
30:05
Michael Mcdowell are not Dale Macau?
30:08
Excuse me. Do you feel like you Southerners
30:11
when you grow up on the red clay?
30:15
And Brandon Overton said this when he when he won he said I we
30:19
race in the rubber down south. Do you feel like you're pretty
30:23
good at you? Who got the rubber quick on
30:27
Saturday night after you pass Pierce?
30:30
Do you think you got something going on there?
30:32
You think you're good at getting a rubber quick?
30:34
I think I can. I'm good at CNN and and knowing
30:39
when it's possibly coming you don't never but there's nobody
30:42
never knows exactly when it's going to come but you just start
30:46
seeing the change of the the dirt.
30:48
I'd it changes colors and it when you go across it, you know
30:53
you feel it in your ass, you can kind of, you know, feel how much
30:56
grip you got versus the rest of the racetrack so and Once you
31:00
get in the Rubber and it does rubber, it's almost a little bit
31:05
like asphalt racing to conserve your your tires you got to work
31:08
on the right front, some but work on the right rear.
31:10
You don't want to burn your stuff up.
31:12
So you have to manage your tires going back and forth.
31:15
These cars ain't really made just to turn left all the time.
31:19
So it's just many laps down here and some shitty racetracks in
31:23
the Southland. Does rubber up bad soil down
31:26
there. We know that, but okay, so I
31:29
want to move on Onto. Running through the middle of
31:33
the racetrack. So this is what I call dirt race
31:35
and talk. Would you know when we're two
31:37
pits, we got all the lingo and we know what it means, but we
31:42
all know that big big features, a Mains.
31:46
We call them, they're one in the dry.
31:49
We know that when I look at your history, I see that Jonathan
31:59
you're not old, you're 39 but I notice you don't ever knock the
32:03
quarter panel off but you run I but I notice you go fast still
32:09
through the middle of the racetrack when Pierce or you
32:13
know, Shepherd, you know, arm it, you know, we I can't blame
32:17
it on them because they grew up in these bullrings and sometimes
32:20
that's a fast way. So they grew up up here.
32:23
You grew up down there This this technique that you have, you
32:28
still keep an enormous amount of speed running through the middle
32:32
of the racetrack? Is that a southern thing?
32:35
Tell me about that. Yeah, absolutely.
32:37
Like I said, our dirts not very good.
32:39
It doesn't compact together. We may build a cushion down here
32:43
every now and then, but very not very often at all.
32:48
So, we have to keep her momentum up, keep her speed up and just
32:55
cause it there's nothing to lean against every now.
32:57
And then we'll, we can slow down and run around the bottom.
33:00
Catch a little traction ring. But normally our dirt, it's so
33:04
So wet that it's almost slimy when it is wet.
33:07
So the middle of the racetrack is the best part.
33:10
So that's how we've learned to race and you know we've tried to
33:14
adapt running around a cushion or you know catching the brown
33:17
on the bottom running around the Hub but I'm not very good at
33:21
either one of my better at running the cushion and I am
33:23
trying to not run around the Hub but it's just just the way I was
33:28
brought up the way I learn and I just apply that and it does help
33:33
you know and it comes Stage 2 when I was younger and 15 and 16
33:37
I was looking for a cushion. Do to get on, but I've learned
33:41
how to fix in your car didn't. Yeah, exactly, yeah.
33:45
You don't have to have a great handling car to run around the
33:47
cushion, but you have to know how to adjust your car to run
33:51
the cushion or run around the bottom or running the middle.
33:54
So you can't have a perfect car in all three scenarios.
33:57
So we just try to set up for the long distance and try to keep
34:01
the panels on it straight because we all know how Arrow
34:04
dependent. These cars are now and once you
34:06
knock that sport off at some of the places, you know, you're at
34:09
a disadvantage. Yeah.
34:12
So I just want to throw you. Some people say that I have
34:15
wrote rose-colored glasses that I've heard lately, Kenny or two
34:19
nights but another compliment. I want to throw you and it's on
34:24
one of my notes Here. Scott Bloomquist Billy Moyer and
34:30
you. I've always ran through the
34:32
middle of the racetrack. It's because when the tracks get
34:35
dry, that's where the money's at.
34:37
So good on you. Jonathan because, you know, if
34:42
you're going to run 100 lap race, it's hard to run it on the
34:44
wall, eventually, it's going to bust your ass and knock that
34:47
spoiler off. So I think you got it going on
34:50
there and I admire that. Okay, so now it's showtime.
34:56
This one is all the good stuff. This is what all the dirt Racers
35:00
and have chosen to listen to the Kenny.
35:04
Conversation with Jonathan Davenport.
35:06
So we don't have to belabor the point but let me see.
35:12
One, two, three, four, five, five, controversial questions,
35:17
not controversial. Just fun.
35:21
What is your opinion on this state now?
35:25
I've got I've got a lot of things in here, so you don't
35:29
gotta, I'm just talking about your opinion on the state of
35:33
dirt late models, you know, the form of the car, the tracks, you
35:37
go to, what is your opinion on the state of dirt late models
35:41
right now, in America I think it's really good.
35:46
Its trajectory is definitely going straight up.
35:49
The only thing holding us back right now is facilities.
35:52
I believe there's a few facilities that are really nice,
35:55
but for the most part of them, ones we go, the bathrooms are
35:58
terrible. The concession stands are
36:00
terrible. You know, the pits, the, the
36:04
grandstands are falling in, but people are working on it,
36:09
they're getting more money generated into a sport into the
36:13
promoters are putting Back in the track.
36:14
So I think our quality as far as show is really good right now.
36:20
Obviously the streaming has brought in more viewers and with
36:25
like you said before Kyle Larson going back and forth from from
36:30
Nascar over back to the dirt as brought us more fans.
36:33
Also yeah I want to add there that you know I tell people this
36:38
I say look we love dirt racing it doesn't mean you have to dumb
36:42
yourself down You know, you've won a million dollars.
36:45
I mean, you know, it's dirt races, we shave, we get in the
36:49
shower, you don't have to dumb yourself down.
36:54
We can fix these racetracks up to our potential.
36:58
People might want to come because my wife, she's an
37:03
asphalt girl, but she's like, I'm not going to those nasty ass
37:06
porta potties. That's right.
37:08
You walk in there and it's just a disaster, you know?
37:11
You want to bring a sponsor and you're like, do you have any
37:14
He's anywhere that people normal people can go.
37:16
So I want to let you know that. I agree with that.
37:20
Me and you everybody else. Nobody is better than anybody,
37:23
but you're right. I think some people dumb their
37:28
self down and I think, listen, my brother Ross, he taught me
37:32
paint, don't cost anything brooms.
37:35
You know, clean your racetrack up and make it safer.
37:41
These guardrails are dangerous Just wanted to add that on
37:45
there. Okay?
37:47
So big controversy, big story in the garage area, they getting
37:52
rid of sticks at some some series they get getting rid of
37:56
the stick. So it's so it all happened flow
37:59
night at Fair. Barry.
38:02
You know we watch Shepherd getting ready to blow by Pierce
38:06
and Pierce changed lanes. We know Bob Pierce is the best
38:09
it sticks. It was that night.
38:13
You know, all of a sudden instead of being side by side,
38:16
Bobby does a hell of a job with bobby gets up there.
38:18
He grabs the lane and people like, damn it.
38:22
So what's your opinion on getting rid of signal sticks?
38:29
I think it's totally fine. I've seen a lot of good races
38:33
ruin by signal sticks, and it's helped me in some cases and it's
38:37
hurt me in some cases, you know, I've been the guy in second
38:40
coming in a different Lane And then you know the leader moved
38:44
up in my lane and I've also done it you know just vice versa but
38:49
we did. We got to find a way to police
38:54
everything. As far as Apple watches her
38:57
lights in a car there's a lot of stuff that can go on.
39:00
You know drivers can get signals two-way radios, not two-way
39:04
radios or two single way radios where you can you know, you got
39:08
a race, even one here and somebody talking to you in the
39:11
other ear in this. There's always some things going
39:14
on, but if we can find a way to police all that, make it a Level
39:19
Playing Field. That's great.
39:20
I mean, I always thought it looked dumb on our sport,
39:23
everybody around the track, trying to land airplanes anyway.
39:26
Yeah, I never thought about that.
39:31
Exactly, so I'm getting rid of the sticks, the Apple watches,
39:36
the things like that. Now, listen, you and I are not
39:40
idiots, I built, you know, Listen, I build my own race cars
39:44
and you have to. So nobody going to tell us
39:48
anything. They might give us an ideal but
39:50
so they get rid of the sticks. But now over here and this year,
39:55
they're going to tell you how to change lanes, you know, they're
39:58
in. Hey move.
39:59
Hi. You know, because they can't see
40:01
my little gloves here, you know, they're allowing gloves.
40:04
Yeah, GG can only do like that, you know, my buddy, Bob Pearson,
40:07
love him to death his sticks. I think we're getting to be 6
40:10
feet tall but I love Bob and I'm gonna have him on here, but so
40:15
the Apple watch is it wasn't so much about traction control
40:20
which they Tech the cars there. They're talking to the drivers
40:25
telling them when the change lanes.
40:26
Oh yeah. I mean you can you get a text
40:28
message on your watch? Look at it or if it if it
40:31
vibrates or something you know you need to change and there's
40:34
all kinds of different things. The back in 2012, I used to have
40:38
my phone in the car with me and I could text under caution and I
40:42
smacked before he invite even I mean we've all done it but
40:48
there's got to be a way to take it all and it'll definitely make
40:53
some finishes better than what they had been.
40:56
My my wife Kim is Catholic and I'm a Lutheran so we went to
41:02
pre-cana class you know make sure we're compatible and
41:06
Father. John said young man what are you
41:08
going to do for a living? And I sound be a Race Car
41:11
Driver. And he says, be careful
41:14
competition, a kill you. So the things that people come
41:17
up with, it's like, Wow, have that competition, right?
41:22
Yeah, you got, you know. All right.
41:24
So we got three more to go this. This droop Rule.
41:29
Now, we know, if we go back into this conversation, we know the
41:33
sport, the higher, we get the leftovers folder that was
41:36
created by you and Kevin rumbly. We know the higher, we get to
41:40
spoiler more downforce. On the rear.
41:43
Now we got to drool because we feel like people getting an
41:46
advantage if they go a couple inches higher.
41:49
What's your opinion on the on the droop rule?
41:54
I see what they're trying to do with it.
41:56
They just haven't figured out a way to check it.
41:59
That is properly properly. I've seen it several times, like
42:05
you can, you can jack the car up, you can check it, you can
42:08
roll it. 5, feet forward, Jack it up again, and it'll check
42:11
half inch three quarters of an inch different.
42:14
So they got to be some kind of process, whether it's putting a,
42:19
some kind of standard tether, some kind of standard
42:22
measurement from the bumper to the Roller for each car before
42:27
the race, or after the race. I don't know what it can be.
42:30
Obviously once somebody does that then you know, like you
42:34
said, competition will kill you. We're going to figure out a way
42:37
to manipulate that where it moves after they take it or
42:42
before. So I really don't know.
42:45
I mean it's a double-edged sword, both ways.
42:47
So I don't personally, I don't know, the best way to fix it.
42:52
I see what they're trying to do. They're trying to level the
42:54
playing. Field.
42:55
But if they make it where it's ridiculously high, then nobody
42:59
gets there anyway and your, you know your local guy say, oh hell
43:04
I can run my spoiler up, three inches to be like these guys.
43:07
Well then what's the difference? But if everybody's trying to
43:11
lower their spoiler or half the lower this molar and some of
43:14
these, like our big teams that we work all the time on this
43:18
stuff, figure out how to get 2 inches.
43:20
Higher will, then the local guy don't have a chance, right?
43:23
I agree with Everything you said.
43:25
I'll just leave it at that because I, you know, there's
43:28
there's always an old saying, okay, smartass you figure it
43:31
out, you know? So I like how he said that,
43:35
because we know, it's just not right, but I don't really have a
43:39
good idea to fix it either but we know these cars Flex, we got
43:43
under rails over rails you know. We know if you run a spool you
43:48
go back in the car does this and the tires are popping and you
43:52
you know you're jacking the rear up and this guy's got more
43:55
Rebound on his right front shock or I get it.
43:58
I'm with you. Okay, let's move on.
44:01
We're almost done. Not that we're in a hurry.
44:05
I did. I did Kenny conversation with
44:07
Tony Stewart, he had such a good time.
44:09
He goes. Hey, I'm good.
44:12
Don't need to hurry. So, okay, last year they come
44:19
out with the one tire rule. Okay.
44:22
So you and I know in some Time's the reason I preface these
44:26
questions is because people don't know what we're talking
44:29
about. Yeah so you and I know that if
44:31
we went here and we went there we have 30 different tires and
44:39
so I I'd like the ideal that okay of Jonathan Davenport, his
44:44
team want to run down south, they can come up to the Midwest
44:49
and they don't have to buy a different brand, a different
44:52
compound Tire. What is your opinion on the new
44:56
tire rule where we only got like three compounds or so?
45:01
I think it's excellent. I mean we can leave and go from
45:06
Florida to New Mexico and we can race on the same Tyres.
45:10
There's a couple stipulations in there.
45:13
I wish there was a little different as far as how each
45:16
series. You know, they limit you on a 30
45:21
or they'll mg on a four, on one tire on to write rears are on
45:25
two different lifters as long as they always, they make it and
45:28
it's that one, two, three or four.
45:30
You should be able to run at any time that way, you know, you
45:33
don't have to worry about old crap.
45:35
I didn't bring these tires because one series wasn't
45:38
running those this weekend, but but all in all, I think it's
45:42
great. It's better than having, you
45:44
know, like you said 30 different compounds in the trailer, we're
45:48
not running this good this year so it's easy to blame the tires
45:51
as reason we're not. But that's just an easy outfit.
45:54
I thought you was running good. I get, I guess you're not
45:56
running up to par. Yeah, I don't think we are.
45:59
I feel like we've struggled most of the year, but I feel like the
46:02
tires have been a little bit different, but I've been talking
46:05
to Hoosier and they're telling me they're not.
46:07
So, you know, I said it was just a easy excuse.
46:10
Us. But we'll go back to work and
46:12
try to figure it out. But as far as all, in all, if
46:15
they're going to make this the tire will I just wish they would
46:17
have took it one step further and actually made the tire.
46:21
So we didn't have to groove inside them and that will save
46:25
know that they charge the race teams more for the tires if they
46:29
would have fixed them. So, we didn't have to groove
46:31
insightful. Yeah, we wouldn't have to have
46:32
an extra tire guy all the time, so that would have offset the
46:37
cost of us having to paid more for the tires.
46:41
I want to call an audible here. That's not on my list.
46:44
So as you know, I do everything myself because I'm too cheap to
46:48
hire anybody. I just run these old mods now
46:51
but it takes me all day long, you know, grind at our groove
46:55
it, maybe maybe sometimes Sipe it and then when I watched you
47:00
guys go, the speed weeks, you got your truck and trailer, you
47:04
know, you got a big old holler and then you got another truck
47:07
and trailer. Karen your tires, and your
47:10
wheels. And by the way, you got a kid,
47:12
you're paying 40. 50 Grand a year to prepare your tires.
47:18
Jonathan, are you are y'all? I mean, I like what you just
47:22
said, cancers, my question can our tire makers make a tire
47:28
ready to bolt on the damn car? Absolutely.
47:32
Yeah. I mean, I mean it probably
47:33
helped the grind it, but I think they can build a tire that will
47:39
go in all conditions. I really do it.
47:42
Where's my ass out? I mean, that's, that's my whole
47:44
Jam is tires, you know? And, and I get and I do my
47:48
maintenance and all that. So, my friend.
47:50
Listen, look at you, you've done it all, you really have, and
47:55
you're only 39. So now, I made everybody wait
48:01
for the Most important question I want you to smile and and did
48:05
this is tongue and cheek we having a good time.
48:09
It's fun and dirt racing. Who's the best Billy Moyer or
48:15
Scott Bloomquist? It's got one Quest.
48:20
And Billy Moore. I'm going to tell you why.
48:24
I agree with you because Bloomquist built his own race
48:27
cars. Tell me why you think Bloomquist
48:30
is the best. He won more of the bigger races,
48:37
consistently. Wow.
48:39
Just that just that simple. And here, I was trying to make
48:41
it complicated, you know. Billy mortar is incredible.
48:46
Great race car driver. But I think the not a does go to
48:50
Bloomer. Just because he bends the damn,
48:52
to me. Now, I love, he's got a welder.
48:54
But I mean, am I right? Did Bloomer build his own race
48:58
cars? Yeah, he built his own cars.
49:00
A lot. He's very He's very good at
49:04
knowing all about his car to and and Billy is too which, I mean
49:09
there's advantage and disadvantage and all that.
49:11
I used to think, you know, I always focused on Eldora, always
49:14
thought Scott had an advantage there because he had been there
49:17
so many times in the same car, you know, over and over.
49:20
He had a notebook, you know, as thick as a Bible, you know, for
49:25
all the notes from Eldora and like if you go from Billy, you
49:28
know, he's been there so many different times and so many
49:30
different cars but yet still one, So, you know, it's a
49:34
disadvantage but yet it is an advantage of being there.
49:39
So many times in the same car, but Scott was really good on
49:42
building cars. Billy knows a lot about building
49:45
cars also, because he's been in so many different ones.
49:47
He knows what he likes off of each one of them, so you can go
49:52
back and forth. We debate this all day, but I
49:54
think Scott's just a little bit of a head of Billy.
49:58
Yeah. Well, I think they're both
50:00
pretty equal. I really do it.
50:02
I admire them both equally but I had to ask you that for fun
50:05
because, you know, when we get ready to post, Kenny
50:09
conversation, it's going to be tuned in to see who job the
50:13
Davenport. Thanks is the best, you know,
50:19
you know. We were, we were at the, we were
50:24
at the Dome, and you was at the bar and I came and joined you at
50:28
the bar, and it was early, and I said something to you about me,
50:34
and you said, oh, Herman, you just doing this for fun now.
50:37
And I remember you saying that and You know, you're right, I
50:45
19, NASCAR Xfinity races. I had a wonderful, NASCAR career
50:50
I you know, I still go to my grave wishing that I was Jeff
50:54
Gordon and I told Jeff that he said, listen, so did everybody
50:58
else but I found dirt racing a passion and I started in started
51:06
in the dirt, super late models. We won the Prelude to the dream.
51:09
We went down to Cleveland, we won against Ronnie Johnson and I
51:13
decided to quit racing dirt super late models because it was
51:17
cost me 5,000 dollars or race. You know, we won the Prelude and
51:24
Raven, gave me a car to use that year and petrol put a motor in
51:27
it. We ran really good.
51:29
But I look myself in the mirror and I said, And I'm 46 years old
51:33
and I just want you to know that I admire you when you told me
51:39
that day, you said Herman, you not doing this, you're right.
51:42
I made my money in Asphalt but I admire what you do.
51:47
You're big time you're very good at your discipline and to reason
51:51
I run dirt racing is this because a.j. foyt and Mario
51:57
Andretti, they'd win the Indy 500, then they'd go 1 hour.
52:01
On the road to Terre Haute and they put them open face helmets
52:04
off and they run Terre Haute, cheat death.
52:08
So I wanted to be more worldly, your worldly, you're an asphalt,
52:15
you run dirt, your eraser and so from One race or to another
52:21
Jonathan congratulations, I know you're not done.
52:25
I get all that. Don't you don't got to throw the
52:27
disclaimer in there. You're only 39.
52:31
You know, you're going to go to 60 and thank you.
52:37
Thank you so much for being on the Kenny conversation.
52:41
I definitely appreciate Kenny, thanks for all that.
52:42
You've done for for our, for our Sport, and for racing in general
52:46
all across the board. You've you've opened a lot of
52:50
eyes and brought us a lot more fans also so you're wild and
52:53
crazy and we love well, I think the reason we started Kenny
52:56
conversation is because I tell people there's three of me and
53:00
this is the serious side. And then then I got to sell
53:05
product. I got to run my mouth so I can
53:07
make money, you know, so that part Coming out and then a lot
53:11
of. It's just natural.
53:15
Okay, everybody will listen, remember, we're in podcast form.
53:20
You can find this on Spotify and iTunes and remember the Kenny
53:24
Wallace show's over there. And that's the crazy guy.
53:29
And that's where we talk about. The Daredevil stuff is Wallace.
53:33
Going to say that right here is what's become really renowned
53:38
Kenny conversation is really I opened up a lot of eyes and
53:42
we're going to continue to interview the best.
53:45
Once again, I remind you we've had Tony Stewart Mark, Martin
53:48
Harvick, and now the very best in dirt racing, Jonathan
53:53
Davenport. So until then we'll see you next
53:55
time. I opened up a lot of eyes and
53:42
we're going to continue to interview the best.
53:45
Once again, I remind you we've had Tony Stewart Mark, Martin
53:48
Harvick, and now the very best in dirt racing, Jonathan
53:53
Davenport. So until then we'll see you next
53:55
time.