What a childhood.
Immediately, Dale Earnhardt Jr. put out a brand new episode of his Dale Jr. Obtain podcast, the place he had an interesting dialog with Mike Curb. Mike is a legendary determine behind the scenes of motorsports, longtime automobile proprietor and sponsor, amongst many different issues (he additionally owns Curb Data, the file label, and labored within the Reagan administration).
And he recalled how he would periodically go to Washington whereas he was a automobile proprietor to satisfy with the President, and in ’84, when Reagan was operating for reelection, he was in search of a particular occasion to attend on the 4th of July.
That 12 months, he had received his 199th race with Richard Petty on the helm, and Curb threw out the concept of getting Reagan attend the 4th of July race at Daytona, which simply so occurred to be within the swing state (on the time) of Florida.
Reagan liked the concept, and after conferences between former NASCAR CEO Invoice France Jr. and the key service, they’d all of it deliberate out… although Curb was nonetheless fearful it’d fall via for some motive outdoors of their management:
“By the point we obtained to Dover, we received our 199th. I’m pondering, oh my goodness the 200 victory might occur in my automobile. So I’m in a gathering on the White Home and we’d meet periodically with the President. He was in search of one thing to do on the Fourth of July. It was ’84, he was operating for reelection, Daytona was [in] one of many swing states. I stated, ‘What about when you got here to the race?’
All people within the room circled and checked out me like, ‘Going to an auto race?’ 20 minutes later, Ronald Reagan stated, ‘You understand, I used to name Dash automobile races earlier than I used to be an actor.’ He stated, ‘I like the concept.’
I known as Invoice France Jr., I stated, ‘Will you sit down?’ ‘So he stated, ‘I’m sitting down.’ I stated, ‘It’s Ronald Reagan,’ and he stated, ‘Are you severe?’ I stated, ‘I’ve by no means been extra nervous in my life. This doesn’t work out and also you announce it, you’re by no means gonna converse to me once more.’
[He] got here to Washington the subsequent day, he met with the Secret Service. I opened it up, however Invoice France put it collectively logistically. For about two months there, I used to be afraid… it doesn’t occur. I’m sorry, we couldn’t carry Reagan, however right here’s what we introduced, ? When his aircraft was coming in, it was proper excessive of the 43.”
Jr. remembered being there too, and he was solely 10 years previous on the time. He defined that they didn’t pack up and depart like regular, and after his dad modified garments, they went again out to the infield to eat Kentucky Fried Hen with the President.
It’s an unimaginable reminiscence, one which I assume you solely have when you’re the kid of a racing legend like Jr. is, and he stated each him and his sister, Okay, understood simply how large of a deal it was, despite the fact that they have been very younger children on the time:
“That iconic image… I used to be with y’all after the race, all of us ate Kentucky Fried Hen. Me and Kelli are there and I’m very younger, we’re like, ‘What are we doing?’ We’re gonna eat with the President.
And I sat down, and there’s Ronald Reagan 10 toes away from me. I knew precisely how large of a deal that was.”
Consuming KFC with Ronald Reagan… you’ll be able to’t make it up, and it’s a helluva story cool story. I feel it embodies what makes NASCAR so particular, and I like listening to Jr. get insights like this from individuals who made the sports activities what it’s, and are so tied to its wealthy historical past.
One in all NASCAR’s most iconic moments: President Reagan watches The King win No. 200 at Daytona 🇺🇸🏆 pic.twitter.com/RGsfduesOw
— Soiled Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) November 14, 2024
The complete podcast episode is obtainable beneath.
