361 - Alex Palou: From Spain with Speed

He came with speed, and he came with gifts. IndyCar Series Champion Alex Palou, the young champion, sits at the table with Dale Earnhardt Jr. to talk about his sudden rise to the pinnacles of motorsport. The colorful Spaniard didn't come from a racing family. It was a local go-kart track near his home village of Sant Antoni de Vilamajor Spain, that sparked his interest in becoming a racecar driver. From there, a path of persistence, raw speed, and opportunity led him to eventually become the 2021 NTT Indycar Series Champion.Palou connects with Dale Jr. and co-host Mike Davis about life in Spain and what it was like to grow up overseas. A racing path that took him far from home at a young age to Japan, Palou had to get used to different cultures as he tried to find himself as a racer and a man. That path didn't come without disappointment and setback. From homemade mountain dynos to racing for big teams in GP3 and F3, it's a true racing story.Alex Palou came on the scene with success in his rookie IndyCar season with Dale Coyne Racing. But it was his sophomore season that set the stage for his meteoric rise. An opportunity came with Chip Ganassi Racing and he took full advantage of it. Leaning on veteran leadership of teammates Scott Dixon and Jimmie Johnson, the youngster made a name for himself with three victories and the series title. To boot, he nearly won the Indianapolis 500. The near-miss in the world's biggest race didn't set him back though. Palou shares how the 7-time NASCAR Champion, Johnson, helped him mentally break through setbacks.Palou also came into the Bojangles studio with gifts, for Dale's Birthday and also some keepsakes for the crew. The 24-year old shares his personality as he and Dale Jr. talk about the dynamic personalities of the international scene that IndyCar presents. Dale Jr. first experienced it in iRacing, and it is why he and Mike on fire for the open-wheel brand of racing.Before Palou's arrival, Dale Jr. took control of the room. We're joking. Actually, an energy drink and a spunky mood had the whole gang wondering where Dale Jr. would go next. From Frankenstein to Cash-only soda machines... Dale Jr. held court in ways only Dale Jr. can. He and Mike also touched on the hottest topic in NASCAR today, the ongoing rivalry between Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick.In Ask Jr. it's all about the triangle... of the tasty kind! Dave Portnoy's latest Dale Jr. invoked Pizza review brings up some questions about how it went down and the Key West drunken pizza hotspot. We also learn about Dale Jr's latest Chevy Silverado and how he decided the wild graphics he put on it.That and much more in this entertaining version of The Dale Jr. Download. Check out Dirty Mo Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.