I AM NASCAR (S1E1)| Driving Fast With Dale Jr.

Speed on the football field is one thing, but speed behind the wheel is another...Brandon, Chad, Fred and Channing get the experience of a lifetime riding as a passenger with Dale Jr Earnhardt at Charlotte MotorSpeedway to launch our collaboration with Nascar.

Sparking interest from the Bubba Wallace I Am Athlete episode, which infamously featured the moment where Channing coined the challenge that, “drivers aren’t athletes”,prompting Dale Jr to reach out to give Channing, Brandon, Chad and Fred a firsthand experience inside a race car.  Not intending to change Channing's mind, but rather offer a perspective that could provide more understanding into a driver's world. This episode starts off the I Am Nascar series, a special edition of I Am Athlete podcast with multiple episodes rolling out in the month of May and throughout the season.

Sitting down and smoking cigars on pit road, the guys reflect on their experience and curiosity about the history of racing and Dale's journey. The conversation gets deep talking about legacy, loss and life lessons learned along the way. Dale opens up about the day he lost his father  and describes those final moments in detail and how he had to 'shake hands with Daytona' before racing there again.

Chad, more knowledgeable about the sport than other guys, talks the ins and outs of driving, the mentality of a driver and finding that balance of living life and still being successful. Like anything in life, racing is a business and Brandon gets into the landscape of owning teams, females in the sport and the finances behind driving professionally. 

Switching gears, Channing asks Dale about the lifestyle and ladies that come along with being a driver and why he waited so long to settle down and have a family. Dale describes the wide open mentality and driving for Budweiser back in the day elevated that rockstar life which he says he has no regrets.

Talking about various emotions and energy into the preparation of the sport, Fred opens up about how he cried shedding actual tears before some of his biggest games number wise and can't explain why he did it but just did which then led to a further football discussion about Dale sharing his research into concussions and the fears that lie ahead with potential CTE.

As a spoof to our I AM Woman resident Chef Lowe, comedian Lou Young makes an appearance, catching Dale off guard and surprising the guys with a tailgate style meal that leaves them laughing at his delivery and timing of the meal.

Today's show kicks off the first of three more this month, with a new episode streaming every Monday at Noon eastern on the I Am Athlete Youtube Channel. Special thanks to Charlotte MotorSpeedway, Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports for helping to make this experience happen! I Am Nascar is a limited series and special edition of I Am Athlete podcast with episodes slated to air monthly throughout the race season.

I Am Athlete podcast is candid, unscripted weekly discussion between former NFL greats: Brandon Marshall, Chad Johnson, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder.  These gridiron giants pull no punches and have no filter while expressing themselves on the importance of the issues and topics they cover. Each week the podcast is growing in popularity and its subscribers due to the panelists frankness in sharing their thoughts and views on relevant topics covered each week.

A new episode premieres every Monday at 12pm Eastern.

I AM ATHLETE is a thought provoking and in-depth podcast that offers multiple perspectives
on subjects ranging from sports to controversial topics to fashion to lifestyle covering all cultural conversations and building a platform to educate but encourage viewers to engage.