438 - Hut Stricklin - Helmet in Hand, Always Ready

It was a reunion of the “8’s” this week as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and co-host Mike Davis sat down with longtime NASCAR Cup racer Hut Stricklin. After rising through the ranks of the NASCAR Dash Series, Stricklin went on to race for legendary car owners like Rod Osterlund, Bobby Allison, and Junior Johnson before arriving in the famed Stavola Brothers number-8. He would occupy the ride until 1998, and shortly after the team would dissolve, with the number 8 being sold off to Dale Earnhardt Inc. to prepare for Dale Jr.’s 1999 Cup debut. Hut explains how he cut his teeth in the Alabama short-track racing scene, following in his father’s footsteps. They discuss how a chance encounter while driving around in Panama City would lead to Hut meeting his longtime wife Pam, daughter of racing legend Donnie Allison. Hut also fills listeners in on some of his favorite rides in Cup, how he became Tom Cruise's driving coach for the movie Days of Thunder, the story behind his career-best run at the 1996 Southern 500, and why he decided to walk away from the sport after the 2002 Bristol night race.