Dale Earnhardt Jr. welcomes legendary NASCAR Crew Chief Buddy Parrott to the Dirty Mo Media Studio to learn more about the pivotal role he played in some of NASCAR’s greatest moments. Growing up in Gastonia, North Carolina, Buddy participated in competitive diving all through high school before finding his way to a race at Birmingham International Raceway on behalf of Huggins Tire Service. Buddy would take a job with the company working as a tire man for their NASCAR events, mounting tires for the entire Cup field on a regular basis. It was through this service that he met the legendary Harry Hyde, and not long after Buddy would approach him for an opportunity to work on his famed K&K Insurance Dodge team. Buddy explains that his time with Harry was invaluable, and he considered him to be his mentor, teaching him everything he knew about race cars and racing setups.
Buddy would make the decision to split from the team when Kentuckian Ferrel Harris came to the shop to purchase a racer and some Raymond Fox-prepared engines. While working with Harris, Buddy also spent time teaming up with Robert Gee to help prepare his dirt cars, which were chauffeured by none other than Carolina ace Hayward Plyler and a young Dale Earnhardt. Dale Jr. was surprised to learn that Buddy served as crew chief for his father’s 1976 Atlanta 500 attempt in a car owned by Johnny Ray, which was famously destroyed in a crash. Buddy would move on to the DiGard Motorsports outfit to team with Darrell Waltrip and take the NASCAR Cup scene by storm in the late 1970s. Listeners can hear all of this, plus more about Buddy’s time working on Harry Ranier’s Gray Ghost, helping Richard Petty score his 200th win, and the 1990 Daytona 500.
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Chapters
02:56 - Buddy Parrott: A Veteran Crew Chief in NASCAR
09:23 - From Tires to Crew Chief: Buddy's Journey in Motorsports
13:13 - The Close Relationship Between Buddy, Dale Jr., and Robert Gee
25:49 - Stories of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and the Challenges of the Sport
43:21 - From Front Tire Changer to Crew Chief
45:42 - The Iconic Gatorade Car and Volatile Team Dynamics
50:42 - The Challenges of Leading a Team and Making Race Calls
52:11 - Navigating Political Influences in the Sport
54:37 - Successes and Setbacks in the NASCAR Industry
01:01:12 - The Importance of Quick Engine Changes
01:04:46 - Working on the Famed Grey Ghost Car
01:08:15 -Joining Ron Benfield's Team and the Levi Garrett Car
01:14:33 - Becoming Richard Petty's Crew Chief
01:19:23 - Political Influences and Career Decisions
01:25:39 - The 200th Win and the Importance of Richard Petty
01:27:06 - Memories of Eating KFC with the President
01:28:00 - Working with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt
01:29:25 - Challenges and Loyalty in the Garage
01:30:24 -The Engine and the Celebration
01:31:49 - Meeting the President
