Speaker 1:
From the library of the New York Stock Exchange, at the corner of Wall and Broad Streets in New York City, you're Inside the ICE House, our podcast from Intercontinental Exchange on markets, leadership, and vision in global business. The dream drivers that have made the NYSE an indispensable institution for global growth for more than 225 years. Each week, we feature stories of those who hatch plans, create jobs, and harness the engine of capitalism. Right here, right now at the NYSE and at ICE's 12 exchanges and seven clearing houses around the world. Now, here's your host, Josh King, Head of Communications at Intercontinental Exchange.
Josh King:
Drivers, start your engines. A milestone week at the Daytona 500 this week as GoDaddy driver, Danica Patrick, the lone woman on the starting grid, stowed her steering wheel after five and a half years on the circuit. That, along with the emergence of young guns, like Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, and Darrell Wallace Jr. on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Josh King:
As it turned out, Dillon and Wallace finished one, two at the 60th running of America's race. Dillon, driving the number three Dow Chevrolet, NYSE ticker symbols DWDP and GM respectively, won in dramatic fashion, turning Aric Almirola into the wall on the last lap and taking the checkered flag, 20 years to the day after the last number three, Dale Earnhardt, did the same. A special edition of Inside the ICE House with the 2018 Daytona 500 winner, Austin Dillon, right after this.
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Josh King:
For those not as dialed-in to NASCAR as your host Inside the ICE House, the Daytona 500 is the first race of a 36 race season that will conclude in November in Miami. Stock car racing, with roots born from cars outrunning the law in the Carolinas during the boot legging days of prohibition, is today, more than most professionals sports, conspicuously aligned with business, marketing, and sponsorship.
Josh King:
FedEx, Shell, McDonald's, Lowe's, just some of the NYSE listed names in Sunday's starting field. But none of those names ended up in victory lane. That belonged to the number three with the big DOW on the hood, driven by 27 year old Austin Dillon, a member of the sport's youth brigade, welcoming a new generation of fans into the stands and on social media. NASCAR, keen to build on the excitement into this restrictor plate, superspeedway race, in which cars average 200 miles per hour around the track, has brought the winner to New York City to see the sights and sounds of the New York Stock Exchange before setting his sites on the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, next Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Josh King:
The trading floor is a regular stop for champions of all sports. Muhammad Ali, Pele, Jackie Robinson. When they win, they come here. And so has Austin Dillon, bringing along the Harley Earl trophy Inside the ICE House and, I'm told, a new tattoo in a place that only your wife, Whitney Ward, will be allowed to see. Is that right?
Austin Dillon:
Yeah, that's correct.
Josh King:
Well, welcome Austin. And congratulations.
Austin Dillon:
Thanks for having me, man. It's very special to be here and you know you done something when you come here. It's a great place.
Josh King:
Well, I understand, Austin, that you are also a podcaster yourself. You and Paul Swan have Barn Life. This is no different, except that the total market cap of all the companies downstairs is close to about $30 trillion dollars.
Austin Dillon:
Wow, that's a big number. I wouldn't be able to put my head around that. Yeah, we have a good time on my YouTube show, Barn Life, and we're actually going to do a show this week. So, it'll be interesting. It'll probably give you all the behind the scenes on what went down after we won Daytona.
Josh King:
We'll try and do a little preview of it here Inside the ICE House. So, you're here in New York. Is every driver told, before Daytona begins, that if you happen to win, you have to make a detour up here before you set your sites on Atlanta?
Austin Dillon:
I think we all kind of know what goes along with winning the Daytona 500. We've watched the previous champions go through the media car wash, they say. And everybody wants to be that guy going through it, and I'm glad it's me.
Josh King:
How does it screw up your natural preparation for what would be your next trip down south to Atlanta?
Austin Dillon:
Well, I missed a couple meetings this week already for competition, as far as going over the race weekend coming up and just looking back at previous races. I haven't really looked at last year's race, which I know we ran good at Atlanta, which was a positive thought. We were running third last year there and we lost an alternator. So, it should be a good place for us. Luckily, if I'm missing meetings, this is a good one to miss it for. I got a good reason.
Josh King:
It's a commercial enterprise, after all. We are a commercial enterprise, the New York Stock Exchange. By all means, feel free to thank your sponsors before we get going. Because every one of them means a whole lot to you guys winning on the track.
Austin Dillon:
Yeah. I have some amazing partners in Dow, DuPont, and then Coca-Cola, AAA, American Ethanol. Like I said, Coca-Cola. And every one of them really have given me this opportunity. They believed in myself and our team at RCR. And got to meet some great people along the way with those companies.
Josh King:
So, Austin Dillon, take us back to Sunday. We watched as you charged up the field to take the lead in the final lap. Let's hear the final few seconds of the call on, on Fox sports.
Jeff Gordon:
He needs to move to the top lane
Darrell Waltrip:
Going to have to be quick. Going to have to be quick.
Mike Joy:
Almirola up to cover. Dillon. Where will he go?
Jeff Gordon:
Dillon is going to get there.
Mike Joy:
Almirola. Around he goes.
Darrell Waltrip:
Good grief.
Mike Joy:
And here it comes with the number three. 20 years ago, 20 years of trying for Earnhardt. He won the Daytona 500. Austin Dillon wins the 60th running of the Great American Race.
Darrell Waltrip:
Got a car wreck here. I think it's Hamlin.
Josh King:
Still sound good? Even a couple days later?
Austin Dillon:
Yeah, it's going to sound good for a long time, I feel like.
Josh King:
So, it's you and the final lap, Aric Almirola right in front of you. What's an aggressive driver to do? For those who don't follow NASCAR that closely, the front of your car is right up against his bumper. What's going through your mind?
Austin Dillon:
Well, I'm trying to get to the lead at that point. There's only one corner left, and I had a lot more momentum than what he had at that time. And when he kind of blocked low, it took away where I was going. And then it's just... I can't lift at that point. Because if I lift, I'm getting wrecked and trying to win the race, you know? If anybody's out there and you're driving, your your main goal is to win the race. And that was the time to do it.
Josh King:
You heard at the very end of that clip, Darrell Waltrip is talking about a little crash that happened after, I think, you crossed the finish line. And I think that was Blaney and...
Austin Dillon:
It was Bubba Wallace and Denny.
Josh King:
And Denny. Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin. What was happening back there? And what did Bubba's work with you do to contribute to your victory?
Austin Dillon:
Yeah, I mean, I haven't really got to look a ton at that. But I saw it in my rear view happening because I'm still guarding, making sure no one's going to get to me, to the checkered flag. And when I seen him go all the way up the wall, I didn't really understand why. I thought Denny was just maybe just blocking him to get to second place.
Austin Dillon:
But yeah, it was a pretty hectic finish for them back there. But it's really cool having Bubba out there, pushing me to the win, because our teams are affiliated. We're actually on the same campus. They run ECR engines, which is the same engine company that we have. And Chevrolet. So, really big for team Chevy bringing the Camaro ZL1 one out. It's the first time it debuted and it wins the race. I tried to strike a deal after the race with some of the Chevy guys. And now look, "I brought it to victory land. You think I can get one of these brand new Camaro ZL1s?"
Josh King:
You don't have one already? I'm surprised by that.
Austin Dillon:
I'm trying to get one. That's what I'm working on.
Josh King:
So huge also to see Richard Petty, 80 years old, with his arms around Bubba Wallace and what that means for the 43 car.
Austin Dillon:
Yeah, the 43 and the three... Leaving Daytona, and you see those two numbers on top of the board, I think everybody in NASCAR is smiling. It's a historical sport with a lot of family ties, and we're growing. It's a great time to become a NASCAR fan because we've got a lot of young guys out there. And different personalities and everyone's hungry. And that's what kind of made this sport, was guys fighting for wins and giving it their all, each and every weekend.
Josh King:
Listening to communications between you and your crew during the race, it sounded like your handling wasn't great at the beginning of the race. How did you get that straightened out?
Austin Dillon:
Oh man, I tell you what. This is one of the best interviews I've had. You know your stuff. This is great. The car was handling awful, truthfully. We were really loose in the pack, and we made a couple really good adjustments to get me comfortable where I could drive up in there, stay in the gas, and keep it going. The momentum going.
Austin Dillon:
So, by the middle part of the race, I knew we had a good car. It always had speed. It just didn't have the handling. It was kind of a handful. So, we played a chess game there at the beginning, just trying to stay out of the wrecks. We knew if we could stay on the lead lap, miss wrecks, our odds are going to get better. So, that big one happened at the end of the first stage. Another one in the second. And we actually got stage points at the second one, which is always good for the end of the year bonus points and stuff. But put ourselves in a good position to win, and we brought it home.
Josh King:
The end of that first stage looked like the end of any restrictor plate race. You were expecting the big one 60 laps in.
Austin Dillon:
Yeah. And I talked to my guys about it. One of my engineers was like, "Hey, we'd really like to get some stage points today." I said, "Hey, would you really like to win a Daytona 500?" And he was like, "Yeah, yeah. I know. I know. We just feel like we won a race." I'm like, "Guys, we're in a backup car. We don't have the track position. Let's just let it come to us." And it did. We stuck to the plan and it worked out.
Josh King:
After the break, Austin Dillon on following in the footsteps of the last drive of the number three, the man in black, Dale Earnhardt.
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Josh King:
Back now with Austin Dillon, the 2018 Daytona 500 champion and driver of the number three Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. We mentioned earlier, Austin, you're a podcaster and a podcast is just one way to get millennials into the sport. Mark Thompson started in the 66 Ford today at Daytona. He is 66 years old. Why is it so important to bring a new generation of drivers into the sport?
Austin Dillon:
Well, the diversity part of bringing in new fans, we want to really appeal to the youth out there. It's a family sport, and it starts from families bringing their kids to the track and meeting drivers. And I think that's something NASCAR does a really good job. I'm a huge sports fan myself. I go to other sporting events. NBA, NFL, whatever it may be.
Austin Dillon:
But you can't get the access to those sports like you can at a NASCAR race. I mean, the passes that you can be... Heck, people have stood beside me during the National Anthem. I mean, arms length away. And you're down there amongst fans and getting to see drivers during autograph sessions throughout the weekend. It's a family sport, and I think we have a lot to offer right now with the youth in our sport.
Josh King:
In their off-hours, Austin, those of us who followed NASCAR for a while would expect to see NASCAR drivers out on the river fishing or out in the bushes doing hunting. But we see a view is either the hoop group or the Dillon brothers three-on-three basketball tournament. Again, how do you get turned on to basketball when so much of your sport has a legacy toward other sort of more field sports, like hunting and fishing?
Austin Dillon:
Yeah. Well, I'm a huge outdoorsman, too. I love to hunt. I go hunting during off-season some but basketball is just fun to stay in shape. I like running. You know, Jimmie Johnson loves running. I haven't figured out how to really love exercising, but basketball seems to be a good one for me. Because I can run all day when I'm playing something to try and win something.
Austin Dillon:
So, we play a competitive basketball league there at Denny Hamlin's house with a bunch of other drivers, and we have a lot of fun. I'm beginning to talk about it more and more on our show and hopefully... I'm trying to get footage of it because it's hilarious. You know, we're not the best basketball players, but we get after it.
Josh King:
Is Denny still going to open up the court, given the last lap wreck from last week?
Austin Dillon:
Oh, man. It's a good conversation to have. They are playing tonight. I've got the text that they're doing a pickup game tonight. So, I told them I was going to be too busy hanging out with my Daytona 500 trophy.
Josh King:
Obviously, a lot of emotion this Sunday at Daytona, Austin. Danica Patrick in her final race. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who left his ride at the end of last season, was the person called on to get the race underway this week. Let's hear his call.
Speaker 2:
Here to deliver the most famous words in motorsports, for the 60th running of the Daytona 500, please welcome grand marshal, two time Daytona 500 champion. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.:
Welcome to the sold out 2018 Daytona 500! Drivers, start your engines!
Austin Dillon:
That's epic.
Josh King:
Dale Jr. did it loud enough, so even with your headset on, you could probably hear it.
Austin Dillon:
That was really cool.
Josh King:
How heavy is the burden, Austin, to have the number three on your car door, driven by Dale Earnhardt's Jr's father, Dale Sr.?
Austin Dillon:
Well, you know, stepping into the three car, we knew there was going to be a lot of pressure with it to perform. But I think that was also something that I could use as fuel to push me each and every weekend. Having the support from the Earnhardt family, Dale Jr. especially, and my grandfather to...
Josh King:
It was your grandfather's number too.
Austin Dillon:
Yeah, it was. But, you know, Dale Earnhardt Sr. made it famous. He was the guy that put a lot of butts in seats, as you say, at the racetrack. And that'll never be recreated, but I think it's really cool to be able to give those fans the victory. You know, to be able to get that number back to victory lane, because they love seeing it there. That's what Dale did so often. He won races and did it all the time. So, it feels good to add to the legacy of that number. Feel blessed to do that.
Josh King:
You were born in 1990, I think. So, that makes you eight or nine years old when Dale Sr. won that '98 Daytona 500. What are your memories of that?
Austin Dillon:
Oh wow. You know, I was hanging out with my brother in the infield, and we were probably playing with die-cast cars, hanging out. And I remember getting scooped up by my mom and my grandmother, and they're almost like in tears, emotional. And we're like, "What's going on?" You know? And we get taken to victory lane and everybody's just celebrating this huge win.
Austin Dillon:
And little did I know, it was the biggest win in Dale's career because, you know, he'd searched for that Daytona 500 for so long. And he was able to get it and accomplish it. And it was fulfilling, just to look back on that moment, getting to have pictures with The Intimidator and getting to do the hat dance. And now, 20 years, another circle goes by. And never would I have thought I'd be back in the same place, holding up a trophy of my own, for the same car owner, and my grandfather.
Josh King:
Austin, this is a family business for certain, but it is a business. You are sipping a Coca-Cola Classic as we speak. Let's hear your grandfather, Richard Childress, at that post-race press conference on Sunday.
Richard Childress:
It incredible, you know, to come back 20 years later, after Dale's great victory here. And to be able to celebrate it, 20 years later, with my grandson in the number three car. It's just a storybook tale. And I couldn't be prouder of him, his race team, and, you know, the Earnhardt family. I called them about running, Kelly and Dale Jr., running the three. And they supported us all the way. So, and for all the number three fans that stuck with us and pull for Austin, that's just... I'm speechless I guess.
Josh King:
All of us have relationships with our grandparents, but what are you thinking at that moment? And when you finally have a chance to get back to North Carolina late on Sunday night, does the family have a chance to reflect on what this all means?
Austin Dillon:
Yeah. I haven't had a chance to really reflect on it, but for me, it's fulfilling, and I want to deliver... I wanted to deliver something to him, because he's just delivered to me above and beyond what I ever could give him back. And this one feels like I did a pretty good job of giving him something that he loves. I mean, he loves Daytona. Even though it took so much from him, there's something about that place he loves coming back to. And to give him another Daytona 500 trophy and put him on top of the sport again, it definitely feels great.
Josh King:
We made a little joke at the top of the show about the hat dance you have to do to show off your sponsors, but with Dow, which has been listed here at the New York Stock Exchange since 1922. And your other sponsors, Coca Cola, AAA, Monster Energy, Chevrolet, the companies that mean so much to NASCAR. Without them, you guys are hanging out in a garage with a bunch of wrenches. What does it mean? What's your relationship with your sponsors throughout the year, and the off season, to create that mutually beneficial relationship?
Austin Dillon:
Well, I think it's really special that NASCAR hosts almost half of Fortune 100 companies, which is a big number. It shows what our sport's capable of doing and how we can deliver to these businesses. And I think we do it better than any other sport, truthfully.
Austin Dillon:
And without them, we wouldn't be able to do what we do. And just like I love seeing out there every weekend, the military men and women. You know, same kind of concept is, I wouldn't be able to celebrate this freedom I have in this country without those guys. So, it's always cool seeing the different, the patriotism out at the NASCAR race, along with these businesses that have run this country.
Josh King:
I know that the new charter deal doesn't allow the disclosure of the purse numbers to the drivers and how much they make for winning a race. But if the past is any guide, I think the last time it was known, the winner of the Daytona 500 got about a $1.5 million for their first place finish. And there's a lot of things you can do with that money, Austin Dillon. But one thing you could do, which is, if you were to follow The Intimidator, would be to do what he did in 2000.
Josh King:
Which is, I have a picture here that I'm going to give to you to take back to North Carolina of him signing the members' book of the New York Stock Exchange, when he bought a seat at the exchange and then leased it out. And I think the estate of Dale Earnhardt Sr. still holds onto it. And the benefit that they got when Intercontinental Exchange bought the NYSE is probably a huge sum of money continuing to flow into the estate of Dale Sr. So, whatever you do with your winnings, Austin Dillon, congratulations. I hope you invest it wisely.
Austin Dillon:
Wow. Thank you for this. This is very special. And I'm going to do my best to invest it wisely and probably just put it back where it came from, in Dow. I mean, they're a great company, and they've given me these opportunities and stuck with me and believed in me and my team. And I think they're a great investment.
Josh King:
Austin Dillon, winner of the 2018 Daytona 500. Champion. Congratulations. Good luck with the rest of the season.
Austin Dillon:
Thank you, sir.
Josh King:
That's our conversation for this week. Our guest was Austin Dillon, winner of the 60th running of The Great American Race, the Daytona 500. If you like what you heard, please rate us on iTunes, so other folks know where to find us.
Josh King:
And if you've got a comment or question you'd like one of our experts to tackle on a future show, email us at [email protected] and tweet at us @NYSE. Our show was produced by Pete Ash and Ian Wolff, with production assistance from Ken Abel. I'm Josh King, your host. Signing off from the library of the New York Stock Exchange. Thanks for listening. See you next week.
Speaker 1:
NYSE FANG+ Index is a trademark of Intercontinental Exchanging or its affiliates. Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Alphabet's Google, Alibaba, Baidu, Nvidia, Tesla, and Twitter are all registered trademarks of their respective owners. None of the foregoing entities are affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Intercontinental Exchanging, or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. The inclusion of the entity names in our podcast does not evidence a relationship with those entities, in connection with the NYSE FANG+ Index, nor does it constitute an endorsement by those entities over the index or NYSE. Information contained in this podcast was obtained, in part, from publicly available sources and not independently verified. Neither Ice, nor its affiliates, make any representations or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of this information and do not sponsor, approve, or endorse any of the content hearing. All of which is presented solely for informational and educational purpose. Nothing hearing constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or recommendation of any security or trading practice.
