Wow, what a great story. Slept in the parking lot, no place to live, no plan, just a goal and the drive to work 25 hours a day. It's people like this that made nascar so great.

Has there ever been a better interviewer than Dale Jr.?

Chad's father John Knaus was a very good racer in the state of Illinois and when Chad got old enough he started working on his father's team and eventually became crew chief. He was taught well.

Great interview next step for Chad is the Hall of Fame it would be awesome if both Chad and Jimmie get induced at the same time Wishing everyone well

These stories from their beginnings is absolutely wonderful.

Man Chad is probably the smartest man in NASCAR, his drive got him to 7 time CHAMPIONSHIP Crew Chief 5 in a row, and 84 wins counting William Byrons, millionaire and that dont count all the time he was just working and being on the 24 team. This is an awesome story. Congrats on being promoted, keep them Hendrick cars winning buddy.

LEGEND!!!! Wpuld love to just sit down and have a conversation with this guy!!! Him and Jimmie made history for sure!! Thanks for the memories.

This story never gets old. Amazing seeing where chad started to where he came.

one of the original Rainbow Warriors🤗

Crazy how alike Jimmie and Chad sound to me. You can tell he's had a lot of influence on JJ.

Wow just one lucky guy. Very smart also

Damn, I could totally see Chad's story made into a movie!

The things he has done for the 24&48 are truly nothing but amazing!He set a bar that I don't think anyone can beat! He's priceless,they can try to make it to the bar he has set! Getting there will be hard enough setting a new heights on that bar,not in this life! Historical is what this guy did!He is the goat at Hendricks,there will never be another Chad at Hendricks!Thank you Chad for you hard work it shined!Thank You!

ABSOLUTLY A GREAT STORY !!! ... CONGRADULATIONS CHAD KNAUS ON HIS PROMOTION....

👍Jimmie and Chad - best duo since Batman and Robin. 🏁🇺🇲Stay well. Go in peace.

There are a lot of stories like that back in the day. I was told several of them by guys like Tiger Tom, Glen Bopp, Dave Vaselnuk, Ray Stonkis and even Papa Joe Hendrick on Monday mornings at the Speedway Amoco where he came in and sat at the table having a breakfast biscuit talking about Sunday's race. In Dec. 98 I arrived in Charlotte, $400 in my pocket, got a space at the RV park across the speedway for $300 in the $400 motorhome I bought in CA and knew absolutely no one. By Christmas I was broke, keeping warm in a sleeping bag with a blow dryer. Picked up odd jobs like building Legends cars at 600 Racing and by 2001 I had a job crew chiefing a Truck team and then 9/11 happened. 5000 NASCAR jobs disappeared for almost a year. NASCAR changed after that and the stories like these were a part of history that were never to be the stuff of legends ever again. My only regret is that I didn't leave for NC a few years sooner because the 90's were the last days of Chad's type of opportunity . I used to have lunch with Pete who was the fab shop foreman at HMS every Sunday and watch the race. By 2000 he told me getting hired at Hendrick required at least 1-2 years with a top 3 series team first. I was almost at that point. There is a LOT to be said about timing. If you have a dream, don't wait like I did, GO for it ASAP.

So cool hearing him talk about Rockford Speedway and racing in the midwest. Rockford is my hometown and home track

My Dad was on the team with him as gasman when he was with Stanley Smith. I have a VHS video at one pit stop practice at Stanley’s where Chad was teaching me how to change tires. Chad is a great guy that I wish I could get reconnected with one day.

My respect level for Mr Knaus went up so much after hearing how much he wanted to be in NASCAR and what he did to get there.

Wow! I live in So IL & between middle ‘90’s- 2007 worked for late model team (Burwell racing).. I loved it!

Spent the 70's and early 80's at Rockford Speedway since we lived a mile away (parent's still do) ! great times/memories of the 1/4 mile track!

One of my friends has been at Hendrick for years. I usually only see him around Thanksgiving but loves it. I believe he built shocks that where eventually taken and made illegal. Lol

Awesome podcast! Great to hear stories from Chad. Such a fan! I wish I could be a fly on the wall to hear some of the stories y’all tell. Look forward to next weeks and hopefully some podcasts through the off season! Thanks everyone at dirty mo media!

Some years ago, we were on vacation, stopped at Hendrick, standing in the lobby of the 48 garage. Our young granddaughter was a huge fan of Jimmy Johnson and knew who Chad was. He and two others came walking out of the work area through the lobby. To this day , she regrets that she was so starstruck, she just stared, open-mouthed, as he walked through and was gone!

Listened to the entire interview today, TWICE! What an amazing success story. Loved the part about the MBS survey 😎 RED!

Good luck on your new career Chad. You and Jimmie were a force to be reckoned with in the day. You are most definitely the definition of friendship. Even if Jimmie is moving on I will still cheer for the "new" 48 in Alex Bowman. Also I will be keeping an eye on Jimmie. Hi to Junior. Greetings from Canada 🇨🇦👋

Watched this episode on my DVR this morning another great one. Chad is going to take HMS to another level as VP of Competition.

Call him what you want, but this man is a genius.

Cool story Chad. Congratulations on your success.

Love this story ..

Wait a moment , I actually drove to Hendrick Motor Sports in 2012 at Christmas Holidays , Everyone was off for Holidays and I was able to Park right in front of the 88/48 shop and get out and walk around !

Jimmie Johnson doesn't win 7 championships without Chad Knaus, and vice versa.

Hard work! Awesome!

I did not know Chad lived in Chelse Al. I passed through the area twice a day when I worked near by. Great interview, thanks

Great story!

Damn, what a story!

Interview was way too short. So short that I listened to it twice, and still want more. I know Chad knaus has way more to tell us

The comment about sleeping at Hendrick Motor Sports cracked me up. We're down at Charlotte for a race or auction or something and go looking for their complex. It was hardly a complex then, it was a metal building in the middle of nowhere. Small sign, no fence, no security lights, no nothing. But up against the building were several ruined Good Years, and a busted up hood out for the trash. I'm sure that they were gone by sun up. Times sure have changed.

What a story great

What a story!!

Awesome!

I've dropped that same line about 21 yrs ago when I started working for one of the largest UK mobile providers when I started with my customer service team, you should have seen the guys face. I think his chin hit the desk bounced back up and he was quiet for 3mins felt longer than that or so the beautiful woman said. Did I well I surpassed it, I used to be left in control of 4 - 8 teams no training given to me and the best words I ever heard was 'cause you can be trusted'. That's what Mr Everham saw in Mr Knaus.

I'm glad Dale and Chad are friends. I was with my wife and her BF at Pocono. Chad rolled up in a golf cart. He signed for the BF, and the wife. But once he saw me in my Dale Jr. Bud#8 t shirt he scoffed at me completely blew me off as if I wasn't even there. Wife and her friend both were like "wow, he did NOT like your Junior gear!" Wife wore Gordon shirt, and the BF was also a Junior fan. I was convinced that the 48 crew despised DEI. No big deal though, just sharing my experience. Is what it is!

Awesome story

I never knew Chad worked with DEI before till I heard him talk about it on The Podcast

Impressive story.

Rockford speedway! My home track

LOVED the fish story thanks Chad it was too funny

Damn, such a good story i actually want HMS to succeed now... might even pull for Chase this Sunday to win the Cup

You know whatwould be cool it would be cool to see dale jr in nascar again

Love this! You need to have your brother Kerry on here!

From tire changer on the Rainbow Warriors in the late 90s to 7 time Champion as a crew chief.

cool story!!

Cant wait till Dale gets his Cup team. Dirty Mo is gonna look awsome on a Cup car

Cool story bro. No really, I thoroughly enjoyed this story!

My favourite part is the questions about creativity

That fish hook hanging from his head is epic!

All I could think about during this entire interview is why no one said anything about his hair someone should have made a gesture or something!!!! 😂

A M A Z I N G !

I didn't Chad was from Rockford... 😜 I still remember the 1/4 mile bull ring track, there.

I love knaus

So many of the guys Junior's had on lately just seem to have one lucky break after another. I am SO envious about that. If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.

Rest in Peace stanley smith

Junior I like your program but I was wondering is why you haven't done any of the Great dirt track drivers like Matt Shepherd Billy pauch Jr or Billy Van Pelt

Mark Martin....heck yeah. I never knew this about Chad.

Wow!!

Wow

Holy cow what a story chad is the og rainbow warriors i thought that was so cool when he was a crew chef

Dang!! I live in Saint Pauls NC, about 15 miles north of Lumberton! Surprised he made it out of Robeson County, lol!! This place is like a black hole. It'll suck your soul straight out out your eye balls! Seriously though, I was shocked to hear Lumberton NC come out of his mouth!

I was hoping for a Stacy Compton story lol

Another smart thing Chad did was getting his hair procedure.

Is there anyway you can do an interview without Mike Davis? Just try it 1 time please and poll what the fans think.

At 6:45 he talks about Ronnie crooks, like the dirt late model shock guy Ronnie crooks?

Chad Knaus the only guy who can make a car pass tech without any problems

Man what a good story by Chad. Big risk for what he had to do to work for Hendrick but it worked out!

Really!

Old racing guru tells a story of teaching Chad to drink whiskey when he was a teenager after a race one night in Minnesota

What i cant believe ia yall let this man sit there for so long with his hair like that😂😂😂

Imagine if Knaus went to work for Alan Kulwicki the amount of races/championships they would have won....

FYI, anyone who uses the deathbed grandma excuse cannot be trusted with the size of a fuel line

👍

When was my chance at driving Dale Jr?

Chad has nice hair.. reminds me of thst comb over Bill Murray in kingpin..😂😝

How did this team go from the most winning, dominate team in NASCAR to struggling to finish a race or running in the back in what seems like overnight? What went so wrong so quick?

I never liked Chad K. when he and Jimmie Johnson were winning everything.....But after hearing his story I have a great deal of respect for him. I am still not a fan of Jimmie Johnson though lol

Who is we?

Does any body like chad

Not to be a Debby Downer. My son Bobby passed away on Oct 3rd Tom opiate overdose from fentanyl. But he loved your channel and during the covid lockdown, he would watch your blogs and channels and got me hooked. He asked only 1 question while we we watching the 3 doors down video of you and Tony. How much driving did you guys actually do in the video. God bless you and Chad us the best.

Cheating’ Chad. One of the best

CHAD KNAUS HAS HAIR???

what I don't understand is. why wouldn't it happen? like you're telling me people don't just call & ask to speak to someone

Could lead tandem cause he wouldn’t drag the brake lol

Hi

Jeff Gordon

that piece of hair is bugging me too

What’s crazy is that cheaters are the ones who said you have to have a degree in engineering to get a job like this mind you these guys probably never went let alone understand what engineering really is lol 😂

Well it just so happens I fired a guy today when can you be here? 😂😂😂

Can’t stand the word cheater when it comes to him. Because he studied that rule book and found poop holes and had creative tricks he was doing until nascar wrote a rule around it? That’s not cheating it’s being very smart. Anybody else could have done the same thing but they weren’t as competitive or as smart as this man

"Chase" championships dont count IMO, all the "chase" format did was kill NASCAR....

Hey Dale translate this to English please. I don't speak goat