Carla Gebhart is joined by The Athletic's Jordan Bianchi to break down a NASCAR hot topic: SMT data. Why do you keep hearing about it? What is it? Should SMT data be available to drivers and teams during a race? How does that impact competition? Randall Burnett, crew chief of the No. 8 car at Richard Childress Racing, joins to offer his perspective on SMT data sharing and whether it helps or hurts in providing the best racing.

Plus, it's time to announce our mid-season superlatives! Carla and Jordan give their selections, and we highlight the fan picks for each category. And, finally, the crew discusses which upsets you should look out for in Round 2 of the Denny Hamlin Bracket Challenge as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Sonoma.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. welcomes NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin back to the Download to discuss his early days in the sport and how he came to be a chassis setup guru. Mark explains that he and his father, Julian, were both mechanical enthusiasts and began attending drag and short track races in Arkansas before traveling to the Daytona 500 in 1973. Eventually, Julian’s interest wandered to the pit area and he became a part owner of a dirt late model that competed at nearby Batesville Speedway. One night, while scraping mud off the car between events Mark expressed to his father: “How about we build one of these for me next season?” The rest is history.

Mark explains that his expertise in chassis setup came from his years competing in asphalt late models with the American Speed Association. After buying a car from legendary Michigan builder Ed Howe and working with his setups, Mark took inspiration from fellow competitors Junior Hanley and Gary Balough on how to take things to the next level. Dale Jr. was especially interested in a setup Mark stumbled upon using no right rear spring, to which Mark gives a detailed explanation of how the discovery came to him while testing at Winchester Speedway. The discussion also covers Mark’s failed first attempt at NASCAR Cup racing, turning down an offer to drive for Harry Ranier, his long relationship with Jack Roush, and his years of competing with Dale Jr. in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back behind the microphone to react to the chaotic NASCAR Cup race outcome at Gateway on this edition of Dirty Air. Blown engines and empty gas tanks disrupted Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney’s clear paths to victory, and Austin Cindric was in the right place at the right time. This episode covers:

• Missing phone calls from Dale
• What’s the future for Stewart-Haas Racing’s drivers?
• NASCAR silly season is ramping up
• Where does Dale stand on owning a charter?
• The trademark of the “8” is up for grabs
• Breaking news on Kyle Larson’s waiver status
• Bell and Blaney’s woes lead to busted brackets
• Race winner Austin Cindric calls in

During the Ask Jr. portion of the episode, listeners sent in questions about:

• Who is the better iRacer, Dale Jr. or TJ Majors?
• Dale’s favorite beach activities
• Advice for first-time parents
• Reactions to Elton Sawyer’s statement about Kyle Larson’s Playoffs waiver