Did this Moment on the Dale Jr Download Spark Rick Allen’s Return to the Booth?

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Kauy Ostlien

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What’s Happening?

Long-time NASCAR broadcaster Rick Allen returns to the booth this weekend for the CARS Tour race at Dominion Raceway, an opportunity that may have stemmed from a joke he made on the Dale Jr Download.

Rick Allen’s departure from the NASCAR broadcast booth was both quick and quiet. Allen had served as lead play-by-play broadcaster for NASCAR on NBC since the network regained NASCAR coverage in 2015.

After this departure, most fans suspected they would see Allen back in the booth in 2025 for one of NASCAR’s new broadcast partners. Unfortunately, this never came to pass, as Allen remained on the free-agent market well into the 2025 season.

After months of radio silence from the long-time face of NASCAR NBC, Allen joined his former NBC Sports colleague, Dale Earnhardt Jr., for an episode of the Dale Jr Download to discuss his exit from NBC and why he was no longer in the sport.

As they reached the end of their conversation, Alan looked at his long-time friend and jokingly asked, “I would love to talk to anybody about any [opportunities], the CARS Tour?” The CARS Tour is, of course, the late-model touring series that Dale Earnhardt Junior, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks all own shares of.

After this episode, fans lobbied for Alan to get a spot on FS1 broadcasting the Craftsman Truck Series or even some form of a role working around the CARS Tour. Yesterday afternoon, these fantasies became a reality. FloSports and the CARS Tour announced that Allen will fill in for the voice of the CARS Tour, Eric Brennan, this weekend at Dominion Raceway.

Allen on the Dale Jr Download

The Apr. 24 episode of Dale Jr Download, in which Allen sits down with Earnhardt, is perhaps one of the show’s best-received episodes of 2025.

Allen, fresh off a 10-year run as the play-by-play voice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series on NBC, opened up about his exit from the network. This episode also provided fans with some closure about his abrupt exit, which saw Lee Diffey take over for Allen halfway through NBC’s coverage last season.

Allen told his friend Earnhardt that he was “crushed” about his exit from NBC. He also explained why he’s not broadcasting this year, arguing that he may have had too narrow a focus when looking for his next gig. Allen even opened up about a chance encounter with NBA legend and NASCAR team owner Michael Jordan after leaving the network.

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Picture of Kauy Ostlien

Kauy Ostlien

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