No. 6: Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s Comedy Routine With Lance McGrew At Darlington

Though the calendar has changed, it’s not too late to look back at last season. SB Nation is counting down its top 15 most-viewed NASCAR stories of 2010 during the first two weeks of January.

The Darlington race had been one of those times where listening to Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the radio was cringe-worthy.

Back and forth, the driver and crew chief Lance McGrew took caustic-sounding shots and barbs at one another, and listeners started to get the idea that the two didn’t get along very well.

So after the race, a couple reporters showed up to ask what happened.

Earnhardt Jr., sitting on the step of his hauler next to McGrew, motioned for the media to approach and begin the questioning. This had the potential to be awkward since both men were sitting right there.

But when Earnhardt Jr. was asked about the relationship with his crew chief, the two began a memorable comedy routine that seemed to indicate all was OK between them.

Finishing each other’s sentences, the pair kept talking and interrupting the other to the point where it became highly entertaining. When it was over, though, I realized there were virtually no complete quotes I could use for the story.

Instead, I just transcribed the tape exactly how it happened (though I had to go back through the recording several times to pick up each man’s words when both were talking over the other).

The unique nature of Earnhardt Jr. and McGrew’s postrace conversation made this the No. 6 most-clicked SB Nation NASCAR story of 2010.

By the way, it’s worth noting that though this is the sixth Earnhardt Jr. story on the top 15 countdown, it’s also the final one. None of the top five are Earnhardt Jr.-related.

Our Most Popular NASCAR Stories of 2010:

15. Instant reaction to Hendrick Motorsports crew chief swap

14. Why Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t tweet

13. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finishes 16th at Las Vegas

12. Drivers flattered by portrayal in South Park episode

11. List of drivers’ song choices for the Bristol night race

10. ‘12 Out Of 12’ interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

9. Video of Shane Hmiel’s USAC wreck

8. Boris Said crew chief screams at Tony Stewart after Sonoma race

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ‘Lost’ when it comes to answers about team after Dover

6. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Lance McGrew give comedic post-race interview at Darlington

(Nos. 5-1 to be revealed soon)