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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Opens Up About His Father’s Unfulfilled Dreams Beyond NASCAR

Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulled back the curtain on a side of his father few fans ever saw. In a candid podcast interview, he revealed Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s quiet plans to step away from racing slowly, not to retire, but to reshape NASCAR’s future. The seven-time Cup Series champion, who died in the 2001 Daytona 500, […]

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulled back the curtain on a side of his father few fans ever saw. In a candid podcast interview, he revealed Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s quiet plans to step away from racing slowly, not to retire, but to reshape NASCAR’s future.

The seven-time Cup Series champion, who died in the 2001 Daytona 500, aimed to trade firesuits for boardrooms. His vision? Grow Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) into a dynasty and guide NASCAR’s France family through pivotal decisions.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reveals Senior’s Unseen Boardroom Ambitions

The Intimidator’s grit on track was matched by sharp business instincts off it and by 2001, he’d become close to NASCAR’s front office. Earnhardt Sr. had his way on advising the France family on marketing, merchandise, and fan engagement, areas he’d mastered through DEI’s success.

“He was a very close confidant and friend of the France family,” Dale Jr. said on the “Rubbin’ is Racing” podcast. “He had their ear a little bit and I think he could have steered some things into some good directions and helped the France family go in some good directions. He was very smart about the business side of it, the marketability of the sport, and the souvenir side of it as well.”

Dale Earnhardt’s clout extended to protecting his son’s career. When rival Darrell Waltrip tried to sign a young Dale Jr. in the late 1990s, Earnhardt Sr. shut it down. “You stay away from him. You’ll pay him too damn much money,” he warned Waltrip.

“I won’t be able to compete with you. I got plans for him.” Those plans? A groundbreaking $10 million Budweiser deal at DEI, NASCAR’s richest sponsorship then.

“I think he would have done helped them make some great decisions to help the sport maintain and retain its popularity,” Dale Jr. said. “So he would have worked for it. He would have been an ambassador forever for the sport. He would have went anywhere they needed him to go.”

Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s Legacy Cut Short, Leaving What-Ifs

Earnhardt Sr.’s death didn’t just stun fans — it shattered a father-son bond that was finally healing through racing. Dale Jr. had spent years clashing with his dad, acting out for attention.

“Man, I was a troubled kid… I was really probably more of a disappointment up until probably 1996, ’97,” he told Danica Patrick in 2017. “I started driving in the Xfinity Series in a couple races for Dad and started showing ‘hey, there’s some purpose for me here and here’s direction for me.’”

For Junior, the answers lie in a podcast booth, not a trophy case. His father’s true legacy wasn’t just the titles — it was the future he never got to build.





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NASCAR Fans React To Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Announcement

NASCAR Fans React To Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Announcement originally appeared on The Spun. NASCAR fans are taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to react to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s announcement on Monday evening. Advertisement The Xfinity Series is set to arrive at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday. There are currently 39 drivers on the preliminary list […]

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NASCAR Fans React To Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Announcement originally appeared on The Spun.

NASCAR fans are taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to react to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s announcement on Monday evening.

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The Xfinity Series is set to arrive at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday. There are currently 39 drivers on the preliminary list for Saturday night’s race.

“There are 39 drivers on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s Xfinity Series event on Saturday. Notables: 07-Labbe, 9-SVG, 14-Mosack, 17-Day, 19-Herbst, 32-Green, 35-TBA, 45-Perez, 53-Karam, 70-Rodgers, 91-Bilicki,” Joseph Srigley shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports is set to play a big factor in the race, with three drivers entered, including a surprise in Shane Van Gisbergen.

Nov 9, 2024; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr during the Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesMark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.

Nov 9, 2024; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr during the Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesMark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.

NASCAR fans are excited to see Dale Jr.’s drivers in action on Saturday night.

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“I believe I heard someone say it was an error, that you would not be crew chief for Connor at Sonoma 7/12… Will you or not? Curious minds want to know!!” one fan wrote.

“Having Conner as your driver on a road course while you’re crew chiefing is a cheat code!! Keep the fenders on it driver!!” one fan added.

“SVG vs Connor with Dale Jr would definitely be a more fair match up. Will definitely make SVG have to try for the win this time lol,” one fan added.

“Dude, walk away with that 1.000 batting avg,” one fan added.

“I see this and run down that driver list looking for your name. 🤦🏻‍♂️ I should have known better, road course. 😂,” one fan added.

It’ll be a fun race on Saturday night, that’s for sure.

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NASCAR Fans React To Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Announcement first appeared on The Spun on Jul 8, 2025

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.



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Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup drivers ahead of Sonoma weekend

For the third time in five weekends, the NASCAR Cup Series will race on a road course. After recent trips to Mexico and Chicago, the Cup Series is at Sonoma Raceway. Shane van Gisbergen seeks to tie Jeff Gordon’s record of three consecutive road course victories this weekend. Here is a look at the good […]

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For the third time in five weekends, the NASCAR Cup Series will race on a road course.

After recent trips to Mexico and Chicago, the Cup Series is at Sonoma Raceway. Shane van Gisbergen seeks to tie Jeff Gordon’s record of three consecutive road course victories this weekend.

Here is a look at the good news and bad news for Cup teams heading into Sunday’s race.

23XI Racing — Good news: Tyler Reddick will make his 200th career Cup start this weekend. … Reddick finished eighth at Sonoma last year for his best Cup result there in four starts. … Reddick has eight top-10 finishes in the last 11 road course races. … Reddick ranks second in points scored (107) on road courses this season to Shane van Gisbergen (135 points). … Riley Herbst placed 17th at Chicago, ending a streak of seven consecutive finishes of 24th or worse this year. Bad news: Bubba Wallace was headed for a top-10 finish at Chicago before he crashed in the final laps after contact with Alex Bowman. … Wallace has finished outside the top 20 in six of the last nine races. … Wallace has three top-10 finishes in 35 Cup road course starts. … Herbst is tied with Shane van Gisbergen for most pit road speeding penalties this season with six.

Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Todd Gilliland finished 10th at Sonoma last year, his best result there in three Cup starts. … Zane Smith has four top-15 finishes in the last six races. Bad news: Gilliland has finished 22nd or worse in the last six races. … Noah Gragson has finished 23rd or worse in the last six races.

Haas Factory Team — Good news: Cole Custer finished eighth on the road course at Mexico last month. … All five of Custer’s top-20 finishes this season have come in the last 10 races. Bad News: Custer has gone 136 starts since his one Cup victory, which came at Kentucky in July 2020.

Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: Kyle Larson won last year’s race at Sonoma. … Alex Bowman is one of two drivers to finish in the top 10 in all three road course races this season (Shane van Gisbergen is the other). … Bowman has seven top-10 finishes in his last 11 Cup road course starts. … Chase Elliott has finished in the top 10 in the last four Sonoma races, tied with Ross Chastain for the longest active streak. … Elliott has led in each of the last five races at Sonoma. Bad news: Hendrick Motorsports has led a total of two laps in the three road course races this season. … Eleven different drivers have led more laps on road courses this season than Hendrick Motorsports. … William Byron has finished 27th or worse in each of the last three races. … Before his woes, only two drivers were within 100 points of Byron’s points lead. Now, two drivers are within 20 points and four drivers are within 40 points of Byron’s lead. … Larson has failed to lead a lap in six consecutive races.

Hyak Motorsports — Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will make his 200th Cup start with the organization this weekend. Bad news: Stenhouse has fallen from 15th in the playoff standings (10 points above the cutline) to 26th in the playoff standings (82 points below the cutline) in the last six races.

Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: Denny Hamlin’s fourth-place finish last weekend at Chicago was only his second top-10 result on a road course in 19 starts in the Next Gen era. … Christopher Bell makes his 200th career Cup start this weekend. … Bell has finished in the top two in three of the last four road course races, including his win at COTA this year. … Ty Gibbs tied his career-best Cup finish by placing second at Chicago last week. … Gibbs has scored five consecutive top-15 finishes. Bad news: Hamlin has finished outside the top 30 in the last three Sonoma races. … Chase Briscoe has only two top-10 finishes in his last 10 starts on a road course.

Kaulig Racing — Good news: Ty Dillon, the No. 32 seed in the In-Season Challenge, is among the eight remaining drivers still with a chance to win the $1 million prize. … AJ Allmendinger placed sixth at Chicago for his first top-10 result since the Coca-Cola 600 in late May. … Allmendinger has six finishes of sixth or better in his last 10 Cup road course starts. Bad news: Dillon has never had a top-20 finish in five Sonoma Cup starts.

NASCAR: Grant Park 165 Cup Practice and Qualifying

Eight drivers remain with the third round at Sonoma.

Legacy Motor Club — Good news: The team is guaranteed to have a driver among the final four in the In-Season Challenge with John Hunter Nemechek going against teammate Erik Jones in this weekend’s race at Sonoma. … Nemechek finished sixth at Mexico for his best Cup finish on a road course. … Jones has six top-15 finishes in the last nine races. Bad news: Jones has no top-10 finishes in his last 15 Cup road course starts.

NASCAR: Cup Practice and Qualifying

Halfway through this season, John Hunter Nemechek has already topped his career mark for top-10 finishes in a season.

Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Kyle Busch has scored 23 of his 28 stage points at road courses this year. … Both of Busch’s top-five finishes this season have come on road courses. … Busch ranks second in the series in speed and third in passing on road courses this season. … Busch has two wins at Sonoma. Bad news: Austin Dillon finished a season-worst 36th last weekend at Chicago. … Dillon has placed 19th or worse in the last eight races. … Dillon has scored 17 points in three road course races this season, the fewest among drivers who started all three of those races.

Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Cody Ware has scored more points in the last two races (35) than he had in the previous four races (29). Bad news: Ware was headed for his best finish in a Cup road course race until a brake rotor failed and he crashed in the final laps, finishing 26th. … Ware has never finished better than 24th in a Cup road course race in 18 starts.

AUTO: JUL 07 NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165

Cody Ware slammed head-on into a tire barrier at Chicago but a caution was not immediately called by NASCAR.

RFK Racing — Good news: Ryan Preece gained 21 points on the playoff cutline at Chicago and is now two points out of a playoff spot with seven races left in the regular season. … Preece finished seventh at Chicago, giving him five top-10 results in the last eight races. … Preece ranks first in the series on restarts at road courses this season. … Chris Buescher has finished in the top five in each of the last three Sonoma races. … Buescher has seven top-10 finishes in his last 10 Cup road course starts. … Brad Keselowski ranks third in defense ratings on road courses this season. Bad news: Keselowski has failed to finish six races, tying Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez for most this season.

NASCAR: Grant Park 165 Cup Practice and Qualifying

Ryan Preece closed to two points behind Bubba Wallace for the final playoff spot after the Chicago Street Race.

Spire Motorsports — Good news: Michael McDowell finished second at Sonoma last year. … McDowell has placed seventh or better in the last three Sonoma races. Bad news: Throttle issues derailed McDowell’s chances of winning at Chicago after he won the opening stage. … All three cars finished outside the top 20 at Chicago. … Justin Haley has one top-20 finish in the last eight races. … Carson Hocevar has finished 29th or worse in four of the last seven races.

Team Penske — Good news: Ryan Blaney has five top-10 finishes in eight Sonoma starts. Bad news: Austin Cindric has not finished better than 18th in the three road course races this season. … Blaney has only two top-10 finishes, including a win, in the last seven races. … Joey Logano has gone five races without a top-10 finish, the second time this year that he has had a streak of at least five consecutive races without a top-10 result.

Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Shane van Gisbergen has won the past two road course races. … van Gisbergen is one of two drivers to finish in the top 10 in each of the three road course races this season (Alex Bowman is the other). … van Gisbergen is the only repeat winner in the last 10 Cup races this season. … van Gisbergen has a 2.67 average finish in three road course starts this year. … van Gisbergen’s three wins give him the most Cup wins by a foreign born driver. … Ross Chastain has finished in the top 10 in the last four Sonoma races, tied with Chase Elliott for the longest active streak. Bad news: Daniel Suarez has one top-10 finish in his last 15 Cup road course starts.

NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165

A look at the winners and losers from Sunday’s Cup race at Chicago.

Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry has started in the top 10 in eight of 19 races this season. Bad news: Berry has finished 26th or worse in four of the last six races. … He placed 32nd last year at Sonoma in his lone Cup start there. … Berry has not scored a top-20 finish in eight Cup road course starts.





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New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour Comes to Millville NJ

On August 1 – 3, 2025 one of the oldest organizations in vintage racing, and the only one with a national presence, the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) is coming to the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, with the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour. Formula Cars from Around the World to Compete Head-to-Head In […]

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On August 1 – 3, 2025 one of the oldest organizations in vintage racing, and the only one with a national presence, the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) is coming to the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, with the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour.

Formula Cars from Around the World to Compete Head-to-Head

In addition to an array of vintage cars, the event will feature racing from Formula Race Promotions, Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) and Formula Regional America Championship (FR Americas), which are both led by Race Director, Scott Goodyear—the former racecar driver and television personality—who will also be on site!

The New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour features F4 U.S. Championships and FR Americas wheel-to-wheel racing! Both series are the first two steps on the Road to F1. New Jersey Motorsports Park’s 14-turn Thunderbolt Raceway is the 16th stop out of 22 stops on the national tour. When the lights go out at NJMP, five countries and 14 states across the USA will be represented across the two championships.

Spectators can get their tickets now at njmp.com. If you can’t make it in person, the races will be shown live, or tape delayed, on SPEED SPORT 1. SPEED SPORT 1 is a FAST channel — Free, Ad-Supported Streaming Television network. It is available on mainstream platforms with reach exceeding 200 million monthly active users, including Amazon Prime, Roku Channel, PlutoTV, SlingTV and more.

This event is in partnership with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA). SVRA is committed to presenting the best possible experience for competitors and fans. From 200 MPH Indy and Formula 1 cars to classic Jaguars and Porsches, SVRA events provide a rolling history of motorsport where the cars are the stars.

Car Shows and More Off-Track Fun!

Car enthusiasts will also enjoy the display of classic, vintage and exotic cars at the Hagerty Cars and Caffeine car show right in the Thunderbolt paddock. Spectators who are looking to get behind the wheel themselves are welcome to book an Arrive and Drive go-karting session at NJMP’s outdoor go-karting track! Compete with friends and family to see who can get in the most laps in NJMP’s Sodi gas-powered go-karts.

All guests are welcome to enjoy lunch and dinner at the full-service restaurant and pub, the Finish Line Pub, located right in the center of the facility. Here families can enjoy picnic games like cornhole, horseshoes, and pickleball (bring your own paddle and ball). And when it gets too hot, those with a ticket are eligible for a pool pass to NJMP’s outdoor pool!

Get your tickets now for this thrilling family weekend event at njmp.com!



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NASCAR on TV This Weekend: Sonoma 2025

Here is the TV schedule for this weekend as the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series take on the Sonoma Raceway road course in Northern California. Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images NASCAR TV schedule for Friday, July 11 NASCAR Xfinity Series practice/qualifying at Sonoma Raceway NASCAR TV schedule for Saturday, July 12 NASCAR Cup Series practice/qualifying […]

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Here is the TV schedule for this weekend as the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series take on the Sonoma Raceway road course in Northern California.

Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

NASCAR TV schedule for Friday, July 11

NASCAR Xfinity Series practice/qualifying at Sonoma Raceway

NASCAR TV schedule for Saturday, July 12

NASCAR Cup Series practice/qualifying at Sonoma Raceway

Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 Race at Sonoma Raceway

NASCAR TV schedule for Sunday, July 13

Toyota / Save Mart 350 Race NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway

MORE: Odds and more information for Sonoma Raceway


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Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.

From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book “All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story” with racer Geoff Bodine.

Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.

You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.



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ARCA West Sonoma Entry List

NASCAR isn’t the only sanctioning body heading to Sonoma Raceway this weekend — the ARCA Menards Series West will also do battle at the track for the General Tire 200. There are 26 cars entered for West’s sixth race of the 2025 season. Eric Nascimento and Nascimento Motorsports are entered in the No. 4 for […]

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NASCAR isn’t the only sanctioning body heading to Sonoma Raceway this weekend — the ARCA Menards Series West will also do battle at the track for the General Tire 200.

There are 26 cars entered for West’s sixth race of the 2025 season.

Eric Nascimento and Nascimento Motorsports are entered in the No. 4 for their first start of the year.

Caleb Shrader returns with Jerry Pitts Racing’s No. 6 for his second appearance of the season.

Corey Day will drive the No. 7 for Spire Motorsports.

1/4 Ley Racing has two cars entered for Sonoma. Jeff Anton is in the No. 8 while owner Dale Quarterley will drive the No. 32.

Davey Magras returns to the series in his self-owned No. 14, his first appearance since 2023.

Bill McAnally Racing has two cars entered for the first time this season. The team’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Jack Wood is in the No. 16, while Kaulig Racing NASCAR Xfinity Series full-timer (and former BMR driver) Christian Eckes will drive the full-time No. 19.

Kaylee Bryson will make her series debut in Cook Racing Technologies’ No. 17.

Eckes isn’t the only Xfinity regular in the field. William Sawalich will drive Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18.

Clark Racing’s No. 23 has Spencer Gallagher in the seat, while Sigma Performance Services’ No. 24 is fielding Tyler Reif.

Venturini Motorsports heads West for this race with a single-car effort, the No. 25, driven by Alon Day.

Ryan Philpott and Rodd Kneeland are back in their self-owned Nos. 52 and 68, respectively, for the first time this year. Kneeland’s No. 68 also ran at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway last month with PJ Pedroncelli.

Nick Joanides makes his first start of the year, returning to Performance P-1 Motorsports’ No. 77.

Naake-Klauer Motorsports heads to the ARCA West track for the first time this season, fielding Will Rodgers in its No. 88. Rodgers will also run the Xfinity event for Cope Family Racing.

The General Tire 200 is set for Friday, July 11, at 6:30 p.m. ET. FloRacing is handling the broadcast.


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Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.

At his day job, he’s a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio — you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.



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Mayor Brandon Johnson discusses 4th of July violence, future of NASCAR Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) — Mayor Brandon Johnson says he is open to bringing NASCAR back to Chicago. ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch At a news conference with reporters on Tuesday he weighed in on the street race and holiday weekend violence. “I don’t know how those guys and women drive those […]

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CHICAGO (WLS) — Mayor Brandon Johnson says he is open to bringing NASCAR back to Chicago.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

At a news conference with reporters on Tuesday he weighed in on the street race and holiday weekend violence.

“I don’t know how those guys and women drive those cars in those kind of suits, like, if I had to wear that outfit every single day at work, that would be very difficult,” Johnson said.

He may not have to wear the suit, but Johnson must decide if bringing the street race back to Chicago is worth it.

“The larger question is around, how do neighborhoods across the city benefit from anything that we bring to the City of Chicago,” he said.

While revenue generated from NASCAR is still being added up, the mayor says NASCAR has been supportive of neighborhood programs. However, without getting into specifics, the mayor says everything must be on the table when negotiating with NASCAR.

“Far more people are going to be involved in this process than when it was initially birthed,” he said.

Downtown aldermen are demanding they be part of the conversations with NASCAR.

They say negotiations must include changing the date of the race from 4th of July weekend.

“It’s a heavier burden for our law enforcement, because of so many so much activity that happens in Chicago,” Johnson said.

Despite a long holiday weekend that began with a deadly mass shooting in River North, the mayor says July 4th crime numbers were down compared to years past.

“The decline of violence is a result of the full force of government, working with all entities of government, at every single level of government, and making critical investments, particularly communities that have been starved in decades,” he said.

The mayor said he is worried how those communities will be impacted by President Trump’s big policy bill.

Johnson said his budget team plans to do a complete analysis to figure out the exact impact.

READ ALSO | $10K reward offered for information after 18 shot, 4 killed in River North mass shooting

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