Dale Earnhardt Jr. made headlines in 2025 with his foray into entrepreneurship, and he updated fans about his journey in a recent Dale Jr. Download podcast. The Dale Earnhardt Jr business update focused on the expansion of two projects: Jerky Boys, a gourmet beef jerky brand, and Filter Time, which deals with home air filters, both launched with Blake Koch.
Jerky Boys Gains Praise But Faces Growing Challenges
Jerky Boys, created using a recipe from Blake Koch’s grandfather, currently sells a single flavor of beef jerky. Due to the company’s small scale, introducing more flavors would significantly increase overhead, so they are choosing to keep production focused and costs controlled for now. When first introduced, customers raised concerns over premium pricing, but Earnhardt Jr. has avoided raising costs further, knowing it could impact sales negatively, especially as the company doesn’t have large-scale production or many employees.
Even as fans question the price, feedback about the product has been overwhelmingly positive. Earnhardt Jr. emphasized the high quality by stating,
“If I give you the bag, I know you’re going to love it. No one has ever eaten the jerky and said, ‘It’s okay.’ Everyone who’s eaten it says, ‘It’s the best jerky I’ve ever had.’ We have a very regular flavor. We’re a small company, and it’s really expensive for us to make our jerky because we don’t have massive production. We don’t have a lot of dehydrators.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., Entrepreneur
He also addressed growth plans and the opportunity to make Jerky Boys more affordable, saying,
“We don’t have a lot of employees. But as demand goes up and we can make more, the price goes way down. We already have a plan. We already know where we can get the price down.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., Entrepreneur
Expanding Reach and Listening to Customers
Buoyed by strong reviews and the prospect of lowering prices, Earnhardt Jr. remains optimistic about future growth for Jerky Boys. To strengthen the brand, he’s shipped product samples to celebrities in hopes of garnering influential feedback, while also calling top customers to hear their thoughts directly. He credits the positive word-of-mouth as essential for building momentum.
Major Moves Ahead for Jerky Boys and Filter Time
On the Filter Time side, Earnhardt Jr. reported seamless operations and continued progress. Looking ahead, he revealed strategic plans for Jerky Boys, sharing,
“I bought a building right next to Junior Motorsports,”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., Entrepreneur. He added,
“So, I’m gonna move Jerky Boys into that building so that Blake and Christian and everybody, we can all be here to help sort of continue to make the next few moves. I believe in it, man, because I believe it’s truly the best jerky I’ve ever eaten.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., Entrepreneur
Earnhardt Jr. underscored his commitment to the product, stating,
“And so, if it wasn’t good, I wouldn’t have wanted to buy into the company. I tried it and I said that this shit’s gonna win.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., Entrepreneur
What Comes Next for Earnhardt Jr.’s Business Portfolio
As Dale Earnhardt Jr., Blake Koch, and their team prepare to expand operations physically and explore new opportunities, their focus remains on quality and customer satisfaction. The proximity of the new Jerky Boys location to Junior Motorsports signals a tighter operation, with hands-on leadership from Earnhardt Jr. and his partners like Christian. With Filter Time already on stable ground and a strong belief in Jerky Boys’ product, 2025 shapes up to be another significant chapter in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s journey from NASCAR icon to active businessman. The coming months will likely showcase further updates as both ventures aim for growth and new successes.
