In an episode of the 'Dale Jr Download' with Mike Davis and Kelley Earnhardt, Mattes revealed that the initial response from the officials at the Olympics headquarters was to dismiss the idea.
In response, they bluntly conveyed to him, as he quoted, "Let me make it clear, I don't know where you're from or how significant you think Dale Earnhardt is. We have a longer history than Dale Earnhardt, and this is the Olympics, where participation requires financial contributions. No one occupies this office to extend favors."
This prompted Mattes to inquire, "Alright, then what is the cost of participation?"
The Olympics headquarters provided him with a price tag of one million dollars, payable upfront. However, the daunting task that lay ahead for Mattes was persuading Earnhardt to commit a million dollars to finalize the agreement.
