The Racing Writer's Podcast

Kyle Larson is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, a future Hall of Famer, and one hell of an overall race car driver. So, we’re going to dig into some of what that takes from behind the wheel. Larson starts off by explaining the immediate debrief after a race on pit road and how that leads into the week of meetings and breakdowns; what makes a driver say when and why someone else had the best car on a given race weekend; the reason he wants so much information from crew chief Cliff Daniels about other things happening in a race, and the dynamic of how that came to be; the dynamic of Daniels the cheerleader and Larson being able to criticize himself; having a changing understanding of a race unfolds from the start of his career; being able to retain all the information given to him and what’s seeing himself; what he is seeing or looking for with other competitors during a race; being able to drive the race car but not know the ins and outs of it, and if that’s ever felt like a hinderance; the good and bad of looking at data; how a car’s capability plays to how a driver drives it; adjusting to the car versus making the car adjust to the driver; where the feel for the car comes from in Next Gen, and compared to dirt; realizing he had the ability to be versatile in racing, and whether that can be taught or has to come natural; not being very good at helping Owen in his racing; the perspective on racing that he gets from seeing his kids go through their own journey; a preview of Kansas Speedway.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Buddy Hull is now a driver/owner in NHRA Funny Car competition, and he’s had plenty to talk about after the fiery start it got off to this season. But that’s just a continuation of the wild rides he’s had in recent years. Hull joins the show to discuss the time spent since the burn down in Gainesville to prepare another car; missing a race so early in the season; wondering if all the hardships lately are trying to teach him something; what he’s learning about himself; his recovery from the Gainesville fire and burns; the manufacturer support in drag racing and how that ties into having a backup body; what it’s like to go through a sand trap; entering a new chapter this year as a team owner; the reason behind going from a hired driver to starting his own team; milestones set for the team this season; Top Fuel to Funny Car to potentially some Top Fuel again; the love for driving a Funny Car; starting out working for Tim Wilkerson and now racing against him; the family dynamic when he became a race car driver; his past in competitive power lifting; the genesis behind starting the Talkin Funny Car program; interviewing fellow competitors in a laid back environment; the plan for the rest of the year and when the team will be able to return to competition.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

23XI Racing has done a lot of great things in a short amount of time, and from the beginning has been Mike Wheeler. He was one of the architects of bringing Denny Hamlin’s vision to life, and he joins the show to reflect on those days. We start off with explaining his new title and taking on new responsibilities; the pride of having his fingerprints on the creation of the race team; what it means to build a culture and the importance of that for 23XI Racing; the first days actually starting in Wheeler’s two-car garage at home; the early days of being able to lay hands on race cars; what happened to the diary he was keeping at the time; the top of mind reflections from the first five years; his previous relationship with Hamlin making things easier to be one of the guy’s building the team; still having somewhat of a small team feel; reflections on expansion and thoughts as it was happening; finding solid ground now after five years; the perspective building a race team gave him; building a competitive race team and insight into an alliance; the change from 2025 to 2026 and the early season success; meeting expectations and milestones et for the first five years; having two crown jewels under their belt; bringing Michael Jordan joy; adjusting to what success feels like when not a member of a single team; where the mind goes first after a race; the most important or meaningful part of the 23XI story.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

The story of Michael McDowell’s career with sports cars, open wheel, and NASCAR is known enough at this point, but how about those really early days? The ones before he was given a chance to race professionally. We’re digging into that today, starting with his connection to Las Vegas; insight on the west coast racing scene; starting off with BMX bikes; not being a racing family but a car culture family and still finding his way into racing; describing the world of competitive karting; the lessons from karting that stay with a young driver; filling in some blanks from his early career that led to sports cars, open wheel, and then NASCAR; how deep being a driver coach goes throughout his career and life; a story about Jimmie Johnson from back in the day when driver coaching; working with drivers in NASCAR for road courses; mechanical learning through tinkering and the passing it forward notion; going full circle with recently bringing his son to the Bondurant driving school; keeping the kids away from racing; the family dynamic of the McDowell kids understanding and sharing in what dad does for a living; the part of his story that McDowell wants known or feels is important.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Jordan Vandergriff is living his best life as a Funny Car driver for John Force Racing, which puts him back behind the wheel for the first time in six years, We’re digging into it all today, starting with how it never gets old being introduced as a JFR driver; the story of being picked by John Force; it setting in more and more through Gainesville; getting the first win(s) light out of the way in the first weekend; not having the same exact team that won the last two championships; not using that as a built-in excuse; outsiders creating a rivalry between he and Austin Prock; what’s going on in the headphones; looking to get Rick Hendrick’s attention; fitting into a team with longtime preexisting sponsors; staying involved with the sport and at the track helping land his job; the perspective working in television gave him; finding himself learning the competition while working in television; championing for himself to drive while in the television role, and the balance of doing so; the career narrative he would have wrote when getting his Top Fuel ride n 2018; it taking so long to get back behind the wheel; the time spent away from the sport; doing mental preparation and visualization to prepare for the Funny Car, and comparing to reality; the differences in dragster versus Funny Car; adjusting to a different view out of the windshield and where the engine is located; racing with teammates for the first time; overall take aways from a first weekend in competition; looking ahead to this weekend in Phoenix.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Casey Mears had one of the best stories of the Daytona 500 when he qualified for the race in the single-car, underdog operation that is Garage 66 for Carl Long. A few weeks removed from the event, Mears shares how it has carried on; taking apart the Atlanta car to run in Daytona but that being the game plan; the visual of the torn apart car in the garage; comparing the moment to others from his career; choosing to come back so many years after his full-time career ended, and doing it with an underdog team; sharing this side of his life with his children who are now older to understand; the emotions of the first few races back in the NASCAR garage; the difference in being a driver today and living the full-time driver life; the realization that his full-time career was over; the feelings on what was his full-time career and any what if moments; things that almost happened in career such as getting to Penske; the impact of having raced for many big name car owners; managing to not have enemies or negative things said about him; anticipating the feeling of hitting 500 starts; the plans for the rest of the season.    Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Cliff Daniels returns to the podcast now as a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, and a lot has happened, and growth has occurred in the process. Daniels first explains why he wanted the timing to be right for the conversation; looking back now on what the story of 2025 was for the team; what it means for the 2026 team and how steady they are going forward; explaining how a team doesn’t become complacent through consistent success; a crew chief’s continued work to remain on top of the sport and job; details on the team book club and it translating to performance; the need to give dissertations to Larson over the radio during a race; where Daniels finds fulfillment and what makes him happy.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Justin Allgaier finally won that elusive NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship a few years ago, and things have been great since. So, as Allgaier returns to the podcast, we’re going on life and racing. It starts with one last look back at Daytona 500 and reviewing what happened; the person and driver who is entering 2026, and it being different; the difference the championship made to the racer; the 2024 series championship making a difference or mattering more than expected; the unexpected place where the championship trophy ended up; making a career in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series; the view he takes on the Cup Series and a career there; something he would like to have back or have done different from his career; the most important thing to him nowadays at the racetrack; the evolution of being concerned for self and now JR Motorsports as a whole; the dynamic of always changing teammates; the expectations for a new season with a team that hasn’t seen much turnover; new crew chief Andrew Overstreet being far from a stranger; the awareness of his career numbers in the series and how good it has been; being with distance of moving to sixth all-time on the wins list in the series.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Ron Capps Motorsports begins its next chapter this season with the addition of a Top Fuel dragster team for Maddi Gordon, who will compete alongside owner and Funny Car driver Ron Capps. But before they go racing, both join the show to share about building the team and what it’s been like over the last year to get to this point where racing is just around the corner.  Gordon discusses the feeling as the season gets closer and becomes more real; doing a lot more media and handling all the attention that’s come recently; the Chapstick dispenser in the hauler; what goes into preparing for a rookie season; no longer racing for family for the first time in her career and the difference that will be; no longe being able to be as hands on with her race car; the goals and milestones set for the season.  Capps explains the timing of the expansion for his organization; insight into a busy offseason and what it takes to add another team; anticipation of how race weekend will change with his responsibilities and focus as an owner of another car; the refreshed or new perspective Capps is getting seeing Gordon experience things for the first time; feeling more like a team owner with another car in the stable; explaining expansion being a good thing; being named one of NHRA’s 75 greatest drivers; expectations for Gordon’s team this year.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

In the five years since Matt Kaulig was last on the podcast, a lot has happened for Kaulig Racing, and the next chapter comes this season as the Ram anchor team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. So, as Kaulig returns to the show, he shares where his anticipation level is for this season compared to some others; going from never having attended a Truck Series race to now fielding five teams; building a relationship with Ram; the organization dominating the headlines with planned out announcements over the last seven months; adding more to the organization while still trying to build the Cup Series operation; expectations for the Cup Series season and going without an alliance partner; the overall NASCAR team ownership experience having been in the sport for a decade; making people more aware that he’s not just a NASCAR owner or not just a philanthropic; being more than someone who writes a check; a future outlook for Kaulig Giving.    Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

NHRA is riding high going into its 75th anniversary season with the release of a six-part docuseries titled ‘Chasing Speed.’ To share insight on the project and what viewers can expect, Steve Reintjes and Chris Meadows are here to share the feeling of having the project out in the world now for viewers to see; delivering the right balance for the hardcore fan and the new viewer; the partnership with Vice as the broadcast partner for the show; the balance of NHRA telling the story and how Vice wanted to tell the story; showcasing personalities and people in this series; getting the competitors on board and giving access; the importance of a project like this to get NHRA out in front of people; some of the new or different things that a hardcore fan is going to get from the series; whether this series could live past one season; the hope for what viewers will take away at the end of all six episodes;  looking ahead to the next NHRA television contract.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Brenden “Butterbean” Queen is set for his first full season of Craftsman Truck Series competition in a Ram entry at Kaulig Racing. We’re checking in with Butterbean on how he celebrated his ARCA Menards Series championship and then shifted to preparing for this next opportunity; what it mean to be the first named driver to the Kaulig Racing program in the Truck Series; why it’s a badge of honor to be getting an opportunity at the NASCAR national series level at his age; the family dynamic now that he’s not in the longshoreman business anymore; the talent versus funding narrative and appreciation versus jealously of opportunities; racing being a job for him now and why that’s not uncomfortable; a day in the life of a race car driver preparing for a new season; the status of his mechanical engineering degree; if it’s felt things have progressed quickly or slowly to get to this point; knowing what to expect in the Truck Series after making a handful of starts the last few years; the characteristics of the truck and not being nice in the series; the moment that he felt rose his stock over the last few years; being included in the newest NASCAR video game.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Alexis DeJoria started the NHRA Funny Car season in a brand-new environment with new people, resources, and cars around her. But as the NHRA Countdown has arrived, DeJoria explains how all the work has the JCM Racing team on the verge of something big; how scary it was to start over at this point in her career; seeing it all come together so quickly; how this compares to other changes in her career; what went into building the team chemistry away from the racetrack; what each side wants from the other; the amount of fun she’s had this year; outlook on the Countdown and realistic expectations; having three straight races to start the postseason; having a four-wide race in the Countdown for the first time; chasing a championship before the end of her career; the evolution of the Funny Car class and competition; hopes to end the season.    Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall  PRE-ORDER: NASCAR Race Day Eats https://insighteditions.com/products/nascar-race-day-eats  Alexis DeJoria feature story: https://racer.com/2021/07/27/insight-dejorias-second-act

B.J. McLeod has it all right now between the success of his race team on the NASCAR track and the opening of his new roller coaster. McLeod returns to the podcast to discuss the best season Live Fast Motorsports has had since its inception; being a competitive Open team in the Cup Series; the dynamic of driver to driver to driver on the radio with McLeod, Katherine Legge, and Tommy Joe Martins; insight on the NASCAR testing policy; the feeling of the team running more races but not being in the seat as much; having the Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster official open; the designs and detail of the coaster; attracting race fans versus general coaster enthusiasts; the speed component to the coaster; the slogan of competing and trash talking; the unique way McLeod has solicited feedback; the plans for Live Fast Motorsports to end the season.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall  PRE-ORDER: NASCAR Race Day Eats https://insighteditions.com/products/nascar-race-day-eats

Ida Zetterstrom finally had her dream come true this time a year ago when she made her NHRA Top Fuel debut. She returns to the podcast to discuss what it has been like since; the struggle watching racing go on without her; being at the track for her teammate Alexis DeJoria; working through the emotions of being out of the car; doing work for NHRA.TV this year and getting comfortable in the role; the many media and public opportunities Zetterstrom has embraced outside the car; becoming integrated in the NHRA community; the outlook for the end of the year, and hope for 2026.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall  PRE-ORDER: NASCAR Race Day Eats https://insighteditions.com/products/nascar-race-day-eats

Ty Dillon has been the belle of the ball with the NASCAR in-season tournament. Dillon joins the show to explain how he and Kaulig Racing have capitalized on the attention; staying relevant in the series; the fight for relevancy in his career; the path his career has taken; the type of person it takes to stick it out in the Cup Series; how racing has played into the type of person he’s become; not driving for Richard Childress Racing; landing at Kaulig Racing; how Dillon has been impacted by the people around him; clicking with crew chief Andrew Dickeson; being pushed by those around him when needed; having fun in racing; being a reminder there is more to racing than what is happening at the front; the work behind the wheel after not running the full 2024 season; comfortability with the Gen7 car; looking ahead to Indianapolis; the Gen7 car at Indianapolis versus previous versions; expectations for the remainder of the season.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall  PRE-ORDER: NASCAR Race Day Eats https://insighteditions.com/products/nascar-race-day-eats

Will Brown, the reigning Australian Supercars champion, makes his NASCAR return this weekend on the streets of Chicago in a third entry for Kaulig Racing. It’s a course Brown has never competed, so he explains the work he’s done in the simulator to prepare; simulators not being a tool for Supercars drivers; thoughts on the course in Chicago based on what he’s learned in the simulator and seen otherwise; comparison of the Supercars to the Next Gen car; what he’s like on iRacing and why he’s in disguise; his tailgating experience in Atlanta; takeaways from the NASCAR experience; doing a Vlog; why he’s not used to running a visor in NASCAR; who else he’d like to see try NASCAR and from NASCAR try Supercars; how things are going for him in Supercars; being the guy who took SVG’s seat after his departure; making the decision to take the seat; his sales pitch for fans to watch Australian Supercars racing.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall  PRE-ORDER: NASCAR Race Day Eats https://insighteditions.com/products/nascar-race-day-eats

It’s a jam-packed episode that highlights girl power, diversity, and various aspects of working in racing. 23XI Racing brings us inside Airspeed to meet some of its leading ladies, and we learn not only what they do but also the great stories of how they got here.  Kerri Berryman (director of finance and accounting):   The woman with the spreadsheets; working closely with the competition department on cost; seeing the evolution of cost in the sport through her career; why she chose this perception and the misconception of the field when it comes to women; memories of working for Germain Racing for 15 years; the draw to coming to 23XI Racing when initially thinking of being done with the sport; seeing something be built from the ground up; overseeing the organization’s community relations and why it’s important for both sides; the diversity of 23XI Racing.  Cherokee Hall (junior project engineer):   A job with a broad title; working in the shop but getting the chance to take in what happens at the racetrack; how it feels to be a part of the success without touching the car; entering the engineering space but not coming from a racing family; restoring a Ford Mustang for a high school project; landing at 23XI Racing; expectation versus reality of the job; insight into failing inspection; working from the Xfinity Speed Center (war room); diversity at 23XI Racing.  Evanna Howell (senior partnerships account manager):   The role of working with the partners; being a liaison between partners and the team; serving different needs with more than one team partner; the track presence of partners; the balance of serving both a race team and the partners; always doing something different; her journey to 23XI Racing; blinding applying for the job without a racing background; the parameters of marketing; working for Feld Entertainment and the live events experience from Disney on Ice to Monster Jam; the crossover between the two; adapting to a racing lifestyle; doing community outreach for the team; the diversity of 23XI Racing.  Jamie Ruiz (vice president of marketing):   A job that encompasses many branches and what that looks like; explaining the 23XI Racing brand and how others view them; expectations versus reality at the organization; getting comfortable being uncomfortable; getting into NASCAR for the first time; blindly applying for the job; working from California before moving to North Carolina; taking on unexpected projects at Airspeed; working in the entertainment business in Hollywood; bring that to the NASCAR space; how brand guidelines work; social media approach; finding enjoyment in the role and the NASCAR life; diversity of 23XI Racing.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall  PRE-ORDER: NASCAR Race Day Eats https://insighteditions.com/products/nascar-race-day-eats

Elon Werner is the creator of Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB), a game that has qiuckly taken over the drag racing world. Werner is here to tell all as he explains finally taking the leap to create the game and how it works on the backend; the most important thing he wanted to incorporate in DRBB; the retention rate from week to week and keeping people playing; being a data resource for fans and not just a game with all the information incorporated; a run-down of the many prizes available to players; the range of the game reaching other countries; getting the industry to buy into a new game and have it sweep the sport; always thinking about what is next and continuing to evolve the game.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Charles Denike has Bubba Wallace off to the best start of his NASCAR Cup Series career, and he’s done so as a new crew chief in the series. Denike dishes on settling in at 23XI Racing; how it feels to get off to a strong start this season; impressions of Wallace from afar and now working with him; why the time was right to make this career move; the positive reviews about him before the season even started; the adjustment from the Craftsman Truck Series to being in the Cup Series; if he’s been able to enjoy the fast start to the season or had the pressure that comes with it; finding the same structure in NASCAR as in the military; why he went into the military after high school; his background and experience in the military; going into racing as his second career; the crossover from military into racing; the engineering crossover from one to the other; his NASCAR start being in the K&N Series and then going Truck Series racing; memories from Truck Series racing and his unconventional first career win; seeing his former truck win at at Martinsville Speedway; things that translate from the truck to cup; the balance of how he wants to lead the team but not changing things to change them; what Charles wanted from Bubba and want Bubba wanted from Charles as they paired together; the No. 1 thing the team needs to have accomplished by the end of the year.Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall