Victory Lane

NASCAR Director of Influencer Marketing Ausley Karner joins Davey Segal (1:50) for an insightful conversation surrounding her job, one that is on the newer side but still holds importance in 2026. She explains what her definition of an influencer is, why NASCAR sees them as an important asset to their marketing strategy, how she got this specific job, why NASCAR finds it important to be in the influencer market and how she and her team go about executing campaigns and measure success. Plus, Karner dives into how her department has grown, how they measure success and failures, focusing on tentpole events for influencers, not neglecting the "homegrown" influencers in the NASCAR space, the newly released Jason Kelce collab and more, including who she still wants to get out to the track, whether she gets starstruck or not, how she helps plan schedules minute-by-minute and what she sees the future of the space looking like. Davey also discusses the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch, and the life and legacy he leaves behind.

Fresh off his Talladega Superspeedway victory with Corey Day, Hendrick Motorsports O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Crew Chief Adam Wall joins Davey Segal (1:55) to discuss and debrief their first win together of 2026. Wall explains why he was a bit surprised to see win No. 1 come at a superspeedway, the ups and downs so far for Day in his rookie campaign, reflects on working with 7 different drivers last season, how preparation differs from the Cup Series to NOAPS these days, how much an engineer can really tweak on a Gen 7 car and more. Plus, how he got hooked on racing with no real background in it, how he rose from sweeping floors (literally) at Hendrick to become an engineer and eventual crew chief, what he's learned from working under Cliff Daniels, how he's grown as a leader of the team, how much raw talent Day has, working with current (and future) Hall of Fame drivers, lofty goals for the rest of the season and more.

Longtime crew chief Frank Kerr joins Davey Segal (1:45) to dive into his extensive career in motorsports, both behind the wheel and atop the pit box. Kerr details what it's like working with Brennan Poole and for Alpha Prime Racing, the unique relationship he has with both his driver and team owner, working with other drivers in the past, his two wins in the then Nationwide Series with Marcos Ambrose and more. Kerr explains why he still to this day misses the feeling of being behind the wheel of a sprint car, why he opted to walk away as a winner with some still left in the tank and how the transition to becoming a crew chief and working in NASCAR happened. Plus, some of his gnarliest injuries, a Cup car falling on him (yes, really) at Bristol, what else he'd like to accomplish in his career, at APR and more.

The mayor of Hinchtown himself, James Hinchcliffe, joins Davey Segal (1:45) to debrief his first experience in NASCAR wheeling a Truck around the St. Petersburg streets for Spire Motorsports. He explains how the deal came together, his long relationship with Spire, how impressed the IndyCar paddock was with the series and the chances of him doing something like this again. Hinch also dives into his current roles with IndyCar on FOX , SiriusXM and Formula 1, explains why he's always had an interest for motorsports journalism, how he handles having to criticize fellow drivers and friends, the influence Greg Moore had on him and his perspective on the harrowing qualifying crash at Indy. Plus, his runner-up result on Dancing with the Stars, his beard routine, marrying his high school sweetheart, if he's ever actually considered running for Mayor anywhere and more, including some his favorite tracks around the world and what else is on his racing bucket list behind the wheel.

Legendary extreme sports athlete and racer (and fellow Marylander) Travis Pastrana joins Davey Segal (2:50) to discuss his return to NASCAR and the Truck Series a couple weeks ago at Daytona, shaking and baking with his buddy Cleetus McFarland, how difficult parachuting in to race these days is and whether he'd entertain doing more one-offs in NASCAR down the road. He also discusses some of his gnarly injuries over the course of his decorated career, why a recent one stands out, where he first got influenced to pursue a career like this and what else is on his bucket list to race/drive/do. Plus, he explains how he got his life back thanks to some new medical treatment, why he believes staying active and to keep moving is of the utmost importance, the idea behind "Pastranaland" and what the future looks like for him.