The Racing Writer's Podcast

Lissette Deschamps is one of the NASCAR security team members, and she’s here to share all the things that happen that many of us don’t think about or know. We’re walking through a week between events and preparation from one week to the next; coordinating with local law enforcement and the FBI for race weekends; combating drones at the racetrack and how they know people have them; the work and monitoring that goes into social media threats and keeping track of people; the boldest or craziest thing a fan has tried to get away with; reviewing fights and physical altercations after they happen; the process of penalties being handed down after altercations; the role security plays in weather delays and race postponements; the relationship between NASCAR and other professional sports leagues about security; the reason that security incidents are never made public; the importance of a two-way relationship with the garage; leaving the Daytona Beach police and joining NASCAR.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Mini Tyrell is in his first Craftsman Truck Series season after winning his ride on a reality television show. While the show might be over, the reality of NASCAR racing has set in, and the competition hasn’t stopped, with a lot of hard work and learning. We’re digging into getting back to racing later this week at Bristol Motor Speedway; adjusting to the sporadic nature of the Craftsman Truck Series schedule; having the ability to study with breaks in between races; the new things he’s experiencing this year with a new series and vehicle; the aero reaction that is eye-opening in the Truck Series; the value of seat time and confidence by running other series when not in the truck; a look at how the season has progressed and Tyrrell’s growth; racing with the knowledge it’s a one-year deal; learning what it takes to be a NASCAR versus his previous racing experience; whether it’s been harder for the group to learn with young drivers and so many new variables; the story behind the nonprofit Mini’s Mission; keeping the foundation going after its initial goal; how to get involved; looking ahead to hitting the $1 million mark.Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Jacob Claborn is the head coach at Hendrick Motorsports and he’s the perfect go-to for all things it stops. And there is so much to a pit stop. We’re getting deep into the weeds this week by starting off with a full, detailed breakdown of a pit stop and the choreography that goes into each position and placement; the hunt to eliminate dead time of when a tire changer and fueler is engaged with the car before it stops; an explanation on the jackman having a different visual this year with the new Chevy body and adjusting to that change in real time; deciding to retrain the tire changers to perform with their left hand and why other experiments didn’t work; the sensory training that Hendrick Motorsports now focuses on for pit stops; the danger of a lug nut being tightened too much; the many other differences from five lugs to now and whose career it has extended; taking into account the characteristics of pit road so a tire does not fall over; the human variable of loose wheels; preferring hand signals with the pit crews versus microphones; the target pit stop times these days and why TV is not official; thoughts on the next evolution for pit stops or just getting faster.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Mike Burch is the COO of Speedway Motorsports, which means he’s heavily involved in everything that goes on and can share great insights. We’re going to start by doing a preview of this weekend’s All-Star Race and moving it to Dover; having Dover in the Speedway Motorsports portfolio and concerns that it’s going to fade off the schedule with constant changes; the operational view of hosting a crown jewel event and on a holiday weekend with the Coke 600; the reception to going back to the oval in the fall; changing a race after the schedule has already been announced; the feedback that is taken in from the race fans; collaborating with the drivers; the validation of reprofiling Atlanta Motor Speedway; a look at the collaboration with NASCAR to create a schedule when both sides want their own things; the anticipation for a North Wilkesboro points race; the measure of success as the season goes on.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

Andrew Clarke is a motorsports writer and author and he has a new book that we’re discussing today, The Immortals of NASCAR. Clarke shares how the project came to be; the word ‘immortal’ being perfect for a NASCAR project; the reason that the list is made up of all champions; the debatable criteria of being included on the list or considered an honorable mention; shedding insight on Shane van Gisbergen from his Supercars career; what he was like to cover in Australia; the following he still has over there with what he’s doing now; putting the order of the list together; the debates that come with this list; having Richard Petty write the forward, and his words about what drivers mean to the sport; the driver being the focus in NASCAR versus other sports; Clarke’s background covering NASCAR and motorsports; the racing to pay attention to on that side of the world; explaining having a love of Wikipedia.  Original music created by Tony Monge. Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall