The Racing Writer's Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 205 | Jade Gurss Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

Jade Gurss is back with another must-read auto racing book, this time having worked with Al Unser Jr. Gurss, who had known Unser back during Unser’s driving career, takes us inside the work to tell Unser’s story in the best way; the reason for starting the book with Unser’s suicide attempt; the willingness of Unser to be vulnerable; the honesty and openness of Unser’s intense personal life and decisions; drug use and the Penske days; vivid memories on winning the Indianapolis 500 but feeling adrift afterward; how complex Unser is; not wanting to tell just a racing story; the fact-checking process; what Gurss was looking forward to hearing from Unser about; how it felt after such an intense project was done; what the takeaway for readers should be of Unser’s story.
Music created by Tony Monge.
Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Ep. 204 | BJ McLeod & Matt Tifft Dec 27, 2021

Show notes

Live Fast Motorsports made it through its first year as a NASCAR Cup Series team and co-owners BJ McLeod and Matt Tifft are calling it a success. Both McLeod and Tifft join the podcast this week to offer their perspectives. First up, McLeod dissects the season and how it was different from putting a car on track in 2020; what being an owner was like on the weekend’s he wasn’t driving; the biggest takeaway of fielding a full-time Cup Series car; what the measuring stick of success was and how that sets up for 2022; the high of the season; what it’s like being a Cup Series driver; being in meetings with NASCAR as an owner; having the car fully sponsored and a presence on social media; putting other drivers in the car; working with Tifft.
Tifft reflects on being a team owner in NASCAR; the budget of Live Fast versus other teams; how good it is for Tifft to be involved in racing again; the difference in driver mindset and watching the car; focusing on variables off the racetrack; how Tifft saw success for the team; being in meetings with NASCAR; going from friend to team co-owner with McLeod; if Tifft had fun in 2021.
Music created by Tony Monge.
Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Ep. 203 | Tommy Joseph (Ford Performance) Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

By now you know there is so much that goes into building a race car and not just for the race teams, which makes Tommy Joseph a great guest. As an aerodynamics supervisor for Ford Performance, he’s taking us inside what that means and everything going on at the Ford Tech Center; scale model testing; the limit of wind tunnel testing; what Ford has been able to work on during the parts freeze; the thrill of being involved in designing Next Gen; when racing aerodynamics became an interest; getting his foot in the door in Formula 1; engineering in F1 versus NASCAR; coming back to the U.S. and working for Ford; the F1 world versus the NASCAR world; the difference in a car enthusiast and someone who likes competition; what makes a good engineer or aerodynamic supervisor.
Music created by Tony Monge.
Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Ep. 202 | Chris Miko (Joe Gibbs Racing) Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

Chris Miko is one of the hauler drivers at Joe Gibbs Racing, and it’s his job to make sure that Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota makes it to the racetrack. But that’s not all Miko does. This week, Miko takes us for a ride through his 21 years in the sport; being a show car driver; finding a love of NASCAR at a young age and getting his foot in the door professionally; additional responsibilities for the race team other than driving the hauler; how having a co-driver works; how Miko spends so much time on the road; adventures with fans, fellow truck drivers, and cops; the importance of meeting NASCAR’s unloading schedule; easiest and hardest tracks to park the hauler; the nerve-racking experience of entering onto the Bristol dirt; the pride and possessiveness a hauler driver has for their equipment; everything that can be stored in a team hauler; the processing of packing up after race weekend and miles spent on the road; bringing Jurassic Park to his driveway.
Music created by Tony Monge.
Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Ep. 201 | Kip Childress pt. II Dec 06, 2021

Show notes

Kip Childress is back! There is so much more to cover about being the Cup Series pace car driver, but before we get into that, he's going to share a job he has covering sports away from the racetrack. After a nice discussion on high school sports, we dig into the importance of knowing the NASCAR rule book from inside the pace car and being aware of your surroundings; New Hampshire rain and Kyle Busch’s anger; time spent during rain delays; being in the pace vehicle at new venues like Bristol dirt and finding sightlines; how track compounds affect driving the pace car; procedure for the choose rule; post-race duties; if Childress can hear the fans react to big moments; getting to drive new manufacturer cars; getting the field out of the garage in the correct order; a season in review.
Music created by Tony Monge.
Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Ep. 200 | Brian Wilson & Harrison Burton Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

Brian Wilson and Harrison Burton are paired together at Wood Brothers Racing and they stop by the podcast to talk about it. Wilson describes getting his shot as a Cup Series crew chief; being familiar with the series; what he’ll expect from Burton; working with another young driver; making a name for himself in the Xfinity Series; the open notebook between Wood Brothers and Penske; working on Next Gen; going from developing Austin Cindric to racing against him.
Burton dishes on having a proven veteran as his leader; how he’ll lean on Wilson; building chemistry with each other; time already spent in the simulator; putting his time in the Xfinity Series behind him; what Burton learned about himself in those years; any plans to document a rookie Cup season; learning Next Gen; any unusual advice given about the Cup Series; and facing the hype of the Wood Brothers 100th win.
Music created by Tony Monge.
Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Ep. 199 | Bob Tasca III Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

Bob Tasca III lives a fascinating life as an NHRA Funny Car driver on the weekend but the vice president of Tasca Automotive Group during the week. In our conversation we dig into a busy portion of the NHRA schedule; the great Funny Car points battle; the mental battle of Sunday eliminations and not getting another run; what it was like when NHRA went to a playoff format; what Tasca is processing in the three seconds he’s down the track; learning to respect the power of a nitro car; joining the 300mph club; electrification in NHRA; working with Tony Stewart on the Cobra Jet program; what it’s physically like to drive a nitro Funny Car and the sensation of speed and if you can lose that; following in the family footsteps; dealership Tasca versus driver Tasca; needing an adrenaline rush; splitting time between the dealership and racing; how his family coined the ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ phrase; being surrounded by great men like his father and grandfather; having the dealership work serve as a distraction from racing; the most exciting thing about drag racing.
Music created by Tony Monge.
Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Ep. 198 | Todd Gordon Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

Before Todd Gordon walks out the door at Team Penske for the last time, he joins us to do some reflecting. Gordon starts by sharing if it’s sinking in that he’s done and what Sunday at Phoenix Raceway was like leading into the race; if Gordon plans to do any reflecting on the accomplishments he didn’t focus on while they were happening; the significant race wins along the way; the change he saw in Ryan Blaney through two years; building a race car for a college class; designing zero-turn lawnmowers and the influence Gordon’s wife Amy had on making the move to North Carolina; teams Gordon worked with before getting to Team Penske; remembering his first race as a crew chief and driver names that are a blast from the past; navigating AJ Allmendinger’s suspension in 2012; reaction to the hiring of Joey Logano; the Cup championship being the biggest accomplishment; how the sport ages you over time and looking at how it’s a seven day a week job; what Gordon’s kids reactions were over the years and now that he’s retiring; competition amongst crew chiefs; needing a break and having the time to figure out what’s next.
Music created by Tony Monge.
Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Ep. 197 | Josh Williams Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

Josh Williams is an Xfinity Series driver and now he’s getting back to his roots by offering development opportunities for those who need some assistance. We start our conversation talking about his driver development program and his approach to such a program; Williams also explains how many different hats he wears during a week; getting started with a go-kart at two years old; what Williams remembers from his dad’s racing career; the support from mom and dad, and dad’s heavy investment in what happens; his welcome to North Carolina moment; when Williams thought it’d be possible to make a living in NASCAR; what should be expected of the DGM team; if it’s tough to be a driver who also works on cars and knows what it takes to get to the track; being content in the Xfinity Series and what it means to overachieve; understanding everyone is racing for something; respecting the race leaders; his relationship with Dale Jr.; what Williams wants people to know; getting confused for the other Josh Williams in NASCAR; doing hospital visits.
Music created by Tony Monge.
Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Ep. 196 | Ryan Vargas Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

Ryan Vargas works his tail off for seat time and to be recognized in NASCAR and it’s paid off in some big ways over the last year. Vargas joins the show to discuss the growing amount of seat time he’s had this year and what it means to have a driver’s notebook; racing with emotion; insight into the home office and his daily task to get in a car; the business of cold calls; if Vargas has any formal training for selling himself and speaking well; the scariness of moving to NC as a teenager; why he thought he was washed up at 18; thoughts on young drivers getting recognized; some on-track highlights that stand out and a keepsake from leading laps at Talladega; what it is like to be a race car driver; why Vargas thinks fans relate to him and he’s developed a good following; embracing social media and its many different platforms; looking ahead to 2022.
Music created by Tony Monge.
Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

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