The Racing Writer's Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 175 | Tommy Joe Martins Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

Tommy Joe Martins has been putting in the years in the NASCAR garage, and he feels it gives him a right to voice his opinion, and he’s got a few of them around the future of the sport. Martins discusses what’s changing and his concerns; how things are going for Martins Motorsports in their second year; the workload and stress level after a rough few weeks on track; if not having practice and qualifying does save money; the brotherhood or bond that forms amongst teams like his; if Martins gets jealous or compares himself to others; why he’s aiming for his team to be like the Wood Brothers; coming to the realization he won’t always be the driver of his car; drivers being the best talent scouts, and how much racing Martins watches and the reasons why. Music created by Tony Monge.

Ep. 174 | Sam Mayer Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

No one is looking forward to Pocono Raceway more than Sam Mayer, who turns 18 on June 26 and then takes over the No. 8 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports beginning at Pocono on June 27. Mayer joins the podcast to share what he’s been doing to get ready for the ride; how he feels about Pocono; the oddity of not doing a lot of racing through the first half of the season; if he feels he adapts well to new variables; if Mayer has sat in the car and spent any time talking to his teammates; if the headlines around Josh Berry has made Mayer possessive of the car; how Berry’s performance has changed Mayer’s expectations; not letting success go to his head; with dad being a former open-wheel driver, what drew Sam to stock cars; how he got connected with Lorin Ranier and the influence Ranier has been; discovering his independence now being on his own; lessons learned from grassroots racing; being competitive against drivers he’s already competed against; what Mayer has noted while watching Xfinity races from afar. Music created by Tony Monge.

Ep. 173 | Greg Stumpff (Off Axis Paint) Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Greg Stumpff is the owner and one of the artists of Off Axis Paint, which is an airbrush company that works with some of NASCAR’s biggest names for their helmets. Stumpff joins the podcast to describe how the process works and how long it takes from start to finish; working through the approval process with teams and sponsors, and how involved a driver is; keeping in mind safety regulations; how a brief stint racing on dirt helped him understand the business or motorsports; what goes into the workload being busy during the year and then slowing down, and driver’s needing multiple helmets a year; the influence his high school art teacher had; when the lightbulb went off to combine a passion for art and racing; having other artists to look up to; the challenges of the job and unique paint colors; other projects he’s taken on over the years; what he accomplishes going to the racetrack. Music created by Tony Monge.

Ep. 172 | Jamie Howe (Fox Sports) May 31, 2021

Show notes

If you’re a motorsports fans who watches Fox Sports quite a bit, then you’ve seen Jamie Howe as she covers multiple racing disciplines for the network. Howe breaks down everywhere she’ll be in 2021; if she easily remembers things or spends a lot of time studying; the materials Howe carries with her during race weekend; where a love of storytelling came from; when and where she was exposed to racing for the first time and going to college for broadcasting; the challenges of reporting from one series to another; why Howe doesn’t mind being someone who jumps across different series; looking at her first opportunity to cover the Xfinity Series; what Howe does to get away from racing; if there is a series she hasn’t covered that she’d like to one day. Music created by Tony Monge.

Ep. 171 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. May 24, 2021

Show notes

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is bouncing around the playoff bubble and he’s here to assess where JTG Daugherty is going into the summer. We also go into whether being a part of the playoff conversation is good enough; the thought process of building something with a race team; what he’s seen from year one to year two with the team; how much crew chief Brian Pattie takes the reins versus Stenhouse’s input, and how it’s changed this year; adapting to a Chevrolet body and chassis after so many years running with Ford; how two different aero packages change a driving style; why there is a disconnect between what racing drivers like and the fans like; what people don’t understand about his “aggressive” driving style; the uniqueness of switching mentalities of showing up and racing versus weekends where this is practice. Music created by Tony Monge.

Ep. 170 | Nigel Kinrade (photography) May 18, 2021

Show notes

Nigel Kinrade has been on the NASCAR circuit for 30 years now and he’s one of the best to carry a camera. In this episode Kinrade explains what he does and the big name clients he works for; how the job has changed through the years with technology advancement and the digital era; if he knows in the moment he got the shot or something cool; what brought him to the U.S. in 1991 and how he got into NASCAR; the culture shock of stock car racing; keeping things from getting boring every week and every year; when photography became a passion; things people might be surprised to hear Kinrade does or the job requires; building relationships with drivers and teams when invading their space; some of the memorable events he’s photographed; favorite places to shoot and the creative challenges of others; what he’s looking forward to (in his position) as the year goes on. Music created by Tony Monge.

Ep. 169 | Jade Buford May 10, 2021

Show notes

NASCAR newcomer Jade Buford is off to a solid start to the 2021 season with a brand-new race team, Big Machine Racing. Buford discusses how things have gone; the expectations coming into the season; how long it takes him to get comfortable each weekend without practice and qualifying; the toughest thing about competing in the Xfinity Series; the depth of competition and aggressive from sports cars to NASCAR; some insight into the Big Machine Racing team; what Buford’s first experience was like on a NASCAR oval; what his preparation is any given week to prepare for tracks he’s never competed on; leaving sports cars for stock cars; the skills needed to be a successful road course driver; growing up in Nashville, TN and how he got into racing; starting a driving career at 18 and going straight to sports cars; Buford shares some of his hobbies and things he enjoys away from the racetrack – like hanging off rocks; participating in American Ninja Warrior three times and how the show works; what will be a successful season for his team; if he wants to stay in NASCAR long term. Music created by Tony Monge.

Ep. 168 | Matt Yocum May 03, 2021

Show notes

Matt Yocum, formerly of Fox Sports and now SRX, is looking back at the end of his time covering NASCAR for Fox and what's ahead with SRX. Yocum discusses being out of the routine of covering NASCAR; joining DirtVision last month for the World of Outlaws at Bristol; his love of all things motorsports; memories of Dale Earnhardt and the significance of his Twitter cover photo; developing a relationship with Tony Stewart; the stories behind Stewart getting his back waxed on live radio; cultivating relationships with drivers over the years; the appeal of joining SRX as a pit reporter and being able to tell stories; the preparation going into a new series; why fans should tune into SRX this summer. Music created by Tony Monge.

Ep. 167 | Chris Medland (F1 for RACER) Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

Chris Medland, my colleague at RACER.com who covers Formula 1, joins the podcast to discuss all the latest news and notes from overseas. Medland explains how F1 in Miami came to be; what has happened to Ferrari’s performance over the last year; how much teams try to get away with in F1; where the Haas team stands and their plans moving forward; a discussion on Nikita Mazapin; how the coronavirus pandemic has affected F1, its teams, and media; Mercedes versus Red Bull and Hamilton versus Verstappen; the accuracy of the Netflix series; teams wanting to participate; how the series has translated to a new audience; a little bit on who Chris is and how he got to where he is in racing. Music created by Tony Monge.

Ep. 166 | James Davison Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

James Davison was confronted with the decision of returning to the Indianapolis 500 or running more NASCAR races, and he says his heart is in NASCAR. Davison explains what has hooked him; comparing the feeling of driving an IndyCar versus a stock car; his reaction to the first time being behind the wheel of a stock car; how much his IndyCar prospects played into his decision; how Davison came to NASCAR in the first place; his racing background and how he came to the United States; why he went the open-wheel route over NASCAR at the start of his career; the influence of his parents on his racing career, and how they feel about him in NASCAR; the funding difference between IndyCar and NASCAR; what Davison is enjoying learning about NASCAR on and off the track; how he knows he’s put in a good day or learned something; tracks he feels most comfortable already and the ones he’s looking forward to; what Davison’s long-term NASCAR plans are. Music created by Tony Monge.

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