The Racing Writer's Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 345 | Michael McDowell Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

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

Ep. 344 | Jordan Vandergriff Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

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

Ep. 343 | Casey Mears Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

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

Ep. 342 | Cliff Daniels Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

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

Ep. 341 | Justin Allgaier Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

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

Ep. 340 | Ron Capps & Maddi Gordon Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

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

Ep. 339 | Matt Kaulig Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

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

Ep. 338 | NHRA on Vice Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

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

Ep. 337 | Brenden "Butterbean" Queen Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

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

Ep. 336 | Alexis DeJoria Sep 20, 2025

Show notes

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Racing Writer’s Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected