Podcast · Leisure & Travel

The Racing Writer's Podcast

by JB15 Network · English · Leisure & Travel

Racer Magazine's Kelly Crandall brings stories and interviews from drivers and personalities from NASCAR, NHRA, and more.

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 39 min
Latest: 6 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026 · 45 min

Ep. 355 | Lissette Deschamps (NASCAR security)

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…

Play episodeWhatsApp Download

Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S9 · E354 · 16 Sep 2026 · 41 min
Ep. 354 | Mini Tyrrell
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…
S9 · E353 · 15 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
Ep. 353 | Jacob Claborn
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…
S9 · E352 · 15 May 2026 · 39 min
Ep. 352 | Mike Burch (Speedway Motorsports)
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…
S9 · E351 · 11 May 2026 · 34 min
Ep. 351 | Andrew Clarke (author)
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…
S9 · E350 · 27 Apr 2026 · 44 min
Ep. 350 | John Probst
John Probst was among the NASCAR executives called to testify during the antitrust trial in December, which provided a chance to learn more about his background as well as his current role. But before getting to know him better, we’re getting more context on those CUV comments that took social media by storm; developing an interest in racing through Formula 1 and then Pocono Raceway; the benefit of a Formula SAE program in schools; getting his first opportunity in racing with Ford; going to work for Red Bull Racing and skirting rules by testing a Cup car described as an ARCA car; the…
S9 · E349 · 20 Apr 2026 · 31 min
Ep. 349 | Corey Day
Corey Day is having a highlight start to his first full NASCAR season, and taking the good with the bad. We’re digging into it all this week, starting with having more straightforward weeks now after a 2025 of jumping from series to series; getting into a weekly routine of what is expected of him; the balance of using the simulator and when needing to adjust in real life from the virtual laps; the feeling of having a real job now and the world calming down around him after the hectic of last season; the learning experiences of the first few weeks of not having many friends and making…
S9 · E348 · 14 Apr 2026 · 42 min
Ep. 348 | Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, a future Hall of Famer, and one hell of an overall race car driver. So, we’re going to dig into some of what that takes from behind the wheel. Larson starts off by explaining the immediate debrief after a race on pit road and how that leads into the week of meetings and breakdowns; what makes a driver say when and why someone else had the best car on a given race weekend; the reason he wants so much information from crew chief Cliff Daniels about other things happening in a race, and the dynamic of how that came to be; the dynamic of…
S9 · E347 · 6 Apr 2026 · 47 min
Ep. 347 | Buddy Hull
Buddy Hull is now a driver/owner in NHRA Funny Car competition, and he’s had plenty to talk about after the fiery start it got off to this season. But that’s just a continuation of the wild rides he’s had in recent years. Hull joins the show to discuss the time spent since the burn down in Gainesville to prepare another car; missing a race so early in the season; wondering if all the hardships lately are trying to teach him something; what he’s learning about himself; his recovery from the Gainesville fire and burns; the manufacturer support in drag racing and how that ties into having a…
S9 · E346 · 30 Mar 2026 · 39 min
Ep. 346 | Mike Wheeler
23XI Racing has done a lot of great things in a short amount of time, and from the beginning has been Mike Wheeler. He was one of the architects of bringing Denny Hamlin’s vision to life, and he joins the show to reflect on those days. We start off with explaining his new title and taking on new responsibilities; the pride of having his fingerprints on the creation of the race team; what it means to build a culture and the importance of that for 23XI Racing; the first days actually starting in Wheeler’s two-car garage at home; the early days of being able to lay hands on race cars; what…
S9 · E345 · 23 Mar 2026 · 42 min
Ep. 345 | Michael McDowell
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…
S9 · E344 · 16 Mar 2026 · 40 min
Ep. 344 | Jordan Vandergriff
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…
S9 · E343 · 9 Mar 2026 · 41 min
Ep. 343 | Casey Mears
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…
S9 · E342 · 2 Mar 2026 · 38 min
Ep. 342 | Cliff Daniels
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…
S9 · E341 · 23 Feb 2026 · 51 min
Ep. 341 | Justin Allgaier
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…
S9 · E340 · 16 Feb 2026 · 35 min
Ep. 340 | Ron Capps & Maddi Gordon
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…
S9 · E339 · 9 Feb 2026 · 43 min
Ep. 339 | Matt Kaulig
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…
S9 · E338 · 2 Feb 2026 · 34 min
Ep. 338 | NHRA on Vice
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…
S9 · E337 · 26 Jan 2026 · 32 min
Ep. 337 | Brenden "Butterbean" Queen
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…
S8 · E336 · 20 Sep 2025 · 27 min
Ep. 336 | Alexis DeJoria
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…
S8 · E335 · 19 Aug 2025 · 36 min
Ep. 335 | B.J. McLeod
B.J. McLeod has it all right now between the success of his race team on the NASCAR track and the opening of his new roller coaster. McLeod returns to the podcast to discuss the best season Live Fast Motorsports has had since its inception; being a competitive Open team in the Cup Series; the dynamic of driver to driver to driver on the radio with McLeod, Katherine Legge, and Tommy Joe Martins; insight on the NASCAR testing policy; the feeling of the team running more races but not being in the seat as much; having the Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster official open; the designs and detail of the…
S8 · E334 · 13 Aug 2025 · 35 min
Ep. 334 | Ida Zetterström
Ida Zetterstrom finally had her dream come true this time a year ago when she made her NHRA Top Fuel debut. She returns to the podcast to discuss what it has been like since; the struggle watching racing go on without her; being at the track for her teammate Alexis DeJoria; working through the emotions of being out of the car; doing work for NHRA.TV this year and getting comfortable in the role; the many media and public opportunities Zetterstrom has embraced outside the car; becoming integrated in the NHRA community; the outlook for the end of the year, and hope for 2026. Original music…
S8 · E333 · 23 Jul 2025 · 33 min
Ep. 333 | Ty Dillon
Ty Dillon has been the belle of the ball with the NASCAR in-season tournament. Dillon joins the show to explain how he and Kaulig Racing have capitalized on the attention; staying relevant in the series; the fight for relevancy in his career; the path his career has taken; the type of person it takes to stick it out in the Cup Series; how racing has played into the type of person he’s become; not driving for Richard Childress Racing; landing at Kaulig Racing; how Dillon has been impacted by the people around him; clicking with crew chief Andrew Dickeson; being pushed by those around him when…
S8 · E332 · 5 Jul 2025 · 31 min
Ep. 332 | Will Brown
Will Brown, the reigning Australian Supercars champion, makes his NASCAR return this weekend on the streets of Chicago in a third entry for Kaulig Racing. It’s a course Brown has never competed, so he explains the work he’s done in the simulator to prepare; simulators not being a tool for Supercars drivers; thoughts on the course in Chicago based on what he’s learned in the simulator and seen otherwise; comparison of the Supercars to the Next Gen car; what he’s like on iRacing and why he’s in disguise; his tailgating experience in Atlanta; takeaways from the NASCAR experience; doing a Vlog;…
S8 · E331 · 30 Jun 2025 · 1 hr 39 min
Ep. 331 | The women of 23XI Racing
It’s a jam-packed episode that highlights girl power, diversity, and various aspects of working in racing. 23XI Racing brings us inside Airspeed to meet some of its leading ladies, and we learn not only what they do but also the great stories of how they got here. Kerri Berryman (director of finance and accounting): The woman with the spreadsheets; working closely with the competition department on cost; seeing the evolution of cost in the sport through her career; why she chose this perception and the misconception of the field when it comes to women; memories of working for Germain Racing…
S8 · E330 · 21 Apr 2025 · 55 min
Ep. 330 | Elon Werner (DRBB)
Elon Werner is the creator of Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB), a game that has qiuckly taken over the drag racing world. Werner is here to tell all as he explains finally taking the leap to create the game and how it works on the backend; the most important thing he wanted to incorporate in DRBB; the retention rate from week to week and keeping people playing; being a data resource for fans and not just a game with all the information incorporated; a run-down of the many prizes available to players; the range of the game reaching other countries; getting the industry to buy into a new game…
S8 · E329 · 7 Apr 2025 · 37 min
Ep. 329 | Charles Denike
Charles Denike has Bubba Wallace off to the best start of his NASCAR Cup Series career, and he’s done so as a new crew chief in the series. Denike dishes on settling in at 23XI Racing; how it feels to get off to a strong start this season; impressions of Wallace from afar and now working with him; why the time was right to make this career move; the positive reviews about him before the season even started; the adjustment from the Craftsman Truck Series to being in the Cup Series; if he’s been able to enjoy the fast start to the season or had the pressure that comes with it; finding the same…
S8 · E328 · 31 Mar 2025 · 47 min
Ep. 328 | Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James is an icon in the motorsports landscape and now as the co-founder of Women in Motorsports North America. We’re digging into how St. James view the growth of motorsports by encouraging more inclusion of women; the non-existent NASCAR ladder system and women trying to break into the sport; not being surprised by the current landscape of women in racing in the year 2025; the future of WIMNA in the motorsports space; WIMNA opening the door to a new generation learning about who St. James is and her career; the emotion of being inducted into the National Motorsports Press…
S8 · E327 · 24 Mar 2025 · 38 min
Ep. 327 | Antron Brown
Antron Brown is off to another solid start to an NHRA Top Fuel season, and we’ve got him fresh off a win to reflect and look ahead. Brown starts, however, with his takeaways from a visit to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for NASCAR racing and getting a different perspective in person; looking as good as a chocolate bar joke; the pedal fest at Gainesville where Brown won to start the season; explaining what pedaling the car is and the easiest mistake to make; what he learned about his team during a tough weekend; the boost of winning the first race of the season after ending the previous year as…
S8 · E326 · 17 Mar 2025 · 36 min
Ep. 326 | Katherine Legge
Katherine Legge has had time to download her NASCAR Cup Series debut, and there has been a lot to process from what happened. Legge shares what she’s been thinking about since last Sunday at Phoenix Raceway; why she felt embarrassed by what happened; the multiple phone calls Legge has made since Phoenix; reflecting on some of the highlights from the experience; having B.J. McLeod in her ear during the weekend; the characteristics of the Next Gen car versus other vehicles Legge has driven in racing; the overall takeaway of Cup Series racing/competition; having Andy Lally in her corner;…

About The Racing Writer's Podcast

Racer Magazine's Kelly Crandall brings stories and interviews from drivers and personalities from NASCAR, NHRA, and more.

The Racing Writer's Podcast is a English leisure & travel podcast from JB15 Network. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: JB15 Network
Language: English
Category: Leisure & Travel
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 39 min
Latest episode: 6 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1292412065
Rights: Copyright JB15 Network

RSS feed Apple Podcasts

More English leisure & travel

Take it with you

The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.