The Racing Writer's Podcast

Harrison Burton is ready to “take it” on track in the NASCAR Truck Series and he’s going to tell you what that means. The ROY candidate for Kyle Busch Motorsports assesses what will make his team go from good to great; why he might have to change his methodical driving style; if his first full season is playing out as expected; if he struggles with his confidence and what led Burton to punching so...

Jamie McMurray is fully immersed in his new role as a member of the NASCAR on FOX team and he’s revealing how the transition has gone from what’s been fun to overwhelming and even the difference in expectations versus reality. What does his preparation look like and how does a day and week progress? McMurray also expresses how he uses his teammates for help on approaching his role; going from bein...

Jeb Burton is one of a few drivers getting the opportunity in JR Motorsports equipment this season and he’s very grateful for it. On this episode Burton offers early analysis of how things have been going with the 8 team; his belief in being able to win races with this team and how important that would be to him; the emotion of having the opportunity in good equipment; the dark days of wondering i...

Myatt Snider has done quite a bit of racing this season but most of it has been overseas, so he’s here to educate us on the NASCAR Euro Series. To start, Snider offers a little insight into why he’s not full-time in the Truck Series after winning Rookie of the Year last season; how he’s trying to learn from watching Johnny Sauter; how many races Snider thinks he’ll run this year. Then we talk how...

Xfinity Series rookie John Hunter Nemechek joins the show to discuss his transition to GMS Racing and how content he feels after hoping he would be on the racetrack the last few years. Nemechek also discusses how seeing the tough business side of racing has matured him; the very valuable lesson he learned after wrecking his first race car as a youngster; owning up to how he wasn’t doing everything...

Erik Jones welcomes us to his “toy shop” where he has some cool things to talk about, including his very first race car and the story behind its paint scheme. Jones also talks about the race cars he has hung onto from his career, including the famous Snowball Derby car and his first Cup Series win car from Daytona that is still covered in confetti. All of this leads to some great stories of Jones...

William Byron wants to share a different side of himself that most don’t get to see. So on this week’s episode after talking about the NASCAR Cup Series for just a little bit (his recent good runs, how important they are, and single-car qualifying), Byron reveals how he’s now living on his own for the first time; why it was a dire situation at first; why there are no racing artifacts in his apartm...

Ryan Sieg and his RSS Racing team are having a fantastic run in the Xfinity Series and Sieg is here to talk about how it’s happened. Sieg begins by admitting whether he expected the type of performances he’s had or if it’s been surprising; the benefit of buying old RCR cars and having veteran Shane Wilson as his crew chief; if Sieg’s attitude has changed any with the uptick in performance; if fini...

Garrett Smithley returns to the podcast to talk about how things are going in the Xfinity Series with JD Motorsports. Smithley breaks down the start of his season and describes what a good day or ‘win’ is for his #0 team; whether making the playoffs is a realistic goal; how thin JDM is spread on personnel; whether he ever worries about the team going away; how important it is not to damage or wrec...

It’s a full house on this week’s episode! Three ladies from the Toyota Racing Development driver development program are here to talk racing and much more. Maria Cofer is first up to share what she is doing in 2019; how she started her racing career and why it was on dirt; following in dad’s footsteps by finding a love of racing; whether she had to convince her parents to let her race; racing on t...

JR Motorsports driver Michael Annett makes his podcast debut not to talk too much about racing but what he was doing before climbing behind the wheel. In this episode, you’re going to hear Annett reveal what the difference is with his No. 1 team that has led to early success and the type of mindset crew chief Travis Mack has brought to the team, and if the social media haters have quieted down. Th...

Kaitlyn Vincie is the new Fox Sports pre-race host for the Gander Outdoors Truck Series and she’s here to talk all about it after spending four years on pit road. Vincie reveals her reaction to hearing she was taking over the role, working in front of the green screen and its magic, whether she made a conscious decision to focus so much on the Truck Series and her comfort level with the other two...

Brett Griffin – otherwise known as Spotter Brett – is a veteran atop the roof guiding some of NASCAR’s most recognizable drivers to victory lane or keeping them out of trouble. In this episode Griffin tells stories he has never told before and also dishes on various topics. Griffin talks about what his relationship with Clint Bowyer was before the two started working together; how Elliott Sadler m...

The Chip Ganassi Racing No. 1 team is off to a great start in 2019 and crew chief Matt McCall is here to talk about their success. McCall notes about being “somewhat happy” with the way the season has started; why Kurt Busch has been tiptoeing into his new team and how McCall feels about working with a new driver for the first time in a few years; how the communication works between he and Busch a...

Justin Allgaier makes his podcast debut to talk all things JR Motorsports and chasing a championship. Allgaier first explains the challenges of NASCAR’s west coast swing on a race team and how they are just trying to survive these three races; Allgaier’s thoughts on his early season speed and how important it is that all four JRM cars are running well; what are the rules of racing a teammate hard?...

Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt returns to the podcast to discuss his move to GMS Racing and what he has seen from his new team three races into the season; whether there is a difference going from a Toyota to a Chevrolet; if Moffitt has changed his mindset or pressure being the reigning series champion and wanting top himself; the double-digit number of wins he’s aiming for; insight into work...

Kaz Grala has a deal with Richard Childress Racing to drive the 21 in a few races this season and he joins the podcast to provide all the details on how that came together; what it means for the 2020 NASCAR season; why he’s intimidated about starting his season at Texas and explaining how long it’s been since he has been on a mile-and-a-half racetrack; the pressure Grala is putting on himself when...

Richard Childress Racing rookie Daniel Hemric is the guest today for a wide-ranging conversation. In this episode Hemric closes the book on what it meant to be in the Daytona 500 and his genuine emotion of being a NASCAR Cup Series driver; working through the communication issues with his new team; how the team bonded throughout the offseason; why he compares the new Cup Series rules package to th...

Sam Bass, the first officially licensed artist for NASCAR, passed away on Feb. 16. Sam was a friend to many, including me, and just an all-around wonderful person. His artwork is legendary and his personality infectious. On this episode I remember Sam with some others who knew him well, including Deb Williams, Dave Moody, Ryan McGee, Matt Weaver, plus a clip from Dale Earnhardt Jr. Then, my own pe...

Ahead of a new Truck Series season the defending series champion crew chief from Hattori Racing and his new driver are here to discuss their pairing and more. Scott Zipadelli shares insight into how the offseason has gone for the 16 team as they waited for the seat to be filled by a new driver; whether the team has had any turnover in personnel after winning the championship; first impressions of...

Deb Williams makes a return to the podcast for a discussion on the 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class. Not only has Deb covered all five individuals (Jeff Gordon, Roger Penske, Jack Roush, Davey Allison, and Alan Kulwicki) but she also spent a few years working for one! Ahead of this Friday’s induction ceremony (which you can watch on NBCSN at 8 p.m. ET), we dig into all five members of the new class...

Andrew Kurland might be one of the youngest media members in NASCAR, but you’d never know it by how he handles himself. In this episode Andrew describes what he does for NASCAR Acceleration Nation; the unconventional way he started interviewing drivers in the garage; the commitment he receives from NASCAR to make races; the importance of working alongside his dad and how dedicated his father is to...

Chris Buescher says he’s starting to feel like a veteran and after his third full Cup season he evaluates what went right and what went wrong; explains how much work JTG has begun to do in-house; the benefit of having an alliance with Hendrick Motorsports; what success is with the 37 team; the fight for consistency; his mixed emotions on the new rules package; dealing with respect on the track and...

Fresh off the announcement that Corey LaJoie is taking over the No. 32 at Go Fas Racing he joins the podcast to talk all about it! Corey is going to explain what made Go Fas appealing and why he compares his career to playing a NASCAR video game; where his belief in crew chief Randy Cox comes from; the business of bringing sponsorship; running a full season and being the first LaJoie to do so in t...

It’s two for the price of one! Shortly after unveiling the 2019 Nationwide paint scheme Alex Bowman and Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined the podcast for a fun few minutes. Bowman explains the design behind his paint scheme before Dale Jr. offers his judgement and then admits whether he judges other driver’s paint schemes; the two break off into a banter about racing each other after Alex feels slighted D...