The Racing Writer's Podcast

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...

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 come...

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...

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...

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 Pr...

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 ra...

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 co...

The second part of our conversation with Sadie Glenn starts by switching into how she formed her own social media and photography company, SR Driven Media. Glenn works for a number of drivers in NHRA, such as her husband Dallas, Angie and Matt Smith, Corey Reed, and others. She then digs into having a degree but also being self-taught with the spacing changing over the years; what she tries to accomplish with her work for her clients; the importance of having something (the business) for herself; the openness and honesty Glenn brings to her personal social media pages; her plans...

Sadie Glenn is ready for a new NHRA drag racing season that begins this weekend in Florida. Not only as a businesswoman and wife, but as a racer herself. We start the first part of our conversation discussing being on the verge of a new NHRA season; living in NASCAR country; the background of her start in drag racing; the balance of being a part-time driver and her husband being a full-time driver; the approach to her driving career and how often she competes; the reality of trying to be a driver and how that was going to look; the...

Jimmie Johnson thought Legacy Motor Club had a win in a Daytona duel race, but the button doesn’t lie. Johnson gives his perspective on the ending of the duel race and Erik Jones being so close before going into an in-depth conversation about now being the organization's majority owner. Johnson breaks down the progress of the team and working through getting everything in place with Toyota, as well as being self-sufficient with processes in-house; choosing to go without an alliance partner; the type of owner Johnson wants to be; becoming comfortable as a leader of hundreds; the approach to be...

Layne Riggs is back with Front Row Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series, and we check in with the sophomore driver before he heads to Daytona. Riggs also discusses recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and how it felt during the Rockingham test last month; the shoulder making him go viral after winning at Milwaukee; what it’s like competing in a NASCAR national series for the first time; the adjustment to racing wide open; going through the learning pains of a rookie season; the biggest thing about having one season under his belt; where he’s most looking forward to retu...

William Byron spent the weekend driving his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the first time in 2025, and now he’s on the podcast. We start by seeing how Byron is physically feeling after the first race behind the wheel; the warm-up race leading into a season; ramping up training going into a season; the focus during the season on keeping the body strong and learning more about that over the years; having a week between the Clash and Daytona; returning to Daytona as the defending champion; what he remembers most about the 2024 victory; the change in confidence at superspeedways over the ye...

Rodney Childers hit the ground running with Spire Motorsports after the 2024 season finale, and now he’s sharing how much work has gone in with the No. 7 team to prepare for a new year. Childers shares the emotions of starting with a new organization; the dynamic of joining a new team and who is and isn’t familiar; the changing expectations within Spire; changing the entire cockpit for Justin Haley and the team basically starting over; building a relationship with Haley; defining expectations for the team; understanding Next Gen going into the fourth year; the overall feeling approaching a new seas...

Carson Hocevar is the new NASCAR Cup Series rookie of the year, and the offseason hasn’t yet slowed things down for him because of the award. Hocevar joins the show to discuss what he’s been up to since Phoenix; what he gets out of being at the shop regularly; what winning Rookie of the Year means to him; the difference in his expectations versus those around him; the growth process throughout the year; the races that stand out or Hocevar is most proud of; quickly taking to the Next Gen car; the idea of sim work and how much...

The social media team for RFK Racing does things a little differently than most others with its mix of serious and straightforward and fun and honest content. We’re meeting the team behind the accounts and how they got to RFK Racing. Then we jump into one member transitioning into motorsports from college athletics; how the posting process works with multiple people having account access; any approval process for posting; it being a conscious shift in how in-race updates are presented; keeping the emotions in check during the race; the change in engagement over the years; having other race teams en...

‘NASCAR Mavericks: The Rebels and Racers Who Revolutionized Stock Car Racing’ is the latest coffee table book for fans to explore the history of their favorite sport. Holly Cain, a long-time NASCAR writer and one of the co-authors of the books, shares how one begins to dig into what makes a maverick; the process of working with another author, and the personal battles Cain was going through during the project; the importance of the Smokey Yunick chapter; his Hall of Fame chances; including Mario Andretti; memories of Bill France Jr. and his famous expressions; the unrecognizable names in the book; anyt...

Wayne Auton, the NASCAR Xfinity Series managing director, returns to the podcast as he wraps up his tenure in the garage. Auton shares what it’s been like to go through this year and how folks have treated him; plans for 2025; going through the adjustment of what comes next and a changing lifestyle; how he views being a resource in the future; drivers wanting to share their success with him; what he wanted to get out of the final season; the drivers who stand out having seen them grow and get to where they are now; memorable moments from inside th...

Ida Zetterström is finally getting her feet underneath her in NHRA Top Fuel competition and a lot has happened in just a few races. Zetterström gives a detailed breakdown of her first five races; earning a red light for the first time in his drag racing career; the boost a big coming out weekend gave her and her team; continuing to get comfortable in a different dragster from her European machine; finding her routine and rhythm again after being out of the seat for over half a year; the competition not overlooking her team as a field filler; wh...

Kenny Wallace still has so much going on in life that he’s living by the motto: don’t let the old man in. Among the priorities is still racing dirt, and he explains what he gets out of doing that; the physical differences of not racing for a living; what it meant to be involved with Trackside Live at the SMI facilities; needing to get away from NASCAR after driving and loving it again now; coming back and being heavy into the media space of motorsports; the approach to doing interviews and having a podcast; the serious preparation done ahea...

Marc-Antoine Camirand is a two-time NASCAR Canada Series champion and he’s here to talk about his latest accomplishment. Camirand shares how they’ve celebrated; already thinking about being the first to win back-to-back championships; recapping championship weekend; why he said that race was special; what experience from the first championship taught Camirand ahead of the second; the highlights and battles from the season; the unreal consistent from his race team; the pressure he felt with a car so good and how the team approached that every week; a surreal and fast trajectory to the top in the series; putting a ne...

Leigh Diffey took over as the lead announcer for NBC Sports last month and he’s had everyone’s attention since then. Diffey joins the show to share what the experience has been like in the garage; the races we’ve seen so far; being prepared to make great calls during a race; the approach to being prepared; having good information retention; becoming a better storyteller with NBC Sports; doing a bit of motorcycle racing early in life; broadcasting not being the first choice of profession; but broadcasting always feeling natural; the Australian version of NASCAR; the most memorable thing about...

Holly Jones is a former race car driver and now the wife of a NASCAR Cup Series driver, and also a fur mom to a dog and bunny. Soon, she and Erik Jones will be parents to a tiny human. We’re covering those topics plus what it’s like being a driver’s significant other; the benefit of being a former driver and relating to what is going on; still having a competitive side; taking in the race from the pit box and superstitions; balancing home and road life, and the importance of routine; the highlights from being at the tr...

Myatt Snider is still selling himself to drive race cars in NASCAR but things look a little different these days. Snider returns to the podcast to discuss what it’s like trying to land deals; how a presidential election plays into things; the lack of races on his schedule this season; being at the track and not driving; re-evaluating things during the time outside the race car; the job of being a pit spotter for NBC Sports; being comfortable enough to talk to teams for necessary pre-race information; what he’s learning being on the television side; if there is anyt...

Marco Andretti is almost a girl dad and it’s going to happen during a busy part of the season for him. Andretti discusses life as a part-time racing driver these days; how perspective changes on racing, particularly Indianapolis, not as a full-time driver; having a wider view on the racing world; the benefits of doing cold plunges; digging into the season and adjusting to a new challenge with stock car/truck racing; adapting to having more input from behind the wheel versus the variables of open wheel racing; the habits he’s had to unlearn behind the wheel; anything that...

Rich Keator is a NASCAR tech inspector but he’s here to talk about one specific role he plays: Craftsman Truck Series flagman. Keator explains how the job has changed over the years and where you will most likely find him; keeping tabs on the garage and the relationship with the same people through a long year; being the designated flagman for the Truck Series; being prepared to be in the flag stand for a few hours; having to wear full protective gear in the flag stand; the process of getting instructions from the tower before making any signals with th...

Dr. Diandra Leslie-Pelecky has a Ph.D. in physics and she’s brought that to the NASCAR world. We’re digging into what she does and when she realized she could better serve by bringing science to the public than in a classroom; bringing a different perspective to the racetrack; the experience of delivering something new to race fans; making science relatable through someone’s interests; being a resource for people; getting connected with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and NBC Sports; the process of compiling data and putting the information together; what Dr. Diandra likes to do the most; how or why pe...

Mark Keto is the NASCAR project manager for Goodyear and he’s bringing us more behind the curtain. Keto checks in from Akron, Ohio, where the company is based and what takes place there; what a race week looks like before traveling to the racetrack; the expectations for Richmond Raceway with the additional option tire; how Goodyear approaches each race weekend and what they are doing behind the scenes; communication with race teams about recommendations; how Goodyear shifts through all the feedback in the industry before determining a new tire compound; the difference in tire wear versus tire failure; the ba...

David Ragan might not be a full-time NASCAR driver anymore but he hasn’t gone far. Ragan is still involved in the sport and we’re catching up this week to see what that is like and life post-driving. We start our conversation about Ragan doing simulator work for Ford; what does and does not translate to the racetrack; still having deep ties to Ford; the transition to post full-time racing life, and having time for other things in life; racing just enough to scratch the itch; the difficulty of competing on a limited basis; the changing perspective on his care...

Jeg Coughlin Jr. doesn’t look like a driver who retired for three years because he’s back in NHRA Pro Stock competition, and back to winning races. Before heading to his home track this weekend, Coughlin discusses what it’s like to indeed be back with Elite Motorsports; getting back up to speed on the racetrack; a driver falling behind when out of the seat for an extended period; the competitiveness of the class; coming back into competition with a team/people he knew; seeing his nephew pilot the famous black and yellow JEGS colors; having a new identity of his...

Jon Wood has been president of Wood Brothers Racing for nearly two months, and while he was already doing some of the responsibilities, there’s still been an adjustment period. Wood is back on the show to discuss if his leading the team was always the plan; the company being around longer than expected in the racing business; the added weight and pressure that comes with working for the family team; the dynamic of a family business; having a different sense of connection with the company because of the new role; the state of the union on Wood Brothers Racing an...

The media world is changing and that means how people are consuming content. Along the way comes titles such as ‘Content Creator,’ such as Ash Vandelay. We’re having an open conversation about the role this weekend. But we start with her having a stage name for her online pages; recently moving to Charlotte; her background in content creation; adjusting to doing work from the racetrack; what seems to be the most popular with the social media algorithm; using the label of content creator and how the motorsports landscape is changing; having access and using it correctly or effectively; not all co...

Doug Duchardt, the president of Spire Motorsports, has been busy since joining the organization at the end of 2023. Duchardt takes us inside the walls of the race shop and how things are going for everyone; the expectations versus reality moments for him with a new organization; going from established, successful companies to one trying to get to that level; having incentives in place for team members through the season; bringing experience from other companies to Spire; the importance of mindset for employees; the special feeling around the Truck Series program; the comfort of having younger talent in the pipeline; how...

Chris Gabehart is offering more insight into what race day is like for a Cup Series team after allowing full access at Darlington Raceway. Gabehart explains digging into the data to form and execution during the race; the hours of work that take place after leaving the garage on Saturdays; taking the information from Saturday’s on-track activities and finding the medium with expectations for Sunday; being pretty sure of the approach going into the race; knowing early how the race is going to unfold; the facetime with Denny Hamlin on race day; painting a picture of the information available on...

Jade Avedisian is a name that you’re going to keep hearing about if you haven’t already. Avedisian is a dirt star who is beginning to transition into pavement racing, too. And with the attention comes interview requests, which she’s enjoying after one day hoping it would happen. Avedisian explains what that means; having NASCAR stars like Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell believe in her talent; having a calm and focused personality; understanding the balance of life with racing and being a teenager; what’s to come this year; expectations for going back and forth between dirt and pavement...

It’s the second part of our conversation with Angie Skinner, and it’s chock-full of laughs. Skinner discusses the dynamic of ‘Skinner Roundup’ for SiriusXM NASCAR Radio as husband and wife; wanting to be involved more on the radio; thoughts on staying visible in the sport and asking for what you want; the misperceptions about the personalities of the Skinners; recalling the start of the Craftsman Truck Series; the story of how Mike got back into the Truck Series years later and the others who followed; tales of shady team owners, aligning with Toyota and racing with Bill Davis; rivalrie...

The view is different but the fun is still the same for Angie Skinner at the NASCAR racetrack. Skinner explains how she gets to mix business and pleasure on the road these days; goes in-depth on how the sport has evolved, including its merchandise; not being a typical driver’s wife and working hard to have her own identity; the jobs along the way and wanting to focus more on herself; striving to be creatively challenged but not pigeonholed; aiming to imitate Barbara Walters when looking at some upcoming projects. 

Original music created by Tony Monge.

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Kenny Lubanski is an old friend and our paths have crossed again in the racing world. We’re going in between the lanes of an NHRA drag racing as we learn what a co-starter is and the many responsibilities it entails; how to operate the Christmas tree; working his way into the position; the unique travel schedule and options; getting his start at Englishtown and persistently handing out a resume to break into the NHRA; being next to starting line blow-ups and massive incidents; having nerves of steel at the starting line; working on the track after a rain delay or...

Ray Evernham has a new book available and there is a lot to digest from its contents. Evernham went through moments seared into his memory; has a very specific title; going through the process of putting thoughts and emotions on paper; working through what to include and not include; leaving Hendrick Motorsports being a low point in his life; not wanting to celebrate the 1997 championship; the humor of introducing Rick Hendrick to the 24 team; digging harder into work when things get hard; the incident that put into perspective building race cars for other people; how long it took to get...

Kerry Tharp served as a member of the NASCAR communications team and is now the former president of Darlington Raceway. But that’s not his entire backstory. Tharp joins the show to discuss going through the transition of the sport moving on without him; not being completely retired; Darlington being a special area and racetrack; the opportunity to serve as track president and what makes a good track president; the evolution of the sport and NASCAR media center during his career; becoming comfortable with the drivers; navigating the tough situations; a Talladega Nights cameo; mentorship from the late Jim Hunter; ta...

There are a lot of positives for the ARCA Menards Series as a new year heats up and Charlie Krall is here to dish on it all. Krall offers his thoughts on the state of the series as it begins another season; having an Andretti compete in the season; what it means to be the manager of communications for the series and the responsibility of promotion; having a deep background in racing to be perfect for such a role; handling negative criticism often attached to the series; the evolution of the ARCA Menards Series; calling races for Flo remotely; the...