Racing Virginia Podcast

From Smithfield, Va., to the biggest stage in American motorsports, Cliff Daniels just reached the pinnacle: he’s a NASCAR Cup Series champion. But the crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet driven by Kyle Larson hasn’t let that title-winning season and performance even sink in… yet. Daniels’ love for racing began as he watched his father turn laps at Racing Virginia short tracks. Daniels (11:44) was a wheelman, himself, from bandoleros all the way to late model stocks. But when driving was no longer a option, he found another path. He took his passion and skills and turned them into career in racing as an engineer, steadily climbing the ladder all the way to the top of a pit box at Hendrick Motorsports. Hear his story: about is journey from driving to engineering, about the gamut of emotions a title-winning season takes on someone, his relationship with Kyle Larson, and hear exactly how it feels to be crowned a NASCAR Cup Series champion. We dive deep into the nuts and bolts with the man calling the shots of NASCAR’s most dominant team.

 

In a heartfelt Commonwealth Closer, hosts Dave Seay and Brandon Brown tell us what they’re Thankful for this year.

Chase Burrow doesn’t pigeonhole himself to a certain car or a certain track surface. A 17-year-old racer from King George, Va., Burrow (30:37) just finished third-place in the Shawn Balluzzo Memorial 100 at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway in an asphalt modified. A week earlier he won his very first asphalt late model stock car race at Dominion Speedway. He’s also been running dirt mods at Virginia Motor Speedway and up in Winchester. Admittedly, he hates points racing and just wants trophies. Hear his Racing Virginia story: how he started, why he races a little bit of everything, and what his short- and long-term goals are.

 

Hosts Dave Seay and Brandon Brown recap the drama at Martinsville including the Denny Hamlin-Alex Bowman run-in. In the Commonwealth Closer, we discuss real human emotion in racing, and when that emotion crosses the line.

Sam Hunt and Colin Garrett have forged a friendship through racing. Hunt, now owner of Sam Hunt Racing which fields cars in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, has made a steady rise in the sport, and the progress of his team is evident of that. Hunt, a VCU graduate, gave up driving to focus on ownership. So far, so good. The friendship between Hunt and Garrett has followed the two from when they met at Hunt-Sellers Racing. Now as Garrett, who hails from South Boston, Va., rises in the ranks, he’s found success piloting Hunt’s Xfinity Series ride this year. The two team up once again for the Dead On Tools 250 at Martinsville Speedway, a homecoming of sorts for Garrett. What does the future hold? First and foremost, a great run for the No. 26 at The Paperclip would be nice.

 

In our Commonwealth Closer, co-host Brandon Brown sits down with Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell to talk about a huge weekend of NASCAR that’ll settle the Championship 4 in all three of NASCAR’s top series.

Joseph Glassford has been going to races at Natural Bridge Speedway since he was a kid. So when the track came up for sale, he decided it was his duty to purchase the speedway and make it his own. Now, Glassford (13:03) will use that love and passion he developed for the track as a kid to revitalize it and keep its legacy alive. Meet the “good ol’ boy from Natural Bridge” and hear what challenges he’s already faced and what plans he has for his home track.

 

Hosts Dave Seay and Brandon Brown talk tires and then preview Halloween Weekend at Martinsville Speedway in the “Commonwealth Closer.”

Connor Hall has been methodically climbing the late model stock car ladder for a few years now. The driver out of Hampton, Va., almost was racing boats, though. A decision by his mother put him on a four-wheel path as a kid and he hasn’t looked back. From go-karts to Legend cars to late models, Hall (10:18) has taken his career right where he’s envisioned it thus far. A few years ago, he started winning “big races” – most notably the 2019 Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway. We hear how he got started, where he’s at and what his plans are for his career as he heads into the CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car finale at South Boston Speedway on October 16. Learn about the 24-year-old shoe, his run-in with Mark Wertz that blossomed into a partnership & friendship and why those “big races” and not points championships are his main focus right now.

Brandon Brown tipped his Larry’s Hard Lemonade back and drank it all in. He and his family team had just won at Talladega. It was in an unconventional way, but that’s just fine with Brandon (5:45) and his unconventional family-run NASCAR Xfinity Series team Brandonbilt Motorsports based in Fredericksburg, Va. Brandon took the lead on the race’s final caution, and when the race was called because of darkness, even as the emotions overcame him in the cockpit, he was more worried about driving across the finish line first and not messing up. He won it, though, and took home the big prize and the big trophy. He takes through every single moment of the victory: the pass for the lead, the caution and officially taking the lead, to the race being called and the celebration. But what’s next for this family team and for his driving career? Let him tell you.

 

We also dive into the momentous weekend at Talladega all around for Racing Virginia, with Bubba Wallace and 23XI’s first Cup Series victory. It gave Chesterfield Va.’s Denny Hamlin his first win as an owner and Halifax Va.’s Bootie Barker his first Cup win as a crew chief. Wallace followed in the footsteps of Danville Va.’s Wendell Scott as the second Black driver to win a NASCAR race, as well, which is something everyone should celebrate, explains (host) Brandon Brown.

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What were you doing when you were 16? Landon Pembelton was busy winning the race of a lifetime. The young wheelman out of Amelia, VA, hasn’t even been driving a late model for even 12 months, and he just parked his in Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway. The new ValleyStar Credit Union 300 champion used patience and skill beyond his years – and a phenomenal strategy that worked to perfection – to get his No. 0 ahead of the field when it counted, then held off the best to get it done. Hear how playing with matchbox cars on the backstretch at South Boston Speedway while his dad raced manifested into a love for racing. His name will be forever etched in the Racing Virginia record books, and speaking of books, let him tell you how he juggles 11th grade and a job, all while climbing the racing ladder.

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Jeff Burton is one of the greatest drivers to ever come out of The Commonwealth of Virginia. What if we told you there was a time he almost wasn’t a race car driver at all? The tough times early in his career molded Jeff (8:15) into the fiery competitor he is today. We dive into his career as he came up through late models at South Boston Speedway, starting a team with his father, his first races in the then-Busch Series, the “worst year of my life” and why one win at Martinsville changed the trajectory of his career. From his highlights on track to his broadcasting career, Burton has some great stories to share. We also preview Richmond Raceway’s NASCAR Playoffs Weekend and get Jeff’s thoughts on his time at one of his favorite tracks.

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Jon Wood comes from a legendary lineage, his last name synonymous with racing in the state of Virginia. His grandfather and father forged one of the most successful racing teams of all time, and he, himself, was on a path to become a legendary racer. His career took a different trajectory and he now continues his work in the family business as the Senior Vice President of Wood Brothers Racing. But there’s a whole lot more to him than that. Hear his story: how he came through the ranks as a driver to become a Truck Series winner and why he stopped racing. We discuss regrets, struggles and triumphs in an open and honest interview with Jon that will open your eyes to a man some might only know as the voice behind the @woodbrothers21 Twitter account.

 

In our Commonwealth Closer, we discuss Randy Hallman’s Racing Virginia SRX Series idea, and what tracks in The Commonwealth would be perfect for the series to pay a visit.

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Greg Edwards has been running late model stock cars at Langley Speedway since 1991. Over that time, Greg (14:54) has amassed six track championships, tying his brother Danny for second on the track’s all-time list for late models. That friendly sibling rivalry has fueled some of the best battles that have even bubbled over to days at the shop. But let Greg tell you about all that. Meet the legendary driver out of Poquoson and hear how he got his start, what keeps him coming to the track and how he plans on grabbing his very first Hampton Heat checkered flag on Saturday.

 

In our “Commonwealth Closer,” hosts Dave Seay and Brandon Brown discuss the towering topic of Race Control: how difficult the job of a race director is, and if the current criticism of the NASCAR tower is justified after the errors at New Hampshire.