Bright and early before a day of training, Noah Gragson stops by the podcast to talk about how working with Josh Wise has changed things physically and mentally. Then we shift into Gragson working with a new crew chief this season in Luke Lambert; what Lambert brings to the team; the difference in Gragson from year one to year four in the Xfinity Series; confidence building; understanding races are not won in one lap; growth on the track and as a person; the guidance and belief from JR Motorsports; having fun where he can; the influence and friendship of Brandon McReynolds; feeling comfortable in his own skin; working on not being down on himself on bad weekends; being a big fish in a small pond; takeaways from getting Cup Series experience; how Gragson defines connecting to race fans; why climb the fence; what’s next after wins and a Championship 4 appearance.

Music created by Tony Monge.

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Justin Ashley is a rising star in the NHRA Top Fuel ranks and he’s here to discuss his career and what it’s like to drive 11,000 horsepower. We start things off discussing 4-wide racing at zMAX Dragway and the discipline it takes; how the season is shaping up for his team; the new variables of an alliance with Antron Brown and working with Toyota; why Ashley’s website says occupation: real estate developer; if he genuinely wanted to race or felt had to follow in dad’s footsteps; if he considered doing anything else, like keeping with playing football; what he learned along each rung up the NHRA ladder; being non-emotional; why a dragster; what it feels like driving a Top Fuel dragster; if Ashley has had a big moment in the car, and what it’s like seeing other drivers go through one; adjusting to a Top Fuel schedule; what it means to have his own team; what Ashley does in the final few moments before the engine fires; competing in a one-and-done sport; if someone has to be fearless to compete in NHRA; slowing down in other areas of life; what gets Ashley the most excited about his job; aiming for winning multiple races this year; depth of the Top Fuel field; being on a fast upward trajectory; dad jokes.

Music created by Tony Monge.

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NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell is here to chat all things Next Gen and more. O’Donnell looks at the first 11 races of the season; where the industry is at with parts and pieces; tweaking Next Gen if need be; having honest conversations with the garage; working with a new driver council; if shifting at short tracks is something NASCAR wants; parity with the Next Gen car; ratings and attendance; track new fans coming to races; when the ’23 schedule will be announced; changing the schedule; still looking at new OEMs and engine package; when O’Donnell got into NASCAR; from marketing side to operations; learning and being prepared for the role; not having a set job goal when joining NASCAR; now being COO; a message to NASCAR fans.

Music created by Tony Monge.

Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Sean Cain is a self-described “creative person” but you might know him as Blackbeard. Cain visits the show to share just some of the cars you’ve seen on the track that he designed; the reason behind branding himself as Blackbeard; how he went from industrial design to the race car business; social media being the driving force behind business; how a concept gets off the ground; things Cain has to take into consideration and work around with a design; the nerves going from a render to real life car; trying to have up-to-date templates; how long it takes from concept to completion; how many concepts need to be submitted; if there's any loss over the ones that don’t see the light of day; the hardest thing about the job; not getting burnt out and being repetitive; how often Cain gets to see his work at the track; if there are other designs besides race cars; if there is something out there Cain hasn’t designed that he’d like to.

Music created by Tony Monge.

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Whether you know him as Brad or “Bread” Perez, he is here to talk about living the NASCAR dream. Perez takes us inside his role as a tire specialist in the Camping World Truck Series for Rackley W.A.R.; the way he started to network into the sport; not being mechanically inclined; getting a taste for racing with a spec Miata; not coming from a racing family but being a race fan who dreamed of being a driver; memories of attending races at Homestead-Miami Speedway; introducing family and friends to NASCAR through his passion for it; if his parents now understand Perez’s love for racing and being there for his Truck debut; transitioning to North Carolina and how Ryan Vargas played a role; working many other non-racing jobs to earn money for racing; why Perez thinks he’s become a popular figure in the garage and on social media; if he’s used social media to his advantage; if he reminded himself to enjoy the experience of his Truck Series debut; if Perez feels he’s settling for a job in racing versus driving; potentially having a die-cast made of his truck from his debut.

Music created by Tony Monge.

Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Brian Wilson is a return guest to the podcast but it’s a completely different conversation as we focus on Wilson’s first year as Cup Series crew chief and how he got here. Wilson reveals how the team believes they’ve found the reason for their rough start to the season; what Wilson remembers of his dad being an engineer for Robert Pressley and the Skol car; getting his racing start with the Kimmel family; working in the race shop and the grocery store meat department; going from the Kimmel team straight to Team Penske and the Cup Series; memories working on the 77 team with Brendan Gaughan; shock builder to engineer, thinking his career was over moving to Xfinity, and his first shot of being a crew chief not going well; lasting so long at one organization; how Next Gen has changed things for crew chiefs; keeping a close eye on the parts going on the car; being someone how likes information and knowing the rules; what he’s seen from his rookie driver good and bad; what Wilson is looking for from the 21 team getting into the summer months.

Music created by Tony Monge.

Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Second generation racer Jesse Little keeps busy both on and off the track. Little joins the program to share all he has his hands in; getting his hands dirty when needed; driving for Tyler Young this year; how Young’s team has changed Little’s preparation; what it’s like driving for an owner who is also a driver; why he immediately felt chemistry with the team; splitting the truck with Kaz Grala; being productive when not in the truck; tweeting for the love of racing; why Little has taken to the Truck Series over the years; the Truck Series being a learning series; having to be a hustler and go after what you want; knowing what’s a good deal and what’s a bad deal; the doubts of whether it’s going to happen as a driver; how it feels to look at his former NASCAR Next classmates who have full-time rides; being grateful to still be here after 10 years; what variables Little believes a driver needs to succeed, and what he thinks he offers; not having dad Chad get involved; what it was like running a full Xfinity Series schedule; what’s next on his truck schedule.

Music created by Tony Monge.

Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Dirt is not in her background but Hannah Newhouse is loving her new broadcast role with World Racing Group. Newhouse explains leaving the NASCAR world for World of Outlaws; having creative freedom with content; leaning on others during the transition; being able to freelance into other motorsports; preparing for different series and how things are different; how a family of gearheads led to a life in racing; Langley Speedway and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine; how realistic she was about racing long term; being a female in motorsports; building relationships with subjects; addressing that Bristol incident; the better podcast to work on – DBC or DJD; being intimidated at first with a new role on DJD; who she looks at for inspiration in the motorsports world.

Music created by Tony Monge.

Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall

Whether you view Atlanta Motor Speedway as an intermedia or superspeedway, it was brand new either way to Sage Karam. He joins the show to tell us about the experience; how much he’s looking forward to having practice this season; the number of Xfinity Series races he anticipates running this year and hopes for a full-time ride; looking at returning to Pocono Raceway for the first time since Justin Wilson’s fatal accident; if that day has gotten easier to deal with over time; what Karam thinks Pocono will be like in NASCAR versus IndyCar; relying on YouTube to prepare for races; how the continued NASCAR culture learning is going; getting more respect from the garage; if anything from IndyCar has helped in NASCAR; if races feel different in NASCAR; what resources Karam has to use to get better being in PA; if it’s been frustrating not having a full-time ride somewhere; what it is about stock cars that have hooked him.

Music created by Tony Monge.

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Cody Ware is a race car driver, gamer, and anime fan and we’re touching all of those subjects this week. Ware tells us how he and Ryan Ellis try to feel accomplished while gaming; his love of anime; how his mental health journey is going; what the turning point was for Ware to get help; the Coliseum race being a confidence booster; what he’s feeling from the Next Gen car; how much the car is making a difference versus growth in the organization; not feeling held back by the equipment; dropping out of med school; what his relationship is with his car owner dad; being a late bloomer into racing; what it was about racing that changed him; focusing on only Cup Series racing this season; if it was hard jumping between different cars last year; what translated from IndyCar to Cup; if top 25 in points is realistic.

Music created by Tony Monge.

Please support my work through Patreon: www.patreon.com/KellyCrandall