Victory Lane

For somebody who had no NASCAR aspirations growing up, Josh Bilicki has done pretty well for himself. He joins Davey this week (9:00) to discuss his career in racing and lack of stock car/short track experience, despite growing up literally right next to an iconic venue. He details why he didn’t pursue NASCAR from the start and chose sports cars instead, spending his own dime to go race, how spec miatas compare to Cup cars and how a Facebook message helped him secure a ride for his first NASCAR race.

Bilicki has some insane stories from his time with Victor Obaika, including his first time driving for the team at Road America, missing seat belts and window nets, unkept promises, checks that never showed up and how it all led to Roger Penske of all people buying him an ice cream cone (yes, really). He also explains why he treats Cup races like IMSA events running for Rick Ware Racing, his relationship with his teammates, reflecting on being a full-time Cup Series driver, his goals and aspirations for the future and more, including his success racing snowmobiles and an attempt at pronouncing “Antetokounmpo.”

It may not be a high school commitment announcement, but Brad Perez is on the podcast this week to share his exciting news: he’s going ARCA racing! The beloved NASCAR personality on social media details how his opportunity to run at Watkins Glen with Josh Williams Motorsports came about, why he decided to pursue the chance, his relationship with the team owner/driver, how social media posts aided in his efforts to secure the necessary sponsorship and what he did when he got the call that his deal was official.

He also explains what he does for Martins Motorsports and Rackley W.A.R. in the Xfinity and Truck Series, how a tire specialists role holds many different duties, why relationships are crucial to success during a race and more. Plus, he explains why racing is “the coolest addiction ever,” moving to Charlotte to pursue it, his time developing in spec miatas and how it translates to NASCAR, his multiple jobs throughout it all outside of racing and more, including his dance skills, softball league and why he seems to always shank Davey at the race track.

You've probably seen her post about her cat, Criss Angel, cars and racing, and this week Alanis King joins the podcast to talk about all that and more. Davey and King discuss her current role at Business Insider and time spent at Jalopnik, where she blogged anything and everything from pink splitters to NASCAR to Yu-Gi-Oh! (yes, really). She also dives into how she's handled the countless haters and threats thrown her way over the years, all while learning how to handle and blog on the internet while finishing college.

She also discusses why " the cat lady who writes about cars" could not be more accurate, how "Racing Spaces" began on Twitter and asking Denny Hamlin "the question," driving a Monster Truck, drag racing in her moms Hyundai, riding in a Ferrari with Sebastian Vettel and a MotoGP bike around COTA. Nobody is more obsessed with Criss Angel than Alanis, and she explains why/how the fandom began. After she reveals her ridiculous take on pizza (and it is RIDICULOUS), Davey accidentally makes her cry at the thought of Criss Angel in the Times Square Olive Garden.

If you couldn't already tell, things got a bit weird in this conversation. But King is busy finishing a book centered around Rich Energy, the infamous Formula 1 sponsor, and shares an excerpt from the book with Davey.

Aric Almirola upset the playoff grid with his win at New Hampshire, and NASCAR officiating didn't have the best day. Davey breaks down The Magic Mile and Papa Segal digs deep into his suitcase of courage in this weeks wayback segment.

Check your mail, because The Postman is here! Davey sits down with Steve Post (19:10) to dive into his career in motorsports, spanning over 30 years. From a young fan attending races on Pennsylvania short and dirt tracks to manning pit road for the Motor Racing Network, Post has done and seen it all, and continues to do so with radiant positivity.

He explains how he got into racing, his days working as an announcer locally, how he handled life when he moved to North Carolina and why he always had an eye on joining MRN. Before his time wearing the famed blue shirt, Post was a public relations representative for Kenny Wallace and Ricky Rudd in NASCAR, and shares countless stories of his time on the road/at the track with the two drivers. He also explains how he wound up getting hired by MRN, a job he’s held for almost 20 years, and what it was like to be a part of the sport in its booming years throughout the 2000s. Post also outlines his other jobs and passions, including sprint car racing, diecast cars, the Summer Shootout at Charlotte and more. Plus, what’s up with his wild and wacky hair? Simply better living, that’s what.

Davey touches on Kurt Busch’s surprise Atlanta victory and goes into a diatribe about the seeming lack of communication between the drivers, tracks and sanctioning body. What needs to be done to fix things? Papa Segal gives an ode to “The Biff” and a badass car the former Roush driver owns.

The NASCAR garage is full of characters, and Josh Williams is one of the biggest. The Xfinity Series mainstay joins Davey this week (9:00) to reminisce on his racing career, a path that isn't often replicated nowadays. From working on and building his own stuff and cutting his teeth in ARCA with his family team, Williams has scratched and clawed his way to success in motorsports at all levels throughout his career.

From his wins in legends and bandoleros, spending time with Chris Buescher while getting scolded by Ken Ragan, participating in "Humpy's Heroes" as a teenager, the four-wheeler accident that put him in the ICU for five days and what made him laugh when he finally woke up, Williams' stories seem to never stop. Plus, additional tales of his first ARCA win, what made pulling all nighters worth it, his time starting and parking in multiple series, crew chiefing in the Xfinity Series on the side while driving, his relationship with team owner Mario Gosselin and more. Why is he confident that he'll not only win an Xfinity race, but also win in the Cup Series one day? "J-Dubb" lets you know, and let's it all fly--just like his patented mullet.

Davey also recaps Chase Elliott's victory at Road America, gives his thoughts on Atlanta Motor Speedway's re-profiling project and Papa Segal gives an ode to an American and NASCAR hero.

We're keeping it ~spicy~ this week, as professional emcee and award-winning speaker Jose Castillo joins Davey this week (16:45) to chat about his career, how he got involved with NASCAR through Bristol Motor Speedway, transforming the big screen experience for fans, when he realized public speaking was the path for him and where the passion came from. He also discusses his eclectic background, why "keeping it spicy" is truly a personality trait of his, how he's pivoted to the virtual world during the pandemic, cultivating relationships with the drivers while having fun, the positivity he radiates and more. Plus, what's the spiciest interview Castillo has ever had over the years?

Davey also breaks down the double dose of action from Pocono Raceway, ponders why the racing was so compelling and looks ahead to Road America. In this week's wayback segment, Papa Segal gives an ode to one of the greatest racers of all-time.

Canada’s finest, Alex Labbe, joins Davey this week (17:00) to discuss racing north of the border and the culture that comes along with it. Labbe details his career path spanning go-karts, late models and more, before landing in the Pinty’s Series, where he raced against big names and some of his racing heroes. After winning the series championship in 2017, he and his sponsor Can-Am decided to go Xfinity Series racing, where they still compete today for DGM Racing and Mario Gosselin.

The two discuss the travel logistics Labbe goes through crossing the border to get to races, how popular motorsports are in Canada, the harsh penalty NASCAR laid down on Labbe and DGM at the Daytona Road course and why it was overturned, why he chose to get a college degree in the U.S. while racing full-time in Canada, his career aspirations and more.

Davey recaps another dominant performance from Kyle Larson at Nashville and gives his thoughts on the track’s first weekend hosting races in a decade. He also briefly previews Pocono and Papa Segal gives an ode to one of the most important figures in NASCAR history.

One of the best to ever grace the screen, legendary broadcaster Allen Bestwick joins Davey this week (25:00) to discuss his illustrious career and his new venture as the play-by-play voice of SRX. He answers how the opportunity to get back in the booth for the new series initially came about, how he thinks the initial weekend at Stafford went and how his preparation for SRX events differ from calling other forms of motorsports and sports in general.

Bestwick is used to local New England short tracks, given that he began calling races at Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts at 16 years of age. He details his career path from that point forward, including stops at MRN working alongside Barney Hall and Ned Jarrett, NBC with Benny Parsons, ESPN with Rusty Wallace and a plethora of other legendary names on track and behind the microphone in between. He explains why no specific race that he’s called stands out to him, but reveals what does stick with him reflecting on his years traveling the circuit. Davey and Allen also discuss the importance of letting the broadcast breathe and why silence can speak volumes while calling an event. Bestwick also provides an update on what he’s been up to since ESPN exited NASCAR in the mid 2010s, including calling US Opens, college basketball and more. Plus, would he be open to a return to the broadcast booth on a regular basis calling NASCAR races?

Davey touches on another victory by Kyle Larson in the All-Star Race, including his thoughts on how the format played out. His girlfriend Robin makes a return appearance to give her thoughts on the race, Kyle Busch gets mad at Davey, a preview of NASCAR’s return to Nashville and Papa Segal gives a lengthy historical deep dive into his favorite driver of all time: Bobby Allison.

You've probably seen her on NASCAR's digital platforms, but Alex Weaver didn't grow up an avid follower of the sport. She joins Davey this week (8:20) to discuss her career path that began at Clemson University covering football and eventually led her to NASCAR. Despite being involved in sports from a young age, she almost pursued a career as a scientist before deciding otherwise. Working behind and in front of the camera at Clemson, she learned the tricks of the trade before trading in her purple and orange.

Originally hired to work in the partnership division of the company, Weaver learned the ins and outs of NASCAR before dabbling in on-camera content. As she improved, her time on screen rose. She describes the challenges being a female in female dominated sport present (including when a driver tried to mansplain something to her), how she's leaned on broadcasters like Kaitlyn Vincie, Shannon Spake and Jamie Little among others and what interviews have been her most memorable. Plus, being a cat mom, her Chick-Fil-A obsession, being an Instagram influencer and what her future career aspirations look like.

Davey touches on Kyle Larson's dominant performance at Sonoma for the second consecutive week, ponders what has happened to the All-Star Race and Papa Segal gives an ode to the No. 11.

Currently full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, Nick Sanchez joins Davey this week (12:05) as the two reminisce and discuss his career to date, which only started seven years ago. After some time go-karting at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Sanchez and his mom searched “how to become a NASCAR driver” on the internet, and the rest is history.

After being accepted into NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program, Sanchez began competing in legends and late models for Rev Racing, where he honed his craft in full-bodied stock cars for the first time. He explains why winning the Wendell Scott Trailblazer award was such a big deal to him, and recalls his first couple starts in the K&N Pro Series at South Boston in 2019. Now full-time in ARCA, Sanchez details why Rev upgraded their inventory ahead of the ambitious 20-race slate, how his skillset has improved, what it’s like racing against Ty Gibbs and more.

Plus, some stories of karting with Indy 500 champions and Formula 1 winners, his passions away from the track (notably why he now has a “plan B” in the real estate industry if racing doesn’t work out) and more, including the hilarious and ironic story of how Nick and Davey’s two families are connected dating back to school in Miami.

Davey also touches on Kyle Larson’s dominant Coca-Cola 600 win and Rick Hendrick’s record-breaking night at Charlotte, previews Sonoma and Papa Segal gives an ode to “The Ironman.”