Those of you who have watched NASCAR for the past 15 years have probably heard the name BJ McLeod – but do you know much about him? On the track, he’s grinded it out in Trucks, O’Reilly, and Cup between a multitude of teams, taking sub-par equipment to respectable finishes while building a brand for Live Fast Motorsports, the team he co-owns with Joe Falk. On the surface, many may consider him a backmarker, but the full story reveals that of a talented driver who never caught a big break to compete in NASCAR’s best equipment. In this episode, Dale Jr sits down with BJ McLeod to talk about the origins, the grind, and the grit of a racing story that has earned the respect of everyone in the NASCAR garage. From the deals that never quite came together – like driving a JR Motorsports car at Atlanta – to the business decisions that give McLeod no regrets, this is a can’t-miss episode. Join us on a passionate conversation between racers as we learn about the driver who was labeled as being the next Jeff Gordon. Chapters: 0:00 - Cold Open 0:39 - Intro 2:16 - Growing Up in Florida 4:36 - Home Schooling & Early Racing Career 5:31 - Go-Karts to Super Late Models 7:25 - Learning to Race Tough 9:29 - Racing Super Late Models in Florida 11:46 - Early Accolades: "Next Gordon" 13:33 - Dream of NASCAR 15:33 - The Herzog Opportunity 18:50 - Starting His Own Business at 19 21:43 - Winning the World Series at New Smyrna 23:15 - Building a Truck with Germain Racing 25:40 - BJ's Style: Skulls, Affliction & Being Himself 29:40 - Moving Up North 30:12 - Family Roots, Losing His Dad 33:35 - Truck Series Debut 37:18 - Cup Series Debut in 2015 42:56 - McLeod Acres 46:45 - Building Live Fast Motorsports 54:45 - Deciding to Go Cup Racing 57:15 - Matt Tifft Partnership & Buying the Cup Charter 59:05 - Running the Cup Team 1:02:44 - Selling the Charter 1:05:51 - Racing as an Open Team 1:07:21 - The Pigeon Forge Alpine Coaster 1:13:52 - Future Plans 1:15:25 - Driver Development 1:17:31 - Why the Cup Series Still Makes Sense 1:22:23 - Dale Jr.'s Closing Thoughts 1:23:35 - Almost Driving for JRM 1:27:07 - Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up 1:28:01 - Outro THE PODCASTS YOU LOVE. THE MERCH YOU NEED. Get it all here: https://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ Follow Dirty Mo Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DirtyMoMedia Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirtyMoMedia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtymomedia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dirtymomedia_ All About Dirty Mo Media: https://www.dirtymomedia.com FanDuel: Must be 21+ and present in select states (for Kansas, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino) or 18+ and present in D.C. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets, which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY in New York.