Victory Lane

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 Poco

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

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 C

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 w

Dawson Cram is the latest in a long line of racers, and he joins Davey on the podcast this week to dive into his season to date, career in racing and much more. Fresh off missing the show at COTA, Cram details what went wrong and why and touches on the uphill climb that small teams face in today’s landscape of NASCAR. Marcus Lemonis has helped the Camping World Truck Series immensely this season, but Cram and his No. 41 team may have benefitted more than anybody, as the truck adorns Camping World, Good Sam and Overton’s almost every single week. Cram explains why Lemonis’ gratitude and financial assistance has helped him and his team immensely, and provides his thoughts on the Sheldon Creed Twitter exchange with Lemonis, looking at it from both perspectives. As is par for the course, Cram began his racing career at the age of five in mini dwarf cars (he explains what those are) before moving from California to North Carolina to pursue his racing dream further. He recalls his memorable Truck debut that inclu

At only 18-years-old, Carson Hocevar has already torn up the short track scene and is making a name for himself in NASCAR. He joins Davey this week (12:50) to discuss his career behind the wheel, starting in Michigan at Berlin Raceway, and why NASCAR had to make a rule change to combat him winning as a 13-year-old. NASCAR champion Johnny Benson has mentored Hocevar over the years, and Carson explains how Johnny’s help has been instrumental to his growth in stock cars. Hocevar details his journey to where he is now: full-time with Niece Motorsports, why he lost some confidence in his time running ARCA, how he regained it and why he’s just now hitting his stride with Niece in the Truck Series. Injuries haven’t stopped Hocevar in his young career, either, as he recalls breaking his wrist in a wreck but finishing the race one handed. Plus, how he powered through the end of a Truck race with heat exhaustion. Despite not being known for dirt racing, the late Bryan Clauson had a profound impact on him. He explains

Life as a Truck Series driver/owner for a small, family-run, underfunded team isn't anything like the glitz and glamor of NASCAR racing, but for Cory Roper, it's been more than enough. The Texan joins Davey this week (15:45) to discuss why he decided to get into NASCAR racing, the chance encounters that led to his involvement ramping up, how his construction company factors into the equation and how Roper Racing Team's first event was a memorable (and snowy) one at Martinsville. Roper explains how gaining experience has been a key as a driver, why not practicing is good for an owner but disadvantageous from the driver's perspective, what good runs do financially and morale wise for a small team, and what bad runs/wrecks do and more. Plus, he breaks down his third-place finish at Daytona this year, what bringing Chase Briscoe into the fold has meant to the team and reveals what his family thinks of him pursuing his passion on a grander scale. Davey breaks down Martin Truex Jr.'s dominant win at Darlington an

Like many, he’s experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows in racing. But Jeremy Clements story is about as unique as it gets. From almost losing a body part as a teenager inside the race car to scoring his Xfinity Series win at Road America, Clements has gone through the ringer in his career, and joins Davey this week (18:30) to discuss it all. They discuss the horrific injury he suffered and the recovery that followed, including visiting Victory Lane in an ARCA race only three years later. His time in the Xfinity Series dates back to the early 2000s, allowing him to race at iconic venues such as Pikes Peak, IRP and in Montreal. Clements reflects on being in the series for over a decade and the road to where he is now. He also relives his Road America victory in 2017 and reflects on why that weekend was so special for him and his team. The No. 51 team is off to an incredible start in 2021, sitting firmly inside the top 10 in points ahead of countless powerhouse organizations. Clements explains the

Matt Mills joins Davey this week (15:20) ahead of his Cup Series debut at Kansas. He explains how the opportunity with BJ McLeod Motorsports came about after running Xfinity for the organization the past couple years and the approval process given the drama surrounding it the past couple weeks. Mills also describes why his results in NASCAR don’t tell the full story while driving for an underfunded team. After starting racing motorcycles as a kid, Mills transitioned to stock cars at age 12, but skipped ARCA/K&N before making his national series debut, choosing to focus on late models instead. He details his debut at Bristol of all places, driving for multiple smaller teams and the struggles that come along with it, mentorship from team owner BJ McLeod, his passions away from the track (including a Star Wars obsession) and why starting the Cup race this weekend will mean his childhood dream has been achieved. Davey also recaps Brad Keselowski’s sixth career win at Talladega, Joey Logano’s comments on the sup

Toni Breidinger has and continues to be a trailblazer in motorsports. Being the first female Arab-American in NASCAR and winningest female in USAC history, Breidinger doesn’t pay too much attention to her historic achievements, but rather is focused on the here and now of making it in NASCAR. She joins Davey this week (14:45) to discuss her upbringing in California and getting started go-karting with her twin sister and father. She also recalls how breaking her arm in a crash at a young age didn’t deter her from pursuing her passion. Breidinger details what being the first female Arab-American driver means to her personally, and why she was surprised that nobody came before her. She also explains how being a woman in racing doesn’t occupy her mind as much as it does others as well as her catchphrase: “the car doesn’t know gender.” Hear the coincidental story of how she got the opportunity with Young’s Motorsports, and why she didn’t expect to be moving up the ranks this quickly. She dives into her racing ca

Stefan Parsons has already made a name for himself and is continuing to do so with BJ McLeod Motorsports in the Xfinity Series this season. The latest in line of Parsons to get behind a steering wheel, the 22-year-old joins Davey this week (17:45) to discuss his start in the sport, and how David Ragan’s father, Ken, was influential in him beginning at Charlotte in bandoleros as a youngster. He also explains why starting racing at 12-years-old, relatively late compared to others, was actually a good thing in the long run. Parsons dives into his father Phil’s career and how it’s impacted how he’s helped Stefan in his ascension up the racing ranks, his memories of Phil Parsons Racing in the mid-late 2000s, the cool moment of doing a prerace segment for FOX before his Truck Series debut and more. He also reflects on his uncle Benny’s induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and why it meant so much for the Parsons family. Stefan also describes the help those in the sport gave him over the years, most notably Carl

Kelly Crandall joins Davey this week (8:30) to discuss and reflect on her impressive motorsports journalism career to date, which includes not one but two NMPA Writer of the Year awards. The industry veteran recalls hilarious (and horrific) stories from covering the NASCAR beat on the road over the years, and whether or not it feels like she’s been covering the sport full-time for almost a decade. The 2001 Pepsi 400 at Daytona had Crandall hooked, and she was racing obsessed from there on out. Getting started writing whatever, wherever and however, she incrementally gained reps and parlayed that into an opportunity to lead Popular Speed’s coverage. After quitting her day job at home, she decided to make the move to Charlotte to pursue a full-time career in the sport, where she received a plethora of help from others in hopes of making it. She explains some tumultuous times while grinding to make it, and why she’s trying to pay it forward today. Hear why she “was gonna throw up” when she realized she’d becom

Amber Balcean made history, becoming the first Canadian female to win a NASCAR sanctioned race in the United States. But she’s now setting her sights on bigger and better things in the motorsports world. She joins Davey this week (17:00) to explain why joining the BMR Drivers Academy was the perfect opportunity for a driver like her and why racing has always been a constant in her life as a third generation driver. She recalls her historic win at Motor Mile in 2016 and the celebratory reception that her hometown of Winnipeg gave her in the aftermath. But the lack of sponsors that followed were the realization that funding would be the biggest hurdle to overcome throughout this journey and she was going to have to grind for it. Balcean also describes the harrowing crash she was involved in at Valley Speedway, which left her with a severe concussion, burns and a collapsed lung. She dives into her two-month recovery and whether or not she had doubts of returning to racing post-recovery and more. Some may recog

The often imitated, never duplicated and distinguished motorsports journalist Jeff Gluck is the highly awaited guest for landmark Episode 100 of the podcast. Davey Segal chats with one of his biggest mentors and names in NASCAR about his illustrious career spanning multiple decades. Growing up out West, Gluck details his upbringing (including being classmates with team owner Justin Marks) and how coming East to study journalism at Delaware kicked the next chapter of his life into high gear. After attending his first NASCAR race at Rockingham Speedway, he was hooked. From that point forward, he began covering the sport “on the side” any way he could while a high school preps reporter, which led to his upward trajectory. Gluck recalls the hilarious way he got introduced to “NASCAR Scene,” which became his employer for some of the best years of his life. The glitz, glamor and glory of the sport in its heyday was stuff of legend, and Gluck shares some stories about NASCAR at its peak in the mid/late 2000s...bef

Hardcore NASCAR fans may not recognize the name, but those in the Washington D.C. area will. Grant Paulsen is a new and avid NASCAR fan, and he joins Davey (14:00) to discuss how the return amid the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated his fandom to levels even he didn't expect. Paulsen, a fixture on D.C. radio and television, describes the process involved in picking Erik Jones as his favorite driver, as well as his purchase of Jones' sheet metal during quarantine (to much apathy of his wife). Plus, why the stances NASCAR took last summer allowed him to dive in fully with his fandom, his unique perspective on the sport as a new, wide-eyed fan and his admiration for Larry McReynolds and NASCAR's broadcast partners. As a child, Paulsen regularly appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and attended Super Bowls on behalf of the show. He explains how those opportunities came to be, including an incredible story involving legends Joe Montana and Franco Harris. Davey also touches on Martin Truex Jr.'s Phoenix v

Dillon Welch is back (25:50) for the second and final installment of his chat with Davey, as they cover the professional side of his career. He details the unique skillset required to be a turn announcer for the Motor Racing Network, and recalls some shenanigans with the MRN crew over the years. Welch also works with NBC covering all forms of racing, and explains how that opportunity came about and progressed rapidly. One would think his dad, Vince Welch (play-by-play for Trucks and pit reporter for Xfnity and Cup Series) would have had a big influence on Dillon's career. And that'd be correct, but Dillon explains how his dad pointed him in the right direction, but let him do the dirty work, make connections, gain experience and do the job himself. Vince and Dillon, though, did become the first father/son duo to work the Indianapolis 500, and were on the same telecast once. Dillon relives those memories, and talks about how special it is to have his dad by his side at the track. Welch's girlfriend, Hannah N

Davey welcomes on Dillon Welch (15:45) of MRN, NBC and dirt midget racing for Part 1 of their all-encompassing conversation. Welch explains how he stays organized with his busy schedule, how and why he gravitated towards racing as a kid in basketball rich Indiana. He also explains how he got his start in racing at seven-years-old with Chat Boat, and how it’s come full circle with the Boat’s two decades later at the Chili Bowl. Speaking of the famed event, Welch has competed in it countless times, and recalls tales from Tulsa, including sneaking into the A-main one year and contracting the infamous “Chili Bowl Flu” year after year. Also, why do dirt racing aficionados call it “Chili Bowl” and not “THE Chili Bowl?” Davey was curious, and Dillon provides an answer. Plus, how his connection with the late Bryan Clauson was impactful on and off track, whether or not he had any stock car aspirations, if his dirt racing escapades helps him as a broadcaster, his Emmy-winning production work at Ball State University a

Longtime motorsports journalist Zack Albert of NASCAR.com joins Davey (18:25) this week to discuss his career in the field, overcoming his personal battles, and stories aplenty at the famed North Wilkesboro Speedway. Albert, North Carolina born and bred, has been around racing since his childhood. He recalls his first foray into motorsports, pursuing it as a career, the various stops along the way over two decades and tremendous tales of working at North Wilkesboro, including an appropriate parting gift before its closure. Albert also overcame depression and survived a suicide attempt. He opens up about mental health and why a change in his life was a necessity at that point in time. He also has the honor being on the NASCAR Hall of Fame voting panel, and explains why he doesn't take that lightly. Plus, the two dive into his extreme passion for the outdoors, hiking, collecting typewriters and Davey explains how Zack gave him his start in NASCAR and how he has been a mentor of his for years. Davey also discu

Motorsports broadcasting legend Jamie Little is back for a return visit on the pod (25:30) after her history-making weekend, becoming the first woman to handle play-by-play duties for a national motorsports series. Davey and Jamie discuss why actually calling the ARCA Menards Series race live was easier than practicing in the weeks leading up, her insanely busy week covering all four series at Daytona, including yet another Great American Race. Little had the opportunity to interview the President of the United States last season, something that the White House personally asked her to do. She details what went into chatting with the POTUS and gets real about the important responsibility and struggle in covering death in motorsports, notably when her friend Dan Wheldon lost his life in 2011 at Las Vegas. From owning two Jimmy John's and Nothing Bundt Cakes franchises, Little somehow is in impeccable shape. She discusses entrepreneurship with her husband, Cody, her passion of working with dogs on "America's T