Victory Lane

Congratulations, you made it! The off-season is over and the 2021 season is officially here. Davey is on site at Daytona International Speedway in advance of the 63rd running of the Daytona 500. He dives into the Busch Clash, won by Kyle Busch, and the last lap move that saw two best friends wreck each other for the win. Davey also welcomes on Andrew Kurland (12:08) to preview the upcoming season as a whole. From new organizations, new faces in new places, new venues on the Cup Series schedule, the two break down everything on the horizon for the 2021 season. Why is Pitbull so electric, and has NASCAR gotten its swag back?

Not all 24-year-olds are NASCAR Cup Series team owners, but that’s exactly why Matt Tifft is one of the more unique individuals in the garage. The Live Fast Motorsports co-owner joins Davey (6:20) this week to discuss the planning process behind starting the team, why now is the right time to get into ownership and what he can bring to the table from a youth perspective. Plus, Tifft also explains Live Fast’s charter situation and why he actually always had thoughts of becoming a team owner, even in his driving days. He discusses the uniqueness of operating a Cup Series team out of an Xfinity Series shop for 2021, what his wife thinks about this new venture, his longstanding relationship with co-owner and “big brother” B.J. McLeod (despite them looking like polar opposites on the surface) and realistic expectations for the No. 78 in their first year on track. Tifft’s history with seizures is well documented, and coming out publicly as having epilepsy was very important to him. He admits the challenges that c

A satirical success like no other, the famed "nascarcasm" joins Davey for this week's chat. Starting his Twitter account over a decade ago, 'Casm's following has grown from just a few NASCAR fans to almost 200,000, laughing with him along the way (and maybe at him a time or two). The two discuss his upbringing, including graduating with a journalism degree from Indiana University and his graphic design experience, both in which aid him in his current role. He recalls many belly-laughing stories, including when Brad Keselowski shouted him out on SportsCenter in 2012, Will Power's reaction when he realized who 'Casm was, tickling Carl Edwards' palm, his fake feud with Jamie McMurray, getting Jimmie Johnson to wear a custom romper with his face on it and plenty more. And does he really have a job title? Plus, the two discuss who the most memeable driver is, the famed Clint Bowyer tweet, his creative process, "The Sideshow" at Texas, whether or not his drafts are full of golden tweets, why showing his personal

In the second and final installment of Davey’s chat with Julia Landauer, the two dive into how her opportunity to compete in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series came to be, including why she was thrown into the deep end, way behind the eight ball with virtually no track time ahead of her rookie season. In addition to the language barrier and being stuck across the world for three months amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, she had a lot of adjusting to do in little time. Landauer further explains why she embraces being an ambassador for women in motorsports, and where she thinks we are in the road to leveling the playing field for females in racing. She also reveals how she got into her “day job” as a motivational speaker and why she finds empowering others incredibly rewarding, including how she herself is able to stay positive amid these incredibly tough times. Plus, reflecting on being named apart of the “Forbes: 30 Under 30” list, her accomplishments on and off track to this point in her life and why “#BecauseR

She truly is “The Most Interesting Woman in Motorsports.” In the first installment of this two part interview, you’ll learn why. Julia Landauer joins Davey (6:15) to discuss how a young girl from the upper west side of New York City got involved in racing. Not the most common trio out there, is it? But after becoming the youngest female champion in Skip Barber Racing School history (age 14), it was clear she had what it takes. Landauer attended Stanford University while furthering her racing career, and details why the decision was rather pragmatic despite most drivers opting to forgo higher education. While in school, Landauer competed on the popular reality show “Survivor,” but hid an important aspect of her life. After being voted off (and recalling word for word when she was accused of being “too vanilla”), she reflected on why she didn’t show a big part of who she is and learned why embracing who you really are is the best strategy of them all. She’s learned a lot more lessons, specifically ones at the

Another week, another member of Bills Mafia on the pod! Alan Cavanna joins Davey (4:30) for an off-season chat with a lot of laughs. Growing up in New England racing against the likes of Joey Logano, Ryan Preece, Doug Coby and more, Cavanna details why his racing career never took off, despite a championship and over 100 trophies. Cavanna tells the story of how he and his wife, CNN correspondent Dianne Gallagher, met in a courtroom, with a computer, and a friend request. Years later, they’re happily married and finally living together for the first time in Charlotte. A proud Syracuse graduate, he recalls his time on campus for the 2000 national championship run, and how learning the tricks of the trade in journalism during his college years shaped him professionally upon graduating. Amid the infamous Jeremy Mayfield suspension saga, Cavanna was the first (and only) person to speak with Mayfield, and the backstory on how their conversation came to be is truly remarkable. Plus, some incredibly hilarious (and

As one of the up-and-coming NASCAR media members, Dustin Albino is onto his next opportunity at Jayski for 2021. But getting to this point has been a journey filled with trials, tribulations, blood, sweat and tears. Davey and Dustin chat (8:15) about growing up in in New York and why an introduction from his grandmother to Bobby Labonte’s green No. 18 car sparked his interest and love for NASCAR. The two have worked at multiple motorsports blogs together, including Frontstretch for the better part of the last five years. Albino describes the learning experiences while being at the track while credentialed, including cultivating relationships, breaking stories (including freaking out to Davey before doing so), reliving “The Gauldashian” saga that put him on that map and leaning on mentors throughout the process. They also get real about the grind that is trying to make it in the industry, and why achieving success in this media landscape makes the work all the more rewarding. Plus, his love for WWE, proposin

These two go way back, and boy do they have some stories to tell. Davey welcomes on Camping World Truck Series driver Derek Kraus (6:00) for a wide-ranging off-season chat, with multiple appearances from the entire Kraus family (and his girlfriend Stephanie). Fresh off his best ever finish in the Snowball Derby, Kraus details why the enormous super late model event carries the weight it does, and how the winner (and his roommate) Ty Majeski put the iconic trophy in some questionable places. Plus, after officially announcing his 2021 plans, what are his realistic expectations in year two? Kraus relives his dominant K&N Pro Series days, including his initial test with Bill McAnally Racing at Kern County at the age of 15-years-old, his first win a year later at the same track and the interaction he had with Kevin Harvick after the two made contact at, you guessed it, Kern. Plus, his perspective on the infamous Hailie Deegan dump in Colorado, including the aftermath immediately and weeks after, and his champions

She’s been breaking barriers for the better part of two decades, and 2021 will be no different for Jamie Little. The FOX Sports reporter joins Davey (12:05) to discuss her career in racing, including how she got started in the industry and how being bold and brave led to her first professional opportunity in Supercross. As they say, the rest is history. From covering her first Indianapolis 500 for ESPN (and becoming the first female to do so) to paving the path for a plethora of other females in motorsports, Little hasn’t had much time to reflect on her accomplishments. But she does exactly that in this conversation while remaining humble and knowing there’s more left to do. Being named the first woman to call television play-by-play for a national racing series (ARCA) for the 2021 season comes with a unique set of challenges, in addition to learning a new skillset. Little details those, and explains why the timing was right to make this move. Little dives into how she’s been able to do her job flying solo

Gracie Trotter became the first female to ever win an ARCA sanctioned event earlier this season, but there’s much more that meets the eye with this third generation racer. Trotter joins Davey (7:40) to discuss her upbringing in racing, including her father’s journey to North Carolina from Texas at age 21 and working on his go-kart in his mother’s living room. She recalls an evening at the track where being the trophy girl wound up sparking her interest in driving instead, as well as when her father spun his seven-year-old daughter out while karting. Trotter was selected as a part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity class in 2019 and just finished up another season competing for Rev Racing in late models, as well as her rookie campaign with Bill McAnally Racing in the ARCA Menards Series West. Her victory at The Bullring in Las Vegas was historic, and came in the same month as her late model victory at Hickory. Trotter details the two wins, and why sharing the Victory Lane experienced with her father meant the

David Ragan makes a return appearance to the program (7:50) to give us an update on how retired life is treating him and his family. But he hasn’t slowed down completely, earning his best career Daytona 500 finish earlier this season and hopping behind the wheel of a DGR-Crosley Truck twice. Plus, he gives us a sneak peek into what his role with Ford Performance is and will be next year to help with the development of the NextGen car. Ragan reminisces on his time at Roush Racing, why it wasn’t the best of times, being hand-picked by Mark Martin to replace the Hall of Fame driver and why, looking back on it, he was so stupid on and off track. He also details how he came to be the replacement driver for Kyle Busch in 2015 at Joe Gibbs Racing and whether or not his results in the No. 18 were characteristic of how they performed. After finishing out the year at Michael Waltrip Racing, Ragan made a stop at BK Racing before landing at Front Row Motorsports for the second and final time, where he finished out his f

Not many 15-year-olds are champions in any major racing series, but Jesse Love can call himself one—the youngest in ARCA Menards Series West history at that. The wise beyond his years Menlo Park, California kid joins Davey this week to discuss his dominant 2020 season that saw him win three times and lead the series in virtually every statistical category. Hear why Love believed he was the favorite to win the title before the season even started with Bill McAnally Racing, and why he fell short of preseason expectations for himself despite being crowned champion. Plus, the two dive deep into his racing upbringing (including the influence from Jeff Gordon and John Bickford), his time spent on dirt with Keith Kunz Motorsports and their incredible stable of talent, why he was always eyeing stock car racing, having the support of Toyota through his development and a speak peek of what he’ll be doing in 2021.

Fresh off the 2020 ARCA Menards Series championship, Bret Holmes joins Davey this week (6:50) for an all-encompassing chat. For a small, family-run team, a series title is beyond belief. In fact, Holmes and company weren’t planning on running a full-time schedule this season. But when their plans changed, so did their expectations, performance and results. Holmes delves into what the turning point in his season was and how he celebrated the title at Kansas. His father has been integral in his racing development. Holmes details sharing the title with him, as well as crew chief Shane Huffman, and why the people associated with his team mean so much to him personally. From Munford, Alabama, Holmes grew up racing on the Talladega Short Track (and eventually broke his father’s track record). His upbringing included competing against NASCAR Hall of Famer Red Farmer, who he developed a familial relationship with. But as time went on, the realistic aspects of racing caught up with him. Holmes explains how he overcam

And with that, the 2020 NASCAR season is over. But not before Chase Elliott etched his name into the history books, earning his first career Cup Series championship at the ripe age of 24. Davey details how Elliott grabbed the victory, got over the hump with some help from crew chief Alan Gustafson and the proverbial passing of the torch at Hendrick Motorsports from the retiring GOAT, Jimmie Johnson, to Elliott. Davey also gives the Xfinity and Truck Series champions Austin Cindric and Sheldon Creed their due, and details how each earned their titles with similar pit strategies at the end of the race. Plus, a team owner wins for the first time since 2012, Bill McAnally Racing keeps on dominating, Brett Moffitt is big mad and an ode to "Herman the German" from Papa Segal.

After becoming the youngest ever NHRA champion, Tanner Gray decided to switch things up. The third generation racer joins Davey (26:45) to discuss his move to circle track racing and stock cars, including why his mind was made up before his championship season, the reason he was so dead set on it for years, whether or not his family legacy in NHRA put any pressure on him and a funny story of the first time he strapped into a dragster. Gray also details growing up in New Mexico, where racing wasn’t very popular, and devoting his focus to baseball, not being so hard on himself and why he wasn’t totally able to enjoy his first K&N Pro Series win at South Boston. The two also chat about a few other memorable moments in his K&N tenure, being a part of the Ford Development Program, the competition difference from K&N to ARCA to Trucks, driving for David Gilliland and working with championship crew chief Shane Wilson in his first full-time season in the Truck Series. Plus, his love of golf (and how good he really i

Fresh off his first career ARCA victory, Taylor Gray stops by (25:20) to discuss his roller coaster weekend out West, from heartbreak to redemption all in a span of three days. The 15-year-old (!) DGR-Crosley wheelman discusses the performance throughout his rookie campaign in ARCA, where he’s finished outside the top 10 only twice. He also reminisces on his flip in a late model at Martinsville and why it felt like nothing compared to doing so in a dirt car, his friendship with Ty Gibbs, including why drivers coming from racing families get bad rap, and his love of the Seattle Seahawks. In addition, he provides his side of the hilarious story involving his brother Tanner getting choked out at the go-kart track way back when. The marathon at Texas has mercifully come to an end, and KFB is indeed back. Davey recaps Kyle Busch’s fuel saving masterclass from the Lone Star State and breaks down the playoff picture for all three national series heading into Martinsville, the final race before championship weekend.

Elijah Burke graduated from college, went viral and got hired by his favorite childhood racing team, Chip Ganassi Racing, in a matter of weeks. Odds are you know his name or have seen his “NASCAR Style” graduation interview, but this week, Davey chats with his longtime friend (24:15) about what went into getting where he is today. From the planning of the 45 seconds that changed his life to it blowing up overnight (literally), Burke shares why he almost didn’t even post the video at all, the whirlwind that followed (including trips to Richmond, Charlotte and into Chip Ganassi’s motorhome) and eventually getting offered a job from CGR. Burke shares what his role as digital media strategist entails, how he gained an appreciation for selling sponsors, where his creativity comes from and more. Plus, he sheds some light on what it was like seeing his childhood hero Kyle Larson, the reason he fell in love with CGR, fall from grace within his own company this year, working closely with IndyCar legend Scott Dixon an

Michael Self has been around the block a time or two, and now he finds himself with grasp of the ARCA Menards Series championship. The Venturini Motorsports driver joins Davey (19:40) to discuss his introduction to racing, including go-karting in Utah, eventually competing in the world championships in Portugal and why his time as a RCR development driver wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Plus, his time in the K&N Pro Series spanning multiple organizations (and winning multiple times), how his relationship with Sinclair Oil began and his passion for coaching the next generation of drivers and road racing. Self candidly discusses the difficulty in racing a revolving door of teenagers while being a veteran of the series, and how the two differing ideologies on track seem don’t mesh, whether or not he’s content to stay in ARCA or gain more national series experience and why getting his business degree at age 30 is one of the smartest things he’s done in his life. The two also share some laughs about getting k

In the second installment of Davey’s chat with Chase Cabre (19:45), the two discuss his brother Collin’s cancer diagnosis, what Chase is doing on his micro sprint to support his him and why nothing in their relationship has changed despite the tough times. Chase also reminisces on his teammates at Rev Racing over the years, including some prior beef with Ryan Vargas, plenty of laughs with Ruben Garcia Jr. and how he’s seen himself change as a person over the last half decade with the team. Chase discusses his new obsession with fitness, why he never has a cheat day (well, except for that ONE time with Chick-Fil-A on the plane home), his newfound Tik Tok fame and why he’s putting so much effort behind it. Lastly, the two get real about the business of the sport and Chase reveals his departure from Rev and NASCAR at season’s end, including the financial and mental challenges associated with this career. But his racing career is far from over, as a more dirt focused path is in his future. Denny Hamlin asserts h

Chase Cabre’s NASCAR career has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but one things has remained constant: his love for racing. In the first installment of this interview (18:45), Davey chats with the Rev Racing driver about his passion for dirt racing and it all beginning with motocross, why he could’ve been on a path to become a prominent soccer player and how his brothers acceptance to the "Drive for Diversity" program sparked his interest in a stock car career. Also, relieving his first K&N Pro Series win at Memphis and the success that followed, injuring his back at Bristol, the subsequent rivalry with Sam Mayer (including wrecking him in a go-kart race at Gateway) and the perks that come with being associated with “NASCAR Next.” Plus, Davey attempts to pronounce his hometown of Thonotosassa, Chase reveals that he peaked in high school (only to Davey, at least) and more. The 2021 schedule has finally been released, and it has multiple shakeups. Davey peruses through the slate with all the the big chang