The Racing Writer's Podcast JB15 Network

Doug Duchardt, the president of Spire Motorsports, has been busy since joining the organization at the end of 2023. Duchardt takes us inside the walls of the race shop and how things are going for everyone; the expectations versus reality moments for him with a new organization; going from established, successful companies to one trying to get to that level; having incentives in place for team members through the season; bringing experience from other companies to Spire; the importance of mindset for employees; the special feeling around the Truck Series program; the comfort of having younger talent in the pipeline; how big it was to sign Michael McDowell; focusing on the tangibles and intangibles McDowell brings; making the 71 a full-fledged Spire Motorsports effort; changing expectations for 2025; managing the number of cars in an organization; a look at the three drivers under the Spire Motorsports banner this season; grading the organization halfway through the regular season and forecasting the rest of the season.  

Original music created by Tony Monge.

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Chris Gabehart is offering more insight into what race day is like for a Cup Series team after allowing full access at Darlington Raceway. Gabehart explains digging into the data to form and execution during the race; the hours of work that take place after leaving the garage on Saturdays; taking the information from Saturday’s on-track activities and finding the medium with expectations for Sunday; being pretty sure of the approach going into the race; knowing early how the race is going to unfold; the facetime with Denny Hamlin on race day; painting a picture of the information available on the pit box and the radio channels; Gabehart tracking his car and monitoring the competition; managing information from the data versus Hamlin’s feedback; the television broadcast being a part of the information Gabehart wants; starting the screen war on the pit box; dealing with the internet going down on the pit box; the differences between resources on a pit box in the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series; conversations on the private radio channels; the difficulty of being aware of how the race is playing out outside the 11 team; the takeaway of being embedded with a race team. 

https://racer.com/2024/05/14/race-day-with-chris-gabehart-and-the-joe-gibbs-racing-no-11-team/  

Original music created by Tony Monge.

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Jade Avedisian is a name that you’re going to keep hearing about if you haven’t already. Avedisian is a dirt star who is beginning to transition into pavement racing, too. And with the attention comes interview requests, which she’s enjoying after one day hoping it would happen. Avedisian explains what that means; having NASCAR stars like Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell believe in her talent; having a calm and focused personality; understanding the balance of life with racing and being a teenager; what’s to come this year; expectations for going back and forth between dirt and pavement; working with a spotter for the first time; getting into racing at a young age but taking time to stick; the craziness of dirt racing; dirt racing helping pavement racing; what a lap is like behind the wheel of a dirt midget; the sensation of a flip or wild ride in a midget; the opportunity to run GR Cup this season; what the most thrilling thing about racing is for her and the accomplishment most proud of so far; how important it is to have a championship on her resume; the experience of doing ice racing; the desire to go Cup Series racing one day; where to watch her race and follow her online. 

Original music created by Tony Monge.

Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall

It’s the second part of our conversation with Angie Skinner, and it’s chock-full of laughs. Skinner discusses the dynamic of ‘Skinner Roundup’ for SiriusXM NASCAR Radio as husband and wife; wanting to be involved more on the radio; thoughts on staying visible in the sport and asking for what you want; the misperceptions about the personalities of the Skinners; recalling the start of the Craftsman Truck Series; the story of how Mike got back into the Truck Series years later and the others who followed; tales of shady team owners, aligning with Toyota and racing with Bill Davis; rivalries and memories of Truck Series competition; what people should know about Angie Skinner.  

Original music created by Tony Monge.

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The view is different but the fun is still the same for Angie Skinner at the NASCAR racetrack. Skinner explains how she gets to mix business and pleasure on the road these days; goes in-depth on how the sport has evolved, including its merchandise; not being a typical driver’s wife and working hard to have her own identity; the jobs along the way and wanting to focus more on herself; striving to be creatively challenged but not pigeonholed; aiming to imitate Barbara Walters when looking at some upcoming projects. 

Original music created by Tony Monge.

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Kenny Lubanski is an old friend and our paths have crossed again in the racing world. We’re going in between the lanes of an NHRA drag racing as we learn what a co-starter is and the many responsibilities it entails; how to operate the Christmas tree; working his way into the position; the unique travel schedule and options; getting his start at Englishtown and persistently handing out a resume to break into the NHRA; being next to starting line blow-ups and massive incidents; having nerves of steel at the starting line; working on the track after a rain delay or incident; wearing rubber for days; why someone should experience a drag race at the racetrack.

Original music created by Tony Monge.

Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall