Kicking off his 2024 on what seemed to be on the right foot was Live Motorsports co-owner, BJ McLeod, finishing P14 in the second duel up until Spire Motorsports’ Kaz Grala took the final spot, edging out the 40-year-old veteran for a final spot in Sunday’s Daytona 500. Following a dismal 2023 performance, finishing where he started (37th) at Bristol, McLeod was optimistic about doing his best, but instead, he fell short of his goal, of driving the open-wheeled racecar.

But truth be told, even after the unfortunate Daytona fallout, the veteran isn’t down in the dumps as we think he would be. Looking at things from the bright side, he is grateful for the opportunity to run the #78 Chevy and opened up about the fruits of the massive Spire Motorsports charter deal that got him a steal—money to burn and a racecar to race—quenching his thirst.

“Nothing has changed…” BJ McLeod explains the positive aspects of the deal

2023 was not a good year for NASCAR veteran BJ McLeod. Despite the high hopes and his positive mindset, McLeod’s Food City Park venture at the half-mile short track in Bristol was cold and awful. Starting the race 37th, he could do nothing except finish the race at the same spot; the driver, in fact, couldn’t even lead a lap, finishing well behind the winner, 183 laps back.

Despite driving 117 laps last season, he failed to lead one. However, that isn’t stopping him from putting in the effort. He started off his 2024 endeavor, hoping to best his previous attempts, but again fell short as Kaz Grala, who came in 12th in the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 edged out the #78 driver for the final spot in Sunday’s 200-lap speedway marathon at Daytona.

Nonetheless, the Live Fast Motorsports co-owner benefiting from the silly season deal with Spire Motorsports is grateful for the opportunity. Speaking on NASCAR’s official radio network, Sirius XM NASCAR, BJ McLeod mentioned, “Nothing has changed on mine and Jessica’s side; we’ve always been after, you know, looking at investments; we did come from no net worth, right? So, you know, I think our first flip house together was in 2004, 2005, so, you know, its like we’ve always been in business and trying to go forward, so, anything you know, there’s no set price for what we sold for, but obviously the values are high, and we did do well.” 

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Then the driver/owner revealed the other side, demonstrating how he is living the life, enjoying the fruits of the silly season deal, and selling his Cup Series charter to Spire Motorsports. He said, “It doesn’t change anything for us; we’re just trying to do better with what we have, and part of that is I get to come drive around racecar and enjoy it and what if I tear one, I can buy another one.” 

McLeod feels he is not at a “loss,” despite the Daytona disappointment

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The massive silly season money maneuvers had profound effects on teams and drivers. As it turns out, Live Fast Motorsports and BJ McLeod are reaping the benefits of their Cup Series charter sale to Spire Motorsports. Having said that, it doesn’t mean all is well; the team now lacks manufacturer support like the other big names in the league.

Adding to their misery, the team has also had a tough time finding sponsors for its outing. Reflecting on his Daytona disappointment, unable to qualify for the “Great American Race,” BJ McLeod further said, “Yeah, we missed this race, but we learned so much moving towards the future for the Cup team, being an open team and trying to come out of our little bitty shop with no help whatsoever. My guy’s literally set this car up with just them. I mean, there’s no manufacturer help; there’s nothing; we’re here on our own, and to come that close, it felt good.”

“Honestly, I don’t feel at a loss. I feel happy like we got here and we raced hard and just had a fun night. That’s what I’ve struggled for,” said the 40-year-old, expressing his heartfelt gratitude to get the opportunity to run a 60-lap feature with some of the best racers on the planet.

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