In 2023, Live Fast Motorsports stunned the NASCAR world with a surprising call. Co-owner B. J. McLeod sold the team’s Cup Series charter to Spire Motorsports for nearly $40 million. At the time, many saw the deal as an admission of defeat for one of NASCAR’s smallest operations. It was a way to step back from the relentless costs of running full-time. McLeod himself admitted later that he expected the move to allow him to “have fun driving and help some drivers along the way” rather than compete at the front. What followed in 2025, however, defied every expectation surrounding the team’s trajectory, including McLeod himself.

Over the years, Live Fast had managed only two standout results. A ninth-place finish at Daytona in 2021 and a seventh at the same track in 2022. Both these came in the unpredictable pack-racing environment of superspeedways. With the loss of its charter, observers predicted an even steeper climb. It would be difficult for the No. 78 Chevrolet to stay competitive against well-funded, multi-car teams. Yet the first half of the 2025 season rewrote that script. These results have forced even McLeod to reconsider what is possible for his operation.

Live Fast basking in newfound NASCAR fortunes

Reflecting on the season, McLeod admitted the results surpassed every expectation. “This has definitely been the most successful year for Live Fast since it opened in 2020,” he said. He noted that the team’s finishes compared to their limited starts were “not even close” to what they had managed in the past. Even without a charter, the team earned multiple top-20 results in six races, coming in at Chicago and Brickyard. This marked their strongest run in its history. McLeod credited much of that turnaround to Katherine Legge, whose presence in the car has helped deliver results the team never reached before.

The other key factor was Live Fast’s strengthened technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing and Chevrolet. As an “open” team without a charter, Live Fast would normally struggle for resources, but RCR’s support provided improved cars and engineering help. McLeod further reflected, “Some of the finishes we’ve earned, and Katherine is a big part of that. It’s been really cool to see the development of Live Fast even without a charter.” For a team that once battled simply to qualify for races, these performances offer legitimacy and new hope. Top-20s coming in quick succession have reinforced Live Fast’s new identity as a capable competitor, not just a backmarker team filling the field.

Their performance has certainly gone beyond expectations for McLeod, as he concluded, “I wasn’t expecting to have the best year for Live Fast after selling the charter. That was never in my mind. I was planning on having fun driving and helping some drivers along the way, like Katherine…it’s been a blast.” Katherine Legge, after her P17 finish at Brickyard, which was also her best, said, “It felt like a win for us in our small little team.” Given the scale of her team, her accomplishment was very significant, according to her.  

Looking ahead, McLeod faces a unique crossroad. Live Fast will not return to full-time competition soon. But the team has shown that even as an open entry, it can contend for relevance in NASCAR’s toughest fields. Off the track, McLeod has invested in ventures like the Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster, which doubled as a race sponsor earlier this year, signaling a diversified future. The question now is whether Live Fast can sustain these gains, build on its RCR relationship, and give Legge more opportunities to prove herself.

McLeod talks about helping Legge through NASCAR learning curve

For years, Katherine Legge excelled in open-wheel and sports-car racing. This earned her respect on tracks like the Indianapolis 500. Now, as she transitions to NASCAR, she enters a challenging new arena. Her rookie Cup efforts began in early 2025 with Live Fast Motorsports, but the steepness of the learning curve surprised even seasoned observers. Her team knew that adapting to stock cars and this level of competition would demand more than just raw driving talent. And they prepared to deliver.

BJ McLeod, her team co-owner and mentor, brought over 160 Cup starts to bear as he guided Legge. He didn’t adopt a traditional coaching style. Instead, he treated her transition like one he’d hope to receive, diving into IndyCar. That personalized, ground-level approach has set the stage for what came next. Looking at her recent success, it is clear that mentorship truly made a difference in her early Cup achievements.

Once Legge stepped behind the wheel, McLeod’s real insights came through in the smallest details. He explained, “I just try to help her by putting myself in a position… I tell her everything, from point A to getting out of the garage, which way to drive to get on track.” This wasn’t simply about shifting gears or finding the right line. It was about acclimating to NASCAR’s entire ecosystem. McLeod continued, “I try to tell her what I’ve done wrong and what I would want to hear if I was switching to her profession.” That honesty helped Legge understand the intricacies of Cup cars.

For McLeod, mentoring Legge has been as much about sharing lessons as it has been about celebrating her perseverance. For Legge, the Chicago breakthrough proved she can adapt and compete in stock cars. Together, their partnership gives Live Fast a unique identity in the Cup Series. It is a team where growth, grit, and guidance matter just as much as results.