It’s sad news from BJ McLeod Motorsports. The team that has been a part of the Xfinity Series since 2016 recently announced that it’s pulling the curtain on its full-time operations. While this Xfinity season isn’t shaping up to be a championship-contending year for the team, it has still displayed some noteworthy performances throughout the years and even in the 2024 season. However, it seems that it is not enough to survive in the cut-throat world of NASCAR. The team recently announced its decision to scale back on operations to be a part-time Xfinity team for the remainder of the season.

BJ McLeod remains hopeful for a turnaround in the 2025 season

The 2023 season was quite eventful for BJ McLeod and his eponymous team. In the Cup Series front, it sold the charter of Live Fast Motorsports, which McLeod co-owned with Matt Tift, to Spire Motorsports, thus pulling the curtains over its Cup Series operations which had found wings back in 2020. As for NASCAR’s second tier, its only full-time driver Anthony Alfredo finished 20th in the points standings and even announced his departure.

Now, coming to the 2024 season and the team’s first four races of the series, the #78 Chevrolet car, which was piloted by the owner-driver, notched two top-15 and one top-20 finishes. While the result was satisfactory according to BJ McLeod, his team announced that it was further downsizing its operations in the 2024 season. The team in an official post on X stated, “We would like to officially announce that we are moving to a part-time schedule for the remainder of 2024. We look forward to enhancing our performance and feel that a part-time schedule will allow us the extra time needed to compete at a higher level.”

Speaking on the sudden change of schedule, the owner BJ McLeod also revealed, “Although we’ve had a great start to the 2024 season, earning two top-15s and one top-20 in the first four races, we’re committed to building a top-15 contending team week-in and week-out. Right now, we feel a part-time schedule will allow us the extra time we need to build up our infrastructure to be able to compete at that level for our remaining races in 2024 and beyond. We are optimistic about these changes and look forward to returning to full-time competition in the Xfinity Series for the 2025 season.”

This decision comes after the hopes of focusing on the research and development of the team and also as a part of the strategic evaluation and planning processes an initiative undertaken by the leadership team of the organisation. Perhaps this could work wonders as the team who can pool all their resources at one place, as there have been times when they’ve also had to participate sponsorless. 

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BJ McLeod sponsor-less team suffers heartbreak at Daytona 500

While the veteran driver does not make a full-time appearance in the Cup Series, BJ McLeod made an open entry in the Duels ahead of the Daytona 500. However, as his poor fate could have it, the driver marked the slowest qualifying. Although the driver displayed a strong run and ran as high as the third position, it was not long before he fell back after sustaining certain damages in the car.

As a result, the driver had to yield his position to Kaz Grala for the main event. Speaking to Frontstrtetch about his disappointing run, the diver expressed, “I feel like, ‘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 literally set this car up with just them. There’s no manufacturer help, there’s no nothing. We’re here on our own, and to come that close, for real, it felt good.”

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That being said, it will be interesting to see whether the team makes an appearance in the first road course race of the season at the Circuit of The Americas and notch a positive result.