BJ McLeod Was Once Labeled the Next Jeff Gordon

Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits down with one of the hardest-working members of the NASCAR garage this week, longtime racer and car owner BJ McLeod. After finding his roots in the Florida super late model scene, BJ took lessons he learned early on in his family’s fertilizer and orange harvesting company to successfully assemble a fleet of NASCAR entries. BJ’s racing start came through years of go-kart barnstorming up and down the East Coast with his father, before acquiring special permission to enter the late model ranks at the tender age of 12. Through mentoring from legends Pete Orr and Gary Balough, BJ became a terror at Florida strongholds like New Smyrna and Orlando Speedworld. He’d win the coveted World Series of Asphalt in 2010, and it was time for the next challenge.

That next challenge came in the form of the world of NASCAR. BJ put together rides in the Trucks Series before taking on the O’Reilly Series with his own team. When the opportunity to purchase a charter and go Cup racing came about, BJ partnered with fellow racer and businessman Matt Tifft to roll the dice. He would make the financial decision to sell the charter to Spire Motorsports, but still aspired to embark on a Cup racing career, which he independently financed from his other businesses like the Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster. Today, BJ remains one of the hardest-working owners and drivers in racing, akin to 1992 NASCAR Champion Alan Kulwicki. His conversation with Dale covers his humble beginnings, championship years in late models, and fulfilling his unique dream of being a driver/owner in NASCAR.

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