Making it to the pinnacle of stock car racing is one thing, and winning a NASCAR Cup Series race is a different ballgame altogether. This is something B.J. McLeod can relate to. Despite making 141 Cup starts, he hasn’t been to victory lane. Moreover, 2023 was his last full-season commitment, as he now only competes on a part-time schedule.

At 40, he has certainly passed his prime years of competitive racing and could be hanging up his boots anytime soon. At least this is what it would seem like after years of conquest, right? But, it seems like McLeod is far from done when it comes to competitive racing, after all, he has some unfinished business to take care of.

B.J. McLeod is looking to follow in the footsteps of former NASCAR greats

Although the 40s have now turned out to be the retirement age in the modern era of NASCAR racing, this was different back in the day. Mark Martin kept going strong after hitting the half-century mark and finally decided to take a back seat at age 54. While Martin’s last year was a part-time feature, Harry Gant decided to complete the full ride in his penultimate season back in 1994.

As hard as it might look to live up to these standards, B.J. McLeod is ready to take on this challenge. As far as his retirement is concerned, this is what he had to say to Bob Pockrass after a P33 finish at the 2023 championship race in Phoenix. “Bob Pockrass saw me going to the drivers meeting at Phoenix and this is the end of the last year, and he’s like, ‘So, you done now?’ And I was like, ‘No, I’m just getting started.’” McLeod said this on the Stacking Pennies podcast, which aired on August 6, 2024.

It’s not just about the performance on the racetrack that matters, but also the financial ramifications of running a team. The 40-year-old once owned a Cup Series charter with his team, Live Fast Motorsports, but had to sell it to Spire Motorsports for $40 million. This wasn’t an emotional call but rather a logical one that would allow him to continue his NASCAR dream while keeping his family stable.

“I’m not anywhere near where I want to be, but the whole time we’ve made sure that we’ve made ourselves financially stable enough to where our life is settled, and this is a just a goal, right? At the same time, we’re still working towards making me a win in NASCAR driver at least once before I stop,” he went on to add.

But where exactly is McLeod going to fancy his chances for a win? His choice of races becomes more important now that he only competes part-time. So he must have a plan or idea of where he could look to script that historic win for himself.

Superspeedway races will be the focus going forward

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Winning in the Next-Gen race car has proven to be a tough nut to crack. Even the likes of Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr have not been able to replicate their previous runs. However, drafting racetracks like the Daytona and Talladega are highly unpredictable, and at times it all comes down to strategy and track position to clinch the win. Essentially, these races serve as a hotbed for big upsets and surprising results, and this is something McLeod is looking to leverage to get his maiden Cup win.

“I still dream of winning Atlanta, Talladega, or Daytona. Like it’s hands down, not scared to tell nobody. I’m 40 years old, and I’m definitely still after it … I’m not saying that I don’t run once a month or something, pick a mile and a half or a short track, but realistically, for us to have a chance to win, it’s going to be one of the drafting tracks, right? Definitely still trying to make that happen.”

B.J. McLeod has competed in four NASCAR Cup Series races this season. However, he was unable to qualify for the season opener, the Daytona 500. His last race was the Brickyard 400, where he piloted the No. 66 MBM Ford Mustang.