Cup Series Star Drops Shocking “Happy” Verdict Despite Daytona 500 Heartbreak

BJ McLeod’s Cup Series run seemed to end in 2023. When McLeod announced the sale of his team Live Fast Motorsports’ charter sport to Spire Motorsports, not many people expected the 40-year-old to return to Cup racing. However, the Bluegreen Vacations Duel Race 2 almost witnessed McLeod’s comeback to the Daytona 500. Competing with Kaz Grala for the final non-chartered spot, the 40-year-old revealed that the narrow loss doesn’t fill him with frustration but happiness.

BJ McLeod had announced his participation in the Daytona 500 qualifying events earlier in February. Since then, he has put all of his energy into pushing the No.78 car into the Daytona 500 main event. In a star-studded open entry list that saw the return of seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and former RFK Racing driver David Ragan, McLeod could have stolen the headlines. But racing can be a cruel sport. And in a twist of fate, the Xfinity team owner bowed out in the last lap of the race.

BJ McLeod is focused on the positives from his outing in Daytona

Having exited the Cup Series charter system, Live Fast Motorsports has been unable to gather help from manufacturers. Adding to their misery, the team has also had a hard time finding sponsors for its one-off outings in the top flight. When McLeod announced that he’d take the No.78 car to the World Center of Racing, his team and he were ready to show extraordinary commitment to the cause.

Elaborating his emotions after a painful elimination from the Daytona 500 chase, BJ McLeod claimed, “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.” 

Some might opine that having sold LFM’s charter for $40 million to Spire Motorsports, BJ McLeod isn’t short on funding. While that could be true, it is also worth noting that proceeds from the sale have gone to the ownership group and the development of the team’s Xfinity Series operation as well. Addressing the same, McLeod further continued to appreciate the limited opportunities in NASCAR’s premier competition.

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McLeod is grateful for being able to give his best

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At one point in the Duel, BJ McLeod was running third. While he enjoyed a strong run in the top 10, he was relegated to the back of the pack. Surprisingly, Kaz Grala had been at the back for a major part of the race. The situation changed drastically when the big crash on lap 46 triggered a caution flag. Following the restart, Grala used the draft to gain speed and edged the No.78 driver by inches.

Having been able to race to the best of his abilities, BJ McLeod has no qualms about the result. Expressing his gratitude, he said, “I’m so thankful for the opportunities I’ve had in Cup but very few of them I have been able to drive at 100% to my ability.”

“This one, I drove everything I had, wasn’t enough but I did it and that’s what feels good. So just looking forward to everybody knowing the #78 is here now and we are racing. I know that people around me and there were some drivers out there that helped me are proud of us too so looking forward to what we can do in the future at these races.”

The Great American Race has been a long-serving platform for underdog stories like BJ McLeod’s. While his dream run didn’t materialize this year, the Live Fast owner will have more chances to showcase his talent in the future.

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