Live Fast Motorsports
 | |
| Owner(s) | B. J. McLeod Joe Falk |
|---|---|
| Principal(s) | Jessica McLeod (CEO)[1] |
| Base | Mooresville, North Carolina[2] |
| Series | NASCAR Cup Series |
| Race drivers | 78. B. J. McLeod (part-time) |
| Sponsors | 78. Power Slap, Delgado Stone |
| Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
| Opened | 2020 |
| Career | |
| Debut | 2021 Daytona 500 (Daytona) |
| Latest race | 2024 YellaWood 500 (Talladega) |
| Races competed | 113 |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
Live Fast Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. It is owned by B. J. McLeod and Joe Falk. The team currently fields the No. 78 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for driver/owner McLeod, in a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing.[3]
History
[edit]Car No. 78 history
[edit]B. J. McLeod and ringers (2021–present)
[edit]
On May 13, 2020, B. J. McLeod announced that his team, B. J. McLeod Motorsports, would be running part-time in the Cup Series with him as the driver.[4] On October 23, 2020, it was announced that McLeod and Matt Tifft had teamed up with Joe Falk to acquire the charter from Go Fas Racing. Tifft was a former Cup Series driver who had to put his racing career on hold due to health issues in 2019.[5] On November 20, 2020, the team announced its name, Live Fast Motorsports, and would continue to use the number 78. Although McLeod's primary manufacturer was Chevrolet in 2020, they were running Fords in the Cup Series.[6]
The No. 78 started the 2021 season with McLeod finishing 23rd at the 2021 Daytona 500. He scored the team's first top-10 with a ninth place finish at the Daytona night race. Scott Heckert drove the No. 78 at the Daytona road course (28th), Sonoma (26th), and the Charlotte Roval (31st). Dirt racer Shane Golobic drove the car to a 37th finish at the Bristol dirt race. British racer Kyle Tilley drove the No. 78 at COTA (31st), Road America (35th), and Watkins Glen (30th). Andy Lally finished 39th at the Indianapolis road course after Tilley was sidelined with a shoulder injury prior to the race. The No. 78 finished the season 32nd in points.
McLeod started the 2022 season with a 27th place finish at the 2022 Daytona 500. Lally finished 39th at COTA while Josh Williams finished 25th at the Bristol dirt race. Crew chief Lee Leslie was suspended for four races after McLeod lost a wheel during the Talladega race. Team engineer Christopher Stanley was announced as McLeod's crew chief for Dover.[7] McLeod finished a career best seventh at the rain-delayed Daytona summer race.[8] The No. 78 finished the season 36th in points.
On December 1, 2022, the team announced that it would be switching from Ford to Chevrolet for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.[9] McLeod started the season with a 30th place finish at the 2023 Daytona 500. Josh Bilicki drove the car to a 26th place finish at COTA.[10] Anthony Alfredo drove the car at Richmond and Martinsville[11] Sheldon Creed drove the No. 78 at Kansas to a 29th place finish. The team finished 36th in the final points standings for a second year in a row.
On September 16, 2023, Live Fast Motorsports sold its charter to Spire Motorsports for US$40 million. LFM will continue to operate as a part-time open team in 2024.[12] It was announced in November that Tifft would step away from the team to pursue other opportunities.[13]
McLeod attempted to run the 2024 Daytona 500, but failed to make the race after finishing 14th in Duel 2 of the 2024 Bluegreen Vacations Duels.[14]
Car No. 78 results
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Jessica McLeod named CEO of Live Fast Motorsport". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ "Live Fast Motorsports becomes 3rd new NASCAR team for 2021". WTOP-FM. Associated Press. November 20, 2020. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "Live Fast Motorsports switching to Chevrolet for 2023". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "B.J. McLeod Motorsports planning at least 15 Cup races". Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site. May 13, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ Long, Dustin (October 23, 2020). "Matt Tifft, B.J. McLeod to have charter with new team". NBC Sports. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ "Matt Tifft, BJ McLeod team named Live Fast Motorsports, will run #78 Ford". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ "NASCAR penalizes No. 78 Live Fast team for losing wheel at Talladega". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
- ^ "2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- ^ "Live Fast Motorsports switching to Chevrolet for 2023". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Josh Bilicki to drive partial schedule for Live Fast Motorsports". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ "Antony Alfredo running second race for Live Fast at Martinsville". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ "Spire Motorsports purchasing Live Fast Motorsports' charter for roughly $40 million UPDATE". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
- ^ Christie, Toby (November 15, 2023). "Matt Tifft Exits Ownership Group of Live Fast Motorsports". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ "Toyota drivers Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell win Duels, as Jimmie Johnson races into DAYTONA 500". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- B. J. McLeod owner statistics at Racing-Reference