Zeigler and Live Fast announce Nascar Cup Series Partnership|EP47

Show Notes

 Live Fast Motorsport B.J. Mcleod, Matt Tiff, and Nascar Cup Series driver, 
Josh Bilicki join Zeigler Auto Group President and CEO Aaron Zeigler to announce and discuss Zeigler Auto Group's 2023 partnership with Live Fast Motorsports.

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SUMMARY KEYWORDS
nascar, race, aaron, racing, josh, matt, Zeigler, bj, car, talking, driver, people, event, downtown chicago, year, chicago, motorsports, driving, fence

Anytime you have a chance to make something like that you have to go for it when it counts
welcome everyone to the driving vision podcast brought to you by the Zeigler Auto Group and here with me Auto Group Director of Talent Development, Mike Van Ryn. Welcome, Mike. Hey, thanks, Sam. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast like it if you do, and leave a comment.
Everybody welcome to this special edition of the driving vision futures act today podcast with us today several special guests. So obviously as always President CEO Zeigler Auto Group Aaron Zeigler, welcome. Thanks, Sam, NASCAR racecar driver, Josh publickey, who we know and love this past year. Josh, welcome. Thank you, Sam. And then new to the show with live fast motorsports. Matt TIFF, and BJ McLeod. A special announcement today, Aaron, what's going on today? Yeah, so we've got BJ and Matt. They're the CO owners of live fast racing. And Vijay is also a NASCAR driver. And for 2023, the Ziggler Auto Group is going to be one of their primary sponsors for next year. And we're going to be doing a lot of races with Josh driving the car. And also BJ is going to be driving the car for a bunch of races. So we're really looking forward to it. And they've got some really exciting things happening with live fast next year, it's going to be the fastest car that Josh has ever driven. So excited about that. Yeah, we just glad it all come together when it did, because everything's about timing. And we had some good things happen on our side with, you know, being able to switch manufacturers and have some support on the Chevrolet side and get partnered up with ECR engines. And it's just a good position to be in with where everything landed, you know, and it's a wild couple of months that made it all happen. And as soon as I knew that, we were going to be able to upgrade our program for 2023 went straight to Matt and I was like, We gotta call Josh. And we got to try to work on this because I've worked with Josh since 2017. And he drove one of my xfinity cars. And I think we had like one set of tires and maybe $5,000 or $10,000, to work off of and, and he finished 12 That Road America, and my team was only two years old at the time. And I just was so impressed with him there. And more than that, just the way he works off the track to take care of his partners and build his networks. And he just supports his people no matter what. And it's like, I've watched this, I've been a part of it. I've seen it and I have a ton of respect for that. So you know, I wanted I can't, I'm just not a good road racer, and I want my car to succeed. In Josh Blick, he's that guy and, and he's great at ovals too, but he just has so much recourse experience that at this level, you know, I felt like he was the right person. And then when you match him with ZeiglerAuto Group, and great folks that make all that happen, it's just a really good combination for us to start here and build to here, right? So I really thought about it over a five minute span. And I was like, went straight to Matt. Matt's like, No, I'm thinking the same thing. So he's got he's familiar with Josh, you know, Washington and stuff. So it just the two of us, we went after it. And here we are announcing this deal. And in all of us very excited and looking forward to 2023. So BJ, you talk about Josh's strength at road races. And we saw that this past year, in our prior relationship. You know what's interesting before we get into the big road race this year, which is Chicago, we'll talk about that we unveiled the car this past Saturday as part of our annual Ziggler Auto Group urine holiday event and it was electric to be in that room and to see the cover come off the car. What is it about NASCAR BJ and Matt for those who may not go to NASCAR races in our listening audience that is so electric that there's just this excitement surrounding it, whether it's race day or watching it as a fan? What is it that makes NASCAR so great, Vijay, Matt, and then Aaron, the big thing for me is, I wouldn't be in this position today, coning lif motorsports without being a racing fan. And that's the core of it for all of us as being a fan of motorsports and you know being just being the driver of this big being a driver and then us in this in the sport you have to be so passionate about it and so for somebody that we take is never been to a NASCAR race if you take into the track and you feel that I mean the thunder of the moment is if vibration and just grouse through your body. The sounds I mean, you got Bristol yet 110 120 decibels that place there rockets going by a 200 miles an hour to football field every second. That's insane. I mean, that is absolutely phenomenal about what we do with these racecars. And no matter whether you've been to a race you've seen on TV, it's special to go watch how these races are presented. So you know, when you look at partnerships and racing and everything about this, you have to go see a race. I mean, it is absolutely spectacular. The crash and even if it's a clean race and you have a good finish out of it, or if you have the race that comes down after 500 miles to an inch. This happens very often. It's insane. So the passion and the thrill of NASCAR, it is the ultimate spectator sport. It's something you'd have to see at least once in your lifetime. And for the people watching this podcast. I mean you have
The Zeigler number 78 And just Blinky to go for So Aaron, there's a lot of things you could involve yourself in the company. And you made an intentional decision to bring the Zeigler Auto Group brand to NASCAR put it on this car, what brought you there was the electricity part of that, or what was it, it's really helped us to build a national brand. And Josh has been an awesome ambassador for us. He's a great representation of our brand. And he's what our brand is all about. He's wonderful with our customers and with our employees. And he gets us phenomenal exposure, not only on national TV every Sunday, but also on social media. And like Matt said, if you've never been to a race before you got to go. It is electric, like the hair on the back of your neck stands up when you go to a race. And there's just so much energy and you just feel alive when you're at the races. And there's so much excitement. And it's amazing. You're talking to Josh 10 seconds before he gets in a car to go 200 miles an hour. And He's so calm, it's dangerous, but it's also safe in the same respects. And these guys are running 200 miles an hour inches apart from each other. So the amount of skill that it takes to be able to drive the car, these guys are incredible athletes, they've got to stay in phenomenal shape. And they've got to stay focused for a really long time. But we've done all the studies on it. And we've gotten a phenomenal return on investment for what we've done on there to help us to build the brand helping us to sell cars and build partnerships. And you know, one of the exciting things we haven't talked a lot about yet but the second biggest race outside of Daytona next year is going to be in downtown Chicago, Chicago's obviously a huge market for us. And it's going to be a street race. Not only are we going to be their race and on Sunday, but think Josh is going to be racing on Saturday as well. We've got a suite already reserved there. So we're gonna be able to bring a lot of employees down for that weekend, as we're going to do at Michigan next year. And we'll do Road America again, as well as the XFINITY race. So a lot of races in the in the Midwest and our home markets next year that we'll be able to get do a lot of fun stuff with employee events next year, too. So Matt, Aaron talks about Chicago, that's going to be one of the hottest sports tickets in all of sports this next year, isn't it downtown Chicago, talk to us a little bit about that. And what we can expect it's totally different. Because in the past, you think about Chicago and what that meant for NASCAR, it was a mile and a half oval and Juliet. And that's hour and a half depending on traffic outside of Chicago. And so this new idea with NASCAR is let's go see what tracks we can go to. Let's see if we can go build a track. And so we've gotten to the LA Coliseum, we're going to the Chicago streetcars and we have a bit of history going to North Wilkesboro. Now for the last two races, we're not forgetting our past, but going to Chicago for the street racing with this new National Car. We are now looking at models like Formula One going to build the track and bring the track to people. So having this deal for the next few years having the July 4 weekend in downtown Chicago, right by a Navy Pier. I mean, that is an incredible venue. I mean, it's it's insane, right? I mean that is that is a such a big ticket event. You have f1 Miami and Las Vegas, NASCAR in Chicago this weekend. I mean, this is an event that rivals are fits right in that the mesh of all those events. So to have that event on our schedule, it is a marquee event that is going to be a draw of so many people down there. And no matter what you have a big city that has millions of people strong from this, how many people commute and live there. So putting a NASCAR race right down the middle Chicago, it's going to be an incredible event for as Aaron talked about for employees to go down there for guests to go there for VIPs for the fans to go check out they have concerts and everything going down the whole weekend. So it's going to be an event like NASCAR has really never seen before. In fact, social media is already having a lot of fun with the memes of armored NASCAR is driving downtown Chicago, and it cracks me up just how engaged the social media and the general public is seeing it. Josh, what does it mean to you to be driving a live fast car with the Ziggler logo on it and going to this brand new venue downtown Chicago and other places across the Ziggler world? Yeah, so I mean, downtown Chicago is an hour and a half for me. So that's technically my new home race and to do it with Team Ziggler. You know, you guys have become like family to me over the last year last two years and close friends honestly to Matt and BJ kind of in the same boat. You know, I consider BJ good friend, you know, Matt as well, it just gonna be awesome to go there with this whole group, and you know, put in the work and get some good results. So the race itself is going to be so unique. As Matt said, you know, it's the first ever for the NASCAR cup series. And it's going to bring a lot of people that have never seen the sport to the sport. And I think that's going to be really, really cool. So I'm so excited. It's gonna be such a crazy, fun, exciting event. So Josh, our mission statement at the Ziggler Auto Group is our family providing your family the Ultimate Automotive experience. I think part of that electricity and excitement that Erin talks about with NASCAR is delivering on that promise both to our team and our customers. Now, Vijay and Matt, you are new members of that family. Vijay, tell us how did you get into NASCAR? You're a driver and you're like the Gillette commercial. You love driving so much. I'm going to assume you bought the company but uh, what was your path into NASCAR? It is a wild long story that I will definitely tell you guys a lot more in detail when we're together and hang out
them but the shorter version for this is I've been driving since before I remember literally my parents started me when I was two and a half years old wait two and a half, two and a half on a gas powered full welder that I had to shift. It didn't have a clutch, but I had to shift it three times with the foot lever. If you've ever written 70 year if a DCC Fuller, they have a clutch list, transmission that you still have to shift. So I would run green to checkered, they'd set me up on there, I'd hang on, like a couple of pictures, actually, you know, I'm still in a diaper. Like, it's crazy. Like, it's the wildest thing you've ever seen. I actually have the suit right up here in the corner. But it's just been a lifelong passion that has never wavered. I've never thought about doing anything else my entire life. And because of that, it just turned at a certain point where I needed to figure out how to make a living racing. And I was very successful as a driver and an owner at the short track levels and won over 100 races, 22 championships and, you know, go karts, I won over 300 races. So it's, it's close to a little over 400 wins. And I just I needed to figure out how to make a living. And to do that I had to, I had to work my way to being an owner and NASCAR because that's the only sure way that you can figure out how to market correctly and get ROIs for your partners and make things to where you can make it a long term, you know, business that can you know, sustain itself. So you know, it's a long story in between the start of the driver development company. That's how I met Matt, Jessica and I started it in 2010. Matt was our first driver Scott Hecker was our second driver. And you know, until Matt's illness, he still drove for us every now and then. And in Scottsdale dress for us now. So it's been a long, fun journey and made a lot of new family members out of it. And a lot of friends and just you know, it's been a passionate it's never wavered. And that's exactly how I did it. Like, I would have nothing without the people that have been fortunate enough to meet along the way. I'm the smallest piece of all of it. But what's funny is the two on the right of this screen on my computer is already a big part of that story. And now you guys are to write like, we're going to take this and we're going to build it for the future. And it's going to further my career as an owner. And it's going to make my race team more successful. And that's why I'm so excited to get it going. So BJ, that's kind of interesting that Matt was one of your if not the first driver, we always talk at the Ziggler auto group that you meet the best version of yourself on the other side of adversity that we need to embrace it and become comfortable with the uncomfortable. Matt, you've known a little bit of that you've had accolades through Forbes 30, under 30. But you also had some major adversity as a driver. Tell us a little bit about that what you're comfortable with and how you overcame that to become an owner with live fast. I definitely appreciate the question because it's something that I'm very passionate about. It's not an easy road, but it's been something that I honestly would not change at all, because it's been so great for breeding opportunities for me. And my story is Vijay alluded to a sort of racing go karts. And after a few years, I began racing with Vijay and some reason was that 13 Is that right? You 1010 You were 30 you were just just the 1414 Time flies. Yeah, yeah. 13 gun, unfortunately, we have it. We have a picture of the shop here actually of all of us when I was a little kid. So anyways, I raised late models and the guidance and the NASCAR ranks and drove in the NASCAR truck series in the XFINITY series. And I was in the XFINITY series in 2016. I was racing over at Joe Gibbs racing. And I got a bunch of symptoms of just crazy stuff like lice be heard in my head like crazy, all kinds of just weird things. I'm kind of here in my head and pain and just all these bizarre symptoms, and I was watching Grey's Anatomy of all things. No.
A TV diagnosis isn't that it really wasn't related to what's going on here. And and the same person had all these things going on. And they had a brain tumor. I'm like, Oh, crap. Yeah. And I went to Cancun for vacation. And I'm in this bar, and I'm thinking, Okay, this is what we're to fill off and I got really claustrophobic. I never had anxiety, anything like that before. And this my first instance of it, and I was like, Okay, this is really, really weird. And so, long story short, I had a biopsy was diagnosed with a brain tumor, had it cut out my head, and was told I never raced again. And I eventually that year, three or four months later returned to racing after my brain tumor, that's all so it was incredible. A lot of crazy months in there, not knowing what's going to do and then got back to racing had a run up to the cup series. And then my my rookie year in the cup series, made it through October, I was talking to BJ I had Martinsville and we were walking down to go inside the track and I was talking to him, we're going to go to like a a woods a terrier. Here we go. It's like a Halloween deal, you know, and went into the trailer and was talking to my guys about to go for practice, and I suffered my first seizure. So after that I was had a few more was diagnosed with epilepsy. And I thought I was again done with racism had the COVID year where he was put on hold Asian I got together he was looking for charters and try to get into the team business. I was out of driving at that point and we
You ended up joining and forming together love fest Motorsports and now I'm in the best possible position like Cindy and I absolutely love it isn't a great how if you walk your way through adversity, you can end up doing what you love despite challenges BJ right. Yeah, this crazy this story because we're sitting here now, you know, owning a Cup team together after two successful years. And it's the first time it was talked about was leaving a movie theater in Dover after a practice day or something, because we were going to invest in some real estate together some commercial like triple net stuff. And we, you know, we've been talking about that. And I remember we were walking out, I still remember where we were at in a theater and everything. And I looked at him and I was like, you know, we should buy a charter. Just, we've been talking about Marvel or something. Is that right? Yeah. So it's just funny that this business is off of that comment, right? Like, and all of this stuff that's coming together, it started right there. And that's, you know, when he got a lot more serious when he brought you into it with, you know, the COVID year, we left Atlanta, and we didn't, you know, we didn't none of us know, when we were going racing again, a lot of us didn't know what was gonna happen with the world. And there was, you know, it was just really crazy time, and we use that time to go find a charter. So it's just thankful. And that COVID Here's another example of overcoming adversity. So if we come back to NASCAR this past year, there were some moments in NASCAR that were thrilling that engage the public in a way that maybe it's never been engaged before. Aaron, what was your favorite moment this last year as you think about races and things we saw on TV had to be probably Ross just say the push right?
You know, going around the wallet 40 miles an hour faster than everybody else? It looked like something off a video game do to get into the final round of the playoffs was pretty crazy. What do you make of that Vijay? And Matt a what do you make of the event? And then be BJ would you do it that? Would you do it? Would you have done a Ross Chasteen which will ever be called that? So for somebody that was in the race, right, like I caught on fire, you know, halfway through and quit, but I was there all day, you know, downshift into third race shifted to fifth and held it wide open. Right? Like, it is absolutely insane that he had the guts to go through with it. Right. Like, I think at this level, we're all capable of it from a fear standpoint, like none of us. When you crank that car up, you don't think about it right? If you do, you should quit. So I don't think it's a well, he wasn't scared somebody else is or whatever. I don't think it's that I respect that he wanted it so bad that he was willing to drive that car up into the fence because a Gen six car I can guarantee you would have jumped the wall and went into the fence like there's no doubt in my mind, right front up Ray frame would have broke, he would have climbed the wall and either rolled over or even went into the fence and started you know, tumbling in that right. So for him to trust the next gen car to stay together and the suspension did not fail as it's consistently beating against the fence all the way around. That is what I respect because he knew he was there. His job was to get that car in the last round of the playoffs. And he did it. And that's something as a driver that I have a ton of respect for. If you look at one of the pictures when he's just before the pick gate, that's another thing like all the racecar drivers know about Michael Waltrip crash at Bristol, and like it was the early 90s, late 80s. And then also, my Commons crashed in early 2000s. at Bristol, where the pig gate failed or the gate coming across the track failed. And the cars actually stuck in the wall and it sheared them apart and some catastrophic crashes, right? Well, Martin still has that same kind of gate. He took that risk. And if you look, there's one picture that shows the front of the car over 11 inches off the ground right before the pig gate and it's a miracle all that held up it really is. So you know, I just have a ton of respect for the fact that he wanted to succeed for his team so bad that he took the chance. And then he actually had the skill to get it right against the fence and do it the right way. And, and he feathered the throttle, too. He said he stayed wide open but Washington telemetry in Washington slow motion. There's a small point right before the exit of four, where it looks like there's a throttle blip and I believe that's what kept the car from keeping the climate in the fence. Right? So, I mean, he just he did drive it and it was unreal move. It's what we need. Just you know, some drivers are upset about it somewhere. You know, like happy about it like
you got no choice. You got to respect it. You got to respect it as an owner BJ, what do you think of it as an owner the risk with your car? You good with that? Absolutely. Josh, did you hear that? Yeah, absolutely any.
Anytime you have a chance to make something like that, you have to go for it when it counts, right? Because that story will be talked about in 50 years at least. And it's something that got a lot of new eyes on our sport that had never really paid attention to our sport before and truly I don't even recall who won the race. That's the craziness of it. Right like it's so that move like Aaron said like that was the highlight of the year from a team perspective. And you're so right because I mean, I think
And Christopher bell had to walk off when to go make the playoffs middling remember? So it's interesting Aaron and I were texting as it was happening. And Aaron always talks about he has a you have racing experience in college, you race jet skis? Yeah. All right, nationally, right in the nation, and you have a philosophy about just crushing it right off the line share with us that philosophy because it mirrors that strategy of just going for it there in the end, except you're talking about the beginning. Yeah, it's the same philosophy that BJ has, when you get to the start line, you just gotta go for it. You can't have any fear in the Jetski. World, whoever got to the first buoy first one about 50% of the time. So you said to put the hammer down and know that you were gonna get there first. And you know, you were laser focused on that, and not going to worry about what could go wrong. You had to worry about what could go right. And you had to be aggressive and what the other guys back off. Well, that happened again, BJ and Matt, do you think well, this will this will turn for become the slide now. I don't know that. It'll be martinsville. Exactly, but a lot of people are not paying attention to the fact that Larson did it at Darlington, it just didn't work. Right, like with this next gen car. And it didn't work because it was a Gen six car, right. But it's like, I think with next gen car, that there is potential for that to happen more often. It won't happen a lot, because there's not a lot of scenarios where it's going to work. But I do believe I wouldn't be against saying that you'll see it once a year minimum. That's my honest opinion. Because the car is so tough, like IndyCar will take the beating. And it will work for one corner. So I think you can see that happen in the future respect to the move, it reflects a mindset of winning, it reflects a split second decision to to go for it. And then to your point skill and executing on it. Aaron always talks about you know, it's one thing to call your shot and you don't get it. You know, that's ego and bluffing, calling your shot and getting it that's integrity, you have a better way of saying how do you say that?
You call your shot and you don't get it? That's arrogance. But if you call your shot and you get it, that's confidence. That's exactly right. So Matt, and BJ, any closing comments to our listening audience, we're thrilled to have you part of the Ziggler Auto Group family we're excited to be able to deliver on this experience to all your employees, but our customers and our fan base all across the country, as people see the electricity associated with NASCAR BJ to everybody that is dealer, other group that I haven't met yet. And to you guys that I know. And, Aaron, just the conversations we've had. Just so thankful to have the opportunity. And Josh being a part of this is very special to me, because like I said, I've watched him work to get where he's at. And I relate to that, because we've both done it a somewhat hard way just like everybody else in the sport. And I know the potential that we have together, and I'm ready to get to work. I got interviewed and fans on at Phoenix on Sunday, the last race and they said, so what are you going to do next week for your first week off, and I said, I'm gonna work harder than I did this week. That's where I'm at right now. Because we're everything's at the time. And we have an awesome opportunity to take advantage of some new equipment and some fresh faces. And you know, the ECR group and different things to really catapult our average running speed and really make our team get it to another level. It's just as simple. So you know, it wouldn't happen without everyone at Ziegler Auto Group. And that's every single person that helps make that what it is, I just want to say thank you, and let you guys know that we're very appreciative of what you guys do every day. And we're here to help build your brand. And we're looking forward to going racing and having some fun along the way. So Aaron, once again, thank you for the opportunity. Very nice to meet you guys. And just looking forward to it. You're welcome. Look forward to partnering with you guys. So Aaron, you know, the biggest thing from here is you've made this winning culture at Ziggler. You have built this incredible business and talking to Sam yesterday talking to Josh talking to Matt, everybody in your team, the culture is winning, and what does winning mean? It's constantly trying to get better. You look at Ziggler. And in the path of growth you guys have had sent down the meats you from your employees, from your people to the things you do for them. That is the biggest thing that we see from a race team is we're always trying to get better. And so are you guys. And so we have a synergy together. And I think that as we increase brand awareness for you guys, and we work together from the competition side to give Josh an incredible chance to go have some amazing runs. And to give you guys a great time at the track, you know, we have these opportunities lined up together too. And so that winning culture together and we love what you guys are pursuing in your own company and what we're trying to do with muda Chevy and our company and bring that Josh here, Sam Aaron, we're so happy to work with you guys. We're gonna have a lot of fun treatment. We're excited for we're looking forward to a Josh excited to have the partnership Aaron Ziggler the closing party comments now looking forward to a great 2023 Thanks, guys. Thanks, everybody.
A special thanks to BJ and Matt with live fast motorsports NASCAR racecar driver, Josh Blakey and our own Aaron Ziggler for contributing to this week's episode until next week, how are you driving vision today