The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is gearing up for its hometown race at Charlotte Motor Speedway this Friday (May 23).
While Corey Heim is expected to be the favorite yet again (who’s surprised at this point?), there’s one driver who has everybody talking.
Fan favorite BJ McLeod will join the field for his first Truck Series start since 2021, and he does so in what is by far the best equipment of his 16-year NASCAR career.
In a surprising announcement, Spire Motorsports signed McLeod to drive its No. 07 truck at Charlotte, with sponsorship from Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster. McLeod is the owner of Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster, which is set to open sometime in 2025.
The attraction, located in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., has been featured on McLeod’s Cup Series car this season.
He will have three teammates he probably never imagined he’d have: Andres Perez, the 2024 ARCA Menards Series champion; Rajah Caruth, a proven Truck Series winner; and Kyle Busch, a three-time champion (two Cup, one Xfinity) with over 200 race wins across all three of NASCAR’s national Series.
McLeod has spent most of his career, especially recently, as a team owner. He owned BJ McLeod Motorsports in the Xfinity Series up until early 2024, when McLeod ran four races of the 2024 season before focusing on his Cup team, Live Fast Motorsports. McLeod co-owned LFM with Matt Tifft until the team sold its charter at the end of 2023. At that point, Tifft exited ownership in favor of focusing on returning to the racetrack.
McLeod and Joe Falk (former owner of Circle Sport Racing) now run part-time in the Cup Series, competing mostly on the superspeedways in an unsponsored, jet black No. 78 Chevrolet. Though if sponsorship comes along, McLeod has been open to running the car more — such is the case with Katherine Legge, who will run a total of six races with LFM thanks to sponsorship. McLeod will continue to run his normal six superspeedway races.
The sale of LFM’s charter is important to the story, because McLeod and Tifft made $40 million off of the sale of its charter. Who bought the charter from the team?
Spire Motorsports.
The same team giving McLeod undoubtedly his best shot to win a race in NASCAR.
McLeod and Spire have worked together before — he made two starts for the team back in 2020. But Spire was nowhere near the competitive team in 2020 that it is now. That third charter, plus the purchase of Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series, elevated the team to a weekly contender in the Truck Series and knocking on the door of wins in the Cup Series (aside from Justin Haley’s massive upset at Daytona International Speedway in 2019).
McLeod has become a fan favorite because of his laid-back demeanor and his commitment to being an owner-driver. The phrase “Get Loud for McLeod” has become popular on social media whenever McLeod makes news.
Fans will certainly be loud for McLeod on Friday night. But the big question is: What can McLeod do with the opportunity?
It’s easy to say he ought to be able to go out and win, but it’s not as simple as that. Yes, McLeod has race-winning equipment, but given this is the first time we’ve seen him in competitive equipment, we don’t exactly know how well he’ll be able to wheel it.
Lest we forget the tale of Corey LaJoie, who filled in for Chase Elliott in the Cup Series in 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Elliott was suspended for the race and LaJoie got the opportunity to drive Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 9 in a one-off. LaJoie finished a dismal 21st, not really making many moves throughout the day. The replacement in his own ride, Carson Hocevar, worked his way up from the back into the top 15 before a brake failure ended his day.
Sometimes, drivers get their shot in good equipment and don’t do anything in it. And rarely do they get second chances.
That being said, McLeod will certainly take care of his equipment — being an owner-driver himself with a limited budget, McLeod knows that tearing up equipment is the last thing he wants for himself or his team.
Spire’s No. 07 is currently sixth in the owners’ standings, with a win courtesy of Kyle Larson at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But in 10 races this season, it only has three top fives and four top 10s — not exactly mind-blowing stats for the team. However, the No. 07 is leading the Spire fleet in the point standings — the No. 7 is 10th, Caruth’s No. 71 is 15th and Perez’s No. 77 is 24th.
Realistically, a top 15 will be a solid night out for McLeod — a top 10 would feel like a victory. McLeod only has two career top 10s (both in the Cup Series). Adding a third with the equipment he’s in would be amazing — especially when you consider he hasn’t set foot in a truck since 2021.
While McLeod will certainly be more focused on savoring the moment and making the most of what is currently his only scheduled start with Spire, one has to wonder what the future could hold for him. Does a good finish net him more starts with Spire? Does another top team give him a call to run its truck or Xfinity car?
Spire still has 12 races available in its No. 07 truck, and nine in the No. 7 truck, that haven’t been announced (as both trucks are all-star trucks for the team) — a good finish could certainly give McLeod another opportunity with Spire, and with the funding he brings from Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster, he could potentially find his way into another race regardless of the result.
They say winning fixes everything, though. If McLeod were to pull off a stunner in Charlotte? It would be a party in Concord, N.C., as well as Wauchula, Fla., McLeod’s hometown, and everywhere else fans “get loud for McLeod.”
We’ll find out on Friday night if McLeod has a career-changing night at 41 years old.
McLeod and 33 other Truck Series competitors take to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 23. Coverage begins at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (for those who watch television) and the all-new NASCAR Racing Network on SiriusXM Channel 90 for the radioheads.
Truckin’ Tidbits
- The Truck race at Darlington Raceway has a new title sponsor. The Aug. 30 race will now be known as the Sober or Slammer 200.
- Spencer Boyd heads to Charlotte with a brand-new sponsor, this time teaming up with Canal Coffee Co., who will sponsor Boyd’s No. 76 in the series’ home race.
Follow @AnthonyDamcott on X.
Anthony Damcott joined Frontstretch in March 2022. Currently, he is an editor and co-authors Fire on Fridays (Fridays); he is also the primary Truck Series reporter/writer and serves as an at-track reporter. He has also assisted with short track content and social media, among other duties he takes/has taken on for the site. In 2025, he became an official member of the National Motorsports Press Association. A proud West Virginia Wesleyan College alum from Akron, Ohio, Anthony is now a grad student. He is a theatre actor and fight coordinator in his free time.
You can keep up with Anthony by following @AnthonyDamcott on X.