BJ McLeod Bio
Burton Darwin “B. J.” McLeod Jr. (born November 17, 1983) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. A native of Wauchula, Florida, he is best known for fielding and driving the No. 78 Chevrolet ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series as co-owner of Live Fast Motorsports, alongside Joe Falk. Over the course of his career, McLeod has competed in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series, building a reputation as both a determined backmarker racer and an entrepreneur who has helped open doors for fellow underfunded drivers.
Early Life and Background
McLeod was born and raised in Wauchula, a small community in central Florida. From a young age, he was drawn to motorsports, beginning his competitive career in go-karts before progressing into super late models across the Southeast. As a teenager, he frequently stood out as the youngest driver in several regional divisions, including the Hooters Pro Cup, where he made his first starts in 2000 at Hickory Motor Speedway and USA International Speedway.
His early results attracted the attention of established teams. In 2001, McLeod ran a single American Speed Association National Tour event at Fairgrounds Speedway for Herzog Motorsports, finishing fifteenth. Following a test session with Herzog, the two sides had an agreement in place for a limited NASCAR Busch Series schedule in 2002, but the program never materialized. McLeod continued developing on the regional short tracks, capturing the 2004 Red Eye 100 and later winning the inaugural Bright House Challenge Series championship in 2006, results that laid the foundation for his eventual jump to NASCAR’s national ranks.
Path to NASCAR
McLeod’s path to NASCAR’s top three national series began in 2010, when he made his Camping World Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway in the No. 9 for Germain Racing, qualifying twenty-third and finishing seventeenth. Over the next several seasons, he split time between his own equipment and underfunded entries, racing with teams such as SS-Green Light Racing, RSS Racing, Glenden Enterprises, Hillman Racing, and MBM Motorsports. He also made a single ARCA Racing Series start in 2014 at Pocono Raceway, substituting for the injured John Wes Townley in the No. 15 Zaxby’s Toyota for Venturini Motorsports.
His big break into NASCAR’s upper divisions came in 2015, when he joined Rick Ware Racing for his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway. He followed that with a Sprint Cup Series debut later that same year in the 2015 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet SS for Circle Sport. These opportunities, paired with his growing team operation, helped establish McLeod as a steady presence in the NASCAR garage.
BJ McLeod Career
Early Career (2010-2014)
McLeod’s early national-level years were defined by perseverance and resourcefulness. He pieced together part-time Truck Series schedules with multiple small teams, often arriving at the track with limited preparation but a strong desire to compete. He also began building his own operation, B. J. McLeod Motorsports, as a driver development program running late model and K&N Pro Series East events, with a Truck Series team formed in 2014 alongside Tommy Regan.
That 2014 Truck program, fielding the No. 45 for Regan at Iowa Speedway, was emblematic of McLeod’s early years. Although Regan finished last after ignition problems on lap one, the effort demonstrated McLeod’s commitment to giving lesser-funded drivers a chance to race at the national level, a philosophy that would later define his team ownership.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2015-2019)
McLeod’s Xfinity Series career began in 2015 with Rick Ware Racing at Iowa Speedway, where brake troubles ended his day after sixty-eight laps. He spent the rest of that season moving between RWR, SS-Green Light Racing, MBM Motorsports, and King Autosport, balancing start-and-park entries with attempts at full-race runs. The following year, he committed to a full-time Xfinity schedule in 2016 with his own B. J. McLeod Motorsports No. 78, earning three top-twenty finishes in his first complete national-series season.
By 2017, McLeod had expanded to two full-time Xfinity teams, rotating between the Nos. 78 and 8 while stepping aside at times to give starts to paying drivers. Later that season at Talladega Superspeedway, teammate Jeff Green led the team’s first laps and scored its first top-ten finish, a milestone moment for the fledgling organization. McLeod continued running a mix of Xfinity and Truck Series events through 2019, balancing driving duties with managing his growing stable of cars.
NASCAR Cup Series Era (2015-Present)
McLeod made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2015 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet SS for Circle Sport. He returned to Cup in 2017 with Rick Ware Racing at the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway in the No. 51, and in 2019, he entered the Daytona 500 for the first time. A dramatic crash with fellow RWR driver Cody Ware sent McLeod spinning into the grass, but he recovered to finish nineteenth in the attrition-filled race.
In May 2020, McLeod expanded B. J. McLeod Motorsports into the Cup Series with a No. 78 entry at Darlington Raceway, logging fifteen Cup races that season. On October 23, 2020, he and Matt Tifft purchased Archie St. Hilare’s portion of Go Fas Racing’s charter and launched Live Fast Motorsports, running the charter full-time from 2021 through 2023. His best Cup result came in the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, where he initially crossed the line tenth but moved up to ninth after Chris Buescher’s disqualification, his first top-ten in any of NASCAR’s top three national series. After selling the charter to Spire Motorsports at the end of 2023, McLeod scaled back to a part-time Cup schedule with Live Fast Motorsports, attempting the 2024 Daytona 500 and leading laps at Talladega before winding up nineteenth in the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400, his best finish of the year.
Driving Style and Strengths
McLeod has carved out a niche as a superspeedway survivor and a reliable plate-race competitor, a skill set highlighted by his strong runs at Daytona and Talladega. He combines a calm, businesslike approach behind the wheel with the mechanical patience needed to nurse aging or underfunded equipment to the finish. His willingness to step out of his own car for paying drivers also reflects a team-first mentality that has strengthened his partnerships with sponsors and fellow competitors.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among McLeod’s most memorable moments are his 2019 Daytona 500 debut, his first Cup top-ten at the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400, and his laps led at Talladega in 2024. Earlier, his 2016 full-time Xfinity campaign with B. J. McLeod Motorsports marked his first complete season in a NASCAR national series, and his 2010 Truck debut at Martinsville signaled his arrival on stock car racing’s biggest stage.
BJ McLeod Career Wins
McLeod’s victory lane appearances have come primarily at the regional level, where he has collected marquee results such as the 2004 Red Eye 100 and the inaugural Bright House Challenge Series championship in 2006. At the NASCAR national-series level, he has notched three top-twenty Xfinity finishes in his 2016 campaign and a single Cup top-ten at the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400, while his Truck Series starts have generally been focused on completing races and building his team.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
In the Cup Series, McLeod’s standout result remains the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, where his ninth-place finish was elevated from tenth after post-race inspection. He has also made the Daytona 500 field in 2019, 2020, and 2021, and led laps at Talladega in 2024, a season in which he completed five races with Live Fast Motorsports and two with MBM Motorsports.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the Cup Series, McLeod scored three top-twenty finishes during his 2016 full-time Xfinity run and made one start in the ARCA Racing Series at Pocono in 2014. He has also been a regular in the Craftsman Truck Series since 2010, with occasional top-fifteenth runs, including a lead-lap Kansas Speedway finish in 2016.
BJ McLeod Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
McLeod was raised in Wauchula, Florida, and his family has long been tied to grassroots motorsports in the Southeast. His early years around regional short tracks shaped his path to NASCAR and continue to influence how he operates his teams today.
Personal Life
McLeod is married to Jessica McLeod, his longtime partner who has been a steady presence in his racing and business ventures. The couple has remained largely private, with McLeod preferring to keep personal details out of the spotlight as he balances his driving career with team ownership responsibilities.
2025 Season Performance
McLeod began the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season by attempting the 2025 Daytona 500 with Live Fast Motorsports, but he failed to qualify after Duels results kept the No. 78 out of the Great American Race. On March 3, the team announced that Katherine Legge would drive the No. 78 in her Cup Series debut at Phoenix Raceway, expanding the team’s role as a springboard for new talent.
On May 16, 2025, Spire Motorsports announced McLeod would drive their No. 07 truck in the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway with sponsorship from the Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster, a rare opportunity in competitive equipment at the Craftsman Truck Series level. The deal offered McLeod his first realistic shot at a strong national-series result in years.
Looking ahead, Live Fast Motorsports has confirmed plans to contest all six superspeedway races and the Coca-Cola 600 in 2025. With superspeedways historically playing to McLeod’s strengths, the upcoming slate could provide another shot at a top-ten finish and continued momentum for both driver and team.