Today, Spire Motorsports announced NASCAR veteran B.J. McLeod will pilot the team’s No. 07 Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway where Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster will be showcased as the team’s primary sponsor.
 
McLeod is the co-owner of B.J. McLeod Motorsports and the driver of the No. 78 Chevrolet ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series. He brings a wealth of experience to the seat of the No. 07 machine as he returns to CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition for the first time since 2021. The race will mark a unique opportunity for McLeod to promote his latest business venture and reconnect with the series where his NASCAR journey began in 2010.
 
“Getting to race again in the NASCAR truck series with an incredible team is an honor,” said McLeod. “It’s a perfect partnership with Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster — speed, adrenaline, and pure excitement — both on the track and in the mountains. We’re ready to put on a show for the fans and make this ride one to remember.”

A native of Wauchula, Fla., McLeod began his racing career at three-years-old, piloting ATVs before transitioning to go-karts at age five. He quickly ascended the ranks where he amassed more than 300 wins and 18 championships across regional and national competition. At age 13, McLeod made headlines by winning his first Super Late Model race at Orlando Speed World, becoming the youngest driver to compete in an American Speed Association-sanctioned event.

With more than 100 Super Late Model victories and a deep resume in stock car racing, McLeod made his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut in 2010.
 
Since then, he has competed in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series. In 2016, he founded B.J. McLeod Motorsports, which expanded to a three-car Xfinity Series operation, featuring a competitive lineup of drivers. From 2021 through the conclusion of the 2023 season, McLeod served as both owner and driver for Live Fast Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series before finalizing the sale of the team’s charter to Spire Motorsports.
 
Outside of his NASCAR exploits, McLeod is currently developing a new motorsports-themed attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster, set to open later this year, is the ultimate adventure for thrill seekers looking to experience an adrenaline-pumping ride like no other. This exciting mountain coaster invites guests to race their friends or family as they speed through twists and turns, all while competing for the checkered flag. While aboard the coaster, riders will get to see expansive views of Pigeon Forge from all different viewpoints.

The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 from Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Friday, May 23, beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will also be broadcast live on the NASCAR Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

Spire Motorsports PR

The NASCAR Cup Series will take a break from points-paying races this weekend for the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Kyle Larson sits atop the NASCAR Cup Series standings and is coming off a win at Kansas last weekend. He is the +500 favorite (risk $100 to win $500) in the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, while Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney are each +600. Joey Logano, who won both the All-Star Race and Cup Series Championship in 2024, is +800 on the NASCAR All-Star Race odds board. 

The green flag is scheduled to drop at 8 p.m. ET. Before entering any 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race props or NASCAR parlay picks on sites like PrizePicks, DraftKings Pick6, Sleeper Fantasy, and Underdog Fantasy, you need to see what elite expert auto racing handicappers Phil Bobbitt and Steve Greco have to say.

Bobbitt and Greco built a predictive engine that consistently beats the books. They find huge value and aren’t afraid of volume. Over the past four years, their followers are up more than $28,000 on $100 plays. Last season, they nailed seven outright winners in the Cup Series, returning nearly seven units for a 25.7% ROI. 

They predicted Daniel Suarez’s victory in Atlanta at +3500 and were 10-2 on matchup plays. Their 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race preview nailed Joey Logano at +1100 and went 4-0 in matchup picks, and they hit Austin Cindric at +2800 in the Enjoy Illinois 300. They also nailed Ross Chastain as a +3000 longshot in the Hollywood Casino 400. Overall, they were up 47.18 units across all racing articles last season. This season, they have correctly called William Byron (+2300) in the Daytona 500 and Kyle Larson (+450) in the AdventHealth 400. Anyone following Bobbitt and Greco on betting apps and sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.

Now, Bobbitt and Greco have analyzed the field and odds for Sunday’s NASCAR at North Wilkesboro 2025 race. They’re sharing their best bets only at SportsLine.

2025 NASCAR All-Star Race prop picks

One of Bobbitt and Greco’s top NASCAR bets: They are backing Christopher Bell to finish ahead of Kyle Larson in a head-to-head prop that pays -105 at DraftKings.

Larson is juggling multiple responsibilities this weekend, as he will be practicing and qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 to go along with the All-Star festivities. He is preparing to run the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double next weekend for the second consecutive year. His schedule will not allow him to practice or qualify for the All-Star Race, so he will start this race from the back of the pack. 

Bell finished second behind Larson at Kansas Speedway last weekend, marking his sixth top-five finish of the season. He has finished inside the top 10 in five of his last six races, and he has already recorded three wins this year. Given Larson’s hectic schedule, Bobbitt and Greco are happy to back an in-form Bell in this head-to-head prop. 

“We’re not fading talent. We’re fading logistics. And logistics don’t care about legacies,” Bobbitt and Greco told SportsLine. See what other NASCAR prop picks they like at SportsLine.

How to make 2025 NASCAR at North Wilkesboro picks

Bobbitt and Greco have locked in more NASCAR props, including three more head-to-head matchups. They also have a bet for the NASCAR All-Star Open that pays +300. You can only see what it is here.

So who wins the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race, and which props should you target? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2025 NASCAR at North Wilkesboro prop picks and best bets from a team of elite NASCAR handicappers who were up over 47 units last year, and find out.

2025 NASCAR All-Star Race odds, drivers

See full NASCAR at North Wilkesboro picks at SportsLine

Kyle Larson +500
Denny Hamlin +600
Christopher Bell +600
Ryan Blaney +600
William Byron +800
Joey Logano +800
Chase Elliott +900
Tyler Reddick +1400
Chase Briscoe +1600
Chris Buescher +1600
Alex Bowman +1800
Ross Chastain +2000
Kyle Busch +2500
Brad Keselowski +3000
Austin Cindric +3000
Daniel Suarez +8000
Austin Dillon +10000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +15000
Harrison Burton +25000

From the North Wilkesboro Speedway

Michael McDowell still has work to do to qualify for the NASCAR All-Star Race, but McDowell’s pit crew left North Wilkesboro Speedway on Friday, May 16, with 100,000 reasons to celebrate. Despite entering NASCAR All-Star Open qualifying as a heavy underdog, McDowell’s No. 71 Spire Motorsports crew collected a $100,000 bonus for changing four tires in 12.587 seconds to win the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear.

McDowell will start fourth in Sunday’s All-Star Open after Shane van Gisbergen, Carson Hocevar and Noah Gragson topped the No. 71 team’s overall time across three laps and a four-tire pit stop. McDowell has to finish in the top two in the Open to advance to Sunday night’s $1 million NASCAR All-Star Race, but his team stole the spotlight on Friday.

“This is awesome,” said Dax Hollifield, the jackman on the No. 71 crew and a former Virginia Tech football player. “It’s definitely beyond my wildest dreams. We’ve been working hard this year. We’re probably the youngest team on pit road.

“It was just hard work and determination that made the difference. I’ve got no words. I can’t breathe. I blacked out during the stop.”

Keselowski Surges To First All-Star Race Pole
Brad Keselowski hasn’t had much to smile about in 2025, entering All-Star Race weekend ranked 33rd in NASCAR Cup Series points. The 2012 series champion managed a big smile on Friday, though, after his No. 6 RFK Racing Ford blistered North Wilkesboro’s five-eighths-mile oval in NASCAR All-Star Race qualifying.

Keselowski finished the unique qualifying session — with the same format as was used in the Open – in a scintillating one minute, 27.362 seconds to score his first career All-Star Race pole. Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota finished 0.89 seconds in arrears of Keselowski’s machine.

“It’s pretty cool to win the pole,” Keselowski said. “I’ve never won an All-Star Race pole, so this is something new for my career. It was a total team effort. The pit crew, (Crew Chief) Jeremy Bullins, everyone gave me a rock-star car. I’m so happy for everybody on this team.”

Keselowski will also start Saturday’s first of two All-Star Heat Races from the pole, with Bell leading Heat No. 2 to green.

Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe and William Byron completed the top five in qualifying.

‘SVG’ Rules The Roost In Open Time Trials
Three hours after Shane van Gisbergen saw North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time, he qualified on the pole for his debut race at the iconic track. The rookie from New Zealand will lead the field to green for Sunday’s All-Star Open, after his No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet posted the quickest time in the three-lap, four-tire pit stop format to set the grid.

Van Gisbergen’s 1:28.684-second run over three laps and a four-tire pit stop beat Carson Hocevar by 0.2 seconds.

“I think we got all the things right,” van Gisbergen said. “Thanks to WeatherTech and the Trackhouse pit crew. I’ve never started up front on an oval, so I’ll have to figure that one out.”

The 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race Week continues Saturday with the Window World 250 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race, two All-Star Heat Races and a Jake Owen concert presented by Raymer Oil. Sunday’s racing action begins with the FaithFest Evangelistic Ministries 150 preceding the All-Star Open and All-Star Race.

Over the past decade, B.J. McLeod has started 146 NASCAR Cup races, driving underfunded equipment, but doing as one of the most respected field-fillers in the sport. His best finish was seventh, which came in the summer race at Daytona in 2022.

McLeod is a driver/owner at Live Fast Motorsports and competed full-time before selling his Cup charter to Spire Motorsports for around $40 million dollars. Since then, he has been running a limited schedule in both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series.

A huge opportunity

However, the 41-year-old has never gotten the chance in truly competitive equipment … until now. Spire Motorsports is offering McLeod the opportunity to pilot one of their Trucks in next weekend’s race at Charlotte. He has 41 starts in the Truck Series with a best finish of 15th, but hasn’t competed in the series since the 2021 season.

Advertisement

At Charlotte, he will drive the No. 07 Spire Chevrolet Silverado with ‘Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster’ as the primary sponsor, which is a new business venture of his.

“Getting to race again in the NASCAR truck series with an incredible team is an honor,” said McLeod. “It’s a perfect partnership with Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster — speed, adrenaline, and pure excitement — both on the track and in the mountains. We’re ready to put on a show for the fans and make this ride one to remember.”

Spire is one of the strongest teams in the Truck Series since acquiring Kyle Busch Motorsports’ operation in 2023. This year, that same No. 07 truck has already visited Victory Lane with Kyle Larson at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Spire also earned a 1-2 finish in the most recent Truck race at Kansas with Carson Hocevar piloting the No. 7 to victory and William Byron finishing second in the No. 07. Along with Larson and Byron, Nick Sanchez and Sammy Smith have also driven the No. 07 truck this year.

Read Also:

Masks, underglow, and a sword: NASCAR’s strange and surreal 2020 All-Star Race

NASCAR hits RFK, Chris Buescher with points penalty after Kansas bumper violation

Advertisement

 

 

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Legendary NASCAR crew chief Rodney Childers made a dramatic first appearance at Wilkesboro this weekend, the home of the All-Star race, a month after his dramatic departure from Spire Motorsports. The 48-year-old parted ways with Spire after the partnership with the team as Justin Haley’s crew chief didn’t work out.

Childers’ quick exit from NASCAR sent shockwaves through the sport, considering his extensive experience following 11 years spent with Stewart-Haas Racing before its closure and just shy of a year on Spire’s books after signing a multi-year deal. “I know this is a shock. But also know that not everything works out perfect all the time. That’s how life works,” Childers wrote on X. “This was just one of those things that just wasn’t working for either of us. I appreciate my time at Spire, working with JH and the entire 7 team. We did a lot of good that is yet to be seen, and I wish them the best in the future.”

A month after his departure from Spire, Childers showed his face at this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series All-Star race at Wilkesboro. According to The Sporting News, Childers was the center of attention after spending 30 minutes in the NASCAR hauler.

Childers said he wasn’t in trouble and wanted to see his former drivers, teams, and crew chiefs. “It’s just, you know, a lot of respect here,” Childers told The Sporting News. “I have so much respect for this sport, the other crew chiefs, car chiefs, mechanics, reporters and broadcasters.

“There isn’t a part of this sport that I have ever disliked. I miss being on the pit box and leading a group. The thing I miss the most is being the leader — controlling a meeting and all those things. But yeah, the phone has been pretty quiet, and I wish I could say different, but it’s been pretty quiet.”

Sign up to our NASCAR newsletter here.

One of Childers’ signature accomplishments was winning 37 races and a championship with Kevin Harvick at Stewart-Haas Racing. He’s likely looking for a new landing spot with the shot at creating more NASCAR history.

“At the same time, I also think it was for the best to let things calm down a little bit,” Childers added. “I’ve been able to spend time and enjoy some things with (wife) Katrina and the boys, spend Mother’s Day with my mom but I needed to get back to the race track. I wanted to see this group, the teams and officials, because I’ve had some people reach out but there’s just not a lot out there this time of the year.”

Still, Childers never left motorsport alone entirely in his absence from NASCAR. He linked up with Harvick on his CARS Tour operation. The duo already enjoyed great success.

DON’T MISS:

“I mean, the biggest thing is just when Kevin asks me to do something, I do it,” Childers continued. “You know, everyone knows how much he’s done for me over all the year and he changed my whole life.

“You think about the Cup races we won and our relationship is just something that people don’t come across often in this sport. He asked me to help them out and it’s just been really great working on some things over there.”

• Brad Keselowski won the pole for this weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race.
• This marks the second straight year Ford has won the pole after Joey Logano did it in 2024.

Ford All-Star Race Qualifying Results

1st – Brad Keselowski

6th – Joey Logano

13th – Josh Berry

14th – Harrison Burton

16th – Chris Buescher

18th – Austin Cindric

19th – Ryan Blaney

POLE-WINNING PRESS CONFERENCE

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang Dark Horse – IS THIS A MOMENTUM BUILDER AND IT APPEARED ENTRY AND EXIT OF PIT ROAD WERE CRITICAL TO YOUR LAP. DID YOU FEEL THAT WAY? “It doesn’t hurt. Being on the pole feels really good, especially to win the pole by that much. It’s just a total team effort. This event, this format pushes you to your limits from a driver perspective, team perspective and pit crew. I stuck my part. That felt really good. I knew I stuck the entry. I was like, ‘That’s gonna be good if it’s not a speeding penalty.’ And then on the exit I was like, ‘I may have left a little on the table.’ It was really hard to tell, but it all came together for just an excellent run. The pit crew, they didn’t try to be heroes. They just gave me a really solid stop and Jeremy Bullins and the team gave me a car that was pretty fast and, like I said, they just gave me the ball and said, ‘Go play.’ And that’s what we did.”

YOUR CAR HAS BEEN DUBBED THE PIRATE SHIP WITH ECU COLORS WITH A LOT OF SOLOMON PLUMBING EMPLOYEES HAVING GONE THERE. HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?  “My wife is an ECU grad. It’s super cool. We’re on the other side of the Carolinas, but still there are a lot of ECU fans out there and it’s good to be able to recognize them. It’s really good for Solomon Plumbing. I feel so bad for them. Danny Allor, the founder, passed away a couple weeks ago and it was a real shock. This is the first time they’ve been on our car since that happened. Their whole family is planning to be here, so it’s really cool to give them something to be joyful about.”

HOW CHALLENGING HAS IT BEEN FOR YOU THIS SEASON AND HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO PUT ANY KIND OF MORAL POINTS ON THE BOARD TODAY? “I’m not gonna say it’s been easy for me to weather the storm the last few months, but part of the juice is going through the struggles because it makes you appreciate the good times. Yeah, we’ve had some struggles, but there’s a lot to be optimistic about. I knew it wasn’t gonna be a walk in the park when we started this year with all the changes that we had. I didn’t expect it to be as big of a struggle as it has been, but that said, I see a lot of pieces that are coming together and this obviously demonstrates that. But even beyond today I feel a lot of pieces that are coming together and bode well for us in being able to make a really strong run here from here on out for the 2025 season. I’m not losing my cool. I’m putting ourselves in position and our team is putting ourselves in position to grow and hopefully go out and win races. We’re gonna have a shot to win this race come Sunday.”

HOW VITAL IS WINNING THE HEAT AND BEING ABLE TO START UP FRONT AND HAVE THAT TRACK POSITION? “Yeah, we saw that last year. I think Joey Logano led almost every lap – all but one. I don’t know which one, but it sure wasn’t after he pitted. This race really lends itself to track position for a number of reasons, particularly because the field size is so small and the way the race runs out the leader generally does not catch the back of the field, so that puts a premium on being the leader that doesn’t necessarily ever have a chance to wash back out, so starting on the pole here, among many other races, but here specifically is a significant advantage.”

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FROM THIS TRACK GOING FORWARD? “I think this needs to be a points racetrack. I’d like to see the All-Star Race most likely return to Charlotte. That’s my personal opinion. I think the Charlotte racetrack, particularly since it only has one race on the oval, I think that’s a miss for our sport. It’s a great racetrack and puts on some of the best racing, so it would make sense to me if we were to revert back to that and make this a season race, and probably get rid of a race like the Roval or something like that.”

WHY GET RID OF THE ROVAL? IT’S CREATED SOME MOMENTS. “Has it really? I look at the stands and there are more fans that come to the oval race and better ratings too, than come to the Roval races. I thought that’s what we judge the sport by. I’m very strong about the Roval has got to go.”

HOW SIGNIFICANT IS SOMETHING LIKE TONIGHT AFTER EVERYTHING THAT’S HAPPENED THIS SEASON? “I feel like we’ve had other bright spots. This one is one that’s tangible. It’s visible outside of our own team circle, but they build up. They build momentum. They build positivity inside the group that manifests itself in a higher level of teamwork and craftsmanship just naturally. I think the team is a pretty resilient group, but I don’t care who you are as a team we all need some positive reinforcement and encouragement and there’s nothing negative about today.”

YEARS AGO YOU HELPED WITH THE FORMAT OF THE ALL-STAR RACE. THIS YEAR IT’S A RANDOM CAUTION. IS THERE MORE THAT CAN BE DONE FOR THIS RACE OR SHOULD THIS JUST BE A RACE? “I think it’s always a great opportunity to do something fun. I hate to put borders on it. I just think that it should probably be back at Charlotte.”

IT SEEMS THERE HAVE BEEN MORE PENALITIES THIS YEAR. IS THAT A GOOD THING FOR THE SPORT IN THAT NASCAR IS CRACKING DOWN OR IS IT BECOMING A THING WHERE IT’S TOO MUCH? “I don’t have a great answer for that. There are things to like about penalties. There are things not to like. You just want the penalties to make a difference. The whole goal of penalties in general is to create a level playing field and manage the competition for the teams so that it’s cost effective and for the fans so that the winner demonstrates some kind of distinguishing level of ability better than someone else, and not out of bounds with respect to things that we don’t necessarily value. So, it’s important to have penalties. It’s also very important that those penalties align with those goals. I think for the most part they do, but I’m not close enough to any of the other teams outside of our sphere to always know that.”

WHAT WAS THE COMMUNICATION LIKE IN REGARDS TO THE IDEA OF A RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG TYPE OF RACE? “I wasn’t aware of it being a run what you brung. I think that might be a bit oversold. I was aware of some rules being opened up, but I was not aware of any rule being opened up that we thought was significant enough to justify an expenditure. If it was take a plate off an engine or something to that degree that wouldn’t have cost us anything and would have moved the needle, I think we would have been generally fairly supportive, but, for the most part, it was things that I’m aware of at least, I think I’m limited to that sphere, it was all things that I’m not entirely confident would have moved the sport forward.”

Ford Performacne PR