Bringing the Heat: Michael Waltrip Shares Inspiration for Brewery, New Beer Flavors
About this episode
Two-time Daytona 500 champion and Fox Sports analyst Michael Waltrip joins the show to discuss his latest venture, the Michael Waltrip Brewing Company. Waltrip shares the origin story of his brewery, his new breakfast-inspired cinnamon roll ale collaboration with Famous Toastery, and the challenges of marketing craft beer. The conversation then shifts to NASCAR, covering the unique Truck Series race weekend at the Coronado naval base, the rising stardom of Corey Heim, and the bracket-busting upsets in NASCAR's new in-season tournament.
Michael Waltrip
"He is a former two-time and Daytona 500 champion, former owner in the sport. Michael Waldtrip is set to join us in the Inferno."
A famous former race car driver who won NASCAR's biggest race, the Daytona 500, twice. Today, he is well-known for his colorful personality as a TV commentator and for running his own beer company.
A former professional stock car racing driver and two-time Daytona 500 winner (2001, 2003). He is also a prominent NASCAR television commentator for Fox Sports and a former team owner of Michael Waltrip Racing.
Ned Jarrett
"Mikey, obviously the recent passing of Ned, Jared, I know he had some influence at least on the broadcasting side of things for you. What was that kind of influence was like?"
A legendary NASCAR driver from the 1960s who later became one of the most famous and beloved television commentators in the sport's history.
A two-time NASCAR Grand National Series champion (1961, 1965) who transitioned into a legendary broadcasting career. Known as "Gentleman Ned Jarrett," he is famous for his calm demeanor and for calling his son Dale Jarrett's 1993 Daytona 500 victory.
Chicagoland Speedway
"Caleb, earlier this week during a media availability, which he's technically the defending race winner of this race at Chicago Land. Alex Bowman talked about how he wanted his contract..."
A large, D-shaped oval race track located near Chicago where NASCAR used to race regularly.
A 1.5-mile (2.4 km) D-shaped oval superspeedway located in Joliet, Illinois. Opened in 2001, it hosted NASCAR Cup Series events annually until 2019, known for its high-speed, multi-groove racing.
Hendrick Motorsports
"I know there's been a lot of people speculating about whether or not they think Hendricks is preparing to go after some other people and there's been some rumors and everything..."
One of the biggest, richest, and most successful racing teams in NASCAR, known for winning a massive number of championships over the last few decades.
One of the most successful organizations in NASCAR history, founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984. The team has won a record number of Cup Series owner championships and has fielded cars for legendary drivers like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
Dodge
"Speaking of things shaking out, Dodge could return earlier than expected as soon as next season, according to Jordan Bianchi of the athletic."
A famous American car brand known for making powerful muscle cars like the Charger and Challenger. They used to race in NASCAR but left the sport in 2012.
An American automotive brand owned by Stellantis, historically famous for its muscle cars and trucks. Dodge has had multiple stints in NASCAR, most recently departing the sport after winning the Cup Series championship with Brad Keselowski in 2012.
Dodge Charger
"Dodge is obviously the biggest hurdle is building an engine and that is what they're working on now. So it was the charger model in the wind tunnel that has been worked on."
The Dodge Charger is a famous American muscle car. In NASCAR racing, the cars look like real street cars but are actually custom-built racing machines with a body shaped to look like the Dodge Charger.
The Dodge Charger is a historic nameplate that has represented Dodge in various generations of NASCAR competition. In NASCAR, the Charger refers to a specially designed silhouette race car body styled to resemble the production Dodge Charger sedan, optimized for high-speed aerodynamics.
Kaulig Racing
"It doesn't say what team it would be joining, but it's pretty simple. You would assume it'd be something with colleague racing."
A relatively new but highly competitive professional racing team that competes in NASCAR's top divisions.
A professional stock car racing team founded by Matt Kaulig that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series. The team is headquartered in Welcome, North Carolina, and has established itself as a competitive multi-car organization.
charter
"And obviously, Dodge could join as a new team and have four charters, but they would probably want more than just four cars out there."
A charter is basically a franchise membership for a NASCAR team. It guarantees that the team's car gets to race in every single event and secures them a steady stream of prize money.
The NASCAR Charter System is a franchise-like model introduced in 2016 that guarantees 36 chartered teams entry into every Cup Series race and a larger share of the purse. Charters can be bought, sold, or leased between team owners.
Connor Zilisch
"Well, someone who finally maybe had some fun in a cup race this week with Connor Zillich, and he is now our focus for the sound bite of the week."
An incredibly talented young American race car driver who has won major sports car races and is widely considered one of the most exciting rising stars in NASCAR.
A highly touted American racing prodigy signed as a development driver for Trackhouse Racing. Zilisch has achieved remarkable early success across multiple disciplines, including sports cars (winning the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Daytona) and stock cars.
road ringer
"And it's not like, I'm not saying he's a road ringer either. He just has that road course experience, but obviously he went on that 10 race win streak..."
This is a nickname for a race car driver who is exceptionally good at driving on twisty tracks with left and right turns, rather than the usual oval-shaped tracks.
A slang term in NASCAR for a driver who specializes in road course racing (tracks with left and right turns) rather than traditional oval tracks. Historically, teams would hire these specialists specifically for the few road course events on the schedule.
next-gen car
"And we'll see what this next-gen car could do with the track on Sunday. But I feel like, again, my expectations are pretty high up there."
This is the newest style of race car used in NASCAR's top series. It was designed to make the racing closer and more competitive while using parts that are closer to what you'd find on modern road cars.
The common name for the Generation 7 race car used in the NASCAR Cup Series. Introduced in 2022, it features modern technological advancements such as independent rear suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, 18-inch single-lug aluminum wheels, and a transaxle.
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