Fresh off coverage of the Cracker Barrel 400 in Nashville, Jonathan Fjeld joined Couzin's Conversations to discuss his love for NASCAR, growing up a Jeff Gordon fan, Denny Hamlin's recent success, Tyler Reddick's rise, Kyle Busch's death and how the sport continues to evolve.
One of the great minds behind the NASCAR Roundtable coverage connected with one of the new for a conversation on Nick Couzin's Podcast. Couzin's Conversations. The guest, Jonathan Fjeld. The two discussed a wide range of topics around the sport after their coverage of the Cracker Barrell 400 in Nashville.
One of the great minds behind the NASCAR Roundtable coverage joined Nick Couzin on Couzin's Conversations following their coverage of the Cracker Barrel 400 in Nashville.
The guest was Jonathan Fjeld, and the two discussed a wide range of topics surrounding NASCAR, including Jonathan's introduction to the sport, his favorite drivers, the current state of the Cup Series, and his journey through the media industry.
The first topic? Jonathan's love for NASCAR and what hooked him on the sport as a young fan.
"I flipped to the Speed Channel one day and saw a race on. It was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500. Bill Elliott won. Steve Park and Dale Jr. crashed wildly on the first lap. I saw that race and I was hooked from there."
Jonathan's passion for the sport only grew from there.
"Late in the 2002 season, I got to see Jimmie Johnson's car in person and met drivers like Kurt Busch early on in my love for NASCAR. I was a big fan of fast cars and the paint schemes, of course. I think that's why I became a fan of Jeff Gordon when I was a young kid. It was just on from there."
Jonathan's favorite driver?
"Jeff Gordon, for sure. The No. 24 car was my favorite growing up. I remember one memory in particular. It was the 2007 fall Talladega race where I told my dad, 'Jeff is going to win this race.' He was running fourth or fifth, and my dad said, 'Nah, no way.' Sure enough, he made a move to the outside, got a push from I think Tony Stewart, and won the race. I have lots of good memories like that from watching NASCAR as a kid and cheering on Jeff."
The NASCAR world is still mourning the loss of two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, and tributes have poured in throughout the season. Jonathan reflected on Busch's impact on the sport.
"He made everybody better. Whether you were a journalist in the sport who was intimidated to ask Kyle a question, everybody knew that if you asked something a little off, Kyle would call you out on it. It pushed people to be prepared and know what they were talking about."
The winner in Nashville was Denny Hamlin, who overcame an early penalty and worked his way back through the field to claim the victory. Toyota continues to show impressive speed, and so does one of Hamlin's 23XI Racing drivers, Tyler Reddick, who already has five wins this season.
"I don't think he had the best car in the race, but he had the best car when it counted. I think Christopher Bell ultimately had the best car. But Denny just did what he's done so many times this season. He can pass where so many other drivers struggle in dirty air. Denny, the No. 11 team, and a few others have figured out how to pass pretty effectively, and Denny seems to be the best at it right now."
Jonathan also discussed the momentum surrounding 23XI Racing.
"23XI is carrying a lot of momentum right now after a huge offseason win with the lawsuit. The organization continues investing in the team and giving its drivers what they need to succeed. Tyler Reddick has had several races this year that could have gone either way, but he's found ways to win them. The Daytona 500, where he avoided the wrecks and made the right move. Darlington, where he came through the field multiple times. Kansas, where he capitalized on the late caution.
"But while Reddick has all the wins and momentum, there's one guy who keeps chipping away at that advantage. His boss. I personally think Denny Hamlin has had more momentum and more speed than anyone over the last few weeks."
The sport has also begun embracing YouTube creator Cleetus McFarland, something both Jonathan and Nick witnessed firsthand in Nashville.
You can hear Jonathan's thoughts on that topic, along with more about his journey in sports media, by listening to the full episode linked above.
