Brad Daugherty Talks NASCAR Ownership and Racing Passion

Brad Daugherty, well-known for basketball and NASCAR, recently discussed how he became a stock car racer in a conversation with Chris ‘See Hendo’ Henderson. Daugherty, who was once an NBA All-Star, but now owns a NASCAR team [JTG Daugherty Racing], recounted how his family’s racing passion influenced him and led him to the NASCAR world.

“My family—my uncles, my father—everyone was into drag racing, so I grew up around race cars,” Daugherty shared. “I got into round-track racing through one of my best friends, Robert Presley, whose dad was a legendary short-track racer. We’d play basketball, and I’d help him work on his dad’s race car. That sparked my interest, and we built some old race cars just for fun at the local track.”

From childhood to adulthood, Daugherty’s love for cars developed into a lifetime passion. As time passed, he started racing on the track on his own and became involved in NASCAR.

“One thing led to another, and I’ve been in the NASCAR space for about 30 years now, owning a team for 20–25 years,” Daugherty said.

His involvement in NASCAR wasn’t solely based on business—it was a genuine love for the sport.

“I love hot rods, and I even dragged Michael [Michael Jordan] into the space, so now he’s racing with us,” he added.

As a team owner, Jordan, who Daugherty has known for a long time, is now a prominent figure in NASCAR, cementing his influence in the sport. Texas Motor Speedway is the place where Daugherty and his team have a special fondness for racing.

“We love coming to Texas—Texas Motor Speedway is one of our favorite places to race,” he said.

Daugherty is looking forward to returning to the track and continuing his legacy in the sport he loves with the NASCAR season quickly approaching. Daugherty acknowledged that selling to other high-profile figures like Magic Johnson is not an easy task when asked about his efforts to bring them into NASCAR.

“I talked to guys a little bit. It’s a different business model. It’s a tough business model,” he explained. “A lot of guys look at it and say, I don’t see the upside, you know, the business side of it, making money.”

Daugherty’s dedication to the sport is unwavering despite the difficulties of the business side of racing.

“But if you love the race, it’s unbelievable. So I just love the race. It’s not about the money, it’s not about anything else. I love the race.”

Daugherty’s love for NASCAR and his decades of experience are still fueling his commitment to the sport. His enthusiasm is still strong as he approaches the new season, and his influence will make NASCAR’s future even brighter.