JW: Hey Bill! It’s great to speak with you again. Since the last time we spoke, the last 6 months of your life have been a whirlwind. Are you surviving?!
 
BB: Ha! Yeah, it’s been crazy! Definitely happy with how things are going. I don’t want to get too complacent. It’s going well, and I’m staying out of trouble for the most part. But yeah, it’s been a wild ride the last few months; that’s for sure.
  
JW: So, let’s get into it! How has 2024 been going for you while racing with the Outlaws? It’s early in the season, but what is your assessment at this point?
 
BB: I’m doing better than I expected. My car last year was working the same as it is this year—working really good. It will be interesting to see how these bigger tracks go. I don’t feel like I’m not going to make the show. I have as good as a shot as anyone and I’ve been qualifying really well. We have a good motor package this year which makes a big difference when it comes to qualifying. I know I can race with these guys and the confidence has been growing.
  
JW: You have been racing a long time and have a lot of experience when it comes to racing full time and competing for championships. However, it’s fair to say that racing with the World of Outlaws on a full-time basis is a completely different can of worms. Has anything surprised you or has something new that you haven’t encountered come up for you since the season started back in early February?
 
BB: Trying to schedule the traveling part is interesting… You can’t just pull your entire hauler, RV, and t-shirt trailer into a McDonald's parking lot either. You have to plan all of this stuff ahead of time before you even head out. You can’t wait too long and do it last minute. It’s still in the first part of the year of dealing with all of this. On the racing side of it, I just use my experience and try to adapt as quickly as possible. Some of these tracks I haven’t been to yet, or I have only been to once or maybe twice in my entire career. It’s about trying to get adjusted as fast as possible which is normal for sprint car racing. I haven’t been screamed at or in any fistfights yet which is good! 
  
JW: When it comes to the on track action, you have been right up there competing from the start of the year with the regulars. How do you compare the touring and racing with the Outlaws full time on a night in, night out basis; compared, to when you race against them on one-off events, big money weekends, or other full-time series that you have been a part of?
 
BB: It helps a lot to be able to race this much already and to race pretty much every weekend. Even here at the end of April, we have raced a lot already. You can go to the next race and already have the confidence to go out and perform. Racing with the Outlaws, you get into a rhythm, you know the structure, you know the drivers, you know what your car is going to do; it becomes easier. In the All Stars, it was a similar scenario, but I didn’t have my car setup or ready like I do with my car this year. It took a lot of time to get my car setup ready to perform. But the way I have this car dialed in already is because of the amount of racing I have been able to do so far. When you race a lot, you can get your package right. 
  
JW: To continue on a bit from the last question, the competition level with the World of Outlaws is something that can’t be matched. There has been a ton of action going on at each race, along with some drama attached to a few of these races as well. Do you think a lot of fans and drivers who haven’t raced with the Outlaws full time underestimate just how competitive the competition is with the Outlaws?
 
BB: Yeah, it’s so hard to explain how good they are. You’re right, a lot of people don’t know how tough the competition is. I have had this really good start to the season and I’m 8th in points - ha! You can’t get an edge on them. They are all very good out here. Everyone on these teams has experience, you can’t do it without it. You need to have one or two guys (on your team) with experience to help as that makes a major difference to the team. You can’t just will your car into positions, it doesn’t work that way. You have to have your car working way before to have any success. It’s tough to just jump in here and there to try and beat them. Even the High Limit series has really good drivers too. Some of these races where everyone will be extremely difficult and not everyone is going to make those shows.
  
JW: You have already experienced going to tracks that you haven’t been to yet in your career, or else, tracks that you have limited experience racing at. What is the game-plan that you and your team have going to these new tracks for the first time when it comes to setting up the car, along with how you have to adjust as a driver get off on the right foot?
 
BB: If I know the size of the track, I can guess with bars. Depending on the average speed at the track, I can adjust with shock bumpers. When it comes to gearing, I try to compare it to previous situations from the past. I have been right all of the time this year. At least, 90% of the time I haven’t missed on gearing. I just look at it and try to make decisions. Sometimes, if I have all my work done, I will go and relax for a bit and think about what the car might race like. Go back to it if I have to. I never really thought I had any type of advantage there, but I do a little bit. I use all my experience from the past to come together with different conclusions based on the setup that has been working for me. I’ve definitely paid for my experience though from the past with money and bad nights. I don’t think I could actually have a crew chief now and do it. I don’t have any interest in it now. I want to do it this way with me calling the shots. Don’t get me wrong, good crew members are needed and a plus to a team. There are great car chiefs and crew chiefs out there. But, I want to know everything that’s going on with the car and make the final decision on setup. 
  
JW: Let’s take some time and talk about the supporters, sponsors, and organizations that you have behind you. We talked privately during the holidays how a lot of people wanted to step up and help B2 Motorsports whatever way possible after announcing to go full time with the Outlaws. Even a lot of your current sponsors stepped up and wanted to go the extra mile for you and the team. How has it been with all of the supporters (both old & new) that have come along on this journey with you?
 
BB: It’s been amazing. Tons of support from the fans. A lot of them (fans in Wisconsin and Alaska) are happy to see me get the hell out of the IRA and go national. If we have a good night, my phone is blowing up and I don’t even have time to answer all of the messages I get. I really, really appreciate the support. Normally, we would only be selling merchandise locally and throughout the Mid-West region, but we have been selling merchandise throughout the nation, too. Some of the racers around here (Wisconsin) have been texting me support too, which wouldn’t happen if I was still racing regionally. When your fans are into it and there is a buzz, they help out a lot with the motivation on the low days, that’s for sure.
 
JW: To round up our chat here… Winning is something every driver wants to do; especially, on a regular basis. However, when it comes to winning with the World of Outlaws, that is a completely different story. After a solid opening start to the season for yourself and B2 Motorsports with the World of Outlaws, how confident are you at this point knowing that you can continually compete with the best on a nightly basis throughout the rest of the season and be upfront battling for wins?
 
BB: If I can get through and keep this speed up, I will be happy. Obviously, you gotta win these races though. But, if you aren’t at them, you don’t have a shot at winning them. I am content right now with where we are at. I had a couple of bad nights early on and you don’t want those nights to linger around too long. My goals are still Top 10’s and to keep building out on that. The Top 5's feel great too. When you get up into the Top 5 during the feature, you can’t make a mistake. Everyone is just on it and is willing to take advantage if you make one. Overall, I’m still very happy with how this year has gone up to this point and want to keep it rolling.