Herm & Schrader Podcast: "Jordan Anderson & John Bommarito: Building The Business of Racing"

Date: September 4, 2025
Hosts: Kenny Wallace & Ken Schrader
Guests: Jordan Anderson (Driver & Team Owner), John Bommarito (CEO, Bommarito Automotive Group)

EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode dives deep into the unlikely and inspiring partnership between race car driver/team owner Jordan Anderson and St. Louis auto dealer magnate John Bommarito. Hosts Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader bring their signature humor and candor, drawing out stories of hustle, business lessons, and the grind of building a competitive NASCAR team from scratch. The conversation is full of personal anecdotes, hard-won insights, and clear-eyed advice for aspiring racers and entrepreneurs on what it really takes to succeed in the business of racing.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Origins: Family, Hustle & Meeting at the Track

• John Bommarito’s Automotive Legacy
  • Grew from humble beginnings: “My father started with nothing…one car at a time, and now we’re selling close to 30,000 a year.” (John Bommarito, 03:21)
  • The team's racing involvement began with small NHRA sponsorships at Gateway (now Worldwide Technology Raceway).
• Jordan Anderson's Journey
  • Scrapped his way into NASCAR without a racing family or bankroll: “From day one, it’s been a ride, it’s been a journey.” (Jordan Anderson, 05:41)
  • Recounts early career struggles—broken-down dually trucks, staying in borrowed places, relying on local racers like Wallace for support.
• How They Met
  • Chance meeting at Gateway Raceway in 2016; Anderson needing sponsorship for a set of tires, Bommarito dipping his toe into racing partnerships.
  • “I called Megan [at the track]…‘You got anything you could use me for?... sell some tickets, whatever…’ That’s how they connected me with John.” (Jordan, 05:41)

2. Building Trust & the Steps to Larger Investments

• Incremental Relationship, Not Instant Money
  • “You could call it testing, but what I was really sold on at the start was the way Jordan handled himself…that’s what got me in.” (Bommarito, 09:24)
  • Initial “deal” was a partial tire sponsorship, eventually grew to providing a dealership truck, and then genuine business mentorship.
  • “He always could drive and I knew he could drive…now I just got to teach him the business aspects to be fiscally responsible, to run a race team.” (Bommarito, 11:05)

3. The Business of Racing: Mentorship & Strategy

• Mentorship and Money Management
  • John stresses that Anderson’s openness to learning was crucial.
  • “Let’s see the math. John is a math guy…put together the first budget for the team.” (Jordan, 16:41)
  • Lessons: presentation matters (cars, haulers, personnel), balance “go fast” investment and brand optics, inspect what you expect, and “find a balance on the budget.”
• The “Think Big” Philosophy
  • Passed down from both John’s father and Jordan’s early mentor, Dick Dyer: “Don’t shortchange yourself—think big. Always go for more.” (Dyer, relayed by Jordan, 25:53)
  • Also key: “Sometimes you’ve got to think small” – raise a lot from smaller sponsors, build relationships, then grow bigger support.

4. Scaling Up: From Grinding It Out to Multi-Car Xfinity Operation

• From Truck Series Struggles to Xfinity Competitiveness
  • Major stepping-stone: forming the Xfinity program, buying cars from RCR, and makeshift business deals.
  • Overcoming setbacks—mechanical breakdowns, qualifying failures, and COVID-related rule chaos.
  • Example of tenacity: Finding loopholes to get into races when qualifying was rained out (“I was in the shop telling him I can’t qualify…Jordan came up with that plan…that’s a great idea.” – Bommarito, 31:42)
• Evolving Partnership
  • “Let’s roll that into you becoming a partner with me on the team…because at that point, this thing is going to be bigger than anything.” (Jordan, 29:09)

5. Life Lessons: Resilience, Handling Problems, and Sustaining Success

• Handling Setbacks and Stress
  • Kenny compares racing’s emotional lows to spiritual challenges: “Competition will kill you…when I missed those races, I was demoralized.” (Wallace, 35:36)
  • Jordan: “This sport…you never really get comfortable…I’m never happy—I’m never content—I’m always trying to get better.” (Jordan, 38:07)
• Mentorship Approach
  • “My dad always told me: treat people as you want to be treated…and the best thing you can do for people is give them a job, not money.” (Bommarito, 20:25)
  • “As you get older, your tolerance gets higher. What you get better at is how you handle [problems] and how quick you handle it…” (Bommarito, 45:10)

6. Community, Local Roots & Partnering with Sponsors

• St. Louis Pride & Local Sponsors
  • All three JAR cars (Anderson, Jeb Burton, Blaine Perkins) supported by St. Louis-based companies at WWTR’s Xfinity race (Volpe Foods, Under Law, Bommarito Automotive).
    • “To pull that off…three St. Louis companies there riding around the track…that’s a big deal.” (Jordan, 49:19)
  • Sponsors become “part of the family,” attending races, sharing dinners, and immersing in the sport.
• Racing’s Resurgence
  • “Attendance was down [years ago]…our sport is definitely riding a wave this year.” (Jordan, 51:16)
  • Xfinity’s TV viewership climbing, giving the series new prominence.

7. Recent Success & Looking Forward

• All JAR Cars in Top 10 at Portland (54:03–58:40)
  • Huge milestone: “That’s when you know the time and effort we put in is really starting to come to fruition.” (Bommarito, 54:03)
  • “That wasn’t like a oops, we lucked into it—this is the new level that we expect.” (Jordan, 56:34)
  • Foundation-building approach: grow slow and steady, invest wisely, and build team culture and depth.
• Future Vision
  • Looking at alliances, attracting new drivers, making the third car a development pipeline.
  • “We’ve done it the old-school way, year by year, slow and steady…and when you have a day like you had in Portland…this is fun.” (Jordan, 58:40)

NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• On Authentic Sponsorships:
  “When people say ‘just go ask for money’, I say, NO. Create a relationship. Tell them how you can help sell cars.”
  — Kenny Wallace, 22:20

• On Handling Adversity:
  “The same things are going to happen that are happening today…what you get better at is how you handle it and how quick you handle it because you already know the answer.”
  — John Bommarito, 45:10

• On Partnership:
  “It went from me being Jordan Anderson, the race car driver, to ‘hey, this thing is going to be bigger than anything.’”
  — Jordan Anderson, 29:09

• On Setting Expectations:
  "That wasn’t like a oops, we lucked into it—no, you guys fought hard for this. This is the new level that we expect now.”
  — Jordan Anderson, 56:34

• On Legacy:
  “If anything, I hope the journey of our race team inspires…the next generation of race car drivers and future team owners out there…If you work hard, stay persistent…and have some faith, you can achieve a lot of amazing things.”
  — Jordan Anderson, 61:50

TIMESTAMPS FOR IMPORTANT SEGMENTS

• [03:21] — John Bommarito on the family’s automotive history, early steps into racing sponsorship.
• [05:41] — Jordan Anderson recounts meeting John, early sponsorships, and struggles making ends meet.
• [09:24] — John Bommarito reveals his process for testing the racing industry waters and what impressed him about Jordan.
• [16:41] — Jordan discusses how John challenged him to run the team with a business plan and present an organized budget.
• [25:53] — Lessons from Dick Dyer: “Go for more” and grassroots sponsorship wisdom.
• [29:09] — The pivotal evolution from single driver/owner to full partnership and scaling the team.
• [31:42] — Handling a qualifying catastrophe, leveraging big-league relationships, and learning to navigate NASCAR’s nuances.
• [45:10] — John’s advice on patience and problem solving in business and racing.
• [49:19] — The significance of St. Louis-based sponsors and building local, community-based partnerships.
• [54:03] — Both guests reflect on the pride of having multiple cars in the top ten at Portland and the meaning behind it.
• [61:50] — Jordan’s closing thoughts on the importance of perseverance and faith in chasing racing dreams.

FINAL TAKEAWAYS

• The show is a template for how genuine relationships—based on mutual respect, shared adversity, and constant mentorship—can enable both personal and organizational growth.
• Business acumen (“See the math!”) and perseverance (“never content”) are as crucial to racing success as raw talent or speed.
• Success is a process—a measured progression of grinding, learning, and building a foundation instead of gambling big on short-term results.
• For the next generation: don’t just chase sponsorship dollars; build relationships, serve your partners’ goals, and present yourself and your operation with professionalism.

For fans, racers, or anyone interested in what it takes to build something real out of passion, hustle, and partnership, this conversation is essential listening.