DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — At Daytona International Speedway, the energy starts long before the green flag goes down.

For team owner Matt Kaulig, race week is about far more than watching cars circle the track. It's about the months of preparation, the countless people behind the scenes, and the dream of building a NASCAR team capable of winning on the sport’s biggest stage.

That competitive spirit has been a constant throughout Kaulig's life. He was once a quarterback at the University of Akron before turning to business, where he launched LeafFilter in his basement and grew it into a billion-dollar company. That success gave him the means to chase another passion: racing.

For Kaulig, the drive to win is no different, whether it's business or motorsports.

"If it was LeafFilter, it's like

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