Will Turner and Turner Motorsports are a staple of the current sportscar landscape. Beginning his business by literally selling brake kits out of his trunk, Will has gone from a one-man band in club racing to becoming one of the strongest competitors in current GT racing. As a true customer-driven and independent team, Turner Motorsports is now known as the USA’s premier BMW race team, in addition to an incredibly successful aftermarket parts business. Dinner was served at Casa Tequila in Seabrook, NH. To be clear, we just wrote New Hampshire. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.
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Rob Dyson and Dyson Racing have served as one of the longest-running and influential independent racing teams for the last four decades. While having run in Trans-Am and even IndyCar, Dyson Racing’s most known for it’s long list of prototype entries, campaigning everything from the Porsche 962 to the famed Riley & Scott, to everything in between. Rob comes from a long line of astute businessmen, and his acumen outside of the track has served him well both in the sport and outside. Lunch was served at the Millbrook Golf and Tennis Club in Millbrook, NY. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.
If you think the name Skip Barber begins and ends with his famous racing school, then you should definitely listen to this podcast. The famed Skip Barber Racing School was never Skip’s intention when his racing career began, where he achieved a lot of impressive statistics in his own right. Driving sports cars and even Formula One, Skip drove against many of the legends, before finally settling in to the day-to-day of the country’s premier racing school. The path of the school itself has also not been as straightforward as one might think, including the fact that he’s had no involvement in the assorted iterations of the school in several years. Dinner was served at the Interlaken Inn in Lakeville, CT. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.
Sam Posey has had one of the most diverse careers in road racing. Growing up in a very different environment from most racers of his era, Sam’s career became most known when he joined Roger Penske’s team in the famed Can-Am series, where as a driver he went on to compete in all of the most famed sportscar races, and even the Indy 500. Most people also know him for his on-air personna as well, working alongside Paul Page and Bobby Unser on ABC, and writing his infamous show and segment opens. Lunch was provided by JP Gifford’s Cafe in Sharon, CT, and eaten in Sam’s personal art studio. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.
Boris Said likely doesn’t need an introduction, but he’s one of sport’s most beloved road racers. Self-made, Boris worked his way through the club ranks toward earning a seat with Tom Milner and PTG, one of the most well known sportscar teams in the history of the sport. This set him on one of the most diverse paths of any driver, winning in Trans-Am, IMSA, Grand-Am, and later becoming known as a NASCAR road course ringer. He’s also known for not holding back on his opinion, which given his size… not a lot of people would argue with him. Dinner was served at Taste of Thai in Del Mar, CA. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.
Geoff Bodine is one of NASCAR’s great characters from the 1980’s through the 2000’s. A winner of the Daytona 500, Geoff was the first driver to get Rich Hendrick a win, beginning the dynasty that we know today. Competing with the best of them, Geoff’s story didn’t stop behind the wheel, serving as a cautionary tale toward team ownership, having taken over Alan Kulwicki’s team after his passing, suffering a massive accident in the NASCAR Truck Series, and even spearheading a gold medal-winning bobsled project. If you like these stories, you should also check out our Tim Richmond episode, where Geoff tells even more stories. Dinner was served at Slack Tide in Grant, Fl. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.
“Texas Terry” Labonte is a NASCAR Hall of Fame driver, having competed in what many would consider one of NASCAR’s golden eras. One of Dale Earnhardt’s main rivals throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, Terry would win two NASCAR championships, serving as one of Rick Hendrick’s premier drivers throughout the team’s growth towards becoming NASCAR’s top team. Known for his calm demeanor and easy-going personality, the calm nature of TerBear becomes instantly apparent. Also, if you like this, you might enjoy him in our Tim Richmond tribute as well. Lunch was served at The Smoke Pit in Salisbury, NC. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.
Morgan Shepherd is one of the longest-running staples in NASCAR history. As a driver, Morgan ran with some of the biggest legends throughout the 1970’s, 80’s, 90’s, all the way to today. In fact, he’s STILL out there driving, currently the oldest active driver in the series, competing with his own team in the Xfinity ranks. A unique character off the track, Morgan is synonymous with roller skating, owning a menagerie of odd pets, and a strong personal faith. Lunch was served at Four Peas in a Pod in Conover, NC. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.
Tim Richmond is one of NASCAR’s most legendary and controversial characters. Considered an icon of the 1980s, his actual biography has been well documented over the years, but unfortunately, much of the attention has been on his death and fallout with NASCAR. What this has covered over is some of the funnier legends about Tim, MOST NOTABLY “The Poster,” an incident from 1987 that no two people have the same opinion on. You can see the full story on our new Amazon Prime series, or check out the extended interviews in this episode, with journalists Deb Williams and Tom Jensen setting up the background of the story. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.
Kerrigan Smith is a known entity within the sportscar paddock because he’s served so many roles over the course of so many years, so to see him elevated to the role of track president, as a true racer, makes him easy to root for. Originally brought on as a manager, Kerrigan’s leadership, ability to work with a team, yet also be incredibly hands-on and not above any job, makes him uniquely suited to take on the duties as VIR’s track President. This episode is specifically tailored to anyone who wants to know more about the day-to-day of running a road course. You can see the full story on our new Amazon Prime series but listen to his extended interview here. Dinner was served at the South Course timing tower, provided by Aunt Millie’s Pizza. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.
While VIRginia International Raceway as we know it may have been resurrected with the initiative of Harvey Siegel, the actual implementation wouldn’t have been possible without the boots-on-the-ground, no BS attitude of Connie Nyholm. Finding her success in New York Real Estate, Connie grew up just a few miles away from VIR, providing an understanding of local culture, as well as connections, to establish the credibility that a couple of “outsiders” would need to make it happen. 20 years after breaking ground, Connie is now the owner of the track, but still very involved in the day-to-day operation. You can see the full story on our new Amazon Prime series but listen to her extended interview here. Dinner was served at the Oak Tree Tavern, located inside of VIRginia International Raceway. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.
VIRginia International Raceway as we know it today, simply wouldn’t exist without the initiative of Harvey Siegel. A lifelong vintage racer who found great success in New York Real Estate, Harvey combined his passions to resurrect the legendary track that originally shut down in 1974. As a self-described “Jewish Boy from New York,” trying to convince the locals of Alton, Virginia that rebuilding the historic track some 20 years later was in the best interest of the community was a unique process, and one uniquely suited to this quirky character, You can see the full story on our new Amazon Prime series, but listen to his extended interview here. Lunch was served at the Tewksbury Inn in Oldwick, NJ, courtesy of course of Continental Tire and Acura.
As already announced, we’re on AMAZON PRIME!! The soon-to-be-release Episode Three is called “The Animated Adventures of Uncle Bobby,” which speaks for itself. Following up from our 2018 recording, we sat down with national treasure Bobby Unser for a second time in 2019, this time with the sole focus of hearing crazy stories best suited for a cartoon series. Here is the same recording, with less editing….
Smokey Yunick is an absolute legend of not only motorsports, but the automotive sector as a whole. A multi-time champion of the NASCAR Cup series as crew chief/team owner, and a guy who built some of the most innovate IndyCars and stock cars in the sport, Smokey’s legend isn’t one that comes from the record books. He’s heralded as not only of the greatest inventors, but with the character to match. Brash and unapologetic, Smokey’s fallout with NASCAR is a thing of folklore, which produced one of the greatest “rule bending” race cars of all time. The second part of our series, you’ve heard his biography from Trish, now hear the stories from his peers: Ray Evernham, Bobby Unser, Bobby Allison and Don Garlits.
Nuff people say well you know they can’t believe…. JAMAICA WE HAVE A BOBSLED TEAM. If you know this song, then you don’t need to read any further, just hit play. As part of our first episode of the new Amazon Prime series, during our visit to Jamaica we decided to venture away from the race track, and meet a couple amazing racers in their own right. Carrie Russell and Audra Segree have both made history, being part of the first female bobsled effort for the country. Carrie started as brakeman (woman?) and is now the driver, and Audra competes in skeleton, literally going headfirst at record speeds. It didn’t take long to figure out that racers are racers, and we share a similar set of vales and experiences.
Dave Despain is one of the most beloved on-air personalities for anyone who follows American racing. An unapologetic motorcycle lover, Dave began his career as a local AM radio DJ, who somehow managed to work his way in to broadcast television, all the way to becoming the host of many popular US motorsport shows, including a favorite of Ryan and Sean’s, “Saturday Night Thunder,” and then his most famous gig, Wind Tunnel. Beyond being a state of the sport and one of the most known pro’s, he’s managed to balance the line between being professional and respected without ever losing his edge as an almost counter-culture motorsport icon.
Todd Bodine is one of the more endearing personalities in NASCAR, so he seemed an obvious choice to call up when we passed through North Carolina. Part of the famous Bodine family, Todd started his career as a mechanic, then a race-winning Crew Chief, and then a driver who rose all the way to the Cup ranks. As a driver, he’s perhaps most known as a multi-time champion of the NASCAR Truck Series, and then currently enjoys his time as a television analyst and overall ambassador of the sport.
Chances are you already know the name, but it when it comes to legends of NASCAR, Bobby Allison is about as big as they come. Often known as the one guy who could take it to The King himself, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison led the “Alabama Gang” in to the premier levels of NASCAR in its infancy, winning three Daytona 500’s and one championship along the way. Oh yeah, and he’s in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, so there’s that.
Dennis Aase may note be a household name outside of the sportscar paddock, but that’s exactly why we wanted to spend some time with him. A racer’s racer, Dennis is one of the few who was both a pro driver and a businessman, but not the traditional gentleman driver as we know it. Good enough to be a factory Toyota racer with Dan Gurney throughout the 1980’s, Dennis never took his eye off the business side of it, forming both Aase Brothers and Aasco, two of the most known performance shops known in Southern California. He’s a gritty, no BS guy, and a throwback to what makes the heyday of sportscar so great.
Linda Vaughn is an icon of the sport, with a brand all to herself. While she’s known as the original “Miss Hurst Golden Shifter,” racing history will remember her as the first woman to really expand on the concept of a brand model. A signature of the sport throughout the last five decades, Linda has stories of hanging out with all the greats, and comes from a unique place to discuss the history of the track model and the evolution to today’s climate. Dinner was served at the Wind & Sea restaurant in Dana Point, California with the music of Butterscotch Stanley taking us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great car.
UNCLE BOBBY!!!
WE GOT AN ASTRONAUT!! One of our most unique “racers” in the show’s history, Drew Feustel is a lifelong racer and car guy who in his younger years raced karts competitively, went on to work in restoration (specifically with Jaguar), meanwhile went on to pursue his “other” dream of one day going to space after he received his PhD in seismology. In racing, you might know him as the “space photo guy,” as the internet was blessed this year with a number of race track photographs taken directly from the International Space Station by Drew himself. He’s done three tours in space, including a recent six month run as the Commander of the ISS, in which he’d literally been on the ground for nine days when he met with us. Lunch was served at French’s in Houston, TX with the music of Ben Justus taking us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great car.
Decal. Just listen. Dinner was served at Don Julio’s in Tampa, FL, with the music of Armen Balyan taking us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great car.
Steve Gough is one of the unsung heroes of motorsport, having been a lifelong mechanic who has seen no shortage of major wins. From McLaren F1 in the 1980’s heydays, to Chip Ganassi Racing during their reign in ChampCar and IndyCar, to now an instrumental part of the HPD family, Steve has been a crew chief on an Indy 500 winning car, been part of multiple F1 World Championships, and is just a guy who has seen it all…. without EVER calling attention to himself. Lunch was served at Harbor City Diner in Melbourne, FL, with the music of Station taking us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great car.