Who is the Miss Hurst Golden Shifter?
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.
Who is Dennis Aase?
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. Breakfast was served at The Original Pancake House in Orange, California 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.
Who is Bobby Allison?
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. Lunch was served at The Midway Boathouse Grill in Mooresville, North Carolina, with the music of Charles Mancini taking us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great car.
Who is Dave Despain?
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. Dinner was served at The Station in Athens, Georgia, 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.
Who is Smokey Yunick?
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. Hear the biography of Smokey from the person who not only managed the process of getting his book written, but was also raised by him… his daughter Trish.
Who is Harvey Siegel?
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.
Who is the track president of VIR?
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.
