The Scene Vault Podcast

Rick Houston

At The Scene Vault Podcast, we're all about NASCAR history, all the time. Our interview guests shed new light on their lives and careers each and every week, and hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid draw on their long careers in and around the sport to provide expert analysis and commentary. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 6 a.m. Eastern. read less
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Episode 237 -- Butch Hylton on Chad Knaus, Scuffle with Jeff Burton
5d ago
Episode 237 -- Butch Hylton on Chad Knaus, Scuffle with Jeff Burton
Butch Hylton was a longtime crew member and crew chief for drivers like Stanley Smith, Ward Burton, Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, Ricky Rudd, Dale Jarrett, Ron Hornaday and Kevin Harvick.  This week in the first of what will be three GREAT installments of our interview with Butch, he talks about moving from here to there to back again and finally to North Carolina as he tries to make his way up the NASCAR ladder; his friendship with future NASCAR Hall of Famer Chad Knaus; a 212-mph test with Ward Burton; taping his thumb to his air gun in order to keep working after an injury; an all-out scuffle with Roush Racing teammate JEFF Burton and then, finally, his time with brash youngster Tony Stewart. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid check out the May 29, 1997 issue of Winston Cup Scene.  Jeff Gordon wins a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, his FIFTH win in just eleven races to that point in the season. Ford teams got a rules concession because of Wonder Boy’s dominance. This all comes just a week after the one and only appearance of Ray Evernham’s infamous T-Rex race car. Joe Nemechek wins Charlotte’s Busch Series race, just two months after losing his brother John as the result of a truck series accident at Homestead and Tony Raines gives Dodge its first major NASCAR win in twenty years in a truck race at I-70 Speedway in Missouri. Dave Marcis keeps right on fishing after injuring his hand and Robby Gordon’s attempt at the Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte same-day double duty gets washed out. NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Be sure to check out the latest and greatest stories from the world of NASCAR at dailydownforce.com! Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 237 -- Butch Hylton on Chad Knaus, Scuffle with Jeff Burton
5d ago
Episode 237 -- Butch Hylton on Chad Knaus, Scuffle with Jeff Burton
Butch Hylton was a longtime crew member and crew chief for drivers like Stanley Smith, Ward Burton, Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, Ricky Rudd, Dale Jarrett, Ron Hornaday and Kevin Harvick.  This week in the first of what will be three GREAT installments of our interview with Butch, he talks about moving from here to there to back again and finally to North Carolina as he tries to make his way up the NASCAR ladder; his friendship with future NASCAR Hall of Famer Chad Knaus; a 212-mph test with Ward Burton; taping his thumb to his air gun in order to keep working after an injury; an all-out scuffle with Roush Racing teammate JEFF Burton and then, finally, his time with brash youngster Tony Stewart. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid check out the May 29, 1997 issue of Winston Cup Scene.  Jeff Gordon wins a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, his FIFTH win in just eleven races to that point in the season. Ford teams got a rules concession because of Wonder Boy’s dominance. This all comes just a week after the one and only appearance of Ray Evernham’s infamous T-Rex race car. Joe Nemechek wins Charlotte’s Busch Series race, just two months after losing his brother John as the result of a truck series accident at Homestead and Tony Raines gives Dodge its first major NASCAR win in twenty years in a truck race at I-70 Speedway in Missouri. Dave Marcis keeps right on fishing after injuring his hand and Robby Gordon’s attempt at the Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte same-day double duty gets washed out. NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Be sure to check out the latest and greatest stories from the world of NASCAR at dailydownforce.com! Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 236 -- Robin Pemberton on Alan Kulwicki, NASCAR Ground Zero, Leaving the Sport
15-03-2023
Episode 236 -- Robin Pemberton on Alan Kulwicki, NASCAR Ground Zero, Leaving the Sport
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK! We're now part of The Daily Downforce NASCAR content hub! Be sure to check it out via The Daily Downforce! This week in the third and final installment of our interview, Robin Pemberton talks about how Alan Kulwicki and his business model impacted his tenure at Sabco Racing, his years with Rusty Wallace and Penske Racing, how some of the decisions he made while working with NASCAR played into some of his personal relationships in the garage and, finally, parting ways with the sanctioning body. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid tackle the February 22, 2007 issue of NASCAR Scene. The two big stories? The BIG penalties handed down by NASCAR to five different teams and a controversial finish between Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin in the Daytona 500. NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out www.thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 235 -- Robin Pemberton on Burning Candle at Both Ends, Richmond Clash With NASCAR
08-03-2023
Episode 235 -- Robin Pemberton on Burning Candle at Both Ends, Richmond Clash With NASCAR
Due to the chaos of the mother of all road trips, we’re going with a little bit of an abbreviated episode and eliminating the Scene Issue of the Week segment this week. In the second installment of our interview with Robin Pemberton, he talks us through the hectic early days of Roush Racing and the killer hours he had to keep in the wake of an unexpected announcement of a full schedule in 1988. We then move on to the devastation left by a NASCAR penalty following the team’s win at Richmond in early 1990, a decision to use a Robert Yates Racing car and engine in that year’s season finale and the uproar caused by a botched pit stop at Atlanta early the next season. NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 234 -- Robin Pemberton on Nosy Reporters, 1985 Firecracker 400 Debacle and Roush Racing Genesis
01-03-2023
Episode 234 -- Robin Pemberton on Nosy Reporters, 1985 Firecracker 400 Debacle and Roush Racing Genesis
In the first of what will be three installments of our interview with Robin Pemberton, he talks about getting into the sport in upstate New York, and more importantly, getting to know the people who would help guide him down south and into a career in the Winston Cup garage. Once he was there, he found himself at Ground Zero of two of the biggest controversies in NASCAR history. He was Richard Petty’s co-crew chief during the infamous Charlotte race weekend in the fall of 1983, and he was Bobby Allison’s pit boss when their DiGard Racing teammates Greg Sacks and Gary Nelson won at Daytona in the summer of 1985. And then … he gets a phone call from Jack Roush. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the October 8, 1981 issue of Grand National Scene. Darrell Waltrip dominates after Richard Petty gets taken out by an idiot at North Wilkesboro and Harry Gant blows an engine. Dale Earnhardt scores a momentous top-five finish for new car owner Richard Childress. Sharon Petty plans her wedding to Terry Farlow around the NASCAR season, a predicament MANY people in the garage are familiar with. Harry Gant fights with a commercial director over proper pronunciation … and checks in with a psychic to see if he can get any help breaking into victory lane … and his sponsor US Tobacco goes to war with Charlotte Motor Speedway and RJ Reynolds. NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out www.thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 233 -- L.W. Wright Series Reaction with Eric Estepp
22-02-2023
Episode 233 -- L.W. Wright Series Reaction with Eric Estepp
In this special episode in conjunction with Eric Estepp and his Out of the Groove YouTube channel, The Scene Vault Podcast hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid discuss their two-part breaking news story on the legend of L.W. Wright and his recent arrest.  NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 232 -- The NASCAR Zoo Plane and Martinsville Fist Fights
15-02-2023
Episode 232 -- The NASCAR Zoo Plane and Martinsville Fist Fights
In the third and final installment of our interview with Steve Dluzniewski, we get the low down from Duze on the zoo plane … the infamous raceday express … and a fist fight that HE instigated between the Craftsman Truck Series crews of Kyle Busch and Johnny Benson. Duze’s birthday is July 12, so hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid throw it back to the July 12, 1979 issue of Grand National Scene. Neil Bonnett wins on a brutally hot day at Daytona for the Wood Brothers, a team that had parted ways with David Pearson earlier in the season. Finally, Rick responds to discussion of his L.W. Wright interview on a high-profile podcast last week. Yeah ... it was him and ... yes ... the right questions were asked. Period. End of discussion. NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 231 -- Duze's Purple-Carpeted Toolbox and Jimmy Horton's Wild Ride
08-02-2023
Episode 231 -- Duze's Purple-Carpeted Toolbox and Jimmy Horton's Wild Ride
NOTE: Be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform!  In the second installment of our larger-than-life interview with Steve Dluzniewski, the Duze talks about his love for music, his purple-carpeted toolbox, his adventurous move South to seek his fame and fortune in big-time automobile racing and one of the most infamous wrecks in NASCAR history … Jimmy “Air” Horton’s tumble over the wall at Talladega. For our second segment, we’re going to do things a little differently. Rather than paging through an old issue of Grand National/Winston Cup Scene, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into their own personal memory banks to discuss the 1993 DieHard 500 at Talladega. That event featured the return of Robert Yates Racing following the tragic loss of Davey Allison; Neil Bonnett's return to competition and a subsequent tumble through the trioval; a multicar crash that saw Jimmy Horton flip completely over the outside retaining wall and Stanley Smith critically injured; and ... finally ... a paper-thin margin of victory by Dale Earnhardt over Ernie Irvan. NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 230 -- Paying His Duze ... Steve Dluzniewski on Short-Track Racing and Modified Icon Richie Evans
02-02-2023
Episode 230 -- Paying His Duze ... Steve Dluzniewski on Short-Track Racing and Modified Icon Richie Evans
NOTE: Following the hiccup with the release of last week's episode, please make sure you're still subscribed to our show on your podcast platform of choice.  Buckle up … because we come barreling out of the gate in the first of what will be three installments of our interview with the legendary crew member Steve Dluzniewski and NEVER slow down. The man known far and wide in racing circles as Duze tells us about his upbringing in the sport and his own short … but memorable … turn behind the wheel of a race car. And just when you think it’s safe, Duze remembers his job as a bus driver into … and out of … both BAH-ston AND New York City. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid tackle the July 24, 1997 issue of Winston Cup Scene Dale Jarrett drives his Robert Yates Racing Ford to a dominant victory at Pocono, leaving Jeff Gordon’s Chevrolet in the dust as he does so. Felix Sabates’ good-luck charms do NOT work in the event, while Ward Burton continues his recuperation from a brutal crash earlier in the month at Daytona. There’s a brilliant reprinted column by the late Joe Whitlock on his long-ago encounter with a young Kyle Petty seeking A LOT of tickets for the World 600, a column on up-and-coming young Dale Earnhardt Jr., a Photo Bio AND column on Duze and, finally, a letter to the editor from a former Maxx Race Cards employee in response to the recent destruction of 18 MILLION cards due to the company’s bankruptcy filing. NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 230 -- Paying His Duze ... Steve Dluzniewski on Short-Track Racing and Modified Icon Richie Evans
01-02-2023
Episode 230 -- Paying His Duze ... Steve Dluzniewski on Short-Track Racing and Modified Icon Richie Evans
NOTE: Following the hiccup with the release of last week's episode, please make sure you're still subscribed to our show on your podcast platform of choice.  Buckle up … because we come barreling out of the gate in the first of what will be three installments of our interview with the legendary crew member Steve Dluzniewski and NEVER slow down. The man known far and wide in racing circles as Duze tells us about his upbringing in the sport and his own short … but memorable … turn behind the wheel of a race car. And just when you think it’s safe, Duze remembers his job as a bus driver into … and out of … both BAH-ston AND New York City. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid tackle the July 24, 1997 issue of Winston Cup Scene Dale Jarrett drives his Robert Yates Racing Ford to a dominant victory at Pocono, leaving Jeff Gordon’s Chevrolet in the dust as he does so. Felix Sabates’ good-luck charms do NOT work in the event, while Ward Burton continues his recuperation from a brutal crash earlier in the month at Daytona. There’s a brilliant reprinted column by the late Joe Whitlock on his long-ago encounter with a young Kyle Petty seeking A LOT of tickets for the World 600, a column on up-and-coming young Dale Earnhardt Jr., a Photo Bio AND column on Duze and, finally, a letter to the editor from a former Maxx Race Cards employee in response to the recent destruction of 18 MILLION cards due to the company’s bankruptcy filing. NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 229 -- Ritchie, Mark and Timmy Petty on Their Dad Maurice's NASCAR Legacy
25-01-2023
Episode 229 -- Ritchie, Mark and Timmy Petty on Their Dad Maurice's NASCAR Legacy
After a quick update on his recuperation from the man, the myth, the legend himself, Tony "Rambo" Liberati, Ritchie, Mark and Timmy Petty talk about the devastating impact of Adam Petty’s accident, the growth and subsequent slowdown of the engine program at Maurice Petty and Associates and what they’re all doing today. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the October 22, 1981 issue of Grand National Scene.  Dale Earnhardt signs to drive for Bud Moore, after considering an offer from Harry Ranier. Not only that … but Dale also has a dream day while out in the woods hunting. David Ifft gets fired by M.C. Anderson and the rumor mill is in full swing about where Bobby Allison will end up in 1982 and a possible two-car team for drivers Tim Richmond and David Pearson. There are features on Buddy Arrington, ESPN doing its first live, flag-to-flag broadcast of the upcoming race at Atlanta AND Maurice Petty returning to the track for the first time in a few months. NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 228 -- Ritchie, Mark and Timmy Petty on Impact of 1983 Charlotte Controversy
11-01-2023
Episode 228 -- Ritchie, Mark and Timmy Petty on Impact of 1983 Charlotte Controversy
If you thought last week’s segment was good, just wait until you hear what Ritchie, Mark and Timmy Petty have to say in this week’s episode. They discuss the powerful bond that existed between Richard and Maurice, and the work they put into building Petty Enterprises into the dynasty it eventually became. Then ... the 1983 fall race weekend at Charlotte was one of the most controversial moments in the 75-year history of NASCAR. Maurice Petty was directly involved … and very much impacted … by what took place. In a very real sense, it was his own sons’ careers in the sport that helped Maurice begin to heal. Finally, Richie Petty takes us through the infamous 1993 accident in Talladega during which Jimmy Horton flipped completely over his car and over the wall, out of the ballpark. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the February 28, 1985 issue of Grand National Scene Maurice Petty gives some pretty straight forward answers about his efforts to keep Petty Enterprises going. Dale Earnhardt wins at Richmond, in a race that was impacted by a new tire rule and mutilated guardrails.  There’s a feature on Daytona’s Winston Cup rookie meeting, a beautiful column by Joe Whitlock and a halfway decent one by Steve Waid. NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting this show via: patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 227 -- Ritchie, Mark and Timmy Petty on Their Family's Stunning NASCAR Legacy
04-01-2023
Episode 227 -- Ritchie, Mark and Timmy Petty on Their Family's Stunning NASCAR Legacy
We’re getting 2023 started off with a bang, with the first of what will be THREE installments with Ritchie, Mark and Timmy … Maurice Petty’s sons.They’ll take us through what it was like to grow up as part of one of NASCAR’s most famous families and the standards they were expected to live up to. Let’s put it this way … you did NOT mess with Lee Petty’s putting green. At all. Period. End of discussion.Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig through the October 4, 1979 issue of Grand National Scene.Rain washes out the race at North Wilkesboro, but not Dale Earnhardt’s track record qualifying effort. We’ve got features on Richard Petty’s 800th NASCAR start and crew chief Bob Johnson, as well as a letter to the editor from a rival crew chief FURIOUS with Darrell Waltrip and a Gene Granger dreaming about the perfect cast for a NASCAR movie.Just wait until you hear who Gene picked to play Steve! NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts?Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!Please consider supporting this show via:patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcastpaypal.me/thescenevaultpodcastvenmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 226 -- David Ifft, John Dodson and Pete Wright ... MASTER Storytellers, Part Two
14-12-2022
Episode 226 -- David Ifft, John Dodson and Pete Wright ... MASTER Storytellers, Part Two
This week, we’ve got the conclusion to our EPIC conversation with John Dodson, Pete Wright and David Ifft … and they kept telling stories with a full head of steam, just like last week.They remember their welcome-to-NASCAR and most embarrassing moments, life on the road away from family, MORE stretching-the-rulebook stories and SO much more.NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!Please consider supporting this show via:patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcastpaypal.me/thescenevaultpodcastvenmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 225 -- David Ifft, John Dodson and Pete Wright ... Master NASCAR Story Tellers
07-12-2022
Episode 225 -- David Ifft, John Dodson and Pete Wright ... Master NASCAR Story Tellers
David Ifft, John Dodson and Pete Wright ... this was an all-star cast of some of the best storytellers we’ve had so far on the show.You ever hear the old saying where people wonder what it would be like to be a fly on the wall of the garage? Well … that’s what this was. They were just three longtime friends and co-workers sitting around a table reminiscing and telling stories.What kinds of stories did they share this week? We’ve got stories about Delma Cowart, MORE nitrous oxide stories about at least one three-time Winston Cup champion and another involving a team that won three DAYTONA 500s.We’ve got lead wheels, motorized movable weight within the frame rails, some sort camera-mounted laser that could trip a qualifying timer light, a NASCAR template that was secretly cut by a team to fit ITS car and nobody else’s … and according to one of our storytellers … flat-out bribery.Last but not least … we have fish guts, and plenty of 'em.NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!Please consider supporting this show via:patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcastpaypal.me/thescenevaultpodcastvenmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 224 -- Robert Pressley on Winston Cup See-Saw, Daytona Truck Win
30-11-2022
Episode 224 -- Robert Pressley on Winston Cup See-Saw, Daytona Truck Win
In the third and final installment of our interview, Robert Pressley takes us through the see-saw world of the Winston Cup division. A conversation with Bobby Hamilton led him to the truck series, a decision that eventually landed him in victory lane at Daytona following the 2002 season opener.Still more career uncertainty brought about his decision to step away from the seat and enjoy retirement. Now … his life is all about hot dogs, politics and his family.Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then take a deep dive into the February 21, 2002 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Ward Burton gets a win in the Daytona 500 … Dale Earnhardt Jr. drives a Richard Childress Racing number 3 Chevrolet to victory in Daytona’s Busch Series race … and Robert Pressley makes a splashy truck series debut.Dave Marcis celebrates his final Winston Cup start, while both Joe Gibbs and Winston Cup Scene photographer Larry McTighe very narrowly escape disaster.NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!Please consider supporting this show via:patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcastpaypal.me/thescenevaultpodcastvenmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 223 -- Robert Pressley on Michael Waltrip's Bristol Crash, Beating and Then Replacing Harry Gant
23-11-2022
Episode 223 -- Robert Pressley on Michael Waltrip's Bristol Crash, Beating and Then Replacing Harry Gant
In the second of our three installments with Robert Pressley, he and Michael Waltrip get together to trigger one of the most infamous crashes in NASCAR history and an IMPRESSIVE stare-down minutes later.Robert then pulls off a last-lap pass of Harry Gant to win at Darlington, after an impromptu rain-delay tutorial from the one and only David Pearson the day before. Finally, Robert takes us through the palace intrigue that EVENTUALLY led to him REPLACING Harry Gant in Leo Jackson’s Skoal-sponsored Chevrolet.In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dissect the April 2, 1992 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Bill Elliott wins his fourth-straight race of the very young 1992 Winston Cup season at Darlington, after Harry Gant and his team try a strategy move that doesn’t quite pan out. And speaking of Harry, Robert Pressley makes a thrilling last-lap pass on the Bandit to capture in The Lady in Black’s Busch Series race.Kenny Wallace has to dodge a HUGE inflatable beer can during Busch Series qualifying. Steve Waid gets his picture in the paper … AGAIN … during the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame’s grand re-opening. EVERYBODY’S going after Richard Petty fan appreciation cars … including thieves.Corey LaJoie makes his first national appearance in a racing publication, and finally, Alan Kulwicki talks on the telephone.NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!Please consider supporting this show via:patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcastpaypal.me/thescenevaultpodcastvenmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 222 -- Robert Pressley on Battles with Dad, Going Busch Racing with Brad Daugherty
16-11-2022
Episode 222 -- Robert Pressley on Battles with Dad, Going Busch Racing with Brad Daugherty
Just one quick note before we begin ... pace car? Did somebody say PACE CAR?!?In the first of what will be three blockbuster installments, Robert Pressley talks about the role moonshine played on racing in and around his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. The son of local stock-car legend Bob Pressley, Robert also remembers his father’s many on- and off-track confrontations and the impact they had on his own driving career.Robert then takes us through a chance meeting with future NBA superstar and current NASCAR on NBC analyst Brad Daugherty, as well as the relationship they forged on the way up the racing ladder.Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the August 17, 1989 newly renamed WINSTON CUP Scene.For the second week in a row, we’ll take a look at a Rusty Wallace victory at Watkins Glen … but this one is MUCH different than the one we discussed in last week’s episode. Rusty scored the win despite several issues that day, including a lawsuit he’d filed recently against team owner Raymond Beadle.Darrell Waltrip’s tire carrier was struck on pit road by Dale Earnhardt and fellow future NASCAR Hall of Famer Ray Evernham works either his first or ONE OF HIS FIRST races as a Winston Cup crew chief. Tom Cruise is at the track, supposedly thinking about a movie based on NASCAR.Robert Pressley beats Tommy Houston and Tommy Ellis at Orange County to collect the first win of his Busch Series career. Winston Cup Director Dick Beaty shows his humorous side with a practical joke or two and Joe Whitlock shows us once again why he was the greatest writer ever to step foot in a NASCAR media center.NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!Please consider supporting this show via:patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcastpaypal.me/thescenevaultpodcastvenmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 221 -- Larry Pollard on Surviving a Basal Skull Fracture, Learning to Live Again
09-11-2022
Episode 221 -- Larry Pollard on Surviving a Basal Skull Fracture, Learning to Live Again
In the third and final installment of our interview with Larry Pollard, he talks about the up-and-down world of being a NASCAR Busch Series race-car driver. He WINS … but finds himself in and out of a couple of rides.And THAT was before he became one of a very few people in the sport to survive a devastating basal skull fracture, an injury he sustained while filling in for his injured then-father-in-law, Harry Gant.He takes us through the painful and frustrating journey to becoming Larry Pollard again, as well as the enjoyment he finds now in building gears for Late Model racers across the country.Co-hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then take a long look at the August 13, 1987 issue of Grand National Scene. Rusty Wallace is forced to the pits for a VERY late splash of gas, but still scores the win at Watkins Glen. Larry Pollard wins the Busch Series race at Langley Speedway, but you could barely tell it from the coverage the event received in this issue.The hauler carrying Davey Allison’s cars and three crew members was involved in a serious accident as it neared Watkins Glen. Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott show up on NBC’s The Today Show, but Dale isn’t very happy with how it turned out.AND … "Pappy" Tom Higgins celebrates his 50th birthday!NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!Please consider supporting this show via:patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcastpaypal.me/thescenevaultpodcastvenmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 220 -- Larry Pollard on Bending the Rules, 1983 Charlotte Debacle with Richard Petty
02-11-2022
Episode 220 -- Larry Pollard on Bending the Rules, 1983 Charlotte Debacle with Richard Petty
In the second installment of our interview with Larry Pollard, he talks about the pushback he received from some of his Petty Enterprises teammates after being named co-crew chief, the trick gas can used to win at Talladega and the part he played in Richard Petty’s infamous win at Charlotte in the fall of 1983.Larry, a veteran driver back home in Canada, then makes a deal to go from turning wrenches to turning wheels in the Busch Series.Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then study the June 2, 1983 issue of Grand National Scene. Bobby Allison and Bill Elliott are battling it out for the lead late in the World 600 when they get caught up in somebody else’s mess and crash. That turns the lead up to Richard Petty, who then gets passed just after the restart by Neil Bonnett. The Allison-Elliott crash is Neil’s SECOND stroke of good fortune on his way to victory lane that day.Bosco Lowe isn’t happy with Winston Cup drivers in the Saturday event, and there’s a feature on LONG-time NASCAR official Ernie Moore.Finally ... Rick and Steve give their take on Ross Chastain's miraculous Haul on the Wall move at Martinsville, and what it might mean to NASCAR history if, in fact, the driver goes on to capture this year's championship.NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!Please consider supporting this show via:patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcastpaypal.me/thescenevaultpodcastvenmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Episode 219 -- Larry Pollard on Canada-NC Culture Shock, Richard Childress and Winning with Richard Petty
26-10-2022
Episode 219 -- Larry Pollard on Canada-NC Culture Shock, Richard Childress and Winning with Richard Petty
Larry Pollard might not have the most recognizable name we’ve ever had on the show, but he is a master storyteller after nearly forty years in the NASCAR trenches.Larry moved from his home in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada to go to work for Richard Childress Racing in its first year with halfway decent sponsorship from Piedmont Airlines and with driver Ricky Rudd behind the wheel.After just a year or so at RCR, Larry went to work at Petty Enterprises in 1983 … and before the season even started, was named co-crew chief of the legendary operation.Richard then proceeds to break a nearly two-year winless streak in just the third race with Larry in that role. But if Larry expected to just coast into work at Level Cross the next morning, he had another thing coming!In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid take a peek at the March 17, 1983 issue of Grand National Scene.Richard Petty holds off a hard-charging … but clean … effort by young Bill Elliott to win a rain-split race at Rockingham. Richard and Cale Yarborough … among others … call for races at Rockingham to be shortened from 500 miles to 500 KILOMETERS.Elmo Langley finds himself unloading his hauler after it catches fire on the way home from The Rock, and while Dale Earnhardt wins the Saturday Budweiser Late Model Sportsman event, both Morgan Shepherd AND Bubba Nissen find HUGE trouble in the race.There are rumors that Darrell Waltrip and Junior Johnson are fussing and feuding, and that DW might even be leaving his championship-winning team to form his own Winston Cup operation. Plus … eighteen-year-old Bobby Labonte is featured.NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!Please consider supporting this show via: www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcastwww.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcastwww.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast