Grassroots Motorsports And Classic Motorsports Podcast

The SCCA is joining the rolling roadshow game with targa: A three-day odyssey of sports careful and excitement that will visit tracks, autocross venues and public roads around the Southeast. We get the full scoop from hayward Wagner, SCA's director of experimental programs.

How did your favorite car get its name? We talk about the secrets of naming cars—and almost every other product in the world—with David Placek of Lexicon Branding. Lexicon is the agency behind such iconic names as the Subaru WRX and Outback, the Honda Ridgeline, the Scion brand and even items like the Swiffer and Febreeze. It's a fascinating look at how words and sounds affect our thoughts of products.

Al Unser Jr. has seen every side of fame in his storied motorsports career. Most recently he served as a guest judge at our $2015 Challenge. We ask him where that sits in his pantheon of achievements, and talk about what it's like to be part of one of the greatest motorsports families ever.

On this episode, we talk to Adam and Austin from the Slipangle Podcast while they talk to us. It's very meta. Check them out on popular podcast outlets.

If you've followed road racing for any length of time, you probably know Randy Pobst. He's driven for several factory and independent teams in some of the most high-profile series in the world. Now he's turned his talents to the world of journalism, as a correspondent for Motor Trend magazine. We've known Randy of the better part of three decades, and we hopped in a car at a recent media event for a candid chat.

Ride along on a 1200-mile journey with editor David S. Wallens and Mazda's Dean Case as they explore the performance and usability of the all-new Mazda MX5.

Andy Weyenberg may have a desk-job sounding job title, but his real mission at Miller Electric is to keep some of the biggest names in motorsports welding at the highest levels possible. He's a complete bead-nerd, and on this podcast he goes over a LOT of direct, hands-on tips for MIG, TIG and Stick welding. NOTE: Due to remote recording, show lacks a bit of, um... flair. Yeah, flair.

GRM's first tire test of the season is in the books, and ace tire testers David Whitener and Andy Hollis run us down on the inside scoop of this year's crop of hot rubber.

Bell Racing is one of the world's most recognized names in head protection, and for good reason. Over the decades, they've built a reputation of quality, safety, and industry leadership. Kyle Kietzmann walks us through the helmet development process, and takes us behind the scenes at Bell, where they probably spend more time thinking about your head than you do.

The Sports Car Club of America has a long and storied history among road racers, autocrossers, realists and car enthusiasts all over the world. President Lisa Noble and Director of Experiental Programs Hayward Wagner are leading the club into the future with lots of exciting plans and options for members to continue to enjoy the cars they love with the club that's evolving to meet the needs of modern enthusiasts.

Ever thought of abandoning those street-based tires and going to a true racing slick? Well, turns out it's not so intimidating after all. We talk to Bob Woodman, of Bob Wodman Tire who brings with him decades of experience with race tires from vintage to autocross to cutting edge road racing, from DOT to slick as a baby's bottom. He lays down some knowledge on what you'll need to know to make the transition to a true race tire.

On this episode, we take a look at the new 2015 Volkswagen Golf R. It's a 292hp hyper sedan with capabilities that go far beyond what we've come to associate with the VW Golf nameplate. We brought back some audio from the media intorduction, including a brief chat with none other than Mr. Hans Stuck.

Jacques Dallaire is the performance coach to the stars. His clients run the gamut from pro racers, to pro golfers, football players, as well as fighter pilots, surgeons, salespeople, and anyone that performs in a high-stress, zero-tolerance environment. On this episode, he shares some of his techniques and provides some insight into getting the most from your mental game.

The annual SEMA trade show in Las Vegas is basically the epicenter of automotive performance technology and trends each fall. Not everything sticks, but a whole lot is thrown up on the walls. In this episode, JG and David talk about SEMA 2014, trade shows in general, and relate a few stories from shows past.

Although he's a low-key guy, Charles Espenlaub lives his life in one of the most exciting environments imaginable—behind the wheel of a race car. We talked to Charles during the first Daytona IMSA test session of the 2014 season, held in November 2013. We discuss his path to the pro ranks, the future of sports car racing in the U.S., and what it's like to be on fire.

In the space of a few weeks, Andy Weir went from being and underground sensation for his self-published sci-fi survival story "The Martian" to a legitimate best-selling author with his book currently being made into an A-list motion picture. His tale of a stranded astronaut who must kludge, bodge and fabricate his way to survival immediately brought to mind our $20XX Challenge event, although with used spaceship parts instead of discarded Camaros. Weir's story will strike a chord with anyone who's ever had to improvise a mechanical solution when none seemed possible. He was good enough to sit down with us to discuss some of the "builds" in the book and their inspiration.

Once again, our $20XX Challenge event brought together some of the most creative car builders you're ever likely to see in one place at one time. After the auto crossing, drag racing and car showing was done, Ed Malle and his insane Mustang took home the trophy for $2014, but everyone that enters has a story to tell. We captured a few via digital recorder, and here they are.

How many guys do you know that started their own car company? There's not many, but luckily Warren Mosler has been a good friend of our magazine since he first began Consulier Motors. Although the Consulier GTP and later Mosler MT900 are no longer in production, the legacy of what Warren and his associates created is still significant even three decades later.

On this episode of the Grassroots Motorsport podcast, JG and David wrap up the recent Monterey auctions and discuss some of the monster sales—as well as some of the bargains. They also speculate a bit on what cars we may see fetching big money in the auctions of the future. Will yours be one of them?

Calling Ralph Gilles an iconoclast may be a dangerous understatement. Rising out of the design studios to take the reins of Dodge's SRT halo brand, Gilles is a rare hardcore enthusiast in charge of a major chunk of a major American car company.