Hello everyone, and welcome to this special SUPER BONUS DOUBLE EPISODE! We have two great interviews for you today, and the first one is with up and coming Global Time Attack driver Jamie Moreno! She sat down with Mike and Dave, got on the tangent train, but still managed to talk about how she got into GTA, climbing up the HPDE ladder in NASA Utah, sponsors, and being a lady in the modern world of racing. She also talks news, and agrees to be the hot shoe in our Panther platform racer.
SPEAKING OF THAT, we’ve got a contest for you! You can win yourself a The Racing Chica hat and shirt if you come up with a name for our new team! We’re driving a Crown Vic, and it’s Mike, Dave, and Jamie. Use that information, or freestyle it. Best name gets the gear!
Follow Jamie on her social media, check out her blog, and buy some gear and help her out!
Part two of our Super Double Bonus Episode features someone who has climbed the mountain, and is making a living turning wheels. When you think of a racing driver, you probably think of the robots in F1, or the NASCAR drivers who thank every sponsor when they get asked any question. Well, Ryan is a driver unlike those guys. He’s just like any of us, except he happens to get paid to drive one of the RealTime Racing Acura NSX GT3s in Pirelli World Challenge. He sat with me for an hour, which I didn’t expect, and we talked about his podcast (Dinner With Racers), the Bad Boy of Sportscar PR, kei vans, friendship, and how Spencer Pumpelly maybe killed a guy.
We also talked about his charitable efforts, most notably him raising money for Neurofibromitosis research and awareness. He does the Cupid’s Undie Run to raise money for it, and you should kick him a few bucks. He’s a great follow on social media, which is also a great place to see when and where you can donate!
Hey hey hey everybody! Welcome to this episode of the CAMcast! Dad (yea, he’s back!), Mike and Dave congregate in the basement and go over some rumors, late breaking news, and some of your correspondence, including a late question from CAM co-founder Trent. On this episode’s agenda we have:
A massive Formula 1 update from Pizza Dad
Lamborghini being courted as an IndyCar engine supplier
And them maybe getting into GTE-Pro and/or DPi
The Penske-Honda DPi is real, and is the Acura ARX-05 DPi
Volvo isn’t going full electric just yet
Thank you for coming back for another episode, we appreciate you guys. Stream the episode above, download it here, or snag it wherever you get your podcasts (iTunes, Google Play, etc.). Please rate us and leave a comment on iTunes, Google Play, and wherever else you can find us. The comments and rating help us climb the rankings and get seen by more people, which means we can grow and do cool stuff like remote episodes.
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Last week Gavin asked if I could help him out on a shoot he was doing. He needed a camera car, and corresponding driver, and I was free. I had no idea what he was shooting, and I figured I’d be driving his Legacy. Then I saw the Beat.
The Honda Beat is a Kei car with a 656cc, 3 cylinder motor. That little motor is stuck in the middle of the diminutive car, and spins the rear wheels.
It doesn’t feature VTEC, or forced induction, but it has individual throttle bodies and the MTREC system. MTREC standing for Multi Throttle Responsive Engine Control.
It was the last car approved by Sochiro Honda before he died in 1991. The body was designed by Pininfarina, you know the design house that designed a lot of Ferraris. They sold the design to Honda, and now we have the Beat.
BONUS: a picture of Gavin taking pictures in a gravel parking lot without shoes on.
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Good day/night/whenever you’re listening to this! The gang is all here, and they’ve got a mountain of stuff to tackle. Before we get into it, we want to thank all of you for listening to us ramble. We sit in this basement, talk cars, and drink beer and eat pizza because we like it. We grab the mics and record our chats because we like you, and think you’d be down here if you could. Anyway, Mike, Dave, Gavin, and Brandon talk about:
BMW M8 is a thing
Liberty Media wants to do more F1, and make America care about it
Lewis Hamilton insults IndyCar drivers
Brandon waxes poetic about the VW Atlas
We get emotional over some listener questions
There’s a winner of the $3k KSL Challenge!
Again, thank you for listening to us ramble and get misty. We talk for us, we record it for you. Stream the episode in the player above, subscribe via RSS, or download the episode right here. And we’d appreciate it if you’d head to iTunes and Google Play and rate us and leave us a comment. We’d do the same for you if you have a podcast, no joke. Let us know if you have a podcast! We’ll support you, because you support us. Please share the episodes, word of mouth is the best way for this to grow. We’ll be back next week with more CAMcast goodness!
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May the 4th be with you! That’s the only Star Wars reference you’re getting on this episode, because neither Pizza Dad, The Professor, P-Car, nor Fearless Leader realized that this episode would be dropping on May 4th. What they lack in Star Wars, they make up for in discussion topics! On this episode:
Formula 1 stuff!
Could we be getting 100 octane at the pump?
Everyone needs technicians
The next GT500 is testing in Detroit
The Driving Experience!
Listener Mail
And more!
Thank you so very much for listening to this little podcast of ours. You can stream the episode above, find it on iTunes, or download it here. If you haven’t subscribed, rated, and commented on iTunes: why not? We’d do the same for you if you had a podcast. While you’re at it, share this episode! Let the people know where you got it, and send them our way. We’re friendly. We’ll be back next week!
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It feels soo goooood to be back! Just look at how happy Ty is! HE’S SO HAPPY!!! Probably because we’re back to racing, but also because Shawn set another track record. Speaking of, let’s talk about that
Time Trial
Yes, everyone’s favorite cowboy set another record. Well, two actually. On Saturday he went around the West track in 1:34.252, which was a record. Then on Sunday he pulled a 1:33.639. Good enough to win TT2, good enough to win TTU on Saturday
David Bradshaw, and his yellow Beetle “Bumblebee” Lyfe prepared 996 Porsche Cup Car took home the win in TT1 with a best time of 1:39.810. His luck wouldn’t hold into Sunday, as Daren Jorgensen, in the Rearden/Strom Motorsports M4 ran a 1:36.762.
We already talked TT2, so let’s move on to TT3. On Saturday, John Calvin (theologian, father of Calvinism/Reformed Protestantism, and driver of an orange and black Mustang) turned a 1:45.969 to bring home a win. Sunday saw another Rearden BMW take home a TT class win, this time it was the M235iR of Andrew McCubbins, an adorable animated teddy bear… Probably.
The 2017 season sees the debut of TT4, replacing TTB. Mike Bratsch kept his sucking low and pulled off the first win in the new class on Saturday with a 1:45.131. On Sunday Nam Yoon (not pictured) ran a 1:41.868, and took the class victory.
TTC is still around, having yet to be replaced by an as of yet undeveloped TT5, and had a few competitors on the weekend. Two to be exact! On Saturday, with a 1:44.955, Lynn Hodges in the red chrome Lotus took the win over John Butcher. Johnny boy would get his win on Sunday, with a 1:47.497.
Kenneth Russell, noted bon vivant and man about town, was the sole TTD competitor on the weekend. Him and his trusty Civic pulled a best time of 1:48.471 on Saturday and, like myself, weren’t around on Sunday.
A pair of hardtop NA chassis Miatas split the wins in TTE over the weekend. Todd Green, in Ol’ Blue or the Smurf or Babe the Tiny Blue Sports Car, ran a 1:46.473 on Saturday. On Sunday Tyler Nisonger took the win with a 1:48.074.
We had a TTF competitor this weekend! It was one Eduardo Acurero, in a black CRX that would lift the inside rear wheel during hard maneuvers. Eduardo, as he will always be referred to as on these pages, turned a 1:45.316. A time on par with the TTC field. Good going Eduardo!
Rounding out TT is Andrew Smith, who trotted out the Rearden/SilencerCo/FourFoods Group/maybe R&R Barbecue? Audi R8 LMS Ultra and turned a 1:36.606, outpacing even the likes of the UVU Miata.
Lightning
Tom Rogers, Thom Rodgers to his friends and Peruvian officials, beat out Chris Haunold for the GTS2 win on Saturday and Sunday. Will the BMW-Porsche battle end with the Bavarian car on top? It’s too soon to tell, but LET’S RECKLESSLY SPECULATE AND SAY YES!
Carl Marx, the great nephew of the legendary Zeppo Marx, in one of the Rearden BMW M235iR’s claimed a pair of GTS3 wins on the weekend.
Troy Duffin, in a cruel twist of fate, managed to get the PTD victory, but lose his gorgeous red Datsun 510. The car broke loose going into turn one, and as a result damaged some of the rear suspension. He managed to get the car going again, but only to limp it back into the pits. I speak for a lot of people who are glad Troy is ok, and are wishing for the car to make a speedy recovery!
Speaking of broken cars, Todd Green’s blue Miata decided to spin a bearing. It managed to do this AFTER Todd took the PTE win on Saturday. On Sunday Todd turned to an old friend, one who’s always been there when called upon: Paul Mitchell. Despite sitting since October, and on old tires, Paul answered the call of his old friend. After an oil change, Todd ran just over a tenth of a second off the track record on his way to another win.
With a spring in his step, a song in his heart, and a fresh new livery; Matt Williamson took to the track for another year of Spec Miata competition. Joined by newcomer (to Spec Miata) Andy Moench, who finished second on both days, Matt claimed the first two wins of the 2017 season.
Super Touring 4 was ruled over by benevolent hamburger overlord Blake Troester, aka Mayor McCheese. Under his stewardship, sightings of the Hamburglar have been greatly reduced, while acceptance of Grimmace is now commonplace. We salute you, kind mayor!
Our two (for the moment) Thunder Roadster drivers traded wins over the weekend. Jihn Han took the season opening win, and JD Stull took home top honors on Sunday. Big Bob Evans has said he’ll be in one of these cars this year, which would be amazing for many reasons. We hope he hops in soon, but in the meantime we’re more than content with watching JD and Jihn duke it out.
944 Spec was its usual, robust self. When Otto Silva (Saturday’s winner) and William Kendall (Sunday’s winner) were on track together, they were quite racy. Otto posted a better fast lap, but not by a whole lot. This would be a good class to hop into. 944’s are still Porsches, but don’t have any of the astronomical costs of 911’s. Plus it’s just two guys, it’s not like you’d be jumping into a massive field, filled with fast drivers who are getting lapped by even faster drivers…
Thunder
Normally the Spec Z field runs in the Lightning group, but not this weekend. No, they were on grid for the Thunder races. Yeah. the group with the Huracan Super Trofeos, 911 GT3R’s, Cup cars, and other fast stuff. Despite being a herd of rolling cones (there were 14 cars on grid for Saturday’s race, 11 for Sunday), they had quite the race. As is tradition, Arthur Golebiowski grabbed the season opener, with Tom and Chad in tow. Sunday was a different story. Someone going by the handle of “LYFE Motorsport” hopped into Kyle Schick’s #22 car and took the win. With Chad and Tom in tow.
GTS4’s dual wins were taken by Darrell Troester, and this leads me to a question: what’s with the Troester’s and McDonald’s? Do you own a franchise? Are you forever indebted to Ray Kroc? What is the deal? I DEMAND ANSWERS! Feel free to send them in to mailbag@camautomag.com
He managed to race, and remove his thermostat all in the same day! It’s the one and only Toby Crawford! Despite having a wounded car, Toby still went out and ran a full race in ST2, getting a win.
A Minion was spotted running in ST3 on Sunday. I wasn’t there, but it’s on the official results. It’s actually listed as the winner… Curious…
ST1 was populated exclusively by Ginetta G55’s. The little GT4 cars were prepped by Ian Lacy Racing, and driven by Frank “You’re my boy, Blue!” Gannett and Drew Staveley. Drew took home the wins for the weekend, and now I have to figure out either a nickname or a weird non sequitir for him.
Steve Burns, Texan and driver of a car that barely qualifies as a Mustang anymore, claimed Saturday’s Super Unlimited win. Jeff Kearl, pictured in a different car from a different round from a different month from a different year, took the SU win on Sunday.
GTSU was a bullfight all weekend! Except without the cultural relevance, animal cruelty, or goring. A new Huracan Super Trofeo appeared, fielded by DXDT Racing, and driven by Paul Terry. It wasn’t one of their cars that they use for the Super Trofeo series, at least this one wasn’t sporting the livery anyway. They faced off against the tried and true Makes & Models Huracan. Despite Paul having slightly faster fast laps, he couldn’t overcome the cagey driving of Derek Wolthoff. The Makes & Models team returned to the shop in Layton with two more victories under their belt.
And there we have it! The season is off to a rousing start. The East track is the venue for next month, and the weekend of that is April 21-23. We’ll be out there, for the whole thing this time! Come out and join us!
*Article, Photos, Videos, and Audio clips are copyright of CAMautoMag.Com and their respective owners.
Ahoy hoy folks! We’re so glad you could join us for another episode of the CAMcast. This week we were down a Pizza Dad, but chock full of stuff to talk about:
Geneva Auto Show highlights
Lamborghini’s video shenanigans
Salt City Drift schedule
Driving a BOSS 302 Laguna Seca in Las Vegas
And why you should probably avoid the Hooter’s Hotel and Casino
We appreciate you guys subscribing, rating, commenting, sharing, and interacting with this podcast. Please keep doing all of that, and maybe pitch this to someone who doesn’t really listen to podcasts? The #trypod campaign is in full swing this month, and it’s main purpose is to introduce podcasts to people who don’t listen to them, or don’t know what they are. Odds are that you know someone who’d like us, but doesn’t know the how’s and what’s and all of that. Spread the word!
Like most people, I spent my Sunday evening at a Super Bowl party. Gorging myself on wings and cocktail shrimp, and half-watching the game. I also managed to half-watch the commercials, and since this is an automotive enthusiast site, we’re gonna take a look at the eight automotive commercials that aired. Let’s start with Audi.
Audi
It’s called “Daughter”. The daughter is in a soapbox derby, and she’s the only girl in the field. The voice-over is the father asking himself what he is going to tell his daughter about her value, because she (and the rest of us) live in a world where women, on average, make less than men. It’s not selling a car, although they show an S5 sedan at the end. It’s promoting them being committed to equal pay for equal work, which is a very noble thing. As a car ad, it’s not that great. Considering that they showed off a sedan version of one of their coupes, which means that they’ll be making sedan versions of their coupes, which makes me irrationally angry. As a PR piece, it was ok.
Buick
Buick is still trying to convince people that they’re not building transportation for the elderly. An admirable goal, but Buick is always gonna have that stigma. The ad is funny: Cam Newton destroys pee-wee football players, and Miranda Kerr shows up. I still think Buicks are sleds for the elderly, and this ad doesn’t really change that.
FCA
They came out with two 1 minute spots, and a 30 second spot for the Alfa Romeo Giulia. One is about returning to greatness, Riding On The Backs of Dragons, another is about predictability, Dear Predictable, and the last one is all of the cliches you could want when talking about an Alfa, Mozzafiato. It’s pretty hard to make the Giulia look bad, and it’s a trick to make the Quadrifoglio sound bad. Thankfully the car looks and sounds amazing in the spots, and I want one even more now. The spots show off the car really well, and hopefully this means we’ll see more of them running around in the wild.
Ford
Like Audi, Ford didn’t show off any particular vehicle. This was them showing off how they’ll help you (or whoever) get around in the future. Bike sharing, Transit vans on call, vehicles that can hard park themselves. The future is looking bright for the Blue Oval! Or whatever. All I know is that they’ll be pounding out F-Series trucks until the sun expands and engulfs our little, blue marble. Did anyone else relate to some of those bad luck scenarios in the first half of that commercial? A few of those hit too close to home for me…
Honda
The Honda ad, which was slinging the new CRV, was inspiring and creepy. Using technology, they animated various celebrities’ year book photos. That was the creepy part. The inspiring part was what the celebrities were saying. And I’m not sure the CRV, while a decent little crossover, is not the most aspirational vehicle they could be pitching… Meh, it still works.
Kia
Melissa McCarthy, a treasure, keeps trying to defend nature. And nature absolutely wrecks here. Up to this point, this is the ad that is the most cohesive. It’s pitching the Niro (pronounced Nee-ro), which is apparently the most fuel efficient crossover. It fits with Mrs. McCarthy trying to be an eco-warrior, although hopefully it doesn’t fail like she did. The Niro looks pretty good, and I’m curious to see what the interior looks like.
Lexus
Lexus showed off the LC500, a damn fine looking vehicle. There was something about emotion in there, but all I remember is hearing the glorious engine noise. And the dancing, but mostly the engine noise. Again, damn fine looking vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz knows that your dad and his golf buddies are probably going to buy the new AMG GT Roadster, so they got Peter Fonda to reprise his role from Easy Rider for their ad. They also know that you’ll be watching this along side them, so the tapped the Coen brothers to direct it. It’s not a bad ad, has some humor, and Peter Fonda is still pretty bad ass. And odds are that if you were on board for the AMG GT, then you’re on board for an al fresco version.
And that’s the lot of them. Let us know which was your favorite, which you hated (I’ve got an idea where some of you will go with this), and if you’ve made it this far you deserve a treat. So, here’s the Logan ad:
*Article, Photos, Videos, and Audio clips are copyright of CAMautoMag.Com and their respective owners.
Can you make a 911 better by shoving an LSx in the back of it? What were the cars that Dave, Gavin, and I spent time wrenching on, are working on, and would like to turn into future projects? And just where the hell is Pizza Dad? All of those questions, and an actual reader email are in this week’s episode of the CAMcast!
Stream the episode above, go grab it on iTunes and other fine purveyors of podcasts (please rate, comment, and subscribe while you’re there!), or download it here. We’ll be back next week with a new episode, and a new voice! We welcome Dan Chilinski, owner of Old Man Yellow, and driver of a twin engine Toyota in the 24 Hours of LeMons.
*Article, Photos, Videos, and Audio clips are copyright of CAMautoMag.Com and their respective owners.
With a total time of 7:24.302, Max Dufford claimed a big TTC win. Having to drive three different tracks in one day, including one that nobody has driven on in a couple of years, is a test for anyone. Max rose to the occasion, and drove his Boxster to the limits set forth by the modifications allowed in the rulebook!
Taking home a shiny piece of silver neck wear was Rod Kujaczynski. Still rocking a RaceCo decal, but sans cowboy hat, Rod’s total time was an impressive 7:29.662!
Bringing home the bronze was Joe Evers, with a total time of 7:30.852. Three medals went to three people who drive German cars. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!
Time Trial D
Trever “with an E” Pope managed a combined time of 7:53.343, not too bad for running around in a more practical Miata. Trever is one of the many drivers who helps out, and instructs the HPDE drivers. The young up and comers, or older up and comers, can learn some things from Trever. He may be alone in TTD, but he’s consistent and he doesn’t get caught up trying to run down someone in a faster class.
Time Trial E
Piloting his trusty Mazderati, Tyler Nisonger threw down a total time of 7:41.375. As you can see in this photo, Tyler saves weight by only having one door mirror. These are the little things that separate the winners from the “also ran” crowd.
Erick Gerday also ran, but wasn’t an “also ran”. His combined time of 8:02.322, while not stellar, is nothing to sneeze at. Explore the limits of the rulebook a little bit, and get some more seat time, and Erick should start knocking seconds out of that time.
Time Trial B
Darin Beaudoin, the goofy fella in the best Miata ever, took home the TTB gold. How? NO CLUE! But I do know he waved at me on one of his out laps. Did I get a picture of it? NOPE! Blame Andy Moench. He was ahead of Darin on track, and waved at me first. Quick PSA: If you’re going to wave at a photographer do it on an out lap, a pace lap, or a cool down lap. Don’t do it when you’re trying to set a flyer, or mid race. It’s one of those things that’s cool for the two of us, but will be infinitely embarassing if I have to write “and as they waved at me, the accidentally dropped two tires off track, which caused them to spin, which got them stuck in the sand trap”. Ok, with that out of the way we can move on.
Jan Gerday, running both TT and Spec Z, had a combined time of 7:32.775. Running six total session in the same car is quite the feat, and it’s validated when you get a medal at the end of the night.
Another Z getting a medal. The 350Z is a useful tool in a racing situation, if you know how to use it. And Justin Jones knows how to use it. His 7:38.607 was six seconds off the pace of the Spec Z driver Jan Gerday, but eight seconds ahead of fourth place finisher David Muskovitz.
Time Trial 3
James Pasquier was back, after some noticeable absences in the recent past. The lack of a doctor’s note notwithstanding, James’s combined time of 7:06.328 got him another gold medal to add to the sizable pile. I assume it’s a pile. What I’m trying to say is James wins a lot.
In a stunning upset, Mechanic Mike Bratsch beat out Andy Moench! This after Mike helped Andy fix his car between sessions. Sponsored by crippling instruments of debt, AMEX credit cards, Mike pounded out a 7:08.188. You can’t drive fast enough to out run your debts Mike. You just can’t. Sounds cryptic, but really is absolutely meaningless.
Andy Moench, with a car fixed by the skilled hands of Mechanic Mike, drove slower than Mechanic Mike. He did drive all of the sessions, and he wasn’t that much slower than Mike. His total time was 7:09.727.
Time Trial 2
Shawn Murphy continued to set records. He reset his record on the Outer Loop, and took over the East and Full track records. His car still has a full interior, and he drives it around on the streets. His total time was 6:37.029. It was the fastest of the TT drivers. His car, and how fast it is, hurts my brain. I don’t understand it, I never will understand it, and I’m ok with that.
Finishing in second place was Jenn Wolthoff in the Makes & Models Porsche 911 GT3. Her total time was 7:09.621. I understand that time, and how fast that car is. There is no witchcraft involved in it. Just good, clean, wholesome, pure, unadulterated speed.
Time Trial 1
TT1 had two drivers who drove in all three races AND all three TT sessions. And they did it in different cars. David Gilliland hopped out of his Spec Z and into his Viper T/A. His 6:58.015 was deserving of a gold medal at the barbecue. I agree with the decision to give him a gold medal.
David Bradshaw was a nother Spec Z driver who was jumping between cars all day. He would jump out of his Spec Z, get some feedback on his race, then hop into his 996 Cup car for a TT session. Then out of the Cup car, feedback, into the Z, and race. His game of musical cars didn’t hurt his times, as he ended up with a 7:03.08.
Time Trial Unlimited
Mike Kresser got himself a gold medal, after playing musical cars like his Lyfe teammate David Bradshaw. Mike drove like a man possessed and posted a total time of 6:48.304. Not too bad for a guy with a bad back and another race car to drive.
Greg Warnock, and his widebody M3, came up just short against Mike’s 997 Cup car. His total time was 6:58.414. Again, not bad for someone who was pulling double duty all day. And if you’re someone who says “I hate flares!”, then you haven’t seen this car turning laps. It needs those flares to cover the massive slicks it uses to grip the tarmac. You don’t hate flares, you just hate useless and/or ugly flares.
Rounding out the top three is James “1000% not Jordan” Collier. Less than two seconds separated him from Greg. James’s total time in his Viper ACR was 7:00.335. Notice how a lot of the photos are with the headlights on? That’s because they got way behind schedule at some point. So far, in fact, that the final TT session got underway AFTER sunset. I made the most of it, and got some very cool pictures. The corner worker at Tooele Turn had a brief, but loud meltdown. We were all out of our comfort zone, corner worker. But we survived.
And there it is, at least for TT. Looking for Thunder and/or Lightning coverage? I’ve got them in separate posts.
*Article and Photos are copyright of CAMautoMag.Com and their respective owners.
