Beating Nazis in a racecar sounds like the plot of a ’90s action movie-- but it’s actually straight out of real life. Today on Past Gas, the story of how a band of determined outsiders, led by Lucy Schell, prevailed over Hitler in Formula racing, infuriating the Fuhrer and handing him a defeat even more humiliating than his art school rejection letters (for real). It’s an underdog car story for the ages, and if you like Bugatti, Mercedes, or just hearing about Hitler losing, this episode’s for y...
Apr 12, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 82
Only three drivers have won in Formula One, Indy Car, NASCAR, and Sports Cars. Dan Gurney was the first. Gurney was like the Forrest Gump of cars in the ‘60s and ‘70s, everywhere at once, racing incredible Carroll Shelby designed cars-- then designing cars of his own that won countless events. He’s a guy James WISHES he could be-- the “coolest dude in cars”-- once nominated by Car and Driver to be the President of the United States. Today on Past Gas-- the legendary OG, Dan Gurney. Follow James ...
Apr 05, 2021•56 min•Ep. 81
Stunt driving is full of fearless, borderline crazy people. Today on Past Gas, we’re talking about possibly the craziest stunt man of them all. A guy whose stunt was so reckless, even Evel Knievel took a pass. Ken Carter, aka the Mad Canadian, had a dream to jump a mile over a river, in a rocket-powered Lincoln Continental. What would you risk for glory? How dangerous is too dangerous? That and more as the guys explore one of the wildest stories we’ve ever told. Follow James on IG and Twitter @j...
Mar 29, 2021•55 min•Ep. 80
Today on Past Gas-- the troubled history of tobacco and racing. How and why did a major tobacco company exist without selling any products or services-- while still serving as the title sponsor for the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team? How did a cigarette company play a key role in building the NASCAR empire? And how did a former CEO of Marlboro Cigarettes become the head of both Ferrari and Ferrari Racing? Don’t smoke, but DO check out this episode! Follow James on IG and Twitter @jamespumphre...
Mar 22, 2021•54 min•Ep. 79
Does anything symbolize the promise of the future like flying cars? From Star Wars to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, from The Jetsons to James Bond, flying cars have captured our imagination, but failed to translate into any sort of reality. Will flying cars ever be safe and practical enough to happen? How would they work? Flying cars always seem right around the corner, but can advancements in battery tech and autopilot modes actually get us there? That’s today… or tomorrow… or maybe never… on Past G...
Mar 15, 2021•51 min•Ep. 78
Today on Past Gas—why the ’90s was the golden age of supercars! The lightning fast McLaren F1, the objectively sexy Lamborghini Diablo, and the very weird and very amazing Vector W8—are just a few, of the many 90’s exotics, that made our list. How did Muscle Cars pave the path for modern exotics? And what made this era of supercars, ‘super’ special? Join James, Nolan, and Joe, as we turn back the clock to the 1990’s, and revisit these wild and dangerous machines. Follow James on IG and Twitter @...
Mar 08, 2021•58 min•Ep. 77
Before Gamestop revolutionized the world of stonks, there was… Volkswagen. Over a decade before Reddit made GME a meme, one of the craziest short squeezes in history involved VW and Porsche. How did VW briefly become the most valuable company in the world? And how did it all go down in flames. On today’s episode of Past Gas, we’re trading in the short shifter for the short squeeze. It’s time to talk Volkswagen-- the GameStop of cars. Follow James on IG and Twitter @jamespumphrey. Follow Nolan on...
Mar 01, 2021•51 min•Ep. 76
The world renowned Camel Trophy—one of the most brutal adventure driving events, and the ultimate proving grounds for Land Rover’s off-road capability. Crossing jungles and desert, from the Amazon to Borneo, Sumatra to New Guinea, this event was considered to be the “The Olympics of 4x4.” Drivers flocked to the competition, applicants chosen over a million applicants worldwide. The event was not quite a rally, not quite a race, not quite a series of technical challenges-- it was the ultimate off...
Feb 22, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 75
Ford and Firestone started as automotive BFFs. The relationship between the two companies-- as well as two wealthy families-- lasted over a century. But starting in the ’80s, a series of disastrous business decisions led to hundreds of lives being lost, and the end of Ford and Firestone working together. What was the human toll, and how did the companies avoid responsibility? Today on Past Gas, the story behind the biggest breakup in automotive history. Follow James on IG and Twitter @jamespumph...
Feb 15, 2021•51 min•Ep. 74
If you’ve seen the movie Rush, you know the name Niki Lauda. The coldly competitive Austrian F1 driver was most known for his rivalry with British James Hunt, and his horrific crash at the Nurburgring. But who is the man behind the legend? Is he a Terminator, a Rat, or a misunderstood genius who was the first truly technical driver in F1? Today on Past Gas, how a man of steel gave F1 one of its greatest human stories. Follow James on IG and Twitter @jamespumphrey. Follow Nolan on IG and Twitter ...
Feb 08, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 73
On January 1, 1959, the government of California tried to kill the lowrider movement. But their efforts backfired-- instead giving rise to a golden age of cars that bounced and tilted like magic. Lowriders became a protest movement on wheels. How did conflicts between lowriders and the cops play out? How are lowriders connected to the history of Chicano culture in the US? And who are the modders and mechanics who made it all happen? On today’s Past Gas, take a little trip with James, Nolan, and ...
Feb 01, 2021•57 min•Ep. 72
Remember toy fads like pogs and silly bandz? The ’60s version was Snake and Mongoose, two real life drag racers who got immortalized in diecast form by Mattel. Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen were elite drag racers, but they also became pop culture icons as drag racing reached peak popularity. Who won more races? Why were people going so far as to get Snake and Mongoose tattoos? And how did they help put Hot Wheels on the map? All that and more, on today’s Past Gas! Follo...
Jan 25, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 71
Back in the 1870s, Bertha Benz was married to a penniless engineer named Karl Benz. What happened to Karl is now part of German automotive legend-- but Bertha had a crazy part to play in the Benz saga. Today on Past Gas, the story of Bertha Benz’s Big Ride, a 65 mile trek on a Benz Patent Motorwagen through the rugged, treacherous terrain of the Rhine Valley. Along the way, Bertha addressed mechanical issues on the fly, even originating a braking innovation that’s still in use today. It’s the st...
Jan 18, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 70
Colin McRae’s motto was “if in doubt, flat out.” This week on Past Gas, we’ll talk about what came next for Colin McRae after winning the WRC, as he continued to race rally, helped launch the most popular rally video game ever, and helped build a legacy that would one day come to an abrupt and tragic end. As a testament to his life, James, Joe, and Nolan will answer the question, once and for all--is Colin McRae the best rally driver of all time? All those answers and more, on today’s episode of...
Jan 11, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 69
Colin McRae’s motto was “if in doubt, flat out.” Today on Past Gas, we take a look at the Flying Scotsman and how he ruthlessly applied a “flat out” strategy to rally racing, transforming the sport and winning himself millions of fans. Why did Colin get into a shouting match with Subaru teammates on the cusp of winning a world title? What were the most spectacular wipeouts from a driver who was sometimes known as “Colin McCrash”? How did Colin revitalize the sport in the post-Group B era? James,...
Jan 04, 2021•54 min•Ep. 68
Just a year before WWII, a 28 year old German driver named Bernd Rosemeyer crashed while driving over 260 miles per hour on a public road, killing him instantly. Just a few years earlier, Rosemeyer had been a humble mechanic, working at his dad’s garage. But now, he was part of a Hitler-funded racing program-- a violent effort to make Nazis the fastest drivers in the world. Today on Past Gas, the dark origins of Mercedes’ and Audi’s racing programs. How did these teams get started? What was thei...
Dec 28, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 67
Join Nolan, James and Joe as they explore one of the earliest and most dangerous races to ever exist - a race halfway across the globe, through countless countries and environments. From the muddy mountains of China to the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, and that's only the start of it! How they survived, we know not. What we do know is that this is one of the craziest stories ever told. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at betterhelp.com/pastgas! Hawthorne’s qu...
Dec 21, 2020•58 min•Ep. 66
Today on Past Gas, we tell the story of Genora Johnson, and a fearless group of women, who helped to organize workers and defeat one of the largest companies in the world-- General Motors. GM once ruled the town of Flint with an iron fist, but employees were fed up with perilous conditions and low pay. The workers took to the streets, but protests quickly turned violent. What were the dangers involved? How did the workers get GM to bend? And how did one strike change the course of automotive his...
Dec 14, 2020•51 min•Ep. 65
In 2009, Ross Brawn bought the ENTIRE Honda F1 team for a SINGLE British pound. What came next was a season that went down as the most remarkable David and Goliath story in Formula One history. How did Brawn GP beat other teams, that had been established for decades? What’s the team’s legacy in F1? And how does an F1 team get sold for the price of a candy bar? Today on Past Gas, the incredible story of Brawn GP, a single-season F1 team that never should have existed in the first place. Get ONE M...
Dec 07, 2020•57 min•Ep. 64
Today on Past Gas-- the Sultan of Brunei, owner of the largest, most expensive car collection of all time. For decades, the Sultan had a shadowy but significant influence on the automotive industry, ordering one-of-a-kind supercars ranging from Ferraris to Aston Martins. Why did the Sultan choose to spend his vast fortune on thousands of cars, worth billions of dollars? Forget barn finds… today James, Nolan, and Joe talk PALACE finds… it’s the Sultan of Brunei and his massive hoard of cars. Valv...
Nov 30, 2020•53 min•Ep. 63
Gran Turismo. Need For Speed. Dirt. And yes, Mario Kart. These aren’t just some of the best-selling racing video games of all time, they’re some of the best-selling games, period. The evolution of car racing games is full of innovation and gimmicks, hits and flops-- just like the history of cars themselves. So how did we get from dots on a screen to the photo-realistic simulations of 2020? And what are the specific games-- from the arcade to artificial intelligence-- that blazed that trail? Join...
Nov 23, 2020•55 min
Gran Turismo. Need For Speed. Dirt. And yes, Mario Kart. These aren’t just some of the best-selling racing video games of all time, they’re some of the best-selling games, period. The evolution of car racing games is full of innovation and gimmicks, hits and flops-- just like the history of cars themselves. So how did we get from dots on a screen to the photo-realistic simulations of 2020? And what are the specific games-- from the arcade to artificial intelligence-- that blazed that trail? Join...
Nov 16, 2020•59 min•Ep. 62
Gran Turismo. Need For Speed. Dirt. And yes, Mario Kart. These aren’t just some of the best-selling racing video games of all time, they’re some of the best-selling games, period. The evolution of car racing games is full of innovation and gimmicks, hits and flops-- just like the history of cars themselves. So how did we get from dots on a screen to the photo-realistic simulations of 2020? And what are the specific games-- from the arcade to artificial intelligence-- that blazed that trail? Join...
Nov 09, 2020•57 min•Ep. 61
Today on Past Gas, the story of Alejandro de Tomaso, a car-making wheeler-dealer who rubbed elbows with Che Guevera and Elvis Presley. How did this Argentinean playboy build some of the most memorable supercars in auto history, save Maserati from extinction, and survive countless failed business ventures? Was de Tomaso a revolutionary or a failure? A genius or con man? The answer might be all of the above. Valvoline is proven to maximize engine life by 40% with their Advanced Full Synthetic and ...
Nov 02, 2020•50 min•Ep. 60
Today on Past Gas, James, Nolan and Joe take on the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Known as The Race To The Clouds, Pikes Peak is the premiere event in the sport of hillclimbing. How did Pikes Peak popularize, then revolutionize, the hillclimb? Who drove up the mountain the fastest, and what kind of insane cars did they drive to get up there? All that and more, on a mile-high episode with more twists and turns than a dirt road up the Rocky Mountains! Get 20% Off and Free Shipping...
Oct 26, 2020•54 min•Ep. 59
Cars in space! On today’s Past Gas, we go way beyond Elon Musk’s space Tesla and bring you the most amazing stories behind the vehicles that have actually driven on the surfaces of Moon and Mars. We’re asking and answering some of the biggest car questions in the cosmos. Who drove the longest? Who drove the fastest? And what exactly is an “AstroVette”? All that and more on an out-of-this-world edition of Past Gas. Valvoline is proven to maximize engine life by 40% with their Advanced Full Synthe...
Oct 19, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 58
Have you heard of the Shelby Lancer? Or the Shelby Series 1? Carroll Shelby is well known for the Cobra, his work with Ford on the GT40, and many more, but he also has a trove of lesser known projects that he worked on. This is our first recorded LIVE episode of Past Gas, in which we're taking a look at some of Shelby's forgotten cars, and answering some of your Donut related questions! To get your new unlimited wireless plan for just 30 bucks a month, and get the plan shipped to your door for F...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 57
On March 16, 1988, performance legend Mickey Thompson and his wife Trudy were shot and killed in their own driveway in the wealthy, gated community of Bradbury, California. Their murder was a cold case that would go unsolved for over a decade... although many of Mickey’s friends and family were certain who was to blame. On today’s Past Gas, James, Nolan and Joe explore the bizarre mystery of Mickey Thompson’s murder-- who did it, and why?-- in a case that to this day brings up as many questions ...
Oct 05, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 56
You've probably heard of Mickey Thompson Tires, but behind the treads was a legend who changed the world of drag racing and was once the fastest man on wheels. Tragically, Mickey and his wife were also murdered in perhaps the most bizarre and mysterious true crime of the automotive world. Today on Past Gas, join James, Nolan, and Joe as they explore the Man, the Myth... THE Mickey Thompson. His fastest cars, craziest accomplishments, and much more. Search for Bring Back Bronco - The Untold Story...
Sep 28, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 55
In this episode of Past Gas, we’re talking about badass rally driver Michele Mouton, whose impressive racing career earned her the title of “fastest woman in the world”. In 1981, she made history as the first female to win a World Rally Championship event — a title that no woman has surpassed since. Join James, Nolan and Joe as they explore Mouton’s fortuitous entry into racing, the highs and lows of her unique career, and how she continues to impact the WRC to this day. Valvoline is proven to m...
Sep 21, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 54
