In the second and final installment of our interview with Larry Pearson, he talks about the theft of his trophy by the dastardly Mike Alexander, making a statement with his 1987 Busch Series championship, his Winston Cup woes that were followed by redemption at Darlington, teaching teenagers how to drive and his devastating wreck during an old-timer’s race at Bristol. We then dig into the March 30, 1995 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Sterling Marlin gets around Dale Earnhardt to win a wreck-marred ...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 11 min
This week in the first of what will be two installments of our interview, Larry Pearson talks about growing up as the son of NASCAR icon DAVID Pearson, racing with his brothers Ricky and Eddie, his move up the ladder from Baby Grand to Busch Series competition, his belief that he would’ve won the 1986 Busch Series championship even if Jack Ingram HADN’T been suspended and his ultra-superstitious ways. We then dig into the September 25, 1986 issue of Grand National Scene. Geoff Bodine has a good ...
Jul 05, 2023•1 hr 29 min
Let’s sum up this week’s interview with Gere Kennon this way … a life-threatening illness, fathers, sons and the Daytona 500. In our second segment, we dive into the June 8, 1988 issue of Grand National Scene. Bill Elliott wins the Winston Cup race at Dover, with Morgan Shepherd winding up second while substituting for the injured Harry Gant. Bobby Hillin wins Dover’s Busch Series event in what COULD have been a controversial finish. J.D. McDuffie makes his return to competition after being inju...
Jun 28, 2023•1 hr 38 min
Episode 250! We made it! To celebrate our milestone, we put together one of our famous (infamous, maybe?) roundtable discussions. This time around, we've got former crew chiefs Larry McReynolds and Tim Brewer, along with former drivers Robert Pressley and Johnny Benson! 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 availa...
Jun 21, 2023•2 hr
In the first of what will be two installments of our interview, Gere Kennon remembers the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley and the late, great NASCAR 75 driver Sam Ard. Gere was the crew chief for both of Sam’s championships and can testify first hand to his talent behind the wheel of a race car, his strength and his ALMOST ALWAYS gentle demeanor and the terrible accident that ended Sam’s driving career. We then take a deep dive into the March 1, 1984 issue of Grand National Scene. Cale Yarbo...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 37 min
In the second and final installment of our interview, NASCAR Hall of Famer Matt Kenseth talks about winning the 2003 Winston Cup championship and the seismic changes to the title format that might or might not have come about as a result. He also gives us an inside look at his difficult decision to leave Roush Racing, run-ins with Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano, the disappointment of being cut loose by Joe Gibbs Racing and his election to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. We the...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 26 min
This week in the first of what will be two installments of our interview, we talk to NASCAR Hall of Famer and NASCAR 75 driver Matt Kenseth. Matt discusses going up against rival Robbie Reiser in and around their homes in Wisconsin, and then just a few short years later joining forces in the Busch Series. That deal led to Matt and the team’s first Busch Series win at Rockingham, a victory that Matt to this day calls the biggest of his career. Very early on in his Busch Series career, Matt was be...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 30 min
After this past weekend's celebration of the Cup all-star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, we share the third and final installment of our interview with Danny Culler. Danny talks about helping Ricky Rudd and Richard Childress Racing win their first race, capturing the 1984 Winston Cup championship with Terry Labonte, getting some flatulent payback on Sterling Marlin and some of the most iconic races of Dale Earnhardt’s career, up to and including their victory in the 1998 Daytona 500. Hosts R...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 26 min
To fully understand and appreciate the return of North Wilkesboro Speedway for this weekend's Cup all-star race, it's important to remember what took place there in the past. Rescued from the very depths of oblivion, the trace is brimming with memories. We've captured many of them on the show, and to celebrate its return, please enjoy this very special highlight episode! NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Be sure to check ...
May 17, 2023•2 hr 6 min
This week in the second installment of our interview with Danny Culler, he talks about coming in contact with NASCAR icons like Bill France Sr, Joe Weatherly, Curtis Turner and Fireball Roberts as a youth; his time in Vietnam and how he was working to get into the sport even then; flying for Piedmont Aviation; and the role he played in getting the company into the sport as a sponsor and helping steer them toward Richard Childress Racing. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid d...
May 10, 2023•1 hr 17 min
We did something this week we sometimes do with our interviews … when there’s a particularly powerful portion that comes later in the interview, we’ll go with that part first if the situation warrants. There's no other way to put this, but Danny Culler was spotting for Dale Earnhardt during the 2001 Daytona 500. That’s powerful enough, but Danny quit that gig just two days before and was only lured back by an apology the morning of that fateful event. Danny then serves as Kevin Harvick’s spotter...
May 03, 2023•1 hr 44 min
In the third and final installment of our interview with Slugger Labbe, he remembers his turbulent time with team owner Bobby Ginn, his 2011 Brickyard 400 victory with Paul Menard and Richard Childress Racing, the pressures of working on the RCR 3 car and taking on an entirely new challenge of going drag racing. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the March 29, 2007 issue of NASCAR Scene. Kyle Busch wins at Bristol in the debut of the notorious Car of Tomorrow. Mark Martin skips the ...
Apr 26, 2023•1 hr 16 min
This week in the second installment our interview, Slugger Labbe remembers trying to get Kenny Irwin up to speed, rumors over Kenny’s commitment to the sport, moving over the Dale Earnhardt Incorporated to work with Michael Waltrip, running a pitch-black chassis at a Daytona night race (wink, wink) and his bout with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dissect the July 11, 2002 issue of Winston Cup Scene. It’s an incredibly emotional day for Mich...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 8 min
In the first of what will be three installments with Slugger Labbe, he talks about not loving racing as a child, getting kidnapped by a bunch of Houstons and being dragged down south, his crew chief mentors and doing double duty at Robert Yates Racing as a tire changer for Dale Jarrett and crew chief for Kenny Irwin. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the March 12, 1998 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Rain, rain go away … Mother Nature was in a terrible mood at Atlanta and almost everyt...
Apr 12, 2023•1 hr 22 min
Host Rick Houston gives a report on his big debut over the weekend in the Lonesome Pine Motorsports Park pace truck. Then, in the third and final installment of our interview with Butch Hylton, Butch talks about the end of his Winston Cup career, rebirth in the truck series and how he views his legacy in the sport today. Speaking of pace vehicles, we have a BIG announcement for our second segment … you ain’t gonna believe this one! Rick will also be behind the wheel of the pace vehicle April 28-...
Apr 05, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Big news this week ... The Scene Vault Podcast host Rick Houston will make his debut behind the wheel of the Lonesome Pine Motorsports Park pace truck Saturday! Plans call for every car in every division to carry a Mighty Mouse decal ... as well as a backward pace lap prior to the first race of the day ... in memory of Alan Kulwicki, who lost his life in a tragic plane crash thirty years ago to the day. In the second installment of our interview, Butch Hylton takes us from the top of the mountai...
Mar 29, 2023•1 hr 32 min
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 te...
Mar 22, 2023•1 hr 30 min
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 ...
Mar 15, 2023•1 hr 12 min
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 ea...
Mar 08, 2023•1 hr 4 min
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 ...
Mar 01, 2023•1 hr 18 min
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 conside...
Feb 22, 2023•30 min
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 w...
Feb 15, 2023•1 hr 21 min
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. Rat...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 20 min
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 ...
Feb 02, 2023•1 hr 23 min
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 ...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 23 min
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 considerin...
Jan 25, 2023•1 hr 29 min
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 wh...
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 228
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 ...
Jan 04, 2023•1 hr 34 min
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? C...
Dec 14, 2022•1 hr 36 min
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...
Dec 07, 2022•1 hr 41 min
