The Scene Vault Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EPISODE 145 -- HUT STRICKLIN PART 1 May 19, 2021

Show notes

This week, we have the first of what will be a three-part interview with Hut Stricklin. In this episode, Hut talks about the origins of the nickname; meeting Pam Allison, Donnie’s daughter; and the role that Pam’s cousin, Davey, played in that. He sets the record straight on NOT being an official member of the Alabama Gang; dominating on short tracks, before making the decision to move to Winston Cup; landing with team owner Rod Osterlund; going to drive for Bobby Allison; finishing second to Davey at Michigan in June of 1991, before ultimately leaving Bobby’s team at the end of the 1992 season. In our second segment, we check into the June 27, 1991 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of Davey Allison’s win and Hut Stricklin’s second-place finish at Michigan; a benefit for Wendell Scott; Junior Johnson’s return to the garage after a four-race suspension, which he was NOT happy about; and everybody denying Silly Season rumors that eventually came true.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE 144 -- RONNIE THOMAS PART 3 May 12, 2021

Show notes

In the third and final installment of our interview, Ronnie Thomas talks about a 1981 run-in with law enforcement in his hometown of Christiansburg, Virginia, as well as his days as a Late Model Stock icon. In the April 9, 1981 issue of Grand National Scene, we find news of Richard Petty's win at North Wilkesboro, Dave Marcis' pole run, the first race of Mark Martin's Winston Cup career ... and the hiring of Steve Waid as executive editor.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE 143 -- RONNIE THOMAS PART 2 May 05, 2021

Show notes

In the second installment of our interview with Ronnie Thomas, he talks about his frustrations boiling over, an incident with D.K. Ulrich, Eddie Gossage getting to drive his race car, the legendary Wendell Scott and the deal making that went on behind the scenes between him and some of the bigger teams in the sport. Rent a ride? How about rent a caution? Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the July 20, 1978 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of Cale Yarborough's dominant win at Nashville, the best finish of Richard Childress' Winston Cup career and Ronnie Thomas' first top-10 showing. The issue also carries the heart-breaking story of Rick Newsom, and an in-depth interview with Richard Petty, in which The King shared how he REALLY felt about movies and television. Maybe best of all ... the Petty interview reveals a connection between the 1953 movie The Moon is Blue and the iconic television shows M*A*S*H and The Big Bang Theory.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE 142 -- RONNIE THOMAS PART 1 Apr 28, 2021

Show notes

This wasn’t so much a chronological interview, as it was just Ronnie Thomas telling stories. Ronnie discusses his father Jabe's influence on his career, and their early disagreements over just how far and how fast Ronnie could go on the money they had available. Despite a distinct lack of funding, Ronnie won the 1978 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year Award. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the August 17, 1978 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured Steve's cover story on Ronnie Thomas and reports that Lennie Pond was about to be replaced by Darrell Waltrip; Junior Johnson was angry with NASCAR over the finish of the Talladega race AND lawsuits between Harry Hyde and J.D. Stacy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE 141 -- MICHAEL McSWAIN PART 3 Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

We’ll share the third and final installment of our interview with Michael McSwain … and if you thought the first two parts were something … you ain’t seen nothing yet. Michael talks about an incident between Ricky Rudd and a Robert Yates Racing employee that left Ricky with a pretty nasty black eye. He talks about his reasons for leaving Robert Yates Racing to go work for Joe Gibbs Racing as crew chief for Bobby Labonte. Finally … Michael rejoined Ricky Rudd at Wood Brothers Racing, where Michael stayed until his decision to get out of the sport in 2007. At the end of the conversation, Michael shared some pretty raw feelings about no longer being in the sport … and the conversation turned very personal. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid tackle the April 27, 2000 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured a package of stories on several up-and-coming crew chiefs at the time, with Michael McSwain right there on the cover. There's also a feature on Mark Martin’s dominance in the Busch Series, in what was going to be his last year in the division.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE 140 -- MICHAEL McSWAIN PART 2 Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode, we share the second installment of our interview with Michael McSwain. He talks about working for Cale Yarborough, joining Ricky Rudd in his last year as a team owner and then going with Ricky to Robert Yates Racing, where the kid from Lattimore, North Carolina won his first Winston Cup race. Just a few months later at Richmond, McSwain was about ready to burn the whole place down for a few minutes. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid thumb through the June 21, 2001 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of Ricky and Michael's Pocono win, Kevin Harvick’s double-duty weekend flying back and forth between Pocono and the Busch Series race in Kentucky and the mild-mannered Hank Parker Jr. running into Randy LaJoie after the Kentucky event. Also ... Junior Johnson makes a run at purchasing North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE 139 -- MICHAEL McSWAIN PART 1 Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

This week, Michael "Fatback" McSwain talks about the origin of his nickname, padding his resume a little bit when he first got into Winston Cup, the influence of Robert Gee and Harry Hyde on his career, trying to make ends meet with team owner Richard Jackson, an INCREDIBLE third-place finish with Morgan Shepherd at Atlanta and how standing up for himself and his beliefs was one of his greatest strengths … and maybe, one of his greatest weaknesses. Then, in our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid tackle the March 13, 1997 issue of Winston Cup Scene. That paper carried coverage of Dale Jarrett's dominant win at Atlanta, a third-place finish by Morgan Shepherd and McSwain and a horrifying crash involving Steve Grissom.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE 138 -- HUMPY WHEELER PART 3 Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

We share the third and final installment of our interview with Humpy Wheeler, and this week, he talks about a 1983 confrontation that he had with Tim Richmond. And speaking of confrontations, Humpy absolutely LOVED it when drivers were mad at each other, because it was one more tool in his tool box that he used to help sell tickets. Humpy also talks about a spur-of-the-moment pitch to run The Winston under the lights at Charlotte, NASCAR’s expansion across the country and the impact it had on tracks like North Wilkesboro and Rockingham and … finally … the movie Cars! In our second segment, we go back to the May 25, 1982 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured a MASSIVE feature on Humpy by the legendary Tom Higgins, as well as stories on a very young Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin, former driver Earl Brooks and a “bleep” year for Buddy Baker.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE 137 -- HUMPY WHEELER PART 2 Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

In the second installment of our interview, Humpy Wheeler talks jumping school buses, helping drivers up to and including Dale Earnhardt get their starts in the sport, why Earnhardt might not have gotten a ride in today's NASCAR, a Waylon Jennings concert gone wrong and the creation of The Winston all-star race. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid thumb through the May 30, 1985 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of Darrell Waltrip's sweep of Charlotte's The Winston AND the World 600, Bill Elliott's first attempt at winning The Winston Million, volunteer crew member Junior McGee, "Sterlin" Marlin and an associate sponsorship that would eventually become one of the most iconic backers in the history of the sport.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EPISODE 136 -- HUMPY WHEELER PART 1 Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

Former Charlotte Motor Speedway President Humpy Wheeler joins the podcast this week for a look back at his extraordinary career. Humpy remembers Joe Weatherly and Curtis Turner, his early years at what was then a rough-and-tumble Charlotte race track and the rebirth of his own relationship with Bruton Smith. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the June 9, 1977 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of Richard Petty's dominant win on an intensely hot World 600 weekend and a feature on David Pearson's hijinks.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected