The Scene Vault Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EPISODE 95 -- BILL GARDNER PART 1 Jun 03, 2020

Show notes

DiGard Racing was one of the most successful ... and controversial ... NASCAR teams of the 1970s and 80s, and team owner Bill Gardner addressed it all in his interview with The Scene Vault Podcast hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid. In this week's installment, Gardner remembers how it all began over a game of pinochle, his parting of the ways with Donnie Allison and the beginnings of what would turn out to be a tumultuous relationship with Darrell Waltrip. In our second segment, Rick and Steve dig into the May 26, 1977 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured an epic column by publisher Robb Griggs, outlining, among other things, a controversy at Nashville that left the race track without an ambulance.

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EPISODE 94 -- DARRELL WALTRIP PART 3 May 27, 2020

Show notes

In the third and final installment of our interview, Darrell Waltrip talks about everything from his rough start with the Dream Team at Hendrick Motorsports, his 1989 Daytona 500 win and The 1989 The Winston controversy with Rusty Wallace to his really bad broken leg at Daytona the following year, when he was also planning his OWN team, his 1991 flip at Daytona and, eventually, the end of his driving career. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the crammed-pack February 23, 1989 issue of Grand National Scene. That week's issue featured coverage of Waltrip's iconic win in the Daytona 500, Rick Mast's storybook finish, a post-race confrontation involving Davey Allison and Geoff Bodine and scary accidents involving Neil Bonnett, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt.

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EPISODE 93 -- DARRELL WALTRIP PART 2 May 20, 2020

Show notes

After a very expensive buyout of his contract with DiGard Racing, Darrell Waltrip joined the famed Junior Johnson & Association for the 1981 Winston Cup season. Because of his often-heated rivalry with Cale Yarborough, the team's former driver, Waltrip wasn't accepted with open arms at first. Winning, however, has a way of warming up even the coolest of relationships ... and Waltrip did plenty of winning at Junior Johnson & Associates. Still, it wasn't enough to keep him from being booed after a crash in the 1982 World 600 at Charlotte ... and an infamous "meet me in the Big K parking lot" interview with writer Larry Woody. After winning three Winston Cup championships with Johnson, Waltrip received an offer to go drive for then-upstart team owner Rick Hendrick. In our second segment, Rick Houston and Steve Waid are joined by Jaret Lundberg of The Iceberg NASCAR YouTube channel for a look back at the December 17, 1981 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of NASCAR's first trip to New York City for the Winston Cup banquet. Highlighting the issue is a glowing commentary, praising Waltrip for his superb representation of the sport.

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EPISODE 92 -- DARRELL WALTRIP PART 1 May 13, 2020

Show notes

Darrell Waltrip was one of the centerpieces of the NASCAR universe for nearly 20 years. In the first of our three-part Zoom interview, DW discusses everything from the early days of his career through the crushing disappointment of losing out on the 1979 Winston Cup championship ... and a good many things in between. In our second segment, we go back in time to the July 21, 1977 Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of DW's crazy victory at Nashville and a scathing column by publisher and founder Robb Griggs.

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EPISODE 91 -- LAKE SPEED PART 3 May 06, 2020

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Scene Vault Podcast, Lake Speed wins at Darlington Raceway in 1988. He subs for Davey Allison at Robert Yates Racing, then goes full time with Bud Moore and Melling Racing … and gets punched by Michael Waltrip at Michigan. His reaction to that is one of the funniest lines we’ve heard here on The Scene Vault Podcast. Finally, Lake remembers the injuries that led to the end of his Winston Cup career. Also, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid take a look at the March 31, 1988 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of Lake's Darlington win, Herculean efforts by Alan Kulwicki and Brett Bodine to get to the finish line and J.D. McDuffie's return to the race track.

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EPISODE 90 -- LAKE SPEED PART 2 Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

Lake Speed gets his start at the Winston Cup level, where he finds mentors in Darel Dieringer and Shelton "Runt" Pittman. He has a life-changing experience en route to a third-place finish at Talladega in 1983, then makes the decision to move to a team owned by Butch Mock and Bob Rahilly for 1985. Lake ends up with a second-place showing in the 1985 Daytona 500, one of the most emotional experiences of his long and storied career in NASCAR. After parting ways with Rahmoc early the following season, Lake feels led to start his own team. In the second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid check out the February 21, 1985 issue of Grand National Scene, featuring coverage of Bill Elliott's dominant Daytona 500 victory, Lake's memorable runnerup finish, Bobby Wawak and a new tire rule. Rick and Steve also remember their very first trips to Daytona.

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EPISODE 89 -- LAKE SPEED PART 1 Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

Lake Speed grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, the son of a popular businessman and one-term mayor of the city. Introduced to Go-Karts at a young age, Lake took his first steps in a lifetime of racing, a career that first saw him chase the dream of a World Karting Association world championship. Once he reached that impossible goal, Lake began seeking out a new challenge. He found it in NASCAR, but not before facing one of the most bizarre finishes in motorsports history at the end of the 1980 ARCA race at Daytona. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dissect the June 1, 1989 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of Darrell Waltrip's revenge win at Charlotte.

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EPISODE 88 -- STEVE HMIEL PART 3 Apr 15, 2020

Show notes

After his tenure with Roush Racing came to a disappointing end, Steve Hmiel's next stop was Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, where he experienced Earnhardt's at time rough-and-gruff leadership style first-hand. Sadly, he was also a part of the DEI family at the time of the 2001 Daytona 500, a moment in time that changed the course of NASCAR history. Steve also discusses the heart-breaking injury sustained by his son Shane, and his reaction to it. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dissect the upcoming vote for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

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EPISODE 87 -- STEVE HMIEL PART 2 Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

Roush Fenway Racing eventually became one of NASCAR's most influential teams, but the going wasn't always smooth in the earliest days of the organization. In this episode, Steve Hmiel remembers the tug-of-war that sometimes took part between Michigan and North Carolina, the team's controversial penalty at Richmond early in the 1990 season and the disappointment of losing that year's Winston Cup championship. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dive into the October 26, 1989 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of the first Winston Cup win for both driver Mark Martin and Roush Racing.
NOTE: Due to the coronavirus quarantine, this commentary for this episode was recorded remotely. There are some rough spots in the quality of the recording, but steps have been taken to correct this in future episodes.

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EPISODE 86 -- STEVE HMIEL PART 1 Apr 01, 2020

Show notes

Steve Hmiel started work for Petty Enterprises the day after a controversial race at Dover in which Richard Petty made up six laps ... with the help of Buddy Arrington ... before capturing the victory. It's been a wild ride ever since for Hmiel, who in this episode describes his early days with the team, a move to Hagan Racing, the 1984 Winston Cup championship and silencing the skeptics by taking a show car to victory lane at Rockingham. In our second segment, the March 6, 1986 issue of Grand National Scene covers Labonte's Rockingham victory, as well as HUGE reaction to the late-race run-in between Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip the week before at Richmond. Finally, there's news of Robert Yates' departure from DiGard Racing.

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