The Scene Vault Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 208 -- David Ifft on the Infamous Waylon Jennings Riot, Jailtime in Mexico, Benny Parsons and Cale Yarborough Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

This week in the third and final installment of our conversation with David Ifft, he tells us HIS side of the story of a long-ago riot before, during and after a Waylon Jennings concert at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Then, it’s on to his infamous stint in a Mexican jail while en route to the 1980 season finale at Ontario … a race he would win with Benny Parsons behind the wheel.
After that, David remembers parting ways with … first … Benny … and then team owner M.C. Anderson and driver Cale Yarborough.
Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then tie into the July 9, 1981 issue of Grand National Scene. Cale Yarborough used a slingshot move on the last lap to get by Harry Gant for the win at Daytona. Cale got the victory and Harry wound up with ANOTHER second-place finish.
Ricky Rudd escaped what could very well have been a devastating crash that also involved Dale Earnhardt, who was making his first start for car owner J.D. Stacy.
Jake Elder makes good on a promise to stay put with Terry Labonte … for a while … and James Hylton gets a dream sponsorship from STP for an upcoming race at Talladega.
Finally … an earlier column on women in the pits and garage gets things stirred up in this week’s letters to the editor section.
NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
Please consider supporting this show via:
www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
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Episode 207 -- David Ifft on M.C. Anderson's Big Money, Buddy Baker, Benny Parsons, Dale Inman and Richard Petty Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

In the second installment of our interview with David Ifft, David tells all when it comes to his salary negotiation with M.C. Anderson, after which he become the first crew chief on record to be paid more than $100,000 a year. He also gives us the scoop on why M.C. started having his employees followed by a private investigator. Phil Parsons … if you’re out there and listening … don’t shoot the messenger, my friend.
David also remembers lending a helping hand to Richard Petty and Dale Inman the week of the 1979 Daytona 500 and getting an extraordinarily rare Richard Petty mug … cough … cough … in return. Finally, he talks about the hand-shake sponsorship deal between M.C. Anderson and Harry Melling, as well as the trickery and deal making that led to Benny Parsons’ win in the 1980 World 600 at Charlotte.
Note ... there is some background noise during parts of the interview.
Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig through the June 19, 1980 issue of Grand National Scene. Benny Parsons wins at Michigan, ONE of his hometown tracks, on a day that was wet and soggy and cold and just kinda downright miserable. David Pearson nearly misses the start of the race because he’d already headed back to the hotel.
DK Ulrich and a fan have a misunderstanding at Riverside and publisher Robb Griggs calls for what amounted to a driver benevolence fund ... and better lounge entertainers?!?
NOTE: This podcast is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
Please consider supporting our show via:
www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast

Episode 206 -- David Ifft on Bud Moore, Darrell Waltrip and DiGard Racing Aug 03, 2022

Show notes

The Spongebob Squarepants musical ... Rick coming to Steve's rescue and helping change a flat tire ... it all takes a back seat to the news that Las Vegas Motor Speedway is renewing its title sponsorship of The Scene Vault Podcast for the coming year!
In the first of three EPIC installments of our interview with David Ifft, the longtime NASCAR crew chief talks about going from shop to shop to shop in his drive to land a dream gig in the sport, before finally getting hooked up with Bud Moore Engineering.
After that, it was on to DiGard Racing, where he reunited with Darrell Waltrip AND doubled his salary to a whopping $700 a week. However … because it was DiGard … a parting of the ways was almost inevitable.
Rick and Steve then take a look at the October 26, 1978 issue of Grand National Scene. Cale Yarborough beats the living daylights out of everybody at Rockingham and for the 1978 Winston Cup championship, his unprecedented third title in a row. L.G. DeWitt, Benny Parsons and Jake Elder have themselves a little bit of a row, while young David Ifft is called one of the best crew chiefs in the business.
Finally, team owner Rod Osterlund denies rumors that he is grooming phenom Dale Earnhardt to replace Dave Marcis as his driver.
NOTE: This podcast is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
Please consider supporting the podcast via:
www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast

Episode 205 -- Jeff Purvis on South Boston Pit-Road Brawl, Career-Ending Accidents Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

In the second and final installment of our interview with Jeff Purvis, Jeff talks about the all-out South Boston brawl and subsequent suspension he faced way back when, a Pikes Peak win he does not remember and TWO life-threatening and ultimately career-ending accidents … AND … giraffe money.
Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the August 2, 2001 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Bobby Labonte gets around Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the win at Pocono, Jeff Purvis wins at Pikes Peak in a fill-in role for Richard Childress Racing and Columbine shooting victim Rachel Scott’s family is treated to a weekend of Busch Series racing and hospitality. The issue also featured coverage of yet another NASCAR rule change and a package of stories on stress in racing.
NOTE: This show is not affiliated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
Please consider supporting this show via:
www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast

Episode 204 -- Jeff Purvis on Dirt and Asphalt Roots, James Finch and Cheating in Racing Jul 20, 2022

Show notes

Jeff Purvis … Never Nervous Purvis. This week in the first of what will be two installments of our interview, Jeff talks about getting into racing on dirt, his transition to asphalt, how he first got together with team owner James Finch and one of the very best cheating in racing stories that you’ll ever hear.
In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the May 5, 1994 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Dale Earnhardt adds to his legendary win total at Talladega, while Ernie Irvan, Michael Waltrip and Jimmy Spencer come up just a little bit short.
And Jimmy? Let’s just say Mr. Excitement didn’t exactly win a lot of friends that day. Mark Martin had one of the wildest rides of his career going through barriers and coming to a VERY hard stop against a guardrail.
Jeff Purvis won Talladega’s ARCA race the day before, Deb Williams gives her stance on calling a NASCAR event a race ... or a show. And a young, up-and-coming and extraordinarily good-looking writer had both a feature story AND a column in this issue.
NOTE: This show is not affiliated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
Please consider supporting this show via:
www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast

Episode 203 -- NASCAR Champion-Turned-Broadcaster Todd Bodine Part 3 Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

We start off this week with a quick chat with Jamie Bishop, gasman for NASCAR Truck driver Parker Kligerman, who won Saturday's event at Mid-Ohio. Jamie is a longtime friend and supporter of the show who may ... or may not ... return the victory-lane caps he was given by Parker following Saturday's victory.
In the third and final installment of our interview with Todd Bodine, Todd discusses the day that his older Geoff was involved in that just absolutely horrifying accident during the inaugural Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona. He also talks about his THRILLING Busch Series wins at Kentucky and Darlington … but NOT the one he pulled off at Rockingham.
Finally, we wrap up our conversation with his move to the truck series, his championships and finally the move to television.
Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the November 23, 2006 issue of NASCAR Scene, which featured extensive coverage of championship efforts by Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Todd Bodine, Mark Martin's final win and departure from Roush Racing and Rick's 2006 reaction to polls naming Mark Martin as the greatest driver in Busch Series history.
NOTE: This podcast is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
Please consider supporting the podcast via:
www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast

Episode 202 -- NASCAR Champion-Turned-Broadcaster Todd Bodine Part 2 Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

We’ve got a lot packed into this installment of our interview with Todd Bodine … getting booed because he’s Geoff Bodine’s brother, the infamous run-in between Geoff and Brett during the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, his OWN issues in that event and the phantom caution he caused, ANOTHER historic race at Texas Motor Speedway that got away and last, but certainly not least … the Tabasco Fiasco.
In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid leaf through the August 13, 1992 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Kyle Petty wins a rain-shortened race at Watkins Glen and the Bodine brothers – Geoff, Brett and Todd – race against each other for the first time. There are rumors about future NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt, Richard Childress, Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham and Jeff Gordon … one of which KINDA comes true.
NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
Be sure to check out our newly designed website www.thescenevault.com!
Please consider supporting our show via:
www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast

Episode 201 -- NASCAR Champion-Turned-Broadcaster Todd Bodine Jun 29, 2022

Show notes

After taking additional questions from friends (?!?) of the podcast Rick Mast and Rusty Wallace, we dive into the first installment of our interview with Todd Bodine.
Long before he was a champion of the Craftsman Truck Series … long before he became a NASCAR analyst and broadcaster … Todd bounced up and down the east coast, trying to make a name for himself in the sport.
He got one big break as Felix Sabates’ very first employee in NASCAR … and an even bigger one the following year when Kyle Petty opted out of driving several Busch Series events.
His performance in that car put him in line for a ride with car owners and fellow New York natives Frank Cicci and Scott Welliver. The deal worked … and worked well.
Then, in our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig through the June 6, 1991 issue of Winston Cup Scene.
Ken Schrader wins on an extraordinarily hot and humid weekend at Dover and he gets by Dale Earnhardt to do it. Todd wins the first race of his Busch Series career the day before … in one of the craziest days you’d ever want to see … and in some of the worst circumstances.
Finally, a crew member for Jimmy Means Racing escapes very serious injury when a fire breaks out on pit road.
NOTE: This podcast is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
Please consider supporting our show via:
www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast

Episode 200 -- NASCAR Icon Richard Petty Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

Richard Petty … what else do we really need to say? NASCAR Hall of Fame inaugural inductee. Seven championships … seven Daytona 500 wins … the number 43 … 200 wins.
It's a perfect fit for our 200th episode.
It would also not be appropriate to celebrate our 200th episode without including our listeners, so we asked everybody to send in their questions for hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid … and we even got a few from PAST INTERVIEW guests Larry McReynolds, Jeff Hammond, Kenny Wallace and Las Vegas Motor Speedway President and General Manager Chris Powell.
NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
Please consider supporting our show via:
www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast

Episode 199 -- Richard Childress Racing-Dale Earnhardt Tire Changer Will Lind Part 2 Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

NOTE: Have a question to ask hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid for next week's milestone 200th episode? Tweet us @thescenevault and use #vault200, or email a voice file to rick@thescenevaultpodcast.com!
In the second and final installment of our interview with Richard Childress Racing legend Will Lind, he discusses all the Daytona 500s that got away from Dale Earnhardt and what it meant to him personally when the NASCAR icon finally won the sport’s biggest race in 1998.
Will also tells our listeners about the Goodyear-Hoosier tire wars, a controversial decision by the RCR crew to replace Earnhardt’s missing tires at Charlotte, the transition between RCR crew chiefs Kirk Shelmerdine and Andy Petree and his own decision to take a step back from life on the road.
Then in our second segment, we take a long look inside the October 18, 1990 issue of Winston Cup Scene. This late-season, off-week issue features a preview of the conclusion to the battle for the 1990 Winston Cup championship, news of the passing of former team and track owner L.G. DeWitt, Rick Mast's Busch Series win at New Hampshire, the aftermath of a very scary pit-road clash between Alan Kulwicki and Ernie Irvan at Charlotte and an equally as frightening accident during testing at Rockingham for Richard Petty.
DISCLAIMER: This show is not affiliated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
Please consider supporting our show via:
www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast

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