The Scene Vault Podcast

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EPISODE 189 -- MIKE BEAM PART 3 Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

This week in the third and final installment of our interview with Mike Beam, Mike talks about the struggles he continued to face in the wake of the loss of Mike Rich and a fiery accident involving Sterling Marlin. Despite those reservations, Mike eventually moved over to Bill Elliott’s Junior Johnson & Associates team, where he and Bill combined to give Junior the final Winston Cup victory of his career.
Mike also takes listeners through the controversy the team endured during the leadup to the 1995 Daytona 500, when the organization was discovered with an illegal intake manifold.
Finally, Mike makes it back to the top of the mountain with Roush Racing, where he guided Mark Martin and Carl Edwards to successful seasons in truck and Nationwide competition. Afterward, he wound up with the organization now known as Petty GMS Motorsports … together again with Richard Petty.
In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the May 28, 1981 issue of Grand National Scene. Bobby Allison wins at Charlotte, despite serious accidents involving his brother Donnie and good friend Neil Bonnett. Cale Yarborough finishes third just two days after getting scalded by a pot of boiling water in his hotel room, Dale Earnhardt moves back into his father’s old racing shop in Kannapolis and Gene Granger gets PUNCHED.
NOTE: This podcast is in no way associated with American City Business Journals, owners of the Scene brand.

EPISODE 188 -- MIKE BEAM PART 2 Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

In this very emotional episode, longtime crew chief and team executive Mike Beam discusses what was THE most controversial moment of Richard Petty’s career … the 1983 fall race at Charlotte, after which a REALLY big engine was discovered under the hood of the Petty Enterprises Pontiac. He also talks about taking some time off to be Mr. Mom and refocus his priorities on his family.
Mike then discusses the absolute devastation of losing teammate Mike Rich in a terrible accident during the 1990 Winston Cup season finale at Atlanta, a fiery accident at Bristol involving Sterling Marlin just a few months later and the emotional impact that had on his life and career.
Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dive into the October 25, 1990 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Alan Kulwicki wins at Rockingham, for the first time since positing the first Winston Cup victory of his career a couple of years earlier at Phoenix.
The day was a very good one for Alan, but one of his crew members escaped very serious injury when he was struck by Rusty Wallace during a round of pit stops.
Bill Elliott’s Melling Racing crew wins the Unocal 76 pit-crew race at Rockingham. Jeff Gordon makes the very first NASCAR start of his career and the origin of Jack Roush’s love for straw hats is revealed!
NOTE: This podcast is not affiliated in any way with American City Business Journals, owners of the Scene brand.

EPISODE 187 -- MIKE BEAM PART 1 Mar 23, 2022

Show notes

This week in the first of three installments of our interview with veteran crew chief and team executive Mike Beam, he talks about trying to break into the sport with Mike Laughlin, Butch Lindley, Harry Gant and Morgan Shepherd, before finally landing with Petty Enterprises. And … yes … he gives us HIS side of the story in the Great Lone Star Beer Escapade with Kyle Petty.
In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid take a peek at the June 11, 1981 issue of Grand National Scene. Benny Parsons wins the final Winston Cup event at Texas World Speedway after a pretty heated late-race battle with defending series champion Dale Earnhardt, who was still searching for his first win of the season. Spotters take up for Earl Sappenfield and Joe Whitlock wheels and deals for Dale Earnhardt, for the time being.
NOTE: This podcast is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owners of the Scene brand.

EPISODE 186 -- JOHNNY BENSON PART 3 Mar 16, 2022

Show notes

The Houston family makes it back from an epic trip to Las Vegas, a meeting with a Medal of Honor recipient and a treacherous jaunt on a skywalk overlooking the Grand Canyon!
In the third and final installment of our interview with Johnny Benson, he talks … again … about his run in the truck series with Bill Davis Racing, his 2008 championship battle with Ron Hornaday, deciding to leave Bill’s team, an effort with Red Horse Racing that didn’t quite pan out and a really bad week he experienced in 2009, up to and including the EXTENSIVE injuries he received in a crash at Berlin Raceway.
Most importantly … Johnny and Rick come to terms on the SRX Racing pace car!
The second segment sees Rick and co-host Steve Waid coming up with a series of questions ... some serious ... others maybe not so much ... for each other.
NOTE: This podcast is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owners of the Scene brand.

EPISODE 185 -- JOHNNY BENSON PART 2 Mar 09, 2022

Show notes

Snow in Las Vegas? Carrot Top? Oh, yeah. We've got it all in this week's episode!
In the second installment of our interview with Johnny Benson, Johnny talks about his earliest days on the Winston Cup circuit with Bahari Racing, his rather difficult turn with Roush Racing, what might have been in the 2000 Daytona 500, his Mr. Nice Guy image, winning at Rockingham and parting ways with MB2 Motorsports.
In our second segment, Johnny Benson wins the first Winston Cup race of his career at Rockingham despite that Mr. Nice Guy tag, and Jamie McMurray inherits a second straight Busch Series victory.
NOTE: This podcast is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owners of the Scene brand.

EPISODE 184 -- JOHNNY BENSON PART 1 Mar 02, 2022

Show notes

In the first of what will be three installments of our interview with Johnny Benson, he talks about the influence his father had on his life and career, rising up through the ranks despite the fact he was happy where he was at, his inauspicious Busch Series debut, beating Harry Gant for his first win in that division, his consistency winning out over Chad Little’s flashes of brilliance in the 1995 Busch Series title fight and agreeing to move to Winston Cup with Bahari Racing.
Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then pick through the September 22, 1994 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Rusty Wallace wins in a crazy Winston Cup finish at Dover, while Young Gun Johnny Benson holds off Grizzled Ol’ Veteran Harry Gant for the first victory of his Busch Series career.
The cover date on this issue came just two days after a VERY important date in NASCAR history.

EPISODE 183 -- MIKE ALEXANDER Feb 23, 2022

Show notes

Middle Tennessee racing legend Mike Alexander takes us through the early years of his career, as well as a couple of attempts at establishing himself as a Winston Cup competitor. When those didn’t work out, Mike decided to take himself and his talents to the Busch Series, where he felt he had a better shot at running competitively with a team HE owned.
Mike ran well at the level, got himself a couple of wins … and very nearly another, until a protest by his buddy Larry Pearson took it away. Mike WAS noticed, and wound up replacing the injured Bobby Allison midway through the 1988 Winston Cup season. He did well in the car … his career was on the rise … but then saw his own career derailed by a head injury he sustained that offseason during the Snowball Derby.
Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then thumb through the December 1, 1988 issue of Grand National Scene. Rusty Wallace won that year’s season finale at Atlanta, but lost out on the Winston Cup championship to Bill Elliott. Both had their gameplans in place before the race … each one played out pretty much as they expected … and in the end, winning the race still wasn’t enough for Rusty.
Mike Alexander recorded the best finish of his Winston Cup career, and was looking forward to the following season. Two NASCAR Hall of Famers made the last starts of their Winston Cup careers in this event. There’s a feature on Mildred Elliott, the matriarch of that racing family, and the wives of Bill, Ernie and Dan. Finally … Richard Petty loses his 1967 championship ring … and it gets returned to him.

EPISODE 182 -- JOHN DODSON PART 3 Feb 16, 2022

Show notes

NOTE: Some parts of this episode may be too intense for some listeners.
We’re sharing the third and final installment of our interview with John Dodson this week, and the conversation swings from hysterically funny to devastatingly emotional.
John talks about the brawl between Rusty Wallace’s Blue Max Racing team and Darrell Waltrip’s Hendrick Motorsports crew that followed the 1989 edition of The Winston all-star race and his work at the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville.
But then … John discusses the 1990 pit-road accident that claimed the life of Mike Rich and the night his niece and nephew, Trey and Tia … Barry’s son and daughter … lost their lives. The impact that loss had on Barry was immeasurable.

EPISODE 181 -- JOHN DODSON PART 2 Feb 09, 2022

Show notes

In the second installment of our interview with John Dodson, he remembers the controversy surrounding three key employees of Junior Johnson & Associates making the move to M.C. Anderson’s team. Once there, team members were reportedly subject to being followed by detectives, in order to keep them on the straight and narrow.
John also lets us in on another mass exodus, this time from Ranier to Blue Max Racing. Then, we have Tim Richmond stories and insider info on the trickery and financial smoke-and-mirror show Blue Max used win the 1989 Winston Cup championship.
Our second segment features a deep dive into the September 15, 1988 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of Davey Allison winning the first race on Richmond’s newly reconfigured racing surface. The Tire Wars between Goodyear and Hoosier were raging hot and heavy, which played into Davey’s favor and cost Rusty Wallace the 1988 Winston Cup championship.
There are features on Hoosier Tire’s Marge Merrill, the daughter of company founder Bob Newton, and Melling Racing tire specialist Mike Thomas. Finally, Dale Earnhardt shoots doves AND a photograph in this issue.

EPISODE 180 -- JOHN DODSON PART 1 Feb 02, 2022

Show notes

You may know John Dodson as the younger brother of longtime NASCAR crew chief Barry Dodson, but he forged an incredible resume in the sport all his own. In the first of what will be three installments of an absolutely extraordinary conversation, John talks about growing up in a racing family with seven rambunctious siblings; breaking into NASCAR while still in high school; a wreck that left his hero Richard Petty battered and bruised; Maurice Petty; RCR BD (Richard Childress Racing Before Dale); flying with Cale Yarborough; and much, much more.
In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid break down the July 7, 1977 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of Richard Petty's strong win at Daytona, the firing of Darel Dieringer by DiGard Racing and the sale of Nord Krauskopf's team to Jim Stacy.

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