Dinner with Racers

Ep.59 – Dario Franchitti

You couldn’t ask for a more dream opening to Season Three than with Dario Franchitti. One of the most storied drivers of IndyCar, Dario is a three-time Indy 500 winner, a four-time IndyCar Series champion, and easily regarded as one of the all-time greats. With his soothing Scottish voice, Dario joined us to not just tell tales of IndyCar racing, but life away from the track, his brief stint in NASCAR, the amazing tale of being robbed at gunpoint, getting involved in high speed chases with people breaking in to his home, and life after forced retirement. It’s an amazing listen, and afterward he drove us for the rest of the trip! Dinner was served at Santé a restaurant at the Fairmont Mission Inn in Sonoma, California. We kick off our third season with the music of Desure, a favorite of Patrick Long. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great car.

Ep.58 – Season Three Special Announcement!

A special announcement on the next season of “Dinner with Racers,” and a never-before-heard, exclusive look at what it’s like to have dinner with the show’s second-most popular host.

Ep.57 – Alex Gurney

Being the son of one of racing’s all-time legends hasn’t phased Alex Gurney one bit, and that’s probably because he’s done an excellent job of carving out his own career. Despite beginning his racing career at 19 and competing against guys who started 11 years before him, Alex would continue on to become a two-time Rolex Sports Car Series champion, and currently helps to run AAR, known to many as All American Racers, one of the most storied companies in all of motorsports, started by his father Dan. Learn about his career path, some legendary tales of his father… and his gambling problem. Dinner was served at Eureka in Irvine, California, with the music of Jarrod Gorbel to close out our second season. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Honda for providing a great car, we hope to announce the future plans of Dinner with Racers soon.

Ep.56 – Brendan Gaughan

Brendan Gaughan is one of NASCAR’s most unique and colorful characters. After a successful career in off-road as well junior open-wheel categories, the Las Vegas native turned his attention to NASCAR, ultimately becoming a multiple winner in the Truck Series, and eventually landing opportunities in both the Cup an Xfinity cateogories, where he has continued to win and even qualified for the 2016 Chase. What makes him especially unique, however, is an upbringing unlike anyone else. A member of the famous Gaughan family, Brendan’s grandfather and father have made huge careers out of the casino business, owning a series of casinos in both Las Vegas and beyond, with the most current noteworthy one being the South Point Casin in Southern Las Vegas. Oh, and the dude can play basketball, having helped train with NBA legend Allen Iverson while playing at Georgetown. Dinner was served at possibly the nicest restaurant in the history of the series, Michael’s Gourmet Room, located in the South Point Casino. Music was provided by Kari Holmes. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Honda for providing a great car.

Ep.55 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (with Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney)

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is one of NASCAR’s top stars, now entering his fifth season of the top-tier Cup category. Part of the wave of “development drivers” that burst on to the scene 10 years ago, Ricky has been part of the Roush family for nearly a decade, and in the process has won two consecutive Xfinity series championships, multiple victories in various categories, and is on the cusp of a Cup breakout. He was also a close friend of the late Bryan Clauson, who we were fortunate enough to meet during our first season. Meeting up at Fresco Italiano in Las Vegas’s Westgate hotel, the real surprise of the day was Ricky bringing three of his friends: his buddy Aaron, and then fellow NASCAR stars Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney. With such a dynamic group, you get an idea of what it’s like to just “hang out with the guys,” with the episode being closed out by the music of Jarrod Gorbel. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Honda for providing a great car.

Ep.54 – Peter Cunningham

Peter Cunningham is a staple of the American sportscar scene, and has been for three decades. The owner and former driver of RealTime Racing, the Wisconsin native is one of the most heralded drivers and team owners in World Challenge Series history, having been with the series as a driver since inception, and with both driver and team amassing a record number of wins and championships along the way. A staple of the Honda / Acura brand, “PD” also owns and operates the largest private collection of vintage Honda machines in the USA, oh and he’s also Ryan’s boss. Breakfast was served courtesy of the world-famous Peppermill, a historic coffee shop in downtown Las Vegas. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Honda for providing a great car.

Ep.53 – Eddie Gossage

Eddie Gossage is what most of us would define as a “boss.” As the President of Texas Motor Speedway, this is the man behind some of the most glorious stunts in all of racing, including everything from Robosaurus, to Robby Knievel jumping over the entire IndyCar grid, to literally having a monkey sell his race programs. A true entertainer and consummate businessman, hear about the world of track management as only Eddie can tell you. Dinner was served courtesy of Texas Motor Speedway’s very own Speedway Club, with the music of I See Hawks in L.A. closing us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Honda for providing a great car.

Ep.52 – Randy Lanier

Randy Lanier burst on to the motorsport scene in the late 1970’s, eventually forming Blue Thunder Racing with Bill and Don Whittington. The group became a legend of the 1980’s, with Randy winning the 1984 IMSA GTP championship over factory rivals, and then turning to IndyCar where he steadily began to gain results by his second year. What later came to light was the entire operation was funded by a marijuana smuggling ring that Randy orchestrated, eventually getting arrested and serving 27 years in jail, only recently getting out. He tells us EVERYTHING. Yes, EVERYTHING. That’s all we’ll say. Dinner was served courtesy of Cabana El Rey in Delray Beach, Florida, with the music of Jarrod Gorbel closing us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Honda for providing a great car.

Ep.51 – Don Whittington

Don Whittington, or “Donny Dubbs” as he allowed us to call him, is one of the most unique characters in all of racing. First off, the dude is a real racer. A REAL racer. Sports cars, IndyCar, stock cars, off-road, even AIRPLANES, this guy has raced and been competitive in all of them. This includes winning the 1979 Le Mans 24 overall, team with his brother Bill and Klaus Ludwig to beat out the more powerful factory teams. In addition, Don was also part of a 1980’s sportscar scene that would eventually lead to his arrest, pleading guilty in 1986 to money laundering, and serving 18 months in federal prison. Not afraid to speak his mind, Don continues to own and operate World Jet, a private airport in Fort Lauderdale, and is one of the most outspoken guys we’ve had on the show. Dinner was served courtesy of Pizza Fusion (owned by the brother of IMSA’s very own Shea Adam), with the music of Richard Sherfey and All God’s Children. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Honda for providing a great car.

Ep.50 – Hurley Haywood

A sportscar legend and a Porsche icon, Hurley Haywood currently holds the record for most number of overall wins at Daytona, in additional to winning at Sebring and three-times at Le Mans. Completely unbeatable in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Hurley eventually became the long American factory driver for Porsche, combining his fast but patient nature with his extremely calm and classy demeanor to become the perfect brand representative. While we have no idea why somone this classy would give us his time, we appreciate it, and we were able to cover topics from his best wins, to Stanley Kubrick movies, to an upcoming documentary on his relationship with teammate Peter Greg. Dinner was served at The Tasting Room in St. Augustine, Florida, with the music of The Blue Hours to take us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Honda for providing a great car.