Dinner with Racers

Ep.75 – Alwin Springer

If you’re a lover of Porsche machinery, you probably know the name Alwin Springer. If you don’t, you should. Alwin is probably the biggest name in Porsche’s rise to dominance in North American sportscar racing. Working for Vasek Polak, the man who responsible for growing the U.S. market for Porsche throughout the 1950’s and ’60’s, Alwin went on with two partners to create ANDIAL, the premier Porsche performance tuning business in the U.S. Through ANDIAL, Alwin and his team were a big part of the legendary Porsche 962 success, servicing a variety of Porsche machinery until finally becoming part of Porsche Motorsport North America in the 1990’s. While Alwin theoretically retired years ago, it’s not exactly true, and we get a rare opportunity to hear about all of that and more.  Lunch was served in his backyard in Mission Viejo, CA, with the music of Shaman Jon taking us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great MDX.

Ep.72 – Scott Tucker: The Racing Story

Scott Tucker and his epic “Level 5” sportscar program is the thing of legends. We actually owe a little something to Scott and Level 5 because our own “Level 5 Special” is the most downloaded one in our history. Imagine having a team owner, with a passion for racing, who has the means to fund things properly and really do things “right,” which is code for going big. That’s what Level 5 was, and Scott Tucker was the man behind it. Unfortunately his personal business would meet sharp criticism and controversy as the team went on, eventually folding the team as Scott concentrated on his ongoing legal matters. For the business and legal stories, stay tuned for the next episode. For the racing stories, enjoy this one. Dinner was courtesy of the Full Schilling in Wall Street, New York City. Music was provided by Children of Eden. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great MDX.

Ep.73 – Scott Tucker: The Business Story

Scott Tucker and his epic “Level 5” sportscar program is the thing of legends. We actually owe a little something to Scott and Level 5 because our own “Level 5 Special” is the most downloaded one in our history. Imagine having a team owner, with a passion for racing, who has the means to fund things properly and really do things “right,” which is code for going big. That’s what Level 5 was, and Scott Tucker was the man behind it. Unfortunately his personal business would meet sharp criticism and controversy as the team went on, eventually folding the team as Scott concentrated on his ongoing legal matters. For the amazing racing stories, tune in to our previous episode. For the business and legal side of the story, as told by Scott, enjoy this one. Dinner was courtesy of the Full Schilling in Wall Street, New York City. Music was provided by Graveler. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great MDX.

Ep.71 – Parker Kligerman

Parker Kligerman is a perfect example of resilience ahead of career challenges, and it’s because of that he should have a long career ahead of him. Beginning as a road racer, Parker saw the writing on the wall and went stock car racing, then had a Penske development contract at 18, only to see it all end when things didn’t work out. Recognizing opportunity when he saw it, Parker has since moved on to a broadcasting career with NBC Sports Network, and sure enough that has re-introduced him to driving opportunities, funny how that works!  Lunch was courtesy of Bartaco in Stamford, CT, with the music of Tigerdog taking us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great MDX.

Ep.69 – Mario Andretti, Pt. 1

Do we really need to explain who Mario Andretti is? It’s Mario Andretti. IT’S MARIO ANDRETTI. He gave us so much time that we had to split the episode in two…BECAUSE YOU DON’T EDIT MARIO ANDRETTI.  Dinner was served at the Blue Grill House, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Music was provided by The Soul Jacket. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great MDX.

Ep.70 – Mario Andretti, Pt. 2

Do we really need to explain who Mario Andretti is? It’s Mario Andretti. IT’S MARIO ANDRETTI. He gave us so much time that we had to split the episode in two…BECAUSE YOU DON’T EDIT MARIO ANDRETTI. PART TWO  Dinner was served at the Blue Grill House, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Music was provided by Tigerdog. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great MDX.

Ep.67 – Craig Hampson: The Young Engineer’s Special

A special edition for Dinner with Racers, we decided to cut Craig Hampson’s recording in to two parts. While his main episode focused largely on his stories and bigger picture examination, we wanted to focus exclusively on how he cut his teeth as a young engineer, specifically for our large audience of aspiring engineers who are curious about a career in motorsports. If you’re curious about what it takes, involved in Formula SAE, or just want to hear tales of young Craig Hampson, this is the episode for you.  Lunch was served at The Haymarket Pub and Brewery, located in Chicago, Illinois. Music was provided by Tiger Dog. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great MDX.

Ep.68 – Brian Till

Brian Till is a classic racing tale of a guy who has never stopped working, and in such has carved out his own place in sport. A champion of various junior level categories, Brian enjoyed a brief stint in IndyCar and Trans-Am racing before finding an eventual home as a television broadcaster, and during the entirety of his career has always been a racing instructor at a variety of locations. His ability to relate, tell stories, and be a genuinely likable guy- combined with his work ethic- is what’s kept him around and you can really hear it in this episode.  Dinner was served at Cantina Laredo in Columbus, Ohio. Music was provided by Ruto. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great MDX.

Ep.64 – Dorsey Schroeder

For fans of historic sportscar racing, Dorsey Schroeder is a true living legend. What makes him amazing is that he’s a legend for his off-track exploits as much as on. Making his biggest name in the golden era of Trans-Am, Dorsey was the key figure in the era of the Roush Mustang, before moving to NASCAR and eventually broadcasting, where he has amazing stories across the board. This episode features no shortage of drunk tales, stories about Dale Earnhardt, and living by a lake.  Dinner was courtesy of Kilroy’s in Indianapolis, IN, with the music of Jungle of Cities taking us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great MDX.

Ep.65 – Ryan Lewis

What makes Ryan Lewis such an interesting guest is what his role isn’t in the sport. In a season of holy sh**, Ryan’s career has maybe not gone according to plan, despite being very talented and very articulate, which is why we thought we should sit with him. With a keen mind for evaluation and self diagnosis, we walk through Ryan’s career to look at the good, the bad, and the future. He also didn’t know what he was walking in to, and got drunk as f***.  Lunch(?) was courtesy of The Alley Cat Lounge in Indianapolis, IN, with the music of Jungle of Cities taking us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great MDX.