The Autoweek Podcast

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll joins Jimmy Pelizzari, Mike Pryson and Wesley Wren to talk about the end of the NASCAR season. Adding some actual relevant information, veteran NASCAR correspondent Al Pearce calls in to explain the season’s wrap and give us the word from the team garages. Pearce talks about Logano’s season, the frustration with some fans about his victory and the history of NASCAR champs without a lot of race wins. Pearce also leads a discussion about the late NASCAR legend David Pearson. Pearce talks about the moment of the first NASCAR Hall of Fame induction, Pearson’s absence from that first class and Richard Petty’s response to Pearson’s death. After the NASCAR talk, Pelizzari leads us off-road and on to the stages of the World Rally Championship. Pelizzari wraps the 2018 season, highlighting the final race in Australia. He also discusses the shuffling happening in the offseason and gives insight as to next year’s calendar, which can be watched on WRC’s bespoke streaming service. From there, Jake Lingeman replaces Jimmy and Mike, and the conversation moves to this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. Rory was on the ground floor at LA and gives the inside scoop of what it’s like to go through media previews at auto shows. The team also dives into this year’s reveals and how they stack up against each other. Finishing the show, Jake tells the tale of our short-lived Ferrari GTC4Lusso and its troubles. He also gives some insights about the good parts of the Ferrari -- namely how it drives.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll talks with Mike Pryson, Jimmy Pelizzari and Wesley Wren about Lewis Hamilton’s fifth Formula One championship crown. The gang discusses the impact of Hamilton’s fifth title, as well as his position in the history of F1. They also dive into how Hamilton clinched the title, despite not having the fastest car on the field. The motorsport section also tackles Kevin Harvick’s spoiler issues and the NASCAR points possibilities. In this CarLife section, Jake Lingeman and Graham Kozak hop onto mics to tackle nostalgia through two different lenses. The first, Norman Mayersohn calls in to explain the California Hot Rod Reunion and paint the picture of the nostalgia drag racing world. Norman also talks about his history behind the wheel of race cars during the 1960s. Following that, Bradley Brownell calls in to talk about a slightly more modern event -- Radwood. Brownell is one of the founding members of the ‘80s and ‘90s themed car show, which appears to feed off of false nostalgia. As it turns out, it has to do with loving the cars. Rounding out the episode, Graham, Jake and Wesley talk about the 2019 Subaru WRX STI Series.Gray. Jake also recants his experience with the latest Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, but strategically avoids mentioning any driving impressions. Tune in below, on iTunes or anywhere podcasts are played.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll talks about his recent trip to the US Grand Prix at Austin, Texas. He and Jimmy Pelizzari go over the food, general experience and Rory’s discussions with Daniel Ricciardo and other members of the Red Bull Racing team. The gang also talks about the race, their expectations going into it and Kimi Räikkönen’s upset win over the dominant Lewis Hamilton. After the Formula 1 chitchat, Jimmy tells us about his trip to the Lake Superior Performance Rally, where his Subaru got a stage win. He also talks about his end-of-season results. Jimmy riffs briefly about the history of LSPR before guiding you through his trip behind the wheel of his Subaru rally machine. Following that, Jake Lingeman and Wesley Wren interview Deepak Kamath, Deepak Gupta and Avinash PS of the Dominar Polar Odyssey excursion. For those unaware, these three are riding motorcycles from, essentially, the North Pole to the South Pole. Wesley and Jake ask them about the start of their journey and what they expect to see during their adventure. Rounding out the episode, Rory left the keys to the studio on his desk during his trip to this year’s SEMA Show, and Wesley, Jake and Graham Kozak snuck in to talk about Graham’s Packard and Jake’s latest drive of the Hyundai Veloster N at Thunderhill Raceway Park.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll is joined by Natalie Neff, Graham Kozak and Wesley Wren to reboot the popular “Spooktacular” episode. In the second “Spooktacular,” the gang reviews the 1971 Steven Spielberg classic “Duel” and John Carpenter’s 1983 adaptation of Stephen King’s “Christine.” Starting with “Duel,” Graham guides listeners through a review that covers the entire film and talks about why it works as a scary car-related movie. At the end of the review, the group rates the film on a Spookometer and then on its watchability. Our “Christine” review follows a similar path, with Natalie leading the discussion and Wesley chiming in with inane facts from the book. Later in the episode, the crew talks about the scariest moments they’ve had in a car -- continuing the theme from the first “Spooktacular”: Cars aren’t scary. Wesley almost falls out of his 1954 Ford and Graham’s 1951 Packard might be possessed (undermining his criticism of “Christine”). However, when it comes to Natalie’s story, something genuinely scary happens.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll joins Mike Pryson, Jimmy Pelizzari and Robin Warner to talk about the Formula 1 race in Sochi, Russia -- the Russian Grand Prix. The group talks about the team orders that put Lewis Hamilton in place to win the race and the fallout afterward. The group also talks about the growing problem of junior drivers in the series. Before that, Matt Weaver calls in to discuss the current state of NASCAR, the effect of the Roval and Tanner Gray’s jump from the NHRA to NASCAR. Weaver also has to fend off a dog during his call. After the motorsports section, two-time NHRA U.S. Nationals winner J.R. Todd calls in to talk with Pryson and resident Hoosier Wesley Wren about his life, his transition from a Top Fuel dragster into a Top Fuel Funny Car and his recent trip to Kyle Larson’s wedding. Todd also talks about the Tanner Gray jump from drag racing to circuit racing, but notes all of his friends from the NHRA will support Gray after the transition. After the interview, Graham Kozak and Jake Lingeman hop on mics to navigate Cadillac’s return southeast Michigan, the problems the company faces currently and Cadillac’s recent history. The group also talks about the wildly popular concept cars that never went into production. Before that, Rory talks about his experience at Rennsport VI. Wrapping the show, Lingeman and Warner lead discussions about the Mercedes-AMG GT63 four-door coupe and the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll talks with Mike Pryson, Jimmy Pelizzari and Wesley Wren about Scott Dixon clinching the IndyCar championship. Giving further insight, Bruce Martin calls in to talk about his thoughts on Dixon winning the championship, the race at Sonoma and analyzes the picks from earlier in the year. After Bruce hangs up, Jimmy, Wesley, Mike and Rory talk about Formula 1 at Singapore, Kimi Raikkonen’s switch to Sauber and Lewis Hamilton’s continued domination. After the motorsports section, the group is joined by Jake Lingeman to talk about the 2018 Empire Hill Climb. Jimmy talks about his experience racing up the hill in a Mazda MX-5 cup car, and how he managed to spin out. The gang also talks about Peter Cunningham’s dominant, record-setting lap in his Acura TLX-GT Pikes Peak racer. Wrapping the show, Jake talks about road tripping in a Bentley Bentayaga and Rory reviews the Porsche 911 GT3.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll joins Mike Pryson, Wesley Wren and Jimmy Pelizzari to talk about the recent happenings in Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR and the NHRA. Calling in, Al Pearce guides Rory and crew through the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington, its implications for the playoffs and how the NASCAR season could play out over the rest of the year. Al also talks about how he broke his arm. After Al hangs up, Mike and Wesley dive into the NHRA U.S Nationals at Indianapolis, and Jimmy talks about the F1 race at Monza. After the motorsports section, Graham Kozak and Jake Lingeman replace Mike and Jimmy to talk more about the rest of the car world. Graham and Rory talk about their time at Monterey Car Week, Pebble Beach and the Quail. The group also talks about the LeMons gathering held in conjunction with Pebble Beach. Later, Wesley rambles almost incoherently about tools while talking about Craftsman’s relaunch under the Stanley Black and Decker banner. Wrapping the show, Jake dissects the Porsche 911 Carrera T, the Aston Martin DB11 and the Aston Martin Vantage.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll talks with Mike Pryson, Wesley Wren and Jimmy Pelizzari about the latest news in racing. Bruce Martin calls in to update the crew on IndyCar -- namely, the looming Fernando Alonso decision and Robert Wickens’ crash at Pocono. Martin also brings the group up to speed with the current state of IndyCar.   After Martin’s portion of the show, the group dissects Toyota’s recent loss at the hands of the scrutineers and the pitfalls of MSG before shifting to an interview with Max Chilton.   In our session with Max Chilton, led by Robin Warner, the driver talks about his family of racers, his place in IndyCar and the differences between British and American culture.   After the interview, Wesley recounts his recent off-roading adventure in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. You’ll hear about clearing trails with a Mahindra Roxor’s winch and about getting stuck in a mud bog.   Wrapping the show, Rory, Jimmy and Wesley talk about the 2018 Woodward Dream Cruise.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll joins Mike Pryson, Wesley Wren and Jimmy Pellizzari to talk about Daniel Ricciardo’s shift to Renault. The gang also are joined by Autoweek’s NHRA analyst Susan Wade for a report on the NHRA event in Seattle, as well as a general update about the status of professional drag racing. Susan talks about two big controversies that happened during Seattle’s NHRA event. Later in the episode, Robin Warner interviews NHRA top fuel funny car driver Bob Tasca III. Tasca talks about the future of electrification in drag racing, the future of the car industry and how he recovered his first car on craigslist. From there, Graham Kozak joins the fray and Jimmy talks about his experience racing in Michigan’s Summer Sno*Drift rally, placing third in class. Jimmy, for those that forget, races in Rally America with a modified 2.5 RS Subaru. Graham wraps the show leading a discussion about his recent drive with a Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye and Challenger Scat Pack Widebody.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll is joined by Mike Pryson, Jimmy Pelizzari, Wesley Wren and our resident NASCAR expert Matt Weaver to dive into the status of the sport. After a deep analysis of NASCAR, its tracks and possible changes to the future of the sport, the group dissects the British GP and the German GP -- namely, Vettel’s near-win in Germany and how team orders affected the race. After the motorsports section, Robin Warner and Wesley have a phone conversation with journalist and race car driver Robb Holland about his life, his house near the Nurburgring and his new television show, “Faster.” Following the interview, Jake Lingeman and Graham Kozak replace Jimmy and Mike at the table to have another Project Car Update segment. Graham shares some sad news about his Packard. Thankfully, everyone else’s project car news is about what you’d expect. The project car talk transitions smoothly into a discussion about the Ford Mustang RTR Spec 3 -- Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s special edition of Ford’s popular pony car.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll guides Natalie Neff, Mike Pryson and Graham Kozak through the 60th Anniversary issue of Autoweek. Al Pearce calls in to explain how covering racing has changed in over the last 60 years. The team crack open the Autoweek trivia game and talk about the first car to win the F1 constructors' championship -- the Vanwall. The hosts also try to dissect the future of Autoweek, the car industry and the car hobby -- without an orb or crystal ball.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll talks with Jimmy Pelizzari, Robin Warner and Mike Pryson about his trip to this year’s Le Mans. Robin, who was also at Le Mans, compares his experience from the Toyota pits with Rory’s time with Porsche. The guys talk about the race’s highlights, including Fernando Alonso’s overall victory in his Toyota in the LMP1 class.   After the Le Mans discussion, the episode moves to a prerecorded interview with the Team Joest Mazda DPi IMSA endeavor. While this was recorded before the Detroit Grand Prix, the team talks about the pressure to compete at the top level and the struggles it’s overcoming as the season progresses.   Wrapping the show, Graham Kozak talks about his tip to Gridlife in South Haven, Michigan. Stepping away from his classic car realm, Graham enjoyed his experience at the Gridlife festival but would still rather go to a Packard club meet. Also, Robin talks about the Ferrari 488 Pista and the Jaguar XE SV Project 8.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll, Wesley Wren, Jimmy Pelizzari and Jake Lingeman tear into the battle against the Detroit Grand Prix. The group discusses the reasons behind the race’s protests and talk about how it didn’t seem to affect the race. The guys also talk about Mark Reuss’s unfortunate spin at the race, which captured everyone’s attention.   After the Detroit GP wrap-up, Jimmy talks about the Olympus Rally -- a stage rally that’s part of the American Rally Association, or ARA. Jimmy talks about attending a rally as a spectator instead of his usual role of competitor, as well as Autoweek’s affiliation with ARA.   Following rally talk, guest Vaughn Gittin Jr. climbs out of his Ford Mustang drift machine and into the Autoweek Podcast studio to talk about his own line of RTR Mustangs and Ford F-150 pickups. He also tells the story of how he got into drifting and what it was like to drift a Ford F-150 Raptor around the Nurburgring.   After the interview, Jake leads a discussion about the Subaru BRZ tS.

On this special episode of the Autoweek Podcast, Robin Warner, Mike Pryson and Wesley Wren join host Rory Carroll to tackle the Indianapolis 500, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Coca-Cola 600. Rory also introduces a series of interviews held ahead of the Detroit Grand Prix that should give some insight into what the teams and the fans should expect during the races on Belle Isle. After the short motorsports section and brief introduction, Mike, Robin and Wesley interview Ed Carpenter Racing’s Jordan King. Jordan handles the road racing duties for Ed Carpenter and hails from across the pond. Jordan talks about his experiences in the U.S. since he came to IndyCar, the cultural differences between Brits and Americans and his opinion on iced tea. Following that, Mike and Robin talk to Tristan Vautier and Matt McMurry about the No. 90 Spirit of the Daytona Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R car. While both young, the drivers have racked up tons of experience so far in their respective careers. McMurry, 20, is even the youngest person to finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans -- he did that at only 16 years old. For the final interview, Mike talks to IMSA president Scott Atherton. Atherton discusses the state of IMSA, its growth and the current array of cars. Mike also tries to peek into the IMSA’s future at the Detroit Grand Prix.

On this episode of the Autoweek Podcast, host Rory Carroll guides Mike Pryson and Wesley Wren through the terrible Formula 1 race in Spain and Ford’s recent dominance in NASCAR. Before dissecting why the Spanish GP was bad, the team is joined by Jimmy Pelizzari by telephone to talk about his reconnaissance laps of the Southern Ohio Forest Rally. When Jimmy isn’t talking about F1 on the podcast, or doing his actual job at Autoweek, he races a Subaru 2.5RS in various stage rallies around the Midwest. Jimmy gives a firsthand account of the stages of the Southern Ohio event, as well as insight into what it’s like to go rally racing. Afterward, Robin Warner, Mike and Jimmy interview Wayne Taylor Racing’s Jordan Taylor. Jordan talks about his life of racing and watching his brother leave his team, and tells some stories about his early racing career. Jordan also talks about how demanding the different races of the year can be, with their vastly different race lengths. Following the interview, Graham Kozak leads a discussion about the 2019 Bentley Continental GT with Robin, Jake Lingeman and Wesley. The crew dives deep into the Bentley’s new bones and talk about what makes it special. They also pit it against other notable grand tourers in a hypothetical purchasing situation. Closing the show, they talk about the Bentley’s insane rotating infotainment screen.