The Racing Ear Podcast

Hello again Racing Ears, This is a special episode where I was fortunate to be able to have a chat with Rob Dyson and Rick Knoop at the same time.  Rob and Rick were both very gracious to spend time with me chatting about sports car racing / professional road racing in all of its splendor and lore that was rekindled during this glorious phone call during Christmas Break 2023.    Rob Dyson is a professional race car driver and team principal at Dyson Racing and has been involved in the sport for over 45 years.  I first observed Rob Dyson and Price Cobb driving the #16 Porsche 962 at Laguna Seca in the 1985 Nissan Monterey Triple Crown weekend which was a part of the IMSA Camel GT series, the same race where I first observed Rick Knoop driving the Jim Busby Racing #67 BF Goodrich Special Porsche 962.   In 2001, I became reaquainted with sports car racing again following nearby events in the American Le Mans Series at Sears Point and Laguna Seca.  In 2002, Team Dyson brought out a new to them Lola MG that was in the LMP 675 class to Laguna Seca and subsequently had their first runs with the car after acquiring it after Petit Le Mans that year.   One of the greatest triumphs in motorsports that I have witnessed occurred in 2003 at Sears Point were Dyson Racing in their Lola MG LMP 675 #16 racing car driven by James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger beat the ever dominant Team Joest Audi R8 LMP 900 for the outright win at the 2003 Grand Prix of Sonoma.  This victory has stood out in my memory for many years.    I want to sincerely express my thanks to both Rick Knoop and Rob Dyson and Dyson Racing for allowing this call to happen.   Thank you so much for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast!!Porsche 935 Number 70 owned by Charles Nearburg warming up in the paddock before a session at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 at Laguna Seca Raceway.  Footage of The Corkscrew at Laguna Seca during the 2015 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.  Support the showhttps://www.fiverr.com/s/paAkwEPorsche 935 Number 70 owned by Charles Nearburg warming up in the paddock before a session at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 at Laguna Seca Raceway. Footage of The Corkscrew at Laguna Seca during the 2015 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Support the showhttps://www.fiverr.com/s/paAkwE

Hello again Racing Ears, Mr Producer and I were able to attend the 2024 CSRG David Love Vintage Races held at Sears Point International Raceway in Sonoma California.  It was great to see this place in its glory on a late winter Saturday after a very wet winter with its green hills and tiny white flowers popping up all around the circuit.  Got to do more interviewing of participants with their cars and their opinions of the new track resurfacing that happend over the winter.  I also was able to capture these great cars coming through turn 2 in the various racing groups as they ran back on Saturday of the weekend.  Thanks again for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast!  I also wanted to mention that The Racing Ear Podcast is being featured on FeedSpot as being a part of the "10 Best California Car Podcasts".  As of March 26, 2024, this podcast is ranked #6 on their list.Thank you so much for your listenership!!GOD BLESS you and Happy Easter!!https://podcasts.feedspot.com/california_car_podcasts/Porsche 935 Number 70 owned by Charles Nearburg warming up in the paddock before a session at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 at Laguna Seca Raceway. Footage of The Corkscrew at Laguna Seca during the 2015 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Support the showhttps://www.fiverr.com/s/paAkwE

Hello again Racing Ears, Here is a great conversation that I had with Kim Schiedel who is and was the owner of Schiedel's Fleet Services in Sacramento California for many years.  Kim has recently retired.  Kim also has many interests and passions that have allowed him to be involved in many endeavors throughout his life.  One of the interesting parts of his life was that he was involved in the local Hard Top / Super Modified racing circuit here in Northern California.  He also has other interests that are with brilliant machines!  Thank you Kim Schiedel for being a guest on The Racing Ear Podcast!!www.scheidelsfleet.com#theracingearpodcastPorsche 935 Number 70 owned by Charles Nearburg warming up in the paddock before a session at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 at Laguna Seca Raceway. Footage of The Corkscrew at Laguna Seca during the 2015 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Support the showhttps://www.fiverr.com/s/paAkwE

Hello again Racing Ears,I wanted to put together an episode for someone that went out of their way to allow me the opportunity to have a tour inside of a 50,000 watt major metropolitan radio station in Sacramento California.   Lou Gesicki who's radio name is Sweet Lou Gallagher gave me a tour of KFBK News Radio 1530AM and 93.1FM on the eve of Thanksgiving 2023.  Sweet Lou often times would fill in for Pat Walsh who does "The Pat Walsh Show" on KFBK News Radio 1530 AM and 93.1 FM from 7pm till 10pm on weeknights in Sacramento California.    Sweet Lou had put out a request on the "Memories of Sacramento" facebook group to convert aircheck cassettes from one of his morning radio shows on Magic 101.1 FM in Auburn California from back in late 2000 to very early 2001.  The show was called Mornings with Lou and Mel on Magic 101.1 FM in Sacramento California.  Lou Gallagher and Melanie Polka were the predominant hosts of the show.  I was able to chat with him about his career in the radio industry on the night that he gave me a tour of the iHeart Media radio station which included KFBK and KSTE, the station that carries the "Armstrong and Getty" morning radio program on Talk 650 KSTE.  I wanted to thank Pat Walsh for being willing to share the aircheck recordings with his audience recently.  I also appreciated the opportunity to be able to attend Lou Gesicki's Celebration of Life back in early March 2024.  Lou was also involved with a regular 3pm to 6pm PST afternoon drive internet radio show that is called "That 70's Channel", which is an internet radio station that features 70's radio hits.  The slogan is "The Biggest Hits Of The 70's, And More..."    Lou was also involved in a YouTube channel that was with his best friend Ronnie called "Men Are So Smart".  Lou was also the track announcer for the All American Speedway in Roseville California for a period of time as well.  He used to interview people who were enjoying the auto racing that regularly happened on Saturday nights during the hot Sacramento summer nights.   I converted one of Lou's aircheck tapes into a YouTube video that is on my channel called "The Observant Ear" which is titled, "Magic 101 FM Morning Show" Thank you again Sweet Lou and his wife Teresa for making the tour of KFBK possible.  GOD BLESS you Lou Gesicki!        Rest In Peace Louis James Gesicki, July 17 1959 - February 4 2024.  https://www.that70schannel.com/https://www.youtube.com/@MenAreSoSmart/featuredhttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/68-the-pat-walsh-show-27274639/https://youtu.be/VbYqt_5Bx1M?si=Tz3c6DBZDOBQ92vVPorsche 935 Number 70 owned by Charles Nearburg warming up in the paddock before a session at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 at Laguna Seca Raceway. Footage of The Corkscrew at Laguna Seca during the 2015 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Support the showhttps://www.fiverr.com/s/paAkwE

Hello again fellow Racing Ears,I got to visit the Cars and Coffee Folsom Group in El Dorado Hills during Christmas Time 2023.  It was a bit cold but it was good to get out and practice talking to enthusiasts about their cars.  I enjoyed learning a little bit more this time about the cars that showed up on a cold but bright Saturday morning in December.  Thanks again for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast!Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from The Racing Ear Podcast!!God Bless You!!#carsandcoffeefolsomwww.carsandcoffeefolsom.com#theracingearpodcast@theracingearpodcastPorsche 935 Number 70 owned by Charles Nearburg warming up in the paddock before a session at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 at Laguna Seca Raceway. Footage of The Corkscrew at Laguna Seca during the 2015 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Support the showhttps://www.fiverr.com/s/paAkwE

Hello again Racing Ears, Mr. Producer and I were able to attend the Cars and Coffee Event in El Dorado Hills California.  This event was put on by the Cars and Coffee Of Folsom California Group.  This group meets every Saturday at the El Dorado Hills Regal and IMAX theater parking lot.  I enjoy attending, chatting, and learning more about these great and historic cars.  Their owners of these cars share great stories, great anecdotes, and where they are in the restoration process with their cars.  Thank you to all the members that stopped to chat with me about their cars.   Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast. #theracingearpodcast#carsandcoffeefolsomPorsche 935 Number 70 owned by Charles Nearburg warming up in the paddock before a session at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 at Laguna Seca Raceway. Footage of The Corkscrew at Laguna Seca during the 2015 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Support the showhttps://www.fiverr.com/s/paAkwE

Hello again fellow Racing Ears, I took a courage pill and spent 110 quidd for a ticket to the 2023 Velocity Invitational.  Mr Producer and I had a ball seeing and hearing very famous and historic racing cars that were all staged in the one and only paddock area that is at Sonoma Raceway at Sears Point.  As I described in this podcast episode, there was a flavor for every possible historic sports car racing enthusiast's appetite.  50's GT racers, Historic F1 racers, Really Historic / Modern F1 racers, Historic Group C and GTP racers, WRC Rally racers, Can Am Racers, Trans Am Racers, Historic Indy Car racers, IMSA GTX GTO GTU racers,  ALMS / 24 Hours of Le Mans racers, and an Enduro that went from day into night both Saturday and Sunday that featured Mini's and Mustangs.  I wish I could've seen the sprint car racing that was happening at the south turn 11 hairpin in the evening.    I wasn't able to chat with as many people as I would've liked but I still chatted with a few folks and was also able to capture on track action from Turn 2 at Sonoma Raceway at Sears Point.  I also currently have a few videos up at The Racing Ear on YouTube with a few more on the way up there.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear PodcastGOD BLESS YOU!!        Thank you VETERANS for making this day possible!!#theracingearpodcast #velocityinvitational#csrgracing#csrg#sonomaraceway@theracingear#mclarenmercedes Support the showhttps://www.fiverr.com/s/paAkwE

Hello again Racing Ears, I went to the 2023 CSRG Autumn-Tacular Season Finale at Thunder Hill Raceway and had a new way of capturing footage to make episodes.  I got to briefly chat with owners / driver members of the Classic Sports Racing Group which had its season ending event in early November 2023 at Thunder Hill Raceway in Willows California, just off of Interstate 5 south of Redding California and west of Chico California.  I enjoyed getting to know passionate sports car racing enthusiasts who owned these fun sports racing cars and got a tiny taste of what its like to own them, run them, prepare them, and troubleshoot them.  The CSRG consists of members who own racing cars such as:  the Formula Ford, the Formula Vee, the MG Midget, the MG Sprite, the Porsche 911, the Datsun 510, the Mazda Miata, and many other makes and models.  I really enjoyed the Saturday Night dinner and I am thankful to have been attending these events for 9 years.  I look forward to their first event of the year at Sears Point in March of 2024.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast!!#csrg https://www.csrgracing.org/#csrgracing#thunderhillraceway#sportsracingcars#historicsportscarracing#theracingearpodcast#formulaford#formulavee#datsun510#mazdamiata#mg#mgmidget#mgsprite  Support the showhttps://www.fiverr.com/s/paAkwE

Hello again Racing Ears,Well it has been a long time since I have published an episode but I wanted to share that I now have a new piece of podcast cover art.  I went to Fiverr and got to work with a brilliant artist named Claudia E.  She came up with a great piece of podcast cover art for me and I really enjoy it a lot! Her link on Fiverr is here:https://www.fiverr.com/s/paAkwE@claudia_evansI got to go with Mr Producer to the Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Laguna Seca California.  We both had a ball.  We got to see famous racing Porsches, famous Porsche racing drivers, famous Porsche racing mechanics, and got to see the Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald.  We also got to say hello to a few guests that have been on the podcast as well.  I have already posted a videos on The Racing Ear on YouTube but wanted to share some sounds that I recorded from this brilliant event.  I want to thank you for listening and I look forward to be making more content in the near future.  Thanks again and God Bless!! Support the showhttps://www.fiverr.com/s/paAkwE

Hello again fellow Racing Ears,Well its been a long and hot summer but I got a chance to cool off while I visited Monterey California during Car Week, highlighted by the 2022 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the 24 Hours Of Le Mans.In this episode I was able to share a bit of memories of the recent photos that I took of the events on Friday and Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.  I will soon post audio interviews of people, warming up of race cars, and racing of racing cars that I got to see and hear throughout my 2 days at Laguna Seca during August of 2022.  Thank you for your support and listening to The Racing Ear Podcast!

Hello again Racing Ears,In this episode, Rick and Trent were fortunate to be able to chat with Jerry Woods about his illustrative career as it pertains to his experience over the years working with the Porsche 935.  Jerry also shared that he had experience working with the Kremer Brothers in Cologne Germany.  Jerry also got to experience other types of auto racing at other racing events that happened in Europe, after the 24 Hours Of Le Mans was finished on Father's Day weekend.  Jerry also discussed what it was like to work with Rolf Stommelen, Paul Newman, Hans Stuck, John Fitzpatrick, and Brian Redman.  Here is the link for the Kris Nissen video from 1988 at the Norisring.   https://youtu.be/CFJ5uKOgez0Many thanks again to Jerry Woods for speaking with us for this episode.  #theracingearpodcast #rickknoopracing#jeffoldham#jwemotorsports 

Hello again Racing Ears, In this episode Trent, Rick, and Jeff were fortunate to have a first conversation with Mr. Jerry Woods.  Jerry Woods is the owner at Jerry Woods Enterprises which is a Porsche related specialist service shop that specializes in preparing Porsches either for the enthusiast driver collector or for the enthusiast collector racing driver.  Mr. Woods is known as the crew chief for the world famous Dick Barbour Racing Garretson Enterprises Porsche 935 that is highlighted in the documentary on the Porsche 935 "Moby and the Warhorse Gang", which is the story of how volunteer mechanics from Mountain View California had success in the late 70's and early 80's in sports car racing events which include the 24 Hours Of Le Mans in Europe and the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in the United States. It was truly an honor to be able to chat with Jerry Woods for this episode.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  #theracingearpodcast#rickknoopracing#jeffoldham#jerrywoodsenterprises

Hello again Fellow Racing Ears,In this episode, Trent, Rick, and Jeff were all onboard to have a great discussion and with the 2021 Motorsport Hall Of Fame Of America Inductee, Judy Stropus.  Judy Stropus was a pioneer in the development of timing and scoring in auto racing before racing transponders were invented.  Judy became involved in auto racing back in the early 1960's when her boyfriend was road racing in SCCA events in a Jaguar XK120.   Timing and scoring was an essential duty for a race team and Judy was able to develop her version of this necessary team duty.  Her timing and scoring skills were quickly noticed by many teams throughout the pit lane.  Later, her talents gained the attention of Roger Penske, who soon after hired her for Trans Am with Mark Donohue and later Can Am, and even later, the Indianapolis 500.It was a thrill and an honor to have Judy Stropus on The Racing Ear Podcast.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast!@theracingearpodcast#judystropus@rickknoopracing#jeffoldham#motorsporthalloffameofamerica#rogerpenske#markdonohue

Hello again fellow Racing Ears,In this episode Rick and Trent were able to have a memorable conversation with Joe Catron.  They were recently all together at the Lucky Dog Racing League 8 Hour Enduro at Sears Point International Raceway on Saturday February 12 2022 where the racing team finished 8th out of 80 cars in the Vintage Exotics Porsche 997.  The Vintage Exotics Team on that Saturday was Joe Catron, Lenny Loftin, Rick Knoop, Mike Halo, Mary Lou, and Trent Barr.  Joe Catron is originally from Southern California where he has roots in the Pomona California area at the beginning point of when the Pomona Fairplex racing circuit started back in the 1950's.  He has been around racing cars for a long time and he is still involved in racing in one way or another.  He is a driving instructor, racing team manager, racing driver, and is also an experienced yacht captain.   Joe Catron Sr. was a racing driver who raced between 1956 and 1961.  He raced a Jaguar XK120, Simca Aronde, Volvo, Porsche 356 Super Speedster, Speedster, and 356 1600.  He also was very involved at Catron Motors which was a Volkswagen and Porsche dealership on East Holt Avenue in Pomona California.  Thank you very much for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.#theracingearpodcast#rickknoopracing#jeffoldham#joecatron#vintageexoticsracing#luckydogracingleague 

Hello again Racing Ears, Many thanks to Brad Kettler for coming on to chat with us on The Racing Ear Podcast.In this episode, we all were able to discuss more of what the era was when the Audi R8 LMP 900 racing car dominated the 24 Hours Of Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series back in the early 2000's.  We also shared insight as to how the Audi R8 is now involved in the vintage racing world.Thank you so much for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  #theracingearpodcast #rickknoopracing#jeffoldhambrad.kettlerkmw_sport 

Hello again Racing Ears, Here is another great episode of The Racing Ear Podcast.  For this episode Trent, Jeff, and Rick got to chat with Brad Kettler formerly of Audi Sport and of Champion Racing.  Originally from Lafayette Indiana, Mr. Kettler was kind enough to come on and share how his passion for racing grew from being conveniently close to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the month of May during the 1970's.  He also shares insight as to what the movie "Le Mans" with Steve McQueen meant to him and how the movie inspired him.  Mr. Kettler also brings to light several insights of what it means to be a racing engineer and a racing manager, before and after the 24 Hours Of Le Mans.  Mr. Kettler was involved in 6 overall victories with Audi at the 24 Hours Of Le Mans.  Brad Kettler was the team manager in 2005 when Champion Racing won the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall, giving Tom Kristensen his 7th overall victory.  Thank you so much for listening to this episode of The Racing Ear Podcast.  Many thanks to Jeff Oldham and Rick Knoop for arranging and adding insight for this episode.  Be sure to check out Part 2 of our chat with Brad Kettler coming very soon on The Racing Ear Podcast.  #theracingearpodcast#rickknoopracing#jeffoldhambrad.kettlerkmw_sport

Hello again Racing Ears, In this episode Trent, Rick, and Jeff had a chance to catch up with Dan Binks.  Dan Binks is the legendary Crew Chief that was involved in the epic racing dynasty that was the Pratt & Miller Engineering Compuware Chevrolet Corvette Racing Team.  This team has a total of EIGHT class victories at the the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Over the years, this team accrued many class victories in the famed American Le Mans Series as well.    Originally from San Diego, California, Dan Binks was introduced to auto racing by his Father.  Over the years Dan has been involved in racing with Lola, Mazda, Ford, and Chevrolet.  His competitive spirit is a major ingredient in all of his team victories but in the process has produced a lifetime of memories while building relationships with many dedicated and respected racers along the way.  Dan Binks is on the board of directors of Camp Anokijig that is located in Plymouth Wisconsin just a few miles from Road America in Elkart Lake Wisconsin.  Camp Anokijig can be found at www.anokijig.com.  Dan also has his own business of building racing engines that is a part of his race car restoration service.  Binks Motorsports can be found at: Facebook at @BinksMotorsports Instagram at binks_motorsports. It was an honor and a privilege to be able to chat with Rick Knoop, Jeff Oldham, and Special Guest Dan Binks for this episode!!Thank you for listening at The Racing Ear Podcast.  #theracingearpodcast#rickknoopracing#jeffoldhamracing#danbinks@binksmotorsportsbinks_motorsports#campanokijigwww.anokijig.com#prattandmillerengineering#corvetteracing

Hello again Fellow Racing Ears, Martin Raffauf is an auto racing mechanic that spends his time being a highly published auto racing Porsche racing historian.  He has written several articles that are currently posted on www.porscheroadandrace.com.   In this episode, Martin Raffauf joins The Racing Ear Podcast to share how he started in auto racing working as a volunteer mechanic on a certain historic Porsche 935 for Dick Barbour Racing at Garretson Enterprises in Mountain View California back in 1978, while working for a certain well known world renowned computer company.  His experience is highlighted and documented in the Porsche 935 auto racing documentary "Moby and the Warhorse Gang".  Originally from Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Martin spent many years working alongside IMSA legendary mechanics, race drivers, and team owners.  He competed against Rick Knoop and Jeff Oldham during those years and it was great to capture things that they all remember when IMSA was in its beginning.  Many names and many stories during the days with IMSA took him to the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Many thanks to Martin Raffauf, Jeff Oldham and Rick Knoop for making this episode possible.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  #theracingearpodcast#rickknoopracing#jeffoldham#martinraffauf#mobyandthewarhorsegang

Hello Racing Ears, Many thanks go to Rick Knoop and Henry "Ike" Smith for making this episode happen at the glorious "Conversation Diner" in Central California.  As mentioned in our last episode, myself and Mr. Producer were able to visit Rick and Ike during the Holidays in 2021.  In this episode we all had a conversation about how Henry "Ike" Smith became interested in cars which then developed into a  burning passion for cars that propelled him to the highest levels of auto racing as a driver, mechanic, and racing team manager.   From Pebble Beach to Vacaville to Billy Scyphers Jr to Steve Earle to Jackie Stewart, Richard Petty, Don Garlits, and Mario Andretti on the lawns at The White House with Richard Nixon to racing in Japan were discussed in this glorious part two episode of The Racing Ear Podcast.  Thank you so much for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast Please Like, Share, and Subscribe!!!#theracingearpodcast #rickknoopracing#henryikesmith

Hello and Happy New Year 2022 from The Racing Ear Podcast,  In this episode, Mr. Producer and I were fortunate enough to be able to visit with Rick Knoop and Henry "Ike" Smith during the Christmas Holidays in December of 2021.  We were also able to have a very historic conversation about the Canadian American Challenge Cup at the glorious "Conversation Diner".  We had an enjoyable time remembering what Can Am auto racing was back in the 1960's and the 1970's.  Henry "Ike" Smith started working for Carl Haas in the development and refinement of Lola racing cars back in the 1960's.  Rick Knoop started driving McLaren racing cars back in the 1970's.  These historic accounts were astounding to listen to and it was compelling to hear also about how this historic racing series developed through innovation using genuine Chevrolet  parts.   #theracingearpodcast #rickknoopracing#henryikesmith#canadianamericanchallengecup#chevrolet#carlhaas#ringandpinion#lolaracingcars#mclarenracingcars#chuckparsons#jackiestewart#stitchwelding

Hello again Racing Ears,It is my distinct honor and pleasure to welcome Mr. Paul Page to The Racing Ear Podcast.  Mr. Page is a legend in the coverage of the Indiana classic auto racing event that happens every Memorial Day weekend at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.  Mr. Page also wrote the book called "Hello, I'm PAUL PAGE "IT'S RACEDAY IN INDIANAPOLIS".  His legendary radio announcer and network television broadcaster career started when he first attended the 1960 Indianapolis 500.      Jeff Oldham is also a part of this episode as well.  Jeff was born and raised in Indianapolis Indiana and has loved the Indianapolis 500 for many many years.  Jeff is an Aerospace Composites Engineer Manager for Piper Aircraft that is located in Vero Beach Florida.  Jeff has also known Rick Knoop for over 40 years.  Many thanks to Rick Knoop for introducing me to Jeff Oldham.  We did this episode just a few days after the passing of the Great 4 Time Winner of the Indianapolis 500, Al Unser.  We chatted about many influential people and shared many stories that were involved with the Indianapolis 500.  If you are a fan of the Indianapolis 500 this is an episode that you won't want to miss.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast!#theracingearpodcast#rickknoopracing#jeffoldham#paulpage#helloi'mpaulpageitsracedayinindianapolis#alunser#robinmiller#bobbyunser#samposey#bobjenkins#garygerould 

Hello again Racing Ears,In this episode, Jeff Oldham is our special guest.  Rick Knoop and Jeff Oldham have known each other for over 40 years.  It was great to hear about Jeff originally being from Indianapolis Indiana.  His Dad taking him to the Indianapolis 500 practice and qualifying sessions was a big reason why he has had a deep love for auto racing.  Both Jeff and Rick also have an affectionate love for Road America in Elkart Lake Wisconsin.  Anyway, Jeff was kind enough to share with The Racing Ear Podcast audience what he loves about auto racing that includes meeting many historic and memorable characters in the sport.   Thank you for your support and listening to The Racing Ear Podcast!#theracingearpodcast#rickknoopracing#jeffoldham

Hello again Racing Ears, It was great to chat with Rick Knoop again after his illustrative trip to Daytona Beach Florida to be a racing driver during the HSR Classic 24 Hour at Daytona International Speedway back on October 27th through the 31st of 2021.  Rick had an awesome time getting to see old friends again, see spectacular racing cars again, and getting acquainted with "The Big House" again.  He was honored to be able to drive the #41 1973 Porsche 911 S/T racing car that was prepared by Heritage Motorsports and owned by Craig Sutherland.Many thanks again for Rick Knoop giving The Racing Ear Podcast man on the spot recollections from this event!  Get set for more future episodes from The Racing Ear Podcast!Thank you again for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.#theracingearpodcast#rickknoopracing#heritagemotorsports #craigsutherlandracing#hsrclassic24houratdaytona   

Hello again Racing Ears, I had a great opportunity to be a guest at the 2021 Yokohama Drivers Cup at Sears Point International Raceway.  This event featured Porsche racing groups but it was great to see the Masters Historic Racing groups as well.  The Masters Historic Racing group featured a Historic Formula 1 racing group and a Historic Endurance Racing group.  I got to catch up with Bud Moeller who was a guest on my podcast for episode 8 back in late March 2021.  He was driving the 1982 Williams FW08 that Keke Rosberg drove in Formula One racing.  Lord Greg Thornton drove the Elio de Angelis John Player Special Lotus F1 car to 2 victories both on Saturday and Sunday.  I got to chat with him on Saturday after his brilliant win, clinching the Masters F1 USA Drivers Championship.   I also got to see and hear the amazing Chevrolet Corvette C7R from the IMSA series back a few years ago.  I also got to chat briefly with Danny Binks who is known from the world of Corvette as the Crew Chief for the Pratt and Miller #3 Compuware Chevrolet Corvette.  He was involved in many racing victories with the Chevrolet Corvette.  This car raced from 2014 to 2019.  This episode includes a series of sounds and interviews that I recorded to post on this podcast.    Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.#theracingearpodcast #searspointinternationalraceway#mastershistoricracing#mastershistoricformulaone#mastershistoricendurance#budmoeller#lordgregthornton#johnplayerspecial#rickknoopracing#craigstanton#williamsfw07#chrislocke#jaguarxjr5#porsche996gt3rs

Hello again Racing Ears,In this episode it was great to have a conversation with Dann Shively.  Dann Shively was a key figure in the development of live helicopter news journalism in the greater Sacramento metropolitan area.  Dann has been involved in the broadcasting of radio and television news which includes his tenure of being the pilot and reporter of the legendary  Live Copter 3 for KCRA NEWS in Sacramento California for 40 years.I met him last year visiting a Cars and Coffee event in Carmichael California.  He shares a passion for Caterham road cars, Formula Ford racing cars, and movies that feature cars before CGI.  It was great to listen to him describe the history of Caterham and historical information of movies that him and I enjoy very much.    I hope that you enjoy this episode as much as I did.    Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast. #theracingearpodcast #rickknoopracing#dannshively#caterham#KCRA   

Hello again Racing Ears,This is a special episode where Rick Knoop talks about his week at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac Michigan.  For the week of September 27 of 2021 Rick was at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac Michigan at the Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies for 2020 and 2021.  Both events were amazing and it was really fun to catch up with Rick after being a part of both black tie events at the M1 Concourse.  Later in the week the M1 Concourse celebrated the Inaugural American Speed Festival.  This event showcased historic racing cars from the likes of NASCAR, Can Am, Indy, Grand Touring Prototypes, and a special car called "Sweepstakes".  It was great to hear Rick talking about his week with me for the podcast.  Rick was also on TV!!  We later got to chat about his plans for later this month at the HSR Classic 24 Hour at Daytona Motor Speedway October 27-31 in Daytona Beach Florida.  And we also had a chance to discuss his efforts with Duncan Dayton at the 2006 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring in the Lola EX257, which was a former racing car owned by the Dyson Racing Organization of Poughkeepsie New York.  Many thanks for Rick Knoop for taking the time to chat with me for this episode.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  #theracingearpodcast#rickknoopracing#m1concourse#dkracingschool#motorsportshalloffame#americanspeedfestival      

Hello again Racing Ears,Here is a great episode where it is just Rick Knoop and I.  Rick was great to come on the show again to discuss his trip to Pontiac Michigan for the week of September 27th 2021.  He shared a little bit of what is "on tap" for this particular trip to the M1 Concourse in Pontiac Michigan.  Then Rick shared a little bit of his longtime friendship with Judy Stropus and what her contributions mean to motorsports history.  Judy Stropus will be honored next week when she will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame.  Judy Stropus is known for innovating timing and scoring before modern day transponders.  Her disciplined focus and dedication is legendary in motorsports.   Then Rick and I discussed his love for a certain race track in a certain state in a certain town that is next to a certain lake.  Road America in Elkart Lake Wisconsin is a race track that I hope to visit one day.  Rick won his first race in a GTU Mazda RX7 at the 1979 Pabst Blue Ribbon 500.  Rick has a special place in his heart for this iconic race track in the heart of America's heartland.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast! #theracingearpodcast #rickknoopracing#m1concourse#motorsportshalloffame#judystropus#roadamerica#elkartlakewisconsin  #mclarenm8f

Hello again Fellow Racing Ears, In this episode, Rick and I started with a new Father / Son theme as it relates to automotive enthusiast heritage.  Today we chatted with Jim Perell.  He is Chief-Of-Concours for the San Francisco Region of the Sports Car Club of America.  We all discussed the car culture living in Southern California during the 50's and 60's.  We also discussed the upcoming Niello Concours at Serrano coming up on Sunday October 3 2021.  This year the event is going to showcase the Shelby Cobra.    Thanks for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  #theracingearpodcast#rickknoopracing#jimperell#sfrscca#ncselegance

Hello again Racing Ears,In this episode, Rick Knoop was kind enough to let me chat with his friend Peter Miles.  Peter Miles is the son of Ken Miles, who was heavily involved as a test driver, mechanic, and racing driver in the development of the Ford GT40 back in the mid 1960's.  The Ford GT40 won the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, beating Ferrari for the first time.  Ken Miles won the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona, the 1966 12 Hours of Sebring, and was famously denied the win at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours by a technicality.        The 2019 motion picture "Ford v Ferrari" starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale depicted the story of the friendship between Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles.It was truly an honor to be able to speak with Rick Knoop and Peter Miles.Thanks to Mark Siegel for letting me record his 1966 Ford GT40 Mark II at Thunder Hill  Raceway way back in July of 2016.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  #theracingearpodcast #petermiles#kenmiles#rickknoopracing#dannyongais#marksiegelfordgt40   

Hello again Racing Ears, In this episode of The Racing Ear Podcast Mr. Producer and I revisited our visit to the amazing Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles California.  We shared each and every car that we saw in this museum and what each car meant to us.  This museum experience is a great value for any automotive enthusiast.  If you are planning on visiting this museum in the near future and want to be surprised, please DON'T listen to this episode!  This visit was during the 2021 Monterey Car Week weekend happening in Monterey California and at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.  Thank you for listening or not listening to this episode of The Racing Ear Podcast!#theracingearpodcast #petersenautomotivemuseum#westla #wilshireandfairfax     

Hello Again Racing Ears, I was so excited to be able to chat with John Morton and Rick Knoop again for the Part 2 episode of their shared racing memories.  In this episode we discussed their time racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Once again they discussed cars, drivers, chicanes vs no chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight, different corners on the Circuit De La Sarthe, etc.  This episode is full of many amazing stories.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.#theracingearpodcast #johnmorton #rickknoop #lemans24hours

Hello Racing Ears, Mr. Producer and I got to go to the NHRA Sonoma Nationals back on Friday July 23 and we had a ball.  It was our first big racing event of 2021.  We had $16.00 corn dogs and drank $5.00 cokes and sprites.  We saw a few heroes of ours and it was so nice to be in a cooler climate for a few hours.  I incorporated some actual sound footage from the dragstrip.  Turn up the volume! Enjoy!!Thanks for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  #theracingearpodcast#rickknoop#nhra#johnforce#antronbrown#roncapps#sonomanationals#sonomaraceway#theracingear

Hello Again Racing Ears,In this episode Rick Knoop was kind enough to let me chat with his friend John Morton.  Both Rick and John spent time being racing teammates and being racing competitors.  In this episode we all chatted about racing cars, racing drivers, and racing circuits.  This is part 1 with special guest John Morton.  John Morton mentioned a few books that are about the Electromotive Nissan GTP program and John Paul Jr.  They include:Developing A ChampionThe Electromotive Nissan GTP Story By Chris Willeschriswillesautoracingbooks.com50/50The Story Of Champion Race Car Driver John Paul Jr And His Battle With Huntington's DiseaseBy Silvia Wilkinsonautobooks-aerobooks.com Also available is:Wrenching And Racing With Carroll Shelby In The 1960'sBy John Morton autobooks-aerobooks.comThank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.#theracingearpodcast#rickknoop #johnmorton#chriswilles#johnpauljr#sylviawilkinsonchriswillesautoracingbooks.com 

Hello again Racing Ears,I had another amazing chat with Rick Knoop about a circuit in North America that you may have heard of.  Watkins Glen International Raceway is a circuit located in Upstate New York and according to Rick Knoop it is one of the fastest circuits he has ever raced on.  His descriptions of this historic racing circuit coupled with stories of what he experienced in NASCAR stock cars, in IMSA Grand Touring Prototype ground effects cars, and in the Knoop Mann Special is quite the listen.  I wanted to send a special shout out to my friend Nathanael Woodworth who is from Upstate New York and hope that he hears and enjoys this episode.  Anyway, many thanks to Rick Knoop for another amazing chat on The Racing Ear Podcast.Thanks for listening.  Please Like Share and Subscribe!!#watkinsgleninternationalraceway#rickknoop #nathanaelwoodworth#theracingearpodcast

Hello again Racing Ears,Jeff Kline is a former racing driver that I have become more familiar with recently after hearing him being a part of a panel discussion with the Racing History Project / "Race Talk with Trish" episode remembering IMSA GTU back in the 1980's.  Back in the day, Jeff raced predominantly for Mazda, but had rides for Porsche, General Motors, and drove a Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-9 at the 1989 Le Mans 24 Hours.  More recently Jeff has competed in several vintage races in a Ginetta G4 race car.  Originally from Pennsylvania, Jeff came to California to attend college at UCLA and has been planted in Southern California ever since.  Jeff and I chatted about his experience driving in SCCA and eventually becoming a hired gun for the Racing Beat Mazda RX7 program in the late 70's and early 80's.  Later he drove in the GTP Lights series and was driving a Pontiac Fiero GTP Lights race car during the 1987 Ford California Grand Prix at Sears Point International Raceway, a race where I was a spectator.    Anyway, it was great to meet and chat with Jeff as he remembered many amazing stories from his time driving amazing race cars and hanging out with really amazing people.    Thank you so much for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast. Please Like Share and Subscribe!!#theracingearpodcast#jeffkline#rickknoop#imsa #racetalkwithtrish#motorsportshistoryproject#mazdarx7#jaguar    

Hello again Racing Ears, Thank you for your continued support of this humble little auto racing history podcast.  I got to check in with Rick Knoop and how he is doing with being a race car driving instructor with DK Racing School at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond California and the M1 Concourse in Pontiac Michigan.  Very good things are happening!!  Special shout out goes to Martina Kwan and Dwain Dement of DK Racing School!!In this episode with Rick, we discussed what it was like for Toyota to start racing in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Camel GTU Class in North American sports car racing back in the early 1980s.  This effort was the first generation Toyota Sports Car Racing Program as it started and began to develop in North America in the early 1980's.  Rick Knoop drove the #92 Toyota Celica that was owned and operated by Kent Racing / Creative Car Craft from Southern California.  Many thanks again to Rick Knoop for the time to record this amazing piece of sports car racing history!  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  Please Like, Share, and Subscribe!!If you like this podcast please make a comment to have on Apple Podcasts.  Also tell a friend about this podcast!!Thank you and Goodnight!!#theracingearpodcast #rickknoop#dkracingschool#willowspringsinternationalraceway#martinakwan#dwaindement#m1concourse#toyotaracingdevelopment#toyotacelica#kentracing#dangurney#philremingtonwww.dkracingschool.comwww.m1concourse.com

Hello Fellow Racing Ears, For this episode of The Racing Ear Podcast I had an amazing conversation with Martina Kwan who is the spokesperson for the DK Racing School that is located at the Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond California.  Martina Kwan is an FIA licensed race car driver, race car instructor, and co-owner of the DK Racing School with Dwain Dement of Vision Motorsports.  Martina is an accomplished entrepreneur, race winner, mother, and philanthropist.  DK Racing School has an event coming up on June 4 of 2021 with many future dates planned for 2021 and beyond.  We spoke about what is involved before, during, and after students visit the racing school, including, learning the topography of the racing circuit, zoom drivers meetings, track walks, and corner demonstrations by the instructor.   We also spoke about what inspired her to become a race car driver and what obstacles that she overcame to be successful in the Saleen S1 purpose built race car.  She competed in the Saleen Cup which was a part of the Blancpain GT World Challenge America Series.   Like me, she loves Porsches and she really loves the sounds that Porsches make at full chat! Many thanks to Martina Kwan for this episode of The Racing Ear Podcast.  If you are interested in participating at the DK Racing School please follow the link, Msreg.com/dkprecisionjune.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  dkracingschool.commartinakwan.com@martinakwan@dkracingschoolmsreg.com/dkprecisionjune

Hello Fellow Racing Ears, Its been awhile but I got to chat with Rick Knoop again about his recent travels to Pontiac Michigan to be a driving instructor at the M1 Concourse.  He had a blast a few weeks ago and is really looking forward to being there again.  We then had a conversation about his memories surrounding Riverside International Raceway in Moreno Valley California.  The circuit was open from 1957 till 1989 when it was closed to make way for development.  I never got to see Riverside first hand but I remembered seeing the track on an episode of CHiP's called "Drive Lady Drive".  Riverside fondly gets  remembered with the Facebook Group "Remembering Riverside".Anyway Rick was a key ingredient to the success of the Jim Busby BFGoodrich Racing Team back in the 1980's with the BFGoodrich sponsored Porsche 962.  Busby Racing won the 1985 Los Angeles Times Grand Prix at Riverside on April 28, 1985 with Pete Halsmer and John Morton finishing in 1st Place with Knoop and Busby finshing on the podium in 2nd place .  His recollections of what the Porsche 962 would do on this track is quite fascinating.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.   #rickknoop#jimbusby#johnmorton#petehalsmer#digitaldtour#imsagtp#imsa#busbyracing#riversideinternationalraceway#porsche962  #theracingearpodcast

Hello Fellow Racing Ears, My producer and I were able to attend the 2021 CSRG David Love Vintage Races at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday April 10 2021.  We had a great first outing for the year at my favorite spring time vintage racing event at Sonoma Raceway.  Mr. Producer as I like to call him had an amazing time getting close to the cars and taking photographs with his new piece of kit.  It was great to see Bob and Becky Pengraph, Locke De Bretteville, Geoff Pitts, and the rest of the CSRG Administration Staff.  We want to give many thanks to the Classic Sports Racing Group for having us out to be able to cover the events of this weekend. Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  #CSRG #sonomaraceway

Hello Fellow Racing Ears,Locke De Bretteville is the President of the Classic Sports Racing Group.  I remembered hearing Locke on an episode of The Vintage Racing Podcast with Greg Tatarian a few years ago and I finally was able to chat with him in this episode.  Locke and I talked about his racing memories going back into the late 60s and early 70s and his relationship with Jon Norman and other friends that were from Berkeley California.  We spoke about his experience driving his Pallister Winklemann Formula B racing car, how he found his car, and what its like to drive his racing car at ThunderHill Raceway in Willows California.  We also chatted about the NEW event that will be June 5 - 6 2021 and happening at WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey California.  I also love golf and so this was my opportunity to ask Locke about golf at Pebble Beach.  We chatted a little bit about how he won the 1974 Bing Crosby National Pro-Amateur at Pebble Beach Golf Links with Johnny Miller.  Johnny Miller won the tournament overall in 1974.   The David Love Vintage Races will be held at Sonoma Raceway April 9 - 11 2021 and I am very much looking forward to attending this event.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  #theracingearpodcast#CSRG#classicsportsracinggroup#lockedebretteville #sonomaraceway

Hello Fellow Racing Ears,In this episode of The Racing Ear Podcast, Rick Knoop and I discuss what it took for Porsche to overcome the dominance of the Chevrolet powered McLarens, Lolas, and Shadows during the Canadian American Challenge Cup back in the early 1970's.  This episode is a thoughtful and passionate recollection of a historic era in North American motor sport.   Happy Easter 2021 from The Racing Ear Podcast!Thank you for listening to this episode of The Racing Ear Podcast.  #rickknoop#porsche   #rogerpenske#andial#mclaren#lola#shadow#canam#canadianamericanchallengecup#racing#sportscarracing#autoracing

Hello Fellow Racing Ear Enthusiasts,I had the great pleasure of chatting with Bob and Becky Pengraph for Episode 9 of The Racing Ear Podcast.  At the time of this interview the Classic Sports Racing Group first event of the year, the David Love Vintage Races, was 2 weeks out to be held at Sonoma Raceway April 9-11 2021.  I wanted to chat with Bob and Becky about how and why they do what they do for this vintage racing organization.  Bob and Becky live in Canby Oregon and are frequent visitors to Portland International Raceway in Portland Oregon and at Pacific Raceway in Kent Washington.   Becky Pengraph has been involved with the Sports Car Club of America for over 20 years.  I first met her down in the hot pits at Sonoma Raceway during the CSRG events as she was directing race traffic, making sure that racing cars and drivers are in safety compliance, saying hello and giving hugs, and sharing her homemade beaded necklaces.  Bob Pengraph is the Media Chief for the CSRG and has bestowed media credentials to me in the past for me to cover previous CSRG events starting back in 2016 for my website TheRacingEar.com on YouTube.  He has extensive experience being a racing photographer for the ChampCar World Series and the American Le Mans Series and is a consistent contributor to Victory Lane Magazine.  Bob and Becky are amazing and dedicated racing friends and colleagues.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast!#beckypengraph #bobpengraph        #scca#lateralgimages@smugmug.com#victorylanemagazine

Hello Fellow Racing Ears, Bud Moeller has owned and raced iconic Historic Formula 1 racing cars for over 30 years.  The 1980 Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari 312 T5 and the 2003 Michael Schumacher Ferrari F2003GA are historic and iconic in the world of motorsport.  His stories related to these amazing racing cars are well worth the listen.  We also spoke of the Ferrari 599XX racing car that he co-owns with his son in law.  This experimental Ferrari racing car is very unique.  We also chatted about the current state of Masters Historic Formula 1 and that he owns and races the 1979 Ensign N 179 Formula 1 racing car in the series.  I very much am looking forward to seeing Bud Moeller and the rest of the Masters Historic Formula 1 series when they visit again in Northern California.  Bud Moeller is also a co-owner of Fleetwood's on Front St. in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii with Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.    Many thanks again to Bud Moeller for this amazing interview! Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.     #theracingearpodcast#budmoeller #mastershistoricracing#rogerrogers#ferrarif1clienti#ferrari599xx#312t5#f2003ga#ferrari#mastershistoricformulaoneusa#fleetwoodsonfrontst.@fleetwoods

Hello again Fellow Racing Ear Enthusiasts,I got another chance to have a chat with Rick Knoop about his experience racing in Historic Formula 1.  We spoke about what it was like to spectate at the Long Beach Grand Prix when Formula 1 would come to the west coast to have its second race in the United States opposite Watkins Glen in Upstate New York.  We talked about the Masters Historic Formula 1 series and how it began in the early 2000's.  We spoke about his experience driving the 1979 Tyrrell 009 that was driven by Didier Pironi.  We also spoke about racing on many major circuits in North America and in Australia at Phillip Island.  In this episode we had some laughs and we had some needs for oxygen.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  #rickknoop #theracingearpodcast #mastersf1Theme Music Credit goes to:Podcast.comTrack name:  More ColourAlbum name: Keep Calm and Podcast Download more pod-safe music at https://www.podcast.co/music   

Hello Racing Ear Enthusiasts,Rick Knoop had an opportunity to drive in NASCAR and it was a privilege to speak with him about racing during an era when I was a fan of Bill Elliott.  In this episode, Rick Knoop recollects what it was like to drive in NASCAR at historic venues like Talladega, Watkins Glen, Michigan International, and Dover International.  I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast. #rickknoop#theracingearpodcast#nascar#winstoncup#michiganspeedway#budattheglen#riversideinternationalraceway#dkulrich#darrellwaltrip#talladegaspeedway#doverinternationalspeedwayTheme Music Credit goes to:Podcast.comTrack name:  More ColourAlbum name: Keep Calm and Podcast Download more pod-safe music at https://www.podcast.co/music

Hello again Racing Ears,Ever since I first laid my eyes on the amazing Porsche 962 back in 1985 when I was 13 years old at Laguna Seca Raceway, I have always been a fan of the spectacular era that was the IMSA Camel GTP racing series in North America in the mid to late 1980's.  Rick Knoop co-drove the BF Goodrich Jim Busby Racing number 67 Porsche 962 with Jim Busby at the 1985 Monterey Triple Crown held at Laguna Seca Raceway.  I attended on Saturday of the weekend in May 1985 with my Dad and I remember having an amazing time watching the IMSA GTP pracitce and qualifying sessions.  Laguna Seca was still in its original configuration and after chatting with Rick Knoop in this episode you really get to hear a highly detailed and descriptive account of what those first 4 corners were really like at Laguna Seca back in that era.  We touched on a few memories that include the winter testing at Riverside Raceway , 1985 Sunbank 24 at Daytona, 1985 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, 1985 Los Angeles Times / Nissan Grand Prix at Riverside, the 1985 Nissan Monterey Triple Crown at Laguna Seca, and the 1987 Ford California Grand Prix at Sears Point, with a light sprinkle of Can Am, NASCAR, and Historic Formula 1 Racing.Many thanks to Rick Knoop for another amazing interview!  Thank you for listening to the Racing Ear Podcast.      #rickknoop #jimbusbyracing#porsche962#theracingearpodcastTheme Music Credit goes to:Podcast.comTrack name:  More ColourAlbum name: Keep Calm and Podcast Download more pod-safe music at https://www.podcast.co/music

Hello Fellow Racing Ears,I was able to chat with Rick Knoop again and tonight we spoke about his experience running at the annual Pikes Peak Hillclimb in Pikes Peak Colorado in the Knoop Mann Special.  His stories related to this amazing event are fascinating.  Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast #theracingearpodcast#rickknoop#knoopmannspecial #pikespeakhillclimb#busbyracing Theme Music Credit goes to:Podcast.comTrack name:  More ColourAlbum name: Keep Calm and Podcast Download more pod-safe music at https://www.podcast.co/music

Hello Fellow Racing Ears,Rick Knoop has raced many cars over the years since starting his career over 45 years ago.  In this episode of The Racing Ear Podcast we discuss his success driving with Mazda.  There have been many instrumental and groundbreaking efforts to bring the Mazda RX7 to the race track and to the winners circle over the years.  in 1984 Mr Knoop was very involved in the efforts to develop racing tires with the BF Goodrich Tire Company with Jim Busby Racing racing in the World Endurance Championship.  Jim Busby Racing ran 2 racing cars in the C2 Prototype Class that were the Lola T 616 chassis with a Mazda 13B 1.3 L 2 Rotor engine.  This effort resulted in the team placing 1st place and 3rd place in C2 at the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans.  This team ran races in 1984 at the 24 Hours of Daytona at Daytona International Speedway in Florida, United States, 1000 Km di Monza at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Italy, 24 Hours of Le Mans at Circuit de la Sarthe in France, ADAC 1000 km - Rennen at the Nurburgring in Germany, and the Fuji 1000 km at Fuji Speedway in Japan.  There is a documentary on YouTube called "Chasing The Limits" narrated by Burgess Meredith that is really worth watching because it documents all of the testing and preparation that went into bringing these amazing Lola T616 Mazdas to the race track with BF Goodrich Tires.    Thank you for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  Racing Car Sound Credit goes to:Mazda Motor Cars Theme Music Credit goes to:Podcast.comTrack name:  More ColourAlbum name: Keep Calm and Podcast Download more pod-safe music at https://www.podcast.co/music

Hello Fellow Racing Ears,I am so thankful and grateful for this episode of The Racing Ear Podcast.  My first guest is Rick Knoop.   Rick Knoop has been a race car driver for over 40 years and in this episode of The Racing Ear Podcast, he remembers and describes what it was like to participate at the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans, in Le Mans France.  He was a key ingredient in the Kremer Brothers Racing #44 Porsche 935 team.  His driving efforts helped his team to achieve 6th Place overall and 1st place in the Group 5 Racing Division.   He drove this amazing Porsche 935 racing car with drivers Jim Busby and Chris Cord.  Whenever Rick Knoop drives a race car he uses conditioned skills that has allowed him to drive racing cars for over 40 years.  He has a racing philosophy of being smooth, having consistency, and having full concentration.  His story telling really makes this episode flow well.  Rick reminiscing about the biggest sports car endurance racing event in the world was awe-inspiring to be a part of.  Thank you Rick Knoop for this opportunity!  Thank you very much for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.  Check out my YouTube Channel called "The Racing Ear".  #Smooth#Consistent#Concentrate#TheRacingEarPodcast

Hello fellow Racing Ears,My name is Trent Barr and I love historic sports car racing.  I am in my late 40s and I want to start my old podcast up again.  The Racing Ear started in 2014 where my goal was to go to historic racing events and record the sounds of the cars in their element, at the race track.  I started with a simple hand held recorder which later evolved into shooting video with my iPhone.  Along the way I have met many great people associated with historic sports car racing.  I was granted access to many great events at Sonoma Raceway that was with the Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) starting in 2014.  I was granted media credentials for the Porsche Rennsport Reunion V in 2015 and VI in 2018 events that were held at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey California.  This podcast will now be more focused on talking with folks that are associated with historic sports car racing.  Thank you so much for listening to The Racing Ear Podcast.