Dinner with Racers

The latest of our RE-HEATED series, where we re-issue episodes that might share something with racing stories in the news… Episode 106 featuring Rick Mearsi. With the month of May upon us, we figured it was a good episode to re-visit. It’s Rick Mears, do you really need a description? He grew up in Bakersfield as an amateur off-road racer… then somehow he became a driver for Roger Penske’s IndyCar program…. then somehow won the race 4 times. How did that happen? Well we have the story in two parts. Dinner courtesy of Palomino in Indianapolis, IN.. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support!

The latest of our RE-HEATED series, where we re-issue episodes that might share something with racing stories in the news… Episode 106 featuring Rick Mearsi. With the month of May upon us, we figured it was a good episode to re-visit. It’s Rick Mears, do you really need a description? He grew up in Bakersfield as an amateur off-road racer… then somehow he became a driver for Roger Penske’s IndyCar program…. then somehow won the race 4 times. How did that happen? Well we have the story in two parts. Dinner courtesy of Palomino in Indianapolis, IN.. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support!

The latest of our RE-HEATED series, where we re-issue episodes that might share something with racing stories in the news… Episode 108 featuring Alexander Rossi. With the month of May upon us, we figured it was a good episode to re-visit. His story is still being written, but Alexander Rossi is the poster child of an American success story. Growing up in Northern California, Alex grew up in the California karting scene before going on to Formula BMW USA, ultimately leave the US to pursue his dream of Formula One, where he’d achieve the ultimate by becoming an official test driver, and finally an official F1 driver for ManorF1. When opportunities in F1 began to unravel, Alex immediately found a new home in IndyCar, winning the 100th Indianapolis 500 in his first year, and now a regular threat for the championship. Breakfast courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts as served in his RV, with the music of Armen Balyan taking us out. Thanks to Continental Tire for all of their support, and Acura for providing a great MDX.

The latest of our RE-HEATED series, where we re-issue episodes that might share something with racing stories in the news… Episode 222 featuring Chris Pook. With the Long Beach Grand Prix happening this weekend, we figured it was a good episode to re-visit. A known figure for a number of motorsport ventures, including running CART for some time, Chris’s wild idea to hold a street race in the California port city of Long Beach in 1974 was the start of tradition that continued today. Hailing from the UK and working as a long-time Long Beach resident, Chris’s path to creating the event was anything but smooth, with the detailed story in this podcast. This is of course a complimentary episode to our “Dinner with Racers” video series on MotorTrend’s YouTube and MotorTrend+ streaming, where you can see the story unfold in a two-part special. Lunch was served at 555 East Steakhouse in Long Beach, CA, with the song “I Got Me” by Jane & The Boy taking us out. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.

The latest of our RE-HEATED series, where we re-issue episodes that might share something with racing stories in the news… Episode 223 featuring Jim Michaelian. One of the pioneers behind the Grand Prix of Long Beach, Jim unfortunately passed on Saturday, March 21, but we were fortunate to spend an extended amount of time with him in 2021 in our “Building Long Beach” video and podcast series. One of the key members since Year One, Jim Michaelian went from a kid with an MBA helping out in finance, to the current President and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. From boots on the ground at the beginning, to steering the ship today, Jim is uniquely qualified to know both the history of the event and the challenges that face the Grand Prix today. This is of course a complimentary episode to our “Dinner with Racers” video series on MotorTrend’s YouTube, where you can see the story unfold in a two-part special. Dinner was served via pizza we ordered into the Grand Prix offices in Long Beach, CA, with the song “Something New” by Castle Heist taking us out. Thanks again to Continental Tire and Acura for making it all happen.