The Scene Vault Podcast
by Rick Houston
At The Scene Vault Podcast, we're all about NASCAR history, all the time. Our interview guests shed new light on their lives and careers each and every week, and hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid draw on their long careers in and around the sport to provide expert analysis and commentary. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 6 a.m. Eastern.
Episodes
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Episode 228 -- Ritchie, Mark and Timmy Petty on Impact of 1983 Charlotte Controversy
If you thought last week’s segment was good, just wait until you hear what Ritchie, Mark and Timmy Petty have to say in this week’s episode. They discuss the powerful bond that existed between Richard and Maurice, and the work they put into building Petty Enterprises into the dynasty it…
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Episode 227 -- Ritchie, Mark and Timmy Petty on Their Family's Stunning NASCAR Legacy
We’re getting 2023 started off with a bang, with the first of what will be THREE installments with Ritchie, Mark and Timmy … Maurice Petty’s sons. They’ll take us through what it was like to grow up as part of one of NASCAR’s most famous families and the standards they were expected to live up…
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Episode 226 -- David Ifft, John Dodson and Pete Wright ... MASTER Storytellers, Part Two
This week, we’ve got the conclusion to our EPIC conversation with John Dodson, Pete Wright and David Ifft … and they kept telling stories with a full head of steam, just like last week. They remember their welcome-to-NASCAR and most embarrassing moments, life on the road away from family, MORE...
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Episode 225 -- David Ifft, John Dodson and Pete Wright ... Master NASCAR Story Tellers
David Ifft, John Dodson and Pete Wright ... this was an all-star cast of some of the best storytellers we’ve had so far on the show. You ever hear the old saying where people wonder what it would be like to be a fly on the wall of the garage? Well … that’s what this was. They were just three...
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Episode 224 -- Robert Pressley on Winston Cup See-Saw, Daytona Truck Win
In the third and final installment of our interview, Robert Pressley takes us through the see-saw world of the Winston Cup division. A conversation with Bobby Hamilton led him to the truck series, a decision that eventually landed him in victory lane at Daytona following the 2002 season opener....
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Episode 223 -- Robert Pressley on Michael Waltrip's Bristol Crash, Beating and Then Replacing Harry Gant
In the second of our three installments with Robert Pressley, he and Michael Waltrip get together to trigger one of the most infamous crashes in NASCAR history and an IMPRESSIVE stare-down minutes later. Robert then pulls off a last-lap pass of Harry Gant to win at Darlington, after an impromptu...
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Episode 222 -- Robert Pressley on Battles with Dad, Going Busch Racing with Brad Daugherty
Just one quick note before we begin ... pace car? Did somebody say PACE CAR?!? In the first of what will be three blockbuster installments, Robert Pressley talks about the role moonshine played on racing in and around his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. The son of local stock-car legend…
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Episode 221 -- Larry Pollard on Surviving a Basal Skull Fracture, Learning to Live Again
In the third and final installment of our interview with Larry Pollard, he talks about the up-and-down world of being a NASCAR Busch Series race-car driver. He WINS … but finds himself in and out of a couple of rides. And THAT was before he became one of a very few people in the sport to survive…
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Episode 220 -- Larry Pollard on Bending the Rules, 1983 Charlotte Debacle with Richard Petty
In the second installment of our interview with Larry Pollard, he talks about the pushback he received from some of his Petty Enterprises teammates after being named co-crew chief, the trick gas can used to win at Talladega and the part he played in Richard Petty’s infamous win at Charlotte in…
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Episode 219 -- Larry Pollard on Canada-NC Culture Shock, Richard Childress and Winning with Richard Petty
Larry Pollard might not have the most recognizable name we’ve ever had on the show, but he is a master storyteller after nearly forty years in the NASCAR trenches. Larry moved from his home in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada to go to work for Richard Childress Racing in its first year with...
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Episode 218 -- Brendan Gaughan on the Infamous Jim Smith Can Kiss My Ass Incident
In this week’s final installment with Brendan Gaughan, he gives his side of the story in the infamous Jim-Smith-can-kiss-my-ass incident, which cost him a $10,000 fine AND the 2003 Craftsman Truck Series championship. After that, Brendan breaks down his lone full-time Cup season with Doug Bobble...
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Episode 217 -- Brendan Gaughan on Growing Up in Las Vegas, Playing Basketball at Georgetown, Getting into NASCAR
In the first of what will be two installments with Brendan Gaughan, he talks about life in Las Vegas as a child and a high-school football injury that literally changed the course of his life. He wound up going to school at Georgetown University, where he played football AND walked on with the…
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Episode 216 -- NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin on Las Vegas, Career Struggles
In our conversation with NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Mark talks about his memories of the construction of his beloved JR51 chassis, preparations for the first Winston Cup race at Las Vegas and his laser-focused intensity that … in all honesty … took away from his enjoyment of winning races....
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Episode 215 -- D.K. Ulrich on Revolving Drivers, Riverside Screwdriver and Swervin' Ernie Irvan
In the third and final installment of our interview with D.K. Ulrich, he remembers the revolving door of drivers who once piloted his race cars, the young Davey Allison’s impact on his decision to step away from the cockpit himself, the infamous screwdriver incident at Riverside and the burned...
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Episode 214 -- D.K. Ulrich on Bad Darlington Crash, Cheating in NASCAR, Tim Richmond
We might as well call this installment of our interview with D.K. Ulrich "Cheating in NASCAR" simply because of all the tricks of the trade that he laid out for us. We’ve got everything from the infamous nitrous oxide incident from the 1978 Southern 500 at Darlington to trick tires, trap doors…
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Episode 213 -- D.K. Ulrich on NASCAR Independents, Holman-Moody Heist and Mark Martin Hijinks
This week in the first installment of our fantastic conversation with DK Ulrich, DK talks about how AJ Foyt influenced him to not only be known by his initials, but also to pursue a career in racing. He then remembers a chance offer for a 1957 Chevy that altered the course of his life and his...
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Episode 212 -- NASCAR Veteran Pete Wright on Junior Johnson Team Strife, 1991 The Winston, Traction Control and Travis Carter
This week's episode gets off to a rousing start with discussion of Erik Jones' win in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, driving the number 43 Petty GMS Racing entry. In the third and final installment of our EPIC interview with Pete Wright, Pete talks about the friction that existed between...
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Episode 211 -- NASCAR Veteran Pete Wright on Jack Beebe, Terry Labonte, Dale Inman, The Witch Doctor Incident and Joining Junior Johnson
We’re back with the second installment of our interview with longtime NASCAR crew member and crew chief Pete Wright, and this week, Pete talks about attending his first Grand National race at Martinsville and the impact drivers like Fred Lorenzen and Buddy Arrington had on his career. Pete got…
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Episode 210 -- Preview of Pete Wright on Junior Johnson and D.K. Ulrich on Nitrous Oxide at Darlington
Enjoy a sneak preview of the next installment of our interview with Pete Wright, in which he remembers getting hired and then working with NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson. Also, longtime independent team owner and driver D.K. Ulrich gives us the inside story of the nitrous oxide system that…
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Episode 209 -- NASCAR Veteran Pete Wright on the Loss of His Son
NOTE: This episode may be too emotionally intense for some listeners. Pete Wright worked in NASCAR as a crew member and crew chief for years, and with drivers ranging from Terry Labonte and Darrell Waltrip to Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman. We've got those stories, and they're remarkable. But on...
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Episode 208 -- David Ifft on the Infamous Waylon Jennings Riot, Jailtime in Mexico, Benny Parsons and Cale Yarborough
This week in the third and final installment of our conversation with David Ifft, he tells us HIS side of the story of a long-ago riot before, during and after a Waylon Jennings concert at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Then, it’s on to his infamous stint in a Mexican jail while en route to the 1980...
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Episode 207 -- David Ifft on M.C. Anderson's Big Money, Buddy Baker, Benny Parsons, Dale Inman and Richard Petty
In the second installment of our interview with David Ifft, David tells all when it comes to his salary negotiation with M.C. Anderson, after which he become the first crew chief on record to be paid more than $100,000 a year. He also gives us the scoop on why M.C. started having his employees...
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Episode 206 -- David Ifft on Bud Moore, Darrell Waltrip and DiGard Racing
The Spongebob Squarepants musical ... Rick coming to Steve's rescue and helping change a flat tire ... it all takes a back seat to the news that Las Vegas Motor Speedway is renewing its title sponsorship of The Scene Vault Podcast for the coming year! In the first of three EPIC installments of…
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Episode 205 -- Jeff Purvis on South Boston Pit-Road Brawl, Career-Ending Accidents
In the second and final installment of our interview with Jeff Purvis, Jeff talks about the all-out South Boston brawl and subsequent suspension he faced way back when, a Pikes Peak win he does not remember and TWO life-threatening and ultimately career-ending accidents … AND … giraffe money.…
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Episode 204 -- Jeff Purvis on Dirt and Asphalt Roots, James Finch and Cheating in Racing
Jeff Purvis … Never Nervous Purvis. This week in the first of what will be two installments of our interview, Jeff talks about getting into racing on dirt, his transition to asphalt, how he first got together with team owner James Finch and one of the very best cheating in racing stories that...
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Episode 203 -- NASCAR Champion-Turned-Broadcaster Todd Bodine Part 3
We start off this week with a quick chat with Jamie Bishop, gasman for NASCAR Truck driver Parker Kligerman, who won Saturday's event at Mid-Ohio. Jamie is a longtime friend and supporter of the show who may ... or may not ... return the victory-lane caps he was given by Parker following…
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Episode 202 -- NASCAR Champion-Turned-Broadcaster Todd Bodine Part 2
We’ve got a lot packed into this installment of our interview with Todd Bodine … getting booed because he’s Geoff Bodine’s brother, the infamous run-in between Geoff and Brett during the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, his OWN issues in that event and the phantom caution…
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Episode 201 -- NASCAR Champion-Turned-Broadcaster Todd Bodine
After taking additional questions from friends (?!?) of the podcast Rick Mast and Rusty Wallace, we dive into the first installment of our interview with Todd Bodine. Long before he was a champion of the Craftsman Truck Series … long before he became a NASCAR analyst and broadcaster … Todd…
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Episode 200 -- NASCAR Icon Richard Petty
Richard Petty … what else do we really need to say? NASCAR Hall of Fame inaugural inductee. Seven championships … seven Daytona 500 wins … the number 43 … 200 wins. It's a perfect fit for our 200th episode. It would also not be appropriate to celebrate our 200th episode without including our...
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Episode 199 -- Richard Childress Racing-Dale Earnhardt Tire Changer Will Lind Part 2
NOTE: Have a question to ask hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid for next week's milestone 200th episode? Tweet us @thescenevault and use #vault200, or email a voice file to [email protected]! In the second and final installment of our interview with Richard Childress Racing legend Will...
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Episode 198 -- Former Richard Childress Racing-Dale Earnhardt Tire Changer Will Lind
This week's show begins with a simple challenge ... pay it forward. Do something nice for someone else, without any expectation of receiving anything in return. Will Lind got his start in the sport working with James Hylton, but he went on to have a LONG and successful career with Richard…
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Episode 197 -- Medal of Honor Recipients-NASCAR Fans Joe Marm and Bob Patterson
NOTE: This episode contains vivid descriptions of the experience of combat. It may be too intense for some listeners. For this very special Memorial Day release, host Rick Houston had the honor of sitting down with Medal of Honor recipients Bob Patterson and Joe Marm to discuss their stories…
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EPISODE 196 -- TIM BREWER PART 3
In the epic third and final installment of our interview with longtime NASCAR crew chief Tim Brewer, Tim talks about his and Junior Johnson’s 1991 suspension after a big engine was found in their car at Charlotte. He also remembers Bill Elliott coming on board with the team in 1992 … the early...
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EPISODE 195 -- TIM BREWER PART 2
This week in the second installment of our interview with longtime … and outspoken … NASCAR crew chief Tim Brewer, Tim talks about his move to M.C. Anderson and why he considers that to be the biggest mistake of his career. He also guides us through some tumultuous years financially with Blue Max...
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EPISODE 194 -- TIM BREWER PART 1
After some reactions to last week's release of CLIPS from our L.W. Wright interview, longime NASCAR crew chief Tim Brewer talks about his earliest days in racing at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, quitting school and hitting the road as a young teenager, the infamous Talladega boycott of…
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EPISODE 193 -- L.W. WRIGHT
You know the legend of L.W. Wright. Now meet the man. The driver known as L.W. Wright made the first and only start of his Winston Cup career on May 2, 1982 at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. He'd not been heard from in the FORTY YEARS since ... until now. May 2, 2022 marks the 40th…
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EPISODE 193A -- L.W. WRIGHT TEASER
You know the legend of L.W. Wright. Now meet the man. The driver known as L.W. Wright made the first and only start of his Winston Cup career on May 2, 1982 at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. He'd not been heard from in the FORTY YEARS since ... until now. Monday marks the 40th anniversary of...
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EPISODE 192 -- GIL MARTIN PART 3
After teasing next week's interview guest, we conclude our three-episode arc with Gil Martin’s cancer story. It’s powerful … because he went at his Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL) diagnosis with the heart of a racer. If this doesn’t work, try that … over and over and over again. In honor of that...
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EPISODE 191 -- GIL MARTIN PART 2
Big news in the world of NASCAR history this week ... the rebirth of North Wilkesboro Speedway, thanks to the efforts of a small group of Wilkes County diehards and Speedway Motorsports! In our first segment this week, we share the second installment of our interview with longtime NASCAR crew…
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EPISODE 190 -- GIL MARTIN PART 1
This week ... host Rick Houston and his sons Jesse and Adam join listener Bill Stripling for a memorable weekend of decidedly Old School and frigid short-track racing at Martinsville Speedway. In the first of what will be three installments with longtime NASCAR Busch Series and Cup crew chief Gil...
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EPISODE 189 -- MIKE BEAM PART 3
This week in the third and final installment of our interview with Mike Beam, Mike talks about the struggles he continued to face in the wake of the loss of Mike Rich and a fiery accident involving Sterling Marlin. Despite those reservations, Mike eventually moved over to Bill Elliott’s Junior...
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EPISODE 188 -- MIKE BEAM PART 2
In this very emotional episode, longtime crew chief and team executive Mike Beam discusses what was THE most controversial moment of Richard Petty’s career … the 1983 fall race at Charlotte, after which a REALLY big engine was discovered under the hood of the Petty Enterprises Pontiac. He also...
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EPISODE 187 -- MIKE BEAM PART 1
This week in the first of three installments of our interview with veteran crew chief and team executive Mike Beam, he talks about trying to break into the sport with Mike Laughlin, Butch Lindley, Harry Gant and Morgan Shepherd, before finally landing with Petty Enterprises. And … yes … he gives…
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EPISODE 186 -- JOHNNY BENSON PART 3
The Houston family makes it back from an epic trip to Las Vegas, a meeting with a Medal of Honor recipient and a treacherous jaunt on a skywalk overlooking the Grand Canyon! In the third and final installment of our interview with Johnny Benson, he talks … again … about his run in the truck…
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EPISODE 185 -- JOHNNY BENSON PART 2
Snow in Las Vegas? Carrot Top? Oh, yeah. We've got it all in this week's episode! In the second installment of our interview with Johnny Benson, Johnny talks about his earliest days on the Winston Cup circuit with Bahari Racing, his rather difficult turn with Roush Racing, what might have been in...
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EPISODE 184 -- JOHNNY BENSON PART 1
In the first of what will be three installments of our interview with Johnny Benson, he talks about the influence his father had on his life and career, rising up through the ranks despite the fact he was happy where he was at, his inauspicious Busch Series debut, beating Harry Gant for his first...
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EPISODE 183 -- MIKE ALEXANDER
Middle Tennessee racing legend Mike Alexander takes us through the early years of his career, as well as a couple of attempts at establishing himself as a Winston Cup competitor. When those didn’t work out, Mike decided to take himself and his talents to the Busch Series, where he felt he had a...
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EPISODE 182 -- JOHN DODSON PART 3
NOTE: Some parts of this episode may be too intense for some listeners. We’re sharing the third and final installment of our interview with John Dodson this week, and the conversation swings from hysterically funny to devastatingly emotional. John talks about the brawl between Rusty Wallace’s…
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EPISODE 181 -- JOHN DODSON PART 2
In the second installment of our interview with John Dodson, he remembers the controversy surrounding three key employees of Junior Johnson & Associates making the move to M.C. Anderson’s team. Once there, team members were reportedly subject to being followed by detectives, in order to keep them...
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EPISODE 180 -- JOHN DODSON PART 1
You may know John Dodson as the younger brother of longtime NASCAR crew chief Barry Dodson, but he forged an incredible resume in the sport all his own. In the first of what will be three installments of an absolutely extraordinary conversation, John talks about growing up in a racing family with...
About this show
At The Scene Vault Podcast, we're all about NASCAR history, all the time. Our interview guests shed new light on their lives and careers each and every week, and hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid draw on their long careers in and around the sport to provide expert analysis and commentary. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 6 a.m. Eastern.
Hosted by
Rick Houston
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