Dinner with Racers

Bruce Canepa has defined the gold standard of vintage racing and restoration. A lifelong car guy growing up near Santa Cruz, California, Bruce’s incredible eye for detail and design has created a unique career path that has taken him from building model cars as a kid, to restoring some of the most renown classic cars today. Not just a racing builder, he’s an accomplished driver in his own right, c...

Adrián Fernández is a one-of-a-kind story with deep roots in IndyCar and sportscar racing. Raised with modest means in Mexico City, the idea of tenacity is redefined with his story, literally having himself smuggled to the Netherlands with no money to further his career, and eventually becoming a multi-time winner in IndyCar and IMSA, many of which were achieved with his own team. Beyond that, his...

Adrián Fernández is a one-of-a-kind story with deep roots in IndyCar and sportscar racing. Raised with modest means in Mexico City, the idea of tenacity is redefined with his story, literally having himself smuggled to the Netherlands with no money to further his career, and eventually becoming a multi-time winner in IndyCar and IMSA, many of which were achieved with his own team. Beyond that, his...

Alex Job is one of the most accomplished and respected team owners in the history of sportscar competition. Starting as an amateur racer balancing motorsport ambitions with a career in auto sales, the Florida native would use a rarely seen level of caution and calculation to slowly build his own racing team, Alex Job Racing, into a powerhouse that would not become one of the most heralded Porsche...

Pipo Derani is one of the most talked about characters in IMSA racing today. One of the most aggressive and unapologetic drivers in the GTP and prototype ranks, the Brazilian’s tenacity has to led to victories at Daytona, Sebring, and with a reputation of being as fast as they get. What makes Pipo interesting, however, is his completely opposite off-track character, being nothing but a polite and...

Sebastien Bourdais is probably best known as the king of IndyCar (formerly ChampCar) racing throughout the mid-2000’s. Winning four-consecutive titles, the Frenchman was as dominant as you could get in that era, before heading off to careers in Formula One, returning to IndyCar, and now in the GTP ranks of IMSA. Fiercely analytical and incredibly honest about himself,Sebastien’s candor makes for a...

Sebastien Bourdais is probably best known as the king of IndyCar (formerly ChampCar) racing throughout the mid-2000’s. Winning four-consecutive titles, the Frenchman was as dominant as you could get in that era, before heading off to careers in Formula One, returning to IndyCar, and now in the GTP ranks of IMSA. Fiercely analytical and incredibly honest about himself,Sebastien’s candor makes for a...

Bill Lester is probably best known for his groundbreaking role within NASCAR, known as the first African American to earn a pole position in the Truck series as well as compete in a full season of NASCAR. What makes Bill such an interesting story, however, is his origins leading to this. Transforming himself from software engineer to club racer in amateur sportscars, Bill’s path to professional mo...

Jim Downing may not be a household name in modern day racing, but his legacy has saved countless lives. A long-time sportscar racer and team owner in his own right, after achieving incredible success with Mazda and his famed Kudzu racing team, the lasting legacy of Jim will always be his co-invention and distribution of the HANS device, which took years to finally become a mainstay of modern safet...

When it comes to sportscar engineers, especially in GT racing, Lars Giersing has long been a known figure in the paddock. Coming from a very non-traditional background, Lars is one of the most accomplished figures in the paddock without ever earning a degree, relying instead on incredible intuition and knowing how to shape any racing program. This has led to countless IMSA championships, wins at D...

Filipe Albuquerque has become a staple of modern prototype racing. A winner at Le Mans, Daytona, and having driven for some of the most prolific teams including Audi’s legendary LMP1 program, the Portuguese driver is known for his talent on track and enthusiastic personality off of it. Lunch was was served at Bonefish Grill in Daytona Beach, Florida, with the song “Promised Land” by Dan Ayalon tak...

A driver synonymous with BMW, Augusto Farfus is a legend of touring car, GT, and now prototype racing. Hailing from Brazil as a dominant driver in junior categories, Augusto came into the sport with a family history unlike any other, and transitioned it wins at venues like Macau, Spa, Nurburgring, Daytona, and more. Dinner was was served at Bonefish Grill in Daytona Beach, Florida, with the song “...

Nick Tandy is considered one of best drivers in modern sportscar racing. A winner at Le Mans, Daytona, and just about every other race you can imagine, Nick is a current IMSA GTP driver for Porsche Penske, but his foundation is anything but traditional. Growing up in the UK racing mini stocks on ovals, his path to road racing greatness was far from obvious. Lunch was served to a very hung over Nic...

When it comes to the Indianapolis 500, the novelty of “Bump Day” may be less talked about today, but the consequences can still be dire. For some, just making the race is a critical as it can be, as it was in 2008 for Pacific Coast Motorsports, who put it all on the line to be part of it. As part of our “Bumped” video series on MotorTrend, we now present the extended interviews with the people beh...

When it comes to the Indianapolis 500, the novelty of “Bump Day” may be less talked about today, but the consequences can still be dire. For some, just making the race is a critical as it can be, as it was in 2008 for Pacific Coast Motorsports, who put it all on the line to be part of it. As part of our “Bumped” video series on MotorTrend, we now present the extended interviews with the people beh...

When it comes to the Indianapolis 500, the novelty of “Bump Day” may be less talked about today, but the consequences can still be dire. For some, just making the race is a critical as it can be, as it was in 2008 for Pacific Coast Motorsports, who put it all on the line to be part of it. As part of our “Bumped” video series on MotorTrend, we now present the extended interviews with the people beh...

When it comes to the Indianapolis 500, the novelty of “Bump Day” may be less talked about today, but the consequences can still be dire. For some, just making the race is a critical as it can be, as it was in 2008 for Pacific Coast Motorsports, who put it all on the line to be part of it. As part of our “Bumped” video series on MotorTrend, we now present the extended interviews with the people beh...

When it comes to the Indianapolis 500, the novelty of “Bump Day” may be less talked about today, but the consequences can still be dire. For some, just making the race is a critical as it can be, as it was in 2008 for Pacific Coast Motorsports, who put it all on the line to be part of it. As part of our “Bumped” video series on MotorTrend, we now present the extended interviews with the people beh...

Paul Tracy has spent nearly half a century building himself as one of the unique characters of the sport. Whether you consider him one of the greats, one of the most polarizing, or simply one of the most fascinating, Paul’s place in the sport is without question. As part of our “Dinner(s) with Paul Tracy” video series, we follow up on our 2017 podcast with a video series, spending a week with him...

Paul Tracy has spent nearly half a century building himself as one of the unique characters of the sport. Whether you consider him one of the greats, one of the most polarizing, or simply one of the most fascinating, Paul’s place in the sport is without question. As part of our “Dinner(s) with Paul Tracy” video series, we follow up on our 2017 podcast with a video series, spending a week with him...

Paul Tracy has spent nearly half a century building himself as one of the unique characters of the sport. Whether you consider him one of the greats, one of the most polarizing, or simply one of the most fascinating, Paul’s place in the sport is without question. As part of our “Dinner(s) with Paul Tracy” video series, we follow up on our 2017 podcast with a video series, spending a week with him...

Paul Tracy has spent nearly half a century building himself as one of the unique characters of the sport. Whether you consider him one of the greats, one of the most polarizing, or simply one of the most fascinating, Paul’s place in the sport is without question. As part of our “Dinner(s) with Paul Tracy” video series, we follow up on our 2017 podcast with a video series, spending a week with him...

Tammy Johnson and Martin Bannon are two key members of the Grand Prix on Long Beach. For Tammy, a three-decade run as the Director of Ticket Sales has made her a key fixture of the event, often serving as the first interaction for many event newcomers. With a profound ability to guide and customize the experience for nearly 200,000 people, Tammy’s role in making the event an experience for everyon...

Davey Carillo and Crandall Dickinson are two key members of Long Beach’s construction team. It’s hard to watch the race on TV, or even visit in person, and have any clue just what kind of challenges a temporary facility built on city streets of a busy downtown can create, and these two provide a great insight into just what it takes. This is of course a complimentary episode to our “Dinner with Ra...

If there is one name who’s routinely given credit for making sure the actual event of Long Beach happens, it’s Dwight Tanaka. A long-time member of the family, Dwight is the Director of Operations for the Grand Prix, but that title doesn’t do justice to the all-knowing and all-powerful Dwight who orchestrates everything it takes to put the weekend together. Now a family affair, Dwight’s son Jake h...