In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show

The 2022 NHRA Spring Nationals final event at Houston Raceway Park is a bittersweet weekend.  For many, it is a first chance, because it is the last chance to see an event like this at Houston Raceway Park. Many racers have memories from this track.  For some, it was a record setting run, for others, like 4-time Pro Stock Champion Erica Enders, it is truely a 'home' track.  Erica started...

What do you do after becoming a NHRA World Champion Top Fuel driver?  For J.R. Todd, it was time to take on the 'floppers' - NHRA Funny Car.   J.R. sits with the In Wheel Time Car Talk crew and talkes about the differences in drving a 25-foot long dragster and a plastic body car less than half the length, but will the same basic motor transmission setup.  It is a very interesting perspec...

There are a lot of things we love about broadcasting from the NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, in particular, we get to talk with Antron Brown!  Antron is a NHRA veteran Top Fuel driver and now a new Team Owner!   Always a great interview with his outgoing personality that makes him a fan favorite along with ours.  We invite you to join us for this episode of In Wheel Time Car Talk a...

Kalitta Racing is a well known brand in the NHRA Professional ranks, and we are proud to have Doug Kalitta join us during the 2022 NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.  This is the 'last' NHRA National event to be held at this track, as it is set to shut down operations in the near future. We talk with Doug about being in Baytown for the final event at this historic facility, h...

Welcome to Texas!  Home of the Alamo, Texas Bar-B-Q and NHRA Top Fuel Driver Steve Torrence from Kilgore! Kilgore, Texas, known for a few things, particularly in the gas and oil industry, but it is not or WAS not known as a hot bed of professional drag racing.  That is until Steve Torrence decided to step up to the Pro levels of NHRA Top Fuel.  Join us as we learn more about how he got interested,...

We continue our coverage of the 2022 NHRA Spring Nationals as the final national event to be held at the Houston Raceway Park.  It is a facility that has been known for setting records and providing great drag racing action for 35 years. Joining us on this episode of In Wheel Time Car Talk is President and General Manger of the track, Mr. Seth Angel.  We talk some about the history of the facilty,...

Collectively, In Wheel Time Car Talk has been attending events at Houston Raceway Park since the very first time the gates were opened.  With our close proximity and diverse backgrounds of our crew, we have managed to see a lot of changes over the years and we were saddened to hear it is shutting down operations.   For that last four years, Toyota Racing Development has been a welcomed sponsor of...

We always enjoy talking with Jack Nerad, noted automotive journalis and author.  Not only do we get to benefit from his vast exeriences, he is great to share how things are on the 'left coast'.   In this episode of In Wheel Time Car Talk, we touch on the basics of the automtoive industry and learn that Jack has been driving some pretty awesome vehilces!  Electric Trucks?  The price of pr...

We have been talking about electric vehicles for some time now.   We have even visited both coasts to see how conversions are being done with mild to wild results by DIY and high-end conversion shops.  It is a wild wild EV world! On this episode of In Wheel Time Car Talk, we are joing by Autum Schwalbe, Ford Motor Company Market, as we want to know more about the recently announced 'crate mot...

NASCAR is big time oval racing with a long history and big appeal to a lot of automotive enthusiasts across the country.   With TV showing the big races at the big race tracks, not a lot of people are exposed to where all this came from.  There are actually smaller oval asphalt tracks across the country where racers enjoy the same type of sport at different levels, with some actually working their...

Sometime it is fun to get out of the t-shirts and shorts for a little while, particularly when it is an automotive event.   Coming up is the Beaumont Main Street Gala that is being put on with the help of a number of groups and this year, it will include several aspects.  In addition to being centered at the Historic Jefferson Theatre in Downtown, there will be a vintage auto show with many constu...

Each week, we try to spotlight a car club - one of the places a lot of enthusasts hang out and where a lot of people get their start enjoying automotive activies beyond daily driving. This week, we talk with Hal Sharp, from the Texas Triumph Register, the largest club of this type in the Nation.  Originally formed in 1981, the club contunes to function through hurricans and pandemics.  We also lea...

LBX Fly In.   Of course someone had to ask, what does the LBX stand for?  That is the airport designation where the event is held.  So there is plenty of room for the airplanes of different sizes and type.  On the inside of the airport will be a large display of model trains, there is an open car show and food trucks to go along with live music.   There is a little of everything for a family day o...

It is hard to say that the world as we know it will ever be the same after COVID, but we are doing what we can.  That includes getting ready for some summer travel!  Time to load up the family truckster and make the great escape with the family ... somewhere. As we air this segment of In Wheel Time Car Talk, we know that people are keeping their vehilces longer so there are more miles on the odome...

We have been talking with Bobby Sparkman about a 3-day event coming up April 28 - May 1, 2022 that is sure to be one of a kind.  We are talking about starting in Victoria, Texas, and for three days, roll across Texas with stops at some historical sites, some drag strips, some museums and it also includes a night at the drive-in.  The route has been determined and cities and towns along the way are...

It is always fun to find an new auto museum as it is always a surprise to see what they have collected over the years.   In Texarkana, which can literally be Texas or Arkansas, we found the 'Four State Auto Museum', which we learned is actually in Texarkana, Arkansas.  That is ok, as Jim Christian explains, it takes a little bit from everywhere. We get to cover some of the museum, learn...

In Wheel Time Car Talk is all about automotive insterests - of all kinds!  We like new vehicles, particularly with the exciting technology changes, but we also go back to 'hot rods' and muscle cars.  We also like race cars, so it is basically anything with wheels and a motor of some type.  Heck, sometimes it don't even need wheels! Joining us in this segment of In Wheel Time Car Tal...

Friend of the show, Richard 'Buzz' Smith, was an early adoptor of the EV life style, and we say the EV lifestyle, as it is truely a life style that is 'different' than owning an ICE vehicle.  Buzz has made several trips using his EVs, and he has kept us up to date on how those trips go. In the previous segment, Michael Marrs did a review of the Mustang Mach-E, and now we are go...

For some people, getting a new car every few years is a personal choice, or maybe a business/tax decision.  For many others, the average age of a car is over ten years, and it seems to be  growing even longer.  With the shortage of new vehicles due to parts availability, the price of pre-owned is going way up.  This is another factor leading people to keep their vehicle longer - the devil you know...

Sue Mead is a noted automotive jounalist but she is really REALLY known as one of the best female off-road drivers there is.  Sue has competed in several international events across South America as well as in the Middle East when she is not roaming the off-roads of the North American Contitnet.  We have known Sue for a number of years and when Sue says there is someone we should talk to, we liste...

Ah, spring time when the living is easy and the teenagers start driving!  Something all parents worry about is when the kids start driving.   Like most parents, we try to teach the basics without imparting our own bad habits, but a professional is the way to go.   Nina Saint with Safeway Driving is here with some tips, not only about teen drivers, but some of us older people might need a tune up a...

Last year, we talk with the managment of Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas, about the future of the track. Houston Raceway Park is one of the historic NHRA venues for more than 30 years.  The track is home to numourous record breaking runs making it a facility that the racers look forward to attending.  For the spectators?  Plenty of track side seating and a pit area large enough for walking...

We can honestly say that if you are into classic, hot rod, or muscle cars, a live visit to a Mecum Auction should be on your bucket list.   Image, an open car show with 1,000 entries ranging from classics to modern vehicle in one place where they can be 'viewed'.  You can get up close and under these vehicles making it one awesome car show, regardless of what variety is a favorite.   The...

Joining us on this episode of In Wheel Time Car Talk, it is long time friend of the show in North Texas, George Skelton! We get a chance to talk with George before he gets his morning coffee about a package we received at the studio, and we wanted to thank George!  Join us for this fun interview. In the Car Clinic, Michael Marrs is sitting in for Konrad DeLong who is out this Saturday and we are t...

Just like Spring time, when the weather seems to get nicer, the air a little cleaner, it is time to clean winter off the ride! Joining us on this episode of In Wheel Time Car Talk is John Gray, long time friend of the show and owner of Gulf Coast Auto Shield.  Even though John knows a whole lot of stuff about paint care and protection, John is always keeping up with what is new.  In this episode,...