Past Gas

In 2009, Ross Brawn bought the ENTIRE Honda F1 team for a SINGLE British pound. What came next was a season that went down as the most remarkable David and Goliath story in Formula One history. How did Brawn GP beat other teams, that had been established for decades? What’s the team’s legacy in F1? And how does an F1 team get sold for the price of a candy bar? Today on Past Gas, the incredible sto...

Today on Past Gas-- the Sultan of Brunei, owner of the largest, most expensive car collection of all time. For decades, the Sultan had a shadowy but significant influence on the automotive industry, ordering one-of-a-kind supercars ranging from Ferraris to Aston Martins. Why did the Sultan choose to spend his vast fortune on thousands of cars, worth billions of dollars? Forget barn finds… today Ja...

Gran Turismo. Need For Speed. Dirt. And yes, Mario Kart. These aren’t just some of the best-selling racing video games of all time, they’re some of the best-selling games, period. The evolution of car racing games is full of innovation and gimmicks, hits and flops-- just like the history of cars themselves. So how did we get from dots on a screen to the photo-realistic simulations of 2020? And wha...

Gran Turismo. Need For Speed. Dirt. And yes, Mario Kart. These aren’t just some of the best-selling racing video games of all time, they’re some of the best-selling games, period. The evolution of car racing games is full of innovation and gimmicks, hits and flops-- just like the history of cars themselves. So how did we get from dots on a screen to the photo-realistic simulations of 2020? And wha...

Gran Turismo. Need For Speed. Dirt. And yes, Mario Kart. These aren’t just some of the best-selling racing video games of all time, they’re some of the best-selling games, period. The evolution of car racing games is full of innovation and gimmicks, hits and flops-- just like the history of cars themselves. So how did we get from dots on a screen to the photo-realistic simulations of 2020? And wha...

Today on Past Gas, the story of Alejandro de Tomaso, a car-making wheeler-dealer who rubbed elbows with Che Guevera and Elvis Presley. How did this Argentinean playboy build some of the most memorable supercars in auto history, save Maserati from extinction, and survive countless failed business ventures? Was de Tomaso a revolutionary or a failure? A genius or con man? The answer might be all of t...

Today on Past Gas, James, Nolan and Joe take on the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Known as The Race To The Clouds, Pikes Peak is the premiere event in the sport of hillclimbing. How did Pikes Peak popularize, then revolutionize, the hillclimb? Who drove up the mountain the fastest, and what kind of insane cars did they drive to get up there? All that and more, on a mile-high episo...

Cars in space! On today’s Past Gas, we go way beyond Elon Musk’s space Tesla and bring you the most amazing stories behind the vehicles that have actually driven on the surfaces of Moon and Mars. We’re asking and answering some of the biggest car questions in the cosmos. Who drove the longest? Who drove the fastest? And what exactly is an “AstroVette”? All that and more on an out-of-this-world edi...

Have you heard of the Shelby Lancer? Or the Shelby Series 1? Carroll Shelby is well known for the Cobra, his work with Ford on the GT40, and many more, but he also has a trove of lesser known projects that he worked on. This is our first recorded LIVE episode of Past Gas, in which we're taking a look at some of Shelby's forgotten cars, and answering some of your Donut related questions! To get you...

On March 16, 1988, performance legend Mickey Thompson and his wife Trudy were shot and killed in their own driveway in the wealthy, gated community of Bradbury, California. Their murder was a cold case that would go unsolved for over a decade... although many of Mickey’s friends and family were certain who was to blame. On today’s Past Gas, James, Nolan and Joe explore the bizarre mystery of Micke...

You've probably heard of Mickey Thompson Tires, but behind the treads was a legend who changed the world of drag racing and was once the fastest man on wheels. Tragically, Mickey and his wife were also murdered in perhaps the most bizarre and mysterious true crime of the automotive world. Today on Past Gas, join James, Nolan, and Joe as they explore the Man, the Myth... THE Mickey Thompson. His fa...

In this episode of Past Gas, we’re talking about badass rally driver Michele Mouton, whose impressive racing career earned her the title of “fastest woman in the world”. In 1981, she made history as the first female to win a World Rally Championship event — a title that no woman has surpassed since. Join James, Nolan and Joe as they explore Mouton’s fortuitous entry into racing, the highs and lows...

A decade before JDM reached the US and Europe, Option Magazine was profiling the Midnight Club and the underground street racing scene of Tokyo. The mag's hands-on approach had a huge influence on car culture and played a big role in popularizing all the Japanese tuners we know and love today. Its pages were filled with cars like the GT-R R33, Mazda RX-7, and Toyota Supra. By the end of the episod...

You guys loved this series, so we decided to bring it back as one episode! James and Nolan explain the origins of the Mid Night Club, an underground Japanese race team with top-secret members that raced around the streets of Japan from 1982 to 1999. The Donut duo explore the lore of the infamous street racers, and pass on a message from an actual member of Mid Night. Get Surfshark VPN at  https://...

A lost and found Ferrari worth millions. A guy named Greek Elvis and his Lamborghini Muira. A FAKE barn find collection that duped the internet. And a Ferrari Dino buried in the backyard. These are just some of the stories we have for you today, it’s all about barn finds! Classic cars forgotten in time, found and brought to life, we love barn finds! Search for Bring Back Bronco - The Untold Story...

This week, Past Gas is excited to bring a brand-new podcast, "Bring Back Bronco - The Untold Story," a new podcast about the rise, fall, and rebirth of the Ford Bronco. Search for Bring Back Bronco - The Untold Story anywhere you listen to podcasts. Here is a link to the episode . Many thanks to Bring Back Bronco for their support! Follow James on IG and Twitter @jamespumphrey   Follow Nolan on IG...

Today James, Nolan, and Joe are talking about the bizarre scandal that many claim is the reason you can't get the Skyline in America. Motorex was a car import company that was led by Hiroaki Nanahoshi, who was arrested for fraud and held on one million dollars bail, before disappearing for more than ten years. With exclusive interviews from Sean Morris, who was working with Hiro at Motorex before...

What does it take to be considered the Car Designer of the Century? Today we’re gonna find out! From the DMC Delorean to the Volkswagen Golf, Giorgetto Giugaro is responsible for some of the most iconic cars of all time, and some of the weirdest. We’re diving into the life of industry great Giorgetto Giugiaro. Follow James on IG and Twitter @jamespumphrey   Follow Nolan on IG and Twitter @nolanjsy...

Today we take a close look at a family whose life has been shaped by the legendary Isle of Man TT motorcycle race. The Dunlop family of Northern Ireland is one of the most decorated dynasties in motorcycle racing. Joey, Robert, Willam and Michael Dunlop have a combined 50 overall wins in the event’s 116 year history. But it hasn’t been all positive for the family, what the road gives in glory, it...

In part one of our two-part series on the Isle of Man TT, James, Joe, and Nolan discuss why this race is the most dangerous sporting event on earth! They dive into the unique history of the island and talk about how the race got its start. They also cover the fierce rivalry of Mike "The Bike" Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini, two of the most famous TT riders in the world. Stay tuned for an even crazi...

In part 2 of our series on the Wankel Rotary Engine; James, Nolan, and Joe find out how Mazda made the rotary engine what it is today. They'll discover how Mazda fine-tuned Wankel's design and we're able to win the IMSA GTU Championship SEVEN years in a row, with the famed RX-7. They'll also talk about how the cult classic, 787b, was able to win Le Mans even though they qualified a ridiculous twel...

Today’s episode is all about the invention of the Wankel Rotary Engine! German inventor Felix Wankel devised “a new type of engine, half turbine, half reciprocating” when he was just 17 years old, but wouldn’t get to see his creation under the hood of a production car for another 45 years. Luckily a lot happened in Felix’s life along the way, including running multiple machine shops in his mother’...

This week is the conclusion of our Wendell Scott series. Wendell has finally made it to the NASCAR Grand National Series, but his battle against discrimination has only just begun. Join us as we discuss Wendell’s triumphs and unfair setbacks defined by racism, including a stolen win, and a major manufacturer refusing to sponsor the talented Wendell Scott, and his 2015 admittance to the NASCAR hall...

This week we’re telling the inspirational story of NASCAR’s first black driver: Wendell Scott. From helping his dad in the garage as a kid , to becoming his hometown’s fastest cab driver, to moonlighting as a bootlegger, Wendell’s entire life seemed destined for the race track- but it wouldn’t be that easy. Wendell persevered through discrimination off the track, and battled it on the track when h...

Today we’re looking into the bonkers life of Duncan Hamilton, the only man to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans drunk behind the wheel. This guy might have the nuttiest story so far on this podcast: from building his own car as a teenager, to surviving back to back sinking ships in World War Two, and surviving multiple crashes on the track. There’s only one Duncan Hamilton! Follow James on IG and Twitte...