Latest / In Wheel Time Podcast / No Dragsters, No Motorcycles, No Golf Carts | Muscle Car Drag Racing

Transcript

No Dragsters, No Motorcycles, No Golf Carts | Muscle Car Drag Racing · In Wheel Time Podcast

• 0:06
  Mike Marrs: From the Texas Gulf Coast, welcome to In Wheel Time Cars, Places, and People.
• 0:12
  Mike Marrs: On today's episode, we're going to be talking with Scott Stregel about the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge.
• 0:20
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is uh a racing organization.
• 0:23
  Mike Marrs: Drag racing is what we're going to be talking about, but I'm going to save that and let's get on over to Scott.
• 0:28
  Mike Marrs: I'm Michael Mars.
• 0:29
  Mike Marrs: Thanks for joining us.
• 0:31
  Mike Marrs: Let's find Scott.
• 0:32
  Mike Marrs: Good morning, sir.
• 0:33
  Mike Marrs: Good morning.
• 0:34
  Mike Marrs: How are you?
• 0:36
  Mike Marrs: I am doing great.
• 0:37
  Mike Marrs: I am doing great.
• 0:39
  Mike Marrs: I understand y'all you've been on the road quite a bit here lately.
• 0:42
  Mike Marrs: Y'all just had let's wait, let's start.
• 0:45
  Mike Marrs: Texas, you're the president of the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge Group organization.
• 0:51
  Mike Marrs: So it's not really a club.
• 0:53
  Mike Marrs: I mean, it's really an organization because y'all do organized racing across several states.
• 0:59
  Mike Marrs: Correct.
• 0:59
  Mike Marrs: Oklahoma and Texas.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: So let's let's tell you.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Texas in Oklahoma, and we have, I want to say probably 13 clubs within our organization.
• 1:13
  Mike Marrs: These are clubs that participate in the races.
• 1:15
  Mike Marrs: So let's let's explain now what Muscle Car Club Challenge is.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Basically, it's um a club versus club or team versus team, however you want to term it.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um and they have multiple cars.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: Some, like the the uh club that I have that I'm also the captain of, is a large club uh in the large 5A division.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: We have 34 cars members that race.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um some clubs are in the 4A, where they'll have maybe 15, maybe 16, 17, whatever cars.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: And then we have some clubs in the 3A division that are smaller that may have six, seven, eight, nine cars.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um they all compete against each other, but they get they garner points.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Each racer garners points to go towards his club.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: And at the end of the season, then we find out uh who gets first, second, and third place amongst the different clubs in 3A, 4A, and 5A.
• 2:21
  Mike Marrs: So it's kind of like a two, I'm envisioning a two-level point system.
• 2:26
  Mike Marrs: You've got drivers going out here and it's bracket racing, you know.
• 2:29
  Mike Marrs: So it's you hit the line and you're racing, but then at the same time, you're also collecting points for your club.
• 2:36
  Mike Marrs: So you're you're racing against heads up, but you're also got a club competition going on.
• 2:42
  Mike Marrs: Correct.
• 2:43
  Mike Marrs: Okay, okay, yeah.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: And on the individual side, those individuals that that uh place first, second, or third in their bracket also uh will get an award, a trophy at the end of the season as well.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: So you're right, we are two two-tiered.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: You have points for individual and points for the club.
• 3:01
  Mike Marrs: Okay, okay.
• 3:02
  Mike Marrs: And that's the reason you have large clubs versus uh a medium size or a small club, so that it's you know, kind of make it a little more fair.
• 3:11
  Mike Marrs: Correct.
• 3:12
  Mike Marrs: Okay, that's our goal.
• 3:14
  Mike Marrs: And y'all just recently, like last weekend, I believe it was, you were in open Oklahoma for the weekend, the two-day race.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: Correct.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: We did a Saturday race uh from three o'clock in the afternoon until around 11.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: And then we turned right around and did it all again at eight o'clock in the morning on Sunday morning, two separate races.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we haven't done a back-to-back like that in a couple of years.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: It was fun, tiring, of course, but it was fun.
• 3:39
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, kind of keep everybody involved and excited, I would think.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: And that's the thing with the back-to-back is you you show up with however many cars, those people are more than likely going to stay for the next race.
• 3:53
  Mike Marrs: Right, right.
• 3:54
  Mike Marrs: And they move fast enough because it is bracket racing.
• 3:57
  Mike Marrs: And so unless something goes wrong and you got to clean the track or something, things move pretty quick.
• 4:02
  Mike Marrs: So there's a lot of action going on uh for seven or eight hours, it sounds like correct.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: And and the good thing about a back-to-back is once those cars have been through tech process on the first race, they don't have to go through it again on the second race.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: This same car, same everything.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: So it makes it a little bit quicker.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: A little bit quicker, huh?
• 4:23
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, very good, very good.
• 4:25
  Mike Marrs: So, do you have a lot of participants on a typical race like that?
• 4:30
  Mike Marrs: How many cars on Saturday and Sunday?
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: So, for out-of-town races, we usually out of town, and what I mean by out of town is anything that's not um XRP or extreme, that's our our home track, or the the Texas Motorplex, both are considered in-town races because we are based out of Dallas.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um so anything out of town, which would be Oklahoma.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, like this year, we're doing Oklahoma, we're at Wichita Falls.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we went all the way to San Angelo to Concho Valley.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we did Little River and down to Temple, those are all considered out of town, and they'll we'll usually get about 80 to 85 cars uh for the out of town, and then the in town races we'll get about 140, sometimes 150 cars.
• 5:16
  Mike Marrs: Oh wow, so you got plenty of participants.
• 5:19
  Mike Marrs: Not yes, there's always room for more, but always the you know, even 80 cars checking in, so you got a lot of racing action that's going to go on, and it sounds like you're doing it kind of sometimes in the evening when it's a little bit cooler, so you're not dealing with uh the high temperatures, right?
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: And we do not race in July and August, it's just a little warmer out here, yes, yes, automatically, and they're going to the different tracks.
• 5:44
  Mike Marrs: It sounds like that's pretty good because it's doesn't it's not the same track every weekend, right?
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: And that's the thing, is we are Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge, we're not the Dallas Muscle Car Club Club Challenge.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and on top of that, you know, years and years ago when I got started with this organization as just a racer, we had five or six local, what's considered local tracks.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, now we have two.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: So, and I'm not one that you know, I get bored going to the same track over and over and over again.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: I like to travel.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, we're dealing with you know higher gas prices and fuel prices and what have you, so it impacts us a bit.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: But at the end of the day, you know, we we still get a lot of people that that that travel that like to do this thing, and it's laid back.
• 6:32
  Mike Marrs: So and and I think that makes a big difference.
• 6:35
  Mike Marrs: I'm gonna put a little video I I stole off of your Facebook website, which is where most people can go to find more information about Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge.
• 6:44
  Mike Marrs: It's TNCCC on Facebook.
• 6:47
  Mike Marrs: So this is one of the videos from some of the recent racing action.
• 6:50
  Mike Marrs: Uh, I think maybe this was an Oklahoma even correct, that is Oklahoma.
• 6:54
  Mike Marrs: Okay, okay.
• 6:56
  Mike Marrs: Well, we're gonna kind of let that play here for a little bit.
• 6:59
  Mike Marrs: And and I was going to ask you when you do tech, I mean, a lot of these cars look like basically street cars, muscle cars.
• 7:07
  Mike Marrs: I mean, because that's where it is.
• 7:08
  Mike Marrs: Do you have people come out with race cars?
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: We have uh we have three what we call street brackets.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that would be king, stock, and street.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: They run typically street tires, they're cars that you're going to see back and forth to you know, uh go into the grocery store or take the kids to school.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um we had one lady one time who uh was a chiropractor and she had her her signs on the side of the door.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, I mean, some of them some of them are race cars, but they just go slow enough to qualify for that particular bracket.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Beyond that, we have other we have five other categories that um are race cars.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: Our our competition muscle category is nothing but race cars, our electronic is nothing but race cars.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we have pro, we have super pro.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: Those are pretty much nothing but race cars.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so yeah, we've got something for just about everybody.
• 8:12
  Mike Marrs: So you're not gonna have anything along like a dragster.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: No, we don't allow taxi rail drags, we don't allow motorcycles.
• 8:21
  Mike Marrs: Um needs to be a bunch of car or at least a close fact simbly there uh correct.
• 8:27
  Mike Marrs: There you go.
• 8:28
  Mike Marrs: Okay, I would think that also kind of keeps it in expense-wise, kind of keeps a little more affordable for some of us, anyway.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, most people it is it is affordable.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, there are some of us like myself, and there's a few other people that that uh put a lot of money into our cars because we feel like um there are some people that don't.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: And like I said, it makes it open for anybody.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it you could be an 18-year-old kid that's got little money and bring out your car.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that way you're off the street and and you're doing something fun.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: And the organization isn't so hardcore that um people keep to themselves.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: You got teammates from other teams helping teammates from from other teams when they break down, um, fixing things.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we we don't just stick to ourselves, so to speak.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I could give you an example of over over last weekend we had a uh a guy from another team was having issues with his tack and a few other electrical issues, and one of our racers went over there and helped him out, got him back up going.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: So we're we're more than welcome to or more than willing to share our information, our experience with those people that are brand new, um, and even those people that aren't brand new that may have a question or two.
• 9:46
  Mike Marrs: Because if if we don't do things like that, I mean it's it's got to be a very family type oriented drag racing.
• 9:53
  Mike Marrs: Like you say, you want to go help somebody because it may be a kid that came out there, like you say, he just opened his headers for the first time.
• 10:00
  Mike Marrs: Right on his car, that's all he's done to his car, but that is what is going to get him excited enough to stay in the sport, to keep moving, to keep moving forward.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Well, there's things that they don't know, you know.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like, like, does the guy know that just because he put on a pro charger that he needs to do a little tuning?
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, some of these guys don't know stuff, and and that's that's really important to teach them the right way um to do things so they don't have issues later on down the road or even that same day where they're breaking breaking things.
• 10:33
  Mike Marrs: You're so right about that.
• 10:34
  Mike Marrs: It made me remember back when uh my first experience with a turbocharger.
• 10:39
  Mike Marrs: Way back there when Excel made those turbocharger kits.
• 10:43
  Mike Marrs: Right.
• 10:44
  Mike Marrs: I got one and I bolted it on my vehicle, and I thought, I'm ready to go.
• 10:49
  Mike Marrs: And and I could not get the performance out of it.
• 10:52
  Mike Marrs: I literally was to the point of taking it off and and junking it because it just I couldn't make it work until I found out, oh, you got to rejet the carburetor, you gotta do some things to make it work properly.
• 11:06
  Mike Marrs: Well, it didn't say that in the box with the kit, you know, it just says easy bolt-on installation that took me two days, but right beside the point.
• 11:13
  Mike Marrs: But like you say, you don't know what you don't know, exactly.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what I remember when I was a teenager, and there was a guy who um was bragging about this giant carburetor he put on his car, and the same thing, he had zero performance.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I told him, I said, that's like standing on top of your car pouring a bucket of gasoline down the engine.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: You got nothing, it's they don't know what to do with it.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but then you turn around to the guy who's matching parts and you know, who's got a maybe a smaller carburetor, smaller engine, but he's matched everything together and he's going great guns where the guy with the giant carburetor ain't doing anything.
• 11:50
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, yeah.
• 11:52
  Mike Marrs: I was really disappointed the first time I left a red light and got left way behind with my new super turbo charger on my vehicle.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: And like you said, they don't tell you that.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's all bolt on and buy this and you'll go faster.
• 12:10
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 12:11
  Mike Marrs: So I think it's great that the there's still an opportunity for people to come out and learn those kind of things.
• 12:18
  Mike Marrs: And and don't uh what about EVs before we run out of time here?
• 12:21
  Mike Marrs: I wanted to ask you about that.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: EVs, we I'll tell you real quick, uh, two years ago we were averaging somewhere between four and eight EVs per event.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: So we created an EV class for 2026, and we got nothing.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, nothing.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: Really?
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um we kind of figured that the EVs came out and raced with us last year because they knew they had an advantage over field cars, and when we made it to where they had to play with each other, they didn't have that advantage, and all of a sudden we got zero EVs.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: So in 2027, we are eliminating the EV class, and we will not let EV racers race with us next year.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: So the Tesla guys couldn't well, never mind.
• 13:03
  Mike Marrs: Oh, now you're gonna go there.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I mean, I put I put I actually put feelers out to a lot of different EV clubs, um, letting them know what we were doing and what they could do.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, we we were paying out the money and the awards and everything like that.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: And then after I think it was about the third or fourth reason, uh season uh excuse me, race, I got with our treasurer, and I'm like, this is not cost effective.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: We're spending all this money on the on awards and everything, and we got nothing.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, literally nothing.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: One guy, uh oh god, a few races ago was like, Can I enter my golf cart?
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: No, but you see what I'm saying?
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we we literally got nothing.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and we found it kind of funny that you know, last year we like said we had four to four to eight PV cars per event, and this year we got zero.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think in the whole year this year, we've had two EV cars.
• 13:59
  Mike Marrs: Okay, one more quick question.
• 14:01
  Mike Marrs: What about imports or or like uh like a Honda Civic or some of them that's not a traditional muscle car, but something that the younger generation gets all round up on?
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: We have a class for anything.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: We have even on my team, we have uh we have somebody on our team that was raising a Volkswagen uh Passat, I think it was.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: We've got uh driver to this drive in Alexis.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we have class for anything.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: You you anything except for you know rail dragsters and motorcycles and golf cars.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 14:37
  Mike Marrs: Okay, well you mentioned that okay, so you're not gonna do the EVs in 27.
• 14:41
  Mike Marrs: What other you've got some more things coming up in 27?
• 14:44
  Mike Marrs: Because you're wrapping up your season next weekend at uh where you is it at Little River?
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: Our season wraps up next weekend, uh excuse me, the 8th of November at uh extreme raceway park.
• 14:58
  Mike Marrs: I knew that.
• 14:59
  Mike Marrs: So where um what are you looking for for 27?
• 15:04
  Mike Marrs: Are you looking at more changes yet, or have you got that far since you're still into this season?
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: We're still dealing with the end of the season.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we've got our big banquet coming up here in December, and and I'm working on trophies and points and everything like that.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: I don't see many changes for 2027.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm in the process right now of reaching out to uh a couple of new tracks that we haven't been to.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um as far as the classes go, we're gonna go back to our original eight classes and um, you know, hopefully have a little bit better turnout.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we keep things more or less as they are.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: We're not raising fees, we're not, you know, nothing.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: None of those things are changing.
• 15:44
  Mike Marrs: Okay.
• 15:45
  Mike Marrs: So this is your second or third year as the president?
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: This is my second.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: Next year will be my third.
• 15:50
  Mike Marrs: Okay.
• 15:50
  Mike Marrs: So kind of got some things going on, gonna take and go into next year and enjoy it and kind of build on from that.
• 15:55
  Mike Marrs: So that's so real quick, where can people find out more information about the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge?
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: We have a website, it's tmcc.org.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: Everything you possibly could ask is on that website.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: And if there's something that's not on that website, my phone number is listed on on uh on there as well.
• 16:18
  Mike Marrs: By all means, give him a call.
• 16:20
  Mike Marrs: Scott will talk to you.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 16:22
  Mike Marrs: Scott, we really appreciate it.
• 16:24
  Mike Marrs: Hope things go well as you're you're wrapping up your season to get into your banquet, and I'm sure we'll be talking later on.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, sir.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, sir.
• 16:33
  Mike Marrs: All right, baby.
• 16:34
  Mike Marrs: All right, Scott Stregel with TMCC, and we'll be right back.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's that time again.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_01: Fire up those engines.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: Heroes and hot rods is rolling into Bastro for Veterans Day weekend.
• 16:48
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• 16:50
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• 16:55
  SPEAKER_01: Hunter our veterans enjoy local food and shopping and help support local charities and scholarships.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: Presented by Craig's Jewelry and over 200 local sponsors, November 13th and 14th, Downtown Bastro.
• 17:08
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• 17:09
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• 17:34
  Mike Marrs: Cars, trucks, and the people who love them.
• 17:44
  Mike Marrs: When you think about Texas wine country, you probably picture the rolling hills around Fredericksburg.
• 17:49
  Mike Marrs: But you don't really have to drive all the way to the Hill Country to enjoy a vineyard, a tasting room, or even a relaxing weekend getaway.
• 17:57
  Mike Marrs: This week on Where the Roads Can Take Us, we're exploring six wineries a little closer to home, from the bayous of Southeast Texas over to the countryside of the Brazos Valley.
• 18:06
  Mike Marrs: Our first stop is practically in our own backyard.
• 18:09
  Mike Marrs: A free state cellar sets along Adams Bayou in Orange, where Muscatine grapes have been growing since the 1980s.
• 18:15
  Mike Marrs: The winery takes its name from the historic Free State of Sabine, which is a once lawless territory along the Texas-Louisiana border.
• 18:22
  Mike Marrs: Today, visitors can enjoy handcrafted wines, outdoor patios that are overlooking the vineyard, and occasional live music.
• 18:29
  Mike Marrs: The Sunday House tasting room offers everything from traditional wines to fruit wines and frozen sangrias.
• 18:35
  Mike Marrs: A surprisingly peaceful escape just minutes off Interstate 10.
• 18:39
  Mike Marrs: Heading toward Galvison County, our next stop is Hawk Vineyards and Winery in Santa Fe.
• 18:44
  Mike Marrs: Now this was established in 2000.
• 18:46
  Mike Marrs: Hawk has developed a reputation for award-winning wines.
• 18:50
  Mike Marrs: The property offers a genuine vineyard atmosphere with tasting experiences, got some beautiful grounds and opportunities to learn about winemaking.
• 18:59
  Mike Marrs: Its location also makes it easy to combine a winery visit with a trip down to Galveston Island.
• 19:04
  Mike Marrs: You can spend Saturday afternoon enjoying the vineyard and finish the evening with dinner along the Gulf Coast.
• 19:10
  Mike Marrs: Now that makes a pretty good weekend combination.
• 19:13
  Mike Marrs: Northwest of Houston, near Plantersville, Bernhardt Winery offers a little taste of the hill country without driving all the way to Fredericksburg.
• 19:21
  Mike Marrs: The 20-acre estate features rolling countryside.
• 19:25
  Mike Marrs: Got some outdoor seating, guided wine tastings, and behind-the-scenes tours of the winemaking facilities.
• 19:31
  Mike Marrs: Bernhardt is also known for its music events and relaxed atmosphere.
• 19:36
  Mike Marrs: Visitors can bring a picnic, you can enjoy the grounds, or arrange an overnight stay in one of the winery's bed and breakfast rooms.
• 19:43
  Mike Marrs: If your idea of a great weekend involves sitting outdoors with beautiful scenery and nowhere you absolutely have to be, this might just be your destination.
• 19:53
  Mike Marrs: Near Brenham, 36th North Vineyard offers a smaller, more personal wine country experience.
• 20:00
  Mike Marrs: It's set on a farmhouse style property along Highway 36.
• 20:03
  Mike Marrs: The vineyard emphasizes Texas wines and a welcoming country atmosphere.
• 20:08
  Mike Marrs: One of its interesting touches is the pairing of wines with homemade desserts.
• 20:12
  Mike Marrs: This gives visitors something a little different from the traditional tasting room.
• 20:16
  Mike Marrs: Renom itself is worth exploring with historic downtown streets, shops, and restaurants.
• 20:22
  Mike Marrs: Spend the afternoon at the vineyard, enjoy dinner in town, and you've got the makings of a relaxing overnight getaway without traveling halfway across Texas.
• 20:32
  Mike Marrs: Our next destination is one of the pioneers of Texas winemaking, Messina Hoff Estate Winery in Bryan.
• 20:38
  Mike Marrs: It began in 1977 and has grown into one of the state's best-known wineries.
• 20:44
  Mike Marrs: Unlike some smaller tasting rooms, Messina Hoff offers an entire weekend experience.
• 20:49
  Mike Marrs: Visitors can tour the vineyard, sample award-winning Texas wines, enjoy a meal at the vintage house restaurant, and even stay overnight at the Villa Bed and Breakfast Star.
• 20:59
  Mike Marrs: Now the estate combines old-world winemaking traditions with Texas hospitality.
• 21:04
  Mike Marrs: For couples looking for a special weekend or celebrating an anniversary, this is certainly one worth considering.
• 21:11
  Mike Marrs: And finally, we're headed into the countryside near Huntsville to West Sandy Creek Winery in Richards.
• 21:17
  Mike Marrs: This destination is tucked away from the busy highways, offering visitors a chance to enjoy wine tastings and the quiet atmosphere of rural Texas.
• 21:26
  Mike Marrs: It's a kind of place where the drive is part of the experience with wooded countryside and small Texas communities along the way.
• 21:32
  Mike Marrs: For anyone wanting to get away from the traffic, the schedules, and the usual weekend routine, West Sandy Creek offers a different pace.
• 21:40
  Mike Marrs: Sometimes the best destination is simply somewhere where you can go slow down for a while.
• 21:45
  Mike Marrs: And there you have it six opportunities to discover Texas wine country without traveling all the way to Fredericksburg, whether it's an afternoon at the bayou or a vineyard overlooking the countryside, or an overnight stay with a little romance.
• 21:59
  Mike Marrs: There's More to Texas wine country than you might expect.
• 22:02
  Mike Marrs: Of course, you got to plan ahead.
• 22:04
  Mike Marrs: You got to check the tasting room hours and make sure you've got a designated driver if you're sampling the wine a little bit here.
• 22:11
  Mike Marrs: I'm Michael Mars, and that's another look at where the roads could take us right here on In Wheel Time.
• 22:19
  Mike Marrs: It's time to look down the track and see what's coming up on the In Wheel Time race card.
• 22:24
  Mike Marrs: From the drag strips and road courses of Texas to some of the biggest events in national motorsports, there's plenty of racing action that's still ahead.
• 22:31
  Mike Marrs: We're going to start with this weekend, Saturday, October the 31st.
• 22:34
  Mike Marrs: Halloween gets a little horsepower with the Dragula Halloween bracket and index race at the Little River Dragway in Holland, Texas.
• 22:43
  Mike Marrs: Also on Saturday, October the 31st, today, the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Park series heads to the famous Martinsville short track in Virginia.
• 22:51
  Mike Marrs: Saturday's race is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
• 22:54
  Mike Marrs: Eastern on the CW.
• 22:55
  Mike Marrs: Then Sunday, November the 1st, the NASCAR Cup Series takes over Martinsville for another important late season showdown.
• 23:03
  Mike Marrs: Now we're going to get over here a little bit closer to home.
• 23:05
  Mike Marrs: Houston Motorsports Park has got a Sunday evening test in tune and grudge racing schedule for November the 1st.
• 23:12
  Mike Marrs: Gates open at 4 p.m.
• 23:13
  Mike Marrs: Chance to see some local racers putting their machines through their paces.
• 23:18
  Mike Marrs: Then coming up on Sunday, November the 1st, NHRA's top drag racing stars are in Las Vegas with Sunday finals for television coverage on FS1.
• 23:29
  Mike Marrs: So now we're going to take a little bit further down the track and see what we can plan for.
• 23:34
  Mike Marrs: Coming up November the 6th through 8th, if you enjoy racing with a sense of humor, there's one worth putting on the calendar.
• 23:41
  Mike Marrs: The 24 Hours the Lemons returns to MSR Houston for its Texas Tipped Weekend.
• 23:47
  Mike Marrs: This is endurance racing with a twist, featuring inexpensive, creatively decorated race cars and teams trying to keep their machines running long enough to reach the Trekkin flag.
• 23:58
  Mike Marrs: Some of these cars look like they belong in the junkyard, but the competition is very real.
• 24:03
  Mike Marrs: Racing is scheduled for November 7 and 8 with Friday activities as well.
• 24:07
  Mike Marrs: It is one of the more entertaining racing weekends in Southeast Texas.
• 24:12
  Mike Marrs: And coming up November the 6th and 8th, Trans-Am and Historic Racing hit the Circuit of America's in Austin, Texas.
• 24:19
  Mike Marrs: Now the Circuit of America hosts a weekend road racing featuring Transam competition along with historic and vintage race cars.
• 24:29
  Mike Marrs: Now the Racing America event brings several different classes together from vintage formula cars and sports racers to muscle cars and historic stock cars.
• 24:38
  Mike Marrs: It's a chance to enjoy the sights and sounds of machines representing several different generations of motorsports, all in one of the country's premier road courses.
• 24:48
  Mike Marrs: Moving on, Saturday, November 7th, shootout Saturday at the Houston Motorsports Park, a big drag racing program on the calendar.
• 24:55
  Mike Marrs: Gates open at 2 p.m.
• 24:57
  Mike Marrs: with racing beginning at 3.
• 24:58
  Mike Marrs: The schedule includes the H-Town Hitters Shootout with a 4.90 cap and$2,500 on top, along with a little dog shootout.
• 25:08
  Mike Marrs: This is a kind of a grassroots competition where local racers can put their horsepower and tuning skills to the test.
• 25:14
  Mike Marrs: Sliding back over to NASCAR, November 6th and 8th, the NASCAR Championship Weekend at Homestead Miami Speedway in Florida, where all three national series conclude their seasons at this one track.
• 25:24
  Mike Marrs: The truck series runs on Friday, November the 6th, followed by the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series on Saturday.
• 25:30
  Mike Marrs: The NASCAR Cup Series Championship race takes the green flag on Sunday, November the 9th, with coverage scheduled for 3 p.m.
• 25:38
  Mike Marrs: on NBC.
• 25:38
  Mike Marrs: With the championships on the line, this should be one of the biggest weekends on the NASCAR calendar.
• 25:44
  Mike Marrs: Coming back into Houston, looking ahead at the following weekend, that is Saturday, November the 14th.
• 25:51
  Mike Marrs: Houston Motorsports Park brings back its index outlaws on Saturday showdown, November the 14th.
• 25:57
  Mike Marrs: Gates open at 3 p.m.
• 25:59
  Mike Marrs: Racing is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
• 26:03
  Mike Marrs: Then we're going to run out here also on the 14th.
• 26:08
  Mike Marrs: Semi-truck racing show in Little River Driveway in Holland, Texas.
• 26:13
  Mike Marrs: And here's something a little different at the Little River Driveway.
• 26:16
  Mike Marrs: They're going to have a semi-truck race and show that's scheduled for Saturday, November the 14th.
• 26:21
  Mike Marrs: Instead of the usual muscle cars and purpose-built drag machines, this is going to put the spotlight on the big rigs.
• 26:26
  Mike Marrs: So here's your chance to see something a little different in motorsports with trucks that are commonly associated with hauling big freight that you might see running down Interstate 10.
• 26:36
  Mike Marrs: Then coming up on November the 21st, oval racing returns to Houston Motorsports Park.
• 26:41
  Mike Marrs: Again, Houston Motorsports Park's got an oval track and a drag strip.
• 26:45
  Mike Marrs: So looking three weeks down the track, there's another racing oval event in Houston, November the 21st.
• 26:52
  Mike Marrs: Gates are scheduled to open at 5 p.m.
• 26:54
  Mike Marrs: The track has not yet announced the complete racing program, but they've got it on the calendar.
• 27:00
  Mike Marrs: So we're going to keep an eye on this lineup as it gets closer.
• 27:03
  Mike Marrs: Then we're going to head back to the Little River Dragway and it's backside banger series scheduled for November the 21st.
• 27:10
  Mike Marrs: It's another date for fans who enjoy the atmosphere of local drag racing where the competition is close and the racers can really become familiar faces.
• 27:18
  Mike Marrs: With the season winding down, it's a good time to get out and support all your local tracks and competitors who keep grassroots motorsports alive across Texas.
• 27:26
  Mike Marrs: And that's a look down the track on this week's In Wheel Time Race Card.
• 27:30
  Mike Marrs: Remember, schedules are subject to change, especially with weather this weekend becoming up because we've got a little rain scattered across Southeast Texas, the Houston, greater Houston area.
• 27:41
  Mike Marrs: So check it out.
• 27:42
  Mike Marrs: So whether you're watching on the national championships or you're cheering on your favorite local racer, still plenty of racing to enjoy.
• 27:49
  Mike Marrs: I'm Michael Mars, and that's your In-Wheel Time race car this week.
• 27:53
  Mike Marrs: For more than 14 years, In Wheel Time has been talking about the cars, the trucks, the people, and the stories that make the automotive world interesting.
• 28:02
  Mike Marrs: Now we're taking in-wheel time to the next level.
• 28:06
  Mike Marrs: New vehicles, automotive news, car reviews, motorsports, industry leaders, and interesting people.
• 28:13
  Mike Marrs: We're going to take you beyond the driveway and the dealerships with stories from the people who build, race, restore, and actually live the automotive lifestyle.
• 28:22
  Mike Marrs: And we're hitting the road with driving destinations worth discovering.
• 28:26
  Mike Marrs: First across Texas and eventually wherever the road can take us.
• 28:31
  Mike Marrs: Plus, we're going to have some automotive history, features, interviews, and stories that you may have missed.
• 28:38
  Mike Marrs: It's still in-wheel time, but there's a lot more of it to discover.
• 28:43
  Mike Marrs: Watch us, listen to us, follow us.
• 28:46
  Mike Marrs: It's in-wheel time.
• 28:48
  Mike Marrs: Cars, trucks, and the people who love them.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_01: It's that time again.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_01: Fire up those engines.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_01: Heroes and Hot Rods is rolling into Bastrop for Veterans Day weekend.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_01: Friday night, cruise downtown.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_01: Saturday, 400 of the coolest rides in Texas take over Main Street.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: Hunter veterans enjoy local food and shopping and help support local charities and scholarships.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_01: Presented by Craig's Jewelry and over 200 local sponsors.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: November 13th and 14th, Downtown Bastro.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: Don't miss it.
• 29:21
  Mike Marrs: Cars, trucks, SUVs, motorsports, road trips, and the people who make the automotive world interesting.
• 29:28
  Mike Marrs: In Wheel Time is changing and we're expanding.
• 29:30
  Mike Marrs: We're bringing you more automotive stories, more interviews, more destinations, and more of what you may have missed.
• 29:36
  Mike Marrs: From Texas to the automotive world beyond, in wheeltime is your place for automotive talk without the politics or the nonsense.
• 29:43
  Mike Marrs: Join us for the next generation of In Wheel Time Cars, trucks, and the people who love them.