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How A Houston Corvette Club Turns Car Culture Into Community Help · In Wheel Time Podcast

• 0:03
  Mike Marrs: From the Texas Gulf Coast, welcome to In Wheel Time.
• 0:07
  Mike Marrs: Coming up in this segment, we're going to be talking with AJ Luke from the Space City Corvette Club.
• 0:12
  Mike Marrs: They've got a really big event coming up in a couple of weeks, and it's a lot more than just a car show.
• 0:17
  Mike Marrs: And we're going to talk to him and then we're going to take a look at the race car.
• 0:20
  Mike Marrs: We're going to look at some automotive history.
• 0:23
  Mike Marrs: So thanks for joining us.
• 0:25
  Mike Marrs: I'm Michael Mars, and we're going to go down to Space City.
• 0:28
  Mike Marrs: Hey James.
• 0:30
  Mike Marrs: How are you, sir?
• 0:32
  Mike Marrs: I'm doing great.
• 0:33
  Mike Marrs: Can't complain.
• 0:34
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, yeah.
• 0:35
  Mike Marrs: So so you've got your you have two big events a year, and then you got the fall event coming up.
• 0:41
  Mike Marrs: Yes, sir.
• 0:42
  Mike Marrs: What I want to start with is get a little background about you and your your involvement in cars and how you so we can lead it where you got to where you are today.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_02: Well, so I I think just growing up, you you're either a car guy or you're not a car guy or a car person, and I was a car guy right from the birth.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think I was asking my dad, could I crank his car out when I was like you know seven, eight years old?
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_02: Can I back it out of the driveway?
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and so that's where my love of cars came in.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_02: But the dream was always a Corvette growing up, and so I uh I was able to achieve that when I was about 25 years old.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_02: Uh ordered a 96 collector's edition Corvette, took museum delivery on it, and uh my road started there.
• 1:29
  Mike Marrs: And the and that museum that museum delivery, I I had heard about it, and I was on a flight one time, and there was a gentleman behind me with uh his daughter, and they were literally I heard him talking how excited they were.
• 1:42
  Mike Marrs: They were going to the museum to pick up his car, his retirement presence to himself, and she was going with him to company him.
• 1:48
  Mike Marrs: So, just real quick, the when you say pick it up at the museum delivery, what is that?
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: Well, so in in '96, they do it a little bit different now, but we used to uh what you do is you order the car, uh, the car gets built, and then you fly up to Nashville, rent a car, go up to the you know, about an hour or so up the street to the bowling green, Kentucky, where your car is on display, and you take delivery of your new Corvette out of the National Corvette Museum.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: It just so happens uh they started that delivery program in '95, and uh not bragging, but I was actually delivery number 51.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_02: Uh they've done over 20,000 since then.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_02: And uh they used to do it over by the uh right before the spear or the famous sinkhole.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_02: Um and now they do it on the boulevard, and they'll probably do eight, 10 deliveries a day.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_02: So when I did it, it was a completely different ball of wax than it is now.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_02: And it it's it's really you have a special kinship with the car that will never get separated.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: And thank God I still own that car today.
• 2:53
  Mike Marrs: I was gonna ask if you still own it and if you still drive it.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: Well, uh sparingly, uh, for parades and car shows.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_02: And unfortunately, I'm so busy at the car shows that I don't even bring the cars I have into the park.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_02: Somebody else does it for me.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so but yes, sir, I still have that car.
• 3:11
  Mike Marrs: Very good.
• 3:11
  Mike Marrs: What is your daily driver, just out of curiosity?
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, Chevrolet pickup truck.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_02: I'm kind of a bow tie guy.
• 3:18
  Mike Marrs: There you go.
• 3:19
  Mike Marrs: There you go.
• 3:20
  Mike Marrs: So, so Space City Corvette Club.
• 3:23
  Mike Marrs: So, obviously, it's Corvette Club out of Houston, Space City.
• 3:27
  Mike Marrs: So, give us a little background about that, about the club itself, because I know it's very, very active.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, yes, sir.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_02: So we founded it in 2007.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we're a little over 350 members, primarily based in the south side of town.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I'd say we're based out of Friendswood because we do both of our our car shows here.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we also do where we ride the dignitaries, um, Grand Marshal, mayor, and the city of Friendswood's Fourth of July parade.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_02: So I'd say we're primarily based out of Friendswood.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_02: And uh our mission statement is to raise money for charities, is you know, it's kind of where passion and purpose meet.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, me personally, I I use uh our club as a platform to give back.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_02: And um, you know, we we come together for the cars, but we stay for the people, and we're all we're all kind of driven to to make a difference, and I think that's the biggest thing.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_02: And we like to make an impact in our community, and so um actually this year uh with a successful fall car show next weekend and in Stevenson's Park and Friends went on October 10th, uh, when we have our 14th annual Good Grub and Gears fall car show.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: It's an open class car show.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we've been averaging 285 cars there, but we're gonna have raised half a million dollars in five years for Tim Miller and Texas Equisearch.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, also, our club is going to have eclipsed uh the$1 million mark for giving back to charities during our founding since 2007.
• 5:02
  Mike Marrs: So, so I understand Equisearch, and I know down here along the Texas Gulf Coast, they've been very involved for several years in a lot of different things.
• 5:11
  Mike Marrs: Could you give everybody just a quick rundown of what that is if they haven't come across it or fortunately haven't had to come across it?
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you hope you never do.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_02: I always tell Tim, I said, one day we need to find a way to put you out of business.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_02: Really, that's true.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_02: That's true.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_02: But unfortunately, um they've been in 43 states, 11 countries, uh, and they are a search and rescue organization.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_02: They go out and they find missing people that are, you know, they get the call uh whenever first air responders or police officers are having even trouble finding someone, and they just kick right into gear and they don't take money from families.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so they survive strictly off donations.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_02: And um, if you've ever been around Tim Miller, his phone kind of burns up.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_02: I'm surprised they don't catch on fire is how many phone calls he gets, which is sad that he gets that many.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um but he but he's always there consistently.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_02: So they're they're like, who do you call?
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_02: That's who you call.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_02: You call Texas at Tim Miller with Texas Equisearch.
• 6:15
  Mike Marrs: We got to come out to uh your event.
• 6:17
  Mike Marrs: I don't remember if it's the spring event or the fall event.
• 6:19
  Mike Marrs: I guess it's a good one.
• 6:21
  Mike Marrs: Was it?
• 6:21
  Mike Marrs: So we got to come out, I got to meet him just for a brief moment because, like you say, he was very busy talking to people, very outgoing.
• 6:28
  Mike Marrs: Um, and it was a great event.
• 6:30
  Mike Marrs: So let's let's so now we know who it benefits, and it's a great thing that you're doing for a lot of people.
• 6:36
  Mike Marrs: And if you don't believe it, just check them and and you'll find out.
• 6:39
  Mike Marrs: So let's talk about the show itself.
• 6:42
  Mike Marrs: Because it's much more than just a car show, a show in shine.
• 6:46
  Mike Marrs: Oh, yeah.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_02: So we have uh over 46 judge classes.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, this is open to all makes and models, and I love Corvettes, but that day I want to see everything but a Corvette.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: I want to see the I want to see the Pontiacs, the Camaros, the Mustangs, uh, Jeeps, trucks, uh, Pontiacs, you you name it, uh, Lincoln's Cadillacs, uh, the exotics, uh, all that.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_02: That's that's what we want to see.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: And so that's why we do the the fall car show as an open class car show.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it takes place in Stevenson's Park in Friendswood.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and we have just a ton of vendors.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_02: Uh for Teeter Chevrolet is our major sponsor.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, they'll be out there.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_02: And then there's really uh uh Mike, this is unique this particular year.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the Friendswood Chamber of Commerce car show they couldn't do in the spring because of the weather.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_02: So we actually decided to comprise those two car shows.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_02: So it's gonna be kind of like a perfect storm, so to speak, where the city of Friendswood Chamber of Commerce car show that's been going on for 21 years is uh joining forces with us.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: And I always say and tell people that the success that we share today is large in part to the ladies at the Chamber of Commerce that helped me 14 years ago when I became car show director and started this particular fall car show.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_02: Um, would I ever be imagining sitting here talking to you 14 layers about this car show?
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely not.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but it's it's a passion of mine and uh it's a lot of fun, it's a lot of work, but it's rewarding when you when you can see the impact that you make on the community.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_02: So uh it's we're gonna have a ton of vendors, ton of food vendors out there.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_02: If you go away hungry, something's wrong.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it's open to the public, it's free.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and you can register your car at secc.info.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and also another good thing is Space City Corvette Club.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_02: We're matching all cash donations to Texas I could search this year, up to 15,000.
• 8:45
  Mike Marrs: Whoof, that's pretty good.
• 8:47
  Mike Marrs: The uh flyer that we've got up here, we've got part of it up here on the screen with us.
• 8:51
  Mike Marrs: There is a I guess it's like a QR code that says here to register.
• 8:55
  Mike Marrs: So you should be able to get that off of your screen to with your phone, and it'll take you directly there for the registration.
• 9:03
  Mike Marrs: Yes, sir.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, if you scan that little QR code, it's it's easy peasy Japanese.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we try to make it as easy as possible.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and then of course, if you can't, you go to sc.info.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_02: It's a splash page we put up twice a year, once in the spring, once in the fall, so that uh people can register the cars, you can make a donation.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_02: And uh and there again, up to fifteen thousand dollars all cash matching donations.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_02: So if you wanted to double your impact, you donate 20.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna match it.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_02: You're really donating 40.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_02: Uh you want to do 100, you know, just sky's the limit.
• 9:40
  Mike Marrs: So is registration still open?
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, sir.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_02: It'll be open until Friday of next week.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I think it I think it was on Thursday.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_02: We kind of stopped considering you pre-registration uh and we start charging the$45, but pre-registration right now is still at 40.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, our goal this year was to crack 300, and I think we're sitting a little over 170 right now.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we had 197 to be exact last year on pre-registration, so we're tracking right this year, right?
• 10:10
  Mike Marrs: And uh yeah, I'm looking I'm looking forward to it.
• 10:13
  Mike Marrs: So, do you have a limit?
• 10:15
  Mike Marrs: I mean, I I guess if you think you can hit 300, then obviously you don't really have much of a limit.
• 10:20
  Mike Marrs: Not really.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_02: I'm I mean, um let's say that I did.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: That's a hell of a problem to have.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 10:27
  Mike Marrs: Where am I gonna put these last hundred cars?
• 10:30
  Mike Marrs: Right.
• 10:30
  Mike Marrs: It's yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_02: It's our uh David Garza, our vice president.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_02: He does, he and his crew and his team do uh I can't even say I'm enough good stuff about them.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_02: They're they're phenomenal.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_02: We basically park almost 300 cars in less than 45 minutes.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: You get them off the street and into the areas where they need to go, so then then our our auto-ofame judges can come in there and judge the cars, and it just really makes it a streamlined process.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I use the analogy at the Moody Gardens car show that their car show is like fine wine, it keeps getting better with age.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_02: And I got a little do a little bragging on us because uh the volunteers we have and um all of our members that come together, we'll have 70 plus members out there, not including Texas Equisearch's volunteers, helping that day.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_02: So we're the host of a big party basically, and we know you can go anywhere on a Saturday, and we're just very thankful that you come out and spend it with us.
• 11:23
  Mike Marrs: And Stevenson Park is a beautiful place.
• 11:26
  Mike Marrs: I mean, you got lots of big trees, you got gazebos, you got plenty of easy walking.
• 11:31
  Mike Marrs: Uh, I know there's some paths that if you're uh got a wheelchair or a handicap of some sort, it's still easy to get around.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_02: It is, and and I guess the best way you can describe it, it just gives you that warm fuzzy, right?
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_02: It kind of feels like a picnic vibe, family atmosphere.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_02: It does, it does.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_02: And I'd always told you guys about that show, and y'all finally made it out.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_02: I I got I think it made an impression on y'all.
• 11:56
  Mike Marrs: I think you're probably a little shocked.
• 11:58
  Mike Marrs: It did.
• 11:59
  Mike Marrs: I mean, it's just the the whole concept of getting there, spectator parking is is easy to get to.
• 12:06
  Mike Marrs: You walk through the park, and it's literally like walking through a park that's decorated with cars, right?
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, that to me, that is a place to be.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_02: If you like cars or enjoy cars, or if you're hungry, just swing by and get some food, you know.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_02: Uh visit the vendors.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna have we've got over 30 vendors that'll be out there, so it's not just cars, so you've got other things to do.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, like the ladies may want to go do a little shopping while the guys are drooling over cars, right?
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_02: So we have that as that aspect as well, and then plenty of food.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_02: So hence the name good grubbin' gears.
• 12:40
  Mike Marrs: There you go.
• 12:41
  Mike Marrs: So the what is the address of the park?
• 12:44
  Mike Marrs: If people aren't familiar with it, what are they going to look into their GPS for?
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_02: It's uh if we enter Stevenson's park, it'll take you to it.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_02: However, the address is 1100 South Friendswood Drive, and it is right down the main drag of Friendswood.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_02: South Friendswood Drive is also 518, right next to City Hall.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_02: You can't miss it.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, once you get close, it's it's hard to miss it.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_02: And the hours are they are from 8 30 to 3.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and then we do our award ceremony at three o'clock, and uh we got Phil Pampolini doing our DJ, and I'm gonna tell you, that's like the Tom Brady of DJs.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_02: He he gets people dancing and moving that do not dance, including myself.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_02: So uh it's really uh it's it's electric, it's a lot of fun.
• 13:33
  Mike Marrs: Best I remember there's a big pavilion kind of in the center.
• 13:35
  Mike Marrs: That's where the awards and everything will be.
• 13:38
  Mike Marrs: Correct, yes, sir.
• 13:39
  Mike Marrs: Okay, so it'll be easy to find.
• 13:40
  Mike Marrs: If you want to be there for the awards, you can find that and be surrounded by cars, vendors have got plenty of food and things that uh you're gonna be looking for on a nice day out in the park looking at cars.
• 13:52
  Mike Marrs: That's exactly right, yes, sir.
• 13:54
  Mike Marrs: Uh, just real quick, what about your spring show?
• 13:57
  Mike Marrs: Let's just let's tease that a little bit because I know it's it's similar, but it's not the same.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_02: So I never would have imagined saying that doing a 180 to 200 car car show is easy, but the spring car show is a lot easier, it's a lot more manageable.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we still have the same volunteers, same same structure, same processes, and same stuff like that, platforms that we use, but that's Corvettes only.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_02: So um it's really neat to see all the Corvettes.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and we'll have everything from a 53 all the way up to the ZR1X.
• 14:35
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, you mentioned that the uh one of your members for the club did have a 53, not resto mod or anything.
• 14:42
  Mike Marrs: This is like factory type original.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_02: It's restoration, Mr.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: Kevin Brady's car, and he is uh it's production number 31 or 32.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_02: Used to be owned by the San Diego Padres owner.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, Mayor Cuomo also drove it over the one of the bridge they were dedicating in New York.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: It's kind of a famous car.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_02: It's also probably the coolest thing, is under the hood is signed by Zora Arcus Duntoff.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_02: Oh wow! Yeah, you almost have to kind of go and bow, you know, pay homage to that when you go by.
• 15:17
  Mike Marrs: When it drives by, it's kind of an inch or two off the ground, it just kind of floats by you.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I've had the privilege of driving that car.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um, that's not the only car in his collection.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_02: He's also got a 55 harvest gold, the first VA Corvette.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_02: That thing is cherry, and when I drive it, I'm scared to death.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_02: I don't breathe.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, don't anybody get near me, don't look at me.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_02: Let me just focus on the road.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'm in a wrap bubble, nobody can get close to me.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_02: Probably the most unique thing about that car show is we feed you that day.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's part of your entry, your one meal ticket, you get crawfish.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_02: And Crazy Allen Swamp Shack's always done our crawfish.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't really police it too much, not unless you're gonna go abuse it.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_02: But uh when I say that, you know, you're so you pay for the entry fee of$45.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_02: And with that$45, you get a lot of bang for your buck.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_02: If you're one of the first 100, you're gonna get one of our real nice t-shirts.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you got a chance to win a$65 plus trophy.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_02: You get a dash black, and you get fed a crawfish meal and you get crawfish.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_02: So, and it's for the people that don't like crawfish.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_02: We always have Jack's burgers comes in there and it's a food truck, and there's a line.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_02: And this guy does some just ridonkulous over-the-top hamburgers, and uh, so we'll feed those people that don't like crawfish.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_02: Well, excuse me, let me rephrase rephrase that your ticket is for a crawfish meal.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_02: If you don't want the uh crawfish, you had to go pay for a hamburger.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_02: Uh uh works out good though.
• 16:46
  Mike Marrs: You have an option, we'll give you you this is what you get for free, and here's an option if you don't want the free stuff, right?
• 16:51
  Mike Marrs: So, is that open to the public as well?
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, sir, it is.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_02: And uh also that same day we'll have uh Mary's kettle corn, and she they do it right there in the park, so it's got that that smell of like a state fair kind of thing, and it just like I said, I use the word warm fuzzy, but it kind of takes me back to my childhood when I did the state fair in South Carolina.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you're walking around with cotton candy and all the crap you're not supposed to eat.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_02: It's not, you know, really good for you.
• 17:16
  Mike Marrs: Right, right.
• 17:16
  Mike Marrs: And you're out there in the park, and you got big trees, you got lots of cars, particularly Corvettes.
• 17:21
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, sounds like a great time.
• 17:22
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, you can't go wrong.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_02: And it supports a good cause too.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, absolutely.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_02: Same good cause, right?
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, sir.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_02: Same good cause.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_02: We we adopted that five years ago.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we used the spring car show used to don uh uh benefit St.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_02: Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and I think over the lifetime of our club since 2007, we've donated uh a little over 260 or 70,000 to St.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_02: Jude's, and then we adopted doing both car shows to benefit Texas Equasearch because we felt like it was making more of an impact in our backyard, right?
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_02: Rather than send that money nationally, and I and it and it has um substantially.
• 18:02
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, it's it's one of those things.
• 18:04
  Mike Marrs: Uh it's kind of like insurance, you know.
• 18:07
  Mike Marrs: It's you don't really want it, but when you need it, you need it, and and they provide a service that nobody else does.
• 18:13
  Mike Marrs: Right.
• 18:13
  Mike Marrs: Um, and I'm I think it's great that y'all are supporting it.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_02: We greatly appreciate it.
• 18:19
  Mike Marrs: Uh AJ, huh?
• 18:21
  Mike Marrs: AJ Luke with the Space City Corvette Club.
• 18:24
  Mike Marrs: Thank you for joining us today.
• 18:26
  Mike Marrs: Telling us about your good grub and cars event coming up the 10th.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_02: That's correct.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_02: October 10th, Stevens's Park, 8:30.
• 18:33
  Mike Marrs: A week.
• 18:34
  Mike Marrs: That's a week.
• 18:35
  Mike Marrs: I'm looking at my I gotta look at my calendar.
• 18:37
  Mike Marrs: We do appreciate your time, sir.
• 18:39
  Mike Marrs: Good luck.
• 18:39
  Mike Marrs: Hope the weather is good.
• 18:41
  Mike Marrs: Thank you, Mike.
• 18:42
  Mike Marrs: It'll be ants to a picnic if if that's the case.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_02: All right, thank you again.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks, brother.
• 18:48
  Mike Marrs: Thanks to AJ with the Space City Corvette Club.
• 18:51
  Mike Marrs: Coming up right after this short break, we're gonna take a look at the race cart and some upcoming events.
• 18:57
  Mike Marrs: Stay with us.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's that time again.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: Fire up those engines.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: Heroes and hot rides is rolling into Bastro for Veterans Day weekend.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: Friday night, cruise downtown.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: Saturday, 400 of the coolest rides in Texas, take over Main Street.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_00: Honor our veterans, enjoy local food and shopping, and help support local charities and scholarships.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: Presented by Craig's Jewelry and over 200 local sponsors, November 13th and 14th, downtown Bass Drop.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: Don't miss it.
• 19:29
  Mike Marrs: It's Back to the Past.
• 19:30
  Mike Marrs: Cruise Back in Time Saturday, October the 17th for the SBISD Alumni Association's annual Back to the Past Car Show.
• 19:38
  Mike Marrs: It's the classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more as Automotive History comes alive at the Cornerstone Academy, 9016 Westview Drive in Houston.
• 19:47
  Mike Marrs: Bring the family, check out the rides, and enjoy a great day celebrating the vehicles that we remember and the memories that go with them.
• 19:54
  Mike Marrs: That's Saturday, October the 17th, Back to the Past, 9016 Westview Drive in Houston.
• 20:00
  Mike Marrs: Time now for Automotive History, the week ahead.
• 20:04
  Mike Marrs: Starting off with October the 4th, 1983, Richard Noble's Thrust II was not a conventional race car.
• 20:11
  Mike Marrs: It was essentially a jet-powered missile on wheels.
• 20:14
  Mike Marrs: So on October the 4th, the British driver drove the vehicle across Nevada's Black Rock Desert to a two-way average of 633.468 mile per hour.
• 20:26
  Mike Marrs: Of course, that was a new world land speed record.
• 20:29
  Mike Marrs: Now, this was powered by the Rolls-Royce Avon jet engine that was originally developed for aircraft.
• 20:36
  Mike Marrs: What's also made it even more remarkable is because Thrust 2 had no conventional piston engine or transmission.
• 20:44
  Mike Marrs: And it did keep the land speed record until Thrust SSC surpassed it in 1987.
• 20:52
  Mike Marrs: When October 5th, 1919, Ferrari entered his first major race, which was a hill climb, and he did finish fourth.
• 20:59
  Mike Marrs: So it wasn't a spectacular victory, but it was the beginning of a racing career that eventually led to Ferrari having his own Alpha Romeo, his own racing organization, and ultimately the Ferrari Automobile Company.
• 21:14
  Mike Marrs: October the 7th, 1913, Ford's moving assembly line begins.
• 21:19
  Mike Marrs: If you're an automotive guy, you also know about this, but this really changed more than just the automotive business.
• 21:27
  Mike Marrs: Because at that Highland Park and Michigan plant, the company began operating the continuous moving assembly line for Model T production.
• 21:35
  Mike Marrs: So instead of workers having to move around the vehicle while assembling it, the automobile moved from station to station that Ford had already been experimenting with to try and get production efficiencies.
• 21:46
  Mike Marrs: But the moving line really reduced the assembly time and eventually helped make automobiles affordable for a much larger portion of the American public.
• 21:54
  Mike Marrs: And that's where we are at today.
• 21:56
  Mike Marrs: If it wasn't for that, be a lot of things that haven't accomplished yet.
• 22:00
  Mike Marrs: Then we're going to October the 8th, 1904.
• 22:05
  Mike Marrs: This is the first Vanderbilt Cup race, which was America's first major international automobile race.
• 22:12
  Mike Marrs: Now its inaugural running took place on the 4th, 1904, on Long Island.
• 22:17
  Mike Marrs: Welcome.
• 22:18
  Mike Marrs: Wealthy automobile enthusiast William K.
• 22:21
  Mike Marrs: Vanderbilt, the second, created the event to encourage American manufacturers to compete against European auto manufacturers and improve their cars through racing.
• 22:31
  Mike Marrs: Kind of like what happened on the rest of the world, up through the 60s, 70s, and even today, to a certain extent, people are still improving things through racing as the test track, if you will.
• 22:44
  Mike Marrs: Then we're going to go up to October 9th, 1992.
• 22:50
  Mike Marrs: This is the strangest story I ever heard.
• 22:52
  Mike Marrs: I I never heard of it until this week when I found it.
• 22:54
  Mike Marrs: And it's an 18-year-old named Michelle Knapp was watching television at her parents' home in Peakskill, New York.
• 23:03
  Mike Marrs: And she heard a loud sound that sounded like a crash outside.
• 23:07
  Mike Marrs: So she went out and a meteorite, literally a meteorite, had punched through the trunk of her 1980 Chevrolet Malibu.
• 23:16
  Mike Marrs: In fact, it continued on through the car and it buried itself in the driveway.
• 23:20
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is a 26-pound space rock.
• 23:23
  Mike Marrs: The$300 Malibu, meanwhile, became a piece of scientific history and eventually much more valuable than it was before the meteorite arrived.
• 23:33
  Mike Marrs: And so the car, the meteorite, it's all in the museum.
• 23:38
  Mike Marrs: So if you really want to go see this, you can do that.
• 23:41
  Mike Marrs: Then we're going to move over to October the 10th, 1901.
• 23:47
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is important because Henry Ford, who is known for his mass production automobiles, but he was using racing to establish his reputation and attract financial backing before that happened.
• 24:00
  Mike Marrs: So in 1901, he drove his homemade named Sweepstakes racer against other established automobile manufacturers and racer Alexander Winton at the Gross Point Horse Racing Track in Michigan.
• 24:14
  Mike Marrs: Ford's car only had about 26 horsepower compared with Winton's much more powerful machine, but Ford won the 10-mile race.
• 24:22
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is the victory that helped investors decide to back Ford in his future automobile business.
• 24:29
  Mike Marrs: And this is really where he got his money to get started into the automobile building business.
• 24:35
  Mike Marrs: That's a few of the things we found coming up this week in automotive history that you might want to check further on into.
• 24:40
  Mike Marrs: And I think we're going to use Henry Ford's racing off of the automotive history segment to segue into this week's race card.
• 24:49
  Mike Marrs: Coming up this weekend, we're going to start with tonight at Houston Motorsports Park.
• 24:54
  Mike Marrs: Now, this was supposed to be the Index Outlaws Saturday showdown, and the gates were going to open at five.
• 25:01
  Mike Marrs: And this is actually going the website today saying this is a rain out.
• 25:06
  Mike Marrs: So this is a rain out for October the 3rd.
• 25:09
  Mike Marrs: If you're planning on going out to HMP, if you're looking at the World of Outlaws Bayou Classic in Greenwood, Louisiana.
• 25:16
  Mike Marrs: Now this is again World of Outlaws, late model series at Boot Hill Speedway outside Shreveport for the Bayou Classic.
• 25:23
  Mike Marrs: Winter takes$50,000, but again, it's wet.
• 25:26
  Mike Marrs: It's a rain out.
• 25:28
  Mike Marrs: Then we're going to slide over to Paris, Texas, the Supertex 500.
• 25:34
  Mike Marrs: This is at Rocket Raceway Park.
• 25:36
  Mike Marrs: They've got something called the Supertech 600 Enduro.
• 25:40
  Mike Marrs: More than a hundred cars take green flag together.
• 25:44
  Mike Marrs: And they race 300 laps with no cautions.
• 25:48
  Mike Marrs: This is all part of the chase for a$10,000 winner's purse.
• 25:52
  Mike Marrs: Now the racing begins at 7 p.m.
• 25:54
  Mike Marrs: on Saturday.
• 25:55
  Mike Marrs: This is a pretty interesting race that you might want to go check out at the Rocket Raceway Park.
• 26:00
  Mike Marrs: October the 10th, the American Sprint Car Series National Tour and Sooner Region invade the RPM Speedway October the 10th in Crandall.
• 26:09
  Mike Marrs: Now they're going to tackle the quarter mile dirt bull ring for a 30 lap feature with sports mods and factory stocks that are scheduled.
• 26:17
  Mike Marrs: The grandstands open at 5 with hot laps beginning at 6:30.
• 26:20
  Mike Marrs: I love the name of this one.
• 26:22
  Mike Marrs: Uh I'm really not sure about it, but it's October the 16th through the 18th.
• 26:26
  Mike Marrs: It's called Fred Lobster 100 up in Gladewater.
• 26:30
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is at the Fred Lobster International Speedway in Gladewater.
• 26:36
  Mike Marrs: And they've got it set up for their fall 2026 event.
• 26:39
  Mike Marrs: And this is about as east, I guess this is as grassroots East Texas as you can get with a rural dirt track.
• 26:46
  Mike Marrs: You got some unconventional race cars, and you got a full weekend that's around about as much about the community gathering together as the actual racing.
• 26:56
  Mike Marrs: Now it's called two days of grassroots dirt racing and wild machines.
• 27:00
  Mike Marrs: And so this could be a lot of fun if you got time to run up to uh Gladewater and check out the Fred Lobster 100, sponsored by the Fred Lobster Social Club, of course.
• 27:14
  Mike Marrs: Now we're going to slide over to the Central Motorcycle Road Racing Association that comes to MSR Houston for two days of motorcycle road racing.
• 27:23
  Mike Marrs: They have uh both sprint and team endurance competition going on with classes that cover up a wide variety of sport motorcycles and racers.
• 27:32
  Mike Marrs: Got some youth coming in with competitors on up.
• 27:35
  Mike Marrs: So check MSR Houston for more details.
• 27:39
  Mike Marrs: Then Spooky50 runs October 15th through 17th with Super Late Models Plus Street Stocks Limited Pro Mods, Sportsters, Tuners, Factory Stocks, and Crate Late Models at the Super B Speedway in Louisiana.
• 27:57
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is a little further normal than we normally might get, but this is a lot of dirt racing options going on.
• 28:04
  Mike Marrs: So you might want to check this out in Chatham, Louisiana.
• 28:09
  Mike Marrs: That's some of the things we found this week on the race car sponsored by the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge.
• 28:16
  Mike Marrs: Now, if you want to find out more information about that group, you can go to their Facebook page, Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge.
• 28:23
  Mike Marrs: This is a series.
• 28:25
  Mike Marrs: It's designed for people that like to race muscle cars.
• 28:28
  Mike Marrs: It's in a club environment, so your club can get points.
• 28:31
  Mike Marrs: You can get points.
• 28:32
  Mike Marrs: So it's a two-tier type system that uh they're running here.
• 28:36
  Mike Marrs: So it's a great series if you want to look and get involved in the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's that time again.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_00: Fire up those engines.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_00: Heroes and Hot Rides is rolling into Bastrop for Veterans Day weekend.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_00: Friday night, cruise downtown.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_00: Saturday, 400 of the coolest rides in Texas take over Main Street.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: Honor our veterans, enjoy local food and shopping, and help support local charities and scholarships.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_00: Presented by Craig's Jewelry and over 200 local sponsors, November 13th and 14th, downtown Bastrop.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_00: Don't miss it.
• 29:13
  Mike Marrs: It's Back to the Past.
• 29:14
  Mike Marrs: Cruise Back in Time Saturday, October the 17th for the SBISD Alumni Association's annual Back to the Past Car Show.
• 29:22
  Mike Marrs: See classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more as Automotive History comes alive at the Cornerstone Academy, 9016 West View Drive in Houston.
• 29:30
  Mike Marrs: Bring the family, check out the rides, and enjoy a great day celebrating the vehicles that we remember and the memories that go with them.
• 29:37
  Mike Marrs: That's Saturday, October the 17th, Back to the Past, 9016 Westview Drive in Houston.
• 29:44
  Mike Marrs: Cars, trucks, SUVs, motorsports, road trips, and the people who make the automotive world interesting.
• 29:50
  Mike Marrs: In Wheel Time is changing and we're expanding.
• 29:52
  Mike Marrs: We're bringing you more automotive stories, more interviews, more destinations, and more of what you may have missed.
• 29:58
  Mike Marrs: From Texas to the automotive world beyond, In Wheel Time is your place for automotive talk without the politics or the nonsense.
• 30:05
  Mike Marrs: Join us for the next generation of In Wheel Time Cars, trucks, and the people who love them.