Christy Edelbrock On Family Racing History And Building Grit
In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show
Christy Edelbrock On Family Racing History And Building Grit
In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show · Jun 17, 2026
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34:33
Term
two-barrel carburetor
A carburetor is how an older engine mixes fuel and air. A “two-barrel” carburetor has two openings that control how much fuel the engine gets as you press the gas.
Term
four-barrel
A four-barrel carburetor is a fuel-and-air mixer with four throttle openings. More openings generally means it can feed the engine more fuel when you’re driving hard.
Term
intake manifold
The intake manifold is the part that carries the air/fuel mixture from the carburetor to the engine’s cylinders. Changing it can help the engine breathe better.
Term
high rise
“High rise” usually means a taller intake manifold. It changes where the carburetor sits and can be part of a performance setup to help the engine breathe better.
Term
dyno
A dyno is a test machine for engines. It lets you measure how much power the engine makes while it’s running under load.
Person
Murray Jensen
Murray Jensen is a real person mentioned in the story. The speaker says he worked with her grandfather and helped deal with NASCAR teams.
Topic
Formula One
Formula One is the highest level of international race car competition. It features specialized single-seat race cars and top drivers from around the world.
Topic
Indy Racing League
The Indy Racing League is an American open-wheel racing series. It’s part of the history that led to today’s IndyCar.
Place
Barcelona
Barcelona is a city in Spain. The show is saying this Formula One weekend happened there, at the track in the Barcelona area.
Topic
Formula Two
Formula Two is a stepping-stone racing series. Drivers use it to prove themselves before moving up to Formula One.
Topic
NXT series
The NXT series is a lower-level racing series that helps drivers move up. The host is using it to describe the different rungs on the ladder before top-level racing.
Topic
ARCA
ARCA is a racing series in the U.S. that’s often used by drivers to build experience and move up to bigger opportunities.
Place
Circuit diCatalunya
Circuit de Catalunya is a famous race track near Barcelona. The host is connecting the driver change to that specific track.
LIVE
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IdidwanttomentionuhthatanduhalsouhaninterestingstorythatIthoughtI'dthrowinhere.
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TheirreverentspiritoftheGeorgeWashingtonpremisegoesalongwiththemorehumoroustonethebrandhastakenrecently,aswellastheyshould,saidOliverFrancois,marketingchiefforJeepParentStallantis.
Okay.
Allright.
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Itisthein-wheeltimeconfusingtalkshowtodaycomingtoyoufromtheLoneStarStreetRodAssociationStateCarRunhereatHewlettParkinGranbury,Texas.
Justahead,anotherguest,andhernameisChrissyEdelbrock.
Itsoundsfamiliar.
Itdoesringabell,doesn'tit?
Justahead.
We'vegotthatcomingup,aswellasuhuhsomeotherfeatures.
Uh,andweinviteyoutostaywithusforthenextcoupleofhourshereontheInWheelTimeCarTalkShow.
Howdy,alongwithMikeoutofthisworldMars,wealwaysneedmoreJeffZeken.
ChiefEngineerDavidAinsleysittingoverhere.
I'mDonArmstrong.
Gladyoucouldjoinustoday.
Thankyousomuch.
DoyougobyChristine?
Christy.
Christy.
Well,wegotitallwrongallthewayaround.
Bothtimes.
Evenafterwewroteitdown,westillgotitwrong.
Thisisanongoingthemethismorning,somyapologies.
YoucancallhimBob.
I'mFrank.
Youcancallmeanything.
Anythingyouwant.
EddieMoandJack.
There'sthattoo,yeah,absolutely.
Curlydownintheend.
Yeah.
ChristyEdelbrockisourguest,andIknowthatyouknowtheuhlastnameforsure.
Anduhwewerejusthavingalittleconversationwherewe'reinthecommercialbreakaboutuhwhereshelivestoday.
Now,youknow,EdelbrockandandmostoftheearlyhotrodstuffcameoutofSouthernCalifornia,andsheconfirmedthatshewasborninSouthernCalifornia,andIsaidtoher,Wheredoyoulive?
HereGranberry.
Sothere'saGranberry.
Souhsowhendidyoumovehere?
Twoyearsago.
Twoyearsago.
IwentIwentstraightfromtheIndy500tohereandtookpossessionofmypropertyonthelake.
Wow.
Areyouproud?
Areyouhappy?
Doyouloveithere?
Oh,Iloveit.
Loveit.
Youknow,thesmalltownvibe.
It'snotthatsmallthough.
It'snotassmallaspeoplewouldthink.
Oh,I'veneverheardofGranberry.
Well,it'supthere.
Yeah.
It'sasecret.
Yeah.
Yeah,right.
AndifyouwanttogotoNeimanMarcus,youknow,DallasFortWorthisjustuptheroad.
Iknow.
It'snottoofar.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Souhacoupleofyearsthatyou'velivedhere,andumIassumethatyou'resomehowstillaffiliatedwiththeEdelbrockCorporation.
Yes.
Okay.
Well,explainthattome.
Well,frommydad,wejusthadumtheninthanniversaryofhispassingacoupledaysago.
Soumyouknowtherecessionof08and09wasverydifficultonanythingautomotive.
YesbecauseofthebigthreeandtheTARPmoneyandallofthat.
Anduhbankswantedoutofeverythingautomotive,nomatterwhatitwas.
Andyouknow,therecessionprettymuchtankedbusiness.
Andsoatthetimewehadneverwehadneveraskedthebanksforanykindofmoneyeverinourhistory.
Anduhtheywouldn'tsupportus.
Sowehadtostartlookingforpartners,lotsofconsultants,allthat.
Youknow,itwasachangeforalot.
Becauseyouinheritedthecompanyfromyourdad.
Well,mydadpassedsevenoreightyearsago,nineyearsago.
Okay.
Yeah.
Andsoatthetimeofhispassing,that'swhenitchangedhands.
Okay.
Oh,Isee.
Okay.
Yeah.
Sosoareyouareyouobviouslyaffiliatedbyname.
Areyouaffiliatedatallwiththecompanyanymore?
Well,Iworkwiththecompany,youknow,touhsoyou'retheyou'retheyeah,theambassador,youknow,pressandthetheSure.
There'snotmanypeopleblessedtohavethelastnameEdelBarack.
Soum,youknow,IdowhatIcantosupport.
And,youknow,I'vebeeninthiseversinceIwaslittle,little.
Yeah.
Youknow,myparentstookuseverywherewhenwewereyoung.
TheUSNationals,pimyouknow,thePomonadragraces,youknow,SEMAshows.
Irememberbeing,youknow,thishighandlookingupatadultsandcocktailpartiesandgoing,WhatdoIsaytothesepeople?
Sure.
Youknow,soitwasuhalwaysafamilybusiness.
Sowhenyouwerewhenyouwerethatyoung,yourdadwasstillalive,woulddidheeverexplaintoyouandandandschoolyouonexactlywhatamanifoldis?
Iassumethathedid.
Well,amanifoldwasprettyeasytofigureoutcomparedtootherproductsorcomponentparts.
UhwebuilttwoaluminumfoundriesinSanYacento.
Ohwow.
Iworkedatthefirstoneuhthatwebuilt,theGreenSandcastFoundryfortenyears,figuredallthatout.
Iknewnothingaboutthefoundrybusiness.
IIIwasuhcompetinginshowjumping,Olympicshowshowjumpingbeforethatandhaduhmyownbusiness.
Wow.
AndsothenImovedtocorporateinTorrance.
That'swhereourmanufacturingfacilitieswere,andcorporateofficesandthat.
Andit'saveryindustrialarea,isn'tit,Torrance?
Kindof,butnowit'suhthethehomesaroundwhereourourfacilityusedtobeareoveramilliondollars.
Thatdoesn'tsurpriseme,yeah.
Welltheindustrybroughtitin,obviously.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Somydadhadatendencyofputtingmeinplacesthattherewereissuesandheneededhelp,andsoIkindofbecamelikethefixer,youknow,shooter,yeah.
Runningtotheflames,andumbecauseIgrewupwithwehadalotoflong-termemployees,thatitwastheironeandonlyjob,andtheywatchedmegrowup.
Sowhenwewereworkingtogether,they'dbelike,No,I'mnotgonnatellyouwhatthatis,thatkeeper,youknow.
Thekeeper,yes.
They'dhavealltheselittlenicknamesandthings.
SoI'dgoouttotheshop,getakeeper,figureoutwhatitdid.
Itaughtmyselfhowtoreadblueprints.
Wow,youknow,becausethatisawesome.
Whatagreatstory.
Oh,Iyouknow,fromsouptonuts,Ibasicallytaughtmyself,youknow.
IaskedmydadwhenwhenIwasateenager,Isaid,I'mgonnagoworkinthediningroom.
Perfect.
Andhesaid,No.
Well,Isaid,Whatdoyoumean,no?
Youdon'tneedtoknowanythingaboutthat.
Isaid,Whynot?
Learnitall.
So,girls,women,getoutthere,bugyourman,gotoautoshop.
There'sgreatautoshopatGranburyHigh,youknow,getinvolved,getyourhandsdirty.
Youthisisanindustrythatisalotoffun,itcantakeyoualotofplaces,youmeetgreatpeople,greatstories,andtome,whenyouunderstandthethehistory,youknow,ithelpsyouunderstandyourpathforward.
Youknow,andandyoudevelopapassionlikethisthatcanstickwithyouforlifeanditcanleadyoutoplacesthatyoumaynevereverhavehadtheopportunitytobeinvolvedin.
Wellsaid.
Youknow,absolutelyandwewetalkwithalotoffolksthroughthroughtheeducationalsystemswhereyouknowtheshopsanduhthedealershipsanduhwhatyoucando,alltheavenuesyouhaveoutofschoolormaybetakingsomeco-opclassesandinterning.
Sowedoknowthosekindofuhprocessesandthings,buttohearitactuallyfromsomeonetosaythatuhverywellsaid.
Thankyou.
Anddon'tbeafraidtoaskquestions.
Noquestionis,youknow,toosmall,toobig.
Uhgetoutthereandteachyourself.
Youknow,mygrandfatherwasself-taught.
UhthefamilybusinessinEldora,Kansaswasagrocerystore,andthegrocerystoreburntdown.
Mygrandfatherwas14,soheandhisolderbrotherwenttoCalifornia,thelandofopportunity,tomakemoneytosendbacktothefamilytorebuildthegrocerystore.
Andsomygrandfatherjuststartedreadingbooks,youknow,playingaround,tinkering,allofthat,justlikeHenryFord.
Youputatoolinsomeone'shandandlookwhathappens,youknow?
AndtwoweeksbeforePearlHarbor,mygrandfatherwent122milesanhouronthedrylakebedroom.
Yeah,andpeoplewerejustlike,What?
Amazed.
Yeah,yeah.
Itwashisdailydriverthatheflattoedoutthere.
Hedidn'tevenhaveatruck,nothing.
Andyouknow,streamlinedthewholething.
Nooilpump.
Youcanseethemallcroucheddown,youknow,onehandonthesteeringwheel,theotherhandthroughthewheel,workingthepump.
Andthat'swhatstarteditall.
Andthenpost-war,youknow,thehotroderastartedtoflourish.
And,youknow,racingmidgetsfromSanDiegotoSantaBarbarafivedaysaweek.
And,youknow,later,umpeoplewouldcomeuptomeandsay,youknow,ifyourgrandfatherhadn'thavedonewhathedid,hotrottingwouldn'tbewhatitis.
That'sexactlytrue.
That'sverytrue.
Andthefirsttimesomeonetoldmethat,Ialmostfellover.
I'mlike,what?
Whatareyoutalkingabout?
Andyoulookaround,youjustlookaroundthisevent,youknow,howmanyoftheEdelbrockproductsareonthesevehicles?
Yeah.
Probablymanyonjustone.
Andnotonlythat,buttheinfluenceofthoseEdelbrockproductsearlyonthatthatledtootherpeoplebuilding.
Andthecopycatssortof.
Well,thecopycats,butstillit'sjustpartoftheindustryhasgrownbecauseofpeoplelikeyourgrandfather.
Andlet'snotforgetthatthatthatwestartedoffwiththelowrise,youknow,two-barrelcarburetoruhintakemanifold,andyouknow,I'mgonnaputafourfourbarrelonit.
Andthenandthenitwasn'tenough.
Let'sputahighriseonit.
Soitwasthisconstantgrocerystoreofmanifoldsformeanyway.
Newproduct.
Weweresuperbigonnewproduct,youknow,veryfootforwardinthatentitythere.
Andum,youknow,Imean,we'reolderthanNASCAR,NHRA,HotRodMagazine,allofthat.
Andinfluencedallofthose.
Allofit.
Right.
Weweretheonlyoneswithadyno,youknow,sotheteamswouldcomeactuallytoSouthernCalifornia,workwithourguysonthedyno.
MurrayJensen,aguythatworkedwithmygrandfather.
HehehandledalltheNASCARguys,andyouknow,Imean,theyhadahellofagoodtimehangingoutinourplace.
Sure.
I'msure.
Icanonlyimagine.
AndIdidn'tgettogointhedinoroom,darnit.
Isaid,Dad,whatifuhyoumytiregoesflat?
Well,justcallus.
I'mlike,no,Iwanttoknowhowtochangethetire.
Ifigureditoutlaterinlife,youknow,butI'msurethatI'msurethathewasahelpinghandinalotofyourprojectsthatyouhadwhenyou'regoingthroughthiseducational,self-educationalstuffthatyouweregoingthrough.
Dad,howdoyoudothisorwhydidyoudothat?
AndIwouldimaginethathewouldexplain.
Mydadwasjustagreatstoryteller,youknow.
Um,youknow,justsomanymemoriesofalltheyearsexperiences.
Yes.
And,youknow,uhVicSr.
wasnotaneasyguy.
Youknow,hepassedawayat49.
AndheandKatie,youknow,mygrandmother,um,youknow,depression,youknow,livedthroughallofthat.
GrandmaKatie,sheworkedforafamilyinBeverlyHillsasaasamaidandlivedwiththefamilyfourdaysaweek.
WenthomeonFridaynight,andshesavedhermoneyfromthatjobtobuytheveryfirstpatternfortheflathead.
Really?
Yeah.
Wow.
Soitwastotallygrassroots,youknow,andthat'sthat'sthewholefamily.
No,totally.
That'sthewaywegrewup,youknow.
Wewereworkingeverysummer.
Um,whenwewerelittle,itwasreallycoolbecausewechargedforcatalogsbackintheday.
Andpeoplewouldwritelettersin.
Iforgotthat.
Youusedtochargeforcatalogs.
Yes.
Whynot?
Yeah.
Butthatwthat'sthewaythatitwas.
Andandpeoplewouldtapefourquartersacrossthebottomoftheletter,youknow.
Soherewearewithmygrandmother.
Youknow,wetakethequartersoff,westufftheenvelopesandeverything,andallourfriendsareatthebeach,youknow.
Butyouknow,Imean,IthinkIthinkAmericaneedsmoreofthattoday.
Youknow,takeyourkidtowork,show 'emyourharbhobby,get 'eminvolved,youknow.
Socialmediaissotoxic.
Yeah,dosomethingwithyourchildren.
Andyeah.
Doyouhavechildren?
Sorry,Jeff.
Youhavechildren?
Yes,Ido.
Andhowoldaretheynow?
IhaveanamazingsonwhoisinthehorsebusinessthatIwasin,showjumping.
AnduhherunsatrainingandsalesbarninourpropertyinTemecula,California.
Okay.
AndheisnowuhinEuropeatthesouthofFrance,uh,showingtherewithuhoneofhistopclients,whichI'mextremelyjealous.
Imean,IIgottocompeteinGermanyandHollandforaabit,butnothinglikethesouthofFrance.
Yeah,hedidn'tneedanyhelp.
Yeah,youcouldn'ttalkaboutit.
Well,Ijustcouldn'tquitefigureouthowtogetthereandwhen,youknow.
Ithinktimeschedulesandthings.
Butyoutalkedabouttheeducationandyouknow,goingoutthereanddoingthatlikeyoujustspoke.
Nowthebigthingisnotgoingtocollege,takingupatrade,uhmakingstartingabusiness.
Sothat'skindofthetalkgoingonnowinthistwenty-firstcenturyfortheseyoungfolks.
Uh,butthat'salsogood.
UhgoodpointtomakebecauseIgotagranddaughterthatwantstobeanurse.
Yeah,thatyoudorequirecollegeforthat.
Uhbutifyouwanttohavesomebodythatwantstoworkonacar,wellthenyouhavetogetintotheautomotivesideofit.
Notnecessarilycollege,butthere'sotheravenuesyoucando.
Soyeah,IIagreewiththat.
Whatkeepssomeoftheyoungpeopleofgettingintoautomotiveisyouknow,theydon'twanttoworkatadealershipwhereyoujustplugitintothediagnostic.
Youknow,becausethat'snotaDLB,yeah.
Right.
Andso,youknow,we'vegotGrandBuryHighisagreatautomotiveprogram,youknow,allallthispassionhere.
AndsowhatIshareisjust,youknow,getsomepassionateaboutsomething.
Andyouknow,getyourhandsdirtyandstartsomethingsmallandstayundertheradar.
Youdon'tneedtobeabig,bigcompany,youknow?
Yeah,butuhthat'sbacktothesocialmediathing.
It'sgottheseyoungerkidssotrainedthatthat'sthat'stheimportantpart.
Well,it's20yearsagoitwasnothing.
Yeah,right.
Havethemcometoyou.
Right,right.
Socialmediaistoxic.
Ithinkweneedtoworkhardtomovethat,youknow,tothepast.
Ithassomegoodbenefits,butnotallthetime.
Youknow,wedon'tneedtoadvertiseandmarketonlyonFacebook.
Yeah.
Ithinkthat'sarealAlthoughwedoloveyou,Facebook,fortakingthisshowliverightnow.
Thereisthat.
Sothankyouforthataspectofit.
Don'ttune,don'tturnitoff,don'tturnitoff.
We'renotonlyonFacebook,there'sotheravenuestoo,butthat'sjustoneofthethingsthatwe'redoing.
Youknowthegistofthegoingin.
Thatwasagoodpoint.
Touche.
Yeah.
Well,listeningisonething.
Yeah.
That'strue.
Anduh,youknow,we'vewe'vedoneokayovertheyearsdoingthisshow,souhwe'rewe'rewe'rehappywiththat.
Doyouhaveanyotherprojectsgoing,personalprojectsthatyou'reinvolvedinwiththecompanyornotwiththecompanyrightnow.
I'mbusy.
Ihaveelevenacresonthenorthendofthelake.
Okay.
Youneedsomebodytomowitonceinawhile,orDavid'sgotamower.
David'sgotalawnmower.
Ineedlotsofthings,andandthat'swhereI'veseenthegapsandtheopportunitiesherebecauseyouknowthistownisgrowingprettyquickly.
Andsonowwhiletheopportunitiesareouttherestill,youknow,that'swhenyouwanttogetinvolvedtogetyourfeetwet.
Andyoudon'tneedacollegeeducationto,youknow,havealongbusiness.
Butyouknowwhattheonetheonethingisthepersonalsatisfactionthatyougetoutofsuccessinwhateveritisthatyouchoose.
Andpeopleforgetthat.
Andyouknow,it'skindoflikerebuildinganengineandyoucrankitupforthefirsttimeanditruns,yougo,see,allthoseweeksofworkthatIputinit,thereitis.
Yeah,andthenaysayers.
Youcan'tyoucan'tbuythat,youhavetodoityourselfinthishugesenseofright.
Well,no,youcan't.
Right.
Andit'sanaccomplishment.
Andyouknow,sowhatdoessocialmediagiveyou?
Oh,Iwanttobeaninfluencer,youknow,andandiisthatanaccomplishment,youknow,because90%oftheproductthatthey'repromotingisnotanygoodanyway.
So,youknow,Ithinkhonestyisthebestpolicy.
Hardwork,don'tbeshy,goupandextendyourhandandintroduceyourself.
Youjustneverknowwhoyou'regonnameet.
That'strue.
Youknow,wegettomeetyou.
Justlikeyou'realllookingsohandsome.
Listen,weweourshirtsareallpreppedandtheknivesandeverything.
Veryimpressed.
Don'tbetalkingaboutt-shirtsandwon'tevenrecognizeyoubythat,right?
That'sit.
Uhwell,itisuhanhonorandpleasureuhtohaveyouhereandtomeetyou.
Thankyouverymuch.
Whatawonderfulperson.
Uhyeah.
Anduhgreathistory,greatfamily,anduhuhI'mI'mimpressed.
You'renotthetypeofpersonthatgetstiredoftalkingaboutit.
No,no,becauseyouknow,IIspentsomuchtimewithmyparents,withtheirfriendswhenIwasyounger.
IenjoyedhangingoutwiththeirfriendsmorethanIdidpeoplemyownage.
Exactly.
AndsoitwasalotoflifeskillsthatIlearnedbecauseofthat,becausemyparentstookustoalotofplaceswhenwewereyoung.
Andagain,that'sanopportunity.
Andyouknow,Iwasshyasakid,andyouknow,youjustgottalearntostandupforyourself,speakout,getinvolved,andandbepassionateaboutwhatyou'redoing,nomatterwhatitis.
Andyou'llhavemultiplepassions,whichisevenbetter.
Youknow,charitableinitiatives,allofthat.
Givingbackisaveryspecialthing.
Andrewarding.
Veryrewarding.
Yep.
Yes.
IspentuhtwentyyearsasavolunteerattheHoustonLivestockShowandRodeo,andpartofmeuhiswhatyouseetodaybecauseofthat.
Right.
AndIwouldhaveneverguessedthatwhenIfirststartedout.
Andfortheparty,baby.
Youknow?
Butitevolvedanditbecameapassionanduhyouknow,Iwillneverforgetit.
Anduhitthat'swhatyou'retalkingabout.
Istartedaacharitablecarshowuhyearsagoinuholdtowntorrents.
Ididn'thaveitaroundthecompanyandourfacilities.
UhayounggirlthatImet,shewantedtogetmoreintoeventplanningandshehadasmallcarshowdowninRedondoBeach.
Ibroughtoneofourcollection.
Poorthing,shehadliketwentycars.
AndIsaid,Well,ifyoureallywanttodothis,youknow,let'sgetstartedandputsomethingtogether.
Right.
Anduhmysonwasgoingtostudytableafterschool,youknow,becauseIwasworkingtillallhoursofthenightandbythetimeIgothomehhesureasdidn'twanttodohishomeworkwithme.
AndsothenextthethefirstcarshowinOldTownTorrance,theygaveusthewholetown.
Imean,justwentoffwithahit,thankgoodness.
BecausethenightbeforeIwasdeathlyafraid.
Oh,peoplewillthinktheythatIknowwhatI'mdoinginregardstoacarshow.
Ihavenoidea.
Noidea.
Andsothatwasahugehit.
AndthenImovedittothecorporatelocationaroundadistributioncenter,andofcourseIhadtohaveapartythenightbefore.
Oh,yeah,yeah.
Sowehadabiggalaparty,wehadsilentauctions,wehadtheseLettermanjacketsforEdelbrock,andJayLeno'sagoodfriend,andyouknow,ParnelliJones,andsoIgotalltheseguystosignthisLettermanjacket.
Itsoldfortwentythousanddollars.
Waytogo.
Andthatwentsowell,weputupanotheroneandwegoteveryoneelsethatwasyouknow,thatwastheretosignitagain.
EdIskandarian,youknow,EdPink,youknow,allofthegreatguys.
Butthat'sgettingbacktothefirstoriginalshowthatshewantedtodothatyousupportedher.
That'swhatitis.
Yeah,yeah,yeah,yeah.
AnditwasoveraneightyearperiodweraisedaboutsixhundredthousanddollarsforumasmallschoolinthelocalareaofTorranceuhthatworkedwithcomplexchallengedchildren.
Andnineoutoftenofthesekidswereonestepintoinstitutionalcarebecausetheirparentshadnoideawhattodowiththem,youknow?
Andyouknow,autism,Asperger's,thosechildren,they'reninetimesoutoftenthey'rebrilliant,geniuslevel.
Butit'sjusthowyouconnectwiththem.
Yes,andyouknow,ourschoolsystems,kidsdon'talllearnthesameway,youknow.
Sothingsevolveandweneedto,youknow,givethemwhattheyneed.
Sotheysayopenthemuptobringthatout,stayinspiredandwanttomoveonandhaveafruitfullife,youknow.
Yeah.
Goodstuff.
We'recomingtoyourhouseaftertheshow.
IhaveabeautifulIcanonlyimagine,anduhwe'recoming.
That'sallthereistoit.
Okay,wejustinvitedourselvesbecausewewanttospendmoretimewithyou.
Uhwe'vegotanotherhourandahalftogoontheshow,andthenwe'llthenwe'llbeover.
Butit'satruehonorandpleasuretohaveyouhere.
Oh,great.
Anytime.
I'mhappytodoit.
Sowe'llbeyou'llbegettingaphonecallfromuslsometimelaterintheyear.
Doweturnleftatthesummit?
Exactly.
ChristyEdelbrock,thanksagain.
Thankyouverymuchforthetime.
Thankyouguys.
Hey,InwheelTimeinvitesyoutojoinusuh10tonoon,CentralTime,everySaturdayforourliveshowaboutallthingsautomotive,andwehopethatyou'llwanttogetawhiffaswell.
Anddon'tforget,we'reonpodcastsallthroughouttheweek.
Gotoinwheeltime.com.
Whatelse?
WhatamImissingthere,Mars?
Thestoppointsowecanhitthebuttonstothetime.
Okay,sothepark.
Sowe'regonnatakeaquickbreakandwe'llbebackrightafterthismessage.
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WelcomebacktotheInWheelTimeCarTalkShow.
TodaycomingtoyoufromtheLoneStarStreetRodAssociationStateRunCarShowatHewlettParkinGranberry,Texas.
We'rejustabouthourssosouthofFortWorth.
It'sabeautifullittlelakesidetownhere,ifyou'veneverheardofGrandberry.
It'sgorgeous.
Itis,andIthinkthatyouwouldenjoyitifyouweretocomeup.
Iwilltellyouthistoday'sforecasthadituhforecastedhighof99today.
We'regonnatrytogetoutofherebeforeithitsninety-nine,butjustsaying.
Well,we'refortunatethere'sanicebreezecomingthrough.
Wedohaveourlittlefansgoingon,butthereisanicebreeze,soitis,andwe'reverythankfulforthat.
Nomosquitoes.
Yeah.
There'snoyou'llnoticethatthelightingmaynotbeperfectforushere,butIwilltellyouthisitsurebeatsthehecksittingoutinthesunshine.
Yeah,itdoes.
Sothere'sthat.
Allright,uhtimenowforJeff'smotorminute.
Yeah,well,Iwehaven'ttalkedaboutFormulaOneindepth,orIhaven't,andIhaven'ttalkedaboutCadillacandIusedtonotlikeFormulaOne.
Well,I'mI'veI'mIgottahankerinbecauseoftheCadillac.
Igotyou.
SoColtonHertauhisgoingtobedrivingtheCadillac.
It'sbeenannounceduhjustrecentlythispastweek.
ColtonHerda,he'spartoftheIndyRacingLeague.
UhhesteppedintoFormulaOnethispastweekendinBarcelona,whichwe'regonnatalkaboutduringtheracingcalendarifwegetthere.
Uhbuthe'sgonnaberunningtheCadillac.
He'sa26-year-oldAmericankid.
UhwalkedawayfromhissuccessfulcareeratIndyandjoinedthehigh-techandFormulaTworacingwithanIonFormulaOne.
Andthat'sliketheNXTseriesinIndyortheARCA.
It'sthelowerseries.
Uhhe'sit'srequiredtodothat.
SoHerderwillcompetethefirstintheCadillacthisFriday,whichwasyesterday.
HereplacesPerezattheCircuitdiCatalunya.
Barcelona.
UhIpracticeyou,letmeknow.
IpracticethatwordCatalunya.
Catalunya.
Yeah,Catalunya.
Uhithat'smySpanish.
Well,IthinkthatthatgoeshandinhandwithCadillac,too.
Goahead.
IspeakBrazilian.
Uh-huh.
UhBarcelonian.
Uhsoit'stheSpanishGrandPrix,traditionallyafavoritevenue,theteam.
AlittlefamiliarwithBrazilian,butnotinthatregard.
Okay.
Umhowmuchdoesthatcostyou?
UhoffofoneoftheuhFP1sessions.
Ilostmyplace.
HehadatimeinthesimulatorinCharlotte.
Helearnedthetrackandthetrackproceduresandyouknow,didallthatontheoffseason.
Andhe'sworkingwiththeteaminSilverstone,histeam,theCadillacteaminSilverstone.
SilverstoneisinEurope.
Yes.
Soverynice.
Theygotatrackandallthegoodstuff.
Souhlongstoryshort,fortheminute,uhhe'stesting,he'sgonnaruntheformulaFP2,he'sgettingintoCadillac,andthepersonhe'sreplacinguhisnothappy.
Perezisnothappybecausehehadn'tbeenperforming,butyouknow,theytheykindofputhimaside.
Sothereyougo.
Theyputhimaside.
Theyputhimaside.
SowhathappenedtoJeffSeekett?
Ah,theyputmeaside.
Theyputmeaside.
Hedidn'tperformwell,andtheCadillacteamsays,okay,we'regonnatakeHerta,he'sgonnatakeaplacefortheDidheeverwinIndy?
Herta?
Iknowthathewassuccessfulintheseries.
He'swonthekidswonsomeraces,uh,buthehasn'twonanychampionshipsoranything.
Interesting.
He'sagooddriver.
Youknow,IhavemadefunofMitsubishiforquitesometimeonthisshow.
Likeforever.
Likeforever,sincedayone.
Well,they'retryingtopumpitup.
We'regoingtopumpaU.S.
uhMitsubishiwillentertheincreasinglycrowdedU.S.
mid-sizepickupsegmentwithanewtrucksourcedfromNissanasittriestoliftitssaggingbusinessbysiphoningsalesfromthemarketleadingToyotaTacoma,ChevyColorado,andFordRanger.
ThenewentrywillbebuiltbyNissanataU.S.
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Mitsubishididnotdetailalaunchtimeline,butNissanFrontiermid-sizepickupisexpectedtogetaredesignaround2028aspartofNissan'srolloutofanewframe-basedvehiclearchitecturethatwillunderpintheXterraSUVandotherproductsbuiltatitsCanton,Mississippiplant.
PickupwillbepartofMitsubishi'sthree-prongedplanforrevivingtheU.S.
operations.
AndIwillsaythisthattheyemployalotofpeople,andaslongastheydon'tbuildthecar,theydogreat.
IIdon'trememberthenameofthevehiclethat'sbeenaroundforawhilenow,butwhenitfirstcameout,Ithought,well,dang,thisisaprettynicevehicle.
We'llcometofindoutitwasbuiltbysomebodyelsewiththeMitsubishinameonit,andtheyput,youknow,frontandrearendsonit,andeverythingwouldlookgood.
Igotafeelingthisone'sgonnatakeoff.
It'sprobablygonnablowthedoorsofftheonesthatareoutthere.
Perhapsthey'regonnait'sgonnahavetoifit'sgonnatakefromtheTacomaanduhmid-sizedGMrocks.
Imean,eventheFordRanger,thecitiesdowntherearebuyingFordRangers.
It'sgonnabelikeaFrankensteintype.
Well,kindof.
Buttheydon'tFrankensteinthemliketheyusedto.
They'regonnatakepartsofthisandpartsofthat,butuh,it'sprobablygonnatakeoff,mymyopinion.
Let'shope.
Allright.
Yeah.
Allright,uh,thein-wheeltimecartalkshowneedstotakeabreak.
We'regonnabebackatHewlettParkandtheLoneStarStreetRodAssociationStateRun.
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Original notes
A famous last name can open doors, but it can’t turn a wrench for you. We’re live from the Lone Star Street Rod Association State Run in Granbury, Texas, talking with Christi Edelbrock about the real work behind the Edelbrock legacy: foundries, manufacturing, learning parts and processes from the ground up, and stepping into tough spots when the business needs a fixer.
Christi walks us through how the 2008 to 2009 recession hit the automotive industry, why banks backed away from anything car-related, and how that kind of pressure forces hard decisions even for established performance brands. We also dig into what it means to represent a historic aftermarket name today, and why curiosity and hands-on learning still beat chasing clout. If you care about hot rodding history, Edelbrock performance parts, intake manifolds, dyno culture, and the people who shaped American racing, this conversation delivers the human side of that story.
The second half widens out into big-picture car culture: trade careers and automotive education, why shop class still matters, and a candid take on social media toxicity. Christi also shares how charity car shows, silent auctions, and community partnerships raised serious money for local programs supporting complex-challenged kids. Plus we hit quick automotive news, including a Cadillac Formula One update involving Colton Herta and talk of Mitsubishi jumping into the midsize pickup space with a Nissan-sourced truck.
Subscribe for more real-deal car talk, share this with a friend who loves the aftermarket world, and leave us a review with your favorite memory of learning something the hard way in the garage.
Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!
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In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show
In Wheel Time Podcast | Automotive talk with Don Armstrong, Michael Marrs, and Jeff Dziekan
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