Classic Auto Mall Show #217 - Stewart Howden with Watkins Glen President Dawn Burlew + Keith Martin
Classic Auto Mall SHOW
Classic Auto Mall Show #217 - Stewart Howden with Watkins Glen President Dawn Burlew + Keith Martin
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Car
Porsche 914
The Porsche 914 is a small sports car made by Porsche in the 1970s. It was known for its unique design and was aimed at being a more affordable option for sports car enthusiasts.
Concept
Watkins Glen International Raceway
Watkins Glen International is a famous racetrack in New York where many car races happen. It's known for its beautiful scenery and challenging track layout.
Concept
NASCAR
NASCAR is a type of car racing in America where specially designed cars race on circular tracks. It's known for exciting races and a lot of fans.
Concept
Porsche Club
The Porsche Club is a group for people who love Porsche cars. They have meetings and events where fans can come together and enjoy their cars.
Concept
Formula One
Formula One is a type of car racing that is very popular worldwide. It involves fast cars racing on special tracks, and it's known for having the best drivers and teams.
Concept
drifting
Drifting is when a car slides sideways while driving. It's a popular style of driving in racing and car shows, where drivers make their cars lose grip on purpose but still control them.
Car
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast and stylish sports car that many people love. It's known for being powerful and fun to drive, making it a popular choice for car enthusiasts.
Car
Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is a famous race car that won many important races in the 1970s. It was known for being very fast and light, which helped it win competitions.
Concept
IMSA
IMSA is an organization that runs sports car races, where different types of cars compete on road tracks. It's known for having fast and high-tech vehicles.
Car
Chevrolet Tahoe
The Chevrolet Tahoe is a large SUV that can carry many passengers and has a lot of space for cargo. It's great for driving in different weather conditions and for family trips.
Car
BMW Z3
The BMW Z3 is a small sports car with two seats, made by BMW. It’s popular for its fun driving style and stylish look.
Car
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is a tough, off-road vehicle that can handle rough terrain. It’s popular for outdoor adventures and has a classic, boxy shape.
Car
Ford Expedition
The Ford Expedition is a big SUV that can carry a lot of people and stuff. It's great for families or anyone who needs extra space for trips or adventures.
Brand
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a car company from Germany that makes many popular cars, like the Beetle and Golf.
Car
Porsche 356
The Porsche 356 is an old sports car made by Porsche, famous for being light and fun to drive.
Car
Alfa Romeo Giulia SS
The Alfa Romeo Giulia SS is an old sports car from Alfa Romeo, known for being light and good for racing.
Car
Chevrolet Corvair
The Chevrolet Corvair is a car made by Chevrolet in the 1960s. It had a different design compared to most cars at the time, with the engine located in the back. Only a small number of these cars were made in 1964 and 1965.
Car
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a popular sports car in America, famous for its powerful engines and sporty look. The 2005 version is part of a series that brings back classic design elements.
Company
Roush
Roush is a company that makes cars and parts to make Ford vehicles faster and look more aggressive. They are well-known for their unique designs and performance upgrades.
Part
lock axle
A lock axle helps both wheels on a car's axle move together, which is useful when driving on slippery surfaces like mud or snow.
Car
Ford Shelby GT500
The Ford Shelby GT500 is a fast sports car based on the Mustang, famous for its powerful engine and sporty design. The 2007 version is known for being very powerful and fun to drive.
Term
Super Snake
The Super Snake is a special version of the Ford Shelby GT500 that has been upgraded to be even faster and more powerful. It has special features that make it stand out from the regular GT500.
Car
Ford Shelby
Term
horsepower
Horsepower tells you how powerful an engine is. The higher the horsepower, the faster and stronger the car can be.
Part
Tremec six-speed manual
A Tremec six-speed manual is a kind of gearbox that lets you change gears manually. It's popular in sports cars because it helps drivers have more control and can make the car faster.
Part
supercharger
A supercharger helps an engine produce more power by pushing in extra air, which lets it burn more fuel. This makes the car faster and more powerful.
Car
Ford Mustang GTD
The Ford Mustang GTD is a super-fast version of the classic Mustang sports car. It's built for people who love speed and want a car that performs really well on the track.
Car
Pontiac Firebird
The Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am is a sporty car from 1980 that was known for its cool looks and strong performance. It was part of a series of cars that were popular for racing and cruising.
Car
Buick Grand National
The Buick Grand National is a special version of a Buick car that was made in the 1980s. It's famous for being fast and having a powerful engine, even though it looks pretty normal on the outside.
Car
Pontiac Trans Am
The Pontiac Trans Am is a type of car that is designed for speed and performance. The 1968 version is especially popular because of its classic look and powerful engine.
Car
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro convertible is a type of sports car that has a roof that can be opened. It's known for being fun to drive and has a sporty design.
Term
restomod
A restomod is a car that has been both restored to look good and updated with new parts to make it run better. It's a way to keep the classic look while improving how the car works.
Part
LS3
The LS3 is a powerful V8 engine made by General Motors. It's commonly used in cars that need a lot of speed and power, like sports cars.
Car
Chevrolet Bel Air
The Chevrolet Bel Air is a famous car from the 1950s, known for its cool looks and classic style. The 1957 version is especially popular among collectors.
Car
Ferrari 400 I
The Ferrari 400i is a fancy sports car with a powerful engine, made in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It's known for being stylish and comfortable, making it a favorite among car collectors.
Car
Jeep Grand Wagoneer
The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is a fancy SUV that can also go off-road. It's spacious and has lots of nice features, making it a great choice for families who want both comfort and adventure.
Car
Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco is a tough SUV that people use for off-roading and outdoor adventures. It's known for its strong build and ability to handle rough terrain, making it a favorite among those who love the outdoors.
Car
Land Rover Range Rover
The Range Rover is a fancy SUV that can drive on tough roads and still feel very comfortable inside. It's known for its luxury features and ability to handle rough conditions, making it a popular choice for those who want both style and adventure.
Car
BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a really fast and sporty car that is fun to drive. It's designed for people who want a car that can perform well on the road while still being practical for daily use.
LIVE
This is the Classic Automall Show.
Broadcast from the studios inside the Classic Automall in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just one
hour west of Philadelphia at Pennsylvania Turnpike Exit 298, featuring nearly 1,000 classic
vintage and barred-fine vehicles for sale under one climate-controlled roof.
Now, here's your host, Classic Automall president and the man with all the toys,
George Howden.
And welcome to show number 217, finally Steve's back after Lolli-Gag and I'm like, where are
we?
One week I take.
You go to Berkeley.
You see a lot of Volkswagen?
Yeah, fortunately I had to go to Berkeley, but lots of cars.
We'll talk about that.
Lots of Volkswagen, right?
We'll talk about it in a second segment, right?
Yeah.
So, how many cars in inventory right now?
Steve will go first this week.
Cool.
I saw that one last week, even when I wasn't here.
Yeah.
That's pretty cool.
So, I'll say one, Bob.
One?
One.
Nice.
I'll say two.
All right.
I'll say three, 15.
I actually was going to say nine, 14.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
That would have been impressive.
That would have been very impressive.
What a good it should have.
Yeah, exactly.
So, let's get right to our guest joining us from Watkins Glen area, Don Berlude, President
of the Watkins Glen International Raceway.
My goodness, I would love to have a business card that said that.
Wait, I'll share, maybe.
I'm pleased to.
Thanks for having me on.
Thanks so much for being on.
I know you're busy and we wanted to talk to you and we've been wanting to.
Watkins Glen is one of my favorite tracks, and I don't say that to every track president
that we have on the show.
So.
I feel privileged.
Yes.
Thank goodness.
So, it's a wonderful place, though.
I've been there a number of times to the NASCAR race.
I've been to the Historic's up there.
I've been to the Porsche Club meet up there, and it's arguably the most beautiful setting
in all of racing.
I don't know where you'll find a prettier place.
We do have a spectacular view.
You know, I tell people all the time, you can see the lake and they actually
are like, seriously?
All right.
You can see the lake on a crystal morning in the evening.
You can see it all.
We're three miles from the, you know, Seneca Lake.
So it's actually a spectacular view from our Glen Club and our urgent singer stands.
Sure.
Well, and I think that the history of the track is so fascinating from its beginning
in late 1940s running through the streets and then to the permanent track when I guess
everybody decided maybe it might be a little safer to be on a more enclosed environment.
Right.
Yeah.
In 1957, they built a track up here and they just, we just continue to grow the facility.
You know, we're just shy of 2000 acres now.
Wow.
The majority of its office.
And yeah, we are a big property.
Yeah.
That's a lot, lot to mow.
So it is, you know, you don't ever get to the beginning seven days a week.
You know, day five, you need to be back to start all over.
Yeah.
I would imagine so.
So you were, you've been in part of the area for 40 years.
You work for Corning Glass, which if you people don't know, it's very
close to there, which used to own the track, right?
Correct.
Yep.
So Corning had the track in the early 80s and really they decided that Jim respect, which
is an icon in the industry as well as for Corning, decided that they really need an
economic driver in the community and what better way to do it was something that was
right here in our backyard, which is one of the, you know, it's one of the many
things that Corning has done for the community.
They're passionate about health care and education and the social aspect of
our community.
So the Glenn is one of the biggest, big projects they jumped in and took under and
decided that they'd open it back up and it was a pretty, a pretty good endeavor.
And, you know, then they joined with ISC in the mid 80s and, you know, look where
we are today.
Yeah.
Just an amazing scenario with, with, I mean, you've got now you've got
Imza's running there.
You've got obviously NASCAR, which is huge.
That had to be a huge impact to the area to, I mean, NASCAR was there in the
50s, but to have it in the modern era must have been a huge advantage to you
guys.
It sure was.
You know, that's what the big draw was, you know, would fill the stands as it
still does.
It was our NASCAR.
I mean, the Bodan family was right there from Shuang, New York, which is, you
know, 20 miles down the road.
So it was connections and always has been connections.
And when you run the, you know, these to run the Indy cars and then you
actively picked up Imza, which has been a huge success for us in a
growing industry.
This year we broke off Trans Am from our SBRA and our Vintage, which
was successful.
And then our car club.
You know, from the first week in April to the first week in November, we're
busy seven days a week.
We're flat out, which is pretty, pretty incredible when you think about it
being in the Northeast with the weather we have.
But that's the beauty of it.
Sure.
And you also, I mean, and it's not just the racing season.
You also ran out the track from time, not from time to time, probably a
whole lot, to clubs and groups and that type of thing as well, too.
What a great, what a great thing for a corporate retreat to go up
there and run the racetrack and do things like that.
We do.
We just had a really interesting, so we do track rentals.
That's what the majority of our busy time is, is track rentals and we
don't have our competition in, which is why we run seven days a week.
We had an interesting one a couple of weeks ago.
A gentleman drove from Alaska, believe it or not, was a bucket list, drove
from Alaska to take part in a weekend.
And interestingly enough, I said, God, there's a long way to haul your
car and I got the response.
I didn't haul my car and drove it.
Dropped it.
And I kind of did a double take.
That's like, you should drove your car.
And he said, absolutely.
He said it was on my bucket list and I drove it here and I drove
on, I drove and participated and best thing we could have done.
And, you know, how could you be on somebody's bucket list to do
something like that?
But he had an incredible weekend and we sent him a farewell
off to Alaska and God, we hope he comes back.
Yeah, he'll be home in three weeks, right?
So we, we literally were going to ship a car here just in
the past couple of weeks to Alaska.
And I think it was like to drive it was like 72 hours or so.
But, you know,
4500 miles or something.
But that kind of dedication and passion.
And that's the kind of thing that, you know, makes all this fun
to do what we do and what you do, whether it's racing or
classic cars or collectible cars or special interest cars.
The passion is what drives all of us in this, in this
business hobby, industry, whatever you want to call it.
Yeah, it sure does.
And you were people that come every day.
Yeah, exactly.
Well, just, I mean, people, I would imagine people just
come there even when nothing's going on, just to see it
and be in its presence.
We have.
So we built a new office building right at the corner,
just past gate two, about a year and a half ago and
opened it up and every day people come and they all knock
on the door and say, can we just take a picture?
We're like, come on in.
Come on in.
We actually let them in and they take pictures.
And I cannot tell you how many times people say,
we just want to be able to say we were at the gun.
Right? And there's a lot of international folks because
they'll travel, you know, into like Philadelphia or New
York and they're on their way to Toronto or Buffalo.
So they jump off and they come visit us for a couple
hours and we hear that every week.
I think you know, you've got something special when
people come there just to say that they've been there,
not to participate in any event or anything like that.
And the foreign aspect is, you know, because the
formula one race there until 1980 or 81, right?
Right, right.
And of course, they were all, you know, Europe, a lot
of them were Europe, not all of them, a lot of European
drivers were. So the Glenn holds a fonds place in
people's hearts, I believe, worldwide.
It sure does.
When I, it's interesting you say that when I used to
travel home for Corning.
A lot of people didn't know Corning, New York, but
if you said, oh, I'm, you know, I'm close to
Watkins Glen International, they'd go no exactly
where it is.
So if you were anywhere in Europe, that was my,
that was my point of reference as to where I
was from was the track.
Yeah, there's nothing worse than being from a town
that nobody's heard of.
Exactly.
It's like, where are you from?
I'm from so-and-so, like, okay, nothing.
You know, you always, we always try to ask people
where they're from here and you always hope for
something interesting in response, you know, or
something that you know, not somewhere that you've
never heard of.
And you go, hmm, I have nothing to go on with
here now.
So that's, you know, people ask me that
because I'm from the area, I've grown up here
and I was lucky enough to come, you know, go to
college and come back and be part of the
community my entire career.
So I think that's one of the beauties of being
in the position is it's very easy to talk
about your own community if you've been here
your whole life and something I'm passionate
about is racing and my other passion is
courses.
So I get to do both of them by being here.
If you had boating, you got the trifecta
right here, right, with the lakes.
I do.
So that's the nice thing, you know, we
can just drop down on the lake after work
some nights and that's pretty special in
itself.
Yeah, I'm jealous.
We have to drive an hour and a half
either way to get to where we're going
to our boating area.
So, you know, it's it's one of those things
that you don't realize how good you got it
until you don't got it.
You're absolutely right.
So you were hired in twenty twenty four
last year, right, as the president
of the Watkinsland International Raceway.
And I would got to imagine there's not
many female presidents of racetracks
in the country, are there?
No, you know, there's not.
I've got four colleagues that are
we're all fairly new into the position
in the last few years.
I'm the the newest.
Actually, we have a newer one this year
that took over the San Diego race.
Just joined us when we announced that.
So, no, it's a new initiative.
I think part of it is it's just more of us
that are stepping up to the plate.
Yeah.
And not just to say it's always been
a dominant world, but, you know,
there's there's nothing we can't do.
And I think that's that's been the beauty
of it is there's a huge team of folks
out there that have been doing this
for a long time.
And I will tell you when I the very
first meeting after I met with leadership,
I left that afternoon and went back
to home to my husband and said,
I'm retiring.
This is my new game.
I like I'm going to do a 180.
I love what I did, but to have this
type of opportunity in my backyard
and it just fit my fabric.
And I look back.
Well, the great thing is that the
core of the business was there.
And so and to have a different perspective,
whether it's male, female,
racer, nonracer, you know, whatever.
It doesn't matter because different
perspectives are always great for any business.
Right. And so I think that's being able
to know the track because I've been part
of it and doing things with it for a number
of years, then you have the kind of
check the community box because you live
here and the whole thing is you bring
a fresh set of eyes of what can we do
with the track?
Different.
How can we utilize it differently?
How can we produce our events
different and not just provide
a, as I would say, you know,
a cookie cutter type of a new
give it a refresh and a new spice to it.
And that's been very welcoming.
The leadership has said, hey,
that's what we're looking for.
We have a new generation of fans.
And how do we keep that growing?
Yeah. And people don't realize this,
but you're fighting for entertainment
dollars from every aspect,
from a concert to a sporting event
to everything that's that people
can go and spend their, you know,
extracurricular money on.
You're competing again.
So you've got to step up and say,
hey, we've got to do like you're
doing concerts. I'm not saying
you're just started that,
but you've been doing that for a while.
Use the facility, right?
It's there.
It doesn't cost you anymore to use it
or not use it.
No. And that's one of the initiatives
that when I took this on is we have
to, you know, make the community
or as I say, the rings of support,
which is anywhere from one to two
hours where people will say, hey,
it's a Friday night.
We can go someplace else.
Go do this, go for dinner, whatever.
We need them to realize that they
could come to the track that it
was approachable, that it wasn't
a scary place.
If you can get folks here
for an event, a bike night,
a concert, any type of event like that,
they're going to realize that once
they come in here, that it's not a
scary place and it's not overwhelming.
Right.
That it's actually pretty magical
when you come inside that gate
and you get to hear cars
and you see how big it is
that they'll come back for one of our
majors because they're going to
want to see what happens here
at those larger events.
Sure.
So we've been pretty successful
to get a lot of new fans here,
locals and people from, you know,
like I say, that one to two hour
range, which is where we need to
strengthen our fan base.
Yeah. And the more you can have
people understanding or aware of
what you do and how you do it
because you'd be surprised how
probably people just over the
mountain don't know what you do
sometimes.
And that happens with us here too
that people go, Oh, I've heard
of your place.
And it's this that are the 10
things that are wrong about it.
They'll tell you and you say,
No, come see it.
Let me let me give you the
nickel tour.
And that's what makes them
ever stop in.
And they kind of go, I had
that happen last year.
I went to a school program,
which, you know, we have two
major school districts less than
five miles away.
So how many of your students
have been to the Glen
in like two out of 21
recently?
Wow, wow.
And you're like, that's kind of
a wake up call to say, hey,
we're not doing something right.
Yeah.
In one, we're not we're not
letting the students know what
we're obviously missing the mark
with their parents that one,
what are we not doing to get
these parents to bring their
kids to one of the largest
venues, you know, in there
that's in their backyard.
But we have something for
everybody.
Right.
Well, that's we needed to
really relook at how we were
integrating in our community
in multiple ways.
Yeah, we experienced that a lot
to people.
Did you just got to educate
people about what you do
and and how you do it?
And of course, it's wonderful.
Do you have carding programs
at Watkins Glen?
I'm sorry.
Cartoing.
No, we don't.
See, that's the thing that
we've always talked about,
that Europe has always had
the upper hand with the United
States when it came to
carding and the and the feeder
programs into into racing.
Right.
And we've talked about that.
You know, one thing that we
did this year that we are
hooked on driving event
over Fourth of July weekend,
they added drifting in,
which we had never done.
How'd that go?
I want a huge hit.
Yeah.
So we I mean, waiting line
all day long, people
absolutely loved it.
And they were more intrigued
by it.
And so a couple of weeks ago,
we did an embers and engines
on a Saturday evening
with campfires and music
and stuff.
And we got an incredible
turnout for drifting again.
So they're going to think
we found a local niche market
to get people to experience
the track.
And I had a family
at the father with three
little ones that said,
God, we've never been to the track
in the 15 minutes from here.
And he goes, we'll be back next
summer for events.
Yeah.
Now I understand what you guys do.
So things can be
intimidating folks.
It could be intimidating.
I mean, to go to places
you've never been walking into a
I remember walking into a
dealership out in California
that sold exotic cars.
And I'm not supposed to be in
here.
You know, I felt like that.
And then they welcomed you in
and it was like, OK,
now I feel like I'm part of
the club.
Well, that's what we've been
spent a lot of time doing is
having people in it all
different, you know,
events, all different levels,
sister cities, programs.
We've been doing with the schools.
We have one tomorrow again,
which has been super
successful for us.
They're again, educating our
international students what they
can do and they can come back
sure, as well as our local
students.
And I know that internship is
a is a spot that you like.
I know that you started
according as an intern, right?
I did.
And so I would imagine you're
continuing that trend
into Watkins Glen's
from the racetrack as well,
right?
I am.
So when I,
while I was a corn, I was an
intern, which is how I ended up
staying in Corning at the end
of it, they hired me.
So I stayed.
Luckily, I would not.
I loved it.
And so through the years,
I've been part of intern
programs and I I greatly
support them.
I think they're a huge way
to get our young people to
realize what they have in
their community and what the
opportunities are.
They just sometimes need doors
opened.
We have actually two young men
that are local right now.
Both of them are off at
universities and have come
back and created what I
believe both of them will end
up being in the motor sports
industry for life.
Sure.
I think one may move from
the area just because it'd
like to get some experience
in some other tracks and
things like that.
The other one I think will
probably really likes our track
and will stay and move up
through the system.
But we have brought them on
since they were seniors
in high school and now
they're juniors and
sophomores and juniors in
college and they keep coming
back and doing programming for
us.
So they're again creating
our own workforces.
One of the things we need to do
in one program that we're
doing now with our local
ninth graders and we have 60
of them in the program this
year.
It's an eight month program
and each month we kick
it off in October and it
will end with our IMSA event
and the cherry on top of
this is that these students
if they complete the program
with one them and one
guest will attend IMSA.
Oh nice.
Yeah.
Nice little.
That's a nice care.
Yeah.
We go into the schools once
a month.
So the first one is like
what is the president's role?
What is the leadership role
at the track?
And like how did you get in
this game?
You know, I didn't come from
motor sports.
They came from a business
political background type of
environment.
And then each one of
we have a module for every
month from accounting to
security to call and they
agree ticketing social
media marketing and they're
going to produce something
every month.
And then we're relating it
to so if they have a
homecoming program or
spring dance or any type of
thing like that and retail
that at the end of that
they'll have be able to
understand what it takes to
put on one of these events
and then they're going to be
able to see one of our
attend one of our events.
That's fantastic.
So we're piloting the program
the school district has
endorsed it through their
superintendent and their
guidance program because
it's a big commitment to get
60 kids into the program
once a month and we're
pretty excited about it.
And then the idea would be
is once we're done it
will be a template that I
can give other track
presidents and we can take
it to other communities.
Because you're under the
NASCAR umbrella of ownership
right. They own your track.
One of the 14 tracks.
14 golly 14.
But it's great.
I mean if you if you start
out at one you could always
you know switch to another
or go to and that's the
nice thing about it.
And of course you know
the the amount of staffing
that these things take to
put on a big weekend
event has got to be
overwhelming.
I mean that must have been
one of the most overwhelming
things that you were facing
when you started right.
It's pretty crazy.
So a full time staff
we have 24 and that
includes everything for
marketing, ticketing,
finance, accounting,
ops, maintenance.
And that's what's you know
that's our core team.
And then you know we get up
to 100, 150 or more
when we hit our you know
our stride in during our
busy season for our major
events this year.
It'll be much earlier
because our cup event is in
May.
So we'll pull a large
number of those folks in
early to get the property
ready.
So you've gone from the
race was in August right.
And now you've moved to
May and this is the first
year that it's going to be
in May.
Correct.
Oh they got that
dumped on your plate right.
You know we're excited about
it that the challenge for us
is everybody has talked
about is may can be very
crazy weather.
Right.
It could be super
weather.
You know it's kind of like
October or they can may
in October can be just
absolutely beautiful
weather or they can just
be a little chilly.
And but we're going to go
on the warm and nice.
Yeah.
We'll be ready.
We have a couple
different plans.
We're implementing
we're stockpiling
things now to be ready
so we don't have to worry
about them getting
delivered next spring.
We're doing landscaping
plans a little different
because of the early
time frame we're working
with our local Amish
and Mennonite groups
to grow early flowers
for us.
Absolutely.
Yeah you don't
you don't have
we have mums this time
of year around here.
So they're great
for decorating
and doing the events
like that.
And you know it's
funny how things
that you don't think
about in a change
like that from a different
season can change
the dynamics of things
and change is probably
the tuning of the cars
and all of that
in a technical side of it.
That's right because
the track could be cold.
I mean the track could
be colder so they could
you know they can practice
it one time
and it could be a
certain you know a
temperature and then
the next afternoon
or next morning
when they run
they could be a different
temperature which of course
will give a different
reaction.
And you know we deal
with fogging up here.
Oh yeah that time of year.
So we're Lord knows
we can't do anything
about fog either.
But you know there's
a lot of factors
that were where
we've got on our radar
and then we'll work with
and as I always say
we've got to be nimble
and look at plan B
and you may implement plan C.
Yeah but it's just part
of running a facility
and promoting a major
events like this.
You know it's good
you get complacent
when things are just
kind of status quo
forever and ever and ever
and it's nice to have
a little change for you.
It's good for you.
Right.
Yeah it may not always
feel that way.
He's a little excitement
to the day.
Exactly.
And of course you know
I mean literally
everybody that you talk
to that's ever raced
or been to or
understands Watkins Glen
they feel as if it's
the spiritual home
of road racing
and you've got the
IMRRC right there
in your backyard too
which is an amazing organization.
I've been to a couple
of the dinners here
in the past couple of years
and nice what an archive
that they have
and what a great thing
and I guess they're looking
to expand their building
now as well.
They are.
We're actually looking
to expand that building
to be on North Franklin
Street right
Kitty Corner from
the Harbor Hotel
which is a major
draw to the community
and right close to the lake.
And there again
the reasoning is
is one it's
we've basically outgrown
the facility for storage
but I think there'd be
a lot more people
that would visit the facility
if they could find it
and really get an experience
what road racing
brought to our community.
I mean we have the flags
and we have our
checkered flags
downtown or crosswalks
were you know
printed and up all the time
and we have our
sidewalk markers
and things like that
and people actually follow
the path and every day
somebody drives the
old course
right still marked
and that's pretty cool
and you know
when they're driving it
so I think we can do
I think by moving
IMRRC to
you know the major street
I think it would be
huge boost for that
organization
and it's got a lot of history there.
Yeah and that's a tough
that's a tough business
tougher business to be in
than people realize
I mean it's
you're constantly fighting
for dollars
and budgets are tough
and it's
you know
you just
you got a constantly
fundraise.
Yes and that's
one of their primary
fundraisers
is usually a car
every year
you know Porsche Corvette
this year they've got
a Corvette that they're doing
but that's what
makes it
and I'll tell you
that the research
they do is incredible
that's pretty dedicated
people to do the research
that people that
you know are looking for
and they help a lot with guys
who are restoring
historic cars
for historic racing
which is my favorite
I love the historic
just because
the variety of cars
that you see
you know when you go to an
ask are they all
you know they kind of
sort of look the same
and you know the
but historic is
you know everything
from you know
a little two liter
small
car to the 917
Porsches
and all the ones that
you see
oh it's just
it's amazing to watch
those that type of racing
you know our SBRA
weekend in September
when after we do
we had the Grand Prix event
downtown on Friday night
where we were on the
the old course
which is usually a few hundred cars
that run the old course
on Friday night
so cool
and then we have a car show
downtown
and then we have another one
up here on Saturday
and it's just amazing
the cars that come in
and a lot of them come in
being hauled in
because
I've been
you know
solid carriers
and some are open
but it's just amazing
the passion people have
and they just
want to talk about
or tell you the story
about their car
well it's guys
that maybe you know
couldn't afford to
race back in the day
who now have been
become successful
and have a little
extra income to buy something
you know
and they
and it's funny to watch
them start out
and then they kind of
move up the ladder
as they go
so
a wonderful event
it's a wonderful way
to keep people engaged
and the families
can
or participate in it as well
yes
it's a big family event
people come
and spend the weekend
with us
they spend
you know
Friday night
all day Friday
and Friday night
downtown
and then Saturday
and Sunday
they come up
and spend the weekend
with us
it's a pretty
it's a great weekend
well
and you guys
see
you sell experiences
I mean that's
that's the whole thing
about what you do
whether it's the camping
that tradition
that people have been doing
with their families
for 30, 40
however many years
you know
that's
that's important
and the heritage of it
I always tell
people when they ask me
about camping
they said
oh it's crazy
and I'm like
no it's just like
a different neighborhoods
I mean we have
you know
4,000 campsites
and each section
is a different neighborhood
and they have
those folks
have been camping
next to each other
and passed it down
from family to family
but they have made
at their own neighborhood
and it's pretty cool
to to drive around
and see the uniqueness
of all of them
and the fun that they have
and some of the campers
nowadays are
you know
they their luxury
their luxury hotels
on wheels
yeah
they are
so they sure are
do you
when you're
when you're not
at the track
and you're not
thinking about racing
do you
does your mind
wander into things
that could happen there
and could be different
and things
that you could do
at the track
that would make it
more useful
because that's
2,000 acres
you said, right
we are
I mean
that's
I had no idea
it was that big
it does
so
you know
I mentioned earlier
that my other passion
is horses
so
my daughter
and I compete
with our horses
and I was
so when I go to
a major events
like that
I'm always looking at
can we do this
at the track
could we do something
you know
a spin off of this
of something
that they're doing
at the competition
and
you know
I was at Martinsville
this past week
and then
picked up a few things
that said
you know we could do that
at the Glen
and it would be new
and it would be pretty cool
people would enjoy it
it's fun to see
what the competition is doing
right
exactly
you have to
major sports events
are the same way
you know
you look at the flow of traffic
you look at egress
you look at
how are they
servicing their fans
when it comes to
you know
hospitality
at the end of the day
we're all
everybody's there
doing the same thing
they love the sport
with that
that they're attending
and the food
that you're doing
so
how do we
you know
capitalize
on some subject matter
expertise
in other areas
I do it all the time
yeah
and any type of business
you go to
you can think about
I mean
I go to these events
and especially
motor racing events
and the ones
that are really
running on all 12 cylinders
are the ones that
they don't have a long line
for the food
there's a line
but it's not so long
because
you watch people
get in line
at a food and beverage
scenario
at any kind of sporting event
and you see them
get out of line
and you think
well there's probably
a lost sale
because it took too long
or whatever it is
and it's not easy
to do
and plan for
no
they're going
it's
moving around the property
and being nimble
and looking at
you know
what's the flow
what's the timing of the race
how are people moving
and that's just part of it
getting people in
you know
scanning
and security
and things like that
because
that can make somebody's day
or break somebody's day
as being
you know
as a fan experience
and that's at the end
of the day
we want them to come back
so the best experiences
if we're out
and about
and experiencing it
when we're feeling
a pain point
then
our fans are feeling
a pain point
yeah
yeah I take it personally
negative feedback
I know I'm not supposed
it's hard
it's hard not to though
and you can't not read it
and it just
to make you crazy
and my phone goes off
at four o'clock in the morning
and somebody's leaving a review
and I'm like
oh I don't want to look at this
but I can't not look at it
I know exactly
I wake up and it says
oh we're out of
you know
soaking
the stress room
and like
talking about
what happened
yeah
well don't we have par levels
and all these sheets
and forms
and you know
sometimes it works
and sometimes it doesn't
so
exactly
Argett Singer family
and what they've meant
to racing in
Watkins Glen
I mean they
they started it
and they're still
participating
and involved in it
right
they sure are
and actually
we just had an event
the other day
where the family was there
yeah
at murder spirit of Skyler
which is a
non-for-profit
or you know
organization
that
helps the
it helps the
folks that
get in a tough time
financially
and you know
the
and he got up
and presented
and he said
you know
this is just
what it's all about
this is what our community
has been all about
we've been knitted together
because of our
our love
and passion
for racing
and for cars
and our community
and the next step
is how do we
continue to take care
of our community
through the things
that we do
yeah I see
at the Emmerich meetings
and it's just
you can't
you can't replace
families like that
that started
look at the industry
that
that family started
yeah
and
and in a
hard to imagine
part of the world
it wasn't easy
to get to
Watkins Glen
in the 50s
you know
there wasn't a port there
right
or unless I missed something
right
no no no no
yeah
so
I imagine
you know
being involved in this
you got to every friend
you know
wants free tickets
and to meet
the all the famous drivers
right
that's the question of
that you know
that's usually
who's going to be here
this week
who's going to be there
you know
and it's
we're busy
that's why I use this
we're busy
we got track rentals
we have folks in
yeah
it's like owning a restaurant
you never
you're going to go broke
if you give all your friends
free meals
right
exactly
so
you're on the same page
do you have a favorite
type of racing
do you like
do you prefer NASCAR
over
vintage
or vintage
IMSA
or do you have a particular
or are they all
your favorite children
I don't have
if I don't have a favorite
it really just depends
on who it's
right
you know
I don't mind
going over and watching
them when they're here
for
you know
some of the clubs
are here
they give you some
pretty good racing
the truck races
have brought a
ton of
visibility
and they're
pretty interesting to watch
so I don't really
have one single favorite
so
we were talking about this
the other day
in one of our
meetings with our staff
about the social media
and how it's grown
and
and become such a part
of everything that
everybody does
and AI
and all of that
your social media platform
has got to be crazy
I mean
I would imagine that
it's a full-time job
and then some
you know
it is
so
we have a
some folks
that work for us out of
Charlotte and Daytona
that manage it
then we also have
I would say
a half a person here
that keeps up
you know Instagram
and Facebook
and acts
and everything else
and part of it is the world
of
sports
or anything else
is always in your hand
right
and so people
we can
we have found that
by keeping people
updated
and raising the energy level
was a pretty interesting
photos and videos
as really what
keeps people coming
we did a video last year
of
one of our trucks
out on the track
in a snow storm
how cool
we hooked it up
I think it took like a
you know
a GoPro on the
front fender
did some really
cool video
on the track
and I will tell you
it was one of our most
viewed videos
isn't that amazing
in the middle of the winter
you know it was like
10 degrees out
but but
sometimes thinking outside
way outside the box
like that is
is exactly what you need
in order to get
people's attention
right
and so we tend to do some
things like that
to get people to say
oh it might be winter
or might be the end of the season
but
gosh look what they're doing up there
well I would imagine
then in racing
or concerts
or anything that you do
pre-sale tickets are keying
I mean the more
that gives you such a barometer
of what's going to happen
we do
and I would send you
the 10 day weather forecast
I mean
oh yeah
living in the northeast
people live by the
10 day weather forecast
um so we have
come to realize in the past
you know
year or so
that that's what
that's what holds our tickets
is that
forecast
um
once it gets out there
then people are like
okay we
we can pretty much trust it
we're gonna
we're gonna go
our walk up is huge
for our NASCAR weekend
yeah waiting for that last
yeah I
I tell you
we watch that
weather channel
it drives you crazy
it's as bad as the social media
I mean I'm just
constantly checking it
it's like
didn't I just check it
five minutes ago
and I don't even remember
what it said
five minutes ago
yeah there was no
there was no green
on there before
oh now we're
there's a speck of green
over there
I don't
uh
so
uh one of the things
that was interesting
to me is that
before you came on board
they had repaved
the track
almost down to dirt
in 2015
I hope that's not
something you gotta do
on any kind of
regular basis
right that's gotta be
hopefully once every
whenever
I hope I was part of
I worked on that project
for my
in my prior position
so
that is a massive project
wow
and so no
we are in great shape
you know
again when we
have track rentals every day
our track is
you know hot every morning
by 8 30
sure
and runs that way
until 5 30 at night
so
the maintenance of it
is incredible
just to keep it up
so we don't have to
do a repave
in the near future
sure
that's super important
to us
because that's not
a low-cost
project
no not at all
and and not something
I mean it takes time
I can't imagine
it's something
that you could
almost have to
time it just perfectly
and then you got the
weather to deal with
with that as well too
so
exactly in our case
we'd have to
forego some of our
track rentals
which means we'd have
to displace them
and once you displace
folks it's hard
to get them back
as you know
isn't that
it's so true
and nobody wants to
do that
yeah so true
in every walk of business
you display somebody
as a restaurant
as a museum
as whatever it is
it's very very difficult
you lose a percentage
that never come back
right
and so that's why
it's critical for us
to maintain
and keep our level of
maintenance up
and our safety measures
and things like that
so we do a lot of that
and we do it all
ourselves
sure yeah that's a
busy staff
I would imagine so
so I wish I'd have met
you sooner
because I could have
asked you the question
that I want to ask you
next and is
why didn't somebody
tell me that
when you do the
waterfall tour
in Watkinsland
you start at the top
and work your way down
not the other way
trust me if you
would ask me
I would say
definitely start
at the top
yeah I didn't know
that existed
so well you know
it's been wonderful
to have you on the show
and one last question
before we go
my favorite question
to ask all of my
guest is
what's your daily driver
my daily driver
believe it or not
I drive a Tahoe
nice
well I
that part of the world
with that kind of weather
you got to have
it is
you got to be practical
it's a great one
so but I will tell you
I have
I am a car
little car buff
so I also have
I have a rafter
Oh nice
I have a two-seater
I have a
BMW Z3
Oh right
my producer Steve
has one of those
I do
I have a Jeep Wrangler
so I'm
and an expedition
so I'm kind of
one of those folks
that it's my flavor
of the day
as my husband says
well you know
and like I said
you got to be
it's somewhat practical
in that part of the world
because you do
probably get
a little more
winter than
they do down in the south
we do
so I literally
in the morning
I'm like
this one
yeah
so this one
and I'm going
so you need to go
set a raptor lap record
you need to go out there
on the track
and see what that raptor
will really do
you're right
probably I should
yeah and then you just
put it on a plaque
somewhere in the office
this is a
no other raptor
will go this fast
on the track right
that's true
I like that
so it'll be my idea
I like my name
at the bottom
of the plaque as well too
okay
okay I'll add that
Don thank you
suggested by
yeah
thank you so much
for being on the show today
we really appreciate
I know you got busy
and we'll hopefully
see you at one of your
events there
here in the near future
please do
and thanks for having me
have a great day
you too
take care
bye bye bye
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and we're back with the classic
auto mall show
from the classic
auto mall studio
in Morgantown, Pennsylvania
great guest as always
oh yeah
Don Berlew
president of the
Watkins Glen International Raceway
I mean my goodness gracious
another dream
get a cool gig
I won her
I told her
I won her business card
plus Watkins guns
a cool little town
it is
even if it didn't have a racetrack
it's still a cool little
mountain town
and I wonder who first
started calling it
just the Glen
oh yeah
that's the Glen
that's cool
and I meant to ask you
that you know what a Glen is
it's a it's like a
narrow valley
that's right
I was getting to it
so I tried to help you out there
I didn't say Canyon
but it's like it's like
it's like the grand
narrow Glen Valley Canyon
yeah
it's like the eastern version
of the Western Canyon
no it's not
but anyway
it's like Roman in the glomen
yeah so
hey
where do we sell cars to
where did we sell cars
last year
how about Orange
California
sure why not
how about Tom Ball Texas
Garnet Valley Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Corpus Christi Texas
Birdsboro Pennsylvania
Ben Salem New York
New Lenox Illinois
East Earl Pennsylvania
Medford New Jersey
Westchester Pennsylvania
Knoxville Tennessee
Warrington Pennsylvania
Val Dosta Georgia
Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Woodbury New Jersey
Pensacola Beach Florida
Allaway New Jersey
Louisville Texas
and York Maine
how about that
right
so we had a pretty good week
well Warrington in there
and a little Knoxville
yeah a little Knoxville for you
about that
a little hometown
we're going to go
Kathy and I are going to go
see a game in New Mexico
State which is nobody's ever
heard of that
is that a cornhole game
in a game you're going to
see we're going to the
University of Tennessee
football football
yeah that'd be fun
yeah well thanks
that we got your
thumbs up on that
that's right
so what else we doing this
week you just got back
from a trip
I did yeah
how was that
I did I went to a wedding
in California went to Berkeley
saw a lot of Volkswagen
a lot of Porsches
a lot of I saw a 356
on the road on the street
literally the next minute
a Julia SS
which I didn't even know
existed right
and but ever
but as soon as I passed
I said we got
I got a video of this car
it's a 64 65
they only made 1400 of them
Jay Leno actually did
a video on them
a year ago or so
and it's absolutely unique
is it a four door
it's a two door
I'll show you a picture
of okay
I'll send it to Randy
and put it up
right on the street
yeah I mean it's a
super rare car
and then as I was filming
it other people started
coming up and wondering
what I was filming
and this is
I don't know what this is
but it's super rare
because you look so
professional with the iPhone
you know
not funny nowadays
that you know iPhone
could be doing a newscast
it could be doing
just about anything
a movie
quality is unbelievable
with those things
so
yeah I could have done
15 videos of cars
on the street
in Berkeley
and then we
of course we go up to
Marine County
where my wife is from
and spent time up there
just cars are everywhere
you've also realized too
that you better take
a vacation that doesn't
center around cars
like I've not learned
to do yet either
she knows if
I mean I got
I we went around the block
in Berkeley to get that Julia
I'm like I gotta
I gotta get this call
yeah she's like
okay great
yeah fantastic
I thought we were
I wanna go shopping
again
again
and again
she gets it
yeah they
they should get it
because it's
it's part of what makes us
happy
that's right
that in birds
how about the new arrivals
this week
the 2005 Ford Mustang
Roush
stage one
convertible
torch red over medium
parchment and red
it's got the aggressive
Roush styling
it's it's
unmistakable
isn't it
it is
see a Roush car
it's it's
it's just got us
look about gotta
look at it
and the stage one
obviously is
is a more cosmetic
package
sure it's really cool
looking 300 horsepower
4.6 liter
three valve V8
but 300 horsepower
is not nothing
no people
you know we
we have a tendency
to think of it's not
five or six hundred
horsepower than
well as nothing
that's good man
that's a lot of power
it is and it's
got the track
lock axle
the 331
and you know
and it's convertible
so however
the next car
yeah the 2007
Ford Shelby GT 500
super snake
takes it to the next
I'm just a regular snake
it's a super snake
ooh
and sixty one hundred
seventy three actual
miles on the torch
red over charcoal
black and red car
seven hundred
and twenty five
horse are
five point eight
lead double over
have camp V8
Tremac six speed manual
got the Kenbell
supercharger
that was factory
right
yeah okay part
of the snake
think package
this thing is showroom
fresh it's when
five hundred
horsepower isn't enough
for yeah
seven hundred
and twenty five
horse and what kind
of vehicle is that
again Ford
Ford Roush Mustang GT 500
super snake
ooh
he just wanted to do that
you really set me up
for that one J.R.
super snake
super snake
so next
but on the list
is the nineteen eighty
Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am
I like this color
combination
cameo white over camel
which is what you painted
your seventy nine
not set not eighty
but seventy nine
yeah straight white
like an idiot
refrigerator
right
because the body shop said
eh you know listen
we could remove the eagle
for you
all the vintage
you know
classic
yeah all the classic stuff
yeah
appliance white
and this one is
course the four oh three
cubic inch V8
which is the one
you didn't want
you wanted the four hundred
if you could get it
but in California
you couldn't get the four
yeah interestingly
the eighties
that the options were
three oh one
three oh five
and three oh one
turbo
this guy put a four oh three
in it
yeah not
and it was the original
motor that's right
couldn't
the last year
for a four hundred
or the four oh three
was nineteen seventy nine
right
right and really
the ideal setting
for the nineteen seventy nine
would be the four hundred
four speed
correct
not the four oh three
and then
you can tell the difference
on the hood
on the graphics
on the hood scoop
ta six point six
means four hundred
six point six
leader
means four oh three
that is correct
I'm partial to the four oh three
because
that's what I had
that's what you had
so you know
you you like it even though
slow slow
it's the slow
well that's the whole thing
it was
I thought it was fast
and then
and then a friend
handed me a key
to the Grand National
and I said oh okay
yeah I thought I knew
that's a whole new speed
this one is
but really a nice driver quality
this at night
it is
trans am
next up on the list
is the nineteen sixty eight
Chevrolet
Camaro convertible
cyber gray metallic
over black
this is a rest of my
what is a rest of my
I think everybody
knows it's listening
a rest of mine
is a car that's been
changed for convenience
comfort speed
and performance
updated
updated
this one's
four twenty seven cubic inch
LS three
stroker
Tremac six speed
four wheel disc brakes
leather
updated suspension
leather and suede seating
this car is really
like a brand new car
and in a in a
shell of a nineteen sixty eight
exactly
so it's got this
awesome edging
engine cover
like a matching engine
cover to the paint
that's well done
yeah well done
yeah it's nice
when people actually
pay attention to the parts
that you don't necessarily
see on a regular basis
so next up is
the nineteen fifty seven
Chevrolet
Belair two door hard top
Matador red
and India ivory
great color
yeah over red
and black interior
great color
one family owned since
new amazing
how about that
but the two eighty three
cubic inch four
bearer on the power
glide two speed automatic
would it has a little
liberty will with
power front disc brakes
and show ready though
this car it's beautiful
it's really a nice car
and really well done
if you get a chance
if you're looking for one
of those a tri-five Chevy
it's one that you
definitely should put
on your list
and last but not least
the two thousand fourteen
Chevrolet Corvette Z
fifty one two LT
Stingray Coop
that's a long name
cyber gray metallic
over gray thirty one thousand
one hundred and fifty
something actual miles
six point two liter
LT one V eight
I don't know what the horse
power on those
I imagine it's got a four
five four fifty five hundred
Tremac seven speed
man is a seven speed
manual yeah
and this is a pampered ride
and it's got target
tops two of them three
four five that's a lot
of shifting that's
I know I looked at the
shifter yesterday
after seeing this
and I'm like wow
two target tops
one glass and one one
steel straight to top car
yeah two tops so
that's the new
inventory for the day
and so back to your trip
did you have a little
interesting how is your
travel part of the
airplane airplane
rental car let's hear
some stories
well if you're going six
and a half hours
across the country west
because westbound
it's more because you're
in the wind's face
yeah you expect
like a comfortable plane
you know at least a few
inches my son figured
and I figured that
if they removed three
rows from each side
and gave everybody
an extra three inches
it'd be huge
it'd be like
I could not even
open my laptop
to work unfortunately
sorry boss
during the trip
during the
usually I get
a couple cars
right you know
on the it was so cramped
it's ridiculous
it doesn't make
any sense to me
and then
oh you want something
you know
cha-ching
yeah everything's
a charge
I mean would you pay
fifty extra dollars
to have three more
inches of space
I think I would
I
yeah I guess
I
I've lesson learned
you know
I mean I was
we were thinking
about first class
yeah until your price
that
we're like
it's got to
this is another life
let's let's get
another couple
hundred thousand
subscribers to the show
for that
speaking of the show
and subscribers
yes
we are at
a hundred and
eight thousand
eight hundred and
sixty nine
subscribers
one year ago today
we have five thousand
seventy one
we've got fifteen hundred
fifty nine videos
and the views are four
million three hundred
forty eight thousand
wow
that's great
woohoo
that is right
yeah that is
really exciting
and it just
keeps growing
and the shows
are just
get more and more views
every time we do it
you know
it's like a
snowball effect
yeah
and
but it's a constant
it's constant work too
we call it
feeding the
feeding the monster
yeah you
gotta constantly
keep putting
videos out there
you gotta keep
putting content
you gotta
be consistent on your show
you gotta do everything
and if you
slack on any of that
you'll see that
it'll reflect
in the numbers
absolutely
so we really
work hard at it
because it's important
I mean we think
that it can be
the
next level of our business
will take us to the
next level
by having this thing
successful
and having the
retail side
of what we have here
we have a
enviable position
that
we're not just
in our basement
doing this show
we actually have a business
that benefits from
being able to put
the cars out there
on the shows
I mean it's a
it's a huge deal
I mean we are visual
this is I mean there's
so much eye candy
in this place
it's hard to believe
so
well and we've been thinking
of what
what to call it
is it a show
is it a podcast
no it's a video
podcast
like a Netflix
just said
they're gonna start
doing video
podcast
and we saw that
we went
well there's an easy
simple man
that we should have
thought of
so where are you
two years ago
why is the phone
not ringing
Netflix
where is Netflix
yeah so
but I think that
there's
there's just a lot
of opportunity
left with it
we're only
scratching the surface
yep
and for the first two years
we didn't even
hardly scratch the surface
and we were still
having fun
and still people
were watching
and paying attention
so
and we've tried
traditional radio
and it
sorta didn't work
right
we've tried
you know
an online
radio format
that sort of
didn't work
and but
it seems to be
the YouTube
and then the
bus sprout
where we have
our
traditional podcast
just the
the audio part of it
are working
very well
we're over
what
6,000
yep
almost 7,000
7,000
and we started
that late
yeah
very late
and we're
tracking it
very late
because
prior to us
when we kind of
took everything
back over ourselves
we were doing some stuff
not in house
we weren't able
to track all the numbers
we didn't have control
of our own destiny
so
right
we decided to figure
that
that
that would work
so it works out
great
so
when we return
mm-hmm
we will
be joined
by our guest
Keith Martin
publisher
Sports Car Market
magazine
on our weekly
summit
so
our weekly what
summit
where's summit
where he goes
the summit
another summit
meeting
he's at the top
of his building
so it is a summit
it is a summit
so
summit
it's a meeting
of the summit
summit racing
summit racing
oh there you go
hashtag them JR
all right
we'll see you in just
a couple minutes
here's a special offer
from Sports Car
Market magazine
get a six month subscription
for just
nineteen ninety five
by going to Sports Car
Market dot com
slash test drive
at the number six
that Sports Car
Market dot com
slash test drive six
if you're a buyer
a seller
or just general
classic car
enthusiast
publisher
Keith Martin says
we've been around
almost 40 years
this is the Wall Street
Journal of the collector
car world
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offers for a limited time
be in the know
with Sports Car
Market
and we're back
with a classic
automobile show
from the classic
automobile studio
in Morgantown
Pennsylvania
joined by our friend
Keith Martin
publisher of Sports Car
Market magazine
Good evening, Keith.
Yeah, good morning, morning.
I don't know what day it is anymore.
So how you been?
Everything good?
Everything's good.
We shipped the
as I told you last week
the December issue
of our 37th year.
Do you get to take a break?
Do you take a breather?
Do you say, OK,
now we got a little bit.
I did that Friday
and then that's it.
Then you Monday
it's all over this week
we started on issue
number one year thirty eight.
Thirty eight.
It'll be forty
will be here before we know it, won't it?
So it will be here.
And we'll we'll have a celebration.
Maybe maybe you and I
could do a double extended session.
I think we should absolutely do that.
I think that is
but go and put that on the calendar, guys.
That'll do.
We'll have to remember that
because we should definitely do that
in a special anniversary.
We'll have cake and cup,
you know, ice cream
and all that other stuff.
And you and I can
we can do forty
one minute segments
of what really matters
in the collector card.
Oh, are we prepared to retire
immediately after that
because we may just make everybody
in the whole hobby mad.
That or we will charge
a dollar each for people to watch it.
I like that.
I like that even better.
So we do that times.
How many people?
Yeah, there be some.
We almost enough to run away to.
Well, you don't want to run away to Jamaica,
but anywhere else.
Oh, man, they got pounded.
That awful and we'll lose
more collector cars
because of that,
because there's collector cars
on the island that will, you know,
it's amazing.
The attrition that happens in the hobby
that you just forget about.
You think, oh, natural disasters
are one of the biggest enemies to the hobby
or the biggest friend
if you're a guy who has something really rare
and you know, there's only ten of them left
and eight of them perish.
I was watching a car
and bring a trailer.
It was a Ferrari 400 I and it said,
water only came up
to the rockers at the flood.
You know, I love the explanation
for flood damage titles
where it says flood damage.
The guy said, no, no,
we we just left the top down
and it rained on it a little bit.
They don't flood damage it for that.
So I don't think it affected the electrics.
No, at all, no,
because they're not affected
by anything like that.
So bringing your blog to life
is what we do every week.
And this week, the title to your blog
is the leaf blower, 10,000.
Are we racing leaf blowers?
I know, I couldn't resist.
Could you? No, I love that.
Absolutely.
Basically, what I was reflecting on
was that there seemed to be more and more
of these kind of casual tours
popping up. Right.
So on the one hand,
you've got the California Mille
at 15,000 bucks,
and then you have the leaf flogger
one thousand at 40 bucks.
Right.
And it doesn't necessarily mean
where you are economically,
where you can participate in one of those.
You can be the rich guy
and have your nice car
and still go to the $40
when you're not going to be
ashamed to be there.
And of course,
you can't take your AMC
pacer to the Mille-Mille, either.
You know, I've had two AMC paces.
Well, I've got to write that down.
So I'll never forget that.
And I sold one to Maki O'Hagerty,
who then customized it.
Oh, no.
Does he still have it? I wonder.
I don't know. Or does he?
What do you admit to it?
Right. It's buried in the back.
The back 40, as I used to say.
Yeah. No, I think there's a
from the response I got to my blog,
there are enough people
who are tired of cars and coffee,
not having any driving.
Right. Right.
Because it's a sedentary event.
You arrive, you walk around,
you kick tires, you go home.
Yeah. So the question
I have is whether we could do a
once a month, you know, run with
your brung, an event, say,
that was a two or two and a half
hour drive to a lunch.
And then you're done.
I love that.
I think that's a brilliant idea
because it's people are very
protective of their time
and the time that they
allot certain things.
And family time and all that
and is important.
And if you play golf,
it's five and a half hours.
And if you do a regular tour,
it's like you said,
it's a week or 10 days or
whatever. And nobody has
that kind of free time anymore.
I also think people like
driving their cars.
Well, true that.
Yeah. That's no question
about that at all.
And now we have the question
the weather's turned bad.
And so do we have coops only?
Do you have your bad weather
classic car or you could have
your, you know, your Jeep
Grand Wagoneer from 1989 or
91 for the last year of them
or you could have an old scout
or you could have an old Bronco.
Yeah. Maybe we could theme every
month. You know, just
once a month and casual and,
you know, just somebody produce
a route list.
Yeah. Or October,
you do orange and black cars only.
So you got the whole Halloween
theme. Good idea.
Well, I'm full of these good
ideas, Keith.
I just think we're it's
it's OK for us to figure out
something that's a little bit
out of the box.
And it's really this
this leaf flogger thing
starts at 10 a.m.
Yeah. Not at the crack of dawn.
You don't have to be there at
6 a.m.
You start to and around here,
no different than around where you
live. There's wonderful roads.
There's so many wonderful routes
that you could take.
You could do a hundred of these
and do a different route every
time and never hardly cross the
same road. I agree with that.
Yeah. So and so and you're part
of the world is the same way.
There's wonderful roads and
and it could be quite a little
movement. And maybe you become
part of the club and you
you have a you're a card carrying
member and you come, you know,
when you when you can.
And yeah, how fun would that be?
I think this sounds like fun.
And, you know, just another thing
on our plate to deal with, right?
I was going to ask you to just
take care of it. OK, I'll
spearhead this send out the
email.
Well, I'll send one, too.
We have a few emails as well.
I the real the danger part
here at this time of year is
what leaves on the road?
Oh, yeah.
Now, so it might be something
interesting that you could
somehow you could have
somebody run the route the
morning of and
text everybody any alerts
that were along the way, be
tree falling across the road
or leaves on the ground or
something like that, where you
would have somebody who could
who could do a little
reconnaissance that that morning.
And I belong to the Range Rover
Club here. And my favorite
thing about that club is that
people carry chainsaws on our
runs because they know
there's because they know
because because that kind of
thing happens. It happens.
It's not just like a once in
a lifetime event.
It happens a lot enough
where you say, well, I'm
going to need a chainsaw.
I tell you, you know, I'm
not a huge fan of electric
vehicles, but you know what I'm
a huge fan of that's electric
appliances, things like that.
My I am I am so thankful
that I don't have to stand
there for 30 minutes to crank
my leaf blower one thousand
to get it going with that gas
engine. And I'm over there for,
you know, I'm mad.
It's nice that it just turns
on automatically.
I'm happy for you.
You don't own a leaf blower,
do you?
I don't. I live in a condo.
Well, you got to get the leaves
off that balcony somehow.
Yeah, I know.
I know I'm I'm working on it.
Well, keep me posted on that.
So I like that idea.
And I think, like you said,
or like we said, you kind of
theme it to do these these,
you know, once a month or once
a week or once every two weeks
rallies and then you and the
restaurant would love it.
You go to some different
restaurant every time.
And you get the car
clubs involved.
So, you know, if you get seven
or eight people from the Jag
Club, from the Alpha Club,
from the Porsche Club, you've
got enough right there.
That's plenty.
You know, 30 40 cars is
probably you would probably
want to cap it about that.
You're not many restaurants
to be able to take you on a
Sunday anyway at noon
after church and all that good
stuff. But I really like that
idea. I think that because
like you said, the cars and
coffee is static.
And and that's why people
don't normally stick around.
I mean, I'll take a cars and
coffee over a traditional
car show any day because I'm
not going to stand there from
eight o'clock in the morning
till four o'clock in the
afternoon, regardless.
And then the evolution is
the cars and coffee where
you're there for as long as
you want. You want to be
there an hour or two or
whatever. And that's fine.
This is evolution number three
where we say instead it's
going to be a cars and
coffee, but we meet.
We gather for a few minutes
and then away we go.
Yeah, you just need a dedicated
person assigned to it.
Yeah. So Keith, is that you?
See, yeah, right after our
40th anniversary.
OK, all right, we'll we'll
plan on that. Somebody
have stolen our idea by then.
So and hey, you know what?
I don't like to I don't
put ideas out there unless
I'm OK if somebody steals
the idea. These guys can
steal it go broke and then
we can pick up the pieces
we can pick up for pennies
on the dollar and buy all
their little signs and buttons
and hats and things really
cheap.
Isn't that the truth?
These poor guys put so much
money into some of that stuff.
They don't realize that even
putting on a little event
like that that doesn't sound
like much is a lot more work
and expense than you realize.
Well, we, you know, we did
four SCM 1000s three or four.
And by the last one, it was
post covid the cost of
hospitality and swag
and room and all that.
It was costing us four hundred
thousand dollars to put on the route.
Yeah, it's just not worth it.
I mean, it's as much as we love
this thing, we have to make sure
that the bottom line is not
completely obliterated.
Yeah. Yeah.
And you have to find a balance
between our.
Do people want a five star hotel
or do they just want a great road?
Yeah, I mean, how many
how many nights in a row
can you eat, you know,
lobster, Newburgh?
Well, I don't know why I said
that. But you know what I mean,
how many nights a week can you
eat a rich food five star
restaurant without just being
completely miserable for the rest
of the month or needing
overload springs on your car?
Exactly, especially.
So, you know, that's funny
that you mentioned that.
We talk about all the time
about the right car for the right
person. And we had a guy
the other day, it was like six
eight and was interested in one
of our smaller cars.
And I said the first thing I
said to the guys was you
better have him sit in it
because there's no sense in
wasting time with him because
he's probably not going to fit
in it. And now you've wasted
his time in our time.
And lo and behold, they said,
why don't you sit in it first?
And it was too big for you.
Got to have the right car.
If you if you haven't had an
opportunity, even if you're buying
something long distance, find
a club, find somebody local
where you can go and actually
sit in one of them and make sure
that it feels right to you.
Doesn't mean it's going to be
the exact same car, but whether
it's, you know, too big, too
small, whatever, whatever, what
have you. That's one of the
strange things in our business,
Stuart, is that we so rarely
test drive before we buy it.
I'm guilty of it, too.
I mean, I went and bought a
BMW M3 at the local dealer
and didn't even test drive it.
My wife said, you know, are you
stupid? I mean, it's right here.
They're offering you a test drive
and you're telling them no.
I said, I know I want it.
I'm not nothing's good.
I don't want it to change.
I don't want to drive it and
change my mind at this point
time. I made the commitment.
I'm going to buy it.
I wanted it.
So I'm not going to let some
pesky. I don't like the way
it drives, getting the way of
that. I used to do car
inspections for people.
And I'd go look at a car and
I'd say, well, it's got some
rust and it's got this in the
guy. And the client would say
to me, are you trying to bust
my deal?
I want to buy this car.
Don't don't ruin it for me.
Tell me it's all the way.
I'm never going to see the
underside of this thing anyway.
So it won't matter.
So anyway, as always,
a pleasure to have you on.
And yeah, we will look forward
Keith to seeing you next week
on the classic car show.
Thanks for signing up to sponsor
these tours.
We're trying to think of a
new thing to call our show
and we can't quite figure it out.
So just the classic car show.
So it's so generic that, you know,
nobody will ever remember it.
Not the least lower one thousand.
Probably not.
We'll see you next week, Keith
Martin. Take care.
We'll see you next week on the
classic automobile show.
The classic automobile show with
their host, Stuart Howden,
executive producer, Steve Sefair,
produced and engineered by yours
truly, J.R.
Russ, video editor, Randy
Lambie, available on classic
automobile dot com, YouTube or
wherever you get your
podcasts.
Music courtesy of the Pat
Travers Band for tour dates,
contact and stuff.
Visit Pat Travers dot com
produced by Car Smarts Media
copyright all rights reserved.
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About this episode
George Howden hosts a lively discussion with Dawn Burlew, President of Watkins Glen International Raceway, and Keith Martin from Sports Car Market. They explore the rich history of Watkins Glen, its evolution from a street race to a premier racetrack, and the community's connection to motorsports. Dawn shares insights on her role as one of the few female track presidents and the initiatives she's implementing to engage local fans. The conversation also touches on the challenges of running a racetrack, the importance of community involvement, and the excitement of upcoming events.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
AMC Matador
AMC Pacer
BMW M3
BMW Z3
Buick Grand National
Chevrolet Bel Air
Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Corvair
Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Tahoe
Ferrari 400i
Ford Bronco
Ford Expedition
Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang GTD
Jeep Grand Wagoneer
Jeep Wrangler
Land Rover Range Rover
Pontiac Firebird
Pontiac Trans Am
Porsche 356
Porsche 914
Porsche 917
Original notes
Show #217 airdate 10-28-25 Stewart welcomes Dawn Burlew, President of Watkins Glen International Raceway. Discussed are her career @Corning, moving into track operations, the scope of the property and business. Also, internships offered and types of jobs at "The Glen" or one of @NASCAR's 13 other tracks. PLUS #KeithMartin with his www.SportsCarMarket.com blog pondering a monthly "Rally lunch". www.RacingArchives.org, @SummitRacing #JayLeno www.TheGlen.com
GET OUR FREE APP: https://ClassicAutoMall.appimize.app When it opens click on the ORANGE button to install on your phone or computer for DIRECT ACCESS to our VIDEO and AUDIO shows and our website.
CONTENT NOTE: Contests, Prizes, Offers, Vehicles & other items may no longer be available or offered after each show's original broadcast or posting date.
Recorded in our Showcase Studio just inside the entrance of the Classic Auto Mall in Morgantown, PA, Host Stewart Howden, Classic Auto Mall President and Classic Car Specialist Steve Saffier talk about this unique and amazing place often with amazing guests.
YES...Classic Auto Mall is a REAL former shopping mall that covers almost EIGHT football fields with an average of nearly ONE THOUSAND classic vehicles under one, climate controlled roof and they're all FOR SALE!
Be sure to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to be informed of new episodes and SEE them on the Classic Auto Mall YouTube Channel. We also invite you to VISIT US IN PERSON at Classic Auto Mall, one hour west of Philadelphia at PA Turnpike Exit #298, VISIT us online at ClassicAutoMall.com or talk to real, live people about visiting, buying or selling your classic on consignment at 888-227-0914.
.
Classic Auto Mall SHOW
Stewart Howden
0:00
59:40