The Alcan 5000 is a long car rally that takes place in North America. It starts in Washington and often goes all the way to Alaska, and it happens in both summer and winter.
The 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport is a type of SUV made by Honda. It's built to handle rough roads and off-road driving, making it great for adventures.
The Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness is a special version of the Crosstrek SUV made for off-road driving. It has features that help it handle rough trails and tough conditions.
This is a type of car race where drivers have to go a certain distance in a specific amount of time. It's about finding the right speed to finish on time.
The Lincoln Navigator is a big, fancy SUV that has a lot of space inside and comes with many luxury features. It's designed for comfort and is great for families or anyone who wants a stylish ride. People often talk about it because it's one of the top luxury SUVs available.
These are special tires that come with the car from the manufacturer, made to handle different types of roads. They help the car perform better, especially on rough surfaces.
Driving modes are different settings in a car that change how it drives. For example, one mode might help the car drive better on sand or rough trails.
The Ford Bronco is a tough SUV that can handle rough terrains and is great for outdoor adventures. It has a long history and is loved by many people who enjoy driving off the beaten path. Recently, Ford brought it back, making it popular again.
IMSA is a group that runs car races, especially long-distance races where cars compete for hours at a time. They have different types of races and are popular in the U.S.
The Battle of the Bricks is a special car race that takes place at a famous track called Indianapolis, which is known for having a part of its road made of bricks. It's a big event for racing fans.
The Baku City Circuit is a race track located in the city of Baku, where Formula 1 races are held. It's a special track because it's built on city streets, making it different from regular race tracks.
Buick is a car brand from the United States that makes luxury cars. It's been around for a long time and is part of a larger company called General Motors.
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a small car that looks a bit like older classic cars but is made for modern driving. It has a lot of space inside, making it practical for families or carrying things. People often talk about it because of its unusual design and how it stands out from other cars.
The Citroën 2CV is a small, simple car from France that was made a long time ago. It's famous for being cheap and easy to drive, especially after World War II.
The Citroen 2CV is a small, quirky car from France that was made to be affordable and practical for everyday people. It has a unique design and is known for being simple and easy to drive. Many people love it for its charm and history.
Car
Tucker car
The Tucker car was a unique vehicle created in the 1940s that included many advanced features for its time. Unfortunately, it didn't last long in production due to financial issues.
Honda is a well-known car and motorcycle manufacturer from Japan. They started out making bicycles and later moved into making motorized bikes and cars.
Motorized bicycles are regular bikes that have a small engine added to help you pedal. They were an early step before companies like Honda started making motorcycles.
Ceramic coating is a special liquid that is put on a car's paint to protect it from dirt, scratches, and sunlight. It helps the car stay shiny and clean for longer.
Paint protection film is a clear layer that goes over a car's paint to keep it safe from scratches and chips. It helps the car look good for a longer time.
Window tint is a special film that you put on car windows to make them darker. It helps keep the inside of the car cooler and protects against sunlight.
Curbing your wheels means hitting the edge of a sidewalk with your car's wheels, which can hurt the wheels and tires. It's something that can happen when parking.
LIVE
Welcome to another in-wheel-time podcast, a 30-minute mini-version of the in-wheel-time car show that hears why every Saturday is your place to live an AMC. The award-winning in-wheel-time car talk show, coming up a review of a very dirty Subaru after the Alcan 5000 with Mercedes and Andy Lillianthal. Jeff has the racing calendar. Mr. Mars has this week in auto history and I'll get you caught up on the stories making automotive news headlines.
He's out of this world Mars, over there in Neederville, look at him, he's looking good, took a bath this morning and everything. It's Saturday. It is Saturday, that once a week back just doesn't. We always need more Jeff Zeken. Chief Engineer David Easley is with us. He's lounging on the couch now after our scare earlier. If you figured out what the problem was, Mars asked me after the show and I'll tell you what it was. Why, we dumped out of Austin. It caused all sorts of havoc and panic set in here.
I was the cleft. I'm Don Armstrong. Glad you could join us today. As you can tell, we've got a new setup, new digs, new digs. Gone is the muscle car picture, the license plates, all that. We may bring that back for another background view. It's in storage. You have all that. It's just a matter of something new. Once I get it hung in the garage, I'll take a picture of it. Mr. Mars can put it behind us or whatever. He's in charge of that.
Aren't you, Mr. Mars? Well, I hate to take too much responsibility, but yes, I know because when you take too much responsibility, then you reap my wrath. And things go downhill from there and no reward. Everything rolls down hill. Everything rolls down. It always does. So do we have Andy and Mercedes? Yes, sir. Well, let's bring them up. Shall we look there? Hello? Hello? Look at you guys.
You got a big smile on your face. You're not drug out. War out on the road. How long? Let's start at the beginning. What is the Alcan 5000 for everybody? Yeah, the Alcan 5000 is North America's longest road rally. It starts in Kirkland, Washington, in this Seattle area and then goes north. So and we're talking way north all the way up to Alaska sometimes all the way to the Arctic Ocean.
This year was a summer rally. It alternates like summer winter, sort of like the Olympics. And this year was a little bit of a special one because it was a sort of a makeup rally bridging 2024's winter in 2026's summer. So they threw in another summer rally in 2025.
Yeah, and we ended up driving a 2026 Honda passport trail sport for it. Oh, it was a Honda. It was so dirty. We like to, yeah, we like to think it's dirty and we love to go off road. We're one of the few.
Yeah, for whatever reason, well, I know why because the last one you did you guys took was a Subaru. That's right. I thought America. Yeah, and I thought that this was that, but it's not it's the Honda.
Correct. Yeah, we did the Trans-American Trail all the way from the east coast all the way to the west coast in a Subaru cross truck wilderness. And then we switched gears and we partner with Honda for the Alcan 5000 rally.
Now, let's explain to everybody the 5000. So it's both on road and off road emphasis on off road.
Yeah, so it's this year ended up being around 5,500 total miles on this event and then all the extreme controls and then there's around 900 miles of dirt and gravel approximately.
And then you have each day you have a time speed distance rally one maybe two and that's the competition part of it. So you're not rallying 5000 miles of pure time speed distance rally.
You have one in the morning and then possibly one in the afternoon, depending on the schedule. Right. And as far as off road is concerned, we're talking about a lot of gravel, a lot of dirt roads, dirt highways, things like that.
It's not off road rock crawling, not Moab, not, you know, that type of road per se, but we got to make miles. I mean, this is only an 11 day competition and it can go as high as almost nearly 6000 miles if you think about it.
Wow. Oh, my gosh. You know, you guys survived all of that. How did the car do?
The car did the car did great. I was the driver Mercedes was the navigator and the car did really well.
So it comes with a factory altering tires from general general grabbers. They did great. We had zero flat tires on like some of the other competitors and then it has a variety of different driving modes. So we were able to switch it into like trail mode or sand mode, depending on the road surface and the vehicle did very well.
It's pretty big. It's comfortable and had plenty of power to get past slow RVs on the Alcan on the last highway or lumbering log trucks on the back roads.
Did you spend the night in it? No, this rally we don't. This rally, we go to hotels or motels motels.
That's it. Motor lodge. Yes, as it were. All right. So I guess it came in second place. What?
Like overall out of everybody. Yeah, this year. That's pretty good.
Yeah. Yeah. So we did second place overall and we returned and we took first place in our two S class.
Again, we did that in winter 2024 with an in-house grenadier. Huge hats off to all of the new teams that were there. There were many new teams, whether they were in vehicles of different types or motorcycles in summer, there are motels that are allowed to rally as well.
And man, we admire those new teams. They were hungry. They were talented. They learned a lot and their scores improved so drastically. It was so much fun to see them grow and get better as the rally went on.
So do you think maybe you would come in first place if Mercedes drove? No, well, probably not because Peter Schneider and his driver Rich. Peter is an excellent long time, probably 30, 40 year long veteran of TSD Rally.
Times for distance rally and man to dethrone him. I don't know. There would be a lot of magic involved with it and heck a lot of luck. So the other thing to remember is Peter and his co driver were in what we call the unlimited category.
So they have a rally computer that is telling them to go faster, go slower, et cetera, et cetera. We're in what they call the SOP or seat of pants class, which is all math, which is all, you know, I'm using my spidey sense to like, I think we need to go a little faster, a little slower.
So essentially kids, I've got a kid's calculator. I'm green one that I bought off Amazon for like six bucks in a kitchen timer. And so that's the stance we are. And everybody else has got like a, you know, big rally app or, you know, unlimited, like a curto calculator or things like that. And I'm sitting here be like, I got my stuff out of Amazon.
And here I go press the button so that because of the rules. I mean, or is you just choose. So yeah, so it just depends on what classroom if you're running a rally computer, which is basically defined as anything that will do automatic calculations for you while you're on the move.
Okay. They're going to put you in the unlimited category. If you're just going with pen and paper, a basic calculator or like we have a GPS pedometer to that's not doing any calculations for us. It's showing us what we're doing, but it's not calculating go fast, go slow. Then you can be in the SOP class.
So when the alarm goes off, do you turn left or is the cake writers?
So so the car doesn't really make that much difference as to the class.
No. Well, yes or no. Different classes per vehicle. So there's autos that are like, you know, sedans or coupes or things like that. And then there's truck and SUV.
So anything to you is two unlimited truck and SUV and then two S is SOP or seat of pants because we're okay.
And this year there weren't very many cars. There was a there was an older Audi Quattro. There was a Porsche 911 and there was a Volvo.
I think that was a V70 R. They did well. They came in. I think they're a third overall and unlimited. Overall, they were an unlimited class car.
So first place went to Peter and his co-driver and a Bronco and then us in the Honda and then third place was Lance and his co-driver in their Volvo.
And we got to say it was a Bronco rental. There had been multiple.
So they fly up there and rent a car. Well, they were from the east coast. Yeah.
Well, you've got to feel bad about that. They know a guy. Yeah, I know that's it.
There have been people that have driven their vehicles from the east coast to the Alcan start. So they've had to cross the whole entire continent in order to start the rally. That's happened before too.
Yeah, people come from all over. I mean, we've had people from Sweden. We've had people from Taiwan. We've had people from all over the world do the Alcan 5,000. It's a it's a pretty neat cadre of folks.
How many how many years have you done this? This is our fourth year.
Fourth year. And is it a different route every time? Yes. Yeah, it starts out the same generally when you leave Seattle and you typically spend the night in Quinnell, British Columbia.
That's almost a given every time from there. It depends on the route. So it always dips in Alaska.
It's always going to go into the Yukon territories this year. We did not go into Alberta. And we also didn't or the Northwest Territories.
So how many you're a husband and wife team are there other husband and wife teams or maybe all women teams? How does it does that all apply?
Yeah, not many. Right, but there are you. Yeah, there were a couple of other husband and wife teams. Our friends Jesse and Debbie hires were were a team.
And then they decided to compete this year. They've worked many of the events, the Alcan 5,000 rallies in this time. They went full bore in and they competed and they did great. They were one of the rookie teams.
In 2022, there was an all female team driving an Audi as well. So yeah, you get all kinds.
So what do we need to do to send Mike on the next one? Find up now because registration is available for 20, 26 summer.
I'm thinking maybe perhaps one of those one person trailers behind it. And you can keep him back there as you do the off road section.
I could take pictures. Yeah, there's a lot of you should have seen the Honda man. We were so cake full of mud. I mean, we did all the optional extreme control routes, which basically that can garner you an extra award to go farther award.
And we always do that because for us, it's like, all right, we're reviewing this vehicle. Right, we're photographing the vehicle. We want to really test it in an extreme safe environment.
And this year, we had four different extreme controls. We took the dumpster all the way up to the Arctic Circle and back so we hit the Arctic Circle with it.
And then we did a telegraph creek, which is where was raining? There's a lot of shale rock and mud. And it got lots of layers mud plus other controls too.
Now, this is considered the summer event. Yes, correct.
Because of the weather and the conditions and stuff you go, but then you also compete in the winter event.
Yeah, the winter one is a whole other beast because not only are you doing the same crazy amounts of mileage. It's not fewer miles.
It's the same amount of miles. And then you have to worry about like, you know, survival. Not dying, yeah.
But you were talking about it kind of starts at Seattle. I mean, does the winter start in Seattle? Same place, same time.
It does, yes. It does. Yes, yes. And it just depends the first year we did this in 2020.
Once we got to Quinel, British Columbia, we never saw bear pavement for 5,000 more miles.
Wow. And in 2024, when we when we did it and we won our class in the Inos Grenadier, we didn't even see snow until we got to Yellowknife Northwest Territories.
But then it was 35 below zero.
Right. And it was I think it was a 60 degree drop in one like in two hours. I mean, yeah, talk about migraine city for me, but it's all part of it.
I mean, the weather, especially for the winter, it can be so extreme. We've seen almost up to negative 50.
But with standing not even windshield standing temperatures, negative 50 below zero blizzards. We've had highways closed down behind us.
I mean, you name it.
But there's something to look forward to.
Are you guys going to do that this year?
So there's a the next Alcan will be next year and that's a summer again, and then winter will be scheduled for 2028.
Okay. So what are you doing between now and then? What have you got planned?
Yes, we've got articles. We're going to be writing. We've got a few other things working on.
So in other words, when we have the in-wheel time cross country trek tour that we can count on you to sign up for that.
Oh, yeah. We'll leave it.
Yes, you will.
Because we'll all be sitting back going.
We'll be in the trailer. We'll be in the trailer.
We'll be in the trailer. That's right.
Well, it sounds like you guys had a ton of fun, and it was all say, do you find yourself learning something after each one of these?
For sure. For sure. Every year, it's like, okay, well, we didn't need to bring this or we should have brought this.
We're getting pretty good, you know, leaning out of the summer ones is the summer one is way easier to pack for because you're not bringing down jackets and survival gear and all that kind of stuff.
And also the passport had lots of space, so we weren't crammed in there like sardines.
Well, and the other thing too is an navigator, you know, I learned from a lot of the different teams, you know, you come away with, oh, that's how this person did it or this, this rookie figured it out this way.
And that's a really great way to adapt to, you know, challenging situation or that have, you know, what, what we have you.
And I'm, you know, Rich and Peter Peter was instrumental too. He was part of our buddy car system. So it's great. I mean, for me, not only are you learning about a new vehicle, right?
Because we're journalists and we test vehicles in an unconventional manner. A lot of the times, but we also learn a lot about each other and learn a lot from the teams.
I just can't imagine the fun that that would be. I mean, the learning experience for one and as you kind of touched on learning about each other.
Yeah, and I know that I always bring this up. I'm thinking, well, did y'all have any big blowout fights on the, on the way?
No, I don't think this one. We're pretty even, we're pretty even keel on this one, but, you know, we always tell each other like beforehand, like, all right, just remember, like, give each other some grace here.
It's going to be a pressure cooker. And it does, you know, these these events lend themselves to high pressure scenarios.
You know, you have a root book, right? That looks like this. You might not be able to see it well, but, you know, you have, you know, when you're doing the TSD portion of it, you have a certain speed you need to hit a certain odometer length.
And then you have to turn right and they have to make up that time because you're turning, then you have to stop, then you have to switch speeds, all that type of stuff.
So I'm constantly telling him he's constantly going, what? Actually, not really. But he's he's listening to what I'm saying to try to be perfectly on time.
That no matter who you are, if your father's son or husband, wife or friends or something like that can get really tense, especially if you're off time, you missed a turn.
So yeah, it can be quite a bit.
Do you hear that Mars? Do you hear that Mars?
What I'm wondering about is do they have a safe word when it gets really heavy going, you know?
I'm telling you, it is bubbles.
So Andy, are you the one that kind of like caves or gives in and says, well, okay, we'll do it your way all the time.
Yeah.
Well, she's the navigator and she's going to navigate whether you're in a rally or not.
So all of us guys hope.
Well, you know, the joke is, you know, this TSD thing works so well because she gets to tell me what to do all the time.
Yeah.
It just fits in with the normal flow of life.
I mean, that's just the way it is.
She sits on the right of the car because she's always right.
Yeah.
That's right.
Yeah.
That works great.
Well, listen, congratulations on obviously a lot of success on this thing.
And we always love talking to you guys.
We kind of live our lives through.
Becareously.
Yes. So there's always that factor.
And I'm sure that you guys got followers all over the world.
And we're just one of them and we do appreciate all that you do and get to share your experiences with us.
We want to keep up with you throughout the year, whether you're on the road or not.
How do we do that?
You can follow us at crankshaft culture.
That's going to be Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Blue Sky, Threads, all the things.
And that's the best well so crankshaftculture.com.
Okay, well, let us know what the next adventure is.
Or if you just want to talk and have a therapy session.
We can tell you what to do and what not to do while traveling together.
That's what I want from you Mercedes, especially.
I want to live the life of Andy.
I want to know with all that's about and how that all works out.
This is a therapy session for me through you.
There you go.
We're not always perfect but we try and heck, we're still married after yet another rally.
There you go.
That's progress.
We love you guys.
You'd be sure and take care of yourself.
We'll be following you and look forward to talking to you again soon.
Thanks guys.
Thanks for having us on.
Thank you.
Be careful.
Bye.
All right.
The in-wheel time car talk show invites you to our live broadcast every Saturday.
Tendonincentraloninwheeltime.com, Facebook and YouTube.
We hope you'll check us out.
If you miss us, you'll be able to connect with us through your favorite podcast channel.
You bet.
The in-wheel time car talk show continues right after this quick break.
The text max dining experience is defined by Lupi tortilla.
Your destination for Texas is best beef fajitas and frozen margaritas.
Since 1983, Lupi tortilla has served authentic and time-tested recipes.
Made with the freshest ingredients.
Atmosphere is part of the award-winning experience at Lupi tortilla.
All developed in a little house near Highway 6 and I-10 in West Houston.
Visit any of the Lupi tortillas and you'll see the same attention to detail in each and every location.
Start your Lupi experience with queso flamillado and guacamole,
along with a classic frozen margarita.
Dynon famous Lupi beef and chicken fajitas, or pepper shrimp brochette,
or a fish or vegetarian entree,
and finish with a scrumptious flan for dessert.
Find Lupi tortilla in Houston, college station,
Beaumont, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas Fort Worth.
There's a Texas location near you.
The recipes are authentic and time-tested.
The ingredients always fresh.
Lupi tortilla is pretty good.
Abel or Android, end-wheel time podcast can be found everywhere on the stream and through downloads.
Whether you're on the road or at home in Jonesin for a different kind of car talk show,
give in-wheel time a try.
Honest new car reviews, fun informative interviews with real car people,
weekly automotive news, features like Jeff's car culture and Mike's driving destinations,
all on in-wheel time.
Check us out on SiriusXM podcasts, iHeartRadio,
or while you're shopping on Amazon, through Amazon Music.
InwheelTime.com has a list and we know you love lists.
Thanks for joining us today on the end-wheel time car talk show.
Again, our new layout and it's not just what you see here.
It's also behind the scenes.
We've got a new system that we're using.
It's very cool, Mr. Morris.
Mr. Morris has been working on this for quite some time.
And I will say with David's help that Mr. Morris has done remarkably well.
Thank you, Michael.
Yes.
I always think it's a team effort.
It really is.
We all have our part to play.
Well, there's that.
Whatever that means.
Remember that from the corporate world, okay?
Yeah, way back when.
And I'll look at you.
Yeah, exactly.
Time now for the racing calendar.
Oh yeah, racing.
That sponsored by Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge.
Thank you for that, folks.
The Craftsman Truck Series, the qualifying was last night.
The race is going to be run today.
They're at Bristol.
I'm sorry.
They are at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
So that's for the Craftsman Truck there in a playoff position.
The infinity racing folks are off.
They will be back on the 27th, which is next week.
They're going to be Kansas.
And then this week for the Cup Guys,
they're going to be in New Hampshire much like the truck boys are.
That race is going to be on the USA Network at two o'clock tomorrow.
Impsa haven't talked about those folks for a while,
but it's the Battle of the Bricks.
They're at Indianapolis and it's tomorrow on Beacock.
So it's 11.30 in the morning.
And then for you, Michael, we got Ezra by John Grand Prix for
1-1.
51 Lapper in Baku City Circuit in Baku City.
I want to see that.
Baku City.
Baku City.
Yeah, Baku City.
It's like Motor City in Louisiana in Baku City.
It was just not Louisiana.
But you probably could get some good Louisiana food down there.
I'm sure.
And then of course we all know Indy's done for the season.
So racing is kind of unwinding.
But your circle tracks, your local folks,
get out and support them if there's a big event here in town.
Absolutely.
If you're not going to watch it on TV and you don't support those,
support your local folks.
Time now for this week in auto history, Mr. Morris.
Yeah, buddy.
We got a few things that we're going to run through real quick here.
And one of them is that this week in 1908,
General Motors was founded in Flint, Michigan.
William C. Durant is actually who did this.
He was actually using it for a holding company for Buick.
Billy Boy.
Billy Boy.
Billy Boy.
Billy Boy.
Billy Boy Durant.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's him.
So he turned GM into...
He brought in Ozoneville Cadillac and made this a conglomerate
that offers cars for every budget around the world.
Also this week in 1916,
it's kind of not necessarily a car, but it's automotive.
This is the first time a tank was used in the military.
Now this is part of the...
It was part of the automotive design.
It's really what made this thing possible.
The British actually used it,
and they still used them today.
So running on into 1920.
Walter P. Chrysler.
And it always made me...
There's actually a guy named Chrysler.
He joined the Maxwell Motor Company.
Now that was kind of struggling.
He would already been with Buick and Willis Overland.
But he took Maxwell and put it all together
to start the empire that we now know as the Chrysler Corporation
had is involved into Stellantis.
It's part of the big three that's up there in Detroit.
I want to get started.
Since for you, Don.
Yeah.
1935.
Yeah.
The Swallow Sidecar Company brought out its new sports sedan
under the name Jaguar,
it's a Mayfair Hotel in London.
It was a 2.5-liter saloon type car with sleek styling and performance,
and it actually quickly gained a lot of admiration
and the name Jaguar for a while was synonymous
with performance and style.
Moving on to...
In 1948.
Citrogen.
Actually, the 2CV.
Now, this is really...
It's not a main train in America.
Yeah, wait a minute.
Can we go back?
Did you say Citrogen?
Or Pregion?
Pregion.
Pregion.
I think it was Pregion.
Citrogen.
Citrogen.
Citrogen.
And...
Oh, take your word for that.
Okay.
It was unveiled in 1948 at the Paris Auto Show,
and really what made it famous is because the part of their marketing
was it'll carry four people on a basket of eggs.
And so they used that as part of their marketing,
and they sold over 5 million of the 2CV.
A lot of eggs.
A lot of eggs.
Then in 1947.
Tucker, 48, today, and production halted.
Now, they've been through a lot of federal investigations.
A lot of people think there was a lot of reasons,
a lot of back-doring investigations going on,
but they had to actually stop full-scale production.
It was a very innovative car,
and a lot of people think that's the reason that
they got investigated so much,
because they were so far ahead of everybody else in the industry.
Yep.
There were only 51 cars were ever built.
And between the government and financial,
they just couldn't continue.
And a lot of the things that they did with that Tucker car
are still out there in the automotive world today.
And then lastly, I wanted to throw out here.
I thought it was rather interesting.
1948, the Honda Motor Company was founded,
making bicycles.
They were actually motorized bicycles,
and this is what led them into the motorcycle.
And then that's what led them into the cars,
where they are worldwide these days.
And that is this week an automotive history.
I have to tell you that in 1947,
my dad tells me this, I wasn't warned.
Thank you.
But he and my mom went from right outside Milwaukee,
drove down to Chicago to go see the Tucker
at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Really?
Yeah.
And he says it was a big, huge crowd,
and it was a very innovative car,
and it made an impression on him.
Tucker's never been recalled.
No.
The thing about your Honda motorcycle mic,
they had to build that in secret
because you had to have a license for gasoline
and they were not everybody could get gasoline.
So it was like on a QT.
You had to smuggle gasoline into these bike shops
so they could experiment.
We're going to look to hear from you.
Just shoot us an email.
The address is info at inwheeltime.com.
We're back right after this.
You own a car you love.
But why not let Gulf Coast Auto Shield protect it?
Houstonian John Gray invites you to a state-of-the-art facility
to introduce you to a specialist team of auto-invusiasts.
We promise you'll be impressed.
Whether you're looking to massage your original paint
to a like-new appearance, apply a ceramic coating,
install a paint protection film,
nanosuramic window tent, or a new windshield protection
called exo-shield, Gulf Coast Auto Shield
is where Houston's car people go.
Curved your wheels?
Instead of buying new one, I'd have them repaired.
How about a professionally installed radar detector?
Gulf Coast Auto Shield does that, too.
Get a peek inside the shop and look at the services offered
by getting online and heading to GCautoshield.com.
Better yet, stop by their facility at 11275 South Sam Houston
tollway just south of the southwest freeway
and get a personal tour.
Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your place to go for all things exterior.
Call them today, 832-930-5655, or GCautoshield.com.
The award-winning in-will-time car talk show
now reaches 5.3 million folks each year.
Check us out on inwheeltime.com,
the Odyssey Radio App, YouTube, Facebook,
and just about every other entertainment source out there,
including our live broadcast every Saturday,
10 to noon, central time.
The in-will-time car talk show has informative,
automotive guest interviews, new car reviews,
along with popular features including Jeff's car culture,
the latest new cars, cruise ins and racing dates.
It's inwheeltime.com. Join us.
Well, I think that this is it.
It's about all for this week's in-will-time car talk show.
First showing a new digs.
Be sure and check us out online at inwheeltime.com.
We're always looking for new, informative,
and great automotive things to bring to our global audience.
If you have an idea, if into a road trip destination,
like us to feature, let us know.
Our email address is info at inwheeltime.com.
Did you know we have lots of podcasts that you're from?
When you're looking for award-winning car talk,
you can find the in-will-time car talk show 24-7
on the in-will-time app and website.
Grab a podcast from your favorite podcast provider,
the video streamer live show every Saturday,
10 to noon on Facebook, YouTube, and inwheeltime.com.
The in-will-time video technical director is we need more Jeff Zekin.
Can we still say that?
No, we can't.
Okay.
For booking agent, video editor,
people find her in psycho-wiring main event
like out of this world, Mars.
Along with Chief Engineer David,
Hmm.
Ainsley, what will we do without you?
Thank you very much.
Thank you, David.
I'm Don Armstrong.
From all of us at the in-will-time car talk show,
have a great week.
We'll see you next week.
That's it for this podcast episode of
in-will-time car show.
I'm Don Armstrong.
Inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning
on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and our in-will-time.com website.
Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
Stitcher, I Heart Podcasts, Podcast Addict,
Tune in Pandora and Amazon Music.
Keep listening, and we'll see you soon.
About this episode
The Alcan 5000 Rally is North America's longest road rally, covering over 5,500 miles from Washington to Alaska, with a mix of on-road and off-road challenges. Hosts Don Armstrong, Andy, and Mercedes Lillianthal discuss their recent experience driving a 2026 Honda Passport Trail Sport, highlighting its performance and adaptability on rugged terrains. They share insights on the competition, their second-place finish, and the camaraderie among participants, including unique challenges faced during the rally. The episode also touches on the differences between summer and winter rallies and the learning experiences gained from each event.
Mercedes and Andy Lilienthal take us on an exhilarating journey through North America's longest road rally - the Alcan 5000. Covering a staggering 5,500 miles from Seattle to Alaska, this husband-wife team pushed their 2026 Honda Passport Trail Sport to its limits across punishing terrain and secured an impressive second-place overall finish.
The conversation reveals the fascinating format of this epic adventure: daily time-speed-distance rally segments connected by long-distance travel through some of the continent's most remote regions. While competitors in the "unlimited" class relied on sophisticated rally computers, the Lilienthals triumphed in their "seat of pants" class using nothing more than a $6 calculator, a kitchen timer, and raw mathematical calculations.
Their Honda Passport proved the perfect companion, conquering approximately 900 miles of dirt and gravel without a single flat tire. The couple details how they tackled optional "extreme control" routes that earned them the "Go Farther Award," including an expedition to the Arctic Circle through mud-drenched paths and treacherous conditions that left their vehicle "caked full of mud."
Beyond the mechanical challenges, the couple shares insights into the human element of rally competition - how they navigate the pressure-cooker environment as partners, their strategies for effective communication under stress, and the camaraderie formed with competitors from around the world. With good humor, Andy admits that Mercedes "sits on the right of the car because she's always right."
Having competed in both summer and winter Alcan rallies, the Lilienthals offer perspective on the additional challenges winter brings, from survival concerns in temperatures reaching -50°F to blizzard conditions and closed highways. Their experiences highlight the remarkable resilience required when facing nature's most extreme conditions.
Whether you're a rally enthusiast, an adventure seeker, or simply curious about extraordinary automotive challenges, this conversation captures the spirit of pushing boundaries and finding joy in the journey. Follow the Lilienthals' continuing adventures through their Crankshaft Culture platforms and perhaps consider registering for the 2026 summer Alcan 5000 R
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
---- ----- Want more In Wheel Time car talk any time?
In Wheel Time is now available on Audacy!
Just go to Audacy.com/InWheelTime where ever you are. ----- ----- Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast provider for the next episode of In Wheel Time Podcast and check out our live multiplatform broadcast every Saturday, 10a - 12nCT simulcasting on Audacy, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and InWheelTime.com.
In Wheel Time Podcast can be heard on you mobile device from providers such as:
Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Podcast, iHeartRadio podcast, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Castro, Castbox, YouTube Podcast and more on your mobile device.
Follow InWheelTime.com for the latest updates!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/InWheelTime
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inwheeltime/
https://www.youtube.com/inwheeltime
https://www.Facebook.com/InWheelTime
For more information about In Wheel Time Podcast, email us at
