How Frank Spinella’s Venom Outlaws Invaded – and Conquered – the Carlisle Ford Nationals
About this episode
Frank Spinella’s Venom Outlaws are portrayed as a growing, family-first Mustang club that turned Carlisle Ford Nationals into a recurring “Venom Invasion.” The hosts describe how the group started in 2014, expanded beyond Mustangs, and became a visible fixture on the show field—complete with tents, crane logistics, and a yearly theme that ramps up after New Year’s. Even a brutal rain year couldn’t slow momentum, as Ford’s Club Connect and a “red busting registry” helped fuel rapid growth.
The greatest Ford festival party on the planet – the annual Carlisle Ford Nationals – is all about Blue Oval camaraderie and vehicle clubs and celebrating the myriad of Fords produced over the past century. After John created the Ford Performance Club Connect program for Ford Racing more than a decade ago, the Carlilse Ford Nats became his “Super Bowl” of car shows as he could meet up with dozens and dozens of Ford clubs all in one place over a single weekend.
John even got to choose Carlisle’s “Coolest Club Hangout” award each year as he and Mike visited as many of the club tents on the show field as they possibly could. But a few years ago, something big happened: Frank Spinellla’s Venom Outlaws Mustang Club showed up and turned the club hangout experience into a themed happening with a massive tent and custom-decorated footprint that dwarfed everything else that clubs gad set up on the Carlisle
Fairgrounds. In this episode, Mike and John visit with Frank to get the inside story of his club, and how being founded on family fun has powered the annual “Venom Invasion” at Carlisle.
Don’t forget to Like, Subscribe and leave a Comment. Plus, show that you’re a true Mustang insider by wearing Mustang Owner’s Podcast branded apparel, available on TheSVTstore.com!
Ford Mustang
"Hello Mustang fans and welcome to another episode of the Mustan..."
The Ford Mustang is a sports car made by Ford. It’s designed to be fun to drive, with options for different engines and styles like a coupe or a convertible. A Mustang podcast talks about how to live with one, what to maintain, and how to get the most out of it.
The Ford Mustang is a classic American sports coupe/convertible built for performance and everyday usability. It’s often discussed because it has a long history, a wide range of engine and trim options, and a large enthusiast community that keeps it relevant across generations. In a Mustang-focused podcast, it’s the central topic for ownership tips, modifications, and what to expect from different setups.
Venom Outlaws
"invasion the Venom Outlaws are here and they don't just have a tent Mike they had like the Taj Mahal"
Venom Outlaws is the group the hosts are talking about. They’re known for showing up in a big, attention-grabbing way at the Carlisle Ford Nationals.
Venom Outlaws is the name of the group being discussed, and the hosts describe them as a dominant, highly visible presence at the Carlisle Ford Nationals. The conversation focuses on their large, themed tent setup and how other clubs try to get attention by positioning near them.
Carlisle Ford Nationals
"they are literally a destination at Carlisle a fixture if you will because for when we were next to them like last year everybody's like where's your where's your guys tent at the show I"
This is a big Ford car show in Carlisle. The hosts are talking about how the Venom Outlaws became a well-known part of that event.
The Carlisle Ford Nationals is a major Ford-focused car show held in Carlisle, where Ford owners and enthusiasts gather to display cars and compete for attention. In this segment, it’s the event context for how Frank Spinella’s Venom Outlaws became a standout presence.
club connect program
"the the club connect program is winding down this year hannah is gonna she is the ford uh community engagement specialist with ford racing he's gonna revamp and rebrand club connect at the end of the year"
“Club Connect” is Ford’s way of working with car clubs and helping them get involved with Ford events. Here they’re talking about changing it and updating it for the future.
“Club Connect” is Ford’s community program aimed at linking the brand with car clubs and events. In this segment, it’s described as winding down and being revamped, so it’s essentially a brand-led way to organize and grow club participation around Ford Racing.
Ford Racing
"hannah is gonna she is the ford uh community engagement specialist with ford racing he's gonna revamp and rebrand club connect at the end of the year"
Ford Racing is Ford’s motorsports/performance side. In this segment, it’s mentioned because the person working on “Club Connect” is part of that group.
Ford Racing is Ford’s motorsports and performance brand umbrella. Here it’s tied to community engagement through a specialist who helps run and rework the “Club Connect” program.
red busting registry
"john i thought you know we started it with mox and we really showed how to grow and really take it to an insane level then red busting registry came out and they just went bonkers right i mean the numbers were just through the roof"
“Red busting registry” sounds like a Mustang-community tracking list or program. The host is saying it launched and then the club’s numbers jumped a lot.
“Red busting registry” appears to be a specific registry or tracking effort within the Mustang community that the host says “came out” and then drove rapid growth. The exact meaning isn’t fully clear from the transcript, but it’s treated like a catalyst for membership/participation numbers.
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
Help improve this episode
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.