How Texas Muscle Car Clubs Compete In Bracket Racing
In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show
How Texas Muscle Car Clubs Compete In Bracket Racing
In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show · Jun 29, 2026
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Concept
bracket racing
A type of drag race where slower cars get a head start so they can race fairly against faster cars. The winner is the driver who gets closest to their predicted time without going faster than they said they would.
Place
Extreme Raceway Park
A popular drag racing track in Texas where drivers can safely and legally race their cars on a short, eighth-of-a-mile strip.
Car
2011 Dodge Charger
A large, heavy American four-door sedan that is popular for its aggressive looks and powerful engine options. While heavy, it can be modified to be extremely fast in a straight line.
Term
4.11 gear ratio
A gear setting in the back of the car that helps it accelerate very quickly from a standstill, which is perfect for short drag races but makes the engine spin fast on the highway.
Part
two-step launch control
An electronic system that lets a drag racer hold the gas pedal all the way down before the race starts without blowing up the engine, keeping it at the perfect speed for a fast launch.
Part
Honda 1.5L Turbo Engine
A small, fuel-efficient engine used in many popular Honda cars that uses a turbocharger to get extra power. Some owners have experienced issues where fuel mixes with the engine oil or the engine leaks coolant.
Concept
oil dilution
When gasoline gets mixed into the engine's oil. This is bad because gasoline is thin and doesn't lubricate the engine parts like thick oil is supposed to, which can cause the engine to wear out faster.
Term
variable compression
A clever engine design that can change how tightly it squeezes the air and fuel inside its cylinders while you are driving, helping it save gas when cruising or give more power when accelerating.
Car
Nissan Rogue
A very common family SUV made by Nissan. Recent models have a high-tech three-cylinder engine that has faced reliability issues and recalls.
Part
GM 6.2L V8 Engine
A large, powerful V8 engine used in big GM trucks and SUVs. While it sounds great and can tow a lot, it has had issues with internal parts breaking, leading to expensive repairs.
Car
Jeep Wrangler 4xe
A hybrid version of the famous Jeep Wrangler that can be plugged in to run on pure electricity for short trips before switching to a gas engine. It has struggled with electrical issues and battery recalls.
Part
Toyota 3.4L Twin-Turbo V6 Engine
A modern twin-turbo V6 engine that Toyota put in its big trucks to replace the old V8. It has suffered from a major issue where leftover metal debris from the factory ruins the engine's internal bearings.
LIVE
Yeah.
AlwaystrytoblenditonMars.
HelloandgoodmorningfromourdualcitystudiosinTexas,USA.
It'stheaward-winningInvilTypeCarTalkShow.
Justahead.
TexasMuscleCarClubChallengefinishesitsspringseasontomorrow,sowegetanupdate.
Plus,Jeffhasengineproblems,fiveenginesgivingbigautomakersbigproblems.
AndMr.
Marshassummerwaterparksinthisweek'sdrivingdestinations.
Howdy,alongwithMikeoutofthisworld,Mars.
WealwaysneedmoreJeffSeek.
DonArmstronghere,DavidAinsleysleepinginandwatchingfromhisbed.
Makesurethateverythinggoesjustthewayit'ssupposedto.
I'msurethephoneisringinginthebackofficeaswespeak.
Becausenothingevergoesright.
Well,sogladthatyoucouldjoinusonthishotSaturdayfromourHouston,Texasstudios.
AnduhIwilltellyouthatuhthere'snorainintheforecastthisweekend.
Sohopeyougettohavethegrasscutbyatleastnow.
Eitherthatorwaituntilaboutseveno'clocktonightwhenthesungoesdown.
That'swhatyou'redoing,yeah.
Okay,it'llonlybenine.
Well,thisisacarshow,andwetalkaboutallthingsautomotivehere,includingracing,becauseracingisabigpartoftheautomotiveindustry,anduhsomanyinnovationshavecomeaboutinthecarindustrythroughracing,sowethoughtwe'dincorporatethatintoourshowaswell.
Andwiththatinmind,we'regonnagotoMr.
ScottStregel,andheiswiththeTexasMuscleCarClubChallenge.
Whathe'snothereyet.
Hesayshe'sgonnabealittlebitmore.
Waitaminute,Ithoughtthatyoujustgotoffthephonewithhim.
Well,Idid,andhe'ssayinghiscomputer'srunningslow,itdoesn'twanttologinafter.
Okay,allright.
Well,that'snotgood.
Yeah.
Sowhatwouldyouliketodo,Mr.
Mars?
Iknowthatyougotyourtapdancingshoeson,sogetupandgiveusalittlejig.
What?
I'vegotlotsoftapdancing.
Okay,well,takeitaway.
It'stutu.
Yeah.
Well,oneofthethingsisyouknow,weweretalkingaboutthey'regonnatakethisbreakbecauseoftheheat.
Uhitishotdownhere,andyoualwayshavetowonderifit'shot,butyouknow,howwoulditaffectthetrackandaffectsthecarsandstuff?
Solet'sjustaskScottthatquestion.
Thereyougo.
Ishewithusnow?
He'sScott.
Morning.
Morning.
Well,whatyeah,whatdoyougot?
Areyoustillworkingonacupandstringovertheretryingtogetontheairwithus?
Idon'tknow.
Itdecidedthismorningthatitwantedtodoupdatesanditwasn'tconnectingtotheinternet.
AndI'mlike,whythismorning?
Doyouhaveaninternet?
Yeah.
Whowho'syourinternetprovider?
ATTfiber.
Ohmygoodness.
Whodoyouthinkyouare?
Inwheeltimeorsomething.
Notgettingontheair.
Whatareyoutryingtobeus?
Yeah.
Youareus.
Whatmakesmelaughissomeofthepeopleouthereboughtit,drankthatKool-AidfromNeverHeardofthatcameouthereandsaid,Icandothisandit'scheaper.
Andtheygodowntheeasy,easy.
Everythey'llgodowninternet.
Wow.
Yeah.
That'swhatIwentthroughwithcontest.
We'veseenoffersthathaveATT.
Well,it'sit'sfunnybecauseIseethemgodownandtheyconstantlypostonFacebook,we'redownoninternetagain.
AndI'mlike,youknow,ifyouwouldhavejustsignedupforATTFiber,youwouldneverhaveanytrouble.
ButwhatdoIknow?
Youknow,IIwillsaythis.
ButI'mwhenImovedintouhmynewhouseandthenewstudios,umIwasdonewithComcast,uh,becauseitwasalwaysdown,alwaysabigproblem.
AndsoIwentwithATT.
I'venothadoneissuewiththeminthepastnine,tenmonthsnow.
Yeah.
SoumsoifwegetonATT,canwefindoutaboutthespringscheduleforTMCCC?
Canwefindoutaboutthat?
Forwhat?
Justsayingthespringschedule.
Wedowereallycare.
Hewastryingtomakeaseguethere.
Iwastryingtosegueintowhatwe'retalkingabout.
Okay,fine.
Asopposedtousgripingabouttheinternet.
Allright,well,let'stalkracingthen.
So,howhasthespringseasongone?
Howmanyraceshaveyougot?
Let'sbackup.
ExplaintoeverybodywhattheTexasMuscleCarClubChallengeis.
Okay,it'suhcluborteamonteam,dragracing,uhbracketracing,ifyouwill.
Wehaveuhcategoriesfromthebasicstreetgrocerygetterallthewayuptofull-blownracecarsandincludingelectricuhvehicles,EVs.
Wow.
Uhwehaveaclassforthemthatwestartedthisyear,specificallybecauseelectricvehicleshaveaclearadvantageoverfuelvehicles.
Um,theydon'tcareaboutweatherwherefuelvehiclesdo.
Umanyway,weraceuhprettymuchalloverTexasanduhsouthernpartsofOklahoma.
Um,wedo10to14racesayear.
Alotofthatdependsonweatheronwhetherornotwe'regonnagetthemallinorwe'regonnagetsomein.
It'sapoints-basedsystem.
Umyouthemoreroundsyougo,ofcourse,themorepointsyougarnerforyourteam.
Andwealsohaveindividualawardsforumthosethatsignup.
It'scalleddriverrewards,andtheygetpointsthatgospecificallyforthemselves.
Um,thewinnerandtherunner-upeachyearuhwillgetuhalloftheirracespaidforforthewinner,andtheuhrunner-upgetshalftheracespaidfor.
Sohowmanyracesinthespringseason?
Wetrytodosixorseven.
Um,thisyear'sbeenalittledifficultbecausetheweatherhasn'treallypaiduhplayedwithusuhtherightwaymuch.
SoI'vehadtocancelacouple,I'vehadtopostponeacoupletothefall.
I'mnotbigonpostponingbecausethatkindofinterruptsplansthatpeoplemayhave.
Um,andthetracksreallyliketouhmakepostponeracesduringJulyandAugust,andwe'rejustnotreallyintoracinginJulyandAugust.
Itgetsalittlewarmaroundhere,youknow.
So,butwe'veuhwepostponedoneoftheraces.
We'redoingadoubleheaderinthefalluhupinuhOklahoma,wherewe'reracingonaSaturdaynightandaSundayuhmorning.
AndtheMother'sDayrace,whichwewewemadespecialawardsforandandstufflikethat,gotcanceledatthelastminutebecauseitrainedupinWichitaFalls.
Sowe'rekindofdoingaMother'sDayinuhinAugustkindofthing.
WepostponedthatonetoAugust,andwe'lltalkmoreaboutthatlater,sometimeuminAugustwhenwegettogether.
We'llwe'llpromotethatalittlebitmore.
ButsofarwehaveIthinkfourracesin.
Weshouldhavesix.
Uh,wehaveourlastraceofthespringsessiontomorrowatExtremeRacewayParkinFerris.
Ferris,Texas.
Andisiteighthmile,quartermile?
Ferrisiseighthmile.
Mostofourracesareeighthmile.
However,whenwegouptoThunderValleyinOklahoma,that'squartermile.
UhandatuhInnis,uh,we'vealreadybeenthere,butwedoquartermilethere.
Wewewelimitittoquartermileforthewhatwecallthestreetcarclasses,whichwouldbeyourstreet,yourstock,andyourkingclasses.
Theyrunonstreettires,theydoquartermile.
Anythingbeyondthat,umwelimittoeighthmilemostlyforthefactthatit'scarsaregearedforeighthmiletracks.
Soyoudon'thavequartermileguyscomingtotheeighthmileracesortheirclubsorteams,doyou?
Wedo.
Umbecausetheylikeit.
Ididn'tknowiftheyweretheyweresegregatedbecauseit'saneighthmile.
Theywouldratherrunthequarterandthenleavethatuhthesmallerraceforthefortheothercontestants.
Giventhefactthatmosttracksnowhavegonetoeighthmile,mostpeoplearegearedin,youknow,liketheirrearendsaregearedforeighthmile,theirtransmissionsaregearedforeighthmile.
UmIlikemycar,myracecarisisgearedforeighthmile.
Iknowwhatit'lldoinaquartermile.
I'verunaquartermile,butIdon'tpushitforaquartermilebecauseI'mnotgearedforit.
Isitamanualorautomatictransmission?
Mine'sanautomatic,butitwasthetransmissionwasbuiltbySouthernHotRodspecificallyforracing.
SoitshiftsalotharderandalotdifferentlyandalothigherRPMsthansayyouryourbasicstreettransmission.
Doesitshiftintheeighthmile?
Yes.
Threetimesortwice.
I'msorry,twice.
Twice.
Twice.
Wow,that'salot.
Eighthmileisnotthatlong.
No,youmusthaveaprettystoutgearintherear.
It'slikeI'matwhatis700feetorsomething.
It'sonlyaneighthofamile.
Yeah,it'saneighthofamile.
It'snotmuch,butIwillshiftfromfirstintosecond,andthenfromsecondintothird,andthat'sasfarasI'llgo.
Youknow,it'sfunnybecauseallIcanthinkofismom'sBuickSkylark,anduhsheneverknewit,butIdidputitonthequartermiletrack,andIthought,well,I'lljustputitintolow.
AndandandI'llI'lldotheshiftingmyself.
Well,IIthinkIalmostblewuptheenginebecauseIletitridealittletoolongdownthereinfirstgear.
Yeah,youyoureallyneedtoknowwhatyou'redoingifyou'regonnashiftanautomatictransmissionmanually.
Well,it'sthesedaysalotofcarsarebuilttodothat.
Well,they'llhavepaddleshiftersoryes,youcanswitchitover.
Uhminewasbuilttodothat,butwhenIhadthetransmissionredone,umItookthataspectoutofittowhereit'sstrictlyIIputitintoumdriveanditlikeIsaid,it'llship,butitdoesn'tshiftuntilabout7,000RPMs.
Ohmy.
Sowhatkindofcariswell,yeah.
Whatkindoftransmission?
Whatkindofcar?
Well,mymycarisa2011DodgeCharger,butit'snotstockatall.
Imean,itrunssixandahalfsecondeighthmiles.
Soyouinotherwords,you'vebeendiddlingwithit.
Justatinybit.
Yeah,yeah.
Uhandthetransmissionyousaidisuhcustombuilt.
Yeah,it'sbuiltbySouthernHotRods.
Ican'trememberwhatitisrightoffthetopofmyhead.
Um,youknow,oldagepreventsyoufromrememberingcertainthings.
Everything.
Yeah.
Uh-huh.
It'slikeItoldmywife,oneofthesedaysshe'llhavetowearanametagjustsoIcango.
That'sagoodone.
I'mgonnausethatdowntheroad,Icanpromiseyou.
Justcallherhoney,thatwayyouforgotalongtimeago.
Yeah,exactly.
Butit'syouknow,thetransmission'sbeenbuilt,it'sgotanaluminumdriveshaft,it'sgota411gearinguhForduhclonerearendinit.
Um,andthedriveshaftsarebuiltbythedriveshaftshopoutinNorthCarolinaumtowithstandupto1400horsepower.
Idon'thavethatmuch,butyouknowjustincase.
Yeah,justincase.
Butattheendoftheday,youknow,itittakesalmost800horsepowertogeneratethespeedthatI'mgeneratingbecauseImean,let'sfaceit,it'sacharger,it'safatass4,000-poundcar.
Yeah.
Um,ifItookthatsamehorsepowerandputitintoan1800-poundMustang,um,yeah,Icouldrunprobablyfoursecondeighthmiles.
Butwell,let'stalkaboutuhtheclassesanduhlet'slet'stalk,let'stalkabouttheclasses,andwhatisthemostfullclassthatyoucurrentlyhave?
Probablyrightnowwecallitwhatwecallcompetitionmuscle.
Umthatisbasicallyanycarthatrunsuhsevenpoint,Ithinkit's7.45
orquicker,um,thathascertainAIDS.
Likeyoucanhaveatwo-stepper,youcanhaveaumuhwhatdoyoucallit?
UhI'mtryingtothinkofwhatitwhatit'scalled.
Umanyway,startingAIDS,it'snotanairshifter.
Airshifterhastogointoadifferentclasscalledelectronics,butthecompetitionmuscle,um,wehaveeverythingintherefromumbasicracecarsallthewayuptosmalluhmodifiedsthatgointosowhenwhenyouhaveanevent,umwhatobviouslysomeguyslikecertaintracks,andthere'sprobablyoneortwotracksthatyouguysgotowhereeverybodygoes.
Whichwhichtracksarethose?
Well,ourhometrackisExtremeRacewayPark,XRPinFerris.
Wegetmorecarsthere,um,usuallysomewhereupwardsintheneighborhoodof130to150carsthere.
Wow.
IninintheTexasMuscleCarClubChallenge.
Correct.
Wow.
Inthealotofclubs.
IwouldsaysecondwouldbetheuhtheuhmotorplexupinInnis.
Umwe'lldoaboutthesamethere.
Umotherthanthat,IwouldsaymaybeThunderValleyandupuhupinOklahoma.
Um,andit'saquartermiletrack.
Wewillgeneratemorecarsataquartermiletrack.
UmoneofthethingsthatIdoalso,andIstartedaspresident,isiseverytrackhastheirownuhwhatwecallletterdesignation.
Soafteryourcarnumber,let'ssayyourcarnumberis100,youputinyourletterdesignationthatdesignateswhatclubyourpointsgoto.
Well,I'vegeneratedlesardletterdesignationsforeverytracksowecanbringinlocalracersaswell.
Interesting.
UhsowasthisTexasMuscleCarClubChallenge.
Isthisyourideatoputthisgrouptogether?
No,no,they'vebeenaroundfor41years.
Gotcha.
Itwasitwasconceived,likeIsaid,41yearsagobyacoupleofguysthatuh,andIIapologize,Ican'tremembertheirnamesoffthetopofmyhead,buttheykindofconceivedthisideaofbringingclubstogethertoraceandandgivingavenueforpeopletoracethatyouknowdidn'twanttospendawholebunchofmoneyororwantedsomethingthatwasverymuchlaidback,andthat'swhatthisisit'sverymuchafamilyatmosphere.
Um,youknow,Iwe'vewe'vehadpeopleshowupwiththeirgrandmothersandinmotorhomes,andyouknow,theysitthereandwatchusrace,anditdoesn'tcostalotofmoney.
Imean,you'reyou'retalking20buckstogetin,andwhenyougetintospectate,youcanseeallthecars,youcanwalkaroundinthepitch,youcansitinthestands,youcandowhateveryouwant.
AndyoucanaskScottStriegelwhat'sgoingon.
Soright,yeah.
Ihavethatallthetime.
Peoplecomeupandtheyaskmequestions,ortheytheyuhtheytheyseemewandering.
AndI'lltellyoujustrealquicklastyearforthefirsttimewewenttouhConchoValleyinSanAngelo,andwehadadriver'smeeting,ofcourse,we'dneverbeentherebefore,butIhadpeoplecominguptomeinthepitareathatwerejusttellingmewe'veneverseenanythinglikethisbefore.
Thisisfantastic.
Areyouguyscomingback?
Wewegeneratedmorespectatorstherethanwe'veevergeneratedanywherewe'veeverbeen.
So,thisismoreofalegalversionofwhatyouseeontheTV,thestreetoutlawsguyswherethey'reinthedarkinthebackalleyracing.
So,thisismoreofbringingthemoutfrombehindthebushesandputtingthemonthetrack.
Correct.
Andtheothersideofthatcoiniswe'retryingtogetpeopleoutthestreettoumandyouknow,tobeblunt,stopdoingstupidthings,right?
Umgetthekids,youknow,stopbeingonthenewsbecauseyou'rekillingpeopleoryou'reinjuringpeople.
Comeouttothetrack,uh,bringyourcar,showuswhatyougot.
Um,noneofusarearethatuhproprietarythatwe'reafraidtoshowyouortalktoyouororanythingaboutracing.
YouwanttoraceyouryouryourumI'mgonnadatemyself,butyouwanttoraceyourYugo,bringyourYugo.
Wedon'tcare.
YouusedtodothathereinHoustonwhenwehadtheHoustonuhracewaypark.
Yeah,didn'tyoucomeuptoyeah?
Soyeah,veryfamiliarwiththemouthere.
Well,Scott,it'sgreattotalktoyouanduhcongratulationsonyoursuccesswithwhatagreatclub,uhTexasMuscleCarClubChallenge.
Uh,wherecanwegotolearnmoreinformationonthat?
Wehaveawebsite,it'stmcc.org.
Um,everythingaboutTMCCCisonthere.
Myphonenumberandemailaddressisonthere.
Soifthere'ssomequestionsthatuhyouneedansweredthataren'tansweredororwhatever,youarewelcometogetaholdofme.
Well,Scott,it'sgreattotalktoyou.
Bestofluckuhthisuhthisthisweekend,tomorrowinparticular.
AnduhwehopetocatchupwithyousometimeinAugust.
Yeah,we'llseeyouguysinAugust.
We'lltalkmoreaboutourfunMother'sDayinAugustracethatwe'vegotgoingon.
Soundsgreat,man.
Thanksagain,man.
Uhjustahead,Jeff'sCarCulture,fiveenginesthatarenogood.
AndMarsdrivesustosevenwaterparksafterthisbreakwhentheN-wheeltimecartalkshowcontinues.
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CheckusoutonSiriusXMPodcasts,iHeartRadio,orwhileyou'reshoppingonAmazonthroughAmazonMusic.
Inwheeltime.com
hasalist,socheckusout.
It'safunride.
Wehopethatyou'lljoinus.
Andbytheway,uhnextweekendwe'regonnahaveabestofshow.
Yep.
Uhanduhwe'regonnahaveoneofthoserareweekendswherewetaketimeoffforourselvesandourfamily.
SouhIhopethatyouenjoyyourfourthofJulyaswell.
Allright,timenowforJeff'sCarCultureBadEnginesbybigbrandnames.
Areyouthere,Mike?
He'sgotit.
Letmeclickit.
UmWhydon'tyoujustgoaheadanddoit?
Yeah,I'lljustgoaheadanddoit.
Thankyou.
Allright.
Well,uh,enginesonthislistwerechosenbecauseofongoingrecalls,ownercomplaints,clax,classactionlawsuits,andgovernmentinvestigationsoverthepast12months.
Tonarrowitdown,thesespecificchoices,uhmostpopularvehiclesfrommajorbrands,havebeensubjecttolargeongoingrecallsoverthelastyear.
Sovery,verycurrent.
FirstoneonthelistisaHonda.
Uhso1.5
turbo.
Hondagenerallyenjoysastrongreputationforreliability,butthere'ssomeHondastheirenginebuyers,uh,theirengineoftheenginesandthebuyersmightwanttosteerclearof.
Uh,oneoftheseenginesisthe1.5
literturbo.
It'safour-cylinderengine,uh,it'sbeenaroundforawhileandnowpowerssomeofHonda'sbest-sellingmodels,includingthisuhCivicAccord,theCRV.
Unfortunately,theengine'sissueshavealsobeenknownforawhile,namelyoildilutionandheadgasketfailures.
Ablownheadgasketisnotcheapforaquickrepair,whileHondahasn'tissuedafactoryrecallfortheseproblems.
Ongoing1.5
literturboissueshavecomecontinuedtoplaguethecompany,includingclassactionlawsuits.
ThenextoneonthebooksisaNissan.
It'sa1.5
literuhturbo,it'saVCturbo.
ThingsoverallhavenotbeengreatforNissanrecently,astheJapaneseautomakersworkedtodigitswayoutoffinancialturmoilandtheatthecorporatelevel.
Thecompany'sinnovativeyetoftentroublesomevariablecompressionengineshavebeenamajorculpritbehindrecallsandownercomplaints.
The2026Nissan1.5
isathree-cylinderturboVCmotor,hasprovenespeciallyproblematic,withthecompanyrecallingover600,000rogueSUVsforpotentiallycatastrophicengineproblems.
Ifuhfortunateuhthefortunatesumsaffectedbytheenginewillonlyneedathrottlebodyreplacement,soit'seitheroneortheother.
Very,verydifficulttodo.
Here'sonethatweallknowit'saGeneralMotor6.2
literV8.
Turnsoutthroughthesimpler,naturallyaspiratedAmericanV8isnotwithoutitsownproblems.
Specifically,we'retalkingaboutproblemswiththeGM6.2,
whichpowerspopularmodelslikethebest-sellingChevrySilverado,GMCSierrapickups,aswellasaChevyTahoe,GMCUConn,andtheCadillacEscalade.
Uhwell,theSUV'sprobleminthegameCadillacaswell.
Problemscausedbydefectiveinternalcomponentsonthe6.2
hasthusfarledtorecallover700,000trucksandnottomentionongoingclassaction.
Lawsuitsthere'sathemetherewithclassaction.
UhGMsaysapossiblesolutionistochangetherecommendedoilviscosity.
Let'sjuststartthere.
Blameitontheoil.
Yeah.
However,questionsremainabouttheeffectiveness,andithasn'treallyprovidedtheL87ownerswithanyrealpeaceofmind.
Andthenwegotonethatweallknowandlove.
It'sbeenaroundforever,theJeeptwo-literturbohybrid.
ThisisanX4XE,iswhattheycallit.
Oh,fourbyE.
Yeah,fourbyE.
Uh,nowthefastthingscanchangeintheautoindustrybackin2021.
ThenewJeepWranglerandtheGrandCherokee4XEmodels,whichuseatwo-literturbochargedfour-cylinderenginecombinedwithaplug-inhybridelectricpower,wereportrayedwereportrayedasthefutureoftheJeepbrand,andthe4XEpowertrainhasalsobeenplaguedbymechanicalandelectricalissues.
Surelyhaven'tseenhelpinthiscaseforstickingaround,uh,amongotherthings.
The4XEhadalreadybeenrecalledforpotentiallybatteryfireissues,andthentherewassomeuhanotherrecallforpossiblecastingsanduhleftinsideofthe4XE'stwo-literturbo,whichover100,000vehicleswererecalledbecauseofthat.
Ifthesandisinsidetheengine,itcouldleadnotjusttototalenginefailure,butalsotoafirerisk.
Andlastly,onthehitparadeisaToyota.
Whowouldhavethunkit?
3.4
litertwinturboV6,traditionallyoneoftheuhoneboughtnewToyotapickup,areputationforreliabilityinthebigsellingcomponents.
The3.4-liter
twinturbov6enginepowersToyotaTundrapickups,Sequoia,uhSUVs,andhassufferedsignificantproblemssincethedebutin2022.
AndtheycontinuetoputadeninToyota'sgenerallyexcellentreputation.
Asthe2026ongoinguhcatastrophesoftheengine,it'sanengine-bearingproblemshavebeenpromoted.
UhToyota'srecalledover250,000trucks,andthere'sprobablynoremedyinsightforthenearfuture,butuhthey'restillnotcompletelyimmunefromthat'stheirV8.
Yep,yep,yep.
Geewhiz.
That'sit.
Waitaminute.
That'sthesame,well,basicallythesameenginethattheyraceinNASCAR.
Um,well,yeah,the3.4.
No,Ithinkit'sbiggerthanthat.
Isittwin?
Idon'tknow.
Theymight.
Idon'tknow.
I'llhavetolookintothat.
Butyeah,butthe3.4,
that'stheV6.
3.4,
yeah,V6.
Oh,that'swhyIsaidV8.
YousaidVokay.
V6.
Nevermind.
Allright.
Therewego.
Okay,wegotthat.
Yeah,wegotit.
Allright,verygood.
Allright.
Uh,timenowforumourwaterparksdrivingdestinations,Mr.
Mars.
Yeah,wewentlookingforsomethingforthe4thofJulyforthefamily,thoughtaboutwaterparks.
It'shothere.
Andofcourse,youthinkaboutSchlitterbaum,wementionedearlier,orevenTyphoon,Texas,upinuhKaty.
Reallylarge,alotofpeoplegothere,big,largecorporateparks.
However,there'safewothersaround,likeHurricaneHarborSplashtown.
Now,thisistheoldSplashtown.
ItistheoldestmajorwaterparkintheHoustonarea.
Uh,it'sit'sknownforthevarietyoftheslides,likethemulti-laneracingslide.
It'sgotagiantfunnelride,andthere'salotofwavepoolsonit,andit'sveryeasytogetto.
It'sinthespringupoff45,soit'sverypopularwiththefamilies.
ThesecondonethatwewantedtolookatwasBigRiversWaterParkandAdventures.
Now,thisisupinNewCaney,alittlebitfurtherup,butit'smorethanawaterpark.
Youcandoziplines,yougotaerialadventurecourses,yougotclimbingattractions,there'ssomeanimal.
Theyevengotsomeamusementparkridesalongwiththeregulartraditionalwaterslidesandthepools.
It'skindofahybridwaterparkandadventurepark.
It'sagreatplacetotakethefamily,andyoucandoalittlebitofeverythingatthisonelocation.
ThethirdonewewanttolookatisSplashwayWaterPark.
Now,it'soneofthegotareputationasbeingoneofthecleanestandmostfamily-friendlywaterparksinTexas.
It'slocatedsouthwestofHouston,andit'skindofarelaxedatmosphere,anditmakesitmoreappealingforthefamilybecauseit'salittlemorefamilycomfortableasfarasthetryingtosayit'salittlebitmorelaidbackforoldpeople.
Yeah.
Well,orifyou'vegotyoungchildren,it'swellthat'swhatIsay.
Grandpagrandmaandgrandpacouldtaketheyoungkidsthere.
Yeah.
Thereyougo.
Thereyougo.
That'lldoit.
Theuhthefourthonewewanttotalkaboutis,andI'veneverheardofit,NestlerParkFamilyAquaticCenter.
Now,thisisdowninTexasCity,andit'sactuallypartoftheTexasCityParkinguhParksDepartment.
Anduhit'saverycommunity-centeredatmospherebecauseitispartofthecityparksdepartment.
It'sgreatforparentslookingforadaytogetoutonthewaterwithoutalotofexpanseandalotofcrowdsthatyou'regoingtofindatthebiggercommercialattractions.
Thefifthone,andIlikethenameofit,andandI'veseensignsforit,butit'sthePiratesBayWaterParkdowninBaytown.
Nowit'sobviouslygotanauticaltheme,andit'sgotalotofuhdifferentthingsfromawaterpark,includinguhalargelazyriver.
It'sgotawavepool,you'vegotlotsofthingsyoucanclimbonifyou'reaclimber,anduhwaterslidesofdifferentsizes,andit'sallpartofapirate-inspireddesigntogiveitaverydifferentuhatmosphere,anditisanothercity-owneduhpark,soitkindofgivesitadifferentatmosphere.
It'snotquitesocorporatelevelbecauseitisthecityparkandit'sformanyoftheHoustonfamiliesthatareclosearound.
TheotheroneIfoundinterestingwastheStrawberryWaterPark.
Now,thisisinPasadena.
Uhit'ssmallerandit'smuchmoreofaneighborhoodfeel,sofamiliescanseethechildren.
It'snotreallysobig,theycangetlostuh,youknow,100yardsawayinsomeriverthat'sgoingsomeplace.
AndsoforalotoftheSoutheastHoustonresidents,it'saquick,easywaytogettoawaterparkwithoutgoingallthewayacrosstown.
ThelastoneIfoundwasNoah'sArkParkdowninHoustononWestCenterDrive.
Nowit'skindofit'sreallyuniquebecauseitcombinesaneighborhoodwaterparkatmospherewithabiblicalarctheme.
Soinsteadofbeingfocusedonextremethrills,it'sreallyemphasizesfamilyfunwiththeswimmingandlazyrivers,thatkindofthing.
Andandit'snoteverywaterattractionneedstohaveallthebigtowers.
There'splentyofthose.
Willyoubeabletowalkonwaterwhenyougetdonethere?
Sir?
Willyoubeabletowalkonwaterwhenyougetdonethere?
Well,I'mnotsure,butitmightbepartofoneoftheattractionstheymightwanttoadd.
Sorry.
Ijusthadtogothere.
Yeah,yeah,yeah.
No,it'sthat'suh,butthat'ssomeofthethingsyoucoulddoifyoudon'twanttogotoawaterparkthat'sgotallthebiguhcommercialcorporatewaterparks.
It'sgotmassivecrowdstothem.
Thesewillgetyouintoalittlebitdifferentatmosphere.
Allright,timenowforaquickbreakontheInWheelTimeCarTalkShow.
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About this episode
Scott Striegel, President of the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge (TMCCC), joins the show to discuss the wrap-up of their spring season and the upcoming bracket racing action at Extreme Raceway Park. Striegel explains how the 41-year-old club organizes family-friendly drag racing events across Texas and Oklahoma, welcoming everything from daily drivers and EVs to 1,400-horsepower beasts. He shares details about his own heavily modified 2011 Dodge Charger, debates the merits of eighth-mile versus quarter-mile tracks, and highlights the club's mission to get illegal street racers onto safe, sanctioned tracks.
Original notes
You can feel the Texas heat through the microphones, and it sparks a simple question with big consequences: where do you go when you want to race your car without doing something stupid on the street? We talk with Scott Striegel from the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge (TMCCC), a long-running team-on-team bracket racing series that gives everyone a place to compete, learn, and hang out, whether you show up in a true street car or a full-blown track build. Scott breaks down how the points system works, what “driver rewards” mean, and why the club even added an EV drag racing class, because electric cars bring a consistency advantage when weather and track conditions swing.
We also get practical about the racing itself. Eighth mile vs quarter mile isn’t just a detail on a sign, it changes how cars are geared, how transmissions shift, and what a setup is optimized to do. Scott shares what it takes to make a heavy modern Dodge Charger run hard, from a purpose-built automatic transmission to driveline parts designed for serious horsepower. The theme stays grounded: this is competitive, but it’s also laid back, family-friendly, and affordable for spectators who want to walk the pits, see the cars up close, and ask questions.
Then we pivot to the stuff that hits your wallet: engine reliability. Jeff runs through five engines tied to major recent recall activity and owner complaints, including Honda’s 1.5 turbo, Nissan’s 1.5 VC turbo, GM’s 6.2 V8, the Jeep 4XE 2.0 turbo plug-in hybrid, and Toyota’s 3.4 twin turbo V6. To cool it all down, Mars delivers a list of Houston-area water park driving destinations, mixing big names with smaller city-run parks that can make a summer day trip feel a lot less chaotic.
If you like real-world car talk with local flavor and useful takeaways, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a review. What are you driving this summer, and where would you take it first: the track or the water park?
Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!
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