About this episode
Fresh off the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, host Joe Costello, Giovanni, and Sue Morris dive into an instant classic weekend of drag racing. The crew reflects on the patriotic spirit of the upcoming 4th of July and America's 250th anniversary, sharing nostalgic memories of the 1976 bicentennial. They break down the high-stakes drama from the track, including Aaron Stanfield's impressive performance and a heartbreaking, razor-thin loss for racer Rick Daddy that highlights the brutally humbling nature of professional drag racing.
Summit Motorsports Park
"Summit Motorsports Park, what a weekend. A dream weekend for NHRA drag racers."
A famous race track in Ohio where drag racers compete to see who can go the fastest in a straight line. It's especially loved by fans for selling giant scoops of ice cream for just a dollar.
A highly popular drag racing facility located in Norwalk, Ohio, famous for hosting major NHRA events. It is widely known for its fan-friendly atmosphere, meticulous track preparation, and its signature $1-per-pound velvet ice cream.
Total Seal
"Total Seal, Piston Rings, Hartford, another final."
A company that makes special metal rings that fit around pistons inside an engine, helping the engine seal tightly so it can produce as much power as possible.
An industry-leading manufacturer of high-performance piston rings, famous for inventing gapless piston ring technology. Their products are widely used in professional motorsports, including NHRA and NASCAR, to maximize engine compression and efficiency.
piston rings
"Total Seal, Piston Rings, Hartford, another final."
Small metal rings that wrap around the pistons inside an engine. They keep the exploding fuel-air mixture from leaking out of the cylinders and prevent engine oil from getting burned up.
Metallic split-rings that fit into grooves on the outer diameter of a piston. They seal the combustion chamber to prevent pressure loss, regulate engine oil consumption by scraping oil off the cylinder walls, and transfer heat from the piston to the cylinder block.
holeshot victory
"This one just, you know, double Aeron man got two double A O double O double A double O two and whole shot victory."
Winning a drag race because you reacted faster when the green light flashed, allowing you to cross the finish line first even if the other car was technically faster once it got moving.
In drag racing, a holeshot victory occurs when a driver wins a round despite having a slower elapsed time (ET) than their opponent. This is achieved by having a significantly quicker reaction time at the starting line when the green light flashes.
torque converters
"FTI performance transmissions and torque converters."
A part in automatic cars that connects the engine's power to the transmission using fluid, letting the car idle at a red light without the engine dying.
A fluid coupling device used in automatic transmissions that transfers rotating power from the engine to the transmission. It replaces a mechanical clutch, allowing the vehicle to come to a complete stop without stalling the engine while multiplying torque during initial acceleration.
Jeep Gladiator
"...re we move forward. You know, at least he's not a gladiator in the Roman Coliseum who lost. Those those that ..."
The Jeep Gladiator is a mid-sized pickup truck made by the American brand Jeep. It looks like a classic Jeep Wrangler SUV but has a truck bed in the back for carrying cargo. Like other Jeeps, its doors and roof can be completely taken off for open-air driving.
The Jeep Gladiator is a mid-size pickup truck that combines the off-road capability and iconic styling of the Jeep Wrangler with a highly functional five-foot cargo bed. Introduced for the 2020 model year, it features a body-on-frame design, standard four-wheel drive, and removable doors and roof, making it unique in the truck segment. It is highly regarded for its distinct blend of utility, open-air freedom, and trail-ready performance.
Shane van Gisbergen
"So let's talk a little NASCAR SVG. Speaking of which a little NASCAR in Sonoma Road course racing."
A famous race car driver from New Zealand who won championships in Australian touring cars before moving to America to race in NASCAR, where he is known for being incredibly fast on road courses.
A highly successful professional racing driver from New Zealand, often referred to as SVG. He is a multi-time Australian Supercars Champion who made a dramatic entry into NASCAR, winning his debut Cup Series race at the Chicago Street Course in 2023.
heel-and-toe
"I get a call from my friend Carlos Hocken stuff and it's like, I hear they're thinking about making heel towing illegal."
A trick where a driver uses different parts of their right foot to press both the brake and gas pedals at the same time while shifting gears, keeping the car smooth and fast around corners.
A performance driving technique used in manual transmission cars where the driver operates the brake and accelerator pedals simultaneously with the right foot while depressing the clutch with the left. This allows the driver to match engine speed to wheel speed (rev-matching) during downshifts while braking.
virtual safety car
"and right as he goes in and takes the pit, Carlos signs breaks and brings out the the virtual safety car"
A rule in Formula 1 where drivers must slow down to a safe speed during a minor track issue, but they keep their exact gaps to each other instead of lining up behind a real safety car.
A Formula 1 safety protocol introduced to slow cars down during minor track incidents without deploying the actual physical safety car. Drivers must reduce their speed by a set percentage and adhere to a strict minimum lap time (delta) across designated track sectors.
handicap racing
"He said he liked to watch the handicap racing. That that means that you know that seems a little awkward, but"
A type of drag race where the slower car gets a head start, making the race a test of driver skill and consistency rather than just who has the most expensive, fastest car.
A form of drag racing (often called bracket racing) where two vehicles of different performance levels compete against each other using a staggered start. The slower vehicle is released first by a time delay equal to the difference in their predicted elapsed times, making driver reaction time and consistency the deciding factors.
Tony Stewart
"Tony Stewart was really nice too"
A famous American race car driver who has won championships in almost every type of racing he's tried, including stock cars and drag racers.
A legendary American racing driver and team owner, unique for winning championships in IndyCar, NASCAR Cup Series, and NHRA drag racing. He co-owns Stewart-Haas Racing and operates Tony Stewart Racing in the NHRA.
Chevrolet Camaro
"Running radials on his car and his camaro ran a 34 349 with a nine at 216 mile an hour"
A famous American sports car made by Chevrolet, often modified by racers to go extremely fast in straight-line drag races.
The Chevrolet Camaro is an iconic American pony car, first introduced in 1966 to compete with the Ford Mustang. In drag racing, highly modified Camaros are staples across various classes, from sportsman brackets to professional radial tire categories.
Jeep Fleetvan
"I bought that jeep fleet van... anyway, I've decided to do an engine swap on it..."
A small, boxy delivery van made by Jeep in the 1960s and 70s, originally used for delivering mail, which some car enthusiasts now restore or modify with modern engines.
The Jeep Fleetvan (FJ) was a compact delivery van produced by Willys-Overland and later Kaiser Jeep from 1961 to 1975. Based on the DJ-3A Dispatcher chassis, it was commonly used by the US Postal Service and is now a rare, quirky platform for custom builds and engine swaps.
John Force
"The person who won when the crowd roared like that when everybody agreed it was john force"
One of the most famous and successful drag racers of all time, known for winning 16 championships and his high-energy personality.
A legendary 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion and team owner, widely considered the most successful and charismatic figure in drag racing history.
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