The BMW New Class is a new range of cars that BMW is making, focusing on electric vehicles. This is important because it shows that BMW is moving towards making cars that are better for the environment while still being fun to drive. These new cars will help BMW stay competitive as more people look for electric options.
An eighth mile is a shorter drag racing distance, which is about 660 feet. It's often used in races that want to finish quickly, compared to the longer quarter mile races.
A pit crew is a group of people who help fix and refuel race cars during a race. They work quickly to make sure the car is ready to go back on the track as fast as possible.
Electric vehicle technology is what makes electric cars work, including the batteries and motors that power them. It's important for making cars that are better for the environment.
Tariffs are extra taxes that make imported goods more expensive. They can affect how much car companies pay for parts or vehicles from other countries.
Battery-powered models are cars that use batteries instead of gasoline to run. They are becoming more popular as people look for cleaner energy options.
EV technology means the parts and systems that make electric cars work, like batteries and electric motors. It's important for how well these cars run and how far they can go on a charge.
Anyos Automotive is a newer car company that is changing how it operates and is unfortunately letting go of some employees as part of that process.
Car
Ineos
The Ineos Grenadier is a new type of off-road vehicle that looks to be tough and practical, similar to older 4x4s. It's built for people who enjoy outdoor adventures and need a reliable vehicle.
LIVE
Welcome to another In-Wheel Time podcast.
It is the award-winning In-Wheel Time car talk show just ahead, Scott Striegel, Texas Muscle
Car Club Challenge.
You'll find out about it and the final standings for the year.
Plus, Jeff will have to cruise in on events, calendars, and I'll bring you stories making
automotive news headlines this week.
Howdy, along with Mike out of this World Mars, he's here today, oddly enough.
We need more Jeff Zekin, Chief Engineer David Ainslie.
I'm Don Armstrong.
Thank you so much for joining us today.
Scott Striegel, Muscle Car, Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge.
Scott, good morning.
Good morning.
How are you?
I am good.
Can't complain.
A lot of stuff to do, getting ready for our interstitial banquet and stuff like
that.
So I'm pretty busy at these.
Are you going to have the banquet this year?
The banquet's going to be at the Star Golf, let me call it Golf Club in Granite, are you
listening?
Oh, very nice.
It's called the Star.
We're doing fajita ball this year.
So we'll have beef and chicken fajitas, all the fixings, rice, charobines, so on
so forth.
What time does it start?
Yeah, really.
Yeah, we'll be there.
I know that we got the invitation.
It's somewhere I've misplaced it, I guess.
Yeah, it's on December 13th, starts at six o'clock in the evening time, goes until about
the end.
Mars will be there.
You'll find him in the bar about four, four thirty.
I got to warm it all up.
There you go.
That's it.
So there's that.
All right.
Well, let's talk about the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge.
It's an event within, usually, another event, is it not?
Well, we are getting to the point to where we try to be standalone.
So, what do you do?
You go and run the drags?
Clubs.
But we don't run.
We have an agreement with the drag strip.
They get a cut of every tech card, and they get a cut of every spectator, and then we
get a cut as well.
So, at the end of the day, I'm going to say we're making about twenty five hundred
dollars each race, and the track is probably making five thousand each race.
That's on top of it.
Huh?
That's not bad for a day event as well.
The actual Muscle Car Club Challenge, though, didn't start off that way, did it?
Forty years ago, forty one years ago, no, it didn't.
I remember it quite a bit.
I remember it well, Scott.
You were just a grasshopper back there.
I was building a spine.
Yeah.
Right.
There you go.
But it's all quite a bit of where we're running, you know, let's say our last race
of the season at Extreme in Ferris, we were 140 cars.
Wow.
Wow.
I didn't know it was, it has grown to that point.
I will give you an average when we are in that, that would be at the motorplex
or at Innis, we're averaging about 130 cars per race when we go out of town, which would
be Houston or Contra Valley, somewhere like that, or up to Oklahoma, we're averaging about
80 to 85 per race.
Man, that thing, that thing has grown.
Yeah.
And it's strictly a day race, typically on Sunday, mostly on Sundays.
I will say this, the in-town race, and we're kind of graduating towards doing the out-of-town
races on Saturdays, starting at three o'clock in the afternoon and getting done around midnight,
that way people that have to go to work on Mondays are traveling along, because we got
some guys, I'm telling you, that come four, five, six, seven hours away.
So I don't want to get them home at midnight and then have them get up to go to work
at six o'clock in the morning on Sunday morning.
That's just crazy.
Yeah, that's not going to work, too.
So let's talk about this past season, how things been.
Fantastic.
We, it's 14 races, we had three of those get washed out of the weather, which was my plan
all along, instead of scheduling 10, and then having makeup races, which always seemed
to occur during July or August.
I said, let's schedule 14, if we get ranked, we just cancel the race, period.
That way we don't have to go around getting into somebody's vacancy, you know, what have
you.
And by and large, it went really well.
I had very, very few complaints, had a lot of compliments, especially about Brittany Leslie.
She does all of my marketing, all of my advertising, and all of my social media stuff, something
new that I started this year.
Oh, yeah, this year.
Go ahead.
Great job.
I've noticed that real quick about how much more active all that has gotten to be with
the images that you've got out there of the actual races and things.
It's been really impressive this year.
Yeah, and it's not only just us, photo Houston, but she's advertising that track
as well as us.
So they're getting as well as TMCCC is getting benefits.
I think the only thing we might change next year is get an assistant that can change,
you know, take pictures and videos and stuff like that, so we can get posted, especially
with adding our new class for EV vehicles, promote that.
And I think she needs somebody to help her out there.
So she's not trying to race and do all that stuff on her own.
Interesting.
What were the classes and what trophies did you hand out for those classes?
Well, we have the 5a class, which is a big club, and that first place went to Red River
Motor Muscle Club, which is my team, not only am I the president of TMCCC, but I also
run that team as well.
We took first place in that for the second year in a row.
The 4a was, oh, you're going to make me look it up.
No.
I'm not going to make you do anything.
That's all right.
You don't have to worry about it.
So how many, how many classes are there?
There's 4a, or excuse me, 5a, which is large, that'd be anything over 16 vehicles I think
it is.
Then there's 4a, which is going to be 7, 15 vehicles per race.
And then there's 3a, which is all the smaller clubs out there.
And so each of those classes have different cars and different, I guess, areas of which
they race in, correct?
Correct.
Even though everybody competes against everybody, and what I mean by that is a 5a car will
compete against the 3a car.
The 3a cars are competing, so to speak, against their own division for points.
So it's incumbent upon them not only to beat the 5a car, but to continue on so that they
garner as many points as possible throughout each event.
So it's not based on the performance of the car, per se.
So you could end up with a 5a car and a 3a car that are basically a heads-up match.
Am I understanding that or not?
Almost.
I mean, we are bracket racing.
And the brackets are not separated by a whole bunch, so I compete in the copy.
In my bracket or within a couple of tenths of a set, top to bottom.
Okay.
Okay.
Well, a couple of tenths a second is huge.
When it comes to, are you eighth mile or half mile, quarter mile, what are you?
We are eighth mile, mostly.
We only have, at this point, we only have one track that's quarter mile, and then that
would be the most quarter-plex, waiting for next to try to get us in at Pine Valley,
which is quarter mile, and get us back up under Valley, which is quarter mile.
Unfortunately, we only allow quarter mile racing to be done with the street tire
classes, which we have Stock, Street, and King, but they basically are three cars,
more or less, race car, race cars, or they're doing eighth miles.
That's what they're geared toward, all the tracks around eighth mile, as you
guys well know.
So, you know, we try to keep it with what they're able to do.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yes.
A pit crew and...
It's only money, Scott.
I mean, what the heck.
Those kinds of things that none of us have the money to afford to do.
They just happy to be doing what we're doing.
Don't tell anybody.
So, when did you start, when did you start racing?
Racing
Yeah, I think you're you're kind of getting in and out on a Scott
Yes, that
That telephone line connection that you've got there Scott is finally catching up to you
Yeah, yeah, I tried to get off
Long because I think that's where I started is AOL dial up. Yeah. Well, there is that right
Dial up was the thing. Well, that's all there was. Yeah, it's all it was
Well, Scott took congratulations to you for what I understand is a great season and I understand that you've got
More goodness coming for 2026. When does that season start for you?
We're hoping to start in the middle of March
I still haven't got some dates yet
from
The tracks that I'd like I only had to iron in iron clad. Excuse me dates
Down a little river, but I'm working on getting a start in the middle of March
We'll go the spring session until the end of June and then we'll start up again on the beginning of September
And we'll go to the end of October for the fall session
Okay, sounds good. So what's the website?
That would be TM
ccc.org
From there you can see everything all of our rules brackets
Classes pictures
Almost everything you want to know and my phone number web
Excuse me my email and phone number and all of the executive counsel email phone numbers are on there
So if anybody has questions
There are more of them than well pass
Well, Scott, we look forward to working with you again next year for 2026
Absolutely, we're hoping we could get into Pine Valley and maybe drag you guys out there some Saturday and see us out there
You never know. It depends on what kind of underwear Mars is wearing that careful what you wish for
Scott, it's great to talk to you tell everybody we said hello and we'll talk to you again soon
All right, man. Okay. Thank you. Yes. Have a good day. Thank you
Sorry, I didn't mean to cut him off. I thought he was done
But what did the glitch we could do the yes the connection there was spotty
Like we were talking past each other
You know 10 gigawatt connection that we do wherever he is. It's certainly marriage like I said
He say that whatever
Coming up
Japs cruise in and events calendars and I'll have the stories making automotive news headlines this week stay with us here on the award-winning
And we'll time car talk show we'll continue after this break
The tailpipes and tacos Christmas edition 2025 happened Saturday December 13th from 8 to 11 a.m
And you'll want to be a part of it tailpipes and tacos is the cruise in everyone wants to attend and the Christmas edition is extra special
Donate an unwrapped new toy and help yourself to a free loopy tortilla breakfast taco
They'll be adult beverages available for purchase to and don't forget your ride
Just cruise in and you're automatically registered to compete for one of three famous chili pepper trophies best hot rod best classic and best modern
Classic tailpipes and tacos Christmas edition will be held Saturday December 13th 8 to 11 a.m
At the loopy tortilla Tex-Mex located at 703 West Grand Parkway just south of the Katie freeway in Katie
Oh, and don't forget to bring the kids. They'll be special trophies and goodie bags for them, too
It's the tailpipes and tacos Christmas edition 25 Saturday December 13th 8 to 11 a.m
At the loopy tortilla Tex-Mex at 703 West Grand Parkway in Katie bring a toy get a free breakfast taco and enjoy the camaraderie
In real time will be there too
Apple or Android and we'll time podcast can be found everywhere on the stream and through downloads
Whether you're on the road or at home and Jones in for a different kind of car talk show give in we'll 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 Sirius XM podcast iHeart radio or while you're shopping on Amazon through Amazon music
Mm-hmm in real time dot-com has a list and we know you love lists
Be sure and join us for a live show every Saturday in real time airs Saturdays 10 to noon
Central time on Facebook YouTube and in wheel time dot-com. I think that we're watching ourself
Hollywood lights are in my eyes. Yeah, I can't you wear sunglasses, you know, that's cheap sunglasses. Yeah, really
That's that's the reason why why not
Perfect. All right. Well, I've got some in the next room. I'll be really going. I'm off. Take those out
I'm now with a cruise in an events Kellen. Oh, that's right
Cool. All right. I'm glad so much. I'm glad somebody's paying attention dang it
Yeah, oh Riley's cruise in the coast car show. This is actually today from eight to four
This is down in El Campo, Texas. So you still got time to get down there
It's at 21 16 North mechanic Street in El Campo
The event begins with the cruise that
Participants can start at any of the five O'Reilly's and then they in El Campo Wharton Bay City, West Columbia and
Polashes
Participants who visit all five stores will receive an additional 10 points added into their scorecard because it is an event
So it's goes to approximately 3 30 4 o'clock this afternoon
So get out there and enjoy that it's gonna be a cool event
Next one. We've got a car show and audio competition for all of the people that like the big decibels going on there
This is actually in Corpus Christi, South Texas race ranch is where it's going to be going on
It's a competition. The event begins with setup at 9 a.m. Which is going on right now
Awards will be presented at 4 o'clock. There's a $25 entrance fee
There's a lot of stuff going on there a lot of things for the kiddos and
Have you ever been to one of those DB race a long long time ago long time ago?
That's when they hit, you know, Casio radios in the car. Oh, yeah
The next one is 17th annual harvest festival. This is going on next weekend is from 9 to noon and where's it at?
Well, it's going to be in Sugarland, Texas right down the road from where the studio is at here
Goes from 9 a.m. To noon organizers. They postponed the event due to weather last time
Celebration rides attractions all kinds of good stuff
There's a $10 fee for a wristband to access all the rides for the kiddos and that's at 1200 Walker school road in
Texas
Mike knows where it's at 25 20 20 25 pecan harvest festival. This is next weekend in Richmond, Texas from 10 to 5
Takes place at the historic downtown Richmond, Texas
Well, we're in Richmond right now, so it's not far from here as well
10 to 5
Hosted by the Rotary Club of Richmond visitors expect to see car shows unique vendors all kinds of good stuff
Go out there and enjoy it. There's many many more things coming up for toy toy drives
You see the the loopy tortilla ad we have so get out there. Enjoy it falls coming good weather good cars
Well, I just wanted to fit in okay, and the only problem is is that I have to put my
Readers over the top
The sunglasses are dark enough it kind of blacks out you can't really see him well
It just looks like you've got super thick wings. Yeah, well either that or I look like Stevie Wonder one of I
Think you're a shorter than he is
The movie I saw yeah, you're sure
Well, I just thought that hey those are my $20 sunglasses that I paid a lot of money for at
Academy can't he's got purse sunglasses are $200
This is 20, okay, which is way
All right, some of the stories making headlines this week Volkswagen group and Rivian what a pair
group and Rivian
Have ambitions of selling electric vehicle technology
They are developing together
To other automakers in the future. Well, here's my suggestion
Run the other way
Their joint venture known as RV tech somebody in the marketing department had a field day with that
I'm sure said it has made solid progress on delivering the EV electrical and software platform that VW needs
To compete with Tesla in Chinese rivals really
BW is grappling with tariffs in the US
Shrinking deliveries in China and muted demand in Europe. I like that muted demand
As part of its push to cut costs and bolster sales
It's turning to Rivian for the kind of software in EV technology. It's initial battery-powered models
We're missing out the automakers investing up to five point eight billion dollars
And you know, we only need one billion here on the in-wheel time show
We're very cost-effective. Absolutely. Yeah, we're frugal efficient approval. Yeah, but you'd like to know before we
Destroy the story. Okay, just maybe going there. How about you another Chinese automaker? What cherry cherry? Uh-huh
apologized and
Promised to pay for repairs to a historic land market damaged while attempting to copy a Range Rover stunt from
2018 what way to go
Videos posted on social media November 12th show a yellow cherry
Thing young it's the name of the car Xl or x3l driving up the
999 steps stairway to heaven in
Tiananmen Mountain in China's
Province I had there for dinner last night. Yeah, I
Had a bout with it in there nevermind during a particularly steep portion of the climb the extended range electric SUV loses traction
Before skidding backward and crashing into a railing is on looker
Here take that home let your mom read that
It's you know, that's what the people make fun of Chinese drivers and things. So that's that's really not fair
Anyway, we have a good time that's life in effect. I think I'm gonna I'm gonna pick this up off the floor
But it's work. No, give me just a second because it's drop one of his gets down there
He won't be able to get either that I'm gonna fall between the chair in the
The table and the wall here
There's the picture test. Yes, the test was intended to mimic
I already told you that the video viewed nearly 7 million times great PR
Shows the Range Rover navigating a road with 99 hairpin turns over 7 miles before climbing the
999 steps to Tiananmen cave a soaring natural arch
Known as Heaven's Gate
I've heard of that. Yeah, wait a minute Heaven's Gate. Wasn't that the bunch that killed themselves? Yeah, I
Believe that was and they all that was a different
That was a different meaning. Yeah, this is this is but this is Heaven's Gate where they are all splayed out
Yeah, and and rooms stacked one on top of the other
Yeah, but that wasn't it and somebody the neighbor complained that it smelled bad
At the time see I wish they didn't let me drive because when it started sliding backwards
You know about that a smoke screen when you start spinning the tires and stuff. Are you going backwards?
No, it's not AI because you know
Did they did they produce it AI car going into the thing and can I interject something on your story?
Did you hear about the
Crash at the Mekam auction in Dallas. No, there was a
57 or 58 pickup truck that they were taking across the block
Foot slipped on the accelerator that truck went into a Corvette that was just sold and that Corvette went into a Camaro
That was just sold hundreds of thousands of dollars with the damage three cars the last auction in Dallas
I was almost gonna put a story, but there wasn't enough
Information that I could get they had a couple pictures. It was pretty bad
Driver going across the blocks foot slips boom crash it well
Heaven's gate
At the time Land Rover said it was the first vehicle to climb the 45 degree stairs
tongue
spokesperson described it as
Without doubt one of the most demanding driving challenges. I've ever faced. He was the driver also
Way to go
I'm kind of thinking not but okay. Yeah, well, you know a cat had his tongue. That's what it was
Bad news here, but no surprise
Anyos automotive is eliminating several hundred jobs globally as the young automaker enters a new operating phase and places more focus on
existing and new customers
And good luck on the new ones in a statement
Several hundred head office staff across multiple locations the company said it employed just under 1,700 globally before the reductions
Really?
I'm supposed to be getting an Ineos in January. How are you? Yeah, I reached out to mr.
Ineos and they said yeah, well, they'll put you on the list
Great put me on the list. I'll try one of those to any in January and any as opposed to in
Everybody. Yeah, well, I do you know you'll be in February. That's what it is
Auto industry get grappling with US tariffs on imports as well as multiple supply chain disruptions affordability also remains a headwind
The vehicle sales have slowed or remain sluggish in key markets such as China and Europe as consumers turn more cautious
The US light vehicle market is well below its peak from 2015 to 2019
When annual electric sales top 17 million
Ineos Grenadier starts at seventy five thousand dollars, and I'm sure that has nothing to do with
Just average market for that cat. It looks like an old
Range Rover yep, that did mm-hmm very much
With modern headlights
And a Tesla shareholders approved CEO Elon Musk's pay package. Did you hear about this? I heard something valued at up
to
one
Trillion with a T the largest
Compensation award in corporate history way to go Elon. Hey way to go anybody doesn't mean it if you can if you can pull that off
More part to you
Well, we're about to bark on is not merely a new chapter of the future of Tesla
But a whole new book Musk told investors gathered at Tesla headquarters in Austin, Texas
Big part of Tesla's growth will come from developing its humanoid robot
Optimus according to mr. Musk. There you go
I thought you'd like to be up to date on it up to speed
But but you notice he has he's still got Tesla and he still promotes it
But he's kind of moving away from that he's going off at the space and now he's gonna build some robots
Well, he's also got tunneling you make drilling doing tunnels. He's got a tunnel company that's building tunnels
Really? Oh, yeah, look it up. Yeah, are they electric tunnel? No, they're going to they're going to build a tunnel between here and
Neaterville. Mm-hmm. So you'll have a clear shot. It's gonna be about that big around
Charging station so the Tesla can charge. Oh, yeah, he has a tunneling company for mining and all that other stuff. Yeah
Where did we go wrong we went terribly wrong. Yes, we did
Why are you smiling and not saying anything we need a four-hour show to go
Tell you in my opinion exactly if we can think that far back exactly we'll make up something
Hey, we easily do. Yeah, most of this is all made up stuff. No AI
We get get our news from automotive news. I just didn't dream all of this up some of it
Not all of it. We'd love to hear from you shoot us an email
Guess what the address is?
info at
in wheel time
calm
We will be right back after these
Who doesn't like a social event?
How about one that centers around your love for all things automotive?
Another Gulf Coast Auto Shield car social is back Saturday December 6th 9 to noon at 11 to 75
South Sam Houston Parkway just south of the Southwest freeway
It's a morning packed with incredible cars some of the finest rides in town from classics to modern exotics
Here's your chance to talk to fellow car lovers grab a coffee and check out how Gulf Coast Auto Shield keeps these rides looking perfect
Meet the team take a look around the shop to see firsthand
How Gulf Coast Auto Shield gets the most of the look you're trying to create in?
Will time will be there with their live car talk show. You might just be one of the guests
Don't miss this free fun and fast-paced car gathering of fellow car lovers and their rides
Saturday December 6th at Gulf Coast Auto Shield
11275 South Sam Houston Parkway bring your car bring your friends and bring your love for all things automotive. We'll see you then
The award-winning in real-time car talk show now reaches 5.3 million folks each year check us out on in real-time calm
YouTube Facebook and podcasts available from your favorite go-to source
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 driving
Destinations Jeff's car culture latest car news cruise ins and racing dates. It's all on in wheel time dot-com join us
That's it for this podcast episode of the in wheel time car show
I'm Don Armstrong inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning
8 to 11 a.m. Central on Facebook
YouTube Twitch and our in wheel time dot-com website
Podcasts are available on Apple podcast spotify stitcher. I heart podcast podcast addict tune in Pandora and Amazon music
Keep listening and we'll see you soon
About this episode
Scott Striegel from the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge discusses the growth and future plans of the club, including the recent season's standings and changes to race scheduling. The conversation highlights the impressive turnout of participants, with an average of 130 cars per race, and the introduction of new classes, including EV vehicles. The episode also touches on the club's marketing efforts and the upcoming banquet, providing insights into the community's passion for muscle cars and racing.
What does it take to turn a local bracket meet into a 140-car institution that tracks want to host and racers plan their year around? We sit down with Scott Stregel to unpack the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge, from how the series shares revenue with drag strips to the schedule and class design that keep cars in the lanes and teams coming back.
Scott explains why a fourteen-date calendar beats endless makeup races, and how shifting out-of-town events to Saturday afternoons through midnight helps racers dodge brutal Monday commutes after long tows. We break down the club divisions—5A for large rosters, 4A for mid-size, 3A for smaller teams—why everyone still races everyone in brackets, and how the points chase remains fair across club sizes. You’ll also hear why most race cars run eighth mile in this region, when quarter mile makes sense for street-tire classes, and how that balance keeps competition safe and close.
Beyond the staging lanes, we get into the media engine behind the growth: consistent social content, cross-promotion with host tracks, and the push to document more live racing with photos and video. That spotlight doesn’t just hype results; it builds a community identity that travels from Ferris to Houston and beyond. Scott previews the targeted mid-March season start, the spring and fall segments, and the venues on the wish list, plus the addition of a TV vehicle class aimed at new participants. For details on rules, brackets, and contacts, he points listeners to the central hub at tmcc.org.
If you care about grassroots racing that’s organized, sustainable, and genuinely fun, this is the blueprint. Subscribe, share with your club, and leave a review to tell us which track you want on the schedule next.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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