Mind the Gap

Look like a blood sausage in one of those.

I'm just saying.

Speaking of Europe.

This week on that car show,

we wrap up what was a pretty epic 2025

by planning for an even more epic 2026.

We came up with what would the ideal

car enthusiast gap year look like with events every month.

And we were very excited to discover

that at least one of us has been to most of these events.

So it was tough to choose a favorite.

And I really chose more than one favorite.

Unsurprisingly,

Ryan also just got back from another 2000 mile road trip

in the Toyota Crown Signia and he has thoughts

that and a lot more to wrap up this year on that car show.

Welcome to another cruise show.

We're back with a bit of a special agenda this week.

How's everyone doing?

Post Christmas, you know, recovery mode.

How about you guys?

Well, Ryan's clearly doing very well.

He's got a glass of red wine in his hand.

Makes me feel fine.

We're doing it wrong, Lindsay.

I know.

Clearly I didn't have iced tea.

It's not the way to go.

Right.

I just got Coke from Chick-fil-A.

But I thought this week we would do something a bit special.

There is a massive year next year in terms of car stuff to be done.

So I thought that car show should take a gap year.

But I think before we go into what that means and what that looks like,

I think we need to define what a gap year is.

So, Ryan, I think you had a pretty good definition, didn't you?

Well, I asked the Google and it said, bear with me,

had it written in front of me.

It said.

I should preface this.

I didn't have a gap year personally, right?

I mean, I didn't know what I was doing at that age.

I could have benefited from a gap year or three.

But so for those of you who don't know, when I give it the goog,

the goog replied with the purpose of a gap year is to provide an international

break for personal growth, exploration and skill building to foster maturity,

clarity and motivation, allowing individuals to gain real world experience,

clarity, clarify goals, recharge and develop crucial life slash career

skills before diving into further education or work.

It's a period for self-discovery through activities to foster a stronger

sense of purpose.

And boy, I could use all of those.

So, so Lindsay, have you done a gap year?

I have not.

That was, I think it was just starting to like the concept was just kind

of making its way to the States towards the end of my time in university.

So it was not really a thing the way it is now or common.

But you did study abroad, right?

I did.

I was in England for a semester in college.

So that was like a mini gap year.

No, we were level.

We've set the level because none of us have done a gap year yet.

Right.

So, so this is what our gap year do.

Yeah, or two.

Yeah.

An automotive gap year with a purpose to provide personal growth, exploration,

skill building, clarity and motivation, allowing us to gain real world experience.

So what I thought we'd do is we would plan our gap year as a group.

In essence, all our gap year activities need to be car related.

So what we're going to do is we're going to make some recommendations

based on the months.

I know some of these recommendations some of us have done.

So I'll ask you to share your experiences and we will plan

out that car shows gap year.

Are you guys in for this?

I'm gay.

Well, let's do it.

Awesome.

So let's take us to January.

Followed to the gap.

Yeah, don't please mind the gap as we would say in England.

Here we go.

First on the gap year international experiences is a retro mobile in Paris.

Now, Lindsay, you've been to this event.

So tell us a little bit about the event and whether you would go back.

So I would absolutely go back.

Last year was my first year.

I have gotten to know Ramal who runs the event.

And after hearing about it for many years from him, got to go last year

with my friend Lara and it is a must see event and it's a fantastic excuse

to go to Paris.

So if I had had more time, I would have gone.

I would have gotten there like the weekend before retro mobile because

it starts on a Wednesday and goes until Sunday and there is plenty

at the event to hold your attention that entire time.

Because it is a massive, massive.

It's like multiple convention halls just outside of Paris.

It's very accessible from the center of town.

You can just use the metro.

So it's super easy to be right in the center of town, get to the event,

go check it out.

And then you can also do all of the things in Paris.

But the event itself is so varied and there's so much to see.

You know, I really just had a day there and I covered a lot of ground

and got to like I got a very good sense of the event overall,

but definitely could have spent more time because it's like a combination

of SEMA and there's a live auction going on.

And then there are, you know, because there's like when we went to

the LA Auto Show and there was the area with all of the matchbox cars

and they have people with different parts and they have a lot of

different like European auction houses will bring some of the cars

that they have.

And then you've got people like, you know, the European like

got their works and singer and that kind of thing.

There are, you know, all manner of classic cars and then in another

area they had, there was a band like as part of one of the displays

and then they had people on old timey bicycles.

They had historical vehicles on display from, you know, war time.

Like it's obviously it's hard to put it into a succinct description

because there's so much to see and there's so much variety,

but cannot say enough good things about it.

And I think the really cool thing was that we ran into like a

significant number of friends from the States.

So it's the draw.

It's kind of like car week in the sense that people do travel

a long ways to get there.

And so you get to see friends from Europe and friends from the States

and like I think it's a fantastic way to kick off the gap year.

But what I didn't realize until I got there is that because it's

such a draw a lot of the auction houses will do a big European

auction in Paris before the event starts or right when the event starts.

I think RM's auction was like maybe a day or two before I got there

and then I think Christie's had one.

So there's a lot going on in Paris adjacent to the event kind of

like what happens here with some of the events where the auction

houses will do an auction in the town where the events happening

because they know everybody's already going to be there.

Ryan does that sort of thing appeal to you.

I mean you had you had me at old timey bicycles.

Right.

I mean who doesn't like a penny farthing.

I know right.

I would love to go.

I mean you know it's it's it's it sounds like a great event.

Everyone that ever known who's gone has said it's fantastic just

kind of overwhelms the senses.

Right.

Yeah.

There's probably some French way to say that that's even more impressive

but yeah it seems pretty yeah that's there you go.

It seems pretty great and I would like to go sometime.

Obviously you know it's a little tougher than you know going to

Carmel but are we going to have them on the show the organizers

at some point.

Yes that's the plan so we can hear it straight from that but

in the meantime you'll have to make do with my attempts at

describing it putting it into words.

I trust we can get three media passes.

Right.

That's retro-mobile.

Not just an excuse to drink wine and smelly eat smelly cheese.

Let's have an excuse for that.

Yeah right.

The next one on the list is Scottsdale Car Week.

So this is you know another event that is raved about by our

friend Jorge.

Right.

Have you guys heard about this event.

I have heard about it but I have not attended.

The city of love in the U.S.

Scottsdale Scottsdale.

The culture capital of the American West I you know I've

never yeah I've never been Jorge raves about it.

It's always fun to hang out with him of course I'm kind of on

the fence this year whether or not to go because I think it's

it sounds like it's primarily auction driven right and you

know it's a little more inclusive right maybe then some

of the auctions that you know say Car Week or Amelia or something.

I don't know I mean you got the good weather right it's the

time of the year when you want to go and get some sunshine and

some rays so and I mean yeah I don't know maybe this will be

the year.

Neither one of you have been right.

Correct.

Yeah I've not Lindsey does it appeal to you.

Um it was not something that I was aware of really until

last year and I would love to check it out at some point I

think at this point with it kind of coming right on the heels

of the holidays it's trickier to arrange but I would love to

visit in the near future.

Well I am planning to go at the moment so I will take one for

the team and and see what it's like and see what's going on.

You can.

Yeah I'll report back and see whether it's worth doing the next

one isn't on our list but I thought about it so me comes

have an auction in Kissimmee Florida in January the big ticket

items 250 GTO.

That white one.

They've been pimping that thing up for what two years.

Yeah it's an amazing thing.

I think it was at the last jail wasn't it Lindsey.

Possibly 250 GTO.

It's been counted in Europe.

Yeah I think it was I think it was at the advanced classics

on the green over the summer.

Quite probably.

Yeah quite probably it's a Pacific Northwest based car.

Well that would be on Shirley and it's a beautiful beautiful

car and the car is it gets taken out.

So Fred Russell who's the guy who looks after the car is to

drive on behalf of the owner and he takes it to cars and coffee

and stuff so it'll be a real shame if it sells because it

means it will leave the Pacific Northwest.

Didn't we see that during car week though at me come.

I'm not imagining that right.

I had never been to a me come auction before you know I don't

want to say grown up watching me come auctions on television

but you know I kind of did and so it's interesting to actually

go to a me come event.

Who was I with.

Was I not with you guys now.

I must have been with Michael assessor Colin Seckl.

I think was so we did go and they wouldn't let us in without

paying even though it was like an hour that auction was done

doors are going to close and now we're still to pay 20 bucks

and I had other media passes that no no everyone has to pay

so it's just kind of a different vibe and they had that white

car in the middle of the field you know but it was surrounded

by so me come is different from any other auction I've ever

been to because it's a spectrum of offerings right and so there

they had that beautiful GTO but then they had like you know

the world's best Toyota Paseo right a few cars down and and

then you know you really wanted that Monte Carlo SS you didn't

get in high school well you know there are three of them

it's such a it's such an amalgam of different types of cars

so yeah it's it's an adventure for sure but I don't know that

I'd make a point of going cross country for it.

Yeah it's interesting because last year they had Jerry

Seinfeld's 917 and that it didn't sell but then sold

privately that's right so they're getting a few big hitters

so yeah I hear Kissimmee's nice this time of year.

Yeah now I just wish to get rid of those shiny black golf

shirts they all wear they don't photograph well on television.

Well if you're listening if you could send one to Ryan

please make sure he wears it on the show that'll be his

standard that part blood sausage in one of those I'm just

saying.

Who doesn't love blood sausage.

We call it black pudding.

Oh yeah okay yeah I had to think about what you were talking

about the first and we did not really hear.

So other events in January the start of the Dakar so this

is one of the world's most famous rally races.

It used to be that it would start on New Year's Day in

Paris Paris as they say and it would drive down to Dakar

in Africa yeah but they now move around a lot and I think

it's starting in Saudi Arabia but interestingly which brand

are going to be taking a knock to their defender Land Rover

Land Rover competing this year so we wished them the best of

luck and you know obviously they got a pretty cool car to do

it in.

Super cool I'd love to attend.

I got to pay a price at the destination defender.

She's one of the official drivers so I will be very closely

but yeah Ryan I would love to go to this too so I think the

consensus is right that Karsha would love to be there.

Yeah yeah yeah Sam Allen who's the defender brand here in the

States was on a couple episodes ago if you missed it go back

but kind of got me excited about you know defenders and and

just you know that event in particular I mean that's that's

one of those epic things right like that's that's one we all

grew up seeing footage right of those races.

959 right that was right that's iconic stuff I mean yeah you

know there's the Dakar Porsche right or the Dakar or whatever

you know we want to call it I mean it's that's a it's an

those iconic events right but I think so few people get to check

that back box off right it's right you know going to the

Indy 500 or whatever but which is also a good option on the

list.

Jumping too far ahead you are jumping too far ahead with a

different one yeah speaking of course a little more

accessible yeah.

Yeah if we get a February our friend Ferdy Porsche has his

event in February the FAT ice racing the big difference year

on year is that it's moved so I think it was in your neck of

the woods Ryan.

It was it was just outside of Aspen I think Carbondale

technically but you know all the all the all the all the

merch said Aspen of course yeah I mostly went for the Porsche

party but it was it was fun I mean that was you know Aspen

is always a trip anyway right you know it's the celebs sightings

and everything else remember the year I went there really

wasn't enough snow or ice right so they had the event at a

Christmas tree farm just outside of town like I said in Carbondale

and yeah it's again it's one of those rich guy things right

like you know Paris to the car it's like you know the vast

majority of enthusiasts will never you know be able to

participate or watch you know some of these events this year

it's up in Montana yeah.

Montana yeah so I don't know that well yeah so I think last

year there were two issues one was the lack of snow and the

other one was permitting so they leased the grounds and they

couldn't permit for lots of people so it meant that they

had to push the ticket prices up yeah my understanding is that

this year they have the ability to sell multiple tickets so

it's going to become as much as Montana in February is

accessible it's going to become more accessible for the

racing and then look out for some some famous folks in cars

so I know that Jeff Swartz signed up oh there you go and

Matt Farrah is taking his Myers Manx yes okay cool yeah

it's amazing yeah so there's a there's going to be a lot of

YouTube social media stuff going on yeah yeah it'll be a scene

and it'll be heavily merchandise right a lot of puffy

jackets that kind of thing yeah I mean it's it's I think it's

less about the racing and more about the event right scene

and that kind of thing but yeah it's a cool thing you know

again it's like you know I don't know the the the the

the Myers air you know the plane boat plane and that kind

of this is just like another level different echelon of like

you know passing time and this is definitely in that category

but if you if you get to go you know it'll be great I'm sure

it'll be a blast and I'm sure the Porsche party will be fun

too so never seen a spread like the spread I saw that Porsche

party just like a conference table full of all the music

like yes you were eating sushi off of naked women or there

were people dancing around playing electric violins

there were wow I don't know it was it was yeah it was a scene

man this was a hotel takeover by Porsche right and they even

put their own heart in is that right really oh I'll never

God it's coming back to me now yeah yeah I enjoyed myself so

some of it is the memories are a little spotty but shout out

Dan McGinnis who I think we mentioned on every show I shared

a room with him he traded in a bunch of points so we stayed

at the hotel where the party was so you can fully enjoy a party

fully enjoyed you know bouncers they took we got there a

little early and so we actually saw as they went through the

whole hotel took all the artwork you know the wild horses

and the pine trees and all that down and replaced it all with

with the bespoke Porsche art which I'd never seen you know

so it was it was curated yeah and ran into a shocking amount

of people that I know crazy things so it was a good time

but I saw very little actual racing I will confess so

well it always looks like an amazing event like every time

I see the pictures you know afterwards the the FOMO is very

strong which is not always the case but yeah it just it looks

like definitely even if you only got to go once like it's

definitely something that love to attend yeah yeah shout out

Josh Fu my friend from Minneapolis I know is going and

hey if I if I can work something figure something I'll

absolutely go but Aspen was a little closer than Montana so

yeah well if you're not really into the cold what about

the warm the 24 hours of Daytona Lindsay have you done this

one I have I have been there three times yes years ago the

last time I was there I had a one-year-old with me so it

is definitely doable it's very family friendly you can you

can go the family friendly route or not but it is again

it's another one that like you really need to experience it

once in your lifetime and plan to stay up late because it's

just cool to be there and see you know as they start racing

into the night and the way that changes just the experience

and you can walk around the track and see it from you know

a lot of different angles and go up in the grandstands and

ideally if you have access you get to go into the pits and

see that and it's there again like you were talking about

different levels at the fat ice race there are people that

go and they camp in the infield at Daytona so again there's

lots of different ways to experience it and you know if

you've done a 24-hour endurance event it's it's very unique

to that type of experience like it's not like anything else

and but it's so cool you got to do it.

My spies tell me the way to do it is to do it with Lamborghini

Lamborghini have a ticket that you get put up in the hotel

which is next to the track you get golf carted to the track

you then take an elevator up to an observation level and it's

just you and the spotters for each team and you get to see

the race from a really elevated position so Lamborghini if

you're listening I'm available and willing to cover it for

that car show I've got a couple of friends you might bring

with me.

Well it's the way to do it so you've got two options there

you can go for the cold and the ice racing or you can go

for hopefully the warmth of the 24 hours which is the I guess

it's the American version of Le Mans isn't it?

Yeah yeah yeah I mean it's a 24-hour you know endurance

race yeah I mean yeah with a lot of history yeah I mean in

that track you know and you can see like when you go they

used to do part of that event the Daytona racing used to be

on the beach the actual beach at Daytona so there's a lot of

you can see the historical photographs and kind of you

know learn the history of how it has evolved in the area and

it's yeah again there's so much history like when I was at

Le Mans just you can feel it when you're there and so you

have to go and experience it but I was going to say depending

on the calendar why wouldn't you do both?

Do the cold and the warm right?

I mean is this a gap year or not?

This is our gap year we can do whatever we want.

Yeah it does seem like a lot of these events are on the east

coast though because if I look into March right Amelia which

is Amelia Island which is a concourse event and it's kind

of like the first concourse of the year right now that's

that's on the east coast in Florida and have you both been

or is it just Ryan?

Just Ryan.

And I've only been once I'm no expert we went it was a year

and a half ago two years ago two years ago this year.

You bought an electric car that is that right?

I'm bringing back to it's an RFP session for right.

Yeah in fact I had reserved a Polestar and was very

disappointed when I showed up and I got a Kia electric but

that's okay because I ended up with I guess a Polestar but

I was going to say the rest of the point is that you had to buy

the car yourself.

Yeah I was going to make it happen.

That's the place though that they just at least at the time

two years ago did not have the infrastructure for EV charging

especially when a large event is going on it just doesn't

exist and so once you get outside of was at Jacksonville

there you know and you drive you know a bit to Amelia that's

that's kind of it.

I recall there was one public charging place in the whole

town it had two lines two cords whatever it was owned by the

city it was like on the side of the city hall and they were

slow chargers so it was what I have in my garage here so I

remember waiting until one freed up and then having to park

the car and then lifting back to the hotel it was a whole thing

I thought I was being slick but as an event it's a lot of fun

it's you know there's some parallels to car week right

Monterey and that kind of thing but it's a much smaller

scale the you know the Concord the event was great it's of

course at you know the Amelia Island Golf Club I think it

is it's a Ritz Carlton if I'm not mistaken I'll fact check

that and it's it's fun but like I said it rained the whole time

we were there I'd like to go back sometime when it's oh yeah

out but it's an iconic location right it's it's definitely

one of the things you have to do once it's definitely a lot

more low key than than than car week right so there's there's

that I think it'd be a fun trip for the three of us to go

sometime I'm game yeah yeah yeah some good auction action

and that kind of thing and and a couple people have asked why

I have the CBS Sunday morning hat behind me and that's because

when I was there CBS Sunday morning were there they were

following the the school in Kansas the that went to oh

MacPherson College MacPherson MacPherson College so CBS Sunday

morning were following MacPherson College and that was the

year that they had started with the car and and brought it all

the way to Amelia to be auctioned and so it was so anyway I

ended up talking to the guys and and and they gave me the hat

which is pretty cool because you want to be no no no no no I

just talked to them off the off the you know I think they came

up to me and I looked as out of place as they did in that

auction and we kind of bonded on that they're bounded over

that you know and really nice people but yeah that's that's

my Amelia Island yeah I was down the road last year from

Amelia Island and they had a massive thunderstorm come in

on the Sunday so they brought everything forward that's

right which the net net was I was doing the Daytona 200 which

is the bike version of the it's not a 24 hour race it's you

know it's an afternoon's race but I got to the airport and

basically everyone who was anyone from Amelia had come to

the airport trying to get flights home early because there

was a thunderstorm coming in and stuff right so there were

people like Ralph Jills and people like that in the the

lounge but if you've not done the Daytona 200 it's a bike

race that is 57 laps and then the net result is the first

three bikes are within seconds of each other after that number

of laps and they have to do a pit stop and it's a great event

so yeah you could do both in theory if you wanted to yeah

and then I threw in a wild trip that we could potentially

take which would be to go to the other side of the world and

kick off the F1 season in Australia yeah that sound perfect

let's do it sign us now yeah yeah we like Australians in

Australia let's do it I've never been would love to go

sometime I think that would be a real adventure right I mean

just I don't know about like you know taking you out of the

ordinary and I think that would be killer have either of you

been convert since Netflix I have not but I feel like maybe

it's only because I haven't gone to kick off the season in

Australia so that's how I'm gonna you know that would make

me an F1 fan for life right I just think it's so funny that

all these people like F1 proclaimed fans and you know

they're only real reference point is a drama laden TV show

on Netflix which has done a great job for the sport right

they kind of think they're experts and there's so much

more to it on the street is there might be another series

gaining the Netflix spotlights soon so stay tuned

no that's all I can say watch this anyway

right now you nearly got some inside baseball but not quite

it's the it's the it's the race to be the best automotive

podcast world and I feel like we're with the the winning

tour toys yeah I think we should get Ryan's drink a couple

more glasses of red wine and I was gonna say yeah

unfortunately we're not there isn't enough of the secret

spilling juice yet but we'll get back to that like I've got

a whole Kirkland large bottle of the truth serum in the in

the house here so you need those glasses where you guys

you know I went to the doctor recently and I got my blood

tests and you know I've got to cut back somewhere so you know

if this means I'm drinking red wine instead of

I was gonna say that the choices isn't it right the choice

right you know we're the paragons are piled here that car

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Let's move on. So so far we've done January, February, March

April few different things in April and actually we get to go

on the West Coast a little bit. Long Beach Grand Prix has anyone

done that? I have. Yes. Yep. And is it a street circuit?

Yep. They so they create the circuit on the streets of Long

Beach so a lot of the streets are shut down to create the

racetrack which again it makes it a really unique event.

I think I think that's what's so interesting is when you look

at the automotive calendar across the board like the variety

of events and how different they are from each other.

You could have a truly amazing year with so many different

things and you know I think that's what makes the Long

Beach Grand Prix so cool is it's the track is built on the

streets of Long Beach and you get real real race drivers come

and do the event. It's not you know this isn't like a I don't

know what you call it but like it's a real event with real

drivers. I think Jensen Button I think was one of the drivers

last year. I know like Mario Andretti has driven there like

if you can think of a driver they've probably driven there

at some point I know Patrick Dempsey was driving years ago

when he was before you know he's getting back into it now but

when he was actively racing he drove there that's and it's

just cool because it's again like there's an infield and they

have you know funnel cake and like fried Oreos but then you

can also be up in the sweets where it's very elegant so it's

again there's a lot of variety you can have whatever level you

want and it's just cool. So yeah, I recommend it.

You know what I remember about the Long Beach Grand Prix

growing up is that they always televised it but more exciting

than the race itself was the Toyota Celica celebrity race

with like Bruce Jenner and Alfonso Ribeiro right like you

know bumping into each other and these like yeah 1988 Celicas

or whatever that sounds pretty cool.

So if they were to bring that back which cars would they use?

Like 86s right?

Yeah, could be fun.

Yeah, could be fun or it could be the car that you took on

your road trip Ryan.

Everyone in a Crown Signia celebrity race.

I'd watch.

It would be something.

Yeah, it would be more an endurance race wouldn't it?

Yeah, that car has a range of over 400 miles and it has a gas

tank I think that's 12 gallons so you do the math and that thing

that thing will go.

That's impressive.

Ryan has just come back from his holiday travels in this car

so he's got a first-hand experience of what it was like

and it sounds like it's one for the economy.

Holiday makes it sound you know more glamorous than it is.

Yeah, it was interesting you know it's not a bad car.

The problem is you know no one knows about this thing Toyota

doesn't market it as the wagon that it is instead they market

it as a crossover an SUV and I think the other thing that doesn't

quite work for me is that the Crown sedan is a lovely thing

because it offers a 340 horsepower 360 horsepower hybrid option

but the wagon the bigger heavier version only comes with the

smaller the 236 horsepower powertrain so in its in its you

know it's I'm not a big fan of hybrids outside of like the

McLaren world right and you know one has to have standards.

Yeah, you know it's it's a great car it's I drove this thing

so almost 2000 miles to Minneapolis and back with my

family. It it makes a lot of noises it groans you know it

takes some time you know entrance ramps you know on the highway

and this kind of thing all these things would have been solved

by the bigger engine which unfortunately you can't get you

know it was fine it was a good car with gas is like $2 in this

part of the country like here to Minneapolis I think I saw

as low as $1.85 for a gallon of regular gas so I don't know

that I spent $100 in gas over 2000 miles which is just

wow shocking someone will call me on that math but but you

know as far as a family cruiser it was it was good but I think

it would have been a really good car with a bigger engine.

I learned on the last day had if you engage sport mode that

solves a lot of the issues because you know it accelerates

a little more quickly you know the engine doesn't turn off at

every you know stop light this kind of thing but how can you

argue with you know 31 miles to the gallon or whatever it was

you know you know in this you know the highway the speed is

either the the speed of them is 80 miles an hour on part of

this trip so you're doing 85 or 90 or more or whatever right

so the fact that we achieve 31 miles allegedly right shot

that's right that's right yeah you know it didn't enjoy it but

it did it did do it I think you know like all these trips

sometimes you know it's less about the car and more about

the journey and this time we opted just for you know I'll

write an article for autoblog so I need different locations

for photos and this kind of thing so this time we came back

through South Dakota as opposed to Nebraska and we got to see

such wonders as the world's largest Jolly Green Giant

statue it's the the vegetable brand is is in southwestern

Minnesota so we got a picture with that we someone on

Instagram though said the other day they said America is giving

off dead dead mall vibes at the moment right and that's all

like that that was such a perfect sort of you know and

that's kind of the vibe we got the whole way back driving

across South Dakota and western Nebraska and some of these

parts of the country where you know the towns are dying and

it's just you know the towns are few and far between and and

it was just it was a it was a little tougher to find places

to take pictures right on this on this route if you can

believe it you know versus Nebraska so it was you know we

stopped at one place it was the so what is this memorial on

the side of it looks like a war memorial or something from

like you know post Soviet Russia or something you know and

it was a a giant memorial because in 1974 this small town

where we had stopped was the was the location of the world

plowing championship who knew I guess so I got a picture of

that but you know it was just it was you forget that there's

a whole world outside of Los Angeles or Seattle or even Denver

right right most people you know are living a life that is

is very different from the ones we live in the cars and all

that so it was a real sort of really brought me back down

to earth both the car and the journey so yes and some niggling

small things about this car a lot of wind noise from the

windows at higher speeds the engine will get you there but

it just doesn't sound like it's you know enjoying the process

a lot of groans and and just things turning on and off and

that kind of thing what else seats are really comfortable I

got to give to it a ton of credit for improving seats a

generation ago I could not get comfortable in any Toyota

seat I know that they've put a lot of money into making better

seating and it shows I think maybe my biggest disappointment

about the car was the ride we had stopped at you know Costco

you know with the car had that the back hatch full of groceries

and you hit a bump and it like all the groceries like levitate

for a second the down it was just the damping or whatever

just seemed yeah yeah you know just I haven't yeah well I

hadn't experienced that the car in years right I mean most

cars now are pretty button down even if they have a hard

ride but you know that that was and then there's one section

of I-80 in northeastern Colorado if any of you listening

travel this you know where it is it's near Sterling it's 20

miles from the roughest pavement you know in the

interest it's the roughest 20 miles of anything between

here in Minneapolis and that's saying something Minneapolis

is not known for good roads and there is the section 20 miles

long or so and it's almost unbearable used to be getting

the passing lane and kind of hang out there if you had to

and it was a little smoother but now they're both really rough

and what I thought was interesting was four weeks ago

for Thanksgiving we had this Genesis GV 70 which I really

enjoyed in that ride and it's not the best riding car in

the world but we thought they had repaired that stretch of

road because we didn't feel the bumps at all and then the

Toyota it was just bone rattling and so I don't know if

that means the Toyota doesn't have a great ride or the

Genesis had an exceptionally good ride but that was something

else you know but it's a good looking thing I've heard this

car described as like a Lexus on a budget it is not it doesn't

have that refined driving experience what it really is

is it's the replacement for the Toyota Venza if you remember

if you remember yeah if you remember the Venza so the

Crown sedan effectively replaced the Avalon and this

replaced the Venza and so you know it's it's it's got a bit

of an identity crisis that said I think if they marketed it

as a wagon get a lot more attention I don't think most

people know this car existed it wasn't until we went to the

LA Auto Show and we saw a very sleek black one that caught

our eye so a good car I think it's probably the right car

for a lot of a lot of people but it doesn't have an

enthusiast bone in its body right and you know the three

of us we kind of come at this from a different angle than

most people right but I gotta see again you cannot argue with

31 miles to the gallon over a 2000 mile trip on you know

85 you know 90 mile per hour you know highways and this kind

of thing it you know decent JBL stereo yeah Apple Play all

the all the you know the mod cons it's just it's it's it's

it's it's it's perfect at what it is but it's figuring out

what it is if that makes sense. Well thank you Ryan for taking

one for the team so we didn't have to try it. You've tried it

on Avalon. I wanted to share an anecdote because I posted

last week your comment on my Instagram about the Genesis

and one of my followers Henry said we used to have them as

company cars when I worked for a large scale car dealership

and we used to call them Korean Bentley's so the Genesis

would forever be known as the Korean Bentley. I love it.

I like it kind of works. It's kind of what it is. It's kind

of what it is and I I kept thinking you know that that GV

70 had had the big motor had 360 horsepower whatever it was

at the six but they also make a four cylinder that still I

think makes more power than this Toyota and probably would

have not been too far off and let it go and let it go. You've

done it. Move on. Let it go. Let's get back to the event

schedule because there's a lot. I think our gap here is going

pretty well so far. Right. So so far we've been in front.

We've been to Paris. We've potentially been to Saudi Arabia.

We've been to Montana. We've been to Florida. We've been to

Melbourne in Australia. Right. We've been to Long Beach.

How about the Cali? Yeah. The Cali Mille. Have you guys heard

of this event? Oh yeah. The Cal Mille. Yep. Yeah. Have we done

it? I have not but it is on my list. It looks incredible.

So this is a classic car rally in California hosted by

Haggerty and are there any prerequisites to bring a car?

Do you know? I think it's 58 and older if I'm not mistaken.

It was Derek Tam Scott and Tatsuo Otis who had just had done

it and they were sort of comparing contrasting to the

Grand Colorado Grand which is probably its closest sort of

analog but apparently it's much more A to A than A to B

for better or worse. Can you explain what you mean by that?

Yeah. So the Grand we go from town to town for the most part.

Not always but for the most part and from the way Derek and Tatsuo

described it. It seemed to be much more tighter roads, twisty

roads but maybe more from you start and stop in the same

place. You spend the night in the same place kind of thing but

it's supposed to be wonderful. I mean everything Haggerty does

is top notch and all that. Haggerty also sponsors the

Colorado Grand but Haggerty runs the Cal Mille right? So I'd

love to do it. I mean I adore the Colorado Grand. I won't shut

up about it and I think this is probably you know the closest

sort of thing and with different terrain and geography and

all that so I would absolutely love to do the event if you're

listening. Lindsey what would you want to do it in?

I would do it in a 289 Cobra. There you go.

There we go. Default. That's pretty standard. Yeah.

They're gonna be shocked with that answer. I think that car

would be really suited to the roads that they do and you

know I had the chance to work on some of the some of the

elements of that event when I was working with the events

team for Haggerty. So I know kind of the thought and care

that goes into it and for those that know Dave Hoard, he

works with them and puts together the actual route and

like Dave is a perfectionist and he loves driving and he's a

true enthusiast so I know you know whatever he puts together

their spectacular drives and then the level of you know

accommodation and the food and all of that like I feel like

every year after the event everybody says like they've

they've somehow surpassed what they've done in the past

years which we didn't think was possible because it's such a

lovely event. So it just it just looks magical and the

plan like yeah it's definitely on my list of goals to do that

one day or automotive bucket list I guess you could say.

Nice. We've got another one to do. So it's good to we've got

the balance now of East Coast and West Coast. In May one of

the Triple Crown the Indy 500 and Ryan I think you grew up

in Indy didn't you? I did never actually went to the race

but every year we'd go to the time trials. What's that mean from

Game of Thrones which is going shame, shame, shame.

Well you have to remember the Indy 500 of the 80s right when

I was a kid I think was a very the crowds they drew I think

were probably you know they still draw giant crowds but I

think they were the crowds are twice as big as they are now

right they had this snake pit it was a whole thing a parade

downtown you know I remember seeing David Hasselhoff who was

the parade. Was he the Grand Marshal? The Grand Marshal

that's what that's what you know so it was a big big deal

probably a bigger deal then even than it is now that said

I've never been to the actual race but we go every year for

time trials and that kind of thing and we were on a budget

right family of four kind of thing and and I just I thought

it was great I mean that's one of those you know top five

automotive you know motorsports events right I mean I think

by anyone's you know reasoning and you know it's Jim

Neighbors used to you know Gomer Pyle used to sing for like

50-60 years he's saying the the National Anthem or whatever

it was or no it was the it was back home again in Indiana

is what it was he'd sing that it was it was an event right I

mean it was you know. How does that go Ryan?

Like I also don't know the word. Maybe I'll add it oh I know

the words but you want to hear me sing it. This thing is ever

living hard out too. Lindsey have you been to this one and

have you sung the Indiana song? No and not yet. Don't worry

Dan the counting crows will sing it on some you know. Let's do

holiday karaoke and you know what up. So that's the Indy 500

and then if you want to bring some sophistication to the

month. Right. Villa Let's Day which is definitely a bucket list

item but have you guys done this one? No I just keep living

vicariously through my friends like Laura and Johnny and

Bassum and just gobbling up their pictures when they go

because it just looks like another you know magical bucket

list event. I mean the setting itself is just absolutely stunning

and then the cars that it attracts and again that's another

one that people travel from all over the world to be there

for. I think that's the one that Spike always jokes about

when he went and somebody said what are you doing here?

So that's can you imagine if we went? Right that tells me the

level of I think we have we may have a little more work to

do is what I'm hearing. I gotta say hearing me recognize.

Yeah. We got this is on the side of like God all right. I

believe. I don't know that's just proof I shouldn't be there.

I have a lot of research department. I would have said like

Elmo but I may be wrong. Yeah I would have said to but it's

definitely that calf who I think is like the coolest dude in

Italy. He goes every year. He talks it up. He makes it look

really good. Of course he drives his like Kuntas down or

whatever from the UK wouldn't quite be the same experience

rolling up in a you know Seat or something but you know I

want to talk to you guys are right. Like Komo. Every now

and then there we go. There's a great video every year on the

Dakar. So you know not that we are forever promoting other

people's YouTube channels but yeah check it out. It's my

favorite story about Villa d'Este is when they landed the

Myers Manx plane. Yeah. How cool is that pretty much the

definition of cool that a you own among other things the

Myers Manx company that B you have your own airline called

Manx air. I think it is or make your ways right and that that

plane is a plane that can land on Lake Como and it's just I

mean you guys saw the video a couple of years ago Jay Leno

there's a glass sort of secondary cockpit in the nose of

the plane. You know that you can open as you land and then I

guess I don't know you know dive into the lake or something

right when you land but come on. I mean that's kind of let's

that's kind of quintessential cool right there. Let's go on

to June. June. Yeah. It's been an amazing year so far. It's

has one of our favorite events of the year and you only do it

right if you do it with a dice D and it's a pike's peak.

That's true. That's the one. That's the one. Yeah. Yeah. They

are the royal family. No wait Dan you came here. We and yeah

that's yeah that's right. We did that one together as the hill

climb event in Colorado. It goes up to just over 14,000 feet.

It's an all day event. You have a couple of options. You either

go and you position yourself at the bottom of the start finish

and you get to see all the cars as they start and leave the

race or you position yourself halfway at the mountain. You

get better views but you're stuck there all day and we went

and lessons were learned. The first lesson was you don't need

to be up at 3am in order to get on the mountain.

I think we're first in line. We were first in line. We were

the first to fall asleep in the car on the mountain but we

thought we were playing the system whatever because we had

press passes we were able to get on the mountain early but

actually give us a lot of value today.

I have a soft spot for pikes peak. It's run by wonderful people.

It's a really neat event with crazy history and I mean there's

really just nothing else like it and I think driving it would

be an experience of a lifetime. Shut up John Lieberman.

I mean that takes you know it takes balls you know that said

it's not the easiest thing to spectate right and you know

so I don't feel compelled to go every year because of that

but that's one of those you got to go once check it off you

know your list.

But it's it's it's it's it's a commitment to your point Dan

because you spend the whole day there. There's not a lot in

the way of facilities and that kind of thing. You don't know

what the weather is going to do. Sometimes you know I think

like this last year they they you know they think they only

did the first stage of three or four stages whatever it is

you know so there's so many unknowns and like variables

and all that and so it's I think it's really hard to get like

the perfect pike speak experience.

That said it's one of those things I think I take for granted

because it's in my backyard.

You know and people travel from all over the world to go.

But yeah it's it's it's one of those legendary motor sports

events that you got to see once right now.

And Lindsay you nearly came with us one year right.

But I think that was probably common sense knowing that we

were going to do it wrong but then we did it right just to

balance it out. We started off a bit rough but then we got

there but would you go.

Oh absolutely especially now that you guys have learned all

the lessons.

Yeah the hard way right.

I'm doing it for the edge for the edge. Yeah.

I was in the trunk was not that the trunk.

The wind was coming in.

Comfortable cosy sleeping.

Yeah that was that commercial that the Ford Edge has been

missing.

Exactly.

You're listening for it.

The best memories right.

And there's their tail right.

Yeah yeah exactly.

We won't talk about the great camera incident of that here.

But you didn't get on.

We were still early because we've on that tells you how much

too early you were.

So Le Mans Le Mans is a pilgrimage it is we talked about

the Indy 500 being one of the triple crown Le Mans is another

one of the three triple crown events.

I think Lindsay you were the most recent to be there from all

of us you were eating ice cream with Chris Harris.

Jim Farley Jim Farley what was the what was the experience

like for you last year.

I mean it was again like one of those once in a lifetime like

it was just tremendous because it's you know and I've said

this before but you there's so much history and energy there

even before the crowd got there because of the races that

have happened and and the you know there have been some big

tragedies there there have been some amazing triumphs there.

The you know so many of the big names have raced there and

I think you know there's all these kind of like pivotal

moments and I'm blanking on the driver of course but the

driver who they used to do the running start and they would

have to run to the car and get in and you know the legend is

like oh and they wouldn't the safety belts wouldn't be on

until the first lap was completed and there was a driver

who protested and he said this is crazy like we're we're not

even being able to use the safety equipment that's in there

for us so he walked to his car and buckled in and took off

and ended up placing in the race and you know my apologies

that of course I'm blanking this is too tired from Christmas

and all of it but you know and obviously the Mercedes crash

that happened and then just shall be winning that right

there shall be you know and then going back in 2017 and winning

again and you know 50 years after the first time and so

there's just there's so much history that has happened there

and then you know because it is a pilgrimage so many of the

people like you go you go to a lot of trouble to be there

and people come all over the world you know we parked on

the second day next to a restaurateur who had driven over

from England I think that morning and you know there's

people from the States all over and just all over the world

so it's this amazing melting pot of a crowd who are all

there you know again it's like we talk about this cars are the

common ground that kind of bring us all together and this is

a pretty spectacular bringing together and then the ferris

wheels like you can go up in the ferris wheel and watch the

race so it's just again it's such a unique experience because

Dan when were you there?

I was there I think it was 2006 I think but it's interesting

because it was the same year that Corvette won and Bruce

Meyer has that car so what was quite cool is I was in the

stands watching that car win and now Bruce has it so

right and now it's very close to you.

Yeah, I mean in the pantheon of motorsports events that's got

to be pretty close to the top right.

Oh, it's definitely one.

Yeah, I think so.

I mean it's the triple crown isn't it right?

That's what you've got to think about.

Yeah, and for me Monaco doesn't do anything for me like I

think that's a place where you go to be seen you don't go to

see the racing.

Yeah, that's not on the list.

Yeah, it's either for me it's either the Indy 500 which I'm

yet to experience all in one which I have.

Yeah, well someone else who's yet to experience the 500 so

that's so many times.

Yeah, but that would be an easy one.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, get a super eight in Indianapolis to be

a cheap, you know, cheap party.

That'd be fun.

I think that's near anything though, you know, like I grew

up not far from Disneyland and people would say like, oh, I

bet you went all the time and I'm like, we went a couple of

times like it's you know, you get jaded to whatever you're

growing up next to I think it's true and it's in your doorstep.

So the recommendation is that you stay in Europe after the

mall and in July you go to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and

you guys have or haven't done it.

I have not done the Festival of Speed but you have, correct?

Yes, I went two years ago.

I think the top tips with the Festival of Speed is it's an

amazing event.

It's a hill climb with lots of manufacturers there releasing

cars.

It is so incredibly busy.

So the first tip is go on the first day if you can, which is

the quieter day of the weekend.

Second tip is just get some grandstand tickets or get some

sort of access.

I was super lucky because I had a driver's medallion which got

me into the driver's lounges and stuff like the Americans

don't seem to have a word for black.

It's like, like, cajole maybe.

I managed to cajole a driver's pass.

Wrangled?

But even what was that?

I think probably the equivalent would be you wrangled one or?

Wrangled, yeah, but no horses were involved.

No.

But yeah, you've got to do it like with a grandstand seat I

think.

And the other tip is don't just stay at the bottom of the hill.

There's a rally stage at the top of the hill and that's where

a lot of like heroes, idols hang out.

So when we were up there, Andreas Prennigud was up there.

Travis Pastrana was up there.

Macrae's, so some of the Macrae family were up there.

So it's a separate rally stage and separate events.

You don't need a different ticket.

You just take the truck up there.

They do a tractor with like the pulls the trailer and you get

on that and you go up to the top of the hill.

So get good access.

A hayride.

There we go.

Get good access.

Go early on the Thursday if you can and allow for extra time

because it's going to be freaking busy, but it's a great

event.

It's up there for me.

I've never been.

I want to do that of course.

And you know, it's the other good event.

Yeah.

The revival revival.

Revival.

Can't you know?

That's the one or two.

Don't have on this list, but we can talk about that.

Yeah.

You know, my buckets getting bigger.

Older, you know, it's time to check off.

Good job.

You're doing a gap here.

Isn't it really?

This is the solution to everything, right?

Yeah.

So I was thinking while you're in the UK, one thing that I am

desperate to do is something called the North Coast 500.

In essence, what that is is that is a 500 mile drive around

the outskirts of Scotland.

That sounds like you know, you can't guarantee good

weather in the UK, but I guess July is as best as any.

Yeah.

So take yourself up to Scotland and do that trip.

I believe there's lots of disclosures on the way.

So I know you've converted to wine and it's probably not

very good for wine up there, but maybe you can like when

you're on vacation, it doesn't count.

Yeah.

You can get it on the list.

Yeah.

Because I've gotten our YouTube videos, right?

You know, travel, you know, writers, you know, YouTubers,

but it looks awesome.

We'd love to do it sometime.

Check it out.

It's called the North Coast 500.

Then we move into August and really there's only one event

that, you know, anyone should be out in August, right?

It's the La Jolla Concourse.

No, it's not.

It's Monterey-Cowie.

No, there's nothing wrong with the La Jolla Concourse.

San Bernardino Concourse.

Show and Shine.

Yeah, that's...

San Bernardino Show and Shine.

You can't miss that there.

I love San Bernardino.

Your local Sonic burger.

It's a new t-shirt, isn't it?

Yeah.

San Bernardino Show and Shine.

Yeah.

So, Car Week, we've all done it.

We've all been there.

I think it's getting a bad rep lately, but I'm not sure

that's deserved.

Right.

Favorite memories from Car Week?

Any year.

How much time do you have?

Yeah, not that much, Lindsay.

Right, I know.

It's just a mothership, you know?

It is.

I would say when we got to commentate the races a couple

of years ago, that was pretty incredible.

Like, I don't know that we'll ever top that.

That was just so that folks are aware.

Laguna Seca kindly gave us press passes for the weekend.

And then they asked us that the sort of 11th hour, would we

be interested in commentating on some of the races?

They had a professional commentator, but wanted some

support and who are us to stand in the way of a great

opportunity.

So you guys were live on YouTube to 40,000 people.

Yeah, we got to hang out with Jonathan Green, who is

such a pro and just chat with him.

And I will never forget walking into the booth, you

know, and definitely having like the worst case of

imposter syndrome and he's just such a pro and he was

like, we're just going to talk.

I'm so glad you guys are here.

We're going to have a good time.

No stress.

We're just going to have a conversation.

And it was like, this is just so much fun.

And he's so cool.

Yeah.

So that was definitely, you know, peak memory.

Well, especially because the race that I did, I got to

commentate it with Jonathan and my dad and my dad looked

at me and he said, you know, if you had told me the first

time that we came to the races, which really it wasn't

car week, even at that point, it was in 1997 and it was

really just the vintage races and pebble and quail.

And it's obviously developed into this, you know, week to

10 day long event at this point.

But he said, yeah, if you had told me when we first came

up here that at one point we would be in the broadcast

booth, I would have said you were nuts.

And here we are.

Yeah, that it was special.

It really was.

I still my mind's blown that that actually happened.

And it was thanks to you and Alicia Bousa, who was there

at the time.

It's your point.

I wasn't going to say no, right?

No.

And you know, you know, like of the three of us, I'm probably

know the least about motorsport, right?

You know, it's just how it is.

I'm a Canyon guy, right?

You know, I mean, I just kind of come at it from a different

angle and racing is a huge part of, yeah, you know, and

that's fine.

But I, but then you're at Laguna Seca and you're going

to commentate a race.

And then I found out it was F one cars of the Andretti era

or something, which I have all the cars.

I probably knew the least, right?

What a nice slice of motorsport.

Yeah, I just don't want to embarrass myself, right?

I just didn't want to embarrass myself and I don't think I

did.

I tried to get a couple of jokes and I remember that and

you know, you're taking a risk because you don't know if

they're going to hit or fall flat or whatever.

But it was such that was, that's in my, you know, that's

one of those experiences.

I'll never forget.

It was truly special.

I'll never do it again.

I'll never want to do it again.

I'm so glad that I did it.

It was really, really cool.

Have you, have you, so have you ever like looked up the the

footage like on YouTube or never to find out?

Oh, I've listened to it.

Have you?

Oh yeah.

I'm in my whole family.

What do you, what do you sound like?

Come on.

In the race, I, I commentated had Jensen and some real notable

people in it too.

Right?

Yeah.

So, you know, it was, I don't remember anymore.

McLaren's Jack Brown and, and I think our Ford friend was

there as well.

Wasn't he driving?

Mr. Folly?

Maybe Jensen was there.

Yeah, it was just, it was, yeah, I don't even remember.

It was a blur, but it was amazing.

It was a good blur though.

We talk about the things, you know, that we've gotten to do

because of this show and, you know, previous things that

we've done and it's hard to believe the things we've

resolved our way into.

Right.

That's one of them.

Yeah.

Anyway, yeah, car week is, if only make him had known that

week.

We're kind of a big deal at Laguna's.

I can make him.

I know, I know.

Apparently my commentating.

Old Batmobiles, you know, isn't enough.

That was just one highlight.

I mean, we could go do a whole show on car week, couldn't

we, but you know, we have both of you.

Indeed, both of you, if you're going out of your comfort zones

and, you know, stepping up and being on the mic.

So yeah, and take a listen to the shows that we've done

around car week because there's a lot more experiences,

but we probably need to move on.

Right.

September, nothing happens in September, does it?

That's the quiet one.

I can see Brian getting redder and redder.

Well, and so we could, you could choose to stay in the

States or you could go to Europe because you could create

at least a couple weeks in England because they have

the Hampton court concor, which may not be the official

name of it, but something happens in Hampton court.

I believe it's a concor and that's the week before the

Goodwood revival.

And I feel like then there's something in Paris after that

maybe or there are multiple events that you could string

together where you so inclined and have quite a European

vacation or you could go to Colorado and do the grand.

Which I guess we talk about this is like a, you know, a

fantastical like grant, you know, a gap year, but there is

a whole circuit of people who does, who do, there's a whole

circuit of people who do every one of these events pretty

much every year, right?

That is their life.

They bounce around from auction to event to race to, you

know, there's a, there is a strata of people who do just

these things and, you know, and a more power to them.

But, but the Colorado grant is people like us that, you

know, counterbalance those people, right?

But also if you look at it, right?

A lot of us have done a lot of things on this list already.

So, yeah, we've, we're doing pretty good, I think.

We are.

I would say we're doing amazing.

For me, the Colorado grant is, is a highlight that is top

some all.

That is just, it's become a very special event for me.

I made so many dear friends.

It's just something I will do until the day I die.

It is, if they'll, if they'll let me, right?

It's that.

And there, you know, could you have a better endorsement of

an event?

I think not.

Talk about bucket list.

Right.

Yeah.

Literally.

Yeah.

No, I, yeah, it's, I know I have really enjoyed hearing you

talk about the event and it's clearly very special and the

group of people that do it.

And I love that the event gives back to the communities

that you visit.

So it's not just, you know, just a car event.

I think it really makes a meaningful difference for a lot

of the little towns in Colorado and around.

And it just, you know, and we've gotten to know Tom who runs

it at car week and he's just such a nice guy.

And, uh, yeah, like I would love to participate in some way

in the near future.

That will be, yes.

I think that's what we need to make happen.

Yep.

Well, add it to the list of goals.

Nice.

Uh, no slowing down in October, go to Atlanta and go to

Petite Lamont.

Um, have either of you done this event?

Not yet.

No, it's kind of like another endurance race, isn't it?

Yeah.

Um, but road Atlanta is supposed to be an amazing track.

Yeah, it's supposed to be a great place for, you know, for

watching.

Uh, so I think it's on the bucket list.

Yeah.

For sure.

Um, and then we go to November is there's a Grand Prix in

Vegas and if anyone knows how to put a Grand Prix on and make

it a show, it's Vegas.

Uh, it'll obviously be in its fourth year next year.

Um, and you know, the first year, it had a few challenges.

First year, I had a few challenges, uh, which will be

a, a Patreon show at some point in the future when I can talk

about me being the reason that there is a cement line on the

start, finish straight on the very first race of, uh, I think

I can talk about it.

Do they call it the Dan killing memorial stripe or something?

I think you do.

This was a cement strike and it was exactly proportioned to the

vehicle I was driving.

Uh, but we will talk about that in a future show and, uh, but it's

a great event.

Um, it's a great show.

It's always a great weekend.

They are learning as they're putting it on.

So the first year it was on very, very late.

I think they were trying to get European audiences, but now

they've kind of dialed that back.

It's a Saturday night race.

Um, any interest?

I know that the dice, he's went this year and had a great time.

Yeah.

Oh, that's awesome.

I would love to go.

I'm not a big guy, but I'd love to go.

Yeah.

I hate Vegas with a passion.

I just like, it's just, just everything that I don't like in

one.

Yeah.

I've come with you Dan.

Yeah.

And I can bear it for 48 hours, but I, you know, I won out at

that point.

Um, yeah.

But, uh, to go, go for the grand prix.

Um, the top tip here is go hang out at the wind because

that's where all the team principals and all the, uh, all

the drivers stay.

Um, so go do some people watching in the wind.

If you guys get the chance, shout out to Larry Chen.

Larry, uh, got involved with a Mercedes video this year and

it's a Mercedes video featuring George Russell as a, um, a

valet and, uh, who's that good looking formula one film guy?

Uh, Brad Pitt.

So Larry did the photography for this video.

He didn't do the videography, but he did do the photography.

Okay.

And he said it was very similar to the old days of Hoonigan

where you would shoot from seven at night till seven in

the morning, but he's just posted a YouTube video on this and

it looks really good.

It looks, you know, cute.

He's got some great pictures of both George Russell, a car

being, and this is a prototype car, uh, being drifted.

And of course, Mr.

Pitts, which I would imagine that's the easiest part of his

job because it's probably very difficult to get a bad picture

of Brad Pitt.

I would guess it's a bit like trying to shoot rice.

It's very difficult to get it wrong.

What's that?

A PayPal hundred dollars has just come in from right now.

You know, I'm a Venmo guy.

That's a Vegas Grand Prix.

Uh, maybe we should do that this year.

This coming year.

Yeah.

That would be amazing.

That are the Volkswagen show.

That actually I was going to say, I realized there's one more

event in October and it's a mass, what has become a massive

Volkswagen show called one crazy weekend.

And what reminded me was when we were there at the beginning

of October, they were already starting to set up for the

Grand Prix, even though it was several weeks out at that

point, because it is a massive undertaking.

So go for one crazy weekend.

Stay for the Grand Prix.

But that's probably way too much Vegas for a lot of people.

Definitely.

But then you know what I want to do and then go on.

I was going to say, uh, I hear there's one place that you can

watch the race, uh, unencumbered and for free.

And that's by taking that escalator up and down and up

and down and up.

Have you seen this?

So there's one place.

Yeah.

There's you.

Like moving you along public.

I don't know.

I like it.

Yeah.

I nominate Ryan to attend this strategy and report back.

Right.

Anyway, there is also I need to give a call out to the win

concourse.

So this is for four or five years old, but mark my words.

That is becoming one of the biggest events of the year.

So just bear that in mind.

Our friend of the show, Justin Bell is the, uh, the emcee

for the event.

Right.

And, uh, it's becoming bigger than anyone I think realizes.

So, uh, well, I mean, this year they, yeah, it's, uh, they

did a lot of good stuff.

Unveiled new cars.

Um, so yeah, watch this space.

Yeah, it's an elegant event.

And, uh, I know I think it's a, it's a sleeper.

It's like, uh, if you know, you know, and it's a lovely event

if you've been, but yeah, I think it's definitely growing

and, uh, I hope to make it there sooner rather than later.

Yeah.

And then January, if you couldn't get to Paris, uh, retro

mobile will be coming to New York in November.

Yeah.

So it's the first time they're doing the event in New York.

Um, it could be a great, a great experience.

You know, that sort of holiday vibe plus some beautiful cars.

Yeah.

That'll be the first retro mobile in the States.

So, and they, when I was there in Paris in February, I got

to talk to Gerard and Ramon, um, and they shared a lot about

how they chose New York and they really looked at a lot

of different locations, but they wanted to make it accessible

as accessible as possible for people from the West coast

and also Europe to, you know, encourage as many people as

possible to attend and they're really excited about it.

And hopefully they will join us and tell us more about it.

Yeah.

Look forward to that.

And for December, I just put go for a drive.

Yeah.

I think it's a great way to end your gap here, isn't it?

Just decompress, get in the car and go for a drive.

And so are we, are you going to create like take a trip to

go drive somewhere or are we thinking at that point we are

tired, we want to be home.

So we're taking drives from where we live.

Yeah, I think it's use your home as your base.

Yeah.

And just going for a drive.

Yeah.

Ordinarily, December would not be a good driving month here

in Denver, but this month it actually was freakishly warm

and snowless.

Well, I guess.

Yeah.

If you guys could pick one event from the list next year,

which one would it be?

I think Ryan, we know your answer already, so you're not allowed

that one.

Yeah.

Yeah, that would be mine.

If I had to pick another one, I, you know, I really would

like to go, it's got to be one of the Goodwood events.

It's got to be right.

Yeah.

I think maybe the revival.

Well, and I think we could make the question even more

difficult by saying it has to be something that you haven't

attended already because so many of these things are so

incredible that, you know, it's, I mean, it's an impossible

question really.

Yeah.

I would have to say one in Z.

I know.

What if I pick one and a bonus?

So the fat ice race, because I really do want to experience

that and that's not something I've done before.

Oh, I need two bonuses.

Cal Miele and RetroMobile New York.

There we go.

It's a three-way tie.

It's nice.

Kind of amazing that three events, right?

Yeah.

No, it's kind of amazing between the three of us.

We've done almost all of them, but what about you, Dan?

Yeah.

I really have a hankering for the North case 500.

I really have a hankering for going to get in a higher car

and just drive around Scotland.

That'd be great.

Yeah, that would be amazing.

Oh, also, Villedest, there's just too many good events.

I know, I know, I know, which is an amazing problem to have,

right?

Yeah.

But a good burn.

Did you know it is?

I've been at a show and shine.

Meet you guys there.

We're coming.

We have probably missed lots of great, amazing events.

So an ask for our audience.

Give us a shout out.

Let us know.

Put it in the comments for the show.

Put it on the Instagram.

I'm sure we've missed stuff that is really cool.

Potentially stuff that's underground that people don't know

about yet, but let us know what we should be doing.

And we would love to hear from you guys.

Help us fill out our year so that our gap year, we are never

at home.

We're only doing five options that you can add to the list

when you ask her to pick one.

I think it's American show.

It's like having like having Brian Scott here on your show,

isn't it?

There's just so much.

Yeah.

Well, I think by the time this airs will be in the new year.

So we wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year.

Remember that you should always be driving driving.

And until next time, it's that car show.

Mind the Gap

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