The Scene Vault Podcast
Rick Houston
Updated about 23 hours agoAt The Scene Vault Podcast, we're all about NASCAR history, all the time. Our interview guests shed new light on their lives and careers each and every week, and hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid draw on their long careers in and around the sport to provide expert analysis and commentary. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 6 a.m. Eastern.
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Episodes (436)
EPISODE 111 -- BRETT BODINE PART 2
Once and for all ... Brett Bodine DID win the 1990 spring race at North Wilkesboro, and in this installment of our interview, he lets you know about it in no uncertain terms. He also remembers his friendship with fellow competitor Davey Allison, his highly charged incident with brother Geoff in the inaugural Brickyard 400, his decision to buy out Junior Johnson and a devastating relationship with an all-talk sponsor. In our second segment, co-hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the November 23, 1995 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of the Junior Johnson-Brett Bodine team transaction, Rick's column on a championship party for Gary Wall, Jeff Gordon's scorer; and features by Rick on Darrell Waltrip, Wanda Lund Early and Doris Roberts; and the Fast Track pit-crew school. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 110 -- BRETT BODINE PART 1
In the first of what will be a three-part interview, Brett Bodine discusses his phenomenal 1985 Busch Series rookie season, during which he won three races in just 13 starts. Then, in his first full-time campaign the following year, Bodine finished achingly close to the championship in one of the most bizarre seasons anyone could remember. After that, he moved to the Winston Cup circuit with veteran team owner Bud Moore. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the April 11, 1985 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of Dale Earnhardt's Bristol win, which came despite the fact he lost power steering just 100 laps into the event. That race also saw short-track carnage galore, while other notable stories concerned Bodine's inaugural Busch Series win at Martinsville, Petty Enterprises truck driver Horst Fisher, Dave Marcis' new shop and memories of Bill Elliott pushing his car across the finish line at Darlington to score a third-place finish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 109 -- JIMMY MEANS PART 2
In the second and final installment of our interview, legendary NASCAR independent Jimmy Means remembers his one-race deal with Hendrick Motorsports, the wrecks that finally convinced him to quit driving, working as a crew chief for Bud Moore and finally making it to victory lane with Ed Berrier. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the October 15, 1987 issue of Grand National Scene. The paper featured coverage of Bill Elliott's fall Charlotte win and a rash of accidents, one of which took Means out of contention in the very early going. Ken Schrader discussed the chance meeting that led to his own Hendrick Motorsports ride in one feature story, while other news items outlined Neil Bonnett's job as a union pipe fitter and Junie Donlavey's loss of driver, crew chief and sponsor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 108 -- JIMMY MEANS PART 1
In the first of our two-part interview, Jimmy Means sits down with hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid to discuss his career as an independent driver and team owner. Before getting down to business, Rick discovers that Jimmy's mom worked at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, the same Army base on which he was born a LONG, LONG time ago. Jimmy then turns his attention to busting Steve's chops a little bit over a long-ago joke. In our second segment, Rick and Steve dig into the April 23, 1987 issue of Grand National Scene. The cover story featured Jimmy and fellow NASCAR independents J.D. McDuffie, James Hylton and Elmo Langley, with additional stories on engine builder Keith Dorton, Herb Nab and NASCAR participants going through media training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 107 -- LARRY McCLURE PART 3
In the conclusion to our conversation, former Winston Cup team owner Larry McClure remembers an acrimonious split with Ernie Irvan, two Daytona 500 wins with Sterling Marlin, his team's departure from the sport and an incredibly trying time in his own life. Our Issue of the Week takes a deep look into the September 9, 1993 Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of Mark Martin's Southern 500 victory, his fourth win in a row. The issue also covered Irvan's overnight move from Morgan-McClure Motorsports to Robert Yates Racing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 106 -- LARRY McCLURE PART 2
In the second installment of our interview, former Winston Cup team owner Larry McClure describes his team's short-lived association with driver Phil Parsons, before turning to Ernie Irvan very early in the 1990 season. It was with Irvan that Morgan-McClure Motorsports got its first taste of true success on the race track ... and vice versa. Irvan won his and his team's first race at Bristol in the fall of that same season, and then the Daytona 500 just a few months later. With that competitiveness, however, came no small amount of controversy. After a number of on-track incidents, Irvan stood up at a Talladega drivers' meeting and apologized for his actions. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid rummage through the August 1, 1991 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which carried coverage of Dale Earnhardt's win at Talladega, intense disagreements within the Ford camp following the race, Rick Mast's flip and Irvan's apology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 105 -- LARRY McCLURE PART 1
Once upon a time, Morgan-McClure Motorsports was one of NASCAR's most prominent teams. This week, team owner Larry McClure recalls the team's rise from the most humble of beginnings in and around the Abingdon, Virginia area. Incredibly, current NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin was one of the team's very first drivers, with some wondering if he was tough enough to manhandle a full-sized NASCAR stock car. A subsequent driver pick came down to another future NASCAR Hall of Famer, Davey Allison, and Rick Wilson. It was only after Wilson and sponsor Kodak came on board that Morgan-McClure finally began its upward trajectory. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid discuss the July 7, 1988 issue of Grand National Scene, which coverage of Wilson's nail-biting second-place finish to Bill Elliott. The issue also carried Waid's column on a rash of driver injuries in 1988; a feature on full-time undertaker and part-time driver Eddie Bierschwale; and A.J. Foyt's penalty for missing the Daytona driver's meeting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 104 -- LARRY McREYNOLDS PART 3
In this extraordinary conclusion to our interview, Larry McReynolds describes his tumultuous tenure with Richard Childress Racing and driver Dale Earnhardt. They did win the 1998 Daytona 500 together, but also endured one of the driest spells of Earnhardt's career. Ultimately, McReynolds would be moved over to helm Mike Skinner's RCR efforts before moving on to the Fox broadcast booth. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the June 11, 1998 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of the McReynolds-Kevin Hamlin-Earnhardt-Mike Skinner crew chief swap, as well as that year's spring event at Richmond. Jeff Gordon was angry with Rusty Wallace, while Dale Jarrett was peeved with not only race winner Terry Labonte, but also NASCAR for throwing a late-race red flag that allowed the race to end under green. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 103 -- LARRY McREYNOLDS PART 2
In this powerfully emotional episode, Larry McReynolds remembers the devastating loss of his best friend, Davey Allison, and the life-threatening injuries sustained by Ernie Irvan the very next year. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then remember the late, great Maurice Petty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 102 -- LARRY McREYNOLDS PART 1
In this installment of our second interview with Larry McReynolds, he talks about his run with Robert Yates Racing and the late, great Davey Allison. The discussion covered everything from McReynolds' decision to make the move from Kenny Bernstein’s team to Robert Yates Racing … to his decision NOT to make the move … then his final decision TO pack up and Bernstein for Yates. It was a move that paid immediate dividends. Allison won five races after Larry Mac came on board in 1991 … and then came an absolutely tumultuous 1992 Winston Cup season. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then break down the April 11, 1991 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of that year's Darlington spring race ... McReynolds' first race as Allison's crew chief. Ricky Rudd inherited the victory after problems in the pits foiled a dominant run by Michael Waltrip. The issue also carried a poignant column about Neil Bonnett's struggles with not being able to race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 101 -- RICKY CRAVEN PART 3
In the conclusion of our conversation, Ricky Craven comes back from what many would consider the wilderness years of his career to win at both Martinsville and Darlington. In the episode's second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the March 20, 2003 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of Craven's thrilling win over Kurt Busch at Darlington, an equally-as-thrilling conclusion to the track's Busch Series event between Todd Bodine and Jamie McMurray and a large package of stories concerning NASCAR's reaction to the invasion of Iraq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 100 -- MIKE HELTON
Mike Helton's career began at an AM radio station in his hometown of Bristol, Virginia. Twenty years later, he was the president of NASCAR. Helton describes that incredible journey for our very special 100th episode. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid chat with listeners Hallie Imrie, Joe Ruch, Jeff Marcosky, Jay Coker, Edwin Turner and Matt Miles about how the podcast reached the 100-episode milestone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 99 -- RICKY CRAVEN PART 2
In this incredible installment of our interview, Ricky Craven remembers the aftermath of two accidents -- the first at Talladega in 1996 and the second at Texas in 1997. And while Talladega was the more spectacular of the two mishaps, Craven's crash at Texas altered his career trajectory in a major way and left him doubting himself and his abilities for the first time in his career. In our second segment, co-hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dissect the May 2, 1996 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which covered that fateful Talladega event. Along with Craven's incident, Bill Elliott suffered a broken leg in a separate accident. Sterling Marlin won, continuing his restrictor-plate mastery. The issue also contained features on longtime crew chief Bob Johnson and up-and-coming driver Buckshot Jones. Finally, several in the racing community escaped injury the morning of the race when a jet blew the windows out of the airport gate at which they'd just arrived. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 98 -- RICKY CRAVEN PART 1
This week, Ricky Craven talks about his Busch North days, when he rolled like a tank through the 1991 season. He built on that success by moving South and running the Busch Series in 1992 through 1994, We discussed his friendship with Jeff Gordon and their shared sponsorship from DuPont, the exhaustion of running his own team and finally, his move to Winston Cup with team owner Larry Hedrick. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then take a peek at the July 11, 1991 issue of Grand National Scene, which carried coverage of Ricky's Oxford 250 victory, Bill Elliott's Pepsi 400 win at Daytona and the announcement of Dale Jarrett's decision to move to the newly formed Joe Gibbs Racing for the 1992 Winston Cup season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 97 -- BILL GARDNER PART 3
In the third and final installment of our interview, DiGard Racing team owner Bill Gardner discusses the team's controversial win in the 1985 Firecracker 400 at Daytona with driver Greg Sacks, the end of the team's run in the sport and, ultimately, its place in NASCAR history. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid also take a quick look at the new inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame before digging into the April 9, 1987 issue of Grand National Scene, which features coverage of Dale Earnhardt's dominant win at North Wilkesboro, Tim Richmond's comeback press conference and Darlington test, a Joe Dan Bailey feature and news on Jake Elder, an injury that nearly derailed Terry Labonte's start streak and controversial team owner Eric Freedlander. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 96 -- BILL GARDNER PART 2
In the second installment of our interview with DiGard Racing owner Bill Gardner, we discuss the crushing disappointment of losing out on the 1979 Winston Cup championship; the on-again, off-again relationship with Buddy Parrott; Darrell Waltrip's departure from the team; the 1982 "Bumper-gate" controversy; Bobby Allison's 1983 Winston Cup championship; and a sugar residue that was discovered in Allison's fuel cell at Riverside in that year's season finale. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid also take a long look into the November 19, 1981 issue of Grand National Scene. The week's paper featured coverage of Neil Bonnett's win at Atlanta in front of Ford officials; Ford's return to the sport; Harry Melling buying Bill Elliott's family owned operation; and features on Dale Earnhardt's move from Richard Childress Racing to Bud Moore Engineering and James "Tweetie" Hylton Jr. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 95 -- BILL GARDNER PART 1
DiGard Racing was one of the most successful ... and controversial ... NASCAR teams of the 1970s and 80s, and team owner Bill Gardner addressed it all in his interview with The Scene Vault Podcast hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid. In this week's installment, Gardner remembers how it all began over a game of pinochle, his parting of the ways with Donnie Allison and the beginnings of what would turn out to be a tumultuous relationship with Darrell Waltrip. In our second segment, Rick and Steve dig into the May 26, 1977 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured an epic column by publisher Robb Griggs, outlining, among other things, a controversy at Nashville that left the race track without an ambulance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 94 -- DARRELL WALTRIP PART 3
In the third and final installment of our interview, Darrell Waltrip talks about everything from his rough start with the Dream Team at Hendrick Motorsports, his 1989 Daytona 500 win and The 1989 The Winston controversy with Rusty Wallace to his really bad broken leg at Daytona the following year, when he was also planning his OWN team, his 1991 flip at Daytona and, eventually, the end of his driving career. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the crammed-pack February 23, 1989 issue of Grand National Scene. That week's issue featured coverage of Waltrip's iconic win in the Daytona 500, Rick Mast's storybook finish, a post-race confrontation involving Davey Allison and Geoff Bodine and scary accidents involving Neil Bonnett, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 93 -- DARRELL WALTRIP PART 2
After a very expensive buyout of his contract with DiGard Racing, Darrell Waltrip joined the famed Junior Johnson & Association for the 1981 Winston Cup season. Because of his often-heated rivalry with Cale Yarborough, the team's former driver, Waltrip wasn't accepted with open arms at first. Winning, however, has a way of warming up even the coolest of relationships ... and Waltrip did plenty of winning at Junior Johnson & Associates. Still, it wasn't enough to keep him from being booed after a crash in the 1982 World 600 at Charlotte ... and an infamous "meet me in the Big K parking lot" interview with writer Larry Woody. After winning three Winston Cup championships with Johnson, Waltrip received an offer to go drive for then-upstart team owner Rick Hendrick. In our second segment, Rick Houston and Steve Waid are joined by Jaret Lundberg of The Iceberg NASCAR YouTube channel for a look back at the December 17, 1981 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of NASCAR's first trip to New York City for the Winston Cup banquet. Highlighting the issue is a glowing commentary, praising Waltrip for his superb representation of the sport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 92 -- DARRELL WALTRIP PART 1
Darrell Waltrip was one of the centerpieces of the NASCAR universe for nearly 20 years. In the first of our three-part Zoom interview, DW discusses everything from the early days of his career through the crushing disappointment of losing out on the 1979 Winston Cup championship ... and a good many things in between. In our second segment, we go back in time to the July 21, 1977 Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of DW's crazy victory at Nashville and a scathing column by publisher and founder Robb Griggs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 91 -- LAKE SPEED PART 3
In this week's episode of The Scene Vault Podcast, Lake Speed wins at Darlington Raceway in 1988. He subs for Davey Allison at Robert Yates Racing, then goes full time with Bud Moore and Melling Racing … and gets punched by Michael Waltrip at Michigan. His reaction to that is one of the funniest lines we’ve heard here on The Scene Vault Podcast. Finally, Lake remembers the injuries that led to the end of his Winston Cup career. Also, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid take a look at the March 31, 1988 issue of Grand National Scene, which featured coverage of Lake's Darlington win, Herculean efforts by Alan Kulwicki and Brett Bodine to get to the finish line and J.D. McDuffie's return to the race track. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 90 -- LAKE SPEED PART 2
Lake Speed gets his start at the Winston Cup level, where he finds mentors in Darel Dieringer and Shelton "Runt" Pittman. He has a life-changing experience en route to a third-place finish at Talladega in 1983, then makes the decision to move to a team owned by Butch Mock and Bob Rahilly for 1985. Lake ends up with a second-place showing in the 1985 Daytona 500, one of the most emotional experiences of his long and storied career in NASCAR. After parting ways with Rahmoc early the following season, Lake feels led to start his own team. In the second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid check out the February 21, 1985 issue of Grand National Scene, featuring coverage of Bill Elliott's dominant Daytona 500 victory, Lake's memorable runnerup finish, Bobby Wawak and a new tire rule. Rick and Steve also remember their very first trips to Daytona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 89 -- LAKE SPEED PART 1
Lake Speed grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, the son of a popular businessman and one-term mayor of the city. Introduced to Go-Karts at a young age, Lake took his first steps in a lifetime of racing, a career that first saw him chase the dream of a World Karting Association world championship. Once he reached that impossible goal, Lake began seeking out a new challenge. He found it in NASCAR, but not before facing one of the most bizarre finishes in motorsports history at the end of the 1980 ARCA race at Daytona. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dissect the June 1, 1989 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of Darrell Waltrip's revenge win at Charlotte. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 88 -- STEVE HMIEL PART 3
After his tenure with Roush Racing came to a disappointing end, Steve Hmiel's next stop was Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, where he experienced Earnhardt's at time rough-and-gruff leadership style first-hand. Sadly, he was also a part of the DEI family at the time of the 2001 Daytona 500, a moment in time that changed the course of NASCAR history. Steve also discusses the heart-breaking injury sustained by his son Shane, and his reaction to it. In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dissect the upcoming vote for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EPISODE 87 -- STEVE HMIEL PART 2
Roush Fenway Racing eventually became one of NASCAR's most influential teams, but the going wasn't always smooth in the earliest days of the organization. In this episode, Steve Hmiel remembers the tug-of-war that sometimes took part between Michigan and North Carolina, the team's controversial penalty at Richmond early in the 1990 season and the disappointment of losing that year's Winston Cup championship. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dive into the October 26, 1989 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of the first Winston Cup win for both driver Mark Martin and Roush Racing. NOTE: Due to the coronavirus quarantine, this commentary for this episode was recorded remotely. There are some rough spots in the quality of the recording, but steps have been taken to correct this in future episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices