Unless you are one of the lucky ones with local track events running all year long, we have entered the offseason. By the last event in November, my car, my budget, and myself are all ready for a bit of a break. Before long (usually by Christmas) I’m itching to get back out.
We all have our standard ways of getting our fix and staying sane in the offseason. Video Game/Simulators, Karting, Bundling up and working on the car in a frozen garage, etc. The problem is, all of that can get expensive.
My no-money-motorsports approved go to?
PODCASTS.
If you are unfamiliar with podcasts, they are essentially an online on-demand radio show. People can’t don’t like to read, blogs are dead. Podcasts are the modern way of getting content out to the masses. The nice thing about podcasts, they are FREE. Podcasts are available through several apps on apple and android phones (Itunes, google PlayMusic, Stitcher, etc). They are the perfect way to pass the time on a long daily commute.
A few of my friends recommended the “Dinner With Racers” podcast, and from the first episode I was hooked. The show is two guys (Ryan Eversley – a pro racer, and Sean Heckman – a “PR guy” of TMB Creative ) who sit down with a guest from the racing industry to shoot the shit, over a meal.
As of this writing, Dinner With Racers has 125 episodes available online. Most episodes are around an hour and a forty five minutes long. The guests include current pro racers, legends of racing, team owners, crew chiefs, felons, mechanics, etc. Their primary focus is road racing, but have also spent plenty of time interviewing oval racers and even a drag racer or two.
I cannot say enough good things about this podcast. The stories are incredible whether they are interviewing legends like Mario Andretti and Tommy Kendall, current champs, or an up-and-coming racer you’ve never heard of. Their perspective of the professional motorsports world has really shaped my own perspective and in some ways makes me appreciate and enjoy my humble place in club racing much more.
Start with the first episode or start with a guest whose name catches your eye, you won’t be disappointed.
How else do you get your automotive fix in the long, cold offseason?
P.S. You did put anti-freeze in the racecar, right?