GHIT Podcast Episode 0142:  Alex Levinson Orchestrates a Coup D’état with Some Friends

 

We never had control to lose, but we somehow lost it anyway.  You have been warned

 

It all started innocently enough, Alex Levinson was coming onto the podcast and we had a plan to talk about racing and go karting.  Little did we know there was a devious plot afoot.  It began to dawn on us as he was signing in and the Zoom window label came through as Amanda.  All was good, he was pretending to be Amanda, we would love to be half the driver and have half the mechanical knowledge and skills she has.  Then the video came through and there was Amanda and Alex, but there was more.  Off to the side, there was Donnie Petrunak, another well-known racer and a man who adds vowels to the pronunciation of his name without actually taking the time to write them into his name.  Inauspicious start, but no worries, yet.  Then we asked one question and I’m not sure we spoke again, lol.  Strap in for this one, it’s quite a ride.

 

On our Dominating with Dawson, we cover one of Ben’s favorite racing games, playing with the flags and how the simple act of paying attention can help you during a race.

 

We hope you enjoy this episode!

 

Best regards,

 

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and

Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

 

Highlights from this episode include:

1)  Comparison of the NASCAR approach to our Lucky Dog approach at the Charlotte Roval

2)  An update on Alex’s 2000 NB Miata daily driver that was crashed into at Charlotte while parked in the lot.  It doesn’t even make a good story. 

3)  A tremendous story about Alex’s encounter with Paul Blart Jr.

4)  Donnie “the Fist of God” Petrunak gives an update of his latest car battles and it sounds just like a normal day in the life of the Fail Inc Motorsports racing team and Florida Man Racing.  Remember, no “i” in Petrunak, but being high maintenance, he wants one pronounced anyway, lol.

5)  Apparently running cheaty BMW’s runs in Amanda’s family, so its really not her fault since its hereditary.

6)  Stories and introductions to their three racing teams and cars. Alex takes 10 minutes, Donnie about 3, and Amanda about a minute, just like their lap times.  Lol.

7)  Donnie has his doctorate but apparently cannot count past 6, since that is the number of cars he “claims” to have. 

8)  Hospital, hospitable, same, same.  Words are hard, maybe as hard as numbers.

9)  Alex impersonates one of those old toys where you pull a string and it just keeps talking and talking. 

10)  Amanda answers the question as to what happened to her E36 BMW at Thompson.  That car is usually an anvil and a monster.

11)  Donnie has an issue with a certain wall at Daytona.  But the walls always seem to win.

12)  Alex offers Donnie’s services to all the front running cars at NHMS and we warn others about allowing Mental nearby.

13)  Several opinions about running a true 24 race from our guests.  Still sounds like work to us though.

14)  Alex gets a new nickname.  Say hi to his new nickname “Grandpa”.

15)  Jen gets to ask a question.  Bet you forgot she was there.  I'm pretty sure she did too.

16)  We received an update that we are the #4 automotive podcast in all of Indonesia.  Thank you to the fans there and please ignore our guests.  They were like an alcohol fueled dragster, just without the dragster.  They even laughed at a one or two of Bill’s jokes.

17)  How Donnie learned to drive.  This explains a lot.

18)  Alex realizes that he is actually a race winning Porsche driver (as is Amanda), but he still can’t pronounce Porsche. 

19)  Donnie has one of the best “car that got away” stories we may ever hear.

20)  Alex has an amazing car ultimate road trip path.