Life with Legends

C. J. Wilson

Motorsports is a compelling and aspirational way of life, and sometimes we forget that, until someone from the top of their (other) game come in to our world, and bring with them a set of principles and focus that energizes even the most jaded 
of us.

Such is the case with Major Baseball League Pitcher, C. J. Wilson, who I got to sit down with at his stunning car dealership in Fresno, CA.

From the moment I met C.J. I was struck by his intensity and commitment, not just to becoming faster in the race car, but also by creating his own racing team to further his aspirations.

I was in the pitlane for Fox Sports for most of his racing career, and he was always a cool interview, especially fro a British guy that wouldn’t know how to throw a baseball if my life depended on it!

I have wanted to have this conversation for so long, as I was fascinated about his approach to life and to be honest, I had to find out if he was born or made this way.

As I think you will discover during this podcast, there was never a doubt he would become successful in life. From pitching for the Los Angeles Angels to the high banks of Daytona, he also, apparently, never had doubts either, which is pretty extraordinary. And now, his intellect and skill set is focussed on his thriving car dealerships, but I was pleased to hear that racing is never far from his mind. 

So for a man so successful so young, the story has many chapters to go!

JB

So, this week a short but kind of cool little show, as I headed down last week to Jim Busby’s place (yes you heard him in Episode 22) as while the racing circus was in town for the Long Beach GP, he held a little open house for some of his racing pals from the RRDC (Road racing Drivers Club).

I grabbed a quick chat with, and this is in order of appearance:

Alwin Springer  - legendary Porsche Engine builder known as Andial

My father Derek Bell and Mark Rafauf, who has been involved with the IMSA series on the technical side since time began and still wields huge influence to this day!

Jim Busby himself and Bruce Meyer join to wrap things up.

 It is just a fun show and I hope you have fun listening to these amazing guys!

JB

Bruce Meyer

I have been fortunate to meet so many extraordinary people over the years, but there are some that really do inspire you, and  Bruce Meyer is one of those true gentlemen that I am just blessed to call a friend.

Often called the ‘unofficial Mayor of Beverly Hills’, Bruce just seems to know everyone and they in turn adore him back. People gravitate to his engaging demeanor, and I think its not just me that wishes they could come back as him in the next life!

His extraordinary car collection is secretly located just feet above the visiting tourists, and yet to any of us in his car world, it is a place for us to meet and enjoy some of the most beautiful cars ever built.

 But I am always intrigued on how do people achieve this level of success, what was their motivation, how did they pull it off?

I knew little of his journey and so sitting down in his garage was a real treat, and learning the whole story makes him even more impressive.

A true car guy and the perfect role model.

I hope you enjoy it.

JB

Jim Busby

What I love about motorsport is the ridiculous number of stories just waiting to be told!

At every level, in each era, there are incredible personalities who contributed greatly to the development of our sport, and Jim Busby is one such man.

Based out of Laguna Beach it would have been easy for anyone driving past, to miss the world class racing operation taking place just out of sight.

Jim is one of the rare talents that could combine engineering and fabrication skills with great speed behind the wheel.

Hitting his stride in the heady days of 80’s sportscars in the IMSA GTP Series, his cars won multiple races as well as winning his Class at Le Mans as a driver.

It was a great time of camaraderie and high jinks, but balanced by intense competition, and Jim saw it all. 

Drag racing and the famous Bonneville Salt Flats also benefited from his intense passion for all things fast, and being a true blooded hot-rodder he made everything faster than when he got it.

What a cool guy and great fun to talk to. We only just touched the surface in this podcast, so I may need round 2!

Enjoy,
JB

Ray Evernham

To hear how Ray and I met you need to listen to this podcast, but I have to say, this guy is one of my favorite people in Motorsport!

His new life as a TV host, car collector, consultant to Hendrick Motorsports, and founder of the SRX series, and in demand as a speaker and host at the top car events around the country, all make Ray a very busy guy.

But it is his extraordinary exploits as crew chief to the rising star that was Jeff Gordon, is what makes him so fascinating and legitimate! Together they won 47 Cup races and 3 cup Championships, which is simply outstanding.

I always wanted to sit Ray down and hear some of the behind the scenes stuff, so I hope you have fun listening!

JB

Bill Warner

I had the immense pleasure of spending time with Bill at his wonderful new car garage in Jacksonville Florida, the Monday after The Amelia weekend.

Known internationally as the man who founded the Amelia Concours d’Elegance 28 years ago, Bill recently sold the Concours to Hagerty so they might lead it into the next era.

Bill truly was the pulse of the event for so many of us that visited year after year. His extraordinary knowledge of not just the cars but the people involved, is legendary. He can recall the names of every driver in a certain race, what happened and why. As someone that can’t remember my own last race, it always blows me away!

But the story of Bills obsession and passion for cars and racing goes back to his extensive career as a top motorsports photographer and writer for Road & Track magazine since 1971 and has images on his walls that show he really was there, right in the heart of the action. Andretti, McQueen, Gregg, Haywood. Everyone!

Bill is a charming and entertaining raconteur , a successful businessman and I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity to catch up with him. 

And also, to call him a friend.

 JB

Brenda Vernor, Personal Assistant to Enzo Ferrari

When we reflect on history, no matter the subject, it is easy to focus on the central figures and forget, that to simply operate on a daily basis there were key people who helped them function. People so close to the source that they are truly sole witness to the making of that history. The supporting role in the movie of their life so to speak.

One such person is Brenda Vernor, who for many years was the legendary Enzo Ferrari’s personal assistant, based at the factory in Modena.

I have known Brenda for many years thanks to her friendship with my father, Derek, since he was at Ferrari in 1970 racing in Formula 1.

Which is why, when the opportunity came to spend a morning with Brenda at her friend’s house in West Palm Beach after the Ferrari Cavallino event, I thought it a great idea to take Dad with me as a surprise!

Brenda is 90 now but sharp as a knife and still faithfully loyal to ‘The old man’ but what a lovely experience, talking to someone that was right there as the Ferrari brand took off under the stern but brilliant leadership of Enzo himself.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode, as the Brenda’s of this world won’t be with us forever and their firsthand stories are too intimate and special to pass undocumented!

The lady who worked with Ferrari!

Enjoy.

JB

Tanner Foust

I think someone once said that fear itself keeps you young (or am I making that up?), either way it explains why this weeks guest on Life with Legends looks so youthful!

Tanner Foust has that kind of god-given car control that would have made him a star in any kind of car, but the fact that the early intervention of rallying and a stint as an ice driving instructor, shaped his career is a great story. An X-Games gold medal winner, Formula Drift Champion, and, well way too much to list here!

Making a huge name for himself as a rally driver, then the transition to Rallycross and all the attention that , proved he had the chops against the best in the world. But his parallel career as one of the worlds most in-demand stunt drivers is what blows my mind! World record holder for the longest car jump in a four wheeled vehicle at 332 feet, and doing a loop the loop for a Hot Wheels campaign, all makes him certifiable….you would think!

However, the opposite is true as he is intelligent, calculating and almost zen-like in his approach to risk in his day job. He is a busy man, as much as anything for his talent in front of the camera as well, having been the host of Top Gear America for years.

He flew up to meet me in his beautiful single engine plane, and I learned a lot from our conversation. I hope you do too.

JB

This is the case of JB meeting JB!

While our paths have occasionally crossed, mainly at social events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed or back in the day at the bar at the BRDC dinner and dance, I have always thought Jenson Button and I would be great friends. He just never knew it!

Anyway, now we both live in Los Angeles I have hoped for a while that we could sit down for Life with Legends. The trouble is that Jenson is busier now than ever, so last week, before the madness of racing seasons kick off, we met at the Petersen Museum and guess what; we were like old friends!

When you are an active racing driver working your way through your career you tend to not to get that involved or aware of other peoples racing backgrounds. For me that was the case with Jenson, but once I read up on his early days in karting and how successful he was, it all dropped into place on why and how he set himself up for such an amazing F1 career!

He literally won nearly everything possible in Karting against some of the other (now) biggest names in racing; 3 x British Open Kart Champion, Winner of the European Super A Championship and many, many more.

His incredibly smooth and precise driving style led to a long stint in Formula One winning 15 races and the Drivers Championship in 2009, and was definitely a fan favorite known for his easy going nature and relatability.

While his post-Formula One career is pretty far reaching, but his appetite to still race is huge, and so some very exciting news ahead for him - stay tuned! 

Thanks to everyone at the Petersen for giving us space to record this episode and a highlight for sure was seeing a couple of his old F1 cars in the vault! Very cool!

Anyway, we had a great time and covered a lot of ground in two hours and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did having it.

JB

Gil de Ferran

One of the friendships I value most in my adult life is the one I share with Gil.

Since we got to know each other really well when I first moved to America in 2000, we lived close together and our families became part of each others lives.

It was extremely interesting to me to watch his ‘life’ as a top IndyCar driver and how he handled it. From the training to the PR, he was everything a pro should be, and when it came to race weekends he had an intensity that was almost scarey. But there was another side that definitely reflects his Brazilian roots, and that is the ability to embrace the fun side of life. Every Monday after a race weekend we had huge BBQ’s and much laughter and shenanigans ensued! I believe it was that ability to offset the demands of his racing career with family and friends that contributed to his success.

Winning the IndyCar Championship for Team Penske in 2000 and 20021, as well as the 2003 Indianapolis 500, Gil was a force to be reckoned with. His career since then has been wide ranging and always with a connection to the sport he loves. 

I have been planning to sit and talk with Gil for months so when we finally did, we had a lot to cover. He is one of the most articulate men I know (especially when you remember English is his second language) and loves nothing more than a deep, lengthy conversation over drinks that extend well into the early hours. Food is always involved and we share a love of cooking that makes us look like an old married couple in the kitchen!

Gil is a fascinating human and I hope you get a glimpse of all the layers in this episode of Life with Legends.

JB