This week’s installment of our conversation with Robbie Reiser is pretty much all Matt Kenseth, all the time. Robbie gives us the background on hiring Matt, struggling that season to come up with sponsorship for Matt, borrowing money to start the 1998 season out with Matt … and then Matt’s momentous first win in the Busch Series.

We then take a look through the newly digitized July 28, 1983 issue of Grand National Scene.
 
Tim Richmond has a premonition that he’s going to win at Pocono … and that’s exactly what he does. Co-host Steve Waid outs the eating habits of photographer David Chobat and Bill “The Hat Man” Brodrick before discussing a LONG list of places where he liked to dine.
 
Fellow columnists Jack Flowers and Alexis Leras add their two cents on future superstars and alternate careers for various competitors, and there’s a feature on Bob Laird, who served as Buddy Arrington’s jackman and fan club organizer.
 
NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
 
Be sure to check out the latest and greatest stories from the world of NASCAR at dailydownforce.com!
 
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Episode 270 -- Robbie Reiser on Finding Success With Matt Kenseth

At 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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We get things started off this week with a stunning find ... Rick's old mini-cassette tapes featuring interviews with a number of long-lost members of the NASCAR community.
 
Sandy Jones then remembers a team divided at Junior Johnson and Associates, Tim Brewer’s jaunt through Ingle Hollow, and parting ways with the team. He remembers his time with Darrell Waltrip and the Tide Ride, their 1989 Daytona 500 win together, and a SHORT-lived stint with DW’s own operation.
 
 We then dig into the December 5, 1985 edition of Grand National Scene.
 
Bill Elliott … and NOT Darrell Waltrip … is named Driver of the Year. Bobby Allison was unhappy with a two-car situation at DiGard … so he leaves and JOINS a two-car operation with the Stavola Brothers.
 
Rusty Wallace makes the move from Cliff Stewart to Blue Max. There’s a Sandy Jones photo bio. Mark Martin has a new Cup deal. Michael Waltrip loses his crew chief to a terrible highway accident. Richard Petty undergoes surgery … and … finally … the name Grand National gets dropped from the Cup series and moves to the Busch Grand National division.
 
NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
 
Be sure to check out the latest and greatest stories from the world of NASCAR at dailydownforce.com!
 
Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!
 
Please consider supporting this show via:
 
patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
 
paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
 
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Episode 296 -- Junie Donlavey Clip AND Sandy Jones on Parting Ways with Junior Johnson & Associates

This week in the first of what will be three installments, Sandy Jones remembers Jimmy "Smut" Means, the LONG road home from Pocono, his stint with D.K. Ulrich, and going to school at Junior Johnson University, where he was the new kid in Ingle Hollow … and treated like it.
 
We then tackle the April 3, 1980 edition of Grand National Scene.
 
Dale Earnhardt wins his second race in a row, early in his sophomore season. The win comes at Bristol, where he’d scored the FIRST victory of his Winston Cup career the year before.
 
Donnie Allison parts ways with Hoss Ellington, and there’s speculation on who might go into the seat. Gene Granger has the scoop on David Pearson and Hoss … and yes … another feature on his friend. Gene also takes aim at ABC’s coverage of the recent Atlanta event, a broadcast anchored by the legendary Al Michaels.
 
Neil Bonnett talks about Harry Hyde, qualifying, and his quite liberal interpretation of the rulebook. Finally, there are features on Jimmy Means’ "main man" … Sandy Jones … and former boat racer Bill Elswick.
 
NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
 
Be sure to check out the latest and greatest stories from the world of NASCAR at dailydownforce.com!
 
Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!
 
 
Please consider supporting this show via:
 
patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
 
 
paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
 
venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
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Episode 295 -- Sandy Jones on Junior Johnson University

This week in the third and final installment of our interview, Norman Negre remembers the mother of all road trips … and flights … with Bobby Allison … who, by the way … has 85 Grand National/Cup wins, not 84.
 
After that, we’ve got false teeth flying all over the place, while race cars AREN’T taking flight quite as much, thanks in part to Norman.
We then dig into the June 15, 1995 issue of Winston Cup Scene.
 
Jeff Gordon’s missed shift hands the Pocono win to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Terry Labonte. Ted Musgrave takes second place and does not get PUNCHED this time. Hut Stricklin’s fifth-place showing gives him hope that his Kenny Bernstein-owned team won’t shut down at the end of the season. And Dale Jarrett’s day lasts but a few laps for the second race in a row.
 
Larry Pearson and Ryan Pemberton win at Myrtle Beach, while little ol’ me does a feature on my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee’s connections to racing. Finally, Junie Donlavey is joined for a cool photo op by several of his former drivers.
 
NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
 
Be sure to check out the latest and greatest stories from the world of NASCAR at dailydownforce.com!
 
Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available.
Please consider supporting this show via:
patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
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Episode 294 -- Norman Negre on Bobby Allison Writing Richard Petty a BIG Check

Norman Negre didn't want to talk about whether or not nitrous played a part in Dale Earnhardt making the first start of his Winston Cup career … and I respected that … but we’ve since discussed it a little bit more … and he did admit that there were some things that he wanted to get straight.

So … we met AGAIN … and we got the story straight from Norman.
 
This week in the second installment of our interview, Norman also talks about the lengths to which independents would go to make ends meet, his relationship with Harry Hyde, and how that led to stints with Tim Richmond, Bobby Hillin, and ALMOST Rick Hendrick.
 
 We then take a deep dive into the July 24, 1986 issue of Grand National Scene.
 
 Tim Richmond and Harry Hyde celebrate on the cover of this issue after Tim overcomes Hendrick Motorsports teammate Geoff Bodine and Ricky Rudd in a thrilling last-lap battle at Pocono.
 
Richard Petty isn’t happy with Tim after the race. Harry Gant takes the pole position during qualifying … but afterward … his crew chief Travis Carter is hammered with a thousand-dollar fine for a piece that was SPIRITUALLY illegal.
 
There’s a feature on Norman Negre; Gene Granger has the inside look on rising salary demand; and two letters to the editor stand out ... one discusses Janet Guthrie's career stats, while the other mentions rumors(?!?) that Kyle Petty might join the 1960s supergroup The Monkees!
 
NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
 
Be sure to check out the latest and greatest stories from the world of NASCAR at dailydownforce.com!
 
Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!
 
Please consider supporting this show via:
patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
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Episode 293 -- Norman Negre on Dale Earnhardt and Nitrous Oxide

in racing as the son of one of NASCAR’s independent drivers and team owners, Ed Negre.
Norman remembers how an impromptu chance behind the wheel of his dad’s car in practice settled once and for all the question of whether or not HE would ever drive himself.
Norman gives us an inside look at the first Winston Cup start of Dale Earnhardt’s career.
We then dig into the April 13, 1978 issue of Grand National Scene.
Darrell Waltrip and Benny Parsons swap the first and second positions at Darlington and then Bristol … where Benny got an assist … as usual … from John Utsman.
Lennie Pond looks forward to a new ride with team owner Harry Ranier and crew chief Herb Nab. Dave Marcis tries to soothe the savage beast that was Buddy Baker at Darlington and Gene Granger has features on young independent driver Bill Elliott and his boy … David Pearson.
NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.
Be sure to check out the latest and greatest stories from the world of NASCAR at dailydownforce.com!
Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!
Please consider supporting this show via:
patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast
paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast
venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 270 -- Robbie Reiser on Finding Success With Matt Kenseth

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