The Scene Vault Podcast

This week, we're honored to be joined by the one ... the only ... the iconic ... Mario Andretti to discuss his life and times in and around the world of NASCAR.

This week in the third and final installment of our interview, Kenny Wallace talks about the success of 1994, leaving Filmar to drive for Andy Petree, his second-place finish to Dale Earnhardt at Talladega in October 2000, driving for DEI a year later and finally, his dirt racing career.

Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the February 2, 1995 issue of Winston Cup Scene. The cover story on this preseason issue featured none other than Kenny Wallace … and I was faster than an Air Force pilot in a session of Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track school at Atlanta.

As if to one-up his cake icing story from last week's episode, Rick also regales Steve with his memories of the 1985 Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam in Nashville.

In the second installment of our interview with Kenny Wallace, he talks us through his breakthough – and heartbreaking – 1991 Busch Series season. After battling Bobby Labonte for the championship, Kenny endured a devastating crash at New Hampshire late in the season. Then, during the offseason, a deal to move to Winston Cup falls through at the very last second. He lands on his feet and eventually moves to Cup with team owner Felix Sabates, but his rookie season doesn’t exactly pan out as expected. He joins and then enjoys some of his greatest successes with Filmar Racing. Finally, Kenny discusses filling in for the injured Ernie Irvan with Robert Yates Racing.

Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the September 29, 1994 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Rusty Wallace wins after dominating at Martinsville, but doesn’t gain much ground on runnerup Dale Earnhardt in the Winston Cup point standings. Kenny Wallace finishes fourth while subbing for the injured Ernie Irvan, who shocked the world that week by calling into a radio show. There’s also a feature on memorabilia collector Wayne Keith and Hut Stricklin and Travis Carter going their separate ways at the end of the 1994 season.

In our first episode of 2022, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid discuss Rick's bout with boredom during his COVID quarantine and an incredible Christmas gift given to him by a listener.

Kenny Wallace is ... well ... Kenny Wallace. And that's basically all the summary anybody needs! In our second segment, Rick and Steve thumb through the May 3, 1990 episode of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of Geoff Bodine’s win at Martinsville, his first for Junior Johnson.

The victory came just two days after a devastating loss for Junior and his then-wife, Flossie. Chuck Bown led all 200 laps at Lanier Raceway in Georgia, with our boy Kenny Wallace running a distant second.

There were also reports about boating mishaps that left Bill France Jr. with two broken ankles, and another that scared Michael Waltrip WAY more than his infamous Bristol Busch Series accident just a couple of weeks before.

2022 is already shaping up to be one heck of a year for The Scene Vault Podcast ... and in this week's season finale, we share previews of conversations already in the can with Kenny Wallace, John Dodson and Mike Beam.

Our listeners sent in several questions for this special episode, and let’s just say that between Kyle Petty’s bootlegging and bull riding adventures and Steve Waid, Tom Higgins and the Knights of the Mystic Sea, this segment isn't going to be forgotten any time soon.

We also did something a little different this week in our second segment. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid asked each other the questions they'd always wanted to know. The results were, at times, absolutely hysterical and at other, very deeply emotional.

This week, we share the third and final installment of our interview with Rick Wilson. In this episode, he talks about the decision he made to leave Morgan-McClure Motorsports and how that might not have worked out in his favor; being on the outside of the sport looking in; and his run with Petty Enterprises.

We do something a little different this week in our second segment, and it’s something for our REALLY old-school listeners. It’s a short interview conducted by iconic early NASCAR journalist and PR rep Russ Catlin with Buddy Shuman and Joe Weatherly going into the 1955 Southern 500 at Darlington.

It's the first time in more than 65 years the sound bite has been heard in public, and we're joined by NASCAR Production's Ken Martin to discuss the contributions of Catlin, Shuman and Weatherly and the significance of the clip.

In this week's installment of our interview, Rick Wilson talks about his years with Morgan-McClure Motorsports and crew chief Tony Glover; his VERY close second-place finish to Bill Elliott in the 1988 Firecracker 400 at Daytona; what he coulda, shoulda, woulda done differently in that event if he had it to do all over again; and a bad crash at Richmond that left him with two broken feet and an all-time attempt to race the next week.

Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the April 13, 1989 issue of Grand National Scene. Rusty Wallace has vertigo, but he wins the Valleydale 500 at Bristol. Darrell Waltrip finishes second after spinning his brother out. Waddell Wilson gets whacked in the head with a metal pole during a pit stop. Dick Trickle doesn’t have radio communications with his pit crew.

There are TWENTY cautions. A team doesn’t shut the gate on its hauler leaving the race track, causing all manner of parts, pieces and equipment to fly out of the back. Rick Wilson wins the rain-delayed Busch Series race. Rick Mast has the flu, and Dale Jarrett's car is destroyed by a crossover gate that opens unexpectedly. Dale Earnhardt doesn’t want to be at the Monday, rain-delayed race … and he promptly parks his car.

We share the first of what will be a three-part interview with Rick Wilson in this week's episode. Rick talks about his start in the sport; his relationship with Dick Hutcherson and A.J. Foyt; how a tragic accident during qualifying for the Indianapolis changed the trajectory of his career; the impact his win in the 1984 ARCA race at Daytona had on him; and finally, how a ride with Morgan-McClure Motorsports came down to Rick and a youngster by the name of Davey Allison.

The February 16, 1984 Grand National Scene featured a short story at the FRONT of the paper on Rick Wilson’s Daytona ARCA victory; Cale Yarborough OFFICIALLY becoming the first person to qualify for the Daytona with a speed of more than 200 mph; Neil Bonnett’s win in the Busch Clash; and Ricky Rudd’s infamous end-over-end, side-over-side series of barrel rolls in that event.

There were a also couple of great columns in this issue on a brand-new owner coming into the sport and the doubts he was having about the team’s chances at success right out of the box and a volunteer crewman for Jimmy Means by the name of Junior Johnson … but not THAT Junior Johnson.

In the wake of Kyle Larson's Cup title-clinching race at Phoenix, host Rick Houston re-introduces his revolutionary championship format. Trust us. It's something to behold. Our interview with former Bud Moore Engineering crew members Phil Thomas, Donnie Wingo and Harold Stott concludes this week, and they remember several different drivers who competed for the team and one in particular who butted heads with Bud. They also talk about the end of that incredible organization, and how difficult it was to leave.

Rick and co-host Steve Waid then leaf through the May 20, 1993 issue of Winston Cup Scene, which featured coverage of Geoff Bodine’s win at Sears Point for Bud Moore, which turned out to be the team's final win. Ricky Rudd finished second, and it was shades of 1991 when Ricky gave Geoff a shot on the last lap. This time, Geoff was able to keep going and win the race. There was also a last-lap skirmish between Kyle Petty, Davey Allison and Dale Jarrett that left Davey and Dale pretty hot under the collar. Finally, Rick Wilson finished eighth for Petty Enterprises, his best finish for that team.