The Scene Vault Podcast

To fully understand and appreciate the return of North Wilkesboro Speedway for this weekend's Cup all-star race, it's important to remember what took place there in the past. 

Rescued from the very depths of oblivion, the trace is brimming with memories. We've captured many of them on the show, and to celebrate its return, please enjoy this very special highlight episode! 

NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.

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This week in the second installment of our interview with Danny Culler, he talks about coming in contact with NASCAR icons like Bill France Sr, Joe Weatherly, Curtis Turner and Fireball Roberts as a youth; his time in Vietnam and how he was working to get into the sport even then; flying for Piedmont Aviation; and the role he played in getting the company into the sport as a sponsor and helping steer them toward Richard Childress Racing.

In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dig into the January 14, 1982 issue of Grand National Scene. 

This issue featured a jigsaw puzzle and how everything might or might not be falling into place for Richard Childress, Ricky Rudd, Mark Martin, Tim Richmond and Tom Sneva and sponsors Piedmont Aviation, Texaco and Hardee's.

Gene Granger gives us his top-10 stories from 1981 and the issue is rounded out by a feature on longtime independent driver H.B. Bailey.

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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Please consider supporting this show via:

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We did something this week we sometimes do with our interviews … when there’s a particularly powerful portion that comes later in the interview, we’ll go with that part first if the situation warrants.

There's no other way to put this, but Danny Culler was spotting for Dale Earnhardt during the 2001 Daytona 500. That’s powerful enough, but Danny quit that gig just two days before and was only lured back by an apology the morning of that fateful event.

Danny then serves as Kevin Harvick’s spotter and pilot for the rest of the season, doing double duty at both the Winston Cup and Busch Series levels right alongside the rookie driver.

And … we get some bonus Harry Gant stories.

In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid very carefully dissect the July 26, 2001 issue of Winston Cup Scene.

Dale Jarrett gets into Robert Yates Racing teammate Ricky Rudd while racing for the lead in the late going at New Hamsphire. DJ wins, but Ricky’s crew chief Michael McSwain is NOT happy about it.

Jerry Nadeau is ticked off at Jimmy Spencer … maybe we should come up with a template to use in these cases to save time … BLANK DRIVER is ticked off at Jimmy Spencer.

Kyle Petty returns to New Hampshire for the first time since his son’s accident there the year before.

Kevin Harvick guts out a Busch Series win at Gateway on a brutally hot night, then hops on a plane for New Hampshire, where he finishes ninth, less than twelve hours or so after the conclusion of the previous night’s event halfway across the country.

Deb Williams pounds out FOUR safety-related feature stories … and finally, we’ve got ducks … and plenty of them … in this week’s issue.

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:

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In the third and final installment of our interview with Slugger Labbe, he remembers his turbulent time with team owner Bobby Ginn, his 2011 Brickyard 400 victory with Paul Menard and Richard Childress Racing, the pressures of working on the RCR 3 car and taking on an entirely new challenge of going drag racing.

Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the March 29, 2007 issue of NASCAR Scene.

Kyle Busch wins at Bristol in the debut of the notorious Car of Tomorrow. Mark Martin skips the event, despite being on top of the Nextel Cup point standings.

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s contract talks with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated are on hold while his sister and master negotiator Kelly recovers from surgery.

Finally, there’s an in-depth feature story on new Cup team owner Bobby Ginn.

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

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This week in the second installment our interview, Slugger Labbe remembers trying to get Kenny Irwin up to speed, rumors over Kenny’s commitment to the sport, moving over the Dale Earnhardt Incorporated to work with Michael Waltrip, running a pitch-black chassis at a Daytona night race (wink, wink) and his bout with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid dissect the July 11, 2002 issue of Winston Cup Scene. 

It’s an incredibly emotional day for Michael Waltrip, who wins at Daytona for the first time since the 2001 Daytona 500. And … according to Slugger … his crew chief at the time … there was some innovatin’ going on with that car and a pretty nifty trick to mask it.

That’s not all. When the race ends under caution, irate fans pelt the backstretch with all manner of debris. Kurt Busch and Dale Jarrett are spun out and half turned over … Kurt with NASCAR and DJ with safety workers reacting at a snail’s pace to a midrace multicar accident. Last but not least, a North Carolina writer takes aim at the greatest NASCAR-related movie of all time.

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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In the first of what will be three installments with Slugger Labbe, he talks about not loving racing as a child, getting kidnapped by a bunch of Houstons and being dragged down south, his crew chief mentors and doing double duty at Robert Yates Racing as a tire changer for Dale Jarrett and crew chief for Kenny Irwin.

Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then dig into the March 12, 1998 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Rain, rain go away … Mother Nature was in a terrible mood at Atlanta and almost everything was postponed … including the Busch and Cup races.

When the Winston Cup event WAS run, Bobby Labonte collected his second victory in a row at the track for Joe Gibbs Racing, with Robert Yates Racing teammates Dale Jarrett and Kenny Irwin both enjoying top-five finishes.

There were a number of injuries during the weekend at the ARCA and Cup levels. Steve Park was hurt in a brutal crash during practice and was out of the Dale Earnhardt Incorporated car for the next several months.

Ford, Chevy and Pontiac teams were STILL bickering over the rules … and Rich Bickle had a one-race deal and a TON of hard work RUINED by the weather.

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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Host Rick Houston gives a report on his big debut over the weekend in the Lonesome Pine Motorsports Park pace truck. Then, in the third and final installment of our interview with Butch Hylton, Butch talks about the end of his Winston Cup career, rebirth in the truck series and how he views his legacy in the sport today.

Speaking of pace vehicles, we have a BIG announcement for our second segment … you ain’t gonna believe this one! Rick will also be behind the wheel of the pace vehicle April 28-30 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for The Mitty, an event that will celebrate NASCAR's 75th anniversary. 

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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Big news this week ... The Scene Vault Podcast host Rick Houston will make his debut behind the wheel of the Lonesome Pine Motorsports Park pace truck Saturday! Plans call for every car in every division to carry a Mighty Mouse decal ... as well as a backward pace lap prior to the first race of the day ... in memory of Alan Kulwicki, who lost his life in a tragic plane crash thirty years ago to the day.

In the second installment of our interview, Butch Hylton takes us from the top of the mountaintop by winning the Winston Cup championship with Bobby Labonte to the depths of the valley, after a pretty serious fight with a Kevin Harvick Incorporated teammate.

Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then take a peek into the December 14, 2000 issue of Winston Cup Scene. 

Deb Williams does yeoman’s work in covering Joe Gibbs Racing’s first Winston Cup championship, with coverage of the banquet and features on driver Bobby Labonte, the team owner, crew chief Jimmy Makar and EIGHT employees who’d been with the organization from the very beginning.

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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Butch Hylton was a longtime crew member and crew chief for drivers like Stanley Smith, Ward Burton, Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart, Ricky Rudd, Dale Jarrett, Ron Hornaday and Kevin Harvick. 

This week in the first of what will be three GREAT installments of our interview with Butch, he talks about moving from here to there to back again and finally to North Carolina as he tries to make his way up the NASCAR ladder; his friendship with future NASCAR Hall of Famer Chad Knaus; a 212-mph test with Ward Burton; taping his thumb to his air gun in order to keep working after an injury; an all-out scuffle with Roush Racing teammate JEFF Burton and then, finally, his time with brash youngster Tony Stewart.

In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid check out the May 29, 1997 issue of Winston Cup Scene. 

Jeff Gordon wins a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, his FIFTH win in just eleven races to that point in the season. Ford teams got a rules concession because of Wonder Boy’s dominance. This all comes just a week after the one and only appearance of Ray Evernham’s infamous T-Rex race car.

Joe Nemechek wins Charlotte’s Busch Series race, just two months after losing his brother John as the result of a truck series accident at Homestead and Tony Raines gives Dodge its first major NASCAR win in twenty years in a truck race at I-70 Speedway in Missouri.

Dave Marcis keeps right on fishing after injuring his hand and Robby Gordon’s attempt at the Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte same-day double duty gets washed out.

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

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK! We're now part of The Daily Downforce NASCAR content hub! Be sure to check it out via The Daily Downforce!

This week in the third and final installment of our interview, Robin Pemberton talks about how Alan Kulwicki and his business model impacted his tenure at Sabco Racing, his years with Rusty Wallace and Penske Racing, how some of the decisions he made while working with NASCAR played into some of his personal relationships in the garage and, finally, parting ways with the sanctioning body.

In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid tackle the February 22, 2007 issue of NASCAR Scene. The two big stories? The BIG penalties handed down by NASCAR to five different teams and a controversial finish between Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin in the Daytona 500.

NOTE: This show is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand.

Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out www.thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available!

Please consider supporting this show via:

www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast

www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast

www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices