In this episode’s intro, Willie makes it abundantly clear that he absolutely hates wiring. That is, he did until he discovered American Autowire’s all-in-one kits that make what can seem like a daunting task as easy as possible. “Wiring (for) a lot of people is black magic, it scares them to death,” says Engineering Support Manager Don Bock, “and really, if you understand the concept of it, it’s really not hard.” Adds Kevin, “Don’t be afraid, just get in there and do it!”
It’s a well-acknowledged fact that Kevin and Willie’s longtime friend and living legend Ken Lingenfelter has a finger on all things fast. A true car guy born and bred, he caught the bug at the tender age of 10 when he first laid eyes on a ‘63 split-window Corvette coming off the assembly line, courtesy of his Detroit exec dad. In the decades since, he’s remained a dedicated fan, “absolutely enchanted with the new C8,” and with the new Z06 on the way, “probably more passionate about it today than I’ve ever been.”
Chris Gabrelcik, CEO of Lubrication Specialties, Inc., is a man of science held in high regard by Kevin and Willie, who fondly refer to him by a variety of nicknames, including the recently added moniker of “The Fine Chef of Everything Lubrication-wise”. On this episode he engages the guys in a discussion about how to make your engine last longer, get the best mileage out of it, and get more bang for the buck per gallon.
Mel Roth launched PSCA Racing 22 years ago, nurturing its regional roots as the Pacific Street Car Association into the national platform now named Premier. Among the 6 to 16 different classes of racing depending on venue, the XDR Series spotlights 3000 hp door cars running radial tires on the 1/8-mile drag. “The nature of the beast is you wanna go fast,” Mel tells the guys. “You wanna win, but you really wanna go fast!” Or, as Kevin puts it, “It’s a real cool, relatable racing series with a whole lot of who-knows-what’s-gonna- happen!”
Indianapolis is the place to be each December when PRI, the biggest industry show for performance and racing, rolls into town. Willie describes it as “40-50,000 square feet of heaven!” while Kevin notes, “I hardly ever miss a PRI; if I do I cry for like a month!” Today the guys welcome Dr. Jamie Meyer, President of PRI, back to the podcast for updates on the myriad initiatives and programs the organization has in play. “We are building tools to raise the entire industry. It is a great time to be into cars.”
Not all engine oils are created equal. Viscosity, heat range, performance, and protection can each vary widely. Carmine Colarusso knows this better than most. The CEO of Ultra1Plus has been blending oils for 25 years, many engineered to the specific needs of individual customers. As he sees it, “When you do an oil analysis, it’s like you’re doing a blood test,” he tells Kevin and Willie. “We have the biggest and widest product range that a manufacturer has for their customers…. Any product, we can make it.”
Kevin and Willie love wheelin’ and everything that has to do with steering and/or suspension, so they’re pumped to get a master class in bumps and humps from Frank Vasquez of KW Suspensions. From entry level all the way up to professional racing, KW is the epitome of German precision engineering in the category. With over 16 different options for any particular car, Frank’s quick to point out that they’re “just scratching the surface with some of our truck stuff.”
Kevin’s former Two Guys Garage co-host and good buddy Bryan Fuller is renowned for his work creating custom motorcycles, hot rods, and old school classics. He’s most recently discovered a new itch for precision driving – a.k.a. racing – specifically open wheel, and he’s set his sights on rebuilding a rare, vintage Mirage M5 to run in Formula Ford. “My first race car, it’s kind of scary,” he confesses to the guys. “It’s exciting, it’s fun, it’s scary; I don’t know, lots of emotion.”
The average age of vehicles on the road has ticked up to an all-time high of 12 years. Keeping them running cleaner and longer is the mission of TotalEnergies, the massive French company doing big things on a global scale. Luis Cerqueira and Darren Lesinski join the podcast to discuss what technologies are coming down the pike in terms of oil, natural gas, electricity, hydrogen, wind, and solar power. As the company strives to become greener in several respects, they’re at the cutting edge of developing oils that let the OEs literally design the engine around the oil!
Cleveland Power and Performance is a salvage yard like no other – a wonderland of curated parts and pieces, drive trains and engines harvested from crashed Camaros, Mustangs and Hellcats – that also happens to build mind-blowing hot rods like the noted ’69 Dodge Charger “Reverence” and last year’s SEMA Show stunner NIKA ‘79 Bronco. Owner Rick Fragnoli makes his third visit to the podcast to discuss all the latest goings on in the aftermarket and what lies ahead as the EV era dawns.
Kevin’s old college buddy Ernesto Roedenbeck joins the guys for a little throttle therapy on the ins and outs of dirt biking. Willie refers to it as “Dirt Church” and Kevin as “the best video game ever,” where the #1 objective is to stay safe and not get killed. Dirt, sand, wheels up, wheels down, it’s all a blast, so grab your gear, boots and all, and strap in for a wild offroad adventure!
Spectra Premium has been producing high quality aftermarket products for over 30 years – everything from oil pans and fuel tanks to engine management, heavy duty segments and classic car parts – right here in North America. “At the end of the day, our customers are really looking for complete solutions to what they’re doing,” Director of Category Management Aaron Athey tells the guys. “We’ve kind of taken that premium mentality to everything we do.” Asked if he’s ever had a customer cry, Athey notes only when they’ve been disappointed elsewhere first, “and we’ve been able to turn some of those tears into smiles!”