#149, #150: The Weekly Driver Podcast celebrates 3 years (Part 1)

#149, #150: The Weekly Driver Podcast celebrates 3 years (Part 1)

Author: Michael Kahn September 9, 2020 Duration: 40:24
The Weekly Driver Podcast debuted in September 2017. Bruce Aldrich and I had already been working together on automotive YouTube videos and attending car shows together for several years. A podcast seemed like an ideal new creative outlet. We're now 3-years-old and 150 episodes into our show. Bruce Aldrich and James Raia interview automotive guests every week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. To celebrate the milestone, Bruce and I independently picked our five favorites episodes. And we discuss them in a double presentation on Episodes #149 and #150. The Weekly Driver Podcast Celebrates 3 Years Bruce actually picked six episodes. And among our combined 11 favorites, only one overlapped. We both selected artist Chris Miller. An article posted in the creative newsletter Atlas Obscura about Miller's first stone truck creation many years ago led to email contact and Chris agreeing to be our guest. Based in Calais, Vermont, Miller has been a traditional sculptor and mason for more than 45 years. Miller's hobby and now a new income source: He creates elaborate life-size trucks from stone. He recently completed his second creation and has contracts for three more. Chris MIller's stone truck creation was among our favorite episodes of the first three years of The Weekly Driver Podcast. During the three years of The Weekly Driver Podcast, we've had diverse guests: authors, CEOs, analysts, vintage car colleges, website owners, race car and motorcycle drivers, a stuntman and a museum curator. We've talked with a city mayor, small business owners, memorabilia collectors, auto show guests, car auction experts, vintage car rental shop owners, an automotive painter, a former cyclist who restores classic junkers and experts who haul junk cars. The audio for episodes #149 and #150 is the same. Listen to episode #149 for the details of my five guests and episode #150 for Bruce's top-five picks: My top guests include: 5. #134, Chris Miller: Stone truck artist (May 22, 2020) 4. #109, Joe Palmer, Sacramento, backyard vintage car owner (Oct. 27, 2019) 3. #105, Stuntman Robert Nagle talks about his work on Ford vs. Ferrari (Oct. 1, 2019) 2. #98, Mary McGee, pioneering female motorcycle racer (Aug. 14, 2019) 1. #22,  Alex Honnold, El Capitan free solo mountain climber, life in a van (Jan. 13, 2018) Visit part 2 in our double episode when Bruce Aldrich reveals his top-5 podcast episodes. We'll be back with new episodes soon. The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: james@jamesraia.com. All podcast episodes are archived on www.theweeklydriver.com/podcast Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform: Google Play iTunes Spotify Stitcher iheartradio

Every seven days, The Weekly Driver Podcast pulls off the main road for a conversation that’s about more than just horsepower and torque. With James Raia and Bruce Aldrich behind the wheel, the discussion travels through the entire landscape of car culture, from the latest industry news and in-depth vehicle documentaries to the personal stories and societal shifts that happen on four wheels. This isn't a dry specs sheet or a simple review show. Instead, you’ll hear thoughtful commentary on how automobiles intersect with our leisure, history, and daily lives, uncovering narratives that often go unnoticed. The hosts’ long-running partnership brings a comfortable, informed dynamic to each episode, whether they’re debating a headline, analyzing a classic car’s legacy, or sharing an unexpected find from a local show. Tune in for a ride that treats the automotive world as a living, breathing character full of fascinating detours and destinations. The journey is different each time you listen to this podcast, but it’s always driven by a genuine passion for the stories found in the driver’s seat.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Weekly Driver Podcast
Podcast Episodes
#284, Volvo software chief talks new EV SUV, relationship with Nvidia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:38
It was just before the opening evening session of the recent2024 Nvidia GTC conference at the San Jose Convention Center and it got quiet quickly. Alwin Bakkenes, Russell Datz, the carmaker's national media relations man…
#282, 2024 Nvidia Conference With Danny Shapiro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:58
The autonomous vehicle industry has reduced its speed. Its future is here, but it's not quite as in focus as the next signpost. Even the most fervent believers have re-evaluated their enthusiasm for the human-free drivin…
#281, Automotive legend: Ralph Teetor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:00
A strong argument could be made that Ralph Teetor is responsible for what is now called autonomous driving. Blind since he was a young boy, Teetor invented cruise control in the 1940s. It was one of more than 40 patents…
#280, Pivotal Debuts Helix Personal Flying Vehicle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:17
Ken Karklin, the CEO of Pivotal, has had a several-decade career in engineering, aircraft and robotics. He knows technology as license holder of multiple patents. His latest passion is the Helix. Highlighted at the recen…
#279, Ben Welch and his Million-Mile Suburban [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:23
Ben Welch blames himself for driving his 1994 Chevy Suburban when he shouldn't have. He knew his van well except for one momentary lapse when the engine warnings were more serious than he thought. It was a long time ago…
#278, Lucid Air takes best of 2023 honors [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:31
As co-hosts of The Weekly Driver Podcast, Bruce Aldrich and I have for the past several years picked the top cars of the year at the end of the calendar year. This year, as we do most often, Bruce and I interview a guest…
#277, New author on Tales from the Garage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:01
Like many automotive enthusiasts, when Rodney Kemerer talks about cars his enthusiasm abounds. A lifelong enthusiast, Kemerer is the author of Tales From The Garage. As described in its Amazon profile, the "heartfelt boo…