#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
#222, Author Russell Hayes’ new book: everything VW Golf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:12
The VW Golf is the third best-selling car in history, behind the top-selling Toyota Corolla and Ford F-Series of pickup trucks. More than 35 million of the versatile vehicles have sold since the car's debut as a 1974 edi…
#220, IIHS, HLDI, Progressive work together for auto safety [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:29
Matt Moore, Senior Vice President of Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), oversees the organization's research program, the collection of vehicle information and the production of loss data. A complementary company to the…
#219, RV living on the road: One family’s travels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:00
Spencer, Kristi and Kade Stevens, otherwise known as the Adventurtunity Family, live full-time in their RV. The family is traveling throughout the United States, embracing a lifestyle they've determined is best — at leas…
#218, Author Mike Mueller on the Complete Book of Ford Mustang [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:50
Mike Mueller is an automotive expert among automotive experts. A journalist for more than 30 years, he has written and provided accompanying photography for more than 30 books on the Ford Mustang. He's contributed images…
#211, Drifting away while ice driving in Lapland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:55
Every winter for the past 17 years, proprietors of Lapland Driving School in Sweden prepare acres of frozen tundra for the specialty automotive niche of drifting while ice driving. The facility, offering 14 varied circui…
#204, New Book: The Checkered Past of Al Unser Jr. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:44
Al Unser Jr., born into one of motorsports' most prominent racing families, won the Indianapolis 500 twice and two IndyCar Championships. But he was also troubled. Unser abused alcohol and drugs and it destroyed a marria…
#202, Joe Wiesenfelder of Cars.com talks future of EVs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:39
Joe Wiesenfelder is the executive editor of Cars.com and he's immersed in the future of EVs — electric vehicles. According to the website's recent data, about one-third of car buyers are actively looking to purchase thei…
#198, Colton Herta, IndyCar racing champion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:31
Colton Herta is 21 years old and he's been behind one steering or another since he was age six. Go-karts to Indy cars and several racing classes between, Herta is now competing at his best as the NTT IndyCar Series concl…
#195, Acclaimed auto writer chronicles Jaguar at 100 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:53
Giles Chapman is a prolific automotive journalist whose book topics have ranged from the importance of car badges to the history of Land Rover. His latest title is "Jaguar Century: 100 Years of Automotive Excellence." Ja…
#194, Lawyer, engineering expert questions Tesla’s AutoPilot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:45
Tesla isn't new to controversy and nor is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and both are back in the news. The NHTSA, previously critical of the electric vehicle manufacturer, recently said its…