KUCI: Speedway Sounds : Recent Episodes
Noah Stein
This past weekend of international motorsport was incredibly and unusually dramatic, with headline making news from NASCAR, IndyCar, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the World Endurance Championship. Speedway Sounds F1 Analyst Tristan Cortez joins me to discuss the recent thrilling Grands Prix and the silly season as more drivers sign contracts for 2019. #GetWellWickens
I make my radio race commentary debut by calling the monthly league racing competition at K1 Speed Irvine, the Challenge GP, including pre-race analysis, in-race commentary, and post-race interviews.
Special One-Hour Show! On Sunday, I drove to the Fünfzehn Auto Repair Shop in Orange, CA, where I met UCI student and Pirelli World Challenge driver Samantha Tan and her car, the #38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT4. I also discussed the repair shop with owner Kenneth Sutton. After that, I premiered the full-length interview with Indy 500 driver Dick Simon from June. #AnteatersInRacing
After an exciting weekend of Pirelli World Challenge GTS Sprint-X action in Portland, ST Racing's Jon Miller joined me for the full show to talk about the roller-coaster season so far for him and his teammate in the #36 BMW M4 GT4, Aurora Straus.
University of California, Irvine graduate and K1 Speed Copywriter/Content Writer, Ryan Jurnecka, joined me to talk racing and his experiences on the journalism and marketing side of motorsport. l asked him how his time at UCI has prepared him for his current role at the rapidly-growing indoor go-karting company and what he's learned in his career so far. After that, I previewed the upcoming weekend's Formula E Championship Finale and the next race weekend for UCI Student and #AnteatersInRacing driver Samantha Tan.
Another racing season has come to a close for the UC Irvine Engineering Design Project Anteater Racing. Team Members George Bishara and Tristan Cortez join me to recap all the action from Lincoln and reflect on both the highs and lows of the competition. I also recap the F1 French Grand Prix and NASCAR's annual trip to Sonoma.
Matt McMurry joins me to discuss Spirit of Daytona Racing's long-awaited return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this weekend in Detroit. He'll also talk about preparing for driving at the Formula SAE competition in Lincoln, Nebraska, with Anteater Racing, recent LMP2 testing at Le Castellet and Monza, and we'll look back to Matt's record-setting Le Mans in 2014. In addition, my Co-host will be a mystery sports car racing fan who donated to KUCI-FM during our recent Fund Drive. (Spoiler Alert, it's his Sebring-winning dad, Chris!)
This week, the Project Manager of Anteater Racing, Vaz Frnzyan, joins me to discuss the motorsport-focused Senior student Design Project at the The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine ahead of its 3 annual competitions in May and June. After that, I preview the Greatest Day in Racing with the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco, the 102nd Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600.
I spoke with San Clemente, CA's @CDePhillippi (@IMSA #25 BMW @RLLracing) about his first year as a factory driver in the GTLM category and his first year back full-time in America: #BUBBAGP
I followed up with IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver Colin Braun after last week's show and asked him about how the #54 did in Friday's qualifying.
Jake Moritz, a BMW employee, speaks with his colleague and BMW Team RLL racing driver Jesse Krohn about the team's expectations for the race on Saturday.
It's race week for one of Southern California's biggest racing events, the 44th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach! I'll preview all the action coming up this weekend with my guests: Cris Vandagriff of the Historic Motor Sports Association and driver of the #54 CORE autosport Oreca in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Colin Braun. Cris and I will discuss the unique Historic Trans Am Challenge race and Colin will tell us about all the challenges of the team's first year in the Prototype category ahead of the Bubba Burger SportsCar Grand Prix, Round 3 of the championship.
This Week is the first of two preview shows for the 44th edition of America's longest-running street race, the Long Beach Grand Prix, which I will be covering in person this year. Fellow KUCI DJ Matthew Crouchley and I discuss our Press Day experience, which included interviewing IndyCar Series drivers Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato and IMSA SportsCar Championship driver and take a thrilling ride around the circuit with BMW racing legend Bill Auberlen.
This Week on Speedway Sounds! This weekend is the first race of '18 for UC Irvine student Samantha Tan and her teammates Nick Wittmer, Aurora Straus, and Al Carter Racing at ST Racing. Samantha, Nick and Aurora will be on the show to introduce themselves, talk about their previous experiences in racing, and what they're each looking forward to in this weekend's Pirelli World Challenge Championships opener for the GTS SprintX category at Circuit of The Americas, the #TexasGP. Manager Nick Longhi also will join the show to discuss the driver ratings rule that forced ST Racing to replace originally-announced Connor Bloum with Al Carter very late in the offseason.
This Week on Speedway Sounds: NASCAR begins its 3-weekend tour of west coast tracks called NASCAR Goes West, The ABB Formula E Championship continues this weekend in Mexico City, News from Irwindale Speedway, the local short track, and an #AnteatersInRacing Update on Matt McMurry's & Samantha Tan's car tests, and for the first time, NASCAR Press Room audio from Atlanta!
I’m super excited and honored to welcome NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1989 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Champion Rusty Wallace! We’ll discuss Southern California’s upcoming NASCAR race weekend: The Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. I'll also bring NASCAR news hidden below the Cup Series headlines, including from the Xfinity and Camping World Truck races coming up this weekend at Daytona and the K&N Pro Series K&N Pro Series East race last weekend at New Smyrna Speedway.
Get to know UC Irvine Aerospace Engineering student and race car driver, Matt McMurry, and his new teammate at Spirit of Daytona Racing, Tristan Vautier, before the new sportscar racing season begins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Matt stops by the KUCI studios to discuss what earning a full-time ride in the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship for the first time means to him. Tristan calls in to talk about testing the brand new #90 Cadillac DPi-V.R at the Roar and working again with Rick Cameron, his engineer in the Pro Mazda Championship (which Vautier won in 2011).
Speedway Sounds Winter 2018 Premiere! This week, Noah discusses the latest automotive news, including a lawsuit filed against the Ford Motor Company over its non-compliant diesel trucks. After that, he introduces the newest member of the Speedway Sounds team, Sportscar Analyst Jake Moritz, and they reflect on the PreSeason test for the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship, the Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
It's Thanksgiving 2017! I invited my previous show guests to share what they're thankful for in a recording. Those guests are: Matt McMurry, Tristan Cortez, Samantha Tan, Jake Moritz and Jim Swintal. Between those, I'll share three of racing's most heart-warming comeback stories from this year: Martin Truex, Jr., Billy Monger and Memo Gidley.
This week on Speedway Sounds, University of California, Irvine Economics student and race car driver Samantha Tan will be on the show to discuss the last races of her season in the Pirelli World Challenge Championships Touring Car Championship at Utah, Circuit of the Americas and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca! We'll also be discussing Imports@UCI, the most popular car club on UCI's campus. Starting this year, she is on the board of the club as well. After our interview, I present this week's So Cal Car Calendar (from socalcarculture.com), economic news from the Auto Club Speedway and a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff update after a dramatic 400 miles at Kansas Speedway.
This Sunday is the 39th Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas! The show's F1 Analyst Tristan Cortez will join me to preview the race and cover several big news stories coming from the paddock.
This week on Speedway Sounds: There is a lot to celebrate! UC Irvine Aerospace Engineering student and racecar driver Matt McMurry and his team Park Place Motorsports earned the third place trophy at the Petit Le Mans in the Grand Touring Daytona Class, the season finale for the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship. 2 places better was international GT racing star Connor de Phillippi of nearby San Clemente who won the GTD class with his team Team Montaplast by Land Motorsport. I also talk about Connor’s upcoming race this weekend in the inaugural 8 Hours of California at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and UCI Economics Student Samantha Tan’s last two races in this season of the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Championship also in Monterey. All that and more this week on Speedway Sounds!
This week on Speedway Sounds: The Series 4 Premiere! This weekend is the final race of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship (the top level in American GT and Prototype racing) at the Petit Le Mans 10 hour race at Road Atlanta. UC Irvine Aerospace Engineering student Matt McMurry will compete in the race with Park Place Motorsports and their Porsche 911 GT3. I’ll also talk about FIA Formula E Testing and Driver News from Valencia, Spain, and talk about how Ricky Stenhouse Jr. saved himself from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs elimination after Race 3 at the Dover International Speedway. Plus, my thoughts on whether NASCAR should consider racing stock cars powered by electricity. Follow the show @SpeedwaySounds on Twitter this Saturday for #AnteatersInRacing Coverage of McMurry and his team.
This week on Speedway Sounds: the Verizon IndyCar Series Championship Show! Joining me this week is Jim Swintal, motorsport artist and Race Control Communicator for IndyCar. Jim and I will continue where we left off from our first conversation in June, this time focusing on his career, his advocacy for the Mazda Road to Indy junior leagues of American open-wheel racing, the 2018 Silly Season (which drivers will race in which cars?), the new-for-2018 Aero Kits and this weekend's GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma championship finale, in which six drivers are still eligible to capture this year's Astor Cup.
I talk about my experience as a crew member for Kevin Bilbee in the HOODOO 500 ultramarathon cycling race, UCI Aerospace Engineering student and European Le Mans Series driver Matt McMurry & UCI Economics student and Pirelli World Challenge driver Samantha Tan in the #AnteatersInRacing Update, & I preview the upcoming Playoff cut-off races for the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series.
My first guest is ultramarathon cyclist Kevin Bilbee. This weekend, he’ll be competing in Utah in the Hoodoo 500-mile ultramarathon cycling race, and I’ll be along for the ride as one of his crew members. We’ll talk about all the preparation leading up to this Saturday when the race begins in St. George. After Kevin, my second guest this evening is Director of Communications for the Auto Club Speedway, David Talley. He’ll join me to talk about Auto Club Speedway’s annual charity event, the Lefty’s Track Day taking place this Thursday.
Tristan Cortez, Speedway Sounds F1 Analyst, joins me to discuss the Hungarian Grand Prix and Young Drivers' Test as well as the news of the Halo requirement for all cars in 2018. We also discuss the #AnteatersInRacing Update and IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship News. We conclude with discussion about the newest racing videogames and E-sports Racing competitions as well as the new film "McLaren" which we are both seeing this week.
This week, UCI Aerospace Engineering student and European Le Mans Series driver Matt McMurry reports on his experiences at Le Mans, Watkins Glen, Portimao, and Spa from Portugal, and Noah talks about Samantha Tan's races at Road America last month on this week's "#AnteatersInRacing Update." After that, Noah plays his interviews from at-the-track coverage of the Motor Massive Motorsport Social at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA, including interviews with drivers in the Global Time Attack competition.
I return from Israel to kick off the Summer Series with some observations about Israeli Auto Racing (or lack thereof) because it had been banned for several decades. From the UCI Engineering School's Anteater Racing team, Mantis Team Lead Matt Clark joins me to talk about the team's successes at the Lincoln, NE Formula SAE Competition. After that, I discuss the So Cal Car Calendar and this weekend's Motor Massive Motorsport Social at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.
This Sunday is something like a religious holiday for race fans, featuring three crown jewel races for three of the biggest racing series in the world: The Monaco Grand Prix for Formula 1, the 101st Indianapolis 500 for IndyCar, and The Coca-Cola 600 for NASCAR. Tristan Cortez joins me in Part 2 of our interview to discuss the Monaco GP and Fernando Alonso's chances at Indy.
The Month of May at Indianapolis is here! I give a brief preview of the Indy 500 ahead of the Greatest Day in Racing Special next week. Tristan Cortez joins me to discuss the Russian and Spanish Grands Prix in the first part of a two part interview. I also play more SVRA interviews and recap friend of the show Matt McMurry's European Le Mans Series race in Monza, Italy.
Noah’s #AnteatersInRacing guest this week is UC Irvine Economics student and Pirelli World Challenge BMW driver Samantha Tan! He’ll recap the first two PWC rounds of the year. Then Noah will ask Samantha about her career so far, how she balances studying and driving, and what her goals are for the new season. Her first race of the season is this Saturday at the Virginia International Raceway (VIR).
Noah first plays one more interview from Anteater Racing’s Winter Design Review about the FSAE Electric car team. After that, European Le Mans Series, IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship driver and UC Irvine Aerospace Engineering student Matt McMurry returns to talk about the ups and downs of his drive at the 4 Hours of Silverstone in the UK and his recently-announced return to the biggest sports car race in the world this June: The 24 Hours of Le Mans. After that, Tristan Cortez breaks down the first three races of the Formula One World Championship: Australia, China and Bahrain.
This Week on Speedway Sounds: I bring my friends Tristan Cortez, AJ Haines and Jake Moritz to the studio to talk about our amazing fan experiences at the Saturday races of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, including the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race, the #BubbaGP!
I'll also play my interviews with Anteater Racing at The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine Winter Design Review, featuring Kaitlin Robinson, Matt Clark (FSAE), Kurtis Wragg (SAE Baja), and (once more) Tristan Cortez (FSAE).
Noah previews one of the biggest and longest running motorsport events here in Southern California: The 43rd Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He'll recap the previous weekend's Formula Drift competition in Long Beach and will talk about the schedule of events, give a circuit description and bring news about the Verizon Indycar Series, the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship, Pirelli World Challenge and more before this weekend's motorsport festival.
Just after last week’s show, I learned that one of my high school classmates was the victim in a two-car accident in Huntington Beach on February 15 in which the at-fault driver drove under the influence. She was transported to the hospital in serious condition but she passed away early last week. This week’s show is dedicated to her, and I will raise awareness about the innocent victims of Driving Under the Influence.
Never ever drive distracted or under the influence!
Dave Lindsay, creator of the long-running car show website socalcarculture.com and avid local car show photographer, joins me to discuss his favorite car show memories from over the years and will debut the “SoCal Car Calendar,” a weekly announcement of all the car events coming up. I will also recap this past weekend’s NHRA WinterNationals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.
Bernie Ecclestone, Chief Executive of the Formula One World Championship since 1978, has been replaced! Tristan Cortez joins me in a conversation about Ecclestone's truly immeasurable impact on F1 and the three new leaders. What direction will they take F1 and what does this mean for the teams?
Following that, we'll discuss NASCAR's latest marketing strategy: give drivers more to compete for mid-race in the Monster Energy Cup, Xfinity series, and Camping World Truck races. Will more fans now want to watch the entire race, or will they be scratching their heads in confusion?
I interview UCI Mechanical Engineering Student and Program Manager for U.C. Irvine's Anteater Racing Kaitlin Robinson. I ask her what it takes to be a part of one of the busiest senior design projects any engineering student can join. After that, I recap last weekend's Race of Champions and preview the Weathertech Sportscar Championship and the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.
I interview UCI Aerospace Engineering Student and IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship driver Matt McMurry about his racing career, racing in Thailand, his studies at UCI and the upcoming Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. After that, I comment on NASCAR driver Carl Edwards’ decision to leave the sport and share my favorite memories of his driving in the past decade.
I interview Tristan Cortez about the financial collapse of the Manor Racing Team in Formula One and how prize money is distributed. Next, I review the Formula E Championship's sim race in Las Vegas and the unveiling of Faraday Future's FF91 electric car. I conclude with an analysis on the new lane-splitting and hands-free driving laws in California. Premiere.