Grid Life

Frank Schwartz

– All About B Spec Racing and More

GHIT 0408: Frank Schwartz – All About B Spec Racing and More

Frank Schwartz is a racer and owner of Grass Paddock Motorsports that rents B Spec Honda Fits and Mini Coopers. He is also known online as the stepfather of B Spec racing. Frank seems to be a proud father to be of a potential new class of C Spec racing for the SCCA. Frank is involved with getting people into the sport at a reasonable budget. We ended up talking a great deal about racing in general, the motivations, as well as what you can get out of racing beyond “winning” the race.

If you are ever interested in trying out B Spec racing, Grass Paddock Motorsports may be a great option. Especially if you are getting started and may be an even better option to stay racing. While we are here, you know we couldn’t help but ask what to do to get involved in B Spec racing and prepare a car. Or two. Well, maybe 3. How about 4. That sounds better. #VickiIsGoingToKillBill

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on the podcast provider of your choice, including the Apple podcast app, Google music, Amazon, and YouTube etc.

Also, if you could give our podcast a (5-star?) rating, that we would appreciate that very much. Even better, a podcast review, would help us to grow the passion and sport of high performance driving and we would appreciate it.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS Candelaria Racing Products Sentinel System may be the perfect solution to stream or save your integrated telemetry/racing data with you video. We are amid installing the system in two of our cars. Please use our discount code “GHIT” for a 10% discount code to all our listeners. During the checkout process at https://candelaria-racing.com/ enter GHiT.

PS2 Also, if you use our discount code for all Apex Pro systems you will receive a free gift. The windshield suction cup mount is a savings of $40. Just enter the code “ghitlikesapex!” when you order from https://apextrackcoach.com/

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Ben, Alan, Jeremy, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

GHIT 0408: Frank Schwartz – All About B Spec Racing and More

Kyle Heyer The Voice of GridLife

GHIT 0407: Kyle Heyer The Voice of GridLife

In our totally biased opinions, the GridLife live stream is the best motorsports events on TV/YouTube, and we lose so much time in the garage when they are on for the weekend. Kyle Heyer is the lead presenter and commentator for the GridLife series and has worked hosting other series including SRO on live streams and broadcast television. In addition, Kyle is involved with the GridLife team in setting up the time attack series to improve the presentation on the livestream. We recorded prior to the schedule release at PRI so we talk around the schedule and the recently released proposed rules changes. It was a bit of a change of pace, but if you ever wanted to hear Kyle talk about himself, here is a great opportunity.

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on the podcast provider of your choice, including the Apple podcast app, Google music, Amazon, and YouTube etc.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS If you are looking to stream or save your integrated telemetry/racing data with you video, Candelaria Racing Products Sentinel System may be the perfect solution for you. We are amid installing the system in two of our cars. If this sounds like something that may help you and your team, please use our discount code “GHIT” for a 10% discount code to all our listeners during the checkout process at https://candelaria-racing.com/

PS2 Please do not forget that if you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, do not forget to use our discount code for all Apex Pro systems you will receive a free Windshield Suction Cup Mount for the system, a savings of $40. Just enter the code “ghitlikesapex!” when you order from https://apextrackcoach.com/

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Ben, Alan, Jeremy, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

GHIT 0407: Kyle Heyer The Voice of GridLife

Adam Jabaay GridLife 2022 and Previews 2023

GHIT 0405: Adam Jabaay Reviews GridLife 2022 and Previews 2023

Co Head Honcho of GridLife, Adam Jabaay comes on the podcast before the 2023 announcements and talks about how 2022 went for GridLife and what he is looking forward to for 2023. We were finally able to get to our first GridLife events at NJMP this summer and short visit to the Lime Rock event. Adam talks a good bit about the Lime Rock and several stories from the event, as well as several of the other highlights from the season including the first ever Enduro event at PittRace. We were able to talk a bit about the upcoming years schedule and potential rule changes and modifications and the reasoning behind them. 2022 was an amazing year for GridLife and we expect 2023 to be even better.

We aren’t going to be able to attend the upcoming PRI but cannot wait to put some GridLife events on our team schedule. Sundae Cup here we come.

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on the podcast provider of your choice, including the Apple podcast app, Google music, Amazon, and YouTube etc.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Ben, Alan, Jeremy, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

Justin Okamoto

– JustinCFC on Instagram

GHIT 0384: Justin Okamoto – JustinCFC on Instagram

One of the highlights of the GridLife event at Lime Rock was finally meeting Justin Okamoto. Justin is relatively new to racing his own vehicles but has been associated with motorsports for well over a decade. He recently graduated from the GridLife HPDE sessions. He has begun racing his BMW E36 3 Series car in their Club TR Time Attack series. Justin has also given back to the series and works in the grid and paddock areas with the GridLife team. In addition to his racing, Justin also started “Cars For The Cure” a 501 C3 nonprofit charity in honor of his mother that is aimed at helping to assist families with dealing with cancer.

For more information on Cars For The Cure: www.CarsForTheCureSC.org

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on the podcast provider of your choice, including the Apple podcast app, Google music, Amazon, and YouTube etc.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Ben, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

GHIT 0384: Justin Okamoto – JustinCFC on Instagram

DJ Alessandrini

– Race Driver and Sim Racer

GHIT 0381: DJ Alessandrini – Race Driver and Sim Racer

Bill first saw DJ Alessandrini when he was doing some friendly YouTube stalking of the GLTC series and has been following him ever since. DJ has also started a podcast (Lizard Brains Podcast) of his own with co-host Tom O’Gorman and it has become one of our can’t miss podcasts. We end up talking all things Sundae Cup, podcasting, driving and especially how best to learn and use SIM racing during the off season to improve our driving in the real world. DJ is a great guy and we can’t wait to see him again, hopefully at a track.

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on the podcast provider of your choice, including the Apple podcast app, Google music, Amazon, and YouTube etc.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Ben, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

Highlights for this episode include:

1) DJ’s driving and racing history and how he got a race car for free.

2) How video games and SIM racing have fed his competitive side when he was growing up (and still) and how autocross gave him another outlet to compete and the thrill of driving in real life. A lifelong passion was born.

3) How he was able to be globally competitive in sim racing seemingly overnight. PS it wasn’t overnight, at all.

4) How transitioning between sim racing and real-world racing can compliment each other. Also, ways that sometimes hamper people from getting the most out of the cross training.

5) Vicki cannot wait to start talking about Sim racing and we end the intro section prematurely, lol. We then dive right into some of our problems with sim racing. DJ provides some great suggestions to help us with the transition, both using monitors and virtual reality headsets.

6) How best to make the transition into sim racing, especially if you are already an experienced race driver. This includes the best ways to practice and learn, as well as the minimum equipment needed and setting.

7) Several great tips on getting acclimated to using a VR headset and one horrible method that did not work.

8) Bill mentions his issues with the Global MX5 cup car on iRacing and DJ’s thoughts on what went wrong.

9) What options there are to personalize the livery on your car in iRacing and other sim racing programs.

10) Shopping tips, priorities, and resources for all the various components needed for a good sim racing experience. Also, what is the sweet spot for the best performance bang for the buck items you need or can upgrade to.

11) Tips for prepping for your first race in the spring after a long off season.

12) Some of the key settings and issues that can help with the transition into sim racing

13) We also cover the benefit of using a coach to help with the racing and sim racing as well.

14) We also go into the Lizard Brains podcast he hosts with former guest Tom O’Gorman

15) How he differentiates between instructing and coaching. And how sim racing offers several advantages that are almost impossible to replicate racing in the real world.

GHIT 0381: DJ Alessandrini – Race Driver and Sim Racer