Garage Heroes (In Training)

Learning as we go. Come along with us and Enjoy the Ride!

GHIT 0043: Jeff Wakeman is Our Special Guest

Our Friend from the Everyone Racers Podcast and the Three Pedal Mafia

Jeff with Bill at NHMS 2018
Jeff and Bill at NHMS

Jeff Wakeman from the Three Pedal Mafia racing team and the Everyone Racers Podcast joins us for this week’s episode.  We had a wide ranging discussion covering many topics including:  

  • Jeff’s first car
  • Some of Jeff and the Three Pedal Mafia early history
  • The Wartburg vs the Trabant
  • Some of the past few seasons results, and challenges
  • Building two new cars for this season
  • Three Pedal Mafia team goals for 2019
  • How Summit Point led to no stunting and ‘splodin rule
  • Track Discussion of the NJMP Lightning track for our upcoming race
  • Bill makes the same bad joke and Jeff shows he actually listens

We also tried to be helpful, and we cover in between races maintenance practices

  • Fix any broken parts
  • Full nut and bolt check
    • All suspension bits, end links suspension bolts, shocks, struts
    • Oil change every race
    • Brake pad check
    • Wheel bearing check (12-6 and 3-9, every day)
    • Shocks and struts
    • Rim check
    • Brake Rotor check
    • Calipers
    • All lugs and lug nuts
    • Fire system
    • Electrical system
    • Clean up and Vacuum
    • Brake fluid every season, unless overheated then change immediately
    • Tires for flat spots, cuts, bubbles etc.
    • Fuel cell foam every season, unless fuel filter clogging etc.
    • Exhaust inspection, will rattle apart
    • Transmission fluid every few seasons unless issues
    • Read tire tread after every day
    • Wheel bearing check at 12-6 and 3-9 every day
  • What exactly is involved with “Dialing In” a new car
  • What is the exact definition of Mental Extrapolation and an itemized correction list/rant
  • Race Car Development guides
  • Vicki gets excited about power steering for the SpiderStang
  • Street and Normal mechanics vs endurance racing mechanical needs
  • Alan takes a few shots to the bow, in a very good natured way
  • Vicki has two tickets, Bill only knew about one, until now….
  • Jeff is oddly collecting tickets from every state
  • Bill makes bad decisions about towing with the new rental truck
    • However, Jeff presents his quick summary of what to do and what not to do to related to speeding to avoid speeding tickets book review
  • Keep your eyes up
  • Speeding ticket story time
  • We end with a discussion of Avengers Endgame and many other hero
  • Game of Thrones discussion, or how to end a story via Cliff Notes
  • Upcoming theories and desires
  • Ranking of many marvel movie favorites
  • The upcoming Watchman series on HBO
  • Monoculture in modern entertainment, is it ever possible again with streaming and bingeing becoming more and more popular
  • How Lemons could be the solution to this and everything else
  • Upcoming ace at NJMP with Hooptiecon and Radwood as well
  • Star Wars discussion and predictions
  • Jeff Does a Road Warrior impression
Jeff Riding Hard After Winning the National Championship
That’s the “El Jeffe” riding “El Jeffe”

We apologize for being helpful to your racing this time.  We will resume our normal uselessness next week, lol. 

GHIT 0043: Jeff Wakeman is Our Special Guest

WOOT 0041 Avengers Endgame Q&A

Lots of your questions shall be answered

You Asked
You asked and try to answer

We received a ton of questions from you and reconvened to answer all that we could.  Thanks for asking!

PS We are planning our summer and have some ideas but would love to hear from you on what would be of interest.  Please drop us a line at [email protected] or even better give us a review and include your ideas there within the review.  

WOOT 0041 Avengers Endgame Q&A

Earlier Endgame related Episodes are also available here:

Endgame Preview

Endgame Review

GHIT 0040: How to Get Better at Racing

Race Training and options to help you progress

Racing Education
How best to progress in your driving skill and education

If you think you have the driving itch or may have an interest, how  can you try racing to find out if its for you?  We also cover what is a preferred path towards your personal driving greatness.  As always, the biggest key is safety and safely progressing up your individual  learning curve.  

During this episode, we also cover various ways to get out on track, how to progress with many options given including experience type driving events, one day HPDE’s, SCCA Track Night America, SCCA and NASA events, various Mark clubs like BMW, Porsche, Audi, etc. etc.  Naturally we also cover low cost endurance racing series, Go carts/carting, autocross, and other low cost methods to race.  Towards the end, we also cover a brief overview of various decisions and interests that may shape your individual progression including whether you want to race vs a clock or wheel to wheel racing (or both), sprint racing vs endurance racing, open wheel vs closed wheel/road cars, buying your own vs renting a race car or just renting a seat.  We tried to provide an overview and include an approximate cost where we could to help with budget discussions.  

As always, with Mental it always involves great stories and a good bit of digression by both of us across many subjects. 

Always try to remember that the key is remain on the primary tasks of #1 safety and #2 having fun!

Race school recommendations aplenty, but not all inclusive.

Plus we work through Vicki’s flat tire excursion while we were taping

PS We did manage to keep it under 3 hours this time, lol.

GHIT 0040: How to Get Better at Racing

If interested, here is our earlier episode with Mental as our guest.

Mental Ward was last seen in Episode 20 here.

GHIT 0039 EVO School – Seneca Falls

Our Teams Second Autocross School

Jennifer at Evo School
Jennifer about to head out for her runs at the Evo School in Seneca Falls NY

Jennifer, Liam, Vicki, and Bill attended the EVO School for Autocross this weekend in upstate NY near Seneca Falls.  It was Bill’s second time and the first time for everyone else.  We all agree that the instructing staff was awesome and the structure was excellent.  We all learned a ton and would recommend it to anyone interested in trying to push their driving limits in a safe environment for the first time to experienced racers and autocrossers.  The course is designed to help everyone progress from whatever level they are currently at.  In addition, there are two more levels of courses offered by the EVO School and we can’t wait to try those as soon as possible.   

GHIT 0039 EVO School – Seneca Falls

This follows up on our earlier episode when Alan and Bill attended the Evo School held at Giants Stadium earlier this year.

Earlier Episode Link