Cars Yeah with Mark Greene

Jay Quail is the Executive Director of the Classic Car Club of America, known as the CCCA, where he has been a member for over 35 years. Jay has held this position since his appointment in 2008 and oversees the day-to-day operations from its Chicago headquarters. Jay also sits on the CCCA and the CCCA Education Foundation Board of Directors, Ex Officio. He is a member of numerous automotive organizations including The Lincoln Owners Club, Society of Auto Historians, Worldwide Automotive Professionals, and the Association of Non-profit Executive Directors. Jay’s passion and year of expertise is pre-war cars built prior to 1939. He is the Master Judge in the CCCA and judges at numerous concours events around the country. A majority of his career, prior to the CCCA, was in investment banking and financial equities, where he retired in 2003.

Direct download: Ep1238-Jay_Quail.mp3
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Matt Teske is a Marketing Director and Brand Strategist with 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. His talents caught the attention of General Motors when he was just 19, which lead to a career managing numerous special projects and marketing campaigns for automotive OEM clients including Chevrolet, Toyota, dealerships, and aftermarket companies. His work has been featured in publications including Forbes, Motor Trend, Newsweek, The Verge, and at major shows including Sema and NYIAS. Matt developed Chargeway after years of research into the electric car industry. His conclusion: in order for electric cars to move beyond early adopters, there needs to be an easier way to explain and enjoy “electric fuel”. Chargeway replaced the technical and engineering based language to a more simple, visual explanation. 

Direct download: Ep1237-Matt_Teske-.mp3
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Alex Littlewood is the Founder and CEO of Motoroso.com, a website for enthusiasts to plan, build and share everything that powers their lifestyles. Alex launched the beta version of Motoroso's site in late 2015, and in January of 2019, he launched the "Motoroso Marketplace", which is the worlds first dedicated auto parts marketplace. The site has over 250,000 products available at launch, sold by hand-selected vendors, and they offer free shipping on all purchases with no minimum. Alex led a 10+ year startup career in the Silicon Valley, including Wildfire which was acquired by Google. He then started Motoroso, and after selling his house to fund the company and going through the TechStars accelerator in Detroit, he decided to move the company to the beautiful Central Coast of California. In conjunction with Motoroso's marketplace launch, they have also begun creating video content in their 2,000 square foot video studio in downtown San Luis Obispo. Alex raced a motorcycle in the AFM and WERA road racing series, and can often be found on the track at Laguna Seca, Sears Point, and Miller Motorsports Park.

Direct download: Ep1236-Alex_Littlewood.mp3
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Jim Krouskop is Managing Partner and Founder of 360Sonar, a boutique recruiting and talent search firm located in Seattle. He has over 20 years of technology management and recruiting experience, primarily for high-tech organizations across the US. Jim is also co-founder of 3 Pedal Posse, a growing community of car enthusiasts who enjoy 3-pedal driving and hanging out with like-minded car enthusiasts. He received a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degree in Urban Planning from UC, San Diego and the University of Washington. Originally from Southern California, Jim is an avid car and Porsche enthusiast, amateur photographer, aspiring writer, and Scotch drinker. His 3 Pedal Posse Co-Founder, Mauricio Bendana was yesterday’s guest here on Cars Yeah.

Direct download: Ep1235-Jim_Krouskop.mp3
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Tina Smith is a 27-year veteran in the automotive industry. She is a true barrier breaker overcoming adversity and all the stigmas around becoming an automotive technician, especially a woman technician. She was the only female in her high school auto mechanics class and was the first woman to graduate from the Chrysler Apprenticeship program in Automotive Technology.  She has held positions ranging from service, parts, engineering, and sales. Tina is passionate about the automotive industry and now is giving back through her work with the TechForce Foundation. Tina is "paving" the way for tomorrow's technicians. TechForce Foundation is a nonprofit, 501 c3 that champions students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. 

Direct download: Ep1234-Tina_Smith.mp3
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Mike Finnegan was born and raised in southern California and heavily influenced by the vibrant surf, snow, skate, music, and car culture. He spent the last 15 years as an automotive journalist. The consummate do-it-yourselfer, Mike taught himself how to wrench, weld, fabricate, and build engines so he could go racing. From lowered mini-trucks to hot rods to over-powered drag boats, he has won national championships as both driver and crew chief of many drag boats. Today he is also the host of the TV show Roadkill on YouTube and Motor Trend on Demand. His shop, Finnegan Speed and Marine, keeps him busy creating and building dreams for himself and others.

Direct download: Ep1233-Mike_Finnegan.mp3
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Big Mike has grown to become a household name and icon in the import automotive culture. As a show judge and event emcee, he travels across the United States and around the globe participating in major events. As a journalist, he contributes to a multitude of online and print automotive publications representing the Compact Tuner industry. He sits on SEMA educational panels, inspiring a new generation of enthusiasts. He was born and raised in southern California and in 2005, his first feature appeared in print. Since then he’s built numerous cars earning awards and placement on renowned magazine covers and within their pages. He competed in the SEMA Battle of the Builders and earned a top 10 finalist position. You’ve seen him on Discovery TV in front of the camera and behind the scenes as an integral part of the import culture.

Big Mike will be one of the enthusiasts I get to interview on the Celebrity Stage at this year’s Classic Auto Show in Costa Mesa, California, March 16 and 17. 

Direct download: Ep1232-Big_Mike.mp3
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Steve Gibbs has been an integral part of the National Hot Rod Association, known as the NHRA, for over 50 years and his career began back in 1961 at the old San Gabriel Drag Strip where he became a Drag Strip Operator. He operated Irwindale Raceway beginning in 1966 and then went to Fremont Raceway, then Corpus Christi Raceway, and was hired by the National Hot Rod Association, later appointed as the NHRA Competition Director. All told, he directed nearly 400 NHRA National events in over two decades with his duties stretching worldwide. Recipient of numerous awards and accolades, he was instrumental in the development of the Wally Parks Motorsports Museum and the California Hot Rod Reunion. Steve’s involvement in the sport knows no bounds. Steve will be with me at this year’s Classic Auto Show in Costa Mesa, California, sharing his history of drag racing as part of his Nitro Revival with the Classic Cackle Cars.

Direct download: Ep1231-Steve_Gibbs.mp3
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The fearless Jessi Combs was born for everything automotive. Her passion to get in the driver seat and behind the wheel of nearly anything with a motor has led her through some amazing and unusual achievements. With a degree in custom automotive fabrication, Jessi has reached out to millions with her build skills on TV shows such as All Girls Garage, Mythbusters and Overhaulin’ to name a few, as well as through community and educational outreach. As the fastest woman alive, unofficial ”Queen” of the Hammers, Ultra4 National Champion, and a Baja 1000 podium finisher, she empowers many through the act of simply leading by example. Her desire to show more women (and men alike) that they, too, can build their ideas, go fast, get dirty, have fun, and still be feminine shines through everything she does in life.

Direct download: Ep1230-Jessi_Combs.mp3
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Mauricio Bendana is the co-founder of 3 Pedal Posse and SoDo Speed. 3 Pedal Posse is a growing community of camaraderie-based automotive enthusiasts who share good times and great adventures with like-minded people. He is also the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Project Planning Partners, a commercial real estate consulting firm that specialized in corporate services and foundational planning in the greater Puget Sound Region. He has over 25 years of experience in headquarter and portfolio management within the commercial real estate space. Mauricio shares his automotive passion with his wife Jody, a winemaker and Porshefile, their two minions, and a dog. They are avid classic Porsche fanatics who enjoy driving and hosting shows, tours, and builds. 3 Pedal Posse debuted their first build at the Rennsport Reunion last summer at Laguna Seca.

Direct download: Ep1229-Mauricio_Bendana.mp3
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Stuart Sobek is the Founder and Chairman of the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance. This inaugural event will debut on October 25 through the 28 at the exclusive Dragon Ridge Country Club. Stuart has been in the car collector world for more than 31 years. Fueled by his first visit to Pebble Beach in 1987, he has been collecting and showing cars ever since. His passion began and still remains in exotic cars. Being a long-time member of many car clubs, including the Lamborghini and Maserati Clubs, enabled him to learn and increase his knowledge and passion for these unique automobiles. As a collector, he has personally owned and logged many miles behind the wheel of some fantastic rides, both on the street and the track, so he knows first- hand, many of their favorable traits and idiosyncrasies. Stuart is a member of the CCCA and Checkered Flag Lifetime Member of the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles, California. You can learn more the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance on the website lasvegasconcours.com.

Direct download: Ep1228-Stuart_Sobek.mp3
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Rick Case and his wife Rita are the founders of the Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance that takes place on February 22 through the 24. Rick and Rita have been partners in business, life, and in their humanitarian efforts since 1980, and they have helped to raise over $50 million to support their local communities over the years. Together they have built an award-winning automotive dealership group, 16 strong, located in Cleveland, Atlanta, and South Florida. The Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance, now in its 13th year, will take place at the Boca Raton Resort & Club and will feature world-class automobiles including a celebration of Bentley Motorcars and its 100th Year Anniversary, collector of the year, Mr. Robert Jepson’s vintage automobile collection, and car collector and comedian, Jay Leno, will be on hand. The event is the world’s largest Concours d’Elegance owned by a charity, and it fully benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County.

Direct download: Ep1227-Rick_Case.mp3
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Trent Campbell is the President of Car Buff Network. His business is a searchable network based on products, services, events, and more. Companies can manage their own pages allowing them to feature projects, list events, endorse other brands and services, and to be listed as either a dealer or by the brands they sell. Professional accounts can offer a news feed that works as a clearinghouse for content within their network. He knew that finding businesses online is a challenge, so Car Buff Network focuses on the strengths of both the internet and social media platforms. Trent has spent 18 years insuring classic cars, exotics, and hot rods, and he has managed 40 plus automotive events. 

Direct download: Ep1226-Trent_Campbell.mp3
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Sean Kiernan has over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry as both a professional and an enthusiast. Before moving into paint and specializing in sales, management, and consulting, Sean cut his teeth in collision repair as an advisor, restorer and service expert in Nashville, Tennessee. Among the cars in Sean’s collection is the most iconic movie car in history; the 1968 Mustang Fastback, the ‘559 Bullitt Mustang, driven by Steve McQueen in the iconic 1968 film Bullitt. The story behind how Sean ended up with this car is fascinating. When it comes to cars, Sean is respected by many and considered an expert in his field.

I had the pleasure of meeting Sean at the LeMay – America’s Car Museum a few months ago, where he shared his Bullitt Mustang. Getting to see the car up close and personal and hear the story, I knew I had to bring this to you, the Cars Yeah listeners. 

Direct download: Ep1225-Sean_Kiernan.mp3
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Carly Starr is the curator of the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento, California. She is a museum enthusiast with a diverse background in marketing, administration, and history. Her career includes work in Boston as a marketing coordinator for an engineering firm and at the Otis House Museum where she was formally trained by Historic New England in historic housekeeping and preservation techniques. She worked as a docent for the California State Railroad Museum, as well. Since becoming the curator of the California Automobile Museum over 5 years ago, Carly has loved becoming a gear head and the never-ending joy of discovering the wide world of automobiles. She also works with the local community by judging for History Day competitions, speaking at local schools, and being the judge for the local “Italy on Wheels” car show.

You can also enjoy Carly on the Cars Yeah TV show on MAVTV as I had the honor of visiting the museum and interviewing Carly on the show.

Direct download: Ep1224-Carly_Starr.mp3
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Christian Krahenbuhl is the Director of Operations at COBB Tuning. Cobb is an automotive engineering company dedicated to developing solutions that improve vehicle performance and the driving experience. They offer solutions for a wide variety of platforms including VW, Subaru, Porsche, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Ford, and BMW. Christian was born in an era of awkward clothing, but pretty awesome music… Rocky was the movie of the year. He happily participated in the Generation X personal computer revolution and he eventually saw his way through college graduating in Business Management. He started his first aftermarket shop when he was only 18 and he’s had the honor of helping COBB grow form a 5-person company to the benchmark organization that it is today.

Direct download: Ep1223-Christian_Krahenbuhl.mp3
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Alex Johnson is an automotive photographer who is 26 years old and lives in Seattle, Washington. His love for automobiles goes back to the first grade. While photography is his side-preneur passion, his day job is as an Assistant Operations Manager at a manufacturing facility that builds detection sensors and custom radio-frequency equipment. When he’s not doing that, you’ll find Alex at car shows and events working to turn his hobby-business into a full-time career as a shooter for automotive magazines, websites, television shows, and commissioned projects. A recent trip took him to Monaco during the F1 race where he shot on the wall at the Grand Prix race.

Direct download: Ep1222-Alex_Johnson.mp3
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David O’Hara is the CEO of Block Chaser, a website that monitors the collector car auction market. He also provides digital sales and marketing services to various leading websites. He began his career marketing recording artists at Virgin Records, Sony Records, and Elton John’s Rocket Records label. From there, he migrated to print media working with companies from the luxury lifestyle venue including Robb Report and New England Home launching numerous new products, websites, and lead transformational initiatives to position companies for acquisition and or financial turnaround. From there, he moved into new media and served as EVP and Managing Director of a mobile marketing firm. He co-founded and served as CEO of Kokley, a tech development company and he launched Hubtabs, providing retailers with in-store interactive solutions. David is a member of numerous media, marketing, and technology organizations. 

Direct download: Ep1221-David_OHara.mp3
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David Neel is the Executive Director of the Murphy Auto Museum located in Oxnard, California. The Murphy Auto Museum is a collection of 90 cars, camping trailers, and Americana located inside a 30,000 square foot building. David has a lifelong love of cars, starting at a very young age where he collected Matchbox cars and later, Hot Wheels. As an adult, he started collecting real cars in 2005 and later added vintage travel trailers to his growing fleet. He keeps his collection partly at home and partly at the Murphy Auto Museum. David is married, the father of two boys, and when he is not at the museum, or at his real for-profit job, or camping, he is out driving one of his cars. Please visit the museum’s website at www.MurphyAutoMuseum.org

Shout out to Steve Ford.

Direct download: Ep1220-David_Neel.mp3
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Gaston Rossato is the founder and owner of The Barn Miami, Miami, Florida's most respected and recognized boutique specializing in exotic and classic automobiles. In addition to sales, he offers consulting services, consignments, and collection management for your dream car or an entire collection. Growing up and learning the automobile business from his father, Gaston honed his skills including customer care, relations, communications, sales, and most importantly, knowledge about the automobiles he sells. He has also served with IAC/PFA, the International Advisory Council for the Preservation of Ferrari automobiles. You’ve seen The Barn Miami featured in numerous publications and show including Velocity Channel’s South Beach Classics, Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, My Classic Garage, FIU’s Own, The Alumni Association Newsletter, and many others.

Direct download: Ep1219-Gaston_Rossato.mp3
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