Get ready for an electrifying discussion as we bring together four of the most accomplished women in TransAm and Road racing! Cindi Lux, Michele Abbate, Amy Ruman, and special guest Erin Vogel take the stage for an exclusive panel diving into the highs, the challenges, and the evolution of women in motorsports.
From the adrenaline filled battles to the precision of road racing, they’ll share their first-hand experiences and their insights on what it takes to compete at the highest levels. Whether you’re a die-hard racing fan or just love hearing inspiring stories from trailblazers, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss!
Note: All of our BEHIND THE SCENES (BTS) MPN episodes are raw and unedited, and expressly shared with the permission and consent of our guests.
We hope you enjoyed this presentation and look forward to more Center Conversations throughout the season. Be sure to follow, subscribe, and stay with us for more incredible discussions from the world of motorsports. Until next time, keep the wheels turning and the throttle wide open!
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October 5, 1980, was a very important day at Watkins Glen International circuit. Historical research, including about motor racing, cannot be done with hypotheses or with “what ifs” but only with facts. However, it can indeed be conceived that the facts of that day affected many future things. This was going to be the last F1 GP at Watkins Glen. The starting grid had an unexpected pole sitter: the Alfa Romeo of Bruno Giacomelli. Those were the years of Ferrari, winner of 1979 championship, of Lotus, winning in 1978, while the age of Williams was just beginning. Alfa Romeo, although possessing ancient racing victories, was back in racing for less than 2 years.
Giacomelli, an Italian driving a fully Italian car, started on the pole maintaining firmly his lead position. He kept the lead and seemed close to an extraordinary win. Suddenly, a minor electrical problem stopped him on the track and the Williams of Jones won the race. One wonders what would have been if Giacomelli had won. Perhaps Alfa Romeo’s racing efforts would not have been discontinued as happened and a second major Italian team would have stayed in Formula 1. Possibly a prestigious F1 win in the US, the major car market in the world, and eventual further successes could have improved the prospects of Alfa Romeo to remain an Italian state property and continue to progress as an independent firm.
This episode is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family – and was recorded in front of a live studio audience. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.
Bio
Dr. Tecce received his M.D. and PhD. at the University of Naples, Italy, and is currently full profession of biochemistry at University of Salerno. Besides his molecular research about cancer mechanisms, he explored race car driving as a major reference paradigm of pursuing the best and of free will exercise.
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English Livestream
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In November and December of 2024, the IMRRC received a wealth of rare photographs and associated printed material on early (1950s and 1960s) stock car and modified racing in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. This material was provided by Ford Easton, who grew up in upstate New York and was an avid fan of racing in his youth, and is now recognized as an expert on racing in this genre. He is the author of the definitive book on the subject, “Stock Car Racing in the ’50s: Pictures and Memories from Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania” (2014).
In addition to an earlier donation of audio tapes containing interviews of drivers and race officials used in preparation of his book, Mr. Easton more recently donated several scrapbooks created by the late Norm Houston, a keen player in organizing and documenting stock car racing in Western New York in the early days. The scrapbooks contain extensive and rare photography pertaining to speedway racing on tracks like Angelica Raceway, Lancaster Speedway, and Wellsville Raceway in Western New York and Skyline Speedway and Troy Fairgrounds in Northwestern Pennsylvania, which were immensely active and popular in their day but some of which are long abandoned and largely forgotten by today’s generation of racing enthusiasts.
This collection includes copies of a weekly publication, Racing News, published in Cherry Creek and later Randolph, NY, which provides blow-by-blow coverage of speedway competition for the year 1955, the single year of its existence. This literature, together with the rich collection of rare photography in the Houston scrapbooks, preserves the legacy of drivers like Squirt Johns, the Bill and Herb Layfield families, and Dutch Hoag, as well as a host of other magnificent adventurers of a bygone era.
The 1895 Horseless Carriage Contest sponsored by the Chicago Times-Herald (aka “first” auto-race in America) – a peek into the WHAT, WHY. WHEN. WHERE, WHO beyond the auto history lore of a Duryea victory on a cold and snowy, Thanksgiving Day in Chicago. The importance of this event is perhaps best captured that same year by Peter Studebaker of the eponymous wagon maker who, with prescience, commended the sponsoring newspaper
“…for transferring the manufacture of of the motocycle (a term applied to the horseless carriage after a naming contest) Bio from Europe to America…concentrating the inventive faculties of the nation on this [horseless carriage] new departure.”
This episode is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family – and was recorded in front of a live studio audience. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.
Bio
David Schmidt is a Director at the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH) as well as Panel Chair for the SAH Bradley Award. He is also a member of the Porsche Club of America and
Fuelfed, a private club for enthusiasts of European cars. Born in Detroit, his father and grandfather both worked for GM at Fisher Body. Being a product of a certain generation he
experienced the muscle car era first hand cruising the famed Woodward Avenue in the late 1960’s. David received a BA from Michigan State University, MA and PhD from Indiana University and after a career in financial services retired from TIAA. As an auto enthusiast, he can be seen driving about town in a 1967 Volvo Amazon or 1989 Porsche Carrera.
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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (November 23, 2024) — At the annual ceremony for the prestigious International Historic Motoring Awards, held in London on Friday night, the 73rd Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was named the Motoring Event of the Year.
In accepting the award, Concours Chairman Sandra Button recognized the team of 1,200 volunteers who make the event possible, and then she emphasized the importance of the cars themselves: “I’m here to represent the cars,” she said. “We can’t do this without them.”
Sandra went on to talk about the importance of caring for the cars and maintaining their authenticity—particularly as new technologies arise that can so easily change things: “We have to be fair to the cars, the history, the people. I look at the restorers and I think, ‘Please be careful. Please keep these cars real. Authenticity is all we have.’”
She also recognized enthusiasts like Fritz Burkard of Switzerland, “who brings his cars to life with his passion.” Burkard’s 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports took the top award at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours—it was the first preservation car ever to do so—and during the IHMA ceremony, it was named Car of the Year.
One of the Concours’ Best of Show Nominees, a 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Saoutchik Fastback Coupé owned by Robert Kudela of the Czech Republic, was named the Restoration of the Year. And Bruce Meyer, a longtime Concours advisor, was recognized for Personal Achievement. The awards also recognized many other friends of the Concours.
The International Historic Motoring Awards are offered by the team at Hothouse Media, which publishes Magneto and Octane magazines. The presenting sponsor of this notable occasion was Lockton Insurance Brokers.
IHMA Organizers say the Motoring Event of the Year award goes to “the world’s best motoring event, whether a festival, concours, one-marque gathering, anniversary celebration or other collector car show.” And the Restoration of the Year award is “for the best classic car restoration completed since October 2023.” A panel of judges determine these and many other winners. The Car of the Year award, chosen by an online public vote, goes to “the car — classic or new — that has made the greatest impact on the collector car world this year.”
The 74th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will take place on Sunday, August 17, 2025, and will celebrate the centennials of Invicta, Chrysler, and Moretti, the creations of Virgil Exner, the 75th anniversary of Formula 1, and Japanese Concepts & Prototypes—with other features to come. For more information on the Pebble Beach Concours, or to purchase tickets, visit www.pebblebeachconcours.net.

Graphics: International Historic Motoring Awards, with photos from Kimball Studios/Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
About Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
First conducted in 1950, Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance® (www.pebblebeachconcours.net) has grown to be the world’s premier celebration of the automobile. Only the most beautiful and historic cars are invited to appear on the famed 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links®, and connoisseurs of art and style gather to admire these masterpieces. Charitable donations raised by Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance® now total over $41 million. Related events include Pebble Beach Tour d’ Elegance® presented by Rolex, Pebble Beach RetroAuto™, Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum™ presented by Alliant Private Client, and Pebble Beach® Auctions presented by Gooding & Company. Pebble Beach®, Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, Pebble Beach Tour d’ Elegance®, Pebble Beach RetroAuto™, Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum™, and Pebble Beach® Automotive Week are trademarks, service marks and trade dress of Pebble Beach Company. All rights reserved. For more information, please call 831-622-1700 or visit pebblebeachconcours.net.
About Pebble Beach Company
Pebble Beach Company, headquartered in Pebble Beach, Calif., owns and operates the world-famous Pebble Beach Resorts®, including The Lodge at Pebble Beach™, The Inn at Spanish Bay™, and Casa Palmero®. The company also operates five renowned golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Spyglass Hill® Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay™, Del Monte™ Golf Course, and The Hay. Its other famed properties include scenic 17-Mile Drive®, The Spa at Pebble Beach™ and Pebble Beach Golf Academy™. It annually hosts premier events such as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance®, Pebble Beach Food & Wine, TaylorMade Pebble Beach Invitational, and the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee. Future site of the 2027, 2032, 2037, and 2044 U.S. Open Championships and the 2035, 2040 and 2048 U.S. Women’s Opens, Pebble Beach Golf Links® has hosted six U.S. Opens, five U.S. Amateurs, one PGA Championship, one U.S. Women’s Open and numerous other tournaments. For reservations or more information, please call 800-654-9300 or visit pebblebeach.com.
Two-Day Event Provides Insights into the History of Motorsports

Presenter Quinn Beekwilder discusses the current state of motorsport research with Symposium cofounder Don Capps.
The Eighth Annual Michael R. Argetsinger Symposium on International Motor Racing History was held on November 1 and 2 at the Media Center at Watkins Glen International. Hosted jointly by the International Motor Racing Research Center and the Society of Automotive Historians, with support from WGI and the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, the Symposium provides a forum for motor racing scholars, journalists and writers of motor racing history to present their research findings and share projects with each other and racing enthusiasts, both in person and through live-streaming of the event. Topics are wide-ranging, and the well attended, two-day event included topics such as “Perspectives on Motorsport Journalism, 1952-1972,” presented by faculty from McPherson College; “The Best Year of Our Lives – the Rebirth of Postwar European Motorsports,” presented by Professor Elton G. McGoun of Bucknell University; and “Studebaker at Indianapolis,” presented by Andrew Beckman, Archivist at the Studebaker National Museum. In all, experts and avid enthusiasts of motor racing history gave 19 additional talks.
8th Annual – 2024 Live-Stream Presentations
From Powder Puff to W Series: The Evolution of Women-Only Racing
to women. Consequently, it has been necessary for female racers to develop unique strategies to enter what has long existed as an exclusive ...masculine enclave. While entry can be facilitated through a familial relationship with a male driver, women without such connections often get their start through participation in women-only racing events. Although these races have provided women with the opportunity to enter the track, they have not been without controversy. Detractors argue that women will not be considered legitimate racers unless they compete on the same track as men. Proponents view women-only racing not only as a way to attract more women into the sport, but also as an important source of skill development, support, and community building.
This paper investigates the evolution of women-only racing, from its early introduction as a media stunt, to its current incarnation as a proving ground for serious female open-wheel racers. Informed by archival resources and motorsport scholarship, it considers how women-only racing complicates, facilitates, and liberates women’s entry, participation, and recognition in the masculine world of motorsports.
This livestream was presented via twitch.tv/grantouringmotorsports and produced by The Motoring Podcast Network - learn more at https://www.motoringpodcast.net[+] Show More










FULL LENGTH RECORDINGS: DAY 1, DAY 2
Over the years, the IMRRC has “come to the rescue” of devoted authors who are committed to publishing in-depth, definitive works. Such services might include the discovery of photographs, fact checking, or filling in the gaps within a particular marque history or driver’s career.
Such is the case with author Alejo Pérez Monsalvo. Recently, we were pleasantly surprised when we received a weighty, overseas package from Alejo. In the box was a complimentary copy of his exhaustive tome documenting the De Tomaso road and racing cars, completed through the diligence of the IMRRC’s research services team. Alejo was exceedingly grateful for the IMRRC’s support; we were pleased to share our resources for the betterment of enthusiasts everywhere.
In anticipation of the upcoming holiday season, the IMRRC has lowered prices on many items in our online gift shop. Sales of duplicate books, expertly handled by IMRRC star volunteer Michael Hartney, can be found here. Memberships also make great gifts!
Based on archival and biographical research and interviews with British journalists, broadcasters and communications managers, this presentation provides an analysis of the transformations in media relations in Formula One from 1960s onward. The paper explores the professional careers of leading British journalists and broadcasters of F1 to explore how media relations have changed over time. We conclude with some thoughts on how F1 in the era of Liberty Media, is bringing new opportunities for F1 across different platforms, transforming again the media relations of the sport.
This episode is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family – and was recorded in front of a live studio audience. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.
Bio
Richard Haynes is professor of Media Sport in the Division of Communications, Media and Culture at the University of Stirling, Scotland. He is author of seven books on sport and communications including the award-winning history BBC Sport in Black and White (Palgrave 2016) and his forthcoming book with Raymond Boyle Streaming the Formula 1 Rivalry: Sport and the Media in the Platform Age to be published by Peter Lang in 2024.
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Skip McGoun examines Formula One on-track and on-vehicle sponsorships through the post-WWII period to show the evolution of the cultural appeal of the series.
This episode is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family – and was recorded in front of a live studio audience. And has been Edited, Remastered and Produced in partnership with the Motoring Podcast Network.
Bio
Elton G. “Skip” McGoun is an Emeritus Professor of Finance at Bucknell University and a former visiting professor at the University of Donja Gorija in Montenegro. He has presented and published on both finance history and culture and automobile history and culture and served as area chair of the Vehicle Culture Section of the Popular Culture Association.
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