The Scene Vault Podcast

Long before Dale Earnhardt became The Intimidator, he was a hungry young racer trying to make a name for himself on North Carolina's short tracks. Tony Furr knew him back then, and even put him behind the wheel of one of his race cars.

For Furr, racing was a family business. His father, Henry Furr, was a driver and race promoter at Concord Speedway, and Tony grew up surrounded by the people and personalities who helped build stock car racing in the Carolinas.

This week on The Scene Vault Podcast, Furr takes host Rick Houston back to those early days with Earnhardt and through a career that eventually landed him in NASCAR's Winston Cup garage. As a crew chief, Furr worked with drivers including Bill Elliott, John Andretti, and Jerry Nadeau, helping Andretti and Nadeau earn their first Cup Series victories.

And then there's the rulebook.

Furr developed a reputation for finding creative ways to make race cars faster, sometimes pushing NASCAR's regulations beyond what the officials were willing to tolerate. From the short-track days when ingenuity could make all the difference to the increasingly sophisticated world of Winston Cup racing, Furr has seen what happens when a clever idea meets a NASCAR inspector.

It's a lifetime of racing stories from a man who worked with Dale Earnhardt before he became a legend and spent decades figuring out how to make race cars go faster.

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When Dale Earnhardt won his first NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Bristol in 1979, Dennis Roinick wasn't watching from the grandstands. He was going over the wall to service Earnhardt's car. A year later, he was there when the young driver claimed his first Winston Cup championship.

This week, in the second and final installment of his conversation with host Rick Houston, Roinick takes us back to the early days of Dale Earnhardt's career with Rod Osterlund Racing. Long before Earnhardt became The Intimidator and a seven-time NASCAR champion, Roinick was working alongside him, helping build the foundation of one of the greatest careers in stock car racing history.

Roinick remembers what Earnhardt was like before the fame, how he helped convince Rod Osterlund to give the young driver his big opportunity, and the excitement of that first victory at Bristol. He also looks back on the team's remarkable 1980 championship season, the upheaval surrounding Osterlund's eventual sale of the operation to Jim Stacy, and his own decision to leave NASCAR.

It's a firsthand look at a pivotal chapter in NASCAR history from someone whose name might not be familiar to most fans, but who was there for some of the most important moments in Dale Earnhardt's early career.

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We've heard some pretty wild stories about Henry Benfield over the years on The Scene Vault Podcast. This week, Dennis Roinick joins us with a few more of his own.

Dennis looks back on his exploits with DiGard Racing, the personalities he encountered along the way, and his adventures racing Henry Benfield. It's another trip into the side of NASCAR history that rarely made the headlines, but left the people who were there with stories they'll never forget.

Join host Rick Houston for a conversation about life in the garage, old friendships, and the kind of memories that only get better with time.

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Following the recent news that NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip is stepping further away from public life, we wanted to do something different this week.

This isn’t a rundown of wins, championships, and statistics. It’s a chance to spend some time with one of the biggest personalities NASCAR has ever known.

In this special episode of The Scene Vault Podcast, we look back on Darrell Waltrip’s remarkable life and career through the stories that made DW … DW. From the brash young driver who wasn’t afraid to tell the established stars exactly what he thought, to his championship years with Junior Johnson, the turbulent “Dream Team” era at Hendrick Motorsports, his unforgettable 1989 Daytona 500 victory, frightening crashes, the challenge of becoming an owner-driver, and the winding road toward the end of his driving career, Waltrip tells the story with the humor, candor, confidence, and personality that made him impossible to ignore.

For longtime NASCAR fans, these are memories of one of the sport’s defining figures during an era when rivalries were personal, personalities were enormous, and Darrell Waltrip was usually right in the middle of it.

For fans who primarily know DW from the FOX broadcast booth, this is a chance to hear just how much happened before “Boogity, Boogity, Boogity” became part of NASCAR Sundays.

Most of all, this episode is our way of saying thank you to Darrell Waltrip and celebrating the stories, memories, and unmistakable voice he has given NASCAR fans for more than half a century.

We’re thinking of Darrell, Stevie, and the entire Waltrip family.

Be sure to check out the latest NASCAR stories, news, and history from

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This episode is special for a couple of reasons.

First, Eddie Nau was a weekend warrior for several years with Junior Johnson and Associates and then for Kranefuss-Haas. But then also … his full-time weekday job was as an officer with the New York City Police Department … which put him in the city … on September 11, 2001 … and he DID respond to the attacks that day.

You’re not going to forget this episode for that reason and that reason alone … but also …host Rick Houston's son Adam joins the show as co-host.

What we’re going to do … or at least attempt to do … is talk about a little bit about 9/11 and then we’re just going to discuss the state of the union … so to speak … or in our case … the state of The Scene Vault Podcast.

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This week in the first of what will be two installments, host Rick Houston sat down with Eddie Nau (pronounced NOW) last week to talk about his time working with Junior Johnson & Associates as a weekend warrior and his full-time job as a New York City police officer.

That’s this week. NEXT week … Eddie was THERE on 9/11.

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You probably don't know the name Dick Conway, but he was one of the greatest motorsports photographers ever AND one of the most influential marketing/public relations representatives in the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s Busch Series garage.

More importantly to our story, Dick was also an incredibly important figure in host Rick Houston's own journey in the sport. Enjoy this candid conversation between two long-time friends.

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To honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we share one of the most powerfully poignant interviews in The Scene Vault Podcast archives featuring former Hendrick Motorsports crew member and FDNY hero Scottie Maxwell.

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After going through the Mark Martin interview in our last three episodes, we’ll return to Mark Melling this week and finish up with him.

In this episode, Mark Melling talks about his determination to continue racing in the wake of his dad Harry’s untimely death ...

Jerry Nadeau’s move to Hendrick Motorsports ...

Melling Racing’s move to Dodge ...

Chad Knaus and … ultimately …

how the attacks of 9/11 impacted his race team’s future.

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Episode 411 -- NASCAR Hall of Famer on Losing 1990 Championship, Relationship with Dale Earnhardt

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This week in our conversation with NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin … if there’s anything you need to know about what makes Mark tick, or how he became the man that he is today, you HAVE to listen to this segment without a doubt.

When Mark talks about hitting rock bottom in this special episode, he doesn’t hold anything back. It’s not sugar coated during this interview … and it’s not whitewashed in his new book Never Lift, either.

Call it Mark Martin … raw and unfiltered.

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This week in the first of what will be installments of our epic interview, NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin remembers his extraordinary ... yet ultimately dysfunctional ... upbringing with a larger-than-life father and "bad ass" mother.

Mark also takes us through his meteoric rise through the ASA ranks and successful first season at the Winston Cup level ... right up to the point of reaching the abyss that would completely derail his career.

We're then joined by guest co-host Matt Martin, to discuss his dad and their recently-released autobiography Never Lift.

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This week, Mark Melling talks about the 1988 Winston Cup championship … Bill Elliott’s decision to leave Melling Racing to join Junior Johnson and Associates … and what it all meant in the aftermath … and how Lake Speed added a much-needed shot of stability to the organization.

Hosts Rick Houston and Tony Liberati then dive into the August 8, 1996 issue of Winston Cup Scene.

Dale Jarrett outlasts rival/Robert Yates Racing teammate Ernie Irvan for the win in the Brickyard 400. Earlier in the weekend, Ernie has a bit of a THING with Sterling Marlin. And … Scottie Maxwell shows Rick around an honest-to-goodness firehouse in Queens, New York.

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This week in the first of what will be three installments, Mark Melling remembers a day at the race track with his dad … HARRY Melling … and how that day sparked Harry’s interest in maybe getting into the sport a little … or A LOT deeper.

He talks about a water-balloon war with David Ifft and the rest of MC Anderson’s crew; his dad’s decision to back the Elliott clan from down in Dawsonville way; and how THAT decision turned into the Winston Million.

Then … in our second segment … we’re just going to talk about … life … and plans … in the wake of host Rick Houston's recent cancer diagnosis.

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Steve Waid's celebration of life was held Wednesday, July 15 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. Be our guest at the service on this very special episode.

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Rick Houston is joined this week by guest co-host Graig Hoffman, executive director at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

This week in the third and final installment of our interview, Jimmy Makar remembers saying goodbye to Dale Jarrett as the driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, saying hello to DJ’s replacement, Bobby Labonte and what it was like to sit at the head table at the Winston Cup awards banquet.

Rick and Graig then tackle the October 5, 1978 issue of Grand National Scene.

Darrell Waltrip THRASHES the field at North Wilkesboro for the first 380 laps … pits … then pits again after being black flagged for a missing lug nut … which hands the victory to Cale Yarborough.

D.K. Ulrich loses his appeal over a nitrous oxide system that was discovered on his car following a bad accident at Darlington, despite his insistence AT THE TIME that it was inoperable.

And … Junior Johnson comes to the rescue for reporter Mike Mulhern.

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Jimmy Makar takes listeners through the turbulent Blue Max Racing era with Rusty Wallace, which means financial trouble, the disappointment of losing the Winston Cup championship, MORE financial trouble, WINNING the Winston Cup championship and … you guessed it … financial trouble that would bring the team to its knees.

He stays with Rusty and new owner Roger Penske, but only long enough to face a difficult decision that summer.

Hosts Rick Houston and Tony Liberati then tackle the July 21, 1991 issue of Winston Cup Scene.

Rusty Wallace gets a little help from a friend to win at Pocono, in Jimmy Makar’s last race with the team, while Ernie Irvan may … or may NOT have triggered an earlier multicar crash that DID lead to his infamous apology at Talladega the very next week.

Darrell Waltrip gets TESTY just before going on the air with MRN to talk about getting caught up in the mishap.

Benny Parsons makes an emotional return to the track after the loss of his wife Connie.

Deb Williams pens a couple of great stories about Stevie Waltrip and Kyle Petty’s goal to return from his broken leg sooner than expected.

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This week … Jimmy Makar, Part One.

And IN Jimmy Makar, Part One, Jimmy talks about being a fan from the second his was born and how his dad Jim’s tenure as a Winston Cup team owner was short-lived but somehow also managed to sow the seeds for a lifetime in the sport.

Jimmy takes us along for the ride on the road trip from hell to beat ALL road trips from hell. He tells us about working for Robert Gee, Harry Hyde, Junior Johnson and Raymond Beadle and the transition from Tim Richmond as driver to Rusty Wallace.

In our second segment, hosts Rick Houston and longtime Winston Cup Scene photographer Bryan Hallman leaf through the September 29, 1977 edition of Grand National Scene.

This early issue of Scene featured coverage of two Winston Cup races … Benny Parsons won at Dover by holding off a wink-wink challenge from David Pearson, while the UNGRATEFUL Cale Yarborough dominated … and won … at Martinsville.

Kenny Brightbill destroys Jim Makar’s Mercury at Dover, while Gene Granger produces a lengthy story on Richard Petty’s record-setting 1967 NASCAR season.

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NOTE: This episode and all to follow are dedicated to the memory of the late, great Steve Waid.

Newly slenderized Michael McSwain joins host Rick Houston to discuss a whopper of an unfiltered Tim Brewer interview. This week, Brewer drops not one … not two … but three MAJOR bombshells about qualifying for the 1992 Daytona 500 and the iconic NASCAR’s Greatest Race … the 1992 Hooters 500.

Rick and Michael then break down the February 13, 1992 issue of Winston Cup Scene.

Gary Nelson is in his first year with NASCAR as its Winston Cup director in training … and let’s just say that Gary is loaded for bear and swinging from the heels when it came to policing the inspection process.

Tim Brewer does NOT get sent to NASCAR’s electric chair after Junior Johnson & Associates teammates Sterling Marlin and Bill Elliott sweep the first two starting spots for the next weekend’s Daytona 500, while Geoff Bodine overcomes ... cough, cough ... handling problems to win the Busch Clash.

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Steve Waid, this one's for you.

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