Crappy Miatas, Endurance Porsches, and Other Fun Diseases — with TJ + Ed from BFGoodrich

<p>This episode is about how racing sucks you in—even (or perhaps especially) if it’s tied to your day job. And never more than with endurance racing.</p><p>Last month, BFGoodrich invited Ross and Sam to co-drive a Porsche Boxster in a ChampCar enduro weekend at VIR. </p><p>A lot happened. Way too much! Chiefly, though, our two co-hosts chatted with some smart people. They talked about why everyone from track-day junkies to moonlighting pros bothers to go amateur endurance racing—and why this quirky little corner of the sport has never been larger or more successful.</p><p>*</p><p><strong>00:00 – 32:00 — TJ DENNIS and ED GLISS: </strong>Brand manager for BFG’s Ultra-High Performance division (Dennis). A former Michelin test driver turned marketer (Gliss). And two driving die-hards who currently own and track an NB Miata and an E90 BMW M3 on weekends. They get it. </p><p>*</p><p><strong>32:00 – 49:00 — DAVID KICAK: </strong>Former IMSA and Trans-Am driver. Marketing and sponsor manager for the ChampCar Endurance Series. Has known Ross since the 1990s. He also gets it.</p><p>*</p><p>This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “IN THE TRENCHES.”</p><p>This episode was produced by Sam Smith. </p><p>Thanks, as always, to our friends at BFGoodrich for supporting the show!</p><p>**</p><p><strong>Who We Are + Spicy Merch:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.itsnotthecar.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ItsNotTheCar.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>**</p><p><strong>Support It’s Not the Car:</strong></p><p>Contribute on Patreon <a href="https://www.patreon.com/notthecar" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/notthecar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>**</p><p><strong>Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think!</strong></p><p>⁠⁠<a href="mailto:INTCPod@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INTCPod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠⁠</p><p>**</p><p><strong>Check out Sam's book!</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Smithology-Thoughts-Travels-Semi-Plausible-Writings/dp/B0D2Q3P93Z/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>**</p><p><strong>Where to find us:</strong></p><p>⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<a href="https://www.instagram.com/intcpod" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/intcpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠⁠</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠⁠</p><p><a href="https://rossbentley.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rossbentley.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://speedsecrets.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://speedsecrets.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>**</p><p><strong>ABOUT THE SHOW:</strong></p><p>It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.</p><p>Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of <em>Road &amp; Track</em> magazine.</p><p>We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.</p><p>New episodes every other Tuesday.</p>