Sliding Hoopties with a NASCAR Legend — (Live in Grattan, MI - 6/13/26)

<p>LIVE from a Porsche Club of America weekend at Grattan Raceway on June 13, 2026! </p><p>*</p><p><strong>Want the INTC gang to come to *your* event and tape a show? Drop a line – </strong><a href="mailto:intcpod@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠<strong>INTCPod@gmail.com</strong>⁠</a><strong> !</strong></p><p>*</p><p>Two weeks ago, Ross and Sam went to a PCA track weekend to coach, tell stories on a podcast, and hang out. This is the stories bit — Saturday night, live from the paddock, a series of definitely plausible tales from our hosts' long careers in motorsport and car journalism. </p><p>PLUS: Audience questions, tangents, and Sam has candy (for some reason)!</p><p><strong>*</strong></p><p><strong>Questions Answered in This Episode: </strong><em>How did Ross—one of the world’s top performance coaches and a sports-car champion, learn to drive and coach? — Which car did Sam get into as a journalist where he thought, “This is gonna kill me”? — Why were Ross and NASCAR legend Bill Elliott in the same car at the same time, sideways and backward, collapsing in laughter? — And more! </em></p><p>*</p><p>This show changes format every episode, because squirrel. This format is a new one—we call it “LIVE FROM THE WESTERN-MICHIGAN BUDOKAN."</p><p>This episode was produced by Sam Smith. </p><p>***</p><p><em><strong>Special thanks to the PCA's Rally Sport Chapter</strong></em><em> for the invite and the hospitality, and for eating all those Haribo bags we left behind.</em></p><p><em><strong>As always, thanks to our friends at BFGoodrich for supporting the show! </strong></em></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 per