BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show

In this “Evening With a Legend” episode, we interview Mark Raffauf, IMSA’s Senior Director of Competition, tracing how IMSA’s early relationship with the ACO grew from the 1970s through the creation of GTP, the split from FIA Group C’s fuel-formula approach, and the IMSA-driven development that helped shape cars like the Porsche 962. Mark recounts 1980s GTP’s manufacturer battles and behind-the-scenes antics, then explains the 1990s shift to World Sports Car, Ferrari’s 333 SP, and how rule changes at Le Mans affected competitiveness. He details IMSA’s organizational split that led to ALMS and Grand-Am, the rise of Daytona Prototypes, and today’s cost-control challenges. The conversation culminates in a deep discussion of Balance of Performance, LMDh vs hypercar sustainability, lift-and-coast strategy, and the need for a common future platform beyond 2030, while emphasizing Le Mans as a global mega-event.

===== (Oo---x---oO) =====

00:00 Meet Mark Raffauf
02:20 Early IMSA and ACO Ties
04:25 Birth of GTP Rules; Group C vs GTP Debate
09:02 Porsche 956 to 962 Shift
11:26 Golden Era Grid Battles
17:45 Nineties Reset and WSC
20:39 Ferrari 333 SP Moment
23:44 Rule Drift and Audi's Rise
26:19 ALMS & Grand Am Split
30:23 Cost Control Lessons
32:43 How BOP Really Works
33:28 LMDh versus Hypercar Basics
37:56 Why One Rulebook Matters
43:32 "Lift and Coast" Energy Management Explained
46:33 Getting more Hypercars to IMSA
50:35 Endurance Racing As Events
54:58 Future Platform, 2030 and beyond
59:27 Final Thanks And Wrap Up

====================

The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net

More Information: Visit Our Website

Become a VIP at: Patreon

Online Magazine: Gran Touring

Follow us on Social: Instagram

To learn more about or to become a member of the ACO USA, look no further than www.lemans.org, Click on English in the upper right corner and then click on the ACO members tab for Club Offers. Once you become a Member you can follow all the action on the Facebook group ACOUSAMembersClub; and become part of the Legend with future Evening With A Legend meet ups.

Break/Fix Podcast returns with co-host Don Weberg from Garage Style Magazine to interview car enthusiast and fundraiser Bob Hammer about using car culture to support A Brighter Day, a nonprofit helping teens and young adults facing stress, depression, and suicidal ideation. Bob shares his automotive roots (including a ’66 Barracuda, a long-owned ’65 Mustang he sold during two bouts of testicular cancer, a ’68 Corvette, and restoring his uncle’s 1957 Chevy stake bed to stock after his uncle’s death) and his fundraising background through the Have a Ball Foundation, which has raised $5.4 million for cancer. Now as A Brighter Day’s development director, Bob is expanding the charity’s car show into downtown Danville, CA on Sunday, June 14, with sponsors, vendors, music, awards, and a goal of growing attendance and fundraising over time.

===== (Oo---x---oO) =====

00:00 Meet Bob Hammer
01:43 Car Guy Origins
03:11 Family Truck Tribute
04:00 From Cancer to Foundation
05:54 Danville Car Show Revival
07:08 Joining A Brighter Day
09:32 Car Show Success Tips
12:59 A Brighter Day Mission
14:12 New Downtown Event Details
19:38 Future Growth & Fundraising Goals
25:21 How to Get Involved
27:27 Closing Sponsors Outro

====================

The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net

More Information: Visit Our Website

Become a VIP at: Patreon

Online Magazine: Gran Touring

Follow us on Social: Instagram

Jon Summers, The Motoring Historian, recaps a Consumer Reports session led by Alex Knizek, outlining CR’s nonprofit testing operation (36 cars yearly, 330-acre Connecticut track) and its scoring pillars: road test, reliability, owner satisfaction (380,000 member surveys), and safety, including real-world/track ADAS evaluation. He reads key rankings, including five-to-ten-year reliability led by Lexus, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, and Acura, with Tesla last; he contrasts this with the 2026 brand report card topped by Subaru, BMW, Porsche, Honda, and Toyota, and notes Rivian’s low reliability but high satisfaction. He shares takeaways that hybrids show 15% fewer issues than ICE, while plug-ins have 80% more issues than hybrids, and discusses model-specific drags (Honda Prologue, Mazda CX-90). He explains his wife’s purchase of a 2026 Cadillac Optiq, influenced by pricing, free workplace charging, and Super Cruise.

===== (Oo---x---oO) =====

00:00 Why Consumer Reports?
02:07 Inside CR Testing
03:22 Elk Test Explained
04:36 How CR Scores Cars
06:29 Used Car Reliability
09:01 New Car Software Woes
10:56 Brand Report Card
12:54 Surveys Versus Desire
17:01 Hybrids PHEVs EVs
22:23 ADAS & Super Cruise
25:10 EV Reliability Problems
26:46 Safety Rankings
27:37 Top 10 Picks Wrap
28:55 Thanks And Credits

====================

The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net

More Information: Visit Our Website

Become a VIP at: Patreon

Online Magazine: Gran Touring

Follow us on Social: Instagram

Jon Summers is the Motoring Historian. He was a company car thrashing technology sales rep that turned into a fairly inept sports bike rider. On his show he gets together with various co-hosts to talk about new and old cars, driving, motorbikes, motor racing, motoring travel. Copyright Jon Summers, The Motoring Historian. This content is also available via jonsummers.net. This episode is part of the Motoring Podcast Network and has been republished with permission.

This episode of Formula Fanatics and recaps the Miami GP weekend, including Hulkenberg missing the sprint with engine issues, Antonelli’s repeated poor launches despite pole pace, on-track tension with Russell, Ferrari’s rotating “flippy” rear wing, Verstappen’s early spin and recovery, Leclerc leading before finishing with a damaged car and receiving a 20-second post-race penalty for unsafe condition, and crashes involving Hadjar and Gasly (with Lawson flipping Gasly). We also share F1-related experiences in Boston: seeing a Ferrari F1 car and IBM telemetry/AI demo at IBM Think, trying simulators, and visiting F1 Arcade with Arrow for McLaren merch. And the episode covers an upcoming Monopoly F1 Edition (July 15, $39.99), Verstappen testing a Nissan Z Nismo GT500 at Fuji and competing at the Nürburgring 24 Hours before a drive axle failure, and reports of BYD discussing Christian Horner, then preview the Canadian GP.

===== (Oo---x---oO) =====

00:00 Bienvenido a Miami!
01:03 Miami Sprint Recap
01:38 Antonelli Launch Woes
04:36 Miami Race Chaos
05:30 Leclerc Breakdown Penalty
06:54 Crashes and Gearbox Drama
08:47 IBM Think & Ferrari AI Tech
10:32 F1 Arcade Boston Night with ARROW
11:30 Monopoly F1 Edition
13:32 Max Verstappen at Fuji Super GT and Nurburgring 24 Heartbreak
19:30 F1 Crocs - You Should Get Some!
21:42 Horner to BYD Rumors
23:27 Canadian GP Signoff

====================

Formula Fanatics, is the high-octane sub-series of Break/Fix Podcast’s Drive Thru Motorsports News! This is your pit stop for all things Formula 1 — from breaking headlines and race recaps to insider analysis and paddock buzz.

The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net

More Information: https://www.motoringpodcast.net/

Become a VIP at: https://www.patreon.com/gtmotorsports

Online Magazine: https://www.gtmotorsports.org/

This month's Drive Thru News mixes banter and headlines with a “What Should I Buy?” story: Brad abandons his troubled orange Mk4 GTI “Pumpkin Spice” after finding oil-and-coolant “chocolate milk” from internal failure and frame misalignment, then buys a high-mileage Vortex Blue Turbo Beetle (one of 2,000 U.S. cars) that’s clean, street legal, and likely chipped, prompting naming jokes and parts-swapping plans. The crew debates VW’s business turmoil, an allegedly Mk4-inspired Mk9 Golf design, the 2027 ID.Buzz return, Porsche EV uncertainty, a Cayenne Electric Coupe, simulated “manual” shift-by-wire, and Brembo’s non-hydraulic brake system. Other topics include Stellantis moves and factory health complaints, BMW killing the Z4 but teasing a manual M3 CS, an ugly Mercedes EV, discounted Hertz Shelby Mach-Es, an Outlander recall and handling rant, a pristine 1992 Scirocco auction, Cybertruck mishaps, books and upcoming events, Florida flying-car talk, sim-racing updates, and 24 Hours of Lemons prep including a risky wheel-sourcing tow story.

===== (Oo---x---oO) =====

00:00:00 Drive Thru Kickoff
00:00:49 Buying yet another VW?!?
00:05:27 Pumpkin Spice Autopsy
00:09:15 Naming The Blue Beetle
00:11:09 Parting Out The Orange GTI and Resisting The Porsche Temptress
00:18:01 VW Business Model Panic
00:19:41 Mark 9 Golf Controversy
00:21:21 ID.Buzz Returns? Price Debate!
00:24:24 Porsche EV Hype and Cayenne Electric Coupe Roast
00:30:22 Fake Manual "Shift By Wire" and "Brake By Wire" Warning
00:37:39 Nurburgring Record Eye Roll
00:39:15 What's going on at Stellantis?
00:44:59 BMW Z4 Farewell and Manual M3 CS rumored for US
00:46:55 Ugly Mercedes Concept - The AMG GT 4 door
00:49:40 Hertz Shelby Mach-E Fire Sale
00:51:49 Mitsubishi Outlander Rental Nightmare
00:54:59 Lost and Found Scirocco GT-II
00:57:42 Cybertruck Recall Chaos
01:00:42 Book Club Updates
01:02:49 Events and Automobilia
01:04:16 Flying Cars and Florida Men
01:09:38 Motorsports Legends Series
01:13:12 Sim Racing Updates
01:16:24 Our Lemons Prep and Towing Nightmares
01:26:46 Wrap Up and Thanks

====================

The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net

More Information: Visit Our Website

Become a VIP at: Patreon

Online Magazine: Gran Touring

Follow us on Social: Instagram