BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show

In this episode of Formula Fanatics, we banter about Lance Stroll’s DNFs and near-record Q1 eliminations, and discuss Charles Leclerc reaffirming his Ferrari commitment, credited to Fred Vasseur. We debate whether Lewis Hamilton can win the title or Max Verstappen is more likely to win his next championship than Hamilton, while criticizing team pit strategy and praising George Russell’s tire longevity. Race recaps cover a DNF-heavy, boring Dutch GP and an exciting Monza where Kimi Antonelli charges from the back and extends his points lead, while Verstappen features prominently. We pan to the Madrid street-style circuit as a near-parade where Antonelli wins and Hamilton retires early, note the 2027 schedule adds Portugal and replaces Catalunya with Madrid, mention Verstappen’s dominant kart race publicity stunt, Hamilton’s car-collection sale and F40, a Gilles Villeneuve documentary, Jamie Chadwick’s F1 test, and make Azerbaijan podium predictions.

Break/Fix’s Drive Thru News returns with banter about Brad’s right-shoulder surgery and a broader discussion on when car tech becomes too much, sparked by Tesla giving Grok AI control of vehicle settings. A Pacifica check-engine light leads to complaints about opaque diagnostic codes, printed manuals, and expensive infotainment upgrades like a $2,000 Uconnect swap. The hosts connect soaring diesel prices to data centers that rely on massive diesel backup generators, then criticize VW/Audi trends such as in-car game subscriptions, an EV “GTI,” factory closures, SEAT’s discontinuation, ugly new designs, and “quattro ultra” complexity. They touch on rumors of a 300-hp AWD Mazdaspeed3, evaluate Kia’s K4 hatchback power figures, discuss Chinese EVs, and note car-buying advice generated by ChatGPT favoring a Mazda CX-50. The episode also covers Cybertruck defects, TV viewing, new automotive books/films, collectibles, Florida-man driving stories, IROC and IndyCar notes, sim-racing updates, Lemons prep, site updates, and network announcements.

Automotive History Live marks Pontiac’s 100th anniversary with Tim Dye tracing the brand from Edward Murphy’s 1893 Pontiac Buggy Company to the 1907 Oakland Motor Car Company and GM’s purchase after Murphy’s 1909 death. He covers Oakland’s 1924 quick-drying paint and early four-wheel brakes, GM’s “car for every purse and purpose,” and Pontiac’s 1926 debut at $825, record 76,742 first-year sales, and rapid expansion into the ”Daylight Plant.” Dye highlights key eras including the end of Oakland in 1931, wartime production, and Pontiac’s performance transformation under Bunkie Knudsen, Pete Estes, and John DeLorean—racing wins, Wide Track, Tempest innovations, the GTO, OHC six, Firebird, and the Endura bumper—plus influential advertising and design. He recounts Pontiac’s final years, the last Pontiac built (a white 2009 G6), and how he tracked it down, alongside museum and convention milestones.

In this Evening With A Legend session, Michael Keyser—driver, filmmaker, and author—recounts his path from photographing Le Mans in 1970–71 to racing there as a privateer, while also filming material that became The Speed Merchants. He describes shooting in heavy rain, pit-lane life, encounters around Porsche and Ferrari teams, and early experiences with danger, including Piers Courage’s fatal crash at Zandvoort. Keyser details his 1972 Le Mans in a 2.5L Porsche 911 ST with Jürgen Barth and Sylvain Garant, finishing 13th and winning the GT 2.5 class as the only 911 to finish, plus a similar Porsche Curves off in 1974 with an RSR and a 1976 Le Mans attempt in a Monza ended by drivetrain failure. He explains where his footage went, how The Speed Merchants was released and is still available on DVD via autosportsltd.com, and shares opinions on modern Le Mans and why he doesn’t plan to return.

This episode features Quinn Beekwilder, assistant professor and coordinator of Belmont Abbey College’s Motorsport Management program, who shares his path from a political science degree and real estate to graduating from the program, working a decade at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and returning to teach. He recaps the program’s origins with Belmont resident and Charlotte Motor Speedway leader Humpy Wheeler, created to reduce industry turnover by preparing students for motorsport’s demanding realities. Once NASCAR-centric, the curriculum now spans global disciplines, emphasizes motorsport history, and requires multiple internships and experiential trips (Rolex 24, IndyCar St. Petersburg, World of Outlaws, PRI). Belmont Abbey has grown to 60+ undergraduates, launched the nation’s first fully online M.A. in Motorsport Management with 20+ first-semester students, started the Accelerate Abbey high school summer camp, and received Colonel Donald Capps’ motorsport collection for its library.