June 26, 2025 • 23 mins
Do you love vintage cars , road rally racing, historical moments and general Maker Shop Talk?
If so, join Tamara Robertson (Mythbusters, Seekers of Science) as she revs up the fun in this all new mini-season dedicated to the Hemming's Great Race and the amazing team of Trailblazing Creators assembled by Riley's Rebuilds!
As a shout-out to Race Sponsor Cocker Tire Co. , this episode kicks off with a Tech Talk about Firestone Wide Oval Tires before Tamara sits down with Vintage Restoration Queen , Trailblazer and Maker Extraordinaire Jo ( @a_car_gal ) !
Topics they cover include (but are surely not limited to):
- Vintage Restoration
- Road Rally Racing
- Meeting Riley from Riley's Rebuild's
- The Great Race
- The Jessi Combs Foundation
- Shoutout McPherson Colleges
- Shoutout Zoe Carmichael
- Precision Racing
- Jo's Advise on Starting in Vintage Racing
- Acing a Route
- The eccentricities of Vintage Cars
- The joy of Rally Racing
- The power of showing up
- The community behind Vintage Racing
- Capturing Joy
- History on 4 wheels
- Shoutout to Duct tape & Zip Ties
... and so much more
As we dig into Season 3's 27th episode of Tinkering Belles you're surely not going to want to miss it!
So join in on Tamara's adventure as a Maker as she works to amplify the BAMF Females Behind the Builds one interview at a time!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you enjoyed the show join in on the Maker adventure with Tamara and her guests on the Tinkering Belles Instagram page.
You can follow Jo's adventures here, here, and here:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/a_car_gal/
Music for this Episode was provided by Bill Trowell Music. Visit BillTrowellMusic.com to hear more and to subscribe to Bill's Patreon, where he covers favorite showtunes, movie themes, classic rock and jazz, as well as requests from Patron's.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tamara Robertson (00:00):
Greetings, shopmates, and welcome to
Tinkering Belles, a show aboutDIY, design, and all things
hands-on.
The sky's the limit as we talkprops, metalwork, cosplay,
woodwork, leather, electronics,and so much more.
I'm Tamara Robertson, yourhost, so strap on your tool
belts because we're about to getinto some skill sharing, y'all.
(00:25):
Today, I'm going to be joined bya maker who's turning heads and
wrenches in support of vintagemotorsports.
I don't want to give away toomuch, but this maker is driven
by one goal, keep vintage carsalive and on the road.
So if that doesn't make youwant to stick around and hear
more, then you might be at thewrong podcast.
(00:46):
But first, let's go ahead andhave our tech talk of the day.
So we're going to be talkingall about the Hemmings Crate
Race, which was made possible bysupport from so many sponsors.
Sponsors like Coker TireCompany, who's provided many of
the parts for our vintage FordFairlane, including its shoes,
i.e.
the rims and the throwbacks toa classic Firestone wide oval
(01:10):
tires.
So let's back it up.
Where did these iconic tiresget their start?
Firestone's wide oval tires werefirst introduced in 1967,
designed specifically for theera's booming muscle car market,
(01:31):
offering a low profile, highgrip solution for high
horsepower street machines.
Now, the original wide ovalswere bias ply tires with red
lines or raised white letters.
These were visually bold andbuilt to the American
performance icons like theCamaro, Mustang, and the
Chevelle.
While bias ply gave them anaggressive stance, they lacked
(01:56):
ride comfort and wore quickly,which led to radial evolution in
later years to improve safetyand handling.
In the 1980s, Coker TireCompany began producing
Firestone-wide ovals usingoriginal molds, preserving that
muscle car aesthetic whileimproving tire construction to
modern safety standards.
Today, Coker offers thesevintage tires in radial form in
(02:19):
11 new sizes, built in the USA,combining authentic looks with
better grip, ride, anddurability, perfect for
restorers who balanceperformance with period-correct
style.
Check out Coker's FirestoneWide Oval Collection.
Give your car authentic stylewith modern performance and tell
them Tinkering Bells sent you.
Well, that's it for your TechTalk.
(02:41):
As always, you can join in onthe conversation with my maker
friends and me on the TinkeringBells Instagram and X pages.
Just search for BellesTinkering, hit follow, and
share your DIY adventurestogether with us.
Have a tool you want to learnabout?
Let me know, and it may befeatured in a future episode.
Tell us what you liked, whatyou hated, or possibly even what
we missed.
Now we're going to be gettinginto the main event and I'm so
(03:07):
excited to introduce you to ournext maker.
So drum roll, please.
Presenting Jo.
Jo, thanks for joining me.
How are you?
Jo (03:15):
Good.
Thank you so much for havingme.
I'm really excited to be here.
There's so much fun stuff totalk about.
Tamara Robertson (03:21):
There is.
So to start off, can you leteveryone know where they can
find you, follow you, and then alittle bit of a snip of what
they might expect to see whenthey go there?
Jo (03:32):
Yeah, absolutely.
So my Instagram tag is aunderscore car underscore gal, a
car gal.
And basically it follows myadventures working on cars.
I'm an automotive restorationstudent.
So it's little bits and piecesof what it's like going to a
tech school that focuses on oldcars.
And also a couple littlesnippets about just what it's
(03:52):
like working in vintage racingand seeing these historic race
cars on the racetrack and thingslike that.
Tamara Robertson (03:57):
So amazing.
So obviously, as a superheroscientist, one of my favorite
things is learning people'sorigin stories.
I've gotten to know you alittle bit over the last year,
but could you share with theaudience what your kind of
origin story was for becoming avintage gearhead?
Jo (04:18):
Absolutely.
It's a little bit of a funny, Iguess...
trajectory to get to where Iended up I started being very
into cars as a kid my parentswould restore air-cooled
Porsches together in the 90s andearly 2000s just as little
passion projects and I'd alwayslook on the side and see those
things and I ended up going intothe world of vintage racing
(04:41):
just as a guest I'd just beshowing up to the races hanging
out watching everything zippingaround on the track and as I
grew older started high school Istill loved cars and I thought
I'd be going into Porscherestoration, but my first round
of internships rolled around andI decided to try a lot of
different things and I ended upat three vintage racing shops by
(05:04):
chance and I just fell in lovewith things breaking and getting
to fix those things again afterthey broke in.
Tamara Robertson (05:10):
I love that.
You know, there's so much valueand getting to try out a lot of
different hats before youchoose the one that you get.
And so I really love that thatwas an opportunity that you got
because it is one of thosethings, you know, as kids, we
grow up, we have no idea.
what we don't know that wemight like, right?
(05:30):
So getting to have thatexposure is so valuable.
Now, we obviously met becauseof the Jesse Combs Foundation.
And so I would love on forthose of you that don't know, by
this point, you guys hopefullyhave already heard that
interview with Dana.
But if you haven't go back, theJesse Combs Foundation is our
(05:52):
nonprofit partner for this race.
And so we will all be rockingthe dots the entire But could
you share with the audience alittle bit about how you got
connected to the foundation andany Jesse story you might have?
Yeah.
So
Jo (06:07):
I got connected to the foundation through these two
incredible women that are a partof it.
Isabella Bradley and ZoeCarmichael.
Zoe Carmichael was a mentor forme during her time at McPherson
college.
And she really helped me findmy footing in this really
difficult male dominatedenvironment.
And she is a scholarshiprecipient.
So she was always telling meall these stories just about,
(06:30):
Hey, this foundation isincredible.
I've never met a more upliftinggroup of women.
And I, wanted to be a part ofthat.
So I ended up applying, and Iwas extremely fortunate to be
selected.
And since then, it's just beenincredible having this amazing
community of women with suchdiverse backgrounds, diverse
interests, and skill sets.
(06:52):
So that's, I guess, a littlebit about how I got involved
with the foundation.
In terms of my Jessie story, Iwas always growing up seeing her
in Mythbusters and thinkingthat she was just so cool.
and going into McPhersonCollege and that being my main
(07:12):
impression of who she was andjust getting to see how she
touched so many of the lives ofthe people around me who are
involved with the foundation aswell as these people in the
industry that are just in allaspects of it, all of these men,
these women, these little kidsthat have just either met her or
grown up watching her andgotten to experience the impact
(07:35):
that she made on the world and Iguess the more exposure I got
to that, the more it set in justhow special it is to be a part
of the foundation.
Tamara Robertson (07:44):
That's amazing.
Yeah.
And speaking of the impact thatshe had on the world, well, we
are all as a group, thanks toRiley from Riley Rebuild, who
assembled and herded the kittensthat it took to get us all
together, getting to actuallyfollow in Jessie's footsteps.
footsteps, right?
So Jesse was a grand marshalfor the great race.
(08:07):
And now here we are fastforward getting to actually do
the great race.
I have to ask, like, before weall ended up in this hodgepodge
of a beautiful social media DMfest, did you know about the
great race?
I mean, as a vintage car, youknow, restore and lover
yourself?
Had you heard of it?
What were your thoughts?
Jo (08:29):
I've been doing vintage road rallies with my dad since I was
14 years old.
So I've been sort of exposed tothat world of crazy people that
don't just drive fast, but theydrive slow and precisely.
And to me, I grew up hearingthese stories about things like
the Starlight Rally, which myparents sit together, which is
eight hours overnight, not eighthours, it's longer, overnight
(08:49):
from Santa Barbara to Las Vegas.
And hearing all these storiesabout just the navigation and
the skill that it took, thengoing into my school hearing
that my school used to have ateam that would run the great
race every year and they wouldsend a group of students there I
just had heard so many storiesof how intense it is how much
(09:09):
fun it is how everybody in thecommunity is such a character so
knowing all these bits andpieces I was talking with Dana
and I mentioned to her mybackground in road rallying and
she said you seem like you'd beperfect for this and got me
involved with the big chat ofincredible women amazing
Tamara Robertson (09:30):
and so for audience members that might not
know what it means to be aprecision race you know we've
thrown this around a couple oftimes of like it's not a speed
race it's a precision race couldyou as someone that that's been
in this world for a long timecould you give kind of the
mickey mouse version of what aprecision race is
Jo (09:50):
Absolutely.
So think about it.
Instead of getting from point Ato point B as fast as you can,
you are given point A and pointB and the directions in between
and a specific amount of timethose directions are supposed to
take.
So the closer to point B thatyou get within the time that
(10:10):
they give you, the better youdo.
But the further away you arefrom your target time, you rack
up points or in this case timeand that puts you at a
disadvantage when it comes tothe leaderboard.
Tamara Robertson (10:22):
Amazing.
And I saw there's a prize,right?
If you get the exact timeright, it's kind of like
birdying the hole in golf.
So everyone collects thesestickers along the way for each
of the stops that they do ifthey do it in the right amount
of time.
Is that right?
Jo (10:40):
I believe so.
I'm not entirely sure of thelogistics of that side of the
rally.
For me, I'm more focused onHey, let's add the time between
turning different directions andhow that can affect the time of
the car.
So I'm hoping that we'll getall those stickers if that's the
case, but if we don't, it'llstill be a great time.
Tamara Robertson (10:59):
So as someone that knows vintage cars really
well, you're talking about likethe time it takes to take a
turn.
So I think that's somethingthat a lot of people, modern
drivers take, you know, take,for advantage of is that we can
turn pretty fast.
We can stop on a dime.
We can start on a dime.
What are some of the thingsthat going into this race, you
(11:20):
already have in mind about thatpart of the vehicle and how that
could affect our times?
Jo (11:27):
I'm already thinking a lot about the idea that when you're
making a turn, for example, thevehicle has to be moving.
There's no power steering inany of these cars.
So if you try to force theturn, the slower you go, the
more slowly you will turn.
So that's one factor.
Another thing, again, isbrakes.
You can't just step on thebrakes.
There's no ABS.
If you brake too hard, you canspin out if you're coming from,
(11:49):
you know, a pretty quick speed.
So there's all these littlebits and pieces that, again, as
you mentioned, you don'tnecessarily have the luxury of
with a classic vehicle so it's alot of understanding the
specific vehicle that we aretaking and how that specific
vehicle compares to say a moderncar and a keeping note of those
(12:15):
times and factoring those timesinto how we're calculating the
speed that we're going or howwe're taking the route and where
we're accelerating or we'reslowing down.
Tamara Robertson (12:24):
One of the truly unique things that you
bring to this race, because wehave a team of 12 girls, right?
And every single one of usbrings a different skill set.
And one of the things that I'mreally excited about you being a
part of this because of is yourknowledge of these vintage race
cars and understanding likewhat goes into not only like
(12:46):
getting them to go, but alsojust taking care of them and
being able to go this longdistance.
So, you know, it's a, it's anine day race and you know, our
fair lane is, is very, very old,very old.
And so it's one of those thingsthat I'm really excited to see
you shine in this light ofknowledge because I think that
(13:08):
you will probably be the mostfirst in vintage vehicles on the
team.
Is there something that youyourself are really excited as
far as your uniqueness to bringto this team of hodgepodge
ladies that are all trailblazersin our own minds, right?
Jo (13:25):
I'm just really, really excited to help get people in
the zone because I'm actuallyjust coming from a vintage road
rally that I did this lastweekend.
I got back last night and sucha big part of it is that people
can get so wrapped up in justcompetitiveness of it and they
can get so into it.
(13:46):
all the logistical aspects,which are incredibly important,
but they can also forget thatbeing a part of the community
and there's a sense ofsportsmanship that comes with it
too, that you really only getby meeting the people, being
involved with it, seeing whatthe rally volunteers put into
it.
So above all, I'm just reallyexcited to sort of be there to
help people answer questions andalso just to see the joy that
(14:10):
it brings people to discover allof the love that goes into the
sport.
Very cool.
Tamara Robertson (14:15):
Is there a classic car that you're hoping
will be there?
Jo (14:18):
Ooh, that is a good question.
I would love to see anythingweird in French.
I really like weird Frenchcars.
I think they're super fun andunique.
Tamara Robertson (14:29):
I love that.
Okay.
I am excited about the factthat every lunch and dinner stop
is like a vintage car show.
That's going to be a reallycool part of this.
And so there are a lot of, youknow, Creative elements that are
going to end up happening withthis, right?
We've got a plethora ofsponsors that are going to be
there.
We're going to all be creatingdifferent things.
Is there anything likecollaboratively that you have in
(14:53):
mind that you want to make surethat you're doing or that I can
help with in any way?
Jo (14:58):
Well, my big thing that I'm doing is I'm bringing my road
rally camera set up, which isspecifically for in-car footage
and outside of car footage.
So I'm really hoping that I canhopefully time with some of the
girls to just capture somereally great and wonderful
candid moments on the road, notfrom the perspective of
necessarily somebody holding acamera, but from the...
(15:19):
out of the car and this is whatit's really like so i would
just really love if you couldhelp out just pointing out those
really real moments and gettingeverybody just pumped up so we
can capture a lot of the joy
Tamara Robertson (15:33):
I love it and for the audience i will
definitely make sure that we geta link to those photos if joe
shares them and we will makesure that you all get to see
them as well And so one of thethings that, you know, again, I
just, I love to, in talking withall the girls that are going to
be on this race is justreminding each of you about the
(15:53):
fact that you guys are all suchepic trailblazers already.
And so like getting us alltogether and being there, just
showing up is such a huge deal.
You know, I'm sure everyone,You've noticed going to rallies
over the years, there's probablynot that many female race
teams, especially not ones wherethey also have the technical
(16:16):
skills to be able to be buildingthe vehicle and upkeeping the
vehicle and racing it.
So I just, you know, I want tocommend you for everything that
you do.
I'm so excited to see.
It's been so great to like getto know you over the year, you
know, and I look forward todoing more.
But is there a tool that you'regoing to make sure is in your
(16:38):
tool belt for this race?
Jo (16:40):
Oh, there's a number of them.
I have more stories that youcan imagine of crazy breakdowns
and just things that happen thatshould not happen while
driving.
Like for example, this lastSaturday, I had a headlight fall
out of the car that I was in,just fell completely out of the
car.
So I guess the biggest thingsthat I've learned is fire
extinguishers are a must have.
(17:02):
That one, I'm speaking fromexperience.
That's its own little bit of acrazy story.
I mean, of course, the torquewrench is another essential one.
Flats happen so much more oftenthan you think.
And when that happens, ifyou're on a donut and you can't
have the confidence that thewheel is on there right, it
completely makes a difference inhow you're able to drive.
(17:23):
And that's sort of a drivingstyle.
Outside of that, duct tape andzip ties.
I cannot go a single rallywithout duct tape and zip ties
because whenever something doesgo wrong, 99% of the time, it
can be fixed with duct tape orzip ties.
Tamara Robertson (17:41):
It seems like I probably should have reached
out to some of the oldMythbusters sponsors because we
definitely had unlimited accessto duct tape at all times.
That's amazing.
And so...
I guess, so with Riley, haveyou actually met Riley yet in
person?
Jo (18:00):
I did.
I was incredibly fortunate toconnect with her at SEMA this
last year.
And I absolutely commend her asa human being.
She is such a kind and amazingsoul.
And I've really enjoyed everyconversation that I've had with
her.
Tamara Robertson (18:12):
Riley was a rising star for the Jesse Combs
Foundation.
And so that's how a lot of thegirls have gotten to meet her
over the last two years.
I met her signing at SEMA aswell.
We did an autograph sessiontogether.
And it has been really cool,just her bringing everyone
together and really lifting thatveil about what it takes to get
(18:34):
sponsorships, what it takes torebuild the vehicle, how the
race actually, you know, needsto go itself.
Is there anything as far as,you know, if someone's listening
right now and they've had aninterest and finding out more
about vintage cars or aboutvintage car rallies, do you have
(18:56):
any advice on where they canmaybe find more insights or
information or how to get theirstart?
Jo (19:03):
Yeah, get out there and talk to people.
That's the big thing that Ihave to say.
I've personally found that I'velearned the most and had the
most meaningful connections byjust going out to classic car
shows and talking to the ownersof these cars.
And as you talk to more ofthese owners, eventually you
find people that do rally theircars and they can give you an
(19:24):
introduction to the events andthe community that don't
necessarily involve the bigplunge of having a classic car
yourself to get involved withit.
But yeah, just going out toshows and talking to people.
And if you do have a classiccar, look up your local rally.
I'm sure that there's onewithin a hundred mile radius and
show up and have a good time.
(19:44):
I know that when I did my firstone at 14, I was super nervous
and I'd never done anything likeit before.
And I ended up making lifelongfriends and I cannot exaggerate
when I say lifelong, I've knownthese people for upwards of six
years and every breakdown, withmy car they're the ones that are
there to help me out and fix itso get out there find your
(20:06):
people try new things and takethe risk it's a very very
welcoming community and youwon't find a community that's
more excited to have peopleinvolved with
Tamara Robertson (20:16):
and it's really intriguing too when you
get someone started talkingabout their classic car like
they just light up like thepassion, the excitement, the
stories like there.
I actually, when I was just inLos Angeles living the last 10
years, I lived above a guy thathad vintage cars.
(20:38):
And like, I swear each monthhe'd pull a different one in
that he'd start working on.
And it was like, Oh my buddy,this or my friend, this.
And like, He was always out atthe car shows and just great,
great stories, lots of breakdownstories.
Which I think is the thing I'mmost realizing we're probably
(20:58):
gonna deal with, but I thinkthere's not a more capable team
out there than the one thatwe're going with.
Jo (21:03):
Absolutely, and I feel that people, find it so easy to
forget that with these old cars,they're not just cars.
They're rolling pieces ofhistory, and they all have their
stories.
So part of what I'm reallyexcited for for the rally is
getting to add the rally to thestory of the Fairlane.
Tamara Robertson (21:19):
That's going to be cool.
It's going to be really, reallyneat.
I mean, we've already had quitea story just getting to
hopefully what will be our finalFairlane.
So I'm super excited.
Super excited about that.
Well, I have one question thatI love to ask every single guest
that I have.
And that is, if you could haveany superpower, what would it be
(21:43):
and why?
Jo (21:45):
If I could have any superpower, that's a good
question.
I think if I could have anysuperpower, it'd be that I could
look at something and breakapart how it works in my mind.
You know, look at something andjust build a mental blueprint
of it right away.
I feel like as a mechanic andbeing into classic cars, it
(22:06):
would make such a difference.
And as a kid, I've always justbeen fascinated.
figuring out how they work.
So if you like just being ableto look at something and know
how it works at the snap of afinger would be a super, super,
super fun superpower to have.
Tamara Robertson (22:19):
That would be a really neat one.
I actually liked that.
I was just like imagining likeseeing something and then it
like does the Iron Man and like,you're like, Oh, okay.
Okay.
That way.
And you know, like I want that.
I want to get to that point intech.
I think it's coming.
I just, but having it in mybrain would be a lot more
useful.
(22:40):
Very cool.
Well, the Hemings Great Racekicks off June 21st in St.
Paul, Minnesota, and will runall the way until we hit the
finish line, hopefully June 29thin Moorpark, Orono, South
Carolina.
So follow our Instagram, stayup to date with all things
Creator Race as we tackle thisiconic vintage rally road race
(23:01):
one mile at a time.
That's it for Tinkering Bells.
This episode is assembled andready for delivery.
Thank you, Joe, so much forjoining us.
This has been such a joy.
Jo (23:11):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's been super great catchingup and getting to talk about the
upcoming
Tamara Robertson (23:16):
I want to thank you for choosing Tinkering
Belles as your user's manualfor all things Maker on a
bi-weekly basis.
If you want to continue to hearmore, don't forget to rate and
review the show on yourpodcasting app of choice, as
well as sharing it with yourfriends.
I look forward to seeing younext time.
Until then, don't forget tokeep making.
Greetings, shopmates, and welcome to
Tinkering Belles, a show aboutDIY, design, and all things
hands-on.
The sky's the limit as we talkprops, metalwork, cosplay,
woodwork, leather, electronics,and so much more.
I'm Tamara Robertson, yourhost, so strap on your tool
belts because we're about to getinto some skill sharing, y'all.
(00:25):
Today, I'm going to be joined bya maker who's turning heads and
wrenches in support of vintagemotorsports.
I don't want to give away toomuch, but this maker is driven
by one goal, keep vintage carsalive and on the road.
So if that doesn't make youwant to stick around and hear
more, then you might be at thewrong podcast.
(00:46):
But first, let's go ahead andhave our tech talk of the day.
So we're going to be talkingall about the Hemmings Crate
Race, which was made possible bysupport from so many sponsors.
Sponsors like Coker TireCompany, who's provided many of
the parts for our vintage FordFairlane, including its shoes,
i.e.
the rims and the throwbacks toa classic Firestone wide oval
(01:10):
tires.
So let's back it up.
Where did these iconic tiresget their start?
Firestone's wide oval tires werefirst introduced in 1967,
designed specifically for theera's booming muscle car market,
(01:31):
offering a low profile, highgrip solution for high
horsepower street machines.
Now, the original wide ovalswere bias ply tires with red
lines or raised white letters.
These were visually bold andbuilt to the American
performance icons like theCamaro, Mustang, and the
Chevelle.
While bias ply gave them anaggressive stance, they lacked
(01:56):
ride comfort and wore quickly,which led to radial evolution in
later years to improve safetyand handling.
In the 1980s, Coker TireCompany began producing
Firestone-wide ovals usingoriginal molds, preserving that
muscle car aesthetic whileimproving tire construction to
modern safety standards.
Today, Coker offers thesevintage tires in radial form in
(02:19):
11 new sizes, built in the USA,combining authentic looks with
better grip, ride, anddurability, perfect for
restorers who balanceperformance with period-correct
style.
Check out Coker's FirestoneWide Oval Collection.
Give your car authentic stylewith modern performance and tell
them Tinkering Bells sent you.
Well, that's it for your TechTalk.
(02:41):
As always, you can join in onthe conversation with my maker
friends and me on the TinkeringBells Instagram and X pages.
Just search for BellesTinkering, hit follow, and
share your DIY adventurestogether with us.
Have a tool you want to learnabout?
Let me know, and it may befeatured in a future episode.
Tell us what you liked, whatyou hated, or possibly even what
we missed.
Now we're going to be gettinginto the main event and I'm so
(03:07):
excited to introduce you to ournext maker.
So drum roll, please.
Presenting Jo.
Jo, thanks for joining me.
How are you?
Jo (03:15):
Good.
Thank you so much for havingme.
I'm really excited to be here.
There's so much fun stuff totalk about.
Tamara Robertson (03:21):
There is.
So to start off, can you leteveryone know where they can
find you, follow you, and then alittle bit of a snip of what
they might expect to see whenthey go there?
Jo (03:32):
Yeah, absolutely.
So my Instagram tag is aunderscore car underscore gal, a
car gal.
And basically it follows myadventures working on cars.
I'm an automotive restorationstudent.
So it's little bits and piecesof what it's like going to a
tech school that focuses on oldcars.
And also a couple littlesnippets about just what it's
(03:52):
like working in vintage racingand seeing these historic race
cars on the racetrack and thingslike that.
Tamara Robertson (03:57):
So amazing.
So obviously, as a superheroscientist, one of my favorite
things is learning people'sorigin stories.
I've gotten to know you alittle bit over the last year,
but could you share with theaudience what your kind of
origin story was for becoming avintage gearhead?
Jo (04:18):
Absolutely.
It's a little bit of a funny, Iguess...
trajectory to get to where Iended up I started being very
into cars as a kid my parentswould restore air-cooled
Porsches together in the 90s andearly 2000s just as little
passion projects and I'd alwayslook on the side and see those
things and I ended up going intothe world of vintage racing
(04:41):
just as a guest I'd just beshowing up to the races hanging
out watching everything zippingaround on the track and as I
grew older started high school Istill loved cars and I thought
I'd be going into Porscherestoration, but my first round
of internships rolled around andI decided to try a lot of
different things and I ended upat three vintage racing shops by
(05:04):
chance and I just fell in lovewith things breaking and getting
to fix those things again afterthey broke in.
Tamara Robertson (05:10):
I love that.
You know, there's so much valueand getting to try out a lot of
different hats before youchoose the one that you get.
And so I really love that thatwas an opportunity that you got
because it is one of thosethings, you know, as kids, we
grow up, we have no idea.
what we don't know that wemight like, right?
(05:30):
So getting to have thatexposure is so valuable.
Now, we obviously met becauseof the Jesse Combs Foundation.
And so I would love on forthose of you that don't know, by
this point, you guys hopefullyhave already heard that
interview with Dana.
But if you haven't go back, theJesse Combs Foundation is our
(05:52):
nonprofit partner for this race.
And so we will all be rockingthe dots the entire But could
you share with the audience alittle bit about how you got
connected to the foundation andany Jesse story you might have?
Yeah.
So
Jo (06:07):
I got connected to the foundation through these two
incredible women that are a partof it.
Isabella Bradley and ZoeCarmichael.
Zoe Carmichael was a mentor forme during her time at McPherson
college.
And she really helped me findmy footing in this really
difficult male dominatedenvironment.
And she is a scholarshiprecipient.
So she was always telling meall these stories just about,
(06:30):
Hey, this foundation isincredible.
I've never met a more upliftinggroup of women.
And I, wanted to be a part ofthat.
So I ended up applying, and Iwas extremely fortunate to be
selected.
And since then, it's just beenincredible having this amazing
community of women with suchdiverse backgrounds, diverse
interests, and skill sets.
(06:52):
So that's, I guess, a littlebit about how I got involved
with the foundation.
In terms of my Jessie story, Iwas always growing up seeing her
in Mythbusters and thinkingthat she was just so cool.
and going into McPhersonCollege and that being my main
(07:12):
impression of who she was andjust getting to see how she
touched so many of the lives ofthe people around me who are
involved with the foundation aswell as these people in the
industry that are just in allaspects of it, all of these men,
these women, these little kidsthat have just either met her or
grown up watching her andgotten to experience the impact
(07:35):
that she made on the world and Iguess the more exposure I got
to that, the more it set in justhow special it is to be a part
of the foundation.
Tamara Robertson (07:44):
That's amazing.
Yeah.
And speaking of the impact thatshe had on the world, well, we
are all as a group, thanks toRiley from Riley Rebuild, who
assembled and herded the kittensthat it took to get us all
together, getting to actuallyfollow in Jessie's footsteps.
footsteps, right?
So Jesse was a grand marshalfor the great race.
(08:07):
And now here we are fastforward getting to actually do
the great race.
I have to ask, like, before weall ended up in this hodgepodge
of a beautiful social media DMfest, did you know about the
great race?
I mean, as a vintage car, youknow, restore and lover
yourself?
Had you heard of it?
What were your thoughts?
Jo (08:29):
I've been doing vintage road rallies with my dad since I was
14 years old.
So I've been sort of exposed tothat world of crazy people that
don't just drive fast, but theydrive slow and precisely.
And to me, I grew up hearingthese stories about things like
the Starlight Rally, which myparents sit together, which is
eight hours overnight, not eighthours, it's longer, overnight
(08:49):
from Santa Barbara to Las Vegas.
And hearing all these storiesabout just the navigation and
the skill that it took, thengoing into my school hearing
that my school used to have ateam that would run the great
race every year and they wouldsend a group of students there I
just had heard so many storiesof how intense it is how much
(09:09):
fun it is how everybody in thecommunity is such a character so
knowing all these bits andpieces I was talking with Dana
and I mentioned to her mybackground in road rallying and
she said you seem like you'd beperfect for this and got me
involved with the big chat ofincredible women amazing
Tamara Robertson (09:30):
and so for audience members that might not
know what it means to be aprecision race you know we've
thrown this around a couple oftimes of like it's not a speed
race it's a precision race couldyou as someone that that's been
in this world for a long timecould you give kind of the
mickey mouse version of what aprecision race is
Jo (09:50):
Absolutely.
So think about it.
Instead of getting from point Ato point B as fast as you can,
you are given point A and pointB and the directions in between
and a specific amount of timethose directions are supposed to
take.
So the closer to point B thatyou get within the time that
(10:10):
they give you, the better youdo.
But the further away you arefrom your target time, you rack
up points or in this case timeand that puts you at a
disadvantage when it comes tothe leaderboard.
Tamara Robertson (10:22):
Amazing.
And I saw there's a prize,right?
If you get the exact timeright, it's kind of like
birdying the hole in golf.
So everyone collects thesestickers along the way for each
of the stops that they do ifthey do it in the right amount
of time.
Is that right?
Jo (10:40):
I believe so.
I'm not entirely sure of thelogistics of that side of the
rally.
For me, I'm more focused onHey, let's add the time between
turning different directions andhow that can affect the time of
the car.
So I'm hoping that we'll getall those stickers if that's the
case, but if we don't, it'llstill be a great time.
Tamara Robertson (10:59):
So as someone that knows vintage cars really
well, you're talking about likethe time it takes to take a
turn.
So I think that's somethingthat a lot of people, modern
drivers take, you know, take,for advantage of is that we can
turn pretty fast.
We can stop on a dime.
We can start on a dime.
What are some of the thingsthat going into this race, you
(11:20):
already have in mind about thatpart of the vehicle and how that
could affect our times?
Jo (11:27):
I'm already thinking a lot about the idea that when you're
making a turn, for example, thevehicle has to be moving.
There's no power steering inany of these cars.
So if you try to force theturn, the slower you go, the
more slowly you will turn.
So that's one factor.
Another thing, again, isbrakes.
You can't just step on thebrakes.
There's no ABS.
If you brake too hard, you canspin out if you're coming from,
(11:49):
you know, a pretty quick speed.
So there's all these littlebits and pieces that, again, as
you mentioned, you don'tnecessarily have the luxury of
with a classic vehicle so it's alot of understanding the
specific vehicle that we aretaking and how that specific
vehicle compares to say a moderncar and a keeping note of those
(12:15):
times and factoring those timesinto how we're calculating the
speed that we're going or howwe're taking the route and where
we're accelerating or we'reslowing down.
Tamara Robertson (12:24):
One of the truly unique things that you
bring to this race, because wehave a team of 12 girls, right?
And every single one of usbrings a different skill set.
And one of the things that I'mreally excited about you being a
part of this because of is yourknowledge of these vintage race
cars and understanding likewhat goes into not only like
(12:46):
getting them to go, but alsojust taking care of them and
being able to go this longdistance.
So, you know, it's a, it's anine day race and you know, our
fair lane is, is very, very old,very old.
And so it's one of those thingsthat I'm really excited to see
you shine in this light ofknowledge because I think that
(13:08):
you will probably be the mostfirst in vintage vehicles on the
team.
Is there something that youyourself are really excited as
far as your uniqueness to bringto this team of hodgepodge
ladies that are all trailblazersin our own minds, right?
Jo (13:25):
I'm just really, really excited to help get people in
the zone because I'm actuallyjust coming from a vintage road
rally that I did this lastweekend.
I got back last night and sucha big part of it is that people
can get so wrapped up in justcompetitiveness of it and they
can get so into it.
(13:46):
all the logistical aspects,which are incredibly important,
but they can also forget thatbeing a part of the community
and there's a sense ofsportsmanship that comes with it
too, that you really only getby meeting the people, being
involved with it, seeing whatthe rally volunteers put into
it.
So above all, I'm just reallyexcited to sort of be there to
help people answer questions andalso just to see the joy that
(14:10):
it brings people to discover allof the love that goes into the
sport.
Very cool.
Tamara Robertson (14:15):
Is there a classic car that you're hoping
will be there?
Jo (14:18):
Ooh, that is a good question.
I would love to see anythingweird in French.
I really like weird Frenchcars.
I think they're super fun andunique.
Tamara Robertson (14:29):
I love that.
Okay.
I am excited about the factthat every lunch and dinner stop
is like a vintage car show.
That's going to be a reallycool part of this.
And so there are a lot of, youknow, Creative elements that are
going to end up happening withthis, right?
We've got a plethora ofsponsors that are going to be
there.
We're going to all be creatingdifferent things.
Is there anything likecollaboratively that you have in
(14:53):
mind that you want to make surethat you're doing or that I can
help with in any way?
Jo (14:58):
Well, my big thing that I'm doing is I'm bringing my road
rally camera set up, which isspecifically for in-car footage
and outside of car footage.
So I'm really hoping that I canhopefully time with some of the
girls to just capture somereally great and wonderful
candid moments on the road, notfrom the perspective of
necessarily somebody holding acamera, but from the...
(15:19):
out of the car and this is whatit's really like so i would
just really love if you couldhelp out just pointing out those
really real moments and gettingeverybody just pumped up so we
can capture a lot of the joy
Tamara Robertson (15:33):
I love it and for the audience i will
definitely make sure that we geta link to those photos if joe
shares them and we will makesure that you all get to see
them as well And so one of thethings that, you know, again, I
just, I love to, in talking withall the girls that are going to
be on this race is justreminding each of you about the
(15:53):
fact that you guys are all suchepic trailblazers already.
And so like getting us alltogether and being there, just
showing up is such a huge deal.
You know, I'm sure everyone,You've noticed going to rallies
over the years, there's probablynot that many female race
teams, especially not ones wherethey also have the technical
(16:16):
skills to be able to be buildingthe vehicle and upkeeping the
vehicle and racing it.
So I just, you know, I want tocommend you for everything that
you do.
I'm so excited to see.
It's been so great to like getto know you over the year, you
know, and I look forward todoing more.
But is there a tool that you'regoing to make sure is in your
(16:38):
tool belt for this race?
Jo (16:40):
Oh, there's a number of them.
I have more stories that youcan imagine of crazy breakdowns
and just things that happen thatshould not happen while
driving.
Like for example, this lastSaturday, I had a headlight fall
out of the car that I was in,just fell completely out of the
car.
So I guess the biggest thingsthat I've learned is fire
extinguishers are a must have.
(17:02):
That one, I'm speaking fromexperience.
That's its own little bit of acrazy story.
I mean, of course, the torquewrench is another essential one.
Flats happen so much more oftenthan you think.
And when that happens, ifyou're on a donut and you can't
have the confidence that thewheel is on there right, it
completely makes a difference inhow you're able to drive.
(17:23):
And that's sort of a drivingstyle.
Outside of that, duct tape andzip ties.
I cannot go a single rallywithout duct tape and zip ties
because whenever something doesgo wrong, 99% of the time, it
can be fixed with duct tape orzip ties.
Tamara Robertson (17:41):
It seems like I probably should have reached
out to some of the oldMythbusters sponsors because we
definitely had unlimited accessto duct tape at all times.
That's amazing.
And so...
I guess, so with Riley, haveyou actually met Riley yet in
person?
Jo (18:00):
I did.
I was incredibly fortunate toconnect with her at SEMA this
last year.
And I absolutely commend her asa human being.
She is such a kind and amazingsoul.
And I've really enjoyed everyconversation that I've had with
her.
Tamara Robertson (18:12):
Riley was a rising star for the Jesse Combs
Foundation.
And so that's how a lot of thegirls have gotten to meet her
over the last two years.
I met her signing at SEMA aswell.
We did an autograph sessiontogether.
And it has been really cool,just her bringing everyone
together and really lifting thatveil about what it takes to get
(18:34):
sponsorships, what it takes torebuild the vehicle, how the
race actually, you know, needsto go itself.
Is there anything as far as,you know, if someone's listening
right now and they've had aninterest and finding out more
about vintage cars or aboutvintage car rallies, do you have
(18:56):
any advice on where they canmaybe find more insights or
information or how to get theirstart?
Jo (19:03):
Yeah, get out there and talk to people.
That's the big thing that Ihave to say.
I've personally found that I'velearned the most and had the
most meaningful connections byjust going out to classic car
shows and talking to the ownersof these cars.
And as you talk to more ofthese owners, eventually you
find people that do rally theircars and they can give you an
(19:24):
introduction to the events andthe community that don't
necessarily involve the bigplunge of having a classic car
yourself to get involved withit.
But yeah, just going out toshows and talking to people.
And if you do have a classiccar, look up your local rally.
I'm sure that there's onewithin a hundred mile radius and
show up and have a good time.
(19:44):
I know that when I did my firstone at 14, I was super nervous
and I'd never done anything likeit before.
And I ended up making lifelongfriends and I cannot exaggerate
when I say lifelong, I've knownthese people for upwards of six
years and every breakdown, withmy car they're the ones that are
there to help me out and fix itso get out there find your
(20:06):
people try new things and takethe risk it's a very very
welcoming community and youwon't find a community that's
more excited to have peopleinvolved with
Tamara Robertson (20:16):
and it's really intriguing too when you
get someone started talkingabout their classic car like
they just light up like thepassion, the excitement, the
stories like there.
I actually, when I was just inLos Angeles living the last 10
years, I lived above a guy thathad vintage cars.
(20:38):
And like, I swear each monthhe'd pull a different one in
that he'd start working on.
And it was like, Oh my buddy,this or my friend, this.
And like, He was always out atthe car shows and just great,
great stories, lots of breakdownstories.
Which I think is the thing I'mmost realizing we're probably
(20:58):
gonna deal with, but I thinkthere's not a more capable team
out there than the one thatwe're going with.
Jo (21:03):
Absolutely, and I feel that people, find it so easy to
forget that with these old cars,they're not just cars.
They're rolling pieces ofhistory, and they all have their
stories.
So part of what I'm reallyexcited for for the rally is
getting to add the rally to thestory of the Fairlane.
Tamara Robertson (21:19):
That's going to be cool.
It's going to be really, reallyneat.
I mean, we've already had quitea story just getting to
hopefully what will be our finalFairlane.
So I'm super excited.
Super excited about that.
Well, I have one question thatI love to ask every single guest
that I have.
And that is, if you could haveany superpower, what would it be
(21:43):
and why?
Jo (21:45):
If I could have any superpower, that's a good
question.
I think if I could have anysuperpower, it'd be that I could
look at something and breakapart how it works in my mind.
You know, look at something andjust build a mental blueprint
of it right away.
I feel like as a mechanic andbeing into classic cars, it
(22:06):
would make such a difference.
And as a kid, I've always justbeen fascinated.
figuring out how they work.
So if you like just being ableto look at something and know
how it works at the snap of afinger would be a super, super,
super fun superpower to have.
Tamara Robertson (22:19):
That would be a really neat one.
I actually liked that.
I was just like imagining likeseeing something and then it
like does the Iron Man and like,you're like, Oh, okay.
Okay.
That way.
And you know, like I want that.
I want to get to that point intech.
I think it's coming.
I just, but having it in mybrain would be a lot more
useful.
(22:40):
Very cool.
Well, the Hemings Great Racekicks off June 21st in St.
Paul, Minnesota, and will runall the way until we hit the
finish line, hopefully June 29thin Moorpark, Orono, South
Carolina.
So follow our Instagram, stayup to date with all things
Creator Race as we tackle thisiconic vintage rally road race
(23:01):
one mile at a time.
That's it for Tinkering Bells.
This episode is assembled andready for delivery.
Thank you, Joe, so much forjoining us.
This has been such a joy.
Jo (23:11):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's been super great catchingup and getting to talk about the
upcoming
Tamara Robertson (23:16):
I want to thank you for choosing Tinkering
Belles as your user's manualfor all things Maker on a
bi-weekly basis.
If you want to continue to hearmore, don't forget to rate and
review the show on yourpodcasting app of choice, as
well as sharing it with yourfriends.
I look forward to seeing younext time.
Until then, don't forget tokeep making.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.