Cars Yeah With Mark Greene

Jason Tang, a photographer capturing shapes and lines of automobiles, has an innate sense for capturing every nuance of cars and has been doing so a for over 20 years. What began as a hobby developed into a full-fledged professional career. Through many years of working with a number of mentors, Jason sharpened and focused his skills. His lifelong fascination with cars and photography merged to create a career of passion. Jason has owned a number of special cars ranging from the relatively mundane to supercars. Currently, his garage holds marques from Audi, BMW, Porsche, McLaren, Toyota, and Ducati. I’ll also add that Jason is a friend of mine who lives up here in the Pacific Northwest who has photographed my iconic Porsche Turbo Orange Crush, and he is the first deaf guest to grace the Cars Yeah podcast.

Sandra Button has been the Chairman of the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance since 2002. She was the Executive Director for decades prior and has helped to inspire and guide the growth of the collector car hobby into a truly global celebration of the automobile. Sandra participates and officiates automotive events from Asia and the Middle East to South America. She and her husband, Martin, have an eclectic collection of automobiles that they drive in events including the Mille Miglia, the 1000 Millas Sport Argentina, the London to Brighten Veteran Car Run and many others. She’s a member of the Royal Automobile Club, the Classic Car Club of America, the Motor Press Guild, and the Society of Automotive Historians.

Richard Thompson is a creative director & photographer in Los Angeles, California whose body of work includes automotive projects with marques such as BMW, Bentley, Chevrolet, Lexus, Mercedes Benz, Pagani Automobili, and a variety of personal projects focused on classic cars. He attended The Savannah College of Art and Design and it was at a race track down the road while he was shooting cars, where the drivers first asked if his images were for sale. Richard’s deep technical knowledge from his passion for cars extends to the camera and these skills became complementary, uniting production know-how with innate appreciation for detail in order to get the most out of every shot. You’ll find his images in major automotive magazines, manufacturer advertisements, and in art publications around the world.

Tom Putnam is the founder of BeeLine, a company he and his buddy Mark Jenner created to make journeys better. They design and build simple, smart products that make getting around a pleasure. It’s a navigation tool for bicycles that is focused on helping you better experience the world around you. Tom’s love for adventure stems from spending his infancy in Zambia, camping trips in the Welsh hills, hitch-hiking from Buenos Aires to New York and driving Land Rovers through the Congo. Then there was dirt bike riding in the Sahara and the Savannah in Kenya. Tom’s worked in several other industries, was an officer in the British Army and he studied Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol.

Steve Lang is the Co-Developer of the Long-Term Quality Index. It is a study covering over 1.8 million used vehicles that have been professionally inspected by ASE Certified Mechanics. His vast experience with the used car market and having liquidated over 10,000 used vehicles for an automotive finance company has given Steve an insiders view of the reality of the used car market. In January of 2013 he and Nick Lariviere developed the Long-Term Quality Index to create the real story about used vehicles. Steve is also a long time automotive auctioneer, car dealer, and feature writer who has been fortunate enough to share his unique world of auctioning and purchasing experiences with millions of readers.

Ryan Harrison is the Owner of Rain Drops Detailing Supply located in Bangor, Pennsylvania. His career began in car audio with a focus on custom installations. Then he migrated back to his passion for detailing. Ryan spent years as a mobile detailer while establishing an online car care business and Rain Drops Design Studios, a design and graphics business. Along with his fiancé, Lenni Rae, they now operate out of a two-bay lift and a showroom. He and Lenni Rae provide full detailing services including paint correction and ceramic coatings. Their car care supply business offers several major brands including Angelwax, Gtechniqu, ADG, IGL, QP-On, Nanoskin, Autofiber, Black Pearl, Adam’s Polishes, and Solution Finish.    

Marek Polcak is a co-founder and CEO of the startup VRgineers, where they develop and produce high-end, enterprise, VR headsets. Due to VRgineers’ exclusive and patented optical system and the use of the latest technologies, XTAL, the company’s flagship product, produces the crispest image and provides the most immersive experience currently offered on the market. With some of VRgineers’ clients, such as BMW, Audi, ŠKODA AUTO and Opel, Marek and his team have gained great traction within the automotive industry and they are committed to bringing virtual reality into other sectors, including architecture, training simulation, and the medical industry.

Kevin Bobbitt is the Director of Marketing and Communications at iRacing.com in Bedford Massachusetts. iRacing is the world’s premier motorsports racing simulation. They put you in the driver’s seat by allowing members to experience today’s newest form of competitive motorsports; virtual racing. iRacing is an ultimate global racing portal allowing you to experience NASCAR, World of Outlaws Sprint cars, open wheel IndyCar racing, Australian V-8 Supercar, IMSA Prototype or Touring Cars and FIA Grand Prix racing. Kevin’s been with iRacing since 2007, he’s an avid soccer fan and player of that sport, a racing enthusiast, and most call him a Porsche nut! Nothing wrong with that Kevin, I share your affliction.

Ingo Schmoldt has been photographing fantastic subjects since he was a teenager. His longtime love affair with automobiles has focused his artistic energies on cars, the people who own them, and the events at which they appear. Shooting for various magazines, Ingo has covered some of the most iconic motor events in the world including the Monterey Car Week, Villa d’Este and the Goodwood Revival. He’s also a regular at motorsport events including the 25 Hours of Thunderhill where he’s able to document many phases of the human condition along with the racing itself. His photography has spurred his unique artwork that starts with a photograph, but through digital manipulation, appear to be more of an illustration. Ingo is also starting a new company called Genau AutoWerks, which will assist people in selling their cars and will also produce video content, t-shirts, and other accessories.

Bob Merlis is the founder of FeralCars.com and its more recent offshoots, Feral Cars on Instagram and Feral Cars on Facebook.  Bob has had an ongoing career in the music industry dating back to the late ‘60s but his abiding interest in automobiles and automotive history dates back even further.  He is currently a contributing writer at Automobile Magazine where his Collectible Classic features run regularly.  He has been a regular contributor to Car and Driver and has also written for the New York Times, New West, Feature and served as Car Culture Editor for LA Style. He contributed automotive chapters to The Catalog of Cool (Warner Books) and its sequel, Too Cool (St Martins). He was the curator for The Petersen Auto Museum’s Cars and Guitars of Rock ‘n’ Roll exhibit in 2001 and, again, for Cars & Guitars of Rock ‘n’ Roll 2 in 2006.  

Carson Lev is the founder of Redphin Productions, a licensing and marketing agency specializing in the automotive industry. Along with his son Aaron, their daily focus is the exclusive management of the brands and trademarks owned by some of the biggest companies and celebrity names in the automotive world. Their services include everything from marketing programs to conceptual design work. Growing up in Southern California Lev was immersed in the hot rod car culture. His early career included biomedical product development, computer technology and automotive design and manufacturing. His client list is vast and includes many international brands and accomplished builders and designers. Carson has hosted and been a featured guest on numerous hot rod and automotive related television and radio programs. He was inducted into the Inaugural Class for the Die-cast Hall of Fame in 2008 and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni by California State University, Long Beach.  

Aaron Hagar is an artist, designer, and entertainer and he is the owner of Rat Runners Garage in South Lake Tahoe, California. Rat Runners Garage is about the “Art of Resurrecting and Preserving Old Metal”. This is an art-based, hot rod and custom shop where he and his team create outrageous and over-the-top Rat Rods, motorcycles, painting, and original art. Utilizing and preserving old relics in his builds, Aaron and his crew love to re-purpose objects when creating their full-blown hot rods. His focus is to pass along the love and passion of traditional hot rodding mixed with the modern lifestyle of Kustom Kulture. You’ll see Aaron on an upcoming episode Jay Leno’s Garage, and he’s also been working with Sammy Hagar’s Rock and Roll Road Trip. He’s the new host on Design, Cut, Build on YouTube Podcaster alongside  Brad Fanshaw and Matt D’Andrea on Shift & Steer. No doubt a bit of Aaron’s talents came from his father, rock star Sammy Hagar.

Chris Muller is a serial entrepreneur who enjoys creative writing and lives in Southbury, Connecticut. He just launched PITFUND, a social, funding, and marketplace platform built exclusively for the racing community. PITFUND allows racers, teams, tracks, the media, manufacturers, and fans to connect and support each other. PITFUND is also race, vehicle, and geography agnostic. It’s free to sign up, be social, and get your racing goals funded. 

Karl Noakes is a photographer who loves the Pacific Northwest car scene. In his photography, he strives to build a visual connection between people and passion for their automobiles. Karl spent some time as a co-driver in the Group B World Rally Cars in the United Kingdom Championships when he lived across the pond. He settled in the Seattle, Washington area in 2008 after moving from the U.K. His work was recently published in several magazines and books including Porsche Club of America, Ferrari Club North West, MG Sports Cars, and the Porsche 912 Registry. Karl’s owned a lot of fast Fords, hot hatches, BMWs, and he’s currently on his third Porsche, a 2010 C4S. I met Karl at our local Exotics @ Redmond Town Center Car Show.

Ellen Spear is the President and CEO of Heritage Museums & Gardens located in Sandwich, Massachusetts. She previously served as President and CEO of Hancock Shaker Village in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. Ellen served as Executive Director of the USS Constitution Museum in Boston and she was the VP for Development, Marketing, and Public Relations at the American Textile History Museum. Heritage Museums & Gardens is the largest public garden in Southern New England having 100 acres of magnificent grounds and trails on the banks of the Shawme Pond in Historic Sandwich. There are three gallery buildings housing permanent exhibits of world-class automobiles, a working vintage carousel, American folk art, and featured special exhibitions. Currently, a special display titled Start Your Engines features Cars and Stars of the Indy 500.

Katie Osborne is a television reporter and host on PowerNation TV, number 1 in the automotive how-to. The show airs on Paramount, NBC Sports, and CBS Sports. She is also a reporter for Mecum Car Auctions on NBC Sports, a trackside reporter for Snocross on CBS Sports and a  digital pit reporter for the IndyCar Series. She manages to split her career between TV reporting and hosting for Fox Sports, ESPN, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, NHL, NFL, X Games, live event hosting and fashion designing. Katie grew up as a competitive, national level swimmer and earned a Sports Communication-Broadcast Degree from Indiana University, “Go Hoosiers”! She coordinated several Make-A-Wish experiences and works alongside several foundations serving the community. She is also working to create the FindJoy-Project:  a virtual crossroads for companies and individuals to share life lessons and to share positive stories to help others to find joy in their lives.

Tim Esterdahl is an award winning, freelance automotive journalist who lives in Western Nebraska. He has published work in many major publications including the Boston Globe, Chicago Sun Times, Truck Trend, Four Wheeler, Motor1, Pickuptrucks.com, and more. Tim’s focus is covering pickups and SUVs along with classic pickups. He also hosts the Pickup Truck + SUV Talk podcast and oversees the brand’s YouTube, website, and social media channels. In addition to covering the industry, he is currently writing a restoration book on 1960 through 1966 Chevy C10 pickups. 

Kyle Marcelli is a professional sports car racer. For 2018, he races as part of the 3GT Racing team, driving the #14 Lexus RC F GT3 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Kyle also races for Roush Performance / KohR Motorsports in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge at the wheel of the #60 Ford Mustang GT4, and in the PFAFF Motorsports in their #13 Porsche Cayman GT4 in the Pirelli World Challenge and for Fields Racing in their #96 Chevrolet Camaro TA2 in the Trans Am Series. His career started in go karts and single seaters before making a debut in the American Le Mans Series in 2010. He’s been part of successful programs in Prototype and GT racing in the European Le Mans Series, the Grand Am Rolex SportsCar Series, the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, the Pirelli World Challenge, and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series.

Linda Weldon Feldhorn is an automotive photographer who just launched her latest book Road Racing – Drivers of the 60's and 70's. It takes you on a journey with an incredible cast of talented drivers in American road racing via a 100 page,hardcover book. Back in those days, Linda was unique, being a female sports photographer. Her images brought a special humanity to a dangerous, male-dominated sport. A trip to Riverside International Raceway and a meeting with Sir Sterling Moss provided her access to the inner-world of racing, along with the people involved and that turned into many years of capturing racing images. Linda also worked in the entertainment industry as a set photographer for films, TV commercials, and television sports shows. She’s been a casting director, stylist, script supervisor, and even a stunt double. She’s a member of the Checkered Flag 200 Club, participates in rally events, and collects vintage cars alongside her husband, Bill Feldhorn.  And today, one lucky Cars Yeah subscriber is go

Paul Schmucker is the co-host and co-creator of Everyday Driver, a YouTube show that focuses on helping people find fun-to-drive cars that are both usable and affordable. Along with YouTube, Everyday Driver is also a top ranked podcast and content on Velocity. Paul is a graduate of Art Center College of Design, worked at Ford Motor Company in Detroit, and Kawasaki Motors in Southern California. He’s produced design work for Volvo Trucks North America, BMW USA, and Alpine Electronics. He was also a subject matter expert for Autodesk. He’s a photographer and cameraman for Everyday Driver and twice a week he joins his buddy and co-host, Todd Deeken, on The Car Debate podcast. Todd was a past guest here on Cars Yeah.