AltDriver

Watch out, Joe Rogan! Isla Rose Earnhardt is about to be at the top of the podcasting game in no time! Earlier this week, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s daughter made her podcast debut during a Skype recording of the Dale Jr. Download. It took her about a minute to get acquainted with her dad’s setup — after all, headphones and microphones are pretty strange things for a two-year-old — but once she got all settled in, she was the star of the show. She even flexed the pipes for a adorable rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Get this girl her own show, Junior! She’s a natural! Due to the social distancing requirements brought on by the coronavirus outbreak, Earnhardt has recorded the last few episodes of the podcast from the comfort of his North Carolina home. Needless to say, the Earnhardt family has been spending quite of bit of quality time together. Speaking of the Earnhardt family, the unit’s about to grow by one, as Junior, his wife Amy Earnhardt, and Isla Rose announced to the world in two heartwarming Instagram posts a couple weeks back. On last week’s episode of the Dale Jr. Download, the two-time Daytona 500 winner discussed his feelings about having a second child. “I’m looking for forward to going through that role process again and to have another human in our house,” Junior said. “The first two years with Isla have been incredible, and I can’t wait for that experience all over again and to see them two together, interact with each other, will just be so much fun.” See more at altdriver.com

You may have seen Maya Sieber when she made her television debut in the fifth season of the History Channel reality tv show, Ice Road Truckers. This die hard truck driver proved she loved the challenge while navigating through the dangerous icy roads of Alaska. Originally from New York City, She's been working around trucks since she was only 8 years old. She started off as a model before jumping into her own career in the trucking industry. Once she obtained her commercial license, she gained experience fast as she navigated through the narrow and busy streets of New York. She spent 3 years driving prior to being on boarded to the popular show. But what has this talented trucker been up to since her time on the reality show ended? Well, you'll be glad to hear that Sieber hasn't walked away from the big rigs yet. She's still embracing her career as a professional truck driver. This chick has a Kenworth Trucks tattoo on the back of her neck, so it's safe to assume she's pretty dedicated to this line of work. Following her appearances on Ice Road Truckers, she decided to get away from all the snow and resume work for the family business, Pyskaty Bros, based out of New Jersey. Today, she can be seen putting her beautiful custom Peterbilt 379 to work. Maya Sieber may have a pretty busy schedule with trucking, but she's also managed to fit in a few side projects as well. She recently stared in a music video for country rock star Jayne Denham's song, Black Coffee and White Lines. Denham wrote this song around 13 years ago, and recruited not only Sieber, but two other Ice Road Trucker stars as well; Carey Hall, and Lisa Kelly. The result was an awesome video that showcased the trucks and the truck drivers in Alaska before the song starts. It's awesome to see this girl still hard at work out there. Judging by her Instagram, her 379 is definitely her pride and joy. I can't blame her, the truck is absolutely gorgeous and it would be a pleasure to be able to drive it on a daily basis. We wish this trucker the best of luck out there on the road as she continues to live out her childhood dream.

Stroker Ace is one of those movies that was an absolute flop by Hollywood standards, but has since developed a cult following, particularly with NASCAR fans. Starring Burt Reynolds as fictional NASCAR driver Stroker Ace, the 1983 comedy featured several classic cameos from actual stock car racing legends. In one especially epic scene, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Kyle Petty, and Ricky Rudd engage in a little bit of table-racing tomfoolery along with Stroker’s rival Aubrey James (played by Parker Stevenson). At one point, Dale Sr. — the Intimidator himself — actually gets a line of dialogue in the form of a well-placed zinger “You never could drive anyway, James. It’s always the equipment.” What a burn! As the cherry on top of the brief but awesome scene, Stroker comes in at the end to give his rival a little push in the wrong direction. Talk about making a splash! Based on the 1973 novel Stand On It by William Neely and Robert K. Ottum, Stroker Ace co-stars Ned Beatty, Jim Nabors, Loni Anderson, and Bubba Smith. Filmed in North Carolina and Georgia at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the movie also featured cameos from such race car drivers as Harry Gant, Cale Yarborough, Neil Bonnett, Terry Labonte, Benny Parsons, Tim Richmond. Interesting enough, they’re all listed as simply “NASCAR drivers” in the film’s credits. Even Richard Petty was featured in an uncredited role as himself. For all you fans of Southern rock and country music out there, The Charlie Daniels Band were the musicians behind the intro song, simply called “Stroker’s Theme.” It’s no “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” but it’s still pretty damn catchy. In fact, it may be one of the best parts of the entire movie. Sorry, Burt! See more at altdriver.com/racing/stroker-ace-dale-earnhardt

NASCAR didn’t have just one legend named “Dale.” While he didn’t have nearly as many accomplishments and accolades as Dale Earnhardt, Dale Jarrett was a dominant competitor in his own right. He won three Daytona 500s, a Cup Series championship, was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, and will be memorialized forever in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Yeah, we’d say the kid from Conover, North Carolina did more than fine during his racing days. Dale gave nearly 30 years to the sport of NASCAR, and as a result, made a sizable amount of money. Here, we’ll look at how much the 63-year-old auto racing icon is worth these days. NASCAR Career Son of two-time Grand National champion Ned Jarrett, Dale Arnold Jarrett was practically born to be a high-caliber NASCAR driver. A graduate of Newton-Conover High School, Jarrett was offered a full golf scholarship from the University of South Carolina. He declined. Thus, beginning his extremely successful racing career. Jarrett got his start in the Busch Series (now the NASCAR Xfinity Series) in 1982. Jarrett would go on to run 329 Busch Series races in 20 years, racking up 11 wins, 173 top-10s, and 15 poles. In 1984, Jarrett ran his first Sprint Cup Series race, driving the No. 2 Chevrolet for Zervakis Enterprises. After a few brief stints with a number of different teams, Jarrett earned his first Cup Series win in the 1991 Champion Spark Plug 400 at Michigan International Speedway, driving the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing. His first of three Daytona 500 wins would come in 1993 with a little team called Joe Gibbs Racing. That race would go down in history as “The Dale and Dale Show,” since it was a hotly contested battle between Jarrett and The Intimidator himself, Dale Earnhardt. To make the win even more special, Ned Jarrett got to call his son’s win in the broadcasting booth. From 1995 to 2006, Jarrett was signed to Robert Yates Racing. Jarrett would go on to win a number of big races for RYR, including two more Daytona 500s (1996, 2000), two Brickyard 400s (1996, 1999), and three Budweiser Shootouts (1996, 2000, and 2000). In 1998, Jarrett was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, and in 1999, he won the NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship. Jarrett finished his career with Michael Waltrip Racing, and after running in the All-Star Race in 2008, he officially hung up his racing gloves and joined ESPN’s broadcasting team as a booth announcer. Jarret is also a 2014 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, and was inducted along with Tim Flock, Jack Ingram, Maurice Petty, and Fireball Roberts. Dale Jarrett Net Worth and Personal Life Dale Jarrett has an estimated net worth of $35 million. The former race car driver and current sports commentator is the father of Jason Jarrett, who had a brief stint in NASCAR. In 1984, Dale married Kelley Jarrett, his now ex-wife, and the couple had three children together: Zach Jarrett, Natalee Jarrett, and Karsyn Jarret. Jarrett’s past business ventures have seen him partner up with two NFL legends: Terry Bradshaw and Brett Favre. Dale and Terry co-owned the now-defunct fantasy sports site Pay The Fan, while Dale and Brett co-own the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure. Favre was also a part owner of Jarrett’s Busch Series team. While he doesn’t race anymore these days, Dale also still takes time to actively participate in his first love: golf. See more at altdriver.com

NASCAR is a very profitable business in auto racing, but they didn't achieve that growth by just selling merchandise and tickets to races. NASCAR sponsors play a huge role in the development of the sport and really helped grow the motorsports racing into what it has become today. In fact, NASCAR racing relies on sponsors more than any other sport in the world. The reasoning behind it is because NASCAR fans are extremely brand loyal. Their fan base spends over $2 Billion each year just on the merchandise. If you can get your name associated with the brand, it could prove to be very beneficial for your company. I'm sure you've seen NASCAR's sponsorship models which feature official partners or premier partners such as Anheuser-Busch beer, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Nationwide, Geico, or Monster Energy. These's are some successful companies and they put up millions of dollars in order to have their names on the premier series races. However, there have been a number of ridiculous sponsors who have also tried their luck at getting in on the action with not as much success. Let's look back on a few of them and we'll see if you remember any of the odd names from the stock car racing. 10 Oddball NASCAR Sponsors Affliction Clothing Matt Kenseth, had some issues landing good sponsors back in 2011. He ended up with the clothing brand that signed on for five races with their logos on the hood of his race car. Affliction is not exactly the type of clothing that the race car driver would wear, or a majority of the NASCAR fans either to be honest. Kenseth didn't manage to get any first place finishes for the clothing brand, but did get a second place finish as well as 3 other races that he ended up in the top 10. Poison Winner of the 1990 Daytona 500, Derrike Cope, is known for some uncommon sponsorships. He normally had some kind of music or rock festival sponsor on his number 37 Ford race car. In 2002, he went with the unique poison paint scheme, which was a shock to say the least. Although he sported the sponsor for a while, he couldn't manage to bring in a top position. The best he was able to get was a 34th place finish at Homestead. RedneckJunk.com Speaking of Derrike Cope, he's also involved in this one in 2004. Redneck Junk was a classified ad service that sold the stereotypical "redneck" hobby choices. Although a little odd, it didn't seem extremely out of place as the sponsor for the number 50 Dodge car. Cope was unable to make much happen during this time, got a last place finish, and eventually Arnold Motorsports failed after a bad truck campaign. Sephora (Kim Kardashian products) Sephora is a big makeup outlet, and used this time in 2010 to promote Kim Kardashians fragrence lineup and a few other products of hers. 2002 Camping World Truck Series Champion, Mike Bliss, was the driver of this car. He played off the sponsorship pretty naturally, but unfortunately couldn't gain much traction with the team. He crashed during one race which resulted in a poor finish, and the driver left the team around 4 races later. Boudreaux's Butt Paste With its unique name, Boudreaux's Butt Paste was a cream for diaper rashes. The product was aimed to all of the young mothers out there watching who had children. In the mid 2000's, Former school principal, Kim Crosby, drove the sponsored car. She had about 10 career starts but on multiple occasions was black flagged for being too slow. After an unsuccessful career, by 2005, the deal was over and Crosby moved on to driving monster trucks instead. Viagra Mike Bliss was one of the drivers of the Viagra sponsored car but didn't have much luck. Mark Martin however, also drove a car with this logo on the hood. It wasn't exactly a huge failure, the sponsor was frequent for about 6 years and they managed to grab 3 wins and a couple close finishes. It did, however also have some hectic years leading up to the wins. Depend This company made adult diapers and boy did it seem out of place on a race car. They originally went after football players but landed in NASCAR territory later on as they sponsored Juan Montoya's number 42 Chevrolet. He surprisingly did pretty well, bringing in a 4th place finish and around 67 laps led. Montoya had actually raced some of his better races while he was sporting this sponsor. Loveable A brassiere company who sponsored Tammy Jo Kirk for 15 races in the truck series. It was one of the rare times that a female driver and a female product were matched up together. She managed to get a best finish of 11th throughout the series. WCW/nWo NFL's Adam Jones had a relationship with the wrestling federation and they decided to bring the name to NASCAR. Kyle Petty, in his nWo sponsored car, managed to grab a fourth place finish at Talladega in '97. WCW cars saw a win at the season opening race at Daytona as well. After these, the good finishes kind of tapered off. Cartoon Network Although a little out of place, the sponsorship did manage to inspire some younger kids to get a little more interested in the sport. They were actually apart of the same network as WCW so they shared cars from time to time. The company didn't see much luck in NASCAR though, and eventually the sponsorship was retired Types of Sponsorships Title Sponsor: A title sponsor will likely pay the highest amount for their partnership. They get the rights to have their names become a part of the racing series. For example, instead of the NASCAR cup series, it would be the NASCARSprintCup Series, or the Xfinity Series. It creates a ton of exposure for the sponsor, either through a broadcast on TV, or through social media. Primary Sponsor: This is what a company would go for if they're looking to put their name on the side of a stock car. They can use the car for whatever type of advertising strategy they want, but it usually promotes their current and most recent products. If you manage to be a primary sponsor in a championship race, and that car takes home the championship trophy, rewards would be huge! Associate Sponsor: You know all those smaller sponsor logos on the cars and the uniforms? Well, those are associate sponsors. They pay a much cheaper price to become involved, but in return, see a smaller placement of their brands on the cars and the racetracks. See more at altdriver.com

Talk about the ultimate throwback! It’s been nearly 60 years since Linus, Pigpen, and Snoopy from the classic Peanuts cartoon took us on a journey with the 1961 Ford Falcon. This blast from the past was a huge success for Ford in the early 1960s. At the time, the Ford Falcon was the most popular compact car in America. The television marketing campaign featuring Charles Schulz’s beloved Peanuts characters was just as popular. During the 1950s, the major American car companies focused on larger luxury sedans that offered a higher profit margin, so the compact car market was ripe for the taking in the early ’60s, as most families were looking for a second car. The Falcon was small with only 95 horsepower and a 2.4 L straight-6 engine and a single-barrel carburetor, but that didn’t stop families from buying it! Maybe Charlie Brown’s friends and his lovable dog had just a little something to do with that. Nowadays, using cartoon characters to sell cars probably may seem a little bit hokey, but back in the ’60 and ’70s, it was all the rage. Whether it was Looney Tunes, Peanuts, or anything else that was popular at the time, the familiar animated characters made for pretty darn good salesmen. That’s not to say that Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, or Chevrolet still don’t use gimmicks like that today in their TV commercials. But, with auto companies having much deeper pockets, and technology being a lot better now than it was a half-century ago, manufacturers can go much more over-the-top with their ads. Heck, just watch the Super Bowl. Some of these TV spots look more like big-budget Hollywood blockbusters than advertisements. Of course, these new commercials are all well and good. But, sometimes, it’s great to look back on and appreciate the classics. See more altdriver.com

Dale Earnhardt Jr has had his fair share of achievements in his career. When you're among one of the best in the sport, you get to enjoy some of the finer things in life. For example, let me introduce you to Dale Jr's ex-girlfriend, supermodel Marisa Miller. She's a gorgeous American model who was named "sexiest woman in the world" by FHM back in 2010. This woman isn't just looks, she's a motivated go-getter and has a pretty impressive career of her own to back that up. You may have seen her on the cover of the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, or maybe you've seen her work as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels. She was even placed as number 1 in Maxim's "Hot 100" list. She's a true sight for sore eyes, so let's take a closer look at what she's accomplished during her career. Born in Santa Cruz, California, Miller was first discovered by modeling agents while she was still in high school. She made some progress, and started to make a name for herself, but the first time she really gained attention was when she was featured nude in the first issue of Perfect 10 magazine back in 1997. By 2002, she moved more into mainstream modeling and started working with the Lingerie Brand, Victoria's Secret. She appeared in every single Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue from 2002-2008. The issue for 2007 included a famous picture from her photo shoot wearing nothing but an iPod. Also during this year, she made her debut into the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. During her last year of the swimsuit issues, the fashion model also became the first spokesperson for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. With them, she worked on different campaigns and helped provide quality advertisements and online content. They must have rubbed off on her because she even rides a Harley-Davidson Nightster. She took it even further and became a spokesperson for the NFL in 2010, and even hosted the international game between the 49ers and the Broncos. She makes appearances in Television as well, in 2007 she stared in How I Met Your Mother and an episode of America's Next Top Model. Get this, she filmed a commercial for Guitar Hero: World Tour, but it was unable to air because it was too sexy. This woman seriously has got it going on! Even further than just television, she featured in film as well. Her first role was in 2013 with R.I.P.D, which also stared Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges. We've only talked about some of the bigger things that Marissa Miller has managed to do during her career but she is a prime example of beauty and brains. She knows how to get stuff done and she's created quite the name for herself in the process. I wonder if Dale Jr ever had any second thoughts after seeing her named the sexiest woman in the world, years after their breakup. That's gotta be a little bit of a sting. I support this chick fully and hope she continues to provide the world with more content for everyone to drool over. I don't think anyone is getting tired of looking at her. See more at altdriver.com

On Monday, February 17, Candace Muzny was found dead in her Ski Island home, near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The 43-year-old former NASCAR driver reportedly died due to accidental drowning, a medical examiner determined Wednesday. Muzny had just been arrested last month for after allegedly punching a nail technician for not speaking English and cutting a responding police officer with a pocket knife. She had only been out of jail for a few days before her tragic death. Former NASCAR Driver Candace Muzny Death Muzny’s body was discovered around 5 p.m. local time on Monday afternoon. Neighbor Raushae Jones witnessed firsthand the immediate tragedy and shock surrounding the incident. “I just pulled in right there, and the woman was already in the front crying and she was on the phone with somebody,” Jones told Fox 8. “They always seemed like nice people, so I didn’t really – I don’t know. It was just shocking,” Jones said. Muzny’s death was initially ruled suspicious, though a medical examiner’s office report later concluded that the cause of death had been accidental drowing. Muzny had only been out of jail for a few days, having been released on Friday. Candace Muzny Arrest On January 12, Muzny was arrested after slapping and yelling at a manicurist for speaking Vietnamese to a co-worker. When another co-worker attempted to call police, she threatened him with a pocket knife and punched him in the face, according to a police report. “We were speaking in our native language about my pay, and then she said to ‘f***ing stop speaking that language or I will slap you in the face,'” manicurist Tiffany Nguyen told News9 in January. “She got me cornered, and I fell. But I was able to kick her, and she lunged and tried to put a knife up to my throat a couple of times.” In an interview with Heavy.com, Muzny gave her side of the story. “I asked her three times to stop speaking Vietnamese to me,” Muzny said. “I was paying with the American dollar.” “I think if you’re speaking to an American who is a customer of yours, and you know they’re not Vietnamese, it’s rude to talk to them in a language they don’t understand. She needs to get back to Vietnam. If she wants to live in America and serve Americans, she needs to speak the language they speak.” When a Oklahoma City police officer arrived at the nail salon, Muzny’s dog began biting the officer’s leg. She also struck the officer behind the ear with her pocket knife, leaving him with a small cut. Muzny was charged with assault & battery on an officer, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, resisting an officer, and interfering with a 911 call. Candace Muznzy Racing Career Muzny competed in the NASCAR Late Model Divisions and NASCAR K&N Pro Series. She also raced in the 2007 Toyota All-Star Showdown and 2009 Last Chance Open. When the former race car driver was coming up in the sport in her 20s, her skills did not go unnoticed. Even famous fabricator and TV personality Jesse James praised Muzny’s potential. “Candace is a very skilled and patient driver. The sky is the limit for her. And the best thing? She is not shooting for the stars,” James told The Orange County Register back in 2005. “She’s humble and willing to put the time in and learn and take each step with confidence.” See more at altdriver.com

Kyle Larson’s firing from Chip Ganassi Racing may be dominating the NASCAR news cycle, but, we’re here to talk about the NASCAR driver’s better half: A smokeshow from Grass Valley, California named Katelyn Sweet. The sister of World of Outlaws driver Brad Sweet, Katelyn Sweet officially became Katelyn Larson on September 26, 2018. The couple has two children, Owen Miyata Larson (5) and Audrey Layne Larson (1), and live in Mooresville, North Carolina. Katelyn, an avid runner and former horseback rider, may be a mom of two, but that doesn’t mean she still doesn’t like to party from time to time. Who can forget the time she was the star of the NASCAR Awards back in 2019? Katelyn Larson Shotguns Beer at NASCAR Awards NASCAR likes to do award shows a little bit differently than the average organization, and nothing showed that more than when Katelyn Larson shotgunned a beer at the NASCAR Awards show in Nashville, Tennessee on December 4, 2019. Katelyn proved how sweet she really is (get it? because her maiden name is Sweet?) when she threw back a Busch tallboy like she was at a Talladega tailgate. I’ll take, “badass things you can do in an evening gown” for $1,000, Alex. Now, before you go getting your undies in a bunch: Yes, we realize that Katelyn didn’t actually shotgun a full Busch tallboy, as the 16-ounce can appears to be either empty or mostly empty. So, yeah, maybe the stunt wasn’t entirely legit, but shotgunning a pre-opened beer still beats most of the hokey gimmicks you see at award shows these days. As you may know, Larson’s Busch moment was a homage to her celebratory shotgun at victory lane at Dover International Speedway back in October 2019, after Kyle won the playoff race at the Monster Mile. As you can see from the below footage, Katelyn’s excitement over her husband’s big win led to a, lets just say, not-so-successful shotgun. As Kyle Larson’s wife and Brad Sweet’s sister, Katelyn has been around professional auto racing for most of her life. Meaning, she’s probably shotgunned a fair share of beers in her day. Hey, even the pros can get rusty.

Hollywood is constantly upping the ante when it comes to edgy material. What was considered pretty wild a couple decades ago can now be fairly tame in comparison. Case and point, the sexy car wash scene. In 2020, including a sexy car wash scene in a movie is about as risqué as a tube of toothpaste. But, in 1967, it was considered pretty groundbreaking. So, when Cool Hand Luke came out more than 50 years ago, seeing a hot blonde suds up a car was enough to get audiences’ eyes to bug out of their heads, Looney Tunes style. In the classic scene in question, the car-washing Lucille puts on quite the show, while Luke (Paul Newman), Dragline (George Kennedy), and the rest of the Florida prison chain gang look on in awe. It doesn’t really get much more classic than this! Now, as many of you probably, Cool Hand Luke was more than just a smut film from the late ’60s. Directed by Stuart Rosenberg, the Warner Bros. flick raked in more than $16 million at the box office and was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Actor (Paul Newman), and Best Supporting Actor (George Kennedy, who would win the award). It’s widely considered to be one of the best movies of the 20th Century. But, what many fans of the film may not know is that the woman who plays Lucille, Joy Harmon, was more than just a no-name extra. Joy Harmon Born in Flushing, New York, Joy Patricia Harmon eventually moved with her family to Connecticut, where she was eventually a Miss Connecticut contestant. She was a contestant on Groucho Marx’s You Bet Your Life, and later became a regular his subsequent show, Tell It to Groucho. With several guest starring roles on Gidget, Batman, and The Monkees, played a 30-foot-tall party girl in the movie Village of the Giants. She got out of show business in 1973, and later started a bakery, Aunt Joy’s Cakes, in Burbank, California. See more at altdriver.com

You can’t call yourself a true classic car fan, or a movie fan for that matter, until you’ve seen the Hollywood classic Bullitt, which came out all the way back in 1968. That’s more than 50 YEARS ago, and yet this flick still holds up. Time flies when you’re driving fast. Featuring the legendary Steve McQueen as San Francisco cop Frank Bullitt, this Oscar-winning film has one of the greatest car chase sequences of all time and helped solidify the highland green '68 Mustang as one of the most classic movie cars in history. If you don’t know what we’re talking about (but here’s hoping that you do), we come bearing YouTube clips. This nearly 11-minute car chase scene made every big-time movie producer in need of a high-speed car chase scene head on down to the streets of San Francisco to use those endless hills for some truly breathtaking jumps. Not to mention, this chase set the stage in general for plenty of epic big-screen chases in future action movies. We know it may look so easy here, mainly thanks to the incredible driving of stunt driver Bill Hickman, but don’t try any of this driving in real life. That should go without saying, but you never really know these days. The filming process for the iconic scene was actually a lot more challenging that you might think. Fun fact: The filmmakers actually ruined more than one sports car during the process of filming the famous car chase. But, judging from the end product, which was filled with epic close-ups and amazing long shots, it was certainly worth it. At least we think it was. You’d really have to ask the folks over at Warner Brothers. See more at altdriver.com

On November 30, 2013, actor Paul Walker was killed in a car crash in Santa Clarita, California, after he lost control of the Porsche Carrera GT he was riding in and crashed into a tree. He was 40. Most famous for playing the role of Brian O’Conner in the Fast and Furious franchise, Walker’s high-octane lifestyle off-screen practically matched the larger-than-life persona he played in the movies. Here, we’ll look at his early beginnings and how he eventually became the popular action movie star who was taken too soon. Early Life and Career Just by looking at his family background, it’s clear that Paul William Walker IV was born to star in action movies. He was born in Glendale, California to a fashion model mother and a father who was both a sewer contractor and a two-time Golden Gloves boxing champion. On top of that, his paternal grandfather had a successful boxing career as well and another one of his grandfathers raced raced factory cars for Ford in the 1960s. You can guess where he got his love of cars from. Walker got his acting start at a young age, when he began modeling at the age of two. He would start acting in television shows at 12, starring in such shows as Who’s the Boss?, Touched by an Angel, and Highway to Heaven. At the age of 13, Walker began his big-screen film career. While he had supporting roles in such films as Pleasantville, Varsity Blues, She’s All That, and The Skulls, 2001 was the year that Walker would finally get his big break. Read More: Shocking Surveillance Video Shows Los Angeles Man Randomly Shove Man Under Truck Fast and Furious Stardom Paul Walker’s transition from supporting actor to mega star happened with the 2001 commercial success The Fast and The Furious. Starring opposite Vin Diesel, Walker would go on to star in five of the seven Fast and Furious installments (The Fast and The Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Fast & Furious 6), and went from making $1 million for the first movie to $15 million for the last. Walker would go on to win several awards for the Brian O’Conner role, including the 2002 MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team (shared with Vin Diesel), the 2014 MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (also shared with Diesel), and the 2015 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Action. During the success that came from his roles in the Fast and Furious series, Walker also starred in such films as Into the Blue, Eight Below, Running Scared, and Joy Ride. The Infamous Car Collection Since this is a car website and all, we’d be remiss if we didn’t bring up the huge car collection — worth more than $4 million — that Paul Walker amassed during his lifetime. Walker had more than 30 cars in his collection, many of which he co-owned with Roger Rodas — Walker’s friend and financial planner who was behind the wheel of the Porsche during the crash that killed both him and Walker. Here’s a look at some of the cars in Walker’s collection, a few of which were not even street legal in the United States: Audi S4 (B5) BMW M1 BMW 2002tii Touring Alpina 2x BMW E30 M3 [41] 3x BMW E36 M3 Lightweight Chevrolet Corvette (C1) Chevrolet Chevelle SS convertible Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale Ferrari 400i Ferrari F355 Spider Fiorano edition Ferrari Testarossa Ford Bronco II Ford GT (1st gen with a Whipple supercharger producing a claimed 800 hp) Boss 302 Mustang (1st gen) Ford Mustang Cobra R Ford Mustang Eleanor recreation 2012 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Lincoln Continental (4th gen) convertible Maserati Quattroporte Mercedes-Benz 560 SL 2009 Nissan 370Z Nissan R34 Skyline Spec V Nissan Silvia (S15) 3x Porsche 911 997 GT3 RS 2x Porsche 930 Turbo Rolls-Royce Ghost Saleen S7 1965 Shelby Ford Mustang GT350SR continuation car Toyota Supra Mk4 Volvo P1800 Most of these cars were sold at auction following Walker’s death. The Fatal Car Accident and the Aftermath On November 30, 2013, while leaving a charity event in Valencia, California, Paul Walker and Roger Rodas were killed after the Porsche Carrera GT that Rodas was driving slammed into two trees and a concrete lamp post. The car burst into flames and both Walker and Rodas died instantly. A later investigation concluded that the Porsche had been traveling an excess of 93 MPH in a 45 MPH zone and that the area was a popular spot for drifting cars. While Furious 7 was in production at the time of Walker’s car accident death, production was halted out of respect for Walker and his family. As a tribute to Walker, the song See You Again appeared on the Furious 7 soundtrack, spending 12 non-consecutive weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100 and tying Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” for the longest-running rap number-one single in the U.S. In 2016, Meadow Rain Walker — Walker’s daughter with one-time girlfriend Rebecca Soteros — was awarded $10.1 million in a wrongful death settlement with the Rodas estate and, the following year, Meadow Walker reached a settlement with Porsche for an undisclosed amount. Released on August 11, 2018, the documentary I Am Paul Walker offered an inside look at the life and legacy of the late movie star. With an estimated net worth of $25 million at the time of his death, Walker got paid pretty well to do what he loved to do: drive cars and drive them fast. Unfortunately, it was that passion that ultimately led to his untimely death at the age of 40. Even still, his legacy lives on, through his movies, his daughter Meadow, and the lives he touched along the way. Read more at altdriver.com

He may share his name with a notorious outlaw, but famous motorcycle customizer and television personality Jesse James never needed to break bad to make a name for himself. Though, he has had his fair share of controversy over the years. Whether you know him from his TV shows Monster Garage (which is set to return in 2020) or Jesse James Is a Dead Man, his custom motorcycles for Keanu Reeves or Shaquille O’Neal, or his rocky relationship with Sandra Bullock, you know that the guy is great at making headlines. James’ passion for motorcycles at an early age led to a multimillion-dollar enterprise in West Coast Choppers, which eventually spawned a successful television career and several other business ventures. But, after nearly 20 years in the spotlight, the 50-year-old James has managed to withstand the ups and downs by continuing to do what made him famous in the first place: customizing motorcycles. Early Life and Career Jesse Gregory James was born on April 19, 1969, in Long Beach, California. His father ran an antiques shop, which was located right next to a Harley-Davidson parts supplier. Thus, beginning his lifelong obsession with motorcycles. “I remember seeing a pack of Hell’s Angels blasting by our family car when I was about 6, and they were all riding choppers,” James told a Discovery Channel interviewer in 2000. “I remember all the noise and all the chrome. It was the coolest thing I ever saw. I knew then that I was going to be involved in motorcycles in some way.” When a career in football didn’t pan out after several injuries, James dropped out of college and worked as a bodyguard for bands like Slayer and Soundgarden. In 1992, James opened West Coast Choppers, a clothing brand and motorcycle customization shop. After falling off stage during a concert in 1993 and dislocating his elbow, James decided to put all his eggs in the WCC basket. West Coast Choppers Starting in his mother’s garage and eventually moving to a small shop in Long Beach, Jesse James would find that success with West Coast Choppers wouldn’t come overnight. In the early days, James found himself overworked and underpaid, and even got the words “PAY UP SUCKER!” tattooed on his palm to express his frustration over money issues. James’s big break came in 2000 with the Discovery Channel documentary Motorcycle Mania. Giving an inside look into Jesse’s day-to-day life, the multipart series introduced his brand to the masses. West Coast Choppers would move from a one-man crew grinding in a small shop to an organization with more than 50 employees working out of an 18,000 square-foot warehouse. James would go on to design custom bikes for such A-listers as Shaquille O’Neal, Keanu Reeves, and Kid Rock. With a West Coast Chopper motorcycle fetching anywhere from $60,000-$150,000, we’re guessing James rarely needs to show that “PAY UP SUCKER!” tattoo these days. While WCC’s Long Beach location shut down in 2010, James reopened the shop in Austin, Texas in 2013. Television Success and Other Business Ventures Following the success of Motorcycle Mania and his growing celebrity clientele, James was tapped to host the Discovery Channel competition show Monster Garage. The highly-successful series spawned a UK version, two video games, and a number of books. On top of that, 42 of the surviving project vehicles were sold at the 2008 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction. While Monster Garage only aired from 2002-2006, it is set for a 2020 revival. With appearances on Sons of Guns, Celebrity Apprentice, Street Customs, and American Chopper, James also starred on the Spike TV show Jesse James Is a Dead Man, where he performed death-defying stunts. Under his own company Payupsucker Productions, James has also produced such shows as History of the Chopper, Iraq Confidential with Jesse James, and Green Scream. As far as other business ventures go, James opened Cisco Burger in 2006, right across the street from West Coast Choppers. In lock step with WCC, the restaurant has since moved from Long Beach to Austin. Since 2006, James has nationally published Garage magazine and also owns Jesse James Firearms Unlimited. To say that this guy keeps busy is an understatement. Controversy and Legal Issues For as much success as Jesse James has enjoyed over the years, he’s had an almost equal amount of controversy. For one, you could write an entire book chronicling his relationship issues alone. With three children from his first marriage to Karla James, James was married to adult film star Janine Lindemulder from 2002-2004. It was a relationship fraught with drama, including assault charges against Lindemulder and a messy custody battle over the couple’s daughter after Lindemulder’s release from prison over tax evasion charges. James later married actress Sandra Bullock in 2005. That marriage deescalated into tabloid fodder following rumors of James cheating on The Blind Side star with multiple women, which he later admitted was true. James and Bullock divorced in 2010. Following the intense fallout from his infidelity, James checked himself into an Arizona rehabilitation facility for 30 days, where he received treatment for anger management and sex addiction. James is also no stranger to litigation. In 2007, he was fined more than $270,000 by the California Air Resources Board after authorities determined that James’ bikes were in violation of California’s clear air laws and emitted 11 times the legal limits of hydrocarbons. In 2008, James faced two costly lawsuits: One was a $422,680 over a breach of contract with a customer, and the other was $327,533 in unpaid lawyer fees. Jesse James Net Worth and Personal Life Jesse James has an estimated net worth of $100 million. While he’s clearly doing much better from a financial aspect than he was during his early days, he’s also been thriving on the relationship side as well, having been married to drag racer Alexis DeJoria since 2013. See more at altdriver.com

Bobby Allison was part of a transformative era in NASCAR. An era that helped to shape the sport into what it is today. He not only survived those rough and tumble early days of NASCAR, he thrived in them. Simply put, he’s probably one of your favorite NASCAR driver’s favorite drivers. Widely considered to be one of the best to ever set foot inside of a stock car, Bobby Allison cemented his legacy as a NASCAR legend, even in the midst of terrible hardship and tragedy. Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998 and inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011, Bobby Allison has a number of impressive accolades and accomplishments under his belt. Having made a name for himself as a member of the Alabama Gang — a group of respected NASCAR drivers in the late ’50s — Allison ran his first NASCAR Cup Series race (back when it was the Grand National Series) at the 1961 Daytona 500. He went on to win 84 races in 718 career races run over 25 years, placing him fourth on the all-time wins list.* Besides winning the Winston Cup Series championship in 1983, Allison is a three-time Daytona 500 winner He also ran 43 Xfinity Series races in seven years, earning 15 trips to victory lane and 22 top-10 finishes. Fun fact: Allison joined Penske Racing (now Team Penske), about a year after it was founded, in 1972. He raced twice in the Indy 500, the iconic race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — a track that Roger Penske now owns along with the entire IndyCar Series. Over the course of his career, Allison, who drove everything from Chevrolet race cars to Buicks to Dodges to even the AMC Matador, was voted the most popular Cup Series driver seven times. He’s also one of only eight drivers to win what many consider to be a career Grand Slam by winning the the Daytona 500, the Winston 500, the Coca-Cola 600, and the Southern 500. The other seven drivers to accomplish this feat are Richard Petty, David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Buddy Baker. Add in the fact that Allison became the oldest driver to win the Daytona 500 at the age of 50 in 1988, and that only goes to show how much of a dominant force he truly was on the track. The 1979 Daytona 500 is considered by old school racing fans to be one of the most iconic races in NASCAR history, and not just because it marked Richard Petty’s sixth time winning the race or because it was the first race ever aired on national television from start-to-finish. It was the notorious brawl that pitted Bobby and his brother Donnie against Cale Yarborough that really helped to add to the race’s notoriety. Despite having such an illustrious career, Bobby Allison has also had to deal with his fair share of heartbreak. In 1992, Bobby and Judy Allison’s son Clifford was fatally injured during a practice crash for the NASCAR Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway. Just a year later, Bobby’s other son Davey was killed in a helicopter accident at Talladega Superspeedway. Bobby himself had a near brush with death, after a severe crash at Pocono in 1988 left him in a momentary vegetative state and eventually led to his retirement. As a result of the crash, Allison no longer remembers the final victory of his career at the 1988 Goody’s 300 or celebrating with Davey Allison following the 1988 Daytona 500, where the pair racked up the first one-two father/son finish in the Daytona 500. Even in spite of the toll that racing took on Bobby Allison later in life, he continues to be actively involved in the sport, especially be promoting rail safety for the CSX “Keep on Living” campaign. And so the NASCAR’s legend’s legacy lives on. See more at altdriver.com

As you can probably imagine, being a driver on the Monster Jam circuit is no walk in the park. Simply put, when you’re attempting off-the-wall stunts on machines that weigh around 12,000 pounds, your risk of injury goes up significantly. Even the most experienced driver isn’t safe. Nothing hits that point home more so than the injury of longtime Grave Digger driver Dennis Anderson back in 2017. During a freestyle run at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, Anderson attempted a backflip that ended in disaster after the truck stalled in mid-air and landed hard on the roof. Following Anderson’s landing, the crowd continued to cheer, not realizing the extent of Anderson’s injuries or even that he was injured at all. Soon after, he was taken to a local hospital after suffering undisclosed injuries. Anderson’s son Adam, who also competes behind the wheel of Son of Grave Digger, told Fox Sports at the time, “Dad’s been at this for a long time had his fair share of ups and downs. There’s one thing that’s for certain he’s never been stopped before.” “He’s up and moving just gonna have to take it easy for a little while. Can’t wait for him to get home and watch my wild children. Can’t keep him down it’s like he’s half man half machine.” Because of his injury, Anderson was not able to compete at World Finals 18. As a matter of fact, that fateful show at Raymond James Stadium marked his last event as a Monster Jam driver. On September 18, 2017, surrounded by fans at Monster Jam’s 2nd Annual 2018 Season Kickoff Show, Anderson officially announced his retirement, a bittersweet announcement considering that he gave more than 40 years to the sport. But, it just goes to show that the Monster Jam lifestyle is not an easy one. See more at altdriver.com

Unless you’re a diehard classic car aficionado, you’ve probably never heard of Duesenberg Motors Company. The Auburn, Indiana-headquartered manufacturer of race cars and luxury vehicles went defunct in 1937, mainly because the Great Depression ruined the market for expensive luxury cars. Even still, the company’s impact on classic car culture is felt to this day. In 1951, J. L. Elbert wrote the book, Duesenberg: The Mightiest American Motor Car, and in it, he particularly described the influence of the Duesenberg Model J. Here, we’ll touch on what made the Model J deserving of the moniker, “The Mightiest American Motor Car.” In 1913, Duesenberg Motors Company was founded by brothers August and Fred Duesenberg in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The company would eventually move to Elizabeth, New Jersey and then to Indianapolis, Indiana, until E.L. Cord, owner of the Auburn Automobile Company, bought Duesenberg in 1925. The company was renamed Duesenberg, Inc., and Fred stayed onboard, earning the title of vice president in charge of engineering and experimental work. Cord immediately instructed Duesenberg to design one of the fastest and most stylish luxury cars in the world. One that could compete with such European brands as Hispano-Suiza, Isotta Fraschini, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce. And, Fred delivered. The Model J debuted at the New York Car Show in New York City on December 1, 1928. As far as engine specs go, the DOHC (dual overhead camshaft) straight-8 was based on Duesenberg’s successful racing engines and was manufactured by Lycoming. It produced 265 horsepower and was capable of a top speed of 119 MPH. With some Model Js costing as much as $25,000, it was both the fastest and most expensive American car at the time. Duesenberg’s chief body designer, Gordon Buehrig, designed the bodywork of half the Model Js, while the rest were designed by such independent coachbuilders known for their custom coachwork, such as Derham, LeBaron, Murphy, and Rollston. Styling wise, the Model J was made to exhibit the peak of luxury, equipped with everything from bright chromium exhaust pipes to fine wood interiors and richly embroidered fabrics. But even stripped down, the Model J’s chassis was an incredible work of art. Given the Model J’s look and feel, it became a must-have for Hollywood’s finest. Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes, and Mae West were among the many stars that owned a Model J. In May 1932, Fred Duesenberg introduced a supercharged version of the Model J (SJ), which apparently had a top speed of 140 MPH and could do 0-60 in eight seconds. Other variants included the Duesenberg Special, a one-off speedster, and the SSJ roadster, of which only two were built. While the Model J dipped in popularity during World War II, it had a resurgence in the 1950s, and today, Model Js go for big money at car auctions. In 2004, the the Duesenberg Special was sold at auction for $4.5 million. In 2007, an SJ sold for $4.4 million at RM Auctions in Monterey, California. In 2018, a Duesenberg SSJ that was owned by Gary Cooper was sold at auction for $22 million, making it the most expensive American car ever sold. Clearly, these cars are highly sought after by collectors all over the world. And, it’s easy to see why.

Most NASCAR fans know that Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the most popular tracks in the sport. With a capacity of more than 160,000, Bristol is known for housing rowdy crowds and hosting intense races. They call it “The Last Great Colosseum” for a reason. Since the track’s first sanctioned NASCAR race back in 1961, there have been a number of incredible and memorable races run there. You may have even witnessed, either on TV or in person, a few of those races yourself. But, did you also know that 40 years ago, the Tennessee short track marked the spot of Dale Earnhardt’s first Cup Series win? All the way back in 1979, it would essentially be the catalyst for one of the most legendary careers in all of motorsports. It was at the 1979 Southeastern 500 (back when the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was still the Winston Cup Series) where Dale Sr. essentially kicked off the career that would include 76 race wins and seven Cup Series championships. “It was a major accomplishment simply because it was his 16th Cup start,” racing historian David McGee told the Bristol Herald Courier. “Rookies did not win in that era. You had guys like Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough and Buddy Baker that won all the races. For a rookie to come and win against all those guys in the field was remarkable.” Earnhardt, driving the No. 2 Chevrolet for Osterlund Racing, would end up taking the lead at lap 474 — wrecking Darrell Waltrip’s No. 88 Chevy race car in the process — and would hold the lead until the end, beating Bobby Allison by three seconds. Waltrip, Richard Petty, and Benny Parsons rounded out the top five. Now, this sort of finish seems like pretty standard fare for The Intimidator, but according to McGee, Earnhardt had not yet come into his own as the dominant driver that NASCAR fans would come to know and love. “He was a good driver. If you talked to racers who competed with him they said he was competitive, but he wasn’t dominant,” McGee said. “Maybe not the hallmark of someone who is going to go on to such greatness.” As you probably know, Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s first win was one of many in an illustrious stock car racing career. Winning the 1979 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year, Dale Sr. moved on to Richard Childress Racing in the mid-’80s (after a brief stint at Bud Moore Engineering), where he enjoyed the majority of his success. The Kannapolis, North Carolina native would see victory lane a total of 76 times during his career, and would also rack up 428 top-10s. Oh, and, of course, seven Winston Cup Championships. Sadly, Earnhardt lost his life on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Yet, nearly 20 years after that tragic day at Daytona International Speedway, we still remember the legacy of the man who gave so much to the sport of NASCAR. See more at altdriver.com

If you like motorcycles, Discovery Channel shows, or memes, you’re probably a fan of Paul Teutul Jr. Even if you didn’t watch the show American Chopper, you have almost certainly seen the iconic, oft-memed image from the show, commonly known as the “American Chopper Argument” meme. And, if you haven’t, then you must not have the internet, which means you are not reading this article. But, besides being a meme superstar, what is Paul Teutul Jr. up to these days? We’re glad you ask! Let’s take a look at the former Discovery Channel personality’s life. Paul Teutul Jr.: Motorcycle Builder and American Chopper Star In 2008, Teutul Jr. decided to leave Orange County Choppers — the motorcycle shop started by his father, Paul Teutul Sr. — and eventually started his own competing chopper company called Paul Jr. Designs. The big, blowout fight that led to Junior and his dad parting ways was documented on the hit Discovery Channel reality TV show American Chopper, and that ensuing fight fueled the extremely popular “American Chopper Argument” meme. In 2009, very much not par for the course, Teutul designed a dog park in Montgomery, New York. After that, his shop’s first design was a facelift for a — drum roll, please — Coleman Grill. Later in 2010, Paul pitched a series of dog toys to a company called Bamboo Pets. If you’re wondering why Teutul didn’t jump right into running his own shop, it’s because he has to wait out a one-year non-compete clause from his contract with OCC. After the contract was up, Teutul immediately began building bikes at Paul Jr. Designs. Paul’s new company is now in competition with Paul Sr.’s Orange County Choppers shop. He’s even poached some former OCC employees. In American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior, which aired on Discovery Channel from 2010-2012, we get a look at the competition between father and son, though they end up reconciling in the end. In 2014, PJD built a bike for the World of Warcraft video game, which appeared in-game, as well. And, in 2016, PJD built two bikes for the Ninja Turtles movie. The builds were both awesome custom motorcycles. In December 2019, it was announced that Paul Jr. and Paul Sr. were filming a two-hour special, during which they build a new bike together. Filming was scheduled to end on January 15, 2020, though an official air date for the show is yet to be determined. On the personal side of things, Paul married his girlfriend Rachael Biester in 2010. And, in 2015, she gave birth to their son Hudson Seven Teutul. Paul Teutul Jr. Net Worth You may also be wondering how well Teutul Jr. has done for himself since leaving American Chopper. Currently, his net worth sits at about $2 million. So, not too shabby! See more at altdriver.com

There are few people in this world who have given as much back to their community as Iraq War veteran Justin Anderson. After losing his leg in the war, the Bellevue, Nebraska man came home and was diagnosed with brain cancer. Being a true hero, Justin never gave up and he beat the cancer, but he wasn’t satisfied. That’s when the disabled veteran decided to use his off-road wheelchair, which was donated by The Independence Fund, as more than just a way to get around. In 2015, Anderson outfitted the wheelchair with a snow blade, and, now, every winter for each snowfall, he clears the sidewalks in his neighborhood with his makeshift snow plow. ADVERTISING Read More: Snow Plow Know-How: This Genius Inventor Came up With a Sweet Snow Plowing Invention “I don’t want kids or parents having to go through the snow and possibly trip or hurt themselves,” Anderson told WOWT 6 News in 2016. “I had a half-dozen people stop to take a picture because they hadn’t seen a chair like this before.” “The chair has on-the-fly tilt so I can adjust the height of the blade as I push snow.” Anderson says that he appreciates the support from his Bellevue neighbors, but their gratitude is just an added bonus. For the wounded war veteran, doing what he does in his modified wheelchair every winter is his duty. “The community has supported me immensely with my struggles and tough times as I had a leg amputated and my fight with brain cancer. This is my way of giving back,” Anderson said. “It’s very gratifying. It’s nice to know you’re appreciated. But even if I didn’t get any response from anyone – or nobody said ‘Thank You’ – I’d still do it.” See more at altdriver.com

Headlight restoration is one aspect of vehicle maintenance that can easily be DIY-ed. If you’re looking to save money on maintenance by taking care of things yourself, headlight restoration is a great place to start. In this article, we’ll give you everything you need to DIY your headlight restoration, such as providing the best headlight restoration kits and breaking down the multi-step process of clearing up yellowing headlight lenses and other common issues. How to Restore Headlights Restoring your headlight isn’t as arduous a process as it sounds. If you prep correctly and give yourself enough time, there’s nothing hard about it! The first thing you’ll want to do before you start restoring is give the headlights a thorough cleaning. After that, put painters or masking tape on the metal surrounding the headlight to prevent the restoration solutions from damaging your paint. From here, various kits will have different instructions. The most heavy-duty headlight restoration kits will require sanding down the headlight using wet sandpaper. This clears away the sun-damaged, oxidized layer of the headlight. Other kits are primarily chemical focused, in which case you’ll have to use less elbow grease. Chemical formulas tend to last a bit less time before a new restoration or coating is needed. Once you’ve wet sanded, you’ll apply your buffing or polishing solution to the headlight to finish off the process of deoxidizing your headlight, which will clear up any lingering discoloration. Microfiber towels or buffing machines work best. Now, just apply your clear coat and remove the tape. Congratulations, you’re officially a headlight restorer! Enjoy those clear headlights! See more at altdriver.com

Going through the car wash at Walmart or your local grocery store is definitely convenient, but there's something about washing your own car. You're not worried about potential scratches on a new car, and you get to be picky about the detailing. Although I will admit the soap at a car wash spot is top tier. It smells amazing, and it suds up perfectly. Whether you wash your car at home because it's a classic car you only trust in your hands, or because you truly enjoy the dirty work, consider making your own homemade car wash soap. Trust me, you'll want to use this recipe to make your car look shiny and new. What You'll Need to Make Your Own Car Wash Soap: A bucket Warm water 1/4 cup baking soda (Some prefer white vinegar) 1/4 cup dishwashing soap (Some prefer to use baby shampoo) Step One: Grab a bucket. You can probably find one at your local grocery store for a dollar or grab one on Amazon. You'll also want a measuring cup so you can make sure you have the correct amount of each ingredient. Step Two: After you have put dishwashing liquid and baking soda into the bucket, fill up the bucket with water. As the bucket fills, it will start to look like soapy water. Step Three: Wash your car! Car cleaning products can be expensive, and if you park your car in a garage daily like me, you know how much car cleaning you have to do. There's a good chance you already have all of these products at home. Dish soap is a versatile cleaning product by the way. Laundry detergent isn't a stain remover, but dish soap can definitely aid in removing stains. A drop of liquid soap and scrubbing is one of the best home remedies pre-treatments I've done for my clothes. Quick tip, keep this homemade car wash soap in a spray bottle. Sometimes water and the work of your windshield wipers just don't get a bird's mess off your windshield. Next time you're at the gas station and want to touch up some dirty spots, spray the car cleaner solution on it. A clean car makes all the difference. I've driven a car where the car's paint wasn't in the best condition, but once I got the grime off the body of the car, the paint job didn't look as bad. Out of the car maintenance your vehicle requires, surely this is the cheapest responsibility. Pass this recipe on to your favorite kids and let them take up car washing for a fun summer job. With this car soap, they'll be able to stay in business for about $8. See more at altdriver.com

While there are so many incredible Dale Earnhardt memories from over the years to look back on, his first Daytona 500 win is on another level of special. If you were a NASCAR fan in the late ’90s, you probably remember that historic moment from Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s like it was yesterday. By the time the 1998 Daytona 500 rolled around, it was the Intimidator’s 20th run of the race. He had accomplished just about everything a NASCAR driver could dream of by then, including seven NASCAR Cup Championships. And yet, he had yet to see a checkered flag at the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona Beach, despite having finished second on four different occasions and landed within the top five eight different times. But, I guess 20 was his lucky number. As far as restrictor plate races go, it was a relatively smooth race. There were no major accidents and only three caution flags, and it resulted in the second-fastest running of the Great American Race at the time. Though Jeff Gordon put everyone on notice with a promising push about halfway through the race, Earnhardt came away with the victory at Daytona International Speedway pretty handily. The Intimidator dominated, leading for 107 laps in the No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. To put that into context, Bobby Labonte finished second and only led for 22 laps. After the Kannapolis, North Carolina native won the race, the victory lane celebration at the Florida race track afterwards was incredible, with every crew member of every team lining up to shake Mr. Restrictor Plate’s hand. “I have had a lot of great fans and people behind me all through the years and I just can’t thank them enough,” Dale Jr.'s dad said immediately following the win. “The Daytona 500 is ours. We won it, we won it, we won it!” Though the rest of the '98 season would not go well for Dale Earnhardt Sr. (with Daytona being his only win that year), his first-time victory at the 1998 Daytona 500 was a historic moment for the NASCAR Hall of Fame member and motorsports legend's career and a historic moment for NASCAR. Though the iconic race car driver tragically lost his life at the 2001 Daytona 500, his legacy will live on through stories like this. See more altdriver.com

Since 2016, Jeremy Clarkson has been hosting the car show The Grand Tour along with Richard Hammond and James May. But, before parting ways with the BBC and moving on to Amazon Prime Video, the co-hosts had plenty of memorable moments on the long-running show Top Gear. One of these moments happened back in 1997, during the filming of a Top Gear episode in Detroit, Michigan. What started as the scouting out of an abandoned train station as a film set ended in Clarkson being held up at gunpoint by a local gang, as Clarkson recalled in early 2019. Jeremy Clarkson Reveals That Time He Got Held at Gunpoint “Somebody held a gun against my head in Detroit,” Clarkson recalled, according to The Drive. “It’s a long, complicated story but we were trying to do some filming and some people thought we were trespassing on their turf. It was pretty nasty. And this time, 100 yards from where that happened, I was having dumplings in a goose broth.” “I’m sure if you actually lived there you wouldn’t call it interesting, you’d call it dangerous,” the former Top Gear presenter continued. “But the chrome shoots of rejuvenation are growing again so you can actually eat quite well there, you can stay in a nice hotel, you can go short distances from A to B without being shot.” Looking back on the terrifying moment, an unidentified member of the Top Gear film crew added, “Jeremy was filming in a ruined railway station but was warned by cops not to go inside as there were warring gang factions operating.” “But he ignored the advice and was surrounded by gangs.” Despite the intense gang run-in, Clarkson has gone back to Detroit to shoot footage multiple times over the course of his TV show career. Hopefully, Clarkson doesn’t find himself face-to-face with any dangerous gangs, whether from Detroit or elsewhere, anytime soon. Read More: altdriver.com

If you grew up in the 1960s (or are just a fan of old-school kids’ movies), you probably remember the wacky Hollywood adventure flick known as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Starring Dick Van Dyke, written by Roald Dahl, directed by Ken Hughes, and based on the novel by Ian Fleming, you might say that the film was made by a dream team of creatives at the tops of their fields. Of course, the film also had one other major powerhouse: the flying car. Today, the car from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is one of the most iconic vehicles ever filmed. But, whatever happened to the magical car? Let’s take a look! The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Car Although in the movie the vehicle was crafted by the eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, the real-life designs were by Ken Adam. The movie car, first thought into being by James Bond writer Ian Fleming, was actually several cars by the time filming wrapped up. The model used in filming had six iterations, but only one was a running motor vehicle. The rest were props shot in stationary positions. This piece of memorabilia was powered by a 3-liter Ford V6 engine. The dashboard plate was crafted from a World War I British fighter plane, and the vehicle’s boat deck was made of red and white cedar. The car was legally registered under the Iconic Gen 11 plates, making it fully street legal — a truly Scrumptious detail, if you ask us. Where Is the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Car Now? From 1970 to 2011, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car was owned by a man named Pierre Picton, who toured in the car, taking it to various auto shows around the UK. In 2011, the car was auctioned for $805,000. Who purchased the classic car? None other than the acclaimed Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. Jackson has since used the vehicle to raise money for charities in various capacities. The car is kept in New Zealand where it is registered as GEN 1I, because the original Gen 11 Plate was already taken. See more at altdriver.com

Admit it: Even though you’ve been driving for a long time, you still have no idea what at least a few of the buttons on your car’s dashboard do. Take the air recirculation button, for example. You know, the button that has the symbol of the car with the U-turn arrow inside of it. You’ve probably noticed it right next to where your air conditioning controls are and have probably even pushed it a few times. But, if someone were to ask what it exactly does, would you be able come up with a solid answer? It’s ok if the answer is “No.” If you already know what the recirculate function does, read no longer. If you have absolutely no clue or need a jumpstart to the ol’ memory banks, we’ve got you covered. What Does the Air Recirculation Button Do? Simply put, the air recirculation button recirculates air. Yep, that’s it. Case closed. End of article. Come on, you don’t think we’d actually just leave you with that explanation, do you? According to World Class Auto Service, the air recirculation button “recirculates the kind-of-cool air that you get from the A/C when you first turn it on. The longer it’s on, the cooler your car gets until it’s as as cool as it can possibly be.” Makes sense, right? When Should You Use the Air Recirculation Button? Now, you really only want to press the air recirculation button in the summertime. If you’re not recirculating the air during those hot days, your car’s air conditioning system is working harder to cool the warm outside air as it goes inside of the car, which can really put your A/C compressor through the ringer and isn’t great for your fuel economy. In the colder winter months, you’re basically going to want to forget that the air recirculation button even exists. If you press that sucker when it’s cold outside, you’re effectively trapping humidity inside of your car, which can lead to foggy windows, aka bad news for any driver hoping to make a safe commute. Considering we’re smack dab in the middle of the hottest month of the year, though, that air recirculation should be your best friend right now. Stay cool out there, y’all! See more at altdriver.com