MEET THE CREW
Larry O'Donohue - Host and The Driving Force behind "...in the Pits"
Larry developed the “Gear Head Disease” as an infant. He was able to clearly pick out manufacturer brands on cars shortly after learning to talk. Larry and his dad often went to Riverhead and Islip Raceways where he watched the midgets and modifieds. Then, at the age of 15 he was introduced to the sport of drag racing at York US 30 Raceway and soon was racing himself. From 1967 to 1969 Larry was often seen running his C/Gas 55 Chevy and his D/Stock 1966 GTO at Atco, Englishtown, York and Cecil County. Larry then took a break from driving for a while but, in 1974, he reentered racing at the road racing level first auto crossing then later competing in a 510 Datsun often mixed in with a little go-karting. In 1984, he sold his road racing equipment and went back to straight line racing in a Super Gas Comaro he co-owned. Later he was involved with a Pro Mod team as well as several pro-stock teams. His last professional drag racing involvement was in the RPR Top Fuel Team in the mid 90’s. It was on to broadcasting. In 2001, Larry O started IN THE PITS- on a small Northern Virginia AM station. 2010 marks the 9th anniversary of the two time national award winning IN THE PITS. “We are proud to be part of DC’s superior sports talk radio station 1067 THE FAN”, says Larry. “CBS Sports really has a great format for our racing program.”
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Craig Murto - Host and Syndicated Columnist
Veteran motorsports journalist (20 years in the business), broadcaster, newspaper columnist and publisher/editor of Late Model Racer magazine. Broad knowledge of almost any type of motorsport.
Craig's Magazine
Dave Reininger - Host and Open Wheel Racing Correspondent
As a five-year-old sitting in the grandstands at Bridgehampton, Dave's first recollection of racing is of manufacturers like Maserati, Porsche and Mercedes. Provided with a balanced diet of sports cars, drag racing and stock cars, Dave developed a love for all forms of motorsports at an early age. For more than a decade Dave has worked as a spotter, winning the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series championship with Dario Franchitti. In 2009, Dave worked with 2004 IndyCar Series champion Tony Kanaan. Stay tuned for Dave’s next venture in the motorsports world.
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Johnny Rocca - Host and Drag Racing Correspondent
Johnny Rocca started his career in drag racing at the age of 19 at Aquasco, Maryland in 1959. His first race car was a 1949 Ford coupe with a 1957 Oldsmobile J2 engine running C/gas. From there a steady migration to Altered's, supercharged Gas Coupes, sedans and a variety of different race cars following his great respect and admiration for KS Pitman. in the A/GS classes. Johnny had many years of building Street Rods, having the first 29 roadster running Hilborn fuel injection on the street to a variety of street rods. In the winter of 1987 having resurrected the KS Pitman 41 Willys from his barn with KS's permission he restored it and he took it to Bakersfield California to run it at the fledgling revival of the Bakersfield Fuel and Gas championships and solicited KS to drive it for the first time. The huge success of the restored car brought the Stone,Woods andCook "Swindler A" out to campaign against KS in the "Last Great Shootout" that had a phenomenal tour of the US at some 50 plus tracks thru out the United States. Soon after the Tour ended, a phone call from Hayne Dominic, then President of the IHRA , to describe the New Pro-Modified class, began the advent of the Highly successful tour of the "Tin Indian" Pro Modified thru out the United States, Canada and Australia This led to the construction of the "IRONHORSE" 1949 Mercury, possibly the most widely known Pro Modified car in history which yielded multiple championships in three different countries. A stint as Broadcaster for Speed and ESPN 2, many announcing gigs at racetracks, touring the country with the complete restoration of the famous "Ironhorse" and the "Swindler A" race cars, a complete stable of street rods and the position of Drag Racing Correspondent are just a few of the things Johnny has been enjoying since his retirement from the driver’s seat. Johnny Rocca is truly a gear head.
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Jason Smith – Public Relations and Dirt Racing Correspondent
Jason Smith (The Juice) has been involved in stock car racing practically his entire life. Coming from a family that has built and raced dirt track race cars since the late 1960s, Jason began attending races at an early age. He spent a large part of his childhood in the junkyard, garage and engine shop, learning to build race cars. Jason grew up driving go-karts, moved to Dirt Street Stock, next to Asphalt Touring Spec Trucks, on to NASCAR Late Model and now back on dirt racing Limited Late Models. He has earned many top 5 and top 10 championship finishes and has several feature wins in multiple divisions. In addition to his driving experiences, Jason also has been a crew member on a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team, an ASA National Tour team, a USA Racing Pro Cup team and a NASCAR Nationwide Series team.
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Team Website: http://www.ajfracing.com/
Bob Steele – Road Racing Correspondent.
In addition to his on-air duties on the “In The Pits" racing radio, Bob Steele has been the Morning Drive Air Personality for 104.7 WAYZ (Hot Country) for the last five years. He comes to the ITP show with 35 years of broadcast experience. Bob has worked in the nearly all radio formats in such markets as New York City, Nassau in the Bahamas, Washington, Baltimore, Richmond and a variety of beach and resort locals. His #1 rated “Steele In The Morning” show can be heard on WAYZ from 5-11 AM weekdays on 104.7-FM. Steele is a long-time racer who knows the ins and outs of road racing; he actively participates in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) competition on both the Regional and National levels. Steele’s “Scorpion Racing Group” GT-Lite (Honda CRX Si) and F/Production (MGB) regularly finish on the podiums of most tracks east of the Mississippi, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, New Jersey Motorsports Park, and Virginia International Raceway. Steele finished third in the Mid Atlantic Road Racing Series F/P class in 2005, second in 2006 and 2007, and won the GT-Lite Championship in 2008 and 2009. Steele currently holds the G/Production track record on the Thunderbolt course at New Jersey Motorsports Park. In addition, Steele regularly Emcees remotes, promotions, and events throughout the Mid Atlantic region.
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Brian Downey- Road Racing and Technical Correspondent
Brian is our technoid. Growing up around cars and then turning into a celebrated mechanic, Brian not only races cars, he builds them. Brian is a veteran racer on the National SCCA level. He is a former IMSA Firehawk and Grand Am racer. He has 9 national SCCA race wins in a row! Currently, Brian owns Auto Expectations near Dulles Airport specializing in Nissan performance and repair, custom fabrication, and race prep on hot rods and on all makes and models. He even has a dog named Nismo! He has been racing Datsun’s and Nissan’s for over 30 years.
Ryan Downey - Drift Correspondent
The Drifter amongst the Pit Crew! Rather than follow in his Dad’s road racing foot steps, Ryan decided he would drift into them. He is a graduate of C.S. Monroe Tech school in Leesburg, Va. as well as the Ohio Technical College with a degree in Fabrication and Restoration. Ryan finished the 2009 drift season as the Drift Nirvana Champion. His drift car is the former IMSA Firehawk 300Z driven to fame by Butch Leitzinger. Ryan will turn Pro in 2010.
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Ryan Ellis- You name it Ryan will race it!
Ryan began racing Quarter Midgets at the age of 4, moved to Legends cars at 12. His resume includes NASCAR Late Model, NASA, SCCA, Spec Miata, Jetta TDI, Playboy MX 5 Cup and Grand Am Continental Tire Series. Ryan's Bio is so comprehensive, there just isn't enough room here to post it. Check it out for yourselft at:
http://www.ryanellismotorsports.com/ryanellismotorsports/About_Ryan.html
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Liam Kenney - F1 and European Correspondent
Liam Kenney is an up and coming American open wheel driver aspiring for the top levels in European motorsport. At the young age of 5, he started racing go karts with the mentoring of star drivers, Paul Tracy, Bryan Herta and others. He raced in the local levels in Las Vegas, Nevada until he was 11 years old and focused on moving up the ranks to the national levels of karting. He then impressed in the Stars of Karting series, the highest level of go-karting in the United States. He competed in this until age 14, when he moved into cars with help from coaching company Speed Secrets. He competed in Formula TR 1600 and in only his first year won one race, had three pole positions and twelve podiums. In his second year, with the Formula TR 2000 Series, He scored another 3 wins and 12 more podium positions. This work won him a position in the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI cup, where he finished second in the championship and was the only driver to win more than one race with two wins and podium finishes for half the season. Volkswagen then saw his potential and gave him the opportunity to race in the ADAC Formel Masters series that covered Germany and the Netherlands where he had a podium finish over 6 races. He is looking forward to continuing into Formula 3 and in the future, Formula 1.
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Kyle Disque - SCCA Correspondent
Like most of us, Kyle got the racing bug from his father. After college he answered an ad in AutoWeek that read "Wanted: Apprentice racing car mechanics. Long hours, low pay." A few seasons with Skip Barber Racing School paved the way for a lifetime love of racing. Kyle's history includes the Skip Barber Formula Ford Series, karts, and autocross. Kyle currently campaigns a Toyota GT-Lite car in the SCCA National Series and has multiple wins and track records in the North East.
During sports car racing's golden era of the 1950s, Dick was serving as a mechanic in the US Air Force. He watched those early road races on the military airstrips and the rest is history. Dick has been on the podium at the SCCA runoffs in everything from Cobras to Triumph TR4s. He's raced in F5000, IMSA, you name it, he's done it. Having run a successful racing prep shop for 50+ years, In 2000, Dick retired and bought back the TR4 he podiumed in the 1963 ARRC (now called the runoffs). At 78 years young, he's currently winning SVRA events in that trusty TR4.
Frank Clark
Frank started rallying cars at the age of 17 and his motorsport addiction only became worse with time. In 1980, he began flagging for SCCA races at Summit Point before moving on to racing Formula Fords in 1984. For 18 years, Frank worked as a pit crew member, and racecar preparation engineer for several SCCA, IMSA, and Grand Am teams. After that, Frank returned behind the wheel racing in a Datsun 510. Currently Frank campaigns the "Dog Licked Racing" ‐ Spec Racer Ford in SCCA. Additionally, along with his wife Kathy, he operates a rescue home for Springer Spaniel dogs.
Jason Veazey - Broadcast Consultant
Jason Veazey AKA "Veazey" and "JV", has been on the mic and behind the scenes in DC area radio for 15 years. JV hosted evenings and mornings at Z104, played your Classic Rock faves at The Arrow and tucked Baltimore in at night on Mix 106.5. Jason's tenure at The Fan (formerly WJFK) has spanned over a dozen years: producing the G. Gordon Liddy Show, Redskins Pregame and Postgame shows, Sports Junkies and Sports Jam for WJFK and now In the Pits for The Fan. A lifelong gearhead, JV likes Chevys, Dodges and Bimmers, but would rather turn steering wheels than wrenches.
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Paul Immo -
With so many events in the Mid-Atlantic, how do you stay up to speed? You consult your local "Immo"
You could say Paul was born to be a "Car Guy". His parents met while his Dad was working at Hodges Dodge on Woodward Ave just north of the Detroit City limits. Both of his Grandfathers worked on the Assembly Line (One for Chrysler and the other GM respectfully). He lived in the
Metro Detroit area until 2002. He is the founder of DC Modern Mopar.
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Brian Berry- Photographer
Brian is not just a photographer but a true car and race enthusiast. Having now melted his two favorite past times, he has found a true passion with racing photography.This natural progression from behind the wheel to beside the track has proven itself to be worth all the hard work. Not a shy person, Brian has used his charisma and talent to capture the personalities of television, movie, music and of course motorsport talents. Brian has been a life long race fan. You could simply say, if it is fast he watches it. Starting his racing fever as a child, “I would have my own simulated races with matchbox cars.” Of course what Brian doesn’t want you to know is that he still "probably" plays with them.
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Susan DeVault - Photographer
Susan is the original Pit Crew Photographer. Susan began shooting selected races for us in 2004 and has now become a premier NASCAR photographer. Her ability to shoot personality shots truly captures the essence of NASCAR and its wide variety of characters. She also, possesses the necessary talent to shoot the excitement NASCAR offers while the green flag is flying!
Please review the photos from our photographers- special thanks to all of them for the great shots!