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Raoul ‘Sonny’ Balcaen grew up in Los Angeles at a time when it became the epicenter of American motor racing, nurturing a vast talent pool of people whose influence has echoed through to today. As a teenager, he successfully competed with his home-built Top Fuel dragster, the ‘Bantamweight Bomb’, during the formative years of the sport. With Lance Reventlow, he worked on the famous Scarab sports cars and was standing in the dyno room when the team’s all-American Formula 1 engine was fired up for the first time. A period as Jim Hall’s crew chief and a close association with Carroll Shelby added to the know-how that guided him toward becoming a successful entrepreneur and led to all that followed. Sonny’s life is outlined in his autobiography, published by Evro, and includes co-authors Jill Amadio and past Cars Yeah guest Pete Lyons. This engaging memoir from one of American racing’s unsung heroes is the very personal history of a momentous time and place in which we meet a who’s who of West Coast road-racing heroes. Today, he is 86 years young, retired, and enjoying life.
SHOW SPONSORS
American Collectors Insurance • Linkage Magazine • Techforce Foundation • RPM Foundation
INSPIRATION
The incredible and enormous number of superstars in the SoCal automotive world in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
CHALLENGES
Creating a direct mail catalog entrepreneur in the 60s.
SPECIAL VEHICLE
1978 Ferrari steel bodied 308 ‘He ‘heated up’
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
Raoul ‘Sonny” Balcaen by Raoul F. Balcaen* with Jill Amadio* and Pete Lyons*
WORDS OF INSPIRATION
Life is trial and error. Be constantly curious and work in your passion, and with people who know what they are doing.
WHERE TO FIND RAOUL
SHARE THE INSPIRATION
If you enjoyed this show, please go to Apple Podcast and leave me a five-star review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and help others to be inspired by Cars Yeah. * indicates a past Cars Yeah guest.