From a heartbreaking junior racing accident to an $800 Chevy Nova running 6.60s at 108 mph, this episode of Racer Radio FM 96.1 brings together the two sides of motorsports that matter most: keeping racers safe and having a whole lot of fun going fast.

Dave Stall and Brittany Sandoval open with Holly Holland from Factory 14 Speed Shop and the #F14CaseChallenge, a safety campaign created after 11-year-old junior sprint car driver Case Higgins suffered severe burns in a racing accident. The challenge encourages racers—young and old—to practice getting out of their race cars quickly while wearing their complete safety gear.

As Holly explains, the goal isn't competition. It's getting racers, parents, crews, and tracks talking about emergency preparation before something goes wrong. It's a powerful reminder that buying good safety equipment is only part of the equation—you also need to know how to use it when seconds count.

This Episode Includes:

• 🏁 The #F14CaseChallenge and junior racing safety
• 🔥 Practicing emergency race-car exits in full safety gear
• 🏎️ Barona Speedway dirt-track results
• 🏁 Junior Sprints, Lightning Sprints, Dwarf Cars and Stock Cars
• 🚦 Barona Drag Strip and legal alternatives to street racing
• 👨‍👩‍👧 A family-built 1973 Chevrolet Nova drag car
• 🔧 Turbocharging, EFI tuning and real-world drag racing setup
• 🚚 A rescued 1942 Ford pickup restoration project
• 💥 Orange County Fair's 25th anniversary Destruction Derby

The local racing coverage continues with results from Barona Speedway, where racers battled temperatures approaching 100°F across multiple divisions. Then RJ from Barona Drag Strip joins the conversation to talk about the growing mix of imports, motorcycles, AWD performance cars, and street-driven machines showing up at the strip.

One of the best examples of why local tracks matter comes from two teenagers, just 16 and 18 years old, competing against each other in a junior dragster final. Instead of racing illegally on the street, they're learning how to compete in a controlled environment with proper safety equipment and track supervision.

Bob Estelle from Sunnyside Promotions also previews the Orange County Fair's Destruction Derby, marking 25 years of automotive mayhem. With 75 vehicles, the women-only Damsels of Destruction, and more than 1,500 cars destroyed since the event began, it's definitely not your average Sunday drive.

The second half of the show belongs to Mike Maiden and his racing family. Mike bought his 1973 Chevy Nova for just $800 in 2007—and had to hotwire it just to get it home. Today, that same Nova is a turbocharged, EFI-controlled, street-driven drag car capable of running 6.60-second passes at 108 mph.

Mike's wife Sheila describes riding in the Nova as being "like getting launched into orbit," while Mike explains how careful preparation and consistency allowed his roughly 550-horsepower Nova to beat an 800-horsepower Mitsubishi Evo. It's proof that horsepower alone doesn't win races.

Listen to the full episode for the #F14CaseChallenge, Barona racing updates, the complete story behind Mike's incredible Nova, Sheila's Porsche Club adventures, and plenty of laughs from a racing community where safety, family, and horsepower all share the starting line.

YouTube: @MrDaveStall

Website: DaveStall.com

RACER RADIO 08/2/26