Jason Stein on Car Culture & NHRA Veteran Nancy Matter on Nitro, Safety, and Giving Back
This week on The Pits Are Open, host Will Marotti and producer Alex Smith bring you a powerful mix of motorsports storytelling and NHRA intensity — all while broadcasting from PRI week in Indianapolis.
The episode opens with Jason Stein, award-winning automotive media executive, broadcaster, and CEO of Flat Six Media. Jason shares the origin story behind Cars & Culture, his hit SiriusXM program celebrating the personalities who shape automotive passion. He breaks down the changing relationship younger generations have with cars, the role affordability and technology play in car enthusiasm, and why he believes a renaissance in analog car culture is already brewing. From Porsche love to celebrity interviews, Jason offers a high-level look at where car culture is headed next.
Next, NHRA veteran Nancy Matter joins the show with an incredible life story spanning music, mastering engineering, and more than a decade of competitive drag racing. Nancy talks about coming up through West Coast tracks, transitioning from alcohol funny car to nostalgia nitro, and now preparing to become the first female top-fuel owner-driver since 1999. She also shares one of the most gripping parachute-failure stories ever told on the show — and explains how adrenaline slows time at 250 mph.
Nancy also highlights her foundation, Racers Igniting Hope, where donated spark plugs become handcrafted ornaments and keychains to support veteran causes including the Chris Kyle American Valor Legacy. She offers an inside look at sponsorship challenges, restoring her new car for 2026, and the community that keeps her going.
Presented by SpeedSport, Redline Ace, Schaeffer Oil, and America’s Christian Credit Union.
SpeedSport: speedsport.com | speedsport1.com
Redline Ace: redlineace.com
Schaeffer Oil: schaefferoil.com
America’s Christian Credit Union: americaschristiancu.com/pits
Flat Six Media / Cars & Culture: (search “Cars & Culture with Jason Stein” on SiriusXM)
Racers Igniting Hope (Nancy Matter’s foundation): racersignitinghope.org (if applicable)
Jason Stein – CEO of Flat Six Media; host of Cars & Culture on SiriusXM; former publisher of Automotive News
Nancy Matter – Veteran NHRA driver & team owner; founder of Racers Igniting Hope; future top-fuel owner-driver
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