The Put In Bay Preview

Put-In-Bay Classic Vintage Race Preview

History

• First race held in 1952; original circuit was a 3.1-mile loop of public streets around Put-In-Bay island, with starting line on Delaware Avenue near Perry's Victory Memorial. 
• Original safety infrastructure consisted of snow fencing, string, and hay bales; strict passing rules prevented major injuries. 
• Notable early participants included Cleveland DJ Bill Randall, F1 team manager Carl Haas, and Dr. Sam Shepard. 
• Ohio banned open road street racing; the series ended officially in 1959, with an outlaw race in 1963 shut down after a crash near a Catholic church damaged nearby structures. 46
• Revived in 2009 by the Put-In-Bay Road Race Heritage Society; from 2012–2015 used the airport runway/taxiways; modern annual event held each September. 

2026 Event Schedule (September 13–17)

• Sunday, Sept 13: Antique car parade (1:30 PM); Miller Ferry arrivals. 
• Tuesday, Sept 15: Car show, display and judging; mandatory driver's school for new/exhibition drivers; original race course staging at Heinemann's (4 PM); wine and cheese reception with historical roundtable (5:30–7:30 PM). 
• Wednesday, Sept 16: Practice sessions (9 AM–noon); qualifying and exhibition series (1–4 PM); featured mark races (4 PM); rocker cover races; ladies luncheon (1:30 PM). 
• Thursday, Sept 17: Morning racing activities; Put-In-Bay Cup Race by invitation (4 PM); last ferry departs 7 PM. 
• Burke plans to attend Thursday; Scott unable to attend this year for the first time since 2021. 

Selected Race Entrants Highlighted

• 1963 Mini Cooper (Eric Pickering, Dublin OH) — 1275 engine, noted as potentially quick. 
• 1958 Berkeley SE492 (Michael Carter, Friendswood TX) — ultralight British micro sports car upgraded with Kawasaki 498cc motorcycle engine; hosts were excited to see it. 
• 1976 Porsche 914 (Alexander Sadowski) — father and son team, one of whom beat cancer; both raced last year and returning. 
• 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite 1300 (Robert Kanza, Akron OH) — yellow car named "Miss Saffron"; hosts noted saffron is not yellow. 
• Three Saab 96/93F entries — hosts excited about having three "Lala cars" on track. 
• 1966 Yenko Stinger (Brian Cunningham, Horseheads NY) — Chevrolet Corvair Corsa-based race car; sponsor: Black Squirrel Bed and Breakfast. 
• Year's emphasis is on British cars; numerous Triumph Spitfires, TR6s, MGs, Austin-Healeys, and Mini Coopers entered. 
• Exhibition/heritage street cars include a 1963 Jaguar E-Type, Austin-Healey 3000, and a possible 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO from Cleveland, OH. 

Put-In-Bay Island Recommendations (from hosts)

• Food: Boardwalk (lobster bisque — the only place on the island serving it); Cuban sandwich spot next to Boardwalk; Joe's Bar (best value, solid 7–8/10, cheapest on island, great service — kitchen currently in a trailer after fire). 
• Drinks: Red Moon (best cocktails on island; mixologists create custom drinks based on guest preferences; hosts spent ~$120+ per visit); the Brewery (strong bartender, good painkillers); Joe's Bar (32oz Modelos, great value). 
• Entertainment: Real Bar (Gatewood — hosts' favorite live music); Roundhouse (heavier rock); Mojito Bay (chill, sand floor, swings, indie music); Fish Bowl (disco/dance); Beer Barrel Saloon (eclectic mix). 
• Attractions: Perry's Cave (large, impressive underground cave); Heinemann's Winery (tour of old casks and wine presses, famous wine slushies); butterfly exhibit at Perry's Cave property. 

Celebrity Deaths

Dolly Parton — Hosts dedicated the most time to this loss, calling it one of the hardest celebrity deaths in recent memory. 

• Died at age 80; health had declined following the death of her husband; admitted to ignoring symptoms. 
• Described as a humanitarian on par with Fred Rogers; known for walking Dollywood incognito in plain clothes to personally ensure quality standards. 
• Founded and personally oversaw Dollywood's Christmas festival with custom LED tree programming until her death. 
• Major collaborations included Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Steven Tyler, Rob Halford, Steve Perry, Elton John, and Miley Cyrus (her goddaughter). 
• Film highlights: 9 to 5 (wrote the title song spontaneously during filming), Steel Magnolias, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone (with Stallone), Coat of Many Colors, and Hallmark Christmas films. 
• Family released a classy video statement delivered by her nephew. 

Other Notable Deaths

• Frank Beard (ZZ Top drummer, only member without a beard) — died age 77 in hospice at his ranch in Richmond, TX; known for Sharp Dressed Man, Legs, Gimme All Your Lovin'; had struggled with addiction. 
• Shelly Fabares — died age 82 of brief illness (August 22); known for Coach, Donna Reed Show, hit single "Johnny Angel" (1962), and three Elvis Presley films. 
• Janie Bradford — died age 87 (August 21) after extended illness; Motown Records co-wrote label's first hit "Money (That's What I Want)" and "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby." 78
• Bill Rasmussen — died age 93 (August 18) of Parkinson's complications; co-founded ESPN with his son, later sold to Disney for billions. 
• Roger McKenzie — died age 75 (August 21) of heart failure and kidney disease; wrote Daredevil and originated the idea of Captain America running for President. 80
• Tommy John — died of bladder cancer; first pitcher to undergo the elbow tendon surgery now universally named after him; career began with Cleveland Indians directly out of high school. 
• Mark Rydell — died age 97 (August 13) at Los Angeles nursing facility; Oscar-nominated director of On Golden Pond, The Rose, and For the Boys. 
• Hayden Panettiere — died age 36 in Greenville, SC (away from her usual residences); cause of death not released; hosts noted a suspicious ex with history of abuse and called the circumstances "weird." 
• Kristi Knowings — died age 46 after severe asthma attack; cast member of All That alongside Kenan Thompson and Amanda Bynes. 
• Pritchard Colon — died age 33 (August 13); undefeated boxer whose career ended after an illegal blow to the back of the head in 2015 left him in a coma for 7 months with permanent brain damage. 
• Michael Wright — died age 70 of rare degenerative neurological disorder; known for The Five Heartbeats (Eddie King Jr.), Oz, and V. 
• OJ Briggins — died age 56 of ALS complications; played for Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, and won a Super Bowl ring with Baltimore. 
• Jessica Bang — Australian rookie professional golfer, died age 18 in a Thai hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage. 
• Tyler Duckworth — died age 44 (August 2026); cause not announced; Real World Key West (2006) and six seasons of MTV's The Challenge (two wins); hosts speculated drug-related. 

Medina County Cancer Cluster

Scott shared a local news segment from 3 News investigator Peter Fleischer about a concerning pattern of cancer cases — including pediatric cancers — concentrated in a specific area of Medina County, Ohio. 90

• Families self-reported cases and built a map showing a high density of diagnoses, many in pre-teen and teenage years between 2021–2024. 
• The cluster is centered near the Montville Township landfill, which closed in the 1970s and was never lined at the bottom — raising concerns about groundwater contamination. 9192
• Dr. Andrew Curtis (Case Western, spatial epidemiology) reviewed the map and called it a credible first step but noted cancer causation requires far more variables to confirm. 93
• Families reported feeling dismissed by local school districts, health departments, and public agencies when requesting testing. 
• Scott noted his childhood home is within the hotspot area on the map; he walked through the landfill as a teenager. 
• Burke compared the situation to Erin Brockovich-style environmental contamination. 

Upcoming Show & Quiz Preview

• Next episode will feature "Burke's Unforgettable Quiz" — 8 sections, 300 possible points, built on Google Forms so listeners can follow along via the website. 
• Sections: 1970s music (1 pt each), Ohio History (5 pts each), 80s music (1 pt each), Broadway Musicals (5 pts each), 90s music (1 pt each), World History (5 pts each), Mel Brooks movies (2 pts each — some fill-in with required correct spelling). 
• Scott made half the questions; AI generated the other half — Scott noted some AI questions were trivially easy, others obscure (e.g., "Who was Genghis Khan's right-hand man?"). 
• Burke will not be allowed to drink until the quiz begins; Scott plans to drink Buffalo Trace highballs.
• Dolly Parton appears in the quiz (Islands in the Stream category).