Podcast Summary: Herm & Schrader
Episode: Bentley Warren: American Badass
Hosts: Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader
Release Date: February 5, 2026
Network: SiriusXM, Dirty Mo Media
Overview:
This episode of Herm & Schrader is an epic, irreverent, and hilarious ride through the storied life and career of Bentley Warren—a legendary race car driver, saloon owner, and self-made businessman. Hosts Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader, both accomplished racers and raconteurs, guide Bentley through a wide-ranging conversation packed with tales of racing glory, close-knit friendships, brushes with Hollywood, and a hard-earned business legacy. The conversation flows seamlessly from heartfelt to outrageous, providing a vivid portrait of one of racing’s true originals.
Key Discussion Points & Insights:
1. Bentley’s Legendary Status and New England Roots
- Kenny Wallace introduces Bentley Warren as "the most badass race car driver in racing history" [02:00]
- Bentley shares that he was born in Boston, not Hingham, highlighting his roots and deep New England pride; he’s beloved in the region, not least at his famous saloon in Arundel, Maine [02:26 – 03:37].
2. Bentley’s Saloon: From Dive Bar to Icon
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The story of buying and transforming a rundown bar into Bentley’s Saloon, now a celebrated biker and racing hotspot.
“I took it from being a little crap hole bar to make it a real nice place...My girlfriend Lisa does all the promoting and management...she made the bottom line the best it's ever been.” — Bentley [03:37]
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Bentley praises Lisa’s role and shares laughs with Kenny over how their women are “smarter than us” [04:22 – 04:38].
3. Famous Friends & Biker Culture
- Rusty Wallace’s visit to the saloon is recounted, as is Mark Martin becoming a friend—neighboring him at a luxury RV resort, or as Bentley calls it, “campground” just to needle people [04:44 – 06:45].
- Kenny: “You all have some incredible motor coaches. Do these amaze you?”
Bentley: “They are. I mean, we live in it...I call it camper just because we go camping.” [08:00 – 08:19]
4. Business Acumen: From Racing To Trucking and Beyond
- Bentley’s family hardship, being told by the police chief at 17: “You’ve got to go in the army or go to jail. So I want to be a soldier.” [09:12]
- Military service taught Bentley discipline, people skills, and mechanics—fundamental to his later business success [09:12 – 11:10].
“Three years [in the army], going to Korea...I just learned how to respect people...and how to budget things. Having no money, working, trying to save enough money to buy a tire…” — Bentley [10:00]
5. Early Racing Life and Parental Drama
- Bentley’s first racing memories involve building his own car at 14, crashing it, and having his mother send all his racecars to the scrapyard [15:57 – 18:45].
- Anecdote: After his crash, “I hitchhiked back to the track with my chin bleeding, and when I got home my mother junked all the cars because she didn’t want me racing!” [17:59]
6. The Army Years: Life Lessons and Racing Under Alias
- First race win recollection: Actually at Dude Ranch Speedway in Hampton, Virginia while in the army, racing as “Kid Bent” because soldiers weren’t allowed to race [21:46 – 24:39].
“My company commander spins a newspaper around and here I am with the checkered flag...He said, 'You've been promoted and demoted in the same day.'” — Bentley [23:17]
7. Supermodifieds, IndyCar, and the Wild Years
- Bentley describes his start in open-wheel supermodifieds and transitioning to IndyCar, getting there through networking and friend-of-a-friend connections [12:57 – 14:49].
- Notable for 37 IndyCar starts, including two Indy 500s, and a best finish of fourth at Milwaukee [13:08 – 13:54]
8. IndyCar to Supers: Banned from USAC
- After a non-sanctioned sprint car accident, Bentley was banned from USAC, which pushed him fully back to supermodifieds [33:16 – 35:55].
“Dick King, president of USAC, called me, said, ‘Sorry you got hurt, but you’re out of USAC now because you were racing a non-sanctioned race.’” — Bentley [34:24]
9. Winning Across North America
- Bentley has won at 34 different tracks across the US and Canada—a stat discovered over beer with Kenny Schrader [38:26 – 39:10].
- “We were drinking beers, talking about all the different tracks...He said, ‘You won over here, right?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I think I did.’” [38:26]
10. The Jim Shampine Story—Innovation & Tragedy
- A tribute to Jim Shampine, a rival innovator and friend: “He was so into it...such a good car builder...To win Outlaw features, not everybody can do that.” [43:28 – 46:30]
- Bentley details Shampine’s tragic accident and the emotional impact of losing peers in the sport [45:00 – 46:30]
11. Paul Newman Connection—Hollywood Drives a Midget
- Hollywood and real racing collide: Bentley recalls practicing with Paul Newman in both midgets and a super at Star Speedway [55:43 – 61:55].
“Paul Newman’s concentration was 100% right on...He broke the track record in a midget and nobody was there but 10 of us.” — Bentley [56:41]
- A funny moment: The bodyguard wouldn’t let Bentley into Paul Newman’s RV because he looked “like a biker”, until Newman intervened [61:55 – 64:17]
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reintroduces Bentley to the World
- Dale Jr. sought out Bentley, after reading his biography, and featured him—reigniting public interest in Bentley’s legacy [70:44 – 76:59].
“I called Schrader: ‘Did you give my number to Dale Jr.?’ He said, ‘Yeah. Call him right now.’” — Bentley [71:51]
13. On Longevity and Transitioning from Racing
- Bentley discusses his late career, the experience of being “too light” and losing a win, and when he realized it was time to step away from driving [51:20 – 54:08].
- Reflections on how different “winged” and “non-winged” supermodifieds are [54:08 – 54:51]:
“With the wing, it just plants the car down and goes...the first time with a wing, I was going so much faster than I ever did—I'm not even lifting!” — Bentley [53:29]
14. Building a Business Empire: Bentley Warren Trucking
- Post-injury, Bentley put his racing money and USAC insurance payout into buying a beat-up truck; grew it into Bentley Warren Trucking, a major supplier across New England [79:48 – 85:16].
“I started with one truck...then I bought another...my daughter runs it now, she’s been there 30 years and has made it what it is.” — Bentley [81:39]
- At its peak, the company ran 25–30 trucks and a stone crushing business, serving Maine, NH, and Mass., and thriving under his daughter’s leadership [84:07]
15. Family, Community, and Passing the Torch
- Emotional stories of his daughter and Lisa running the business and saloon, and the pride Bentley feels watching them succeed [88:14 – 90:18].
“It's impressive. That's like my girlfriend Lisa, running the saloon. She started off in the gift shop...and this last year, she took the whole damn thing over and made the bottom line bigger than we've ever had.” — Bentley [88:19]
16. Lasting Legacy in Racing
- Bentley reflects on the rabid loyal fanbase in the Northeast and the honor of being inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame [67:04 – 69:38].
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On making mistakes and moving forward:
“I got kicked out of high school...so I went in the army and got a very, very good education on life...” — Bentley [09:26]
- On old racecars getting junked:
“I hitchhiked back to the track...my mother junked all the cars because she didn’t want me racing.” — Bentley [17:59]
- On the difference a wing makes:
“With the wing it just plants the car down and goes...I’m going so much faster than I ever did.” — Bentley [53:29]
- On family and succession:
“My daughter runs it now...she's just so much smarter than I ever was...she's put a lot of modern technology into it.” — Bentley [84:07]
- On community at the saloon:
“It's a whole group. People enjoy it, enjoy me, the racing, a lot of stuff we do.” — Bentley [02:59]
Important Timestamps
| Segment | Description | Timestamp | |-------------|-----------------|-------------| | Introduction and New England roots | Meet Bentley, saloon origins | 01:30 – 04:22 | | Early racing life & army | First car, family drama, army lessons | 09:12 – 11:10, 15:57 – 18:45 | | IndyCar, USAC ban, supers comeback | Results, politics, moving between divisions | 12:57 – 14:49, 33:16 – 35:55 | | Jim Shampine tribute | Racing rival, tragic loss | 43:17 – 46:30 | | Winning everywhere | 34 tracks, comparing notes with Schrader | 38:26 – 39:10 | | Paul Newman stories | Private midget/super runs at Star | 55:43 – 61:55 | | Dale Earnhardt Jr. feature | Jr. finds, platforms Bentley | 71:51 – 76:59 | | Retiring from racing | Final straw and changing times | 51:20 – 54:08 | | Trucking business legacy | Building, succession, family pride | 79:48 – 90:18 | | Northeast racing love and Hall of Fame | Regional loyalty, Hall induction | 67:04 – 69:38 |
Tone & Style
The episode maintains a warm, teasing, and deeply affectionate banter between old friends and racing legends. Bentley's modesty and humor shine throughout ("I'm just a zero, but I'll take it."). Kenny Wallace's style is high-energy, supportive, and laced with stories and praise. Both recall raucous nights and competitive memories but show deep respect for family, life’s lessons, and the racing community.
For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode
This episode is essential for racing fans, anyone interested in American motorsports or regional success stories, and those who appreciate a no-holds-barred oral history. Bentley Warren’s journey encompasses racing calamities, legendary wins, personal reinventions, business triumphs, and the joy of finding one’s tribe—on the track and off. His humility, wit, and candor, plus the hosts’ chemistry, make this an unmissable entry in Herm & Schrader’s catalog.