“Racers in Rental Cars” is a new podcast hosted by Cameron Ferré and Don O’Neal. While traveling the country racing cars and working in the auto industry, Cameron and Don — like most of their colleagues — spend way too much time in rental cars, in transit, navigating through the daily minutia of traveling this great country on their way to the racetrack.
They listen and put their faith in GPS systems looking for destinations while driving some of the finest rubber-mat models the rental industry has to offer. And in doing so Cameron and Don identified a void in the podcast arena: No one was talking about the world behind the scenes of the racetrack and the automotive industry. Sure, we all love blasting over the track — that’s the fun part — but how do you get to that point?
Constant travel, finding sponsors, purchasing the best racing equipment, navigating the often-cut-throat industry and all the WTF car moments in between will make up our weekly discussions. The journey. The lifestyle.
What we spend the majority of our days doing: preparing for race day. We all want to be “pro racers” on the weekend but what about the Monday through Thursday grind that allows us the luxury to live the dream on the weekends?
Those are the stories we want to tell. Oh, and we also want to spend a significant amount of time talking about the best ways to “upgrade” those rubber mat models the rental agencies give us — we all know you paid the extra $10 a day for the extra insurance and are foot braking the hell out of those things every weekend and know precisely how many donuts you can do in the parking lot of the Best Western in Indy.
Cameron had his first glimpse of racing at the Jr. Drag Racing display and knew that’s exactly what he wanted to do. However, a 9-year-old going 85 MP​H made more sense to him than it did to mom. After learning more about the sport, he earned the support of his family for his new passion. But it still wasn’t going to be easy. A race car wasn’t in the cards on a lawn mowing allowance.
But then fate stepped in. Cameron had been studying acting and booked the role of “Pudge” in a new Warner Brothers motion picture called Jack Frost Cameron was then able to purchase is first Jr. Dragster with some of his financial independence and logged 6 years in the car, 25 event wins and 2 Jr. Dragster National Titles. This would set the stage as he continues to climb the ladder to his ultimate dream of driving a Top Fuel Dragster full time.
Currently, Cameron is the driver of the many different race cars in different classes such as Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp Dragster, and Top Dragster, to name a few. He has wound up in the winner’s circle many times. Cameron is also licensed in Top Fuel dragster, the NHRA’s highest professional level. In 2016 Cameron made his NHRA Top Fuel professional debut in Charlotte, NC. Cameron managed to qualify for the event, and take out the winningest driver in the Top Fuel class in the first round. With a successful debut behind him, he now has his sights on a full-time NHRA Top Fuel Dragster career.
O’Neal started racing in 1992 after his dad, a devout racing fan and Vietnam Veteran, passed away. In 2001, he started racing professionally and drove the U.S. Army dragster from 2004 – 2012. In 2010, O’Neal made it to the final round at the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis. Currently, with 2 NHRA National Events Wins and 2 NHRA Divisional Wins in Top Sportsman, O’Neal is a consistent Top 10 Finisher in Top Sportsman.
O’Neal represents Streetway Marketing & Media, based in Evansville, IN. In 2018, he will race the 1999 Chevrolet Top Sportsman Monte Carlo in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and Lucas Oil Racing events. O’Neal and his Top Sportsman Car will also travel throughout the country to recognize military personnel and their families.
O’Neal is from Henderson, N.C. and is married to Diane and have four girls, Alixandrea, Logan, Emily, and Claire.