The popular television show “Mecum Auto Auction – Muscle Cars and More” enters its fourth season on HD Theater with their upcoming program live from Kissimmee, Florida, airing January 26-29th.
“If you can ever get a gig like this, take it,” said Stephen Cox of Sopwith Motorsports, who joins Scott Hoke, John Kramen and Bill Stephens as hosts of the program. “The crew talks all the time about what an amazingly smooth show this has always been. Live shows are known to be hectic. They can be a real stress sometimes and you have no chance to react to anything. But this one has been a dream since the first day.”
Each member of the broadcast crew has a specialty, with Hoke providing overall direction, consistency and anchor duties. Kramen is the undisputed king of car knowledge, while Bill Stephens brings a wealth of experience in drag racing, automotive history and his unpredictable sense of humor. “I’m sort of the physical presence,” Cox says. “I try to augment what the other guys do by demonstrating things on camera in a tangible way. It’s just a fun and different way to connect with the audience. Instead of just talking about things, I like to get up close and demonstrate how things work and what makes these incredible cars so special.” Cox’s 20-year career as a competitive driver also helps when racecars go up on the block for sale.
The Mecum Auto Auction specializes in marketing classic muscle cars directly to the public, selling more such cars than any company in the world. The televised version of Mecum’s auction debuted in Indianapolis in 2008 and has garnered strong network ratings ever since. This year, the program is expected to expand yet again with stops in Dallas, Las Vegas, Monterey, Chicago, Orlando/Kissimmee and Indianapolis. Kansas City gets two visits this year, including a newly announced program from KC slated for live broadcast on March 11th and 12th.
“At every show all around the country, people come up to us and say, ‘Man, this has got to be the best job in the world,'” Cox continued. “And they’re right. It really is. The crew is second to none. After every show I always thank the camera guys for making us look good. The cars are incredible. The people are fantastic. It really is just as good as it looks. This has been a fun ride, and I can’t wait for the next show.”