Ray Auto Group launches ‘The Road Ahead’ podcast

FOX LAKE — The Scarpellis of Ray Chevrolet and Ray Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Fox Lake have always believed in pouring more than sales tax dollars into their dealerships’ community.

Just ask area school booster club officials, leaders of the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots Lake and McHenry County chapters, Habitat for Humanity project organizers, or campaign directors at the United Service Organizations (USO) of Illinois, to name a handful.

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So it should come as no surprise that the new podcast that Ray Scarpelli Jr. and his son, Ray Scarpelli III, launch Thursday, June 11, will focus not only on their dealerships’ people and offerings, but also on everything from the local mayor’s vision for future community amenities to the area sports scene and how other local business owners define and find success.

“What we’re aiming to provide for our audience is that they’ll learn something about the car business and something from someone who is a customer of ours who owns another area business or who has a particularly interesting job,” said Scarpelli III, sales manager for the Ray Auto Group.

“They’ll hear about doing business with us from a consumer standpoint,” he said, “and they’ll also learn something about another business in town and that person’s career.”

The first couple of podcasts — available on Apple, Spotify or wherever audiences find their podcasts — feature as guests Fox Lake Mayor Donny Schmit and CHGO Sports journalist Adam Hoge.

Both Scarpelli III and Scarpelli Jr., who is president and dealer principal, said all of the roughly 40-minute podcast episodes will consist of fun, informative, casual and free-wheeling conversations. The podcasts are being filmed and recorded at Sleepy Dog Creative in Volo. After the June 11 launch, new episodes will be released the second and fourth Thursdays of each month.

“We’re in TV commercials. We’re on social media,” Scarpelli III said. “This is another channel for us to reach out to the community, another touch point, a logical next step.”

“We’re really excited,” Scarpelli Jr. added. “This is something different for us, and we love the idea of helping to generate even more buzz about all of the tremendous businesses and opportunities the Fox Lake and Chain O’ Lakes area has to offer now, as well as what’s on ‘the road ahead.’”