Who’s Who

As Emmy® Award-winning producer, host and creator of MotorWeek, television's original and longest running automotive series, John Davis can be seen and heard throughout the U.S. on PBS broadcast and the Velocity cable networks. Through media appearances, Davis' automotive industry expertise is tapped by commercial radio and television programs nationwide (CNN, Weekend Today, and Live with Regis and Kelly) as key industry developments arise. A sought-after speaker, Davis frequently addresses automotive executives, consumer groups, automotive enthusiasts and students interested in the field.

As MotorWeek's host for the show, now celebrating its 36th season, Davis has the opportunity to put all of the new car models through extensive road tests and to judge their practicality for buyers. He also acts as final editor on all of the new car road test segments and writes many of the test opinions as well as other portions of the program. MotorWeek offers him that rare chance to bring the enjoyment of a hobby to his professional life, and to use his broadcasting, engineering and analytical expertise to bring information and insight to those who enjoy cars.

As outreach, Davis and MotorWeek have worked in recent years with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to promote public awareness of alternative fuels. During 2004 and 2005, he served as spokesperson for North Carolina Department of Transportation's initiative promoting annual automotive emissions inspections. In 2002, Davis was spokesperson for the "Smooth Operator" public awareness campaign on aggressive driving in the tri-state area of Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Davis is one of the founders of the North American Car & Truck of The Year Awards, the only independent journalistic automotive award in North America. He served on its executive board from 1994 to 2010. He is also one of the organizers and an original member of the Washington Automotive Press Association, the oldest and most prestigious organization of automotive journalists in North America.

A 1970 mechanical and aerospace engineering graduate of North Carolina State University, Davis also holds a master of business administration degree from the University of North Carolina. He was the 1969-1970 recipient of the W.D. Cartwright Memorial Engineering Scholarship and a member of the Pi Tau Sigma honorary scholastic fraternity. Prior to joining Maryland Public Television, Davis worked for the Wall Street brokerage firm of Kidder, Peabody and Company as a transportation analyst. Upon joining MPT, John served as Producer, Executive Producer, and finally Senior Executive Producer on the iconic PBS television series Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser for most of the show's thirty year run.

Davis has owned a variety of high performance cars, including several vintage Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Corvettes and a deTomaso Pantera.

While the closest some of us will come to a microphone is karaoke night, MotorWeek's resident automotive guru, Pat Goss, is as comfortable on the air as he is under the hood. And when he's not dispensing advice on radio and television, this master technician trades his dipstick for a pen. Pat's articles on car care have appeared in publications such as U.S. News & World Report and Reader's Digest, in addition to his bi-weekly column in The Washington Post and his column in the National Corvette Owners Association magazine.

It hasn't been all sound bites and bylines for this native New Yorker. His first foray into automotive repair was when he opened a body shop as a high school freshman. By the time Pat was a senior, he was operating an 11,000 square-foot garage, with 23 employees, and was grossing $870,000 a year.

Since 1981, viewers have been able to lift the door on Goss' Garage, Pat's popular MotorWeek segment, and learn from his expertise. His weekly "tool kit" of information helps extend the life of the automobiles Americans love to drive.

This 40-year veteran of the automotive diagnostic and repair industry has helped millions of car owners gain knowledge and confidence. "Proper maintenance" is Pat's mantra to the mainstream, encouraging drivers to change the fluids and check the components in their cars on a regular basis. The most common and confusing consumer problem? According to Pat it's the ubiquitous yellow "Check Engine" light - the Yellow Gremlin! Mostly misunderstood by drivers, "Check Engine" lights make technicians dig deep to diagnose their cause.

When he's not on MotorWeek, Pat can be heard weekly on his wildly popular radio show, Goss' Garage, which has been consistently rated one of Washington, D.C.'s top radio shows for more than 20 years.

Award-winning reporter Yolanda "Yoli" Vazquez has shifted into overdrive since joining MotorWeek in 2007, and is focused squarely on giving viewers the inside track on important consumer stories. Accustomed to being on the frontlines of breaking news such as Hurricane Katrina and the Washington area sniper shootings, Yolanda's Motor News segments tracks auto industry news, focusing on crash tests, safety ratings, new advances in technology and the latest from auto shows around the world.

Her work has been recognized by some of the most respected automotive journalism organizations in the country. Yolanda won three 2008 International Wheel Awards from the Detroit Free Press Club Foundation for segments on extended warranties, vehicle leasing, and gas-saving tips. She also picked up a 2008 Telly Award for highlighting the dangers of texting while driving, as well as the Washington Automotive Press Association's 2009 Golden Quill Award and the 2007 International Automotive Media Award (IAMA) for a feature story on Brooklyn, New York's Automotive High School. Yolanda won two other 2007 IAMA's for her report on convertible crash testing and her continuing series of FYI segments.

Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Miami, Florida, Yolanda studied broadcasting and film at Boston University where she had a recurring role on, Bay State, a soap opera produced by students. From there she headed to the Big Apple and a stint as an NBC page and a Saturday Night Live! personal assistant. That led to on-air reporting gigs in Kentucky, Texas, Maryland and Florida.

Having spent much of her career on the road, Yolanda is particularly fond of her 4-cylinder BMW, Conchita. It's her favorite drive, but she wouldn't turn 007 down for a spin in his Aston Martin.

Even when a bicycle or rollerblades were his only mode of transportation, MotorWeek Over The Edge reporter Zach Maskell knew that a career involving cars was in his future.  Fascinated while watching his neighbor swap a Volkswagen VR6 motor into a MKII GTI, Zach would sneak over often to take in as much of the project as possible.   A few years later and with his own toolbox in hand, Zach bought a 1995 BMW M3, and quickly transplanted a twin turbo inline 6-cylinder, Toyota 1JZ-GTE engine into the engine bay.

Zach got his introduction to electronic media by interning at WNAV in Annapolis, Maryland while attending the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland.  Before long, he moved in front of the camera in Morgantown, West Virginia where he reported and occasionally anchored for WDTV. Taking advantage of the opportunity to feed his adrenaline appetite, Zach was often seen blasting down mountains on a snowboard or zip-lining hundreds of feet in the air, all as part of the job.  On the serious side, Zach had a hand in covering a national missing persons case, helped save malnourished horses and dug into the good and bad effects of West Virginia’s natural gas boom.   When he wasn’t chasing stories, Zach served as the unofficial newsroom mechanic.

Zach’s love of cars, and for that matter anything that moves him, led him to join the staff of MotorWeek in the spring of 2013. To him, staying active is the name of the game.   While he may spend less of his free time fetching  golf balls from a pond, he still enjoys strapping on his hockey gear in the winter and holding on for dear life when wakeboarding in warmer times.  Zach lives in Harford County, Maryland and is currently wheeling a 1999 BMW M3 coupe.

All the time Lauren Morrison spent in the garage and on the track with her Dad and brother has prepare her for her position as Feature Reporter for MotorWeek. As producer and reporter for the FYI segment, Lauren delivers timely information on driving and automotive safety, money-saving advice, as well as the latest automotive trends and technological advances. Lauren is also the producer of the Clean Cities segment that gives viewers a front row seat as automakers seek to strike a balance between giving car buyers the performance they desire and the fuel economy they demand.

An alumna of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Lauren earned her bachelor's degree in media and communications studies.  Prior to joining the MotorWeek crew, Lauren was a morning reporter and fill-in anchor at NBC affiliate WAFF-TV in Huntsville, AL.  During her tenure at WAFF, Lauren was chosen to cover the BCS National Championship game in Pasadena where her Alma Mater FSU crushed Auburn University. Earlier in her career she was an evening news anchor at the CBS affiliate in Bangor, ME, WABI-TV.  

A Florida native, Lauren loves the sun so her dream car would have to be a convertible. If she had her choice Lauren would drive the MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice winner for Best Convertible in 2014, the Jaguar F-Type. Lauren currently drives a Subaru Legacy.

There are three good reasons you shouldn't be surprised that Brian Robinson has been MotorWeek's Road Test producer since 1997, and Two Wheelin' correspondent since 2009. One, while growing up in rural Maryland, Brian's first words included "tractor." Two, he spent every spare moment checking out the action at local racetracks. And three, he and his dad never missed an episode of MotorWeek. So, after attending Villa Julie College (now Stevenson University) in Baltimore, he set his sights on a career that would put his love of cars and bikes to use. He knew just the place for that - MotorWeek.

While Brian enjoys telling people his first car was a 'Vette, we must clarify that it was actually a Chevette. He's come a long way since then, traveling around the globe to test everything from Land Rovers to Lamborghinis. Brian is still stoked about a trip to Ferrari's Fiorano test track in Italy a few years back. Not only did he get to test drive a Ferrari 575M Maranello, but he got to see the F1 team in action on the track. But for every exotic Ferrari he's driven, there is also an economy car like the Ford Fiesta. Brian says it's all about helping consumers make smart buying decisions, and of course letting them dream a little!

Brian puts his dry wit and extensive knowledge of autos and bikes to use as a regularly featured panelist, and sometimes host, of MotorWeek's podcasts. As humble as he is modest, Brian says what he lacks in talent and ability, he makes up for with hard work.

Brian lives in Carroll County, Maryland with his wife and son. If you stopped by his house, you would find a 2000 Toyota Celica GT-S, 1979 Harley-Davidson FLH80 and 1974 Harley Davidson Super Glide in his driveway.