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Speedway Stories: Tim Warner
16 Plays1 month ago
Wally welcomes Mega truck driver Tim Warner to the show to talk about his career and the world of mega truck racing
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Transcript
00:00:03
Speaker
Bye.
Introducing Tim Warner and the Wrong Turn 2.0 Megatruck
00:01:27
Speaker
Welcome again, everybody, to another edition of Speedway Stories. I'm your host, Wally, with my co-host, Johnny. Good evening. We have a special guest chief for you guys tonight. Let me bring the gentleman up. It's Mr. Tim Warner.
00:01:41
Speaker
He drives the Wrong wrong wrong Turn 2.0 Megatruck. He's a kind of local to me here in Ohio. I met him this past summer at the Hartford Fairgrounds during the Monster Truck and Summer truck summer Race.
00:01:58
Speaker
How you doing tonight, Tim? Good, good. How you guys doing? Doing good. Thank you. Good. All righty. So I'm going hand the floor over to you like I do most of my guests. Introduce yourself. um Tell us a little bit about about yourself and everything else, and we'll go from there, sir. The floor is yours.
00:02:18
Speaker
All right. perfect Hi. Yep. i'm I'm Tim Warner, driver owner of the Wrong Turn 2.0 truck. The reason that it's a 2.0, the original Wrong Turn, I purchased that out of South Carolina and it served me well.
00:02:31
Speaker
we We did some serious carnage to it at some of the events, so we had to build a new one in Cleetech out of Michigan. built me this chassis, built me this truck. And that's kind of why it's 2.0. And the wrong turn is another story for another day on on where that is. They start coming off of the old movies or what have you. I am notorious for making a wrong turn legitimately. So that this just kind of fit with us.
00:02:56
Speaker
But I'm originally from Grantville, reside in Heath here, right here locally to us. You know, been in the off-road sport for, let's see, 25, no, 30-some years now I've been in the off-road sport, whether it be, know, mud bogging where I started out back in the local track there, the old, the world famous Vicks mud bog is where I started and kind of fell in
Mega Trucks vs. Monster Trucks: The Differences
00:03:23
Speaker
love. Oh, yeah. Yep.
00:03:24
Speaker
He taught me a lot over the years, and you know my dad always thought I was nuts for for tearing up a good four-wheel drive truck back in the day, and I guess now I i don't have to use my daily driver to to to go out and tear it up anymore.
00:03:38
Speaker
No, you just got a more expensive Toyota. You get to play with with a little more horsepower, too. Yes, yes.
00:03:47
Speaker
um You know, so that the mega truck, you know, is a lot of people look at him go, oh man, that'll go through a lot of mud. That'll, you know, you can do this, you can do that with it. You know, mega trucks themselves are in their own world class of of vehicles You know, you have your tough trucks, you have your monster trucks, you have your rally trucks.
00:04:07
Speaker
Mega trucks are can do just about the same thing as what a monster truck does. We're just not limited on horsepower. We're not limited on our chassis. We're not limited on a lot of different things that that maybe the me monster trucks are that that just lets us...
00:04:23
Speaker
you know, kind of run wild and, and, and it's really, the the mega truck is really a mentality. It is a, um, um, is, uh, sorry guys, let me mute my phone here.
00:04:34
Speaker
Oh, you're good, man. It's all no, that's no problem, buddy. You're good. Um, you know, mega truck is really a mentality. Um, you know, yeah, yeah. You go out and you give it your all, you know, and and and just kind of see how the truck performs. You know, the the more the more seat time you get like anything, the more comfortable you get with it, the more that you trust your ride, the more that you trust your instincts with everything. um You know, i I did that this summer. I had the first opportunity to hit a couple of the Tough Truck tracks, you know, and on so much.
00:05:09
Speaker
And I'll tell you that those tracks that, you know, compared to what I'm used to, and, you know, I'm, I'm kind of new in the, the, the mega truck sport. So I am learning a lot and, and what have you can't be too young to, to learn more.
00:05:23
Speaker
um But I was really surprised at how well the, the the The tough trucks flew and landed on those jumps compared to how i landed and jumped on those. You know, me, I felt like ah like a log wagon on some of those smaller jumps.
00:05:41
Speaker
Right. the guys The guys were just like like and like a bird in the air, man. I mean, especially with Al and, you know, those guys and their modifieds, man. they they just They make that when they hit those jumps, dude. It was they just like and like I said, a bird in the air.
00:05:57
Speaker
Yeah, 100%. And, you know, I like, you know, ah our trucks are set up a lot like monster trucks, if you will. We like the long, long approaches, long jumps to where we can get a lot of air, and and it's hard to to get that adjusted.
00:06:14
Speaker
Yeah, because to me, the mega truck racing, i grew I'm like you, grew up with the monster trucks, you know, watching Bigfoot, USA One, all that stuff. okay When the mega trucks started coming in,
00:06:26
Speaker
man, like you said, the capability of these trucks and how far they've come over the years, all you guys really are, are baby monster trucks. But like you said, unlimited horsepower, it's what, what the driver can and chassis can withstand on this stuff. So. Well, a hundred percent, you know, a lot of the monster trucks, they're limited on the horsepower that, that the 1500 horse, what style motor they can run. um And they have to weigh a certain amount of, you know, on the,
00:06:53
Speaker
A certain amount is what they need to weigh. I think 10 to 12,000 pounds is what they have to weigh.
Challenges and Costs of Event Hosting
00:06:59
Speaker
Yeah, that's what Tim Howard was saying because I picked his brain about that there at the monster truck race when we were all there and everything. And I helped that day. I was curious because I always hear on Monster Jam, you know, they only talk certain things.
00:07:13
Speaker
And, you know, usually Google's your friend. But it wanted to go into detail of actual how a monster truck is supposed to be for these shows in this or and for Monster Jam the way they want them set up. Right. and Monster Jam does have quite a quite a few rules. Now, mind you, I'm not privileged to to that info myself. i'm I'm not that high on the food chain to know some of this. but ah But, you know, hearing people talk and and what have have you you, know, our chassis are pretty much the same.
00:07:41
Speaker
There's not a lot different in our chassis. Yeah. the The big difference, you know, I run a 611 Meritor. I run two two steer axles, so I have the four-wheel steer. You know, a lot of those guys are running that the petty bones, the 20-ton axles, but let's be honest. They're jumping...
00:08:00
Speaker
you know, 40, 50, 60 foot in the air and, and coming down and bouncing like a pillow or a trampoline, you know, you know, and they're they're awesome in their own right, you know, ah of what they do. And I chuckle whenever everybody says, what's, what is a mega truck? What is this? You know, what, what do you do? And, you know, you see the aggressive tires that the tractor tires, and man, that'll go through mud, you know, sure it will, but I, I,
00:08:24
Speaker
you've seen the truck i'm not saying mine's any better looking than the next but i don't like i love my well my thing is that i've been watching that uh one of the channels i follow is that's buddy 713 out of michigan man yes you know perkins mud bogs and watch yes dude those mega trucks Yeah, they can go through until they hit the deep pit. They're like anything else. They can sink just as well as the next boat's stock truck. A hundred percent. I watched many of them. Right. We actually went up to Perkins last year. It was gonna be the second time out with the truck, and I had a
00:09:03
Speaker
mechanical malfunction that we weren't able to run. And, and yeah. And what was really looking at, that's been on my bucket
The Tale of the Perkins Mud Pit
00:09:10
Speaker
list. I've had certain things that are on my bucket list, you know, couple of them I've been able to do.
00:09:15
Speaker
um I've still got a lot on my bucket list to do yet. um But that is some of the stinkiest mud I have ever been around. And I'm i'm a farm boy. So, you know, it it takes a lot for me to go, oh, that stinks. I was going to say, if you've been around on farms and stuff, especially hog farms and stuff, you get the mud smells, what makes you say, oh, you know, there's something going on. Yes. Yes. Yeah.
00:09:38
Speaker
Yeah, and and I guess the story has, and I don't know how true it is, but this is what I've always been told that up there at Perkins, they there's actually a lake up underneath of that.
00:09:49
Speaker
um And there's no bottom of that. one Really? What's that? yeah So that's the reason why it's when it basically kind of dries off the top until the spring. Until you stir it. And start digging. No kidding.
00:10:04
Speaker
Dude, that's crazy. I had an individual tell me that, look, when those big truck when they come off that big jump, if you're standing on the sides of it, you can feel the whole the whole thing wave. And I'm not kidding. You sure can. You can feel the whole ground just kind of move under you.
00:10:22
Speaker
Yeah, well that's why you don't see them really, with with when you see them get in and get start to get stuck, they just let out. You're man, why don't they just keep at it? No, you'll you'll you'll dig yourself you know all the way all way down to nothing. That that that that explains it. why Yeah, because it's like the one year...
00:10:40
Speaker
dirty 30 watched him the first time i stumbled on there he buried that ass into his uh the dirty 30 and you heard people in the guy's video keep going keep going he's and you you hear hear buddy go we don't want the truck in a graveyard and now now you you know you answered the question now why and up there but yeah that is like everybody's but like you said that's As a spectator, that's on my bucket list to go and take my wife because she's into the motorsports stuff and my family is too. But that's one of those we want to leave the kids behind and go to take a trip to up there to catch either of the spring or the fall show. um Yeah, man, i that's definitely one. And –
00:11:25
Speaker
I could not believe when we were there how many people were there sitting on that hillside, just one big happy family. And, you know, that's what's great about, I say, the mud sport, the off-road sports, you know. but yeah.
00:11:38
Speaker
Everybody is family. You know, if if if a guy's broke down, this guy comes and helps. um It's, you know, you can you can be competitors when you're up on that line and you're side-by-side with them on the track. But once it's over with,
00:11:51
Speaker
You're best buds again. And that that's what I love about the off-road sport so itself is is that family camaraderie. I've noticed that more more between, and I've grown up around it all, drag racing, everything.
00:12:07
Speaker
Truck and tractor pulling in the off-road. is more of a tight knit family after all these, you know, over the years growing up, it's like, Oh, drag racing's huge. Yeah. It's there, but it's not as much as I see, like you said, the off-road community, the truck and tractor pulling community, man, and and like me and Tyler worked and we were talking with Tyler last week and Wes and Brock when, when they were up, it's amazing to be part of this family.
00:12:34
Speaker
And, To see some of these guys when they were little kids, when I first went to the first race and stuff at Knox County Fair, the Super Bowl, up on the horse pulling track, to see these guys actually racing now.
00:12:46
Speaker
Oh, yeah. yeah you know it's It's amazing. You know, it's funny you
Racing Community and Local Track Support
00:12:51
Speaker
bring that up, you know, because one point I love talking about is, you know, us as racers, we –
00:12:59
Speaker
need to have places to be able to run whether it be at the fair whether it be at this private track or that private track you know and and we all as racers because of our personalities you know we all have that type a you know mentality to where we want to be the best that's why we we do you know that's why compete in events um you know but not only supporting the race tracks as as Whether whether you like the person that's running the track or not supporting the venue makes a huge difference. You know where where I started it at the Vicks Mud Bog, you know, 25 years ago, you you know, in the local community, you you only had to drive 30, 40 minutes away to hit a local mud bog from
00:13:42
Speaker
so yeah to Utica, to Lancaster. i mean, they were all over the place. Now, I don't think there's anything even remotely close for Mudbugs. I think there might be one around Zanesville area and one down in southern Ohio.
00:13:57
Speaker
But I don't think there's anything. No, because Vicks is gone. We lost Crumbs. Yeah. HDMP is gone. Yeah, I mean, we've lost... And the bad part is...
00:14:10
Speaker
It's not that it's not wanting to carry on. like I know Vic had some health issues in that. their Their biggest problem was the premiums for the damn insurance would still be over that. Yes. And that's what...
00:14:23
Speaker
yes and that's what We as racers, we think, oh, man, look at how much we put into our trucks. Look how much time we put into this. What none of us really think about is how much time ah has the promoter, has has the track owner or the track manager put into this to give us a place to go play? Because let's be honest, none of are getting into this.
00:14:47
Speaker
Oh, no. You know, we we're going to have a row of trophies that one day we're going to be able to look back and go, hey, I did that once upon a time. But we're not, we're not yet a big, big bucks to do this. Right. And yeah if we don't support these local fairs, these local tracks, you know, everybody loves the fair events when the fair is going on.
00:15:06
Speaker
Oh, yeah. What about the events? in between when the fair is going on, when they're trying to show, Hey, this is what we can do. This is what we can do. um And, you know, I, I was surprised at that event, ah you know, just using local, the one that that was put on up there.
00:15:24
Speaker
What was that? June or July, the, the KOA drag races. Yep. And then Lonnie. Yeah. Lonnie having the, his summer race and everything else. Yeah. I mean, that's, and that's, and Lonnie's the reason i want to do,
00:15:38
Speaker
dip my toes into the promoting besides giving back to the you know the sports i love and shit right but it's the insurance thing right now is my biggest hang-up because nobody wants to answer me and i'm gonna be honest right here on my live show Nobody will give me a straight answer on what are the premiums or what do i need to do.
00:16:00
Speaker
And I've emailed like 13 different places for insurance. And I've had one get back with me that we'll get you a quote here soon for just those two days.
00:16:11
Speaker
And I still haven't heard nothing. That was back in October. Yeah. and that's the problem anymore is to get an event for a couple of shows, you'll get the insurance for a couple shows that you want to do is getting an insurance company to one, the the agent or what I have to, to want to write a policy for just a couple of, because they want, they, they really want to, ah golly, I hate to say this, but they really want to break it off. And Ian, I know that's not, not really. And that's, it and and and that's, and it really is. It's the truth. I mean, I talked to a,
00:16:44
Speaker
Bill Lutz, he's one of my good drag racing buddies here and stuff. He deals with the people in the insurance side. And I tried. he I got to get with him again. um But he's he's mostly on the drag racing side, like doing the insurance, the coverage.
00:17:01
Speaker
in the vehicles yeah was going to look into it in between when he can to see what he could do because he was the only other person I knew I could message and get a hold of the pick his brain.
00:17:12
Speaker
Hey man, I'm trying to do this as a first time promoter and give back, you know, to the, to the community.
Organizing Events: Logistics and Challenges
00:17:18
Speaker
Um, but yeah, when I got a hold of Hartford, um, it was cool. Um, it's, I gotta have a $500 deposit to hold the two days for the days that I got in October, which I'm cool with.
00:17:29
Speaker
Um, My thing is is i I'm leaning towards when I get – I'm working on getting it there. We're slowly getting the money up so I can say, here, can I meet you guys and give you this the whole disc. um I'm honestly thinking because of the time of the year that I'm doing this and the way October's been, I'm hoping it stays like it's been, the decent weather. I'm thinking with the fair board because I'm going to put it out here.
00:17:54
Speaker
It's either $5,000 straight up for the whole weekend of the fair board. or give them 20% off the top of the gate. You know, I did some math. I love math. I love crunching numbers. I'd rather do the 20% because actually when it's all said and done, I pay less than paying that $5,000 for the 20% off the top of the gate.
00:18:15
Speaker
Right. You know, but with with the right promotion, and how many people can you put in those, but how many butts can put in those seats? Right. And that's what I'm, that's why I've been pushing. um I've got, I've got,
00:18:26
Speaker
ah And I've reached out people's reached out to me since I put it in the chatter, the group chat and everything. I don't know if I have you in there on the Facebook messenger, but I put my like proposal out, what I want to do. Hell, Karen, I'll get you added in there, man. and But yeah, the i Karen, she's like, I'll print these off and I'll start hitting local businesses. um i The one that surprised me the most in the whole chat, I didn't expect.
00:18:54
Speaker
Nick Anderson gave me pointers, man. I, you know, I, I have the utmost respect for him. yes he goes, Hey bud, this is what you need to do here and here. Just like you stepped up. I, you know, like i said, I only need met you through Alan stuff, these last two summer races.
00:19:10
Speaker
And then when you see in my post about my stuff and you messaged me, I'm like, This is awesome, man. You know what I mean? like Somebody that's just got the same drive. Not to sound selfish here, but you know, I was looking, Hey, maybe I got another spot that I can run my truck locally, you know, cause, cause once again, actually, I was gonna, actually, I was, uh, Brock Talbert and stuff. We were talking, we talked to Tex McAport.
00:19:36
Speaker
He actually brought up, how about doing you like in between, while we're doing the stuff have tim come do again i'd be like i was like dude if he's down and he's not racing or got to race that weekend i'd love to freaking have him again that'd be fucking awesome to have him at my show i love hitting events locally that that you know me going to and i've done a couple smaller mud bogs locally and you build this stuff you know the the pro mega truck or what have you, because you you got a little bit of a
Racing in Premier Mega Truck Series
00:20:09
Speaker
ego. Let's be honest. You know, yeah're you're not going to that kind of money in something. If you don't want to take it out and show it off, whether it be, you know, just look pretty. You want to go try to show what it, what it can do.
00:20:20
Speaker
on I don't have anywhere locally to do that. You know, my closest, I think the closest event that I have, you know, I'm, I'm in the premier mega truck series. So we, de peterer says we do a lot.
00:20:33
Speaker
Let's see. we we We were there at Dennis Anderson's in April, I think it is. Then we're Virginia a couple different times. And that is a track beyond a track. one is the thing is What's that?
00:20:46
Speaker
The one in Virginia is Dennis anderson fairnesss Anderson's. That jump off that back end is no joke, guys. That is a massive jump. and like It looks like it in the videos.
00:20:59
Speaker
Yeah, guess they air melt it. And what what nobody really believes on that, that would, I, I'd be a little jump out back for us to kind of test it a little bit. That was the first time out in the truck and the, and,
00:21:11
Speaker
the guy that built the truck, you know, the the last the last thing you said to me before we took off in the toter to head down there to Dennis Anderson's down there was, man, give her hell and don't let up. Well, that's all I was thinking after I came across that little chap coming into it is, man, I better make him proud. He he did all this work. Oh, dude, that is cool as hell, though, man.
00:21:32
Speaker
ah dude that is cool as hell though man Yeah. Yeah. And then, but I think the closest one we have is down to rush Kentucky the end of the year in September. Yeah. Yep. That's the one. Yeah. I got it. I follow the premier mega truck schedule. I've got this year's schedule. So yeah, that is the closest one and let you know, to actually go see you guys race close by.
00:21:53
Speaker
and you know, what's funny. We tried three different times in Ohio to get spectators involved into the mega truck sport. Yeah. um whether it be the promote on the promoter side, whether it be us on the mega truck side, I don't know where the disconnect is, but you know, you, you get up to Michigan, you go to North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia. it's huge. It is amazing.
00:22:19
Speaker
Yeah. You, you mentioned mud bogs and they, they, they, they look at you and go what do you mean? Hill and hole, you know, you know, the, the, the straight hill and holes and what have you, you know, The style of racing is just different. and Very much so.
00:22:35
Speaker
Well, and that's like, besides the East Coast, I mean, look at the shit they do in Texas with the rednecks with paychecks, the mega trucks that travel clear out there, to Louisiana for that stuff too, man. I mean, it's insane. Yeah. Yeah. And, and, you know,
00:22:49
Speaker
yeah yeah yeah and and you know it's It's really disappointing that Ohio, you know, you go to Missouri, you go to Minnesota,
Regional Differences in Mega Truck Events
00:23:00
Speaker
Wisconsin. They're all around us. I think there's only pro-mega trucks in Ohio i that i that I know of.
00:23:08
Speaker
no mind There might be other mega trucks, you know, bal mega-bog trucks or what have you. Yeah, they're mostly mud-bog trucks I know of. But you're one, and I think there's two others that I know of. Yeah, Jake Burton and Joe Stewart. Yep, yep, yep.
00:23:23
Speaker
Um, um, and I can't think of anybody else that still has them that runs around. There used to be a guy over on Eastern, over around, uh, Cambridge area that had one for a while. I can't think of his name.
00:23:34
Speaker
um but you know, it's almost no different. It's almost like when the mud bogs died, that's when some of the offer yeah, you know, and and it's ah it's a shame, you know, very much so.
00:23:50
Speaker
it's It's the lack of, you know, let let's be honest, that all the all the off-road sports have gotten at a hand-on price. you know Oh, yeah yeah. Yeah, it's gone extreme on what it used to be. I mean, it is crazy. Yeah.
00:24:06
Speaker
and 14 years ago, i put we put together a truck in our in our barn for probably $3,000 to $5,000. It was back in the early days of the diesels, and i would everybody knew me as diesel 10 back in the day. put a 24-minute.
00:24:24
Speaker
And went out and we raced the living shot out of that thing everywhere. It was just a unique type of vehicle. um And, you know, as it seemed like when we quit racing that we yeah and I'm not saying we're not we're not the cause of the demise, but it seemed like that once that hit every, you know, everybody's checkbooks had to get open even more to be able to compete, you know, and and you look at a lot of these.
00:24:50
Speaker
other areas you know of what they're doing want to compete here because we do you know everybody likes to travel a little bit whether three hours two hours four hours six hours eight hours it's neat to go hit these other tracks which we should um you know but supporting our home tracks too you know there's always politics involved with it whether whether you think there is or not this person doesn't like this this person doesn't like that and we always off-road and we need to figure out how to keep the off-road sports together. And man, I, you know, I, I was privileged that, that Tyler and Al let me, um you know, come up there to the fair with him.
00:25:26
Speaker
You know, I love that you showed up. i seen you pulling in and my jaw just dropped. I'm like, I get to see a mega truck in person. I was like a little kid again. I'm like, right, right. Mega truck in person. Yeah. in way exactly And exactly. know, that, that, that being the hometown fair, you know, where I, I grew up showing the fair and, you know,
00:25:47
Speaker
And, um you know, so it it was just one of those it it was it was a I guess one other thing off of my bucket list, if you will, but but let let let's back up for just a second about this, about this whole track and support and our tracks. One thing I want to add to this as we support our tracks as, as competitors, you know, we need to realize, and and the one reason a lot of these tracks go by is because the we're not bringing the younger generation up with us. We're not taking the time as competitors to talk to the kids. And I don't know if you saw me up there Croton,
00:26:20
Speaker
you know, when when they had us all lined up and what have you, you know, what's the first thing that everyone... Oh, yeah, turn to monster. Yeah, you know, around the monster trucks. and understandably, that there are reasons for this, and I understand, you know, but there's there's always the tape around the trucks. Look, don't touch it. Don't do this. Don't do that.
00:26:37
Speaker
You were a little kid once. I was a little kid once, you know, and and, you know, I always take my doors off my truck, and I put the kids up in the seat of the truck.
Inspiring Future Generations through Fan Interaction
00:26:46
Speaker
You know, let them see what it's like to say... Oh, yeah, all you guys did.
00:26:50
Speaker
All the rough truck guys and you. you guys the i That whole time. that During that time. I think Tim was smiling more than than the whole ordeal. Seeing the reaction more towards the tough trucks and you than the monster truck thing.
00:27:06
Speaker
i mean, the only one the only one that I mean during the monster truck shows, the van meters, they're badass. They let the kids. but The family that has higher education, that school bus.
00:27:21
Speaker
That is like the biggest draw any time they bring him to Crowley. It's just freaking amazing. Yes. Yeah. He is a great guy. That was the first time you ever met him up there.
00:27:33
Speaker
um He's kind of turning into a little bit of a mentor for me on help me get some adjustments. Hey, man, I saw this. yeah um You know, and things that nobody sees behind the behind there the scenes ah of these shows is what really goes on In between time, you know, I was all strapped in my truck getting ready to run and they said, hey, you're going to be number six or whatever it was. We're going run the monster trucks through.
00:27:58
Speaker
And his black stallion truck wouldn't start. The starter went out at it. right You know, he he's out there wrenching on it. I unstrap, go over, help him get a starter in and out and what have you. And then every time when I came back in, hey, next time when you hit this jump, hit it like this. Or, hey, we we know that with your tires, you can't clear the clear the vans like what we can with the tires. that That's why I finally was able to jump up jumped the car up there because he said, hey, I'm going to go out and I'm going to roll over top of one of these to to put it down a little bit.
00:28:31
Speaker
What you think of that there? i did good Good question, Scott. I never even thought about that. Yeah, Matt Riff, man, he's doing some of amazing... I know there's a bunch of us pushing for the rough truck. Who is that up there if that's doing that?
00:28:46
Speaker
um His name's Matt Riff. He used to race NASCAR and everything else. And then he's got a buddy. They just... finished up they're working on they're gonna have supercross races and stuff up there too but he's gonna do a drift track he's doing a drift track he wants to do i mean there's over i guess i didn't realize there was 250 acres of him to play with really yeah because they're still part of the old drag strip that was originally built they're gonna tear the rest of that up too
00:29:20
Speaker
But they're looking for other ideas. And Cecil Frazier, Al, all of us has been pushing, hey, put a Rough Truck event on. Maybe we can get one of these days to revive with the Rough Trucks, get you and some of the Megatruck guys where it doesn't interfere with the schedule. Hey, let's put on a series up here.
00:29:42
Speaker
you know It could bring people back. That is a perfectly good opportunity. yeah yes You are right, Scott. oh yeah It is It's going to be amazing for central Ohio in itself and possibly the whole state having something like that where it's a variety of everything.
00:30:00
Speaker
well that That is the one thing that Ohio is is missing. I think there's one up in northern Ohio, but you know let let's be honest. you know us in central ohio you know If you're in central Ohio, you can get to about any point in Ohio in roughly three hours, three, three and a half hours max.
00:30:17
Speaker
Sometimes, you know, the the GPS says you can't get there from here, but you can pretty much, you know, three, three and a half hours. If there was one closer to central Ohio, it would bring in you know a lot of everybody.
00:30:30
Speaker
Well, back to the Vicks mud bog. When I was going back in elementary and high school. Indiana, Pennsylvania. You had people coming from Missouri. He even had people from Canada coming down, racing that point series when that was going on. It was an amazing meeting the people. And by the way, yeah bring you watch this gentleman here is impious actually works in Missouri at one, uh, Lucas oil speedway.
00:30:57
Speaker
Okay. And nos he, he's always been a big supporter of the channel before. And he's real big into that. Um, Every time he comes in the chatterbox, he goes, if we show up, he's got us covered any time, and he throws it out the offer you know pretty much to anybody that goes out. yeah so But yeah the and oh yeah, that's the thing too, is is ah Flow Racing has hurt a lot of ah lot of lot of things. I mean, with you know charging the stuff, I get it. um
00:31:29
Speaker
I've actually reached out, I'm going to throw it out again, Motor Mania TV. I actually reached out to them to see if they would be interested in doing something different besides drag racing, come do a live for the rough truck event.
00:31:42
Speaker
I thought that'd be kind of cool, you know, give them open their horizon. They said there's a possibility, but they got to look at their schedule because usually in October, they got, you know, down in North Carolina and stuff that they do a big bracket race, but they got to look at their schedule, but they're willing to give me, you know, look into it and see if they're available. And I think that'd be amazing to have,
00:32:04
Speaker
That big of platform besides trying to to set up on this network here that my buddies started to give me this opportunity to do what I'm doing now, to go live on it as well. But they reach worldwide.
00:32:16
Speaker
we We may reach worldwide, but I see it in their chatterbox. People from Germany watching these big races that they put on for free because of their sponsors, which is awesome.
00:32:27
Speaker
I mean, that's like that was a big thing that hit me. I'm like, I'm going to email them too and say, hey, Would you be interested in something different? And they said, yeah, let's just see what our schedule is. And we'll get back to you at the end of February, beginning of March. I'm like, oh, yeah, that's awesome.
00:32:42
Speaker
A hundred percent, you know, and and, you know, look, look, look at us. You know, I'm I'm I'm going to kind of give it, you know, I'm 50, you know, and and, you know, with that. what we're trying to do the sport now, we got to remember that we got to keep this younger generation involved, whether it be through additional TV, you know, that I i'll just recently,
00:33:03
Speaker
You know, and that that's one thing that we as racers need to always remember that we we always have eyes on us. we We've got a competitive side. We're we're there. You know, we we might be upset because this guy cut us off or we missed a we missed ah a turn and what have you. Always remember, you know, us as as competitors, we we've got little eyes on us all the time. You know, we we always want these events to be.
00:33:29
Speaker
quote unquote family friendly. We want, you know, want the whole family to be able to come to them and what have you. You know, there there's that one time that no matter how upset we are at race and we need to leave it out on the track. So when we come off that track, you know, we're advocates of of the off road sport.
00:33:45
Speaker
Beautifully said. yeah And it's the truth. He's right. It is. But yeah. And then Zepheus just said, yeah, I agree with this one too. and People wonder why tracks are closing let alone bitching about them. Yes things like flow do keep people from coming to their local track yeah because they don't And and that's the thing I see a lot too on Facebook world and all this stuff Well, it costs $40 to get in well sometimes that $40 but yet you pay
00:34:17
Speaker
$200 a year subscription just you know for basically flow because it's ridiculous now that it sucks most of my races I want to watch. I'm not spending $80 for one weekend when you can and I can go, okay, here's my $40 or $20 or $50 and drive 20 minutes or whatever and go watch it be there.
00:34:41
Speaker
yeah At this point, we're at a stage where it chews the lesser of the two evils, so to speak.
00:34:48
Speaker
A hundred percent. And we weve we've got to find a way to entaste people, as he said, to get their butts off their couch yes sir and then socialize once again. Let's let's be honest that that m five years ago, five, five years ago, yeah, five five, six years ago, did a number on a lot of people.
00:35:05
Speaker
um And, you know, you know, leaving all the politics aside, it's it's changed. All of us has changed. The way that racing goes has changed the way that everything works, supplies, you know, everything on down the line has changed it. But that the one thing that seems like it's slow to come back is everybody being out and want to socialize. It's too easy to get on your phone and start start texting and typing. It's too easy to. Yeah, everything is. Yeah.
00:35:32
Speaker
It just got to the point that, you know, when we went through the whole COVID ordeal, man, it just opened a black hole that we at a time would have never thought we would see. The media community, Shane.
00:35:47
Speaker
Yes. Oh, big time. bed time. Yes. Yeah. And, you know, and, and you know once again, local promotion and what have you, get getting people back interested in It's not just a, golly, 25, well, 30 years ago, it was it was a bunch of rednecks on the back of the truck drinking beer.
00:36:07
Speaker
yeah that's me 40 years ago, that's what it was. Oh, yeah. It was actually, honestly, up until the A couple years up until COVID, even during that, you'd you'd go to your local, like you said, Boggs, everything else.
00:36:22
Speaker
Everybody out having a good time, everything. That was our that was our monthly gathering, especially with Vicks, man. You always, I look forward to, hey, man, I remember you from Wassel. It's like, oh, yeah, here. You're sitting, everybody's sitting, watching, having a hooting and hollering, having a damn good time, enjoying the Mud Boggs and shit. Or any racing.
00:36:44
Speaker
But yeah, we definitely, I'm with you, Tim. We got to get get it out there. Yes, we got the platforms to do it now more, but it's the same time when we're there at the facilities, and I agree 100%.
00:36:59
Speaker
We have to be more involved. We really do. And that's just not the promoters. That's everybody from racing. you aye you know Share where you're going. you know All that stuff makes a difference. of you know go again The thing that just, I say, chaps my height, it burns my bubble. Premier tried to do an event down at down in Chillicothe.
00:37:25
Speaker
What was that? Three years ago? three Two, three years ago. Really? I never knew that. And that that's what's funny. The Buckeye Off-Road Expo down there in Silicon Valley. Oh, yeah. right um They brought in the whole premiere series. um you know And there was 40, 50 mega trucks that showed up racing. Nice. All day of racing from from i what? I think race started at 10, 11 o'clock and went until 3, 4 in the afternoon. It was all day of racing. But they never advertised it, so nobody showed up.
00:37:59
Speaker
Well, it's so funny. um I had people messaging me. you know and I was trying to put it out, but you know if only one person locally is putting it out, you know it's really tough. um um you know That was kind of the...
00:38:13
Speaker
the I'm trying to think. I thought they tried it someplace else too, and it didn't work out. I just can't remember. think they tried it.
00:38:24
Speaker
What's that one place up north where they had Rednecks with Paychecks came in? Yeah, up at BlackRock. And the sad part is they only had four Megatrucks show up for that race, and they were even advertising like crazy. Yeah, that was this past year. And they were even advertising like crazy.
00:38:43
Speaker
But my thing is with it, you got to start sooner than what they did. It was like only two months before the ordeal. I think if they could have done it three or four months in advance instead of like two or three months or even at the beginning, because that's my thing. That's why I started putting out there, hey, this is my idea. And it's a year away.
00:39:07
Speaker
I've learned here lately, if you're going to do something and try to get it done, It's got to be six months to a year so everybody can kind of plan around. And that's with lot of the revents. I mean, look at Rednecks with Paychecks.
00:39:21
Speaker
Shit, they were already promoted in 2026 back in October, and their race season wasn't even over yet. Hey, here's the first five races Redneck with Paycheck races coming up in 2026. They were already out. But I mean, form but still, we have the platform ourselves.
00:39:41
Speaker
let alone you know being the local guys, reaching out to people. um We can do it, but like you were saying, there we can only do so much. That's the thing.
00:39:52
Speaker
in yeah Once again, it's it's you're right. we We can only do so much, but it also boils down to who do we have interested in the sport that that's going to help us promote?
00:40:03
Speaker
you know and And, you know, as much as we want to see our our age group doing it, you know, I have guys that I went to school with that send me messages or they'll stop off at the shop and go, man, just looking at that just hurts my back. Or I don't think I'd be able to walk in a week's time and what have you.
00:40:20
Speaker
Right. I would rather be the guy. that 20 years from now I'm sitting on the couch going, you know, that's some pretty cool shit I did back and back when I was this. right hor that how i was Versus the guy sitting on the couch right now going, man, that's pretty cool that he's doing that. You know, I i want to be that guy that may when I look back, no no regrets.
00:40:43
Speaker
You know, it yeah i'm doing whether it be promoting, whether it be in the sport itself, you know, and in what I do. Dude, that's awesome. is That's awesome. Hell yeah.
00:40:54
Speaker
Getting a race with Tony Stewart this weekend. Yeah. That's going to be awesome. so Yeah. That'd be cool. Yeah, man. It's just the social media and video games for the younger generation.
00:41:08
Speaker
and it And it falls on us parents on some of us because we're not, I remember my mom would get so mad. She chased me in the house with a belt and yardstick because I didn't want to come in during the summer or even in a rainer. And now,
00:41:23
Speaker
I'm fortunate. My kids, Hey, go outside. i don't have to worry about that. That's no big deal, but they're friends and stuff. Oh, why don't you have gaming systems? They're like, why don't you go outside? And it's like looking at him Well, they just stay inside. They only go out when they, you know, to school or they're playing sports, but other than they're, they're in front of a TV and it's like,
00:41:44
Speaker
if i You guys ain't that way. Right. If you drive down a country road in central rural America, you know anywhere, and you drive down through...
00:41:56
Speaker
um You know, I think it's intriguing to drive down and you see the basketball hoop in the yard. Nobody's playing on that nice day. no There's no footballs being thrown in the yard with with dad or the the brothers and the sisters, you know, running around the trees. And all that stuff. Oh, yeah. Yeah. You don't see it. So, um you know, that there's – that AI, that that the video games and what i have you are, are a way of life now, I guess, if you will. And once again, it is our fault. We we all use the TV for our... It's incorporated into everything. jeter
00:42:30
Speaker
Yep. I mean, it and it's sad. I try to instill the old school stuff, you know, get them the involved. And I'm just fortunate. My oldest two have the passion.
00:42:40
Speaker
My wife does, but... She really can't do much because how she never knows when she's off because she works in the medical field. So it she's there. She's supportive. But, man, my my oldest two, they're diehard gearheads. My second oldest, she's my redheaded demon child, as I call her.
00:43:01
Speaker
She's up my ass all the time with anything motorsports. I mean, if I'm watching on YouTube, if she doesn't have homework or something to do she's watching her. If I go to an event, where are you going, Dad? Where are we going? When we going to this race?
00:43:13
Speaker
Well, if I got the money, we're going to go, hey, we're going to watch this drag racing down at National Trail. Or, hey, we're going to watch rough trucks at this fair. It's nice to see that. And slowly becoming some of their friends, they've been, when I've seen some of them,
00:43:29
Speaker
They've actually, hey, can we, if our parents let us, oh this was the last summer. Some of them are, hey, if our parents let us go, can we go watch the rough truck again? It's like my first year after 16 years ah not racing rough truck, and I had the opportunity, thanks to Lance Morris from Morris Towing, give me the opportunity to drive at my hometown fair.
00:43:50
Speaker
And now I got the bug again, and my kid, the previous summer, raced a summer race with my cousin, And everything else. And he's hooked. And now my second oldest is of age.
00:44:03
Speaker
She's been wanting to do it ever since she was like eight. And it's like, wait until you get up to 16 years old. and You know, now she's 17. So I got a chi Cherokee that I got. I'm going to build it for them. going probably race it maybe once or twice this year.
00:44:18
Speaker
And I'm going hand the reins over to them. Here you guys go. You're going to carry on. i'm well You're going to help me work on it everything else. But I'm passing the torch down, and it's awesome to see the interest they got in some of their friends that actually want to do this stuff.
00:44:37
Speaker
That's what it takes to to get this younger generation back in it. you know You know, I you kind of made that made the comment when we started on on the cast here is, you know, man, you just got an expensive toy. You know, look, I didn't wake up yesterday at 18 years old and decide, hey, I'm going to have one of these.
00:44:54
Speaker
You know, it's taken me years and years and years. And I started, you know, you got to start somewhere and and getting um getting that younger generation involved is what's going to keep the outdoor outside motorsports alive.
00:45:07
Speaker
Well, and I mean, look at them look at the modified side of the tough trucks. yeah Everybody after COVID, it's like, oh, fuck, everything's going to be disappearing. All the old guys are getting out because the jamborees wasn't around no more. yeah And now the younger generation's jumping in. We're getting new blood. And it's like, dude, this is great. Let's keep this going. Yes. Yes. Yeah.
00:45:31
Speaker
it It renews faith in the whole thing. oh yeah and It does. I really thought that, man, we were on the the severe downturn of of people coming into the sports themselves and and seeing these guys getting into it is super exciting.
00:45:50
Speaker
no and then there Especially Brock, Brad's cousin, Talbert. the The kid got started in razor racing and look at him now. First full year in a modified truck.
00:46:02
Speaker
frickin hell yeah The last half of the season, man, that kid, be he's going to be dangerous next next year. title employers Tyler Peters is another one that's, you know, it you know you you the more seat time, like you said, there's a lot of potential in this the modified class this next year.
00:46:25
Speaker
there's going to be some some tight-ass racing going on. It's going to come down to the Cushokton again, probably for the points again. Yes, yes. there are that That modified, you guys that those modifiers are getting fast.
00:46:38
Speaker
Oh, stupid fast. Yeah, and i that that's the thing that, you know, whether it be at a fair, whether it be at track or what have you, you know, the the one thing that we all, we all want to win. Once again, that type A personality, we all want to win. We want to be the best at what we can do. You know, but our our safety side of things in these trucks, you know, from, oh you know, what I have the, mo that the mega truck to even the modified, you know, and, and, you know, as simple as seats, belts, you know, and I know that there's the rules on this, um you know,
00:47:18
Speaker
ah But you know, r RII devices, automatic cutoffs that if if a guy comes across and the throttle sticks, you know, you think about it, um you know, the way that those trucks come up come off that jump and they' they're facing towards the, we'll use Croton as an example, facing dirt piling where everybody's piled up on that dirt. If somebody wasn't able to stop or the throttle stuck, you know, we what have you, how are we gonna, you know, stop one of those trucks?
00:47:44
Speaker
Yeah, and I mean, that's and that's and that's something we were talking with Al at Croton. Tim was bringing it up. you know Tim's like, hey, I can get you guys to hook up. And Al agreed on it. I mean, it the the trucks, compared to what Adam Blankenhorn, Ray Scholes, all those guys, you know oh their trucks, they were badass.
00:48:08
Speaker
But these trucks now, even their old chassis, they're getting, like you said, stupid fast, freaking getting major air. It's like, yeah, we, I love it, but yeah, there's gotta be something. Eventually I think it'll happen, but it's, it'll be there.
00:48:27
Speaker
Well, you know, and you gotta to take, you have to golly as much as I hate to say it, because if you go adding too much, rules or too much. Hey, you have to have this, you have to have that. That in my eyes is exactly what killed the jamborees is they went from, hey, you had to have this to, oh, hey, you have to have the disconnect in the rear of the truck. You've got to have this. You've got to have this. Originally, it was, hey, put on your ball cap and jump the seat and hook your seatbelt and go. And now all of a sudden, I got to have a five-point harness. And me as a racer that, you know, racing on a budget, you know, I'm looking okay, a five point harness is, you know, a good, if I'm to spend the money, I might as well buy good stuff.
00:49:09
Speaker
you know Oh yeah, you got to. I got to get a seat. I got to get a helmet. I got to get a race suit. You got 800 to a thousand bucks wrapped up in the stuff that.
00:49:20
Speaker
Just a race suit alone itself. If you go with a two piece, how you're almost $400 or $500 just in a two piece suitup $300 if you're lucky for an RCI one-piece suit. And that's still because I'm a kind of a bigger guy trying to find that size. You know, if I wanted the one piece, freaking holy shit. It's like, and then $400 or $500 for an FI approved helmet if they require that, you know.
00:49:50
Speaker
And then on top of it, your harnesses, you know, they're only good for so many years because I had the SFI recertified. You know, the r r RII boxes that that I run and, you know, I'm i'm big on safety.
00:50:02
Speaker
um Oh, yeah, that's where you got to be. Yeah, it but, you know, for as fast as these modified trucks are getting, you know, you're you're right around...
00:50:13
Speaker
it's god the the light We all want to go home at the end of these. Not only the drivers. we want us we We want the fans. We want the staff. We want everybody to go home. As competitive other as we are, we all want to go home back to our families. 100%. it last year the year before that somebody broke their back on one of the trucks?
00:50:34
Speaker
That was Nick. Yeah. Well, and then just this last year, Brad and well and then just this last year bragon Brock's cousin Kyle broke his at c Croton on the jump in the Bronco.
00:50:47
Speaker
Yeah. you know in You know, that goes right back to – Hey, Wesley. What's up, buddy? Hey, Wes.
00:50:55
Speaker
Wes is curious now about the box, Tim. I will will send you send you guys a link. There's a couple. 3Built is what I use, 3Built.com.
00:51:06
Speaker
I know that there's a couple guys up out of Michigan that are that have designed their own RI box that that's a little bit cheaper. I've heard that they work well. WTS got it and yeah on their website.
00:51:18
Speaker
They have up there that's out of Michigan. Yep. And I think that's who it is. I think that's that's where they're they're marketing them. um Three-bill is what I run because that's what the monster truck guys run. That's what at the time when we were running the Jamboree circuit doing stuff, that's what they required us to have was the three-bill.
00:51:38
Speaker
Really? Yeah. Well, for the Megatruck. So that that that's really what I got. Right. Yeah. that um that That was the one that they preferred to run because they can have a master box and and control it through the team and what have you.
00:51:56
Speaker
um you know but But no different than those RII boxes. you know i was I'm always intrigued looking at other builds and and not that I'm a builder by any means. I never could have built that truck that I have myself.
00:52:09
Speaker
Don't have the tools, don't have the knowledge. um you know I thought it was really interesting being able to watch see it. But you know even as simple as your seat, you know, of, of understanding the geometries of you want the back of your legs to catch, you know, coming off of these jumps that, yeah and I, I golly, because ah of of a name, I don't want to infringe on anything or knock anybody away from, from one, um you know, but, but the,
00:52:38
Speaker
the real prominent race seat around that that a lot of people that I see a lot of people run, not having a full containment seat that really fits your body. Hey, I'm going to save 300 bucks because I think I can fit into a 16 or a 15 or a 17 and not having true custom seats.
00:52:56
Speaker
Those seats will save your life. And that sounds nuts.
00:53:02
Speaker
What do you think about those suspension seats that they have that a lot of people have been running? Like you can get through jegs and stuff. So I don't know a lot about those. I actually have one.
00:53:14
Speaker
that's why i was very yeah That's why I was curious because I got one. I'm getting one off of my cousin that's brand new. And I know a couple of the guys run them. But I also know a lot of the guys, like you said, run your seats that are they're pretty much stiff as a board.
00:53:28
Speaker
They're made late. Here's they're like for late models and stuff. Correct. Correct. So so here's the thing that to always think about with seats, you're laid back, especially when you're jumping.
00:53:39
Speaker
um You know, of your angle of your belts coming back, making sure they're sucking you back into the seat. um How far it's laid back. You know, when when you look at my seat, I've had countless people look it and go, my Lord, it looks like you're sitting in a recliner leaning back in it. But I want all when I come down off of a jump, we want the back of my legs to catch the weight and not your butt tailbone. You don't want that that everything to read you up through your back.
00:54:05
Speaker
That's when you're going get hurt. um um kind of Jake Burton, who does the i mean he's got balls of, you know i don't I don't know if you can fit him fit him in the back of wi of a pickup truck. you know he' He's the one that does the world record jumps. He is a man in himself at what he does. He runs a suspension seat, swears by it.
00:54:28
Speaker
um But with seats, you got to remember, you know, what when we say and, you know, in our world, we we say, you know, pull it down so tight. You can't can't hardly breathe and then give it another tug. um That's how tight we want to be that the more you can move in a seat, the more you're going to get the more potential you have to get hurt if you do. rap Right. Right.
00:54:48
Speaker
right You get that. You get that re the rebound of it and everything else. You spining you want to be secure. Yeah. yeah Your belts are going stretch so much. If you have a lot of padding, you got to realize when you have that padding, you're stuck in the seat. You can't push yourself in. And then that that back and forth. um yeah Butler is kind of the name of seats anymore when it comes to custom. Butler built seats are probably one of the best on the line. I run an ISP. They were they were real competitive with Butler. um ISP doesn't, doesn't they're they're not in business anymore.
00:55:24
Speaker
um um You know, Butler has some, you know, some pretty awesome seats out there. Kirky has some too, as long as you can get them custom made.
00:55:35
Speaker
um I'm not real familiar with the suspension setup that Jegs has or or who the manufacturer is. Right. You know, of that. um I run a rigid seat. Mine's, you know, mine is is on a 21 degree setback.
00:55:53
Speaker
okay And i i if I'm lucky, I run an eighth of an inch, maybe a quarter inch of foam in mine. And I'm i'm solid. I mean, I am one with the truck.
00:56:05
Speaker
Nice. um So you're literally so it's literally you're you're pretty much connected when you everything's there. So you're secured. and Okay. now That's cool. When I bought them out, I know I bought them out. Yeah, of course. Yeah.
00:56:23
Speaker
you know but that angle of the seat all effects you know no no do you guys require on your model fights to run haunts devices and some on that i the only time that they did that was right right there towards the end of the jamborees when adam the last jamboree a lot of them were they were starting to enforce them in the mod guys now Now, some of them do. Some of them still don't. They still wear their neck, you know, the neck braces and stuff like that. But um I know Jason Daniels, that man, I know he he he has the whole Hans and set up on his truck. So but yeah, yeah, West said for the local scenes and stuff, they they're not required to wear them But yeah, that would be another good one you could add.
00:57:07
Speaker
you know, to the to the mechanic that the high sport here when it comes to that, you know, because it will look, I get it. You know how much these seats are, how much these Haas devices are, how much those good help are, you know, but, you know, or are I yeah I don't know what event I was at, but I saw a couple guys riding wearing motorcycle helmets. in the in um And look, the design of those helmets, yes. Are they going to keep you if your head's, you know, are they are is it better than nothing? Yeah, but there their SFI ratings are not the same as what we need in cages.
00:57:43
Speaker
ah yeah Yeah, those I've actually, ah personally in the derby world, during I've actually seen those motocross helmets just from hitting the back bar where they've got hit hard.
00:57:55
Speaker
It'll crack faster than anything. crack them right now. y Yeah. My... my My helmet I got when I had my motorcycle. I actually went to I went to jegs and bought an actual race helmet for mine I mean, yes, I out ah out of it but because I was driving in a bike I went instead of getting a motorcycle helmet I went and got a race helmet full face shield everything for it and how I spent 450 bucks I think that's the most I've ever spent on but i was I'm like you. I was big on I'm riding you know the highways. i'm gonna I had my jacket with the padding, everything on my crotch rocket. So, I mean, I i i prepared for it.
00:58:36
Speaker
And that's the way I am with the rough trucks. That's like I'm working were you know and with getting in. There's fire suits. Even if it's going to be a stock, I want them to have at least a fire jacket, you know, the safety jacket and a good helmet for them.
00:58:49
Speaker
They actually just with us and you know, I run race fuel in mine, I run a naturally aspirated motor in mine, run race gas. um I'm the guy that likes to be different. I don't like to jump on the same bandwagon. Hey, everybody's doing this. So, so be a little bit different. um really They require us this year to wear wear a fire shock underneath her helmets. Really?
00:59:12
Speaker
Yes. well i mean that they're i mean they're they nothing i mean Watching YouTube videos, man, some of those, you guys in that circuit. Covering all your bases. well yeah i mean well and If we all think about it, we're all sitting on top of our transmissions in those trucks. Every one of those guys has, you know it's it whether it's your whether you're sitting on the left side or you're sitting in the center, there you're that transmission is running right next to you for as far back as we set the modals motors. Yeah.
00:59:40
Speaker
that transmission fluid is one of the most, you know, that that's as flammable as gas. Once it starts, because, you know, once once it ignites, it's hot. Oh, yeah. um yeah and And, you know, keeping keeping all the safety things lined up, I'm not trying to change anybody, you know, any sport or anything like that. right yep but i looked i I did. I looked at some of those modified trucks that that I saw.
01:00:04
Speaker
um ah Maybe it was up there. Maybe it wasn't modified. Maybe it was that the the ah class down underneath up at Croton. I'm just thinking, my Lord, how are they not all over the place in this seat you know or or belt set up? The biggest the biggest problem is is where see ice you see a lot of what the rough truck racing. Some of the mod guys, I mean, there's They're set up now, but watching these stock guys out here.
01:00:32
Speaker
Yes. take take the Take the time. I mean, Lance, I said, I'm not driving unless I got a back support bar behind my seat where it's adjusted, and I'm not running without a 5.0. He goes, put a bar in, put your harness in. Yeah. He goes, I'm putting one in my in his gold Jeep. He put one in his.
01:00:52
Speaker
Ever since the first time I ran, i did the whole seatbel stock seat belt. I'll tell you what, I hurt fucking more from a stock seatbelt than I ever did wearing a five-point harness in any style racing I've ever done.
01:01:07
Speaker
When I've been jarred around whatever, even in a razor, jumping the razor with my cousin or my friends when we went out trail riding. I will take and swear by a five-point, even a four-point harness any day of the week over for a regular seatbelt.
01:01:23
Speaker
100%. More secure. More secure. Oh, yeah. You watch these guys flop around in these stock two-wheel drive trucks and everything else. so They're laying clear over in the seat under the dash. It's like, holy cow, take the extra five minutes. I've even had guys, that my drag racing buddies, hey, I've got expired harnesses. I'm giving them away.
01:01:46
Speaker
The bad part is I've got like six sets of harnesses. Hey, I've seen people ask them. I've gave two or three away already just because they wanted to throw them in their trucks. I try to snag them as much as I can because of yeah I know guys can use them for the off-road stuff. I would i would rather see an outdated, you know, SFI rated outdated by a year or two, you know, than not.
01:02:15
Speaker
Hey, that's zeest that's that's the way to do it, man. I mean, especially with the ratings you guys have on out there. oh yeah. but yeah Other than that, i mean the yeah safety safety should be on anybody in any motorsports, especially when it comes any style racing.
01:02:32
Speaker
Other motocross, you can't help what happens there. But in a car, in a truck, anything like that, there's too many people that cut corners. I've seen guys lose their lives in drag racing because they didn't want to do the job right with a roll cage, but they had a super fast car, and they lost their lives. And it sucks because right they They didn't want to take the time. I get it. The money's there.
01:02:59
Speaker
But these are people that their kids don't have their dads or their moms coming home because of this. A hundred percent. there There was a tragic one that happened in the Megatrip world down at Rednecks with Paychecks. with ah i want I know I'm going butcher his name, but um I think it's Vasquez. Is that the one in Louisiana?
01:03:20
Speaker
Was that the one? that happened. that That happened in Texas, Rednecks with Paychecks. Really? Okay. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah. yeah the Diablo truck, I think, is what it was. Yep. I remember hearing about that. Yeah. um And I don't know that anything was was shortcut. you know I never heard that anything was shortcut. that was just a And that was a very well-known chassis builder in the off-road world.
01:03:49
Speaker
and It was just a misfortune that yeah different i mean it And that's kind of my point is, look, whenever we strap in, whenever we do anything, anything can happen, whether it be, you know, flywheel flies apart, this or that, you know, anything can happen ah in these situations. um You know, that that the things that we can control, can't.
01:04:12
Speaker
And for the longest time, the God, a and and this is going to sound like I'm some rich prick and I'm not, is you know, my mentality was, look, if you don't have, you know, it's one thing to build a car or build a truck or build whatever.
01:04:25
Speaker
If you don't have the money for the safety, leave it in the garage. yeah You know, it' good no and it no and I understand. you know but But then it's a double-edged sword, you know, once again, it's okay.
01:04:38
Speaker
if If we don't have him go, he's going to get PO'd. He's going to talk to his buddies. They're not going to come to this. And the next thing then the trac dies why because it you know, Because they wouldn't let me race because they didn't like me. And and nobody hears the the the real side of the story. Yeah, it's it's always it's always the it's always the negative that's made out, not why the... It was because of a safety feature. Safety feature. Not because we don't like you. It's because we wanted you to go home in one piece.
01:05:09
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, and and that that is a big thing. And that's what dr goes right back to our start. That's what drives up these insurance costs. Yeah, you know, let's be honest, that the the reality, like we were talking technology and what have you It's so easy to get a to get a video out in front of a million people across the world to show ah an accident. Let's be honest. Carnage draws an audience.
01:05:35
Speaker
I don't care what it is. carnage and drama carnage and drama is is the biggest draws when it comes to videos you know so if you if you have carnage that video is going to go like wildfire well then you know look not only us but they they've got smarter people than what we do that are sitting there just scouring looking for this accident or that accident in this border just to shut us down you um well you know well this is happening yeah Here, we're gonna we're going to pull the plug on it. Sorry. See you. We're not going to get the... We can't provide this. Oh, yeah.
01:06:08
Speaker
Well... hundred and then and Risk assessment. Yep. Oh, for sure. Now, one of the other questions I got when we're done here for you.
01:06:18
Speaker
yeah We're going to go into... that I'd like to... for you to share your setup of your truck and everything if you don't mind when we're done. Absolutely. That is one good thing about mega trucks really. You know, and I don't know if it's this way in the in the in the turf truck world, we don't have a lot of secrets.
01:06:37
Speaker
um You know, one, if you saw my truck, you can see all the Lexan and I'm going to get all the details of it. um It's a two inch 120 wall full tube chassis.
01:06:50
Speaker
um Nice. Axles are 611 Meritor axles. So there, I believe that they're rated at, I think they're rated at 14,000 pounds. i think is what they're, they're, duworth they're rated for. Wow.
01:07:05
Speaker
yeah nice wow I'm running two steer axles. They have Terry, two to one planetary axles. So what that does, that takes a ah lot of stress off the ring and pinion in the axle shafts because I'm i'ming out of the rotating mass.
01:07:23
Speaker
Nice. Yeah, I was wondering how that worked with what the four wheels. I know Al's got it on his modified, but it just, ah you know, a little bit from there. I was wondering, would it be better to have the four wheel steering than it would be in just a straight axle? I mean, Al's got it down, know, with the mods, but... So...
01:07:46
Speaker
Well, not now my my, the whole reason I'm running the the two steers is because for the four wheel steer, I've always wanted to track four wheel steer. And we figured that when we were building a truck, might as well, you know, let's not leave anything for the heart to be desired.
01:08:02
Speaker
um You know, Cleetech up out of Michigan. He's he's the the brainiac behind that whole entire build. He literally built it on our on our shop floors in between two different shops and brought his table down. and He did a fantastic job on it. i like come um i'm running oh beautiful It's a beautiful truck in person. Thank you. thank you I was just looking at the build for it here on Facebook. There was a post about it.
01:08:27
Speaker
Looks beautiful, man. Looks awesome. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. And I can't take the credit, man. i um he He was a brainiac for it. he ah he He let me hold the flashlight. And the big joke around here was he let me to hold the flashlight and half the time I didn't do that right. Don't blame it.
01:08:47
Speaker
But I'm running 20 inch CNC shocks, full nitrogen shocks on it. um Yeah, BKT tires that that are cut and scooped.
01:08:57
Speaker
um American Force wheels. And then from then then from there, we go kind of go to the power plant. Boone Roberts, hey right out of Utica, Ohio, here locally. he oh yeah Oh, yeah. My original was a 720 cubic inch motor.
01:09:14
Speaker
Oh, shit. Yeah. Big, big, big cubic inch. Big cubic inch. Very, very big. cubage This one here is a 665. oh and Last year, I was running a custom Braswell carb on it and spraying it with with nitrous.
01:09:33
Speaker
This year, um due to my gracious sponsors with Nitrous Outlet, um we're doing a complete EFI conversion. Going to go direct port. Full EFI conversion on it. i really I'm right actually right in the middle of getting that done now. We we stripped the whole truck apart. We had a Fluke thing that happens. So we got a sponsorship for paint. I'm not gonna put them out there just yet because I don't want them to take any heat over what I'm going to say. They did a fantastic job. I mean, the body on that truck looks beautiful. Brian Blackburn's the the man behind the paint gun on all all the truck.
01:10:11
Speaker
um But for whatever reason, the at the time their paint supplier is different now. right They kind of talked us into a product for the chassis and it didn't hold it. It didn't like that the way that it was applied.
01:10:26
Speaker
And but so the the the coating on the chassis started peeling. So we stripped the entire truck down every bolt, every nook and cranny um down to to to redo it.
01:10:37
Speaker
And so we're just, I'm just waiting on my intake show back up so we can get the EFI conversion back together. And I never really understood computers and EFI and how all this works.
01:10:50
Speaker
I don't know that I still understand, but I got a much better understanding of what's involved. And there's a hell of lot of wires involved, I realize. And I'm not ah not a wiring guru by any means. but Right.
01:11:01
Speaker
uh then i'm running ah an fti power glide with a uh what am i running a 10 inch fti drop box reverser drop box because my motor is in the rear uh and i did that oh that is right yeah that is right did yeah a mid-engine is what they consider because that the engine plate is directly behind I guess my my butt is where it is. Then my transmission comes forward.
01:11:29
Speaker
Okay. Since you brought that up, does that make you feel uncomfortable the first time you ever sat in the truck when it was running, having that right behind you like that? It's a lot different. I wouldn't I don't know if I would say uncomfortable, but it was really different because you know, when I my first truck, the motor sat in front of me.
01:11:47
Speaker
So I had little windows, I can see everything in front of me now my Lexan in front, all I'm looking at is my training cooler on the bottom left and a fuel tank. That's all I'm really looking at now.
01:12:00
Speaker
and Yeah, I was always curious about the motor sitting behind people and, you know, when you do that stuff. so It's so natural now for me to to be that way, for it to be there. um The thing with me is I don't hear the exhaust like I used to hear in the truck. Actually, it's as quiet as can be. I don't even have to wear my earplugs and my helmet.
01:12:22
Speaker
Really? Yeah. So when you're sitting in there, when you were sitting there at Croton, letting it warm up and stuff. I know I've seen you. You didn't have nothing. I'm like, man that's gotta rattling his brain. It is. it is um no It's really spreading out outside. yeah i mean, it it feels like, Oh yeah.
01:12:40
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. That's what I mean. It's just like seeing you. yeah um you know and funny thing about croton um when i went out the first time and i might i haven't done a lot of freestyling uh something that i'm really wanting to get into that's kind of why we built this was so i could race it i could mud bug it i could do bounty holes i can go out and freestyle and run with the monster trucks i wanted a truck that having a having a flat race truck is a lot of fun and i had one Um, but you, you, you, you look at all your buddies out there that are, are doing hot laps here and doing this or doing that. and you're like, man, I got sit and watch cause I have a purpose built racetrack.
01:13:18
Speaker
Right. you know And so, but up there Croton, when I, when I back into that little jump, the night of the monster monster truck show, I, I about knocked myself out when I came. Did you really? When you landed that?
01:13:34
Speaker
Yeah. When I, oh yeah. Yeah, i it might my wife Joan, shea she heard that all you know he he rattled his cookies a little bit in there. and you know First thing she asked, i always wear my Haunt's device right for whatever reason.
Unexpected Stunts and Truck Maintenance
01:13:49
Speaker
i because i did I was not planning on doing anything really stupid and abrupt. Hey, i was going go out hit some jumps, do some donuts.
01:13:57
Speaker
Yeah, just let it hang out for a little bit. Yeah, you surprised us. I was standing right by Tim. he goes Tim got off the cover the mic. He goes, He's not going to do what he thinks he's doing. I said, it looks like he's lining up for it. And sure enough, you use you did. and Tim was like the rest of everybody's like, oh, my goodness, he did it. But, yeah, he he covered up and told me and Renee, he goes, he can't be seriously going to hit that like what we think he is. I looked over at him. I go.
01:14:26
Speaker
you're thinking the same thing? And he goes, yeah, let's see what happens here. Maybe he's just turning around. And next thing you know, boop, there he went. was like, oh, dude, you got some air on that too when you when you hit that for um just a short run.
01:14:40
Speaker
Yeah. yeah yeah know On that back end jump. Yeah. Yeah. and But I hit so hard on that. Not sure what – well, actually – wait After I was taking the truck apart, I did realize why.
01:14:54
Speaker
Joking story, that the builder of the truck. I'm a farmer, so tell me a farmer that doesn't have grease on everything. If it moves, it's supposed to have grease on it, right? Well, the was, you can hit my grease gun.
01:15:07
Speaker
because he he hated touching anything that because he was getting grease all over. We're not we're not farmers here, we're megatruck guys. right And so I was always real conservative on my grease, but I actually realized that my back sway bar had locked up on me.
01:15:22
Speaker
Oh, really? Yeah, so if you really look at a photo of that, when I came off of that, my rear axle didn't drop out to where I used any shocks. So I used about four inches of shock on that.
01:15:35
Speaker
oh shit Oh, damn. Ouch. Ouch. move Yeah, it didn't feel good. I'm not going to ah I actually, in that, during the build, we actually changed my seat around. I kept my old seat just in case I ever wanted to, and that's that's one of the things that we're going back to is, is going back to my original ISP seat. Nice. um I hit some pretty big jumps with that, with, with the old truck and, and never, never once did I, did I walk away and go, Oh my God, I can't walk tomorrow.
Safety and Truck Performance Modifications
01:16:12
Speaker
Yeah. You actually felt, you actually felt, it's like, Okay, it' it's time to go back old school. Go with old reliable. You know, and I went to a seat that, oh, we we poured the foam in it. And, you know, I'm not saying that that everybody's going hit the jumps like I do or hit the hit it hit them like that. Um, but that really goes to show that that little bit of setback difference, but from one manufacturer to one that's designed for your body and your body build and what have you, you know, and and I get it. They're expensive.
01:16:45
Speaker
You know, I think I've got two or $3,000 in the seat of my truck. Well, like you were saying, I mean, we're, we're, we're Husky guys. We're, And we got a hell of a lot more weight coming down than some of the guys, you know, that are in these things. So we got to have that stuff for, you know, that style, for that style racing and stuff, because you're going to get hurt if not.
01:17:10
Speaker
And yeah i mean, it's ah it may like like we've been saying throughout the show, talking safety, that can make a world of difference. Absolutely. here And speaking of big jumps, I don't know if you're watching on Facebook, Chris Kelly. I still remember the night during a monster truck show where you were launched your Ranger.
01:17:31
Speaker
Big time that one year and everything else. it actually came up as a memory on one of my videos on Facebook. He goes, I felt that for a week. That one hurt. He goes, but I had fun doing it.
01:17:42
Speaker
But yeah, he had he had a modified rough truck doing freestyle. They let him go out and do freestyle during a monster truck show. He hit the big jump with this thing, man. And I mean, he he was up in the air and he came down hard. I'm surprised.
01:17:57
Speaker
I'm glad he didn't, but I'm surprised he didn't mess himself up more than what he did. But he had a custom you know the custom seat done. But yeah, he still felt it because that truck wasn't made for doing mega truck and monster truck jumps like that. You got to use all that shock. and when when you've only What do you guys shocks, right?
01:18:22
Speaker
some of them um i think Wes, if you're still in here, what size shock coilovers you run? I think Brad in his truck, which is Dale Denall's old truck, I think his is 18 20-inch coilovers. In his, some of the guys i think is like
01:18:43
Speaker
um usually what usually what they run on most of them for them, but everybody's got a different setup compared to what they do. right like look Like Al's, like Nick's, yeah Shorty's, well, Adam's old truck, Shorty's truck and everything else. Those those trucks, especially like Nick's,
01:19:06
Speaker
Nick Anderson's a prime example. That is a pro, honestly, a pro four chassis, in my opinion. Him and Jason Daniels have pro four modified rough trucks.
01:19:16
Speaker
Just the way the four link set up, everything's done on that.
Innovations in Truck Suspension and Steering
01:19:20
Speaker
Right. And Wes has got, the in the Jeep mod, I mean, his is just as, Wes runs 14 inch in his. Okay, 14. Okay. With his. but yeah those But just to see the different ideas brought in from that stuff on these chassis, even with you guys with the Megatrucks, I mean, getting a look at yours, the similarity, the parts are just a little bit bigger.
01:19:47
Speaker
<unk> But it's the same concept, the way your setups are. Did you notice when you were looking at mine that the angle of the shocks, how they, how they were angled?
01:19:59
Speaker
I was there when you were explaining to somebody that asked about them. It's your setup as your razor set up yeah like a razor. Yeah. I thought that was cool as hell. I was like, dude, I didn't know you could do that. Yeah. Um, you know, set in front to back and makes the, it actually makes the, the shock think the truck is heavier.
01:20:18
Speaker
Really? gen Yes. It actually fools the shock by putting them on that angle, you forward and back. It actually fools the shock to make it think it's heavier.
01:20:29
Speaker
So then when you come down, you you've you've got more rebound. Okay. Shock. Cause you're putting more nitrogen in them or more spring to them to hold it up right where you want.
01:20:39
Speaker
um Yeah. And, and a guy from down in Texas, a chassis builder down there is the one that kind of started that out.
01:20:51
Speaker
Um, and, uh, um, but, uh, kind of back to the build. So my, my, my steering cylinders are, are Dave Tucker. He's the guy that, that he, that's who built those steering cylinders out of his machine shop.
01:21:04
Speaker
Um, and he's the guy that has the independent suspension monster truck, uh, out, uh, out West. I, I don't remember if he's from Oregon or what high have you, a DT machine is where those came from.
01:21:17
Speaker
Oh, yeah, he follows a lot of Larry McCormick's races out in California. Yes, yes. With Larry. Yeah, I know who you're talking about. I follow them on Facebook and stuff, man. yeah the thing is at That monster truck's nasty for men and men.
01:21:33
Speaker
Yeah. But then it, quite I'm running just a smaller one what he does. But I've had, I jokingly tell everybody that legitimately I've got a ball and socket. So I've got Himes out at my, my two ends of my axles for the steer part.
01:21:49
Speaker
What connects to the cylinder is, is legitimately a two inch ball and socket. A two inch trailer is what it is. Yeah. And it's a ball and socket. And that's how you can run your your bottom tie bar with your steering because if you try to run a if you don't have additional pivot points with your tie bars, it'll lock your steering up.
01:22:09
Speaker
So that's how we get around with it. The trajectory and the geometry all works together with that ball
Engine Performance: EFI and Nitrous Systems
01:22:15
Speaker
and socket. It doesn't tie it in like like having Hines on on both ends. Right. Or doing like a normal tie rod where it's only got the one straight connection. You got the vertical of a ball where it'll rotate.
01:22:29
Speaker
Nice. I like that. That's a nice setup, man. That is freaking awesome. I don't think up at Croton except for the drag that the night of the the drag races up there. But we do we do run ah run a pretty, I say, pretty healthy shot. for For what I do being on and off the throttle, it's It's a decent shot. We run a 425 shot of nitrous to the to the motor there to get little bit more giddy up and go.
01:22:57
Speaker
Very nice. You're going to stick with that this year on going over to EFI? Is it going to be but soon as you smash that throttle, it's going to be an instant thing? Are you going to have like a delay for like they do in most of the nitrous drag cars and stuff? Is it going be kind of a delay when it comes in or is it going to be like instantaneous in stay?
01:23:16
Speaker
is long So with the way we'll set it up, we'll set it up on what percentage that the throttle is open as it reads through the TPS, the throttle position sensor. okay Okay. um Not let it kick in at it it below a certain RPM and and an RPM cutout. And and that that's what I'm finding that.
01:23:34
Speaker
all the For the longest time, I ran 7AL3 box. That's what I ran. That common. That's a common box, that's like the six a 6A. Exactly.
01:23:45
Speaker
You run around, everybody's got chips around if you need to change a pill or a chip or whatever it is. um With this, it's it's I was explaining to it the other day, probably the best explanation that I have, that I keep wanting to call it a computer, and it's a computer, and it's computer, which it it is, don't get me wrong, you know ECM. It's just a big switchboard inside.
01:24:06
Speaker
you know You tell it which switches to come on, which things to come off. So it's where before with the 7AL, I was running a hard wire over to here and it ran back. Now I'm now i'm just running a a trigger from the ECM to tell a relay to run.
01:24:23
Speaker
Less wires you got to fight with to set up, to keep out of the way and not get rubbed or anything else. 100% you look at the wire harness and I think it's about two and a half inches in diameter that has my entire wire harness but I've ah i've only got to run six wires legitimately trans brake nitrous powers you know just kind of your your basic so your basic your basic stuff that other than that like you said the additive of having the nitrous controller and stuff the active make the knife but you got the basic layout of
01:24:55
Speaker
similar to like I ran in my Derby cars running GM owners, you know, we, I had mainly two wires, the right to run that with a GM setup. So that's how you, that's awesome that you can do that. And it's a, that's another thing technology with this stuff, especially EFI side, I'm still kind of learning, especially getting into the LS stuff because I got a couple of friends that's getting into my cousin messing
Chassis Dynamics and Body Modifications
01:25:20
Speaker
with it. And, uh,
01:25:22
Speaker
EFI is not as bad as it I thought it was honestly going to be, even though I'm an old school carbureted screwdriver and be done with it. and It's like, man, this is sweet. This is sweet.
01:25:34
Speaker
You just go in on your laptop and okay, I want this injector to put a little, these these two injectors put a little more fuel on this cylinder. And, you know, I'm like, damn, this is actually simple.
01:25:46
Speaker
they They say you can gain almost, almost 15% more horse by by just converting over to yeah um what we'll see. It goes to the dyno the middle of February on a chassis dyno.
01:26:01
Speaker
I'm looking forward to hearing about that, man. Yeah. well yeah As long as everything stays together. Oh, yeah. yesterday That's trial and trial error thing, and it sucks because if something does go wrong, there and there goes the the wallet on whatever happens. But We're going to keep it where it's positive and it's going to be successful. Dino pulls and everything else for you. Exactly. I don't know if you guys have seen the old the the old OG truck, the original wrong turn. It was an extended cab Colorado.
01:26:34
Speaker
i've seen pictures I've seen pictures of it and stuff when I that started looking in. yeah the that The body that's on this truck is the same body that was on the other. We actually cut 18 inches out of the that fiberglass cab.
01:26:49
Speaker
on that to make it a regular cab because nobody makes a regular cab chevy colorado it's always the extended nope it's always the extended you get the ca body i now the the other funny thing about this so um if you look at the original body on it it had this gaudy i think it was a ten and a half inch scoop And yeah nobody could understand how in the hell I could see at out of it, which, as I told everybody, I couldn't. I just kind of aimed. I looked for a telephone pole. You're just winging it. You're like, okay, we're going. Yeah. And that's why a lot of times, if it wasn't a jamboree event, I would run without my doors and hood on. and It was just kind of a cage because i couldn't I could not see.
01:27:34
Speaker
Gotcha. Hey, that's understandable when you had something that big on for yeah the yeah vision. I mean, damn. Yeah. Yeah. And so we, we had the bright idea that, hey, we found a fiberglass hood that has this hood scoop on it. This is great.
01:27:49
Speaker
Well, I come to find out that's an arts fiber works pulling truck body is what that was. Really?
Reflections on Racing Dreams and Community
01:27:58
Speaker
Yeah. Well, what we didn't know is what we didn't realize was the front clip was stretched seven inches. So we we went we cut the hood scoop out of that hood.
01:28:08
Speaker
And we're like, all right, we're going to in the new stud scoop. We're like, shit, we're seven inches too short. sure yeah that's ah Yeah, that's the bad part about a pulling truck, man, because especially if they're running in a blower motor, they got to have that room for those bullies and stuff. so yeah Yeah, so we we learned a lot of things on it. I still got to say, man, that's got to be something, though, to live in a dream like that. You know, I'm living mine. I mean, it's not nearly like your experience, but at the same time, getting to know you and all the guys that are doing, you know, what I like to do, even though I'm still doing it the stock style.
01:28:50
Speaker
um I love living it but through your guys' eyes and, you know, and my kids. Hey, dad, your buddy, you're getting ready run. You want me to film it for you?
01:29:01
Speaker
Because, um you know, it's, They've accepted my family. You guys, you know, the whole community, yeah my families, we're all family. And they're like, I show up to a rough truck event. Where's the wife and kids?
01:29:13
Speaker
Where's the wife and kids? I come to Coshocton. Where's the wife and kids? Karen got after me, everything else. Well, that night the wife had to work, the kids were, They were hanging out with their friends and stuff, and I'm like, well, they're they're doing their own thing.
01:29:27
Speaker
Well, still, we're glad you're here, but where's the family? you know i was getting I was getting shit for the last what race of the year, and I'm like, okay, I'll make sure next year that I have them with me if we can they can do it. i mean But, yeah, it's just the – The community is it's just amazing. that it it it And that's what that's what goes on. that That is what makes, you know, my my dad still to this day thinks I'm nuts for wanting to be in this off-road sport and stuff. And, you know, when i was up there Croton, he made the comment to me, aren't you getting a little bit old to do this stuff? aren't You know, isn't that awful hard on you?
01:30:06
Speaker
Racing is racing or getting out there getting your... two minutes, three minutes, 30 seconds, 45 seconds of thrill is, is the smallest piece of the puzzle on it. It's the camaraderie, the brotherhood, if you will.
01:30:21
Speaker
Yeah. What everybody has it, yeah you know, and what's so funny people that I thought were my sworn enemies up there, Croton came up to me and said, man, You know, that is an awesome truck you have that, you know, that that's awesome that you're back in it. Funniest, one of the funniest stories, um I was a buddy I went to school with and and everybody thought I was just nuts back when I was in school because it was all four wheel drives. Get it out in the mud, four wheel drive. I got to have the biggest biggest, loudest truck around. I got to have this.
01:30:53
Speaker
um And they they they everybody swore that the four wheel drives were going to be my demise. and um And I ran into this individual and he said, you know, if somebody would have told me 35 years ago that you would be doing something like this, I would have told him you were you were nuts. This boy is going to be homeless. He's not going to have a pot to pee He's going to be there.
01:31:17
Speaker
You know, and you you just never know the opportunities that having that type of brotherhood and and that type of dedication, you just, nobody knows what avenues and what doors it's going open up.
01:31:33
Speaker
Oh, yeah. and it's um and And you've been fortunate. I mean, a lot everybody has. And I mean, myself included, to get the opportunity. I honestly thought I was going to live the motorsports side through my kids again.
01:31:48
Speaker
You know, I wanted them to do. And with Lance, hey, man, I need a driver. I got an extra Jeep. And I was told, you know, you were wanting to get back into it. I never thought in 16 years I'd get back behind the wheel. And I forgot, honestly, besides watching how much fun it was actually able to compete in that stuff. And it's like it rejuvenated that little kid again in me yeah just from the excitement from doing it. And now, like I said, I get to share it with my kids.
01:32:19
Speaker
yeah That makes it even even more exciting. The with me, you know my grandkids. going to lose count here and I'm probably going to forget one. I've got many grandchildren. But them wanting to come to the events. you know my my My biggest fans want one of my grandkids.
01:32:36
Speaker
You know, that just, you know, it's, it's amazing to see that, but you know, not only that, but then all all the other kids, what, what, you know, and, and I, I know I'm probably beating a dead horse on this, but with all these eyes that are on us as competitors and as much fun as we have.
01:32:54
Speaker
yeah yeah seeing seeing those kids come up and want to look at the truck, do this and that. That's really the highlight of my my time at those events is is all these kids coming up and you know getting the autographs, doing this, doing
Impact of Motorsports and Community Role Models
01:33:09
Speaker
that. you know cro Tim Howard, shout out to Tim Howard and his crew that he works with for Monster Trucks. You guys put these people out on a platform and smiles for days. That night after the Monster Trucker,
01:33:23
Speaker
kids and everything else oh that was so cool that guy in this truck and pointing the i've heard him when you know walking away when it's done he let me sit in a truck or he let me sit up you know buy it and held me up there he signed my flag or he signed you know i was watching dale workman and those guys they didn't some of the kids didn't have flags the parents are like hey can you mind signing their shirts and stuff dale's kind of like not used to the He's done the monster truck shows, started getting into him And he's like, this is kind of cool. I like this where I've gotten people coming up asking me, I'm just a modified tough truck racer and join what he does. And you got kids and even some adults.
01:34:04
Speaker
Hey, can you sign my flag for me? And it's just to see your guys' faces light up just as much as the people. I yeah i guess, you know, and and I've always said, you know, stay stay humble.
01:34:14
Speaker
Stay humble at everything. you know i was I was blessed how i kind of, so I wouldn't even say skyrocketed, but how I got ah more known in the Megatruck world, um you know, and staying humble with that little bit of publicity, that little bit of stardom, if you will.
01:34:30
Speaker
Well, that goes a long way. but But I kind of got real humble one day we were at we were at dinner over in Columbus and, you know, we have shirts and apparel that that that we have for the truck and what I seems like down south we sell a lot more than what we do up up here. but Oh, yeah, because that's quite a following.
01:34:51
Speaker
You're in mega truck country, man. Like you said earlier, down south and everything else and on the east coast, that's it's mega truck country, man. ah You can't go wrong with that. Exactly. And one day we were at, the the wife and I, Joan, we we were we were out to dinner one day and she goes, hey,
01:35:10
Speaker
that guy has one of your shirts on. I'm like, no, he doesn't. You know, no, he doesn't. And, you know, so I legitimately get up to use the bathroom because I wanted to see if he really had one of my shirts or hats on, you know. Right. And, know, I kind of struck, you know, he sure did. It kind of struck up conversation with him and had no clue It was me until after he left and you know rap while he was getting ready to leave. And I said, hey, you want me to sign your shirt for you?
01:35:38
Speaker
You know, just kind of joking with him. He's like, why would I want you to do that? said, well, you know, that's kind of my truck there. I just thought it was pretty cool. want to shake your hand. Thanks for for for promoting me and what have you. But I kind of got real humbled and in that experience, realizing that, hey, there's a lot bigger following to to these sports than it's a lot bigger than, hey, I grew up in Lincoln County, Ohio, you know, or in the area and what have you.
Camaraderie in Racing and Outdoor Traditions
01:36:04
Speaker
It it is you don't realize who's.
01:36:07
Speaker
lives you touch whose lives you don't touch, you know, and yeah and that kind of goes right back to that. What I was saying a little bit of, you know, there's always eyes on you somewhere, somewhere along the line, whether it's adults, whether it's children, everybody's watching you when you're getting ready to race, when you're lining up, when you're doing this, when you're doing that, you know, people are watching you and, and you know, what whether we want to be, whether we just want to be racers, you know, at some point we're influencers,
01:36:37
Speaker
For the sport itself. As much as we want to swallow our pride, we we are. We literally are. And we've talked about that all night, man. it's If we don't get the future in this, we ain't going to be able, when we're gone, it's no longer going to be in existence. Right. We've got to keep the young blood the in here. I mean, that's... 100%.
01:37:04
Speaker
And that's anything that's motor sports, any activities, camping, fishing. I've noticed that's another thing off subject. That's starting to be a dying thing, man.
01:37:17
Speaker
ah You know what? Yes. You're a hundred percent right. And I hate getting off subject, but you're right. So i this is, this was probably one of the first years I didn't, I bow on a lot. First year. I didn't really go out and down hunting, man. I can remember growing up as a kid.
01:37:31
Speaker
you know, deer season, you had deer camp. yeah Oh, yeah. it the enold Everybody got together. You went out in the woods in the morning. You met, you know, you got to say when you were a kid, you got to say a couple curse words because you were out at deer camp with the guys yes and you might get to see deer and what have you. and out, you know, and and I live in rural, you know, out out in the country.
01:37:53
Speaker
I think the entire week I heard three or four gunshots out there and I'm like, man, that that is just becoming a dying yeahp Yeah, because actually the and the sad part is looking over for just the week of gun season here in Ohio, licking in Knox County was actually the lowest counties, and usually they're the top two counties out of 88 counties that does deer hunting.
01:38:16
Speaker
They were in the top 15. They weren't even top 10 this year for gun season, yeah, which is which is unusual. For the first time in my life where I could understand it and being a hunter myself, that's like,
01:38:30
Speaker
not even in the top 10 counties for fucking deer harvest during gun season. Wait a minute. It was either Knox or Licking County flipping back and forth every season. you know it was a competitive It was like a competition.
01:38:43
Speaker
Okay, okay year this year, Knox County is going to take back first, you know, or it was, they shared almost or had the same amount, but it was always a, seemed like a battle between Knox and Licking County for,
01:38:56
Speaker
we're going to be the top top counties for deer hunting. But yeah, they didn't even hit the top 15 this year from what I was reading on the reports for gun season.
01:39:06
Speaker
Yeah, i I've realized it through and through that everybody's worried about a rack. And you know, man, 20 years ago, yes, was cool if you got a big rack or on the deer. I want the meat. I don't care if I get a buck or not. I want the meat in my freezer and fridge.
01:39:24
Speaker
we'll put it there Yeah, not not only that, but it was the camaraderie, the brotherhood that... Yes. And our racing community. And that's when you've got the family bonding.
01:39:35
Speaker
How deer season. Mine was even in January when rabbit season opened. I going my friends and his uncles and their dads. And my one uncle always went with us, you know, when he could. But to spend time with my friends...
01:39:50
Speaker
They go out hunting still because my uncles were busy with work or they, you know, work gotten away during hunting season. They couldn't take time out. So I had my friends go out rabbit hunting.
01:40:01
Speaker
We didn't have dogs with the group of guys I used to hang out with. i my first year My first year doing this with these guys actually rabbit hunting, you got your car hearts on?
01:40:13
Speaker
Yeah. You got your jacket on? Yeah. You got your muck boots and everything on? Yeah. Yeah. You're running up through the thicket. What? They're like, yeah li this is your first year. You're running through the thicket. I'm like, okay. They go, keep your gun here, which we I kept it where you know it was out of the way. i All right.
01:40:39
Speaker
I put my, had my gloves on, crossed my arms, walked through the thicket chasing them out. they with get I mean, we'd limit out between, there was like 12 of us. with And then we'd rotate after one round, you know, said somebody else. So somebody, you know, I got a chance and that person, whatever. But yeah, my first year to ever experience the no dog hunting, I was the dog. i was like,
01:41:02
Speaker
in This sucks. I have done that many of years. Many of years I was the dog. But yeah, I wouldn't
Logistics of Racing Events and Fuel Management
01:41:11
Speaker
train it for nothing. It goes right back to like what you were saying earlier though. If if we don't get the longer generation.
01:41:18
Speaker
Trucks are all pull up on the top by the stands and they let the kids get. Oh, hell yeah, man. That's awesome. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. Yeah, I'm telling you, Zempius, dude, I get the money. I'm coming to see you at least try once this summer to come out there to come out and hang out with you, man. I'm looking forward to it.
01:41:37
Speaker
Road trip in my near future. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I'm going west. Absolutely. Yeah, make make sure to send me your dates of of when – when it is there in Croton. Oh yeah, definitely. I will. I will definitely. I actually went through why we were talking. You were explaining the truck. I added you to the group chat that everybody's in on messenger.
01:42:02
Speaker
So I sent you an invite on it. Yep. I sent that to you. So yes, yeah I got that in there. It's got what it is. But yeah, like I said, by the end of February, I'm hoping to have the dates locked in for the 18th and 19th. It's a Saturday, Sunday deal at Croton.
01:42:20
Speaker
If it goes, open I'm not going to cross one guarantee. I mean, yeah, I may lock it in and lose the money because ah the insurance is what's going to kill me. I'm trying to get that. That's my only dilemma I'm running to. Other than that, I'm pretty much set up.
01:42:36
Speaker
And then getting some more sponsors on the thing, you know, getting that. up The insurance right now is my only, really my only snag that I'm running into. But yeah, if you don't have nothing that weekend and it does go through, or i would...
01:42:50
Speaker
I will stay in contact with you and when it leads up to it, if you're free, I would be more than happy for you to come in and be a filler and everything else and and and let it hang again like like you did at the monster truck race, man. Yeah, no, I enjoy that, especially locally. Like I said, I don't get to run.
01:43:10
Speaker
Right. Yeah. Like you said, it's a, you you're traveling five, three, 400 miles to go race. And then you got the opportunity to, you know, do the summer race with us and the monster truck show with us.
01:43:21
Speaker
That was fucking amazing to be able to do that right in your own backyard. You know what mean? It was, I've got one planned a, actually it's funny the week before Croton, I have one And then I think Croton again this year I've talked to Tim about,
01:43:36
Speaker
yep um And then i've got I've got another one scheduled somewhere else in between the race series. And and it's so hard to do the full series on the on the race with with as far as we have to travel.
01:43:49
Speaker
Right. Oh, yeah. The the fuel costs, everything getting there. I mean, you're fortunate. but And then the groceries, you know, to take for the weekend, you you know, stuff like that. But, yeah.
01:44:01
Speaker
Yeah, it's – that's what – that's what You know, and I don't know, you know, if you don't mind me asking, it I don't know, you know, fuel wise and in in these modifieds, what what do they, what do the majority of these guys run? What do they run? Your your your typical race few fuels, your 116? I think majority of them run 116 and stuff in them. Wes, if you're still here, buddy, I know you're usually here with me in the chats, bud.
01:44:29
Speaker
What race fuel do you usually run? Wes runs 110 in his. Okay. um I think Brock and Brad run 110 in theirs. Okay.
01:44:42
Speaker
I can't remember... then Shorty and them's old truck. I think it's the same, but I don't know. I have to get with Dale, in the but I think it's 110 and he uses this.
01:44:54
Speaker
He uses the his race feels that stinger. they're there I like that. I like that pails. The designs on those pails. I got he gave he gave me one. I was like, I like that. Here he goes here.
01:45:04
Speaker
just yeah He cut the top out of it for me. We cleaned it out and made sure. and But, yeah, I got one of those. I used put a plastic bag in. It's my little trash can in my room. But but still, ah just the design on that.
01:45:17
Speaker
But, yeah, a lot of them, it's usually 110 and stuff. Okay. So, but, yeah. event What do they go through? 10, 15 gallons of fuel at a typical event? um I don't think. I think the only weekend time that they really went through fuel was doing the jambos.
01:45:34
Speaker
They really do. It's when they have the multiple run deals is when they actually use up fuel. I know Dale
01:45:44
Speaker
and Sidechick I think he said he every two races he has to usually has to top off, depending if they do top 10 runbacks like Knox does and stuff. But normally normally they can get a whole night in before they do.
01:45:59
Speaker
less So about less than 10 gallons, Wes does on his. so Okay. So would you believe that night up at Critton, when I ran – Ran the drags. I don't know if you were up there the night of that KOA drag race.
01:46:13
Speaker
I didn't get a chance to. i was stuck Unfortunately, I got stuck at work that night. I missed it. I was hoping to get up there. It was a long night there. I think we finally got out of Croton, I think, at 145 that night and then had to be back up there for the Monster Truck show the next day. we were we were all dragging ass. I'm not going lie.
01:46:31
Speaker
Up there at Croton, I think that the drag race, we went through 25 gallons of race fuel 116 race fuel doing the drag races.
Importance of Sponsors and Community Support
01:46:41
Speaker
And if Tyler Peters on here, he's going to watch this. you know he He gave me a run for my money one night.
01:46:47
Speaker
he He had Dale there and was before he sold the orange truck to Jared. You guys are pretty damn close in the video. I saw all that and I'm like, yeah these guys are These guys are hanging right beside this mega truck. I'm like, what? well and then yeah and but but Then the night of the monster truck show, I went through all 18 gallons because my that was one of the last shows I did and i always drained my fuel out. I had about a gallon, gallon and half left in my tank really after that, just running up there at that the monster truck show. No kidding.
01:47:24
Speaker
Yeah.
01:47:27
Speaker
That's amazing. ya We're going to go ahead and get ready wrap this up. You got any sponsors and stuff you want to shout out here on the show, buddy, before we end? Robert's Performance, Boone Roberts. you know He's my motor guy, man. He's been with me since day one in this stuff. Nitrous Outlet's been with me since day one, pretty much. Shout out to Michael Pullman and company at Nitrous Express and all those guys over there. You guys are doing big things, not only in all around racing community, but everywhere. You guys are kicking ass, man. I follow, I follow those guys. outlet Oh, nitrous. Oh, sorry. not nitro
01:48:08
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's, uh, Dave, uh, Oh, Dave. Yeah. Um, Dave. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yep. That. Yeah. Brain has been the guy that's working with me on my EFI conversion. Uh, we just picked up Basil fuel already holder and company out of, out of Logan, Ohio was our fuel sponsor this year. Oh, nice man. Congratulations on that. Yeah. Yeah. And that, you know, we're, we're still working on some sponsorships, but that's who's, who's with us right now. And, uh,
01:48:40
Speaker
Dave's a big sponsor of Bobby Ducote, Little Legend, for his nitrous. I got it confused. My bad, Dave. I know you.
01:48:51
Speaker
me just out Nitrous Outlet, I've seen the the bullshit that they tried to start with you, and I apologize. You are a great businessman. You are actually the first one I followed that introduced me to Nitrous when I was a teenager. And I apologize right here on stream.
01:49:09
Speaker
I love you, dude. Shut up, man. I've ran the Nitrous Express in the past. I will say they they're they're busy, no different than anybody else. but They make you feel like you're their top priority when when you're on the phone with them. And I'll get my hats off to those guys. They they've stood through me. We, you know, through through the thick and the thin man and and really thrilled to have them on board with us this year.
01:49:39
Speaker
That's why, like I said, that's he's been I followed him since I was like 15 years old. Yeah, I'm 43 now. And like I said, he was the first person I ever seen introduced to the nitrous side of things. And then nitrous outlet came into the picture. There for a while, i'm a not to mean to interrupt, they weren't at each other's necks until these last couple years where bullshit drama got started. We'll just leave it at that.
01:50:08
Speaker
Yeah. And, it you know, yes. And, you know, that that's a whole other. other Yeah, we'll just leave that alone. What's that?
01:50:17
Speaker
leians what's that It used to be coming up through. it was they actually worked They tried to work with them for the longest time up until these last three or four years, man. and it's It's like every time you turn around, the other place is bashing him. Well, you know what?
01:50:36
Speaker
Dave's Dave. Dave treats like you said. Treats you like family. That's what it's all about. That's how you keep getting business, boys. Take it from Tim right here, shouting out to Dave for his sponsors and stuff. That's just expressing them. When you're treated like family and you show them what you're about. That's how you grow a beautiful community and what you're trying to do.
01:50:57
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I keep screwing up. thanks I'm fired. Fire me. ah No, no. But, you know, that then honestly, the biggest supporter I have on all this is my better half, Joan.
01:51:11
Speaker
She she keeps me level. She keeps me going on on stuff. I you know, I'm like most guys that have our our ah ah or mental breakdowns, if we if we will, or midlife crises.
01:51:23
Speaker
yeah um she She tells everybody that, you know, I was out of town of working when I found the first Megatrick. And I said, I think going to do this. think going do this. She said, oh, my God, I thought you were done with this part of this part of your life. You know, aren't you ready to settle down? But she has been my biggest supporter through and through.
01:51:42
Speaker
It kind of keeps me going on what have you. Sponsors, don't get me wrong, they're valuable part, but i'm I'm big on family, big on your my family. and Significant others. It's just like the younger generation coming up. If you don't have the support at home, your passion dies. Yeah, 100%.
01:51:58
Speaker
100%. So...
Future Plans and Commitment to Racing Community
01:52:02
Speaker
so
01:52:06
Speaker
Thank you very much, Tim, for coming up tonight. I appreciate it, man. And i will definitely get in contact with you here in the next couple of days. Absolutely. We'll have some more discussions. and um and you're well And like I said, in the group chat, if you've got any more ideas for anybody out there that's in the modified world or anything like that,
01:52:26
Speaker
I got, um, guys, Tim will be in our chat group chat for the event coming up. I'll keep you posted. Um, once again, thank you, Tim, for coming in. Appreciate you taking your time tonight.
01:52:38
Speaker
And i really enjoyed this and I look forward to doing it again. So probably the end of the season, I'll probably have to try to have you come back up and stuff, man. The true pleasure tonight. So.
01:52:49
Speaker
I'll go ahead and drop you down and you can get out of here. You have a good rest of your week and we'll talk to you later on, buddy. All right. Thanks guys. Appreciate it. Thanks for having me. You're very welcome. Thank you. Wow.
01:53:02
Speaker
Thank you everybody for tuning in tonight to Speedway stories with Tim Warner down here and with me and Johnny. Thank you in the chatters box. Once again, man, but um I appreciate you guys all being here, supporting the channel and stuff and everything.
01:53:18
Speaker
very much next Next week on Speedway Stories, I will have Tyler Mead on here to talk and everything else about his rock truck racing and stuff. Night Zempius, thank you, brother, once again ah for coming up and everything else with us, as always, when you can, big dog.
01:53:38
Speaker
But, yeah, I appreciate this. Like I said, I'm going to make 2026 my bitch on this channel. I'm going to grow. brother. keep this network growing. I'm going to try to keep the guests coming.
01:53:51
Speaker
Of course, race season is getting ready come around here soon and everything else is going a little harder. But I'm going to try to do some events when I get a chance to go to them, do them live i on the network here. And I'll channel it over to Johnny, let him know if I'm doing it and he's got free time if it's some odd day when I'm an event.
01:54:12
Speaker
I'll have him stream it over on The Fidel, Third Eye Fidel. Check him out over on his channel. It's chill channel. Thank you. Oh, no problem, Bubba.
01:54:24
Speaker
Tomorrow night, if you're into music and everything else, my buddy Glick, the one that put this network together and everything else and gives us the privilege of sharing our passions and everything else with you guys on this network, um it's called Glick's House of Music.
01:54:39
Speaker
He's going to be back to start 2026 with his show. Um, I don't know if he's got a guest or not what he's got planned, but I know he said he's got something special planned up. Um, Wednesday night, Michael and Brittany and everything else will be up here with, uh, hump day ha ha.
01:54:55
Speaker
It's a comedy deal and stuff. Come up and talk comedy and everything else with them. They, uh, Thursday night, me and my boy Johnny here. We're back with cold-blooded conversations. We talk everything animals that deals with the animal kingdom, laws, all that stuff that affects anything animal-wise. We talk about the movies that have animals in it, animals in general, reptiles, tigers, cats, you name it. um Friday night, I'm not 100% sure, but usually it's movie night with Michael and friends. Saturday, Saturday.
01:55:30
Speaker
is the main stable of this network. It's nonsensical nonsense. We have an open door challenge. We open the panel up to everybody. Come up, hang out, have a good time on Saturday nights. So this is originally a year ago. I met this man right here from that panel, and we've become good friends in a year time.
01:55:49
Speaker
ah yeah And then Sunday, We're back here with Rick and Glick. They talk all things football. We got the college national championship and the NFL playoffs coming in full swing.
01:56:02
Speaker
So they'll be here talking about it. And then we're back here next Monday night, like I said, on Speedway Stories with Tyler Mead, another local guy to me for rough truck racing and stuff um that I've come to know. one Get to know over this last season a little bit and everything else.
01:56:19
Speaker
He'll be up here talking about his career and life and everything else and just having a good time. I, like I said, appreciate you all tuning in tonight, man. It was a, it was an honor to have Tim up here.
01:56:31
Speaker
Very much. I'm glad I, glad I got to meet him this past summer. i hope you guys learned some stuff tonight and everything else, not only just in general, the mega truck side and everything else, but safety stuff and everything else too.
01:56:47
Speaker
So y'all have a good, good evening. Let's kick this week's ass and I'll see you guys on the next one. Have a good night. Bye.