HOT ROD Pod: Where It All Began

Brian Lohnes & John McGann chat with American race car driver Danny Thompson! Danny talks about the Challenger II, the evolution of the streamliner, the impact of his father Mickey Thompson, bringing the Challenger II back to life, his 450mph Speed Week Record Run, the Ferguson car, and his goal of hitting 500 mph! NEXT, the guys chat with OpenRoad Auto Insurance Chief Revenue Officer Bryan Ballatore all about collector car, specialty vehicle & enthusiast vehicle insurance!0:09 - About today's guest - Danny Thompson.1:47 - Challenger II - Where It All Began!4:06 - Evolution of the car, Streamliners.6:22 - The impact of his father, Mickey Thompson.7:47 - Challenger II, designed off of 1-to-1 scale drawing.9:00 - Bonneville, 1968.11:09 - Father & son.12:42 - Bringing the Challenger II back to life.15:00 - Wagon Wheel steering.20:03 - Managing the crew.23:10 - Father's leadership style.27:30 - Bonneville, 2014.31:18 - Preparation for a race.34:04 - 450mph Speed Week Record Run.38:43 - Cost & pressure.41:54 - The Ferguson car.45:03 - Bonneville Hat Club.46:05 - How to go 500mph.47:55 - Challenger sold & reclaimed.53:15 - The last uncorrupted form of motorsports.56:03 - 500mph piston driven car.58:03 - Tenacity.59:35 - OpenRoad Auto Insurance!

NHRA's Brian Lohnes & HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann are back at Pomona Speedway for the final day of HOT ROD Power Tour West! Today, the guys sat down with Hot Rod Garage Host, Lucky Costa, to talk about Where It All Began, Overhaulin', his '66 Chevelle, the genesis of Hot Rod Garage, Roadkill, driving himself to jail, steering column failure, the best cars he's ever owned, his HRG Co-Host Alex Taylor, and more! 1:56 - Where It All Began! 5:42 - Self-taught. 8:08 - Early years of the business. 12:48 - Overhaulin'. 20:32 - Evolution of Lucky's '66 Chevelle. 30:51 - Hot Rod inspirations over the years. 32:17 - Genesis of Hot Rod Garage. 36:00 - Working with Tony Angelo. 37:10 - Roadkill / MSD Van. 40:36 - Being a passenger with Tony Angelo. 45:25 - "Did I just drive myself to jail!?" 47:41 - Steering column is out! 49:33 - On return from Del Mar... 51:25 - It's about the journey, not the destination. 53:05 - Lucky's '67 Chevy C10. 58:13 - What's next? 01:00:05 - On his HRG Co-Host Alex Taylor.

NHRA's Brian Lohnes & HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann take the podcast to Pomona, California for Day 3 of HOT ROD Power Tour West 2023! The guys chat with Hollywood Hot Rods Owner, Troy Ladd, about where it all began, the "One-Day Hot Rod", how he built Hollywood Hot Rods, Road Thrash in 2008, his creative process, behind-the-scenes stories from the Gauntt Coupe & Mulholland Speedster builds, firing customers, working with other shops, working with clients, and HOT ROD Power Tour West! 0:07 - About today's guest - Troy Ladd. 0:53 - Welcome to Moviefone! 2:44 - Where it all began - the business plan. 7:39 - The One-Day Hot Rod! 11:50 - Rivets!? 16:04 - Genesis of Hollywood Hot Rods. 20:28 - Road Thrash, 2008. 22:49 - Scope of HHR's style. 27:09 - Troy's creative process. 29:14 - The Gauntt Coupe, '32 Roadster. 30:15 - The Mulholland Speedster. 35:22 - Behind the business. 36:41 - Firing customers. 38:15 - Friends & Frenemies. 42:18 - Timelessness of Model A's & Coupes. 45:44 - 3D Printing? 48:33 - Working with Clients. 55:23 - HOT ROD Power Tour West!

NHRA's Brian Lohnes & HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann take the podcast to Irwindale Speedway for HOT ROD Power Tour West to chat with Steve Pazmany of Fully Torqued! Steve tells us where it all began for him, building up his Fully Torqued brand, the world of aftermarket, working with clients, Thermal Club, and what's next! 1:09 - Day One of HOT ROD Power Tour West @ Irwindale Speedway! 3:11 - Steve's mission with Fully Torqued. 6:06 - Where It All Began! 10:37 - Owning his own content & partnership with History Channel. 13:04 - Early mistakes. 15:08 - Bulletproof Truck! 17:23 - Custom builds. 19:00 - Building out the Fully Torqued brand. 21:12 - Restomods. 24:07 - Concerns for the HOT RODDING industry. 27:42 - Steve's collection. 30:28 - Pontiac GTO vs Ferrari. 32:18 - The next big project. 40:05 - Drawing inspiration from HRPTW. 42:55 - Working with clients. 47:31 - Thermal Club. 51:55 - Hot Lap(s). 55:09 - F1 Drive to Survive.

David Frieburger, Brian Lohnes & John McGann are back from the PRI Show to chat with 2023 FIA Top Fuel World Champion - Ida Zetterstrom! Ida talks about her decision to join the NHRA, her racing history - starting at 8 years old, her history in motorcycle drag racing, how she made the transition from Motorcycles to Top Fuel, process of getting her Top Fuel license, joining JCM Racing, plans for 2024 season, major adjustments, stories from Hockenheim, FIA tracks, Santa Pod, and what race she's most looking forward to! 1:09 - On Joining the NHRA. 2:49 - Where It All Began! 4:34 - Her motorcycle history. 15:58 - Transition from Motorcycles to Top Fuel. 22:02 - Process of getting her top fuel license. 26:22 - Management experience. 30:03 - Joining JCM Racing & the 2024 season. 32:00 - Why is this the right opportunity? 36:09 - Don Garlits stories. 37:24 - Her dad's reaction to the move. 39:03 - Major adjustments. 42:55 - Perceptions of her as a driver. 46:17 - Stories from Hockenheim. 49:52 - On FIA tracks. 50:44 - Santa Pod Raceway. 51:41 - What race does she look forward to most?

NHRA's Brian Lohnes & HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann chat with former editor of HOT ROD Magazine & Car Craft - Jeff Smith! Known for his decades long tenure as the Editor of both HOT ROD Magazine & Car Craft, Jeff brings us back to where it all began! Jeff tells stories about being hired by Rick Voegelin at Car Craft Magazine in 1979, Pro Street, the impact of Real Street Eliminator, Autocrossing, the genesis of the first ever Fastest Street Car in America, Dare To Be Different, Rick Dobbertin's J2000, the CadZZilla, and more! 0:12 - Today's guest - Jeff Smith! 1:53 - Where it All Began - Car Craft Magazine, 1979. 7:12 - Stories from the Car Craft days. 13:20 - Pro Street. 15:55 - Real Street Eliminator. 19:58 - Jeff Schwartz' '82 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. 25:20 - His tenure with HOT ROD Magazine. 27:05 - Marlon Davis stories. 33:43 - The genesis of the Fastest Street Car in America. 36:00 - Dare To Be Different. 37:24 - Rick Dobbertin & the Pontiac J2000. 40:30 - HOT ROD's largest month of circulation - the CadZZilla.

From Snowboarding to HOT RODS! NHRA's Brian Lohnes & HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann chat with Roadster Shop CEO Laurent Potdevin! Laurent's path has taken him from Louis Vuitton, Burton Snowboards, Lululemon, Toms... and now the Roadster Shop! The guys talk to Laurent about Where It All Began, working with Jake Burton, his path to the Roadster Shop, working on a Nitro Dragster with Randy Meyer, thoughts on the EV wave, Cleetus McFarland & the power of social media, Waterman, Drag and Drive, and what's next! 0:07 - Laurent Potdevin! 1:58 - Where It All Began. 8:24 - First meeting with Jake Burton. 16:26 - What attracted you to the Roadster Shop? 20:40 - Working with Randy Meyer. 24:40 - Daily driver. 27:03 - Thoughts on the EV wave. 30:49 - Cleetus McFarland and younger audiences. 38:13 - Cars are a lifelong passion. 43:53 - Influencers. 45:44 - Waterman Racing Components. 52:29 - Drag and Drive. 54:06 - Creating experiences. 57:13 - What's next?

NHRA's Brian Lohnes and HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann chat with Nelson Racing Engines Founder, Tom Nelson! Tom takes us through the highs and lows of his career, telling never-before-heard stories like putting Twin Turbos in an airboats, and plummeting off 50-foot cliffs in Iceland! The guys talk to Tom about the genesis of Nelson Racing Engines, StreetFire.net, how the show "Driven" got started, the formula off-roading crash in Iceland, reevaluation after the crash, the artistry of engine building, the F-Bomb '73 Camaro, Tuatara, 2019 Ridler Award, and why we're in the wild west era of HOT RODDING! 2:03 - 40,000 hp HOT ROD shoot! 3:14 - Where It All Began. 6:48 - The Go Kart that started it all. 10:16 - Street Racing. 12:52 - The start of Nelson Racing Engines. 18:34 - First NRE projects and learning the business. 21:57 - First PRI Show. 22:59 - From StreetFire.net to YouTube. 28:35 - How "Driven" got started. 33:25 - Formula Off-Roading in Iceland. 35:02 - "We're going off a 50-foot cliff!?" 39:25 - Immediate aftermath of the crash & recovery process. 47:09 - Reevaluating the business. 55:40 - The artistry of engine building. 58:16 - The F-Bomb '73 Camaro. 01:03:34 - The Wild West of Hot Rodding. 01:06:15 - Metal printing with AI. 01:07:35 - NRE x Tuatara. 01:11:46 - The 2019 Ridler Award. 01:16:32 - What's next?

The legendary Tony Stewart joins hosts Brian Lohnes & David Freiburger on the HOT ROD Pod - LIVE from the 2023 PRI Show in Indianapolis! Tony discusses starting a family with wife Leah Pruett, the decision to take over driving duties for Leah in 2024, making the move to the NHRA, racing in the Indy 500 AND Coca-Cola 600 on the same day (TWICE), why he never returned to the Indy 500, getting a taste of F1, Sprint Car racing, building and leading a successful race team, thoughts on Ben Rhodes' drunken championship presser, how Don Prudhomme set up he & Leah, and the prospect of becoming Rookie of the Year at 53 years old! 0:22 - Today's guest - Tony Stewart! 1:17 - On the decision to start a family and to drive for wife Leah in 2024. 5:33 - Making the jump to Drag Racing. 7:39 - On his shoulder injury. 10:12 - Driving Indy & Busch Series simultaneously. 11:27 - Competing in the Indy 500 & Coca-Cola 600 on the same day... TWICE! 16:36 - Why he never returned to the Indy 500. 17:40 - Seat swap with Lewis Hamilton. 18:29 - Sprint Car racing world. 20:34 - Racer/Track Operator/Team Owner. 21:59 - Relationship with Crew Chief, pit crew, and the car itself. 27:48 - Building a turnkey Top Fuel team. 30:02 - Changing the culture in drag racing. 34:25 - Etiquette vs Gamesmanship. 36:50 - Truck Series finale & the younger generation of drivers. 39:54 - How Don Prudhomme set up he and his wife Leah. 43:14 - Rookie of the Year at 53!?

Brian Lohnes, David Freiburger, & John McGann chat with South City Rod & Custom owner, Bill Ganahl! Bill talks about the influence of his father Pat, what winning the Goodguys Trendsetter Award means to him, Saint Christopher, barf bags, tradition vs trend, owning a shop vs being an artist, the road to owning his own shop, how the vision has changed for South City, the Low-Buck Special, Gray Baskerville, his father's legacy, and keeping traditional Hot Rodding alive! 0:25 - Today's guest - Bill Ganahl! 3:33 - On his father, Pat Ganahl. 9:38 - On winning the Goodguys Trendsetter Award. 12:36 - The 1934 Ford Coupe, "Saint Christopher". 13:59 - Stripes and barf bags! 22:04 - Tradition vs trend. 24:15 - On the 1940 Ford Pickup. 30:21 - Riding the line of tradition. 37:04 - Owning your own shop. 40:43 - Where It All Began. 46:22 - Brizio's. 49:02 - 10 year vision for South City. 53:00 - Never satisfied. 57:00 - Under promise, over deliver. 59:50 - The Low-Buck Special. 01:05:00 - Tribute to HOT ROD's Gray Baskerville. 01:08:22 - Keeping traditional Hot Rodding alive. 01:10:35 - His father Pat Ganahl's legacy.

Brain Lohnes, David Freiburger & John McGann sit down with 6x NHRA Pro Stock World Champion, Erica Enders! Erica talks about becoming the Winningest Woman in Motorsports with her 47th national event win at Texas Motorplex, her racing history, how driving has evolved over the years, relationship with Bob Glidden, handling the heat, Dodge, the feeling of a hole shot win, how she prepares for every race, more women in racing, Tanner Gray, racing at Pomona, her personal car collection, and her love for HOT ROD Magazine! 0:27 - Erica Enders! 3:22 - The Winningest Woman in Motorsports! 4:34 - NHRA Pro Stock. 8:45 - Where It All Began. 11:24 - How driving has changed over the years. 13:16 - Bob Glidden. 16:13 - The Greatest Pro Stock Driver of All Time! 19:13 - "Don't eff this up." 26:00 - Dodge. 28:41 - Preparation & Testing. 31:33 - Social Media. 36:53 - Women in racing. 39:45 - The sweetest win and the most painful loss. 46:29 - Tanner Gray & other great rivalries. 50:39 - Racing at Pomona. 53:17 - Her personal car collection. 57:36 - Her love for HOT ROD Magazine!

Brain Lohnes, David Freiburger & John McGann sit down with 2x Drag Week Champion and Owner of Lutz Race Cars, Jeff Lutz! One of the most well-known faces in the sport of drag racing, Jeff Lutz, brings us back to where it all began! The guys talk to Jeff about where the inspiration for racing began, the early days of Drag Week, his rivalry with Larry Larson, how Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings was born, Farmturck and AZN, life in the NMCA as a pro mod racer, his builds - "The 57". "The Evil Twin" & "Mad Max", preparing and racing in the No-Prep Kings series, Thunder Road, the Roadkill Monza, and what's next! 0:23 - 2x Drag Week Champ Jeff Lutz! 2:43 - Where It All Began. 5:41 - The Larry Larson rivalry. 7:42 - Getting a look at "The 57", "The Evil Twin", & "Mad Max". 8:54 - How Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings was born. 13:15 - No-Prep Drag Racing. 18:58 - Relationship with Farmtruck and AZN. 21:49 - The Vegas Golden Knights Zamborghini! 23:14 - On his son, Jeffrey Lutz. 24:51 - The '89 Civic. 25:55 - His career in the NMCA as a traditional pro mod racer. 33:09 - Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings. 36:57 - What inspired the first car? 39:19 - On his wife, Christine Lutz. 43:00 - Thunder Road. 45:22 - The Roadkill Monza. 53:14 - What's next? 59:48 - How he focuses before races. 01:01:19 - Boise, Idaho.

Brian Lohnes, David Freiberger & John McGann chat with the co-founders of Ringbrothers - Jim & Mike Ring! Ringbrothers tell stories from their early days, discuss the keys to their successful partnership, their process of working with clients, special projects of the past, the Winnebago, how their careers have evolved, cars at this year's SEMA show, the corporatization of Hot Rodding, and what's next! 0:28 - What is the HOT ROD POD!? 2:29 - Thoughts on SEMA 2023. 3:31 - Ringbrothers - Where It All Began. 6:34 - From Lawnmowers to Helicopters! 10:40 - Life before Ringbrothers. 12:15 - The 1969 Camaro Indy Pace car project that started it all. 13:58 - Speedy P's! 16:13 - Design & Branding. 17:34 - Why they work well together, and how they settle differences. 22:25 - How the process works. 24:52 - So you want to start a HOT ROD shop... 30:55 - How the product has elevated over the years. 34:34 - Brothers will be brothers. 35:53 - The Winnebago! 39:19 - This year's cars at SEMA. 44:31 - The 1961 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II. 48:07 - The corporatization of Hot Rodding. 52:13 - What's next for the Ringbrothers and the world of Hot Rodding. 56:40 - Sisyphus & the Rock.

LAUNCHING DECEMBER 15. Welcome to the HOT ROD POD: Where It All Began! Join Brian Lohnes as he talks to the biggest engine builders, drag racers, competitors, and hot rod builders in the business - the movers and shakers of the high performance aftermarket, legends past, present and future. Each week Brian will be joined by an amazing rotating cast of co-hosts like John McGann, the Editor of HOT ROD Magazine, David Freiberger of Roadkill, or a bunch of stars that you know and love from the automotive media.