Happy Labor Day! We are “Catching up with Craig Scanlon” on tonight’s show. Lots to talk about, including the all new @scanlonmotorsports Pro R RZR Build, the current state of Offroad, and we have special guests @troylee25 coming on to talk about some of Craig’s helmets and car designs. @maxeddy100 & @airdog joining to talk about the future plans racing with Craig in Baja!
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Happy Labor Day! We are “Catching up with Craig Scanlon” on tonight’s show. Lots to talk about, including the all new @scanlonmotorsports Pro R RZR Build, the current state of Offroad, and we have special guests @troylee25 coming on to talk about some of Craig’s helmets and car designs. @maxeddy100 & @airdog joining to talk about the future plans racing with Craig in Baja!
#scanlon #baja #racing #offroad
DM us anytime. Let us know what you want to hear. Join in the convo!
Hang with us on Social
Instagram - @thedirtlifeshow
Facebook - The Dirt Life Show
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Welcome to the dirt life show with your host, George Hamil. Yeah, what is up Happy Labor Day everybody. Welcome to Episode 142 of the dirt life show. Thank you guys very much for joining us tonight we have a special special show for you guys tonight. We're going to be catching up with one of my good friends. He grew up in Pennsylvania, where off road was not even a thing not even on his radar. Now he's an off road industry leader both in racing and in business. He is a Baja 500 champion. He's been the CMO and VP at Polaris, as well as the CEO of four wheel parts. He's an off road Motorsports Hall of Fame honoree. He has changed the off road industry by introducing the Polaris razor and to the world. Now we're stoked to be sitting with Mr. Craig Scanlon. What's up, buddy? What's going on? George? How are you, man? Good. I wasn't sure how you were describing them. It's one of those things right? We're gonna talk a little bit more about the show. But I'm Jordi Hamill, like Craig said. It is one of those things you like forget where you came from. Right? The like, stop like remembering what happened over the years? Yeah. Well, it's hard to forget where I came from my my parents and family remind me that all the time. That's just the way it goes. Well, Pennsylvania is a lot different than where we're at right now. We are in the scandal and moat Scanlon motorsports household in Southern California. Thank you very much for having us here. Do appreciate it. And one of the things that you guys will probably see that's interesting is a blanket in the background. That thing's pretty memorable for you are pretty meaningful to you. Yeah, yeah, I got that as a gift for my birthday at King of the hammers like three or four years ago from Keith retrim, who's run our program forever. And then my co driver and best buddy for a long time and cowboy cowboy. And his mom actually went and took a class to learn how to make blankets out of T shirts just to make that for me. So most people would throw it on their couch and use it on their motorhome, I decided to put it in a frame on the wall. I think it looks super cool. So Well, thank you guys very much for joining the dirt life show. We're going to talk all kinds of cool stuff with Craig tonight. Man, we're gonna even talk about stuff outside your racing program. It's going to be pretty cool to go through everything. But before we do that, we want you guys to share the show. Have a little bit of fun with us, help us grow the show as much as possible. Ask any questions as well. We'll try to filter them as much as we can and get through as many as we possibly can as well. We have some really cool special guests that are going to join us some of your friends Craig, Troy Lee, the famous helmet helmet Painter is going to join us we got a couple of your helmets here. So that's going to be pretty cool. Our buddy Aaron can Terrell AirDog hat AirDog is going to join us and you just talked about key threads from running your program. Well, the person that's running your new program, Max Eddie, a champion his own right, he's gonna join us as well tonight. Yeah, should be fun. Yeah, it'll be cool. bunch of awesome people that are gonna join us. So let's get through sponsors real quick and everything. You can always join us anytime you want on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube every Monday night we go live at five o'clock. And sometimes we have special shows on Thursday to like Industry Insider and stuff. But please get interactive with us keep sending us direct messages hanging out with us online you guys have been awesome doing that we try to get back to every single person that we possibly can and share the show sharing the show is about the only thing you got to do. We don't charge for the show. So please share it and help us grow. Thank you to all of our partners that have been with the show. Let's see here. KMC wheels Thank you very much to them. You can head down to your local foreign parts dealer and pick up yourself a brand new set of KMC wheels for your truck your side by side any of those bad boys and they have some new stuff coming out for the players razor pro R which both Craig and I drive now. Yeah, we're gonna talk a little bit about that too. You knew parar thank you the guys over at Max's tires. Man they did really really well over a grand and so congratulations to all the drivers that were running Max's thank you you guys over at multiple lubricants. If you need to change your oil before you get out to the dunes for camp raiser. Go grab some multiple lubricants at your near Cycle Gear order order it through evolution Power Sports Online they got all kinds of kids that you can order for your cannamd for your Polaris whatever vehicle you drive they got oil change kits from will tool at evolution powersports.com Thanks guys over at shock therapy you can use code dirt life to get yourself some limit straps during racks bumpsteer delete kids any other hard parts and you can also call them up and tell them that the guys over at dirt life sent you get your car all dialed in man especially for the dunes if you want an appointment out in Glamis you better call now because those things are filling up quick. Thank you you guys over at JL Audio we're gonna be hanging out at the JL Audio booth at sands sports super show on Friday night we got a bunch of people coming down for the podcast so please check that out. Let's see here and yeah, thanks to the guys over evolution power sports they got I think we're gonna get an exhaust and a tune for the Pro are from those guys. Nice. It'd be pretty cool. Thanks guys over his own dirt racing products. User Code. Dirt life has a lot to racing proud Get yourself some tie rods, radius rods, anything match up with your shock therapy steering rack. And thank you to the guys that vision canopies. Kyle did very good at Crandon as well. And thank you to Josh and all the guys over at Crowl heat. Alright, so we got like I said, some special guests gonna join us tonight. But, man, over the past year and a half, you've had all kinds of stuff happening, man, you had a lot of a personal changes, you had business changes you had racing changes all kinds of stuff, man when it rains, it pours. But the thing that I'm most pissed off about is I didn't get to go on very many bicycle rides. Yeah, no kidding. I'm doing plenty of that down so it makes up for it. But uh, yeah, it was a pretty it was super busy. It was flat out between trying to run the race program, build a new car, selling the formal parts business and trans American business to two wheel pros. from Polaris that would that took a ton of time. Yeah. And there was a lot of times we were riding bicycles, man, and you just couldn't even focus because you had so much work stuff going on. And I appreciate that. Yeah, yeah. And it's, and none of it was bad. It's just busy. You know, people always needing questions answered, you know, yesterday. So that's just the way it goes. Right. All right. So we already had some people commenting in easy way to get a response in the DMS is drop hidden taco spots. That's very true. But yeah, so there's been a lot going on over the past, you know, 12, to 16 months, whatever, 1218 months for you. Some of the stuff that I saw was pretty significant, though. And I'm talking more about the racing program stuff, you gave me the opportunity to be able to come down and hang out with you and Baja, like, for the 1000 for the San Felipe and some other races, it was really cool to see the evolution of your program, because you're merging really good people together, you're getting all this cool stuff done. You're elevating your media game, there's tons and tons of stuff like did you think it was ever gonna go that way? You know, honestly, it's, it's, it's always just trying to kind of evolve it a little bit. And the other part too, sometimes just gets so busy in life, you know, between having the kids and, and you know, all the stuff that has gone to business stuff and you forget about you know, making sure that you take care of your sponsors and, and all that good stuff. And at this point, it's it's trying to get the program to where people can actually follow the race during the race. Yeah, you know, I think that's I went to Koh last year and what the Cailleach guys do to cover races I think is is really unlocking the off road for folks. Yeah, and you can really watch it in real time. I think that's kind of the key to for us to grow the sport is especially with sponsors and and getting people's eyeballs on it's really cool to see what the results are after that how much fun is it to to watch KLH and be a part of it and be a part of you want to be there and you can and you can follow it just like you would any other sporting events. Yeah, it makes a lot of sense to and I know that Justin chasen who is Bryce Menzies media guys, well, he's doing a really good job elevating their game two. Do you think that's enough, though? Or do you think that we still need to tell more stories and get behind the scenes? Because I think the people are really important. Yeah, I think it's both right. And I think, you know, one without the other, you know, kind of leaves people lacking. Yeah. So if we can merge the two. And, you know, we're going to try some things, you know, coming here before end of the year, and Bryce has been doing some cool stuff right now. And if enough teams start doing that, in who knows down the line, maybe the racing series can merge all that and allow people to be following the race where they can click on the tracker, and then they can click on a racers link and follow them and then click on that eraser and follow them and that would be so cool. But you know what, I think it's on all the race teams, the the kind of create this themselves, because I don't think the race, you know, circuits are going to do it. Besides Koh. I'd like to see him do it. Yeah, it takes it pretty easy. Like it's happening. Yeah. And it takes a pretty heavy investment to write. It's like, and you can't put it in every single person's car. Yeah, I think that's super cool that it's happening like that. To me, it looks like it's like, I don't know, on the forefront, right? Like, it's just cracking the doors open. So everybody can see it. Because we've been behind the scenes for so long, like even the teams, right? Just sit there and wait, yeah, hang out. But now like with, with all these wireless internet solutions, and things like that, like we could be in a chase truck while you're out there racing and be like, we know exactly what he's doing. Maybe it's a four second delay, but you know what I mean, right? That Starlink stuff has kind of blown my mind away. It's while he talked a lot about it, you know, and we're going to do some stuff here before the end of the year. But having that ability is really kind of game changing for us and how well it works. We've been testing it a little bit and excited about some of the things we can probably do especially at the 1000 this year. Yeah, that would be super cool to see all that obviously, but and then also to well, what are you like, what do you think is the value behind it? Do you think it's just showing what's happening inside the car or do you think you have to like do a lead up story? to it like, how would you put it all together? Well, I think covering the free run and then all sudden race day disappearing isn't isn't a great deal, okay for people to watch, and I think not having any stories about, you know, the lead up and the work you're doing and then covering the race isn't good either. I think, like I said, I think people want to hear the story of, you know, being down in Baja for a week and or two weeks and pre running and in all the trials and tribulations and then they want to see how it were how it turns out, right. And so far, typically, what a lot of the race teams do, including ourselves is, you know, we'll post as we go along, and, and all that good stuff. But then race day happens, we disappear. Yeah, and not because we don't we don't want to cover it. It's because you get into sections of Mexico, where there's nothing, there's just nothing. Yeah, you can't you can't cover it. You can't Yeah, there was one time when we were with Chase, and you guys, and we all we had this little place, we called it 3g Alley. It was like a section of 50 miles, that was only 3g service. And I would hit post on like 69 messages. And finally, by the end of that 30 mile stretch, it would be done. I'd be like, yes, there are some spots where you actually have coverage during the week when you're free running and then race day hits, and then everybody's on the same tower zero, you got nothing. Well, yeah, so that's part of what kind of what I wanted to talk about today is I wanted to ask like how cool it is. Maybe you could give your description or impression of being able to go down to Mexico and participate in these things like you've had very limited time. So sometimes when you go down there, you had to work or you had to leave early. But during the time when you're down there, it's like no other form of sporting. Right. Yeah, it's wild. Yes. What I love about Mexico is when you go to other races, you kind of typically show up on a Friday, and you race on Saturday, and you go home on Sunday, and you get to see your friends and all that good stuff. But what the Mexico in the pre running, it's just really use you're spending a week with, with folks that you know, or your race buddies, right. And it's, it's kind of, you get a little bit deeper immersed in with your friends. Well, so one of the things that I noticed, especially with your crew is that everybody has the same goal and they want to perform at their best, right? Whether you're whether you're performing at your best as a 10th or a win, it's still the same mentality, right? And all of these teams and everybody comes together, but even when you see competitors, everybody is friends like, to me like being able to well capture it, like what you were talking about would be amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Well, and I think to your point, though, about you know, what I think about is what is so cool about off road motorsports is exactly that, like the people we compete with, and that we're still friends with. Yeah, we were talking earlier, I was texting with Phil Burton last night and we're talking about meeting up at the 400 while we're while we're pre running and having having a drink you know, and and that's the part what I think is so cool about off roading kind of gravitated me to it is you know, I played football all the way up through several years in college and football guy didn't go and hang out with the guys who played football. Yeah, it just wasn't a thing you know? And you know and Phil races for a different manufacturer and all that good stuff. But you know, he's he's an awesome dude awesome family. And in, whether they're a player's guide or okay Anam guy or whatever, and your friends and everybody hangs out and tries to help each other. We were out testing last week with the brand new Pro are in Barstow? Yep, who was there? Yeah. So you know, it's, it's, technically we compete against each other, right? I call Mitchie up and say, hey, you've had your pro for a while, you've actually done pretty well, why don't you come out and help me out? And yeah, tell me some of the tricks of the trade. He spent the whole day out in 110 degree heat, and pointing out things on the car that we can make changes to it is funny to like, it's, you can see that camaraderie, right. But you can also see, like, he's pointing things out, and he's like, showing you all this stuff. And I don't know how you want to say it, but like, any competitor is like, I'm showing this dude, the tricks like you know what I mean, but that's, that's fair. And it's good, but it's also like, in fairness, the Michi let's be real here. It's like Michael Jordan, given tips to the guy who's the sixth man on the team. That dude can flat out drive. He's been doing it since he's a little kid and really can and he's, he's, he's turned out. I've known him for so long. And it's so awesome to see his maturation and what he's become. Yeah. What in his dad is family. I've heard all that whole step whole thing, right. Let's see here. My gardener says, Oh, my gosh, Craig Scanlon What's up my car you? Gosh, it's Mike. Mike's having a baby in like two weeks. Really? Yeah, dude, I can't wait for this. To show you don't need a license. Have you ever need a license to do pretty much anything in this world? You don't need a license. I have a baby Mike Gartner. Mike Gartner. If anybody knows why Gartner is having a baby they know if it's a boy or girl boy. Oh right on its name's Craig. Is that what they're gonna sorry my back. Oh, that's funny. Yeah, so I think it's really cool that the camaraderie and all that stuff is there and I do think that it's it's awesome that you have the opportunity to have people like that help you Um, before we got we only we still got like nine minutes before we get Charlie on here to talk about your helmet so we can kind of phase into that but with the use the word maturation of side by sides in general, do you remember it? Because I want to take it like far back. Do you remember when, like Yamaha rhinos just came out and then you guys had like when you're working with Polaris you guys had in your back pocket that you were gonna release the razor? Yeah, like cuz I remember you telling me some stories about this? And I was like, no effing way. Like this is exactly what everybody needs to hear like, how did it come about? Oh, cheese. It was it was a it was a small team of people that worked on the original razor and then an even smaller team that long. Which one was it again? It was razor 800 800. Yeah, the 50 inch 800. And it's so funny because at the time, we were like, Man, this thing is just so out of control. It's crazy. It's you know, and the blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then I look at the Pro are, well, yeah, that's where we're going with this combo. But like, wow, I remember seeing that razor 800 going good. God, this thing is insanely cool. Like, how do I get one yet? Yep. And then and then to watch it kind of evolve over time. You know, it really just was a matter of like getting out and going places. You know, it's like, okay, go down to the mud and go to muddy events and look at what consumers are doing with vehicles. Go to stands for Super Show and look at the number of booths that are filled with rhinos and razors that had long trouble Kitson and going wait a second, we can do this, and make it so much more affordable for consumers and probably provide a better product for him. You know, and that's how, that's how all the ideas from Razer came about was going and watching what people do with them. You know, that's talking to people and say, Hey, what are you doing, and learning and kind of saying, Okay, this is what's next. That's the exact meant the same structure that I think would help grow off road to is get show it to people? Because well, they're not going to go and do it like you guys did. But yeah, like, That's so crazy. But you're right, though, anytime you want to do something, I mean, not to put well I should put myself in that position is the dirt life is successful, because we go to those places people don't have to come to us, we go to those places to make it easy for them so that other people can see what these people are doing. Like I really, really think that that's a massive. I don't know. That's what kicked off side by sides, right? Yeah, pretty much. I mean, I mean, the rhino is there. Right? It was originally developed to be like an outdoor hunting vehicle, though, right? Or like hauling hay and stuff. Yep. And then the consumers turned it into something else. Yeah. And then we came out with what we came out with, and then, you know, kind of, I remember being so pissed off when I got smoked by razor 100 of my Rhino. Yeah. And then we launched the 909 100 was the first time we've ever done kind of a brand new motor in a brand new chassis at the same time. Well, the suspension package, I think, is what the seller for that though, was right. Yeah, but it's but we also had the 900 motor that kind of took horsepower from, you know, kind of like a TV style horsepower, up to like real horsepower. Right, you know, vehicles went, you know, going 5560 to go in 7580 miles an hour and happened overnight. And like but but from developing a product, though, it was amazing. Because typically, you have a motor on the shelf, and you develop a chassis or you have a chassis and you and you put a bigger put a new motor in it. It was the first time we had built a side by side specific motor to go in a side by side specific chassis. Oh, and meeting at the same time in the engineering team. I mean, I remember back in the day, the powertrain guys, and the chassis guys, it was it was cool to watch it all come together. I mean, I remember, were they like holy cow, we got a lot of work to do. Yeah, at least a test on it. Have a student I remember going to have a student driving the first 980 Calm test meals and in with the engineer saying, Hey, by the way, it goes all haywire just turn the key off. And I'm like, why? He's like, Yeah, cuz if you lose control, because you know, this thing isn't calibrated in this manner, just turn the key off. And I'm like, just turn the key off, like, going 80 miles an hour. It's not a real engineering thing to say. It wasn't the most comforting thing to say. But that's how things are built though. Yep. And that's that's how a lot of things that Polaris were built over the years. It was so much fun to watch. But it's the same but you can think about like Henry Ford or like, I just blanked Oh, the Wright Brothers, like going to fly their first airplane. They're like, Oh, no, like, I gotta go up here. What am I supposed to just turn the key off like, what am I supposed to? But it was fun though. It Back in those days watching the players, engineers and the players, prog teams and marketing guys all come together and do stuff like that. It was, I would say if I was ever to get another job and do anything, it would have to be something where, you know, we were building something again. Yeah, it was fun to watch Razer go from, you know, $0 in sales to a couple billion dollars and being you know, a global brand that's actually pretty wild to talk about like because it kicked off so fast. And it's not like the side by side industry is getting smaller. You know what I mean? Like that was the evolution of a Have a genre Right? Like have a have a genre of vehicle or a category of vehicle and it was also the evolution of I don't know what you want to call it like reincarnating off road racing because you you really I don't want to say it fell off because I hate saying that because I feel like I'm doing this justice to all my friends but it was at a standstill, right like, off road was only getting so far with all these custom vehicles, right? And now all of a sudden, everybody has this outlet to be able to go do it. Like a lot of people in our audience are all side by side guys, right? Like they all they all love getting out there side by side. They like going out. And dude, I can tell you how many questions we get a week about going racing and a side by side. Yeah. And that is what started that. Yeah, not just that though. Like, you know what I always mean, the lifestyle it created for folks. Like, I remember the first time I ever went to Glamis. You know, first of all, I was blown away by it like pulling in the glamorous you hear glamorous, glamorous going to uni, you need to go to Glamis. And you remember what year it was the first time you were one? He's probably like 2008 Yeah, I was gonna say around there. And it was the middle the week and it was summertime hotter shirt. Yeah, nobody there. So imagine the glamorous for your very first time and just seeing nothing but sand, you know? And, and yeah, John Lewis said it became a lifestyle. Yeah. And one of the cool things about it was, you know, when I went to Glamis, the first time on a weekend it was it was, you know, a bunch of guys on their bikes, a bunch of guys, you know, on quads and things like that. And sure, you would go out for a couple weekends a year, and that would raise a really did, it kind of brought the sand buggy ability to take, you know, your family with you, right? It wasn't just a singular Oh, so vehicle people, you know, instead of going to Glamis once or twice a season, people started going every weekend. Yep. Because now the whole family could go, and it wasn't like, I'm going to take off this weekend, you're stuck with the kids, you know, vice versa, whatever, whatever. You know, whichever one of the people in the relationship when but it was it turned into kind of just made the off road more accessible to families. And that's exactly what I think that like some of the media's are like, what we should focus on in the media is that same type of connection, because that connection didn't exist until the razor existed, right? Like, and it doesn't exist very well in off road right now. So how do we get that? Like, that's where I'm going with this whole conversation? Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's why and then Starlink is making it happen. Right. Yeah. I mean, I think that the manufacturers are well aware that the real key to this whole thing is, is not just going after the folks that want to go 130 miles an hour or no, and go crazy, they understand that, you know, you got to manage price points. You got to manage, you know, the ability to to be accessible to families, but you also got to make sure you got a product for the performance, folks. Right. So and that's why I think you're seeing vehicles like the Pro are but you still see players making you know, for seat, you know, Turbo pro RS two that are price point vehicles that, you know, that are what they're supposed to be for people to do what they want, dude, honestly, I can't wait to talk about the pro AR Because you got that new race car and stuff we won't get into right now because we're gonna have Troy Lee calling in or joining us in just a little bit here. But let's start laying some groundwork down is like, do you remember when you saw some of Troy's work or what you what made you want to include him in your race program? Well, first we included him before he was involved in my race program. I had met him through Mike Emerson at VP obike was at Troy Lee. And we got connected up through a lot of the league go in there request the joint choice join suite. And we got connected up through I was there to visit Troy to start talking about doing some apparel for razor because I thought it'd be good for the razor brand and you know, big southwest guy and all that good stuff. So what are you doing there? George? I can't get to it because the lens is on there. Let me invite him it's funny. Yeah, go ahead and keep keep talking hard. See me so distracting with a broken screen like that? Yeah, it really. All right. Well get him on here in some way or another man. Technology. I mean, first show blues right here, right this way? No, it's 100/42 show. Thanks, Jared. Yeah, we got connected because we want to do some apparel. Exactly. You know, this is one of the pieces we did way back in the day and it was just a great partnership. And then we met and I met Jesse Nelson. And then Troy and I partner with you know getting Jesse back out and on razors and so cool to see Jesse winning the DP four race couple weeks ago was rad. He was so stoked on it. Yeah. And his his co driver Dustin was pumped on it too. Yeah. And it was awesome to FaceTime with Jessie while he was sitting in an ice bucket on Friday night. Whoa, did you here's floating around him. Yeah, yeah. It was awesome to I love when I'm FaceTiming with my friends and they're shirtless. Sitting in an ice bath. Well, that is actually something we're gonna have Troy actually update his Instagram app real quick on his phone. But when he while he does that, that's one of the subjects that I want to talk about. We won't get too far into it but great leaders always care about their team. Yeah, the people they hang out with around with and you do a lot of that to being a part of flares razor for so long, you've given opportunity to not just myself, you let me drive one of your personal vehicles that are raised, but you've done stuff for Jesse Nelson, all kinds of different people. I mean, I have a list here, Max, Eddie, Brandon Sims, like tons of people. One of the things that I remember you telling me about was the first time that you race the side by side, and it was against Brandon says we're in the same class, I guess. Right. Do you can you tell us that story? I think well, that was when I first started racing and click keep mine. I never raced a thing in my life. I was Yeah, cuz you're a big football guy. Random was racing. I was driving around in the desert during a race. Now it was remember, it was Silver State 300. And he went by me like I wasn't even moving. Because I don't maybe I wasn't at the time. I'm not sure. But after the race, that's when I approached them to, you know, be a part of the players program. So it was fun. You really can't get this out. Well, it's I can figure it out. Watch. I can't hit the button. I know. But you would think you've done this a couple of times. Yeah. Well, actually, so Instagram right there. Instagram. Quit having live on iPads. So I have to use a stupid ass. Google one. Whatever. The Samsung one is that technical? Podcast term stupid ass. Yeah. I hate I hate not having Apple products. So that's why I curse them. Well, let's see. We can get Charlie on here. If not, I'm going to take off that lens and put it back on. Just so I can hit the frickin button. But yeah, big, huge fan of Brandon. You know, and Brandon's like another guy just like Michi guys who were given an opportunity, and overall, you know, a 10 year period now have worked their ass off. Yeah, I mean, that's the part people don't see is, you know, Well, dude, you just said 10 years, like, that's a lot of work. 10 years, right, and a lot of sacrifice. You know, and, and a lot of folks want to go out and have a good result in one race and say, oh, you know, I'm killing it. Give me money, you know, and that's not the way it works. Those guys went out and did it on their own. Yeah, absolutely earned that opportunity. And it was really cool, too. I would tell you, when I have all the people, you know, that over the years that I've helped out when it comes to racing, those two tops of the list for me, yeah, Mitch and Brandon, it's Brandon. And he got the goofballs, like RJ you know, I love I love you know, being involved with that family as well. But you know what, pure side by side racers, guys that at the end of the day, you know, 10 years from now we'll still be side by side racers. Those two were two great finds. And I'll tell you the only way the only way I found them was by racing against them, you know, which is super cool. Yeah, I remember you said like, when you were out there. I don't know how you explained it to me. But you're like, Yeah, I was just racing. And I thought we were doing good. And then he goes flying by like, a million miles an hour. And you're like who is that guy? All right. So look we got on now we got he legend Troy Lee. What's up Troy? How are you? How's it going? Sorry, man. I was fighting. I'm always fighting to get on these things. Yeah, no worries. I think you're doing good man. So all right. We want to talk to you a little bit about my buddy right here. Craig Scanlon. What up Troy here. How's great looking? Good. How are you? Awesome, man. Where are you at? stoked to be in my yard here and right next to our mini bike track in Laguna Beach. Oh, nice. You get yourself. You get yourself a pizza maker yet? Yeah, no, I need to do that. Man. We got a little ramps here and got some little turns. And it's pretty fun. Nice overlooking the ocean. Here. That's perfect, man. Well, thanks for joining us, Troy. I really appreciate it. A couple of things that I want to talk about was how do you remember the first time you actually met Craig? Now we think every time we meet Greg meet, we have a couple of drinks. Just a couple. It's not a good night until choice by signing a bottle of 1942. For me, it was a couple of empty ones around here. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. We always seem to things like flow a little better that way. Yeah. I was telling them we did. We did a little bit of collaboration on some apparel for Polaris, and then we did the Jesse thing. Oh, yeah, like the player's shirt that you're wearing right now. Old school. Yeah, we did some clothing for him. And he liked the clothing we did for our motocross team and so We just started expanding a little bit with him and super cool that they came in and helped support Jesse. You know, Jesse, he's an amazing person to be able to keep doing what he loves to do. That's awesome. Yeah, we were actually just talking about him right now. I don't know if you caught word or you saw it on social media or if Jesse called you but Jesse just won. DP for off road raise. Oh, awesome. No, I gotta call him. I didn't get a call yet. Yeah, well, you might end up in the same boat as Craig and have shirtless Jesse. The night after the race talking to you on Friday night. It was Friday night he was sitting in an ice bath. Oh, here. Nina shirtless talking to me. He really knows how to sponsors or ex sponsors. I guess in this case. Yeah, Jesse's that's a good day. So real quick story. So I have a pizza maker and we do pizza nights here. So Troy came over and and apparently he's a big fan of pizza night. Big fan of pizza night. Really? Yeah, we need it. In fact me I just need to go buy you one and send it to your house. Now I just need to do it here. There seems like there's always a somewhere else to buy here, man. But how big a baker? How big? Yeah, like how big is the thing that you're talking about? Is it massive? Oh, shit outside. Here. Oh, okay, well, there you you Craig's gonna have Troy's gonna have to put it up there on the side of his track. So try to you remember, throw a party. Exactly. Do you remember all of the I don't know if you want to call it design work or paint jobs and stuff like that that you've done for Craig? We got a couple of them here. So I was going to show the audience some of them. These ones are some of my personal favorites. Craig let me invade his office or his studio. This is one of the ones that you guys did with BP obviously. One of my favorite parts is the script in the back. And obviously the what do you call this as a chrome flake or what is this? Now it's Silverleaf it's really white gold. And then we we found it on it's like a foil we pounded on and J That works for me. Is this amazing? He's the best gold leaf guy. I know that enfin striper but and then you spin it by hand kind of like the like they do on the Breitling watches or the Porsche dashes kind of turn it. Yeah, so it takes a lot of time kind of a lost art and Craig's definitely one of the guys that deserves the coolest helmets out there. Yeah, this one's pretty rad and then I think this one was for we did a we did the mint 800 when we raise the side by side and then the truck Yeah, and Troy actually developed a new color for that truck lead when we did the 6100 truck it was pagan gold that you made that color that wasn't even a color right? Yeah, I worked with PPG a lot I'm working on some some new colors right now that we're trying to invent like a fluorescent turquoise right now. But it's cool working with Craig because we get to do I love doing the whole package that's what's cool about a race team is you get to do his helmets kind of the car the clothing and you know, get we always throw a little fun in there. Do you have the one with a taco on it? Great. Well, I don't so we're we're talking about gone and I was waiting just to show him this like Can you can you give us a backstory of the donkey or the burro we had a donkey as so we had JJ the donkey was our mascot of a race team where he was real like a real miniature donkey right? You kept in Arizona right? He kept in Arizona now he's actually out to brighter pastures. Keys brother took him to his ranch. And he's he's now buddies with another mentor donkey. So he's got a friend. He's got a friend now. But at the time, it was great when we had gotten him so Troy threw a little donkey action on the back of it. That was pretty good. And this one had Oh, yeah. Tacos. So we did a little minute mimic of a NFL logo for for the 500 this year, and instead of a football, he threw a taco in there. Yeah, I think that's pretty cool, man. Especially for the Baja 500 It fits right in right. Yeah, so we did a helmet. The whole deal, you know, little chargers themed for our friend Joey D. And obviously you got your SMG logo on the front. But this one is actually one of my favorite. Try it just because it's so clean. Like you can tell the detailing is so much by because the white offsets everything else, right? Yeah, sometimes it's good to do clean man because it shows up so good from a distance, you know. Let's see we got a cool theme that's running through everything. So yeah. That's 24 karat gold leaf in there. So it's that's cool. It's kind of a cool Gucci. Gucci. Yeah. Very. One of the things that's cool about Troy is I love the fact that like he does when these helmets, there's literally he sketches it like he draws it, like, like I have, I have drawings of trucks and helmets and suits and all kinds of stuff where it's hand sketched by him and at the end of it, I'm always like, Can I have that? You know, because you just want the drawing. I just want the drawing. Yeah. So I have drawings in my office and you know, that was all saved forever. You know that you'll get them framed and all that stuff, but the You know, he, he literally draws it out in which I think that's a lost art to know. I'm sure everybody's just using a computer to do everything now these days, and he actually still takes pencils and draws like an artist. So is that one of your favorite parts of the job? Troy? For sure, I mean, I wish I could say I could work on the computer as fast as my guys do. But for me, just, you know, I kind of travel with my backpack and pencils. And same thing I was doing in Europe a couple of weeks ago, drawn helmets for the Moto GP guys in Silverstone. It was just kind of go into their bids, draw, you know, kind of get to know them and sit down and then sketch something up. And it helps so much when you can just sit across from each other. Like when Craig comes in me and him can just kind of, you know, of course, we're always stoked to see each other. But he's always got a couple ideas. I have a couple ideas. And it seems like you know, there's certain people that just flows with and Craig is one of those guys that he just 20 minutes, we got an idea. Do you ever get to the point where you're like, you're like that? Yeah, this is the exact direction I want to go. Or like I don't need to give Troy any other advice. Oh, I don't give any advice. Yeah, I was gonna say because it's like, because he says that most of the time. It's him saying cool stuff, but I'm going Yeah, yeah, that sounds awesome. Yeah, that sounds awesome. It's Troy Lee for Christmas sakes. You don't tell me how to design a helmet. You don't tell Troy Lee how to design a race team you know scheme for for a truck or a car or anything like that you you let him do his thing. So he was actually telling me I got the opportunity to go and do a podcast sponsorship summit thing in his studio. And I was able to walk in and check out his office and he was telling me that there is some guys that they don't you know, corporate stuff that they don't get that creative freedom. And I remember him saying that he enjoys that a lot. So that's probably a good reason why you guys mesh so well together. Yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, for sure. I'm not gonna tell a plumber how to fix my toilet. I'm not gonna tell Troy Lee how to design a helmet. I agree with that. 100%. Man. So some of the projects that you guys have got to work on over the years, Troy have been pretty significant. That's pretty cool. Ya know, it's been, it's been fun just working on Craig's stuff. And, you know, having him introduce me to people at Razer and Polaris and working with those vehicles. And, you know, there's always something else seems like around the corner that we're kind of working on together to, you know, so? No, it's it's been, it's been fun. Hopefully, we keep saying doing the same thing for the next 10 years, you know, so one of the things when the cool ideas that Trey gave me was, we were sitting down and we're talking about like, what could the new you know, the new car and what could the themes be? And all that good stuff. And he actually gave me the idea, your notice how every race I change the color of my car? Yeah. Well, he said, it's, I wish, you know, we were designing a new suit. And he's like, I wish I could just it could be like motocross where, you know, we can have a new kit for every race, right? Well, we can't have a new suit every race cars too expensive. But we paint the car and wrap the car, every race. So that's what gave the idea of let's change the color of the car. Let's keep the same graphics, every race and let's just change the base color of the car. Every single race and Troy gave me that idea. I think there's a fantastic Do you guys have or do you have a favorite one so far? Troy, I know that you're the creative guy. You probably have tons of favorites. But I really don't have a ton of favorites. Usually I get soon as I get done. I have another idea that pops in my head. So that's what kind of keeps me going, you know, when I don't have a new idea popped into my head that I'm like, Okay, I should probably retire. But as soon as I get done with pretty much anything I do, I'm like, wow, I got another way to make this thing cooler next time, you know. So that's, I feel fortunate somehow that keeps happening. And you get less creative guys like me like it was actually do you have a favorite one? No, it's funny. You say that? Because like everybody has a different favorite one. Right? You'd like the variety. Like Keith likes the red one. Brandon from racing links. The white one. Somebody likes the yellow one. It's like, what is it? You'll everybody? It's so much fun to change code a car because that's what I get the most messages on. Like, this is my favorite. And this is my favorite. So it's like, I think what it what's the favorite for people is just the variety. Yeah, exactly. That's exactly what I was gonna say. So like, I think so far my favorite one is the newest one because I like the cleanliness of the white with a golden blue. But my favorite car that you've had on track was the yellow one, because you could see you a million miles away and I'm like, in the helicopter wherever I'm at like are on the in chasing you and I'm like, there he is. Yeah. 100% We know that's Craig like, so all that variety only yellow razor ever made. But it was so easy to see you man. And you guys are flying like it's fun. Troy I got a question for Troy. It's like when you first started doing this stuff way way back in the day. If you ever think Troy Lee designs would be what it is now. I think we got a long ways to go here. You know, I want to I want to you know, that's why I'm over in Europe. You're trying to put a Moto GP team together help on gas gas here. Now I'm like, I want to keep this you know, I'm excited next time. I'm waiting for that phone call. Craig you're calling me in the next week or two going? We got to put a new livery together you know because That's like I was the exciting part for me is go. And that's what I mean. I'll give you one of my secrets. And I look at the whole field out there and go, Okay, what's everybody driving? You know? And going, okay, how can we stand out? You know, same thing with IndyCar Moto GP or anything? It's like, let's, we'll see what everybody else is driving, what color aren't they using? And let's, let's go twice as wild is what's on the on the circuit? That's why he's the innovator, right? Is because he's doing his research, and he's making it better. Like, I love that part about it, man, do you use some of the inspiration that you get from other genres to like, go into Craig's program? Oh, for sure. I love looking at everything. I mean, I love this shop. And it's kind of crazy. I think I shop more than my wife. I love going on the high end fashion stores and look at all the colors and plates and silverware and I just, you know, look at butterflies. And I mean, I look at it try to look at everything because I know I'll be able to suck something out of it and transfer it onto a racecar motorcycles. Yeah, we just had a comment come in and said always outside the box. But yeah, if you weren't thinking outside the box, just like when you guys invented razor just like what he does on a daily basis. Like, those things are what makes those trends and like industry changes when he talked about the gold car or the gold truck? And he said, we're gonna do gold. And when he talked about like, there's no like, I remember walking out like, I'm not doing gold. Like I hate gold. Yeah. And then, and then he drew it and I'm like, I still was like, I don't like go by. But I didn't tell i i went with it. Because I knew and then when when everything got painted. I was like, Okay, now I get it, you know? So that's sometimes they just kind of get out of the way and let people do what they do. You know? Yeah, I agree. 100%. I want to see if I can find a picture of that gold truck. Do you know where it was like, on Instagram? I can't find it while you guys are talking. I want to talk for a minute. So Troy, do you have any ideas on like, can you give us any secrets on what the new car is going to look like? I don't want to talk about that. What about on top of that the motocross team? Actually, that's actually a really good thing. So we just ended. Oh, we actually had a comment came in that from John jump. And he said, What is the craziest thing that Troy has ever drawn on a napkin? I draw everything on a napkin. That's where I start. Sometimes that's where I finished and handsome guys, and they put it in the computer after that. I don't know. John used to work for me. He's good guy. Yeah. Oh, he did. Okay, so maybe he's talking about something specific that you guys did together? Yeah, he's probably whatever, something but half the time they're, you know, go to dinner with somebody and he's kind of sketching on a napkin. And that's, you know, it gets started there. I believe totally believe in napkin and tailgate parties. I've lived my whole life that way. Hanging out the race has drawn something on the tailgate or drawn something, the napkin at dinner, having a couple glasses of wine and seems like it just comes together. Yeah, that's the way to do it. Right. That's when you get the creative juices flowing. So yeah, talking about the motocross team. You guys had a pretty successful season this season. When you guys how the 250 guys stepping it up. Obviously Justin was out there crushing it. Like it just ended this past weekend. How was it? Who was super hot man? It was like anywhere you could find shades. I mean, it was amazing. Those guys were out there this battle. I know the show. Shorten the motos. We know for five minutes, you know five minutes shorter, but it was hot. It was just it was tough. I felt bad for those guys, man just trying to get him cool. Everybody had bathtubs throwing me in after the races and it was just trying to cool them down. So they could get ready for second moto because when you really look at it, I mean, they go out there and they practice and then they do time qualifying and then they got a two motors motocross when it's it's already gnarly enough without being so hot. And it was just Yeah, it looks like it looked like it was so gnarly. Were there a lot of guys complaining because like, Man, I just being out there not racing look like it was gnarly. Yeah, it was it was a tough weekend for everybody. I mean, I need to send a nice letter out to everybody next week. And thank all the riders and the mechanics and truck drivers and everybody that you know, sponsors, Craig, everybody that helped us pull this together and hopefully go out there and do better next year. I mean, we won some races and once the super crosses and he raises and but it's like gambling man, you always want to do a little better, you know? So we're gonna go back to the drawing board, you'll have to point B, I can only be 5% better. 10% better. You know, I can definitely agree with that. But that's like the same thing that we were talking about earlier is like the same stuff about racing is trying to get a little bit better. No dice finding it. Okay. Yeah. So and later dropped. Oh, yeah. Didn't get it. What kind of stuff that you've been working on Troy because you said that you've been over in Europe a lot. Yeah, I have a new partner over there. And we've invested in two helmet companies over there. Two factories in Portugal. So I just bought a house over there a couple of weeks ago. Me and my wife are gonna fly over there and furnish it Um, so I've been kind of living over there. working in factories, I'm trying to move our helmet production probably shouldn't say this publicly, but we're moving our helmet production to Portugal and to Italy, they have two factories over there. And I'd much rather go there than China. You know? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Half our business in Europe, I think we can really grow it, we'll be able to service them a lot better. And, you know, I want to keep a turn. You know, I'm 61 years old, and I keep be lucky to get another 10 years. I mean, I'm like, I'd rather go to Italy and build helmets in Portugal and build helmets and watch them come up with assembly line, and they got, you know, windtunnel testing over there and labs and everything. So, super stoked. I mean, I feel like I'm kind of reached, you know, starting over again, a little bit. You know, we're working on working on some street helmets, and hopefully we get a Moto GP racing with gas gas. And that's kind of my new, new adventure. That's so cool to see. To hear that though. Like, that's like a full refresher. Right. Like, when you hear that and hear like, like, it kind of makes me want to move to Europe. I don't know. But it's gonna go. We talked to him and I talked last week. I'm just going to come over and visit him in Portugal hang out. Yeah, I have. Yeah, I have no work or anything to do. So this is the truck that we were talking about the one with the gold. Yeah, that's definitely innovative in the off road culture. That's for dang sure. So how shiny was it? Cuz I don't know if you can see the latest flaky flake in there. Like a lot of shimmer. Yeah. He could be fishing with some fishing balls. Basketball going on with that thing. How do you execute on something like that, though? Because that's a lot of work. Is that actual paint? No shit. Yeah. John Melvin. Yeah, that's John Boehner does all of our painting stuff. And he was he was chosen terribly psyched about that one. It was a lot of work. That's what it does, though. Man, it starts the creative process. Well, I'm stoked to see you doing so. Well, Troy, thank you, obviously, for letting us you know, use your studio and stuff like that for the stuff that we were doing before. And even more so like, I appreciate what you guys are doing for the off road culture Craig giving you creative freedom, you doing so much, you know, to give back to all the racers and drivers and everything. It really means a lot because it helps Excel the sport. I love that, you know, I thank them for letting me be involved, man. It's fun. It's what I love. You know, it's what I love doing. And especially doesn't you know, it's definitely cool working with great racers and, you know, great teams. And the more I can do that all around the world. It's cool, man. Definitely working with Craig is of Always a pleasure. You know, it's fun. We sit down. You sit down with and within 20 minutes, you got a good plan. And that seems like it always happens with Craig. Yeah, the faster we get to that the faster we get to the Don Julio. I was gonna say or the pizza. Sometimes both. He got out well, well, it's good to see that you guys are such good friends, man. Well, thanks for very much for taking the time with us. Troy. I really appreciate it. We'll let you get back to your life, man. Thanks. Take care. See you later. Thank you. Bye, bye. And thanks, Carly is daughter for setting all that stuff up, man. So she's been a big help as well. And it's so cool. Like when I think about stuff like that. And I think about you having the opportunity to work with him, him having the opportunity to work with you. That just gives me like such a smile on my heart because like, I remember this little black and white logo. When I was 12 years old, and I started racing dirt bikes. That was the best thing that I had ever seen in my life. Because it was so creative. I was like, if there's any day that I ever have an opportunity to be able to have, you know, a helmet or go look at something like that from a guy like Troy Lee, that would make me so happy. Like, so it's just cool to see that. All those things come to fruition for people. Yeah, I mean, like, like, you talked about the beginning, like I didn't grow up, you know, running a dirt bike out here. And so like, meeting Troy Lee was, you know, for some people, like it had been and been like, oh my gosh, it's really for me, it was like I was learning about them. So it's so cool to have, like, come from a point of like, you know, learning just the first time I sat down with him asking about his history and learning it that way. Right? You know, instead of having preconceived notions or it was all brand new, it was all brand new. It was all part of my my crash course in the history of the off road 101 You know, the West Coast off road 101 And they got guys like Troy taught me like to go from not ever spending any time on the off road and having people like Troy be the people to introduce you to it. Yep, it's pretty cool. It really is because then you're hearing like all of the long stories and all the stuff that goes behind it. And those are the meaningful portions right like that's exactly what the stories that I think we need to bring out because those are what will sell our sport to other people. Yeah. Man. Oh, let's go back to you helping people too because we just had Troy talking about it. Jesse Nelson and a few other people. Oh, actually, let's answer some comments. So raise your life says I miss you, Craig and miss you guys. David up obtain said, we were talking about Craig this weekend at Crandon he was pushing the sport so hard through the enthusiast. It's never been the same sense. He left. Why are you still here? Man? What do you mean left? The wall behind you guys is awesome. Yeah, Chris. It really is. That's a quilt that Keith read from Greg's co driver or the manager of his program. His wife, I think you said her his mom, his mom. Yeah. Not to Deborah. His wife couldn't do it, too. She could. Yeah, I don't want to sell her shake quilting team over there. But yeah, so let's talk about you helping people. So I want to just lay the groundwork for this real quick is, I was in a really bad side by side accident in 2019. And you and I connected and you were like, Hey, come out. We'll do a bicycle ride. Next time you're in California, we did a bicycle ride. And you and I started talking about like racing. And I was like, No, I don't give a shit about racing anymore. Like, I'm good. Like, I'll just stay doing the dirt life, whatever. And you're like, now, you're gonna want to do it like done. Never say never. And you're like, there's ours, one sitting in my garage if you need it. And I was like, Alright, let me think about it. And then so I called you a few weeks later, a month later, whatever it was. And I was like, You know what, I think what you said is turning me like turning the tides are turning a little bit here. And we actually worked it out where you made a massive impact improvement in my life, because you gave me something to do with that vehicle building the vehicle to go race, the UTV World Championship. They were I actually got hurt. Yeah. So it was this whole, like, full circle thing. And you I don't know if you had any idea what you were doing. But it was like, Yeah, I'm sure you did. But like it was life changing, right? Like it really set the tone for me. And you've and we went out there and we accomplished the finish the race. And at the crossing the finish line. I just yelled as hard as I could to my whole crew like, yes, fucking we did it. But I was crying for like 10 minutes during the race I like because I couldn't believe that we did it. And so those monumental things really make a big difference in people's lives. And you've done that for not just me, but for a lot of people. And it's really impressive. And I don't know, if I always think like, great efforts and great leaders lead to great rewards. Yeah, you know what I mean? And it's not like you're doing it for personal gain. You're doing it to help other people? Yeah, I guess, I don't know. That's a tough one to talk about. I mean, I you know, it's, it's, I always look at life, like, people have helped me so much more than I've helped other people. And, and honestly, you know, being involved in situations like that, where you're helping other people, and you watch them excel, it actually brings a huge high for me. You know, I don't want to keep talking about Mitchie. But, you know, Michi was like a little kid when I met him. Yeah. And, and, you know, and, and now I look at him, he's a grown man here, and he's racist for Red Bull. And he races all over the world. And he made all his dreams are coming true in in, he does it the right way. He works hard. He gets up every day. And, you know, he helps other people now. He's the he's the mentor for kids. He and He sets the example of what you're the right way to do things in life. And, and for me, that's, that's what's rewarding. I get like, George, I watched you talk about that race. And it wasn't anything you said. It was the way you talked about it. It was so clear to me that you needed to go out and conquer that race that conquered you, but it wasn't clear to me and that's what I'm saying. Yeah, but it was so clear to me. And I'm like, I was like eff that this dude's race and that race and and, and it was it was it was something simple for me. It was like Hey, I have this car it's built out go do it. Yeah, you know and, and but you do the same thing for like a guy like Jesse Nelson Jesse Nelson was injured in a dirt bike race. And you were able to show him that he could still do his racing dreams and all that stuff in a four wheel drive vehicle players razor and you set them up with an RS one. And now look at how far it's taken him like he's doing all these cool things, right? He's built his own race program. He's learned how to work on all these vehicles. Like he's really putting things together man it when you talk about like how much effort it takes just to even win a DP four race, like, the amount of effort that he's put in and dedicated his life to it is phenomenal. Just because you help them wow, he did the work right. You know, show them Yeah, but just like you did me opening a door. Yeah, and it same thing, you know, I like Ethan groom. Yeah. That kid, like nerd kid, you know, it's like little kid racing. Watching him go out and finish second, you know, at Vegas to Reno. You know, is is was so awesome. You know, there's another one kitten kitten Mr. Hayden. Last week. You know, I'm heading out to Barstow to test the new car and You know, I made sure to call his mom first and say, Hey, can you take the day off from school and come out and run in? You know, watch, check out the new car. In my head. I had planned the entire time that he was going to drive new car. Yeah, hey, bring your helmet. And it wasn't going to be. But that's another look a razor 170 razor. Right and in, you know, AirDog Hold on, and has gotten his grades are fantastic. Ethan's grades are fantastic. I've watched them both just their maturation and how they talk on camera. Now. They used to be so sheepish and shy, kid and I'd be like, every time I'd see him, like, Come here, give me a hug. And like, you'd be so sheepish and shy. And now it's like, you know, it's pretty rad. Yeah. And he drove by brand new car last week. And all I said before he left was like, Don't Don't mess it up. Yeah, or you're gonna have a really big invoice. Right? Alright, so Well, I just wanted to end that by saying like, Thank you, because you've shown me a lot. And that's one of the reasons that that their life is successful, because I like to give back to people now too. So thank you for that. Look at that guy. All right. So we have the man the myth, the legend. His real name is Aaron Cantero. But everybody calls him AirDog AirDog has done a whole bunch of stuff. He is the father of Seth Cantero. But more importantly, he is a fantastic co driver. Yeah, a good friend. And he knows how to really really make some good pokey balls. He does. And he'll tell you he He's good. He's good at a good push fix too. I mean, if something's broken in the mode desert he can he can he can wing it. So welcome Aaron Kundera the show what's up air dog. Hey, how's it going, guys? We're doing pretty good man. Where are you at? I'm at home. I'm at home now. Yeah. Oh, read on where I thought you just had like a fun weekend. Man. Where are you up to? Yeah, we went and visited some friends last minute out in Colorado. Hey, is there a there's a duck about the fly directly into your ear? I don't know if you know that or not. I tried to move a camera but not I did it. Do look at Oh, you gotta goose back there to air dogs big hunting guy loves it. loves it. And he keeps promising to take me with him. And yet I still haven't gotten an invite. It's weird every time I see a story like going hunting tomorrow make what happened? Second, right, bro. Yeah. All right. So AirDog I wanted to ask a couple questions. Hey, by the way, what are you doing anything? Is that not the youngest looking grandfather you've ever seen in your life? Look, I know. Every time every time by the way, just had another one. Congratulations. grand son. They're a blast, man. They keep me going. We just went to like trampoline park with Everly no joke. She wore me out. Like I had enough money. How old is she? She's gonna be almost two. Oh my god. I got an air dog has a lot of energy. Man, guys. That's a guy that no joke guy. It's up at, you know? foriegn he'll drink until two and be up at four. And it's amazing. And just still be wide open. Yeah, fair dog. Do you remember the first time that you actually met Craig? What would that again? Sorry. Do you remember the first time that you met Craig? Yes, I do. Yes. It was when Cheeto got named Tito. Oh, okay. Yeah. So so no joke. I literally said you want me to pull this off the mantel. So your dog comes on? You can't see it. But over here there's a big there's a big mantel. And I don't know if you know this did oh my god. Yeah. We got we're gonna have to clip this cow, the cow young years there. So anybody that's looking at the screen that doesn't know himself can Taro is now you know where Seth came from? He's our he's our little elf. Tito L. Oh, that's such a good picture. Now he's an international racing model. So where was the first time that you met Craig? It was, uh, it was out in Barstow. I believe for players commercial. Yeah. Maybe prior to that? No. Yeah, it was there. It was on Barstow or was at a Hesperia. Yeah, it was at one of the hotels. I mean, we were having a little like, introduction. Everybody was getting together type deal. At the lounge. Yeah. What was your first impressions? The honest I don't remember. I mean, it was a hot kind of not know we were informed. I was Craig Joey said I think you guys had went somewhere and met me there. Yeah. Yeah, we had picked up and you told us there before but big I'm big fan of Hot Cheetos. So is to Yeah. And you would think at the time I was sponsoring him and that that you would think you'd want to share his hot Cheetos with me after I told him this long dissertation about how I liked Hot Cheetos. He gave me one, Cheeto. And by the time I turned back around and Joey's Kruk he had demolished the whole bag and had did not feel sorry about it at all. So then he was like, Yeah, Craig's not getting any. So he called them Cheeto, and it's stuck. And now it's on the back wall was race helmets, stuff like that. So this just shows you the Quinteros instead of like, they made a joke out of it, which I love about them is you know, all those bags of Cheetos in that picture arrived to my office one year at Christmas time along with that picture so that so I've kept that picture. That picture doesn't matter if it's Christmas time or not, because it's on the mantel. It'll be there for for my whole life. So and I still have the bag of Hot Cheetos. I made the little bastard sign for me. So that's just what I was talking about. Man. This dude cares about people Aaron. Sure does. And so you gotta get you actually have had some other opportunities to hang out with Craig to like, going down to Baja and hanging out, man. So there's been some pretty cool stuff that you guys have been able to do together. Do you remember any funny stories? I know what you guys were standing around. Anybody that knows that hangs out with air dog knows that he's arrived, right? He's like, he's just a ball of energy. But we couldn't get him to stand still for the camera while he was sitting next to your car. And I remember he's just doing all these poses and getting crazy. And Craig's like, Dude, can you just calm down real quick so we can get this fucking video? No, my favorite from AirDog is night we had it at Desmond's. What's Declan? Edmonds is a restaurant. Eat. Yes. Adrian rancher racing. What's up, man? What? Can you tell me more of the story? Or is that it? No. That's it. And what's the next morning, all I heard was, was there was a turkey in our house. All I heard was from downstairs in the house. It was a long day for both of us the next day. Oh, that's hilarious. What were you gonna say? Oh, we can't hear you very well. I say that was definitely one to remember for sure. There we go. We can hear you a little bit better. Do you remember any other funny stories while maybe at the races or maybe not at the races? Yeah, there's a lot. You know, we've had a good time. We're a good combo. And I think we're both a little bit on the high energy side. So there's a lot of interesting stuff that we get into and I don't know, there's been a lot of good times a lot of fun. Good times. Yes, dude. So when, when you put two high energy people like you guys on a car like you did for the Baja 1000. Last year, how does that work? You've done it a couple of times. It is so good. He is so good at navigating. He is so much that you went away. Because he's very meticulous. He is an in he is so into making sure he gets it right. That every single little thing pre running he, he takes very seriously. And during the race, I will tell you, there's very few people that have the concentration level that AirDog has. That drive is easy. It's not easy. But you can't take any time off. You have to do it. It navigating. I've done it a couple times. I'm terrible at it. Because I won't even bother. I can't keep track. Right and he is so good at it because there's been times where it's like three in the morning and I'm like, you know and I've no breaks and he is so calming. Like that's the one thing we're both high energy, but where he's different than me is he knows when the key is so calm. Yeah, he knows how to nothing rattles him. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Probably from years of being married to Amy Quintero. You have to learn to be very calming. Not worried about getting rattled. What so yeah, like being in the passenger seat. Like there's a lot that actually goes on. There's Seth Cantero that's my dad. Oh, I don't know if Seth logged on. Before Seth check that bad boy up. The funniest part about the funniest part about this picture is like I go I mean, the picture is funny. But it's it's that you have it on your mantel, like front and center. Like that's, that's amazing. Yeah. It's a big eye all those bags of Cheetos to really every single one of holy cow. There must be 69 there. I was eating small bags of Cheetos in my I was eating four or five a day. At one point, I couldn't wait to get through them because I was putting on weight so fast. So you had to do it to me. We did say that. Sorry, man. Could you imagine brushing your teeth after five or six? Things holy smokes your teeth. He does go somewhere. That's a good point. Yeah, so AirDog getting the opportunity to like ride in a race car with Craig must be pretty fun. Yeah, you know, it's definitely been an honor. You know, we've been helping them. I think I started helping him with Joey. I don't know man. It feels like years ago. I don't know how long it was ago. Maybe six, seven. years ago we started going down there with Craig and just helping out and helping out and got the opportunity to get in that right seat and you know, we did a lot of pre running and then jump in that right seat it's been pretty fun. You know, sometimes you're nervous, you don't know the driver, you know, you don't know how to control them or calm them down or it's you got to really learn the person and I mean we're really good friends. So I think I kind of know how to calm him down a little bit sometimes in that right seat way better than most people would I mean, it's amazing so sometimes just the way the other person's voice sounds it is calming. Do you remember a time we stopped for some food next to that that pond and at one point all the steer stop and there's there's just cows and stairs and up on this mountain? And then all sudden we're talking and eating and and next thing you know we turn around and they're literally like feet from us it was like a blink of we're sitting there talking we look back one second. We had a herd of cattle coming at us Yeah. Got up and change their snack spot from where yeah, the sun about getting between a herd of cattle and their water source probably wasn't the smartest thing we've ever done but it was do the shit that happens down in Baja man that's crazy. One time we're down or you were there Georgia you know I gotta make sure he stays nutrition and hydrated and all that stuff when we're pre running so you know found some good buddy Sharkey introduce me to some cactus fruit and Yeah, remember the potato? Yeah. We've, we've done it. We've had a cool few moments together. Yeah, so denizens actually sets navigator in that car just chuck commented in so what's up over there. So, One fun fact, though, that ties all this stuff together. Craig was the first one that introduced me to well, it's called Ice bowls. It's like a little bowl and nutrition bowl or whatever. It was got bananas and a bunch of other shit in it. And then so I go down to Mexico with your guys and Sharkey introduces me to the kya it's a little it looks like a tomato, but it has cactus on Earth borns on it? And then so I go back to the to the asa e place and they got pitaya Yes. And I'm like, No shit. And then it's low sugar. And I'm like, dude, okay, so Thanks, Greg for introducing me to both of them. Because now I have an addiction to those materials worlds collide? Yep. Could have worse addiction. Stress. Yeah, exactly. But yeah, so it's kind of crazy. All those things that happen down in Baja, one of the things that I was gonna say is like, it's really cool to see the dynamic that all of you guys have together when you go down there. And one of the first questions that I was going to ask was like, what's some of the coolest things that you think are about like going down to Baja, because all of us have different ways of looking at AirDog. You know, nothing beats going down to Baja with a good solid group of people. And I think you've met almost everybody on the SMG team between, you know, Keith and Brandon. I mean, there's so many of them, but it's a great group of guys. And on top of that, I mean, we're always helping people out. And one of my favorite things down there honestly, freerunning is my favorite, but to see everybody whether you're from New Zealand, I know there's guys that come from all over and everybody's down there to help everybody out to get to get going and get what they need. I just love the way that all that is down there in Baja. What is one of the favorite things that you've liked been part of Craig's team that he's accomplished? Was it the Baja 500 win? Or was it something else? Because to me, like when I saw that, that you guys crossed the finish line, after fighting all that adversity and the Baja 1000 Like I was almost overcome with emotion, because I thought it was so cool. Yeah, you know, honestly, there's that's a tough one. But I would have to say it would be the team's win at the ball 500 I don't know what would top that because the amount of work that goes in to that race program and the amount of everybody's hard work, you know, finally all got put together and it was pretty amazing to see. And everybody knows how hard it is to win. Yeah, I did like those. Those races don't come here. Those wins. Don't come easy. Probably Probably the Baja 500 win. Yeah, that was a good one. Right? Yeah, that was good one. There's, there's a lot I mean, sometimes, like, some of the worst situations create some of the best memories too. Yeah, exactly. No, and watching guys come together in team come together. You know, sometimes it's just as rewarding. You know, the Bob I want to win was huge, right. But, you know, there has been times when, you know, Keith and I have been stuck out in the desert for 12 hours, or AirDog. You and I losing our breaks and not just kind of losing our breaks. But like people always like oh, I lost my brakes. No, no, we lost our brakes. Like he had no brakes. And we're, you know, it's like, we're scraping the car against the mountain, the slowest down is we're going downhill and can't stop. That's wild, but it's it's it's getting through and no, it's getting through and still finishing and and it's sometimes it's those types of situations that are the most memorable for me. They can't we tell the story about winning the Baja 500. Like, like, we won, like 20 of them. But the truth is, it's like, what I'll remember at the end of it is, you know, pre running with air dog. And if you don't know air dog, like you might stop to go the bathroom, air dogs overstocking rocks, like he's 10 years old. You know? Like, that's the stuff that like when I live in, when I think about our dog, it's like, yeah, I love having buddies like your dog because they remind you that simply just keep it simple, you know? And, and, like live a life ain't that hard. I have a couple of funny stories. Like one time air dog was like, we're sitting at the hotel in the lobby getting ready to go and he's like, Hey, we find those coconuts or whatever will you like be brave enough to you want because none of these fuckers will eat one with me. I'm like, hell yeah. So he found some. And he's like, Dude, you're my new friend on these trips, man. I was like, yes. Are the raddest guide to go to ball with George because you don't say no to anything. And then wild like, Yeah, whatever it is, whatever. It's whatever adventure you're just you know, it's pretty fun that went on there. As long as you keep George fed every eight to 15 minutes. He's great. If George doesn't have food for hungry man 40 You get hangry faster than any human I've ever met. He gets hangry in like 45 minutes like most people can eat breakfast and make it till noon to eat their next meal. George eats at eight and by 845 Like he's like ready to go. What are we doing for lunch? Yeah, so I always tell him like pack your ship before we go because we are not going to see food for four hours so make make sure you have enough rations for yourself. But yeah good looks Yeah, looks like your dog froze up a little bit. Yeah, but it is funny that you say that though. Like that's actually what when people say teamwork makes the dream work. Like that's actually what makes it work is to have that good leader because you understand everybody that's in the crew and what everybody needs right because then you have everything set up I remember the next time I went to Mexico with you you're like dude, I packed this fucking massive cooler just for you so that you can have enough food and not complains like so don't give me any shit. Yeah. You but you do have to if you pack I'm big fan of snacks. For both the pre runner and case trucks. I like to keep our teams fed and in fed and watered so I'll never forget I'll never forget the year I had that I had literally like a big Tupperware bin of snacks for the entire week. And we had it was a day one of preparing for the 1000 the first year that air dog got in the car with me and and we in AirDog took the bin out of the back of the truck and put it on the ground and loaded his stuff up and then we took off and we made our first stop and we were looking for the bin and oh no air dog damn near fatal mistake. Oh what's cost their dog's life? No Not his life but had I not known air dog for a long long time. That one might not have been forgivable Yeah, we still joke about that one. You guys have done some pretty cool stuff together man. Yeah, yeah, ball hog. Oh, but Craig's sucks at shotgunning white cloth as Jeff Jeffrey Ricker Frank. Frank Frank is wrong. I'd be Christian middle every Christian Matlock every single time couldn't touch me and Kristen Matlock sucks at Chuck anyway Claus. Oh, it's a competition now. I haven't done that in a while. shocked me why clauses not sound like very appetizing to me at all. Not a very good experience. I don't I do not recommend AirDog I'm not in No, no, maybe no. Maybe Kena hammer that's an area where I like to go hang out. In a cool place. Do some shopping maybe they're on a beer or something. No, no, I'm not trying to do it says love your Frank. It is pretty cool. Do you have any? Like, over the favorite memories because I've I've seen you down in Mexico so many times. And there's so many things that you could actually like, I don't know talk about or whatever. But like, is there anything that stands out? Oh man, one of the things that stands out to me is obviously a part that I was in but is when we we hustled down to the finish line at the Baja 1000. And you and Craig were already there, but we got you guys read on time and we were FaceTiming I think it was with Amy is Why? And she got to celebrate it with you guys like that to me. Like, I wish that we could celebrate those things with everybody so that everybody can see them because the emotions that came over you like just being in the car, but then seeing your wife, it was like, Holy crap, it was awesome. Yeah, you know you're gone for so long down everything you don't get to be able to not only across that finish line, but to see your family down there. And it's pretty amazing. But one of my favorite times, honestly was, I think it was the 500. Craig, when we lost our breaks in the worst area that you want to lose your breaks. And I want to say was that two years ago, the Baja 500. We literally had to switch into survival mode. It was one of those races where I'm not sure if we finished or not. But we got the car to where it needed to be. But we just there was nothing we can do. What do you do in a situation like that? Like because you're talking about losing brakes, like you have zero way to stop, he changed, he actually changed where he was calling the race. Like, you know, we use numbers for turns, speeds of turns. And he's like, he changed. He bumped off his numbers up or down whatever it is to make sure it was going slower. Like if it was supposed to be a wide open turn he would he make it a tight turn. Because, you know, the problem was we kept it is dark. So like when you're pre running, you could see okay, I'm gonna go up top mountain and down. Now there's like a push going up, and then we'll slow me down. Yeah, and you get in the race and you forget how many mountains you went up and down during that section. But it was a section where we entered it in once we entered it, there was 125 miles until people could get to us. So it was it was like this. Once we once we it was like one of those situations where it's like, once we go through this spot, we're either going to spend the night in the desert, or we're going to drive ourselves out of it. And in that's kind of what that one was. And we had last breaks kind of shortly into it was so what had happened was our rear brakes weren't working the whole entire race were burning front rotors up the entire time. And by Itami gotten to this this section. It was they were gone. Right. And like I remember saying to him, I have no brakes. He's like the brake soft. I'm like, no, no, no, I have no brakes. Like we had burned the rotors completely off like 00 Yeah, even Mike Gardner just chimed in and said that sounds sketchy as hell. Yeah, to me, that just seems like so gnarly. Honest, sketchy. Is Daniel having a child with them? Uh, yeah, it's pretty sketchy. For Mike, what's happening in love you guys. Hey, buddy. Where are you taking off, though? You said? No, no, no, I was just saying hi to the gardener. I was telling him. I was like, Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Now, I can't hit the button to invite Max man. Because you probably remember when we were bringing the card Craig down to the driver swap? I think that was another favorite ones who was we're bringing the car down to the driver swap. And we thought it was raining. You know, he kept he kept asking him asking for the tap. So there's, like my, my shield kept getting wet. And I'm like, is it raining? And he's like, I don't think so. Like he's like, that's like the brightest star night out ever has a clearly wasn't raining. And I'm like, is it raining? It feels like it's raining and it was not raining. What was it? It would have shot boil a blown the shock out it was spring oil. Really? Holy cow, dude. Yeah. Yeah, that sounds gnarly. Alright, so let's just give them an introduction. Real quick, real quick. Just getting back from Utah. To wheel racing champion. Now side by side racing champion. Max. Eddie. What's up, dude? How are you? Good. How are you? We're doing awesome, man. How was it in Utah this week? I want to say hi to air dog and my new boss real quick. Is Monica there. I didn't see Monica. You said your boss. I didn't see Monica. Look at it sky. Look that kid's got that kids got some nice hair back. Oh, yeah. Look at it. He really does really does. Like a nice shine to it. Yeah. Recognize how much hair I have in the middle of my head right now. And a year from now? Yeah. He's keeping tabs on Azure. How great gets to. He's keeping tabs. Right. I so one of the questions I wanted to ask and it's kind of a perfect time to ask it now is you know, we talked about kind of the beginnings of razor and off road racing and stuff and Max can kind of chime in on this a little bit. But you won the Baja 500 coming as a kid from Pennsylvania. Like that wasn't even something that was even known to you when you were growing up. Like you didn't even know what a razor was or you know, off road or any of that stuff like it must have have been pretty meaningful or like, I don't even want to say like, is mind blowing the right word like to cross the finish line first for that? Yeah, I mean, for max to win the the Baja 500, or the byland 1000 is very much in his wheelhouse, right? That's where he grew up drum Barstow ride dirt bikes, you know, being in the off road is whole entire life, blah, blah, blah. Same thing for like Seth and these other guys. But I mean, if you really think about it, like there's just zero chance, we're going up that I even, I don't even know what it was, let alone thought I'd ever win it. Right. So yeah, it's, I would say, you know, odds wise, it's pretty, pretty low. But then, but then you have like, Max, who's won, like, 80 of them? Yep. On dirt bikes, no less. And he's even got his jersey and like stickers and all that stuff inside restaurants in Mexico, because he's that cool, right? Yep. Yep. So it's, it's so I should, I mean, I make all the jokes aside, it's just, you know, to have somebody like Max coming on to the team, to both, you know, navigate drive and prep the car and stuff. Is just how lucky am I? Yeah, you know, you can't, I can't go back in time and gain those experiences that he has, right. You know, the only way I can do it is to try to borrow it from him a little bit. Yeah. You know, don't be wrong. As soon as we hang up this phone call, I'm going to, I'll go back to busting his chops about every single thing. But But I do feel lucky. You know, it's, you talked a lot earlier about kind of, like people I've helped and stuff like this. I'm the lucky one, right? I'm the lucky one to have an air dog. I'm the lucky one to have, you know, Max in my corner. And, you know, and so it's, it's really, it's not luck. On my side, I'm the one that feels well, let me touch on that a little bit. lightful. That goes hand in hand, though. And you guys will both Max and AirDog you guys will both agree with me. Especially since I asked her just said hi dad or dad on the comments. It goes hand in hand. You give what you what you receive, right. And you understand you want to help good people. So you guys wouldn't be doing it. If the you know, the shoe wasn't on the other foot, so to speak. So it's pretty cool to see that everybody works together to accomplish these goals together. And it really ends up growing everybody. Yeah, it sure does. I mean, how those opportunities is a blessing, you know, and to be able to put it all together as a team, you know, and take these opportunities and make the best of them is really what you got to do. And so yeah, it really goes in and it's an amazing deal. Max, when you when you hear like stuff like this, and you were to like give advice, cuz I want to actually throw this to crag, too. But if you were to give advice to some of these up and coming racers, or maybe somebody that hasn't won nine Baja championships, or whatever it is, like, what kind of advice would you give to Little Johnny or to me as a beginning racer to be able to set up these types of relationships and stuff, because those are so meaningful, they're life lasting, and they help they're your race program. Man, you know, I don't I don't know. It's just, I think it's one of those things. You know, I never say no, I'm not ever going to pass up an opportunity to broaden my horizons or gain some experience in the desert or meet new people, you know, and I think just being around being in the right place at the right time, if you're just talking being outgoing, you know, wander around, talking like we can't go anywhere without being late because I'll sit there and just chat with whoever I run across you know, and and it makes a big difference and just not not given up like we sit down on on pencil out what you want write it on paper, your goals, your dreams. And it'll come through if you don't write it down in pencil out what you want to keep pushing for that, you know, yeah. So that's a good point that I want to bring up. Yeah. So John Lewis from Desert squadron said because he actually sent me the picture of it that he pulled up on you on the highway and you were mean mugging him like a mad dog today. I see John on the down today was our first aid kit dude right there. Yeah. He's got you guys dialed in. Yeah, so if you guys ever want like a trauma kit, go please go check out the desert squadron website and check it out. But yeah, so two things I want to say is never say no to anything. That's how I deal with AirDog in Mexico. And then second is always always write down these things. So Craig Euro actually a good leader that will give some good advices I always tell people, a kids mostly came Danbury is actually one that follow these things. You're I think it's 98% more adept to succeed if you write down your goals than to type them in on your phone, or to just think of them and try to remember them. Like that's a stat that I learned and so now if I have anything serious that I want to do, I make sure I write it down Yeah, just like what Max was saying. Yeah, so now you guys have assembled a new car, new car. And, man, that thing looks pretty sweet last time when I saw it in Barstow. Nice. I'm really psyched about the new car. Johnny angel in the team. Craig done it that ETB ink built car for us. KEITH And Brandon done it in the shop down in Arizona before we moved it up to Barstow had to win the car down and you know, took her the framing and put the car back together Max and his his guys up in Barstow got her wired and done some finishing touches to her. It's we've had this car for a while and in the process of building it and just waiting for it to be 100% right before we take up the first time. And last week I had to be put to learn 25 miles or so on it through but in Barstow in some extreme heat, extreme conditions, and it was a pretty flawless week. It's the first time I've had a new race car and had a flawless flawless start for it and well that's rare for anybody. Yeah, yeah, it's but more importantly, it's just how much these these cars have evolved. You know, the golf car classes is unbelievably growing in just the capabilities of the cars. i i The very first razor I drove through Barstow, you know, years and years and years ago, 15 years ago, whatever held razor is and to see how fast they've come to what they are now to where you're you can flat foot just like you wouldn't expect truck or something like that across. Barstow going as fast as you can, is just Yeah, and for anybody that doesn't know like how gnarly that is Barstow, Maine or in Barstow, like, there's what Max, would you call them, like three foot oops, three and a half foot loops going through there and they're spaced apart pretty far. They're all uneven. And now a razor. Like you guys just did well, two weeks ago, can go wide open through their view member Max, about how fast you're going? Yeah, I think we're by the end of the day or the end of the test weekend with box. We're up in the high 70s low 80s rain go away. Yeah, I think have gone faster. But we didn't clutch the car. So that's the top speed the car that week. So we clutched over the weekend. So when we were texting that Fox is earlier in the week. Now what I'll tell you is this. So we had the X travel suspension on the front to the stock suspension in the front. I'm fantastic. I love my my preventer pro arta has a stock. But when you put the X Travelon you know, for what we do. You're basically making the front end of the Trophy Truck. Yeah, I mean, it's what it can handle the beatings it can handle. And is unbelievable. Just look at the just the geometry they came up with this fantastic just but the way they've constructed that front end to go on our cars is some work of art. Yeah, it really is. I can't believe that you guys are going that fast over that like gnarly Oh, terrain like I was, that was gonna be my point. Spec truck can do that all day, trophy truck could do that all day. The one thing we're gonna have to learn about this car and Max and I talked about it quite a bit is just because you can doesn't mean you should in a race. That's a pretty good point. You know, it's, it's gonna be we're gonna have to test and learn with this car, you know, it has not, you know, the 400 will be, you know, six 810 hours long, and what the seed just what that car does over that long period of time. And we'll ramp it up slowly, and we'll make improvements on this car and, and get ourselves ready for the 1000 and then for next year, but dude, I think it's so crazy. Max, like, I'm gonna ask you a question after this AirDog but Max, going that fast? Do you think that there could be a mistake that happens pretty easily? Or do you think it's pretty easy? Stable? I mean, yeah, of course, there's gonna be a mistake, you know, our value driver area, their care, animals? Well, I mean, there's a ton of different varieties that can cause you know, a mistake or anything like that. But, you know, that's what we work our asses off for. That's why we train that's why we tune the car and make it the best we can to mitigate those errors. And especially on the human error part, you know, most of most, a lot of racing, there's a park value stuff, but human error is probably the biggest one. That's why you know, in my in my opinion, is super, super important to stay fit, stay healthy. And you got to live that entire lifestyle right race and you're not just going to show up to a race and race the best guy in the world. And and expect to win, you know, it's like watching Supercross on TV, right? If you don't if you're sitting on your fat ass at home, not doing nothing. And you Oh, I want to go racing guys in Supercross. It ain't gonna happen. Side by side stuff is pretty competitive, you know, and the Same thing there, you gotta, you gotta be prepared. Yeah, that's crazy. And so AirDog he kind of led into the common question I was going to ask you is like, did you ever think side by sides, we're gonna get this crazy because you've been in the game a long time. And it's like to me, it still blows me away that they can go that fast like, and I didn't drive Craig's racecar, but I drove a stock Pro are out there. And I was like, way different situation. But I was just hitting the little red button for the oshit button or whatever it's called. And instead of managing my foot on the throttle, I just pinned it and played a video game over all those oops, and never had the car bottom out in those loops. I just went Beep beep beep and just press the button across the whole thing. Yeah, it's pretty. It's pretty mind blowing where these cars have come my first time in a race car was cool as a co pilot was 2015. I did Vegas, Reno, Jacob. 2015. So that were they have come due now, in 2020. Like Greg was saying is it really is and it's not just the players, we got to give credit to everybody else too, because the whole sport or the whole genre has elevated but like, man, it's just It still blows me away to even think about that. And like, that's why I was asking at the beginning of the show. Like when you had the razor 800 Did you even think like that it was going to mean did you have this long of a plan and look forward to? That's so cool, man. I can only imagine what the plan is looking forward to the next 10 years. Those guys are they'll keep coming up with stuff. So okay, anam. And everybody else it'd be fun to watch. Yeah, I agree. It's fun to watch consumers too. Because I if you came out with a pro are in 2008. I don't think it would have gone well. You need to consider a lot of consumers, especially people who are new to the sport and new to it and came off other vehicles. And in I think watching it evolve weight has is people's driving skills have evolved. And it's it was the right timing and all that good stuff. But it's, it'll be fun to watch as we go forward, for sure. Because, you know, every manufacturer is going to push each other to keep getting better. Yeah, and it'll happen faster and faster now, too. What are you guys gonna do to push yourself to getting better too? So I don't know how many races AirDog can actually go to but you and Max have some pretty serious plans for the rest of the year. Yeah, well, Ben more for next year, too. You know, we've raced all the score races this year, as well as Cailleach. Does. Koh desert race and next year, we're going to kind of ramp up our schedule a little bit and do a lot more races. Like what kind of stuff are you at Intel now? Yeah, it's my program I can see. But we'll we'll raise Parker next year. We didn't raise Parker this year. And one of the cool things we'll do with the program now is Maxwell Maxwell drive. In some of the some of the Mexico race with me, he'll navigate and some of the races. But then they park or 250 Max is gonna drive. Oh, cool. I'm just gonna sit in the pit with with the code. We're gonna put on the hood when we feel it. So he doesn't. He'll be the Instagram guy. I'll be the Instagram guy. I'll be the guy in that pit. I'll be on our bottle water. All hanging out ready for him? You gotta watch out though. I gotta. Let's enter dog. Let's see. You can hang out with me in a bit. That's right. I'll have a headset on just like you do it. I'll run around. Yeah, tell people what to do. One of the story that I was gonna bring up was at the Baja 1000. Last year dog. I don't know if you guys knew what this but when we're supposed to get Cregg food because you guys were sitting out there for a while. And I don't know, the hamburgers weren't there. They were at another Chase truck or whatever. And so I brought a granola bar and you know what the fuck is this? Give me some meat or something and you threw it out and I was like Jesus Christ. I was like, that was a bonding moment. But he was totally being a jerk. You brought you brought Presswood up to me. And I was like, this is all we got, man. And then finally somebody came up with a chase truck whip and hamburgers. And I was like, thank God. I thought you're gonna talk about when the matt locks dog ate all of our tacos. Oh, that was horrible to man. That was a horrible story. I was so disappointed. But those are all bonding moments. So like I was saying that we'll do Parker we're going to do all the score races so we'll do San Felipe will do the Cailleach desert race. I think we're going from for four or five races up to like nine or 10 next year. Stang min and max he had Max will do most of the driving in the US and all the most of driving in Mexico to that's gonna be so cool. Are you guys excited? I am Are you Max Are you excited? Now for Craig given me the opportunity to run my own program and stuff in the in a class and we're doing fairly well this year, but we will. I'm looking forward I want to win overall Like, you know, clap winds are cool, but we want to be the first UTV and on the course you know. So that's, that's what we're pushing for. And obviously the manufacturers are making adjustments making the cars better, but we're really working hard to make the car better after every single race because this course changes every race to right. So we got to change every race so we're not we're not ever going to settle for just a decent car a good car in 500 It'll be better for the 1000 It'll be we're going to raise the 400 to 400 car we're good but that 1000 cars is going to be 10% better every single race so that's that's our goal. And I'm super excited for that because honestly, they in a car boring just sitting there looking around they don't go fast enough to grow ours. You know, you get up into the 9090 mile an hour range. It's a little more a little better. All obviously for max right now we're hearing from Max right now is dammit Give me the keys. I'll hear from that right now is I want to go fast. Yeah, it's like it's like Ricky Bobby. I just want to go fast. No, but the part people aren't seeing is Max got Max gotta hold that car. I don't know, three four weeks ago and he is literally not stopped bro. Are you? Yeah, he went to Utah for a weekend with his family but he has not stopped. And you know it's it's funny because you know, with Keith retiring at the end this season longtime no prep guy for us and all that good stuff. It's It's good to see it going from such good hands into such good hands as they they both at their core like the very same the same dude. They hate to fail and and they they don't ever stop working and in Max brings another level of knowledge of Mexico. Yeah, dude, his knowledge of Mexico is beyond Yep. And in the air. Part two is max is really, really, really good at explaining what he feels in the car. to, like, say the fox guy, Vince Vince from Fox was out with this for several days last week and, and Max was really good at well, I love really, really like watching him, the two of them work together because Max was very much able to explain exactly how the car felt in terms that Vince understood so that Vince can make adjustments. And it was like, instant they go, he's like, wow, like I didn't, I didn't feel that. Now, you know, but if the max felt it at the top of the stroke, and he felt less compression, but I felt it once he made the change. You know, and then like I said, you know, to have all the experience here. Good program, and to have a guy who hates to have bad results as much as I do. That's pretty gnarly, too. But, but Max learned last week that I'm in and person versus in or person. And, and I like to go to the restaurant order off the menu. And when I order off the menu, it's not, do you want appetizers or main course, I want to advertise and the main course, so he said to me last week, he's like, so we can fix. It wasn't fixing this week, we can adjust the steering on the car, or we can do this thing in the back that we wanted to do that I'm not gonna talk about too much. But I was like, How about an ABA, we adjust the steering and do nothing in the back and like, in right off the bat who gets smarter, like next time? He won't offer me both? Yeah, exactly. Just go and do one of them. But he'll understand that that's what it because that's probably the same way that he operated his dirt bike program to um, I'm glad to see I think you guys are putting together a pretty good team. Are you stoked? Max? Yeah, I'm super excited to be excited. Obviously, you know, I, we all have mentors, right? My mentors are some of the most successful people down in Baja, everyone who worked with Johnny Campbell, Bob Bell. There's so many so many people that I mentor down in Mexico, and they taught me a lot and just taught me the right way to do stuff. And I can't wait to provide it to our own team, right? In our own program. So I don't think I would have gotten this opportunity with trying to do my own thing just because you know, there's there's a ton of reasons why I wouldn't do my own. Definitely, because, you know, the biggest one being financial problems and financial. staying involved was huge. And to do it right. You got to have the backing to do it. If you want to win Yeah, well, it's again, it goes back to that. It goes back to the whole thing. Teamwork makes the dream work, right. You work together to accomplish those goals. Trophy Burro, commented and said that new car does look rad. Yeah, so we're gonna let you go, Max. I appreciate it. I'm glad that you guys had a good time in Utah. That was pretty cool. But what's the next thing on your guys's plate with with Craig in the new car? We're gonna go dominate the 400 There we go. I think first off, he's gonna have to go sift through the mounds of parts at play. sent him over the weekend while he's gone. He called me today. He's like, man, you got a lot of parts here. I haven't gone through them yet, but I know there's a lot of boxes. So those, those Chase trucks are gonna be stacked up. Well, I'm stoked, man. I've literally looked forward to seeing you guys on top of the podium. So thanks, Max. I appreciate it. Please tell the family Hello. We lost their dog. But we wanted to say thank you to air dog and obviously Captain Cheeto as well. And thanks, Amy, for letting us borrow AirDog. So we only got a couple of questions left for you, Craig, we'll wind this thing down. But more along the lines of not racing. So, man, actually, what was one of the best things that are one of the best memories that you've had over the last five years? Best accomplishments? Now the Baja 502. But that's racing. Yeah, I mean, memories, though. I would just say, pre running times with Keith, you know, and it's that that's, that's one thing you can't replace ever? No. I mean, it's, you know, he's been, he's been in the car with me since pretty much day one. And that's coming to an end here pretty quick. You know, I get, I get a pre run at the 400 with them. And I get, you know, by 1000 pre run, I get to, you know, race in the car come close to races, and that's done. But the highs and lows and the emotions that you go through during those times is like the it's a connection. That's like really hard to beat, honestly. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's, that's why when you whenever it's like, Oh, give me one thing that you remember this that near? You can't, you can't because it's it's the it's the combination of all of it together. It's the Well, the reason I asked those questions is because it's for people simple for people to understand, but I yeah, I It's a lead in for me to talk about it. But the truth is, it's it's the, you know, the being at being stuck out in the middle of nowhere in sitting by the car, and just like, you know, in the dirt and our race suits. Again, this isn't how we plan it to turn out. But let's go do this all over again, the next chance we get absolutely. There's so many times that I've just like sat out in the desert for eight hours, like, oh, fuck this, I never want to be out here again. But then I'm like, Okay, that was a good experience. Our big line is always like it's well, it's still it still beats golfing. So I guess we'll keep doing this for a while. Well, speaking of golfing, that's kind of on the lines of my next few questions here. Sounds like we might be able to go bicycle riding a little bit more. But what are some of the things that you're going to do in the future to make yourself happy? Well, I you know, I've been working since I was like the summer of when I was 14. Working with my dad saying uncles and construction up until about a month ago. Yeah, now I'm in semi retirement. So I don't plan on doing anything for pizza oven a little bit more. I think I have a pool. I did go bicycle ride and a little one. Yeah, we do some traveling, I'm going to do the racing thing where you know, we're moving the program from Arizona to California. So that'll keep me busy. I don't know, I have some family members who don't think I'm going to make it even three months. But I think I'll just be I'll be fine. You know, the one thing I was gonna say you'd like to keep yourself busy? Well, I mean, you know, I have hobbies and hobbies. I've ignored for a while. I'm going to go to the Baja 400 Next week, and I'm going to pre run and I'm not going to have to get in my car and get on my phone right away. That was one of the things that annoyed me the most is I was like, dude, just stay focused. Like can you stay focus for fucking 10 minutes here? Like, what UTB will pack says where's the wolf pack singlet? Let's see here. And when they come they're trying to come to a race and get me a new one. Oh, you need a new one? Yeah, I'm looking. I'm bigger and older now. Well, it sounds like you guys got a pretty good plan. I, the one thing I'll do from a business side is, you know, I have I've had some, some people I know that I know really well that own their own businesses or run their own businesses. I'd be more like, I already talked to someone about coming in, in consulting and helping them out. I think, you know, the next 18 months in the industry are going to be a little, little different and difficult for some folks. And if I can help some my friends manage through that. Yeah, I was gonna say like things I've learned over the years. I'm more than happy to Yeah, I was gonna say that would be really cool to see you do that. Because I know that the industry, I don't want to say is faltering. But I see there's bad decisions, there's good decisions. And whenever you go through a changing time or trying time like this in the world, there's always a silver lining, there's always something that you can do to push forward and do better than everybody else. And you're a really good person to be able to see those things. Yeah, and sometimes it's just nice to have a second set of eyes on something right. You know, some you know it what I've watched with a lot of leaders over the years is you're just you're just too entrenched in it, you're in it day to day and sometimes just having somebody at the 50,000 foot look come in and look at it and say have you thought about this or thought that I'm not even a leader and that happens to me all the time. It happens to everybody, right? Like it's just you get too engulfed in what's going on. Alright, well, I think that's pretty cool, man. We just have some rapid fire questions. I think you have have actually answered some of these in your previous episode number 41 But we're gonna go through them anyways. All right. Tacos are hotdogs. What? tacos for sure at this point but hot I do love a bacon wrapped. Hot dogs have been gaining chicken or SATA. Sata dunes or the river. Easy River. All day it's river huh? action shots or still shots. Action, big action Chaga three wheeler or quad? I do think three horses are cool but a quad. You just don't want to get hurt. Pizza Rolls or jalapeno poppers. Pizza Rolls. Coffee or tea. Coffee. Oh, there's a good one favorite movie. Cheese. I think that's a bad question. But there's a whole bunch of different ones like, Well, no, it's because people can profile you I know. Because if you say like Casa Blanca, or if you say like Ricky Bobby's Blanca, but you stepbrothers. Yep, all time favorite comedy. I do love. I do love me to Remember The Titans for some reason. It's pops in my head. Yeah, that's a good one. What's the the dude I'm a big fan of like, butterfly effect. A Beautiful Mind. Like those in the knees? Yeah. Have you seen Requiem for a Dream? I know. It's wild. All right. You gotta be in a mood though. Instagram or Facebook. Instagram or Facebook. You said right now Instagram in Seattle. How Facebook. Oh, you don't have Facebook? Okay. Oh, this is a good one. Because I got a story I can tell about this favorite artist. Artists. Yeah, like band. Foo Fighters. Oh, really? You're going Foo Fighters? I thought you're gonna go to Swift. No, I do though. I do love me some Bieber and some Taylor Swift. But that's all like it depends on the mood. But oh, here we go. Alumacraft says Craig got movies. So that's why you said it was a sucky question because you're a big movie guy. Yeah. And they all kind of run together. Like, it's it? I think. I think in the future, you need to ask his genre. Like what's your favorite genre movie or in all your genre and say, What's your favorite comedy movie? Yeah, that's a good one. Uh, Netflix, or YouTube? Netflix, although I'm actually big Hulu like Hulu. Really? Yeah, what's Hulu got that you've been watching? While I have live TV on there, but who's got some good shows? Don't Don't Don't Don't sleep on Hulu. If you got one superpower what would it be flying? Oh big flying guy. Like what are you trying to do? Like if you could fly right now? Where are you going? Anywhere? Just we're just go all around like when Superman just finally figured it out? I'd like to be a bird Yeah, that's just go wherever I'm gonna fly here. That would be pretty fast. What would yours be? I would want to be like jumper like where I could teleport. That's not that solid to Yeah, cuz that's not that's not flying but that actually would solve a lot of things I'd want to do flying because it's like I want to go to Arizona so we can own this kind of stuff. Yeah, but I don't I don't care about flying and taking the time to fly. I mean, I would like to go and see like that point of view but I could do that on a helicopter and I could just transport like right then to wherever I gotta go. Yeah, like if I could be like after this I'm going to eat in Italy. Boom. Yeah. Yeah, like I'd be so stuck. I'm not glad Yeah, that's that's solid. Beware of the people who want to be invisible. Oh, trust them are the ones that want to read minds. Like dude, I would not ever want to do that. But that's yeah. Let's see here. videos or photos. Videos. Let's see here. Are you gonna go to the Taylor Hawkins Memorial show? A couple of days. That is a solid idea. I wonder where that is in California. I don't know. We're gonna find that son playing the drums by the way on that was insanely good. Like what a teacher to teach him not to jumper was a good movie by the way. I don't know who Raksa whatever that is. What up Randy Romo. That's my friend Chelsea. Hi, Chelsea. Okay, so do we already answer video or photos? Video video. If you could see a video of any type of off road are you going helicopter you go on like just like fly by like, what are you doing? I would tell you a big fan of the FPV stuff right now. Dude, big fan. Yeah, that stuff is super cool. Because of the angles is like no other. And I'll tell you our guy, you know, Mike Spasibo. Yeah, well, we shouldn't have said his name. Because we don't want anybody else trying to hire my guy can mean that we can steal him from me. John has to do extra tickets worrying. What's the date? Yeah, I should throw the date out there. But yeah, the FPV stuff is insane. Crazy. And what he's what he's starting to like I'm watching like I even said on the other day, because he was tattooing me the other day. And I was like, Dude, it feels like you're really starting to figure this out. You know? It's like he's like, Yeah, every time he goes out with us, he gets better and better at filming our car. Yeah, well, he's getting used to it like the cool part about it was like he didn't really know like, how all this stuff was gonna go down September 27, September 27. Alright, we're back from Mexico and I'll be back with Mexico. It'll be close. Let's see here. Oh, favorite snack. favorite snack? Oh, Oh, I think I do I let me tell me if I'm wrong, right is those chili pistachios on I do like those those but yeah the pretzels with the peanut butter in them those are pretzels peanut butter in them. I liked the dots to the dots pretzels are pretty solid. I saw you take on crosstable uncrossable How about favorite snack in the race car? uncrustables big on crossword. Let's see here. Oh, I think I know there's one most memorable race. Yeah, let's see. Oh, you don't know this, but you're gonna say super good. Supercross or motocross? I actually do know this one now. I'm a big I'm a big dirt bike guy now. Yeah, when's the last time since episode 41 Yeah, now that you're in 140 to 100 episodes. I've become a Supercross motocross guy. That's fantastic. Did you know how much better friends we are now? I did the Supercross aspect for the you know for watching the but I kind of the outdoor stuff I think is just fucking gnarly or just from an endurance standpoint and what those guys have to go through. You're just like Troy was saying right now like, how gnarly are those dudes? 105 degree weather for 25 minutes. Just balls to the wall. Yes. That's just whining that they have to be it's gnarly, dude, it's just blows my fan by the way. Can't wait till he comes back and Supercross Yeah, that's gonna be cool. Um, one other form of racing. Would you like to try rally? Oh, big rally guy. Like I'm talking like drifting rally? Yeah, like not like rally like Dakar Rally like I'm talking right. Like rally car rally. Yeah, like nitro Rally Cross. Yeah, that'd be cool. Because like shorter or actually you've stayed rally. Yes. Stage Right. Like Ken Block comes. Yes. Yeah. Like World Rally Championship, same stuff. So you might already know this, but I was I just kind of learned about the other day as somebody told me that there's actually a rally series for side by sides. Yeah, it was James Hill. Yeah, so yeah. Oh, yeah. We heard about it the same time. Yeah, that's dude, I think that would be super cool to do. I feel like that'd be a way different car than what you guys have built. just slam it and make it real light yet. Let's see here. speedboat or dragster. speed boat, I guess. And you've already answered this question before but I'm gonna throw it out there again. chips and guacamole or french fries and ranch. Drop the ranch and I'll be French fries. Oh, you're just doing french fries with ketchup? Maybe? No, I'm big fan and mixing mayonnaise in in hot sauce together. Whoa, like a chipotle mayo curry Euro, I think oh subi. Mike said he wants to go low. Sounds like rallycross is going to be getting going. lycra or baggies. Chris says, baby like her all day. Yeah. Thanks for chiming in with the fact that Chris, you're more than welcome to send in any more rapid fire questions, because we need new ones. All right, Craig, was there anything else? You're more than welcome to throw it in there right now. We talked to a lot of people that you already have. And you already pretty much thanked all the people that that we have. But do you have anybody else you want to? Thank you? No? No mean? Yes. And no, obviously. But I you know, when it comes to there's a billion people well, no, when it comes to this kind of stuff I would I would tell you is just make sure you think people on a more personal level. Yeah. Like, I'm super thankful for my old team at Forel parts. Yeah, like, you know, Ashley, Matt, Jason, Jason, like the people who went through what we went through together. But you know, but they know that already, because I've already thanked them. So I agree. 100% Everyone's won. Thank you friends don't send a text to dude. I couldn't agree more with that. All right. Well, I do want to thank some people. I'd like to thank all of our sponsors. So thank you very much to all the guys over at KMC wheels for being a part of the show. Really appreciate them. They've always wheelbarrows has been a partner for since day one. So please head over to your local formal parts store. Get yourself some wheels from those guys. Put them on put on some Max's tires those things thank you guys. Motul shock therapy you can use the code dirt life at shock therapists USA or shock therapists.com JL Audio like I said we're gonna be hanging out with them at sandboard Super Show. They get evolution power sports zones, racing products vision canopies and cryo heat. Next week's show we have some pretty cool Greg I think you would actually be into this is a great show. Thank you Katie you did a good job George. Well, thank you guys you make it easy when he can have a conversation like this right? But next week's show we are going to talk with the guys over at Fluid logic and Maglock I don't know if you you're a big fitness guy so you can actually really improve your fitness in our your stamina and stuff inside the car because it's got a drink system inside your air hose. And that drink system has a computer on it that can tell your body what you need the electrolytes do a whole scientific breakdown and give you the exact amounts you need. So you don't have to take a piss but you still come to stay completely. I don't know. Not tired hydrated, not tired in the car. So we're going to talk about this Yeah, Oregon Dunes and we got a lot of people commenting in now at the end of the show. So yeah, pay attention to fluid logic show next week's gonna be awesome. I think we got Ryan RC arrow and a whole bunch of other rad He's coming on. So thank you very much to Craig and everybody at the house for letting us invade your privacy. Really appreciate it. And I look forward to getting to be able to go bicycle riding with you some more, man. And thank you to everybody that's watched the show. You guys are our lifeblood, we really appreciate it. So please always come and send us direct messages and hang out with us as much as possible. Yep. We really appreciate everything. So, like I say every time we love you guys, goodnight. He's out. Thanks for listening to the dirt life show. See you next week.