Episodes

  • Danny Thompson & the Challenger II, the Fastest Piston-Powered Car in the World

    Danny Thompson & the Challenger II, the Fastest Piston-Powered Car in the World
    Sep 21 2024

    Brian Lohnes & John McGann chat with American race car driver Danny Thompson! Danny talks about the Challenger II, the evolution of the streamliner, the impact of his father Mickey Thompson, bringing the Challenger II back to life, his 450mph Speed Week Record Run, the Ferguson car, and his goal of hitting 500 mph! NEXT, the guys chat with OpenRoad Auto Insurance Chief Revenue Officer Bryan Ballatore all about collector car, specialty vehicle & enthusiast vehicle insurance!

    0:09 - About today's guest - Danny Thompson.
    1:47 - Challenger II - Where It All Began!
    4:06 - Evolution of the car, Streamliners.
    6:22 - The impact of his father, Mickey Thompson.
    7:47 - Challenger II, designed off of 1-to-1 scale drawing.
    9:00 - Bonneville, 1968.
    11:09 - Father & son.
    12:42 - Bringing the Challenger II back to life.
    15:00 - Wagon Wheel steering.
    20:03 - Managing the crew.
    23:10 - Father's leadership style.
    27:30 - Bonneville, 2014.
    31:18 - Preparation for a race.
    34:04 - 450mph Speed Week Record Run.
    38:43 - Cost & pressure.
    41:54 - The Ferguson car.
    45:03 - Bonneville Hat Club.
    46:05 - How to go 500mph.
    47:55 - Challenger sold & reclaimed.
    53:15 - The last uncorrupted form of motorsports.
    56:03 - 500mph piston driven car.
    58:03 - Tenacity.
    59:35 - OpenRoad Auto Insurance!
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Lucky Costa on Hot Rod Garage, his '66 Chevelle, Roadkill, & '67 Chevy C10

    Lucky Costa on Hot Rod Garage, his '66 Chevelle, Roadkill, & '67 Chevy C10
    Mar 1 2024
    NHRA's Brian Lohnes & HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann are back at Pomona Speedway for the final day of HOT ROD Power Tour West! Today, the guys sat down with Hot Rod Garage Host, Lucky Costa, to talk about Where It All Began, Overhaulin', his '66 Chevelle, the genesis of Hot Rod Garage, Roadkill, driving himself to jail, steering column failure, the best cars he's ever owned, his HRG Co-Host Alex Taylor, and more! 1:56 - Where It All Began! 5:42 - Self-taught. 8:08 - Early years of the business. 12:48 - Overhaulin'. 20:32 - Evolution of Lucky's '66 Chevelle. 30:51 - Hot Rod inspirations over the years. 32:17 - Genesis of Hot Rod Garage. 36:00 - Working with Tony Angelo. 37:10 - Roadkill / MSD Van. 40:36 - Being a passenger with Tony Angelo. 45:25 - "Did I just drive myself to jail!?" 47:41 - Steering column is out! 49:33 - On return from Del Mar... 51:25 - It's about the journey, not the destination. 53:05 - Lucky's '67 Chevy C10. 58:13 - What's next? 01:00:05 - On his HRG Co-Host Alex Taylor.
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Hollywood Hot Rods Owner Troy Ladd on the One-Day Hot Rod, his creative process, & HOT ROD Power Tour West!

    Hollywood Hot Rods Owner Troy Ladd on the One-Day Hot Rod, his creative process, & HOT ROD Power Tour West!
    Feb 23 2024
    NHRA's Brian Lohnes & HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann take the podcast to Pomona, California for Day 3 of HOT ROD Power Tour West 2023! The guys chat with Hollywood Hot Rods Owner, Troy Ladd, about where it all began, the "One-Day Hot Rod", how he built Hollywood Hot Rods, Road Thrash in 2008, his creative process, behind-the-scenes stories from the Gauntt Coupe & Mulholland Speedster builds, firing customers, working with other shops, working with clients, and HOT ROD Power Tour West! 0:07 - About today's guest - Troy Ladd. 0:53 - Welcome to Moviefone! 2:44 - Where it all began - the business plan. 7:39 - The One-Day Hot Rod! 11:50 - Rivets!? 16:04 - Genesis of Hollywood Hot Rods. 20:28 - Road Thrash, 2008. 22:49 - Scope of HHR's style. 27:09 - Troy's creative process. 29:14 - The Gauntt Coupe, '32 Roadster. 30:15 - The Mulholland Speedster. 35:22 - Behind the business. 36:41 - Firing customers. 38:15 - Friends & Frenemies. 42:18 - Timelessness of Model A's & Coupes. 45:44 - 3D Printing? 48:33 - Working with Clients. 55:23 - HOT ROD Power Tour West!
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Steve Pazmany on Fully Torqued, the Aftermarket World, & HOT ROD Power Tour West!

    Steve Pazmany on Fully Torqued, the Aftermarket World, & HOT ROD Power Tour West!
    Feb 16 2024
    NHRA's Brian Lohnes & HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann take the podcast to Irwindale Speedway for HOT ROD Power Tour West to chat with Steve Pazmany of Fully Torqued! Steve tells us where it all began for him, building up his Fully Torqued brand, the world of aftermarket, working with clients, Thermal Club, and what's next! 1:09 - Day One of HOT ROD Power Tour West @ Irwindale Speedway! 3:11 - Steve's mission with Fully Torqued. 6:06 - Where It All Began! 10:37 - Owning his own content & partnership with History Channel. 13:04 - Early mistakes. 15:08 - Bulletproof Truck! 17:23 - Custom builds. 19:00 - Building out the Fully Torqued brand. 21:12 - Restomods. 24:07 - Concerns for the HOT RODDING industry. 27:42 - Steve's collection. 30:28 - Pontiac GTO vs Ferrari. 32:18 - The next big project. 40:05 - Drawing inspiration from HRPTW. 42:55 - Working with clients. 47:31 - Thermal Club. 51:55 - Hot Lap(s). 55:09 - F1 Drive to Survive.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Ida Zetterstrom on joining NHRA, JCM Racing, & Her European Top Fuel History

    Ida Zetterstrom on joining NHRA, JCM Racing, & Her European Top Fuel History
    Feb 9 2024
    David Frieburger, Brian Lohnes & John McGann are back from the PRI Show to chat with 2023 FIA Top Fuel World Champion - Ida Zetterstrom! Ida talks about her decision to join the NHRA, her racing history - starting at 8 years old, her history in motorcycle drag racing, how she made the transition from Motorcycles to Top Fuel, process of getting her Top Fuel license, joining JCM Racing, plans for 2024 season, major adjustments, stories from Hockenheim, FIA tracks, Santa Pod, and what race she's most looking forward to! 1:09 - On Joining the NHRA. 2:49 - Where It All Began! 4:34 - Her motorcycle history. 15:58 - Transition from Motorcycles to Top Fuel. 22:02 - Process of getting her top fuel license. 26:22 - Management experience. 30:03 - Joining JCM Racing & the 2024 season. 32:00 - Why is this the right opportunity? 36:09 - Don Garlits stories. 37:24 - Her dad's reaction to the move. 39:03 - Major adjustments. 42:55 - Perceptions of her as a driver. 46:17 - Stories from Hockenheim. 49:52 - On FIA tracks. 50:44 - Santa Pod Raceway. 51:41 - What race does she look forward to most?
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    59 mins
  • Jeff Smith on his time as Editor of HOT ROD & Car Craft, Fastest Street Car in America, & the CadZZilla

    Jeff Smith on his time as Editor of HOT ROD & Car Craft, Fastest Street Car in America, & the CadZZilla
    Feb 2 2024
    NHRA's Brian Lohnes & HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann chat with former editor of HOT ROD Magazine & Car Craft - Jeff Smith! Known for his decades long tenure as the Editor of both HOT ROD Magazine & Car Craft, Jeff brings us back to where it all began! Jeff tells stories about being hired by Rick Voegelin at Car Craft Magazine in 1979, Pro Street, the impact of Real Street Eliminator, Autocrossing, the genesis of the first ever Fastest Street Car in America, Dare To Be Different, Rick Dobbertin's J2000, the CadZZilla, and more! 0:12 - Today's guest - Jeff Smith! 1:53 - Where it All Began - Car Craft Magazine, 1979. 7:12 - Stories from the Car Craft days. 13:20 - Pro Street. 15:55 - Real Street Eliminator. 19:58 - Jeff Schwartz' '82 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. 25:20 - His tenure with HOT ROD Magazine. 27:05 - Marlon Davis stories. 33:43 - The genesis of the Fastest Street Car in America. 36:00 - Dare To Be Different. 37:24 - Rick Dobbertin & the Pontiac J2000. 40:30 - HOT ROD's largest month of circulation - the CadZZilla.
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    49 mins
  • Roadster Shop CEO Laurent Potdevin on his vision, working with Randy Meyer, & pushing back on the EV wave

    Roadster Shop CEO Laurent Potdevin on his vision, working with Randy Meyer, & pushing back on the EV wave
    Jan 26 2024
    From Snowboarding to HOT RODS! NHRA's Brian Lohnes & HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann chat with Roadster Shop CEO Laurent Potdevin! Laurent's path has taken him from Louis Vuitton, Burton Snowboards, Lululemon, Toms... and now the Roadster Shop! The guys talk to Laurent about Where It All Began, working with Jake Burton, his path to the Roadster Shop, working on a Nitro Dragster with Randy Meyer, thoughts on the EV wave, Cleetus McFarland & the power of social media, Waterman, Drag and Drive, and what's next! 0:07 - Laurent Potdevin! 1:58 - Where It All Began. 8:24 - First meeting with Jake Burton. 16:26 - What attracted you to the Roadster Shop? 20:40 - Working with Randy Meyer. 24:40 - Daily driver. 27:03 - Thoughts on the EV wave. 30:49 - Cleetus McFarland and younger audiences. 38:13 - Cars are a lifelong passion. 43:53 - Influencers. 45:44 - Waterman Racing Components. 52:29 - Drag and Drive. 54:06 - Creating experiences. 57:13 - What's next?
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Tom Nelson on the Genesis of NRE, Crashing in Iceland, the F-Bomb, and the Artistry of Engine Building

    Tom Nelson on the Genesis of NRE, Crashing in Iceland, the F-Bomb, and the Artistry of Engine Building
    Jan 19 2024
    NHRA's Brian Lohnes and HOT ROD Magazine's John McGann chat with Nelson Racing Engines Founder, Tom Nelson! Tom takes us through the highs and lows of his career, telling never-before-heard stories like putting Twin Turbos in an airboats, and plummeting off 50-foot cliffs in Iceland! The guys talk to Tom about the genesis of Nelson Racing Engines, StreetFire.net, how the show "Driven" got started, the formula off-roading crash in Iceland, reevaluation after the crash, the artistry of engine building, the F-Bomb '73 Camaro, Tuatara, 2019 Ridler Award, and why we're in the wild west era of HOT RODDING! 2:03 - 40,000 hp HOT ROD shoot! 3:14 - Where It All Began. 6:48 - The Go Kart that started it all. 10:16 - Street Racing. 12:52 - The start of Nelson Racing Engines. 18:34 - First NRE projects and learning the business. 21:57 - First PRI Show. 22:59 - From StreetFire.net to YouTube. 28:35 - How "Driven" got started. 33:25 - Formula Off-Roading in Iceland. 35:02 - "We're going off a 50-foot cliff!?" 39:25 - Immediate aftermath of the crash & recovery process. 47:09 - Reevaluating the business. 55:40 - The artistry of engine building. 58:16 - The F-Bomb '73 Camaro. 01:03:34 - The Wild West of Hot Rodding. 01:06:15 - Metal printing with AI. 01:07:35 - NRE x Tuatara. 01:11:46 - The 2019 Ridler Award. 01:16:32 - What's next?
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    1 hr and 26 mins