Episode 73: Jye O'Keeffe - Elevate Race Bodies; Nic Rowe and Alex Robinson

WEBVTT
00:00:02.739 --> 00:00:07.307
Welcome back to another episode of the work area podcast yeah really excited
00:00:07.307 --> 00:00:12.197
about this show i brought on my horizons a little bit by by making these phone
00:00:12.197 --> 00:00:16.881
calls instead of having people in the studio i prefer to do these podcasts in the studio,
00:00:17.514 --> 00:00:20.977
but it's just not practical with how speedway works like i said on the on the
00:00:20.977 --> 00:00:22.948
previous episode everyone that
00:00:22.948 --> 00:00:26.849
that does race is busy and they're either working on their race car or,
00:00:27.371 --> 00:00:31.707
or working on their business that pays for the race cast so massive episode
00:00:31.707 --> 00:00:35.747
this week got alex robinson crew guy for monte motorsports.
00:00:36.409 --> 00:00:41.737
Took the plunge to launch himself overseas and he's working with tarleton motorsports
00:00:42.177 --> 00:00:43.717
and james mcfadden deal over there,
00:00:44.205 --> 00:00:48.377
really interesting with with how they go about it and then how the level stacks
00:00:48.377 --> 00:00:52.327
up between the australian sort of program here that they run with motors and
00:00:52.327 --> 00:00:56.037
monte motorsports which obviously is as good as it gets and then,
00:00:56.537 --> 00:01:00.332
over to tarleton motorsports which yeah if you You've even listened to a previous episode.
00:01:00.332 --> 00:01:05.287
We talked to Cole Macedo who knows that deal quite intricately and he said the
00:01:05.287 --> 00:01:09.917
Tartan Motorsports is the Sean Dyson of American Motorsports.
00:01:09.917 --> 00:01:13.076
So really interesting to have a chat with Alex about that.
00:01:13.325 --> 00:01:20.648
Also got Jai O'Keefe, Elevate Race Bodies, sort of from my knowledge the most
00:01:20.764 --> 00:01:26.577
preeminent bodybuilder or racetrack hauler and trailer builder in Australia.
00:01:26.577 --> 00:01:30.017
Earlier, sorry, you would have seen his stuff on social media at the moment,
00:01:30.017 --> 00:01:33.580
Dan Golding Racing, just purchase their new truck from him.
00:01:33.765 --> 00:01:37.147
Yeah, really good footage of that. And obviously, yeah, sort of you win lot
00:01:37.147 --> 00:01:39.594
of type stuff, you jump on board with that.
00:01:40.709 --> 00:01:47.132
And yeah, you'd be buying from Jai because his trailers and his mules are as good as they get.
00:01:47.991 --> 00:01:51.766
This episode obviously brought to you by my new business. It's a new little
00:01:51.766 --> 00:01:55.298
program I got. It's called Apex Premium Motorsports Experiences.
00:01:55.954 --> 00:02:02.485
There's a heap of wank essentially that I can rattle off, but it's essentially, it's a lot of money.
00:02:02.653 --> 00:02:07.341
It's about 500 bucks a ticket, but I truly feel like it's value for money.
00:02:08.236 --> 00:02:09.876
It cost me a fair bit to run the show.
00:02:12.916 --> 00:02:17.477
So if you buy the program, first one's going to be in Darwin with Jason Pride Motorsports.
00:02:18.127 --> 00:02:22.256
We've got a few other things in line with that and some big teams and some big
00:02:22.256 --> 00:02:26.466
events that I'm trying to knock off this upcoming sprint car season.
00:02:26.466 --> 00:02:29.955
But you transfer the money and that's it.
00:02:30.112 --> 00:02:34.547
You will not be out of pocket again. I'll meet you at the gate, walk in.
00:02:35.156 --> 00:02:39.606
And again, I'll put it on there a couple of times that it's not your general meet and greet.
00:02:39.606 --> 00:02:45.346
It's not going to be like, hi, I'm X from X. It'll be, you'll truly get a feeling
00:02:45.346 --> 00:02:48.866
of what it's like to be a part of a race team on a race night.
00:02:48.866 --> 00:02:52.000
The conversations aren't going to be like a normal meet and greet driver.
00:02:52.343 --> 00:02:57.216
It'll be the nitty and gritty, you know, what exactly went on in the race?
00:02:57.576 --> 00:03:00.580
What's exactly happening with the car? When we talk to the crew chief,
00:03:01.416 --> 00:03:05.508
it'll be all the details like, you know, when we're going out for qualifying,
00:03:05.845 --> 00:03:08.759
we're throwing this tire on. We need to get off the corner better here.
00:03:09.334 --> 00:03:13.336
A true insight into what it is. Obviously, beautifully catered meals,
00:03:13.876 --> 00:03:17.629
not just, you know, roast beef and gravy rolls or anything like that.
00:03:18.157 --> 00:03:19.956
All the meals are going to be next class.
00:03:21.076 --> 00:03:27.306
The alcohol, the water, just every single thing. You'll get merchandise.
00:03:27.306 --> 00:03:31.525
You'll get your own private area in the pits at most of them.
00:03:32.697 --> 00:03:35.843
You'll get your own private area to watch the races.
00:03:35.843 --> 00:03:40.063
You will have our own exclusive area within the pits, right next to the hauler,
00:03:40.377 --> 00:03:41.673
right next to the race car.
00:03:41.673 --> 00:03:44.803
You want to look at the race car, I'll walk you through what they're doing.
00:03:44.803 --> 00:03:48.633
I'll walk you through what each part does. And yeah, essentially,
00:03:49.133 --> 00:03:52.443
if you've ever been to any sort of corporate package anywhere else in any other
00:03:52.443 --> 00:03:55.963
motorsports or speedway or anything, oh, sorry, or football,
00:03:55.963 --> 00:03:59.733
anything like that, that's the program that I'm going to be delivering.
00:04:00.173 --> 00:04:02.593
And I truly feel like it's going to be value for money.
00:04:03.053 --> 00:04:08.233
Even though I fully understand how much money it is, I genuinely think that.
00:04:09.133 --> 00:04:12.082
Once the night's done, you'll be stoked with how the night's turned out,
00:04:12.448 --> 00:04:15.953
what you've learned, what you got to experience, get to hang out with the drivers
00:04:15.953 --> 00:04:21.510
after the race, have a couple of beers if we can, walk the track after a race night, which I think,
00:04:22.353 --> 00:04:27.363
is significantly underutilized in terms of what people do, even us racers.
00:04:27.363 --> 00:04:33.863
We don't walk the track at the end of the night enough to debrief and really
00:04:33.863 --> 00:04:35.093
look at what the track did.
00:04:35.093 --> 00:04:39.013
And it's completely, even from the mesh, if you watch at the motor place on
00:04:39.013 --> 00:04:42.223
the mesh, you watch the whole feature race, then you walk out onto the track.
00:04:42.223 --> 00:04:47.763
It's only 10 meters away, but everyone that's ever done it will know what I'm talking about.
00:04:47.763 --> 00:04:51.463
Once you leave the mesh and you walk out onto the track, it's completely different
00:04:51.463 --> 00:04:56.853
to what it is. and this VIP experience that I'm doing, I truly think I'm going
00:04:56.853 --> 00:04:59.632
to be giving you value for money. Let's get into it. Thank you.
00:05:03.005 --> 00:05:06.372
First things first, obviously I mentioned it last week on the pod.
00:05:06.528 --> 00:05:13.573
I'm obviously a bit of rumors going around and I'm still unsure where I sit.
00:05:13.573 --> 00:05:19.500
I know what I want to do with this pod and where I want to take it. I want to be...
00:05:21.858 --> 00:05:25.295
I want to cut through all the bullshit and actually give the people what they
00:05:25.295 --> 00:05:30.625
want to hear, but at the end of the day, I also know that if I do that,
00:05:30.625 --> 00:05:33.747
I'm most likely going to piss off half the pit, so it's a fine line.
00:05:34.664 --> 00:05:37.525
Essentially, what I'm hearing, and I don't know the Dom Bay boys at all,
00:05:37.525 --> 00:05:41.265
what I'm hearing is that there might be a local driver that you might not expect
00:05:41.265 --> 00:05:45.878
in the seat for the year, and similar to the Dane King shot.
00:05:46.331 --> 00:05:49.895
Kerry Madsen deal with Cricky Motorsports. There might be a local in the car
00:05:49.895 --> 00:05:54.777
during the year, and then come the big races, they'll have an American in the car.
00:05:55.247 --> 00:06:00.495
And then, yeah, obviously High Limit Speed Week, et cetera, there might be an American.
00:06:01.464 --> 00:06:04.135
Come over and jump in that. I'm hearing there's a few others.
00:06:04.535 --> 00:06:07.535
I'm hearing Tanner Holmes' name thrown around a little bit.
00:06:08.069 --> 00:06:10.879
I'm hearing Garrett Williamson's name thrown around.
00:06:11.453 --> 00:06:15.465
And we'll just have to wait and see. But, again, I did get plenty of messages,
00:06:15.465 --> 00:06:19.539
which some are out of left field and I'm not sure of the credibility of them.
00:06:19.933 --> 00:06:23.605
And the others I think were pretty bang on. So you guys clearly have your finger
00:06:23.605 --> 00:06:25.001
on the pulse and know what's going on.
00:06:27.128 --> 00:06:29.825
The rest of the Speedway, I think there's Calabarra in this weekend.
00:06:29.825 --> 00:06:32.256
I think that'll be a ripper little weekend.
00:06:32.763 --> 00:06:36.495
Country track really cracking into what they're doing. But the big event is
00:06:36.495 --> 00:06:40.395
the Broth Enterprises, Westralia Cup this weekend in Derby.
00:06:40.395 --> 00:06:44.255
I think it'll be an absolute ripper. And there's nothing else going on.
00:06:44.255 --> 00:06:50.324
So I truly, truly think you will not regret it if you jump on Clay Per View
00:06:50.637 --> 00:06:56.725
and purchase that for the boys and watch them rip around the Derby Speedway
00:06:56.725 --> 00:06:58.675
track, which I'll speak about later on.
00:06:58.675 --> 00:07:01.585
And, yeah, we've thrown some money in the bar tonight, so hopefully the boys
00:07:01.585 --> 00:07:05.194
are ripping in and having as much fun as they can with that.
00:07:06.375 --> 00:07:09.425
The speed cars, I've got a little bit of gossip with the speed cars about what
00:07:09.425 --> 00:07:12.028
their program might look like and who might be coming.
00:07:12.546 --> 00:07:15.447
Yeah, I've got Jai Keefe from Elevate, which I can't wait to speak to.
00:07:15.895 --> 00:07:18.361
He'll be on the phone now, so, yeah, we'll get into that.
00:07:21.328 --> 00:07:26.123
All right, on the line is Jai O'Keefe from Elevate Race Bodies.
00:07:26.407 --> 00:07:30.704
Man, I'm not sure if you think it, but I fucking love watching all those videos
00:07:30.704 --> 00:07:35.526
and stuff like that that you put out. It seems to be like the gold standard of trailers.
00:07:36.042 --> 00:07:39.282
Is that the sort of the aim? Like, is that where you think it sits?
00:07:40.268 --> 00:07:45.453
Yeah, definitely. Look, it is the standard for every build we do.
00:07:46.954 --> 00:07:50.779
So to be able to sort of get some good social media, Yeah,
00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:56.178
presence out there just really reflects on what we do and you sort of have to,
00:07:57.165 --> 00:08:00.374
put that out there so people know that that is the standard and it's what we
00:08:00.374 --> 00:08:04.044
do and, yeah, they've been coming up really well.
00:08:04.044 --> 00:08:07.481
So, yeah, hopefully people could see that and see what we're about.
00:08:07.904 --> 00:08:12.764
Obviously the build time's not like crazy quick or anything with the standard
00:08:12.764 --> 00:08:16.514
of things you do and now the size of stuff you do. Is there a busy time of the
00:08:16.514 --> 00:08:18.806
year or how does that sort of work?
00:08:21.191 --> 00:08:29.275
There is typically we're not all speedway but we we do a lot of pretty versatile we do,
00:08:30.957 --> 00:08:36.177
a lot of motorsport stuff whether it be like majority speedway but go-karts
00:08:36.177 --> 00:08:42.807
or bikes or we do some unique stuff like the camper bodies on yeah we're doing
00:08:42.807 --> 00:08:45.086
a unimold mercedes truck at the moment big,
00:08:46.543 --> 00:08:53.037
just anything sort of unique we really specialize in that so but speedway time
00:08:53.037 --> 00:08:55.175
frames obviously usually get pretty heavy but,
00:08:56.313 --> 00:09:02.957
for this last half of the years this is our definitely a busiest time of the year at the moment.
00:09:02.957 --> 00:09:09.197
And then sort of once January, February hits, it quietens off and then get ready
00:09:09.197 --> 00:09:11.677
for next year's projects basically. So no, it's pretty good,
00:09:11.677 --> 00:09:14.902
mate. It's just pretty steady all year round.
00:09:15.646 --> 00:09:19.478
Yeah, we just punch away day by day and just keep putting out the good work.
00:09:19.809 --> 00:09:23.977
Has it exploded on you? Obviously, haven't been around the sport for ages,
00:09:23.977 --> 00:09:29.257
but it seems like in maybe like the previous two years, it sort of just exploded
00:09:29.257 --> 00:09:33.507
in terms of like a business. Is that fair or have you always been busy?
00:09:36.035 --> 00:09:41.908
I wouldn't say it's exploded. It's been gradual for sure.
00:09:44.862 --> 00:09:49.164
We just, I don't know, take small steps and grow.
00:09:50.975 --> 00:09:56.767
Grow at a good rate, not a stupid rate that becomes unmanageable and equality
00:09:56.767 --> 00:10:00.546
control will drop or anything like that. None of that would happen.
00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:07.677
No it's been a steady growth but from from day one when i started doing this
00:10:07.677 --> 00:10:09.454
when we opened the business years ago,
00:10:11.667 --> 00:10:17.397
the mono was always just top end stuff there was no no really interest to do
00:10:17.397 --> 00:10:24.938
anything else and yeah i was just happy to go at it go at whatever pace it came and,
00:10:26.715 --> 00:10:31.852
Evolve with it and get the right people to come along for the journey.
00:10:32.589 --> 00:10:36.631
I'm so very fortunate. We have a brilliant crew at the moment.
00:10:37.758 --> 00:10:42.712
Everyone works together. Everyone has the same passion, which you need that
00:10:43.112 --> 00:10:46.874
to grow a successful business. That's whatever you're doing.
00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:52.139
So, yeah, no, it's definitely slowly evolved and.
00:10:54.432 --> 00:10:59.332
Just keeping up customer services is a big one that I believe in,
00:10:59.500 --> 00:11:02.267
trying to keep a good reputation,
00:11:03.386 --> 00:11:09.185
deliver on time, and just customer service is just absolutely,
00:11:09.952 --> 00:11:11.747
absolutely everything in my eyes.
00:11:12.448 --> 00:11:18.094
And small things, mate, like Rectify, right? Rectify mistakes.
00:11:19.593 --> 00:11:26.010
No one's perfect in this world. You'll always have a setback, whatever it may be.
00:11:27.098 --> 00:11:29.896
It's just how you deal with it. Deal with it well.
00:11:31.301 --> 00:11:34.232
Yeah, it's certainly busy. We're busy.
00:11:34.706 --> 00:11:41.207
And the last few years, yeah, we've been fortunate that we can just build really nice gear.
00:11:41.807 --> 00:11:46.065
And people trust in us now that they're in the right place.
00:11:47.006 --> 00:11:51.239
Yeah, so we just, year by year, mate, we just do what we do. We just do it well.
00:11:52.931 --> 00:11:59.143
Stay out of trouble. Pretty much it. Hey, back to the start. You had a racing career.
00:12:00.251 --> 00:12:04.487
You point me to one race to go and have a look. What race would you point me
00:12:04.487 --> 00:12:06.341
back to in terms of your racing career?
00:12:09.066 --> 00:12:12.351
No, I had no idea. Maybe Darwin.
00:12:13.378 --> 00:12:17.894
Love Darwin. That was always my favorite outlet for Speedway.
00:12:19.409 --> 00:12:25.435
But, yeah, racing-wise, shit, mate, 500 go-karts, 500 sprint cars.
00:12:27.173 --> 00:12:31.596
A little bit of success sort of throughout. No, I couldn't pinpoint a race for
00:12:31.596 --> 00:12:33.429
you, though. I had fun the whole time, mate.
00:12:34.468 --> 00:12:39.756
Hard to have a bad night at the races. So you've got nothing that sticks out
00:12:40.176 --> 00:12:44.458
as sort of your highlight of your career so far.
00:12:44.615 --> 00:12:46.933
A few big titles in the 500s.
00:12:49.357 --> 00:12:51.249
Oh, we had plenty of feature wins, but,
00:12:53.403 --> 00:13:00.357
some Jack Wilshers. Not really, mate, honestly. It's just, I just love going racing.
00:13:02.261 --> 00:13:05.656
You haven't been behind the wheel for a bit. Do you miss it or are you just flat out?
00:13:07.391 --> 00:13:13.770
Yeah, miss it. Yep. Definitely miss it. But that, always flat out that you kind
00:13:13.770 --> 00:13:18.339
of just flat out. You don't, you know, essentially get time to miss it as much.
00:13:19.506 --> 00:13:25.750
But, nah, I definitely missed just being a part of it. That was the biggest
00:13:25.750 --> 00:13:27.320
reason I decided to get back into it.
00:13:28.810 --> 00:13:32.490
Back to, you obviously quit it for business sort of reasons.
00:13:32.490 --> 00:13:37.680
Like, when you first started this out, is Elevate where you wanted it?
00:13:37.680 --> 00:13:41.140
Like, obviously it sounds like I'm doing an ad for your business or anything
00:13:41.140 --> 00:13:47.020
like that, but the Elevate brand now is somewhat synonymous with Speedway and
00:13:47.020 --> 00:13:49.222
high-end products and it's what people want.
00:13:49.617 --> 00:13:55.573
Is this where the business trajectory was always going to go or did you have something else in mind?
00:13:56.211 --> 00:14:02.267
No, this is definitely where I would aim for it to be.
00:14:03.637 --> 00:14:10.000
And once again, you can't do that without the right people. So yeah,
00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:17.070
100%. It's just not in me to create a different style of product.
00:14:19.290 --> 00:14:25.110
It's just a passion like creating products and delivering to a customer,
00:14:26.619 --> 00:14:34.577
is a passion of mine and the guys who work for us so yeah this is exactly where,
00:14:35.634 --> 00:14:41.480
I was hoping it would sort of end up being fortunate to have the opportunity to do a lot of,
00:14:42.942 --> 00:14:48.039
big special builds for people that once again people trust us and the product and.
00:14:50.761 --> 00:14:57.204
Yeah, it's definitely, I feel we've put a little bit of a benchmark on where,
00:14:57.904 --> 00:15:00.081
professional transport should be,
00:15:01.517 --> 00:15:08.074
but it's never the end or was every week, every day, you're trying to better
00:15:08.074 --> 00:15:12.979
your own products for yourself and what you can offer people and everything.
00:15:15.397 --> 00:15:20.134
Yeah, sort of try and just sit a little bit above the others.
00:15:22.854 --> 00:15:28.014
It's a whole package for us, so we're not just a trailer building shop or anything like that.
00:15:29.286 --> 00:15:34.864
It's everything in one, so we'll create a whole entire package for you,
00:15:34.864 --> 00:15:38.954
whether it be a rigid truck or a semi-trailer or whatever it is.
00:15:40.455 --> 00:15:42.545
We'll do the whole lot. It's all in-house.
00:15:44.194 --> 00:15:50.289
We take pride in everything we do. So, yeah, that is what we do.
00:15:51.075 --> 00:15:57.054
And people do come to us knowing that they're in the right place and hopefully
00:15:57.054 --> 00:16:00.722
we can uphold that reputation for a long time.
00:16:03.254 --> 00:16:07.269
People, customers mean a lot to me. People trust.
00:16:07.420 --> 00:16:12.273
It's a lot of money, these investments they make in these sort of transporters and that.
00:16:13.173 --> 00:16:18.074
So you want to you want to give what you would expect if you would get someone
00:16:18.074 --> 00:16:22.824
else at all so yeah no it's definitely it's that it's at a good place really
00:16:22.824 --> 00:16:24.742
really proud of the product for that like,
00:16:25.954 --> 00:16:31.778
what was your first sort of big job like it or your first like sort of really
00:16:32.115 --> 00:16:36.091
really good bit of equipment you put out do you remember like something where you really felt like,
00:16:36.724 --> 00:16:40.574
fuck we're we're on the right track and we're doing the right thing like we
00:16:40.574 --> 00:16:44.104
got this job like what is it a big trailer or is it a big job for someone?
00:16:44.104 --> 00:16:46.720
Like what's the one that sort of you felt put you on the map?
00:16:47.533 --> 00:16:53.429
Yeah, definitely. The first, our first big job would have been Jockridge's rigid truck, which was,
00:16:55.553 --> 00:16:59.205
Oh, it's a couple of others since him, I reckon.
00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:02.254
So the Clayton's still getting around? Yeah, the Clayton's got it.
00:17:02.254 --> 00:17:04.804
That's it. Yep. Yeah, that one. Yep. That's the first big one.
00:17:05.466 --> 00:17:06.360
It's still getting around.
00:17:07.150 --> 00:17:11.244
It's still in pretty good nick, actually. It got flooded in them Queensland floods. That's right.
00:17:11.857 --> 00:17:17.484
Yeah. And it's, yeah, got all fixed up all properly and no drums at all.
00:17:17.484 --> 00:17:18.944
And it's still going. It's Nostra.
00:17:19.089 --> 00:17:22.386
But yeah, that was definitely our first big one. And so that was,
00:17:24.086 --> 00:17:25.526
yeah, that was pretty cool. But.
00:17:27.674 --> 00:17:33.824
Darren at the time had seen the truck that we were running with spring cars,
00:17:33.824 --> 00:17:40.716
our own, and I just quit my job to go work for myself.
00:17:42.150 --> 00:17:45.294
And yeah, he said, oh, you want to build a truck? And yeah, it was brand new.
00:17:45.294 --> 00:17:52.624
Just rocked up at the door and said, get into it. You shit yourself when you get the job like that?
00:17:54.548 --> 00:17:58.489
Nah. Back in the day, yeah, I was pretty young.
00:18:00.784 --> 00:18:05.654
Nah, just make sure you tick all the boxes, just do it right.
00:18:05.863 --> 00:18:10.188
Probably, it's more the time frame thing, I guess, like.
00:18:12.917 --> 00:18:21.976
Getting straight into a job like that. And back then, when I first got it, I had no staff. And then.
00:18:24.018 --> 00:18:29.374
I think it might have been halfway through maybe. And Jaden come work for me then.
00:18:29.717 --> 00:18:33.726
He was my first employee and, yeah, still there today.
00:18:35.397 --> 00:18:39.284
And, yeah, more the time frame, doing the job was fine.
00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:43.357
Just the time for, like, to come around quick and say, oh, yeah,
00:18:43.357 --> 00:18:48.165
we need that by this date. And it was just a big introduction to business and
00:18:48.588 --> 00:18:53.337
dealings, companies and suppliers and all that sort of stuff and just getting
00:18:53.337 --> 00:18:55.316
it, make it happen at a rapid rate.
00:18:56.716 --> 00:19:00.797
That that first job was probably a little stressful in that side of it but a
00:19:00.797 --> 00:19:06.000
learning curve i think it was definitely meant to be and it everything turned out fine and,
00:19:07.445 --> 00:19:10.423
it's all good from there so yeah definitely that was um,
00:19:11.439 --> 00:19:16.477
i was fortunate and grateful to basically get that first big job and get it
00:19:16.477 --> 00:19:18.231
out there for for people to look at,
00:19:19.177 --> 00:19:23.257
what is your favorite type of build like you guys obviously do anything and
00:19:23.257 --> 00:19:26.797
And I'm not sure if you're on the tools all day, every day or anything like
00:19:26.797 --> 00:19:29.357
that, but is it the big cars?
00:19:29.357 --> 00:19:34.597
Is it the mules? Is it the one-off random jobs? Do you have a favorite type
00:19:34.597 --> 00:19:36.047
of job that comes through the workshop?
00:19:37.518 --> 00:19:42.807
Yeah, the one-offs. One-offs are my favorite. And honestly, every job he has
00:19:42.807 --> 00:19:45.707
is a one-off, apart from...
00:19:47.727 --> 00:19:55.047
Your general dimensions of, say, a 48-footer or a rigid doesn't change.
00:19:55.595 --> 00:19:56.498
Fit-outs are different.
00:19:58.044 --> 00:20:01.704
The one-off jobs are cool, though. Yeah, that's where I enjoy and sort of doing
00:20:01.704 --> 00:20:08.344
a bit of design work and to and from and doing the fit-out stuff.
00:20:08.971 --> 00:20:12.773
That's cool. That's exciting. So we do obviously all that in-house.
00:20:13.522 --> 00:20:19.459
We've got our own cabinet-making set up in there and all the CNC gears.
00:20:21.984 --> 00:20:26.420
Just creating stuff, mate. Big jobs are wicked. We love every single job.
00:20:27.424 --> 00:20:30.154
But it's just the small stuff, like a bit of CNC stuff I love.
00:20:30.154 --> 00:20:35.278
That's sort of my thing at work, run the CNC and the router and the press and,
00:20:36.450 --> 00:20:39.517
just create and muck around and build things.
00:20:40.624 --> 00:20:42.871
That's what I enjoy. I love doing that.
00:20:44.533 --> 00:20:50.288
Yeah, every job's cool. Honestly, every job's cool, but there's no super standouts.
00:20:51.404 --> 00:20:53.875
You're saying you love getting there and creative in the one-offs.
00:20:54.288 --> 00:20:56.424
What's the most random thing you've built?
00:20:56.764 --> 00:21:00.069
What's the most different to your everyday thing? What's that?
00:21:01.688 --> 00:21:02.228
Shit.
00:21:03.996 --> 00:21:05.314
We've built a lot of random shit.
00:21:07.955 --> 00:21:17.064
Yeah. We built a – there's been a fair few. We built like a judge's box once for the horse racing.
00:21:19.072 --> 00:21:25.614
And it was a pretty pimp trailer. What, for the bull? Nah, it's a lady that
00:21:25.614 --> 00:21:29.537
just drives around the country judging horse jumps or something. Oh, really?
00:21:30.071 --> 00:21:37.174
Yeah. And then we built a little trailer. It was like 1.2 meters by 1.2 meters.
00:21:37.184 --> 00:21:39.080
It's tiny. And she sold books out of it.
00:21:40.874 --> 00:21:43.544
That was pretty weird. Ha, ha, ha, ha.
00:21:45.365 --> 00:21:50.973
Actually, we did a cool one to go to the mines. It was a, that was fun.
00:21:51.211 --> 00:21:53.318
So that was a nice trailer.
00:21:55.059 --> 00:22:01.729
It was a, like a mobile lab for soil compaction. They do soil testing.
00:22:02.095 --> 00:22:05.383
Yeah, right. But he needed to do, it was pretty unique. He needed to,
00:22:07.211 --> 00:22:12.209
he wanted to have it transport as a trailer because they were just running a shipping container.
00:22:14.434 --> 00:22:15.744
They had this compaction set
00:22:15.744 --> 00:22:19.455
up that weighed a couple hundred kilos and it was on a big concrete block.
00:22:19.936 --> 00:22:26.895
They said, we need this to be like the trailer floor won't be, it won't pass regs.
00:22:27.424 --> 00:22:33.263
So they've got to do this real heavy compaction onto this concrete block straight onto the earth. Yeah.
00:22:34.326 --> 00:22:38.254
So we built this trailer and we put a hole in the floor and built this winch
00:22:38.254 --> 00:22:43.962
system that basically winches this couple hundred kilo. It's like a five kilo concrete block.
00:22:44.299 --> 00:22:46.476
Through the floor, all sealed up.
00:22:48.212 --> 00:22:52.514
So when they got to site, they'd level the trailer, went just through the floor,
00:22:53.558 --> 00:22:59.609
and they would work in the trailer, air conditioned, and do these tests out in the desert.
00:23:00.288 --> 00:23:05.333
And it was a world first, he reckons. He said it's never his first invention.
00:23:07.034 --> 00:23:10.604
So that was cool. And he's picked up a lot of work from that too.
00:23:10.604 --> 00:23:13.547
He's actually ordered another one of those, and he's going to do a couple more.
00:23:14.452 --> 00:23:17.872
Because no one's done that he was his first thing so it's,
00:23:18.975 --> 00:23:22.954
different stuff like that it's fun speedway is wicked but it's good to do something
00:23:22.954 --> 00:23:29.016
different from from all that then obviously if you to look at the elevate race body social media,
00:23:30.084 --> 00:23:34.984
sorry at the moment the obviously the flagship from from my point of view is
00:23:34.984 --> 00:23:39.164
the dan golding racing trailer that's just left the workshop is is that fair
00:23:39.164 --> 00:23:43.436
is that like the the latest and greatest thing that sort of rolled out of the workshop?
00:23:43.814 --> 00:23:48.968
Yeah, definitely. Look, the 48 footers have been in the making for probably a bit over two years.
00:23:50.137 --> 00:23:58.199
It was sort of always coming. We just, it's 48 footers, but not just something you just dive into.
00:23:58.524 --> 00:24:00.680
You can if you want, but we're not going to do that.
00:24:02.078 --> 00:24:03.391
So we basically...
00:24:05.351 --> 00:24:12.420
Before it even got into production. So that was, we spent like months and months
00:24:12.420 --> 00:24:18.964
and months caddying it up and 3D renders and then making changes and,
00:24:21.060 --> 00:24:27.408
just getting it to how you want it to be. And then as far as a manufacturing point of view.
00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:34.530
So yeah, that is definitely the flagship. So that was a beautiful trailer.
00:24:34.530 --> 00:24:39.550
And it was cool to finally get out there. We've had a lot of people sit asking
00:24:39.550 --> 00:24:44.930
about it and be good for people to go see it out in the wild in WA.
00:24:44.930 --> 00:24:48.583
And, yeah, we've got a couple more getting built there at the moment.
00:24:49.971 --> 00:24:59.500
So, yeah, they're probably definitely our biggest build, I would say, but nothing daunting.
00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:07.220
It's just make sure you're pre-planning well and tick all the boxes and do your
00:25:07.220 --> 00:25:09.781
homework and just get it right and.
00:25:11.743 --> 00:25:16.044
Get the customer involved to what they want and there's a lot of fit out involved
00:25:16.044 --> 00:25:18.006
in that so we actually we did,
00:25:19.305 --> 00:25:23.821
created basically our own layout and did that in these first couple actually,
00:25:24.506 --> 00:25:29.150
so we've got a bit of a standard floor pan that plan that people can can modify and,
00:25:30.578 --> 00:25:35.754
yeah no it's um it's a beautiful trailer that really really nice so they'll
00:25:35.754 --> 00:25:41.564
they'll be or they're available now, basically. So we've got a few hours.
00:25:41.944 --> 00:25:46.849
We've got the opportunity for one more for the 2027 season.
00:25:47.952 --> 00:25:53.542
So hopefully we'll... The aim is to sort of try and have one kind of in stock,
00:25:54.604 --> 00:25:55.924
so keep the lead times down.
00:25:55.924 --> 00:26:02.794
That's the biggest factor that we sort of struggle with is lead times when someone
00:26:02.794 --> 00:26:05.934
wants something of a large scale, there's long lead times.
00:26:05.934 --> 00:26:11.184
So if you can get ahead a little bit and pull them lead times down to like the
00:26:11.184 --> 00:26:14.403
eight months sort of thing, then it's always better for everyone.
00:26:15.326 --> 00:26:20.783
And with that, obviously you're around Speedway all the time and you got sucked into work.
00:26:21.125 --> 00:26:23.720
And obviously like it should, it's sort of taken the precedent.
00:26:24.626 --> 00:26:28.604
News come out recently that you've obviously, you're getting back into the game
00:26:28.924 --> 00:26:30.941
and you've got a driver coming over.
00:26:31.964 --> 00:26:35.164
What sort of, what got you back in? Is it something you're looking at?
00:26:35.164 --> 00:26:39.144
Was it a random opportunity? How did you get back into it?
00:26:40.734 --> 00:26:41.864
Yeah, look.
00:26:44.136 --> 00:26:45.994
I'd been thinking about it for quite a while.
00:26:48.696 --> 00:26:53.739
Just didn't know what direction to go. I was nearly going to race a midget.
00:26:53.739 --> 00:26:56.090
That was pretty close to doing that.
00:26:57.450 --> 00:27:00.450
Just getting a midget and setting up a team there. Yeah.
00:27:02.534 --> 00:27:04.856
And if the racing was more,
00:27:06.980 --> 00:27:12.314
around here, then I would have for sure. Because they're cool and they're fun.
00:27:13.016 --> 00:27:17.410
But there's just not much happening here for midgets. There's nothing exciting.
00:27:19.179 --> 00:27:26.260
So that sort of went away and then spring car sat there in my head and sat there and sat there.
00:27:27.815 --> 00:27:28.796
I sort of just got tired,
00:27:30.879 --> 00:27:35.581
of watching. Not tired of watching. I love watching, but tired of thinking about it.
00:27:37.405 --> 00:27:40.505
And, yeah, just procrastinated for ages. And then.
00:27:43.180 --> 00:27:48.222
I wanted to just race and have some fun again and just have a team and be involved.
00:27:49.302 --> 00:27:55.089
Because obviously with work, it's definitely something I'm passionate about
00:27:55.089 --> 00:28:00.576
is the whole transport side of things and logistics and the mules and the trucks.
00:28:02.270 --> 00:28:06.134
So yeah, I'm older and tired now.
00:28:07.159 --> 00:28:12.899
So getting a driver was definitely in my mind. I didn't want to race a Brazilian
00:28:12.899 --> 00:28:14.661
race of the year. That's just too hard.
00:28:16.787 --> 00:28:23.959
So yeah, I... And sort of decided, all right, we'll get a car and build this team up.
00:28:23.959 --> 00:28:30.858
And then whilst I'm building it up, I'll try and find someone good that we can,
00:28:31.688 --> 00:28:33.586
just go have fun and try and win some races.
00:28:35.862 --> 00:28:40.302
You obviously got Cole Macedo in the seat, mate. Had a little bit to do with
00:28:40.302 --> 00:28:42.072
him. You'll definitely have some fun.
00:28:42.310 --> 00:28:44.412
Like he's a ripper fella.
00:28:45.050 --> 00:28:46.922
I can't remember who I was speaking to the other day about him.
00:28:46.922 --> 00:28:51.082
I was like, he just ticks every box. And I'm not sure there's many sprint car
00:28:51.082 --> 00:28:53.549
drivers that I know. He's like, he's good looking fella.
00:28:53.862 --> 00:28:58.602
He's charismatic. He's funny. He can speak well in front of a camera. He can race well.
00:28:59.662 --> 00:29:04.304
There's not much more that you could want from a driver than you get from Cole.
00:29:05.686 --> 00:29:09.834
Yeah, I agree, mate. Look, he was the perfect guy, honestly.
00:29:12.010 --> 00:29:18.291
And like I've said before, I think, I don't know, it was one of them meant to be things, I think.
00:29:21.583 --> 00:29:26.114
Probably superstitious or something. But, yeah, he is the ultimate guy,
00:29:26.114 --> 00:29:33.500
mate, because the main goal to go race again was to have fun and do it well,
00:29:34.759 --> 00:29:41.763
set it up nice and have a really nice team and good cars and strive to succeed, obviously.
00:29:43.699 --> 00:29:50.363
But yeah you gotta have fun and we got some good guys helping us out that,
00:29:51.623 --> 00:29:55.364
just wanna have fun too and that's what it's all about it's the same as work,
00:29:55.904 --> 00:30:02.580
you want everyone to to get along and go along for the ride together and have a great time,
00:30:03.870 --> 00:30:09.407
and if you got the wrong driver it's just a shit time like it's a it's too much money invested to,
00:30:10.912 --> 00:30:14.736
to go So mope around and have a crap time.
00:30:16.026 --> 00:30:19.164
So he was dead set the perfect guy.
00:30:19.338 --> 00:30:26.344
Yeah, he was just the right timing. His hands on too, which is wicked because,
00:30:27.264 --> 00:30:28.844
it's not an expectation whatsoever.
00:30:29.344 --> 00:30:35.956
But it's handy for us because it was a race a long time ago, but it's a new team.
00:30:37.901 --> 00:30:40.484
So I've been out of the game for a long time. Things have changed.
00:30:41.924 --> 00:30:47.994
He'll help us with our program as well, but it worked for him because it's free range.
00:30:47.994 --> 00:30:55.004
You do whatever you want, and he was just pumped that he could basically take
00:30:55.004 --> 00:30:58.074
the reins and work with us. We'll work with him.
00:31:00.303 --> 00:31:04.821
Yeah, it was pretty straightforward, mate. I just rang him up and said he'd
00:31:04.821 --> 00:31:11.493
already got the tip off from Sean Dyson and I think he's sort of pretty keen already.
00:31:13.368 --> 00:31:15.421
I said, yeah, look, mate, this is what we've got.
00:31:17.478 --> 00:31:21.871
We'll have everything ready to go. It's a brand-new team from scratch,
00:31:21.871 --> 00:31:29.558
so we've had to build cars and a mule and a truck and we've built the whole lot. We've had nothing.
00:31:31.027 --> 00:31:36.030
And I said, yeah, we just want to hit the road. We want to hit the road and have some fun.
00:31:37.121 --> 00:31:41.498
Cold beer in the fridge and we'll go in some races. What do you reckon?
00:31:43.088 --> 00:31:47.709
Yeah, he's pumped, mate. I know you want to have fun and you will.
00:31:48.121 --> 00:31:52.891
Like I said, he's a ripper fella, but what's the race that's already in the
00:31:52.891 --> 00:31:56.775
back of your mind that you want to have a serious dip out? You obviously live in Warrnambool.
00:31:57.251 --> 00:32:01.841
You're coming over here. You're hitting a lot of races. is what's the one that's
00:32:01.841 --> 00:32:05.779
in the back of your mind already oh yeah probably the classic.
00:32:08.080 --> 00:32:11.961
Which is cliche because everyone's just just the classic yeah but it is the
00:32:11.961 --> 00:32:19.032
classic it is the classic definitely because High Limit's wicked don't be wrong,
00:32:21.330 --> 00:32:21.752
But I think.
00:32:26.363 --> 00:32:30.816
The classic's just so cart-throat and grueling and intense.
00:32:32.064 --> 00:32:37.372
It's the same, but it's perfect. It's big, it's wide open, it's spread out. I don't know.
00:32:38.095 --> 00:32:44.852
It seems like a more relaxed type environment, which is good.
00:32:45.902 --> 00:32:50.085
And to win it would be wicked. But the classic still holds that.
00:32:51.647 --> 00:32:54.992
I don't know. You get more street cred if you win the Classic,
00:32:54.992 --> 00:32:59.601
I reckon. Yeah. But, and after seeing him last year, like, he, I.
00:33:01.708 --> 00:33:04.052
Don't know. That car,
00:33:06.132 --> 00:33:11.432
was phenomenally fast last year when he raced the Classic. Was it the International?
00:33:11.432 --> 00:33:13.492
Like, that race before, he was just fucking gone.
00:33:13.912 --> 00:33:20.272
Yeah, yeah. And his entry speed on Into the Corner was just on a fucking other
00:33:20.272 --> 00:33:25.212
planet. Like, you can watch Jock Goodyear and Lockie and all those guys,
00:33:25.212 --> 00:33:27.680
and they're the same. Don't get me wrong, everyone has their nights.
00:33:29.246 --> 00:33:34.613
But whatever he had going on last year, yeah, it was wicked.
00:33:35.454 --> 00:33:42.763
Like, fuck me, this guy's, he's it. Like, there's something going on there.
00:33:43.608 --> 00:33:48.482
To see him, like, drive like that last year and now know he's in your equipment,
00:33:48.482 --> 00:33:49.642
like, you'd obviously be excited.
00:33:49.642 --> 00:33:53.452
But does it make you nervous as well like fuck like this dude can drive now,
00:33:53.952 --> 00:33:59.842
I've got to step up to the plate like is that nerve wracking um nah nah that's
00:33:59.842 --> 00:34:03.473
all good we've got all the gear for him.
00:34:05.766 --> 00:34:09.712
Nah I think we've got well I know we've got got everything he needs um,
00:34:11.374 --> 00:34:15.805
Cars, motors, got the same shocks he's got that he wants.
00:34:17.204 --> 00:34:21.628
It's good to rip, man. It's good to go. We'll be... Everyone will be there.
00:34:22.405 --> 00:34:24.596
Fuck yeah, that's so good. Do you play golf?
00:34:26.068 --> 00:34:30.116
Nah, fuck that. Mate, you know he's off scratch. Too impatient.
00:34:30.116 --> 00:34:33.731
He's off zero. He plays off scratch. He'll be down at the Warrnambool Golf Club.
00:34:34.376 --> 00:34:38.476
Him and your man Mark Leishman, mate, off scratch. I don't even know what scratch
00:34:38.476 --> 00:34:41.241
means. What's that mean? So he plays off zero handicap.
00:34:42.362 --> 00:34:45.856
Is that good? It's phenomenal. The average person in the world plays off at
00:34:45.856 --> 00:34:51.725
18. So over 18 holes of golf, they need one shot. If you can get to that, it's like phenomenal.
00:34:52.068 --> 00:34:56.956
So if he rocks up to Warrnambool, there might be like four dudes that could beat him.
00:34:58.366 --> 00:35:00.676
Oh, good. We'll start. We'll do some gambling on golf. Yeah,
00:35:01.176 --> 00:35:04.183
he will suck some idiots in, mate. Oh, a sprint car driver.
00:35:04.490 --> 00:35:07.648
And they'll start throwing the cash around and Cole will collect.
00:35:08.966 --> 00:35:13.784
That's why his entry speed's so good obviously his eyes just tuned in,
00:35:15.340 --> 00:35:20.326
obviously before Cole gets here or after he leaves are you marinating in your
00:35:20.326 --> 00:35:24.896
head for you to get in the seat, where does that sit probably afterwards yeah
00:35:25.236 --> 00:35:28.819
I haven't thought about it honestly at the moment and it doesn't faze me.
00:35:30.733 --> 00:35:34.156
I'm too worried about just sort of getting this program ready for this tour
00:35:34.156 --> 00:35:38.183
and we're just excited about that Dead set excited about that.
00:35:38.689 --> 00:35:41.842
And once he's gone, we'll just see what's kicking around.
00:35:43.770 --> 00:35:47.480
There's a couple of Warrnambool shows. Might do Easter Trail, maybe.
00:35:49.304 --> 00:35:54.416
Yeah, not fast, mate. Not fast. Just see what, see how I feel.
00:35:55.417 --> 00:35:59.858
But, yeah, I'll have a go for sure. Get it out of me system.
00:36:00.900 --> 00:36:06.456
But majority, the focus is just this next chapter in your life,
00:36:06.456 --> 00:36:08.316
really, and give this a crack.
00:36:08.316 --> 00:36:12.716
And hopefully this will just become an annual thing.
00:36:14.647 --> 00:36:18.386
And if everything goes well, which I think it will, pretty confident,
00:36:18.386 --> 00:36:24.036
then you just keep on keeping on sort of year by year and building on what we've
00:36:24.036 --> 00:36:26.024
already got. Mate, awesome.
00:36:27.138 --> 00:36:31.329
And also a bit of a struggle. I said 15 minutes, mate. You've given me half an hour.
00:36:31.898 --> 00:36:34.422
And I was pretty late over your way. I really appreciate it.
00:36:34.723 --> 00:36:37.255
Yeah, thanks. Thanks for jumping on, mate. I really appreciate it.
00:36:38.039 --> 00:36:41.336
No worries, dude. Thanks for the call. And I'll probably catch you,
00:36:41.676 --> 00:36:48.761
not down, not going down but first by limits yeah easy mate see you then catch you mate cheers.
00:36:51.105 --> 00:36:54.274
There you go, Jai O'Keefe from Elevate Race Bodies.
00:36:54.274 --> 00:36:58.694
Obviously got Cole Macedo coming over to race room this year.
00:36:58.694 --> 00:37:03.364
And, yeah, we don't care about Cole Macedo. We've got the great man on the line,
00:37:03.364 --> 00:37:10.579
the Carnarvon Comet, the Dongra Crayfish, Nick Rowe. Nick, long time, no pod. How are you?
00:37:11.997 --> 00:37:16.544
Cruising, mate. Just got home from work. Bit late, mate, bit late,
00:37:16.544 --> 00:37:18.405
but we're right. What's going on in the world?
00:37:19.190 --> 00:37:21.764
Not enough, mate. That's why we're on the phone to you, I reckon.
00:37:23.498 --> 00:37:26.569
We're just cruising through, mate. Weekly episodes, we're back into it.
00:37:27.992 --> 00:37:32.651
And by popular demand, the show, you're back on, mate. Obviously,
00:37:33.109 --> 00:37:37.464
we spoke before, Knoxville, you watched that. It's probably the only thing of
00:37:37.464 --> 00:37:40.081
real relevance that's happened in the last week.
00:37:41.084 --> 00:37:44.029
Any takeaways from that, mate? Where did you get to with Knoxville?
00:37:45.230 --> 00:37:48.731
Yeah, no, I only watched the highlights, mate. but pretty cool to see,
00:37:49.434 --> 00:37:53.904
well, for anyone really to see, not just for me, that Larson can fly from a
00:37:53.904 --> 00:37:59.724
NASCAR race and get excused of all his NASCAR media duties and roll in and that's
00:37:59.724 --> 00:38:01.174
about all she wrote for the rest of them.
00:38:01.174 --> 00:38:06.034
I think as soon as he rolled in, the aura of him just overwhelmed the situation
00:38:06.034 --> 00:38:07.876
and that was about it. Yeah, got the win.
00:38:08.522 --> 00:38:12.854
Mate, pretty magic, I was saying. Filmed him for two laps every time and then
00:38:12.854 --> 00:38:15.874
never showed him again because he was just gone every start,
00:38:15.874 --> 00:38:17.333
every restart. He was just gone.
00:38:18.221 --> 00:38:22.064
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Obviously, I missed the race, but when I went on the internet
00:38:22.064 --> 00:38:27.394
after to check the results, it was just like the highlights were all they were.
00:38:27.394 --> 00:38:30.962
Larson, 2.1 seconds in front. Larson, 1.2 seconds in front.
00:38:31.194 --> 00:38:33.452
Caution, Larson, two seconds in front.
00:38:34.073 --> 00:38:36.302
There must have been a domination by him.
00:38:37.243 --> 00:38:40.766
Yeah, the rest were just out there for a second by the looks of it. Mate, you told me that.
00:38:42.634 --> 00:38:46.680
Bobby Marlowe. That's who I was on the phone to. Bobby Marlowe tried to tell
00:38:46.680 --> 00:38:52.250
me that Cruz Priolo, obviously David Priolo's kid, would be a better go-kart driver than you.
00:38:53.290 --> 00:38:58.010
And I put him back in his plot. I said, I reckon Rowie was winning the races
00:38:58.010 --> 00:38:59.922
that cruises. He's a gun, no doubt.
00:39:01.350 --> 00:39:05.860
Your go-kart career stacks up as good as any? Probably not in my younger days.
00:39:05.860 --> 00:39:08.670
I was overweight for all in classes, which I probably am still now.
00:39:08.670 --> 00:39:12.850
But back in the earlier days, in the karting days, I was always having to go
00:39:12.850 --> 00:39:14.933
up a year early. One, two, five heavy?
00:39:15.688 --> 00:39:18.710
Yeah, one, two, five heavy, super heavy. You name it, mate, I was there.
00:39:18.710 --> 00:39:23.210
But yeah, back in the early days, I was too heavy for all the classes.
00:39:23.210 --> 00:39:28.770
So I ended up in juniors at, I think, 11. So I never really done the real rookies
00:39:28.770 --> 00:39:31.040
classes and all that, which is what they were back in the day.
00:39:31.040 --> 00:39:34.780
And then, so yeah, he probably does have any measure because I was bloody 20
00:39:34.780 --> 00:39:37.297
kilos overweight for all them classes until I got into juniors.
00:39:39.097 --> 00:39:45.690
Mate the obviously the one of the big dogs of the the australian speed car division,
00:39:46.231 --> 00:39:49.950
what are your plans this year we back into it what's what's the three doing
00:39:49.950 --> 00:39:52.239
are you ripping the covers off what are we up to,
00:39:53.290 --> 00:39:57.748
yeah we'll uh yeah we'll have a crack obviously got good people behind me,
00:39:58.679 --> 00:40:02.710
yeah can't thank phillips boys enough they're uh rebuilding the hauler and we'll,
00:40:03.250 --> 00:40:08.280
uh try and try and make the trek across to Toowoomba again for the Australian
00:40:08.280 --> 00:40:12.990
title in the three with Bigsy and yourself and everyone else that's on board.
00:40:12.990 --> 00:40:16.790
So we'll have a crack at going to do that. And then, yeah, we'll wait and see.
00:40:16.810 --> 00:40:20.470
He's still down here in Dongra. So the on-call doesn't line up the best,
00:40:20.470 --> 00:40:24.231
but we'll convince him to change that up. We'll get some races in.
00:40:24.533 --> 00:40:28.160
We got any form at Toowoomba? How have we got around there if we have run there?
00:40:28.788 --> 00:40:32.114
I don't think we've ever ran there. Don't think I've ever ran there. But, you know...
00:40:33.246 --> 00:40:36.170
Yeah, no, I've definitely never run there. I've ran at Archerfield back in the
00:40:36.170 --> 00:40:37.936
day when that was kicking around up there.
00:40:38.883 --> 00:40:41.918
And, yeah, other than that, never really done much racing in Queensland.
00:40:42.144 --> 00:40:46.790
I won a Queensland championship back in the day, mate, so see how we go.
00:40:46.790 --> 00:40:50.510
Just a little bit of licorice all sorts here with you this week.
00:40:50.510 --> 00:40:53.650
We're just waiting to – Licorice all sorts. Well, that's what we're up to, mate.
00:40:53.650 --> 00:40:56.070
Just waiting to get on the line with Alex Robinson, obviously,
00:40:56.070 --> 00:40:58.040
over there in Fresno, California.
00:40:58.040 --> 00:41:03.990
But one of our passions, mate, both of us, You obviously sort of struggled your
00:41:03.990 --> 00:41:07.730
way through one of the events and I sort of went really good in one year.
00:41:07.730 --> 00:41:10.285
The gas dash, mate, obviously gone over the weekend.
00:41:11.350 --> 00:41:14.006
Any goss from that? Any feedback? Where do we sit with that?
00:41:14.841 --> 00:41:17.987
Yeah, no, I think they obviously it's a massive effort to run a,
00:41:18.998 --> 00:41:22.939
To run any motorcycling event like that these days after Fink,
00:41:22.939 --> 00:41:26.089
obviously they had that tragic incident where someone passed away there.
00:41:26.089 --> 00:41:29.879
But, yeah, to run any event like that these days is a huge effort.
00:41:29.879 --> 00:41:32.469
I was part of the committee up there back in the day. And, yeah,
00:41:32.469 --> 00:41:35.319
Decky Gibbings was obviously good enough to get the win.
00:41:35.319 --> 00:41:38.919
They were obviously lacking the quality and numbers that they usually get up
00:41:38.919 --> 00:41:42.459
there. But they had the backing of Red Bull and all that, which was pretty cool
00:41:42.459 --> 00:41:46.009
to see on the start-finish line. And they were running a fair bit of the event
00:41:46.009 --> 00:41:49.445
up there for them. So they're a good crew up there, obviously.
00:41:49.654 --> 00:41:54.369
Next year, looks like it's going to go back to Gascoigne Junction and back.
00:41:54.369 --> 00:41:59.799
So I think that's what the Gascoigne Dash is represented for such a long period of time.
00:41:59.799 --> 00:42:04.389
So that'll be pretty cool to do that. And then I reckon I'll have to wind the
00:42:04.389 --> 00:42:07.629
clock back, mate, and knock you off, I reckon, next year. If you sort your stuff
00:42:07.629 --> 00:42:10.429
here, I'll get a bike, and I'll see if I can get you.
00:42:10.829 --> 00:42:14.225
Mate, if we throw Gassy into the mix, it'll be 6-1.
00:42:15.989 --> 00:42:20.409
We've already gone, well, I've already beaten you one. Big 16 F for me,
00:42:20.409 --> 00:42:24.389
one D&F for you, is that what you're saying? No, it's five wins for me,
00:42:24.849 --> 00:42:29.259
one win for you. Six head-to-heads, I've come out on top five times versus one.
00:42:29.840 --> 00:42:32.529
So it's four at the start of the week. Total Tours Rockingham,
00:42:32.529 --> 00:42:34.930
if you're listening, I'm your man.
00:42:37.316 --> 00:42:40.209
Hey, obviously we speak during the week.
00:42:41.408 --> 00:42:46.089
One of our big passions, mate, is the fireball there with David King, Kane Corns.
00:42:46.649 --> 00:42:50.272
One of the segments on that show is pick and stick.
00:42:51.114 --> 00:42:55.189
So if you're not listening, it's just – The music, please. The music,
00:42:55.189 --> 00:42:56.969
please. No, I don't know how to do the music.
00:42:57.589 --> 00:42:59.166
I don't know how to do the music. But –,
00:43:00.263 --> 00:43:04.675
Essentially, I give a topic, two names, two subjects, whatever.
00:43:05.262 --> 00:43:10.137
You can't give any context around it. You just got to give me your best and
00:43:10.137 --> 00:43:15.887
who you think or whose side you pick or whatever it is. What are you going to want to go?
00:43:16.287 --> 00:43:18.501
I don't know yours. You don't know mine. You want to go one for one,
00:43:18.698 --> 00:43:21.136
all mine first, all yours first. How are we going?
00:43:21.943 --> 00:43:26.207
We'll go one and one. All right, I'm starting because I think I've got to bang
00:43:26.207 --> 00:43:27.841
it right off the top. Pick and stick.
00:43:28.974 --> 00:43:31.762
Jason Kendrick versus Mitch Wormle.
00:43:39.388 --> 00:43:44.707
You have to go Kendo yeah you gotta go Kendo just one word don't Jason Kendrick,
00:43:45.407 --> 00:43:50.191
right go alright what have you got for me right I got one for you old school,
00:43:51.074 --> 00:43:54.191
Kerry Madsen prime or Adam Clark prime,
00:43:57.088 --> 00:43:58.104
I want to give context.
00:44:01.070 --> 00:44:04.501
Adam Clark. I'll go Adam Clark. Yeah, good man.
00:44:05.876 --> 00:44:09.807
I think the diehards might know. I think he was... I think Kerry might be handy
00:44:09.807 --> 00:44:14.107
off the track as well, but I'm led to believe Adam might have been very handy
00:44:14.107 --> 00:44:16.192
off the track. One of the greatest.
00:44:17.875 --> 00:44:23.280
All right, my next one. Jamie Oldfield or Anthony Beer?
00:44:23.756 --> 00:44:27.767
I wanted to go that other bloke that Jamie quilted. Anthony Beer.
00:44:27.767 --> 00:44:31.330
Anthony Beer. Beer, whatever. Yeah, Anthony Bear.
00:44:32.375 --> 00:44:35.327
I wanted to go the other fella that he quilted on the infield.
00:44:35.327 --> 00:44:40.676
I couldn't remember his name in the sprint car. He just absolutely brained that fella.
00:44:42.162 --> 00:44:48.646
Who you got, Jamie Oldfield or Anthony Bear? Anthony Bear, mate. He's going Anthony.
00:44:49.407 --> 00:44:51.415
Yeah, for sure.
00:44:52.414 --> 00:44:56.087
Have you seen J.O.? He'll rip your throat out. This is pick and stick,
00:44:56.087 --> 00:44:59.339
mate. We play by the rules here. All right, go. Go. Yours?
00:45:00.193 --> 00:45:03.937
Dumsney or Kingshot? Kingshot. Ooh.
00:45:06.456 --> 00:45:08.970
Gav Migro versus Con Migro.
00:45:12.429 --> 00:45:13.823
Stick and stick, baby.
00:45:17.625 --> 00:45:20.051
Gavin. Good.
00:45:25.097 --> 00:45:27.063
Caden Brown or Tyson Martin?
00:45:34.962 --> 00:45:38.271
Kate and brown very close kate and brown,
00:45:40.976 --> 00:45:44.470
i'm going to give context to the question here but you can't give context to
00:45:44.470 --> 00:45:50.670
the answer two aussie titles two blokes who have made just squirt and and ruined
00:45:50.670 --> 00:45:54.368
your night craig smith or tyler mcquilken,
00:45:58.870 --> 00:46:03.910
oh smithers because i'll never forget him i did get it just bought you and didn't
00:46:03.910 --> 00:46:08.660
you And then Tyle, obviously, not his fault. He's just come with Gutsa and you've
00:46:08.660 --> 00:46:10.117
just absolutely speared him.
00:46:10.982 --> 00:46:16.764
Go ahead. Who else? I think I've got two Australian goddesses of both, if I'm correct.
00:46:17.536 --> 00:46:19.092
Kyle Blight or Jock Goodyear.
00:46:21.948 --> 00:46:22.482
Fuck.
00:46:31.606 --> 00:46:38.404
Kyle Blight is an Elbany boy. That's the only reason. Cobbite Dongra Eagles,
00:46:39.140 --> 00:46:40.440
Or Carnarvon Ramblers Oh,
00:46:46.146 --> 00:46:52.720
Where's your heart? Two flags at the Ramblers I've just taken Total Tools Rockingham
00:46:52.720 --> 00:46:55.093
off you I reckon I've just taken Lambron off you too,
00:46:56.434 --> 00:47:03.377
Bigsy gives 85 a call My last one is Bigsy or Rowe For Defender Yeah.
00:47:12.525 --> 00:47:14.975
Morrow or last year Bigsie? Nah, I can only say one.
00:47:17.419 --> 00:47:19.097
Ro. Yeah,
00:47:21.306 --> 00:47:28.765
good call. I got two left here. Yep. Pauline Anson or Anthony Albanese?
00:47:31.912 --> 00:47:39.400
What are you even allowed to comment on this stuff? This is pick and stick. Oh, fuck.
00:47:40.828 --> 00:47:43.357
Oh, I don't even... Nah, neither. I can't get around any of them.
00:47:46.877 --> 00:47:51.324
2027 Dane Kingshot or 2027 Caden Manders?
00:47:53.867 --> 00:47:58.616
Kingshot. Bounce back after America. He's on. Bounce back. Won't win a race.
00:47:58.899 --> 00:48:00.694
Second. Nearly won another.
00:48:01.228 --> 00:48:04.815
Yeah, I won none later, so yeah. No, doesn't need much of a bounce back.
00:48:05.457 --> 00:48:06.925
I actually thought we did that all right.
00:48:08.028 --> 00:48:14.797
Not bad, not bad. Probably a bit slow in between the hits. I don't know how they do it live on radio.
00:48:14.931 --> 00:48:17.363
You want to give it context. That's why.
00:48:18.634 --> 00:48:23.387
Yeah, it is what it is. All right, mate. Yeah, I know you've had a big time
00:48:23.387 --> 00:48:25.142
milking the Australian government for their money.
00:48:25.594 --> 00:48:30.447
But, yeah, I'll let you go to bed. I've got Alex Robertson coming up on the
00:48:30.447 --> 00:48:31.759
line, mate. Appreciate your time. Righto.
00:48:33.097 --> 00:48:35.701
Thanks, mate. Cheers, Rowie. See you. Yeah, mate. Bye.
00:48:39.086 --> 00:48:43.660
On the line, Alex Robinson, live from Fresno, California. What's,
00:48:43.904 --> 00:48:46.586
just quickly before we get into it, obviously Knoxville on the weekend,
00:48:47.033 --> 00:48:49.152
hightail it straight to California, was it?
00:48:50.284 --> 00:48:53.683
Yeah, pretty much. Leave pretty early Sunday morning.
00:48:54.484 --> 00:49:01.944
Drive about 11 hours on Sunday and then got up from, I think we're in Denver
00:49:02.159 --> 00:49:05.414
and then drove to Las Vegas last night and then drove over to Fresno today.
00:49:05.414 --> 00:49:13.014
So it's about a 30 to 31-hour drive, so definitely a big haul.
00:49:13.774 --> 00:49:14.922
Is that like Melbourne or Perth?
00:49:17.258 --> 00:49:22.554
Yeah, I'd be pretty similar. And when you say early Sunday morning,
00:49:22.554 --> 00:49:25.966
obviously Knoxville wrapped up about two. What's early on Sunday?
00:49:26.634 --> 00:49:31.334
I think we left about 11. So I think by the time everything got finished up
00:49:31.334 --> 00:49:37.717
and we were in bed and basically everything packed up and in bed was about four.
00:49:38.628 --> 00:49:42.264
So sort of left a little bit and went a little bit later. But yeah,
00:49:42.264 --> 00:49:44.752
left about 11 and got to Denver about 11.
00:49:45.993 --> 00:49:50.248
And then plus side you pick up a couple hours going back to the west coast so
00:49:50.654 --> 00:49:55.629
it's good it's actually a pretty good drive going across the countryside really
00:49:55.792 --> 00:49:58.974
a lot of cool stuff going through Colorado then into Utah and,
00:50:00.117 --> 00:50:03.746
off into Nevada so it's been a real cool experience to do,
00:50:04.674 --> 00:50:08.854
obviously yeah talking to Alex Robinson here your crew for the Monty Motorsports
00:50:08.854 --> 00:50:12.140
team over here and you've done that for a number of years and at the moment
00:50:12.574 --> 00:50:15.675
you're over there with the Tarleton Motorsports with James McFadden,
00:50:16.017 --> 00:50:19.114
fourth on the final night in the Knoxville Nationals.
00:50:19.994 --> 00:50:23.324
Is that a celebration for the team? Like, you missed the podium.
00:50:23.324 --> 00:50:26.730
Are you still stoked with the fourth? Like, what's the mentality of the team?
00:50:27.618 --> 00:50:33.572
Definitely. The fourth place was the biggest race in the world is unreal.
00:50:33.758 --> 00:50:38.854
Like, to be in the company and to be able to race the way we did was awesome.
00:50:39.554 --> 00:50:48.769
To lock it in on the prelim night and lead all but every lap to the last 10 metres.
00:50:50.432 --> 00:50:55.788
Was awesome to lock in was just that sort of just it was able to give us just
00:50:55.992 --> 00:50:59.556
relax and give us confidence going into saturday night and saturday obviously,
00:51:00.079 --> 00:51:02.546
played out very differently to i think.
00:51:04.937 --> 00:51:08.917
What a standard saturday night program is for knoxville running the day show
00:51:08.917 --> 00:51:12.887
and then trying to squeeze in the night show and i don't think they even ran
00:51:12.887 --> 00:51:16.927
a hot lap till about 11 o'clock That's wild, though.
00:51:16.927 --> 00:51:20.827
I think the feature pushed off about 1 o'clock, 10 past 1, something like that.
00:51:20.827 --> 00:51:26.721
So the track was very fast, very hard to passing, pretty locked down.
00:51:27.406 --> 00:51:31.037
It started a little bit wider later on, but probably a little bit too late by that point.
00:51:32.997 --> 00:51:38.954
With the prelim, obviously, J-Mac lost on the last corner to Sheldon Holdenschild there.
00:51:39.239 --> 00:51:42.817
Do you know if that spot, second or third, did that actually change where J-Mac
00:51:42.817 --> 00:51:44.255
would have lined up in the feature? Did you know?
00:51:46.697 --> 00:51:50.177
I'm not 100% sure. It just seemed it was a little bit of a points gap.
00:51:51.017 --> 00:51:52.677
It was only a couple of points.
00:51:54.782 --> 00:51:57.617
I think Sheldon just qualified a little bit better than us.
00:51:58.417 --> 00:52:04.307
I think that's what gave him those couple more points to keep the top spot at
00:52:04.307 --> 00:52:05.565
the time before Kyle took it.
00:52:07.441 --> 00:52:11.414
Before we get into the Knoxville night itself, obviously, like I said,
00:52:11.734 --> 00:52:12.854
you've done it for a number of years.
00:52:12.854 --> 00:52:17.034
You've raced over here yourself. Like, is there, in terms of how you prepare
00:52:17.394 --> 00:52:23.144
and do your job over here in Vermonties, is there just the same stuff over there?
00:52:23.144 --> 00:52:28.646
Do you do the tyres the same way or is it a completely another step up in the level?
00:52:29.703 --> 00:52:32.834
Well, the spring car tyres run at home are 18 wide right rears.
00:52:33.134 --> 00:52:34.909
The left rears are exactly the same.
00:52:35.484 --> 00:52:38.514
So the right reels we run over here are 16 wide. It's two inches skinnier.
00:52:38.677 --> 00:52:44.917
On the same size rims and all that as we run at home, the tyre is a little bit harder than at home.
00:52:45.345 --> 00:52:52.294
It's definitely, I try to like bring or use what I was doing at home over here
00:52:52.294 --> 00:52:54.785
and I very quickly worked out it doesn't quite work the same.
00:52:55.786 --> 00:52:58.834
Try used to run at different tracks every night, different surfaces which are
00:52:58.834 --> 00:53:00.528
completely different to anything we run at home.
00:53:01.869 --> 00:53:05.404
It's just, yeah, trying to keep up with it, I think was the hardest thing at
00:53:05.404 --> 00:53:09.864
the start, but I definitely feel a lot more confident now in being able to keep
00:53:09.864 --> 00:53:13.194
up with the track and keeping the tyres good enough.
00:53:13.870 --> 00:53:18.494
How many, so like at standard night, Knoxville's a little bit different,
00:53:18.494 --> 00:53:22.324
but obviously you're over for the California swing. How many right rears,
00:53:22.324 --> 00:53:25.103
left rears do you prepare for a one night over there?
00:53:26.074 --> 00:53:29.574
So one night we'll get four right rears and I think at the moment we've got
00:53:29.574 --> 00:53:32.374
seven left rears prepared. Really?
00:53:33.374 --> 00:53:37.064
Not that we're always using them. At the moment, it's pretty much an open tyre
00:53:37.064 --> 00:53:39.541
rule with both High Limit and Lord of Attles.
00:53:41.553 --> 00:53:48.102
You, so we've got, you usually go with two or three new rides and there are
00:53:48.102 --> 00:53:49.790
four new lefts and three used lefts.
00:53:50.491 --> 00:53:56.232
Try and, you'll also qualify on, hot lap and qualify on fresh ones and tend
00:53:56.232 --> 00:53:57.472
to heat race on some used ones.
00:53:58.041 --> 00:54:00.582
And then you'll go, normally, you'll try to go back to the set you qualified
00:54:00.582 --> 00:54:05.186
with for the feature race. So barring any major setup changes.
00:54:05.703 --> 00:54:09.082
But you've done a heap. Like you obviously worked on like Wrightsville's car
00:54:09.082 --> 00:54:12.605
and big names at big races, won the Classic, all that sort of stuff.
00:54:13.487 --> 00:54:17.492
Bolting on the tyres for J-Max starting third in the Knoxville Nationals,
00:54:17.492 --> 00:54:20.802
like I don't think people understand how much pressure would be.
00:54:20.802 --> 00:54:25.382
Like if something went wrong with the tyres, everybody would look at you.
00:54:25.736 --> 00:54:26.892
What's that pressure like?
00:54:27.292 --> 00:54:29.804
Was it a level up that you're used to?
00:54:31.046 --> 00:54:37.252
I don't know. I've always sort of wanted to live for this sort of stuff and,
00:54:38.275 --> 00:54:42.552
be as hard pressure. I might be as critic as myself. I'm super hard on myself.
00:54:43.563 --> 00:54:47.382
If the tyre comes back in and it's not 100% what I wanted, I'm real dirty on
00:54:47.382 --> 00:54:52.452
myself. But definitely, yeah, it definitely was a little bit different before rolling out.
00:54:54.375 --> 00:54:57.272
I don't know if it wasn't as bad because it dragged out so long.
00:54:58.479 --> 00:55:01.540
I said by the time we were ready, we hot-lapped. I think we hot-lapped at like
00:55:01.540 --> 00:55:04.987
12. And then our feet race pushed off just after one.
00:55:06.148 --> 00:55:09.620
Yeah, right. So I think that was how I probably settled a few nerves.
00:55:09.620 --> 00:55:12.748
And it was definitely up there.
00:55:12.940 --> 00:55:17.775
It was definitely more than just a normal race back home.
00:55:18.958 --> 00:55:23.650
And then having the pit stop as well. So thankfully, everything was right at
00:55:23.650 --> 00:55:28.000
this top, which is grind some tyres and bring the pressures back up and we're good to go again.
00:55:29.354 --> 00:55:32.930
You're obviously working on it, mate. But you're at the Knoxville Nationals,
00:55:32.930 --> 00:55:34.940
and I'm not sure what the vibe was like there.
00:55:34.940 --> 00:55:38.990
I'll get your opinion. But at any point, are you able to actually enjoy the
00:55:38.990 --> 00:55:43.550
race or are you just glued on what JMX is doing in case you do have to do something?
00:55:43.550 --> 00:55:46.165
Are you able to take it in at any point?
00:55:47.483 --> 00:55:52.860
Yeah, definitely. definitely so we ran 360 and which is it's not as big as the
00:55:52.860 --> 00:55:56.710
full 10 but so we got to take a bit of that in and then when we did lock in
00:55:56.710 --> 00:55:59.993
on our prelim night we were able to like we'd fully take in,
00:56:01.014 --> 00:56:04.540
the Thursday night and take in the atmosphere and it's just a whole different
00:56:04.540 --> 00:56:08.693
vibe it is just it's just crazy over here it's a it's such a,
00:56:09.320 --> 00:56:13.240
a big event and it's just so it was a great bit of it,
00:56:13.836 --> 00:56:16.380
honestly and to be able to start where we did and finish where we did is just
00:56:16.380 --> 00:56:20.466
awesome it was it was electric to watch from here like i was at dirt trackers
00:56:20.855 --> 00:56:25.150
and shout out to the condrens they brought their laptop and everyone watched like there was a when,
00:56:25.845 --> 00:56:30.000
when the the rumors started that kyle might be able to actually make it it was
00:56:30.000 --> 00:56:32.626
like electric was it the same vibe out in oxville,
00:56:33.879 --> 00:56:38.080
yeah it was actually pretty cool like aussie week we wanted to start on the
00:56:38.080 --> 00:56:42.205
front row so it was like oh if he doesn't make it it's pretty good we gotta start the front row so,
00:56:43.157 --> 00:56:50.175
but i think for the sport in a hole that's a really cool thing to see to be able to finish,
00:56:51.133 --> 00:56:53.955
an ASCAR race a two and a half hour flight away and,
00:56:55.052 --> 00:56:58.877
and hightail it to Knoxville and everyone did everything to get in there.
00:57:02.049 --> 00:57:04.809
You can't say anything more about it. It's actually awesome.
00:57:04.809 --> 00:57:07.181
To be able to do what he did is unreal.
00:57:08.098 --> 00:57:11.447
You don't see that stuff. That's stuff you joke about.
00:57:11.622 --> 00:57:18.442
I've looked it up. He's like 1,770 kilometers away when the cars are hot lapping,
00:57:18.808 --> 00:57:23.207
and he did a 400-lap NASCAR race, ran to a plane,
00:57:23.997 --> 00:57:27.469
got there, got out, led every lap of the Knoxville Nationals.
00:57:27.469 --> 00:57:28.745
It's fucking unbelievable.
00:57:29.691 --> 00:57:35.649
Yeah, so when he, basically when he finished, I think the first feature race
00:57:35.969 --> 00:57:37.709
to the D-Main had just pushed off.
00:57:39.265 --> 00:57:44.539
And yeah, hot, hot tailed it really fast, landed, I think he landed about 20
00:57:44.539 --> 00:57:48.429
minutes away from the track and he got a police escort and rushed him in.
00:57:50.329 --> 00:57:54.469
And the funny thing about it is since they were starting and parking the car
00:57:54.829 --> 00:57:58.729
with Trevor Canales was going to start and park it, they just hadn't actually
00:57:58.729 --> 00:58:00.349
bothered doing any maintenance or any tyres or anything.
00:58:00.872 --> 00:58:04.109
Really? And as the day went on, yeah, as the day went on, they went, oh, hang on.
00:58:05.301 --> 00:58:09.498
We need to have to do a little bit of work before to get ready for Cole to get there, so.
00:58:10.183 --> 00:58:12.952
And with that start and park, you guys would have been across it.
00:58:13.498 --> 00:58:16.909
Would they have reshuffled the whole field or like normal, would you just,
00:58:16.909 --> 00:58:20.555
that lane move up one? So, J-Mac, would he start at one or two?
00:58:22.755 --> 00:58:25.609
We started at three, so Cole started at one. Yeah, but he just would have shuffled
00:58:25.609 --> 00:58:29.369
the, Just would have shuffled the whole field up. Okay, so J-Mate would have started out at two.
00:58:29.689 --> 00:58:34.516
So, yes, if Trevor had started, it would have been in 24th. Yeah, 24th.
00:58:35.631 --> 00:58:41.163
With how big it is, I know Knoxville's huge, but is the Knoxville 360 Nationals,
00:58:41.621 --> 00:58:43.926
bigger than the Classic? Is it that big?
00:58:50.083 --> 00:58:51.877
Yeah, it's probably pretty similar. Yeah. Yeah, I'd say pretty similar.
00:58:52.524 --> 00:58:56.873
Maybe a little bit less, but I think just, especially like crowd-wise,
00:58:56.873 --> 00:58:59.455
it doesn't look as big because the Knoxville is so big.
00:59:01.248 --> 00:59:04.075
It's just a lot more place to have people. There's so many people on the infield.
00:59:05.050 --> 00:59:08.493
Not as many in the stands, but the town's still fairly busy.
00:59:08.736 --> 00:59:12.671
I was told a couple people it was busier this year than it had been in previous years. Yeah.
00:59:14.070 --> 00:59:18.504
But there's definitely a big shift from the one week to the next week.
00:59:20.153 --> 00:59:24.148
You've gone over there to do this deal, mate. And I spoke about it in my previous
00:59:24.148 --> 00:59:29.558
podcast. I'm not sure people understand how much time and effort crew chiefs
00:59:29.558 --> 00:59:35.014
and crew guys do on the off-season to get themselves to America and upskill themselves.
00:59:36.058 --> 00:59:41.018
Has it been really valuable for you to go over there and you're confident you'll
00:59:41.018 --> 00:59:43.361
be able to bring stuff back here for the Monty program?
00:59:44.157 --> 00:59:45.672
Oh, absolutely.
00:59:47.377 --> 00:59:52.545
But I've learned more now in the first two weeks here than I've learned in a season at home.
00:59:52.928 --> 00:59:58.168
Like, I think by the time I'm done here, I will have done 30 races,
00:59:58.168 --> 01:00:04.265
31 races or something. And I think in the space of seven weeks,
01:00:05.150 --> 01:00:06.910
at home I think we did 29 last year.
01:00:09.637 --> 01:00:13.995
So it's pretty cool to jam as much racing as possible.
01:00:14.593 --> 01:00:20.318
And it just, I've found it just keeps you thinking and it keeps you more aware
01:00:20.318 --> 01:00:23.718
and a few more reactive track changes and.
01:00:26.618 --> 01:00:30.958
How the tyres are reacting and how the conditions are reacting and especially
01:00:30.958 --> 01:00:36.438
considering how hot and humid it's been here well, back in the Midwest over
01:00:36.438 --> 01:00:37.241
the last couple of weeks.
01:00:37.693 --> 01:00:40.688
What's your reference point then? Like you're saying when you learn,
01:00:40.688 --> 01:00:44.358
like what's your main reference point? Is it talking to J-Mac?
01:00:44.358 --> 01:00:47.688
Is it looking at the tyres themselves? Is it the crew chief?
01:00:47.688 --> 01:00:51.318
Like what's your first go-to to find out what the car did?
01:00:52.714 --> 01:00:57.657
This is why I'll just confer it with Drew and go back and forth with Drew Warner.
01:00:58.891 --> 01:01:04.463
And I'm pretty lucky, like in with Neil back in Perth, I've been sort of just,
01:01:05.485 --> 01:01:09.718
doing my thing with the tyres and I'm sort of, like at home I've got a pretty
01:01:09.718 --> 01:01:10.854
good pattern I can use and...
01:01:12.646 --> 01:01:17.106
I guess, program per se that I follow. And I know it's going to work at home.
01:01:17.106 --> 01:01:21.342
And that took me probably three weeks over here to still get a hold of,
01:01:23.011 --> 01:01:24.466
just with the different tracks and all that stuff.
01:01:24.466 --> 01:01:28.986
But most of the time, I always go back and forth with Drew or a couple of other
01:01:28.986 --> 01:01:32.586
guys that I know over here, guys who race over here all the time.
01:01:32.586 --> 01:01:35.000
I'll go back and forth with them, try and learn a few things,
01:01:35.534 --> 01:01:36.718
which has been really helpful.
01:01:37.078 --> 01:01:40.166
There has been a lot of talk about those ties over there and being different.
01:01:41.351 --> 01:01:47.246
Is that anything you can measure or see or is it like – how hard is that to
01:01:47.246 --> 01:01:49.437
get your head around? It's hard.
01:01:50.466 --> 01:01:55.146
Like right now is the hardest time I think to be a crew chief or a driver or
01:01:55.146 --> 01:02:00.620
anything. It's incredibly hard because you can not change your car and put a
01:02:00.858 --> 01:02:03.505
difference of tyres on it and it changes the car completely.
01:02:04.038 --> 01:02:06.191
The tyres are –.
01:02:08.200 --> 01:02:13.003
Not great, but they're pretty bad at the moment. There's a few things you can do, like,
01:02:14.082 --> 01:02:18.100
that I've learned from over here, looking at batch numbers and serial numbers
01:02:18.100 --> 01:02:22.070
and all that on the tyres and trying to pick certain ones and get the right
01:02:22.070 --> 01:02:24.316
one to get within a certain,
01:02:25.589 --> 01:02:29.010
timeframe when the tyre was done. Yeah, right, it's that detailed.
01:02:30.564 --> 01:02:36.988
Yeah. Yeah, it's getting in-checking the batch numbers and what's what and I've
01:02:37.406 --> 01:02:41.550
swapped a couple just to get better batch numbers and it's,
01:02:43.510 --> 01:02:45.985
definitely proven we've noticed a couple of times.
01:02:46.646 --> 01:02:54.590
We had a tyre go in Eldora in our heat race and that just fell apart from the inside.
01:02:56.186 --> 01:02:59.320
Yeah, right. And that was out of.
01:03:01.390 --> 01:03:08.764
A lot newer batch that I had got at that time and so, yeah, didn't do,
01:03:09.565 --> 01:03:11.790
sort of put down to that and had a couple of guys from Hoosie come over and
01:03:11.790 --> 01:03:15.545
have a look at it and told us it had delaminated from the inside out, so.
01:03:16.276 --> 01:03:19.390
That's what I talked about, Lockett, the stress of you, like you're bolting
01:03:19.390 --> 01:03:23.590
that tyre on, there's been some mishaps, you're putting J-Mac out of three and
01:03:24.030 --> 01:03:25.889
they're, you know, they're the tyres you put on.
01:03:26.388 --> 01:03:29.980
I just don't think people understand how much stress and pressure you would
01:03:29.980 --> 01:03:33.690
be putting on yourself before that race. of everyone that's touched the car,
01:03:33.690 --> 01:03:35.961
everyone knows who did what on the car.
01:03:36.773 --> 01:03:41.644
It's everyone. It's definitely a lot on Drew as well, and same as Nate.
01:03:42.249 --> 01:03:43.723
There's a hell of a lot on them too.
01:03:46.226 --> 01:03:50.146
Yes mine's probably definitely not as bad as those two they they put everything
01:03:50.146 --> 01:03:55.416
into this car and they work incredibly hard it's it's awesome to watch and but
01:03:55.416 --> 01:03:57.954
it's definitely nerve-wracking a bit,
01:03:58.856 --> 01:04:04.266
like think it's tight and you just doubt yourself and you start second guessing
01:04:04.266 --> 01:04:07.806
and for absolutely no reason for something you've done thousands of thousands
01:04:07.806 --> 01:04:11.693
of times before but you all of a sudden start saying guess yourself more and,
01:04:12.500 --> 01:04:15.613
it just just ups the ante over here, really.
01:04:17.325 --> 01:04:21.866
What's the biggest takeaway from you? Like, if you come back here and what's
01:04:21.866 --> 01:04:25.017
the best thing that you've been a part of over there at the moment, what has it been?
01:04:30.746 --> 01:04:36.776
I think learning-wise, it's the batch numbers and all that sort of stuff I was talking about.
01:04:37.256 --> 01:04:41.352
I think that is a big thing now. Now I've seen it firsthand.
01:04:42.083 --> 01:04:45.737
It's definitely something I'm going to try and keep a track of at home a lot more.
01:04:46.991 --> 01:04:51.833
Sometimes you don't always get the best choice, but you go with what you can get.
01:04:52.545 --> 01:04:56.545
But if you can try and control it as best you can, you can control,
01:04:58.744 --> 01:05:03.592
that aspect of it. I think just being over here.
01:05:05.037 --> 01:05:09.141
Learned as much as I can, just trying to be a sponge basically, soak it all up.
01:05:10.921 --> 01:05:14.178
The guys I'm working with, Drew Warne and Nate Matherley, James,
01:05:15.156 --> 01:05:17.598
it's just awesome. Kobe as well.
01:05:18.996 --> 01:05:24.749
It's such an awesome bunch of guys. It's relaxed and serious at the same time.
01:05:25.211 --> 01:05:27.919
It definitely feels a lot like working with Neil. Yep.
01:05:28.684 --> 01:05:32.598
I said that to a few people, so it feels very similar to how Neil and I work.
01:05:34.489 --> 01:05:37.938
Definitely, yeah, it's a really awesome experience. I can't thank,
01:05:37.938 --> 01:05:42.108
especially can't thank Brian Matherly enough for this. It's been a hell of a
01:05:42.108 --> 01:05:45.661
trip so far. We've got three more weekends to go.
01:05:46.544 --> 01:05:50.748
Mate, what does it feel like? You're obviously a little bit used to over here
01:05:50.748 --> 01:05:54.596
with Monty's that you would go to the track every single time to win.
01:05:55.111 --> 01:05:58.618
What's it like to do that in America at every race with J-Mac and that team?
01:05:59.495 --> 01:06:02.098
You would never be going into any race not thinking you win.
01:06:02.098 --> 01:06:05.306
Like is that does that add pressure to you or is it just exciting,
01:06:06.385 --> 01:06:12.428
I think it's just exciting more definitely I think the pressure side in terms
01:06:12.428 --> 01:06:14.867
of the depth over here is a lot bigger,
01:06:16.260 --> 01:06:19.918
there's a lot bigger depth which is not saying the depth of home isn't there
01:06:19.918 --> 01:06:23.461
which it is just there's just so many more numbers here,
01:06:24.901 --> 01:06:29.778
so especially going and you go to different tracks where they've got their own
01:06:29.778 --> 01:06:33.758
local guys that are as good as the touring guys rocking up. Yeah,
01:06:33.758 --> 01:06:34.979
they just know their package.
01:06:35.879 --> 01:06:41.688
Yeah, exactly. So, yeah, it's just exciting, I think, more to be a part of now.
01:06:43.459 --> 01:06:47.302
That's been the best part of it so far. You locking in another trip next year? What are you doing?
01:06:48.851 --> 01:06:52.156
Hopefully. I'd ask the wife.
01:06:53.711 --> 01:06:57.040
I can't thank her enough for actually letting me come and looking after my two,
01:06:57.748 --> 01:07:01.398
crazy children at home. and hopefully there's a plan.
01:07:01.418 --> 01:07:04.548
I'll hopefully come back next year and hopefully do this again.
01:07:04.548 --> 01:07:08.818
Maybe five for as long, but see what happens and maybe bring her and the kids
01:07:08.818 --> 01:07:14.378
over for a little bit and show them a bit of the countryside and a bit of fun with them.
01:07:14.378 --> 01:07:18.588
But yeah, definitely, the plan is definitely to come back next year and go again.
01:07:18.588 --> 01:07:22.628
And like I've said to myself, I told my wife that I said, I don't really want
01:07:22.628 --> 01:07:23.558
to miss Knoxville ever again.
01:07:24.791 --> 01:07:26.347
Fuck, it looked that good this year.
01:07:28.153 --> 01:07:32.768
It was really cool for me I think I got to see it We did a weekly show,
01:07:34.497 --> 01:07:40.034
the week before 360 Nationals and got to see Knoxville from this little town
01:07:40.034 --> 01:07:45.465
that's got not that many people and it's very quiet and all that to this thing that ramps up.
01:07:45.743 --> 01:07:48.600
There's 100,000 people there and it's just out of control.
01:07:49.734 --> 01:07:51.850
What are you looking forward to before you get home then?
01:07:53.154 --> 01:07:57.574
What's the next one on the radar? Tulare on Friday.
01:07:59.211 --> 01:08:02.764
Tulare has been the number one track I want to get to this whole trip And we
01:08:02.764 --> 01:08:05.097
go there this Friday, so it'll be Saturday morning over there.
01:08:05.469 --> 01:08:08.220
And you do get to enjoy it then? Like, obviously, I know you are,
01:08:08.453 --> 01:08:11.914
and I know you take what you do extremely serious, and I know you wouldn't be
01:08:11.914 --> 01:08:13.974
there if you didn't, you know what I mean?
01:08:13.974 --> 01:08:18.474
But, yeah, I hope you do get to have a look around and appreciate how awesome
01:08:18.474 --> 01:08:20.823
it is that you get to go to these races.
01:08:21.682 --> 01:08:25.664
Yeah, it's been awesome. You have plenty of time. I've been able to soak it all up.
01:08:25.674 --> 01:08:29.404
We just had some days off, and I've done some really cool things and made some
01:08:29.404 --> 01:08:32.624
time off before the 360 Nationals and sort of got to go away for a couple of
01:08:32.624 --> 01:08:36.125
days and it was really cool, real awesome.
01:08:36.486 --> 01:08:40.644
A couple of days away in theme parks and water parks and there was some really
01:08:40.644 --> 01:08:42.054
dangerous stuff on water rides and that.
01:08:43.409 --> 01:08:48.256
It was just a really cool couple of days there and that's definitely one,
01:08:49.417 --> 01:08:52.349
that's one memory I'll definitely take home and never forget.
01:08:53.531 --> 01:08:56.934
But it's just been cool just to see all these tracks that I've looked at all
01:08:56.934 --> 01:09:02.944
the time and just on TV and all that now get to see them and soak all in what
01:09:02.944 --> 01:09:06.634
they actually are and what they're about. So it's just, yeah,
01:09:06.634 --> 01:09:08.506
it's really cool. Done. All right.
01:09:09.334 --> 01:09:11.641
I know it's late. Have you had dinner over there? What are you doing?
01:09:12.576 --> 01:09:15.494
Yeah, I've had dinner. Yeah, yeah. Foodies. All right. Nine o'clock.
01:09:15.494 --> 01:09:18.605
About nine o'clock, I think. Well, appreciate your time, mate.
01:09:18.803 --> 01:09:21.618
Yeah, thank you. And good luck, mate. We'll see you when you get back.
01:09:22.273 --> 01:09:25.188
No worries. Thanks for having me, mate. See you. See you, mate.
01:09:28.333 --> 01:09:32.037
Alex Robinson on the line there. Yeah, it's really interesting stuff.
01:09:32.037 --> 01:09:38.287
And yeah, hopefully that highlights to everyone how much effort goes into behind the race.
01:09:38.287 --> 01:09:41.857
It's like you heard going after batch numbers. And, you know,
01:09:41.857 --> 01:09:45.577
like if Alex knows about that, every crew chief knows about that,
01:09:45.577 --> 01:09:47.657
there'd be like a real power struggle.
01:09:48.400 --> 01:09:52.467
And everyone's in there after the same thing in the tire truck and all that
01:09:52.467 --> 01:09:53.887
and trying to sort it out.
01:09:54.587 --> 01:09:57.916
They're only chasing two, three percentage at a time.
01:09:58.339 --> 01:10:04.644
To win these big races and everyone on the team is fully committed to make sure they do win.
01:10:05.334 --> 01:10:10.077
That wraps up another episode, sort of a quicker one, but hopefully,
01:10:10.077 --> 01:10:12.020
yeah, you got something out of that one.
01:10:13.101 --> 01:10:16.407
Really, really appreciate all the boys coming on. Obviously,
01:10:16.407 --> 01:10:18.314
Jaya Keefe, Elevate Race Bodies.
01:10:18.942 --> 01:10:22.247
Rowie jumped in from Nick Road, jumped in, and then Alex Robinson,
01:10:22.247 --> 01:10:25.663
obviously from Fresno, California. So really appreciate those boys' time.
01:10:26.185 --> 01:10:33.337
Again thanks to apex premium motorsports experiences if you could really appreciate
01:10:33.337 --> 01:10:37.177
it i probably wouldn't if i was listening but if you do i would really appreciate
01:10:37.177 --> 01:10:40.156
if you jump on facebook give it a like and and if you're up in darwin.
01:10:41.328 --> 01:10:47.107
I understand there's a fair outlay with it but i truly believe that we'll be
01:10:47.107 --> 01:10:49.812
able to give you way more than what your money's worth there so,
01:10:50.822 --> 01:10:54.417
thanks for jumping on yeah keep the messages coming it was it's awesome to get
01:10:54.417 --> 01:10:58.467
to get them and it gives me a lot of different content ideas and guest ideas
01:10:58.467 --> 01:11:00.792
and stuff like that. So appreciate that.
01:11:01.356 --> 01:11:03.225
Yeah, we'll see you at the track. Thanks, guys.