Very Vehicular

Racing FIVE Cars up America’s Most Brutal Mountain with Betim Berisha and Steven Wetterau

This week we’re trying out something brand new: a Very Vehicular Showcase: PIKES PEAK SPECIAL Episode with Betim Berisha (of BBi Autosport) and Steve Wetterau! It’s a bit of an experiment but we wanted to take the time to explore a subject in a more involved way, bringing you closer to the action with more footage and images, and what better to kick off with than the mysticism of the Brutal Mountain itself: Pikes Peak International Hill Climb – the ‘Race to the Clouds! Our guests this week have done battle at the mountain for several years and faced unimaginable challenges, but this year… they’re not going back? Stay tuned as they explain it all. Enjoy!

@BBiAutosport
@Steve.Wetterau
@BrianScotto 
@321ActionAction

Footage from:
Toyo Tires
Will Roegge
Brandon Kado
Schaine McDougall
Hoonigan
Mobil 1
Calvin Salacain
Loni Unser
Brian Scotto

Partners:
Vyper Industrial
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Music: SlikSound 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647

https://bio.site/321actionaction
podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
00:45 - The Allure of the Mountain
03:08 - Why We’re Not Going This Year
04:54 - The Chaos Addiction
09:07 - A Poster, A Legend and a Dream
15:06 - Welcome to the Scrappy Underdogs
16:04 - How Steve Came Onboard
22:31 - Hell and Heaven on Earth: Living Through Pikes
28:38 - The Three-Car Year
29:57 - 2022: The Hoonipig
34:29 - Lia Block Takes the Wheel
35:40 - Sometimes, Your Heart Just Stops: Literally
37:59 - Back from the Brink: Project EVO
41:08 - BBi Team are Tough as Nails
42:51 - 2024: Everything that Can Go Wrong…?
48:32 - Redemption
51:42 - Steve Eyes Up GT4
57:15 - Sometimes, you Gotta Make a Phonecall… to Aston Martin Racing
01:03:26 - Off to the Races, in a Hurry!
01:12:48 - Superstition Versus Confidence
01:14:46 - Windstorm - the Mountain Decides
01:16:16 - An Asterisk Year
01:18:54 - Putting Together a Run
01:29:04 - Team Results And Redemption
01:31:07 - Future Plans

For the final episode of season 3, Very Vehicular is delighted to present none other than TJ Hunt! Rolling up to the studio in a minty white V8 Vantage, with the all-time longest Very Vehicular episode record firmly in his sights, TJ hasn’t come to play, he’s here to win! In a departure from form, Scotto has the mic turned around on him as TJ unleashes his pent-up questions in desperate need of answers. This reverse interview has it all: origin stories, the dawn of YouTube, the art of growing a business (and what happens when you lose one!), love, loss and identity, even movies: it’s practical therapy, people! So unhook your phone (shout out, landline generation), slip out to grab some milk & cigarettes, do whatever you must - this episode is not to be missed! Most of all? As ever, enjoy.

@TJHunt
@BrianScotto 
@321ActionAction

Partners:
Vyper Industrial
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Music: SlikSound 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647

https://bio.site/321actionaction
podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
00:36 - Heat Wave Visual & KW Suspensions
02:15 - The Name’s Hunt… TJ Hunt (that new Vantage)
05:10 - California Cop Stories
08:45 - That Time TJ Was in a Ford GT Commercial
10:45 - Early Days on YouTube and Vlogging
19:11 - BRZ Forums and Blackjack
23:22 - A Shift of Business Mindset
30:30 - GT3 Conversions. For When You’ve Run out of Kinks
38:29 - Cars as Trading Cards
39:07 - Why Builds Beat Driving
40:34 - Back When TJ Was Kinda Hating on Hoonigan
44:37 - There’s Always a Bigger Fish
50:03 - How the Hoonigan Zumiez Deal Happened
50:48 - Sponsor: FCP Euro
01:05:23 - How Daily Transmission Happened
01:13:12 - Studying Ken Block’s Playbook
01:15:31 - Formula Drift or NASCAR?
01:17:46 - Getting Back to Just Having Fun in Cars
01:21:14 - Dreams From Magazines to Movies
01:24:38 - Hollywood Gatekeepers and Indie Film
01:29:40 - Trauma, Burnout, and Identity Therapy
01:48:55 - Scaling the Business of TJ Hunt
01:51:59 - Would Hoonigan Survive Today?
01:57:38 - Skills Learned Building Hoonigan
01:59:44 - When I First Met Ken Block, I Wrote This Down
02:03:56 - Sponsors: Vyper Industrial & Wera Tools
02:05:12 - Wheel Pros Renaming - TJ’s Take
02:07:52 - Why YouTube Beat TV
02:11:01 - Just Down the Block from the Berrics
02:16:45 - Is Racing the Next Chapter?
02:23:40 - Competitiveness And Hyperfixation
02:26:33 - Building Hunt & Co and Street Hunter
02:28:42 - Culture Vultures - When Collabs Aren’t the Real Deal
02:42:55 - What’s After YouTube for TJ?
02:59:10 - Would Scotto & TJ… Make a Film Together?

Mike Burroughs is back… and he’s got some gripes! If you didn’t already know him from StanceWorks; or indeed for his legendary F40 and K-swapped 308 projects, you may remember Mike as one of our earliest guests alongside Ferrari expert Victoria Bruno. It seems only right to bring him back on and throw him the mic - he’s got some things to say! (Oh, and stop asking him when the F40 project will be done!). Apart from *cough* that project… Mike has plenty of other fascinating projects, and he even gives us a sneak peek of what’s in the pipeline. Beyond the metal, Scotto and Mike get borderline philosophical on this one, it’s a ripper. Enjoy!

Mentioned in this episode
190E Evo 2 - Episode with Pat
Surprising Dad with a Norton Commando
Keith Black Camaro Article - Stanceworks
The Little Red Racing Car - Book
Ultrace - StanceWorks
Ron & Vin Topic Roulette Episode - Very Vehicular
Victoria Bruno & Mike Episode - Very Vehicular

@StanceWorks
@BrianScotto 
@321ActionAction

Partners:
Vyper Industrial
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Music: SlikSound 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647

https://bio.site/321actionaction
podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
00:23 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual & KW Suspensions
02:00 - Mike Burroughs Returns
02:41 - Ferrari’s Cease & Desist… that Mike Swore Wouldn’t Happen
03:44 - All Anybody Asks Mike About is the F40 Project
05:06 - What’s Shaking with the K-Swapped 308?
13:40 - Rundown of All the Projects
15:19 - Sneak Peek: Tracking Down a VERY Special Camaro
24:09 - The Reality of Building for YouTube and Burnout
31:12 - Authentic Build Philosophy
41:21 - StanceWorks Origin Story
44:43 - Pivoting to YouTube
49:58 - Could There be a StanceWorks Archive Book?
51:51 - Sponsor: FCP Euro
54:08 - Scotto & Mike: One Fateful Day Under a Bridge
01:01:45 - Family TV Legacy Connection
01:05:17 - Perhaps OnlyFans?
01:06:24 - Is There Ever Going to be Enough Time to Finish all the Projects?
01:11:05 - Audi Deadline And Camaro Plan
01:12:36 - Dream Cars And Thinning Herd
01:25:25 - Format Experiments: Return of the Video Essay?
01:32:22 - Ultrace Impressions
01:37:56 - Why Car Shows Feel Broken
01:39:30 - What Does it take to get Invited to Treffpunks?
01:41:33 - A Date with Riverside Chattanooga
01:48:46 - Sponsors: Vyper Industrial & Wera Tools
01:50:11 - Do You Miss Taking Photos?
01:56:03 - Mk1 Rabbit Love
02:01:28 - Mike’s Gripes: The 911
02:15:22 - Ferrari Luce - Thoughts on EVs?
02:30:18 - What Brings you Joy as a Car Nerd?

The Ballast Boys are Back … again! Who doesn’t love a hang with the boys and quickly becoming regulars on Very Vehicular, Ron Zaras and Vin Anatra are here to play a little Topic Roulette with Scotto. Without giving too much away, the gang dive into the issues facing car culture, reveal some lukewarm takes (his own words!) and as ever, give each other a healthy dose of shit-talk. Enjoy!

Mentioned in this episode
Why British Plugs Are the Best
Car Colors and the Recession
Flock Cameras in Troy, NY
Flock Cameras, Jalopnik
Andy Wilman’s Lucky Pants

@Vin_tra
@Roncar
@AntiLag
@BrianScotto 
@321ActionAction

Partners:
Vyper Industrial
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Music: SlikSound 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647

https://bio.site/321actionaction
podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
00:37 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual & KW Suspensions
02:17 - Return of the Ballast Boys
04:48 - One Car, One Track
15:53 - Is California Car Culture Dying?
29:08 - Perfect Day as a Car Nerd
38:37 - What Car Sold Today is a Future Classic?
53:06 - Sponsor: FCP Euro
55:33 - Good Tires / Crap Car?
01:01:46 - Does the Manual Transmission Still Matter?
01:22:05 - What Car Do You Wish Your Favourite Automaker Made Today?
01:37:01 - Sponsors: Vyper Industrial & Wera Tools
01:38:18 - Flock Cameras Vs Car Culture
01:47:15 - Are Muscle Cars Still Cool
01:57:48 - Silver Cars, Yes or No?
02:05:39 - Could Top Gear Exist Today?

Joining us this week on Very Vehicular we have Stephan Papadakis! From his earliest beginnings in the SoCal RC hobby scene, to his record-shattering years as a legendary figure of the drag racing world, arriving on the mountain top as race team owner and all-around engineering wizard, we find out: is there anything Steph Papadakis can’t do? Scotto gets the deep backstory on the game-changing FWD drag cars that shattered records (first into the 9s!) and how those cars came to be. It’s a tale stranger than fiction! We find out all about Steph’s move into drifting - again, innovating, taking names and shaking things up. Of course, there’s always time left over to opine on the state of motorsports, youtube, takeovers, and what’s next for Stephan. Enjoy! 

@PapadakisRacing
@StephPapadakis
@BrianScotto 
@321ActionAction

Partners:
Vyper Industrial
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Music: SlikSound 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647

https://bio.site/321actionaction
podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
00:34 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual & KW Suspensions
02:11 - RC Car Origins and the Racing Mindset
07:48 - From RC to Real Cars
14:46 - SoCal Street Racing Era
20:26 - Import Drag Racing Breakthrough
25:09 - First FWD Tube Chassis Civic
29:52 - Wheelie Bars Explained
35:40 - Tech Arms Race and Limits
38:25 - A Whole New Plan - Ready for SEMA?
39:14 - Fortin Brings the Drivetrain Magic
40:33 - Getting into the Low 8s
40:54 - Fast and Furious Boom
44:01 - Hey, Who Killed the Music? When the Scene Faded
47:45 - Sponsors: FCP Euro & Wera Tools
50:01 - Getting the Wandering Eye… for Drift
53:55 - Enter, Tanner Foust
58:46 - Scion TC Controversy & the Letter of the Rules
01:01:24 - A Toyota Racing Developed NASCAR Truck V8?
01:08:57 - Arms Race Team Era
01:16:22 - What Happens When Tech is Allowed to Judge?
01:19:03 - Motorsport - How to Save the Show
01:23:43 - A Plea for Diversity in Racing
01:27:11 - Snack Cart by Vyper Industrial
01:28:36 - Fixing the Drift Show
01:31:43 - Drift Masters vs FD
01:33:44 - Car Culture Health Check
01:35:59 - Tech Boom vs Regulations (and the EPA)
01:41:37 - Takeovers and Youth Scene
01:45:27 - YouTube Success Formula
01:50:43 - Escaping the Creator Treadmill
01:52:49 - What’s Next for Steph?