Conversations with Big Rich

Larry Minor credits his friends for a great racing career, from Rodney Hall to Herman Booy to Bill Stroppe – they all started at the beginning. It’s always a great time to be in off-road, but the beginning was pure magic. Following a compass or a paper map is very different than what we do today. Congratulations to Larry Minor, a 2005 inductee into ORMHOF, Larry Minor is why we say; legends live at ORMHOF.org. Be sure to tune in on your favorite podcast app. 6:29 – of all the things I’ve done in life, I think I miss growing potatoes the most 10:18 – my hot rod was just a wood one, couple of 2x4’s and an apple box 14:38 – the three of us together, there wasn’t anything we couldn’t build right 19:07 – we had a banner year driving the Broncos; after that Rod continued to drive the 4x4’s 22:15 – he smoked the tires and hit the guardrail and the other guardrail, it was a mess! 31:56 – I better buckle down and watch the business and quit the driving part 37:17 – I took 18 Girl Scouts and 13 parents to the Winter Nationals! 42:13 – Bill Stroppe taught me the professional part of racing and how to prepare your cars Special thanks to ORMHOF.org for support and sponsorship of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Are you headed to the Delta Classic Rock Crawl this weekend? Listen in to this great interview with Ryan Maxfield to hear all the details. It’s not just about Delta; it’s about life in Utah, building a business, and addictive rockcrawling. Be sure to tune in on your favorite podcast app. 4:39 – we were definitely skipping out on school to go ride instead of sitting in class 10:50 – I discovered Pirate 4x4; I’ll probably never financially recover from that 18:20 – that was the day, I was like, I need a buggy in my life 24:04 – we underestimated stepping up to pro courses 37:26 – I didn’t have a ton of motivation to make events this year, then I watched the live feed, and I’ve been on the sidelines long enough 51:35 – Delta will always have a special place in my heart; when we got the opportunity to take it over, it was a no-brainer Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

We don’t tend to think of influencers in the octogenarian stage, but Bob Ham certainly qualifies. Bob spent his career influencing people where it mattered, in land use advocacy in the California State Legislature. From forming CORVA to being on the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Board of Directors, Bob knows how to get things done and impact others. A 2006 inductee into ORMHOF, Bob Ham is why we say; legends live at ORMHOF.org. Be sure to tune in on your favorite podcast app. 3:50 – I started picking up Spanish and really getting engaged with the culture down there 8:43 – I probably went to virtually every Baja 1000 since the ’69 event 12:06 – we formed CORVA in 1971 and got involved writing bills 23:27 – there ought to be a law that allows green stickered vehicles to connect a trail – we got it, Assembly Bill 1201 32:13– most lobbyists come in just the way I did, as former legislative staffers 42:45 – it’s not the offroad Racing hall of fame, it’s the offroad hall of fame Special thanks to ORMHOF.org for support and sponsorship of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Dove Creek, Colorado produces pinto beans, hay, and one of the finest rockcrawling teams. Rick Deremo and Rick Gersch have known each other for a lifetime and rockcrawled as a team for many years. Retired now, at least from crawling, they share their take on life in a small community. Be sure to tune in on your favorite podcast app. 7:19 – we’ve been around each other forever 12:43 – a lot of kids that went to school here; their folks were miners during the uranium boom 16:12 – you know what? I think we can do this 22:42 – How many adaptors go from a Subaru to a C4 – it was farmerized 28:03 – I didn’t like Goldendale; it seemed like I was farming again, there was so much dirt 31:48 – Back then, ingenuity was a bigger player than money 37:18 – back then, I was drinking Monsters in between courses and stuff and getting a little hyper 47:48 – were you keeping an eye on the gauges? No, I was just having fun! 59:18 – right now, 60% of all farmers are in their mid-60s; there are going to be a lot of retirement farms in the next few years Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

ORMHOF Class of 2007 inductee Frank “Scoop” Vessels was inducted into multiple Halls of Fame in his short lifetime. Taken in a plane crash in 2010; Scoop took the Off-Road world by storm until his return to Quarter Horse life in 1993, where he was born and bred. Join his wife, Bonnie, and Big Rich for a listen in on the impact of Scoop’s life. We are happy to be joined by family members to be able to offer interviews with inductees' families when the inductee is no longer with us. This is our history; legends live at ORMHOF.org. Be sure to tune in on your favorite podcast app. 6:06 – That kid’s got a head like a scoop shovel! 9:29 – he passed being jockey-size when he was 12 years old 16:32 – that’s what got him into desert was his dad getting him off the streets 19:15 – the pride of knowing he had done it on his own 22:58– slower is smoother, which protects the car 33:26 – in order to succeed, you couldn’t have a hiccup and forget a tree or a cactus or a rock 46:23 – you couldn’t tell Mike (Mike’s Sky Ranch) no, if he wanted to show you a secondary route, he was going to show you 51:53 – they’d flown into weather, he iced up, lost a wing, and it spiraled down on a cattle ranch Special thanks to ORMHOF.org for support and sponsorship of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

ORMHOF Class of 2004 inductee Herman Booy was larger than life. Listen in as his daughter and nephew, Sherry and Steve, share life on the sand with Herman and his brother, Hal, and all the adventures they had. We are thrilled to be able to offer interviews with inductees' families when the inductee is no longer with us. This is our history; legends live at ORMHOF.org. Be sure to tune in on your favorite podcast app. 7:17 – There are these sand dunes over here called Glamis; why don’t you come on out here? 14:38 – we got back to camp, and one of our buddies was gone! 18:59 – an amazing engineer for a man not classically trained as one 21:49 – Dad took the conveyor belt out of the rose business and stitched it together to create the first paddle tire 27:43– no raffle tickets from Loretta, so she shot him! 33:40 – the Blue Goose was one of the first modern type motorhomes they built from a bread truck 42:32 – he had to push that car across the finish line to get the win 52:50 – what’s the worst that can happen? It doesn’t work, so you figure out what you did wrong and fix it again. Special thanks to ORMHOF.org for support and sponsorship of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

If it has an acronym, Chris May has probably raced there – KOH, ECORS, UROC, WE Rock, XRRA – it’s been a long road and now he’s started on the next generation of racers. Great stories of a couple of guys with high-budget dreams and low-budget pockets; it’s a fun listen. Be sure to tune in on your favorite podcast app. 5:52 – My dad was like, “you do not want to work on cars, that’s a bad profession” 12:08 – don’t ever take your vehicle to a WalMart, we tore up so many vehicles goofing around 19:52 – we entered Tuff Truck, our vehicles kind of sucked, but we entered anyway 24:16 – being in South Carolina, we didn’t learn about a lot of stuff til later on 32:15 – I got to do something easier so I have energy to go work after work 50:08 – Drew got an invite to the OG race, be he was like, my dad’s never going to pay for that much gas to go to California 52:14 – When everybody went off the line, I just followed the last guy and took off 59:28 – my daughter is racing the kids stuff, and it’s kind of short course 1:10:46 – Keep it real, it makes it less stressful and you can have more fun Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Come Get Ya Some’s Duane Garretson lights up the podcast this week with some great stories. Learn how Duane got to be the ultimate competitor at WE Rock, Dirt Riot and Ultra4. Good man to know, with great friends. 3:56 – I gained a lot of independence just by having transportation 12:42 – I was really happy he was spending $6/hour when he could have been spending $3.15 18:10 – I was like, I need me one of these four wheel drives 24:33 – hey man, where’s the biggest salvage yard? 28:55 – how the hell are we going to do this with $2,500? 38:16 – wouldn’t it be funny if we put this blow-up doll in this Jeep and drive it from Arkansas to Tennessee? 50:04 – “I want to build you a race car.” That’s great man, but I’m poor as Sh*t 1:06:50 – Dan Fresh is standing there in his street clothes, what is he doing that we’re not doing? 1:16:50 – I’m Ricky Bobby from Talladega, Alabama! Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Self-taught, all-in kinda guy Adam Scherer, founder of Tribe 16 near Fort Worth, Texas, is a helluva nice guy. Talented and likable, Adam brings the best to the build; whether it’s a racecar or a trail car, Adam and his guys have the talent to deliver. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. 5:14 – I would say the people you run with really influence you on stuff like that 8:32 – the car stereo scene was what led me into wanting to build stuff 11:24 – anything and everything I’m involved in, I usually take it to the max 15:03 – “Hey, we’re looking for someone to start outfitting some of these Jeeps.” 21:43 – Pirate 4x4 was my mentor 27:50 – my first project at Tribe was fixing a racecar for Barry Beadle 34:06 – I remember watching Casey walk up, and I was like, are we related? Is this my brother? 42:42 – our favorite car to build was Alex Wacker’s IFS car Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

The title can never quite describe the podcast; Adam ‘Skinny” Lunn is so much more. Coming out of North Texas, he wiggled his way into the Arizona scene as a sweeper in the Campbell shop and expanded from there to 11 years driving and winning desert races—great stories from the early days and beyond. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. 5:06 – I started chopping this thing up, thinking I was going to rock crawl a Z71 pickup 8:31 – I think right away we knew we were outgunned – we showed up with a 4 wheel drive and left with a one-wheel drive 12:41 – “kid, everyone that works in here’s last name is Campbell” 15:37 – I was going to be a professional rockcrawler, so I quit school without telling my parents 22:22 – I went into gypsy mode 25:21 – …until the fire got to me, I wasn’t burning… 35:39 – I don’t know if I’m dumb or tough, maybe both, anybody else would’ve quit 41:29 – I got my biggest break, the Trophy Tractor was born Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Tire guy, Jeff Cummings, is a great storyteller; it must have been a prerequisite at BFG – listen in as he shares some great insight on tires and life. From Wisconsin farmer to Baja Pro, Jeff brings life to every story. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. 2:34 – My grandfather probably qualified as the Farmer in the Dell 14:00– you’d put a paint stripe where the rubber started and where it ended and then initial it so you got credit 27:18 – Lord, it was painful, you had these Robert’s Rules of Order, and you couldn’t really talk unless you understood all of those things 43:13 – “that kid’s too stupid to sell tires” 54:46 – “you know, you do some things that really irritate folks, but as long as I don’t catch you sitting still, I can cover up any of your ills.” 1:10:43 – “what do you know about rockcrawling? …she proceeded to let me know, Goodyear is winning everything there and I want you to stop that” 1:30:34 – the best tire in the world misapplied is a piece of crap 2:05:54 – I either credit or blame Rod Hall with my move to Nevada Special thanks to 4low Magazine for support and sponsorship of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Judy Smith, the Grand Ol’ Dame of Off-Road Racing was honored by the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2008. Having moved from Connecticut to SoCal in the 40’s, she was introduced to off-road with her husband in the 1960’s. Over the years she told many a racers stories as they competed in the desert. Her favorite column was the “Losers” where she interviewed those who didn’t make it to the finish line. Rich got a chance to interview Judy by telephone with her nurse, Jennifer facilitating the call. In Judy’s own words, she doesn’t get out much anymore, but the spirit is willing if you’d like a companion to a race. The oral history of the ones who came before is such a treasure. Thanks for paving the road, Judy. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. 6:14 – back then, California teenagers were very different from Connecticut teenagers 10:59 – that’s good for women, and I wondered what I could do? 19:13 – I was always happy if there was another racer broken in the same place 23:25 – no one was there to say, “you didn’t do that right” 30:06 – I remember one guy telling me if I ever beat him, he wouldn’t come back – I don’t know whatever happened to him. 38:56 – how could you be that dumb on a place like the Peninsula and not know where South is? Take a look at one of Judy’s “Loser” stories here: https://simplebooklet.com/1988volume5number3dustytimesmagazine#page=25 Digitizing Dusty Times has been an ongoing project of the Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, we are fortunate to get to access the writing of history. Special thanks to the Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame for their support of this podcast. Legends live at ORMHOF.org Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Land Cruiser Afficionado, Kurt Williams, knows every little thing you can know about Land Cruisers. That’s what happens when you take them apart piece-by-piece and then put them back together. From business to cars, Kurt knows his stuff; since 2001 he’s been at the head of Cruiser Outfitters. Join us as we talk Toyotas and adventure – lots of worldwide adventure, with Kurt. 6:08 – the real school, the actual university, University of Utah 10:05 – that’s when I started recognizing the difference between a Land Cruiser and a Jeep 16:44 – we went full in, it spiraled out of control as we started taking things apart 22:57 – this is like paradise for me 28:13 – had no intentions of doing anything beyond helping Daryl sell off the business 41:44 – let’s talk about Expedition 7 51:23 – we had a Russian fixer with us Special thanks to Maxxis Tires and 4Low Magazine for their support of this podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Interested in the secret sauce? You’re going to have to listen to it all to hear the incredible history of Marty Fiolka, Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee in 2014. Marty has had experiences we all dream about. Listen in to catch them all, this is what we call a life well-lived! 4:18 – the first real seed of, Oh my God, Motorsports is so cool! 13:11 – I learned that craft with some media things and then parlayed that into a job 23:25 – there was no easy portal to the sport 29:11 – we had to promote it as an offroad cultural hub 35:21 – in the end, how much did we move the needle in offroad racing? 41:25 – it’s a fascinating history and it’s a fascinating people 46:45 – a lot of the history helped to roll out the Dirt Sport magazine too 55:05 – a couple of stories I am most proud of; Robbie Pierce getting started; the Baja 1000 Commemorative one, and …. 1:02:28 - …as a career-defining moment, I think Crandon is at the very top We want to thank our sponsor the Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame – Legends live at ORMHOF www.ormhof.org Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

With the attention span of a 3-year-old, competitor Rob McKenney, shares some great stories. New York to the PNW, this crane operator knows his stuff and his friends. So good to talk to him again. Listen in on your favorite podcast app. 4:20 – early on, I got relieved of my privilege to ride the school bus 10:54 – if I showed up a minute late, I was working Saturdays for free 14:43 – we pioneered the homeless stuff 21:52 – what are you going to do? I said, Jeff, we’re going to break the axle, and we did 32:02 – the ups I never got great at, but the downhill, gravity is your friend 42:33 – Nick and I had the famous Casey Curry incident where we might or might not have driven over a car he was driving We want to thank our sponsors Maxxis Tires and 4Low Magazine. www.maxxis.com www.4lowmagazine.com Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Former Four-Wheeler writer, Robin Stover gives us some insight on what it was like to travel during the heyday. Dakar, Baja, South Korea, it’s all there! Listen on your favorite podcast app. This is Episode 150 – feels like a milestone! Thank you for your support and encouragement! 2:56 – my first exposure to the off-road scene was on the Big Island 10:17 – there’s a story to every single repair, the beginning, the middle, and end 16:19 – they handed me the keys and said, “here, we want you to do part two.” 22:15 – Looking back I guess Baja would be the one thing that was the biggest takeaway 31:03 – we don’t want people coming home in coffins 34:50 – we got to go into tunnels that actually extend under North Korea 47:54 – Live coverage begins tomorrow of Top Truck Challenge, so I promptly quit my job… 57:40 – I feel like I aligned myself with the right person in life that really has his sh*t together We want to thank our sponsors Maxxis Tires and 4Low Magazine. www.maxxis.com www.4lowmagazine.com Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Toyota expert, Brian Ellinger, joins us on Episode 149. Brian is the owner of Front Range Offroad and Diamond Axles, a former rockcrawling competitor, Brian aspires to a quiet life where it’s less people-y. Tune in to your favorite podcast app to listen in. 6:30 – wood does things metal doesn’t, like warp when it gets wet 10:55 – the backpacking mentality works with my brain 20:07 – “what’s a tombstone?” 26:50 – what better time to take the plunge, there’s plenty of time to recover if you go broke 33:51 – we’ve only kept the things that people actually want 41:59 – I met Dave face-to-face in a dirt lot swapping an engine the day before the comp 52:15 – you guys do really well on the hard, technical, weird stuff 57:41 – I’m not trying to win, I’m just trying to finish We want to thank our sponsors Maxxis Tires and 4Low Magazine. www.maxxis.com www.4lowmagazine.com Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

One of the co-founders of Rigid Lighting, Taylor Anderson, shares life in the off-road lighting industry and what has come after. Company culture, offroad racing, and lights are part of Episode 148. Tune in on your favorite podcast app. 5:53 – the cool pines of Arizona 12:21 – who rolled one first? 17:16 – Christensen invited us in so the Anderson brothers joined up and became partners 24:07 – the three-inch pod, little Rubik’s Cube, you could fit it anywhere 27:26 – I was the gatekeeper for culture, how we treated our employees 30:29 – I had the most fun I’ve ever had in my life 39:41 – “you sold your right to complain.” 51:07 – my latest obsession is vintage axes We want to thank our sponsors Maxxis Tires and 4Low Magazine. www.maxxis.com www.4lowmagazine.com Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Ken Hower and the Rubicon Trail Foundation is all about education, that’s their mission. As a 501(c)(3) Education foundation, RTF hopes to educate all to enhance the future health of the Rubicon Trail. There’s a lot going on right now with the Trail, listen in so you can stay informed, it really is fascinating stuff! Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app – subscribe so you don’t miss anything, a new episode drops every Thursday morning, early! 5:30 – he was all kinds of notorious 13:06 – so, playing in a band, how long was your hair? 28:22 – “There are people who wonder what the F* happened, there are people that make Sh*t happen, and there are people that watch it happen.” 37:20 – not that people were mistreating (the trail) intentionally, it was just not knowing 46:34 – it was the community that extracted them, just as it should be 47:31 – **be sure to listen** the history of the law regarding the Rubicon trail starts here 1:17:35 – read the mission statement We want to thank our sponsors Maxxis Tires and 4Low Magazine. www.maxxis.com www.4lowmagazine.com Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show

Armando Verdugo shares his love for off-road and why he gets up in the morning to go to work! Founder of Herooffroad.org and BAM Strategic, Armando has been around the off-road block learning how to help the small business guy tie everything together. It’s a good conversation between two friends. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app – subscribe so you don’t miss anything, a new episode drops every Thursday morning, early! 3:56 – I just kept moving progressively east until I got to just outside of Phoenix 11:02 – it was a good time to build myself into what I wanted to be in this industry 18:13 – the start of Herooffroad.org 35:33 – My thing with Hero is that I’m not going to save all of them, but I’d like to save one 43:29 – your website is your Nexus, your home, you want it to be open and inviting 52:02 – the PSA’s? that was a way for me to vent after dealing with customers We want to thank our sponsors Maxxis Tires and 4Low Magazine. www.maxxis.com www.4lowmagazine.com Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app. Support the show