Conversations with Big Rich – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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Big Rich sits down with ORMHOF inductee Dan VandenHeuvel—aka the Flying Dutchman—for a life-in-off-road masterclass spanning 40+ years of racing, building, promoting, and giving back.

Listen in for the these highlights:

·       First Crandon experience and the DIY beginnings

·       The legendary first race

·       Evolution of safety and tech

·       The rise and reshuffling of Midwest short course: SODA, CORR, World Series, TORC, and Lucas Oil 

·       Promoting events in Oshkosh and Antigo, and the hard realities of venues, neighbors, and budgets 

·       The power of volunteers and community glue at tracks like Crandon 

·       and MORE!!

If you enjoy stories of grit, ingenuity, and heart, this one’s a keeper. 

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Big Rich sits down with Brian Busby, the SoCal gearhead who turned a love of speed into a life in racing—and became “the fuel guy” for some of off-road’s biggest events.

From San Clemente surf breaks near Nixon’s Western White House to wrenching through ROP, Brian shares how a 16-year-old with a Baja Bug ended up racing everything from Class 8 to Trophy Truck and Class 1 (including a 2019 championship). Hear about his first official race—the 1987 Baja 500 that lasted two miles—his drag boat days piloting “Bad Idea” hydros, and the heart-stopping moments riding with Dale Dondel and surviving a 110-mph roll with Brandon Arthur.

Brian also dives into his 17-year Mercedes-Benz career as a specialty engineer (including authoring a global TSB), his pivot to racing fuels, and scaling a small shop into a West Coast powerhouse supplying F&L, VP, and Sunoco—before landing at Merritt Oil and helping launch Fuel Factory across the Western states and Mexico.

Don’t miss the backstory of the Rebelle Rally: the cold, chaotic first year, how fueling 50 teams turned into fueling an entire city-on-wheels, and the now-legendary Busby Games—born from “Busbyland” and officially part of Rebelle lore.

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Big Rich sits down with West Virginia history buff, Ford fanatic, and long-time off-roader Jack Sloan. From learning to drive in a ‘73 Wagoneer to 22 years with his beloved Ford Explorer “The Raisin,” Jack shares how small-town roots, family campouts, and a love for the hills shaped a life behind the wheel.

-            Growing up in Fairmont, WV (home of the pepperoni roll), coal country culture, and early outdoor adventures 

-            Jack’s path from auto parts counter to independent collision center manager—and building a life around cars and trails 

-            The Explorer addiction: TTB, SAS, 37s, and why “simple” builds win on long trips - Ultimate Adventure stories: getting picked, guiding at Good Evening Ranch, and the friendships that fueled Adventure Wheelers East (AWE) 

-            Policy matters: WV Senator Mark Maynard’s pro-motorsports legislation and why legal access plates help keep trails alive 

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Mary McGee is a legend in off-road racing; solo’d the Baja 500 on a bike as the first person to do so; a woman who never learned to quit and always said yes to everything offered. She thinks she’s the luckiest woman ever, her history is a great story. Mary was inducted in the Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2023. Mary is why we say; legends live at ORMHOF.org.  Be sure to tune in on your favorite podcast app.

3:31 – My 9-year-old brother and myself (age 5), by ourselves went on the steamship from Juneau to Seattle

19:29 – Vashak said to Dan, Mary, she should road race the motorcycles, make even smoother than the car.                                

24:45 – Women couldn’t have credit cards in their name, they couldn’t have anything in their own name. 

29:41 – “Are you motorcycle people?” yes, “You have to leave”

34:24 – my friend, Steve McQueen, said, “Mary, you have got to get off that pansy road racing bike and come out to the desert.”  Will I have to get dirty?

55:48 – We only made it to El Arco and it was freezing; I went around and around that fire and got myself nice and hot and went right over to those two guys sleeping on cardboard and slithered right in between them

1:10:34 – Once you start something, you should see it through to the end, however it goes.

Special thanks to ORMHOF.org for support and sponsorship of this podcast.

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Cowboy Matt Deas, one of the OG rockcrawlers hails from North Carolina where he raises kids and horses. Matt shares with us some great stories about rockcrawling in the early days.. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

5:16 – Man, I love my childhood going to school and stuff, there were 89 of us in my graduating 

10:43 – Once I got healed, I started ordering parts and got me a trail rig             

17:11 – from 02-03 the sport evolved more, more participants and stuff 

22:07 – Jellico was always my favorite because that’s where it all started for me

29:44 – Probably the WE Rock in ’07 we ended up third, but I remember the level of competition was huge

38:56 – I want to say it was ’10 a lot of people were coming back, they caught their breath and was like, hey, we survived the storm

47:01 – I’m going to treat myself for a while, I’m going to treat myself for a while, I made it three weeks

57:44 – We ought to put a show on, get some sponsorship and really pump it up – you woulda been proud of me.

Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast.

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Nicole Pitell brings her own brand of hype to every conversation, she shares the inside scoop of Total Chaos to the podcast. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

6:12 – at the end of the day, it’s what makes each of us individually happy is what’s going to elevate you and take you to the next level

12:05 – I want noted for the record, I suck at driving in mud             

19:47 – our product line comes from having to build better parts for our friends who were pitting for us 

25:44 – I think you need good competition to elevate your innovation and your passion

32:50 – they just let me go full stupid down south of the border

41:33 – An all women’s? That sounds horrible was the first thing I said to her.

46:03 – I really like to have fun in life, no bad days

55:12 – I don’t hang around with people that aren’t motivated, inspired, and driven every day

Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast.

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Glenn Classen made a big move from South Africa to the US to expand his market for shock absorbers – almost 20 years in, he’s continued to grow and develop Radflo for the off-road market. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

3:46 – as a kid, being aware of anything socially or politically about how the country ran you weren’t aware of until much later

11:44 – let’s fire this thing back up, we made parts and started selling shocks             

13:01 – in any business, there’s massive swings of good luck and bad 

16:11 – that’s how I sold it to my wife, we’d come over to the US for two years and then go home

23:04 – I came over here and very quickly realized that this was a massive pond and I was a very small fish

33:23 – we are just a shock manufacturer

38:44 – we make shocks to suit the different lift kit manufacturers, we don’t do generic

Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast.

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Stan Haynes has rock sports under his skin; a long-time supporter of both series and competitors, Stan shares life in a family-run business with us. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

6:07 – I thought I was getting drafted to go die in Vietnam

11:24 – 57’  Chevy, I hot-rodded the heck out of it             

15:52 – we still continue with Branik doing foundry work and ceating master tooling, molds, and dies making thousands of parts and a foundry and castings 

19:50 – in starting a business you’re going to go through hard times, but be prepared and try to always have the attitude of don’t give up

28:49 – I started going to King of the Hammers in ’09 and two years later we’re racing

32:17 – I love free market, I love capitalism, it really enhances a business to be better.

41:52 – What a beautiful place of God’s Green Earth, everyone needs to experience the Rubicon, am I right?

Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast.

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Steven Adams is a lighting master; one of the founders of Rigid Lights, he’s stepped up again with Nacho Offroad Technology. The world is brighter with Steve in it, be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

5:33 – I’m sure he thought I would just throw my life away because I wasn’t being an airline pilot

17:16 – I pulled up Bender’s How to Bend Tech 101 and taught myself how to make a light bar             

21:38 – Hey, if you’re going to do this, here’s what you need to do…  

28:14 – We need to make this an American made light

38:38 – not that making money is a bad thing, but that was the only thing

48:24 – I didn’t realize you don’t have scientists growing week, you have stoners growing weed

57:18 – We’re not going to do anything if we don’t have fun doing it!

Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast.

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YouTube star Nicole Johnson brings a load of experience to her channel, she’s on a mission to drive everything – but we shouldn’t be surprised she’s already mastered race cars, rockcrawlers, and Monster trucks! Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

5:36 – Snow? People live in snow, that must suck!

16:20 – Frank would just…it was really cure, he would stand up and be like, “that’s my wife!”             

23:25 – we’re just enthusiasts, we love to target shoot  

29:04 – the buggy we bought was so capable, it out drove me every time

35:37 – that $400 is going to cost you how many hours to really get that relationship where it needs to be

45:48 – “when I lower my arm, floor it and go 20 feet.” when you floor it, it’s going to have some torque squat

1:00:51 – I was always telling my kids, you guys should appreciate me more, I’m super cool!

Subscribe to Nicole’s Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@NicoleJohnsonsDetour

Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast.

Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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