We last checked in with JT Taylor three years ago, so much has changed. If you saw the announcement of a new race at Area BFE on Big Saturday, you want to listen in for the deets. JT spills it all!. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

6:45 – 284 acres outside of Tulsa that goes up against the river and US Army Corp of Engineers land with 26 miles of trails 

12:12– they got hit by a trophy truck in a silt bed north of Loreto; broke the right rear of the car, but we changed it all out and still beat the competition by two hours             

18:29 – We built the Nissan as a practice car for the Coronet, I have to learn to drive fast in two-wheel drive on asphalt again.

28:32 – We go out to Rednecks to help Derek and the guys run the races, we got Rugged Radio to donate a bunch of headsets, it was a game changer

30:56– ***ALL THE DEETS HERE*** Rock race at Area BFE on Big Saturday during EJS 

55:19 –Entries open on March 1

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The engineer’s curse is strong with this one. Brennan Metcalf brings all kinds of goodies to the off-road world.  Listen in to a fascinating discussion of mods and parts. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

5:40 – One of the last summers I was up there, my stepdad came and sat next to me right when he got done haying, and I almost went to the hospital 

17:03– I wasn’t really into college that much – ended up doing an on-again, off-again; started into wildland firefighting             

27:32 – I’m sitting there with the doc and he goes, “let me see your good knee” I give him the uninjured knee and he’s like, no, no, let me see your good knee.

31:41 – Now, I just get to do, at least right now, I just get to do what I want and that’s building stuff

41:05– “let’s talk about these 300 projects, what is it that ticks in your brain to come up with stuff?” I call it the engineer’s curse 

55:06 –I branched off into doing some off-road recovery gear

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Hunter Miller has come a long way since dirt bikes and ATV’s to CanAms capable of racing Dakar and King of the Hammers. Join us for a great conversation of how a boy progresses from two wheels to four. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

4:44 – When I was two years old, we went camping on a compound where wolves were raised… 

9:34– we were racing Oklahoma and the cops showed up and shut the whole thing down             

21:09 – that’s one of the attractions of the Hammers, one year a trail is easier, the next year it’s terrible

27:30 – I started paying attention to Dakar in 2020 when Casey Curry went over there, but I didn’t really grasp it until this year

41:02– every time I walk, I turn the wrong direction, but I’m super confident about it! I’m confidently wrong! 

48:17 – I flew home like a rockstar, my brother is having breakfast at Casey Curry’s and someone said, jokingly, “why don’t you stay and run 4400?”

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 Sometimes, you meet a guy and just know he’s the real deal. As genuine as they come, Nick Cimmarusti has carved out a space for himself in off-road. Whether you see him on the trail sharing his knowledge with others, or in the shop doing the same, Nick will never lead you astray. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

5:33 – “make sure you don’t leave the keys in the golf cart, or else, he’ll steal it!”  I was three years old 

11:31 – I got into auto shop, and then it was all over from there – it’s been all automotive from there             

18:09 – yeah, it was assault with a deadly weapon, battery with intent to do great bodily injury, and inciting a riot.

28:32 – that’s how my life’s been, as soon as I make something really nice, it gets destroyed

32:11– What came first – Jeepers or Barlow? 

38:50 – A lot of things happened in 2016 – Fire Academy, Certification testing and Emily Miller called.

49:27 – it’s a lot of overcoming being uncomfortable in the sand and figuring out what what you can and can’t do

56:52 – The story goes…I met Mike in the middle of the night under the moon to have him give me his wife’s pantyhose

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When you combine art and off-road, you wind up with Rory Ward. A fan since early days, Rory made connections that allowed him to combine his passions and thrive. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

5:37 – my dad would get Hot VWs magazine and I’d always look up the races, I missed being around that, even at 8-10 years old 

18:29 – Ivan (Stewart) was the one that really got me going with the artwork.      

21:54 – OMG, I don’t want to be a bellman for 30 years!

27:39 – I’ve got to thank Rob MacCachran, I did some shirts for him and he’s like I’ve got a business proposition for you.

35:58 – I’ve been really fortunate to race some historical race cars with some historical racers 

40:29 – I built a four-seater in the 2000s and the artwork is what built it. I traded a lot of art for parts.

52:20 – My forte is the history, I can help with the history of off-road. I’m the self-proclaimed curator for all these off-road cars, and I absolutely love it.

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Most of our podcasts are full of stories, but not many cover the globe from end to end. Patricia Upton and her husband, the late Loren Upton, have completed expeditions that most of us only dream about. Patricia is still adventuring. Listen closely, the trips have twists and turns in countries many of us have never heard of. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

7:02 – I don’t remember being afraid of spiders until we were in Okinawa 

15:42 – I was in Panama for 17 years. I got off the plane down there and said, okay, eternal summer, this is where I need to be.             

25:06 – That’s when the spark for me to go full-time with the expedition with Loren

31:14 – Loren was away when he got word that Larry had been shot and killed.

41:45 – He wanted a romantic high adventure in the classical sense of an expedition 

52:30 – Nowadays, you can’t get anywhere near the plaque that says you’re at the furthest road south on the African continent

1:00:33 – that night, near the Nile, was the only night of the entire trip that we were faced with the reality that we got out butts someplace that could be pretty bad

1:17:14 – we worked because we were desperately out of money

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Falling into automotive without a plan, Gary Haugley has made a career of buggies, cars, and off-road. From building to appraising, car show judging and building stories. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

7:52 – I had no clue, no clue what was going on… 

13:33 – I walked into B&R Buggy, the guy who owns it says, “you’ve got to buy this place;” he goes, I got in trouble with a little side job, I’m leaving.             

21:22 – I need to know what I need to do to be an appraiser, Tony was real quiet, then he goes, “no, you don’t have questions for me, I got questions for you.”

27:12 – I thought this guy was going to take me out, he goes, “I own a lot of cars. I have a lot of money. I pay a lot of people a lot of money to make sure it’s perfect. You’re the first one to notice it’s not.” He put out his hand and said, thank you.

35:41 – We got him a brand new car, big four-seater, and donated it to him, that’s how I got involved with Warfighter Made 

41:18 – The Sergeant Major hated me because I was non-military, he called me out of the blue one day, “I need some help.”

54:39 – they busted their butts with side jobs, and got to keep the buggy, it’s a great story

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Serial entrepreneur, John Williams, owner of Impulse Off Road shares the journey to now, with all the twists and turns. John has had some interesting experiences and is sure to have many more. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

5:08 – our front yard corner was worn to dirt; that was our goal, was to wear through the grass every year on our motorcycle 

13:02 – when I got done with the Land Cruiser, I got 33 1250’s and I thought I was king of the world             

20:39 – I had my friend’s dad’s credit card and ordered a lift, I thought, this is the coolest thing ever, I tell people I work for Roberts Auto and I don’t have to pay full price.

27:19– we’ve just been compatible in that aspect; my strong points are not his and his are not mine.

34:03 – they gave me the opportunity to pitch a Raptor program to the higher-ups at Ford when they came out to the track; We created the Raptor Assault program together. 

43:34 – You realize you don’t win and lose races in the first 100 miles, it comes down to the last 2-3 miles – it’s how you manage, mitigate risk, and make sure the car is staying together

50:53 – the whole time you’re thinking, why am I here? Why am I doing this? But when you’re done, you can’t wait to do it all over again

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Outdoorsman and Renaissance man, Andrew Paulson can do anything – if he’s interested. In the last fifteen years, we’ve watched Andrew build anything he set his mind to. The stories are fun. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

4:16 – this is why I always fought the educational institution, I had enough of it when I was a kid 

10:08 – I was taught to earn my allowance, I think that was great. You work for it, that has taken me far.             

20:03 – I didn’t realize a nail gun at the time was a thousand bucks, it was grand theft, adolescent charge.

36:50 – “I’m sorry, you didn’t get the rock climbing wall attendant job, we’re going to put everybody under you and make you the lead!”

46:15 – If I had the skillset to build it – why not? Why not capitalize on that? 

51:19 – On the water, whether I’m catching fish or not, that’s my decompress, where my brain slows down, where the noise shuts down.

1:11:53 – I meet Dustin and Becca Webster, it’s about this time, I realize I’m in way over my head. Four minutes after the National Anthem and I’m on my lid.

1:18:58 – “Hey, we’re going to need help with recovery, we’ve got a car in a tree!”

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No matter your age, follow your passion. That’s what Toby Lavender has been doing for life. Automotive to hunting, Toby excels at all of it, and he’s not done yet. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.

8:15 – I always preach to everybody that real formal education in the automotive repair industry is critical these days 

18:17 – We flew in just so green to life and travel and didn’t know what the heck to expect and made the best of it             

24:01 – I remember the first time we did a Million dollars in one year in sales, my accountant said, yeah, but it cost you $999,000 to do it!

29:48 – My first 10+ years in off-road was in desert racing, I learned you better have a lot of money or you better be able to build your own junk.

35:51 – I didn’t set out to do any of this, but I loved it and we just went with it and grew; Lavender Brothers grew into this 99% four-wheel-drive off-road shop 

48:40 – One of my big life passions is hunting and everything related to that

54:19 – the paradigm shift was when I realized my employees were relying on me to provide the opportunity that they were showing up for

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

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