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From Nebraska farm fields to the forefront of early rock crawling, Joel Randall picks up his story with Big Rich. After a turbulent childhood, Joel lands in Nebraska, builds a ’74 International 4x4, and falls hard for fabrication and off-road life. He dives into mud drags and promoting Midwest mud events, then recounts wild tales—like hauling a 60-foot houseboat across Nebraska and detonating big-blocks on nitrous.

Joel shares the moment rock crawling hooked him: meeting Morris Hansen, wheeling Moab’s Metal Masher solo, and instantly bonding with Ron “Wild Oats” Pepper before joining magazine runs with off-road legends. He traces the rise of “R-club,” the Currie connection, and how shiny, well-built Jeeps earned respect on the gnarliest trails from Moab to Las Cruces.

The episode digs into the birth of organized rockcrawling: the 1998 Las Cruces event (ESPN, cones, and chaos), early results (Jeff/Morris win; Joel 4th), and the rapid evolution from trail rigs to competition machines. Joel talks sponsorships, building a team semi on a shoestring, TV exposure, and the bittersweet shift from family wheeling to full-time competition.

Stay tuned for Part 3 coming next week!

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This week, Big Rich sits down with Joel Randall, whose path to becoming an OG R-Gang rock crawler started far from ordinary. Pulled from school after third grade, Joel grew up on the move—living in an Airstream behind a 4x4 International Travel-All, camping in Baja and the Tonto, reloading shells by age seven, and learning survival skills during his family’s doomsday-prep phase. 

A cross-country odyssey led to communes, holistic doctors, and the Santa Fe Free School Community—an egalitarian, hands-on “free school” that doubled as a commune. Joel thrived building wind-powered go-karts, raiding government surplus auctions, and even serving as a “theatrical prop” in anti-war protests. 

The family later settled in Chimayó, NM, where Joel helped hand-build an adobe addition—hauling vigas, quarrying flagstone, and working with Santa Clara Pueblo craftsmen. After his parents’ divorce, Joel bounced between unconventional schooling and real-world hustles: statewide Roto-Rooter setup at 13, flea-market flipping, dinner-theater bartending at 15, wild street races, and an infamous teen road trip to Vegas—all before a move to Nebraska, where his rancher-grandfather became a steadying force and mentor. 

From feral freedom to farm discipline, Joel’s early life forged the grit and ingenuity he’d later bring to competitive rock crawling. 

More of Joel’s story next week – don’t skip this one; it’s wild! 

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Big Rich sits down with Jagged X Off-Road founder Bill Schueler to trace the journey from a Phoenix garage to the front lines of UTV racing and aftermarket innovation. Bill shares how his sons Justin and Brandon turned a high school hobby into Jagged X, the early Rhino craze, and the fateful call from Polaris that put them on the map—leading to the first-ever desert race for the Polaris RZR.

Highlights: 

- Chicago roots to Arizona life: construction, dispatching, and launching a successful transportation brokerage. 

- The backyard beginnings of Jagged X: lifted golf carts, early Yamaha Rhinos, and magazine features. 

- Polaris partnership: becoming an aftermarket development partner and fielding one of the first RZR race cars.

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RJ Jackman of Pocatello, Idaho—flat-fender fanatic, trail leader, writer, and organizer of the Idaho Vintage Jeep Rally. RJ grew up riding dirt bikes with his grandpa’s Simplot-sponsored moto crew, exploring lava fields, caves, and old mines—fueling a lifetime of off-road adventure 

Event spotlight—Idaho Vintage Jeep Rally - Free, low-friction, three-day gathering in Pocatello each August includes a Friday evening meet-and-greet, Saturday scenic trail + potluck, Sunday trail (Shelley Rocks/“Blackfoot Dump” or Lake Channel dunes); Vintage preferred (flat-fenders welcome), but all Jeeps play a role—newer rigs often sweep or help with recoveries - No registration, no fees: just show up, be helpful, and expect vapor lock, fuel pump fixes, and 45-mph 

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Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Jerry Bain joins Big Rich to talk adventure, public access, and preserving West Virginia’s unmaintained road network. Jerry shares how high school mud trucks led to a lifelong passion for motorized recreation, a 20-year Navy career seeing 51 countries, and ultimately founding the Country Roads Coalition to protect and promote legal access to historic state roads.

Highlights: 

- Discovering off-road early; the draw of adventure and going where few can 

- Building capable rigs: XJs, a Comanche on 37s, and the iconic “Boogie Van” Econoline 

- West Virginia’s unique resource: legal unmaintained state roads rich with history and scenery 

- Country Roads Coalition’s mission: stewardship, access, and education—not just “overlanding,” but motorized adventure tourism 

Get Involved: - Find Country Roads Coalition on Facebook and Instagram - Bring a group to West Virginia—Jerry loves to guide and share the state’s history and hidden gems.

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From SoCal surf breaks to the rocks of Johnson Valley, fabricator, racer, and builder Johnny Rocha shares a lifetime immersed in dirt, water, and horsepower. Johnny grew up riding desert singletrack, surfing with his dad, and turning wrenches young—then parlayed a career in operation engineering into nights and weekends fabricating Jeeps before going all-in on off-road.

Hear how a 16-year-old Baja road trip lit the fuse, an ’84 CJ-7 changed everything, and magazine-era shop-hopping led to friendships with icons like the Curries—and ultimately to co-building the legendary 88 Savvy car that dominated King of the Hammers EMC. Johnny dives into race-craft, why plans win races, the evolution from crew chief to team manager, and mentoring young talents like Chase Caprera. He’s candid on heartbreaks (DNFs, exploding lockers, bad juju cars), the irresistible pull of KOH, and why he’s transitioning from racing to premium rock-crawler builds.

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Big Rich sits down with UTV media pioneer and racer Jon Crowley Jr. to trace his unlikely path from water-ski kid and UCSB computer science grad to one of the most influential voices in the UTV world. Jon shares how a first ride at Sand Mountain hooked him on off-roading, the evolution from ATVs to sand cars to early Yamaha Rhinos and Polaris RZRs, and building DuneGuide and UTVGuide into trusted resources just as social media transformed the industry.

Jon’s career blends tech, storytelling, racing, and exploration—proof that passion and persistence can turn weekend rides into a lifelong off-road lifestyle. 

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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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This week, Big Rich sits down with rising Ultra4 racer Matthew Slyngstad. Born and raised in San Jose, Matthew shares how a teenage speeding ticket steered him into a slow Jeep—and a fast off-road life. From cello and wrestling in high school to wrenching summers in the family construction business, he built the fabrication chops that power his racing today.

Highlights: 

·       Early days: Bay Area roots, yearbook photo editor, wrestling, and a love for the outdoors. 

·       Montana years: slower pace, more dirt—fishing, wheeling, and hunting. - Dogs and discipline: competing in Schutzhund with a powerhouse German Shepherd. – 

·       First Jeep mods: rock sliders as his first welding project; Rubicon trips that sparked bigger builds. 

·       Ultra4 entry: mentored by Jack Taggart and welcomed into Jason Scherer’s Rage 4 team; pit crew to Baja 1000 with Ford’s programs. 

·       The leap to racing: buying a 4800 car just weeks before KOH 2025; pre-running, shock tuning, and sponsor hustling. 

·       Race day rollercoaster: comms failure at the start, blazing desert pace, a boulder impact and broken rear upper link, pit heroics—and a proud finish, 18th in class. – 

Shoutout to the entire Rage 4th crew—and old-school legend Jeff Mello—for making the dream real.

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In this episode of Conversations with Big Rich, Texas native Lance Gilbert traces his winding path from small-town Keller and church-band guitars to VW shops, GM dealerships, architecture school, homebuilding—and a post-9/11 pivot back to off-road. Lance shares formative years at Sunray Engineering with the late Tom Ellison, a decade at PSC with Tom Allen, and deep roots in early Ultra4 and King of the Hammers.

Highlights: - Early days: fishing, bikes, first wrenching job at a VW/Audi/Porsche shop; first rigs from Suburbans to Isuzu pickups and Jeeps. - Career pivots: dealerships to homebuilding; how 9/11 led to Sunray and custom axle innovation; later years at PSC and into Tribe 16. - Racing stories: Class 3 in Baja, the early KOH era, and a memorable Vegas to Reno with the Texas crew. - Tribe 16 name: a nod to 4x4 (“the 16”) and the “night shift” culture of building with friends. - Today at Tribe 16: customer Jeeps, high-end builds and restorations (Scout, ’72 Commando, CJ-7), gear and maintenance, and two new Tribe chassis trail cars. - Community first: Texas trail rides, shop trips, the legendary Crawfish Boil, and why local shops collaborate more than they compete.

Lance’s take: passion fuels the work, but relationships sustain the business—and the off-road family is the heartbeat of Tribe 16. 

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