Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast

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From early memories of seeing a turquoise and white Harley-Davidson as a child to hosting more than 465 episodes of Motorcycle Men Podcast, Ted Kettler has built a life around motorcycles, storytelling and staying curious. 

In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz talks with Ted about his connection to Harley-Davidson, what he has learned through podcasting and why he decided to write The Road Most Traveled.

They also talk about the challenges of booking podcast guests, what makes an interview work, and why documenting an interstate motorcycle trip felt worth turning into a book.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Buying his first bike while serving in Guantanamo Bay
• The story behind working 18 months in exchange for a Harley-Davidson Sportster
• What inspired him to start Motorcycle Men Podcast
• Lessons learned from recording more than 465 podcast episodes
• How his ride from New Jersey to the Florida Keys became The Road Most Traveled

📲 Follow Ted Kettler on YouTube and Facebook

🌐 Learn more at Motorcycle Men Podcast: motomenpc.com

🌐 Find The Road Most Traveled on Amazon and Audible

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a motorsports event organizer who wants more participants or attendees, your marketing and operations may be in need of a revamp. I help evaluate where you're at, develop a customized strategy, implement the tasks and assess the results. So if you're serious about getting more support, let's work together. Visit HighGearSuccess.com to get started. 

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a racer looking to show sponsors how you can bring value to their company, visit HighGearSuccess.com to view services offered by High Gear Success for racers. 

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Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast, powered by High Gear Success

👉 Want to connect or recommend a guest? Visit: MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for more motorsports stories and strategies

📸 Follow @MomentumMotorsportsPodcast on Instagram + Facebook

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Instead of host Heather Wilson Schiltz interviewing a guest on Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast, she joins The Visible CEO Crissy Conner on The Visibility Impact Show for a conversation centered on motorsports event organizers. 

They dig into why great events still struggle, where marketing and operations often fall apart, and what organizers can do to build more sustainable, memorable events. From branding and budgeting to surveys, staffing, photography and implementation, this episode gives event organizers a practical look at how stronger systems and better visibility can support long-term success.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The common issues Heather sees when motorsports events are struggling to survive
• How outdated pricing and lack of budgeting can hurt event sustainability
• What poor branding looks like and why memorable event identity matters
• Heather’s four-step process for evaluating, planning, implementing and assessing an event
• Why post-event surveys are a most valuable tool that organizers can use
• How testimonials and participant feedback can strengthen future marketing
• Why trust matters when event organizers are deciding whether to invest in outside help
• The difference between strategy and implementation and why both matter
• Why marketing and operations work best as part of a full ecosystem, not in isolation

📲 Follow High Gear Success on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

🌐 Learn more at HighGearSuccess.com

🌐 Sign up for Fuel for Thought virtual meetups for event organizers

📲 Follow Crissy Conner, Visible CEO, on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

🌐 Listen to Crissy’s podcast: The Visibility Impact Show

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a motorsports event organizer who wants more participants or attendees, your marketing and operations may be in need of a revamp. I help evaluate where you're at, develop a customized strategy, implement the tasks and assess the results. So if you're serious about getting more support, let's work together. Visit HighGearSuccess.com to get started. 

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a racer looking to show sponsors how you can bring value to their company, visit HighGearSuccess.com to view services offered by High Gear Success for racers. 

Support the show

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Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast, powered by High Gear Success

👉 Want to connect or recommend a guest? Visit: MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for more motorsports stories and strategies

📸 Follow @MomentumMotorsportsPodcast on Instagram + Facebook

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Backcountry Discovery Routes has become one of the most recognizable names in adventure riding, but behind every route is years of planning, volunteer efforts and a bigger mission tied to access, education and community. 

In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz talks with Inna Thorn, Executive Director and VP of the Backcountry Discovery Routes Board, and Tim James, Board President and Creative Director, about how BDR grew from one route into a nationwide network of backcountry motorcycle adventures. They also share how routes are developed, how the films and dealer screenings help grow the sport and why protecting public lands is a critical part of the organization’s future.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How Backcountry Discovery Routes got started in 2010 
• The difference between a traditional cross-state BDR and a shorter BDR-X loop
• What goes into route development, from early map research to final filming expeditions
• How riders can download GPS tracks, use maps and tap into route-specific resources
• Why BDR routes are making a real economic impact in small rural communities
• How documentary films, dealer screenings and live broadcasts have helped grow awareness and community
• The challenges tied to public land access and why advocacy partnerships matter
• What new BDR routes and projects riders can look forward to next

📲 Follow Backcountry Discovery Routes on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

🌐 Learn more at RideBDR.com

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a motorsports event organizer who wants more participants or attendees, your marketing and operations may be in need of a revamp. I help evaluate where you're at, develop a customized strategy, implement the tasks and assess the results. So if you're serious about getting more support, let's work together. Visit HighGearSuccess.com to get started. 

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a racer looking to show sponsors how you can bring value to their company, visit HighGearSuccess.com to view services offered by High Gear Success for racers. 

Support the show

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Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast, powered by High Gear Success

👉 Want to connect or recommend a guest? Visit: MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for more motorsports stories and strategies

📸 Follow @MomentumMotorsportsPodcast on Instagram + Facebook

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When Kristen Almer lost her 11-year-old nephew Logan in a tragic ATV accident, her family’s life changed forever. She then turned unimaginable grief into a mission to help prevent similar tragedies for other families. In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz talks with Kristen about how that devastating loss led to years of research, difficult questions, and eventually the creation of the RideSafe Foundation.

This conversation goes far beyond statistics. Kristen explains the common patterns she has uncovered in youth ATV and UTV tragedies, why so many families don’t recognize the risks until it’s too late, and how RideSafe is working to reach kids directly through schools and community partnerships. From industry blind spots to practical ways communities can help, this episode offers an honest look at a problem that affects far more families than many realize.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The story of Logan and the tragedy that changed Kristen’s life
• What Kristen uncovered after years of researching youth ATV and UTV incidents
• Why many families using these vehicles recreationally don’t see themselves in traditional powersports safety messaging
• The common mistakes and overlooked factors that show up again and again in youth tragedies
• How RideSafe Foundation works with schools and communities to create hands-on educational events
• Why racers, athletes, and the broader powersports industry may be part of the solution
• How parents, schools, companies, and local communities can support the mission

📲 Connect with Kristen Almer and the RideSafe Foundation on LinkedIn

🌐 Learn more at RideSafeFoundation.org

🌐 Follow the RideSafe Foundation on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a motorsports event organizer who wants more participants or attendees, your marketing and operations may be in need of a revamp. I help evaluate where you're at, develop a customized strategy, implement the tasks and assess the results. So if you're serious about getting more support, let's work together. Visit HighGearSuccess.com to get started. 

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a racer looking to show sponsors how you can bring value to their company, visit HighGearSuccess.com to view services offered by High Gear Success for racers. 

Support the show

-------------------------------------

Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast, powered by High Gear Success

👉 Want to connect or recommend a guest? Visit: MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for more motorsports stories and strategies

📸 Follow @MomentumMotorsportsPodcast on Instagram + Facebook

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Trevor Schoonover and James Wright have lived the kind of stories that make dual sport riding (and podcasting) so addictive. In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz sits down with the co-hosts of Tallboys & Trackmasters and members of Fairmont Dual Sport Riders (FDSR) to talk about how their club grew from a loose Facebook group into one of the most engaged dual sport riding communities in West Virginia.

They also dive into Adventure Travel Day at the West Virginia State Capitol, why tourism matters to West Virginia’s economy, and what it meant to record their 100th episode live onsite. 

Plus, hear how the 304 Detour event evolved and some trail etiquette that keeps group rides fun, safe and welcoming.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How Adventure Travel Day / Motorsports Day showcases the impact of motorsports tourism at the WV State Capitol
• Their favorite Tallboys & Trackmasters Podcast interviews
• How both guys got into riding and how FDSR friendships changed their lives
• The origin story of Fairmont Dual Sport Riders and how the club became a major force in WV dual sport riding
• Inside the club’s signature event: the 304 Detour 
• Route planning and trail layout lessons: why you can’t please everyone and how events improve over time
• Trail etiquette that matters
• “Leave it better than you found it” — why FDSR prioritizes cleanup and partners with Tread Lightly!
• Trevor’s moto-camping must-haves and why pepperoni rolls are the ultimate WV trail food

📲 Connect with James Wright on Instagram

🌐 Follow Tallboys and Trackmasters Podcast on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a motorsports event organizer who wants more participants or attendees, your marketing and operations may be in need of a revamp. I help evaluate where you're at, develop a customized strategy, implement the tasks and assess the results. So if you're serious about getting more support, let's work together. Visit HighGearSuccess.com to get started. 

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a racer looking to show sponsors how you can bring value to their company, visit HighGearSuccess.com to view services offered by High Gear Success for racers. 

Support the show

-------------------------------------

Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast, powered by High Gear Success

👉 Want to connect or recommend a guest? Visit: MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for more motorsports stories and strategies

📸 Follow @MomentumMotorsportsPodcast on Instagram + Facebook

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From GNCC mudders to Arenacross under the lights, Zac Herrin has built a career giving motorsports athletes a voice — and he’s doing it across some of the biggest stages in off-road and stadium racing. 

In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz chats with Zac about how he unexpectedly had a microphone put in his hand, what it’s like calling GNCC with 45-minute lap gaps versus 20-second Arenacross laps, and how announcers balance storytelling, professionalism and real emotion when races don’t go to plan. They also dig into podium interviews as a skill riders should practice just like starts and corners.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The moment that launched Zac’s announcing career
• Why GNCC families endure tight turnarounds and brutal conditions
• The key differences between calling GNCC and Arenacross
• Why riders should practice interviews like they practice racing and how that ties directly to value for sponsors
• The behind-the-scenes reality of live production: what’s in the headset, what’s on the screen, and what’s not
• How announcers can influence perception and why personality matters
• How Zac protects his voice and energy across long race weekends and a heavy travel schedule

📲 Connect with Zac Herrin on Instagram

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a motorsports event organizer who wants more participants or attendees, your marketing and operations may be in need of a revamp. I help evaluate where you're at, develop a customized strategy, implement the tasks and assess the results. So if you're serious about getting more support, let's work together. Visit HighGearSuccess.com to get started. 

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a racer looking to show sponsors how you can bring value to their company, visit HighGearSuccess.com to view services offered by High Gear Success for racers. 

Support the show

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Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast, powered by High Gear Success

👉 Want to connect or recommend a guest? Visit: MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for more motorsports stories and strategies

📸 Follow @MomentumMotorsportsPodcast on Instagram + Facebook

Send us Fan Mail

This episode offers up a change of pace from traditional episodes of Momentum: A Motorsports podcast. 

Motorcycle podcasts collide for a laid-back, laugh-heavy round of "Motorcycle Jeopardy." Hear questions ranging from MSRP to roadside oddities, Airbnb stays, and U.S. highway trivia. Test your own knowledge as you listen or watch, or simply enjoy the show.

Host Heather Wilson Schiltz (Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast) is joined by Drew Faulkner and Mark Scherrens (Moto Adventurer Unscripted), Ted Kettler (Motorcycle Men Podcast + Ride With Ted), and Trevor Schoonover + James Wright (Tallboys and Trackmasters) for a friendly “Hollywood Squares” style showdown.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Quick intros, each host’s favorite bike, and a few hilarious fun facts
• Ted’s game rules
• MSRP guesses that expose who shops bikes “for fun”
• Learn OEM colorways and paint names: It’s not red. It’s Candy Ardent Red.
• Roadside attractions you may want to add to your next route
• Coast-to-coast interstate knowledge
• Post-game banter and ideas for future categories (tires, beer and event marketing)

📲 Connect with Moto Adventurer Unscripted on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and website.

📲 Connect with Motorcycle Men Podcast on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and website.

📲 Connect with Tallboys and Trackmasters on Facebook, YouTube and website.

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a motorsports event organizer who wants more participants or attendees, your marketing and operations may be in need of a revamp. I help evaluate where you're at, develop a customized strategy, implement the tasks and assess the results. So if you're serious about getting more support, let's work together. Visit HighGearSuccess.com to get started. 

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a racer looking to show sponsors how you can bring value to their company, visit HighGearSuccess.com to view services offered by High Gear Success for racers. 

Support the show

-------------------------------------

Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast, powered by High Gear Success

👉 Want to connect or recommend a guest? Visit: MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for more motorsports stories and strategies

📸 Follow @MomentumMotorsportsPodcast on Instagram + Facebook

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Preston Campbell grew up in the back of a box van traveling to races with his dad, Johnny Campbell. Today, he’s built a racing career of his own -- contesting in National Hare and Hound races for JCR Honda and international rally competitions for Honda HRC. In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz sits down with Preston to talk about his progression from NHHA to finishing runner-up in the Rally2 class at the legendary Dakar Rally.

Preston shares what it’s really like to race nearly 5,000 miles over two weeks in Saudi Arabia, what road book navigation is like, and why slowing down to regroup was his strategy when mistakes happened. From 4 a.m. starts and 12-hour days on the bike to sleeping in desert bivouacs to riding at average speeds of 60+ mph, this conversation gives an honest look at what Dakar demands physically and mentally.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How National Hare and Hound racing prepared him for high-speed rally competition
• What Dakar actually looks like — 13 stages, almost 5,000 miles, one rest day and nonstop navigation
• How road book navigation works and why it feels like “texting and driving” at race pace
• The physical and mental grind of 12-hour days
• Managing mistakes without turning one error into two
• What marathon bivouacs are like (including sleeping in motorhomes or even tents in the dunes)
• The behind-the-scenes support system of the Monster Energy Honda HRC team
• How he decompressed after returning home — and what’s next in rally racing

📲 Connect with Preston Campbell on Instagram

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a motorsports event organizer who wants more participants or attendees, your marketing and operations may be in need of a revamp. I help evaluate where you're at, develop a customized strategy, implement the tasks and assess the results. So if you're serious about getting more support, let's work together. Visit HighGearSuccess.com to get started. 

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a racer looking to show sponsors how you can bring value to their company, visit HighGearSuccess.com to view services offered by High Gear Success for racers. 

Support the show

-------------------------------------

Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast, powered by High Gear Success

👉 Want to connect or recommend a guest? Visit: MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for more motorsports stories and strategies

📸 Follow @MomentumMotorsportsPodcast on Instagram + Facebook

Send us Fan Mail

Amanda Van Den Elzen didn’t enter motorsports through racing herself. She got pulled in when her husband decided to trade drifting and rally racing for short course off-road. Since then, they’ve built VDE Racing from the ground up, learned sponsorship through trial and error, and developed a “partner-first” mindset that’s helped fund their program beyond race results.

In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz chats with Amanda about what a brand really is (hint: it’s not just your logo), why “winning” isn’t the main value you bring to partners, and how racers can stand out from others in the lineup through story, consistency, and real data. 

Amanda also shares how Racer On Demand’s print-on-demand merch model helps racers generate income without the headache of inventory. Plus, they share a simple homework assignment that racers can use this week to start clarifying their brand.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The moment VDE Racing had to shift from a “sportsman mindset” to a pro partnership strategy
• What a brand actually is
• Why partners don’t always care if you win... and what they do care about instead
• The “bigger pie” analogy: how racers, series and tracks can grow motorsports funding together
• The value of the fan demographic data that VDE Racing collected
• Racer On Demand’s merch program: print-on-demand storefronts + monthly payouts with no inventory
• What keeps partners coming back year after year: meaningful relationships, not transactions
• One small step racers can take this week to define and show up with a stronger brand

📲 Connect with Amanda Van Den Elzen on LinkedIn

📲 Connect with VDE Racing on Instagram or Facebook

📲 Connect with Racer on Demand on Instagram or Facebook

🌐 Get more info about Racer on Demand: RacerOnDemand.us

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a motorsports event organizer who wants more participants or attendees, your marketing and operations may be in need of a revamp. I help evaluate where you're at, develop a customized strategy, implement the tasks and assess the results. So if you're serious about getting more support, let's work together. Visit HighGearSuccess.com to get started. 

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a racer looking to show sponsors how you can bring value to their company, visit HighGearSuccess.com to view services offered by High Gear Success for racers. 

Support the show

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Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast, powered by High Gear Success

👉 Want to connect or recommend a guest? Visit: MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for more motorsports stories and strategies

📸 Follow @MomentumMotorsportsPodcast on Instagram + Facebook

Send us Fan Mail

Big dreams don’t start under bright lights. They start in the paddock, surrounded by family, mentors, and opportunity. And behind every rising racer is a grassroots program building skills, confidence and community long before the spotlight.

In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz chats with Mike Correa, founder and operator of South Florida MiniGP (SFLminiGP), a youth road racing series that’s now heading into its 11th season. Mike shares how the organization grew from a simple goal — getting his son into the sport — into one of the largest mini organizations in the United States, with dozens of alumni racing in MotoAmerica and competing overseas.

They also talk about how SFLminiGP removes barriers for new families with rental bikes and gear, what the paddock culture looks like on a typical weekend, and why insurance is the toughest challenge event organizers face in today’s motorsports world.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How Mike launched SFLminiGP in 2015
• How rentals and gear make it easier for families to try road racing
• What makes SFLminiGP’s paddock feel like a big family
• How teen coaches help younger riders learn in a way that actually clicks
• The 2026 season structure
• The basics of the bike progression for kids
• What it took to earn FIM MotoMini Cup approval
• Why Florida venue options have shrunk post-COVID and how insurance impacts where they can race
• Mike’s advice for new families
• What’s next: growing the nonprofit MiniSBK USA to support riders financially

📲 Connect with SFLminiGP on Instagram or Facebook

🌐 Get more info about the series: sflminigp.com

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a motorsports event organizer who wants more participants or attendees, your marketing and operations may be in need of a revamp. I help evaluate where you're at, develop a customized strategy, implement the tasks and assess the results. So if you're serious about getting more support, let's work together. Visit HighGearSuccess.com to get started. 

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you're a racer looking to show sponsors how you can bring value to their company, visit HighGearSuccess.com to view services offered by High Gear Success for racers. 

Support the show

-------------------------------------

Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast, powered by High Gear Success

👉 Want to connect or recommend a guest? Visit: MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for more motorsports stories and strategies

📸 Follow @MomentumMotorsportsPodcast on Instagram + Facebook