Momentum: A Motorsports Podcast

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For nearly a decade, Mikey Waynes has been the comedic voice that fans associate with the energy, excitement, and heart of GNCC Racing. His quick wit and genuine passion for storytelling have made him one of the most recognizable voices not only in GNCC, but also in Pro Motocross, Loretta Lynn’s, Mini O’s, and beyond.

But behind the humor and race-day energy is a story of transformation. Mikey’s journey didn’t begin on a bike -- it started on a comedy stage. What began as a passion for stand-up evolved into an unexpected career behind the mic, where his love for people and storytelling found a new home at the track. Over time, that role became much more than announcing -- it became an outlet.

In this heartfelt conversation, host Heather Wilson Schiltz sits down with Mikey to talk about his path from local off-road events to national broadcasts, how racing gave him purpose during some of life’s most challenging moments, and what it means to step back from GNCC announcing after nine incredible years.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How a stand-up comedy background prepared Mikey for live race announcing
• The hilarious story of how his wife (a 30-second card girl) led him into motorsports
• What it’s like to call a GNCC race when you can’t actually see the action
• Behind-the-scenes chaos of a typical race weekend and how announcers stay on cue
• Funny “hot mic” mishaps and the nerves that come with live broadcasting
• Emotional race moments — from Walker Fowler’s comeback to Kailub Russell’s 2025 John Penton win
• How racing gave Mikey purpose through a challenging time in his life
• The importance of mental health and community within the racing world
• Why now was the right time to step back from GNCC and what comes next for him

📲 Connect with Mikey Waynes

Instagram: @mikeywaynes

Facebook: Mikey Waynes

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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From college football player to professional sportbike freestyle rider, Ian Gaines has built a career that blends athletic discipline, creativity and showmanship. In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz talks with Ian about how a chance encounter in a Nashville parking lot changed the course of his life and how he’s stayed at the top of his game for nearly two decades.

They dive into everything from bike setup and training routines to performing through injury, building sponsor relationships, and balancing family life with a demanding travel schedule. Ian also shares what drives him to keep learning, performing, and inspiring the next generation of riders.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How Ian transitioned from football to freestyle riding and what hooked him instantly
• His intense daily routine balancing fitness, training and fatherhood
• Why setup and precision are everything for professional stunt riders
• The mental toughness behind performing live shows (even with broken legs)
• His philosophy on sponsorships, professionalism and brand partnerships
• How his family supports and shares his passion for motorcycles
• The story behind the Gaines family YouTube channel, The Gainesters
• What’s next for Ian as he evolves from full-time rider to mentor and media creator

📲 Connect with Ian Gaines on Instagram and YouTube

🌐 Learn more at IanGaines.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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What’s it like to juggle school, siblings and a stacked race schedule at just 11 years old? In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz chats with rising star Cole Peterman and his mom, Kristen, about life behind the scenes of youth roadracing. Cole races in the South Florida MiniGP and WERA series and already has multiple wins and championships under his belt.

From managing race-day nerves to wild battles on the track with friends, Cole shares what he’s learned on (and off) the track. 

Kristen gives a candid look at what it takes to support a young racer, including the chaos of her and her husband, Nick, hauling four kids, a dog, and a trailer full of motorcycles around the Southeast. If you’ve ever wondered how kids get started in roadracing, or what it’s like to be a motorsports parent with no racing background, this episode delivers.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Cole’s first race experience
• How he stays calm during a packed race day
• Friends, rivalries and crashes
• Cole's favorite track to compete at
• His mom’s perspective on managing family and a busy racing schedule
• Advice for parents who want to get their kids into racing
• Cole’s goals for the rest of the season and beyond
• A science fair project focused on tire pressure and temperature

📲 Connect with Cole Peterman on Instagram: @PetermanRacing

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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Keith Willcome, Manager of Product Strategy and Business Development at Bridgestone Motorcycle, joins host Heather Wilson Schiltz to break down tire development, technology and performance. From his early days as a field engineer to overseeing product strategy across North America, Keith shares how rider feedback, testing, and racing all shape the rubber that keeps us rolling.

Whether you’re riding motocross, trails or street, this episode will help you better understand tire construction, pressure tips, and what truly sets a high-performance tire apart. Plus, Keith gives a peek at his personal dirtbike collection and why he still loves riding old-school bikes like his ’88 KTM.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How rider input shapes tire design and development at Bridgestone
• Understanding tire compound, carcass construction and tread pattern
• Tips for changing tires: how proper lubrication of the bead and the rim will make your life so much easier
• Bridgestone’s testing: Ulitmat Eye technology and Formula 1/MotoGP heritage
• How pro racing tech trickles down into tires for everyday riders
• Keith’s mechanical engineering background and career longevity at Bridgestone Motorcycle
• Proper tire storage tips for winter or long-term downtime
• Keith’s favorite dirtbikes and why he’s eyeing an AHRMA race

📲 Connect with Keith Willcome on Instagram

🌐 Learn more about Bridgestone:

• Website: BridgestoneMotorcycleTires.com
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

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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After a 22-year of professional career in ATV motocross, Chad Wienen officially closed out his racing career in 2025 with eight AMA Pro ATV Motocross National Championships, 67 career wins, and six appearances representing Team USA at the FIM Quadcross of Nations.

In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz talks with Chad about what it took to stay competitive for more than two decades, his mindset through injuries and pressure, and the unique experience of racing for the U.S. team on foreign soil. 

Chad also shares insights on sponsorship relationships, the evolution of ATV technology, and what comes next as he transitions from full-time racer to mentor and coach, plus more time as a family man.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How it felt to officially say goodbye to professional racing
• The discipline, motivation, and mental toughness required to stay at a championship level
• How ATV technology and track design have evolved since his rookie days
• Building his Wienen Motorsports program through the years
• The bike setup challenges the U.S. team faced in the Netherlands at Quadcross of Nations
• His approach to sponsorship and keeping partners year after year
• Advice for up-and-coming racers on professionalism and communication
• What he hopes his legacy will be for the next generation of ATV racers
• How he plans to stay connected to the sport through coaching and mentoring
• The father-son projects and downtime he’s most looking forward to next

📲 Connect with Chad Wienen on Instagram or Facebook

🌐 Learn more at WienenMotorsports.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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From racing a ’32 Ford Roadster in Australia to operating one of the most legendary events in motorcycling, Delvene Reber has spent over two decades shaping the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials. In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz sits down with Delvene to talk about what it takes to run the AMA Land Speed Grand Championship, also known as Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials, on the ever-changing Utah salt flats.

You’ll hear how her background in education and event planning prepared her for the unique challenges of promoting a world-record-eligible event, the evolution of salt conditions over time, and why Bonneville is still one of the last truly open-access motorcycle competitions around.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How Delvene went from a hot rod–loving family in Australia to organizing land speed racing on the salt in America
• The intense planning and logistics behind building a racecourse in the middle of nowhere
• How record-setting runs are timed and what it takes to get an AMA or FIM-certified record
• Why Delvene calls Bonneville “the slowest fastest racing in the world”
• The thrill of witnessing the astonishing speeds that racers are clocking
• A culture that fosters camaraderie -- even between rivals
• Fitting racers inside streamliners that are only 22 inches wide
• How the salt itself has become one of the biggest opponents to record‑breaking speeds -- insight into conditions through the decades
• Why Bonneville’s pit area is one of the most welcoming and accessible in motorsports
• Ways to get involved as a spectator, volunteer or land speed racer

📲 Connect with Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials:

•  BonnevilleMST.com
•  Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials on Facebook
• FIM Land Speed Records: fim-moto.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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From grassroots motorcycle rides to nationwide corporate partnerships, Ride for Kids has been making a charitable impact for over 40 years. In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz sits down with Alissa Karas, Director of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising at the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF), to explore how the powersports community has raised more than $70 million to fight the deadliest form of childhood cancer: brain cancer.

They discuss the legacy of Ride for Kids, why adding a charitable component to motorsports events is a win-win for organizers and the community, and practical tips for anyone looking to get started in fundraising, whether you’re an individual rider, a local club, or a major brand.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation started in the motorcycle industry and grew into a national nonprofit
• The 41-year legacy of Ride for Kids and the $70 million riders have raised for research and family support
• Honda, Comoto, Progressive, and other powersports leaders setting the standard for corporate giving
• Creative, family-friendly ways that Ride for Kids engages families they support at races and community events
• Best practices for integrating charity into your motorsports event and why it matters for PR
• Easy fundraising tools, software and ideas to help riders and organizers get started
• Why storytelling and personal connection are key to successful fundraising
• How to evaluate charities with resources like Charity Navigator before donating
• The vision for Ride for Kids and the role of the next generation of riders in continuing the mission

📲 Connect with Alissa Karas and PBTF

• Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation: curethekids.org
• Ride for Kids: rideforkids.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rideforkids
• Instagram: @RideforKids

✅ Want More Resources?

Check out High Gear Success' Fuel For Thought training for motorsports event organizers on Generating Positive PR

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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What started as a small Etsy shop making custom moto tees has transformed into a standout lifestyle brand in the motorsports world. In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz sits down with Kelsey McNeil, owner and founder of Strictly Wild, to talk about what it takes to build a business that’s both creatively fulfilling and operationally sustainable.

Kelsey opens up about her evolution from pressing shirts at home to managing a full-scale warehouse of multiple product lines with a dedicated team. She shares how burnout, design theft, and mental fatigue pushed her to step back, reassess and ultimately relaunch under a bold new brand identity. Through all the challenges, Kelsey has stayed true to her vision: creating products that not only look good, but mean something to the people wearing them.

From the creative spark behind new designs to her relentless focus on quality, community and customer experience, this conversation offers insight into what it means to grow a lifestyle brand that truly resonates.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The evolution from D8 Apparel and Just Ride Customs to founding Strictly Wild
• How burnout, design theft and mental exhaustion led Kelsey to pivot and rebuild
• How Strictly Wild built a loyal customer base through authenticity and quality standards
• Kelsey’s product development process: from initial ideas to hands-on testing, supplier sampling and real-world customer feedback
• Products that unexpectedly became bestsellers
• Upcoming product launches, including riding gear and more pajama drops
• What it means to create a lifestyle brand that sparks connection at the track—and beyond

📲 Connect with Kelsey McNeil on Instagram

🌐 Learn more about Strictly Wild:

• Website: StrictlyWildCo.com
• Instagram: @strictlywildco
• TikTok: @strictlywild
• Facebook: Strictly Wild
• VIP Group: Strictly Wild VIP

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

From track days at Loudon Speedway to solo moto adventures, Annick Magac has built a brand and podcast that showcases her approach to living fiercely. In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz chats with Annick about launching FÉROCE Podcast years after the idea came to mind and how her YouTube audience has helped to shape her content.

They also dive into riding Harleys for the first time, brand design strategy, showing up on camera even when you don’t feel perfect, and the joy in unexpected moto friendships.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Why Annick sat on her podcast idea for 6+ years (and what finally made her start)
• Her journey from vintage bikes to roadracing
• What it’s like growing a podcast and YouTube channel from scratch
• Riding a variety of motorcycles to learn what you like
• Motorcycle culture insights: unspoken rules and how different backgrounds influence people's opinions and actions
• Developing the FÉROCE brand
• How YouTube comments reveal just how different each rider’s lens can be
• Embracing imperfection on camera and letting go of perfectionism as a creator
• How motorcycle events help to create community 
• Sharing stories on the FÉROCE podcast: "MotoGo Cleveland" program by Skidmark Garage

📲 Connect with Annick Magac on Instagram 

🌐 Learn more about FÉROCEon YouTube or connect on Instagram

🎧 Listen to the episode of FÉROCE where Heather was a guest 

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

As co-founder/owner of Wild Ass Motorcycle Seats, host of the Wild Ass PodcASSt, and self-described “guy who did a long-distance ride,” Craig Johnson joins host Heather Wilson Schiltz to talk about building a recognizable brand and what the Hoka Hey Challenge taught him about preparation, grit and focus.

Craig has heard stories of riders who thought their days on two wheels were over until a Wild Ass cushion gave them back their freedom. From a young woman recovering from a devastating crash to a Spyder rider in a wheelchair finding his way back on the road, these moments fuel Craig’s passion to keep innovating. 

In this episode, he shares how feedback from riders shapes the product, why vending at motorcycle rallies is key to connecting with customers, and how a simple seat cushion has made a life-changing difference for so many.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How riding minibikes and racing locally led Craig into his first dealership job (and the pitch that got him hired)
• Launching Wild Ass: a lawsuit, a business partner’s health fight and fully taking the reins in 2019
• How the name “Wild Ass” came to be
• Vending at Daytona Bike Week, Arizona Bike Week, Americade, the BMW Rally, Sturgis Motorcycle Week, Milwaukee’s Homecoming, Bikes Blues & BBQ, and more
• The tech in the cushions: interconnected air cells 
• Customer stories that stick: from a young rider with a smashed pelvis to a Spyder rider in a wheelchair getting back on the road
• The Wild Ass PodcASSt: sharing riders’ stories, pausing during a busy season, and gearing up to record again
• Riding 10,293 miles in 11 days 9 hours during the Hoka Hey Challenge 
• Entrepreneurship talk: shedding distractions, handling stress, and treating setbacks as lessons—not failures

📲 Connect with Craig Johnson on Instagram

🌐 Learn more about Wild Ass

• Website: Wild-Ass.com
• Wild Ass on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

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