Conversations with Big Rich

Send us Fan Mail Rounding out our trio of Farmington celebs is RJ Brown. The older of the Brown brothers, RJ brings a wealth of knowledge of the early days of rockcrawling and the characters involved. Listen in for some fun with RJ. 4:06 – we didn’t have any big city problems then 7:58 – the start of my motorsports type stuff 11:54 – I worked at a junkyard for free on Saturdays to get parts 14:17...

Send us Fan Mail Are you driver enough? OG course designer, Phil Collard, talks course setting philosophy with Big Rich. It’s interesting to hear how the original ARCA designer set courses. Phil’s had a long, full life since then.  Join us to learn more. 5:55 – I saw them help more people with problems 9:26 – how did you get started setting courses? 13:38 – how did you set courses? 18:55 – it was...

Send us Fan Mail Talk about being born into the sport!  Richard (Rick) Jenkins has almost forty years experience and he just turned 40 this year.  A player in the 4 Corners area, Rick has been instrumental in elevating Chokecherry Canyon and the Farmington area into the iconic wheeling area it is. Stick around and learn more of his history, from being in the crib in the back of an International Sc...

Send us Fan Mail Eighty years of adrenaline isn’t slowing Jack Bettio down. Join us on Episode 75 for a look back at the early years of rockcrawling. Jack has some gems in here.  East coast driver knows all the good guys. 4:52 – the alternate runway for the space shuttle is 14 miles long 9:06 – I was teaching for GM, but didn’t want to travel to teach 11:10 – might as well do this legal like 16:29...

Send us Fan Mail Helluva nice guy, Matt Hodges, shares the richness of life on Episode 74. You know him from Red Neck Ram and West Texas Off Road, but there is much more to the story. From his love of family and travel to his redneck engineering and the soft spot he holds for those less abled, meeting Matt on the trail is one of life’s pleasures. 3:10 – the Hodges’ Family Zoo 6:51 – driving on the...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes you meet people in the industry and “think” you know their story. This one surprised me. Fifty years of hotrods, over 20 published books, training at the highest levels and all this before off-road became what we knew him for.  Don Alexander has a storied past, listen in and enjoy. 3:34 – go carts at age 11l 5:52 – always pushing the RPM limits 13:57 – professor changed...

Send us Fan Mail There’s no grass growing under her feet, that’s for sure!  Owner of TorqMasters Industries, Cora Jokinen, shares the divergent path that got her to the place she’s at today. But she’s not done yet!  TorqMasters releases a new product every two months, Cora is involved with SEMA, competes in the Rebelle, and is building the space she aspires to own. With her architectural backgroun...

Send us Fan Mail A man who takes his hobbies seriously, from welder to fabricator to three-gun shooting to RC cars and back again.  Jason Conover, Snort Clown to those in the know, of the PNW is back on the block tending to unfinished business in Episode 71. 6:12 – I was not into any of the social networks 9:40 – there was nowhere to spend your money 12:19 – that’s when the four-wheeling bug kinda...

Send us Fan Mail From Monster Truck lover to world-class buggy fabricator, Jesse Haines tells his history in fabrication and rock crawling.  His focus and drive have brought him to the pinnacle of his career with his family and friends cheering him on. If anyone can “figure it out” it’s Jesse Haines. 4:13 – my goal in life was to own a Monster Truck 9:22 – we had some Epic Fights 12:04 – by the ti...

Send us Fan Mail Marketing and Sales Director at SCORE, Jim Ryan, previously publisher at Dirt Sports and various Peterson publications gives us some insight into how a driven young man has put eyes on so much media over the years. From Cycle News to SCORE, and the ups in between. 4:06 – Cycle News, the internet of Motorcycle Motorsports World 7:16 – Senior project was to sell myself 10:28 – getti...

Send us Fan Mail Powerful words. Tom Campbell from Ohio joins us for Episode 68. Tom is a rockcrawler from wayback, but also a Chaplain for Racers for Christ. He shares his history with the Navy, Veterinarian, rockcrawling, missionary work, and the life-altering accident from just four years ago. 10:34 – my daughter says I’m spreading a disease 14:02 – we modified our three speeds to be mountain b...

Send us Fan Mail Founder of many things, including the Ladies Offroad Network, Charlene Bower, shares her colorful history in off-road. Included are the highs and the lows and a lot of personal history between Big Rich and Charlene. It’s a great listen. 4:19 – I had the coolest van in high school – metallic blue 6:47 – my coach said No dirt bikes 12:27 – I’ve got a couple of ATC 70’s that are all...

Send us Fan Mail Spend some time with Ben Falkner, President of Teraflex and learn more about their almost 70-year history and the innovative line of products for all your Jeep styles.   3:55 – Growing up in Manti, the best small town experience 8:07 – I loved dinking around with Jeeps 9:04 – Grandpa started MEPCO in the 50’s 12:28 – the start of Teraflex 14:46 – it was worse than factory! 17:16 –...

Send us Fan Mail OG Rockcrawler Steve Nantz of Sandhollow Offroad joins us in Episode 65.  Steve’s career has taken him all over the west, many know him from his 16 years at Moab 4x4 Outpost and the outstanding service we all received there.  Now at the burgeoning mecca of Sand Hollow, Steve still offers outstanding service. 3:29 – I BMX’d a lot, sponsored rider for Kuwahara 4:45 – started off-roa...

Send us Fan Mail Disco Derek West spills on family, racing, opportunities, and why he’s retired now. A twenty-year career with over 100 wins in all elements of off-road, Derek has always been a wheelman. He can drive anything and podium.  3:54 – Four wheelers started the driving bug 9:03 –my very first race is a holeshot race and everyone’s wrecking! 14:07 – John Lloyd was the one who got me into...

Send us Fan Mail The dynamic duo, Randy Kruse and Shain Chapman, from K2 in Mason, Texas join us for Episode 63.  Wheeling buddies and business partners for over 20 years, Shain and Randy talk about the different properties, K1 and K2; how they got here, and what’s in store for the future of wheeling in Texas. It’s a great listen with lots of laughs amongst these old friends. 3:02 – you’re going t...

Send us Fan Mail The little brother brings a whole lot of history of his own. Casey Scherer doesn’t really roll in his brothers shadow, more like on a parallel path. Casey spends time with Rich talking about the moves he’s made, his racing history and his plan to live his best life ever.  I’ll never forget meeting him in Arizona after a Spring Training game and the fun that ensued. 4:09 – we were...

Send us Fan Mail I always think of Trent McGee as a magazine guy, and that’s certainly how he got his start – but listen in to see what else he’s been up to in his 20+ year career in off-road. Ultimate Adventure, Superlift TV, there’s lots of great stuff packed in this episode. 4:40 – early days developed my love for the desert 7:06 – everything just stings, sticks, or bites 8:27 – theater set the...

Send us Fan Mail This is a must-listen episode!  Clay Egan was paralyzed at age 22; started rockcrawling at age 32; became a full-time motivational speaker at age 37. If you’ve ever struggled with life, with circumstances, with your future, this is one episode you need to hear. The power of prayer, positivity, and healing is strong with this one.    3:20 – Utah, the most amazing state on the plane...

Send us Fan Mail Energetic, friendly, and knowledgeable describes Jeep enthusiast Jim Horne as he joins us for Episode 59 to share how a kid graduated from a Missouri high school ends up in Pahrump, Nevada (for now). Lots of stories and laughs along the way with his strong, beautiful wife, Barb.  2:56 – since I was born I’ve been around everything Jeep-wise  8:14 – I don’t know if I maybe had ange...

Send us Fan Mail What do yellow hats, gas tanks, Jeeps, and bicycle parts have in common?  Tony Pellegrino and Genright.  Tony is the founder of Genright, a company now supplying thousands of SKUs for your Jeep, listen to how it began with a gas tank.  Lots of personal history in this one with Tony and his family, Debbie, Jamie and Jordan.  Names you know in the industry. 4:37 – My parents sent us...

Send us Fan Mail Can you say driven? The preeminent spotter of the rockcrawling world, Chris Poblano joins us on Conversations with Big Rich. Chris talks about the differences of spotting for different rockcrawlers over the last two decades – Tony K., Brent Bradshaw, Olivia Messer, and currently Jesse Haines. It’s a good listen. 5:17 – I wanted to be Magnum P.I.  9:46 – Mom picked us up from schoo...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 56 of Conversations with Big Rich is part two of an exceptional interview with Bob Bower.  If you haven’t met Bob, read what Ron Stobaugh had to say about him on the occasion of his 75th birthday.   “Off Road Hall Of Fame. Racers Racer. Marketing Professional. Trainer of the Tire Pros. Most of my friends know these accolades as related to Bob. Many don't know he may o...

Send us Fan Mail The author of the BFG pits program, co-driver extraordinaire, off-road legend Bob Bower shares insights into his early days. Bob is a practiced speaker, Rich and Bob had such a great interview, we split it into two episodes. This is part one. 5:13 – earliest memories were reading MotorTrend and a feature article on Bill Stroppe’s teams on the PanAmerican rally   7:32 – learned to...

Send us Fan Mail Making a big impact on the tire scene, Maxxis National Director of Sales, Brad Williams talks about his hobby job at Maxxis in Motorsports. Automotive and Light Truck Tires is what he really does, but thank goodness he had time in his schedule to attend a rock crawl.  It changed the path of history for many drivers and event series, including WE Rock. 3:42 – second generation tire...