Conversations with Big Rich

Send us Fan Mail Some people quietly make an impact on an industry, others do it with a big splash. We’d like to introduce you to the Quiet Man, Ben Bower, making a ripple through off-road since the 1970’s. Gold medals and chrome are his M.O., but so is listening – learn why it matters. 3:34 – there’s lots of time to think with a ShopSmith   6:19 – making surfboards to get through the month 9:22–...

Send us Fan Mail We’re celebrating our one-year anniversary on Conversations with Big Rich with a release of the first episode of Season 2 – Episode 52 features Thomas Kingston of Spidertrax fame. Thom Kingston, self-professed, highly competitive, problem-solver, shares all-things Spidertrax, from Birfield rings to Spider 9’s and how one led to the next. An authentic conversation with a true mover...

Send us Fan Mail Big Willy Jeep builder, Burner, and flatfender enthusiast Ian Liljeblad shares life in Arizona and how one gets started building a 2:1 rig. Caution: serious fab skills are involved! From a history of learning from the best, Ian has built some cool rigs. 4:12 – early influences   7:54 – the Impala from beginning to end 14:34– really happy I’m a Jeep guy, not a Scout guy 17:31 –met...

Send us Fan Mail Off-road innovator and industry leader, Pat Gremillion, shares stories from his 30 years in off-road. Seller of Premier Power Welder and PullPal, Pat brings a wealth of knowledge and good cheer to our podcast. Listen in as we present Episode 50 with Pat and Big Rich. 2:39 – growing up with a junkyard   6:13 – I’ve always loved welding 7:56– the beginning of off-road 9:59 –my fathe...

Send us Fan Mail Forty-seven years in any industry makes you an expert, in drivelines, that makes you Jim Reel.  Listen in on Episode 49 as Jim takes Big Rich through the intricacies of drivelines and why we see failures. Hint:  it’s not the driveline.  This is a very informative interview with news you need to hear – including how to measure your replacement driveline. www.reeldriveline.com   3:0...

Send us Fan Mail The most positive woman in off-road, Trail Mom, Barbara Rainey joins us for Episode 48. This episode is long on story, from Reno Rock to the Off-Road Hall of Fame.  Innovation and grit at its finest. Barbara’s interview tells a bigger story, though, we all have to get involved in preserving our stories.  The Off-Road Hall of Fame is a great place to start. Get involved with a part...

Send us Fan Mail BFGoodrich has had a remarkable program for years supporting racers, especially in Baja.  Listen in as Rich talks with Richard Winchester about all things BFG.  Richard was at the start of the program and gives some great insight into how they built up Baja and why.  3:14 – Sliding into the cornfield  5:38 – then Uncle Sam sent me an invite for a visit to Korea 8:13– don’t wake th...

Send us Fan Mail Are you ready for an education? Raceline’s Greg Mulkey has more knowledge about tires and wheels than anyone we know. Take a trip down memory lane with Greg and Rich as they share some rad knowledge about the industry. It’s impressive 2:29 – Greg as a little whippersnapper  3:23 – selling a box of tear-offs got me a job 7:09 – I was on a mission 12:33 – a beadlock just on the righ...

Send us Fan Mail Modified Stock Champion, Announcer, fabricator, and all-around good guy, Jake Good, of Kansas City joins Rich for a reminder of what family means.  Another family man teaching his kids about rock crawling and the family you choose. Listen in to hear Jake’s journey to rock crawling. 2:17 – I’ve lived 97% of my life on the same piece of property  7:57 – A rear engine mower led to ro...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for a few laughs with Eric Filar, jokester extraordinaire. Rich and Eric talk about so much history, building Sniper, racing Baja, working at Motive Gear.  All good stuff with a lot of insight and history. We thought it was a great time to release this episode with KOH going on.  Eric is the master behind these two masterpieces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsnFZDdG5bo...

Send us Fan Mail The elusive Harry Wagner, he’s here in the heart of off-road, and then he’s off finding unexploded bombs in places the rest of us would never think to look.  I’m glad there are geophysicists, like Harry, out there looking!  With an early history in the Jeep market, Harry has moved through many vehicles through his editorial marching orders. Today he drives a Tundra and an F150 mos...

Send us Fan Mail Not quite a return from the dead, but close, too damn close.  Our guest today, Kevin Carey, suffered a hemorrhagic stroke in December of 2017. He’s had a long road of recovery, but the future is bright. Kevin shares his history of wheeling, the Rubicon, and military life with us on this episode of Conversations with Big Rich.  5:20 – part of the BMX craze 7:59 – Protecting the big...

Send us Fan Mail Family life dominates this week’s guest, Doug Bigelow, as he raises boys to be as driven as he has always been. An intense competitor on the course, but fun-lovin’ round the campfire, Doug shares life in Maryland, football, future plans and life at home with us.  4:34 – I thought I was king of the world 6:21 – Lessons from the field 9:29 –I thought criminology was going to be my p...

Send us Fan Mail Trail Boss Jacquelyne “Bebe” White takes us through running Hummers on the trail. Together with land use and our need to pay attention, Bebe shares her history as our first land use guest on the podcast. She brings a wealth of experience to the trail and to the Calls-to-Action we need to keep our trails open.  3:08 – the first Hummer purchase 4:36 – “oh, no, Miss Hummer” 6:27 – le...

Send us Fan Mail Clayton Walters is an industry icon, building Clayton Off-Road from the ground up. He is the name in long-arm kits.  Listen to his story and how it began and where it’s headed next. There’s a lot of laughs with a guy like Clayton.. 3:22 – always had a knack with mechanical stuff 6:26 – lifting Grand Cherokees, “it’s just terrible” 9:48 – I’ll build this for $1500, but I gotta have...

Send us Fan Mail Making shifting great again, Rory DesJardin, from RADesigns joins us to share info on his products and business and the path he has been on to make it a success.  Get to know Rory as we have these last couple of seasons. 1:47 – getting started with motorcycles 4:23 – gotta have the right tires 11:22 – first-generation shifter for my Toyota 13:36 – The Shifter Guy 17:14 – my career...

Send us Fan Mail The most revolutionary car in rockcrawling history is undoubtedly, Tiny.  Today we interview, Jon Bundrant, the driver Tiny was built around. John won 18 events in two years in the early days with this incredible car, then went on to off-road industry fame with All-Pro Offroad.  Catch up with Jon in this episode. 3:21 – history of racing goes back a long way, Arizona state champ i...

Send us Fan Mail The 2021 WE Rock schedule just released, Big Rich brings you another new competitor's perspective on competitive rockcrawling.  Hear Jason Childs talk about his journey to get started, why he choose to jump straight into the Unlimited class, and what it is really like.  If you are interested in competing, check out the rules on www.werocklive.com ; the schedule and call if yo...

Send us Fan Mail New competitor to WE Rock, Jeff Houser, shares what it is like to start. You know, when you are new to a sport how you are excited and nervous and learning your car…Jeff describes his first season, the ups and downs.   The 2021 WE Rock season schedule just released, if you’re thinking about competing in rockcrawling this next season, listen up, hear the emotion, imagine yourself i...

Send us Fan Mail Media mogul, Fred Williams, having successfully migrated from Print to Video shares some insights on how to tell a story on Episode 34 of Conversations with Big Rich.  From the farm to four-wheel drives, Fred continues to “cross-pollinate”  the off-road industry as he explores more Dirt Every Day. 3:46 – What makes a Jeep most like a tractor? 8:03 – YouTube is the modern day servi...

Send us Fan Mail The Godfather of competitive rockcrawling, the man behind the idea, Phil Howell, shares life on the road as an award-winning DJ, a magazine editor, and the leader of the band.  Phil’s stories showcase a piece of Americana that few rarely see.  Go back in time with us as this whole crazy off-road world, as we know it today, was just getting started. 6:00 – A description of Baja in...

Send us Fan Mail OG rockcrawler turned desert racer, Mike Shaffer, joins us for Episode 32.  There’s some great stories in here!  From stuffing the back of a trophy truck at 70+ miles an hour to driving through Ensenada with only three wheels.  Catch up with one of the originals. 4:18 – “If it doesn’t have a motor, it’s not a sport.” 6:26 –  New kid on the Rubicon breaking Birfields  11:11 – the l...

Send us Fan Mail Super-spotter Randall Davis from Team Lasernut and Axial Racing joins us for a look at his career at Axial and the 2020 season as East and West champion at WE Rock.  Coming off a great season and a great weekend at  Lasertown, we got tired Randall to spend time with us.  Enjoy. 3:47 – From Boring to Outdoors 6:43 – Kimmie from the fourth grade  14:05 – getting started wheeling 16:...

Send us Fan Mail Fresh from their win at the Rebelle Rally, Team Blondetourage, Kaleigh Miller and Teralin Petereit join me for our first three person interview.  Kaleigh and Teralin are not new to off-road, both have lots of different events under their belts, but the Rebelle has been their place to shine.  With three firsts, a second and a third between them.  Listen in and learn just a little m...

Send us Fan Mail Rebelle Rally founder, Rod Hall prodigy, media and marketing guru – Emily Miller, joins us just 24 hours after the close of the last basecamp of the 2020 Rebelle Rally.  That’s commitment.  We get some insight into the background of one of the most powerful women in off-road.  Join us for some great takeaways in perseverance. 3:46 – The similarities between skiing and driving off-...