"Let's Be RONest" with Ron Bergenholtz

From open-wheel racing and rallycross to Monster Jam and Formula Drift, Collete Davis has built a career by refusing to stay in one lane. Collete takes Ron through the journey that started with a simple go-kart experience and turned into a lifelong pursuit of speed. She shares how she hustled her way through a mechanical engineering race program, made the difficult decision to leave the traditiona...

Fresh off a strong showing at Long Beach and a frustrating qualifying result at Road Atlanta, Ben breaks down the mental side of competition, why overthinking can cost you everything, and how he's learned to turn setbacks into lessons. Ron and Ben dive into the early days, from discovering drifting in Florida and learning in an automatic Mustang to building his first 240SX on a budget and cha...

Season 2 of Let’s Be RONest kicks off with Rob Dahm, the guy behind some of the wildest rotary builds out there. From being scared of loud engines as a kid to chasing world records and building a 1000+ horsepower RX-7, Rob breaks down how curiosity, not just passion, shaped everything he does. What started with computers and Guinness World Records turned into an obsession with speed, engineering,...

In Episode 7 of Let’s Be RONest, host Ron Bergenholtz sits down with drag racer, ARCA competitor, pilot, and Freedom Factory owner Cleetus McFarland for a wide open conversation inside McFarland Fab.                                                                                                                                                                                 Fresh off a 261 mph pass...

In Episode 6 of Let’s Be RONest, host Ron Bergenholtz sits down with Florida-based invasive-species hunter and outdoorsman Mike Kimmel, better known as Python Cowboy. From solo python hunts in the Everglades to close calls with massive Burmese pythons, Mike shares what it takes to remove some of the most dangerous invasive predators in North America. The conversation dives into how pythons behave,...

In Episode 5 of Let’s Be RONest, host Ron Bergenholtz sits down with automotive creator, fabricator, and all-around motorsports mad scientist Taylor Ray. From drifting, clutch kickers, and mountain roads to jet boats ripping through Florida back rivers, Taylor’s obsession with building and driving anything with an engine runs deep. The conversation dives into why he insists on building his own car...

In Episode 4 of Let’s Be Ronest, host Ron Bergenholtz talks with Jacob Gettin — the newest voice of Formula Drift and Drift Masters. Jacob’s path is anything but typical: he went from aspiring architect to chef, spent years working in concrete, and somehow ended up announcing on some of drifting’s biggest stages. Ron and Jacob dig into how those pivots happened, what it’s like sharing the booth wi...

Ron Bergenholtz sits down with Team RTR’s powerhouse duo: Vaughn Gittin Jr. and James Deane, first five-time Formula Drift Champion. In this episode, they dive into their racing roots, share stories from the track, and talk about how their paths in drifting crossed—leading to one of the most exciting collaborations in modern motorsports. From championship mindsets to behind-the-scenes camaraderie,...

Ron Bergenholtz talks to none other than his brother, Ed Bergenholtz. Not only does Ed lead the IT team at Skydance, but he and Ron headed up Bergenholtz Racing back when they were just getting started in the 90s. They go deep into import drag racing history and tell some incredible stories of coming to age during the era of imports in So Cal. Plus, we get some insight into running your own race t...

On the premiere episode of Let’s Be RONest, Ron Bergenholtz talks to Director of Operations at Formula Drift, Andy Luk. They discuss the ins & outs of FD including what it takes to compete and win, who’s the greatest drifter of all time, how Formula Drift became what it is today and what we may see in the future of FD. Listen to Let’s Be RONest brought to you by Nitto streaming or subscribe to...

With over 30 years of experience in the world of racing—from sport compact drag racing championships to coaching Formula Drift teams to victory—Ron Bergenholtz has seen it all. Now, he’s pulling up a chair for real conversations about cars, racing, and life at large. The first episode of Let's be RONest brought to you by Nitto Tire drops October 9 , right here and wherever you listen to podca...