The Avants Podcast

If you're looking for that perfect finishing touch for your car, then prepare to be a fan of Daniel Chae and his company, Formawerx. Formawerx creates keys for cars, but not just simple replacements. Think of Formawerx keys as like buying a luxury watch for your car, and once you see them you're going to want one. This was no accident though, Daniel took his success from working and designing at O...

On this special episode of the Avants Podcast we get to catch up with Betim Berisha, owner and creator of BBI Autosport. Three years ago, on episode 95, we got to talk to Betim about his start here in the Pacific Northwest where he grew up with John Kleven, owner of Metropolitan Detail, and working with our friends over at Park Place Motors. In this episode Betim discusses building incredible Pike...

This week we talk with Ezekiel Wheeler, the head of Auto Conduct. Ezekiel gives a long overdue fresh approach to car shows and a car storage facility, with an appreciation for all things automotive that those of us at Avants can certainly align with. Auto Conduct takes a fresh, artistic take on car shows that differentiates them from the standard “cars and coffee” we’ve all grown a little bored wi...

Did you know the best time for a road trip in the US is the last 2 weeks of September? That means it's time to start planning your next adventure and we're here to help you do it. Dan and Nick talk about their favorite road trip adventures, share a few tips and tricks, and remind you that Drive Everything isn't just the Avants motto, it's a way of life! 

We put out the ask to find someone who could really clear up the click-bait headlines and talk to us about EV batteries, charging, power grid problems, recycling, and more on EVs and Chad Maglaque really stepped up the plate. Chad in PNW native who moved down to Texas to start ReCell EV, one of the few companies tackling replacing and repairing EV batteries outside of the dealers. He is wealth of...

This week we got to speak with Fabryce Kutyba about the leading racewear brand in the motorsports industry, Alpinestars! More than just a guy who sells motorsports gear, Fabryce is and has always been a major gearhead with connections to Aplina, GMG, and much more. He's a racer to the core, has great taste in cars, and has some great stories from a lifetime in motorsports. On top of all that, he's...

This week we got to speak with Michael Honn of STEK USA all about protection film and the many differences. This isn't just some ad for STEK though, Michael rallies, rides, off-roads, and drives everything just like the rest of us. He's a real enthusiast with a passion for motorsports and the STEK products he believes in. Come meet Michael and see the STEK demos at Avantsfest, August 6th!! 

Here on the podcast we're not shy about admitting we are long time fans of the Griots. We don't just mean the products, we actually like the Griots family and all the work they do. This time we talk with Phillip Griot who is running Griots Motors. Griots Motors offers car restoration, sales and consignment, storage, and detailing, all at the level you'd expect from a name like Griots. Listen in an...

When Jake decided his International Scout restomod build didn't turn out the way he wanted, he decided to something we all wish we could; build it the way he wanted himself. Jake started Bulletproof Restorations out of a bit of spite and took restomodding Internationals to a new level providing LS swaps for proper power, next level interior upgrades, and full frame off restorations and upgrades. W...

This week we talk to Evan Zema! We've known Evan for quite a while as a car collection manager, but now he is working with our long time friend in Hagerty in their very exclusive Radius program. This isn't an ad for Hagerty though, Evan is a serious enthusiast with boosted E30 325i he built himself, and much like us, likes all things with an engine or motor.

No one who runs into Natasha is going to call her boring. When every car you have is a project car you're not going to have a lot of dull moments on or off the road. Natasha takes the term "project car" to new heights with her off-road built Lexus LS400, but that's not all of course. Listen as she tells us all about herself and her many very fun projects. 

I don't know what you were doing at 19, but we sure weren't racing Lamborghinis for a living like Bryson Lew. Add on to that he's full time student, a black belt, plays piano, and helps coach our friends at Flying Husky Racing, and you could say he's got his life together better than most of us do even now in full mid-life crisis mode. Bryson tells us what it takes to pilot some of the most exciti...

Karen knows her stuff. Not only does she race some of the toughest cars around to drive - Cobras and Daytonas from Factory 5 Racing, but she's also highly educated and extremely engaging to talk to! Karen is a personal life coach, driver development coach, career path coach, and even has expertise she can share in motorsports team organizational development. On top of all that, Karen has over 200...

Recorded live in partnership with ProFormance Racing School and Park Place LTD, we got to enjoy a special evening with the legendary Lyn St. James! Lyn shares some amazing stories of her time behind the wheel and gives some great advice about stepping into motorsports and how to get more women involved in racing. Be sure to check out the YouTube video of this event as well, which we remastered aft...

This week we got to talk to Richard Varner, CFO of MotoAmerica, and Chairman of the Board for the incredible Petersen Museum. Richard walks us through what it was like building MotoAmerica from the ground up with his crew, shares some lesser known details of the Petersen, and talks about his love all motorcycles and cars. If you want to see some incredible MotoAmerica action locally, be sure to be...

Casey is the kind of guy every guy wants to be friend with. From his many adventures, well beyond the car world, to his travels, and to his philanthropy, there was so much to talk about this interview could have gone on forever. There was no shortage of laughs during this episode and we know you’ll enjoy it start to finish. Check out more about Casey on his YouTube channel and be sure to check out...

Steven Smith is an icon in the shoe world known for creating the New Balance 574, 997, and 1500, the Reebok Fury, and then of course working with Ye (formerly Kanye West) on the iconic Yeezy shoe line, where he still works today. Steven talks with all about his creative processes, his engineering background, and of course his air cooled Porsche 356 and his road racing Beetle. Enjoy this very speci...

We sit down and talk with Rami Atherton, brand manager for McLaren Seattle. McLaren might not be new to the area at this point, but OpenRoad Auto Group has recently massively expanded the dealer and we talk to Rami about daily driven McLarens, racing, and the quirks that come with McLarens. We also pick his brain on the other quirky occupants of the dealership - Lamborghini, Bentley, and Rolls Roy...

Our motto here at Avants is “Drive Everything” and Alex Haugland brings that to a new level. With 170 cars in The Haugland Collection (and growing), driving all of his cars is almost a full time job. Alex tells us all about his massive collection and of rare, fun, quirky, and historically significant cars, and really epitomizes everything we love to see in a car enthusiast. Enjoy this special epis...

We had an incredible time interviewing Randy Pobst in front of a live studio audience filled with Avants members. Randy shared all sorts of his favorite car stories with us and we know you'll enjoy hearing them too! A special shout out to our friends at Hagerty for partnering with us to make this event happen.

We had so serious fun talking with the iconic gentleman racer, Justin Bell. He told us so many unfiltered stories of his exciting life from growing up and riding motorcycles to deciding to race in his late teens and going on to win Le Mans, work in motorsports media, being a photographer, and now a fellow podcast hosting "Life. With Legends". Justin also shared his entrepreneurial side, giving som...

Dan and Nick talk with Andy Kim and Robin Har of Driven Motion about their films and so much more. We had so much fun on this episode and recording on set with them was every bit as fun. These two are serious artists who absolutely love to share their passion. If you haven’t checked out Driven Motions films , you’re missing out on some great car content (even though Dan was in the last one). And i...

We finally had the chance to meet our Avants co-worker from Oregon, Sher Harbour de Vos! What better way for everyone to to get to know Sheri better than on the official Avants show? She came out of the tiny island of Ketchikan, Alaska, played with some Ferraris, and now she's running wild down in Portland and representing Avants.  

In this episode we talk with Tim Cruickshank of BoneFrog Coffee and BoneFrog Cellars about his companies mission to honor fallen veterans. More than that, BoneFrog just so happens to be a sponsor of our recent guest, Benjamin Pedersen! We actually didn’t even know that at the time we booked Tim or Benjamin to be on the show; what a small world. You can read more about BoneFrog, get some coffee, or...

If you're looking for the best adventure riding or overland routes in the country, it's the Backcountry Discovery Routes. In this episode we talk with some of the key players who give us the gift of the BDRs, Paul Guillien and Inna Thorn. We have probably said it 100x on the podcast at this point, but the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route was without a doubt the most fun we have ever had on a...