What Manufacturer's Reps Actually Do & Why Your Shop Needs One | SEMA Hall of Famer Les Rudd | EP034

The Car Industry Isn't Slowing Down — HPX, Street Car Takeover & Power Tour | EP038

Is the automotive industry actually slowing down? Not even close. In this episode of Automotive Advantage, Justin and the team break down three very different events from one stretch of "car summer" 2026 — the High Performance Expo (HPX) in Charlotte, Streetcar Takeover, and Hot Rod Power Tour — and answer the question most brands never ask: how do you actually measure whether an automotive event was worth it?This is a business-first look at the performance aftermarket: B2B vs. B2C strategy, event ROI, brand activation, content that converts, and why showing up the right way is now non-negotiable. From a JEGS distribution deal closed on the trade-show floor, to Tom Peters sketching a future Corvette live, to three Chevrolet Performance reels hitting 3 million views in a week — this is what the modern car business actually looks like.What you'll learn:How to set a goal before an event so you can measure real ROI afterwardThe difference between measuring a B2B trade show and a B2C consumer eventWhy "business development" — not booth traffic — is becoming the point of HPXHow big brands like Chevrolet Performance and Tremec activate authentically (and why engineers driving the cars matters)How event content turns into millions of views and real salesWhy being "culturally relevant" beats legacy reputation in 2026Chapters:0:00 — "No one's into cars anymore" — the Tesla Robotaxi myth0:30 — Three very different events in two weeks2:11 — High Performance Expo (HPX): Year 2 recap3:12 — Why HPX became a B2B business-development machine5:10 — Education & Power Talks at HPX5:33 — Building Cadillac's F1 powertrain from zero7:09 — State of the industry: where the market is headed in 20268:23 — The AI panel: Amazon Quick, agentic AI & MotorMia10:08 — When Gridlife & Streetcar Takeover met on stage11:35 — Inside the HPX Leadership Conference ($99 vs. $10K seminars)12:51 — How Greg Fornelli acquires companies (banker in the room)17:08 — Tom Peters draws a "secret" future Corvette, live21:46 — Live podcast + the new AutomotiveAdvantage.com24:05 — The networking trick that changes how you work a show25:48 — Streetcar Takeover takes over Concord (100 cop cars!)29:17 — Roll racing a 1,000-hp Trans Am at zMAX33:17 — Protecting your brand at the track (Vengeance Racing)36:32 — Hot Rod Power Tour & the 100th anniversary of Route 6641:38 — How big brands should activate (Chevrolet Performance & Tremec)42:52 — 3 reels, 3 million views: content that converts45:25 — How to measure a B2C event (leads & sales)47:39 — How to measure Streetcar Takeover48:42 — How to measure a B2B trade show (business development)53:55 — Looking ahead: Woodward Dream Cruise & Q354:16 — The CanCon × automotive crossover nobody expected56:12 — Why the industry has momentum heading into Q3Questions answered in this episode:How do you measure the ROI of a car show or automotive trade show?What's the difference between a B2B and B2C automotive event?How should brands activate at Hot Rod Power Tour or Streetcar Takeover?Is the automotive aftermarket growing in 2026?How does event content turn into sales?About Automotive Advantage:Automotive Advantage is a business-first automotive podcast for shop owners, operators, builders, marketers, and decision-makers who take this industry seriously. We explore the real mechanics behind successful automotive businesses — growth, leadership, brand positioning, sales, marketing, and operations in the performance aftermarket. No hype. No bench racing. Just real conversations that help serious automotive professionals build real advantage.🎧 Full archive, transcripts & key takeaways: https://automotiveadvantage.com▶️ Subscribe for new episodes and turn on notifications.#AutomotiveAdvantage #AutomotivePodcast #PerformanceAftermarket #HPX #HighPerformanceExpo #StreetcarTakeover #HotRodPowerTour #ChevroletPerformance #CarBusiness #AutomotiveMarketing #Route66 #CarSummer

Chase Lautenbach: 1320 Video, Street Car Takeover & the Billion-Dollar Empire Nobody Noticed | EP037

What does it actually take to build one of the most influential organizations in grassroots motorsports? Chase Lautenbach got his start with 1320 Video — traveling the country, covering races, and watching the machine Kyle Loftis was building in real time. One phone call later, Street Car Takeover was born in a Sonic parking lot. Now it's an 18-race season, an $8M+ operation, a car dealership specializing in 1,500-3,000hp builds, and one of the most authentic communities in the automotive aftermarket. In this episode, Chase breaks down: → How 1320 Video quietly pushed BILLIONS through the automotive industry (and why nobody realized it until now) → Why Street Car Takeover has a spot for the broke 17-year-old with an F-body AND the guy running 3-second passes → The business model behind a race series where the promoters race their own cars → How Chase sells 2,000hp modified cars without Autotrader, Bring a Trailer, or CarGurus — and why dealerships are calling him to move cars they can't → The used supercar market forecast: which platforms are rising in the next 12 months (R8, Huracán, GTR, Porsche) → The "Dreamer, Numbers Guy, Processes Guy" partnership structure that makes it all work → Why going to events — not going viral — is how you actually build reach → "Those who can't, teach" — Chase's take on real education vs. business coaches → What Street Car Takeover is bringing to Charlotte for HPX week — and why this might be the most car-guy week of the year This is a business conversation. Real numbers. Real frameworks. Real talk from someone who built something most people in this industry are still trying to figure out. Street Car Takeover: @streetcartakeover Chase Lautenbach: @chaselautenbach 1320 Video: @1320video High Performance Expo (HPX) Charlotte — June 2nd Street Car Takeover Charlotte — same week ⚙️ Automotive Advantage is where the automotive industry comes to think bigger, build smarter, and grow faster. Subscribe and leave a review if this episode gave you something to work with. ——— CHAPTERS ——— 0:00 Cold Open — How Street Car Takeover Was Born 1:02 Welcome / Intro 1:25 Chase's Background & the 1320 Video Origin Story 3:23 What Kyle Loftis Built — Billions With a B 6:47 Why 1320 Always Put People First 7:58 Organic Reach & The Secret to Social Media 10:07 "Have Just Enough Fun to Not Get Sued" 11:06 Find Fun Friends — Advice for Struggling Creators 13:22 What Is Street Car Takeover, Really? 15:48 The Numbers: 18 Events, $8M+, 20,000 People 18:04 Why They Still Go to Small Events 19:37 The Promoters Who Race Their Own Cars 21:19 How Chase Called Out All of Charlotte (Organic Reach 101) 22:51 Advice for Small Promoters Just Starting Out 24:40 Race Ready Auto Sports — Selling the 1% of the 1% 26:57 How to Actually Sell a 2,000hp Modified Car 28:02 Margins on Modified vs. Stock Cars 29:38 Used Supercar Market Forecast — What's Rising in 2026 31:44 "How Did Everyone Get So Rich?" 33:00 The Black Z06 Nobody Will Buy (And Why) 36:31 How to Attract and Keep Great Talent 37:42 What Chase Actually Looks for in a Hire 38:29 The Dreamer, the Numbers Guy, and the Processes Guy 39:43 No Ego at the Top — Why SCT Has Never Been One Person 41:19 Nobody's Too Good to Fold Merch 43:12 HPX + Street Car Takeover Charlotte Same Week 45:22 Trade Shows, Handshake Deals & Real Relationships 45:43 What Chase Is Teaching at HPX 48:30 How to Handle Failure (And Why It Ain't That Deep) 51:27 The Cars Coming to HPX — 3,000hp GTR + 50 Shades Fox Body 52:51 Why SCT Draws Everyone — 20-Year-Olds, Women, Every Background 55:32 How to Build a Culture Where Nobody Feels Left Out 56:40 Where Chase Finds Inspiration 58:17 "Race Car Go Fast. It Ain't That Deep." 58:56 HPX Week Preview — What to Expect in Charlotte 1:01:15 How to Find Chase & Street Car Takeover

We Built an Automotive Prediction Market?1 | EP036

No guest this week, just Jamie and Justin working through what's actually going to happen in the automotive industry in 2026. We introduced a new segment: a live prediction market where we debate five real automotive questions and put our takes on the record. New vehicle sales, Detroit Big Three moves, the Camaro's return timeline, NASCAR manufacturer titles, and aftermarket revenue. One of us had to legally abstain from a question. You'll know which one when you get there. From there we recapped some of our recent guest episodes — Donnie Walsh Jr., Les Rudd, Ty Damon, and Johnny D — and what's been sticking with us since those conversations. We got into automotive photography as a brand strategy tool, the event season that's ramping up, what we're planning at HPX, and our ongoing AI Watch segment including shop robots, Claude throttling, and what $10,000 a month in AI spend actually looks like for a real business. Drop your own automotive prediction in the comments. We want to build this market out. Automotive Advantage | Where serious automotive professionals come to think bigger, build smarter, and grow faster. #AutomotiveAdvantage #AutomotivePodcast #AutomotiveBusiness #AftermarketIndustry #HPX

What Manufacturer's Reps Actually Do & Why Your Shop Needs One | SEMA Hall of Famer Les Rudd | EP034

What does a manufacturer's rep actually do and why does your shop need one? If you've ever been to SEMA, PRI, or HPX and wondered who those guys wearing branded shirts are covering every aisle, this episode is the answer.SEMA Hall of Famer Les Rudd of Bob Cook Sales joins Justin and Jamie on Automotive Advantage for a masterclass on the manufacturer's rep model. Nearly 50 years of relationships, territory, data, and deal-making that most shop owners and small manufacturers never fully tap into.What you'll learn in this episode:* What a manufacturer's rep is and how the model works in the automotive aftermarket* How new manufacturers should approach finding and working with a rep agency* Why a bad program is harder to recover from than a defective product* What shops are missing by not leveraging their reps (market intel, event support, product access)* How to read the aftermarket economy: fuel prices, consumer confidence, and why "flat is the new up" in 2026* The role of private equity in the aftermarket and why passion can't be managed by spreadsheet* Why Les thinks HPX will fill the Charlotte Convention Center within five years* The give-back culture of industry associations — SEMA, HPX Advisory Council, North Carolina Motorsports AssociationLes Rudd is the President of Bob Cook Sales, a manufacturer's rep agency covering the Southeast and Southwest and a SEMA Hall of Fame inductee. Bob Cook Sales has represented brands like ARP, Edelbrock, Comp Cams, DZ, Headman, and dozens more over nearly five decades.Contact Les: lesrudd@bobcooksales.com | bobcooksales.comAutomotive Advantage is a business-first automotive podcast for shop owners, brand leaders, and operators who take this industry seriously.New episodes drop weekly! Subscribe so you don't miss one.#automotiveaftermarket #manufacturersrep #automotivebusiness #performanceindustry

He Built a 36-Year Performance Shop Starting in His Basement | Donnie Walsh Jr. | D&D Performance

How do you build a performance shop that lasts 36 years? Donnie Walsh Jr. of D&D Performance in Wixom, Michigan has the answer and it starts with a dad, two slicks, a jack, and a trunk full of nitrous bottles in the late 1980s. In this episode of Automotive Advantage, Justin sits down with one of the most respected names in Mustang and performance transmission history. Donnie and his father started D&D Performance out of their basement building T5 transmissions running a single print ad with hours from 6 to 9 PM. Today, D&D is a full-service performance shop specializing in Tremec and BorgWarner transmissions, driveline builds, supercharger and turbocharger installs, and dyno tuning — and they're up 20% year over year. In this episode: * Donnie's drag racing career competing in Fox body Mustang classes from the nitrous era through Pro Mod, and why he was considered the best driver in NMRA Mustang history * How D&D Performance started: basement-built rear axles, a T5 transmission niche, and a BorgWarner deal that launched a 36-year business * The real margins on performance shop work: why building cars is passion-driven, not profit-driven, and where the real money actually comes from * What separates shops that last from shops that close: customer experience, staying on the phone, and rebuilding a transmission overnight at a car show * Reading the market right now: economic headwinds, the return of the $40K fun car, and why D&D is up 20% while others are tightening * The Fox body Mustang legacy and what the new Mustang is getting wrong: why attainability built the aftermarket, and why that's being lost * The future of D&D: a new mainline hub dyno, a revamped website with install videos, and why private equity isn't the answer for shops like this D&D Performance is one of the most trusted names in Ford performance and Tremec transmission builds in the country. If you're a shop owner, performance enthusiast, or automotive business operator this conversation is a masterclass in staying relevant, staying profitable, and staying true to why you started. Subscribe to Automotive Advantage the podcast built for serious automotive business professionals. New episodes every week on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. #AutomotiveAdvantage #PerformanceShop #DDPerformance #DonnieWalsh #FoxBodyMustang #TremecTransmission #MustangDragRacing #NMRA #AutomotiveBusiness #PerformanceAftermarket #BorgWarner #T5Transmission #SuperchargerBuild #DynoTuning #AutomotivePodcast #ShopOwner #AftermarketBusiness #MustangPerformance #CarBusiness #PerformanceAftermarketPodcast