Big Pete podcast

UKs Monster Trucks Nationals Russ Harmon

One day, at one of the very first Truckfests, a microphone was thrust into his hands and he became the voice of Truckfest. Soon afterwards, one of the first Monster Trucks in Europe, from Sweden, made a guest appearance at Truckfest, and when that truck crushed cars, Russ was bitten by the bug — he had to be involved with Monster Trucks! He and Truckfest nurtured and supported many of the UK Monster Trucks that were freshly imported, such as CANAM Rocket and Carolina Crusher, which was rebranded as Bandit. Truckfest even imported Bigfoot. In time, Russ sold the idea to his boss that Truckfest should own its own Monster Truck. A failed attempt to buy Super Pete led to the purchase of Heavy Metal, which became Big Pete (formerly Kodiak), followed by the purchase of Heartbeat, which became Grizzly. The final import was Kaptain Insano, which was rebranded as Jurassica and later sold on to become Swamp Thing. Since leaving Truckfest, Russ has commentated at several outdoor events before securing a residency in the Live Action Arena at Santa Pod. He helped broker the deal that created Podzilla and was instrumental in developing UK Monster Truck Nationals at Santa Pod, the UK's largest independent Monster Truck show. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Dan 'Cheech' Agosh

Joining us this week is Dan “Cheech” Agosh. We talk monster truck heritage, the differences between the UK and US scenes, and the contrast between Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live and Monster Jam. We also discuss how Hall Bros have successfully maintained and represented huge sponsors such as Ram Trucks and Hotsy for many years, taking their monster trucks all over the USA — from mini demos and old-school car crushes at dealership lots to competing at major Monster Jam events. Dan tells us about his journey from fan to monster truck driver, starting out by volunteering his services to The Black Stallion Monster Truck team and helping out with other independent teams. His big break came after responding to a message on a forum asking for help at a local Monster Jam event, where he was encouraged to attend tech school and gain his Commercial Driver’s Licence. An opportunity to join Monster Jam soon followed, leading him to leave the family home on Christmas Day to begin the next chapter of his career. Over the following years, he worked alongside many famous Monster Jam drivers and trucks before eventually returning to the independent scene. After being released from one team, he received the call from Hall Bros — where he worked his way up through the ranks and ultimately earned his place in the driving seat. We also talk about how his podcast, Crush This, came to life, and how it inadvertently inspired us to start producing our own podcasts ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

American Scout Monster Truck Driver Colton Kiser

We talk about how we first became friends with Colton, after he helped source Pettibone axles for Big Pete, arranging for them to be manufactured and shipped over to the UK. What started as a parts connection quickly turned into a great friendship built around monster trucks and motorsport. Colton tells us how he got into monster trucks, beginning his driving career in 1/2-scale monster trucks at just 11 years old. Before long, he had his own 1/2-scale truck and steadily worked his way up into full-size monster trucks as he grew older, living and breathing the sport from a young age. We also dive into stories about his resident friendly meth head, as well as the major differences between independently run monster trucks and the big corporate monster truck operations. With his laid-back attitude, endless collection of stories, Colton is packed full of memorable tales, one-liners and real behind-the-scenes insight into the monster truck world. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

James Dillon, 57 Years of Stunts

This week, we’re joined by the grandfather of UK stunts, Collin Guppy — better known as James Dillion. Having started his stunt career in 1969, he’s now spent an incredible 57 years performing stunts around the world. We begin right at the start of his career, when he worked as a stunt clown before quickly deciding that being inside a car was probably the safer option. From there, we dive into some of the most dangerous, unsafe, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants stunt ideas ever attempted over the years. Collin talks us through the early days of driving cars on two wheels, beginning with an old Ford Pop weighted down with nothing more than a wedge of concrete as ballast, before going on to perfect the art of two-wheel driving and eventually training stunt teams at Disneyland Paris. We also cover the injuries he’s suffered along the way, the many people who have entered — and left — the industry over the years, and, naturally, what happens when you get lost while skydiving. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Former Monster Jam, Hot Wheels Tour Manager Trevor Stimson

Joining us is the “Grandfather of Grim Reaper”, Trevor Stimpson. We go on quite the journey, covering his first experience of mud bogging in the States and becoming one of only a few UK mud boggers. From there, he moved into tractor pulling, stock cars and monster trucks—importing Blown Thunder and competing in European Monster Jam events. When he stepped back from driving, he began helping out at Monster Jam events, gradually climbing the ranks to become a tour manager for events around the world. He later took another step back and joined the Top Gear Live tour, becoming an integral part of the UK Monster Truck Nationals, and more recently, part of the Hot Wheels World Tour. During this time, Blown Thunder became our very own Grim Reaper, supporting the Great Dorset Steam Fair evening stunt show and playing a key role in the development and arena coordination for the UK Monster Truck Nationals. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.