#27 - Kody and Tanner Swanson

Kody Swanson and Tanner Swanson:  Hosts Rico Elmore and Ken Stout welcome the Swanson Brothers to the studio, along with our new co-host, Georgia Adeline! Kody Swanson is a five-time USAC Silver Crown Series Champion, three-time Little 500 winner and first-time winner as an Indy Pro 2000 driver. Tanner Swanson recently won the ‘Dave Steele Carb Night Classic’ and is a two-time USAC Western Sprint Car Champion. Don’t miss a great interview with these two accomplished drivers and catch Georgia’s first appearance on the show!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
I'm Cody Swanson, I'm Tanner Swanson, I'm Georgia Adeline and
this is the Skinny from fat Head Studios and Speedway, Indiana.
This is the Skinny. It's time to have some fun
once again. Here on the Skinny. We've got a loaded
panel and a new co host along the way at
ken Stout Rico. Here we welcome Georgia Adeline to co

(00:26):
host position here on the Skinny. And then two of
the best to ever climb behind the wheel of an
open wheel car. For starters, Let's kick it off with
Cody Swanson, the five time Usach Silver Crown champ, three
time a Little five winner, also a Western States Sprint champ.
And then his brother sitting alongside that is Tanner Swanson.

(00:46):
And of course he just broke the record here at
Carbon Night, just a couple of nights ago, a six
time winner, now broke a three way tie between himself,
his brother, and Mike Bliss, also a Western States sprint champ.
But I'm gonna kick the show off properly. I'm gonna
ask the first question to the Swanson brothers because it's
an important one, which one of you guys is the favorite?

(01:07):
Because there's always a favorite. Uh, come on, now, let's go.
Cody's everybody's favorite, right, you know, it's not not that
close of the competition. I I, uh, I don't do
uh do very well for myself, you know, I guess
trying to put myself at the top of that heat. Okay,

(01:28):
with that one coding, I'll take it. By the way,
congratulations on a very successful weekend for for both of
you guys. I know, also Lucas Oil Raceway Park of
course out there and at the fair Grounds, and thanks
didn't in that as well as you'd like them to
at the fair Grounds, but boy, uh qualifying on the
pole for for three of those races, you won your
first um us F two thousand race, so that that

(01:52):
had to be fun. And then tanner for you to
go out there and break that record. And by the way,
Mike Bowman is my neighbor with a drinking problem. He
lives about four doors down. Yeah, and uh, really really
good friends. So I was really happy to see you
guys had that success once again. So but what an
amazing weekend for you guys. And I think you started
off did you start off two races side by side

(02:13):
or just one just one, Yeah, just one, just one.
And so it uh, it was. It was a great
weekend for us and you to be to be on
the front row or on the pole at many times.
Was was really good for qualifying, but unfortunately and the
races didn't all work out to finish all the way
up front like that. But um it um, it's something
I know that when Tanner comes to town, you definitely

(02:33):
have to step up your game if you're gonna keep
up there at Lucaslow Raceway. So I'm glad to have
had a good weekend for the two of us. And
something that I noticed, especially right off the bat at
the at cart Night Card Night Classic, Tanny, you got
the win there and you were physically upset after the
race because you did not get to race your brother.
Kind of tell us about that. You could tell that

(02:53):
the emotion in your interview. Obviously you were happy, but
you were you were a little bit mad there that
you didn't get the brother. Yeah, you know, I guess, uh,
I guess there's two sides of it. It's kind of
nice because I guess I get to keep bragging rights
here for the next I don't know, probably nine to
twelve months before I get in a race car again.
So that's nice. But on the flip side, you know,
there's thirteen months of of waiting that he had bragging rights,

(03:15):
and you know, you you focus on that and you
wanna try your best when when you do get a chance.
And I felt like, uh, we might have had a chance.
Who knows, we you know, never never really got to
duel it out. So I spent a long time looking
forward to it and didn't really get to take advantage
of having fun with it. So, UM, a little disappointed,

(03:35):
But hey, a win's a win and we'll take them.
They're they're hard to come by, no matter how you
get them. So when so when you guys are petted, Uh,
where were you guys petted at? Because I know that
your dad's there, So where does he split the time?
How is that where the favoritism comes in? There might

(03:56):
not be one. I just thought you're always down at
Cody's pitch the kids now shoot talking about the grandkids,
and we each have two kids of our own, so
it's hard, too hard to you know, split it up
that way. Uh, it's been uh really special between growing grandpa,
you know, I guess And you can enjoy that grandparenting role.
So UM, no, for the Silver Crown series, we usually

(04:18):
aren't pritted to weet next to each other. Um uh.
Since Tar has been running for the Bowman team, and
at that point in time, I was running for the
Diploma Family, and since um, since they retired from running
for Gene Nolan's team, now a sound Greg's taken over. Um,
we don't. Our Silver Crown programs are completely separate. So
um when when Dad's been in town lately and mom too,
they just enjoy being parents, So they'll come in and

(04:41):
check on us a little bit and see how it's going.
But but almost just as uh, just as parents checking
in see how their kids are doing more than um
really being involved with the racing program. So I think, UM,
I think they enjoy that part of it and getting
to enjoy the races. You know. There was a period
of time that UM, when I was driving for the
Diploma Family, my dad was was helping me on the team.
Um was when I was running for a title, and

(05:01):
and Tanner and the Bowman team got hooked up a
little bit after that, and UM, for about two or
three years, Tanner was just beating us all the time,
and I felt so bad because you know, my dad's trying,
you know, his best to help me, and was he was?
He really though? Yeah, I was because he's an easy by.

(05:23):
I didn't know, but I mean, you see, you feel
bad because, um, you know, on one hand, his his
son leaped almost everybody in the whole field, and and
he's you know, with me and feeling the dejection of losing. Yeah,
that's not really fair for him. So I'm glad we're
in the spot we are now that we both go

(05:44):
get to go out and try our best for it,
and then our parents get to enjoy it. They put
a lot into getting us to this point, and I'm
glad that they're able to come out and enjoy the
racist with us. Yeah, there comes a time, you know,
as parents where you can step back your your sons
or daughters. You know, their program, it's successful, and you realize, hey,
I'm not bringing any more to the table here, might
even hurt it a little bit. Let them keep doing

(06:05):
what they're doing. Obviously, the successes is there. And uh,
by the way, congrat's first person with thirty polls and
thirty wins and silver crown. That's a huge number on
on both ends pretty cool. But I would thank for
your dad. And you know he just looked at you
guys and said, both of those, both of those kids
or phenomenal drivers are in great programs. I'm gonna sit
here and watch. Yeah, I mean I think, um he

(06:26):
my dad's really talented in racing. And UM had a
lot of success driving himself, say modified driver at the
West I mean he ran, he ran supermodified some of
the modified one in late models, one in the Grand
American or I m C A style. Um, and he
didn't retire from driving until I turned sixteen. And UM,
the way he did it was and he was driving
for a friend, Keith Williams, the dentist out on the

(06:48):
West Coast there and the last year he ran it
was kind of one of those things where if if
it could hold the ride open until I turned sixteen
and could take over. So, UM, you can't have a
more selfless example of what a father will do for
for us. And and both my parents have been that
way all along, to do anything they could to help
get us a chance to move forward and teach us
how to work hard and to try to um make

(07:10):
those opportunities ourselves. So UM, he would definitely be an
asset to at any racing program still, but fortunate, you know,
with all he's got on the West Coast and still
trying to run uh uh you know our family farming operation. Um,
it was a lot of stress on him to be
able to come back and forth and try to be
focused on racing. You're only getting to do it limited
times a year. So I'm glad for the spot there

(07:31):
in that they can they can come and enjoy it.
But um, definitely, racing definitely hasn't passed them by. If
he if he wanted to be involved, he's He's definitely
sharp enough to understand it. Growing up, is that what
you guys did? Did you go to those late model races?
You were going to those modified races? Were you helping him?
How did you guys even get your start, you know,
going to races and actually driving yourselves. Yeah, So so
we grew up going and when we were younger, he

(07:55):
was racing super modified up and down the West Coast,
traveling quite a bit. Racing is Billy Bog Bitch and
Davy Hamilton's and those guys, and uh, once once I
kind of got in the picture, once I was two
or three kind of stopped doing that, start racing late
models close to home, traveling a little bit, but mainly
at Madera UM. So most of our racing memories were

(08:15):
growing up watching at Madera UM. And if you sit
in the Grandstons at Maderia, you can see there's a
quartermans at track off the back straight away and you
can see the role cages just as they go by.
And so, UH, you know, I'm I guess persistent to
a fault, um, as Cody would probably say, uh. With
my parents, UM, And so we we both hounded them

(08:37):
for years and years and uh for safety reasons. Dad
wouldn't let us round a quartermage that he didn't like
the habits that you would learn leaning out of the car.
And so they had a list of of things that
we needed to to meet in order to drive race cars. UM.
And we used to ride quads at the beach on
our Christmas vacations. UM, there in California, and we're getting

(08:58):
ready for Christmas and went to a quad shop. Uh
it's the Steve Hamlin's you know shop there in Hanford,
and UH found a junior sprint that met all Dad's
qualifications and uh, and I hounded him until he let
us get in one. So um, yeah, that's kind of
how we got our start. We didn't get started. Cody
was twelve and I was eight. I sat well, I

(09:19):
guess I was nine when I was eight. I sat
in one and they started it and I kept shutting
it off. I was terrified. I didn't want to do it, um,
and so so I came back a year later and
I finally was ready to go. But I mean, yeah,
that was kind of and talked about being persistent that
by the time it actually got all wound up to go,
they thought I didn't want to do it, and it's like,
I still want to do it. I was just nice

(09:40):
enough to you know, hear no fifty times and think
that was it, you know. And Dan talked about the qualifications.
You know, we didn't run go cards because my daddy
crew guys that have been hurt without the role cage
and and when he come across that junior sprint and
had a five point harness in a roll cage and
things like that, we're able to get started. And that
first year we didn't, we didn't race. We um, we
would go to the track every Friday and help other kids.

(10:01):
That was Dad's thing, is he we weren't gonna get
started in this unless we were in it, and it
wasn't going to be a whim and he always would
say it wasn't gonna be his hobby. So, um, we
worked on the cars with him, and we worked on
other kids cars for a year before um we were
able to get one and split time, like we said.
So then that night that um the Tenner decided he
wasn't gonna do it. He was in the shoot while
I had put my seat in the back of Grandma's

(10:22):
and run down from the grandstands and I I'm in now.
So I got to have one extra race that fall
when we when we got started. But so this is
two thousand, i'd have been the end of Yeah, that's
that's uh, you know, that's a lot of that says
a lot about your parents and your dad. I mean,
I've known your dad as as you guys for a

(10:45):
long time, and and uh, you know, I didn't know
anything about you guys when I first met of course
I met Cody first, you know, at the six R
deal and all that, and uh and uh that that
speaks volumes of why you guys do now and because
unfortunately there's a lot of people just throw their kids

(11:05):
in cars and the Quartermadget thing what Tanner was talking about. Man,
I still don't get that. I mean, you, hey, kid,
get in there and hang your head out of the cage.
And I mean, I don't care how fast you're going.
That's just a bad idea. So and uh and it
is it's it's teaching bad habits and uh and it's
not realistic, right, I mean, you know, hang your head

(11:27):
out of a sprint car, out of a silver crown,
you know, anything, not on purpose. Anyway, there was a
lot of there was There was a lot of times
that I had seen you know, I definitely saw that happen.
But uh but yeah, so that's that's cool, That's that's awesome.
It looks like the system paid off. If I'm not mistaken.
You won your first ever U SAX sprint car race
at Anderson correct. Yeah, yeah, that that was a lot

(11:50):
of it. And I'm sure Cody can attest to it too.
Was growing up, the motto that I always remember was
this is not my hobby. And so the first year
that we ran, I mean we were two in a
sprint car. No, so we started in junior sprints two thousand,
we were yeah, but I know you started so that
you know, we were bad and we ran seventh and

(12:11):
eighth every night and Dad was fine with it, um,
and then it was us that finally had to put
in the time, you know, during the week to get better.
And so yeah, by the time we got to sprint cars,
we were we were lucky. I won my first start,
my first national start UM and like two thousand and eight.
Cody I think won his second or third start UM
on the Western States back in oh five, and so yeah,

(12:35):
we were fortunate to have success early. Well, rumor has
it that some guy named Clay Klapper was your hero.
He was, he was. I'll just stop right there, Rob Clay.
We grew up watching Thursday Night thunder Um And you
know what, my favorite color is orange, and my favorite

(12:56):
number was seventeen, and and he drove that seven. You
know that that silver seventeen with orange numbers on it.
And it was from car Others, which is twenty minutes
from where we grew up. And and so yeah, I was.
I was a big fan for just those reasons alone.
And it's it's funny because it's gone full circle there. Uh,
you know, Robin Clair's second cousins and my wife we're related,

(13:19):
So I don't know, a great great job on that. Yeah,
they're good cats, and uh I work. I work a
lot with Rob. He did throw us. He threw me
a stat he said, run this one past him. He
thought it was still correct. But nine times you guys
have finished one too at the Silver Crown Race at
Lucas Oil Race. I mean that's pretty pretty impressive. Yeah. No,

(13:40):
we've you know, we've been lucky. Um. I think I've
always said, you know, it's just awesome to be able
to race at the level that we are, let alone
getting to do it. You know with your brother, Um,
we shared a room for I don't know, fifteen years
going up, and so it's, uh, it's just fun to
be able to be fortunate enough to be doing that.
When that weekend comes up, how do you prepare? I

(14:01):
mean you'rely racing once once a year, and now that
they had at the night before the five, you know,
twice a year. Kind of that. I would say that
Cody would give you pointers, but I don't really think
that that you can give them. No, No, there's um,
that's that's kind of somebody was talking about, you know,
I was racing for one of the teams this week
that that Cody's raced four in the past, and they've
made a comment about me and Cody not really trade

(14:23):
notes at all, and it said, you know, it's not
fair for the teams that we race for. Um, you know,
they're they're paying us to do the same jobs. So, um,
Cody obviously has a lot more extensive notes, but I
still try my best to give them, you know, a
fair shake when it comes to racing. Uh, that one
time a year and um really start start kind of

(14:44):
preparing a month before and and trying to get things
figured out. But for whatever reason, we've been lucky to
have success the times I've been able to come back. Yeah,
I mean, don't let him full you as far as
the notes goes. I mean we'll be five laps into
practice and he's top of the board, So um, it's
not And that's something come Yeah. I mean, sibling rivalry
wise has bugged me since the beginning, right is, as

(15:05):
I spent all the time and I'm really trying to
work at it and figure out where I need to
be a little bit better and He's had an uncanny
ability of being able to hop in and within three
laps be there, be the limit, be past it, save it,
and be right back to it. And um, we'll just
continue to beat you unless you figure out how to
get better. So I mentioned there was some some time

(15:26):
there as uh you know, we we were teammates with
Team six Are for a little while and that was
the first time we got to run one two, so
it was really neat to do as teammates. And then
everything since has been completely separate, um enough to where
we don't know what each other stagger is, what springs
are different, you know, shock brands at times, um, just
going out and racing. But like you said, I mean
we grew up sharing a room. Um, we raced together

(15:49):
in micro sprints and and part of our family team
at that level, um to where there was a lot
of years we did we did talk, you know, and
learned about each other's tendencies and how to be better.
And UM, I'm gonna say you know what I think,
Taran turn sixteen, I got kicked out of the family car.
We we only had enough ability to put one together
and I'd had two years and it was either time

(16:09):
to sink or swim, either find out to get your
own ride or or that's it, you know, And it
was taras turn and Um, after doing that a little bit,
we got the chance in two thousand nine and had
had UM. David Rich was a sponsor and a friend
that come alongside. We have two cars, and that year
we raced together on the West Coast. I think I
think out of the ten races, we finished one to
seven times. And it was the same thing. Whoever got

(16:31):
to lead first, UM seemed to win. It was so
hard to pass the lead, let alone to pass your brother,
and to do it in the right way. And UM
it was I felt like we both grew a lot
in that year because before then I was probably um
a little bit more reserved at the beginning, but would
have good tires at the end and becoming strong at
the end. But Tanner was so quick at getting through

(16:53):
traffic right away and taking advantage of every whole opportunity
he get to the lead no matter how fast it
was the end, I couldn't get to him. So that
was something that forced me to learn how to be
quicker and more aggressive at times at the beginning. And
same thing with him maybe save his tires a little
bit better, uh, to to race each other. And as
time's gone on, I think that's made us both better
racers as um as we compete against each other and

(17:13):
everyone else in a Silver Crown Series Tanner, those things
are are fairly difficult to drive physically. I mean, you're
it's a big car. I mean you're going a hundred laps.
It's not a forty lap lap feature. We've only been
in the car once a year. Do you find yourself
getting tired now? Yeah, you know its Uh, it's definitely
a lot different. I don't know necessarily about as much
of getting tired as trying to fit in my suit

(17:35):
is a little bit cover. So you know this this
was probably the first year that last year is probably
the first year that really felt like I left something
on the table. And this year, you know, I spent
the last three weeks I lost fifteen pounds and and
was spend a bunch of time on the exercise bike
every night, and and you know, I'm always a procrastinator,

(17:55):
so I guess I was trying to make the most
of it late there. Um, But you know, it takes
a little bit to get used to. I I definitely
noticed the next morning. You know, there's there's just muscles
that are sore that that you don't use any other time.
And you were racing the next night as well. So yeah,
we're your little sore going into Saturday. Yeah, yeah, definitely
there's a little bit of advil going on. So um,

(18:17):
you know every year that that kind of gets a
little bit tougher, but just keep trying to learn from
it and uh and getting better at that. By the way,
to Cody, UM, I was not familiar with Legacy Auto Sport,
but owned by Mike Meyer, whose great grandfather Lewis was
the first person I believe to win the five three

(18:38):
consecutive times. And you got them their first win on
Friday night. And one more thing about that, the milk
his his grandfather or his great grandfather is the one
that started the milk right. Oh that's awesome. Yeah, and
I think that's you know, um, Mike and then his
father Butch. You know, UM have have both been in

(19:01):
in Indy car you know, for so so many years
and had played their own roles in the sport, and
um both had a lot of success through throughout all
sorts of divisions because Mike was with Bardi for a
long time, right and Billardi and UM and Sam Schmidt
and I know that UM he won the Freedom one hundred,
you know as as a mechanic for four or five

(19:21):
times as JEF mechanical and UM you know, butch was
was a part of team Menard UM when Tony Stewart
came to IndyCar UH and more than ninety six was
he a tech guy after that? Is that what I
understood he worked for Indy Car after that he was yeah,
And and he worked for for any Lights as they
developed that program, and and was even one of the
head officials that UM oversaw incoming drivers and initial drivers

(19:44):
testing UM and so as they had an opportunity to
start their own team, that's where they carry the legacy
name is you know, from from their great grandfather and
their family history and the sport and UM. I think
they started into two thousand eighteen UM with a USF
Pro Graham UH and ran last year full time UM
and and continue with USF programming and over the past

(20:06):
winter had had bought UH indeed Pro two thousand car UM.
So that was that was something they were they were
working on trying to get ready, and as as all
this year has has unfolded so funny, UM got a
chance to get the car on the track one time
and that was with me there at Lacrosse Fairgrounds in
Wisconsin to to get me a little rear engine experience.
And UM, I'm really thankful that they stuck their neck

(20:29):
out to give me a chance like that. And as
things had had kind of developed, UM got a chance
to you know, look into the these uh these races,
you know, with with carb Night coming up at Lucasoil
Race Way and um Rico and fat Heads I were
stepping on board to to support us and help make
that happen. UM got a chance that that was their
first race in the series and and mine too, and
so it was really special to help be part of that,

(20:51):
to help get them their first win in the Road
Indy Series. By the way, I want to clear something up.
I said, consecutive first three time, consecutive first three time
winner is what he was. So there's some there's some
wicked stat guys out there, So I don't want them
send the end of it right there. I'd have been
crucified for sure, But yeah, I know that's it was

(21:12):
quite quite an accomplishment to get in that that do
you do you have the poor seat for that car? Um,
probably should have, but there was one that they found it.
We put some padding in there and and you know
it's one of those things that you sit in and yeah,
I feel fine, and then after you get to driving
a little bit like, oh, this thing transfers weight and
load different. So I mean we were shoving padding, you know,

(21:34):
up up until we started the race, Like, I think
I could use a little more on this shoulder. And
I don't want to make you know, the last thing
I wanted to do was was to wear out before
it was over. But um, everything was fit me really
good by the time time we got ready to go,
and and uh, and it worked out by the time
we um, by the time or before we went on
the air here, Um, you had mentioned that you had

(21:56):
Dwayne owing Er spotting for you. It's a good friend
of mine as well. Um, but I do know that
your wife also spots for you. So it's the first
time in a long time you've had somebody else in
your ear. Oh No, I mean, I've been fortunate to
try a few new things this year, and um, you know,
one of them we got to get to start, uh
in ANARCA series stock car UM at Iowa Speedway, UM

(22:19):
for Chad Bryant Racing. At the same time, UM Jordan
has spotted for me and she does an amazing job.
She's I think she's really first class with the job, right, UM,
I really believe that. And and there are people who
have heard her spot for me that would back me up.
I'm not just saying the correct answer, so UM yeah,

(22:40):
And you know, but at that point, what what we
do and work together, you know for Silver Crown Races,
I have enough experience that I know what I need
to hear. UM. Trying these new things, it's it's such
an unknown to me that UM, I really to put
it weird or oddly is that I don't know what
I don't know yet, and so it's it's important for
me to have a spot ter that that knows the ropes,

(23:01):
that that knows what to expect these types of cars
in these series and and that definitely helps, you know,
give me a little, um, a little measure of comfort,
you know, knowing that the person up there has the
experience that I don't have. And for the fans that
don't know Dwayne which I don't know. If anybody that
doesn't know Dwayne, just ask Dwayne. But he's a great guy.
He's a great guy. But he's he's a spotter for

(23:21):
Alex Rossie, so he's he's a season vet. Yeah, and
and um he was. He was great to have, um
in my ear that that whole day and even the
practice day leading up to it, just um, everything from
from being comfortable getting on an off pit road and
knowing where the other cars are at and what gaps
I would have to to try things and try to
build comfort in. I mean, at this point, I don't
I don't really even know how to drive the car yet.

(23:42):
And um, it was nice to know when I had
the space to try to help help myself, teach myself
or learn what to expect another race car. Were you
ever comfortable? Were you ever comfortable even ninety percent comfortable
in that car with so little experience? I mean, you
got you got the win, you did what you needed
to do, But where are you comfortable? I mean I
felt like I started to get comfortable throughout the race. Um,

(24:04):
you know, leading up to the Thursday. I mean we
had a few different practice sessions and trying to figure
out the race car and and how to gain enough speed.
You know, we started I think we were about ninth
in the order and trying to figure out what was
missing and what was what was missing from the car
and what was just missing from me. You know, it's
one of the things and in any type of new cars,
corner entry and and is it that that's how they're

(24:25):
supposed to feel and I just need to adapt to that?
Or is there something we need to do to make
the car better? Were you were missing about power? Uh? Yeah,
we're really short and sitting kind of funny and there
was a whole bunch of stuff going on there right
trying to adapt to that. Um, thank thank god you
run that V six sprint car. At least the sound

(24:45):
is a little bit that. That's that's funny. I mean
that the conversation he and I had last night. I
hadn't talked to him since really you know he won,
Uh in myself Caitlin and Gary. If we're setting we
were standing down, or we were on the hill and
one and I was watching him coming in and something

(25:06):
he said to me right before, you know, right before
he went out, there was or I was taking him
back to the paddock from the from the silver Crown
pits and something. He said. He goes, man, I just
got to get used to pitch in the car, and
you know, and and diet, you know, diving it in there.
And so of course I'm sitting there washing and I'm
watching other guys do it. But I watched him. Was

(25:28):
it lap two one, lap two, lap two? It was
almost completely over? I mean it was, oh no, no,
it was. I mean, like things got I was like,
hold on, hold on about it, and uh but it
the great thing about it was it didn't take long
for him to adapt. It was so cool to watch
him get used to that car and adapt to how

(25:51):
what that car was doing. And he was watching the
line of other people, you know, that the leader, although
he was checked out for a minute, he was packed
out forever, so you know, but it was it was
interesting watching all that transpire. And I was standing up
there and I said, okay, if he's leading with ten ago,
we'll start kind of making our way that way. And

(26:12):
Caitlin goes, let's go. He's got a five second lead.
This isn't going to change. So we started started our
way down there. But it was it was a lot
of fun. It was very cool. So let's have some
fun here, let's talk. I mean, you guys are brothers.
I mean, clearly Dad has set a bar. There's that
doesn't sound like there's too much messing around going on.
I mean it was hard working. You guys had had goals.

(26:34):
But you're still kids and you're still brothers. There had
to be some digging going on. You had to irritate
each other once in a while, or you how to
be pulling a prank on each other once in a while.
Give us some of the behind the scenes dirt man. Yeah,
I think I think I definitely lead the league in
in pranks and annoying the older brother, that's for sure.
We were actually sitting at the house last night telling

(26:55):
some some pretty good stories of growing up. Most of
them were I guess from us sharing a room for
fifteen years. We uh, we had some some pretty good stories. All.
Let Cody pick what his favorite one is. Yeah, I
mean I don't I don't know that. I don't remember
too many pranks and stuff, but but we would sibling
argue right and and um, I mean to make a

(27:17):
racing specific The very first year we ran two cars
were both in the junior sprint in the year two thousand,
Like Terres said, we weren't very good, you know. Um
the thing we were arguing over was who was better
and we ran seventh and nine because it didn't really matter,
you know, like why why are we arguing over that?
I said, we were twelve or ten, and um, enough

(27:38):
to where we almost quit. Mom was like enough, I mean,
I mean I remember one night and living room it
was that was the end. And um we finished that
year and after that we didn't race against each other
until we got into full size sprint cars, like because
that was how competitive we were, um at the time,
and enough to where, um, you know, we would I

(27:59):
guess we would argue or be fighting or squabbling even
even going to bed at night. And and um, I
remember there being a time that that we're arguing across
the room and and my dad come in you know,
uh full stealth mode and open the door and like
shimmied along the floor. Uh, and we're arguing. Pretty soon
he stands up in the middle of the middle of

(28:20):
the night, the middle of the dark, and said, have
you guys done like loud and all, I had no idea,
no idea, Yeah, busted. Did you guys play any other sports?
You said you didn't start racing until you were twelve
years old. By then, you're kind of figuring out other
things to do. Also, Yeah, I mean we both did.

(28:41):
Um and I remember my mom saying that we were
going to be well rounded if it killed her type thing,
because we were going from uh, one sports practice to another. Um.
I think I went from state championship soccer tournament to
the opening practice day and probably two four or five
we were doing that. Um, so we never did like football.
I know you probably can't believe that big statue. Yeah,

(29:06):
yeah for sure, but I mean played football or soccer
and basketball and baseball and and played all the sports
through school and coming up. Yeah, we we did. I
mean we did everything that the full school experience. You know,
Mom made us go to every dance that there was. Um,
we were all into it. We were drank the punch,

(29:33):
yeah exactly, exactly. So, so yeah, we were in f
a growing up, you know, raised hogs. Uh did it all.
We She even made us get straight a's that that
just took it to another right there. Four point oh
great point average val valedictorian. I mean you certainly did
your job in school right, Like we talked to you know,

(29:55):
from the very beginning, we were going to have have
rules to start. One of them for dads was that
we had to work on it. But one moms was
that our grades couldn't go down and she expected ace. So, UM,
I would have never got the race the end of that. Uh,
I was a pretty strong motivator. So California State University
Graduate President's Honor Scholar. Yeah, that sounds like sounds like us.

(30:20):
I used to go to the dean's room. I never
got an award for it. But UH were fortunate to
you know, have have have been able to have a full,
well rounded, you know, education experience as as I guess
young adults and teenagers growing up. UM and something I
think you know a lot of that translates to racing still.

(30:41):
I mean I think that that my ntenders experience as
drivers can be very different than what UM, maybe what
some young professional drivers are are being taught. UM is
that I view as being part of a team. You know,
and you play in soccer and and it it doesn't
matter if you know if if um, you know the

(31:01):
four we got past your other defender, you're the last line,
you better get there. I mean, you're on a team.
You win, you win together, and you lose together, and
you'll have to pick up the slack sometimes even if
it's not your spot. So yeah, and that's that's an
interesting thing. I mean, even you know, even us hiring
you know, for you know, for our any of our businesses.
I look at that stuff. You look at team you know,

(31:22):
people that are involved in teams because you know what
they don't they don't they do rely on each other,
but they also know how to work with each other
to get to the ultimate goal. Right. So it's a
it's a big deal. And you were talking about f
f A. Of course I want to talk about it.
That's where he met his wife. So I mean, there's
an absolutely great story. So but elaborate. You gotta tell

(31:47):
the story. Yeah, I mean I remember as a sophomore
in high school, by the time I was able to
have a market hog and to to get into that
part of the program. And Jordan was a freshman and
she had one too. We met at the at the
school farm. Uh. And that's the thing. Yeah, absolutely, I
wouldn't say cute that may be good, cool, not just

(32:09):
say I mean you're showing a hog, and you said
that girl over there showing her hogs right there. So
so I mean at some point we went to high
school together and we didn't start dating, I don't think
till to my senior year, but um had been friends first.
And and I mean there's so much you can learn
through f A UM, whether it's hogs or I mean

(32:30):
even through we had a lot of tractor work as
part of the project, and a lot of the judging
teams you can get on. You can learn a lot
of different things. And there's so much of that that
applies to the real world and even to racing that
people will overlook. So and that's and that is one
thing about f A I mean, of course they have
their national convention and NDY here they don't this year
with that one thing that's going on anyhow, you know that,

(32:54):
But you know every year that they have that, I mean,
it's just amazing and um, you know, the camaraderie and
the you know the connection with all of them. And
I don't think it matters what state you're from. I
think everybody that's involved, it's what's taughtevable. Yeah, yeah, I mean,
and I mean talk about market hogs. I mean, and

(33:14):
that's exactly like racing. But I mean there's there's times
whence your turn to show and your class that you're
up in, depending on what breed you had. I mean,
everyone from the school is helping each other get ready.
So whether it's uh, you know, whatever is involved in preparation.
When when someone's up that's on your team, you're all
pitching into help ensure that that you do the best
you can for your school and and for your bodies.
And so I mean a lot of that translates over

(33:37):
We're all just trying to do your best, the best
job that we can to to help everybody be successful together. Well,
you guys have beautiful children, and I'm sure you get
this question a lot, but are you going to let
them race if they show interest in it? And if
you do, are you going to bring them up? How
you work? I like that on this one. That's I'm

(34:02):
always interested in that. That's what so so far mine
and Allison's discussions have been, Hey, nobody starts until they're
at least eight. Um. I think I think you've got
to get started in team sports and have a lot
of growing up to do before you need to start
getting in a race car. Um. And so I feel
like that's one of the main rules. And in the

(34:23):
second rule is we're gonna give him a golf club
in baseball bat first and see how those go a
lot lots of money to get them going and they
can make a lot more. Yeah. Yeah, so that's that's
kind of our rules. At the Robert kind of had
a basketball. I know, some guys said said, golf is
really expensive. I said, really, I said, you should have

(34:44):
to buy a brand new set of clubs every single
time you go out, right. I mean, the nicest baseball
bat you can get is still cheaper in a set
of tires. And that's that's exactly right. And and in
our house, I mean we've we've talked about and Trevor,
my oldest these four and a half we five just
after Christmas, So um, the topic is coming up more
and more regularly. But um, you know, I think, you know,

(35:06):
our our spot is that I don't I don't want
him to do it because I did it. And I
think that's the same when our dad was, you know
that he didn't he didn't want us to push anything,
you know, honest, that we didn't want to do. So, um,
if that discussion comes up, then then it'll be a
lot like what tern I went through. But that that's
how you're successful, because you know what you did, what
you wanted to do. You took the path, you took

(35:28):
the progression. And I mean, as I said, you and
I have known actually all of you got you know,
both of you have known each other a long time.
Our paths came together, we've separated, and you know, we
came back and we came back around. But always, you know,
always gentlemen, always the right thing. It was never you know,

(35:48):
I I have I probably could say this without without
missing a beat that I have never heard either one
of them say a court word about anyone, you know,
And uh, I would like to try to do that occasionally,
not part of me. That's never happening. I've ruined all that.
So I love the way your dad did it. Actually

(36:10):
with my story wasn't the same with my son as
as his. But somewhere along the lines where you know,
he wanted to go to a go kart track, he
wanted to go, you know, take a look at some
of that stuff. And and I didn't do it on purpose.
It was just you know, busy doing this, busy doing that.
And we had some a TV s and we would
go right in once in a while. But I he
pretty much had to wait for a year. He had
been wanting to go to this go kart shop here
for a year and we were gonna go ATV riding

(36:32):
and it turned out being snowy, icy, sloppy, freezing cold,
and and we're in the truck and ready to go,
and I said, are you sure you want to go
out here and do this today, you know, because it's nasty,
and he said, well, could we go to that go
kart shop instead? I was like, yes, we can go today.
So we went over there and he saw it and
you know, he just absolutely loved it and wanted to go,

(36:53):
and I ended up buying it for him, um, for Christmas.
This was probably around October. Bought it for him for Christmas.
And the beauty of living in Indiana, of course, is
he got it for Christmas morning and then he got
to look at it for another three months before he
could actually get in it and drive it. You know,
but but it was making him wait, and again not
by design, it's just the way it worked out, but

(37:14):
that desire inside of him to go racing was very high.
Where As you're talking about making your kids wait a
little bit. You know, a lot of times parents are excited,
they want to see their kids get in a race car,
and they'll stick him and one at five years old.
And I'm not saying it's it's a bad thing by
any stretch. It's not. It's just not for everybody. But
it's so easy for those kids to get burned out.
I mean we were at the racetrack, you know, even

(37:34):
when he started at thirteen, we were at the racetrack
every weekend, you know, all weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. And
you know, after a while, a young kid just is
kind of over it, you know, I want, I want
to do something else. When you start him really young,
the burnout factor is so much higher. Yeah, And I
felt like at least one of the things that I
took away was like you talked about it being our

(37:54):
you know, I guess are across the bear, you know, burning,
you know, our past, And it helped I think parenting wise.
They used that leverage a lot against us, you know,
and we saw kids that we raced against growing up.
They would miss a race and it was oh, you know,
their grades weren't up or whatever, and it was just
that was never you know, we didn't want to let

(38:17):
that happen, you know. We that was that was our
priority really and and all the rest of things in
our lives kind of followed that trickle down effect. Um. Yeah.
And like like I said, when we helped helped other
kids getting started before we even got into it, it
was helping establish that that it wasn't gonna be um
a program we just started for for a fad for
a year, you know. And it wasn't that there was

(38:39):
this pressure that it had to go on, but that
it was something that we were going to really want
to do it and have to put the time in
on it. Um. You know a lot of the a
lot of the kids we raced against that we're we're
better than than us, are finishing better than us, you know.
There they had had a team and and dad did
the whole thing, and and his was that he wasn't
gonna work on anymore than us. He was gonna match
our effort. In the Tarrant truck that first year when

(39:01):
we raced Friday nights, we'd wash on Thursday night and
check it out and load it back up and go again.
And then he would race Saturday and that's how it
will go. UM. And it wasn't until it's like, all right, hey,
it's it's Monday, we're ready to unload. We're washing it.
Dad wasn't gonna wash him. He did one time, I
think anyway, probably anyway dirt track. We were washing them
and then um, it's time to start helping get maintenance

(39:22):
and ready on them. And it just kinda helped build
that understanding that, UM, sometimes things won't always go your
way and there's a lot of hard work involved and
if you want to um to continue, um, to be
more consistent and get better UM that that's there's effort
required in the time. Yeah, yeah, okay, let's get the
skinny on the bicycles off the roof into the pool.

(39:43):
It's the roof. It wasn't off the roof. Who was that?
Somebody told us the off of the roof thing that snitching.
So I remember the bicycles into the pool. It was
off the diving board and it was Tanner and coral.
His story is better off the roof, I'd go. Yeah.
We ended up with a motorcycle in the pool. So

(40:04):
that was easy. It's easy to fish. Yeah, you could
fish the bikes out, no problem. But when you got
a little dirt bike and you launched off in there
and then the pool is full of oil and gas,
that's a bit harder to wide black marks down the
side of it because the tires. Yeah, that probably wasn't
our smartest choice, but I mean we were out there
in the rain draining the pool and scrubbing it clean. Yeah, me,

(40:25):
me and Corey. Uh yeah, we we were always down
for a good time. I guess, m yeah they were.
They were nine, we're talking about this, Yeah, yeah, Yeah.
We definitely jumped the bikes in the pool and rode
them around and polar opposites of course, because Corey is
probably still the same and jumping bikes in the pools.

(40:47):
It's it's cool to see him still going the success
he's had. You know, I talked about the junior sprint
that first year. I bet there were thirty of us
UM all that same age, and I bet there's probably
six or eight still racing. So it's been really cool
to follow as we went non wing and maybe payment
racing that Corey has has taken the wings and had
had a whole bunch of success on the dirt, and
he had he had one guy that was was somewhat

(41:09):
his his mentor. And I can't remember who it is
at this point, and I'll think about it. I think
he runs the twenty seer. Maybe I Statler the double
zero zero number always was going up. So it's funny
you talking about that. And I sent Carl the picture
that I sent to Ken yesterday. If you notice in there,

(41:31):
it's Joseph new Garden, Connor Daily to the all the
way to the left of the picture. There that's Jimmy
Simpson and all of them and there have gone on
to win championships. Much like you said, you know, I
mean we were out running, running at Dismor's track when
these guys were thirteen, fourteen years old, and you know,
going to Iowa this year, Connor scored his first pull

(41:53):
in any car and he started on the front road
next to new Garden, And I mean goose bumps talking
about it. But I immediately went back to two thousand four,
you know, and seeing Connor and Joseph new Garden front
row at a Dismor's track out there in Newcastle, you know,
and Junior can you know running with the kids. I
was like, oh my god, that's just phenomenal, you know. Yeah,

(42:15):
it was just really really cool. And my son's gone
on to win three national championships sports car off road racing.
Needless to say, these two kids have done a fabulous
job making enough to Indy Car and he got he
got the Facebook Live deal that we did with Connor. Yeah,
it was great because of course Ken had a lot
of chemistry or you know, a lot of back story

(42:36):
was well, I mean his his father, Derek helped us
out right away, and we were we were clueless, We
didn't know what we were doing when we had Lee Beard.
Lee Beard's son was also very talented out there. Lee
Beard a a award winning nhr A crew chief, super
talented and he was cool. He helped us out. Derek
helped us out. Um, you know, it was it was

(42:57):
a pretty amazing group that was hanging around out there,
you know, in Indy Car guys and their kids and stuff,
you know, hanging around out there, and it is special
whenever you guys are in that mix on the West
Coast and you grow up with all of your buddies
and to watch a certain number of you succeed the
way you have, it's got to be so cool. Yeah, yeah,
it's been fun. And I mean it's amazing how many

(43:17):
of them from Plaza Park that we raced against that
that you still see it race tracks, you know, Chad
baslu Corey, the Selsae brothers never necessarily raced against us,
they were younger, but you know, they pitted a couple
of spots away, and the Facino brothers, um, you know,
raced against them. And Jake Gopi in in the micro ranks,
you know, obviously has made a big name for himself

(43:38):
and and so it's it's just funny those you know,
those same stories we go back to. We played football
in the pits with them, you know when we had
Turkey Night Race, you know back in two thousand care right,
you know, so, uh yeah, it was It's kind of
kind of fun to have those memories. How about you, Georgia,

(43:59):
I'm loving it. I love all that. I mean, you know, right,
you're talking about two years the same the same scenario
absolutely started. I started in horses, actually, so he started
in pigs, yea, horses, So did that fort a while.
And so when you talk about the Mini Sprint World

(44:22):
or the go kart world and stuff like that. That
just brings back so many memories of just going to
the track and all having so much fun. And then
to now see you know, like the Oliver Ascus and
those people who have made it, and you know, especially
other people that have gone different paths with their careers,
whether they're doing reporting or crew chiefing or doing that.
It's just so neat to um go back to those
memories and then fast forward today and see what they've

(44:44):
done with their life. So I'm sure there's a lot
of people that I feel the same about you guys
as well. Did you feel like it was more difficult?
Did you have a little little tougher road as a girl.
I don't know. I made a lot of friends. I
feel like I'm a pretty sociable person. I never really
took the whole girl thing into a you know, I
had a lot of people mentioned anica and things like that,
but never really it just never really felt any different

(45:09):
to me. I figured, when you put the helmet on
and you're going out there, you want to be just
as good as anyone else. And if they say, well,
you're not going to be because you're a girl, then
that's not a valid that's not a valid out anything. Anyway.
I'm really glad to hear that answer, I mean, because
it sounds to me like it really it did not
have really any effect on me whatsoever. And you can
even go through that is motorsports and a whole not

(45:30):
just a driver. You always get the someone looking down
your back trying to see if you're gonna make a
mistake or something. I'm not perfect. I make mistakes all
the time. I said stupid stuff to Cody and Tanner
both on on the microphone before. But it's all learning process.
And I think is any driver, any reporter, any crew chief,
any engineer, You're gonna make mistakes and you're gonna build

(45:51):
and grow on them. So I think that's what everyone's
trying to do, especially in this stage of their life specifically.
So yeah, I didn't really have any effect on me.
I love it. So what's the what's the future hold
for you guys down there? I hop on an airplane
tomorrow morning and go back Thursday morning to my banking
job at home and try to catch up on a

(46:12):
week's worth of emails pretty much. And what people of
the banks, they are there, They all asking they all curiously,
they all watched they I know, they know I keep
it pretty quiet, but a lot of customers that I have,
uh you know, know me from from going up racing
there and and have sent me text message over the
last couple of days. They've seen things on Facebook and

(46:34):
uh even got asked by my boss why I even
worked there just in race cars all the time. So, um,
you know, but I love my job. I've enjoyed it.
Um that was something you know two thousand, I guess
thirteen it was Cody and I kind of had a
rough off season and um kind of lit a fire
under Cody and we've seen the success he's had since

(46:55):
and and for me, it really made me, uh not
want to make a professional racing at least at the time.
So um, you know, went home, got a job by
work in the egg industries, a loan officer for Golden
State Farm Credit and uh and enjoy that for you know,
eleven and a half months out of the year, and
then uh in on an exercise bike the rest of
the time, trying to well not the rest of the time.

(47:18):
It was three weeks ahead of time. Yeah, that's what
it was. What I was told so but that's super
cool to hear that. So there's not a jealous bone
in your body that he's not that he's had his success,
but that you haven't been able to follow that path. Yeah, no, no,
you know that was a decision that you know, I
prayed about and at the time made the decision. And um,
you know, I, for whatever reason, try I live my

(47:40):
life without looking back. Because if you're looking back, the
only choices regret, right, you know, you could always only
look back and think of what if I would have
done something different? So, um, you know, it's the life
that God step forward for me. And uh, you know,
I've loved it. I have a great family, a great wife, um,
and and get to enjoy be and home with them.
So um, you know, it's it's fun and and we've

(48:04):
enjoyed watching the success that Cody has had and uh
and being able to cheer him on and have had
no part in it at all. So um, you know
it's it's it's fun to watch them just to be
of a fan as anybody else's you know, well you
certainly understand it. And and that has to be a
great connection with your brother, you know. So that's that's
very special Cody. How about you, man, I mean, the

(48:24):
future is bright for sure, and it's great to see
you have that that run there in a different style car.
And I believe I read in there that you've had,
you've had aspirations of driving an Indy car and maybe
that's the first step. Yeah. I mean, Um, Tianna talked
to you know about when I guess our you know,
our our paths. We were one the same for a
long time, and then and then they kind of split.

(48:44):
And and that was that that winner two isn't thirteen
and and and he was just getting ready to graduate
college and and finishing his internship, uh with with what's
now Golden State Farm Credit, and decided to make a
career path with it. And Um, I remember being at
home and and had been on the phone with every
Silver Crown owner that ever there was and got nothing

(49:06):
but no. And Um, Jordan I had been married two
years and we had spent that winter in California trying
to regroup. And UM got in the truck and and
headed for Indianapolis. And the only ride I had was
h hand me down. I got off a tanner when
when he decided he was gonna stay home and in
a dirt sprint car. So um, you know, on that
trip back was was a leap of faith. It was

(49:28):
something that you know, that we had continued to pray about,
you know, and and whatever the path was, I wasn't
ready to to stop there. Um. And and if it
and if it was one you know, one year and
and that was it, then at least I knew I
put every last effort into it. And before that trip
you know, was over, I think we were in the
middle of Texas and got you know, on my second

(49:49):
round of calls, after everyone had told me no once,
I was gonna make a mood again, and um, got
connected with Tony to Palma and that well, how soon
can you be there? Like, well, GPS says, I'm gonna
be in Ohio by tomorrow after noon and I'll be
there an hour after that, you know, And um, which
is a great story, by the way, the leap of faith,
I mean, trust me, Um, I'm very well aware of

(50:09):
how those work. And uh, and sometimes you feel like
you leap off a cliff, but it's you gotta trust
the path. And you told me the story how it went,
and unbelievable, Yeah, super fortunate. Um, and only you know,
to to have have that faith and to to believe
in the path that got set out for us, but
to have my wife Jordan alongside every step of the way,

(50:29):
and and um, you know that that no matter what
life was gonna throw at us, we could do it together.
And so that was, um, you know, really something that's
been been great, you know. And and that kind of
led us to to restarting the Silver Crown series with
with the Diploma family. And you know, if you talk
about anyone being jealous, I'm I'm more jealous of the
path Tenner took. Sometimes when I find out, you know,

(50:49):
he's I call. I'll call him when I'm away home
from the race shop at one in the morning here
and it's ten o'clock there, and he's not having to work. Still, man,
he was a lot a lot smarter than me, you know.
And yeah, I'm late. I'm gonna be late again tomorrow,

(51:10):
but I had to work till five thirty today. Yeah,
a communely it's horrible on the way home. But um,
so it's it's been really neat to to to see
us both have success in in the in the path
that we were led on and and you know, for
for me, and you know, I know there's there's no
doubt in my mind if if he wanted to still
do what he could and and if there was doubt

(51:32):
on anyone else's mind, weight five laps into Raceway Park
and he'll remind them too that he could still do it,
no doubt. So, UM, it's it's been been a lot
of fun these past few years, not only as we've
grown through careers, but but our families and in the
time we get to spend together. It's really really been special.
You're so well established now, UM, have you have you
already secure to ride for one or what's what's the

(51:54):
thoughts there? Um shooting And I'm sorry, I totally forgot
the question by the time I started Rand one there.
But but it's ours, our our future in the plans
and going forward and UM where I was headed with
the big wind up there was UM at some point
along the way, I felt like I had done a
lot to prove that I was was worth going to
the next level and I just couldn't quite break through.

(52:15):
And and there were guys that were breaking through that
UM are very talented, but I didn't feel like they
were quite as comfortable in the pavement as I was,
and for for a minute it made me better, you
know where. Um. You hate to not that I wasn't
happy for them, but I just hated that I felt
like I was stuck. And UM, finally got to a
spot um and and kind of had had a piece

(52:36):
about it. And something I had to had to pray
about a lot was UM that that I'm super grateful
to have had the opportunities I have had. And I
finally had to get to that point where, um, I
was trying so hard to make it to the next
level that I wasn't enjoying what I was doing, and
I was, um, you want to talk about the clay
Clipper days, right. So Jenna and I were um at
Grandma's house in the barn and we would sneak in

(52:58):
after dinner to try to watch Thursday Night Thunder because
Thursday night was pet night. And we talked about at
that point we were kids, you know that if we
could just make it there, you know how how cool
that would be. And here I was, I was there,
and I and I was still bitter about not being
somewhere different, and I just said, I need to change
my attitude about that and and enjoy where we were
and at the same time, and I've had so many
great opportunities to meet great people through racing. Um that

(53:20):
that I've just kind of taken one year at a
time and one opportunity at a time, and um, whatever
races next to prepare the best I could for that.
And so uh, as far as one I'm gonna kind
of back up to was that, UM, you know, I
really wanted to help No One Racing win a Silver
Crown title. But for for me personally, UM, you know,

(53:42):
I always enjoy running those races and enjoy running with
that team, but but I didn't necessarily have a Silver
Crown championship as a real personal goal for me this year.
I always want to do the best job I can
for whoever I'm driving for. But one of my goals
was to try to get in to do things. And
and fortunate this year with with Rico's help and and
a lot of a lot people that come alongside us
to try to get into those new things. UM, I

(54:04):
don't really know what holds uh. And I've been a one,
one day at a time kind of guy, and UM,
thankful to have had the opportunity we did this past
weekend UM, which which is leading to to a new
opportunity this weekend UM to kind of follow up with
the inny Pro two thousand series at UM it was
now Worldwide Technology Raceway there in Gateway, and to try
to get some more rear engine experience, UM and kind

(54:27):
of see where that leads as we finished out the year.
So UM, just just taking one day at a time
and thankful for every chance. You know, we've we've been
We've been overly blessed with this year, with us in
business and a lot of other ways, with my daughter's
health and some things coming along, and and uh, one
of the you know, one of the things was I
called Cody. And you know, Jeff Matthews and I have

(54:49):
been talking about this, Tony Stewart and I have been
talking about it. Cindy Elliott with you know Elliot's uh
custom trailer sales and cards, get that right, murder me.
But anyhow, you know, we're talking about Cody. Cody, Let's
give him a chance. Let's find a way, Let's get
him a chance in this thing, you know. And uh,

(55:09):
and at the end of the day, I called him
up and I said listen, this is what I this
is what we want to do, and I've got you,
so I'm your backstop. If you can put together whatever
you can put together, I'll put the rest of it together,
and you know, I'll do it. So really we kind
of had a whole Andy Lights Freedom one hundred thing

(55:31):
in mind, and uh that pretty well got shut down,
uh with the rest of everything else. And uh, but
you know, one of the things that Stewart kept talking
about was we need to get him rear engine experience,
because that was the biggest thing with me coming from
the Sprint Maget Silver Crown was the rear engine, the

(55:52):
down force, you know, just the whole different I think
you figured that out this last week, and you know,
and and so it was. It was really interesting how
it all transpired. But one of the things that I
that I absolutely admire with both of these guys, but
definitely with Cody with this situation was, you know, if
I got a little bit to think about it, because
of course I was plowing, man, you want to go

(56:13):
to do this, We're gonna do it. Let's do this.
Uh well, uh, you know, no, no, I'm gonna pray
about this tonight. I'm gonna talk to Jordan and I'll
get back to you. I'm like, okay, because I and
I admire that because you know what I mean, just
exactly what he said. Most people were like, yeah, when
you know so and and so, it was cool and

(56:36):
it was very methodical and the way that you fought
it through and wanted to do it, and and uh,
I was glad you came back and said yes, because
I was like, man, I really have worked my ass
up and trying to make this. I thought it was
real words of wisdom that you had over there, showing
really showing a lot of maturity um and saying that
I just need to enjoy where I'm at. And I
got caught up. You know, racially, my son, you started

(56:58):
when you was s fourteen years old, and we went
I mean, we're still going as hard as we know
how to go hard, but for twelve years we chased
that next level, you know. I mean, you just it's
just endless. You know, you're relentless, You're on the phone
calling sponsors, you're looking for rides, you're anything anywhere anyway
you can get it done, and it's your entire life.

(57:20):
It consumes your life. And he was probably um, because
I'd say just a couple of years ago, and and
the light bulb finally went off for me. And you know,
I mean, I've been in the sport for a while.
So I said, I said, listen, man, here's the reality
of it. And he knew. I said, the reality of
it is, I said, the windows closing. I mean, we're

(57:41):
definitely on on the far side of you getting you know,
a pro ride. Certainly NASCAR, any development driver, all those,
all those deals are done. You know, unless you find
the lucky sugar daddy, it's it's not happening. So uh
and he gets it. I said, listen, I said, We've
been really fortunate. We've been in the game for twelve
of the years. We've never stopped. You've won at the time,

(58:02):
a couple of national championships. You know, it's I said,
at some point, you have to just stop and look
where we're at and enjoy the ride. We've got to
enjoy the ride. We might not ever get to what
our ultimate goal was, doesn't mean you ever stopped trying,
but we've got to enjoy the ride because it's pretty
cool what we've been able to do, you know, as
a as a father, and a son. But just to

(58:24):
stay in the game as quite an accomplishment. So hats
off to you for having the maturity to figure that out.
And and now it does it looks like some doors
are opening. You just never know, right, you know, if
you quit, you know the answer, you know. And and
and if you're if you're quitting because your goals or
direction is in a different different direction, there's absolutely nothing
wrong with that because it'll wear somebody down. And and

(58:47):
maybe your life just isn't good, you know, doing what
you're doing and chasing it. But you know, if you
can stay in the game, you just never know, yeah,
for sure. And and and I never did stop working
and trying to get to the next level and to
keep those goals in mind and work towards that. But um,
I didn't want it to be where I was bitter
about what I was doing and having the opportunity to do.

(59:07):
And and there's you know, been some moments along the way,
you know. Um one of the first things that was
really driving me as I did want to win a
Silver Crown Championship really bad because I thought I could
have wanted, you know, when I was younger and just
had you know, things happened like they do in racing
in life and wanted to wanted to establish that and
prove that. And um, you know, after the first one
and racing with great people and enjoying enjoying those moments

(59:31):
with with people and seeing you know, some of the
neatest things you know about about for me? You know, UM,
about racing. We obviously do for competitive right, for the
competition of it, and you want to win, um, but
some of the neatest moments have been to get out
and to see the joy on the team's faces, the
car owners faces, and to to give somebody their first

(59:52):
win and to be part of that. I mean that, Um,
that makes it makes it that much more special. And
I mean there's been moments where I considered, you know,
through throughout my career, maybe the ntwous and sixteen, you know,
do do I really want to be doing this this way?
You know, have have I you know, enjoyed this level
to where that's it? And um, you know, how to
how to one office the last race of the year

(01:00:13):
and not really sure and um drove for Brad and
Tara Armstrong at at Anderson and it was it was
the ma Tony Elliott Classic. We had just just lost
him um that earlier that year, I think, or maybe
the year before, but the first race they were having
for him, and and I remember the moment that we
shared in Victory Lane. I thought, man, how how cool

(01:00:33):
it was, um to to be part of that with them,
and how much that meant to them and meant to
me to be part of that that, um, that that
was something that they kept me going for for a
little while and into the next next level to try
to try to do that with people. And so fortunate
to have have stayed in the game long enough, um,
to to get the chance that we've had had so far.
And I don't know, you know, there's no telling what

(01:00:55):
the next day holds, um and what anything will come.
But I'm thankful to of me this far and to
enjoy the opportunities I have. Tanner, I'm gonna work you
back in here. We were actually teammates, are you and
my son were teams? I think it was two thousand fifteen,
maybe sometimes around there, right around there. So it was
his first ever Silver Crown race, and I think he
qualified fourth and finished fourth, which we were we were

(01:01:16):
super happy with, and I think it was your boyfriend
that that got in front of him. I think number
number the guys told him, you know, because he had
pratt was his first day practicing, and and they you know,
had a light load of fuel in it. And then
everybody told him, like, you gotta be careful, like this
thinks will be different when you get a load of
fuel in it. So he checked up going into turn
one and everybody went right by. I know, I was

(01:01:38):
supposed to go a little faster, you know, so and
then he tried your wrestler race, trying to make it
up and you guys, you guys were gone out there.
I think Coon's hit the wall and break failure or something.
You hit the wall that night. But but I bring
that up because there's no bigger fan of yours than
Mike Bowman and and Mike Bowman and I, you know, chatting,
and it was Mike that put that put Robert the

(01:02:00):
car that night, and um, and you know, he would
constantly say to me, like, you know, you're gonna go
broke chase in this dream. You know, it's it's it's
almost impossible to get there unless you have a lot
of money. And that's kind of what you're talking about
you know as well, Cody. I mean, you've success is there,
The talent is there, There's absolutely no question about it.

(01:02:20):
You've beat the best there there possibly is out there.
But to get to the next level means you've got
to reach in your pocket and somebody's got to write
a big fat check, you know. And and that's the
way it goes. And I remember Mike telling me, he said, man,
I've called all the right people, I've done everything I
can do to try and get Tanner and a right
he said, I can't make it happen. And it's it's
just a very difficult thing. And I'm with you. I mean,

(01:02:41):
we were better watching guys go up make it up
to the next level. It's like, man, how does he
get that ride? Whenever you beat him last year? And
death that that you know, and you do you you
get better. And it's the competitive side of us as well.
You know that that we want to win. And uh,
it's it's a very difficult thing and it's very easy
to to consume your life. So again, hats off to
you for for keeping that in Chuck. And like I said,

(01:03:03):
you said, you Tanner, I mean, no bigger fan of
yours than Mike Bowman or if he could put you
on a cup card tomorrow, I think he would do it.
So yeah, yeah, no, that's what I love, Mike U.
You know, you talk about raising people and getting their
first wins. That was what, Yeah, Mike. They hadn't on
a Silver Crown race yet when I started running for him,
and they were, you know, getting close to retiring Brent,

(01:03:24):
you know, Elmore, the crew chief for a long time,
had had some health problems and and I was ready
to kind of hang it up. And it was the
it is like the July Race, I think of two
thousand and twelve or thirteen, and I was on the
airplane and it was raining and we had lightning strikes
and I was stuck at the Indianapolis Airport and couldn't
get off the plane and we were gonna miss practice

(01:03:45):
because I wasn't gonna make it there in time. And
thankfully they rained the thing out. And so Mike I
talked him into it over the winter and said, well,
just don't hang it up yet, just give me one chance,
you know. And uh, And that was what Jason mccoord
told me. If you can win him one, it'll be
his favorite of her forever. By God. That first night
we got lucky enough to win one. And uh, and

(01:04:06):
we've had you know, he had good stuff. I mean,
I think he had a motor from I think he
had a motor from Tony if I'm not mistaken. But
I think you've done his homework with Keith Cohon said
helped him out with the chalk package. Yeah, yeah, that's
what Larson actually had driven it. You know, I was
supposed to race in in uh that July, and I
think the July before Larsen ran in it. And I
don't remember if if Cody ended up winning that night

(01:04:27):
or something. Larsen ran forth and I ran fifth. I
remember following him and thinking, man, that thing doesn't look
too bad. I'd like a shot in it, and uh
and yeah I got got a chance and uh and yeah,
we've you know, had fun racing for the better part
of a decade. Now it seems like together. So were
you driving for him? Was it was it Toledo maybe
and you went for a big rod. Yeah, the laper

(01:04:49):
the lap or something, did some stupid and start away.
It was a laugher. Uh. C J. Leary, I'll never
forget it. Calm got the video. It was a good one.
I heard it was a pretty good one. I was
back in the day with c J when he was
just sorting it out. I don't know if it's c
J as much as it was c J Spot or
whoever it was that night. That was probably been chuck. Yeah,

(01:05:12):
we were, we were we were trying our best. You know,
you can't can't lay it lay off one when you
got Cody on the track and he had stuck at
me on the start and was leading the thing and
we caught c J and Tracy Hines and we're trying
to laugh him, and I got Cody to pick a
lane and I went to the outside and Tracy kind
of rolled through and I was coming through and c

(01:05:33):
J obviously didn't know I was there, and it took
a pretty good ride. But yeah, I know, we polished
off that race car and got out there. I remember
was upset. He's like, that's the best car e her own.
Like I where he said, I flew somewhere maybe here
a Zona or something. It was like like a unique
car year or whatever it was. He said, I wanted
that car. Yeah, that's what they always told me, that

(01:05:57):
that the two car was terrible and it isn't as
good and it was bad and it's the worst thing,
you know, we'd ever seen. And I think two weeks
later we unloaded it and it was that first card
Night classic and we laffed the whole field except for
Cody and the things. So and that's the way Mike, kids,
and I guarantee you to this day, if you ask him,

(01:06:18):
he would say that other car was better. Better. Yeah,
I'll never forget. We came back the next Maye to
run and uh, I went up to the shop to
try to get my feet or you know, my seat
kind of adjusted in the two car, and they Levin
was still sitting there, motor hanging out of it, oil
puddles still underneath it, and uh, yeah, it was you know,

(01:06:39):
he didn't want to give that so great stuff. Hey man,
we appreciate you guys taking the time. We've had you
in here for a little bit, so we appreciate you
taking the time and come back coming by here and
congrats on all your success. It's it's super cool man,
and to stand up classy guys man, awesome, Well, thank you,
we appreciate it. Yeah, I appreciate it very much. Thanks
for us coming in the chat for it. Thanks for

(01:07:01):
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