Matt Brabham is this week's guest on The Skinny with Rico and Ken

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Skinny with Rico and Kenna is a production of
I Heart Radio. I'm Matt Brabham and this is the
Skinny from the bath Heads I Wear Studios in Speedway, Indiana.
This is the Skinny brought to you by Toyota. Rhino
classifies General Tire and Dream Giveaway. This segment of the

(00:23):
Skinny is brought to you by Toyota. Welcome to the Skinny.
Can stout here and Michael Young sitting alongside the track.
Dude back in here. Rico, from what we understand or
what I understand, apparently he's taking a nap. Rough weekend,
a rough weekend. He's sleeping right now, so we give
him a little break. We had a little bit of
issue with one of the airlines, so we thought we'd

(00:44):
give him a break and let him take a nap. Yes,
and apparently that weather issue that they had, they were
the only airline that had. It was a crazy weather
predicament down in Florida, just clouds everywhere, pretty wild. He
was in Dallas, are right n HR event So whether
there too, there's weather everywhere, rather happens everywhere. So Rico
not with us here today, and that's okay. We'll get

(01:06):
Michael to fill in and sitting alongside one of the
young guns that's been paying his dues throughout his career,
and it's gonna step back and pay him again. You
keep scratching until you finally get there. But he was
born into a racing family. He has no choice other
than to race, and that's a good thing because he's
extremely good at it. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Maddie

(01:27):
Brabham Matthew Brabham. We know him as Maddy Brabham or
Maddie brabs and you can find him almost anywhere, but
has worked his way up through the ranks. And yes,
the same Brabham of Jeff Brabham, the his father four
time champ, extremely successful and his grandfather, Sir Jack Brabham,
a three time Formula One champ. So yeah, the racing

(01:47):
pedigree is in there a little bit. And we don't
want to forget about mom because mom is also a
jet ski champ. So you have no choice, dude, about
to step up and win championships. Yeah, thanks having me. Yeah, yeah,
I mean it's just is a disease. It's a disease
that's passed down. I that's the best way to I
describe it. Um, you know, Mom and Dad was trying
to get me to everything else other than race, So

(02:08):
at least you didn't have to explain it to your
parents why you want to go racing. Yeah, I mean
they were I I took a long explanation though, I
mean I had to really convince him. So really, yeah,
they they did not want me racing whatsoever. Um, I tennis, rackets,
golf clubs, anything that I wanted other than a steering wheel.
I was allowed to have so many times steering your

(02:31):
kids towards golf or tennis, anything but racing. He had
all the best equipment in the world and didn't use
any of it. What was your first memory of racing,
since obviously that is the pedigree of the family. What
very first thing do you remember as a kid? I mean, yeah,
the first thing I ever remember as a kid was
going to my mom's races and jet ski racing because
Dad was towards the end of his career in super

(02:53):
cars in Australia and I was starting to get to
the a track. Can actually remember because I was born
in the U S when Dad was seen here and
then we moved back to Australia and he was at
the end of his career. So I didn't remember too
much about going to Dad's races because I think I
went to like the five hundred when I was like
a baby and stuff. I have no memories of it. Um.
So I used to go to mom's jet ski races

(03:14):
in Australia and that was my first kind of memory
or earliest I can remember of going to a race
and during the whole weekend and getting into it, and
so that was kind of my first taste of racing.
Was mom mom ripping in the jet skis. Was it
even a car thing or more jet skis? We were like, man,
these jet skis are cool. I would have bagine that
was pretty cool for a kid. Yeah, it was. It
was awesome. I mean my mom. I was scared of

(03:35):
my mom because she was big too. She had the
whole biceps and muscles like from racing the jet skis.
I mean I was almost was the real jet skis,
like you had to stand on and balance. You know
the ones today you kind of sit on and just
ride like a bike, but old school you had to
really balance. Oh yeah, she did a bit of everything,
so she didn't stand up, So she raced to sit
downs and stuff. But the you know the sit downs
we have one now that the one that she used

(03:56):
to race back then. And if you hold it flat
out and turn it call, you can't hold you can't
hold on like you have to be really strong and
so yeah, I was more scant of mom like as
a kid than I was Dad. But that was my
first um introduction to racing, which is kind of weird
because most people think obviously my grandfather and my dad
or the car racing stuff, but I just I love
the competitiveness of it, whether it was car racing or

(04:18):
jet ski racing. The atmosphere been at a racist was
what got me hooked. Originally for shure, was your grandfather
finished with his career by the time you were able
to to know what's really what's going on? Yeah, yeah,
I I never went to any races. My dad grew
up with Jackson. He went to a lot of the
F one races as a kid, UM, but I think
my dad was one of the only ones because he

(04:39):
was um the oldest brother of everyone, so he went
to all the F one races and has like a
good stories and memory stuff. But I never went to
my grandfather's race and stuff. I just heard the stories
at the dinner table, and that was like enough for
me really because that was it was pretty wild back
then apparently, but yeah, and that was and then I

(04:59):
went to like I remember one super car race I
went to with my dad and watched and but yeah,
most of my memories as a young kid was mom
jet ski races. Wow. So not even much, uh, involvement
with your father's career either. How many brothers sisters do
your father have? Um? So there was three sons of Jack,
so the other two involved in racing. Yes, So David

(05:22):
raced in F one. Um, he was in the the
senate era of F one, so he was like teammates
with Ratzenberger when he got killed, and then Senna was
killed the following day I think. Um. And then he
obviously won Lamong as well and did all the sports
car racing stuff. And then my other uncle not so
much in racing, and then Dad obviously heavy in racing,

(05:45):
especially in the US as well. So yeah, I'm sorry,
I just I had always I always point out there's
a four time mc GTP Champ, but he actually had uh,
I think like twelve years in the cart series, so
a lot of open wheel experience as well. And then
also one first Yeah, they wanted together actually, so Dad
and uh and David won about us together as brothers, so, um,

(06:07):
that's pretty cool. And then Dad won among the twenty
four hour race and so did David as well, and
they both won with Posia. So it's pretty pretty special
and cool. You've had a pretty stout career, especially coming
up through the Road to Indie program. Marco has mentioned,
Graham ray Hall has mentioned, so Andretti ray Hall obviously

(06:28):
huge names in open wheel racing. What did you realize
that you carried the Brabham name, that you were a Brabham?
Did that? When did that hit you that? It's like, oh,
I'm somebody people are watching me. Why aren't they watching me?
I don't understand why. At what point in your career
did that start to come about? Probably when I started
racing go coots in Australia I started to figure out

(06:49):
what was going on because as a young kid, I
was so naive and young to it all. I was
like I just had no like no understanding of what
he had done either, what my dad had done either,
And so I used to go to the go Cott
track and Dad would be telling me to do something
and I would look at him like like what do
you know, Like you're just my dad, you know, like
you have that that reaction as a kid with all
your parents, and so that was my reaction. And then

(07:12):
he's like, you realize, like we've all done this before,
and like we know what we're talking about, and I
know what I'm talking about. I'm like okay, yeah. And
then once I started doing it myself, then I developed
an appreciation understanding of what they did because then I
was like, oh, wow, this is pretty difficult and this
is competitive and it's hard, and it's it's a lot
of work and it's not easy. Right, So then I

(07:33):
was like, oh now. And then I got to an
age when I was racing cards too that I started
to understand what he had done and everything and all
these accomplishments. And then people would obviously come up and
say things at the race track and I'm like, how
do you know? Like okay, like and it all clicked
when I first started racing it. But before then, I
was just one of another kid and another family. I
just thought they were he was my dad. That didn't

(07:53):
know anything and he was my grandfather at Christmas. So yeah,
I mean it was it was one of those so
along those lines with that same question, great question, Michael, Um,
when did your dad become fully engaged like okay, so
he's in the go cart, let's see if the kid
has any talent. When did he realize damn kids got

(08:15):
some talent here, and when did he lock in and say, okay,
I've got to really help you out. Yeah, it probably
was more when I stepped out of go cutting and
started getting into real cause is when he really um
started helping me out with stuff and really getting involved
because in go cutting in Australia, I mean I started

(08:35):
racing on a seven and I convinced him because we
had some friends that went to and with go cutting,
and I went to a race and I watched the
races like I really want to do this, and I
think he could tell that I really wanted to do it,
So then he finally we got involved and I started
racing carts. But yeah, he was one of those dads
that was like, this is just a hobby and this

(08:57):
is fun. Like you're way too young to to know
what's going on and to really think that you're going
to be successful or not successful, or have talent or not.
Like you just don't know at that age, because there's
kids that were just wild and go cutting and then
all of a sudden they get mature and then all
the talent disappears because they start thinking about real world
things or whatever. But in go cutting, it was just

(09:18):
a hobby for us and and fun. So we ran
the go cut out of the back of his dad's
van and we just ran it together as like a
family on weekends kind of deal and have fun and
not take it too seriously. And we would do the
big races and go cutting in Australia, but it wasn't
like big big and there was there was kids that
I raced against that would race every single weekend and

(09:39):
that was like that was it like that they were
going to be the go cutting world champion And it
was one all in no school, you know, big time career,
you know, ready to go. And that's not how we
did it at all. It was very laid back, relaxed.
We went to the big races, but would just show up,
no testing and have fun. And then so I never

(10:01):
really took it that seriously too. And he didn't take
it seriously and it was just a hobby. But then
when I started doing well and go cutting and then
started looking at doing Formula Forward or getting a proper
race car, then it was like, okay, well, if you're
going to do this and take it to that level,
you have to be serious and let's start really knuckling
down on what you should be doing all you shouldn't
be doing and working out and getting uh, you know,

(10:23):
your mental focus on that. Because I was in school
and hanging out with my buddies and sometimes going a weekend,
you know, to race go carts and not really you know,
I just wasn't in I was involved. I wasn't like
at the level I am now and the level I
was at racing. And that's when Dad really got involved too.
Great stuff here, We're gonna take a quick break. We'll

(10:44):
be right back on the other side with more inside
information the Skinny if you will on Maddie Brats. This
segment of the Skinny is brought to you by Dream Giveaway.
Dream Giveaway has been giving away High and the Mayor
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thousand seven. Dream Giveaway is known for giving Away Classic

(11:06):
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You'll have a chance at winning some of the coolest
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dot com. Welcome back to the Skinny ken Stout Here
with the track dude Michael Young and sitting alongside as

(11:27):
young Maddy Bradlin trying to find his way in this
very brutal sport. Certainly has the talent, has the background,
has had the support, but it always comes down to
the money and to recap a little bit of his
career and worked his way up through carding which he
u he's just told us about and with the support
of his father along the way. But two thousand twelve,

(11:48):
I believe it was one f two thousand with Andretti
uh thirteen, moved up to Pro masd won that championship.
Matter of fact, i'd be I believe beat Spencer Piggot
either in two thousands or or Pro Miles and a
ton of wins in the Pro Miles the series and
then up into Indie Lights within and ready again. But
you and I had had a previous conversation one of

(12:08):
the stadium SuperTruck racers. There was tire wars or something
going on there in two thousand and fourteen. With that run, yeah,
I mean I I just had a dream run through
the road to India and uh, I came over from
Australia and I was just the underdog that no one
had really heard of. Obviously knew my family and stuff,
but yeah, I jumped in f two thousand with Cape
Motorsport to English brothers. I still work with them today.

(12:31):
I was just in this shop earlier, um and we
won the championship together. Then I won the championship and
pro mas to and then went into into Lights and
I just had such a quick acceleration through the road
to Indie. You know, most people by the time they
get to Indie Lights have had numerous and you know,
four or five six years in proper race cars before

(12:51):
they get there. And that was my third year in
wings and slicks, and well that that's worth mentioning that
the year before and pro also eleven wins that year. Yeah,
I mean, it was it was a crazy year. I
mean it was two or three races I didn't win,
everything else was pretty good, So I mean it was
just everything clicked. Um, the tires clicked, you know. We

(13:14):
changed from uh good Year to Cooper's and then the
engine um engineers and everyone. I just we just all
got along so well. Like I I still talked to
all the all the guys that were on that team,
and it was just like a crazy year. That one
of those years where everything clicks. And then the following
year in lights, I mean, I won some races and

(13:35):
I was up front. I think I was like fourth
in the championship, but I had a lot of DNFs
and different things happened, and I just wasn't I think
if I had had like another year, I would have
been fine. But I just accelerated through the road dandy
so fast. I was it was my third year racing,
because I remember that time when you started and everybody

(13:56):
was like, oh, wow, he's he's pretty good, and then
it was like, oh, he's really good. And when you
cruised through the first two rungs of the ladder system
and then you got to the indie lights, and it just,
I don't want to say it leveled off, but we
didn't see that same type of success was that they
added horsepower, what it was just a different tire. So
I remember testing on the Firestone and it was like,

(14:17):
oh wow, like everything's just how it was, and as
I was really quick, and and then we went to
the Cooper and it just required like a whole new
learning phase. And I'm a lot older and wiser now,
um and I've done a lot of work with all
the teams that out of the India over the last
couple of years since then, so I've kind of gathered
a better understanding as of why I wasn't as quick

(14:37):
as I probably thought I was going to be in lights.
But I think this was a combination of everything, Like
everything didn't quite click because they did a Mazda. There
was a different UM tire, so everyone needed different setups
and development. And I think I was just a little
bit too inexperienced because I had rushed through the road
to Indie so quick, you know. So a lot a
lot of the guys I remember racing in lights, you know,

(14:58):
like one of the guys came over, he nearly won
the Formula two championship, and I think those guys were
just a little bit more switched on with how to
develop and set up a car and figure all of
it out, and and that was my third year and
wings and slicks. I'm in a lights car. So I
think if I had, you know, been a bit older
and moved through the road to Indy slow, I would

(15:19):
have been way better prepared for the lights stuff. And
just I don't know things happy you can't win every year, like,
it's pretty tough to go through and win every single year.
And even having that slight struggle in lights, I was
still like the most winning at drive at Bibercentage until
Kirkwood came through, So it wasn't too bad, you know.
I just I struggled in lights. I didn't win the championship.
But to say you're struggling just because you didn't win

(15:41):
the championship is probably a good thing. So let me
just put this to rest. Well, we have you here.
Is it Master or Masda because we're in American now
and we say Mazda. I just wanted to confirm it
it's masdive Nissan on on this and on the phone.
If I were you and get a little support the

(16:02):
mountain numbered here. So so you followed up the your
rookie season and lights and and raiched just a couple
of races and then what happened. I just ran out
of money. I had no budget to run at that
level UM and the only reason I was there it
was because I won the championships, and you know, Dad helped.

(16:23):
And Dad helped me a lot with budget obviously, like
with go cutting and stuff, because we're just doing that
for fun. And then he was based in Australia and
doing a lot of BMW driver training stuff and because
of that, we got a lot of UM support and
sponsorship through Dad working with people that were involved in that,
and that kind of funded the Formula Forward stuff. And

(16:44):
then my dad helped me obviously come over to the
US and do the us F two thousand stuff the
first year, but not he couldn't do the whole budget,
so it was still very expensive. And then that was it,
Like that's all my dad could help with financially. So
anything above or anything that I've done outside of that
first year in us F two thousand's just been all
on my own trying to find the funding and the

(17:05):
sponsorship and lights. It was cheaper back then than it
is now, but it's still super expensive. And yeah, I
I was just that was out for me in terms
of trying to come back. I think it was back then, right, Yeah,
it was on three or something that sits around one
point three. And when the new cars and everything came out,
it was new costs for everything, and so it's around

(17:27):
the mill and lights right now, and so yeah, I
just I think I always yeah, that was that was
me to the It was toast for me. But luckily
at that time period I was um, actually met Crusha
and the guys in Australia and Protec and all those guys,
and they, um, we're putting together the deal. So I
was lucky enough to come out of that do some

(17:48):
formally eraces, do some indy car testing with Andretti, and
then I got the ride out of that. So it
was still pretty successful. And even though I had no money,
I mean it was my career was still going pretty
good at that point. Yeah. I was just gonna say,
whenever you hear him say, I was three years and
Slicks and Wings and two thousand fourteen I think it was,

(18:09):
And then a couple of years later, where is he
at the Indie five? So he never thought about slowing down.
But when those opportunities present, man, you absolutely you know,
have to go for that deal. Oh yeah, I mean
that's kind of been my story of my whole career
is um an opportunity has come up and I've taken
it and people are gone, like, you know where, why,
Like why why are you doing that? You have no
testing or whatever. But that's if you're in a situation

(18:31):
where you're you're not bankrolled by funding, you don't have
a choice, right. So when I did the the Road
to India, I did the three years and that was it.
Like that's I didn't have another I didn't have an
option to do more. That was that was the only
option I had. And then the options and the opportunities
came up with the Indie Coast stuff, I wasn't gonna
say no, regardless of the testing and everything. And then

(18:54):
you know, everything else I've done has been the same way.
So I I just that was I was shoehorned into that.
You know, if if you're gonna do it, you gotta
do it. And if you're if you have the luxury
of testing and as much seat time as you like,
and it definitely helps. But some some people don't have
that option. Unfortunately, So in nineties seven you talked about
your father and his brother are winning at bath Furst.

(19:15):
Fast forward twenty one years then you grab a win.
Yeah it was awesome. I mean I um, that was
just another thing that came up byways in Australia, UM
running the super truck stuff. And I knew some of
the h supercar guys having just grown up over there.
And I guess the way the regulations were because you

(19:36):
have to run a car otherwise you get fined because
it's like a franchise thing like that NASCAR does, and
a driver. It didn't show up to one of the
races and I had never driven us like been in
a supercar in my entire life. The guy rang me up,
the team owner and was like, I have to run
this car this weekend and you're here with the super trucks, right,

(19:58):
And I had flown in the route through to buy
from the US to be in Perth because it was
on the other side of Australia. And he's I was like, yeah, sure,
I'll do it. I'll jump in. No practice, it has
never driven a supercar like fine, I'll do what what
could go wrong? So I had never driven a car
like that and I just jumped in and I did
pretty well. I I qualified my teammate in the first

(20:19):
the first time I ever drove the car, So it
was pretty successful. I mean the team and I. I
was brand new, so I was struggling and the team
was was struggling to they were running like a pretty
low budget team. But yeah, we got through the race
no problems and I had a good time. And that
springboarded me into doing the Bad Dust twelve Hour in
a sports car. So I did it with BMW and

(20:42):
Tony Longhurst gave me a really good deal and it
was myself, Aaron Seaton and Tony and Tony put together
just an awesome team, an awesome car and it was
just one of those Another thing was it was a
dream for us. It was. It was one of those
weekends where it was super easy. All we had to
do is bring the car home and you had the
pace and um we won the GT full class at

(21:05):
the at the twelve hours. That was awesome and winning
any race about this is mega great stuff for sure.
Once again, we're gonna take a quick break. We'll be
right back with Maddie Brabs, one of the most successful
names on all the motor sports. This segment of the
Skinny has been brought to you by General Tire. It's
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(21:51):
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You need the trailer to move your baby around the
country in we got you at Rhino dot Co. We're
back here on the skinny. A little rainy outside here
in Speedway today. Some testing that went on out there
last week and a lot of racing that was at
the Speedway by the way last weekend, but the eight
hour coming up this weekend, so s r O will

(22:35):
be out there turning some laps with some of the best.
And uh, we'll have a couple of drivers on here
with a skinny coming up very very soon as well,
including one of the data act guys from TRD looking
forward to getting Shaggy in here. So some great shows
coming your way very soon, can stout. Michael Young sitting
alongside Maddie Brabs, one of the young guns here, very

(22:55):
very talented, trying to scrap his way into this industry.
Has had a lot of success, has seen the highest
level and a start with Indianapolis five, has one a
number of races, a two time and I ventured to
say three time Stadium SuperTruck champ because you've got a
sizeable points lead over there. And we'll see if we
come up another weekend or not, but if not, you've

(23:17):
already locked that thing up for the third time, by
the way, the only three time champion in the history
of the series. Nobody else has more than two, so uh,
if and when that becomes official, congratulations on that and
uh if if memory serves and it did happen, rumor
has it you had a pretty good day today. You
were you were doing some things that will line you

(23:38):
up for next year. Can you talk about it? Yeah,
I mean I can tell you what I might do.
I guess I haven't announced anything yet, but I had
I've done two seat fittings this week's It's like I
have nothing going on for years, and then all of
a sudden, this stuff going on. So, I mean, it's exciting,
but you haven't announced anything yet, so we'll keep the
news out. But so why would you have two seat settings?

(23:59):
One of them? I'm just helping a team out with
some setups and development, which is something I've always done. Um,
so that's not really too new. But the other thing
is is I should be back full time hopefully next
year doing something. So I can't say with that something
is just yet nothing has been announced, but it's all
more positive and more exciting than I have had in

(24:22):
recent years because usually it's one of those deals where
you go, is it going to happen? I'm not sure,
but no, this this seems pretty um, pretty good, So
it's got to be the frustrating part You've done so
many great things, and you've had so many opportunities, but
to me, it's never been the great opportunity. It's been
an opportunity that if you don't take it, you're not

(24:43):
going to get an opportunity that hopefully this next one
will be a great opportunity. Yeah, that's that's the plan,
and that's I think I'm smarter and old enough to
understand that. I mean, I think when I was younger,
I was like, I just gotta win. I just gotta win.
That's all I'm focused on. And I wasn't great on
the business side of things. So I've learned over the years.
I've learned and seen a lot of people come through
in the way they've done it, and I think I

(25:05):
can give it another shot and build up some momentum
and get back to where what I want to do
and where I want to be, which is my goal
has always been Indie Car. So I'm really pushing for
that and that's what I've been working on and I
just haven't had any traction in the last couple of years.
So hopefully it all starts coming together and I can
be smarter, smarter about it and and get as many

(25:26):
people and friends and connections and and just get the
whole thing going again, because at the moment, I'm just
I'm still on the super trucks. I've been successful, I mean,
my my name has been on the radar a lot
in the indiecas stuff, but I'm just not there. So
I just need to get back in and start get
my name out here again. Everybody knows who you are
in any car. I mean, it's it's an important step,

(25:47):
but it can also be a very frustrating step. Not
only do they know who you are, but they know
you're capable, very capable of winning, being fast in an
indy car, not necessarily an indie lights car, even to
the point that you drive the two eater at a
number of events across the country throughout the entire tour.
So if they have that much faith in you to
put a fan in the back of the car with

(26:09):
you and let you go rip, and you guys do rip.
I mean, I've We've had plenty of discussions with Davy
Hamilton's and and certainly Mario Andretti still believes it's a race.
So yeah, yeah, it's a it's a riot with those guys.
I mean, Mario. I mean, that's what he does for
fun at the moment, and he's trimming the car out
at Indie and he's doing all kinds of set up
stuff and where all they're like looking like is this

(26:31):
we hear racing? Or were taking fasters around like and
there's Mario taking front wing, you know, on the radio.
So it's a it's a blast to be a part
of all that. But yeah, and I know all those
guys really well, and I mean it's but it just
comes at the end of the day, it comes down
to the funding has to come from somewhere. So whether
it's you being a good enough driver that sponsor wants

(26:52):
to have you in the car, or you having family
connections that have lots of lots of money, like it's
dad or mom or an uncle, and uh, I just
don't have that luxury. I mean obviously a lot of
people look at me and say, oh, well you're Brad.
I'm like, surely there's something there for you. Um, And
that's just not the case. Like I my parents were like,
if you're gonna do this, it's gonna be it's gonna

(27:13):
be difficult, and you're gonna have to find it on
your own and and you're you're on your own will
help with everything else. But my dad was never a
good businessman. He was a He was a racing driver.
Your your big run at the Indianapolis five. It was
the one hundred running of the Indianapolis five D. So
all eyes are on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. You get

(27:33):
a ride, you qualify. Take us back to the first
time you got up to speed. You got through the
rookie orientation, but now you're at speed. Don't even walk
us through qualifying, although that might be a fun story.
What was it like going around that place at speed?
It's just it's just incredible. I mean, it's it's just
something you can never even though you can give someone

(27:53):
a really good experience in the two seater IndyCar around
in the i MS, you can never describe will give
that feeling. What's really really like to race and and
to be a part of it and drive at that speed.
You know, in the two CD we do like a
eight and you know, which is pretty good, but it's
not it's still not the same. Like it's when you're

(28:14):
going two and you're trimming the car out and it's
skating and it's going through the corners and you've got
someone right next to you, or you're trying to make
a pass. I mean that there's just so much that
you don't know. You don't you don't see, or you
don't feel, you don't know unless you're actually driving the car.
And it's like a chess game. I mean, I was
just talking to someone today about the race and they're

(28:36):
asking me, you know, what is it like and what's
the race like? And I'm like, it's just it's like
a chess game. Like. It's just so much strategy that
comes out of just the five that track alone, that's
different to every other race in the world. You know,
you could race everything and still go that track and
be oh, like this is completely different. But it's just
just amazing experience. I was so happy to be a

(28:56):
part of it. It was the hundred running, so it
was full and the atmosphere it was incredible. Does the
speed ever become normal? Does it ever normalize? It to
so to thirty then turns into now I can maneuver.
Everything slows down, so when you come into the pit stop,
it's got to be insanely like, what's going on? I'm doing?

(29:17):
I think that's why you see so many people losing
it coming into the pits or making mistakes in the
pit lane, because there's a lot of pit stops in
the five, and your brain just slows down and becomes
accustomed to that speed. Like certainly, when I first got
in and I turned in, I turned in way too late.
I'm like, holy, like this is it happens so fast
that speed, Like anything that happens that you miles an

(29:37):
hour is exaggerated to what happens at a hundred miles
an hour or whatever. So you just getting naturally used
to it. Though it's kind of like a weird feeling,
like the first bunch of laps, you're just like your
eyes are like huge hole. You're like wow, like this
is this is scaring me a little bit, you know,
and I can't keep up mentally, But then you adjust,

(29:59):
and then certainly the and when you come back in
the pitch, you feel like you're walking down the pit lane.
So I think that's why so many people make mistakes.
But it's like a weird natural thing in your head,
like your brain is adjusts over time. I think it's
like an adaption thing. I don't know, but certainly the
first time you drive out there, it's it's a little
eye opening for schill, and then you got used to it,
so it's it's it has to be very daunting and

(30:20):
and the levels are even the first step the rookie orientation.
You get through with that, and you've gotta be walking
out of there with a big smile on your face.
But then, like you said, you get back on the
car and think to yourself, Okay, now I've got to
go practice with all these other guys. Like I'm just
as scared again as I was when I got in
at the first time. I look at people like Scott Dixon,

(30:41):
for example, and having the pleasure being on the radio
with him and listening to how the things that he says.
He's not just driving his car. He's driving his car.
He knows what this guy in front of and trying
to do. He's planning what these guys are doing. He's
come on the radio and said, what's the rest of
the field look like? Do I I might want to
stretch it out a little bit, or I might want
back it up a little bit. And and he's very

(31:02):
wary of are very concerned, i should say, of causing
a crash. So like if the pace is too slow
from the leaders and it jams everybody up, he's afraid
it's going to cause a crash too, so when he
doesn't want that to happen. So, um, it's pretty cool
that you say, you know, at first my brain had
to catch up, and then once it catches up, the
next things you start processing while you're out there, including

(31:25):
all the all the cars around you. Yeah, I mean
there's so many things that you don't even realize. So
like you know, there's and there's veteran things too. So
I used to see the guys and practice that had
come off the back straight and they go all the
way down below the white line nearly in the grass
and come back up, and I'm like, what the hell
are they doing? And that's like the universal term for like,
I'm pitting this lab in practice, so you don't try

(31:46):
and like stick a nose on him as they're coming
down to pit lane. And they do it in the
race too, But that's something like I saw Dixon doing
and I'm like like awesome, like what do you why
are you doing that? Like, and it's like, oh, that's
like the universal sign that you're gonna pit like okay,
So then you start figuring out all these little things
that those guys have just been doing for years. You
wouldn't you wouldn't know it practice because when they do that,
the guys that are behind them will tuck down behind
them for a minute to catch draft and then pop

(32:08):
back out of they know what they're gonna do. But
if you're young and you're you're like, I don't know
what they were saying, no idea, And there's so much strategy.
So like if you if you want to try and pass,
you really have to start lifting. If you want to
pass someone down the front straight, you generally have to
start lifting and lining them up on the following straight,
the straight before on the back straight. And that's like

(32:29):
what happens with the race is the leaders start trying
to slow it down, so they're lifting before going into
the corner, so then they're bunching the field up in
certain parts of the track, and then these guys are
trying to like unbunched the field and get a run.
So there's like a whole like accordion effect, and there's
a whole strategy to how you manage the accordion effect
and if you're the leader, you can manage it to

(32:50):
stop yourself from being passed. So if you start lifting
right as you end of the corner, the guy can't
pass you, but then he gets too close or he
gets the arrow wash and then he can't pass you
down the backstrikes. He's lost his momentum. And those guys
like Dix and everyone that's been around like that, you know,
like I was blown away that cash and Eva has
won it this year. But they're the types of people

(33:10):
to go into a race like that and they know
how to play the game right, whereas the young guys
it's so hard to know how to play the game.
I think like Rossie was the last rookie and he
won on fuel strategy, so it's not like he was playing,
you know, the game, but there's a whole game to it,
and it's the race is so fun because of all
those things. And I don't think it's just the cause
the combination of the track. I don't think NASCAR has

(33:32):
that same kind of effect, but they kind of have
that more effected Daytona. But there's just a strategy and
the race is just so different, so fun because of that.
The racecraft is tricky out there for sure. Hey man,
we we really appreciate you taking the time to come
by here. You live here in the area I know,
and uh, we want to get your father in here
as well, and I'd love to have you come back
with your father. Actually, be great to have both of

(33:53):
you here on. But we appreciate you taking the time
and wish you the bust of luck. Keep us up
to date on what's happening. Well, second you can release
that information, we want to push it out here as well.
Sounds good. Thank you. You deserve it. You certainly deserve it. Yeah,
we wish you the best, man, So keep your eyes
on Maddie Brabs. Hopefully he becomes a household name, somebody
that you're very familiar where. He certainly possesses a talent

(34:14):
to get there. He just needs that opportunity. So now
you know the skinny on the beginning of Maddie Brab's career,
and hopefully it develops into something that we all know
about across the waves. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks
for watching, Thanks for being with us here on the skinny.
This episode has been brought to you by Toyota. Rhino
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(34:38):
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(35:00):
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