Episode 117: Catching up with Max Stambaugh

Max Stambaugh signs on to talk about 360's, East Bay, and Creed Kemenah's weird flex.

Episode Transcript

(00:23):
Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen tothe Ohio Dirt Track Podcast. My name
is Clint Knight and I'm Jacob Parkand we are here for the third episode
of the twenty twenty four version ofthe Ohio Dirt Track Podcast. We are
excited that you're back with us.Numbers are looking good. Thank you guys
for tuning in. Make sure thatyou are sharing on social media, describing

(00:44):
wherever it is that you listen topodcasts, and telling your friends that we're
back and to log in and listento us. We hope that we can
provide an exciting season for you wherewe are celebrating those people who get behind
the wheel, those people who openup their checkbooks, and those people who
give their time and make sure thatdirt track racing is what it is today
and what it's going to be inthe future. That's that might be the

(01:07):
most I've given in an introduction infour years. I don't know where that
came from a strip in front ofyou there, No, I just yeah.
So I've been thinking about it allday. I've been I've been thinking
about people complaining on the x orformerly known as Twitter or whatever, and
I just I don't know. Ifelt the need to be a little bit

(01:29):
positive and and juice it up alittle bit for the rest of well,
we got one more weekend of racingand then we got about four or five
weeks off, right, So Iwanted to launch us into that dark five
weeks with some positivity. That's fairkeeping us on the toes. So we
kicked it off. Jacob and Ikicked it off alone in the in the
first episode of this season, andthen we had Creek Kimina two weeks ago.

(01:52):
If you haven't checked that out,go check it out. Creed was
down in Florida running a couple ofdifferent series, and this week we got
Max on. So Jacob, I'lllet you get the intro going here,
all right, Yeah, So,like Creed, Max was down and Max
dan Ball was down in Florida forthe King of the three Sixties. I
just got back up and sounds likeyou're going to work here in about eight

(02:15):
ish hours. But Max, thanksfor joining us tonight. And first off,
how is Florida? Yeah, sothanks for having me. Guys.
Florida went, you know, reallywell. I'd like to say sixty cars.
Like you guys said, Creed wasdown there a lot of guys from
Ohio, Michigan, Indiana guys.So mikey Keegan also was down there,

(02:40):
very happy with Smith Motorsports results,making all three shows and then getting eleventh
on the final night. I knowI said it about the Volucia three sixties
show, but King of the threeSixties is, you know, one of
the deepest three sixty fields you're goingto see all year until you get to
the Knoxville three sixty Nationals. Socome out with that sort of speed,
just kind of right out of thebox for the season. You know,

(03:04):
how how does that encourage your seasonfor twenty twenty four? Well, it
definitely, it definitely helps. It'sfunny because everybody at East Bay says,
well, if you're fast at Eastbut you're gonna take it home and and
that's really not the situation. You'refast down there, and then everything you
do down there you might as welljust throw it out the window. So
but yesh, confidence wise, ithelps go down there. No no equipment

(03:28):
failures, the motors run good,and uh, you know, a good
week behind it, So it workedout really well. Is there any like
track in Ohio that you can erOhio Michigan, that kind of area that
you race that normally that East Spakekind of compares to or is it just
kind of like an odd odd ball. I think it's an oddball from my

(03:50):
year's past going down there. It'sjust a unique situation where the tide comes
in and I don't really understand it. If there's a Christian I usually find
it. If it gets slick,it's weird. It's it's just a different
situation down there, and it's apretty neat deal. So how many trips
have you made down? I knowyou said you've been down there in the
past. Is this the second third? How many years have you made the

(04:13):
trip down I've been. I've beento East Bay a lot, ran with
the All Stars there, definitely thethree sixty stuff with a lot of car
owners, and last year actually gettingsecond and you know race there, which
I'll just tell you I got second, but then you know, getting fourth.
Years before that, I got eleventhin the family car, and then

(04:33):
eleventh again with Smith's this year.So I've been going to East Bay for
you know, a good six sevenyears. So what was it kind of
weird leaving East Bay on I guessit would be late Friday night early Saturday
morning, knowing that it was likethe last time you'll ever be there.

(04:54):
Absolutely. I think the last twothree years they keep saying that, you
know, racing's gonna end at theEast Bad and then you know, every
winner you get on Facebook and it'slike, oh, get ready for the
Winter Nationals. Well, you know, it's all over the track. I
mean, this is it and definitelyan unfilling especially with them moving up the
program. Uh, the you knowfinal night being Friday, You're you're a

(05:15):
day behind the whole way on theway home. So just just a unique
situation and glad to be a partof it. What what is it about
up that kind of kept everyone comingback for like those three sixty shows because
I mean it was you know alot of cars every single year. Yeah,
I would I would say just thatbeginning of the year kickoff kind of
like you said, it's your biggermark. You know, what do they

(05:36):
call it? Like the gold Nuggetraces for three sixty racing? You know
they talk four ten, what's youryou know, primary races? I would
say, you know three sixty wise, this is your you know everyone knows
Aaron Rights is going to show up. Everyone knows Sam Hayfert's going to show
up, and I'd like to say, hey, everybody knows Kreed, Kevin
and Max Stanbo are going to showup too, right one of these days.

(05:57):
Of course. I mean you've,like I said, you've ran really
well down there, so I mean, you know, when you show up,
people like, oh god, Maxstamposs here. Now, Oh thanks
for the confidence face, Jacob,Hey you want to raise at Fremont.
You can do anything there. Yougo. All right, So we're done
in the South. Now, what'swhat do you got on the on the

(06:18):
schedule next? What's the next race? Thanks, I'm gonna get on the
track. I don't don't know yet. We're still working on that obviously.
Attica starts up middle of March,ish if the weather's good. You know
how that goes. But uh,Saul Freemont starts to sixth and then you
know, our deal normally kicks offfirst week of May, so we'll bounce

(06:39):
around the Midwest. Here my car, you know, the Smith car.
Definitely try to get my car outa couple more times this year. I'm
thinking and just kind of pick andshoes until stuff gets going up north.
H And you normally run the gLSS, which used to be like the
n RA and gl you know whateverit's called now. But I mean that's

(07:00):
a pretty stout group of three sixtyguys, you know that, you know
raised Ohio, Michigan. Do youfeel like the the Ohio Michigan three sixty
guys are kind of overlooked when itcomes to like how good they are in
general? I'd like to tell youyes, I think if you take certain
guys with certain tracks, it's reallygood. You talked about Fremont winning at

(07:25):
Fremont, beating Nate Duszel, Ifelt like I just made the back of
a King Droyal, you know so, But I think you take Nate Duszel
to Attica against Max Stanball, I'mpulling Tearoff's run in third or fourth and
he's beating me by four seconds.So I think certain tracks create good racing
for our group. H. Howyeah, you guys kind of go up

(07:46):
to some different tracks up there inMichigan. What's what's kind of like the
more I don't know, I don'tknow how to drive it. I don't
want to say like oddball again,but like, you know, what's kind
of like some of those odd ballplaces that you guys get to go to
with the GLSS series. I wouldsay your oddest track is probably Silver Bullet
or whatever Owen Dale. I wonthere a couple of years ago, and

(08:11):
actually that's when I talked to Creedfor the first time. It's a funny
story. He about won the race. Him and Greg Wilson had a really
good race. And that tracks.It's almost like you're running backyard go carts,
but you're running a sprint car andI swear you're like three hundred miles
from the state of Ohio and there'snot even like a truck stop for like
one hundred miles, So it's it'sjust an odd deal. And the tractor

(08:33):
tires are really white every time fromthere. So are you saying they like
put a fresh coat of paint forevery week or every time you got to
show up, or I think theyput more paint on the tires than water
on the track. I mean thatsounds like Michigan to me. Uh,
Michigan listener's going to take that personal. That's okay, it's my Derek.

(09:01):
So I was listening to Justin Fielertoday. I imagine both you get one
of you guys at least may haveheard a little bit, so justin sorry
for piggybacking on your content, Butas he says said earlier today, we're
all here to support each other.So I'm going to pick a back on
something he brought up, the rumorsthat uses might be getting acquired and what

(09:24):
that might do for three sixty racing. The fact that three sixty Racing set
out to be a more affordable styleof sprint car racing and the cost of
it continues to rise and the personsstay the same, which makes it just
as difficult. Are you do youagree with that? Are you finding that

(09:46):
experience? Do you how do youfeel about the future of it as it's
going on? And are you familiarwith the rumors that it looks like World
Racing Group might possibly I'm not hereto spread rumors, but there's talk to
them be looking at purchasing uocs.I I agreed to disagree, you know,
agree and disagree. I think threesixty Racing, I'll tell you,

(10:07):
is in a good spot. Ialso will say that things have to change.
I think World Racing Group coming inmight be a good thing, you
know, But I still think lookat the high limit race at East Bay.
I mean, uh, you know, the Smith Motorsports has a four
ten and and I'll be honest,you know, Steve told me we could
take the four ten if I wantedto to go down there. But I

(10:28):
feel like you're putting yourself in asituation where you're not going to get the
outcome you want, where you'd bebetter off going to like an Attica Fremont
and you know working on that.So yes and no, I think it
will still be as c S.I don't you know, it might change
owners, but I think all inall, it will still be for the
good. I just hope the formatdon't change the you know, the whole

(10:50):
format. Things kind of key rightnow. Same thing with like my deal
in a way that I feel likein the wing world right now, I
mean, Vlusha is pretty good racinglast couple of weeks, right But if
you start on the front row andyour your car's pretty good, I feel
like you're pretty set. Ye,I feel like there's a lot of shake
up right now just across the board, you know. Anyway, now I

(11:11):
can move on. I mean Iwas literally going to ask, like the
same thing I was going to askMax before before hearing today's stuff, I
was going to ask a Max,like, you know, what happens if
like the ASCs, you know,decides to go east of Illinois again,
and then the rumors came up thatyou know, they're gonna get bought out
by w RG or you know,people haven't been paid blah blah blah.

(11:31):
But you know, I know theASCs hasn't visited you know, Ohio or
Michigan in a few years. Butyou know, what is it? How
big is that for you know,some of our local guys. When you
know a big national tour comes intoour local tracks, I think it's real
big. I think Great Lake SuperSprints in the last two years has really

(11:54):
gotten more following than it has.I think in the past everyone was kind
of like, you know, it'sokay, but it's not great. You
know, maybe my name helped,Maybe Phil Gressman's name helped, Nate Dussel,
Jared Horseman. I think that groupof guys you can you can load
up and go race in Florida,you can go race in Oklahoma, Canada,
and I think we are some ofthe better three sixty racers and and

(12:16):
don't forget Randy Hanigan, right,like, so Randy's still kicking two.
I just I guess in my opinion, you know, obviously I'm a three
sixty driver primarily still want to dofour ten stuff. But I just hope
three sixty racing stays true and asgood as it is, I'll see it.
And I know now with like theNRA not really like being a thing,

(12:39):
but I mean they had like reallygood purses. You know, there
would be nights, you know,I'd go to Wayne'sfield and I think four
tens would be like three thousand towin and three sixties before five thousand to
win. So I mean, Idefinitely think there's a nice, nice little
spot here in Ohio and Michigan forthe g LSS. And I'm glad to
see that they're getting the support.And I always silos enjoy covering the GLSS

(13:01):
shows that Fremont and that couple ofyears ago, and they had some at
Attica that was that was some reallygood racing. Yeah, I mean that's
what that's That's what it comes downto, right is being able to put
a good show on the track andand and have enough cars to do that,
and a and a field of carsthat can compete with one another and

(13:22):
uh and and those are the seriesquite often that that are able to do
that. You know, you goand you pay twenty dollars to get into
a race track see GLSS, andyou're you're guaranteed to pretty much guaranteed to
see uh some tight aggressive racing.Whereas you go, you might pay forty

(13:43):
dollars to see another race and it'sstrung out for forty laps. So yeah,
I think it's important. I thinkI think having those series uh and
those drivers and and those teams atthat whatever the price point or whatever the
budget is, I think think that'simportant to have that in UH because it's

(14:03):
it's it's always a good show.M and of course there are always some
of our guys too that you know, go a lot of times now we
see guys go from like the threeoh five to the four ten, but
we have also have guys like ChaseDunum and Creed and a few others I
think that have you know gone threeoh five, three sixty four ten.
So it's also you know, anice little I don't want to say theater

(14:26):
series, but you know, it'sanother way to get more laps with a
motor with you know, more horsepower, more power in general, and just
you know, gets some more experienceas they work up the ladder. I
think so too. You know,I've spent some time at Attica, Fremont,
Jacob. You know, over theyears. You remember Dustin Shrew,
He's been a three oh five,he ran three sixties for a while,

(14:50):
even got to drive the new Micercar a couple of times. He's a
good buddy of mine. That's aname that comes to mind that has really
kind of showed, you know,he can compete in any kind of any
type of car. So I hopethe three sixty things still goes. You
know, I say this a lotof people and sometimes I get comments back.
But so if I can go runa four ten at Attica and make

(15:11):
the show and get sixteen, yeah, and the car brings in five hundred
dollars, or I can go runtop three in a three sixty show and
you know my percentage cuts five hundreddollars, I guess I'm probably gonna go
race the three sixty Because I'm notKyle Larson. I'm Max Stanball on the
truck driver. So go golfing onSunday is good with me. Uh huh,

(15:33):
are you gonna there's nothing wrong withthat? Are you get a driver?
Yeah? What else you got,Jacob? I do have one fan
question from Derek before. Derek wantsto know in the five k race,

(15:54):
who would win you or him?I already I think I'm too and o
because I've invited him twice and hehasn't showed up. Actually, it's funny.
He posts that he runs all thetime, and I'm an avid runner,
so I I think it would beinteresting. Our times are actually really

(16:15):
close. I started running a coupleof years ago when I drank too much
bud Light, so I had tofigure out why. You know, I
was almost two hundred and twenty poundsand it seemed like the YouTube method told
me that the weight comes off ifyou run on the treadmill as fast as
you can. And uh, itworks for me, and it kind of
keeps me in a mindset. Iwould like to say I'm gonna be Derek,

(16:36):
but I'm hoping we do do getto do one soon. Uh huh.
I mean you can always push himdown, you know, right,
he's a teacher, right, Idon't want to push too hard Nah,
he's a gym teacher. He's he'sexpendable. Oh he's got like that.
That's okay, what's he going todo? Right there? You go?
I think we're going to spend sometime in a car together, go to

(17:00):
Pennsylvania in a few weeks. Butthat's okay, Yeah, I think.
So. We were supposed to godown to East Bay, but the weather
just kind of you know, madeit's we were only going to be able
to go down like and watch racesFriday and Saturday, but with everyone rating
out Saturday, we were only goingto be able to watch on Friday.
And I don't know, driving thirtyfive hours to watch one race. It's

(17:21):
just like, ah, we knowit's East Pace last year, but it's
like as it just couldn't justify it. So it's probably one thing I won't
miss from East Bay is driving fivehours and still being in Florida. Yeah,
you know, I did get apartake in the driving with Steve.
So I asked Steve the one timewhere we were at and it's like,
oh, we're in Georgia and I'mlike, all right, well I'll take

(17:44):
a nap and I'll take over.Well, I wake up and we're still
in Georgia, you know, andit's like, Okay, I'll take one
more nap and then I'll take over. And then it's like, yeah,
good times, have a good runthere. Sound that sounds like driving home
from Colorado when this is past summer. I got I drove, I got
us to Nebraska at sunlight, andI went to sleep. And when I

(18:08):
woke up, I mean I hadslept a considerable amount of time and we
were just getting out of Nebraska.It was I was twenty two hours of
fun. I called Kentucky and Tennesseethe Flat States, and then Georgia and
Florida the Tall States. So itseems like it takes less time to get

(18:30):
through the Flat States and then foreverto get through the Tall States. So
yeah, I've driven through Alabama too, and that's zero percent fun. Was
from Georgia, right, Yeah.Yeah, I grew up, grew up
in Georgia, graduated. I wentto college in Alabama, not at the

(18:52):
University of Alabama, but at JacksonJackson Jacksonville State University in North Alabama.
So yeah, I've I lived downthere for a long time. And now
they're raising four tens down in Georgiaand you're not I know the first time
how many years? It's It's wild. Did we have a pass along question

(19:18):
from Creed? I don't think so, you know, I forgot to do
that all right. Well, sincewe don't have a pass along question from
Creed, I mean we could.I could ask Max, what do you
think Creed would ask you? Andthen what would be your answer? We'll
do something like that. Here hegives me a weird vibe in the driver's

(19:41):
meeting. I really do like him. He actually fired my sprint car up
because it was at Hamps, myfamily car, and he come up to
me that night and was like,I'll drive your car and I'm like,
what are you talking about? Andhe's like, well my grandpa had me
fire your car up or something.And I'm like okay. And I listened
to your guys the show with hima couple of weeks ago. I listen

(20:03):
to you guys all the time,and he kept saying weird flex to you
guys or something like. He keptsaying about a weird flex. I actually
asked him at East Bam, like, what's up with the flex word?
Is that back when we said likeswagger? You know, so I get
a little weird vibes from Creed,but I think he's a good kid.
Mm hmm. It's uh, it'syou know, it's it's the new age,

(20:25):
it's the new generation. It's aweird flex. We said that should
be a that should be a Tshirt. It's a weird flex. We'll
put somebody on it. So wedon't know who's gonna be on the show
next, but if it's a couldbe a driver, promoter, owner,

(20:47):
could be anybody. But uh,what kind of what kind of question would
you ask somebody else in that isin the industry? I you know,
I would say the best question toask any owner or driver his favorite race.
You know, that's you know,your favorite race in a sprint car
or you know, whatever they race, what comes to mind personally off the
type of their head. You know. I think Cale Thomas had a good

(21:11):
answer for you guys a long timeago. But I would say, just
what your favorite race was, andwhat you know, what's your favorite memory
and a sprint car. I'd begood. That was one of the last
things I was gonna ask you.I was gonna ask you what your most
memorable moment behind the wheel was onIndie track gotta be four Crown twenty seventeen,

(21:33):
Ray Marshall Motorsports, Run on thewall, Slicker and shit on the
podium, Brady Bacon one. Idon't even think he shook my hand,
but I was still happy. Anyway. That's probably my favorite moment. I'll
probably go down on the record booksfor me. So that was that was
a good time for me. I'mtrying to think if I was at there,

(21:53):
I should have been at that race. Why don't I remember that?
Of course I was like seven yearsago now, so a lot has happened
in the seven years. Man.I remember that car though from Brady Is
it ninety nine? Was it?Was it the American flag one? Or

(22:15):
was it just all white? Ican't remember. I think it was all
white, green numbers like Neon greennumbers or something. Isn't that sounds right?
I have to go back and lookat some pictures and see what I
can find. Yeah, yeah,so well I know what I'm doing after
this. There you go, findthat picture so I can put it as

(22:40):
an episode icon. There we gothe rail price here it and be like,
what the hell are they talking about? Right? All right? Max?
Man? We appreciate you taking thetime to come on with us.
The shame that we haven't done ityet, but I'm glad you took the
call and it took a half hourto sit down and chat with us.
Absolutely, I appreciate you, Jacobhaving me on. You guys do a

(23:00):
good job. Maybe Clinn I'll geta media in person this year at the
races, Jacob, I know you'realways good for something as well, So
thanks guys. Glad to be on. All right, all right, appreciate
you Max. Until next time,you guys, get out, get dirty,
support your local track