Driven To Drift - Matt Haugen Of Haugen Racing

Ride along with Shawn MrSedanMan Sherrill and John CustomCarNerd Meyer as they talk with Matt Haugen of Haugen Racing. 
 
Drifting may not be on everyone's radar. It certainly wasn't a part of the normal car talk around the studio, but then the guys met Matt Haugen. Matt schooled the guys about drifting.  Matt even learned a cool few things from the guys.  Put on your seatbelts. class is in session. 

 Be sure to find Haugen Racing on YouTube for some of the coolest drifting videos. Be sure to follow Haugen racing on IG.

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Transcript

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Hey, we're back with another episode of Get Out and Dry Podcast. 

You know, John, when we was younger, I don't know. Two, three, 30 years ago, you know we used to get out and Slide around in our cars. 

You're right. 

Find some old gravel lot and slide around. 

Or you know. 

Just be stupid and. 

I remember learning How to drive in the snow doing that right? 

Yeah, definitely in the snow, Doing Donuts and stuff. 

Who knew several years later people will learn how to control that way better than we did, but certainly more yeah, and make a sport out of it drifting. 

A lot better . 

And today we have Matt Haugen of Haugen Racing with us. 

How are you doing Today, Matt? 

hey guys doing well. 

So drifting what? 

What is it about drifting you like? 

Then, so, uh, when I I was like I, I mean, I was like you guys and like everybody else that's into cars like I was in the car since. 

I was like 3 years Old there was Like a there was like this photo my dad has where I I had a cowboy hat on and I was in a diaper and I was trying to take the wheel off of His Corvette, like . 

So, but I was never., I didn't come from like a racing or drifting family and and to me the introduction in drifting was fast and furious Tokyo Drift, which I think Is that way for a lot of people in the United States and and so I just thought was cool. 

OK, yeah. 

I was like I don't know if I'd ever, I mean, I want to do it but not coming from a racing family it's it's so distant you know like If you would ask your parents like I want to go drifting, they're like. 

Get a video game or we'll get you like a simulator and you know, like it's it's so distant but. 

When I was 21 I got a Genesis coupe and kind of started tuning that up and it was, you know, just kind of a little Street car. 

I rip around. 

I wasn't really a little bit of street racing. 

Not nothing too crazy, but I think my parents kind of saw that and they saw that I did. 

I wanted to try racing of some sort and so I went to. 

Bondurant Racing School and did a couple classes there and actually took it. 

Uh, I went started doing some track days and actually took the racing school all the way to like advanced four day class. 

So then I had like my NASA license and stuff. 

So I was like I got pretty like into it and I loved it. 

And and on that last class, I asked one of the guys there who he was drifting and I and I was kind of like. 

Aware of it, but I hadn't really tried it. 

And I was. 

Like you know, what would? 

What would you choose? 

If you're going to pursue one of the other, he's like, well, he he thought drifting was like the most fun way around the corner, and I kind of I. 

I agreed with that, and. 

Start pursuing it and I'm still doing a little bit of. 

Racing, but like the drifting is just. 

It like racing it it. 

It's so organized and I love organization trust me, but it's so organized there's so many rules and as a car person I was appreciated like NASCAR and Formula One and all that kind of stuff. 

But all the cars are are so similar and they look the same. 

I mean the only like customization 'cause cut like some people are racers. 

And then other people are like car builders and I'm definitely both like I love building cars. 

I had seven cars in SEMA show and like really into that as well. 

And so with racing. 

Like a lot of the racing, let's say I mean like, as I say that I'm thinking like drag racing guys get pretty cool with the cars and stuff. 

But like NASCAR Formula One right? 

The cars just have different colors and so with drifting, what's really cool is there's so much freedom in the car builds and the style you can do. 

And all that. 

And then the sport itself is really. 

It's not. 

It's not a race first of all, but it besides it being a competition. 

It's also an exhibition and a show, and it's very entertaining to watch even if you don't really know much about it. 

And even if you don't know who's you know the best or who's winning. 

And so for me, that makes it really fun to participate in too. 

'cause I I like that. 

Whole aspect so. 

So what what, exactly? 

And I don't want to just ask you what was the point of drifting, but what? 

What is the idea behind drifting mean? 

You said it's not a competition, it's somebody that doesn't like me that don't know much about drifting. 

What would you tell in drifting? 

Yeah, talk us through that like like how do you score points or how does how does any of that schedule has it set up? 

It really is. 

I mean explain and explain to our listeners. 

Yeah, so drifting, uhm I like to say it's it's judged kind of like figure skating where it's you know off of it's it's off of line angle and style and so. 

There's no, there's no timing, and then there's no like sensors or anything. 

They have done sensors and in some scoring, and I think that would be really cool to include, but generally at at this point like take formula drift as kind of the the model. 

A lot of people will take their kind of judging and and. 

Play with that a little bit. 

But they go off of lining on style and so they have a judge for each one. 

So before the competition starts. 

We'll have a drivers meeting, and the judges will will have a track map and they'll say this is where we want you on track, and so they'll have what they call outer zones touch and gos, inner clips and so they basically are telling you where to put your rear bumper and front bumper of the car on track. 

And so if you. 

Do that perfectly. 

Then that would be 100 point. 

You know, like. 

Then the angle. 

Judge is looking 'cause we're drifting. 

We're going sideways, right? 

And so you could be, you know, slightly sideways or like really sideways. 

And so the angle judge is wanting you to be pretty much as side of it as you can. 

But still staying online and keeping up a really fast pace. 

And so, and then the style judge is kind of the one where it gets really crazy, but they're looking for, like, you know. 

How aggressive did you enter 'cause? 

There's a lot of ways different ways to enter a drift. 

Some are like a much easier, not as risky way, so the style judges like did this look risky. 

Did it you know to look crazy and then basically at the start of the competition everyone lays down qualifying runs? 

They judge on that line, angle in style. 

And then they place you in a bracket and you battle it out so the lead driver is trying to do 100 point qualifying run and the chase driver is trying to mimic them and stay as close as possible. And that's where drifting gets really crazy 'cause we're literally like the cars were like touching. 

And then you switch and then out of that battlefield. 

With those two cars at a time racing, OK? 

Yeah, so you start. 

With qualifying, which is 1 car at a time and then in the competition hits two cars at a time and then till you get to like a. 

Final winner basically. 

Oh my wow OK? 

Interesting, I know. 

Yeah, it's fine. 

I have seen it and right I know I've seen it and I see it in the car that's behind you there. 

The red car. 

Changing the steering angle a lot. 

How does how is that done and what does that improve? 

Like as far as like the angle kit or like think. 

I I well I see that 'cause I mean again, I don't know anything about that. 

Total arms. 

I I know there's a stock steering angle and and and everything stops at the steering stop. 

What would be the reason you would want to increase that? 

And how do you do that? 

So essentially, you like the main thing you do is you modify the knuckles you're modifying like. 

The pickup point for the tie rod as well as extending the lower control arm. 

So if you've seen like drift cars or even cars street cars that are kind of like mimicking a drift car, they'll have a bunch of camera in. 

The front end. 

Right? 

But sure, you guys know, but for listeners that's like when the wheels are tilted, like the tops fall in. 

Right? 

So, so that is actually purposeful, because we think about it in a drift. 

You want a flat contact patch. 

And so when the tires are turned, adding camber allows it to where the lead tire has a flat contact patch. 

Yeah, it'll stand up in a turn. 

Yeah, so between. 

It'll stand up. 

And extent like. 

It'll take that negative camera and stand it up to 0. 

Yeah, so between external or controller and modifying a knuckle and then obviously in that you get rid of like the the bumpstops and you'll remake them for the steering and then as well as extending the tie rods we do that too. 

But between kind of all that. 

That will allow us to get up to. 

Like 70 degrees of steering angle up with stock cars in like the 20s or even like low 30s. 

Maybe so you don't need that though that's super extreme just for if there's any listeners out there that want to get into drifting like you can, definitely just. 

There's minimal mods you can do. 

To get into it, I'll just leave. 

It at that. 

But yeah, we go pretty crazy. 

It's like a whole new suspension kit for the front and rear and it yeah. 

Well, it it, it looks pretty neat and and it it's something. 

Obviously you learn how to control or where to put your car and it's you become the car becomes an extension of you. 

And you you don't see a turn as a turn. 

Yeah, that's. 

You see it as how what line you're going to take. 

And that's what's crazy like. 

So one of my favorite things about drifting is going to like shows and exhibitions and giving ride alongs because it's it's not like. 

Yes, riding along on track and like a you know a race car would be cool, but people can kind of imagine that I feel like but drifting they can't really imagine it unless they've been in the car. 

It's it's hard to imagine they could see it, and they're like I want to go, and it's like a roller coaster ride, so that's one of my favorite things and you get a lot of comments where people are like. 

How how can that? 

How can you like? 

You know control? 

It seems so out of control, but you you start to realize as you ride along like it we are in control of the car. 

It just looks so out of control and that's I think what's exciting about it? 

What kind of cars do you run? 

And what do you drive? 

So me personally. 

I I kinda I was always in love with Nissan Skylines but I like like really fall in love with those for drifting so my competition car here in the US is a Nissan Skyline R34. 

Yeah, it's like the the fast and furious car. Basically Paul Walkers and then we're building a Nissan skyline. R32 for next year's plans. 

And then I have a R34 sedan as well that I want to build. That's like sitting ready to go. 

Hippo guard guy. 

Having enough one more project and yes. 

Yeah yeah, lots of lots of projects in the pipe. 

Definitely not, so yeah. 

What are you up to? 

What kind of engine you got powering those things? 

So the R34 is actually American V8, so it's a four and 25 cubic inch LS. 

Uh, with the four liter Whipple supercharger on it, so that's capable, like 12113 hundred. We have it on race gas as well, and it's around. It's like like 960 at the wheels. 

And then Arthur, two that we're building. That's actually we're going keeping like the JDM route, so that'll have basically like the old GTR motor. It's called a RB26. 

Six so it's an inline six with a turbo, and that one is actually built for like 1500 horsepower, while in the turbo capable of 1200, but that is like there is definitely like a power limit with the tires that were allowed for drifting and it it seems like the sweet spot a lot of times is that like 9 to like 1050. 

Only count. 

We'll for like peak pro competitions that car. 

It'll be right around. 

You know that same power range, but it's like over built so it'll stay stay safe. 

Other than power, is there a way that you've changed the car to make it drifting specific? 

Yeah, absolutely. 

So the the angle kit like we talked about, that's probably the thing that is. 

Truly unique to drift cars, you wouldn't really use that or need it for any other any other sport or anything like that, but kind of. 

A so a. 

Lot of people look at drifting and they do immediately think you know sliding around the snow or something like that. 

But what people don't realize until you kind of see it in person or sit in a car. 

Or if you have a racing background, it it's clear to see, but we we have a lot of grip in the rear. 

Of the cars. 

They're set up more similar to a drag car than anything else in the rear. 

And So what we're basically doing is gripping up the rear as much as possible and then overcoming it with power and kind of finding that sweet spot where we can stay in a drift. 

But we're like accelerating in that drift and going as fast as possible, you know? 

So we actually find that limit to where it's like. 

Wow, it's like undraftable like we'll initiate and like we can't stay in a slide. 

Some will back off traction like a little bit. 

And you know what I? 

Mean that's that's. 

Then you have that fine line between being able to be like almost out of control and then being too sticky. 

You you find that line. 

Yeah exactly yeah. 

Well, that's what that is, go ahead. 

You know our numbers. 

Some people are like I. 

Why would you need that much? 

And then you kind of explain it. 

You're like, oh OK, 'cause you know, we're drifting at like 80 mph and initiating far past 100. A lot of times so. 

It's fast. 

Yeah, that's that that's. 

Yeah, I did not realize that it was that speeds. 

Yeah, I didn't. 

I didn't realize you come into a corner and you're that hot. 

Yeah, yeah. 

And then I mean you watch like just go watch like formula drift. 

I mean they're and they're drifting on NASCAR banks, you know, like they're literally you're initiating a bank and you're riding that wall like all the way around or someone right next to you like it's not. 

Yeah, that is true, and adrenaline junkie. 

This is the sport for you. 

Yes, I would say so, yeah. 

I I can't like. 

I came from like snowboarding and wakeboarding and skateboarding background. 

Like all the action sports. 

Drifting is just I don't know it took over. 

For me, right? 

It's not. 

I know you, I know you said you. 

Kind of got your spark in drifting from the Tokyo drift Fast and Furious movie. 

Do you have any previous experience other than that deeper in your or earlier in your life that you remember that you said hey, that's a car and I think that's cool and why? 

Why would you want to like that? 

Did you like cars before Tokyo drift? 

Oh yeah, yeah. 

Of course I yeah. 

I mean like I like cars since I was born basically. 

Uh, my my dad, I kind of described and this is. 

To me when I said it, it sounds like it's like a disc or something, but it's not I just he's like I. 

I would say. 

He's like a average car back like he, you know, I don't think he's ever done like an engine swap, but he'll, you know he'll do some stuff in his garage and then have shops. 

Help him with some stuff and he's always had a cool car too and he's had hot rods and stuff like that. 

So he's not racing. 

He did. 

He's never. 

He never puts his own cars in car shows, but he'll go to like some of the big ones. 

So that's kind of how I'd describe him. 

He's always been like that. 

And so from the day I was born, like we don't, you know, I tend to think that most stuff is environmental, like I don't think you're really born with too much. 

Like why would we instinctually like cars? You know, like it hasn't been around for like 30-40 thousand years, you know, but. 

I liked cards from so early on it's we're not sure right and so, but the one thing I must say is my dad says that he had me in a stroller as a baby like rolling around car shows. 

So I was around these cars from super early on. 

Yeah, just kind of born into it then. 

Yeah yeah, and like I said he wasn't racing or drifting. 

None of that so I just kind of took that that that hobby addiction to a whole new level. 

Where where do you race at? 

Uh, so we're based in Scottsdale, AZ. 

Our home track is Musselman Honda Circuit and Tucson, so that's where we'll we do. 

A lot of how to drift videos and stuff on our. 

YouTube channel. 

So as well as other stuff, but that's where you'll see a lot of content from there is, that is that track this last year. 

Obviously with like COVID has been. 

Pretty crazy with not really having too many events and stuff like that, but generally we'll be traveling like kind of all around the United States when we did formula drift in the US that was in we're in Pro 2 and so that was like what Florida Atlanta Saint Louis? 

And Texas Umso kind of all over. 

But what's really cool is next year. 

We're doing formula drift Japan, so they have a Japan series which is for those who don't know, I. 

Mean drifting is notorious for basically starting in Japan. 

There's some that argue that, but that is really where it gained its popularity. 

And like the tug, the mountains of Japan and so format drift has a professional series there as well. 

So we're going to do that next year, which I'm super stoked. 

There's six rounds all throughout Japan. 

So next year we'll be super active. 

This year we're pretty focused on building the YouTube channel and. 

And then building a car. I wasn't planning on like I have that R34 like I was talking about. I wasn't planning on building another car but. 

I can't bring the R34 over there, so we gotta build the R. 

32 gotcha. 

Yeah, that sounds like you're getting around this other than in Japan. 

Are there any places around the world that you have drifted in? 

Or or is arsenia places available in the world? 

I mean, drifting was big, like everywhere there's there's big series in Australia, New Zealand, China, like. 

All over the Middle East. 

England all over like Ireland. 

I mean it's it's really like blowing up. 

Norway has a big series. 

Well so yeah all over for me personally I've only ever addicted in the United States and Japan. 

Uhm, but I that? 

That's like on my list as we kind of grow the YouTube channel and stuff. 

I'd like to start going to these places and. 

You know the. 

The the problem is it's not like. 

It's a little trickier. 

'cause not like snowboarding or skateboarding. 

Let's use that as an example. 

Again, you know you could pack your board with you and like head to. 

This place, but like you. 

Can't pack the car, you know? 

So I I'd have to ship your car, which is pretty outrageous. 

Right? 

That's an expensive, time-consuming or find 1. 

And that's like just one last thing on that with drifting, because it is a. 

It's like you know, a lot of you are probably aware you can go to a track and rent a car to race around for the. 

Day and you can have. 

An instructor with, but that's not so much of a thing with drifting, it's it's. 

People are playing with it and like there's a couple guys that do it, but it's not so widespread like that because it is so harsh on the cars and if you put. 

Someone who's new to drifting in a car. 

There's a super high chance that they're going to crash it, or at least like knock bumpers off or ruin the clutch because you can't really like. 

It's not like racing where they can say alright, just go like half speed, you know and it's like safer. 

That it's it's. 

You're kind of drifting or. 

Not so right. 

Yeah, I know you've talked about having new people crashing or, you know, messing the car up and things. 

We love break down stories and things. 

Have you had any, uh thrash to get your car back together? 

If you've crashed it? 

At edition at an event. 

Yeah, I mean I I I've. 

Like I, I feel like if you haven't crashed, or at least like bang stuff up and you're really not pushing yourself, you know if you're just crashing every race, then there's that's a different problem, right? 

It like my last one, really kind of sucked. It was with my R34. We were out for Holly LS Fest and. 

So that I don't necessarily want to like dive into this, but I I do a lot with like some some big mental health issues and I was dealing with them really ******** that day when we were supposed to be, you know, kind of doing this exhibition with other Drifters out there, and when we got on the line, they. 

Like OK, so I have a rule of thumb and and I've I've never broken it until now and I don't know why I did and I think it was 'cause I was just kind of messed up in the head that day, but I always say with drifting when you're at a new track or even sometimes attract that you haven't been to for a while. 

You should always. 

Like road race it one lap before you drift it so kind of see how everything is. 

Check out the traction you know hit the brakes hard, accelerate hard but don't drift and I didn't do that. 

I I broke that and I think like I said, it was just 'cause I was really just dealing with a lot of stuff and in my head and so. 

I just went out and drifted it. 

And I ended up completely like off course. 

The course wasn't laid out very well, like the cone, you couldn't see the cones. 

And I ended up like just going too wide on one part and like smashing the back corner in and it sucked 'cause it broken axle and I had everything else to fix it. 

And actually, like my crewchief Jamison, he had the car back together in literally like 30 minutes. 

But because we didn't do a spare axle, our weekend was over. 

And so all the way up to Vegas. 

Well, which isn't that far. 

But still it's like 5 hours for us all the way up there for basically one lap. 

And then the weekend was over. 

And because I broke my own rule. 

So right now it's even more of a rule. 

It's like no matter what that one lap. 

They'll say, but you. 

But you've learned something from that experience, and that's what it. 

That's what it's about. 

I mean, I totally. 

Yeah it sucks though. 

'cause I already had that you know that rule in my mind and then. 

Yeah, but that's part of that's part of pushing the envelope like you was talking about earlier, though sometimes you got to push. 

I broke it, I noted that. 

Things right and see and kind of teach yourself no no. 

Get back over here where you were, where you know you should. 

Yeah, know where the line is if you personally. 

Be right, yeah? 

Yeah, say what? 

I'd say you know where the line is with you personally, you know you. 

Oh yeah. 

You run the track and figure it all out and and that's that helps, that's good. 

Yeah good yeah learn, learn from mistakes. 

Yeah, learn, learn from mistakes. 

That's that's the way life is so. 

Well, it's funny. 

After that they they like put up bigger cones and do all this stuff and then they did it and then they did a uh like a parade lap is what they call it with all the cars to like drive through it and I was. 

Like really like after I crashed and they do like. 

Well, maybe you taught them something too then. 

Yeah, probably, but not, and it it definitely. 

It depends that one like in the past the other crashes. 

I mean that would suck, but I wasn't so torn up about it, but that one I was 'cause. 

I knew I had, you know, broken my own rule that a rule that I already known. 

It's not like I learned a lesson I I did somewhat learning last time. 

But it's like already. 

Right? 

I knew that already, like had something in place for that so. 

Yeah, that that one. 

That one was a bummer. 

Yeah, I got you. 

So I know you've got drift cars and things what? 

What Car did you take your street driving test in? 

Ah, the heck did I take? 

I should know that huh? 

I can't remember. 

But that one always throws everybody off. 

Yeah, that's true with everybody. 

We ask all of our guests that question. 

And sometimes yeah, we ask every one of our guests and and sometimes it's some outlandish thing and sometimes people can't remember yeah. 

I can't remember I'm like. 

I said yeah, as some people will actually. 

I mean obviously people older than you. 

They'll start going back and they'll start reminiscing about their teen years. 

And it's, yeah, it's a good way to segue into some. 

Of that stuff, yeah. 

Like yeah, I'm not like I think at the time my dad had you, you guys remember the Saleen F-150? 

Yes, yeah. 

Thing was sick so my dad had one of those in red and it was like the addition where it was supercharged and lowered and had the body kit and everything right and that was like. 

Kind of one of the vehicles I learned to drive, and I think we started out that trucks obviously kind of gnarly. 

So I think we started out in like my mom's like Mercedes or whatever and kind of switch between the two. 

But I don't. 

I don't think I took the driving test in that truck. 

I think we were smarter than that. 

I mean. 

It's hard, but I remember at the time that's kind of what. 

I was learning in and around. 

But yeah. 

That's a good question. 

I like that. 

It doesn't bring up. 

Yeah, that always seems to throw everybody so. 

So you said you built some SEMA cars? 

What kind of cars you built? 

So I had my first vehicle in there so I went. 

I went to see him at like 17 years old. 

I was like I don't even know how I'd really like heard about it or whatever. 

'cause at that time I mean. 

That was dumb. 

Or like 2010? I think I'm doing the math right. Uh, it it? I feel like seem has changed a lot in the last 5-6 years. 

It's gotten like really open to like spectators and like non industry people, but at least at that point in like 2010 it was pretty locked down. It was hard to get into and hard to get tickets for. 

And so I'm not exactly sure how I like heard about it or what, but I wanted to go and so the like wheel shop that we worked with. 

Uh, they were like here. 

We'll give you guys are two tickets. 

We're not going to be there, you know whatever it was. 

Friday so you guys can use him for that, and so we went and I was just like blown away. 

I thought it was the coolest thing ever and also 'cause we kind of like snuck in 'cause I used to actually like check credentials and stuff. 

Now it's kind of joke, but yeah, like back then it was kind of sketch like you're sneaking in and someone else is ticket. 

And yeah yeah it was me and my dad and I was like. 

I don't know why like 17 year old Matt thought this, but I was. 

Like I want. 

To have a vehicle in this show. 

And my dad, the way is like we're best friends, and he'd never tell me like he doesn't think I can do it, and so he's like, alright. 

Well, you know, figure it out. 

And so we ended up. 

Uh, building up my tundra and we actually got it in the show, the. 

Next year as a booth vehicle. 

Uhm, for like a a tunnel cover company. 

So that was like a dream come true for me like 18 years old and had that in there and it was just such a crazy experience. 

And after that I like I want to do it again. 

So then I brought like my Genesis coupe like. 

I think three times and and then I basically had to a point where it's like any car I was building. 

I would like see if I could get it placed in SEMA. 

So it was just kind of like a a challenge for me. 

I guess it was really fun. 

One year I had I had three vehicles in which I'll say like I'll never do again. 

That was terrible, like not a fun experience because it's cool achievement I guess, but it was. 

I don't know being like a perfectionist like I mentioned earlier, like I like, almost went to the hospital a couple of times 'cause I was just like so tired and worn out and like sick. 

You know, so I think 1 vehicle is more than enough. 

Yeah gotcha, yeah. 

But yeah, I'd like a 1JZ swapped Nissan 350Z and then it's like a one of 20 widebody Lamborghini Murcielago that was in the show twice. 

A lot of JDM stuff, I guess, and then the the the truck my dad. 

I actually built a really cool truck for my dad and we never got it in the SEMA show. 

I wish it would. 

Have been, but he had a we did it like hot rod style so he had like a 32 Ford. 

With the five. 

02 big block in it back in. 

The day and. 

We worked on that together like yeah, it's such a nice little car and he ended up selling it. 

But he kind of wanted like a daily driver that kind of had that that same flavor, let's say, and so we got a Chevy Silverado. 

So we did like a all all leather red leather interior and it was black on the outside and then it was on air suspension on 24 inch wheels and there were solids. 

Uhm, like smoothies and then it had like they're really cool. 

'cause we use this like this wheel called Nell, which is kind of like a it's like a lexani or forgiato or something like that. 

It's not something you would necessarily think of for, like a hot rod, but they had one. 

It was called the chameleon where you could interchange. 

The face plates. 

Oh wow. 

And it was like I said, a smooth wheel, but you could put different face plates on it. 

And the reason I wanted it is 'cause I didn't want the same smoothie as everyone else 'cause this one had like bolt holes. 

All around and. 

So we actually put like. 

Spiked Chrome spiked bolts like all around it, so it's like a really unique looking wheel and just kind of like styled, but yeah, that truck was so sick. 

It also had a Magnuson supercharger on it, and that was like his daily driver, and it's like the. 

Fix horsepower bagged like New Silverado hot rod thing, but I wish we would have put that and see him. 

I definitely think it could have been just, you know, whatever timing or. 

Whatever, but that's right, yeah. 

Yeah, well sounds pretty cool, yeah. 

I kind of went. 

Off there, but that truck like. 

I don't have that much media. 

Of it, and like it's it never wasn't sema. 

And it was just such a cool truck. 

I'm like one of those builds, you know that. 

Didn't get what deserved I think. 

Yeah are you? 

Are you interested at all in any like 70s era? 

JDM stuff 

Yeah, absolutely. 

Yeah, so like my like dream car at this point is, uh, what would be an exact year, but the idea hakosuka GTR, so Nissan is essentially like the first GTR. 

I think it would be a like early 70s. 

Let me look up. 

I always forget the year. 

But it became kind of my dad's too 'cause he started seeing. Like when I showed him this car like 1971 UM when I showed him that car. 

It reminded him of like some of the American cars too, 'cause they they took so many like design cues from each other back and forth. You know he started like cars and 70s from Japan and the US. 

Yes, yeah. 

But that one he actually has it as like his background of his phone now. 

And it's like it's my dream car. 

It's a car that he his dream car for him, so I'm really hoping someday. 

I'm like I want to do like one last build for him and build him a hakosuka GTR. 

I think that would just. 

Be super rad so. 

That'd be. 

Cool, yeah, I've seen I've seen a lot of the 70s era, you know, 240Z's and and a lot of stuff like that and in the little. 

It's like a little 3 box looking square. 

Looks almost looks like a Volvo Toyota, but. 

That stuff is. 

Having it retro old 70s. 

Looking with the mirrors real far on the front fenders and and that type of stuff I've seen some of those. 

They're brutally fast. 

Yeah, they're cool. 

Uhm, as far like they're, they're super cool. 

I'd love that one for like a custom car and stuff. 

There have been some that become drift cars, but they're they're. 

They're tough, you know they're they're heavier. 

And then because everything so like meta. 

Well it it can get really expensive to fix, so I don't know if you were going there at that, but yeah, not a lot of those ever become fixed cars 'cause they're just so much harder to repair. 

Yeah, yeah. 

'cause nowadays from like let's say. 

I'm not, let's say like late 80s and up we have like, you know, removable. 

Generally like plastic bumpers. 

And you know the trunk. 

And like all that stuff is a little bit more separate and so it's easier to fix stuff. 

Those older cars were. 

They're so cool how they were built, but like way harder to fix. 

Right it it would be harder to source parts for, you know for a 70. 

This era you know, JDM style car and and the fact that especially over there as technology progressed man they just threw everything away. 

And and they're just not around. 

It's not. 

So you know what happened. 

Like my understanding, I don't know a ton about it, so maybe I shouldn't even say. 

But like the emission standards are like so crazy in Japan that you basically have to. 

Like keep upgrading these old cars to keep them on the street and. 

So I believe. 

Because of that, that's why a lot of people just kind of throw them away and stop driving them because it it gets like outrageously expensive to get them to. 

You know this old card to the emission standards of like today and so like it's not like only the US is changing it. 

Yeah, gotcha. 

We all know, but in the past. 

You were able to drive. 

You know these old cars around and not have to like redo them. 

All the time. 

So yeah, I could see where that would be a detriment cost. 

Right, right and and I could, yeah. 

Oh jeez, yeah, yeah. 

Not not, you know, not cost effective. 

And that leads it. 

Ones that have been licensed more. 

They're like way more expensive because of that. 

'cause it's known that they were, you know, driven in more recent years on the street and stuff. 

Like that so. 

Is it? 

Is it getting easier to get cars? 

Japan and any you know Asian market cars over to the US as the US loosened up there. 

Are there there laws for importing what I would consider a Gray market car? 

Yeah, I don't think that they've really loosened up, but they everyone learned what the laws are. I don't think they've really changed too much to to my understanding, but as like we dipped into like it's 25 years, right? So basically when? 

OK. 

2015 came around. That's when it really started getting hot 'cause we started getting into all these iconic like 90s Japanese cars that were used for drifting and tuning and stuff like that. 

And so I think as 2015 came around, a lot of people started just learning what the laws are. And now there's like so many import companies and it's. 

It's pretty easy as long as a car is 25 years old, like there's somebody that can help you get it legally and and get it licensed for the street. 

OK. 

So yeah, I've been. 

I've been seeing a lot of cars coming from Mexico that weren't available in the United States. 

You know that that are coming up. 

Yeah, yeah. 

I mean, I, I saw the other day a. 

A tahoes that was a CK and it had clear rear side glass on it. 

I'd never seen one of those in my life and you could see right through it. 

That's crazy. 

It was completely clear and I had no idea what it was. 

I looked at the comments and they said that's Mexico only. 

Because all the US had privacy tint rear cargo doors and side glass and this is clear all through all the way through. 

Yeah, see, I would still stick. 

In Japan only. But there's all these other weird cars and stuff that as the 25 year old that they can all. 

Come into yeah, that's cool. 

Absolutely no. 

Brazil man, there's there's a lot of lot of other countries it's got. 

Yeah, Mexico, Brazil. 

Yeah, really cool cars so we just don't have really good access to. 

Australia too like looks cool like. 

Yes, yeah. 

Holding Brandon like that stuff is a lot of weird kind of I shouldn't say weird but just cool different stuff. 

It's just weird to hear different different for us. 

That we never got out of the norm. 

Yeah, sure. 

I mean, 'cause you certainly can't get an 80s era 4 door suburban looking RAM charger in the United States. 

You can't get that. 

But down in Mexico, I'm not going to say they're giving away a dime a dozen, but they're starting to come up to the United States. 

But Sir. 

They are available, yeah? 

I saw a picture one the other day. 

It looked like an 80s era suburb. 

But it was a D100. It was a Dodge 4 door suburban with a permanent shell on the back of it and I had to like wipe my eyes and look at what I was looking at again. 

Yeah it was. 

Crazy the day of Photoshop. 

It's hard to tell sometimes whether something is real or not. 

It is sometimes it is. 

And yeah, yeah, yeah. 

It is that one of the reasons you can't take the R34 is that because of the engine swap over there. 

It's I I just it's. 

A grand market vehicle, so I use it for racing purpose only, but I I can't move it. 

Around like in. 

Outside of the. 

US so it's. 

Yeah no, I get it. I get it 100%, no, no, there's there's. There's race cars and something can't be licensed as a Street car. I get it. 

Dutch here is a race car. 

Yeah, so yeah it sucks 'cause. 

Man I put like so much freaking money and time into that car and it's just perfect that was going to be my competition vehicle and there's no reason right now that I shouldn't have to, but I guess. 

In the grand scheme of things, it is kind of cool 'cause we'll still have that car here in the United States. 

For demos, I don't think we're not going to try to do 2 competition series next year, but you know eventually, maybe. 

And then we already have two cars built. 

For it so. 

Yeah, I don't know it. It would have been way less of a headache and not like put me in such a bad financial spot if we could just ship the 34 over. 

There and be done with it, but. 

So Speaking of that, what is in the future for Matt Hogan and Hogan Racing? 

So next year we're competing in Formula Drift Japan, so so that is formula drift's kind of premier drifting competition or championship. 

But in Japan, so there's six rounds. I'm super stoked for that. As I mentioned, we're building the R32. 

We got to ship that out in in this December 1st of this year, just in case there is any holdups or lag. 

We'll definitely have it. 

You know, in Japan by like February 1st and then this the competition. 

Starts May of next year, so that'll give us time to kind of go practice around there and you know kind of get everything ready to go on that side, as well as like the YouTube channel. 

That's like our biggest thing right now, so we upload 5 YouTube videos a week. 

We're like so close I'm like I have this little counter from watching it about 70,000 Subs. So we're like we're getting there we're making progress. 

Ha ha. 

Uhm, I like for future wise I want to keep building that I want to compete in formula drift Japan and and then I really like to. 

I used to travel a lot, not for car stuff. 

I I really like to get back to traveling, but also go and do some cool car stuff. 

Kind of around the world like we're talking about like. 

There's a 'cause I do. 

I do a lot of reaction videos on the YouTube channel and so we look at these like different forms of car control and like drifting and stuff like that. 

And there's these really cool different sports like one is called car spinning in South Africa. 

And then there's, UM. 

TA feet or hawala, which is in the Middle East. 

And like we don't have anything that like it, doesn't really exist. 

Those sports don't exist anywhere else in the world, and they're kind of a form of drifting, and so I would really love to like go out there. 

See that in person. 

Maybe try it for myself. 

So yeah, and I'd like to get back to building show cars and custom cars. 

Too, I haven't like I've kind of had to ditch that for the drifting thing, but I missed that too. 

I really. 

Have you tried skiing a car yet? 

That's up on two wheels riding up on two wheels called skiing. 

Oh no, I needed I. 

Need to try that. 

Yeah, that's like the Middle East is really known for that as well. 

Yeah, and that got me thinking about that when you set the Middle East because we we watched the videos and we've seen the people that are rolling along they're doing. 

I don't know 1020 miles an hour or whatever it takes to keep it up, and they'll take and swap the right front or the left front wheel for the left rear wheel and they'll go do it again and they'll put them all together and go back. 

Down and keep driving. 

And it's it is absolutely ridiculous. 

Crazy stuff. 

I've I've seen somebody make breakfast. 

I didn't know. 

There's a pen for it. 

That's cool. 

Oh yes, it. 

I learned something. 

Well that's a stuntman term and you can look that up because that's that's for real. 

That's a stuntman term and that is, you know, when they take the General Lee. 

Put it up on two wheels, the bandit Trans Am put it up on two wheels. 

If you were to look up that term for for stunts with, you know cars and movies. 

It's spelled the exact same way as skiing. 

I don't think I don't have a car that I want to. 

Tip over like. 

Right? 

I need to get a car that I don't mind without tipping over to learn it with 'cause I'm like. 

I it would suck. 

I'm just I'm fascinated with the, you know the. 

See now he needs one more car. 

Right now he needs me. 

You don't get. 

On racingjunk.com, find yourself a car. 

Find yourself a car on racingjunk.com, but I I'm just enamored by what you do and I'm also I love the you know, Seventies 80s era and that's what I grew up with. 

He looks beautiful. 

The Joie Chitwood thrill driving. 

I don't know if you've seen any of those video. 

Those you have to, you have to write that down man look up. 

Joie Chitwood is J. 

EYJO IE I think it is, but Joey Chitwood and they took absolute brand new cars for Ford for Chevrolet and and they and they would take them to arenas and there would be like a demolition Derby and and racing and all sorts of stuff. 

Don't know. 

And then they drive around and they'd put a stuntman on the hood and drive through a wall of fire. Or they jump these cars, and in 1970 they're taking absolutely brand new 70 Mustangs and Mavericks. 

And stuff, and they're putting them on two wheels and they're jumping them. 

And it's amazing. 

The skill of the driving is amazing, so you have to look up Joie Chitwood or anything thrill drivers. 

On YouTube you'll you'll get hooked. 

OK you all to all. 

You'll get hooked. 

It's crazy man. 

To react, I should do a reaction video. 

Oh, there you go. 

Are two. 

Yeah, you have to. 

And if you do a reaction video, make sure you said you were talking to the guys and get out and drive podcast and they they told you to watch this thing man. 

I'm going to turn you on to another, another crazy thing. 

That's the thing. 

Like, uhm, we it started with. 

Just like reacting to drifting and and then we kind of did like Hodge we or taffy I like combine them. 

Yeah, taffy and then car spinning and then we did like gymkana and and so I it would be fun to kind of just look at like stunt driving as a whole and like other kinds of driving so. 

Right? 

Yeah, 'cause there's there's a lot of really good 70s era stunt coordinators and you know things like that. 

And and people that did. 

You know, Cannonball run. 

There's one stunt coordinator did Cannonball Run and did smoking the bandit and and all that you see is all one stunt coordinator that's done that work. 

The TV show the fall guy. 

With Lee Majors in the in the 80s, that's all about. 

A stuntman and it's and it's amazing and it's and it's all about one guy that did stunts for all these movies and one stunt cord. 

Matter and it's it's something to dive into man and and and look that stuff up on YouTube and put it in your brain. 

It's it's cool information and how the cars react and stuff may help you to what you're doing. 

Yeah, absolutely. 

I mean, that's the thing you can learn when stunt drivers are they have incredible car control obviously. 

And and nowadays they're expect. 

I mean actually a lot of the big stunt drivers were like championship Drifters, so like Samuel Hubinette and Tanner Foust they both won format DRIFT Championships, and they're both like 2. 

The biggest stunt drivers in like Hollywood, so you know nowadays the the successful and big stunt drivers. 

Or an extremely talented but not just in drifting, you know. 

Right, right exactly and and it's learning how to control your car, whether you're doing some sort of stunt with the car. 

Or or you're drifting with it. 

And and doing all that type of stuff and. 

Being able to control your car and knowing where your points are and knowing where your cars at at all time. 

Always we're looking towards the future. 

Are you doing anything to get others that are your age or younger into drifting or into the car scene at all? 

Yeah, absolutely. 

I mean that was never. 

I didn't really realize I was doing it until people told me I was, and I think that was kind of. 

What was cool about it? 

I didn't. 

It wasn't like a mission or I wasn't like. 

I wasn't really stating that I was, but we started making these hot air drift videos and they really like took off for some of our most popular videos and we get comments and I get messages all the time that like they really helped. 

Uhm these guys and kids that are like getting into drifting and so we continue to do them and like now we have a playlist of like. 

Once there like 60 videos in there and we cover. 

Like so much stuff and breaks so much stuff down. 

And it's really helped. 

A lot of people and has made me feel really good, and I think we've kind of helped spread the sport through that. 

And then I recently started getting into, uh, msym drifting. 

So like, you know, on like a like a simulator that that I built and we've been doing drift videos on there, and that's kind of help people, and as well as like. 

It's it's encouraged. 

A lot of people to get into SIM drifting 'cause I realized why. 

Like you know you can get into drifting pretty cheap like you really can if you're smart about it and do your research, but it's still not going to be cheaper than you know in a video game. 

And with the way like SIM drifting is now like you, you get pretty close to the real life experience and and maybe at a similar cost initially. 

But then there's no costs going on. 

And there's No Fear of crashing cars. 

You don't need a neurology for this stuff. 

So I've been getting a lot of messages lately that people are like, Oh yeah, I just got my steering wheel and got the video game after I watched your video, so that's been really cool and made me feel pretty good. 

Uh my our biggest thing with talking racing is like I I love. 

I like my biggest goal in life is is to be happy. 

It used to be to like make a bunch of money or do this or that. 

But truly now it is just to be happy, and that's something like I struggle with constantly, like trying to figure that out. 

And so with that on a positive note with having racing when I can make people happy, entertain them. 

And, you know, put a smile on their face like. 

That's that's good enough for me. 

I love it. 

You know, let's. 

Let us fantastic. 

Straighten it out. 

We'll make sure that you talk to our listeners and tell them where to find you. 

Yeah, so Haagen racing.com that has like kind of all our stuff on there, so I'll be. I'll have this podcast on there in like the press section, we've got like all our merchandise links, taller so. 

For media on website, if you watch YouTube videos at all or maybe like your kid does or something like that, just search Hogan racing Hugh GN on YouTube and you'll find us and I would appreciate you guys checking out every as I'm not going to ask you to subscribe because I want to win you over. 

So I asked you to watch a video. 

And if you feel like you want to subscribe after that, then we would love that so. 

But that is fantastic, very good and thanks for spending some time with us. 

And I learned some things. 

Yeah, educators about drifting. 

Yeah, I learned a lot of stuff so. 

Yeah, maybe you can spark some other people. 

Listen to our podcast to get into drifting. 

As well, yeah. 

Absolutely great yeah, thanks for having me guys. 

Thanks so much. 

This is fun. 

You guys are cool. 

It was really fun talking. 

I'm sure some people out there love to hear us talk. 

We would love to hear other people talk to us. 

There's a good way our listeners can find it on our website. If you go to get out n drive.com, scroll to the bottom, you can find the clickable link to our listener hotline button and you get to talk to us so people can leave us messages. Write praise, yes. 

Yes anybody out there that wants to talk to? 

Us, maybe we'll play it on our podcast. 

Do you have questions? 

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