00:31
It gave me a vision of where I wanted to go in life.
00:33
If I could work on cars, and I'm obviously snowballing into racing them and stuff, like,
00:39
gosh, how cool would that be to have a career, you know, like being involved in cars like that and have it go somewhere?
01:02
Welcome back to Beyond the Wrench.
01:03
My name is Jay Ganinen, and I am your host.
01:06
We've got a really exciting episode today because we're joined by two incredible names from the world of NHRA drag racing.
01:13
First, someone who's no stranger to the show, Steve Johnson.
01:16
Steve's been on the podcast before, and he always brings a ton of energy.
01:20
I think that's putting it lightly, a ton of energy.
01:22
He's a different level of energy insight and passion.
01:26
Insight and passion.
01:27
He's one of the standout personalities in NHRA pro stock motorcycle, and I'm pumped to have him back.
01:33
And joining him is a first timer on Beyond the Wrench three time NHRA top fuel world champion, Larry Dixon.
01:41
Larry is one of the most successful and respected drivers in top fuel history and we're thrilled to welcome him to the show for the first time.
01:49
These two have unbelievable stories, unmatched experience and a unique perspective on what it takes to compete at the highest level.
01:57
We're going to get into racing, the behind the scenes grind and how their worlds intersect with technicians in the broader automotive industry.
02:04
Now, Larry, I'm going to start with you on Steve's first podcast he did with me.
02:08
He kind of threw you under the bus about being chased around California by a helicopter.
02:15
Throw me under the bus like that.
02:16
It's never, Steve would never do that.
02:20
Steve would never do that.
02:21
Especially when I couldn't defend myself.
02:25
Steve, welcome back to the show.
02:30
What an introduction.
02:32
It was all in a positive light.
02:34
I think all the people about how I got arrested and getting chased by a helicopter street racing.
02:48
Well, at some point it had to leave you.
02:50
It lead you to a good point, right?
02:52
It was a lot of fun to watch the helicopter chase him.
02:55
It was so much fun.
02:57
That's where that line came better than me.
03:03
So Larry, you got to bring us back to those days of being chased by the helicopter.
03:09
Like how did you turn that into the career that you ultimately had?
03:17
I guess I was a trendsetter.
03:19
I was a street outlaw when actual you were an outlaw on the street.
03:25
You could get arrested.
03:26
Yeah, I got arrested.
03:28
Got my car impounded.
03:29
Like, yeah, I didn't get any checks from any production company for my, actually, it cost a lot.
03:39
But anyway, but to be honest with you, it's, you know, those are definitely learning moments.
03:46
I'm trying to think.
03:47
I've been like 1985, I'd be 19 years old and it's like, yeah, I can't like, I can't really,
03:54
I love racing and I am the one racetrack that we go to Palmdale at the time.
04:01
I mean, it's an hour away and it's just like, I want to, and my dad braced top fuel
04:07
cars in the 60s and 70s.
04:09
And that's the path I wanted to really go.
04:12
And it was, it was kind of a moment, you know, where you do a reality check.
04:17
Like I really need to go about this in a different direction.
04:21
So kind of parked the car and ended up at the end of 1986.
04:28
So the end of 86, I ended up getting a crew job on a NHRA team.
04:32
It was Larry Minerstein and I just kind of, you know, went to a couple of teams,
04:37
Frank Bradley, and then I ended up at Don Pardomes in 1988.
04:40
So that was kind of, that was my start, you know, probably a little more.
04:46
How intimidating, like you race for the snake, right?
04:50
Like how, how intimidating was that when you first started off with him?
04:55
Well, when I first started out with him, I was on the pit crew.
04:59
Like I was working on his funny cars and he's still racing.
05:02
And it's, it's funny when you say that because it was, I was in between jobs at the time.
05:10
I'm working on cars, buying cars, flipping cars, working on them and stuff in
05:14
the San Fernando Valley.
05:15
We grew up in Southern California and, and the phone rings.
05:19
My buddy Leon answers the phone and, and he says, Hey, it's Don Pardome.
05:26
And I'm like, shut the hell up.
05:28
Hey, don't make fun of me.
05:29
And then it's, and I'm like, so I pick up the phone.
05:34
Like, and it's like, Hey, this is snake.
05:36
You know, then it's like, Oh crap, it really is Don Pardome.
05:41
You know, and it's like they had a guy leave the team.
05:43
They're looking for a guy and my name got popped, you know, got mentioned.
05:47
And so it gave me a call and a week later of flying to Baton Rouge,
05:55
Louisiana, and that was my first race with him.
05:58
And, and, uh, and that was really that I was there 20 years, but I mean,
06:04
obviously in time, he's racing funny cars then.
06:06
So, I mean, you fast forward a couple of years.
06:08
Then he'd go, I would have never thought that he'd ever leave funny cars
06:12
because my whole life, it seemed like he was racing funny cars.
06:15
But then a couple of years later, he's in top fuel cars.
06:18
And then he's going to be, I think he's going to be racing, you
06:21
know, his whole life, but then five years later, you know, I mean,
06:24
I did some racing on the side and grooming my way towards, you
06:29
know, top fuel pro cars and all that.
06:31
And yeah, then I end up getting licensed in his car.
06:35
And then, you know, I'm abbreviating things very quickly, fast-tracking,
06:41
but then we end up going to Miller Brewing Company.
06:43
You know, they're looking to get back in the sport and signed
06:46
a deal with Miller and then, you know, drove for Snake
06:50
and Miller Brewing Company for a dozen years.
06:53
So, won a bunch of races and championships.
06:57
But yeah, it all might have started from having helicopters changed.
07:04
I will say to this day, those Miller cars were some of the coolest
07:07
looking cars of all time, just beautiful, beautiful cars.
07:11
That paint scheme was on point.
07:15
That's an all-timer.
07:18
You know, obviously, with whatever company that you're representing,
07:23
you're going to have their brand.
07:25
But I think I would be praising Snake by saying,
07:29
if you look at all of Snake's cars, Army cars, Hot Wheels cars,
07:33
all his cars looked cool.
07:34
Like, if he's putting it in because he's a painter, guy,
07:40
you know, in the beginning before racing and everything
07:44
had to have a look or a style to it.
07:46
And so, you know, are you a smokeless cars?
07:49
Like, everything he did, Copenhagen, funny cars and stuff,
07:52
everything he did looked really cool.
07:54
And it's, you know, credit Don Perdom for having the, you know,
07:58
the Miller light, Miller genuine draft cars, all that stuff,
08:02
So cool. Now, Steve, tell me a little bit.
08:05
Like, when did you guys meet each other?
08:08
Oh, it was, it was a, it was in, was that church?
08:17
Maybe not. Of course it was.
08:18
Well, I think that's what we call the two races was church.
08:22
How come you guys were out late so late?
08:24
Well, we were at church.
08:25
We were on a retreat in Tibet, building homes.
08:34
We didn't do, we didn't, we didn't get no, we weren't
08:37
troublemakers and stuff.
08:38
We just, we just loved racing.
08:40
So, you know, there was a place that everybody's got
08:43
to hang out. They call it cars and coffee nowadays,
08:45
but our cars and coffee usually started around 11 o'clock
08:48
at night at Winchals.
08:51
and I never, and I never, I didn't drink coffee then either.
08:59
Yeah. No street, streetcars.
09:02
He was, he had the motorcycle, the bike crowd that he hung
09:06
out with at the street races in Southern, you know,
09:10
San Fernando Valley, Southern California.
09:12
He had the bike crowd.
09:13
So like, I knew of him, we weren't friends, you know,
09:17
but, but we were acquaintances.
09:19
We, like we knew each other and, and I hung out with the car
09:22
crowd and then it literally 1988, 1987, that would have
09:26
ended up being my first full season on tour pit crewing was
09:31
his first full season racing pro stock motorcycles.
09:35
So, but then like, so you're out.
09:37
I mean, cheese, we're on the other side of the country
09:40
and I know like six people, you know, but I know,
09:43
like, I know Steve from the street races and so like,
09:47
Beckman, what he wasn't out there then was he, you know,
09:51
but, but the, yeah, it's still, it's snowballed,
09:54
but then Jack Beckman knew him from the street races.
09:57
Gary Sofer, which his street race, which his wife Karen,
10:02
you know, had a great, you know, pro stock motorcycle career
10:05
as well, knew them from the street races in the valley.
10:09
It's just, you know, like, I don't, I don't look
10:15
everybody comes from somewhere and you don't have to stay
10:19
It's like, if you got a path and it's like, you know, cars
10:24
I love, you know, I think you and my dad racing top fuel
10:27
cars really gave me the vision, you know, long term
10:31
where you could connect the dots and have it go to.
10:34
But man, the car thing, the car thing aside from
10:39
the helicopters, it really got me out of trouble, you
10:43
know, like it really, it really did.
10:45
It gave me a vision of where I wanted to go in life.
10:48
I just, if I, if I could work on cars and, and I'm
10:51
obviously snowballed into racing them and stuff like,
10:54
gosh, how cool would that be to have a career, you
10:58
know, a trade, you know, like being involved in cars
11:01
like that and have it go somewhere.
11:03
So, and, and, and that could snowball into his deal,
11:06
like where he's, you know, taught, you know,
11:09
he goes to so many schools and he's, you know,
11:11
to give, give kids, you know, teens a vision of where
11:15
you can go with, with your passion.
11:17
And it's like, I mean, you can get paid for your passion.
11:20
It's your cheat in the system.
11:23
Steve, like talk to me about that side.
11:25
I mean, that's going from the streets in Southern
11:30
California to both of you then kind of going on
11:33
that national scene.
11:34
I know you and I have talked about that in the past,
11:36
but, you know, when you're looking at that,
11:39
just having some familiar face on the trail has to help,
11:44
Yeah, it's, well, what, you know, you unfold the story a
11:47
little bit more and, and, you know, then, then we,
11:50
we're, we see each other at the racetrack.
11:52
We have a, we have a friend that's, you know, a good
11:55
friend of both of ours, Torch.
11:57
And so we just start hanging out and talking and,
12:00
you know, then you relate everything back to,
12:03
you know, growing up and, oh, you remember the,
12:06
you know, he's, they're going, he's racing with
12:08
Don Perdone, but, you know, when you get in, in eating
12:11
dinner or something like that.
12:12
Oh, remember when, when, when Mike raced the, the bottle
12:17
Bob and it's like, oh, bottle Bob.
12:19
The guy with the Corvette and the nitrous oxide back
12:21
when nobody had nitrous oxide.
12:24
So that was, that's what fired you up.
12:26
And I think that's what, that's what we try to do
12:28
at our school programs is try to wind up everybody.
12:31
And there's so many girls in auto shop now that.
12:35
That it's, it's fun relating all that stuff to
12:38
them, but I think, um, when, when that all unfolded
12:42
and then, and then, uh, I don't know, I had some kind
12:45
of girl issue and, and I moved out or I ran away
12:49
And then I ended up staying at his place and people
12:54
talk about staying in a closet.
12:58
Mine technically was the closet.
13:01
Well, it's the deal.
13:02
It's like you just, you know, you need a, you
13:04
need a base, but you're not camped out there
13:06
because it's like you're going to spend nine months
13:08
of the year on the, on the road racing, right?
13:10
So it's just kind of renting a room and my dad had
13:14
a duplex, uh, and, and so I rented out one side
13:18
and yeah, he, he, uh, he, he, he needed a place
13:22
to hide for a while.
13:25
And then, then my dad ends up selling the duplex
13:27
and then he's got this house that he's not
13:29
using and it's like, wow.
13:30
So then gets the house, you know, to where I
13:34
could rent a room from him.
13:35
So it was like, you know, a couple of years later.
13:39
and let me tell you the little side thing is, is I,
13:41
I, I had rented out to somebody that was destroying
13:44
it, but so we move, I moved back in, I tell him
13:47
about it and he comes over and there's no lawn.
13:50
There's just, it's, it's kind of a, it's kind of
13:52
a little bit, it's rough.
13:54
It's, it's a little bit.
13:55
It was a house they couldn't use on hoarders.
14:00
Cause it was ordered too much, but they did
14:03
a whole back when NHRA today was a big show.
14:05
They came and it was the number, it was the number
14:08
one rated show watched by the most amount of people
14:10
and they just followed us around for the day
14:12
and John Myers was there.
14:13
He came by as a, as a special guest, but
14:16
where I was going was he was a top fuel driver
14:19
and he had cash and, and I had less, less cash.
14:23
And so when he come in, he's like, yeah, yeah,
14:25
yeah, but we got to do a, we got to do
14:27
some, some grass and you got to have sprinklers
14:31
and stuff like that.
14:31
And bam, I come off and there's grass.
14:35
It's all freighted.
14:36
It's all pay, pay, pay.
14:38
And it's like, you know, I learned, like, I learned
14:41
this term later in life that I didn't know back then
14:44
that would be called tenant upgrades.
14:51
He had so much stuff in a garage and I needed
14:55
a garage and there wasn't so like, so I built
14:59
this custom shed and did all this stuff.
15:02
But yeah, I needed a lawn and then like, we ain't there
15:06
So you got to have automatic sprinklers and yeah.
15:08
So like, yeah, yeah, tenant upgrades.
15:11
And then, and then you'd come in and it's when you,
15:14
when you come in after work, we both got speed forward
15:19
We both got Pontiac deals.
15:22
Snake had a Pontiac deal.
15:23
So he had a black firebird.
15:26
No, it was a white fire.
15:27
Was it a white transom?
15:29
And so, and then, and I had a black one and then,
15:33
and I shamed Pontiac into doing it.
15:36
There wasn't really a marketing deal.
15:37
It was just the guy I had back in the old days.
15:39
So, but I, I was a motorcycle guy with a Pontiac deal
15:43
And so, but the point to the story is, is when we get
15:47
home from work, I'd always look at trophies, his trophy.
15:52
He had a Wally on the, on the mantle.
15:54
So that was my motivation.
15:56
Motorcycle guy getting a Pontiac car.
15:58
That lets himself snow to the Eskimo.
16:02
I think we all know that Steve, Steve could sell anything
16:07
That, that's not a problem.
16:09
How Larry, when was your first win?
16:14
Yeah, had Steve moved out by that point or vice versa?
16:17
Had you moved out of Steve's house?
16:20
No, no, I, I, well, so what happened?
16:23
I mean, to a little back story.
16:27
So in 1994, we had that Northridge earthquake.
16:31
And, and so it, it, it did a lot of damage in that town,
16:36
but that, that set the, the bait for Don Perdon, my boss
16:43
at the time, he wanted to get out of the, the San Fernando
16:46
So at the end of 95, they ended up buying some property
16:52
down towards San Diego.
16:55
Carl's bad actually and built a shop down there.
16:59
So when the shop got done at the end of 96, I had, I moved
17:06
So the end of 96, yeah, that, that was, I had to give
17:09
my, my renters notice that I was moving out.
17:13
How, how was that first win?
17:16
I just, and I know that's a long time ago, but Steve,
17:19
I don't know from your perspective, if you recall
17:21
him winning that first race, I mean, that's got to be
17:23
a pretty big deal, that, that first big win.
17:27
It was, it, the house that I grew up in with my dad
17:33
It was just his second race.
17:36
So it didn't take long.
17:37
It didn't take long.
17:41
With that being said, like my dad raised his whole
17:43
life, it ran a bunch of races and stuff, but like
17:47
on the NHRA national event level, he won one race.
17:51
So it goes his whole life, one's one race.
17:53
And so then like, and then I worked for Don, Don Perdon,
17:57
like he's won all the races, you know, like a fun.
18:00
And then, but then I hop into his car phase, I get
18:04
licensed and then same crew, crew chief.
18:06
I mean, we didn't, I don't even know if we added the
18:09
I was still doing the cylinder heads between rounds
18:12
So we had a great car.
18:14
We finished second in the points with snake driving.
18:16
So then yeah, the second race that we go to, I
18:19
end up winning, but like my, my, my mental, like my
18:25
thought process was it's like, if I don't do anything
18:28
dumb, like this car can win the car can win, right?
18:32
It's, it's number two, like it just finished.
18:34
So we go to the second race.
18:35
We end up, I don't do anything dumb.
18:37
We win the second race.
18:38
Like, so, I mean that, that, that's for that.
18:41
But I was so like thankful and like I still feel
18:47
lucky because like there's not, everybody goes there to
18:51
win only one person is going to go out of there winning.
18:54
So like, and you don't know when your last one is.
18:57
So you better enjoy it when it did.
19:00
So then it was like, yeah, I won the second one.
19:04
I don't have to wonder when it's going to happen for
19:08
I figure you just got out.
19:11
But Don Perdom's got high standards.
19:13
If he's giving you secretariat to ride, don't screw it up.
19:19
You know, like otherwise, otherwise he's going to get a new
19:23
I'm surprised you didn't get out and like you're just like,
19:26
you guys talk about this being that hard.
19:27
I like, I just second race.
19:31
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so scared of karma.
19:35
You know, like I don't say anything.
19:37
I let everybody else through the talking, you know, like
19:39
I just, I'll show up for the winter circle pictures.
19:42
You know, like it was fun.
19:45
It just, I mean, we, we won a few races.
19:48
We won Indy that year, which was like, gosh, you know, like
19:51
that was such that, you know, Indy's, it seems in today's
19:56
era, Indy isn't as, they don't make it as big a deal as it
20:00
is, but to me, it is absolutely like winning the Indy 500
20:05
or Daytona, like winning that race.
20:07
And I just, I felt really, really lucky for, and we
20:11
wanted to butt shoot out at the end of the year.
20:13
We were just talking about that.
20:15
I was, where's Lana?
20:17
Lana has his, his daughter has a Dalmatian and so, and I
20:24
like dogs and so the dogs running around.
20:26
We're at his place in Florida and the families all
20:29
together and my gals here and her daughter and we're
20:35
And I still had to cook the ham.
20:39
You think that all the prepared for you, but I still had
20:43
to labor over part of the meal, you know, and deviled eggs.
20:48
I mean, boiling the water, I mean, there was a lot of
20:50
effort, but the point is, is I asked him on the Dalmatian.
20:54
I'm like, Hey, that was so cool to be a Miller guy on
20:59
the Clydesdales beer wagon and have the Dalmatian there.
21:06
It, it was, it was, it was gosh, you know, but the Budweiser
21:11
shootout, you know, putting up $100,000 for a win and
21:15
a hundred grand's obviously a lot of money now, but in
21:19
1995, that's huge, that's huge.
21:22
And so the Miller car, Miller genuine draft, my first
21:25
year driving end up winning the Budweiser shootout and
21:29
so like, and you're paying more attention now to the
21:33
beer rivalry, right? Beer wars and all that stuff.
21:36
And, and yeah, I'm sure that was a marketing, you know,
21:42
Budweiser didn't plan on, but then you got all this, the
21:45
entire Miller crew, Miller genuine draft shirts and
21:48
everything, and we're riding on the Budweiser Clydesdale
21:52
wagon down the, like that.
21:54
And I'm, and I'm sitting up front with a guy that's
21:56
you know, running the horses and stuff.
21:59
And I said, man, I, I, I bet they didn't plan on in the
22:03
Miller guys and to his credit, he says, well, then they
22:07
shouldn't have put the money up, you know, like, I mean,
22:09
he was just right back with it.
22:11
But, but yeah, it was a blast.
22:13
It was, it was a blast that year.
22:16
And it's just, we had, we had a great 12 seasons
22:20
It was a, it was a ball.
22:22
How do you manage a relationship like that, Larry?
22:24
Steve, you and I have talked about how well you
22:27
manage relationships through the years.
22:29
Larry, that's a big relationship.
22:31
Like how, you know, I think maybe that's the part that
22:35
doesn't get talked about enough in racing is the need
22:38
to manage those relationships and make sure that, you
22:41
know, it truly is a partnership.
22:42
You've got to put work into it.
22:44
How much of a challenge is it with a, with maybe a
22:46
sponsor of that magnitude?
22:48
It's a partnership as you get old, like all the
22:53
stuff that you learn as you go through life and
22:55
then you get too old.
22:56
And then it's like, dang, I wish I knew that when
22:58
I was younger kind of thing, you know, it's more
23:00
than a partnership.
23:01
You need to make it a friendship, but, but a relationship
23:05
no different than a, you know, a husband and wife
23:08
and it's a long term relationship.
23:10
Both sides got, got to be getting something out
23:13
of the deal, you know, it can't be one sided.
23:16
Otherwise the marriage ain't going to last or
23:18
the, or the sponsorship isn't going to last.
23:20
So you really have to make sure that you're, you
23:23
know, whatever company that you're with that
23:24
they're extremely vested and motivated and you're,
23:28
you're producing for them and, and they're obviously
23:31
likewise, you know, if they're right in your check,
23:33
they're producing for you on that side of things.
23:37
And so it's, it's hard because, you know, a big
23:40
corporation like that, they, they cycle through
23:42
people like constantly.
23:45
And so, you know, a new person comes in and they
23:48
don't like drag racing.
23:49
You got to make sure that they like drag racing,
23:51
you know, or, or whatever it is you're doing,
23:53
you know, because, you know, it seems like any
23:56
company could fall back on golf, you know, like
23:58
and you want them to love drag racing.
24:00
So really that's it.
24:02
And I think, you know, like looking back that,
24:05
you know, the hard part, you know, obviously they
24:07
left after 12 years, but you know, a lot of things
24:10
I mean, the Miller, Miller Brewing Company got sold
24:14
the company itself got sold a couple times,
24:18
And then now like InBev owns them, which is this
24:21
huge European company.
24:23
The same one that bought Budweiser, you know, like,
24:26
so when people talk about like, gosh, why isn't,
24:28
you know, the beer company is involved?
24:30
Well, it's because, because that's the same company
24:33
else, Budweiser and Miller.
24:36
They don't really care what beer you buy because
24:39
it's going to be one of them is there's no,
24:41
there's still, there's no rivalry on the track
24:43
So it makes it tough and you have to have,
24:46
I believe you have to have whatever it is to
24:49
keep that company vested in if they're,
24:52
if their competition is their brother now,
24:55
then they don't, they don't need to compete and save
24:58
those millions of dollars.
25:00
One of our, one of our mentors, John Asher,
25:03
he was editor of CarCraft.
25:05
He's probably one of the most esteemed photographers
25:09
in, in NHRA history.
25:11
He's, he always talked about, hey, you know,
25:14
either have a friend,
25:18
a relative or a very strong point to a business
25:25
deal to get a sponsorship.
25:26
And that's what racers all want a sponsorship.
25:28
And, and when you, when you can show a value,
25:33
you know, there, there, anybody in business is
25:35
going to say, okay, it shouldn't matter what
25:38
I just want to make money.
25:39
I want to sell more product.
25:40
I want to show my services, whatever it is.
25:43
But with a friend or, or you're, you know, the lucky
25:47
club, you know, that you're an ally.
25:52
It's like, that's, that's a low hanging fruit, man.
25:54
So it just takes some effort.
25:56
And I talk a little bit about that in our, in our
25:59
presentations with, with young people, but you
26:01
have to, now I got so involved in engine
26:04
building that I just, that, that part of my
26:07
life has kind of escaped me a little bit.
26:10
So I, I need to pay attention to that because
26:12
we got to have, got to have money to, I remember a
26:15
long time ago, their class is always the coolest
26:17
class, but there was a thing in National Dragster
26:20
where Eddie Hill wrote a letter to Kenny
26:24
Bernstein and said, man, how'd you go 300 miles
26:27
That's the coolest thing ever.
26:28
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
26:29
And then the letter back was with a picture of
26:31
a hundred dollar bill and Bernstein says, get
26:34
as many of these as you can possibly find and
26:36
throw them at the car.
26:43
Technicians, have you checked out Wrenchway yet?
26:45
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26:48
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27:03
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27:07
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Links are in the show notes.
27:32
Steve, how did that come to you, the business
27:37
Because when you're starting off on the street,
27:39
so you just do it because you've got a love for
27:42
But when was there kind of a light bulb moment
27:45
or something where it clicks on?
27:46
Obviously, you know, you need money for this.
27:48
But I think a lot of people when they start
27:51
off in racing, regardless of what form of
27:53
racing, maybe don't fully understand the
27:56
business element to that.
27:57
Like for you, when did it click that?
28:00
Hey, in order to do this, I need to find
28:03
people that are going to help us fund this.
28:06
George Bryce says everybody's good at something.
28:08
And I was, I was a street racer and my, you know,
28:11
I had a turbocharger on my motorcycle in 86.
28:14
I didn't really know what it did, but I knew
28:16
it was fast as hell, man.
28:17
And the motorcycle was a rocket ship.
28:19
So I just, John Asher told me what I needed to do
28:24
and he went with me.
28:26
I went to, I knew I needed money.
28:28
So I was teaching myself and I was getting some
28:32
And then I think in, in 88, I, yeah, and I think
28:37
in 88, I ran around and, and yeah, I was so engulfed
28:42
in going to the SEMA show and, and writing letters
28:46
and I paid a lady to write letters in DOS.
28:50
You know, we didn't have word back then.
28:53
So I constantly sent these out and, and I got
28:57
somebody to, I went to the SEMA show and, and
28:59
I talked to the person and everybody said, all
29:01
the racers said, how do you go to the SEMA
29:02
show when you, when we're so busy?
29:03
And I'm like, I don't know how you don't go
29:05
to the SEMA show if you want to sponsor.
29:07
So, you know, that, that helped me and I met
29:09
Slick 50 and, and I really feel like back in
29:12
those early days, I had, you know, probably one
29:15
of the best deals financially in, in, in our
29:18
So, but it was, it had lots of depth.
29:21
I was doing Walmarts every Wednesday with
29:23
a motorcycle and a reaction timer with John
29:27
John Force did, did, did Walmarts back in
29:30
Not as many as I did, but he would show
29:32
up for Castrol for a grand opening and, and
29:35
I was obviously there for Slick 50.
29:37
So, but I was engulfed into it.
29:40
Well, I remember calling him on the phone and
29:43
telling him, man, I, I'm at the SEMA show
29:44
and I met these people and it's Dura Lube
29:46
and, and he's testing, he's on his first
29:48
test with, with Don Pradoam.
29:50
And I'm like, oh, and I signed autographs
29:53
and I was over at this booth and, and I
29:56
think I got this deal going on and blah,
29:58
blah, it's all me, me, me, me.
29:59
And this is a pay phone days, I think.
30:01
And I'm like, oh, what about your day at,
30:05
at, at Bakersfield?
30:07
You guys were testing your first top fuel
30:10
test and he's like, the weekend before our
30:12
first race, Pomona.
30:13
And he's like, oh, well, you know, the first
30:16
run, spun the tires or something.
30:18
And then the second run, they did this
30:20
and the third run or whatever it was,
30:23
it, it, it, I got in high.
30:25
It was, it was near the finish line
30:26
and it got air under it and it flipped
30:28
over and it completely did a blow over
30:30
and it destroyed the car and everything
30:32
And I'm like, oh, you're not very excited
30:38
Then you crashed the car at 300 miles.
30:44
I'm a little more low key than Steve.
30:55
Larry, I'll go ahead and see the part
30:57
of the sport, the marketing, the
31:01
A lot of people were, were, were mad
31:03
or hated Kenny Bernstein.
31:04
I, you know, he was very successful.
31:06
Don Prado was very successful.
31:08
Force was, was getting more successful.
31:10
It's, it's like, you got to have money,
31:12
And it's just, it's, it's a lot of effort.
31:15
These relationships, Denzo's involved in
31:18
our sport and Angie Smith does an
31:20
incredible job of, of doing exactly
31:22
what Larry said, you know, I even
31:24
talked to Lisa and I said how
31:26
impressed I am with, with, with,
31:28
you know, it's the, it's the model of,
31:30
of, of racing, I think.
31:31
So, um, you have a great relationship
31:33
and do a fantastic job and win,
31:35
but, but also be an extension of the
31:37
company out in the world,
31:39
whether it's a trade show, a grand
31:40
opening, an event with the,
31:42
with the corporation or your partners
31:44
and, and, uh, you know,
31:46
it's taught highly.
31:47
Keep watering the lawn.
31:48
Just, like, just because when you
31:50
get the lawn, don't mean it's
31:51
going to stay alive unless you
31:54
So you've got to keep that,
31:55
that relationship they talks
31:57
You keep feeding it all the time
31:59
for the whole length and,
32:00
and ride it for as long as you can.
32:02
I always ask everybody,
32:03
what do you think the first thing
32:04
you do as a business,
32:07
what's the first meeting that you
32:09
What's the directive of the company?
32:11
Uh, when you sign your first contract.
32:13
So what would it be for Jay?
32:15
I, you've already quizzed me on this.
32:16
It's how you get the next one,
32:18
That's exactly right.
32:20
I remember you teaching me that.
32:22
You taught me that before.
32:23
Brand new contract is how do we
32:25
get them to sign an extension?
32:27
Yeah, I see on that.
32:31
I've learned that lesson.
32:33
it's really valuable.
32:35
Personality has so much to do with
32:38
You look at like somebody like a
32:39
John force who has just a,
32:41
a great personality.
32:43
I think very relatable to the
32:47
You don't maintain a sponsor for
32:49
as long as he did or like all
32:51
those partners that he had over
32:53
as you guys have as well,
32:55
like you look at what force was
32:56
able to do on the business side
32:58
of things over the years and
33:00
that guy knows how to maintain
33:02
Like that's impressive.
33:06
and we were young and we got
33:07
to watch it in its heyday.
33:09
arguably one of the best
33:11
motorsports in general has
33:12
ever had has been Winston.
33:15
We got to know Teenway
33:21
We got to know all these
33:23
they sponsored to Angel.
33:25
I talked to George Rice
33:26
about it all the time
33:27
about those early days
33:29
So the sport was not
33:33
the sport that motorsports
33:35
was extremely healthy back
33:38
and for us to be able to
33:40
kind of watch it at
33:44
the Bernstein's a motto.
33:46
I got to stand on a starting
33:48
line when a motto raised
33:50
arms be for the championship
33:54
Nobody knows what we're
33:56
It doesn't matter what I'm
33:57
but it would be like the
34:03
the final game or something.
34:05
And it was winter takeoff
34:06
whoever won that round
34:07
on the championship.
34:11
that's what kind of stems
34:12
the Batman scholarship is,
34:14
is I've learned a little
34:16
and I try to share that
34:21
just getting them to,
34:22
to have some energy.
34:24
some of them are just
34:27
You got to have some energy
34:30
hopefully it's the right energy,
34:33
taking what we've learned
34:34
and being able to pass it on,
34:39
we're here at Larry's place
34:49
You don't have to rely on
34:53
just be diversified.
34:58
same kind of question
35:02
the business side of it.
35:06
you were lucky in that,
35:08
You made your own luck
35:14
probably had a pretty good idea
35:16
that side of the business
35:18
Like he had a head start
35:21
in terms of being able to,
35:22
relationships early.
35:25
on top of the racing
35:28
pretty big impact on you.
35:46
and sat on the tailgate
35:47
towing back after a run
35:51
listen to the crew talk
35:52
on the way up to pick him up
35:53
and listen to him on the way back
35:55
and you're watching
35:56
down the racetrack.
35:58
schooled on driving
36:04
how he does business,
36:06
works with his employees,
36:08
how he works with his sponsorships.
36:10
you're watching that stuff
36:12
if you're paying attention
36:13
and not just Don Pradome,
36:18
to what's going on,
36:21
see where things are heading.
36:23
you're going to pick things up.
36:28
if I could have had my way,
36:29
I probably would have raised my entire life,
36:33
it didn't work that way.
36:34
So you got to be able to
36:37
wherever you're landing,
36:40
that you do have a plan,
36:44
to circle back that,
36:46
that the education,
36:48
the scholarship program
36:53
literally writing checks,
36:57
to help kickstart them in their careers
37:00
or where they want to go.
37:06
and have him write you check,
37:08
or I've learned on this interview,
37:10
you could write a letter
37:11
to Kenny Bernstein.
37:13
You could get a hundred dollar bill back,
37:15
which is exactly what I'm thinking
37:16
I'm going to do after we're done.
37:17
Get a write a letter to Kenny.
37:18
I could get a hundred dollar bill.
37:21
Because Steve ain't going to give me
37:26
let's talk about that,
37:28
the current day Batman scholarship
37:31
for those that don't know Batman,
37:34
a part of the acronym
37:35
stands for be a technician.
37:38
What's the latest with everything
37:39
with the Batman scholarship?
37:42
We do them all over the United States.
37:43
You can go online to
37:45
SteveJohnsonRacing.com
37:47
go into the scholarship tab.
37:48
There's an application there
37:50
about five or six questions.
37:51
And if you fill it out
37:53
really, really fast
37:54
and you can do it probably in
37:55
maybe you could probably do it
37:57
in like three minutes.
38:00
because we take all of those
38:01
and we throw them in the trash can
38:03
because people don't care,
38:05
and we don't want that.
38:08
we love the honesty as always.
38:12
Emma goes over all those scholarships
38:14
and there's an automatic email
38:16
that goes back to them
38:16
saying we've got it
38:18
and we go through those
38:22
we're just trying to find
38:23
somebody that's a rock star,
38:26
They have a part-time job.
38:27
There's some kind of passion.
38:29
they're either the last girl,
38:32
Amelia, her her her mom,
38:35
her her dad's a truck driver,
38:37
where her mom's a Delta, right?
38:41
Delta air plane mechanics.
38:46
very unique stories
38:49
they they won up in
38:53
So we did a couple of scholarships up there.
38:55
We just did one at the Good Guys show.
38:58
Good Guys has a program
39:01
Careers in Hot Rodding
39:05
Yeah, we just did one over there
39:07
it's so heartwarming
39:11
we gave a bunch of runner-ups
39:13
but when the scholarship
39:16
and then we send an email
39:17
to the the students
39:19
that are rock stars
39:21
and then the finalist
39:22
sends us a one minute video
39:28
and then I try to follow up
39:30
on their on their references
39:31
and things like that
39:35
and it just never stops.
39:36
It just keeps going
39:37
so when we announce one
39:39
we just go for another one
39:40
so we're going to do
39:47
My godson Larry's youngest
39:53
is it called area 31
39:56
an incredible instructor
40:00
just teaching young
40:04
his class has a sponsor
40:05
from a local dealership
40:14
and specifically supporting
40:22
of the automotive industry
40:25
as well as gasoline.
40:37
if you have your eyes
40:39
there's plenty of careers
40:41
in the automotive industry
40:42
and there's company
40:43
I mean the dealership
40:45
would come in there
40:46
literally looking to recruit
40:50
and stuff like that.
40:52
your son is an instructor?
41:06
because of budget cuts
41:07
and everything like that
41:08
it's harder to go into
41:14
Ben Davis High School
41:15
they've got a great
41:16
automotive program there
41:18
and and he was able
41:22
for for a couple of seasons
41:26
anybody's wondering
41:32
he could get a scholarship
41:38
but but he ended up
41:45
that went to Ben Davis there
41:54
you could go on there
41:55
you're going to get out
41:57
and out of Steve Johnson
41:58
what you put into it
42:00
if you want something
42:12
I guess technically
42:22
had an automotive shop
42:23
so he's very partial
42:46
and then the student
42:54
they're all covered up
43:02
he's been very fortunate
43:03
in the automotive industry
43:07
along with his buddy
43:12
extremely passionate
43:13
about the automotive industry
43:16
but it's just gotten
43:20
it's time-consuming
43:21
and all these things
43:26
probably going to have
43:28
we're going to be able
43:31
point of the story is
43:33
about the automotive
44:06
on how to get there
44:22
that you have a group
44:44
I have some guidance
45:38
because he was like
45:42
because I'm really like
46:38
back in street racing
46:43
about having friends
47:24
it's like everybody
47:27
it's the same thing
47:36
a few Thanksgiving's
48:11
The things he learned.
48:11
The things he learned over the years.
48:16
It just doesn't come in a camp already, where?
48:20
You gotta do something.
48:29
Oh, that's awesome.
48:31
Do you see the table everybody's loaded up on?
48:36
It was a big table.
48:38
There was a lot going on there yesterday.
48:43
It was a fun day and trying to take advantage of the day to,
48:50
like just to time out on life and dinos and cars and all that
48:58
and be thankful for your family, thankful your friends.
49:03
What do your travel schedules look like right now in general
49:06
as we go through the holidays?
49:08
And, you know, Steve, I know you on top of everything,
49:12
you were just at the good guys event.
49:15
I missed you at SEMA, but it feels like you guys
49:20
Whenever I'm complaining about traveling,
49:23
you guys have a different level of travel.
49:27
I think I'm going to a big presentation
49:31
with the North Texas Dealers Association.
49:38
Brent Franks and I'm doing that next.
49:41
I'm doing that, I think on the third through the fifth
49:44
and then we have the PRI show.
49:46
And then I do a commencement speech
49:48
where we're going to present a Batman scholarship
49:50
in Laramie, Wyoming.
49:54
You know, I have some miles on Delta.
49:58
How many miles are you at, Steve?
50:08
You've got one goddess in pilot.
50:15
Yeah, never stop, never stop.
50:17
That's the energy to travel 4.2 million miles.
50:27
And Kelly Klont says, when we announced
50:31
that it's going to be our 500th race,
50:33
she got down to Indy one last year and she says,
50:36
I have no idea how you could do 500 races.
50:39
And unlike her, if you're listening
50:41
or you're obviously listening,
50:42
but it's like, if you go to all the races
50:44
and do it for 39 years, you'll have 500 races too.
50:52
I don't think Kelly's 39.
50:57
What a bit hard for Larry.
51:01
How does your travel schedule typically look?
51:04
And I would be interested for you, Larry.
51:06
I want to hear a race weekend,
51:09
what a race weekend looks like for you.
51:11
It's, well, for me, it's a lot.
51:15
It's been softer, though.
51:17
I'm going to say the last 10 years
51:18
since I'm not on the NHRA tour.
51:21
So it's just small portions, I guess.
51:26
I've been running the two-seater, still do that.
51:31
And it's kind of like a June through September program
51:37
with that where we're kind of once a month
51:39
go to a track during that and run the two-seater.
51:42
I'll run the top fuel car either at exhibition races.
51:46
It's been, I've mentored younger drivers,
51:48
got them licensed in the car
51:50
and then go to the NHRA events.
51:51
We actually did an NHRA event with the car
51:54
where I drove the car in September.
51:57
So a little bit of that stuff,
51:59
I've got some street car stuff that I play with.
52:02
I got a Chevy 2 that, okay, listen to this.
52:06
So the rest of the story of getting arrested with the 55,
52:11
that was the last time I ever street-raced at 55.
52:14
But then right after that,
52:15
I bought a 66 Chevy 2 from a friend right then.
52:19
Well, I've kept that Chevy 2 this whole time
52:23
and parked it, didn't do a lot with it.
52:26
And then maybe 10 years ago, got with General Motors,
52:30
put a late model like LT4,
52:32
kind of they call it a Connect and Cruise system.
52:36
So it was an LT4 with automatic transmission
52:39
and then went to Drag Week
52:41
in some of those drag and drive events.
52:43
So I've been doing that for almost the last 10 years,
52:45
working on that, pulled the LT4 out, put an LT5,
52:49
doing that again with General Motors on that
52:51
and a magazine build that it'll end up on
52:54
in Chevy hard-core, so kind of stay in tune with that.
52:59
And then the motor that's coming out of the Nova
53:01
is going into an El Camino
53:04
that if I can ever get it out of paint jail,
53:06
it will actually go in there.
53:09
And that's not a jab, it's total love.
53:13
So if my painter hears this interview-
53:18
We love you, you still have my El Camino.
53:21
So I wanna get it out.
53:23
I'll bail it out anytime you say it's done enough time.
53:27
So the LT4 is going out,
53:28
but the thing that I love about,
53:31
I love the old cars, but I love modern technology too.
53:34
That LT4 that I drove to do Drag Week and Midwest Rags,
53:41
I've run as quick as 980s with the car.
53:44
It gets 22 miles to the gallon on pumped gas
53:47
and I could drive it to California and back.
53:49
It's such a nice package.
53:51
But that's what the modern technology
53:53
is letting things do now.
53:54
So it's like now the LT4 is out going to LT5,
53:58
so more power, trying to keep the mileage around
54:01
the same area and then that's going to El Camino.
54:04
But the modern technology with the small blowers
54:07
that fit under the hood and the fuel injection
54:10
and all the electronics that go into these packages
54:13
are so efficient, it makes so much power.
54:16
I get excited about it.
54:17
Now my son, my youngest son's 19,
54:21
starting to get into cars, get into racing,
54:25
started racing Super Comp earlier this year,
54:29
got a Super Comp license last year,
54:31
went through Frank Holley School.
54:32
So doing a little bit of that as well too.
54:35
So kind of almost, I'm getting to the point in my life
54:38
where I'm like basically passing the baton off,
54:42
doing a little, not a lot.
54:44
I want him to do more and me do less.
54:47
And kind of, you know, pay it forward,
54:51
pass it on to the next generation.
54:56
Not as busy as him, but still busy.
55:00
It's still plenty busy.
55:02
I've got a few kind of rapid fire questions
55:06
I've got for you guys.
55:07
And as we kind of get close to concluding this episode,
55:13
first question is what was your first car?
55:16
Oh, that's a good one.
55:17
Mine was a 69 Cougar.
55:21
Mine was a 55 Chevy.
55:23
That's the one, that's the one.
55:25
That's the one, yeah.
55:26
I think I was too terrified to race anything
55:29
that was my primary driving vehicle when I was 16
55:32
because I know my dad would have killed me
55:38
That's a part of that story.
55:42
So like when the helicopter's chasing me, right?
55:46
And I'm like, as I'm driving
55:47
and I've got the skinny tires on the front,
55:49
I can go 150 in a straightaway,
55:51
but I gotta go like 12 miles an hour around the corner with it.
55:54
So I stop and then go down.
55:56
I end up under the underpass under the San Diego
56:01
or the 405 freeway.
56:02
I'm underneath and I'm like,
56:03
and the spotlight is going like this,
56:06
like on both sides.
56:07
And I'm like, what the heck am I gonna do?
56:09
You know, right around the corner from my house
56:12
where I and my dad's there.
56:13
And I'm like, I can't go home.
56:16
My dad will kill me, right?
56:19
So like, so I literally ended up driving down the street.
56:23
And then I just, I gave up,
56:25
shut the car off, get out of the car instead.
56:27
You know, put my hands on the,
56:29
waited for the Calvary to arrive.
56:32
And I would have much rather dealt with the police
56:36
So I'm right with you.
56:39
We all stood there and watched his car get loaded on.
56:41
He says, hey, would you guys mind
56:43
putting it on a flat bed and we're like,
56:44
oh yeah, this is the back of the days
56:46
when the cops might have beat you up,
56:48
but they were cool to hit and cool.
56:50
Got a flat bed ride to Fox Motors in Van Nuys
56:55
where I had to go pick it up the next day from impound.
57:01
Next question is, what would you be doing
57:03
if you weren't, if you wouldn't have been a drag racer?
57:06
That goes for both of you.
57:09
I think I've had that question before.
57:12
I probably, we had, we have Del Taco out here
57:17
in California, so maybe Del Taco, you know,
57:21
I would be a burger technician.
57:24
That doesn't sound terrible some days.
57:26
I've said this before, my last job away from cars
57:31
was at working at Jack in a Box, like literally.
57:35
So yeah, maybe I'd make my way all the way up to,
57:40
I don't, maybe assistant manager, hopefully by now
57:44
I could make it up to.
57:46
I would definitely, I'd definitely be doing something fun.
57:50
I'd be corporate America, I'd be working on cars.
57:56
You'd be selling something.
57:57
I'd be doing, I'd be doing something.
57:59
There's, I wouldn't be a burger technician.
58:01
I'd be doing something cool and fun
58:03
and probably make a heck of a lot more money.
58:06
I'd be lost without cars.
58:08
Gosh, I have no vision, none.
58:11
We're on motorcycles too.
58:13
Yeah, I think that once it gets in your blood,
58:17
like a lot of us were just raised with that.
58:20
I don't know that you ever get rid of that, right?
58:22
Like it's just kind of in you.
58:26
Last question of the hard-hitting questions
58:28
that our marketing team put together,
58:31
what time do you get up in the morning?
58:33
And this actually, you guys could hold each other
58:34
accountable here because when Steve,
58:37
you apparently were very well rested all day yesterday,
58:40
so I would assume that you were a pretty good time today.
58:44
I'm usually a seven o'clock guy,
58:46
but I do a lot of early morning flights and...
58:51
Yeah, but before Emma, I would just work the night
58:55
I'd just work all the way through the night
58:57
and then I'd just go to, I'd leave to go to the airport
59:02
and then when I went from Burma, from Atlanta,
59:05
fly from Birmingham to Atlanta,
59:07
and then Atlanta to wherever you went
59:09
and I'd always shower in the clubs.
59:11
So I was rested, you know?
59:15
In between flights, yeah, in between flights.
59:16
So I'd always, so it's still seven o'clock,
59:20
but there's lots of days where there was neither no sleep
59:27
Yeah, I'm not crying when I say this.
59:31
I think my oldest son is 25
59:37
and I don't think I've been able to sleep in
59:40
since we've ever had, since we've had kids.
59:44
So again, not crying, just reporting, you know?
59:47
Like it's just now, I took a picture of the sunrise
59:51
and it was 6.03 and I was already up.
59:53
So like it's, we're going, you know?
59:57
We're up and, I'm up and going early now.
00:01
We've got to be careful with what we're saying here
00:03
because we've got some stray ears,
00:04
maybe from the family in the background
00:06
that we don't want to get you guys in trouble
00:08
during Thanksgiving season here.
00:14
No, no, we're good.
00:18
You're safe, we're all safe.
00:20
All right, so this has been an absolute pleasure.
00:24
Been able to really, Steve, over the years
00:27
get to know you a little bit, Larry.
00:28
It's been an absolute pleasure getting to know you.
00:32
Larry, where can people follow you around and online
00:36
and kind of track, track what you're up to?
00:39
Yeah, social media, the, it'd be in Instagram and X.
00:46
I still don't like the word X, but Twitter.
00:49
Yeah, at Dickson Top Fuel.
00:51
I don't have, I am my own social media manager.
00:55
So, and then I think on Facebook it's Larry Dickson Racing.
01:01
And then when something's going on, I'll post about it.
01:05
You know, I went, last month went to Bakersfield
01:09
with one of my dad's old race cars
01:11
and did the Hot Rod Reunion, the NHRA deal
01:13
and fired the car up.
01:16
So it's like, it's, you know, all my,
01:19
most of them are always car related.
01:22
But yeah, social media, you get me up.
01:24
And then the same thing, if people's got questions on anything,
01:27
you can DM me and you're going to get an answer back.
01:31
And Steve, how about you?
01:33
We talk a lot about the Batman scholarship.
01:36
You got to come this way just a little bit to your left,
01:39
I believe, and down.
01:43
Yeah, I don't know if that's going to work, but I don't either.
01:46
But we'll try it today.
01:47
First time on the podcast, we've got a QR code coming across.
01:50
If you're listening to this,
01:52
you can go on to YouTube and be able to find this QR code.
01:57
Steve, if they don't have access to YouTube right now,
02:02
where do they go to?
02:03
They go to SteveJohnsonRacing.com.
02:06
Where else do we, where else can we find you at?
02:08
I'm on Facebook and X and Instagram.
02:12
And it's Steve Johnson Racing.
02:15
I do a wonderful job.
02:17
Emma handles that really good.
02:20
This QR code, but yeah, not quite as fluid,
02:24
but you can definitely find a,
02:27
I'm going to do a lot better job with that in 2026.
02:30
My 40th year racing, it's going to be our 40th year.
02:36
Look forward to following both of you along.
02:39
If for those of you listening,
02:41
get out there and check out that Batman scholarship.
02:43
They're doing some phenomenal things with that.
02:45
And the more we can paint a light on that
02:47
or shine a light on that,
02:48
I think the more people are going to get opportunities
02:52
for these scholarships.
02:53
So I can't thank the both of you enough
02:55
for joining us on the day after Thanksgiving.
02:58
Hope you're able to enjoy the rest of your time in Florida.
03:03
Thanks for having us on your show.
03:06
That wraps up another episode of Beyond the Wrench.
03:08
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03:10
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03:17
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03:18
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03:20
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03:22
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03:24
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