The Long Game | How NASCAR Driver Brad Coleman Built SafeWay Driving to Save Teen Lives on the Road
About this episode
Brad Coleman—former NASCAR racer turned driver’s ed owner—maps a long, non-linear path from getting his racing license at 14 to building Safeway Driving. A texting-and-driving near-crash at 70 mph helped turn outreach into a mission: “our number one value is safety.” Safeway’s program starts “in the parking lot” and scales up, with franchise quality control, crash-data goals, and a premium, modern fleet. The business was rebranded with NASCAR-inspired visuals and aims to expand across Texas by 2030.
What does it take to build a business that literally saves lives? Brad Coleman started as a SafeWay Driving student. He went on to race in NASCAR. He traveled the country talking to high schoolers about driving safety while still actively competing. Then he bought the driving school he once attended, modernized it from the ground up, sold it — and a decade later, bought it back. In this episode of BeDifferential, Brad shares the full arc: from his first memories behind the wheel, to the disciplines of professional motorsport, to the business lessons that came from scaling a youth driver education franchise with a mission to prevent the phone call nobody wants to receive. We talk about what racing teaches you about decision-making, how to protect culture when you're handing the keys to franchise owners, and what it really means to play the long game when the dots don't connect until years later. If you're a parent of a teen driver, an entrepreneur building something that matters, or someone trying to find your own way through an unconventional path — this one's for you.
Learn more about Safeway Driving here: https://www.safewaydriving.com/
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check your mirror
"And then simple stuff like check your mirror every time before you slow down. So there were things that stuck with me that weren't obvious to me as a driver..."
It means glancing at the mirrors in your car so you can see what's behind and beside you. Drivers do it to avoid surprising someone else on the road.
Checking your mirror is a driving-safety habit: looking at the rearview and side mirrors before changing speed or position. It helps you know what traffic is around you before you slow down or move over.
Brad Coleman
"I'm your host, Ava Gregory, and this week we are joined by Brad Coleman, the owner and CEO of Safeway Driving. Welcome. Hi, thanks for having me."
He’s the guest on the show: a race car driver who later started a driver’s ed company. The episode is about how his racing background shaped the way he teaches teens to drive safely.
Brad Coleman is a NASCAR driver who later became the owner and CEO of Safeway Driving. He’s the central person in this segment, and the conversation frames his racing background as the foundation for his driver-training business.
Safeway
"So I want to talk to you about how did the opportunity even come up of you being the buyer for Safeway? I mean, what did that conversation look like? ... And it turns out that him and his wife were looking to retire and sell the business right at that time."
This is the business they bought and updated. It’s a driving school, not the supermarket chain most people know by that name.
Safeway here is the driving school business being discussed, treated as a company or operating business rather than the grocery chain. The speaker is describing buying and modernizing the operation, including its curriculum and online classes.
racing journey
"Yeah, I was at year, I think I was starting year three of my racing journey when I went through Safeway. I like a lot of people started in go karts started at the local level around Texas..."
This is the story of how he got into racing and moved up through different levels. It covers the path from go-karts to bigger race cars.
This is the speaker's progression from entry-level karting into higher levels of motorsport. It frames the path from local racing to national competition and eventually to formula cars and endurance racing.
go karts
"I like a lot of people started in go karts started at the local level around Texas and then learned that there's a national series..."
They're tiny race cars that many drivers start with when they're young. People use them to learn racing basics before moving up to bigger cars.
Go karts are small, lightweight racing vehicles often used as the entry point for drivers learning racecraft. Many professional racers start in karting because it teaches braking, cornering, and traffic management in a low-cost environment.
national series
"started at the local level around Texas and then learned that there's a national series and went and did that and got my butt kicked..."
It's a racing championship that has events all over the country, not just near your hometown. It's a step up from local racing.
A national series is a racing championship that runs across a whole country rather than just at a local or regional level. In karting and other motorsports, moving to a national series usually means tougher competition and more visibility.
local business feel
"instead of having corporate own stores everywhere, it's somebody local in the community that owns it that has lived there that knows the people that cares about it, you get that local business feel. So we're pursuing that just opened up in Dallas and San Antonio."
They’re talking about how a local owner can make a business feel more personal and connected to the neighborhood. It’s about community ownership, not cars themselves.
This is a discussion of community-based ownership and how local operators can shape the customer experience. It’s more of a business philosophy segment than a technical automotive topic.
driver's ed
"But before that, coach Walker, call him coach because he was a football coach at Memorial High School in Houston, teaching drivers at the high school. And he actually my grandfather was the basketball coach at the same high school. So they knew each other. So we go way back to then. So when it came time for my older brother, me, my younger sister to go through driver's ed, my dad's like, you're going to coach Walker."
This is the class or training people take to learn how to drive safely and pass their license test. It usually includes both lessons and practice behind the wheel.
Driver's ed is formal driver education, usually a classroom-and-road program that teaches traffic laws, vehicle control, and safe driving habits. It’s a standard pathway for new drivers before licensing.
James Hinchcliffe
"racing against people like James Hinchcliffe, Graham Ray Hall, you know, Colin Braun, who ended up being a teammate of mine..."
A professional race car driver from Canada. He's famous for racing in IndyCar and being very competitive.
Canadian racing driver known for success in IndyCar and other open-wheel categories. He is a well-known benchmark competitor in North American motorsport.
Graham Ray Hall
"racing against people like James Hinchcliffe, Graham Ray Hall, you know, Colin Braun, who ended up being a teammate of mine..."
A professional race car driver from the U.S. The transcript likely misspelled his name, but it refers to Graham Rahal.
Racing driver Graham Rahal, here likely mis-transcribed as 'Graham Ray Hall.' He is an American open-wheel racer from a prominent motorsport family and a longtime IndyCar competitor.
Colin Braun
"racing against people like James Hinchcliffe, Graham Ray Hall, you know, Colin Braun, who ended up being a teammate of mine..."
A professional race car driver who has raced in a lot of different kinds of cars. He's known for being good in endurance racing.
American racing driver who has competed in sports cars, prototypes, and stock cars. He is known for versatility and endurance-racing success.
Formula Renault
"So great learning experience and then went from that to the Formula Renault cars, which people don't know what those are, just smaller formula cars that look they've got wings."
It's a type of small open-wheel race car series that drivers use to move up toward bigger professional racing. The cars are built for learning speed and handling.
Formula Renault is a junior open-wheel racing category used as a stepping stone for drivers moving up the motorsport ladder. The cars are purpose-built formula cars, typically with wings and slick tires, and are meant to teach racecraft and aerodynamics.
Formula Ford
"It's not like a Formula Ford without wings on it. So race those and had a lot of fun doing that and then ended up after that racing in the 24 hours of Daytona."
It's another beginner-to-intermediate race series with small open-wheel cars. He's comparing it to Formula Renault to explain the difference in the cars.
Formula Ford is a junior open-wheel racing class traditionally used to develop drivers in relatively simple, lightweight formula cars. The speaker is using it as a comparison point because Formula Renault cars have wings while Formula Ford cars often do not.
24 hours of Daytona
"race those and had a lot of fun doing that and then ended up after that racing in the 24 hours of Daytona."
It's a famous 24-hour race at Daytona where drivers share the car over a full day. It's one of the biggest endurance races in the U.S.
This refers to the endurance race at Daytona International Speedway, one of the biggest sports-car races in North America. It is a major step up from junior formula racing and signals the speaker's move into professional endurance competition.
open wheel cars
"I got my racing license at 14. I was racing open wheel cars. You will probably know them. They're a Formula Renault 1600s."
These are race cars where the wheels stick out instead of being covered by the body. Formula cars are the best-known example.
Open-wheel cars are race cars with exposed wheels outside the bodywork, unlike stock cars or most road cars. The layout is common in formula racing and changes both aerodynamics and crash exposure.
NASCAR
"Long story short, and we can dive into it. Race car driver, turned driver's ed school owner. Weird combo, but it works, I promise."
It’s the big American stock-car racing organization. When someone says they raced NASCAR, they mean they competed in that pro racing world.
NASCAR is the major American stock-car racing sanctioning body and racing series. Here it’s the professional racing world Coleman came from before moving into driver education.
Cup Series
"...raced with Jogub's Racing and what was then the Bush and Nationwide Series. And then with Hall of Fame Racing and the Cup Series."
This is NASCAR’s biggest and most famous racing series. It’s the top level that drivers aim to reach.
The Cup Series is NASCAR’s top-level national championship series. It’s the highest-profile stock-car racing category in the NASCAR ladder.
Nationwide Series
"In 2010, me and Kyle actually shared a car in the nationwide series. We both drove the 18 car and we won the owner's championship that year."
This was NASCAR’s second-level national series at the time, below the Cup Series. It’s where a lot of drivers develop before moving up to the top tier.
The former name of NASCAR’s second-tier national series, now the Xfinity Series. The speaker is describing a season where he and Kyle Busch shared a car and won the owners’ championship.
Nationwide Insurance
"And while I was doing all that, Nationwide Insurance was a big sponsor, sponsored the whole Nationwide Series. And they had different events that us drivers were required to go to..."
It’s an insurance company that sponsored the NASCAR series. The series even carried its name for a while.
Nationwide Insurance is the corporate sponsor mentioned here, tied to NASCAR’s Nationwide Series naming rights. In this context it’s being discussed as a sponsor that organized driver appearances and events.
distracted driving
"they would take a simulator to a high school in that local city. And then they would have some drivers come out, talk about the dangers of distracted driving. I was 19 when I started doing this."
This means driving while your attention is on something else, like a phone. It’s dangerous because even a few seconds of looking away can cause a crash.
Distracted driving is the safety problem of paying attention to something other than the road while operating a vehicle, especially phones and other in-car distractions. In driving-safety contexts, it usually refers to behaviors that increase crash risk because the driver’s focus is split.
text and drive
"I'm getting a simulator next to them and like, you know, text and drive and like crash them and stuff. Yeah, that's how you get humbled quick, you know, it can be surprising what teenagers can say and how they could show up."
This means using your phone to send texts while you’re driving. It’s dangerous because it takes your attention off the road.
Driving while using a phone or otherwise sending messages is a major distracted-driving risk. In this context, it’s being used as a shorthand for the behavior that driving education is trying to prevent.
Charlotte
"...which I was able to do while still living in Charlotte, still racing with Joke of Racing."
Charlotte is the city he was living in while he was still racing and working on the driving school business.
Charlotte is the North Carolina city where Coleman says he was living while balancing racing and business work. It matters here as the base of operations for his racing and entrepreneurial life.
off roading
"I look up from my phone doing 70 miles an hour. And I swerve off the road and I'm just off roading. I slide through the grass. And I was like, Yeah, I'm never doing that again."
It means driving on rough ground instead of a normal road. In this story, the car slid onto the grass after the driver looked away from the road.
Off roading means driving a vehicle on surfaces that are not paved roads, such as grass, dirt, sand, or trails. Here it’s used literally to describe the car leaving the roadway after the driver lost control.
driving school
"I might have helped save someone from a situation like that or even worse. And that really sparked a passion inside of me for that that led me down this road where ended up buying Safeway driving and becoming a full on driving school drive safe."
It’s a place where people learn how to drive and get ready for their license. Some schools also teach safer habits and how to avoid crashes.
A driving school is a business or program that teaches people how to operate a vehicle and prepare for a license test. It can range from basic teen instruction to more specialized defensive-driving or commercial training.
driver's license
"I'm going to go through this, I'm going to get my driver's license and all I go with my life. There were certain things that I learned at Safeway that really stuck with me..."
It's the official card or permit that says you're allowed to drive on public roads. Here, he's talking about learning how to drive safely as a new driver.
A driver's license is the legal credential that allows someone to operate a motor vehicle on public roads. In this context, the speaker is talking about learning road-safety habits before and after getting licensed.
Ross Bentley
"And that's where I teamed up with Colin Braun, another driver, Adrian Cario and Ross Bentley was really our team captain and taught us and he does the Speed Secrets book series."
He’s a race driver and coach who wrote the Speed Secrets books about driving faster and smarter. Here, he’s being described as the person who taught and led the team.
Racing driver, coach, and author best known for the Speed Secrets book series. In motorsport circles, he’s widely associated with driver coaching and racecraft instruction, which fits the speaker’s description of him as a team captain and teacher.
Adrian Cario
"And that's where I teamed up with Colin Braun, another driver, Adrian Cario and Ross Bentley was really our team captain and taught us and he does the Speed Secrets book series."
He’s one of the people on the racing team the speaker is talking about. The episode doesn’t explain much more here, but he’s part of the group that helped with racing development.
A named individual mentioned as part of the racing team the speaker worked with. The transcript doesn’t provide enough context to identify his broader motorsport role, but he is clearly part of the story’s driver-coaching or team setup.
sports car route
"I was like, I love road racing. I want to be a Formula One driver. Went down the sports car route."
It means he chose to build his racing career in sports cars instead of open-wheel cars like Formula One. That usually means racing on road courses in production-based or prototype-style cars.
A career path focused on sports car racing rather than open-wheel or stock-car disciplines. In this context it refers to moving through road-racing and endurance-style series instead of pursuing Formula One.
Formula One
"I was like, I love road racing. I want to be a Formula One driver. Went down the sports car route."
This is the famous global racing series with the fastest single-seat cars and the biggest teams. The speaker is saying he once wanted to become an F1 driver.
The top international open-wheel racing series, formerly known as Formula 1. It’s the highest-profile single-seater championship in the world and a common career goal for drivers coming up through karting and junior formulas.
sports car racing
"Went down the sports car route. And then at the time NASCAR was absolutely booming."
This means racing cars designed for road courses, not oval-track stock cars. It’s the kind of racing with lots of turns, braking, and cornering.
A racing discipline centered on road-course competition in sports cars, prototypes, and production-based race cars. It’s distinct from stock-car racing and open-wheel racing, and it’s the background the speaker says he came from before NASCAR.
late model stocks
"transitioned from the sports car racing, what was grandam, to late model stocks at the same time, and then ARCA and then ended up in the Bush series."
These are race cars used on short tracks, not street cars. They’re one of the common steps drivers take on the way up the stock-car ladder.
A class of heavily modified stock cars used in short-track racing, often a stepping stone for drivers moving toward higher levels of stock-car competition. These cars are not road cars; they’re purpose-built race cars with a stock-car silhouette.
Bush series
"transitioned from the sports car racing, what was grandam, to late model stocks at the same time, and then ARCA and then ended up in the Bush series."
This is an older name for NASCAR’s second-biggest series, now called Xfinity. It’s one of the main feeder series for drivers trying to reach the top level.
A colloquial reference to NASCAR’s Busch Series, the second-tier national stock-car series that is now known as the Xfinity Series. It’s mentioned as the final step before the speaker became a full NASCAR driver.
ARCA
"transitioned from the sports car racing, what was grandam, to late model stocks at the same time, and then ARCA and then ended up in the Bush series."
This is a lower-level stock-car racing series where drivers learn before moving up to bigger NASCAR races. Think of it as one of the stepping stones in stock-car racing.
The Automobile Racing Club of America, a stock-car racing series often used as a developmental step toward NASCAR’s national divisions. It’s part of the traditional ladder for drivers moving up in stock-car racing.
Jeff Gordon
"When it, when it became an option, I was like, I love it. I loved watching Jeff Gordon growing up, and I loved, I went to races."
He’s one of NASCAR’s biggest legends, a driver who won a lot and became a household name. The speaker grew up watching him and wanted to race against people like him.
American NASCAR star and four-time Cup Series champion, one of the sport’s most influential drivers of the modern era. The speaker is describing him as a childhood idol and a major reason NASCAR became appealing.
Kyle Busch
"and I loved, I went to races. And so it's really cool being able to race against my idols and, and do all that and be teammates with some of them, like Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, these guys that I really looked up to."
He’s a very famous NASCAR driver who wins a lot and has a big personality. The speaker says he got to race with him and even share a car with him.
American NASCAR driver and one of the most successful active-era stock-car racers. He’s mentioned here as both an idol and a teammate, which underscores the speaker’s rise into top-level NASCAR.
Denny Hamlin
"and I loved, I went to races. And so it's really cool being able to race against my idols and, and do all that and be teammates with some of them, like Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, these guys that I really looked up to."
He’s another major NASCAR driver, known for being one of the top names in the sport. The speaker is saying he looked up to him and got to be around him professionally.
American NASCAR driver and longtime Cup Series contender. He’s referenced as one of the established drivers the speaker admired and worked alongside in the NASCAR world.
18 car
"In 2010, me and Kyle actually shared a car in the nationwide series. We both drove the 18 car and we won the owner's championship that year."
This is the race car with number 18 on it. In NASCAR, the number is how fans and teams identify a specific entry during the season.
The No. 18 NASCAR entry, a race car identified by its competition number rather than a street-car model name. In this context it’s the shared car the speaker and Kyle Busch both drove in the Nationwide Series.
owner's championship
"We both drove the 18 car and we won the owner's championship that year."
It’s the title for the team or car owner, not just the driver. In NASCAR, different drivers can share one car and still help that car win the season title.
A championship awarded to the car owner or team rather than the individual driver, based on points accumulated by the entry across the season. In NASCAR, this can matter even when multiple drivers share the same car.
Kimberly Clark
"...one of my big sponsors was Kimberly Clark who has the Kleenex brands, the Scott paper towels and all that stuff. And they had me come to their headquarters meet all their like heads of each department and go through media training with them."
Kimberly-Clark is a big company that makes everyday products like Kleenex and Scott paper towels. The speaker is talking about them as a sponsor from his racing days.
Kimberly-Clark is the consumer goods company behind brands like Kleenex and Scott. Here it’s mentioned as one of the speaker’s sponsors and as the company whose headquarters he visited for media training and events.
Scott
"...one of my big sponsors was Kimberly Clark who has the Kleenex brands, the Scott paper towels and all that stuff."
Scott is the paper towel brand. It’s mentioned as another product line from the sponsor company.
Scott is a consumer brand owned by Kimberly-Clark, commonly associated with paper towels and tissue products. It’s referenced as another brand under the sponsor’s umbrella.
Kleenex
"...one of my big sponsors was Kimberly Clark who has the Kleenex brands, the Scott paper towels and all that stuff."
Kleenex is the tissue brand most people know. It comes up because the racer’s sponsor owned it.
Kleenex is a consumer brand owned by Kimberly-Clark, best known for facial tissues. It’s mentioned here as part of the sponsor’s product portfolio.
racetrack
"I loved racing cars on a racetrack going as fast as I can. People are disappointed to ride with me on the street because I don't go fast on the street."
This is a place where cars race or are driven fast safely, away from normal traffic. He’s saying he likes going fast there, not on public streets.
A closed course designed for motorsport and high-speed driving, unlike public roads. The guest contrasts track driving with street driving to show that he enjoys speed only in a controlled environment.
speed limit
"They're like, all right, let's go, let's see what you got. I'm like, no, I'll maybe go five over the speed limit, but that makes me nervous as a rule follower."
This is the legal maximum speed allowed on a road. He’s saying he usually stays close to it instead of driving aggressively.
The legally posted maximum speed for a road. Here it’s mentioned as part of the guest’s self-described cautious, rule-following driving style.
tailgating
"I don't want other people texting and driving or drinking tailgating people. Like, when you get out on the road, we're making like a deal with each other..."
This means driving too close behind another car. If the car in front stops suddenly, you may not have enough time to avoid a crash.
Following another vehicle too closely, which reduces reaction time and increases crash risk. It’s a common unsafe-driving behavior, especially in traffic or when emotions run high.
road rage
"I saw something recently, and it was just like this commentary around so many accidents wouldn't happen if people were just not rushing or we're just a little bit more patient. And it's just so true because like, I feel, you know, when I get road rage or like, Oh, my gosh, let me just do this."
This means getting so angry while driving that you start making bad decisions or acting aggressively. It’s a safety problem because anger can make people drive recklessly.
Road rage is aggressive or angry driving behavior triggered by frustration with traffic or other drivers. In automotive safety discussions, it refers to the emotional escalation that can lead to risky maneuvers, tailgating, or crashes.
online classes
"Well, so I think from what I've learned and read kind of ahead of this conversation, you really modernize the whole operation, which makes sense now. It having been around since the 70s, you know, we're talking about online classes, new curriculum, new cars."
These are lessons you take on a computer or phone instead of in a classroom. Here, it means the driving school started teaching some of its material online.
Online classes are a delivery format for instruction that moves coursework onto the internet instead of in-person classrooms. In this context, they’re part of modernizing driver education operations.
new curriculum
"Well, so I think from what I've learned and read kind of ahead of this conversation, you really modernize the whole operation, which makes sense now. It having been around since the 70s, you know, we're talking about online classes, new curriculum, new cars."
This means the school changed what and how it teaches. In plain English, they updated the lessons for new students.
Curriculum is the structured set of lessons or training content used in a course or program. Here it refers to updated driver-education teaching materials and methods.
branding and marketing
"He has a background in branding and marketing, like he is brilliant at customer experiences and how to really follow through on what you're telling customers you're going to do..."
They’re talking about how the business was made to look and feel more appealing to customers. It’s about presentation, image, and how the school was sold to people.
This is the business-side topic of how the driving school was repositioned visually and commercially. The discussion centers on customer experience, presentation, and rebranding rather than driving technique.
Safeway branded NASCAR
"And we even had a Safeway branded NASCAR for that year in 2010. So it was not good when I would get in a wreck with the drivers."
This was a race car painted up with Safeway’s name on it. They used it to connect the driving school business with Brad Coleman’s NASCAR racing.
This is a NASCAR stock car carrying Safeway branding, used as a promotional race car in 2010. The key detail is that it was a branded competition car, not a road car, and it tied the driving school to Coleman’s racing identity.
Joke of Racing
"...still living in Charlotte, still racing with Joke of Racing. And we even had a Safeway branded NASCAR for that year in 2010."
This is the racing team he was driving for. It’s basically the group or outfit he was competing with while still building the business.
Joke of Racing appears to be the racing team or organization Brad Coleman was driving with at the time. In this context it is functioning as a team/company name rather than a car brand.
Michelin
"...the old tower was from the 70s. And I was able to be a part of the project to now the new Michelin Tower."
Michelin is the tire company. Their name is on the new tower at the track.
Michelin is the tire brand named in the new tower at Road Atlanta. Here it appears as a sponsor/branding identity attached to a facility landmark.
franchise
"...kind of growing this franchise perspective, I'm curious, Safeways founding mission from what I understand was preventing the phone call that nobody wants. How do you keep that emotional weight present in the day to day of running this growing franchise? I mean, That's a great question."
It’s a business setup where different locations are owned by different people but all use the same name and follow the same playbook. Think of it like a chain with local owners.
A franchise is a business model where independent owners operate under a shared brand and system. In automotive and driving-school contexts, it often means standardized training, branding, and operating procedures across locations.
franchising
"...Because when you get into franchising, it's easy to get in the mindset of, okay, we're just going to get as many franchisees as we can, we're going to grow as fast as we can, we're just going to get all this money. And when you do that, you dilute your brand, mission, it's just when you grow too fast."
It means the business grows by letting other people run locations under the same name and rules. The tradeoff is faster expansion versus keeping standards consistent.
Franchising is a business structure where a company licenses its brand and operating system to independent owners. In this context, it matters because growth can dilute quality if the franchise network expands too quickly.
markets
"...And then they're in markets where we'll be able to help people out. So it's not sacrificing what we're about. It's making sure everyone's trained correctly, and that they're doing what they say they're going to do."
It means different cities or regions where the company might open locations. They’re picking places where the business can really make a difference.
In this context, markets means the geographic areas where the business operates or plans to expand. The speaker is saying they choose locations strategically so the service can actually help people there.
review processes
"...It's not sacrificing what we're about. It's making sure everyone's trained correctly, and that they're doing what they say they're going to do. And we have review processes,"
These are the regular checkups a company uses to make sure locations are doing things the right way. It’s basically quality control.
Review processes are formal checks used to verify that franchisees are meeting standards and doing what they promised. In a safety-focused driving business, these controls help protect the brand and the mission.
Department of Public Safety
"...It's cool because the local DP at the Department of Public Safety in Texas who"
This is a government office that deals with road safety and driver rules. In Texas, it’s the agency that helps oversee things like licensing and driving standards.
The Department of Public Safety is a state agency that handles driver licensing, road safety, and other public-safety functions. Here it likely refers to the Texas agency involved in driver education oversight or coordination.
freeway
"If you're an adult and you've never driven before, we'll take you through that same system. If you're an adult that's like, Hey, I just need help driving on the freeway. Well, great. We'll get you out on the freeway."
A freeway is a big road where cars go fast and enter or exit using ramps instead of stoplights. The speaker is talking about teaching people how to drive there safely.
A freeway is a high-speed, limited-access road designed for through traffic, with on-ramps and off-ramps instead of intersections. Driving on a freeway requires different lane-change, merging, and speed-management skills than city streets.
crash statistics
"And I know that if we can grow and grow, we'll start to see crash statistics in Texas come down because it's proven that our graduates are safer."
This means the numbers that show how often crashes happen. They’re using those numbers to argue that their students are safer drivers.
Crash statistics are the measured rates and outcomes of vehicle collisions, often used to evaluate how effective a driving program or safety intervention is. Here they’re being used as proof that the school’s training reduces accidents.
the long game
"journey has been, I feel that you've lived this idea of the long game, you know, from student to racer to owner twice now. What would you tell someone who's maybe in the middle of their path..."
It means thinking ahead and making choices that pay off later, even if they don’t help right away. Here it’s about a career and business path that unfolded over time.
A long-term strategy that prioritizes future results over immediate wins. In automotive and motorsport contexts, it often means building a career, business, or program patiently instead of chasing short-term gains.
not linear
"...what would you tell someone that just feels a little disconnected right now? Ooh, I would tell that person, I've had my life planned out and figured out four or five different times, and it has not at all gone that way. So don't feel bad about not having a plan..."
It means life doesn’t always go step by step in a straight line. The speaker is saying careers can zigzag and still work out.
A non-linear path is one that doesn’t follow a straight, predictable progression. In this episode, it describes a career or life path that changes direction and doesn’t unfold in a neat sequence.
driver education
"...what does it mean to you personally to be differential in this industry, you know, whether that's motor sport or from the driver education perspective? Oh yeah, I think so much of what we do is is differential in the driver's ed world because most schools operate the way that I laid out..."
This means teaching people how to drive, usually in a formal school or training program. The guests are talking about how their school does it differently from the usual setup.
This is the segment about driving schools and how they teach new drivers. In this context, it’s the business and educational side of preparing people to drive safely, not just the act of driving itself.
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