The Avants Podcast
Avants
Updated 6 days agoJoin hosts Dan Putnam and Nick Bergeron as they get to know industry leading guests beyond just what they drive. The Avants Podcast is never scripted and never predictable, but it’s always a good time and full of surprises. You won’t find any boring reviews that sound like reading off a pre-planned info sheet, ”history of” shows that are reworded Wikipedia articles, or advertisements for the next new foam mattress here! The Avants Podcast focuses on making sure guests are always authentic, just like your hosts.
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Episodes (447)
Alternative Transportation Methods with Cameron Balazic
We here on RCS love all things with transportation related including the electric kind. We invited Officer Cameron Balazic to talk to us about how the police are handling them and how do be a good rider. He’s also an awesome car enthusiast with a gorgeous Golf R and a fellow Avants member. Correction: Dan mentioned 50 MPH as the top speed of the Zero 10 scooter - it is actually 50 KMH, or 31 MPH. He was correct on the top speed of the electric skateboards he mentioned.
Welcome Back Trevor Wert - Director of Marketing for DirtFish!
We welcome back Trevor Wert to talk more about his expanding role at DirtFish and all the amazing things DirtFish is bringing. Trevor gives us all the info on the big moves DirtFish is making in media and becoming yours and the whole world’s source for all things rally! We talk rally cars, rally drivers, drives to Alaska, and his adventures around the world. Check out Trevor’s work and all the new stuff coming at DirtFish.com!
A Garage Talk With The Griots
To say the name “Griot” is an icon in the automotive world is an understatement. When we were teenagers the Griot’s Garage catalog was the equivalent of the Sear’s Christmas catalog as kids, hell, it still is. We get to know Richard and Nick Griot on our usual unscripted, personal level and laugh the whole way through. Enjoy this very special EXTENDED episode of RCS!
Your Car Guy, Brian Elich
If you’re an Avants member, Camaro aficionado, or just a regular in the PNW car community you probably known Brian. He’s the friend we refer people to when they want a high performance Chevy. He’s also the guy you call when you want to go snow wheeling, have a great bonfire, or just good company. Brian does things a little a different in the car sales world - he makes a lot of real friends. Brian gives us some car buying tips and tells how he came from Motor City to the greater Seattle area.
Don Kitch Is Proof Of What Can Happen If You Never Give Up
Don Kitch is a household name in the car community in the PNW. Those of ours listeners outside of the PNW probably know him too from his many ventures in the driving world - ProFormance Driving School, Team Seattle Racing / Heart of Racing, Dempsey Racing, Le Mans, Daytona, and of course The Art of Racing In The Rain, where he was famously played by Gary Cole. In this special episode we get to know the unscripted and always authentic Don Kitch you’ll want to hear.
All Around The World With Jason
Our favorite Dan replacement comes back to join and talk all about car culture around the world. Jason travels constantly for work and gets to see some of the most amazing car culture around the world. He gives us an overview car culture experiences from London, Singapore, Monaco, Japan, and more!
Jay Gillotti, The Gulf 917, And The Beetles
They say you can’t always judge a book by its cover, nor can you know an author by his books pages. Jay is a man of many talents as a writer and musician, the latter we didn’t know at all until this interview. Listen to Jay talk about his love for all things automotive, especially the Gulf Porsche 917s, and music! Check out the links below to see his impressive book all about the Gulf Porsche 917 and hear some of Jay’s music.
Stew From Stew’s Garage Gives Us More Than Just Car Tips
Stewart Waliser is a young and successful entrepreneur who started Stew’s Garage in Kirkland on his own. That last part is especially important, because it’s hard enough to start a small business, let alone one in your early 20s! Stew’s shop is an absolutely unique garage that allows people of all skill levels to come and not just work on their cars, but also learn! He and his staff can walk your through just about all vehicle maintenance and help you build a new skill set with professional guidance along the way
A Short Scottsdale Preview and More!
In this shorter episode Nick and Dan connect via phone since Nick is having a great time in Scottsdale without him! We talk about what’s crossing the block in Scottsdale and give a quick recap of events there while Dan freezes to death without power at home. Listen in for a unusual, but useful Carter Subaru Tip of the Week as well! Special thanks to previous guests Scott and Katrina for hosting the AZ Jet Center Event, Shannon Low with Authentic Motorcars for hooking Nick up with an amazing Pantera for the Scottsdale Drive, Ashley Shoemaker from Hagerty, Alexa Bockmier with Park Place Motors for the VIP treatment, and everyone else who made Scottsdale amazing (as usual) this year! Listen in to Dan who did guest spot on The Money Hour with Tina Mitchell and Keelan Harvey talking about cars, investment cars, money, and keeping it real!
The Bull Market And The Great Escape
Dan cuts through the marketing hype of Radar Detectors and laser jammers on our Carter Subaru tip of the week, the 2020 Hagerty Bull Market List, and Hollywood-esque escape of former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn on this weeks episode of RCS!
2019 In Review!
A lot happened in 2019! Not just for us, but for the automotive world. From 300 mph street legal cars to electric all the things, we tried to cover our favorite stories and breakthroughs from the last year. Dan also tells you the scientifically best way to defrost your car in his Carter Subaru Tip Of The Week! Are you heading to Scottsdale for Car Week? We have discount tickets thanks to our friends at Jet Center Events! Click here to get your tickets and enter the code RCS20 to get $20 off your tickets to the Arizona Jet Center Event!
Byron Sanborn: Mechanic, Racer, Musician
Byron Sanborn of VRM (Vintage Racing Motors) is a man with stories. Some of which he was nice enough to share and some of which we laughed about for hours off the show. Easily one of the most interesting people we’ve met, let alone interviewed, so we let him go a little longer to share all the details of racing some cars you’ve all probably seen driving around and then some you might have crossed paths with on the lawn at Pebble Beach!
The Always Authentic Roy Cats
One of our most sought after interview requests is with local legend Roy Cats of Cats Exotics. Roy is the epitome of car guy - he drives his exotics, and hypercars, year round. From his famous 60k mile Diablo, to his manual Murcielago SV, to his 675 LT, you might find him crossing the passes on snow tires just for fun. Then there’s the Senna. Did we mention Roy has a Senna? Did you know he used to be a Sheriff?! There’s a lot to listen to and laugh about on this weeks episode! Special Note: As usual are interviews are unfiltered and unscripted. While this interview is full of lighthearted fun, we did flip the switch on this one being intended for mature audiences.
Story Time!
On Episode 109 it's story time! We enjoy our fancy new mixer (which we are still learning how to use), Lithium Ion Batteries (at a very high level), $30 car tabs (or not), how there are real consequences for being an idiot at a car show (thanks Redmond PD!), winter stuff, and we also discuss our relationship. Apparently.
Gaurav Rajasekar Talks About Joining The American Car Scene
We wanted to make a real episode about what it’s like to be from another country and try and get into American car culture, but as 2 very white guys in our 40s we decided we probably shouldn’t tackle this on our own. Our very good friend, Exotics volunteer, track day junky, and fellow road tripper Gaurav Rajasekar joined us to tell us what it was like moving here from India and jumping into the hot seat of a ‘MERICA screaming, push rod punching, tire smoking, steel guitar twangin’ Corvette Grand Sport (no really, he listens to a lot of country). He’s also a great, funny story teller and you’re sure to get a few laughs out this unscripted, unfiltered episode of Rain City Supercars.
Curtis Creager Prepares You For Your First Track Day
It might be winter, but it’s a great time to sign up for your first track day! Curtis Creager is an instructor with Proformance Racing School at Pacific Raceways in Kent and he’s on this episode to tell you all you need to know about doing your first track day, what mods really matter, and gives us great general driving and car advice. Another interesting guy you definitely should know, so we made sure we brought him on the show!
Supra Steve Talks About How To Buy A Car Out Of State And Beyond!
Supra Steve, the very first guest ever on our show, is back for this special episode! By request we were asked to talk all about how to buy a car out of state (and beyond) sight unseen. It’s not as easy as it sounds no matter what, but people do it all the time. Steve tells us how he bought his GT2 out of the country and imported it and Dan talks about buying many cars out of state and the mistakes he has made along the way. This is a great episode for anyone who’s done this or who is looking to do it, and yes, we know the experience varies greatly!
More Shay! (And We Talk Race Cars)
Dan is finally back from rehab for Episode 105 with Shay Hoelscher! We get to talk about race cars, hair, and more! We also announce our big winner for the photo shoot up at Epic Exposure! If you listened to this episode and felt inspired to contribute to Project Beauty Share, you can find them here: projectbeautyshare.org/. If you’d like to get involved, please do email us and we’ll get you in touch with Shay! To learn more about Shay’s company, check out Prive here! www.priveproducts.com/
Taking Life by the Wheel with Tyler Brunkhorst
This week we talk to Tyler Brunkhorst who has one of the most remarkable come-to-cars stories. After losing his wife at a young age, Tyler decided that life was about experiences and he wanted more of them. Tyler is now an experienced driver at Evergreen Autocross and finds ways to fuel his passion for aviation. He also speaks with us about his professional experience which landed him working for both Forza and Need for Speed.
Epic Podcast with Bruce McCallum
Known for building one of the most innovative photography studios on the west coast, Bruce McCallum from Epic-Exposure joins us this week to share his journey. Seeing where he is now, you would never guess the life that this gentleman has led. From fishing in Alaska to racing motorcycles, and from Microsoft to content creation. Check out his work at www.epic-exposure.com or on his Instagram page @epic_exposure. If you like what you see, be sure to comment on this week's post on Facebook or Instagram because, in partnership with Avants and Epic Exposure, we are giving away a free session to get your car photographed at Epic Exposure! Best comment wins! Good luck!
A Tire Tech Session with Blake Siebe
Our Carter Subaru tip of the day has been a popular segment on the show and some of the most common questions we get revolve around tires. Who better than to bring back a guest from one of our most popular episodes to date, Blake Siebe! Blake walks us through the stuff you need to know about your tires, no matter what level of interest you have in cars. This is a must listen episode for anyone with a car!
Porsches, Pikes Peak, And Justin Wilson
In this episode we talk to Justin Wilson of Porsche Bellevue who can’t decide what he wants to do, but seems to be good at all of it. It’s easy to put sales people into buckets, but you’d be far from knowing anything about Justin if you just see him as a salesman. He’s an accomplished race car driver who knows a lot about a lot and you’ll be glad you know where to find such a great resource beyond sales after listening to this episode!
WE HIT 100!
We let the nostalgia role as we hit a big milestone, Episode 100! Nick also turns 40 today, so make sure you reach out and wish him happy birthday! We have a lot of people to thank for being here, but most of all our listeners as we are always grateful you allow us to do this. In a world of podcasts coming and going by the thousands every month, we are beyond grateful to have sponsors we actually believe in; a true luxury in the entertainment world. This show is, and will always be, a labor of love, but without the support of Drivers Club, Hagerty, Carter Subaru, Avants, Rainier Beer, and our dedicated volunteer staff, we would not be able to keep doing this the way we have. Simply put, we LOVE doing this, and it’s all been an amazing ride. Thank you!
Adam ”MacGyver” Nonis - Now You Know A Guy For That
Need to fix your messed up Ferrari? Adam. Getting shot at too often? Adam. Need to convert your E30 BMW Convertible in a ‘66 Volvo Wagon? Adam. Meet Adam Nonis, owner of Atom Design & Development, who can literally do all of the above and more! We first learned about Adam after drooling over his '66 Volvo, which is actually sitting on top of an E30 BMW convertible chassis. When you see something like that, you need to know more, and we’re sure glad we did.
Simon Aylett’s Special Projects
Simon Aylett is one of those guys you want to just keep talking to. From RHD Lambos to crazy TVR build projects to making something completely custom to give people who never dreamed of being in a race car a new experience, he’s pretty much done it all. He’s also got one of the lowest mileage MGAs in the entire world and it was a local car! Listen in and get to know Simon!