The Avants Podcast
Avants
Updated 2 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 (454)
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!
Bonus Episode! Live Recording From Endless Summer 2 At Elsom Cellars!
We did a really fun group of short, live recording interviews with friends we made at the 3 Pedal Posse and SODO Speed's event the Endless Summer block party, and car show. First up was the woman herself, Jody Elsom, owner of Elsom cellars (or so we found out). Next was the father and son duo of Greg (father) and Miles (son) and there great story about a 914 and a “cat”. After that we had another father son duo, Jake and Dane Greger. Dane is 14 and has his own detailing business down in Puyallup! You can find him here if you’re in that area and need a detail. We then closed out the show with a quick trip down memory lane with Krissy Wells of LeMay - America’s Car Museum. We had a great time as we always do when we hang out with the guys from 3PP and so many of our friends and previous guests of the show!
Randy Wells Talks Full Time Photography
We’ve had a few photographers on the show before; they keep the car shows going. That said, none of them have been 100%, full time, doing nothing else photographers like Randy Wells. His images have been featured in National Geographic, 000 Magazine, and many, many more. He gives us a few pro-tips and talks his love of Porsches. There’s a theme there. Everyone loves Porsches around here and it seems to be for good reason, or maybe we’re just a little biased.
Turning Up The Boost With Betim Berisha Of BBI!
What’s it take to be one of the best Porsche tuners and fabricators in the world, win Pikes Peak twice, hang out with the guys from Hoonigan, and create the coolest cars in the world? Well, start with sleeping in your car and then continue on to doing whatever it takes. We have an amazing, unfiltered interview with Betim Berisha, owner of BBI Autosport, that you’re going to love and likely learn something from.
A Session With Sam From Seen Through Glass
When we first started doing Rain City Supercars, we actually intended on starting it as a YouTube channel. It was terrible! Long story short, we got that idea because we loved channels like the one by our guest this week, Sam from Seen Through Glass. It just so happened that Sam decided to go on a world tour and happened to be in our neck of the woods! Check out this weeks episode and his YouTube channel and the episode he shot while here visiting Drivers Club.
BONUS EPISODE! Monterey Car Week Recap!
We know we missed a few weeks while we were away, so here is a bonus episode recapping Monterey Car Week and featuring a few interviews we did while on the field at Concorso Italiano! We talked to Stefano Sbettega, VP of Prestige, Motorsport and P Zero World with Pirelli Tires and then talk to Ralph Debbas of W Motors, the makers of the Lykan HyperSport and most recently, the Fenyr SuperSport! Enjoy this bonus episode and get ready for another episode this Friday!
The Sea-Mont Rally Review. Emphasis on the Rally part.
This year’s Sea-Mont Rally is going to be really, really hard to top. I mean, we might not have to cross any rivers or move a landslide, but it’ll be hard to top the fun we had this year in the many years to come. We turned the trip from Seattle to Monterey for car week into a 4 day, 1,450 mile trip of a lifetime. Be sure to check out the album for this trip for some great highlights!
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, It’s Beau Borders!
While Dan was away actually trying to not work on his vacation he missed a great guest, Beau Borders! Beau is a sound engineer, race car driver, and allegedly a “driver consultant”, but more importantly he’s another guest with some amazing stories. He spends his day job time working in Hollywood on a few little movies you might have heard of like Lone Survivor, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and Titanic. He spends his free time racing in the Tran-Am Series and apparently knew a guy who raced some Miatas. Allegedly. Enjoy and be sure to check out BeauBorders.com!
Obsessively Obsessing With Matt Moreman Of Obsessed Garage
We have a really deep dive conversation with Matt Moreman of Obsessed Garage about life and building a brand and a business. One of the repeating themes in our highest rated episodes is pure, unfiltered, honesty and authenticity. Matt opens up about his OCD and how it helped him build the masterpiece that is Obsessed Garage.
Rob Sheibe And The Perfect Racecar Restoration
Have you ever seen the most perfectly restored 911 race car ever? We have, and Rob is the guy who created it. Rob was kind enough to give us a garage tour, a history lesson, and a few life lessons on how to do a project right. This is one of those episodes that just keeps getting better and better as the stories go on and you’re going to love it. Be sure to check out the gallery on this weeks episode, you’ll be very glad you did!
We Talk With Cliff Avril About Everything But Football
Cars connect people you just don’t really ever expect to have a connection with sometimes, it’s why we started this Podcast. Former Seahawk, Cliff Avril, is no exception of course. While absolutely famous for his work on the field, Cliff is a huge car guy who loves to rack up miles. He’s also a really down to earth, great guy, who gave us an unforgettable interview we’re really proud of and we think you’ll enjoy as much as we did.
Daniel Piker Reminds Us We Were Really Lazy At 21
What were you doing when you were 21? College? Parties on the weekend? Daniel Piker is a full time photographer, videographer, and rally co-driver. We were definitely not that cool. We still aren’t, but that’s OK. If you’ve heard some of our previous episodes you've probably heard us drop his name a lot and we’ve featured his photography before. Get to know Daniel and his work on this weeks episode! Also, if you heard our tip today and are still confused about how about 99% of gasoline engines work, this video is Dan’s favorite for explaining it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu7g3uIG6Zo
You Down With 3PP?
Are you down with 3PP? 3 Pedal Posse that is. Mauricio Bendana and Jim Krouskop join us to talk about 3PP - what is, why they started it, and how you can join! Join us for an episode of laughs and editing nightmares. Be sure to check out 3PP on Instagram and their website of course. Be sure to stop by Elsom Cellars in Sodo for some delicious wine and always great cars.
Roger Bong Encarnacion Beyond His RWB
We know a lot of people by there cars. Almost EVERYONE in the area knows Bong’s car - his red RWB Porsche 964. Unlike most people though, Bong’s car has track rash. It doesn’t have flawless perfect paint on it’s quarters and the R888s are properly heat cycled and scrubbed in. A Porsche enthusiast of all kinds, Bong talks growing up, cars, mods, and his love for track time. Get to know the guy you already know of in this episode and enjoy the beautiful photo gallery by Karl Noakes!
A Totally Rad Rain City Supercars Episode
Art Cervantes joins us to discuss all things Radwood! Radwood is coming to the PNW this year and being hosted at LeMay - Americas Car Museum in partnership with our sponsors Avants and Hagerty so you know it’s going to be good! Art shares with us his story, the history of Radwood, and his deep love for all cars 80s and 90s. Tune in for some serious nostalgia! Get your tickets at Radwood.co and remember, Avants members get a discount! We’ll see you all there on July 20th!
Road Tripping All Summer Long
While Summer in the PNW is beautiful, it also means packed roads and construction. DansDrives.com does have some great short drives, this is the perfect time to go on a drive for a weekend or even a few weeks. We recap some of our favorite getaways in this episode and Dan has laid out the routes in detail below. We hope we inspire you to get away and enjoy the drive! Whistler, BC That crazy long gravel road that goes up past Harrison Lake that Dan was talking about To Neah Bay (Cape Flattery) and back, the really fun way (this is a 2 day drive, trust me) Lake Quinault Lodge + Moclips Highway + Seabrook, WA A fun road close to Coeur d’Alene, ID The Lolo Pass Blast Boise to Bogus Basin That route through Idaho that will blow your mind, bruise your kidneys, and may cause you to lose your muffler. Part 1 / Part 2. *Warning, this is HARD. Ask James. Jasper and everywhere along the way. Stop at Mojo’s coffee in Bonners Ferry and try and win your new AR15 or quilt. Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Craters of the Moon, McCall, Lewiston Hill Climb, Starbuck, and more! Check out Roadtrippers.com (no affiliation or paid promotion)! JOIN AVANTS ALREADY.
ASHNAMI!
Have you ever been to Pebble Beach for car week? If not it should be on your bucket list. One of the reasons Pebble Beach is one of the “must do” car events in your lifetime is because of our guest on this episode, Anami Barnett with Hagerty Insurance. Anami is the one behind the many incredible events Hagerty puts on around North America that you REALLY need to do.
Danny Gherman from DG Vintage Coachworks
Danny Gherman of DG Vintage Coachworks talks with us about the difficulties of being a craftsman versus simply repairing cars and shares his passion for Porsche and BMW. The gallery for this episode is definitely a must see! Special shout out to Daniel Piker for some of the photos of the famous Martini Racing livery 964 created by DG and wrapped by our previous guest Gorilla Mad Wraps. Follow Danny's work on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dgvintagecoachworks/ Check out Daniel Piker Photography as well at: https://www.pikerphoto.com/
Jillian Titus; You Think You Know, But You Have No Idea
Ever judged a book by its cover? We all have a time or two, but here’s why you shouldn’t. From homeless to GTS and everywhere between, Jillian shares with us her personal story about growing up in trailer park, eventually being homeless and couch surfing to get through school, and to where she’s at now, which as you can imagine is a very different place. More about Jillian’s adoption here: https://kotaku.com/nintendo-is-such-a-close-knit-company-its-employees-are-5809890