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Kevin Buckler of The Racer's Group and Adobe Road Winery talks racing and wine, while Jonathan Ward gives us a preview of ICON's next retro truck crea...
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Fox car report I'm Gary -- -- Lou hey do you like trucks like old trucks.
Later in the show -- friend Jonathan ward from icon four -- four.
Makes us cool retro Ford Broncos and has remade re imagined do we jeeps when I was working on in 1965.
Dodge pickup for the specialty equipment manufacturers show coming up -- a couple weeks we need to sneak peek at that but in the meantime.
You know drinking and driving.
Not a good thing to do but drive in some of the best cars in the world and injuring some of the finest wines made America that actually sounds -- a pretty good weekend and this guy gets to do that.
-- for a living actually he's Kevin Butler.
The CEO of the -- group sports car racing team has wells Adobe road winery Petaluma California have certain thing for us that.
Don't we just got put on the map recently with our Little League team so you know -- -- claim that they until -- I guess that's very good -- up to Sonoma County.
-- -- can't -- -- -- -- beautiful part of the country so let's talk about your businesses.
To the Muslim businesses imaginable he -- -- racing team you run a winery.
The racing team.
Very multifaceted operation actually recent -- grand am an American Le Mans series but you do a lot more than just -- -- car.
We -- we started the company twenty years ago hand never really knew where it was going only knew as I really started off -- sold the company and I was really interested in building my two passions you know.
Motor sports of some sort and winds winery.
And started as a prop up performance parts company proportion competition parts we sort of continued to grow and -- and -- continue we -- very multifaceted we do a lot of club racing which image with amateur drivers we still -- competition parts we tearing cars we take guys all over the country to sort of -- the dream of some of these famous racetracks and then we have.
The two -- professional.
Operation that runs both in the American LaMont and the grand American series so quite different than most of the teams that focus just on either one series or just professional racing kind of try to do at all.
And -- -- -- cup whatever series over the years right now the focus on a Porsche 9/11 race cars mostly correct we've been a -- team off mostly all for almost twenty years you've been in business now car racing in general probably the greatest money -- ever created by man.
You've actually figured out how to make a business and make some money out.
-- old joke about how do you start you know how do you store them.
How is it can't make a small -- you start with a big one in both in the businesses were involved and but unfortunately or fortunately did not have that we started so we had to forgot how to make it work and we run it as a business where I'm.
Very very big on our return on investment to our sponsors that are involved -- us it's important to us and then.
The sponsorship models these days have become very complicated it's no longer just a sticker on the hood you know people come to us.
Have a group of wealth management clients or they want to get up.
A lot of business to business or networking and that high -- -- and so I'm always calm -- cool ways they can work and had a little fun along the way -- -- one of the parts of the business you mentioned is this arrive and drive.
He's sort of thing for the actress the -- -- serving professional -- that doesn't wanna start his own team but how exactly does that.
-- actually works well and we we started again a little bit by accident we were taken if you guys up for the weekend and pretty -- and I was -- well you know these guys are having a good time.
They don't wanna Holler car across the country -- from California to Florida so we started -- pretty risk program of -- -- from when I have 29 -- -- you guys that are going to different events and races.
Will take him we'll take their cars form where they were one of our cars show up on the other end there's a mechanics and there you know -- attention wax on wax off we have a nice little.
A group of hospitality people to take care of all the food needs and -- -- -- -- university going golfing for the weekend with their bodies he's got to go racing in our job is to give them a great time make sure the cars run well and I'll celebrate a driver coach you know to sort of push and indigenous -- -- want to get.
What I see.
You guys come to our program remember you might be like -- back in high school football again a lot of guys -- you know these -- captains of industry there right.
I'm OK with that I just -- -- learn so we're always we always have a really good time with the did you listen -- to get a little girls -- the right must -- what he's put skid those cars as competitive as your main team.
Some of course that the guys are driving their driving current model Porsche race cars that they can buy from the Porsche factory -- from us and the cars are very fast the ones that are running at the pointy end of this of the grid on the professional side.
We might have a few more tweaks in a few more things on about did -- -- -- basically similar.
To what this costs don't go race and for we can and I got to do a lot before you get to the -- -- in a grand hammer in America month's series -- find out -- -- there -- -- get the licenses and all that.
How much is this -- -- -- that it.
It's fairly -- -- if you -- your car we transported.
Crew it -- -- everything he could spend 220000 dollars a week and on the car which might some Michael that I might sound like a lot but a professional weekend princess is closer to a hundred so.
And then the big races at Daytona you know those get real expensive between -- -- -- -- the -- for 24 hours you test for gazans are literally we destroy a car and you know and those budgets and my wife -- or CFO and we look at the entire budget alone and -- you know 20/20 five cents per car.
At 2000 said just for the tires just for one car it's like well.
What Bono walking into this room -- yours yet.
Weekend you know usually can add you know ten or twenty grand on top of that for the car rental and a lot of times guys like doing that -- -- -- to -- up our -- and their car.
But again these are sort of high end profession is is and a modified -- type of thing this is a high end.
Professional Porsche race car that someone can actually get -- -- -- if they're qualified to do it in and that's kind of the key you know we first started it was sort of all comers were welcome we've.
We get -- become a little more.
Little more picky on the on the way we do things just wanted to win he'll be qualified have a good time but our our our -- is sort of the -- -- -- of that group and we -- -- -- about it and he these guys come in with their own sponsors for the race that -- -- -- car images but what if they do you know if it's if it's.
Amateur stuff for the weekend or even professional racing -- -- guys -- their own personal sponsors or corporate sponsors and then again our job at that point is to make sure those guys are happy to they might bring a lot of guests -- weekend.
They might have something we're doing with -- every year any type of publicity and marketing so.
It's like -- -- it's become -- -- used to be -- now -- -- in terms of how to make it work in motor sports and we've got a really good team you know I'm just one cog in the -- -- I've got a good team back home and work with us all the stuff.
The people they just watch racing on TV never should go to -- -- don't understand how much more there is doing does have hospitality tent and meet new breed in the network admin goes on and it is much more for a lot of these fellas are just going to drive a car for two that's.
Absolutely and you know that there's positives than negatives the success of NASCAR all the years has made it but you still feel fairly simple five and watch on television -- they've got all the ways to interact.
Some of these fans really understand how much goes into mean it takes weeks to prepare to go to that one race in the -- in there especially in the sports car side you -- -- events where there for three days or four days or even five days both the amateur and -- professional stuff.
And you know we try to make it a good experience -- of course -- -- they -- want to win as well also.
-- -- things going on.
They even -- competing in the GT classes in grand am and summer months are different cars right now between two bitter ETC class that we run in the united elements American masters and the GT classic books -- -- are very similar they're sort of the basis of the same car.
The GT class in the American -- is a little more high end it's got a lot more crazy stuff going on with the manufacturers involved.
And you know -- the big merger coming up it's gonna be kind of cool to see how it all shakes out.
And for years you know I I drove the cars in Mindanao and that they think differently out to pasture for years ago on the team owner now and -- -- to -- -- radios and make the strategy calls but time.
It's it's a pretty cool dynamic and sports car racing is on a huge uptick right now.
You were jumping on the -- morenge practice and I -- I -- -- -- keep guys honest there's some of the tracks a month still pretty pretty strong at another new tax you know I would take awhile to get up to speed that.
I really enjoy that part of it's still but I I did my thing I really enjoyed -- time when I drove.
But I'm -- I feel like we couldn't.
We were in training for what's about to happen for twenty years the big merger between two series is going to be the best thing it ever happens to.
To the sport and I've been making the sort of bold prediction and I'm not afraid to make it -- -- you know whacked upside the head but.
You know in the next year to you when when the two series to come together with all of the resources and all the talent.
We will probably be nipping at the heels of Sprint Cup in terms of popularity -- probably blow by all the other motorsports series at least that's the plan.
Disagreements feeding her was using grand -- -- they're going to be merging starting 2014 -- the Daytona 24 hours that you will be the first one.
For the new merged -- you think it has the potential to get that big and that's a long time since that sports car racing.
Has been you know a top tier -- elsewhere in the United States do you really think it has the potential that if he was in the -- NASCAR compete and blow by most of them sprint cup of course is the big monster but.
We have a great product people love sports card personal people you know they follow the BMW their Corvette.
Know a lot of us it's about the mark it's not just about the driver.
We've had two very good groups but -- -- you know in practice for years kind of like open wheel was so people come to look at it even a corporate sponsor or even individual.
-- a little -- -- white noise -- they're not sure exactly what to do too many classes really not one firm leadership voice and that's what we're gonna get.
And I think all of that happening at the same time.
-- we've seen a big resurgence in cars are cool again sports cars a lifestyle now things are happening where it wasn't that way years ago I actually think it's going to be super strong.
There are a lot of classes and of course you have the production based cars like you brace.
But then there's also the prototype car.
Little tougher a little more expensive they're not as much our participation.
As far as manufactures are concerned -- the GT actually look stronger these days.
I mean I know they're still kind of putting the pieces together right now what's what's your impression.
Moving forward what the focus is going to be on the biggest stick with the prototypes and that's still going to be the premier part of this or are -- going to be looking more of.
GT cars I think the good news is finally they're gonna not call it premier anymore hopefully -- what they should do just call them separate classes -- as we put as much time and energy technology and effort into running in and winning and successful and GT program as they do in the prototype categories.
And it's a lot more competitive.
But with a series coming together in the multiple prototype class is joining you're going to see.
Strong prototype class community of super strong GT class potentially -- I think that's I'm not making the rules but if I was making the rules Qaeda to GT -- -- one super high end one a little more entry level.
-- -- one sided as is gonna have an upper hand when they -- at the rule book when it went well Salem mass or they're they've been very politically correct but everything I mean you know it's a merger and let.
It was you know purchased by the grand -- side but they've everyone's been power sharing quite well and the thing is.
There's just some really talented people in both groups and so combining them into one again powerful force is going to be it's -- -- -- -- Real quick you wanna talk about the wide receiver I think the name on the for your cars there on the racetrack there Adobe road.
Then you get should -- got quite a few varieties -- We do you know short stories started fifteen years ago and it was a passion for us that turned into -- full time.
Business and I actually -- -- -- you know it takes fifteen years to be an overnight sensation in the -- world.
We hit it last year we had some great write up CNET and all of our big national magazines the wine spectator in particular and we're in a ton of really cool national accounts across the country.
Morton's is -- -- -- -- -- the Ritz Carlton and some other chains around the country.
And it's it's really -- we work very hard in the want to -- an excellent product.
We have a little wind club it's Adobe road dot com and that's really how we must that you're marketing that we didn't make it from her idols and it's just -- a passion in my -- on time.
These -- two passions that -- turned into.
Successful business is not a lot of people could say that in either of these -- Colombo that the -- And we just think if there wasn't any kind of brilliant pairing her marriage what's happened now I mean I've been here in the city in New York for four days and we've been doing these amazing evening lifestyle events so.
You know the one plus one equals three we got the cool little boutique winery which is doing well and attracts a great group of people we have the same thing on the sports car side when you -- -- together.
Well it's it's pretty powerful we're we're not really sure -- we're going with a but I know it's pretty it is it's kind of cool and we're having a good time and right.
Not on the vineyard where you're grapes you see a lot of old -- sent there to my old pickup truck gathers give.
-- only getting real old and they 1865 dodge those warriors they let him an adult stuff that -- -- -- like it.
It's got some heritage I would be very successful -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- down here -- -- from California in Los Angeles, California I -- four -- -- he builds.
Old trucks but they're new trucks they just look old and he's got his latest creation -- of the specialty equivalent.
Manufacturers association show Las Vegas in a couple weeks Jonathan good to see as always.
UT -- and listen hats off to your other guest it's always great to see people turn their passions and businesses.
That's really one of the great strengths of this country so Kurdistan and that's exactly you do as well you level trucks you decided to recreate them to modern machines and actually quite a bit of money right now solid them and certainly a lot of buzz in the business tell me about the latest creation is the -- -- a little surprised but I haven't found money.
Website I think your your trucks are inexpensive so.
No no really expensive unfortunately -- this latest project is that the next in this series of one -- that we do hundred icon brand.
We do dereliction we do reformers this particular track's going to be a reformers so.
We started with an ex military 1965.
Dodge power wagon crew -- But -- as with all my projects really train -- modern drive ability inconveniences.
With advantages that it so we took a modern.
New dodge mega cap 3500 Turbo diesel -- upper -- -- gale banks kind of merged them all together.
So it's really interesting -- spoke creations so.
It's all white and -- deep black and brushed stainless steel it's pretty exciting we're we're helping to get it done in time it's -- right here.
The last couple weeks what attracted you to the dodge pick up this.
All right you've done -- -- you've done the Willy jeeps you've done a number of other in the Buick.
Restored did you do there what what what attracted you to the Dutch.
I've always loved dearly dodge crew -- in the power -- especially bad.
Crew -- from the sixties and fifties are quite interesting to me because.
There asserted that precursors to the modern crew cab truck popularity it was -- all but forgotten over the last couple of decades so.
There's a lot of interest in the revival of that and obviously I'm all about utility with -- design so that some monster we can fit eight people -- it comfortably so.
And then I just stumbled into the truck and as often happens with these one off it starts with finding that unique.
Vintage vehicle that just inspires me -- -- reach out and trying to find a client who agrees with my.
Crazy ideas purity got somebody lined up for this wanted to keep it around herself for a while.
Don't get me wrong I'd love to keep it but I can rarely afford my own work out all of our derelict -- reformers are commissioned by clients.
Generally starting with something from their history.
That they have a soft spots for that they'd like to revisit.
-- actually in this case it's a repeat client we've become really good friends with you said.
What else can we do together in any kind of left it up that's which was.
I deal you know that was great.
Now I know you have some serious production vehicles as -- -- closes production as your sort of thing comes.
-- you say this is a one off but if it's popular in the people it seem like it is it the kind of think he can do more out.
Certainly but I don't think we'll ever do it as a production model so within our production -- we have the icon Broncos.
We have four different bodies -- body styles inspired by the classic after a land cruiser.
Mail flat standard -- is.
But these won't -- until we -- -- -- we might Q3 but each one.
He's gonna have its own character and infuse some of the requests and interests of the client.
And there really a big part of our brand as far as our Indian plainly different platforms and different power -- solutions.
Me right now we're doing everything from one off Aston Martin to a 1930s.
Lincoln's -- so it's that sort of variety that really keeps it exciting -- business but.
I never let that stand in my way before it's all about the passion creating.
And that's whether steps that are good Jonathan Moore an icon for rough or will be talking again probably out of -- -- a couple weeks definitely looking forward to seeing that -- the flash.
Thanks for dropping by as always.
