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PODCAST

The Creative Drive

Racer Media and Marketing, Inc.

The Creative Drive is a podcast hosted by Racer’s Creator Network President Taro Koki, dedicated to exploring the world of creativity within the automotive industry. Each episode features conversations with a diverse range of creatives, including YouTubers, directors, authors, designers, builders, and photographers, as well as industry journalists and creator economy experts. Together, we delve into what drives these creators, how they got started, their creative process, their inspirations, and

leisure automotive

All Episodes

43:38

He Builds His Dream Porsche — Betim Berisha BBI

The Creative Drive ·

2026/09/28

Meet Betim Berisha — founder of BBI Autosport, the Porsche tuning shop that's been building some of the wildest air- and water-cooled 911s on the planet since 2006. In this episode of Creative Drive, Betim breaks down how a padlocked storage unit in Huntington Beach turned into an engineering powerhouse spanning powertrain, parts, and full chassis fabrication — and why his real obsession right now is Type 99, a coachbuilt, Pikes-Peak-bred 993 making 840hp and weighing just 2,610 lbs with a driver in

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42:46

Japanese vs. American car culture - Arisa Mizuhara

The Creative Drive ·

2026/09/14

Professional drifter. Rally driver. S13 owner. On this episode of The Creative Drive, Taro Koki sits down with Arisa Mizuhara to talk about her journey from Japan to California, her pink Rocket Bunny S13, drifting, rally, Japanese car culture, brand partnerships, content creation, and what it takes to build your own identity in the automotive world. Arisa opens up about starting over in the U.S., learning to navigate a completely different culture, the importance of the senpai/kohai relationship in

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83:08

I Left Super Street to Bet on the Internet - John...

The Creative Drive ·

2026/08/03

Long before YouTube creators, influencers, and social media became careers, John Naderi was already trying to bring automotive media online.In this episode of The Creative Drive, John shares the incredible story of helping shape the early days of automotive digital media—from Super Street Magazine and Overboost.com to launching Rice Boy TV pre-YouTube. He explains why traditional magazines resisted the internet, what it was like documenting Japan's legendary tuning scene before social media, and

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41:33

Toyota Gazoo Racing Explained - "Motorsport Is NOT...

The Creative Drive ·

2026/07/20

Why does Toyota spend billions on motorsports? According to Toyota Gazoo Racing Global Motorsports Director Masaya Kaji, it's not about advertising—it's about building better people, better technology, and ultimately better cars.In this episode of The Creative Drive, host Taro Koki sits down with one of the key leaders behind Toyota Gazoo Racing to discuss the philosophy driving one of the world's most successful motorsports programs. Kaji explains Toyota's unique "People, Product, Pipeline"

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105:56

How Brian Scotto Helped Ken Block Launch Gymkhana

The Creative Drive ·

2026/06/22

What does it take to turn a passion project into one of the most influential automotive brands in the world? In this episode of The Creative Drive, Taro Koki sits down with Brian Scotto, co-founder of Hoonigan and one of the masterminds behind Ken Block's rise from rally driver to global icon. Brian shares never-before-heard stories about meeting Ken Block, the creation of the original Gymkhana video, the accidental discovery of YouTube as a distribution platform, and how a simple idea evolved into

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49:57

Liberty Walk's Real Mission: Wataru Kato's JDM...

The Creative Drive ·

2026/06/08

What makes Liberty Walk one of the most influential brands in automotive culture?In this episode of Creative Drive, Liberty Walk founder Wataru Kato shares the philosophy that transformed a small Japanese tuning shop into a global movement. From preserving car culture and inspiring younger generations to creating a community built around passion, Kato explains why Liberty Walk has always been about more than modified cars. We discuss the importance of collaboration, authentic brand building,

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72:06

NFL Linebacker Erick Kendricks Has Better Car Taste...

The Creative Drive ·

2026/05/11

NFL linebacker Eric Kendricks joins The Creative Drive to talk about his lifelong obsession with cars, from Fox Body Mustangs, Porsche GT3 RSs and Honda CRXs to why more NFL players are getting deep into automotive culture.In this episode: Growing up as a real car enthusiast before the NFL Learning to work on project cars himself Why 90s cars are undervalued right now NFL players and drifting culture Social media, authenticity, and building community through cars Why he wants to become a host and

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112:00

Jarod DeAnda - Inside Drift Culture

The Creative Drive ·

2026/04/07

From calling Vaughn Gittin Jr. “Mr. Plow” after a full-send collision to breaking down what really separates drivers, creators, and brands—this is an unfiltered episode of the Creative Drive with Formula Drift emcee, Jarod DeAnda. We get into iconic moments, behind-the-scenes stories from Formula Drift, and what it actually takes to stand out in a world where everyone’s chasing attention. Jarod has been there and done it. With legends like Ken Block to creators building their own lanes, the real

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69:22

The Truth About Singer: These $1M Porsches Aren’t...

The Creative Drive ·

2026/03/24

In this episode of Creative Drive, we sit down with Mazen Fawaz, Chief Strategy Officer at Singer Vehicle Design—the company redefining what a Porsche can be.Singer is certainly not about horsepower, lap times, or chasing records. It’s about something far more obsessive: beauty, craftsmanship, and the driving experience. Our host Taro Koki and Maz speak about.. What actually makes a Singer different Why they don’t care about being the fastest The reality of building cars at extreme quality How

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41:24

SPOON Founder Tatsuru Ichishima - Global JDM Icon

The Creative Drive ·

2026/03/10

In this special episode of Creative Drive, we sit down with Tatsuru Ichishima, the founder of Spoon Sports — one of the most iconic names in the world of Honda tuning and JDM car culture.Ichishima-san started SPOON in 1988 with a simple philosophy: make Honda cars faster without sacrificing reliability. What began as grassroots racing and homemade parts eventually became a globally respected tuning brand known for its distinctive blue and yellow race cars and legendary Honda performance engines. In

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78:01

Love for JDM Skylines and Round Cat Garage - Mickey...

The Creative Drive ·

2026/02/24

In this episode of the Creative Drive, we talk with Mickey Andrade about finally entering the Skyline world after years of admiration, starting not with an R34, but with an R32 — and how a business acquisition helped kickstart a serious JDM collection.We dive into: • The surreal feeling of seeing R34s legally in the U.S. • Starting a Skyline journey with the R32 • Why every car in the collection is white • The influence of Japanese car culture icons like Taniguchi • The inspiration behind building

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71:10

Early Days of The Smoking Tire, Favorite Cars and...

The Creative Drive ·

2026/02/17

Zack Klapman, co-host of The Smoking Tire and host of the RACER Creator Awards, joins The Creative Drive podcast to talk all things cars, moving to LA from Colorado to be on TV and the evolution of automotive content. In this episode, Zack shares: How his writing and podcasting career prepared him to host shows and tackle press cars How Tom Segura helped triple their revenue Interviewing Steve Dinan, Gale Banks and Jerry Seinfeld Wild experiences with Hagerty Rated, riding shotgun with FD champion

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53:45

Car Culture, Street Drifting, and Believing Anyway -...

The Creative Drive ·

2026/01/27

Director Luke Huxham joins Creative Drive for a wide-ranging conversation shaped by nearly two decades living and working in Japan. From street drifting and underground scenes to large-scale cultural events, Luke shares an insider’s view of how Japanese car culture has evolved—and why it’s far from fading.The episode digs into Luke’s path through automotive filmmaking, documenting builders and drivers, and eventually creating his own events that spotlight culture as much as cars. He talks candidly

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35:36

Charlotte Traynor on Her MX-5 Cup Scholarship Win and...

The Creative Drive ·

2025/12/25

Fresh off her monumental win of the 2025 Women in Motorsports MX-5 Cup Scholarship, 19-year-old Charlotte Traynor joins The Creative Drive podcast from the PRI Show!Charlotte opens up about her unconventional journey into racing—from a family of pilots to a competitive gymnast—and the moment she knew a race car was her calling. She details how a chance encounter led her to the Mazda MX-5 Cup, a highly competitive and strategic series under the IMSA banner. This episode dives into: - What the

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33:48

Shea Holbrook on Racing, Reality TV & The Next...

The Creative Drive ·

2025/12/22

Join us on Creative Drive as we sit down with Shea Holbrook, owner of BSI Racing and star of the Amazon series First to the Finish. Shea opens up about the raw, behind-the-scenes reality of professional motorsports, the challenges and rewards of being a female team owner, and the journey of creating a team that develops the next generation of talent. From her surprise call to Daytona to candid moments in the MX-5 Cup paddock, Shea shares how grit, authenticity, and perseverance have shaped her

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71:49

Drifting, Movie Stunts & Life on the Edge: Zee Kennedy

The Creative Drive ·

2025/12/09

Stuntwoman. Drifter. Formula DRIFT Prospe competitor. Content creator. Zandara Zee Kennedy has done it all—and she’s just getting started.From jumping off buildings in blockbuster movies like Deadpool and X-Men to mastering precision drifting on tracks across North America, Zee shares her journey of taking risks, chasing her passion, and building a career in stunts and motorsports. In this episode of Creative Drive, we dive into: How Zandara turned stunt work into a career in drifting The realities

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80:30

From Need for Speed, Speedhunters to Race Service:...

The Creative Drive ·

2025/11/25

Host Taro Koki from the Creative Drive sits down with creative polymath Rod Chong — filmmaker, agency leader, ex-Need for Speed creative director, and partner at Race Service — for a deep, inspiring conversation on creativity, AI, motorsports, and building world-class teams. Rod shares the story of his winding creative journey: from art school to music videos, into video-game culture, to launching the globally influential Speedhunters, and now shaping the future of automotive culture at Race

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99:54

F1 Movie: An Opportunity Of a Lifetime - Erich Joiner

The Creative Drive ·

2025/11/11

Learn more: awards.racer.com https://offers.racer.com/subscribe for RACER+ and magazine offer! The Creative Drive Podcast: Inside the F1 Movie with Erich Joiner — Racing, Filmmaking & Coffee Culture** On this episode of *The Creative Drive*, we sit down with **Erich Joiner** — acclaimed commercial director, race car driver, car collector, and founder of Goodboybob Coffee — for an incredible conversation that bridges **motorsports, Hollywood, and creativity**. Erich shares the *untold

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70:29

From Cars to Culture: How Auto Shows Are Transforming

The Creative Drive ·

2025/10/28

Auto shows are evolving — and the LA Auto Show might be leading the charge. In this episode, we sit down with David Fortin, VP of Marketing for the LA Auto Show and Automobility LA, to talk about why the RACER Creator Awards is a perfect fit for the LA Auto Show and how car culture is shifting from static displays to full-blown cultural experiences.From influencer collaborations and immersive experiences to live content and creator partnerships, this is where cars meet culture — and where the next

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61:31

Nicole Johnson’s Wild Ride from Monster Jam to...

The Creative Drive ·

2025/10/14

Rock crawling champion, Monster Jam driver, and YouTube host Nicole Johnson has done it all — literally. She’s flipped, caught fire, and driven off 12-foot cliffs, all in pursuit of mastering every machine she can get her hands on.In this episode of Creative Drive, Nicole joins host Taro Koki to talk about her fearless off-road career, the transition from competition to content creation, and her hit YouTube series https://www.youtube.com/@NicoleJohnsonsDetour. They dive into what it takes to stay

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53 results

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