PODCAST

Sociology of Cars Podcast

Jimmy Xie

🔬Sociology on the go 🎙️The people’s show;📰Local car news 🎬Watch promo reel;

leisure automotive

All Episodes

23:42

Karting to Career: Rocco Ruzic’s Journey into Driving...

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2026/02/24

In this debut episode of Season 4, Shift sits down with Rocco Ruzic, whose journey began in karting as a young enthusiast and evolved into a performance-driving instructor. Rocco takes us through what it really means to get into karting -- the passion, the budget, and the life lessons learned on the track. By sharing how those formative experiences translate into road skills and coaching others, he gives us an insider’s view of how the karting journey shapes a driver’s mindset. It’s a convers...

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68:51

Deaths on Angeles Crest Highway (2025-26) | Rice & Beans

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2026/02/10

In this debut episode of Rice & Beans, Jimmy (“Rice”) and Nate (“Beans”) tackle a difficult but necessary conversation: canyon driving safety on Angeles Crest Highway (ACH). From decreasing-radius corners and unpredictable road conditions to holiday traffic and novice drivers, Jimmy and Nate break down how recent tragedies occurred and why race track skills don’t directly transfer to canyon roads. They also explore how social media clout-chasing culture, automotive photographers, and chee...

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28:34

Naked at the Mic: From Driving Instructor to...

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2026/02/07

As we celebrate the Season 3 finale, our beloved pro-driver and performance-driving coach, Shift, gets vulnerable about his experience being the face of a podcast for the first time. In this episode, Shift candidly shares why he decided to tap into content creation in the first place, his overall mental state during the season's production, the biggest challenges and takeaways, things that surprised him about podcasting, plans for the next season of his show, advice for others looking to star...

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6:23

Sim Racing Made Me | Shifted Perspective

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2026/02/03

As sim racing became mainstream over the past decade, many professional drivers, including Shift, began publicly embracing it as an important part of their careers. This week, Shift breaks down how his early progression playing racing games translated to his first track day in a car, how testing various vehicle platforms on the simulator prepared him for races and instructing days, the worthy mentions of good games today, how every aspect of sim racing shape and sharpens drivers, how e-sports...

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11:56

Picking the Right Mechanic | Shifted Perspective

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2026/01/21

Every car enthusiast needs a network of mechanical shops on standby, but assembling the perfect crew can take years. This week, Shift breaks down the three main levels of auto shops and examines the nuances in each. Initiating the discourse around his first nightmare experience with an unprofessional mechanic, Shift lays down the limitations of dealerships, the necessity of finding specialty shops for performance modifications, the places for extreme builds, red flags and green flags when loo...

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8:58

Car Enthusiast vs. Driving Enthusiast | Shifted...

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2026/01/12

Do you actually drive your cars? For the first episode of 2026, Shift jabs into the highly debated topic of what it means to be a "true" car enthusiast, driving enthusiast, car collector, car influencer, and automotive journalist. By examining and contrasting today’s social media clout-chasing culture with the local enthusiast culture before the internet, Shift criticizes the car scene’s ideology change, the vague definitions of key terms, the need to maintain public perception, the unhealthy...

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9:59

Do Crashes Make You a Better Driver? | Shifted...

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/12/13

Crash. A curse word we all try to avoid in the car community. This week, Shift boldly peels off the Band-Aid and confronts the topic head-on, reflecting on and from his scary accident in his first car as a 17-year-old to the numerous close calls while coaching clients on track this year. Shift criticizes and examines today’s social media landscape that heavily impacts the mentality of new and experienced drivers alike, how misconceptions about car accidents and the drivers involved can ...

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8:16

Cars vs. Girls | Shifted Perspective

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/11/16

As the perspective gradually shifts, our beloved pro-driver and performance driving instructor, Shift, opens up about how he first associated cars with masculinity as a kid, his process of discovering the truth behind gender roles and expectations as a young car enthusiast, the candid conversations with his previous partners/dates about the link between cars and romantic attraction, how media influences the enthusiasts’ world view, the best kind of cars for young men looking to date, the car ...

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9:51

Why Are Professional Drivers Going to YouTube? |...

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/10/21

This week, Shift reveals the disconnect between professional drivers/racing drivers and the mainstream media, why he decided to get on YouTube and other similar platforms, how social media fails to cultivate a constructive space for newcomers to learn about performance driving, the misrepresentation of good driving from car journalists and influencers, what emboldens young people to drive recklessly on public roads, the need for manufacturer-backed programs to incorporate qualified profession...

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8:26

How to Become a Porsche Driving Instructor | Shifted...

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/10/06

In this episode, Shift reveals why he considered becoming a driving instructor, why the Porsche brand was crucial for his career breakthrough, the typical career challenges people face in the automotive industry, the specific tests leading up to his hire at the Porsche Experience Center (PECLA), hidden career possibilities for newcomers in the car scene, etc. Shifted Perspective is a pro-driver education podcast. Aiming to bridge the gap between industry insiders and everyday car enthusiasts,...

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6:49

Nate Ong's Story | The Used Car Files

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/10/04

After an unexpected event forced Nate back into the car market, he found his dream car on the other side of the country. Listen in as Nate describes his wild plan to bring the car home to California. The Used Car Files is a community-driven podcast that sets out to shine a light on the unique perspectives and experiences that drive auto enthusiasts around the world. Guided by the stories submitted from listeners, every episode will examine a particular aspect of what it means to be an auto en...

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6:25

Scott Kelly's Story | The Used Car Files

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/09/08

When Scott was searching for his first 911 in 1998, he found a seller who was willing to sell him the car without him spending a dime. Listen in as we dive into Scott’s unexpected encounter.The Used Car Files is a community-driven podcast that sets out to shine a light on the unique perspectives and experiences that drive auto enthusiasts around the world. Guided by the stories submitted from listeners, every episode will examine a particular aspect of what it means to be an auto enthusiast. We’ll

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36:18

Paparazzi of the Canyons

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/07/04

Three iconic canyon photographers of the Angeles Crest Highway, Rami Garcia, Luis Sanchez, and Joseph Meadows, are in the studio this week to decode the secrets of the canyon photography ecosystem. In this full-length genuine conversation, Rami, Luis, and Joe share and analyze the entry points of their canyon photography journeys, location-scouting methodologies, camera settings, ways to advertise, post-production editing processes, the importance of building portfolios to sell photos, ...

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62:43

The War Against Car Enthusiasts

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/06/24

Three distinct voices from the LA car scene, Brian Kadorian, Nate Rodriguez, and Marshall Garlington, are in the studio this week to examine the various forms of prejudice against the car community from the general public, law enforcement, and car enthusiasts themselves. In this full-length genuine conversation, Brian, Nate, and Marshall dissect and critique the nuances behind how the police selectively enforce laws, how the general public’s mindset towards the canyons differs from that...

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73:57

Canyon Etiquette: Dos & Don'ts

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/06/11

Three well-known touge drivers in the LA car scene, Dom Jones, Jade Wiegert, and Gen, are in the studio this week to discuss some of the main talking points of canyon driving etiquette. In this full-length genuine conversation, Dom, Jade, and Gen dissect the nuances behind sideshows in the canyons, showing off at/near car meets, driver’s limit, the use of turnouts, the use of high beams and horn, sharing the road with bikers and cyclists, car prep before canyon runs, uphill vs. downhill...

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35:04

"It's Her Car": Women In The Car Scene

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/06/04

Sarah Fairfield and Keo Vutheikun-Hood are in the studio this week to share their experiences of being women in the automotive industry and the LA car scene. In this candid interview, Sarah and Keo reveal what sparked their car passions in the first place, the biggest challenges of being women in a male-dominant space, stereotypes of “women drivers,” assumptions about car ownership, the need to prove oneself against prejudice, types of women in the car scene, their relationships with me...

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22:09

The Architect Between Man and Machine

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/06/01

Jyoteen Majmudar, a well-known UI & UX designer, is in the studio this week to reveal the thought process and research methodologies behind the interior design of many modern cars on the road. In this insightful interview, Jyoteen reveals how he prepared himself for a career in the automotive industry from a young age, what UI & UX design entail for cars, screens vs. buttons for car interior, the importance of use case for each brand when designing interior, consumer research methodol...

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46:49

Canyon Crash Survivors: What Really Happened

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/05/22

Two canyon crash survivors, Justin Huynh and Chris Liquez, are in the studio this week to share some of the most impactful moments of their lives: what transpired during their jaw-dropping accidents and the unspoken aftermaths. In this emotional interview, Justin and Chris reveal the causes of their accidents, “final” thoughts during the plunge over the cliffs, immediate and lasting injuries, the wait for emergency services to arrive, financial consequences, hospital stays, online react...

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59:25

EV Enthusiasts, Interrogated

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/05/09

Two avid EV Enthusiasts, Ben Wishner and Steve Schell, are in the studio this week to confront some of the highly debated myths and misconceptions about EV ownership circulating on the internet. In this candid interview, Ben and Steve reveal the truth about battery degradation, range anxiety, environmental impact of EV production, political propaganda, vehicle weight, driver engagement, automatic vs. manual transmission, definition of driving fun, tech features, reliability, resale value, job...

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25:13

Know Your "Why": Oh Shift

Sociology of Cars Podcast ·

2025/04/30

Rylic Alexander, the founder and creative director of the rising web-based automotive show Oh Shift, is in the studio this week to share his “why” behind the show’s dramatic reentry into the media space in 2025. In this exclusive interview, Rylic discusses his experience and role in the car scene as a person of color who also identifies as queer, the influence of motorsports-minded family members, how curiosity and childhood dreams inform his creative directions, how the name Oh Shift came ab...

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Sociology of Cars Podcast

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