Latest / Pushin' the Cushion / Episode 11- Kevin Rutherford (Part 1)
Transcript
- Jim Gardner: All right. That is gonna be the end of part one of our episode with Kevin Rutherford. When I logged off, ⁓ it killed the live, it killed our recording, it killed everything, and and the rest of the boys discussion ⁓ will be on part two of our podcast and I'll release them at the same time. ⁓ so it'll just be in the second session. You'll have to hop over there, but we do appreciate you watching and listening. Sorry for the miscue of this very professional program, and ⁓ we appreciate you guys ⁓ ⁓ very much for tuning in every week on pushing the cushion. Slim Pushins: What's up everybody? Welcome to another Garage Beers. It looks a little bit different right now because ⁓ our co hosts are completely worthless. ⁓ but as advertised we've got the one and only Kevin Rutherford with us tonight to join us for some garage beers. What's up, brother? Kevin Rutherford: ⁓ man, doing good. How are you? Slim Pushins: I need to make sure we're live. All right, we're bringing it up. Kevin Rutherford: Yep, we should definitely do that. 'Cause I'm I'm not just doing this just to sit here and talk to you. Slim Pushins: We're live. We Kevin Rutherford: We're live. Slim Pushins: Yeah. I sent Corby the link. He claims that he was having technical difficulties, but I'd question that. Kevin Rutherford: Awesome. Y are you surprised? Slim Pushins: No, I'm not. And Jim Jim's already on line. I think Jim's I think Jim's stuck at an airport in Cleveland, so he got another one show suspension. Kevin Rutherford: I'm telling you, you guys ⁓ just struggling to find people to have on the podcast. Like it shows even with our hosts. So here we are. Slim Pushins: No. We've been promising you this a w we're in the official Rutherford team studio, so we figured at some point we were gonna have to have you on. Kevin Rutherford: Yep, yep. Ran out of gas, so let's do it. Well, I I this is why we Slim Pushins: P Patrick Patrick Stossa said you're just another pretty face. I know I'm assuming he's talking about you. He didn't talk about you know you ain't talking about me. ⁓ Kevin Rutherford: There you go. Thank you, Patrick. ⁓ No, I definitely think he's digging your beard. I'll be honest with you. I think that's what it is. This is why we need the Where's Where's Corby t shirts. Like this Slim Pushins: No, it can't it can't be. Yeah. This is exactly why we need to wear we listen, I've known the guy for a long time. ⁓ then this is exactly why that we need well that's why we made Jim ⁓ give us the ⁓ or produce the wears Corby shirts. Kevin Rutherford: Well the technical difficulties are definitely rolling strong. So you can tell this is a a professional show, right? Like I my microphone microphone's not working. It's on. You can see the green light. Nothing. ⁓ was trying to do it in the shop 'cause it's called garage beers. Can't get the internet to be steady enough out there. So now I'm in a place where I've never ⁓ done hardly anything in in my house office. ⁓ so we'll see how it goes. Slim Pushins: Complete amateur hour. Let's see here. I'm bringing up, I gotta bring up the chat. I don't know if you can see the chat or not. You just gotta play with it. Kevin Rutherford: Hang on. ⁓ yeah. Is that chat where's that coming from? Slim Pushins: Facebook, I think. That's I have bro, Jim gave me his login for when he's not here, so here we are. Kevin Rutherford: Wow. You guys are high tech. It's like the worst thing he could do. Slim Pushins: It's weird though, and w we should probably make like a public service announcement. I always have Facebook Live on my phone, but I I have to ⁓ completely mute it because it's delayed and ⁓ we have no idea how long it's delayed, but for some reason most of the most of the comments come up in the screen, ⁓ but this one doesn't. Kevin Rutherford: Well, I'm on the Facebook deal because I can't get the comments to work on the screen. So I'll just watch it this way. Slim Pushins: That's better. It's all good. ⁓ fresh off of a big win the other day. Kevin Rutherford: Yes, sir. Big ⁓ Slim Pushins: It Corby and I are Corby and I are a little salty about it. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, well, I told you guys right out of the gate. Like I I just appreciated you guys prioritizing something other than coming to win a three ⁓ five race. Like I owe that win to probably to to Braxton ⁓ how do you say his last name? Weager. Braxton Wieger. Slim Pushins: It Weager. Yeah. Yeah. That's the most Kevin Rutherford undermined ⁓ compliment on the planet. Like the fact that you really appreciated us not being there. ⁓ but it was a big win. word spread quickly. ⁓ the video that Jim made with you ⁓ putting the ⁓ sticker on the tail tank, ⁓ it got like five thousand views. Kevin Rutherford: That's right. Yeah, no, that was awesome. I'll I'll tell you, one of the my favorite parts of that whole win was honestly Jim's excitement. Like it was so raw and I know they didn't have as good a night as they were hoping with him and Bates. but I'm telling you, Jim was down in the pits, down in the tech area, he was just fired up about it, and that that's why we do what we do. You know, and I I just absolutely love I mean you can see his passion ⁓ for racing in general, sprint car racing in particular through this show, ⁓ which is why he was like, You know what, Kerbal, I think this is one of the craziest ideas ever. Let's see if I can help you make it happen. Slim Pushins: He well, it was his idea. He begged me to do it for a long time. And his I think if you were to ask him, his vision of a sprint car racing podcast and what it has turned into isn't ex doesn't exactly mirror each other. So but yeah, the guy there's no more passion ⁓ in the sport than what he's got. Kevin Rutherford: Well think about Yep, yep. No. But that was ⁓ Ardmore was an awesome night. And honestly I did you know, that that win was kinda dedicated to Corby. I owed him one, ⁓ because he came with me in July or August last year. You were there. ⁓ and Corby was crew chief and ⁓ anyways we we had the fastest car on the track at that time and ended up hitting the infield tractor tire and ⁓ go passing for the lead of Slim Pushins: That's the most corby thing ever. Kevin Rutherford: I know, passing for the lead of all things. And what's hilarious about that is I told Corby when I got to the trailer, they they like backed up to pick me up on the on the tow truck. And I was like, Hey, what are you doing? Just push me off. Like I'm I'm rolling. I barely clipped this tire. If you'll push me off, I'll probably still get a top five, right? Like I was just going that good that night. And he's like, Your front axle is broke in half. That's what the tow truck guy said to me at hardmore. I like, I Slim Pushins: Yeah. Kevin Rutherford: Barely clipped that thing and sure enough, when I got back to the trailer I was like, Yep, those the tractor tire one, that's for sure. Slim Pushins: I saw you I always tell this story, I'll tell it on the podcast. I saw you catapult a tire I think at KSP about four years ago and that was one of the most impressive things. ⁓ you had to have gotten five, six feet in the air. Yeah you did get help. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah. No, well, what happened is a chain reaction and I'll just tell it like it was. The twenty car went down there in the middle of one and two on the first or second lap of the race and parked it in the center of the corner. ⁓ I know he would say the same vice versa. And so everybody's reacting and it was one of those situations, ⁓ early on in my dual career of modified and sprint cars to where I underestimated how small sprint cars really are, right? Like when I went back and watched the video I had so much room to get between that tractor tire and the other car, but being used to r driving wider cars and modified, I didn't know that at the time. So I chose the infill tractor tire. That was actually my first flip and you couldn't ask for a better flip 'cause it was such a soft landing. Slim Pushins: Well it's not it wasn't your last. You took a tumble at a few at KSP as many have. Kevin Rutherford: Taking one at KS I've I've taken one at KSP and one in Nebraska. You're right. You are right. Yep, yep. Took one in Nebraska on ⁓ I don't remember what night it was, Friday or Saturday night, 2023, I think it was, maybe twenty-four. It was whenever my buddy Chase was up there with me. Remember long-haired hippie looks like Jesus Chase that you said? Looks like Yeah, that's what you call him. That's hilarious. Is he? Slim Pushins: I don't remember the one in Nebraska. Yeah, the long haired friend of Jesus. He's following the show now. And speaking of that, yeah, I was speaking of that. So when when we announced ⁓ on the Facebook page that you were gonna be on the show this week, ⁓ you did what you do and started sharing it and talking to people and like overnight we had like forty two new followers. That's like the that's like the the number one volume followers ⁓ of the podcast page since we've started it. So ⁓ so you're on next week. You're on next week and the following week too. Kevin Rutherford: Well ⁓ I appreciate that. Yeah, you have to talk to my boss, aka my wife, and and see if she can fit that in the schedule or not, because ⁓ she pretty much books the schedule, whether that's showings or whatever it is. ⁓ Yeah. Slim Pushins: Yeah, we barely squeezed you in tonight. ⁓ you had to move some some things around. Probably cost you millions, but we appreciate you being on. Well, I appreciate you being on. I don't know that my ⁓ Yeah, I don't know that my my co hosts ⁓ care. ⁓ Kevin Rutherford: Ha. Yeah, I was gonna say, you're the only one. No, we're giving Corby a really hard time when he does finally get on. Slim Pushins: Jake Burgess said Uncle Jake follows too. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, you remember ⁓ we called him whenever we on our way to Abilene. Remember that? Me and you? Yeah. Yep. I got a I got a funny story. ⁓ got time for a story? Slim Pushins: Yeah. Is that where we were headed? That's all this show is about. Kevin Rutherford: So the I had kind of obviously I'd gotten to know you. Yeah. If if roles were reverse, it would worry me too. So I understand. This is a good story, though. It's hilarious. So ⁓ we're getting ready. I'd known you for three or four years at this point. Last August, we went on our first race trip to Belleville, you remember? And and so I am thinking, like, it's just you and my little brother Daryl going with me. And Slim Pushins: It worries me. It kinda worries me, but go ahead. Yes. Love that place. Kevin Rutherford: You know, all I know is that you've helped the Sherb racing fa family forever, especially Corby. And so I'm thinking like, man, to take care of five race cars at at one time, you've got to be this stud of a crew chief to help Corby ⁓ accomplish all the things that he's accomplished. You've got to be this amazing crew help. And tell ⁓ what I discovered when we got to Belleville and got in the thick of things. Slim Pushins: I'm not I'm not Kevin Rutherford: Hey, Corby's here. Slim Pushins: ⁓ yeah, so I help as much as I can. I am no ⁓ crew chief or a mechanic ⁓ or a tire guy. or well Corby Scherb: So first we have no. Nothing. Nothing. He doesn't even push anyone off because he leaves us in a chute. Remember whenever ⁓ you and Claude were very kind and ⁓ allowed me to drive a car? And ⁓ I got left. I got left. Kevin Rutherford: So what do you do? Slim Pushins: Welcome to the show, Corby. Welcome to the show. It was going good. Corby Scherb: Mm-hmm. Kevin Rutherford: ⁓ this is awesome. It was going good and then here's Corby. No, Corby, I was telling him that like I took him to Bellville for the first time last year. Me and you had been racing a lot together last year, and you were crew chieftain on the car and whatnot. And so then you couldn't go to Bellville, of course taking off work and things like that. So Kerbo was like, I'm in. And I was thought to myself, like, awesome, we've got help, right? Like we've got somebody that maybe can grind tires, put fuel in the car. I don't know anything. And we got up there and like Corby Scherb: And then Right. Slim Pushins: Lucky you. Corby Scherb: Take air pressure. Kevin Rutherford: Check air pressure, do do something. And then we got in the thick of it. And you're down there in the infield too, right? Like so it's just you and whoever you brought there. It's that that's it. And I quickly learned that I had somebody to push me off if he doesn't leave me in the shoe. And that was about it. Slim Pushins: Thanks, Jim. Yeah. I'm the guy. I'm your guy. Corby Scherb: I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna tell everyone what Rutherford called and and told me after that week weekend there. And he goes, Man, like like you know, I've always had I've always had respect for you as a racer and like, you know, you do really good and blah blah blah and he was like, But man He goes, How'd you do that with just you and Kerbo? I mean Slim Pushins: Well, it's been a good show. But you're a liar. Kevin Rutherford: 'Cause seriously, the two things I learned on that trip are you have somebody to push you off and you have somebody to keep you awake. Like when you're driving home from the races. Th those are the two things that are guaranteed. Corby Scherb: Yes. Absolutely. Yeah, no problem there. Yep. Other than that, that's it. Slim Pushins: Well, I can tell you this. I I enjoy I enjoy pushing, but as far as staying up on road trips, I would I I appreciate that you think that the motivation is just to be like a co pilot and to keep everybody safe. The reality is I'm not gonna fall asleep with any of y'all in the car because as soon as I start snoring, Corby here loves to take videos and so ⁓ Kevin Rutherford: Yeah. Corby Scherb: One hundred percent. Slim Pushins: I have to watch where I fall asleep. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah. Corby Scherb: He ⁓ we had a we had a really long weekend in in Nebraska and I I got like four or five videos of him on the way home. He w he was trying, he was hustling but he he just didn't have it any anymore. I d I just wanted to go home. Slim Pushins: It's not safe. Yeah. Kevin Rutherford: Yep. Well, you know the first thing this is this is like the sign that I knew maybe the trip wasn't what I thought it was about to be, is we're we're sitting in my driveway getting ready to pull out and Kurvo's like, I have I have one rule. I don't have a lot of rules. I'm pretty easy going, but I've got one rule. And I'm like, Okay, that's fair. I might have a rule that I haven't thought of, you know? And so I said, What's that one rule? He goes, I don't I d I'm not a pusher. And I don't like sweating, so do not run this truck out of diesel. It that was it. Slim Pushins: No so he had just told me he's like, We're gonna see ⁓ we're gonna see how far we can stretch this tank of gas and I was like, Bro, I'm all for it. But I can tell you this it's a thousand degrees outside and I'm not about pushing a dooley down the highway. So I will chill here ⁓ while y'all go get help or fuel. Kevin Rutherford: Sounds about right, doesn't it, Corby? Corby Scherb: It's gonna be hot in there though. Yeah, yeah, but it's gonna be hot in there. I'd rather just start pushing to get a little bi little breeze or something. Slim Pushins: There's no breeze when you're pushing. Kevin Rutherford: And then I told him, but how cool is it that you have a successful show now called Pushin' Cushion Podcast? Slim Pushins: Well I don't know how successful it is. Corby Scherb: That's that's super ironic. Super ironic. Kevin Rutherford: See? It is. Corby Scherb: Man, I I'm just gonna I'm gonna bring up one thing that I think a lot of people don't know about Kevin Rutherford is I I I think isn't that a treadmill there behind you? You know, like you're ⁓ you're you're big on the the the working out and you know, it's like ⁓ I I told I told Braxton as soon as I started helping him, man, I I that my number one rule is don't ever get out of that car and tell me you're tired. And and that's one thing that I respect about you. I I think that there's been plenty of times that don't you go work out on race days? Slim Pushins: Yes. Kevin Rutherford: It it is, it is. ⁓ when the schedule allows, yeah. Corby Scherb: That's nuts. That's nuts. Slim Pushins: Well, hold on. There's a difference between getting a quick workout in on race day and running like a high rock race or whatever you call. Kevin Rutherford: I love that he he can't even pronounce it. That's my favorite part. Corby Scherb: Yeah. Slim Pushins: That's how much it scares me. Corby Scherb: Ha ha ha. Kevin Rutherford: I I I will say the reason most people don't know that I work out and as active as I am is 'cause my wife is such a good cook. Right? And and diet's like ninety percent of it. And so I've got like the ten percent of working out, I got it down. It's the other ninety percent. Yeah. Corby Scherb: Right? Y the physically fit yeah, it's the physically fit, you're there, it's no problem. ⁓ it ⁓ yeah, di diet is is massive whenever it comes to that. But I have respect for anyone who like I said, ⁓ I I've been with you on super hot days and I've watched you climb out of the car and I've never heard you complain that it's too hot. It's the same like you believe in what I believe in and I'm gonna keep my fire suit on all night. This is what I have to wear, so I need to wear it now. ⁓ that that's huge. Kevin Rutherford: It that way Chad Wilson walks up and is like, dude, we get it, you race. Right? That that's what happens. But you know what? There's so many little kids in the pits and different things of that nature. Corby Scherb: Right, for sure. For sure. Yeah, man, if there's there's one person in the pits that I would ever send a kid to, it would be your pit. ⁓ man, like it it's always it's always so fun. It's full of kids. Y'all you come from a huge racing family. not just you, 'cause what you're you're second generation, right? And then you you married into the the largest sprint car racing family that there is. So Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, second generation. Yeah, I w when when we got married, I think I became related to some everybody at the racetrack one way or the other. Like that's how it feels. Slim Pushins: That's the truth. Corby Scherb: Yeah. Man, man, no, no not me. Not me. But it's cool man and I respect anyone who who works out and ⁓ like I said, the the drive that it takes to do this on your off days is the same, like I said, I've I've seen you do your work in the in the shop and you've taken some advice from me and you have Claude and Claude is I love Claude to death, he can be old school at times, but you know what? His way works. You know Slim Pushins: So is Corby. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, absolutely. Slim Pushins: He's the Claude Father for a reason. Corby Scherb: Yeah. You know, and there's there's a reason that he is that way and then there's a reason that there's people like me and you that can same as like Mark with some of the new age stuff, you know, Claude's like, You guys are nuts. There's no way. You know? I agree. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah. Yep. It's what makes the world go round for sure. It it is. You know, I'll say this. I did 'cause I know my father in law is is like s wants me to throw this out there. I fell out of the seat one night. You weren't there, but Kerbo was. And it's kind of Kerbo's fault. It's my fault because I would go on to be the one that put it in my mouth. But I ended up eating a cheeseburger like right before Eagle and in the B Main. I was getting ready to pull off. For the first time ever in my career, I couldn't breathe. Cause you know Eagle, so Corby Scherb: Hell yeah. Kevin Rutherford: up on the wheel and and and intense and ⁓ it was a normal point tonight so we started at the back, finished in the back of the heat, go to the B main, and I'm getting ready to pull the infield because I cannot breathe. Like this cheeseburger is is here. It's yes, yes. But what happened, and I say that, we actually ate Mexican food before that. ⁓ remember that curvo? Like we went and had lunch with LaPlant, ⁓ in Belleville and then we ended up hot routing to go to Eagle. Corby Scherb: ⁓ yeah. It's it's here right now. Slim Pushins: Ha ha ha Corby Scherb: Turn his fault. Slim Pushins: They'd been telling us they'd been telling us for the whole week leading up to Belleville, like, hey, we're gonna take y'all to the best Mexican food place ever. And first of all, being in Texas, I have my doubts, okay? I say, you're gonna take me to the best Mexican food place you've ever been to in Kansas. ⁓ and they just touted it and touted it all week. And so finally the time comes, and we're following them over there, and they pull into what I thought was a condemned gas station. And like you walk into the front door of this gas station and ⁓ walk through the gas station to the Mexican food place. And it was good Mexican food. And they had good margaritas. Corby Scherb: And it was terrible for race day. Kevin Rutherford: Yep, 100%. 100%. And see, Ryder, Ryder is still young enough he can get away with that, right? I could do stuff at 18 that I can't do at 30. It's just part of it. Slim Pushins: It was. Well that ⁓ Corby Scherb: ⁓ yeah. Slim Pushins: He did it. They did it again the f they did it again the following night and he was hard charger. He started like twenty first and ended up like sixth or seventh. Corby Scherb: For sure. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, I remember calling him on the way home from Eagle. Yep. Corby Scherb: Yeah, well ask him about his ⁓ chicken experience on the way to Abilene 'cause I wasn't good. He he he blamed on the sweet tea. He blamed on the sweet tea. It was it was it was the fried chicken and in Abilene when it's nine hundred degrees and drier in the Sahara Desert. Slim Pushins: That didn't go over well. Kevin Rutherford: Yep. I I just want to point out one thing. We've got a modified guy, Tanner Branch, in the comments. Corby Scherb: See, here we go. Slim Pushins: Too many tumble buggy guys. Your mother said it's not my fault. Kevin Rutherford: I know she's always gonna stick up for Kerbo. Everybody does, though, right? Like everybody loves Kerbo. That's why the show's successful. Corby Scherb: ⁓ Tanner, what when are we gonna see you in a sprint car? You know? That's gotta be the hardest move. See, I a lot of people don't know this and and I don't even know if it's ever been on the show, you know. I I raced with Jeffrey Abbey whenever he first started in sport mods. I drove for Jerry Shoemaker, actually, and I probably raced with you, Kevin, maybe a couple times here and there. That's how me and Wesley McNorton had actually met. Slim Pushins: That's that's what we need. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, yep. Corby Scherb: And I will say this publicly, and Jimmy is gonna shoot me, and I'm so glad that Jimmy's not on here right now. A sport mod is the hardest thing I've ever set in and tried to figure out how to go fast in. They're they're big, they're long, they just don't have no torque, they really don't have horsepower, and you would watch these people and they're like driving away, and I'm like, man, like there's no way that I'm doing anything wrong. And I know I was like super fresh in my car racing career, but I'm just thinking in my head, like I'd go home and I'd watch videos and I'm like, dude, like my line was perfect right there. Why are these guys still pulling me? I I'll say this, and I haven't driven modified yet. I need to tell your dad let me sit in it one night, but sport mod is sport Slim Pushins: Tenters out. That's what we need to make happen. Corby Scherb: A sport mob was the hardest thing I've ever said and it tried to go fast. Kevin Rutherford: I I'll say this about the modify. The one thing you don't have to worry about to modify is getting left in the chute by slim pushins. Corby Scherb: Bingo. I'm already there. I'm already there. Kevin Rutherford: See? You're one s one step ahead. Slim Pushins: This was d a mistake. Corby Scherb: See. What's it feel like, Carvalho? You haven't only left me, but then you let the favorite Sherb, Lucas, you've left him in the shoot before. Slim Pushins: So ⁓ the excuse for that was that the b I had no brakes on the four wheeler. Corby Scherb: What's the excuse for me? Slim Pushins: When when did I leave you in the sho I didn't leave you in the chute? I didn't leave you in the chute. I literally I literally had y'all thought that I left you. I literally had the the track came around and got you. Corby Scherb: When I drove for Rutherford, I drove for Claude. A hundred percent. Kevin Rutherford: Last Sept last September. He acts like we were d Corby Scherb: Don't worry. You told no, you told Claude and Kevin standing in the pits, I got you. No you didn't. Jimmy hand pushed me. Yeah. Slim Pushins: And I did. Human Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, you got him up until that point and then you left him in the shoe when it was time to go on the track. Slim Pushins: I left you I left you at right at the chute. I pushed you from the water tower to the chute and I told you I would get you. I mean, what I should have said was I'll get somebody to get you. That's the only thing that I did wrong. Corby Scherb: And then And then what happened? Which was Jimmy Gardner hand pushing me. Kevin Rutherford: That's about how he worked in Belleville, right? Like he just w he became a delegator. I would like, Kerbo, like before I knew that he was out, I'd be like, Kerbo, check the right retire pressure. And he's like, Daryl, my little brother, Daryl, go check the right retire pressure. Make sure it's at at twelve, he said, you know? It was funny. Corby Scherb: No. ⁓ ⁓ man. Slim Pushins: Well, Daryl kinda took that role, the same role as Jim. He would hear you tell me to do something, and he'd go, No, no, no, I got it. Okay, cool. My other brother Daryl? Corby Scherb: What's his nickname? Kevin Rutherford: Yep, yep. He's got that his whole life. Slim Pushins: He's a twin too, huh? You have twin brothers. Three boys, just three of y'all? Corby Scherb: That's awesome. Kevin Rutherford: Yep, he's a twin. Yep, twin little brothers. Yep, yep. My dad had three boys, my parents had three boys and they're still paying for it today. Corby Scherb: ⁓ it did so ⁓ did any of your other brothers ever try to race, ever dabble in it or at all? Slim Pushins: ⁓ look. James Swag came in today. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, good question. So ⁓ I I got the first opportunity naturally being the oldest son. ⁓ my dad's so ⁓ back up, my dad started racing back in the year I was born, nineteen ninety five. ⁓ he did drag racing for a very short period. And then he was like, Man, this is too much time, money, effort for you know, not a not as much fun as going to dirt track racing. And so he he ended up selling the drag car, bought a hot stock. This would have been ⁓ he started in Arkansas and then I was born in Texas in August that year in ninety five. ⁓ and so he he moved to the area, started racing ⁓ hot stocks at Cowtown, Roy City, places like that. ⁓ he became number ninety five just 'cause that was the year I was born, et cetera. And so ⁓ I was his his right hand man to the extent ⁓ Corby Scherb: Thank God. Kevin Rutherford: when I huss three or four years old, one of my favorite stories. My ⁓ mom had my dad just bought my mom a brand new Impala, whatever year it was new. My dad's over there like beating his his sheet metal out on his hot stock, you know? And he's he's doing it with like a big hammer, not a rubber mount, like a big hammer. So naturally I see that I see mom's Impala and I'm like, she probably needs her fender beaten out, right? And so I walk over there at three or four years old and just start banging on that thing. You know, brand new Impala. And that's how you Corby Scherb: For sure. Kevin Rutherford: You just, Corby, I know you know this. You never know how much you can love a kid until you have one. And and then you they go on to test every ounce of you you have. ⁓ but yeah, yep. So then anyways, ⁓ when I turned five, my dad took me out to the go-kart races at Cowtown Speedway that they used to do on Friday nights. and they had a really bad wreck that night. Like really bad. One of the kids was injured, etc. I know my mom is watching ⁓ on my dad's account, ⁓ under Steve Rutherford right now. So ⁓ somebody got hurt and my mom was like, Corby Scherb: Ha ha ha. ⁓ yeah. ⁓ yeah. ⁓ yeah. Mm-hmm. Kevin Rutherford: Nope, not you're not doing this. Yep, yep. This is not you're not starting yet. So then we went back at ten and the way I understand it, obviously I don't fully remember, is that we just went and bought the go kart at that point and were like, Hey, we're gonna go go kart racing. So ⁓ I started go kart racing at in two thousand five at Caltown, did that from two thousand five to two thousand eight. That's when I entered into the factory stock world. Of course, back then it was called hobby stocks. ⁓ Corby Scherb: Not a chance. Slim Pushins: You're done. Kevin Rutherford: And so when I made that transition into the big cars, my little brothers got the opportunity to start racing go karts because my dad was like, Okay, you know, Friday nights can be free. Y'all can race the go karts and then me and Kevin will race the big cars on Saturday. ⁓ my youngest, so they're twins, but obviously one was born before the other one. So we call him the youngest, Dylan, ⁓ the smaller of the two. Dylan ended up ⁓ he raced for probably, I don't know, maybe it was about a year on and off. ⁓ but he just really wanted to go dirt bike racing. And unfortunately my my dad was like, look, I can't I can't do all of the things. This is what I've got. This is the opportunity. If you don't want to do it, don't do it. And then Daryl, he did maybe about three or four races, and Daryl was not about it. ⁓ because my dad, you know, both of them would go on to kind of give you an idea of the way we were raised. They both decided the military had to be better than what they were living at at home. Like that's just how strict my dad was on us growing up. ⁓ and you know, obviously hindsight twenty twenty, it ended up Paying off. ⁓ we're all productive members of society anyway. And so ⁓ Daryl was he definitely didn't didn't take to it, did maybe, like I said, three or four races and was like, no, that's way, way too much work. So neither of ⁓ ended up taking a a a a liking to it. And honestly, still to today I can't decide. ⁓ I kind of think they're the smart ones out of the three. Because yeah. It's just a legal drug. ⁓ Corby Scherb: Right. Right? It's just an endless money pit that just lasts forever and ever? ⁓ for sure. Yep. Slim Pushins: ⁓ without a doubt. A lot of people don't know you dabbled in some arca racing too. Kevin Rutherford: Yep, yep. No, I've ⁓ so I I guess I'll just finish kind of the storyline of my career. So at thirteen I started racing the hobby stocks and then ⁓ I did that for a year, maybe two years, and then I got into the ⁓ sport mods, juni ⁓ not junior limited sport mods, limited modifies when I might have raced against Corby. ⁓ back then we were racing Mountain Creek Speedway, Grand Prairie and Grand Prairie, Texas, Boyd Raceway, Kendadale, and so forth, a little bit of Cowtown. ⁓ did that for three years. ⁓ Man, had a lot of awesome battles with Dean Abbey, Jake Upchurch, Jacob Perkle. ⁓ just just had a lot of fun and yeah, ⁓ they're they're some of the best to drive race cars, right? ⁓ and I finished second and third to those guys a lot. And that's actually ⁓ Jake Upchurch and Perkle, like we're getting ready to go to the beach with them in a couple of weeks. They've been some of my best friends since then. And how I met them was through the tech area, right? ⁓ before social media and all the things of that nature. And ⁓ so anyways, yeah, just ended up meeting them and then I would go on at ⁓ Corby Scherb: Still bad dudes. For sure. For sure. Mm-hmm. Kevin Rutherford: think 17 years old. I got the opportunity to go into my dad's IMCA modified. ⁓ moved up into that. Did that for maybe a couple years, won some races, and then said, okay, ⁓ I loved going to the Toms races back then. I just thought the outlaw modifies were super cool. A lot more horsepower, a lot louder. And so ⁓ and they went to different tracks. And I think that was what I was after the most. And so ended up going Tom's racing for several years. and and there again finishing behind really awesome. Corby Scherb: See, and this is the time like you're supposed to like go to the military or like go to college or like right? Okay, keep going. Keep going. Keep going. I'm listening. Slim Pushins: Do something with your life. Kevin Rutherford: Yep, yep. Black sheep of the family for sure. ⁓ because Dylan is in the Air Force still to today. I don't know what he's on, year nine, ten, something like that. Just absolutely crushing it. You guys both know my parents, know my family really really close, as does most of the people watching right now. But ⁓ yeah, so they're both Daryl did four years in the Marine Corps, ⁓ he's got a job, just got married this year. So they both got it going on. So yeah, I was the black sheep of the family for sure. And anyways, during that transition period of kind of going from the IMC to the Thomas Modified, I ended up ⁓ I started working, it was actually the day I graduated high school, I started working out at Team Texas, ⁓ Texas High Performance Driving School at ⁓ Texas Motor Speedway. ⁓ so I did that full time for three and a half years, and in which I ended up securing a sponsor to go run ⁓ four ACA races, which three of which actually got completed because we ended up hurting the motor on the third race. ⁓ but yeah, that was that was really cool. Definitely one of the highlights of my career ⁓ as far as racing goes. Running on national TV and in such large scale and and watching ⁓ Brandon Jones that's in the NASCAR O'Reilly series now and ⁓ Grant Infinger that runs the truck series. Like I got to be ⁓ watch those guys lap me several times, right? ⁓ but to see them outside of their cars and watch their PR people, like I'll never forget walking behind Brandon Jones and Like he was doing an interview and then immediately when the interview stopped, he had a lady that was coaching him up on it how to do the interview better. And I was like, ⁓ my gosh, I wish I had somebody telling me how to improve, right? luckily nobody was interviewing me, so it didn't matter. But ⁓ you know, just watching those guys and how they progressed through their career and and different things of that nature was really cool. So yeah, ⁓ ended up running modifieds up until ⁓ here of late. I mean, I still ran Kennedale. Last year I ran it. I think I've run it one or two times the last two years in a row. Corby Scherb: Mm-hmm. Kevin Rutherford: ⁓ so whenever I got married in two thousand twenty-two to ⁓ my wife, Rebecca, ⁓ at the time Rebecca Estes, ⁓ Claude Estes' daughter, ⁓ when we got back from our honeymoon, there was a race car in the shop and ⁓ sprint car, of course. If there's gonna be a race car in Claude's shop, it's a sprint car. So, ⁓ it was candy apple blue. He knew I liked blue, all my modified were blue, and he's like, It's yours if you want it, right? ⁓ and I was like, Well, I mean, ha Corby Scherb: ⁓ for sure. Slim Pushins: Ha ha. Kevin Rutherford: Again, never claimed to be a never claimed to be a smart man. So let me know what we gotta do to put it together. And so we did. And he went out. ⁓ one of my favorite things about Claude is like he's so big on safety and different things of, you know, making sure that the car's set up right, et cetera. So he went and drove it first, ⁓ made sure everything was good and then of course kind of turned me loose. And then I was trying to do both. I was trying to race the modified and the sprint car. ⁓ and honestly, my thought process was is I don't have time to work on both of them. Corby Scherb: How can I say no? Kevin Rutherford: ⁓ y as you guys know, you've you've raced and been very successful. It it takes a lot of time. ⁓ and now that I've got a one and a half and three and a half year old, ⁓ plus running the businesses and the different things, like there's just not enough time in the day. Plus getting up in the morning and working out, yep, yep, doing all the things that ⁓ there's just not enough time in the day. But I still, you know, me and my dad, he he definitely always tells me like the seat's there if you want it. ⁓ anytime you want it, there'll always be a seat at my shop for you and Corby Scherb: Mm-hmm. ⁓ for sure. Plus the workout stuff, don't you know staying in shape, yep. Kevin Rutherford: You know, I I tell him vice versa that I really enjoy watching him race. ⁓ I know the, you know, I've got more hopefully I've got more ⁓ sand in the hourglass than he does to continue to to race, right? So ⁓ but yeah, that's kind of the gist of my racing career and how we got to to where today. I like that Justin Bates in the comments said that he was fourteen in nineteen ninety-five, just showing his age a little bit there. I can appreciate I can appreciate that. Corby Scherb: Mm-hmm. Right. For sure. Slim Pushins: I graduated from high school in ninety seven. Kevin Rutherford: So y so what are you saying? Slim Pushins: I'm older than Justin is by at least Corby Scherb: We can tell, Kerbo, we can tell. What? Here lately. Slim Pushins: Yeah. Kevin Rutherford: The they make just for men. Slim Pushins: It's what c that's what Corby does to you. Stresses stresses you out. Kevin Rutherford: Honestly, I will say that today I can agree with that. That I can agree with that today. I'm like, guys, are we rescheduling the show for tomorrow or what are we doing here? Corby Scherb: No man. I'm I'm coming. Don't worry, I'm coming. Don't worry. Slim Pushins: For for just a full disclosure, Corby was late to the show because he couldn't get his hair right and he won't come on the show without it just looking Kevin Rutherford: ⁓ Corby Scherb: See, I had a hair appointment, I get my hair cut every forty two days. But y y'all are just making me sound weirder and weirder whenever every time that I get on here. Slim Pushins: Well you d we're not making anything. Kevin Rutherford: ⁓ if you keep up with the show if you keep up with the show, you know how mu how weird Corby Sherb is. A hundred percent. And I love you and I'll say that. Corby Scherb: Well she got her hair done too. She looks she looks beautiful. ⁓ Angela Vest has cut my hair honestly since high school. ⁓ that's why I can typically get it cut. But yeah, you won't put me on camera. Slim Pushins: And he blamed it on his daughter too. She had a hair appointment. Kevin Rutherford: Hey guys, this this podcast that's been on the schedule forever, every Tuesday at seven PM Yeah, I've got a got a haircut. Sorry, forty two days. Can't can't be forty one, can't be forty three, forty two. Slim Pushins: Every Tuesday. Corby Scherb: Got a haircut ⁓ nah. Mm mm mm mm mm. Yeah, but same it's Tuesday so I gotta shave tonight. You know, so it just it works out. I got the fresh cut and get to shave. Sheets will feel great tonight. Kevin Rutherford: This is why y'all give Jim anxiety right here. Slim Pushins: ⁓ the anxiety level that Jim has. Poor Jim. He's so put together and so dialed in and Corby and I are the exact opposite of that when it comes to the podcast. Every week Jim's like, All right, who's got show notes? We don't have show notes. Kevin Rutherford: So so ⁓ Corby Scherb: No, I don't have show notes. I d I just like to Kevin Rutherford: Hey, ⁓ I I texted y'all, all three of you y yesterday and said, Hey, are we gonna hop on a call and do a little debrief and just talk about how I'm supposed to get on the show or anything? And you guys were like, Kerbo's exact response, we've never done anything like that. We just show up, let go, and let God. Okay, I can get behind that. I can get behind that. Slim Pushins: Ha ha Corby Scherb: Nah. Slim Pushins: Nope. Corby Scherb: Yep. Yep. Now man, you know, I I'll say this, you know, I I didn't know you from anyone ⁓ as a modified racer. Like I said, we we might have raced sport mods together, I'm not sure. you've always been ⁓ that that type of racer that I I believe it it's happened with Braxton before I got a hold of Braxton, you know. i if you ever feel that there's something done to you on the racetrack, ⁓ Slim Pushins: Defend it. Corby Scherb: you're the first person to handle it nicely in in the manner that it's supposed to be. ⁓ I have a funny story, ⁓ actually with Jacob Perkle that he probably has no idea that it was a it was me. But I I've always respected that about you. ⁓ there's been nights that me and you have had issues in the same there w there was one night, ⁓ in the beginning of twenty five, beginning of last year, and I was completely wrong. And I got Kevin Rutherford: But you are wrong. Slim Pushins: Ha ha ha Corby Scherb: Called out I I actually made hand gestures to you on the racetrack and I got back to the pits and Kerbo goes, you need to go apologize now. And I'm like, what are you talking about, dude? I was like, man, that's twice was a heat race in the feature. And he was like, that wasn't him. You need to watch the video. And I said I was he I said Slim Pushins: He was so mad. I said Rutherford did not do that. That had nothing to do with Rutherford. He was caught up in the same shenanigans you got caught up in. Corby Scherb: And that was the same that that's what I said, you know, like you saw me that I was frustrated on the racetrack and I walked into your trailer and you talked to me like a normal human and we gave each other hugs and I told you I love you and I promise you I'm not mad and you were like, You're mad. I know you're mad. I'm like, dude, I'm not mad. I'm not mad. And I c I came home that night and I sat down and I watched that feature and I was like, There's no way. Slim Pushins: I forgot about that. You're mad. Let me have it. Give it to me. Corby Scherb: There's no way. This had nothing to do with Kevin. Kevin's breaks work better than mine. I called you and left you a voicemail that night. I was like I was so bummed at myself. But that Kevin Rutherford: You did. You did. No, you did. I I'll say this, that I love that's what I love about the sprint car racing too, especially here local. Like whether you go to Hunt County, Ardmore, Kennedale, d RPM, it doesn't matter. There's a lot of respect given out there. ⁓ and I think we've had a lot of legends come before us. ⁓ obviously the two that are still in cars now would be one of them being my father in law Claude Estes and and and you know, Kevin Raimi, and they kind of set that standard of like, hey, we can race each other really hard. Corby Scherb: Yeah. I agree. Yes. Kevin Rutherford: I mean, even me and my father in law ran side by side last Saturday at Ardmore, right? For a couple of laps. So ⁓ he definitely never gives us an inch and and tries to make you earn it. And that's what you want, right? You don't ever want to be given anything. And ⁓ but at the same time you you race others with respect. And I definitely ⁓ I knew growing up and I think this was part of it, you know, my dad actually says sometimes it's it's a flaw that A, I had to, you know, work on my own stuff and B, we didn't have an unlimited budget. Corby Scherb: Mm-hmm. Kevin Rutherford: Right. So like if we tore stuff up growing up racing and and still sits today, you may be out a little bit. You may be you may have to take some time off racing. So ⁓ always just try to race each other with respect. And we just we have a really good group of sprint car drivers out there right now, between ⁓ you know, the young guys coming up, the rider, Landon Thompson. ⁓ and then you've got, you know, of course, you John Ricketts, ⁓ Colby Selvafield, Jeb. Yeah, there's there's just a lot of good drivers, Chad and Corby Scherb: Right. Right. I agree. ⁓ yeah. Jeb Sesms. Yep. Kevin Rutherford: ⁓ Chase Brewer, whenever he makes his one or two races a year, like they all race each other with a lot of respect. ⁓ it's a l it's a lot of fun. But I did I did love that voicemail. Corby Scherb: Yeah, it was just it was it was it was probably one of the more pitiful moments of my life 'cause like I said, you know, that ⁓ Rebecca and Claude had talked to you right after the heat race and they said that I was probably mad at you and I and I wasn't mad then, like I didn't know that your car wasn't running. Like I said, we we learned this later in that week and I was pretty frustrated after that and then I'd I'd look up in the feature and then it was just like you were stopped again and I was like there's no way and I ran into you and now I got pallet robe like four other drivers. It was first slap, you know, I was doing too much. I was too close to you. There was no reason for me to try to do that. And so basically whenever you got on the brakes, like I there was nothing I could do, you know. But I I will always be the same as you, you know, if I'm wrong, sh show me, tell me that I'm wrong, and I'll always respect that. moment, you know. I'll never be the racer to do something dirty and then say, Nope, that was your fault, not mine. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean, and I think that's the biggest thing is taking responsibility. Like if there's one thing me and you agree on when we talk about helping the future generations of racing, which is something both me, you know, all three of us are really passionate about, ⁓ it's it's just take ownership, right? ⁓ go go address it. Don't let it linger, like go down there, make it known that, hey man, I made a mistake. Because it every you know, I and you and I have had this conversation a hundred times. If the first word out of your s your your mouth when I'm upset is, Hey man, I'm sorry, that was my fault, it changes everything. Corby Scherb: Yes. For sure. absolutely. Absolutely. Kevin Rutherford: Right. ⁓ and and there's gonna be racing deals that happen to where, you know, at the end of the day we're we're still going fast, we're competing, things are happening within, you know, inches and seconds of each other. Like things are going to happen. That's definitely not what we're saying. ⁓ but on the times where you do just go in there and you screw it up, just go down there and take take responsibility for it. Corby Scherb: Yeah, for sure. And I I I know that you stand on that. ⁓ there's been moments where you've had to apologize and there's been moments that people have had to apologize to you. I just think being a stand up racer, 'cause there there is a younger generation that's coming up right now, ⁓ the same, like you you're helping Graham right now. I I want to always leave that impact on other people. this is supposed to be fun. Whether you're mere you ⁓ or Claude and you race just because you can, right? It's a hobby. Or you're gonna do this because this is your career. I it should be fun. No matter what it you you gotta have fun doing this. I get it. We put our helmets on Yeah, I agree. ⁓ actually Slim Pushins: Bruce Bruce said Landon Thompson's finally learned to calm down and he's going to be really fast over the next few years. So can I tell can I tell the Landon Yeah. Can I Corby, can I tell the Landon Thompson story from Boyd? So so Corby Corby ⁓ Corby was racing Landon. I don't even remember Corby remember because he remembers everything, but they they got into each other, Corby got the raw into the deal, and Corby was as mad Corby Scherb: You know, I had a ⁓ for sure, for sure. Kevin Rutherford: I I don't know about the next few years because he's really fast right now. Corby Scherb: Yeah, we can tell it and then I'll tell my side. Yeah, ⁓ it was it was a bad day. Slim Pushins: As I've probably ever seen him. And got back to the pit and Landon's stepdad came over like a man and and was talking to Corby and said, Hey, if I bring him over here, will you talk to him and tell him why you're upset? What it is that he did that made you mad? And Corby said, Absolutely. And I could just I could tell I've known Corby long enough. We've spent enough time together. I knew the direction that it was headed. And I told Corby, I I stopped it. We were in the trailer. And I stopped him in the trailer and made him look at me and I said, Listen, if you want this to make a difference, you have to talk to him. The minute that you start yelling at him, he's he's done and he's he's gonna tune you out. And Corby did. Corby pulled up a couple of lawn chairs and they talked. I wasn't a part of that conversation, but in that moment, and that's kind of ⁓ you we I don't work on I don't know anything about cars. I'll help however I can. I don't know motors, all that stuff. But I feel like in that moment that's why I was there to to make him see s an aspect that he wasn't able to see in the moment. ⁓ and Corby you can tell your side of the story. Kevin Rutherford: Not much. Corby Scherb: I I I hope I hope Landon's watching and I hope maybe maybe it made an impact on him that day. I ⁓ he might not even remember it, but ⁓ I lost breaks in a heat race at Boyd and I mean he beat my back bumper apart. There was there was I how it didn't just fall off is beyond me. And of course like I got out like I lost breaks, so I was kinda having to roll off and it wasn't a heat race, I get it, like you're supposed be wide open, but like I've lost my safety net, right? I'm leading the heat race, I was in a points battle that year, ⁓ I I wasn't just gonna pull off. And his d his stepdad came over and talked to me and I like, dude, I would love it, you know. ⁓ like you said that the future generation is a lot more important than us older guys and ⁓ Landon pulled up a chair and sat down next to me and I told him I said, ⁓ I said, man, I'll just tell you like this, dude, if someone beats my back bumper apart like that, you're not trying to pass me, you're just trying to piss me off. Kevin Rutherford: Yep, that's right. Corby Scherb: You're you're you're do you're trying to do something maliciously and I like, dude, like if you are that much faster than me, you should be able to drive around me. And if you can't and you're just trying to beat my bumper apart, there's a difference. The same like me and you, Kevin, we've rubbed wheels and we've rubbed bumpers. There's a difference in rubbing and what he did to me and that heat race. And honestly, since that day, I don't think that I've seen Landon number one, he drove me with the utmost respect ever since then. And so I I pray that he really did look into that and maybe it was the respect for me, but I think that Landon has grown a ton. ⁓ I know I've always said this, I know he's got a ton of talent. It's just being able to harness it. It's like you I like I've told you, Kevin, you know, it's easier to make someone slow down than it is to speed someone up. And I I hope that Landon, if it meant anything to you, dude, it meant a lot to me just to be able to sit there and have that moment with you. Kevin Rutherford: Mm. That's right. Corby Scherb: to just talk to you as another racer. I know I'm an old guy and I'm washed up and I'm not that good anymore, but you gotta you gotta be able to look up to some of the older guys the same. Like I mean me and me and Brewer ⁓ have had the same conversations about just just the younger generation and there's a ton of these kids that are coming out of these micros and, you know, they they run s th their nerf bars are s yeah, their nerf bars are so big, you know. Slim Pushins: Driving them like micros. Kevin Rutherford: That's right. Corby Scherb: That it's just it's not the same. And it's just like this. Like, Kevin, like you have two kids at home, you have a wife, you gotta go sell a house on Sunday, you can't be junked because some little kid thought that sixth place was that important. You know? Kevin Rutherford: Right. Yep, I agree. Corby Scherb: And so I hope that if if we if I get to do anything in this world and I have always loved younger kids the same, like I mean I call Ryder LePlant my own son, like I don't think I ever really taught Ryder anything. I was just like the funny guy that he got to look at and have fun while he was racing. But those are the the things that I still want to be around the racetrack for is is helping people the same like when me and you got together last year, I think I opened your eyes to to a lot of like just the basic things that we were saying, you know, Claude, I love you, but Claude's very old school, you know, this way works for him. And I I think that I was able to talk to you and like teach you just some very small things that we can all grow from the same like you and Mark. You and Mark get along great when it comes to that. You know. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, yeah. Well, and I I I think that's the whole key to racing in general and th and the family dynamic that it is. Right. I mean, at the end of the day, even some of the guys that I don't necessarily love on the racetrack, man, if they ever called me and needed anything, we'd do it for ⁓ Right? ⁓ and I I th I think about all the people that have helped me throughout my career, not just talking about Corby Scherb: Yeah. For sure. For sure. Kevin Rutherford: sponsors or family, but people that have taken so much time away from their families to help me on the race car, whether like right now, of course I mean, you know, like I said, outside of family, of course my father in law, my parents, etcetera. ⁓ you know, but like Mark Zoller, like you said, man, that ⁓ last year you guys I mean, I remember I you you met me at a car wash in Decatur last year on a Sunday, right? I mean they're just Corby Scherb: Mm-hmm. Yeah, right. Kevin Rutherford: There's so many guys that make all this happen for all of us. Like we all have our core group of guys and and obviously, ⁓ like I said, last year for y'all, it was you two. You guys helped me out a ton and and are still there any time I need anything and ⁓ this year Mark Zoller's been a huge help. And ⁓ of course I've had Vance and Graham over the last couple of years that have that have been really awesome. They've got to work ⁓ alongside with me with Zoller and then they've got to work alongside with me with y'all as well. And ⁓ it's always a good time. And, you know, before that even when I was racing modifieds and still when I run modifieds, I have Tanner Branch. When I ran one show at Kennedale last year, Tanner Branch ⁓ came down and and helped me out. So ⁓ I think that's just you know, it just shows the family community aspect of racing. Corby Scherb: Right. Yeah. Slim Pushins: So I wanna Corby Scherb: I agree and I I think that Dirt Trek is is underrated when it comes to that because you know, ⁓ people come to the racetrack to watch the crashes and the fights and they don't know a lot it's not that it's a show but you know we can all get back to the pit area and give each other hugs and go on to the next weekend. ⁓ for sure. Kevin Rutherford: We can fist fight and still give each other hugs after. I mean Slim Pushins: That's a lot of the reason a lot of the reason we wanted to do the podcast is because I think that there's an aspect of there's a ⁓ there's a whole other world that the general fan ⁓ in the front stretch or even the the fans that that make it through the pits, they don't they just don't see and it's not that it's any sort of a secret. It's just that ⁓ if you're not on the inside of of the sport, it's not something that you see and and I think that ⁓ I think that that's a lot of ⁓ the success and why we have tens of listeners ⁓ that tune in just for these for the backstories. ⁓ yeah, that wow we already talked about it, you know, when you relate to the show. So, I wanna you mentioned Graham and I wanna get to the shoey. ⁓ but talking about the younger generation, you have ⁓ you've done something that ⁓ everybody has has had so much respect for with the ⁓ the next gen ⁓ Corby Scherb: We quadrupled with Rutherford on. Kevin Rutherford: True. Ha. Hey. Slim Pushins: giveaways and ⁓ sponsorships and stuff like that, not just money but equipment and different stuff. ⁓ and I know we we want to get to we want to do your monthly drawing which is like it's like the gift that keeps on giving. You did the you did the big thing ⁓ that ⁓ you know what people under eighteen submitted didn't you tell me like a hundred and fourteen videos Kevin Rutherford: ⁓ I think we ended up at a hundred and eleven videos with kids fifteen was it fift eighteen and under. I think it was eighteen and under. Slim Pushins: Let's Yeah. ⁓ you do you wanna you wanna tell everybody just a little bit about that? Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, yeah, ⁓ absolutely. Absolutely. So ⁓ you know, when my son was born, obviously it opened my eyes to a lot of different things in life and trying to figure out, you know, some of them stuck, some of them didn't, but one of them ⁓ was definitely how can I benefit, like how can I help the future of the sport? Because one of the things I can't stand in any category of life is people that want to talk about how to make things better, right? Like we can all promote a track better if we were the ones doing it from but nobody steps up to do it. Right. And so I I can't stand that aspect of anything in life. And so ⁓ when it came down to the to the racing aspect of it, I was like, Man, I I had a son at the time I didn't know. So like we waited till birth to find out if we were having a male or female, and it of course came out a boy, and we thought for sure it was a girl. And so when Dusty was born, I was like, I I just had my racer, right? And of course, like he's gonna be allowed to do whatever he wants to do, etc. Now, if he doesn't want to race, that's fine. It definitely looks like he does. I swear that kid came out holding a st Corby Scherb: For sure. Yeah, we had we had we had to put a fresh battery in ⁓ this ⁓ last week for fourth of July. Slim Pushins: Ha ha. Kevin Rutherford: Corby was over at the house tuning on on Dusty's race car already on Saturday. It's no joke. ⁓ and so yeah, he had to have a fresh battery because you know, we gotta have optimal speed, maximum amount. ⁓ so anyways, I I was trying to figure out how can I help the future of sport and I came up with this idea of like, okay, why don't I, you know Corby Scherb: Absolutely. Kevin Rutherford: One of the big things for me was in in my business career and my racing career was is is connected's relationships, right? There's one thing that ⁓ I don't care what you're doing in life, whether you know it's in a business and a marriage and friendships, like we've got relationships are everything, right? ⁓ and I think if you can make those the priority, then I think I guess what I'm trying to say is that the quality of somebody's life, in my opinion, depends on the quality of their relationships. And so it's something that I value really high and ⁓ you know, I've got like I said Corby Scherb: Yeah. Slim Pushins: I agree. Kevin Rutherford: We've got tons of mutual connections, et cetera. So I was like, okay, I think within my network, I could probably put something together. Naturally, I didn't take the time to do that. I just launched it on my own. ⁓ a good friend of mine and a sponsor of mine, ⁓ Jacob Church, CMP Pumps, Paul and Jessica ⁓ up there as well. I called them and said, Hey, here's what I'm thinking about doing. where I want to put together some funds. I want to have kids submit videos, and then, you know, we'll go in and figure out how to figure out the winners. And honestly I had no idea what I was doing. Still to today I don't know what I'm doing, but we've done it three years and I think it's been a relatively successful. So the first year we had ⁓ we gave away like twenty five hundred dollars. I don't have the numbers memorized like I should. I'm just going off of of guesstimates, ⁓ that we gave away and we had eighteen contestants and we were like, that that's pretty good, right? Eighteen people entering in for this sponsorship. ⁓ and then the next year I think we ended up doubling that. We we gave away four or five thousand dollars and we only got like eight or nine contestants. And so what we did is we made ⁓ all winners. ⁓ in different categories. Like we didn't do participation trophies, but we made them all winners and I we all were like, I don't know if this is worth it. ⁓ like if we're only gonna get eight c eight participants, that's you know, we're not doing it for any other reason than we want kids to participate. And so I was kinda done with it, honestly. ⁓ I was just disappointed and then my buddy Jake Upchurch called and he said, Man, I think we ought to give it one last go, but I think you have more in you, right? Like I think you're capable of making this bigger than you even think you are. ⁓ and of course Corby Scherb: Sorry. Kevin Rutherford: story of my life having somebody believe in me more than I believe in myself. And so started putting it together and all of a sudden I was like, man, we're at five grand quick and then we ended up raising over ten thousand dollars that we gave away, ⁓ where we had a hundred and eleven contestants. ⁓ we had fourteen. Yeah, fourteen winners. It was really cool. And then my judges were amazing. Like the judges that I called and and just to see, hey, will you watch videos and, you know, give these kids scores, et cetera. And they were all in on it. And so I had six judges, 'cause we split ⁓ up. We did like a Corby Scherb: That's so wild. Kevin Rutherford: twelve and under or fourteen and under, something like that. Group A and then a group B, which was older. So that way you're not comparing an eighteen year old video kid's video to a seven year old. Naturally everybody's gonna like the seven year old's video more. And so ⁓ we ended up splitting them up and ⁓ you know, still learning and and definitely going to keep that deal going. We may move it around. I haven't decided if we're gonna try to move it into an off season. I definitely would like feedback ⁓ on whether people think we should do. I'm always open to ideas 'cause I definitely don't have it all figured out and just kinda winging it the whole way. But yeah, nonetheless, ⁓ we've got Corby Scherb: For sure. Kevin Rutherford: this month and one or two more months of random draws. ⁓ we were just trying to spread it out to where these kids kind of have, you know, something on there where they can go watch videos. So like on the Rutherford team page, we'll do a a quick little one or two minute live video where we try to share something motivating ⁓ to try to help the younger generation, the future generation, and then give away, you know, whoever wins. And so ⁓ yeah, you want to go ahead and do the draw now? All right. Slim Pushins: Let's do it. Let's however however this works. What are we giving what are we giving away? Like a lifetime supply of like what stuffed animals or something? What are we? Squishies? Kevin Rutherford: Ай, со тудей Yeah. Well yeah, yeah, that's good. There you go, Kerbo. ⁓ we're gonna we're gonna give away five hundred dollars cash, okay? ⁓ and then we're giving away a hundred dollars summit gift card. Five hundred dollars cash summit all right, look. So usually I do it on my computer. Slim Pushins: Wow, that's pretty cool. How are we doing this? ⁓ if Jim was here, if Jim was here, I swear I think we could do it live on here, but we're just we're gonna go old school. Kevin Rutherford: I I asked Kerba, I like, right before we went live, I was like, hey, I can can I share my screen? I don't know if this is a zoom or what. And so anyways, he was like, If Jim was here, yes. But since he's not here, no. I was like, All right, that's fair. Can you read that? And it and so it's got all the names and everything. So then I just click this, ⁓ hang on, tap to spin. We're going. We're we're spinning. Slim Pushins: Next gen racer random draw. Yeah, it'll it's coming in good. We're going we don't have a we don't Corby Scherb: This is it. It's a big moment. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah, if Jim was here we'd have a drum roll. Try to get that a little closer, a little clearer. Corby Scherb: ⁓ yeah. Slim Pushins: Mason Warren. Corby Scherb: So worn. Kevin Rutherford: Mason Warren. Mason Warren just won $500 and a $100 summit gift card. Yeah, and you know, I'll I'll take credit for, you know, the idea and give credit to Jake for having me continue to do it. But man, there's so many sponsors. I don't want to take the the all the time it would take to list them all. You can go to the Rutherford team page and find them all ⁓ that continue to sport racing and and I really, you know, is trying to sh drive that point home to people and you guys know this about me. ⁓ there's so many people in the racing community who ⁓ that support racers, whether they're supporting tracks and you know, whether that's ⁓ my father in law, the SS family racing, or whether that's my parents or ⁓ C ⁓ P Pump Service, I mean, you look across the board and the amount of money that they give back to the sport that they love as well is is incredible. So ⁓ definitely something that me and my wife wanna continue to do to allow this sport to continue to grow so we can raise, you know, our kids in it. Me me and my wife were both raised in it and we want to raise our boys in it. Corby Scherb: ⁓ yeah. I and I'll say this, you know, just to touch base on this, ⁓ you you are huge, huge on the social media thing. And it's not that you beat it down anyone's throat. Like you know that that is the only way that I'm going to contact some random family member whose cousin lives in Maryland. Has nothing to do with anything around here. And I think that social media is just there's so many kids that just need to grasp that that I promise you mommy and daddy don't have that much money. Now you don't know that as a little eight year old kid. You have no idea that your Velcro strap shoes are not the cool shoes. But I I think that there's such an impact that we can do with social media and helping these kids grow and and be able to continue to chase what they want to do. If it's this military college, I don't think I gotta worry too much about college with my daughter, but i if it it's whatever it is, ⁓ Kevin Rutherford: Mm. Slim Pushins: ⁓ huh. Kevin Rutherford: That's right. That's right. Corby Scherb: I think social media can leave such a big, big impact on what we're gonna do. Kevin Rutherford: Y well, and and I I think just, you know, I I'm gonna use two examples here. One, I've got four thousand contacts on my phone. I just went and looked. Like, you know, most of those came through social media. ⁓ and the connections that I've been able to make through there. So ⁓ it it's crazy to think about, right? Like think that we know four thousand people throughout the country, etc. So ⁓ second though, a conversation you and I have had plenty of times off of camera is Tanner Holmes, right? Corby Scherb: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Kevin Rutherford: Me and you will be the very first to admit that when Tanner Holmes first started doing Tanner Holmes things, much like a lot of the world when he started going on social media and doing all stuff, we we judged him. I'm just being honest. I'm not saying we should have, but we judged him, and all of us, you know, most of us did. and now you look at it, that's what's got him to where he's at. And we're all like, that's the playbook. Like if there's any yeah, that's the playbook. If you want to figure out how to go do this, you go to Tanner Holmes' racing page. He teaches you everything about sprint car racing. Corby Scherb: For sure, for sure. Slim Pushins: Yeah. Corby Scherb: Absolutely. Dang it. Slim Pushins: That's the one. Kevin Rutherford: about the importance of sponsors, family, et cetera. ⁓ you know, like I said, we've had that conversation a hundred times. And one of the other big things for younger kids, never be too good for an opportunity. Right? I think I heard you and Kyle Jones, yeah. Yep. Corby Scherb: Absolutely. Kyle Jones touched on this. Yep. Yep. ⁓ you're you're not too good at someone just trying to offer you whatever they have. you know. Like I said, ⁓ I I don't know if I've talked much about this, like whenever ⁓ We we were kids growing up racing motorcycles. ⁓ we rode for a guy named Jim Wagner. We ⁓ we actually talked about it with Jason Tyre. And I'm talking, dude, like I I love Jim to this to this day. Like he was an amazing sponsor to me, my dad, my brother, all my brothers. And I mean some of the most haggard up looking stuff you've ever seen in your life. Promise you there was nothing faster than the eight eighty threes that we got to ride for Jim Wagner. It was the same concept, man, like just because it didn't look pretty, and I can't believe Jason Tyre ever wrote it because of how his dad was, but that was the thing. When you got on Jim's stuff, our stuff didn't break. We we never had mechanicals. It we it was up to us and our stuff was fast. it it's being able to to embrace every opportunity. Like you said, like the Arca stuff, I I'm sure that you wasn't, you know, in in in the best car, but it's the opportunities that you get to chase. And Kevin Rutherford: Yep. Yep. Right. That's right. Yep. Yep. Corby Scherb: And we have to we need to push more on a lot of these kids, same like Ryder LePlant the first mid he drove was one of ours and it wasn't up to Ryder's standards or or his but Ryder got in and he drove the best that he could, the same like we blew out a shock in his heat race, typical Sher chili bowl, just everything was falling apart. But Ryder stood there, man, and he he did great. He ⁓ stood there like a champ the whole time. and that that's what it takes to make it to the next level. Kevin Rutherford: Absolutely, absolutely. I'm gonna answer ⁓ Mike's question on there about am I racing Hunt County at Friday? ⁓ I am not. I'm not gonna be able to make it Friday night. I wish I could. Got a lot going on ⁓ all week and into the weekend. Our plan is we're gonna Kendadale Saturday night, ⁓ just with scheduling and things. It works out better for us. But definitely encourage all the sprint cars to go out to Hunt County ⁓ that are in the area because ⁓ I've got those people that run that track, Donnie and Ray Ship, Josh Landers, ⁓ Corby Scherb: Yes. Kevin Rutherford: They have a special place in my heart. I've been friends with all of them for a really long time, racing modifies together for many a year. So ⁓ get out there, support those guys. We we're not gonna be able to make it. I wish we could. ⁓ Troy Taylor put on there pushing flops. I I'm pretty sure he should be in bed by now. Like I'm pretty sure the assisted living has a bedtime for people Troy Taylor's age. So I can't believe he's still on there. Slim Pushins: Ha ha ha. I think ⁓ I think we'll be out there Friday night, ⁓ with Braxton. ⁓ hopefully there's a a good turnout. Corby Scherb: Yeah. Now I I know a lot of the ⁓ the the full body guys the the you know, I'm I'm gonna get a lot of heat for this 'cause I started in this, you know, the Mud Turtle guys ⁓ don't don't care for us much. But sadly the majority of fans that come to watch Sprint Car Racing, it's not because it's better racing. They wanna see us crash. And Slim Pushins: A hundred percent. That's exactly what they want. Kevin Rutherford: ⁓ a hundred percent. Corby Scherb: And and that's and that's like we touched on it a little bit about safety and like I said, like being in shape and I I think that there's a lot of things that go into just being a sprint car driver. It's not because I'm cooler than anyone, I I'm definitely not better than Dean Abbey or Perkle or Up Church in a car. I'm just dumb enough to sit in a sprint car and say that I can do this fast enough. Kevin Rutherford: ⁓ I agree a hundred percent with that comment. Slim Pushins: So we touched on gram and I've got we showed this video the other day. Jim I'm gonna impress Jim that I even found this. ⁓ we've got ⁓ there it is. Let's talk about the shoey for just a quick second. Kevin Rutherford: That that'll go down as one of my favorite videos of all time and for a multitude of reasons. One is like Jesus Saves is right behind it. That's really awesome. And then next is my father in law getting a being a part of it right there. ⁓ man, how that that kid Graham Stimber's Slim Pushins: That's commitment. Kevin Rutherford: He is committed. ⁓ he thought when James McFadden did that it was like the coolest thing since sliced bread. So when we went on Speed Week a couple of weeks ago at in Nebraska, he asked his dad if if we won, if he could do that. And so when we won in in Ardmore, it ended up being perfect timing. And man, that that kid is fourteen years old and he's an up and coming kid. awesome kid. You guys have got to know him really well as well. Yep. Yep. Actually he's on a or getting ready to get on an airplane to go on a mission trip for two weeks right now, just to kinda Corby Scherb: Great family. Great, great family. Super cool. Slim Pushins: That's awesome. Kevin Rutherford: Tell you, yeah, that that's what Graham Stembers is about. You know, their their logo that his dad created is greatness for God Racing, right? ⁓ and that's just their logo for everything, is that that's what they do it all for. And ⁓ yeah, that they're very, very dear to me and their willingness to come help at all times. So ⁓ I know they're they're either watching now or going to be watching, and I'm very grateful for the entire Stemb Stembers family, Vance and Graham and Tiffany for allowing them to come out with us. Corby Scherb: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I I'll say this, ⁓ I I bumped into we went to TMS with you this year. ⁓ super cool and me and Vance started talking about just certain aspects of like how do you make it this far in racing? Like like what does it take for you to do that? And I think we're touching on it a lot with social media and stuff and like I said, you know Slim Pushins: That was pretty cool. Corby Scherb: I remember an old movie, Sister Act, that I watched as a kid growing up and like if if you wake up every day and you're gonna be a racer, that's what you're gonna be. If you wake up every single day and you're gonna be a poet, that's what you're gonna be, because you have to try that hard to do it. I think that we live in a generation right now that ⁓ semi struggles with this is what I'm gonna do because this is what I like to do and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get to that point. ⁓ Sa like I'll I'll say this, you know, we'll bring up Lana Thompson again. You know, Landon Thompson hasn't had, you know, the greatest of everything all his life and the I think that a lot of that hunger that he has proven to everyone right now is is showing on the racetrack. It's the same as you, you know, like you said, you chased racing your whole life, but you knew you had to work on the track, in the shop and at home to pay your bills to be able to get this far. ⁓ Kevin Rutherford: Yeah. Corby Scherb: We can't forget that as people, as humans, ⁓ it's it's super I mean tires are not getting cheaper. you're gonna go burn some tires, you better hope that d you did everything that you had to that week to show up and do that. Same? I mean, houses aren't getting cheaper and you have to do everything that you can to sell that house. So it it Kevin Rutherford: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Well, and I you know, don't get me started on this because we can talk about ⁓ ownership and and you know, not having that victim mentality because I'll tell you that one of the secrets and I and this is ⁓ it is is applies to racing just as much as it does to every category in life, before it'll ever have to happen in your life, you have to believe it's going to happen. Right. And I think there's a fine line there because I've seen some people take that and then try to Corby Scherb: Absolutely. Kevin Rutherford: you know, they end up cocky, arrogant, etc. And that's not what I'm saying by any means, but you definitely have to have that inner confidence that you can see yourself winning that race before you're ever gonna win that race. You've got to tell yourself you belong there. And that goes with any category of life, right? Whether that's having a successful marriage or it's having a you know being a great employee, whatever it is, you have to believe in yourself that you're gonna get there long before it ever actually happens. And that's the next thing. There's no easy button, right? You've just got to continuously work, grind. I mean Corby Scherb: For sure. Mm-hmm. Slim Pushins: No. Corby Scherb: For sure. If it was easy we wouldn't do it anyway. Kevin Rutherford: I mean, how many times you you guys well, you know, we've got group text and different things going on and golly, we sit there and we text each other at like eleven o'clock at night and then we're texting, you know, responding back at five AM. I mean, we're we're in that grind season of life, you know. Well, me and Corby are the younger ages, but you know, Kerbo Kerbo tries to keep up with us and it's just a lot of work and you've gotta continue to put the work in day in and day out. Corby Scherb: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Slim Pushins: I quit trying. Corby and I Corby and I text ⁓ every morning ⁓ right at five five ten after five every morning. With absolutely nothing to talk about. It's I think it's just one of those things like, all right, well, if I'm in the suck all day, you're gonna be in the suck all day, so let's just talk about it. Corby Scherb: No, it is, you know. ⁓ I agree, you know, it it's it's a grind and like you say, you know, whether you're focused on racing, ⁓ you're focused on life, like what you want to be in this world, ⁓ you selling houses, ⁓ me and the gate operators and access control, like I wake up every the day I stop learning, I know is the day I start dying. I don't I don't care if it's in a race car or in this life, the same you you're a father, you understand this too, you know, these kids come up with the craziest things you've ever seen in your life and you're like, How? How? Kevin Rutherford: That's it. Absolutely. Yeah. Yep. Corby Scherb: Why would even think of that? And I'll always want to just be better every day, ⁓ no matter what it is, and I said that that that's the beauty ⁓ of the dirt track world and the community that we get to live in is I don't know many pit areas that you can't walk into and they won't give you the tape measure to measure their car. You know, people aren't there to lie. And I think that growing up in the dirt track community is a is a great way to do it. The same ⁓ Jordan Roop just said something. ⁓ Jordan Roop has asked me a ton of questions about situations and what he should do on the racetrack and that's the way we all should be ⁓ he is. He is. ⁓ Jordan is ⁓ the same, you know, he's an up and comer and he he wants to do this and he he does it to have fun, not to make a career out of it. ⁓ but like well, like you said, Kevin, you know, dude, if I can't climb in that race car and know I can win tonight, what am I doing? Slim Pushins: I don't spell anything right, Jordan, if that helps. What's the point? Corby Scherb: You know? Or or or like growing to that point. I understand that you're not gonna get in a sprint car and and go out there and go fast, but chasing that. Yeah. Kevin Rutherford: Well and I I think it depends on your level of career too, right? Like where you're at in your career. Troy Taylor, Troy Taylor has won plenty of races. He's won more races than me and you combined probably ever win. ⁓ so now he may just go out there and have fun, right? And get back to his retirement home and he's happy, you know. So ⁓ it depends on where you're at in your career for sure. But, you know, and then like you said, the younger and young and upcoming ones that are still learning. I I think that's the in do we ever stop learning? I mean, how many years have me and you've been doing this and I still think I learned something every week? Corby Scherb: Right. Mm-hmm. For sure. ⁓ man. It's still wild from from me helping you to helping Braxton to watching Jimmy Gardner, Justin Bates, ⁓ Kerbo leaving us in the chute to how Claude does things, you know, I I think the same like the difference in DJ and Colby is like the the perfect example of I I have three brothers that raced and my dad raced. And all of us like different things. The same as I tried my setup on your car one night and you were like d you can't do this. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah. Yep. Slim Pushins: Keep it up, Corby. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah. Slim Pushins: What did you do to me? Corby Scherb: You know, and that's where there's a lot of times that you have to be able to learn other people the same like my big thing with Braxton right now is you gotta know who you're racing around. You know, I know this guy's gonna pinch me no matter what. I know this guy's gonna give me room no matter what. You gotta know these things and that's that's the learning and growing and keep chasing, you know. That's that's the beauty of this life, let alone just racetracks. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Yep, yep. Well and I think like me and you, ⁓ my gosh. Slim Pushins: ⁓ God. It's gone downhill now. Corby Scherb: ⁓ no. ⁓ no. Jim Gardner. Pushin' the Cushion: Hang on a second. Corby Scherb: I was just y I was just talking crap about you, buddy. Pushin' the Cushion: I got some weird feedback. Slim Pushins: Jim, was that you that I didn't let into the studio a few minutes ago? Pushin' the Cushion: Yes, so I felt I got in a different way. Why is the audio terrible? Slim Pushins: That doesn't I fly. Corby Scherb: That's that's you, that's not us, buddy. Our audio sounds great. Pushin' the Cushion: I don't know. Whatever. Slim Pushins: Did you make it home there, Jimbo? Pushin' the Cushion: Yeah, I I got home like eight minutes ago. Got Emma situated. It was a beating. If my sister didn't run the marketing department of the airline I flew today, I would flame ⁓ right now for just incompetence. So Slim Pushins: ⁓ there's There's the personal two to the horn of the show. Toot to Pushin' the Cushion: Yeah. ⁓ anyway, I I haven't been paying attention or anything. I just wanted to hop in and say, Kevin, thanks for coming on and filling in for me. ⁓ we appreciate you very much. ⁓ you're a good dude. It was a big a kick ass win at Ardmore a couple weeks ago. ⁓ just pounding the top like you owed it money. And ⁓ it was badass. So I wanna just pop in, but I'm gonna hop back off here 'cause I'm sweating my balls off on my porch. ⁓ Corby Scherb: This is the only highlight we need of this episode. Pushin' the Cushion: Anyway, so Kevin Rutherford: yeah, that's right. That's right. Thank you, Jimmy. It means a lot. I appreciate it. Pushin' the Cushion: Anyway. Yeah, so anyway, I hope ⁓ did you guys talk about Waco or Zimmerman getting DQ'd? Great, super. Yeah, his belts were ps Alright, whatever. So Slim Pushins: We haven't We haven't yet. I didn't know Zimmerman got DQ'd. This is why we need you. Corby Scherb: We ain't made it that far. We ain't made it that far. Kevin Rutherford: When when Jim said he couldn't be a part of the show, I was the first to say we've got to reschedule. Like there's no other re we have to reschedule and we didn't. Pushin' the Cushion: Yeah. Corby Scherb: This has just been about Rutherford and his life and helping kids the same as, you know, you bumping into us and helping all of us, ⁓ and our racing career and then the same you know, DJ just makes a comment right there, ⁓ you know, that that's the beauty of dirt track racing is just ⁓ how easy it is to get along with a lot of people. Pushin' the Cushion: Even Even better. That's right. Well Corby's brother Merle always tell me you ain't gotta be Slim Pushins: DJ said with Kevin Rutherford and Shannon. Pushin' the Cushion: Go Kerbo. Slim Pushins: Do what? Pushin' the Cushion: Yep. I cut you off, Kerbo, my bad. Kevin Rutherford: This is awesome. All right. Hey, real quick, I want to say thank you, ⁓ Daniel Estes. DJ, that's DJ. Most people know him as DJ. If there's anybody I need to thank ⁓ since I got into spring car racing past my father-in-law, of course, and Mark Zoller, Vanson Graham, it's DJ and Colby and Daniel Estes. You guys have hit on it some, but I really can't drive that point home enough. Them the those guys, everybody I just listed would miss their heat race, their feature to make sure I made it to mine. Corby Scherb: For sure. Great people. Yeah. Kevin Rutherford: ⁓ and they've done it time and time again. That that family is second to none and ⁓ I definitely wouldn't be where I'm at in my racing career without those guys and especially in the sprint car industry. They've been amazing to me. Slim Pushins: I would never leave those guys in the chute. I can tell you that right now. Pushin' the Cushion: ⁓ boy. ⁓ boy. All right. Well y'all get y'all Corby Scherb: I believe it. I believe it. Jim, Jim, can you not second this? Did you not hand push me up the chute at Kennedale last year? All the way? Didn't you? Yes. Slim Pushins: I hey, we're sorry you can't stay on, Jim. We're sorry that ⁓ you run out of time. Pushin' the Cushion: That's correct. I g Yes. I I humped it from the pit shack to the flagstand 'cause I knew if I got you the flag stand they would hold the race at least for ya. And then I passed out. I don't even remember watching the main event. I was I was battling for my life underneath the grandstand. So I Corby Scherb: Yeah. Slim Pushins: That story has gotten so blown out of proportion. That fish has gotten bigger and bigger every time. Kevin Rutherford: Yeah. Corby, I d I don't think it's gotten out of proportion. See you, Jim. Corby Scherb: No, it this is this is what happened. Slim Pushins: Later, buddy. Kevin Rutherford: That's a hundred percent what happened. You just ditched Corpio.