Latest / BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show / Screen to Speed No.42: From Motocross to Commentary: Mike Nause's path through Sim Racing

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Screen to Speed No.42: From Motocross to Commentary: Mike Nause's path through Sim Racing · BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show

• 0:00
  Welcome to Screen to Speed powered by INIT Esports.
• 0:04
  In this podcast, we dive into the journeys of remarkable individuals,
• 0:07
  making waves in sim racing, and bridging the virtual with the real.
• 0:11
  From the thrill of digital circuits to the roar of real life racetracks, we explore
• 0:16
  the passion, Dedication and innovation that drives the world of motor sports.
• 0:20
  We'll hear from athletes, creators, and pioneers sharing their stories,
• 0:24
  insights, and the powerful ways sim racing is connecting communities and
• 0:29
  creating pathways into motorsports.
• 0:31
  So buckle up.
• 0:32
  Screen to speed starts now.
• 0:49
  Hello and welcome everybody back once again to the in it talks.
• 0:53
  It's episode 42 and it is interviewee tonight.
• 0:56
  Me myself, Mike Nas interviewed by none other than the Steffi Baus.
• 1:01
  Steffi, how are you doing tonight?
• 1:03
  I'm doing fantastic.
• 1:05
  Mike, tonight we've been putting on the spot to think it didn't
• 1:08
  work out that we were planned.
• 1:10
  You were supposed to be the interviewer.
• 1:12
  We don't have the also so I jumped in and we're going to make it all work.
• 1:16
  It's going to be very easy, you know, fireside chat.
• 1:19
  And we're going to just tell all of you a few information and hopefully
• 1:23
  get you to know Mike a little more.
• 1:24
  Yes, indeed.
• 1:25
  Get to know myself, the new in it admin, of course, such a happy pleasure to be,
• 1:29
  of course, representing that, representing women in e sports and representing all of
• 1:33
  the new and upcoming events that we have.
• 1:35
  Speaking of upcoming events, Stephie, I don't know.
• 1:37
  Might as well bring it up at the beginning here.
• 1:39
  Why don't we talk a little bit about the calendar that we have coming up?
• 1:42
  The screen to speed calendar, the 2025 International Women's Day, March 8th
• 1:47
  event is going to be coming up and it's going to be stock cars at Charlotte.
• 1:51
  Signups are available.
• 1:52
  I'll be posting the link here in chat as we speak.
• 1:56
  And if that is something that interests you, do head.
• 1:58
  On over.
• 1:59
  Of course, we also have our team USA talent scout events.
• 2:05
  So this is going to be open to everybody, both males and females alike and everyone
• 2:09
  in between, of course, open on March 29th.
• 2:12
  That's going to be round one at sea.
• 2:13
  Bring the team at USA qualifiers in the GT threes for iRacing.
• 2:17
  All of these events are going to be iRacing and Steffi.
• 2:20
  They are going to be absolutely awesome.
• 2:24
  Yeah, this is so fun.
• 2:25
  Like it's the 2025 season is started.
• 2:28
  We're just into February, you know, releasing all our calendar.
• 2:31
  We have very good events, um, um, for the year for the screen to speed serious.
• 2:36
  So this year we are changing things up a little bit.
• 2:39
  It's going to be more like.
• 2:41
  So instead of doing a complete the full on championship style, we're
• 2:45
  just doing single special event and high racing is promoting them.
• 2:49
  We're gonna we are very happy and proud to be partners with them
• 2:53
  and we look forward to have a lot of girls, you know, to show up.
• 2:56
  You know, and compete in those events.
• 2:58
  And then we have, as you said, the Team USA events.
• 3:02
  So this is something actually new for some of you.
• 3:05
  Um, maybe you don't know this yet, but, uh, you need to kind of
• 3:08
  like being awarded to be able to create and find the roster for it.
• 3:14
  America, so to be able to, um, put up front that people to
• 3:19
  compete in international event, including the Esports Olympics.
• 3:23
  So we this year is a year of scouting.
• 3:26
  So if you want to get have a chance to be able to be selected to represent
• 3:30
  the United States at the Esports Olympics and international event.
• 3:35
  You better get busy because those are the events that we're going to look for you.
• 3:40
  So those are all based on the iRacing and, um, as you said, Mike, there are going to
• 3:45
  be two categories, like an open category and a women's category, just because
• 3:49
  it's the spirit of the Olympics, right?
• 3:51
  You know, it wants to be inclusive.
• 3:53
  We wanted to have, you know, both, um, opportunities on the table
• 3:58
  and everybody can participate.
• 3:59
  So links are up.
• 4:01
  They're going to be on the chat to sign up, have fun and.
• 4:04
  Go team USA.
• 4:06
  Yes, indeed.
• 4:06
  Go team USA.
• 4:08
  And of course, Albert there in chat saying you wish you
• 4:09
  could have made the qualifiers.
• 4:10
  Well, this is your chance.
• 4:11
  Albert, get on in, get signed up.
• 4:13
  And a big thank you as well to everyone joining us in the chat.
• 4:16
  I see we have Mr rolling on the ropes, David Christie, one of my idols to
• 4:19
  be completely honest, David, I know putting you on the spot for this one,
• 4:22
  but, uh, somebody that in the motorsport community, I can truly call one of my
• 4:25
  friends as well as a coworker, colleague, whatever you want to call it, uh, a truly
• 4:30
  amazing person and a big motivator all the way throughout both the David and
• 4:33
  Paul Jeffrey alike are two, uh, two of the powerhouses that kind of push me
• 4:36
  along behind the scenes and David, maybe take it a little seriously in chat.
• 4:43
  Well, you know what, you know, like it's important you guys make the show,
• 4:47
  you know, like, so I know David, you know, you, Mike, you know, now being
• 4:50
  more and more involved with winning it.
• 4:52
  I mean.
• 4:53
  Without you, it would be boring.
• 4:55
  You know, we just see cars go around, but you make it fun and interesting.
• 4:58
  So without you, it would not be the same for sure.
• 5:01
  So thank you.
• 5:01
  Thank you, David.
• 5:02
  Thank you.
• 5:02
  Everybody that does this to continue to promote sim racing
• 5:06
  globally and having fun doing it.
• 5:08
  Yeah, absolutely.
• 5:09
  And it's truly an incredible passion to get in sim race.
• 5:12
  I know we're going to talk a little bit about it here.
• 5:13
  Uh, how I got into sim racing myself and just how I got into racing as a whole.
• 5:17
  And maybe we could just, I guess, segue, uh, over to that
• 5:21
  now, Stephanie, I suppose.
• 5:23
  Yes, that sounds perfect.
• 5:24
  I want to know a little bit more about you.
• 5:26
  Well, I know, but you know, the public out there wants to know.
• 5:29
  So, and there are a couple, um, information there that they're
• 5:32
  really, really are dear to me.
• 5:34
  So go Mike.
• 5:35
  Yes, of course.
• 5:37
  Steffi, a three time motocross champion or a moto moto.
• 5:41
  Sorry, not motocross.
• 5:42
  What is the, uh, the series?
• 5:43
  I want to make sure I get it right.
• 5:43
  It was motocross.
• 5:44
  Motocross, motocross.
• 5:45
  It was motocross.
• 5:46
  Okay, I want to make sure I got it right.
• 5:47
  So, okay, perfect.
• 5:48
  Uh, three time champion.
• 5:49
  And I started off my career in motocross as well at the age of three years old.
• 5:53
  I used to, uh, ride quads and then eventually got into motorcycles.
• 5:57
  I have some pictures here from when I was younger.
• 5:59
  This is young mini Mike, uh, or Mikey, as I used to go by
• 6:04
  down then, uh, you could see.
• 6:06
  Flying around on my little 50 scrambler that we modified into an
• 6:09
  80 and I raced against the big kids and in 2006 when I was six years old.
• 6:14
  Yeah, I'm a 2000s baby.
• 6:16
  So whatever year it is is how old I am So six years old in that actually
• 6:20
  five years old in that photo because my birthday is in March So actually not even
• 6:25
  six yet for the little motorcycle one.
• 6:27
  That's my 50 my Honda Uh, and then those were some trophies that I had
• 6:31
  won from quadding and motorcycling.
• 6:33
  And one of those was bigger than me at the time.
• 6:35
  So that was always fun to have a comparison, especially when
• 6:38
  I won that and having a trophy that was larger than myself.
• 6:44
  That is so cool.
• 6:44
  That happens though.
• 6:45
  Like I have compete, it happens in the U S I have to say in
• 6:48
  Europe and like in racing, the trophy are a little bit smaller.
• 6:51
  They tend to be by here, you know, I had the same experience, you know, when
• 6:55
  I came and here in the United States.
• 6:57
  States.
• 6:57
  A couple of times I got trophy and I was already an adult
• 7:00
  and they were bigger than me.
• 7:02
  So it's crazy, crazy, crazy, but I make you feel good for sure.
• 7:06
  But congratulations on all your background in motorcycle.
• 7:09
  That's why we like each other so much, right?
• 7:11
  You know, we live the same type of life and experiences.
• 7:14
  Yep.
• 7:14
  And uh, eventually I got into a crash on my motorcycle and that's when
• 7:18
  I decided that enough was enough.
• 7:19
  I think Steffi had a, a similar, although she didn't decide enough was enough.
• 7:22
  Unfortunately she was rather.
• 7:24
  Forced into the matter, but uh, yeah, I decided that after face planting into
• 7:28
  the dirt I remember every single second of my crash up until my face hit the
• 7:32
  ground and then I only remember waking up and you know What that was good for me.
• 7:36
  That was enough I uh, I found out that was enough for the the four wheels was
• 7:40
  better than two and then eventually I got into carting Which you know
• 7:43
  was Because then you get to sit down in a seat rather than have to worry
• 7:48
  about being thrown off a machine.
• 7:49
  But even to this day, I don't actually, I didn't include any
• 7:52
  photos of my current quad, which is.
• 7:55
  Whoops.
• 7:55
  I should have probably done that, but, uh, I can pull one up.
• 7:57
  Maybe my phone will have one, but, uh, yeah, I currently, I
• 8:00
  still ride quads to this day.
• 8:01
  We go down to the Oregon sand dunes every year.
• 8:03
  And, uh, I make little videos on my drone and with the GoPro.
• 8:06
  So it's my little side, super fun, super fun.
• 8:11
  And, but you know, like there is a lesson there, you know, like meaning
• 8:14
  that you crash and you can crash one under time, but the important thing is
• 8:19
  that you get it back up at one under.
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  And.
• 8:21
  One.
• 8:21
  Yes.
• 8:22
  So you're done that, you know, everybody has been in sport that
• 8:25
  knows that and they do that.
• 8:27
  And then you keep going.
• 8:28
  So happy to see you continue to have fun with the quads.
• 8:31
  Although I do prefer the two wheels than the four, you know, in the
• 8:34
  dirt, but, um, it's all good.
• 8:36
  It's all motorsport.
• 8:37
  We love it.
• 8:38
  We are passionate about it.
• 8:39
  So, um, it's very good, but Mike, tell us a little bit more how
• 8:43
  you got involved in sim racing.
• 8:45
  So from real four wheels.
• 8:48
  Though it was motorcycle four with a car, uh, quad and then go karting,
• 8:53
  you know, like So what about sim?
• 8:55
  Yeah, so carting sort of rolled into simulation.
• 8:58
  So I was, uh, around the age of like 15 is when I started getting into
• 9:02
  carting and sort of when I started getting out of, uh, motocross because
• 9:05
  all the tracks around me closed down, so I couldn't really race anymore.
• 9:09
  That's the unfortunate.
• 9:10
  Nature of living in the Pacific Northwest is, motorsport, especially that type,
• 9:14
  is not the most popular around where I live, and so all the tracks became miles
• 9:18
  away, and I couldn't go anymore, uh, so I ended up going to karting instead,
• 9:21
  and, cause, you know, you can't take the race out of the dude that wants to be a
• 9:25
  professional racing driver for his entire life, uh, So I went over to karting and
• 9:29
  then started working at a go kart track around 18, 19, uh, and teaching a racing
• 9:34
  school for eight to 16 year olds, which was one of the most fun jobs, even to
• 9:39
  this day that I've ever had, even compared to commentary, uh, started teaching that
• 9:43
  for a while, got, uh, Not enough pay.
• 9:46
  So eventually moved on to construction, but that around that time was 2020.
• 9:50
  So that's about when I was, uh, like I say, around 2020 when COVID hit
• 9:54
  and the world shut down, uh, around 2018, 19, I started getting into just
• 9:59
  racing on a controller with F1 2018.
• 10:01
  I got it on sale one day and so started on the Sim Katie EA title
• 10:06
  and then eventually was like, ah, I'm getting pretty good at this.
• 10:09
  Why not get a wheel?
• 10:10
  Because I can't race at my local track anymore because
• 10:12
  now it's closed down as well.
• 10:14
  So, uh, because thanks COVID.
• 10:16
  And then, of course, uh, ended up getting a sim wheel, got a 920, Logitech G920.
• 10:21
  Uh, started racing for a while.
• 10:23
  Eventually upgraded to a Fanatec CSL Elite.
• 10:25
  The old one with a belt, not the new one.
• 10:27
  Uh, and a. Fanatec CS, or uh, duh, what is it?
• 10:32
  Fanatec V2 pedals and V2 wheel as well.
• 10:35
  So that's my current setup of the Playseat 3, even though I don't race
• 10:38
  anymore, but, um, Yeah, that's kind of how I got into sim racing, and then
• 10:42
  eventually, obviously, went on to the commentary side at a certain point.
• 10:45
  But I was league racing for a long time, and still was trying to pursue the dream
• 10:48
  of becoming a professional racing driver.
• 10:52
  It's so fun.
• 10:52
  You know, like the beauty versus saying that you discovered by your experience
• 10:56
  is that it is a true pathway, right?
• 10:59
  You know, like with sim racing, you can get involved a little bit at a time, you
• 11:02
  know, like with some equipment and better equipment and then you get better and
• 11:06
  then you can be then really grind it.
• 11:09
  You know, like and be behind the wheel and have a lot of fun.
• 11:12
  Um, the difference, I guess, you know, me to coming from a real motorsport is
• 11:17
  that, uh, you know, real motorsport, you get the potential that track closes
• 11:22
  or the weather impact your training or your racing and, uh, you know, finance
• 11:27
  it because it costs a little bit more, you know, like then sim racing.
• 11:31
  But, you know, Yet again, you know, now, you know, with the scene racing
• 11:34
  and all of the evolution that we have in the industry, it is a complete
• 11:39
  pathway and you are showing it that you took that, you know, after the,
• 11:43
  in real life experience and just started to get involved more and more.
• 11:47
  But in this note, I wanted to show how cool was the, um, um, what is the, the
• 11:52
  name of the guy that won the 500, there is a sim racer, and then he won the.
• 11:58
  And I don't have 500 last year and they wanted again this year.
• 12:02
  That is so good.
• 12:03
  You know, like from our world to be able to show days.
• 12:06
  It is a complete pathway, you know, to participation.
• 12:10
  And yeah, I know there are a lot of you there listening that they feel the same.
• 12:15
  And screen to speed does exactly that, right?
• 12:18
  You know, like we do that for women, like be able to try to find talent and
• 12:22
  potentially put them into the real.
• 12:25
  A real team on a real race car.
• 12:28
  So it's so good to see a validated over and over and over and with the
• 12:32
  wind and the 500, you know, Yeah.
• 12:34
  Byron that was will Byron is, yeah, that's so, uh, I honestly, I forgot
• 12:38
  about that completely that we'll buy.
• 12:40
  He's such a good driver at this point that I honestly forgot that he had
• 12:43
  gone from the simulator to real life.
• 12:45
  And then, of course, as well as for, um, into GT racing with,
• 12:49
  um, why are the names slipping?
• 12:52
  As soon as we go live, of course, that's when everything slips the brain.
• 12:54
  But, um, everyone in chat knows who I'm talking about and
• 12:58
  we're about to get it lit up.
• 12:58
  David Christie will definitely point us out.
• 13:00
  But, uh, Oh, it's on the tip of my tongue.
• 13:04
  Anyways, it'll someone here is knows exactly what I'm talking about with
• 13:07
  GT3 racing, getting out on a track, but no, absolutely creating that pathway.
• 13:10
  And of course, Stephie, you being involved as well with the, uh, Simfers
• 13:13
  STEM for STEM movement as well, which.
• 13:17
  Personally, like I say, I taught a racing school for eight to 16 year olds.
• 13:20
  I think that the, what that program is trying to do, getting involved
• 13:23
  with the younger children and younger, especially, you know, being, uh, with
• 13:26
  the Indiana girl scouts or central Indiana girl scouts society, I think
• 13:30
  currently, uh, but also branching out into more and more is getting.
• 13:34
  People to drive at younger ages and getting them to learn how to drive,
• 13:37
  which is the most important in America.
• 13:40
  I know, barring, you know, in Europe, in other countries, public
• 13:43
  transportation is a little bit more popular, but in, uh, in America, We're
• 13:46
  a really big country and the car is the most important form of transport.
• 13:50
  And if you've driven on the roads in America, You know that there
• 13:53
  are some people that maybe need some time behind a simulator.
• 13:56
  I'll put that, uh, that's the nicest way I think to put it.
• 13:59
  So getting them involved as early as possible.
• 14:01
  I mean, that's one of the reasons I pride myself on being a good
• 14:04
  driver is it's just in my blood.
• 14:07
  Yeah, for sure.
• 14:08
  I mean, like, again, it's all about creating this pathway and this
• 14:11
  touch points, you know, like within a people's life and by entering
• 14:16
  schools, you know, with the.
• 14:17
  Sim for STEM program.
• 14:19
  Not only we get the kids to be behind the wheel of a simulator,
• 14:22
  so enjoying that, but we use STEM.
• 14:25
  So we are able to teach mathematics during it.
• 14:28
  So now we keep having, you know, principal and teacher say, Oh my
• 14:32
  God, you know, I can't believe it.
• 14:33
  We get it.
• 14:34
  The kids are to come at school and wanted to do math and racing.
• 14:38
  If you're here and listen is because you have a passion for it, you know,
• 14:41
  there's all based about mathematics.
• 14:43
  So like to be able to transform that and get to the kids to understand it.
• 14:48
  It's, it's a way to create an open doors, you know, create a pathway,
• 14:51
  open doors and show them what real life really is in racing and using SIM.
• 14:57
  You know, it gets them to do practice more and more.
• 15:00
  And like you were saying, Mike, you know, if they can spend two, three, four
• 15:03
  years before getting behind a real car with a driving license, they're going
• 15:07
  to be way better off than just trying it right off the bat in a real car.
• 15:11
  Yeah.
• 15:12
  And it's just, it's all about muscle memory at the end of the day.
• 15:14
  David Christie also bringing up a couple other, uh, drivers that went from sim to
• 15:19
  real life and real life to sim because we're also seeing that now as well too
• 15:22
  nowadays, which is just awesome to see, uh, but Ash Sutton from British touring
• 15:26
  cars, uh, Max Verstappen, obviously driving in the, uh, the formula or from
• 15:30
  formula one driving in the, uh, various iRacing Endurance races, the 24 hours of
• 15:35
  Daytona, which I even got to commentate on myself, which was super awesome,
• 15:39
  big shout out there, RaceSpotTV, of course, for putting me on for that one.
• 15:42
  Uh, Daniel Morad is not who I was talking about, but that's a great example, but
• 15:45
  it's the British, uh, the British dude.
• 15:48
  Who's the British sim racer that went from sim to real life?
• 15:51
  Still, there's even more, like I said, there's so many these days
• 15:54
  that we can't even name them all.
• 15:56
  Uh, which is absolutely awesome to see Dave Perel as well.
• 15:58
  James Baldwin.
• 15:59
  Thank you.
• 15:59
  James Baldwin.
• 16:00
  It was on the tip of my tongue But I do I do have to bring in the girls
• 16:05
  though, you know, we always talk about the boys And sometimes we forget about
• 16:08
  the girls and you know In it e sport is all about that to create a safe
• 16:12
  space and opportunities for women and minority So on that note, you know,
• 16:16
  like I wanted to bring out the name of
• 16:21
  She's part of our dream team.
• 16:23
  She's a Formula Formula one Academy racer, and now she does all of
• 16:27
  this, um, competition in Sims, and it's part of our dream team.
• 16:32
  So I'll just take a second to talk about the dream team because it's
• 16:35
  another very great initiative.
• 16:37
  Uh, what we do with the dream team is the fact that we pick
• 16:40
  from the screen to speed roster.
• 16:43
  We pick the best driver and we are putting them together.
• 16:47
  To be the only female team in, uh, endurance racing at digital,
• 16:53
  of course, and I racing and they participated in participate at the
• 16:57
  Daytona 24 hour and they go forth.
• 17:00
  So once stop off the podium.
• 17:03
  So it is continuing proving, you know, the even women belongs here, you
• 17:07
  know, and we continue to push for it.
• 17:10
  So that's why.
• 17:11
  When we are talking about athlete, I always have to bring out the girls.
• 17:14
  Yeah, absolutely.
• 17:15
  Alongside, of course, Nina Han as Merelda, as well as, um, Emma, Emma.
• 17:20
  Yes.
• 17:21
  It was the final Sarah, Sarah.
• 17:22
  Yes.
• 17:22
  Excuse me.
• 17:22
  Sorry.
• 17:23
  Yes, Sarah, Sarah Dove being the final driver.
• 17:24
  They're the four drivers for the screen to speed dream team.
• 17:27
  And yeah, finishing fourth in the Daytona, despite having a couple misfortunes.
• 17:31
  Of course, if you do want to go back on the previous edit talks, they, uh, they
• 17:34
  talked all about their race after that.
• 17:37
  I think that was episode, uh, 40, if I'm not mistaken, episode 39 or 40.
• 17:40
  I do go back.
• 17:41
  In the playlist, of course, and check out those episodes for, uh, for a little
• 17:44
  more insight if that is something that interests you for sure, because it was a
• 17:47
  absolute hoot of a time and hearing them talk about it and watching them live as
• 17:51
  well was, uh, was quite the experience.
• 17:55
  Yeah, it's, it's always good.
• 17:56
  And, uh, Um, I just want to touch base on another thing that we have
• 18:01
  going on that this year that we didn't put it out in the chat here in the
• 18:04
  video, but it would be released very soon, which we are creating one event
• 18:09
  to start by school day in it open.
• 18:12
  So what we do with that one is the same model of extreme E.
• 18:17
  So we wanted to have a male and a female create a team and
• 18:21
  compete in this competition.
• 18:23
  This is all attached to the idea to continue to feed in the requirement for
• 18:28
  the Olympics because they wanted to have countries that bring, you know, like,
• 18:33
  um, different representation to the, um, To to the to the Olympics, but it's
• 18:38
  also like a very cool way to continue to create that equity and equality, you
• 18:43
  know, to be able to have that team dynamic going on so we can wait for that one too.
• 18:49
  It's going to be released very soon.
• 18:50
  We're going to try.
• 18:51
  Hopefully a lot of you are going to sign up.
• 18:53
  I wanted to if you had a guy, you know, to bring a girl,
• 18:56
  girlfriend, your mom, your daughter.
• 18:59
  Let's do it.
• 19:00
  It's all for him.
• 19:01
  You know, like it's all about, you know, tight Creating and grow the c
• 19:04
  the community and, and show like where sim racing is and that we belong here.
• 19:10
  So I just wanted to, to toss this one in there also, . Yeah, absolutely.
• 19:14
  It was Lindsay James as well that said, uh, Lindsay James being the
• 19:18
  IndyCar or youngest IndyCar or female, VIP or the, uh, driver of the year.
• 19:23
  I'm going off of memory on this one, so I can't remember all of our awards, but
• 19:26
  the quote is the most important factor, of course, the point that I'm getting
• 19:29
  to, uh, but it's not, the car does not care whether you're male or female of.
• 19:33
  It only cares whether you hit your breaking points.
• 19:36
  And at the end of the day, that's all that matters in racing.
• 19:39
  So again, whether you're male or female do head on over to the signups
• 19:41
  and get involved because we have so much going on for absolutely
• 19:44
  everybody here in it, screen to speed and various other platforms as well.
• 19:50
  Yeah, for sure.
• 19:50
  And Mike is gonna be on the spot.
• 19:52
  He's gonna be the one telling the stories, be on around, uh, behind
• 19:56
  the microphone and try to, uh, get everybody excited to, to compete.
• 20:00
  And I can't wait for, to see whatever is gonna come up with,
• 20:04
  because we were talking offline earlier and we were just like, oh,
• 20:08
  some ideas are gonna be super fun.
• 20:09
  So I can wait for all of you to tune in, watch and support the, the services.
• 20:14
  Absolutely.
• 20:15
  It's gonna be an absolute hoot of a time and, uh.
• 20:17
  Absolutely, just all the way around.
• 20:19
  Again, a massive thank you to Steffi in general for taking me under the
• 20:21
  wing here at Innit in general and, uh, just throughout everything here.
• 20:25
  Uh, but it's just been a pleasure.
• 20:26
  Like I say, going back to the commentary sphere in general is, I never, myself
• 20:30
  being kind of a more socially awkward kid growing up, I never would have
• 20:34
  Pictured myself in this sort of platform.
• 20:37
  So even going from, like you had mentioned, being a real life or going
• 20:41
  from sim to real life and driving is there's other ways in the world as well.
• 20:45
  Going from sim to real life and commentary.
• 20:46
  That's, of course, my goal at the end of the day from.
• 20:50
  What I never thought would be a thing, again, being the socially awkward kid
• 20:53
  and eventually trying out commentary because I was a driver in a league at
• 20:57
  Trackalicious, big shout out there to Eric, and of course, eventually got,
• 21:01
  uh, just kind of people liked me, I liked it, and I just kept doing it.
• 21:06
  I can't even listen to my commentary from over six months ago, really,
• 21:09
  to be completely honest, but, uh, but, you know, it's been a heck
• 21:13
  of a trip all the way throughout.
• 21:15
  I have a question.
• 21:16
  I'm going to put you on the spot.
• 21:18
  Do you remember your first time?
• 21:20
  Uh, my first time?
• 21:22
  No, but I remember the first time that I thought that this is what I wanted to do.
• 21:26
  So my first time I have, it's jumbled in with all of the other, there's a couple
• 21:31
  of clips from some old commentary that I did and I had no idea what I was doing.
• 21:35
  I basically just got into ACC as a spectator, so had no clue what I was
• 21:39
  looking at, but it was not great.
• 21:42
  Um, but with the moment that like really caught my, What made me think this is what
• 21:47
  I want to do as a voice, as a commentator, is working with Trackalicious for about
• 21:51
  five months, six months as a commentator.
• 21:54
  Eventually, Eric kind of reached out to the SRO guys and along with the
• 21:59
  AK team, so Steve Proudly, Mike Yao, and them, and introduced me over to
• 22:03
  them, which I still work with them today, so shout out to them as well.
• 22:06
  But of course, they put me on for the SRO community Cup, I think it was at the time
• 22:13
  when I was commentating with Joe peak and we were on the front page of twitch and
• 22:17
  we Had 12, 000 viewers at the time and that was it wasn't a nervous experience I
• 22:22
  didn't feel like the pressure But I just felt this is what I want to do when I
• 22:27
  looked over at that number It was it was scary, but I was like nah, this is it.
• 22:31
  This is home It's so good Like when you have the chance to follow your passion
• 22:37
  is the best thing ever and I always say A lot of time, you know, I ended up doing
• 22:42
  a, um, speaking engagement and whatnot.
• 22:45
  And this is one of the things I always say at the end of it,
• 22:47
  like, just follow your passion.
• 22:49
  If you follow what you really like, you know, like, uh, you're just going
• 22:53
  to continue to get up every day and just don't even feel it, you know,
• 22:57
  like you just want to do it and then continue to improve the word.
• 23:00
  And it seems like, Micah, you are falling into that rut.
• 23:03
  And, uh, It's good, you know, and I can't wait to, to build a good
• 23:07
  future for single racing with you and everybody out there that, um, believe
• 23:12
  in this and have the passion for it.
• 23:14
  Indeed.
• 23:14
  No.
• 23:14
  And for North America as well, because this is a, a scene that
• 23:17
  is still in the works, right?
• 23:19
  Where the European scene is pretty set in stone.
• 23:21
  The vents that are over there have been there for.
• 23:23
  10 plus years at this point in North America, really starting to dip its
• 23:26
  toe in the water in 2025 and being, uh, I think going to be the year.
• 23:30
  This is going to be the year that sim racing sort of takes off in America.
• 23:34
  And I want to be, like I said, I want to be there for it.
• 23:36
  This is absolutely what I love to do.
• 23:38
  And in any way possible, of course, we're going to be doing
• 23:40
  that to push that forward.
• 23:42
  That is so good.
• 23:43
  Like we are trying to put in it in the front for the front from
• 23:46
  this, you know, thanks to all of the connection that we have within,
• 23:50
  you know, the different verticals.
• 23:52
  So can't wait.
• 23:53
  Can't wait.
• 23:53
  You know, like to make it all happen.
• 23:56
  I do have another question.
• 23:57
  I know that you live in the Pacific Northwest and there is a very good friend
• 24:01
  of mine, Jodi, that has a question.
• 24:04
  Dirt fish up there.
• 24:05
  So for the one of you that they don't know what dirt fish is, it's like one
• 24:10
  of the best school, if not the best school for rally, you know, in the world.
• 24:14
  So have you gotten a chance to go and do some rally?
• 24:17
  I've never had a chance to go there.
• 24:19
  So I know exactly where they're at.
• 24:20
  I went to high school, literally down the road from them, believe it or not.
• 24:24
  So I know I'm very familiar with the area, uh, Snoqualmie in general.
• 24:27
  This is, that's where I just love to hike in that whole, that area is beautiful.
• 24:31
  Uh, I take my drone and fly out there and like to watch the cars sometimes,
• 24:34
  but no, I've never actually, uh, taken, I've never driven any of
• 24:38
  the cars before from Dirt Fish.
• 24:39
  I saw them when I was down in Sonoma and I was talking with, I can't
• 24:43
  remember who it was, uh, but we, uh, just, you know, I guess I was just
• 24:46
  chatting with them casually, but no, I've never actually had the experience
• 24:49
  of driving a, uh, a real life dirt car.
• 24:51
  So I've been on four wheels on dirt, but no.
• 24:54
  Never in a car.
• 24:56
  Well, maybe we can make that, uh, that different now and then
• 24:59
  give you a chance to do that.
• 25:01
  I would love nothing more than, again, you're talking to a guy who wanted to be a
• 25:04
  professional racing driver his whole life until eventually becoming a commentator.
• 25:08
  And then I was like, ah, I'm better at this than driving.
• 25:10
  So might as well just dedicate myself to the commentary instead.
• 25:15
  And that's kind of what I ended up doing.
• 25:18
  Yeah, fantastic.
• 25:19
  But, um, yeah, you know, like I love every kind of racing, you know,
• 25:24
  of course, my heart is in the two wheels because that's how I grew up.
• 25:28
  But, you know, like I've been fortunate enough to be involved in
• 25:31
  this industry and therefore knowing.
• 25:33
  So many good people, you know, like I'm working together and a lot of
• 25:37
  the names that you put out there, our friends at AK, you know, it's a family.
• 25:41
  We are all working together, you know, try to, to make, you know, sim racing
• 25:45
  more and more popular and everybody has their own kind of like vertical.
• 25:49
  And if there is a way to help each other, we're always there for each other.
• 25:53
  So it's a very, very good industry to be involved with for sure.
• 25:57
  And I'm knowing fantastic people.
• 25:59
  So yeah.
• 26:00
  Very small family at the top too, which is what I've come to learn from, uh, from
• 26:04
  the years is you start talking with one person and then you were talking with
• 26:07
  this person and say, Oh, I'll put you in touch with the, wait, what are you?
• 26:09
  I already know.
• 26:10
  Huh?
• 26:10
  Everyone just, everybody knows everybody.
• 26:12
  It seems like, and it's, uh, it's really cool to see at the end of the day.
• 26:15
  And it's very small, like you say, kind of a tight knit family at the top, uh,
• 26:19
  in terms of, especially, I mean, the e sports in general, but like you say,
• 26:22
  always willing to help out for sure.
• 26:25
  For sure.
• 26:26
  Do we have any questions that comes in, in the chat?
• 26:29
  I haven't seen too many yet.
• 26:29
  I don't think we have, we haven't posted, uh, but yeah, if you guys do have any,
• 26:33
  uh, any questions, do let us know.
• 26:35
  I know Albert here chatting along saying that he wanted to go to
• 26:37
  Dirtfish as well at some point in time.
• 26:39
  He's a WRC fan.
• 26:41
  I absolutely love our competing for WRC.
• 26:44
  Yes, for Dirt Rally, my apologies.
• 26:46
  Uh, yes, Dirt Rally 2.
• 26:47
  0 is a super fun game.
• 26:49
  That was one of the first, uh, simulators that I got on with a wheel.
• 26:52
  So, just, yeah, I, like I say, if I could get out there on Dirt Fish and
• 26:55
  actually go throw a little sedan around a dirt track, that's just, what else
• 27:00
  would you want to do on a, any day?
• 27:02
  I don't care when, do it right now, I'll go.
• 27:04
  Right, let's go now, but you brought up a good point about like a day,
• 27:10
  um, uh, Dirt Rally 2 or the WRC game.
• 27:13
  So we have not done anything with that yet, but you know, maybe in
• 27:17
  the future, you know, we're going to have to put out on our discord
• 27:20
  and maybe a little bit of a call to action and see who wants to do rally.
• 27:23
  And maybe we can just to get involved with that.
• 27:26
  And maybe, maybe just maybe, you know, with the spirit of screen to
• 27:30
  speed, we can do an event and then have the winner to go Dirt Fish.
• 27:34
  You know, so we do have a question here, uh, from David Christie.
• 27:40
  I'm sorry to cut you off there, Stephanie, but, uh, we, uh, David Christie is,
• 27:43
  so what can we do obviously with the, uh, along with the screen to speed
• 27:46
  movement and everything like that.
• 27:47
  Uh, but what can you guys do to foster and encourage more females into sim racing?
• 27:54
  Well, I answer and then you can answer Mike from my side.
• 27:57
  It's like we we are creating the movement, you know, and we have a
• 28:01
  quite a bit of people now sign up, you know, and be part of our community.
• 28:06
  The community live on our discord.
• 28:08
  We really need to pay attention to make it a safe space.
• 28:11
  So like when the girls is in, actually, we have a safe area
• 28:15
  where it's just girls only.
• 28:16
  You know, like where they can communicate and and be in touch and
• 28:20
  and and and share their experiences.
• 28:23
  So we just have to continue to do events.
• 28:26
  You know, like I put the word out now.
• 28:29
  The fact that we are bringing the same for stem program in schools.
• 28:32
  You know, hopefully we stimulate, you know, the young kids because
• 28:35
  when they're younger, they don't.
• 28:37
  Think about anything different, right?
• 28:38
  Like they see the school like, Oh, I want to do it.
• 28:41
  And also, you know, for us, what we really see that is very effective
• 28:44
  is that they will lead with women.
• 28:48
  So, you know, like every time we do events is for women by women and
• 28:52
  it makes a tons of a difference.
• 28:53
  So we are open, you know, to help anybody, you know, that I wanted to.
• 28:58
  Get involved or to, to create, create events.
• 29:01
  We did that as a movement because that's what we wanna try to, to do,
• 29:05
  you know, like to really continue to grow, you know, this community and,
• 29:10
  and get them the opportunity to enter the motorsport world as a whole.
• 29:15
  You know, like, uh, last year we put a couple girls into an
• 29:18
  interesting program in Cora.
• 29:21
  For instance, you know, like it just because I come from the motorsport
• 29:24
  world, you know, uh, part of my team come from the motorsport world.
• 29:27
  So we have all of this kind of connection, right?
• 29:30
  And then we have actually with a simple stem program.
• 29:33
  We got a couple of girls.
• 29:34
  They ended up with to go university like in Indiana.
• 29:37
  For motorsport motorsport engineering, so they work.
• 29:40
  We just have to continue to tell people, you know, like and say, hey,
• 29:45
  if you want to try to get your feet wet into this industry, there is a
• 29:49
  space for you, which is called screen to speed, you know, seen for stem,
• 29:53
  you know, they are all under the unit umbrella and just sign up and have fun.
• 29:59
  And I think you really hit it on the head there.
• 30:01
  And along with the community element, we're trying to build, I put up quotes.
• 30:04
  I don't know why I put quotes.
• 30:05
  The community is community.
• 30:06
  There's no quotes around that.
• 30:07
  But around the community element here, of course, that we're trying to build is,
• 30:11
  you know, harboring a very solid roster of female drivers that we already have.
• 30:16
  And of course, Of course, branching out from there, using them.
• 30:20
  I don't want to say use, I can't, you got to pick the words carefully, of course.
• 30:23
  Uh, but having them sort of be more role models at the end of the day, right?
• 30:26
  Kind of like Nina Han, for example, is a great driver to look up to Victoria
• 30:29
  Thomas, other drivers, you know, as Merelda, um, all the way throughout.
• 30:33
  These are some very, very nice people to look up.
• 30:36
  to as for younger drivers.
• 30:37
  But on top of that, of course, building a community in which that we can have
• 30:41
  them have their friends reach out, right?
• 30:44
  And they can message their friends and say, Hey, you're a great driver.
• 30:46
  Why don't we get involved here as well?
• 30:48
  Uh, and sort of develop a little bit more along those lines.
• 30:51
  And that of course comes along with building a more.
• 30:54
  In depth community, which is part of me coming on to in it what I've been
• 30:57
  trying to do here is make that discord a little bit more community like make it a
• 31:00
  little more friendly and Bringing on some moderators as well with that and trying
• 31:04
  to just keep everything like I say more in Wraps more in tunes and also just better
• 31:10
  information spread and some updated rules coming soon as well of course, I know that
• 31:14
  was one of the The, the complaints that some of the drivers have had, but we are,
• 31:18
  of course, addressing that for all the various different championships that we
• 31:22
  have coming up, some new rules as well.
• 31:25
  Well, you know, like it takes a village, you know, and we'll take it
• 31:29
  all the help that we can get, but the foundation is there, you know, and,
• 31:34
  uh, it's good that we see the growth.
• 31:36
  You know, like, and with all of these other, as I say, early touch point, you
• 31:40
  know, from the people that they never heard about sim racing, that they might
• 31:44
  get disposed of with sim for STEM in schools, to who is fan of the sport
• 31:49
  that they say, Hey, I want to try this.
• 31:51
  It might be good.
• 31:52
  We have the screen to speed movement.
• 31:54
  Then we have the opportunity to open the doors, you know, for,
• 31:57
  uh, for the industry as a whole.
• 31:59
  But also this, what we are doing today, the init talk.
• 32:02
  So that was an idea that came up to continue to show You know, like faces
• 32:07
  of the industry and give a space to be seen because the key is really
• 32:12
  if you can see her, you can be her.
• 32:15
  So for us is incredibly important to put out individual that can
• 32:18
  be a role model because you never know who you're going to inspire.
• 32:22
  And we run this with positivity and inclusivity.
• 32:25
  So it's very important to us to continue to do this.
• 32:27
  Any talk and don't be shy if you want to be on one of them.
• 32:31
  Just reach out, you know, like we always have, you know, opportunity to do it.
• 32:35
  Yeah.
• 32:36
  And we're going to find the right spot for you to come and tell your story.
• 32:40
  Um, one last thing about the talks today is very cool.
• 32:43
  We, um, gather their attention also to, uh, from Motoring
• 32:48
  Podcast, I think is the name.
• 32:50
  Uh, our, our friend Eric.
• 32:52
  So, every talks now becomes a podcast.
• 32:55
  So, you don't have to watch it live, you know, when it happens.
• 32:58
  You don't have to watch it necessarily just on YouTube.
• 33:00
  You can even listen.
• 33:01
  To it when you're driving your car and going to work.
• 33:04
  So it's all like a little things that we are continuing to put in place.
• 33:07
  So to be able to show that, you know, the reality is here, you know, women in same
• 33:12
  race in easier and but not just women to, you know, like we were saying early
• 33:17
  because we took on the project for I'm Foster, you know, talent for the team USA.
• 33:25
  Now it's going to be also the guys, you know, like to come in and be involved.
• 33:28
  So altogether it takes a village, but we can do this.
• 33:32
  Yeah.
• 33:33
  And that's even, I mean, sort of why I've, you know, come onto the podcast
• 33:35
  as the first male guest as well, right.
• 33:37
  As being an honor, that a nice honor, a privilege for that to be the case,
• 33:41
  of course, more to come in the future.
• 33:43
  So again, if you are looking to get involved, reach out to either myself,
• 33:47
  Sophie, Steffi, anyone here, of course, we'll be able to, uh, to point
• 33:50
  you in the right direction for that.
• 33:51
  That, uh, getting onto the talks and yeah, it's, it's absolutely awesome what we're
• 33:55
  going to be building here in the future.
• 33:57
  And I, again, I'm so honored to be a part of it and I genuinely cannot wait to see
• 34:01
  what the next three months, four months, five months is going to hold because it's
• 34:04
  going to be, I think, a, a nice boom year.
• 34:08
  Yeah, for sure.
• 34:09
  It's, uh, it's exciting and it's, uh, it's nicer to have had a vision, you
• 34:15
  know, like, and then I surround myself with incredible people and continue to
• 34:19
  build something that is very meaningful.
• 34:21
  And, uh, so far, you know, like, seems like we are right in doing it in this
• 34:25
  way, because even with the same first time program, we got picked up by NBC news.
• 34:31
  Oh my God.
• 34:31
  I mean, Same racing event going on NBC News.
• 34:35
  I think that's a pretty good market that we can put, you know, like on our,
• 34:39
  on our, uh, um, um, belt, I would say.
• 34:43
  So, you know, like little by little again, you know, we are all a family.
• 34:47
  It's all about building and all dividing.
• 34:49
  So, you know, like all together, we can definitely make a big change and.
• 34:54
  You know, have fun doing it.
• 34:56
  Indeed.
• 34:56
  And, you know, and down to it as well.
• 34:57
  I keep wanting to bring this up and it keeps slipping my mind, but you mentioned
• 35:00
  it just briefly or not briefly, but the fact that of course we have more than
• 35:04
  just driver spots available, right?
• 35:06
  Just because you are a woman trying to get involved in motorsports doesn't mean
• 35:10
  that you need to become a driver, right?
• 35:12
  You can become engineers.
• 35:13
  You can become a commentator as well.
• 35:15
  Of course, there are other routes available, broadcasting behind the
• 35:18
  scenes, organization, you name it.
• 35:20
  There are so many crucial women in motorsports.
• 35:23
  Already.
• 35:23
  I mean, go look at Susie Wolf and what she's doing, managing everything
• 35:27
  with F1 Academy and everything along those lines as well, of course.
• 35:30
  Uh, just incre some incredible figures out there to look up to.
• 35:34
  Yeah, but not only that, actually, we, through any talk in our community,
• 35:37
  we are able to really create even job opportunities and that's another thing.
• 35:42
  You know, it's not just like, Oh yes, this is cool.
• 35:44
  You know, like actually we can create job.
• 35:47
  Opportunity for women to get involved.
• 35:49
  So that's another very cool thing.
• 35:52
  You know, like they all of this together, you know, like we can come
• 35:56
  up and never and never ways to show how beautiful this industry is in
• 36:01
  real life and digitally and give a chance to everybody to be part of it.
• 36:06
  Absolutely, it is a truly incredible world, and as often people say, the bug
• 36:11
  of motorsports, it exists, it's real, once you catch it, it's really hard
• 36:14
  to get rid of it, and I know, Steffi, you've been involved your whole life,
• 36:18
  which honestly, speaking of, have you ever been on an In It talk before?
• 36:22
  That's one thing I actually don't know if I've ever seen.
• 36:24
  You know, I don't even remember, I think I did maybe the very first one
• 36:28
  just because of course, you know, I wear different hats in the company
• 36:31
  because we are still a startup.
• 36:33
  So like we just said, let's do one and like, OK, I mean, you
• 36:37
  know, kind of like it tonight.
• 36:39
  You know that took over for the little me shop that we had, but we are here.
• 36:44
  We are having a blast and I was happy to help the team
• 36:47
  you know that we are creating.
• 36:49
  So this has been super fun and I love it.
• 36:52
  And did they know so I wanted to ask you that if that's the case, then we got to
• 36:55
  get a little bit more about Steffi, right?
• 36:56
  We got a little bit and learn a more about you.
• 36:58
  Obviously, I know that you had your motocrosser, but how did you get involved?
• 37:02
  I know you got it involved at a very very young age with motorcycles
• 37:05
  But why don't you tell everybody else a little bit more about that?
• 37:08
  Yes.
• 37:09
  So just like you, you know, I started racing very young.
• 37:12
  So I was four years old when I asked my mom and dad to buy me a dirt bike.
• 37:17
  And probably you have heard that I have an accent.
• 37:20
  So I was born in Italy.
• 37:23
  I was born in Italy and, uh, you know, at my time, you know, a little
• 37:27
  girl wanted to race motorcycle.
• 37:29
  It was a big no no for everybody.
• 37:31
  So the entire family was against my mom and dad, but they always, you know,
• 37:36
  let me do whatever I wanted to do, you know, and they always support it.
• 37:39
  Again, it goes back to the concept of the passion that we were saying,
• 37:43
  and they bought me the motorcycle.
• 37:44
  And then, you know, two years later, when I was.
• 37:47
  So, uh, my dad, and it's a very fun story because my dad, at that time, had bought
• 37:53
  a dirt bike for himself, and then he decided to go and do a, um, trail riding.
• 37:59
  So he was in the woods, you know, he went to trail riding, and then all of
• 38:02
  a sudden he saw that there was a small racetrack where kids were, um, uh, uh,
• 38:07
  riding in there, not racing, riding in there with the supervision of the parents.
• 38:11
  So he immediately comes home and he's like, Oh, you have no
• 38:15
  idea what I just discovered.
• 38:16
  Get ready, get dressed and let's go.
• 38:18
  And here I am.
• 38:19
  I still remember like it was yesterday, you know, following my father,
• 38:22
  you know, through this trail just to go to this small little track.
• 38:25
  There was about like five, six miles away from the house.
• 38:29
  And my dad say, going there you see is a track, you know, like
• 38:33
  just follow it and have fun.
• 38:35
  In about one hour time.
• 38:36
  I was the fastest one in the track, so all of the parents of these other kiddos,
• 38:42
  you know, they came to my father and said, what, what are you guys coming from?
• 38:47
  And my dad said, well, we live five miles down the field over that way.
• 38:52
  And then they, my parents didn't know about racing, you know, the
• 38:55
  only concept that they had, there was like, um, Go watch the World
• 38:59
  Championship when it was coming to Italy.
• 39:02
  World Championship has rounds, you know, around the world, and the time they
• 39:05
  were coming to Italy, they were going watching, they were just fan of the sport.
• 39:09
  So they had no idea that they were racing for kids.
• 39:12
  But, you know, through that experience, you know, of course, we go back home, we
• 39:15
  ask mom, Hey, you know, can we go racing?
• 39:18
  And mom like, Oh, I don't know.
• 39:20
  Well, okay, let's try.
• 39:22
  Moral of the story, the first race I did in my life, I finished
• 39:25
  third with all the little boys.
• 39:27
  I was the only little girl.
• 39:29
  And then that year I won every races we entered.
• 39:32
  So then it was like bringing on trophy upon trophy.
• 39:35
  So that's what I wanted to do in life.
• 39:37
  And I have to say though, I've been incredibly lucky to have
• 39:41
  two parents that help me, you know, and support me to do this.
• 39:44
  So, um, That's kind of like my story on the two wheels and then you probably
• 39:49
  if you ever did any kind of racing, you know, once you're in it, you can get out.
• 39:55
  That's how I'm doing it with my life.
• 39:57
  You know, I'm being involved since when I was very little and I consider
• 40:01
  myself very fortunate and lucky to be able to do what I want in life and
• 40:06
  meet wonderful people around the way.
• 40:09
  That is, that is such an incredible story to hear.
• 40:11
  What was it at the point that, uh, obviously there had to be a point
• 40:14
  that you started, you thought that you were going to become professional,
• 40:16
  but there was going to be a point that you started to become professional.
• 40:20
  What was that like?
• 40:20
  What was that feeling?
• 40:21
  And, uh, and sort of how did that come into a culmination?
• 40:26
  So we go down a very slippery slope here that if it is over here as
• 40:30
  somebody that has been a professional athlete at a young age, they will
• 40:33
  relate to what I'm about to say.
• 40:35
  So what happened, the big turning point was actually when the team I was racing
• 40:41
  for, you know, Wanted to have more control on what I was going to be doing
• 40:47
  for the team than my parents, and that's the time, you know, the switch so that
• 40:53
  everybody may include and consider.
• 40:55
  Wait a second.
• 40:56
  I can really be professional at this.
• 40:59
  So that's kind of like was the turning point.
• 41:01
  It was not happy time at the moment when they all think started to happen simply
• 41:06
  because when you have your parents, you know, do all the sacrifices to be able it.
• 41:10
  You To push their kids to do whatever they want in life and then kind of
• 41:15
  like needed to take a step back.
• 41:18
  It's not easy, you know, like, but every bird out of the nest sort of,
• 41:23
  yes, at a very young age, people that being athletes, a professional at a
• 41:27
  young age has to go through this, you know, like, but that was the moment
• 41:31
  really the turning point to me.
• 41:32
  It happened when I was 17 years old, you know, that I started to
• 41:36
  get very good attention, you know, from my, my skills and my results.
• 41:40
  And then was the time that does need to happen that kind of separation.
• 41:44
  So it's not more like a fun, fun thing that you go and do with your family.
• 41:49
  Now it's more like you're going to do this for a living and you're
• 41:52
  going to make money out of it.
• 41:54
  Yeah.
• 41:55
  And that was the, did that take away the fun or did that add to the fun?
• 41:59
  Um, I think it, I mean, again, for me, it was a young age.
• 42:05
  So, you know, like 17, you're a teenager, you know, like, so
• 42:08
  there is a lot of things happening at that time in your life.
• 42:12
  So a lot of time was fun.
• 42:14
  A lot of time was.
• 42:14
  It's not simple because sometimes, you know, I saw my schoolmate go and
• 42:18
  have fun during the weekend and I was going racing, not that I did not
• 42:22
  want to go race racing, but it was always like, oh, you know, like, but
• 42:27
  my friends are having fun, you know, like doing this and I gotta go racing.
• 42:31
  But like, again, the racing always won over.
• 42:34
  You know, as my result proven and I would not do anything different, you
• 42:39
  know, if I had to do it once again, yeah, for me, I was fortunate enough.
• 42:43
  I mean, obviously, I never went into the professional sphere myself
• 42:45
  when it comes to the motor sport.
• 42:47
  I kind of had to bow out a certain point.
• 42:49
  But yeah, having that.
• 42:50
  Your parents push you along and for me, it was not just my parents still very
• 42:53
  fortunate, of course, to have them even supporting me to this day, both my mom
• 42:56
  and my dad, but my uncle Jim as well.
• 42:59
  Of course, he's the one that bought me my first quad at the age of three and just
• 43:02
  showed up one day in my driveway with it.
• 43:04
  They didn't tell me about it.
• 43:05
  They surprised me and I got on it for the first time and then cried my eyes out
• 43:09
  when they told me that I had to get off.
• 43:11
  So, I mean, it's just a, uh, yeah.
• 43:12
  It's a crazy world and especially when you get into the like you say the professional
• 43:16
  scene and now for myself, I guess relating more to the professional commentary
• 43:19
  side of things is it's a surreal feeling when you have, uh, start to kind of
• 43:23
  make your way into it and you start making money doing the thing that you
• 43:26
  actually enjoy doing, which is awesome.
• 43:28
  Yeah.
• 43:29
  It feels good, right?
• 43:31
  Yeah, for sure.
• 43:32
  But also, you know, I want to say that, uh, no, everybody is as lucky
• 43:36
  as us to have parents, you know, that can support, you know, like,
• 43:39
  and, and push, you know, like that.
• 43:41
  So what I would like to say is like, don't give up because even though
• 43:45
  like there is a lot of thinking that could be potentially stack up.
• 43:48
  Uh, against you, don't give up and follow your passion because there is other people
• 43:53
  out there that have your same passion.
• 43:55
  So even if you might not have a family supporting you, just keep going, find
• 44:00
  your people and you're going to find a way through it, you know, because
• 44:05
  in racing, it's all a big family.
• 44:07
  So don't be scared.
• 44:08
  Don't be shy, you know, just keep going and push for what you love.
• 44:12
  And, uh, you know, it's, it's a good thing.
• 44:15
  It's a good family.
• 44:16
  It is.
• 44:17
  It's, we're a bunch of crazy people and we love what we do.
• 44:21
  So, you know, that's at the end of the day, uh, none of us are really, I
• 44:24
  think, sane, like I say, at the end.
• 44:26
  We're, uh, we're, we're speed demons, we're all enjoying, uh,
• 44:29
  an absolute crazy sport and we're all having a great time doing it.
• 44:32
  So why not have it, like I say, have fun with each other and not
• 44:35
  take it as seriously as a lot of people do because that can be it.
• 44:38
  But yeah, don't give up.
• 44:39
  That's the biggest thing, of course.
• 44:40
  Do not give up for your dreams.
• 44:42
  If you have a dream, Stick with it, get through it and try to find
• 44:45
  any way that you can push through.
• 44:47
  As long as you work hard enough, you can really make anything happen.
• 44:49
  And especially with the outlets that we have today, with the internet developing
• 44:52
  and with the amount of resources that are out there now, uh, screen to speed,
• 44:57
  for example, stem for stem, they're two perfect examples of ways forward
• 45:01
  in the, in this sort of sphere, this little micro sphere of the world.
• 45:07
  Yeah, for sure.
• 45:09
  And then back on on the comment on try to continue to involve as many
• 45:14
  category of racing as possible.
• 45:16
  We forgot to say, so I'm going to say here, we're going to be doing
• 45:19
  a drifting event, a drifting event.
• 45:22
  So we had never done this before.
• 45:25
  We're going to work with our Very good friend at the, um, yes, the
• 45:29
  a and I I can't wait to see what is going to come out of that.
• 45:34
  You know, like we have put this in our discord that we're going to have a
• 45:37
  bunch of like the girls to try it out again for the sense of the community.
• 45:42
  We're saying we already find coaches.
• 45:44
  They wanted to teach the girls, you know, how to do drifting.
• 45:47
  So that is going to be a fun one.
• 45:49
  I can't wait to see that one.
• 45:52
  Yeah, that one's going to be incredible for myself.
• 45:54
  Even, uh, just went to the formula drift event that happened here in Seattle.
• 45:57
  So that was super cool.
• 45:59
  The tire smoke, the sound, the noise, the, the racing, which is such a different
• 46:04
  form of motorsport from what you or I, Steph, you're used to for the most
• 46:08
  part, obviously, you know, from two wheels, especially, you cannot really
• 46:12
  even compare it even on four wheels.
• 46:14
  It is a, yeah.
• 46:15
  Uh, noisy, uh, uh, it's very flashy, uh, and a pretty awesome
• 46:22
  sport all the way around.
• 46:25
  Yeah, for sure.
• 46:26
  And I have a, my very good friend Z, she is one of the best at this and I
• 46:30
  can't wait to tell her like, uh, and, and see if she can come in in the
• 46:33
  digital version and maybe teach a thing.
• 46:35
  So too.
• 46:36
  So I mean, it's.
• 46:37
  It's just exciting, but I get to show you once more that everything is together,
• 46:43
  you know, it doesn't matter if you like Formula One or you like NASCAR or you like
• 46:48
  GT cars or drifting cars, you know, like the beauty of it is like it's transferable
• 46:53
  in a way that we are all together here and try to have a passion and.
• 46:58
  Absolutely.
• 47:00
  At the end of the day, it's all just hitting a pedal and
• 47:02
  a break and turning a wheel.
• 47:03
  It's just a matter of what type of wheel you're turning, what type of
• 47:06
  break you're hitting, how hard you're hitting it, and how quickly you're
• 47:08
  getting on the throttle, uh, all the way around the basics they transfer.
• 47:12
  And that's again, why we go looping all the way background to
• 47:15
  getting people involved very early, which I am so passionate with.
• 47:18
  Get your kids driving, get them into karting, get them into sim racing.
• 47:21
  That's why I always tell parents, especially at events when they're
• 47:23
  thinking, Oh, do I want to let my kid try the simulator?
• 47:25
  Yes.
• 47:26
  Yes.
• 47:27
  The reason you don't is because they're going to like it.
• 47:29
  That's why you don't want to spend the money on it.
• 47:31
  No, get them involved.
• 47:32
  It is such a fun and, uh, and just all the way around a way of life now,
• 47:38
  especially again, in this modern world and how big racing is getting with formula
• 47:42
  one, with GT, with motors cross with.
• 47:45
  Every single sport growing and growing and growing.
• 47:48
  It is such a amazing world that we live in.
• 47:51
  And to be in this small little world, as it is again, get involved.
• 47:56
  Yeah, for sure.
• 47:57
  And also another thing I wanted to touch base on is like, if you ever need
• 48:01
  any equipment, reach out to, because we are reseller to all the measure
• 48:05
  brands, you know, in the, in the world.
• 48:08
  So if you need equipment, just ask.
• 48:10
  And if we can pass along savings to you, we will do it.
• 48:13
  So, you know, like, um, It's it's again it's every little thing help so like
• 48:19
  if you need product you know just come over and we can help you on that and
• 48:24
  some other potential set up chances steffi that are in the wings as well i
• 48:29
  don't know if we can talk about that.
• 48:31
  Well, we do have one thing that I can kind of like a mention right now.
• 48:34
  It is the fact that we are working very hard with this very good friend
• 48:40
  of mine that his name is Nicole, you know, that has made is in the way
• 48:44
  of processing the most It's a game.
• 48:46
  It's a game.
• 48:46
  It's a simulation.
• 48:48
  Super fun.
• 48:50
  Motocross game and to me that comes like right here is called Motocross the game
• 48:56
  and, uh, is working through it is so cool.
• 48:59
  It's going to be ready for the public on at this fall and then
• 49:05
  watch this space because we're going to start to make a very
• 49:11
  I cannot wait to see that again, back to my grass roots for that or my dirt roots.
• 49:16
  I guess I should say at the end of the day, uh, but Steffi, it looks like we're
• 49:19
  getting kind of close here on the time.
• 49:20
  I mean, is there anything else that we would like to, uh, to bring
• 49:23
  up here at the end to wrap up any questions in chat here before we do
• 49:26
  kind of get down to the conclusion?
• 49:27
  It's been a very nice chat.
• 49:30
  Yeah, I love it.
• 49:31
  I think we need to talk a little bit more about you.
• 49:33
  You are supposed to be the interviewed fair.
• 49:35
  That's fair.
• 49:36
  I think everybody can shoot, shoot some, a question for Mike in the, please do.
• 49:41
  I covered all of the talking points that I had in my notes here.
• 49:44
  So, uh, for anything else that you guys would like to know for,
• 49:47
  I guess, uh, I didn't cover any hobbies or anything, I guess.
• 49:49
  So, like I said, I briefly did them into some, uh, some filmography and some
• 49:53
  other stuff when it comes to drones.
• 49:55
  I love flying drones.
• 49:56
  getting an FPV drone soon.
• 49:57
  So that'll be sick.
• 49:58
  Um, got a couple of GoPros.
• 50:00
  I like to film some, like I say, POV shots with my quad, with, uh, with
• 50:04
  cars and just all the way around.
• 50:06
  Like I said, I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to that sort of thing.
• 50:10
  I love hiking, like long, I like long walks in the woods, my guess
• 50:13
  would be the way to look at that.
• 50:14
  And I like the snow growing up in the Pacific Northwest.
• 50:17
  We get a lot of that in the mountains, so it's nice.
• 50:19
  Um, yeah, I enjoy hiking.
• 50:22
  I just hiked up Mt. Sai not too long ago and fed some birds up at the summit.
• 50:26
  That was awesome.
• 50:27
  Flew the drone up there.
• 50:28
  And, uh, all the way around, like I say, just kind of, uh Oh, here
• 50:32
  we go, we do have a question.
• 50:34
  How do you engage?
• 50:37
  This is, um No comments.
• 50:42
  Thank you, I guess.
• 50:45
  Not sure that's much of a question.
• 50:49
  But, uh, no, honestly, like I say, I'm just, uh I'm just kind of a guy, you know?
• 50:52
  I'm just a guy that likes motorsports, at the end of the
• 50:54
  day, when it comes down to it.
• 50:55
  I just love racing, I love watching racing.
• 50:58
  Uh, my buddy's been getting me into anime recently, so that's a thing that's
• 51:01
  happened, you know, uh, when it comes down, I'm still not, like, into it, so
• 51:04
  calm down, chat, calm down before anybody starts bringing that stuff up, uh, we're,
• 51:09
  we're definitely, we're definitely not quite deep into it just yet, uh, but yeah,
• 51:13
  I don't know, that's, um, I'm trying to think if there's anything else very deep.
• 51:17
  Interesting, I guess, about myself.
• 51:22
  Nothing that comes to mind.
• 51:24
  No, I don't know.
• 51:25
  Chat, not either.
• 51:26
  No, no questions in chat either.
• 51:28
  So I think, uh, I don't know.
• 51:29
  Anything else, Steffi?
• 51:31
  No, I think we're ready to wrap it up.
• 51:33
  Thank you everybody for being, you know, in this, uh, in this in e talk.
• 51:37
  You know, it's always a pleasure if I get the chance, you know, like, to
• 51:40
  show my face and talk with everybody.
• 51:42
  So, but again, take away, you know, for me, it's always like, follow your
• 51:47
  passion, you know, just reach out if you need anything, you know, like, uh,
• 51:52
  and, um, let's keep doing this is fun.
• 51:55
  Yes, absolutely.
• 51:56
  This is, uh, we're going to be here for a long time folks, so we're
• 51:59
  not going to be going anywhere.
• 52:00
  And on that note, I hope everybody has a lovely evening, afternoon, or morning
• 52:05
  wherever you are in this fine world.
• 52:07
  Thank you.
• 52:08
  And good night.
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