One of the highlights from SEMA this year was that I got to meet Randy Pobst in person. Not only have we been covering his “The Racing Line” series of informative videos since they started coming out, but it was honestly a meeting of one of my heroes. I’ve followed his career ever since the North American Touring Car Championship days in the mid-1990s (he was one of two champions, in 1996, driving a Honda Accord) and throughout his SCCA days, among other exploits. Plus, he’s a genuinely nice guy. The way you see him in the videos is as he was in person. I couldn’t resist asking him what his favorite track to drive on was (Nurburgring, Road Atlanta, Laguna Seca) but what he seemed genuinely excited about is what he does in the video below. Remember, Randy is an asphalt guy. Sliding around is usually a big no-no. But on the dirt, that’s not only encouraged, it’s the fastest way to corner. Steer-by-throttle is a way of life in both rally and truck racing, and while I’d like to point out Randy’s uncomfortableness behind the wheel of a prepared Ford Raptor…well, I can’t. I’m not sure that there is anything short of an oil tanker that this man wouldn’t master driving with one short lesson.
