Let’s Be RONest presented by Nitto Tire is where we get real about cars, racing and life at large. Hosted by NHRA Drag Racing champion and Nitto Ambassador Ron Bergenholtz, this podcast goes full throttle into the automotive world and beyond.
Each episode, Ron sits down with industry icons and people of interest who share one thing in common—a passion for their craft. From behind-the-scenes racing stories to deep dives into culture, you’ll get an unfiltered look at what drives the people who live life on the road, the track, and everywhere in between.
If you love cars, crave authenticity, and want to hear from the voices shaping the automotive community and beyond, buckle up—because it’s time to be RONest.
Westen Champlin on Redneck Science, Building Horsepower Ranch, and Betting on Yourself | LET'S BE RONest S2 #4
From flipping trucks in Kansas to building some of the wildest vehicles on the internet, Westen Champlin has built a career by figuring things out the only way he knows how: trying it, breaking it, and trying again. Westen takes Ron through the story behind his automotive obsession, starting with four-wheelers, his first cars, crashing his dad’s semi, and the vehicles that eventually gave him the speed bug. He shares how years of hustling and flipping vehicles led to a car dealership, how a ...
29 Jun 2026
Collete Davis on Reinvention, Risk, and Racing Everything | LET'S BE RONest S2 #3
From open-wheel racing and rallycross to Monster Jam and Formula Drift, Collete Davis has built a career by refusing to stay in one lane. Collete takes Ron through the journey that started with a simple go-kart experience and turned into a lifelong pursuit of speed. She shares how she hustled her way through a mechanical engineering race program, made the difficult decision to leave the traditional path behind, and took a chance on herself as a professional driver. Ron and Collete dive into ...
5 Jun 2026
Ben Hobson on Formula Drift, Failure, and Never Stopping the Chase | LET'S BE RONest S2 #2
Fresh off a strong showing at Long Beach and a frustrating qualifying result at Road Atlanta, Ben breaks down the mental side of competition, why overthinking can cost you everything, and how he's learned to turn setbacks into lessons. Ron and Ben dive into the early days, from discovering drifting in Florida and learning in an automatic Mustang to building his first 240SX on a budget and chasing the Lone Star Drift dream. What started as late nights in the garage eventually led to Pro-Am ch...
28 Apr 2026
Betting It All on Rotaries with Rob Dahm | Let’s Be RONest
Season 2 of Let’s Be RONest kicks off with Rob Dahm, the guy behind some of the wildest rotary builds out there. From being scared of loud engines as a kid to chasing world records and building a 1000+ horsepower RX-7, Rob breaks down how curiosity, not just passion, shaped everything he does. What started with computers and Guinness World Records turned into an obsession with speed, engineering, and pushing limits. Ron and Rob get into the early days, from starting an IT business just to a...
27 Feb 2026
Building Speed and Betting It All with Cleetus McFarland | Let’s Be RONest
In Episode 7 of Let’s Be RONest, host Ron Bergenholtz sits down with drag racer, ARCA competitor, pilot, and Freedom Factory owner Cleetus McFarland for a wide open conversation inside McFarland Fab.  ...
8 Jan 2026
Wrangling Pythons and Living on the Edge with Python Cowboy | Let’s Be RONest #6
In Episode 6 of Let’s Be RONest, host Ron Bergenholtz sits down with Florida-based invasive-species hunter and outdoorsman Mike Kimmel, better known as Python Cowboy. From solo python hunts in the Everglades to close calls with massive Burmese pythons, Mike shares what it takes to remove some of the most dangerous invasive predators in North America. The conversation dives into how pythons behave, why reading body language matters, and the infamous encounter where a 17-foot snake bit him whi...
18 Dec 2025
How Taylor Ray Builds, Drives, and Breaks the Rules | Let’s Be RONest Episode 5
In Episode 5 of Let’s Be RONest, host Ron Bergenholtz sits down with automotive creator, fabricator, and all-around motorsports mad scientist Taylor Ray. From drifting, clutch kickers, and mountain roads to jet boats ripping through Florida back rivers, Taylor’s obsession with building and driving anything with an engine runs deep. The conversation dives into why he insists on building his own cars, the mental and physical realities of competitive driving, and how understanding every bolt an...
12 Nov 2025
How Jacob Gettins Became the Voice of Drifting | Let’s Be RONest Episode 4
In Episode 4 of Let’s Be Ronest, host Ron Bergenholtz talks with Jacob Gettin — the newest voice of Formula Drift and Drift Masters. Jacob’s path is anything but typical: he went from aspiring architect to chef, spent years working in concrete, and somehow ended up announcing on some of drifting’s biggest stages. Ron and Jacob dig into how those pivots happened, what it’s like sharing the booth with Jared DeAnda, dealing with online critics, and how drifting culture differs between the U.S. a...
28 Oct 2025
James Deane and Vaughn Gittin Jr. RTR Vehicles Drift Team | Let’s Be RONest Episode 3
Ron Bergenholtz sits down with Team RTR’s powerhouse duo: Vaughn Gittin Jr. and James Deane, first five-time Formula Drift Champion. In this episode, they dive into their racing roots, share stories from the track, and talk about how their paths in drifting crossed—leading to one of the most exciting collaborations in modern motorsports. From championship mindsets to behind-the-scenes camaraderie, this episdoe sends it! Listen to Let’s Be RONest brought to you by Nitto streaming or subscribe...
23 Oct 2025
Import Racing in the 90s with Ed Bergenholtz | Let’s Be RONest Episode 2
Ron Bergenholtz talks to none other than his brother, Ed Bergenholtz. Not only does Ed lead the IT team at Skydance, but he and Ron headed up Bergenholtz Racing back when they were just getting started in the 90s. They go deep into import drag racing history and tell some incredible stories of coming to age during the era of imports in So Cal. Plus, we get some insight into running your own race team and how Ed's taken those learnings into his professional career. This episode is not to misse...
9 Oct 2025
Inside Formula Drift with Andy Luk | Let’s Be RONest Episode 1
On the premiere episode of Let’s Be RONest, Ron Bergenholtz talks to Director of Operations at Formula Drift, Andy Luk. They discuss the ins & outs of FD including what it takes to compete and win, who’s the greatest drifter of all time, how Formula Drift became what it is today and what we may see in the future of FD. Listen to Let’s Be RONest brought to you by Nitto streaming or subscribe to DrivingLine’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrivingLine Follow for the podcast and mor...
7 Oct 2025
Meet Ron Bergenholtz: Racing Legend and New Podcast Host
With over 30 years of experience in the world of racing—from sport compact drag racing championships to coaching Formula Drift teams to victory—Ron Bergenholtz has seen it all. Now, he’s pulling up a chair for real conversations about cars, racing, and life at large. The first episode of Let's be RONest brought to you by Nitto Tire drops October 9, right here and wherever you listen to podcasts.
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