From RC Cars to Race Team Owner - Stephan Papadakis Reveals Everything

Joining us this week on Very Vehicular we have Stephan Papadakis! From his earliest beginnings in the SoCal RC hobby scene, to his record-shattering years as a legendary figure of the drag racing world, arriving on the mountain top as race team owner and all-around engineering wizard, we find out: is there anything Steph Papadakis can’t do? Scotto gets the deep backstory on the game-changing FWD drag cars that shattered records (first into the 9s!) and how those cars came to be. It’s a tale stranger than fiction! We find out all about Steph’s move into drifting - again, innovating, taking names and shaking things up. Of course, there’s always time left over to opine on the state of motorsports, youtube, takeovers, and what’s next for Stephan. Enjoy! @PapadakisRacing@StephPapadakis@BrianScotto @321ActionActionPartners:Vyper IndustrialFCP EuroHeatwave VisualWera ToolsKW SuspensionProducer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterartsMusic: SlikSound Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647https://bio.site/321actionactionpodcasts@321actionaction.com00:00 - Welcome & Introduction00:34 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual & KW Suspensions02:11 - RC Car Origins and the Racing Mindset07:48 - From RC to Real Cars14:46 - SoCal Street Racing Era20:26 - Import Drag Racing Breakthrough25:09 - First FWD Tube Chassis Civic29:52 - Wheelie Bars Explained35:40 - Tech Arms Race and Limits38:25 - A Whole New Plan - Ready for SEMA?39:14 - Fortin Brings the Drivetrain Magic40:33 - Getting into the Low 8s40:54 - Fast and Furious Boom44:01 - Hey, Who Killed the Music? When the Scene Faded47:45 - Sponsors: FCP Euro & Wera Tools50:01 - Getting the Wandering Eye… for Drift53:55 - Enter, Tanner Foust58:46 - Scion TC Controversy & the Letter of the Rules01:01:24 - A Toyota Racing Developed NASCAR Truck V8?01:08:57 - Arms Race Team Era01:16:22 - What Happens When Tech is Allowed to Judge?01:19:03 - Motorsport - How to Save the Show01:23:43 - A Plea for Diversity in Racing01:27:11 - Snack Cart by Vyper Industrial01:28:36 - Fixing the Drift Show01:31:43 - Drift Masters vs FD01:33:44 - Car Culture Health Check01:35:59 - Tech Boom vs Regulations (and the EPA)01:41:37 - Takeovers and Youth Scene01:45:27 - YouTube Success Formula01:50:43 - Escaping the Creator Treadmill01:52:49 - What’s Next for Steph?