Name: Podspeed Episode #38: Mint 400's Matt Martelli
Uploaded: 2021-03-25T21:25:52.751279+00:00
Duration: 5723 s
Channel: GTChannel
Description: Matt Martelli, CEO of the iconic Mint 400 off-road desert race and co-founder of Mad Media marketing company, joins Podspeed to talk about the iconic desert race and the future of off-road racing. Also, James discusses the new McLaren Artura, Taro talks flying cars, and Sam takes a firm position on hatchbacks. ************* Sub to Podspeed on GTChannel! https://tinyurl.com/y9325sls

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Matt Martelli, CEO of the iconic Mint 400 off-road desert race and co-founder of Mad Media marketing company, joins Podspeed to talk about the iconic desert race and the future of off-road racing. 

Also, James discusses the new McLaren Artura, Taro talks flying cars, and Sam takes a firm position on hatchbacks.

*************

Sub to Podspeed on GTChannel! https://tinyurl.com/y9325sls

Matt Martelli, CEO of the iconic Mint 400 off-road desert race and co-founder of Mad Media marketing company, joins Podspeed to talk about the iconic desert race and the future of off-road racing. Also, James discusses the new McLaren Artura, Taro talks flying cars, and Sam takes a firm position on hatchbacks.*************Sub to Podspeed on GTChannel! <a href="https://tinyurl.com/y9325sls" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/y9325sls</a>

https://d3ev5earl6dvd0.cloudfront.net/public-media/videos/001/785/001785/video_p2FkJ6S.mp4

Matt Martelli explains the origins of his and his brother’s company Mad Media, a marketing and events enterprise with roots in skateboarding, action sports, and the off-road culture of San Diego. The dynamism of off-road racing became the yardstick by which all other projects were measured.

Mint 400’s Matt Martelli: Skate, Rally and Trophy Trucks

Matt Martelli and his Mad Media operation worked with pioneering driver Ken Block to boost rally racing in the U.S. through high-intensity autocross-style “gymkhana” events. Filming and distributing digital content was a challenge in the pre-YouTube days, and Mad Media successfully convinced X Games to include gymkhana in their events package.

Gymkhana Ken Block and Matt Martelli’s Mission To Expose Rally Radness

Martelli watched college friend Ken Block connect the worlds of sneakers, skateboarding and rally racing through his company DC Shoes. At the time, only a handful of people saw the potential in packaging rally racing for American audiences. Martelli says it came down to a simple concept: “skateboarding videos with a car.”

4WD Drifting Matt Martelli: “With Enough Horsepower To The Ground You Can Do Anything”

Matt Martelli recalls his early image of off-road racing as the domain of fat, rich, old white guys. At first Martelli and his brother simply wanted to document the burgeoning class of young drivers for video content. They ended up buying the Mint 400 after running into obstacles with the old guard of racing promoters.

Mint 400 Ownership’s Guiding Principle: Unlock Value Of Off-Road Racing

While The Mint 400 off-road desert race is usually held in March, Matt Martelli says his group preferred to push this year’s race until December, rather than hold a compromised event due to Covid restrictions. With the hope that Covid will have cleared out by December, Martelli thinks this year could be the biggest Mint yet.

December Could See Biggest Mint 400 Yet

The Mint 400 has always attracted popular drivers from other disciplines, such as Parnelli Jones, the Unser family, and most recently Jenson Button, and Mint CEO Matt Martelli says there’s always something to learn from different racing, including the latest version of the Saudi-based Dakar Rally.

Mint 400 CEO: Nothing Like Visceral Thrill Of Racing Off-Road

Last year’s Mint 400 featured 26 classes, ranging from old-school VW Bugs and motorcycles, on up to the unlimited Trophy Trucks. Mint 400 CEO Matt Martelli wants to keep the racing accessible. And even with the high costs of building and running a Trophy Truck, compared to other forms of motorsport, it’s a bargain.

Off-Road Desert Racing Is Million-Dollar Bargain

Not unlike off-road racing compared to other forms of motorsport, UTV racing is one of the best bag-for-buck thrill rides available. Most stock UTVs offer around 18 inches of suspension travel, and even more with modifications. That’s enough for a wild time driving fast over rough terrain.

UTV Racing Exploding Now, Best Bang For Your Racing Buck

They may be better known as race promoters now, but the Martelli brothers are still content guys at heart. With roots in video marketing and storytelling, Mad Media has also started a video podcast (Off-Road Racer) and a website (UTV Underground) to help bind the off-road community in between races.

Mad Media Content Keeps Community Connected

Auto-industry insiders in Japan tell Podspeed that Toyota and Subaru are pursuing another joint project, this one a production road car based on a rally platform built to compete in Rally Japan. About the size of an Subaru Impreza Sport, the car could feature a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and all-wheel-drive. One possibility is that it comes to market as a reborn Toyota Celica GT-4.

Are Toyota And Subaru Co-Building Next Celica GT-4?

Coupe Or Hatch? “Sell-ica” Or “Say-Lee-Ka”? Sam knocks over a hornet’s nest with his claims that the Toyota Celica is a hatchback. After all, it’s a two-door with a rear “hatch” lift, right? Turns out determining body styles isn’t always cut and dried.

When Is A Hatch Not A Hatch? Podspeed Experts Debate

Japanese auto industry insiders tell Podspeed that Nissan is preparing a limited, final-edition model of the current GT-R (R35), ahead of the launch of the next-gen R36 expected in the second half of 2022. The “final edition” could have a 720-horsepower, hand-assembled engine, and may be available in as few as 20 units at a cost of around $400,000.

Nissan Prepares Limited Final-Edition R35 GT-R

James drives the Volkswagen Atlas and finds it a touch too big compared to the smaller Atlas CrossSport, but all that room has its advantages, namely massive interior space. A 2.0-liter turbo isn’t quite enough power for the big Atlas, however. And for the money, a Hyundai Palisade or Kia Telluride offer better value.

Two Liters Is Too Little For VW Atlas SUV

Sam is given due credit for his ability to predict the flying car future, as Chinese-owned flying car maker TerraFugia gets both FAA and NHTSA certifications and the Japanese government announced authorization for flying car operation within the next few year.

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