The Avants Podcast

A Mini Glimpse Into Michele Graaff

We had a fun chat with Michele Graaff; a passionate Mini GP owner who takes to the track on weekends. Michele is one of many people we are fortunate to talk with who will inspire you to get in your car and take it to the track. Not only is she a talented driver and the VP of the Puget Sound MINI Motoring Club, but she also has a great sense of humor and one of those people you just want to be friends with as soon as you meet her.
More about Michele in her own words:”I am an academic advisor at University of Washington, writer and editor on the side, working on a few different freelance projects. Owning a MINI was a catalyst for learning performance driving because it’s such an accessible car for a lot of people Upgrading to the MINI JCW GP came from realizing my track skills would eventually require bigger brakes, and some other improvements. I love MINI so much that I was recently elected vice president of Puget Sound MINI Motoring Club. We are an all-female volunteer board of the largest non-profit MINI club in the region. Our mission is to encourage local owners enjoy the culture of MINI. My personal journey has put me onto the track, so most of my free time is spent nerding out over how to become a better driver. I’ve done this mostly alone, picking the brains of a handful of amazing coaches and friends, and lots of reading. This has evolved into me wanting more drivers (especially women!) to understand that getting out on the track isn’t just for people with the “right car” or giant bank account (though you’ll certainly go broke with this passion.) We are fortunate to have a lot of great resources for high performance driving in our area, from ProFormance to the local car clubs hosting HPDE days. Right now, I’m starting to learn pit crew support for a couple of IRDC/ICSCC racing friends. Maybe a race car will be in my future, but for now, I love my MINI GP and everything that goes with it.”
You can find more from Michele on her IG: https://www.instagram.com/mgsees/

This Episode Was Crafted In The Northwest

We welcome Scottie and Jordan Stratton of Northwest Crafted Interiors to tell us all about the dark art of doing interiors! We can tell you without a doubt that quality upholstery is one of the hardest jobs in the automotive industry that we have come across. The guys at Northwest Crafted are absolute masters and can do anything you can dream of to the interior of your car. Like a quality mattress, getting a proper seat is one of the best investments you can make in your car and these are definitely the guys to do it. Even better, they’re an Avants partner! 
Check them out at: https://www.nwcraftedinteriors.com/ 
And on IG at: https://www.instagram.com/nw_crafted/ 

Rachel Neuharth And The Bronco 2 Project

In this episode we talk about finding the perfect mount for recording from your vehicle with a phone (which is way harder than you think) and we talk to the latest Avants member to go full send at Avants Off-road event, Rachel Neuharth. After a late night birthday Craigslist browsing, Rachel decided she needed a project car and picked up a Bronco 2, then she took the next most important step, she showed up at an Avants event and went full send. We brought Rachel on the show because she’s a good case for what all of us know - just showing up and being nice will get you all the welcoming and support you need.
Follow Rachel’s Bronco project on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/sandy_bronco/

Hey Tesla, Open Your... What?

For episode 179 we cover a lot of automotive news ranging from Colorado’s weed friendly license plate lotto, the insane towing capacity of new trucks, the Rivians are coming, and Tesla’s latest interesting Easter Egg.

From South Africa to Seattle with Naomi Watnick

We get to know driver, enthusiast, and instructor Naomi Watnick! Naomi teaches driving skills for the Porsche Club, BMW Club, and many others, including Avants track days. Get to know Naomi’s story and how she came from driving tanks to racing Miatas.
If you want to learn more about the very cool Merkur XR4Ti - https://www.motortrend.com/news/1985-1989-merkur-xr4ti-buyers-guide/

The Missing Episode

Dan was gone for a while, so we get you up to speed with this missing episode covering a lot of stuff!
Everyone needs to know about the Lockpicking Lawyer - www.youtube.com/channel/UCm9K6rby98W8JigLoZOh6FQ
Watch some guys riding vintage Honda trail bikes 500 miles, proving we aren’t quite as crazy as you thought - www.youtube.com/watch?v=320vUMEoelc
In reference to our Carter Subaru Tip of the week, check out how APR (and many others) are helping you with your powertrain warranty if you decide to void yours with a tune - www.goapr.com/products/software/…20T-EA888-3-T-IS38
Streetspeed717 from YouTube decided to jump his Urus over his Aventador and we think that’s pretty cool - www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_L7lEgZcdc
Gordon Murray puts his new T50 on a dyno and sorta runs the Nürburgring - www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMbNh8y7HUY
Aston Martin vs Honda - Correction, this was Top Gear Season 6, Episode 5 - and Jeremy Clarkson driving.
Nikola is still full crap, SSC is maybe slightly less, and the story of the Dale.
The story of the Dale is fascinating - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twentieth_C…_Car_Corporation - and to correct something in the show we don't want people to misunderstand, we didn't mean Trans "wasn't a thing" in the 60s/70s, we meant it was not a commonly used term at the time and was not widely used to describe sexual identity in historical reference.
And we discuss Nissan's predatory loan practices: jalopnik.com/nissan-is-going-to…stomers-1846636646

Meet Jim Cissell, The Voice Guy!

Jim is a guy you know, and yet you don’t. Literally “The Voice Guy”, Jim has done documentaries, movie previews, radio, and so many ads over the years. We learn his story from being a journalist in the Air Force to a full time career as a voice over artist. We met Jim via our car friends, as usual, and he’s a real car nut too!

The Backcountry Monkey

The Honda Monkey 125. The perfect, adorable, retro style bike for getting you around town. We’re taking it on a 600 mile ride down the WABDR. No, that’s not a joke. Get to hear how this crazy idea became a reality and everything required to take a bike with about 4” of suspension travel and a 1.5 gallon fuel tank down one of Washington’s most iconic, and longest, off-road adventure routes, the WABDR. Tune in as we have a fun ride coming up that we know you’re going to get a kick out of! We also talk about some tips for getting your car ready for driving season!
To read more about the WABDR and see the route, check out the official site: https://ridebdr.com/wabdr/