From RC Cars to Race Team Owner - Stephan Papadakis Reveals Everything
5/13/20262 hr 1 min
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!
Partners:
Vyper Industrial
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension
Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Music: SlikSound
Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647
https://bio.site/321actionaction
00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
00:34 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual & KW Suspensions
02:11 - RC Car Origins and the Racing Mindset
07:48 - From RC to Real Cars
14:46 - SoCal Street Racing Era
20:26 - Import Drag Racing Breakthrough
25:09 - First FWD Tube Chassis Civic
29:52 - Wheelie Bars Explained
35:40 - Tech Arms Race and Limits
38:25 - A Whole New Plan - Ready for SEMA?
39:14 - Fortin Brings the Drivetrain Magic
40:33 - Getting into the Low 8s
40:54 - Fast and Furious Boom
44:01 - Hey, Who Killed the Music? When the Scene Faded
47:45 - Sponsors: FCP Euro & Wera Tools
50:01 - Getting the Wandering Eye… for Drift
53:55 - Enter, Tanner Foust
58:46 - Scion TC Controversy & the Letter of the Rules
01:01:24 - A Toyota Racing Developed NASCAR Truck V8?
01:08:57 - Arms Race Team Era
01:16:22 - What Happens When Tech is Allowed to Judge?
01:19:03 - Motorsport - How to Save the Show
01:23:43 - A Plea for Diversity in Racing
01:27:11 - Snack Cart by Vyper Industrial
01:28:36 - Fixing the Drift Show
01:31:43 - Drift Masters vs FD
01:33:44 - Car Culture Health Check
01:35:59 - Tech Boom vs Regulations (and the EPA)
01:41:37 - Takeovers and Youth Scene
01:45:27 - YouTube Success Formula
01:50:43 - Escaping the Creator Treadmill
01:52:49 - What’s Next for Steph?
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsBrian Scotto· Host0:00
Yo, what's up everybody? Welcome back to another episode of Very Vehicular, brought to you by Viper Industrial, and as always, I'm your host, Brian Scotto. Today, we have a legend in the industry, none other than Steph Papadakis. This guy forged and pioneered his way during the early days of import drag racing, was a big part in the whole world of drifting, especially behind building the cars, and we get into a lot of nerdy conversations, as well as some very interesting conversations about what can make all the sports better, cars, all of that. Enjoy it. I did. [static hisses] If your favorite pair of safety glasses prevented a catastrophic eyeball loss, those things deserve their place in the trophy cabinet. But if you just got a bad scratch right in your line of sight, bummer. And Heatwave Visual knows this. Introducing the Skynet, an all-new frame that's Z87+ safety rated with zero horizontal obstructions. But the highlight feature is the new lens protection film. Think iPhone screen protector for your safety specs. It even comes with a jig to replace the films yourself for when you've stared into those mesmerizing grinding sparks for just a breath too long. And on top of all that, these are their lightest frames ever. Find them at heatwavevisual.com. [static hisses] Have you ever bought a set of coilovers just to lower your car for looks? It's okay. Slammed cars look great, and while KW Suspension has you more than covered for that, when it's time to step up and make your street car into a track car, they offer the Clubsport, available in both two-way and three-way adjustability. This kit offers top