
There may be no more interesting man in the dirt racing scene than Tyler "Terbo" Erb
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Kenny Wallace
I can help.
Gladforce
No need. Let me just grab these plates.
Kenny Wallace
Ooh.
Turbo Tyler
Want me to hold the Glad bag?
Gladforce
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Turbo Tyler
Yup, sure, I can do that. And let me grab these candlesticks for you.
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Turbo Tyler
You don't wake up dreaming of McDonald's fries. You wake up dreaming of McDonald's hash browns. McDonald's breakfast comes first.
Kenny Wallace
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Kenny Conversation, brought to you by jegs, the leader in high performance aftermarket car parts. Remember to go to JEGS.com for anything you need to fix your vehicle right up. All right, everybody. You looking at him? One of the most famous dirt racers in America and even the world, you know, because they race down in Australia and New Zealand. It's Turbo Tyler. How you doing, buddy?
Turbo Tyler
Pretty good. Pretty good. Thanks for having me on. I never thought I'd get the call. I figured you had all these other guys and, you know, I was kind of. I was just chopped liver. But you finally called me and, yeah, we're here.
Kenny Wallace
I like it that you're. You're not disappointing me. You're all. You're already talking crap and. And that's my man right there. What are you drinking right there? Show me that.
Turbo Tyler
Caffeine and nicotine, baby. That's what fuels me every day. I don't do drugs and I don't drink that much. So I wake up and, you know, I try to stay in shape and I, you know, I run and do things like that. But, yeah, I don't know why. I just. I love caffeine. And I'm not a coffee guy yet. I just haven't got to that age where coffee has any appeal to me. So, yeah, just a ghost. No sponsorship from them yet, but I get it by the cases from the gas station here. But, yeah, Ghost and Zen. Caffeine and nicotine. That's all I need.
Kenny Wallace
My God. I swear I'm looking at a me. We're both off centered. And for years everybody would say, wallace, you're so weird. And now I'm 61 and I think about five years ago, I said, you know what? I am weird. Stay away. Yeah, right.
Turbo Tyler
It's good. I mean, being weird is just yourself. I don't think that's. You're weird, you're just not like everybody else.
Kenny Wallace
Right, right, right. And you, you are on an island by yourself and I'm one of your biggest fans because I love it that you're true to yourself. All right, well, let's have a good time. Kenny conversation is just that we interview everybody in anything. And I gotta tell you, Turbo, I was shocked to see how many views and engagements we got with Mark Richards from Rocket Chassis. I, I had no idea that there was that much interest in the dirt racing world. But man, you know, that blew me away. And then, you know, we had Bobby Pierce and, and Nick and, and of course a lot of other great dirt racers. Jonathan Davenport and I don't know what took me so long to get to you. You were glaring, you know, right in my face. So I do apologize for that.
Turbo Tyler
No, it's all good. It's all good. I'm glad to be on here. And yeah, I mean, I think like I tell people all the time, they're like, oh man, you're a famous. And I'm like, no, no, no, no. I go to Walmart and no one knows who I am. But like in our pond, what we do, you know, we're. There's a lot of people that pay attention and are die hards to what we do, but in the grand scheme of things, there's a lot of other things going on in the world. So I don't feel any different than I did when I, you know, worked for my parents. But it's. Yeah, it's, it is crazy how much people keep up with us. You know, I have some buddies that work in NASCAR shops and things like that and they're like, man, we watched your race. That was awesome. You know, you, you said this and did this and you know, they would just. That blows people away in our world. And I'm like, well, I mean, I don't know, my job's still here Monday, I guess. So I don't have the same rules you guys have.
Kenny Wallace
You, you are a rebel. And like I've said, I'm a fan of that. Let's, let's go back home for a little bit, you know, let's go back to Waverly, Texas. Is that home?
Turbo Tyler
Yeah. I went to high school. I grew up basically north Houston area. Magnolia, New Waverly. That's where I went to school. Grew up my whole life And. And if you're not familiar with the state of Texas, it's massive, but it's. It's just north Houston. Like, Houston is a big place. So when people say they're from St. Louis, they could be.
Kenny Wallace
Yeah, they could be from a lot.
Turbo Tyler
Of places, but St. Louis. So when I say I'm from New Waverly, it's just. It's. I could say Houston, but I'm not from downtown. But, yeah, that's where I was born and raised, grew up and lived until I was 19 years old and then got the hell out of Dodge, and here I am.
Kenny Wallace
So your full name? Tyler Leland Herb.
Turbo Tyler
That's me.
Kenny Wallace
Okay, you're Tyler. How did we get to this great nickname? I mean, everybody. And we're gonna go through all these nicknames, and you got some great ones. Uncle T. But how did we get to Turbo?
Turbo Tyler
I think it's just a play on my name more than anything. You know, T, Herb Turbo. And probably because, you know, I'm. I'm not diagnosed ADD or OCD or any of that, you know.
Kenny Wallace
Lucky.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah. Like, I never went to the doctor and had them confirm what I already know, but I think just, you know, my whole life I've been pretty high strung, and I'm not a. I can't sit on my hands. I get. I get anxious, and it's not. I don't think I have anxiety. Maybe I do. I don't know. I just. I'm always moving and going and shaking. And, you know, my guys at the shop here, they could. Could definitely vouch for that because, you know, we haven't raced in three weeks, and we've been doing silly stuff like, I mean, rebuilding carburetors and four wheelers and stuff. That's not important. But I'm like, hey, we gotta. We gotta do this. Like, we can't sit here for another day. You know, we need to do it right now, today. And it's just kind of stuck. And then everywhere I went, people think it's funny and like, yeah, that's Turbo, or I got Turbo, or blah, blah, blah. You know, it gets played a million different ways.
Kenny Wallace
You. You play right in my hand. So, you know, I do these notes, and right. Right away, I always say, what's up? And this is a nervous period of time. You know, we. We just got done doing Herman Schrader, and Kenny Schrader is jacked up on Sundrop right now. He's like, you know what next week is, don't you, Herman? I'm like, what's Next week goes, man, he says, lucas all. Everybody starts racing. So, you know, we're approaching April.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
What has been happening? As you said, I assume you're going crazy. What are you doing around the shop right there? And by the way, I want to compliment your team. Holy moly. You got a beautiful shop there.
Turbo Tyler
Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. This is. This is our parts room. It's hard to tell, but, like, kind of our office set up and we're not paperwork people. I'm not like, I've. I've upgraded since I've been here. At best, you know, my corner's like, you need to email me this. You need to. And I've just. I've never been that person. I'm like, I can call you and I can hand you a receipt. But like, that. He's like, no. Like, you know, he's taught me how to do money, expenses and things like that. So this is really all a credit to him. He gave us the structure and we've, you know, we've made kind of turn it in. He wasn't a decor person. And I've decorated like that was. He had a race car at one time and he never. It never made a lap. It just sat in the shop. He was going to 51 years old. He was going to drive his first race car, which you could relate. Dirt car, whatever.
Kenny Wallace
Oh, yeah.
Turbo Tyler
And I found this, like, cleaning things out over the past seven years. I've been here now six or seven. We're on a good run. And I found this. And I was like, who is this? You know, like, Josh Richards drove this car. Brandon Shepard, Matt Westfall. And I think there was a couple floaters when they first got started. And he was like, oh, that was my car. And I'm thinking, like, I know him really well. And I'm like, you don't even. Like, he won't drive to lunch. I drive him to lunch. Like, he's not.
Kenny Wallace
And.
Turbo Tyler
And he's like, yeah, that was my door. I said, what are you gonna do with it? He said, oh, no. I was like, I'm hanging it up in the parts room. He's like, why? I said, because it's cool, man. Nobody. I mean, nobody believed me, but, like, I mean, it was a GRT car, had best performance on it, and that was his first. And I told him too. I said, dude, that was the ugliest rap I've ever seen in my life. He was like, yeah, but I thought it looked cool at the time. You know, this was 10 years ago, 12, 13 years ago at this point. But yeah, I mean, I've. I've definitely spruced the shop up. I wish I could take my camera and show you all. I've got mannequins with our old. Here, hold on. Stay right there. Hold on. Okay, I'll put one in here.
Kenny Wallace
I love that. That's okay. And one thing I want to tell everybody while Turbo runs off is I follow him on everything. Yeah. And. And when. Look at this now. Is that you?
Turbo Tyler
Yeah. Hold on.
Kenny Wallace
Let me shut this. Your shop is just beautiful from inside and out.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
So this is.
Turbo Tyler
That's how I repurpose fire suits. Like, I seen Daryl Lane again. He had his hung up in cases, and I always thought that was cool. Like, you know, people collect helmets and they collect things like that. Well, you can go on Amazon and for 60 bucks, you can buy a mannequin about the size of me. And I take old helmets. And I don't really like a fire suits. I mean, they're. They cost whatever. So I'm like, I'm not gonna just put in a closet.
Kenny Wallace
How many of these. How many of these mannequins do we have?
Turbo Tyler
There's four right outside the door. There's two by the front door. And then the best part is when I go in our bathroom, it's real dark. And when you walk in the bathroom around the corner, it's just looking at you with a helmet and stuff on. And it scares anybody that comes to our shop. They're like, can I use the bathroom? I'm like, absolutely. Go. And we leave the lights off just for that reason. So when they hit the lights, someone saying, it's a mannequin, but it looks like me standing there and it really trips people out. But yeah, that's my. That's just something like, I don't know, we get bored. Like I said, if I have any downtime, I'm like, what can I do with this? And I. Mannequins is what we landed on for fire suits.
Kenny Wallace
You remind me just a little bit of Kevin Gundaker. Kevin is a. Is a super late model hall of famer and was really good in his day. But I mean, off his rocker. I mean, him and Rusty, my brother, they'd blow stuff up. And it's like, don't give Gundaker and Rusty Wallace any downtime. And it sounds to me like any. Any downtime from Turbo, you're like, I'm going to take a mannequin.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah. But, yeah, that's everything that was race worn. That was the very first fire suit I ever got here. And gloves. We got shoes. And that was like my first painted helmet. Like, I never had a painted helmet. So I was like, I'm not throwing this stuff away or like, you know, it doesn't mean anything and it has no value, but it's like, it's just cool to have it, you know, it's cool.
Kenny Wallace
Okay, so when I follow all your social media, what I notice is that the shop is anally clean. I mean, it's so clean you put cup teams, your team puts NASCAR cup teams to shame. Who, who is the one that says, you know, we are going to have a kick ass shop? Is it you? Is your owner? Wow. A little, a little something about Turbo. We don't know. Tell me where this anal cleanliness comes from.
Turbo Tyler
My mom, Sandra Joe, she, she, she's the type, is the type of woman that, you know, from the time I was, could remember till I woke up and started buying my own clothes. Like, that's an easy example. I could wear my clothes and you know, I was like anybody else, I got filthy, I'd work in the shop with my dad or go move dirt. Go work with them. Like, like we didn't own white socks. I've never had a pair of white socks because mom was like, they get too dirty and I can't wash them, you know, so she was that person. But I could wear my clothes and at the end of the day, as, you know, as early as I can remember from when you start remembering stuff like that, I could throw my clothes in the laundry basket and the next day they would be folded at the end of my bed. Like when I'd wake up, I'm like, that's weird. And I thought there was like a tooth fairy that just did laundry forever. And I didn't realize she's just the most. Like, if you eat dinner, you clean your bowls, you do your dishes. The only thing I've never folded on is she's a. She's real big about making your bed. And I just refuse to do it because I'm like, as weird as that is, I'm very OCD and clean and anal and. But I just. For me, my fight with her is like, I'm gonna mess it up at the end of the day and it's comfy. I already have it like burrowed and dug out how I like it. But she was real big. Yeah, Like I had wiener dogs when I was a kid.
Kenny Wallace
I love them.
Turbo Tyler
They burn their little spots. So that's how like I have my pillows. That's what's so weird. I'm very like, I have to have my pillows a certain way turned here a certain pill. Like, yeah, people say it's weird, but like, no, it's just the only thing that's right. Like it's what's comfortable. I know where everything's at. I know. You know, I, I put my watch on the same way. I don't ever put it inside. I don't, I, I don't tie my shoes. I have them pre tied a certain way because that's how I like them. Like, so cleaning just all falls into that same thing. But my mom and dad were big on that. Like, they were, I guess. I guess. Probably because when I first, you know, was born and started, they, you know, they kind of like self made their little empire and they started with nothing. So they were like, whatever you do, have you take care of it. Like, I was never those kids. Like, I blew my four wheeler up and got another one. Like, if I blew that one up, I'd have to wait three months, have to work, save my money, and then I can get a four wheeler, you know, like, that was just the, the way I was brought up. So cleaning, to me, I actually love it. Like, I, I, My guys, they're like, which they. That's probably why they're my guys because they can get on the same wavelength with me. I've had people that don't clean and I, we, we crash and collide because it just, it bothers me. So. Yeah, that's a testament to me. And, and I think part of it too is it's not my stuff, you know, I treat it like my own. But Eric is, I mean, he's very graceful with it. He's like, hey, if you, you, you know, you, you take care of it, do it. As he doesn't come in here on Sundays and clean while we're gone, he's like, he'll text me occasionally and he'll be like, hey, really appreciate you mopping the shop. I'm like, well, I would mop my shop and it's, you know, we work out of it. So. Thanks. Like, it's just, I don't know, I guess it's good parenting is why I'm so clean.
Kenny Wallace
Yeah. And I can relate with you because my dad, Russ Wallace, he would, you know, I'd get off school and my dad grew up in the city of St. Louis and he would talk about, he called him the scrubby Dutch. You know, there's an area in St. Louis, where the Dutch people live. And I guess they, they, you'd find them on their hands and knees, you know, scrubbing their porches down. So it came into the Wallace way. Dad would come in and take his hands across the top of the refrigerator, check for dust. Oh my God. Yeah. So, I mean, people say the same thing to me. Turbo, they're like, oh my God, your shop is so clean. NASCAR this and NASCAR that. I'm like, no, you don't understand. This has nothing to do with nascar. And, and I think we're learning that about you. We're learning about Turbo. So let me, let me give your car owner and your team a little bit of credit before we start having fun, you know, with the fans that love you so much. So you drive for best performance motorsports one from St. Mary's Ohio.
Turbo Tyler
Yep.
Kenny Wallace
Let's give them a shout out a little bit. Tell me, you know, about your car owner, your crew members, what, what do you got going on there?
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, I mean, Eric Brock is, he owns, operates, you know, basically takes care of us and allows us to do this. And he, he's just a, he's your, he's your average guy that you would never expect could do all of this. You know what I mean? He's the guy that, you know, we go out to eat and he's like, he's not, I've heard of car owners that are like, hey man, what's the special today? He's not that guy. But he's the same guy that's like, we all go out to eat, it all takes care of us. But at the same time at 5 in the morning, I call him at 5 just to test him because he wakes up at 5 every day and.
Kenny Wallace
You want him to know you're working too.
Turbo Tyler
So like, he knows my schedule, he knows I'm a racer. My schedule is, you know, I, when we're here at the shop for a month straight, I might get here at 8, 8:30 every day. But once we get to racing and we're summer nationals, you know, I might show up to the shop at six in the morning from driving back from Farmer City.
Kenny Wallace
Yeah.
Turbo Tyler
And I'll call him at like 5 and be like, you up? You working? And he's like, been up since 4:30. And I'm like, I'm always trying to catch him like, oh yeah, today. Because he always gives us a hard time because we don't, you know, you can't work hourly. You can't work a shift doing what we do. And, and he's good about that. He lets. He understands that if, if we worked the way, you know, he runs businesses and things like that, at times that probably would be better, but for the most part, we would have to have like three shifts to make up for, you know, oh, I drove 12 hours overnight. Who's gonna work the day? You know, he. He's really good about that. And he's honestly become probably one of my best friends. Like, he's really. He's. I, I want to say he's in his mid-50s. I don't know for sure. And I'm gonna just give him the benefit of the doubt that he's younger than that. So he. I don't know.
Kenny Wallace
He.
Turbo Tyler
He tells me every day. He's like, I'm just learning you. I'm understanding you. And he has a son that's probably. He's got two kids and he's got a son that's Corn Feds in his early 30s. Everybody has a nickname.
Kenny Wallace
Turbo Corn Fed Herman. Yeah.
Turbo Tyler
And. And he's like, you know, you just thought that you were gonna, like, trip me out and, you know, give me a hard time. He said, but I have a Corn Fed. And he's the same way. Because we do things just that we know we'll kind of like strike a nerve to see how we can get a reaction.
Kenny Wallace
Yeah, yeah.
Turbo Tyler
And he, he takes it really well. And yeah, he's, he's. He's great. And then obviously I have two guys. Cody Carl's been with me for three years now. Mississippi. Boy M I S S S S S S I P P I.
Kenny Wallace
Love this.
Turbo Tyler
Yep. And then Caleb Todd is. Is new this year, but I've known.
Kenny Wallace
Caleb Caleb Todd, get your ass in here.
Turbo Tyler
Caleb Caleb Todd's out there. Mountain tires right now for Atomic and Brownstown, but they're both from Mississippi, which I think that kind of. We all relate because all of you know, I had a guy from Louisiana. I had Randall Edwards. Obviously he's from Louisiana too. So I don't know if it's a Southern connection. Why we all get along and kind of, you know, we. We jive really well. So, yeah, it's. It's us three. And then we occasionally get a Unoh. Right now we have a Unoh intern. Ish. Kinda. His name is Brooks and Dunn and he. His first name is Brooks. Brooks and Dunn is his name. And he's. He's on like day six. Yesterday he ground some tires and put some shocks on and off. And, you know, we're. We've had a bunch of unoh kids for some reason, which I turn into be you're in Ohio. Yeah, I've turned into a teacher for kids that, you know, aren't on the motorsports team or things like that. But yeah, I don't know. I just, I think it's a weird complex because we're all really young and I always have young crew guys. But then, you know, my car owner and me, we, we can go on vacation together for three days and it's like we're the same age. So he's got a little bit of that too. He's. You wouldn't think he was a day over 25 because he wakes up, works every day, works out. You know, he's, he's very motivated and I think that's kind of why we have a, a good mutual respect and you know, we've made it this long. Honestly, most, most teams don't make it two or three years and it kind of peters out. So.
Kenny Wallace
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Turbo Tyler
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Gladforce
2 times stronger top vs 13 gallon force flex bags.
Turbo Tyler
You don't wake up dreaming of McDonald's fries. You wake up dreaming of McDonald's hash browns. McDonald's breakfast comes first.
Kenny Wallace
One thing I hear from you, and I was not going to ask this, but I feel like it's where dirt super late model is. You know, there was a day that, you know, we're partying and I mean, you know, listen, the guys will still drink their beer but listening to you, you know, Nick Hoffman is, is his mom and dad and Nick are, they're from across the river. So they're, they're St. Louis. And there was a day that Nick, you couldn't blow him out of bed, you know, at 12. Now, Nick, is it like you I'm hearing about all these dirt racers now? You know, there's this image from years ago that the dirt super late model racers were these vagabonds, which I still think you all are vagabonds, but, but you guys are more regimented. Now they're 55, $60,000 motors, $130,000 race car, million dollar totor homes. And now you guys are working out, you know, you're, you're, you're getting up early in the morning, I see, you know, Killer, you know, is on Snapchat and he's, you know, doing leg work. So my point is this. I've kind of drawn the picture. You guys aren't redneck dirt racers anymore. You're really regimented and you got these really expensive race cars. Did you see that change or did you grow up in it now where you all are really regimented and you're super, you do it right is what I'm saying.
Turbo Tyler
No, I don't think any of us started like that. I think we all right. At first it was fun at first. When I first started racing, I had a street stock. I was 15 years old. That was the first car I ever drove. I didn't race, go karts, I didn't do any of that. And you know, my dad had cars and he raced weekend, Saturday night. That's what we did. You know, he'd go race his car and I'd go hang out, hang out my buddies. And then, you know, it kind of turned into, hey, you know you want to race? And I'm like, yeah, that'd be cool. I don't know, I don't know anything about it. I'm like, yeah, that looks fun. That's what we do on Saturdays. So, you know, I get a street stock and you know, it's me and two of my buddies I go to high school with and my mom, she drives us around our dually and because we don't have a license until we're 16.
Kenny Wallace
I love this.
Turbo Tyler
She'll take us to the.
Kenny Wallace
And she does your clothes.
Turbo Tyler
Oh, she's the hardest. The best woman worker, financial advisor, PR lady, tax lady is Sandra Job without a doubt.
Kenny Wallace
I love that name.
Turbo Tyler
We, yeah, like it started out as just fun. You know, we do it and then, you know, my parents were type people. You had to wash on Sunday. Like if you're gonna race Saturday, that's fine, but Sunday you're washing because Monday through Friday we gotta work. We gotta work, make money. Racing's fun. Racing's extra. You're not gonna make a living racing. You're not gonna race for a living. You need to work so you can pay for your own stuff. So it's, that's, that was how I was brought up into racing. Racing was never like, hey, you can Race and be good at this and make some money. They were like, hey, if you are work hard and you're successful and start a business and do something, then you can buy whatever you want, do whatever you want, and you ain't got to listen to nobody and that. So I've kind of had a tear between there because I, I, that's how I raced. And, you know, racing was never like a priority. I loved it, and I was the more I did it. And, you know, you go, you venture out and go run summer nationals. I was 17 and I went and ran like a week of summer nationals. And I was like, man, this, this Jason Fager races for a living. He doesn't have to go home and work. Like, so that's all I see in my mind. And I'm like, well, that's what I want to do. I don't want to work Monday through Thursday. I want to work on my race car and then I'll just race more. So this is way better. So you, you go through that path and then, you know, you still do that. But then when you first get that little bit of taste of it, I think it's like anything else. You're like, man, these guys race and they go out to the bars or they hang out and, you know, they almost live like gypsies, you know, from the outside, no doubt, until you really get to. In, you know, in the mix of doing it all the time, you're like, man, these guys, they're like, they just unload this stuff and go race and they might not do nothing for three days. Well, they're not doing none for three days because they've worked for three weeks straight, and they're just chilling out for a minute, you know. So I think as I've raced, you know, probably about when I turned 21, 22, I, I was doing it and going to all the places and racing, but, like, I wasn't winning. And I was like, why am I not winning? Like, what am I doing wrong? And I'm like, well, maybe I should work out. Like, I'm in good shape, but maybe I need to, like, work out. Maybe I need wake up early in the day and not just wash this thing and, you know, hope it doesn't break. Like, maybe I should, like, learn about what, what is Mark Richards do to be able to race 80 times a year and he never breaks. I like this. So that, that was like a. I guess that's just part of growing up, you know, starting young, you, you go through the transit because When I used to go, like, everybody liked hanging out with me. I was always most fun and things like that. And we would go. We would go to the Grand Canyon if we were racing there, because I was like, I've never been to the Grand Canyon. I want to see it. Well, now I'm like, I don't care about the Grand Canyon. I want to win 20 grand and then get out of here and on to the next one, you know? So it's like a progression of things. And I catch myself now sometimes I'm like, we need to back up and, like, go play golf on Wednesday. Like, we don't need to work 18 hours a day for five days straight. Like, we're going to get it done. It's going to be all right. And it's okay to enjoy, you know, a little bit of time off, which is hard for me because I race. I mean, I probably run top five most races a year.
Kenny Wallace
You race more than anybody or. Right there, I'll say it. You're. You race your butt off, right?
Turbo Tyler
So I think that's just. I don't know, I've. I feel like I'm almost to a point where I have a good balance of that. I know how much work we need to do, how we need to do it, and then there's never enough time, but you can make time for the priorities and do that and then still give yourself and your guys a chance at, like, hey, man, like, we haven't raced for four weeks. So I'm like, look, 6:00, we're shutting it down. Like, I don't care what's going on. 6:00, y'all go eat something. Go do something. You don't need to sit in here and slave away on this thing. Like, if we started, that's a good.
Kenny Wallace
Way to make them like racing more, right?
Turbo Tyler
I don't want anyone to get burned because I. I've almost burned myself out maybe once, just, you know, beating my head up against the wall and hyper focusing on it and not really, like, stepping back and be like, hey, I'm pretty lucky I get to do this. You know, I don't have to answer to a whole lot of people. And, you know, my coroner is not like, hey, why didn't you win tonight? You suck. He's like, what do we need to do to get better? Work on it. You know, like, he's really good in that aspect. So he's honestly the one that's kind of backed me down. Like, hey, man, enjoy it. Like, don't be so pissed off. You ran fifth. Like, yeah. At least you didn't run sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth. You know, like, he's like, work your way through it, and eventually it'll all work out the way it's supposed to. And I'm like, you know, he's, he's not wrong. Like, things like that. You, you, you, you go through the tears until you're like, okay, I want to be a national touring late model guy. And then you realize, like, you know, they sacrifice a lot, and there's a lot there that you don't get to do that maybe you want to do. I don't know. I want to race. But, you know, in the grand scheme of things, like, you can have a life and race. You don't have to. My life is racing, but I do have a whole another life outside of racing with my family and my girlfriend and my mom and all of her cows and farm animals and things that she has going on, you know, So.
Kenny Wallace
I want to say this. I want to. I want to say. I want to capsulate what you just said. Then I want you to comment on it. So Turbo, this character, it really is you. But you looked over here and you said, I want to go. I want to go big time dirt, super late model racing. And then, and then you're like, okay, I am this character. I am me. I'm a little wild. But then I see Mark Richards and you know these guys winning, and they're winning because they're making sure their car doesn't break. And then right there you go, okay, I gotta buckle down. I can still be Turbo. I can celebrate in Victor Lane until everybody go kiss their ass like you do. But now you realize that to win at this level, you got to get up in the morning, you got to check all the bolts and nuts. Is that. Am I explaining the new you, even though you're still Turbo?
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean, that pretty much sums it up as best as it can. Like, we went and ate lunch today, and, you know, on the way to lunch, we were clowning and we might not have, like, messed with some people driving to lunch. And the lady that we go eat lunch at once a week, you know, we give her a hard time and things like that, but in the same breath, like, we can do all that because we have a good balance of, yeah, we need to get all of this done. So when we go race Friday and Saturday, we have the best chance to win. And, you know, that's taken me a long time to. To kind of realize that, like, sometimes you're either all in one way or all in the other. And. And that's not good because it's not good to change who you are. Like, if I don't think people change, I think they evolve into a better version of themselves or whatever. So I don't think that I'm any different than when I was 17 years old at the world outlaw races, slapping Tim Chrisman on the back of the neck, telling me didn't have no hair. But, you know, there's a better way to go about it and to. To have more respect from your peers and things like that and, you know, race at the level that we're trying to race at. So, yeah, it's just evolving, getting old. You know, it's a good thing and a bad thing.
Kenny Wallace
You. You are a fan favorite. You are one of the most liked dirt racers. Like I said, if not America, the world. Because there is so much super late model dirt racing. No weather down under or anywhere. But I want to go to. Listen, we're going to talk about racing here in a minute, but I think everybody wants to know about you. Kind of dig inside you a little bit this Uncle T. Even though it's all funny, I want to keep staying online with you and these nicknames and how you've evolved. Uncle T, Uncle Turbo. Where did that start?
Turbo Tyler
Well, I think it's a. It's a mixture of a couple things. One, Matt James, my T shirt guy.
Kenny Wallace
Race Ranch, our T shirt guy.
Turbo Tyler
Our T shirt guy. That's right.
Kenny Wallace
Race Ranch. Raceranch.wear.com yes.com yeah, they do a fantastic job.
Turbo Tyler
And Matt knows me on a pretty personal level. Like, you know, we call and, and talk and just, you know, just like you would anybody else that you're close with. And, you know, he. He called me one day and he was like, I just don't understand. And I'm like, what part? And he's like, dude, these kids love you. He said every kid that comes up, he said, these kids, he's like, some little kid told me you took him in the trailer and gave him skittles. And I'm like, yeah, he looked like he wanted some candy. I don't know. And he's like that. I just. He said, what's crazy is like, I can tell a lot of their parents probably don't like you, but then, like, when their kid likes you, they have no choice but to like you. And I'm like, yeah. I said, well, honestly, it's not a play on, like, Anything. Like, I like kids. Like, I love kids playing with kids. And maybe it's because I'm still a kid at heart, but, like, I can play baseball. We were at the World Outlaws race last year, and they've shared this video a couple times of us playing football. And there was two kids there with a football. And it. And it just started as like, I was like, hey, throw me that ball. Well, then, next thing you know, we're playing full on 11, on 11, semi tackle, maybe touch, depends on who it is. Football. And. And then, you know, Matt's like, man, we. We got to come up with a name for this. And I'm like, okay. So then he just started calling me Uncle T. Like, every time he would tag it, you know, someone would tag us in a photo with a kid. He's like, uncle T, Uncle. Well, now I've got grown men at the truck stop. I'll. I'll be going to get diesel fuel over in Springfield, Illinois. And some be like, uncle T. And.
Kenny Wallace
I'm like, oh, it's like, you're a rapper.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, yeah, it's like a rapper.
Kenny Wallace
Hey, well, look. Look here. Now that you brought that up, I. Everybody go to his Facebook page. One day ago, this kid stops by.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, yeah.
Kenny Wallace
What is. And I know a lot of people on Dirty Mo podcasts, but if you're watching on YouTube, here's a kid. Tell me about this. The kid just stopped at your shop.
Turbo Tyler
So his dad, his dad and mom. I was at Eldora one night, kind of same thing, and they were bebopping through the pit area. You know, Eldora on the front straightaway World 100 weekend. It's just slam jam packed. And his dad, I. I've wrecked. I recognize the guy. You know, I see people at the races all the time, and I recognize him. I'm like, man, why do I know this guy? And I'm like, man, I know him. And about that time we made eye contact, and I was like, I need to say something. So I'm like, what's up, man?
Kenny Wallace
That's. You got a good heart. I love that.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah. Like, I was like, I didn't see him and be like, like, look away. I was like, yeah. I was like, what's up, man? So I get to talking to him and his wife, and, you know, they race in Michigan. They're. They're really nice people. And then he's like, yeah, we're Snapchat friends. And I'm like, oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Kenny Wallace
I love it when they say that. I'm like, oh, boy.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, we're Snapchat friends. And I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So we get to talking and, you know, next thing you know, we've. We've been BSing for like an hour and a half, just talking about anything and everything. And he's like, yeah, my son loves you. We got to go get a T shirt. And I'm like, yeah, yeah, go up Race Ranch. They're up on top of the hill. Go get one, whatever. So, you know, that was probably a year ago. I think it was at the Dream last year. And I raced with him three or four different times. We went to Michigan for the hell tour. He's got a late model as well, so he. He Snapchats me like a week ago. He's like, hey, man, I posted some parts for sale. And he's like, hey, you mind if I come to the shop and grab some?
Kenny Wallace
I saw that.
Turbo Tyler
And I'm like, yeah, dude, whatever. You like, yeah, I got this for sale. This for sale. What you need? Yeah. So he shows up and his wife and his son came. And his son walks in and he's just, you know, he's three years old is what he told me. And he's just star struck, looking around, his eyes are big. And I'm like, you know, we get to talking and it's like 20, 30 minutes goes by, and I'm like, hey, you want some candy? And it's just. We always have candy around. I guess we have sweet tooth. So this bag of Skittles I find, and I'm like, hey, man, you want some Skittles? And he's like, but he won't talk to me. He's like, he. He's afraid he's been shot to death to say something. So I'm like, here. So I give him some Skittles and I pay attention. About 10 minutes later, I see him and he. I was like, you want some more Skittles? He's like, yeah. And his parents just kind of, you know, they're. Well, they're gonna say, no, we can't have the Skittles. So I give him another bag of Skittle. Next thing you know, he's just kind of standing there listening to our conversation. And they stayed here for, I don't know, 2 hours BS and then bought some parts. But, you know, when it was all said and done, he was like, can we take a picture with him? I'm like, yeah, I don't care. Like, get in the car and crank this thing up. If he Wants to like it is what it is.
Kenny Wallace
So this is where Uncle T came from is the kids love you. Why do you. Why do you think the key. Why do you think the kids love you?
Turbo Tyler
I think because I'm an only child and I never had, like, I had my buddies that I hung out with and played with, but I didn't have like a companion with me my whole life growing up, you know, as my parents and me. So I'm an only child. You're not an only child, but if you're an only child and you don't. You don't get to wake up and be like, hey, you want to play Madness?
Kenny Wallace
Yeah. You're by yourself.
Turbo Tyler
You don't. So you get really creative at playing with people and things and finding.
Kenny Wallace
I love this.
Turbo Tyler
You just go, I used to walk through the woods and hunt with a BB gun. Like, I loved.
Kenny Wallace
Me too.
Turbo Tyler
Like, that was my thing. Well, I don't need anyone to hunt, you know, so I just walked through the woods for hours, hunting. Well, then, you know, you get older and you start riding bicycles. Like, bikes were real big when I was 12, 13, 14, 15, till we could drive. Well, you know, I lived on like a. A dead end road that had probably 20 houses and there was two or three other kids my age that lived on the road. And I'm not gonna lie, they were weird as, like, we weren't friends in school.
Kenny Wallace
We are too.
Turbo Tyler
We all had bicycles. Well, like, so then, next thing you know, we were bicycle buddies. Well, then we started playing this. And in a real situation, it's like, I don't think we would ever really interact with each other. But, you know, I see them and I'm like, hey, that's somebody my age. Maybe they like things I like. We do something, you know, we kill some time. So it just. And I see little kids and, and little kids are the most honest, pure. Like, they'll tell you, hey, you suck, or, hey, why are you.
Kenny Wallace
Why didn't you win?
Turbo Tyler
What's wrong with your car? And. And I like that because I'm like, you don't have to guess what they're gonna say or what they. If they want to tell you something, like, it's what they think, and there's no doubt about it. So, yeah, I just. I don't know. I really enjoy kids and I. I don't know, I think they're awesome. And one day I'll have some, you know, that's my goal. And it'd be cool.
Kenny Wallace
So staying right in that lane, I'm a big fan of yours on Snapchat. And about three years ago, your dog's name? Newman.
Turbo Tyler
Newman. Yep.
Kenny Wallace
Newman. I also became a bigger fan of yours because you and I are children and this is a joke, and you're always Snapchatting Newman taking a dump.
Turbo Tyler
Yep.
Kenny Wallace
Now you don't do it anymore. But, you know, we wear things out until we're done. But. But then came along. You know your girlfriend Gabby? Yeah. She's awesome. She plays along. She has this serious face every once in a while, but she plays the part. Newman is always in bed with you, Debbie. Yeah, just tell me about that. I. I like that dynamic of Newman. There's always a dog in between lovers.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
You and Debbie love each other. You got Newman. Oh, so sorry. Okay. I'm learning.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
But. But I just like that dynamic.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, she. She's cool. She's. So her brother races USMTS Carlos Armada Jr. So.
Kenny Wallace
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Turbo Tyler
So we. Long story short, I had another girlfriend at one time. Way, way long time ago. And we went to a race and she was there. And, you know, I. Obviously, everybody. Guys at the racetrack, they pretty much keep an eye on what's going on. Like, you can't make a step without somebody. You see that chick over there? You know, the nature of what, the landscape of a racetrack and guys and whatever. So I was aware of who she was. And, you know, about 20, 22, we started talking a little bit. You know, I broke up with my other girlfriend. We were single. And, yeah, next thing you know, she. She comes along. And I give her a hard time, too, because she's Hispanic. Her dad's name's Carlos. Her brother's name's Carlos. Her grandfather.
Kenny Wallace
I'm very aware of them.
Turbo Tyler
Very Mexican, and that's cool. I give her a hard time because she's from Texas, I'm from Texas. But we're on, like, total opposite sides of Texas. She's El Paso, I'm Houston. And so, yeah, she moves in with me, and we've been together for two. About two and a half years now. And Newman was already in the picture. Newman was my Covid dog. I got him.
Kenny Wallace
That was. That was coming with you?
Turbo Tyler
Yeah. Newman's always been mine, so. Newman has always been here. And that's. That's one thing. She's like your dog. He always wants to sleep right next to you. Like, where am I gonna sleep? I'm like, well, you have to make room for him. He's been here longer. I don't know what to tell you, but yeah, he's, he's good. And it's crazy because I'm gone a lot and I have like our neighbor, literally right next to the shop here, we got a buddy. His name's Mike. Magic Mike, that's his name. Everybody has a nickname around here.
Kenny Wallace
I love it. Magic Mike.
Turbo Tyler
He.
Kenny Wallace
Is he a dancer?
Turbo Tyler
No, no, Magic Mike's a man of many trades, but he, he actually works on airplanes for Boeing. He's a really interesting guy. And so he's got two dogs about the size of Newman. And he asked me one day, he's like, what do you do with your dog when you, when you go racing? I'm like, well, if it's only like two days. Like he's got a doggy door. He's pretty smart. He's got self feeding water. Like he turns the TV on, drinks beer, watches. You know, I tell him all this and he thinks I'm kidding. I'm like, no. Like, you know, for a day or two, he's fine. He's like, what if you go for a long trip? I'm like, well, I had Jerry Bowersock, he's also from around this area. Long time, modified racer and stuff. So he's always watch new men or, you know, people that I've met in town. I'm like, hey, you know, it's kind of. I almost kind of put it on him. I'm like, hey, we all watch my dog. And they're like, oh, yeah, sure, I guess. I'm like, I promise you, I'll. I'll buy his food, take care of him. Just. Just make sure he doesn't run away and take care of him. You know what I mean? So Magic Mike now takes care of Newman and that's kind of ongoing. Joke is I have split custody of Newman because I never keep him. I always have him for less days out of the year than everybody else in town. But yeah, he's awesome. He's a great dog. And Covid, one of the best purchases I ever made during COVID 20 bucks and I got Newman.
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Kenny Wallace
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Turbo Tyler
Wait.
Kenny Wallace
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Turbo Tyler
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Kenny Wallace
That is crazy. Well, I like Gabby. She is. She plays the part. She's. I see. There's times maybe she wants to laugh and be silly, but she holds the straight face.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah. She's the most serious one for sure. Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
Well, say, hey, you know what? Opposites attract.
Turbo Tyler
That's it.
Kenny Wallace
Yeah. Yeah. That keeps us centered. So I know this is a. And. And I know you'll answer this. Are you really a tough guy, or are you a sweetheart?
Turbo Tyler
More sweet than tough, But I have that side in me. I feel like I'm very. Like, I'm very open and caring and, like, I'm the type of person that, like, buys people lunch, you know, just because. And things like that. But at the same time, you know, don't.
Kenny Wallace
Don't test you.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah. Like, other people that I've had dealings with, they tell you, like, man, that guy, you just can't even deal with him. He's on top, you know? And. And it's like, well, was there.
Kenny Wallace
Hang around me?
Turbo Tyler
Yeah. Like, was there a reason? Like, I'm just a. I'm no nonsense, but I am. I'm all about nonsense. But. Yeah, just certain things. I just.
Kenny Wallace
But we're gonna line up for a heat race, too.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So racing everybody. That's why I tell everybody. They're like, man, I just. I can't understand how you can be nice to all these people and race the way you do. I'm like. Because that's the whole idea of racing. Like, I'm trying to win. Like, I. You know, people say I'd wreck my mom. I do. It's. It's not that. It's just, like, I'm coming, man. I don't race to say, man, I had a hell of a race with my buddy, and we ran 17th and 18th. That was bad. Like, that's not cool. That's not the whole idea of racing for me. So I. Yeah, racing. I would say I'm more of a. I'm not even a hothead, but people like, man, he's so aggressive. God, we just don't that's what my girl Gabby tells me that all the time. She says, when you do things, like when I watch my brother, I don't really get nervous, but when I watch you, I just.
Kenny Wallace
You're coming. You're like.
Turbo Tyler
She's like, you just do things that are. Make me uneasy. And I'm like, what do you mean? She's like, I just don't know what you're gonna do. I don't know if you're gonna wreck somebody, if you're gonna hit the wall. I don't know what you're doing. And it just makes me nervous. I'm like, she's.
Kenny Wallace
She's right. Because I. I would. You know, it. One of the most interesting situations that I've seen in dirt racing, long time. Was right here at my home track, Tri City Speedway, Granite City, Illinois. You and Kyle Bronson, of course, you nickname him Killer.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
Or. Or that is his name. But you and him are going at it. I mean, it's serious and it's for good money. And you sliding. He slides you. You guys are. It's bad. Crazy race.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
And, you know, you, You. We would have thought as fans that you two are going to kill each other. When you got out of the car.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
And somehow you guys were able to, you know, I mean, you were. You were going for it and you climbed all the top of each other. You know, your cars. The slide job was a lot. Not really good.
Turbo Tyler
No, mine wasn't good. His was worse. To me, like, it was pretty equal. Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
Yeah, yeah. So did you. Did you and Kyle Bronson become better friends after Granite City, or were you just that tight?
Turbo Tyler
I mean, we were pretty tight. Kyle was one of the first people that I really, like, gelled with when I first started racing, you know, out and about, out of my area. And in the moment, like, for two minutes, I'm sure he was like, oh. Oh, my God. Like, he. You know, when it was all said and done, I called him on. We were driving because we were racing the next night somewhere, and we were driving. I called him. I said, damn. I said, how much did it pay to win? I already knew. Like, I was being sarcastic. I was like, how much did it pay? He was like, 7, 500, babe, I got the check. What the hell? I was like, I know. I said, well, I guess we're even. He said, right? You're even. You knocked my whole hood off on the first. I was like, I'm just kidding with you. And then, you know, the next week, we were parked by each other. Like, it's not. I, I like Kyle and I like everything he's about and. Yeah, it's just, that's what I'm saying. Like in that moment, I'm. My heart. I'm like, I like Kyle. I like everything about Kyle. So I wouldn't matter. And then there's other situations where, you know, you've run into somebody or they run into you, whatever, you know, it happens. And I'm like, you know, I just don't really like this person's character, so I don't like him. And he maybe are more mad at the situation when it's all relative. You know, it's just your personal opinion on what went down. It's not nobody's right or wrong in any situation. I, you know, racing wise, like nobody goes out there with the intent to wreck somebody's stuff. Like that's came and passed. Now maybe 10 years ago when we were just. What was that word you used to describe us all?
Kenny Wallace
Vagabonds.
Turbo Tyler
Yes. When we were all that. Yes.
Kenny Wallace
You guys are just, you're just like a circus. You're gypsies, you're, you're, you smell. You're going from track to track. You're. Your race cars are always breaking.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, yeah, you're lost.
Kenny Wallace
You're lost.
Turbo Tyler
Maybe 10 years ago, but now, no, it's, it's not like, oh, no, you.
Kenny Wallace
Guys are cleaned up now. That, and that was my point. You guys are like I said, you know, the Durham Motors are 60 grand. The cars are 130. I mean, let me be clear. And you know, I know we know this, but the dirt super late models right now are what I call out of hand, but I love them. They're an incredible show. Y but you guys got to hunker down because you're not dealing with silly money. This is real money.
Turbo Tyler
Correct.
Kenny Wallace
You know, and that's why I, I said I admire you and that's why I asked that question. You know, your, your shop is anally clean. You're getting up early in the morning and I like, I like the story you said about Mark Richards. You, you looked over there and you're like, how, how is this rocket chassis guy? His cars always look good. They're winning. And you said, oh, I see him over there. I'm going to do that.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, you just, you just surround yourself and pay attention. And now five years ago, there was five to seven to eight teams that operated like that. Now when you pull in the pit area, there's 25, 30, you know, people are catching on. You have to learn, you have to pay attention. If, if JD can win every night, why is JD's rigs never dirty? JD's, you know, they, they, you hear stories. They've had 10 cars this year. You, you think through all these things, if you pay attention to what's going on, you're like, man, maybe we're dragging our feet. Like, we need to, we need to step it up. And, and it's.
Kenny Wallace
All of you guys look like, all of you guys look like asphalt teams.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
You run dirt and it's inside. Your haulers are so clean. I admire you all. Good work.
Turbo Tyler
Yep. Yep. It's just evolution. It's just the, the way our sport is going and it probably has to do with the fact they pay more money. It's. There's more money out there to be made. There's more money being spent. There's.
Kenny Wallace
Yeah.
Turbo Tyler
The seriousness of it is, is way up there. That's what Shannon Bob tells me. He's like, man, back in my day when we ran Hell Tour, it was just rag tag. You know, we were trying to make it place to place. And, you know, now when I see you guys do it the way y'all are doing it, I just, that's what he told me last year. At some point he was like, he said, you're, you, you seem like you're still having fun with it, but there's not many of these guys trying to do this. It's like, you know, they're, they're doing it the right way, but still having fun. Like, it's so serious. It's almost like that, you know, it's life or death. And I'm like, yeah, I don't want it to feel like that, because that's not good. But at the same time, you have to be serious. And he understands that, you know, he, he fully. He's a Hall of Famer. Like, he knows what's going on. He just, he's almost, he basically is like, man, I just don't want to work that hard.
Kenny Wallace
The Mohican Missile. Everybody loves him. What is it right there for a minute. What is it about Shannon Babb? Nick. Nick Hoffman adores him.
Turbo Tyler
Yep.
Kenny Wallace
You all admire him. I mean, same with me. I really like Shannon. Why does everybody like Shannon, Bab? I think I know why, but I want to hear your reason.
Turbo Tyler
His personality is awesome, for one. Like, he's a very down to earth. He's what? He's what I'm. What I said. Like, he, he doesn't Think he is Shannon Babb. He's Shannon, the guy from a weekly that, yeah, I drive this dirt car and I got it.
Kenny Wallace
He drives hard.
Turbo Tyler
Yes. And he drives so hard. And that's what I tell. I'm like that. I. I always ask him, like, man, when's that guy gonna come back today? He's like, yeah, you said you might when you won't be in my heat race. So you'll find out. You know, he'll kind of. But he doesn't. I feel like Shannon Bab, I didn't know him when he was 18 years old, but I'd say he looks at himself the same way he did when he started, and he doesn't think he's any more or less of a person based off of his racing career. He's just himself. And on top of that, he's a phenomenal race car driver and one of the best that ever did it and. And exciting. And he just. He has like a. You know, Scott Bloomquist had his aura of everything that was around him. He was so mysterious. He was so good. He was always bending the rule. He was like, that was his. Or where Shannon babs or is like. It's almost like, yeah, he's just a hillbilly that drives the hell out of this thing. And he is so good, you know, And. And when you. When you. For me, I. I almost kind of relate to that. I'm like, man, that's pretty cool that Shannon Bab is such a cool dude. Like, I can walk up and talk to Shannon Bab and I'm nobody. Like, that's how I. When I first met him and started interacting with him, that's how I viewed him. And. And he doesn't act any different to this day. Like, he's the same person he's always been. And I can appreciate that.
Kenny Wallace
So let's spin off of that. Okay? We know Shannon has got 100. Okay. Him and Billy Moyer Senior, you know, the dad, they keep going back and forth, but Shannon Bab and Billy Moore, they kind of keep going back and forth. They're starting to age out like I am. I'm 61. I'm aging out. Just call it the way it is. They're both, you know, 100 wins. 101 wins. 102 wins. These guys have won hundreds of summer national races. Now, I don't want to be long winded, but let me just say this. You know, you run the Lucas Oil 8 models. You've won more races than there are to count. I mean 20 Lucas Oil late mile. That's no joke. When you win a Lucas Oil late model race, that means like you've won the Daytona 500.
Turbo Tyler
Yep.
Kenny Wallace
That's the best of the best. Okay, but now you venture out to last year. In 2024, you went to the summer nationals, the Hell Tour, and it is the Hell Tour.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
And you won it all. And you kicked their butts. And I saw that, I don't know where it started, but now that I, I've kind of laid the baseline, you, you, you filtered in the. Hey, this is the Fun Tour because it's the Hell Tour. Explain to me that dynamic where you, you know, I remember you going and winning in the summer nationals and somebody made a smart ass comment and then you went back to Lucas Oil and you won that race too. Yeah, you shut them right up. Yeah, tell me that about that dynamic last year, you know, winning the championship, naming it the Fun Tour, going back to Lucas Oil, kicking our ass. What a year.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, it just, Well, I mean, partly is just 2023 was like my worst year of racing. Like, I just, I raced 118 times or something like that, and I, I won two race three. I won three races. That's bad odds. Like, that's not saying that. That's league basketball. That's bad. And I'm like, what am I doing wrong? Like, what. And that was kind of when I, I was on the. I was hyper fixated on racing. I need a race. I need a race. I need to do better in racing.
Kenny Wallace
And the more I race, the more they'll like me.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, I need to race more and I'm gonna win more. I just keep showing up. Eventually I'm gonna win. And that's, you know, it's all just numbers and I'm. And I did that for a whole year. And at the end of 2023, I had finally got like the feel I was looking for back. Like I was just in a slump. And I got the feelback right at the end of the year. I went to why not? And a couple places and I was like, okay, that's good. Like, that's. I, I'll be okay. I just need to approach this different. Like my head, whatever I'm doing, something's not right, so I need to change it. And I'm like, okay, well what have I done for the last seven years? I've ran Word of Outlaws or Lucas. You know, my best year, I've won 20 something races. And then last year I won three. Like, what, what, what Am I doing that? You know, And I always win at East Bay. Why do I win at East Bay? Why do I suck at Wheatland, Missouri? And I'm thinking to myself all these things, and I'm like, it's pretty simple. Like, about June, when I know I have to. Or May Memorial Day, when I have to go to Wheatland. I'm miserable. I hate going to Wheatland.
Kenny Wallace
Mindset.
Turbo Tyler
It's mindset as all it is. It was just, like, my headspace, so I almost had to be like. And I watch a lot of documentaries and YouTube, and I drive and listen to podcasts, and I'm thinking to myself, well, I just need to give myself a reason to. To do good. Like, Michael Jordan had the flu game. He wasn't sick. You know, like, all these guys create a situation in their head to, like, make themselves perform, whatever that is. And. And I'm not like, a. I don't need pressure. But, like, if they told me tomorrow, like, hey, you're gonna get fired, I would go on a tear because I'm like, okay, well, I did really good in 2018 for, like, six months. Why? Well, I was trying to get a ride. I. I had to do good. I had to show everybody that I'm not just a goofball. Like, I can win races. I can do this.
Kenny Wallace
You're ultra focused, right?
Turbo Tyler
So all of. Basically that Christmas before last year, I went home, and, you know, I'm sitting there with my mom, and I'm telling her, like, I just don't like Lucas. Like, there's. There's 15, 20 races I really want to go to. And, you know, that's good, and the points money is good, but I just. All them other weekends, I feel like I'm just wasting four days of my life. And she's like, why? I said, because I. I don't like going to Georgetown. Like, it's nothing against George. I just don't like it. She's like, well, why are you doing it? You don't have to. I'm like, you know, I'm like, what do you. What do you mean, I don't have to? And she's like, well, you don't have to do that. Like, you could be here. You want to come work and put in septics tomorrow? And I'm like, no, gosh. She's like, okay, well, then make it to where you enjoy it. Like, don't. So then I get back here, and I tell Eric. I'm like, I. I don't want to run a series. And he's like, well, what are people going to think? You know, he runs through the same. What are people going to think of us? We're not going to have any sponsors. No one's going to want to support. I said, eric, I've like, I'm pretty into what we're doing and people care about wins. Like if you win 20 races, you get some sort of recognition for that. And I don't need the wreck. I don't need someone tell me, hey, like, good job. But you're still relevant, you're still in the mix of things. I said, Brandon Overton, his best year ever, he didn't run a series. He did his own thing, made a million dollars. JD's most profitable year ever, he didn't run a series. Mike Marler, his whole entire life has always been like a pick and shoot. You never know where Mike Marlowe was going to pop up when Mike Marlowe was on it. And he has won the points before, but you know, he's, he's gone back and tried to do it. And I talked to him on the phone a lot and he's like, it's just, I don't know, man, it's just so repetitive. You know, you, you get to, in this funk where you're like, you see the same people, you do the same things. And maybe it's the way dirt racers are wired. We don't like that repetitiveness. It'd be like a 9 to 5, which what we do is it's so repetitive. We race, we wash, we fix all the broke stuff, we maintenance it. It is, but it's different because we find some weird reason. We're like, man, I really like going down by Peevely because I can go to Landry's and eat at Landry's. That's awesome. Home of the throat rolls. Like that is fantastic. Like you, you, you find those reasons. So I was like, I want to run some nationals. And they're like, why would you want to do that? And I'm like, because it's awesome. Like all them tracks, you know, I'd won four, five, six of those races, but I've only went to two or three a year. I'm like, all those tracks I run good at, they're in Illinois. I like Illinois, I like Indiana. I said, I've never even really been to Michigan, but we'll go there too. You know, I don't, yeah. And you know, so we raced and, and then the, the thing is, is it kind of got some momentum behind it because they're like, turbo's not running Lucas. Well, then I went to Mississippi.
Kenny Wallace
Watch this.
Turbo Tyler
I went to Mississippi Thunder, the beginning of May, and there was a Lucas race scheduled at Ponderosa in Florence. Why? Watch the weather. I live two hours from Florence and I'm looking. I said, there's no way they race and I'm still in line for show up money. My points, you know, I'm seventh in points at this time. And I'm like, there ain't no way they race. And I really don't want to go there. It's going to suck. Like, this is kind of the make or break. Well, then I go to Mississippi Thunder. They have ward outlaw races. And I run good. I run fourth, third, third. And they ran out at Lucas races and they interview me there, and they're like, so you're not running the tour? I said, well, it's May 1st and I haven't missed a race yet, so who knows? So it just kind of took off from there. And then, you know, I don't think I really missed a race till Wheatland. That was the one I didn't go to. And when I missed it, you know, I sat at home that weekend. I didn't. Everything kind of rained out, and that was the only thing going on. And I'm sitting at home watching it on tv and, you know, like, leading up to it, I'm like, man, I could have went race. I don't know what I'm doing, though. And I'm sitting there and I'm just like, me and Newman. Newman's looking at me and he's not saying, believe it or not, you know, he's just sitting there like, what's wrong with you? And watching. And I'm watching this whole thing go down. I watch the feature and I get done. I'm like, I'm done. They got to work on this stuff, and they got two more days there. That wasn't that exciting. Like, I didn't miss nothing. And it kind of helped me, like, get over the hump because, like you say, you know, people say all kinds of stuff, but, like, I hadn't missed a Lucas race in seven years. So it's like the best thing is.
Kenny Wallace
When your buddies call you from that racetrack and they go, you didn't miss nothing terrible. It was a good show. And you're like, that's right. Yeah.
Turbo Tyler
And that's kind of what happened. And then it just. When it did that, you know, the next week, I think I went to, like, Lawrenceburg and Circle City and never In a million years, would I have been able to go to Lawrenceburg? Because, you know, Lucas was in wherever they were at. And I'm like, well, it's five grand to win 10,000 the first. I'm going there. So I go to Circle City, run second. Then I go to Lawrenceburg, win. And I'm like, you know, I'm doing math, and I'm pretty, and I'm counting. I'm like, I just made $9,000, and I drove an hour and a half, and this was way more fun. We won. We didn't burn up hardly. It just, you know, the. The nature of what I was doing. I was like, that was. I'd have to win the race. If I run second, I only make five. And the odds of me running second at both Lucas races this weekend are way slim compared to what I just did. I'm like. Like, it's like a light bulb. You're like, holy. This is the move. This is what we need to do.
Kenny Wallace
There's an old saying for that. I want to share it with you. Race where you want to race and don't race where you don't want to race.
Turbo Tyler
Correct.
Kenny Wallace
Because we're always. You know, they would do that to me. Hey, Herman. I know you live in St. Louis. Come on up here to Albany. Saratoga, New York. I'm like. And I used to do that, and I. And one day I woke up as I got older, I'm like, I'm not doing that anymore. And I just laid the gauntlet down, and you did that. You did that. You know, there's an old saying. Your life will not change until you change your life. And what you did, Turbos, you changed your life.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
You don't. The fans, you and I, we, you know, in our days, we get weak. You know, you got to be part of the cult. Come race with us. You're like, man, I suck there. You know, you don't gotta race it, you know, so. Good job. That. Just wanted to say that I admire that because I, too, have, you know, felt those same experiences.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, it's tough. I mean, it.
Kenny Wallace
It is.
Turbo Tyler
Because, one. That's what I'm saying. You work your whole. You know, you work up to. You're like, I'm gonna be that guy. I'm gonna tour and. And win the Lucas Oil points and that, you know, and that's. That's a goal or something that, you know, you set out to do, and then as you get. You get into it, like, I just. You know, I just came to terms with myself. Like, I don't want to be 40 years old trying to say, I'm gonna win Luke Soul points like that. That's just not. It's not gonna put any. It's gonna make me feel something that I don't do. I really want to go through all this to do that, or do I want to enjoy what I'm doing? And when the wheels fall off, I fall off.
Kenny Wallace
I deal with that. You know, Gordy Gundaker and Nick and I. And I always talk about them every time I do these dirt racing deals. But, yeah, those guys amaze me. I mean, they're my friends, but I look at them like they got five eyeballs. They're like, I want. I want to. I want to race dirt. Super late model. That's my dream.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
I'm like, oh, okay. You know? Now you know that that's. You're the only one who really cares about that, right? Nobody. Nobody else cares.
Turbo Tyler
Correct.
Kenny Wallace
And so. So when I hear people like you go, you know, a super late model touring championship would mean everything to me. Here's the problem with that. I've done this stuff. You win it, and. And that's just it. There's nothing to it. Then you can win four in a row, and it's like, nobody cares. Now they're mad at you.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
Because you won. You win one, then you want to win another one. And I get it. I get it. I'm not making fun of anybody. I'm just saying people don't care. You got to have it in your own heart.
Turbo Tyler
Correct.
Kenny Wallace
If that's what drives you. It's like you. You and Wheatland. I mean, I get it. I hated Dover.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
I hated nascar. I hated Dover. I meant. I did. I hated Dover. And I finally said, I'm gonna like Dover. I'm headed to the racetrack. I love Dover. And I started letting off the gas earlier, talking to Earn. Our. Started floating it in, and I got better. Yeah, but I get everything you're saying. You do. You. Because you're ultra popular, you win a lot. But that whole having to win a touring deal, that's just in your head because nobody cares. Nobody cares.
Turbo Tyler
Correct.
Kenny Wallace
You know, except you.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, that's. That's it. So I just. I don't know. I created a situation where I was like, I didn't even want to win the points of Hell tour. I was like, I just think I could. I think I could, really. And it wasn't about the points. And then I got to, like, week three, and I've won all the, like, three of the races, and the three I didn't win, I was like. I was in a position, got wrecked or something, you know, whatever. And I'm like, man, these guys are gonna. If I don't show up next week.
Kenny Wallace
You'Re stacking money up too, right?
Turbo Tyler
And I'm making good money. And I'm like, well, man, I really like Deer Creek. Like, we were sitting at the shop, we got home from the last night of the third week, and we came home for a day. And I'm like, I've always liked Deer Creek, and it's 50,000 a win, and I think I could win that. Like, I have a chance to win there. I should go there. Like, you know, I don't. I don't need to. West Memphis, no offense, or old number one. Like, I just. I don't. I don't know. Them don't excite me. So I'm not.
Kenny Wallace
Get it.
Turbo Tyler
I'm like, I leave out on Monday or, you know, Monday or Tuesday because the first night got rained out. So I'm like, I look smart again. Like, these guys are just gonna rain out all week, and I don't even have to skip them. And I get up to Deer Creek and like, Sam's like, are you not coming this week? I'm like, no. He's like, well, you're leading the points. I said, well, how much? Like, I didn't even pay. That's where I was at. I was like, if I just win every night, it'll all play out. Like, I don't need to pay attention to these points. And I said, you don't have to have perfect attendance, right? He's like, no. So then Fager calls me because Fager was second. He's like, what race are you going to? I'm like, I don't really know. Like, I have no plans. Like, I'm just kind of racing, you know, the Fun Tour. We're just wherever. We don't tell anybody. We don't post it. We're just showing up and it's miserable.
Kenny Wallace
And you called it the Fun Tour that spun everybody.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, so that's our thing. I think part of it was like a play, you know? Like, it's almost like a head game. Like, oh, man, it's. It's 110 degrees. And I'm like, dude, we're. We're 11 deep. We just keep winning.
Kenny Wallace
Fun.
Turbo Tyler
This is awesome, you know, and so we skipped a week and went to Deer Creek and ran third at the. The 50,000 win, go for 50. And there was another 50 at Ogilvy. So we raced Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And, you know, I ran top five in all of those races. So I was like, well, you know, we're kind of putting proof to, like, you don't have to go to every Lucas race to compete at Outlaw or Lucas races. Like, I just came in here. Outlaws, where these guys been beating up and down North Dakota, South Dakota, all these places for a month straight. And I ran third.
Kenny Wallace
Like, I loved it.
Turbo Tyler
That's good. I think that's good. Like, that's. That's where we want to be. We want to just be competitive no matter where we go or what. What's going on. So, yeah, it just. Yeah, it all worked out. And, you know, and then we won. We won XR race, then we won the national 100. Then we won at. Why not 20,000, like the last Rodney Wing.
Kenny Wallace
Does he still run that place?
Turbo Tyler
The House of Hook? Little Rodney's house? Yeah. Oh, yeah, Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
I love him.
Turbo Tyler
That place is awesome. He's. He is absolutely one of my top five favorite people at the racetrack. He is.
Kenny Wallace
Yeah. He's weird. Like you and I.
Turbo Tyler
Very strange, very intricate about. He's just a different character. And, yeah, if you've never met Rodney Wayne, you should make it a point to just walk up and talk to him, because it's fantastic.
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Kenny Wallace
We're over an hour already, and listen, I hope you forgive me, but. And I want to apologize in advance. I'm going to take a chance at this. It's all over the Internet. You and your father. I know how much you loved him. But if anybody was ever going to be inspired in life, they need to go. Look at all the videos. You won the Dome downtown last year. Let me paint the picture for people don't understand our terminology. The Dome, it is where the St. Louis Rams used to play football downtown. St. Louis. It seats around 70,000 people. It is monstrous. It is so big that even the guys that play hockey. Colton Pareco plays for the blues. He's a friend of mine. He went in the dome. He went. I forgot how big these domes were. So you go there, and nobody knows nothing. And you're starting towards the back of the race. I mean, you make the amen, but you're not in the pitcher. Really?
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
You slice and dice through this field, and you win it. And I'm getting goosebumps right now. The crowd is roaring. Holy crap. Look what Turbo just did. He went. He should have wrecked eight times. He wins this race. And that's not all. You get out of the car and you announce your father passed away.
Turbo Tyler
Yep.
Kenny Wallace
That. That shocked the racing world.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
Tell me about. Tell me about this.
Turbo Tyler
It was just a crazy experience. It's hard to describe, like, your. Your feelings. And I'm not an emotional person, like, out front. Like, I'm not a. I can sit there and have a conversation with someone and not show them any emotion up or down where I'm at, you know, and make them think that I'm whatever I am. But basically, the dome, this was 22. So the dome was the week after Thanksgiving, as it pretty much was for the first five or six years. And. And I had never been. I raced a mod there one year for Matt James and his brother and them. And my dad was always. He. Like, I would go home for Thanksgiving, and I would stay for, like, two weeks, you know, because I live in Ohio now. They're from Texas, and we'd always sit in the living room and watch it. And he was like, you ought to go to that. I'm like, man, I was. You know, I kind of dogged Cody. I dogged everybody. I was like, they're just tearing it up. There ain't nothing. It's more of a. It's a. It's a show more than. And it is a show, but it's. It is a race. Like, it's. It's way more going on than people give it credit for. And now once you get all the.
Kenny Wallace
Good cars on the track.
Turbo Tyler
Yes. Once you get all the good cars and you get through the prelims and, you know, These damn modifieds and all these cautions. But, like, you know, you get. When you get to Saturday and it. They start those features, it's. It's something that, you know, it is one race that I'm not. I don't think I get nervous, but I'm just like, man, this is. This is very impressive that we're doing this in this. This setting, this environment, all these people, and. And there's nothing going on racing related in America. Like, there is nothing racing. You can try to find a race that weekend, and there's nothing. So, yeah, I went home and, you know, years previous, my dad was like, you need to go to the Dome. Ah. And he. And he doesn't have a dollar invested in any of my racing stuff. I left home. We split ways, me and him. Best friends again because he never had to spend a dollar on racing, right? So he's like, I'll. I'll buy you a car. And I'm like, why would. He said, because you act like you're gonna tear up your good cars. I'll just buy you an old car, and you can take it up there and destroy it. I don't even care. And I'm like, all right, so we get this car and covet. This was coveted year. So end of 20, you know, we're gonna go. And the. The dome gets canceled due to covet and all that. So we've got this car, and we're like, what, are we gonna race or what? And, you know, we don't. We don't really mess with it. Don't really mess with it. And he's like, you need to take that car. The Dome tell. You need to take it. I'm like, man, I don't want to take my rig there. You know, I've heard they broke into. You hear all these stories because you don't participate, and you're just. You're just going off the seat of your pants. So finally, 22 comes around, and I go home for Thanksgiving. He's like, look, he. And he has a little racing operation. A good, good friend of mine, Corey Neal Jr. He's a racer from Texas. He races anything and everything. And my dad are big buddies. And people say he's like my little brother that I never had because he worked for my dad and my mom and raced and drove their stuff and everything. My dad was like, kind of grooming him because he just really liked him. And, you know, he's like, he. He would always mess me. Like, pooter's gonna be better Than you. And I'm like, not a shot. That was kind of our ongoing joke. But, yeah, he's. We got it all worked out. He's like, look, I got. I got my rig. I'll drive up there with you. We'll get this. And like, we had it about ready. But he's like, that way you ain't got no excuses. Like, you got our rig, you know, whatever, blah, blah. So I'm like, okay. So I spent all week with him at Thanksgiving, and me and him drove the rig from our house in Texas up here, and we got it all ready, you know, got the car ready, loaded up. You know, we had to do a little bit of stuff because we have none of our parts, nothing in there. So we get all ready and we go to St. Louis. And, you know, Wednesday night, everybody goes to bed. Tuesday night we get there. Tuesday night, we get there, everybody goes to bed. And Wednesday, you have to park it. Eight in the morning or whatever. And normally he's an early riser, so I call him nothing. I'm like, that's weird. Whatever. So I get out to the truck, crank it up, drive it in there. We get. Park, get situated, go throughout the day. And I'm like, can't get a hold of them. And I'm like, that's weird. And I don't. I don't really think nothing of it. And, you know. So, like, Wednesday night, I'm like, man, I don't know what's going on. This is so weird. What? And, you know, you just kind of. There's a lot going on in St. Louis. You gotta, you know, I go and meet with some of people that sponsor us, and, you know, they take us to dinner. And, you know, it is exhausting.
Kenny Wallace
The dome is exhausting. It's a lot of work.
Turbo Tyler
It's a lot work. A lot of, you know, human interaction. All day, you see people. You leave your hotel and you might get stopped 10 times, talking to people. Hey, man, I seen you race field. And you sit there, you know, so.
Kenny Wallace
I gotta go to the racetrack.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah. So the day goes on. Well, Thursday, you know, I find out that he had passed away and all this. And I'm like. And I don't race Thursday, luckily. And my mom is flying in Thursday. So, you know, I. I go and pick her up, and I'm like, hey, you know, she has no idea. And I. I'm like, I don't. Like, you know, this is what's going on. And obviously she. You know, she reacts, however, and it's just like, what are we doing? And I don't want to tell anybody. You know, I don't want to. There's so many people there. Like, you can go to a race at Pele and I might know. You know, there's 20 of my close. I say close people. You race with that, you acquaint with that. You know, here, there's everybody. And it's so just like, word of mouth. I mean, that whole building, you can know something in 10 minutes, you know? And it's just like, I don't want this. There's no way I can focus and. And do all this with these people here. And then on the flip side, if I. If I load this stuff up right now and. And go home, I mean, I might as well, because, like, I'm. Something's up. Like, I wouldn't just load up and leave. So I. I tell my mom and I tell my. My guys, Randall Edwards and Corey Rachel. At the time, I'm like, look, this would happen. Blah, blah. And they're like, we need to go home. I'm like, dude, I don't want to go home. That's not going to make me feel any better. That's not gonna fix anything that's going on. Like, just don't say nothing to nobody. And, like, let's just go about the weekend. And it's weird because, you know, people know that I know. They're like, hey, where's dad at? What's going on? I'm like, I don't. You know, I just kind of blow them off. Blow them off. And we race Friday and make it in. And, you know, it's still weird. Like, me and my mom, we went. Ate. We went and ate at this pizza place in the casino every single night, just me and her. And it was kind of, you know, it's real somber. Like, you don't know what to do. And Gabby was there. Gabby flew in that weekend, too. So, like, so she knows, my mom knows, and my two guys. And I'm just like, you know, it's hard to enjoy what's going on when you're trying to deal with that. But there's all these people around, so I'm not really trying to go to, like, a public place and hang out. And finally I was like, Friday. No, Thursday. All day, the rest of the day. I was like, why don't we go to the Arch? Like, I've never been in the Arch. I was like, let's just go in the Arch. Like, it's like a tourist. You sit there, it's quiet. You just kind of. So we went to the arch and then, you know, Saturday came and, you know, I was still like. I didn't really go out of the trailer. I didn't go sign autographs. I didn't go up to the T shirt booth. I just sat.
Kenny Wallace
Were you numb? Were you numb feeling the whole time?
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, like, it was like a. I don't know, I guess angry and like all these emotions that I don't feel. Like you don't normally feel it. Like normally my emotions are cut and dry. I'm very happy, I'm upset, I'm pissed off. I'm. What? Like I'm not all of them at once, you know. You. You don't. Not many things. I mean, that's the only thing at this point in my life that I can say has made me feel a mixture of emotions like that. You know what I mean? And so I would just sit in the trailer and then go race, come back and kind of just sit in the trailer and just, you know, me, Gabby, my mom and my two guys and like, we just is real quiet and somber. And then they, they did the walkout song. You know, you get your walkout song if you top four. And I had ran fourth the night before, so, you know, I had to do all that. And. And I did a one lap, one beer with Suave that night too, Friday. And he was asking me about my dad and racing and how. And I never once really let in holy moly. You know, and I just like, honestly, that was kind of my time to like, reflect on good times and like, you know, tell some stories and things like that. And you know, the next day they're like, what do you. What's your walkout song gonna be? And I'm like, I don't. I mean, I don't really want to tell. So I. I picked mini men by 50 cents. Why do you want that size? I don't know. And then, you know, the race goes on. I win the race and I'm. And the walkout song, honestly, like, I've never felt like I played sports, I did things like that, but I never felt like hyped up, like ready to like, do something. Like I can get excited, but like, I was like in like a. Such a. Like the Matrix, like when you watch the movie the Matrix and it's just like zoned in on what's going on for them. That 40 minute period of time from when we did the walkout till it was all said and done, right? I was so in touch with everything. Like, everything that I was doing, I didn't miss a beat. Like, I was so just focused and dialed in. And it's crazy because I tell myself at times, like, man, I wish I could recreate that feeling because I couldn't miss. Like, there was nothing I could. Like, I was so in touch with what's going on. And, you know, we win the race, and my mom comes up, and I'm just looking at her, and I can. She's. She's crying, and everyone thinks that, you know, everybody's so excited and crying, you know, our core people there is because we won this race and it paid $30,000. Well, like, if it would have paid a dollar, it didn't. That. That none of that registered. The fact is, like, after everything that happened this week, you know, and for what we came here to do, this is the best case scenario. We won the race. You know, And I. And I was looking at my mom, and I'm like, I'm gonna have to answer this question for so many people. Like, people are gonna be like, why wasn't your dad invictory? Why wasn't. And I'm just like. In that split second, I was like, I'll just say it to the world then. I don't have to answer to anybody. Like, no one's. Because if I tell one person, it's. It's. It's just life. The whole world will follow, find out, and I'm gonna get 5, 000 phone calls over the next week, and then my mom's gonna have to call 5, 000 people. And. And, you know, and. And we're not. Me and my mom and even my dad, we're not that type of people that are like. Like, we can say something once, and then once it's out there and done and said, it's not like a. We're Band Aid off no more. Let it bleed out or cure itself. Like, we don't. We don't need to, like, keep talking about something to. To basically get to the end of it. So I was like. I just kind of looked at her and I gave her a hug, obviously, and she was crying. You can watch the video. And I was like, man, I just need to say it. So I. You know, I was like, yeah, you know, my dad passed away. You know, in a roundabout way, I said all this in the interview. And when I said it, I was just. I felt so relieved. Like, I was like, now I don't have to. I don't have to explain this I feel like, you know, on what a stage to, to tell everybody this.
Kenny Wallace
You said it basically on our national tv, right? Everybody's got flow in dirt racing, right?
Turbo Tyler
And then, you know, and so I said it and you know, then you go through the victory line, you go through this. And then I went back and you know, I bet I watched it 100 times, the race, the interview, everything. Just trying to, you know, get some sort of closure or something out of it all. And I, and I watched it and you know, you can hear Ben Shelton as he's announcing and Dustin Jared, they're in the booth and they, they choke up and you can tell they start crying. And you know, I would say half of the building or more was just so taken back at what I had said. And, and you know, I didn't say it because I wanted people to know and it gave me, I didn't care about any of that. All I cared about is I knew if I was gonna have to tell 200 people, like, I just, it was just the perfect timing for me to say it. And it was what I felt was the right time to just get it all out there and be done. And yeah, it was, it was a crazy, you know, week after that and obviously I had to go home and we had to do all the arrangements and, and things like that. But yeah, it was, I think a lot of people now, when they think of me, that comes to mind at some point in time because it was, it's, it's something, I mean, when people watch NASCAR and they think about the day Dale Earnhardt died and what, you know, like everybody can kind of relate what they were doing or what they were thinking. Where were you? Yeah, yeah. And, and for what our world is and all the people that watched it and you know, were there, heard about it that day or whatever it was, you know, it was kind of a big deal like, and it's, it's sad that that's the, the, the truth behind it, but that was, that was just, I don't know, it was a curveball that I was thrown and that was the, my best approach at it, I guess.
Kenny Wallace
I want to say something about this because as you're talking, you know, I'm listening intently. So I went out to Chico, California for the high limit race. Brad Sweet, Kyle Larson, they asked me to come out there because I'm a character and you know, I interview the drivers and, and I was talking to Brad Sweet. You know, his brother in law is Kyle Larson. And Kyle Larson is considered one of the Greatest race car drivers of our era. He can drive it all. And I'm just talking with Brad Sweet about what makes Kyle Larson so good. And he's his brother in law. Brad Sweet looks at me, goes, you know Kenny. And we're just at a picnic table.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
I'm not interviewing him. He said Kyle Larson sees everything in slow motion. And when you said that you felt like you were in the Matrix. I watched your in car camera from that race and it looked like you were seeing everything in slow motion. You were just slicing and Dyson.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah.
Kenny Wallace
Like you knew, like you were just doing your deal and it's like, oh my God. So I just want to share that with you, but I don't. They, they and this, this is goofy what I'm going to say but they tell us that our brain has so much knowledge and that us humans only use this as little bitty portion. And I think that night you tapped into way more right in. Some humans are able to use you. You. Yeah, I like the way you said it. You were in the Matrix. Yeah. Like you said for four minutes. I like what you said. You said for 40 minutes. You don't even remember it.
Turbo Tyler
No, I don't. Like I, I just, it's so, it's a weird, you know, I guess when people are in different situations. If you're in like a fight or flight, you know, somebody that would be at war or some, you know, like I could only imagine the different things that would put you in that state of mind.
Kenny Wallace
Yeah.
Turbo Tyler
But yeah, it was, it's crazy because I, I can remember it, but I don't remember like I watch. Yeah, I can go watch the in car and be like, oh yeah, I remember I passed him.
Kenny Wallace
But like you got to keep watching it, don't you?
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, that's, that's, why did I do like what, what was.
Kenny Wallace
Let me see what I did here.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, like you can't, it's not like you could practice that. You just when you finally tap into that you, it's, it is amazing. You can, you can do so much and you don't even realize what you're capable of.
Kenny Wallace
I guess it is a very rare experience. Turbo and it, I don't like saying my age, but it's 61 years old. I, I've interviewed people. I, I, it's happened to me. Yeah. Well, listen, you've been incredible. I want to thank, I want to thank you so much. And one last question and this is a shout out to Matt James because I told Matt, you know, I Wanted to have you on Kenny conversation. And Matt James is your dear friend. He does run raceranchware.com sells your souvenirs. Mine and a boatload of others. So the question I always ask Dirt super Late Models and. And this is a shout out to the race fans. Are souvenir sales. Are they truly the lifeblood of financial aid to the dirt super late Models? Because I see the effort by every team, every driver through the roof. Tell me about your souvenir sales.
Turbo Tyler
Yeah, I mean, it's. It's definitely. At this point, it's a necessity. You. You need to have that going for you, because if you don't, you will. I mean, it brings so much to the table that you need all the funds you can get to race. We. We all know that, you know, if you want to race, you need all the funds. And part of that is having people that support you, having a fan base, having merchandise to sell the fans, interacting with the fans and. And making. The way I look at it is I don't. I want people to want to buy my stuff and want to keep in touch with what we're doing and be a part of it, because 90% of them feel like they can come up and say something to me and they have a personal. Some sort of interaction with me. You know, I don't want people to. To just buy because they're like, well, you know, all these guys need tires. And I. Yeah, I feel bad for him today. So me and Matt have got a great thing going where he. He knows the type of person I am, and he knows the situations and the things that we do, and he's really good at making that go back to the fans. And in the whole grand scheme of things, that extra money that gets put back into this race team betters us. It allows us to get another motor. It allows us to have two crew guys. It all can go hand in hand because you can have a terrible year racing. And if your merchandise doesn't fall off and if you're relevant and you can keep the fans interact, you can bring in enough money to offset that bad year and keep everybody happy and. And keep paying the bills and keep racing. So, yes, merchandise and T shirts and die cast cars and body panels and all that stuff is. It's huge. And it's crazy because when. When I first started racing, I just wanted a racing shirt because I was like, man, all them guys have racing shirts. I'm gonna get my own shirts made. And then we gave half of them away, and we didn't realize you could, like, you know, do it correctly and, and actually profit off of it. We just did it because we're like, well, everybody's got race shirts. You know, if you go to a Saturday night race, guy in a bang Banger, a modified or a super late, they got their own racing shirts. It's. You don't realize what it actually does. So now I actually like, like we were in Vado and there was some guy and he had a. It was kind of a turd modified, but it was looking. Yeah, like, you could tell he worked on this thing for two weeks straight. Had a van, didn't like, it was just like, man. And like all three of us walked over there and we're like, hey, we want some shirts. And he was like, oh, we'll trade you. I was like, nope. Like, how much is it?
Kenny Wallace
Buy your shirts.
Turbo Tyler
Yep. So we bought our shirts from him and he's like, man, thanks. I really appreciate. You know, I've only sold three shirts this week. I said, really? Yeah, you guys.
Kenny Wallace
I'm like, oh, yeah, that makes me happy. That really does. Okay, everybody, listen. There he is, your 2024 summer nationals champion. As Schrader says, we've raced a little bit, but not, not much yet. It all starts firing up next week and for sure the 1st of April. Turbo do good this year. Like I said, I know we've all raced a little bit, but we're officially dirt racing is getting ready to roll pretty hard and do good this year.
Turbo Tyler
Thank you. See at Highland. You'll be at Highland. I'll see you.
Kenny Wallace
Yeah, I'll be there. Definitely. For sure. Okay, everybody, remember we are in two places. We are on the Kenny Wallace YouTube show. If you want to see Turbo's pretty face, you, you, you tune right in there to the Kenny Wallace YouTube show. And then of course, we are also on the Dirty Mo podcast on Dale Jr's podcast. So until the next time, Turbo, we'll see you again, buddy. Bye. Bye.
Turbo Tyler
See you. Thanks for having me on.
Kenny Wallace
Check out Dirty Mo media on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.
Gladforce
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Kenny Wallace
Wait, hang on.
Gladforce
What do you mean? I was supposed to start thawing yesterday and there's a plastic bag inside. Who's in the mood for takeout? Glad Force Flex Max Strength. Strong enough for all of life's garbage. 2 times stronger top vs 13 gallon por flex bags.
Turbo Tyler
You don't wake up dreaming of McDonald's fries. You wake up dreaming of McDonald's hash browns. McDonald's breakfast comes first.
Podcast Summary: Herm & Schrader – Episode Featuring Tyler "Terbo" Erb
Introduction
In this episode of Herm & Schrader, hosts Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader dive deep into an engaging and heartfelt conversation with Tyler "Terbo" Erb, a prominent figure in the dirt super late model racing scene. Released on March 20, 2025, this episode explores Tyler's journey in racing, the origins of his nickname, the disciplined management of his race shop, and the poignant moment he shared about his father's passing.
1. The Origin of the Nickname "Turbo"
Tyler Erb’s nickname, "Turbo," has a playful yet meaningful origin rooted in his energetic personality and racing style. During their conversation, Tyler explains:
[05:11] Turbo Tyler: "I think it's just a play on my name more than anything. You know, T, Herb Turbo."
His relentless energy and high-strung nature naturally led peers to associate him with the high-speed connotations of "Turbo." Tyler adds:
[05:38] Turbo Tyler: "I'm always moving and going and shaking. And everywhere I went, people think it's funny and like, yeah, that's Turbo, or I got Turbo, or blah, blah, blah."
This nickname encapsulates his dynamic presence both on and off the racetrack.
2. Maintaining a Disciplined and Clean Race Shop
A significant portion of the discussion centers around the meticulous upkeep of Tyler's race shop. Unlike the stereotypical image of chaotic racing environments, Tyler emphasizes cleanliness and organization as key factors in his team's success.
[11:29] Turbo Tyler: "My mom, Sandra Joe, she... she was real big. She's real big because when you first, you know, was born and started, they self-made their little empire... Whatever you do, have to take care of it."
This disciplined approach stems from his upbringing, where responsibility and order were paramount. Tyler's commitment to a clean and organized workspace is evident:
[07:48] Turbo Tyler: "I've definitely spruced the shop up... I have mannequins with our old fire suits."
His dedication not only ensures operational efficiency but also creates a professional atmosphere that inspires his team.
3. Team and Crew Dynamics
Tyler highlights the importance of his team members and the supportive relationships that drive their collective success. He gives special mention to his car owner, Eric Brock, and crew members Cody Carl and Caleb Todd, who play pivotal roles in maintaining the team's performance.
[17:34] Turbo Tyler: "Eric Brock is... he owns, operates, you know, basically takes care of us and allows us to do this."
The camaraderie and mutual respect within the team foster a collaborative environment where each member feels valued and motivated.
4. Evolution of Dirt Super Late Model Racing
The conversation delves into the transformation of dirt super late model racing from its rugged roots to a more regimented and financially significant sport. Tyler observes:
[48:43] Turbo Tyler: "It's just evolution. It's just the way our sport is going... There's more money out there to be made."
He contrasts the early days of racing, characterized by spontaneity and minimal structure, with the current state, which demands professionalism and strategic planning. This evolution has elevated the competition level and financial stakes involved.
5. The Significance of Merchandise Sales
Tyler underscores the critical role of merchandise sales as a financial lifeline for racing teams. He collaborates closely with Matt James, his T-shirt partner, to create and sell merchandise that resonates with fans.
[86:30] Turbo Tyler: "It's definitely a necessity. You need all the funds you can get to race... Merchandise and T-shirts... it's huge."
Merchandise not only generates essential revenue but also strengthens the bond between racers and their fan base, fostering a sense of community and support.
6. Personal Life and Character
Beyond racing, Tyler shares glimpses into his personal life, revealing a compassionate and approachable personality. His interactions with fans, especially children, have earned him the affectionate nickname "Uncle T."
[35:11] Turbo Tyler: "I think I'm still a kid at heart... One day I'll have some, you know, that's my goal."
His genuine interactions and willingness to connect with fans highlight his humble and heartfelt nature, making him a beloved figure in the racing community.
7. The Emotional Announcement of His Father’s Passing
A pivotal moment in the episode is Tyler's recounting of announcing his father's passing during a high-stakes race at the Dome. This deeply emotional experience showcases Tyler's resilience and the support system surrounding him.
[69:58] Turbo Tyler: "I was so in touch with everything... I gave my mom a hug, obviously, and she was crying."
Tyler describes the intense emotions he navigated while maintaining his composure on national TV, highlighting the intersection of personal tragedy and public life in the racing world.
8. Reflection and Growth
Towards the end of the episode, Tyler reflects on his growth as a racer and individual. He discusses overcoming a slump in his racing performance by adjusting his mindset and focusing on what truly drives him.
[63:02] Turbo Tyler: "I need to race more and I'm gonna win more... It's all just numbers."
His journey underscores the importance of mental fortitude and adaptability in achieving sustained success in the highly competitive arena of dirt racing.
Conclusion
This episode of Herm & Schrader offers a comprehensive and intimate look into Tyler "Terbo" Erb's life, both on and off the racetrack. From the origins of his nickname to the disciplined management of his team and the emotional challenges he has faced, Tyler's story is one of passion, resilience, and unwavering dedication. Listeners gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape of dirt super late model racing and the personal fortitude required to excel in such a demanding sport.
Notable Quotes:
For More Episodes: Stay tuned to Herm & Schrader on SiriusXM and Dirty Mo Media for more engaging conversations with your favorite racing personalities.