Podcast Episode Summary

The John Clay Wolfe Show: JCW ARCHIVE - Rattle & Roll

Date: November 14, 2025
Host: John Clay Wolfe
Guests/Co-hosts: DJ Prek, Ralph Poindexter
Theme: Behind-the-scenes stories, car culture, and reflections on building community through the annual Rattle & Roll Car Show.

Episode Overview

This episode of The John Clay Wolfe Show dives into a lively retrospective on the Rattle & Roll Car Show. The hosts exchange candid stories about organizing the event, surprising challenges, memorable guests, and their vision for transforming a small Texas town into a vibrant car and bike haven. Listeners get an entertaining blend of event recap, car culture banter, and a glimpse into the show’s growing influence — all delivered with the show’s trademark irreverent, authentic tone.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Car Show Video and Its Highlights

• Announcement of New Video:

  • John announces a new car show highlight video is going live on the website, featuring snippets from the event, including Richard Rollins and Dennis Collins acquiring a Hot Wheels Twin Mill car in Connecticut.
  • Quote:
    “The car show video from last week is going to go up at noon, at 12 Central, and it has clips of Rollins and Collins. Richard Rollins and Dennis Collins went to Connecticut and bought this Hot Wheels Twin Mill.”
    —John Clay Wolfe [01:14]

• Behind-the-Scenes Banter About Cussing:

  • Dennis Collins typically avoids profanity in his videos, but Richard’s language was too much to edit out.
  • Quote:
    “The preface of the video, he’s like, ‘I’m so sorry that there’s so much cussing… I could not bleep it all out or it wouldn’t make sense.’”
    —John Clay Wolfe [01:31]

• Editing Approach:

  • John decided to leave all Richard’s “F-bombs” unedited in their recap video for authenticity.

2. Listener Feedback: Burnouts and Street Action

• Listener Call-In:

  • Ralph reads a listener’s playful complaint: the car show had great cars but lacked smoky burnout action or racing.
  • Quote:
    “With one exception. No smoking tires. All the cars were great. I saw no action… next year, it should be easy to have the town rope off the street where the cars can race up and down the strip of the highway.”
    —Ralph Poindexter [02:40]

• John’s Response:

  • Cites constraints: liability, state highways, and wear-and-tear on roads; remembers getting in trouble for similar antics in the past.
  • Quote:
    “State highway. You’re not—this is not the burnout strip. Stop doing that! You’re supposed to be a pillar of the community. Don’t be such a jerk, John.”
    —John Clay Wolfe [04:16]

• Hidden Burnout Action:

  • Reveals that spontaneous burnouts broke out as attendees left town, even if not officially sanctioned.
  • Quote:
    “At the end of the car show when everybody was leaving, they pulled up in front of the Rattlesnake and lit them up.”
    —John Clay Wolfe [03:28]

3. Planning Future Car & Bike Events

• Insights on Event Growth:

  • John, Richard Rollins, and the promoter only had two weeks to organize, yet drew a huge turnout.
  • Quote:
    “For only two weeks. Really two weeks notice…People came from—Rollins wanted to do a pilot… and we put a thousand people together that fast. That was pretty cool.”
    —John Clay Wolfe [05:28]

• Community Impact:

  • Initial skepticism from locals has faded, with town businesses expressing gratitude for the crowds.
  • Quote:
    “Even the guys, the haters were like, hey man… They called saying, thanks.”
    —John Clay Wolfe [05:57]

• Giving Back:

  • John personally funded street improvements to help the show and town year-round.

• Vision for the Town:

  • Envisions Walnut Springs as a weekend destination for car and bike enthusiasts.
  • Quote:
    “We gotta create flow. We gotta make this town work. It’s gotta be car town, bike town… I see those two side streets blocked off every weekend… That’s what I would want.”
    —John Clay Wolfe [06:47]

4. New Ventures and Next Steps

• Spring Bike Rally Planned:

  • Announces a “Texas Rattlesnake Rally” motorcycle event for May.

• New Businesses:

  • Teases a new Mexican restaurant partnership with Felipe Armenta, aiming to keep visitors coming back.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Keeping the Vibe Alive:
  “Now we ain’t new to this. We true to this.”
  —DJ Prek [00:51]

• On Small Town Transformation:
  “All I’m trying to do is finish what they’d already started… It just kind of turned into this little bar and restaurant strip. But there’s not enough flow there for anybody to make any money.”
  —John Clay Wolfe [06:27]

• On Planning Future Events:
  “Hey, this was our first one. I bet there were a thousand people in town. It was awesome. And we figured out what to do next time and I think we’re going to do another one.”
  —John Clay Wolfe [04:37]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:14 — Discussion of new car show highlight video and behind-the-scenes of Dennis Collins & Richard Rollins’ Hot Wheels Twin Mill adventure
• 02:40 — Listener feedback about lack of burnouts; lively banter about why racing isn’t practical on public streets
• 03:28 — Revelation that burnouts did happen, unofficially, as the show wrapped up
• 04:16 — John recounts previous burnout contests and trouble with the law
• 05:21 — Reflection on bigger-than-expected crowd and how fast it came together
• 05:57 — Positive impact on the town and gratitude from local businesses
• 06:47 — John’s vision: turning Walnut Springs into a year-round hotspot for gearheads, and preview of a new Mexican restaurant

Closing Tone and Energy

Throughout the episode, the energy is upbeat, candid, and mischievous — a mix of car-guy pride, small-town nostalgia, and DIY drive. The hosts celebrate their wins, poke fun at their own misadventures, and repeatedly champion their mission: building community through passion for cars, bikes, and good company.

“Keep on rocking with us.” —DJ Prek [07:29]