Zack Klapman on the early days of The Smoking Tire, favorite cars and racing

Zack Klapman, co-host of The Smoking Tire and host of the RACER Creator Awards, joins The Creative Drive podcast to talk all things cars, moving to LA from Colorado to be on TV and the evolution of automotive content.

In this episode, Zack shares:

• How his writing and podcasting career prepared him to host shows and tackle press cars
• How Tom Segura helped triple their revenue
• Interviewing Steve Dinan, Gale Banks and Jerry Seinfeld
• Wild experiences with Hagerty Rated, riding shotgun with FD champion Dai Yoshihara
• The hardest cars to review (fast wagons, M5 Touring, GT3 RS) and dream cars that would “bankrupt you emotionally”
• King of the Hammers behind-the-scenes: rock crawling, RV towns, nighttime madness, and total chaos
• Matt and Zack are going racing with Cleetus McFarland in the Freedom 500
• Insights into LA car culture, creator & brand trends, and the cars that are “boostin’ it” right now

From laughs to lessons, Zack dives deep into creative drive, car culture, and extreme motorsports — giving you a candid look at what fuels him as a creator in the automotive world.