The Creative Drive Audio Podcast

Rock crawling champion, Monster Jam driver, and YouTube host Nicole Johnson has done it all — literally. She’s flipped, caught fire, and driven off 12-foot cliffs, all in pursuit of mastering every machine she can get her hands on.

In this episode of Creative Drive, Nicole joins host Taro Koki to talk about her fearless off-road career, the transition from competition to content creation, and her hit YouTube series https://www.yout...

Dustin Williams is one of the most recognized creators in the JDM and automotive scene, but his story starts far from Tokyo’s mountains and Fuji Speedway. From growing up in Mississippi and considering a career in law enforcement, to taking the leap into content creation and eventually building his dream R34 GT-R in Japan, Dustin’s journey is all about passion, persistence, and chasing what feels impossible.

In this episode of The ...

From the underground streets of SoCal to the global stage, RJ de Vera has been at the heart of tuner culture’s biggest moments. In this episode of The Creative Drive, we dive into his journey from shaping Super Street magazine, to consulting on the original Fast & Furious, to influencing the industry at SEMA and Meguiar’s. RJ shares untold stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and how tuner culture went mainstream. This conversa...

From the underground streets of SoCal to the global stage, RJ de Vera has been at the heart of tuner culture’s biggest moments. In this episode of The Creative Drive, we dive into his journey from shaping Super Street magazine, to consulting on the original Fast & Furious, to influencing the industry at SEMA and Meguiar’s. RJ shares untold stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and how tuner culture went mainstream. This conversa...

Le Mans class winner and TV host Justin Bell joins Creative Drive to share stories from racing at a high level and making the transition to media. From winning on the track to co-hosting with Tommy Kendall, Justin reveals what it takes to bring personality, humor, and insider knowledge to motorsports coverage.

0:00 Justin Bell Intro 02:00 Formula 1 podcast, Drive to Wynn is on it's 3rd year and going strong.  07:30 Justin Bell push...

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In this episode of The Creative Drive with Taro Koki, renowed helmet designer Brett King from Brett King Design reveals the inspiration, process, and philosophy behind the Canvas Project — a groundbreaking approach to helmet art where, for the first time, there's no input from a client. Just pure artistic vision.

The Canvas Project 001 is not ...

Note: We experienced some technical difficulties with the audio in this episode. While it may not meet our usual quality standards, we didn’t want to let that stop us from sharing this great conversation. Thanks for your patience—and we appreciate you sticking with us!

Amber Bernstein aka Kill.Bambi: The Car Girl DJ Taking Over Twitch & the Streets On this episode of Creative Drive, we sit down with the multi-talented Amber Ber...

In this episode, The Creative Drive dives into the world of Christopher Bowes, the visionary behind Subaru's Launch Control, the long lasting YouTube series that reshaped how fans experience factory-backed motorsports. From his early inspiration to founding Bowes Media Inc., Chris shares how he blends storytelling craft with emotional authenticity — creating work that goes beyond cars and competition.

We explore the evolution of La...

In this episode of The Creative Drive, we’re joined by Ryan Millen — off road racer and member of one of America and New Zealand's most iconic racing families. Son of Rod Millen and brother to Rhys Millen, Ryan has forged his own path from formula cars to rally stages, winning in the American Rally Association, working with brands like Toyota along the way and now desert racing in trophy trucks. 

We get into Ryan’s unique journey, ...

In this episode of The Creative Drive, host Taro Koki sits down with the one and only Larry Chen. Larry is one of the most iconic and influential automotive photographers and content creators in the world today. Known for his unmistakable style, relentless work ethic, and deep love for car culture, Larry has become the go-to visual storyteller for some of the biggest names in motorsports and the aftermarket world.

Starting from hum...

In this episode of Creative Drive, we sit down with Kenji Sumino from GReddy Performance Inc., the U.S. division of Japan's Trust Company Ltd., based in Irvine, California. Under his leadership, GReddy has become a prominent name in the automotive aftermarket industry, specializing in performance parts for Japanese vehicles, including turbochargers, exhaust systems, and electronics.

Sumino has played a pivotal role in adapting GRed...

In this episode of Creative Drive, we sit down with award-winning motorsport photographer Jamey Price to explore what it takes to freeze speed, emotion, and intensity in a single frame. From F1 paddocks to IMSA and WEC endurance races around the world, Jamey shares his journey into motorsports photography, his creative process under pressure, and what it's like living life behind the lens on the global racing circuit.

📸 Topics we ...

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Robert Wickens’ return to racing was nothing short of incredible—and behind it was a groundbreaking piece of tech built by Bosch.

In this episode of Creative Drive, we sit down with Brooke Bond, Operations & Marketing Lead at Bosch Motorsport North America, to talk about how their team developed tech that helped Wickens get back on track after his life-changing accident at the 2018 P...

In this episode of The Creative Drive, we sit down with Doug O’Donnell, IMSA Brand & Marketing Communications at IMSA and former marketing leader at the San Antonio Spurs, to talk about what it takes to grow and modernize motorsports for a new generation of fans.

Doug shares insights from his NBA days, lessons in brand storytelling, and how IMSA is building emotional connections with fans, manufacturers, and partners.

How IMSA ...

Shelby Hall is an off-road racer, automotive enthusiast, and content creator, best known for her achievements in off-road endurance racing and her role as an ambassador for Ford Performance. She is the granddaughter of legendary off-road racer Rod Hall, a Hall of Fame inductee known for his dominance in events like the Baja 1000.

Carrying on her family’s racing legacy, Shelby has competed in events such as the Rebelle Rally, a grue...

Ed Justice Jr. is a well-known figure in the automotive and motorsports industry, recognized for his work as the President and CEO of Justice Brothers, Inc., a company specializing in high-performance automotive additives, lubricants, and car care products. He is also a respected historian, broadcaster, and photographer, with deep ties to racing culture and a passion for preserving motorsports history.

Justice Brothers has been inv...

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Matt Farah, a pioneer in the automotive YouTube and podcasting space, joins the Creative Drive podcast to discuss the evolving landscape of content creation. We dive into why he believes AI will negatively impact creators and how that influenced his decision to start Westside Collect...

In this episode of The Creative Drive, we sit down with legendary filmmaker, photographer, and race car driver Jeff Zwart to explore his incredible career in storytelling, advertising, and motorsports. From directing Super Bowl commercials to dominating Pikes Peak, Jeff shares insights into his creative process, passion for Porsche, and the future of filmmaking.

We Cover: 🎬 Super Bowl Commercials & Porsche Ads – The creative p...

Dai Yoshihara was street drifting as a hobby in the mountains of rural Tokyo when a friend of a friend hit him up to go drifting in California. He had never competed in a Japanese drifting event and somehow ended up in the US as a professional drift racer. A few months later, he had sponsors and became one of the star drivers of the growing professional drift organization, Formula D. He won the Formula Drift overall championship in...