Justin Bell: Exploring Racing Design with Insights from a Championship Driver

Rev your engines and join us for an exhilarating episode of the iDesign Lab Podcast! Tiffany and Scott Woolley are thrilled to welcome Justin Bell, a former championship driver and one of the leading voices in automotive media. Justin takes us on a journey through the world of racing design, where precision engineering and artistic vision come together at high speed. From his thrilling victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to his role as a host and storyteller, Justin offers a unique perspective on how design plays a pivotal role in every aspect of racing. Whether it’s the aerodynamic lines of a car, the strategy behind track layouts, or the technical setup of a broadcast, design influences it all. Whether you're a motorsports fan or simply curious about the design principles driving the sport, Justin’s insights will fuel your passion. Buckle up—it’s going to be a wild ride!

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• 0:00 iDesign Lab Podcast Open
• 1:52 Welcome Justin Bell

Transcript

iDesign Lab Podcast 16

Exploring Racing Design with Justin Bell: Insights from a Championship Driver

Guest: Justin Bell

The following podcast, iDesignLab, is an SW Group production in association with Five Star and TW Interiors. This is iDesignLab, a podcast where creativity and curiosity meet style and design. Curator of interiors, furnishings, and lifestyles.

Hosted by Tiffany Woolley, an interior designer and a style enthusiast, along with her serial entrepreneur husband, Scott. iDesignLab is your ultimate design podcast, where we explore the rich and vibrant world of design and its constant evolution in style and trends. iDesignLab provides industry insight, discussing the latest trends, styles, and everything in between to better help you style your life through advice from trendsetters, designers, influencers, innovators, fabricators, and manufacturers, as well as personal stories that inspire, motivate, and excite.

So whether you're listening to iDesignLab during your commute, or in a cozy nook in your home or office, grab a coffee or a chardonnay and join us on this elevated, informative, and lively journey into the world of all things design. Get ready to rev your engines for a special episode of the iDesign Podcast. Today we're thrilled to welcome Justin Bell, a former championship driver, and now one of the leading voices in automotive media.

Justin brings us into the fascinating world of racing design, where engineering meets artistry on the track and behind the camera. From his thrilling victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans to his engaging storytelling as a host, he knows firsthand how every aspect of design, from aerodynamics to broadcast setups, shapes the racing experience. Whether you're a gearhead or just curious about the magic behind the scenes, Justin's insights will ignite your passion and design behind the sport.

Buckle up, because this is going to be a wild ride. Welcome to the iDesignLab Podcast. Today we have an exciting guest, an old friend, not old, just dear.

And his name is Justin Bell, who has an exciting life that's full of high design and style, who was a former championship race car driver and now a leading voice in world racing. So, Justin, let's step back to the beginning of your life, growing up in your father's footsteps as a famous race car driver. How was that? Well, firstly, hello, guys.

Thanks for having me on. I'm I'm it feels like we've just wound the clock back 20 years. And yes, and and I'm driving up to your building.

It's it's a little time travel. So let's time travel. Yeah.

Do you know how far back do we go? Well, how far back should we go? Do you know what? Let's go. Let's definitely miss out the first bit, because I was just like, you know, an embryo, as I realize now, until my 20s. But I think it was, to be honest, Scott, it's an interesting thing is when when did I first really realize that my dad was a racing driver and it wasn't normal? I think that was a pivotal moment for me.

Yeah. I was at school and remember some kid came up and just like whacked me in the face because dad had been on local TV the night before and he thought I was a precocious little git. So and I was like, where did that come from? And then I realized he was actually after my sister.

But it was it was my first introduction to what isn't everyone's dad a racing driver. I didn't really know the difference. So that was kind of a funny, a funny moment that happened.

But I had a point of reference because I'd only ever been to big races with my dad. You know, I I only went to the biggest, you know, he went to Le Mans, he went to Silverstone, he went to the Nürburgring. And I never went and saw the formative stages of it.

And the only way I can compare it is I was dating very briefly Nick Mason, the drummer for the Pink Floyd's daughter. And he put an end to that pretty quick. But while I was doing that, she and I were talking and I said, what was it like growing up with a musician? She said, well, I never I never went to the local pub and watch my dad play.

I never went and saw him, you know, at a barn dance. Instead, she sat on the stage when he was playing at Wimbledon, a Wembley or Madison Square Garden or something. So it was so she had the similar, similar, similar like she didn't know how you got into being a musician.

She just saw the net results of being, you know, the the offspring of someone that had made it to the top. So I think it gave me a bit of an awakening when I went to my first ever car race without my dad. And I saw all these was a Brands Hatch.

And I saw all these young guys driving and girls. And I was like, at my age, I can do this. And I went back and told dad and, you know, my dad, Scott, he just kind of rolled his eyes and was like, how the heck do we tell your mother? And I think there was a universal disappointment.

But, you know, it's you can't really. It's very hard and I'm experiencing it myself even now with my son, Oliver, my daughter Tallulah is how I was a dreamer and follow my dreams. How do you take that out of someone else's life if they've got the same as a dream of their own? So it really was a pivotal moment.

And and you said, what was it like? I was very lucky, I developed, you know, I think maybe to my mom, obviously, and my dad. I had a pretty strong personality of my own. So even though I was his son, I wasn't I wasn't like typecast and and I just got on with it.

And so how old were you when you decided to follow in your father's footsteps? I was 18. Yeah, I was 18. I was about to get.

Yeah. So what did that look like for you when you made that pivotal decision to follow into his footsteps? What were all the the steps you went through? Well, good point. You know, I. There are many people who would get into any industry just by watching the media side, right? If we had a big magazine called Autosport and all, you know, my peers would have been looking at this magazine going, I dream of being a Formula One driver.

And yet when I started, I was also very cognizant of the dangerous side. And my dad was just had lived through an era where people died all the time. Race cars are so dangerous.

And for me, my decision to go racing was much more based on the reality of it. You know, I got taken out of a big, fancy private school because dad lost his drive and didn't have the money. So I'd seen the ups and downs.

I'd seen them crying because someone was had died the day before. And, you know, they were just so traumatized by it. So my decision to go racing was quite was based in fact.

But when I did, Tiffany, he my mom was like, well, then you're going to continue going to art college. You're going to go to art college, which was my plan. And so I was I went to Chichester, which is where I grew up, Chichester Art College.

And I did a related arts degree course for one semester because it was it didn't gel very well. Me pretending to be a fried egg in, you know, this sort of improvisation class and then going to the racetrack and trying to drive race cars. I guess which one won out.

Yeah. So what along the way brought you to America? So after a very successful five years, I finished Le Mans third with my dad in the Harrods, McLaren, it was McLaren, GTS, F1, GTR, it had it was a it was a three seater. If you remember, it was a very it was like the unicorn of supercars.

And then we raced the racing version on Father's Day. We led the Le Mans 24 hours for 16 hours and ended up finishing third. And then I had five years with Dodge Viper when I won the world championship and won Le Mans and won like 22 different international races.

And it was a big time for me. And then Corvette was starting their world championship program and based here in America. And I got headhunted.

And that's when I was like, OK, my dad lived in Boca right where you are. I thought I've always wanted to move, so I'm going to move now. And it was it was an amazing decision.

And that's that was 25 years ago. That was interesting what you just said about the headhunter. How does that work in the car industry, car driving industry? Well, you know, the same as anything else, you know, you're you're if you're performing well at a certain level in racing, other teams want your services.

And especially when you race for a manufacturer, because when you race for a big car company, I was with Chrysler, they called it instead of Dodge at the time. And they really look after you well, they pay you well. You go to the races and they have physios and dietitians and all this.

And so you've been sort of trained in a way that they like, especially in the technology side. So then Chevrolet wanted a British driver. And that was that was me.

It didn't last too long and lasted just over a year. But it was it got me to America, got me my green card and made me end up on the East Coast. So after a number of years of racing and doing well, you take a change in your life and you start your own business by opening a racing school.

So racing, you're designing now your uniforms, your schedule, your courses, your classes. How was that? Because that's now you changed your whole life running a business. Yeah.

And as you know, that was I was actually brilliant at it. Not I. But it was very successful for quite a while. I mean, for a little bit.

It really it really was. We had like 60 cars and everything. I mean, it was a question of timing.

I think I'm a good picture painter. Scott, I'm not I'm not a good operator, but I I certainly got got it going. And you're right.

This this is this is, I think, a very important theme is maybe something, Tiffany, I guess, especially you wouldn't be aware of. But I was I was this art student the whole way through my teens. I wanted to be I didn't know how I was going to apply it.

But, you know, I was racing motocross one minute and then I was up in the studio we had above the garage and I was painting and life drawing and all that stuff. But I was never quite good enough in my mind. And I mean, physically, my mind, I'm so creative.

And I'd look at your creative result and go, well, that's a bit disappointing. But when I started racing, I I actually had to pack all that away because it isn't that symbiotic to have a great imagination and then drive cars at 200 miles an hour, because you can start visualizing the terrible things that can happen to you. So you don't really want to do that.

Whereas I think it's better to be a little numb and a little bit a little bit myopic about it. But when I stopped racing, it was actually to really pursue the the television side, which the racing school opportunity came up first. And you're right, Scott, I really enjoyed that.

You know, we had to get the logos done. I had to make all the team gear. I'd always enjoyed doing that throughout my race career, whether it was designing my race helmet, making sure, you know, which represented my brand.

And I'd really enjoyed that. And I didn't enjoy running a business, but I really enjoyed the creative side of making the program, designing, you know, the content that we created. But that is that actually started to unlock my creative side that I'd put away for 20, 25 years.

Yeah. Where you could bridge that creative into the industry that you loved. Yeah, I've always I've always looked at you as a very creative individual, you know, design has always been a good dresser.

Well, thank you. Good style. Thank you.

Tiffany mentions that quite often. Oh, when your name comes up. Well, that's nice.

I just, you know, it's nice to know I'm in your mind. So going going from the race school, you went into media, you went into broadcast. How has that been? So I had always been attracted to the thought of maybe being an actor when I was a kid.

I'd always been attracted to that performance side of things. I think that's why I lost the Corvette job, actually. Because I was I had they had a much I was much more senior driver.

I was partnered with and called Ron Fellows. And he was the establishment. And I was this young guy.

And I'd always, you know, me, Scott, I kind of disruptor. I like to thrive in that that performance environment. So if it was we went to somewhere with 500 dealers, car dealers, I'd be the one that wanted to do the talking.

It just kind of came naturally to me. So he didn't like that. So I think that's why the drive didn't continue.

But I really I the real moment was I had I got asked by I did a show in Europe when I was younger called 555 Performance World. And I traveled actually all over the place, Dubai and everything, driving these power boats and flying in planes. And but I was like, no, I want to be a racing driver.

I don't want to do TV. I even had a moment where I was offered to do something more with Top Gear before it came, what it did in the end. And I was like, stupidly, now I realize I went, oh, I that I want to race cars.

I don't want to do TV. But then when it came to the TV side of things. I was my career with the TV and Speed Channel at the time was a big was the big network in cars and they covered all the racing.

They wouldn't let me wouldn't commit to me because I wouldn't commit to them because racing is such a high, such a rush. It's really our drug. So they knew that I might commit to doing a TV show for them or a series of races.

But the minute someone offered me a drive, it was like, boom, it's something, you know, give me a hit of something. I was like, no, I'm going to run in that direction. So I was racing for a guy at Daytona and it was a wealthy guy.

And he would pay for the racing and I'd drive with him. And he broke his leg skiing after Daytona too badly to continue. So he paid me to the end of the year.

And I went to Speed Channel and said, I'm I mean, count me in full time. And that was that was the transition. And then I just loved it.

I I enjoyed being on live TV because of the the adrenaline rush. You know, you're at Le Mans standing on the front of the grid and they're counting you down to get live across Fox around, you know, America. It's a pretty good rush.

And I know this is when you moved to L.A. You started. No, this was still when I was in Florida. Yeah.

Yeah. I'm still still at that point doing that. What did that position with Speed look like? So it's always a little bit, you know, tenuous, as Scott is well aware, when your talent, alleged talent, as our producer used to say, you would.

You know, it's quite a competitive, very competitive environment. Everybody's trying to sort of one up each other. But I was very determined that I didn't just want to do racing TV.

I wanted to transcend that. Some maybe misguidedly. I thought I was going to to to have a be outside the racing world, which is what led me to the move to L.A. But it was really Tiffany using my experiences as a driver, as someone that could relate to the people I'm interviewing.

And also in sports TV, especially I came up with the phrase once and I said, if you're not on the edge of being fired just a little bit when you do live TV, then you're not really doing it well. You're not pushing the boundaries. And I really enjoyed being trying to be humorous within a framework, you know.

And how did your role with Speed TV, how did you interact with all these events that would happen in the industry? Well, we go to the big races, I mean, like whether it was Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring, pretty much anything I'd raced in. And I would my role was actually in the pit lane, which was most of the time. So I had the headset on and I'd be right there in the middle of all the action, not up in the booth in the air conditioning.

I, you know, where you're a lot more controlled. I I think my energy and my outlook and my abilities actually to think quite fast on my feet with with people I'm interviewing, that was more suited to being down right in the heart of the action. So it's more like if you used a football analogy, I was the sideline reporter, you know, not the guy calling it in the from the desk.

I loved I loved doing that, which then which I think this is an important transition is I started doing what they call features for all the sponsors. So that was like Mobile One or Michelin. So I would come up with these really sometimes I thought quite clever vignettes where I might be trying to explain to the audience how these tires work or what happens at this point to a corner.

So I would come up with kind of funny, creative little segments. And that's where I started to realize I actually really like producing my own bits of content, creating your own content. Yeah, totally.

Yeah. Which before you moved to L.A., you and I teamed up for, I don't know, a few years creating and designing and pitching a number of television properties. All centered.

Yeah, that was fun. If you think back on it, well, America's greatest race, we could have been there with America's greatest race. You know, we did some pretty good deals.

You know, we did it. We signed a deal with Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon. Yeah.

Yeah. The high. Remember, he wanted a quarter of a million a day and we we didn't get we didn't get that.

But we we negotiated. I think that I'm going to give you that, you know, definitely credit, Scott, because it opened my eyes to how you could have two guys sitting in a room just literally breaking bread and coming up with an idea, believing in it, then writing it up and then taking it out to sell it. And I was like, wow, I actually really enjoyed this.

And yeah, it was a it was a it was a good bit of training. And it's something I do to this day. Literally, I filmed the pilot for a new show I wrote yesterday.

So it really has carried on. Now, you came right out of racing, right out of a school, jumped in with me and you were writing with me. We were creating decks.

Yeah. You know, we were redesigning our pitch and pitching back and forth to each other. And then we were on the road, you know, pitching from one network to another.

Yeah, I mean, and actually you're the first person that took me to L.A. in any professional capacity. And I mean, I know we had some, you know, some fun times. We met some really interesting people.

And that's when I started this. And everyone feels that in our industry, you know, is if you could get to L.A., you think you could do. You've made it, you know.

And and that's when that whole Jay Leno thing happened, which really. Tell us about that. Yeah, so no thing.

Yeah, so there I am. I also equally went through the most depression. I don't suffer from depression, but let's just say the bottom fell out of my world in Florida when when I closed that website thing.

I had Motoguru and I'm like, I have to make it. I have to make a change. But before you jump into Jay Leno, let's just talk about that.

That was a very creative idea that you designed and a lot was put into that. Yes, I know, I remember you. Yeah, you came to that open and you're like, holy cow, what do you know? I had that facility and everything a bit like a couple of things you and I did.

Life is about timing. And I think if we did that now, it would be a success. But it was just slightly ahead of the curve to create a website that's based in Florida where you don't even have driving roads.

You know, it was a little optimistic, you know, is like, look at this seven hundred horsepower Koenigsegg. Let me drive it down the 95. It wasn't exactly, you know, the rolling hills of Georgia or California.

So that was one of the problems. But, you know, I learned a lot. And.

Do you still have any of that content? Oh, yeah, it's all I got it all. Yeah, it was it was kind of fun. I mean, we did episodes.

I mean, hundreds of Scott's wheels are turning. I know they are. We need to talk about that.

Yeah, we should. So I I decided a time for my family and I to to have a change. And I thought California was it.

So I had told my wife at the time, Sarah, that, you know, I wanted to move. And we I flew to L.A. I had a meeting with someone. And then I was driving down Ventura Boulevard when my phone went off.

So back up three weeks, I was at the Pebble Beach Concord Elegance and I was doing some content for speed. And I interviewed Jay Leno and I knew him, OK, but we did a funny interview and on the concept lawn. And when I on the next Monday, I his assistant Helga, I wrote an email to him through her.

And I said, you know, nice seeing you. I'm coming. I'm moving to L.A. And you never sort of say I'm thinking of it.

You say I am. And I said, you're you're a TV guy that loves cars. I'm a car guy that loves TV, wants to be in it.

If you do coffee, I'll do coffee. I don't know what you do. Do you do eat bagels? I mean, let's just do it.

I really want to do this meet up. Didn't hear anything. And I'm driving into the Starbucks right there on Ventura and Laurel Canyon.

And I pulled in an unknown number. It literally says unknown number. I've never seen that.

I thought, well, it can't be the maybe it's the IRS or somebody important. And he went and he went, hey, Justin, this is Jay Jay Leno. Oh, he personally called you.

Yeah, he called and he said, so I've got this new TV show, the late night show called The Jay Leno Show. And I've built a racetrack here at NBC Studios called Green Car Challenge. And my producer just said, we go live in three weeks.

Who's going to host it? Who's going to operate it? And he went, Justin Bellis. So he said, I hope you can come in this afternoon and meet us and do it. And literally three weeks later, I'm training Drew Barrymore how to drive a little electric Ford.

And the whole thing, I thought my whole career was going to take off. Right. Three times a week.

I was doing this primetime slot. Yeah. And who wouldn't think that? Who wouldn't? I mean, The Rock and Serena Williams.

I mean, everybody. It was it was Dr. Phil, Gerald Butler. I had the best time.

And I remember back to what I said. I wanted to transcend just car TV. I wanted to be involved.

And I woke up one morning and I saw the kerfuffle about Conan and Leno in this legal protracted legal battle for The Tonight Show. And my deal was done on the spot. But I went and saw Jay and the producer and they were just like, that's the way it goes.

But he got me to L.A. with a degree of confidence. And then he sort of helped help me with some projects on his Jay Leno Garage web channel and YouTube channel. And so it allowed me to to stay in L.A. and the doors had opened.

So that was that's when I also realized something. And I'm going to thank you, Scott, for this. I learned a lot of things off you while we were there, good and bad.

And I remember when this all happened, we talked. Yeah. Yeah.

And you said something to me a lot. You'd it was the funniest thing. Tiffany will laugh at this.

He would be Scott be spinning twenty six plates, right? And he would come in and say, you know, your problem, you need to focus on one thing. And I'd be like, Scott, you've got plates spinning off your nostrils here. I don't know what are you talking about? And you're like, no, you can be a success.

Oh my gosh, he tells me the same thing. Just focus on one thing, you're going to be a big success. Maybe you need to seek your own advice.

Yeah. You see, Tiffany, we can relate on this. It was an aha moment.

Just happened. But do you know what? You are absolutely blinking right. Um, first of all, it took me that long to realize that the thing that I had to curate and and monetize was not because I was the I was not the most famous or the fastest or whatever, the best racing driver in the world.

But and I never thought I was. But when it came to the TV hosting, when it came to being a personality, a brand within my car world, I thought, you know, I can be the Ryan Seacrest of this world. I can totally better than my contemporaries.

And and I'm telling you, I never had that degree of confidence as a driver. Maybe that harks back to being the son of someone so successful. But the minute I started TV and the minute I went, this is all I'm doing is my brand.

I saw two things happen. One, there was a. The world started to open up because they could see I had a commitment to it, and I didn't think about 20 other things I thought about, one or two, and secondly, my father's approval, which I guess I've been looking for his avoid his sort of hatred for nepotism and things suddenly that fell away. And he literally was prouder of me being on TV and doing shows than he ever was of me racing, I think, because he didn't have to sort of make an apology for me in that way.

And boy, everything started to roll. And I really found being in L.A. where the car companies spend an awful lot of money. It's the number one market in America.

And there were car things happening the whole time. And that's really the biggest reason I had to leave Florida. As you know, there's not enough car stuff happening.

And and I kept telling you back then that you should focus and design your career around you and a microphone. Yes, you have an amazing talent and personality. Well, and even as we were sad to see you guys leave Florida, it's funny what you just commented on about, you know, creating your own brand, because one thing I talked to Scott about and we kind of talk on this podcast is in this social media world, this digital, everybody is their own brand.

Yeah. And it's interesting that you just basically answered that question that I was going to ask, but you answered it, how important it is to focus on your personal brand and create that, design that. Yeah.

Yeah. And, you know, I think the other extension of that is it's rather like when you go to someone's Instagram page, if they bouncing off the walls on it. Yeah.

What are you looking at them for? If if someone has a theme to what they do, you know, when it's like photographers I follow, I know what they are offering me when I go there or I know what the certain content creator or and I think that's an important part of it. You don't want to make people guess at what you are. And right.

And I found something that I really enjoyed doing was and this is, I think, the emergence of reemergence of my creativity was, I guess it was probably 10 or 12 years ago now. So I'm right in the middle of all the TV stuff. But it was odd, Tiffany.

I found myself realizing I was I'd turned back on this creative side of me that I'd turned off in my late teens, early 20s. So I'm like, I want to get back. I want to be more creative.

And I really enjoyed the writing of the shows. I really enjoyed working with these brand guys, the agencies. I have no training in all that.

But I realized that half of them aren't as smart as they think they are, despite the educations. And my education was older, you know, right. And your life has shaped you and all your experiences.

And I had a lot to bring to it. But I went, OK, I want to be more creative. So I I went to Michael's, the art shop.

I bought this massive canvas, all these all this acrylic paint, went down into my garage, locked myself in there, played some loud music. Hours later, stood back and realized I am just as crap an artist now as I was when I was 18. It hasn't got any better.

I was like, what's going to happen here? So but at the same time, I needed an outlet. And I was at Pebble Beach and someone walked by with a Hasselblad 501CM Hasselblad look in the top film camera. And I'm like, oh, my God, that is the most beautiful thing I've seen.

It's like a Rolls Royce in a camera. So I went to Sam is the big photography shop, you know, Scott Video Shop in L.A. and bought through them on eBay this beautiful film camera. I always liked.

And I started and that's it. I've been into photography for 12 years now. And it's you know, I get this an extension again of what I do.

I get work published in magazines. It's not because I'm a photographer or a writer, but I write the way I talk and give a first person side to it, angle to it, like my dad's 60th anniversary of his first race at Goodwood in England in March. I went and followed him and stood him against the same place in the paddock that he'd stood with his friend when he was 22 years old.

And I because I have access, I get very intimate photography and portrait photography. So it was rather like probably you, Tiffany, was asking me what I do now. I I was at an event, a charity event here in Vegas on Sunday doing like driving people around for this charity event and the racetrack.

And this lady asked me, she said, what was she actually on Instagram reached out? And she's saying she said, I love all your stuff on your Instagram, she said. But how does that work? I mean, where did that create? What do you mean you're creative? And I suddenly was like, well, I write my own shows. I produce my some of my own shows.

I write, I get it published and I'm a photographer. So I guess I am creative, way more creative than maybe I give myself credit for, you know. So so I want to just want to say that anyone who's listening or watching this podcast should go to Justin's.

You have two Instagram accounts. You get one Instagram account for all your photography and then you have another that's your personal, I would say. Yeah.

Has a tremendous amount of great video of you at all these different events. Fabulous. And every single segment you do is very enjoyable to listen to.

It's a great story. Thank you. Thank you.

I mean, little short stories. Yeah. And I think, I mean.

It doesn't just have to be the young kids that have the fun of this, I mean, you've got to think about it every day with your creativity and my creativity. In a way, I wish I was 18 again and we could make globally dominating shows from our basement, you know, just using this laptop and and skill. I think it's a very exciting time.

But that also extends to any age group. And I really enjoy the medium. I don't enjoy social media because that's a bit of a drag having to do that.

And but I do enjoy content creation and being at these events. And isn't it amazing? You just pick up your phone and suddenly you're doing an Instagram live and you can have this people are amazing audience that is just there. I really find it intriguing.

But, you know, looking at the title of the show, Design Lab, I'm very cognizant of of how important it is, Tiffany, to continue representing yourself well and keeping a brand that people can relate to. I mean, I'm here at the Wynn Las Vegas. I have a residency, would be a bit of a fancy way to say it.

So tell us about that. I like that, a residency at the Wynn. Yeah, so I'm at the Wynn right now in my room and it came up a year ago.

I have a production company with another racing driver called Tommy Kendall and my partner, Jason Jacobson, who came from NASCAR. And we do all the live streams for the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and other Hagerty events and Ferrari. So that's an extension of what I do, stuff I learned from when I was with you, actually.

And I came here to meet the guys at the Wynn last March because the Pebble Beach folks had told them to talk to us because they have a beautiful Concours and it was only in their second year, a Concours d'Elegance here on the golf course at the Wynn, right underneath the sphere. And it turns out they didn't need what what we were offering, so to speak. They weren't ready for it.

But they said they knew I had another little baby podcast and they said, have you seen our six million dollar studio, podcast studio? And rather like that would be to you, Scott. I'm like, I'm down again. What do you mean you don't have any racing content? As I look around and we have a Grand Prix coming, you don't you know, you don't put me in the henhouse.

Oh, yeah. Don't put me in that environment. So three weeks later, I'd sold them a show and fully sponsored by the Wynn and Mobile One.

How exciting. Yeah. So I come in on a Monday.

I prepared the show after a Grand Prix. And again, I'm writing the show and creating it, working with my producer, Jeremiah. And then on the Tuesday, we do exactly what you're doing, because, you know, in the absence of Joe Rogan budget, you don't fly people in.

But if someone's in town, I try and get them in the studio. Grand Prix week, I try and get them in the studio. And I just love talking.

I love finding out what people are doing. And obviously the theme is Formula One, but I head off in tangents as well, as you know. So it's but what a wonderful collaboration.

The people here at the Wynn, it's the best place in Las Vegas. They're the epicenter of the racing. When Formula One comes here in three weeks, it's just it's wild, you know, for me just being involved is I feel so privileged.

And this is something that I know I can continue to to grow. And it's just, you know, I think we're about to get on SXM, which would be really great because it's an SXM studio and, you know, we're off to the races, so to speak. So needless to say, it's been a wild ride.

I saw you had Jay Leno on your show. Yeah, he was. Well, he came to the Concours last week, last year.

And so I was like, Jay, come in the studio. And, you know, he's just what did he think of the studio? Well, he thought I was, you know, he thought I was squatting. Actually, he said, you know, did they even give you a key? But, you know, it was funny because he immediately starts, you know, he and I, he turns it on, you know, he kind of shuffles in and it's like, all right, where should we go? What are we going to do? And maybe he'd had those two big accidents in like a year, one on the motorbike and one when his steam car caught on fire.

And I'd send him a text and I brought it up and I went, I think that's what I said. I said, Jay, well, you know, I reached out. I thought I'd better get you on the show before you managed to kill yourself.

And I said, you know, I texted to say, I hope you're right. And he said, no, that was really nice. He said, when I get to, are you OK? He said, that's that's full of love, Justin.

I mean, you know, he's very funny. He heads off on all these things. But it certainly isn't bad to have the support of someone like him.

That's agreed, agreed. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, so you you've been in and out of a number of different aspects of your life and your career. What are one or two of the things that you feel you've learned along the way that are really important, that have helped you into redesigning your life each time? First of all, don't be afraid of the phases of life. You know, we can have a vision and a goal, but life is going to throw you these curve balls.

So when you get into the next phase, it's OK to reimagine yourself and redefine what you are, as long as you keep your you know, to what your values are, if you like. I realized that the the importance of networking, the importance of relationships is a nicer way to put it. And relationships that you definitely that old phrase, you see them on the way up and on the way down.

That's absolutely accurate. And I I wish the words, you know, almost your advice, Scott, and just my life experience. I wish I'd looked at things a little bit from a bigger scale.

When I was younger in my 20s, I just raced and I I never looked at the big picture. And I never had a plan. I have a plan now and I and I'm much more calculating with it.

I think I'm just a slow I'm a slow burner. I'm smarter now than I was at 30. And I wish I hadn't been.

It should be the other way around. But it's really, you know, coming together. I. I've always had self-conviction, and I think that's carried carried me through, but it's yeah, I don't think there's any magic bullet to it, but persistence is the most important attribute I think you can have.

You and I share that, Scott. It's like, you know, you get knocked down and you go, I you wake up the next day. And that's something that athletes and people that have been involved in sports do better than people that have just been in business.

I've got friends, let's say, then in the insurance business, they'll be down for weeks and months about a bad deal. But when you're in sport, you can't lose next week's race worrying about the one you lost yesterday. You have to reset the clock, get out of bed and just attack it.

And yeah, and I and I tell my kids, I said just and I tell young people who are wanting whether it's racing or TV, I'm like, just be persistent. And remember, everybody you know who's successful, they've also had to be persistent. So just keep on it.

Keep on it. You know, a lot of people look at you as a as a race car driver. Others look at you as a broadcast.

For me, I've always looked at you and I don't think I've ever told you this as a true entrepreneur. Thank you. I appreciate that.

You have always gone from one thing to the next and such great, positive attitude. It's been fun to do a lot of things with you. Yeah, no, it is.

And I think I've got this visual, you know me, I am so visual. We we are very similar. And I and I've used this before is I think I'm like a very skinny white British version of Tarzan flying, going through the jungle and I'm holding on to one vine and I'm swinging onto the next vine.

I am super fine as long as there's another vine to hold on to. Right. You know, because when it's when there isn't, you just kind of rock.

And and I think that is an analogy that I I keep in my mind that it's a good opportunity and keep upbeat because no one likes someone that's downbeat. You know, you've got to just keep pushing and and there's nothing to stop you doing it. And yeah, I've got to say I'm at the happiest, the most content.

And for the first time in my life, I have a perfect partner who Milani, who just makes makes everything a lot better. So I never found my my partner in crime like you two, but I have now. So.

Well, God bless. That's a great thing to feel and say. Yeah.

You're there. So in the beginning of this podcast, we mentioned or if I mentioned or Tiffany mentioned about fashion, because she's always mentioned to me whenever your names come up, oh, he dresses so well. He just is really put together.

Tiffany, I know you want to. You always had a good eye. Oh, thank you.

Not necessary to me. Do you consider yourself to be a high fashion individual? Not high fashion, but I think stylish. Right.

It's stylish. There you go. It's again, it's trying to find what fits you.

Someone the other day said, oh, why don't you wear T-shirts on your show more? And I'm like, because I just don't have that T-shirt body in my mind. You know, I don't want to. And I'm doing the show for Porsche on Monday and they're like, what's your wardrobe? Can you send us three choices? And I can send you one because that's how I dress.

It's you know, I love really nice boots. I like I like wearing, you know, nicely tailored jeans. And I really like nice shirts and a jacket.

And I don't wear a tie very often. But I found that it's like yesterday walking around the wind. And everyone here, they have an executive thing that everyone has to wear a jacket and tie.

But I don't want to ever be underdressed. I've never been I've always been a bit nervous about being overdressed. Tiffany, it makes me feel a bit standing out.

But I went to the Peterson Gala on Saturday night and met this guy. So on Friday night, there was a thing called the chairman's dinner. And this guy was so beautifully dressed.

And his wife turns out he's head of menswear for Ralph Lauren. Oh, wow. And I'm like, I'm like, oh, I'm glad I put on my really nice suit.

And then on the Saturday night was a it was a gala. And I thought it was black tie. It's always been black tie tuxedo.

So I'm wearing I have this beautiful dark blue and brown bow tie and dark brown. It was I thought it looked great. And he's there in this incredible tuxedo.

And I said, oh, I think we're the only two in tuxedo. And he looked at me and he said, never apologize for being stylish. I was like, oh, I agree.

I'm with you. I agree. Yeah.

Right. I never apologize. But I think it's also part of the brand.

Right to personal brand. And I'm 56 years old. My competition is in its 30s.

And no one who looks at me on TV thinks I'm 56 probably. Right. So I hope you don't have five million followers because I've just told them.

But, you know, how old you are. So as we wrap up here, we have a couple of fun questions we always like to ask, and I wanted to see, even though where you're staying right now, what's your favorite hotel? From a design standpoint. Oh, it's really interesting feeling that, you know, I'm going to say we just came back from Tulum.

We were. Oh, my gosh. Our last guest just said that, too.

We were as a leak, which is down on the same one you just talk about. OK, well, that's awesome. That's funny.

How funny is that? How funny is that? What a different vibe. What a different style. It's not Four Seasons luxury.

It's it's an eco luxury. And it's you were saying, it's actually like a feeling. It's a sense.

It touches all your senses. It really is. And and I think things have moved on.

Do you remember in the day going down to the Delano when it opened up? It was like, oh, it's so cool. It's all white. And we sat there in the lobby and now it's kind of dated and moved on, isn't it? It's much more.

I gravitate towards or even looking at your backdrop there using wood. I really enjoy warmer. The combination of the, you know, many more different textures.

And and I really like the organic nature of woods in with concrete. And so I'm drawn to that. The wind is obviously much more Asian inspired in a lot of ways.

But yeah, I would say that my favorite is as a league right now. So I can't wait to go back. What about restaurant design? Why do you have a favorite restaurant? I went to where should I say? Well, you know, I'm I'm still a member at Soho House, and I really enjoy their vibe wherever you go in the world.

I think it's a very they're very clever the way they they embrace you. The minute you walk through the door, I do enjoy that. It's like, oh, I'd like to have my living room like this.

They've actually you're the first person that ever took me there. Yeah. Right.

Yeah. Yeah. So I really enjoy that.

But in L.A., you know, it's I go to Ciccone's quite a bit. And and but here in Las Vegas, we're very lucky, especially here in the wind. They have, you know, this Missoumi is this new.

It's a rebirth of their Asian restaurant. And it's around the water. And you just it's just exactly what I'm talking about.

Tiffany is all wood and like concrete. And I it's a very embracing environment. I love that.

All right. So let's ask you a question that's right in your wheelhouse. What's your favorite design of a car? OK, you have one.

Yeah, I do. I think I'm more attracted now to the like Pagani Zonda, which is, you know, for some people, the most bejeweled sports car in the world. Millions of dollars.

That doesn't grab me oddly enough. I can appreciate it. I but me hosting all these concours.

I go back to early in the century, last century. They call it pre-war. I don't do some bugs and things don't really gravitate to that.

I think those fifties and sixties sports cars, especially European sports cars, the Ferrari GTO, the Ferrari Lusso, these GT cars that were meant to be toured around Europe. The Ferrari Lusso is probably the car that appeals to me the most. But I've got a friend who's bringing his hundred million dollar GTO to our concourse this weekend.

And this car is so beautiful that you can understand why he spent the money on it. It's just if anyone wants to Google it for our GTO. But what I love about car design, especially from that era, it wasn't designed to be a hundred million dollar car, right? That's just what people want to pay for it.

It was designed to be driven, driven by young entrepreneurial, wealthy people around Europe with their beautiful girlfriend next to them or the other way around. And I'm attracted to design that tells a story. And for me, every car has a story.

And that's more than, you know, as well as the people that own them. So I'm very attracted to that era. I think that's a great way to wrap up.

I love that every car tells a story. Let me ask one last question. What's your favorite event to attend? Because you attend a lot.

You know, you're broadcasting at a lot. You're doing video at a lot. Obviously, I'm going to say because I'm here, we've got this wind concourse, which is just spectacular under the under the the sphere looking at the wind golf course.

It's going to be one of the top events in the world. But I'll tell you what, I the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. This was its 73rd year.

I walk out. I'm the I'm the guy that opens the event. And I walk out and I feel so honored.

And I walk out and welcome people. And it's just I'm looking across all the all the like 20,000 people there. And they're all beautifully dressed.

There's billions of dollars of cars. And then, you know, that bay there and you're looking at the raw water and the rocks and the rocks. And for me, I just it's such a epic event.

And I'm tied now as a little part of that history. And I think it will always be my favorite event. It's just I just think 73 years old and I'm, you know, I'm there.

I love it. Yeah, right. I would say that's a bucket list.

Well, we appreciate your spending the time with us today. We hope to see you soon. Yeah, I'm coming back in December, so let's get together.

Without a doubt over there. We will see you here. Yeah.

You know what I'm doing now? I'm actually the world's worst golfer. But they gave me and my business partner, Jason, they said, why don't you? We had a free morning. You can come and play do nine holes on the wind golf course.

So I'm about to go and butcher one of the finest golf courses in the world and get my money's worth because I'll probably shoot an 80. But that's only on nine holes. So, you know, I just want to enjoy it.

Have fun. Enjoy it. I will do.

Guys, love you lots. Thank you so much. Take care.

Take care. I Design Labs podcast is an SW group production in association with the Five Star and T.W. Interiors. To learn more about I Design Lab or T.W. Interiors, please visit TW Interiors.com.