Shifting Gears with Aaron Kaufman

I'VE BEEN BUILDING CARS FOR OTHER PEOPLE

FOR FAR TOO LONG.

NOW, I'M TAKING THINGS IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

AT MY NEW SHOP, ARCLIGHT FABRICATION,

I'M DESIGNING AFTER-MARKET TRUNK PARTS,

BUILDING UNIQUE VEHICLES THAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BUILD,

AND I'M HAVING MORE FUN DOING IT.

I'VE HAND-PICKED A TEAM OF THE BEST BUILDERS

FROM ACROSS AMERICA TO JOIN ME.

JONATHAN MANSURE AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS

SINCE BEFORE WE WERE OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE.

HE'S THE BEST PARTS GUY I KNOW BUT A TERRIBLE MAGICIAN.

- THREE OF CLUBS. - WRONG.

A CUSTOM FABRICATOR FROM A RACING FAMILY,

JOSH FREEMAN BUILT A COMPLETE TRUCK AT AGE 15

AND HAS YET TO RECREATE THE BICYCLE BOOGIE

MADE FAMOUS IN THE '80S.

Freeman: ALMOST GOT IT.

EX-AIRCRAFT MECHANIC TURNED CLASSIC-CAR FABRICATOR

JASON BOWMAN IS AN ENGINE EXPERT

AND THE CORONA HIGH SCHOOL MOONWALK CHAMPION OF 1987.

JEREMY WEBSTER IS AN INCREDIBLY TALENTED SHEET-METAL WORKER.

HE'S WORKED ON CARS SINCE HE WAS 13 YEARS OLD

AND HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO TRAIN CATS FOR JUST AS LONG.

SIT. NO, STAY.

BAH.

A SELF-TAUGHT ELECTRONICS MASTER

WITH MORE THAN 15 YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY,

JOHN RODRIGUEZ CAN HACK ANYTHING WITH A CIRCUIT BOARD.

BUILDING THESE CUSTOM VEHICLES

WILL CHALLENGE OUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE ON EVERY LEVEL.

AND WHEN THEY'RE DONE, WE'LL PUT EACH ONE TO THE TEST.

I'M AARON KAUFMAN, AND THIS IS "SHIFTING GEARS."

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

TONIGHT...

Announcer: HERE HE COMES LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, AARON KAUFMAN.

Kaufman: I'M DIVING INTO A FEW NEW ADVENTURES.

WHEN THEY ASKED ME TO BE THE GRAND MARSHAL...

IF I KEEP THE TIRES DOWN, IT'S GONNA BE EXCITING FOR ME.

IF I DON'T KEEP THE TIRES ON THE GROUND,

IT WILL BE EXCITING FOR Y'ALL.

THEN, MY BUILDERS AND I WILL TURN AN INTERNATIONAL SCOUT

INTO A HIGH-PERFORMANCE ON-AND-OFF-ROAD VEHICLE.

BUT THE HITCH IS, I DON'T HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE

BUILDING THESE TYPES OF VEHICLES...

I'VE GOT TO COLLECT MY THOUGHTS.

WE'LL PUT YOU BEHIND THE WHEEL AND SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT.

...AND VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE DRIVING THEM.

EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS WAS WEIRD.

WHAT HAVE I DONE?

THIS IS GONNA BE ONE HELL OF A RIDE.

OH.

STEVE MCQUEEN SAID IT BEST --

"RACING IS LIFE. EVERYTHING ELSE IS WAITING."

EVERYONE'S GOT A VICE.

MY FIX IS HORSEPOWER.

WHETHER IT'S IN THE PITS OR IN MY GARAGE,

I'M DRIVEN BY THE ROAR OF AN ENGINE

AND THE SMELL OF FUEL IN THE AIR.

I'M ONE OF THE LUCKY FEW WHERE MY PASSION

HAPPENS TO BE MY BUSINESS.

SOME PEOPLE MIGHT CALL IT "HARD WORK,"

BUT I'M HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE.

HOWDY.

HOW'S IT GOING? - GOOD. HOW ARE YOU?

PRETTY GOOD. LOOKING FOR CHRIS.

YEAH!

TODAY, I'M HERE AT THE LONESTAR AMERICAN FLAT TRACK SERIES.

THEY ASKED ME TO BE THE GRAND MARSHAL.

WELL, NOT ONLY DID I AGREE, BUT I ASKED IF THEY HAD A BIKE

I COULD TAKE FOR A RIDE.

HI. HOW ARE YOU DOING? AARON.

- GOOD. NICE TO MEET YOU. - NICE TO MEET YOU.

Carr: MY NAME IS CHRIS CARR.

I'M CURRENTLY THE CHIEF COMPETITION OFFICER

OF AMERICAN FLAT TRACK.

YOU READY TO GO FOR A LAP, HUH?

YEAH. LOVE TO.

I GUESS THEY'RE GONNA GIVE YOU, LIKE,

ABOUT A LAP AND A HALF, JUST KIND OF GET A FEEL FOR IT.

YOU'RE GONNA BE ON AN INDIAN, ONE OF THE FACTORY INDIANS,

100 HORSEPOWER. - OKAY.

ON DIRT, IT WILL FEEL LIKE 200.

YOU EVER DONE ANYTHING IN A CIRCLE LIKE THIS BEFORE?

WHAT AM I WORRIED ABOUT?

WE'RE RIDING A MOTORCYCLE, RIGHT?

- YEAH. - IT'S GOT TWO WHEELS ON IT?

IT DOES HAVE TWO WHEELS, BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE A FRONT BREAK.

OH, MY GOODNESS.

WE'LL BE OKAY WITHOUT THE FRONT BREAK.

I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM, PERSONALLY, RIDE A MOTORCYCLE.

MY GOAL IN MEETING WITH HIM EARLIER IS TO TRY

AND TO HAVE, MAYBE, A LITTLE BIT OF A SCARED-STRAIGHT MOMENT.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE,

BUT I'M HOPING HE ENJOYS THE EXPERIENCE.

SO, IF I REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION CORRECTLY,

HE SAID "COME OUT HOT, PIN FOURTH GEAR," RIGHT?

Man: PRETTY MUCH.

HEY DUDE, WATCH OUT, YOU'RE IN MY SHOT.

SORRY.

THIS IS A DIFFERENT SHOW. YOU'RE ALLOWED TO BE HERE.

YOU CAN EVEN LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND HAVE A CONVERSATION.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WHO'S READY TO SEE SOME

GRAND NATIONAL FLAT TRACK MOTORCYCLE RACING?

THERE'S AARON KAUFMAN RIGHT NOW.

HE'S STAGED UP OUTSIDE TURN NUMBER TWO.

SO, YOU KNOW THE REALLY EXCITING PART IS,

IF I KEEP THE TIRES DOWN, IT'S GONNA BE EXCITING FOR ME.

IF I DON'T KEEP THE TIRES ON THE GROUND,

IT WILL BE EXCITING FOR Y'ALL.

Announcer: HERE HE COMES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

AARON KAUFMAN, ON THE FACTORY INDIAN SCOUT FTR...

Kaufman: SO, WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE THINGS EASY,

BUT THIS THING IS AN ANIMAL.

THIS MAKES A LOT OF POWER, AND IT CARRIES ITS WEIGHT LOW,

AND IT WANTS TO GO FAST.

Announcer: SCOTTY, WE DON'T HAVE ANY RACERS THAT HAVE, LIKE, 2 FOOT OF BEARD

STICKING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THEIR HELMET.

- IT MIGHT BE A NEW TREND. - IT COULD BE.

Kaufman: I MADE ONE LAP, LAP AND A HALF.

IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME OTHER THAN EXCITE ME TO GET IN

AND PUT A WHOLE DAY IN ONE OF THESE THINGS.

LIKE I NEEDED ANOTHER EXPENSIVE HABIT,

THIS RIGHT HERE IS GROWING ON ME.

Announcer: WHAT DO YOU SAY, YOU GUYS? LET HIM HEAR YOU.

Kaufman: NEVER HAVING BEEN ON A FLAT TRACK,

IT ALWAYS MAKES ME NERVOUS,

BUT I'M ALWAYS EXCITED TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE AT HOME

THE THINGS THAT I LOVE SO MUCH,

THE THINGS THAT I THINK MAKE ME ME.

THEY MAY NOT HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT ME

THIS PAST YEAR, BUT THEY'RE ABOUT TO.

YOU'RE NOW KIND OF DOING YOUR OWN THING.

COULD YOU ELABORATE FOR US?

THINGS CHANGE, PEOPLE CHANGE,

AND IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO MOVE ON.

SO, WE TOOK A LITTLE BREAK, AND WE'RE BACK IN NORTH DALLAS

WITH A NEW SHOP, AND WE'LL LET EVERYBODY KNOW

ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE SHOP

AND WHAT'S GOING ON HERE PRETTY SOON.

OVER THE YEARS AT GAS MONKEY GARAGE,

MY BUILDS WERE GETTING MORE COMPLICATED

AND I WAS GROWING AS A BUILDER.

NOW, I'M STRIVING FOR A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.

WE'RE NO LONGER AT THE PRECIPICE.

WE HAVE JUMPED OFF. SO, I HAVE SUNK EVERYTHING

THAT I HAVE INTO THE NEW OPERATION,

WHICH, HOPEFULLY, WILL GIVE ME A STEADY INCOME

TO FUEL MY PASSION BUILDS.

AND YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS FROM THE PAST

THAT I HAD TO SHAKE OFF. THIS IS ALL BRAND-NEW.

WE'RE GONNA DO IT A NEW WAY.

AND IT REALLY IS AN EXCITING NEW CHAPTER.

MAN, THAT'S REAL EXCITING. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YOU'VE GOT A BUNCH OF FANS THAT ARE GONNA BE SO EXCITED.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAKE SOME NOISE FOR AARON KAUFMAN,

AND, SCOTTY, IT'S BACK UP TO YOU.

BEING A GRAND MARSHAL OF A LONE STAR 1/2-MILE

WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE, AND A LOT OF FUN.

BUT NOW, IT'S TIME TO GET TO WORK.

AT ARCLIGHT, WE'RE PLANNING ON MANUFACTURING

F100 AFTERMARKET PARTS,

AS WELL AS BUILDING DISTINCTIVE CARS TO FACE NEW CHALLENGES.

FIRST CAR I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD

IS A LITTLE SCOUT.

MY VISION IS TO TURN IT INTO A STREET-LEGAL, OFF-ROAD VEHICLE

WITH EXTREME CAPABILITIES.

A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, CHRIS RUSSMAN,

HE LIVES OUT HERE SORT OF NEAR ME.

SO, HE'S LOCATED ME ONE.

HE DRUG IT BACK TO HIS RANCH, SO, WE'RE GONNA COME DOWN HERE AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

SO, HERE WE ARE AT THE RUSSMAN RANCH.

OH, MY GOODNESS, THERE HE IS -- THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND.

Russman: I'M CHRIS RUSSMAN.

I'M THE PRESIDENT OF CYCLONE MANUFACTURING INCORPORATED.

I MET AARON ON PIKES PEAK.

I WAS UP TO TUNE THE ENGINE ON A HAUL TRUCK

FOR A FREIGHT LINER THAT DID THE HILL CLIMB WITH HIM.

AND NOW, I GUESS, WE'VE BECOME FRIENDS.

- WHAT YOU DOING MAN? - NOT MUCH.

SO, TELL ME ABOUT THE SCOUT.

- READY TO GO SEE IT? - YEAH, I AM.

I DIDN'T SEE YOU SITTING OUT HERE SO...

HOPE ON THE BACK. LET'S GO TO THE PASTURE.

- OKAY. -HOPE ON IN. WE'LL GO FOR A RIDE.

Kaufman: CHRIS WAS A DIESEL PERFORMANCE PARTS SALE GUY,

AND DUE TO HIS EMPLOYMENT SITUATION,

HE CAN DO A LITTLE MORE DRIVING

AND A LITTLE MORE HUNTING THAN I CAN.

AND SO, HE WAS ABLE TO DIG UP THE SCOUT FOR ME.

THE GUY THAT ACTUALLY OWNS IT IS NOT EVEN HERE,

SO CHRIS IS KIND OF NEGOTIATING ON HIS BEHALF.

YEAH, THE GUY, HE REMEMBERED IT WAS ROLLED.

YEAH.

AND THE BENT-UP BODY IS NOT OF INTEREST TO MOST PEOPLE.

YEAH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A FACT.

THAT'S A FACT.

SO, MY INTEREST FOR BUILDING THE SCOUT IS PRETTY SIMPLE.

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF THEM OUT THERE ON THE ROAD,

AND BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT A BRONCO,