Embracing the Off-Road Lifestyle with Tony Barraza of TB Designworks on Episode 276

In this captivating episode of "Conversations with Big Rich," we dive into the vibrant world of motorsports with Tony Barraza, a passionate designer and long-time enthusiast of the off-road industry. Tony, the creative force behind TB DesignWorks, shares his journey from growing up in a small desert town in Blythe, California, to becoming a significant figure in motorsports illustration, printing, and marketing.

Tony discusses his upbringing in Blythe, California, where the seeds of his love for motorsports were sown. Influenced by neighbors involved in off-road racing, he found himself drawn to the vibrant desert racing scene.

Transitioning from a BMX enthusiast to a graphic designer, Tony recounts his educational journey at Platt College and his serendipitous entry into NHRA, which launched his professional career in motorsports design.

The episode explores the founding of TB DesignWorks in 1999, showcasing Tony's dedication to merging his creative talents with his passion for motorsports.

With over 30 years of experience, Tony reflects on his legacy and future aspirations, sharing his love for the sport and the community that surrounds it.

Join Big Rich and Tony Barraza for an inspiring conversation about following your passion and making a living in the off-road world. Whether you're a die-hard motorsports fan or just curious about the industry, this episode offers valuable lessons and insights.

Transcript

[00:00:05.100] - 

Welcome to Conversations with Big Rich. This is an interview-style podcast. Those interviewed are all involved in the off-road industry. Being involved, like all of my guests are, is a lifestyle, not just a job. I talk to past, present, and future legends, as well as business owners, employees, media, and land use warriors, men and women who have found their way into this exciting and addictive lifestyle we call off-road. We discuss their personal history, struggles, successes, and reboots. We dive into what drives them to stay active and off-road. We all hope to shed some light on how to find a path into this world that we live and love and call off-road.

[00:00:46.400] - 

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[00:01:12.380] - Big Rich Klein

On today's Conversations with Big Rich is a gentleman that has a passion and an enthusiasm for motorsports and the people that share that enthusiasm and passion as well. He's people-centric, and it's Tony Baraza, with Tony Barraza or TB Design & Works, illustration, printing, and marketing. Someone who really has a passion for motorsports.

[00:01:42.180] - Tony Barraza

Hello, Rich.

[00:01:43.160] - Big Rich Klein

Hello, Tony. How are you doing today? Good, man.

[00:01:45.560] - Tony Barraza

Good morning. How are you?

[00:01:46.640] - Big Rich Klein

Excellent.

[00:01:48.460] - Tony Barraza

Good, man. Thank God this Friday we reached it.

[00:01:51.840] - Big Rich Klein

So anyway, the interview is going to be about you. My first question is going to be, where were you born and raised? And then we're just going to run your timeline. Education, what it was like growing up as a kid, your family's, what you guys did for vacations or entertainment, that thing. And just tell us your story We'll get into first vehicles, jobs, college, and then your career and how that all flourished. Family, all of it. That's cool.

[00:02:28.180] - Tony Barraza

So cool. I really appreciate I appreciate the opportunity, Rich. It's super cool. Listen to plenty of the podcast over the years, plenty of, obviously, icons and legends and some of them that are the friends of mine, and to even be remotely regarded, included, and thought of at the same time as it was amazing to me, so I really appreciate it.

[00:02:49.020] - Big Rich Klein

Well, what this podcast truly is about, it's about the history of off-road by those that live the lifestyle. But What I hope to do with the podcast is inspire somebody that's an enthusiast, maybe works a nine to five at some store or something like that, that really isn't satisfied in their life and always dreamed about getting into off-road. I want to show those people that there are a million different ways to get into off-road.

[00:03:24.660] - Tony Barraza

A million avenues. And like you've learned on your podcast, I've certainly heard it repeatedly over time and time again of the ones I've listened to over the years, and everybody came from somewhere. Everybody knew… I mean, some people are born into it, but until they get the experience, the exposure, are entrenched in it. In some of those that get a taste of it and don't go down that path, there's those of us that have been on the outside and they see it as a fan, an enthusiast. They attended a race, they had a family member that was into something, and then you came into it, then you just were a whole hog and up to your neck in it. Exactly. It clicks with some. When I think of my journey, my experiences, and it's like, my God, so many people were entrenched, and there's so many details to it. There's even minutia to the details of how these people are connected or how I became a part of something. Everybody has that. It came from somewhere. I'm massively fortunate to have had the experiences and the journey that I've had that I'm still on at 59 years old, and there's no end in sight.

[00:04:36.340] - Big Rich Klein

Right, exactly. So let's get started with the first question. Where were you born and raised?

[00:04:45.660] - Tony Barraza

My story, Rich, starts in Blyth, California. I was born and raised there in that little tiny desert town, bordered by the river, bordered with Arizona, obviously. Yeah.

[00:04:59.060] - Big Rich Klein

Right now, it's still rural, but there's a lot of a lot of ag going on there, agriculture. And one of the things I've realized is in California, that there's a lot of Marijuana farms being out there.

[00:05:17.980] - Tony Barraza

I left there, my family left there in 1978.

[00:05:21.950] - Big Rich Klein

So way before all that.

[00:05:23.240] - Tony Barraza

Way before all of that. It was cotton. It was any other type of, you know, ag that took place out in the surrounding areas. And we saw, obviously, a lot of that. But my family was way more in the city. But of course, had friends and connections out in the farming agriculture area.

[00:05:43.360] - Big Rich Klein

And you were How old were you when you guys left Blyth?

[00:05:48.240] - Tony Barraza

I was 12 years old. In '78, I was 12 years old. I was born in '66. I just had a birthday in June at the Baha 500 and turned 59.

[00:05:56.560] - Big Rich Klein

Well, congratulations.

[00:05:58.280] - Tony Barraza

Thank you so much.

[00:05:59.720] - Big Rich Klein

Those first 12 years in Blyth, what was it like? Did you guys travel out of the area very much, or were you pretty much set in that area?

[00:06:10.820] - Tony Barraza

We were really set in the area. I'm one of six children. Wow. Okay. I am the youngest of four boys, and I have two younger sisters.

[00:06:18.830] - Big Rich Klein

Let me guess. Catholic?

[00:06:20.380] - Tony Barraza

Absolutely Catholic, Hispanic family. And my mom and dad had great jobs there in town. My dad was a meat cutter for the local Albertsons, and he ascended to be the manager of the meat Department. When we moved to the Hammet area, where I am at San Jacinto Valley, where I currently reside, he became a grocery store meat Department manager for State of Brothers markets that are huge out in this area. And we were local. We were super centered in the valley. But there were times where we traveled to Riverside, San Bernardino, for family dentists. Our doctors were local, of Of course. But Blyth, being a pretty small town of limited resources, you traveled.

[00:07:05.080] - Big Rich Klein

Right. And so what did you guys do when you were that young? Your dad's working. It's at least a 40 hour a week job. What did you guys do for entertainment? Did you get out into the desert, or was it more like hanging out at the river?

[00:07:26.620] - Tony Barraza

Really funny. We were desert rats. We were close to the river, but we seemed to focus towards the desert. I had an uncle who had a dune buggy, sandrail situation, and he'd bring that to family gatherings. We might gather as a family group and go out to the desert and have a a whole picnic and grouping meeting there. There were some minibikes in the group. The funny thing about it, Rich, is growing up, my dad and my grandfather bought a little Briggs and Straton five horsepower mini bike that, of course, my older brothers rode and they were terrorizing me with. I take my bicycle out to the desert, and I was deathly afraid of that thing growing up. But then as I became an adult and my interest grew into the off-road world, I had quads and RVs, and my wife and I would go out. I can't be doing that thing. So to go from being deathly afraid of a little minibike as a kid.

[00:08:24.660] - Big Rich Klein

What do you think caused the being deathly afraid, as you say, of that minibike? Was it the fact that the older kids were running up on you, things like that? Or did somebody get hurt that you witnessed or something?

[00:08:42.100] - Tony Barraza

No. You know, the older brothers, my oldest brother, Sam, is six years older than me. Jeff is five, and Larry is four years older than me. So there was that gap, and they were very mature. They were more capable. So they would, especially once they mastered that little mini bike, the single speed and the foot break, they had the little plate that was friction against the rear tire. When they mastered that, and they saw that I was really timid, and I was in awe of them watching it, but scared out of my wits, I'd never throw a leg over it and run with it. Right. Okay. They just rip up and down, and yeah, get a kick out of terrorizing me with it.

[00:09:20.000] - Big Rich Klein

And then you guys moved to Hemet, and was there... You know, Hemet still, back then was pretty rural.

[00:09:28.620] - Tony Barraza

Oh, yeah.

[00:09:29.640] - Big Rich Klein

It It didn't have near the resident population that it has now and all the outgrowth. I love that area because I love all the rocks.

[00:09:38.860] - Tony Barraza

I'll tell you what, my wife and I travel in and out of the valley to this day. And while the town very much has much to be desired these days, and been a lot of decay and decline, where we live on the extreme north end of the valley, the area is surrounded by foothills and rocky terrain. We constantly will come in from surrounding areas a day San Diego, something, and we go, My God, this is such a beautiful valley. We do. We live on the extreme north end of town. We've got foothills to just border us and frame it all around. It's incredible.

[00:10:13.040] - Big Rich Klein

Nice. I take it, you went to high school there in Hemet, and what was that like?

[00:10:24.400] - Tony Barraza

My whole education system was elementary school in Blyth and then junior high in high school here in Hemet. Graduated from Hemet High School in 1984, and I was an okay student. Had I applied myself, I could have been a pretty good student, but I had more creative interests. I had discovered motor cycles, cars, trucks, racing. I had a BMX career, a history in BMX racing from the time I was about 12 years old until 18 years old, and that consumed so much of my life as off-road motor sports and motor sports in general, today, I eat, sleep, and breathe. Bmx racing consumed my life, and I feel to Excel at anything, to be good at anything, It's got to consume you. You've got to immerse yourself in it. And I was never in better shape and health and condition as I was when I BMX raced. I lived on my bike anywhere I went. I traveled on my 20-inch GT Pro BMX bike. I was in the gym every day of the week. I was on a stationary roller, conditioning myself. My build, my size that I have currently is completely been as a result of my workout regimen back when I was a teenager.

[00:11:45.660] - Tony Barraza

And I haven't seen the inside of a gym for 30, 40 years now, but back then it was everything to me.

[00:11:51.920] - Big Rich Klein

Right. You still have the core strength. And that's where, like myself, I hurt myself at 30 years old, hurt my back, and put on all my weight then and I've been carrying an extra 100 pounds plus, sometimes 200 pounds. Welcome to my world. Yeah. But I still carry a lot of strength. Of course, now at 67, my knees are failing because of all the stuff that I've done over the years. Oh, yeah. Impact sports and stuff like that being stupid. But besides that, I'm still in really good health. People look at me and go, Oh, He's an old fat guy. And then I go into the doctors and the doctors are like, well, all you got is some bad knees and a little hypertension. You quit taking Advils and get your kidneys cleaned up and you'll be fine.

[00:12:45.540] - Tony Barraza

There you go.

[00:12:46.700] - Big Rich Klein

And that early years of being productive and athletic really makes a difference later on in life.

[00:12:56.180] - Tony Barraza

That has absolutely been my experience. My dad will always come and I'd go over to his house to help him with a project or something. He says, Well, let me give you a hand with that. I said, No, dad, I got it. I'd bear hug the thing and I'd lift it. He goes, My God, you're strong. He was always impressed by that, always blown away by that. But it was from those years of conditioning. Then fast forward to my adult life and sitting behind a computer or drawing table and become incredibly sedentary and put on the unnecessary weight. The taco stands in Mexico contribute heavily to that these days.

[00:13:30.000] - Big Rich Klein

Well, that's better than a bag of candy, that's for sure. Yeah.

[00:13:34.040] - Tony Barraza

But no, growing up and the education, my elementary school teachers would have parent-teacher conferences, and they would tell my parents, Tony's really bright, and if he paid more attention, was more diligent, he would really Excel. Then they would show them a visual of my most recent test paper in class. While I may have answered half to three quarter of the questions on the exam, if you turned over the page on the back, there were doozles and drawings of motorcycles and bikes and artwork of some sort. So they said, He's clearly got this creative side, but he needs to apply himself academically a bit more.

[00:14:15.520] - Big Rich Klein

Right. I was fortunate. I'd test really well, and I did the minimum amount of work in most classes to get through. I mean, I did all of my English requirements in high school by being on yearbook staff. Nice. I didn't take any of the basic writing skills. I mean, I guess I did, but I don't remember doing it every year. It was yearbook for four years. That's where the journalism bug began. Well, yeah. And then I was the photographer on the yearbook staff. I didn't have to write at all. All I was doing is taking pictures. But I get it. Luckily, tested well, went on to college to do photography and became a commercial photographer for a few years, and then transitioned to other things. So you go through high school and you're drawing and everything. Do you take the art classes?

[00:15:22.000] - Tony Barraza

Absolutely. They are what I look forward to the most, obviously, that creative outlet. And by then, I started getting my stuff together. My parents had always really beaten into us of how important reading, writing, arithmetic were, and you need to Excel at that, you need to master grammar and be able to read, write, and do it well. That serves you well, obviously, in the adult life and careers. You don't know it at the time, but once you start figuring out, it's like, I really need to apply myself, and I need to know how to write, and I need to know how to spell properly, and I need proper command of the English language. You need to Excel those things. It's only going to benefit you. But when the art class came around, I had a really nice relationship and rapport with the art teachers, and they recognized that I had some ability. They, of course, they focus in and they hone on the students that they see any potential with. They kick you to the center line a little bit when they see you going a little sideways, and they try to hone you and tighten you up and give you a little bit of insight.

[00:16:30.340] - Tony Barraza

From their experience in their years. And that served me well.

[00:16:35.840] - Big Rich Klein

That's good insight. I don't think that I really paid attention to that. But now that you just mentioned it, I thought back real quick. And there was certain skills that I had that showed really well as a youngster. And I can remember teachers, some teachers just ignoring me in the science classes. You know the chemistry and physics and all that stuff. The teachers just ignored me. I was just in their class. And then there was other classes like shop and photography class and yearbook staff where the instructors were like, they focused on me. I had a much better relationship with them. Absolutely. And I think that's probably the case. Those that Excel in the sciences, the teachers are probably more focused on them. I never really thought about that before.

[00:17:33.820] - Tony Barraza

Yeah, it's amazing. I certainly count that as a benefit, and it's something they recognize in your character, and they feel you're going to be receptive, and you're going to accept some type of criticism, critique, or suggestion or recommendation. It was an old art teacher in him, and I can still remember his name, Bob Wright. Mr. Wright, one time after reviewing a certain project that we were given in certain parameters, it was the first time I had ever heard the word asymmetrical and had it used in regarding to a description of work he saw in front of him. It was a project the entire class had. But once he had reviewed a dozen projects before he came around to my table, my group. He's like, you know, Barazzo, he goes, I just always see a lot of asymmetry and asymmetrical work come from you. We all was like, you know what? I get that now. I understand what that word means. When I look back at the other work I had done in the class, I go, boy, that is consistent. Something of how my mind works, something of how I approached the project we were given.

[00:18:40.240] - Tony Barraza

For that gentleman to actually recognize it and express it to me, I thought, now I embrace it. Now there's times where I will not intentionally go there with a certain project or task that I have, but it works out that way and serves me well.

[00:18:55.680] - Big Rich Klein

Good. I think that the best relationship I had with a teacher was probably in detention, though.

[00:19:02.400] - Tony Barraza

Yeah, you get a little familiar there.

[00:19:05.940] - Big Rich Klein

Yeah, at times. There was a ping-pong table in detention. So it was like, do I really want to continue this class, or should I get thrown out of this class and go to detention? Go to ping-pong. I'll go play ping-pong. Yeah.

[00:19:25.560] - Tony Barraza

Upside to everything.

[00:19:26.720] - Big Rich Klein

Yeah, there you go. So when you When you were growing up, say high school, that's typically people, if they're going to start jobs, they find part-time jobs or odd jobs while they're in high school. Did you have any of those?

[00:19:41.620] - Tony Barraza

You know, not in high school, but my actual work career started at the age of 13. This goes back to my history in BMX racing because I was on my bicycle and all that stuff cost money. To remind you, I'm one of six children. It wasn't a wealthy household, but it wasn't poor by any stretch and poverty-stricken. But there are six kids. There's six miles that need food, there are six kids that need clothes, have other activities, band, et cetera. Mom and dad had to be realistic and just says, Look, we can't afford to buy you everything you need for your little hobby there. But when you're in and out of the bicycle shops, like you in detention, I got familiar with a couple of shop owners and had a good rapport with them. I wasn't a jerk, foul-mouth kid. I'd engage them in conversation or they'd ask what I'm riding or where I'm racing or something like that. I met a gentleman here locally that owned the Himmet at Schwinn Bicycle Shop. He was a real approachable guy. I think at one point for a number of years, he was our local mayor here in Hemet, a gentleman named Rob Lindquist.

[00:20:57.800] - Tony Barraza

Being frequent enough with each other, Rob I said, Hey, are you looking for any work on a weekend or something? I ended up getting a little job with Rob back then, and he needed warehouse work, he needed bicycles unpackaged so the real mechanic technicians there could assemble them and get them out on their showroom. The little tiny bit of change that I could work, five or six hours in a week, maybe at the age of 13, mom and dad would drop me off at the front door of the shop, and I'd spend two or three hours a day, whatever it that Rob needed. My little pittance of a check I would get, of course, some of it would be left behind on bicycle parts that I needed. New chain, new pedals, new seat clamps, something. There was always a need. I had the first little job at 13, and then that set me on a path there. Again, deepened my interest into the bicycles and gave me incredibly valuable work experience and satisfying a supervisor, being someplace on time.

[00:22:02.720] - Big Rich Klein

Almost like a sponsorship where you're trading sponsorship parts for dollars. Truly, yeah.

[00:22:09.800] - Tony Barraza

Or time. It worked out that well.

[00:22:12.440] - Big Rich Klein

And so, how far along did you come with the bikes? Were you racing the... Oh, God, I've even forgotten the name of the different organizations because my son raced for a while.

[00:22:25.440] - Tony Barraza

The ADA was primarily the sanctioning body that I ran with, being Southern California-based. And it wasn't until we moved to Hammet. Part of Mom and Dad's idea of moving our family from Blyth to the Hammet area, that there was greater opportunity, greater exposure, greater closeness to Other opportunities, schools. My brothers, one had already graduated high school and the others were about to. To have access to junior colleges and colleges for your colleges made a huge difference in relocating us here, as well as other opportunities. The very first BMX track that I competed at was Mark Cook Raceway in San Bernardino, almost the Highland area. As my racing advanced, God bless my mother, my dad worked six days a week, my mother would have the capacity to load me up and take me to a BMX race. A lot of times, one or two of my buddies that raced as well. But we would hit a racetrack in the morning, a racetrack in the afternoon on a Saturday, and then a racetrack in the evening. Some of these were in the Corona area here in Southern California and Inland Empire. So it was Snipes Park, was a huge regular haunt for us, one of my stomping grounds in the Norco, California area.

[00:23:48.800] - Tony Barraza

And then just across town was the Corona Norco YMCA. And this is all rich. This is all in 1982, '83, the real heyday of career. So to have a family member run you around a two and three races on a Saturday, consume the day and night, was a pretty major undertaking. But I I ever was able to compete on a national level. I would attend and compete at some national events. That were local, right? Yeah, but everything local. Cool.

[00:24:27.860] - Big Rich Klein

And so you get through high school. What was the next step?

[00:24:33.940] - Tony Barraza

And with high school, again, I had discovered cars, trucks. My first car was a '67 VW Bug. And while I never strayed from my love of off-road racing, which the seed was planted for me in Blyfe at about the age of 6-8 years old. Where I lived in Blyfe, on the east side of Blyfe, the northeast side of Blyfe, My neighbors, I was friends with other kids in the neighborhood, obviously, and some of those kids had dads who raced off road. A kid down three houses down from me, his dad was Dale Fromm, an old Jeep racer. We went to Parker. I knew he was in Nevada. I'd know I'd see him at Riverside Raceway years later. Another buddy who I'm still friends with to this day, thank God through Facebook and social media, my old buddy Russell Winkler. Russ's dad was Shorty Winkler a district 37 motorcycle racer. He lived up the street from us. And around the corner from Russ, another buddy of mine, Keith Grimes, his dad was Larry Grimes, a 5,600 Baja Bug racer. So I had access to these guys. I'd see their cars in the garages, up on stands, being prepped, being torn apart.

[00:25:48.920] - Tony Barraza

And my head about exploded when I'd be around these guys. But coming from that strict Catholic-Mexican household, mom and dad didn't just let me run off with anyone. While I had the opportunity to go to races with these guys or would have been welcomed, that never happened. I was never able to do that. I had an uncle by marriage, my wonderful Uncle Dwight Lusk, who had friends that were into the Baja scene, guys that were going to Parker. One of his best friends had a Manx buggy that was forever going in and out of the desert. I got that little taste and flavor of that world. So the seed for me in the desert, in the desert off road racing, was planted very, very early. So that come the high school years, and I'm of driving age, I was driving VWs, I was lowering them, fixing them up for the street. That was more tangible than, say, setting up a Baja bug and going out to the desert. But believe me, to this day, I have my entire collection of Hot VWs magazines from about 1978, '79, and they're pretty complete until the early 2000s.

[00:27:03.340] - Tony Barraza

And thank God, that was my Bible, my access to off-road racing and the photography and journalism of trackside photo and Judy Smith and all of these people that would be my connection to that world. I was reading the Hot VW magazine, but I'm looking at the Class 8 trucks and the Class 4s. The Class 8s are absolutely Absolutely. What cemented my love and the Walker Evans and the Steve Kellys and scoop vessels. I was chomping at the bit to be in that world. The VWs were a way of facilitating that entry, and they were easy to work on. They were cheap to work on and put parts together for. I had other friends that were into that, and they could assist me with that stuff. But my love and want was to trucks and in the desert and anything that was Baja, Vegas, Parker, any of that stuff that I could get to. It wasn't until a few years out of high school that I started dabbling in and started hanging out with people that could connect me to that world. It was a short throw after that that I started getting immersed in the desert stuff.

[00:28:22.600] - Big Rich Klein

The high school connection there and the VWs and getting connected with off-road. I was the same way. I had a 54 Volkswagen Bug that I've talked about before. And hanging out at Bug Formance there in San Bruno, California, where I grew up, there was the guy that ran the shop there was Jim. I can't even remember his last name now, but he was out of the San Jose area. And he showed me the original On Any Sunday.

[00:29:06.060] - Tony Barraza

Oh, yeah.

[00:29:06.800] - Big Rich Klein

And I was like, wow, I mean, I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. We were far away from deserts. I was a hiker in the woods and that stuff. And I was like, okay, someday I'm going to get involved with all this. But I had a street bug. But he had bugs and class nine and things like that. It was, I need to talk about them, and it just mesmerized me. And then later on, I was able to grasp that golden ring, you might say, and get into off road. But it was that initial having a bug and hanging out at the shop was that created that interest. I get it.

[00:29:56.200] - Tony Barraza

We grab on to those things that are so tangible, and we go, This is going to be my path. This is going to be my segue into the connection. I guess I graduated high school in 1984, and in 1986, I was working for the local Napa Auto Parts store, and I Started as a delivery driver, of course. I'll tell you what, Rich, the access that they gave me, one of my best friends at the time was the driver, and he was getting promoted to counter sales, so they needed a replacement driver to facilitate his promotion being complete. Well, that was me. My buddy Tim got me in there. But again, until you see a stack of deliveries that you've got to load the truck for and you see the invoices of where you're going, determining a route. And on some of those tickets, Rich, I was going to AgriEmpire, the corporate headquarters for Larry Minor Motorsports.

[00:30:54.380] - Big Rich Klein

Nice.

[00:30:55.060] - Tony Barraza

I was delivering tractor parts or some air filter for some huge piece of equipment, but it was owned and operated by Larry Minor, whom we just lost, of course. Yes. And to see that come across, or I would have some other part and piece bearing, and I'm going to deliver it to Jack Bayer Racing Engines. Jack Bayer is a legendary engine builder. He was a cohort and partners of miners in the Sprott Broncos back in the late '60s. Then I get some other part and piece to deliver to Pattyr Racing Engines, and our good My friend Leon Pattyr. Again, my head is about to explode because now I've got direct access. I'm meeting these people on this other level. To them, I'm nothing but a delivery driver. But as time in a couple of years would pass by, We would have some dialog. They would get that I was some type of enthusiast, that I had a little bit deeper knowledge and a massive respect for what they did and who they were to me. It's something I came to realize some years later that my whole existence in this world is so people-centric. My love and enthusiasm and passion for this sport in this industry and all of its facets, are so based and rooted in what these people do and who they are and what they've given me to pursue, follow, and be enthusiastic about.

[00:32:23.280] - Big Rich Klein

Right.

[00:32:24.060] - Tony Barraza

And then some of these years later, I'm now great friends with some of these people who It turned out to be great quality people, experts in their field, and become friends. And I still have this deep appreciation, respect of what they've created for themselves.

[00:32:40.920] - Big Rich Klein

Right. And you mentioned earlier, Judy Smith, When I was doing a little Google search on you, up popped an Ormhoff thing. So, of course, I went to that link, and it was a photo of Judy Smith, and you had the photo credit. Yes. And it was on the Ormhoff site, and I was like, Okay, there's a nice tie in there, too, as well. So you're doing photography as well.

[00:33:09.420] - Tony Barraza

It's one thing, and a guy I'm proud to say I am friends with to this day, a gentleman by the name of Bob Bauer.

[00:33:16.360] - Big Rich Klein

Oh, yeah.

[00:33:16.980] - Tony Barraza

I think anybody that knows Bob and respects and loves Bob, he complimented me once in a social media post with his appreciation of me recording the people and honoring the people as much as the places and the events and the experiences. Again, I've gone through my life reading because that was the only connection I had for the time, reading the magazines or the various publications. It was a Jim Over from Trackside Photo. It was a Judy Smith with her written words that would bring me to this. When I've had the opportunity in real life working on the race teams that I've had the fortunate pleasure and honor to work a part of and be at these races shoulder to shoulder with them, and then to have these people recognize me and acknowledge me and give me a handshake, give me a hug. That has been amazing. It's an amazing component of my experience and my journey, Judy, among the top of them. Back to Bob for a moment. In the early 2000s, when I was doing graphic work for the Off-Road Expo in its very inception from Guy Peterson, I created the logo for that.

[00:34:37.540] - Tony Barraza

I did the initial advertising and promotional designs. But Bob was running the event, and he was whom Guy Peterson had hired to put the event together and manage it and what have you. I had just started my company, Tony Barraza Designworks in '99. Bob was very accommodating, he was very welcoming. He says, Let me give you a piece of advice, kid. He says, It's something It's always served me well, and it's what I would tell anyone. He says, Pay attention, show up, pay attention, and don't lie. He said, If there's any words I can give you, it's show up, pay attention, don't lie. He says, You're going to have any opportunity. You're going to be anywhere. Show up. If you're going to bother showing up, pay attention, get something out of the experience, and most certainly, don't lie. Carry through, follow through. Even if it's bad news, give someone bad news. Give the client bad news. I haven't finished that on time. I'm working on it. You should expect it here. So I credit Bob with those words, that advice. And it was so heartfelt and deeply accepted. I carry it with me every day now, so I always thank and credit Bob for that.

[00:35:47.660] - Big Rich Klein

Yeah, and that don't lie is really important. And it's not necessarily just why you didn't get something done in in a time frame that you were supposed to or whatever. You tell stories to one person that are, say, stretching the truth on that meter, on that spectrum, closer to a lie. And then that person hears another story that you've told somebody else, and it's different. All of a sudden, people get the wrong or maybe get the right idea on how you really are.

[00:36:32.680] - Tony Barraza

Absolutely. They start connecting the dots, and only to recognize the dots don't line up.

[00:36:37.780] - Big Rich Klein

Correct.

[00:36:38.660] - Tony Barraza

Can't be trusted.

[00:36:40.080] - Big Rich Klein

Because that's one thing about lying, is you never know who you told what to. Maybe you do the first week, but a couple of months down the road, you don't remember what you told somebody. And next time up, you may tell them something completely the opposite.

[00:36:54.540] - Tony Barraza

Something different.

[00:36:56.040] - Big Rich Klein

So yeah, lying is one of those things. And sometimes It's important to instill that in our youth. I got a lot of grandkids, and I'll hear stories, and I'm like, That's not right. That's incorrect. And I call them out on it because I don't want them to get into the habit of continuing to stretch the truth.

[00:37:28.260] - Tony Barraza

Absolutely. Nip that in the bud.

[00:37:31.040] - Big Rich Klein

Yep. Be honest with everything that you do and what you say.

[00:37:36.340] - Tony Barraza

Yeah. Can't go wrong there. True.

[00:37:39.200] - Big Rich Klein

So then we've skipped some stuff there because you were high school and then into work, and some of that work into the artwork with your design company and stuff. How did you go from what you were doing in high school to what you doing for your design work? Where did you... Give us some of that background.

[00:38:05.420] - Tony Barraza

Working, again, working with the auto parts store. And then I was promoted to counter sales, and I did that business for a few years. And then I ended up leaving that job. I was actually working for a furniture company. Started in the warehouse, from delivery, got to sales, met some friends that I'm friends with to this day through that company, that work, that experience. But it was not what I wanted to do, and I hated every minute of it. I knew I was wasting time. This is now in the mid to late '80s, late '80s. It was then that I met my now wife, my girlfriend at the time in the '87, '88 era. She was incredibly intelligent. She was going to school, she was going to college, she was going to be an accountant. My family He was telling me, Well, this is the one. If you're too stupid to recognize that, you better get off your butt. You better do something because this girl's going places, and she's going to leave you behind. That was a lot of the motivation that I needed to figure things out. Again, explore this creative outlet, explore this God-given talent that I had been blessed with and family had developed and honed over the years.

[00:39:26.280] - Tony Barraza

I looked into a graphic design trade school, and I ended up at Platt College in Ontario. Again, I was a horrible student. I didn't want or didn't feel I would benefit from a four-year college, but a more intense trade school that was five or six hours a day. I traveled from my home here in San Jacinto to Ontario every day for five hours a day for two years to come out with a certificate program in computer graphics and graphic design. I caught that at the very transitional time in the world where it was going away from traditional manual graphics and wax machines and paste up on storyboards and things of that nature. But I got a flavor. I've got a sense of that and a little exposure to that. But transitioning into the electronic, the computers, typeset on galley and stripping them up and stack camera operation and things of that nature that were all in the graphics and heavily in the publication industry. It was there that I started again finding my way and went, Okay, this creative world is what needs to happen for me.

[00:40:44.820] - Big Rich Klein

At Plat is where you... At that point, you decided that's what you were going to do for the rest of your life.

[00:40:55.800] - Tony Barraza

Yeah, it was there, and I was so motivated and enthusiastic about it. Then I started seeing all the possibilities and thought, at the time, I was really immersed in the drag racing world, NHRA professional drag racing. Again, going out to the deserts of Baja and everything. By that time, I had been involved in some of the off-road racing, but drag racing was easy for me as a kid to have access to. Went to Riverside Raceway, went to Ontario Motor Speedway, went to Pomona Fairfax, of course, for the Winter Nationals and the World Funnels. It's a place me and my brothers and some friends could load up and go to spend a weekend on the cheapest day, starting on the cheapest day and watch everything in the park run and, of course, watch the Topfuel funny cars and dragsters. Again, it was a sport I would eat, sleep, and breathe, and I knew all the drivers. In a lot of cases, I knew who the crew chiefs were and knew what car sponsored what driver. When it came time to find a job after the graphic design school, it was very easy to me. I was really jumping up and down to do something in motor sports, something with auto racing.

[00:42:09.400] - Tony Barraza

Part of the service at this college, Platt College, they had a job placement person, and they would assist you, try to get you an internship somewhere. Well, for weeks and weeks and weeks, I beat my head against the wall with this person there at the school that was trying to help me, wasn't delivering on anything. I was frustrated after a meeting with her one day, and I sat down, went to a local place. I found a National Dragster magazine, which is the in-house publication of the National Hot Rod Association, the NHRA. I started going through it, and as I had previously, like the equivalent of a Dusty Times for off-road. I went, Wait a minute. There's publication. It's got photography. It's got typography. There's advertisement that's been designed by someone. There's an illustration here. I'm I'm going, Holy crap, this is graphic design. I know Drag Racing. I know that that's John Forrest, that's Eddie Hill, that's Kenny Bernstein, that's Dawn Perdome. I know this world. I went through the Masthead Rich, and I found the Art Director of National Dragster magazine, a gentleman named J. R. Martinez, a guy I'm proud to call a friend to this day.

[00:43:24.480] - Tony Barraza

I called the corporate office and I asked to speak to J. R. Martinez, the Art Director. I introduced myself. I told him I'm a recent graduate of Platt College in Ontario, and I'm looking for an internship. I figured, Hey, this lady has fallen on her face, hasn't produced anything for me. What harm could I possibly do trying to sell myself? Joe took my call. He was incredibly gracious. He was really intrigued. He goes, We used to do an internship program here, and I don't know why we got it out of it. He goes, Let me talk to my boss. Let me talk to some people and call Tell me back in a couple of weeks. Well, the long and short of it ended up being, he says, Hey, kid, they like the sound of this. Come on in. We're going to kick off the new internship program and we're going to start it with you. I got myself in the door. The day I delivered myself to NHRA's corporate headquarters in Glendora, California, Joe informs me that he's been given a promotion since our last conversation. He's been kicked up to a position that's been created of corporate art director to serve the needs of the marketing and sales departments there.

[00:44:36.020] - Tony Barraza

So I'm not going to work under him. And I'm like, damn it, this guy seemed so cool, great demeanor, great character. I thought we were going to have a blast working together. So I'm like, Okay, who am I going to work under then? He says, Well, the other thing of it is they hired a new art director for National Dragster. She starts today, so you're not going to work under her. I'm like, This doesn't sound too good. I'm getting kicked down the food chain a couple of times. What the hell is going to happen to me? He says, You're going to work under our production manager. The little bit of experience I've had in the My industry, by this point, Rich, I'm like, The production manager is just a bulldog. They're a drill sergeant. They're not a creative person. Crap. This is not going to bode well for me. It truly was as an entry-level position into the world of graphic design, production, graphics, production art in a publication setting, it was absolutely the best thing that could have happened. It was likely the discipline I needed, structure I needed. The eye opener for me was when they sat me down to work with alongside of the staff that was already there and in place, production artists that were doing ad designs, paced up artists that were taking half tones that were created out of the stack camera, stripped up onto the galley, etc.

[00:46:14.410] - Tony Barraza

A lot of those people knew nothing about the sport or the industry. I was appalled. I was like, Are you kidding me? How do you work around this and not have a clue what class of car that is, what driver drives which vehicle? Well, there's something to be said for a person to just head down, eat and skate, do the production, in and out. But from myself being a lifelong enthusiast, and I will never forget sitting This long side of a production artist, a girl that had been there for five or six years at this point, and she's like, I hate it when they give me these ads. This was a particular win ad for Penzoil Motor Oil. After every event win, Penzoil runs an ad congratulating their winners that are using their products. She says, And advertising gives me this copy. Photography sends down all of these half tones, and I don't know who is who. I looked at her like, Are you kidding me? I looked at the board and I'm going, Well, the top field dragster is Eddie Hill, and the pro-stock is Jerry Ekman, and this super gas car is... I just went down the line and she looked at me like I had three heads.

[00:47:31.160] - Tony Barraza

She was like, How on earth do you possibly know that? I'm a lifelong enthusiast. I'm a follower of Drag Race. I'm a spectator. I know this. I just went to work and I went to town and I put all the photos where they belonged. That was the way I excelled was through my knowledge, my experience, my passion for this particular product, Drag Racing. It made me what I felt. I was so good at it. Then it was when I could actually get my fingers on the computer and actually design an ad and lay something up. It was nothing but passion and enthusiasm for the product, for the sport, for the car, for the people that I thought lends itself very well for me to do a really excellent job at putting an ad together. I did. The funny thing about it is I would see JR, my boss Joe, from time to time, passing through the halls, and he'd come and he'd give me a compliment, and he'd say, You know, kid, I'm hearing good things about you. The thing about it is, Rich, and I'll back up just a second. I did this internship for NHRA, and it was an unpaid internship.

[00:48:36.800] - Tony Barraza

I was delivering myself from Hemet to Glendora, approximately 90 miles every day, one way. Unpaid for a kid out of school. So still living at home with mom and dad, thank God. So, historically, yes, there was a timeline prescribed by the education institution plat. I don't recall what that was. Four to six weeks, it may have been something along those lines, maybe a bit longer. But my God, I was having so much fun and meeting so many people. I could give a damn. Again, being people-centric in all of my experiences in my journey, being people-centric and being a lifelong reader of national direction and a lifelong enthusiast of drag racing. When I was walking through those Halls, Rich, and I was introduced to someone, Steve Gibbs, the Director of Competition, I'd see that man in every magazine, I'd see that man on every television event coverage. I'm walking in and shaking the hand of this man, he's a God to me. I know he puts his pants on one leg at a time like me. I know he bleeds when he gets cut. But this is Steve Gibbs, and he's a racetrack operator from the '60s.

[00:50:00.000] - Tony Barraza

But I knew who this man was. Wayne and Ruth McMurtry, who ran facilities there at NHRA. Carl Olson, a legendary race car driver, and he's the head of tech of the National Hot Rod Association. When the internship was done, there was rumors, there was whispers that they might have a job for me. This might actually turn into a job. I'm like, This is the dream coming true. This is I've hit it. Well, at the end of the internship, and I finally I had to cut it off. I had given them a massively free slave labor for all this time, gladly so, happily so. Anything that would work out into the job, I had to cut it off. They understood and they said, Well, things aren't quite right. We don't have a spot for you yet. So heartbroken. I walked out of that building heartbroken that day. A few weeks went by, and I think my sister needed to come to Pasadena for some business. She asked if I wanted to go. I'm like, Well, hell, I don't have a job, so why don't I join you and go out for a road trip for the day?

[00:51:07.020] - Tony Barraza

I said, But hey, if you don't mind on the way home, I'd like to stop in at NHRA in Glendora, say hi to a few people. When I walked in there, this was, of course, before cell phones in the '92 area, I guess. I walked to the office and I went to say, Hi to a few people. They said, Oh, my God, you're here. I said, Yeah. Did you get our voicemail message at home? No, I'm here. Oh, my God, we call a few a message. There's some people going on vacation. We thought of you immediately to fill those spots. A week for that person, a week for this person. Paid, of course. You could be occupied for two, two, and three weeks here. Of course, I said, Yes, on the spot. Well, about four days into that stint, I was offered a full-time permanent position there at National Dragster. That hit, that landed. The The problem per se, was I was not going to be in the art department. I wasn't going to be assisting with production art or anything like that. But there was a position open within the photography department, and it was operating the stat camera.

[00:52:20.300] - Tony Barraza

I had learned about that in my training at Platt. Turning black and white photographs, determined what percentage size they need to be in, large or reduced on the stat camera, turned into halftones to be stripped up for production of the newspaper. That department was led by a legendary race photographer by the name of Les Lovet, Leslie Lovet. Same thing, he used Drag Racing's Jim Over, Bill Thompson. He's one of those guys. I've read his name in all the magazines for years. To have the opportunity to work under Leslie Lovet, Assistant Photo Editor, Theresa Long, work with my buddy's Jerry Foss in that department It was amazing. It was exactly what I needed, and it was my contribution to the magazine at that point. My old boss, J. R. Martinez, came to me one day and says, Hey, kid, we need to go to lunch. J. R. And I went to lunch, and he goes, I've been in my position of corporate art director now for about a year. He says, I've been allowed to have a staff member. I need an assistant. He says, I want that to be you. You and I never had the opportunity to work together, and I think we'd make a good team.

[00:53:31.180] - Tony Barraza

I had to retest with our boss at that point, a gentleman by the name of Neil Brett, who was a publisher of Carcraft magazine. He was a hardcore, legendary guy in the publication industry. Neil gave me his blessing. Joe and I were a team for almost a decade at NHRA. We did a lot of great work. Probably one of my most marquee projects there with Joe at Corporate Art was working with NHRA founder Wally Parks. Again, legendary figure, household name in the automotive world. Mr. Parks, we had a wide open door policy at our office in Corporate J. R. And I. Mr. Parks came in, said hello to us, and he sat with Joe and said what he wanted to do. We're going to open the NHRA Motorsports Museum. It was a lifelong dream of Wally's to have of that museum, showcase the history of the sport, the people, the cars, the facilities. Joe says, Tony, roll over here. I was handed the project. It was my task to develop the logo, collaborate with Joe. Every so often, Mr. Parks would come by and see our progress, and, Boys, how are you this morning? And come on in and have a seat with us and go over it.

[00:54:56.360] - Tony Barraza

Same thing, I'm jumping out of my skin going, I am sitting here with the founder of the NHRA Wally Parks, working on a logo for his absolute passion project. It doesn't get much better than that.

[00:55:09.530] - Big Rich Klein

That's a museum there in Pomona?

[00:55:11.680] - Tony Barraza

Correct. That's there on McKinley in Fairfax. The logo has morphed over the years since my time there and bringing Automobile Club of Southern California as a sponsor and those types of things. But the initial logo that the Corv is still there was my design in collaboration with my boss, JR, and Mr. Parks.

[00:55:34.060] - Big Rich Klein

That's pretty cool.

[00:55:35.860] - Tony Barraza

That, and there is a gentleman who was our chief starter for the NHRA's races for decades, a character named Buster Couch. Anybody, any history of any jury, Mr. Couch is there on the starting line, getting people lined up and throwing the lights. When we lost Buster in that era, they wanted to build a monument, erecting a monument in his honor. I was tasked with designing the base to the monument that would stand to this day between the lanes at Pomona Fairfax. That was my collaboration as well. That's something I'm incredibly proud of.

[00:56:16.230] - Big Rich Klein

Pretty cool.

[00:56:17.540] - Tony Barraza

Need stuff. I've had some amazing opportunities over the years.

[00:56:21.700] - Big Rich Klein

Those are two things that are going to live on forever?

[00:56:25.640] - Tony Barraza

Yes. Yeah, probably so.

[00:56:27.740] - Big Rich Klein

Wow. That's a good legacy.

[00:56:30.180] - Tony Barraza

And all the while through this, Rich, I am deep, deep, deep into desert off-road racing now. By this time, I've had exposure. And through my school, through the Platt College at that era, I was, again, traveling from Hemet, San Jacinto to Ontario. But living locally, Blyth had its share of history in racers. But when it relocated to Hemet, it It didn't take long to figure, Oh, my God, the race teams that are based here in Hemet in San Jacinto, Lari Minor Motorsports, Venable Racing, Nelson & Nelson Racing. I'm seeing these support trucks go through town here and there, and I'm like, Oh, my God. Dave Shop Racing was right there on Esplanade Avenue here in San Cino Avenue, and I'd pass by it frequently. I'm going, Oh, my God. I'm home. I'm meant to be here. This This is a mecca for this stuff, the way San Diego, El Cajun, Santee is for so many racers like McMillon family, et cetera. Hemet was a hotbed of activity. While I was driving the auto parts for the auto parts store, I would see this red and black box van go through town, and I went, I've seen that graphic livery in a magazine.

[00:57:54.000] - Tony Barraza

I caught it again going down State Street here in San Cino, and I flipped a U-turn as fast as I could to follow this box van, only to have it go back into an industrial park here in San Jacinto. And bigger than crap is West Ham Racing Incorporated. Gmc Truck Motorsports, Southern California GMC Truck Dealers, BF Goodrich.

[00:58:14.580] - Big Rich Klein

Wow.

[00:58:15.580] - Tony Barraza

And it was the support truck for Dave Weston's Racing Team. When I went home and scramble through my magazine, I'm going, It says West Ham Racing, Century City, California. What the hell is this box fan doing here? Well, his race shop was based here in him at San Jacinto. When I had time, the next time I went, This is on my radar. I'm going to come back and introduce myself. I'm going to come back and check in with these guys. These guys must need a volunteer someplace, sometime. I made it my business when I had time, sometimes when I didn't have time. I knocked on the door, I walked in and introduced myself, and just they were gracious enough. They showed me around. They let me look at the trucks, and they were prepping for this race or that race. I said, Well, stop by some other time. Go away, kid. We've given you enough time. I would make my business when I knew the race had finished and came, Hey, how did you guys do? Oh, not so good. We broke a transmission. We broke a rear-end. We broke a hub, something. I would make this a regular practice, Rich.

[00:59:21.240] - Tony Barraza

I'd go in, say, Hi, how are you doing? I knew what race was coming up next. I followed it. I'm hoping I'd get an opportunity to I can invite myself or give them the opportunity to invite me. It was this back and forth for a while, and every time I'd stop in, Oh, yeah, we broke. Oh, yeah, we didn't finish. Oh, we didn't go too far. Now I'm scratching my head going, Boy, these guys have trouble finishing, it sounds like.

[00:59:45.420] - Big Rich Klein

Right.

[00:59:45.970] - Tony Barraza

Well, I went in on another time after a race to say hi to the guys, and there's a guy, a really unfamiliar face I've never seen at this shop before. Hi, how are you doing? I asked for a previous crew It was a mechanic guy that was there, and this guy looks at me really strange like, who the hell are you and what are you doing here? I said, Oh, I was just looking for the guy that works here. He goes, oh, yeah, he doesn't work here anymore. Oh, that explains it. Well, hey, I'm Tony. I'm an enthusiast. I stop by every now and again, and this guy introduces himself as Darryl Putman. I owe my off-road racing, chasing, pitting career to my buddy Darryl To this day, he's a good friend. Darryl Putman was the crew chief for Westman Racing for a lot of years. He currently is a fabricator and mechanic at Collins Motorsports in Las Vegas. Because of Darryl's involvement and our friendship, every opportunity that I've had in desert racing has come as a result from my relationship with Darryl.

[01:00:56.660] - Big Rich Klein

And that's awesome. And that's just by being one of those flies on the wall and coming in and visiting and just putting your face out there.

[01:01:05.540] - Tony Barraza

He was a one-man show, and I stopped by, and he was forever waiting for boxes of parts to be shipped to him, and he'd ripped the part out of the box, and he'd throw the box in the stuffing contents on the floor. I finally stopped by one time like, Hey, you need a hand? How about if I clean up this area where the boxes and stuffing and packaging are? Well, there's still parts in some of those boxes, and I'd end up organizing parts on his shelf for him, whether they were new parts or parts he had removed and had cleaned and rebuilt and up on the shelves. So I'd help get some stuff organized. At one point, he said, Hey, we're going to go out testing this weekend. You free on Saturday? Hello. I would have emptied my schedule to any chance of possibly getting a ride in a Class 8 race truck. Darryl was there for a few years, and then he went to UltraWheels Motorsports, Jimmy Smith, UltraWheels. He was going to be a lead mechanic there prepping the Russ Wendell Mount built trophy truck. He got his feet settled in there and he calls me up and says, Hey, these guys are pretty serious about their pitting.

[01:02:10.300] - Tony Barraza

I told him, I have some good guys that I trust. You need to come to the race shop, meet everybody, and see if you got what it takes to be the Jackman on the race team. The UltraWheels Motorsport shop was based in Buena Park, California. I went out there and we were testing Jackman and wheel changers, and Jimmy was deeply rooted in NASCAR, so pit stops in 1994 were pretty critical to him. Right.

[01:02:39.580] - Big Rich Klein

All about time.

[01:02:41.140] - Tony Barraza

All about timing.

[01:02:43.840] - Big Rich Klein

When did you start How did you start your TB Design Works?

[01:02:48.100] - Tony Barraza

That started in 1999, when I decided to make the move and leave NHRA. I convinced my wife that, Hey, this is what my income was from NHRA. If I possibly maybe think I could do some self-employment gig for a while. I had a number of clients that said they were interested in working with me and had worked for me. I said, Let's try that out and see how it goes. I showed her what my income was and what I was spending on gas and what I was spending out on lunch every day. Surely I should be able to make that, right? That was in 1999. Again, had a half a handful of clients Kyle Taylor, Tommy Taylor, Taylor Motorsports here in Amet. They were in need of logo designs and graphic livers for their race truck and their new race program and sponsor proposals and things of that nature. They had to work for me right away and said, Let's see how this goes.

[01:03:48.120] - Big Rich Klein

Is there one early customer that has been with you all along that really has been your foundation?

[01:03:58.720] - Tony Barraza

You know what? There's There has been so many rich that have been really generous, really loyal. I started working with the Terrible Herps motor sports family on the race team, again, through my buddy Darryl Putman, when he transitioned from UltraWheels to Terrible Herps as a lead mechanic. That was in '96. I started my business in '99, but it was still a few years. I'm not a hard sell to anyone. I'm not going to jump to jump up and down and wave the flag and have somebody, Hey, what have you got for me? What can I do for you? It was a really slow transition before they went, I hear Tony does graphics. I go, Wait a minute, why hasn't he ever said anything? Well, the boys, of course, right away started having me design handout cards. Over the years, I've done livery designs, their driving suit designs. Back in 2000, when Mr. Herb's Big Jerr decided to I purchased a brand new Featherlight tractor trailer, a million dollar rig. I finally met the boys up at the press conference for the Nevada 2000, and Herd had got wind of the order of the semi going through, and I approached him and Troy, and they were like, No, that's my dad's deal.

[01:05:17.860] - Tony Barraza

You're going to sell anybody, you got to go talk to my dad. I had to go up and say, Mr. H, I hear you got a beautiful new rig on order, and I'd like to do a design, something that the vinyl graphics were in their infancy at that point, wrapping digital graphics. He's like, Well, the base got to be my signature red color for the herps operation. And that was an incredibly huge marquee item to sell him on, convince him on, produce, write the check for to my vendor to have it produced and installed. And the Herb, through recent times, to where They are now one-nine industries building spec trophy trucks and trophy trucks for competitors. Up until this, this current year's livery was designed by Pat Dean and in-house there at Patrick Sines in Las Vegas. Everything prior to that, it has been some of my creations there. From the inception of their Monster Energy sponsorship acquisition has been a lot of my design work. Super proud and always appreciate their loyalty to me So you're able to convince your wife to let you walk away from a 9: 00 to 5: 00.

[01:06:42.530] - Big Rich Klein

We'll call it a 9: 00 to 5: 00. It's never 9: 00 to five. Because the cost difference of transportation and to and from work and lunches out to being based at home, do you still work out of the house? And what does she do that she said, Yes, the cost of lunches is incredibly high, so come home and I'll make you a peanut butter sandwich.

[01:07:13.940] - Tony Barraza

Yeah, that was actually it. And it was a matter of doing it completely legit from day one. Still home-based, and it was home-based from the very beginning. We had just in '98, November of '98, we had purchased a new to us home, 2,300 square feet, two-story, and the bottom story had an office space. It was a bedroom without a closet. The previous owners used it as a a TV room, but I saw it as office space and thought, Oh, this is going to be great. We did home occupation permit, fictitious name filing, business license, resellers permit. We did 100% everything legit, hoping that one day it would transition grow to something, to occupy an external space somewhere in a business park or something of that nature. It's never grown to that. Again, tried to convince her that I should be able to meet or exceed that salary that I was making in any tray and be able to do that. Sometimes that's been the case, sometimes it hasn't. There's been plenty of lean times or plenty of inconsistency. God bless her for being patient and supportive of the endeavor. She's got her own career. She's an automotive accountant, and she's a controller for auto dealerships, and with support of her accounting degree.

[01:08:42.500] - Tony Barraza

She's incredibly talented in that world, and that's super consuming to her and her abilities. She's had a 40-year career in that world.

[01:08:53.020] - Big Rich Klein

Nice. And so what's in the future for Tony Barraza? Where do you see yourself in, say, five more years?

[01:09:07.280] - Tony Barraza

The conversations- Besides being 64. Exactly. As you can imagine, conversations we have now are talking, looking towards retirement, and we both feel that that's a comfortable 10 years away. You start looking at that as we're maturing, let's say, in age, we start to have conversations about maybe where to reside or multiple places to reside during retirement. As life takes us in various places and travels and meeting other people, we have some exposure to other areas. She's got family members now in Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas. We have friends in Ocala, Florida. We friends in Tennessee, Idaho. Certainly a tremendous number of friends that have made the migration to all areas of Utah, from St. George and Hurricane and Cedar City and things of that nature. They seem to be loving life there. I love California. I'm born and raised in California. I'm located here in San Jacinto Valley. I'm 2 hours from the beaches, the mountains, San Diego, Anza-Burego Desert, centrally located to everything that I love. Hem in San Jacinto Valley has always been affordable, easy for us to be homeowners. The business, I want to continue. I still have always optimistic about obtaining new clients, doing new work.

[01:10:47.180] - Tony Barraza

Every new project is an opportunity. I'm never tired of that. I think there's plenty of times where we both probably said, You should go get a real job and another 9: 00 to 5: 00 and the consistent income would be a great thing. My racing that I've done, the opportunities I've had over the years, again, with Terrible Herbs Motorsports and Ultra Motorsports and worked with Rob McCacken for the past 10 years. I was with the Herbs for 13 years. Proud to say with my time at the Terrible Herbs Motorsports, I was present during all of their event wins and championships with the trophy truck and the amazing Class I truckie. That was an amazing, amazing opportunity in my life. Still seeing the boys till this day and it's highs and handshakes and hugs. The absolute opportunities that I've had have created lifetimes of memories and friendships that have stood the test of time, 20, 25, 30 years. I'd come back from every Baja event from start to finish, and I would come back with such a huge, huge filled heart and head from all these guys that have been competitors on other teams, friends that have made over the years, like through the Association with McCakran Motorsports.

[01:12:13.440] - Tony Barraza

One of my buddies these days Todd Robinson at Vision Wheel. Todd and I made a connection in the middle of the San Felipe desert when Vision Wheel came on board with McCakran. Todd learned of my history with Jimmy Smith and Ultra Wheel and his time in the wheel industry. Now it's huge hugs and handshakes when we see each other at contingency or when he's out in the middle of the desert supporting his teams. I love Todd, and Todd has been really generous, and he sent some of their teams on their products to me for livery designs and things of that nature. Todd has been incredibly generous. Again, Rich, it's just so people-centric, people-focused, people that have driven me. It's definitely a path I have no interest in leaving anytime soon. This is the absolute heartbeat of where it takes place. I keep telling my wife, I said, Well, wherever we might relocate to in retirement, we got to make sure I can afford a flight back for the Baha races. Stay something close there and maybe give me the opportunity to explore some other places and things.

[01:13:21.480] - Big Rich Klein

Have you been to the Ormhoff gala?

[01:13:27.220] - Tony Barraza

I have not. The timing has always been horrible. For me personally, for the events that I attend, and I've been really fortunate to have so many friends with regards in the mix of Ormhoff, friends with Jeff Furrier, friends with Mark McMillon, obviously, everybody that's involved, Bob Bauer. There were a few years that I actually designed and printed the Commemorative Souvenir program for the evening. I had had that opportunity a few times. Unfortunately, the year that we lost scoop vessels, I was requested to do a commemorative Memorial Center spread, chronologically listing and showing trackside images supplied from Jim Over, and I created this post what ended up being a small inset to the souvenir program. Super honored to do that. Scoop was speaking to me in every photo that I was using and being Being such a fan of his and having the opportunity to meet him several times over the year in various settings of the races meant the world to me, and hopefully, I was able to execute a really nice, well-received commemorative piece for him. But I've never had the opportunity to attend the gala.

[01:14:50.820] - Big Rich Klein

That's a shame. It really is. Because all those people that you've talked about, so many of them are there. I mean, this last gala of last year, we had 800 attendees. Yeah. And it was quite incredible.

[01:15:06.140] - Tony Barraza

It kills me every year because, again, so many people I've been a fan with, so many people that I've become friendly with, top to bottom. And Tracy Valent. Tracy Valent is somebody I have tremendous respect and love for currently. In some of my earliest days reading my magazines, and I would see the Tracey's Party Ice Funco's featured in color photos. And Tracey's cars and his team were some of those that just clicked with me. The level of design, thought, professionalism that was executed there, that spoke to me rich in volumes. I had the picture posted on my closet door. Unfortunately, ripped it out of the magazine, but it was up on my closet door with other pictures and posters. That stuff, Larry Minor's Miller American vehicles, the Class 8 truck that Steve Kelly drove, absolutely was everything to the me. It's been my intention to build a replica truck to honor and pay tribute to that that meant the world to me. I've been gathering parts for years in hopes to execute something like that. Walker Evans, and a great Walker Evans story I've got, been a legend to me, obviously, ever since I was a kid, saw his transition from between Fords and Chevys to Dodges and his iconic scheme that spoke the world to me in this graphic that painted to match the trucks.

[01:16:31.740] - Tony Barraza

But my wife and my brother and sister-in-law and I, one day were out for a day out. We went to a movie theater in Moreno Valley, just outside of Riverside from us. It was back in the theater when the movie Speed was out, Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. We saw speed in the movie theater. Of course, we come out of the movie and, Hey, that was a good time. We were planning to go down to LA somewhere for lunch just to make a day of it. Of course, the ladies excuse themselves to the restroom. My brother goes to the restroom, and I'm sitting there looking at the Coming Attraction posters. As I make the round around one, I see this gentleman standing there looking at the poster, and he is wearing a big cowboy hat, Rich. The cowboy hat says Good Year on it. His shirt that he's wearing says Dodge Motorsports. Now I'm just boring a hole through this guy, and he glances at me with a big old grin and a smile. He says, Hey there, how What are you doing? And I said, Walker, how are you? Huge smile. He turns, he squares up to me.

[01:17:36.920] - Tony Barraza

He says, Buddy, I'm doing good. We shake hands. I introduce myself. We have a conversation. I let him know we've met on other occasions at various events, but I'm a lifelong fan and enthusiast. And of course, my wife and sister-in-law come out of the bathroom and my wife goes, Oh, my God, who's he talking to now?

[01:17:55.240] - Big Rich Klein

I get that question all the time.

[01:17:57.530] - Tony Barraza

All the time, right? Well, that morning, getting ready to leave the house, Rich. I had a VHS tape playing, and it was from some short course race. I believe it was Bark River back in the soda days. And it was just background noise. It was something for me to look at while I'm getting dressed, ready to leave. And my wife looks over at me and always gives me crap about it. She goes, Oh, who wins this time? Isn't this the 100th time you watch this video? And of course, that day, Walker Evans won that event. Walker Evans was being interviewed on the podium. So when she walks out of the restroom at the movie theater goes, Oh, crap, who's he talking to now? And this gentleman turns around, she goes, Oh, my God, you were on TV this morning. And he looked puzzled. He looked back at me and said, I was watching the Bark River race that I recorded from ESPN Speedworld. And he goes, Hey, I won that race. I'm glad you watched that one. And you saw that one. So we finished the conversation with him. He says, Tony, are you from around here?

[01:18:52.840] - Tony Barraza

I said, I live in Santa soon. He says, Do you know where my race shop is? I said, Yes, sir, I do. And the river says, he goes, Come by anytime. I'd love to show you around.

[01:19:02.420] - Big Rich Klein

Nice.

[01:19:03.600] - Tony Barraza

I gave it about three weeks. I didn't want to completely fanboy and stalk him, but I gave it about three weeks. On a Friday afternoon, all the way home from work, I stopped by and he had just taken delivery of his NASCAR Supertrucks, and he introduced me to the guys and showed me around the shop. Oh, my God, just, again, one of those amazing, amazing once-in-a-lifetime experiences that just further cements my love and enthusiasm for this world.

[01:19:30.000] - Big Rich Klein

That's awesome. That's awesome. Tony, I want to say thank you so much for all the stories and talking about your life. You're one of those inspirations that I hope people look to to figure out how to get into the sport or into an industry that they love as well and how to make a living doing it. Now, when I say living, it's Say the same thing my grandfather told me, was a living is about how you get to live your life, not necessarily how much money you make. Because that's what I did. I got into the rock crawling after being a four-wheel drive enthusiast for so long, and then got into I had the opportunity to run Vora and put on desert races, and then got to meet some fantastic people, like Walker Evans, came in rock crawling and won my first national series year of events. And as a rock Crawler, and always told me, Rich, don't ever let people forget that I won your first rock crawling series, that the old Desert Racer could rock crawl.

[01:20:43.520] - Tony Barraza

Oh, yeah.

[01:20:44.440] - Big Rich Klein

And then we've had just a phenomenal run of those people. And it's all about realizing what life you want to live and chasing it.

[01:20:59.720] - Tony Barraza

Yeah, it absolutely is, Rich, and I couldn't be more thankful and blessed for it and the opportunities that I've had to not only meet, but again, to work side by side with these people, to become friendly with them. The opportunities as a kid growing up, dreaming, idolizing these people, understanding, respecting that they're human beings, they've got trials and tribulations, but to have the opportunities to work with Ivan Stuart and ProTruck and getting a call from him one day and then doing a series of ads while he promoted the ProTruck Racing Organization and Ivan and Linda are friends. We're friendly when we see one another in the middle of San Felipe or down to Ansonada as he's a grand marshal, things of that nature that in a million years did I not think would be possible. To be that familiar with one another, be that recognized, having delivered a successful product that he was in need of at that time as he was advanced in his career and some other turn that his life and business took. Things like that are so amazingly gratifying. It started and it remains at 59 years old. Having done this for over 30 years, Rich, it remains based on my love, affection, respect of the people and the sport that I've absolutely just immersed myself in and cannot get enough of.

[01:22:17.680] - Big Rich Klein

Excellent segue. Thank you so much for spending this Friday, late morning, early afternoon discussing your life. It's been awesome.

[01:22:29.170] - Tony Barraza

My pleasure, Rich. Thank you so much for the opportunity. Thanks for all that you do in the Ormhoff Group and family do. I'm going to try like hell to make it to the gala one of these days very, very soon. But thank you for you and the podcast and continued success, my friend.

[01:22:45.340] - Big Rich Klein

Thank you. Thank you. And the same to you. Have a good day. All right, you too. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Well, that's another episode of Conversations with Big Rich. I'd like to thank you all for listening. If you could do us a favor and leave us a review on any podcast service that you happen to be listening on, or send us an email or a text message or a Facebook message, and let me know any ideas that you have, or if there's anybody that you have that you think would be a great guest, please forward the contact information to me so that we can try to get them on. And always remember, live life to the fullest. Enjoying life is a must. Follow your dreams and live life with all the gusto you can. Thank you.