The Cheats Movement Podcast

On this special edition of the Cheats Movement podcast, I chopped it up with West Coast Customs' founder Ryan Friedlinghaus. Ryan is bringing his legendary shop to the Richmond Raceway this Saturday and Sunday (July 29-30). West Coast Customs is building a street-legal NASCAR Next Gen Toyota Camry TRD at Richmond Raceway. Students from Henrico County's CTE program will be helping the crew. Fans can watch the build live inside the NASCAR Racing Experience. You can also purchase a special WCC ticket package for the race. Learn more about Ryan's upcoming appearance, his love for NASCAR, and his passion project of teaching the next generation of engineers and designers. Special thank you to Lori Warren, Matt Humphrey, Phil Metz, and Common House RVA.

2023 marks the 34th season Todd "Parney" Parnell will be involved in minor league baseball. But as some things remain the same for the Flying Squirrels CEO, so much has changed. This will be Parney's first season without his loving father, who passed away during the off-season. This will be his first season married to his long-time partner Tayna; they married on New Year's Eve, 2022. This is a two-part podcast: the first half takes place the Thursday before opening weekend, and the second half takes place the Monday after opening day weekend. There is a lot to unpack in this episode. I honestly could talk to Parney for hours. Our conversation talks about life, love, loss, leadership, and, yes, I ask him about the future of baseball in Richmond, including a new stadium. Please like, rate, and review the podcast. Your support means the world to me. Thank you & Go NUTZ

This is NASCAR race weekend in Richmond! This Sunday (April 2) is the Toyota Owners 400. Last year, I had the pleasure of attending my first NASCAR race. I took my son Cameron, and we made a full day of the experience. While attending the race, it struck me that this was not my father's NASCAR; it certainly was not my grandfather's, and I'm not just talking about the NextGen cars but the entire experience. The leader of the NASCAR experience in Richmond is long-time media executive Lori Collier Waran. Lori took over the job last June and has been front and center ever since. Lori is the first woman to be President of Richmond Raceway. She is dedicated to ushering a new phase of community to the track, a community that is as diverse as Richmond itself. I sat down with Lori to talk about her groundbreaking role as president, and how she plans to usher in a new generation of Richmond race fans. Our conversation clearly shows that: Richmond is Everyone's Track.

I usually don't do "Emergency" podcast on the Cheats Movement. Still, this episode was scheduled in concise order because there is a primary election this Tuesday to select the Democratic nominee to replace the late Congressman Donald McEachin, and State Senator Jennifer McClellan announced earlier this week that she is seeking the nomination and the office. I've known Senator McClellan and her family since I began working in politics - long before I started podcasting. I know Jennifer to be a faithful servant leader, a very brilliant policy wonk, and a person with a caring heart for others. I couldn't think of a better person to carry the legacy of Rep. McEachin and forge her path than Jennifer McClellan. On this episode, we talk about how she made the decision to run for congress and what her goals are if the people elect her. She makes the pitch as to why she is the right person to go to congress at this time. As always, you can subscribe to the Cheats Movement Podcast everywhere podcasts are available. You can follow Jennifer McCellan at @JennMcClellanVA and jennifermcclellan.com

University of Richmond Head Basketball Coach Chris Mooney has recently started his 18th season. He already has more wins than any coach in UofR history (315). He has the school's only two A10 conference titles. He's collected three NCAA tournament appearances: including a trip to the sweet sixteen (2010-2011). He has graduated countless players, led several to careers in professional basketball, and even coached one of hip-hop's biggest stars right now (more on that in the interview). No matter how you look at it, Coach Mooney is swiftly approaching legendary status on Westhampton Way.But those are some of the things you may already know about Coach Mooney. What you may not know is that for 18 seasons, Mooney has had at least one player from the Richmond-Metro area on the team. When Coach Mooney and his wife moved to Richmond they didn't know what the future held, but they truly fell in love with the university and the greater Richmond community. Now, they have two boys (10 and 13) they are raising in Richmond. Mooney and his players emphasize giving back and being role models on and off the court. During our conversation, you will get a chance to learn more about Chris Mooney - the basketball coach - and also Chris Mooney: the man. It was an honor to have him on the Cheats Movement Podcast. I hope you enjoy this conversation and subscribe to The Cheats Movement Podcast.