Bret Voelkel: The Story Behind RideTech

This week on Oil & Whiskey, we’re joined by Bret Voelkel, founder of Air Ride Technologies, now known as RideTech.Bret takes us back to the beginning, from putting truck air springs under his own Pro Street Mustang to turning the idea into a company that helped change the way people thought about air suspension and performance.He talks about bootstrapping the business with his wife Sharon, developing the ShockWave, the rise of Pro Touring, competing alongside guys like Kyle Tucker, and some of the moments that completely changed the trajectory of RideTech, including the early Street Machine Nationals, helping launch Goodguys autocross, and the 48 Hour Camaro.We also get into the business side of it: hiring the right people, taking care of customers, surviving 2008, rebranding Air Ride Technologies as RideTech, dealing with the old print magazine world, and eventually realizing he had gone from playing to win to playing not to lose.Bret also tells the story behind selling RideTech to FOX, what that transition looked like from the inside, why corporate decision making didn’t always agree with him, and why some of his best ideas probably never would have survived a spreadsheet.Plus, there’s bourbon, old industry stories, autocross carnage, Aerosmith, bad decisions at car shows, and plenty of the usual Oil & Whiskey detours.