The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - GT Driver Jann Mardenborough on Gamer to Racer Transition, ‘Gran Turismo’ Backstory

Episode Date: August 16, 2023

First, Colin explains how conspiracy theories have gotten out of control, and why the AL playoffs will struggle to draw viewers, and how Messi has exposed the MLS as a second rate soccer league. Then, Gran Turismo race driver Jann Mardenborough joins Colin to discuss the real life story behind the movie, his experience as a gamer turned GT driver, how gaming has influenced his racing, the experience of seeing himself portrayed on the big screen in the GT movie, and the true story behind the movie. Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates! #Herd #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer,

Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The volume. Hi, everybody. Welcome in to the Wednesday morning heard Colin Coward podcast. So a bunch of different thoughts for about 12 minutes here. You know, when I was younger and you'd have Thanksgiving or Christmas, but usually Thanksgiving, you invite extended family. and maybe my family was different than yours. My guess is not really. There's always one weird uncle that shows up.

And he's like the conspiracy theorist in the family. And it's not like, you know, he believes in UFOs. You know, maybe he did see one. He just didn't know what it was. It was a government plane. Whatever. I'm not talking that. But, you know, he's always like anti-government.

And I always had this sort of theory on conspiracy theorists that there are people. that somehow feel slighted by life. They're not as successful as they believe they should be. So they've got to blame somebody. It's the government. It's a political figure. It's a boss. The truth is, when you used to bring them over for Thanksgiving or Christmas and they would

leave, you were all like, yeah, we like Uncle Phil, but he's bat shit crazy. And I was watching the Trump indictment in Georgia. And I woke up at like three in the morning. And I couldn't go back to sleep for about 45 minutes. and I went online. What a mistake. I'm convinced now half the country is conspiracy theorists. It's the Alex Jonesing of society. One of the reasons I love sports is that there's finish lines and there are standings and they are winners and they are losers. But as I looked at this indictment, I thought to myself, is the reality of politics going forward that unless you win an election, conservative or Democrat, you're going to say it's fixed?

Like, is that the door that's been opened? I mean, I always love sports. Years ago, I was offered a political show years and years and years ago from a general manager of an AM radio station that said, you know, I think you're kind of a moderate lean left guy. There's too many conservatives on the air. And I said, well, if the audience listens to conservatives, that's what the audience wants. And I said to him, I'm not angry enough to be. be in politics. I like the finality of sports. Winners, losers go home, game over.

But folks, when that movie JFK came out years ago by Oliver Stone, it was really entertaining. But when it was over, everybody sort of agreed it was out there. I think today if it was released, it would be seen as a documentary. People would just buy all of it. And I don't know what happened. is it the influence of social media? But politics has gotten so crazy. I have to shut it off. Like, I don't care who's running for president. But if you think elections are fixed,

I can't vote for you. Either side, it's over. That will be my definitive one topic election outcome provider. If you think the election is fixed, I can never vote for you. What the hell would that do to our democracy? Give me sports. Give me standings.

Get me conclusive winners and losers. It's a more sane life. So one of the things that baseball pushed back on for years, and it's really going to cost them in the playoffs this year, is individuality. There's always been this ridiculous. There's a way to play the game. No, there's not. Unwritten rules.

Write them down. I think baseball is going to have its lowest postseason ratings ever. And the primary reason is the average sports fan, not a fantasy baseball player, the average sports fan will not be able to name a starter for most of the American League playoff teams, Baltimore, Minnesota, the Cleveland Guardians, and the Tampa race. And say what you want about the NBA. But all of you listening can name at least three starters for the Golden State Warriors and a couple starters for the Celtics,

and a couple starters for the Milwaukee Bucks. You don't even have to be an NBA fan. You kind of know the top 10 players in the league, and you've heard of the next 10. That's because the NBA has pushed, wrapped their arms around, and embraced individuality. I always thought one of the keys for college football during the USC days was that USC put their arms around.

Reggie Bush, and Matt Leinert, and they really focused on individuality and team play, whereas Alabama is like Penn State, you know, numbers on the helmets, generic uniforms. It's all about the team over the individual. Well, you're going to see in baseball this year the direct result of that. American League ratings are going to be atrocious. Yankees out, Red Sox out. Thank God the Dodgers and the Braves in the National League, well-known brands. with star players have a good chance to get to the National League Championship Series. But the American League, I mean, again, I'm not talking seamhead, baseball diehard. I'm not talking Bob Costas, Keith Oberman, guys who live for the sport. Average fan, sports fan in America, can't name a starter for the twins, Orioles race.

Guardians, can't name one. I've said before twice that I've tried to invest in the MLS. Too rich for my blood. But I think the academy system, the smaller stadiums, I think it's well run. And I also think we have better players now in America than we've ever had. And I always feel like if you're a really good high school football player, really, really special, you will be offered by the SEC. You'll get an offer from Bama, LSU, Georgia, Florida, somebody. That kind of validates, even if you live in California, play in Washington State, you'll be offered by the SEC.

That's where the best players go mostly. And I feel like if you're really a legitimate soccer player in America, you will play overseas. And not just make a roster, but, you know, via viable starter or somebody that is, gets on the pitch, right? The MLS still has a pretty low ceiling. And I think the example of that is 36-year-old Launa Messi literally has walked into the worst team in the MLS and is averaging a goal. and a half a game. And I mean, it looks ridiculously, effortlessly easy. Now, he was very good at the World Cup. He's not in Boppa at this point. Mbapé is in his athletic prime, just surging into it. But, I mean, when you watch Messi in the ease in which he gets quality shots, it shows you

how far the MLS is from being a great league. Now, we don't think it's La Liga. We don't think it's the English Premier League, the EPL, we don't. But it has sort of been noticeable to me that Messi is so profoundly skilled that it's almost like players are paying respect to him. They don't want to be humiliated. They give him these nice little cushions that I'm not sure they'd give American players.

I think it's a great story. I think he's the most important player ever in the MLN. I am a fan of the league. I try to catch on a fairly regular basis, 15 minutes, highlights, YouTube it. I really do like it, and I am a huge kind of advocate for the United States men's and women's national teams.

But it shouldn't be this easy for Messi, should it? I mean, this easy? This was the worst team in the league before we got there. The new movie Gran Turismo is based on an unbelievable true story about a team of unlikely underdogs, a struggling working-class gamer, a failed race car driver, and an idealistic motorsport executive. Together they risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world. It's a great, compelling story.

It's some of the most famous racing competitions in the world, and they are recreated through the use of actual Nissan GTs and practical effects. It's really cool. that needs to be seen on the big screen. A lot of action. Really intense. It's an inspiring, uplifting, action-packed story that proves that nothing in life is impossible.

Grand Turismo, based on a true story, is exclusively in movie theaters this August 25th with a special sneak previews this weekend. Get Your Tickets Today, rated PG-13. So there's a new movie coming out that I just watched. My producers and I watched it. They sent us a link, Grand Turismo. It is a hard story to believe is true, but it is actually true. We're a middle class gamer, an optimistic motorsport executive, and a failed race car driver, team up in what is one of the more inspiring, unique sports stories in one of the most elite sports in the world.

The movie, August 25th is when it opens up. Get your tickets now. It's called Grand Turismo. It is a true story. And I was told that. I watched the movie. I had to Google after. I'm like, give me a break.

I never heard about this story. And it's all true, August 25th. And we bring in the actual gamer who pulled this off, Jan Mardonboro, joining us on the volume. When you're a gamer and there was parts in the movie, and I understand it's Hollywood, so not everything in the movie is true,

about your dad, you know, like all dads, is thinking to himself, my son's playing e-sports, he's an e-gamer, I want to get a real job, and I thought to myself, is this Hollywood? Or could you tell us, was there doubts by your family?

Your mom supported you, but your dad was like, you know, I understand, like I'm a dad. Was there conflict with your dad, or was that a little bit of Hollywood? Well, it wasn't really, esports wasn't a thing back then in motorsports. Anyway, 12 years ago, 2011.

I've had it all my life. I guess any millennial born in the 90s has had the same thing with PlayStation, all the games. I've had it in school. Coming up from school, you have to do two hours revision before that thing even gets turned on.

Whatever, go outside. No, I want to play PlayStation instead. It's, it's forever been a thing. So when I was talking to the producers and script writers back in, well, this was 2019, I mean, it was,

I just told my experiences. It's like, yeah, my dad wanted to be to go outside and have a childhood like he did. But he didn't quite understand that I'm also socializing online with my friends, with my microphone. And it's,

now it's kind of normal, whereas back then, then it's still, you have different generation, not really understand in the current generation. So, no, it's not, it's not Hollywood. It's, that's how it was. You know, Jan, it's interesting you say that. How old are you now?

Because you sound like my 16-year-old son who says, Dad, I am socializing. I'm socializing on my computer. I'm 31. And even now, it's another level. Because not only, well, 12 years ago, I guess, I don't know if Twitch was a thing back then, YouTube was barely a thing, but certainly online streaming wasn't a thing.

Whereas now you could have, I don't know, like millions of people, hundreds of thousands of people watch you play a game and also socialize in the chat. That's something which is, again, for me, I don't do that because I mean, my thing is in real lives. But when I look at it to these content streamers, and it's like, yeah, they're so talking to so many people at the same time, it's like a social event. So I had never heard of this story. And as I watched the movie, it was very compelling. I literally had to Google, okay, is this real? So you're basically a gamer. You get invited to the GT Academy. You win it. And because of an aspirational, you know,

motorsport executive and a driver who has real doubts about you. Did you have, you come across as very confident. But, I mean, let's be honest. There's a reason Hollywood wanted to make this story.

It doesn't even sound true. Did you ever have a doubt? Gamer to getting in a car before that first race starts. Were you anxious? Were you nervous? Or did you have this sort of inner scoreboard and believe, you know what?

There's advantage. that I have over these drivers. Never thought that. But I'm someone who's very headstrong, and I'm somebody I think who has a good, like building blocks, like for my father telling me, from a young age,

you know, do something in life, which brings you purpose and that you're passionate about. And that for me is cars. So I'm a headstrong person. So that is all I wanted to do. So when the opportunity presented itself, of this is a chance of becoming a racing driver.

I was all in and that. I didn't think I could win. I didn't think I could lose. It was this weird frame of mind during the whole process of entering it at home on my PlayStation and also getting to the finals of the academy where I was like a blinked racehorse where I didn't want to think about winning or losing me.

It was just like, okay, what's next? Let's do the best we can. Learn from my mistakes in the previous instructors' comments. and the next time in the car, don't make that mistake again, or let's improve. It was this weird mindset. I never thought that I had advantage over anybody else because I went in and the understanding that I'm to be a sponge. That was another thing I remember thinking like, it's like all the information that's

going to be told at me during this academy process at GT Academy is going to be good information because all the drivers, all the instructors are currently, current racing drivers or their ex-professionals. So whatever they're telling me is going to be correct. I have no preconceived ideas of how to race a racing. Right. So I was just absorbing all of it. And I never thought that I had an advantage over anybody else, really.

It's not, I was very much aware that I'm the first step of the ladder. Because there's people that were there at the academy who had drifting experience, had done track days, have been carting. I was the least experienced person of everybody there. And it was the same thing, entering motorsport after the academy. I'm very much aware that I'm here to, all I cared about is my progression. I didn't care for anything else. I want to make sure that my progression is exponential for as long as possible.

So I never, I was, all I am is very headstrong. He's like, okay, that's what I want to do and I'll do it. I don't think of, I'm no confidence in showing it. egotistically, it's not really my scene. Even now, it's like I don't say what I've done. It's like the people that put, I guess, you know, their school accomplishments, MBAs and stuff in their bios, it's like, I'm just not that.

I have receipts of what I've done in the past. And the movie thing is fantastic. I never thought it'd be a thing because it's so random. So when it first got told to me, I didn't believe them and I thought, why me? I'm just racing my racing car. That's what I've been doing. So it's interesting, Jan, you're a gamer and then you're a driver.

Once you'd succeeded at driving, did you go back to gaming sometimes and think, actually, it helped you as a driver? So you transition from gamer to driver. When you went back to gaming, are there things gaming in gaming that actually are advantages that drivers probably could use? Well, the main reason why drivers and I still use sims is because of the limited time you have on circuits. So in the off season from, I don't know, November till March, there's no real drive and it's called here in the UK during those months. So the next best thing is being an assimilator.

So, yeah, it's just laps. It's time in the seat. Yeah, it's that. that's what it's currently used for. That's what I still use for. So, yeah, I've been in a race car twice. Now, more of a stock car American version, which is not as slick as what you drove.

My takeaway is, wow, it's really hot in here, and you better be in shape. So in the movie, the first time you were in that car, take me to the physical, I mean, did you come out of that thing and wake up the next morning and you were a wreck? You were, was it physically more daunting than you thought it would be? It was an acclimative, like, sensation, really, because during those academy days, day one, day two, day three, you know, kind of feel fine. But then in the later days, I was aware that my hands were starting to get quite sore, my forearms, even my neck.

my neck to a little bit to a point. And then certainly when I transitioned to really quick racing cars after the academy when I'm actually racing, then it became a thing. It became a real thing. Like there's muscles behind your ears, which you don't really work in normal day-to-day life.

But when you've done two days testing in a Formula 3 car, at a track where seven, five of the corners out of seven, a full throttle. And you wake up the next morning, you lift your head off the pillow, and your neck is just, is, it's in bits,

and you've got another day test. And it's, yeah, it's a thing. It's really, GT cars, they get very hot. It's quite hot.

Yes. You have to be lean. You have to be aerobically fit. I train it every day. And not only because of my job, because I actually enjoy. training it's it's part of my right my lifestyle but uh yeah you know i've uh recently i never did it before because i i never wore the technology but i had a uh race in may at fuji in japan

it was a 24 r race and i have like this fitness tracker this um yeah my wrist and i left it on during the race and over two hours i think i burnt 870 calories Our rate was an average 150 deeps a minute. It's got a peak at around 175, I think. So it's like it's your stress for a long time. It's mainly the heat in a GT car. The heat really makes your body work. Yeah, I was going to say a 24-hour race like Le Mans.

How, I'm just a novice. How do you get? Obviously, there are probably mechanisms to keep you hydrated. but you're burning through 800 calories every two hours. How do you eat? I mean, are you, do you go into a race? No, you don't want to go into a race like heavy and tired. So you want to go in fairly lean.

How do you eat in a 24 hour race when you're burning those kind of calories? I think for me, I've always ate at normal times. So I still stick to my during just before the race and during, I still stick to my. normal plan i'll eat when i'm hungry i'll eat my three meals a day but it's it's not so much when i get out the car um you know i need to grab food immediately it's more when you wake up in the middle of the night and then you know you're in the car like i don't know 4 a m and then it's planning your times of eating in really unusual hours because then you bought your body's like i'm hungry but it's four o'clock in the morning this isn't normal it's it's uh it's an interesting experience because you're hungry

at weird times. All I've felt, all I've done really is whenever I'm hung, just make sure I'm not hungry when I get in the car, then I'm fine. So you dominate a game like Grand Turismo, right? And that gets you on a track. Are there other games, as a gamer,

are there other games? Does it transition in e-sports that you're just good on almost any gaming platform you crush? Well, it's, I think now I would never put in the hours required to be at a level where I'm the best because I don't find that enjoyable, but also whatever I do on a sim now is for my real life performance in the car. So I never go into that detail anymore, but I can jump on other, they all have their nuances, they're all slightly different,

but I can jump on another sim, whether that be on PC or another title on PlayStation and be quick. It's like the racing game. It's what I've been doing since I was eight. So I'm kind of all right at doing them. This baseball season continues to heat up. You can watch it on TV. But what's better than going to the park

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with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. How did you view? Because I thought the movie was very compelling. I thought the actor that played you was very realistic. What is it like?

And this will never happen to me to watch yourself being played by somebody else in a movie. What is that like? The two weird points that are very strange is, firstly, when somebody has your race suit and it has j. dot, Mardonborough on it, that's weird to see.

But the weirdest is somebody having, wearing your helmet, wearing your colors. Because in motorsports, our helmet is the only thing as a racing driver we get to customize by ourselves. Everything else is due to the team or manufacturer or sponsor that we have.

the race helmet is fair game for us. We can design it however we want. So to see somebody wear my colors, because it's very, my helmet doesn't have my name on it for a reason. Because when I designed the helmets, I designed it myself, and I didn't want my name on the helmet.

Because I said this at a time where I was kind of, again, maybe second step with a ladder, but I said to myself, look, people are going to know the colors of my helmet just because they're going to know, the colors of my helmet i don't want i don't need my name on it i don't need anything else those are my

colors and i'll be recognized from that that's what helmets for so to see somebody else see archie wear the helmet is uh it's very weird for me so david arbor is the ex failed race car driver and he's very cynical of your mission you're a gamer you get to be a racer did you feel animosity from drivers in the industry where you could kind of sense it at the temperature in the room you felt like people sort of rolled their eyes at what you were trying to accomplish well you know this isn't all racing drivers that it's not like every single racing driver I've had a negative experience it's but it's only being a very few most drivers have been very welcoming um of course the movie focuses on the relationship with one in particular that was quite negative and it's the

main part's rival of the story but this person is based off a real person that I was teammates with in 2013 and it was like you say there was a lack of respect that was that I was given I was very much aware back then as well that I'm still cutting my teeth I'm still aided my reputation I wasn't expecting people to be very friendly and open and race as if, you know, you're on their level because of, I haven't done anything. I've been racing that point,

maybe two years. And now, I was aware that if I was racing against me coming up the conventional route, I would hate me. So I kind of had some sympathy. I had some sympathy because my ego is quite big, especially in my world, a motorsport.

So to be racing against somebody who's barrier to entry to the sport is 500 pounds and then maybe my, you know, what, my sponsor or family or, you know, private monies, they've spent hundreds of thousands, maybe millions to get me to this level and I've competed against me. It's like, I'll be like, oh, I've got to make sure I beat this guy because I'm going to look silly. I would hate to lose against me back then. It would be, so I have some sympathy, really, but there was some people, some drivers.

Yeah, kind of, when you're strapped to a car which can do damage to people, do damage to humans, and what is it, it's a missile at some point. And then when that's used in a way that life can be threatened, then it's, then I will talk about it. So when I was talking to producers and script writers about rivals, it was, this is the, there was a person in mind about. that and the experience I had with this person because there was a lack of respect on circuit. Face to face, you know, it is what it is, but on circuit, there was very clear that there was nothing there. One more kind of example, which is still funny to the day, because I've mentioned it so many

times, I wonder if the guy would ever contact me. But my first ever race after the academy was in a place called Pembury, my local Welsh circuit. And I was having a conversation with somebody. And this guy interjected. And he introduced himself as the Welsh sports car and saloon car champion of 2010. I thought it was very strange for somebody to introduce themselves as a champion. But anyway, I kind of let him talk.

And this was the first time I experienced something verbal to my face where he thought he was here. And I was here. And he said to me, if you see me in your mirrors, don't fight me. Just let me go. I mean, I've been racing. I hadn't done my first race out of the academy at that point. And I was like, oh, I've got a man next to me who's giving me the playing the big man. And it just lit a fire.

I was already kind of psyched up. But this guy, he kind of threw logs and gasoline on my soul. Yeah, it's, needless to say, he stayed in my mirrors. But that was the first kind of experience of, you know, egos. hierarchy hierarchy yeah yeah yeah did by the way the first time you face this person

and you can mention him did you beat him oh yes yeah that weekend I mean this was this was grassroots level this wasn't high competition at all this was getting my race license however the who Kappa is based off this was during Formula 3 so 2013 this was

so I've been racing a couple of years still very new but yeah the level quite quite high Formula 3 that had to feel great that had to feel great yeah stuff like that i had an experience in broadcasting like that i still remember everybody's name i still remember it well where an older broadcaster and my first broadcast ever said kind of the same thing i never let it go it was jet fuel and you know i mean the truth is when you're young i think people think they can intimidate younger people

And what they're doing is doing a favor for you. Because young people, I mean, when you're young, you've got a mind like a trap. And you're influenced much more when I was young than when I'm older. And so the truth is that had such a positive impact on you probably because it just laser focused, not that you weren't a focused kid, but the fact that you remember that story, you probably remember the colors, the people, the moment, the time of day. it's probably very clear to you, I would guess. It's clear because it was the first time somebody saying it to my face.

I mean, I had a chip off my shoulder anyway for another reason after the academy, but I won't go so much into that. So I was already, I had this fire to prove others, but also to myself. And then this guy just kind of added some more fuel to what was currently going on then just kind of, I just remember it. And then later on, um, with other people for the,

for the general, since I've been racing 12 years, the interaction now it's fine. I have, I've earned my stripes. I've got receipts and, um, uh,

you know, it's with racing drivers where I've earned the respect. That's all, so good. Whereas back then and where the movie portrays those, those early years, yes, it was more,

um, um, more difficult, shall we see. It was interesting, interesting times. Grand Turismo is the movie. Congratulations on the story, the movie, your success. It's a really fun watch, and I appreciate you joining us. Thank you. Pleasure. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel

help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast is, Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed Human.