This week on Conversations with Big Rich, we dive into the inventive world of fabricator and racer Jonas Burnett. From humble beginnings on a Texas ranch wrenching on a Honda Fat Cat to building engines at 16, Jonas charted a path through the School of Automotive Machinists and into AJ Foyt’s IndyCar program—handling front-end setups, meticulous wiring, and pit crew duties. After seven intense years in pro racing, he returned home to launch Black Smoke Garage, where his imagination meets metal across hot rods, off-road rigs, mini boats, and more.
Highlights of the show include the IndyCar years and life on the road; the one man, high-craft Black Smoke Garage; and ground-up restorations. Where he’s headed includes compact transfer cases with front/rear clutches and innovation. Jonas’ philosophy includes safety-first, practical performance, and making pro-grade tech more accessible.
TRANSCRIPT
[00:01:12.910] – Big Rich Klein
My guest this week is an automotive business owner. He has experience in Indy car racing, building hot rods off road, even restoring one of Brad Lovell’s Ford Rangers, competing in rock crawls and innovating products for competition. My guest is Jonas Burnett. Hey, Jonas, good to have you on the podcast.
[00:01:36.820] – Jonas Burnett
Yes, sir. Thanks for having me today.
[00:01:39.140] – Big Rich Klein
Yeah, I think this is going to be fun. Yeah. Everything that we’ve ever talked about, you seem to have your hands in all sorts of different directions, so.
[00:01:48.420] – Jonas Burnett
I do, I do. Always trying to, always trying to find the next latest, greatest fun thing to do.
[00:01:55.220] – Big Rich Klein
Awesome. So let’s, let’s get started with the question I ask everybody first. Where were you born and raised?
[00:02:03.220] – Jonas Burnett
Well, I was actually born in Bossier, Louisiana and brought over to Texas straight from the hospital and raised in East Texas and good old Carthage. And yeah, it’s been great out here. Made a big loop and ended right back in Carthage. So it’s, it’s nice. I enjoy it.
[00:02:24.640] – Big Rich Klein
And you were, you were born in Louisiana, but were, how long were you there for before getting to Texas?
[00:02:32.240] – Jonas Burnett
Just hospital. Yeah, I was literally we were, they were living in East Texas and Carthage area and it was. Bossier was the closest hospital. So. Okay, we went over. I was born over there and brought directly into Texas. So I’m a, I’m a Texan
[00:02:52.000] – Big Rich Klein
with a little bit of, of that Louisiana Cajun.
[00:02:55.760] – Jonas Burnett
Well, yeah, because I can’t get rid of the good Cajun food. I mean, that’s one of my favorite foods. It’s hard to beat good Cajun food.
[00:03:02.480] – Big Rich Klein
Right. So what was it like growing up in Carthage back in however many years it’s been.
[00:03:10.160] – Jonas Burnett
Well, we lived on a ranch actually outside of Carthage just a little bit. And we managed kids. Our main rule was to be home before dark. They just kind of turned us loose and we had fun on the ranch. It was no cell ph, no Internets, just country kids having fun, you know, and just don’t tear up anybody’s property and don’t get any trouble and make sure you’re home before dark.
[00:03:36.620] – Big Rich Klein
And what kind of, what kind of running around, shall we say, were you guys doing?
[00:03:43.420] – Jonas Burnett
Oh, we were fishing, hunting. We got bicycles and road and we wore tires out on bicycles. And finally I remember getting my first motorized vehicle. It was a Honda fat Cat. And it literally came to me in a box. We didn’t have much money growing up and I don’t even know where dad found it. And he brought it home in a box and said if I could fix it, I could ride it. And I don’t know, I think within the week we had it up and running. And I couldn’t tell you how many miles I put on that thing. I had one neighborhood kid, he had a three wheeler and me and him just headed out and like I said, we were always fishing or trying to make our three wheelers and fat cats and what have we had a little bit better and modifying and customizing with whatever we could find laying around. READ MORE
