Run what you brung. Beat the pro. Keep the bragging rights.
Two everyday drivers. One real racetrack. One pro who sets records for a living.
The show
Beat the Pro is a run-what-you-brung competition. Two drivers bring their own cars to a real racetrack, get coached by the hosts, and earn the right to put their own car up against a professional racing driver.
Nothing is handed to you. It’s the car you own, the laps you can string together, and a pro waiting at the end of the day.
How it works
Last driver standing
Two drivers are chosen for each episode and matched by experience and by car. Each host takes one driver under his wing and coaches that driver on the track. Every driver gets three laps to set a best time, and the slower driver is out.
The finish line
The pro takes the winning driver’s own car out and sets a time of his own. Then the driver gets one more shot to beat it. To even the odds, the pro drives with an added distraction, and it’s not a small one.
What counts as a distraction? It could be something simple, like having to drive with a passenger, or outrageous, like the losing host in a pink bunny suit.
The podium
Everyone leaves with a prize for their finish. Beat the pro and there is a major award, plus bragging rights that never expire. Every episode winner earns a seat in the Tournament of Champions, the two-part season finale where all the winners take on the pro in the same car.
The pro: Randy Pobst
Randy Pobst has raced since the 1980s and is in the SCCA Hall of Fame. He’s driven Audi, Mazda, Porsche and Volvo programs in SCCA and SPEED World Challenge. He won four drivers’ championships with Audi, Porsche and Volvo, and in 2023 he set the modified production EV record at Pikes Peak in a Tesla. Most of his job is climbing into someone else’s car and leaving with a record. Good luck beating this pro.
The hosts
Paul Herrold
Paul got hooked the day he drove a Ferrari with Brazilian driver and stuntman Eduardo Marques Jr., and he hasn’t been able to stay away from a racetrack since. An automotive journalist with hundreds of track hours, he’s the host who can tell you what a corner felt like, then show you on camera.
Brendan Appel
Brendan graduated from Spring Mountain’s Corvette driving school twice and has more than fifty track events behind him at circuits across the country. He has coached students for years, and getting a new driver comfortable at speed is his favorite part of the job.
The track
Beat the Pro races on real road courses. The pilot was filmed at INDE Motorsports Ranch, 2.6 miles and 18 turns of desert racetrack, with a main straight long enough to find out what your car really has.
Think you can beat the pro?
Drivers are chosen through an interview and matched by experience and by car. If you have a car you love and a lap you believe in, we want to hear from you.
A full season runs eight half-hour episodes plus the two-part Tournament of Champions finale. Follow We Are Motor Driven for updates on when and where to watch.
Beat the Pro is a We Are Motor Driven show, produced by NextJen Studios.