Episode 104: Liz Allan and Ellis Spiezia - Sustainable Racing, Metaverse Engagement, and Future Aspirations in Driver Education.

Episode 104: Liz Allan and Ellis Spiezia - Sustainable Racing, Metaverse Engagement, and Future Aspirations in Driver Education.

Liz Allan speaks to Ellis Spiezia, a pioneering force in electric racing. He is known for his unyielding passion for sustainability and his remarkable journey from go-karting prodigy to Nitro Cross racer. They delve into Ellis's vision for making racing a sustainable business and his exciting plans to build an academy for new drivers. They touch on his unique experiences in rallycross, the financial challenges, and his dream destinations for racing. Ellis also shares his insights into engaging younger generations with environmental sustainability and his innovative ventures in the metaverse.

Ellis Spiezia Bio:
Ellis Spiezia's fascination with motorsports ignited at an incredibly young age. When he was just 4 or 5, he first got behind the wheel of a go-kart, experiencing the thrill of driving that would eventually become a cornerstone of his life. Before that, Ellis showed signs of his passion as he spent countless hours zipping around in his little power wheels vehicle, embodying the essence of a young racer. Seeing his enthusiasm, Ellis’s parents contemplated further nurturing his talent.
They soon discovered the extensive commitments and costs involved—trailers, karts, mechanics, tents, tools, engines, and fuel. They also realised that go-karting had planted a seed of passion and determination in Ellis, setting the stage for what would undoubtedly be a lifelong connection with the world of motorsports.

Ellis Spiezia Links:
Website: https://www.ellysium.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellis-spiezia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellysium_racing

Episode Keywords:
Sustainable racing, racing academy, long racing career, educating the younger generation, electric vehicles, carbon footprint, metaverse involvement, Roblox game, interactive community, leveraging technology, AI in racing.

Episode Hashtags: 
#RacingAcademy

Transcript

Liz Allan [00:00:00]
On today's episode, I've got a new guest, and I'm really looking forward to this. I've got Ellis Spiezia, who I met last week. Bizarrely enough, I just bumped into you and your mum, didn't I, at Move in the Excel? I was totally gobsmacked. Ellis, thank you so much for joining me.

Ellis Spiezia [00:00:22]
Yeah, thank you. It was nice to bump into you. We were just off the back of a three-week US blitz, so I was probably not my most well-rested self, but it was really good to see you.

Liz Allan [00:00:39]
You were fine. Give me one second. You know what? I forgot to bring my mic down. That was clever of me. Otherwise, I’ll sound like I’m in a goldfish bowl.

Liz Allan [00:00:54]
So you were out for three weeks doing what? Promotion? Racing? I haven't explained what you do yet, but we'll talk about that in a second.

Ellis Spiezia [00:01:05]
Yeah, the first stop was New Jersey for Memorial Day weekend. Flying in during that time was an achievement due to the chaos. We do a workout at my old gym called Murph to honour a Navy SEAL. I had no prep and got absolutely demolished. Right after, at 3 AM, I hopped into an Uber to go visit my girlfriend in Chicago. That was a nice, chill week—I got to eat some bad American food and relax a bit.

Ellis Spiezia [00:02:06]
After that, it was straight to Las Vegas for a content shoot with Furrow 1 and Nitro Cross, who I’m driving for this year. It was awesome: four days of non-stop action, including indoor karting, social media announcements, and even a chance to drive a Ferrari. Then I went to California to chill a bit and attend a conference. We met in London after a long few weeks on the road.

Liz Allan [00:02:47]
And you looked alright! So, for those listening and watching, Ellis is a racing driver – but not just any racing driver. He's an EV racing driver. You do other things too, don't you? But being an EV racing driver is just brilliant. Michelle, who works with me, has been watching you and said, “You need to get this guy on.” I checked out your Instagram, which you've had since you were eight, and it’s amazing. You're a real trailblazer. So, let's start with a bit of your background. When did you get into this? Was it a go-kart when you were a kid?

Ellis Spiezia [00:03:50]
Yeah, the first time I drove a go-kart was probably when I was four or five. I was always driving around in those little power wheels as a kid. My parents looked into getting me into karting, but once they realized the cost—the trailer, the kart, the mechanic, the tools, they decided it wasn't happening.

Ellis Spiezia [00:04:22]
So, the race car driver path was shelved for about ten years until I found myself at an indoor kart track. The general manager noticed my driving and asked my dad where I learned to drive like that. My dad just said, "He plays racing games on his Xbox." They put me on the adult speed, and I started breaking track records. My first exposure to competitive racing was at an indoor kart centre in a mall. They had a summer league, and I squeaked my way into the state finals, got the fastest lap in the final race, and placed third in the championship.

Liz Allan [00:06:13]
So, was it a last-minute thing for you to join?

Ellis Spiezia [00:06:18]
Yeah, we found an advertisement on Instagram for the American Indoor Karting Championship. We gave it a try, went to a meet-and-greet event with free races, checked it out, and decided to go for it.

Liz Allan [00:06:32]
And you won the 16th position!

Ellis Spiezia [00:06:38]
Yeah, I was the 16th seed, bottom of the barrel, up against guys who’d been racing year-round. But I kept winning race after race, and in the final, I set and broke the track record three times, taking the victory.

Liz Allan [00:07:37]
All racing drivers have nicknames. I can see why you're called the Renegade, but give me your spin on it.

Ellis Spiezia [00:07:58]
It actually came from a commentator, Alex Goldschmidt, during my karting days at the European Championship with Rotax. I was inexperienced but enthusiastic, and he tried it out, and it stuck. Now, as we step into the next chapter, it's evolved from the Electric Renegade to just the Renegade as we see more sustainable fuels and innovations.

Liz Allan [00:09:13]
So, how did you move forward from karting?

Ellis Spiezia [00:09:17]
The quick timeline is rental go-karts from 2018 to 2019, then competitive electric karting with Rotax from 2019 to 2020. In 2022, I drove in the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup – a great decision because it was different from the typical path to Formula 1. We then raced an electric Mini Cooper in Sweden, and now, in 2023, we're with Nitro Cross in the States.

Liz Allan [00:13:27]
What car are you using for Nitro Cross?

Ellis Spiezia [00:13:37]
I drove in their junior category, which is like a modified Ford Fiesta, super light, and quick. This year, we're still finalizing details on where we're going next.

Liz Allan [00:14:45]
Who is your racing driver hero?

Ellis Spiezia [00:14:49]
Ayrton Senna, for sure. He was the king of Brazil in his prime in the '80s and '90s, had an insane following, and his impact was huge both on and off the track. Travis Pastrana is another one; I grew up watching him, and now I'm racing in his championship, which is pretty surreal.

Liz Allan [00:15:48]
Have you met your heroes?

Ellis Spiezia [00:15:53]
Sadly, Senna passed away in 1994. But I met Pastrana in Vegas, which was insane. It was surreal, especially as someone who watched him as a kid.

Liz Allan [00:17:38]
Your mom, who I met last week, is your manager, isn’t she? How has her influence affected you?

Ellis Spiezia [00:19:31]
It’s been great. Coming from a non-racing family means when I get to the track, it's all me. They handle logistics, media, and management. We all have our roles and work well together without conflicting messages. My dad even enjoys the fact that he doesn't know much about racing – he just makes stuff up to the other racing parents!

Liz Allan [00:23:19]
How are you influencing people your age? What conversations do you have about what you're doing?

Ellis Spiezia [00:23:23]
We take a passive approach to education – using exciting race cars to engage and inform. I'm also working in the metaverse, like building a game on Roblox to bring our community together and make a wider impact.

Liz Allan [00:27:06]
If you could choose one place to race, where would it be?

Ellis Spiezia [00:28:07]
Anywhere in Japan. There are some incredible tracks there, like Fuji and Suzuka. I'd love to drive there at some point.

Liz Allan [00:34:49]
Long term, where do you see yourself?

Ellis Spiezia [00:34:52]
I'd like to make my racing sustainable, create a business that funds more racing, and perhaps set up an academy in the future to give opportunities to new drivers.

Liz Allan [00:40:03]
Ellis, this has been lovely. I really want to follow your journey, and I’ll be talking to my friends about it. Thank you for joining me.

Ellis Spiezia [00:40:09]
Thank you. I appreciate it.

Liz Allan [00:40:13]
Good luck with your driving test next month!

Ellis Spiezia [00:40:15]
Thank you!

Liz Allan [00:40:17]
Thanks, everyone, for listening. See you next time. Bye.