by Jake Espinoza
My Ride Rules is a brand new show on the Speed Network. Four contestants with modified cars compete against each other. The cars are judged based on style, performance and the personality of the owners and cars match up with each other. The catch is that the contestants are also the judges.
“You could be a douche and give everyone a 1 and probably win that way, but then you are going to be on TV and everyone is going to hate you,” said University of Oregon graduate Daniel Richter.
Daniel was selected to compete on the show earlier this summer.
“The winner gets a trophy and $1000, but we got paid just to be there. We filmed for three days and it was a cool $500 in my pocket. It was fun and my first experience being on camera and everything.” He continued, “I don’t know what they are going to air. We filmed for three days but it’s only a half hour show, but I knew my car wasn’t going to win pretty much right away. So I figured that if my car wasn’t going to win I was going to win, and I really tried to be the stand out personality on the show. This girl brought out a Shelby Cobra. So I asked what the top speeds were she’s got the car up to, and she said, ‘Oh no, I only drive the speed limit. I just take it to shows. I don’t drive it that fast.’ And I was like ‘Whats the point? It’s like having a hot Christian girlfriend, you can’t do anything with it.'”
Daniel’s car is a 2008 Scion TC. Since moving to LA he’s joined a Scion Team called Sciontific.
“I’ve really built it more for performance than for the show thing.”
His girlfriend, Megan Lee Joy, is an actress. Daniel moved to LA to live with her as she begins her career. She found out about the show through a casting site she uses, and he was selected after taking a trip to Burbank to audition himself and his car.
“They wanted me to be part of the first episode, but at the last second they switched the dates. They said they still wanted me to be part of the show but weren’t sure when. So I was kicking myself thinking I blew my shot. But they ended up calling me about a week later and the dates worked.”
His episode will air September 7th on the Speed Network at 9pm.
“I have the whole car team ready. We’re going to be all together watching the show and everything. So it should be fun.”
#OutHereEverywhere