We Built a Livestream Studio in a U-Haul at an Off-Road Motorsport Event
🎙 Hosts: Michael Sorg | Katie Dudas | Missy Sorg | Dave Podnar
👉 Watch / Listen: Full episode →
💖 Support us: Patreon.com/AwesomeCast
🍕 Thanks to our sponsor: Slice on Broadway — supporting Pittsburgh podcasting with the perfect pepperoni pizza.
🎥 From the Racetrack to the Road: Building a U-Haul Livestream Studio
This week, the AwesomeCast crew returned from Baja SAE Carolina — but not before turning a U-Haul truck into a full-scale livestream studio.
Sorg and Missy detailed how the team built a mobile control room from scratch: four wireless cameras, Bluetooth-monitored generators, live scoring integration, and a crew of student camera ops — all from the back of a rented van in the South Carolina clay.
“We literally turned a moving van into a TV truck,” Sorg said.
“We had graphics, live commentary, and real-time scoring — it looked like a network broadcast.”
Katie talked about keeping cameras safe amid dirt, hay bales, and airborne car parts, while Missy described the four-hour endurance stream that saw 40+ student-built vehicles compete.
Brazil once again filled the YouTube chat with 🇧🇷 emojis, and even a VHS-cam-toting spectator showed up.
🎬 Watch the full livestream and awards ceremony: SAE University Programs YouTube Channel
🌊 Godzilla Goes Surfing
Back from Baja, Katie “Godzilla” Dudas shared her once-in-a-lifetime experience in Santa Cruz, California, surfing with First Descents — a nonprofit that offers outdoor adventures to young adults impacted by cancer.
“I didn’t even know surfing was on my bucket list until I did it,” Katie said.
“It was mind, body, and soul healing.”
She surfed alongside others in recovery while whales, otters, and sea lions joined them in the waves — a powerful reminder of resilience and gratitude.
🎮 Chachi Says Video Game Minute
In this week’s Game Minute, Chachi covers two stories shaking up the gaming world :
🎮 Microsoft raises the price of its top-tier Xbox Game Pass by 50%, from $20 to $30 a month, promising 75 first-day releases including Black Ops 7 and Ninja Gaiden 4.
🌍 The UK Environmental Agency launches a Minecraft-style game teaching kids about climate change and coastal erosion, letting them rebuild and protect England’s shoreline.
Catch the full segment in this episode!
🎬 Patreon Exclusive: “Awesome Aftertalk: Movie Breakdown or Mental Breakdown? Honeymoon Pact Edition”
Our Patreon-only aftershow is up now at
🎥 patreon.com/posts/awesome-movie-or-140759372
Katie, Sorg, and Podnar review the so-bad-it’s-good streaming gem The Honeymoon Pact — a film featuring angry horses, broken bridges, and tragic art-school flashbacks .
“It’s what happens when a Hallmark movie meets a fever dream,” Podnar laughed.
“Whitewater Romance will never be the same.”
💡 Awesome Reactions
Podnar: “You built a multi-camera live show in a van. That’s wild.”
Missy: “I learned you can’t trust a generator’s battery life.”
Katie: “I saved a camera — and a GoPro got stepped on. Hero and casualty in one day.”
🗓 Coming Up
Next week, we’re back in the studio breaking down the latest in AI tools, creator tech, and digital gear for fall 2025.
Until then, subscribe, share, and — as always — stay awesome.