For our family, Battle In Bama has become more than just another car show on the calendar.

Somewhere along the way, it became part of our story.

This year will mark our fourth consecutive year attending Battle In Bama, starting back in 2023 and continuing through 2024, 2025, and now heading into 2026. What’s wild is when we first decided to go, we truly had no idea how much this event would eventually mean to us or to the journey of The Customized Ride.

Back in 2023, we were still picking shows partly around family adventures. Since Panama City Beach was only a few hours away, we decided to combine a small family trip with our first experience at Battle In Bama. Honestly, I wasn’t even fully sold on going at first. But my friend Allen White kept telling me I needed to experience the event for myself. He kept saying, “Trust me… you need to go.”

He was right.

That first trip quietly changed everything for us.

On the way home, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel in Jacksonville, Florida, and while sitting there eating, I casually uploaded a clip we filmed during the night meet. It featured a Smokey and Bandit cosplay moment with the black Trans Am being chased through the crowd by the sheriff’s car.

At the time, I thought it was just a cool clip.

I had no idea it would become the video that changed our entire trajectory.

That video exploded to 4.9 million views and became our first truly viral moment. We went from roughly 10-15 thousand followers to nearly 30 thousand almost overnight. Not long after that, we crossed 50 thousand followers and honestly never really looked back after that point.

Looking back now, Battle In Bama became the first event where The Customized Ride stopped feeling like “just a social media page” and started becoming something much bigger.

What makes the event special isn’t just the vehicles either.

Yes, the builds are incredible. Lifted trucks, bagged trucks, classics, hot rods, OBS builds, custom fabrication, paint, audio setups, and some of the wildest custom vehicles in the country all come together in one place. The event has continued growing into one of the South’s premier custom automotive gatherings and now takes place at the legendary Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. The 2026 event is scheduled for May 28-30 at Talladega Superspeedway and continues to bring together Battle In Bama and OBS Nationals into one massive weekend experience. ()

But for us, what makes Battle In Bama truly special is the atmosphere surrounding it.

It’s the people sitting in lawn chairs beside vehicles they’ve spent years building.

It’s fathers and sons walking rows together.

It’s couples sharing a passion project.

It’s friendships reconnecting in parking lots.

It’s the night meet energy.
The conversations.
The memories.
The culture.

Over the last few years, we’ve realized automotive culture was never really just about cars at all.

It’s about connection.

And honestly, Battle In Bama helped us realize that.

This year feels different too because it will be the first Battle In Bama where we fully arrive understanding what The Customized Ride is actually becoming.

Not just a page that posts car videos.

But a brand built around automotive culture, storytelling, family, memories, and community.

Cars may bring people in.

But stories are what make people stay.

And for our family, Battle In Bama will always be part of the story that helped build us while we were trying to build a brand.

The Customized Ride

The Customized Ride covers car shows, car meets, car events etc..

www.thecustomizedride.com

The post Battle In Bama: The Show That Helped Build The Customized Ride appeared first on The Customized Ride.

There’s something I’ve realized recently that honestly caught me off guard.

For the first time since launching The Customized Ride on October 16, 2022, I found myself emotional about the brand.

Not emotional about views.
Not emotional about followers.
Not emotional about numbers.

Emotional about what this journey has actually become.

When we launched TCR, we truly had no idea where any of this would go. At the time, it was simply a new adventure for our family after transitioning away from The Chris & Sandy Show. We loved automotive culture, loved traveling, loved filming, and loved the idea of turning car shows into family adventures.

Back then, we weren’t thinking about media ecosystems, editorial franchises, or long-term vision.

We were just showing up.

One of those early moments happened at Battle In Bama.

Ironically, I almost didn’t even go.

At the time, we were still choosing car shows partly around places we could turn into family adventures. Since Panama City was only a few hours from Mobile, we decided to make a trip out of it by spending a couple nights there before heading over to Battle In Bama. Honestly, I wasn’t really interested in visiting Mobile itself at all, and I still wasn’t fully convinced about the show either. But my friend Allen White kept telling me about Battle In Bama and saying I had to experience it at least once. He kept saying, “Trust me, you need to go. You won’t regret it.” So eventually, I trusted him and we made the trip.

Looking back now, that decision quietly changed everything.

Battle In Bama became our first real game-changing event.

We went there with maybe 10-15 thousand followers and left with things suddenly exploding.

I remember on the way back home, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel in Jacksonville, Florida to eat. While we were sitting there, I casually said, “Let me post a video real quick.” None of us had any idea what was about to happen. That one clip ended up changing everything for The Customized Ride. Overnight, the video took off and our following jumped from around 10-15 thousand followers to nearly 30 thousand almost immediately. Not long after that, we crossed 50 thousand and honestly never really looked back after that moment.

What’s wild is that when we filmed that clip, I had absolutely no idea what it was about to become. I knew we had captured a really cool moment as Smokey and Bandit cosplay vehicles came rolling through the night meet at Battle In Bama with the sheriff’s car chasing the black Trans Am through the crowd. I remember thinking the clip definitely had potential because the atmosphere and timing felt perfect, but I had no idea our first viral video would end up reaching 4.9 million views.

Now years later, I realize it became one of the turning points in our story.

What makes it even crazier is that it ended up being the final year Battle In Bama was held in Mobile before moving to Talladega. The backdrop of the USS Alabama behind the show created one of the coolest atmospheres we had ever experienced. Looking back now, it almost feels symbolic in a weird way. Like we accidentally captured the beginning of something during the closing chapter of something else.

Lately I’ve realized automotive culture has become much more personal to me than I probably understood at first.

Growing up, my dad and I used to build things together. He wasn’t an overly emotional man, but those moments mattered. They stayed with me.

Now years later, my son and I are traveling together filming the automotive scene side-by-side.

Different journey.
Same connection.

And honestly, that hits me harder the older I get.

I’ve also realized something else recently.

I never really heard my dad say he was proud of me growing up. I know he loved me. I know he was doing what he thought was right. A lot of men from that generation simply weren’t wired to express emotions that way.

But as a child, that still leaves something on your heart.

One thing I’ve promised myself is that my kids will never have to wonder.

I want Lil Chris and Katelynn to always know I’m proud of them.

And maybe that’s part of why this whole journey feels emotional now too.

Because this brand stopped feeling like “content” somewhere along the way.

It became memories.
Road trips.
Family time.
Growth.
Legacy.
Moments.

Katelynn is seven years old and absolutely loves classic cars. Most kids yell “Punch Buggy” when they see an old Volkswagen Beetle.

She yells “Classic car!”

That makes me smile every single time because it reminds me this culture is becoming part of our family story too.

And honestly, I think that matters more than people realize.

One thing I’ve learned over these last few years is that automotive culture is so much deeper than people on the outside often understand.

There was a time my wife Sandy thought car people were mostly just showing off.

Now she sees the deeper side of it.

She sees the relationships.
The memories.
The craftsmanship.
The community.
The stories.

Because underneath all the horsepower, paint, wheels, and bass systems are real people building real lives around these vehicles.

Just recently, a friend of mine, David Gardner, who owns a lowrider was telling me that he and his wife spent their 23rd wedding anniversary sitting inside their truck together installing bass equipment.

That’s the kind of thing most people outside the scene would never understand.

But inside the culture, moments like that make perfect sense.

The vehicle becomes part of the relationship.
Part of the memories.
Part of the journey.

And honestly, that realization ties deeply back into my own story too.

When I was younger and heavily into lowriders, I was mocked a lot for it. People looked down on the culture. Looked down on me. Treated it like we were less than.

I always felt like car people were outsiders in some way.

And maybe that’s why I connected to the culture so deeply in the first place.

Because I understood that feeling too.

There’s also a moment from my younger years I’ll never forget.

I had a lowrider truck when I was around 18 years old. One day a friend was driving us and we got T-boned by a sports car. After the accident, the officer looked at me and said something I’ll probably remember forever.

He said, “I’m about to say something I’ve never said before and probably never will again… your lowrider saved your life.”

The sports car had such a low front end that because my truck was dropped so low, instead of going underneath us and flipping the truck at high speed, it pushed us instead.

That moment stuck with me.

Because for a lot of people, vehicles become much more than transportation.

Sometimes they become identity.
Healing.
Belonging.
Purpose.
Connection.

I’ve had people tell me over the years that their car saved their life too.

And honestly, I understand exactly what they mean.

That’s why the future of The Customized Ride is starting to evolve beyond just filming cool vehicles.

The cars will always matter.

But the stories behind them matter too.

Because cars may bring people in.

But stories are what keep the culture alive.

The Customized Ride

The Customized Ride covers car shows, car meets, car events etc..

www.thecustomizedride.com

The post This Was Never Just About Cars appeared first on The Customized Ride.

The Customized Ride was never built to become just another automotive content page.

What started as filming cars, trucks, and events slowly became something much bigger over time.

A culture.
A community.
A family journey.
A storytelling platform built around the people, passion, and personalities shaping automotive culture.

Today, The Customized Ride reaches more than 500,000 followers across platforms and generates more than 3 million monthly views across social media while continuing to grow into a broader automotive culture media ecosystem.

But the vision goes much deeper than reels and viral clips.

We are building:

• recurring storytelling series
• YouTube programming
• editorial features
• Behind the Ride
• Behind the Build
• Behind the Builder
• Behind the Show
• event coverage
• merch
• future live events
• long-term automotive culture storytelling

And now we are officially opening the first phase of:

Founding Ride Partner Packages

These are not designed as generic advertisements.

They are designed for businesses, brands, shops, and automotive culture companies who want to become part of the growing ecosystem surrounding The Customized Ride and Rolling Legacy Media.

What Makes This Different

We believe the future of automotive media is not built around spammy sponsorships or endless ad posts.

It is built around:

• relationships
• storytelling
• culture
• authenticity
• visibility
• community
• long-term brand connection

Ride Partners are businesses we genuinely believe fit the culture and direction we are building.

This is meant to feel like participation in the ecosystem, not just buying an ad.

Transparency Matters

Just like our other media brands, transparency is important to us.

Ride Partner content will be openly labeled as:

Ride Partner Features

We believe trust matters more long term than trying to hide sponsorships inside content.

Our audience deserves honesty.
Our partners deserve visibility.
And we believe both can exist together the right way.

Founding Ride Partner Package — $500

This initial founding rate is intentionally limited and will increase as the ecosystem continues maturing.

The Founding Ride Partner Package currently includes:

Ride Partner Feature Article

Social Media Visibility

Inclusion Inside The Growing TCR Ecosystem

Long-Term Website Visibility

Opportunity For Future Collaboration Within::

• Behind the Build
• Behind the Builder
• Behind the Show
• event features
• future editorial projects

Early Placement Inside A Growing Automotive Media Brand

Priority Consideration For Future Collaborations & Sponsorship Opportunities

Where The Customized Ride Is Headed

The long-term vision for The Customized Ride is not simply “more followers.”

We are building toward:

• a true automotive culture publication feel
• stronger YouTube programming
• recurring editorial franchises
• deeper storytelling
• merch
• community experiences
• live automotive events
• future TCR-hosted shows
• a stronger family-driven media ecosystem

Under the parent company:

Rolling Legacy Media

which includes:

• The Customized Ride
• Hot Classic Rides
• Heavy Load Trucks

This is a long-term vision centered around:
cars, culture, family, legacy, and storytelling.

Built By Family

One of the things that makes this brand different is that it is genuinely family-driven.

My son Lil Chris and I cover events together throughout the Southeast while building this platform side-by-side.

As the brand continues growing, Sandy and Katelynn will also help expand the physical community side of the brand through merch booths, events, and future experiences.

We believe automotive culture is still one of the few places where generations can come together around shared passion.

And honestly, that belief is shaping everything we build moving forward.

The Goal

The goal is not to become another loud influencer page chasing trends.

The goal is to build a respected automotive culture media ecosystem that people genuinely feel connected to.

One built around:

• great vehicles
• great people
• great stories
• real relationships
• and the culture that brings it all together.

If that vision aligns with your business, brand, shop, or company, we would love to talk about becoming one of the founding Ride Partners helping shape where this journey goes next.

The Customized Ride

The Customized Ride covers car shows, car meets, car events etc..

www.thecustomizedride.com

The post Founding Ride Partner Packages appeared first on The Customized Ride.

When most people see The Customized Ride, they usually see the finished content first.

The lifted trucks.
The classics.
The burnout clips.
The rolling shots.
The car shows.
The custom builds.

But over the last year, something has become clearer to me.

Cars may bring people in, but stories are what make people stay.

As The Customized Ride has continued growing, I’ve realized more and more that this brand was never only about vehicles. It has always been about the people connected to them. The memories tied to them. The families behind them. The builders spending late nights in garages. The event organizers trying to create something bigger than just another parking lot gathering. The father and son moments happening between rows of cars while music plays in the background.

That’s where we’re headed next.

Not away from the automotive world.
Deeper into it.

Over the coming months, The Customized Ride will begin launching several new storytelling series that go beyond simply posting cars and videos online.

The first and most personal one is called Behind the Ride.

This series will really become the heartbeat behind everything we’re building.

Behind the Ride is about the journey behind this brand. The road trips. The exhaustion after covering shows all weekend. The moments my son and I experience together while building this platform one event at a time. The conversations in between shows. The lessons. The memories. The reality of trying to build something meaningful around a shared passion.

Because truthfully, The Customized Ride has never just been about custom vehicles for us.

It has been about connection.

There are moments people never see.
The 40,000-plus step weekends.
The long drives.
The editing late at night.
The random conversations with strangers who become friends.
The small moments that end up becoming the biggest memories.

Behind the Ride will finally begin opening that door.

But that is only one part of where we are going.

We are also launching a new series called Behind the Build, which will focus on the craftsmanship and technical side of the custom automotive world. The fabrication, the ideas, the details, the work most people never notice unless they truly understand what goes into building these vehicles.

Another series, Behind the Builder, will focus on the people themselves. Their stories. Their sacrifices. Their creativity. Their journeys. Because every incredible build usually has an even more incredible story sitting behind it.

And finally, Behind the Show will spotlight the events themselves. The organizers. The communities. The passion and hard work that goes into bringing people together around automotive culture.

Because at the end of the day, car culture has never only been about horsepower.

It’s about people.

That’s the direction The Customized Ride is heading.

Yes, we’ll still showcase incredible builds.
Yes, we’ll still cover events.
Yes, we’ll still film the trucks, classics, muscle cars, hot rods, lowered rides, and everything in between.

But we also want to tell the stories behind them.

Because the older I get, the more I realize the vehicles may stop us in our tracks, but the stories are what stay with us long after the engines shut off.

And honestly, that’s what this whole ride has really been about all along.

The Customized Ride

The Customized Ride covers car shows, car meets, car events etc..

www.thecustomizedride.com

The post Behind the Ride: Where The Customized Ride Is Headed Next appeared first on The Customized Ride.

When you think about the soul of the classic truck community, you think of friendship, nostalgia, turning wrenches late into the night, and telling stories that live longer than the trucks themselves. That spirit is exactly what fuels United By Trucks, the lifestyle brand created by Robbie Purser, our guest on this episode of The Customized Ride.

What began as a simple desire to document his builds and learn YouTube eventually sparked a movement. Robbie has built a thriving brand rooted in storytelling, craftsmanship, and an unwavering love for classic trucks. Today, United By Trucks includes a growing media arm, a podcast, merchandise, a network of friends and creators, and a community that stretches across the country. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

Robbie’s story reminds us that the journey is never linear. Sometimes, your calling begins in a garage.

FROM SMALL GARAGE TO FULL-TIME BRAND

Robbie didn’t set out to build a national platform. In fact, it all began with curiosity. After exploring YouTube to research new trucks he was interested in buying, he wondered if anyone would care about the builds and adventures happening in his small garage. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

So he did something most people never do—he hit record.

On November 28, 2018, Robbie posted his first YouTube video. He stitched together clips from his phone, recorded a simple intro and outro, and uploaded it under the name Whitlock Garage, a nod to the area he lived in. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

Those early videos weren’t polished, but they were real. They featured his flagship build—a 1968 GMC affectionately named Teddy—and documented the process of putting these trucks back on the road. To Robbie’s surprise, viewers began responding. They commented, encouraged, and gathered around the content.

Soon, a community began forming—not just locally, but from across the country and even internationally. Robbie began saying, “Welcome to Whitlock Garage, where we are united by trucks,” and before long, that tagline became the name. United By Trucks was born. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

WHAT UNITED BY TRUCKS BECAME

Over the next few years, United By Trucks transformed from a YouTube channel into a full lifestyle brand built around three key pieces:

1. Classic Truck Content

United By Trucks highlights Robbie’s personal projects, his friends’ trucks, and standouts from the classic truck world. Rather than working on customer vehicles, the focus is personal—creative storytelling, friendship, and fun. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

2. UBT Media

Together with his wife Sarah, Robbie operates a boutique creative agency helping automotive companies tell their story through video, visuals, and strategic branding. It’s a natural extension of the skills he developed along the way. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

3. Action Line Podcast

The podcast dives deep into old-school stories, builds, and conversations that highlight the culture behind the steel. The passion is obvious—it is fun, relational, and full of the camaraderie that defines the automotive world. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

FULL-TIME AND FULL FAMILY

In April 2024, Robbie and his wife took United By Trucks full-time. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…
The transition came with new challenges—financial inconsistency, balancing multiple projects, and the massive workload of filming, editing, building, and traveling.

They quickly learned that running a growing brand is more complex than filming interesting builds. There’s editing, scheduling, managing clients, designing merchandise, handling logistics, road travel, and serving the community.

But one thing stands out: family is built into the DNA of UBT.
Robbie, Sarah, and their two kids, Jackson and Millie, travel to shows together, work booths, and meet the people supporting them. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

UBT is more than a brand—it’s a family story.

THE TEAM BEHIND THE BRAND

Although the heart of UBT is Robbie and Sarah, they have a small team helping on the media side, plus a crew of longtime friends who support filming, wrenching, and storytelling.

These are the people who have carried UBT forward—editing videos, traveling to shows, building trucks, and giving their time simply because they care about the mission. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

It truly takes a village.

CURRENT PROJECTS

Robbie has two main builds underway:
• A 1991 OBS Silverado with coilovers and an LS 6-speed setup
• A reimagining of Teddy, his 1968 GMC, with motorsports influences, coilovers, wide steelies, and rust repair Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

Both projects continue his love for blending old-school style with new-school performance—while telling the story every step of the way.

FAVORITE SHOWS

Robbie’s top pick is C10 Fall Revival in Denton, North Carolina.
The setting, people, and vibe make it special. The show raised more than $100,000 for Ronald McDonald House this year, proving that when culture and community work together, lives are changed. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM ROBBIE PURSER

Robbie dropped countless nuggets throughout the conversation. Here are some of the most powerful:

1. Passion beats perfection

He never started with expensive gear or polished skills. He started with what he had. The passion mattered more than the production.

2. Community is everything

United By Trucks works because people see themselves in it—stories, friendship, and authenticity.

3. Evolve, but stay rooted

A brand will grow, shift, and mature, but its core purpose must remain. That keeps it honest and prevents burnout. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

4. Full-time is not easy

The highs are high, but finances fluctuate, editing piles up, and it is a grind. Still, Robbie loves it enough to keep showing up. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

5. The booth changes everything

Selling merch at shows is rewarding, but it limits filming time. The team and family support make the difference. Robbie Purser – United By Truck…

6. Keep the younger generation engaged

Even if their style isn’t your favorite, their participation protects the future of the culture.

7. Tell stories that matter

People connect through stories—the builds, the road trips, the friendships. That’s what keeps them coming back.

THE HEART OF THE EPISODE

At its core, Robbie’s journey is a reminder that purpose grows when passion meets consistency. He started with curiosity, built with intention, and stayed humble. His willingness to learn video, embrace new skills, weather burnout, and rely on community is why UBT continues to thrive.

United By Trucks isn’t just a channel. It’s a reflection of the culture—classic trucks, hard work, patience, friendship, and memories preserved under metal and paint.

Most of all, it shows that anyone with a passion can create something meaningful if they simply begin.

FINAL THOUGHT

Whether you are a builder, creator, or dreamer, Robbie’s story leaves us with this:

Start where you are. Build what you love. Invite others along for the ride.

That is what unites us by trucks.

The Customized Ride

The Customized Ride covers car shows, car meets, car events etc..

www.thecustomizedride.com

The post UNITED BY PASSION: How Robbie Purser Built a Classic Truck Culture That Inspires Creators Everywhere appeared first on The Customized Ride.