From Grassroots Racing to Öhlins: Mitch Bloom’s Motorsports Journey

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a career in motorsports while staying connected to grassroots racing? In this episode of the Late To Grid Podcast, we sit down with Mitch Bloom from Öhlins to talk about his journey through autocross, track days, SCCA events, suspension development, and the motorsports industry. Mitch shares stories from Solo Nationals, Öhlins’ 50th anniversary celebration in Sweden, suspension testing, vintage racing at Put-in-Bay, and the wide range of racing applications supported by Öhlins. We also discuss his family’s racing history, his own track cars, a memorable brake failure at Road America, and the lessons that come from learning the hard way at the track. Whether you're interested in racing careers, high-performance driving, driver education, or simply getting more out of your car, this conversation offers plenty of insight from someone who works across both professional and grassroots motorsports. Learn more about performance driving, track preparation, and motorsports support with Atomic Autosports. The racing season may be winding down, but now is the time to start preparing for the next one. If you’ve spent this season building a list of upgrades, repairs, or performance improvements for your race car or track car, don’t wait until the first event of next season is right around the corner. Atomic Auto Sports can help you create a plan and get the work scheduled so your car is ready when it’s time to head back to the track. Before you head out for your next track day, autocross, HPDE event, or racing weekend, make sure your safety gear is ready. **Track First** offers the motorsports safety equipment racers and performance-driving enthusiasts need to get on track with confidence. Visit their showroom in **Akron, Ohio** to check out the gear in person, or stop by **Atomic Autosports in Wickliffe, Ohio**, where you’ll find a smaller Track First showroom with essential racing safety equipment. You know me as the host of *Late To Grid*, but my biggest shift wasn't on the track, it was leaving corporate life to own a Rad Air location. It gave me the freedom to turn my passion for cars into a career and actually *get* to the track more often. Ready to own your future? Visit radairfranchise.com and let’s get you living life in the fast lane. Thanks for listening and taking an interest in growing grassroots racing.  The Late To Grid podcast shares the stories and inspiration that help listeners along their motorsports journey.  Find all episodes on the Atomic Autosports website.