Kinch Reindl is an entrepreneur out of Colorado. He started autocrossing in 2002 in a 1997 Honda Civic Coupe. He promptly bought an Audi S4, the wrong car for class, but attended ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû51xxtv Tire Rack Nationals in 2007 at the behesting of his friend, Jeff Lundgren. He has attended every Nationals since. He has three ProSolo® Challenge wins and three ProSolo Class Championships in D Street in an Acura Integra Type R.
JH: Thanks for agreeing to do this, Kinch. I have been asked by a few people that know we are friends, what does he do for a living? He seems like he is doing all sorts of stuff! So, what is it that you do? And what led you down the road of being an entrepreneur?
KR: I knew very early on that I wanted to make money. It started with shoveling horse manure and mowing when I was really young. And from then on, I was always finding new ways to make money. When I was 16, I watched a friend’s dad buy stuff wholesale, then sell it. At first from the side of the road, but then he got a small building. And then he got another building in a bigger city. So, I started doing that. I went to the wholesale market and bought clothing, speakers and the like. And I wouldn’t say I was good at it. This is something I’ve realized in life, I’m not really good at things when I start them. I just kind of keep with it. Then I went to college. Why? Not sure. Probably because my parents expected me to. While there, I ended up joining Amway. And the crazy thing is, they taught me more about business than the two business degrees I ended up getting! After I graduated, I got a job. But for me, sitting in a cubical was painful. Still, I did it for years. Then, luckily, I changed jobs and I ended up working for a company with Jeff Lundgren. And he had a side biz. And when we merged with another company, I saw all these other people doing the same. And it wasn’t rocket science. So, all that lead to a couple friends and I starting a web hosting company as a side biz in 2002, which is the same year I started autocrossing. But we didn’t pay ourselves anything from that company for seven years. And shoot, I can’t recall what year I stopped working full time, but between consulting and the webhosting company, I was able to quit my job. So what I do now is still the web hosting gig, but about a year ago we started the Barndo thing, which are steel buildings converted to houses. I also still consult, work on patents, and have ventured into real-estate. Basically, I try to be good at saying yes to things.
JH: People may or may not know about your podcast, Autocross Talk. What inspired you to start that?
KR: I was already doing a podcast about business (YourBusinessPodcast.com) where I did solo shows, as well as interview people who have their own business. After doing that for a couple of years, I thought it would be interesting to do an interview show of various autocrossers. Michael O'Neal, a fellow autocrosser and host of the SolopreneurHour Podcast, thought it was a good idea as well and encouraged me to do it "right" with a real intro etc. So, I went out and took the muffler of the Type R, and revved it up, and sent everything to a guy to have him do, and redo, the opening sequence. Anyway, I really like to hear people's stories, as well as how they approach autocross. And I figure the only thing better than me just learning from all these people is to share it so others might be able to learn as well.
JH: Some may know of your love of the Acura Integra Type R. Why that particular car? And how many do you own currently?
KR: After taking an Audi S4 to Nationals two years in a row, I figured if you can't beat them join them. While my S4 did great up here at altitude, the extra 1200lbs really showed up at Nationals! So, I talked to David Fauth about the Type R and Kevin Youngers, Bob Tunnell about the BMW 330ci. I was initially set on the BMW. I went to look at it, and even really contemplated the M3. But after discussing it more with a few people, it sounded like the BMW needed a clutch each year, if you did a lot of ProSolos like I did. The Type R was also a favorite of my brother who wanted one, but never got one. A great memory of mine is that my first autocross ever was in the Honda Civic I bought from him. He passed before I ever raced, but was a big influence on my journey into being a car enthusiast. So that kind of sealed the deal on the Type R. And I have really enjoyed them ever since. I currently own two, as I accidently bought one out of Canada on Bring a Trailer. That might be a story for another time!
JH: What is your favorite car/class you have competed in?
KR: Driving Salil's GT3 was something I appreciated each and every run, and I hope I thanked him each run! Just an absolutely amazing car.
JH: So, we all know you have your fingers in a bunch of different things. If you had to “settle down” and focus on doing one thing for a living, what would it be?
KR: What would I do if only one thing? I would help people in whatever capacity I can. Whether it is speaking on stage, social media posts/videos, etc. … or one-on-one conversations. I've realized my energy really peaks when I can help people in their journeys whether it is autocross, business or life! The only thing better than learning is sharing something with others.