EXCLUSIVE: Campside Media, the company behind Chameleon: The Hollywood Con Queen podcast, has found another wild story to tell in audio form – this time featuring NASCAR, true crime, and civil rights.
The Sister-backed company has teamed with sports broadcaster Dan Patrick and iHeartRadio on Running Smoke.
The series, which is hosted by journalist Rajiv Golla, follows the colorful saga of Derek White, a native of the Kahnawake reservation, who made his professional racing debut in 2015 as the first indigenous driver to race at NASCAR. Less than a year later, White was banned from the racing after being arrested in one of the largest tobacco smuggling busts in Canadian history when a border sting erupted and ensnared everyone in its path. Now, White is fighting to clear his name in court and stands as a very unlikely native rights warrior — at the center of a sovereignty fight he never really wanted in the first place.
Running Smoke, which will debut later this year via iHeartRadio, is produced by Campside alongside Patrick and Workhouse Media.
It is Campside’s latest podcast series following Apple Original Hooked, Victoria Secret series Fallen Angel and Audible’s The Bering.
The deal was done by Paul Anderson and Nick Panella of Workhouse Media. Campside is represented by Oren Rosenbaum and Jed Baker at UTA.
Golla said, “My father was a NASCAR fan, and his father before him…well, I don’t think he ever saw a V8 in his life. I was drawn to Derek’s story because it represented the old-school grit – and tax evasion – that NASCAR was founded on. After my first trip to Kahnawake, I realized that the story went so much deeper, and it’s a privilege to be working with Dan Patrick to tell it with the nuance it deserves.”
“We love this story, and the superteam behind it,” added Campside co-founder and CEO Adam Hoff. “Campside was born to find and tell big impactful stories from the world’s best journalists, and we’re constantly looking for new platforms and partnerships to get those stories out into the world. We’re so excited to work with Dan Patrick, a true legend of broadcasting, and with iHeartMedia, the number one broadcast and podcast network.”
Patrick added, “Running Smoke is a really compelling story and I am beyond thrilled to partner with Campside, iHeart and Workhouse Media on this project. I’m confident that our first-in-class producing team will combine to make this show a must listen.”
Campside co-founder Josh Dean, who will exec produce for Campside, said, “I’m a sports fanatic and I grew up watching Dan on Sportscenter, where he was reinventing the form. So it’s surreal to now be working with him as partners. I hope this is just the first of many shows we make with iHeart.”