OR THE past decade , Cooper Bogetti has helped bring drag racing into the mainstream through the power of social media . From event video coverage to hosting his own podcast , the now 30-year-old has turned his hobby into a highly successful career .

In 2014 , Bogetti joined Garrett Mitchell — better known as “ Cleetus McFarland ” — working for Kyle Loftis at 1320Video , going to tracks around the country and providing content for their YouTube and social media pages . As Mitchell took on more responsibilities with the company , he in turn delegated more responsibilities to Bogetti .

One of their biggest accomplishments was taking 1320 ’ s Instagram account from less than 100,000 followers to over one million within two years . That success , along with incredibly popular videos on YouTube , allowed Bogetti and Mitchell to eventually branch off on their own — with a push from Loftis himself .

“ Kyle is one of the best people of all time ,” says Bogetti . “ It ’ s unreal to hear from your boss at the time , ‘ Yeah , you guys should go off and do your own thing .’ At no point did he feel that we were in competition with him . We started on the Cleetus stuff at the same time we were still working for 1320Video . At no point did we have to fully jump ship and hope for the best . We were able to slowly transition in and out all at the same time .”

In the beginning , it was just a two-man operation . But as their social media content began to explode and the team grew in excess of 30 individuals , Bogetti felt like he had accomplished his goal , and in 2020 , once again set out on a new venture — this time his own YouTube channel , Bogetti Studios , where he would have free rein to create content based on his own interests .

Bogetti truly found his niche within the drag racing community with his foray into long-form interviews . With nearly six million views and over 140 videos currently available on his podcast , Bogetti is able to share the stories of some of drag racing ’ s most popular personalities .

“ That ’ s always been my thing ,” Bogetti says . “ I really enjoy talking to people . If you see me at the track , I ’ ll be riding around talking to everyone . And I saw that there was a bit of a gap in the market . You don ’ t see many podcasts in the automotive sector , especially ones that are actually about drag racing . It just felt like I was solving a problem that I felt was there . That ’ s how businesses tend to work , right ? You see a problem and you try to solve it for yourself . So

it ’ s really a niche that I wanted to do .” Bogetti ’ s technological prowess has allowed him to turn his passion into a full-time job .

With a diverse number of social media platforms — including multiple YouTube channels , Instagram , TikTok , and Facebook accounts – he is able to generate enough revenue to provide for his family . He has also intentionally refrained from running social media accounts for other businesses , allowing him to maintain his own perspective without any corporate influence .

“ I just want to make sure that I leave as much of an impact and driving force forward for the industry as possible ,” says Bogetti . “ That was part of the goal with starting the podcast . I felt like I was only doing something for myself when I was making YouTube videos , and I wanted to be able to build a platform where I can also do something for others .

“ If I can build a platform that can amplify other voices , I think I ’ m doing something right ,” Bogetti continues . “ And if I can help drag racing in general grow , that in turn helps me grow and helps other people doing similar things grow and just bring more attention and money into the industry . Isn ’ t that what we all need ?” – CRAIG COOK DI

128 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 191