There’s no denying the huge success Richard Rawlings has achieved in the last two decades. As the main star of one of the most acclaimed car-centered reality shows, and owner of an entire business chain which includes bars, live music venues, an energy drink brand and of course, the internationally known Gas Monkey Garage, it’s almost impossible not to have heard Richard’s name at least once.
However, ever since his internationally famous show “Fast N’ Loud” definitely left TV, his fans have been wondering what’s up with him, what happened to him following the show’s end, and what are his plans for the future.
Are you wondering the same? Fear no more! We will tell you everything you need to know about Richard Rawlings’ most recent personal and professional whereabouts, so keep with us!
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What Is Richard Rawlings Doing Now?
Richard Rawlings’ uncertain future in the entertainment world has certainly been a topic of discussion ever since the end of “Fast N’ Loud” was announced in 2020. While so far it doesn’t seem that Discovery or other networks are interested in producing another series featuring him, Richard’s business-oriented mind wouldn’t be easily deterred by that. That’s why he left the small screen behind altogether, in favor of becoming an online content creator on a variety of platforms.
His YouTube channel contains a wide variety of videos meant for motorheads, including car exhibition tours, Richard’s travels through the US and other countries, contests, and Gas Monkey Garage’s shenanigans. While the channel has been focused on that type of content for almost a decade, it was only in 2021 that their videos were upgraded production-wise, and increased in frequency.
As well, Richard is actively posting on his official Facebook and Instagram page, on which some of his YouTube content mixes with his more personal posts.
By amassing over six million followers online, it’s clear that Richard has retained the attention of his fans from “Fast N’ Loud”, regardless of his cut-short TV career.
Is He Auctioning His Collection?
Just in case you’ve seen Richard Rawlings name in news’ headline related to a car auction, you probably assumed right away that he’s saying goodbye to his car collection.; that’s not exactly the case.
As a big name in the US’ vehicle business, Gas Garage Monkey usually promotes events in the field including exhibitions, conventions and auctions. That’s why in September 2021 Richard, his business and the Worldwide Auctioneers house presented the Rawlings-Kannenberg Auction, which took place in Indiana, and comprised 165 motorcycles of all types.
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All of these belonged to Denny Kannenberg, the legendary racer also known as “Kannonball” who is said to own over 7000 bikes. As reported, he and Richard agreed on the auction in early 2020, but due to the restrictions related to the pandemic, the event was understandably delayed for over a year and half.
Though it’s unknown how much money the auction realised, we’re surely happy Richard is actively exploring other fields with his business.
Why “Fast N’ Loud” Ended?
It’s well known that reality shows come and go all the time, but for such a long-running series as “Fast N’ Loud” was, finding out it was ending was a big surprise for all of those who loyally followed it for almost a decade.
Though many faulted the show’s end to low ratings, or the uprising of online streaming services, in an interview with Joe Rogan, Richard Rawlings affirmed the real reason was him not having ‘anything else to do’ in “Fast N’ Loud”.
Describing his exit from Discovery and his new path as a free agent as a growth in his career, Richard admitted letting go of the show was an eye-opening chance to explore other creative fields.
Even if Richard’s words made clear that “Fast N’ Loud”s return to TV is highly unlikely, the show left us with nothing but good memories. As one of the top Discovery shows with 16 seasons aired, “Fast N’ Loud” birthed several spin-off series too, such as “Misfit Garage” and “Demolition Theater”. As well, the show brought huge fame to other personalities besides Richard, such as the renowned car builder Aaron Kaufman.
“Fast N’ Loud” will undoubtedly be missed for some time, but at least the ride was worth it!
Is Gas Monkey Garage Still In Business?
It’s well known that the reality TV genre either awakens people’s love, or their distrust.
In the latter’s case, viewers usually over-analyze every little detail they see on their screens, some going as far as to theorize that the businesses showcased in these series aren’t real, but actually set-up by producers.
While “Fast N’ Loud” has been under criticism for allegedly faking scenes or dialogues, if there’s something we can be assured about the show is that Gas Monkey Garage is a totally real life business. To prove it, not only was the car shop founded several years before Discovery ever set its eyes on it, but it’s also continued to be active after the show’s end.
Although Gas Monkey Garage’s social media mostly promotes Richard Rawlings’ shenanigans, the business keeps doing its usual thing by fixing, renewing, buying and selling cars and merchandise, in addition to participating in motorhead-related events. All in all, the business seems to be moving forward just as well as ever.
What Happened To Richard’s Bar?
If you have been following Richard Rawlings for a while, you surely know his business mind isn’t limited only to cars. For several years, he’s had his hand in the night life field, by founding a couple of bars and live music venues.
Though Richard managed to keep these businesses afloat for a long time, some eventually shut down. The first one to close was the Gas Monkey Live in Northwest, Dallas. The place was widely known for its impressive stage and sound quality, very fitting to the renown of some of its top quality guests, such as Mötley Crüe.
The place left its original location to move to the very near Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill, mixing both businesses’ concepts in some sort of experiment, which unfortunately didn’t turn out well.
As a result, in 2021 Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill was sold by Richard to an unnamed investor, who renamed it Amplified, a renovation which included a new menu, but maintained the original idea of a live music restaurant.
It’s unknown why Richard ultimately sold his part of the business, but by taking the rights of its original name with him, there’s a possibility he hasn’t let go of that dream just yet.
Did Richard Divorce?
Richard Rawlings’ professional life has surely gone through many changes in the last couple of years, and it’s no different when it comes to his personal endeavors.
As it happens, in early 2019 Richard filed for divorce from Suzanne, his wife since 2015. That was the pair’s second divorce, as they actually married for the first time back in 1999 and filed for divorce 2009, only to re-marry in 2015.
The fact that the couple didn’t have kids together made the procedure smoother, but certain things were agreed, such as a Suzanne keeping a 2019’s Mercedes as well as $300,000 in compensation. On his part, Richard kept all of his belongings including jewelry and other cars, but unfortunately it’s unknown what happened to their shared properties.
Only a couple of weeks after the divorce’s finalization, Richard was caught holding hands with a woman later identified as Katerina Deason, an Instagram fitness and lifestyle influencer. While details about the pair’s relationship were kept low-key for a long time, Richard and Katerina eventually married in mid-2020.
What Happened To Richard’s Stolen Car?
Although Richard Rawlings owns many cars, some hold a more special place in his life than others.
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This is the case with his SRT Hellcat, a car he appreciates deeply not only for being the second of its type to be produced, but also for being a constant reminder of many precious moments in Richard’s personal life.
Knowing that, it’s unsurprising that Richard was heartbroken when the car was stolen in September 2018. Although details about the crime weren’t revealed back in the day, Richard used all of his influence to get it back, going so far as to ask his social media followers to help him find it.
Though at first there weren’t many clues about the car’s whereabouts, in May 2019 a truck driver caught sight of it, and immediately ‘phoned Richard. As it happens, his precious Hellcat was only six miles away from Gas Monkey Garage, but while its recovery had seemed like a blessing at first, the car turned out to be severely damaged, in addition to carrying illicit substances.
Now nicknamed the ‘GMC Mule’ for its short-lived stint as a smuggling car, it’s undoubtedly fortunate that the Hellcat is back at home again.
How Did He Start Gas Monkey Garage?
Many assume Richard Rawlings has always been in the car-flipping business, but that’s not true. Before Gas Monkey Garage became a reality, Richard worked as a firefighter and paramedic for some years. In the late 1990s, he started the company Lincoln Press, followed by Gas Garage Monkey’s foundation in 2002.
Though Richard eventually sold Lincoln Press as well, it’s interesting how he passed from one business field to another in such a short time. To explain it, Richard affirms that after setting himself the goal of having a successful car shop, he compromised to always ‘aim for the top’ to ensure his dream would work out.
The result is everything we see nowadays. Gas Monkey Garage became well known in Dallas for its highly-skilled staff and high class work, taking the attention from car developers to eventually get Discovery on board for a show.
Is Richard Still Friends With Aaron Kaufman?
While Richard Rawlings was always the Gas Monkey Garage frontman on the business side, Aaron Kaufman carried a huge load of the garage’s work for years. Aaron’s impressive skills at fixing and building cars is well known by “Fast N’ Loud” fans, who were of course flabbergasted when he left the show and job altogether in 2017. Nonetheless, the huge fame he had amassed until then gained him his own show – “Shifting Gears” – not long afterwards.
However, Aaron’s sudden exit from Gas Monkey Garage still raises many questions, especially when it comes to the state of his relationship with Richard. To make it clear, the reasons behind Aaron’s departure were solely related to creative differences with Richard, and his work in the shop. As affirmed by Aaron, in Gas Monkey Garage he hit the ‘the bottom end’ of his car building goals, plus working overtime to please TV time constraints.
Though his reasoning is understandable, it’s apparent that there weren’t hard personal feelings between him and Richard. More than that, by the time of Aaron’s departure their relationship had been mostly business-related, hardly that of friends, which made parting much easier.
What Are Richard’s Other Businesses?
Besides founding Gas Monkey Garage, two restaurants and a live music bar, Richard Rawlings also owned the drink brand Gas Monkey Energy.
Though the brand was in business for several years, nowadays the drink’s website is inactive as well as its social media accounts. Meanwhile, the brand’s products are listed as ‘discontinued’, but there hasn’t been any explanation as for why. The last time we had some positive news about Gas Monkey Energy was back in 2020, when Richard donated 13 truckloads of his drink to healthcare workers in service during the pandemic contingency.
The Plymouth Barracuda, an icon from the golden age of muscle cars! @RRRawlings has tracked down a Cuda that's been stashed away since '97.
See it NOW on the latest episode of Wheels & Deals on our YouTube ➡️ https://t.co/ITQ5UbEy6Y pic.twitter.com/jQXNDUWTz3
— Richard Ray Rawlings (@RRRawlings) October 21, 2021
Despite the uncertainty regarding the brand, it’s suspected that this is just another one of Richard’s businesses which unfortunately went downhill in the last couple years.
What’s Up With Richard’s TV Career?
Before his stint as a “Fast N’ Loud” main star, Richard Rawlings presence in the entertainment world had already extended.
His debut on TV goes back to 2007 in the series “Bullrun”, and remained in stand-by until “Fast N’ Loud”s premiere in 2012. From then on, he appeared in reality shows “Shark After Dark”, “Overhaulin'” and “Cash Can”, and was also a recurring guest in some “Fast N’ Loud” spin-offs, such as “Misfit Garage” and “Garage Rehab”. His path as an actor hasn’t been as successful, but Richard still includes cameos in the movies “Alpine Restyle” and “Dodge Law” in his career experience records.
Richard’s most recent stint in the industry was producing Disney’s contest show “Shop Class” in 2020. However, while there hasn’t been any news regarding his future on TV, it’s clear that we haven’t seen the last of Richard’s career in the entertainment world yet.
