Rick Titus (journalist)

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Rick Titus is an accomplished automotive journalist and a racing champion. Following in the footsteps of his father, legendary racer and automotive journalist Jerry Titus, Rick Titus served as team crew member in the early ’70s and went on to capture 11 pro wins on the SCCA Endurance Road Racing circuit. “Motorsports requires split-second, high-stakes decisions,” Titus says. “My racing experiences taught me that individual choices, whether in driving or engineering or sales, really do count. Sometimes you just don’t have a second chance to get it right.”

Titus’ hands-on involvement with cars and trucks, including a stint as head of engineering at a leading automotive accessories manufacturer, led to an outstanding journalism career. His credits include over 350 articles or segments for Motor Trend (Technical Editor), Popular Mechanics (West Coast Automotive Editor), TNN (NASCAR Editor), Mustang and Fast Fords (Engineering Editor), Road & Track Specials (Features Editor) and Sports Car Magazine (Technical Editor).

As the host of Drivers Talk Radio, Titus knows what listeners like: “We help our listeners differentiate a vehicle from the competition. It all comes down to the fact that customers don’t drive a price, they drive a product.”

Delivering over 4,000 presentations in the past 10 years, Titus has reached automotive executives, dealers and sales consultants through new-product introductions, sales training sessions, and more. Although he has consulted and written for a number of manufacturers, Titus is especially proud of his 20-year association with Ford Motor Company people and products.

Recently featured in a national television campaign for the 2004 Ford Freestar, Titus takes his high-profile status in stride. “I consider it a privilege to share my point of view with the public,” he comments. “There’s a growing trend toward greater consumer information in advertising, and I believe these ads signal a new direction in the way major auto companies will communicate with the public."

Now a lifetime member of the American Automotive Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) as well as a member of the Motor Press Guild, Titus takes to the airwaves each week on Driver’s Talk Radio along with a stellar team of automotive journalists. “With a motorsports background, there’s always an undercurrent of competition in our group,” Titus says. "Our goal is to cut straight through the “product logic” of a given vehicle, helping our listeners navigate the marketing maze and mechanical double-speak of the new-car game. We’re part guide and part interpreter of the industry.”