By Ayush Arya
Updated
Richard Rawlings and his crew at the Gas Monkey Garage have been up to some pretty exciting things since the show went off-air from Discovery.
Key Takeaways
- Fast N' Loud was canceled because Richard Rawlings wanted more creative freedom and the ability to start a new automotive podcast, but his contract with Discovery restricted him.
- Richard Rawlings left Discovery and now focuses on his business at Gas Monkey Garage, documenting their daily workings on his YouTube channel and Instagram.
- Aaron Kaufman, the master fabricator on Fast N' Loud, left Gas Monkey Garage in 2017 and opened his own shop specializing in restoring and modifying Ford F-100 pickups. He also had a short solo stint on a Discovery show.
Discovery Channel's Fast N' Loud was one of the most entertaining automotive reality shows of its time. It revolved around the daily workings of the Texas-based Gas Monkey Garage, where the owner, Richard Rawlings, and his crew would turn junk cars into stunning pieces of art. After airing its pilot episode in 2012, the show successfully ran 16 seasons and wrapped up in 2020 when Rawlings decided to quit Discovery and continue as a free agent.
Updated July 2023: We have updated this article with more information regarding the current whereabouts of the Fast N' Loud cast. We also give you insights into the life of lesser-discussed Fast N' Loud cast members like K. C. Mathieu and Mike Coy.
He announced the reason why Fast N' Loud ended, on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, putting all the rumors about the show's revival to rest. With the show now being off-air for more than two years, the obvious question that pops up is, what happened to the cast of Fast N' Loud and the crew who used to work at the Gas Monkey Garage? Where are Richard Rawlings, Christie Brimberry, Aaron Kaufman, Upholstery queen - Sue, and the rest of the guys who were a part of the show?
Related: Here's Where The Cast From Ice Road Truckers Are Today
Here's Why Fast N' Loud Got Canceled?
No one knew why Fast N' Loud got canceled until Richard Rawlings spilled the beans on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. During the Fast N' Loud days, he was entirely invested with the Discovery Channel. It was both a boon and a bane for him. Rawlings wanted to expand and start an automotive podcast for himself. But he couldn't go ahead with it because of various reasons.
The main reason is that he wouldn't have complete creative freedom to talk. This was because of a clause with Discovery, which would see him incur up to a $25,000 fine for every bad thing he spoke about the channel. The other issue was that he had to sign a deal with a studio to start something new. But he was already exclusively signed up to Discovery. This made him feel like he was stuck in a rut. Rawlings and his team wanted to do much more with the show, but many limitations restricted them.
He finally took the bold decision to move from Discovery and focus more on YouTube and various other dream projects. The rest is history as we now have the Gas Monkey Garage YouTube channel, which has become a huge name in the automotive entertainment industry. But this move also marked the end of Fast N' Loud.
Richard Rawlings: The Boss At Gas Monkey Garage
Richard Rawlings might have quit television, but he is still going strong with his business at the Gas Monkey Garage. Rawlings is off-air because he is not involved with any traditional media company. However, he is active on all social media platforms.
His YouTube channel, Richard Rawlings and Gas Monkey Garage documents the Texas-based garage's daily workings. Rawlings is looking at new avenues in what he is doing as he recently sold a big chunk of his car collection in a massive auction in partnership with Bring A Trailer. He plans to use the money earned from this huge sale to invest in better cars with more pedigree.
Aaron Kaufman: The Bearded Wonder
Apart from all the epic builds and the larger-than-life personality of Richard Rawlings, another exciting part of the show Fast N' Loud was the master fabricator Aaron Kaufman aka 'The Bearded Wonder.' Kaufman was one of the founding members of Gas Monkey Garage and remained on the show for a long time. However, he left GMG in 2017, citing personal reasons.
Since leaving Gas Monkey Garage, Kaufman opened his Restomod shop in Dallas, Texas, named Arclight Fab. His shop specializes in restoring and modifying all the generations of the American icon that is the Ford F-100 series pickup. Kaufman even went on a short solo stint with the Discovery Network and was the lead on the show 'Shifting Gears with Aaron Kaufman.' Unfortunately, the show didn't last long and wrapped up after its first season.
Yu-Lan Haiso Martin, A.K.A. Sue: The Upholstery Queen
Sue Martin used to be Rawlings' go-to person for doing the interiors on all the big builds of Gas Monkey Garage. She wasn't Rawlings' employee but used to run her upholstery shop, ASM Auto Upholstery. Fans of the show Fast N' Loud would remember her as one of the wittiest characters. Though she and her crew were brilliant at what they did, GMG's short deadlines often challenged them.
Sue was missing from the show's last few seasons, and neither Rawlings nor Martin commented on her disappearance. However, you'd be happy to know she is doing well and her business is thriving. 'The Upholstery Queen' might have bid farewell to the show a little earlier than expected, but she is going strong and doing what she loved and was good at.
Related: Here's Where The Cast From American Restoration Is Today
Christie Brimberry: Working Behind The Scenes
Christie Brimberry used to manage the Gas Monkey Garage office on the show and behind the camera. She was responsible for many essential things, such as ordering parts for the builds and managing the payroll of all the GMG employees. Brimberry appeared on and off the show Fast N' Loud from 2012 till 2017. Her husband used to be Rawlings' hairstylist for a long time. That's how she landed the garage office manager job in the first place.
Besides being excellent at her job, Brimberry also fought a personal battle. Many fans of the show did not know that she had cancer. In 2016, she had surgery to remove the cancerous lymph nodes from her Thyroid gland. Brimberry still had to undergo further treatment in the form of radiation therapy. In 2017, she revealed to her fans through social media that she had won her fight against cancer. She left Gas Monkey Garage and currently enjoys her family's company and works at her salon.
What Happened To K. C. Mathieu From Gas Monkey?
Mathieu was part of the Fast N' Loud show until 2015. He then forayed out to start his own venture. K.C. Paint Shop. He currently specializes in high-end restorations, custom Hot Rod builds, and various performance upgrades. His magic lies in Painting and fabrication, and his paint shop is quite famous in Texas and beyond.
Mike Coy: The Gas Monkey Painter
Mike Coy has also turned out to be a sensation and is quite active on his Instagram page, with over 225,000 followers. He flaunts his painting and fabrication tools once in a while.
He was on a hiatus from taking up T.V. shows for quite some time. But, in 2023, Coy is back as the shop boss and painter in the Netflix show - Tex Mex Motors.
