Jon Sandman dishes on his career, favorite games of all time, and dream cars
Rocket League aficionado Jon Sandman might be elite in the arena, but he now faces a new challenge in Forza as he goes up against a real-life Lexus racing driver. We caught up with him before the race to gauge his nerves.
Outside of Rocket League, Sandman admits he is far from a driving game expert, so while his gaming skills will give him an edge over Lexus’s best, there’s no telling who will come out on top.
For real-life racing, it’s best left to the pros of course. Check out which races Lexus will be at during the 2024 IMSA racing season here.
We spoke to Jon about his favorite cars, what he’s been playing recently, and his career in content creation.
If you could have your ultimate dream garage, what 3 Lexus models are you choosing and what makes each one a must-have for your collection?
If you were to ask me this question when I was young I would immediately tell you The 2012 Lexus LFA, reason being this car was SUCH an incredible-looking sports car and I clearly remember how expensive it was, which made me want it even more at 26 years old.
Second I would choose the 2024 RC F because it is the newest model and looks FAST! It has an incredible futuristic look and is actually very reasonably priced! Last would be the GT3 which is what they use for their races. Not sure it would be street-legal but IT LOOKS SO CLEAN!
Lexus cars are known for their luxurious features. If you could add any over-the-top feature to any Lexus model in real life, what would it be and why?
I would add wings. That’s right, big ole wings that could make me fly above all the LA traffic.
Have you ever been involved in racing, either in-game or on a real track, before? Or is this going to be a totally new experience for you?
This is definitely going to be a new experience for me. I have definitely played some racing games before but I don’t think Mario Kart really gives me the “driving” experience. It’s so serendipitous because after watching some local races out here I have been wanting to get more into the racing scene!
You’ve been to large gaming events and tournaments, but have you ever been to an IMSA race in real life?
Never, and would LOVE to go. I feel like it would have the same energy and adrenaline that you get from gaming events but would be outside, which is a HUGE positive.
YouTube: Jon SandmanYou’ve grown your audience with Rocket League primarily, but you’ve also been uploading other games, namely Counter-Strike lately – what’s your favorite game at the moment? What is your favorite game of all time?
Lately I have been addicted to playing Counter-Strike 2 and Once Human. My favorite game of all time still is and will always be Gears of War 1.
What is the game, and/or person that inspired you to start making content?
Day-Z and Arma 3 Roleplay are what started it all for me. I originally used Twitch because I didn’t have enough room on my hard drive to record hackers/Bad Roleplayers on a server that I admin’d on. I would just go live so it would auto-record but slowly more and more people started watching me. I then jumped into YouTube when a game called Rocket League came out and my life has been forever changed since!
No doubt you’ll be confident in your Rocket League abilities, but what about Forza – have you played before, or is this going to be a trial by fire?
Listen, I am the world’s worst gamer BUT I have incredible luck on my side so I usually end up winning. I am a little nervous but honestly am ready to crush the competition!
What is your advice for someone wanting to become a creator like yourself?
For anyone wanting to create content my best piece of advice is to get out there and do it. I feel like tons of people buy all the things they would need, plan things out for months, and always talk about wanting to do it but never end up actually trying it. Let it start as something you LOVE to do (a hobby) and maybe one day it could turn into your job!