Rich Christensen knows what people like to watch. The edgy, buffed up executive producer, creator, and host of the SPEED reality series PINKS has worked very hard over the last 15 years learning and getting kicked around in the business to finally sell his first series. The fitness trainer-turned-producer created this hardcore show, which pits car against car, drag racing for pink ownership slips. Christensen, a native of New Hampton, Iowa, convinced the network executives to get passionate about his concept, appropriately named PINKS. The network immediately was drawn to the raw, no-holds-barred drag race format, which leaves contestants putting their vehicles up for grabs. The high-stakes tension when drivers lose their cars, coupled with the excitement of the winners in an uncompromising, no re-takes documentary style show, is a gritty new approach. After studying Television and Radio at the University of Northern Iowa, Christensen headed to New York for a short 6-week stint as an intern on the long-running soap opera Another World - then it was off to Los Angeles to broaden his experience in the industry. He made the cross-country drive in an old Buick Electra with just $600 in his wallet. Arriving in Los Angeles, Christensen initially worked as a fitness trainer at the Private Exercise gym in West Los Angeles. He then went on to build and run the Riviera Country Club's very first gym in Pacific Palisades, where he started meeting the exclusive club's entertainment clientele. Prior to creating PINKS, Christensen got closer to achieving his dream of selling a series by creating and selling a one-off special to ESPN called Nascar: Uncut. Also along the way, he held the positions of Senior Vice President of High Five Entertainment in Nashville, TN, and Head of Television at GMR Marketing in New Berlin, WI. Christensen lives a quiet life with his wife and their dog in Iowa. When he's not on the set of PINKS, he pursues his other passions - physical fitness and weight lifting training everyday.