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Sam Schmidt has had a long and successful career at the top level of auto racing. From humble beginnings riding a mini-bike, to visiting Victory Lane as an Indy car driver, his success has continued as a team owner. The ownership side was instigated after a terrible crash in testing an Indy car at the oval in Orlando, Florida which left him a quadriplegic. His Indy Lights and Indy car team ownership has earned him accolades as he set records with his team's success. You'll still find Sam at the race track, and now he will also be known as an author, with his new book (No Finish Line) coming out on May 19, 2026. I met up with Sam during the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where he graciously spent some time filling us in on his journey. Enjoy!NOTE: Sam's autobiography “No Finish Line” is currently available for pre-order and will be in stores on May 19, 2026. 

Benjamin Pedersen cut his teeth in motorsports on the open-wheel racing ladder both domestically in F4 and F3 Americas as well as in the UK racing in the British F3 Championship. After multiple race wins and podium finishes he graduated to Indy Lights and then to the NTT IndyCar Series racing full-time for AJ Foyt in 2023. Moving to the LMP2 prototype class the following year in both IMSA and European Le Mans Series (ELMS), Pedersen joined the Vasser Sullivan IMSA GTD program this year and won the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in only his third start! Aaron Telitz is in his eighth season with the team and in addition to being the 2020 Sprint Cup driver's champion, he also helped the team secure the team and manufacturer's championships in the same year. Telitz also worked his way up the open-wheel ladder having raced in karts for many years before moving into the U.S. F2000 National Championship earning a win and six podiums. From there, he won the 2016 Pro Mazda Championship beating current Indy car start Pato O'Ward. Wins continued in Indy Lights and he earned the honor of testing on Indy car for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. He joined the Vasser Sullivan team to drive in the endurance races which included a second-place finish at Daytona before becoming a full-time driver for the team. We caught up with both of these winners just after their winning post-race press conference at the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Enjoy!

Nick Yelloly had a very successful 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. He earned pole position, and along with his teammate Renger van der Zande, also won the race in his Acura ARX-06 IMSA GTP car! Nick took the usual route to sports car racing success. He started in karting as a kid and moved up the open-wheel ladder in Europe competing in Formula Renault, GP3, and GP2. He then switched to sports cars winning the China GT Championship as well as competing stateside and winning with the RLL BMW GTP team. He switched to Acura in 2025 and has continued his success. Meanwhile, he's also been an F1 test driver since 2014 and is currently doing those duties for the Aston Martin F1 team. We caught up with Nick just after his post-race winning press conference where he spent a few moments filling us in on his keys to victory. Enjoy!photo courtesy of Acura

Cary Eisenlohr has been a lifelong car nut and was an athlete in high school when he did his first autocross and got hooked on racing. He's won some of the biggest races in the country and has raced a variety of cars over the years, including racing SCCA events to get more track time for his professional racing exploits. In this interview at the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Press Day, he tells us his story as well as the story behind his race-winning John Paul Jr. SCCA TransAm car. As down-to-earth and humble as they come, this cool cat is still getting the job done on the race track and looking forward to the next event! Enjoy!

Jeremy Shaw has been a staple in the motorsports journalism and broadcasting world for over 50 years. He's also been a major component of helping get young American drivers support via the Team USA scholarship program. We bumped into Shaw at a Vintage Auto Racing Association (VARA) event at Willow Springs International Raceway in March of 2026 where he fills us in on his story. By the way, he's also transitioned to race car driver as he was competing in his Merlyn Formula Ford over the weekend. He's a humble guy that's made a career out of giving readers and listeners the story from the race track to the paddock and beyond.  Enjoy!Cover Photo by: Michael Levitt

Tommy Kendall is a legend in SCCA Trans Am racing having set the record of 11 wins in a 13 race season. He's also won some of the biggest races such as the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. Additional championships in IMSA has made this Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee an easy choice. Besides being an expert behind the wheel of some of the fastest cars around, Kendall has delighted race fans with his commentary behind the microphone and in front of the TV cameras giving insight to Indy car race broadcasts in addition to hosting his own shows. We ran into him at the Willow Springs Reimagined event and had a Raceschool.com Podcast listener tell us that we should get his take on what's happening at the iconic high-desert track. He was gracious to spend some time with us where he not only gives his take on the plans for the track, but we delve into what made him so successful in racing and more. Enjoy!

Jordan Taylor has won just about every major event in sports car racing including the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in addition to winning multiple class championships in Prototypes and GT cars. He's currently racing in the IMSA GTP class for his dad's Wayne Taylor Racing Team in one of two Cadillac V-Series.R prototypes.  During the COVID pandemic he decided to do some triathlon training and has since competed in multiple Ironman full-distance triathlons. We caught up with Taylor at the 50th Anniversary of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where he tells us about how he got started in triathlon, how it helps him prepare for his auto racing, while also giving advice to new and experienced drivers on how this type of training can help improve their results. This guy is impressive on the track and off and his insight into this other world of racing is fascinating. Enjoy!NOTE:  You can catch Jordan Taylor at the Rolex 24 this weekend with live coverage from the “World Center of Racing” on Peacock, NBC and IMSA.com.

Gray Newell drives an Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT in the SRO GT America Series. I met Newell at the 50th Anniversary of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where I was looking at the Aston Martin Valkyrie GTP car. He happened to be standing there in his Aston Martin shirt and I asked him some questions about that car. I also asked him what his role was and he responded that he was a driver for the Heart of Racing Team in the SRO series. At that point, I asked if he had time for an interview sometime during the weekend. In quite the serendipitous way, besides saying “yes” he also won the pole for his race. Immediately following his press conference, he came to the FastLane Racing School booth in the Expo and we conducted the interview live in front of race fans. A super cool guy with a real thoughtful process for his driving, Newell was a real crowd-pleasing guest. Enjoy!NOTE:  Although Newell started from the pole in Race 1, he ended up third on the podium. In Race 2, things didn't go as well and he finished 11th.

Scott McLaughlin is a three-time champion of the Australian Supercar series and the 2024 Indianapolis 500 polesitter. Since coming from the tin tops to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, he's visited Victory Lane seven times, which is super impressive having spent the majority of his racing career learning how to race a completely different car. In this interview in the media bullpen at the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, McLaughnlin dishes on the contact controversy at the Thermal Grand Prix, talks about how special it is to race at the 50th Anniversary of the AGPLB, and gives us some keen insight into his Indy 500 prep including a big assist he's receiving from former “500” and series champ, Simon Pageanaud.  Enjoy!

Sting Ray Robb has been with three different teams in three seasons in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. For 2026 he will return with Juncos Hollinger Racing and will be teamed with Rinus VeeKay. In this interview, it was a group of journalists asking questions in the media bullpen at the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. We managed to get a couple of questions in and I left the other questions roll too as they did cover some interesting topics. He was very relaxed and forthcoming with information in regards to generalities and technical aspects of his season so far.   Enjoy!

Rinus VeeKay is a winner in the NTT IINDYCAR SERIES and spent most of his career at Ed Carpenter Racing. After the two parted ways, VeeKay found himself without a ride until about two weeks before the start of the 2025 season when he was picked up by Dale Coyne Racing. We spoke to VeeKay in the media bullpen at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where he fills us in on his new ride, his quest for Indy success as well as his teammate Jacob Abel. He's a talented driver who hasn't yet reached his full potential, although he's always been fast at “The 500.”  Enjoy!NOTE: Although Long Beach wasn't a great race for VeeKay, he would just miss the podium in the next race at Barber Motorsports Park finishing fourth. He earned a second-place finish in Toronto later in the season. Over the off-season it was announced that VeeKay had signed to race with Juncos Hollinger Racing for the 2026 season.

Brent Nordmann is the principal engineer for HRC Performance Parts and as part of Honda Racing, he showed off the Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype “proof of concept” car at the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. We met up with Nordmann there during press day and he was nice enough to give us a walkaround on this stunningly beautiful, track-day focused car. Since this car is not available yet, and performance specifications may change, certain details are quite hush- hush. However, from what we could see, it's a good bet that Honda and Acura fans alike will be salivating over this piece of machinery and wringing their hands until the moment they can take delivery! Enjoy!

Canadian Robert Wickens not only has the heart of a champion, he's won multiple championships from karting through the junior open-wheel series. In addition to his success on the open-wheel ladder, he also scored multiple wins and poles while competing in the highly competitive DTM championship from 2013-2017. In 2018, he made his mark known to everyone in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES by winning the pole for his very first race at the season opening St. Pete Grand Prix! Unfortunately, later that year he would suffer from a catastrophic crash at the Pocono oval where he broke his back, neck, legs and had numerous other injuries that left him a paraplegic. He returned to racing with Bryan Herta Autosport in 2022 scoring a podium finish with his co-driver in his first race using hand controls! In 2023 he won the Michelin Pilot Challenge championship in a Hyundai Elantra N. This guy is amazing, and in this interview at the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach media luncheon, he talks about his latest ride in the DXDT Corvette ZO6 GT3.R IMSA GTD car with new Bosch hand controls. In the second practice session of the weekend, he set the fastest lap! Listen in as he fills us in on the technology that's helping him return to top-level racing. Enjoy!

Jason Holt is the director and a chaplain for IndyCar Ministry. He along with the rest of his crew perform their 5-minute “Pit Stop Devotionals” every Sunday morning before each NTT INDYCAR SERIES race. We met up with Holt immediately after this at the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. He was running late for another meeting but spent a short time with us to let us know what his team does and why it's important. He gave a powerful message that everyone can relate to and the link to that is below.  Enjoy!Long Beach 5-Minute Pit Stop Devotional:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0ckW9xLF58NOTE: For more information on IndyCar Ministry, please visit: www.indycarministry.org

We interview a lot of race car drivers on this podcast and they always have something interesting to say. A listener asked us if we could interview a race car driver's parent and get their take on things. Bill Abel is the father of our last interviewee, Jacob Abel. We sat down at lunchtime with Bill during the Thermal Grand Prix weekend and he was kind enough to answer questions and share what it's like being the dad of a race car driver and how far they've come as a family team to make it to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The father/son dynamic during a race weekend can be challenging with the ups and downs of how things are going. How does Bill navigate that aspect? Tune in and find out. Enjoy!

Jacob Abel was a rookie in the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. In 2024, he finished as champion runner-up with three race wins in the INDY NXT by Firestone Series. At the Thermal Grand Prix weekend, we got to sit down with Abel and ask him how the transition into the Indy car has been, what it's like working with veteran driver/teammate Rinus VeeKay, and what the challenges are to wearing glasses under the helmet. He talks further about his goals for the season including the Indianapolis 500. As of this writing, we don't know if he'll be back with Dale Coyne Racing, or with another team. This young man definitely has the drive to succeed and time will tell how far that takes him. Enjoy!NOTE: Jacob Abel had a best starting position of 20th at the Detroit Grand Prix and a best finish of 11th at one of the Iowa short oval races. He was bumped out of the field at Indianapolis by his teammate who qualified 33rd. . . Abel missed qualifying for the race by a mere 0.089 seconds over the course of a 10-mile run. There are a lot of people (especially himself) hoping that he has a more competitive season in 2026.

Dries Vanthoor had a stellar start to the 2025 IMSA GTP season by winning the pole position for the first three races of the year in his Rahal Letterman Lanigan BMW. The Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring were grueling endurance contests that led into the 100-minute Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend where we met up with him just after his pole-winning press conference. Vanthoor would go on to earn a third-place podium finish at Long Beach, third in the next event at Monterey and finally getting to Victory Lane at Road America. This guy is impressive in that he had not raced at Long Beach prior to this event. How did he get pole and what was his preparation?  Tune in and find out here. Enjoy!NOTE: It was announced that the BMW GTP program would be moving on from RLL racing after the conclusion of this season. Belgium based, BMW M Team WRT has been named the team that will be taking over the IMSA program with a new team shop in Charlotte, NC. Will DriesVanthoor continue in the new team? As of press time, no official announcements have been made.

John Morton will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on March 10, 2026. This is a fitting place for a driver who started his career working at Carroll Shelby's shop, went through driver's school, and eventually would go on to win some of the biggest races in the world including the 24hrs of LeMans, 12hrs of Sebring and more. Although most of his career was spent in sports cars and prototypes, Morton also made his Indy car debut at Long Beach in 1984 and scored a top ten finish. He would compete at multiple Indy car races over the next few years. We met up with Morton at the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where he was just informed that he would be inducted into the MSHFA. He's a humble guy that is in much demand today to drive vintage race cars at a myriad of events and private tests. He's super cool, super fast, and super nice. Enjoy!NOTE: For more information on the MSHFA, please visit: www.mshf.com.

Colton Herta is a nine-time winner in the NTT IndyCar Series including the youngest ever at the Circuit of the Americas track in Austin, Texas. He has also dominated events like the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It was recently announced that he would be leaving his Andretti Global Indy car team and moving on to become the test and reserve driver for the new Cadillac Formula One team. It's also expected for him to compete in the full F2 schedule as well, although as of this writing, no details have been announced. Herta spent 2015 and 2016 racing and winning in Europe in the junior formulae there, so that should also help ease his transition a bit. We caught up with him at the AGPLB media day where he filled us in on the intricacies of getting the most out of the Firestone primary (black) and alternate (red/green) tires for qualifying and racing. This knowledge will be beneficial to him in F1 as Pirelli also uses different tire compounds during race weekends. Enjoy!NOTE: For more information on Herta's F1 exploits, please visit: www.cadillacf1team.comTo hear an earlier raceschool.com podcast interview with Herta where he talks about testing a McLaren F1 car, please visit: https://raceschool.com/raceschool-com-podcast-colton-herta-interview-part-two/

Charmayne Geier has been a fire marshal in racing for more than 20 years, working with both the NTT IndyCar Series and NASCAR.  We practically ran into each other at the Thermal Grand Prix back in March. After our initial meeting, I wanted to make sure that we could get her on the www.raceschool.com podcast for our Women in Motorsports month of September. A subsequent meeting with her at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach sealed the deal and we recently sat down for our first, female-focused, Zoom video podcast interview with her. She's a top professional at her craft, yet has a warm and engaging personality. Just the type of person you want working alongside you. Enjoy!NOTE: This is the fourth of four, female-focused interviews during our “Women in Motorsports” month of September. For more interviews with other women in motorsports as well as the top motorsports industry professionals, please visit: www.raceschool.com and click on the Podcast tab.

Emilie Amante is the sales and marketing chief for AVCO Art. This company specializes in unique automotive and racing artwork that is customized to the owner's car (plane or boat) and puts it into a unique background. The sky's the limit here with what they can come up with. I met Emilie at the 2025 San Marino Car Show where she showed me some of AVCO's interactive artwork. This company's work is so unique, we decided to go more in-depth with a formal interview which we did a few weeks later. In this interview, you can follow along with the photos below to learn about these artistic renderings and the inspiration behind them. There's also a short (1 min. 7 sec.) video that covers these photos, but has the benefit of sound and light for the special effects portion of the artwork. Enjoy!NOTE: This is the third of four, female-focused interviews during our “Women in Motorsports” month of September. Stay tuned to www.raceschool.com for our weekly podcast. Our women interviewees this month have job titles with nothing in common, yet they are all drawn to the four-wheel machines we love and have fascinating roles in the exciting world of motorsports.

Julia Price is a front-end mechanic on the Rahal Letterman Lannigan NTT IndyCar Series team. She's new to the position this year and in this interview on race day morning of the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend, she takes a few moments out of her busy schedule to tell us what she's responsible for on the cars and also how she got into the sport in the first place. She's very petite, yet very strong, and driven to do an excellent job. She's a hard-working mechanic who thoroughly enjoys what she does. You can hear it in her voice. Enjoy!NOTE: This is the second of four, female-focused interviews during our “Women in Motorsports” month of September. Stay tuned to www.raceschool.com. Our interviewees' job titles have have nothing in common, yet they are all drawn to the four-wheel machines we love and have fascinating roles in the exciting world of motorsports.

Jennifer Symington leads the marketing division for both the Honda and Acura brands. During the media day for the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, we had the opportunity to sit down with her and hear how she has made a successful career for herself doing what she loves. You can tell that she is a strong supporter of the brand and tells us how that came to be. She also gives advice to young girls (or anyone for that matter) on how to craft the career you want. We did this interview shortly before she was going to get a ride in the Acura Integra Type S pace car and she was gracious enough to grant us a part two interview (included here) so she could tell us what that ride was like. Enjoy!NOTE: This is the first of four, female-focused interviews during our “Women in Motorsports” month of September. Stay tuned to www.raceschool.com. Our next three interviewees have widely differing and fascinating roles in the exciting world of motorsports.

The Martin Auto Museum is a fantastic place to visit if you're ever in the Phoenix (Glendale), Arizona area. We took a road trip and marveled at the extensive and amazing collection of such a wide variety of vehicles there. Cars from the very beginning of the automotive age to today are displayed along with a nice selection of race cars, movie cars, custom cars and classics. Additionally, there are trucks, micro cars and a cool collection of model cars too. For those interested in researching vehicles, or are looking into doing their own restoration, there's a small library with shop manuals available to peruse in addition to getting the opportunity to gaze under the hood of a car similar to what might be of interest. A fine example of classic automotive tools and diagnostic equipment is also on display. For the young, and young at heart, there's even an arcade to play free video games! Finally, if you're looking to host your own automotive event/wedding reception/business meeting or other type of event in such a cool place, the museum has plenty of options for you with small to super-large rooms. If you're ever in the area, make it a point to visit, you'll love it!NOTE: Joe Bridgewater is the general manager of the museum and he was nice enough to spend some time with us to not only show us around, but also engage in our podcast interview, where he talks about some of the highlights of this fantastic venue. For more information, please visit: www.martinautomuseum.org. 

Conor Daly has enjoyed a long career in auto racing from the USA to Europe and back. Although he's jumped around to numerous teams in the Indy car paddock, you'll usually find him running up front during the Indianapolis 500 (he led the most laps there in 2021). In this interview (taped during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend), we go into a deep dive of what it's like to race at the “500,” the details about the preparation for what the car needs, and what Daly likes for his car set-up for qualifying and the race. It's a fascinating look into some real insider information that most race fans don't get a glimpse of. A bonus question at the end has Daly sharing what it's like to race with Type 1 diabetes and how his new sponsor helps with that. Enjoy!NOTE: Conor Daly hosts his own podcast called “Speed Street with Conor Daly” on YouTube and wherever podcasts are found. He does a really good job with these as they are also short form interviews and very timely with his guests and recent events.

Tim Coffeen enjoyed a long career with Newman-Haas Racing as a mechanic on their Indy cars. We caught up with him at the 50th Anniversary Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where he was reunited with, and working on Newman-Haas machinery that graced the streets of Long Beach, and for that matter, the entire season. In this interview, he tells us about the legendary drivers and champions that he worked with and what set them apart from the others. He also tells us about his progression into higher roles and responsibilities at the team. Being able to hear about these famous and successful drivers is a real treat – especially from a guy that was an insider at the time. Enjoy!

Jordan Roddy is the proud owner of Sebastien Bourdais' 2006 Aura Grand Prix of Long Beach race-winning Lola Indy car. Roddy, who hails from Australia, took some time before going on to win his second race of the weekend at Long Beach (in the historic open-wheel races) to tell us about it. In this interview, he gives us a bit of background on this car and why it's significant. He also tells us how he acquired it along with some other cool cars he owns. For those that were at the races, they had a real treat to see (and hear) this car driven in anger again and made some folks nostalgic to bring back this kind of race car to Indy car racing. Enjoy!

Brian Redman is one of the top drivers of his era and also the winner of the inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix back in 1975. On the 50th Anniversary of the event, we got a chance to sit down with him at the media luncheon and have him reflect on how he got to Victory Lane that day. He also regales us with racing stories of the 60's and 70's and how he coped with the extreme danger of those times. He also reveals to us his favorite race track and race car. A true gentleman and icon in the world of international motorsport, he exudes class, enthusiasm and passion. Enjoy!

Vince Tjelmeland is a race car driver with a vast array of experience in multiple categories. We caught up with him at the press day for the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where he brought out his beautiful Lola T332 F5000 car (ex Danny Ongais) for everyone to see and hear in preparation for his race at the 50th Anniversary of the Grand Prix where he'd be running with other historic cars in his class as well as F1, and Indy cars. A very friendly and humble guy, he tells the story of how he got into racing and how he came into possession of this historic and classic car. He also gives us some eye-popping statistics that further reinforce how cool this car really is. Enjoy!NOTE: For more information on HMSA, please visit their website at: www.hmsausa.com. For more info on Tjelmeland, please visit: sabinadrives.com 

Cris Vandagriff is the president of the Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA), an organization that helps bring historic racing cars to race fans and tracks today in their period-correct configuration and livery. If you ever hear the stories of “the good ole' days” and how great the race cars sounded and looked at phenomenal race tracks, Vandagriff's organization brings those sights and sounds to old (experienced) and new fans alike, and the living history of these historic machines is unprecedented. World champion drivers are just some of the people who wheeled these cars in anger back in the day. Today, these cars are mostly driven by enthusiasts with the means to acquire and race them. However, some current top drivers also relish the chance to get behind the wheel of these fabulous machines. In this interview which was done at the media day event for the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Vandagriff shares his background and interesting stories of his family's racing roots, and the famous drivers he's known throughout the years and much more. A wonderful trip down Memory Lane that if you're a fan of where this sport came from, you'll certainly hear some interesting stories. Enjoy!NOTE: For more information on HMSA, please visit their website at: www.hmsausa.com. 

In what has become an annual feature prior to the Fourth of July holiday on the raceschool.com podcast, we interview CHP officers to get safe driving tips and some insight into what the officers do and look out for while helping to keep motorists safe on the roads. This year, we met up with previous raceschool.com podcast interviewee (and FastLane alumnus) officer Craig Mosley, and for the first time, Seargent Dan Keene. These two officers represent the CHP with class and professionalism while giving out good advice and helping us to understand their roles better. Enjoy!NOTE: This Fourth of July weekend will be a maximum enforcement period for the CHP. Please drive safely! For driver's training, join us at FastLane Racing School! www.raceschool.com

Some race car drivers make a splash and then fade away. Others make such an impression that you recognize them throughout their career and still talk about them long after they've retired. One of those drivers is Paul Tracy. A kid from Canada who made his presence felt in the junior formulae, he went on to become a Champ Car Champion winning numerous races along the way. Some of his detractors didn't like the way that he raced, but everyone who watched him knew that he had one speed – flat out! We got a chance to get a quick interview with him at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach when Racer Communications held a press conference announcing his new podcast on their TV network. We talk about some of the highlights and lowlights of his career and how he plans to use his experience behind the wheel and behind the microphone to get the stories that matter to you. Enjoy!NOTE: From the press release and conference at Long Beach, here's some info on the PT podcast: “RACER . . . announces the launch of its latest original podcast series, 'Racers Unchained with Paul Tracy.' Hosted by the famously fearless Paul Tracy – the 'Thrill from West Hill' – the twice-monthly podcast . . . will feature raw, revealing conversations with the people who've shaped the sport from the inside out.” The podcast which launched in May has already featured guests such as: Tony Kanaan, Bobby Rahal and Jimmie Johnson. The podcast will be featured on all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. In addition to audio versions of the show, each episode will be videoed, edited and subsequently released across RACER Network (formerly MAVTV), RACER Select (formerly MAVTV Select), RACER+ (formerly MAVTV GO) and RACER's YouTube Channel.

Will Power is the King of Qualifying! He extended his all-tme record in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES when he earned career pole number 71 at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) near St. Louis. During the media luncheon at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, I was able to sit down with Power and ask him about his secrets of success to qualifying. He explains how difficult it is and what it takes to get it right. He also explains what it takes to get the Firestone alternate tire in the right window to maximize the lap.  Enjoy!NOTE: Unfortunately, a punctured tire deflated Power's chances for a victory at WWTR. He made contact with the wall and that ended his night. 

Colin Braun has raced multiple classes of cars over his career and, for the most part, has been successful in everything he's driven. We caught up with Colin at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Media Day where he was giving pace car rides and also evaluating an new Acura track day road car (we'll have a walkaround podcast on this one in the future). He started off the year with a second place podium finish at the Rolex 24 Hour race at Daytona in his Meyer Shank Racing Acura GTP car and followed that up with three top ten finishes in the next four races. In this interview, he fills us in on what it was like to race the MSR Indy car, how that compares to his GTP car, and the intensity of racing at Long Beach. He also tells us how challenging it is to share the track with different classes of cars and gives us his thoughts on how he manages that challenge. He's a humble guy but an incredible racer. Enjoy!NOTE: Colin Braun will be racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend in an LMP2 car.

Santino Ferrucci has been on a roll lately. Another great finish at the Indianapolis 500 (5th), and his first real podium* at Detroit (2nd) have kept him in the championship points hunt again this year. Ferrucci is a fun-loving guy and really enjoys his racing with AJ Foyt. This year he has a new teammate in the highly-touted David Malukas. We caught up with Santino at The Thermal Club where he showed us another one of his helmet designs. Compared to last year's Tom and Jerry cartoon themed lid, this one is much more serious and business-like. He goes into the details of what he likes best about this new design. But don't worry, there will be more to come. Enjoy!NOTE: After the Detroit race, Ferrucci's car was found to be out of compliance in regards to driver's weight ballast. According to the series, “During post-race inspection of car No. 14, INDYCAR discovered the driver ballast needed to bring the combined weight of the driver and driver ballast to 185 pounds was underweight and not within the driver ballast weight tolerance of 0.00 to + 1.00 pounds.However, also during inspection, the series found the weight of car No. 14, itself, was 10 pounds over the minimum weight for road and street circuits of 1,785 pounds and competed over the minimum weight requirement on-track.”* I say “real podium” because even though he finished third at Indy in 2023, there is no podium there, only the winner's circle.

Marcus Ericsson is the 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner. He came to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES from Formula One. Spending most of his career stateside at Chip Ganassi Racing, Ericsson scored multiple wins for the team, of course, none bigger than Indy. He joined the Andretti Global team in 2024 and in the first race at St. Pete he qualified in the Firestone Fast Six. We caught up with Ericsson at the following Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach media luncheon where he would earn a fifth place finish. He talks about what happened at St. Pete, hybrid testing, and getting back to the Speedway. A humble and friendly guy, this driver is really good on street circuits and at the Brickyard. He'll be aiming for his second win at Indy in just over a week. Enjoy!

Jack Harvey had a stellar run in the junior categories of open-wheel racing on his way up to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. He's a former British F3 champ and is a winner on both the oval and road course at Indianapolis in the INDY NXT by Firestone series. In the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, he spent the majority of his time at Meyer Shank Racing before he moved to the Rahal Letterman Lannigan team. Unfortunately, the promise showed at MSR was never realized at RLL. In 2024, Dale Coyne rang up Harvey to offer him a ride which he happily took alongside a revolving line-up of co-drivers. We caught up with him at the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where he was celebrating his birthday and his new ride. In this interview, he talks about the importance of how to develop relationships within a team. He also recalls the incredible run to be the final Indy 500 qualifier the year prior. Fast forward to 2025, and he's now a pit reporter on the Fox TV race broadcasts, however, he'll also be back behind the wheel for this year's Indianapolis 500 with Dreyer and Reinbold Racing with Cusick Motorsports. A talented driver, a true gentleman of the sport, and also quite talented behind the microphone, Jack Harvey is one to watch both on the track and off. Enjoy!

In our last podcast we learned how Roberto Guerrero climbed the European racing ladder to Formula One and then hopped the pond to race Indy cars. This week he talks about the transition from a road racing background to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1992 he earned pole position there in a Buick-powered Lola but never took the green flag! In 1987 he had a terrible crash during a tire test at the Speedway. He explains what happened and how he got back behind the wheel again! What's he up to these days? He fills us in on that too. Enjoy!

Roberto Gurrero had an incredible motorsports career climbing the European open-wheel ladder to make it to the pinnacle of worldwide motorsports – Formula One. From there, he came stateside to race Indy cars for some of the biggest names in the sport from the team ownership side as well as design and engineering. We sat down with him at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach media day where we found him to be friendly, engaging, and humble. In this Part One of a two-part interview, we'll get the stories that brought him through an incredible career including a special day in Monaco on a yacht! A true family man, he's been married for over forty years; he also gives us his secrets to marriage success! Enjoy!

Chris Pook is the former travel agent who had the wild idea of staging a Formula One race through the city streets of Long Beach. Between himself, Dan Gurney, Jim Michaelian and a number of others who were critical in getting this event started, they all overcame numerous obstacles in trying to make his dream a reality. This iconic event will celebrate its 50th Anniversary on April 11-13, 2025. At the 2024 Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame ceremony (where he has also been inducted), he was gracious enough to spend some time with us and tell us about the challenges the event faced getting off the ground, some of the key moments that made it a success (including key people), and how it's endured all these years. In looking forward to this incredible 50-year milestone, there's nobody more qualified to talk about it than he is. Enjoy!

Felix Rosenqvist has been fast in every race car and series he's ever been in. Joining up with the Meyer Shank Indy car team in 2024, he started nicely with a heat-race win in the non-points Thermal Grand Prix race and he followed that up with a pole position at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. We caught up with him at the press luncheon just a couple of days before he earned that pole. In this interview he tells us about starting the new season strongly, how he's gelled with the team and also gave us a little insight about testing at Indianapolis and his experience racing Formula E and how that translates into the hybrid Indy car (which made its racing debut later in the season). Enjoy!

Tim de Silva is a race car driver who races not only in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) club racing, but also in the Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA) where he races vintage Indy cars and Formula One cars. He's raced around the world in some of the most iconic and wonderful cars like these and more in vintage racing. We caught up with him at the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where he was competing (and winning!) in his and his dad's incredible Firestone Lola Indy car that Scott Pruett made famous by winning the Michigan 500 in the return of Firestone to the Indy car championship. De Silva talks about his racing background and how cool it is to race these fantastic machines. Enjoy!

Dave Looper is the chief mechanic for John Sweeney's Pennzoil, John Andretti/Jim Hall Indy car. His day job though is as an employee of Doran Racing who's work in professional motorsports is known worldwide. In last week's podcast, we spoke with Sweeney about what happened to his car at Long Beach and how Looper was instrumental in getting the car ready to get on track again. This week, Looper gives us the inside story on how everything unfolded and then came together to make a successful repair on the race car. He also tells us a bit about how people in motorsports work together to achieve success. Enjoy!

John Sweeney is a race car driver who competes in the Historic Motor Sports Association which requires the cars to be historically correct based on the period of time the cars raced in. That means that the memories of the fans who watched these cars raced back in the day, get to see them in the glorious liveries that they remember. We caught up with Sweeney at the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where he was scheduled to compete in the Pennzoil Indy car that John Andretti originally raced for Jim Hall. His story at Long Beach is quite convoluted on many fronts and includes yours truly getting some fantastic pit work from him and his crew! John explains everything well and is one of the friendliest people you will ever meet. The respect he has for his crew and the sport is impressive. Enjoy!

In last week's podcast, we had the opportunity to interview Santino Ferrucci in the driver's lounge of the AJ Foyt Racing transporter. While we were there, I noticed that he had a very unique design on his helmet. He was nice enough to spend more time and talk about his colorful and fun design and hint of some other designs to come. Unlike some drivers who keep the same design through their entire career, Ferrucci loves to change it up! This is certainly something extra for fans to pay attention to during the racing season. Enjoy!

Santino Ferrucci drives the famed, number 14 Indy car, for AJ Foyt Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series. At the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, we were fortunate to be invited into his race weekend inner sanctum – the transporter driver's lounge, for an interesting interview where he fills us in on the Team Penske technical alliance, driving the new hybrid system, and a deep-dive into the Indianapolis 500 where he led the race and finished third in 2023. Enjoy!NOTE: Ferrucci qualified sixth at the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 and go on to finish eighth. He would earn his first pole position later in the year with a run to the top spot in Portland. He's re-signed with Foyt for 2025 and is certainly one to watch.

Dennis Firestone went from humble beginnings racing in Formula Fords in the California Sports Car Club (Cal Club) region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) to climb the racing ladder and reach the pinnacle of American road racing making numerous starts at the Indianapolis 500. His first trip there had Roger Penske helping him. From the highs of highs of winning racing and championships, to essentially a career ending crash. This interview takes us through a time capsule when innovation and passion were key elements of motorsports in America. Firestone was nice enough to tell us his story during the press day for the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Enjoy!NOTE: Dennis Firestone said he will be back with his Eagle Indy car for the 50th Anniversary of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach April 11-13, 2025.

Rodney Klausmeyer drives the number 14 transporter for AJ Foyt Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series. He also has many other duties with the team throughout a race weekend. At the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, he was kind enough to take us on a tour of not only his rig, but also the two others connected to it in the paddock area. It's one thing to see these gleaming rolling billboards in the paddock area or cruising down the highways of America, but they're much more than that. They are a serious place for spare parts, tear down/rebuilds as well as engineering, VIP hospitality, and driver's lounge. Follow along with the photos below and get an insider's tour of this rolling work of art. Enjoy!NOTE: Just before this podcast with photos was uploaded, the AJ Foyt Racing Team updated all of their transporters. We're scheduled to get another visit and tour and see what's changed for 2025. We'll have more photos and a new podcast scheduled for spring. Stay tuned! For more information an A.J. Foyt Racing, please visit: www.ajfoytracing.com

Chuck Lessick is a chaplain with INDYCAR Ministry and travels with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES (and their support series) throughout the year to help support those in the paddock. He works with his wife Jacqui and chaplain Jason Holt in this endeavor. We caught up with him at the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach after the Sunday morning 5-Minute “Pit Stop Devotional” service where he fills us in on how the attendees' group has grown quite substantially from the year before. He also fills us in on how they help provide support to this community. Finally, with Easter right around the corner, he gives us an uplifting Easter message.  Enjoy!Copyright © 2025 Larry Mason

Tom Blomqvist has been one of the quickest drivers in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competing in the top level GTP category. We caught up with him just prior to the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where he filled us in on his transition from IMSA GTP to the NTT IndyCar Series with Meyer Shank Racing (MSR). It's a fascinating conversation as he candidly talks about the challenges of switching categories and the key differences between the two types of race cars. It's a real insiders look at the technical side of racing in layman's terms. Enjoy! NOTE: At Long Beach, he qualified 15th while his teammate was on pole. Blomqvist finished in 22nd while Rosenqvist finished 9th. Unfortunately for Tom, the opening lap of the Indy 500 saw him spin and crash with other cars involved. After that, he was replaced as a driver on the team. However, the team owners still believed in his immense talent and retained him for the year. Starting this weekend at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, he'll be back behind the wheel of an MSR GTP car looking to score another Rolex 24 win.

Roman De Angelis is one of the top drivers in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competing in the GTD and GTD Pro categories. We caught up with him just prior to the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where his teammate started from pole position the previous year. It was a good year for the “Heart of Racing” team as De Angelis and Marco Sorenson won three races. In this interview, he talks about what happened at Long Beach the previous year, some of the iconic races he won, how he got started in racing, and his expectations for Long Beach and beyond. He also does a nice job of breaking down the difference between GTD and GTD Pro and the whole driver ranking system. Enjoy! NOTE: At Long Beach, he qualified fourth and got into third during the race. Unfortunately, another competitor hit his teammate in the second half of the race which led to a DNF (Did Not Finish). Coming up is the IMSA Roar Before the 24 test, and the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona on January 17-19 and January 22-26, 2025.