Podcasts about acura grand prix

Marcus Ericsson came from the Formula One world to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and won the biggest race in the world in 2022 – the Indy 500. He spent a good portion of his career with Chip Ganassi Racing but left for Andretti Global a couple of years ago. Those two years were quite rough for Ericsson as success was hard to come by. However, this year, he earned his first career pole at the Arlington Grand Prix and led most of the laps at Saint Louis before ultimately finishing second. We caught up with Ericsson at the “media bullpen” at the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where it was tough to get a word in edgewise. Your host of this podcast, Larry Mason, decided to go a different route than normal and instead of asking more detailed questions, do some rapid-fire ones instead. This is the first of this kind of interview that we'll be highlighting this year. Ericsson is a true gentleman of the sport yet fast and humble. Enjoy!NOTE: Ericsson had a race weekend to forget in Long Beach after he failed to finish due to a mechanical problem.

Alex Palou has been on a tear in the NTT IndyCar Series ever since he joined Chip Ganassi Racing. He's won three straight INDYCAR SERIES championships and four of the last five years. To top it off, he won the Indianapolis 500 last year and is currently leading the championship on the strength of four wins already this year including Long Beach and Detroit. We caught up with the champ at the “media bullpen” at the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where various questions are asked to him by a scrum of journalists including Larry from FastLane. Not an ideal one-on-one setting, but when you're this popular, it's hard to get a word in edgewise. We managed to get a couple of questions for the champ to answer including his take on what the most fun performance aspect of racing an Indy car is, as well as what's the most challenging corner on the circuit. Enjoy!

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. 

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

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!

This week's episode: A recap of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach won by Alex Palou. Plus, our ideas on how to fix the racing there, a look at the massive increase in tv ratings for IndyCar and what it means going forward. 

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!

PIT PASS INDY PRESENTED BY PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL – SEASON 6, EPISODE 15 – The 51st Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach with Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal, Louie Foster, Nolan Siegel And Long Beach Grand Prix President And CEO Jim Liaw April 21, 2026 Show host Bruce Martin and Pit Pass Indy Presented By Penske Truck Rental has another big episode after the 51st Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Martin's guests include this year's winning driver, Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, two-time Long Beach winner Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing, Graham Rahal and Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Nolan Siegel of Arrow McLaren. Also, Martin has an exclusive, deep-dive interview with Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Liaw, who had to take over quickly after then events longtime leader, Jim Michaelian, unexpectedly died on March 21 at the age of 83. Liaw was able to take over the helm in a rather seamless transition for another successful event on the streets of Long Beach. For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at X, previously known as Twitter, at @BruceMartin_500

ON TODAYS PROGRAM… DOMINICALI NOW LISTENING TO MAX! RED BULL LOOSING TALENT FASTER THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK! WILL MIAMI BRING MORE GRID CHANGES… TALK OF NEW ENGINE PROPOSALS COULD TAKE US BACK TO V8'S FAIRLY QUICKLY! AND… FERNANDO SAYS…I AM A PATIENT MAN!! TOYOTA BEATS FERRARI AT THE 6 HOURS OF IMOLA! Race car driver Juha Miettinen (66) has passed away following the severe crash on the Nordschleife. The race understandably  did not continue.  Deepest condolences to his family and friends.THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: JEAN ERIC VERGNE, ESTEBAN GUTIERREZ... F1 Academy Champion Doriane Pin Breaks New Ground with Maiden F1 Test Doriane Pin has taken the latest, and one of the most significant, steps in her career by completing her maiden F1 test yesterday (Friday April 17) at Silverstone. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Development Driver drove the world-championship winning W12 from the 2021 season and impressed with her pace, feedback, and technical understanding. The 22-year-old completed 76 laps of the 2.639 km Silverstone National Circuit for a total of 200 km of running on the day. Driving an F1 car for the first time today was unreal. “Driving an F1 car for the first time today was unreal. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity and to be surrounded by this incredible team. It was a unique opportunity and I made sure to enjoy my day to the fullest, along with doing the best job I could. Whilst being a female driver doesn't define me, it was great to show what we can do. It was an extremely emotional day and I'm also thankful I was able to share this experience with my family. “The W12 is obviously really different from the other cars I've been able to drive. Everything is different, bigger and more powerful. I am glad I was able to build confidence lap after lap and show what I was capable of.” Her preparation and professionalism has impressed the whole team and she should be really proud of what she has achieved. In preparation for the test, the affectionally named ‘Pocket Rocket' spent extensive time in the team's simulator, integrating closely with engineers and refining her understanding of the necessary procedures to drive the W12. Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director, commented: “It's been great to have Doriane complete a day of testing with the W12 today. It marks another major step on what is proving to be a very exciting and promising career and also makes her the first ever female driver of a Mercedes F1 car. “Her preparation and professionalism has impressed the whole team and she should be really proud of what she has achieved. Whatever series you come from, it is always a massive step when getting into an F1 car but she looked at home from the very first laps and was able to enjoy driving the car on the limit.” Today, it is even more unique as Doriane is the first ever woman to drive a Mercedes F1 car. Gwen Lagrue, Driver Development Advisor, said: “It is always really special for a young driver to drive an F1 car for the very first time. Today, it is even more unique as Doriane is the first ever woman to drive a Mercedes F1 car. “We are very proud to show to the next generation of female drivers that driving an F1 car is achievable. I am sure we will see a woman driving in F1 in the coming years and as a team, we would be incredibly proud if we were to achieve that goal with someone in our team. Doriane can certainly act as an inspiration for those following in her wheel tracks as she continues her career and role as Development Driver with our team.” Doriane becomes the latest female talent to get behind-the-wheel of a modern F1 car, highlighting the value of series such as F1 Academy, in which Doriane became last year's champion. The test also underlines the team's continued commitment to nurturing talent and opening pathways, while showcasing the progress being made in creating meaningful opportunities for women at the highest level of motorsport. Doriane's assured performance on such a significant stage further highlights the impact of the team's long-term investment in her growth. She will now continue in her Development Driver duties, which include simulator development, additional activities at the factory and trackside, attendance at several Grands Prix and her support and mentorship to the team's 2026 F1 Academy driver, Payton Westcott. Quick Pit Work, Pace Help Palou Run Away to Win at Long Beach! LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sunday, April 19, 2026) – Alex Palou got the break he needed and fast work from his Chip Ganassi Racing pit crew, and then he ran away with a victory Sunday in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Palou earned his third victory in five races this season, the 22nd victory of his career and his first win at prestigious Long Beach in the No. 10 OpenAI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, beating the No. 60 SiriusXM/Acura Honda of NTT P1 Award winner Felix Rosenqvist to the finish by 3.9663 seconds. Palou also took the series lead by 17 points over Kyle Kirkwood as he aims for his fifth series championship and series record-tying fourth in a row. “It's huge,” Palou said. “Super proud of everybody's job but especially this crew. Incredible to finally win here at Long Beach.” Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon rounded out the podium with his best result of the season in the No. 9 PNC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, as CGR produced two of the top three finishers. Kirkwood finished fourth in the No. 27 JM Bullion / Gold.com Honda of Andretti Global, with Pato O'Ward placing fifth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Pole sitter Rosenqvist controlled the race from the green flag. He led the first 31 laps, with Palou climbing from his third starting spot to second by passing O'Ward on Lap 2. Rosenqvist and Palou pitted for the first time in tandem at the end of Lap 31, with the MSR crew helping Rosenqvist win the race out of the pits after both drivers started their second fuel stint with their mandatory second set of Firestone alternate tires. Rosenqvist had built a three-second lead over Palou, who admitted he struggled a bit on the softer Firestone alternate tire. But Palou got the break he needed on Lap 57 when a large piece of debris was spotted on track, triggering the only caution period of the 90-lap race. The entire field pitted on Lap 59, led by Rosenqvist and Palou as a showdown loomed between the MSR and CGR crews. Rosenqvist and Palou each took four primary Firestone tires and fuel on their last stop, but Palou escaped his pit box ahead of Rosenqvist to take the lead for the first time. CGR serviced Palou's car in 7.3 seconds on the final stop, while MSR needed 8.4 seconds for Rosenqvist's stop. Palou rocketed away from the field on the restart on Lap 61. It was checkout time, as he never trailed from that point. “The OpenAI car was super, super fast, but it was that yellow, that pit stop with all the pressure that these boys were able to do it and execute it perfectly,” Palou said. “From there, it was just managing the tires. We didn't know how the primaries were going to be.” The primary tire suited Palou just fine. The Spaniard expanded his lead to 2.4 seconds on Lap 68, with the gap mushrooming to 5.5 seconds with 12 laps remaining. Palou played it safe during the final two trips around the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit, but Rosenqvist never got close. Still, the Swede, who led a race-high 51 laps, earned his first podium finish since placing second in June 2025 at Road America. “A little bit of a bittersweet race,” Rosenqvist said. “I lost a little bit on the stop. Alex is obviously going to be 10 out of 10 almost every stop, so I don't think it was necessarily that our one was slow, but they probably had a great one, as well. That's how it goes. “At the end of the day, we've got to celebrate this one. P2, plus the points and podium – that's where I want to be.”  

PIT PASS INDY PRESENTED BY PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL – SEASON 6, EPISODE 14 – Christian Rasmussen Goes To Washington, plus NASCAR Great Kevin Harvick April 14, 2026 Show host Bruce Martin and Pit Pass Indy Presented By Penske Truck Rental has another big episode has the NTT INDYCAR SERIES prepares to head to the West Coast for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Martin's guests include an exclusive, deep-dive interview with NASCAR great Kevin Harvick, now with FOX Sports. Also, Christian Rasmussen, who spent Friday April 10 in Washington, D.C. to check out the streets that will make up the layout for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix August 22 to 23. Also, several drivers remember the late Jim Michaelian, longtime President and CEO of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach who passed away on March 16, and George Barber of Barber Motorsports Park, who died on February 15. Those drivers include Alex Palou, Felix Rosenqvist, and Kyle Kirkwood. Also, Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin and Arrow McLaren's Nolan Siegel look ahead to Long Beach. For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at X, previously known as Twitter, at @BruceMartin_500

This week's episode: We discuss why the Indy 500 needs bumping and how it is important to the event as a whole. Plus, a preview of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. 

ON TODAYS PROGRAM… KIMI WINS AGAIN WITH A LITTLE SAFETY CAR KARMA! GEORGE GETS HIS CAGE RATTLED BY ANTONELLI MCLAREN QUICKLY CATCHING UP WITH MERCEDES. RED BULL CLEARLY A MID PACK TEAM. DID THE NEW RULES CONTRIBUTE TO OLIE'S BIG CRASH? AND…FERNANDO HELD BACK GP2 ENGINE aaahhh! THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: CHRISTIAN KLEIN. 2026 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday Kimi Antonelli It feels great to get my second win! I made a bad start from pole and was kicking myself that we lost so many positions. When we were in free air on the Medium tyre though, I was able to improve my pace quite a lot. We were fortunate with the timing of the Safety Car and that put us in the lead; it made my life a lot easier! Who knows what would have happened without that, but I felt like we had the speed today to challenge for the win without it. This is the best way to head into this mini break in the season. I am going to enjoy the moment but use the time well to work on where I can improve. As a team, and despite winning the first three races, we know we need to keep raising our game too. We had a real battle today and we know that it's not going to be easy to keep up this run of form. We're looking forward to using the time ahead of Miami well and hopefully putting ourselves in a strong position once the season resumes. George Russell We've had a lot of bad luck this weekend and that is unfortunate as we were definitely in the fight for the win today. After a difficult start, we'd managed to get ourselves back to P2 but stopped just one lap before the safety car was deployed. That changed the complexion of the race and unfortunately, after taking the restart in P3, we lost two more positions as a result firstly of hitting the harvesting limit and then an unexpected superclip. It was pretty frustrating but that's the way racing goes sometimes. It's clear from this weekend that our competitors are beginning to optimise their cars much more now. We have enjoyed a great start to the season, but our rivals are hot on our heels as we saw today. The upcoming gap in the calendar will also give everyone a chance to develop further so we know that, once we're back on track in Miami, we are in for a proper fight. Toto Wolff, CEO & Team Principal We had an exciting race today with plenty of overtaking which hasn't always been the case here at Suzuka. It's a new way of racing where you have to think strategically in order to both pass and then make sure it sticks. It's a great challenge for both the drivers and the teams and it makes the race very unpredictable. Sometimes you need the luck to go your way in racing and that was the case with Kimi today. He lost positions at the start but was able to get them back with a fortunately timed safety car. Whilst that was helpful to him, his pace in the second half of the race showed what he was capable of. George was on the flip side of that equation and lost out having pitted just one lap before the safety car came out. He then lost more positions, firstly on the restart as he hit the harvesting limit and was low on deployment and then secondly with an unexpected superclip. He fought hard to get back to P4, but he's certainly had more than his share of bad luck this weekend. Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director Well done to Kimi on his second win. He had really strong pace and, whilst he benefited from the safety car to put him into the lead, he was able to comfortably control the race once he was in that position. Kimi's fortune was George's misfortune. Had we stopped George a lap later, he would have retained the lead for the restart. As it happened, he dropped to P3 and lost a further place to Lewis when he hit the harvesting limit too early in the lap and had insufficient battery for the restart. He then had another frustrating issue where a bug in the software code, triggered by a button press and a gear shift at the same time, caused the power unit to go into superclip and charge the battery which allowed Charles to pass. He battled back to P4 but it was a frustrating afternoon for George. Clearly there is a lot that we need to work on and understand in the next few weeks. We've made a great start to the season, but our competitors are closing in. Happily, we have several areas of improvement and we will make the maximum use of the gap in the calendar to develop in the places where we are not strong enough. Palou Dominates To Win in Another Barber Beatdown BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sunday, March 29, 2026) – Alex Palou appears to be running wild again after another dominant victory at Barber Motorsports Park. Four-time and defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou earned his second victory in four races this season in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, starting from the pole and winning the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst by 13.2775 seconds over the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of Christian Lundgaard. Palou led 79 of the 90 laps on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile road course. SEE: Race Results “Incredible day,” Palou said. “I told you qualifying was one of the best car balances I've ever driven. Today in the race, it was pretty good in the beginning, really good at the end, but we suffered a little bit on the used blacks (Firestone Firehawk primary tires) that we had to use. “Another win here. Love this place, love the fans. What a great day.” Graham Rahal placed third in the No. 15 First Third Bank Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, his first podium finish since August 2023 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. “I felt like this was coming,” Rahal said. “We're pretty pleased with this. Feels good.” David Malukas continued his consistent start to his Team Penske tenure by finishing fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Malukas has placed sixth or better in three of his four starts with the fabled team this season. Series leader Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the top five finishers – all from different teams – in the No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda of Andretti Global. There's something about this rolling, picturesque circuit and recent dominance by Palou, who earned his third career Barber win. He won last year in 16.005 seconds. The first of his 21 career victories also came here in 2021, but by a scant .4016 of a second. One more ominous fact about Palou's victory for the other 24 drivers in the field: He has gone on to win the Astor Challenge Cup as series champion in the same season as both of his prior Barber victories. Palou stayed in second in the 2026 series standings with this victory but trimmed the gap to leader Kirkwood from 26 to two points as he tries to win a fourth consecutive title. While the margin of victory was the biggest in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race since Palou's crushing victory last April at Barber, the final gap might be a bit misleading. Palou led by 7.2 seconds on Lap 52 while running on a used pair of Firestone Firehawk primary tires, but Lundgaard started to chip away at that gap, gaining nearly a half-second on some laps on the quicker but less durable alternate tire. The gap was trimmed to three seconds when Palou made his final pit stop at the end of Lap 65, taking another set of used primary tires for the run to the finish. Lundgaard inherited the lead during Palou's last stop and stayed on track for another four laps, trying to gain more time on Palou and perhaps land within striking distance of Palou after Lundgaard's last stop. Lundgaard entered the pits at the end of Lap 69 for his final service. But calamity struck, as the right-rear wheel change was slow. That produced a 17.8-second stop, about nine seconds slower than normal. Lundgaard returned to the track in third, behind Rahal. Game over. Palou was home free. “I think so,” Lundgaard said when asked if he could have caught Palou. “We know the pace that we had and just how we were catching him. It's unfortunate. The guys have done an amazing job, and I don't think that's (mistake) ever really happened. One in almost 100 starts, I think it's OK.” Palou led Rahal by 10.8 seconds after that pit drama and cruised to the finish in the caution-free race. But Lundgaard and Rahal engaged in a spirited joust for second over the closing laps, with Lundgaard finally diving under Rahal in Turn 5 for second with three laps to go. That was the last of 11 on-track passes during the race for Lundgaard, including seven for position in the top 10 – both race highs. “At the end of the day, I wanted to go out there and repass Graham,” Lundgaard said. “Just to make up for that (pit mistake) and put a statement to, ‘We got it.'” Rahal then held off a charging Malukas to keep the precious podium spot for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 19.    

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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/

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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 

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.

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!

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!

PIT PASS INDY PRESENTED BY PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL – SEASON 5, EPISODE 29 – IndyCar Series Champions Alex Palou and Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing. Also, Pato O'Ward, Graham Rahal and Scott McLaughlin   April 22, 2025   Show host Bruce Martin has another packed episode of Pit Pass Indy Presented by Penske Truck Rental wrapping up the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and looking ahead to the two-day Indy 500 Open Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 23 and April 24.   Martin has exclusive interviews with Pato O'Ward of Arrow McLaren, Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, three-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, six-time IndyCar Series champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon and Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin.   On the highways, the raceways and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward.   Gain ground with Penske!   For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at X, previously known as Twitter, at @BruceMartin_500

This week's episode: We recap Kyle Kirkwood's win in the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, discuss TV ratings and schedule, and a potential date for the 2026 Mexico City race.

PIT PASS INDY PRESENTED BY PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL – SEASON 5, EPISODE 28 – More from the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach with 6-time Long Beach winner Al Unser, Jr, 2-time Long Beach winner Will Power, Dale Coyne Racing teammates Rinus VeeKay and Jacob Abel, and Arrow McLaren driver Christian Lundgaard   April 17, 2025   Show host Bruce Martin has another packed episode of Pit Pass Indy Presented by Penske Truck Rental from the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13.   Martin has exclusive interviews with racing legend Al Unser, Jr, who was known as “The King of Beach” for winning the Long Beach Grand Prix a record six times in his career. Two-time Long Beach winner Will Power of Team Penske joins the show as well as the two drivers at Dale Coyne Racing including Rinus VeeKay and rookie Jacob Abel. Arrow McLaren Racing driver Christian Lundgaard wraps up the list of interviews as he talks about his season, and the importance of heading to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for next week's two-day Indy 500 Open Test.   On the highways, the raceways and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward.   Gain ground with Penske!   For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at X, previously known as Twitter, at @BruceMartin_500

The guys debrief the 50th running of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Alex went in feeling confident, but the weekend didn't live up to his hopes. Plus, there was an F1 race, Robbie Wickens had a hell of a weekend, and Tim is tired.+++Off Track is part of the SiriusXM Sports Podcast Network. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, please give a 5-star rating and leave a review. Subscribe today wherever you stream your podcasts.Want some Off Track swag? Check out our store!Check out our website, www.askofftrack.comSubscribe to our YouTube Channel.Want some advice? Send your questions in for Ask Alex to AskOffTrack@gmail.comFollow us on Twitter at @askofftrack. Or individually at @Hinchtown, @AlexanderRossi, and @TheTimDurham.

Nearly 200,000 spectators are anticipated to attend the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday. Representative soil sample testing done in a Los Angeles County Public Health study found a higher percentage of samples with lead levels above health-based screening thresholds taken from parcels downwind of the Eaton fire. The Law Makers, Law Breakers and times that there oughta be a law. A Southern California shelter offering services to women facing domestic violence and substance abuse may be closing its doors after federal funding that the shelter depended on was canceled.

This week's episode: We preview the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Plus, Katherine Legge will not be competing in this year's Indy 500 and instead racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. 

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!

Tonight, on a Monday night edition of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about Robert Wickens returning to the driver’s seat to compete in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car race this weekend at Long Beach. They later look forward and preview this weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and talk about who looks good and not. They also talk a little about tonight’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament championship game between Florida and Houston. Later, they talk about some new looks for this weekend's race, with Conor Daly driving a new MannKind livery, Marcus Armstrong with Root Insurance, and Nolan Siegel with Onsemi. Later in the first hour of the show, they talk about the reopening of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and talk more about Jay Frye going to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing as their team president. They also talk about NASCAR competing at Darlington Raceway yesterday with their throwback weekend, and they talk about if IndyCar would ever do a throwback weekend. To wrap up wrap up the first hour of the show, they talk about the passing of Shigeaki Hattori over the weekend after a car accident in North Carolina. They also talk about the passings of Jersey Johnny Cimasko and Maurice Kessler. To start the second hour of the show, they talk about Curt’s official induction in the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame. They later talk about the update on the newest IndyCar chassis coming in 2027 or 2028. They also talk about Tony Kanaan getting some testing laps in case if Kyle Larson has to skip the Indianapolis 500 for rain. Later in the second hour of the program, they answer fan questions from X, such as if there could ever be a return to Japan. They also talk about parking for the Indy 500 which has sold out. Then to wrap up another addition of the show, Kevin talks with Jackson Lee as he competed at Mid-Ohio for the World Racing League as he breaks down his weekend with crazy weather conditions and being teammates with Brian Till. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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!

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!

On campus, the month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Asian Pacific Islander Desi Heritage Month and for the first time, Middle Eastern and North African Heritage Month. There will be many themed events and workshops this month.To kick off Asian Pacific Islander Desi Heritage Month, on Tuesday, April 8 at 11 a.m. there will be a community mixer outside the University Bookstore.Celebrating the first Middle Eastern and North African Heritage Month on campus, an exhibit titled “A Country Called Syria" will open on Tuesday in the University Student Union Art Gallery. Then on Thursday join a cultural workshop for MENA Heritage Month at noon in USU room 304 to indulge in henna calligraphy and embroidery with guided instructions.The Women's and Gender Equity Center along with Planned Parenthood are hosting the Consent and Healthy Relationships workshop in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The event will span from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8 in USU room 205.The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is this weekend with events spanning from Friday, April 11 to Sunday, April 13. Aside from racing and drifting there will be food trucks and a concert for full family fun. This event will affect traffic in the downtown area, as Shoreline Drive will be closed and heavy traffic is expected due to the crowds.Starting on Friday, April 10, China will retaliate against the United States' rise in tariffs against them with a 34% tariff on all imports. In the same announcement, China declared export controls on 16 American companies which will prevent the export of Chinese dual-use items.After an 18-month investigation, British Police charged actor and comedian Russel Brand with five different counts of rape and assault on Friday, April 4. In Sept. 2023 four women came forward and shared their claims of assault by Brand. The alleged assaults happened between the years of 1999 and 2005, although Brand denies all claims. His court date is set for May 2 in London.The Constitutional Court of South Korea voted to remove their president from office on Friday, April 4. President Yoon Suk Yeol had been suspended since Dec. 2024 when the South Korean Parliament voted to impeach him. The Court's unanimous vote sealed the impeachment. Acting president and court member Moon Hyung-bae criticized Yoon's behavior and actions in office by saying he “violated the principles of the rule of law and democracy.”Host: Gianna EcheverriaEditor: Aidan SwanepoelProducers: El Nicklin, Aidan SwanepoelLike, comment, and follow us on your favorite platform for more content!Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/long-beach-current-podcasts/id1488484518Spotify⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4HJaqJep02kHeIQy8op1n1⁠⁠⁠⁠Overcasthttps://overcast.fm/itunes1488484518/long-beach-current-podcasts

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.

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

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.

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