Podcasts about IndyCar Series

ON TODAYS PROGRAM…   PALOU WINS IN DETROIT!!!…SCHUMACHER P21  IS TOTO HAVING FANTASIES OF A KIMI AND MAX SUPER TEAM FOR THEIR SUPER CAR! WOULD THE TIFOSI WEAR ORANGE TO HELP FERRARI GET MAX? ZACK BROWN TOOK LANDO NORRIS TO THE SPEEDWAY THE DAY AFTER THE 500 LARGEST MOTORSPORTS SPECTACLE IN THE WORLD AND…FERNANDO SAYS: I WILL ATTEMPT THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 ONE MORE TIME!….mention MAX and competition.   THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: A MOMENT IN MOTORSPORTS HISTORY WITH CIAO COLLET FROM 2023 WHO CRASHED IN THE INDY 500 WITH 8 LAPS TO GO!! AND A LITTLE HISTORY ON THE MICHELIN TYRE!!  Palou Prevails Amid Chaos, Varying Tire Strategies in Detroit. DETROIT (Sunday, May 31, 2026) – Four-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou prevailed in a full-contact race filled with various tire strategies, winning the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday for his fourth victory in eight races this season. Pole sitter Palou drove his No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a 3.0584-second victory over the No. 27 Sam's Club Honda of Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood. It was the 23rd victory of Palou's career in 106 starts, a remarkable strike rate of 21.7 percent, and he has won 12 of the last 25 races (48 percent win rate) dating to the start of the 2025 season. SEE: Race Results “It feels like the first time, honestly” Palou said. “It was a tough one, a very tough one. But the team did an incredible job once again with the strategy. The pit stops were incredible. Incredible run, incredible start of the year, but it was tough.” The victory extended Palou's championship lead to 62 points over Kirkwood, more than a race's worth of margin. The Spaniard is aiming for an INDYCAR SERIES record-tying fourth straight title. Graham Rahal finished third in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, his third podium finish of the season. Arrow McLaren teammates Pato O'Ward and Christian Lundgaard finished fourth and fifth in the No. 5 and No. 7 Chevrolet-powered cars, respectively, at General Motors' home event. Palou led 71 of the 100 laps, but this wasn't a stroll down Easy Street. He took the lead for good on Lap 69 when Kirkwood pitted from the lead for the last time and stayed out front on restarts on Laps 72, 76, 83 and 93 after full-course yellows bunched the field. The move to the front was paved a few laps earlier when strategist Barry Wanser and Palou decided to make their final pit stop at the end of Lap 63, switching from the faster but less durable Firestone Firehawk alternate tire to the primary tire. Wanser saw a variety of jousts for position unfolding on the tight, nine-turn, 1.645-mile street circuit and wisely didn't want Palou to get caught on track under caution and lose track position. Wanser's decision proved prescient on Lap 66 when Santino Ferrucci's No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet of AJ Foyt Racing nudged the rear of Rinus VeeKay's No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet into a spin in Turn 5. Kirkwood was leading but still had to make his final stop, which he did under yellow on Lap 69 and was forced to use a set of Firestone Firehawk alternates per INDYCAR rules that require at least two sets of the softer rubber to be used in street-circuit events. Palou rocketed away from Alexander Rossi's No. 20 Java House Chevrolet of ECR on the restart on Lap 72. Rookie Mick Schumacher and David Malukas were engaged in an intense duel for third on the restart, with Schumacher missing the corner in Turn 5 and nosing into the barriers in his No. 47 ENVE Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Malukas had nowhere to go and ran wide in his No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, with the incident triggering another full-course caution on Lap 73. By this point, Kirkwood had worked his way back to third after his final pit stop and had to make the most of the added early grip of the alternate tire before the increased durability of Palou's primary tires prevailed in the closing laps. Kirkwood passed Rossi and then set sail for Palou, knowing this was his best chance to win. Kirkwood pulled to within two car lengths of Palou on Lap 79 and appeared to be ready to pounce for the lead when Ferrucci's car slowed in Turn 4 with a mechanical problem, triggering the fifth full-course yellow of the race on Lap 80. “We took a little bit of a gamble on tires there, being the only guy on reds (alternates) at the end,” Kirkwood said. “It nearly paid off. It was so, so close. There were two untimely yellows. “We almost covered Palou when we were on primes, which would have been phenomenal, and then we had that other yellow where I had him lined up. I was ready to make a dive on him, and, of course, (the yellow) comes out after I burned 10 seconds of overtake. From there, we just didn't really have another shot at it. I think I just used up my tires too much to make that one pass.” Palou kept the lead on the restart on Lap 83, but Kirkwood continued to push and forced Palou into a flat-spotting tire lockup on Lap 88. But Palou gathered himself and his car and started to pull away, building a lead of 1.8929 seconds by Lap 91. But there was one more restart for Palou to manage after Rossi clipped the rear of the No. 18 BMax Honda driven by Romain Grosjean of Dale Coyne Racing and sent Grosjean into the outside wall approaching Turn 3 on Lap 91. That triggered the last of six full-course yellows, but Palou pulled away from Kirkwood and the field on the Lap 93 restart and was never threatened despite the 173 on-track passes today, a high for a street circuit this season.  “Being able to be up front was key,” Palou said. “On the first stint, I started struggling and kind of put myself in a bad spot and lost two positions with Lundgaard and (Scott) McLaughlin. I lost us positions there, but the team made a great call to be safe with the yellow. It kind of worked out for us.” Fittipaldi Wins Motor City Thriller, Takes Series Lead. DETROIT (Sunday, May 31, 2026) – Enzo Fittipaldi returned his famous last name to Victory Lane in Detroit for the first time in 35 years, winning the INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix despite driving nearly the entire distance with a damaged front wing and nose cone. Series rookie Fittipaldi won the race, originally scheduled for 45 laps but switched to a timed event, under caution in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports car after starting seventh. It was his second victory of the season and vaulted him to the championship lead in the INDYCAR development series, seven points ahead of Nikita Johnson of Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR and eight ahead of HMD teammate Tymek Kucharczyk. SEE: Race Results The victory also was the first by the legendary Fittipaldi name in Detroit since his grandfather and two-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi won INDYCAR SERIES races on a different downtown street circuit in the Motor City in 1989 and 1991. “I just pushed as hard as I could,” Enzo Fittipaldi said. “I found pace. I was really, really fast. Just so happy to get the win. I love to race; I'm a racer.” Series veteran Myles Rowe finished a season-best second in the No. 99 Abel Motorsports with Force Indy machine, with rookie Kucharczyk rounding out the podium finishers in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports entry. Rookie Max Garcia tied his season-best finish by placing fourth in the No. 12 Abel Motorsports machine, with veteran Seb Murray rounding out the top five in the No. 27 Megatron car of Andretti Global. Frenzied action started from the drop of the green flag on Lap 1, as Lochie Hughes made an aggressive move into the Turn 3 hairpin with his No. 26 Andretti Global car, punting pole sitter Alessandro de Tullio into a spin from the lead in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing entry. Hughes received a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact. Fittipaldi nudged another car in that chain-reaction melee, which damaged the right side of his front wing and punched a large hole in his nose cone. Kucharczyk took the lead from that point, keeping it on the restart on Lap 8. Kucharczyk built a lead of 3.324 seconds over Fittipaldi by Lap 13, with Rowe climbing to third by Lap 18. Rowe dove under Fittipaldi for second on Lap 20 and started to chase down Kucharczyk. By Lap 21, Rowe pulled to within .5477 of a second of leader Kucharcyzk, slicing 1.6 seconds from the Polish driver's lead in just three laps. But the complexion of the race changed on Lap 26 when the second of four full-course yellow flags in the race were unfurled for debris on the nine-turn, 1.645-mile temporary street circuit. The restart came at the end of Lap 27, with Rowe trying to dive under Kucharczyk for the lead immediately after the green flag, in the Turn 3 hairpin. But the move forced both cars wide, leaving an opening along the inside curb for Fittipaldi. He took it, squeezing past Rowe and Kucharcyzk and never trailing thereafter. Fittipaldi stayed out front on another restart on Lap 34 after Niels Koolen nosed his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing machine into the barrier in Turn 8. “I got it done,” Fittipaldi said. “I knew Myles was going to go for a lunge there, and I just prepared my mid-(corner) to exit of Turn 3, and he went on the lunge on Tymek, and I was able to do the crossover and got the lead. I had the pace to stay there, and I was actually pulling away.” The decisive move was one of 141 on-track passes, including 124 for position, in the exciting race – both INDY NXT records for any circuit on which the series has competed in the Motor City. Fittipaldi expanded that gap to nearly six-tenths of a second when Andretti Global's Max Taylor also nosed into the barrier in Turn 1 in his No. 28 Susan G. Komen car with about four minutes, 20 seconds left in what had become a timed race, triggering the final caution. Taylor's car could not be cleared in time to restart the race, with the field finishing under yellow. “I was losing quite a lot of time through (Turns) 6 and 7,” Fittipaldi said of the damage to his car. “It was quite difficult. Down the straight, I could feel the air coming through my legs and I said: ‘Man, this is not good. We're definitely dragging a lot on the straight.' It was hard to keep that lead and keep up with the guys.”

ON TODAYS PROGRAM… FIA APROVE MORE REG CHANGES FOR 2027 SO… IS FERRARI STUCK IN A LOOP OF MEDIOCRITY?  HONDA MAKING SOME PROGRESS IN RELIABILITY WOULD VERSTAPPEN BE TOO MUCH FOR MOTORSPORTS IF HE LEAVES F1 AND… FERNANDO SAYS PATIENCE IS MY STRENGTH WITH HINTS OF NO RETIREMENT ANY TIME SOON!! THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: ROBIN FRINJS WHO JUST WON THE WEC RACE AT SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS! AND, HANNES VAN ASSELDONK! BONUS: DAVID COULTHARD AND LONG TIME F1W LISTENER... CHRISTOPHER DEHARDE. ISACK HADJAR THRILLS CROWD AT GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE HISTORIQUE HOMECOMING  Isack Hadjar roared the 2011 championship-winning RB7 past a sea of French fans as he returned to home soil for the first time as an Oracle Red Bull Racing driver at Circuit Paul Ricard.   In front of an adoring home crowd, Isack paraded around the iconic track allowing him to soak up the electric atmosphere, before taking part in the ‘Fast and Famous' demo run alongside legends of the sport.  Joined by CEO and Team Principal Laurent Mekies, Isack was cheered on by a passionate sell-out crowd of 25,000 fans, as he completed demonstration laps around Le Castellet for the first time since claiming victory there in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2021.   Headlining the 2026 Grand Prix de France Historique, Isack took to the 5.8km Grand Prix course, returning RB7 to the historic Formula One layout, waving to his fans as their roar from the grandstands rivalled the deafening thunder of the car's V8 engine.   Isack later joined fellow French F1 driver Esteban Ocon in the ‘Fast and Famous' segment, which placed cars from several decades of F1 history against one another in a celebration of legacy. Earning the biggest cheer of the afternoon, Isack raced Ocon down the Mistral Straight.   Sharing the track with four-time World Champion Alain Prost, Isack followed in the slipstream of one of his childhood heroes around Circuit Paul Ricard while also driving alongside Jean Alesi, Philippe Alliot and René Arnoux, amongst some of the most celebrated names to race under the French flag.   Capping off a memorable afternoon under the Le Castellet sunshine, Isack was given the honour by waving Le Tricolore to signal the start of the ‘Historic F1 race', featuring an extraordinary collection of World Championship-winning drivers and decades of iconic F1 machinery.   Isack Hadjar, Oracle Red Bull Racing driver, said: "Being here was the perfect day. It was my home Grand Prix here in France and it was my chance to feel the support from so many fans today. I had a lot of fun, both on track and in the paddock. The roar of RB7's V8 is iconic and it felt so light around this circuit which made for a lovely drive. The atmosphere was unreal, you can get so close to the fans and enjoy special moments with them. Coming here brought back a lot of memories from winning races in F4 and to drive around Paul Ricard in an F1 car was a full circle moment." Laurent Mekies, CEO and Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said: "Today has been an incredible event, it's the first time Oracle Red Bull Racing have shown up in this way for the Grand Prix de France Historique and it felt like a really special occasion. Isack's popularity here has been through the roof, you feel an extraordinary sense of passion from the French fans for their motorsport and Isack. He had a great afternoon having a good go on track against cars from so many different eras of our sport. Our heritage team and Showrun programme is so unique to Red Bull, it's our way of bringing Formula One to those that haven't been able to experience a Grand Prix atmosphere before and today they got that." Kucharczyk Breaks Through for First INDY NXT Win at IMS INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, May 9, 2026) – Tymek Kucharczyk was Mr. Consistency for the first five races of the INDY NXT by Firestone season. But now he's a winner. Series rookie Kucharczyk, the first Polish driver to compete in the INDYCAR development series, earned his first career victory by holding off Max Taylor to win Race 2 of the Indianapolis Grand Prix doubleheader Saturday on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. SEE: Race Results “What a special day,” Kucharczyk said. “To do it here, coming back to November in my first test in an INDY NXT car, now a winner here at Indy, it's spectacular. I'm so grateful to my sponsors, to my team. It was a tough race. It was really, really hard to hold Max behind me. He was pushing me for the whole race.” Kucharczyk was the only driver to record a top-five finish in the first five races this season, but his best was third place, three times. He finished fourth in Race 1 of this doubleheader in mixed conditions Friday. But Kucharczyk climbed from fifth to the lead after the first two turns on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit, leading all 30 laps in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car. He took the checkered flag .6273 of a second ahead of Taylor in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen machine of Andretti Global after a taut, race-long duel in the caution-free race. Enzo Fittipaldi, who won Race 1 Friday, prevailed in an exciting three-way fight over the last 10 laps of the race for the final podium spot in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports machine. Lochie Hughes placed fourth in the No. 26 Andretti Global car, with Alessandro de Tullio rounding out the top five in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing entry. Series leader Nikita Johnson placed sixth in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR car. Kucharczyk climbed to second in the standings with his win, 11 points behind Johnson. There were two main flashpoints in the race, which took place under sunny skies in a contrast to the wet conditions at the finish Friday. The first came at the green flag. Taylor started from pole and went side by side with Josh Pierson's No. 29 Starchive Andretti entry of Andretti Global, with both cars going wide. Kucharczyk snuck through the opening for the lead, with Taylor clinging to second. Kucharczyk maintained a gap of six- to seven-tenths of a second for the next 16 laps before the second main incident of the race. Kucharczyk locked his right front wheel braking for Turn 1 on Lap 17, creating a large flat spot on his Firestone Firehawk tire. “Other than the lockup that I made midway through the race, it was a pretty flawless execution,” Kucharczyk said. “I don't think we had probably the fastest car on the grid today, but the first lap helped me massively. Max was pushing really hard, so I had to save the Push to Pass at the end, as well. It's all good. I made it happen, so super, super grateful.” Taylor pulled to within .4807 of a second on Lap 23, and it appeared the flat spot on his tire may have started to sap speed from Kucharczyk. But the Pole managed his tires and saved enough Push to Pass engine boost to increase the gap to .7830 of a second on Lap 25. He maintained a steady gap to the checkered flag. “That was everything,” Taylor said of his effort. “I thought we were going to catch him. I messed up on the start, I think. So, something to look over. But still good points, decent points this weekend, and a lot to take away and a lot to improve on if we want to win this championship.” Taylor is third in the standings, three points behind Kucharczyk and 14 behind Johnson. The next INDY NXT by Firestone race is the Detroit Grand Prix on Sunday, May 31 on the streets of Detroit. Lundgaard Breaks Long Drought To Win Sonsio Grand Prix INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, May 9, 2026) – Christian Lundgaard prevailed in a race filled with thrills, incidents and enough pit wall decisions to prematurely age strategists to win the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory in nearly three years. Lundgaard drove his No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet to his second career victory by 4.6713 seconds over the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet of David Malukas. Lundgaard's first career win came at the Honda Indy Toronto on July 16, 2023, while driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. This victory ended a 47-race winless drought for the Danish driver, and he became the third McLaren driver to win in the INDYCAR SERIES, joining Johnny Rutherford and Pato O'Ward. SEE: Race Results “Very happy,” Lundgaard said. “I really didn't expect this today. I hoped for it. This was a long wait for this win, especially around this place. You know how fast I've always been around here, and it's just been time after time after time disappointments. Now we're here. Let's go! “We did it. Let's go. Good start to May.” Graham Rahal was the final podium finisher today, third in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda to tie his season-best result. Josef Newgarden placed fourth in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet to put two Penske cars in the top four. NTT P1 Award winner Alex Palou, who led every session he was on track this weekend entering the 85-lap race, rounded out the top five in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Lundgaard, who started fourth, took the lead for good with a scintillating pass of Malukas on Lap 68. The two drivers raced side by side through Turns 3 and 4 before Lundgaard slipped through a small opening in the Turns 5 and 6 chicane leading to the backstretch of the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit. Then Lundgaard, who last pitted for the final time one lap earlier than Malukas on Lap 65, pulled away over the closing laps. Malukas led a race-high 27 laps, four more than Lundgaard, as he fell just short of earning his first career victory. “We were very strong in those middle stints, and then toward the end, we maybe made the wrong decision on wing (adjustments) there,” Malukas said. “We were just falling apart. I was doing everything I can just to survive, and Rahal was coming from behind. “But either way, that is a fantastic result. We went into this weekend knowing it was going to be a struggle for us. We thought we wouldn't even make the (Firestone) Fast Six (in qualifying), and here we are P2 on the podium. We're one step closer to getting that win.” Chaos and snap decisions from strategists reigned from the drop of the green flag until the race settled into a rhythm after the final round of pit stops for the field with 20 to 25 laps to go. Palou led into Turn 1 at the start, seeking his fourth consecutive victory in this road race that opens the Month of May at IMS. Behind him, O'Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Scott Dixon in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Felix Rosenqvist in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda and Caio Collet in the No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet were collected in a chain-reaction accident as the 25-car field funneled from the front straightaway to the tight Turns 1-2 complex. That incident helped Malukas jump from fifth to second and triggered the first of three full-course cautions in the race. Many teams began to adopt alternate strategies to cope with the early field shuffle, entering for tires and fuel when the pits opened on Lap 3. Meanwhile, Palou stayed on track and began to pad his lead. Kyle Kirkwood drove his No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda of Andretti Global past Malukas for second place on Lap 7, and the top two drivers in the series point standings started to pull away and possibly set up a one-on-one duel for victory. The race turned on its head on Lap 22 when the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet driven by Alexander Rossi of ECR stopped along the pit wall near the Yard of Bricks start-finish line on the front straightaway with a mechanical problem. Many other cars had started to pit before the full-course yellow, but Palou and Kirkwood did not from the top two spots. Palou and Kirkwood entered the pits on Lap 25, dropping them to 19th and 20th, respectively, when they returned to speed. Palou and Kirkwood just avoided calamity on the restart on Lap 28, darting around another chain-reaction collision – this time in Turn 13 – between Rosenqvist, O'Ward, Sting Ray Robb in the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger – Goodheart Chevrolet and Kyffin Simpson in the No. 8 Sunoco Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Kirkwood's chances at contending for victory ended during his pit service on Lap 39, when a slow right-front wheel change resulted in a 15.2-second stop. Palou's stop was 7.2 seconds on the same lap, allowing him to continue to march toward the front. But he never got any closer than fifth, ending up 14.3630 seconds behind winner Lundgaard. Palou's two-race win streak this season ended, but he still padded his series lead over Kirkwood to 27 points. Kirkwood finished ninth. Lundgaard will try to repeat Palou's 2025 “double” of winning the Sonsio Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge when the 110th edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” takes place Sunday, May 24. Practice on the fabled 2.5-mile oval opens Tuesday, May 12.  

Indiana Sports Talk Host Coach Bob Lovell, along with Network IN’s Updates Anchor Caleb Zuver, begins this hour sharing about tonight’s rain delay for the IndyCar Series qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mark Jaynes, voice of the NTT IndyCar Series and the Indy 500, joins to share about that, tomorrow’s Sonsio Grand Prix, and how some of the drivers have impressed him so far. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 6, 2000, Sam Schmidt, who had just won his first IndyCar Series race in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, backed his racecar into a wall at the Walt Disney World Speedway. He did so at around 200 mph, and the impact broke his neck. Sam spent six months in rehab before going home to his new life with his loving wife, Sheila, and two young children, Savannah and Spencer. Get inspired, learn to persevere, and order his book. Website: https://www.drivenlv.org/partners/conquer-paralysis-now/ Order Book: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=9798895151617 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam.schmidt_/ You may also contact Professor of Perseverance through email, Jamesperduespeaks@comcast.net

The IndyCar Series traveled into new territory this week as it embarked on the inaugural Arlington Grand Prix in Texas. Our resident open wheeler Conor Daly was on the scene, and he reports back to Speed Street with what he witnessed during his time in the Lone Star State. He and Producer Bobby discuss how the event made a great first impression and continued IndyCar's strong start to 2026. They also break down the action that saw Kyle Kirkwood continue his reign of supremacy on the street courses, beating out Alex Palou and taking over the point standings lead. Kyle joins the show to talk about the excellent start Andretti Global has gotten this season and how Will Power joining the team has been an asset to their overall program. He also discusses taking the step to becoming a championship contender and what tracks he needs to improve at in order to be at the top of the podium at the end of the year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ON TODAYS PROGRAM…     CONGRATULATIONS TO KIMI FOR POLE AND THE WIN! MERCEDES CLEARLY AHEAD OF THE PACK! WITH FERRARI RIGHT BEHIND FERNANDO SEES THE END OF RACING WITH DRIVING SLOW IN THE CORNERS TO HARVEST KILOWATTS… LAWRENCE STROLL CLOSE TO THE BRAKING POINT COULD SELL ASTON MARTIN TO BYD! UNLIKE MAX…LCH LOVES THE NEW CARS! AND….   THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: ARVID LINBLAD AND UGO UGOCHUKWU….ENJOY! Kimi Antonelli became the second youngest F1 winner of all time, beating Mercedes team-mate George Russell into second place in Shanghai, while Lewis Hamilton claimed his first ever podium for Ferrari. But it was another chaotic, controversial grand prix under these new 2026 regulations. Neither McLaren made it to the grid, world champion Lando Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri both suffering from unspecified technical gremlins. After his crash on the formation lap in Melbourne last weekend, Piastri becomes the first driver since team founder Bruce McLaren back in 1969 to fail to start successive races. But they were hardly alone. Williams' Alex Albon and Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto also failed to start, while Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstappen was one of three more drivers who failed to finish.   Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso had to retire due to excessive vibrations from his power unit – the same vibrations he was worried might lead to “permanent nerve damage” in Australia. The controversial new 50–50 hybrid power units for this season, combined with active aerodynamics, have completely split fans and drivers. Some are enjoying the lack of reliability and hugely increased overtaking, with drivers able to deploy “boost” and “overtake” modes. Others, notably four-time champion Max Verstappen, decry the action as “artificial”, comparing this new era to computer games such as Mario Kart. You certainly cannot accuse these new rules of failing to produce action. China, the second race of the season, was meant to herald a return to something more “normal” after an extraordinary120 overtakes at the season opener in Australia last weekend. But it was just the same. A wild start, in which the fast-starting Ferraris surged to the front from the second row. A wacky first stint, in which the Ferraris and Mercedes battled for supremacy. And then – after a safety car came out on lap 10 when Aston Martin's Lance Stroll retired – Mercedes gradually pulling clear. Antonelli, 19, eventually won by 5.5sec ahead of Russell to become the first Italian winner of a Formula One race for 20 years, since Giancarlo Fisichella at Sepang in 2006, and the second youngest grand prix winner of all time behind Verstappen, while Hamilton was another 19.7sec back, having emerged victorious from a furious tussle with team-mate Charles Leclerc in which they repeatedly swapped positions and went wheel to wheel. Leclerc said it was “fun” while Hamilton called it “one of most enjoyable races” he has ever had. Fans will be split on that sentiment. Briton Oliver Bearman was an impressive fifth for Haas, just shy of his best ever finish, fourth place in Mexico last year. Kimi Antonelli... What an incredible day! This win is a fulfilment of one of the dreams I've had ever since I first drove a go-kart. I want to say thank you to my amazing family and the incredible team at both Lauda Drive and Morgan Drive. I couldn't have done this without any of them, and it means so much to take my first victory in F1. It was a very special moment for all of us. The race itself wasn't easy. I lost a position at the start and had to fight back to get ahead. We then had to manage the Safety Car restart which wasn't easy on the Hard compound. It was difficult to get the tyres working but fortunately we were able to before we were under threat from those behind. This has been a great way to close the first double-header of the season but there is lots of work ahead. We aren't taking anything for granted and will make sure we work hard ahead of Japan and arrive in Suzuka in the strongest position we can. George Russell... Firstly, huge congratulations to Kimi on his first victory in F1. He drove a great race, and it was brilliant to be up there on the podium with him. I am sure it is a moment he will never forget and to do it with the team scoring a 1-2 is fantastic. My own race was not straightforward. I lost positions both at the start and then at the Safety Car restart as we struggled to switch the Hard tyres on. The Ferraris were quick, particularly in the early stages, and we had to get back past them twice. They were fast in all the right places and that made our job a lot more difficult. Happily, we were able to do it each time, but it cost us the chance to fight for the win. It has been a great way to start the season, and we are definitely the team to beat at the moment. We have been put under a lot of pressure at these first two races, and we need to keep pushing hard. The package is strong though so I'm looking forward to heading to the next race in Japan. Kirkwood Outduels Champ Palou To Win Arlington, Take Series Lead    ARLINGTON, Texas (Sunday, March 15, 2026) – It's been a long time since a rival driver made Alex Palou blink, but Kyle Kirkwood achieved that rare feat to win the inaugural Java House Grand Prix at Arlington on Sunday. Kirkwood took the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship lead and earned his first victory of the season despite a sluggish final pit stop by his Andretti Global crew, driving his No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda to victory under caution over the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of four-time series champion Palou, who has won the title the last three seasons. SEE: Race Results “That was so incredible,” Kirkwood said. “Man, did we have some pace. This JM Bullion Honda, Andretti, all these guys right here, they gave me the tools today. It's because of this race car we won today, because of teamwork. “One-three-four (finish) for Andretti; we're just so stacked here. I'm so stoked.” Andretti Global placed three drivers into the top four at the finish of the 70-lap street-circuit race around AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. Will Power placed third in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda for his first podium finish at his new team after 16 full-time seasons at Team Penske. Marcus Ericsson, who earned his first career pole Saturday, finished fourth in the No. 28 InPwr Honda. Pato O'Ward rounded out the top five finishers in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, the highest-placing Chevrolet-powered driver on the 14-turn, 2.73-mile circuit. “This Andretti Honda camp is fricking strong on street courses,” O'Ward said. “We've got a lot of work to do if we want to start winning races on outright pace against them.” Pure pace helped Kirkwood, who started seventh and overcome a tepid final pit stop to overhaul Palou down the stretch. Palou and Kirkwood were running first and second, respectively, when both made their final stops on the preferred three-stop strategy on Lap 49. The Chip Ganassi Racing crew completed Palou's stop in 7.7 seconds, while Kirkwood's service took 9.5 seconds due to a slow change of the right rear wheel. When both drivers returned to full steam on their out lap, Palou led Kirkwood by 2.2 seconds. But Kirkwood used the speed that helped him lead the pre-qualifying practice Saturday, pulling to within .323 of a second of Palou at the start of Lap 55, with both drivers on the more durable Firestone Firehawk tires in a straight-up duel for the win. Kirkwood didn't waste any time flexing muscle, diving under Palou from a long distance in Turn 13 near the end of Lap 55 and making the daring pass stick for the lead. “He did an awesome pass; hats off to him,” Palou said. “It was super clean, and it was pretty impressive. We'll get them in a couple weeks.” Kirkwood then started to pull away, building a five-second lead by Lap 66. Then that margin evaporated when ECR driver Christian Rasmussen nosed his No. 21 Java House Chevrolet into the tire barrier at pit exit on Lap 68, triggering the first full-course yellow of the race. That bunched the field for a one-lap dash to the checkered flag. Kirkwood pulled away on the restart and was able to exhale early in the final lap when the second and final full-course yellow flew due to a collision between the No. 18 BMax Honda of Dale Coyne Racing's Romain Grosjean and the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of Nolan Siegel deep in the field. “Not today,” Palou said when asked if he thought he could have caught Kirkwood on the final lap. “I was pushing really hard on the first and second stint, and I could see that the 27 (Kirkwood) and the 12 (Power) were a little bit faster than us. I was like, ‘Oh, man, it's going to be quite hard.'” Kirkwood then cruised around the circuit one last time under yellow to cheers from the capacity crowd at this event, a joint venture between Penske Entertainment, the Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment, the official events partner of the Texas Rangers. He leads the standings by 26 points over second-place Palou after three of 18 races. “It's only race number three, so I'm not looking at the championship,” Kirkwood said. “But it is nice to say it's the first time I've ever led the championship in the INDYCAR SERIES.” The taut nature of the race, with its varying strategies about how often to stop for tires, resulted in terrific parity up front. Kirkwood, Palou and Power each led 16 laps to tie for the race high, with Ericsson fourth with 15 laps led. Caio Collet was the top-finishing rookie, 12th in the No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet fielded by AJ Foyt Racing. Phoenix winner Josef Newgarden, who entered this event in the series lead, fell to third after finishing 15th in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. After three consecutive race weekends to open the season, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will get a short break before resuming with the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst on March 27-29 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

As NASCAR moves on from Phoenix to Las Vegas, motorsports reporter Jeff Gluck sits down with two drivers who find themselves at opposite ends of the new points format: Chase Briscoe and Shane Van Gisbergen. They both discuss how their teams are strategizing for the new format, including having an average point total goal for each week to help keep them above the Chase cut-off line. Jeff also chats with reporter Bob Pockrass to learn more about the upcoming IndyCar Series events in Arlington and Washington D.C. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nuevo episodio de AutoFM Motorsport con un inicio de temporada condicionado por la inestabilidad geopolítica y el arranque simultáneo de múltiples campeonatos internacionales. La Fórmula 1 vuelve al centro del debate tras el impacto del conflicto en Oriente Medio en la planificación del calendario. Analizamos el contexto organizativo, las implicaciones estratégicas en el paddock y la situación de Aston Martin ante el GP de Australia. Además: – El World Endurance Championship aplaza su inicio de temporada – Arranque de la IndyCar Series en St. Petersburg: primeras jerarquías técnicas – Inicio del Mundial de MotoGP en Tailandia, con el foco en Acosta vs Márquez – Fin de semana completo en NASCAR Cup Series en COTA – Eurocup-3 y F4 Spain en el Jarama – Fórmula Regional Japonesa en Suzuka – AMA Supercross en Daytona – Mundial de Enduro en Newcastle – Repaso al Campeonato de España de Motocross y Trial En clave estructural y contractual: – Caso Palou–McLaren – Proyecto Verstappen Team en el GT Intercontinental – Nuevo copiloto para Carlos Sainz – Inicio de temporada en FIA Formula 2 Championship y FIA Formula 3 Championship Contamos con el análisis técnico y estratégico de Fons (Fórmula Fons) para interpretar el escenario global del motorsport en este arranque de curso. Un episodio centrado en contexto, lectura competitiva y claves estructurales para entender el momento actual del automovilismo y motociclismo internacional.

A Aprilia dominou, mas é a KTM que sai na frente do campeonato. Quando soam os alarmes na Ducati, o desespero instala-se na Yamaha. Por fim, já pela estreia da IndyCar Series, o "chato" continua o mesmo.

Het is de periode dat langzaamaan alle sporten weer uit hun winterslaap ontwaken en dat geldt ook voor de IndyCar Series. Afgelopen weekend kwamen Rinus van Kalmthout en de zijnen in actie voor de seizoensopener in St. Petersburg, Florida. Voor ons aller Rinus was het ook zijn eerste race voor zijn nieuwe team Juncos Hollinger Racing en hij deed dat zeker niet onverdienstelijk met een negende klassering, nadat zijn kwalificatie niet volgens plan verliep. Winnaar Álex Palou ging vooral vrolijk door met waar hij vorig seizoen mee was gestopt, namelijk op overtuigende wijze winnen. We blikten erop terug met Ziggo Sport Racing commentator René Hoogterp. Presentatie: Robert Denneman

Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits down with one of the most accomplished open-wheel racers in history, three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti. After elevating through the karting ranks of Scotland and taking on the lower formula divisions in Europe, Dario set his sights on the US racing scene, specifically the Championship Auto Racing Teams series. Once stateside, Dario explains his journey wasn't easy, and he initially struggled until joining Barry Green's organization. Dario would have a breakout year in 2007, winning his first Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series championship, but through all the success, he felt his motivation waning, and he was ready for the next challenge. The next challenge came in an unlikely form: NASCAR. Through a deal with Chip Ganassi, Dario would plunge into the world of stock car racing with both feet, taking on the Cup grid in 2008 full-time. The endeavor would be ill-fated, and before long, Dario was back behind the wheel of an IndyCar, where he began a dynasty championship run. This incredible in-depth interview dives deep into the heartbreak of losing loved ones in motorsports, the severity of head injuries, and the difficulty of walking away from competitive racing. Watch on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

…ON TODAYS PROGRAM…   FERNANDO AND THE HONDA CURSE, LAWRENCE STROLL SELLS ASTON MARTIN NAMING RIGHTS FOR 50 MILLION POUNDS. FERRARI ON THE OTHER HAND SHOW OFF NEW SPINNING REAR WING AND, LOOK VERY COMPETITIVE ! MCLAREN AND MERCEDES ARE NOT FAR BEHIND… RED BULL IS STILL A QUESTION MARK?…AND FERNANDO WILL NEED HIS CAMPING CHAIR AS THE GP2 ENGINE THAT FAILED HIM AT MCLAREN, THAT WENT KABLAMO IN THE INDY 500 AND LOOKS TO HAUNT ALONSO FOR ANOTHER LONG SEASON!! STAY TUNED FOR SOME GREAT ONE LINERS FROM MACHISMO… THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER…MORE VINTAGE BANTER BETWEEN THE HOST AND NASIR…THIS WEEKS SPECIAL GUEST: MARCUS ERICSSON, MARTIN BRUNDLE, AND MIKI MONRAS DE ESPANA…! Indianapolis 500 Veteran Hucul Dies at 79   INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Feb. 20, 2026) – Canadian driver Cliff Hucul, a veteran of three Indianapolis 500 starts in the late 1970s, died Feb. 17 on his farm in his native Prince George, British Columbia. He was 79. Hucul made three consecutive starts in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” from 1977-79. His best finish came as a rookie in 1977, 22nd in the No. 29 Team Canada McLaren/Offenhauser that Hucul bought after Johnny Rutherford drove it to victory in the 1976 “500.” Hucul completed 72 laps before being sidelined by gearbox problems. He qualified on Bump Day for that race despite touching the wall in practice the previous day and suffering two engine failures during the Month of May, a significant pitfall for his low-budget team. Hucul's best qualifying spot was 18th in 1979, his final “500” start. The small-town driver from northern British Columbia learned his craft by racing stock cars and modified sprint cars at local tracks. He then began racing modifieds and supermodifieds in the Pacific Northwest against drivers that included eventual Indianapolis 500 winner and INDYCAR SERIES champion Tom Sneva and his brother Jerry Sneva. Hucul made 24 total USAC and CART starts between 1977-81, with eight top-10 finishes. Hucul's best finish in the standings was 11th in 1979, when he started the season by placing fifth at Ontario Motor Speedway and a career-best fourth at Texas World Speedway. In 1996, Hucul became a paraplegic after an automobile accident when crossing black ice on a highway in British Columbia. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Hucul remained active, managing his farm and mentoring many drivers in the area. He was inducted into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame for his lifetime contributions to auto racing. Hucul is survived by his son, Kelly, and daughter-in-law, Sylvie; daughter, Michele, and many grandchildren. 2026 BAHRAIN TESTING - WEEK 1, DAY 3 MAX VERSTAPPEN “Looking at the test overall, the Team got in a good number of laps on the first day so we were happy with that. We completed a lot of things that we wanted to test with the new Power Unit and the car in general. Today it was a continuation of that plus also trying to explore a little bit more with the car; you go through so many test items that it continues to change and evolve with everything that you are testing. In general, it is all so new that we are still learning a lot, but the car was good. We also have new tyres, so we spent some time looking at different sets and understanding what we need to improve and be better at. With the power unit, looking at the laps we got on the board, the start that we have had is good. That's exactly what we wanted to do and it was not a given. Whether it will be enough to win races, we don't know, we will just focus on ourselves and try to do the best we can, but there is still massive room for improvement. Finally, with the car, we learnt a lot about what worked and what didn't. Our runs also gave us even more ideas for the afternoon with Isack and then for next week, where we can continue to try new things and different set ups.” ISACK HADJAR “The first week here in Bahrain has gone well. Of course, I had to wait a little before getting in the car after Barcelona, but once I did, we were able to put it to the test and really work through what we need ahead of next week and Melbourne. There are so many things to look at, but we're staying on track with our programme so far. True performance and pace are always hard to judge in pre-season, but we can be happy with the reliability we've had from the power unit this week. There are still things to work on in terms of balance and tyre management, but that's completely normal for this time of year. We're working through it together as a Team to get where we want to be for Australia. I've known the people here for a while now, but it's great to be working with them again in an environment like this." ASTON MARTIN The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team concluded its testing programme at the Bahrain International Circuit today, with Lance Stroll returning to the cockpit of the AMR26 for the final time before the Australian Grand Prix. Lance did not get on track until late in the morning session due to a battery-related issue that had impacted Fernando's running yesterday. Honda carried out simulations on the test bench at HRC Sakura before the car returned to the track. Due to a shortage of power unit parts, the run plan was very limited and consisted only of short stints. Lance Stroll “It's been a challenging couple of weeks here in Bahrain, and today's limited running wasn't the way we wanted to finish the second test. It's clear the car isn't where we want it to be performance-wise, and we know there's a lot of work ahead in the coming weeks and months. There's a long season ahead, and we'll keep pushing flat out to unlock more performance. I want to say a big thank you to everyone trackside and back at the AMRTC for the work that's gone in so far. It's not where we want to be right now, but I know how determined this team is. We'll stick together, rise to the challenge and keep working until we deliver the performance we are looking for.” WILLIAMS F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season testing – Day 3 James Vowles, Team Principal: Another solid day of running and mileage. It's great to see that across the last six days of testing, we've been predominantly tyre and time limited, and able to complete the full programme that we wanted. That's just a testament to the hard work of the teams, both here and in Grove, making sure that we made up for lost time. 
 No one truly knows where all the performance lies. That's what Melbourne is all about, so I can't wait to go there, to gain a further understanding of where we are. What I know for sure, though, is we have work to do. There's no doubt about it. We've put ourselves on the back foot. But my assurance to everyone is that we have an aggressive programme lining up in front of us in order to make sure that we extract as much performance in this car as possible over the forthcoming months. Carlos Sainz: The past six days of testing in Bahrain has been one of the most interesting and challenging tests that I've been part of, given the new regulations and number of things we had to learn. The progress from day one has been significant, although there are still going to be things to understand and solve at the start of the season. We go into the first half of the year with lower expectations than 2025 knowing that we'll be starting slightly on the back foot. However, I'm really looking forward to getting started and focusing on improving the cars through the year to become more competitive. Bring on Melbourne! Alex Albon: It's been a relatively smooth test here in Bahrain. We got some good mileage under our belts and tested everything we wanted to get out of the car, so I'm feeling more ready for Melbourne. There's still a lot we need to understand and plenty of performance left on the table that we need to extract, but I'm glad the tests went to plan. It's now all about maximising the next few days to prepare for the first race of the year! THIS WEEK'S INTERVIEW WITH MIKI MONRAS... Miki Monrás on battling Bottas and Ricciardo in the late 2000s and the rising cost of junior racing In the late 2000s, Miki Monrás was one of Spain's brightest prospects on the junior single-seater ladder, trading blows with the likes of Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas and António Félix da Costa in Formula Renault and GP3. But while his rivals pushed on towards F1 or careers in GTs, the Spaniard's single-seater journey came to an abrupt halt in 2011. Feeder Series caught up with Monrás to reflect on the times he rubbed shoulders with greatness, the challenges of racing in the post–financial crisis era, and life beyond motorsport. By Anabelle Bremner Back in the noughties, the path from karting to Formula 1 looked nothing like it does today. There was no standardised Formula 4, no carefully managed ladder – just a patchwork of championships that rewarded those brave enough, and wealthy enough, to dive straight in. Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 was as deep as it got: 40-car grids stacked with future stars, the proving ground where Pierre Gasly, Nyck de Vries and Lando Norris would come to cut their teeth. But before all of them, it was Monrás in the thick of it. He made his single-seater debut in late 2007, the result of years spent chasing speed. His first taste of racing, in fact, came on two wheels – on a motocross bike, inspired by his father, who had raced professionally in Spain and Europe. At the age of eight, Monrás joined a motocross camp, and it wasn't long before karting came calling. “After the first race, I really enjoyed it,” he recalls. “I remember it was Christmastime and I asked for a motocross scooter and for a go-kart. So I finally got the go-kart, and that's the way I started. Then I started racing in Catalonia, and I just moved through Spain and Europe and all the world championships until formula.” Single-seater racing, however, would prove a unique beast. Shortly before turning 16, Monrás moved straight from karting into Formula Renault 2.0, in which the competition was fierce. “Normally at that age you'd go before to a category not straight to 2.0,” he said. “My first year I was racing with Bottas, I was racing with Ricciardo, I was racing with [Andrea] Caldarelli – really good drivers.… I was racing against people that were already racing for two years in single-seaters. That was a big difference.”His first Eurocup campaign, in 2008, proved a challenging one. He was scoreless for his first five rounds with the Hitech Junior Team (no relation to the current Hitech) before a switch to SG Formula brought him six points in the final two rounds. Valtteri Bottas, then of Motopark Academy, went on to claim that year's title after a close fight involving Ricciardo, Caldarelli and Roberto Merhi. The next year brought Monrás a decidedly better season and three podiums with SG Formula, owned by Mercedes Junior Team advisor Stéphane Guerin. He wound up fifth overall in a season dominated by a fierce three-way fight between Félix da Costa, Jean-Éric Vergne and Albert Costa – the last of whom ultimately took the title. Racing against so much talent at such a young age left Monrás with plenty of perspective on what might have been. “Ricciardo was my teammate. Jean-Éric Vergne was my teammate. I raced with Da Costa, Bottas, with Magnussen, so many people that have been racing each other and winning races,” he said. “[I] think if I changed something at that point, maybe I would be in Formula 1, but who knows. Maybe yes, maybe no. “But at that time, it was really difficult times because it was 2010, '11, '12, where there was also a big crisis in the world, especially in Europe. It was really difficult for Spanish drivers to get the sponsors and the money to race.” The financial squeeze triggered by the 2008 global financial crisis left Monrás and many of his peers in a precarious position. Several teams, such as SG Formula, shut their doors in the wake of the crisis amidst an already shifting landscape in junior racing. “It's been changing a lot from that time until now. When I was racing Eurocup 2.0, one time we were like 48 drivers, I remember. 2008 at Spa. It was a massive level and so many drivers wanted to go in,” he said. “Eurocup was really high level, I would say maybe [comparable] to Formula 4 about the car and the lap times. “Motorsport has changed a lot in the last few years. It's more expensive. At that time, Eurocup was also expensive, but I think Formula 4 is around €700,000 more or less, maybe more now. It's quite expensive. Back then, I think Eurocup was around €300,000 or €250,000, so there was a massive difference. A lot more people could race at that time.” After two and a half years competing in various Formula Renault series, Monrás stepped up to GP3 in 2010. The inaugural season, won by eventual F1 driver Esteban Gutiérrez, came with another steep learning curve. Monrás managed two podiums and a 10th-place finish in the standings, but the step up exposed the limits of what talent alone could achieve in a field packed with hungry, well-backed drivers. “When I raced GP3, that was the first year of the championship, so it was a new championship for all of the teams. I also raced with Arden, which was a new team in the category, so it made it a bit difficult,” he said. “During testing, I remember I was flying in GP3, and then suddenly in some races there was such a huge difference with some other cars and drivers. It was difficult sometimes. … I think this is always present in motorsport in all categories. You will find some kind of differences within cars and teams. It just will always be there.” Challenging as it was, that season had its highs for Monrás. A recovery drive in Spa's characteristic rain remains a fond memory for the Spaniard. “I had a really bad qualifying because there were some yellow flags,” he explained. “Because there were 30 cars, it was easy to find yellow flags if you're waiting for the last minutes in qualifying. I finished [ninth in] race one, and in race two it started raining really heavily after five laps. I went from P10 to P3, nearly fighting for the win in the last lap against Rossi and Tambay. That was a really good race.” After a season in GP3, Monrás moved up a rung on the ladder to Formula Two. At the time, the feeder series landscape was fragmented. GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5 offered established paths to Formula 1, while the MotorSport Vision's FIA Formula Two Championship, which first ran in 2009, aimed to do the same with a more affordable package. “Formula Two at that point was very competitive, economically speaking,” Monrás said. “It was a lot cheaper to race in Formula Two than race in GP2 at that moment or 3.5 because it was like all one team. All the cars were one team with different engineers, and that made it low cost for the time. “A lot of drivers went to it because of that. They were racing in the best tracks, same as World Series and similar to GP2, and the car was competitive. Maybe not as competitive as GP2 or 3.5 because it was a bit slower, but it was really competitive and really fast, on the straight especially.”  “In that time, what they were saying was it was very equal. You had one engineer for three cars, you were sharing data with these three cars, and it was all under the same team. You can always find differences in motorsport. Maybe not a difference to make one car win and one car P15, but you can still always find two-tenths difference in similar cars, and two tenths, sometimes it's a lot of time,” he said. “The cars were on the same team, but each engineer was doing the set-up for his driver. The set-up I was using and maybe the set-up Bortolotti was using, he had won the championship maybe from our different set-ups. Every race, you changed engineers. Every weekend, you were rotating engineers so at the end of the season, everybody worked with everyone.” By 2012, the funding had dried up. Monrás was left sponsorless and unable to compete in Formula Two. He sampled GT racing in the Blancpain Endurance Series and tested with both Audi Sport and Atech GP, but no program materialised. From there, Monrás transitioned into driver coaching and team management – mostly with the AV Formula team owned by his manager, Adrian Vallés – and eventually “moved on” from motorsport around 2017. “I was working also with McLaren Automotive, but it was not motorsport. It was automotive, developing road cars, really competitive cars. After that I decided to stop because I wanted to follow a new career professionally, and I moved onto real estate which I have always been [involved with] because of my family, so that's why I decided to move over,” he said. “I now work in a real estate company which I own with some partners, and that's my day-to-day nowadays.” After years climbing the ladder in lockstep with some of the sport's future stars, Monrás has found a new rhythm – one that's decidedly less fast, but no less his own. Yet his career remains a reminder of the talent that defined an era: a Spaniard who went wheel to wheel with the likes of Ricciardo, Bottas, and Vergne, racing in some of the deepest junior grids of the 2000s and 2010s. In the story of that generation, Monrás may no longer be on track, but he's never far from the memory of it all.

It's audio from The Week In IndyCar YouTube show! TOPICS: Tuesday's IndyCar Series test at Sebring, plus a visit by the fastest driver on the day, Marcus Armstrong. NEW show stickers and retro racing memorabilia: ThePruettStore.com EVERY episode is graciously supported by the Justice Brothers and TorontoMotorsports.com. If you'd like to join the PrueDay podcast listener group, send an email to pruedayrocks@gmail.com and you'll be invited to participate in the Discord chat that takes place every day and meet up with your new family at IndyCar events. Play on Podbean.com: https://marshallpruett.podbean.com/ Subscribe: https://marshallpruettpodcast.com/subscribe Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallPruettPodcast [WTI]

It's audio from The Week In IndyCar YouTube show! TOPICS: Monday's IndyCar Series test at Sebring, plus a visit by the fastest driver on the day, Alex Palou. NEW show stickers and retro racing memorabilia: ThePruettStore.com EVERY episode is graciously supported by the Justice Brothers and TorontoMotorsports.com. If you'd like to join the PrueDay podcast listener group, send an email to pruedayrocks@gmail.com and you'll be invited to participate in the Discord chat that takes place every day and meet up with your new family at IndyCar events. Play on Podbean.com: https://marshallpruett.podbean.com/ Subscribe: https://marshallpruettpodcast.com/subscribe Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallPruettPodcast [WTI]

Repasamos en toda la actualidad de una semana cargada de noticias y competición. La ABB FIA Formula E World Championship centra parte del análisis tras el E-Prix de Miami, con la victoria de Mitch Evans, su récord histórico de triunfos y el debate abierto sobre el trazado del circuito. La competición internacional sigue con Fórmula Regional en Medio Oriente y Oceanía, la F4 en Dubái, la Asian Le Mans Series y el Mundial de Enduro, además de un AMA Supercross marcado por la intensidad en Texas. Un repaso completo a resultados, protagonistas y claves deportivas del fin de semana. La actualidad también pasa por la Fórmula 1 con el shakedown de Montmeló, mientras que en Estados Unidos la IndyCar Series anuncia una nueva carrera urbana en Washington D.C., con importantes implicaciones simbólicas, logísticas y económicas, además del regreso de Tim Cindric a Penske. Semana de auténticos bombazos en MotoGP, con rumores que sacuden el paddock y movimientos que podrían cambiar el futuro de varios pilotos punteros. A esto se suman las especulaciones en el WEC sobre la posible salida de Alpine y la entrada de Honda, y una NASCAR condicionada por el temporal que ha obligado a modificar por completo el calendario del Clash. Todo ello, con debate, contexto, opinión y la participación de invitados y colaboradores habituales, cerrando con la pregunta de Coronas de Laurel, el repaso de horarios y el análisis final de la semana. En directo en AutoFM Motorsport Martes 3 de Febrero ️ Javier Quilón y Mario González Rubén Gómez y Alex Moya Invitado: Pablo López

PIT PASS INDY – SEASON 6, EPISODE 3 – Racing Day at the Detroit Auto Show with IndyCar drivers Rinus VeeKay, Kyffin Simpson, Marcus Armstrong and David Malukas and much more from Detroit January 27, 2026 Show host Bruce Martin and Pit Pass Indy are back with another big episode. Martin was at Racing Day at the Detroit Auto Show and has exclusive interviews with IndyCar Series drivers Rinus VeeKay, Kyffin Simpson, Marcus Armstrong and David Malukas. Also, exclusive interviews with General Motors Vice President for Performance and Motorsports Jim Campbell, Detroit Auto Club Executive Director Sam Klemet and Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix President Michael Montri. For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at X, previously known as Twitter, at @BruceMartin_500

January 14, 2026 Show host Bruce Martin and Pit Pass Indy are back to kick off the 2026 season that highlights the team behind Alex Palou's success at Chip Ganassi Racing Martin has exclusive interviews with Crew Chief Ricky Davis, Technical Director Julian Robertson, Team Manager and Race Strategist Barry Wanser and Performance Engineer Brian Weller on this season-opening episode of Pit Pass Indy. For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at X, previously known as Twitter, at @BruceMartin_500

New 2025 IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou joined me at Portland Raceway about an hour after winning his fourth title for Chip Ganassi Racing to share thoughts about his unimaginable journey from Spain to Japan and to the U.S. where he's living the American Dream. NEW show stickers and retro racing memorabilia: ThePruettStore.com EVERY episode is graciously supported by the Justice Brothers and TorontoMotorsports.com. If you'd like to join the PrueDay podcast listener group, send an email to pruedayrocks@gmail.com and you'll be invited to participate in the Discord chat that takes place every day and meet up with your new family at IndyCar events. Play on Podbean.com: https://marshallpruett.podbean.com/ Subscribe: https://marshallpruettpodcast.com/subscribe Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallPruettPodcast [WTI]

Our guest today is Sting Ray Robb (yes, that is his real name), race car driver in the IndyCar Series.Today on the podcast, Sting Ray Robb shares how his faith has shaped his identity beyond racing results, the importance of scripture in his life, and the challenges of being a believer in a largely secular sport. He emphasizes the significance of community, the power of leading by example, and the need to lean into doubt as a means of growth. "Get in the Game" is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sports Spectrum Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Sign up for our Sports Spectrum Magazine and receive 15% off a 1-year subscription by using the code PODCAST15⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://SportsSpectrum.com/magazine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Do you know Christ personally? Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn how you can commit your life to Him.

PIT PASS INDY – SEASON 5, EPISODE 63 – Unpacking the end of the 2025 INDYCAR Series Season with Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin, Marcus Ericsson and much more September 9, 2025 Show host Bruce Martin has plenty to unpack in the latest Pit Pass Indy as IndyCar heads into the offseason with a flurry of big announcements. In addition to catching up on all the IndyCar news, Martin has exclusive interviews with six-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing, Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske, Marcus Ericsson of Andretti Global, Kyffin Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing, Sting Ray Robb of Juncos Hollinger Racing, Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Santino Ferrucci of AJ Foyt Racing, and Jacob Abel of Dale Coyne Racing. For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at X, previously known as Twitter, at @BruceMartin_500

PIT PASS INDY PRESENTED BY PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL – SEASON 5, EPISODE 61 – Christian Rasmussen's thrilling win at The Milwaukee Mile. Plus, Tony George, Alex Palou, Will Power, David Malukas, Conor Daly, Jacob Abel and Tim Broyles August 26, 2025 Show host Bruce Martin has seemingly miles worth of content from the Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250 at The Milwaukee Mile on the latest episode of Pit Pass Indy Presented by Penske Truck Rental. Martin has an exclusive interview with Milwaukee race winner Christian Rasmussen, who drove to a thrilling victory for his first IndyCar Series win. Martin also has exclusive interviews with former Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, four-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, two-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Will Power of Team Penske, David Malukas of AJ Foyt Racing, Conor Daly of Juncos-Hollinger Racing, rookie Jacob Abel of Dale Coyne Racing and ECR General Manager Tim Broyles. 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

PIT PASS INDY PRESENTED BY PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL – SEASON 5, EPISODE 59 – Alex Palou Clinches the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Championship with Alex Palou. Also, team owner Chip Ganassi, Portland winner Will Power, Liz Power and Pato O'Ward August 12, 2025 Show host Bruce Martin has all the action for the BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by Ask ROI as Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing clinched the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Championship. It's Palou's third-straight IndyCar Series Championship, and his fourth IndyCar Series title in the past five seasons. In the “Era of Alex” there seems to be little that Palou can do wrong. He is the perfect driver on the perfect team at the perfect time and that has created history for IndyCar. Chip Ganassi Racing has now won 17 INDYCAR Series Championships, tying Team Penske for the most in history. Team Penske's Will Power won the race, the 45th of his career. Martin has exclusive interviews with IndyCar Series Champion Alex Palou, championship team owner Chip Ganassi, race winner Will Power, his wife Liz Power and championship runner-up Pato O'Ward in this edition of Pit Pass Indy Presented by Penske Truck Rental. 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

Welcome back to another episode of Chasing the Apex! Today, we are sitting down with Alex Athanasiadis, the Vehicle Performance Lead Engineer for the Porsche Penske WEC program. Originally from Greece, Alex started his career as a Junior Performance GT3 Engineer with Callaway Competition in Germany. From there, he moved to a role as a Vehicle Dynamics Engineer with McLaren Automotive. In this role, he worked on the 720S-Spider, Elva, Senna GTR, and 765LT. Alex then spent some time as a freelance race engineer before joining Gordon Murray Design. During his time with the company, he led the vehicle dynamics attributes development on the T33, T50, and T50S. Alex then made a move to the United States, where he worked for the Dale Coyne team within the IndyCar Series. He served as a Performance Engineer for Takuma Sato and the Lead Race Engineer for David Malukas. Most recently, Alex has joined the Porsche Penske team and is in charge of Vehicle Performance for the WEC team. Social Media Links: https://linktr.ee/chasingtheapex

The elbows were out this past weekend as the IndyCar Series did battle at Laguna Seca, and our favorite open wheeler Conor Daly brought home his best road course result of the season. He joins co-host Chase Holden to unpack his team's weekend, and how struggles with the primary tire and a lap one collision had them battling uphill all day. Despite this, Conor was able to survive some “argy-barginess” and found himself in position for a 14th place finish. He and Chase weigh in on opening lap contact between Kyffin Simpson and Felix Rosenqvist, as well as the new beef between Kyle Kirkwood and Rinus Veekay which has spilled onto social media. Ed Carpenter Racing driver Christian Rasmussen joins the show to discuss his strongest IndyCar season to date, which includes his recent first career podium at Gateway and a series of top 10s finishes. Christian recounts his strong showing at Laguna Seca and how he was on track to have a 7th-place day before dropping his tires off course and losing a couple of positions. He and Conor discuss their love for the highline at the short ovals this year, and how the IndyCar paddock has adopted an aggressive mentality as the season winds to a close. The guys also discuss their recent golf outing at Pebble Beach and other hobbies away from the track.

The IndyCar Series made its annual pilgrimage north of the border, and our resident open wheeler Conor Daly held on for a 15th place finish. He joins co-host Chase Holden this week on Speed Street to discuss the challenges that street courses like Detroit and Toronto bring to the Juncos Hollinger Racing team. Conor explains that the slick surfaces that are found throughout the courses make it difficult to generate mechanical grip, and Toronto is especially tricky with its mixture of tarmac and concrete. He fills listeners in on what his team's strategy was and ultimately how the late race caution helped salvage a 15th place finish. The guys also look ahead to Laguna Seca where Conor expects to have more competitive pace.Friend of the show Rinus Veekay returns to celebrate his second place finish and return to the IndyCar podium. Rinus dives into the recent engineering hires that Dale Coyne Racing has made, mainly Michael Cannon and Mike Ciccarelli, and how they are boosting the team's performance week in week out. Rinus feels his stock as an IndyCar racer is at an all time high, and Conor makes the argument for him being deserving of a high-profile ride in the series. Rinus has elevated the team to an 11th place position in the points standings, far above several of the top runners in the series. The guys look ahead to the final four races of the season and Rinus lays out his expectations of how he'd like to finish out the year.

El piloto español lidera con claridad la IndyCar Series 2025 en busca de lograr su cuarto campeonato.

El piloto español lidera con claridad la IndyCar Series 2025 en busca de lograr su cuarto campeonato.

PIT PASS INDY PRESENTED BY PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL – SEASON 5, EPISODE 51 – Wild Race at Mid-Ohio with Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Graham Rahal, Kyle Kirkwood and the return of Kyle Moyer July 8, 2025 Show host Bruce Martin has all the angles covered from the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on this week's Pit Pass Indy Presented by Penske Truck Rental. Martin has exclusive interviews with 59-time IndyCar Series race winner Scott Dixon, who extended his record for victories at Mid-Ohio to seven with his big win on July 6. Other exclusive interviews included IndyCar Series Championship leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global, Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Kyle Moyer, the new Director of Competition at Arrow McLaren. 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 We will have even more IndyCar interviews leading into this weekend's Sukup INDYCAR Race Weekend at Iowa on a special bonus episode later this week, so be on the lookout for that.

The IndyCar Series took on legendary Road America this past weekend, and our resident open wheeler Conor Daly was once again in action. He joins co-host Chase Holden this week on Speed Street to discuss his struggles throughout the weekend and how a penalty sunk his efforts at a decent finish. Conor explains that the new hybrid continues to be difficult for his team, as the added weight has caused everyone in the paddock to go back to the drawing board for setups and balance. Ultimately, a design difficulty in the aero screen caused Conor to misread an IndyCar official's hand gestures, which led to him receiving a stop-and-go penalty, effectively taking him out of contention.Road America pole sitter Louis Foster joins the race to celebrate his first ever series P1 start and how he and his team were shocked to have found so much speed throughout the qualifying session. He and Conor share thoughts on the search for consistency throughout a season, and how it can be frustrating competing against the better funded teams who seem to have things together week in week out. Louis speaks on the viral clip of his mustache shaving from the past weekend and how out of the car storylines are good for IndyCar fans to get to know the drivers better. The guys also touch on Louis' major crash in St. Louis, changing team culture and the upcoming test at Iowa.

Swearing in front of your parents, Scott McLaughlin on IndyCar Series, and more! T H2

In this week's episode from May of 2025, we visit with Indycar Head of Aerodynamic Development, Tino Belli and we talk all things Indycar including the Indy 500, and when the new Indycar is coming. Direct from the Indycar Series offices across the street from the Brickyard.

It was an exhilarating weekend in St. Louis for the IndyCar Series, and our resident open wheeler Conor Daly entertained the masses with a thrilling drive to the front. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss taking his number-76 Juncos Hollinger Chevy high, wide and handsome to battle from 15th place to the lead throughout the evening. Conor gives listeners great insight to his side-by-side battle with Pato O'Ward and how some missteps on pit road ultimately put him behind, causing him to settle for a sixth place finish. Pato O'Ward joins the show and the two stars of the night relive their battle in detail. Pato compares the fight for the lead to his race with Josef Newgarden at Texas in 2023. He also discusses his start to the 2025 season and how despite not having a victory on the year he finds himself second in the championship points standings. Pato reveals that he feels very at peace with how the races have been unfolding and despite not always having qualifying speed, he's been able to capitalize every weekend and salvage good finishes. Conor and Pato also rehash the 2025 Indianapolis 500 and Pato unpacks some of his heated, post-race comments about how the race fell short of what he expects from the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Doug Boles already had his dream job as president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 2013. Then Roger Penske, owner of both IMS and the IndyCar Series, asked him to be president of IndyCar following the departure of Jay Frye in February. The pitch: Boles would retain his first job while also taking on the second. “It wasn't something that I expected,” Boles says in this week's edition of the IBJ Podcast. “When Roger Penske calls you and says, ‘I need your help,' you don't usually say, ‘No.' You say, ‘Yes, sir, how can I help?' And then you get on board and you start figuring it out.”   A few months later, early in the morning after qualifying for the Indy 500 on May 18, Boles called Penske to inform his boss that he felt it was necessary to ratchet up the severity of penalties against two Team Penske drivers—including two-time defending champion Josef Newgarden—by placing them at the very back of the field. “It was not the [phone] call I wanted to make,” Boles said.   Nor was it the only difficult conversation Boles would have with IndyCar teams about costly penalties by the time the Indy 500 victory banquet rolled around on May 26. “This month was probably the most physically and emotionally draining and taxing month that I've had since I've been [IMS] president,” Boles told IBJ. These have been the highest-profile decisions to date in Boles' tenure as IndyCar president as he works on implementing Penske's larger vision. Most importantly, that means bringing together IMS and IndyCar to work more as a single unit and leverage their strengths. It also means working with Fox, IndyCar's new broadcaster, to find ways to build the audience. It means working with promoters and sponsor. All of those topics are on the table in this wide-ranging podcast, as well as emerging efforts to improve inspection of cars and to create an independent officiating board that would operate completely outside the Penske organization to quell concerns about conflicts of interest. Boles also shares his take on the need for the annual irritant shared by many local fans: the TV blackout of the live Indy 500 broadcast.  

PIT PASS INDY PRESENTED BY PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL – SEASON 5, EPISODE 41 – Wrapping up the 109th Indianapolis 500 with Roger Penske, Kyle Larson, Kyle Kirkwood, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon and much more June 3, 2025 Show host Bruce Martin was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the entire “Month of May” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, culminating with the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25 chasing the major storylines for Pit Pass Indy Presented by Penske Truck Rental. Martin wraps up this year's Indy 500 with exclusive interviews with Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar Series owner Roger Penske, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon, 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson, Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood, Meyer Shank Racing drivers Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Armstrong, 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, Ed Carpenter of ECR, Santino Ferrucci of AJ Foyt Racing, Sting Ray Robb of Juncos Hollinger Racing and Borg-Warner Trophy sculptor William Behrends. 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 Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is prepared for a big Month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 109thIndianapolis 500. We will have a special bonus episode later this week recapping all the action from the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, so look for that later this week.

PIT PASS INDY PRESENTED BY PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL – SEASON 5, EPISODE 39 – Celebrating the 109th Indianapolis 500 victory with winner Alex Palou, team owner Chip Ganassi, team manager Barry Wanser and crew chief Ricky Davis from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. May 27, 2025 Show host Bruce Martin was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the entire “Month of May” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, culminating with the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25 chasing the major storylines for this special Indianapolis 500 Preview on Pit Pass Indy Presented by Penske Truck Rental. Martin has exclusive interviews with the winning driver of the 109thIndianapolis 500 Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing. Also, Martin brings IndyCar Series fans exclusive interviews with Ricky Davis, the winning crew chief, Barry Wanser, Chip Ganassi Racing team manager and Palou's race strategist, and the winning team owner, Chip Ganassi. 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 Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is prepared for a big Month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 109thIndianapolis 500. We will have regular and bonus episodes all month, thanks to our friends from Penske Truck Rental and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway including more on the Indy 500 later this week.

Roger Penske's integrity-first approach rocks the racing world as Team Penske faces unprecedented sanctions just days before the Indianapolis 500. We break down exactly what happened—modified attenuators on Josef Newgarden and Will Power's cars sent both championship contenders to the back of the grid, while three top Penske executives were fired. The technical violation might seem minor to casual fans (smoothing an edge on a safety component), but as we explain, it represents a significant breach of trust from racing's most respected team owner.The timing couldn't be worse for Newgarden, who was pursuing a historic three-peat at the Indy 500. We discuss how this follows another technical violation discovered in April regarding improper access to push-to-pass systems, creating a troubling pattern for the team that owns both the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series itself.Beyond the racing scandal, we explore Mercedes-Benz's strategic expansion in Atlanta, where the German automaker is doubling down by relocating 500 jobs and opening a multi-million dollar R&D center—a counter-intuitive move as they slash costs globally. We also dive into Ford Motor Company's explosive lawsuit against California lawyers allegedly running a massive billing fraud scheme under the state's Lemon Law, costing the automaker approximately $20 million annually over five years.Our "This Week in Auto History" segment highlights fascinating milestones, including Team Lotus entering Formula One in 1958, the founding of Buick Motors in 1903, and the establishment of the first auto repair shop in the US in 1899. Whether you're a racing enthusiast, automotive history buff, or simply enjoy hearing candid conversations about cars, this episode delivers insight, expertise, and entertainment in equal measure.Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!The Lupe' Tortilla RestaurantsLupe Tortilla in Katy, Texas Gulf Coast Auto ShieldPaint protection, tint, and more!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.---- ----- Want more In Wheel Time car talk any time? In Wheel Time is now available on Audacy! Just go to Audacy.com/InWheelTime where ever you are.----- -----Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast provider for the next episode of In Wheel Time Podcast and check out our live multiplatform broadcast every Saturday, 10a - 12noonCT simulcasting on Audacy, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and InWheelTime.com.In Wheel Time Podcast can be heard on you mobile device from providers such as:Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Podcast, iHeartRadio podcast, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Castro, Castbox, YouTube Podcast and more on your mobile device.Follow InWheelTime.com for the latest updates!Twitter: https://twitter.com/InWheelTimeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inwheeltime/https://www.youtube.com/inwheeltimehttps://www.Facebook.com/InWheelTimeFor more information about In Wheel Time Car Talk, email us at info@inwheeltime.comTags: In Wheel Time, automotive car talk show, car talk, Live car talk show, In Wheel Time Car Talk

The week between qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 and the actual race is usually pretty quiet from a news perspective. But there's nothing usual about the last week in this year's Month of May. Major penalties assessed to two cars owned by Team Penske—including the car driven by two-time defending champion Josef Newgarden—inflamed long-running concerns about Roger Penske's ownership of both the IndyCar Series and arguably its most successful team.   In an extraordinary press conference on Monday, IndyCar President Doug Boles announced that he and another Penske executive decided that harsher penalties were warranted in an effort to protect the integrity of the Indy 500. Their decision, he said, was made without the input of their boss, Roger Penske. Two days later, Team Penske announced something that would have been unthinkable before the 2024 season--that it was parting ways with three of the team's top executives. That included President Tim Cindric, long considered to be Penske's successor in the racing part of his automobile empire. The departures have been widely reported as firings.   Boles dropped another bombshell late on Wednesday. He revealed that IndyCar has been exploring the creation of an independent governing body beyond Penske's control to officiate the series without the appearance of bias.   If you live in the central Indiana media market, these rapid-fire announcements might have been bewildering. You've heard references to “cheating” and “scandal.” You've heard that the smoking gun for the qualifying penalties was something called an “attenuator” that had been illegally modified in some way. You've heard that all of these developments are a “big deal” for Penske, and therefore the series. If you don't follow IndyCar religiously, this week's podcast gives you the relevant background and serves as a primer on which elements are important. Our guest is John Oreovicz, a journalist and author who has covered IndyCar for three decades.

More with Scott Gulbransen as he talks Tush Push decision, Tom Brady's influence on the entire Raiders organization and the differences between F1 and IndyCar Series racing. The Christopher Gabriel Program ----------------------------------------------------------- Please Like, Comment and Follow 'The Christopher Gabriel Program' on all platforms: The Christopher Gabriel Program is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. --- The Christopher Gabriel Program | Website | Facebook | X | Instagram | --- Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00-24:02) – Query & Company opens on a Friday with Jake Query at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on this Fast Friday and producer Eddie Garrison back in the studio discussing what is going on at the track today. They also continue to evaluate if the Pacers should want to face the Celtics or the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. (24:02-33:18) – With today being Fast Friday out at the track, Jake sharing what someone told him earlier in the day at IMS. He also answers a question as to whether anyone has come close to winning the race three consecutive years. (33:18-42:02) – The first hour of today’s show concludes with Jake and Eddie discussing the Western Conference Finals and who the Minnesota Timberwolves could be facing. Additionally, they size up the last three teams against the Indiana Pacers. (42:02-1:05:52) – Television voice and turn four announcer for the IMS Radio Network, Chris Denari, makes an appearance on the show to weigh in the pros and cons of the Indiana Pacers facing the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Chris evaluates which Pacers players has improved their value to the team in this postseason run and he discusses his love for being a part of the radio network for the Indianapolis 500. (1:05:52-1:15:54) – Earlier in the show, Jake gave out his phone number for people to text him with questions about racing. Jake is asked about the creating of the Indy Racing League (now IndyCar Series) after the split between the Championship Auto Racing Teams and USAC. (1:15:54-1:24:04) – Hour number two concludes with John Oreovicz of Racer Magazine joining at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He answers some questions that has to help educate the audience on some of the racing terms and phrases. (1:24:04-1:48:09) – The Fan Morning Show’s Kevin Bowen makes his weekly appearance on the program to access if the Colts schedule release video was them trying to be too cute, debates if he would rather see the Pacers face Boston or New York in Eastern Conference Finals, and they go over the weather for Carb Day and race day because of Kevin’s experience of jinxing the weather back when he and Jake hosted the morning show. (1:48:09-1:57:54) – Every Friday on Query & Company is a Franciscan Good For The Heart Friday! Jake spotlights a local story that has a connection with the IHSAA. (1:57:54-2:06:28) – Jake closes out today’s show with Eddie discussing what their weekend plans entail and previewing the regular season opener tomorrow afternoon for the Indiana Fever! Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PIT PASS INDY PRESENTED BY PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL – SEASON 5, EPISODE 32 – Wrapping up Indy 500 Open Test with 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson, Conor Daly and three-time IndyCar Series Champion Alex Palou May 1, 2025 Show host Bruce Martin was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the two-day Indy 500 Open Test at on Wednesday April 23 and Thursday April 24 and recaps the major storylines on Pit Pass Indy Presented by Penske Truck Rental. Martin has exclusive interviews with the winner of the 2022 Indianapolis 500, Marcus Ericsson, now with Andretti Global, popular Indiana driver Conor Daly, and three-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing. 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 Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is gearing up for the start of a big Month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 109thIndianapolis 500. We will have regular and bonus episodes all month, thanks to our friends from Penske Truck Rental and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tickets are going fast for the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25 as it gets closer to selling out so get yours today before all grandstand seats are sold. Contact the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office at 317-492-6700 or visit IMS.com.

Last week race fans had the opportunity to see IndyCars on track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time in 2025, and Conor Daly turned in impressive results during both days of the Open Test. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss what he and the Juncos Hollinger Team learned during their time in the IMS paddock and how the hybrid system performed its first time out at the legendary oval circuit. Conor explains why he thinks Team Penske will once again be in the running for the front row sweep, and how the littlest details matter when it comes to superspeedway racing. The guys also look ahead to this weekend's race in Barber and make some podium picks for Sunday.IndyCar Youtuber David Land joins the show to chat about the current state of the IndyCar Series and what social media content creators like himself can do to help drive the sport to the next level. David talks about how there currently aren't many Youtubers who concentrate solely on IndyCar, and how more creators with a similar output would be useful to bringing in new audiences. The guys talk about the current manufacturers in IndyCar and what can be done to attract new interest from other OEMs, including efforts to make the cars more of a focal point for the series. The interview also tackles the tough topic of negativity surrounding the series and what can be done to help curb bad publicity on social media, including changes to the schedule and less down time between events.

Tampa Bay is a pro sports town. You've got the Lightning for Hockey, Buccaneers for Football, and the Rays for baseball. That attracts folks for hundreds of games in the area this year.But there's another huge presence: the numbers are in for the first IndyCar Series broadcast of the season for the audience that watched Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden battle  on the streets of St. Petersburg's waterfront.  1.4 million viewers watched, a steep increase from last year's race.And if you were anywhere near downtown St. Pete at the start of March, you probably heard it, as the streets alongside the marina were transformed into a racetrack for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.  For this episode, Florida Matters takes you to the Grand Prix, where motor racing fans talk about what keeps them coming back. And you'll hear what drivers like Hailie Deegan and Lochie Hughes think about racing in St. Pete. And- we talk with Chris Steinocher, President and CEO at St Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission's Claire Lessinger, Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Local Organizing Committee hosting the Women's Final Four. They share insights into what it takes to bring marquee events to Tampa Bay, and how they help power the area's economy. 

The IndyCar Series had a great battle at Thermal Club, and Conor Daly brought home a respectable 16th place finish. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss the event in Southern California and how things panned out for the number-76 Juncos Hollinger team. Conor explains the difficulties around tire choices and gambles that didn't play out as expected. They also discuss the Fox broadcast technical difficulties and the numerous hybrid issues experienced on the grid throughout the weekend.The hot topic of the race was Scott McLaughlin's altercation with Devlin DeFrancesco, and Scott joins the show to unpack what he considers the worst weekend in his IndyCar career. He gives his take of the incident and lets listeners know how everything was resolved after the cameras went dark. The guys look at ahead to Long Beach and Scott weighs in on how he and the Penske-3 team expect to bounce back and begin to chip away at Alex Palou's points lead.

Two stars of IndyCar's season opener join this week's episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast, with Christian Lundgaard and Will Buxton joining the show.There was plenty of talk surrounding Lundgaard and what he'd be able to achieve entering a McLaren team built around Pato O'Ward, and he discussing that and the expectation he placed on himself before his eighth-place finish which was basically the worst result possible in a weekend that could have been even better.He discusses his affinity with Barber after a recent test and his transformation there in 2023, plus how the epic first weekend impacts his season expectations.Buxton joins off the back of making his debut as Fox's lead commentator for the IndyCar Series. He breaks down how the first weekend went with behind the scenes insight, talks about what to expect for the rest of 2025 and talks season and St Pete storylines with host Jack Benyon.LAST CHANCE: Get 90% off your first month when you join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow The Race on Instagram, X and FacebookCheck out our latest videos on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two stars of IndyCar's season opener join this week's episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast, with Christian Lundgaard and Will Buxton joining the show. There was plenty of talk surrounding Lundgaard and what he'd be able to achieve entering a McLaren team built around Pato O'Ward, and he discussing that and the expectation he placed on himself before his eighth-place finish which was basically the worst result possible in a weekend that could have been even better. He discusses his affinity with Barber after a recent test and his transformation there in 2023, plus how the epic first weekend impacts his season expectations. Buxton joins off the back of making his debut as Fox's lead commentator for the IndyCar Series. He breaks down how the first weekend went with behind the scenes insight, talks about what to expect for the rest of 2025 and talks season and St Pete storylines with host Jack Benyon. LAST CHANCE: Get 90% off your first month when you join The Race Members' Club on Patreon today. Head to Patreon.com/therace Follow The Race on Instagram, X and Facebook Check out our latest videos on YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What did you think of the IndyCar commercials on Superbowl Sunday? Conor Daly and co-host Chase Holden are back on Speed Street to react to the exciting effort that FoxSports is putting into promoting the IndyCar Series in 2025. Also, big news drops as the announcement is made that Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles will also be taking over the presidential role with IndyCar. Conor explains why Doug is a great choice for the job and how he has demonstrated his dedication to growing the sport over the last few years. Up and coming racing star Connor Zilisch joins the show to chat about his meteoric rise from European kart racing to becoming a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series racer in 2025. Connor explains that Kevin Harvick was instrumental in helping him get his footing in the NASCAR world through an opportunity in Trans Am racing. Since finding success in TA2, Connor has made a splash in sports car racing, ARCA and NASCAR before signing a developmental deal with Trackhouse Racing and Red Bull. Through it all, Connor has managed to stay realistic in his expectations and tune out the noise and pressure put on him, trying more so to enjoy the ride and learn from every race he competes in. Connor explains that while he is on track to have a successful career in NASCAR, his ultimate ambitions in motorsports exceed beyond stock car racing and he hopes to compete in the Indianapolis 500 one day.

The news we've all been waiting for is finally here as Conor Daly announces he will be driving full-time in the IndyCar Series for Juncos Hollinger Racing in 2025. He joins co-host Chase Holden to chat about how the deal came together and how talks really began after the season finale earlier this year in Nashville. Conor gives listeners some insight into what goes into raising funds to help secure a ride and what the partnership proposal process is like. The guys also chat about the prospect of being teammates with Sting Ray Robb and what Conor hopes to accomplish on track next season. 

Conor Daly and co-host Chase Holden report for duty on another edition of Speed Street where they fill listeners in on the driver evaluation tests taking place at Thermal Club this week. Conor explains the uniqueness of the test, which features only one full-time IndyCar racer, Louis Foster, among many outsiders like Logan Sargeant and Felipe Nasr. They also unpack the blockbuster news of Penske Entertainment buying the Long Beach Grand Prix, ensuring its place in the IndyCar stratosphere for years to come. Finally, Conor previews the upcoming Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix where he will be serving as a commentator for the second year in a row. 2024 IndyNXT Champion Louis Foster stops by the show to discuss his family history in racing and his recent signing with Rahal Letterman Lanigan for the 2025 IndyCar season. Louis explains after finding success in karts and the Ginetta Junior Championship, he ventured into the world of single seater racing through the Formula ladder, competing in the British F4 and F3 championships. He would leave Euroformula racing for the United States where he began on the Road to Indy, to which he credits most of his racing success. He fills listeners in on how his deal with RLL came to be, and how he is excited to lean on veteran Graham Rahal as a resource next season. The guys also discuss life away from the track, Louis' quick adaptation to oval racing and the ever burning question of how to improve the IndyCar Series.

Conor Daly's “have helmet, will travel” 2024 tour continues as he was in competition at last weekend's 8 Hours of Indianapolis Intercontinental GT Challenge event. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss the nuances that he and Alex Palou experienced in making the transition from a Dallara IndyCar to a GT3 sports car. He explains that ultimately a fuel pick-up failure took him and the Random Vandals team out of contention after running in the top-five for most of the event. They also discuss the star-studded endurance kart race which took place at New Castle Motorsports Park, IndyCar's announcement of the 2026 Arlington Street Race and the upcoming hybrid test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.The newest member of the Meyer Shank Racing team Marcus Armstrong joins the show to discuss how the new technical alliance between MSR and Chip Ganassi Racing has moved him to the number-66 Dallara for the 2025 IndyCar season. Marcus explains that he has worked with MSR veteran Felix Rosenqvist in the past and the integration from team to team has been smooth thus far. He also opens up about the difficulty in adapting to oval racing after spending the majority of his career progressing up the Formula ladder system in Europe. Marcus explains that even though he had resources like Dario Franchitti at CGR, he as a driver still had to go out on the track and perform, and his first experiences at tracks like Indianapolis and Milwaukee felt like a whirlwind. Marcus is excited to be a part of the IndyCar Series though and hopes that the championship trail will take them to new venues across the globe in the future.