0:00 / 0:00
Back to Back to Back and the Problem with Ford

Back to Back to Back and the Problem with Ford

0:00
0:00

About this episode

Tyler Redick's historic NASCAR start with three consecutive wins is a major highlight, alongside discussions about diverse racing events including snow racing in Montana and upcoming F1 races. The hosts delve into technical driving styles, contrasting right-foot and left-foot braking techniques, and how these impact vehicle control on different tracks. They also cover IndyCar drama involving Team Penske’s leadership shakeup after a controversy, and the challenges of pit stops, particularly wheel changes. The episode blends race analysis, driver stories, and behind-the-scenes insights into racing strategies and team dynamics.

Filter:
|
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Concept

NASCAR

"Well, he's on to a great start, three for three, first time in NASCAR history."

NASCAR is a type of car racing in the US where drivers race special cars on oval tracks. It's one of the most popular racing sports in America.

Concept

Formula 1

"We've got F1s coming up this week."

Formula 1 is a type of car racing with very fast, special cars that race on different tracks around the world. It's considered the top level of racing.

Concept

Daytona

"Eli Tomek wins his record eighth at Daytona, and then the trophy proceeds to knock his front tooth out."

Daytona is a famous race track in Florida where big car races happen, including some of the most important NASCAR races.

Concept

Cup race

"watching the cup race. Dude, Tyler Redick."

The Cup race is a popular car race where specially built cars race on different tracks, and it's the highest level of NASCAR racing.

Car

Toyota Crown

"when you look at it just from 40,000 feet, is the crown of the road in a lot of the places. And in these ..."

The Toyota Crown is a fancy and comfortable car mostly sold in Japan and nearby countries. People think of it as a top-quality car that looks nice and is good to drive. When someone says it's the 'crown of the road,' they mean it's one of the best or most respected cars around.

Concept

IndyCar

"He bought IndyCar. He bought the race track, yep, the race track Indianapolis Motor Speedway."

IndyCar is a type of car race where special fast cars race on big tracks, including the famous Indianapolis race.

Concept

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

"He bought the race track, yep, the race track Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He owns all of it."

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a big race track where famous car races happen every year.

Brand

Ford

"It's the first time that there's only ever been one Ford."

Ford is a big car company that makes many cars and also supports race teams in competitions like NASCAR.

Brand

Chevrolet

"So it's like, where, it was like Chevy's and Toyota's."

Chevrolet is a big car company from America that also makes race cars and supports drivers in racing.

Concept

driver development program

"Like they're going to have to make an investment into having a driver development program because let's just say, for you, for instance,"

A driver development program is a way that race teams help new drivers learn and get better so they can race in big competitions.

Concept

karting

"But to the question of like, does karting matter? So like we're talking about rental go karting, but I do see like a lot of the kids that are having success right away"

Karting means racing small cars called go-karts. Many race car drivers start by driving go-karts to learn how to race and control a car better.

Term

splitter

""I know he said that his splitter was broken and he just got super tight there.""

A splitter is a part at the front of a race car that helps it stick to the road better by pushing the car down. If it breaks, the car can be harder to control.

Term

quarter panel

""where kind of guys left for your quarter panel ripped off by like clearing too tight.""

The quarter panel is the side part of a car near the back wheel. If it gets damaged, it can change how the car drives and looks.

Term

horsepower

"...be vocal on the radio of if they don't feel like they have enough of horsepower or what. I think that the horsepower range is close. The peak is comparable."

Horsepower tells you how strong a car's engine is. More horsepower means the car can go faster and accelerate quicker.

Concept

bottom end and top end power

"It's close, but how they get there, if it's better on the bottom end, if it's better on the top end, that is different."

Bottom end power means how strong the engine is when you start moving or at low speeds, while top end power is how strong it is when you go really fast.

Company

TRD

"So that tells me that TRD is doing a better job with their horsepower."

TRD is Toyota's special team that makes their cars faster and better for racing and performance.

Company

Goodyear

"Well, we saw, I loved it because when Goodyear brings a new tire to the racetrack, the game with all, the game a team's trying to play..."

Goodyear is a company that makes tires, including special tires for race cars to help them go faster and stick to the track better.

Concept

MotoGP

""he owned a super bike team. Motor GP team.""

MotoGP is a type of motorcycle racing where the fastest bikes race on special tracks. It's like Formula 1 but for motorcycles.

Concept

Motor Racing Outreach (MRO)

""My kids think about MRO. There's MRO, shout out to MRO with motor racing outreach. They have a playground at the racetracks and that's where all the kids hang out.""

MRO is a group that helps people involved in racing and also organizes fun activities for kids at race events.

Term

pit road

""he's been one of the fast man on pit road for the better part of 20 years.""

Pit road is a special lane where race cars stop during a race to get new tires or fuel. Drivers have to be careful to follow speed limits there to stay safe.

Term

front tire changer

""Blake Houston, front tire changer. I love that kid. He's been there for a couple of years now.""

The front tire changer is the person who changes the front tires on a race car really fast during a pit stop to help the car get back on the track quickly.

Term

tire carrier

""Will Cooper, their tire carrier. He's one of the new additions to the team this year.""

The tire carrier is the person who brings the new tires to the race car during a pit stop so they can be changed quickly.

Term

Jackman

""He's been crushing at the Jackman position. It's really interesting watching kind of...""

The Jackman is the person who uses a special tool called a jack to lift the race car up during a pit stop so the tires can be changed fast.

Term

jack behind the back

""Cause everybody always tries something a little different whether it be the jack behind the back, the way they're dropping the jack...""

The 'jack behind the back' is a way the person lifting the car holds their tool behind them to work faster during a pit stop.

Term

diesel

""And that's a diesel too, so they can run underwater halfway deep.""

A diesel engine is a kind of car engine that uses a different way to burn fuel, which can make it last longer and use less gas.

Concept

ice race

""Kyron was at an ice race? Where was it? Big Sky Montana.""

Ice racing is a type of car race that happens on frozen lakes or roads, where drivers have to be careful because the surface is slippery.

Car

Ssangyong Kyron

"This car's upside down underwater. Kyron was at an ice race? Where was it?"

The Ssangyong Kyron is a type of SUV made in South Korea that can handle rough roads and outdoor adventures. It's not very famous everywhere but some people like it for tough driving and even racing on ice. Saying it was 'upside down underwater' probably means it had a big accident or a cool stunt happened with it.

Brand

Cadillac

"to see how Cadillac does. I think that, you know."

Cadillac is a car company that makes fancy cars. They are now also racing their cars in Formula 1, which is a big deal.

Concept

pre-season testing

"Man, you don't really know who's sandbagging in pre-season testing,"

Before the racing season starts, teams try out their cars to see how well they work and fix any problems. This is called pre-season testing.

Part

wing

"but Ferrari's new wing that we talked about last week, super cool."

A wing on a race car is like a special shape that pushes the car down onto the road so it can go faster without slipping.

Car

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team

"I'd love to see Lewis Hamilton. Because just like back in the day,"

Lewis Hamilton is a famous race car driver who drives very fast cars in Formula 1 races for the Mercedes team.

Term

points

""I hope they scored points.""

Points are like scores that drivers get when they finish a race in a good position. The more points, the better they do in the season.

Term

parity

""It seems like there's a lot of parity right now," "

Parity means that many teams are about equally good, so the races are very close and exciting.

Term

next gen

""It seems like they kind of are on the next gen thing.""

"Next gen" means the newest version of the race cars that have new rules to make the races more exciting and the cars better.

Term

rubber hits the road

""And the rubber hits the road this weekend in Australia.""

"Rubber hits the road" means the moment when things really start happening, like when the race begins.

2 cars featured

Request an Explanation

Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.

Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.

Want to learn more?

Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.

Explore Terms

Help improve this episode

See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.

Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars