Cassidy Towriss
Annotations will appear as you listen
0:00
42:46
Car
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is a medium-sized car made by Ford. It is designed to be comfortable for families and easy to drive every day.
Concept
IndyCar
IndyCar is a type of car racing where special fast cars race on big tracks, including famous ones like the Indianapolis 500. It's a popular sport in the US with very fast cars.
Concept
NASCAR
NASCAR is a type of car racing in the U.S. where cars that look like regular cars race around mostly oval tracks really fast.
Concept
sports cars
Sports cars are fast cars made for racing and fun driving, often used in long races that test how well the car and driver can last.
Concept
Le Mans
Le Mans is a very long and famous car race in France where cars race for 24 hours straight to see who is fastest and most reliable.
Concept
Formula One
Formula One is the top level of car racing in the world, with very fast cars racing on special tracks around the globe.
Concept
Formula E
Formula E is a type of car race where all the cars are electric, racing on city streets to show how electric cars can be fast and exciting.
Concept
Australian Supercars
Australian Supercars is a popular car racing series in Australia where cars that look like regular cars race on different tracks.
Concept
IndyNext
IndyNext is a racing series where younger or less experienced drivers race to get ready for the bigger IndyCar races.
Concept
podium
A podium means finishing a race in first, second, or third place. The drivers who finish there get to stand on a special stage and get trophies.
Concept
street course wing
A street course wing is a special part on a race car that helps it stick to the road better when racing on city streets. It helps the car go faster around corners.
Term
pole position
Pole position means starting the race at the very front because you were the fastest in qualifying. This helps you avoid traffic and have a better chance to lead the race.
Concept
qualifying format with the fast six
In some races, the six fastest drivers get to race against each other in a special qualifying round to decide who starts at the front. This makes qualifying more exciting.
Concept
Indie car race
An Indie car race is a race with special fast cars that race on different types of tracks, including city streets and big ovals. It's a popular racing series in the U.S.
Concept
pit stops
In car races, drivers stop their cars quickly so the team can fix things like tires or add fuel. Doing this fast helps the driver stay ahead in the race.
Brand
Cadillac
Cadillac is a company that makes fancy cars. They have recently started making race cars for Formula One, which is a top-level car race.
Concept
team documentary
A team documentary is a movie that shows what happens behind the scenes with a racing team, like how they prepare and race.
Company
Cruise Control with Terry Cruz
"Cruise Control with Terry Cruz" is a show on YouTube where they talk about cars and racing in a fun way.
Concept
shakedown
A shakedown is like a quick test drive for a race car to make sure everything works properly before the real racing starts.
Concept
Drive to Survive
Drive to Survive is a TV show that shows what happens behind the scenes in Formula 1 racing, letting fans see the drivers and teams up close.
Concept
Formula 1
Formula 1 is a type of car racing with very fast and special cars that race on tracks all over the world. It's the top level of car racing and lots of people watch it.
Car
Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is a small car made by Toyota. It is popular because it is easy to drive, uses little gas, and usually does not have many problems.
Concept
livery unveil
A livery unveil is when a race team shows off their new car colors and logos to the public. It's like a big reveal party for the car's look before the racing season starts.
Term
Super Bowl commercial
A Super Bowl commercial is a special ad shown during the Super Bowl football game, which lots of people watch. Companies use it to show off important new things, like new cars.
Concept
motorsports
Motorsports means races where people drive cars or bikes really fast to compete and win. It includes many kinds of races like Formula 1 and IndyCar.
LIVE
This is Off-Track.
Get GTFU, whatever that.
Get the...
Get the f**k up.
Close.
I don't know.
I have no idea what the U could be.
Are we wrong about the F?
Nope.
That would be weird.
I think we got the GTF right.
Nope.
Go, go to...
Okay, just tell us.
What does GTFU mean?
Get the f**k up.
Is that not what I just said?
Did you say get it the f**k up?
No.
Giddy.
Like giddy up.
Giddy the f**k up.
Annunciate.
I'm sorry.
That is literally what I do for a living.
I do not think I have a problem.
You would think you'd be better at this.
You'd think I would understand you then.
Guys, welcome to Off-Track with Hinch or Lassie this week.
That's all staying, by the way.
Oh, 100%.
It'd be weird if you cut that part.
Alex was supposed to be here,
but a medical emergency precluded his participation today.
Don't worry.
Now you have to clarify,
because everyone's going to be really worried.
Kelly was just kind of sick.
He had to go do an emergency meds run.
I was just trying to be...
You made it sound like he was in the hospital.
No, I was just trying to be...
I was worried about Ben.
Oh, yeah, that too.
Man.
Shoot.
I was just trying to protect their privacy,
respect their privacy,
by not sharing that baby teller didn't want people to know she was sick.
You were better off just going with he didn't want to be here.
Alex got shot.
Alex got shot in the arm.
We're not sure he's going to make it.
He'll probably be fine for Long Beach.
We're not sure his arm's going to make it.
We're really helping people become speculated about what's happening.
It's turning into a true crime podcast.
We're actually going to solve who shot Alex.
Hold on.
I'm going to go shoot Alex real quick,
so that way we've got a story we can actually tell.
Who's Jay?
No, but yes.
No, guys, we actually have a guest on Tuesday,
and welcome to the show, Mrs. Cassidy Taurus.
Thank you for joining us.
Thank you for having me.
I don't know if I've ever said your full name like that.
Mrs. Cassidy Taurus.
It felt weird.
I didn't love it.
Didn't love it?
Yeah.
No, I feel like I don't...
I'm not going to do that again.
Should we just wrap it up?
I don't think we're going to recover from this.
I think I kind of ruined the...
Great podcast, guys.
I think you kind of ruined the tone of the whole thing.
It made me feel old, I think, more than anything.
That's fair.
Well, I could call you a casserole instead, if that's...
What my mom calls me.
There you go.
Well, Cass, we...
Thank you again for taking the time to come chat,
and it's just a casual chat.
But it's fun to have people on the show
that I don't think a lot of people get the chance
to hear from as much as others.
Lord knows we hear from Alex and I way too much.
I don't even know how to start this.
I don't know how to interview you, I feel,
because we are good friends.
We've known you forever.
We've known you for a long time.
Cass, how would you describe yourself?
How would you describe your position in the racing world?
Because you have an official title, which we'll get to.
But before we get to that,
how would you sort of summarize your presence
in the motorsports ecosystem?
Yeah, it's a good question.
I'm just going to summarize.
I guess my timeline.
My dad was a sponsor in IndyCar when I was a kid,
and I thought it was silly at first.
I did not get it.
But I very quickly, after starting to attend races,
absolutely became obsessed with the sport.
I think I was also at an age where it was really nice
to not need an invitation to be a fan of a sport
or to attend these events.
It was just kind of this place that at the time
I felt was very inclusive,
which was kind of cool just being a young kid
and navigating the other things of life.
But there was a PR girl in IndyCar
who I saw doing her job,
and I went up to her and I was like,
what did you study to end up where you are?
And she was like, oh, I studied PR
in public relations journalism, really.
And I was like, OK.
And when you're trying to figure out what you're going to say
in school, that's what I ended up doing,
journalism, advertising, and PR,
with the intent of working in motorsports.
Instead, right out of school,
I ended up taking a job at a sports marketing agency,
but not after having worked at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
And ultimately, that whole long story short journey
led me to meeting my husband, Dan.
And now, you know,
we in TWG Motorsports own teams in IndyCar,
NASCAR, sports cars, MSU,
but also, you know, Wayne Taylor will participate in Le Mans.
Formula E, Formula One, Australian supercars.
Am I forgetting one?
IndyNext.
IndyNext.
I just, yeah, I think that's all of them.
It would have been really funny had you forgot F1.
I would have enjoyed that.
It's usually the last one I roll off there
because, you know, that one is still a little surreal.
Save the best for last.
Yeah.
It's the newest.
It's the newest.
It's almost chronological.
Right.
Exactly.
But yeah, my role is very,
I like to think I'm a professional fan of motorsports.
And I get to enjoy it in a lot of ways.
It's like the old saying, you know,
do something you love and you never work a day in your life.
You've kind of managed to turn a passion and a hobby
into a career and an empire, which is quite cool.
I feel like it doesn't feel like she's not working.
I'm just throwing that out there.
Okay.
Well, Cass, there's a couple of different topics I want to cover,
but we are coming off the back of the Arlington Grand Prix.
So I just kind of want to start there.
Not a bad weekend all in for Andretti Global
and I mean, thoughts on the race.
Obviously congrats to Kyle Kirkwood.
We're obviously going to cover the race in detail, guys,
on the Thursday episode.
But for you, Cass and the team incredible result,
134 will got his first podium and his first like proper race.
Really.
I mean, the first race is finished without incident for the team,
which is pretty cool.
Kyle got on a street course wing,
Marcus from pole to a fourth place finish.
Just talking about how you guys feel after that race,
but then also the event itself because man, Arlington Grand Prix,
what an event that was.
Oh, the whole weekend was amazing.
Just arriving on site.
The Joneses really should be proud of what they put together there.
The entire sport should be.
It was incredible.
But yeah, the whole weekend to really starting with Marcus's pole position,
one after a new qualifying format with the fast six that was interesting.
And, you know, I think being P six was the advantage there for sure.
Get first one out on warm tires, which was nice.
But just Marcus, you know, I think with the team.
This was just a moment we've been waiting for that it was well deserved.
You know, there's been a lot of I think will coming into the team and having
similar feedback to Marcus is really getting the whole team on a roll and
to see that payoff for Marcus in that whole position.
First one since I think I read like 2013, maybe for him in F2, perhaps.
But really, really proud of him for that.
And then also Indie next one with Max Taylor, which was just a great way to
start Sunday and then roll right into the Indie car race.
And I mean, that was an up and down of emotions because for having the most
abysmal day in the pits you could have possibly asked for and to end one three
four was thrilling.
So I couldn't be happier couldn't be prouder of the team.
You know, we we've had added a lot of new people to the team and made a
lot of changes this off season, but we really didn't get to start working on
those things till after the first of the year.
And so to see them start to pay off in only the third race of the season
really feels amazing and and there's still more work we know we can improve
upon, which is really encouraging.
So it sets a good tone.
I mean, really cool that Kyle's leading in the points.
I know it's the third race.
I know it's a long season.
I know Alex Palo still exists, but it's it's just very exciting.
And I love to see three different winners in the first three races of the season.
So as a fan of the sport, I'm just excited to see where it goes.
But overall really, really happy.
You know, I've definitely started the season off on a different tone than last
year when he won five of the first six or whatever it was.
You've got three different winners from three different teams, two different
types of tracks already covered.
And yeah, you said he's leading the points.
It is early.
But and Alex Palo is still Alex Palo.
He won in St. Pete.
He was second in Arlington.
It's not like he was struggling for pace necessarily.
But within the team, I mean, I know you said that there's been a lot of work
done.
I know a lot of what's going on at that at that place.
Is the is the championship the goal in 2026 when you come off a season where
Palo is so dominant, right?
I guess it was a big, it was a big margin to cover.
Is there a genuine hope in the team, belief in the team that you can do that
in just one year?
I think it depends on who you ask.
If you ask me, I want to say hell yeah.
I think I'm an internal optimist in that way.
And I think we have the talent and ability to be there and be there
sooner than people think.
I think, you know, Will himself has said, you know, in two years, three years,
this is going to be the team to beat.
But he did say to me after the race on Sunday, you know what?
It could be this year.
And so, I mean, I think there is a belief that that could be the case.
And I mean, I think you don't compete in this sport without the belief
you can win.
And if you're just here to participate, just to participate,
that's an interesting approach.
But so we're in it to win it.
But I think we also know what our own internal struggles are.
First and foremost being pit stops, which was greatly on display this weekend.
So I think the focus has always been let's control what we can control,
execute what we can execute to the best of our ability.
And that should lead us somewhere along championship lines.
And so I want to say yes, but if you asked Dan,
he would probably give you a much more calculated answer than that.
Well, that's what he does for, you know, he's a calculator.
He's literally, he's like a human calculator.
That's how his brain works.
Once I got married, I haven't done math since he does it for me.
You don't need to.
If you ever have a numbers question, you could just yell it across the room
and like instantly you'll get an answer back.
It's impressive.
Well, you know how some people, you know, you have an Instagram algorithm.
His real algorithms are math problems and he solves them for fun.
He'll like put it in my face and be like, do you know what X is?
And I'm like, absolutely, I do not know what X is.
Yeah, it's the third last letter in the alphabet.
Get out of my face.
Exactly.
Okay.
That's, that is IndyCar and there's lots of IndyCar stuff.
We could go down the path because obviously that's, you know,
where your passion for motorsports started.
That's where we all met and all the rest of it.
But a big part of your life now and has been sort of for the last three years
is obviously the creation and the formation of Cadillac Formula One.
And there's been a lot of articles written about the, the process
and, and some of the challenges and obstacles.
And then ultimately, you know, the, the job that was,
that was done by everyone involved on your side to make it all happen,
to get the entry, get cars on track, all that stuff.
That's been talked about.
I know that also there's some, there's kind of been some filming going on
in the background throughout this whole, this whole journey.
Is there anything that you can share about what that's capturing
and when people might get to see some of that story?
Because it is an incredible story and it's so great that it's being captured.
Do you know when we're going to be able to, to share that with the world?
Yeah, I think there are multiple things happening at once filming wise.
You know, I think it's been announced obviously it's out there that Keanu Reeves
is doing a documentary about the team.
I do know of when the like ETA on that is,
but I don't know if that's public knowledge.
That's fair.
But we also have cruise control with Terry Cruz,
which is for more a YouTube series type style thing.
And he has been the best energy to have around and just the support from him,
the advice from him.
You know, he has such an incredible career and all that has been amazing.
But I think he's also gotten some really good and unique content out of the team.
Like at shakedown in Silverstone, somebody did put that song,
you know, making my way downtown and he's saying,
and you should have seen the way the garage like, you know,
just were their energy revived and everything like that.
Everybody loved it.
And that, that was a cool moment.
And then we also GM has their own YouTube series that they cover with everything.
And then very new to our world, you know,
Drive to Survive has had a presence in our orbit as of recently,
which is very new.
And, you know, I think that will obviously be in next year's season of Drive to Survive.
Well, we look forward to all the various ways we can consume the Cadillac F1 story.
But I want to talk a little bit more about your part in the Cadillac F1 story
because, you know, obviously, you know, you're married to Dan,
who was sort of the, you know, one of the one of the leaders in making this whole thing happen.
So you were part and parcel to the creation of the team.
But then as the team started coming together, you started playing your own role in it.
So why don't you explain a little bit about kind of how you started getting your fingerprint
on certain elements of the team and then ultimately leading to an official role.
I mean, when we sent you a link to join us in this podcast,
your email address is a Cadillac F1 team email address.
So kind of walk me through the timeline of...
Which, by the way, just before we forget, can I get one of those?
I'm applying to apartments or looking to buy a place.
I just feel like that could help put me over the edge.
We'll just change one letter.
I just don't think they're impressed by Ask Off-Track at Gmail.
You know, it's not really opening a lot of doors for me.
That's true. That's probably not great.
We should just get you a Tim at Off-Track account.
We're not going to spend money on that.
No, we're not. We're super not going to do that.
Anyway, as we were saying...
Yes, I'd be happy to walk you through it.
What is funny about this whole thing is I am very, very blatantly aware
that I am married to someone who, you know,
everyone is well within their rights to then believe
that my involvement or role is simply tied to the fact that I am married to Dan Towers.
Which is interesting considering I was around motorsport
and worked in motorsport long before Dan had any involvement in the sport.
You're a big catalyst for his level of involvement in motorsport.
Well, and I actually, I love that I got to, you know,
shepherd him into motorsports a little bit because I think my love for it
and he says it himself like seeing it through my eyes helped shape his view of the sport,
which I think like that's like such a cool compliment.
But I think because I'm very aware of that fact in the way that that can be perceived
and just like notions that can come along with that,
I really truly have maintained for years that I will not take a formal role.
Even with our involvement at the Andretti level,
I've been really fortunate to know a lot of people in the Andretti camp
for so long to where my input and thoughts were already sought
without me needing a formal title or role.
I mean, yeah, I mean, you worked at the team for a time.
So they know exactly what you're capable of because you did it there.
Well, and what was so great about that is it was like humbling and fulfilling all at the same time.
It was like everybody was respectful of the fact that it's like, you know,
we know because of being married, like she's not working anymore, but she wants to be.
And so, you know, still getting to have input on those things, liveries,
merch, guest experience was always really fulfilling.
But what's interesting is the Cadillac Formula One side of it because Andretti had its infrastructure.
It had people who could make those decisions.
They were just looking for light input, which was really easy to offer.
But with CF1, there were so many like ground level decisions that needed to be made
that would dictate the look and future of the team so early on.
And we didn't really have a team of people to sit and do that.
When we got the official entry, the priority was hiring for the on track side of what was happening,
the technical side of what was happening.
We need to be able to put two cars on track in a year.
And so that took the priority.
But all the while, you know, we then started looking at people for the commercial side,
the marketing side and all that.
But like the first thing that came up was, okay, we need to do Team Kit and Fanware.
And I ended up playing a big role with that.
But what's funny is I wasn't on the first three calls for any of that because Dan can't just throw his wife
on calls and expect them to be listened to.
With Andretti, people had worked with me before.
They knew me in this new world where none of these people know me.
That's not fair.
That's not professional.
So Dan was taking calls with the Tommy Hilfiger team and coming back and getting my feedback.
And then on the next call, he'd give my feedback.
And he instantly was like, Cass, I hate this.
When they ask a follow up question, I don't know what I want instead.
I don't have an answer.
And he was like, I'm going to have you join the next call with me just so we can start getting your input in real time.
Well, Dan wasn't able to join that call that day instead.
He was like, just go join.
I already talked to Graham.
He's on there and he's good with you being on there.
And it's all fine.
I was on every call.
Are we thinking this is low key planned by him?
This was like just kind of laying the groundwork maybe?
I never asked.
I should ask that if he knew what was going to come.
Because basically what happened is I was on every call from that point forward and even Graham wasn't at a certain point.
And no one ever questioned why I didn't have a formal roller title.
And we did 2016 kit really quickly.
26 spring summer fanwear really quickly.
And then towards the end of the summer, we had had more hires.
Tyler Epp joined.
He had previously been at the Miami Grand Prix and he joined as our head of global commercial.
That's not his actual title.
I messed that up, but you get the idea.
And he was a really big proponent of me having a title.
I think he learned quickly that people are like, we're listening to the CEO's wife.
And I think he got tired of having to defend that I had a legitimate point of view and legitimate experience in marketing.
I had worked at a sports marketing agency.
I had worked in racing and things like that.
And so I kind of got talked into it, but I had multiple stipulations.
No one can report to me.
No one should be put in a position to have to report to the CEO's wife and listen to her.
I didn't want to be paid.
And they explained that a contract is not binding without something.
That's a hard one to get around, to be honest.
I thought it was being nice and then I explained all the logistics of that.
And I was like, oh, that makes sense.
The intent is noted, but yes, for legal reasons, it's probably just easier if we, yeah.
And then I said to Tyler, I was like, I want you guys to disagree with me.
I hate the notion that people nod their heads and manage me in order to keep certain things happy.
I'm like, I love to be collaborative.
I love to work with others and I'm passionate about this project.
Everybody's goal is just to make it the best it can be.
And that is what ultimately led to what some people call a phony baloney title,
and it was carefully engineered that way in order for it to not be a title
in which anybody reports to it of chief brand advisor.
Forget a lack of formula one team.
When you said, I want you to disagree with me and they said, no, did that create a problem?
It's like, okay, you got to agree with me on this one.
But now to get like going from here on out.
We actually argued about it right then and there.
So they took to the spirit of it right off the bat.
You like to hear that.
I want to just kind of talk about what kind of the feelings and emotions were.
Because obviously, when we're recording this, we're now two races into the F1 season, right?
And on one hand, there's the feelings and emotion of seeing the cars on track,
knowing the behind the scenes story of what it took to get there,
acknowledging that you're not an engineer.
You didn't build the car itself,
but you did have your hand in the design of not just the car,
but of the not just the team kit, the whole team aesthetic, the hospitality units,
the garage opening, things like that.
So kind of a two-pronged thing,
like the global just general feeling of seeing that car pull out of the garage for the first time
or the lights going out in Australia for the first time and watching them launch into turn one.
But then also the kind of personal pride of seeing something that you kind of helped visually create
running around a racetrack that's racing in front of hundreds of thousands of people on site
and being watched by tens of millions around the world.
Just listen to all that you said.
Hearing it back is even just, it's still a lot to wrap my head around,
but it was, I have to say, it was the culmination of a bunch of little moments in realizations.
Australia, I think we actually, we will not use our motorhome switch, by the way.
Just wait till you see our motorhome. I'm very proud of that.
I think Monaco will be the first time you see that.
But, you know, it's these flyaway races where hospitality is you have to work off the structure they give you.
And I'm so grateful we attended that race last year, so I knew what we were getting into.
But I really think I walked up and I was like, we don't look like we've never done this before, but we haven't.
And I think that was a real moment of pride.
But I think, you know, the way things look, the way things appear, the way things feel,
that is what I know how to do, and I do love doing that.
But first and foremost, we are a race team, and my biggest thing was like,
we've never put two cars together at the same time.
For testing, for shakedown, it was all one car.
And because things were held up from flying and getting to Melbourne because of various world events,
you know, FIA lifted the curfew Wednesday night, Thursday night, which is great,
but knowing you can't help the guys that are pulling the all-nighters at all,
and there's really no way to support them except for just thanking them and all that.
But you don't want to hang around, you don't want to linger, you don't want to sit there and watch them do their jobs
because I can't put the car together, I can't help on that side of things.
But I think, you know, none of those individuals in the garage will ever, I think, know how much
every time I look at each one of them, how grateful I am that they're there,
that, you know, that they're working as hard as they are, that they're giving it their all.
And so, for the whole weekend in Melbourne, the thing that I think really like bubbled up for me
in that weekend was when both cars left the garage in free practice one on Friday,
which they did not leave at the same time.
And it was really annoying because, like, Valtteri went out and then Checa went out
and Valtteri came back in and then they never, it took a while for them to get on track at the same time,
which was kind of funny, but that was like, not a weight lifted, but like a check mark done.
I think I know the problem there. You told them to go out at the same time,
but you had already told them to not agree with you.
Fair, valid. I really need to start reverse engineering all this.
Yeah, exactly. There's a way to get around this. There's a way to get around this.
But it's funny how quickly the being proud and being grateful also, like, that sat there,
like, that was never gone, but like, it quickly flipped to like, but I want more, I want better.
And you know what? It wasn't just me, you know, Graham echoed that, Pete Corolla, Pat Simmons,
like, we all were like, but we, you know, this is good, this, we should be proud of this.
This is huge, but it's, we were never just in it to just participate.
What's the next step, right? What's the next step to get better?
And yeah, and I know your mentality. I know Dan's mentality. You guys are competitors, right?
That's, that's the whole point of doing this. It's not just to be there and say, hey, look, we're here.
It's to go out there and eventually start, you know, competing for points, then podiums, then wins.
And, and that's the plan, right?
That's the goal. That's the goal. Yeah, that was always the focus.
And that what's so funny about it is like those things like I was expecting,
but F1 is, is weird because it's like, that's a lot of cameras. That's a lot of attention.
Like, I've never been so aware of my chin as I am.
And it's like, like, this sounds so weird, but
No, you got me looking at mine. Why does it look like that?
Oh, no, I'm notice yours for years, pal.
James, I don't know. Are you guys used to this as drivers just having cameras in your face?
And I'll see photos of me and I'm like, what in the toe looking thing is happening?
And I'm like, why didn't my mom force me into ballet for posture purposes?
I am now so acutely aware of my neck and because there's someone always somewhere with something.
And I'm like, not the part of this I thought I was signing up for.
Oh, God, got it, got it.
Yeah, no, it's, it's great because what happens is all of these pictures come out and 10% of them, you're like, oh yeah, that's, that's okay.
That's the angle I know. And then you just get really used to seeing all the angles that you don't really like and you kind of become numb to and you don't really care anymore.
Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me?
Hold on. He gets to wear a helmet most of the time when he's in the car. That helps.
Apparently I'm in trouble and I think I think you said why didn't Becky tell you?
You're in trouble too apparently. I know we didn't tell her that, you know, because you're in front of cameras a lot.
I'm in front of cameras a lot. There's a lot more cameras around her now and she doesn't like that some of them catch bad angles.
Oh, it's the worst, which is your good side. We have opposite ones, don't we?
I think so, but I don't know which one it is. I think it's this side. Then you don't have one.
You're one of those lucky ones that have two good sides.
You would know. Well, nobody has given me all the good advice of, in the world, but you left that part out of the angle.
You see all these things and you're like, cool, that's just what I look like and I'm totally fine with that.
But the second you stop thinking about your posture, you immediately just brightens so hard.
It's impossible.
I got the nickname Randall from Monsters Inc. You know, like the lizard whose head is four feet in front of his body because my neck is so long and so just like I'm just the worst posture ever.
Yeah, that's so great.
I think you look great. I think your posture is wonderful, Cassidy. I'm in a lot of photos of you, so I would know.
We pose for those. We put effort into those. We do put a lot of effort into those. Ours aren't candid at all.
I'll start sniping photos of the two of you, at least expecting it.
Absolutely not.
I love her.
That's nice little interlude. Yeah, she's pretty neat. I'll keep her around.
So one of the things that I think you guys did as Cadillac F1, that was one of the coolest things that's happened in my recent memory in this realm of the sport, was the livery unveil.
Those in F1 used to be, so they used to be nothing, then they started being a big deal. It was these, you know, I remember the first time I read like Autosport Magazine in 1997 where they said that McLaren spent a million dollars on their livery unveil.
And it was just a preposterous amount of money to spend on a livery unveil. And then of course once one team does it, the next team has to do it.
And these things just started escalating and getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
And then at some point, I'm assuming it's like 08 related or something, you know, the markets took a downturn or the sport was not as a greater place and people started kind of scaling back a little bit, doing less of that.
Then F1 hit this boom and all of a sudden livery unveil started becoming a thing again, these big events, their web hosted, all these things.
And then you guys show up. You guys show up as the new kids on the block and you're like, livery unveil? Oh, you guys are, you're like streaming that on the web.
Oh, it's a YouTube thing? Hold my beer. Why don't you explain to us the genesis of the Cadillac F1 Super Bowl commercial livery unveil?
So, you know, truly Dan's idea, like flat out, no agency gave us that idea, no nothing. Dan came up with that idea. And it was funny, we were running through a couple ideas for it.
We had floated a lot of different things out there before landing on that. And he just out of nowhere, just like paused, thought for a second.
He goes, what about Super Bowl? And like all he wanted to know from me as soon as he said it, I knew it because we were talking about dates of different events happening and things like that.
He was like, I want you to tell me that the date works with testing with shakedown with everything. Does it make sense logistically?
And I double checked the dates for testing and I was like, it works by a day. And that was really like, we started running from there, we started scoping out agencies to use for it.
But you know what, there is, you know, we did a lot of media and things like that around the livery unveil and the Super Bowl commercial going out.
But there is a secret a lot of people do not know about the genesis of the idea and what's made its way into the Super Bowl commercial.
And that is you, James Hingecliff.
That's not what I thought you were going with that.
Really? No, I'm surprised. So it is so funny. So the agency that we worked with gave us two ideas to start out with on ways we could take this Super Bowl spot.
And the JFK speech concept in space was one of them, but it was very clearly set in space. It was the landing on the moon, not the launch.
And I was really struggling to like this idea from a creative standpoint from something wasn't clicking, it wasn't feeling right, but I love the JFK speech part of it.
And I had just spent 45 minutes on the phone with our CMO, Mehdi. We were trying to like play with it and do all the things.
And I think I'd been too close to it for too long.
Yeah, it's so easy for that to happen, right? You just kind of lose that bigger perspective.
I had talked it to death and Dan had just walked in from the office and I was like, hey, can I have your permission to go outside the bubble with confidential information
and call our dear friend James and ask him his opinion on this because first and foremost, you're a space nerd.
I'm a huge space nerd. I'm glad that you acknowledge that. We talk about it often on the show.
Forget that you actually are a race car driver and very knowledgeable about sport and the culture of the sport, space nerd.
I really, I needed somebody to bounce this off with and talk through it.
And I don't know if you remember, Dan did join the call and something you said clicked for him. It's not about the landing, it's the launch.
Because we wanted to be very clear. We have achieved nothing in Formula One. We've not even raced in Formula One.
So the tone has to be right. And if you and I had not had that phone call and Dan heard it and that clicked and it changed the entire creative for it,
I think we would have ditched the idea and probably gone with a completely separate idea.
There you go.
It played up to that point with like just some generic music over it.
And writing that really like I'd seen every iteration of this Super Bowl spot to that point.
And who knows how many of those there were. And you'd think I'd be numb to it at that point.
I'd seen it so many times it wouldn't have the same emotional impact.
The first time we put the music to it, like I teared up and had goosebumps.
It was really cool.
And then to just hopefully share Formula One with new fans in the United States was a big motivator of doing that that way.
And I really hope we did because I love to invite people into the world of motorsports.
I'm like, come watch it. I promise you won't be disappointed.
But you know, I say that, I say that.
And then last year I got some people to watch IndyCar and I was pulled on everything.
And I was like, I swear it's not usually like this.
I know. I know.
Our biggest selling point against F1, the same guy always wins.
IndyCar, it's always mixed up.
And then yeah, lo and behold, he ruined our like best argument.
But hey, as we already mentioned, it's going well this year.
So that's better.
It is.
But no, that's cool.
It was such a cool concept.
It was such a cool execution.
It's cool to know that I had some small influence in that.
That's awesome.
I appreciate you guys trusting me to consult with because I am a space nerd.
But I think it just, it again, everything that I've seen this team do,
there's always an intent.
There's so much thought that goes into each element of this kind of whole process
and this whole journey.
And each one of them is so well thought out with a goal in mind,
with an intent in mind, with a tone in mind.
And I just feel like you as a group have executed that so, so well.
And, and we're excited to see where it goes in the future.
We have already, you know, understandably blown way past our,
a lot of time for this episode normally.
But I do want to kind of just end on one thing because, you know,
I've been part of the sport for a long time and I have seen and have loved
seeing how in the last pick a number, let's call it 15 years,
but probably really ramped up in the last 10 how motorsports,
which had always kind of been a male dominant sport in all jobs,
you know, and all facets and capacities has really become a lot more evenly
split and a lot more open to women.
I know that, I know it's always been important to Dan and all Dan's enterprises,
everything under group 1001, he supports women in a lot of ways
in business and athletics and whatever.
And formula one, I think has been a great landing spot for a lot of very
intelligent and very motivated women to get into sport,
whether it's on the commercial side, the PR side, the marketing side,
the engineering side, mechanical side, whatever it is.
And again, we're all waiting for the next driver as well.
You are now, I mean, you got yourself into this sport at a young age,
you saw it, you fell in love with it, you had a goal, you achieved that goal.
You've now obviously risen to incredible heights in that sport.
I just wonder if you have any words of wisdom, just a parting piece of advice
or counsel for young women like you when you came to your first IndyCar race
and were awed by what you saw and wanted to make a career there.
What can you say to some of those young girls and young women
that are looking at motorsports as a potential future?
Yeah, I think it's such a, it's one such a good question.
I'm glad we're asking women across motorsports this question,
but I think it's also interesting for me in that like,
I never even thought about influencing young women as a result of me
just wanting to put my head down and do the work and focus on what I can control
and doing the best I can do on a daily basis.
And I think getting, even just this weekend in Arlington,
I had a few women stop me and say like, thank you for what you're doing
for women in motorsport.
And that still is catching me off guard.
That realization that I'm having an impact on the sport is really humbling
and gratifying and I am realizing it comes with a really,
you know, I think important responsibility for young women,
but I think like my main piece of advice would be,
don't let somebody else's limitations of what they can picture,
not just for you, but for themselves or for whatever,
stop you from what you think you're capable of.
Because if I conform to the pictures of what people thought I was capable of,
I'd probably be standing in a mall in an outfit,
you know, trying to like sell clothes or something like that
because people really didn't believe much in me.
And you know, to that point, my husband Dan is one of the most uplifting men
for women ever and including of me.
He made me believe even I was more capable of things than I even realized.
And I really don't think I sold myself that short beforehand.
And so really, I think, you know, being surrounded by a good group of people matters,
but just believe in yourself, you know, and then don't make it so much about your gender.
Just be good at what you do and that should be enough.
That should matter.
I think, you know, it's really interesting too.
We've actually made a strategic decision that I don't wear a team kit in Formula One.
And that actually came down to if a person's, if a way a person is going to approach you
and treat you is going to change based on what you're wearing,
that's a problem in and of itself.
And you know what?
I run into that quite a lot.
I bet it would be a lot different if I just wore a team kit.
Right.
And so, but people can't help themselves.
And so, you know, I think there's a lot of way to go in the world of motor sports.
And I think that's really actually exciting to have a chance to have a chance to impact that change.
But it's a really exciting time for women in motorsport.
And I hope any young female who is interested in it, like, jump into it, ask somebody,
message someone, message me.
And I think getting your foot in the door because motorsports is a small world will also take you a long way.
There you go.
Great advice.
I mean, it's, yeah, but bet on yourself and don't give up.
I mean, it's a similar message that I tell young drivers, right?
I mean, it's the world's a competitive place.
Motorsports is a competitive place, whether you're on the track or not.
And yeah, you got to believe in yourself and go for what you want.
Exactly.
Well, look, I can't thank you enough for the time.
And we are all so excited to see how the year plays out in your multitude of racing endeavors.
It's not just the two.
It's all the other ones that you listed off the top and others are going well too.
Strong start.
So thanks again for the time.
Best of luck for the rest of the year and we'll see you soon.
Thanks for having me, guys.
This was fun.
Thank you.
About this episode
Cassidy Towriss shares her journey from a motorsports fan to a key figure in the racing world, including her role in the formation of the Cadillac Formula One team. She discusses the challenges and excitement of launching a new F1 team, the creative process behind their Super Bowl livery reveal, and the evolving role of women in motorsports. Cassidy offers insights into team dynamics, the importance of belief and perseverance, and her unique position balancing passion and professionalism in a male-dominated industry.
Original notes
Cassidy Towriss has been around IndyCar for years but has been more in the news lately as she and her husband, Dan Towriss, have expanded their racing empire in IndyCar, F1, NASCAR, Sports Cars, and more.
+++
Off Track is part of the SiriusXM Sports Podcast Network. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, please give a 5-star rating and leave a review. Subscribe today wherever you stream your podcasts.
Want some Off Track swag? Check out our store!
Check out our website, www.askofftrack.com
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
Want some advice? Send your questions in for Ask Alex to [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter at @askofftrack. Or individually at @Hinchtown, @AlexanderRossi, and @TheTimDurham.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Off Track with Hinch and Rossi
SiriusXM
0:00
42:46