INDYCAR News in 5 Minutes - Bommarito 500 Recap - Ep. 33
About this episode
Joseph Newgarden’s performance at the Bommarito 500 is framed as a “master class,” with the host also spotlighting Marcus Erickson’s near-win during an earlier rain delay. The recap turns to the chaos of race incidents, including Kyle Collette’s engine failure while running near the front and Alex Pillow running out of gas in a dramatic pit-lane moment. The episode then shifts gears to the host’s own Ultima Spider, breaking down its small-block setup, dry sump, and Porsche transaxle.
A summary of the INDYCAR Bommarito 500 race at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis. Indycar Dad tells you who did great and who did not in this race summary.
Bomarito 5 ⁓ 500 review
"This is a Bomarito 5 ⁓ 500 review. So the big news is the race was great."
This is the host’s quick recap of a specific IndyCar race called the Bommarito 500. He talks about what happened and who did well.
This segment is a recap of the Bommarito 500, an IndyCar race. The host focuses on how the race unfolded, including cautions and stoppages, and highlights key drivers’ results.
rain delay
"He almost won the race in a rain delay earlier, and he had a fast car all day."
A rain delay is when the race stops temporarily because it’s raining. Once the track is safe again, the race starts back up.
A rain delay is when a race is paused because of wet weather, then resumed later once conditions improve. In IndyCar, delays can reshuffle strategy and tire choices when racing restarts.
pit
"And even the team looked great in the pit. So congratulations to those guys."
The pit is where teams stop the car to make changes during the race. How well they do it can help or hurt their chances.
The pit lane is where IndyCar teams service the car during scheduled stops. Pit strategy—timing and execution—can strongly affect track position and race outcome.
engine blew
"it wasn't deserving of a mention because Kyle Collette was up in the top five of this race a bunch of times and his engine blew."
“Engine blew” means the engine failed badly and the car couldn’t keep running. In a race, that usually ruins the day for the driver.
“Engine blew” means the engine suffered a catastrophic failure and could no longer produce power. In racing, this typically ends the driver’s chance to finish well unless the car can be repaired quickly.
ran out of fuel
"I said Scott Dixon would be ⁓ would run well here, and he really did, except he ran out of fuel at one point."
“Ran out of fuel” means the car ran out of gas. When that happens on track, the car slows down or stops, and the driver loses a lot of time.
“Ran out of fuel” means the car’s fuel level dropped too low to keep the engine running, often due to a strategy miscalculation or unexpected race events. In IndyCar, it can happen mid-race and cost laps or force an end to the run.
Nissan Gtr
"...tima. Ultima is the company that makes the Ultima GTR. It's kind of like a semi-kit car over in England..."
The Nissan GT-R is a fast sports car made by Nissan. It’s designed to accelerate hard and handle well, not just look sporty. People bring it up when talking about performance cars because it’s known for being very quick in real driving and on tracks.
The Nissan GT-R is a high-performance sports car known for combining everyday drivability with serious track-level speed. It’s often discussed because it represents a “supercar-like” experience at a more accessible price point, and it’s a frequent benchmark for performance cars. In a conversation about kit or special cars, it can come up as a reference point for what “GTR” performance and engineering typically mean.
Ultima
"Ultima is the company that makes the Ultima GTR. It's kind of like a semi-kit car over in England."
Ultima is the company behind the car the host owns. They make cars that are built with a kit-like approach and have a racing background.
Ultima is the company that builds the Ultima GTR and related cars, including the Ultima Spider mentioned here. The host frames it as a semi-kit style manufacturer, with early factory race-car roots.
dry sump
"It has a small block in it, a really hot one with a dry sump, and then it has a Porsche transaxon in the back."
A dry sump is a special way of keeping engine oil where it needs to be during aggressive driving. It’s common on race cars because it helps the engine stay lubricated under hard turns and stops.
A dry sump is an oiling system that stores oil in a separate tank instead of relying on the oil pan. It helps prevent oil starvation during hard cornering and braking—useful for track and racing use.
Porsche transaxon
"It has a small block in it, a really hot one with a dry sump, and then it has a Porsche transaxon in the back."
A transaxle is a combined gearbox-and-differential unit. Using a Porsche transaxle usually means the drivetrain is designed to handle spirited driving and track use.
A transaxle combines the transmission and differential into one unit, often mounted to improve weight distribution and handling. The host specifically says the Ultima Spider uses a Porsche transaxle, implying a proven racing-oriented drivetrain architecture.
Can Am car
"So it's kind like a Can Am car from back in the day."
“Can-Am” was a famous old racing series. When the host compares the car to a Can-Am car, he means it feels like a classic, big, race-focused machine.
“Can-Am” refers to the Canadian-American Challenge Cup, a historic racing series known for powerful, purpose-built machines. Calling the Ultima Spider “like a Can Am car” suggests a big-engine, race-car feel and layout rather than a modern production-car approach.
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