Louis Foster & RHR

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SXM today. That's 1 800 flowers comm slash SXM. Hey guys Tim here

Just wanted to explain we're doing things a little out order this week. I don't know if you noticed something kind of happened

Anyway, we put up the cracker barrel show yesterday with Alex back

We recorded a show in the Tower Terrace on Monday, so that's what we're putting out right now

So some of the references might be a little outdated, but uh

You know, this is free. Why are you complaining? This is off track

Hello everybody, hello

To a live show of off track with Hinch or Rossi

Sorry, you guys got the short end of the stick this week

But my colleague's a little busy as he usually is nothing to do with what happened today

He never comes to this show, so don't take his absences any kind of concern

He normally just hates seeing people. There's a lot of you here

But luckily

Yeah, it seems here

So we do have a little it's a weird set up a little bit because you cannot anyone has been who's been here before for this show

I love you guys. You got some died hard fans here. We appreciate it

a little bit different little blog elaborate setup that made wrongly now

Does come at a cost and that's one mic, which means Tim won't say anything at all. It's just me Louie and I chatting

Actually, okay, first of all round of applause for Louie Foster is joining us today

And let's keep the applause going because to tell McGee mr. Ryan Hunter ray is showing up as well

To tell we'll get you over here. Oh

I thought I thought you were gonna big time. I thought you were gonna do like that here thing, you know

But you know you have to have so yeah, we're gonna have to paddle this like a little bit

So it's gonna have a different cadence, which is a good thing because it means that Tim can't just chime in whatever he wants

With some smart ass remark, I'm still really loud

It isn't a portion to

Okay, well look we're here

We're gonna get we're gonna get through the drivers first because we're gonna let them get on to their day

The last thing they want to do trust me is be here with us not you us

But because he got here first he won the race. We're gonna start with Louie Louie Foster RLL number 45 machine

Thrombolite a big partner of yours who've been a big partner of this show

So thank you to Trombolite. We'll get the susponsories later, but just let's just start with the basics man

Let's just walk through your month of May up to this point

I know today was a little trotated, but how is your two at the speedway to cheer me so far?

Good I would say that I think the team has made a big steps as well shift I find

Well, she was

All of new things to me was this year so far was like second time doing it. So it's a bit of a zeal

but I think generally

We've been good up until the last two days and then it started to go south

With the heat I think when it gets more hot the oil thought of this

Is improving, but maybe not the pace of preferred

So

So what you're saying is yes, okay

So what you're saying is good for all the practice days that have absolutely no meaning whatsoever

And then started going south in qualifying and then the last day to prep the second last day to prep the car before the race

Well, it might be the last day

I mean, I wouldn't you know, say that

But um

Yeah, pretty much in short, yeah, I mean we were really going fast through a day

And then yes, it was about how we saw shut me today was very difficult and then the first half of the day

We had a downage for us. So we basically had to know they mean it's one of the

I don't know what it might call, but it was loud. So

There was a lot of bits flying around. I think a lot of cars got damaged and that whole thing

On that note before we go any further Tim, let's just address the elephant in the room. Sorry. That's not you

That's not what I meant

But um, you just do that do do your thing here just do stuff

Okay, so obviously

We're not we're not Alex. We're not the team and we're not the series. So any updates don't come from us

So we will give you the latest update from Indy car by the time you're listening to this at home

You probably have another update

But Alexander Rossi is being transported to a local hospital for further evaluation per Dr. Julia

Advisor visor and the car medical director the earlier update Alexander Ross Rossi is awakened alert and in good spirits following today's practice seven incident at

IMS I take issue with that because Alex hasn't been in good spirits since 1996

so

But you know, uh, that's a good news

I feel like with Alex good spirits all relative job, right? There's like there's a there's a scale

It's a it's a very narrow window that he kind of operates within so good

It's just like slightly less pissed off at everything and everyone

But that's good. We'll take that as a plus

So lily what um, what do you know about the month of may and the any 500 this year?

That you didn't know last year that your finding is is very helpful coming into this month of that

Um

The biggest thing on the last year in the 500 was probably how to melt a cow. That was fun. There's a good thing we do

Yeah, you know, that's a weird it was impressive. Um, yeah, have you used that a lot since?

Many times. Oh, okay. So you just got right in there. Uh, yeah, I'm spot on problem now. I guess all right. Um, but I think generally

There's never one. I mean, I don't find at least I don't know

You're different or rise different, but you never quite very different

I mean, I don't see as well. I'm gonna say I don't get but I mean you don't have euphoric moments where like all of a sudden

Everything becomes clear. Like it's just a gradual slow

One session time. Oh, that makes sense. Oh, that's better. Oh, that makes sense. So you just kind of slowly

Figure things out. Right. I mean, it's my second 500 and there's guys on the grid that have been doing it since before

I was born, right?

What was your first year?

Oh, yeah

500 yeah

Okay, no, you know, I mean like

That was like his 40 year in indy card. That's all of you. That wasn't your 40. You were on the other side of school

That was like your 16th year in indy light. So

Hey, you'll get you'll get there you'll get something

But yeah, no, I mean generally, uh, I've enjoyed the process this year. It's been a bit less stressful, I would say

And it feels a bit more like home and you know now

Last year when I went to the Coombs data, it was

I was convinced he was driving a different car. I was like, that doesn't make sense

This year I'm getting there. Like it's like we we ran less wing the naming goalie, which was

I didn't know the time and if I didn't know I would have thought the team didn't help do that

but we did it

didn't work out for us, but um

Like we're getting there slowly and I think the having to come on the team

He's just such a great target to try and beat and or at least get to close as possible. So, um, we're getting that

So you have extra horsepower too. So I'm glad you brought up Takuma. Um, you've been teammates with him. You you you know the score, but

Takuma drives in every year

Just for the race just for the month of may

It was pretty consistently like

pretty good

So better like the other

I'm not going anywhere. I'm saying

You said you you said you're not quite there yet on believing he's driving a different car

But like do you think you'll get there one day that everything is

Like what you were are you learning? Are you learning a lot from takuma? Yeah. Yes. I am

I'm gonna finish with that

There we go. I think that might be the longest ratio of a question length to answer a length

Yeah, that's for you. That was that was skewed in the wrong direction

But uh, I was I was trying to navigate a scenario and so was louie and he did it very craftily

You're a professional. I could just coaxing the information out

What was that? What was that here? We just we're just coaxing slow

Is this this is what the tech goes to

Yeah

Is this one of the techniques that you use on your yacht when you're doing your sports fishing or well, it depends on the

Yes

The way I missed the time to see, you know if uh, so like what is what is too much chalk for you to go fishing?

It depends if I have canadiens on the boat. I'd never really attached, you know

There's too many ways you guys get sick very easily. So you guys we

What now you guys got you yeah

You have to have sea legs and you were to see legs

Yeah, well you do now you've been spending lots of time on the yacht

Is that true? Yeah, yeah

You have more yacht time than I do actually you have more yachts than I do. So no, no ever

I wouldn't even consider it. Maybe you wouldn't it's called

Yacht, but it's it would be the dingy on the boat

Just to clarify it would be uh, the dingy on the boat that

James has been spending a lot of time well, so isn't this relatable?

James and that they're just like us

Yes

You said it's called a yacht

You just don't it's called yellow fin yachts, right? But it's that you use that term loosely

Within the industry they'll know to loosely refer to you as 2014 any 500 champion, uh, right on array

Does it ever

But do you like me yes, whatever we're gonna say yes

Especially right here former former

Oh, yeah, you can yeah, or any car champ whatever. Yeah

Oh, just a nice humble break for me. Why is it always fun?

18 times

Do you have time to listen to it?

No, legitimacy to that like the former thing who lives legitimately. I think so after how many years

Maybe just so sensitive because you keep talking about how old I am

That could be it

I I I am sorry

That you are so old

But I I'm not the business of flying to my audience

It's Ryan. It was to be horrific. Uh, okay, Ryan. So, um, big change for you in uh, in 2026

You upgraded the yachts a few feet longer. Um, you know, you switch teams you're here with McLaren

Try a ride bull racing last year

Biggest difference coming into the month of may in 26 versus 25

Well, I think the biggest difference is that I've been able to gotta be a part of the team

From she's the phoenix open test, I guess and it runs. Well, that wasn't an option at the hour

Right, right exactly. So I've been kind of embedded in the team the whole time and when I got here

Or when we're coming into may I don't at all feel like it's a part time deal, right?

I know all the engineers. I have great great communication with all of them. I already know my team, but you know, it's not just like

So you don't have that feeling right, but it is so difficult. I can't explain how difficult it is

Even with all these folks that have worked for years on full-time deals to get an operation with these people coming together in the most competitive

race series in the world and the biggest race of the world

for everything to come together just

smoothly and not have any issues like day one was just like all these electrical issues computer won't tell us the car

Even though we've already been through this a bunch of times. Everything's fine

It's just those things right and that's the hardest part about it

But no, it's been fantastic working with the team and and and the resources and just how it's big

And that's really one of the reasons why I felt like I needed to get get in there and and and become very

Very involved in and not only building relationships there, but the communication side of it so that when we got here we were hitting the ground running

So do you think that

You know because everybody looks at dr as a as a one race a year program, right?

And there are pros and cons of that. Yeah, but what do you talk about joining McLaren?

You're you're this extra car so to speak, right? They run Marcus. Yeah

Sikila actually does muted sikila

It's clear but

And yeah, it's fake just have a sit it's just one with some yellow food. I know it's not fake but say passport

True okay, so so you've got you've got dr

That's part-time. It's not even part-time. It's a one race program that you go to McLaren. They they add a car

So everything on your car is additional in terms of personnel equipment pit stands all that sort of stuff

Yeah

So you you have some of these problems that you outlined

Is that one of the areas where you kind of realize especially you've done both and back to back years that there are some advantages to

A team that is dedicated solely to this one race in that the people are all the same

This is all they work on

That car is a two-car program both cars ran well last time they were on the racetrack

Even though the next time they're on the racetrack is 11 months later. Yeah, everything still sort of works

Are you seeing some of the because I think it's easy from the outside to say

Oh, it's better to be with a with a team that runs all season long

Versus a one-off team, but great point. Are you seeing kind of the other?

I'm not trying to say like the grass isn't greener sort of thing, but are you sort of noticing some of these differences again?

I absolutely am and you know, that's a great point good

Dryer wish you'd never left is what you're saying. That's what I got

It's why I'm blindfold so unique because

How many other teams you've ever heard of in history, right?

That one run this one race and they have all these really talented individuals that are

Employed year-round for the one race, right? That usually doesn't happen. So that it is a unique scenario

But absolutely the time it takes to prepare for all this stuff at indy

They are able to have a long runway on that right and be very prepared

Um

But at indy everything has to go so right even on race day, right the little things could just bite you in the ass

and

That's what's hard to iron out

But man there you could see their car isn't great for me last year

I was driving a you know pit stop car around and it was it was hooked up and I was shocked and it's because they're

They're good at what they're doing and there is an advantage to doing it once a year

They're not all their guys are not tired and worn out, right?

And and whereas the full-time guys like you said the full-time teams you're an add-on at that point, right? Everything is

And everybody's a little bit worn out that the season has been front loaded. It's been a bit of a grind for you guys, right?

It's been it's been busy

No doubt. Um, I've logged a lot of spirit miles lately and

Really really sad. I see that

I'm kidding

Of course again, we all know you fly private

You means your plane was at the name of your yacht. I can't keep actually the backup plane that has to log in right, right?

Yeah, this is a port plane that just carries all of his matched luggage

Um, you have an eclectic mix of teammates

Yeah, yeah battle war no one's seagull and christian one guard in numerical order. Um

What's it been like kind of working with the three of them?

Look, you're the season pro you've won this race. You've been through it all

dozens of so many times like you remember the bricks and um

I'm just wondering if this is the panel's got an incredible record here

Was it weird to see your younger teammate Ray around to win that one?

Absolutely

Incredible I was so proud of

I

You know your history, uh, but no, so see I mean I mean paddle in particular like he's got a tremendous track record around here

Famously has like an impossible car to drive

So I love talking to people that get to work alongside paddle because

A lot of the feedback is similar

I'm curious if you've noticed the same thing that car setup wise maybe not the guy to talk to

But this guy has a dynamic been with the teammates and have you a guy with hundreds of years of experience learning

You know, it's been a lot of fun working with them

I've had a really good time with it

They're all so unique right and what they want and their feedback and their style and all that

And yeah, Paolo will drive a forklift at 240 miles an hour around the place

So it is wild to watch, you know his in cars and stuff like that

Probably more along the lines of like what you're used to seeing with with they have a very large

threshold or or tolerance for dealing with um

A lot of rear moments, right a lot

And they operate in that range

Right, yeah that too. I've always thought there's there's right. That's a gray area in between, you know

Those that are very conservative

And and respect hitting the wall and then others that operate over here. So

But yeah, man, it works for them and it's really cool to see

There's there's a reason why what's a ninja hands or something like that for the column ninjas

And then just something or other yeah, I mean just so fast his hands and even in his debriefs when he's describing the car

It's like martial arts going on like how fast it's like, you know, he's describing what it's doing

And in the chair. Yeah, it's like going around. Yeah, the chair's

Moving as it's going to but usually such a subtle guy

He's a lot of fun. I mean

He has a private jet not me

I

Know he just tweets about it. Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah

He didn't deny it guys you heard that he didn't deny it

Um, louis along the same lines you have a wide range of teammates now

You don't have a ton of any 500 experience, but you're not the least tenured driver in the team anymore

Um, you've got graham who again is that I mean he's almost

As old he's not as old as younger than me, but he's got like 4 000 starts here because he started when he was two

James is just rounding out his indy lights crew. I mean I was I was on just cracking in the second decade of lights

When grand made his debut here

Only two

So false. That's a that's a fat fat check. I had two years of indy lights

I'm ignoring the three years of formula Atlantic before that unrelated. How does he like unrelated?

You're in your lights. That doesn't make sense. Your face is in your

Different dynamic this year you've got you're a what?

rookie teammate

graham a lot of experience

Two-time champion here almost three-time champion here in tecumesano

What's the working relationship like between the four? Are you one of the guys that's able to kind of

Help mickle along having just done that. I mean graham's rookie season was like again

eons ago

Yeah, have you been able to kind of connect with him on that side as he works through his month of May?

Yeah, I mean mick score a good support group already. I mean and at the same time

He's a rookie, but he's a lot right. He's on formula one. He's done work. He's he's he's not really

When we talk of rookies, it's like kaiyo and denis like they've only kind of done f2

I mean probably they don't have two or more but I mean mick's been around so

Rubens Bartello was technically a rookie when he came here after like 12 or 15 years in formula. So yeah, it's a weird

So was Alonso, right? Yeah, I was gonna say someone's like Alonso, right? It's like, yeah, they're rookies, but

Um, but no, I mean mix mix mix being good. Um, he's been learning and I think he's he's enjoying it

as well too. Yeah, I mean

To kuma's nuts a lot the guy. He's hilarious. Um, it's always great to see him and it's nice when he's

You know back in indian with us, um

And then yeah, great graven. I have a very similar feel for the car. Honestly. We always have

Like the exact same feedback and that's kind of

Concerning in a weird way because it's almost too specific

It's usually like a great only eight of sort of things and then there's like the 20% when I was like driver preference, right?

We have very different driving styles, but we agree on like everything

So we're just helpful because it gives to raise the team. Um, uh, but yeah

I think so far this last week, especially we all four drivers were very in tune with

The main setup changes with what we brought to the car, uh, which was nice. Um

And even to kuma agree with a lot of them. But obviously he's just running like

Time off runway if everyone else. Um, yeah, it's uh, it's it's

Fun to work with all them. They're all very different people. Um

I mean we're all different nationalities all different backgrounds. So, um

Yeah, I mean, I think

We've got one more day to kind of have a stab at try and fix the car because right now it's not

Well, actually to kuma was very happy with today, which I'm supposed to be through. Yeah, he was definitely too

Yeah, it's quick. Yeah. Um, I was like, I need to speak to him and understand Al because

me grand and me equal and let's have the effort. So, um

Yeah

decent

Does that concern you in a sense that maybe there's uh

An element of that's kind of just how you have to feel in the race for the guy that's wanted twice

Saying, yeah car's good and you guys are like, no, it's not. Is it actually good? And that's just what you had to deal with

I mean, I was speaking to grand but it's actually earlier today and I told him the

To kuma thought the car was good and I wanted the people grand said, but

He said along the lines of I don't believe that. Um, because he was like, yeah

To kuma couldn't pass me and I was awful. So, um,

Wasn't to come with p1

P2 p2. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, sometimes that makes it to the hearing aid to the right. Yeah. Yeah

Oh, okay

But I'll I'll look at the theater and find out I guess I don't know we'll see but uh, I mean

I mean, I don't know how you found it today for us. It was just

Horrible

I'm things behind obviously I haven't had a whole lot of with all this stuff

I haven't had a whole lot of better. Well, you have a 1232 years experience. Yeah. Yeah

Happiest day

How does it make you feel the team you left is doing really well this year?

So glad you asked

You

Also wanted last year. We were in the we fast swell the year before. Yeah, so

We try rainbow before as well. I'm sorry. Yeah, three years three years ago. Yeah

Um

So, yeah, you know last year was the big one that got away kind of you know, you know the wind deal

But you know, I'm happy for him because I know all the people there honestly

And there's a lot of really good folks there and they work hard

Yeah, so like Connor wins the race and in that car, you know, I mean

Happy for him for the race. I'd be happy for him, but I went with the race

He's hoping for a Connor p2

Yeah, it's solid p2. Well, be fine. You've ever introduced me is

I heard you talk about takuma having one too. He's like you probably should have one third

You never say this shit is for me though. Okay, so you should have won last year. Yeah 16

He should know I should have won 16

I

I only didn't win 14 because Johnson bell decided to take it and I out in turn one, but whatever

No, that's not true. That's not true 16. I know sorry 14

Yeah, you and I own that race. That was so fun

And then I should have been you and I at the end too good to see you right now the front of the 85

I'm controlling it. I'm not gonna lie

It's one of the most fun times I've ever had in my entire driving career was the first hundred laps of that race

Yeah, and then it all went south because you you and me we controlled the whole thing

There was people that wanted to get involved

Yeah, we got like each other's eyes and then we're like we're not let that guy play

This guy can play that guy's not

And we were controlling the whole thing for so long

And then you got taken on the pants and I was all up there by myself and then at all inside

Yeah, what happened with you and I forget I didn't oh, um

I didn't um

Have a terrible pit stop and then have to go wildly off strategy and clutch across across the line for like a super

Ginny win

I had to wait for like you're waiting for a pack in practice

I did that waited for my teammate. Can everybody hear him?

Yeah, like you're waiting for a pack of practice

I yeah, I did that and I and I towed him along

I so and then he got to a point where he's going so slow. So I thought I was holding him up

Yeah, no, it was just wow. You said this place was steps from the water. We just haven't found the steps yet

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You did you for like at least buy you dinner or whatever? No, do you know what we're talking about? I know exactly. Okay. All right

Yeah, didn't buy you dinner. Yeah

That's to be fair. Well, hang on. I mean, you've literally never bought a dinner and your wife. So maybe that's all instead of just karma

Well, the whole t-rex or inside of it. Oh, can't get my wallet so

That's me

You know the basis the basis of this conversation there or this story was we were in Iowa

We went to the probably the chiefest restaurant you'd ever go to all year

It was a few of us

I did not bring my wallet from the bus one time at a mexican restaurant. The total bill was $35

for four people

And it came time to check and I'm like I

I forgot my wallet ever since then

That had to be 2015 or something like that. It was so long earlier than that that I found out how cheap you were

Okay, you can't afford the app. I'd buy in dinners. You got to buy food. You don't get rich by spending your own money

You know, that's why he's always told me that's why

Yeah, how expensive jet fuel and boat gas is

That's a boat man

Yeah, I don't know. I don't have a yeah, I don't know the industry turner. That's too old

But that's me as to have one. Do you have one? an answer?

Where?

Here no, I didn't count

I didn't count at all. It's on the inner coastal like some people

Um, I had to train a thawney or ruin it. Yeah. Oh, no, I remember now. We're gonna get back to that

I remember this now. Okay. I don't let you guys go off to this

But this is like a genuine serious chat again for a sec

Yeah, I'll get serious

We had I hate to say but we're gonna say we had a I think surprisingly

Calm week of practice and day of qualifying great

You know that track today, obviously we had the first incident in a month collected a couple cars

I hope Alex is oh, you know, hope Alex is fine

Um, and you know what one of the first thing is spirits

Why do I have to even have that in there?

You haven't talked to him. Whoever wrote this quote is not in the middle center. It was just in a person

So, um, I actually used you as a reference to last year because last year you're a good race car burned to the ground on car

Bay, right pit stop car nearly won you the rinse. Yeah, so like I'm sure your backup car's fine, bro

Hunter annually won that thing with like a show car. Yeah 1922

Which was immediately your first time

But my question is what why do you think practice was so calm

It's might be this was maybe more for you because you've only been here once you've had I don't want to say it again

Yeah, a lot of laps here

Why do you think practice was so conditions were heavy? It was just so cold like so cool. They really were heavy

Yeah

Everybody's pretty good. Like I think that's the reason why we see a lot. He's pretty good

No, everybody we see a lot less yellows in this series, man

Yeah

I'm like, it's only fit not everyone everyone you're in it. You're in there. You're in the block. Do you think you could play in our sandbox?

I think everybody's really good this series and and that's why you don't see yellows as much in any session practice sessions qualifiers

Yeah, can you guys cut it out? Yeah, you are for me to do my job when you all don't look at me driving around

Yeah, you're right. You only do the one

You're gonna think about I was watching the number ring 24. Yeah. Yeah the commentator doesn't do that

24 hours. Yeah, you have an easy man. Dude. I have first of all, I said 24 hours of practice

Okay, this week. That's what we're gonna be qualifying. Yeah, just cry me a river

He had to talk about all these slow you snacks. Yeah this personnel

How are you guys gonna call it? How are you guys gonna feel when pilote is beat you all again?

Yeah

They only started carving his face

Yeah, I just on the little play thing like three's copy and paste this kid ahead of my work here. Yeah

He's being efficient. Anyways

Just good conditions good drivers. I think so and if it had been at 85 or 90 and track temp of 120 plus all week

We'd be way

different

Okay, so then what changed today because you and I were talking about this a little bit

Temperature wind and temp. Well temp wasn't that much. How it was. It was just

It was it was the ambient was high. So you

Like temp was that's top side down force

Track temp was I don't know how like I got out there

But it was like once called clouds what we do is they cover the sun and

And then the track survey you think you know this after so many it's a good thing all your friends are around right

My friends they've been making they've been laughing at your jokes, too

Because they're my friends and they know that they don't want to hurt your feelings. Well, you're yes

Yeah, um, okay. So one of the things that we were talking about was how this session on monday and card day

You you get these scenarios that don't exist on race day

Right with drivers trying to check up and fall back in line and sort of creates these awkward moments

Were you feeling some of that today?

Wasn't really close enough people to let's do that to honestly

I mean I saw that the whole pack that when they crashed I could

See it coming because everyone started checking up and then I actually started catching them eventually. Um, but

Uh, I think also to a certain degree. I would say the now that we've qualified people are a bit less

You don't want to crash your quality car

Like you don't want to crash your quality car on thursday

Because you know you're going to qualify that day off the bathroom

Whereas once you kind of got on that side of quali, especially if there's a bump day and especially if your car

It could be a bump day

Right, I think you kind of sigh a bit of releasing like okay now I can risk a bit more because

Either way, I'm right

So I would say there's a little bit of that on the on the monday test and then also the car day test

Yeah, um

But I would agree the conditions work because we were still like pretty like tuesday wednesday

People were aggressive in the acts. Yeah calling. There are certain drivers that are more aggressive

Most but like sit downside around those big packs, right? If one thing goes wrong up there

You're just you know, I mean you can't just off so you just disappear

But I think you've got the open test and then the conditions all the way

I don't remember the last time we had like the the tuesday wednesday thursday leading you've given into car

Fast friday those were all

Yeah, yeah, no way no way. No way. He falls friday was pretty chilly. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, and today the wind had

There's something with this there's tire or everything else. That's just

When we have a green track

It's just it's just a bit different and with the wind

The wind was howling I remember I woke up this morning

I look up and I always look at the top of the go to right away to see what kind of day I'm dealing with

Yeah, and with the flags or or does that from your horizontal or boss that you look up?

Uh

Yeah, 22 Yeah, right right. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love town

Island who flies over and he gives me a heads up now

How is bar to be doing it's bar to be

The helicopter pilot this is last day we're getting for the best smith

Oh

Why don't be smith? How do you follow bar to be up with smith? Yeah, I'm not good under pressure

You went to the one guy who's not a race card. I'm like, I can't think of my feet

So what are the conditions

Projected for race day 10 months or wise

Well, right now it says my neighbor from 70 to 74

So on the cooler side maybe correct, but it's in the anna

Yeah, and you know how big of me you're all just are getting it right

I mean at best they're bad at five. What a good job

It's the but I imagine being wrong 50% of the time and still having a job wild

Imagine you crashed in 50% of your races and you still had a job

I mean pjhs and almost got a season as a meteor

Six races and it was fired

So I think you finished any of them. No, you're not. I don't think it's fun

We should have him on this to just recount his

We've got too many partners to be able to yeah, yeah, unfortunately. Uh, okay guys, we're gonna let you get on with your jobs

Thank you so much for spending by round of applause everybody, please

Sunday

Next Sunday, thank you very much. Take care of your football

I'll blow the man out

Well guys at this brief intermission we like to take an opportunity and again, we've already noted the way better

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Isn't it? No, it is but you're supposed to just like I'm supposed to just like jugs

I do I do

I just give her a wink first

I like the chicken too

Okay, so a lot we our guests are gone. It's good. We can now talk about

Whatever you want to talk about do you have dirt on our hr because I feel like

He comes to this every year and I don't does he know he can say no

No

Because well kind of mean to him. So here's the thing. I do have one photograph

That he knows I possess and like I gotta tell you that I wish I could tell the story without even showing the photograph

I wish I could tell the story

But let's just say I I

I lied to him

Okay, I put him in a very awkward scenario where he made some bad decisions on the basis of my

False information. Okay, boy. Was it great for me?

It was not only entertaining for me. I think deep down. He knows it, but uh, no, he's a good friend despite how old he is and

He comes he comes every year, which is great. I love his wife. kids

Uh, so I'm glad that he shows up. It's cool. We have any 500 champion that comes to the show

Yeah, even though we have another one that's usually supposed to be up, but not at this one. No

This one. Uh, all right, Tim, what did you uh, would you make a qualifying? Nobody cares. What did you guys think are qualifying?

Who likes to know who likes the uh, unofficial format that we were forced to eat? It's well done

I've done it. All right. We got a lot of men. Okay. Okay. This is good. Let's an open forum for discussion

Why did you like it?

It's great. All right. He says wildly unspecified

I know

One and done one and done you had you had to get it done or are you are you this was my point is every one mattered

Yes, right because when we do it the other way the old school way you go and you do your first run, right?

Then there's another four hours or whatever of people doing second runs. Some people are like look, I was 19th

I'm not fast enough to get in top 12

I'm not going to be bumped out of the show. We did a one

We're going to bed

fine

If you are 15th, you're trying to get the top 12, right? And if we have bumping obviously, there's those ones, so but

When you when you're you're seeing the lane two the not priority lane and guys that are

In 21st trying to get to 17th

Respectfully, nobody cares like now that i'm on this side of it

No gives if you move up a couple spots in the middle of the field, right in this one every run mattered. Yes

The first run you had to like lay it all out. Did you think you were fast enough for the top 12?

Well, you had to really go for it because you didn't get a chance to like

Build up to it conditions were way different than what they had on friday

So it meant that everybody had to kind of guess there's a little bit of that like

darkboard engineering

Every run on the first pass through mattered that if you got through the top 12

One and done to get in the fast six you got a fast 61 and done fighting people

I love the fact that there was something on the line for every single run

Does that mean that I want to go to a single day qualifying format? No or what? No. No

But so I guess this would be

My takeaways was there ever a run even in a two-day qualifying where you went out there where

You didn't treat it like you were just putting everything out into the run. Let me be very clear from behind the wheel

You are saving your life every time. Yeah, that's that would be my friend from the driver's perspective

Like when you that's honestly, I bet a lot of the drivers like to do because they only had to do

We all talked about how much we love qualifying in because it is it's the greatest thrill that you're gonna have all year

But it's it's a greatest thrill because it's the most

Terrifying thing that you do all year and when you're one of these guys that's

Flirting with your 13th to 19th and you're like I can make the top story that the team just keeps throwing you

We need to take a little more down for us off go for it pal

Yeah, I guess let's do that. That sounds sweet for you

So there it's it's a weird balance because we all love it. We all love it so much

Qualifying here is so special and it means so much

But it is the most terrifying thing that you do

And so when you get some of these runs that yeah, you're committed

You're gonna pull an extra degree out of the wing

But if you're moving from 18th to 16th

Does it actually matter? Look, I I get it because I can relate after

Doing one activity for three and a half minutes. I'm done for the rest of the day, too

It's funny

Glad we brought I would never last three and a half

Is there a part of you that's that's watching this because I know we've talked about this before and you said

You know, you were surprised by the parts that you didn't miss or you didn't feel jealous of the guys who are out there

Is there a part of you that misses that intensity or is it that's that's a really good question

Because that that is why I like standard response, right?

Someone's like, uh, do you miss being out there? My response is always

there's there's some things I miss there's a lot that I don't

and

Qualifying is one of those ones where I I'm I'm genuinely not even sure which end which side of that

equation falls on because

You probably miss when you got pulled not when you didn't make the show

Hey, it's not the worst thing that's happened to you

I'll get you next time

What's the shirt? I didn't read it. I'm so warm

There when you're when you know guys, it's funny because he died

Brief funny just because you got better. I made it. I made it

Brand new there is there is a feeling when you are in line

Strapped in the car and your third in line your second line and you're on deck

And the the feeling in the pittier stomach is so tough to explain

And

It's not a good feeling. I don't want to like

Make it sound like this is a warm fuzzy hug from the inside kind of thing, right?

That's the kind of feeling you do when you enjoy disnuded tequila

But there there is you might need some more something there is something intoxicating

But about about that feeling it's terrifying. It's awful and it's exciting and it's amazing all at the same time

So there are moments where you you're you're seeing a driver on deck and someone's

And and you see them sitting there and they and their run ends the engine fires off when you're waiting for your attempts to be whatever

and

And

There are there are moments where you look at that. You're like, oh, that's awesome. That's that guy's about to be out there and have a lot of fun

we'll grow and

Then there are days where the wind's really bad and everyone's struggling that you're like god

I'm so glad I but you're conditioning

I like snap my fingers and having espresso brought to me or a

Perrier if I want like there are like when I say there are things that I miss there's a lot that I don't

It's a very true statement because there are

There are a lot of great things about getting to do this

But it's not an easy gig and you have to sacrifice a lot and you have to do a lot and you have to commit a lot

And I have nothing but respect for everyone. Obviously that does it and everyone that did it this week

Um, it was tricky conditions out there. They saw a lot of drivers have to really kind of really wheel it in qualifying

Which is it's been a couple years since we've seen that so it was

It was super impressive. This year's running qualifying was super impressive

Becky do you miss it? Do you miss the anxiety of pindy and anon training?

This is Santa margarita pinot grigio stock prices

Nobody thinks she married you because she got too sober

It's a great point. Um, so, uh

Who's whose favorite driver did well in qualifying?

Today sucked, but yeah

It's it was bad. Okay. Yes, it was great. Who are you cheering for sir rossy rossy

pato

Rossian pato. Okay, so you guys had a really bad day

I'm going great sunday, but I care for sunday

I would have to drive

But I mean that that's what's so interesting about this place though, right?

Is you got you got two guys right there that both had great days on on sunday qualified?

Well, they still have great starting spots, but you know, it can all go south

This session we still have another two hours allegedly hopefully on car day

But it's also like you said, you know

Rhr's car

He had to use a complete backup the pit stop car last year and almost won the damn thing

Alex

Had a colossal mistake in 2016. It did win the thing. I mean, this is not

At any other normal race

Something that would be a complete race ender doesn't not take you out of contention to win

It's a great point. And and that's why the first thing I said was hey, how do I really want in a like station wagon last year?

Yeah, and it's it it just takes the car's phone the right way the saying is always right that in the picks the winners

And uh, and there's a there's a not insignificant group of people that think that the winner's already decided as of today

The track knows who's gonna win next sunday and his name is alex pillow

I really thought you were going with our guy

He started that sentence

Um, so who's by random applause happy that alex blows on pole

Do you know what?

He's he's a really nice guy. He had to work

Who is by random applause surprised that alex blows on

So the three people that wanted ross even

Don't you be surprised?

He did not have pace. I did sort of think that

He was if there was one there's one event on the calendar

You could sort of be like this one. He might not win

It would be this one then you did that doesn't matter. It's fine. Um, you know, the pulse inter actually doesn't win a ton

statistically, yeah, that's it 40 46 percent of winners do come from the front row. So

How are you good at position?

but it's um, as you say Tim it is such a long race so much can happen and

conditions could potentially be

Trick, right? We're hearing there's some weather that could potentially affect the day

I mean some women can affect the day and like you saw today

As clean as practice was with conditions kind of get to a certain point

People are now everything's on the line, right? Practice was clear and clean because as Louis said no one wants to wreck the qualifying car before qualifying

but

In a race you're going for it

Yeah, so there's a high degree of likelihood that we're going to see for all the

Costure free running that we saw throughout practice

Uh and qualifying that it could still be a freak incident filled race

Pet lane here is always a huge risk huge concern. Just don't let Townsend leave the booth keeping us out of pet lane

Too soon

Ryan's gone. So you're good. Yeah, you're good. Um

But interesting thing so, uh, we had tk up in the booth during practice and he was explaining how they brought in some jimmy

Johnson's NASCAR T

Cool guys to help with high race car and they're doing a little bit of a different

Choreography of the pit stop than what has kind of become industry standard here in Descartes

And we did a deep dive on it today in practice

Lots of replays and illustrator work

Because until the big accident it was a very boring session with the others

And they might be out of something

There might be a little trick there that the 31 has up their sleeve in pit lane

And pit lane can be a make or break sort of situation here

So could be very interesting

Well, my favorite part of that is in that works that will be the standard by not necessarily by Detroit

Yeah, that's that's I mean, but isn't that what racing's all about this and you find the one thing that gives you that tiny little bit

Edge and then it becomes the standard and then you have to find the next thing

So you're gonna say a topic that I would love to go down, but I don't know if there's a good idea

That means yes, do it

I was gonna say we didn't wrap up, but yeah

No, we'll skip that one. We'll address that another time because I want Alex's take on that and uh, he was too lazy to show up today

So

Tune in next sunday on Fox

I'm sorry Tim and for our pre-race show for the running of the 110th Indianapolis 500

Tim

Thanks for

I know make sure you're doing this

Thanks for listening to the show. Thank you guys all so much for coming out. It's always been a great time

Yeah

And we'll see you guys next year

This has been off track with hinge and Rossi

Off track is part of the serious xm sports podcast network

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We are at ask off track on twitter and instagram

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Louis Foster & RHR

Seagull

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