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92:27
Place
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
A famous, twisty race track in Ohio that has lots of hills and turns. It is a favorite spot for IndyCar and sports car races.
Car
Mazda 787B
A famous Japanese race car that won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1991. It is beloved by car fans for its incredibly loud and unique rotary engine, which sounds like a screaming Formula 1 car.
Concept
silly season
A fun term used in racing to describe the time of year when drivers are switching teams, signing new contracts, and rumors are flying about who will drive where next year.
Person
Scott Dixon
One of the greatest race car drivers in history, originally from New Zealand. He has won the IndyCar championship six times and is famous for being incredibly calm and smart under pressure.
Person
Pato O'Ward
A young, exciting race car driver from Mexico who drives for the McLaren team in IndyCar. He is famous for his incredibly fast, aggressive driving style and is highly popular with fans.
Car
Dallara DW12
The standard race car body and frame that all IndyCar teams have been required to use since 2012. It was named after Dan Wheldon, a famous driver who helped test and develop it before he died in a crash.
Part
supercapacitor
A device that stores electricity, similar to a battery, but can absorb and release its energy much faster. This makes it perfect for giving race cars quick, short bursts of extra speed.
Part
bell housing
The metal shell that connects the car's engine to its transmission. In IndyCar, this part is extra strong because it helps hold the back of the car together and houses the new hybrid electric parts.
Part
motor generator unit
An electric motor in a hybrid race car that acts as both a generator to capture energy when the car brakes and a booster to give the car extra electric horsepower when accelerating.
Place
Sonoma Raceway
A famous, hilly race track in Northern California's wine country. It has lots of sharp turns and steep hills, making it very challenging for drivers.
Car
Datsun B210
A small, cheap, gas-saving car from the 1970s made by Nissan (under the Datsun name). Although it was built for everyday driving, some people used them as cheap starter cars for amateur racing.
LIVE
Welcome to the Marshall Probe Podcast.
In your week in IndyCar, listener Q&A, it is July 1st, y'all.
Got some Honda Indy 200 happening this weekend at Mid-Ohio.
Unfortunately, we'll miss y'all.
Since they moved that race forward about a month,
this used to be a last weekend in July slash 1st of August,
wherever that fell.
Man, do indeed love Mid-Ohio, but since they moved it a month
forward and basically clashed with my wife's birthday
or birthday week, well, I'm always going to choose her.
So won't get to see y'all this weekend at good old Mid-Ohio,
but we'll indeed see you at Nashville
and I think every other IndyCar race
for the rest of the season, except for Markham,
because I will be in Monterey for the Monterey Rolex
reunion historic event, because why on earth would anybody
be anywhere else except for Monterey during that week?
So it's going to be cool celebrating each year.
They choose some sort of either a model or a genre
or a person to honor.
This year it is Japanese race cars.
So there's going to be some really cool stuff there.
Couple of Kart-era Honda Turbo.
Don't know if we're going to see any Toyota Turbo,
but I know of at least one, which is meant to be a runner.
Kart-era, pretty amazing, 850 to 900 horsepower.
Turbo V8 Honda goodness there.
So plus a lot of other amazing things.
So just yesterday, the day before that Mazda announced,
they'll be bringing the actual 1991 24 hours of Le Mans
winning 787B, which tends to live back at Mazda Global
in Japan, but that's being sent over along
with other great stuff.
So anyways, looking forward to what's
going to be just a really crazy fast sprint
through the rest of the IndyCar season here.
But nonetheless, let's talk about stuff, y'all.
Uncorked latest silly season piece that went up on racer.com.
That would be this morning.
And like the last one, there's just so much going on, y'all.
And so no surprise, most of your questions,
all compiled by our friend Jerry Sudeff,
are about silly season.
So I'm going to dive into all that I can here.
Also, very likely in the morning,
going to try and do a YouTube video podcast
to talk about many of the same things, maybe some more.
So we'll share with you all that I can.
Apply some context that might be needed in some areas.
And maybe I can share some things that I didn't put
into the silly season piece.
Big thank you as always to our amazing show partners,
the Justice Brothers makers of just really, truly scrumptrilescent
automotive chemicals that are cleaning,
they're lubricating, they're just performance adding,
nothing but awesome stuff coming from the Justice Brothers.
Been part of the Pruitt family since the 1970s
with my father's very first shop
through its old English garage.
So automotive chemicals that are cleaning,
that are lubricating, they're just doing amazing stuff,
JusticeBrothers.com, then also TorontoMotorsports.com,
modern motor racing memorabilia,
which if you know me, you know that I love
and I'm kind of being overtaken by all the memorabilia
that I've collected over the years, been given, et cetera.
Hats, T-shirts, books, stickers, models,
IMSA, IndyCar, F1, TorontoMotorsports.com,
please pay them a visit.
They are just upstanding members of the racing community
and do so many great things for fans.
So with all that said, let's get rolling into your questions.
Our pal Jeremy Davis, who I often credit
as being the world's number one Scott Dixon fan.
Well indeed, Jeremy does need to open the show.
Says brother, let's talk about the silliest of silly seasons.
Says my bank account is gonna kill me this off season
buying all new papaya gear of my guy Dixon.
Man, it's gonna be awesome to watch.
I hope this helps Dixon get another Indy 500 win.
Definitely, this is something where
Scott has made this decision partly because of,
as I'm told, as I've heard,
things that he hasn't been super happy with at Gnassy,
but also the great opportunities presented to him
at Aaron McLaren, some of which it looks like,
pretty much identical to things being offered
had he stayed at Gnassy.
There's some other items that might indeed be
additive that weren't available.
So why don't we use the question from our friend
Lynn underscore IndyCar to drive that portion
of the conversation.
Lynn says, I don't think Zach Brown
is on Chip Gnassy's Christmas card list.
I feel really safe Lynn in saying, you nailed that one.
Says does Zach dislike Chip so much
that he willingly is going to eject
their most consistent driver in Christian Lundgard
for a driver that can be his father
and Felix Rosenkvist, who's 10 years older than him?
Says Zach also ejected little Dave, Dave Maluchus too.
So there's a lot in here.
And if you're a regular listener to the show,
this is where I share a little prompt
that we often have a major item to delve into
and spend some time visiting with it.
And this is definitely the one.
So buckle in for a little while.
So very true.
Zach loves taking things from Chip.
He's a competitor.
Chip doesn't necessarily look at anyone else
as having something that he needs to take.
He's a 17 time champion in IndyCar.
I don't remember how many 8,500s they won,
but they won a decent amount of those as well.
This is the most successful IndyCar team
over the last 30 years, period.
No other team has been more successful than Chip's.
So just to share, mindset-wise,
you have the Hunter in Zach and Aaron McLaren
and the hunted in Chip.
Chip, that in this scenario, King of the IndyCar jungle,
I don't know if he looks at anyone else
and says, I need to poach this from you, poach that from you.
It's more I'm the King.
I feel confident in my court what I have.
I am the big swinging bleep here.
Come at me, bro.
Zach, obviously world champion now, Formula One.
Realized two years ago,
they won the Constructors' Chip and Chip in F1,
but now Drivers' Championship.
That's what everybody remembers.
So that's a big achievement for him.
But this is something in IndyCar.
In the five years since they made the initial investment
into the team win, took full ownership of it,
whatever that was at some point in 2024,
but in the five years that McLaren has gotten back
into IndyCar, continuing the tradition that it started,
that it had back in the 70s in particular
with its peak achievements.
They haven't done much.
Now, don't get me wrong, they've won races.
Pato has run incredibly well in the championship,
finished second last year.
So that by the number is really impressive.
They haven't won a championship ever, right?
Team is 25, 26 years old, season-wise at least.
Team under McLaren, no championships,
no Indy 500 wins.
So despite finishing second last year with Pato,
this is a team that is miles away
as it's currently constructed today
from taking down an Alex Palo Chip Ganassi racing.
That's the whole reason for these changes
that are taking place.
So I realize, and again, I love the kind of
stick the knife in spirit of, you know,
Zach disliked Chip this much to keep going after people
and getting rid of Lundgard to take something from Chip.
It could be interpreted that way on the surface.
The real reasons here for what's happening
have nothing to do with that.
Couple items to hit upon,
because this is truly a confusing thing.
I totally get that.
Why? What?
Dixon's 45, he's gonna be 46 later this month, right?
Realize that he finished third
in last year's championship, won a race at Mid Ohio.
And he's been able to win a couple of races, right?
Run second or third in the championship
since Alex arrived.
But this is also a case where not so much
able to challenge Alex.
Got it, okay.
So you could, if you wanted,
to paint Dixon as a declining star.
I don't see that, I don't believe that.
Would say, because it's factual,
Scott has reached the point where the Dixon,
he used to scare the living crap out of his rivals, right?
Go into any race, and everybody was
fearful, more than aware.
This guy could win any and every race on the calendar.
Not just speaking potential, but like be prepared.
Those days have passed.
Hoping to get that back,
it's part of the reason for the move.
It certainly hasn't been happening with Ganassi
over the last couple of years.
But this is something where Scott, despite his age,
is still someone who can win any race,
but doesn't necessarily strike the same fear
in everybody as he once did.
So that I would understand as a reason for some folks
to say, whoa, what, what, what?
Why are you making this move for him?
And who is he replacing?
It's another important thing to spell out.
I misunderstood exactly how this was all going
down and who's replacing what and what not.
As I believe I know,
the question marks about Lundgard aren't new.
They didn't just recently pop up at Earl McLaren.
Understand this is something they've had a watchful eye
on him all season long, most specifically on Ophels.
Are we seeing growth?
Are we seeing real?
I got it with 2026 being his fifth full season of IndyCar.
Usually you go, okay, you're new to this, got it.
It's gonna take you two to three years to get it,
but if you got it, you're gonna get it.
After four years, full time, not really demonstrating that.
Christian went into 2026 with the team really looking
at him going, okay, we know you're good on road and streets.
You've helped improve this team
without a doubt in your first season.
We're looking for a little more.
Can tell you that,
haven't seen that to the degree that they were wanting.
So this, I think, was the decision maker
a little earlier in the season that I had expected.
As I understand, Scott Dixon is going there
to take over the seven car.
So this is something timeline-wise,
although we're just learning about this being a fact recently
within the weeks, last month, whatever the timeframe is,
where this really started to bubble up
as a high probability.
This is something where Dixon's been on the verge,
it seems, of heading to Aaron McLaren for a while.
Years is what it feels like.
Seemed to recall in the whole Alex Polo lawsuit
among the discovery items, one of those bits and pieces,
and I could be forgetting the exact lineage,
but just seemed to recall wherever it came from
within the last couple of years,
something about Dixon being made a pretty serious offer
to go to Aaron McLaren, possible of equity,
or a variety of things, didn't take it at the time,
but would say that with things maybe not going
in the direction that he wants at Gnassia team,
which he led and was the unrivaled leader
for the majority of his decades there,
that's changed, which we know.
Just wanna paint some pictures here to get you
to how we're arriving at what's going on.
So we have Scott had the team effectively built around him
for Lord knows how many years, Polo comes in,
team is not rebuilt around Alex by any means,
he just simply delivers performances
that make him a champion in his very first season
with the team in 2021.
Dixie won, I think one race was on the podium,
a bunch, but I think finished fourth in the standings,
didn't have the best of years following his championship,
sixth and most recent last championship in 2020,
but Alex shows up, wins the championship first season
right off the bat.
The next year we know things got pretty ugly
and muddy there with lawsuits, him trying to leave, et cetera,
he wasn't on his game, he acknowledges that,
Will Power certainly was on his game,
wins the title in 2022.
Alex comes back stronger, steelier mindset
and does indeed win that championship in 2023.
And Dixie finished second, I think had three wins,
won something like three out of the last four races.
So I mean, Dixie surged for sure
to close that season, but here we have Alex
in a span of three years as Dixon's teammate,
won two titles.
Dixon was decently close in that 2023 run,
70-ish points, 80 points behind,
so wasn't a giant amount behind,
but Alex won what, four races, five races, he took command.
Then we get to 2024 and Dixie does not have
the most amazing of seasons, right?
Wins a couple races, definitely has some podiums.
Think finished sixth, Alex again champion, right?
So now back to back champ a three time, right?
So I mean, this is starting to develop a trend, right?
Nothing about the team has necessarily changed
and been shaped to favor Alex.
He has the same people on his car today
as he did from the moment he showed up,
but this is very much a case where despite Alex
only winning three races in 2024,
he was so consistent, lived on the podium,
Dixie a little more adversity than he would have wanted,
but Alex gets this done, wins the title, and then 2025, right?
The runaway year where Alex wins basically half the races,
just insane.
Also coming out of 24, there was an engineering change.
Ross Bonnell who just won the Indy 500 with Felix,
in 2025 was attached by Gnasi as Felix's race engineer.
The minute I learned that,
and I think Felix learned at the same time, I called Fro
and I'm like, dude, you just hit the lottery.
Everybody loves Ross.
Everyone says this guy is such a great talent, young-ish,
but such a great talent who's only going to get better.
Here they are in their second year working together,
having won the Indy 500.
As I recall, hearing around this time,
this decision to make that change,
recall hearing that came from upper management,
wasn't a Dixon request.
Dixon really liked Ross.
And as I recall hearing,
whenever that took place off season of 2024,
just recall hearing Dixon was not happy.
Look at how things go in 2025 then.
Dixie with a engineering change that he was not asking for
and not loving what happens in that first year.
Dear friend Brad Goldberg moves over to Dixie's car.
They learn to work together one-on-one
as race engineer and driver for the first time.
Dixie places third in the championship, right?
The gap to Alex was more than 250 points
in the final standings.
It pays 50 points to win a race.
Five race victories worth of a point separation
between Alex and first and Dixie and third.
So teammates, same team, first and third in the standings,
but as if they're on different planets.
At least for how things are going so far in 2026,
been a lot of kicks to the crotch for Dixie, right?
Wheel falls off to start the season, terrible finish,
starts the season 23rd in the standings.
Some decent runs after that, podium at Long Beach.
Indy was decent, but not amazing.
Detroit that obviously did not go well.
He's been able to rally back to 10th, 11th ish
in the standings.
Just wanted to share, how do we get here?
How do we get to Dixie and wanting to leave?
How do we get to the team deciding
to let Christian Lundgaard go?
There's some other components in the Dixie part
of the things that I've heard, spending a lot of his time,
a lot more time in the UK, living in the UK.
Most of his family's there, so just understand
that it's not uncommon after a race,
provided it's not a back to back for Dixie to hop
on a plane and right away and head back to the UK,
spending time there, McLaren's based in the UK.
Seen plenty of folks opine about this
and I've only heard that it's accurate
McLaren coming online next year with WC hypercar program.
Dixie don't think he's gonna win the Monaco Grand Prix
to take the Triple Cram, but as an Indy 500 winner,
Rolex 24 Daytona winner, Sebring and just you name it,
very aware Dixie has a grand desire
to compete at Le Mans again in the top class
and to try and win the race overall.
That opportunity exists at Aero McLaren,
it does not exist at Chip Ganassi Racing,
not since the Cadillac program went away.
Some other items potentially as well,
young son getting into karting, great academy
that McLaren has, don't know if that's an angle,
but it could be, but I just look at opportunities here,
likely his future, even though he'll still be competing
full time in IndyCar for the next two years,
I've heard it's a two year deal,
awaiting confirmation of that,
but if he's spending most of his time in the UK
and flying to IndyCar races, then got it,
but with the IndyCar side of his career
starting to slow down in the coming years,
being based in the UK, McLaren's based in the UK,
hypercar opportunities,
I can see we're looking to at this stage of his life,
more of a relocated existence in the UK
and being tied directly into McLaren
and having a long runway there
with more meaningful activities in front of him,
I could see how those things might be more appealing.
If I look at Chip Ganassi Racing
and think of roles and positions,
you have the great Dario Franckini
who's already there as driver coach, mentor,
so many things where you go,
Scott would be perfect for that.
If Dario weren't in that role, then yes,
I don't know if there's a need for two people doing that.
Does Scott wanna be sporting director?
I don't know if that's something he really wants,
that's more of a day to day thing, right?
If your family is now more UK based,
being tied to something that is pretty darn close
to a day job in Indianapolis,
that would be a pretty hard thing to reconcile.
So just sharing, why would Dixie wanna leave?
I think there's some grievances for sure.
Aware of having spoken to those who know,
it was a meeting with Chip.
Chip was told basically no longer wanna drive for the team.
Effort was made to keep him, enticements offered,
and been absolute radio silence since then,
on future related topics.
They've obviously still been going to motor races
and competing normally and talking about event based things
and preparing for the next event and such
and doing all those normal functions.
But when it comes to having communications about future,
I'm told those ended a while ago
and it has remained absolutely dead silent
from the driver's side.
So this decision appears to have been settled
in one's heart a good while ago.
With Lundgard, despite his win here very recently,
it sounds like the timing of this decision was done
well before the amazing last to first at Road America,
possibly even before the Indygram pre-victory.
So that might help reframe things just a little bit.
Hey, this guy's won two races since May.
How could you get rid of him?
I don't think the decision to make this change is recent.
I think the call to onboard Dixon was done either just before
the Indygram pre-win or just,
I can't tell you the exact timing,
but just know from what I understand
this was before Christian won his first races for the team
or maybe right after he won the first.
But let's come back to the Lundgard part and the Dixon part
and try and wrap that up a little bit
and then move on to Felix
and the overarching reason for why this is happening.
So you have Scott looking for new lease.
Obviously he's a New Zealander.
Bruce McLaren being a New Zealander.
I know how much McLaren means to him.
Heard to me a couple of days ago,
I'd forgotten about this, but maybe 10 years ago, 12?
I don't know how many on the topic of being overwhelmed
by a lifetime of collecting motor racing memorabilia
was digging through the closet,
the former place where we lived and came across a
I don't know, might have been an eight by 10 photo,
but eight by 10 photo from the 60s
framed of Bruce McLaren.
I think it might have been like 2013 or 2015.
Might have been 2013.
Dixie had just won the title and was on his way to winning that
and I'm like, you know what?
I had forgotten that someone gave this to me forever ago.
It is really cool that it's Bruce McLaren,
but I know how much Bruce McLaren means to Dix
and just brought it with me, I think back then,
the season finale or something close to the season finale.
Was it Sonoma and just gave it to him?
If I want to call it a gift, it was just more like, dude,
congrats, but also like, this feels like this belongs to you.
It would mean more to you than to me.
And it was just really cool seeing his reaction of like,
I don't know if he had anything like that's a signed photo of the late Bruce McLaren,
but it just, I just remembered that here in recent days of his reaction of like,
you know, blown away of possessing that and how much it meant to have of someone
that was one of his idols.
So come back to that part as well.
He and Zach have become good friends as I'm told.
He and Tony can on are super close.
Ian Scott, Harner, the team's director race operations remain close.
These are all ex-Gnasi people.
There's just a lot of really strong existing bonds.
You take the chip, Gnasi racing team, which was his forever, which by result
has become Alex's some not super happy, possibly changes.
And then also some life changes based out of a different place more often than not.
Longer runway and opportunity to keep racing while in Indy car, but also
afterwards potentially in hypercar.
You can probably see why, despite being with Gnasi for 25 years and seemingly
impossible to happen.
To me, at least this makes sense why he's made this decision.
Still was really hard to accept on the Gnasi side.
It only only recently was it accepted as a reality.
Just couldn't believe that it was actually happening and with the radio
silence as well, wasn't giving any indicators as to which direction
things were going.
But so then you look at the onboarding that let's go to Felix for a second,
because that's going to sum things up pretty quickly.
Then you look at the onboarding of Felix.
Spoke to Felix last week.
He was ducking me before that, fair enough, but called after posted the story.
The quote from a shank about.
Thanking Felix, but looking for another driver, which Felix had seen and
basically was okay with as well gave that they wanted to share that with me.
But Felix had basically seen what they wanted to say and was okay.
So that story went up and he called me after and sorry, dude, like it's all
good, man.
You know, we've been in this game for a long time.
It's not a surprise.
But in that, he just helped to explain how things went down with.
The shank, the air McLaren.
Those situations just explain very simply that coming out of the month of
May was expecting to have some pretty significant call it immediate.
Conversations with the Myers shank racing team said, I forget whether you said
it was end of April and keep in mind, he was on Pult Long Beach.
What a finished second was going to win that if not for a pit stop tire
change issue, I think it was, but dang near won that race doing really well.
End of the month or maybe the very beginning of May said that chat with
the team about, Hey, so next year continuing is this something we want to
do?
So yes, cool.
Let's talk the end of the month.
Great.
We goes and wins the Indy 500 and is like amazing career defining thing.
Hey.
Let's get this extension done.
And he said his crickets is like, huh, okay.
I'd really think having just won the 500.
This would now be an urgent item on the team side.
I'm feeling like it should be urgent.
Didn't see or feel the urgency and can't tell you whether it was in the week
leading into Detroit, which is right after the 500 or right after Detroit,
but somewhere in that timeframe, basically nothing according to Felix
coming from the team and in that timeframe, there's definite outreaches
and Dreddy global.
It's the first one that heard about first one that I mentioned and then
Aaron McLaren as well.
And in a pretty swift amount of time, pretty serious offers put in front
of him and at which point they went back to my or shank racing and just
say, I think, think there might have been something.
I don't know if spooky is the word or just something that felt off in the
absence of the immediate.
Hey, 8500 winner before you pose for your Monday morning victory photos
the yard of bricks.
Here's the new contract to sign.
I'm sharing his side.
So I assume it's accurate, but just wanting to share because he did say
felt like maybe this was not being portrayed as much to speak to his mindset
as if he had done something wrong or pulled a fast one on somebody.
But long story short, after the 500 in a window where he expected to be fully
embraced and retained by his current team, that didn't happen at least in
the timeline.
He expected it to happen and got serious outreaches from others and explored
those outreaches and came back to my or shank racing and said, Hey, here's
a big offer.
And he acknowledged what I'd heard, which is they offered to match it.
And he then ultimately declined, alerted the team the Thursday of
Road America that he was not going to accept their offer was going to leave
the end of the season.
So this is a interesting and important thing to know.
I think that there was just a ha.
I don't know why I'm not feeling the overwhelming love and that that might
be an alarm.
For me to acknowledge, I also think which Felix wouldn't acknowledge, but
it would make sense to me.
The duration of his new deal.
I'm guessing has one more guaranteed year on the back end.
So really good money, which my shank was willing to match.
Feels like there's without acknowledging it.
He suggested I wasn't talking crazily that there was a little bit more
security.
So that is to replace Nolan Siegel.
And so let's come back to the why and then close on this and also speak
about the Lundgaard part.
So, Hey, Christians running forth for the team right now.
Head of Pato.
Lundgaard's the only one who's been on the podium for them this year four
times out of 10 races, Pato is zero podiums.
Christians, the only one to win again top of all their drivers in the
standings.
Why would they let him go?
The oval performances, which I mentioned towards the outset.
That's really what I understand to be the key reason for that.
But there's a bigger reason behind this really seismic seismic decision.
And it's not specific to Christian so much other than the oval side.
196
This is the number to know.
So I mentioned that Dixie finished third in the standings last year.
250 ish points behind Alex.
Just a galaxy of a difference.
Well, Pato finished second.
A hundred and 96 points behind Alex Palau, effectively four full
race victories of a gap.
Stingray Rob.
I looked this up.
Stingray Rob earned fewer points.
I think it was 181.
Stingray Rob ran all 17 races last year and amassed fewer combined points
than the gap between Alex and Pato.
So mentioning this with heavy emphasis is not actually meant in any way
about Alex Palau and Pato award.
It is to illustrate the giant gap between Chip Ganassi racing and its best
entry and Aaron McLaren last season and its best entry had a very long call
with seniorist member Pato side of the team and talking about these things.
Had this conversation.
I think the weekend before Road America just went into detail about second
place in the standings best ever for Aaron McLaren wrote about that was really
impressed by them suitably like, hey, this is huge.
You guys made a huge leap.
But getting caught up in that second place would be the wrong thing.
The real number to look at is that gap 196 points.
Why is this change happening?
196 points.
The closeness of Aaron McLaren to Chip Ganassi racing is so far off of
where they want it to be.
As the team is currently constructed that there is no chance in hell of
them bridging that full gap.
They could get it down, but there's no way they are going to erase that deficit
by just simply showing up again next year with more or less the same players
and the same players the next year.
This is something where we got to shift this conversation.
This is the concluding part.
We have to shift this conversation to understand why this change is happening
from drivers to teams.
The drivers are the marquee figures in this totally get that.
They're the ones that most are attached to.
You love your potto, your Lungard, your Dixie, your Rhoads.
It's got it.
These changes are not being made because Christian Lungard specifically
is deficient and incapable of running better than Scott Dix and her
Felix Rosenkvist.
I don't believe that at all.
On ovals, we know that those two are going to perform at a higher level,
but race to race.
I don't necessarily see Dixon or Rosie knocking down a Christian Lungard.
So you go, well, then why on earth would you take this guy out of play?
It's nothing to do with drivers specifically.
It's about the team being so far off of where it needs to be to vie for an
Indy 500 victory, which is vital to Zach and to team principal Tony
Canon and to winning a championship.
Come back to that number again.
196
It may as well been a million and 96 points.
That's how far off the team is from catching the best team, the best entry,
which happens to be leading the championship again.
Now, another key thing just to support the we have to make sweeping changes
to improve deficiencies in the team.
You also look at last year.
Team Penske started off off in 2024
The first handful of races, they were first, second, third, they were right there.
2025
They started off slower, not by much, but they were third, fourth, fifth, right?
Lost a little bit of an edge.
Then we had the month of May thing, a tenuator gate, things blew up, went sideways,
rallied towards the end, but they had a bad enough season in 2025
to fall behind Aaron McLaren's best performer in the standings.
Same with Andretti Global.
How Kirkwood, right?
Amazing first half of the season.
Second half.
Pretty bad.
A lot of misfortune, just lots of issues.
Colton, Herdo wasn't really there so much last year.
A lot of adversity.
Mark Sarriksen wasn't there at all.
Andretti fell back behind Aaron McLaren last year.
This year, we can't say that.
Not just because we can't say it, but it's factually incorrect.
Best Aaron McLaren driver is fourth.
Palos leading as we know.
Davy Maluchus, Lil Dave, Team Penske, sitting P2, good old Kirk Kirkwood's
falling to P3, but he's been P2, P3, these two here, right?
But that's Ganassi, that's Penske, that's Andretti, and then Aaron McLaren.
So to really understand why this is happening with two drivers who, outside
of the ovals, don't scare me more in terms of being a threat than Lundgar does.
It's because the team itself needs the veteran wisdom from Scott Dixon and
Felix Rosenkvist to improve the organization as a whole in ways
that young Pato and young Christian and young Nolan, who was never expected
to, are simply incapable of providing.
Since the team parted ways with Felix, lost that veteran presence, then lost
Alexander Rossi, right?
This is now a team in 2026 where the average age of their three
drivers is 24.
Nolan's been an IndyCar driver, full-timish since the middle of 2024, right?
He's a pup.
So much more to learn, so much more potential to show, but you can't place
any expectations on him to improve the team.
Christian, he's definitely made the team better.
We come back to that liability on ovals, though, for a team that wants
the 500 so badly.
So badly.
Then you look at Pato, and this is really and truly more about Pato
than maybe anything else.
Pato, we know, possibly the most talented race car driver in IndyCar,
terms of just pure driving speed, fastest hands, the kids, a rocket in
a wheel-to-wheel battle in equal cars.
I can't think of anybody that beats Pato, but the knock on Pato, which
has been around for a really long time, is he's going to drive the wheels
off of whatever he has given, but he is not someone who's known for his
engineering feedback, his technical feedback, his car development skills.
He also happens to like handling of his car in a way that is radically
different than any other driver to the point to where all of his teammates
have said, to greater or lesser degrees, can't drive his setup at all.
So you have Christian, who's come in really sharp in this area, has
certainly helped the team, helped it to evolve on the technical side.
But this is a team that for years built itself around Pato and his needs.
He was their clear lead driver.
And so the organization, you see this happen in Formula One a lot, where cool,
we are doing all of our engineering work, all the off-season R&D.
It's all to make the car perform as best as possible for our number one hope.
And that's been Pato.
Enter Christian Lundgard.
This is a guy who can run with Pato, not all the time, but decent amount of time.
Having to shift the engineering technical side to be more inclusive.
And that was happening back in the day, right?
Felix was there.
Felix was like, whoa, can't drive it.
Rossi, similar thing, right?
So the team's been trying to widen their approach to be more inclusive
of their other drivers.
Lundgard's been helpful there.
But there's been this systemic issue for many, many, many years where Pato
will murder people if the car he is given by his race engineers is capable
of doing that.
If they have found or happened upon, lucked upon, the magic set
up.
But if they're off, those are the weekends where we don't see Pato feature
very much in general, just does not have a reputation for being a meaningful
contributor to the direction of the team on an engineering front.
That is one of the reasons why the team has continually close because
Lord, they've got some talent drive in the cars, but that 196 point gap.
That is the big thing to address.
So you bring in a Scott Dixon, who's legendary for his engineering
knowledge, feedback, technical skills, car development skills.
This addresses a huge years long.
Crack in the foundation.
You also look at a Felix Rosenqvist, who is capable of all of these same
things and is highly renowned for his feedback.
Development work can absolutely help in this area as well.
So this is really a huge thing that they are choosing finally to address.
Christian, despite being a very big help here as a deficiency on track, at
least that they feel is enough to say, we're going to move on from you.
Team side though, Dixon, Rosenqvist.
Massive expectations to help the team effectively rewrite, redo its engineering
approach, its setups, its you name it, and then add in everything they
know about driving for championship winning organizations.
Felix, obviously having already been there.
There are McLaren, but he's only gotten better.
Dixon in particular.
There's no magic thing he's going to say.
He's going to say that, Hey, this is how we did a thing at Gnasi.
And if you do that to our cars, we magically beat Gnasi.
It's not that.
It's processes.
It's procedures.
It's infrastructure.
How do you organize your team versus how do they organize theirs?
Kanan was there for many years.
Harnor was there.
Got it.
But as a result of that, we're going to be able to do a lot of things.
Adding Dixon in as well with the most recent of knowledge.
Felix as well plugged into that Gnasi program through my shank racing.
So all of a sudden you are just.
Reading everything these happen.
These two happen to offer.
You're feeding off of this.
This is a rebuilding the foundation of the team move.
And with your young ace in Pato.
The technical side, which is honestly that is what separates teams, right?
It sure isn't just driver talent because boy, most of the top teams have incredible driving talent.
But how these cars are conceived on the engineering side, the approach is taken.
The directions you don't go down.
This is where they have had to address this for years and they're finally doing that by bringing in two guys.
You're going to be instrumental in helping this.
I've also heard Aaron McLaren is going to be undergoing.
Significant engineering evolution personnel wise.
I don't know if that's for next year, the year after appearing.
It might be more 2028, but.
Huge overhaul.
Overall being spearheaded by these two massive veterans, which then should help Pato as well.
No longer expectations on his end to be a huge.
He's no longer hugely responsible for this.
Well, sidebar mentioned that Pato's not had the most amazing years so far.
It's not because he's forgotten how to drive.
It's the team in this engineering evolution started to make some changes.
I'm aware of the key change they've been making and not really meant to share that.
Because it wasn't shared with me on the record, but can just say that as the team is already starting this.
Transformation on the technical engineering side.
They're trying.
They're starting to apply some of these things this season.
Obviously working super well with Lundgard, the kind of widening the.
Handling of the cars to.
Suit more than just one driver.
Those changes haven't necessarily jived with Pato and his needs.
And so he's been having to learn, relearn, however you might put it to deal with.
Some of these changes going on.
So with that said, that's a huge part.
The leadership side is another big area where Aaron McLaren has been absolutely lacking within its driver base.
Hasn't had a quarterback.
We might assign that to Pato because of his yearly presence.
He's usually their top driver.
Winning races, running up front, most identifiable person.
We often assign that role of team leader again, at least among the drivers to that person.
It's not really how things are working though for Pato for Christian or Nolan.
No one within those three, a lot of it's also part of their youth is really the stand up and rally the team.
Type that quarterback in the huddles and y'all amazing do more.
Hey, you're screwing up over here and I love you, but get your together like.
A lot of these critical comments get made, but it's more critical comments than coming from someone behaving like.
Quarterback of a team, at least from the cockpit.
It's a vital thing as well.
You look within the other organizations that are truly front running.
They tend to have at least one who fits that role.
Aaron McLaren has not had that.
Hasn't been Pato.
Hasn't been Lundgaard.
Hasn't been Nolan.
No expectations for Nolan to do that being so new to the sport.
This is another area with Dixon and with Rosenkvist.
But Aaron McLaren receives leaders who can rebuild the team from the inside with their knowledge.
Input of how things have been best practices where they're coming from help steer things on the engineering direction.
They're the ones making use of that engineering work.
And then also again, honestly, stepping into that quarterback role among drivers.
Stepping into that quarterback role among drivers.
These are areas that in a short amount of time for them, hopefully, instead of Pato bearing the burden of.
Being a team leader expected to be and being the person helping to steer the technical side.
These two bring something that should actually unlock the best version of Pato award we have ever seen.
Add what Dixon in particular can bring and lend.
He's not going there to be selfish.
He's he's the ultimate team player.
So he's only going there to help Pato to be better to show him new and different ways to hopefully hold him accountable.
For whatever he might see as being a shortcoming and working style, whatever it is.
Then here's one other item to throw in.
2028 car.
Team should start testing with theirs in 2027.
I don't know the exact point in time when, but and I realize it's kind of a will dove course.
But I mean sooner in 2027 than you might expect.
Coming back to that topic of feedback and direction.
This is not something they can rely on Pato to do.
You sure as heck can rely on Scott Dixon who helped develop the DW 12 who helped develop everything that we've seen in Indy car for a really long time.
Felix as well.
This is a huge play for the next step into the future with the new car.
So then we come back to Lundgaard and realize that.
If the team was in a stronger competitive state.
If it didn't need the massive engineering overhaul that it does.
If it didn't need a stronger presence among quarterback type behavior.
Really someone he's 24 I wouldn't expect him to necessarily be that guy at 24.
All of the things that Aaron McLaren needs to become.
Something better than 196 points off of pillow.
There only I think Christian's only 77 off of pillow right now after 10 races.
Hoping for him that that gap comes down.
But if you extrapolate that out over the next eight if it continues like this.
It's could be triple digit Pato's 117 points back right in fifth.
But 196 is why this is getting done.
It's not specific to Lundgaard or Nolan for any one key thing.
It's more if we're ever going to achieve our greater goals and winning championships and specifically the Indy 500.
We have to honestly start over.
There's certainly not letting their lead driver.
Pato Ward go.
But they're changing everything else in and around him.
And that's why we have the changes that are probably going to be announced here before too long.
All right.
That was hopefully everything you want to know about this.
There's some more angles to it.
But I'll leave that be for right now.
Our friend Matt B.
160 says fro last week.
Dixon this week.
What other giant things can we expect this silly season also kindly says happy birthday to your lovely bride and continue thoughts and prayers for y'all including your co-hosts your cats.
Well thank you.
Know that I've shared a decent amount of this so I don't want to repeat things that I've said before.
Here's an item that I can't really get into yet.
But I'll just say that there's another move that is very well.
I can't give you the percentage.
It feels like it's 50 50.
But I don't know it might be 1% might be 99.
But there's another move that could be in motion on the air McLaren side that would be pretty significant if it were to happen.
And I know you asked a specific question.
I've given you a vague answer.
But I'm still waiting on one phone call back from a person that was in the car.
I'm still waiting on one phone call back from a person that would then allow me to learn what I need to confirm and learn some other things that I need before writing about this and sharing that here.
But yeah, there's that.
Let's say the Dennis Hauger being effectively released from his future and ready obligations.
That one surprised me.
I didn't exactly know what they were going to do with Erickson since Marcus the drive angry version of Marcus as I'm calling him now who showed up this year has been performing incredibly well.
I hear the team.
Is engaging him about the future for the first time.
Potentially that to me along with the informing Dennis that he's now free to go try and find options elsewhere.
Would indicate to me that the plan to bring Dennis back from coin after paying from to be there for this season.
Which was all planned when Marcus was just really underwhelming the first two seasons.
No longer really needed it would appear with Marcus again being top 10 guy this season so far.
Those things seem to line up to me as very strong possibilities meaning they want to hold on to Marcus for at least one more year.
Here's something and I might have mentioned this before.
I don't know.
Have heard that there could be very very serious very lucrative.
What could be very lucrative offer interest offers wrong way to put it possibilities in 2028.
At Andretti Global for Team Penske's Joseph New Garden.
Not the only one to hear this because I've had others tell me about it as well but that's something that I got my on so that's not an immediate thing.
Joseph doesn't talk about this stuff gets these really grumpy when you bring it up so fair points his life.
But that would be a third consecutive right pretty significant change right power leaving choosing to leave for Andretti.
Dixon choosing to leave.
Ganassi Farah McLaren.
Could the end of 2027 see a Joseph choosing to leave Penske for Andretti.
I don't know.
No clue what he wants what he's thinking what he isn't thinking.
Just know the thing that I've had.
Folks tell me about say they've heard as well that this might be a direction that he and or they are leaning.
We'll see what the future might hold there.
I'll just leave it at that because yeah there's there's more to happen.
Rick Creach says with Dixon and fro going to McLaren does that open up an MSR seat for Connor daily with them running the extra haunted charter entry as well.
So that charter entry doesn't start until 2028 so it'll just be a two car team next year.
Having spoken with Mike a decent amount.
I haven't heard Connors name mentioned as someone that is on the short list of names to replace fro.
Michael Everson.
How you doing Mike says just read the silly season piece.
You mentioned an F1 driver to may have reached out to my shank racing regarding the 60 car curious as to who that may have been.
Well this is a bit of a.
Insight if I can say something I will if there's no reason for me to.
Keep a person's name or a team's name quiet that I won't.
If I say that F1 drivers are said to have contacted the team and not said which drivers.
It's for a reason.
So just sharing that with you stylistically it's not that I just forgot to say who it was in this case.
Shank didn't say who it was and wouldn't say who it was and if I was him.
I wouldn't tell me who it was or tell anyone else because if you've got F1 drivers.
Reaching out to you and you're seriously interested in them you better keep that quiet other than saying you have it and.
This wasn't one of those bluster items where he's just saying yeah and I got a call from the president and I got a call from Batman like it wasn't that it was a.
Dude.
You would not believe.
The kind of drivers that are reaching out since the news of us parting ways with fro fro leaving went out.
And mention yeah mention that right after that news went out.
Spoke a couple days after that and he was like it's only gotten worse and worse in the best way.
But didn't say which F1 drivers nor should he because with how the F1 news cycle works.
Man it would only cause serious problems for those drivers if their names were shared with as rabid as again F1 news world happens to be.
So if I had that info and it was shared with me and I knew it was OK to share I would have done it my guy.
Peter Johansson you doing Peter.
This is Linus Linnqvist to Meyer Schenck again as he started there in 2023 did three races two fastest laps in that cars a rookie and now he's an HRC driver.
Does it make sense that he will end up at Meyer Schenck racing.
I'm sharing this because I'm learning this with with your question.
I didn't know that it had become public knowledge that he was an HRC driver.
So I guess I'll need to text our guy and say hey when did this become public knowledge.
Been fond of the kid for a long time.
He is effectively his own manager and as often do if folks ask for insights or advice happily lend it and share it.
He didn't speak any details nor should he but he grabbed me during the month of May and said hey got this opportunity.
Well if you want to wind this back I'll share this with you just because it's I've.
Gave this advice to a couple of drivers probably a year ago.
Hey there's a new car coming meant to be in 2028 both Chevrolet and Honda will need to be ramping up their testing for this.
Their simulator work as well.
It's normal for them to lean on current active full time IndyCar drivers to assist with such things.
But knowing how busy those drivers have become these days it sure wouldn't be a bad idea to reach out to team Chevy and say hi.
I'd love to explore the possibility of being your.
Sim driver reserve driver both whatever it might be someone within your general camp needs anything.
How could we work together.
Especially tied to around getting the 2028 car sim work development and so on.
Might be a smart thing to reach out and do.
And so I mentioned that to Linus and I think two other drivers.
And know that Linus reached out to the bow tie and was hoping to make something happen there.
I'm aware of a team principal that also was trying to help make that happen for him.
So it was just an idea.
Hey I know you want to get back full time.
Hopefully you can make that happen.
It sure wouldn't hurt if a manufacturer saw you and thought of you as someone worthy of assisting them with this even if it's quote just sim work.
At least that would be a really strong endorsement they'd be able to see and work with you and in the teams they speak with potentially be an advocate for you.
If they learn of a vacancy or at least they would hopefully endorse you if you want to talk to those teams.
So I know that Felix went down that path there.
Conversations with HRC whenever that was a year ago whatever it might have been.
Wasn't something that they sounded too interested in.
So he tried going down the path with Chevy for a long long time.
Thought that that was going to work out ended up not really going anywhere and then because he's smart said well you know.
Let me check with HRC.
Maybe they might have an interest a new found interest where they didn't before.
And they did.
So he was just asking for a little bit of advice while we were in Indy in May and yeah was really happy to hear that he got all that signed and I think leading into Road America.
It asked hey are you guys got like announced this or something and was told they still had to figure out if and what they were going to do or whether they would announce it or who knows maybe not just come out at some point in time so.
Little backstory there of I wasn't aware that that already happened but it also tells you that I probably should pay closer attention to random things.
I'm not aware of Lienis being on MSR's radar for next year.
Could he be on their radar for that manufacturer car in 2028.
I think that's a possibility would also say I don't know if Lienis has done any simulator work for them yet.
I haven't caught up with him in a couple of weeks.
But there's also Kakushinota who just raced again last weekend for accurate Walkins Glen with a Myershank racing team.
Factory Honda guy they're very high on him.
I'd expect Kaku for sure to be involved in 2028 testing in some capacity potentially with an eye to a race seat maybe in 2028.
Kids been doing amazingly well in super formula between him between Lienis.
I'm sure there's some other drivers that might be under consideration.
Yeah, I think Peter for sure that manufacturer entry on the Honda side is going to be of pretty serious interest.
Hopefully talk more about that here sometime soon because I've heard some other unique things they might be considering doing.
With that manufacturer entry that if what I've heard is accurate it would be a really interesting use of that car starting in 2028.
Chris Ludwig. How you doing Chris says is it really just bad luck that ECR leads the league in hybrid failures.
Does Ganassi's had a couple or other teams having any issues on test days that don't get reported.
Don't know about that on the test days just because it's probably not something that I track or have tracked too much.
I know the ECR certainly had more it feels like more than their fair share of issues.
Had heard coming out of where was it.
Road America.
So we had Christian Rasmussen grind to a halt the front straight.
He said over the radio forget the exact words basically hybrid failure.
ECR general manager Tim broils I think on the broadcast.
Added to that blaming the hybrid and whatnot.
And started to hear within a couple of days from actually a rival team.
Hey hearing it might not have actually been a hybrid failure.
Might have been something in a general hemisphere but not it itself might have been the clutch control module unit etc.
And that might have died and then that some sort of knock on effect electronically that shut down the hybrid.
So while the hybrid wasn't working that wasn't actually the root cause.
But heard that from a rival team called Tim say hey heard this called I think fairly early in the morning California.
Had an outreach from Indy car saying hey by the way.
Found out the root cause.
Actually said it exactly what the person from the other team rival team had told me I'm like OK and I said.
Is this good to use as Indy car states this is what it is.
Because I'm not going to say it just on my own like I don't know I haven't had it in front of me to make that assessment.
But am I good to use you telling me this is a series statement you know affirmation was told yes cool kept waiting for Tim to call back.
Waited I think another hour or two nothing OK well I've got the series statement they're willing to say it on the record.
File it as it is and Tim called back like eight hours later after my call and told him what I was calling about and said yeah well actually filed the story the series said it was the clutch control unit.
And he got really huffy and you know hung up and I'm like OK and his choice but I was like OK.
If that's not the case I think said something along the line basically if that's what you want to believe you know I'm like you know man.
Just trying to share information here and I started with you and hoping to hear from you and after not hearing for a really long time and it getting into evening like anyways so.
Is that the root cause I don't know the series says it was another team says it was.
I appeared to piss off Tim but that's OK you know I guess but anyways so sorry I guess we're closing the show with a bunch of non sequiturs or bond mods or I don't even know.
Hopefully hybrids are not a topic of conversation this weekend on what is at Mid Ohio the two year anniversary of their debut.
I can tell you what though Chris if we do indeed have more hybrid failures.
Yes the MG you cooling pump whatever things overheating.
On the two year anniversary of their arrival I am just saying it would not be good if this is lingering at the place where they came to life in the IndyCar series.
Alright last couple of quick questions for you the show has gone on a little longer than expected but I think I say that every episode.
Kevin DeVries and Kevin says with many of the recent engine woes seeming to be hybrid related could there be a push for a late change for 2028 engine solutions.
With a common max horsepower and push to pass horsepower number what an option to do it with only internal combustion engine turbo rather than having to use a hybrid system.
Not to my knowledge.
This to me.
From what I understand.
They are decently down the road on the hybrid for 2028.
The testing the kind of.
Prove it make sure it all works the confirmation tests just call it that that are coming up here sometime soon with the 2028 car.
I'm told will not have the hybrid 2028 unit in it.
Might not have the 2024 motor and it could I heard it wasn't in May I've recently heard that it could the 2.4 liter of her it will likely be the Chevy 2.4 but again that could change as well.
I'm told unless there's been a radical changes recently kev very recently.
Not to expect the 2028 hybrid to be in for these initial validation tests but.
I.
Don't think we're going to see any deviations.
I've said here said in the mail bag and where else that I wouldn't mind it but I don't think we're going to see any changes.
Ed Joris.
Wondering if any car will drop the super capacitor energy battery system for 2028.
Or battery hybrid system.
Says as time goes on it's clear to him that the present Indy car only system is a square peg that is not working.
Wouldn't a system based on more common industrial quality components have a better chance at reliability.
So.
Address this as quickly as I can.
Everything you're saying is yes it's totally accurate they should be doing that.
But they're not.
But that's actually where they decided to start.
So.
The super capacitors.
Somewhat small light ish weight.
There's something where they fit into the bell housing that structural bridge that sits between the back of the engine in front of the transmission.
Bolts everything together.
Lives in there along with a motor generator unit.
That all fits in that space that packaging.
The size of a more traditional lithium ion battery something that you see in Formula One.
See an IMSA.
That takes up more real estate than they have available in the bell housing.
And so they started off designing this car with a Formula One style notch cut into the back of the tub.
The floor basically where the fuel cell sits.
You've got the bulkhead right behind it that seals it off the motor bolts right up to that bulkhead.
With the original design for this new chassis.
Did like they have in Formula One actually.
You think of the fuel cell basically gets lifted up.
Forget what number I heard six inches nine inches I think might have been.
And again a big notch basically created at the back at the bottom of the tub.
Where the larger area size lithium ion battery was meant to be bolted.
This is how those are bolted into Formula One cars.
And costs really just became a big concern.
Manufacturers said well hey we've got this existing system and we've got this new system.
And I wonder if there's some things we could carry over or like do we really want to go down an all new road after just a couple years.
Big development expense knew everything or do we want to just kind of continue what we're using.
Everything from just keep what we got no changes to let's do a more modern version of it more powerful version but stick with this concept.
And go away from what I'd call the more traditional racing hybrid solution.
Because as you mentioned here that this boutique system will never be that bullet proof thing that you see in the other series.
That's actually where they started it this is what they were doing.
And then I heard in like it was end of March 2025 beginning of April 2025
Penske Entertainment pulled the plug on it.
They were having the same folks who make the IMSA they're basically the same folks who make IMSA's complete system.
Bosch and what was once known as I think Hortescue WAE.
I don't know I feel like they got a new name now but the people make the exact system for IMSA which Penske had seen and uses in their portion 96 threes.
Were asked to create the same thing for IndyCar just a lot smaller battery wise at least and fit that there and they went way down that road.
And then that got pulled and a redesign happened and going to do a new system but same newer or more modern super capacitors and beefier MGU.
And they're basically just super sizing the existing design.
All right Theo Cousins.
You had total control over the 2028 car engine chassis bodywork and what not what would you have the Dallara I or 28 B.
I'm going to save this Theo just because we're late in the show.
It's also it's not a bad question.
I've got it numerous times in the past just let me punt on this one here just because I need to wrap up the show in just a moment.
Dan Evers this is a great question with a full day of practice.
What percentage of people do you think could hold it flat for four laps at Indianapolis on max downforce or perhaps even race trims on the track.
What's the best setting.
Zero percent zero point 01
So we're talking about I presume someone with no racing experience.
So even if you have a fast vehicle that you drive day to day this is going 200 and thirty miles an hour.
And having to achieve a single corner much less a full lap or four laps with immense precision.
And that is just simply not something that would happen.
Full day of practice.
Sure you're going to fart around having never done this and you're going to go very slow.
Effectively what you're going to do is use an Indy car as a dragster.
And so once you are very safely pointed straight out of turn four you're going to step on the throttle and it's going to accelerate and you're going to piss your pants and shift up and then you're going to get to start finish and lift if not break.
And you're going to do that again on the back straight and you'll improve.
Right.
And you'll get on the gas a little sooner.
Maybe before the car is fully pointed straight out of turn four and turn two tiny tiny moment before.
And then maybe instead of breaking into turn one and turn three you just lifting and kind of coasting.
But even that's pretty darn scary and someone anyone with a full day of practice could get to the point of just treating the car even with max downforce.
As a dragster because that's effectively what everybody does first time on a race car.
I did this.
At Sonoma Raceway which was then known as Sears Point when I went through SCCA drivers school in I think it was 1990.
And this was in a 100 and 10 horsepower 115 horsepower.
1.6 liter Ford four cylinder motor in a formula Ford built by Tyga.
Grown up around Sears Point.
Been there my whole life etc etc.
My first lap in driver's school in this formula Ford which weighed 1000 pounds.
This is something where in a car with only 110 150 horsepower.
Very quick compared to anything else you drive.
But this is something where even in a formula Ford which is kind of one step above carting.
I went accelerating out of the carousel.
Rocketing up to turn seven slammed on the brakes.
And looked around and was like I better put it back in gear and reaccelerate up to the corner.
Because holy crap I thought I was hollering ass out of the carousel and up again to turn seven right.
Man oh boy first lap but like whoa rocket ship man I'm freaking I'm airing set up.
Just stomped on the brakes and like oh okay the corner corner still like 100 plus feet away.
It was so embarrassing but I'm just sharing with you in my mind with my sensation of speed as someone who I'd driven another race car.
Before it was a Datsun B210 little sedan which way slower than the formula Ford around Sears Point.
But still in my mind in a car that is a million miles an hour slower than an Indy car at the speedway.
It took me a while to even figure out the basics of like okay man this thing can go way farther into the corner before you get on the brakes.
Oh hey you're picking up the throttle here thinking it's about to spin out and you're going to crash.
No actually it'll grip up and you will have lateral support and go ahead and don't like jump on the throttle because that's stupid but like roll into the throttle and okay it is kind of sticking alright.
That's at the formula Ford level y'all.
I did that driver's school was three days.
Three days of peace I think two weekends in total and by the time I finished SCC driver's school I was a novice obviously.
Rookie obviously.
I'll admit that I don't remember what my qualifying time was in my first ever qualifying session in the SCCA formula Ford class but I feel like it was three to four seconds off of the pole sitter.
Sears Point not exactly the easiest road course in the world.
It takes a lot of bravery and a lot of skill but in by comparison a pretty simple crazy low tech.
Decently lightweight but very low powered formula car after I think again what was it six days of combined driving school.
I mean massive gap to the old veterans were flying around there in their formula for and I was able to get that down and knock some seconds off and get a little bit closer by the time.
Did my last formula Ford race.
I'm just sharing as someone who's decently capable of driving a race car.
Not amazingly talented but competent at most.
I have zero confidence despite whatever experience that I have that after a day of practice.
I could do a single lap flat without crashing.
That's the thing it's not could you of course I could hold my foot down flat.
And if my turn in was off the slightest amount I'd be carving the wrong arc and smack the wall or spin the thing as I would come in too high probably again turn too much to correct upset the balance crash the thing tail coming around or turn in too soon.
Possibly not have the right angle stick the thing in nose first and turn one so.
And I have racing experience.
I understand the vehicular dynamics.
I have zero confidence I could do this.
So is there someone right I'm sure there's one or two unicorns who like could just go yep got it.
Cool we've just revealed that you're actually a secret race car driver who didn't know it until you.
Went through this day of practice but just saying.
There's a reason that the drivers who do this at the Indy car level reach Indy car with years of experience and practice in cars that are increasingly faster.
And build immense knowledge of how to drive what the car can and can't do to feel what it's doing to react.
Incorrect and you're not going to acquire all of those things in one day of practice.
All right y'all I'm going to say farewell thanks for riding along.
Hopefully next week.
Well actually.
I expect next week's episode for us to be talking about at least one driver signing being complete.
Possibly more so.
Until then.
Thanks y'all truly appreciate y'all love these weekly chats that we have.
Big thanks to Jerry Siddoth for putting together our questions.
Great partners.
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Justice Brothers and Justice Brothers dot com.
And purveyors of pretty darn awesome modern motor racing memorabilia.
All the gear you want to wear things you want to put on your shelves and stare at.
Toronto Motorsports dot com.
Until next week.
Speak to you that.
About this episode
IndyCar silly season is in full swing as Marshall Pruett breaks down the shocking news of Scott Dixon's move from Chip Ganassi Racing to Arrow McLaren. Pruett analyzes the fierce rivalry between Zak Brown and Chip Ganassi, exploring why Dixon decided to make this career-defining shift at age 45. The discussion also covers Christian Lundgard's future, the upcoming Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, and exciting historic cars heading to the Monterey Rolex Reunion, including Mazda's legendary 787B.
Original notes
It's The Week In IndyCar Listener Q&A show, which uses listener-driven comments and questions covering a variety of topics submitted by open-wheel fans via social media.
TOPICS: Dixon, Rosenqvist, Lundgaard, McLaren, and Ganassi Silly Season!
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The Marshall Pruett Podcast
Marshall Pruett
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