The hosts dive into a detailed recap of the Phoenix IndyCar race weekend, highlighting Christian Rasmussen's standout performance and the challenges faced by Alex during practice, qualifying, and the race. They discuss the impact of track conditions, tire strategies, and pit stop errors, emphasizing the competitiveness of the short oval package IndyCar has developed. The episode also touches on notable qualifying surprises and the evolving dynamics of short oval racing, providing insights into team strategies and driver performances.
After talking with Rasmussen on Tuesday, Hinch and Rossi recap the rest of the race. Plus, the guys talk about IndyCar's short oval package, F1's new season with a new car, and the upcoming race in Arlington.
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""And number two, double header weekend, which we'll talk about with cup and what that was going to mean for the sport.""
A double header weekend means there are two races happening back-to-back on the same weekend, so drivers and teams have to race twice in a short time.
A double header weekend refers to two races held at the same track or event weekend, often increasing the challenge for teams and drivers due to the condensed schedule.
"Like, I think I think it surprised everyone how challenging Friday was kind of through
both practices and qualifying, just like level or balance was way different than the"
Balance means how the car feels when turning and driving, whether it handles well or feels like it's slipping or sliding too much.
Balance in racing refers to how well the car's handling characteristics are distributed between the front and rear, affecting stability, cornering, and driver confidence.
"So I don't know how much of that is down to you're now on kind of race power and your
engines are turned up a bit.
And even though you're sliding more and lifting more in the corners, like you're still going"
Race power means the engine is turned up to be stronger and faster during the actual race compared to practice times.
Race power refers to the increased engine output settings used during races compared to testing or practice, often achieved by tuning the engine for maximum performance under race conditions.
"to go quicker just because you have more horsepower.
Some of it is, you know, when it's warmer conditions, yes, you have less downforce."
Horsepower tells you how strong the car's engine is. More horsepower means the car can go faster and speed up quicker.
Horsepower is a measure of an engine's power output, indicating how much work it can do over time. More horsepower generally means the car can accelerate faster and reach higher speeds.
"Some of it is, you know, when it's warmer conditions, yes, you have less downforce.
You also have less drag."
Downforce is like a push that keeps the car stuck to the road when it goes fast, helping it turn better without slipping. It comes from special parts on the car that push it down as it moves.
Downforce is the aerodynamic force that pushes a car down onto the track, increasing tire grip and improving cornering speeds. It is generated by wings, spoilers, and the car's body shape at high speeds.
"Some of it is, you know, when it's warmer conditions, yes, you have less downforce.
You also have less drag.
So like some of those things kind of ebb and flow and you can get a quicker lap time."
Drag is the air pushing against the car when it goes fast, making it harder to move forward. Less drag means the car can go faster in a straight line.
Drag is the aerodynamic resistance a car experiences as it moves through the air, which slows it down. Reducing drag helps increase straight-line speed but can sometimes reduce downforce.
"Uh, obviously I've never seen that, that, that tire combination before with firestones.
So anyways, practice was, was a little bit more of a learning exercise than we were hoping"
Firestone is a company that makes special tires used on race cars to help them go fast and handle well on the track.
Firestone is a well-known tire manufacturer that supplies racing tires for various motorsport series, including IndyCar. Their tires have specific compounds and constructions suited for racing conditions.
"So, um, we had an eye for the over cut, um, on the, on the top two cars, uh, not necessarily because that was going to jump us to the lead..."
In racing, an overcut means staying on the track longer while others stop for new tires, hoping to go faster and get ahead when you finally stop.
The overcut is a racing strategy where a driver stays out longer on track while others pit, aiming to gain track position by running faster laps on older tires before pitting.
"if you can stay out longer than anyone else and catch a yellow, you can, you can trap cars down. So if you don't have to pit, there's no reason to pit. Um, so that was kind of our plan. Obviously there were some early yellows that, you know, kind of started shifting strategies..."
In racing, a yellow flag means there is danger on the track, so drivers have to slow down and not pass other cars until it's safe again.
A yellow flag in racing signals caution, usually due to an incident on track, requiring drivers to slow down and prohibiting overtaking until the hazard is cleared.
"...started shifting strategies and, and different cars got on the undercut option or rather the, the new tire option on, on the first or second yellow."
In racing, an undercut means stopping for new tires before the car in front does, so you can go faster and try to pass them when they stop later.
The undercut is a racing strategy where a driver pits earlier than the car ahead to get fresh tires and gain time, hoping to pass when the other car pits later.
"Um, and, and we were kind of sitting there for most of the day, um, depending on what strategy you were on and who you were, you were racing on your strategy."
Racing strategy is the plan a driver and team use to decide when to stop for tires or fuel and how fast to drive. This helps them try to win the race.
Racing strategy involves planning when to push the car, when to conserve tires and fuel, and when to make pit stops. Different strategies can affect race outcomes depending on track conditions and competitors' actions.
"So that being said, it was, again, we were racing with the Penskees and, and, um, that sort of thing."
Penske is a famous racing team that builds and races cars in big competitions. They are very good and often win races.
Penske is a well-known racing team and automotive company involved in various motorsports including IndyCar and NASCAR. They are recognized for their competitive performance and engineering excellence.
"We had a issue and a pit stop. Um, we sent the car without a left rear tire."
A pit stop is when a race car stops during the race to get new tires, fuel, or fixes. Doing this quickly helps the driver stay ahead in the race.
A pit stop is a pause during a race where a car pulls into the pit lane for refueling, tire changes, repairs, or adjustments. Efficient pit stops are crucial as they can significantly affect race position and outcome.
"We sent the car without a left rear tire. It's, it's bad to only have three tires. You need that one at Phoenix."
The left rear tire is the back tire on the left side of the car. If it's missing during a race, the car can't drive properly and will be very slow or unsafe.
The left rear tire is the tire located on the back left side of the car. Missing a tire, especially during a race, severely compromises the car's handling and safety, causing loss of time and performance.
"Power obviously had his issue and spun and hit the wall. The track temps were about 25, 30 degrees hotter than what they were in practice one earlier in the day."
Track temps mean how hot the road is where the cars race. If it's hotter, the tires might not stick as well, making the car harder to control.
Track temperature refers to the surface temperature of the racing track, which affects tire grip and car performance. Higher track temps can reduce grip and change how the car handles.
"Because, you know, you could be super brave and committed, but if you had a big snap or, or you washed up the track or whatever, you'd have to lift and you just bleed that lap time."
Lap time is how long it takes a car to go all the way around the track once. The faster the lap time, the better the driver did.
Lap time is the amount of time it takes a driver to complete one full circuit of the race track. Faster lap times indicate better performance.
"Obviously Malukas got pole first, first one in the car, uh, props to him on that."
Pole means starting the race at the very front because you were the fastest in qualifying.
In racing, 'pole' refers to the pole position, which is the first starting spot on the grid awarded to the driver who sets the fastest qualifying lap time.
"To give Mick Schumacher a comfortable car, his first ever oval qualifying going out first on whatever rubber was out there..."
Oval qualifying means trying to get the best lap time on a round track shaped like an oval to decide where you start the race.
Oval qualifying is the process of setting lap times on an oval-shaped race track to determine starting positions for the race. It differs from road course qualifying due to the track's shape and racing style.
"His first ever oval qualifying going out first on whatever rubber was out there between you guys on 30 degree hot or track towns..."
Rubber means the tires or the type of tires used on the track, which can change how well the car sticks to the road.
In racing, 'rubber' refers to the tire compound or the condition of the tires on the track. Different rubber compounds affect grip and performance, especially on oval tracks where tire wear is critical.
"This was the end of six hundred and twenty three days of him leading the championship, which is very Max Verstappen of him, very, very rude for him not to share."
Max Verstappen is a famous race car driver who is very good and often wins big races.
Max Verstappen is a prominent Formula 1 driver known for his aggressive racing style and multiple world championships.
"But the onus is on the car in front to make sure you're leaving room for a car that's got momentum and is coming on the high side. So I didn't know that."
Momentum means how fast and strong a car is moving. A car with good momentum can pass other cars more easily.
Momentum in racing refers to the speed and energy a car carries through a section of the track, which affects its ability to pass or defend position. Drivers with momentum often have the advantage when attempting overtakes.
"...two hundred and fourteen of a two hundred and fifty laps short over race. I think he led four laps or something when it was all said and done..."
A short oval race means racing on a small, oval-shaped track. The cars go around the track many times, and because the track is small, the racing is very close and exciting.
A short oval race is a motorsport event held on an oval track that is typically less than one mile in length. These tracks produce close, intense racing due to their tight corners and shorter straights.
"...Penske, we're on pole and one, both the cup and the IndyCar races and all with different drivers..."
The Cup Series is a type of car racing with cars that look more like regular cars, but they race very fast on oval tracks. It's one of the most popular racing series in the U.S.
The Cup Series refers to the NASCAR Cup Series, the top level of stock car racing in the United States. It features heavier, closed-wheel cars racing primarily on oval tracks.
"So a lot of rumors that it went well enough that not only will we be back there, there might be other opportunities to do doubles with with NASCAR in the future."
Sometimes race drivers compete in two races back-to-back on the same day or weekend. This is called doing 'doubles,' and it means they race in two different types of cars or series.
In racing, 'doubles' refers to a driver or team competing in two different races or series on the same day or weekend. Here, it suggests the possibility of drivers participating in both IndyCar and NASCAR events during the same race weekend.
"So, yeah, congrats to Joseph, who is now leading the points, which is wild. And like you say, first time has been below in two years, but makes it all that much more exciting."
Drivers earn points after every race depending on how well they finish. The one with the most points is in the lead for the championship.
In racing series, drivers accumulate points based on their finishing positions in each race. Leading the points means a driver has the highest total points in the championship standings at that time.
""I would just run off the 500 horsepower of the internal combustion engine. It seems like it would be completely impossible.""
An internal combustion engine is the part of a car that makes it go by burning fuel inside it. This is the usual engine in most cars.
An internal combustion engine (ICE) generates power by burning fuel inside cylinders to move pistons. It is the traditional engine type used in most cars, including race cars.
"We we can cover more later because we got another race of F1 this weekend. So we'll have another point to talk about quickly."
Formula 1 is the top kind of car racing in the world, where the fastest and most skilled drivers race special cars on different tracks around the world.
Formula 1 (F1) is the highest class of international single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the FIA. It features a series of races known as Grands Prix held worldwide on purpose-built circuits and public roads.
"Arlington, Java house, Grand Prix of Arlington. So that's kind of cool."
A Grand Prix is a big car race where drivers compete to win and earn points in a racing series like Formula 1.
A Grand Prix is a major motor racing event, particularly in Formula 1, where drivers compete on circuits or street tracks for championship points and prestige.
"And this has been touted as a elevated experience. What that means, I don't really know. But what I do know is they took the right then normal. It's above sea level. There's like an experience and then there's an elevated experience. So they have the track and then they built the track on top of the track."
An elevated experience means watching the race from a special place that is higher up or has something extra cool, like a track built on top of another track.
An 'elevated experience' in motorsports refers to a premium or enhanced viewing and event experience, often involving unique venue features such as elevated grandstands or tracks built above existing structures.
"it was announced today, the day that we're recording about single car qualifying for the Firestone Fast 6. ... I love that we're only doing it for the Fast 6. ... six cars, one at a time. Every driver gets their moment, you know, as from the TV side, it's great because we got to focus on one car, tell that whole story."
Single car qualifying means each driver goes out on the track by themselves to see how fast they can go, so no other cars get in the way.
Single car qualifying is a format where each driver takes to the track alone to set their fastest lap time, rather than competing on track with other cars simultaneously. This allows for a clear assessment of each driver's pace without traffic interference.
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This is Off-Track.
Hello and welcome to the main episode of Off-Track with Hengen Rossi.
If you didn't listen to Tuesdays, please go listen to it because while we are going
to cover Phoenix from a high-level viewpoint on this show, Christian Rasmussen was on the
show a couple of days ago and gave his thoughts and opinions and feelings towards his day,
which ultimately, I'm sure you agree, James, was the race and the star of the show.
Yeah, dude.
I mean, it's funny.
I think back to Nashville last year, which we'll definitely get to next week, and him
going out in turn one, lap one, is upsetting because you think back to Milwaukee and how
he made that finish, and then you think you look at last weekend and how exciting he was
just to watch at Phoenix.
I mean, look, there's this old saying, two is a coincidence, three is a trend.
And so I wish we had Nashville to know whether or not it's a genuine trend with him.
But two out of the last three short ovals, man, he's put on a hell of a show.
And should have won both of those ones, yes, Tim?
In case anybody hasn't said this yet, I would like to just get Rasmany and Devil out there
as a nickname.
I don't hate it.
I don't hate that.
Okay.
What was the one that he said?
He said something before.
I think before we started recording.
Well, he said it's musin because fans on Twitter are really dumb.
That doesn't count.
Mine's better.
Mine's better.
Mine's better.
Yours is way better.
No.
So, yes.
So it was a great episode.
If you haven't listened to it, please go back and listen to it.
Also, watch it on YouTube and like and subscribe.
But Alex, as we typically do, why don't we kind of go through your weekend in Phoenix
and your race and then we'll pick apart the greater race and then we'll attack some other
stuff.
Sure.
So first of all, I was super excited about this weekend for a multitude of reasons.
Number one, Phoenix, Arizona rather in March is a pretty awesome place to be.
It's cool mornings and warms up during the day.
And number two, double header weekend, which we'll talk about with cup and what that was
going to mean for the sport.
And number three, ECR was really strong at all of the tests that we did.
So going into the weekend had a lot of confidence in the package that we had.
Fortunate that the weather actually matched the test pretty well.
You know, it was very cold at the test, but it wasn't warm, at least on Friday in Phoenix.
So we were pretty confident with what we had going into the weekend.
Practice was not super smooth for us for a couple of different reasons.
And it obviously was pretty tricky.
Like, I think I think it surprised everyone how challenging Friday was kind of through
both practices and qualifying, just like level or balance was way different than the
test or it's interesting because like the grip level was way down, but the lap times
like everyone was going faster.
So I don't know how much of that is down to you're now on kind of race power and your
engines are turned up a bit.
And even though you're sliding more and lifting more in the corners, like you're still going
to go quicker just because you have more horsepower.
Some of it is, you know, when it's warmer conditions, yes, you have less downforce.
You also have less drag.
So like some of those things kind of ebb and flow and you can get a quicker lap time.
So from a pure balance standpoint, a lot slicker than the tests.
Um, there was also the unknown of having a general tire, arco rubber on, on the track
from all day Thursday, leading up to us being there.
Uh, obviously I've never seen that, that, that tire combination before with firestones.
So anyways, practice was, was a little bit more of a learning exercise than we were hoping
for on both cars.
Qualifying, um, because practice was what it was, I think we underperformed a little,
even though we qualified sixth, um, you know, the balance wasn't right.
And with the speed that we had had there, um, that felt like a, like a disappointment.
Um, I'm not saying that we could have beat David because he seemed to be head and
shoulders above everyone, but there's no reason, uh, that we shouldn't have been on
the front row.
So, so that was a little bit of a bummer, but then the less, uh, considering I started
25th in St. Pete, starting sixth was a nice, uh, change of pace.
And so practice two, again, uh, you know, you're, we had an eye to Milwaukee and what
happened there, you know, the, the tire deck we knew was going to be pretty intense.
Milwaukee, um, you know, tires at the end of the race were the race winning move.
And the thing that, that, that propelled Christian to the lead.
Um, so we, we had an eye to save as many sets as we could.
So we didn't run any new tires in practice too, but we were still pretty competitive
and the balance was coming back to us a little bit from, from what we had at the test.
So going into the race, uh, pretty optimistic about what we could do.
Sorry, the race, uh, six to third and, um, kind of just managed the pace there.
Um, really the whole, the whole weekend, our long time, our, our, our, our stent
pace was, was pretty good.
So, um, we had an eye for the over cut, um, on the, on the top two cars, uh, not
necessarily because that was going to jump us to the lead, but as we all know, on
short ovals, if you can stay out longer than anyone else and catch a yellow, you
can, you can trap cars down.
So if you don't have to pit, there's no reason to pit.
Um, so that was kind of our plan.
Obviously there were some early yellows that, you know, kind of started shifting
strategies and, and different cars got on the undercut option or rather the, the
new tire option on, on the first or second yellow.
So you had cars that were quite a bit quicker on newer tires, yada, yada, yada.
Anyways, going through the race, you know, I thought we were a top five car.
Um, and, and we were kind of sitting there for most of the day, um, depending
on what strategy you were on and who you were, you were racing on your strategy.
But I was around, you know, David, Joseph, um, McLaughlin for, for most of the day,
which is kind of the, the cars I started up front with, um, and, and there was
obviously comers and goers and, and it became clear, uh, that will and, and Kyle
were actually quite strong, even though they weren't a slightly different
strategy, they were, they were going to be, you're going to be fighting them
for the win. But other than that, you know, there wasn't really anyone else.
So we were too concerned about, from a pace and performance standpoint,
Christian obviously is in that group.
Um, as we talked about, you still lap 58 when all of a sudden he was in your
mirror. No, no, no, no, no.
I guess, I guess what I should say is from kind of lap 58, it was pretty clear
it was a race for second, uh, because Christian was going to lap the entire
field. Um, so that being said, it was, again, we were racing with the
Penskees and, and, um, that sort of thing.
We had a issue and a pit stop.
Um, we sent the car without a left rear tire.
It's, it's bad to only have three tires.
You need that one at Phoenix.
They, they, they highly recommend it.
They do.
That's what big tire wants you to think.
So we, uh, we lost a lot of time in that and we were under the gun to
beat the safety car back out because I launched, but I was out of the pit box.
They had to get a jack and, and bring me back.
And we were really up against it to not go a lap down in this instance.
And so we went out again, but the left rear wasn't on.
So I had to like catch up as quickly as I could.
And then when the pits opened, it was with a lap to go.
And so I didn't come out, I came out quite a bit of ways behind the field
when I went green and that put us into a kind of spiral of, well, now we just
got to be as aggressive as we can because we're in last.
Um, and Ed, uh, who calls my races, got the memo and got super aggressive.
And we just started undercutting to the end and we got back up to six.
So it was again, kind of like qualifying felt like a, a missed opportunity,
especially for the whole team, you know, knowing how good Christian was, you know,
probably a surefire win for him.
And we were in with a pretty good shot at a podium, I think, um, and, and it
didn't work out, but still again, after St.
Pete and the struggles we had there to come away with a sixth place, um, after
a troublesome day, um, there's some, there's some solace in that.
And, uh, that's, that's our day.
That's our weekend.
Got to be honest, man.
Sometimes your best performances come after problems in the pits.
I mean, your best results in that after.
Sometimes, yeah.
Okay.
I want to, I want to go back to qualifying quick because it looked really difficult.
It looked really difficult, especially in the first half.
You saw some guys really struggle like Dixon had a really bad run and just kind
of really struggled with the balance.
Power obviously had his issue and spun and hit the wall.
The track temps were about 25, 30 degrees hotter than what they were in practice
one earlier in the day.
But by the time it got to, uh, to you, how did you find the track?
Like cause would you, did you guys find a big shift?
And I remember Christian said he feels like they missed a little bit.
You said, you feel like you missed a little bit, but was it, was it a
really big difference?
I don't know that I agree with that fully.
Cause the second row was locked out by cars that went first.
I was going to, I was going to get to that.
No, I think, I think it was just, it was so tight, right?
And the balance was almost more important than the commitment level, right?
Because, you know, you could be super brave and committed, but if you had a big
snap or, or you washed up the track or whatever, you'd have to lift and you just
bleed that lap time.
Whereas if you had a, a decent balance or maybe even a conservative balance, right?
And just did two laps, like you were going to start pretty far up.
And so I think really watching everyone's data back and, and watching and
seeing what everyone did, like David was the only one that got the best of both worlds.
You know, it seemed like he nailed the balance and he was the only car flat in,
in one and two.
So he had the commitment and the balance and the card in Biden.
When he tried to do that, you know, you saw Pato have one good lap, one bad lap,
obviously Christian, same situation.
I'm sure a bunch of other guys, right?
So I think it was more just, it really penalized being slightly out of the
window, um, balance wise, more than it being like a huge shift, if that makes sense.
Yeah, it does make sense.
Um, obviously Malukas got pole first, first one in the car, uh, props to him on that.
But yeah, it was the second row.
That was kind of the surprise.
And I wonder if that sort of conservative balance is exactly what they went with
to give Mick Schumacher a comfortable car, his first ever oval qualifying going out
first on whatever rubber was out there between you guys on 30 degree hot or
track towns, whatever qualified for us.
Very impressive.
Ray Hall, you know, Graham was third, um, at a, at a type of race track that has
been awful for those cars for five plus years now.
So big credit to, uh, to that team in qualifying.
And then then we come to the race and it was a way better show than I think most
people thought it was going to be.
Let's talk about that because I think what has happened and what we have
stumbled upon is IndyCar has a badass short oval package.
Like we have found, we have finally found the balance between power levels and
downforce and what you need from a tire and that sort of thing.
And it's been a huge amount of work for a lot of years with a lot of years of
misses, a lot of misses, right?
Yeah.
And I think we can safely say that really at this point, no matter how
practice goes, because guys are never going to take the risks in practice.
You know, we see it at Indy all the time, right?
During the month of May, like, yes, you get a little bit dicey during happy hour,
but it really comes alive.
Obviously on race day, um, I think you, you're starting to see a similar thing
on short ovals, even if practice too isn't as lively as you would hope.
And it feels hard to run with other cars.
You never know what you're doing tire level wise, fuel level wise, tire
life wise, that sort of thing.
But come Sunday or Saturday midday, it's going to be a banging race.
So I think for the rest of the year, we can totally expect that, which is awesome to
say it's great.
It's great to know that we're going to go to, uh, Milwaukee and expect a
great race. We're going to go to gateway and expect a great race.
We're going to go to Nashville and expect a great race.
And there's, we've just, we've got enough data points now.
We are, we are pretty certain we know what we're doing there.
And it's great.
Cause the last three races at Phoenix for Indy car, 16, 17, 18, not great.
Not great at all.
No, we had a big audience this weekend, right?
It was the, it was the duel in the desert, the weekend with an ass car.
Like it was so important that we put on a good show for all these new fans,
potentially that we're sitting in the grandstands watching an awesome race 40
miles an hour faster than what that cup cars are doing.
And I think it's great.
I want to just, we said it before on this show and I'm going to keep saying it
until he gets some kind of award, but like there should be a statue of, of
willpower somewhere, you know, on a short oval somewhere outside the front gate,
thanking him for creating the Highline practice.
Because I, I, I don't, you can go next, but I'm going to say my piece first.
I do think without a doubt that it just, it's a placebo effect thing.
Do I think it lays a ton of rubber down the second groove?
No, you guys had like so much NASCAR running in between Highline practice
and the race.
I don't think it's got anything to do with that.
I think it gives drivers the opportunity to try it out in a low risk
environment and get comfortable and know that if there's a bump in the
Highline at one and two, you're prepared for it in the race and you don't try it
once in the race, hit a bump, freak out and think, well, I can't go up there
anymore. I think it just gives guys a reference and an opportunity to get
comfortable up there.
Even if it's less comfortable than on the bottom, it's still more comfortable
than trying it in the race for the first time where if it goes sideways,
you're losing 10 places on a good, on a good save or you're in the wall on a bad
one. So credit credit to Will for pushing that through all those years ago.
Can I make the recommendation that if we do put up a statue of Will Power,
it's the double bird?
It would obviously be that one.
But like, I just want to make sure it'll be like, I'm claiming to do with why
he has the statue.
No, it's the second line.
It's the second line.
Well, first line, second line.
I love two lanes.
Yeah.
OK. All right, Alex, fight me on that.
No, that's fine.
Well, that's fine.
I mean, you did this.
You had a point.
Would you like to add my point?
I might know because you you you clarified the point because it has nothing
to do with going out there and laying rubber down because that was all gone
by the time we got there.
And I think I think you're right.
I think that it's yes, I don't disagree with anything you have to say.
So tweet for once.
Yes, it's a nice change of pace.
Here we go.
Yeah, we might be getting somewhere with this show.
So back back into the race, very surprising and not the worst thing in the world
for everyone who's a fan of Indy car to see Alex below have an issue very early
on in the race.
This was the end of six hundred and twenty three days of him leading the
championship, which is very Max Verstappen of him, very, very rude for him
not to share.
So it's nice.
I mean, it'll start it'll start the counter or start again in Arlington.
But at least for this week, we can enjoy not having him lead the championship.
And what do we think of that?
Like that we talked a lot to Christian about his incident with Will.
What was your opinion up in the booth of what happened with him and Rina's?
I was I actually flew back with with Alex after after the race and sat with him.
And I'm not going to divulge any of his opinions, but he was like, man,
the last three times I've crashed, it's been with the same guy.
Really?
And he's just like, why?
Well, it's funny because I know that his very first oval race was at Texas
in twenty and he crashed with Rina's.
He's not telling me that he's only had one other crash between then and now.
Is he? No, so he crashed in St. Louis with Rina's.
That's right.
And when he was fighting for his first championship and I don't know the other one.
I think it must be Texas.
It must be Texas 2020.
He's had more than three crashes in Indycar on ovals.
Maybe he meant on ovals, maybe with other cars.
Maybe. I don't know.
I don't know.
Crash it, wrote America and practice or whatever a couple of years ago.
And yeah, it's not many.
He had that Iowa spin and crash there.
That was on his own.
So maybe with somebody. Wow.
Yeah. Yeah.
Well, OK, so actually real quick before we get into that,
because before that, the race, I'm pretty sure credit to Dennis Hauger
for the J turn, one of the most impressive things.
Did you see that?
Coming up for is easy to wait the fourth, but whatever.
No, or or Jane Sullivan, you know, yeah, yeah.
Coming around and just lifting off the break at the exact time.
It was so it was so well executed.
Honorable mention to to Hauger on that one.
But no, the pillow thing with Rina's, it was identical to the wheel thing.
With with Christian, in my opinion, the leading car.
In both scenarios is on paper legally speaking at fault.
You know, they close the door on the car behind.
The car behind had more control to try and avoid it by backing out
if they thought the door was closing, as Christian said, he's like,
by the time I realized the door was closing, I tried to get out of it.
It was still too late and we still made contact.
So certainly not putting it on those guys.
But yeah, and you you wish you wish we had just like an instant replay
of the radio, like what was the spotter saying?
Who said what? Who knew what?
Wait, so on an oval, it's it's the responsibility of the car that's in front.
Is that we said?
No, what I'm saying is is so whenever there's any overlap on an oval.
OK, right?
You are you are beside the other car.
Like if you're here and here for those listening on audio only,
I'm not going to explain it.
I'm going to ask you to go watch on YouTube instead.
Fair.
On a road course, if you're here and here and this guy does this
and drives you off the road, fair play.
That's your like that's that's the responsibility of the passing car
on a road course, right?
But if you're here, even it's just here and here, like you've got to know
that that guy's nose is there and you can't just go up and take that spot.
OK, so it was it was marginals close on both accounts.
And and we didn't play the radio.
So I don't I don't know who said what in either case.
But the onus is on the car in front to make sure you're leaving room
for a car that's got momentum and is coming on the high side.
So I didn't know that.
Yeah, so I'm new to this indie car thing.
Well, well, we know you don't pay much attention.
So anyway, I don't know if you saw it the same way, Alex, but,
you know, for me, it was kind of unfortunate scenario,
but you kind of get the sense that maybe Alex didn't know he was there
and just faded up and that was the deal.
There you go. There you go.
And then I guess the last thing to talk about is
Joseph is still the king of short ovals.
You know, despite was he the the flashiest car of the day?
No. Did he get beat by his teammate to pull?
Yes. But is he the one that got the trophy?
Joseph Newgarden. So and it's it's it's interesting, man, because,
you know, obviously, you know, Christian was the class of the field.
There's there's no doubt about that.
But when it all played out, so you had this scenario where on the last
kind of stint to the race, you had the two end ready cars up front
on a slightly different strategy, slightly older tires.
And I mean, honestly, props to that group, too, because they're not traditionally
that's probably been their weakest type of track for a little while.
And to see both of them running up front, lay in the race was good.
And will obviously, you know, everyone wants to have a strong result.
And they they were hanging on way later in that stint.
And I thought they were going to be able to with the cars with new tires behind them.
But when when those new tire cars, you know, lined up,
I looked back and I was like, I know Pat, I was the first of the new tire cars,
but Joseph's second and Joseph's pretty good at this thing.
And and sure enough, man, he just he did what he had to do, played it right
and chased down Kirkwood in the in the last laps there and pulled it off.
I mean, we're used to seeing Joseph lead, you know,
two hundred and fourteen of a two hundred and fifty laps short over race.
I think he led four laps or something when it was all said and done.
But the one that mattered.
And the other thing about it, man, with the with the double, the dual there,
Penske, we're on pole and one, both the cup and the IndyCar races
and all with different drivers.
Oh, it's a good weekend for the captain.
Is Penske good at motorsports or is that a good motor sports
and exceptionally good at Phoenix, it would seem. They're very good at Phoenix.
They've been good at Phoenix forever.
Yeah. Yeah. In every type of car, it's they've always been incredibly good there.
Well, all right, let's let's dive into the overall event for a few minutes
and then and then just lead into Arlington.
I loved every every minute of it.
I didn't love, you know, showing up to the track at five forty five on Friday.
I hope we can find a way to to do without or do a little bit differently.
But ultimately, I would do it all over again.
And if you told me every short over race for this year was going to be this format,
I'd be like, sign me up because the amount of people that I saw at the autograph
session who told me this is their very first Indy car race and they would not be here
otherwise and they couldn't wait to see it because they only can choose to go to
X amount of events per year and their NASCAR families and fans and that's what they do.
And they were so pumped that on one ticket, they could they could get both.
I think it's incredible.
The people that I talked to on the cup side also loved it
because it's not a it's not a competition of faster, better or whatever.
It's two completely different sports that people are getting for the price of one.
And if we could continue that, I think it would do wonders for both.
And and what a hell of a first race to see.
Yeah. I mean, you're the stats guy now, James.
How many passes were there in that race?
I don't know.
It was still the stats guy.
Oh, I'm sure it was like 15,000, you know, he's got I do know.
I do know that Christian passed more than twice of anyone else
because he went back like three times and kept going forward.
Actually, which is exactly what Blaney did in the cup race,
you know, props to him for that one.
That was a great race, too.
But you're 100 percent right by it.
Like all they have to do is come to one.
If you can only come to one race, come to this one, fall in love with it.
You can watch the other 17 on on TV on Fox, actually, while we're talking about it.
And I want to give them a bunch of credit, too,
because they did such a good job integrating, you know, both series into both broadcasts.
We had Joey Logano up in the booth with us for for the IndyCar race.
And then Jack, you know, joined Waltrip on the on the gridwalk at the start of the cup race.
They had T-bell and I up in the booth for a little bit as well.
They had Malukas and McLaughlin for a bit of a segment in between the stages there.
So, you know, they're making such a big effort on both sides to to kind of, you know,
rise all ships with with it all.
So a lot of rumors that it went well enough that not only will we be back there,
there might be other opportunities to do doubles with with NASCAR in the future.
Also, we had trucks in St. Pete.
That was great.
And yeah, slow clap indeed.
Golf clap.
So, yeah, man, I'm I'm excited for what the future could be on that one.
So, yeah, congrats to Joseph, who is now leading the points, which is wild.
And like you say, first time has been below in two years, but makes it all that much more exciting.
Before we dive into Arlington, because this is going to be a little bit of a shorter episode this week, guys.
We have some things we have to do.
But real quick, what did you what were your takes on on what you were able to catch of Australia?
Ah, any thoughts, opinions, questions, concerns?
Seems like all the drivers hate the car.
We don't need to.
We don't need to talk about Arlington.
Let's get into that.
Let's talk about the race, because qualifying, whatever.
Yeah, I guess I hated it.
And I only I only say that because George won.
No, I know George is going to win every race pretty much.
And that doesn't bother me because as much as I can't stand him as a person,
I think he's a incredible race car driver.
So good on him.
I I just thought the beginning, especially was the most artificial thing
I've ever watched in my life.
Number one, and number two, these things look borderline and possible to drive.
And and the Piazzari incident on the way to the grid is one example.
Kimmy's crash in P3 is another example.
How on earth, James, are they going to drive those things in the wet?
Dude, I would just turn the hybrid system off.
I would just run off the 500 horsepower of the internal combustion engine.
It seems like it would be completely impossible.
And I just don't understand how the sport that is the the pinnacle of everything.
Right. And I'm not saying these cars aren't incredibly technologically advanced,
but it is so hard to watch them lose 64 kilometers an hour in a straight line
when these are supposed to be the most bad ass machines on earth.
I just it's lost.
It's it's luster, seemingly overnight.
Like it used to be you watched F1 and it could be a parade
and you would watch it and be like, holy cow, that is incredible.
What I'm seeing, like it doesn't matter that someone's 15 seconds in the lead.
You're just mesmerized by watching the thing and watching the onboard.
And now it's just like, OK, like it's just it's gone.
So that's my opinion of it.
Yeah, it's it's so interesting because all the teams will say
all the engineers will say that Melbourne's in like the top three tracks.
That would make you energy.
They could go there.
They're classifying tracks as energy rich or energy poor now.
Right. It's one of the toughest to do this this format of of P.U. with.
And so let's see when we get to a more traditional track, how bad it is.
As we've said all along, right, there are so many times when new things
come out in motorsports or happen in motorsports.
And initially it's awful.
And then you put a hundred of the world's smartest people
and give them a hundred million dollars and three to six months.
And they figure like a lot of a lot of out pretty pretty quick.
So I'm I'm holding I'm with you like I didn't like that that stuff
at the beginning of the race.
It looks so Mickey Mouse.
You got Leclerc saying it feels like them getting the mushroom and Mario Kart,
which I like Mario Kart.
But like, yeah, I don't want to see Mario Kart and beers with buddies.
Right. Right.
So I think I'm curious to see how it changes over the season.
It's not going to happen overnight.
Maybe this track is exceptionally bad.
The FIA has the power to adjust some things to make it better.
And I think that there's I think that there are enough pieces
to the puzzle that you can have some of what we saw,
but in a much more like realistic kind of way, not something that look like a video game,
you know, because that was that was so bizarre.
And, you know, I remember reading a quote, I think I forget who was from.
I think it was maybe Total Wolf saying something like, you know,
the drivers can have their opinions, engineers can have their opinions.
But at the end of the day, Stefano Domenicali's got, you know,
there's only one opinion that matters, and that's the fans.
And if the fans like it, we got to just deal with it.
I just really, truly hope that the fans
I didn't see anything.
I didn't see a lot of positive stuff on the internet.
Yeah. Yeah.
So look, they're acutely aware of it.
And again, these are some of the smartest people in the world.
And they know that they are responsible from the from the governing body side to
make sure they keep it being the pinnacle of motor sports and the spectacle that it's always been.
So it's not great now.
I do think it's going to get better.
And I really want to see what it's like, you know, what this conversation is.
Six races down the road.
I do think Max Verstappen is going to win a ton of stuff this year.
He started last and finished like sixth
and just drove his way through the fields.
Like the way he how quickly got to the top 10 was pretty impressive.
If Ferrari Ferrari don't slap themselves in the face and close their own head in a door,
you know, Leclerc maybe wins that race.
So OK, but it's Ferrari.
So they're going to do that.
Right. No, that won't happen, what I said.
But the potential is there, which is neat.
So yeah, man.
I mean, there was some interesting midfield battles.
That's probably gets so hard to get around how annoying the cars seem to drive
and how every driver is like, I don't enjoy doing this.
I don't know. We'll see. We'll see.
We we can cover more later because we got another race of F1 this weekend.
So we'll have another point to talk about quickly.
Arlington, Java house, Grand Prix of Arlington.
So that's kind of cool.
And this has been touted as a elevated experience.
What that means, I don't really know.
But what I do know is they took the right then normal.
It's above sea level.
There's like an experience and then there's an elevated experience.
So they have the track and then they built the track on top of the track.
So it's like no, they tell me what on top of a parking lot.
Shut it here.
And the playbook that they that they used was F1 in Miami.
So if you were considering coming out to this race,
but you didn't know necessarily what to expect,
you should probably come out because because it's going to be the easiest
to get to in year one when everyone doesn't know how freaking sweet it is.
Yeah, so hope to see you there.
The one thing I do want to just touch on real quick before we sign off here is
it was announced today, the day that we're recording
about single car qualifying for the Firestone Fast 6.
This is something that's been heard here first.
Talk about you.
You're welcome.
I'm very surprised in trouble for that.
Fair enough.
I mean, no one's listening to this show.
I made sure the bleep was extra long
so that nobody could figure out what race you said,
because you're like Arlington and I was like,
so, but no, I'm super excited for the concept.
I love that we're only doing it for the Fast 6.
I think it would be a huge miss if it was for the full field,
but six cars, one at a time.
Every driver gets their moment, you know, as from the TV side, it's great
because we got to focus on one car, tell that whole story.
We get the kind of buildup that you get in any qualifying
where it's one at a time, fastest guy goes last.
You know, there's there's a lot to it and it's it's pretty exciting.
Is it something that you are relishing the opportunity to try ox?
Oh, it's a spectator.
It'll be great.
I'm kidding.
No, but genuinely, are there are there some concerns?
Because like I know in the last few years,
there seems to be more of a turn to like having a full prep lap in qualifying,
which obviously you don't have that freedom to do now.
It's funny because there's a driver's chat now,
which we've seen this movie before.
But one driver, I'm not going to name his name,
but he will be in the Fast 6.
So you can choose.
You can choose was like we should push them for a prep lap
and like all 20 drivers were like, no, screw you, screw you, screw you,
like suck it up, deal with it, let it eat.
And so he is said driver said unnamed driver is the one who is kind of doing
that more than off more than most and is kind of pioneered that whole thing.
So that doesn't surprise me at all.
That's pretty funny.
So yeah, she's a huge challenge, man, cold tires, one lap to get it done.
They're not getting any more tires.
It's not like you get an extra set if you get into the Fast 6.
So you still have to balance, you know, with the allocations now,
most guys have a new set to use.
It probably eliminates anybody thinking about using a set of primaries
for qualifying in the Fast 6 because I don't think it's going to be that bad.
But yeah, it's going to be exciting.
I very much hope that you're in it.
I hope that you get to suffer through that experience
and put on a good show for us.
Can't wait. Tune in on Fox.
See you there.
This has been Off Track with Hinch and Rossi.
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