Pivotal Moments
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Car
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a family-sized SUV. It’s made to carry people and luggage comfortably, so it works well for trips and everyday driving. It’s the kind of vehicle people use when they want to go somewhere farther than usual.
Concept
camera cuts
Camera cuts are the rapid transitions between different camera angles during a broadcast. Good camera-cut strategy is crucial in motorsport coverage so viewers can track the car’s launch, trajectory, and any issues without getting stuck on a failing or unhelpful angle.
Concept
outboard shot
An outboard shot is a camera view positioned to the side of the action, typically from a safer distance. In vehicle launches or track coverage, it’s often used as a fallback when close-up cameras fail, because it can still show the car’s movement and key visuals.
Concept
smoke for a long time
“Smoke for a long time” suggests prolonged tire spin or traction loss during a launch, which can be caused by wheel slip, insufficient grip, or aggressive throttle application. In a broadcast context, extended smoke can also obscure the car and make camera switching and visibility especially important.
Concept
live television direction
Live television direction is the real-time process of choosing camera angles, timing transitions, and keeping coverage coherent while events unfold unpredictably. Motorsport-style moments are especially challenging because the action changes quickly and technical issues (like camera failures) can force instant reroutes.
Concept
CGI renderings
CGI is computer-made video. If the real camera shots aren’t working, producers may use CGI to show what’s happening so viewers aren’t left with nothing.
Concept
F1 land
“F1 land” just means Formula 1 racing. They’re talking about what’s going on in that world, especially what a driver like Verstappen is saying.
Brand
Verstappen
Verstappen is a famous Formula 1 race driver. When he talks about being unhappy, it matters because he’s one of the biggest stars in the sport.
Concept
contract to 2028
Saying the contract runs to 2028 means the driver is committed for a long time. That can change how much freedom they have to move teams or renegotiate.
Concept
GT3
GT3 is a popular racing class using cars that are based on real production models. The rules are designed so different brands and models can race against each other.
Concept
BOP
BOP means the race organizers tweak cars so they’re closer in speed. The idea is to reduce the advantage of the fastest car and make racing more about driver skill.
Concept
high downforce
High downforce means the car generates significant aerodynamic force pushing it toward the track. In high-downforce cars, grip in corners is heavily influenced by aerodynamics, so changes in airflow or ride height can dramatically affect performance.
Concept
single-seater car
A single-seater car is built for just one driver. That lets the car be designed and tuned around how that driver will steer, brake, and accelerate at race pace.
Concept
sim
“Sim” is racing video-game-style training that uses realistic physics. Drivers use it to practice and learn how a car behaves before or while adapting to changes.
Concept
IndyCar
IndyCar is a major open-wheel racing series in the U.S. Drivers race single-seat cars on tracks like ovals and road courses, and it’s a big deal for American racing fans.
Concept
Formula One car
Formula One is the top-level open-wheel racing series in the world. It’s known for cutting-edge technology and very fast cars, and the speaker is saying GT3 can still be exciting even if it’s not as quick as F1.
Concept
driver's championship
A driver’s championship means the points are mainly about how well each individual driver performs. It can make drivers race with their own season goals in mind, not just the team’s progress.
Concept
constructor's championship
A constructor’s championship is about the team or manufacturer’s performance over the season. It’s more about the cars and the team’s results than one specific driver.
Concept
flat out
“Flat out” means going as hard as possible, usually with the throttle fully open. The speaker is describing racing that feels like maximum effort.
Concept
full season
A “full season” is the complete schedule of races in a series, which is a better measure of performance than a one-off event. It accounts for setup development, reliability, and consistency over many weekends.
Brand
Williams
Williams is a historic Formula 1 team, known for developing talent and competing at the front in earlier eras. The transcript references a “Williams thing” not working out, implying a driver/team situation affecting career moves.
Brand
Ferrari
Ferrari is a famous F1 team. When someone says they’ll come back to Ferrari, it usually means they want to race for that team again when an opportunity opens.
Concept
F1
F1 stands for Formula 1. It’s the highest level of open-wheel racing, where drivers race in teams using very advanced race cars.
Company
BMW Sauber
BMW Sauber refers to the BMW-backed Sauber Formula 1 team. Partnerships like this matter in a driver’s career because they can provide a direct path from junior categories into top-tier single-seater racing.
Concept
global financial crisis
They’re pointing to the global financial crisis as the reason money for racing dried up. When the economy gets bad, sponsors pull back and it’s harder to fund teams.
Concept
oval racing
Oval racing is when you race on oval tracks, usually with lots of left turns. It’s a different challenge than road courses because you have to keep the car fast for long stretches.
Concept
Newman Haas
Newman/Haas is a major racing team. Getting noticed by them and being offered a test is a big deal because it can lead to a real opportunity to race.
Concept
indie lights
They’re talking about Indy Lights, but specifically the smaller, independent teams. Those teams often struggle to get enough money to compete at the same level as the biggest outfits.
Concept
Fox Sports one (FS1/FS2)
They’re talking about TV coverage. If a series or team isn’t on major channels like FS1/FS2, it can be harder to convince sponsors to pay for the team.
Concept
weekend of Nashville in 2021
A “race weekend” is the full event period around a specific track stop, typically including practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself. Mentioning Nashville in 2021 anchors the timing of the discussion to a specific motorsport event.
Concept
after the podium
The podium is for the top three finishers. “After the podium” means right after they did really well in the race.
Concept
podiums
A podium finish means you place in the top three—usually first, second, or third. It’s a big deal because it shows you were one of the fastest cars that day.
LIVE
This is off track.
Wow, Tim.
Tim already living it up in the new digs.
It would seem he's got what he got some under cabinet LED lighting there.
Pretty excited about it.
Pretty quieted.
It's it's interesting.
He busted out the Rolex to get the place.
But now that he lives in Beverly Hills, he hasn't changed his wardrobe yet.
Yeah, I don't think he's gonna man.
I think that was the whole ploy.
He was just trying to fool everybody into thinking that.
He bamboozled him.
Yeah, no, I went back into my watch case, which only has one other watch,
which I got for being in the Rossi wedding.
You're not going to try to, you know, dress the part now that you're a Beverly Hills resident.
I looked it up.
First of all, we're called Beverly Hillers.
Of course.
Of course.
I also looked at the track thing.
I am far below the median average of of every metric.
Like what good metrics did you look at?
Annual income.
Just everything.
Well, yeah, that's the assumed one.
But like, what else has got to be other ones?
Ages.
Age makes sense.
Like what collegiate degree you've achieved.
So it's like your your last place had such a wildly cool setup for your podcast with
like your desk and your multiple screens and your hitchhiker's guide to the
galaxy backdrop and everything.
So I don't know if you know this, that desk was not part of the apartment.
That is my desk.
It will be coming.
I'm just asking where it is.
I'm not saying it was part of the apartment.
You're smart at it.
It gets here Friday.
I'm just here because I am meeting with the landlord in about 50 minutes.
So you're not actually living there yet.
You're not staying.
No, my beds and everything get here Friday.
Got it.
Okay.
So Friday's move day.
Yeah.
I gotta be honest, James, so far it's been real easy.
I don't know what you've been bitching about.
No one does.
Literally everybody does, Alex.
Everybody that moves says it sucks.
Every single person on earth.
This guy not a person, Tim.
Um, I feel like that isn't true.
That's fair.
Hey, Alex, considering Artemis is, you know, rounding the moon any second now.
Do we believe in the moon landing?
If anything, this this moves me further away from the moon landing.
How, how do you like on that?
How do you get there?
I just have to wait and now I'm upset.
He should be allowed to do a tour of JPL.
This is his take on it.
This is not something further away.
I'm not discussing this on this.
This is not the right platform.
Um, this is exactly the right platform.
You got to do right over there.
Num conspiracy theories on podcasts.
This is brand new.
Um, I want to focus on the launch and how incredible, incredible.
That was, uh, what was it five days ago at this point, six days ago, something
like that, just incredible.
Like we've all seen, I mean, I, I was fortunate enough to, to be a Kennedy
for Artemis one.
We've all seen videos of prior space shuttle launches and everything.
But even though we've seen it, still watching it and watching it go off
without a hitch and realizing there was four human beings on there.
Uh, amazing.
So I think that that is the takeaway we need to have from this.
And the fact that the mission is going so well so far, except for the toilet
not working, but you know, 23 million dollars is not working right.
Is that what you're saying?
I also love that they couldn't get Microsoft Outlook to work.
Like I said, I know that.
I know that none of us have ever had real jobs.
Uh, but like I sent that to friends that have real jobs being like,
is this relatable to you guys?
They're like, yeah, no, it's the worst thing in the world.
So it's like really the worst thing out of the world.
I, um, I'm, I'm with you, Alex.
What I love about it is the fact that like this is the first time in a long
time that everybody seems to be into a launch, right?
Like we were sending people up to the space station on the rank
and it never made the news.
Nobody gave this has got people excited about like space exploration
again.
And the fact that I, every time I like turn on the TV in the morning
and the news is on the first thing I come here into some kind of update
on Artemis, like everybody's into it.
Ever so many people watch the launch.
So I love that it's, it's got the attention that it deserves.
Um, cause it doesn't matter where it's going or for how long
anytime humans are being rocketed up into space, it's a big deal and
we should be paying attention and, and giving a, giving a darn.
I do have to say though, sorry, I feel like you had a follow-up point
cause I'm pivoting slowly.
Um, well, just if we're moving on from that, just the entire
Artemis program and what it is in terms of, uh, its end goal of building
a base on the moon to, um, allow for the potential opportunity
for Mars exploration in the future.
Like what a crazy idea that this is like the always the concept
of, oh, going to Mars seemed very far fetched except for those
that were able to be involved in the rover program and everything
like that.
But now like to put humans there seemed impossible and this is
like the beginning of that process.
So I, I think just the entire program, forget the individual launches
is incredible and just goes to show, uh, how far society and technology
and the bravery of people have come in the past 60, whatever years
concur.
I also, it's here's the thing.
I'm all for it.
I think it's a cool mission.
I think the concept of us going to Mars is awesome.
Like humans are explorers by nature, right?
And the accomplishment of getting to Mars is like, it's almost
incomprehensible if, if we manage to do that one day.
But I look at it as like, okay, so we made it to the closest rock.
We've done that.
It's like significantly harder to get to the next rock.
But it's, it's feasible.
Like we've been there with, you know, rovers and stuff.
Like we know how to do it.
It's feasible.
It's probably going to happen in our lifetime.
But then what?
Like after that, it's, yeah, it's pretty hard to go anywhere else.
I mean, Mars, the reason we're obsessed with Mars one, it's closest, but
two, it's, it's the only one with a near habitable surface, right?
Like Mercury, Venus, those are going to be too hot and you have other issues.
And then the rest are gas giants.
So we could talk about it.
We're going to like Jupiter, we're going to go to a moon, right?
We're going to go to Europa.
I like, but we're not going to do that because that is very fun.
That would take a very long time.
That person would not come back.
I don't think like it would be that's like, so that's like, we're sending the
Europa clipper.
We're sending a spacecraft around to those moons.
So we, we can.
I mean, yeah, but like, have you seen like the quarters at the crew of Artemis
or living in like where they're sleeping and stuff?
Like they're up there for 10 days or whatever.
Yeah, you could do it for 10 days.
We're talking like 10 years, like decades spent in that kind of environment.
We're not built for that.
So until we find ways to like cryogenically freeze ourselves and then we
animate ourselves, we weren't built to summit Everest.
We weren't built to run four minute miles.
We weren't built to do marathons.
We weren't built to do a lot of things and we do them because they're there
and that's what we do.
Yes, that's true go 240 miles per hour around the Indianapolis motor speedway.
Like still don't hear yourself, bro.
Yeah, we do.
You don't hit 240.
I've seen you guys hit 240 on quals day in the draft for sure.
Yeah, Connor had a trap speed of like 242 or something.
I'm just saying anyway, we do it because it's the next thing to do.
We choose to go to the moon and do the other things.
Yes, not because they're easy, but because they are hard.
Okay, slight pivot and this is what this is.
This is it's a hard criticism to make.
But I feel like I kind of have to do it anyway.
When you watch the launch, did you notice some of the questionable like cuts from the director?
Well, yes, some cameras broke.
Sure.
But there's there should have always been like the default to like, hey,
if any of the up close stuff stops working, let's just go to the outboard shot.
Like one guy just looking at the thing launching from a safe distance
because there were a lot of very question.
We started a lot of smoke for a long time.
And then yes, there was some darkness from from cameras that weren't working,
but we stayed on that for a long time.
Now, again, knowing what I know about TV direction.
It is very hard.
Live television is incredibly difficult to direct, but I was, you know,
for one of the most significant moments, one of the like most watched things of late.
I felt like just filled it in with some CGI renderings, you know, that was cool.
Yeah, that I was watching like, why are we still looking at this?
The thing is up here.
We're down here.
What is happening?
Like I'm like, is something going wrong?
Is that why they're not switching the camera?
Tim as a dog and it's super, super.
So Alex, how was Easter Easter was was great because I spent it with two human beings.
Good start and and that's it.
And we went to the zoo.
We enjoyed some nice time in the yard.
It was just it was very simple, but very nice because I haven't been home in quite a long time.
Ben's first Easter, but like, you know me, I don't care.
He did not he did not go see an Easter bunny.
He did not get an Easter egg hunt.
He can barely fricking crawl.
So he's not going to find eggs.
Right.
Like all of these things will come in their due course.
But no, my 11th 11 month old did not get an Easter bunny basket.
Right.
The the joy of Easter was just chilling with your family and not doing it.
Exactly.
Yes.
I completely understand that.
Did Kelly dress him up in Easter regalia?
No, again.
Why?
I don't know.
But some people I some people love that.
I don't know if you don't want to do that, but I wasn't sure if Kelly was into it.
Also, no, dumb.
Why have it when you can just AI pictures of your kid with also true.
We did do that.
She did do that.
A lot of that he had AI bunny ears on with AI baskets and AI hopping around and overalls.
Like he was he was eastered out according to some group chats that we are all a part of.
But no, it I just hit myself in the face.
I think his first birthday will be somewhat of a thing in the sense that like we're going
to have a little party and there's going to be a little cake and that sort of thing
because I guess that's what you got to do.
But like Christmas, he didn't get gifts.
Like I'm going to sound like a terrible dad, but like he was freaking six months old.
Like he isn't five months old.
He doesn't need gifts.
I have so much respect for that because yes, it is.
It is some of it's pretty over the top.
What you see when the kid has no recollection or understanding of.
Yeah, absolutely not.
So first birthday will be his first kind of holiday.
He gets to experience celebration.
Yeah, get a candle.
He can blow out what you want to do, but no.
Yeah, you should start practicing.
Yeah, that's the basic things, dude, like standing up, blowing candles far down
on the list.
Good.
He's pulling himself up like all he wants to do is stand, which is awesome.
Except when you're trying to give him a bath because it's slippery.
But then he's resilient because he doesn't care.
He's all the back of his legs and everything is all bruised and he's just
like hammer away getting up again.
I'm going to figure this out.
Yes.
So that was that was my Easter.
How about yours lady?
He's still he still has a dog that isn't trained.
It's not his dog at all.
This is stolen dog.
He stole that dog.
So my Easter was almost like I almost had an early Easter.
Oh, Tim's back.
Did you enjoy that, Tim?
I muted you guys.
Oh, no, we assumed it was fun for us though.
Yeah, my Easter was almost like an early Easter because with so we had the week
off and normally originally I was supposed to be flying to Bahrain today to
do home in the one race, which obviously is not happening.
And so an extra week at home like you, I've not been home very much.
And so it was like nice to know I was getting that week off.
So we decided to kind of use it as like, Hey, I wasn't playing on being home anyway.
So let's not be home, but let's go back home home to Toronto and visit family.
So we drove.
I got home from Belleville.
Oh, yeah, I told you this, you know, I was up in Toronto.
We already did one of these shows.
Wow.
But so I did an early Easter with my mom up in Canada and then yeah, spent
this weekend just kind of doing stuff around the house.
And this week is all kind of that same stuff, which is super nice.
This is like a very long stretch at home for me, which I'm relishing still a
lot of boxes to unpack.
No Easter.
I come for me either.
It's kind of bull.
But we're going to do.
I kind of forgot it was Easter.
Like Hey girls, it's Hazel spring break.
So she's in New Zealand with her mom.
So I just like, I don't know.
I didn't do anything.
I tried to walk to the mall with Kenna and then it was closed and it was like,
Oh yeah, it's a holiday.
I just completely forgot.
I just feel like you're so good at holiday stuff, especially with Hazel,
that you would have remembered that.
But I guess if you didn't have her, yeah, she's a different country.
So what's she doing?
Where'd she go?
Her mom and her New Zealand, she's going to Hobbiton and going whitewater
rafting and New Zealand, New Zealand.
Yeah.
For spring break.
Yeah.
Did she get two weeks for spring break?
Week and a half.
Long way to go for less than two weeks.
But yeah, no, I, I agree.
I mean, I'm not doing it.
You would have though.
If you were.
Yeah, a hundred percent.
I'm very jealous.
I would love to go to New Zealand.
Yeah.
Have you been?
I've never been.
So Hazel's got a little like marker on the map that you do not seems that way.
All right.
So is there any actual racing news to talk about?
What an incredible transition there, Tim.
You should do this podcasting stuff.
Yeah.
For a living.
Why don't you give some background for our audience about the jokes we were making
about your dog?
Oh, no, thanks.
Is your landlady still in the building?
Yep.
Okay.
Well, his air pieces are in so the landlady can't hear us.
No, they're not.
Oh, couldn't get those to work.
So I'm sorry.
The first time we made jokes, you could hear it.
I muted it as soon as you started.
No, we definitely said things before you muted it.
It was pretty quiet.
See, Tim, this is what happens when you have ridiculous hair is we cannot see
that you don't have your airpods.
We only assume you had air pieces.
Oh my God.
I feel so bad now.
I had you guys pretty low anyways, just in case because I had a feeling.
Oh, tremendous, tremendous.
No.
Well, I mean, you could always just go with them.
My friends were being jerks and they are just lying argument.
We'll see.
Next week's update.
Tim's back in his old apartment.
He is no longer a resident of Beverly Hills and yeah, we ruined that for you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I had a good run.
To be, you had a good stretch in Beverly Hills.
You've lived in Beverly Hills longer than I have.
Longer than Alex has, so.
Anyways, I guess that's some long stretches of the SLS.
That's a good point.
Yeah, cumulatively.
Yeah, for sure.
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, now that James and I are riddled with guilt, we can talk about some other
things that are going on.
All right.
Let me let me let me pose you.
Yeah.
Obviously with what's happening in F1 land, there's been a lot of talk
from Verstappen about his displeasure and being like, if I'm not having fun,
I'm just going to leave.
So he's got a contract to 2028, 2026 isn't going stellar.
And it's not just about the team.
I mean, I'm sure if he was winning races, he would be slightly more upbeat,
but I do genuinely believe that he dislikes the regs enough that even
if he was winning, he would be talking poorly of them.
But there's all these like kind of quit threats.
Do you think that those are legit or is he just kind of posturing?
Is he just sort of, you know, trying to make his displeasure very apparent?
What would he be posturing for?
Because he can get whatever salary he wants from whatever team he wants it from.
So he doesn't need the money and he's not motivated by money.
I know, but like my point is that's really all racing drivers posture for is
for a new a better contract.
Right.
So I don't think he's posturing and knowing his personality.
I would say that he's pretty serious.
And the fact that he's doing, I completely agree.
The fact that he's exploring all the GT3 stuff as much as he is,
I think solidifies that he seems to be enjoying that.
I do find it a little bit ironic that he's really kind of gravitated
towards a form of motor sports that literally has BOP like it.
Adjusts each car to make it more even.
Yeah.
But I guess at least once you're in it and then like, and while you're testing
and stuff, you drive around not to the full extent of your abilities
or the car's pace to avoid getting slapped by BOP.
Like one of the things that you and I hate the most about sports car racing is
exactly that, which is kind of what he doesn't like about the new F1 rules.
I find that part a little ironic.
Yeah.
But I think he for his entire life was literally groomed to be this,
this specimen of a motor sport driver with a sole focus on formula one
and open wheel cars.
Right.
So for him, it's probably a nice like a mental challenge and be kind
of like potentially bring some joy back into it instead of it being
just this militant process that he goes through in order to extract the
most out of a high downforce high powered single-seater car.
This probably forces him to get creative and adjust his driving style
and find new things on the sim.
You know, okay, granted the current F1 cars are very different to drive
than that of the past five plus years.
I'd say even 10 plus years or really ever.
Let's just put it, but it is that, but I feel like his driving
style has kind of been more or less what it is through all of those
different areas that he's been in F1 and he's probably having to go
out there and learn.
I say that with air quotes, a new skill.
So that's probably why he enjoys it because if you were to just go
do hypercar, right, he would have all the BOP bull and basically
driving a slower version of what he already drives.
Right.
So he's not going to do that.
He's already said he's not interested in doing IndyCar.
I don't know.
He's a thing.
He's got an avenue for him.
I don't think Oval is interested in him.
I think that's part of the problem, right?
But I get it.
Like once you're in a GT3 race, the racing, it is very fun.
Like I get it.
I do understand it.
It is such a bummer though that he doesn't want to give IndyCar a try
because I feel like it is for me.
And millions of fans, less for the 25 of you guys.
Because it's everything that I feel like he would enjoy, right?
It's still a high downforce, high horsepower, single seater.
Yeah, fine.
It's not as quick as a Formula One car, whatever.
He's happy driving GT3 cars if it's competitive and the racing's fun.
The racing is very fun.
It is a driver's championship, more than a constructor's championship.
And it's like good old fashioned, flat out, you know, go for it racing,
which currently F1 is not.
So I would just love to see it, man.
I would just love to see what he could do in a full season in IndyCar.
Probably good things.
You would assume so.
You would assume so.
It would be awesome if you couldn't know.
I just would love one of them.
I would love one of the guys at their peak to just make that switch
just because they can, just to see, just to see.
I want, I want Carlo signs to be like, you know what?
The Williams thing didn't work out.
I'm just gonna go do something different now.
I've made a bunch of money.
I'm gonna go try this for a couple of years till a Ferrari seat opens back up
and I'll come back to Ferrari.
I would just love to see it.
A full season from a guy that's at his peak in F1 come on over.
I'd love like a gasoline to say, yeah, let's go.
I mean, present company included.
I can't stand any of the former F1 guys that came over to IndyCar.
That's it.
That's all I had to add to that.
No, we were aware.
No, but do you get it?
I think I get it.
I think because like Alex.
I wasn't an F1 guy though.
You were.
You kind of were.
By the fact that you started F1 races and you were in F1.
You were an F1 driver for a period of time.
So and then immediately after that came to IndyCar.
Very selective, small sample size period of time.
Still counts.
Okay.
Still counts.
Look man, I'm not trying to get technical.
I was just trying to make a dumb joke consulting you.
Just let me have it.
I'm not gonna.
Alex, I was reading this article recently and it was talking
about like the most pivotal years in driver's careers.
And Pierre Gasly had an interesting answer because like I don't
know, I you would have guessed if I don't know four or five
different years before this one, but for him, it was 2013 in
his season of Renault 2.0, which when you hear the explanation
it's like, yeah, that was kind of his last chance.
And if he didn't win then, you know, any one and so that's
when he gets noticed by the Red Bull program and it's sort
of snowballs from there and like obviously now he's Pierre
Gasly, but it's kind of interesting to think that you
would have thought, hey, my first year in F1 or maybe a killer
of two season that got you that chance, but he went all the
way back because it was literally would have stopped
there had not been for success in that year.
What would you say is your most pivotal year?
Because I wonder if it's an obvious one like 2016 or if
there's actually.
Do you think one that maybe had more of like more of a
profound impact on the butterfly effect of a driver's career?
Honestly, it was probably 2015 because I don't think that I
get the phone call from Michael.
If I'm not an American in F1, right?
I thought you just said you weren't an F1 guy.
That was my whole plan, Tim, which is to bring it all the way back.
So we literally seconds ago.
We just got this.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, that's tough.
Tough look for me.
Tough look.
So yeah, I would have to say 2015 followed very closely by 2016.
But the years prior to that, I was fortunate because from really
2009 forward, which was all of my years in Europe, they were
supported by one F1 team or another.
And to say that 2008, I mean, 2008 was probably pivotal in that
sense because I won the BMW like championship in the States and
then the World Finals, which got me the relationship with BMW
Sauber and all of that sort of thing.
Then the trickle on effect from that, but all of that just got me
through the junior formulas.
There was no roadmap to having a professional career in on February
10th of 2016 without Michael picking up the phone.
So, right.
Was that the day February 10th?
February 10th.
There you go.
Well, that makes sense.
There you go.
Makes sense.
It's funny.
I think back, you know, I think of my initial reaction to that, you
know, if someone had asked me that question, I probably would
have said 2011, just my rookie season.
But I actually thinking more about it.
I think 2010 actually is probably the most pivotal because, you
know, I was, I was on the, I was on the wrong side of the IRL
champ car battle, right?
And I was racing the Atlantic series and was trying to get my
champ car debut together when the series folded and it was 08
and the global financial crisis and all the money dried up and
all this stuff.
And I had to switch from after a couple of years, you know, trying
to make a name for myself in the Atlantic series.
I had to switch over to Andy lights.
I had to learn oval racing, all this stuff.
And 09 was a pretty meh year for me in lights, but then in 10,
you know, moved to a smaller team because we couldn't afford
to stay with the big team that was winning races and championships,
but had a really, really good year, won a bunch of races, one on
ovals, like really kind of figured out oval racing way better
than I had in that first year.
And it was the performance in 2010 that got Newman Haas to take
notice and offer me a test.
And that test went well, which led to me getting the ride.
But like there was no more money.
Like, it's, you know, what it's like, how hard it is to find money
for indie lights, right?
It's not a, it's a hard thing to sell back then.
We weren't on Fox Sports one or, you know, FS one or FS two.
We didn't have it even now with that.
It's still almost impossible to sell.
Right.
So back then it was incredible.
We even way more impossible and and that was going to be it.
Like we were, I don't know what else we would have done after that year
because we kind of scraped together the funds to get that year going.
And and then once you had the Indy car contract, you're selling
something and we were able to sell it and off we went.
But so that was the year I think they really mattered.
I have a question.
And I don't, there's no, there's no insult in this.
It's just a question.
This is one of those like with all due respect.
No.
And then you say something really.
I'm just, I'm talking before the thoughts fully formed, right?
Okay.
So what year do you think was the most or what?
Let's not do a year.
What action for you was the biggest lever of you?
You have now found yourself in an incredible post full time driving career.
And obviously when you start out on this journey and everything like
the grand vision, right is to race, race cars for as long as you want
and make millions of dollars and retire on an island and say peace.
I'm out of here.
The realistic version of it is you race, race cars for a decent amount of time.
You make some money, right?
Obviously very fortunate lifestyle that all of us have, but not
enough money in the sport to go sit on a yacht for the rest of your life.
Unless you're on Rand, unless you're on a right.
And so then there's the second stage of your career.
You, you have a name for yourself.
You have a reputation and all this sort of thing and you have
successfully made that transition in a lot of ways.
I think you're probably financially more successful now than maybe you
were at periods of time during your racing career.
What was the, what was the catalyst for that?
Do you think?
Do you remember a conversation you had with somebody or a dinner
or what was it?
The catalyst for, cause it, cause it's always something that I wanted
to, to explore post driving.
Like that was something I had established a while back.
So do you mean like where did that come from?
Or like when I got to the point in 21, where I was thinking about
stopping that conversation.
I think, um, yeah, 21, because I think everybody, the, this is
not you, but the path of lease resistance for race car drivers
that are no longer driving race cars is to get into the commentary
box because it's something you know a huge amount about.
You're very skilled in that area.
You can provide insight and knowledge without really having to
make much of a transition.
Right.
It's any, but that was the cliche athlete move.
Right.
Retire from the game and go into the booth.
Right.
But that wasn't, I don't believe that this was something that
you did because it was easy.
You did it because it was something you actually wanted to do
and you could be good at.
So when was that?
When did I think I'd be good at it?
And actively pursue it and make it happen for yourself.
So yeah.
So like I said, I had some, some interesting opportunities
when I was younger to try it, right?
So when I was racing into the Atlantic series, I kind of moonlit
on the international champ car broadcast with Jeremy Shaw,
which was like this kind of forgotten little broadcast that
ran alongside the domestic feed, whatever.
And so I got these like this experience of trying it and
that's why I was like, Hey, this was, this is kind of fun.
Like if I ever make it to Indy car and then at one point
stopped doing Indy car, I would want to look into this.
So it's kind of always in the back of my head.
And if I'm honest, man, I in 2018 pretty sure this doesn't
get anybody in trouble.
But in after the season, I was approached.
I was asked to coffee by somebody involved in the production
side of the sport.
And they were sort of like, Hey man, you know, you, you just
watched, you know, you nearly died in 2015.
You just watched, you know, one of your best friends have a
terrible accident and you know, racing is dangerous.
You've had a good run.
Like, have you thought about stepping out of the car and
joining us because we would be open to that.
And it's funny, like initially, like your initial reaction is
like, no, how dare you?
Yeah, like that's an insane thing to say.
Like that's not, that's not how this works.
And like to a certain extent, that was still the position I
took, right?
I was like, look, um, flattered, not there yet, but I appreciate
that this is a dialogue you want to have.
And this is something that we can explore in the future.
And so yeah, man, it was, um, it was the weekend of Nashville
in 2021.
And I was kind of having these thoughts that it was maybe time
for me to step back and before after the podium before it
would have been on the third.
And then after the podium, you're like, you're mine.
I'm good.
After that great home.
I'm sure I am always your title, your primary sponsor.
I'm aware.
Yeah.
Very, very hungover.
And that was the day when we've told the story on the show
where the, the, you got up to get on the plane and the people
are like, Oh no, he's on our flight.
Yeah.
Incredible.
Incredible.
That you open mouth snore next to my, uh, my sponsor also the
year that he showed up the, the FBO to fly home with me.
And then as we were about to walk out to the plane, he was
like, nah, nevermind.
I'm too scared.
I'm going to go to Colton's.
I think that was a different year.
But yeah, everything else about that's pretty accurate.
It was a mixture of scared of being on your plane and also
wanting to go hang out and party with everybody.
And we were on your plane and you're like, I was like, what
are we doing tonight?
You're like, I'm doing nothing.
I'm going home and going to bed early.
And I was like, well, then I see no reason to go back to Indian
apolis for form, for form.
So yes, it was before the race, but after the race, honestly, I
even felt better about it because I always told myself that I
didn't want to be one of those guys that hung on too long.
And like you look back on the last two or three years of your
career, like what, what was the point of that?
Like, you know, I just, I just never wanted to do that.
And so if anything, that race was like, no, I can still do this.
I can still compete at a level where I can fight for podiums
and whatever.
And, but you know, there were a lot of other factors to that
went into, you know, me kind of having that train of thought
and whatever.
And so yeah, I had that first, that, that call, that meeting
and we sat down and with one of the high ups at NBC at the time
and had a great conversation and he was kind of like, yeah,
man, long, long and short of it is, it's yours if you want it.
And, and for sure that helps, right?
Like it was probably going to happen anyway, but like knowing
that there's something to kind of, you can just pick up and
like walk right into like, there's a lot.
So yeah, that's, that's kind of the, that's kind of the moment.
That was kind of the time.
I love it.
Tim, what was your breakthrough moment and time?
So that's all the time we have today.
We have two and a half minutes left, bro.
Yeah.
I mean, talk about your rise from Park Labrea to Beverly Hills.
Well, that's still pending evidently.
I think maybe that moment when somebody asked me if I wanted
to start a podcast and if I had any ideas and I said, yeah,
that could be a racing one.
Um, they're like, what about Marco?
Would he do it?
And I said, no, he would rather have another hole in his head.
But let me talk to these two idiots.
Hmm.
Joe, was Marco actually the first person that was approached about
this?
Huh.
Makes sense.
Um, that's it.
I got a bigger, better name than us.
The person that brought this idea up was employed exclusively by
me at the time.
But I know that may have come up separately, but mine came up
when cast box approached me.
Yeah.
Remember that?
Remember how we started with those guys?
This whole idea I thought originated because buzzkill left Indy car.
That was your thing was dying.
It may have developed separately on a couple of channels because
mine was definitely cause Peter at cast box approached me and was
like, Hey, we have this money.
We want to start a show.
Do you have any ideas?
And I think Liza started it on your end and then James, you had
it with buzzkill.
So I think it legitimately just came together from three different
angles.
Interesting.
Yeah, but here we are.
Here's the thing though.
I really want this to get to a point where you can honestly say
to him that you've made more money podcasting than anything else
you've done in your life.
We got to be close.
Um, no, cause he's done.
Yeah, he's done pretty well on some of his scripts and stuff,
but like, I want to get to a point where you're like, no, I know
I wrote all these scripts and hanging out with these idiots twice
a week is actually a lot more live shows guys.
Well, I hate that and we've not done any of them.
Good news.
Uh, well, one of them is exclusively your fault.
Um, good news.
We will be having one in May details to be released in the
future to come.
Yes.
Well, that is all the time we have.
This has been off track with Hinch and Rossi off track is part
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About this episode
The guys kick off with apartment/move banter and a running gag about Tim’s “Beverly Hills” setup, then pivot to space: Artemis’ successful launch, the excitement it’s bringing back to mainstream coverage, and what a moon base could realistically enable for Mars. They debate the launch broadcast camera choices and the bigger “what’s next after the moon?” challenge. Racing returns with talk of Max Verstappen’s “if I’m not having fun I’ll leave” stance, plus career “pivotal moments” from Rossi and Durham—culminating in how Rossi transitioned into broadcasting and how the podcast itself came together.
Original notes
Artemis is in space, and the guys are excited about what this means for humanity's future. Hinch and Rossi try to get Thim in trouble with his new landlord. The guys talk about what may be behind Verstappen's comments on current racing in F1. Then, the guys reflect on the pivotal moments in their own careers, and why they're often not what people think they'll be.
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Off Track is part of the SiriusXM Sports Podcast Network. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, please give a 5-star rating and leave a review. Subscribe today wherever you stream your podcasts.
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Off Track with Hinch and Rossi
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