It's Not the Car
Sam Smith, Ross Bentley, Jeff Braun
Updated 10 days agoIt’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts. Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer with time in NASCAR and IMSA. Sam Smith is an award-winning journalist, a club racer, and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine. We don’t love motorsport for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.
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Episodes (109)
"Do Not Drive It, You're Going to Die"
Our favorite race cars—the ones that stick out, from all the stuff we’ve driven.This is an episode about many things. Love. Hate. Jeff’s mouse-filled Triumph Spitfire. The 1970s BMW IMSA factory team car that Sam rode all lock-stop-drift-slappy down the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca.It is also an episode about the time they told Ross he was going to die, sideways, on the banking at Daytona. (Spoiler alert: He didn’t.)(Spoiler alert part II: His hands were shaking and the car was terrifying, but he went and hung the thing on the pole. Later, he won the race. Which was 24 hours long.)(Spoiler alert: He liked the car. Sort of!)***This show changes format weekly, because squirrel. This format is a new one—we call it “RACE CARS I HAVE LOVED.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith. As always, thanks to our friends at BFGoodrich for supporting the show!**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every other Tuesday.
What the Hell is Going on With Formula 1?
This is what: Three races into 2026, the FIA is trying to fix what it broke. Because everyone hates it.(Ross goes on a rant in this one! Ross *never* goes on rants!)Here’s a joke: A former IndyCar driver and a former Road & Track editor walk into a bar. When they walk out, they never want to hear the words “megajoule” or “superclipping” again.(Okay, it’s not a joke. Gag me with a kilowatt spoon.)F1 changed much for 2026: new car dimensions and weights; new powerplant configurations; updated aero; narrower tires; some team shake-ups and arrivals. And the racing became obnoxious.Over the last three races, that last bit has been all anyone can talk about. Drivers and teams hate the new order as much as anyone. With that in mind, the FIA executed a rare midseason rule revamp—rule updates effective from this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.These updates won’t fix the series; too much is baked into how the cars have been designed and engineered. But at this point, we’ll take it. ***This episode was produced by Sam Smith. As always, thanks to our friends at BFGoodrich for supporting the show!**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every other Tuesday.
Saying No to a $20 Million Porsche
We call this "Take Your Podshow to Work Day." Three stories of weird days on the racing job—one from each of our hosts.Once, Sam had the chance to drive a 230-mph Le Mans prototype—a factory-owned Porsche 917K!—and he said no. Why? It’s complicated!Once, Jeff won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 28 hours. The whole thing was such a big deal that Mario Andretti got kinda feathered up and tweeted out an opinion about it. Why? Also complicated!And! Last but not least, we have Ross, the former IndyCar and sports-car pro driver, and the story of the time he went to Florida to live out a personal, glorious, and happily uncomplicated dream.***IN THIS EP: An air-cooled flat-twelve blows up — A journalist (not Sam) gets sued — Someone’s mom saves a race team’s day by pulling $1000 from her bra at Daytona — Ross gets all hot and bothered over a shock-dyno graph — and more!***This show changes format weekly, because squirrel. The official name of this format is “MY WEIRD DAY AT WORK.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith. As always, thanks to our friends at BFGoodrich for supporting the show!**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every other Tuesday.
Jeff and the Glorious Mazda Fail-Diesels
Ten years ago, INTC's Jeff Braun helped a Japanese carmaker go IMSA racing with a 180-mph diesel prototype. The car was cool. More than 700 lb-ft of torque at 2800 rpm. Gobs of potential.Also: It blew up every five minutes.(An exaggeration, of course. No race car blows up every five minutes, even an underfunded, production-based coal-roller cranking around Daytona. That would be silly.)(It was probably more like ten minutes.)Mazda's diesel Le Mans prototypes of 2014 and 2015 were one of the most admirable, ambitious, and ill-fated efforts in American motorsport. Jeff was on pit wall for the thick of it, helping make those cars faster. Sam is here now, asking questions.This show changes format weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “JEFF TELLS A STORY.” This episode was produced by Sam Smith. Thanks, as always, to our friends at BFGoodrich for supporting the show!**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every other Tuesday.
How Pro Race Cars Blow Up!
The short answer? Use, abuse, and every way but loose. (But sometimes also loose.)This podshow has three hosts. One of them, Jeff Braun, has won Sebring, Daytona, and multiple sports-car championships. From Indy to Le Mans and beyond, Jeff has seen race cars fail in strange and funny ways. And when you ask Jeff to dish the goods, he dishes goods.(For the record, we love asking.)This show changes format weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “JEFF TELLS A STORY.”***IN THIS EP: How *do* race cars break? Well, Timmy, when an irresistible force and an immovable object love each other very much, they come together in a special hug! A short while later, the world is gifted a new life, and that life is very often a large and expensive heap of metal and composite smooshed into a delightful new shape. This shape usually resembles the sort of thing your dog might leave on the sidewalk after a particularly large meal. Isn’t the miracle of birth exciting?***This episode was produced by Sam Smith. Thanks, as always, to our friends at BFGoodrich for supporting the show!**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Jeff’s Car on Fire
Jeff's Daytona 2026 Pit-Wall RECAP: With special guest—and Jeff Braun co-worker—Andrew Wojteczko, of AWA Racing and IMSA Corvette team 13 Autosport!January 2025: Against towering odds, Andrew, INTC's Jeff, and the rest of the AWA gang win the 24 Hours of Daytona.January ’26: The same team hits Daytona again. They do everything right, they feel great about all of it, and then everything goes wrong. Parts break that shouldn’t. The car handles all spooky and no one can suss why. There is a fire big enough to land the team on TV. (And not in the fun way, like, with Joy and Whoopi.)Andrew has won Daytona twice. Jeff has won it three times. They each tend to be brutally honest about their own mistakes. And you know what? That makes for one great ep of a podshow.This show changes format weekly, because squirrel. We call this format, “RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith. Thanks, as always, to our friends at BFGoodrich for supporting the show!**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
Postwar Madness on Public Roads — (1948 Watkins Glen GP)
If you do nothing else, listen to the beginning of this episode. The first few minutes. Maybe with a large drink in your hand.A tiny town in upstate New York. A dapper man with glasses, a dream, and a Duesenberg he didn’t need. One of the greatest—and nuttiest—moments in the history of American racing. And that’s how stateside sports-car racing went big time.This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. This episode is our monthly deep dive into an epic moment from racing history. In this case, that means the story of the the 1948 Watkins Glen Grand Prix—America’s first postwar road race, a homespun miracle fit for Mayberry, and weekend that kicked off a movement that’s still going strong today.***IN THIS EP: A Kentucky man (not Sam) rolls a car into a creek — Ross watches PBS and lives to talk about it — An English car with a supercharger and entirely too much wood in its body structure — Briggs MF-ing Cunningham and you better believe it — Four wheels up at 100 mph — and more!This episode was produced by Sam Smith.Thanks, as always, to our friends at BFGoodrich for supporting the show!**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every other Tuesday.
Racing Stories That Change Your Life
We’re back! INTC’s third season starts… now! Are we celebrating by going full nerd with this one? Does Alex Palou wear Labubu pajamas? Did Sam have a dream last week where Ross and Jeff heckled him from the audience like Statler and Waldorf from The Muppets?(The answers, respectively: yes; definitely yes; and dear lord, it was deeply weird but also oddly delightful, yes.)You asked for it: This is an episode about books! Racing books, to be specific—the ones that changed our lives. And naturally, Sam decided to turn it into a fun little game show, because he’s broken like that.***IN THIS EP: The racing book that tops them all — Jimmy Clark scars a young Ross — Mark Donohue scars a young Sam — The zen phrases Ross keeps under his pillow at night — The Lady Badass McSuitcase — and more!This show changes format weekly, because squirrel. This week’s format is an experiment—we call it “THOSE PEOPLE DON’T READ.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**BOOKS IN THIS EP: “By Brooks Too Broad For Leaping” by Denise McCluggage: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?ds=20&kn=by%20brooks%20too%20broad%20for%20leaping&ref_=ds_ac_rk&sts=t*“Jim Clark at the Wheel” by Jim Clark: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?ds=20&kn=jim%20clark%20at%20the%20wheel&ref_=ds_ac_d_22&sts=t*“Stand On It” by Bill Neely and Bob Ottum: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?ds=20&kn=stand%20on%20it&ref_=ds_ac_d_11&sts=t*“Thinking Body, Dancing Mind” by Chungliang Al Huang:https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Body-Dancing-Mind-Extraordinary/dp/0553373781/*“The Unfair Advantage” by Mark Donohue: https://www.amazon.com/Unfair-Advantage-Mark-Donohue/dp/0837600693/*“How to Build a Car” by Adrian Newey: https://www.amazon.com/How-Build-Car-Autobiography-Greatest/dp/000819680X**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
Two Drunk Guys Win Le Mans — (Jaguar Works Team, 1953)
And that’s the end of Season Two! INTC will return on February 3rd, 2026, to kick off our third season!We're gonna close out 2025 with one of the greatest stories in racing: The time two British legends went on an all-night drinking bender, then jumped into a 150-mph Jaguar and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.The summer of 1953. A night of brandy, cognac, pink gins. When Tony Rolt started the race, his co-driver, Duncan Hamilton, was on the pit wall nursing a brandy.Before that point, their lives had been unlikely and incredible. Le Mans wouldn't be any different.***SPECIAL GUEST: The legendary Kyle Kinard, formerly of Road & Track!***IN THIS EP: Death — Drinking — A war — Plane crashes — Shipwrecks — Plane crashes that almost become ship crashes — An engine that changed the world — The absurd life of a wonderful drinker — The early history of Jaguar Cars, Ltd. — and more!This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. This episode is our semi-regular deep dive into an epic moment from racing history.This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
Get a Job as a Race Engineer! — w/ Charlie Ping
You asked for it! This is the first episode of a new series where we unpack just what it takes to get a job in pro racing.Charlie Ping is a pro engineer. Over the last 20 years, his career has spanned IndyCar, sports cars, and the Australian Supercars Championship. He helped develop Acura's LMP1 and LMP2 prototypes, and he developed and led the manufacturer track-testing program for Chevrolet's IndyCar aero kits.These days, Charlie works alongside INTC co-host Jeff Braun at Toronto’s 13 Motorsports, where he helps run a Corvette Z06 GT3.R in IMSA’s GTD class. We brought Charlie on the show to pull apart his career—and to share the lessons he’s gathered along the way. The ones that might help someone—maybe you!—chase the dream of working full-time in professional motorsport.This show changes format weekly, because squirrel. This week’s format is called “HOW I GOT HERE.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
BONUS Episode PREVIEW – Listener Q&A – 11/25
Full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/november-bonus-144929992**NDQ is our listener Q&A series! Have questions about performance driving, race engineering, setup, or anything else? Hit us up: [email protected]There are no dumb questions in racing… but there might be some dumb answers.**ANSWERED THIS MONTH://2:30 – How do pro drivers in long endurance races get by without sleeping? // 19:50 – How should you think about the beginning of braking as entry speeds change? // 35:30 – How do you stop overthinking behind the wheel? // 38:20 – How can you improve your driving without data or video? // 41:00 – How can you improve if you don’t know what to work on first? **Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
The One Where Ross Doesn't Get Hit by Lightning
Off-topic show! Back by popular demand. No intro or announcements on this one—we dive straight in.***TOPICS:What Ross found when he tore down the engine from his Lotus Elan — Jeff's tale of French sports-car drivers meeting North Carolina NASCAR spotters — The summer coaching adventures of Ross and Sam — How the phrase “hot foam around your butt” relates to Jeff’s IMSA-champion son Colin — Ross going thunderstorm rogue at Sebring — and more!***PLUS: Spotter theory, race-strategy nuance, and how the art of getting faster has changed in the last 30 years!Our last off-topic show went strange places. This one is a lot less weird. (But it does hold the words, “hot foam on your butt.”)This show changes format weekly, because squirrel. This week’s format is an experiment—we call it “INTC TANGENT HOUR.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
Impossible Gear, Impossible Finish — (Schumacher 1994 Spanish GP)
Thirty years ago, one of the world's greatest drivers was forced to run most of an F1 race with only fifth gear.Somehow, he finished second.The 1994 Spanish Grand Prix is widely thought of as Michael Schumacher’s greatest race. His gearbox was stuck in fifth. His team assumed his engine was minutes from blowing. And yet, because he was Michael Schumacher—one of the most successful and complex individuals to ever take a flag—he never stopped trying to make something from nothing.This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. This episode is our monthly deep dive into an epic moment from racing history. In this case, that means the story of Schumi, Spain, and the day one man began to cement a legend.This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
Did Patrick Dempsey Imagine His Way to Being Faster?
**Want more listener Q&As like this? Patreon members get bonus episodes! Link below!**It’s another “No Dumb Questions!” You email to ask, we sit down to answer. There are no dumb questions in racing … but there might be some dumb answers!Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Ask about racing, performance driving, engineering, car setup, or anything else: [email protected]**ANSWERED THIS WEEK: How pro drivers get up to speed so quickly — What Ross learned from coaching Patrick Dempsey — Paddock espionage from journeyman pros — The power of mental imagery when you need to stink less at the wheel — What Colin Braun did over dinner at Elkhart Lake one year — What the hell is a spring rubber?This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. For this episode, we’re borrowing the No Dumb Questions framework from Ross’s old “Speed Secrets” podcast.This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
Racing is Broken, and Blackbird 66 Might Fix It — w/ J.R. Hildebrand
“I just want to see motorsport be as awesome as it can possibly be… can we make this more meaningful? So there’s more to care about?”When J.R. Hildebrand says racing is broken, people listen. A few weeks ago, Hildebrand unveiled a discussion project called Blackbird 66. Maybe, he says, the future of motorsport lies in a hella-sexy 1000-horse Indy car with zero downforce. Twist my arm.Hildebrand: 2011 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, drives a 1960 Cadillac named Rosie. He last hit INTC on Episode 72, when he talked about running a Winston Cup car in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.Two things the man believes: One, racing thrives on obvious humanity. And two, aerodynamic downforce has ruined competition and should mostly get flushed.He's right about both, you know.(The official answer to the question in this episode’s title: HELL YES WE DO.)***LINKS FROM THIS EP: Blackbird 66: https://www.blackbird66.com/JRH on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jrhildebrand/Dan Gurney’s 1979 White Paper: https://legacy.allamericanracers.com/wp/formation-of-cart-dan-gurney/This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “GUEST TEACHES EVERYBODY.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
Shelby Cobras, Kimi Räikkönen, and Suspension Cork-Sniffing
How did Ross and a young Kimi Räikkönen end up sharing a fancy London apartment? After 20 years of testing fast cars for a living, which one still makes Sam misty? What really went wrong with Ross’s IndyCar career?Answers to these questions—and more!—in this episode. Probably! Yes!Every so often, INTC does a listener Q+A show. We call that format “NO DUMB QUESTIONS.” This isn’t that. This is Ross and Sam running a weird almost-gameshow and answering uncomfy questions from each other under pressure. ***IN THIS EP: Ross and Kimi — A brake line bursting open in 70-mph L.A. traffic — Ross’s favorite street cars (and why) — How balance is the only thing that matters — a 289 Shelby Cobra — The time Ross watched a Concorde take off from the cockpit of a 747 on final approach — and more!This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “SOME DUMB QUESTIONS.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
Crashing Four Times at Your First Indy 500 — w/ Jimmy Kite
Jimmy Kite crashed four times—four!—trying to qualify for the 1998 Indy 500. The story of how he finally made the show holds bad luck and trashed cars but also a hidden concussion, a giant fireball, an airborne gearbox, and a fat dose of can-do spirit. Plus: INTC co-host Jeff Braun! Jeff was Kite’s chief engineer that year. So we brought Jimmy onto the show and asked him and Jeff to tell the whole tale.Kite was a 22-year-old sprint-car kid from Missouri who came up on dirt and had just been crowned 1997 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year. A year before the Speedway, he had never driven a downforce car. And Jeff… well, Jeff was impressed!***IN THIS EP: That big, sexy fireball — A nervous mother — Jeff explaining suspension heave re: downforce — Dallara’s IRL monoshock — A red-hot differential aiming for low-Earth orbit — Jeff running somebody out of gas — TV announcers joking, on-air, that a 22-year-old driver looks 15 — Jeff looking happy on TV — and more!This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “JEFF PHONES A FRIEND.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
Learning to Love (Hate?) the Porsche 911
We’ve driven nearly all of ’em. Nearly every road model, plus some great race cars and extended family—a 934 and 935, a Daytona-winning Sixties 2.0-liter, a Rothmans 962, some 959s and RSRs, even Jerry Seinfeld’s 1964 “Butzi” shorty.Why do people love (and hate) the Porsche 911? Are the good ones worth the money? Can a reasonable person grow to love a great 911 if they don't like the things to begin with?Cliché questions. We hit them, then go deeper: What do you learn strapping into all that unobtainium?Ross and Sam have some rare wheel hours with Porsche's finest. And they might have some answers.***SPECIAL GUEST: This episode marks the return of the legendary Kyle Kinard, formerly of Road & Track!***IN THIS EP: Ross battling 911s as a BMW factory driver — Alois Ruf tossing Sam the keys to the “Yellow Bird” CTR prototype and telling him to rip around Germany for an afternoon — Sam lapping a Le Mans-winning 934 and a Fabcar 935 on the same day for R&T — Ross racing an RSR at Daytona with a bunch of babies — Sam writing the world’s first track test of a Singer-restored 911 — and more!(Warning: There's also big Porsche-nerd-speak.)This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “MY LIFE WITH.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
RECAP: 2025 IndyCar Season — w/ Marshall Pruett
IndyCar is a gnarly old series, and 2025 was one of the sport’s gnarliest seasons. So we asked the one and only Marshall Pruett to break it all down—own the mic, spit Palou truth, don’t hold back.(That’s Pruett's secret—he never holds back.)Select Pruett bona fides: decades of paddock reporting for RACER, ESPN, and Road & Track. Hosts the Marshall Pruett Podcast, which you should totally check out. Also, he’s on a first-name basis with Chip Ganassi’s lawyer.Select IndyCar gnar, 2025: Scandals! Lawsuits! Chevrolet and Penske face-plants! Plus a mild-mannered Spaniard somehow nuking the entire field from orbit to land his fourth consecutive title in a way no one thought possible.Plus, Pruett calls Sam names and orders Jeff a sandwich in this one. What’s not to love?This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “Guest Teaches Everybody.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith. **Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
What the 2025 IMSA Season Taught Our Pro Engineer
Picture it: Your scrappy little pro race team has a rough 2024. The next year, out of nowhere, you win Daytona. Then the whole gang takes its first trip to Le Mans and lands a killer finish.The rest of Jeff Braun's 2025 IMSA season was, to quote Jeff, “not that.”This one’s a doozy: First, we’ve got INTC co-host Jeff sharing what he learned in IMSA this year. (Jeff helps run a Corvette in the GTD class, remember.) Second, we’ve got Sam, who made way too much coffee on tape day. He's a little rapid-fire yappy here, but hey, we’re all captives to fate, fly on free bird, fútbol/racing podshow is life, right?Trophies rarely teach you something. But a long, tough season in pro racing just might.This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. We call this format "What I've Learned."This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**SUPPORT INTC:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
The One Where Ross Explains the Nürburgring
More than 150 corners. Twelve point nine miles. History out the wazoo, big fun, big challenge to drive quickly. The Nürburgring Nordschleife is basically the world’s greatest race track.Wanna go? Of course you do! How convenient—Ross just got back from there! In this episode, he and Sam discuss that trip, why Ross takes a small group of clients and friends to the Ring every year, and why Sam has had many opportunities to visit the place for work and kept saying no.(Hint: It may be because Sam is a romantic doofus.)Fun fact: This episode was originally going to be about another topic entirely. Then Ross was like, “Oh man, I drove an Aston Martin DB6 in the Moselle Valley,” and Sam was like, “Flugplates Breidscheid Fridge?” And that sounded like more fun, so we called an audible and made a pivot.This show changes format weekly, because squirrel. This week’s format is an experiment—we call it “INTC TANGENT HOUR.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
The Bloody Madness of the First Indy 500 — (1911)
Little ditty... 'bout a race and a Speedway! Two Indy names, growin’ up in the heartland. Race gonna make the front page of the Indy Star? Speedway gonna something something… uh... museum... race... car!Yeah, sure, that makes sense! Don't tell me if it doesn't?The story of the first Indy 500 holds a lot of things—death, sand, smoke, around a million blown tires—but it does not hold John Mellencamp lyrics. Still, I hear Mellencamp in my head every time I meet Indiana, so that’s what I'm puttin' here.(If you squint, that first paragraph almost fits the rhythm of "Jack and Diane." With apologies to the ol' Cougar himself.)This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. This episode is our monthly deep dive into an epic moment from racing history. In this case, that means the time a quiet little American city kicked off one of the world's greatest speed traditions. Risk, blood, guts, bricks… and the first year was flat-out bonkers.This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
So . . . What is Handling, Actually?
Remember the time you almost died because your hotted-up old Camarobird got all loose and stabby up at Dead Man’s Cul de Sac? Or maybe it was Turn 45 at Laguna Merrica. Either way, there you were, boppin’ along like a lap-wreckered Versteppy, when you nearly bought the farm.“She handled like trash that day,” you told the cops/the race steward/that fry cook at Burger Queen. “No idea why.” And the gathered crowd sighed—who hasn’t been there?Few automotive terms are as misunderstood as “handling.” What does it mean? Can “good” or “bad” handling be measured, or show up in data? How do non-engineery types talk about this stuff at places like the Indy 500 or Le Mans? Jeff and Sam have answers. And INTC changes episode formats weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “Racer 101.”This episode was produced by Sam Smith.**Support the show — get bonus episodes and more!Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.
[BEST OF] – Belief, Death, and the Fastest Man Alive — 6/4/24
INTC is on a short break, so we're dishing up an encore presentation of some of our favorite stories! This show originally aired in June of 2024.***Once, a long time ago, a brave man went to a beach and tried to drive faster than anyone ever had. He did not survive. This is his story. This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. This episode is our monthly deep dive into an epic moment from racing history. In this case, that means the story of Welshman John Parry-Thomas and the 180-mph stack of steel and chains that killed him.**Support It’s Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon www.patreon.com/notthecar**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:www.ItsNotTheCar.com**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think![email protected]**Check out Sam's book!Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023**Where to find us:https://www.instagram.com/intcpodhttps://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/https://rossbentley.substack.com/https://speedsecrets.com/**ABOUT THE SHOW:It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.