Andretti Global’s Resurgence with Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood

BRUCE:

IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN SportsTicker, Sports Illustrated, AutoWeek and SpeedSport. So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy as we begin our fifth season of giving IndyCar fans an inside look at the most exciting form of racing on the planet, the NTT IndyCar Series. As Super Sunday approaches with Super Bowl XLIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, IndyCar Series teams are gearing up for the start of the 2025 season, which is just three weeks away. IndyCar returns for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, February 28th through March 2nd. One of those teams that hopes to have a super weekend at St. Petersburg is Andretti Global, featuring a three-driver lineup that includes Colton Herta, who finished second in last year's championship standings, Marcus Ericcson, the 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner, and Dynamic Young star Kyle Kirkwood, a two-time IndyCar race winner. PitPass Indy was at the Andretti Global shop in Indianapolis recently to talk to all three drivers at Andretti Global as they prepare to return to the track in 2025. First up is Colton Herta, who won two races, including the final race of the 2024 season, the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Super Speedway on September 15th. It was Hurta's first career win on an oval and helped him finish second to three-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing. It was a great rebound for Hurta, who finished ninth in the standings in 2022 and 10th in 2023. Hurta is determined to improve one more position in the championship in 2025. Hurta took time to join me for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. Joining us now is Colton Hurd, who's coming off his best season in IndyCar, second in the standings, he won a race last race of the year on the Ovals. How do you enter 2025? And I'm sure right now you gotta be thinking championship.

COLTON:

Yeah, I mean that's been the thought for the last few years. You know, just refining it down and getting better every season it feels like, so. I think last year showed that. We had a really good package for a lot of the races. We had really good stops and strategy. I felt like I was driving well. So just need to find that even further. And, you know, that should be what we're looking for.

BRUCE:

So how was the off season? What did you do and how are you prepared for 2025?

COLTON:

Yeah, I mean, from the business front, you know, going through all the races, basically showing what we did right, what we did wrong. and trying to find patterns of stuff, whether it's good or bad, and then kind of focusing on those areas, especially if they're bad, and trying to figure out a strategy of a better way to tackle it.

BRUCE:

How important was it to finally get that win on the Oval at Nashville?

COLTON:

It was great. I've been very close for a long time and it just, for whatever reason, it's kind of drifted away from me. It's something that's hard to win on Ovals because everything's got to be right. You have to have a really good car, the pit stops have to be right, the strategy has to be right, your driving has to be on point. And if one of those things falls through, then it makes it really hard to win on Ovals.

BRUCE:

And as far though as the dynamic of the team entering 2025 is going to be a little bit different. Dan Towers is now fully in charge of the team. Michael will only be around for the Indianapolis 500 and maybe here and there in some advisory positions. But how is that going to change the dynamic of racing at Andretti Global?

COLTON:

I don't think it'll change much. For the most part, the people that were here and are working are all the same, especially in the higher-up roles. So besides Michael, it shouldn't change too much. I think everybody's kind of working fluidly together still, and it's a very similar feel for me.

BRUCE:

You're back once again for the second year in a row with Marcus Ericcson as a teammate. There was a lot of hopes and anticipation for when he joined the team. Maybe he didn't put up the results like we expected, but what do you expect out of him in 2025 working with you here at Andretti Global?

COLTON:

Yeah, I think as far as teammate goes, he was great. He was fast and helped sometimes with setup. And that's kind of what you want. You want a guy that can There's a few times where he kind of went off the beaten path to try new stuff and whatnot, and we all kind of have to do that at some point or another. And, you know, he did that quite a few times and we figured out some stuff of either, hey, this is good or, hey, this is bad. So that's what I'm looking for in a teammate, is a guy that's fast, can show me data of how to make me better, but also gives good feedback and can make the car better.

BRUCE:

But a driver that's also one of your teammates is a star in IndyCar. It's Kyle Kirkwood. Had a pretty good season again last year. He had a great first season with Andretti Global when he joined the team a couple of years ago. How's the dynamic working with him? You're both young, you're both fast, you're both aggressive. That's got to be a lot of fun to have a teammate like that. Yeah, I think it's similar in that sense.

COLTON:

And again, it's another guy that, selfishly for me, is super fast, so I can learn off of a lot. So it helps a lot in that aspect. He's a very quick guy, hard to beat, keeps me on my toes, really kind of elevates the game of everybody, keeps us all working really hard.

BRUCE:

The off season's been a little different. You're from Santa Clarita, California. We know what's going on out there with the wildfires. How are things with the family? How's the area? Did the fires get close to where you grew up?

COLTON:

As we're filming this, it's still ongoing pretty badly, but yeah, there were fires that maybe five miles away from where my parents are at right now, where they live, but the winds have kind of been favorable for us and kind of pushing it away from our house. You know, who knows, there's still a lot of, the wind's going to pick up again. There's still a lot of unknowns and it's pretty crazy. I've never seen, we've had some big fires in Los Angeles that I've been out there for, but I've never seen anything to this scale.

BRUCE:

Did it affect anybody that you personally know? Townsend Bell obviously lost two houses.

COLTON:

Yeah, yeah. You know, it's sad. It's sad, especially for a guy like that, you know, for sure has memories. He's lived in, I don't know about that house for how long, but he's lived in that area for a long time. And so it is, yeah, it's pretty sad to see the videos and whatnot. And I actually flew into LAX a few days ago And it's just looks like post-apocalyptic in some areas. So yeah, my girlfriend definitely knows quite a few people that have lost their house. But for me, everybody that I know for the most parts in Santa Clarita and the people that are not have fortunately been okay so far.

BRUCE:

So you're a Southern California boy. A couple of years ago, you moved to Nashville, which is almost in that area where when it's winter, you don't really get snow as much as you get ice or you get both. What's it been like dealing with all that? Because I know that Tennessee's had a pretty wild winter in terms of getting dumped on with snow and ice.

COLTON:

It's been OK. I think the city's good at managing it. I hear a lot of people complain. that maybe it's like an older thing about how bad they were managing snow and whatnot. And when it would get icy, the roads would be undrivable. But it's been okay for me.

BRUCE:

There will be a Formula One team here at Andretti Global. It's going to be the Cadillac team. It's going to start competition here in a couple of years. You've always been linked as the potential driver for that team. Where do things stand with that in terms of your interest? Is that something that you'll likely end up announcing here soon?

COLTON:

I mean, I don't have a super license. So until I have a super license, there's no point in me really putting any thought to it. You know, so really just focused on IndyCar and trying to do the best I can here this year. And then if I get the super license this year, great, and I'll have a think about it and have to make my decision pretty quickly thereafter. But if not, then still under contract in IndyCar.

BRUCE:

How far are you away from getting the necessary points?

COLTON:

I'm not sure what the exact scenario is. I think I need to finish in the top five in the championship, but I'm not exactly sure.

BRUCE:

So last year really was a big boost for you to get up there second place.

COLTON:

Yeah, it was a lot of points.

BRUCE:

So as you look at the IndyCar series in 2025, as I've said with some people that I've interviewed here at the end of 2024, the 2024 ended a lot better than it began. Because as you remember, 12 months ago, there was a lot of obstacles and adversities that IndyCar was trying to weave its way through. It ended in 2024 with some pretty big announcements. Fox Sports is doing gangbusters in terms of promoting the series. They're going to have every race on the Fox Big Network. It won't be on cable, it'll be on, all the races will be on one channel, so everybody will know where to tune in. And also the Grand Prix of Arlington. How excited are you about those two developments?

COLTON:

I mean, it looks super cool. You know, I think when you have guys involved with it that are involved with the Grand Prix of Arlington, you know, Jerry and Roger, two kind of perfectionists, you know it's going to be some high-end stuff. So the mock-ups look really cool. I don't know how accurate those mock-ups are or whatnot, if the track's going to look like that and the stands and whatnot. But, you know, if I was a betting man, I'd bet it's going to look pretty close to that. And then, yeah, obviously Fox. I think it's important for IndyCar to have some consistency. I think that's the biggest thing. You know, NBC was a great partner for us and we thank them a lot for what they've done. But we didn't have network on every race. And so having something where people know exactly where to find IndyCar, as well as a more aggressive marketing strategy. It's big for us and we need to for sure capitalize on it and show that we're worth putting on network.

BRUCE:

One of the drivers when you were a kid that you got to spend a lot of time with and hang out with is going to be back for the Indianapolis 500, Marco Andretti. And it's hard to believe, but it's going to be his 20th Indianapolis 500. And as he said to me earlier today, who knows, maybe his daughter will grow up and be the best racer out of the family. But he says until then, he'll be the last Andretti at the Indianapolis 500. So when you hear it put in those terms, what do you think?

COLTON:

I think it's crazy. I think, uh, I think Marco needs to get training with his little girl. It's pretty insane, 20 years. I think a lot of people still think of Marco as kind of a younger, early to mid-20s guy. You know, that's kind of how I knew him most or when I first knew him was around then. So it is pretty insane how long he's been doing this. It's weird to think that this is 20 for him. It's hard to wrap my head around that.

BRUCE:

Well, it's also hard to believe that this could be the last Andretti to compete in the Indianapolis 500. For most of my life, there's been an Andretti in the race. All of your life, there's been an Andretti in the Indianapolis 500. So when you think of what that great name has meant to that great event, how do you put all of that into perspective?

COLTON:

Yeah, I mean, it's definitely gonna take some adjusting, too, but I think people will get over it, but I'm sure that this is not gonna be the last time an Andretti's in the Indy 500.

BRUCE:

As far as yourself, though, Indianapolis 500 victory is a huge goal, also the IndyCar Championship. Our final question with Colton Herta, how well prepared do you feel that you will be able to get one, the other, or both in 2025?

COLTON:

I mean, I'm full of confidence right now. You know, I'm coming off my best season. I'm driving the best I ever have, so there's no reason for me to think that I can't win the 500 and the championship. Obviously, there's a lot of circumstances and a lot of things, a lot of work that we have to do to do that. But, you know, we're willing to do it.

BRUCE:

Colton Hurd, good luck in 2025 at Andretti Global. Enjoy the rest of the offseason. You're going to be back on track in a couple of weeks at the Open Test. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass, Indy. Thank you. Marcus Ericsson joined Andretti Global in 2024 after a successful tenure at Chip Ganassi Racing that included an Indianapolis 500 win in 2022. From 2021 to 2023, Ericsson finished 6th in a championship each season before he left CGR and signed a contract with Andretti Global beginning in 2024. Despite high hopes and goals, Ericsson did not win a race, had just one podium finish, and ended the season 15th in points. He was running at the finish in 11 of the 17 races on last year's schedule. Those aren't the results Ericsson expected, and he hopes to rebound in 2025 in his second season at Andretti Global. Here is my exclusive interview with Ericsson for PitPass Indy. Winner of the 106th Indianapolis 500, it's Markus Eriksson. You're back for your second year with Andretti Global. 2024 may have been a little bit of a challenge in terms of the results, but how do you enter 2025 and what's your hopes and attitudes? Obviously, you're looking to win another Indy 500 and win the IndyCar Series Championship.

MARCUS:

Yeah, I'm super excited about the upcoming season. Like you said, 24 was not really the season we wanted result-wise. I think it was a lot of potential there, a lot of good speed throughout the year. First year in a new team, new people, new car to learn. Overall, result-wise, it was disappointing, but potential-wise, it was very big. We've had a really good off-season, really good winter. I've worked really hard on myself. The team has put in a ton of work as well. I'm super excited to see where we are when we go racing here in 2025.

BRUCE:

Speaking of winter, you're from Sweden. Winter is a national great season in Sweden. It's a season that Swedes embrace. It feels a little bit like Sweden up here in Indianapolis in the cold of January, but does it really invigorate you to be able to get out there in the cold weather? Remind you of home?

MARCUS:

It does remind me of home, but I'm not a huge winter person for some reason. I'm a Swede and I'm supposed to love the winter, but I don't really. I can't wait for the snow to melt away and the season to start and get some warmer weather and race cars out on track.

BRUCE:

Well, a month from now, you're going to get your wish because there's going to be an open test in Sebring, Florida. And how valuable will that be to have two days on the track in February?

MARCUS:

It's going to be really important. These days, you know, we get very limited time testing. So that means that every single time you get in an IndyCar, you need to make the most of it, both as a driver and as a team. So those two days down in Sebring is going to be crucial for, you know, getting the driving back on track and getting the car dialed in for St. Pete, so very important test days. It's going to be fun just to get out there. It's not been a lot of driving over the winter for me, so it's something I'm really looking forward to.

BRUCE:

Does the team have any team tests that they plan on doing between now and St. Pete?

MARCUS:

We do. I don't know what the official word on it, but we are hopefully going to be out driving another day apart from that Sebring day.

BRUCE:

What are some of the areas that you believe you need to improve on for 2025?

MARCUS:

We need to or I need to minimize mistakes and we need to minimize mistakes as a team. I think we had the most DNFs in the series on the 28 car last year and that was a mistake from me and some unlucky things on the car and stuff. So we need to minimize that. I think that's a big one. You can't afford to have you know, you can afford to have maybe one DNF over a season. More than that, I think we had five or six. Then it's, you know, it's going to be a bad year. So that's focus number one. And then for me, the other thing is to try and qualify a bit higher up the grid. I think our race pace last year was really strong in general, but we were starting a bit too far back on the grid and it makes it difficult in a competitive series like IndyCar. It's not easy to go up through the field on a Sunday. I think that's the other point where we need to focus on and try and be a bit higher up. A couple of positions up on the grid is going to make life a lot easier on race day.

BRUCE:

When you look at the season that Colton Hurd had, though, that's got to give you a lot of hope and promise that you're not that far off from maybe being able to get up there and be in the same position he was in, especially in the championship race.

MARCUS:

No, definitely. I think as a whole, you know, I think Andretti, we had a really strong season. It was the best season for Andretti as a team for a long, long time. So I think that shows the work that's been put in from everyone here and Andretti is paying off. And I feel like I was a big part of that as well. You know, me, Colton and Kyle, we work extremely well together and we're pushing each other every weekend. So that really helps driving the team forward. And like you say, you know, Colton is right there. He was fighting, you know, right up the front there, finishing second in the championship. So I have a good benchmark within the team to look at as well. So that makes me very confident going into this year.

BRUCE:

Also, Kyle Corkwood, very fast, very good, very aggressive, still a young driver. In fact, this may only be your second year at Andretti Global. You're the oldest driver on the team. But what's it like? I've noticed the dynamic with the three of you is very good.

MARCUS:

Yeah, it's been great, to be honest. It's straight away from the start. Last year, it felt like we were getting along really well and, you know, getting along well as teammates, but also as friends. You know, we hang out and do stuff outside the track. You know, when they're here in Indy, there's, you know, quite often we go and have dinner at my house and, you know, just hang out outside the track as well. That's not something that you need to have, per se, but it's nice when you have that, when you're also actually friends outside the track. So that's been really cool. And I think that's something that's strengthening the whole team as well, that we have three drivers, it really gets along and we want the best for each other as well. You know, of course, we want to beat each other, as it should be, but we also want our teammates to be high up in the results as well. Are there any changes on your car's lineup? Only a couple of personal changes, but I would say the core group is the same. All the people I've worked the closest with, it's mostly the same. That feels good that we keep that group as similar as possible because I felt And that's always the way I feel like, you know, you build up that personal relationship throughout the year. And I think towards the end of the year, we were really starting to come together. I think the Nashville Pit Stop competition downtown there that we won was a good showing of that, how, you know, how the whole group had come together and doing really well. So yeah, that feels really good to continue that. And for me continuing with Olivier as well as my race engineer. It's going to be a big thing going into year two when we've been to all the tracks together and we know what worked, what didn't work. So that's going to be really huge as well.

BRUCE:

When you look back at where IndyCar was in the 20-teens when you joined the series, there were a lot of things that really struggled to need to do in order to become a growing sport. You look at it in 2025, you've got this big TV contract with Fox Sports. They're doing great job with promotion. Also some new races coming down the road in 2026, the Grand Prix of Arlington. Roger Penske has purchased the Grand Prix of Long Beach, which is a big, big deal. When you look at where the series is in 2025 compared to where it was when you joined the series, just how dramatic is the difference?

MARCUS:

It's been a big change and it's been very impressive to see that the way we've improved as a series. I think one of the things that's very obvious for me as a driver is when I came into the series, it was 17, 18 full-time cars, a couple of more, maybe 20, 21 throughout the year. Maybe 10, 12 of them were really good cars. The other ones were struggling a little bit more, whereas now we have 20 plus cars that's really competitive and can win a race on any given weekend. A lot of good drivers and Like you said, we have a lot of new tracks coming up here as well. The Fox deal is huge for the sport. I'm really excited about that. And the sort of push they're doing, putting all the race on network, it's what we need as a sport to grow. So I'm really excited about where the sport is heading at the moment.

BRUCE:

Have you done your Fox Sports promo yet?

MARCUS:

I have not, no. But hopefully when I win a couple of races, I'm going to be more on focus there.

BRUCE:

And as far as the growth of the series, there's a charter system now, which is going to guarantee value for the current team owners in the series, but it's still not discouraging new teams from joining. Prema is going to bring an impressive outfit to IndyCar this year. So when you see the desire, especially a team in Europe like Prema that wants to be part of the series, you got to really look at that as there's nothing but positive going on here at the moment.

MARCUS:

Yeah, that's a huge thing. I would say, you know, coming from Europe and knowing how good Prema is over in European racing, you know, they're probably the top team that's not in Formula 1 in Europe. If you look at the pedigree they have and all the series they've been in and, you know, how many wins they have in championships. To have a team like that joining IndyCar is a really big thing, and they seem to be really putting a lot of effort into this IndyCar team. They've got a lot of good people, good drivers, so they're definitely going to be someone to fight with. They're going to be good, and I expect them to be strong. So it's really a good sign for the championship that a team like that wants to come over from Europe and join us.

BRUCE:

Before you can be the champion, you're going to have to beat the champion. And so far, that's been Alex Palou, former teammate of yours at Chip Ganassi Racing. What's it going to take to knock him off the championship status that he's enjoyed three out of the last four seasons?

MARCUS:

Yeah, I mean, I got the privilege to be teammates with him for a couple of years and could see him work up close and know how good he is. And one of the things that he does extremely well is that he pretty much never do a mistake. And his team around him as well, you know, never do any mistakes. And that's why I think they're so strong. They're not the kind of group that go on and win five races in a row per se, but they're always there or thereabouts and scoring big points. I think if you've got to beat him, you've got to Alex Palou him to beat him. Minimize mistakes and being up front on a very consistent basis.

BRUCE:

And also, do you expect a bit of a bounce back season, if you could call it that, from Team Penske? They've still got three pretty fierce drivers.

MARCUS:

Yeah, I mean, they have a really strong lineup and three really strong drivers, so I expect them to be right up there. That's the cool thing with IndyCar, right? so many good teams and drivers. So there is, you know, even just to be in the top 10 in the championship, it's a fight because it's so many good drivers. And then you look at the championship battle and it could be 10 different guys that could win the championship by the end of it, because you have, you know, the Ganasis, the Penskis, the McLarens, the Andrettis, you know, there's a lot of good cars out there. So it's going to be exciting to see how this season shakes out.

BRUCE:

And of course, there's the Indianapolis 500. You've won it. You know what it's like to win that thing. Have you gotten a little bit of professional jealousy seeing Joseph Newgarden get to celebrate it two straight years that it only makes you say, I want to win that again?

MARCUS:

Oh, yeah, for sure. You know, I was so close going back to back there in 23. So that still hurts. Last year was a roller coaster, a very big roller coaster for us, you know, with my crash. the bump day drama and then taking out again in turn one of the race. It's not the month of May we wanted, but it was something that put us gelling together as a group a lot. So hopefully that will make us really strong for this year because As you know and everyone knows, this is the big race. This is our Super Bowl. It's where we put all the effort and time and, you know, it's the race you want to win. And I know how it feels to win it. And I will do everything to be back there in victory lane drinking milk again in May.

BRUCE:

Well, Marcus Eriksson, good luck in your quest for a second Indianapolis 500 victory and an IndyCar Series championship. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break. Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. We wrap up today's episode with Kyle Kirkwood, one of IndyCar's most exciting young drivers. In his first season with Andretti Global's IndyCar team in 2023, Kirkwood won two races, including the prestigious Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville. He was ready to race for more in 2024, but it was a disappointing season for the flashy driver from Jupiter, Florida. Kirkwood was winless with just one podium finish. He did, however, finish seventh in the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series Championship. As he enters his third season with Andretti Global and his fourth year in IndyCar, Kirkwood's goals include a return to victory lane as a race winner and challenging for the championship in 2025. I caught up with Kirkwood for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. After a long winter's break, it's a little bit cold for our next guest. It's Kyle Kirkwood, a resident of the Florida coast. Here we are in the early January in Indianapolis where it feels like it's about zero out. How does a Florida boy like you adapt to this kind of weather?

KYLE:

Uh, you know, I, I don't really, um, I, I get here and I leave as, as pretty much as quick as possible. Um, you know, when it, when it gets below 40, that's when I can't survive outside. So I'm, uh, yeah, so I'm, I'm, uh, roughing through it the next couple of days, but Daytona is right around the corner. So I know I have to go back to Florida, which, which I'm grateful for.

BRUCE:

Of course, that'll be for the Rolex 24 IMSA sports car race after Daytona and after the Daytona 500, which by the way, there's a four-time Indy 500 winner who's gonna try to compete in his first Daytona 500 this year, Elio Castroneves. The two days after the Daytona 500, we all get to come to your part of the world, Sebring, Florida, not quite the Florida coast, but it ought to be a little bit warmer for a two-day test. How important is that IndyCar test?

KYLE:

Um, yeah, I mean, it's extremely important, right? Especially with the long off season that we have. Um, I mean, this, this off season feels like horrendously long because last year, um, we were testing quite a bit with the hybrid coming into, into play. So we actually had to do a lot of laps, um, at tracks that aren't relevant, but it's still driving. Right. So, um, this off seasons felt very long because of the stretch of not driving for a period of time. Um, So, yeah, I mean, it is very important just to, it's our only day to get up to speed, right, before the start of the season.

BRUCE:

The schedule will be a little bit different in 2025. It's going to be even more of an off season, but there's a good reason for that. Fox is the new TV partner. They're going to put every race on Fox network. It's not going to be on cable. It's going to be on the Fox network. Everybody wants to watch IndyCar in 2025 and beyond. All they got to do is flip over to their Fox affiliate. They'll be able to watch nonstop action all season. But part of that caveat is the season will end on Labor Day weekend because Fox is a major partner of the National Football League, which kicks off its regular season the week after that. So in some ways, the offseason will be a little bit longer. But I would guess when you think about all the exposure Fox has given, that's probably not a bad tradeoff to be able to get a TV partner like that.

KYLE:

No, you're right. And, um, I understand that we can't go up against the national football league, right? Obviously that is the most watched, um, sport in the world. Um, and going head to head with them wouldn't work out for any other sport. Right. So, um, just the fact that we're able to get on, on, national television every single weekend is huge for us. Fox is going to be a great partner for us. I can already tell with the activations and all the time and energy that they're putting into us at the moment, broadcasting us everywhere possible. And I don't know, you've probably seen the commercials recently, like those are epic, right? That is huge for us. And yeah, if it means cutting our, or making our off season one or two weeks longer, I'll take that any day, right? So it makes sense with what we're doing and the direction that we're heading.

BRUCE:

Not only that, but when you turn on an NFL game and there they have announcing that Michael Strahan is going to drive the Indy 500 pace car, and they've got Will Power's Verizon car there to unveil delivery on the NFL pregame on Fox. That's pretty big exposure that you can't get most anywhere else.

KYLE:

Yeah, no, you're right. And, um, we, we haven't had that in some years. And, um, the fact that this is the new trajectory for us is, is big. Um, and it seems to already be paying off.

BRUCE:

You as one of the young drivers in the series, both you and Colton are young. I mentioned earlier today when I was talking to Marcus Ericcson, this'll be the start of his second season at Andretti Global, but he's the elder statesman of the team. He's still not that old, but when you think about it, this is really a team where Youth is showcased.

KYLE:

Uh, you're right. Um, you know, Colton and I are obviously, uh, two of the younger drivers that are in the series. I'm 26 Colton's what?

None:

24.

KYLE:

Can I turn 25? Is that, yeah. Um, so, I mean, we're, we're on the young side and, and Colton has obviously got a huge pedigree given his age. Um, he has a huge pedigree in IndyCar. So, um, he's really our veteran driver, right? It's kind of strange to say that the youngest driver on the team is the veteran here. So, yeah, I mean, Marcus is, to me, it surprises me when people tell me how old he is, because he's very youthful. He's got a lot of drive, a lot of energy. The passion that he shows for motorsports at the age that he is, is something that I envy. And I hope that I'm still like that when I'm in my mid thirties.

BRUCE:

So in 2024, you didn't win any races, but you finished seventh in the championship. What do you need to improve upon in 2025?

KYLE:

Good question. You know, for me, I think the past two seasons have been good in different ways. Firstly, the 2023 season kicked off with two wins, had a lot of good finishes, but a lot of bad finishes as well. quite the opposite. A lot of consistency, a lot of top fives, a lot of top tens was always, I think I had the worst or the best worst finish for almost like the entire season, which was a big stat that NBC was pushing out for a while. And, you know, but there was nothing that shiny that came from 2024. It was, yeah, there's a podium in there. a handful of opportunities to win, but none of them panned out. We should have won. I think we should have won Detroit for sure. We could have won Toronto. We should have won Nashville. We had a lot of good opportunities too, but none of them just panned out. So I think tying the two seasons together is what I need to do, meaning the 2023 and 2024 season and push ahead like that. But we just need some bigger finishes on the board.

BRUCE:

The season's gonna have a different dynamic. Former team owner Michael Andretti is no longer the team owner of Andretti Global. It's now Dan Taurus' team. Also, McLaren has taken full control of Aero McLaren Racing. It's gonna be a full McLaren effort now in IndyCar. How much do you see those changes being good for those two teams, including the one you're on?

KYLE:

Uh, well, I can't speak for McLaren. I've, I have no idea their, their ins and outs of their organization, but at least for us, um, I only see positives. I think, um, the changes that are being made are, are only for the greater good of, of our organization here. And, and, um, It's, it's all been positive so far. So, um, I think the team's excited. We're excited as drivers, engineers excited. Um, it's, um, things are moving forward here at Andretti Global and, and I can imagine it's really going to show on track this season.

BRUCE:

and also one of the top teams in Europe in every series, with the exception of Formula One, even though they were in GP2 and GP3, it's going to be a full-time IndyCar team in 2025 with Prima. When you have a team like Prima, with all the success they've had over the last 40 years in Europe, and they've really developed a lot of drivers that are in IndyCar that are former Prima drivers, Will we see some of the surprises from a team like that that may be more competitive right out of the box than we think?

KYLE:

You know, I, I also, once again, I don't know the ins and outs of their team, but I know, um, one thing I do know is they are a very good organization. There's a reason why they do so good in Europe and, and everything that they race. And so, um, I could definitely see them being a contender and in the short term. Um, so I mean, only, only time will tell though, right? Like I, I think they have been able to hire some, some really brilliant people in the industry and which should just accelerate their development. Um, to the point of where other teams are already. Only time will tell, though, to see what exactly they can produce.

BRUCE:

Well, the point I was leading up to was it used to be an Andretti global. You could look over here at team Penske and you could look over at Chip Ganassi racing and say, these are the teams I need to beat. Now you've got a lot of other teams other than just both of them that you had to go out and beat.

KYLE:

Yeah. You know, and that some of that has to do with, with the age of the car, um, the current car that we're in, right. We're so developed that now we're fighting for thousands of a second that make a big difference. Um, and, With, with that being said, it's, it's, I'd say for a team like Prima, it'd be hard for them to develop as quickly as, I mean, we have what, 10, 12 years experience with this current chassis, um, and development on this chassis. So it's tough for them, but like I said, they, they've hired a lot of people that are going to accelerate that process and get them up to speed. Um, but yeah, no, like you said, I think every team has got shots at, at, on their certain days. And, um, You know, I think, yeah, like you said, I think the Andretti's and Pencey's and Ganassi's have their shots more often, but it spreads out throughout the season.

BRUCE:

Speaking of a new car, a new car is on the way. What year it begins remains to be seen. What do you know about the new car? What has IndyCar told you about the new car?

KYLE:

I don't know if I'm allowed to say anything. They have briefly, or they have somewhat briefed us on a car, but I don't, I don't, I can't say.

BRUCE:

Well, some drivers that I've spoken with say the car will look different than the current vehicle, because there were a lot of fans that thought, well, if they're going to use parts from this car on that, then what's the difference? But Joseph Newgarden even said it's a different car. It's going to be a completely different car. So with him saying that, I mean, how upbeat or excited are you over the possibility of a new car?

KYLE:

Yeah, I think everyone's excited. Obviously, like I said, and what I think other drivers have said to you, is that there has been talk about an update, there has been a formal conversation about this update, and it is different. It's the same but different. Without giving too much away, it's just a very modernized version of what we have now.

BRUCE:

Well, one of the things with IndyCar fans is if you come out of the box with something, they want something that's completely futuristic. But if it's too futuristic, then they won't like that either. So in a lot of ways, you can't appease everybody. But one of the most important contingents is the driver. What are you looking for in a new car in terms of drivability and raceability?

KYLE:

You know, something You know, I could care less what the car looks like, as long as it feels good, it drives fast, and it races well. And I think a lot of people in IndyCar think that, of course, there's the fan aspect and it needs to look cool and be appealing, visually appealing. But for us, I think having something that races well, that goes around the speedway well, that reduces some weight from where we're at at the moment, which I think is obtainable. And then going from there, right? Those are the big ticket items for me. Looks, I could care less about, but I think the car will look very good with that being said. Are there any changes in your lineup on your car? No, not that I know of at this moment. We might have a little switch up with pit crew, but it's like one or two guys, which is a normal, I'd say people go in and out of each car periodically anyways, so.

BRUCE:

And as you look forward to the 2025 season, what's one or two key main issues or key things that you're most excited about?

KYLE:

Um, you know, there's been a lot of hard work over the soft season. Not like there, there isn't always, but I think this, this one, this off season is a little bit different. Um, we've been pushing hard with a lot of new development to make sure that we're really good at the tracks that we were weaker at. I'd say over the past years, you would look at Andretti as a power, at least recent past years, you look at him as a powerhouse on some of the road courses and street courses, right? Street courses probably primarily. And I'd say some of those road courses we've fallen behind a little bit on looking at like a barber-ish We've gotten better at ovals, the short ovals we've gotten much better at, I think. So continuing that trend, we've only just broken the ice, I think, with finding what we need out of the short ovals. And this off season has given us some time to now really dig into that and then, yeah, and then maximizing our other courses. I think we have a really good direction this off season that's gonna translate into something good for this coming season.

BRUCE:

in order to be the champ, you got to beat the champ. And Alex blow has been the champion three out of the last four years. A lot of drivers are looking for the secret to knock him off. What do you think that secret would be?

KYLE:

You know, he's he's he's very consistent and with what he does and he doesn't, um, he maximizes and every opportunity that he gets. And that's something that everybody else needs to do. Right. I'd say even pillows into the season last year was shaky. It wasn't very good at all. Um, if I'm being honest, but he was just that good through the beginning in the middle part of the season that he just walked away with it. Um, so I mean, staying on him is, is huge, um, or surpassing him. Right. And, um, It's not easy. Andy Carr is never easy, right? But he's made it look easy the past couple of years and we're catching up slowly but surely. Given our results from 23 to 24, Colton was P2, right? If he didn't have in the incident, if you didn't have the Detroit incident, I think you would have been right there fighting for the championship at the end of the year. So, um, I mean, we're there, we're there. We just need to put it all together and we'll have a good shot this year.

BRUCE:

Well, that certainly is the case. You have put it all together and being able to start the season fast is probably one of the keys to a championship. But Kyle Kirkwood, good luck in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season. Enjoy the rest of the offseason. I know you're going to get real busy here shortly with testing and Imsa and the Rolex 24.

KYLE:

Imsa's going to be busy, yep.

BRUCE:

Thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Of course, thanks. And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy. We want to thank our guests, Andretti Global's trio of drivers, including Colton Herta, Marcus Ericcson, and Kyle Kirkwood for joining us on today's podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy your path to victory lane in IndyCar. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at X, previously known as Twitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team, executive producers are Bridget Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Dave Douglas. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.