Indianapolis Motor Speedway Special Edition including Sonsio Grand Prix recap and practice begins for 108th Indianapolis 500

ROGER:

This is Roger Penske and you're listening to Pit Pass Indie, sponsored by Penske Truck Rental.

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 this week's edition of Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, as we continue our fourth season of giving IndyCar fans a behind-the-scenes look at the NTT IndyCar Series and the drivers and teams that compete in the Indianapolis 500. It's the month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and our friends from Hy-Vee step aside for this month as they continue preparations for the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway July 12th through the 14th. But Hy-Vee will be back in June sharing Pit Pass Indy with Penske Truck Rental as the sponsors of this podcast. Penske Truck Rentals are full sponsor for the month of May as Pit Pass Indy gears up for the 108th Indianapolis 500 on May 26th and all the activity the month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. To do that, we're going to do two shows for the next three weeks to give our loyal listeners and loyal Indianapolis 500 fans exclusive interviews and an insider's look at the world's biggest race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We will have our regular Pit Pass Indy available every Wednesday and an extra Indianapolis 500 bonus edition on Friday or Saturday. So be on the lookout for two episodes of Pit Pass Indy presented by Pesky Truck Rental every week through the end of May. Even with two shows, we've got plenty of ground to cover from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as practice is underway for the 108th Indianapolis 500. Later in today's Pit Pass Indy, we will focus on the Indy 500. But first, let's take a quick look back at Saturday's Sancio Grand Prix, the road race that kicks off the month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that celebrated its 10th anniversary on May 11th. Alex Palou started on the pole but lost the lead to Christian Lungard of Rahal Letterman-Lanigan Racing in the first turn of the opening lap. After that, Palou waited like a cat to pounce at the right time. He regained the lead on lap 45 of the 85-lap race before a decisive battle on Pitt Road during the only caution period of the race on lap 65. The lead group of drivers, including Will Power, Lungard, and Palou, all pitted at the same time, and Palou's chip Ganassi racing crew got him out of the pits ahead of his main bettors. When the green flag waved to resume racing on lap 68, Palou's DHL Honda was in the lead as he pulled away from Power's Chevrolet. When he took the checkered flag on lap 85, Palou defeated Power by 6.6106 seconds for the 10th IndyCar Series win of his career. It was also the second year in a row he won the race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Palou also took the points lead for the first time this season and heads into the 108th Indianapolis 500 with a 12-point advantage over Power. Before we hear from the winning driver, Pit Pass Indy hit Pit Lane afterwards to round up some exclusive interviews. First up is Palou's crew chief at Chip Ganassi Racing, Ricky Davis. Ricky Davis, Chief Mechanic for Alex Polo. This is where his streak started in 2023. He wins the Sancio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Could this be the start of his title streak in 2024?

RICKY:

Well, we certainly hope so. I mean, it's a good way to get it all started back on the same track. Now we just got to finish what we didn't get done last year when we come back for the race.

BRUCE:

He won the poll, but for the first 18 laps of the race, Christian Ludgaard controlled the race. Alex was cool as a cat. He just lurked around in the background and waited for the right time to pounce, and that came on that final pit stop. Is that just what really separates him from any of the other drivers in the field right now, is he can be aggressive, but he can also wait for the right time to be aggressive?

RICKY:

Yeah, aggressive doesn't describe him because he's so smart, right? He just knows what he has and what's in front of him and what he has to do to complete that task. And then he turns it up, turns it on and steps it up when he really needs to. And that's exactly what he did. He didn't fret anything. He dropped in, he ran what he had to run and then took off when he had to.

BRUCE:

And also, how key was it with that final pit stop where he was just able to duck right out in front of Will Power, have the position, and once everybody got back on track, nobody was able to get by him?

RICKY:

That's right. You know, and it all goes to the strategy guys, Barry Wanzer and Julian and Blair Bean, the guys that plan all the fuel mileage and tell us when we need to come in and figure it out when we need to stop so we can get clear traffic. and then turn it over to Alex and let him do his deal.

BRUCE:

But beginning on Tuesday, the really big work begins, and that's for the 108th Indianapolis 500. He won the pole last year. was leading the race, seemed to be the guy that everybody was going to have to beat until he got involved in a pit lane crash with Rinas VK, still battled back to finish fourth. Do you feel that Alex and this team has some unfinished business to tend to at this year's Indianapolis 500?

RICKY:

Absolutely, no doubt about it, and we'll be back.

BRUCE:

Ricky Davis, good luck in the Indianapolis 500. Congratulations on your big win in the Santiago Grand Prix. Thanks, Bruce. Former driver Dario Franchitti gave his assessment of the race afterwards as three drivers in the top five were from Chip Ganassi Racing, including Palou, the winner, fourth place Scott Dixon, and fifth place Marcus Armstrong, who scored the first top five of his IndyCar Series career. I caught up with Franchitti, who works with Chip Ganassi Racing, afterwards for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. Dario Franchitti, a heck of a ride by Alex Polo. He really waited to the last moment to really do what he needed to do to get out there on that last pit stop. And when you see what Alex has been able to do, and this is the race where he began his championship charge in 2023.

BRUCE:

Could we see the same thing again this year?

DARIO:

Oh, absolutely. You know, he continues to impress, doesn't he? him and the the 10 car team did exactly what it had to do with in the pits at the right time and he you know he just went and controlled the pace and that last stint there was fantastic stuff by him and again by the 10 car guys so no really happy for him and you know and a great another couple of top fives with Scott and young Armstrong having his first top five as well that was that was pretty cool.

BRUCE:

And how big is that for Marcus Armstrong to get his first top five?

DARIO:

It's a big deal and the great thing was it was a very non-eventful day on the 11 car stand it just everything just went as normal there was no Hail Mary's there was nothing it's just very relaxed and everybody executed so yeah really really happy for him starting his month of May like that and of course Scott was disappointed before, but drove a really great race again, and a good job by all our teams today, so that was cool.

BRUCE:

So it was a Chip Ganassi racing day on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Action changes on Tuesday as we hit the oval for the 108th Indianapolis 500. Last year, Alex Pillow started on the pole, was dominant car in the race until he had his pit lane incident. Do you guys feel you have some unfinished business to do in the Indy 500 in 2024?

DARIO:

Well, it was nice to be quick last year. You know, we had some really fast cars, but what happened last year doesn't... doesn't help you this year, so we're going to do it all again. I'm sure the team will show up with quick cars, Honda will give the team good engines. We've got two experienced drivers and three rookies in the team, so it's going to be a busy month from that point of view, but five very talented drivers, great crew, so let's see what happens.

BRUCE:

And as far as Marcus Armstrong, his development, do you feel it's right on target?

DARIO:

Yeah, absolutely. He came back from the off-season completely refocused and ready to work very, very hard. And he's got a little bit of confidence of a year's experience. So, yeah, he's done a phenomenal job.

BRUCE:

Dario Franchitti, congratulations on the big win for Chip Ganassi Racing. Good luck when the practice begins for the 108th Indianapolis Five Month. Thanks, Bruce. Now, let's hear from Armstrong after his impressive run in the number 11 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing. Marcus Armstrong, top five finish on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Sanzio Grand Prix. I know Dario Franchitti was very excited by it. How excited were you by today's performance?

MARCUS:

I mean, honestly, I'm happy with today's result. We got to P5 by pace, really. I mean, we overtook a few cars and Unfortunately, the front pack just sort of dropped us at the beginning for whatever reason, but towards the end, we were pretty close to getting Scott. It's probably not wise to have a huge lunge on Scott and potentially take each other out. So, look, I took that with a bit of caution, but it's all part of the fun, and I'm pleased with today, and we're building momentum to what we really want.

BRUCE:

Dario Franchitti says your progress is right on target. Do you feel that way?

MARCUS:

I mean, if he says it, it's probably true because he is Yoda. He knows what's up. We are progressing every weekend and we're building chemistry within the team. It's quite a different looking stand to what I had last year, so we're getting to know each other better every single weekend. We're just trying to get to where we want to be, which is where the 10 car was today.

BRUCE:

And as far as the team, great day for the team. Alex Bloh wins the race. Both you and Scott Dixon are in the top five. That's a heck of a day for the whole team. How do you feel about the way Chip Ganassi Racing seems to be humming along on all cylinders right now?

MARCUS:

Yeah, well, the car is good, plain and simple. So when you have a fast car, it's a lot easier to take those results home, especially at a race like this, where it's just a pace race, and there's not many cautions, and there's not a lot of strategic magic that can be done. So when you have a fast car, it's a lot easier to get those results.

BRUCE:

And finally, on Tuesday, you turn around and go around the oval at about 230. How excited are you for practice for the 108th Indianapolis 500? And does this give you a little bit of momentum boost heading into that race?

MARCUS:

Super excited. It's going to be a lot of fun and time to get to work, study, ask a million questions and go for gold.

BRUCE:

Yeah. All right. Marcus Armstrong, good luck in the 108th Indianapolis 500. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you. Christian Lungard finished third in the No. 45 High-V Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He led 35 laps in the race, second only to the winner, Alex Palou. Here is Lungard afterwards. Christian Lungard, pretty good race. Didn't end up with the result that you wanted, but a lot of times you were out there on front racing pretty hard in the Sanzio Grand Prix. How would you describe the way everything kind of went for you today?

CHRISTIAN:

I think it started a lot better than I think we expected. Obviously there was a lot to hope for on the first stint. We got around Palo in the beginning and I think at that point there was a lot for us to be excited about. But I think they had the pace on us today. I don't think we had quite the pace that they did. I think a podium was a minimum for us today. We're on there and I think we need to look at that as the right way to start the month of May. We haven't been on the podium in May for a long time. The two previous podiums we had as a team was both in August. I think it's the right way to start the month of May, so we're happy, but yet we're disappointed.

BRUCE:

Sweet move on that start, though, when you got by the pole sitter, Alex Palou. If you could just describe that move to take the lead going into Turn 1.

CHRISTIAN:

I don't really know. A bit of luck. Yeah.

BRUCE:

But once you were out front, you were maintaining the pace of the race. And would you really say the race ultimately came down to that last pit stop or the top three drivers all pitted in the same lap? And that's what kind of determined the outcome.

CHRISTIAN:

Yeah, I mean, I guess so. But at the same time, Alex made his positions on the previous pit stop. He undercut us, well, he actually overcut us. And yeah, that was really it from there.

BRUCE:

All right, beginning Tuesday, it's Indianapolis 500 practice. It's the big race everybody waits for. What's your confidence level heading into another Indy 500 for Christian Lungard?

CHRISTIAN:

Just a lot of excitement. I'm expecting a lot of team improvements and a lot of pace compared to where we've been in the past, so I'm just looking forward to get going.

BRUCE:

Christian Lungard, congratulations on your run in the Sanzio Grand Prix and good luck in this year's Indianapolis 500. Thank you. Two drivers that finished outside of the top five had an interesting time on the 2.435-mile, 14-turn road course, including Andretti Global's Colton Herta and Junko's Hollinger's Romain Grosjean. Herta was the biggest mover in the race, advancing from 24th starting position to a 7th-place finish. Grosjean was involved in some payback from AJ Foyt racing Santino Ferrucci in Saturday's warm-up session and also had a few off-road excursions in the race before finishing 12th. Here is Grosjean on his race. Pretty wild day out there. Was it a little wilder than it should have been?

ROMAIN:

I think I did more lawnmower than racing today.

BRUCE:

It started at the beginning with Santino Ferrucci, and were you really surprised by some of the stuff he said in the warm-up? I mean, heck, it was just warm-up.

ROMAIN:

I think I'm not going to comment on that. I have my point of view. I would like IndyCar to take action for drivers like this. That's it.

BRUCE:

As far as your race itself, like you said, you probably spent a lot more time in the grass than you cared to, but the development with this team, there's times where you guys look pretty good, especially on the road courses. Do you feel that there's been some positive progress made with this operation?

ROMAIN:

Listen, at the end, we were P12, behind a lot of top teams, so on a very tough afternoon, I think we can be proud. We've had a rough weekend, but P12 on the race where we went twice in the grass, I mean, that's pretty decent, so I'll take that and move on.

BRUCE:

As far as getting ready for the Indianapolis 500, it's the big race of the year everybody looks forward to. How excited are you to start practice this week and have a chance to maybe really be a contender for an Indianapolis 500 victory?

ROMAIN:

Well, I think, you know, step by step we're going to take it. We're going to keep working hard and obviously we don't have much test on speedway because it rained a lot. Weather doesn't look great for next week, but we'll do our best and step by step catch the monkey.

BRUCE:

And finally, do you like it over here with Junko's Hollinger? It seems like you're having a little more fun.

ROMAIN:

Yeah, I think it was a tough weekend for us. A lot of emotion going in, but at the end, P12. I take it, did a good race, that's what we need, and pit stop were outstanding. The guys working hard, obviously, still a lot to learn, but I think we did a good race.

BRUCE:

Roman Grosjean, good luck in the Indianapolis 500. Thank you. Thank you. And now, the biggest mover in the race, Colton Hurdup. Colton Hurdup was a heck of a weekend. He had to really struggle from the back of the pack. Ended up doing pretty well as far as finishing the San Siro Grand Prix. Do you see that you were able to make the most out of a bad situation this weekend?

COLTON:

Yeah, I mean, it was a struggle today, but, you know, we fought really hard and I think we fought well to kind of go through that. It felt good, you know. I would prefer starting up front and running up front, but sometimes you have to push through adversity and have to start at the back and that's what we did today. The guys did an incredible job. All the pit stops, the strategy, everything about today was really nice. In a place that's typically very hard to pass, we went from 24th to 7th. I think it depends on what the car is like. If the car isn't that good, then you're going to struggle. But we had a really good race car today, and it doesn't always end up like that. But luckily, you need one when you're starting back there. I don't really care too much right now. It's still early. We've got 13 more races left in the season, so plenty of time to shift things around. And we're only behind by 25 points, so it's not that big of a deal. Confident, confident. It's going to be a lot of stuff to do next week for us to get ready and understand our cars better, but excited for it.

BRUCE:

What's it like when you've got to come from that deep in the field and just race your way up on a track where you can pass if you set it up right, but it can be a struggle at times?

COLTON:

Yes, it is tough. You need a really good race car. You need a lot of things to go right. But today we did that, and so I was happy for it.

BRUCE:

The confidence level heading into practice for the 108th Indianapolis 500. How excited are you for that? Because that's the big one.

COLTON:

I mean we got a lot to learn, a lot to do next week. It's a better question for me later in the week when I know what our car is like and everything. But right now it's a lot of unknowns and a lot of stuff for us to work on.

BRUCE:

But how's this for a stat? It's your best, worst finish of the season, which is why you're still pretty far up there toward the top of the point stand.

COLTON:

No, I can't. I can't complain too much about today.

BRUCE:

Colton Herta, good luck in the 108th Indianapolis 500 when practice begins. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thanks. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

WILL:

This is Will Power of Team Penske and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to this week's Pit Pass Indy. As we mentioned earlier, Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing won the Sancio Grand Prix for the second year in a row. Here is my exclusive interview with the winner for Pit Pass Indy. Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy is the winner of the Sanzio Grand Prix. For the second year in a row, it's Alex Polo. Alex, you had a rather cat-like performance in today's race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the road course. Started on the pole, but you lost the lead on the first lap. You just kind of waited to pounce, though, at the right time. If you could just describe your victory.

ALEX:

Yeah, it wasn't easy for sure. There was a lot going on in our race, as you mentioned, lost the lead, it was my fault. Got into the grass, locked a little bit the front right and went into P2 that moment. Then on top of that we lost another position with power on the first pit stop, so we were third. with probably the slowest tire at that moment, so I couldn't really follow as close as I would like. But, yeah, the team put me back into the lead with a great pit stop, great strategy call, and we were able to work out both of them. So, yeah, it was a team effort today.

BRUCE:

But it took a great move on your part leaving the pit box to get out there in front of Will Power. How important was that?

ALEX:

Yeah, that was huge. And he was actually at that moment on primaries, but they were warm. We're out there on alternates, but they were just out of the pits. They felt really bad. Obviously, the grip was really low. So I was happy when that move got really well out of pit lane. And then heading into turn four was probably the most difficult one.

BRUCE:

The fact that it's your second win of the year, although it's your first points-paying win of the season because the million-dollar challenge at the Thermal Club was an all-star race. Your first official win with DHL as the sponsor. How important is that? Because that's obviously a very important company, especially in your home nation of Spain.

ALEX:

Oh, yeah, it's huge. And it's they were really hungry, as they told me the first time that I met with them to to get the win again in IndyCar. So, yes. So a couple of the people at DHL at the podium, but I'm pretty sure that everybody's fired up now after our first win together.

BRUCE:

So you've won the Sanzio Grand Prix two years in a row. You finished fourth in last year's Indianapolis 500, even though you were the pole winner. Had the best car the first half of the race, but was involved in a pit lane collision with Renas VK on lap 107. Still battled back from 28th place to fourth place. I asked your chief mechanic, Ricky Davis, if you feel that you have some unfinished business to do in the 108th Indianapolis 500. He said, most definitely. How do you feel about that?

ALEX:

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. We've been really good there since 2021, finished second. Then I think we finished seventh in 2022, fourth last year. We always feel like we have the chance, but didn't really have A perfect race. So we're going to try and get a perfect race this year and hopefully get the win in a couple of weeks.

BRUCE:

There is no such thing as a perfect season, of course, but last year's season was pretty dominant for you and it started with this race last year, the victory here last year. Do you feel now that you're back in the points lead, this could be the start of another championship for Alex Palou at Chip Ganassi Racing?

ALEX:

I hope so, I hope so. But for sure this place brings us really good memories with the win there in 2023 May. Just carried our momentum throughout all season and we got really good results after this one. So hopefully we can carry that, we can improve that, hopefully with the Indy 500. But yeah, can't wait for more races to come.

BRUCE:

It's time to turn the car over from road course setup to oval setup. Beginning on Tuesday, it's practice for the 108th Indianapolis 500, even though these two races have nothing in common with each other. How much does it boost the momentum to get a victory going into the Indy 500?

ALEX:

Yeah, absolutely nothing, man. I mean, we're going the other way. The car setup is completely different, but at the end of the day, it's the same place, has the same, well, has the big meaning of the Indianapolis 500. We're fired up. We can't wait to get started on Tuesday, try and dial in the car step by step, and get ready for qualifying.

BRUCE:

And as far as just how good a team that you are part of at Chip Ganassi Racing, do you feel that what we're witnessing here is really the start of a glorious era of auto racing history, the Alex Palou era in IndyCar?

ALEX:

I hope so, I hope so. We're working towards that, for sure, every single day, but we always take it a session and a race at a time, so hopefully we can look back a couple years, five, 10 years, I don't know, 15, 20, hopefully, and say that what you said was true, so yeah.

BRUCE:

Alex Palou, congratulations on your win in the Sanzio Grand Prix. Good luck in the 108th Indianapolis 500, and wish your wife Esther a happy Mother's Day, because this is the first time that the three of you get to celebrate Mother's Day since the birth of your new child.

ALEX:

Yeah, that's true. Thanks for reminding me, and thank you for having me here.

BRUCE:

Thank you for joining us on Pitt Passing. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

JOSEF:

Hey, everybody, this is Josef Newgarden, winner of the 107th Indianapolis 500. And you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. With the Sancio Grand Prix in the rear-view mirror, the focus shifts to the biggest race of the year, the 108th Indianapolis 500. 34 car-driver combinations are turning laps around the 2.5-mile oval this week, with practice running Tuesday through Thursday before Fast Friday, when the boost is turned up on the engines for the remainder of the weekend to create more horsepower and more speed. Full field qualifications are Saturday before Sunday's big day of thrills. All 34 cars are scheduled to take four-lap qualification efforts, with the four-lap averages determining the starting lineup for many, and which drivers advance into the Fast 12, and which drivers have to go through last-chance qualifying. It begins on Sunday with the Fast 12 session that will determine which six cars advance into the final, Fast Six, to determine the prized pole position for the Indianapolis 500. Last chance qualifying for the last rows next, followed by the run for the pole in the Fast Six. One of those drivers who will battle it out in Saturday's qualifications is Team Penske's Josef Newgarden, the 2023 Indianapolis 500 winning driver. If Newgarden is successful in winning the Indianapolis 500 for the second year in a row, he will collect an additional $440,000 from BorgWarner and its rollover jackpot. The bonus was created in 1995 and increases by $20,000 each year that the previous year's winner does not win the Indianapolis 500. Elio Castroneves is the only driver to win the rollover when he scored back-to-back Indy 500 wins in 2001 and 2002 when he was driving for Team Penske. 22 years later, the pot has grown by $20,000 for each year and is now a whopping $440,000. That would be paid on top of the anticipated $3 million that Newgarden would collect if he won the 108th Indianapolis 500 on May 26th. I had a chance to talk to Newgarden about the Borg-Warner rollover jackpot in this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy is Josef Newgarden, who has $440,000 worth of extra reason to win his second straight Indianapolis 500. That will be the Bork-Warner rollover bonus that goes for any driver that wins a back-to-back Indy 500. You're the only driver eligible. How cool would that be to become the first rollover winner since Elio Castroneves in 2001 and 2002? Wow, it'd be pretty cool.

JOSEF:

There's no doubt about it. You know, Elio, sets a pretty high bar. It was incredible being his teammate for a couple years and seeing the way he works around the speedway here. So I would love to emulate him, be able to go back to back, first person to do it in a long time. I know this team's motivated, so it would mean a lot to the two car.

BRUCE:

The Indianapolis 500 could probably not pay a cent, and you're going to want to win it just as bad as you would with an extra $440,000. But on top of an already big payday, how cool would that be to win that bonus?

JOSEF:

You said it perfectly. Even if nothing was paid out, we'd be here and we'd want to win this race. The Indianapolis 500 means everything to us, but extra money is a motivator, and it would be great to have this bonus. BorgWarner is such a tremendous partner of the Speedway and of this iconic event, and they are the custodian of the iconic trophy of the Indianapolis 500, so it's pretty cool that they provide this opportunity, and let's see if we can get it done.

BRUCE:

Since your victory in the 107th Indianapolis 500, you've gotten to know the BorgWarner people very, very well, They've given you a tremendous year of celebration with all the accolades that come with winning the Indianapolis 500. Would the rollover bonus just be keeping that rolling for you and just in terms of the great feelings that you've built up and created with Borg Warner?

JOSEF:

Yeah, I think that's a good way to put it. You know, we've had a fun time over the last 12 months. It's been amazing to experience what winning the Indianapolis 500 is like. There is truly, I think, nothing that compares to it. And I'm excited about you know, this year, and hopefully, you know, we'll have another opportunity to win this race. It would, you know, mean the world to me to get another one here.

BRUCE:

And in addition to you getting the Borg-Warner rollover bonus should you win back-to-back trophies, it would also be Team Penske's 20th Indianapolis 500. That's a milestone that I know is very important to everybody on the team.

JOSEF:

It's a big deal. You know, Rodgers, he's always looking at the next next goal post and 20s, you know, 20s where we're at. We need to get there and figure it out. And it'd be special for everybody on this team to get there.

BRUCE:

And on our final question with Josef Newgarden of Team Penske, the Indianapolis 500 is special unto itself. but this year it'd have to be even more special just because of the way things have gone in the season. It would be a great way to triumph over adversity.

JOSEF:

Well, we're focused forward. Absolutely, there's been some adversity here in the first half of the year, but this team is resilient. We know our character, we know our values, and we're not changing from who we are. There's no one I respect more than Roger Penske and this team, and so to be able to come back here as winners to compete, You know, with this group, it means the world to me, and it would be a huge victory for all of us if we could get there.

BRUCE:

Josef Newgarden, good luck with the Borg Warner rollover bonus. Good luck in the 108th Indianapolis 500. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thanks, Bruce. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

SCOTT:

Hi, I'm Scott McLaughlin, driver of the number three team Penske Chevy, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to this week's edition of Pit Pass Indy. Earlier in this episode of Pit Pass Indy, we heard from Colton Herta after the Sancio Grand Prix. We caught up with Hurta a few days later as he prepared for Indianapolis 500 practice in this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy is the biggest mover of the race from the Sancio Grand Prix. He went from 24th to 7th. Could have gone much higher if it hadn't been for an incident in the race. But it's Colton Hurd of Andretti Global. You were the biggest mover in the Sancio Grand Prix. Now I'm sure you want to move on up to the top at the end of the Indianapolis 500 as a winner. So here we are getting ready for Indy 500 practice. How excited are you?

COLTON:

Yeah, super excited. It's finally time to turn the track around and get going on the oval. It's gonna be a tough, rigorous two weeks here we got for us, but super excited to finally be back in an Indy car in May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

BRUCE:

You've had some pretty good qualification efforts. You've had some pretty good runs in the Indy 500. What do you see as being the one thing that you need to do better to get up there and be in the fight at the end?

COLTON:

I mean, it's all about executing. You know, if you have clean pit stops and you're able to save fuel well and take care of the car, then there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to be out there in the end. But, you know, it's a it takes a lot. It takes a lot to win this race. It takes a lot to even just run up at front. You have to be perfect.

BRUCE:

You've gone from a four-car operation full-time down to three, but at the end of you expand back to four with the addition of Marco, a guy that you kind of grew up with in many ways when you were a kid. What's it like having him back?

COLTON:

Um, yeah, it's great to, to have Marco back. I think this is his 20th 500. Is that right? Crazy. So, um, no, good to have him back. Good to have him here. He obviously brings a lot of experience from being here over the years. So, um, between him and Marcus and Kyle, I think we've got a good group of guys to kind of bounce ideas off of.

BRUCE:

I think you told me a story one time that when you were a kid, Marco was a guy that you really liked to hang out with because he was so young. Obviously, your father, Brian, was your favorite driver. But what are some of those stories of Marco from the young days of Colton Herta that you remember?

COLTON:

Yeah, I mean, I loved hanging out with Marco. I remember he would come to our house whenever he was kind of in Los Angeles and stay there. So I got to hang out with him a little bit when he was younger. But also, I was just a kid. So I think it's a good chance to call Marco out and tell him how old he is. And when I hung out with him, he was an IndyCar, and I was like five years old. And he'll love that.

BRUCE:

Well, speaking of just a kid, another story that I remember you telling me was the first time you got to come to the Indianapolis 500 I believe was 2004. and that was the one where the tornado landed about a mile from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It looked like a scene from out of the movie Twister at the end as everybody was just scrambling to get off Pitt Road before the bad storm hit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But how old were you and what were those memories? How vivid were those memories?

COLTON:

I was four, so I would have been in the bus when everything was going on. I remember getting carried and running to the garage, and I remember sitting in the garage for a while and waiting it out. I don't even remember the race. I don't remember the race at all, but that's all I remember from that Indy 500 was the tornado.

BRUCE:

Well, that would definitely leave a lasting impression. Speaking of tornadoes, though, when you're in the middle of a Andretti Armada line of cars that you guys do so well in practice, as you prepare for the drafting, how the cars work, how far back you can go in a pack to make it, what is that like in terms of you being in the cockpit of the car?

COLTON:

I mean, I think just constant thoughts running around in your head about how to make everything better, how to make yourself better, how to make the car better, what direction you kind of need to move in. So I think it's important that we have so many cars just because that we can dictate how we want to run practice. We can dictate if we want to do qualifying runs or if we want to do long runs. It's not based on anybody else's run plan. We can do whatever we want whenever we want because we have the strength of numbers.

BRUCE:

Some drivers used to say with the current aero package that if you're fourth, that's about as far as you can go to really have a shot at winning the race at the end if you're in one of those drafting packs. Do you agree with that, or do you think it's third, or do you think it might be fifth?

COLTON:

I think fourth is a little generous. I think, yeah, third. Unless you're in the top three, you can't really do it. Yeah, and even third, it's hard to pass the top two guys when they're doing a draft battle. But, I mean, that's the same as basically every arrow kit from IndyCar, right? And once you get third back, that slipstream's just so powerful for that second guy, and he has that much cleaner air, it's hard to pass him. So, yeah, I don't think it'll change too much.

BRUCE:

Now I have to bring up Saturday, there was an incident between you and your teammate Marcus Ericcson. After the race, you were a little upset about that. Did you have a chance to talk to Marcus, and how did that go?

COLTON:

Yeah, we talked it over. You know, he apologized pretty profusely and obviously it was a mistake. And so we'll just kind of move on from it. It sucked. You know, it kind of took me out of a really good spot where I was running, but that's how it is sometimes in racing.

BRUCE:

Now, on a positive note, Marcus has won this race two years ago, maybe shoulda coulda won the race last year, so how valuable of an asset is he to maybe pick up a few little bits of advice on what you can do to maybe win the race?

COLTON:

Yeah, and also, you know, he has a good understanding of Ganassi cars and what they like to do around here too. So being able to pick the brain for both sides of things is going to be super important for us this month. Obviously, he's won here, Ganassi's won here in the past few years also, so it's a lot of good opportunity for us to understand more.

BRUCE:

There's a lot of big things happening at Andretti Global, including a new shop being built up in Fishers, Indiana. Team owner Michael Andretti is still trying to get into Formula One. That looks a little more promising than it did a couple of months ago. But to be part of something that has become so big, how cool is that for Colton Herta?

COLTON:

It's interesting, for sure. It's cool. You know, I obviously, I don't know everything about what's going on and when the new shop will be built, but the mock-ups of it look awesome. And yeah, it is cool to be part of a team that does so much in racing.

BRUCE:

You're at the stage of your career where you've got the experience, you're young enough that you're still very aggressive, you've got the drive, you've got the momentum. Could 2024 be the year Colton Herta wins the Indianapolis 500? For sure.

COLTON:

You know, we clean up a few things and we run really well in the race. We keep ourselves clean and we kind of focus on the job at hand. There's no reason to think that we can't do it.

BRUCE:

Colton Herta, good luck this week in practice and qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 and even more good luck on race day in the 108th Indianapolis 500. Thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you. And now, let's wrap up today's Pit Pass Indy with this exclusive interview from another Andretti Global driver, Kyle Kirkwood. Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy is... The surfer boy, Kyle Kirkwood. Kyle, we're not at the Long Beach Grand Prix, so you can't surf on the Pacific. We're not in Jupiter, Florida anymore, but we are on one of the world's greatest thrill rides, the Indianapolis 500. And what's your outlook heading into another Indy 500? You're still sort of new at this.

KYLE:

Yeah, you know, but I'm getting to grips with it, right? Like, I kind of understand the cadence of the month.

BRUCE:

The cars are lighter this year, but the speeds are expected to increase. And a lot of that has to do with the construction of the Firestone tire, how fast you're able to go. How fast do you think you'll be able to go this year?

KYLE:

Yeah, I mean, only time will tell. This place is super weather dependent. But yeah, I think both manufacturers have taken a big step in the past few months, and they've been pushing each other really hard. So I think we can expect probably the most power that we've seen in a while. And then that with the lighter car, and hopefully conditions look pretty good. We could see some record lap speeds, I think, this year. But only time will tell with that, right? Ultimately, we can only just go as fast as the car will allow us to go, and it changes based on what the conditions allow to.

BRUCE:

As a racing driver, you're paid to go fast. How excited do you get to go faster than you've ever gone before?

KYLE:

Yeah, I mean, it's cool when you rock up to the speedway and you know you've got a fast car and speeds are hitting those mid 230 kind of tickets there on Fast Friday or on Saturday when qualifying comes around. It's exciting. It's really exciting. Hopefully we're on the top end of that. That's obviously the goal of ours. Yeah, and then we know we've got a good race car, you know. After last year, Colton and I were extremely fast in the race, and we think we'll kick it off right where we left off and potentially have some more in our pocket. So that's the goal. But every team is going to say that. Every team is going to say that they're going to go faster this year than ever before. But I feel really confident in what we've actually done this offseason.

BRUCE:

The Andretti Global lineup has dropped from four cars down to three for the full season. You're at four cars at the Indianapolis 500 with the addition of Marco Andretti. What's it like having Marco back? He has been around this track a lot and he is a former pole runner.

KYLE:

Yeah, you know, Marco's always got really good intel. He's got a lot of experience around this place. He works hard at it. And he's a data point that is irreplaceable. So we're excited to have him back. We know he's going to push hard. He's going to push us to the limit. And going down a car is actually kind of nice for this because you don't have so many things to look at. You can hone in and focus on a few things a little bit easier. There's more engineers that are on, I guess, a broader spectrum. So, yeah, there's a lot of key points through this next week, really, that are going to help out compared to last year.

BRUCE:

One of your teammates won the Indianapolis 500 two years ago, should have won the Indianapolis 500 last year if it hadn't played out the way Race Control played it out. But Marcus Ericcson has done very well around this track. How much are you going to lean on him to maybe pick up a little bit of advice on how to improve your Indy 500 effort?

KYLE:

Yeah, you know, I think us as a group, we're in a good spot. Marcus has obviously got really good recent experience of leading this race and running up front. He's already helped out a lot though, like he's kind of, I guess, pushed us along to focus on things that maybe the team hasn't focused on before or really, yeah, I mean, for that, yeah, it's exciting to have him on board because He has that experience of leading the race. He has that experience of being in a car that is capable of putting it on pull. And he's been at the front a lot where we've kind of been in the mix of some things. So he's pushed us along a lot. I think us as drivers, me, Colton, and Marco are in positions that we can do the same thing as him. We just need kind of that little extra speed that maybe Marcus has. And it's going to be fun to work with him and find out what those kind of speed secrets are in the next couple of weeks.

BRUCE:

Formula One was in your neighborhood a couple of weeks ago for the Miami Grand Prix. Michael Andretti was there, Mario Andretti was there. Did you get a chance to attend?

KYLE:

Yeah, I was there with them. I wasn't visible, but I was there hanging out watching the race. I'm really close friends with Logan Sargent. We grew up together in South Florida, 40 minutes apart. We were at karting races. We'd hang out every single weekend together, closest of friends. And I was there really kind of supporting them, but also hanging out with the Gainbridge folks and Michael Mario, like you mentioned, and the rest of the team that was all there. It's cool to see the magnitude of what F1's done, if I'm being honest. It is an absolutely massive event, and yeah, I think they're on the up and up, and all it does is bring motorsports up, right? And it also brings us up too, so it's cool to see what they're doing. It was fun to support them. It was a fun event. But yeah, we're rolling into the month of May, and I'm excited to see what we're able to produce now after seeing that.

BRUCE:

Even though he drives for a different team, was it important for Formula One to get a guy like Lando Norris a victory rather than another Verstappen win?

KYLE:

Honestly, the racing has been horrendous in F1. I think it is absolutely terrible to watch, if I'm being quite frank with you. I'd rather watch our races back in IndyCar than turn on an F1 race. I really only watch it because I support Logan Sargent. I put it at the same level, and I like watching golf, but I put it at the same level as I want to just lay on my couch and fall asleep to the sounds that are going on in F1. They need to do something to make their product a little bit better racing. They have the viewership, they have the support, they have the sponsors, they have all the funding in the world, but they just don't have good racing and they need to do something to change that.

BRUCE:

But speaking of massive event, it's the Indianapolis 500. Everybody's here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Exciting time for all of us. This is pretty big, isn't it?

KYLE:

Yeah, it is. You know, like our our series now is like the most competitive it's ever been. And there's going to be 33 cars that have a chance at winning. They're going to be It's going to be absolute mayhem this year, I think. And it just keeps getting closer, right? It's you see it last year, right? You, Josef comes from qualifying, whatever he did, 18th, 17th, wherever he was at and just drives through to the front. Colton did the same thing. I kind of did the same thing. It's really anyone's race now, whereas in the I feel like maybe five, 10 years ago, it's like whoever was qualifying up front was likely to win. Now, that's not really the case. It's it's a good race. Everyone's super close. There's feet between cars after a four lap qualifying that are making the difference whether you're qualifying first or 10th. So it is so freaking close and it's only going to get closer.

BRUCE:

It's going to be your third Indy 500. Do you feel that this is the time for you to be up there battling for the checkered flag and a chance of putting Kyle Kirkwood's face on the Borg Warner trophy?

KYLE:

I mean, that's obviously the goal, right? That's why we're here. That's why we do this. I wouldn't I wouldn't want to run this event if I didn't think that we had a chance of winning. And given the performance that we had last year, the progression that we've had through the offseason, there's no reason why I would think that we couldn't win. I think we have an awesome shot with great drivers, great team members, great cars. Everything kind of is lining up right now for potentially an Andretti win.

BRUCE:

Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global. Good luck this week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Good luck in your quest to win the Indianapolis 500. Thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Thanks. And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy. We want to thank our guests, Ricky Davis, chief mechanic for Alex Pillow at Chip Ganassi Racing, Dario Franchitti of Chip Ganassi Racing, driver Marcus Armstrong of Chip Ganassi Racing, Christian Lungard of Ray Hall Letterman Lanigan Racing, Romain Grosjean of Juncos Hollinger Racing, Josef Newgarden of Team Penske, Colton Herta of Andretti Global, and his teammate Kyle Kirkwood for joining us on today's podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, your path to victory lane in IndyCar. On the highways, the raceways, and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward. Gain ground with Penske. Pit Pass Indies at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the month of May, culminating with the 108th Indianapolis 500. We'll have much, much more from the Speedway with the next episode, so be sure to tune in, download, and subscribe to Pit Pass Indy from your favorite podcast platform. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at 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.