It’s the “Month of May” at Indianapolis with Marcus Ericsson, David Malukas, Christian Rasmussen and Robert Schwartzman

BRUCE:

This is Roger Penske, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indie, sponsored by Penske Truck Rental. 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 Indy 500 bonus edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental as we continue our fifth season of giving IndyCar fans an inside look at the most exciting form of racing on the planet, the NTT IndyCar Series. And a big thanks to Penske Truck Rental for helping bring you the inside stories of IndyCar from the paddock to the racetrack to the highways and streets of America. Pass Indy is at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the start of the biggest month of the racing year, the month of May, culminating with the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25th. The Indy 500 is more than a race. It's a cultural phenomenon that draws nearly 350,000 fans to the famed Cathedral of Speed, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, will be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from start to finish for the month of May, including this weekend's Sanzio Grand Prix on the IMS Road Course. The Sanzio Grand Prix is an action-packed two-day weekend that begins on Friday with practice and qualifications for IndyCar and all the other series on the Road to Indy ladder system. The highlight of Saturday's schedule is the Sanzio Grand Prix, the last race before the Indy 500. The race can be viewed on Fox Sports beginning at 4.30 p.m. Eastern Time. Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing has won three of the first four races of the season and finished second in the other as he heads into this weekend's Sanzio Grand Prix. He already has a 60-point lead in the NTT IndyCar Series Championship over Christian Lungard of Aero McLaren. Our first guest on today's Pit Pass Indy knows the thrill of winning the biggest race in the world. It's Marcus Ericcson, who won the 106th Indianapolis 500 in 2022, and nearly won it again in 2023, finishing second to Josef Newgarden, who since then has won it in back-to-back seasons. Erickson always has reason to be excited, heading to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for another month of May, as he tells me in this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. Marcus Ericcson, a former winner of the Indianapolis 500, is joining us now. Marcus, it's the month of May. It's the month everybody in IndyCar waits for, the drivers live for. It's here. How excited are you to finally get out there and try to win a second Indianapolis 500?

MARCUS:

I'm super excited. It's the best time of the year, no doubt about it. And it's the month that we all sort of prepare and focus and long for. So, yeah, it's crazy that we're here again, month of May. I feel ready, though. I feel like I put in a ton of work this year to be ready. And yeah, like I say, to bring that second 500 home. So it's, yeah, it's a big month ahead.

BRUCE:

And the good news is in your downtime at night, you can watch your favorite basketball team in the NBA Eastern Semifinals, the Indiana Pasters. I don't know if you were at the clinching game the other night or not. That was a pretty thrilling comeback.

MARCUS:

Yeah, unfortunately I had to drive to Chicago to pick up my wife, so I missed the game, but I was following it on my phone, and very excited to see them go through to the next round, and definitely going to try and get to a few games here in the next round during the month of May. It's always a good sign when the Pasters play during the month of May. That's always exciting.

BRUCE:

Back to the Indianapolis 500. Andretti Global has a rich and successful heritage in the Indianapolis 500. How much do you believe that heritage, the team's going to live up to that heritage and tradition this year? Because you guys are off to a pretty good start.

MARCUS:

Yeah, I think we have done some really good work in the off-season. The team has really been putting a lot of resources into repairing those 500 cars. So the open test was really positive for us. And like you said, they know how to put fast race cars on that track. They've shown that. time and time again over the last few years, so I'm excited. I think already last year we had fast cars, obviously my crash put my group back, but this year I feel really, really hopeful that we will be right up there and fight for it.

BRUCE:

What did you learn from the two-day Indy 500 open test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a couple of weeks ago?

MARCUS:

I learned that my 28 car is fast, so that's a very good sign. I did learn some other things about the hybrid, where we want to set up the car. So there's a few things there that we sort of picked up on, and I think it was really good that our teammates as well had different programs, and we learned as a group on different things that's going to make us stronger coming back. So I feel like we have a really, really good baseline, and if we can fine-tune on that, we should really be in a good spot. Did you feel the extra weight of the hybrid unit? Not so much in the race running, but definitely in the qualifying sims with the extra boost. You definitely feel that extra weight, that extra force in the corners. And I think it's going to make it a very, very tricky qualifying weekend. So that's going to be interesting this year.

BRUCE:

And final question for Marcus Eriksson, Andretti Global. Before the Indy 500, of course, is qualifying, do you believe you've got a car that can qualify for the front row?

MARCUS:

That is a question. I don't know how to, you know, I don't know the answer on yet. I think the car, like I said, is fast. I really feel confident in the car, but we'll see qualifying weekend. It's going to be tough, but we're definitely going to aim for it. You know, that's what we all go for. Put that pole time. That would be really cool.

BRUCE:

Well, Marcus Ericcson, good luck in the 109th Indianapolis 500. And before we get to that, good luck in the Indy Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Thank you. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

JOSEF:

Hey everyone, this is two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. David Maloukas is one of IndyCar's young, up-and-coming drivers. The 23-year-old from Chicago returns for his third Indianapolis 500, his first with the legendary A.J. Foyt. Malucas drives the number four Chevrolet owned by the first four-time winning driver, the Indianapolis 500. In his previous two Indy 500s, Malucas finished 13th in 2022 and 29th in 2023. He was between rides in last year's race and did not compete in the Indy 500. Malukas is very good on the ovals, and there's no better track to excel than the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval. Here is my exclusive interview with David Malukas for Pit Pass Indy. It's the month of May, so anybody in IndyCar knows how important a month that is, especially for our next guest, David Malukas, AJ Foyt Racing. Hey, you're going into the Indianapolis 500 representing the greatest name in the history of the race, AJ Foyt. How big of a responsibility do you feel being a driver for A.J. Foyt at the Indianapolis 500?

DAVID:

Yeah, responsibility. I mean, that's a good word to put it. The responsibility is definitely high. But in other words, I mean, it is one of the main reasons joining the team. You know, for me, I always wanted to be a part of history and have my name, you know, up there and to see my name racing for A.J. Foyt Racing. I don't think there's any better way to be a part of history than that, especially at the 500. and looking at their history in the recent years I mean the car seems very strong so I'm very excited heading into this month of May.

BRUCE:

Not only does AJ Foyt Racing have their own engineering staff but you're also part of the bigger picture as I technical alliance team with Team Penske. So how valuable is that, especially at the Indianapolis 500?

DAVID:

Yeah, I mean, Penske have won the past two years. So having that alliance is very strong. And I think, you know, having all that data collected together, I mean, the more data, the more drivers, the better it's going to be, you know, experiencing how 2024 was for me, having all the different opportunities, seeing different driving styles, all these different data points. I mean, it helped me as a driver very much. So to go into this year and having more and more data, I mean, nothing better.

BRUCE:

What is your favorite Indy 500 memory so far?

DAVID:

Oh boy, favorite Indy 500 memory? Honestly, for me, the best days are qualifying. I mean, having that that pressure builds. The second year at Dale Quinn, when we really didn't have that car there and we were having a different battle instead of fighting for being up in the front, we were fighting of trying not to be in that last chance qualifiers, and that was an incredible day. I mean, we managed to get out of it right at the last minute, right at the death of the day, and we managed to survive. But it was a big teamwork, big collective, and it's days like that, it's moments like that that make IndyCar special, and moments that make me excited coming back into the month of May.

BRUCE:

How old were you when your dad took you to your first Indy 500?

DAVID:

I can't even remember. All I remember is getting to those big headphones because it was so loud for me as a kid. I was crying at the time is what I remember, but it was very, very young age for sure.

BRUCE:

What was it about racing, specifically the Indy 500, that really attracted your dad and your mother to get involved in racing?

DAVID:

I mean, I don't know. I feel like racing was in our blood, you know, ever since, I mean, even when they were at young ages. I mean, my dad always wanted to be a racer and was always racing, you know. But being at the Soviet Union, they never really had the opportunity. So I always tell it that, you know, now that we're here in the States and have the opportunity, my dad's almost living his dream of a race car driver through me as well. So I think we're both achieving our dreams in different ways, and it's very cool to see.

BRUCE:

Is that difficult at times when your dad is living his dream through his son?

DAVID:

I mean, difficult? No, I just think it's almost better because I always have that support. I always know that my number one supporter is my dad. I mean, he gets so involved in everything and he feels the pressure and he understands it all. I mean, he's been with me ever since we started and to always know that he's going to have my back through the thick and thin, that's what makes it special.

BRUCE:

Your teammate Santino Ferrucci never finished outside the top 10 in the Indianapolis 500. Do you see this as being a breakout year at the Indy 500 for David Maloukis? Because you are a really good oval driver.

DAVID:

I think, you know, things are lining up. We have a very good teammate. We have a very strong car. I mean, things are finally kind of looking forward to us for this 500 race. And knowing the oval prowess, you know, from the short ovals, I mean, we're definitely going to be taking all that going into this 500. So things are aligning. We just have to make sure we get it down and make sure we don't make any mistakes. And who knows, maybe this will be a breakthrough year for us.

BRUCE:

Are you at the stage of your career where you go into the month of May at the Indianapolis 500 and say, win or else?

DAVID:

I mean, I think, you know, when it comes to the first year being a rookie, it's more like, okay, this is just a very cool opportunity. Let's come through here. Cause you know, you also have the rookie of the year award to look forward to, but I think every year after that, I mean, the NE500, talk to any driver, it's, it's its own thing. You know, you need to even talk to the teams. When it comes down to those final laps and you're in those opportunities, I mean, it's go for it. I mean, it's all or nothing. And if we'll be in that situation this year, I mean, you already know it's going to be an all or nothing situation.

BRUCE:

Well, the race pays points, but nobody's thinking of points, especially at the end of that race.

DAVID:

I think I think that's the one race that if you're in a situation to make some moves to go and win it and things don't turn out and you end up losing some points, I think I think that race, it's OK to lose some points for.

BRUCE:

And finally, talking to David Maloukas here, AJ Foyt Racing, the team is involved in two very important initiatives. One is the Alzheimer's Foundation. The other is the Homes for Troops. And just how important is it that not only do you go into the month of May trying to win the Indianapolis 500, but you both are also supporting two very good causes.

DAVID:

Yeah, I mean, there's no better way to do it. I mean, to go into the 500, the biggest race in the world, we have over 300,000 people in attendance, and to be racing the car, trying our best, and absolutely trying to perform in any way possible, but to also have these great sponsors on the car and to be supporting these foundations, there's nothing better way to do it. We're living the time of our life racing and supporting good things.

BRUCE:

And finally, when you're sitting around in the garage area and gasoline alley and AJ's there, A, does he know how to pronounce your name right? Because AJ sometimes butchers up names. And B, is it fascinating that just listening to him tell stories?

DAVID:

Yes, it's all good about it. So A, I mean, he has said the name correctly. Does he remember? Maybe not. But it is AJ. And hearing his stories, I mean, like I said, the first time I met him, I was nervous. It was a superstar for me. And he just treated me like a good old friend. And he started telling me all the stories, which obviously I can't speak any word of. But wow, it's incredible to hear from him.

BRUCE:

Well, David Maloukas, good luck at this year's 109th Indianapolis 500. Good luck with AJ Foyt all season. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Thank you for having me. Christian Rasmussen returns for his second Indianapolis 500 with ECR. He started 29th and finished 12th in 2024. The talented driver from Copenhagen, Denmark, gives me his thoughts on the Indianapolis 500 in this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. Back for a second Indianapolis 500 this year will be Christian Rasmussen of ECR. How much better prepared do you feel you are going into this year's race than you were as a rookie?

CHRISTIAN:

Yeah, it's uh, the preparation is different this year. It's a lot of changes for this year's Indy 500 with the hybrid being added. Just as a general, I feel more prepared, I feel more comfortable, I feel more calm going into the month of May, having just been through one. So yeah, I'm excited for it. I think it'll be an interesting one this year with the hybrid system being added. So I'm excited to see how that all plays out.

BRUCE:

Alex Rossi is new to the team this year. How well has it been meshing with him? And what are some of the things that you can learn from him at the Indianapolis 500?

CHRISTIAN:

Yeah, I mean, obviously he's great around that place. You know, he's had a lot of good results. He's won the race in 2016. So a lot to learn from him. But yeah, I mean, having Alex on board as the team is a massive value for us. You know, he brings a lot of experience to the team from nine years in IndyCar. So it's great to have him on board and we get along great as well.

BRUCE:

But the old wise man on your team is the team owner, Ed Carpenter, who will be back. Behind the wheel of an IndyCar at the Indianapolis 500, how much knowledge are you able to get from him?

CHRISTIAN:

Yeah, I mean, from from both of them, you know, they've done this a lot of times and obviously with that brings a lot of experience. So I have a great group of people around me. I'm looking forward to just lean on them as much as I can during the month of May.

BRUCE:

So how excited do you get? You're from Europe. But how excited do you get every time the month of May rolls around? And you know, this is the month that every IndyCar driver waits for.

CHRISTIAN:

Yeah, it is. It is super exciting. You know, I think we had a good month last year, so looking forward to to replicate that this year. Hopefully even better month.

BRUCE:

And finally, what are your goals going into this year's Indianapolis 500? Obviously, every driver wants to win the race. But what are some of the more realistic goals that you may have entering your second Indianapolis 500?

CHRISTIAN:

Yeah, I think obviously the goal has to be to win the race. I think ECR has been closed many times before. I think they have a good package here. And yeah, that's the goal. But if we can just have an even better race than we did last year, I think that's a good accomplishment for us.

BRUCE:

Well, Christian Rasmussen, ECR Racing, good luck in this year's 109th Indianapolis 500. Good luck during the rest of the season. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you. 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 Pit Pass Indy. We wrap up today's special Indy 500 bonus edition of Pit Pass Indy with one of the rookies in this year's Indy 500. It's Robert Schwartzman of Tel Aviv, Israel, one of the two drivers at Prima, along with Indy 500 veteran Callum Eilat. Although Prima is off to a slow start in its first IndyCar season, that can turn around quickly with a positive effort in the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25th. Schwarzman, join me for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. We have another driver who's gonna be a rookie in this year's Indianapolis 500. It's Robert Schwarzman of Prima. Robert, every driver that comes to IndyCar dreams of racing in the Indy 500. You're gonna get to realize that dream this year. How excited are you?

ROBERT:

Very it's gonna be I've already done the test and I was really a lot of fun. Honestly, it was my first experience in Indy We managed to do the whole program all laps that we could and I could try also to have the you know a race race back You know try to battle in the field to feel how it is and race with it qualified trim Overall, really, really exciting, really, really cool feeling. You know, when you go 230 miles an hour, honestly, really, really great. Obviously, in the race weekend, it's going to be more tough because there is like two weeks and there's going to be a lot of eventful things. So I'm really looking forward for that. And yeah, obviously, to do my first ever Indy 500 race.

BRUCE:

As a rookie, do you understand why they do the rookie orientation program at that track? Because there is a lot of risk driving at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, especially for a newcomer.

ROBERT:

Yeah, for sure. I mean, we had to take it easy, obviously, for any rookie driver to just get the feel of the speed, to gradually increase it and, you know, come forward for it. We've done all that, and that was just good. And, you know, step by step, you start, like, at 2.05, then you get 2.10, then 2.15, and then off you go. So, basically, it was a good feeling to get, you know, from first laps, that you don't come to a new track, and you're, like, straight on it, and then you just do a mistake, and that's it.

BRUCE:

How big of a relief was it when you did get through Phase 3 and now you can take the shackles off and go for full speed?

ROBERT:

It felt good. It felt like now we can actually try to work with the car and try to see where we can improve it because, you know, that's the proper speeds we're going to. So, yeah, I'm happy that we did complete the full program, all the phases, and, yeah, now we are free to go and hopefully we're going to be at least decent competitive in the race.

BRUCE:

You don't really have a baseline to judge it by, but did you feel the difference, or did you feel the effect of the hybrid assist because of the extra weight in the rear of the car on the oval?

ROBERT:

I think that's, again, hard to judge for me because I haven't driven the car without a hybrid, so it was a bit like, that's all you get. So, I mean, it's hard to judge for me. I think, overall, Surely it would change the story a bit, it would feel a bit different, but I think it's more a question to more experienced guys.

BRUCE:

So you're four races into your rookie season in IndyCar, I'm sure you wanted to get off to a faster start, but where do you see yourself at this stage of your rookie season?

ROBERT:

Honestly, I'm not really looking at that at this stage. I'm just trying to figure out how to help the team improve the car because that's what mainly will be the determination of the end of the year. Obviously, there is Louis Foster that we're battling and also Abel. So, yeah, we're battling for that. But honestly, I'm trying just to figure out how to get the car more more in a decent way that we can actually get to the top 12. That's my more of a goal.

BRUCE:

And have you heard from any of the fans back in your home country about your IndyCar career? And do they get to tune in and watch?

ROBERT:

Yeah, for sure. I mean, there are people who are riding me. You know, my family also is looking, watching. My friends are. And, you know, they're very interested in that. It's like for them. It's a bit of like a new thing, especially the oval stuff. So they're really waiting for the oval to see the Indy 500 because they have never seen in their life like a proper race where I would be racing in that sort of situation.

BRUCE:

And also, how important is it to have Indianapolis 500 veteran Ryan Briscoe as the sporting director of your team and to be able to give you advice?

ROBERT:

I mean, Ryan is a really cool dude. We have really good talk, good chat. Even yesterday we had a dinner together to discuss some ideas and some things. You know, he was giving me some tips about this race here. Generally, it's really good to have Ryan. He has a lot of experience. He is a really good driver. He raced with Prema in the past, so good vibe around him. And yeah, we're good mates. And also, how are you meshing with your teammate Callum Ilott? Also with Callum, pretty good. Not really anything like, I mean, we're both cool with each other. Obviously, he has a lot of experience, so he's trying to bring in his part as experience to the team. I try to bring more, let's say, the this sort of reaction time of like being a rookie and being quickly to adapt to things. So, yeah, we're both trying to help the team and we're working quite well together. We don't really have any issues with each other and it seems to be quite a quite a calm vibe between us.

BRUCE:

And final question here for Robert Schwartzman of Prema. How up to speed are you on the traditions of the Indianapolis 500? Because it's going to be your first time, and there's going to be a lot of eye-opening traditions that you'll be part of.

ROBERT:

I mean, it depends how, what are these traditions, obviously.

BRUCE:

Well, as a rookie, you're going to have to milk a cow at the Indiana Dairy Rookie Lunch.

ROBERT:

Well, I mean, that's obviously for a rookie and for me coming from Europe, it's a bit, it's a bit a new thing. It's a bit like, quite extraordinary, but we'll see. I never milk a cow. It's going to be a first experience. You know, you have to try in life everything. So let's see. I'm looking forward for that.

BRUCE:

Well, you're going to learn a lot of new things at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There's going to be corn dogs. There's going to be jumbo tenderloins, all Indiana traditions. Culturally, it'll be an interesting experience for you.

ROBERT:

For sure. I mean, as I said, I'm looking forward for that. I'm down to look at new things and explore new things and learn new things. So overall, I'm looking forward for that and we'll see each other.

BRUCE:

Well, Robert Schwartzman, good luck this year in the Indianapolis 500. Good luck the rest of the season. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. And that puts a checkered flag on this special bonus edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guests, the winner of the 106th Indianapolis 500 in 2022, Marcus Ericcson, now with Andretti Global, David Maloukas of AJ Foyt Racing, Christian Rasmussen of ECR, and rookie Robert Schwartzman of Tel Aviv, Israel, 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. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at X, previously known as Twitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is gearing up for a big month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 109th Indianapolis 500. We will have regular and bonus episodes all month thanks to our friends from Penske Truck Rental and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tickets are going fast for the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25th as it gets closer to selling out. So get yours today before all grandstand seats are sold. Contact the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office at 317-492-6700 or visit ims.com. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team, executive producers are Bridget Poyn 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.