Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America winner Alex Palou, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Hy-Vee IndyCar Weekend at Iowa Speedway General Manager Anne Fischgrund

PPI_E115_Mix1_MR1226_MR1835

Speakers: Bruce Martin, Alex Palou, Ryan Hunter-Reay, & Anne Fishgrund

[Music Playing]

Bruce Martin:

IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcasts. 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 Sports Ticker, Sports Illustrated, Autoweek, and Speed Sport.

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 Hy-Vee.

We are proud and honored to bring Hy-Vee to the show as the presenting sponsor of Pit Pass Indy. We will continue to cover the entire NTT IndyCar Series community, and our new partners at Hy-Vee will help us tell those stories.

Hy-Vee is proud to be the sponsor of the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway as IndyCar returns to the fastest short track on the planet July 21 to 23, 2023.

It promises to be the biggest weekend of the summer with two races on the 0.875 mile Iowa Speedway Oval, and four of the biggest names in entertainment performing before and after each race.

American Idol winner and multimedia superstar, Carrie Underwood will kick off the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend with a performance prior to Saturday's NTT IndyCar Series Race, the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart on Saturday July 22nd.

Country music icon and six time Grammy award nominee Kenny Chesney will perform following Saturday's Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend NTT IndyCar Series race.

The action continues the following day of another full IndyCar Series race, the Hy-Vee One Step 250, presented by Gatorade. Three time Grammy Award winner and country music power group Zac Brown Band will perform prior to the race on Sunday July 23rd.

British singer songwriter and global chart topping artist Ed Sheeran will wrap up Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend with a performance following Sunday’s IndyCar race on July 23rd.

For tickets, fans can visit hyveeindycarweekend.com or call the ticket office at (641) 417-6007, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern time.

Although the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway promises to be the highlight of the summer, race over to your local Hy-Vee throughout the year. Hy-Vee, where there's a helpful smile in every aisle.

Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee is at Iowa Speedway, where eight different IndyCar Series teams and 20 different drivers are testing at the 0.875 mile short oval on Wednesday, June 21.

On Thursday night, June 22nd, Hy-Vee and IndyCar will take over Court Avenue in downtown Des Moines, Iowa from 7:00 to 9:00 PM Central time for a street party to help promote the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa.

Later in this episode of Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee, we will have an extensive interview with Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa General Manager Anne Fishgrund.

But first, let's look back at the exciting weekend of racing at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin in the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America.

The 14 turn 4.014 mile permanent road course has earned the nickname America's National Park of Speed. With a newly repaved surface for the first time since 1995, the grip level was up and the speeds increased to near record levels.

It was a very competitive race featuring 444 on track passes, including 386 for position. There were 110 passes in the top 10, 32 passes in the top 5. All are the most since IndyCar started recording this statistic when it returned to Road America in 2016.

Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport started on the pole and led 33 laps in the 55 lap contest. But it was Alex Palou who started third and led twice for 10 laps, including the final six to score his third victory in the last four IndyCar Series races and his second in a row.

Palou increased his lead in the IndyCar standings from 51 points to 74 over Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson, who finished sixth. Palou is one of the four drivers from Chip Ganassi Racing that is testing at Iowa Speedway.

I caught up with the Road America winner shortly after his big win for this exclusive interview for Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee, where there's a helpful smile in every aisle.

Joining us now, on Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee is the winning driver of the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America. Once again, it's Alex Palou, who's back for the second straight race, the third race out of the last four.

Alex, you're on quite a roll. You've built your IndyCar Series championship lead up to 74 now, after the victory. You got to feel pretty good where you stand at this point of the season.

Alex Palou:

Absolutely. I'm feeling fantastic, honestly. It's been a great start of the season. It's been a great weekend with some up and downs after the crisis that we had in practice too.

But honestly, super happy to be here again in victory lane. It's not often that you can visit victory lane like I saw last year in IndyCar. So, I'm just enjoying every single second from the roll that we having at the moment, and hopefully we can keep it going and keep on winning this season.

Bruce Martin:

So, in a lot of ways, does it bring back a lot of pleasant memories?

Alex Palou:

Oh yeah. This place is amazing. I remember the first time I was here with Dale Coyne Racing on my first IndyCar year, and it was just an amazing feeling. The fans, it's a special time of the year as well. And we got a victory in 2021 and another win here in 2023.

So, yeah, it's an amazing place. I love it. It's my favorite road course of the year and I cannot wait for next year to come back.

Bruce Martin:

Every driver calls Road America their favorite road course. 14 turns 4.014 miles in length. Beautiful scenery, great fans. What is it about Road America that drivers love so much racing here?

Alex Palou:

So, honestly, I thought it was unbeatable until they repaved the track and it was just even better because we go like four seconds or five seconds faster from year to year.

So, the speed, the corners, you have to hassle a lot in high speed corners. Like turn one, the carousel was flat in qualifying, which was an amazing feeling. Not in the race though. And yeah, I think the hassle that you need to do to get a good lap temp, it's what makes drivers feel so good.

Bruce Martin:

Because of the added grip level, how much more physical was it today?

Alex Palou:

Yeah, it was a bit more physical than last year, obviously, just because you have a lot more chase, the steering wheel gets a bit heavier just because of the speed that you're going through and the downfall that you're getting.

But yeah, it was good, honestly, we're preparing for it. We know how physical it is and it was not a limitation today.

Bruce Martin:

Now, a lot of people are already calling you the championship favorite to win. You're taking a more cautious approach, realizing we're not even at a halfway point of the season that a lot of drivers can get on a roll like you have.

How concerned are you that over the second half of the year, we may see another driver in the contending role emerge?

Alex Palou:

Yeah, I mean, I know that's going to happen. I know that we saw Josef winning five races last year. We know that he was going to win two races at Iowa if it was not for a mechanical failure. And there's Iowa coming up.

So, yeah, I mean, I'm not concerned about somebody else. I'm just yeah, not trusting the gap that we have. I love that we have that gap, but there's a lot of races left and we need to keep on growing the gap because we can make it happen.

So, we will focus on race to race and not in the championship until it's like later in the year.

Bruce Martin:

It was a 55 lap race. Colton Herta started on the pole and led 33 laps. You led 10 laps, but at the end you could see Colton's grip level start to fade and he was also, running out of pushes to pass. Just how cautious were you in sizing him up, waiting for the right moment to make the pass for the win?

Alex Palou:

Yeah, I saw that we had to be more speed. He had to save more fuel and more tires than us because he pitted the lap earlier than us on the alternates. So, I was just trying to push him ahead of the straits to see if he was going to use the push to pass and we could try and overtake him.

So, the strategy worked. I was able to get him into turn one on the outside, which was a pretty good move. So, yeah, everything worked today. There's other times where you plan stuff like that and it doesn't work, but it worked today.

Bruce Martin:

The 250th win for Chip Ganassi Racing across all racing platforms the team has been involved in. How special is it for you to be the driver that gets Chip his 250th win? And I guess in many ways, things are a little bit better this year with Chip than they were last year at this time.

Alex Palou:

Yeah, absolutely. But honestly, I didn't know until they told me on victory lane and it's amazing. I mean, it's a huge milestone for the whole team. As you said, it's in between all platforms.

But still to get 250 wins as a team, it's huge. So, that shows the effort that they put into motor sport, into the races, into good people, into good race cars. And can't wait to add a little bit more numbers into that.

Bruce Martin:

And also, you're representing the American Legion this year. Their campaign is Be the One, and I guess so far in 2023, Alex Palou’s proving to be the one.

Alex Palou:

Oh yeah, it's amazing. I mean, it's another win for the American Legion car for the Be the One initiative, and it's just awesome to see that we are helping our veterans and spreading the Be the One even more and more.

So, hopefully we can keep it going because that's just going to help the American Legion. And yeah, we are going to keep on working hard.

Bruce Martin:

And in two weeks we go to another classic American Road course, Mid-Ohio. What's your excitement level going back to that track and the ability to maybe even open the gap even more?

Alex Palou:

Yeah, it's a track that I love as well. It's very physical as well, because we don't really have time to rest. We had good cars there in the past and it's just awesome for racing. So, hopefully, we can get a good qualifying, stay up front and have a great win there as well.

Bruce Martin:

Alex Palou, winner of the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America, congratulations on the victory. Good luck in your championship run in 2023. Thank you for joining us today, on Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee, where there's a friendly smile on every aisle.

Alex Palou:

Thank you.

Bruce Martin:

We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee. During the most recent break in the IndyCar Series schedule, Conor Daly was released as driver at Ed Carpenter Racing and replaced by 2012 NTT IndyCar Series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner, Ryan Hunter-Reay.

The winner of 18 IndyCar Series races took over the No. 20 Bitnile.com Chevrolet at Road America. Hunter-Reay started last in the 27-car field, but raced his way up to a respectable 17th place finish.

Here is my exclusive interview with Ryan Hunter-Reay heading into the race weekend for a Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee.

Joining us now, on Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee is Ryan Hunter-Reay, who's returning to the cockpit for Ed Carpenter Racing.

It's been a tumultuous couple of weeks. You were Dreyer & Reinbold Racing at the 107th Indianapolis 500. Now, you're on a race to race basis with Ed Carpenter Racing. What's the last couple of weeks been like for you?

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

It's been wild to say the least. Tough situation obviously when things happen mid-season like this. It's tough on everybody, it's a lot of transition, it's a lot of adaptation that has to happen in a short amount of time.

So, yeah, we're doing the absolute best we can with it. And I was just with a new to me team at Indy and now, with new to me team on the racing side here this weekend. But yeah, like I said, it's a tough situation and we're all just trying to be better.

Bruce Martin:

I think that what Ed wants to try to find out is really what his race team's got, and also, maybe a veteran driver who can help mentor Rinus VeeKay. Do you see yourself in that role where you can help him?

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

I absolutely, look forward to working with Rinus. He's absolutely a natural talent and he has the results to show it. So, I sure hope that I can help in any way. Whatever team I'm driving for, I'm always looking to move the team as a whole forward.

Bruce Martin:

After Road America, you moved on to Iowa Speedway for the open test there, that's one of your best tracks. And what is it about Iowa that seemed to fit Ryan Hunter-Reay's style so well?

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

It was one of our best tracks for many years. And I don't know if it's the bumps or what, but with my time in Andretti, it wasn't our best track towards the end. So, hopefully that'll change here with DCR.

And I just really, really love short track racing. It's been my most successful form of racing, and that's why I look forward to it.

Bruce Martin:

Our sponsor at Hy-Vee is very involved in the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend. You watching last year's doubleheader from afar, what did you think of the promotion and the whole spectacle that they created in Iowa?

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

Phenomenal. Like nothing I've ever seen. That's what you want to see, especially with a race like Iowa where the fans come out, show up. It's really good to see that activation. And that's ideally how you would like to see that event put on and they knocked it out of the park there.

Bruce Martin:

And how excited would you be to participate in the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa, knowing that you'd have back to back double-headed races?

Of course it gets pretty hot in Iowa at that time, but yet to do it in front of a full house with that type of entertainment before and after each race, how badly do you want that to get a chance to experience that for yourself?

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

Yeah, Iowa was a lot of fun. Absolutely. We have a test at Iowa, and then our next race is Mid-Ohio. So, yeah, one step at a time.

Bruce Martin:

And as far as the one step at a time, how open ended is your arrangement with Ed Carpenter?

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

I think we'll be able to share details on that at some point soon.

Bruce Martin:

And returning to IndyCar at the 107th Indianapolis 500, you head up there and you led some laps, how cool was that?

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

Yeah, I mean the car was really good. I just needed front wing the whole day and I couldn't get it because of how everything was going just because of the front wing adjuster being broken. But yeah.

So, we just missed it there. Could have been a day of a lot of progress and I think we were up for a good result, but.

Bruce Martin:

Should things work out at Ed Carpenter Racing, are you prepared to be become a full-time IndyCar Series driver again at this stage of your career?

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

Right now, I'm looking at getting in the first practice session, turning right that I have in a year and a half. So, after that we'll discuss more after the race weekend.

Bruce Martin:

And when you size up the team that Ed Carpenter has put together, it's proven to be fast that some tracks, needs a little bit of work at others. So, how do you evaluate the team?

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

I mean, the potential's absolutely. They're great. They've had the results, just got to find that mojo. And certainly, when it comes to the personnel there, you the capabilities within them.

Bruce Martin:

Before Ed called, what would you been doing the weekend of the Road America race? I'm sure you probably had a family vacation or a family venture scheduled to go somewhere?

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

That's a good question. I'm not sure. That was actually last week. We had a scheduled trip down in the Florida Keys. And as soon as I had word this was happening, I came back immediately, put the blinders on, and here we are.

Bruce Martin:

And final question here with Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2012 NTT IndyCar Series champion, the 2014 Indianapolis 500 winning driver. Ed Carpenter is not only your teammate, he's also, the team owner.

What's your level of respect and the dynamic like between you and Ed Carpenter and what you see he's been able to create with that race team?

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

Yeah, we have the utmost respect for one another. I mean, we've raced wheel to wheel really hard for a very long time since ‘07. And our families are tight, our kids are good friends. We've been good friends and yeah, it'll be nice to be teammates again.

Bruce Martin:

Ryan Hunter-Reay, good luck in your new career at Ed Carpenter Racing. And thank you for joining us today, on Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee.

Ryan Hunter-Reay:

Alright, thanks Bruce. I appreciate it.

Bruce Martin:

We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee.

Anne Fishgrund is the general manager of the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway. With just one month left before the big weekend of racing and entertainment, Fishgrund tells me the details of staging the biggest race of the summer on the NTT IndyCar Series schedule in this exclusive interview for a Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee.

Joining us now, on Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee is Fishgrund, the general manager of the Hy-Vee IndyCar weekend. And there's a lot of work that goes into that weekend. It's just a couple of weeks off.

So, if you could describe to our listeners your role and what to expect this year when they get to Iowa Speedway.

Anne Fishgrund:

Sure, absolutely. Being the general manager of an event like this, it's working together with not only our title sponsor in Hy-Vee, but also, all of the public safety members that are coming out to help us with this event, medical support, ticketing, marketing, you name it, we're involved.

Community relations, working with the Mayor of Newton to make sure that everything is buttoned up and ready to go.

It is all hands on deck all the time, but mostly to your point, this event that's 30 days away to get up and running and host as many people as possible to see great racing and great concerts.

Bruce Martin:

And on Wednesday, there's going to be some IndyCar teams testing at your track. That just goes to show the level of effort that IndyCar and a lot of the teams are placing into the Hy-Vee IndyCar weekend to be able to go there and make sure they put on a great show, because it is the only doubleheader weekend on the schedule.

Anne Fishgrund:

Doubleheader weekend on the schedule, but also, the shortest track we race at oval wise. So, to find that competition, everyone wants to put in the best effort they possibly can.

Two days in a row with not an easy feat and so, to your point, we'll have a lot of teams, about 20 cars out there this Wednesday testing to make sure that they are prepared and ready to go for the doubleheader weekend in Iowa.

Bruce Martin:

I have been billing the Hy-Vee IndyCar weekend as the biggest race weekend for IndyCar of the Summer. Obviously, you have the Indianapolis 500 to start the year before Indy. You have the Acura Grand Prix in Long Beach.

There's a lot of big events on the IndyCar schedule, but there's something about what Hy-Vee has done in conjunction with Penske Entertainment to really turn the Iowa Weekend into one of the biggest spectacles of the summer.

And when you think about that, the level of effort that's put into place by Hy-Vee and by Penske Entertainment to make it all come together. With your job, you're probably so close to the details, you may not see the big picture. But when you step back and see the big picture, what do you think?

Anne Fishgrund:

Words can't ascribe it, to be very honest. It is very uncommon to have this level of talent from a concert perspective with this level of athleticism with our drivers.

So, to have the doubleheader weekend with four amazing award-winning artists performing, it doesn't get bigger than that. And it's very cool to kind of step back to your point and see it all come to fruition.

And we just hope that everyone has a great time and appreciates how amazing this opportunity is.

Bruce Martin:

You brought up a good point with the concerts. If you could just tell our listeners what to expect on Saturday, what to expect on Sunday.

Anne Fishgrund:

Absolutely. So, if you're joining us on Saturday, July 22nd, you will have a 50 to 60 minute concert from Carrie Underwood to start the day off, then the NTT IndyCar Series race. And then following that race, we'll have Kenny Chesney perform for an hour and a half.

On Sunday, July 23rd, we will have Zac Brown Band open up with a 60 minute concert, NTT IndyCar Series race following that, and then Ed Sheeran performing for an hour and a half.

Your day is going to be filled, whether you're there for concerts or there for racing, you're going to get a little bit of everything and something going on all day long.

Bruce Martin:

And the structure of the ticket prices starting with the cheapest seats going up to the premium experience.

Anne Fishgrund:

Absolutely. So, your grand stand seat is your concert ticket, it's your race ticket. Your grand stand seat, you can see everything. There are additional screens in place to help amplify the experience. Tickets range per day from a $100 to $225 depending on where you are in the grandstand.

There are other opportunities to provide add-on experiences such as a garage pass to get closer to the cars or a concert pit pass to get closer to the stage on the infield itself.

But bottom line is everyone just needs a grandstand ticket to get in the door and sit in the grandstands.

Bruce Martin:

And as far though as the price structure, it really is set up for somebody of whether they want to spend a lot of money, whether they want to get a good value, there's varying packages that they can get.

Anne Fishgrund:

If you want to break it down, a $100 gets you $33 for that first concert, about $33 for the race, and about $33 for the last concert. Absolutely.

Bruce Martin:

Now, of course, you're the general manager of the Hy-Vee IndyCar weekend. If you could run down your staff, obviously, you have Michael Montri at the Penske Corporation, you have Bud Denker the president of Penske Corporation.

Who are some of the other key people that are involved? As Bud Denker told me, after the Detroit race, it's really a small team of 10 people that have to turn around and get this thing ready.

Anne Fishgrund:

It is, we have quite a few individuals from the Detroit Grand Prix side coming in to help from a display and operations side, from a sponsorship side overseeing the suites and hospitality. We have facilities members from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway coming in to help.

I mean, it is truly a team effort when it comes to Penske Entertainment and Penske Corporation.

Bruce Martin:

That's not your only job. You also, work for IndyCar.

Anne Fishgrund:

I do.

Bruce Martin:

And if you could describe your role with IndyCar and what you have to do there, your full-time job, I guess in a way you have three full-time job.

Anne Fishgrund:

We all wear a lot of hats for the company, but it's a lot of fun every day. So, day-to-day operations, I'm the director of promoter relations, so working with all of the venues we race at to make sure that our team and their team are ready to go and buttoned up before any truck is loaded into a race weekend.

So, it's a lot of partnerships, and networking, and communication to ensure that we don't run into any fires come race weekend.

Bruce Martin:

So, as the director of promoter relations, how well do you get along with the promoter of the Iowa Speedway?

Anne Fishgrund:

She's a little hard to work with, but we're working through it.

Bruce Martin:

You also, told me before we started taping, you spent a lot of time in Iowa throughout the year. How much time do you spend there?

Anne Fishgrund:

I haven't added it up because I think someone would count me as a Iowa resident at that point, but I am there about every other week after the first of the year. I'm heading there for about the next six weeks straight through to make sure that event is buttoned up as possible before we open those gates.

And then a few times throughout the off season, just to make sure that I'm having very important meetings with our partner in Hy-Vee and the racetrack.

And one thing that I didn't mention when we were talking about the staff is I can't forget the true full-time staff members at Iowa Speedway and the seasonal staff that come in and help support the event too.

Iowa Speedway and NASCAR have been a huge partner in this event and we couldn't do it without them.

Bruce Martin:

In addition to the grandstand seats, the tickets that spectators can buy, last year, you had completely upgraded the suites, bringing in temporary suites. If you could give a rundown of how many suites there are. And last year they were all full.

Anne Fishgrund:

They were all full. And this year they're full too. With the permanent suite structure that's at Iowa Speedway and three to four temporary suite structures that Hy-Vee has built to support their sponsors in companies that work with them day in and day out, we're looking at almost over a hundred suites.

Bruce Martin:

The level of support from the corporate community. How many of those suites are like IndyCar partners, how many of those are local Iowa companies?

Anne Fishgrund:

I would say 75 to 85% are not only just local Iowa companies, but also, companies that work with Hy-Vee in all their retail stores. So, Pepsi and Hormel are great partners in activating in that space.

But yes, of course we have opportunities through the suite structures with Iowa based companies, but also, the Paddock. The Paddock has been a huge supporter of this event too, and they've taken up a decent amount of those suites as well.

Bruce Martin:

And of course, we have to mention Hy-Vee. A lot of this couldn't happen without Hy-Vee support.

And to see a company come into IndyCar with the level of support that Hy-Vee has been able to do, how valuable is that and how do you even begin to explain everything that Hy-Vee has been able to do to help promote this race?

Anne Fishgrund:

Hy-Vee is such an interesting and exciting company. They have so many amazing partners that they're working with day in and day out. Not only fill their shelves, but figure out logistics of getting groceries or products to customers, web and app based partnerships.

Their reach is so unique that it makes this event that much more interesting.

Bruce Martin:

And also, the number of people that Randy Edeker, the former CEO of Hy-Vee and his staff brought out to the race last year, to help support the event was phenomenal. The number of people that were on the ground there to help out.

Anne Fishgrund:

Right. You and I were talking about that helpful smile in every aisle. That was the goal. They wanted their staff full-time and hourly, stores or corporate to be out there to volunteer, to be the ones helping at the ticket boosts, to be the ones helping at the info boosts, to be the shuttle riders.

They want that same experience that you get in their grocery stores to be at the racetrack. And I think we're working towards that goal again this year.

Bruce Martin:

And the other interesting thing about Hy-Vee is the way they activated their relationship with IndyCar. You go walk into a Hy-Vee store in January and you'll see IndyCar displays in the stores.

How valuable is that and how much of a blueprint is that for other sponsors of IndyCar to maybe follow and see how you can get the most for your sponsorship dollar to be involved with IndyCar?

Anne Fishgrund:

Listen, every sponsor that comes into the series activates in a different way and for a different purpose. And Hy-Vee is able to leverage their storefronts, to your point, their partnership on NBC to raise money for Feed America.

In numerous ways, to get their name out there while they are taking over the Midwest. I think their goal is to grow and grow and grow. And if you haven't shopped at a Hy-Vee, you absolutely should when you join us at Iowa Speedway this summer.

Bruce Martin:

And also, there's an event coming up in Des Moines on Thursday. If you could tell our listeners what that is, and how cool it is to get the city of Des Moines involved in this event.

Anne Fishgrund:

Absolutely. So, Thursday night, if you are downtown Des Moines, whether you're going to the Iowa Cubs game or maybe going, I think there's a Chris Stapleton concert that night at Wells Fargo Arena, we will be on Court Street between third and fourth with a pit stop demonstration, giveaways, bar takeover from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.

Bruce Martin:

Des Moines and is the capital city of Iowa. And to have them involved along with Newton, Iowa, along with the state of Iowa, it sounds like you have the entire thing covered.

Anne Fishgrund:

We're working through it. If we don't and we miss something, let us know. But we're working through it and we hope everyone … if someone doesn't know about this event, I'm not sure where they're living, or watching, or listening to because it is on every commercial, it is on every radio station.

We are pushing it as much as possible going into Hy-Vee. If you don't know this event's going on and you live in Iowa, well, I hope you go to our website and buy some tickets.

Bruce Martin:

What is the website to buy the tickets and also, the phone number in case fans want to buy tickets over the phone?

Anne Fishgrund:

Absolutely. So, right now, you can only buy tickets on the website. The website is hyveeindycarweekend.com and make sure to follow us @indycaratiowa on all those social channels too, for the most up-to-date information.

Bruce Martin:

And I guess the one thing you can't control over the weekend is the temperature. And I know that it gets pretty hot in Iowa for a daytime race.

Anne Fishgrund:

Yes.

Bruce Martin:

Gets even hotter when there's two daytime races. But to see that many people come out and spend that much time and to see the drivers put on that kind of show in pretty hot temperatures, that really gives you an idea just how committed everybody is for this event.

Anne Fishgrund:

I think people forget sometimes how athletic our drivers are and what it really takes for the crew members and the drivers to put on this show. And those temperatures definitely are not the best.

So, it truly is a feat in it itself. The artists, the performers, the fans. We want to make sure everyone's safe and healthy. But we do ask you that you try to stay hydrated.

Bruce Martin:

And by being part of Penske Entertainment and working with Penske Entertainment, how much have you really learned about business and the sport? Because the way Roger Penske does things have always been successful. They've always been buttoned up, very professional.

Anne Fishgrund:

It's a lot. We were just talking, with my jobs, we've been wearing a lot of hats. But we want to be diligent, we want to be a aware. We balance a lot of things.

And so, I wouldn't say it's a challenge because it's not for those that are willing to learn and do it, but I've definitely learned a lot of the business. I've been very honored to learn a lot of the business and I hope that we can continue this great event because it's been a lot of fun and it's important to the company.

Bruce Martin:

And to many of our listeners, who is Anne Fishgrund and how did you get involved in IndyCar?

Anne Fishgrund:

I don't know if I know myself outside of racing anymore. I didn't grow up with racing. I didn't watch races growing up. I grew up in South Bend, Indiana, so at least I'm a Hoosier at heart.

But after college, I applied for an internship at IndyCar Marketing and I've been here ever since and truly honored to be a part of the team.

Bruce Martin:

And as far though as just seeing the way the sport is growing, there was some struggles there in the beginning to try to get traction, but it really seems like IndyCar is getting traction now, especially under the guidance of owner, Roger Penske.

Anne Fishgrund:

Now, that the world is kind of coming out of the COVID years, people want to get out, people want to experience their summers like they always have.

Every race that IndyCar has gone to this year in the 2023 season, attendance has been up, viewership has been good, sales are great. We want to keep that momentum alive.

And so, to your point, I do feel like it's coming back. The paddock has never been more full. Sponsors are coming on board. It's a really fun place to be right now.

Bruce Martin:

Anne Fishgrund, the general manager, the Hy-Vee IndyCar Weekend at Iowa Speedway, good luck with the race weekend. Good luck in the month leading up to the race. And thank you for joining us today, on Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee, where there's a friendly smile in every aisle.

Anne Fishgrund:

Thank you.

[Music Playing]

Bruce Martin:

And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee.

We want to thank our guest, Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America winner, Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing. Ryan Hunter-Reay of Ed Carpenter Racing, and Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa General Manager Ann Fishgrund for joining us on today's podcast.

Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee, your path to victory lane for all things IndyCar.

And because of our guests and listeners, Pit Pass Indy presented by Hy-Vee is proud to be the winner of The Best Podcast by the National Motorsports Press Association.

And for all your shopping needs, be sure to visit your local Hy-Vee where there's a helpful smile in every aisle.

For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at Twitter @BruceMartin (uppercase B, uppercase M, one word) _500.

This has been a production of Evergreen Podcasts. A special thanks to our production team. Executive producers are Brigid Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Dave Douglas. Learn more at evergreenpodcasts.com.

Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.