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  • The Thermal $1 Million Challenge non-points race has been widely panned by fans, so The Race IndyCar Podcast does a deep dive into the event this week.
    JR Hildebrand joins Jack Benyon to discuss the things we liked and disliked from the event.
    Of course, the fact that it was so seemingly universally disliked - at least on social media - triggers a worry for Benyon that IndyCar will be scared to try new things - something it has been criticised for not doing recently.
    The venue, heat format, push-to-pass in qualifying, the prize money not being enough and addressing some of the wider problems with the event’s messaging all make up parts of the analysis.

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  • Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden joins The Race IndyCar Podcast to discuss his perfect start to the year with a pole and a win in the IndyCar season opener, and victory in the 24 Hours of Daytona with Porsche.
    Speaking to hosts Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand, Newgarden goes into more detail than he has before on the mental struggles he went through last year, even admitting there were times that he didn’t want to get into the car.
    He also talks about the intricacies of his win in St Pete, and what that might mean for the rest of a campaign in which he's aiming for a first championship win since 2019, despite winning more races than any other driver in that period.
    With the Thermal $1 million Challenge event taking place this weekend, Newgarden gives a driver’s insight into the event, while Benyon explains the event’s unusual format with two heat races and a final dash for cash where the winner should earn $500,000.
    Finally, Newgarden discusses the ‘bittersweet’ travails of his native IndyCar round at Nashville, which has been moved from its downtown street circuit location to an oval further out of the city.


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  • The Race IndyCar Podcast is back to what it does best - analysing races - after the 2024 IndyCar season got underway in St Petersburg last weekend.
    Indy 500 regular and Indy Lights champion JR Hildebrand joins The Race’s Jack Benyon to provide some fascinating insight into Josef Newgarden's victory, and the American driver's comments about how he's struggled to enjoy his racing and the steps he has taken to fix that.
    Chevrolet and Penske’s strong starts are also discussed, as are terrible starts to the season for different reasons for two big marquee signings in Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean.
    A starring rookie at Ganassi is also name-checked amid a rollercoaster race for that team, while Hildebrand gives his take on what Benyon called a disappointing race from an excitement perspective, and how IndyCar’s current ideological crisis might have been the root cause.

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  • James Hinchcliffe and Jamie Chadwick are the star guests on this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast, which previews the 2024 IndyCar season-opener at St Petersburg.
    After a long off-season, the series is back and as a former race winner at St Pete and one of the series' TV commentators, 'Hinch' is the perfect person to help preview the race alongside hosts Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand.
    Hinch analyses the track, paying special attention to Turns 3 and 14, and also talks about what winning at St Pete in 2013 - his first IndyCar victory - meant for his career.
    Hinchcliffe also picks out some of the storylines he’s most looking forward to covering this year in the 2024 IndyCar Series.
    Following that, Jamie Chadwick drops in for a chat ahead of her second season in IndyCar feeder category, Indy NXT. Chadwick discusses the areas of focus for her off-season, her goals for this year and beyond, and also the new karting programme she has launched to try and get young girls into karting.
    And finally, Jack breaks down some of the recent IndyCar driver moves, including three drivers being announced in the week leading up to the event, a new contract for one of its stars, the latest on a court case for another and more in a news round-up.

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  • We're delighted to welcome a special guest to The Race IndyCar Podcast this week, as Indianapolis 500-winning engineer Angela Ashmore of Chip Ganassi Racing joins the show.
    From watching short-track racing as a child to engineering in NASCAR, Ashmore has a diverse resume that most recently led her to winning the 500 with Marcus Ericsson as his assistant engineer, before being promoted to lead engineer for Marcus Armstrong at the team in 2024.
    Ashmore discusses how well the job of assistant prepares you for the lead engineering role, and looks at some of the key areas where there’s big gains to be made as an engineer. She also explains what she expects from IndyCar Rookie of the Year Marcus Armstrong and the team this year.
    Ashmore also speaks passionately about becoming (according to the series) only the fourth female lead engineer in IndyCar history, including being a visible role model for women wanting to get into motorsport, and what the IndyCar paddock is like to work in.
    Don't forget, if you have a question for our hosting team, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected]

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  • With the start of the 2024 IndyCar season a little over a month away, it's time for us to pick out five things to watch this year. Indy Lights champion and Indy 500 regular (and hopeful for 2024) JR Hildebrand is back alongside The Race’s Jack Benyon to break down some of this year’s most interesting storylines, including whether anyone can stop reigning champion Alex Palou.
    They also get into Andretti shrinking to three cars and Marcus Ericsson’s title hopes, a superstar debut at the Indy 500, what Romain Grosjean can do with his second shot at a rebirth in IndyCar, and whether Rahal Letterman Lanigan match its championship-contending road course form with a big step up on the ovals.
    You can leave feedback, ask questions and get in touch with the show via our email address, [email protected]

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  • The Race IndyCar Podcast is back for 2024 with an interview with one of the surprises of the silly season and more listeners’ tech questions answered.
    At one stage Alex Palou looked nailed on to drive for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar this year, but a change of heart meant McLaren had to move quickly to snap up a replacement.
    They turned to young prospect David Malukas, who joins the show for the first time as a McLaren driver.
    He talks about what is expected of him at McLaren given he is Palou’s replacement, discusses where he needs to step up in 2024, and even cons co-host Jack Benyon with his photoshop skills. Plus, plenty more.
    Ace engineer Charlie Ping re-joins the show to follow-up on the special episode we did on listeners’ questions about tech to answer the remaining queries.
    We discuss what is a shaker rig, the difference in approach between an F1 engineer and an IndyCar engineer, pack racing and how to approach a new track in IndyCar.
    You can leave feedback, ask questions and get in touch with the show via our email address, [email protected]

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  • The Race IndyCar Podcast brings you a mega episode full of your questions relating to tech, and no stone is left unturned in the present or hypothetical future of the series.
    Of course, questions about IndyCar’s recently delayed hybrid unit dominate, but JR Hildebrand and our very special guest, engineer Charlie Ping, also take questions on a range of other topics including the 12-year-old chassis, while Hildebrand even outlines his future for what he thinks IndyCar should do to avoid stagnating in an impassioned plea for change.
    It’s not just tech itself we’re talking about, it’s why certain areas of tech are allowed to be developed or not in what is a spec-chassis series. How dampers came to be open to development and where the series engine regs could be improved to lower costs also form part of the answers.
    Ping also gives a full explainer of dampers - the most open area for development outside of the engine on an IndyCar - what they control in the IndyCar machine and how they impact set-up philosophy, with Hildebrand explaining what it’s like as a driver to be at an under-funded team trying to outsmart the bods at the well-funded top outfits.
    We’ve still got some questions left over to answer in a future episode, so if you have a question for our hosting team, email [email protected]

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  • From sitting on the sidelines with less prize money than previous Indy Lights champions to scoring a “unicorn” IndyCar seat, Linus Lundqvist’s epic tale is the basis of this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast.
    After being “petrified” he'd miss his chance, Lundqvist put what little money he had into an audition which fired him to stardom and a seat at the Chip Ganassi Racing team that won the title this year, and which he’ll drive for in the 2024 season.
    Lundqvist joins the show and speaks honestly about the ups and downs of his last 12 months, gives some drivers’-eye detail into what it’s like trying to strike a contract in IndyCar, and discusses balancing the relief of finally landing a drive with the immediate weight of expectation that comes with driving for a team like Ganassi.
    JR Hildebrand also joins to discuss the biggest news story of the moment: Andretti shrinking to three cars in 2024.
    JR will be back with a special guest for an upcoming tech special talking all things dampers, aero and more. If you'd like to submit a question for that episode, email [email protected]

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  • It’s a mammoth episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast this week as Romain Grosjean’s IndyCar reprieve at Juncos after being dropped by Andretti is analysed in detail.
    Indy Lights champion JR Hildebrand is back alongside The Race’s Jack Benyon, as they assess Grosjean’s time in IndyCar and if he did enough to earn this second-chance opportunity. Could it be that he’s found the perfect level here?
    How Grosjean might adapt to his new team off-track and how the social media abuse Callum Ilott received during his stint there might impact him are also discussed.
    Hildebrand also goes into detail on what it’s like to have to alter your inherent driving style, with some fascinating behind-the-visor insight, amid the question of whether the understeer-averse Grosjean will be able to adapt to Juncos’s car.
    Callum Ilott leaving Juncos is also addressed, along with how the big move impacts the rest of the seats still available in silly season.

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  • We've got an interview double header on this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast, as host Jack Benyon (without regular co-host JR Hildebrand!) chats to both former Indy 500 champion Marcus Ericsson and IndyCar newcomer Juri Vips.
    First up, Ericsson discusses his big off-season switch from Ganassi to Andretti, explaining why he's so excited about the move, how his strengths could help Andretti’s perceived weakness, and the possibility of one day driving an Andretti F1 car. The Swede also gives Jack a brilliant behind-the-visor insight into what IndyCar’s new hybrid package is like at 240mph on the Indianapolis oval, after running the system recently ahead of its 2024 introduction.
    Following that, Jack chats to Juri Vips about being parachuted into RLL for the final two races of 2023, with the Estonian discussing his transition from F2, his stunning Laguna qualifying performance, and being thrust into a battle for nearly $1 million in the championship.
    He also discusses how he hopes to learn from the second chance he's been given, following a turbulent 2022 in which he was axed from Red Bull's F1 programme for using a racial slur, meaning the Portland IndyCar race in September was his first competitive outing in over a year.
    Jack rounds off the episode with a news round-up, bringing listeners up to date on the latest on Romain Grosjean's arbitration process with Andretti, amongst other topics.

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  • This week's episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast features a double-header: A rundown of the top 10 drivers of the season and an interview with the new Indy NXT champion, Christian Rasmussen.
    Indy Lights champion and Indy 500 regular JR Hildebrand co-hosts as usual alongside The Race’s Jack Benyon as they create a combined top 10 driver ranking. They highlight the key stats that support their decisions, and look back at their mid-season rankings to see which drivers moved around and why.
    Following that, Jack speak to Indy NXT champion Christian Rasmussen. The five-time race winner joined us ahead of a maiden IndyCar test with Ed Carpenter Racing earlier this week, and will race in the Indy 500 and one other IndyCar race as part of his Indy NXT prize.
    Rasmussen discusses his racing background, how he ended up in America in the first place as a Dane, how his title-winning season came together and his opinion on his chances of a 2024 IndyCar drive.

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    Read Jack's article ranking all 23 regular season drivers


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  • This week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast wraps up all the awards, battles and fights from the IndyCar season finale at Laguna Seca, with plenty to discuss on and off the track.
    With JR Hildebrand alongside host Jack Benyon, the pair discuss the contentious penalties and how they perhaps reflect a wider problem with officiating this year, with eventual winner Scott Dixon’s shunt with Rinus VeeKay and Colton Herta’s rocket start being used as case studies.
    There’s also a look at whether this was a good race or not, as it descended into a farcical mess at times but also delivered the kind of unpredictability a Formula 1 fan could only dream of. 
    There’s also the manufacturers’ championship, Rookie of the Year, Indy NXT title, Leaders’ Circle ‘winner’ and the latest from the silly season to get into.
    Finally, the pair describe where the introduction of the hybrid unit for IndyCar is, with some whisperings that getting it ready for 2024 is going to be a struggle for the series.

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  • Freshly-crowned 2023 IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou joins this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast within hours of sealing his second title.
    The Chip Ganassi Racing driver discusses his evolution as a driver and how he didn't want to win this title through consistency alone - something he's certainly managed, with his fifth win of the season in Portland sealing the title.
    Palou also addresses the fact that he could have been at a different team if his move to McLaren had come off last year, and admits, while he wishes things had played out differently, he wanted to win the title to reward his Ganassi team.
    JR Hildebrand joins Jack Benyon to break down more from the Portland race, including a rare Scott Dixon rant, whether IndyCar's caution rule is correct, if Palou should have had a blocking penalty, and more backmarker questions.
    There's also a silly season update with McLaren and Meyer Shank set for moves, news of a very special CART car test this week involving Bryan and Colton Herta, the latest on Indy NXT, and what to watch for in the nearly $1 million contest that's still to be decided at a resurfaced Laguna Seca.

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  • A stunning Gateway drive gave Scott Dixon a second win in a row and left his rivals marvelling at his untouchable skills, making sure The Race IndyCar Podcast has plenty to talk about on this week's episode.
    Why more people didn't go for Dixon's three-stop strategy, and what it means for his title charge are discussed by co-hosts, The Race's Jack Benyon and Indy 500 regular JR Hildebrand.
    Whether Pato O'Ward is outperforming his car or he's a lost title contender after a rollercoaster year is also debated, while Hildebrand gives a fascinating insight into how drivers analyse and try to improve when they are proving inconsistent like Josef Newgarden and Team Penske have been this year.
    Outside of Gateway, there's news on Marcus Ericsson, Juri Vips and Tom Blomqvist amid a busy silly season.
    Don't forget, if you have a question for our hosting team, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected].

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  • Ahead of the race where he earned his best IndyCar result last year, and amid rumours over his future, David Malukas joins The Race IndyCar Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation.
    The 21-year-old discusses his decision to leave Dale Coyne Racing and the reasons behind it, why this year has been a struggle for the team, and his belief that his talent could secure a better seat for 2024.
    He also talks about the changes he's made to his physical training and diet, and why he's using a mental coach as he looks to improve his performance in his sophomore campaign.
    Following the interview, host Jack Benyon brings you a round-up of the latest IndyCar news, including McLaren initiating legal proceedings with Alex Palou over his future, the latest 2024 hybrid engine test, and what's going on in the driver market silly season.

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  • How Scott Dixon pulled off a win from crashing on the first lap and the restart of the Alex Palou/Ganassi/McLaren fight headline this The Race IndyCar Podcast episode.
    There's only so many ways drivers can save fuel and yet Dixon is the absolute master, combining that with brilliant tyre management to shock everyone and deny Graham Rahal victory on the Indianapolis road course. JR Hildebrand gives you a behind-the-visor look at how and why Dixon's so impressive in these scenarios.
    Is Rahal underappreciated, or underrated? The hosts debate that, looking at his six years without a pole or win, the former being broken this weekend, and also examine Josef Newgarden's title chances after his nightmare weekend.
    Finally, the blockbuster news that Zak Brown claims Alex Palou has gone back on an alleged contract with the McLaren team and won't race for it in 2024, and the chaos that ensued in the aftermath, is well covered.
    We answer how and why this has all happened, some of the reasons behind it, and what might be next for McLaren which seemingly needs to find a new elite driver ASAP.
    Don't forget, if you have a question for our hosting team, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected].

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  • This week's episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast looks back on Kyle Kirkwood’s second win of the year in Nashville and features an in-depth interview with debut star Linus Lundqvist.
    Hosts Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand debate Kirkwood’s progression in the series after his second win, discussing his sometimes questionable racecraft but also his outstanding pace that has put him above ace team-mates Colton Herta and Romain Grosjean this season.
    Lundqvist, meanwhile, gives his first interview since being confirmed in the Meyer Shank car in place of the concussed Simon Pagenaud for a second week. He discusses some of the reasons behind his fast start, doing his first ever pitstop, how the weekend has impacted his chances of a 2024 drive, and how racing under that pressure impacts his mindset and performance.
    Don't forget, if you have a question for our hosting team, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected]

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  • The winners of the last three IndyCar races are guests on this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast , which sees hosts Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand in conversation with Josef Newgarden and Christian Lundgaard.
    Newgarden completed a sweep of the Iowa double-header the weekend before last, and joins to talk about that weekend, his winning of eight of the last 10 oval races, and joining an amazing club of three drivers to win five-straight oval events.
    He also discusses how tough in-season development is in IndyCar and how likely a title fight is with Alex Palou given the 80-point gap.
    Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Lundgaard, meanwhile, shares his thoughts on his first-ever IndyCar race win at Toronto, how it's impacted what people think about him as a driver, and what it means for the second half of the season.

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  • This week's episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast reflects on Josef Newgarden's Iowa double and how it impacts his title fight with Alex Palou.
    Ace oval racer JR Hildebrand breaks down the skills that have taken Newgarden to six career victories at the circuit, and gives his take on Newgarden’s post-race outburst about traffic.
    JR and co-host Jack Benyon also discuss Palou’s podium recovery and how he managed it with a “bad” car. The hosting duo also look at what it takes to come from Europe and excel on ovals, as a pair of sophomores starred, and give their verdict on a late Felix Rosenqvist charge and the pair of disqualifications in race two.

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