Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Winner Kyle Kirkwood, Indy 500 Open Test Preview with Scott Dixon and Santino Ferrucci and “100 Days to Indy” Sneak Peak with Christian Lundgaard and Jack Harvey

Speakers: Scott McLaughlin, Bruce Martin, Kyle Kirkwood, Scott Dixon, Santino Ferrucci, Christian Lundgaard & Jack Harvey

Scott McLaughlin:

Hi, I'm Scott McLaughlin, driver of the No.3 Team Penske Chevy, and you'll listen to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

[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 nbcports.com, si.com, ESPN Sports Ticker, Sports Illustrated, Auto Week 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 Penske Truck Rental. We are proud and honored to bring Penske Truck Rental 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 Penske Truck Rental will help us tell those stories.

There's a new winner in the NTT IndyCar Series and a driver who could become the next big star. It's Kyle Kirkwood, winner of the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The 24-year-old driver from Jupiter, Florida started on the poll and blistered the field, driving his number 27 AutoNation Honda to his first career victory in the NTT IndyCar Series, in just his third race with Andretti Autosport.

Kirkwood, who also scored his first career IndyCar poll the day before, led 53 laps in the 85-lap race and finished just ahead of his Andretti Autosport teammate, Romain Grosjean. Chip Ganassi Racings, Marcus Ericsson was third, last year's Indianapolis 500 winner takes over the NTT IndyCar Series points lead with that third-place podium finish.

Colton Herta’s fourth place finish in the number 26 Gainbridge Honda gave team owner Michael Andretti a 1, 2, 4 finish in the top five in the biggest street race on the schedule, and the biggest event outside of the Indianapolis 500.

North America's biggest street race ranks just below Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix as the world's biggest street races and to any IndyCar Series driver that wins it, comes fame and prestige. We have another action-packed episode of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Later in the show, we will preview this week's Indianapolis 500 Open Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Scott Dixon and Santino Ferrucci. We wrap up today's show with two interviews from the red carpet at the world premiere of the Docuseries, 100 Days to Indy, that premieres on the CW, Thursday, April 27th from 9:00 to 10:00 PM Eastern Time.

First, let's talk to the real deal as team owner Michael Andretti calls him, it's 2023 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach winner, Kyle Kirkwood. He joins me in this exclusive interview for Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is the latest winner of the NTT IndyCar Series. It's Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Autosport, winner of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

First victory in 20 IndyCar races, I guess the first question is, what took you so long?

Kyle Kirkwood:

Oh man, it definitely feels like it took me too long, but there's many drivers in this series that have yet to win a race and they are fantastic drivers. There's 27 guys that go into a weekend can win a race, and it's really due to the car. I mean, our Andretti Autosport car was phenomenal today.

It was phenomenal all weekend long if I'm being honest, and in qualifying, we didn't touch anything. From the beginning of qualifying, I'm like, “Don't touch the car, everything's perfect, I can play with the bars a little bit to get it right back in the balance window if we on different tires.”

And that was the same thing. We did a little bit from qualifying through the race, but I wouldn't consider it a change, if you know what I mean. So, it's been really nice. Usually, the weekends that go that smooth and that easy are the ones that go the best, always.

Bruce Martin:

A weekend of first for you, your first poll was on Saturday. Your first IndyCar Series poll was on Saturday. That's key here at a very tight street course because passing opportunities are limited. You were able to control the race, you led 53 laps of the 85-lap race, just how important was it to be out front from the beginning?

Kyle Kirkwood:

Being on the poll was massive. I was able to save a ton of tires, was able to save a ton of fuel, keep the guys behind me, managed the gap, and worked out perfectly. It worked out absolutely perfectly, pit stops were amazing.

They did a really good job on that yellow stop to get us out front. We actually bounced off at Newgarden at one point on the first stop when he came out. Pretty much just drove out into the fast lane, avoiding some people in pit lane I believe.

But starting out front was important. It was so important for that first stint. We got through that first stint. And I told people, “If we get through this first stint and we're still in the lead, there's a really good chance that we're going to win this thing.” And the fact that the strategy played in our favor with the cautions was perfect, I couldn't ask for anything better.

Bruce Martin:

You scored your first victory, the biggest street race in North America, one of the biggest street races in the world. Just how cool is that to be able to get your first victory in such an iconic event?

Kyle Kirkwood:

Yeah, it is so cool. I couldn't ask for a better place other than the 500 to be honest, it’s pretty amazingand I'm going to cherish this for a while. Michael's first win was here and back with his team and we're able to win.

They won now what the last four out of six races or five, whatever it is — they win a lot here, and I'm glad to be one of those drivers that also won. My engineer Jeremy Mills has won a bunch of them and gotten a few polls here and has done the same thing we did today except it was with Rossi a few years ago.

Bruce Martin:

Andretti Autosport finished three cars on the top four in today's competitive vintage car series. That's about as good as it gets.

Kyle Kirkwood:

It is and especially from where Colton started, I know how hard it must have been for them to even get one position because I struggled behind Newgarden.

We were over half second quicker than him, no doubt, and I could not get by him. There was no way I was getting by him, and track position was key here. And I paid attention to the IMSA race yesterday and it was key for them too. So, I knew that starting on poll was crucial.

Bruce Martin:

And also, the fact that you got your first career victory at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, your team owner, Michael Andretti, got his first victory and his last IndyCar Series victory at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Kyle Kirkwood:

Well, hopefully this one isn't my last.

Bruce Martin:

But the fact that you were able to get your first and Michael also had his first here, that's pretty cool.

Kyle Kirkwood:

Exactly. No, it is so cool, and I mentioned that earlier. Michael is just an amazing guy, amazing driver, amazing team owner. Everything he does is perfect, and I've got a long way to go to catch up to him, no doubt, but it is cool to say that I won my first race at the same place that Michael Andretti won his first race.

Bruce Martin:

A couple of weeks ago, you swapped race strategist between yourself and Colton Herta, it was a team decision. It was one that not necessarily everybody understood at the beginning, but now Bryan Herta calling your race strategy to your first victory just second time together, how important was that, and what's it like working with Bryan on the radio now?

Kyle Kirkwood:

It's been awesome, Bryan … I mean, he showed it today. He is so calm on the radio, and he is so informative on what a driver needs and he's just filling you in constantly with information, and he was a driver at one point, so obviously he knows what a driver wants to hear.

And he kept me with a cool head, told me all the information I needed to hear, and he's a big portion of why we won today. He played the strategy perfectly and everything worked out in our favor.

Bruce Martin:

Kyle Kirkwood, it's time for you to go out and celebrate your first career at NTT IndyCar Series victory, congratulations. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Kyle Kirkwood:

Thank you so much.

Bruce Martin:

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

[Music Playing]

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. With 34-car driver combinations already entered for the 33-car field in the 107th Indianapolis 500, those teams get a chance to test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, April 20th, and Friday April 21.

It's an important time for these teams as they prepare for the world's biggest race on Sunday, May 28th. First up is my exclusive interview with 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner and six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing for Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy is a true Indy car racing legend, six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, of Chip Ganassi Racing.

Scott, we're heading to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the annual Open Test, two days of testing on the 2.5-mile oval. How important is that to develop a baseline setup for the team when you return on the month of May?

Scott Dixon:

I think it kind of depends at these big changes in the off season, which I think they're only maybe altering the Arrow set off slightly.

So, I think for teams like us, it's probably a better situation that we don't test. But it can be early in the weather format for that race too. So, depending on how the conditions are, I think really define how worthwhile the test is as well.

Bruce Martin:

You race for a team that is very methodical, very organized, very planned. Michael always talks about running down the checklist of what a team does at a test. How long is that checklist and do you basically spend a day and a half on that checklist or the first day on the checklist or both days on the checklist?

Scott Dixon:

I think it depends. It depends, obviously, Sato’s or even some of the other drivers may have a totally different list. I think it depends a lot on your comfortability and things that you're working on from last year's race or even qualifying setups as well.

So, I don't know, you kind of just gauging things. I think a lot of the focus especially for Open Tests like that is if the series has brought a different tyre or if we have different Arrow pieces you're just trying to figure out and get that data as much as possible.

Again, I think you got to be careful chasing test days, especially that early in the year just because the temperatures may be too favorable.

Bruce Martin:

The other thing about that is, like you just said, the weather temperatures can be dramatically different from the time you test there in April until you return in May. It could be hot in April and cold in May, but what we generally see is cold and rainy in April and then hot in May.

So, how does teams sort all that out compared to what we accomplished in the test to a track that’s completely different now?

Scott Dixon:

Again, I think you're just kind of hitting the big-ticket items, whether it's geometries, new ideas from the previous year. So, you're not really fine-tuning, you try to match the down force level as close as possible, but even in really cold scenarios, you could be hundreds of pounds up and down force.

So, yeah, it's always good to be running the car just because we have such limited days now in general for testing. So, I think outside of any fine-tuning, you'll be getting through all the big stuff for those days, especially leading up into one whole week of testing before we go to the 500.

Bruce Martin:

Is Firestone going to do anything different with this year's Indy 500 tire?

Scott Dixon:

I don't believe so, I think the tyre has been traditionally very good. I think last year with the updated Arrow pieces and the barge boards, I think they're talking about adding some further down force to the car this year, or adjustability at least with the rear wing maybe.

So, we'll see what they bring, which we'll get and know before we get to that test. But yeah, I think that they've done a great job on the tyre.

Bruce Martin:

Has IndyCar made any other tweaks to the car aerodynamically that should make the racing any different than what we saw last year?

Scott Dixon:

Again, I think it's dependent on weather conditions a lot of the time. If it's hot, then it's going to spread a little bit. Hopefully, some of the additions, I think with what they did at Texas, it was a lot of stuff that was just too efficient, so everybody ran the same kind of package.

It's always nice if they can have some pieces that are draggy and you really have to commit to it because it's going to make a difference in speed, but also, the comfortability of driving the car.

So, I haven't heard a final schedule yet of what they're planning to add to the car. I think it's maybe road core strikes maybe up to six degrees on the rear wing, and then I think something on the front end of the car as well. So, once they get that, we'll be testing it.

Bruce Martin:

Rick Mears holds the Indy 500 record for most polls with six, you're closing in on that number. How important would that be for Scott Dixon to add that accomplishment to an already unbelievable career?

Scott Dixon:

Yeah, I really enjoy the race for the poll. I think there's a lot of effort, I think it's a very well-earned team effort. The amount of effort that goes into the prep of the car, it speaks a lot of what the team really goes into and how they try to make it that little bit better.

So, for me, it's very different from the race. I can easily think of a couple that got away just because of errors that we made. So, I think those are the ones you think about the most. But feel very lucky and very privileged to have at least captured five there, and for sure, we'll be going for number six this year.

Bruce Martin:

With all due respect, and I hate to bring it up, but you've had so many great runs there, including last year when you dominated the race; how much did that one really hurt and how long did it take to get over it?

Scott Dixon:

Oh, it took, I think till Monday I was over it; you can't dwell on those things. It was 0.6 of a mile an hour, it's not something that I even thought was going to be an issue, but you're pushing at the end, so yeah, it's obviously not the result that we wanted and put us definitely in a whole big time when it was double points, at least this year where we're no more double point events.

But yeah, that's racing man. You win some, you lose some, and sometimes, it's directly yourself or other scenarios that take you out of it. But I don’t know, I think it's worse finishing second there, to be honest.

Bruce Martin:

Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan both say the Indianapolis Motor Speedway picks the winner. Do you believe that that's true?

Scott Dixon:

Maybe to a certain extent. I think you definitely have to be in it to win it, and you got to be at the fighting and the pointy end of it.

I think some of the defining factors sometimes how we've had racists finish on a caution or there's been a late restart, some things like that. I think it definitely picks it, but you still got to be at the pointy end of the field and racing hard to have that opportunity.

I think [inaudible 00:16:22], the big sweeps that we've seen maybe since Rossi's win, where you can go way off strategy and possibly pull it off by totally left field. So, I think those finishes are fantastic to see and it definitely spices it up. So, maybe this year we are due for one.

Bruce Martin:

When you come through the main gate at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway every year, as many times as you've been there, as many laps as you've run there, do you still look around and say, “This is why I do this?”

Scott Dixon:

Yeah, I love going to Indy. Indy owes me nothing. I've always said that it's a place where we are lucky enough to race. It's still the largest one-day sporting event in the world and all of us — and hopefully, this year we qualify, and I don’t know if there's going to be bumping or anything like that, but for me, it's definitely been a lot of great memories.

Some slightly sad ones, but honestly, even those, you got to be looking at the position that you're in and the race that you're racing. And so, for me, yeah, I love going there, man.

Bruce Martin:

On April 28th on the CW 100 Days to Indy, the docuseries will air for the first time on television. They've had a few sneak previews for the IndyCar community to see it. Have you seen it yet and what are your thoughts?

Scott Dixon:

I haven't seen any of it yet, so yeah, I think it's great for IndyCar, hopefully, it does what everybody hopes it does, and brings some attention to the series, and I think there's a lot of great stories. I hope they catch the great stories and the diversity of the series and personally, I think across the board, everybody just wants to make sure that it works.

Bruce Martin:

But do you believe that expectations may need to be kept in check a little bit because it could still be a great docuseries, but people have to watch it and then people have to tune in and watch IndyCar when they compete.

Scott Dixon:

Yeah, I think it's going to be like any docuseries, whether it's the golf one or the tennis one, or even drive to survive. I think the hard part for people that are in motor racing is that you got to be very careful. I found a lot of Drive to Survive, a little tough to watch because you could tell that a lot of it was fabricated.

So, it's probably not a good point of view from my standpoint or asking me about it. But I think there's a lot of great personalities, a lot of great people in this sport that deserve their stories to be told, and you just hope that they capture that and that it does what everybody wants for the series.

Bruce Martin:

You're having another solid start to the season. How do you view the way the year's gone so far, and how does that help set you up for a championship run, which would tie you with A.J. Foyt with seven championships, if you're able to do that this year?

Scott Dixon:

Yeah, the whole goal is for sure, to win Indy and secondly, win the championship. To get that seventh championship would be definitely defining, so that's the goal, man. It's been a decent steady start to the season.

You know, you always want a little bit more and there's always areas that you can definitely improveon. And we'll keep chipping away and hopefully, we can make that day come true one time soon.

Bruce Martin:

He's a champion on and off the racetrack, six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion, Scott Dixon at Chip Ganassi Racing, good luck the rest of the season, good luck in the Indianapolis 500. Thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Scott Dixon:

Thanks mate, appreciate it.

Bruce Martin:

Santino Ferrucci returns to the Indianapolis 500 this year with A.J. Foyt Racing. Ferrucci has never finished outside of the top 10 in his four previous Indianapolis 500 starts, including a fourth-place finish in 2020 when he drove for Dale Coyne racing with Vaser and Sullivan.

Ferrucci talks about this week's upcoming test as well as a few other topics in this exclusive Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental interview.

Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is Santino Ferrucci of A.J. Foyt Racing.

Santino, early in the season, but you're heading to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Open Test next weekend. How important is that test in the grand scheme of things for getting ready for the month of May?

Santino Ferrucci:

I don't know, it's one of those things we're not going with our 500 car into the Open Test, we're going to go with our road course car.

We're just going to get the basics down for the setup, just kind of get in the right direction and then transferred over into the Speedway car and see what happens when we show up in in May. It'd be nice to have two days of the track, get adjusted again, but we still got a lot of other races ahead.

Bruce Martin:

How much has it really helped the team understand what works and what won't because the one thing about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the surface is so weather sensitive, you're liable to come back in May under completely different weather conditions?

Santino Ferrucci:

I think paying attention to the data, paying attention to the weather, and understanding the changes that you're making, honestly, the test is more for us to get refamiliar with the cars on the Speedway and then just make sure a lot of procedural stuff's right.

I don't think we're going to be doing too much testing maybe some basic Arrow configurations. We do have some new parts from the series that we'd like to A, B and honestly, we'll probably re-A, B everything again come May.

Bruce Martin:

How many laps do you plan to run there because I know you don't really look at it for top speed of the day because it's a test, but you have a checklist that the team goes down. How long is that checklist usually at an Open Test like that?

Santino Ferrucci:

It can range, you can run anywhere from 34 outings to, hundred and hundreds of laps. One, it depends on how many tires we are going to go through, depends on the weather as well, because obviously, Indiana this time of year, it could snow next week.

I mean, you said it was 80 degrees when you left, it could snow for the Open Test. I normally remember it always being quite cold in years past. But I think we'll do a fair amount of things. I think most of what we’re going to be doing to Arrow though.

Bruce Martin:

It falls right in the middle of a street course and a road course. You had the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach last weekend, then the test on the big oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And then the following weekend will be Barber Motorsports Park on a natural terrain road course, the first road natural train road course of the year. So, how does a driver keep track of street course ovals, super speedway road course?

Santino Ferrucci:

I have a book that I carry around, I make notes. It's one of those things where I also have to be super organized with the cars that we're going in between. Their mindset's very different obviously when you're going street to road course, and then obviously, to ovals how you pass, what you're looking for in car set up.

I'm pretty in the zone of street course just because of what we've been doing and what I've been doing in the last two years being part-time. So, going back to Barber is going to be definitely a bit of a challenge for me because that'd be the first road course I've run in a minute.

Bruce Martin:

What is the characteristics of Barber that you find so unique?

Santino Ferrucci:

Just the undulation. You sit there and you're looking at all of the undulations track, all the elevations, the bank corners, the off-bank caner corners, and the heavy brake zones, it's such a long lap too.

It doesn't feel like a super long lap, I think to a lot of people, but for us, it's a very long lap. And the race is challenging because it's a very physical track, it's probably one of the most physical tracks all year. So, there's just a lot to prepare mentally for more than anything.

Bruce Martin:

What's it been like so far being at A.J. Foyt Racing? I know that the team wants to try to rebuild itself and reestablish itself as a competitive operation, again, there's a lot of room to grow. What's it been like so far in the early days for you?

Santino Ferrucci:

It's been impressive. If you looked at this team back in before pre-season testing, it was just all over the place. There was a lot of different things going on, no organization, now we've started to get on a roll.

We have exactly a plan to move forward, we know what we're doing with our damper program, we know what we're doing with our gearbox program, we know exactly where we're going. So, we just need to have these consistent results on race weekends.

Take St. Pete, wrecking out on the first laps, not great, Texas clutch failing. So, it's little things like that that we just need to try and avoid moving forward because I feel like we gave away two easy top 10 finishes.

Bruce Martin:

After the Barber Motorsports Park race, there'll be one weekend off, then you return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the GMR Grand Prix on the IMS road course. That weekend off's going to be valuable because it's going to be your last weekend off for about five weeks.

Santino Ferrucci:

Yeah, I know. So, I'm just really hoping that once we get through Barber, our Houston team's actually going to go up to Indy, and they're going to stay in Indy for the entire month of May, building the Speedway car up there with the engineers doing everything with them.

We're just making sure we cross our Ts, dot our Is, everything's going to be perfect. Both cars are going to be exactly the same when they roll out of the shop. So, that off weekend is going to be huge.

Bruce Martin:

When Santino Ferrucci arrives at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indianapolis 500. No disrespect intended, but when walking into that place, does the hair kind of stand up?

Santino Ferrucci:

A little bit, honestly. I mean, that place is special. It's special to everybody and that track's treated me so well throughout the last four years of my career. I've got four top 10s there, which is a really nicehot streak for me to be on.

I feel and I know I can win that race given the right opportunity and the right luck. So, I'm just going to go about it the same way I have done the last four years. Just take it one day at a time, one step at a time, and just try and be there at the end. If you're there at the end of the month and we're going to be in it to win it.

Bruce Martin:

When you walk into the Indianapolis 500 with A.J. Foyt and that's pretty big. That's like going to the NFL with Vince Lombardi, going to the Super Bowl with Vince Lombardi. What is that sensation going to be like?

Santino Ferrucci:

It's like one of those things where I want to impress A.J. But I know I can do that by just being myself and driving hard and putting it all out there on the racing track, and that's what I'm going to do. I mean, being there with his heritage and his car and driving the 14 is an honor one, and two, it's big shoes. I mean that thing's got four or 500 wins.

So, I'd like to make it five and I'd probably make it six for the team if I'm not mistaken. But yeah, I think we can do it and I know we have the people and the crew and the car underneath us to make it happen

Bruce Martin:

This year, of course, A.J. lost his wife of 66 years, Lucy Foyt. I know that you've said that you didn't really know her that well, but it was a tremendous loss for A.J. What does the team plan to do to remember her?

Santino Ferrucci:

Honestly, they kept everything pretty quiet. I know that from my side, it's very tough, especially for Larry because Lucy was his mom for him. And it's really hard, I know that they were really, really close, and I think it's a bit of a struggle.

You can tell, I went to the shop in Houston, the week of and we just got to lift everybody's spirits back up. So, I'm sure that they're planning something big and something fun, and something to really remember her, especially for the month of May. But no, right now, it's all in Larry and A.J.'s hands.

Bruce Martin:

You've had a rather circuitous career back to IndyCar. Now, that you're back, how much do you plan on making this series your home?

Santino Ferrucci:

I plan a lot on it. I'm not stopping on some of the other fronts of racing. I'm going to continue running the Chili Bowl. I do want to run some extra NASCAR races and Xfinity stuff. I'd like to do the double NDGP if schedule and mentally, I am capable and available to do so.

But I don't know how much that's going to come to fruition this year, but it's definitely not something I'm closing the door on forever. But I am having my full focus on IndyCar and making my home at A.J Foyt’s more of a long-term deal.

Bruce Martin:

Connor Daly has tried NASCAR, he still got a few more races to run with the Money team later this year. Have you spoken to him a little bit about that and tried to explain to him the struggles of trying to compete in NASCAR when you're on a smaller team like he's on?

Santino Ferrucci:

Yeah, when we did it in Xfinity, I was with a brand-new team, Sam Hunt and we only had — I remember when I signed with him in the winter, it was Sam and one other full-time mechanic, his best friend Connor.

So, I know what it's like to be on a small team and it's amazing what they can do though with a little bit of will power. It's amazing how these small teams can actually compete in Xfinity, and I think you have the right people like you do everywhere else and you can do really, really well.

Bruce Martin:

When we were out at Long Beach, you had a chance to see the docuseries 100 Days to Indy. What were your thoughts on that?

Santino Ferrucci:

Oh, I actually didn't make it out in time to see it, just because of my schedule at home and everything that was going. So, I actually haven't seen it yet, I'm probably one of the few people that hasn't had a first look.

Bruce Martin:

Well, it's my understanding they're going to have a steep preview in Indianapolis before the open test, so perhaps you'll be able to make that.

Santino Ferrucci:

Fingers crossed, I should be able to.

Bruce Martin:

But as far as the concept of it, what do you think of it? Do you think it's going to really help attract new fans?

Santino Ferrucci:

Yeah, you know what, I think ever since Formula 1 did the Drive to Survive, golf's done Full Swing, tennis has their show, it's time for IndyCar because honestly, our racing's the most entertaining in the world, there's no doubt about that. And there's nothing that stacks up to Indy Car, our personalities are massive and huge inside the sport.

So, I think having a docuseries is going to be a lot of fun for all of us. And I'm excited for it, I'm hoping that it continues, I'm hoping that it grows. I'd love to see multiple seasons; I'd love to see more than six episodes. Just hopefully expands, man, that's the biggest thing.

Bruce Martin:

You’re also working with a rookie driver named Benjamin Pedersen. Have you imparted any of your wisdom and experience to him?

Santino Ferrucci:

I've been trying to. I mean, honestly, for a rookie, he's really, really intelligent. His driving will obviously get there. I think his biggest struggle right now is the brakes, but his feedback’s awesome. It aligns with mine almost perfectly.

So, the good thing with that is we're pushing the team in the correct direction. We know exactly where we want to go with the car, so it's good that we're on the same page there.

Bruce Martin:

Santino Ferrucci of A.J. Foyt racing, good luck the rest of the season, good luck at the Indianapolis 500 and thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Santino Ferrucci:

Thank you, Bruce.

Bruce Martin:

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

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. IndyCar, along with Vice Media and the CW are involved in an exciting and entertaining docuseries, 100 Days to Indy that will debut on the CW on Thursday, April 27th from 9:00 to 10:00 PM Eastern Time.

The six-part documentary will give viewers exclusive behind the scenes looks at the drivers and teams, the battles and conflicts, and the high speed action that makes the NTT IndyCar Series the most exciting form of racing on earth, building up to the greatest race in the world, the 107th Indianapolis 500.

The World Premier of 100 Days to Indy was held on April 12th at the Terrace Theater at the Long Beach Convention Center. I caught up with two of the drivers in the NTT IndyCar Series on the red carpet before the premier for Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. Here is the first of my two interviews with Christian Lundgaard of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rentals, is Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Christian, we're standing on the red carpet for the sneak peek sneak premiere of 100 Days to Indy by the CW, exciting times here in Long Beach. What are you hoping to see this Docuseries, what it can do for IndyCar?

Christian Lundgaard:

I think overall, it's only going to help no matter what. I think all of us are hoping to look greater than we really do on TV, but I think it's been great to be a part of — overall, I've enjoyed it.

I was a part of it in Europe with the whole F1 show, so that was pretty exciting to get a taste of it. But I'm sure we can do a better job here because we got the best racing product in the world.

Bruce Martin:

Racing in the Junior Formulas of Europe a lot of times in conjunction with the Formula 1 races, what is the vibe like when you come to the Acura Grand Prix Long Beach, it's such a big event.

Christian Lundgaard:

No, absolutely. I mean, we are here on Wednesday, and I feel like there's a lot of people already. I know it's for a few different reasons, but I think it just shows the hype around this event. It's definitely one of the races on the bucket list that you want to win.

Bruce Martin:

There are a lot of people that would like to see 100 Days to Indy do for IndyCar, what Drive to Survive did for Formula 1, maybe those are a little bit lofty ambitions, but it is something the shoot for. What do you think it can do for the series?

Christian Lundgaard:

I think overall, it's going to boost the series quite a bit. I wouldn't really want to set too high expectations for it from the beginning and the get go. Even though that we need to be optimistic, I think it's going to boost the series viewer-wise, fan-wise because we need to raise awareness around this series because it is the best racing product in the world. And I'm pretty sure all the drivers on this grid will agree with me.

Bruce Martin:

You came into the 2023 season with a lot of high hopes and ambitions. The team’s kind of struggled the beginning of the year. Is there a reason for that?

Christian Lundgaard:

I mean, yes and no, there's definitely reasons for it. We’re hoping to come into this weekend to having fixed all of them. But at the same time, I believe that's what every other team goes in with. We got to do the best that we can with the equipment that we have. But surely, I mean the season has not started the way we wanted it to, that's obvious. So, we got to dig deep and see where we can get.

Bruce Martin:

How important is the Indy 500 Open Test that comes up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend?

Christian Lundgaard:

I think the Open Test will be interesting for us because we weren't competitive enough for Texas. We did our Monday test with Linus and Katherine, and I'm hoping that we found some things that we can find useful for the Open Test at Indy.

Bruce Martin:

The other thing about the Open Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in April is sometimes the crew’s watching the weather as much as they are what's going on the track. Is it difficult to get two really good days running in there in April when the weather can be pretty iffy in Indianapolis?

Christian Lundgaard:

Yeah. It's like it is for any race, I guess, if it's a race or if it's a test, the weather will always be a tricky one to be in charge of. It'll probably the one thing that we can't decide.

Bruce Martin:

Going into your second Indianapolis 500, how much are you pushing yourself? How much better a result do you think you can have?

Christian Lundgaard:

I mean, there's definitely room for improvement for sure. I hope we've improved our package so we can have three competitive cars, and then we'll see where we at. I'm not going to set the highest expectations until I know where we're at next week.

Bruce Martin:

What are you think of the new Rahal Letterman Atlantic and race shop in Zionsville, Indiana? It's quite a palace.

Christian Lundgaard:

It's pretty amazing. I even posted a story of it, the front of the building the other day just because I'm so stunned, like so impressed with how big and complete it is. And that's what I like the most about this team is we are not here for now, we are here to stay.

Bruce Martin:

Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, good luck the rest of this season, good luck in the Indianapolis 500, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Christian Lundgaard:

Thank you so much.

Bruce Martin:

Next up is a quick interview with Lundgaard’s Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate, Jack Harvey.

Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is Jack Harvey Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Jack, we're standing here at the red carpet for the premiere of 100 Days to Indy, and I've got to say you definitely are dressed for the red carpet.

Jack Harvey:

Thank you, appreciate that. So, are you.

Bruce Martin:

Thank you, well, sometimes you do have to …

Jack Harvey:

Scrub up sometimes.

Bruce Martin:

Yeah, you have to get the old suit out of the way.

Jack Harvey:

I just feel like wearing a suit without a tie is like trying to race with three wheels, you know.

Bruce Martin:

I completely agree. If you're going to put on the suit, may as well put on a tie.

Jack Harvey:

You made the effort, you got to go all in.

Bruce Martin:

What do you think 100 Days to Indy can do for IndyCar?

Jack Harvey:

I think it's unbelievable, I'm so grateful that all the powers that be put this together because at the end of the day, this really is a fantastic racing series, I can't think of a better one across the world. And ultimately, all we're trying to do is get as many eyeballs on this because the hardest bit is creating good racing.

We have that, we've got fantastic drivers with amazing personalities, we've got incredible racing teams. We race in some of the best parts of North America, we just need people to see it. So, the fact that this is happening, I think, it's just wonderful.

Bruce Martin:

The Long Beach Grand Prix, Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, one of the biggest races in the world, one of the biggest street races in the world, certainly, the second biggest race on the IndyCar schedule behind the Indianapolis 500: what do you think when you come to Long Beach and you think of the history and tradition of this event?

Jack Harvey:

It's just amazing mate, really being a race fan as in myself, I think about Long Beach, I think about history in terms of Formula 1 race here for a long, long time and had some really memorablemoments. And then obviously, IndyCar really has taken up that mantle and followed it ever since.

And there's just been some absolutely fantastic races that have happened here, and I'm just excited to be a small part of that. I actually think the best qualifying lab that I've ever driven was here in Indy Lights in 2015 when I was on poll, but hopefully we do that this weekend.

Bruce Martin:

When you think of a long history of names that have been here from Formula 1 to IndyCar to be part of that, it's almost nearly as deep as the Indianapolis 500, not quite as deep. Indy goes back quite a bit further. But still, there's a lot of great names that have competed in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Jack Harvey:

Yeah, it's just a very special place. You think about Motorsport Worldwide and there's a couple of tracks and places that come to mind, and I would say on that list, all but certainly, it's going to be Long Beach or Moto racing.

And I just think it's great that a city has continued to embrace motorsports this way, whether it's in Formula 1, whether it's an IndyCar — I'm just proud to be one of the drivers to get to do this and frankly, I just want to try and have a great race and maybe put our name on that winner's list as well.

Bruce Martin:

As far as the start of the season, I know it's not quite what Rahal Letterman Lanigan had planned. What do you see can be done to really turn this thing around quickly?

Jack Harvey:

Turn it around quickly? I mean, truthfully, it's just hard work at this point. We need to identify what our problems are, I think. And then after that, it's just the thing we've got to be united on isn't the negatives, it's the positives of where we're going.

And, right now, heading into Long Beach weekend, we don't need to worry about what happened in Texas. Texas and Long Beach, are about as opposite of tracks you could ever possibly get on. The positives this weekend is that St. Pete was good for us.

And moving from street circuit into what we think is going to be a strong weekend for us in another street circuit, that's what we've got to work hard on, we'll worry about Indy when we get to it.

What's going to happen quickly ? Honestly, I don't know, other than I see how much effort the guys and girls at Rahal Letterman Lanigan put in every day, every week. So, I'm excited for what we can achieve.

Bruce Martin:

Jack Harvey, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, good luck the rest of the season, thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Jack Harvey:

Thank you.

[Music Playing]

Bruce Martin:

And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guests, 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach winner, Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Autosport; 2008 Indianapolis, 500 winning driver, and six-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing; A.J. Foyt Racing, Santino Ferrucci, and two of the drivers from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Christian Lundgaard and Jack Harvey 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 for all things IndyCar. And because of our guest and listeners, Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is proud to be the winner of the best podcast by the National Motorsports Press Association. For more Indy car coverage, follow me at Twitter at BruceMartin_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.

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