IndyCar Championship Victory Lap Celebration with NTT IndyCar Series Champion Alex Palou, team owner Chip Ganassi, Pato O’Ward, Scott Dixon, Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard, Rookie of the Year Louis Foster and INDY NXT By Firestone Champion Dennis Haug

Bruce Martin:

IndyCar fans, it's time to skirt your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN SportsTicker, Sports Illustrated, AutoWeek, and SpeedSport.

Bruce Martin: So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy.

Bruce Martin: Welcome to Pit Pass Indy as we continue our fifth season of giving IndyCar fans an inside look at the most exciting form of racing on the planet, the NTT IndyCar Series. Pit Pass Indy was at the 2025 IndyCar Championship Victory Lap Ceremony in Indianapolis a few weeks ago and returned with another impressive episode full of great content. On today's Pit Pass Indy, we have exclusive interviews with 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Champion, Alex Palou. championship team owner Chip Ganassi, second place Patole Ward, third place Scott Dixon, fourth place Kyle Kirkwood, and fifth place Christian Lungard. Also exclusive interviews with 2025 IndyCar Rookie of the Year Louis Foster and 2025 IndyNex by Firestone champion Dennis Hauger. Let's begin with this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview with team owner Chip Ganassi, who celebrated his 17th IndyCar Series Championship this year, when Palou claimed his fourth IndyCar Championship, including the past three seasons in a row. As I've said before, Chip loves winners, but he loves champions even more. It's Chip Ganassi, who tonight's going to be honored for his 17th IndyCar Series National Championship. Chip, when you think about the number of championships that you've been able to win in IndyCar in really only about 30, 35 years, that's probably the most impressive part of all. How do you describe just the success that has happened to you in your career?

Chip Ganassi: Well, Bruce, you know, it's really a testament to the people, you know, all the people, all the great people we've had working for us over the years. And, you know, people that have touched the cars from, you know, the beginning of our team in 1990 until today. So it's been a lot of years, a lot of people, a lot of great people have come through our doors. And on top of that, when you pair that with great drivers, it's a good formula for these championships.

Bruce Martin: Not only do you find great people, you keep great people. You don't have a lot of turnover at Chip Ganassi Racing. And that's unusual to some IndyCar teams.

Chip Ganassi: Yeah, I mean, we try to do the right thing and keep an eye on our people and take good care of them and hope they stay with us. It's, you know, it's a family. And I'd like to think we take care of our family.

Bruce Martin: Speaking of family, Alex Pillow has really made himself a favorite son with so much success in such a short period of time. And as a lot of people have said, you've said it before, you really just think he's scratching the surface of more to come. What is the upside that can really happen with this guy?

Chip Ganassi: I mean, obviously he's got I think he's got more more more championships in him. I hate to tell everybody else that, but. You know, it's rare that you find a guy never thought I'd find a guy that could match Scott Dixon. And you know, here we are now with. Finishing 13 in the championship with Alex and Scott, and, uh, it's really just incredible that, uh, you know, I'm standing here tonight with Alex Palou again.

Bruce Martin: A lot of people who've had a lot of success sometimes have to find other ways to get motivated to, I don't want to say there's a monotony with winning and winning championships, but with Alex, you never have to really motivate that guy. He's already motivated.

Chip Ganassi: Yeah, no, I think he's, he's plenty motivated and he wants to do well and wants to do better. And, uh, so I, I think, uh, like I said, I think I hate to tell everybody this, but he's not, he's not, uh, he's not peaked yet.

Bruce Martin: To tie Roger Penske for IndyCar National Championships with 17, Roger has been in IndyCar racing since 1966. You've started as a driver. As I said earlier, you were able to win yours in a shorter period of time. But to be able to achieve that with a man like Roger and his legend, how impressed are you that you've been able to do that?

Chip Ganassi: Well, it's, you know, I got to tell you, Roger's got his, uh, his fingerprints on these, uh, on these titles as well. You know, he's, uh, he, he, he set the pace for a lot of the teams here and has obviously, you know, He brought real sponsors into the sport. He brought professionalism into the sport. He's done a lot for this sport over the years that many people don't know or don't realize. So he's really set the stage for someone like me to come along and be able to do this. Without him, his fingerprints are on my championships, I can tell you.

Bruce Martin: We're doing this interview at the IndyCar Victory Lap, where you'll be honored tonight along with Alex Pillow for his 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Championship. The schedule came out earlier today. What are your thoughts on the schedule? There was a really great opportunity there with the World Cup lead into the Nashville race on July 19th. So in some ways, the schedule looks pretty good when you really analyze it.

Chip Ganassi: I like it. I mean, I think the fact that we have You know, we're going to have a couple night races on some ovals. I think that's pretty exciting. I think, you know, I think obviously we have some new venues with Arlington and we're going back to Phoenix. We're going to be there with NASCAR. I think that's going to be exciting. I think there's a lot of good things on the schedule that, you know, we have some momentum now in IndyCar and it's just a matter of taking advantage of this momentum and riding the wave, if you will, here and look for another one.

Bruce Martin: And it's going to be a fast start, four races in the first five weeks. That's got to be pretty demanding on your crew. So how do you gear up for that through the long off season?

Chip Ganassi: Yeah, I mean, it's just a matter of making sure you get some rest. You know, I don't want to wait too long, because all we're doing is giving everybody else a chance to catch up. So I just soon, I'm ready to go racing next week. So the more races, the better.

Bruce Martin: Well, Chip, not only are you always ready to go racing next week, but you're also ready to go back to victory lane. It seems like you do that as well or better than anybody in IndyCar history. But once again, congratulations on your 17th IndyCar Series National Championship, especially with Alex below his fourth. Good luck in the offseason.

Bruce Martin: Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you very much, Bruce.

Bruce Martin: By now, Alex Pillow's accomplishments in IndyCar in 2025 are well documented as the driver from Spain won eight of the 17 races on the NTT IndyCar Series schedule, including the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25th. Here is my exclusive interview with Pillow from the red carpet at the 2025 IndyCar Victory Lap Ceremony at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 16th.

Bruce Martin: Once again, it's time for Hello, Alex.

Bruce Martin: Hello. Alex, you're the man of the hour. It's the IndyCar Victory Lap. You're being honored tonight as the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series champion. You're a little used to this event, though. It will be your fourth championship. Does it get better with each one?

Alex Palou: It does. It does because I'm for sure a lot more relaxed than I was the first year and the second and the third. This has been the best so far. I also know what to expect so I can enjoy more every single moment of it. And I'm very excited. It feels special to be back here at the IMS. I've been here, honestly, doing some media some days, but still, like, today is our night. It's the night for the tank car, for CGR, and it feels special. It feels great to be here.

Bruce Martin: It's your fourth IndyCar Series championship, but I'm going to throw a number at you. Your team owner, it's his 17th. I know. When you see 17 national championships in IndyCar for Chip Ganassi, Do you go, wow? I mean, you sit there and go, man, that's a lot of championships. But obviously, Chip loves winners.

Alex Palou: It's a crazy number. But the craziest part is that it's in 35 years. It's not like in 100 years, which still would be a lot. It would still be 17%. But honestly, to have 17 IndyCar championships in 35 years of history of the team is incredible. It's amazing that he's been able to build different teams in different areas, in different IndyCar specs. So yeah, I'm just lucky to be part of the team.

Bruce Martin: So what have you been doing after you won the championship? What was your championship celebration like when you went to New York, some of the media stops that you went on?

Alex Palou: That was something new. That was the first time we did the championship celebration, let's say, or the championship media tour in New York, which was Super fun, got to do a lot of cool stuff there. Obviously amazing food, amazing pictures. Went to the US Open, saw Djokovic play, which was pretty cool. But yeah, then I've just been busy here in Indianapolis. I've been sick. Whenever I had a lot of free time, I lost like four days in bed just trying to recover. So I'm good. I'm ready to enjoy tonight.

Bruce Martin: The atmosphere at the U.S. Open has to be extremely the opposite of IndyCar. IndyCar is one of the loudest sporting events. The Indianapolis 500 is one of the loudest sporting events on earth. U.S. Open, they tell the spectators to be quiet during play. What did you just think of that whole dichotomy?

Alex Palou: Honestly, I just enjoy it a lot because it was my first time ever there. And it's a sport that it's so unique that you see a one versus one. They give everything you can hear almost when they are breathing, like when they're angry. And it's true that the fan atmosphere is different. Everybody wants to scream and just enjoy. But it's true that they like us to be a little bit quieter than in racing. But it's great to see different worlds.

Bruce Martin: So what are you going to do in the upcoming days? Obviously, you have a trip coming up here to my home state of North Carolina in a couple of days.

Alex Palou: Tomorrow.

Bruce Martin: Yes. I will see you Thursday, as a matter of fact. But after that, what will you be doing? Are you going back to Spain for a bit or what are you going to be doing?

Alex Palou: Yeah, I'll also be here back at the IMS for the IMSA race to check on some cool race cars and cheer for the Acura team and see if they can get a little bit closer to a championship. But yeah, I'll be around with the team. We have a couple of events still scheduled to kind of still enjoy and get the last couple of celebrations with the team and our partners. But yeah, I'll spend, I don't know when, but I'll spend some time in Spain.

Bruce Martin: Earlier today, the 2026 IndyCar Series schedule came out. What are your initial thoughts?

Alex Palou: I like it. I mean, there's some differences. I really like that at the beginning of the year, we get like three straight races without big gaps. I think that's what we're missing a lot this year of like just we got that momentum and then suddenly we stopped. But yeah, it looks good. New places as well, which we did not expect. So I'm excited.

Bruce Martin: I think the highlight of the schedule is July 19th when the World Cup Championship will lead in to the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. What do you think of the potential as far as TV audience could be with that?

Alex Palou: It's an amazing opportunity for everybody in IndyCar. I think it's a great place, especially with what we saw this year. And knowing that it's going to be at night, it's going to be that show, but multiplied by 10 times. So I cannot wait to get those millions of people that enjoy the World Cup to see our start of the race. And hopefully we can get them interested, those new fans that have no idea about IndyCar, to get them interested in our sport.

Bruce Martin: Were you hoping Mexico City was going to be on the schedule?

Alex Palou: Yeah, of course, as everybody. I mean, that was a rumor because IndyCar was working super, super hard. I think everybody was excited for that. I think it's a great place. And we know that it's a market that could be huge for IndyCar and will be huge. So I know it's going to come. We expect it or we want it this year. But if we need to wait another year or two to make it perfect, that'll be whatever we have to do.

Bruce Martin: Well, Alex Blow, you're the star of the night. Go enjoy the show. I will. You're going to be the driver that everybody's going to be talking about later tonight. Congratulations on your fourth IndyCar Series championship. Hey, see you on Thursday in North Carolina.

Alex Palou: Cool.

Bruce Martin: And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Alex Palou: Absolutely. Thank you, Bruce.

Bruce Martin: We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break. Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy.

Bruce Martin: The top five drivers in IndyCar in 2025, as well as rookie of the year Louis Foster and IndyNext by Firestone champion Dennis Hauger, were also honored at this year's ceremony. Pit Pass Indy conducted exclusive interviews with each driver. Let's start off with the second place driver in the standings, Pat O'Ward of Arrow McLaren. He may not be the champion, but he's certainly the champion of the people. It's Pato Award, Errol McLaren. You finished second in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Championship. One more step left to climb and that's first. What is it going to take for you to win the championship in 2026?

Pato O’Ward: Oh man, I'd love to tell you what it is. Otherwise, you know, I think I would have already won it if I knew what it was. So I think it's just going to be a combination of a lot of little things. And, um, you know, the guy that keeps on raising the bar, we gotta, we gotta get closer to that. So, um, I believe that we're heading in the right track and I'm confident enough that next year we're going to be even closer.

Bruce Martin: I would have to say one of the great things about your career is you have improved. You've stepped up. You've climbed the ladder by a step every year. You may have won more races than you did in 2025, but you were second in the championship. So how important is that to show that progress year after year until there's only one step left to go?

Pato O’Ward: Man, I mean, it's the accumulation of points, you know, in many of the other years, I think Our season would show to be a champion or very close to being a champion. But this year, it was definitely not the case. So for us, it's going to be important to make sure that our bad races are much better and just keep on capitalizing when we can.

Bruce Martin: Errol McLaren had two drivers in the top five in the championship. The only other team that did that was Chip Ganassi Racing with first and third. So how important and how proud are you of that accomplishment?

Pato O’Ward: Oh, man. I mean, obviously, Chip Ganassi Racing has done a phenomenal job this year. And as they have the last few years in keeping the race in the bar, and specifically with Alex Below, continuously winning championships. But for us, it's been… It's been a great year and also having very strong teammates and happy to see that not only my car was strong but my teammates as well. So I see us being definitely in the talks next year and we're just going to keep pushing.

Bruce Martin: The 2026 IndyCar Series schedule was released earlier today. I know you wanted to see a Mexico City race on there. But in your statement on why there isn't one, it sounded like you understood and accepted the reasons why.

Pato O’Ward: Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's important when you do these, you know, more global events. You also need to take into account, you know, when you're doing it. You know, every culture is different and the dates that they were kind of that they were up in the air kind of allowing for us to go there. They weren't amazing. You know, they both kind of fell where people aren't really around there. Obviously, there's always people in the country, but we wanted to be a time where you know, most of the people aren't on vacation and it's not, you know, when a soccer game is going on, like there's a lot of different factors that we need to play into making sure that it's a phenomenal event and that's what we want to make it. So I'm confident that in 27 we can, you know, reach an agreement and also we need all parties to have some skin in the game in order to make it go well because that's what makes everything super special.

Bruce Martin: Well, you want an event in Mexico City that's going to be built for success. And if it came out of the box slow the first year, then it may not have an opportunity for year two.

Pato O’Ward: It's not worth for it to be rushed. The most important thing is things that are rushed are never are never a good outcome. So it has to be well done. It has to be well planned. We need to be very aware and have to know who's going to be a part of it, who's going to be taking care of what. There's a lot of factors that need to be in line before we're announcing anything of that sort. And I think the talks have to keep going now. Because if we don't keep them going now and then we start them up summer next year as well, we're going to be in the same position. And like I said, rushed is never the way.

Bruce Martin: I don't know if you're a fan of double headers or not, but I know you're a fan of Milwaukee miles. So to have a double header at Milwaukee, how excited are you that there's a chance you might be able to get two wins in one weekend?

Pato O’Ward: Yeah, man, Milwaukee, we love Milwaukee. This year was a little bit underwhelming, I would say. I need to get the car a little bit more to my liking in order to seem a bit more attacking, I would say. But I'm confident that we can get it there. And last time I was in Milwaukee, Not this year, but last year. We won one of them, but then we didn't finish the other one. So I'd love to finish both of them, and if we can rack up two wins, that'd be phenomenal.

Bruce Martin: In July 19th, night race at Nashville. The lead-in is going to be the World Cup Championship. That's got the potential to deliver a really big audience for IndyCar. How excited are you over that possibility?

Pato O’Ward: Oh, man. It's amazing. I mean, we also love Nashville. Sadly, this year I wasn't able to finish it when we were, you know, definitely the one taking control of it. So I'm really much looking forward to going back and getting that win that, well, yet to have.

Bruce Martin: And finally, another race, the Grand Prix of Arlington. I know that's one that you've probably got to serve.

Pato O’Ward: Oh yeah, that'll be great.

Bruce Martin: Because there's going to be a lot of Pato fans at that race. to come up with these great tentpole events, as they're called. How important is that to build the series and have it keep growing and reach a younger audience?

Pato O’Ward: Man, I mean, that's still, Texas is still going to be the closest that I have to home. It'll always hold a very special place in my heart because I've spent so much time in Texas. I think it's going to be amazing. I mean, I got to see kind of what the layout looks like. I know a lot of people have I got to go there and see kind of, you know, the whole venue of where where everything is going to happen. And there's literally suites on top of the racetrack in certain parts of it right after Pit Lane. I mean, that's an awesome place for people to watch. And I think it's going to be a great event. Also, you know, the partners of the events, Cowboys, Rangers, massive teams in the US.

Bruce Martin: And finally, Fox's involvement really did open up new areas for IndyCar that we hadn't necessarily seen before. How important was that?

Pato O’Ward: Oh, it was huge. I mean, they've shown their commitment with their most recent purchase of, you know, a third of what IndyCar is. So that's definitely them showing that they've got skin in the game, they want it to succeed, they want it to do well. And, you know, what we've seen is a partner that is using every single tool they have in order to make sure that it gets all the eyes on it as possible.

Bruce Martin: Well, Paddo Award, go enjoy the IndyCar Victory Lap. Take some notes, because next year, it might be you that's being honored as the champion.

Pato O’Ward: I appreciate it. Thank you very much.

Bruce Martin: But good luck in the offseason. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you. Next up is one of Pelo's teammates at Chip Ganassi Racing. It's 6-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, who finished 3rd in 2025. That was Dixon's 16th time since 2003 that he has finished 3rd or better in the championship, and the 10th time he has finished the season 3rd in the standings. Here is my exclusive interview with Dixon for PitPass Indy.

Bruce Martin: The legend himself, Scott Dixon, has joined us.

Bruce Martin: Six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion. We're at the IndyCar Victory Lap. Your teammate is now four-time IndyCar Series champion. He's starting to get a little nervous that he's going to catch up with you at six.

Scott Dixon: No, it's just a huge congratulations. It's been a hell of a run for him this year, last, and what, in the last five years. So it's great to see what they've done, what they've achieved, and obviously for the team. And keeping it at home has been fantastic.

Bruce Martin: You finished third in the championship. Chip Ganassi Racing has the champion and third place. Errol McLaren has second place and fifth place. And Dreddy Global has the fourth place driver. To be two drivers in the top three, how proud are you of Chip Ganassi Racing? Because not only is it the 17th IndyCar Series Championship for Chip Ganassi Racing, but Two out of the top three is very impressive.

Scott Dixon: Yeah, definitely, you know, huge kudos, I think, to everybody on the team. I don't even know how we finished it. It was such a, you know, average year for us. Lots of mishaps, lots of ups and downs. You know, I guess we must have had some consistency, but I think, you know, the rest of the field had a pretty rough one as well. You know, I think with the exception of Alex, it was a pretty… Pretty crazy year for many. You know, I think not to even have a Penske car on the top five is a pretty strange year as well. So, you know, for us, it's definitely a proud moment, I think, for the team to, you know, obviously get the Indy 500 win and the championship for Alex. But yeah, for us on our side, you know, it was just a very strange year. It was nice to get one win, but yeah, kind of weird.

Bruce Martin: 16 times since 2003, you have finished third or better. That has to be one of the great career achievements of your entire racing career.

Scott Dixon: Uh, I don't know. You really only, you know, people only really remember the champions. So, you know, I think if you look at averages, you know, that's not a bad situation. But, you know, honestly, it's really about the championship. And, you know, for me, I don't really care too much about the other places. You know, obviously, for the team, we wanted to finish as high up as possible. We were chasing for a one-two, but, you know, that didn't happen either. So, you know, yeah, all focus now is for the offseason and preparing well and trying to hit the ground running once next season kicks off.

Bruce Martin: One of your contemporaries, a driver that you've battled throughout your career for wins, for championships, Will Power is going to be on a new team at Andretti Global. What are your thoughts on that?

Scott Dixon: Yeah, that's awesome for him. You know, I think there was definitely some good options, you know, for him to move. You know, it's kind of strange that he didn't stay at Team Penske. I think with all the accomplishments that he's had throughout his career and what he's done for that team and ultimately being, you know, probably the highest, you know, championship contender the last few years. You know, I think it's going to be a good deal for him. You know, change of scenery is sometimes a good situation, and maybe that's kind of the situation I think they felt on both sides.

Bruce Martin: You know Will's fire as well as any other driver in the series. You've experienced the good and the bad from him. What is it like to keep the fire burning that deep into a career?

Scott Dixon: I think it's, you know, it is about the love of the sport. And, you know, I think it does burn out with some people a little bit earlier. You know, it's definitely a bit of a pressure cooker, I think, throughout the years. But, you know, the same for me and probably the same for Will. You know, getting beat is what keeps the fire burning. And for me, you know, that keeps the fire burning strong, especially, you know, with the ups and downs that we had this year. So, you know, it's cool to see him back and, you know, hopefully for many years to come.

Bruce Martin: How many championships do you believe you still have left in you?

Scott Dixon: It's hard to say, man. I think less than when I started, that's for sure. But no, I'm loving it right now. We'll have to see what comes around the next few years. When the 2026 schedule came out, what are your thoughts? Good. You know, I think there's definitely some highlights there. You know, I think the one that everybody's kind of a little bit, you know, wished that it, you know, happened definitely was Mexico City. You know, and then for the addition of obviously a doubleheader at Milwaukee is because of that, I imagine anyway. You know, I think the, you know, kickoff with NASCAR, I think, at Phoenix is going to be interesting to see how that goes, especially to a track that we haven't been for a while. So looking forward to that.

Bruce Martin: Do you think you could talk, Justin Marks, into getting you a track house ride in Project 91 for the Phoenix oval race at NASCAR?

Scott Dixon: Probably a little tough. You know, I think the one that everybody might be talking about is the situation with St. Pete. You know, I think everybody wants to get into that truck race, which would be pretty fun. I think, you know, there's a few guys, maybe even Dario or Jimmy. You know, there's a few that I've heard that have been looking at it. So we'll have to see where that goes.

Bruce Martin: And I think one of the highlights, July 19th, Nashville Super Speedway, under the lights, primetime, network TV, the lead-in's gonna be the World Cup Championship. That has the potential to really deliver a big audience for IndyCar. How great of an opportunity is that for the series?

Scott Dixon: Yeah, it's huge. I know they've worked long and hard to try and figure out the best situation for the timings of the races and where that's going to place. But yeah, I'm really looking forward to that. Obviously, that has some complications, I think, with other races like Toronto and Mexico City. But I think if we can definitely piggyback on some of that stuff, it's going to be huge for our sport.

Bruce Martin: So what are your plans for the off-season?

Scott Dixon: Pretty busy, just got done with Goodwood Revival. We got lots of sim days, one for the IndyCar, but also for the Acura side leading up to Petit Le Mans in October. But most looking forward to getting home. First time in a couple of years to get back to New Zealand, so definitely looking forward to that.

Bruce Martin: Well, Scott Dixon, a true legend and a great friend. Enjoy the off-season. We'll see you again in 2026, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Scott Dixon: Cheers, mate.

Bruce Martin: From the start of the season through the 4th of July weekend, only two drivers won races up to that point. The first was Palou, and the second is our next guest, Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global. Kirkwood finished the 2025 season with three wins and was fourth in the standings. Although those are impressive numbers, Kirkwood wanted much more at the end of the season, as he tells me in this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview.

Bruce Martin: Jupiter, Florida's own Kyle Kirkwood has joined us.

Bruce Martin: Here we are at the IndyCar Victory Lap. I bet if I had told you in January of 2025 you're going to win three races and finish fourth in the championship, you'd probably say, wow, that's going to be a great year. But you're a racer, so that probably was not the feeling you have at the end of the season.

Kyle Kirkwood: It's always, you nailed it, Bruce. I think, yeah, if you told me at the end of last year, yeah, you're going to go win three races. finish fourth in the championship, have a shot at winning the championship in the middle portion of the year, I'd be like, hell yeah, that sounds great. Let's do it. Yeah, sign me up. Yeah, but now with, you understand what the bar, or how the bar was set for everybody, and you know how close you got. You always want more. And you learn that about sports, or about maybe racing or sports in general, that you're never truly satisfied unless you're winning everything, are you? So that's the new goal. That's the new goal that we have.

Bruce Martin: There's been some changes on the team. You're now the elder statesman at Andretti Global, the three-driver lineup.

Kyle Kirkwood: Which is wild to think.

Bruce Martin: Yes, in terms of tenure on the team.

Kyle Kirkwood: Yeah, yeah. So, I mean, are you… Least experience, but longest with the team, yes. Yes. Yes.

Bruce Martin: But you're getting an IndyCar legend as a teammate.

Kyle Kirkwood: Yeah. Will Power. So… Absolutely. How excited are you? Maybe one of the most legendary. Yeah, we're so excited to have him on board. It's going to be great. He comes from one of the top organizations in the series. They've been setting the bar for many years. And I think… Yeah, his pedigree speaks for itself, right? I don't really need to say much about the guy. He's incredible. When you hear Will Power and you're an IndyCar fan, you know who that guy is, and you know what he's done. And you know that him coming into a team like ours, he's going to be able to shape some things and really raise the bar for us as drivers at Andretti Global. And I'm excited to see how it does shape us. I think it's going to be phenomenal.

Bruce Martin: And is one of the things that he brings over to the team is you could just step back and observe what makes willpower tick because in a lot of ways he's a pretty unique guy, but he is driven. He is wound up, he's fiercely determined to win and that might be a fire starter for you.

Kyle Kirkwood: He still has the mentality. of somebody that has just gotten into the sport and the fire that he has within is incredible, right? And I mean that in the most positive way because this guy will strive to want to win in any car till he's in his 70s, I think, you know? Yeah, I think you nailed it. I'm excited to see how he goes about things, what his philosophy is, how he goes about a race weekend. Everything that that guy does is to the next level. And we want to learn from him as much as we can.

Bruce Martin: And he's still a fun-loving guy.

Kyle Kirkwood: Yes.

Bruce Martin: So with Colton going over to Formula One as a test driver, you're not going to lose any of the humor in Andretti Global with Will Power coming over.

Kyle Kirkwood: No, no, no.

Bruce Martin: He has his own unique way of looking at things.

Kyle Kirkwood: And I think it's a seamless transition, right? Colton's able to go chase his dreams. And as a… childhood competitor of his and karting driver. Everyone's childhood dream is to go to Formula One, and we can be honest about that. And for him to be able to go and chase his dreams is absolutely incredible. I'm excited for him. I think he's going to do great things over there. We're going to be rooting him on massively. But now it's also opened a door for a legend like Will Power to also come and fill his place. So I think this has been an absolute perfect transition. I couldn't ask for much better than this.

Bruce Martin: Kyle Kirkwood's best season in IndyCar.

Kyle Kirkwood: What do you do to improve that in 2026? Win more races. That's really all you can do. When Alex Polo wins eight and finishes second most weekends and has one or two maybe fluke incidents, you have to match that. That's the only thing you can do. The 2026 IndyCar schedule is out. What are your initial thoughts? I think it's great. I think they've resolved the issue of having a dead band between the first race and the second race, or second and third race even. So I think there's many positives to take away. We got two new, or three new, really, new marquee events for us. I think Arlington's going to be great. Going back to Phoenix will be great. I'm excited to see what the new Canada track looks like. And everything just seems like it flows a bit better. So in many ways, it's good. And you have also the end of the season, the championship finale back at Laguna, which kind of feels right for IndyCar, doesn't it? I feel like Laguna is like where we're meant to be finishing a championship. So I'm excited to go back there as well.

Bruce Martin: But July 19th, night race at Nashville, Sunday night, network TV in prime time. The lead-in's gonna be the World Cup Championship. That has some pretty big opportunities to deliver a big rating.

Kyle Kirkwood: I didn't even know that. You are telling me new information. That is incredible. And I hope that we put on a great show and we can attract some eyeballs at that one and carry them through the rest of the season. That's incredible, though.

Bruce Martin: Well, if you think 19 million people watch the World Cup Championship, if you've got a third of those to keep the channel on Fox, that's an Indy 500 type rating. Or at least it has the potential to be.

Kyle Kirkwood: Definitely has the potential to be. Yeah, no, that's exciting. That's exciting stuff. So, so far, what's your off-season been like? I haven't had one. I've been traveling nonstop, if I'm being honest. I'll get one, though, after this event here. I go home, get to see my boat again, get to see my house again, my bed.

Bruce Martin: You've got some waves to run, some waves to catch.

Kyle Kirkwood: You know, the waves are waiting on me. They've been in Florida for quite some time now, a couple weeks, I should say, and they're waiting for a surfboard to be on them, so I'll be back there in a day or so.

Bruce Martin: You've got some deep-sea fishing to do.

Kyle Kirkwood: Yeah, they're there. They're also waiting on me, the fishies down there at the bottom.

Bruce Martin: And also the weather like we're experiencing here in Indianapolis, that'll go on till January where you live.

Kyle Kirkwood: Likely, it'll probably get, yeah. No, honestly, this is great weather. It's been really nice here since I've been here, so. It's always nice down in Florida. It's a little hot right now, but it'll get cooler.

Bruce Martin: Also, you mentioned the Grand Prix of Arlington. That has the potential to be a tentpole event for IndyCar. How big of an accomplishment would it be to be the first winner of that?

Kyle Kirkwood: That's what we're looking towards, right? It's another street course. Everybody knows that Andretti's really good at street courses. And I think one of our strong suits is also coming up with a package that suits new tracks. And just like Detroit was a couple of years ago, I think that's a place that we need to be able to capitalize on. And like you said, I think it will be a landmark for IndyCar in terms of events. So we're excited for that one.

Bruce Martin: Well, Kyle Kirkwood, get ready to enjoy the offseason. Good luck in 2026. You've been a real pro with me on Pit Pass Indy throughout the season. We'll continue it on next year. Enjoy it. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Awesome. Thank you. Christian Lundgaard rounded out the top five in the 2025 championship, and that gave Errol McLaren two drivers in the top five in the final standings. Lungard had an impressive first season at Errol McLaren, but that is the start of even more for the driver from Denmark.

Bruce Martin: Here is my exclusive interview with Lungard for Pit Pass Indy. Here we are at the IndyCar Victory Lap.

Bruce Martin: We're talking to fifth in the standings, Christian Lungard, Errol McLaren. Only two teams had two drivers in the top five. Chip Ganassi Racing with the champion Alex Pillow and third place Scott Dixon. And then Errol McLaren, second place Pat O'Ward, fifth place Christian Lungard. So just how proud are you to be part of being in your first top five in IndyCar?

Christian Lundgaard: No, it's been a very, very good season and obviously finishing in the top five was a bonus for us in a sense. I do think that we had more on the seven car, but obviously getting Pato into second and seeing for how long we could keep that fight between the five and the ten car going. No, it's been a good season, obviously. Very proud to have made that move to Errol McLaren and obviously get the results. Results that I feel like we deserved and there was definitely some left on the table for next year.

Bruce Martin: It was evident quite early in the season why you made the decision to go to Errol McLaren. They really did give you an opportunity and a platform to pick up your game. You matched it right away. How proud were you of your fast start in IndyCar?

Christian Lundgaard: I mean, at the end of the day, you know, I kind of knew what I was capable of doing and it all kind of came together. And I think, you know, the results show that as well. So the team's done a tremendous job and obviously we have two cars in the top five and I just, you know, think that that shows the competitiveness of the team. And we know the 10 cars kind of laid a foundation and a baseline for everybody that everybody needs to beat in the future. And that's what we're learning from and we're learning from each other. All three of us so we have a strong team and I have no doubt that in the future. We will will progress even further forward We're at the IndyCar victory lap earlier today.

Bruce Martin: They officially announced the 2026 IndyCar series schedule. What are your initial thoughts?

Christian Lundgaard: Yeah, I would say it's been long waiting. In all honesty, I feel like it's out a little too late in my opinion and I think, you know, getting it's nice. I think a lot of it we had ideas of already and we kind of knew, but it's nice to finally have an official schedule and I had my manager and my investor call me the other day and ask me which races should come to and we didn't have a calendar yet. And, you know, for investors and managers behind drivers and teams, I think shouldn't be in that position, especially after the season's done. So now we have it. And obviously now I can pull with that information. So I'm sure we'll see them in many races in the future.

Bruce Martin: One of the big highlights of the schedule is Nashville, which had really made a great championship finale, was being moved to July 19th, and a lot of us wondered why, and then we saw why. The World Cup championship is gonna be the lead-in to a Sunday night race. That has the potential to give IndyCar on Fox one of its biggest TV audiences. How excited are you over that prospect?

Christian Lundgaard: Yeah, you know, the more the better and I think the direction that IndyCar has gone with Fox and the improvements Fox has made for IndyCar I think is only a positive and obviously we were aware of the World Cup and obviously that's why Toronto has been moved. So I think all of these things, you know, working around it to benefit all of us I think is only the right decision. So, super happy that it's all coming together.

Bruce Martin: Another big highlight is the IndyCar Grand Prix of Arlington. It's going to go around where Dallas Cowboys play in the NFL and where the Texas Rangers play in Major League Baseball. It really seems that that has all the potential to be a blockbuster event. How excited are you over the prospects of that race?

Christian Lundgaard: You know, at the end of the day, I'm as excited for any race. They're all exciting for me, going to each event, you know, having an opportunity to do something great, get great results. So I think, you know, there's something to be said for the venues. And I think what IndyCar has done with Arlington is create a completely new event. I think seeing what F1 did with Miami, trying to recreate that for IndyCar, and I think we're only going to see great things.

Bruce Martin: Not on the schedule will be Iowa. And you had a very close relationship with a lot of the people of Iowa, your previous team when you were sponsored by Hy-Vee. Do you have mixed emotions about that race dropping off the schedule?

Christian Lundgaard: I mean, yes and no. I think it was a great event. I think that the repave has hurt the IndyCars around that track and the racing of it. And I think we saw how great Milwaukee is as a deg race, as Iowa used to be. And after the repave, it was no longer a deg race, and the racing kind of fell off. And I think, you know, unfortunately, it's not on the calendar anymore. But that's, you know, it is what it is, and I think everybody's in the same boat. We get some new venues, and I think we're more excited about that.

Bruce Martin: So you're top five in the championship. The last question, how do you end up winning the championship? Beat the 10 car. A lot of people have had problems beating the 10 car. It's very simple. How do you beat the 10 car?

Christian Lundgaard: That's the million dollar question that we're trying to find out.

Bruce Martin: Well, unfortunately, I don't have a million dollars in my back pocket, so we'll have to readdress that in 2026. But Christian Lungard, Errol McLaren, congratulations on your fifth-place finish in the championship. Good luck during the offseason, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Christian Lundgaard: Thank you.

Bruce Martin: Louis Foster of Ray Hall Letterman Lanigan Racing had to sweat it out to win the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year award. He claimed it by just two points over fellow rookie Robert Schwartzman of Prima Racing. Foster, join me on the red carpet for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. We talked to our next guest several times as the season wound down, but now we can officially refer to you as the Rookie of the Year. Louis Foster, Rayall Letterman Lanigan Racing. I know you had to sweat it out in the last race of the year before you could finally claim the Rookie of the Year championship. How nerve-wracking was that? Um, well, the last race? Yeah, the last race and edging it out to be able to win Rookie of the Year over Robert Schwartzman.

Louis Foster: Yeah, no, obviously, it was an interesting race from our side of things. Got a penalty for myself, which obviously made it a lot more difficult for me. And then, I mean, I wasn't particularly nervous, because there wasn't a lot I could do at that point. It was kind of out of my control. And then, obviously, Robert made his mistake and got himself a drive-through penalty as well, which helped us get rookie of the year. But I think we've had a really, really strong performance all year long. You know, we've been competitive at pretty much every chapter you've gone to. I think the only places we've struggled really is Ovals, which I think we're working hard towards. But yeah, definitely nerve-wracking, but like I said, there was not a lot I could do at that point anyway.

Bruce Martin: And also you look back at that race and think that if the contact with David Maloukas had been any harder, you may not have been able to finish the race and you wouldn't have won Rookie of the Year. So how do you come to grips with the fact that it was a very, by the narrowest of margins, that the car did not suffer any more damage than it did?

Louis Foster: Yeah, I mean, obviously, quite lucky. You know, this has been talked about a lot already, so I don't want to get into too much detail with the David Maluka situation, obviously. Yeah.

Bruce Martin: But, yeah, I mean… I was talking about it more from your point of view, about being able to continue in the race… Yes, yeah.

Louis Foster: …with a car that was still running. Yes, obviously, I was thankful that we didn't get any damage, or very limited damage, at least. So, quite surprised with that, honestly. The car took quite a big hit when that contact was made. But, yeah, obviously, thankful that… It didn't.

Bruce Martin: So you take the lessons you learned from your rookie season and apply them to your first veteran season in IndyCar in 2026. What's going to stand out most for you?

Louis Foster: I think the races have obviously been quite difficult for us this year. Getting on top of that has been the key issue, I would say, that we've struggled with. But focusing on the races, focusing on race pace, performance in the pit stops, performance in the pit lane generally, that's kind of our main things to focus on. The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule came out. What are your thoughts? I think it's awesome. I think, as always, the IndyCar guys and gals did an amazing job trying to put together a schedule that's really, really hard to put together, especially with the World Cup next year. So, you know, I think it'll give them a lot of credit. Obviously, it's a shame that we haven't been able to get Mexico on the calendar. I think everyone wanted to see that, but, you know, we understand the complications of the World Cup, so hopefully we can see that for 2027.

Bruce Martin: But also the World Cup's gonna be a benefit for the Nashville race and the fact it's going to be the lead-in to the July 19th night race at Nashville. It's gonna be the World Cup final. That has the potential to deliver a very big lead-in audience that could really help IndyCar. How excited are you over that prospect?

Louis Foster: Yeah, I didn't actually know that was a fact. But obviously, that would be great to have some football fans who want to come on early and watch them. Well, sorry. Soccer, as you'd call it here. Apologies. We want to come in early and watch some IndyCar racing. Then we can hopefully get some new fans on that. But that would be awesome, for sure. So what are you going to do this off-season?

Bruce Martin: Sleep, tan, train, repeat. Sounds like a winning plan to me. But then again, though, in 2026, I know you're going to come out of the gates fast to try to improve upon your rookie season in IndyCar. And you have to feel confident that with, at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, they're going to give you a good ride.

Louis Foster: Exactly. I mean, the guys and gals at RL have been amazing. So I've got the utmost confidence in them to be able to deliver a good car, and us together working hard to make sure that we have that.

Bruce Martin: Well, Louis Foster, once again, congratulations on winning the 2025 IndyCar Rookie of the Year Championship. Good luck during the offseason. Go enjoy it. And we'll see you in 2026. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you.

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

Bruce Martin: We wrap up today's Pit Pass Indy with 2025 Indynext by Firestone champion Dennis Hauger, who came to Indynext as an accomplished driver in Formula 2. It didn't take him long to become the Norwegian Nightmare in Indynext. The 22-year-old Hauger scored 6 wins, 5 additional podiums, 7 poles, 13 top-10 finishes, and 301 laps led in 14 races for Andretti Global. Additionally, Hauger set multiple qualifying records in 2025, recording the fastest laps in track history on the streets of Detroit, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and the Milwaukee Mile. Hauger's on-track success allowed him to clinch the 2025 IndyNex Championship at the penultimate race of the season at the Milwaukee Mile. That domination earned the driver from Norway an IndyCar Series ride with Dale Coyne Racing for 2026. Also, Dale Coyne Racing has formed a technical alliance with Andretti Global in IndyCar. Hauger led Andretti Global's IndyNext team in 2025. Both deals were announced on Tuesday, September 23rd, a week after this exclusive interview with Hauger for PitPass Indy was completed. The last time I talked to Dennis Hauger, he was getting ready for a flight back to his home country to compete in some races in Europe. You're back in the United States again. First of all, how did the weekend go? Did you make your flight in Atlanta? Because I know you were worried about that.

Dennis Hauger: Yeah, managed to get over there. Got a flight from Nashville to Atlanta, and then from there on back home to Norway. So got a few days off, relaxing and chilling. And I had a Porsche race as well the weekend after Nashville in Norway. So yeah, it's been a good time in the off-season so far.

Bruce Martin: It's a good thing you got the flight from Nashville to Atlanta because trust me, you wouldn't have been able to make it by driving. But as far though as returning to Norway, how were you received as the IndyNex by Firestone champion?

Dennis Hauger: It's been pretty good. I mean I had that Porsche race in Norway and there was a lot of people coming over, media and also just fans watching. So it was a really cool weekend getting back home and honestly just tried to disconnect a bit, go away from everything and just take a step back and look at what we've done this year. So, no, it's been nice to just reconnect with family, friends, girlfriend, everything back home and, yeah, relax a bit. Have you been able to let it sink in, what you did? I guess, kind of. Still feels unreal. The season's been amazing. Coming over to the States for the first year with Andretti and getting a season like this is something you can only dream of. So for sure, it's been an incredible year, and it's still sinking in. But yeah, just looking back, super proud of what we've been able to accomplish. So far, what's been one of the best things about being a champion? I don't know, I haven't thought about it too much. I mean, honestly. I would say waking up every day and saying, hey, I'm a champion. Yeah, I mean, I got this awesome ring. I got a cool trophy. And obviously, some championship money to bring into the future, hopefully. So yeah, it's a lot of perks, winning, but already focusing on the next step and just working every day to whatever comes. So not thinking about it too much at the moment.

Bruce Martin: Speaking of championship money, have you gotten any nibbles from teams for an IndyCar ride next season?

Dennis Hauger: Yeah, I mean getting closer and closer. It's looking bright. Obviously can't say anything yet, but it's looking bright and that's what we're working towards now in the offseason to make everything happen.

Bruce Martin: And in the couple of weeks since the season ended and now everybody gets honored for their championships, their top five in the championship here at the IndyCar Victory Lap, to be on the same red carpet with a guy like Alex Pillow, how much does that really put an explanation point on your season?

Dennis Hauger: It's really cool to be here with the top guys in IndyCar and being appreciated for what we've accomplished is awesome. So, yeah, gonna enjoy the night and fly back home tomorrow, actually, but not just appreciating everything here and, yeah, having a good time with friends and the team.

Bruce Martin: And we hope to see you at some IndyCar races in 2026, but the schedule came out earlier today, and what are your first thoughts on it?

Dennis Hauger: I think it's really cool. Second race and third race is new on the calendar, or at least Arlington, Phoenix, I think was like 2018, they had the race last time. And it's a bit changed since then, so not for sure. Cool few changes and also a bit of a change in the tracks in terms of dates, so I think it'll be a pretty cool season.

Bruce Martin: And finally, after this event's over, are you going to remain in Indianapolis, or are you going back to Norway for a while?

Dennis Hauger: Back to Norway tomorrow, and then we'll see when I fly back. That depends on a few other things, but yeah, for the time being, I'm flying back home.

Bruce Martin: Well, hopefully it all works out for you, and we'll see you back here in 2026 at many IndyCar Series races. But Dennis Hauger, 2025 Indy Next by Firestone champion. Congratulations on the championship. Enjoy the off-season, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Dennis Hauger: Thank you.

Bruce Martin: That puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy. We want to thank our guests, 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, Championship Team Owner Chip Ganassi, 2nd Place Pato Award of Errol McLaren, 3rd Place Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing, 4th Place Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global, and 5th Place Christian Lungard of Errol McLaren. Also 2025 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and 2025 IndyNex by Firestone Champion Dennis Hauger of Andretti Global for joining us on today's podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy your path to victory lane in IndyCar. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at X, previously known as Twitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team. Executive producers are Bridget Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Sean Rule Hoffman and Nathan Corson. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.