Scott Dixon, Pato O’Ward, Will Power, Scott McLaughlin, Penske Corporation President Bud Denker and Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles

ROGER:

This is Roger Penske and you're listening to Pit Pass Indie, sponsored by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans and insiders view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN Sports Ticker, Sports Illustrated, Auto Week and Speed Sport. So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental and Hy-Vee, as we continue our fourth season of giving IndyCar fans a behind-the-scenes look at the NTT IndyCar Series and the drivers and teams that compete in the Indianapolis 500. Our friends from Hy-Vee have returned for the month of June as Penske Truck Rental shares the show in the big build-up to the Hy-Vee IndyCar race weekend at Iowa Speedway, July 12th through the 14th. This year's schedule includes a night race at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 13th, with another full race scheduled for Sunday, July 14th. Four of the biggest names in entertainment will perform before and after each race, including Luke Combs, Eric Church, Kelsey Ballerini, and Post Malone. For Malone, it will be the first time the famed entertainer has performed in Central Iowa. It promises to once again be the biggest racing weekend of the summer for IndyCar because of the big event stature and the debut of the hybrid assist unit for the first time in oval competition. The hybrid assist will increase the horsepower along with the speeds and give the drivers another tool to work with in competition. This past weekend on the streets of Detroit was a wild Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Many of the best drivers at IndyCar had a difficult time on starts and restarts in this race, but in the end, it was one of the greatest drivers of all time that mastered the downtown city streets to claim the victory. It's the great Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing who raced to his 58th career IndyCar victory, leaving him just nine wins from AJ Foyt's all-time record of 67 career wins. Here is my exclusive interview with Scott Dixon, the winner of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix for Pit Pass Indy. For the second time this season, we get to talk to Scott Dixon, who's an NTT IndyCar Series race winner this time, the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Wild Race. How did you do it?

SCOTT:

I think just trying to stay as calm as possible. You know, there were so many ups and downs, you know, throughout the day and that, you know, was just on track and then obviously conditions, you know, in the middle of that as well. Yeah, we're just trying to keep clean, stay out of trouble, especially once we got back in the pack there. But definitely a wild kind of strategy, I think, to pit so early. And luckily, we had a little bit of caution to help us.

BRUCE:

It seemed to be a race that we couldn't get restarted. Once it was restarted, we were able to run like the final 40 or so laps under green. How frustrating was that not to be able to get the race going?

SCOTT:

It was a bit weird because, you know, you're on one strategy front and you're like, we need to go green, because obviously the people that are pitted behind us are going to take the advantage of that and, you know, that was going to make it a much better race for them. But once we started to get more and more of it, I'm like, okay, this is now working into our favor. So it can, it has its kind of even flows throughout the race and you just got to, it's like a roller coaster, man. You just got to hold on and you can't change any of that stuff. It's out of your control. It's the same with the weather. So you just got to make the most of it. And, you know, I think the strategy that we did go to was pretty aggressive anyway, so we definitely didn't leave anything on the table.

BRUCE:

Fourth Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix victory. Three of them came at Belle Isle. This is the first on the downtown streets of Detroit. How different are they?

SCOTT:

different, you know, as far as a classic IndyCar driver, you know, I love Ballau, you know, it's a fantastic track, you know, the size of it, the style of it, you know, and how it raced, you know, to the traditions of, you know, jumping in a fountain and things like that. But I've got to say, everybody that's been involved in doing what we've, you know, done here at Downtown Street Race has just been really amazing. It's the second year in and they're just going to keep building on it.

BRUCE:

58th career victory, you're only nine behind AJ Foyt for the all-time IndyCar record. Looks pretty achievable now.

SCOTT:

Oh, I don't know about that, man. Nine's still a big number. We'll keep our head down and try and make the most of it, but he's an amazing legend and it's just fun to be mentioned in the same kind of time as him.

BRUCE:

Well, here's one that may be achievable. You're now the points leader, 16 point lead over Alex Polo for what would be a seventh IndyCar Series championship, which would tie AJ Foyt. How do you feel about the championship race the rest of this season?

SCOTT:

Yeah, very early in the season. You know, we'll keep our head down. Obviously, we've got a pretty big stretch coming up here. So, you know, we'll take it as it comes and, you know, we'll see what happens once we get down to the pointy end of the season.

BRUCE:

Scott Dixon, we'll catch up with you later this year, but congratulations on winning the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Pat O'Ward earned a lot of new fans with his bold and brilliant race in the 108th Indianapolis 500 on May 26th. O'Ward took the lead heading into turn one on the final lap and tried to fight off Team Penske's Josef Newgarden. But Newgarden was able to size him up down the backstretch and wait for the right moment to pass him for the victory in turn three as the two raced to the checkered flag. New Garden drove to his second straight Indianapolis 500 win, the first driver to do that since Elio Castroneves in 2001 and 2002. Award finished second and was devastated after the race and very emotional. I spoke with Award a few days later when the series arrived in Detroit to reflect on that great drive in the 108th Indianapolis 500 for this Pit Pass Indy exclusive interview. You drove like a great champion in the Indianapolis 500. You've had a little bit of a week now to think about it. When you reflect back on your great drive, what goes through your mind?

PATO:

It was a heck of a month of May, I would say. Obviously, it's a bit of a heartbreak at the end, just because we were so, so, so close. But if you really see it from far away, we turned our race around. We had to really earn our way into just having a shot, and I think that's a win in itself. I know when that day comes for me, it'll be so, so, so special. But up until then, it really is all about enjoying it because it's such a privilege to just have a chance to finish that race and be in that event, not even getting into consideration that you almost won it.

BRUCE:

The fans certainly enjoyed it. When you took the lead going into turn one, the crowd was twice as loud as the roar was when Josef took the lead in turn three. People are talking more about your race necessarily than the driver that won the Indy 500. I know that's a little consolation, but how do you feel about such a positive impression that you left on 347,000 fans?

PATO:

I mean, man, I just I left it. I left everything out there. I gave it absolutely everything that I had. And, you know, at certain points, like I've said before, I didn't know if we were coming out the other end. And ultimately, that's probably what made the emotion so so heavy at the end, just because, you know, you gave it even like more than what you It just felt like I gave it even more than what I knew I had in me. And when it opens a can of emotions that obviously feel like have been the story of Maine D500 the last three years, I think that's what made them so powerful and just at that instant, right? But there's a lot to be proud of and there's a lot to be happy with and a lot to be grateful for.

BRUCE:

When did the pain go away and the pride return?

PATO:

Quite quickly, actually. I would say, I mean, I had to relive it again at the banquet, but quite quickly on Monday, I just, I was feeling quite proud and just, there's no reason to be ashamed or, you know, heartbroken about a second place in Indy 500. You know, second place is really good, but obviously when, When it's not the first time and you come so close to, you know, your biggest goal in life almost, it's just a bit of a tough one to swallow at that moment.

BRUCE:

When you got into the pit area, you buried your head in a lot of people's shoulders. The support that you got from the team and from the family, just how important was it to get through that?

PATO:

Oh, it was amazing. And I mean, they they go they go through it with me. I wasn't the only one like they they they're. they currently are, you know, at that moment, they were battling through very similar emotions. And, you know, I think we could all, we all could, could kind of, you know, realize what each of us was going through. And, and yeah, they were all there for me as, you know, as, as I've been for them. And it was just, yeah, it's, I wanted, I wanted to give that to them and I know one day I will.

BRUCE:

The racing was so fierce from start to finish as far as a complete Indianapolis 500. I can't think of a more fantastic race from start to finish than what we had last year.

PATO:

Yeah, you know, it was crazy. I mean, the first like two or three pit stops was with yellow flags. So all I wanted was just a green flag pit stop in order to get ourselves to the front.

BRUCE:

Now, wrapping up with Padua Ward, there's another big prize out there to fight for, and it's the championship. And you're in pretty good position right now. So heading into Road America next week and on into Monterey and some of the other tracks that you're good at, how do you feel about your battle for the championship?

PATO:

I feel like the story of our last three years in the championship hunt have kind of all been very similar as well. So I really hope this year we can change that and feel a little bit more accomplished than what we have in the last couple of years. But we're in a good position and I think we can fight for it, but we're up against, you know, we're up against the best and we need to make sure that we do our jobs as best as we can and just make sure we're there.

BRUCE:

Well, Pato Award, you made a lot of new fans and a lot of new friends in the Indianapolis 500. Congratulations on an outstanding race. Good luck in the championship. We'll catch up with you later this season. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you. Thank you very much. Team Penske swept the front row for this year's Indy 500 with Scott McLachlan on pole, Will Power in the middle, and Josef Newgarden on the outside of row one. Newgarden won the race, Power was involved in a crash, and McLachlan finished sixth after experiencing an issue. Let's catch up with the two Team Penske drivers. First up is Will Power. The Indy 500 is over, but it's a chance to catch up with an old friend, Will Power of Team Penske, driver of the number 12 Verizon Chevrolet. Will, we're at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, getting ready to turn the page for the rest of the season, but before we do that, if you could reflect on your month of May, you had an outstanding effort in qualifications, starting in the middle of row one, but the race didn't go so well. If you could tell us all that happened for you.

WILL:

Yeah, the race was tough for us. Once we went back a few cars, it just had so much understeer. Just wasn't really ready for that. So I lost a lot of positions in the first 10 laps of every stint. But the car was good, usually second half of the stint, but we didn't get to do many second half stints. It was just so many yellows. Then, yeah, obviously the crash was just the last thing I needed, but that happened.

BRUCE:

It seemed like the intensity level of that race, because it started four hours late because of weather, because of the rain and lightning. But once the green flag dropped, it seemed to be extremely aggressive and intense. What was the reason for that?

WILL:

Not quite sure. It was a very aggressive race, I think. Some of it is the temperature was cool, the track temp was cool, so there's a lot of grip, so you take more risks. Yeah, I'm not... It was an unusually aggressive race.

BRUCE:

Once you were out of the race, did you watch the rest of it? Did you watch the battle between Josef and Pato at the end? And what were your thoughts?

WILL:

Yeah, I mean, it was a great race for the fans, actually. It was a really good race for the fans. And a great finish, the sort of finish that people want to see. Yeah, I would love to have been in the battle. But, yeah, it was enjoyable to watch.

BRUCE:

It wasn't you, but it was your team owner, Roger Penske, got his 20th Indianapolis 500 victory. So how proud are you to see him get that? So in his career, that is a heck of an accomplishment.

WILL:

Yeah, I mean, that was his goal. It was I thought it was like crazy when he said, I want to get 20. And I think I don't know what number he was at when I first joined the team in L.A. One. He said he wants to get 20. But That is a serious accomplishment, a serious accomplishment. And, you know, it is from hard work in this off-season that we were able to turn back up and be extremely strong. So, yeah, team did a great job. And 20 Indy 500s is something I don't think anyone will ever beat.

BRUCE:

The Indianapolis 500 is over. And after Detroit, it's off to Road America, one of your favorite tracks. Then there'll be a week off, and then it's gonna be Monterey in June. A little hard to get used to the fact that Monterey's in June this year instead of September. How do you view the way those two races shape up for you?

WILL:

Well, yeah, looking forward to them, so. All good tracks for us. Yeah, I think we've been quick everywhere, so looking forward to getting there, and, you know, it'll be kind of the last couple races before we go to hybrid.

BRUCE:

After Road America and after Monterey, a new era will begin in IndyCar with the hybrid assist unit being added to the race at the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. You've done a lot of the hybrid testing. How big of a game-changer do you think that has the potential to be?

WILL:

I think the biggest game-changer will be the reliability. I think that will be the thing that sort of makes and breaks seasons, actually.

BRUCE:

But with your testing that you've done with the Hybrid Assist Unit, what do you think of it?

WILL:

Yeah, it works well. It does. I mean, it's quite a simple system. You know, I think the last test we did, it was pretty reliable. But, you know, having a whole field of them, we'll see. See, I guess that's how we'll work out what's good and bad about it.

BRUCE:

Is it possible to use both the hybrid assist unit and the push-to-pass at the same time, or would one negate the other?

WILL:

You can use both at the same time, so you can have a lot of power.

BRUCE:

Are there instances where you may do that?

WILL:

There will be instances where you will do that, for sure, for sure.

BRUCE:

The fact that the season is going to be split, the first half of the year is going to be without the hybrid assist unit, the second half of the year will be with it, is it going to make for an unusual championship?

WILL:

It is, it's going to make for an interesting second half, it really is. It's very difficult to predict what might happen.

BRUCE:

But of course, I know that you've always got a championship on your mind, and we're coming up with some tracks that are very good for willpower. So, Will, good luck the rest of the season. We'll catch up later this year, and thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. And now, let's hear from Scott McLaughlin as he tells us about his Indy 500. An old friend has stopped by. It's Indianapolis 500 pole winner Scott McLaughlin. Scott, you led the most laps in the 108th Indianapolis 500. You looked like you were getting ready for the battle for the victory there. What happened toward the end that you weren't really within striking distance to get in there and fight for the championship?

SCOTT:

Bruce, the car was really good. I was really happy with the car. We had a little mechanical kind of issue with the clutch. Really hurting me getting out of the pit box. So I was losing probably half second in the pit box, which is enough and we Yeah fell back a couple a couple of spots or lost just some track position And then once I lost that I was yeah, I was I was done for so yeah, it is what it is

BRUCE:

Because the race was delayed for four hours and it started at a quarter to five in the afternoon, it really seemed like the intensity level and the aggressiveness was from start to finish. Yeah.

SCOTT:

Did that surprise you? No, I feel like four hours, everyone just cooped up, but you know, they're all pretty excited. But ultimately we It was very important track position. These days, track position is really important. And we had to make sure that we were, you know, in the game. And I think that's why everyone was so aggressive on restarts and trying to get to the front. So, yeah, ultimately, that's how it was.

BRUCE:

Have you had a chance to review the end of the race and just see how wild it was?

SCOTT:

Yeah, I thought the last 50 laps was some of the best motorsport I've seen in a long, long time. That's kudos to IndyCar and how they've set up the aero package, but at the same time, I think drivers giving each other room and racing hard and how the strategy worked out, you know, all those yellows at the start of the race sort of set up two different strategies. It was a cool thing.

BRUCE:

Team Penske arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway completely determined to put the past behind them, to go through with a decisive month of May. And you accomplished it in every area. The pole swept the front row. Josef Newgarden won the race. Dramatic day. 20th Indy 500 win for Roger Penske. How do you sum up just the determination and the level of commitment that the team had to put the past in the past?

SCOTT:

I haven't seen a team rally together as much ever. It was just incredible the way that we just got on with it and used our tools, which was speed, to our advantage. We had the bit between our teeth to get going and make it happen. I think that included us drivers as well. Ultimately, the two crew eventually got it done in the race. We got the pole and obviously sweat the front row. I thought one of the biggest accomplishments of the month was sweeping that front row, as we know how hard it is to do that these days, and to have the cars, 1, 2, 3, very close together in times, like, that's hard to do, so it was awesome. It was really cool.

BRUCE:

Oh, and by the way, Team Penske won the Pit Stop Challenge, which is also very important for the team.

SCOTT:

With a record time, too, you know, and the guys and girls, you know, they take that pretty to heart, so it was awesome.

BRUCE:

How did you feel about seeing Roger Penske get a little bit of redemption after everything that he's had to go through? He's had to make some tough decisions. Yeah. Sitting down, Tim Sindrick and Ron Razuski and Robbie Atkinson and Luke Mason, those were tough decisions to make. How happy were you to see Roger Penske be able to get that win in the circumstances that he's had to deal through the last month?

SCOTT:

Well, he's been like the obviously the driving force between our, you know, our confidence and our determination. But yeah, he was very determined and to be next to that and see that firsthand was awesome and something that, you know, we all fed off. So yeah, it was amazing. There was definitely a bit of relief with everyone as well to be able to go in and execute as well. But yeah, super, super cool.

BRUCE:

But we have to thank the fans. Huge crowd, about 347,000 fans. Despite a four-hour rain delay, they all came back to their seats. They stayed till 8 o'clock at night watching that race get settled. How cool was it to see the fan support this year?

SCOTT:

I couldn't believe it when I'd rolled out. Obviously, you have a pretty good view from pole. And, you know, I rolled down in turn three. It was just like the start of the race at 12.30 p.m., but instead it was 4.30. So, amazing, you know, passionate fans. Indy always brings out the best. And they're generational fans, too, which is so cool. So, we're very lucky as a sport to have that race and also those people that support the race.

BRUCE:

You made a bit of a career move a couple of years ago when you decided to leave supercars, come to America and drive IndyCar. I guess you have never looked back because you have certainly fit in here in IndyCar. You're one of the top drivers. How glad are you the way everything's playing itself out? It's awesome.

SCOTT:

You know, I was living the dream the first few years, but now I'm just... It's not a dream anymore. It's like I'm just, I don't know how to explain it. I'm so focused on just being an IndyCar driver and a successful one and enjoying it along the way. I've turned it into a reality and now I'm just trying to make it happen and I guess repay the people that gave me the support and confidence to get me here. So, like Roger and like Tim Sindrick. So, working hard and love the sport and hopefully I'm here for a long time.

BRUCE:

After the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the streets of Detroit, it's off to Road America, one of the favorite tracks for any driver and IndyCar. How do you look forward to going back to Road America and getting a chance to drive one of the great road tracks in North

SCOTT:

America, if not the world. Oh, absolutely. It's one of my favorite tracks, probably top five for me. Yeah, amazing. So much speed, so many different corners. Excited to go back there. Hopefully we have good weather. We normally have had good weather there in the past, but we know it can change time to time. So we'll make sure that we're in a good spot. And yeah, I always feel like we go pretty decent there, especially in the race. So we'll see how we go.

BRUCE:

And in June, after that race, it'll be Monterey in June, which kind of seems strange to a lot of us because that's always been in September. It's going to be the last race of the season without the hybrid assist unit. So in one ways, it's close the book on one way the car is one platform and get ready for a new platform at MET Ohio with the hybrid assist unit.

SCOTT:

Yeah, it's all about trying to make the most amount of points possible. And then I think you're going to have a little bit more mechanical players come into it. Touch wood, not on our side, but I think everyone, you'd be lying if you said you weren't anxious before the hybrid interferes with the season. But it's exciting to get it on board now, finally, once it's all sorted. And yeah, I'm excited to drive it.

BRUCE:

Well, there he is, the poll winner for the 108th Indianapolis 500, Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske. Good luck the rest of the season. We'll catch up later during the year. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

JOSEF:

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

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. This year's Indianapolis 500 was a stunning success with the largest crowd since the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016, jamming the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Despite a four-hour delay to the start of the race because of rain, nearly every fan stayed and was in their seats when the race began at 4.45 p.m. Eastern Time. Penske Entertainment President and CEO Mark Miles joins me for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview to break down the success of this year's Indianapolis 500 and the exciting plans for the IndyCar series in the future. Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy is Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles, who's been quite busy. One thing, you're celebrating a highly successful 108th Indianapolis 500. I know that you've got some key metrics to show just how successful this year's race was. Huge crowd, great event, boosting the TV ratings. In a lot of ways, there's a lot of positive things that came from the Indianapolis 500 this year.

MARK:

You know, Bruce, I've been involved with lots of events in different sports, and I can tell you it was the most stressful event I've ever been involved with. And then having said that, the payoff was amazing because it was just all positive at the end of the day. You could have knocked me over with a feather when the 300,000 plus people who came in starting at 6 a.m. and we opened the gates and then had to ask them basically to seek shelter, follow their own plan, and take a four and a half hour break came back. And then to see that race, the way it developed, and the incredible finish, and to see everybody, as far as I could tell, on the whole of the main straightaway and the grandstands on their feet for 15 plus laps screaming was just sensational. And then the metrics you're talking about, whether it was the ticket sales themselves, the crowd, the merchandise sale, sales, the television audience, food and beverage. Everything was just a stellar event. And it really, I think, was a testimony to the loyalty and the fervor of our fans.

BRUCE:

From start to finish, it was as terrific in Indianapolis 500 as I can remember in terms of a complete race. Tons of action, but really the stars of the show, I think, are the fans. Because as you said, it would have been easy to have lost 10% of the fans who just decided, well, I'm not going to wait four hours.

MARK:

Or 50%.

BRUCE:

Yes, I'm going to go ahead and head on up the road. But when that race started at a quarter to five in the evening, I looked down that front stretch, and I looked around, and every seat looked like it was full.

MARK:

You know, a lot of people stayed around the grounds. We said for the first time, I think, if you want to go outside, go to your car, whatever, go. A lot of people went home. They got in their cars, and they went home in the Indianapolis metro area. And then they got in their cars, because they know us. And when they see the dryers coming out, they probably had time to get back. And it wasn't like coming in the first time with the huge traffic issues. So it was, you're right, it was just phenomenal. And, you know, maybe that would happen at other events, but hard to imagine at this scale.

BRUCE:

You and I grew up in an era where every year everybody went to the Indianapolis 500, where they had these enormous crowds. You could put a lot more people in the infield back then because it was, wide open area, there wasn't any infield road courses that took away some of your real estate. It seemed to be like a Woodstock type happening. That type of feeling seems to have returned the last two years. Do you sense that? It has become among the younger crowd, the place that they need to be at on Memorial Day Sunday.

MARK:

It's definitely gotten younger and more diverse. I think it's actually gotten, it's been a journey, maybe in some ways started with the 100th running in 2016. Really every year has been a little bit better. And so it's a great trajectory and it's, you know, the young piece, and going back to what happened on this past Sunday or that past, that race weekend, one of the things I was really worried about was telling the young people, in the snake pit, who'd been there since seven or eight in the morning. Hey, we're pulling the plug on the music and you need to leave the snake pit. And I thought that could be challenging. It wasn't. People, the young kids who were way into their party already just did what we asked them to do in an orderly way and left and then they came back. And all five EDM musicians You know got their shows in by the end of the day. So yeah, I think that I think the snake pits part of it In terms of it getting younger in terms of it being more diverse we work really hard on that and so We host a lot of people in May who would not otherwise be naturally, as taught by their parents or their grandparents, come out to IMS. And I think like everybody else, once they're introduced, a whole lot of them want to keep coming back.

BRUCE:

Roger Penske told me a couple of weeks ago that the hardcore base is still the older fans, such as ourselves, that have been coming there for 30 or more years, but to bring in that group of new fans, I gave an example of a friend of mine's granddaughter, this was her second Indianapolis 500, came down with her boyfriend, she's already talking about coming back next year. And it's like I've explained to everybody, once you go to the Indy 500, it's almost like you become addicted to it and you gotta come every year. Is that what really makes that sporting event special?

MARK:

Yeah, it's so many things. First of all, it's the history. It's the sensational scale of it. I mean, you just don't experience anything like that anywhere else. at least not in sports, on a day. And then it's the pre-race show, which is incredibly moving and connects to folks. And when I say pre-race, I mean everything, ultimately, people who've not otherwise been in Indiana are singing Back Home Again in Indiana. And then that flyover is crazy. It really blows people away. So it's all those things. It's the snake pit for young people who don't come to see the race then, initially, but start eventually weaning themselves of the EDM genre and coming to sit in the stands and watch It's that kids 15 and under are free that helps. It's very affordable. I think compared to you know, especially other major league events You know, we we do all we can to make it fan and family-friendly and

BRUCE:

And when you hear people like Pat McAfee on the Pat McAfee Show rave about the Indianapolis 500, how thrilling it was, how exciting it was, and how cool it was, how valuable is that in terms of connecting with the younger crowd?

MARK:

Yeah, we were trending in a lot of ways. People knew something special had happened, even in the midst, in the middle of the NBA playoffs. It's really important. We need to continually get more top of mind for more of our country's sports media and sports marketers. And I think this race helped us a lot with that.

BRUCE:

So the TV rating, if you could go into a little bit of detail about that, the percentages, where it peaked, the number of viewers, the increases, and how important that is.

MARK:

Well, it was very important and it was a big number. So, you know, the key metric that people talk about is the average TAD, total audience delivery, which means however you see it, whether it's streamed or on NBC, it counts. And the average of those total folks by hour creates the average. And so it was 5 million, almost 400,000 people, which was good. It was 8% bigger than the year before. I think something like 15% bigger than the year before that. Actually, the COVID years were kind of high, because people had to stay home and were looking for stuff to watch. And we managed to run the races both years. But really solid numbers, good growth. A bit of that came from the fact that we were later in the day. And another media-speak phrase is huts, households using television. Gonna be more people watching television in total later on a Sunday afternoon than earlier on a Sunday afternoon So the hut levels were higher because we started later And then we got a good piece of a good share of the huts so that helped The fact that we ultimately could put it on in the Indianapolis market helped some Maybe 200,000 of that number came from the metro area in an Indy And then, you know, it was a compelling race. So that was all great. Then, you know, the total number of people, unique people who looked at it was close to 7 million, which is a really strong number for us. These numbers, the key thing is for us, our attitude has always been about just consistent growth. And I think that's the trajectory we're on.

BRUCE:

And it seems in the last three, four years, Formula One has taken a, has shown growth in TV audience. But this year, the Indy 500 just dwarfed the number that watched the Monaco Grand Prix. So do you think we're starting to see a turn in the direction of IndyCar?

MARK:

Our direction has continued to be up. So in terms of our direction, it's not turning, it's continuing to go up. Listen, I think you have to be fair, and I'm not sure that, To be frank, the best comparison is the Indy 500 to Monaco. Probably ought to compare the Indy 500 to when they race in the US, so Miami or Austin or Vegas. But even there, our numbers are much stronger. And our total average viewership for the whole of the F1 series and the whole of IndyCar is stronger, bigger for IndyCar. And we did much better than the Daytona 600, not the Daytona 600, sorry, the Charlotte 600. But again, I'm not sure that's the best comparison. We gotta look at the 500 probably compared to the Daytona 500. And they still got us. So, you know, we just keep growing and I think we're gonna continue to grow our television audience and our exposure with our new arrangements when they're finalized. And I really like the trajectory and the future.

BRUCE:

NBC's done a real good job at telling stories. They did a terrific job with the telecast of the Indianapolis 500. Does that help any, now that you're still in negotiations for a new TV deal?

MARK:

Well, we are and were, even immediately before the 500, pretty far along in the process. But it certainly doesn't help. I mean, it doesn't hurt, pardon me, that there was some, you know, another jolt of momentum, I think, from the 500. You know, you don't, we, neither we nor NBC or Fox is just going to look at one race. It's really the attributes and the growth and the growth potential for the series and matching up schedules and, you know, and how we fit together commercially that matters. And again, I think before too long, we'll be able to make announcements of what's next. And I think it's going to be really outstanding.

BRUCE:

As far as the on-site attendance, if there's any metrics that you could share with us, not only on race day, but the month of May.

MARK:

So I don't actually have attendance numbers, attendance numbers for race day because You'd have to tell me how to count it. I have ticket sales numbers, and I believe that we sold enough. The sales levels, along with all the staffing and all the suites and all the rest of it, were right about 330,000 again, somewhere right in there. I don't know how many people actually were in the stands and in the infield and in the suites. Although I didn't see many folks that weren't there, judging from the lack of empty seats. So I think it was just really positive in that regard. For the whole of May, basically every day was up. And that's just great. I mean, I think it's just part of the whole momentum of the month of May. So, pleased with that.

BRUCE:

How much more people or how many more people were there for qualifications, the fast six and the last chance qualifying? Was it an increase over last year?

MARK:

It was up a bit on the Sunday where I think it mattered that we were competing with the NBA. Saturday was up with a healthy number. So the weekend was up. I don't remember the exact percentage, but it was positive.

BRUCE:

How about Fast Friday and how about Carb Day?

MARK:

Carb Day was very good last year and up a smudge this year. Fast Friday was up usefully. I thought the qualifying weekend, by the way. I mean, what a sensational weekend event that is, from Fast Friday to two days of qualifying. I mean, real good television numbers again. The three-hour NBC broadcast from 3 to 6 Eastern on Sunday was Again, a great sort of drama. So many great stories going on for the viewer. And at a good time, audience-wise, and we were well over a million people for that. So, I mean, how many races have qualifying that really are a show unto themselves?

BRUCE:

And you were also plagued by weather throughout the month of May with practice, with, you know, there was the potential of bad weather at points on carb day. And of course, the four hour rain delay with lightning where you had to clear the grandstands on race day. Was this one of the more challenging weather months that you've gone through at the helm of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

MARK:

Well, you know, the way the mind works, this is my 12th and this is the first one, I think, when race day itself was rain affected, meaning it rained, not threatened to rain. So I'm not sure that it's happened to us before. There've been lots of times when we thought it was going to hit. And that's You know, that sort of overshadows everything else. Otherwise, yeah, there have been lots of times when there's some days that are rain affected. But, you know, on the practice days, the team's got in enough work to be ready to roll. And the crowds aren't huge anyway. They're more, to some extent, the suite population and the hospitality folks. And they came anyway. No, look, evidence of a really solid May is solid growth, really solid growth in our merchandise sales and our food and beverage sales, where units and revenue are up in both businesses.

BRUCE:

As far as the competition on the track, the race itself, as I said, I can't think of a better race from start to finish at the Indianapolis 500 than what happened this year, because it was really intense, very aggressive, all 200 laps. Yeah, there were some yellows there. A quarter of the race was run under the yellow, but yet the other 150 or so laps were just outstanding three wide, even four wide coming down the front straight heading into turn one and a dramatic Final lap where Pat O'Ward passed Josef Newgarden for lead in turn one and by the time they got over to turn three, Josef Newgarden passed him for the win in turn three. The crowd just going crazy. Can you think of a better Indy 500 from start to finish than what we saw?

MARK:

No, I can't. I think it was intense, as you're saying, from start to finish. I think I said, I think everybody in the front straight away, the reserve seats and the grandstands on the outside of the track were on their feet for more than 15 laps, screaming. So, throughout, and you know, I remember the television commentators at the beginning of the race, like on the first lap saying, these guys must have had too much coffee. I just think they were ready to race. And the conditions were such that all the work that IndyCar and its engineers and Dallara and the teams put into it paid off. They were ready. And then the conditions actually developed very favorably. The tire degradation was more minimal. And so it was less about strategies and more about, you know, hard-nosed racing.

BRUCE:

And how important is a kid like Pat O'Ward to the growth of IndyCar? Because he's very popular, very engaging. As Kyle Larson of NASCAR said, he's got a big personality, and he thinks that's very important for the growth of IndyCar.

MARK:

He is a star. He's a natural star, and he's a great racer. And I think, you know, his completely authentic, devastated reactions at the end of the race speak to how much the race means. to be that close and not get it. You could tell, I mean, he was just crushed. And that says a lot about how competitive he is and what it all means to him. It says a lot about how important the race is and winning it is. People know, man, you don't get too many chances to win it. And he's terrific. He's another reason that we got more young people in the stands and watching on television. We have a more diverse crowd, not just younger, and I hope he's going to be a star for us for a very long time.

BRUCE:

Speaking of stars, how important was Kyle Larson's participation this year in the Indianapolis 500? NASCAR champion from 2021. He's a big star all over the United States. He didn't turn down any interviews. He made all the appearances. He really put everything that he had, his heart and soul into the Indianapolis 500, hoped to run both that and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. Unfortunately, the weather prohibited that. He ran the Indy 500, looked pretty good until he got a speeding penalty on Pitt Road, still finished all 200 laps, then flew to Charlotte. was ready to go to get in the race car. He was there at 913 at night, and then it started raining in Charlotte, and the race ended up being called, and he never got a chance to get in his stock car. But how important was Kyle Larson's participation at the Indy 500 this year?

MARK:

Well, I just don't know anything but superlative things to say about Kyle. You know, first, Herculean effort, gutsy effort, just proved again that he can drive anything. Well, and so, you know, I think whether you're an IndyCar fan that doesn't watch a lot of NASCAR or a NASCAR fan that doesn't watch a lot of IndyCar, it's great crossover benefits and a great tribute to Kyle and his team. So, you know, we hope he comes back. We hope maybe more drivers will think about doing the double and You know, all these stories matter. Remember when Alonzo came in, that was a real, it got a whole nother group of people paying attention to the 500 or renewing their attention to, paid to the 500. And I think Kyle's, Kyle's participation this year was that, that again.

BRUCE:

Do you think it'll be a shame if NASCAR does not give him the waiver for missing the 600 in order to compete in the NASCAR playoffs?

MARK:

Look, they'll have to make their decisions. What I love is that he wanted to do it. And then he gave it his all. And I think it was a big plus for him and for IndyCar. And look, I think it should bring more eyes when he's racing for NASCAR. So hopefully it's a win-win.

BRUCE:

Now, what is Indy 500 race day like for Mark Miles? When does it begin, when does it end, and what do you do in between?

MARK:

It's a long day under normal circumstances, so I'm usually there by 4.30 in the morning. And at the beginning, you're basically, unless there's some issue, you're basically just trying to You know sort of cheer on the troops so we go to meetings of the officials and you know the the not-for-profits that show up to staff concession stands the yellow shirts and their leadership and really just try to Encourage everybody once in a while. There's an issue and Maybe it gets, you know, it's something I get involved with, but we've got a great team and, uh, and they're the people who deserve credit for putting on a great event. And then they're incredibly well led by Doug Bowles. Doug's a great spokesperson for the, for the race and the track, but on race day this past year, this year, He was really hands-on in conducting the meetings with all the different parties, stakeholders, from our communications people, to IndyCar, to television, to the operations people at the track. He made a lot of great calls that day and deserves huge credit. For me then, You know, I have sort of an interesting vantage point to watch the beginning of the race. And other than that, I'm usually just making the rounds. And sometimes there are issues you try to get the right people paying attention to. But, you know, the race itself usually goes really fast for me. And then it takes a few hours, right? We got to clear everybody out. So it's a long day. But, man, the whole team works so hard on it. It's been my personality probably for a long time. When a big event is over, some people want to pop a cork and celebrate. I want to go home and, you know, and breathe a sigh of relief more than pop a cork.

BRUCE:

But you can't really sleep in the next day because you've got the Yard of Bricks photos with the winner. You got to get ready for the victory celebration at the JW Marriott, which couple of thousand people attend that you've got a purse to sort out, to give away $18 million, especially this year, 4.3 million going to the winner. Hey, how cool was it to Borg Warner gave 440,000 to Josef Newgarden for being the first person to win back-to-back Indy 500 since Elio Castroneves in 2001, 2002.

MARK:

I didn't even frankly realize they were doing that. So that money had accumulated over those 20 years plus. And it's terrific. It's a great idea. I'm so glad they did it. You know what I thought when I woke up early as usual on Monday? was I looked out and it was totally gray and overcast and was going to rain. I thought, thank God we're not trying to start it again today. If we hadn't gotten it in on Sunday and we were looking at that Monday, that would have been another long day. But no, look, we've got a great team and that's very satisfying. And I think the results speak for themselves.

BRUCE:

The other thing though about the Borg Warner rollover bonus and now goes back to zero. So if Josef Newgarden wins a third straight, he'll only get $20,000 instead of four 40.

MARK:

Hey, listen, I think if Josef Newgarden wins a third straight, he won't be complaining.

BRUCE:

And finally, how important was it to really Roger Penske owns the Indianapolis motor speedway, the Indianapolis 500 Indy car. He also was the team owner of team Penske. record extending 20th Indianapolis 500 victory, but it's been a pretty rough five or six weeks that he's had to go through with the push to pass scandal that happened in IndyCar that cost Josef Newgarden a victory in the season opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. But all that Mr. Penske at the age of 87 has endured to see him get this one. How much satisfaction did you feel for him?

MARK:

Well, look, I talked to Roger. We work closely together every day on our business. So it's impossible not to relate to his effort and what he does. We really are neutral in how things work out on the track. But when you know him, you know how much he pours into it. And I'm sure even if you're his head to head competitor, you've got to have some maybe jealousy, but also enormous respect and You just gotta be impressed by the effort and the results. The fact that it was challenging for them and they came through and did this, both in qualifying and in the race itself anyway, was just amazing.

BRUCE:

But how about the success he enjoyed as the owner of the Indianapolis 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Because this was a good year, business-wise.

MARK:

Yeah, no listen. We're growing the business, and he keeps reinvesting in the business so that includes IndyCar as well as IMS and Yeah, no I mean we're You introduced me at something and during the months that we're partners and pals well. I think in a personal level. That's true and then as partners in air quotes you just marvel at what he brings to the table as the owner and the steward of not just IMS but IndyCar itself. So I continue to know we're in the best imaginable hands and it's a real pleasure to be part of Penske Entertainment.

BRUCE:

And because we're looking at business, I would be remiss if I did not ask these two questions. Where do things stand on the charters? And when will we know about the new TV contract?

MARK:

So I think we had an excellent meeting with the team owners the Thursday before the race in Indy and got some more inputs, which were very useful. They're going to cause us to, I think, tweak things some. And soon, maybe next couple weeks, we'll find another time for another owner meeting and give them our revised thoughts based on that conversation a couple weeks ago. And TV's about the same time frame. It's close. We're getting there. But listen, these things aren't done until they're done. I mean, signed and done. And so it's kind of taken shape, I think, in some ways. But we're just going to keep focused on getting it done and not talking about it until we're ready.

BRUCE:

Well, Mark Miles, it was certainly an Indianapolis 500 to remember. One for the ages, as I said. A terrific race. Had to wait a while to get there, but it happened and it was fantastic. Congratulations on a great month of May. Good luck in charting the course, the onward-upward course for IndyCar in the future, and thank you for joining us today on Pit Passing. Thanks, Bruce. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

SCOTT:

Hi, I'm Scott McLaughlin, driver of the number three team Penske Chevy, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. Just a few days after the 108th Indianapolis 500 concluded, it was off to the streets of Detroit for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Bud Denker is the president of the Penske Corporation and the vice chairman of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. He joins me for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview to talk about the success of the race from a business standpoint and the challenges the layout and street course created for the drivers. It's a happy Penske Corporation President Bud Denker joining us now after the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Second year you had it, huge buzz in downtown Detroit. Second year it's been on the streets of Detroit. The race itself was pretty action-packed, maybe a little more action-packed than a lot of people would have liked to have seen, but how do you assess the way the second Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the streets of downtown Detroit, when?

BUD:

Well, I would answer that question from a perspective of a couple avenues. First of all, from a fan perspective, our revenue going into today, which is Sunday today, was up 10%. So we know it's better than what it was last year. And we had a very good, if you know, a very good number last year as well, too. So that's good news. Our chalets, we had five that weren't sold out last year, all sold out this year. So you add that to the equation as well. That's a great success. So those were gone. And then the other piece of it was the, you mentioned the action on the racetrack. We had 180 passes last year. And this year we had over 200 passes, despite 15 more laps under caution. Imagine if those laps weren't under caution, we could have been 240 passes. Um, so it showed it's, it's metal that the track did once again, it being only a 1.7 mile track, but having that many passing areas is pretty amazing.

BRUCE:

There was that part of the race where it seemed like restart after restart after restart ended up with a crash. Turn three, turn five maybe. What do you see as the reason why that happened during that portion of the race? Because it took about an hour before we really got back to some serious green flag laps.

BUD:

First, the turn three was repaved this year, so it allowed a lot more deeper breaking than last year. People could not break the way they did this year last year. And that was a complaint that we got back from the drivers to say, can you help us while we're going deeper? Some folks went in way too deep. and as a result of that spun somebody out and you saw the number of penalties given on that. So I think that was one reason was the repaving job we did. The other part of it was, you know, we had some moisture in the track for a while there. Scotty McLaughlin just lost it in Turn 1 one time, right? So I think some of those factors were because of the environment that was faced with them today, a little bit of moisture here and there that caused it. But also, there were just some daring passes that we hadn't seen this past year. I mean, Colton Hurd, his attempt to turn, to pass in turn five, didn't make it so well. You saw some of that going on here. So, you know, I put it in the driver's hands, obviously, the competitor's hands, but from a promoter perspective, the fans loved it. From an owner perspective, probably not so, because they got a lot of damaged cars this year.

BRUCE:

But from a promoter perspective, the crowd, the corporate hospitality suites, The way TV handled it, the way the city embraced it, how much more of that did we have this year than last year?

BUD:

Yeah, I think last year, first of all, was a new event, right? So people were questioning what it's going to be to come downtown. And the fact that half of the circuit is open for free, people got a sample of it last year and now they had a real taste of it based upon what happened last year. Their friends talked about it, we talked about it in the media a lot, the fact that, come down and check it out, they did that last year and they returned this year and they brought a lot more friends we think as well as a result of that. Our numbers, revenue-wise, were up 10%, I mentioned. What they were in terms of walk-up because of the people that were free, it was definitely up. What it was up, I don't know yet, but it was definitely up. So those are all positive signs for us in terms of this positive. This thing's gonna build itself. This event is gonna build upon itself each year, and especially after the success we saw this year on track with the action and the excitement. We're gonna have a great event next year.

BRUCE:

The value of it being the week after the Indianapolis 500, I look at that as a really good advantage for you guys. Obviously, that's a date that you don't want to give up.

BUD:

Right. We're not going to give that up for a number of reasons. We're not going to give it up because of the momentum you get from the draft of having that. following week, but also we're not going to give it up because our event is a very corporate event with 73 chalets and every one of those corporations want to fill their chalet with customers and vendors, whoever it may be. If our event was a week later, we would miss that because school gets out here in Michigan this coming week. And if we were to go a week late, we would miss the opportunity for our sponsors to have their chalets filled with people.

BRUCE:

You came up with a couple of different ideas for this year's race that you didn't have the first year. One was Victory Lane being elevated in front of one of the, right over one of the bridges at Pit Out. The other was monetizing the parking decks because it's a great view up there. They can see the race course and both the dual pit lanes, the only dual pit lane of any track on the IndyCar schedule. Just the ability to add that to the spectator experience. How important was that?

BUD:

You know, Michael Montroy's idea was to add that extension off of the bridge over pit lane. And now you have a kind of Le Mans type of feel where the winners all go up, celebrate, get their trophies, and spray champagne to all those hundreds or thousands of people down below the track. That was cool. And so we're gonna continue with that idea. The drivers all absolutely loved it. Pato walked up to me, he goes, man, it's the best idea I've seen Bud on any track in a long time when he first saw it on Friday afternoon. So that was a great idea. But also you mentioned the parking decks. Last year, each parking deck around our, I call it the stadium, around our pit lane were full of people. And we looked up there, Michael and I said, hmm, they're probably all in there for free. So this year we had tailgating spots that we've sold. You get a 40 by 40 foot tailgating spot, and that tailgating spot allowed you X number of tickets you could also get to make it absolutely full of tailgaters, but also on the top deck you had a party going on every one. We had three party decks this year. Last year we had one. So that all added to our revenue and also added to the excitement of the fan.

BRUCE:

You also returned to Victory Lane, one of the greats in IndyCar racing history, Scott Dixon, his fourth victory in the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, but his first on the actual streets of downtown Detroit, his other three were out at Bell Isle. But just to have a name like Scott Dixon as a winner of this race with Detroit, how valuable is that as a promoter?

BUD:

Yeah, you know, Scott said he's, you know, one of the greatest of all time, right? Certainly in our current era, he's the greatest. And he's also a class gentleman as well, right? I mean, I had a great conversation with him afterwards. We text each other when he wins as well, and when we do well, he texts me. So I give him a lot of credit for that. Despite being a fierce competitor, Team Penske, he's also a great ambassador for our sport. So you're right. To have him be a champion is terrific for our series and terrific for our event here in Detroit. And I'm sure we'll leverage his popularity going forward.

BRUCE:

Now beyond that, Scott finished third in the Indianapolis 500 this year. He wins the race. But beyond that, we saw a little bit of a flip. In that the winner of the Indianapolis 500 for the second straight year, Josef new garden ended up next to last. Cause he hit the wall there toward the end of the race, had some suspension damage. He finishes down toward the bottom and the driver who finished last and last week's Indianapolis 500, Marcus Ericcson finishes second. So in a lot of ways that offered the ability to, for these drivers to either redeem themselves or discover what it's like on the other end of the grid.

BUD:

Yeah, no doubt about it. Josef had a tough day. So Will Power had a tough day. A number of penalties he had as well, too. So yeah, I was happy for Marcus Ericcson. He's had a tough, tough month qualifying, barely getting into the 500. being the first guy out, no fault of his own, obviously, in the first corner of the first lap. Had some problems here, as you saw early in the week, also, in Bell, and here in Detroit early on Friday. So, happy to see him redeem some momentum he had as well. You know, there's a stat I saw earlier today that said the winner of the Indy 500 has an average finish in Detroit of 9.3. Well, Probably 11 points for you now, after today.

BRUCE:

Well, I think a lot of that has to do with your, you're the winner of the Indianapolis 500. You've got a lot of responsibilities that come the days afterwards. Hey, even those of us who were in the month of May in Indianapolis, you get up here, it's a little, it gets a little, you get a little tired. Yeah.

BUD:

I'm not the whole week. And he, and Josef will admit that. And I'll admit it myself too, based upon this past week of, uh, so you're right. And that's, and that leads to a lot of it as well too. So tough day for him, but long season ahead.

BRUCE:

One other thing, Santino Ferrucci had a lot of action on the track during the practices and qualifying. I guess as a promoter, that's got to help you get a little bit of attention sometimes.

BUD:

Yeah, I saw some of that. shenanigans in pit lane, I guess, after, right? And I'm not sure what happened on the racetrack today. I didn't see all of it. But I know a couple of the owners were not happy with some of the actions. So I got to go back and look at what happened.

BRUCE:

It just goes to show how fierce the action is on this track, whether it be the race qualifications or practice.

BUD:

Yeah, I think you're going to see this race develop into this track develop into its own as far as a tough, aggressive, take no prisoners track. And now we've seen it now for two years in a row. We went from 180 passes to over 200 passes. So, you know, what's that another 10, 15% more passes yet? more yellows at the same time. Probably 30% more yellows it sounded like. Despite that, we had more passes on the racetrack. So that proves that this is a very capable racetrack.

BRUCE:

As the president of the Penske Corporation, you're just not involved in the racing business. You're involved in Penske business, automotive dealerships, truck rentals, all kinds of different transportation entities. Six weeks ago, things looked pretty grim after the disqualification of Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin. You as a corporate executive, what's that like when something like that happens that you don't want it to impact the company?

BUD:

You know, you never want those things to impact your reputation right or your brand you know roger of course is one of the most respected people in the world because of his integrity and his reputation and of course our company stands behind that our company is named penske right so um what happens as a result of those things are reflection upon our company um but like i say we have So far, we've moved beyond those situations now. It was tough on a lot of us, it was hard on a lot of us, but now we've moved beyond it and focusing on Road America next week as well as our NASCAR.

BRUCE:

Well, you moved beyond it in a way that it ended up being a dominant month of May at the Indianapolis 500. You swept the front row. You bet. Only the second time in history of that race that the same team's done it. The first time it was Team Penske. This year it was Team Penske. And oh, by the way, Josef Newgarden becomes a back-to-back Indianapolis 500 winner for the first time since Elio Castroneves in 2001, 2002. So in a lot of ways, there has to be just tremendous satisfaction experiencing the valleys and the peaks.

BUD:

No doubt about it. And those things happen all the time. It happens in business. It happens in personal life. It happens in anybody's situation. So we experienced those highs. We experienced the lows. We experienced mid-business every day, highs and lows somewhere in the world. But the point is, how do you react? How do you respond? And how do you learn from it? And that's the key thing for us as a company.

BRUCE:

Speaking of valleys and peaks, 2020, you can't even have fans at the Indy 500. You got to run it on August 23rd. Empty grandstands. And within three years, you end up having crowds close to 350,000. This year's crowd, obviously the biggest since the 100th in 2016. I guess in a lot of ways, that's a true valley and peak.

BUD:

No doubt about it. You're absolutely right. And especially for us who had just acquired the Speedway with a business plan of 300,000 people, and we had zero financially. So yeah, we've redeemed ourselves. The customer has come back. You saw how strong it was this year. And the real amazing part of this year's 500 was the people that hung around through a four-hour delay, did not go home, despite the fact we lifted the blackout down there, stayed around to watch compelling racing, and it was one of the most exciting races ever.

BRUCE:

And the other thing, our friends at Hy-Vee returned during the month of June to help co-sponsor Pit Pass Indy. And in a few hours here, you're going to get ready to go to Iowa to get ready to get that race ready, the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway. I call it one of the highlights of the summer in sports. because it's just a dramatic, it's an entertainment extravaganza. But just how long do you have before you've got to get ready to go to Iowa? And you and Michael Montrey start thinking, all right, time to get this place ready for the big weekend in July.

BUD:

Well, fortunately, we've got a great partner in Hy-Vee who provides a lot of manpower to that event. If you see the red shirts around there, they provide us a lot of support. But our team, we'll debrief this week. One of our team members, Jamie Kuhl, is going to Milwaukee. She heads there next week because she's focusing on Milwaukee. Michael and our team will be in focusing on Iowa. I go to Iowa June 25th. Michael's going to be out there for a few days that week too. So we're shifting there quickly. Of course, I got Lamar between now and then, but you know, we're underway. Then we also remember we have a NASCAR race before our event this year as well. So a lot of the infrastructure that Hy-Vee is building needs to be in place by that NASCAR race, not just before our race. So you're going to see a lot of construction happening right now, right away, based upon the NASCAR race coming up.

BRUCE:

To be able to cultivate a sponsor like Hy-Vee, it's almost like the fit between Penske Corporation and Hy-Vee is a perfect fit. Just when you look at how well that whole thing has grown, how do you feel?

BUD:

Yeah, you know, first of all, thanks for Bobby Rahal and his team to bring that partner to the sport. The great thing about Hy-Vee and our organization is we have shared values. We really do. High integrity. We've got great brands. The culture they have with people matches up so well with our company. And from Randy Edeker and Jeremy Gosch and Donna and Anna, all their senior team, Beyond the fact that we're partners, we're very, very good friends. And that's typically how we run in our company with our partners. Our average partner has been around 14 years. They don't just go away because of what they hang on for a long time. And I would say the biggest reason why is because of our shared values and Hy-Vee has that. They have excellence in their presentation, and so do we, I hope, here in Detroit. So, great partner, can't thank them enough, and we're gonna have a hell of a show in Iowa this year with the acts of Luke Combs and Eric Church and Post Malone and Kelsey Ballerini. That's just an amazing lineup again this year that they're helping us promote.

BRUCE:

And for those of us at Pit Pass Indy, we also appreciate the ability to partner with such companies with integrity, such as Penske Truck Rental and Hy-Vee. It's a great partnership, and we really appreciate it.

BUD:

Well, we appreciate your support here, Bruce, for supporting our sport and supporting where we go when we go to these places, especially when we go to Iowa here in a few weeks. So next week is Road America, and we move on.

BRUCE:

And speaking of which, we do move on. But before we move on, congratulations on an outstanding Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Penske Corporation President Bud Danker. Congratulations on that. Good luck at the Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you, Bruce. And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental and Hy-Vee. We want to thank our guests, Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix race winner Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing, Paddle Ward of Arrow McLaren, and Team Penske Drivers Will Power and Scott McLaughlin. Also, Penske Entertainment President and CEO Mark Miles and Penske Corporation President Bud Denker 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 and Hy-Vee, your path to victory lane in IndyCar. On the highways, the raceways, and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward. Gain ground with Penske. And for all your shopping needs, be sure to visit your local Hy-Vee, where there's a helpful smile in every aisle. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at Twitter 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 Poyn and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Dave Douglas. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.

Hide Transcript