Special Indianapolis 500 Edition with Christian Lundgaard, 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, seven-time Indianapolis 500 winning team owner Chip Ganassi and much more from the Indy 500

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

Bruce Martin: 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 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, 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 as we continue our sixth season of giving IndyCar fans an inside look at the most exciting form of racing on the planet, the NTT IndyCar Series. We welcome back our friends from Penske Truck Rental who return as the presenting sponsor of Pit Pass Indy. Penske Truck Rental helps Pit Pass Indy bring you the inside stories of IndyCar from the paddock to the racetrack to the highways and streets of America. And this season, Penske Truck Rental and Pit Pass Indy help celebrate Team Penske's 60th anniversary. There is no bigger racing event in the history of Team Penske than the Indianapolis 500, as the team has won the world's biggest race a record 20 times. This year, Team Penske is going for Indy 500 win number 21, as the month of May has arrived. Tuesday, May 12th, was opening day for the 110th Indianapolis 500, and Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, is at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, gathering exclusive interviews, leading into the greatest spectacle in racing, race day on May 24th. Indy 500 practice continues Wednesday and Thursday. Fast Friday is May 15th when teams get to turn up the boost for qualification weekend. First round qualifications that determine Sunday's Fast 15 are Saturday, May 16th. New to this year's format is a Top 15 round that was announced on Monday, May 11th. The 15 fastest cars out of that qualification round returned the following day to determine the Fast 12 and then the Fast 6. Out of those six fastest qualifiers, each entry takes one more four-lap qualification attempt around the 2.5 mile oval with the fastest driver winning the famed Indianapolis 500 pole. Carb Day is scheduled for Friday, May 22nd, the final two-hour practice session before the race. Legends Day features the public driver's meeting on Saturday, May 23rd, before the biggest racing event of the year, the legendary Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24th. This year's race is about to be sold out, so if you have plans to attend, better act quickly before it's too late. Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for last weekend's Sanzio Grand Prix on the 2.439-mile 14-turn road course. It was a wild race that included a major controversy when Alexander Rossi's No. 20 Chevrolet had a hybrid failure, and he came to a stop near the start-finish line on lap 21. IndyCarRaceControl called for a local yellow instead of a full course caution, and several drivers, including the top two drivers at that time, Alex Pillow and Kyle Kirkwood, thought it was a full course yellow, which meant the pits would be closed. By keeping it a local yellow, teams were in the middle of a green flag pit stop sequence and IndyCar wanted to allow that to complete instead of putting drivers yet to pit at a disadvantage. But it also left Rossi in a vulnerable position on the highest speed portion of the race course. Rossi and team owner Ed Carpenter were furious. On Tuesday, IndyCar Officiating issued a change to its caution procedure and said it will issue a full course caution without regard to a pit stop sequence. Although that can have a negative impact on competition, creating a potential split field if a pit stop sequence is started, in the interest of safety, it was the right call to make. Palou and Kirkwood were already past pit lane when IndyCar called for a full course caution and with the pits closed, they were the last two drivers to make a stop. Once the pits were open during caution, Palou and Kirkwood returned to the end of the line behind the cars that had previously pitted. Palou eventually finished fifth and Kirkwood finished ninth. Christian Lungard of Arrow McLaren won the race, his second career IndyCar series win. Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, has two exclusive interviews with Lungard. The first was entering the weekend when I caught up with the driver on Thursday. Christian Lungard's joined us now. And Christian, everybody talks about how great it is to run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway because of the Indianapolis 500, but your IndyCar career really began on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. So just how special is it when you come back for a race on the IMS road course, which you've done quite well in?

Christian Lundgaard: Yeah, I mean, I think all my years at Ray Hall, obviously, it was the place that I looked forward coming to because we knew we had a good car and kind of carried that mindset into last year with Aaron McLaren. And I think we just had a super tough weekend from a managing expectation standpoint. And I think the pace was there. We didn't really get a lot in qualifying because we screwed up on strategy and that obviously just made it a very frustrating weekend in many ways. But it never changed my mindset of coming in here. I think it's just coming in with a little more open mind and just be happy, you know, to be here and be excited. I think we have a strong car. I know that I've shared the podium here with Paddo in the past, so I'm pretty excited for this year.

Bruce Martin: It's not the Indianapolis 500, but in some ways it's kind of built up its own tradition. What is it that you really like about kicking off the month of May with the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

Christian Lundgaard: I honestly think the main thing is to drive down the main straight and look into the stands and see them empty and know in about three weeks they're going to be packed.

Bruce Martin: And is the arrival here of the month of May, I don't want to say you ease into the month because First day here for the Grand Prix is pretty hectic. It's like you've got two practice sessions then qualifying. So what is it like though to start off the month with that before changing everything around and going fast?

Christian Lundgaard: Yeah, I mean, I think the shift from the road course to the speedway I think is the bigger shift. You know, the road course is any other race that we do throughout the year and we're down to a lot fewer super speedways than one in the past, but also when I started in the series with Texas. So I think just driving around out there for the road course, it's another race we want to win. We want to be the best at. And obviously the 500 we're all excited for. It's the month of May. It's the one we all want to win. And just thinking about and reflecting on the… I was listening to a podcast with Hinchcliffe the other day, if he wanted to come back and if he ever had the offer. And his words were… It takes so much out of you, because you have to be so dedicated to the entire month. And I think that's why we all enjoy it, because we have this build-up in the beginning of the year to May, and we're so excited. I think that's why you see a lot of team members, drivers exhausted in the second half of the season, because all the energy is being put into May.

Bruce Martin: When you came here for your first race, you were already a confident kid from Europe. But did you impress yourself with that weekend because you really looked good and it turned into a full-time ride in IndyCar?

Christian Lundgaard: Yeah, I've said this a few times actually. I remember showing up for that race and how the weekend turned out obviously. On Monday after that weekend, I was like, well, IndyCar is pretty easy. Let's just say I figured out otherwise when I joined the series in 22. I think that was the right introduction for me because I kind of got a little bit of a reality check at the time. But having done that race, it reminded me so much of what I fell in love with in racing when I grew up. I've never really looked back since joining IndyCar. It's the place I want to be. It's the place I want to compete. And this is where I want to be competitive.

Bruce Martin: And finally, how well prepared do you feel you are in 2026 for the Indianapolis 500? I think better prepared than any other race so far this year or in my career. Christian Lundgaard, good luck this May. Thank you. In the race, Lundgaard drove with fierce determination. And how did the race leader, David Maloukas, sizing him up before making the race winning pass with a bold, brilliant, and aggressive move? It was the best part of the race as Lungard tried to draft past Maloukis entering Turn 1 and went side-by-side through the turn. Maloukis maintained the advantage before Lungard pulled alongside in a fierce battle and went to the outside to make the pass for the lead in Turn 4 with 18 laps to go. It was a brilliant display of racing by the two drivers. Here is my exclusive interview with Sanzio Grand Prix winner Christian Lungard for Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. I'm really happy that our next guest is somebody that we interviewed entering the weekend, asking about your chances in the Sanzio Grand Prix, because your career really started on this course back in 2021. But now we can finally introduce you as a Sanzio Grand Prix race winner. It's Christian Lungard of Arrow McLaren. How great does it feel to be able to finally win here? Because this course has meant so much to you in your IndyCar career.

Christian Lundgaard: Yeah, I mean, I think you kind of said it yourself there, you know, for what, five years now, I've tried. I guess it's actually six years around this track and come close many times, qualified very well, raced less well. In many ways, I always kind of think my first race was my best chance back in 2021. Unfortunately, we all had food poisoning. So that wasn't going to be the one, but it feels nice, it feels great. Just, you know, very kind of sad and disappointed in how the race ended for Pato in the beginning, because I would have loved to have that fight with Pato at the end of the race instead of David. Because I think that would have been nice for both of us in many ways, but… Good results, obviously. I'm just so happy for the seven car. First win for the seven.

Christian Lundgaard: It's the first win this year that we've had, and obviously it's at the right time, the beginning of the month of May.

Bruce Martin: It's not just that you won here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, it's the way you won here. It was a great pass. A great battle that you had with Team Penske's David Maloukas. In a lot of ways, you didn't just win this race, you earned it. And to be able to have a racer's pass to win a race like that, how satisfying is that for you?

Christian Lundgaard: Very. You know, at the end of the day, I've had so many questions. Would you want to win by 30 seconds or do you want to win on a dramatic last lap pass? At the end of the day, I don't really care as long as I win. And sure, for the fans, I think the dramatic last lap pass will be way more interesting. But, you know, we're also here to just win races in many ways. This one feels good. It was done in the right way. We were put on the back foot at the beginning of the race. I'll almost say that obviously David and Kirkwood were kind of handed some positions in the beginning of the race. How the strategy ended up playing out with the people that pitted and didn't pit. I don't know how that all worked out. I'm going to have to go watch the race because I saw a yellow. And I never got the full caution on the dash, so obviously it wasn't full caution at the time, and I got very confused why the first kind of cars didn't come in. If they had just simply crossed, fit in, commit, I don't know. But it was a little bit of a confusing time.

Bruce Martin: You were talking about the incident where Alexander Rossi came to a stop on the front stretch and rather than call a full course yellow, IndyCar called a local yellow, kind of left Alexander Rossi in a precarious spot there. And then I assume they were trying to keep the pits open for everybody to pit. Alex Polo didn't pit. So when they did go full course yellow, that put him at the end of the line. Now it was an all new race. But in a lot of ways, he races way back to fifth place. So I believe It was either you or Graham Rahal that said at the end of the race, you had all the fast cars out there battling at the end anyway. So how important was that to know that your car, matched against all the others, was fast when it needed to be fast at that stage in the race?

Christian Lundgaard: Yeah, I mean, the amount of times Kyle Moir told me that I was the fastest car on track, I honestly didn't really believe it because… I knew how fast the 10 car was, and obviously I was, ironically enough, for the last 15 laps I was watching all the TV screens around, kind of watching the race. I saw Santino spin in the snake and, you know, obviously praying to God that a yellow didn't come out at that time, because it was two laps to go. I didn't want to have a red flag to a green flag finish there at the end, you know, one lap shootout, so… Yeah, I mean, obviously Alex coming back to fifth is very much an Alex thing to do, right? He has the pace.

Bruce Martin: But you made the race winning pass with 15 to go in turn four with an outside move. And a lot of people in racing consider that that's a place where you probably can't pull that pass off, but you were able to do it. Why were you able to do it?

Christian Lundgaard: I mean, Malouk was on his first time by. So he had just done an out lap and he was on his first lap at the time. I knew his tires weren't really up to temp. Ours were at the time. We were trimmed, they were not, which made 14 a lot easier for him. I think we had a little more straight line speed than he did. Set him up nicely, one through two. I was going to do a slingshot going into the inside for four. He seemed a little slow through the kink. I don't know if he was trying to back me up because he thought I was right behind him. And then I was like, okay, I'm just going to go for it. You know, there are certain drivers that you don't do that with. Dave has always been very respectful. And I think for him to get a podium in the 12 Verizon is obviously pretty cool for him too.

Bruce Martin: So just what was it about this course when you arrived that you have suited your style so well that here you are, it's really been your signature race course in IndyCar. I wish I knew.

Christian Lundgaard: I mean, why have I been fast in many places? I don't really know. And why have I been slow in many places? I also don't know.

Bruce Martin: And two questions as we wrap up. This race really doesn't carry anything into the Indianapolis 500 because you're going in the opposite direction. It's a high-speed oval. This is a road course. But just to be able to have the boost to going into the start of the Indianapolis 500 practice as a winner at Indianapolis, how much does that really boost your confidence level?

Christian Lundgaard: I think just the status of being a winner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is something that I'll bring to the grave. But obviously, the 500 is a completely different race. I mean, I'm not really thinking of Tuesday practice yet. I'm still kind of thinking through this race and was there things we could have done better? Could we have done different? And I think that's where we've been very strong on the seven car is analyzing and understanding what we could and should have done different. And how could we have given ourselves a better chance of winning any race? And obviously we did so today, but I guarantee you right now, we're going to go back and we're going to say, how could we have won by 10 seconds?

Bruce Martin: And finally, when Herm Edwards was coaching in the NFL, the famous quote, that's why you play the game. A lot of times this weekend, a lot of people wanted to go ahead and mail Alex Pillow the trophy because they figured with the poll, the way he won it, that he was going to end up winning the race, continue his streak. But I guess you proved today, this is why you race the race.

Christian Lundgaard: Yeah, I mean, for sure. The race ain't over till the flags are being waved. That's what I love about IndyCar, and I think this proves it. One, you can win in IndyCar, you can win from anywhere in the field. Obviously, we saw Colton Hurd win here the wet race in 22. where he did the unthinkable and going on the slicks very early in the race and came out in the front and won the race. Obviously, it wasn't as easy from there onwards, but we saw Marcus Eriksson back in 21 in Nashville fly over the back of a car, having two drive-throughs. I actually did my debut the following weekend here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and I fell asleep doing that race, and I woke up, he won the race. Because I was jet lagged and I thought when I saw that I was like, there is no way he won that race. But that is IndyCar. Everybody has a chance and that's why I love it.

Bruce Martin: Well, Christian Lundgaard, Errol McLaren, I know how much this victory means to you. Congratulations on winning the Sanzio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Good luck in the 110th Indianapolis 500. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. Appreciate it. Thank you. There was a moment on Pitt Lane afterwards when driver Roman Grosjean had an angry and animated conversation with Marcus Armstrong of Meyers Schenck Racing. Several crew members for Armstrong intervened. Naturally, I asked Armstrong his thoughts on the animated conversation with Grosjean. So what happened with you and Roman? Sorry, but we've got to ask.

Marcus Armstong: Is everyone going to ask this question, or is it… Are we all going to ask it separately, or can I just say it once? Say it once. Well, I mean… Yes, sure. Look, Roman and I are friends, firstly, so I'm not too bothered about it. We're kind of… We are matey-matey off the track, for sure. On this occasion, I mean… You know, I've had to sort of switch up my training a bit. I was doing some planking, now I'm thinking about taking up boxing. But, in all seriousness, it's not a problem. We just had a bit of a kerfuffle on track. I did dive bomb him and it was a clean move, but we kind of made contact and I was fully up alongside him and we made contact. Whatever happens, IndyCar racing. And, I mean, afterwards he was pretty angry, but… I don't know. What do you want to know? I kind of had a feeling he was going to be unhappy because on the in-lap, he kind of chopped me on the in-lap. But, you know, things like this happen all the time in motorsport when people are angry about it. I don't often get a reaction like that, and I certainly wouldn't react like that. That's just him, you know, like, and I'm sure, I haven't actually spoken to him since, but we're still gonna be mates and we're still gonna be, yeah, just having a laugh whenever we see each other. For sure, I mean, I don't know if you've seen my fueller. He is one of the largest human beings that warps the planet. I'll send you a photo of him. I don't know if he was an O-lineman or a linebacker. I know he played for the Packers. He looks like the poster boy for Benchpress. But no, that's why I'm kind of surprised, like, Roman came down there with zero backup. As he often does. Does he do that often?

Bruce Martin: He gets pretty upset easily.

Marcus Armstong: Well, that's fine. That's being a racing car driver. I appreciate the emotion, honestly. It's not my style to sort of get into a fight. I'm more of a lover, not a fighter. But… That's him and I'm fully okay with that. We're still gonna be friends. No, I didn't think so. But I also thought if he did hit me, it'd probably be for his detriment because I've got like a team of people around me. Rory thought he would, my guy, because he saw him coming down the pit lane in a bit of a hurry. So Rory came chasing after him.

Bruce Martin: Elio Castroneves is an owner-partner at Meyers Schenck Racing. I asked Castroneves why he didn't try to intercede when Grosjean approached Armstrong after the race. How come you weren't there to get Garg Marcus' back when Roman was down there the other day? It was Jim Meyer instead.

Helio Castroneves: I'm normally staying on the 60, not Marcus, but Rosenquist stand. So once he was retired, I I said, OK, let them run the program. And when I saw that on TV, I saw G. Meyer puffing out the chest. I'm like, whoa, I don't want to go near G. Meyer when he put the chest out. So I said, you know what? I think they handled the situation fine. No problem. Yeah, but you went after Charles Burns and Edmonton that time. Those are my good days, right? You know what? I saw Charles is here back again. So it was really fun to see him back again.

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

Josef Newgarden: 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 Martin: Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. And now let's turn our focus to the 110th Indianapolis 500. This week is about building speed around the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but teams will also spend the first few days of practice preparing their setup for the race. With Josef Newgarden leading us back from the break, let's get Newgarden's thoughts on returning to the Indianapolis 500 after a disappointing 2025. He had to start the race at the back of the pack because of a penalty when the team had modified the rear attenuator. But on race day, Newgarden may have had the fastest car in the race and was on a charge to the front. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner wants to complete that journey to the front on race day in 2026. As you said in testing, last year you were coming, you were coming from the back. So are you going to complete the journey this year?

Josef Newgarden: I hope so. I mean, I don't have a crystal ball, but you know, if we get an opportunity like we did last year, I think we'll be in a good spot. Every year is different, though. You know, there's maybe not been as many changes year over year, but I think you just got to be you know, open to the possibility to that work. What worked last year might not work this year. I'm always thinking that. So, you know, today we'll just get our, can I say, we'll get our feet wet and see, you know, see how things feel and then hopefully adjust from there with a good car.

Bruce Martin: Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin is another driver looking for redemption in this year's Indianapolis 500. He spun out while warming his tires on the pace lap of last year's Indy 500. He hit the infield retaining wall and was out of the race before it ever began. I caught up with McLaughlin on Indy 500 opening day to get his thoughts on returning to Indy in 2026 to put that demon behind him.

Scott McLaughlin: Oh, I mean, a while. I mean, it was pretty hard for sure. I mean, I said at the time, like, I wouldn't wish, I wish I'm my worst enemy, and it was definitely the worst thing ever. But at the same time, I feel like I really grew from it. And, you know, I really understood, you know, watched it back a bunch of times now and just really starting to, it still hurts, but like, you know, I've definitely learned from it. Last year was pretty tough in general, and I felt like, you know, we're in a good spot this year. The adverse, you know, what's the word? Yeah, adversity that we've gone through the last little bit, you know, I think it's made us pretty strong for, what's up, man, for a bit. So, yeah, we're gonna be good. Yeah, it was. I mean, I felt like I wasted a really good opportunity and an opportunity for someone else that could have made the race as well, and I didn't even start, you know. So I felt a bit of embarrassment in that regard, you know, and for my team, obviously, and my family and my friends that showed up. It was that embarrassment that you hate, but at the same time, All those people had my back, even today, and we started fresh this year. I really think there's no reason why I can't come out and win. Just have good people. Yeah, it is what it is. I knew at some point, it's just a story, I've just got to create another storyline. I knew at some point when I come back here, these are the questions I was going to get. It's just part and parcel of the sport we're in. But I've got an opportunity this month to create different storylines, and I'm excited to do that. I've watched it multiple times. I'm more prepped than I probably ever have been. And I've watched it from the part where I've crashed. It's part of it. It's part of getting over it. Getting over the grief, you could say. But I've learned a lot. And I really needed to understand last year's race because of the hybrid and all that stuff. And I feel very prepared. It sucks watching my part. But at the same time, it's like, OK, well, You know, I learned from everything and it was Alex's time and hopefully it's my time this year. I don't know. To this day, I don't know. I mean, for sure, was I a little aggressive on the warm-up? Perhaps. But at the same time, the amount of dudes that texted me after the race and said, like, it nearly happened to me as well. I think it was just one of those ones where me and my wife talked about it. Like, maybe someone higher up didn't want me in that race and you just got to roll with it.

Bruce Martin: Cheers, guys. Bye. One of McLaughlin's friends is NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace of 2311 Racing, who likes to tease the Team Penske driver for his pace lap spin out from last year's Indy 500.

Scott McLaughlin: No, no, he's just, he's a wanker. Yeah, yeah, nah, nah, nah. No, we're good mates. Yeah, I mean, he's getting pumped by his teammate right now, so I'm not really worried. But no, no, no. We're great friends, and that's his sense of humor, and I love the guy more than most.

Bruce Martin: Elio Castroneves is a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner who celebrated his 51st birthday on Sunday, May 10th. Castroneves returns to the Indy 500 with Meyer Schenck Racing as he attempts to become the first five-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.

Helio Castroneves: It's always great. It's always great to be back again. This place brings me amazing memories But after the open test, I thought wow, this is a it comes with a little more Plus energy, you know, so you feel You feel good. You feel good that the team, especially my group, I'm talking about not only the team, because the team is doing an amazing job, as you can see through the qualifying and races. So I think they're 10th and 11th on the championship, which show that MSR really improved the last couple of years. And in my group, I had the same engineer, the same mechanics, one new crew chief, which seemed to be incredible. So all the pieces are putting together. And when we did the open test, you know these cars, when they stay, away from a year, technology is really incredible. So sometimes you have a wire issues or electronic issues, everything went really smooth. So I'm pumped, I'm ready to go. I refuse to people say that you can't do it. And it's just gonna work extremely hard and put all the little details together. And I think that's where I'm good at it. And that's what I believe the team this year, especially my group, did it. So looking forward to another great race. Last year, when I finished the race, I tell you what, I was already thinking about this year. I was actually angry a little bit because it was a lot of small mistakes. And even the small mistakes, we still finish in the top 10. And that's where my frustration came in, because the car was excellent. The setup was really good. And they did everything it was supposed to do, except some small mistakes. So I said, look, if you want to win this race, you've got to do like we did in 2021 and be flawless. So let's work on that. And that's why it makes me think about this year.

Bruce Martin: Castroneves was asked when he won his first Indianapolis 500 in 2001, when the realization of that moment actually settled in.

Helio Castroneves: When I came to my probably interview with David Letterman and introduced me as a Indy 500 champion, not my name. And that was like, all right, I think I did something. Because one, I think one year before, I won in Detroit and, you know, Philip Morris, Susan Bradshaw, we used to try to do all the things. Nobody, nobody even cared that I was, I won Detroit. The same people a year later said, we welcome you. And so I realized that was a big deal. Look, each one has a very special feeling, but I used to talk to Rick about that and I think the last one probably is the most meaningful for several reasons. in our case was the number four, the way he did it with a new team. And probably because when we get old, you start forgetting things. It's closer to your memory. But yeah, the last one seems to be fresher. Like I said, my celebration sometimes comes with the spur of the moment, so hopefully that will be the case. So in your heart, 09, the win in 09 has to be pretty important, too. Like I said, each one was extremely important. 09, I can't thank enough for Roger to give my life back. Philip Morris, actually. Mike Szymanski is the one that authorized him to put me back in the car. So if you think about all the pieces and people together that made things happen in my life, in my career, I'm so glad to be surrounded by great individuals. Thank you.

Bruce Martin: Renas VeeKay of June Coast Hollinger Racing is one of the best qualifiers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As a 19-year-old in 2020, VeeKay qualified inside of row two and remains the fastest teenager in Indy 500 history. He qualified third in 2021 and 2022, was the second fastest in 2023, and started seventh in 2024. Last year was VeeKay's lowest qualification effort and was the slowest qualifier in the Dale Coyne racing car, scheduled to start 33rd before he was moved over to 31st, when Team Penske's willpower and Josef Newgarden were penalized. VeeKay is back with his eyes on the front row as he explains to me why he does so well in Indy 500 qualifications. You've been real good at qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. You're with a different team. Do you expect that trend to continue? And if so, what are you going to have to do?

Rinus VeeKay: Yes, I have always liked qualifying here. Last year wasn't my greatest start, but I think here with JHR, Connor made the Fast 12 last year. I think we've got a shot to do it again, not with the different rules. I want to be Fast 9 coming out of Saturday, so I don't have to do that extra run on Sunday morning.

Bruce Martin: What do you think of the fast 15 or the round of 15 or whatever they're calling it, the new change since we don't have a reason to have a bump day?

Rinus VeeKay: It's a way to get some spice into it without having a bump day. So with Fox being an entertainment firm, we'll get entertainment. So that makes sense. VeeKay explained his game plan for the first week of practice. I mean, every day is important. You know, we will get a qualifying trim in, but it's still going to be a lot different. You know, the car will handle so much differently with the extra boost on Saturday. So, you know, we'll just go by our checklist. Yeah, it'll get a bit hotter, but we got data from previous years as well. We kind of know how this track behaves. Thanks, Reynos. Yeah, you're welcome.

Bruce Martin: Louis Foster of Rayhall Letterman Lanigan Racing was asked what he thinks of IndyCar adding another round, the round of 15, to this year's qualification format at the 110th Indianapolis 500.

Louie Foster: Yeah, I mean, I think the fact we don't have Bump Day sucks, firstly, right? I think everyone can agree on that, and I don't think I need to go speak any more on it. But what is good is IndieCars managed to find a way to fill out that Sunday, right? So I think it's a good change. I think it's a good addition, based on the circumstances we find ourselves in. I'm all for it. It's a bit weird where it's like top 15, then top 12, so only three people don't get through. So it kind of is a bit of a weird number they've chosen. But I mean, I think it's better than having nothing at all.

Bruce Martin: Marcus Armstrong is back and gives his thoughts as he prepares for his third Indianapolis 500.

Marcus Armstong: I feel a lot more relaxed this year. I think we're in a good spot because, like I said, it's such a long month that you can't overanalyze things, but because I have sort of a decent baseline of experience, I'm not too stressed about what I cannot control. And I'm gonna have fun with it too, you know? It's two weeks of fun around a speedway, so what's not to love?

Bruce Martin: What do you think of the added layer of qualifying on Sunday? Obviously, you don't want to be part of that mix, but now having the line go up down to 15 instead of 12 on Saturday. I know.

Marcus Armstong: I was thinking the guy who qualifies P10 is going to be, like, really mad because he's, like, he's consolidated himself enough to be there, but he has to go and do it again, if I'm right. I think it's cool. And we also, we have the tires to do it, so why not? Like, it's a better show for the fans as well. I think they're going to like it. I mean, qualifying at Indy, there's nothing quite like it in the entire world. As a racing driver, it's a completely different discipline. Can't wait.

Bruce Martin: But somebody could potentially hang it out three times that day, within a two-hour period, make three attempts. What do you think of that?

Marcus Armstong: I mean, it's your job, you know? It's your job to go and drive fast, keep your foot flat. I think it's equally as stressful for the engineers, because as the conditions change through the day, you have three very different cars. And also the wind will change, the temperature. That's going to be an engineer's… It will be stressful for the engineers, I imagine.

Bruce Martin: Armstrong was also asked what he thinks of IndyCar's policy update on full course cautions on road courses.

Marcus Armstong: My opinion on it was that they should have thrown the yellow straight away. And in fact, I thought they did because I saw on the TV it said caution. So even Romain in front of me backed off and Newgarden passed him. And I thought it was a full course yellow. Obviously, there's a car stranded on the straight. And I was surprised that it took so long to be thrown. But there was also debris on the track at the time as well, on the race line down at Turn 7, which is what they threw the yellow at, yellow for, and Long Beach. So I thought even a yellow would be thrown for that. Not sure why it wasn't. I think it's totally the right call to just throw a yellow when there is danger for the drivers because ultimately that's a straight. We're going, I don't know, 180 miles an hour and there's, you know, Rossi trying to jump out of his car. Like, that's kind of crazy. Like, safety needs to be the absolute priority in that scenario. How it plays out with strategy and all that, It's irrelevant. I think safety is the number one concern.

Bruce Martin: David Maloukas finished second for Team Penske in Saturday's Sanzio Grand Prix, giving him a tremendous boost heading into the Indianapolis 500, his first for team owner Roger Penske. So how much did Saturday help boost your confidence to get started here for the 500? Completely different race, nothing translates, but it's still the speedway, it's still a big deal.

David Malukas: Yeah, for sure, we still get the momentum, you know. Actually, Team Penske did a video for me, you know, talking about delivery and Will Powers' victory here in 2018. And at the end of it, you know, Roger Penske goes on and says this is going to carry good momentum into the 500. Later, in fact, he goes on and wins it. So, yeah, I mean, for me, it's very good. And I think morale and chemistry with the team is as high as it's ever been.

Bruce Martin: It may not affect you, but what do you think of the top 15 round that has been added to Sunday's qualifications? Say again? It may not affect you, but what do you think of the top 15 round being added to Saturday's qualifications?

David Malukas: Yeah, I mean, like I said earlier, I think it's cool. I mean, we'll see how it plays out and see how it goes. You know, normally we don't know until it happens, but from my side, I'm always excited to try new things.

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

Scott McLaughlin: 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 Martin: Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. And welcome back to our next guest. It's 2012 NTT IndyCar Series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winning driver, Ryan Hunter-Reay, who returns to the Indianapolis 500, this time with Arrow McLaren Racing, where he joins regular drivers Christian Lungard, Pato Award, and Nolan Siegel. Hunter Ray has worked in an advisory role with the team for the races leading into this year's Indianapolis 500. I caught up with the star driver before the month of May began for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. I've known our next guest for a very long time. Even though he seemingly has been retired, you're probably busier now more than ever. It's Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2012 IndyCarSeries champion, the 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner. It's almost like you have a full-time job now at Arrow McLaren. So if you could explain to our listeners everything that you're doing now.

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Yeah. Well, thanks for having me on, Bruce. Always a pleasure. So obviously coming on for the 2026 Indy 500 and the number 31 entry for Aero McLaren, you know, my good friend and my teammate, Tony Kanaan, pretty much running the show here. He's been, he's been absolutely fundamental in The massive turnaround this team has undertaken, and it's definitely a big ship to steer. They've done a phenomenal job, had a great 2025 season. they are trending in the right direction. We got together and he said, hey, can you come be a part of our program, especially leading into Indy? I think it would be good to not only have you embedded in the team, but to also work with our drivers and engineers and contribute in that way. And it's been definitely rewarding to this point.

Bruce Martin: A lot of times when an Indy 500 only driver is hired, we might see them show up the race before the 500 and then be there during the month of May, but you've dived into this team. You've been with them since the start of the season. And how important is that and how valuable is that to you and for the team to give you the car that could best give you a chance of winning a second Indianapolis 500?

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Well, I think that's exactly it. Like you mentioned, you know, the one-off drivers tend to just kind of show up at Indy and get on with it. I really didn't have a choice any other way with Dry and Reinbold, obviously, because that is a one-off for them as well. But here I have the opportunity to build relationships you know, to build that chemistry, to build the communication and contribute any way I can. I mean, obviously, I've been in this series for a long time, a lot of experience, and, you know, I enjoy as much giving my take as I do learning from some of the others and their approaches and how they differ. And it'll make all of us more prepared when it comes to Andy.

Bruce Martin: How great has it been for you to get to know everybody at Errol McLaren, including your teammates, Pat O'Ward, Nolan Siegel and Christian Lungard?

Ryan Hunter-Reay: It's been phenomenal. I mean, there's a lot of familiar faces here. But working with the drivers and the engineers and learning their procedures and just how they really go about a race week and how they approach a session. And, you know, maybe I see some things that have worked for me in the past, whether it be a driving approach or a strategic approach from outside the car. So it's been fun that way. And I certainly enjoy working with with Tony and Zach, Zach Brown, who'll be at the next race at Arlington, and Team President Kevin. It's been fun, and it's a big group to get to know, so I think it's a good thing that I am spending the time and the investment here.

Bruce Martin: The last couple of years, you drove the Indianapolis 500 for Dryer and Reinbold Racing, and they gave you a really good Chevrolet, as you showed in last year's Indianapolis 500. You were in great position to win that thing. Unfortunately, toward the end of the race, didn't quite go your way. But now you're on a team that has consistently had the fastest cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So how much does that boost your confidence level going into this year's 110th Indianapolis 500?

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Well, like you mentioned, I mean, Ryan Reimbold did a fantastic job, gave me a great opportunity to win there. Just came up short on fuel, unfortunately. But that's Indy. And really, this opportunity here at McLaren gives me the best potential chance that I've had, I think, in a long time. Now, Indy is Indy. It's odd that way. I've been with some powerhouse teams, and I've had cars that couldn't get out of their own way. I've had cars that are, you know, the best in the field at the same team. It's like it's hit and miss every year there, and just because you're with a powerhouse team doesn't mean that it's a one-way ticket to the front. So it's going to take a lot of work, a lot of preparation working with these folks, building relationships, and that's what I'm here for.

Bruce Martin: I think a good way to point out your last point that you made is Kyle Larson from NASCAR came over two years ago. He was among the fastest every day in practice and he qualified up front. He led laps. Coulda, shoulda, woulda been in position to win the race. Wasn't able to do it. The second year he comes back, everybody expects he's just going to take what he learned last year and go from there. Frankly, his second Indianapolis 500 did not go anywhere near as well as his first. As a race driver, how much do you have to think about that? The point that you just brought up, Indy is Indy. Just because something worked last year doesn't mean it's going to be the baseline and improve upon that this year.

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Yeah, I know for myself, that's why I respect Indy so much. And I think that's why others do, too, is because it is not, you know, it's not cut and dry, right? It's not a template that you apply and you have a recipe for success. Just because you were successful the year prior does not mean you're going to go out and be successful the following year. It takes an equal amount of work, if not more, every year that you come back. The competition is getting tougher. You know, the cars are a bit more complex to drive in some ways because of the hybrid unit, the weight of the car. how that is affected in traffic and in dirty air. So yeah, it's a huge undertaking and I don't take it lightly.

Bruce Martin: You mentioned Tony Kanaan, the team principal here at Arrow McLaren. You guys used to be teammates together at what was then Andretti Autosport, now it's Andretti Global. A lot of times you guys were fierce battlers fighting for victories. But there seemed to be an underlying friendship there that has paid off, especially with this opportunity. How do you describe the friendships and the relationships that you've built over a long and successful IndyCar career?

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Yeah, well, when I came into Andretti in 2010, that was my really big break. Tony obviously had already had a massive amount of success. I had a huge amount of respect for him. Look forward to working with him. But we hit the ground running by really redeveloping all of Andretti's setups at that time. And we did it together and brought Andretti back online to where it should be. And I think that was the foundation for our working relationship. But we've also stayed really good, you know, close friends off track. And that's been important. You know, Tony's here to win. He's a winner. He's a competitor. He's a fierce one at that. You definitely don't want to get on his wrong side, on that side of it. And he's only making decisions here when it comes to one thing, and that's winning. So I appreciate that. I have a huge amount of respect for it, and I look forward to contributing to that as a team member.

Bruce Martin: How much do you see Tony Kanaan stamp on this race team?

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Way more than I thought I would. You know, from the outside looking in you think, okay, you know, he's a figurehead, but now he's… He's in the shop before everybody shows up. He's there after everybody leaves. He puts in a massive amount of work, effort, and he's swamped, man. It's a big organization. It's been interesting for me because I've always been just so focused on the driving, which saturates you mentally and you feel like you could never do enough. But just to see the workload on that side of it has been eye-opening for me.

Bruce Martin: There's a certain buzz that comes with winning the Indianapolis 500, and it seems that there are a lot of drivers that will keep coming back to chase that buzz. Do you feel that's the same with you?

Ryan Hunter-Reay: I do. I really do. I mean, I've always said that I would not go to the Indy 500 unless I thought I could win the race, you know? I'm not there just to be a part of the Indy 500 or be an Indy car driver. I'm there to win a second Indy 500. And really, how the loss how a potential win slipped away and how that impacted me after, made me also realize just how much that darn race means to me again, as if I didn't know it.

Bruce Martin: Does it seem like 12 years have passed since you and Elio were out there battling to the very end and you guys made some very risky moves in that race. A lot of times I watch the end of that race and wondering how one of the cars just didn't fly into the fence, but it really underlined how important it was to both of you to win that race.

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Absolutely. That was two guys going for it that would give anything in the world at that point, including probably a limb to go win that race. And that's what the product was. But, you know, since then, I've had three really, really close calls that went in the thing again. And that is what really that's what really keeps me up at night. So, yeah, a lot of unfinished business at the Speedway. And like I said, I certainly respect it. So I'm coming at it from the right angle.

Bruce Martin: So working with the drivers, tell me what you think so far.

Ryan Hunter-Reay: I'll give you each driver, Nolan Siegel. Nolan, man, you know, he's got the talent for sure. I remember, cause I see his age, right? I see it on a piece of paper. I see it on the graphic on the screen, 21. At that point, I was just getting into American spirit, right? And champ car. And to think of the lack of knowledge and, relative immaturity i had at that point to see his uh… is maturation process is is pretty phenomenal christian lundgaard uh… christian is uh… an amazing talent uh… i think he's hands down one of the if not the best one of the best road racers in the paddock And he's smart, very smart. He works hard at it. So he has all the ingredients, you know, to put together a championship effort. So it's cool to see him working here. And it's been it's been a pleasure to work with him, especially on the oval side.

Bruce Martin: And then there's the star driver, a driver who not only shows what he can do on the racetrack, but he's got a huge personality, Pato Award.

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Yeah, Pato and I kind of became friends after he drove for Harding, which was a satellite operation of Andretti back in 2018. And, you know, we've been we've been kind of friends since then. And, um, You know, he makes me laugh a lot, I'll tell you that, but the kid just has an amazing amount of talent. He's just, it's all there, the potential's there. Now it's just a matter of extracting it and making it a reality.

Bruce Martin: And then finally, Tony Kanaan, we talked about him earlier, but how much do you just really appreciate the fact that you guys have remained this close for this long and now he's given you a golden opportunity to relive your dream once again?

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Yeah, it's amazing how things come full circle like that. And we're still we still both have that fire in the eye and we still are like, You know, it's just, it's amazing to have the same kind of conversations that I had with him as a, as a teammate. And with his, his descriptions and how passionate he is about it. But like I said, you know, with this team and the group of drivers, we have as good of shot, if not better than anybody else in the, in the field. You know, Pato's a multi-time race winner. He's won many races. You know, he's just missing the big two and that's a championship. and an Indy 500. And Christian, you know, he's working hard on his oval side. He's got the road racing street course side of it down. And Nolan is so close to a breakthrough result that he probably needs, deserves, and wants more than anything.

Bruce Martin: Family has always been very important to you. And since you got out of full-time IndyCar racing, you've spent a lot of time with the family. Now the boys are old enough to really get into what dad's doing as a career. They used to be little, little, little kids. Now they're teenagers. And how much more special is that to you to be able to share this with them?

Ryan Hunter-Reay: It is. It's amazing the difference that you mentioned that because like, You know, I wouldn't have it any other way, but at the same time, my kids, you know, for the races, most of them that I won, they were too young to remember celebrating on the stage and doing all of it. And that's just the way it is. And honestly, they were young enough to where they missed a lot of my wins. They were at, you know, school or whatever. Now, for them to be on the road, like last year, we took the motor home, the bus, and we went on the road to like four straight IndyCar races. I was in the Fox booth doing it, and it was just a blast to share that with them. So, yeah, I feel incredibly fortunate to be in that position, to do something I absolutely love and share it with my kids, and I feel fortunate to be in this situation, and I'm definitely not gonna take it for advantage.

Bruce Martin: Your nickname was Captain America. Have you dusted off the cape? And do you have a few more heroic moments left in you?

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Oh, yeah. There's no dust on it, Bruce. There's no dusting off anything. I'm ready to go.

Bruce Martin: And finally, to be here at Arrow McLaren, Zach Brown, they won the Formula One World Championship last year. He's filled up one of the best NTT IndyCar Series teams in the paddock. And when you see how rapidly Arrow McLaren has become a major team here in IndyCar, How great is it to be part of the ride?

Ryan Hunter-Reay: It is. It's phenomenal. Like I said, it's been a huge transition for this team, going from Schmidt, the acquisition by McLaren, some of the teething issues they had at first, and now, you know, where they are. Last year, you know, they were the top Chevy team. I expect nothing but the same this year, and even better. So, yeah, I look forward to seeing real-time results come to fruition.

Bruce Martin: Ryan, Hunter, Ray, you and I go way, way back, almost really from the beginning.

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Yes, we do.

Bruce Martin: But it's really great to see you back at an IndyCar where you all look forward to seeing what you can do in 110th Indianapolis 500. We'll catch up with you between now and the race, but congratulations on getting back into IndyCar and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Ryan Hunter-Reay: Thanks, Bruce. I appreciate it, buddy.

Bruce Martin: Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. We wrap up today's edition of Pit Pass Indy with seven-time Indianapolis 500 winning team owner Chip Ganassi, the defending Indy 500 team owner with driver Alex Pillow. Ganassi has a powerful three-driver contingent challenging for another Indy 500 win on May 24, including Pillow, six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, and Kiffin Simpson. Ganassi joins me for this exclusive interview for Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Obviously, first thoughts is you lost a great man a week ago today with Alex Zanardi, and he really meant so much to your Chip Ganassi racing. So what are your initial thoughts on that? And it has to be a very sad time for you.

Chip Ganassi: It's a sad time, but it's also a, you know, it's something that you think about. I don't know that, you know, we're so fortunate that he was in our lives and traversed each one of us a little different way, I think. And we're better people for it, for having him around. He obviously didn't have much of a life the last four or five years and since his bicycle accident. And, you know, it's unfortunate that somebody with such a career, such a personality, such a impresario, that he had to go out the way he did, was unfortunate. But he was somebody that unquestionably improved my life, and I hope I improved his a little bit.

Bruce Martin: Three seasons, 15 victories, two back-to-back kart championships. Those are almost unbelievable statistics. Even in an era where you have Alex Palou with all of his success. So was that just the glory times of basically that era of kart when Alex was running and dominating?

Chip Ganassi: I mean, we certainly had a great group of people. We had a great teammate in Jimmy Vassar. We were fortunate to have good engineering at that time with Mo Nunn. And all those names that you hear, whether it's Zanardi and Vassar or Mo Nunn, all these people still have The fingerprints on the team today, you know, their legacy lives on, not only with the fans, but under the roof at Chip Ganassi Racing. Procedures, the way we do things around the team, you can go back and point to the foundations of those were during the mid-90s there when we had a lot of success with that group of people. Do you see a little bit of Zanardi and Alex Polo? Unquestionably. Unquestionably. Yeah. You know, like his ability, you know, you have a lot of guys that are, I mean, it's on the track, it's off the track, it's in between on and off the track. It's, you know, his way with words, his resilience, his affability, But, but his seriousness, I mean, you know, he can, he can, he, you know, he has, I hate to use the word bandwidth, you know, but it's got a lot of bandwidth.

Bruce Martin: As fate would have it, when Alex Pillow was a rookie driver for Dale Coyne Racing in 2020, his pits were next to Chip Ganassi Racing's pit area at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Chip Ganassi Racing Managing Director, Mike Hall, saw something in Palou and later talked Ganassi into hiring him in 2021. Since then, it's been a magical combination. What did Ganassi see in the young Spaniard that he was going to be a star of the future? Nothing, because Mike was the one that saw it.

Chip Ganassi: I didn't see anything, you know. Yeah, yeah. No, I mean, I wish I had a good answer for you there, but I didn't. That was all Mike that saw that. I know that he did well at Indy because he was next to us. I wasn't watching him, I was watching our car. But he had some challenges and he still did very well in the race. When these new guys come to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and how many times have we seen it? You have to, you gotta like this place. You have to like this place to be eligible to be with one of the, you know, with a good team. If you're gonna be with a good team, you gotta like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That's a good position. I'd rather be in our position than everybody else's, but still, it's, you know, it's, It's what we signed up for. This is the business we've chosen. That's what Hyman Ross said in The Godfather. This is what we like about the business. We perform well under pressure and that's where we're most comfortable.

Bruce Martin: So, yeah, bring it. Barry Wanzer is team manager at Chip Ganassi Racing and calls Polo's race strategy. Ganassi was asked why Wanzer is so successful with Polo.

Chip Ganassi: Well, you know, you guys all look at Barry and you say, oh, he's the strategist on the 10 car, you know, and when I look at him, I look at a guy that, you know, he's been with us for, you know, 20 plus years. And then I, you know, like I, I think of Barry Wanzer when he came in the door, you know, he was a, he was a drag racer with Joe Amato. And, uh, you know, just to see, him grow, he and Laurie and their family grow in the sport and you know everything from the tragedy of losing a son to dealing with you know his cancer to watching his kids grow up and the trials and tribulations of that and you know it's it's it's it's it's nice that that Everybody's getting to know Barry Wanzer as the strategist of the Alex Pellew in the 10 car, but the fact of the matter is I've known him for a lot longer, and he's a much more, there's much more to him than just that, and much more to his being than being a strategist on the 10 car. He's a larger person than that. Well, I don't know if that carries over into success, but it doesn't hurt, that's for sure, yeah.

Bruce Martin: Another guy who's been around longer is your engineer Julian Robertson. He's been around for a very long time and he just really has a unique way of looking at things that maybe a lot of people don't see. So how important has he been to the history of chip ganassi racing?

Chip Ganassi: Yeah, again, it's not a snapshot of looking at what he's done today, but you're talking about another person that obviously has a lot of tenure in the business, in our business, under our roof, and these are all, you know, Julian was a disciple of Mo' Nun, and we go back to the Mo' Nun Zanardi era, and Julian was a part of that. And all that builds a book of knowledge that You know, you don't easily suck out of somebody's brain all at once. We're, again, fortunate to have the tenured people here under our roof that contribute to our success. How much has Alex pushed Scott to elevate his game even more? I get that question a lot, you know, and, you know, I think, you know, Scott's had a lot of teammates and I think he, the good news about him is he takes a little bit from each one and, you know, he learned from Dario, he learned from Dan Weldon, he learned from Palou and everybody in between, you know, I think Scott's still, you know, he's still, the great thing about him is he's still, you know, with all his success and wins over the years. He's still a student. He's not an old dog that won't learn new tricks. And how much improvement do you see out of Kiffin Simpson? Well, all you got to do is look at the practice times this morning. Suddenly now he's in the top 10 and in the top five, I think, this morning. And those are very impressive. And we know that that performance is there. And we're happy to bring it out of him. And I think it's just a matter of time before he's consistently at the front.

Bruce Martin: Scott Dixon won the 2008 Indianapolis 500 and is one of IndyCar's greatest drivers. Dixon holds many records in the Indianapolis 500, but despite his greatness, has been unable to win the Indy 500 for a second time. Ganassi was asked if he is surprised by that.

Chip Ganassi: Very surprising. We took him out of a couple that he should have, yeah. And, you know, we took him out of a couple, he took himself out of a couple, you know. So I don't know, yeah, it's unfortunate, but yeah.

Bruce Martin: Earlier this year, Ganassi announced that Palou had extended his contract with the team. Dixon has been with Chip Ganassi Racing since 2002, Palou since 2021. Ganassi was asked what he looks for when he extends contracts with his drivers.

Chip Ganassi: Well, you look at, you know, you look at a lot of things. You look at performance and loyalty and, you know, how they can teammate ability, what they bring, you know, what, I don't think they're, you know, what they, what they, what they, bring to the group, you know, we're about open book with all our drivers all the time. And so it's, you know, we have to have people that want to be open book and they want to learn, still want to learn. Like I was saying earlier about Dixon. I mean, he's, he's, he still wants to learn about things. He's not, he's not, he's not stuck as a old dog that wants to learn new tricks. And so he's, he's still a student and I think that's great. So all the other guys are, and yeah.

Bruce Martin: The famous story, 1963, your father comes here, brings you home the little Super 8 film of the 1963 Indianapolis 500. You became a big Parnelli Jones fan, later a friend of Parnelli Jones. Do you still have that film?

Chip Ganassi: Good question. I'm sure it's somewhere. I don't know where, but I'm sure I can find it. It's probably on, you know, those days, you know, you were lucky to have a little eight millimeter Bell & Howell camera. I'm sure it's on YouTube, so it won't be hard to find if I need to look for it.

Bruce Martin: I had a friend of yours as the guest on the Pit Pass Indy podcast this past week, Jim Voiles. You two have become great friends. He also has represented Chip Ganassi Racing, Alex Polo in the UK case with McLaren. But just how great a friend has Jim Voiles turned out to be. And when you see him at 83, still out there practicing law like he's Perry Mason, that's pretty impressive.

Chip Ganassi: Yeah, I mean, it's just, you know, Jim has a You know, he's so much more than an attorney, you know, and I would say that, you know, with his upbringing, you know, in schooling, all here in India, around India, in and around Indianapolis, and then, of course, marrying his wife who sort of solidified his name here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with her father being a past winner of the race and his understanding of the history of the sport. I think it made a nice marriage there that You know, and like I said, Jim's a lot more than an attorney with us. He's one of our close advisors. And yeah, he'll be welcome for a long time around here. Plus, he's with you practically every IndyCar race. So that really shows a commitment. Yeah, I mean, we're friends. Yeah.

Bruce Martin: Indiana University head football coach Kurt Cignetti is from the Pittsburgh area as is Ganassi. Cignetti who led the Indiana Hoosiers to this year's national championship in college football is this year's Indianapolis 500 pace car driver and afterwards will be Ganassi's guest for the rest of the race. Ganassi was asked about the work ethic and success that is ingrained on individuals from the Pittsburgh area including Cignetti.

Chip Ganassi: Yeah, because he's from that area. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I think, you know, people from that tri-state area, Western Pennsylvania, Youngstown, Ohio, West Virginia, you know, like they're known for just kind of doing things, not talking about them, you know, and you see a lot of that. You know, you can go through the history of coaches and players in a lot of sports that have come out of that area and it's just the understanding of sport and the psychology of sport and the knowledge of sport that's come out of that area is just incredible. You know, from players, coaches, you know, all the way through the owners. And a lot of it's due to the Rooney family, you know, with the Steelers and the history of the Pirates, the Penguins. You sprinkle a little bit of the, you know, the blue collar work ethic on top of that from the, you know, the steel mills of the, you know, the turn of the century and, you know, still the home of the steel making process in this country. And you have You have a good work ethic that's come out of there that, like I said, people don't want to talk about, they just want to do it. Well, I understand he's going to be our guest here during the 500 weekend, so I'm looking forward to that, yeah. I think he's going to be either here or at our other hospitality, one of the two, yeah.

Bruce Martin: From a business standpoint, IndyCar made the announcement that open teams outside of the Indianapolis 500 will not be allowed to compete. They're gonna have to, if they wanna compete, they gotta buy a charter. So how much has that increased the equity for people who are charter holders to now know that if a new team wants to come in, we gotta talk business?

Chip Ganassi: Yeah, I mean, I think it's just, again, that's the maturity that comes out of a sport as it grows. I mean, let's face it, you can't, I just can't put 22 guys together and call up the Colts and say, put us on the schedule next week, you know, or next summer, you know, or next fall. You know, all these, you know, sports are… sport has grown immensely, you know, in the United States for many years. And, you know, all the major sports are franchised, are chartered, whatever you want to call it. And, you know, let's face it, it It takes a lot of money if you want to be in the NFL, or you want to be in Major League Baseball, or you want to be in the NHL. Why should it be any different for IndyCar or NASCAR for that reason, any of those? Why should it be any different?

Bruce Martin: Because you were a charter owner in NASCAR, did you give any input to how the charter system should be set up and how this could really help charter owners?

Chip Ganassi: Well, you know me well enough, Bruce, to know that I'm not afraid to give my input when I think it's necessary. But, you know, fortunately, you could say the same about Roger, that he had the experience of his NASCAR experience as well. with the charter system. So I think it, you know, he understood what the value of that could mean for this, you know, to solidify the ground that the ownership stands on. Yeah.

Bruce Martin: What were your thoughts on the independent officiating body coming out with their, what they found from the Long Beach incident and also IndyCar changing the usage of push to pass. You can now use it on restarts.

Chip Ganassi: Yeah, I don't, I mean, in terms of the usage, I don't know that that's a big, you know, I don't know that it's a plus or a minus or anything. It's just kind of, okay, great. Okay, great. I mean, I think, you know, the teams of all the teams, the drivers, everybody's had experience with it. And I think, so that's kind of a, you know, okay, great. I think in terms of the, Officiating body. I think it's just a natural growth outgrowth of the sport growing and us taking each individual aspect of each aspect of the sport more seriously and we have a quality group of guys there that you know with with Ray and Raj and and Roman and you know, like I mean, I think you know It's just the natural growth of the business. And I think it's great that we can attract people that want to be a part of it with that kind of experience. Those are great guys with some great experience. And to have them a part of our paddock in any capacity just goes to show you the where the sport's headed.

Bruce Martin: On pace to be another sellout for the second year in a row, third time in the last 10 years. So anybody who says that the Indy 500 isn't back probably isn't paying attention. How excited are you to see that much interest return in the Indianapolis 500?

Chip Ganassi: Yeah, I don't, I just look at it as, you know, It's the greatest spectacle and I'm happy that it's sold out all the time and that's what I expect now. That's what we've come to expect. So kudos to the group for doing it and I'm glad they announced that and they put it out there. just shows you what's going on over there on 16th Street at the offices. Somebody's doing a great job and maybe the teams are a small part of that and the competition and the ownership, it's all, everybody's a part of that and so good for them.

Bruce Martin: Ganassi was the fastest rookie driver in the 1982 Indianapolis 500 and was asked if he still gets the same feeling today that he had when he came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time.

Chip Ganassi: I was just saying, I was just saying, you know, it's true. It's true. You know, when you hear things like, you know, everybody says that they go, oh, you know, I came into the tunnel and it feels so It's true. And, you know, they say it's the greatest spectacle. It's the world center of racing. All these sort of little phrases, they're true. You know, it's, you know, tradition and, you know, pomp and circumstance. And all those little, you know, whether they're adjectives or phrases, they're all true. And that's what's fun about this place, you know? The thrill of victory, you know? The other, I'm not even gonna say the second part of that, you know? Yeah, just, you know, like all those things are, you know, this place is, you know, it's the greatest, it's one of the greatest sporting spectacles ever, you know? And to be a part of it, we're just so fortunate, you know? Where's the 1982 ring? Good question, in my drawer.

Bruce Martin: In the drawer, yeah. Do you have any of your rookie Indy 500 paraphernalia or memorabilia that you display?

Chip Ganassi: Sure, sure, yeah. I mean, it's, oh yeah, I have it, oh yeah. Yeah, I'll never forget 1982, that's for sure.

Bruce Martin: Chip Ganassi, good luck in this year's 110th Indianapolis 500. Congratulations on all of your success at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Chip Ganassi: Thank you, Bruce.

Bruce Martin: And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guests, Sanzio Grand Prix winner Christian Lundgaard of Arrow McLaren, Team Penske's Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, and David Maloukas, Meyers Schenck Racing's Marcus Armstrong, and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Elio Castroneves, Louie Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Rinas Vike of Juncos Hollinger Racing, Also, 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, and seven-time Indianapolis 500 winning team owner Chip Ganassi, for joining us on today's edition of Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, 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. 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.