Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden Wins Season Finale in Nashville. Also, Team Penske and Will Power part ways after 17 seasons

Roger Penske:
This is Roger Penske, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, 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 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 SportsTicker, Sports Illustrated, AutoWeek, and SpeedSport. 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 fifth season of giving IndyCar fans an inside look at the most exciting form of racing on the planet, the NTT IndyCar Series. And a big thanks to Penske Truck Rental for helping bring you the inside stories of IndyCar from the paddock to the racetrack to the highways and streets of America. The 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season is over and for Josef Newgarden of Team Penske, it's not how you start a season, it's how you finish it. He entered the August 31st Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix without a victory and was in jeopardy of his first winless season in IndyCar since 2014. It's been a year with far more downs for New Garden than highlights, but the driver from Hendersonville, Tennessee found the path to victory lane at Nashville Super Speedway by closing out 2025 with a win on the 1.33 mile oval. It was also the end of a long and glorious relationship between driver Will Power and Team Penske. On September 2nd, Team Penske announced the driver and team have parted ways after a very successful 17-year relationship that included NTT IndyCar Series Championships in 2014 and 2022 and a victory in the 2018 Indianapolis 500. Power collected 42 of his 45 IndyCar victories during his time with Team Penske, in addition to 71 pole positions that have distinguished him as the greatest qualifier in IndyCar history. Roger Penske stated, as we sat down to talk about our future together, Will felt that it was time for him to make a change beginning with next season. He has been an outstanding driver and teammate for our organization. His results speak for themselves, and we wish him the very best in the next phase of his career. Power released a statement that said, it's been the honor of my life to drive for Roger and the Penske organization. We have accomplished so much together, and I will always be grateful for my time with the team and my teammates who have supported me along the way. After much consideration, I felt like a change for me was the right move at this time. We will have more on Power's time at Team Penske and his future team in upcoming episodes of Pit Pass Indie. Another late-breaking news item is the Honda Indy Toronto will move to Markham, Ontario in 2026. Toronto is one of the host cities for the World Cup and the stadium for the International Soccer Tournament, one of the biggest sporting events on earth, is on the grounds at Toronto's Exhibition Place where the IndyCar Series race is held every year. That will be announced on September 3rd. Back to New Garden's big season-closing victory. It was Newgarden's 32nd career IndyCar Series win as he defeated 2025 NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Pillow of Chip Ganassi Racing by 0.5021 of a second. Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin was third and young Kiffin Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing had a brilliant drive to fourth place. Connor Daly also fought his way to a fifth-place finish. Afterwards, it was a dual celebration, including a victory lane as the top three finishers from the Nashville race celebrated. Alex Pillow and the entire Chip Ganassi Racing Team celebrated the team's 17th IndyCar Series Championship, the fourth in five seasons for Pillow, including the last three, in a separate celebration stage. After the big celebrations and post-race interviews to conclude the season, it was off to Broadway, the entertainment district in downtown Nashville, where they could let loose with their own celebrations as they head into the long off-season. We have plenty to unpack on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental and many stories to tell into the off-season, but the starting point will be the finish line with the winner of the last race of the season. Here is my exclusive interview with Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix of Nashville winner Josef Newgarden for Pit Pass Indy. As we close the year here, the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season, it wouldn't be a PitPass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental without a race-winning interview with Josef Newgarden. Joseph, we finally made it happen. You won the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix in your hometown of Nashville. I know you're not big on that kind of stuff, but to win in Nashville, How special is that for you?

Josef Newgarden: Yeah, very. I mean, honestly, very special to be here in my home city. And, you know, with my my team is is here and they've been here all weekend. My family's been here. It is fun. You know, it's different than a place like Indianapolis, but still, you know, it's a big box to check in a lot of ways. So I'm very proud, very happy for the team. They did such an amazing job today and to realize the victory. You know, it's definitely the cherry on top.

Bruce Martin: I always think sometimes it's not how you start, but it's how you finish. And you finish strong at the end of the 2025 season. Very difficult season. More downs than ups. So to be able to go into the offseason on a high note. Like I said, I know you're not getting too caught up in the downs, but it's got to make you feel a lot better. How much better does it make you feel?

Josef Newgarden: I feel the same to be honest with you. I'm ready to go home and Take a long nap tomorrow. But, you know, I love having my family here, definitely. There's no doubt about it. So that's been a big positive.

Bruce Martin: Well, also a big positive was to see Roger Penske in victory lane. And as he walked out of victory lane, he said to me, he goes, it was a pretty good race, wasn't it? I go, yes, it was. And To kind of see the smile return to Roger Penske's face, that guy's been through a lot in 2025. And for you to be able to provide that to him, how important is that to you?

Josef Newgarden: Well, it's a big deal. It's nice to see the series flourish. I think in a lot of ways, we've taken great steps forward. Fox has done a great job for us, and I think they will continue to do an excellent job and to propel this sport forward. And I think that's a lot of what you're seeing from Rogers. It's nice to see a good show, nice to be in a great city like Nashville. And I think we're all looking to move forward and continue to bring this thing forward.

Bruce Martin: All three Team Penske drivers were at the front in this race. How important was that? Because it really showed the team effort across the board was very good today at Nashville.

Josef Newgarden: Yeah, excellent. We had great cars, you know, typical team Penske, just doing a great job across the board and, you know, proud of everybody, proud of the two cars specifically, but everybody that contributes, our partner Estemo and team Chevy, just cool to be a part of it.

Bruce Martin: They always say that character is built when you overcome adversity. If that's the case, you had a lot of character building moments in 2025. How strong is your character right now?

Josef Newgarden: Our character is way tall. Tallest character you can find.

Bruce Martin: But to be able to endure that and know that no matter what happens, I know I can get out the other side and it's going to end up being okay. Is that the lesson you learned in 2025?

Josef Newgarden: Yeah, I think just, you know, always focus on what you can control. It's hard to do that at times, but that's really what you have to do. Just whatever is in your power, that's all you can really focus on. That's what we've been trying to do.

Bruce Martin: Did you almost feel like in some ways that you had so much bad luck, so much bad fortune, that at some point it's gonna run out, and it did. And today, the good fortune turned around. And when you finally get the good fortune, how much more do you savor that? How much more do you appreciate that?

Josef Newgarden: Oh, definitely appreciate it. You know, when things don't go against you, then it's a lovely feeling. It's tough when it does. But that's the sport. You really have a lot that's not in your control. And unfortunately, you just have to deal with that. That's the way racing is. You're trying to work with all these variables and get to the other side.

Bruce Martin: How important was family this season? Your wife, Ashley, your, you know, being a father and also your father and mother, how important were they in helping keep you grounded?

Josef Newgarden: Well, I've got, I've got one of the best families out there. I'm a very lucky boy. Um, so I look forward to the off season and they've always taken care of me.

Bruce Martin: There was one point during the late race pit stop sequences when it really seemed like the Penske's were going to come out in front. And then all of a sudden, you turn around, there's Alex Pillow. And a lot of people probably had thought that the way it was going to cycle out, he wasn't going to make it back up there. Were you surprised to see him cycle out? I believe he cycled out in second, and then he ended up as the leader.

Josef Newgarden: Well, they went pretty aggressive. It was a play, they made a play. They obviously didn't need to think about championships, so they were going for it. And we were there to just try and stop them. And I think we had them covered when it mattered.

Bruce Martin: And with Jonathan Duguid as the president of Team Penske, it seems that two victories, the last three races of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season, now we're seeing the beginning of the Team Penske return, that he's going to have his guys in place. It's a lot of the guys you've worked with anyway, but do you feel that this is the spark of the beginning of the big comeback for Team Penske, beginning in 2026?

Josef Newgarden: Well, I have tremendous faith in our team. I always have, and it's never wavered. I think somebody like Jonathan Duguid is a great leader, and it's more than him. It's Travis Law, it's everybody across the board on our management, and certainly every individual that comprises the team. I mean, it takes a whole core, and we got a tremendous core in this group, and I feel good about what we can do. I mean, we have the ingredients. We definitely have the ingredients. So I can't predict the future, but I, of course, feel confident that we can be in title contention in 26.

Bruce Martin: And in our final couple of questions for Josef Newgarden, there is a possibility that one of your teammates may not be on the team next year. And if this is a chance for willpower to leave the team, are you going to miss having that three driver lineup that you've had with yourself and Scott McLaughlin and willpower?

Josef Newgarden: I truly have no idea what's going on with lineups or anything like that. I can just tell you that I love Will Power. He's been one of my favorites, if not my favorite teammates I've ever had the chance of working with. He's a hero of mine. Grew up admiring Will Power. And I love the guy. He's just absolutely one of the best. So that's all I'll say about it.

Bruce Martin: And finally, are you going to take some time to decompress? Because as I said, It's been a very long season, one that a lot of us didn't see coming. So from a competitor's standpoint, how important is it to just take some time off and be regular old Josef Newgarden for a week or two before becoming Joseph the Racer?

Josef Newgarden: Oh, I'm going home. I'm going home. And you're not going to hear from me for a little while, so I look forward to it.

Bruce Martin: Well, thankfully, I'm hearing from you now, and it's after a victory, but Josef Newgarden, congratulations on getting a win in 2025. Keep the streak going. Hopefully next year you'll be challenging for a championship, and hey, another Indianapolis 500 victory. But congratulations on your win here in Nashville, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Josef Newgarden: Thanks, Bruce.

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.

Bruce Martin: Another driver in the news is Colton Herta of Andretti Global. It has been reported that Hurta's team, which also owns the Cadillac Formula One effort that will begin F1 competition in 2026, has approached several Formula Two teams about putting Hurta in F2 next season so he can earn enough points for the FIA Super License. All drivers must have a Super License before they can compete in the Formula One World Championship. Hurta finished 7th in this year's IndyCar standings, which wasn't high enough for Hurta to accumulate the required 40 points. F2 gives the required 40 points to the top 3 finishers in the championship and double figures for the entire top 6. The F2 series also competes as the preliminary series in 14 of the 24 venues that host Formula 1 Grand Prix events on the schedule. After his qualification attempt on August 30th, Hurta would not speak about his future regarding F2.

Bruce Martin: Well Colton, you've certainly been the center of attention this weekend.

Bruce Martin: Is there anything you can tell us about the F2 rumors or anything like that? So as far though as here, goal is obviously to go back to back. Do you think you can do it?

Colton Herta: I hope so. We qualified similarly last year where we just didn't feel super fast on two lap pace or one lap pace. But I think a lot more confident with the race car. And I felt that again in practice one. So I hope we can repeat it.

Bruce Martin: When can we expect for you to talk about next year?

Colton Herta: I don't know, to be honest. I'm just focused on what I'm doing here at the moment. It takes a lot of energy to win IndyCar races, so that's what I'm trying to do.

Bruce Martin: With the strategy here, the two-tire strategy and everything, how much is that going to come into play tomorrow?

Colton Herta: We'll see. It played last year, so I think it can be important. People are going to learn a lot based off of last year, so try to learn what we did right and do it again.

Bruce Martin: one day earlier heard us spoke about the weekend in Nashville and wrapping up the 2025 IndyCar Series season. Colton Herter, we're ending the season here in one of your many hometowns of Nashville.

Bruce Martin: You used to live here, now you live out in Vegas. You're the defending winner here at Nashville. How much do you like the Nashville Super Speedway? It's an oval, it's far different than the street race they used to have here in Nashville. Were you happy to see it move to the oval, or would you have preferred it was still a street race?

Colton Herta: You know, I think for me, it doesn't really matter. Either way, I'm happy with both. You know, I think we've been strong with both, and so I feel confident that obviously having a good race last year should spring us into a good starting setup, and hopefully we can continue to do a good job.

Bruce Martin: I've asked a lot of drivers this season their highs and lows of 2025. What do you consider to be the highs? What do you consider to be the lows?

Colton Herta: Yeah, I mean, the highest has to be our street course performance. I think that continues to be really strong suit for us. Our street course qualifying has been really strong. I think that the greatest example of a high and a low all in one day was our Indy qualifying day. You know, it's probably the biggest high and low.

Bruce Martin: And as far as 2026, what do you believe you need to do to get back up there and become a champion?

Colton Herta: Yeah, I mean, it's something that I don't have all the answers for at the moment. I'll have a better understanding in the off season when we go through everything and really understand where we went wrong on some of these race weekends. But for this weekend, we know exactly what to do. We know how to win, and we'll be trying to do that.

Bruce Martin: Final question with Colton Herta. Actually, I'm going to break it into two. What are you going to do during the offseason? And also, judging Andretti Global as a whole, how do you think 2025 went across the board? Kyle had a really good season.

Colton Herta: Yeah, you know, I think, you know, we had the wait and see once we go into the offseason and have again a better answer. But, you know, I think for us on the 26th card, it's been a little bit disappointing. I think there's been some events that have been disappointing as a whole for Andretti, but also some events that we're really strong at. So, you know, there's a happy medium in there and there's definitely work that can be done in the offseason to make sure we do better.

Bruce Martin: Colton Hurdick, go enjoy the offseason. Good luck in 2026 and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you. Scott Borchetta, the founder and CEO of Big Machine, was the sponsor of the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. Previously, Borchetta was the race promoter. One of the leading figures in the entertainment industry, Borchetta gave me his frank assessment of this year's race when I caught up with him on pit lane as Josef Newgarden was still celebrating his win.

Bruce Martin: Here is my exclusive interview with Scott Borchetta.

Bruce Martin: The man behind the name, Borchetta Bourbon, is Scott Borchetta. You were the sponsor of the Music City Grand Prix. Pretty exciting finish there toward the end. A lot of people saw a lot of wild and crazy action. We didn't really know who was going to win until the very end. Ends up to Josef Newgarden of nearby Hendersonville, Tennessee. Gets the victory. So what are your thoughts?

Scott Borchetta: You know, it was a great race. You look at all the on-track passes again today and super competitive. Some great passes on the outside. And, you know, I saw Joseph all weekend. And we all know how badly he wanted to win this race and keep his streak alive. And he drove really a perfect race. So hate it for Malukas and for Pato. And I hope they're both OK.

Bruce Martin: There were some incredible storylines all the way throughout the race. At one point, it looked like Will Power was going to win the race. He'd driven all the way up to the lead. ended up having an issue on a pit stop that had to drop back to the rear of the field. But when you see all of the different storylines changing so dramatically, isn't that pretty much what you want as a race promoter or sponsor?

Scott Borchetta: Absolutely. I think that's what's great about IndyCar. You know, there's a lot of these guys could win on any given weekend. You see Christian Rasmussen winning last week, you know, a total dark horse pick, and then a favorite wins today. You know, there's so many guys who are great in this series that can win on any given weekend, and I think that's a mega strength for IndyCar.

Bruce Martin: Even though you weren't the race promoter this year, you were the sponsor of the race, but what do you see as the future of this event? It's going to be a slow process to build it up to where the grandstands are full.

Scott Borchetta: No, last year was definitely better than this year. There are things we've got to invest. As promoters, they've got to pick up and throw down. There's no shortcut to this. You've got to attack all media, and that will be our intent for next year.

Bruce Martin: You understand the market as well as anybody, so how much of that do you want to have some of your ideas put into play? We know the way home. Well, Scott Borchetta, congratulations on a successful sponsorship of this race, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass, Andy.

Scott Borchetta: Thank you, Bruce.

Bruce Martin: Kiffin Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing had a tremendous drive in the final race of the 2025 season. He started eighth and finished fourth, challenging Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin for third place in the closing laps. Simpson finished the season 17th in the championship, but he had a very good second half of the season and shows promise and potential for the future. Here's my exclusive interview with Simpson after the race for Pit Pass Indy. Kiffin Simpson, heck of a battle there at Nashville Super Speedway. Nearly got up there to challenge for the victory. Just how do you look at this oval race and how well you did?

Kyffin Simpson: Yeah, it was a tough one. All the glory goes to God on that one. After Milwaukee, I was super frustrated and said a quick prayer to get better at these ovals and for God to help me improve. And he definitely answered my prayers on that one. Just as soon as we rolled out, I felt way more comfortable than I ever have on an oval. And it just continued on throughout the whole weekend. And what was that battle like at the end with Scott McLaughlin fighting for third place? Yeah, it was intense. I've never been in a battle like that before. So to have five laps in a row side to side, it was intense. And with the hybrid system as well, it gets difficult trying to figure out what to do, because that's not one of the scenarios you go through beforehand. So yeah.

Bruce Martin: And how was the grip level in that side-by-side battle? Because we saw several times today Some drivers, if they drifted up a little too high, would lose it.

Kyffin Simpson: Yeah, it was tough for sure. It was, it was running really well the whole first, uh, the first time we were side by side the whole time then. And then, um, after. Towards the end, when he kind of came back at me on the last lap, then it felt like the front end kind of took off through three and four. But yeah, it was still a great battle. And what did you think of the style of racing today? I thought it was all right. I think I felt like tire wear was a good amount to where it did kind of open it up for some decent racing. It was still very difficult to pass, don't get me wrong. But I felt like if you had a decent tire advantage, you could make something happen.

Bruce Martin: And finally, your 2025 IndyCar Series season as a whole, you made a lot of dramatic improvement. You had some really good finishes this year. So how do you assess the season?

Kyffin Simpson: Yeah, I think it was a great season for us. I'm super happy with it. I'm very happy with our gains on road courses, street courses, qualifying. Everything that I wanted to improve at this year, I feel like I made a really solid step forward. So just continuing that into next year would be great and trying to take that next step towards getting a win.

Bruce Martin: And for Chip Ganassi Racing as a whole, another championship with your teammate Alex Pillow. So across the board, has to go down as a very good year for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Kyffin Simpson: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Chip has two goals every year to win the 500 and to win the championship. And as a team, we accomplished both of those this year. So I know he's very happy, and I completely understand why. I'm super happy for the whole team. They worked so hard throughout the offseason and all year, really. So they are a very deserving group.

Bruce Martin: Well, Kevin Simpson, you certainly showed a lot of people in 2025, your potential and how good of a race driver you are. Congratulations on that. Good luck in 2026. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Kyffin Simpson: Thank you.

Bruce Martin: Up next are several interviews with Conor Daly, who finished fifth in the race. The first is immediately after the race when I caught up with the Juneco's Howlinger driver for this exclusive interview.

Bruce Martin: Conor Daly was the biggest mover of the race.

Bruce Martin: You had a shot there at the end to try to get up there and fight for the victory. Still a pretty good finish considering how far you started back, how disappointed you were in qualifying. So how would you assess the Music City Grand Prix from your standpoint?

Conor Daly: Honestly, I thought it was really fun. I mean, we made a great change. The team gave me a great car to race all day long. Felt confident every part of the race. And that's all you really need here at these ovals. And every restart gave me a chance to move forward. And our car was good enough to work through slow traffic in the end. And we took a gamble running reds at the end. That was obviously going to be really tough. And sadly, it didn't work out really for us on the restart. Scott McLaughlin had the same thing. When those things cool down, they pick up a lot of rubber. fired it off into turn one and nearly both of us crashed. So it's a tough one to come back from that, but still to be in the top five feels good.

Bruce Martin: We saw some drivers go up high and lose it, brush the wall, make some mistakes. You didn't. How much did a cool head really play into the way this race played out?

Conor Daly: I just felt really confident all day, honestly. I mean, as soon as I got through the first stint, the car was good. And I knew that we kept changing it as we went every stop, and it just kept getting better. So I was thrilled.

Bruce Martin: So how much does this drive you to return next year with this team and build upon this?

Conor Daly: I mean, I would obviously give anything to be a part of the NTT IndyCar Series. So I love this racing. I love being a part of this sport, and hopefully we can be back. Well, Connor Daly, thank you and good luck. Thank you.

Bruce Martin: Earlier in the weekend, Daly addressed his status for next season. He wants to return to June Coast Hollinger Racing, but without a deal, the driver is once again in limbo, as he tells me in this exclusive interview.

Conor Daly: Well, I mean, yeah, obviously we want to be back and it is just, it's weird timing where all of a sudden we have our worst call of night, but it's not really, I just, I'm a little bit flabbergasted as just to what happened because we've never been that far off and we've never missed it by that much, so. I'm going to try to do the best I can do, though, obviously, still, because we want to be back in this sport. And the team has done a lot to make sure that I could be here with them. And we want to see a lot of improvements altogether. No, no. I don't look at my last race at all. I mean, I've had a wild life. I mean, who knows what could happen? I've seen the amount of rumors I see. I could tweet something tomorrow about, Kyle Busch coming to do every road course race next year. And you guys will be like, you know what? I could see it. I could see it. So we'll see.

Bruce Martin: I know.

Conor Daly: But people think that, like, I got messages thinking Josef Newgarden would retire. I was like, are you kidding me? That guy is so locked in on next year, he's, like, ready to rip. I mean, I just have to do the best I can do. I mean, the only way I do things is just every day is a new day, and every day can be the best day ever. So, you know, today sucked, but tomorrow could be the best day ever. So, you know, we'll just have to dial it in and see what happens.

Bruce Martin: You were saying you've done a lot of things in racing, including driving the 50 car in the Daytona 500. So that's got to rank up there as an adventure. Yeah, that was a very interesting adventure, we will say. As I wrote after that duel, that you race your way into the field by being the slowest car in the session.

Conor Daly: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, we just stayed alive. That's all you got to do.

Bruce Martin: But as far, though, as you, I know that there are some drivers, like Caleb Eilat, every year he seems to go through, what's he going to do next year? Hate to say it, you've been a bit of an old pro at that mindset. When did you learn to just accept it and know that it's going to work out one way or another?

Conor Daly: I don't know, honestly. It's hard. This is a tough time of year. And definitely a lot going on that's kind of wild, but we just stay focused on what's ahead of us and go from there.

Bruce Martin: And also you got a lot of positive props from people for having Christian Rasmussen on Speed Street. So in a lot of ways, did that just go to show the unique camaraderie and nature that in IndyCar racing, you guys can have disputes, but at the end, there's still a lot of admiration for each other.

Conor Daly: Well, I mean, I don't know if I necessarily have admiration for him, but I do love the sport. And seeing a new winner, a first-time winner in the sport is just a good emotional story, because we love sport. And yeah, so definitely happy for him.

Bruce Martin: All right, well, we'll be happy for you when things work out for you. Connor Daly, good luck. Thank you. Christian Rasmussen scored his first career victory at the Milwaukee Mile on August 24th, but he never made it out of Turn 2 at the start of the race at Nashville. He finished last at the 27-car field. Rasmussen joined me one day earlier to talk about his appearance on Conor Daly's podcast, Speed Street, for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview.

Bruce Martin: How was your appearance on speed street?

Bruce Martin: Because a lot of times drivers that may not agree with each other may not give each other that type of forum to talk about it. In a lot of ways it was kind of cool that Connor Daly did do that. So how did you feel about being on there and how did it go?

Christian Rasmussen: It went fine, as everyone could see, you know, it's out there, it's out there for everyone to see it. But no, it was very civil, it was very similar to our conversation that we had at Java House the week after Portland. It's old news. You know, we're past that. As we also both said in the interview, we're both professionals. We need to be able to go out the next weekend and compete against each other. So there's all good there.

Bruce Martin: Well, not only is it old news, but you also have a trophy and a checkered flag since then. So there was that. There's that.

Bruce Martin: Well, congratulations once again.

Bruce Martin: Alexander Rossi is Rasmussen's teammate at ECR. Here are Rossi's thoughts on how important Rasmussen's win at Milwaukee was to the entire team. Alexander Rossi, you were genuinely happy last week. The video you sprinting out of your car to go congratulate Christian Rasmussen. Just what did that really mean for the whole ECR team?

Alexander Rossi: It's great for the team. It was important to have for the organization. You know, it's hard to win in this series. And there's been a lot of effort to improve the organization. And that was a huge step.

Bruce Martin: As far as your race, you had a shot at it. What do you think the difference was between

Alexander Rossi: What he was able to do on the new tires and what you were able to do? He just did a better job. I mean, ultimately, we beat everyone else on new tires except him.

Bruce Martin: And it also seemed that you genuinely got a lot of positive response, a lot of positive hits from that great show of teamwork. As far as those ECR as a team, they really look like they are building for a decent future.

Alexander Rossi: Yeah, 100%. It's a difficult thing to do when you're competing against teams that have had the leg up on development for quite some time. So it doesn't, it doesn't happen immediately, but we're taking steps in the right direction.

Bruce Martin: This is going to be a big weekend for Marcus Ericcson as he travels to Italy for the official wedding ceremony with his wife, Iris. The couple are already officially married, but delayed the wedding ceremony and the reception until the off season. Let's hear from Erickson as he gets ready for the big day.

Marcus Ericson: Did you hire your wedding planner for Italy next week? A year ago we hired her, so yeah, we're sorted. Iris has done a good job. I heard it's pretty lavish. It's going to be spectacular. Good luck. Thank you, bro.

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: All right, Scott, it's the end of a long, grueling road. Are you looking forward to it, or do you wish there was more time?

Scott McLaughlin: No, I want more time. You know, obviously, I think we're just getting everything together. But, you know, we've been OK, been there, thereabouts. It's just a matter of trying to finish off the year here and get ready for next year.

Bruce Martin: Will the offseason be used trying to get to know, you know, everybody that's in a position of authority, but really getting to know them in their new positions of authority?

Scott McLaughlin: No, I think we've done that on the fly here. So no, I think for us it's going to be just same as usual and just probably molding everyone even more into their role. I'm very excited with where the team's headed and yeah, we're in a good spot. We'll go get them in 2026. Thank you. Cheers.

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. There was another battle decided in the August 31st Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. It was the battle for the IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year award. In a very tight competition, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Louis Foster edged Prima Racing's Robert Schwartzman by just two points, 213 to 211. Schwarzman finished 14th in the race and Foster 20th, but Foster finished higher in the final championship standings than Schwarzman, 23rd and 24th respectively. Entering the race weekend, Schwarzman joined me for this exclusive interview.

Bruce Martin: Robert Schwartzman is back.

Bruce Martin: You're locked into the rookie championship race with Louis Foster entering the last race of the year at Nashville Super Speedway. Is that something that you've really been paying attention to or have you basically been paying more attention to where you finish in races and the championship battle where you finish the season?

Robert Shwartzman: I mean, overall, I'm trying to focus on the racing as well, like, you know, just the race itself. Now is the final race. So my job is to do the best result as possible. Then obviously we'll see how the standings and the points is going to be at the end. But yeah, from my side, it's just, you know, we need to have a fast car. Hopefully everything is going to go smooth for us. And, you know, just to Implicated into a result and yeah, obviously me and Louie were battling for the rookie championship, which is also very important, but My main priority is just to be fast and just to bring a really good race here in Nashville What you've learned during your rookie season, how will you be able to apply that for more success in? 2026 Well, you know, we had our ups and downs and I have learned from both of them. Yeah, I think overall I have really gained a lot of experience this year. It's been very, very, let's say, good learning season. So yeah, for sure, for my future, I'm going to implicate a lot of things that I've learned this year.

Bruce Martin: Are you determined to be back at IndyCar next year, or are you open for possibilities if they call you back over?

Robert Shwartzman: Yeah, I'm determined for IndyCar. Honestly, I like a lot of IndyCar. I like the racing here. So yeah, hopefully we're going to have our future, like my future, and IndyCar combined together, you know, for the upcoming years.

Bruce Martin: Well, there you have it. Robert Schwartzman, good luck in that rookie battle.

Robert Shwartzman: Thank you.

Bruce Martin: Congratulations for a good rookie season in 2025. Good luck next year, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Foster also joined me entering the race weekend to talk about his hopes for winning the rookie title in this exclusive interview. Joining us now is Louie Foster who's locked in that tight rookie of the year race. With from us Robert Schwartzman, final race of the year. We talked about this a little bit last week at Milwaukee. It is in the back of your mind that you definitely want to win the rookie title. Are you going to keep track of where Schwartzman is throughout the race or are you just going to run your race?

Louis Foster: Yeah, I think, obviously, you've got to keep an eye on where he is going to be in the race. You know, obviously, our goal is to be as fast as possible, and if we're as fast as possible and as far with the grid as possible, we won't have to worry about him too much. But, yeah, obviously, if he's sitting a few places behind me and, you know, we've only got five, ten laps to go, we're going to prioritize wrapping up that Rookie of the Year championship rather than going for a silly move that could cost us it. So, yeah, definitely going to be in front of our minds to try and wrap that up.

Bruce Martin: More important question, how has the rookie season in IndyCar helped set you up for a productive career in IndyCar?

Louis Foster: Yeah, I think it's been a massive learning curve. What I knew going into this year compared to what I know now is completely different. I feel like a different driver almost. So I'm honestly very excited to get back going again in 2026 with a year under my belt and a year of experience to boost the standings a lot more. So yeah, I'm very much looking forward to it.

Bruce Martin: What are the areas you believe you need to work on?

Louis Foster: I think just generally the race. I think our qualifying base has been really good. I think just the raw speed has been very, very strong. But I think for the racing, we need to improve on that. Myself and the team, we've got some things we've got to do in the off-season to work on it. Just definitely tire management is one of them, fuel management, pit stops, just that kind of whole thing, you know. I've had, there are guys here, obviously, that have been racing in this series for 20 years, and they've got 20 years of experience on me, so trying to bridge that gap is quite difficult.

Bruce Martin: We've seen where you've had some great qualifying attempts. You won the pole at Road America. How much do you need to improve on your Sundays to be able to close out some really good finishes in the races and then get a victory?

Louis Foster: Yeah, I think that's the main target right now, is to improve those. You know, it's very hard to try and find these gains. You know, they're very small amounts. IndyCar's a championship of tight battles, and everyone's super, super close. So trying to find these tense throughout the race is very, very tricky. But we're working hard to do that, and that's definitely the top of my mind.

Bruce Martin: And finally, when you look back from start to finish, Rookie seasons are rookie seasons, but when you look at it as a whole, are you going to go out of here feeling really happy about it?

Louis Foster: I think content. I think we had a lot of opportunities to do better, but I think also we had some great performances as a team and as a driver. So I think content. I'm happy with how the year's gone. If we can wrap it up with the Rookie Championship, I think that'll be the icing on the cake. But yeah, I think it's gone well, and I think it's given us a good building block for the future.

Bruce Martin: And how much fun has the rookie battle been against Robert Schwartzman of Prima?

Louis Foster: It's been great fun. Like I said before, I think, if I'm honest, I haven't really been paying too much attention to it until the last couple of rounds, really. Just been focused on the main championship and improving my points there and learning each race, and kind of it's come to where it's come to, more or less, you know? I think we've had a fair share of unlucky moments throughout the start of the year, which has seriously hindered our overall points position. But I think as long as we do everything right, we should have the pace to beat.

Bruce Martin: Well, Louis Foster, you've certainly impressed me during your rookie season. Good luck in your battle for the rookie championship. Enjoy the off season. We'll see you next year back in IndyCar. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you.

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

Will Power: This is Will Power of Team Penske, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Bruce Martin: Thank you, Will Power, and congratulations on a brilliant 17-year career with Team Penske. All of us at Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, wish you success in the future. That puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guest, Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix winner Josef Newgarden of Team Penske, Colton Herna of Andretti Global, Scott Borchetta of Big Machine, Kiffin Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing, Conor Daly of Juncos Hollinger Racing, Christian Rasmussen and Alexander Rossi of ECR, Marcus Ericcson of Andretti Global, rookie Robert Schwartzman of Prema, and 2025 IndyCar Rookie of the Year Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for joining us on today's podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental, your path to Victory Lane and 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.