Wild Race at Mid-Ohio with Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Graham Rahal, Kyle Kirkwood and the return of Kyle Moyer

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, 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 NTT IndyCar Series celebrated the 4th of July weekend at the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio with a wild race that featured 8 lead changes tying the all-time record at Mid-Ohio. Alex Pillow started on the pole and appeared to be on his way to his 7th win of the season before he made a rare blunder with 5 laps remaining. He went high into turn nine, collected the little rubber pellets from worn tires known as marbles, and lost speed. Scott Dixon was in second place, saw the cloud of dust in turn nine from Palou's mistake, and made the race-winning pass in the next turn. Palou's Honda was able to regain control and went on the attack, but was unable to pass Dixon at the checkered flag. Mr. Perfect, Alex Pillow, was no match for Mr. Mid-Ohio, Scott Dixon. Dixon's four-tenth of a second margin of victory was the closest finish in 10 years at Mid-Ohio. It was Dixon's seventh IndyCar Series win at Mid-Ohio, the 59th IndyCar victory of his career, and extended his record streak of at least one IndyCar win for 21 straight seasons. Dixon has also won a race in 23 IndyCar Series seasons, with 2004 the one season during that time that he did not win a race. Dixon also becomes just the third different driver to win an IndyCar Series race in 2025. Palou leads with 7 wins in 11 races, Kyle Kirkwood has 3 wins, and Dixon won. Dixon's victory in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio was the 10th straight win for Honda. So far in 2025, Honda has won all 10 races. We have two exclusive interviews with Scott Dixon on today's Pit Pass Indy, so let's start with this interview heading into the race weekend when Dixon was attempting to score his first Mid-Ohio victory since 2019. You can still call him Mr. Mid-Ohio because he's got six victories at Mid-Ohio. It's Scott Dixon. Scott, this past weekend's Mid-Ohio race was the year anniversary of the hybrid assist. Not so sure it's really added much to the show. What do you think of the year's anniversary of it? Because it actually started out, you were one of its first failures here last year, a year ago.

Scott Dixon: Yeah, that definitely wasn't a fun way to start, you know, obviously having the hybrid unit fail on the parade lap, didn't even get to the green flag. We did, you know, kind of get back into the race later on once we'd figured out the parameter issue and why it had shut down, but yeah, you know, it is what it is, it's the same for everybody, you know, I think for a lot of us the first year you're kind of Mostly worried about, you know, the mechanical side of it and whether you're going to have, you know, failures and things like that, which we have seen throughout the races. But, yeah, you know, we'll deal with it as part of the formula and, you know, I don't think as racing-wise or driver-wise it's really added much to it.

Bruce Martin: You still have a knack for getting around this course. You've won here at MidOhio six times, but your last victory was in 2019. Is there a reason why since then it's been a little difficult to find the path back to victory lane at MidOhio?

Scott Dixon: Yeah, it's been a little bit tough here and there. Last year, we had the failure. We've had, I think, a couple of podiums in that time, but not the win that we're looking for. So it's definitely the year that we'll definitely be trying to find that tough spot again.

Bruce Martin: Looking ahead, we're beginning a stretch here, five races in a four-weekend period of time. We know you're fit and trim, but there's a lot of other drivers. It's going to be a grueling part of the schedule. What do you expect over the next five race period when it's only four weekends?

Scott Dixon: It should be good, you know, I think at this point everybody's kind of raced for it anyway. You're kind of into the cycle of, you know, being in these races. Road America was pretty hot. It definitely looked like some of the drivers were struggling there a little bit. Here is probably going to be even tougher just because it's a tighter circuit and there's not much downtime, especially with the short straights. So I'm looking forward to it, man. I feel like this is always a fun time of the season and hopefully we can, you know, get our program running in the right direction.

Bruce Martin: And even though you're looking to get your program in the right direction, your teammate Alex Pillow is in the right direction, but yet this could be a pivotal time for him to determine whether he wins the championship or not, because a miscue here or there over the next four weeks could be costly with that huge lead that he's got. So what's the best advice you could give him?

Scott Dixon: Man, just keep doing what they're doing. I think what they've been doing, they can't make a wrong step at the moment. They've had a fantastic year so far. I think we're coming up to a bunch of races that will work really well for them. I think everybody's trying to keep their head down. We'll just focus on our program, but they have a healthy lead. Honestly, I think a lot of races where I think they'll be very strong.

Bruce Martin: Looking ahead to Iowa Speedway, doubleheader, it's really going to be two day races, because the Saturday race starts at 4, Lawful. The Sunday race starts at noon. It's going to be pretty hot. Do you think the course will be better this year than it was last year? Because I know Firestone is trying a new tire and also IndyCar is trying a different aero package.

Scott Dixon: Yeah, the tire, I think, has kind of gone in the wrong direction from the test. They're bringing a different tire, I think, for the race as well, but, you know, you need degradation. The only way to make these races good, but, you know, I think 60 laps on tires, we were within a tenth of the test of where we first started out, so… Yeah, I don't know. I'd hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I don't think the racing is going to be that great there. Unless we work well and try and do a lot of highline practice and try and get that second lane to come in, it will be the only time that I think that should make the racing a lot more functional. So we'll have to see. I would love to be pleasantly surprised, and hopefully we are. Otherwise, it's going to be a couple of tough races.

Bruce Martin: So as long as there's two different track surfaces in the turns, that's always going to be the major problem at Iowa?

Scott Dixon: Yeah, I think just, you know, how they did the lower line, you know, I think what would have been favored maybe in the off-season, you know, it's NASCAR's deal, right? It's their track. They choose what's best for them. If they had maybe resealed or repaired maybe the upper lanes, I think it could have made it quite interesting for us. But yeah, you know, we'll work at it. I know IndyCar is working the hardest they can, but they're only dealt with, you know, the situation as best, you know, they can deal with as best as they can.

Bruce Martin: And finally, you've got to get excited about going back to Toronto. You've won a lot of races there. Very popular in that race. So how excited do you get when you go to Toronto?

Scott Dixon: Yeah, always very excited. It's a great spot. It's a lot of great fans and you're always well attended. The city has grown so much and obviously it's encapsulated kind of where the racetrack is now. But yeah, looking forward to getting back to Toronto.

Bruce Martin: Well, Scott Dixon, good luck over these next four weekends, five races. You can make up a lot at Brown, and you could win a couple of races. But good luck during that stretch. Good luck the rest of the year. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thanks, Wayne. Appreciate it. Dixon accomplished his goal of another victory at MET Ohio on July 6 and joined me for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview after the race. It's been a while, but we've conducted quite a few interviews with this next guest at Mid-Ohio. It's Mr. Mid-Ohio himself, Scott Dixon, who won his seventh IndyCar Series race at Mid-Ohio, in this year's Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. It was a little dramatic at the end when you were able to beat Mr. Perfect, Alex Polo. He went off course and you were able to capitalize. When it comes to drama, where would you put today's victory?

Scott Dixon: Yeah, I thought we were honestly just settling in for a second place there. We knew we had a pretty good buffer back to third place with Lungard. There's different ways we could have looked at it. I think we maybe could have pushed a little bit harder. on the front end of that stint just to keep them behind us on the pit sequence, but they'd stretched enough of a lead that they came out maybe two, three seconds up the road. I hate to say it, but pleasantly surprised when I saw the dust cloud in turn nine and then come over the crest and see that he was rejoining the track. Ultimately, a fantastic day for us and the nine crew and everybody at Honda and HRC. It was pretty sweet, man.

Bruce Martin: Some people have looked at Alex Pallone and consider him to be Mr. Perfect this season, but I guess Mr. Perfect was no match for Mr. Meadow Isle.

Scott Dixon: Yeah, it's tough, man. Everybody's pushing so hard. There was definitely moments throughout the race where I thought I'd got myself into a bit of a situation. Ultimately, for us, it was pretty clean, but at no point was it easy or were you really kind of settled in. Anytime, even with Alex, that looks like he has situations under control, it's tough. Everybody is fighting and fighting real hard. So, yeah, obviously not the day or the way that he wanted to end it, but it was beneficial for us.

Bruce Martin: 59th career IndyCar Series victory, a win every year straight for 21 years, a win in every season for 23. Those are some pretty monumental numbers. Do you even look back at them and do they even get your attention?

Scott Dixon: Uh, you know, I just, you know, you're in a… You're in a sport where winning is everything. If you're not winning, you're not going to be sticking around for very long. Honestly, for me, it's just a focus on how to win the next race. This year has been frustrating in many ways. It started off at the Sebring Open Test where we backed ourselves into an engine issue and St. Pete, we had no radio to lose that win. You know, it's just been kind of one of those years, you know, Indy 500 with the brake fairy was over before it even started. So, yeah, you know, we'll keep working hard. We've been working hard as a group and, you know, the only bright side of that is that, you know, the 10 car group and Alex himself has had a tremendous year.

Bruce Martin: First victory since the 2024 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on June 2nd of 2024. How much did the nine crew need this victory today? Yeah, everybody.

Scott Dixon: I think, again, it could have started a little bit different. I think we could have got a win out of the gate at St. Pete and it just wasn't meant to be. You know, I think today, you know, strategy-wise and maybe the way that, you know, we were probably locked into a three-stopper like everybody else, but once we saw that caution on the start, we knew that that was going to be, you know, definitely an option. And then, obviously, the Rasmussen, you know, retirement kind of helped us later in the race as well. So, yeah, you just got to keep trying as hard as you can, man.

Bruce Martin: When you go for the fuel-saving strategy, at what point does the light bulb go off over your head and your race strategist Mike Hall's head that this is going to work?

Scott Dixon: You never really know. I think the hardest part is the first stint went pretty well. Obviously, we got the mileage that we needed to. You're a little bit curious about how the red tire or the soft tire is going to work out. And that was tough, you know, because the left front, you know, definitely degraded a lot quicker than we thought we were going to. The pace wasn't as good, but luckily we could kind of offset it and, you know, put a few more laps on the next stint with the black tires. So, yeah, you're kind of never really sure if it's ever going to work out into a scenario. And then, you know, we inherited, you know, second place from working as hard as we could. I didn't think, you know, a win was in the books until, you know, Alex made his mistake.

Bruce Martin: Last year was the first IndyCar Series race that used the hybrid assist. You didn't even make it to the green flag because you had trouble with it. Did the hybrid help you in your victory today?

Scott Dixon: No, it's the same for everybody. You know, yeah. No, I don't think so.

Bruce Martin: You corrected me in the formal press conference when I said, what is it about this road course carved out of Amish cornfields that has become your best track? You said Watkins Glen was actually your best track. So I guess I would say this has been your most successful track in terms of numbers with victories.

Scott Dixon: Seventh career win at Mid-Ohio. Yeah, with winds for sure. But we've been coming here a lot more than maybe, you know, Watkins or places like that. So, you know, it's a fantastic place. I think the whole, you know, camping vibe and, you know, the atmosphere that we have with the fans here is fantastic. It's 4th of July, so it's not always a favorite for, you know, families to, you know, come and spend it at a racetrack, but they do such a good job here that it is a big deal. Can't thank the fans enough for all the effort they put in and obviously, you know, all of them that came out this weekend.

Bruce Martin: And I'm going to wrap up on this numbers question. Alex was going for season victory number seven. You get your seventh Mid-Ohio victory. You're only the third driver to win a race in 2025, so when you look at all those numbers, it's been quite a season.

Scott Dixon: It has been quite a season, so all Honda wins, which is huge, but yeah.

Bruce Martin: Honda goes 10 straight. That's grand. That's pretty sweet. Well, Scott Dixon, you've always put on a clinic here at MidOhio. Today you put on a clinic on how to make the two-stopper work. Congratulations on your 59th IndyCar Series victory. Your 7th IndyCar win at MidOhio. and as always, congratulations on your entire career. But thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass. Much appreciated. Cheers, buddy. 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: Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. Although Alex Pillow admitted he threw away a victory with his blunder in Turn 9, with five laps remaining, he has a 113-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood, heading into this weekend's Su-Kup IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway. He entered the Mid-Ohio Race Weekend with a 93-point lead over Kirkwood. Here is an exclusive interview I had with Palou entering the weekend at MET Ohio. It's the champion, Alex Palou. We can call you the champion. You've won three of them. You're going for championship number four here. How surprised are you we made it all the way into the 4th of July and there's only been two drivers that have won races in IndyCar?

Alex Palou: It's crazy yeah I mean it's it's something that I think nobody in the paddock would have put any money like not even one dollar into that because the the chances for that are very low and if you look at the races without looking at the last stain or last last lap result you would have seen a lot of craziness going on like it's not been one of those years where you dominate any race or anything like that. So it's just been amazing, amazing to be part of it. I'm glad that I'm one of those two drivers that have won races. And yeah, hopefully we can continue to win races this year.

Bruce Martin: Not only have you won a lot of races, you won your first Indianapolis 500. Are you still feeling the magic carpet ride from that?

Alex Palou: Absolutely. I mean, it's, I would say every, not every, but 90% of the fans that you encounter at the race track and even on the streets in Indy, they always congratulate you for that specific race. And it's amazing. It's a lot bigger than I've ever felt before. And it's super cool.

Bruce Martin: Mid-Ohio started a five race and four weekend stretch. So there is a lot of opportunity for some of your closest pursuers to narrow the gap. How do you approach it to keep from having a miscue or two that may cut into your points lead?

Alex Palou: Yeah, I mean, it's going to be tough for everybody, especially the crews that have to travel so much and have to work still so much on the cars. But it's exciting. I love racing, so I could race every single race weekend, every single weekend in the year. I have to say, but yeah, we just need to continue working as we've been doing, try and get a little bit more wins, try and always be up there fighting for the win, for the podiums, and hopefully we can extend our lead instead of using the gap that we have.

Bruce Martin: Do you look at the Iowa doubleheaders being the potential obstacle that could be a problem? You've said in the past that's not your best type of track.

Alex Palou: It depends. I mean, we had a really good test there a couple of weeks ago and then Last year was actually good. Although I crashed in race one, we were able to finish second on race two. So I feel confident there. I don't think we're the favorites, but I feel confident that we can do a good job. But obviously, being a doubleheader, if you start the weekend struggling, you know it's going to be a tough Saturday and Sunday. So that just makes it a lot tougher. But yeah, it's a good opportunity for us as well to try and turn some heads around.

Bruce Martin: Mid-Ohio marked the one-year anniversary of the Hybrid Assist unit. Obviously, it hasn't affected you in a negative way because you won a championship last year in dominating fashion. You got a really good lead up to this point this year. But do you think the Hybrid Assist was a project worth taking?

Alex Palou: Yeah, I think it's been fun. It's been a lot of work from HRC and the teams and the drivers as well. We're looking back at what we were doing for the hybrid here a year ago and it was terrible compared to what we're doing now. We're utilizing the tool a lot more and I think everybody All the teams and drivers are for sure asking or thinking the same thing, so it's been fun. I think it's gave us the tool to try and do a difference with other teams or drivers and it's been great for us.

Bruce Martin: And at MetOhio, you got on track on the 4th of July. What does the 4th of July mean to somebody from Barcelona, Spain?

Alex Palou: It's good. I mean, I spend more time here than in Barcelona, for sure. I think I spend like two weeks or three weeks a year in Barcelona, so this is my home now. And it's fun. I think the best thing is seeing how fun or how people is enjoying this weekend and especially here that we're racing and it's mid-Ohio that you're so close to the fence so I love it.

Bruce Martin: Well Alex Flo, maybe it'll shoot off some fireworks for you when you win your fourth IndyCar Series championship. Right now you got a pretty good lead but good luck the rest of the way, good luck over these next five races coming up in a four weekend stretch and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you Bruce. Kyle Kirkwood hoped to whittle away even further at Pillow's lead at Mid-Ohio, but his eighth-place finish combined with Pillow's runner-up finish to Scott Dixon saw him lose 20 more points in the battle for the title. Kirkwood remains second in the standings, but he is now 113 points behind Pillow as the series heads to Iowa Speedway. I caught up with Kirkwood before hitting the track at Mid-Ohio for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. Kyle Kirkwood, we've met him all the way to the 4th of July in an IndyCar season with only two winners. If I had told you that at the beginning of the year, you would have probably thought I was crazy. I think anybody would have. So how do you explain it?

Kyle Kirkwood: Can't. Yeah, I mean, we've had a good season. Polo's had a phenomenal season. And Honda's won every race. Yeah, which is, I mean, Honda's done a good job. They've produced a really good engine year over year, big steps in the right direction, and we love to see it. It's been really, really good. So we're excited to be back here as well. This is like the heart of Honda territory here in mid-Ohio, right, with the them pretty much being in some ways based here and this weekend we're also running the Honda Honda is what we're calling it. So a lot of Honda logos, different ones too, on the side of our race car this weekend and it's going to be enjoyable to run that car here in the heart of America on the 4th of July.

Bruce Martin: And by running the Honda Honda how much more responsibility do you feel? I don't know.

Kyle Kirkwood: There's more responsibility in the things I have to do off track, but of course, just like any weekend, I'm going to give it my all once we go on track and see what we get out of it. We've had a lot of good finishes recently, and hopefully that trait continues. Have you been to the Mary's Mill facility? I have not. Is that something you would like to do sometime? I would love to go see it, yeah. I obviously know where it is, and it's obviously one of the most prominent facilities here in North America. So at some point, I'm sure I will see it. Not this weekend, but at some point, yes.

Bruce Martin: So beginning of the year, everybody was like, IndyCar season, there's too many huge gaps in the schedule between race to race. We're starting a stretch now and there's going to be five races in four weekends. And it's in the middle of the hottest time of the year. So how grueling is it for the driver? And even more important, how grueling is it for the crew members?

Kyle Kirkwood: Yeah, and we share that grueling-ness, I think. Us drivers, we get beat down in the weekend, but the crew, they just constantly get beat down. We roll out of this weekend, they're straight back at the shop working on the car to get ready for the next, and they don't get much time lost at all. So hats off to them, hats off to the crew, and that's not just for my team, but for every team out here. It's not easy doing what they do for four weeks at a time, right? Us drivers probably have it a little bit easier. Yeah, we get beat up on race day, but otherwise we get some time to actually relax a little bit or to at least recover. So yeah, it's going to be a hard month. Hopefully we as drivers can make it as easy as possible on the crew. That's important for us to do and keep everything clean, keep everything sharp and get success out of it.

Bruce Martin: But looking at the opportunity, it's the beginning of the five race stretch, but looking at the opportunity, If Alex Pillow should have a miscue or two, there's a lot of points that could be made up over the next five races.

Kyle Kirkwood: No doubt. This stretch is the true season right now. This is where everyone's going to stack up and know exactly where they're going to be at the end of the championship, right? Hopefully we can close that gap to Pillow. We need some fortune and I think he needs some misfortune for us for that to happen. But we're still sitting in a good spot. I'm very happy with second place in the championship right now, but we're going to do everything in our power to get more out of it. And we'll know in these next five races where we stack up and where we're looking at at the end of the championship and hopefully in our contention by that point.

Bruce Martin: NASCAR's made a big deal about their in-season tournament, but in a lot of ways, these five races over four weekends is IndyCar's in-season tournament.

Kyle Kirkwood: It is. Yeah, like I said, these five weeks are the most important out of anything right now, and that's where you're gonna see everyone close up or separate, and hopefully we're the ones that close up and separate from other people, so see what happens.

Bruce Martin: And looking ahead to the Iowa weekend, two races, doubleheader. They're really two-day races. The 4 o'clock Hulk will start. That's still in the middle of Iowa in the middle of July. That's still a lot of sunlight. It's gonna be brutal. Yeah, so just how do you prepare for that?

Kyle Kirkwood: You can't really prepare for that. It's going to be hot. It's going to be hard. First race will probably be not as hard as the second race, that's for sure. Hopefully, we get a nice little cool spell at some point right before the weekend. But as the last couple, three weeks have been up here, it doesn't really look like that's going to happen. So two races and close to 100 degrees will be absolutely killer on everybody. It'll be important to get some rehab in the middle of those two races.

Bruce Martin: Well Kyle Kirkwood and Andretti Goble, good luck over the next five races and a four-week stretch. We'll catch up with you later and thank you for joining us on Fit Pass Indy. Thank you, Bruce. The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is home of the Rahalls, Ohio's first family of racing, including three-time kart champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahall and his son Graham, who grew up at Mid-Ohio and won the 2015 IndyCar Series race at the popular road course located between Columbus and Cleveland. Bobby Rahal was honored before the race for the 40th anniversary of his first Mid-Ohio IndyCar victory in 1985. He also won at Mid-Ohio in 1986. Rahal competed in 16 IndyCar races at Mid-Ohio and finished on the podium an impressive eight times. The 72-year-old Rahal served as the Grand Marshal of the race and gave the command, drivers start your engines before the race. As for Graham Rayall, he takes great pride in being a Buckeye, and joined me for this exclusive interview for Pit Pass Indy. It's only natural that if we're at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Graham Rayall's the guy we're going to talk to. Graham, highlight of the season for you.

Graham Rahal: How does it feel? Well, you'll see, the weekend's just starting, Bruce. Hopefully it's a highlight, but if it doesn't go well, then it's a low light for me. But yes, I mean, to be here is always a great moment. I look out from where we're standing right now, brings back a lot of memories. I watched a lot of races standing right here on this balcony. Couldn't see above the railing, so I'd look through the grate below. But man, this is God's country out here. It's beautiful, so it's awesome to be here.

Bruce Martin: Not only that, but your father's being honored as the Grand Marshal. 40th anniversary of his big win. That's got to be a proud moment for you as his son. So just how cool is it that when you think about all the history here, it definitely has a Rahal stamp on it.

Graham Rahal: Yeah, well, I mean, obviously the guy who owned this place at the time, right? You know, Jim, without Jim Truman, you know, I don't know if our family name would be anything in this sport, because without him giving dad the opportunity that he did, You know, who knows if Dad even ever goes IndyCar racing. So, very cool for Dad to be honored here this weekend. You know, this track, you know, this place means a lot to him. It means a lot to our family in general. And obviously, Fourth of July, you know, being a proud patriot like I am, this is just, it's a great weekend. A great weekend to be out here.

Bruce Martin: When you get on the golf cart and you go around and see the fans, what is that like?

Graham Rahal: I mean, it's kind of a routine. It's part of the deal now. I mean, it's cool. It means a lot to us. Our sponsors have gotten engaged over the years. They give us a lot of gear to throw out and things like that. I don't know, man. It's just a sweet place, you know? And these people have made a big decision to be here this weekend and not out at the lake with their family or doing other things on the 4th of July. You know, I mean, I think it's a big choice to make. I mean, we all know that, right? I mean, all of us, inside of all of us, there's a part of us that would rather… probably be at the lake with our buddies or whatever it may be then be here. But each one of these people that have made that decision and so I think we owe it to them to be out there and to see them. And for most of these guys and gals to see my dad in particular is very, very special. And on the 40th anniversary of his win is a big deal. 10 years since I've won too, which is crazy to think it's been that long.

Bruce Martin: It's also the one year anniversary of the Hybrid Assist. Has it been a project worth doing?

Graham Rahal: Yeah, I mean, well, I don't know. The answer in that, Bruce, is if a third or fourth manufacturer comes in the sport. At the end of the day, if it doesn't introduce more manufacturers in the sport, then the answer, in my opinion, is no, because it hasn't done anything to change the dynamic of the sport. At the end of the day, too, every single person out there sitting here watching this doesn't know if there's a hybrid in it or not. that's that's the reality of the situation so if it doesn't move the needle in getting more uh… more money engaged more manufacturers in the sport then I would say it hasn't. And in my opinion, with what we're seeing, the change in the automotive space, I saw Ram announce that they're gonna build Hemi trucks as of earlier this week. And as of yesterday, they got 10,000 orders in the United States for Hemi trucks. I think that shows you the demand is not necessarily hybrid related. America is true to the core. We love burning fuel and there's a more efficient way to do that nowadays than ever before.

Bruce Martin: And finally, mid-Ohio is the start of a five-race and four-weekend stretch. It's going to be demanding on the drivers, but it's also going to be demanding on the crew. So how demanding will it be?

Graham Rahal: Much harder on the crews than the drivers. Physically for the drivers, particularly next weekend from what I'm hearing, Iowa could be deadly for us because the new aerodynamic package and the grip Apparently, you know, guys are saying they're struggling to finish one stint, let alone, you know, finish a race, let alone two races. So, you know, we'll see what happens here. But on the cruise, this is a very, very hard period of time. And I would like, I would appreciate if IndyCar took that into consideration next year, I think. you know we we've got to make sure we keep i mean for you guys it's it's hard you know all the travel is it's it's not easy on anybody period i don't care if you're just sent on an airplane when you're traveling out on a thursday back on a sunday night or a monday uh… it's not it's not easy uh… so uh… you know hopefully we can we can make some positive changes for next year well graham ray all good luck uh… during this five race stretch good luck this season and thank you for joining us on pit pass indy

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. Our featured guest is Kyle Moyer, the new director of competition at Arrow McLaren. Moyer is one of the most distinguished and respected members of the IndyCar paddock and has returned to action after he was one of three key team Penske officials that were dismissed for illegally modifying the rear attenuator of two of the three team Penske entries before the may 18th fast 12 qualification session. for the 109th Indianapolis 500. Because this came the year after Team Penske was caught manipulating the push-to-pass system at St. Petersburg in 2024, Team Owner Roger Penske believed integrity and credibility are the hallmarks of his organization and terminated Team Penske IndyCar President Tim Sendrick, Team Penske IndyCar Managing Director Ron Rzewski, and Team Penske IndyCar General Manager Kyle Moyer. But the respect level among Moyer's peers runs deep, and it didn't take long for another team to hire Moyer to help guide their operation. The Honda Indy 200 at mid-Ohio was Moyer's triumphant return to pit lane as he oversees all three cars and Errol McLaren and calls the race strategy for 20-year-old driver Nolan Siegel. Here is my exclusive interview with Kyle Moyer for Pit Pass Indy. We're going to interview an old friend now, but he's with a different team. It's Kyle Moyer, who is now with Errol McLaren as director of competition. Kyle, first of all, welcome back to IndyCar. Oh, it's great to be back. Once you got the news that you were no longer at Team Penske, how long did it take before your phone started ringing and people reached out to you and said, hey, think about coming to work for us?

Kyle Moyer: Well, I told myself after it happened, I'd wait 24 hours before I even looked at my phone, to be honest, just because of the shock of the whole situation. But when I got on the, looked at it, you know, there was over 100 text messages and plenty of emails and calls and stuff. And so it's, most of it was all support, more than it was really anybody worrying about what I was going to do or anything like that. It was just, most all of it was just for support.

Bruce Martin: And how did it feel to know that that many people in IndyCar wanted to know not what you were going to do, but how Kyle Moyer was?

Kyle Moyer: It was fantastic, to be honest. You know, you always wonder if you're leaving a mark. I love IndyCar. It means the world to me. I hope everybody sees that and it reassures that a lot of people do, which makes you feel good. So I want to keep that going with IndyCar, hence why I'm back.

Bruce Martin: And I know that the decision was probably pretty difficult because you'd build a home in North Carolina. You have horses. From what I understand, the wife really loves living down there. So now to make a decision to be with an Indianapolis-based team, I don't know whether you'll be working remotely or not, but from a family standpoint, how is all that going to work?

Kyle Moyer: Let's put that in a couple of things there. First off, I'm fully committed here. So I will be based in Indianapolis. We are going to keep the place in North Carolina. North Carolina is a beautiful place, but I'm fully committed to here. So the only way I can be committed is to be here. And that means we'll be moving back to Indianapolis and I'll be spending most of my time, if not all my time right now, up in Indianapolis.

Bruce Martin: And the key people you're working with, Zach Brown owns the team, but you're working with a couple of guys you've worked with your whole career. You and Brian Barnhart go way back.

Kyle Moyer: Were you two together at Dallas? Yeah, we were together at Dallas and everything, you know, and then TK from the Andretti that years and everything, you know. And on top of that, there's a couple guys that have been from Penske that are working here. Nick Snyder, I worked with at Andretti. So a lot of people. But as long as I've been around here, you probably could say that on almost any team, there's a lot of people I've worked with through the years.

Bruce Martin: But the fact that they were two key people that reached out to you and talked you into coming up here, I imagine it probably didn't take much of a sales job for you to come to Errol McLaren. But what was it like to be able to sit there and consider and say, This is a great opportunity considering what I've just been through.

Kyle Moyer: Yeah, it was nice to reach out from almost every team, but where my plan is, or I should say, I guess goal, McLaren fit that almost to a tee. I met with Zach quite early in the process, and I think that sort of set the way that it was going to go. They both know where they want to be now. They know where they want to be down the road and where they're going to be. I think everything's here to do that, so it just fits a perfect place for me. I'm not planning on going to anywhere else again for the rest of my life. I hope to finish here. Now saying that, it's gonna be a while before I finish. I got still a lot to do. And now since I'm on this one, it just sets a whole new thing of like, what the accomplishments that this place could do, sort of makes it really interesting for several years.

Bruce Martin: You're working with a young driver who's getting started in IndyCar, calling Nolan Siegel's race strategy. So when you get a guy who's starting out, you've had that before earlier in your career where you've worked with guys and helped turn them into outstanding drivers. So what is that challenge like to take a guy and mold him into being a top-notch IndyCar driver?

Kyle Moyer: Well, I won't say it's a challenge. It's actually fun to do that because sometimes it's more fun than having a really, really good driver because then you're expected only one thing and that's to win. When you've got the young drivers, it's a learning process as you go up. And Nolan, I have to remind myself, he's only 20 because he sure doesn't talk that way. He's very mature in what he does. You know, it's the fun part. We're going to get some consistency in him. He can qualify fast. He's already been in a couple of fast sixes this year and stuff. So it shows the speeds there and everything. And a young guy just needs to get consistent. But every day is going to be a learning process, not only for him, but also for me. You know, every driver drives different. So that that actually excites me.

Bruce Martin: And when you work with a young driver, victories don't necessarily have to be checkered flags. It can be, as you said, showing signs of improvement. Top tens, top fives, seeing race to race better than he was the last race. Is that how you look at it when you're with a newer and younger driver?

Kyle Moyer: Yeah, you look at it and say, OK, what's our bet? What can we do today? At the same time, that doesn't mean we can't win. If it presents itself, then we've got to step up to the plate and be able to do that. At the same time, right now, we've got to make those opportunities. And a young driver has to figure out how to make those opportunities. And older drivers know when to go and when to hold and stuff. And once he learns that, he'll just get better and better.

Bruce Martin: Now, I know that you want to look forward, but I do have to ask you about looking backward a little bit. The general consensus from everybody when we heard the news was Kyle Moyer certainly doesn't deserve that. And in a lot of ways, you probably had to feel the same way, that for the most part, you've had a sterling career. one situation like that, as I've talked with other people, had that maybe just been an isolated incident, it would have probably just been a monetary fine, but for it to end up with like that type of penalty, how crushing was that?

Kyle Moyer: I really don't feel like talking on it much. All I'll say is sort of the thing of it's a shame it happened, but I had 10 fantastic years at Team Penske, and the accomplishments we did in those 10 years would be hard to replicate.

Bruce Martin: But you have to feel very proud of what Kyle Moyer's career has been.

Kyle Moyer: I've been very, very fortunate in what I've done. So I've been in the right spots at the right time, believe it or not. I've been very, very lucky. being able to get opportunities at the right time, you know, with Barry Green, Michael Angetti, Kim and Kevin, and that with Roger. And I think the same opportunity now has been presented to me here at McLaren. So, you know, we're just going to keep on adding to it. I won't say it's, you know, It's over, that's not for sure. It was still a lot to build. I got plenty of fingers and toes that I still need to get some rings on. And that's what I plan on doing because it's just the excitement to see how a team can win is what really drives me.

Bruce Martin: But because of that, it allowed you to do something different, to try a new challenge, and that's what you're going to get here. And there's an old saying, God helps those who help themselves. This may be an instance where one door closes, a door you may not have even thought would be opened, opened.

Kyle Moyer: Yeah, it's just, I'm here at McLaren and we're gonna have a good time about it. And, you know, I'm really excited how it goes forward. Everybody has ups and downs in their career. I've had ups and downs through my whole career. Hasn't been all peaches and roses, but it's been a good time.

Bruce Martin: You've been in championship races before. You've tracked down guys before. Alex Pillow has a pretty big lead, but Pato is still in this game, and there's five races coming up over a four-week period of time. NASCAR may have an in-season tournament. These next five races are going to be IndyCar's in-season tournament, because that could really dramatically change the championship. Is that the approach this team needs to take?

Kyle Moyer: Yeah, I mean, I still think we got two bullets in there. Christian's still there and Pato. But no, you're going to have to win races to do it. Do I think right now you're in a situation that you still can be in control of it? by winning races, no matter what Palu does. If we don't get into that situation where we're collecting the points in front of them, then it's going to have to be where we're going to need some help from somebody with Palu having some problems. But right now, it's still the top five guys are still in this thing and can control it. There's no reason just like Alex went on a roll of winning all those races. I don't see any reason that Pato or Christian can't do the same thing. Kirkwood's been going really good, but like, okay, hey, sooner or later they're gonna have bad days and somebody else is gonna win.

Bruce Martin: And to be able to bring all that experience that you've had in IndyCar to this team, and this team's got a lot of experienced people, Brian Barnhart, Tony Kanaan, now yourself, all the other people that work for this team have a lot of experience. Experience is always the key. You've also got this NTT data strategy control unit that you can bring that experience and give it a forward futuristic outlook. So when you see all the pieces that you have to work with here, I would guess this probably offers you more than any other team in the series right now.

Kyle Moyer: Well, I think we're building on something here pretty good. And people are coming here. I came here. Tony's here. Like you say, Brian, Scott Horner, Mick, all these guys are here for a reason. And more people are coming. It's like this is a different team than it was two years ago in the proper direction. And I think once you get people in here that are experienced and good, plus the driver lineup is fantastic. So you've put all that together. People are going to want to work here.

Bruce Martin: And just last quick question, do you feel like you're back home again?

Kyle Moyer: It's great to root for the Pacers when I'm in Indianapolis instead of being in North Carolina. Correct. Yes, I like that.

Bruce Martin: Well, Kyle Moyer, let me say on behalf of everybody that I know, welcome back to IndyCar. You've always been great to work with. We look forward to working with you some more. We'll catch up later down the road. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Kyle Moyer: No, thank you, 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: And that puts a checkered flag on this edition of Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guest, seven-time IndyCar at Meadow, Ohio, and 59-time IndyCar Series winner Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing. IndyCar Series Championship leader Alex Pillow of Chip Ganassi Racing, Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global, Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Arrow McLaren Director of Competition Kyle Moyer for joining us on today's podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Fit 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, getting ground with Penske. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me on X, previously known as Twitter, at brucemartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. We will have even more IndyCar interviews leading into this weekend's Sukup IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa on a special bonus episode later this week. So be on the lookout for that. 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 Dave Douglas. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.