Wrapping up the 109th Indianapolis 500 with Roger Penske, Kyle Larson, Kyle Kirkwood, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon and much more

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 this special Indianapolis 500 edition of 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. Pit Pass Indy was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the biggest month of the racing year, the month of May, culminating with the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25th. Congratulations to Alex Below of Chip Ganassi Racing, the most dominant driver in IndyCar this season, for winning the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in his career. It was the fifth victory in the first six races of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season, and by winning the biggest race of the year, Polo took a 112-point lead over Padua Ward, heading into last weekend's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. But it's not about the points in the Indianapolis 500, it's about history. And on Sunday, May 25th, Pillow etched his name into the famed history of the world's biggest race and will always be introduced as an Indianapolis 500 winner. Pit Pass Indy had many great interviews from the Indy 500, and we wrap up our Indy 500 coverage with some interviews from the red carpet at the Indy 500 Victory Awards Celebration at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis on Memorial Day Monday night. We will have full coverage from last Sunday's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on a special bonus episode that will be available later this week, so be sure to listen for that. This year's Indianapolis 500 was the first time Fox Sports televised the sold-out race live as Fox airs all NTT IndyCar Series races in 2025 as the new television partner. For just the third time in the last three decades, Sunday's Indianapolis 500 will be the most watched motorsports event on American television as 7.01 million viewers tuned into the Fox broadcast with a peak of 8.5 million for the climactic ending from 4.15 to 4.30 p.m. Eastern Time. By comparison, 6.4 million viewers watched February's Daytona 500 also on Fox. The only other times in the last 30 years the Indy 500 has received a higher rating than the Daytona 500 was in 1995 and 2021. It was also the most watched Indianapolis 500 in 17 years. The previous was 7,245,000 viewers in 2008. That was tremendous news for our first guest. It's Roger Penske, the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500, IndyCar, and Team Penske. It was a tumultuous month for the 88-year-old Penske, who had to make some very tough decisions after his IndyCar team was severely penalized for infractions during qualifications. Penske took quick and decisive action. But the month ended with great news, including the first grandstand sellout of the Indianapolis 500 since the 100th running in 2016, as a crowd of 350,000 fans made race day at the Indy 500 an experience to remember. But the news got even better when the television data was released, and this year's Indy 500 will be the most watched motor sports event on United States television in 2025. Here's my exclusive interview with Roger Penske for Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Realm. It's a tremendous honor to be joined by our next guest. It's Roger Penske, the chairman of the Penske Corporation, the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Indianapolis 500. Roger, huge Indianapolis 500, pulled out the grandstands, and you had the biggest TV rating in 17 years, 7.01 million people. How impressed were you that Fox Sports delivered a huge rating for the Indianapolis 500?

Roger Penske: Well, when it comes down to Fox, They were outstanding. They told me when we originally shook hands to put the relationship together that they'd take the sport to the next level. And when I saw some of the advertisements for the race during the Super Bowl, I told Eric Shanks, you're a man of your word, because from that point on, you could see the momentum that we had with the race, the TV, the coverage, the celebrities, the Blackhawks, and guess what? legitimately over 330,000 people and to sell out the grandstands was just amazing. And then also when you think about the fans themselves, the demographics and the kids and the people who were there, you have to be there and look at the impact that it has for the state of Indiana. probably a billion dollars coming out of that race weekend and the rest of the things we do there. So I can only say Fox was a great quarterback.

Bruce Martin: The thing you mentioned is very important. The younger audience, it seems like the Indianapolis 500 amongst younger fans is cool again. And that was what we grew up with in our era was going to the Indy 500 was just the epitome of cool. Now we have young people that are rediscovering it. You as the track owner, how important is that for the future of the Indy 500 and IndyCar?

Roger Penske: Well, I think one thing you've got to take a look at is that the 18 The 36 was up 100% when you looked at TV audience. And I would say we also had a tremendous amount of young people, a lot more women than we've had in the past. So the sport, I think, is resonating across many different age groups, certainly from the standpoint of the fan base. But more important, the fact that we were able to deliver an event like that on Memorial Day You know, for the men and women in our military, the first responders, and certainly when you look at the outcome, I think our team, Doug Bowles, Mark Miles, the whole team there did an outstanding job.

Bruce Martin: The race day experience is also bigger and better than ever, which is one of the visions you had when you bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in November 2019. How excited are you to see that whole plan come together to provide a better race day experience?

Roger Penske: Well, I think it's come together very steady. And we're not done yet, because what we're concerned about, how do we make the guests, the fans, have a greater experience? And that certainly is what we're trying to do. And I think we're accomplishing that. each and every race.

Bruce Martin: On the track, it was a very challenging month for your race team. You took some strong action, some decisive action. How important was that to get out in front of that and regain control of what had happened at Team Penske?

Roger Penske: Well, I think it's all been said. I don't think I have to say it again. We understand the penalty, we accepted the penalty, and we're moving on.

Bruce Martin: And as far as Alex Pelo, you've seen a lot of great drivers in your time in IndyCar. He looks like he's only beginning his ascent to the top. How do you categorize exactly the role that Alex Pelo is on right now?

Roger Penske: Well, Alex, and remember, it takes a team to make a winner. And I'd have to say Ganassi's is a pro team. They've been had success at Indy and obviously winning a number of series. So I think the combination is first class. They're going to be tough to beat all year.

Bruce Martin: I know that you're very busy and you have other important things to do, but I want to thank you for this interview and also thank you with Penske Truck Rental sponsoring Pit Pass Indy. Roger Penske, it's always an honor to visit with you. Good luck the rest of the year. Good luck at all of your other business entities. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental.

Roger Penske: Thank you. Our pleasure. Thank you, Bruce.

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

SPEAKER_15: 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. Elio Castroneva's drive for five continued in this year's Indy 500. The 50-year-old was the oldest driver in the field, but showed he still knows how to race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He started 22nd and finished 10th in his 25th Indianapolis 500. I caught up with the driver who is one of only four four-time winning drivers in the Indianapolis 500 after this year's race on Pitt Lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for this exclusive interview. LL Castroneves, another Indianapolis 500. You didn't get five, but I'm sure you'll try again next year.

Josef Newgarden: Yeah. Cliff's Machine, 0-6 guys. MSR did an amazing job. First of all, Felix did a good job finishing the top five. I was watching really close. I was barely there. Yeah, we got some changes. We can win again. I was really happy with my setup. Really happy. We can definitely win again.

Bruce Martin: There were some times in a race where you were very, very good. What was the reason? You know, why? Is it experience or was it the car?

Josef Newgarden: No, the car was handling perfect. I mean, the car's really good. We had a great, uh, uh, Kirkwood and I were kind of like back and forth. I saw Joseph as well. We're back and forth. I mean, I had a great time. Um, obviously it was hard to get to the front because of some of the stops that we had. It was, um, under yellow. My guys did everything they could, but unfortunately, we were missing a little bit on those areas. And the gear, too short, unfortunately. I couldn't do much, but I tell you what, setup-wise, amazing. Really good.

Bruce Martin: You said in 2021, when you won the race, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway chooses the winner. Today, it chose Alex Palou. And he used the same strategy you used in 2021 by using the lapped cars ahead of him to help pull him to victory.

Josef Newgarden: Well, living and learning. I guess he understood what he needs to do. He's in a row, of course. Congratulations to Ganassi. Congratulations to Alex. And he deserved it.

Bruce Martin: Now you climb back on top of the pit box, resume your duties as team partner, but I know you'll be back again here next year.

Josef Newgarden: We'll make it happen. I'll make it happen that we'll come back, but yes, Detroit will be on the time stamp.

Bruce Martin: Elio Castroneves, good luck the rest of the year. Congratulations on another strong Indy 500. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Josef Newgarden: Thank you so much, bud.

Bruce Martin: Ed Carpenter was back for another attempt at the Indianapolis 500. This year was the 22nd Indy 500 for the hometown hero from Indianapolis, as the owner-driver of ECR started 14th and finished 15th. His other two drivers included Alexander Rossi, who led 14 laps before a pit fire ended his race on lap 73. Driver Christian Rasmussen started 18th and finished 6th, leading 8 laps in the Indy 500. Here's my exclusive interview with Ed Carpenter. Indiana's own Ed Carpenter has joined us. Ed, every Indianapolis 500 is different. I would say yesterday's was pretty different. Got off to a really sloppy start. There were a lot of different comers and goers in the race. Had the same ending though. Alex Blow wins another IndyCar Series race, but it's his first victory in the Indianapolis 500. How would you assess the way the race went from your standpoint?

Ed Carpenter: It was definitely a bizarre, different feeling 500. There was two distinct strategies going for a while and then flip-flopped back a couple times with the cautions. Between bizarre yellows early, multiple moisture yellows that were very light moisture, made for a strange day for sure.

Bruce Martin: And then we saw a veteran star driver in IndyCar crash on the pace lap. And that's something growing up we've seen happen in the Indy 500 before. I don't think anybody thought it was going to be Scott McLachlan.

Ed Carpenter: No, I mean, it was definitely, the track temp was low enough that it was a challenge to get tire temp in the tires. So I think, you know, it was probably the first time he had experienced a cool race like that. You know, the heat that we've had in previous 500s, that would have never happened. But yeah, feel for him. It's a, we all worked so hard for that day to be out before it started. Would be a tough pill to swallow, but you know, Scott, he's strong, he'll be back.

Bruce Martin: And then on your team, Alexander Rossi had the pit fire. Pretty scary moment. Fueler got burned hands and a couple other crew members had some issues from dousing of the fire. How is everybody doing?

Ed Carpenter: Everybody's great. Mike was actually back at work this morning with a smile on his face. So, you know, super appreciative and thankful. For all the safety personnel and the equipment that we all have, that they dealt with the situation quickly and his injuries are minor and he's back at it. So yeah, fortunate that everyone got out of that clean.

Bruce Martin: But Alexander Rossi was having a really fast race. In the race, it's a shame to see it end like that.

Ed Carpenter: Yeah, it was. All three of our cars were really strong, and unfortunately he had that issue. And we had some gearbox issues in my car as well that set us back on some pit stops. But luckily, we were able to get one up near the front with Christian. So we'll be back strong as a unit next year.

Bruce Martin: Well, Ed Carpenter, we know you're going to be back in the cockpit next year, even though you haven't announced it yet.

Ed Carpenter: We'll see.

Bruce Martin: I have a hunch you'll be back. But good luck with your team the rest of the season, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you, Bruce. Felix Rosequist of Meyers Schenck Racing had a fantastic Indy 500. He started fifth and finished fourth in the number 60 Honda, and joined me for this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. I'm very happy to say that I'm joined now by a driver who finished in the top five of the Indianapolis 500. It's our buddy Felix Rosenquist. You drove a very smooth, very smart race. How did you do it?

Felix Rosenqvist: Yeah, I feel like it was a chaotic race, even from where I was sitting, but when I watched the replay, it seems like a lot of guys had more chaos than I did. There were some defining moments of the race. It was kind of weird this year, because I think there was actually around 10 cars that had the pace to win it. So it was all about positioning yourself, being in the right place after the pit stops. I had one restart where I lost a lot, and that was kind of the defining moment for me. I had trouble lapping. dabbling at one point. Those moments you look back on, I think we could have had a shot and we had the car for it for sure. But yeah, congrats to Alex. Like always, he's very light on mistakes. I think I was too, but it was only enough for this time. But he did a really good job and earned it.

Bruce Martin: From your standpoint, was it a very steady race for you?

Felix Rosenqvist: No, it wasn't. There was a lot of things going on. There was a lot of different strategies. I had a couple of close calls. I had one restart that was actually down in the grass, trying to avoid an incident. The restarts are wild, because you normally have people that are at the back on old tires. starting up front, and then you have people with new tires in the back, so it's just like a U-turn right in the middle of the field. But yeah, we got through it. We had a decent finish. We will take P4, and congrats again to Alex. It's also something that Meijer Schenck Racing can continue to build on. How important is that? It's important. I thought we had a solid race in terms of pit stops. I think we can always get quicker compared to some of the big dogs, but we had a solid day in pit lane, no mistakes. We had good strategy. I think a well-executed race. The car was good. It can always be better, but we were… I think with some fine-tuning, we had a really good package and just something to build on for next year.

Bruce Martin: Felix Rosenquist, congratulations on a great run. Top five finish in the Indy 500. Go get them at Detroit. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you very much. Thank you. One of Rosenquist's teammates, Marcus Armstrong, started 30th and finished 18th in the number 66 Honda at Meyers Schenck Racing. Here's my interview with the driver from Christchurch, New Zealand for Pit Pass Indy. Marcus Armstrong, you've participated in your second Indianapolis 500 now. Got off to a little bit of a slow start because of the spotty showers. Also a little bit of a sloppy start at the beginning.

SPEAKER_14: How would you assess your day? Our day was fairly uneventful. I thought that we were making really good progress until we got a drive-through penalty. which was questionable in my eyes, because obviously Joseph had an engine problem and we kind of had to avoid him somehow, so we got a penalty for that. But anyway, I feel like it was a good day for us considering our difficult qualifying weekend.

Bruce Martin: But every time you compete in an Indianapolis 500, you're going to learn something that's going to be beneficial for you in the future. What did you learn yesterday?

SPEAKER_14: Absolutely. I found like I learned a lot about the cadence of the month. You know, as a rookie, you kind of feel like every day is so important. And, you know, I feel like it's put the whole the whole experience into perspective a little bit. You know, it's race day that matters. So I thought that overall it was it was one of those things you have to do. And I think the more you do it, the better you get at it.

Bruce Martin: Also, your teammate Felix Rosenquist, great finish in the top five. So as a whole, it's got to give Meyers Schenck Racing a big boost.

SPEAKER_14: Yeah, Felix did an amazing job, and so did Helio. I think we had a really strong team, and ultimately a really fun engineering office as well. We had so much fun this month. Honestly, I can't tell you how many shenanigans we got up to with Helio and I sitting on the same side, and obviously Felix there as well. So it was just a lot of fun in general.

Bruce Martin: And you gave me the quote of the month earlier in May when you said, Alex Blow is always happy because he wins all the time. If he finished 20 of five straight races, he wouldn't be so happy. He's got plenty of reason to smile tonight as the Indianapolis 500 winner. It doesn't seem like he's slowing down at all. Were you happy to see your former teammate finally get his first Oval win?

SPEAKER_14: I was super happy to see Alex do well. He's a great guy and he's super talented as well. I feel like he's on a roll at the moment. He's got so much confidence. As well, I was unfortunately a lap down towards the end there. I was just watching the pylon, seeing how the race was evolving. I was happy to see him win it.

Bruce Martin: Well, Marcus Armstrong, there's gonna be a day when people are gonna be happy to see you in it. Good luck the rest of the IndyCar Series season, and thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you very much. NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson made his second attempt in the Indianapolis 500 for Errol McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion started 19th and finished 24th after he crashed on a restart on lap 91. From there, he flew to Concord, North Carolina to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He started second in the race, led 34 laps, but crashed on lap 245 of the 400-lap race and finished 37th. Larson returned to Indianapolis afterwards and attended the Indy 500 Victory Awards celebration on Memorial Day evening. Here is my exclusive interview with Larson for Pit Pass Indy. Kyle Larson, you got another chance to run the double. At least this time you got to run in both races, but obviously they were not the type of races that you wanted. How would you describe your day?

Kyle Larson: I don't know. It was, uh, you know, fun to wake up and, you know, think that you're gonna get to run both races. But once again, the weather kind of got in the middle of it. So, yeah, just I don't even know if I would've been able to finish the Indy 500 had I not crashed. But that doesn't matter. I crashed. So I hate that that happened and upset myself for the mistakes I made on pit road, in the race, you know, a couple practice sessions that we had throughout the month. So just kind of a not great May for me. And then, you know, going to Charlotte and getting collected in a crash there after, you know, I put myself in the back from getting the wall early, you know, kind of pissed me off. So yeah, I just bummed out more than anything.

Bruce Martin: You were worried about the restarts in IndyCar because you don't have a lot of experience in restarting in the Indianapolis 500. What exactly happened on that restart?

Kyle Larson: Yeah, I was just Yeah, the restarts are crazy. And I was just kind of really uptight to Takuma and got aero tight and had more wheel input in it than I should have. And as I got to clean air, it just kind of front tires grabbed and spun out. So, uh, those are just the mistakes that, you know, if I raced more in IndyCar, I would probably know that before I make that mistake. But, uh, unfortunately, you know, you kind of got to learn as you go and, and, uh, you know, happens in the biggest race. So, yeah, just, stinks when we had the spotty showers that delayed the command to start the race were you starting to get nervous yeah yeah i was you know i knew that we didn't have much you know room in the schedule to have any delays and um you know i was checking my watch and you know seeing that we were probably about 45 minutes into it and uh knew that was kind of the cutoff of me to make it to the end of the race and um yeah so it's just a bit frustrating and uh all that but just tried to block it out and do the best job i could which you know ultimately was not very good when you left the indianapolis 500 much earlier than you wanted to at least it guaranteed you were going to get to the 600 in decent time so once you got to charlotte

Bruce Martin: What was your outlook? How well did you think the car was going to be? You qualified very well starting on the front row. What exactly happened in the Coca-Cola 600?

Kyle Larson: Yeah, honestly, I had less time than you would have thought. You know, I got there probably 10 minutes before driver intro. So, yeah, even though I only made it to halfway about in the 500, I was close on making it there in time. So, but yeah, regardless, um, you know, my car was really good. I just, you know, I was, I got to the lead and was, you know, comfortable out front and, uh, the tracks really bumpy. And I don't know, I just, I got out, I lifted off the throttle on a three, got really loose, hit the wall, damaged the car and then spun out, you know, a few laps later and Yeah, I just kind of had to scratch a claw from there, and ultimately got caught up in a crash.

Bruce Martin: I know you're disappointed that it didn't go as well as you wanted, but are you glad that you've done it the last two years?

Kyle Larson: Yeah, I'm glad. I would have thought that it would have gone better than it had in these two years, but that's just the way racing goes, and you have to live with it and accept it. You know, hopefully I can get the opportunity to at least compete in the Indy 500 again someday. You know, I would hate to end, you know, on the hook like that, so I would love to give it another go. You know, I think the double is probably logistically too tough to do, but I think, you know, hopefully down the road I can run the Indy 500 again.

Bruce Martin: Well, we hope you'll be back, and we know it may be a few years before you come back, but you certainly have made a lot of friends and a lot of fans at the Indianapolis 500. Thank you. Kyle Larson, go out and win the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship now. You're in great position to do it, but of course, it's a long season. Yeah, thanks a lot. But Kyle, thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you. Kyle Kirkwood thought he had finished sixth when I conducted this interview after the race. But Kirkwood's race result was disallowed when a post-race technical inspection discovered the energy management system cover and an A-arm cover had been illegally modified. The same infraction was discovered on the second-place car driven by Marcus Ericcson. IndyCar officials moved both from their finishing positions in the race to 31st for Erickson and 32nd for Kirkwood. I caught up with Kirkwood on Pitt Lane after the Indy 500, before the penalties were announced by IndyCar the following day. Kyle Kirkwood, another Indianapolis 500's over. You looked pretty competitive out there for a while. How would you describe the way the race went?

Kyle Kirkwood: The race went… Uh, very bad, then very good for us. It was potentially the worst couple of stints of my life. Um, and then some of the best stints of my life. Um, we had a great race car and, um, you know, I think we would have had a shot to win if we would have gotten up there, but just a few hiccups early on really hindered us from, from getting anywhere and, uh, pretty disappointed with it. But, um, I can't be that upset, because finishing sixth here is not an easy thing. It's my best finish at the 500. And watching my teammate Marcus lead in the closing stages and come up second is not a bad day either.

Bruce Martin: The stints that you had difficulty, what was the problem?

Kyle Kirkwood: Slow in pit lane. That's all. Both just situational and then stops. But yeah, we'd cycle back. And I also had some bad restarts as well. Wrong gear one time and a big accordion effect that really, really hurt us at one point too. So a magnitude of things. And then the Stinson went well for you. What brought the car alive? Uh, we started, we got really good on pit lane. Um, our strategy was working well. We're making passes happen. And, um, yeah, just, uh, turn things around in the closing stages. Are you getting tired of seeing the same guy in victory lane all the time? Who isn't? Who isn't? I said. Yeah, everybody is. So.

Bruce Martin: He's on a heck of a roll, but season's still long. We'll see what happens on that. He's got to be due for a little bit of, uh, issue but I know you don't want to win a title that way but you have to still feel like After today's race, you're still within pretty good distance.

Kyle Kirkwood: And there's some good races for you coming up. There are some really good races for us. Detroit is probably one of our best races. But yeah, man, they're on a roll. They are one of the best teams in pit lane. They're one of the best teams in strategy. Their cars are phenomenal. And Alex is phenomenal. So it's just a combination of great things happening over there in the Gdansk camp. And it's hard to compete against, I'm not going to lie. But we'll knock him off his pedestal hopefully starting next weekend.

Bruce Martin: And for a season that began with such a long streak of no cautions, we had a lot of cautions today. But you probably expect that in the Indianapolis 500.

Kyle Kirkwood: I expected it. The same thing that probably was hurting, hurting, uh, other races and not allowing cautions was the same thing that helped the cautions here. Cars are really hard to drive. So, um, and we actually had a lot of deg here today. So. A bit of a surprise with that, but, um, yeah. Kyle Kirkwood. We'll see you in Detroit. Sounds good. See you in Detroit.

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

SPEAKER_13: 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. Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing started fourth, but had a brake fire flare up on the pace lap of the 109th Indianapolis 500. His crew was able to tend to the issue, and Dixon returned to the track, but he finished 20th, three laps down in the last car running of the 33 that started the race. Here is my exclusive interview with the six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winning driver, Scott Dixon, for Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental. Scott Dixon, another Indianapolis 500. Generally, we're used to seeing you fight for the victory this year. Not so much. You had a break fire early on. What happened?

Scott Dixon: Still going through a lot of the details, but yes, something very strange. I think we had a small part that actually failed. was part of the conditioning of it, and, yeah, just very unusual. And then we were kind of into try-to-fix-it mode the whole race, so obviously we lost, I think, three or four laps. Car was, you know, didn't really get to push much later in the day, but, you know, had great speed, but I guess the only saving grace was, for us, was, you know, that the team got what they deserved, and Alex did a tremendous job, and, you know, so happy for everybody that works on this team to be able to pull that off.

Bruce Martin: You know what it's like to win the Indianapolis 500. A lot of people have looked at Alex as like he's won championships as a won the Indy 500. I guess now he's checked the two major things that a IndyCar driver can do. Just what's the moment like for him from what you experienced back in 2008?

Scott Dixon: well and he hadn't won an oval two yesterday too so um it's pretty cool you know uh what they've done this season you know the championships that they've been through as well uh already uh has been fantastic but uh it's almost it's almost Tough to really explain how, you know, what they've done this season so far. Five out of six races, you know, the biggest race of the year. First overwin, you know, first Indy 500 win. All you can really say is, like, well done and congratulations. You know, it's fantastic to see what they've been able to do and much deserved.

Bruce Martin: It seemed like a very strange start to the race. Scott McLaughlin spins himself out and crashes on the pace lap. That's something that we don't see from a driver of that talent. Was it the cold conditions, the wind gusts, heating up the tires?

Scott Dixon: Yeah, possibly. I don't know. I haven't spoken to him what happened. I actually haven't seen the incident. I only just saw what was on the big screens while we were driving around. But feel for him. That's obviously the last thing you want to do. And then we go straight into another caution with another first 2-in-1 crash. So yeah, it was definitely a strange race. Even the feel of the race the whole time was kind of weird. I still haven't seen the finish of it yet. Yeah, I heard that was even a little interesting too with just kind of lap traffic and all that kind of stuff too. So, yeah, you know, I unfortunately wasn't at the meaty part of it and didn't get to see much of it. So, yeah, I'll have to look back on that.

Bruce Martin: the competitive driver you are, do you think 365 more days to get back into the meaty part of it and fight for a victory?

Scott Dixon: For me, man, it's all about Detroit now. That's what's first hand. Obviously, Indy will get plenty of time to reflect on that and get back to it and looking forward to next year's race. But no, man, we're all about the next race that's coming up in just a few days' time.

Bruce Martin: And we'll see you at that next race in just a few days' time. Scott Dixon, it's always an honor to interview you. Good luck at Detroit, and good luck the rest of the 2025 NDT IndyCar Series season. Try to race up there and make it an interesting points championship, because at the moment, your teammate has a pretty big lead.

Scott Dixon: He does. Thanks, man. Cheers. Thank you.

Bruce Martin: Old pro Ryan Hunter-Reay led 48 laps in the 109th Indianapolis 500 in the number 23 Chevrolet for Dreyer and Reinbold Racing and Cusick Motorsports. That was the second most of any driver, just short of Takuma Sato's 51 laps in front of the field at this year's Indy 500. Hunter-Reay had an outstanding chance of winning his second Indy 500 before those dreams were dashed when his car ran out of fuel. He made it back to Pit Lane, but after refueling the car, the engine had vapor lock and the team was unable to clear the fuel lines and Hunter Ray was out of the race. After starting 25th, he finished 21st, despite all the time in front. Here's my exclusive interview with Ryan Hunter Ray for Pit Pass Indy. Ryan Utter Ray is joining us now, and Ryan, you led a lot of laps in the 109th Indianapolis 500 for a second there. We thought you were going to end up winning a second time when you came in, ran out of fuel, then you got vapor lock. What exactly happened with that whole scenario?

SPEAKER_09: Yeah, so we were better on fuel than the rest of the field. It was kind of ours for the taking. You know, our thought process was that we were going to run full rich, attack, throw everything at it in that last stint, while others had to maybe meet a number. And something happened in the fuel calculation and just came up short coming out of turn four. It coughed, it sneezed, it did everything. And I knew it was a fuel issue. And at that point, you're just hoping you know, that the fuel lines don't run dry and that you have to, you know, reprime them. And unfortunately that was the situation. So yeah, it's, um, I can't tell you, I don't know if there's been a time, there has been times, maybe not so recent that I've been this, uh, dejected and I wasn't able to sleep last night, maybe an hour and a half. And I don't know. Um, I think my boys wanted it as bad as me and

Bruce Martin: yeah it's been a hard day the other amazing thing is your primary car caught on fire on friday so this was the backup car and as Dennis Reinbold told me the day before the race he actually liked the backup car better and you proved it well the backup car mid-april i was doing uh… pit stop practice with the team in the shop and uh… yeah would have never thought that would have been my race car but

SPEAKER_09: The fact is that Dry and Rumble team did a phenomenal job staying up all night with no errors putting a car together that came back on the pad to a T to our settings on the primary.

Bruce Martin: Well, you proved that you can still do this and you can still win the Indianapolis 500. So we'll see you back here next year, I hope. And then maybe that'll be your chance to get a second Indianapolis 500 victory. But Ryan Hunter-Reay, you've always been a true pro and a true champion. Good luck. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

SPEAKER_09: Thanks, Bruce. Always appreciate it, bud.

Bruce Martin: Santino Ferrucci finished 7th on race day, but was credited for a 5th place finish in the official box score when 2nd place Marcus Ericcson and 6th place Kyle Kirkwood were both penalized and moved to 31st and 32nd place respectively. That allowed Ferrucci to move up to 5th as he has never finished outside of the top 10 in all 7 of his Indianapolis 500s. No driver in Indy 500 history has finished in the top 10 in their first seven Indianapolis 500s. Here is my exclusive interview with the driver of the number 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet for Pit Pass Indy. Santino Ferrucci, another Indianapolis 500, seventh place. You keep your streak going of never finishing outside of the top 10. Just how difficult is that?

Santino Ferrucci: I mean, it's definitely a challenge, to say the least. I mean, we had a wonderful day. Everything was going really good. I mean, the guys fixed the side pod that was flying off the car. We just had a little bit of a bobble at the end, you know, and kind of pulled us out of the top five, but that's OK. Stuff happens. It's racing. Not everybody's, you know, we're not always perfect, and neither am I. I mean, I cost us a spot as well. So I just really needed that late yellow to fly so I could get back on another good restart and move us forward a couple more positions.

Bruce Martin: Teammate David Maloukas finished third. Two Foyt cars in the top seven. It's got to make AJ Foyt pretty happy.

Santino Ferrucci: I hope so. I mean, it's a long way. We've come a long way with this team, so pretty impressive, pretty happy. Man, we both had great days. David ran out front literally all day long, too, so hats off to their crew. They did a wonderful job.

Bruce Martin: Were you involved in any of the four wide going into turn one? You know it. Almost all of them. That's why they kept calling it four wide. Yeah, but I mean, that was some pretty intense action. We don't normally see four wide at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They were able to pull it off, but the race did get off to a really sloppy start. What do you think the reason was for that?

Santino Ferrucci: I think the cold temperatures. Obviously, the ground was a little wet. It's just tough to get it going. And once you did, it was just one of those things. But yeah, no, all good.

Bruce Martin: Are you surprised to see that the winner of the Indianapolis 500 is the same guy who's winning all the races in 2025?

Santino Ferrucci: No, he's been close before. So I feel, heart goes out to him and him and his family. What an awesome day for them. He's having an incredible season. So he's the guy to beat.

Bruce Martin: And finally, you never raced here when this race was a sellout. Today it was. How cool was that to see everybody in a seat here?

Santino Ferrucci: You could definitely tell driving around. There was a lot of people in the stand, so it was cool. It was impressive.

Bruce Martin: And how nerve-wracking was the delay?

SPEAKER_19: It was about a 37-minute delay to get the race started. I took a nap in the car, so it went by quick for me. So, yeah, no, I was good. I took a power nap, and I was ready to roll.

Bruce Martin: Well, Santino Ferrucci, enjoy a good night's sleep tonight. You'll collect a pretty good check tomorrow at the banquet. But good luck the rest of the season, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you, Bruce. Thank you. Kiffin Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing started 13th and finished 25th, but in between he raced his way toward the front before his race ended in the lap 92 crash after Kyle Larson spun on a restart. Here is my exclusive interview with Simpson from the red carpet. Kiffin Simpson has joined us. You've just completed your second Indianapolis 500. It was kind of a strange day from your standpoint. How would you assess it?

Kyffin Simpson: Yeah, it was a very strange day, I felt. Completed, I'd say, is a bit of a strong word for our day yesterday. But, you know, that's kind of just how they go sometimes. So sometimes you're just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. And that's kind of what happened to us yesterday. Yeah, super happy for Alex and super happy for the team as well.

Bruce Martin: So from your viewpoint, if you could describe the incident that you were involved in.

Kyffin Simpson: Yeah, it was it was a difficult situation because to make moves, you have to go to the outside on all those restarts to move forward. And that's kind of what had been happening to me on a couple other restarts. So I was tired of getting passed and wanted to be the one passing. And then it just kind of got caught out. I just kind of got caught out with the spinning car on the inside. But, you know, things like that happen. And yeah, it is what it is.

Bruce Martin: Because of the delayed start with the weather and extra 35, 37 minutes before the command was given to start the race, and then one of the fastest cars in the race crashes on the pace lap, do you think there was a little bit of a sense of urgency early on that created some of the other incidents in the race?

Kyffin Simpson: I don't really think so. I think conditions were a little bit tricky I think having the cold weather didn't help and then also having the I think the way that We weren't able to sweep or blow dry the front stretch, kind of caused the front stretch to be quite a bit more sketchy than normal. So you could really feel the difference like warming tires from the front stretch to the back stretch. And you really notice the difference. So to be honest, I almost crashed as well on those formation laps at one point. And then I had to kind of rein it back a little bit. So I wasn't surprised to see someone crash.

Bruce Martin: So perhaps a better description would have been you just finished participating in your second Indianapolis 500. But one driver who did complete it was your teammate, Alex Below. He finally wins an oval race, the biggest oval race in the world, the Indianapolis 500. So from a team perspective, how exciting is that for you?

Kyffin Simpson: Yeah, I'm super happy for him. Alex is a great guy and such a great friend for me and such a great mentor as well. So it's great to see him just being able to cross that oval win off the bucket list and what better place than at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Bruce Martin: Just to go through two of these as a driver, how much more does your experience help you when you return here next year? A lot.

Kyffin Simpson: I mean, I think after the first year, I was very overwhelmed my first year. And now going into this year, I felt so much more comfortable. So I'm just looking forward to getting back next year and seeing how much more comfortable I can be next year.

Bruce Martin: Well, Kiffin Simpson, it's off to Detroit. Good luck at that race and good luck the rest of the 2025 IndyCar Series season. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Kyffin Simpson: Thank you.

Bruce Martin: Stingray Rob of Junecoast Hollinger Racing had another eventful Indy 500. The driver from Idaho started 17th and finished 23rd, but fought a good battle before he was also involved in Kyle Larson's spin that also took out our previous guest, Kiffin Simpson on lap 92. Rob joined me for this exclusive interview for Pit Pass Indy. Stingray Rob, a lot of people may not have been familiar with your career, those who watched the Indianapolis 500, but they certainly saw you running up near the lead. How big a thrill was it to have that strategy that was able to get in contention during the Indianapolis 500?

Sting Ray Robb: You know, we weren't really that far off the strategy this year. I mean, last year was definitely a significant different strategy, and that's what led to us leading the Indy 500. But this year, I mean, I think that we were we were really quick. And you look up and down the field, I think there's 15 guys that could have won that race. And unfortunately, our day was ended early because of being a casualty to other other events.

Bruce Martin: How strange of a race was it because there's all this buildup for the start of the race and then because of spotty showers, you're sitting in the car waiting and it was like a 35, 36 minute wait, which has to seem interminable when you're inside the cockpit and you're really not getting much information.

Sting Ray Robb: It was kind of funny. I was sitting on the grid and it felt like a quick sitting because I took a nap. I ended up falling asleep there on the grid waiting for them to tell me to start the engine up, but that was the best way I knew how to handle the situation is lay back, enjoy the seat, and get ready to go.

Bruce Martin: And as far as the way the race started, it seemed like it was a pretty sloppy start. We saw one of the best drivers in IndyCar spin himself out on the A-slab. We saw a crash at the first Green Flag lap with a veteran driver, Marco Andretti. From your standpoint, did it just seem like there was a lot of sloppiness at the beginning of the race, either driving or just track conditions? It was a cold day.

Sting Ray Robb: I think you look at the whole month and there's a lot of chaos, right? There's a lot of crashes in practice and qualifying, way more than we normally would see. And I think it's due to the fact that the car is a lot more difficult to drive, very tricky to drive. And I don't know if it's the weight of the vehicle or what, but conditions throughout the month were definitely tricky with higher temps for most of the days and gusty winds, but race day was the opposite of that. Cool temperatures and good winds made it much better and much better conditions to race in, but still led to a lot of chaos.

Bruce Martin: I've been asked by a lot of people today, including at Fox Sports, how you got your name Stingray? So if you could explain to us, I'm sure you've been asked it a million times.

Sting Ray Robb: Now it's a million and one. Yeah. The story goes that my parents were big Corvette fans. That's a short story. So they decided to name me after the Stingray Corvette. But the longer, more boring side of the story, but still very fun, is that my dad's side of the family's heritage is from Sterling, Scotland. So Sting is actually short for Sterling. And both my grandfathers had Ray in their name. And we made the combo deal out of that. And here I am, Stingray Rob, the IndyCar driver.

Bruce Martin: Well, that's a pretty good story. Now you're from Idaho. Not a lot of IndyCar drivers have come from Idaho. Davey Hamilton is from Idaho. But what was it like trying to become a young race driver coming from Idaho?

Sting Ray Robb: It was challenging. There's a lot of days on the road. Like you mentioned, there's not too many of us from Idaho. And I think the reason being is that there's just not too many tracks around. Motorsports is growing in that area now, but when I was a young driver, we were traveling all over the country. We were on the road 42 weekends a year just to try and stay competitive in other regions because our region was very limited.

Bruce Martin: When you got into the IndyCar ladder system, if you could explain your progress through that and when you feel you were able to make the big jump.

Sting Ray Robb: Yeah, so I moved straight from pretty much go-karting into the Road to Indy at the ProMazda level, which is the AA ladder, back in 2017. And that was the last year of the old ProMazda chassis. And then they reintroduced a new chassis with the Tadas PM18 in 2018. And so I spent three years in that car before I was able to really get my footing, if you will. And so second year with Hunkos Hollinger Racing, ironically, now looking back, that was the team I won the championship with in 2020. And then I really began to kind of build momentum from there.

Bruce Martin: But you also race for a cause, you race with a message. And if you could explain to us, you have very good fundamental values. If you could explain the causes that you want to support.

Sting Ray Robb: Yeah, so we've been lucky enough to be partnered up with Good Heart Animal Health Centers the last few years, and they have partnered up with us and them together in Freedom Service Dogs of America. And so this year we wanted to show off a livery that was representative of Freedom Service Dogs, of the principles that they stand upon, and also honoring those that have come before us to give us the freedoms that we have been given in this country.

Bruce Martin: And also you're a man of faith and you like to support that and tell people about your faith. How important is that to you to witness to people throughout the IndyCar community?

Sting Ray Robb: It's foundational. You know, I think that faith is one of the biggest decisions you can make in your life. And for me, I'm willing to live that out on the front, front center of my life because I know the impact it has on my life and I'm hoping that I can inspire the future generation with it as well.

Bruce Martin: you seem to have hit it off very well with Junko's Hollinger Racing. What do you see as being the great connection between you and them?

Sting Ray Robb: Common passions. Ricardo Juncos is a great leader in the fact that his passion bleeds down to the rest of the team. And they are committed to excellence. They are a young team. They're a young up and coming team, as I think I am a young up and coming driver. And I think that our communication, our understanding of one another has been so good. And that's what's led to our success so far. And I hope that we continue to grow, and I think we will. There's still a lot of room to grow. And this series is so competitive, but they know where all those areas are that we can improve.

Bruce Martin: Well, now it's off to Detroit. You keep getting better and better. Won't be long before we're talking to you as an IndyCar Series winner. But Stingray Rob, congratulations on the Indianapolis 500. You were putting on a show there for a while. Good luck the rest of the season. Thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy.

Sting Ray Robb: Thank you.

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

SPEAKER_00: 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. We end today's 109th Indianapolis 500 wrap-up edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental with the man who we'll get to know, Alex Pillow, quite well over the next few months. It's famed sculptor, William Behrens, who creates the winning face cast in sterling silver that will be attached to the iconic Borg Warner trophy, along with all the other winners of the Indianapolis 500. I caught up with Behrens the morning after the 109th Indy 500 at the Yard of Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for this exclusive interview for Pit Pass Indy. There's a new face to sculpt on the BorgWarner Trophy, and it's going to be Alex Blow, the winner of the 109th Indianapolis 500. And Will Behrens, you have a new face to craft.

William Behrends: I do. I'm always excited about a new face. And Alex has a wonderful face. I'm really, I'm looking forward to getting started on it.

Bruce Martin: Of course, William Behrens is the sculptor for the BorgWarner Trophy. He's had that role since 1990 when it was Arie Luyendyk who's the winner. Now it's Alex Pillow. Very expressive driver. Very likable driver. Has a huge personality.

William Behrends: Yes.

Bruce Martin: How do you bring his personality out in the piece that you will sculpt for the BorgWarner Trophy?

William Behrends: Oh, gosh. You know, it's funny. I've been doing this a long time, portraits, and the likeness comes quickly, but then really the bulk of the time I spent with it is trying to bring out that personality, really make it live, you know? I'm trying to represent how he felt and how he looked on yesterday, really one of the best days of his life. So that's really what I try to do.

Bruce Martin: Now, you were going to have a major challenge if Josef Newgarden won, because you're going to have to make the same driver look different three straight years. Had you given any thought to that if he had won the race?

William Behrends: Oh, I sure have, yeah. Well, you know, it's funny. I did year four last, I did Joseph, enjoyed doing it. Then I did it last year, and what I do is I don't look at the previous years. is I just start from scratch. I don't even look at it. I start as if I'm doing it for the first time. And the one I did last year, Joseph said he liked it better. So I told him, I said, as long as you keep winning, I'll keep doing these and I'll keep getting a little bit better. So I was looking forward to a challenge of trying to do better than last year.

Bruce Martin: We're standing on the yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway today after Alex Pillow won the 109th Indianapolis 500. But the process for you actually began this morning. And if you could explain what that was.

William Behrends: Well, we're fortunate enough to get a few minutes with the winner, with Alex this morning, right after he comes out, and we do photographs. I have a photographer, I pose him in a certain position, standing in a certain place, and the photographer takes pictures of him from all different angles. And I take those pictures back to my studio in North Carolina. And it's those that I use to create the life-size model, the study that I do, that he will see hopefully in the fall. And I will finish and perfect his likeness at that time. And then from there on, I go to the smaller version of it that becomes sterling silver.

Bruce Martin: One of the interesting things you have is you've dealt with some drivers who behaved the night before the winner's photos, but that's a big night for them because they just won the Indianapolis 500. You've also photographed drivers who probably didn't get much sleep the night before having to come out here and do the winner's photo. How big of a challenge is that sometimes?

William Behrends: Well, you know, it's been over the years, you know, I've been doing this a long time. Oh, we've seen some, we've seen some, you know, hungover guys out here. And, uh, but you know, generally these guys are professionals. They're used to meeting, they're used to being able to meet the moment and you know, they're professionals. They come out here and they, they do what we need to do. But, uh, you can tell in their eyes, some of them had a good time the night before.

Bruce Martin: Well, knowing Alex the way I know Alex, he has a good time, but he doesn't, he knows how to enjoy himself without overdoing it. So did you notice that today that he's just as bright eyed and excited today, the morning after as he was when he won the race?

William Behrends: Oh, he sure was. Yeah. In fact, he was running a little early this morning. So he, he was definitely, uh, he, you know, he, he was, he was ready to go looking good this morning.

Bruce Martin: All season in the NTT IndyCar Series, he's been running early in every race.

William Behrends: Nobody can catch him. He sure has. He's used to getting there first, isn't he?

Bruce Martin: So now when you get the photos, when will you get those and when will you start looking over and when will you start sketching out what you want to do?

William Behrends: I'll start, I'll really start laying it out in the next few weeks. But you know unfortunately I won't see him again until probably the soonest is the end of September or sometime in September when the season is over because you know these guys, especially the winner of the Indy 500, Their time is booked solid during the season, so that's usually the first time we can get them, and so I look forward to seeing them then.

Bruce Martin: Well, we all look forward to seeing your final product. It's a work of art, literally. It's something that you've left a lasting impact on the history of the Indianapolis 500. 36 faces on that BorgWarner trophy were sculpted by you. That's quite a legacy.

William Behrends: It is great. You know, I really can't believe it. It's gone on so long. And, you know, this has become such an important part of our lives, my wife and I, and part of the body of my work. I'm really proud of having so much of my work on the BorgWarner Trophy because, you know, I believe it's the most spectacular trophy in sports, certainly. And it's just something that I'm super proud of.

Bruce Martin: Well, sculptor William Behrens, the sculptor of the Borg Warner Trophy. We've spent a lot of time. You've been a guest on Pit Pass Indy many times. We always enjoy having you on, always enjoy coming out to try on to your house and your studio. Beautiful part of the country. But good luck in sculpting the latest face on the Borg Warner Trophy. 2025 Indianapolis 500 winning driver, Alex Blow. And thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

William Behrends: Thanks, Bruce. Thank you. Enjoyed it.

Bruce Martin: And that puts a checkered flag on this Indianapolis 500 edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. We want to thank our guests, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner and IndyCar owner Roger Penske, drivers Scott Dixon and Kip and Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing, four-time Indy 500 winner Elio Castroneves, along with his teammates Felix Rosenquist and Marcus Armstrong, all with Meyer Schenck Racing, Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion from Hendrick Motorsports, who competed in his second Indy 500 with Arrow McLaren. Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global. Ryan Hunter-Reay of Dreier & Reinbold Racing with Cusick Motorsports. Santino Ferrucci of A.J. Foyt Racing, Stingray Rob of Junecoast Howinger Racing, and William Behrens of the Borg Warner Trophy Sculptor for joining us on today's special Indy 500 podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests helped 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. We will have even more from the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix later this week. So be sure to tune in for that special bonus episode of 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.