WEBVTT
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This is off track.
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Hello guys, and welcome to another beautiful episode
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of Off Track with Hinch Rossi.
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I'm super happy to join you today with my good buddy,
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James Hinchcliffe and Tim Hamme here.
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So is that why you're super happy?
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Just joyous all around,
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Joyous and triumphant.
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Mm-hmm. So, Tim sent , Tim sent us a photo the other day,
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or yesterday, I think, when he was Okay, sure did.
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If you listen to Tuesday, you heard
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that he had a slight flight delay coming back
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from his trip in Florida.
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And while during waiting during his flight delay,
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he got on chat GPT
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and asked it to generate an image of the three of us, the,
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the hosts of Offtrack with Hinch and Rossi.
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And what came through was like, yeah, like a, an AI version
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of me, an AI version of Alex, and then an absolute
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Spitting
Image of Tim.
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Like there, there is like, there is now a doubt in my mind
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that that wasn't like a real photo of him.
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And he was like, Hey, add James and Alex to this.
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Yeah. It's the only, the only reason
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that I know it's fake is
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'cause like, his skin looks too good.
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He's wearing a suit and the tie is done up all the way.
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No, he wears a suit a lot. He just, he looks put together,
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which his hair looks done, his beard as well, whatever.
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Um, groomed, he looks moisturized,
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his eyebrows are sorted out.
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Like he, his eyes aren't bloodshot, you know, I,
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I'm saying all this because while Tim's not here,
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he can hear in his AirPod .
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So, uh, it's really fun for me. Okay.
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Pump the brakes. as I get
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Hazel's lunch ready?
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Super rude. Uh, although now you mentioned it. Yeah.
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You do need a shave. You do need a little bit
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of a shave. Yeah. Eyes are a little,
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Yeah,
Yeah, yeah. Botox should,
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I need to do anything to my eyebrows.
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But Tim, um, not that you are
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and not that you ever will be again,
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but if you were to return to a dating app,
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you could use this and people wouldn't question it
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when they might in real life.
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You should. Yeah, you should, you should cut yourself out
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of that and use that as your profile pick. Yeah.
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Good to know. I gotta get Hazel's lunch ready. But
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Yeah.
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What, what do we having chime? What's lunch today?
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I dunno. , while you're there,
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throw some like keels on or something. Sort yourself
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out.
,
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he doesn't know what he's making the lunch.
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Doesn't know what she's getting for lunch anyway.
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That's, uh, either here or nor there.
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I thought that was, uh, kind of funny though.
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That was a nice, pretty funny.
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Tim will show the picture, uh,
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if you're watching on YouTube mm-hmm .
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Which you should, you should watch on YouTube
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and you should like, and subscribe
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and do all those great things.
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And thanks to everybody that subscribed last week
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after Tim made you feel bad about making us sad.
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I wasn't here last week. I apologize. Um, all right.
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So racing stuff. Big, big week.
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James Indy cars are back on racetracks and it's awesome.
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Finally. Thank goodness we made it.
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They we made it out of the end of the tunnel.
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It is. And like, it's now what, five consecutive weeks
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that Indy cars are on racetracks.
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Oh, I didn't even think about that.
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Yeah. Yeah, because it's, there's a
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Duck. I mean, it's, it's
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Hazel.
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Is that your duck?
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It's uh, it's Hale showing us times to seven weeks.
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So I mean, that's also awesome. So
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Sebring test, uh, if you're listening
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to this on Thursday, has just wrapped up.
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We're recording before it happened, so we're gonna have
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to cover that next week, which would then also lead nicely
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into the Phoenix Open Test, which is full series test.
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Everybody there, which leads nicely into St.
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Pete, which leads nicely into Arlington,
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which leads nicely into Phoenix Race.
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Then we have a week off
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and then we go to Long Barber, long Beach. Barber,
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Barber, barber,
The bail, the bail.
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Hmm. Uh, see Yeah, guys like it's, we're done.
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We, we made it. We survived the frozen hellscape
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that was winter and cars now on track, Alex.
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Yeah, we're gonna cover CBR
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next week 'cause it hasn't happened yet.
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But you are actually not technically driving in
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Sebring, is that correct?
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Uh, I'm not technically and not realistically.
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Literally physically and physically
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and hypothetically and physically. 'cause I'm so
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In no way you're driving, you're not
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even mentally driving.
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You're not emotionally driving.
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Right. Um, so ECR decided, um,
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we're we, we made the collective decision, Christian,
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myself, ed, the technical team, Ted,
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that we don't get a lot out of Sebring.
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Um, Sebring is a great, come out a winner, get some reps in
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that sort of thing for everyone.
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But in terms of actually benefiting our 2026 campaign,
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it does absolutely nothing.
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And how many, just so everybody at home understands
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how many test days are you granted a year
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outside of the official test?
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Well, that, that's a hard question to answer
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'cause it depends on indie lights and what, okay.
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So, so, okay. You guys don't have any lights
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team, right? Yes, we do.
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Let's
Say what?
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Yes, we do.
Is that new?
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Mm-hmm .
Oh, okay. Who are you doing it?
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Do you, are you doing in-house? Are you doing
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it like an association with
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Somebody?
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No, it's with j Howard. So we get an extra test, eh. Right.
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Which is great. Does that
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Have to use a lights kid?
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Nope. Okay. Um, it's your your incentive.
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Yes. As a indie cartoon team
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Team, yes.
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As it should be. They used to do this, they
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stopped doing it for a while.
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I've always thought this should be back, so I'm glad it's
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Happy.
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So essentially, essentially we will have four days. Okay?
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Okay. That doesn't mean everyone has four days,
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but everyone is around four days.
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Let's call, let's put it that way.
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So we didn't want to use one of our four days at a place
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that does not benefit us.
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What BR is used for is, like I said, reps for everyone.
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Um, you sort through breaks,
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you try some new development parts for the first time
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to see like, are they gonna be reliable enough
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that we can actually use them and,
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and that sort of thing. Some
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Correlation, you know, a little bit
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Of correlation stuff.
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You see the one, the one benefit you see, um,
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that we're gonna miss out on admittedly, is the difference
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between a 2025 and a 2026 tire, right?
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Mm-hmm . Because you, you get four sets, tires two
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or 20, 25, 2 or 2026.
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That being said, it's only the primary.
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So everyone's gonna see the alternate for the first time.
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It St. Pete anyways.
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So we didn't feel that that was enough of a reason
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to give up one of the testing.
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So what we did is we're still going,
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but Christian and I aren't driving.
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We are having, uh, hunter Mray drive, um, which is going
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to be able to accomplish pretty much everything
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that we would want to accomplish,
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but without using one of our team test days.
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So this would be a, a rookie evaluation day.
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Um, and it's only obviously one car versus two.
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But we just, we were like, why, why are we just rinsing
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and repeating, like, we all hate going to Sibr.
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We all, we all do Sebring.
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And then leave there being like, well, how much
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of this is really gonna apply?
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It tracks X, Y,
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and Z And how much of this was, well, Sebring was in really,
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there was a lot of rubber and it was cool today, like
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how you, you leave there sometimes
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with more questions than answers.
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So we were just trying to remove that variable.
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We have a two day test, serious test,
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as you mentioned in Phoenix where yes, that's an oval,
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but you're still in the car, you're still getting reps in,
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pit crews are still getting stops in Yeah.
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You're still going through all
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of the process and procedure, right?
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So we didn't feel like we are giving anything
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up by, by missing this.
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And, and, um, I'm glad that we had the, honestly,
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to not just follow what the group does
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and, and do something different.
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I, I love it. I I love it.
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I think it's a, I think it's a really cool concept, right?
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It's, um, like you say, it, it, it gives you a day
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with both cars at track track at a track
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that you actually track we're gonna race at.
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Yeah. And so you can focus on,
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and I assume that you guys are going to try to go to tracks
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where you've struggled historically, correct?
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Yep. So it's, um, yeah, dude, I'm, I'm with you.
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I think it's great. I mean it was always, you know,
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it was always one of the things, you know, tested.
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'cause Seabring kind of used to be what
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that Phoenix test is, right?
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Phoenix or Seabring often was like the official preseason
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test on the way down to St.
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Pete. And it was always kind of a running joke
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that like whoever was fastest at Seabring was
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probably not gonna be quick at St.
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Pete. 'cause a good car at Seabring is not a good car at St.
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Pete. Mm-hmm. There are some very distinct differences
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between those tracks that you have to account for.
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And so you would also like, so then you would try
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to be disciplined and you would drive around
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and not try to tune for Seabring.
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Like that was always, we're not trying to tune for sea ring.
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We're trying to go through our run plane for St. Pete.
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Exactly. And like sometimes
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that worked, but sometimes it didn't.
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'cause it's not St. Pete. Exactly. So I, I get it.
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I think that's a great idea. I wish we knew
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while we were talking to you guys.
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Right now what happened in that test? We don't,
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But like we said, if you're fast,
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I dunno if that's a good thing.
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Right? So, so I mean there's,
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there's really just one big question, uh,
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surrounding the test from where we sit today on Monday.
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And that is, uh, the number 18 car.
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Do you, do you know, that's
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A great point.
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Do you know anything? Like, have we seen on the internet?
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Who is, who is there?
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Like someone's gonna be driving it, right? It's
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A great point.
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We're sitting here. I don't know. I don't know. Okay. I
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Don't know.
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Not well is it? Oh, I don't know. . I am,
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I mean we all know places on the
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Twitter's right now.
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So again, for reference, we're recording on Monday
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and there's nothing announced on Monday.
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I misspoke. The 18 we obviously
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know is Dennis Hogger, right?
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So it's the Yes, the 19, right,
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which is the question mark. Sorry.
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Yes.
So Dale Co only has
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one car there, but there you go.
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One Dennis Hauger and Roma Rojan are there,
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They are both on the west and
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On Dennis Hagar's Instagram, there's a picture
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of him on Pit lane taking a picture of the 18 car
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with another driver in it and tagged as Roman Rojan. So,
253
00:09:55.615 --> 00:09:56.615
Well, there you go.
254
00:09:56.845 --> 00:09:59.535
That is likely to believe
Deductive reasoning
255
00:10:00.005 --> 00:10:01.895
That, uh, Rojan iss gonna be in the 19.
256
00:10:01.955 --> 00:10:05.455
The question is why is he not in his own car? Well,
257
00:10:05.475 --> 00:10:09.815
So it is po So the way this two day test is, has,
258
00:10:10.075 --> 00:10:12.055
is structured for some reason,
259
00:10:12.835 --> 00:10:16.575
is each driver gets one morning and one afternoon session.
260
00:10:16.915 --> 00:10:20.175
So you can actually get away with two drivers and one car.
261
00:10:20.455 --> 00:10:22.015
'cause one will do the am the first day
262
00:10:22.275 --> 00:10:23.415
and the PM the second day.
263
00:10:23.595 --> 00:10:24.615
The second, second one will do the pm
264
00:10:24.615 --> 00:10:25.655
the great point, second, first day.
265
00:10:26.075 --> 00:10:27.655
So they don't need two cars.
266
00:10:27.835 --> 00:10:29.735
So I'm sure it's a bit of a cost saving thing.
267
00:10:29.975 --> 00:10:31.615
I remember when this kind of first happened,
268
00:10:31.695 --> 00:10:32.975
I think it was still a series test.
269
00:10:33.285 --> 00:10:34.535
This one's not a series test.
270
00:10:34.835 --> 00:10:38.135
Why have they opted to still do that format?
271
00:10:38.525 --> 00:10:40.335
Does it then count as just one day
272
00:10:40.355 --> 00:10:41.735
for each driver? And that's why
273
00:10:41.995 --> 00:10:44.175
It definitely only counts as one day.
274
00:10:44.435 --> 00:10:46.015
So the reason, so why not they did it.
275
00:10:46.115 --> 00:10:48.735
The reason they did it for the series test when the Sebring
276
00:10:48.735 --> 00:10:52.575
test was a mandated like spring training event was
277
00:10:52.575 --> 00:10:55.375
because they didn't want the people that were assigned
278
00:10:55.435 --> 00:10:58.455
to day one complain that they had a disadvantage
279
00:10:58.555 --> 00:10:59.615
to the people on day two.
280
00:10:59.855 --> 00:11:01.215
'cause the track conditions were different. Right.
281
00:11:01.275 --> 00:11:02.815
But now that it's not a mandated test
282
00:11:02.995 --> 00:11:04.975
and teams can choose their days,
283
00:11:05.575 --> 00:11:08.135
I don't really know why it was kept the same.
284
00:11:08.355 --> 00:11:09.615
It was probably somebody like, well
285
00:11:09.615 --> 00:11:10.975
that worked, so let's just do that.
286
00:11:11.245 --> 00:11:13.575
Yeah. Maybe. Although it, it adds a lot
287
00:11:13.575 --> 00:11:14.735
of expense for the teams.
288
00:11:15.055 --> 00:11:16.255
'cause it is, I mean, yeah, it is
289
00:11:16.255 --> 00:11:18.375
An extra night night there for two days rather than, yeah.
290
00:11:18.375 --> 00:11:21.095
Yeah. Um, anyways, so it'll be interesting.
291
00:11:21.235 --> 00:11:25.895
Uh, the, the big, the big storylines obviously
292
00:11:26.085 --> 00:11:29.895
besides that is, um, Lucas
293
00:11:30.475 --> 00:11:32.415
is gonna be in a Penske car
294
00:11:32.595 --> 00:11:35.295
and Will is gonna be in a 26 in, in an energetic car.
295
00:11:35.295 --> 00:11:38.215
Sorry. Um, but that leads me to a question.
296
00:11:38.715 --> 00:11:42.695
So I saw a picture posted of all of the trucks, um,
297
00:11:43.195 --> 00:11:47.815
and you might have some knowledge of this, uh, seemingly all
298
00:11:47.815 --> 00:11:49.935
of Andretti global branding is gone
299
00:11:50.195 --> 00:11:52.735
and it's basically TWG motor sports.
300
00:11:52.875 --> 00:11:56.565
Is that, is that, are the, are we go, are we referring
301
00:11:56.825 --> 00:11:59.485
to them as what, what are they? The, the,
302
00:11:59.505 --> 00:12:00.505
Is my question.
303
00:12:00.505 --> 00:12:01.845
The, the team, the team is still Andretti. Okay.
304
00:12:01.845 --> 00:12:03.285
Uh, is still Andretti.
305
00:12:03.425 --> 00:12:05.045
It might be Andretti Indy now or something.
306
00:12:05.205 --> 00:12:06.845
I don't, I don't know. I don't know
307
00:12:06.865 --> 00:12:07.925
the answer to that fully.
308
00:12:07.925 --> 00:12:10.985
Okay. I do know that it's, it's not, yeah,
309
00:12:10.985 --> 00:12:12.025
it's still Andretti for sure.
310
00:12:12.135 --> 00:12:13.865
Okay. On maybe car side. Got it.
311
00:12:13.965 --> 00:12:16.825
Um, but obviously TW G's got a, a huge presence.
312
00:12:17.085 --> 00:12:21.265
Um, TWG ai, the primary on Will's car,
313
00:12:22.445 --> 00:12:24.945
uh, as well as now prominently featured on the side
314
00:12:24.945 --> 00:12:27.025
of a Cadillac Formula One car, as we've now seen
315
00:12:27.475 --> 00:12:28.505
after delivery launch.
316
00:12:28.685 --> 00:12:32.065
Mm-hmm . One thing that we don't see at Sebring is prema,
317
00:12:32.125 --> 00:12:34.825
ah, there are no prema cars at Sebring. Mm-hmm.
318
00:12:34.935 --> 00:12:37.305
There's no little Italian flags rolling around.
319
00:12:37.615 --> 00:12:40.145
There's not, uh, there's no Cal Milot
320
00:12:40.165 --> 00:12:42.545
or Robert Schwartzman's floating around, or
321
00:12:43.225 --> 00:12:46.985
S
Or was he associated with Prema?
322
00:12:47.105 --> 00:12:50.825
I think so.
who isn't. Mm-hmm.
323
00:12:50.965 --> 00:12:52.545
Um, so I mean, what do you,
324
00:12:52.545 --> 00:12:53.825
what do we think, what are you hearing?
325
00:12:54.295 --> 00:12:57.905
What, what do we know? Is there a chance that they're in St.
326
00:12:57.905 --> 00:13:01.065
Pete? Is it a 0% or greater? Well, so
327
00:13:01.285 --> 00:13:03.625
Here's, here's the thing, James.
328
00:13:03.885 --> 00:13:07.535
Um, and I don't know,
329
00:13:10.255 --> 00:13:12.815
I don't know what I'm at liberty to share,
330
00:13:13.495 --> 00:13:14.655
probably nothing if I'm questioning it.
331
00:13:14.715 --> 00:13:15.735
Let me put it to you this way.
332
00:13:16.055 --> 00:13:19.615
ECR along with other teams, you know, had to
333
00:13:20.165 --> 00:13:21.735
acquire personnel, right?
334
00:13:21.735 --> 00:13:24.295
Mm-hmm . And that was, that's the focus of a lot
335
00:13:24.295 --> 00:13:28.815
of teams off seasons is is bolstering the engineering groups
336
00:13:28.815 --> 00:13:31.175
and mechanic groups and, and bringing new people in
337
00:13:31.175 --> 00:13:33.295
and it gets more and more competitive every single year.
338
00:13:33.365 --> 00:13:37.015
Well, it's, uh, it's a pretty incestuous industry, right?
339
00:13:37.015 --> 00:13:38.695
And there's a lot of people that switch teams
340
00:13:38.695 --> 00:13:40.375
and organizations and, and all that sort of thing.
341
00:13:40.375 --> 00:13:43.495
Just 'cause it's, it's quite a small sample size of people
342
00:13:43.565 --> 00:13:46.535
that unfortunately want be involved in IndyCar currently.
343
00:13:47.395 --> 00:13:50.535
And so, uh, there were, there were Prema people that,
344
00:13:50.535 --> 00:13:55.455
that we hired, um, along with other teams hired Prema people
345
00:13:55.455 --> 00:14:00.175
because quite frankly, they were told like, please, like,
346
00:14:00.175 --> 00:14:01.255
we don't wanna hold you up.
347
00:14:01.545 --> 00:14:02.375
Right? If you have a job
348
00:14:02.375 --> 00:14:03.935
opportunity, go take your job opportunity.
349
00:14:03.935 --> 00:14:04.935
Take opportunity. Which I think is,
350
00:14:05.475 --> 00:14:07.135
is the right way of doing things. It's a
351
00:14:07.135 --> 00:14:08.415
Noble way to do it. Yes, for
352
00:14:08.415 --> 00:14:09.415
Sure.
353
00:14:09.415 --> 00:14:10.375
But because of that, there's a lot of people
354
00:14:10.375 --> 00:14:11.535
that are no longer at premise.
355
00:14:11.715 --> 00:14:13.135
So even if,
356
00:14:14.215 --> 00:14:16.395
and this is not saying this is an easy thing to accomplish,
357
00:14:16.415 --> 00:14:17.715
but even if funding and,
358
00:14:17.715 --> 00:14:20.235
and all that sort of thing becomes resolved,
359
00:14:20.685 --> 00:14:24.515
let's say today, like how do you, how do you staff
360
00:14:25.375 --> 00:14:28.235
an IndyCar team for two cars in, in 20 days?
361
00:14:28.585 --> 00:14:30.515
Like, that's the, that's the thing they're up against.
362
00:14:30.515 --> 00:14:33.435
Right? It's money's really the easy part at this point.
363
00:14:33.675 --> 00:14:35.955
'cause wire transfers happen pretty fast. It's Right.
364
00:14:36.145 --> 00:14:37.235
It's the human side of it.
365
00:14:37.585 --> 00:14:39.555
Yeah. Yeah. You could get the financial commitment
366
00:14:39.575 --> 00:14:41.795
and have that sorted, you know, very quickly.
367
00:14:41.795 --> 00:14:44.235
Mm-hmm. But like you say, I mean, this industry,
368
00:14:44.415 --> 00:14:46.355
for anybody listening that's keen
369
00:14:46.535 --> 00:14:48.875
to go motor racing, we need people, right?
370
00:14:49.145 --> 00:14:50.315
Well, now's your time. We need mechanics because
371
00:14:50.315 --> 00:14:51.365
you can almost engineer your price
372
00:14:51.485 --> 00:14:52.565
Engineer truck drivers a hundred percent.
373
00:14:52.915 --> 00:14:56.085
Like, and you've got, you've got big teams, you know,
374
00:14:56.085 --> 00:14:57.965
whether it's Penske, whether it's Andretti,
375
00:14:57.965 --> 00:14:59.845
whether it's McLaren, whether it's Ed Carpenter,
376
00:14:59.845 --> 00:15:02.605
whether it's, you know, all Ray Hall, like there,
377
00:15:02.665 --> 00:15:03.925
people are spending big money.
378
00:15:03.985 --> 00:15:06.565
We don't have budget caps like Formula One does.
379
00:15:07.145 --> 00:15:10.685
And well, not every team has, you know, unlimited funds.
380
00:15:11.295 --> 00:15:13.925
There is a, there is a need, there is a supply
381
00:15:13.925 --> 00:15:16.485
and demand issue for good people in pretty much every
382
00:15:17.445 --> 00:15:18.725
position on an IndyCar program.
383
00:15:19.065 --> 00:15:23.685
So, um, it is a, it is a seller's market, so to speak.
384
00:15:23.745 --> 00:15:26.445
Timing is good if it's something that you want to, uh,
385
00:15:26.945 --> 00:15:29.045
you want to explore.
386
00:15:29.225 --> 00:15:32.665
But this actually kind of brings up a, a topic
387
00:15:32.695 --> 00:15:33.945
that I'm curious.
388
00:15:33.975 --> 00:15:37.785
Your take on, you know, 27 cars full-time last year,
389
00:15:38.525 --> 00:15:41.265
the two prema cars were the only ones without a charter.
390
00:15:41.265 --> 00:15:44.145
There's 25 charters in IndyCar, 27 spots
391
00:15:44.655 --> 00:15:45.945
allowed to start each race.
392
00:15:47.445 --> 00:15:50.675
Is this kind of the first sign
393
00:15:50.745 --> 00:15:53.795
that there is some true value to having a charter?
394
00:15:53.865 --> 00:15:57.755
Because you gotta wonder if part of the lack of
395
00:15:58.345 --> 00:16:00.955
financial investment, you know, if, again,
396
00:16:01.035 --> 00:16:02.235
I don't know the details, I don't
397
00:16:02.235 --> 00:16:03.275
know what premise's been trying to do.
398
00:16:03.315 --> 00:16:04.955
I don't know what's going on behind the scenes over there.
399
00:16:05.415 --> 00:16:10.135
But you would think that if, if funding was the issue,
400
00:16:11.285 --> 00:16:12.295
selling a charter
401
00:16:12.555 --> 00:16:15.095
or having somebody invest in the team knowing
402
00:16:15.095 --> 00:16:18.375
that they had a charter may have made those conversations
403
00:16:18.595 --> 00:16:21.735
easier and without that less so,
404
00:16:21.735 --> 00:16:23.975
and is that kind of proving the, the value
405
00:16:23.975 --> 00:16:25.575
and the worth of having these charters?
406
00:16:26.045 --> 00:16:29.655
Well, I don't think you needed this to happen for
407
00:16:30.125 --> 00:16:31.295
that to be the case.
408
00:16:32.175 --> 00:16:35.375
Ultimately, what a charter is worth is only
409
00:16:35.375 --> 00:16:36.575
what someone will pay for it.
410
00:16:36.575 --> 00:16:39.815
Right. That being said, it, it adds value
411
00:16:39.815 --> 00:16:43.175
because in the IndyCar team, without a charter system
412
00:16:44.155 --> 00:16:46.695
is equipment at 40 cents on the dollar.
413
00:16:46.905 --> 00:16:49.335
Right? So yes, there's value in trucks
414
00:16:49.435 --> 00:16:50.855
and tools and whatever.
415
00:16:50.925 --> 00:16:53.975
There's not much value in cars. There's no engines.
416
00:16:54.755 --> 00:16:58.815
Um, there's not much value in IndyCar specific damper parts
417
00:16:58.835 --> 00:17:00.575
and components and engineering.
418
00:17:01.555 --> 00:17:06.295
So it's really in, in the, the trucks, the tools, the, the
419
00:17:06.905 --> 00:17:09.095
dinos, the paint shops, that, that sort of thing.
420
00:17:10.315 --> 00:17:13.375
If you have the charter, it's, it's, all
421
00:17:13.375 --> 00:17:16.175
of those things are incorporated to have a value
422
00:17:16.235 --> 00:17:19.535
of pretty much what you paid for, plus some,
423
00:17:19.535 --> 00:17:22.415
because it is how you can go racing
424
00:17:22.595 --> 00:17:24.815
and are guaranteed an opportunity to go racing.
425
00:17:25.185 --> 00:17:26.455
Other than that, you're just buying,
426
00:17:26.635 --> 00:17:28.815
you're just buying equipment that looks pretty mm-hmm .
427
00:17:29.235 --> 00:17:33.255
Um, so I don't think that this, I think
428
00:17:33.255 --> 00:17:35.175
that the value came once,
429
00:17:35.325 --> 00:17:36.935
immediately after it was implemented.
430
00:17:36.935 --> 00:17:39.255
Like I, I don't wanna speak for Ted,
431
00:17:39.835 --> 00:17:43.175
but um, I know that, that he was
432
00:17:44.095 --> 00:17:47.185
exponentially more interested in getting involved in IndyCar
433
00:17:47.455 --> 00:17:49.805
once the charter system became a thing.
434
00:17:49.805 --> 00:17:52.365
Because again, he, he doesn't wanna buy Indy cars.
435
00:17:52.705 --> 00:17:55.725
He wants to buy a stake in the value of a sports property.
436
00:17:55.905 --> 00:17:58.365
So, but he did it with a team that has charters,
437
00:17:58.365 --> 00:17:59.445
right? He wasn't looking at
438
00:17:59.715 --> 00:18:00.715
Sure.
439
00:18:00.715 --> 00:18:01.445
For sure. Exactly. But
440
00:18:01.445 --> 00:18:03.965
that's why I'm saying like the charter added value mm-hmm .
441
00:18:04.275 --> 00:18:06.565
Instantly when it became a thing. So
442
00:18:07.085 --> 00:18:09.525
'cause because the, the fear is always for these, these
443
00:18:10.125 --> 00:18:11.045
companies and sponsors, and
444
00:18:11.045 --> 00:18:12.205
I've heard some of these stories, right?
445
00:18:12.275 --> 00:18:13.965
It's, well, yeah, we could go racing,
446
00:18:14.185 --> 00:18:16.045
but if one more car shows up,
447
00:18:16.185 --> 00:18:17.805
we now have a chance of not making the race.
448
00:18:18.385 --> 00:18:20.325
And that's just not a risk that people wanna take.
449
00:18:20.325 --> 00:18:21.685
Which is kind of, kind of
450
00:18:21.925 --> 00:18:22.925
Interesting.
451
00:18:22.925 --> 00:18:27.175
I, I wonder, I wonder, and I have no inside knowledge
452
00:18:27.175 --> 00:18:29.655
to this, so this is purely speculation on my part,
453
00:18:29.715 --> 00:18:32.495
but I wonder if Prema
454
00:18:32.515 --> 00:18:35.055
and the ownership group thought
455
00:18:35.085 --> 00:18:37.735
that even though they knew they were coming in without
456
00:18:37.735 --> 00:18:41.015
charters, like I wonder if they thought, oh, if we,
457
00:18:41.315 --> 00:18:42.695
if we show in the investment
458
00:18:42.955 --> 00:18:45.655
and if we should kind of like the, the beginning
459
00:18:45.915 --> 00:18:48.935
of the Andretti F1 Cadillac F1 approach, right?
460
00:18:48.935 --> 00:18:50.495
Yeah. Yeah. If we show the commitment
461
00:18:50.515 --> 00:18:54.135
and we by the, the, the, the people and the building
462
00:18:54.275 --> 00:18:55.415
and all this stuff and,
463
00:18:55.435 --> 00:18:57.335
and we show our desire to be here,
464
00:18:57.385 --> 00:18:59.695
maybe that'll move the needle in,
465
00:18:59.715 --> 00:19:01.535
in one direction to help our cause.
466
00:19:01.595 --> 00:19:04.255
And I wonder if they were hoping in the back of their mind
467
00:19:04.285 --> 00:19:08.055
that maybe they would get charters because they did X, Y,
468
00:19:08.055 --> 00:19:10.135
and Z and they were gonna take the risks the first year.
469
00:19:10.675 --> 00:19:13.375
And then when that became a reality that that didn't happen,
470
00:19:13.885 --> 00:19:17.095
it's like, well now why are we just going to continue
471
00:19:17.655 --> 00:19:20.015
spending this money for ultimately
472
00:19:20.325 --> 00:19:22.655
what is nothing except the marketing exercise,
473
00:19:22.705 --> 00:19:25.135
which they are not obviously a manufacturer
474
00:19:25.135 --> 00:19:26.815
and they're not anything, they're just a race team.
475
00:19:27.235 --> 00:19:29.295
So I wonder if behind the scenes
476
00:19:29.295 --> 00:19:31.295
that had maybe something to do with it. Yeah,
477
00:19:31.605 --> 00:19:32.605
Yeah.
478
00:19:32.605 --> 00:19:34.015
Could be. That makes a lot of sense. Neither
479
00:19:34.015 --> 00:19:35.735
Here nor there, they're not in Sebring.
480
00:19:35.765 --> 00:19:38.695
It's gonna be very hard for them to be in St. Pete.
481
00:19:38.915 --> 00:19:41.975
And you just racing is a very
482
00:19:43.105 --> 00:19:44.735
vulnerable sport for drivers.
483
00:19:45.275 --> 00:19:48.215
And like, I feel very bad for Callum.
484
00:19:48.275 --> 00:19:49.815
Not that I don't feel bad for Robert,
485
00:19:50.195 --> 00:19:52.335
but I don't, I don't know Robert on a personal level.
486
00:19:52.335 --> 00:19:55.655
Right? But I do know Callum quite well, um,
487
00:19:55.685 --> 00:19:57.615
with his short stint that he had at McLaren.
488
00:19:58.195 --> 00:20:02.135
And man, he's had a, he's had an unfortunate run
489
00:20:02.395 --> 00:20:03.535
of events, um,
490
00:20:03.675 --> 00:20:04.675
Timing, bro.
491
00:20:04.675 --> 00:20:05.815
It's, yeah. It goes back to
492
00:20:05.815 --> 00:20:07.415
that timing conversation. Talked. He goes back to
493
00:20:07.415 --> 00:20:08.415
That on Tuesday.
494
00:20:08.415 --> 00:20:10.415
You're a hundred percent right. But what really makes me sad
495
00:20:10.515 --> 00:20:13.815
for him is, you know, his, his
496
00:20:14.825 --> 00:20:19.475
open wheel career kind of ended in a way, um,
497
00:20:19.895 --> 00:20:22.515
in 2024 after the McLaren kind
498
00:20:22.515 --> 00:20:24.115
of thing didn't come to fruition.
499
00:20:24.815 --> 00:20:27.555
And he had an incredible opportunity back in Europe, right,
500
00:20:27.615 --> 00:20:30.235
to race in WEC in the top class with Joda,
501
00:20:30.235 --> 00:20:34.635
which is a probably the lead customer team, um, in the,
502
00:20:34.735 --> 00:20:37.275
in the, in the p one category of
503
00:20:37.855 --> 00:20:40.715
the world Endurance championship, Porsche customer team.
504
00:20:40.855 --> 00:20:42.115
Now a Cadillac customer team.
505
00:20:42.455 --> 00:20:47.405
And, um, but his heart was in IndyCar and he loved the sport
506
00:20:47.425 --> 00:20:48.765
and he loved the 500 and,
507
00:20:48.765 --> 00:20:50.885
and everything that came with that loved living in America.
508
00:20:51.545 --> 00:20:55.205
And so he, for he, he gave up an opportunity, um,
509
00:20:55.305 --> 00:20:56.725
to continue that relationship,
510
00:20:56.725 --> 00:20:58.925
which was a, a great job, right?
511
00:20:58.945 --> 00:21:02.165
He was getting paid, well, it's a global championship,
512
00:21:02.165 --> 00:21:04.125
you go to cool places he could live back in England.
513
00:21:04.125 --> 00:21:05.685
Like, lifestyle's pretty good.
514
00:21:06.225 --> 00:21:08.325
And he gave that up because this new team,
515
00:21:08.375 --> 00:21:10.525
which had the pedigree of, of some
516
00:21:10.525 --> 00:21:12.725
of the best teams in the world was coming to IndyCar.
517
00:21:12.725 --> 00:21:14.245
And it was an opportunity for him to get back
518
00:21:14.265 --> 00:21:15.885
to the place that he loved.
519
00:21:15.945 --> 00:21:20.725
And, and now here we are 20 days from the first race of, of
520
00:21:20.725 --> 00:21:22.525
what would be his second season and there's all this
521
00:21:22.525 --> 00:21:23.565
unknown surrounding it.
522
00:21:23.565 --> 00:21:26.445
Yeah. And I just feel, I feel for him as a, as a friend
523
00:21:26.505 --> 00:21:29.005
and as a competitor. 'cause that just, that sucks.
524
00:21:29.545 --> 00:21:31.805
Really sucks. It does suck, man. It's, this is a,
525
00:21:31.805 --> 00:21:33.845
this is a brutal sport.
526
00:21:33.845 --> 00:21:36.405
It's a brutal business. There's uh, there's plenty
527
00:21:36.405 --> 00:21:37.685
of stories out there just like this,
528
00:21:37.705 --> 00:21:40.485
but it, it is, it is unfortunate that he kind, you know,
529
00:21:40.585 --> 00:21:44.125
he bet on indie car, he wanted that to be his future.
530
00:21:44.505 --> 00:21:46.765
You know, he believes in the product
531
00:21:46.825 --> 00:21:48.125
and in the racing and whatever.
532
00:21:48.545 --> 00:21:49.685
But, uh, at least for now,
533
00:21:49.685 --> 00:21:51.885
that opportunity looks like it's, it's gone the other way.
534
00:21:52.265 --> 00:21:53.885
Now he did a good job, started to say
535
00:21:53.885 --> 00:21:54.965
that there's not gonna be opportunities
536
00:21:55.025 --> 00:21:57.405
for him in the future, but who knows what 2026 looks like.
537
00:21:57.625 --> 00:22:01.765
You mentioned McLaren. They did their livery unveil.
538
00:22:02.235 --> 00:22:06.885
They what?
They showed us
539
00:22:06.885 --> 00:22:09.365
pictures of their cars for this year.
540
00:22:10.875 --> 00:22:12.655
But, but what did, what did you call it
541
00:22:13.335 --> 00:22:15.855
A livery
Unveil?
542
00:22:16.995 --> 00:22:21.735
Yes. Oh, veil. Mm. What do we, what what?
543
00:22:22.595 --> 00:22:26.135
So this is this, this is why I bring it up. Mm mm-hmm .
544
00:22:26.215 --> 00:22:27.615
So Alex is humming and hawing.
545
00:22:27.775 --> 00:22:29.895
'cause he's like, yeah, it's the same cards that we've seen
546
00:22:29.895 --> 00:22:31.175
for the last however many years.
547
00:22:31.175 --> 00:22:33.535
Right? Nothing's changed. What are we unveiling at this
548
00:22:33.535 --> 00:22:33.895
Point? Yeah.
549
00:22:33.995 --> 00:22:37.495
Yep. So this, this is exactly why I brought it up.
550
00:22:37.695 --> 00:22:39.455
'cause I knew that that was gonna be your reaction.
551
00:22:40.245 --> 00:22:45.135
Well, my question is, is it, is it cool
552
00:22:45.135 --> 00:22:47.575
that they still are making the effort?
553
00:22:47.635 --> 00:22:48.635
No. Or
554
00:22:54.115 --> 00:22:56.055
Not, because I do, one
555
00:22:56.055 --> 00:22:59.535
of my favorite people in the IndyCar paddock, it was a guest
556
00:22:59.535 --> 00:23:02.895
of the show, is, um, the VP of
557
00:23:03.645 --> 00:23:07.575
McLaren IndyCar and the head of communications Lauren.
558
00:23:08.155 --> 00:23:09.775
Yes. Right. This is nothing against her.
559
00:23:09.875 --> 00:23:11.135
And I don't even know that this is
560
00:23:11.135 --> 00:23:12.175
necessarily her idea, right.
561
00:23:12.235 --> 00:23:15.615
But this is the most F1 example
562
00:23:16.115 --> 00:23:18.055
of things that they do.
563
00:23:18.435 --> 00:23:22.015
And it's just like, I, I don't, it looks like a cool event.
564
00:23:22.045 --> 00:23:23.655
Like it was obviously very well done.
565
00:23:24.075 --> 00:23:27.255
It was in the new shop, which the new shop can we just say
566
00:23:27.385 --> 00:23:28.415
looks incredible.
567
00:23:28.485 --> 00:23:29.855
Like that's the old Andretti building.
568
00:23:29.955 --> 00:23:31.855
And the pictures that I've seen, I don't even know
569
00:23:32.265 --> 00:23:34.815
where the front door is compared to
570
00:23:34.845 --> 00:23:35.845
It's un unrecognizable.
571
00:23:35.845 --> 00:23:37.375
Like it's, it's unrecognizable. It's incredible.
572
00:23:37.885 --> 00:23:41.215
Tony went a little overboard with a papaya bidet toilet .
573
00:23:41.655 --> 00:23:43.135
So, but that's Tony, please
574
00:23:43.135 --> 00:23:43.895
Tell me that. Not
575
00:23:43.895 --> 00:23:44.895
True.
576
00:23:44.895 --> 00:23:46.285
Oh, it's a hundred percent true. Yeah. It's like a, oh boy.
577
00:23:46.555 --> 00:23:50.085
It's like a $25,000 throne for him. Incredible.
578
00:23:51.115 --> 00:23:53.965
Anyways, um, back to delivery unveil.
579
00:23:54.085 --> 00:23:55.925
I just, I, no, I don't think it's cool
580
00:23:55.925 --> 00:23:56.965
that they put the effort in.
581
00:23:57.145 --> 00:23:59.205
Um, that's just my take.
582
00:23:59.225 --> 00:24:01.125
If they were unveiling something new, yes.
583
00:24:01.515 --> 00:24:03.285
Sick. But, but, but see here's,
584
00:24:03.285 --> 00:24:04.525
but see, this is the point, right?
585
00:24:04.705 --> 00:24:07.525
Is if you only do it when you're, if you only pick
586
00:24:07.525 --> 00:24:09.485
and choose to do it when that's like a big difference.
587
00:24:09.545 --> 00:24:11.285
So I guess my point is, in F1,
588
00:24:11.285 --> 00:24:12.525
every team does it every year.
589
00:24:12.545 --> 00:24:14.565
And most teams deliveries don't change
590
00:24:14.595 --> 00:24:15.885
that much year over year.
591
00:24:15.955 --> 00:24:17.685
Like guess what? No, but the cars are new.
592
00:24:17.715 --> 00:24:19.205
It's gonna be red, the cars are new,
593
00:24:19.205 --> 00:24:22.565
but like, they never show the actual car delivery launch.
594
00:24:22.815 --> 00:24:25.685
Right. It's always like a dumbed down version without the
595
00:24:25.685 --> 00:24:28.765
real parts and with fake things to mislead the competition.
596
00:24:28.865 --> 00:24:31.085
So like, no, only the track is when
597
00:24:31.085 --> 00:24:32.165
you're really seeing the car.
598
00:24:32.165 --> 00:24:33.245
Sure. Okay. Okay. Right.
599
00:24:33.505 --> 00:24:34.925
And over an entire rule cycle,
600
00:24:35.075 --> 00:24:38.125
it's probably the same <inaudible> roller chassis
601
00:24:38.125 --> 00:24:40.765
that they're using, you know, at delivery unveil,
602
00:24:40.765 --> 00:24:41.845
they just painted different colors.
603
00:24:42.545 --> 00:24:44.645
But it's, it's part of the process
604
00:24:44.785 --> 00:24:46.125
of starting a new season, right?
605
00:24:46.125 --> 00:24:47.965
Because if one year there is some big thing,
606
00:24:48.035 --> 00:24:49.245
like the event's already there,
607
00:24:49.275 --> 00:24:50.965
it's already assumed it's already whatever.
608
00:24:51.305 --> 00:24:52.485
And I'm not saying it has
609
00:24:52.485 --> 00:24:55.085
to be like necessarily a big in-person event,
610
00:24:55.465 --> 00:24:59.365
but like, it should be something there should be like, Hey,
611
00:24:59.915 --> 00:25:02.725
this, this is our, you know, like it's, you guys did like a
612
00:25:03.465 --> 00:25:06.045
big digital thing because you were rebranding the team
613
00:25:06.045 --> 00:25:08.245
and it has a different look and whatever. So we
614
00:25:08.245 --> 00:25:10.325
Changed, we changed everything though. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
615
00:25:10.325 --> 00:25:12.485
No, no, no, no. Okay. But I'm saying like, that kind
616
00:25:12.485 --> 00:25:14.805
of thing should still be done next year if the cars look
617
00:25:14.805 --> 00:25:15.845
exactly the same for you guys.
618
00:25:16.465 --> 00:25:17.845
I'm not gonna, I'm not saying it has
619
00:25:17.845 --> 00:25:19.645
to be a huge event in person, all that stuff.
620
00:25:19.905 --> 00:25:21.565
If McLaren wants to do that, cool.
621
00:25:21.665 --> 00:25:23.405
If another team wants to do that, cool. Mm-hmm.
622
00:25:23.505 --> 00:25:26.805
But like, it should be more than just like a Twitter post
623
00:25:26.955 --> 00:25:30.365
with the three Penske cars, you know, at the shop.
624
00:25:30.725 --> 00:25:33.685
I think, I think it's, I think it's a good thing to be like,
625
00:25:34.505 --> 00:25:36.005
making it seem like a big deal.
626
00:25:36.395 --> 00:25:38.485
Indy car's a big deal, man. It's a big deal.
627
00:25:38.485 --> 00:25:39.965
Let's start acting like it's a big deal.
628
00:25:40.255 --> 00:25:42.325
Let's have like, oh, the cars are the same this year.
629
00:25:42.325 --> 00:25:44.085
We'll just show up to the Phoenix Open test
630
00:25:44.105 --> 00:25:45.285
so people can see the cars there.
631
00:25:45.505 --> 00:25:46.725
No, let's make it cool.
632
00:25:46.735 --> 00:25:48.765
Let's make it something that people get excited about,
633
00:25:48.915 --> 00:25:50.005
even if it looks the same.
634
00:25:50.135 --> 00:25:52.205
Right? Let's find a way to tell the story
635
00:25:52.305 --> 00:25:55.045
and get people excited and make it, make it something.
636
00:25:55.235 --> 00:25:59.245
Okay.
. Next topic. .
637
00:26:02.465 --> 00:26:06.445
No, I mean, okay. I, I get, I get
638
00:26:06.495 --> 00:26:07.565
where you're coming from
639
00:26:09.155 --> 00:26:10.535
And I get where you're coming from.
640
00:26:10.935 --> 00:26:15.895
I guess my, my hope is, so they do an incredible job
641
00:26:16.285 --> 00:26:20.095
with the, or they did an incredible job with like,
642
00:26:20.395 --> 00:26:22.175
the buildup to it and the promotion
643
00:26:22.175 --> 00:26:23.655
and the countdown and everything, right?
644
00:26:23.655 --> 00:26:25.455
Mm-hmm . And in my, in the back
645
00:26:25.455 --> 00:26:27.455
of my mind I was like, they're gonna be the same.
646
00:26:27.875 --> 00:26:30.375
But because the buildup was so big and
647
00:26:30.375 --> 00:26:33.695
because it was like an invited like ticketed events
648
00:26:34.355 --> 00:26:37.255
and it was catered and like people were dressed up nice.
649
00:26:37.315 --> 00:26:39.015
And like, I just was like, man, they're,
650
00:26:39.165 --> 00:26:40.575
they're gonna do something cool here.
651
00:26:41.275 --> 00:26:44.725
And so I think my resentment towards it is more that like,
652
00:26:44.725 --> 00:26:45.765
I built it up in my mind
653
00:26:45.765 --> 00:26:47.205
that they were gonna like unveil
654
00:26:47.205 --> 00:26:48.525
something. They do you. Awesome.
655
00:26:48.795 --> 00:26:52.055
They
Got you. And it just like, it's,
656
00:26:52.055 --> 00:26:53.215
that's the car I drove .
657
00:26:53.995 --> 00:26:54.995
So
658
00:26:56.755 --> 00:26:57.815
It has that changed?
659
00:26:58.005 --> 00:27:00.975
Yeah. Yeah. Sweet. Um, anyways, so whatever.
660
00:27:01.235 --> 00:27:02.495
Um, good for them.
661
00:27:03.755 --> 00:27:07.135
Uh, what else can we talk about Indie car wise? James? Um,
662
00:27:07.395 --> 00:27:10.175
So Mick Schumacher did his first OV test.
663
00:27:10.595 --> 00:27:13.215
He did,
Which is, you know, I mean the,
664
00:27:13.215 --> 00:27:14.855
the quotes were everything that you would expect.
665
00:27:14.975 --> 00:27:16.495
I haven't spoken to anybody from the team
666
00:27:16.515 --> 00:27:17.655
and you know, we're still gonna,
667
00:27:17.745 --> 00:27:19.055
we're trying to get Mick on the show.
668
00:27:19.675 --> 00:27:21.455
Uh, would love to hear it from the horse's mouth,
669
00:27:21.595 --> 00:27:23.485
but seemed to go well.
670
00:27:23.865 --> 00:27:25.845
Mm-hmm . Uh, did it down at Homestead.
671
00:27:26.365 --> 00:27:28.085
Honestly, what I hope comes outta this is
672
00:27:28.085 --> 00:27:29.365
that there's like an interest
673
00:27:29.365 --> 00:27:30.525
maybe in running homestead again.
674
00:27:30.925 --> 00:27:32.685
'cause I think that would be awesome.
675
00:27:32.755 --> 00:27:33.765
Okay, here's a question though.
676
00:27:33.985 --> 00:27:37.965
So they said that his day kind of got not cut short,
677
00:27:37.965 --> 00:27:41.765
they had to end it earlier than like the end of track time
678
00:27:42.195 --> 00:27:45.605
because the, with the track being kind of green
679
00:27:45.665 --> 00:27:47.445
and nothing running on there for a while,
680
00:27:47.665 --> 00:27:49.725
the tire deck was quite high, right?
681
00:27:49.745 --> 00:27:51.725
So they weren't getting as many laps out of a set
682
00:27:51.725 --> 00:27:53.245
of tires as they would've liked.
683
00:27:53.945 --> 00:27:56.285
And so they ended up burning through their tires
684
00:27:56.995 --> 00:27:59.125
quicker than they were expecting
685
00:27:59.825 --> 00:28:01.765
and they had, you know, not enough tires
686
00:28:01.905 --> 00:28:03.405
to match the track time.
687
00:28:03.765 --> 00:28:08.165
Ultimately, at the end of the day when it is an oval rookie
688
00:28:08.455 --> 00:28:11.005
evaluation, I feel like they should just
689
00:28:11.005 --> 00:28:12.085
give them unlimited tires.
690
00:28:12.395 --> 00:28:14.885
Like if the goal of this is to get a driver up to speed
691
00:28:14.885 --> 00:28:17.125
and comfortable on an oval, like let's just,
692
00:28:17.175 --> 00:28:18.245
let's give them the day
693
00:28:18.395 --> 00:28:21.735
because yeah, there's no, there's no like,
694
00:28:22.035 --> 00:28:23.895
can the team do a little extra arrow testing?
695
00:28:24.045 --> 00:28:25.375
Sure. But like a guy
696
00:28:25.635 --> 00:28:29.135
or girl, like a driver doing their first lapse on an oval is
697
00:28:29.135 --> 00:28:30.095
not gonna be able to give you like
698
00:28:30.095 --> 00:28:31.815
meaningful feedback on development.
699
00:28:31.945 --> 00:28:33.455
Let's call a spade spade. Sure.
700
00:28:33.685 --> 00:28:35.175
It's just about getting them comfortable,
701
00:28:35.175 --> 00:28:36.215
letting 'em try different things.
702
00:28:36.215 --> 00:28:38.415
Maybe try and mock qualifying run at the end of the day,
703
00:28:38.995 --> 00:28:40.935
you know, work on different lanes,
704
00:28:40.995 --> 00:28:43.175
but let's just give 'em as many tires as they need
705
00:28:43.195 --> 00:28:44.975
so they can use the whole day.
706
00:28:45.235 --> 00:28:47.895
Use all that time and get as up to speed as possible.
707
00:28:47.895 --> 00:28:49.855
Because ultimately that's better for everybody.
708
00:28:49.885 --> 00:28:51.335
What do we show up to the first oval race
709
00:28:51.715 --> 00:28:53.055
and they're that much more comfortable
710
00:28:53.295 --> 00:28:54.535
'cause they had that many more laps
711
00:28:55.105 --> 00:28:58.295
Again, added to the list James, of uh, the change.
712
00:28:58.295 --> 00:29:00.215
That's another rule. Another needs to change changed.
713
00:29:00.215 --> 00:29:02.615
On that note, we promised you on Tuesday
714
00:29:02.725 --> 00:29:05.975
that we talk about my idea of single car qualifying
715
00:29:06.035 --> 00:29:08.175
and why it needs to happen Yes. For the fast six.
716
00:29:08.765 --> 00:29:11.455
Okay. So explain your reasoning.
717
00:29:11.915 --> 00:29:12.975
My reasoning is
718
00:29:12.975 --> 00:29:16.935
because one of my favorite things to watch in all
719
00:29:16.935 --> 00:29:20.055
of Motors sports is the top 10 shootout at
720
00:29:20.055 --> 00:29:21.135
the Bathurst 1000.
721
00:29:21.605 --> 00:29:23.495
Okay?
And it is something
722
00:29:23.495 --> 00:29:25.575
that V eight supercars does at every event,
723
00:29:25.675 --> 00:29:28.015
but let's be honest, I'm not gonna watch every V eight
724
00:29:28.015 --> 00:29:29.735
supercar event because why would I,
725
00:29:29.735 --> 00:29:31.175
You're not watching sand down,
726
00:29:31.465 --> 00:29:32.465
Right?
727
00:29:32.465 --> 00:29:36.855
But it is so cool to watch a car leave pit lane,
728
00:29:37.115 --> 00:29:38.375
go through their own.
729
00:29:38.785 --> 00:29:40.815
Every team and driver has their own idea
730
00:29:40.875 --> 00:29:41.925
and procedure for
731
00:29:41.925 --> 00:29:43.445
what they think tire warming should look like.
732
00:29:43.825 --> 00:29:46.925
And you get as a driver, as a team,
733
00:29:47.065 --> 00:29:49.365
and as a sponsor, three
734
00:29:49.385 --> 00:29:53.325
and a half minutes of in uninterrupted
735
00:29:53.945 --> 00:29:58.165
TV time showing what you are as an organization.
736
00:29:58.785 --> 00:30:00.725
And you deserve that
737
00:30:00.725 --> 00:30:04.645
because you are six of the 27 to make it to this point.
738
00:30:05.585 --> 00:30:07.805
And for you as the commentator
739
00:30:09.065 --> 00:30:11.965
and as the TV crew and,
740
00:30:11.965 --> 00:30:14.405
and everything to be able to follow along with that driver
741
00:30:14.465 --> 00:30:17.765
and point out, oh, okay, they're they're really trying here
742
00:30:17.885 --> 00:30:21.245
because the last sequence of corners wasn't good enough
743
00:30:21.265 --> 00:30:23.845
or they made a mistake here, or this just looks perfect
744
00:30:23.985 --> 00:30:25.445
and impeccable and all this sort of thing.
745
00:30:25.745 --> 00:30:27.325
And you can fall that and and play
746
00:30:27.345 --> 00:30:29.685
by play it right for six cars.
747
00:30:30.105 --> 00:30:31.165
It doesn't add any time.
748
00:30:31.875 --> 00:30:35.445
It's an awesome challenge for the drivers to leave pit lane
749
00:30:35.625 --> 00:30:37.445
and have to go out and get one shot
750
00:30:37.665 --> 00:30:39.125
or you get one opportunity to do it.
751
00:30:39.155 --> 00:30:40.925
There's none of this, you know,
752
00:30:41.435 --> 00:30:44.765
IndyCar qualifying is an hour long or TV block, right?
753
00:30:46.785 --> 00:30:49.565
You can't argue that there's only four minutes
754
00:30:49.565 --> 00:30:51.525
that are exciting, right? There's the Yeah,
755
00:30:51.525 --> 00:30:55.205
The last, yeah,
There's the, the last transfer spots
756
00:30:55.505 --> 00:30:57.845
And group one, group two, Q2
And Q3.
757
00:30:57.845 --> 00:31:01.195
Yeah. And then you're waiting until the last 45 seconds
758
00:31:01.335 --> 00:31:03.715
of the fast six because the beginning of the fast sixes
759
00:31:04.485 --> 00:31:07.315
Honda cars in particular will leave pit lane on a,
760
00:31:07.315 --> 00:31:10.075
on a used set of tires and they will kind of do a,
761
00:31:10.235 --> 00:31:12.355
a cool down lap to get the turbos in the engine
762
00:31:12.355 --> 00:31:13.395
in the right temp range.
763
00:31:14.045 --> 00:31:15.435
Other cars will, will try
764
00:31:15.435 --> 00:31:19.455
and do, you know, two push laps on a set of tires
765
00:31:19.475 --> 00:31:21.175
and then one push lap on the next set.
766
00:31:21.595 --> 00:31:23.775
And so it's like every, everything's a little disjointed.
767
00:31:23.775 --> 00:31:24.735
You don't really know what's going on.
768
00:31:24.735 --> 00:31:25.855
It's not that exciting, right?
769
00:31:26.485 --> 00:31:29.215
It's exciting when you know a lap time finally gets laid
770
00:31:29.215 --> 00:31:31.615
down then you know, okay, person X is probably the guy
771
00:31:31.615 --> 00:31:33.695
that can beat it and you're kind of watching
772
00:31:33.695 --> 00:31:34.775
that, but that's so short.
773
00:31:35.075 --> 00:31:38.415
If you've got 10 minutes, no, it'd be 18 minutes
774
00:31:38.835 --> 00:31:40.095
of excitement, right?
775
00:31:40.735 --> 00:31:44.215
I just think that would add a huge amount to the broadcast
776
00:31:44.555 --> 00:31:47.175
and it would just make indie car qualifying cool again,
777
00:31:47.275 --> 00:31:48.375
cooler again.
778
00:31:49.205 --> 00:31:52.975
Okay, so I have two, I have three points.
779
00:31:53.235 --> 00:31:57.695
No, I have a couple points. One point is that F1 used
780
00:31:57.695 --> 00:32:00.155
to do this, IndyCar used to do this.
781
00:32:00.515 --> 00:32:01.995
F1 used to do it for the whole field though.
782
00:32:02.255 --> 00:32:03.515
Yes. Fair, true.
783
00:32:04.255 --> 00:32:05.995
Um, and to be fair, even when IndyCar did it,
784
00:32:06.015 --> 00:32:08.515
I'm not sure if it was, I think it may have just been like
785
00:32:08.515 --> 00:32:09.555
the top 10 as well.
786
00:32:09.555 --> 00:32:11.275
I don't know. I don't remember, but I know they did used
787
00:32:11.275 --> 00:32:13.715
to do it at some point and nobody still does it.
788
00:32:14.495 --> 00:32:18.475
So why was it really, was it not actually as exciting
789
00:32:18.495 --> 00:32:20.795
as we think it sounds on paper
790
00:32:20.855 --> 00:32:23.395
and that's why we kind of all shifted away from it.
791
00:32:23.395 --> 00:32:26.195
Moving on to the competition side, right?
792
00:32:27.015 --> 00:32:29.435
So I assume you would do reverse order in the
793
00:32:29.635 --> 00:32:31.675
Q2 standings, right?
794
00:32:31.675 --> 00:32:35.315
Mm-hmm . So you're inherently giving more of an advantage to
795
00:32:36.535 --> 00:32:38.115
the car that's going last
796
00:32:38.925 --> 00:32:41.095
because of, you know, rubber on the track,
797
00:32:41.115 --> 00:32:42.535
but also more time to cool things.
798
00:32:43.195 --> 00:32:46.095
So our team's going to think that that's unfair.
799
00:32:46.365 --> 00:32:48.135
Look, you were, you earned it if you were
800
00:32:48.135 --> 00:32:49.535
quickest in Q2, right?
801
00:32:49.715 --> 00:32:51.975
You earned, that's like the same v ovals if you're,
802
00:32:52.315 --> 00:32:54.175
you know, in de qualifying you get
803
00:32:54.175 --> 00:32:55.895
to go last if you were fast state, like that's how it works.
804
00:32:55.955 --> 00:32:57.295
You earned that, right?
805
00:32:58.315 --> 00:33:01.335
But on on any track you could say like, oh well you know,
806
00:33:01.615 --> 00:33:02.895
somebody held me up on my lap
807
00:33:02.915 --> 00:33:04.375
and I made it through to the fast six,
808
00:33:04.395 --> 00:33:05.895
but I should have been way faster than that
809
00:33:05.915 --> 00:33:07.215
and now I'm disadvantaged
810
00:33:07.215 --> 00:33:12.135
because this car gets an extra six minutes to cool down.
811
00:33:12.515 --> 00:33:15.255
Is there gonna be pushback there procedurally speaking?
812
00:33:16.585 --> 00:33:18.105
'cause in bath yes, Alex,
813
00:33:18.525 --> 00:33:21.465
On that logic, you're gonna have a penalty
814
00:33:22.145 --> 00:33:24.185
slightly from an engine standpoint,
815
00:33:24.185 --> 00:33:25.945
you're gonna have an advantage from tire standpoint.
816
00:33:27.205 --> 00:33:28.505
So I think that balances out.
817
00:33:28.545 --> 00:33:29.665
I think that's a moot point. How?
818
00:33:29.665 --> 00:33:33.385
Sorry, explain.
Well 'cause if it's one lap, right?
819
00:33:33.685 --> 00:33:37.705
The guy that is sixth in round two is gonna have
820
00:33:38.225 --> 00:33:39.785
a chunk more tire temp than the guy
821
00:33:39.785 --> 00:33:41.265
that's waiting 15 minutes. Well
822
00:33:41.265 --> 00:33:45.865
You, your tires in the fast six now, right?
823
00:33:45.865 --> 00:33:47.425
Since we went to five sets of reds,
824
00:33:47.545 --> 00:33:48.825
everyone uses a, a new set. That's
825
00:33:48.825 --> 00:33:49.825
True.
826
00:33:49.825 --> 00:33:52.305
That's true. I made it to three of 'em, so I forgot. .
827
00:33:56.285 --> 00:33:58.025
Touche, touche. My bad, my bad.
828
00:33:58.045 --> 00:33:59.665
Um, I didn't frequent the fast six .
829
00:34:01.275 --> 00:34:02.905
Don't worry. 26 is new year.
830
00:34:03.005 --> 00:34:05.385
So then procedurally speaking in Bathurst,
831
00:34:05.385 --> 00:34:08.625
if I remember correctly, they send out the next car
832
00:34:09.775 --> 00:34:12.105
when the guys like halfway through their lap, right?
833
00:34:12.375 --> 00:34:14.305
Yeah. But it's a big lap so you have to do that. Yeah.
834
00:34:14.325 --> 00:34:16.345
You wouldn't have to do that at St. Pete.
835
00:34:16.495 --> 00:34:18.105
Yeah. 'cause that's, that's what I was gonna say, right?
836
00:34:18.105 --> 00:34:20.585
Like if you're on an L, so if you did it that way,
837
00:34:21.025 --> 00:34:22.425
'cause again, because you're only doing six,
838
00:34:22.445 --> 00:34:23.465
it doesn't actually, you're right,
839
00:34:23.465 --> 00:34:25.185
it doesn't only add much time at all.
840
00:34:25.995 --> 00:34:28.265
It'll add a little bit because the fast six is
841
00:34:28.265 --> 00:34:29.505
only six minutes or whatever.
842
00:34:29.645 --> 00:34:31.185
But like it's not a ton.
843
00:34:31.765 --> 00:34:34.185
No,
But let's say Andy Carr wanted to do it that way
844
00:34:34.185 --> 00:34:36.065
to try to keep it as condensed as possible.
845
00:34:36.925 --> 00:34:40.265
And you're fourth in line, the guy
846
00:34:40.265 --> 00:34:41.545
that's third in line is out on track.
847
00:34:41.615 --> 00:34:44.065
They go by to start their lap, they count to 30,
848
00:34:44.295 --> 00:34:46.025
send you on your out lap, right?
849
00:34:46.645 --> 00:34:49.505
And then that guy stoves it in the wall, red flag,
850
00:34:49.685 --> 00:34:50.945
you've gotta come back in.
851
00:34:51.005 --> 00:34:54.705
But now it's like, oh, well I've half a lap, you know,
852
00:34:54.705 --> 00:34:56.665
on my tires now and it's a disadvantage.
853
00:34:56.815 --> 00:34:57.865
Like would you,
854
00:34:58.365 --> 00:35:00.745
But how is that, how is that any different James than
855
00:35:01.695 --> 00:35:04.745
that happening to you with all other five cars on track?
856
00:35:05.345 --> 00:35:07.145
A hundred percent. So
857
00:35:07.145 --> 00:35:09.065
Yeah, I'm just trying to throw out Yeah, I'm just trying
858
00:35:09.065 --> 00:35:10.385
to throw out things that people can, but that can happen
859
00:35:10.385 --> 00:35:12.145
If, if you wait, if you're, if you're trying
860
00:35:12.145 --> 00:35:15.265
to wait till the end for like the track evolution, right?
861
00:35:15.285 --> 00:35:18.185
And you leave pit lane and, and someone stoves in the wall,
862
00:35:18.275 --> 00:35:19.275
Right?
863
00:35:19.275 --> 00:35:19.625
But then the series can say,
864
00:35:19.625 --> 00:35:20.865
well you waited, that was your choice.
865
00:35:20.955 --> 00:35:22.505
Where in this scenario the team's gonna be like,
866
00:35:22.505 --> 00:35:23.505
you told us when to go
867
00:35:23.525 --> 00:35:25.425
and a guy crashed in front of us. Yeah.
868
00:35:26.095 --> 00:35:27.665
I'll get my tiny violin out.
869
00:35:27.825 --> 00:35:29.385
'cause the worst you're gonna start is sixth. There
870
00:35:29.385 --> 00:35:30.385
You go.
871
00:35:30.385 --> 00:35:32.545
All right. I'd be, I'd be willing to try it.
872
00:35:32.605 --> 00:35:33.905
I'd be willing to. It's like, you know, well
873
00:35:33.905 --> 00:35:35.105
Good news James.
874
00:35:35.625 --> 00:35:36.665
I think we are. Yeah.
875
00:35:37.195 --> 00:35:38.565
Yeah. At all at all.
876
00:35:38.565 --> 00:35:39.925
Road street or just like,
877
00:35:40.015 --> 00:35:42.045
we're gonna try it at one like we did with the,
878
00:35:42.375 --> 00:35:43.885
We're gonna try it at one
Rule are
879
00:35:43.945 --> 00:35:45.085
are you allowed to share which one?
880
00:35:45.625 --> 00:35:47.925
Not to the audience, but I will tell you later.
881
00:35:48.595 --> 00:35:51.285
Okay. Just saying Tim can bleep it out just
882
00:35:51.285 --> 00:35:52.405
to really make the audience mad
883
00:35:52.405 --> 00:35:56.485
that they're that close to hearing it. Oh, cool.
884
00:35:56.875 --> 00:35:59.045
Yeah.
That'll be interesting. Hmm.
885
00:36:00.105 --> 00:36:02.675
That'll be interesting. Mm-hmm . Uh, yeah. Good.
886
00:36:02.675 --> 00:36:04.675
And then if it works, awesome. But that's the thing.
887
00:36:04.675 --> 00:36:06.475
But this, so I know I kind
888
00:36:06.475 --> 00:36:07.675
of laid out all those points, right?
889
00:36:07.855 --> 00:36:10.165
The one for me that is the,
890
00:36:10.165 --> 00:36:12.925
is the reason I've always like thought twice about this is
891
00:36:13.865 --> 00:36:15.925
we used to do it and F1 used to do it
892
00:36:16.105 --> 00:36:17.365
and everybody went away from it.
893
00:36:17.395 --> 00:36:20.405
Because for me, like from the TV side,
894
00:36:20.405 --> 00:36:21.725
right? You create that. We also
895
00:36:21.835 --> 00:36:24.565
Used to drink while we were pregnant. Don't do that
896
00:36:24.565 --> 00:36:25.565
anymore.
.
897
00:36:26.935 --> 00:36:30.005
Right? But I'm saying we went from the current format to
898
00:36:30.005 --> 00:36:31.165
that format and went back
899
00:36:31.165 --> 00:36:32.885
to we're not drinking while pregnant
900
00:36:32.885 --> 00:36:33.965
again. You know what I'm saying?
901
00:36:34.235 --> 00:36:35.565
Good point. Good point.
Good
902
00:36:35.565 --> 00:36:36.565
point.
.
903
00:36:38.555 --> 00:36:40.045
Yeah.
I missed that step. Yeah,
904
00:36:40.235 --> 00:36:41.235
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
905
00:36:41.585 --> 00:36:43.845
So yeah, you, you gotta go back one more. Right? Right.
906
00:36:43.845 --> 00:36:45.405
And then it makes more sense. Okay.
907
00:36:45.425 --> 00:36:47.365
But 'cause like yes, it's those last,
908
00:36:47.435 --> 00:36:48.645
it's those four minutes are
909
00:36:48.645 --> 00:36:49.685
the only exciting minutes, right?
910
00:36:50.345 --> 00:36:53.165
But those four minutes are really exciting. They sure are.
911
00:36:53.425 --> 00:36:54.685
And I think my worry
912
00:36:54.685 --> 00:36:58.085
with a single car qualifying is if like someone goes out
913
00:36:58.085 --> 00:37:00.645
and just lays down a time that's outrageous
914
00:37:01.425 --> 00:37:05.645
and for three more cars, you by sector one, you know,
915
00:37:05.645 --> 00:37:07.085
you're like, oh, he's not climbed back
916
00:37:07.155 --> 00:37:08.285
four and a half tenths here.
917
00:37:08.465 --> 00:37:10.965
So you just watch a car drive around by itself
918
00:37:11.105 --> 00:37:13.525
and finished third and then another guy finished fourth.
919
00:37:13.625 --> 00:37:17.165
And like, it's when it's, when it's at the end,
920
00:37:17.165 --> 00:37:20.285
like you always have the fastest lap set within the last
921
00:37:20.285 --> 00:37:23.645
minute of the, of the session the way it is now.
922
00:37:23.715 --> 00:37:25.645
Like al almost always mm-hmm . Right?
923
00:37:25.645 --> 00:37:29.325
Whereas in this case, you could have a 10 minute window
924
00:37:29.545 --> 00:37:33.405
for the fast six and the fastest lap gets set two minutes in
925
00:37:33.545 --> 00:37:35.005
and for eight minutes you're watching everybody
926
00:37:35.005 --> 00:37:36.405
else struggle to catch that time.
927
00:37:36.905 --> 00:37:39.045
You can still admire the, the job that the person
928
00:37:39.065 --> 00:37:41.925
who set the time did, but it takes a little bit of that like
929
00:37:42.585 --> 00:37:43.805
cinema away from it.
930
00:37:44.365 --> 00:37:47.045
Interesting.
But we'll see, we'll see, we'll see.
931
00:37:47.105 --> 00:37:48.445
If the fastest guy goes last,
932
00:37:48.515 --> 00:37:50.245
it's gonna be <inaudible> banging, right?
933
00:37:50.245 --> 00:37:52.405
It's gonna be great. Yep. Yep. But if, all
934
00:37:52.405 --> 00:37:53.765
Right, the last topic I wanna cover,
935
00:37:53.865 --> 00:37:57.245
and I don't know if you guys did last week, um,
936
00:37:57.985 --> 00:37:59.805
DC did you guys talk about that at all?
937
00:37:59.945 --> 00:38:00.925
We did. Yeah. We, yeah,
938
00:38:00.925 --> 00:38:02.005
will and I talked about it a little bit.
939
00:38:02.435 --> 00:38:05.685
Okay. Well, I I just wanna give a little bit of insight,
940
00:38:05.825 --> 00:38:06.965
um, because I was, because you were there.
941
00:38:06.995 --> 00:38:08.405
Yeah, I went there. Tell us about it.
942
00:38:08.565 --> 00:38:09.885
I can't share a whole lot of details,
943
00:38:10.105 --> 00:38:13.605
but what I will say is there, I there's a lot of concern.
944
00:38:14.245 --> 00:38:16.245
I think there's a lot of concern for a lot
945
00:38:16.245 --> 00:38:19.005
of various reasons, but I think the, the one
946
00:38:19.005 --> 00:38:21.365
that makes the most sense is, oh, well how,
947
00:38:22.065 --> 00:38:24.365
how on earth is IndyCar gonna do this in six months?
948
00:38:24.575 --> 00:38:26.765
Right? How can you, how can you build a track
949
00:38:26.765 --> 00:38:28.685
and make it safe and all this sort of thing?
950
00:38:28.685 --> 00:38:33.165
And like that's crazy. And while their build time
951
00:38:33.745 --> 00:38:37.245
is six months, this is something that's been in the works
952
00:38:37.545 --> 00:38:38.885
for over a year.
953
00:38:39.305 --> 00:38:40.925
And so this is not something
954
00:38:40.925 --> 00:38:43.725
that was dropped on IndyCar's lap out of the blue.
955
00:38:43.865 --> 00:38:46.125
And it's like you have now six months from zero
956
00:38:46.425 --> 00:38:47.925
to build this right event.
957
00:38:48.115 --> 00:38:51.645
This plan has been in place for a quite a long period
958
00:38:51.645 --> 00:38:55.805
of time and was not passing through certain, uh,
959
00:38:56.165 --> 00:39:00.085
channels of approval for a load of various reasons.
960
00:39:00.425 --> 00:39:04.765
And, and this is, um, a, a lot of people default
961
00:39:04.825 --> 00:39:07.445
to political reasons and, and this sort of thing and,
962
00:39:07.465 --> 00:39:10.925
and really the one that didn't surprise me
963
00:39:11.025 --> 00:39:13.645
but made the most sense to me that I didn't think about is
964
00:39:14.425 --> 00:39:15.845
the, the, the, the major hurdle
965
00:39:16.625 --> 00:39:18.525
was on certain government land
966
00:39:20.045 --> 00:39:21.525
advertising is a problem, right?
967
00:39:21.525 --> 00:39:25.245
Right. And so there was a really big roadblock of, okay,
968
00:39:25.245 --> 00:39:27.685
well you can have your event, but the cars can't be branded
969
00:39:27.715 --> 00:39:31.805
because this is a historical site.
970
00:39:32.385 --> 00:39:35.165
We can't change the precedent of what's been set because,
971
00:39:35.345 --> 00:39:38.645
and for future events, if protests or rallies
972
00:39:38.645 --> 00:39:41.165
or whatever happens, like we can't have branding.
973
00:39:41.665 --> 00:39:44.805
So that's a, that that's a hard no-go.
974
00:39:45.465 --> 00:39:50.005
Um, so there, there was, there was blocks and,
975
00:39:50.225 --> 00:39:52.405
and pushback for reasons like that.
976
00:39:52.625 --> 00:39:55.405
Not for any other reason that people seem
977
00:39:55.425 --> 00:39:57.405
to create in their mind on the internet.
978
00:39:57.665 --> 00:39:59.645
And then the other thing is
979
00:39:59.875 --> 00:40:02.925
that I thought was very interesting is a lot of the
980
00:40:03.645 --> 00:40:07.605
landmarks slash buildings that a proposed track would go
981
00:40:07.765 --> 00:40:09.885
around, they were concerned about
982
00:40:10.625 --> 00:40:13.525
the percussion coming off the cars, right?
983
00:40:13.665 --> 00:40:15.965
It wasn't a decibel thing per se, right?
984
00:40:16.035 --> 00:40:17.205
Like noise wasn't the problem.
985
00:40:17.385 --> 00:40:19.165
It was vibrations was what is the vibration
986
00:40:19.165 --> 00:40:22.925
and harmonics gonna potentially do to archives and windows
987
00:40:23.185 --> 00:40:24.205
and buildings and,
988
00:40:24.205 --> 00:40:26.285
and all this sort of thing, which is like, oh that's ,
989
00:40:26.985 --> 00:40:28.605
the Lincoln Monument just crumbles.
990
00:40:28.875 --> 00:40:31.005
Like these are things you don't think about, right?
991
00:40:31.005 --> 00:40:33.365
Yeah, for sure. Like are very real concerns
992
00:40:33.395 --> 00:40:35.485
that then there had to be study groups
993
00:40:35.505 --> 00:40:37.805
and there had to be things that are done in order to,
994
00:40:38.105 --> 00:40:40.645
to meet all of the criteria for an event to happen.
995
00:40:40.905 --> 00:40:44.325
So what I will say is the people
996
00:40:44.325 --> 00:40:46.565
that were involved in this was a very small group,
997
00:40:46.665 --> 00:40:49.445
but they have been feet, boots on the ground
998
00:40:50.225 --> 00:40:51.725
for a very long period of time.
999
00:40:51.825 --> 00:40:55.045
So this event is going to be as exact
1000
00:40:55.105 --> 00:40:58.045
of an IndyCar Street course event that we've ever had.
1001
00:40:58.045 --> 00:40:59.925
Like it's not gonna be some shell of
1002
00:40:59.925 --> 00:41:01.405
what a street course event should be like.
1003
00:41:01.405 --> 00:41:02.645
It's gonna be the same as
1004
00:41:02.645 --> 00:41:04.605
what you would expect at a Long Beach at a St.
1005
00:41:04.605 --> 00:41:06.805
Pete, at a Detroit a Markham or whatever, right?
1006
00:41:06.805 --> 00:41:07.965
This isn't, this isn't something
1007
00:41:07.965 --> 00:41:09.565
that's just happening overnight.
1008
00:41:09.565 --> 00:41:12.005
So I, I wanna put that concern out of people's minds
1009
00:41:12.005 --> 00:41:13.845
because, um, that's just not the reality.
1010
00:41:14.145 --> 00:41:16.525
The, the parts that I can't share are kind of the layout
1011
00:41:16.705 --> 00:41:18.485
and, and what's going to go into the event.
1012
00:41:19.185 --> 00:41:23.085
Um, but what I can say is it's incredible and like whether
1013
00:41:23.305 --> 00:41:27.725
or not you are a fan of Washington currently,
1014
00:41:28.355 --> 00:41:31.245
that shouldn't be enough of a detractor from
1015
00:41:31.245 --> 00:41:35.885
what is an insanely cool opportunity for the entire series,
1016
00:41:36.385 --> 00:41:40.845
um, around a celebration of this country, right?
1017
00:41:41.065 --> 00:41:43.445
You know, this, this country has been around
1018
00:41:43.905 --> 00:41:45.325
for 250 years, right?
1019
00:41:45.875 --> 00:41:48.965
Give or take people, give or take not very old,
1020
00:41:49.185 --> 00:41:51.765
but still 250 years people that you do
1021
00:41:51.765 --> 00:41:53.765
or don't like, they only last four to eight years,
1022
00:41:53.905 --> 00:41:56.845
as Kelly can tell you on her, um, immigration
1023
00:41:57.545 --> 00:41:58.645
civics test , right?
1024
00:41:59.225 --> 00:42:02.045
So the percentage right, is still quite small
1025
00:42:02.045 --> 00:42:03.045
of the 250 years.
1026
00:42:03.305 --> 00:42:06.425
So guys, it's gonna be awesome. So don't be
1027
00:42:06.455 --> 00:42:07.455
Yeah.
1028
00:42:07.455 --> 00:42:08.745
I think, and this is, you know, one of the things that Will,
1029
00:42:08.745 --> 00:42:11.945
and I were saying last week was, uh, we've been asking
1030
00:42:11.965 --> 00:42:13.145
for more races on the calendar
1031
00:42:13.365 --> 00:42:14.905
and street races are obviously
1032
00:42:14.905 --> 00:42:16.825
East coast races, in
Particular East coast races in
1033
00:42:16.825 --> 00:42:18.545
particular street course races are popular.
1034
00:42:18.645 --> 00:42:20.585
That's why we have Arlington coming on board.
1035
00:42:20.585 --> 00:42:22.025
That's why we have a new facility in
1036
00:42:22.025 --> 00:42:23.105
Markham that we're doing it at.
1037
00:42:23.205 --> 00:42:24.905
So, you know, that's why we did it in Nashville
1038
00:42:24.905 --> 00:42:26.505
originally as a street circuit.
1039
00:42:27.085 --> 00:42:30.065
Um, and the hope is that this is a race that's gonna be
1040
00:42:30.065 --> 00:42:32.145
around for 50 plus years. So, uh,
1041
00:42:32.405 --> 00:42:34.505
And, and that was the other, that was the other thing
1042
00:42:34.505 --> 00:42:38.225
that was um, really exciting for me to hear is
1043
00:42:39.005 --> 00:42:41.705
the people who are in, in charge of promoting this event,
1044
00:42:41.775 --> 00:42:44.305
they own the Wizards and the capitals right?
1045
00:42:45.165 --> 00:42:47.665
To Major N-B-A-N-N-H-L teams.
1046
00:42:48.045 --> 00:42:50.865
Um, and they also have their own media company
1047
00:42:51.245 --> 00:42:55.575
and they love, they love everything about this event
1048
00:42:55.635 --> 00:42:58.295
and they want this to be an event.
1049
00:42:58.325 --> 00:43:00.815
This isn't a one and done nec.
1050
00:43:01.065 --> 00:43:02.875
There's nothing committed past this year, right?
1051
00:43:03.255 --> 00:43:04.515
We have to get through this year first.
1052
00:43:04.985 --> 00:43:07.795
That being said, they're not viewing this as a Oh,
1053
00:43:07.795 --> 00:43:09.555
just a flash in the Pan exhibition thing, right?
1054
00:43:09.555 --> 00:43:12.475
They love IndyCar, they love the coast market. Yeah.
1055
00:43:12.505 --> 00:43:16.115
They want to build out the fan base in that location
1056
00:43:16.115 --> 00:43:17.435
because they believe they can do it.
1057
00:43:17.535 --> 00:43:19.355
So this is what we've been asking for
1058
00:43:19.455 --> 00:43:23.195
and it's really cool that it's happening in a, in a,
1059
00:43:23.295 --> 00:43:25.595
on a stage that's gonna have a lot of eyeballs on it.
1060
00:43:25.815 --> 00:43:27.075
And it's free for the public,
1061
00:43:27.415 --> 00:43:28.435
at least in year one. It's free
1062
00:43:28.435 --> 00:43:29.435
For the public.
1063
00:43:29.435 --> 00:43:31.595
There you go. Alright. That's the time.
1064
00:43:32.395 --> 00:43:34.875
I know we, again, we didn't talk about track cars on track
1065
00:43:35.075 --> 00:43:36.555
'cause they haven't happened yet, even though they have.
1066
00:43:36.575 --> 00:43:38.195
By the time you're hearing this, we will cover
1067
00:43:38.195 --> 00:43:40.155
that next week and Nashville among the other tests
1068
00:43:40.215 --> 00:43:42.235
and eventually we'll get to Nashville.
1069
00:43:43.625 --> 00:43:45.155
This has been off track with Hinch
1070
00:43:45.155 --> 00:43:46.715
and Rossi Off Track is part
1071
00:43:46.715 --> 00:43:49.035
of the SiriusXM Sports Podcast network.
1072
00:43:49.455 --> 00:43:50.595
If you enjoyed this episode
1073
00:43:50.595 --> 00:43:52.835
and want to hear more, please give a five star
1074
00:43:52.835 --> 00:43:53.875
rating and leave a review.
1075
00:43:54.475 --> 00:43:56.675
Subscribe today, wherever you stream your podcasts.
1076
00:43:56.815 --> 00:43:59.395
We are at Ask Offtrack on Twitter and Instagram.
1077
00:43:59.615 --> 00:44:02.515
And if you wanna follow us on Twitter, we're at Hinch Town
1078
00:44:02.515 --> 00:44:03.875
and at Alexander Rossi.
1079
00:44:04.095 --> 00:44:05.595
If you wanna follow them though,
1080
00:44:05.595 --> 00:44:07.275
we have no idea why you would.
1081
00:44:07.705 --> 00:44:09.955
He's at the Tim Durham on Twitter.
1082
00:44:10.545 --> 00:44:12.515
Find us on YouTube and subscribe to our channel
1083
00:44:12.575 --> 00:44:13.755
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1084
00:44:14.215 --> 00:44:17.075
Off Track is produced by Tim Durham, and by that we mean fi.