WEBVTT
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This is off track.
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I'm just shocked you haven't blocked my email yet.
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Yeah, it's, it is bizarre when Tim was like, Hey,
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we're gonna reach out to Doug
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and see if he can come on the show.
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I'm like, you're, you're gonna do,
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you're, you have his email.
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You're, he's, he's responded to you in the past
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and he will, you think he'll do that again, huh?
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Definitely responded. Yeah. There you go. Happy to do it.
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But Doug, that's why you're, you,
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you're the, you're a man of the people.
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Even even people.
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People and people, people you like, you guys like Tim.
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And that's, uh, it's a big deal. We appreciate that. Doug.
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Hello. Welcome again to Off Track with Hinch or Rossi.
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Uh, the Tuesday show is sometimes an either or program.
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And, and today, Alex is not here.
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I I'm just gonna take, I'm
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just noticing something right off the bat.
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Are you, are you a a desk stander?
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Are you standing at a desk right now? I do. I
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Do both.
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I do both. So the desk actually goes up and down.
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I actually have a little treadmill underneath.
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I can't sit still. Right. That's my biggest problem.
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But there are moments where I will sit down,
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but most of the time I love to stand.
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So I have a, I have a standing desk here.
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I'm at the IMS office right now,
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and also I have a standing desk over
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at IndyCar in the summer.
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Then I just try and like get my steps
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back and forth between the two.
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So I'll do whatever I can to keep
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moving.
,
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if you need help learning how to sit down, I'm,
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I'm really good at it.
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Arguably too good, Tim. Arguably too good. Yeah. Yeah.
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Yeah. Um, so yeah, steps,
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steps on the treadmill under the desk during office,
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and then in between getting steps going from office can
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Walk.
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That day's a little cold. Right. And I wouldn't, but,
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but when the weather's nice, yeah.
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It makes for a nice, uh, nice walk.
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And I can always do conference calls
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or whatever walking around the up and down the grandstand.
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So if you ever call me during the day
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and we have a conference call
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and I sound like I'm outta breath, I'm probably hiking up
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and down steps, the Speedway taking notes as well.
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You know, the stuff we gotta fix know, it's a, it's a,
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it's a good opportunity for me to, uh,
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drive everybody crazy here with notes of things.
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We need to keep working on
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This.
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I mean, look, everybody knows you're the hardest working guy
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in motor sports and you know, I think that was even
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before you had to take on a second job of running IndyCar.
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That was just on the track side of things.
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Now you're doing both. Tell me that the off season for you
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is at least slightly less manic than when you're,
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you know, I know there's no probably time off
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for Doug Bulls, but not having to chase IndyCar around
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for 17 weekends a year,
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whilst also doing everything you do wearing both hats.
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Is it a little bit calmer right now?
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It's actually worse. . Um, and, and, and I,
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and I think that's a lot of it's
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because you know how it is you get in the season,
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'cause you do this, you get in the season,
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you get a cadence going.
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So your body gets used to, okay, I gotta fly out this day
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or drive out this day to get to an event.
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Here's what happens in an event.
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I'm coming home Sunday night or Monday.
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You've got things you have to do.
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And there's something about being in a hotel room too
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that allows you to get more work done in a lot
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of ways than when you're in the office.
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Right? True. So, um,
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there's something great about the first race of the season,
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being a race fan's great, we're racing,
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but more importantly, you know,
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it really sets that cadence for you.
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For us, especially this off season.
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There's just so much going on, really trying to get ready
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for, for the Arlington race, trying
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to get the season kicked off,
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second relation second year with Fox.
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So making sure that we make as big a splash
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this year in the off season, leading into the season
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as we did last year with Fox.
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Obviously the independent officiating board thing, uh,
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getting that up and going, and
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there's still a lot of work with that.
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We got the board name, but we gotta get an MDO hired.
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There's a lot there. Um,
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and then certainly engine manufacturers.
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We gotta get our engine manufacturers deal deals done so
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that we know that we have engine manufacturers on board
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leading into not just 28 when we have the new car
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and the new engine, but right now, 20 seven's a gap year.
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Right. So we need to make sure that
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we're sort of sorting that out.
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So it's actually a little bit busier right now than
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in the rest of the season.
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So, uh, hopefully by the time we get to Christmas,
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things will settle down a little bit
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and maybe there's a few days there
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before we get really going the beginning of the year,
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uh, once we get back in January.
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So the season is your slow season in a,
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in a weird way, but
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You know what I mean.
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You, you, you get it right. I mean it's, it's exactly
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how it, how it is and it's what we want to be doing.
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Right. So that makes it, it, it makes it a little easier too
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because you're in the flow of,
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of the things that you really want to do.
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The long off seasons honestly are not
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the greatest thing in my mind.
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And, and it gives you a good excuse too, right?
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It's like, oh, well I can't be there for this meeting
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'cause we're at St Pete this weekend,
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or we're in Phoenix this weekend,
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we're in Arlington this weekend.
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So like, it does have a little bit of, it does kind
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of inadvertently block off a lot of time for sure
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that you have to just focus on that one thing,
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which is what's happening at the track.
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Whereas when you're home for five months,
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that excuse doesn't exist anymore. Interesting.
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I that, that is, that is very true.
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And, and uh, you know, it, it is good to get going
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and then January, January and a lot of what, January
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and early February are the worst travel months of the year
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because you're doing all of this stuff on the front end.
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So we've got our own testing that goes on. Right.
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But you, everybody goes
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to the 24 hour race 'cause that's the beginning of the season.
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So you're down there just interacting with people.
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Uh, I'm on the Atca board, so AKIs meets you try
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and get down to Daytona 500 for a few days down there.
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'cause same thing, you know, as a promoter here at the
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Speedway, that's really important a NASCAR relationship.
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Even more important this year with the Phoenix race.
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So get down there for that.
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There's just so much travel
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that goes on early during the week.
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It's really not weekend travel.
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So once, once the season starts, once we get to
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that last weekend in February, 1st of March when, uh,
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when things get going, then
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that's when it'll get a little bit easier. I think I
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You're, you're the first person I've spoken
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to in a long time, Doug, whose travel schedule.
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I do not, uh, I do not envy at all.
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Uh, I've had a busy year,
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but you, you just have a busy everything.
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So, um, you touched on something that is, is really the,
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the core of, of why we wanted to have you on the show today.
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Yep. But before we get to that
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and kind of explain a little bit more about this new
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governance structure for the series for all fans,
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'cause it is a little bit intricate
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and it's a little bit detailed, it's
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very different from what we've had.
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I just wanna touch on another one of the kind
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of side projects that you've had to be managing as the head
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of the, of the speedway, the last little while, the repave
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of turn two
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and some of the, some of the footage, some
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of the stuff that came outta that.
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Just talk us through why it had to happen, what it was
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that actually happened, and then Yeah.
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Some of that cool stuff that you gotta see.
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It's funny, I mean this really started in 2017 or 2018.
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We had a fall test out year. You actually were testing.
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Um, and Dixon was testing and I remember calling you guys
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after the test and saying, Hey,
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do you notice anything on the racetrack?
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And we were really hoping to hear nothing,
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but we were worried about turn two.
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'cause that's when we really started
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monitoring that bump out there.
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We'd ground off as much asphalt really
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as we could without really getting ourselves
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into a situation.
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And you were, you weren't concerned about anything at turn.
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Two, you had some things that turned four that bothered you.
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Um, Dixon had told me there were two things on the back
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stretch that bothered him.
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And then we realized we were having some other
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water issues on the track.
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So we did those core samples.
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I think it was in 2018 actually.
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Mm-hmm . And the core sample came out of all the way down
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to the bricks that we took from turn three.
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But it was really trying to understand
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what was happening under the surface.
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And then over those last six
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or seven years, the racetrack
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that bump in turn two continues to get worse.
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And before May this year was actually a quarter
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of an inch higher than it was last year.
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We scan the surface of the track every year
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so we can compare what the track is doing.
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Hadn't been repaved since 2004.
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So we rolled it and it got back down to
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where it was leading into 24.
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So we thought we were fine. But in the summer
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with the heat, it actually got worse.
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And the NASCAR guys, and I think the first time it really
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sort of became public was when Kyle Larson said something on
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the radio that the bump had turned two
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seemed significantly worse.
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So we were concerned that if it was continuing to grow,
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that if we didn't do anything in the fall, we could come out
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of the, the freeze and this winter and get into March
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or April and realize we can't solve this problem
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with the short amount of time we have to get to May.
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So we decided to excavate, figure out what was going on.
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And as we got down, we realized the bricks were getting
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compressed and pushed up into the surface.
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So we were gonna have to remove those.
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And there were a couple other spots right in that turn too.
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So we removed them and as we were doing it, we did,
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we were real careful to get down
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so we could see the bricks, which was pretty cool.
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And then when we started taking bricks out, we thought,
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let's just really see underneath that bed of four inches
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of sand is there really the surface from 1909 still there.
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And so to be able to pull
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that out and see it was pretty cool.
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And then we patched everything up, put it back together.
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But it was really a preventative project
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because that turn two bump was continuing to get worse.
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And, uh, the testing so far that we did in October,
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everybody feels like we're in good
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shape and ready to go in May. So
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Does that give you a good sense of how
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to tackle a problem in the future?
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Or should another bump pop up in three or in four?
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I th I think so. Um, I think it, you know,
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this one was pretty significant
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'cause it was all the way across basically the width
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of the track there at the, at sort of the exit apex
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as you're coming on outta two onto the, on the straightaway.
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We've got some isolated ones that are a little bit smaller,
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uh, that right now aren't an issue.
253
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Uh, but we're gonna continue to watch those.
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Obviously sometime in the near future we're gonna have
255
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to resurface the whole track.
256
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Like I said, it hasn't been done since 2004.
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But as drivers and engineers and manufacturers
258
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and tire manufacturers,
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the one thing you know about this surface is, you know,
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this surface, you know, the grip level, it's one
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of those things you just don't really have to worry about.
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If we go to a new asphalt,
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that's gonna completely change the game.
264
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So we're trying to do everything we can to keep from having
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that one variable, uh, raise its head
266
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and really have to have to deal with it.
267
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When they did it in oh four, it took them three
268
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or four years before they really got all of the undulations
269
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and all of it out of it to get it as smooth as it is today.
270
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So we're trying to do everything we can to prolong that, uh,
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time that we do the re the resurface.
272
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Yeah. Fascinating. Well, there's,
273
00:09:18.525 --> 00:09:20.485
I know you posted some really cool videos, uh,
274
00:09:20.545 --> 00:09:23.445
on Twitter about everything that you guys did there
275
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and seeing again, some of the original bricks
276
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and standing on a bit of racetrack that no one had stood on
277
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and, you know, a hundred plus years.
278
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Very cool stuff. Yeah. So anyone that's interested,
279
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it's on the, the Speedway,
280
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I think Twitter account as well on YouTube
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Channel.
282
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YouTube channel and yeah, you had it as on yours as well.
283
00:09:38.635 --> 00:09:42.405
Yeah. Um, alright. So recently it was announced
284
00:09:42.455 --> 00:09:45.125
after much discussion over the last, I mean,
285
00:09:45.445 --> 00:09:46.805
I think it's probably been more than a year, right?
286
00:09:46.805 --> 00:09:49.605
It's probably been, uh, 18 months, two years when the kind
287
00:09:49.605 --> 00:09:53.565
of discussion first started about the idea of some sort
288
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of different structure for handling race control,
289
00:09:56.995 --> 00:10:00.125
technical inspection, everything associated with that.
290
00:10:00.825 --> 00:10:03.965
We then kind of heard late last, well, when was it?
291
00:10:04.005 --> 00:10:06.725
I guess it was mid this year, maybe somebody announced
292
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that this was a plan we were going forward with
293
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still some details to come
294
00:10:11.005 --> 00:10:12.765
out of what that was gonna look like. I
295
00:10:12.765 --> 00:10:14.725
Think, I think we confirmed it in May when we had
296
00:10:14.725 --> 00:10:15.845
all the challenges in May, right?
297
00:10:15.845 --> 00:10:18.805
That look we've been working on long before I got here.
298
00:10:19.175 --> 00:10:21.205
There was work underway to try
299
00:10:21.205 --> 00:10:22.885
and figure out how could we put some sort
300
00:10:22.885 --> 00:10:25.125
of independent officiating structure in place just
301
00:10:25.125 --> 00:10:27.165
to eliminate any optics challenge
302
00:10:27.305 --> 00:10:30.205
or anything with, with the way the series is owned
303
00:10:30.345 --> 00:10:32.285
and by someone who actually races in the series.
304
00:10:32.305 --> 00:10:33.725
But moreover, just for everybody
305
00:10:33.745 --> 00:10:36.125
to feel like it's independent of manufacturers of teams.
306
00:10:36.785 --> 00:10:38.485
So we announced in May that we would get there
307
00:10:38.505 --> 00:10:39.965
and that's took a lot of work over the
308
00:10:39.965 --> 00:10:41.045
summer to get where we are today.
309
00:10:41.625 --> 00:10:44.845
And so I know there were several different mm-hmm .
310
00:10:45.995 --> 00:10:47.645
Solutions discussed. Yes.
311
00:10:47.865 --> 00:10:52.045
Um, ultimately, you know, kind of break down for us the,
312
00:10:52.265 --> 00:10:54.285
the structure of what we're gonna have.
313
00:10:54.325 --> 00:10:56.045
I know there's still a lot of pieces to come into place.
314
00:10:56.045 --> 00:10:58.325
Yep. But essentially the, the board
315
00:10:58.505 --> 00:11:00.685
of this new entity has been selected.
316
00:11:01.185 --> 00:11:02.805
How did that happen? Who are those people?
317
00:11:03.185 --> 00:11:05.525
And then we'll get into some of the positions
318
00:11:05.525 --> 00:11:07.885
that still need to be decided, you know, below that. Yeah,
319
00:11:07.885 --> 00:11:08.885
Sure.
320
00:11:08.885 --> 00:11:11.685
Yeah. Y so in the summer we spent an awful lot of time sort
321
00:11:11.685 --> 00:11:14.725
of looking at all kinds of different options from, you know,
322
00:11:14.725 --> 00:11:17.245
kind of really staying with everything we had today
323
00:11:17.245 --> 00:11:18.765
and figuring out is there an audit board
324
00:11:18.765 --> 00:11:19.845
that can audit how it works?
325
00:11:20.425 --> 00:11:22.805
Um, a completely independent board
326
00:11:22.805 --> 00:11:25.325
that had more than the three members that we end up now.
327
00:11:25.325 --> 00:11:27.165
So we talked about do you have team reps and,
328
00:11:27.265 --> 00:11:29.085
and manufacturer reps and others on it.
329
00:11:29.385 --> 00:11:32.085
We looked at the FIA, we met with the FIA, a couple
330
00:11:32.085 --> 00:11:33.845
of our team owners really felt like looking at the
331
00:11:33.885 --> 00:11:34.925
FIA made a lot of sense.
332
00:11:34.985 --> 00:11:36.605
So we actually, the FIA came
333
00:11:36.605 --> 00:11:38.325
and visited us at the Milwaukee race to see
334
00:11:38.325 --> 00:11:39.805
how, how things were going there.
335
00:11:40.245 --> 00:11:43.045
Interestingly, uh, the FI's response to us
336
00:11:43.045 --> 00:11:45.445
after they were here was that the system isn't broken.
337
00:11:45.475 --> 00:11:46.845
What we have is the broken, in fact,
338
00:11:46.845 --> 00:11:47.845
there's some things we do much,
339
00:11:47.845 --> 00:11:49.445
much better than the FIA does.
340
00:11:49.945 --> 00:11:53.445
Uh, but that what we needed was that firewall between, uh,
341
00:11:53.445 --> 00:11:56.565
the series ownership and, and the decision making.
342
00:11:56.625 --> 00:11:58.845
And then, so taking a look at all three of those,
343
00:11:59.345 --> 00:12:02.125
we ultimately settled on this three person board, the, uh,
344
00:12:02.125 --> 00:12:03.485
independent officiating board.
345
00:12:03.945 --> 00:12:06.085
Um, and we originally were trying to figure out
346
00:12:06.085 --> 00:12:07.165
how, how do you populate it?
347
00:12:07.305 --> 00:12:09.325
So we talked to the owners at an owner's meeting
348
00:12:09.505 --> 00:12:10.925
and we agreed that the best way
349
00:12:10.925 --> 00:12:14.125
to populate it was allow the owners to nominate people
350
00:12:14.265 --> 00:12:16.405
to serve on this independent officiating board.
351
00:12:16.825 --> 00:12:18.685
And then we were gonna allow the FIA
352
00:12:18.685 --> 00:12:19.885
to make a nomination as well.
353
00:12:19.905 --> 00:12:22.405
So you'd have two that were nominated by all of the teams,
354
00:12:23.025 --> 00:12:26.085
and then, uh, one that was, uh, appointed by the FIA.
355
00:12:26.085 --> 00:12:28.845
So when we got those nominations, uh, basically
356
00:12:28.845 --> 00:12:30.485
what happened is those nominations
357
00:12:30.485 --> 00:12:31.565
went through a vetting process.
358
00:12:31.705 --> 00:12:35.445
And by that process it means, hey, uh, James Hinchcliffe,
359
00:12:35.745 --> 00:12:38.005
uh, Tim said, you'd be great on this board,
360
00:12:38.005 --> 00:12:40.005
would you be willing to serve on this board?
361
00:12:40.345 --> 00:12:42.245
And so first finding out that they'd be willing to serve.
362
00:12:42.265 --> 00:12:45.005
And then secondly, going through a conflict of interest,
363
00:12:45.005 --> 00:12:46.685
making sure that there weren't any conflicts.
364
00:12:47.145 --> 00:12:49.565
Uh, and then once we got to that point, all of those,
365
00:12:49.705 --> 00:12:52.805
we didn't, we didn't, uh, eliminate anybody or add anybody.
366
00:12:52.905 --> 00:12:55.165
We let the team, you know, the team owners do that.
367
00:12:55.625 --> 00:12:58.085
And then the team owners voted from the original pool
368
00:12:58.185 --> 00:12:59.885
and voted it down to a smaller pool.
369
00:12:59.945 --> 00:13:02.565
And then last week, Monday through Wednesday, they voted on
370
00:13:02.565 --> 00:13:04.965
who ultimately the two were that would serve on behalf of,
371
00:13:05.185 --> 00:13:07.525
uh, uh, not even behalf of the owners,
372
00:13:07.545 --> 00:13:08.765
but we're selected by the owners.
373
00:13:08.825 --> 00:13:11.285
So we had, we have, uh, uh, Raj Na and,
374
00:13:11.345 --> 00:13:12.885
and Ray Evernham are those two.
375
00:13:12.945 --> 00:13:14.605
And then, um, the FIA, uh,
376
00:13:14.605 --> 00:13:17.325
appointed Ronan Morgan Ronan's been in the FIA
377
00:13:17.325 --> 00:13:19.005
for a long time, 50 years in the sport.
378
00:13:19.425 --> 00:13:21.085
So those three, uh, will,
379
00:13:21.105 --> 00:13:22.605
we actually got them on the phone together.
380
00:13:22.865 --> 00:13:25.645
Uh, they knew of each other, uh, but didn't know each other.
381
00:13:25.665 --> 00:13:27.005
So it was fun to get them on the phone.
382
00:13:27.465 --> 00:13:30.245
Uh, we have a meeting coming up here shortly where the three
383
00:13:30.245 --> 00:13:31.285
of them will begin.
384
00:13:31.385 --> 00:13:34.605
Now, the process of propping up this, um, it's a,
385
00:13:34.605 --> 00:13:37.325
it's a separate not-for-profit organization, has nothing
386
00:13:37.325 --> 00:13:39.285
to do with, uh, with IndyCar,
387
00:13:39.285 --> 00:13:40.805
will be completely separate from us.
388
00:13:41.185 --> 00:13:42.845
And their job really is
389
00:13:42.845 --> 00:13:45.165
to hire the managing director of officiating.
390
00:13:45.165 --> 00:13:48.285
And that person then will, um, be the person
391
00:13:48.385 --> 00:13:51.325
who ultimately decides the implementation of the rules,
392
00:13:51.785 --> 00:13:53.605
who sits in what spot, how it works,
393
00:13:53.785 --> 00:13:55.565
and that person will report to this board.
394
00:13:55.945 --> 00:13:58.445
But this board's only job really is to say the,
395
00:13:58.505 --> 00:14:01.805
the MDO is doing a great job, or we need to remove the MDO
396
00:14:01.805 --> 00:14:03.005
and bring somebody else in.
397
00:14:03.345 --> 00:14:05.925
Uh, so that, so they're not an appeals board.
398
00:14:05.945 --> 00:14:08.245
Why I think a lot of people thought these are the three guys
399
00:14:08.245 --> 00:14:09.325
that are gonna come to every race.
400
00:14:09.395 --> 00:14:11.085
It's not, that's, that's not the case.
401
00:14:11.745 --> 00:14:14.325
So once we get that up and going, um, the other thing that,
402
00:14:14.325 --> 00:14:15.325
that, um, that
403
00:14:15.325 --> 00:14:17.885
that independent officiating board will do is we'll
404
00:14:18.015 --> 00:14:19.045
agree upon a budget.
405
00:14:19.475 --> 00:14:20.685
They will be given the budget,
406
00:14:20.865 --> 00:14:22.845
and then they'll be responsible for hiring
407
00:14:22.905 --> 00:14:24.165
and the implementation of that.
408
00:14:24.585 --> 00:14:27.005
Uh, and it's not anything that we can control.
409
00:14:27.145 --> 00:14:28.885
We can't hire the people, we can't fire the people,
410
00:14:28.885 --> 00:14:30.005
we can't influence the people.
411
00:14:30.465 --> 00:14:33.525
Um, all of it is gonna be a really run through the MDO
412
00:14:33.525 --> 00:14:34.565
and the, and the IOB.
413
00:14:34.625 --> 00:14:37.485
So a lot of pieces still to work out before we get to March.
414
00:14:38.025 --> 00:14:40.605
Um, but we're excited about, uh, moving this forward.
415
00:14:40.625 --> 00:14:41.885
And I think, uh, I think it'll work,
416
00:14:41.885 --> 00:14:43.045
uh, I think it'll work pretty well
417
00:14:43.275 --> 00:14:46.365
With the nominating process. Was I, was I
418
00:14:46.365 --> 00:14:47.365
close
?
419
00:14:47.835 --> 00:14:49.005
Yeah, you, you just, you just
420
00:14:49.005 --> 00:14:50.845
missed the final, just missed it. Final Just
421
00:14:50.845 --> 00:14:51.925
A little, little bit. Just a little bit.
422
00:14:52.315 --> 00:14:54.165
Okay. Yeah. See, here's the thing.
423
00:14:54.165 --> 00:14:56.885
Tim, had you been nominated by anybody, as Doug mentioned,
424
00:14:56.945 --> 00:14:58.525
he would've called and said, are you willing
425
00:14:58.625 --> 00:14:59.765
to serve on the board?
426
00:15:00.885 --> 00:15:02.165
I you never got that call.
427
00:15:02.165 --> 00:15:04.125
I think so many spam calls, you know? Yeah, that's true.
428
00:15:04.245 --> 00:15:05.565
I just, I figured it's Doug always calling
429
00:15:05.565 --> 00:15:07.525
to ask if I need a $50,000 loan
430
00:15:07.595 --> 00:15:09.885
with low $400 monthly payments, , ,
431
00:15:11.395 --> 00:15:13.925
everybody else gets 12 of those a day, right? Yeah.
432
00:15:13.925 --> 00:15:15.605
Yeah. Yeah. That's
Good. Usually, usually about that.
433
00:15:19.225 --> 00:15:21.405
So a a few quick things on the, you know, you said
434
00:15:21.405 --> 00:15:22.445
that you guys sort of went
435
00:15:22.445 --> 00:15:23.725
and did a, a vetting process
436
00:15:23.865 --> 00:15:25.085
on all the people that were nominated.
437
00:15:25.225 --> 00:15:27.645
Was that info then shared with all the owners
438
00:15:27.825 --> 00:15:31.165
before their elimination process started?
439
00:15:31.595 --> 00:15:34.565
Yeah. So if, if, if you had nominated somebody
440
00:15:35.265 --> 00:15:37.645
and in the process that person said, look,
441
00:15:37.985 --> 00:15:40.885
I'm not interested, I don't have the time, whatever, then,
442
00:15:41.195 --> 00:15:43.965
then we let you know that, hey, your person you nominated
443
00:15:44.525 --> 00:15:47.245
declined to be part of this, uh, voting process.
444
00:15:47.905 --> 00:15:49.445
Uh, so that, so that was the case.
445
00:15:49.705 --> 00:15:53.165
If, if they didn't pass for a conflict reason, um,
446
00:15:53.195 --> 00:15:54.645
then we would've let you know that too.
447
00:15:54.785 --> 00:15:56.965
And, and if there was a, if there were things
448
00:15:56.965 --> 00:15:58.885
that weren't necessarily conflicts,
449
00:15:59.225 --> 00:16:00.725
but might've felt like they could have been.
450
00:16:00.725 --> 00:16:03.885
So for example, if one of the nominees had sponsored
451
00:16:04.445 --> 00:16:06.845
a driver at one point in time, we put a little asterisk
452
00:16:06.845 --> 00:16:08.725
by it and then a bullet of what, what those were.
453
00:16:08.725 --> 00:16:11.365
So that as the owners voted, uh, they knew
454
00:16:11.395 --> 00:16:13.405
what could potentially be a conflict.
455
00:16:13.425 --> 00:16:14.565
It was a clear conflict.
456
00:16:14.595 --> 00:16:17.165
They, for example, worked for a race team
457
00:16:17.345 --> 00:16:19.405
and just quit working for 'em two days ago.
458
00:16:19.465 --> 00:16:20.805
You know, that's sort of inside.
459
00:16:20.805 --> 00:16:24.965
We, we, we wanted at least 12 months of really working for
460
00:16:25.635 --> 00:16:27.805
IndyCar, for working for a team, for working
461
00:16:27.805 --> 00:16:29.925
for another major Motorsport series.
462
00:16:30.425 --> 00:16:32.405
Uh, just because we wanted them removed enough.
463
00:16:32.505 --> 00:16:34.005
And, and it wasn't a requirement
464
00:16:34.275 --> 00:16:36.445
that those nominees even know anything about motorsport.
465
00:16:36.445 --> 00:16:37.605
In fact, we had a couple that were
466
00:16:37.605 --> 00:16:38.685
just pure business people.
467
00:16:39.105 --> 00:16:41.045
Uh, so that was the idea. We wanted, we wanted
468
00:16:41.045 --> 00:16:44.325
to let the owners nominate who they thought might best
469
00:16:44.925 --> 00:16:46.765
managing a, manage a managing director,
470
00:16:46.785 --> 00:16:49.045
and the process of, uh, technical
471
00:16:49.045 --> 00:16:50.685
and race inspection for IndyCar.
472
00:16:51.545 --> 00:16:54.325
So you've got the board now who you said, you know, their,
473
00:16:54.325 --> 00:16:56.805
their main role, really their exclusive role is
474
00:16:56.805 --> 00:16:59.285
to hire a managing director and then oversee them
475
00:16:59.285 --> 00:17:01.085
and make sure that they're getting the job done.
476
00:17:01.515 --> 00:17:03.405
Yeah. Within the managing director role,
477
00:17:03.875 --> 00:17:06.565
they're gonna be given a budget to run this entity.
478
00:17:06.565 --> 00:17:09.325
Yeah. What are we, what are we calling this thing ?
479
00:17:10.045 --> 00:17:12.565
What, what is the, what is the managing director in charge
480
00:17:12.585 --> 00:17:14.725
of from a, from a naming standpoint?
481
00:17:15.185 --> 00:17:18.325
So you would, it's, it's really, it's really indi uh,
482
00:17:18.515 --> 00:17:20.205
IndyCar competition.
483
00:17:20.515 --> 00:17:22.965
Okay. So if it, if it has anything to do with,
484
00:17:23.545 --> 00:17:24.565
uh, implementing rules.
485
00:17:24.585 --> 00:17:26.845
So IndyCar will continue to write the rules. Mm-hmm .
486
00:17:26.925 --> 00:17:29.285
If you think about it like the NBA, the NBA writes rules,
487
00:17:29.285 --> 00:17:31.245
and then they hand the rule book over the referees
488
00:17:31.245 --> 00:17:32.565
and say, Hey, refs, go do it.
489
00:17:32.585 --> 00:17:35.645
Got it. The difference would be if, if somebody wanted
490
00:17:35.645 --> 00:17:38.205
to appeal the NBA still kind
491
00:17:38.205 --> 00:17:39.765
of has the right to, to deal with that.
492
00:17:39.825 --> 00:17:43.725
In this, in this instance, if, if a, a team was penalized
493
00:17:43.785 --> 00:17:45.685
by the managing director, um,
494
00:17:45.985 --> 00:17:47.845
and they wanted to appeal, the, the way
495
00:17:47.845 --> 00:17:50.445
that the appeals process will work will be written out in
496
00:17:50.445 --> 00:17:53.525
the rule book, but it will be managed by, um,
497
00:17:53.825 --> 00:17:54.925
the managing director
498
00:17:54.945 --> 00:17:56.845
and then the independent officing board.
499
00:17:56.845 --> 00:17:58.325
This is one other thing that they would do,
500
00:17:58.465 --> 00:17:59.845
is they would go through the process.
501
00:17:59.985 --> 00:18:02.645
So IndyCar, as we know, IndyCar today,
502
00:18:02.645 --> 00:18:03.925
would not have anything to do with it.
503
00:18:03.925 --> 00:18:05.325
It would be that separate entity
504
00:18:05.325 --> 00:18:06.845
that deals with the appeal process.
505
00:18:07.225 --> 00:18:10.965
So again, um, we wouldn't be involved in, in any appeals.
506
00:18:10.965 --> 00:18:14.285
The only place where, where we would be involved would be if
507
00:18:14.285 --> 00:18:16.165
it's an offtrack related situation.
508
00:18:16.225 --> 00:18:17.805
So if it was a, yeah.
509
00:18:17.995 --> 00:18:19.805
Some sort of, um, detrimental
510
00:18:19.825 --> 00:18:21.245
to the sport kind of issue if you had to,
511
00:18:22.045 --> 00:18:24.325
I think we drinking at the speedway again. Exactly.
512
00:18:24.715 --> 00:18:27.165
Exactly. Yeah. And that would be, that would be,
513
00:18:27.515 --> 00:18:29.005
that would, that would remain with us.
514
00:18:29.665 --> 00:18:32.485
We can definitively say off track is detrimental to the
515
00:18:32.485 --> 00:18:33.485
series
.
516
00:18:35.135 --> 00:18:36.485
Let's not draw attention to that, Tim.
517
00:18:36.535 --> 00:18:37.485
We're trying, we're trying to
518
00:18:37.485 --> 00:18:38.445
stay in business for the time being.
519
00:18:38.445 --> 00:18:40.805
Yeah. So, okay. So that's, that's good. It's good to know.
520
00:18:40.805 --> 00:18:43.645
This is, these are the kind of nuggets that I'm learning and
521
00:18:43.665 --> 00:18:45.245
and hopefully people listening are learning.
522
00:18:45.275 --> 00:18:48.245
Yeah. So the rules themselves still written by Indy Carr.
523
00:18:48.245 --> 00:18:49.925
They're just enforced by the group.
524
00:18:50.105 --> 00:18:54.925
If there's, there's no power in this group to change a rule.
525
00:18:55.245 --> 00:18:57.685
I mean, I'm sure they could make suggestions to Indy Carr if
526
00:18:57.795 --> 00:18:59.285
They, there was something, the, the way it said is they
527
00:18:59.285 --> 00:19:01.645
could make suggestions to change the rules and that, and,
528
00:19:01.665 --> 00:19:03.885
and it would be our obligation to, to look at those
529
00:19:03.905 --> 00:19:05.005
and, and consider those.
530
00:19:05.345 --> 00:19:06.725
And, and we set it up that way.
531
00:19:06.725 --> 00:19:09.565
Because ultimately I think they'll get in there
532
00:19:09.565 --> 00:19:11.165
and think, Hey, here's an idea on
533
00:19:11.165 --> 00:19:13.285
how we can make this rule better or this rule more clear.
534
00:19:13.585 --> 00:19:15.725
So we certainly want them to want them to do that.
535
00:19:15.825 --> 00:19:19.805
But a little bit, unlike where the FIA is with F1, you know,
536
00:19:19.925 --> 00:19:22.885
FIA writes it and, and they have the authority to do that.
537
00:19:23.025 --> 00:19:26.445
We didn't wanna completely turn our product over
538
00:19:26.445 --> 00:19:27.605
to an independent board.
539
00:19:27.665 --> 00:19:30.405
So that's why, in that sense, they ha they would have
540
00:19:30.405 --> 00:19:32.765
to come to us and then, and then together we would decide
541
00:19:32.765 --> 00:19:33.885
whether we implement that rule.
542
00:19:33.945 --> 00:19:36.165
Now maybe we do it next year, maybe we don't do it all
543
00:19:36.165 --> 00:19:37.885
for whatever the reason is. And
544
00:19:37.885 --> 00:19:39.365
That's, that's honestly one thing that I,
545
00:19:39.445 --> 00:19:40.645
I I, and I love that approach.
546
00:19:40.845 --> 00:19:42.685
'cause I do think that's one thing IndyCar's always been
547
00:19:42.685 --> 00:19:45.045
very good at is, is kind of looking, you know,
548
00:19:45.045 --> 00:19:46.565
introspectively at things
549
00:19:46.745 --> 00:19:49.205
and making adjustments, making changes that are
550
00:19:49.205 --> 00:19:52.725
for the benefit of teams, drivers, fans, the sport.
551
00:19:53.145 --> 00:19:54.725
So I, you know, I think that's not an area
552
00:19:54.725 --> 00:19:56.165
that this series is needed help with.
553
00:19:56.185 --> 00:19:58.085
So that's good. That, that kind of still is,
554
00:19:58.105 --> 00:19:59.125
is in their control.
555
00:19:59.825 --> 00:20:03.165
The managing director then will have a series
556
00:20:03.185 --> 00:20:04.645
of people below them, right?
557
00:20:05.145 --> 00:20:09.245
Are we talking race director, head of technical inspection?
558
00:20:09.425 --> 00:20:11.485
Yep. The stewards, all those positions. All,
559
00:20:11.505 --> 00:20:12.505
All of those.
560
00:20:12.505 --> 00:20:13.645
'cause those are all functions that are
561
00:20:13.685 --> 00:20:14.845
implementing the rule.
562
00:20:14.945 --> 00:20:18.045
So those functions will all be separate from us now
563
00:20:18.145 --> 00:20:20.805
and would report to the managing director of officiating,
564
00:20:20.865 --> 00:20:23.125
the managing director of officiating would decide to,
565
00:20:23.385 --> 00:20:24.605
to hire them, retain them.
566
00:20:24.705 --> 00:20:27.365
All of that is, is solely in that, in that bucket.
567
00:20:27.465 --> 00:20:29.765
We, we don't have any influence over that, but Absolutely.
568
00:20:29.785 --> 00:20:32.125
So as you think about it today, uh, the things
569
00:20:32.125 --> 00:20:34.365
that we've always done, race director, technical,
570
00:20:34.365 --> 00:20:36.285
all the people that work for 'em, the pit, the, the,
571
00:20:36.305 --> 00:20:38.565
the pit stewards that are, you know, work in pit lane,
572
00:20:38.825 --> 00:20:41.125
you know, all of those pieces would be part
573
00:20:41.125 --> 00:20:42.925
of the competition side of the business
574
00:20:42.925 --> 00:20:45.045
that would be at the, the responsibility
575
00:20:45.145 --> 00:20:46.805
of the managing director of officiating.
576
00:20:48.075 --> 00:20:51.645
This, the structure that has existed in terms of how many
577
00:20:51.665 --> 00:20:53.405
of each and, you know, roles
578
00:20:53.425 --> 00:20:57.325
and responsibilities, is that something that is sort of a,
579
00:20:57.445 --> 00:20:59.485
a template given to the managing director
580
00:20:59.505 --> 00:21:02.205
and said, fill these roles that you have this many people
581
00:21:02.865 --> 00:21:04.565
in these particular positions,
582
00:21:04.755 --> 00:21:06.045
here are the job descriptions.
583
00:21:06.145 --> 00:21:08.685
You go find the people. Or does the managing director
584
00:21:08.925 --> 00:21:11.605
actually have some freedom to adjust, Hey, I want, you know,
585
00:21:11.725 --> 00:21:12.725
a, a race director
586
00:21:12.725 --> 00:21:13.885
and an assistant race director,
587
00:21:14.045 --> 00:21:15.805
I want five stewards instead of two.
588
00:21:15.835 --> 00:21:18.125
Like, do they, do they have any freedom in that
589
00:21:18.125 --> 00:21:20.205
or is the template there for them to just sort of fill out?
590
00:21:20.545 --> 00:21:21.605
No, I, I think you have
591
00:21:21.605 --> 00:21:23.045
to give them some of the freedom to do that.
592
00:21:23.265 --> 00:21:25.165
So, so what, what we have,
593
00:21:25.585 --> 00:21:27.805
the way we've looked at it right now is basically said,
594
00:21:27.805 --> 00:21:29.085
here's here's what we have today.
595
00:21:29.665 --> 00:21:32.365
Um, we think it operates generally pretty well today,
596
00:21:32.365 --> 00:21:34.525
but that doesn't mean that you might not wanna make
597
00:21:34.525 --> 00:21:35.725
tweaks or changes to it.
598
00:21:36.065 --> 00:21:38.845
Uh, so that, that will be really at the, you know,
599
00:21:38.845 --> 00:21:41.125
the management director of officiating will have to decide
600
00:21:41.395 --> 00:21:44.325
what, what he or she wants to do as it as it relates
601
00:21:44.325 --> 00:21:45.445
to those piece, those pieces.
602
00:21:45.505 --> 00:21:48.165
And I think especially, you know, even if they said, look,
603
00:21:48.405 --> 00:21:49.965
I wanna adopt basically
604
00:21:49.965 --> 00:21:52.045
what we've done in the past from a structure standpoint.
605
00:21:52.385 --> 00:21:54.765
And as they dive in, they may say, okay, I think these two
606
00:21:54.785 --> 00:21:55.965
or three things could work better
607
00:21:55.985 --> 00:21:57.125
and, and wanna make those changes.
608
00:21:57.305 --> 00:21:59.485
And, and the way it's set up that they're free to,
609
00:21:59.835 --> 00:22:02.645
they're free to make those changes as they move forward.
610
00:22:02.785 --> 00:22:04.525
And, and I think at the end of the day,
611
00:22:04.545 --> 00:22:06.045
it should just make us better now,
612
00:22:06.395 --> 00:22:08.005
just like everybody in this sport,
613
00:22:08.235 --> 00:22:10.325
they're gonna hear from owners and drivers
614
00:22:10.585 --> 00:22:12.085
and you know, that, that, so they're gonna
615
00:22:12.085 --> 00:22:13.205
get a lot of different inputs.
616
00:22:13.205 --> 00:22:14.525
And so they're gonna have to begin to balance,
617
00:22:14.875 --> 00:22:16.245
balance those inputs and,
618
00:22:16.245 --> 00:22:18.725
and figure out what makes the most sense. For
619
00:22:18.725 --> 00:22:19.725
Sure.
620
00:22:20.025 --> 00:22:23.965
So talk to me a little bit about what you guys feel,
621
00:22:23.995 --> 00:22:25.165
what you feel, you know,
622
00:22:25.165 --> 00:22:27.045
the FIA has has kind of brought to this.
623
00:22:27.165 --> 00:22:29.965
I mean, like, like you said, it was, they're included,
624
00:22:30.035 --> 00:22:31.285
they're not running the show,
625
00:22:31.385 --> 00:22:32.925
but they, they obviously have some input.
626
00:22:33.145 --> 00:22:35.445
Has that been, you know, a, an easy relationship?
627
00:22:35.665 --> 00:22:38.245
Has there been a lot of, you know, transfer of information
628
00:22:38.345 --> 00:22:39.685
and, and philosophy?
629
00:22:39.785 --> 00:22:42.645
Or is it more kind of an observational role right now
630
00:22:42.665 --> 00:22:44.445
and maybe some more input down the road? Well,
631
00:22:44.445 --> 00:22:45.485
I think it's really gonna be more
632
00:22:45.485 --> 00:22:48.525
of an observational role, I think where, where we landed,
633
00:22:48.825 --> 00:22:51.485
uh, on after the vote with the, with the two that,
634
00:22:51.485 --> 00:22:53.205
that were selected by the owners and with,
635
00:22:53.345 --> 00:22:55.765
and with Ronan, with the FIAI think you've got three
636
00:22:56.385 --> 00:22:59.165
really seasoned, uh, racing, uh,
637
00:22:59.165 --> 00:23:01.205
knowledgeable folks that, that will be helpful.
638
00:23:01.205 --> 00:23:04.605
Obviously Ray Evernham, uh, spent an awful on a lot of time,
639
00:23:04.785 --> 00:23:06.245
uh, building a guy named Jeff Gordon,
640
00:23:06.345 --> 00:23:08.005
and then obviously doing his own race team
641
00:23:08.065 --> 00:23:09.885
and doing the things, doing the things that he's done.
642
00:23:10.485 --> 00:23:12.965
Raj Ner on the manufacturing side, being at Ford
643
00:23:12.985 --> 00:23:14.725
and the GT programs he's run,
644
00:23:14.725 --> 00:23:15.845
and some of those, those pieces.
645
00:23:15.945 --> 00:23:18.765
And then Ronan really his whole career, he was a race.
646
00:23:18.825 --> 00:23:20.365
He was a off roader for a while
647
00:23:20.365 --> 00:23:22.285
and a rally racer for a while, and then,
648
00:23:22.705 --> 00:23:24.605
and then it's been on the officiating side.
649
00:23:24.605 --> 00:23:26.805
So I think between all three of them, uh, you know,
650
00:23:26.805 --> 00:23:29.045
I think they'll, they'll bring a little bit different view,
651
00:23:29.345 --> 00:23:31.085
uh, together, but I think they'll all pull
652
00:23:31.085 --> 00:23:32.245
us in the same direction.
653
00:23:32.305 --> 00:23:35.485
So what I'm excited about from the FIA standpoint is just
654
00:23:35.485 --> 00:23:37.445
having them, uh, be part of that group.
655
00:23:37.685 --> 00:23:40.165
I do think there's some, um, they may be able
656
00:23:40.165 --> 00:23:41.725
to really help observation wise.
657
00:23:41.945 --> 00:23:43.405
One of the things I think we can do much better,
658
00:23:43.425 --> 00:23:45.725
the FIA does well, it's just sort
659
00:23:45.725 --> 00:23:47.045
of on the transparency side.
660
00:23:47.045 --> 00:23:49.925
So when you see a, when you see a, a rule violation,
661
00:23:49.925 --> 00:23:52.845
whether it's a technical, you know, say the car's overweight
662
00:23:52.865 --> 00:23:55.405
or it's, or it's, um, you know, the skid plate's too thin,
663
00:23:55.405 --> 00:23:56.765
you know, we've seen all those things happen.
664
00:23:57.225 --> 00:23:59.845
You get a pretty proper, um, written mm-hmm .
665
00:24:00.245 --> 00:24:02.485
Response of what happened that everybody can see the paddock
666
00:24:02.485 --> 00:24:03.285
gets to see, so they
667
00:24:03.445 --> 00:24:04.685
understand what, how they're officiating.
668
00:24:04.685 --> 00:24:05.645
We haven't always done the great,
669
00:24:05.725 --> 00:24:06.765
a greatest job of doing that.
670
00:24:07.145 --> 00:24:09.605
So I think in terms of the way we report, I think
671
00:24:09.605 --> 00:24:12.125
that's someplace where Ronan can really weigh in
672
00:24:12.125 --> 00:24:14.125
and say to the managing director of officiating,
673
00:24:14.935 --> 00:24:16.565
we're gonna need to be more transparent
674
00:24:16.625 --> 00:24:18.525
for the whole paddock to understand when we make decisions.
675
00:24:18.525 --> 00:24:19.685
So I think that'll be really helpful.
676
00:24:19.685 --> 00:24:21.565
That's one of the places I think, uh,
677
00:24:21.565 --> 00:24:22.685
they can help more in anything.
678
00:24:22.685 --> 00:24:24.325
And just in the way that in, in the way
679
00:24:24.325 --> 00:24:25.565
that we report violations,
680
00:24:25.625 --> 00:24:28.045
and then hopefully on the backside of events,
681
00:24:28.605 --> 00:24:30.765
a transparent way for the teams and the paddock,
682
00:24:30.765 --> 00:24:33.125
and frankly IndyCar, uh, when they make a decision
683
00:24:33.145 --> 00:24:34.405
or don't make a decision, you know,
684
00:24:34.405 --> 00:24:35.725
how many times on TV you say, okay,
685
00:24:35.725 --> 00:24:36.765
the stewards are reviewing this,
686
00:24:37.105 --> 00:24:38.205
and then you get a report back
687
00:24:38.205 --> 00:24:39.925
that says they either are gonna act or they're not,
688
00:24:39.945 --> 00:24:42.325
but you don't understand why they did one way or the other.
689
00:24:42.785 --> 00:24:45.325
So some transparency in that will help it make it easier
690
00:24:45.345 --> 00:24:47.525
for drivers and teams to understand, you know,
691
00:24:47.525 --> 00:24:48.925
how those rules are being implemented.
692
00:24:48.925 --> 00:24:50.725
And that's one of the things I think, uh,
693
00:24:50.785 --> 00:24:52.765
I'm looking forward to the most in this group, is hopefully
694
00:24:52.765 --> 00:24:54.685
that transparency level arises
695
00:24:54.685 --> 00:24:56.085
so we all can just be prepared.
696
00:24:56.105 --> 00:24:58.965
So, you know, when it's a avoidable contact, it's clear
697
00:24:58.965 --> 00:25:00.765
that it was an avoidable contact or not.
698
00:25:00.785 --> 00:25:03.045
And sometimes those are, those get a little muddy. Doug,
699
00:25:03.045 --> 00:25:04.725
There's this idea's been kicked
700
00:25:04.725 --> 00:25:06.845
around a bunch in the TV world.
701
00:25:06.985 --> 00:25:08.325
So in, in my new world,
702
00:25:08.475 --> 00:25:10.085
this idea has been kicked around a lot.
703
00:25:10.105 --> 00:25:11.805
And I'm just curious, you just mentioned something that,
704
00:25:11.875 --> 00:25:12.885
that kind of triggered it,
705
00:25:12.885 --> 00:25:15.125
and I'm just curious your personal opinion on it on
706
00:25:15.125 --> 00:25:16.485
that same sort of note.
707
00:25:16.485 --> 00:25:19.605
There's been this idea in the past of, in the same way
708
00:25:19.605 --> 00:25:22.245
that in a, a football game, a basketball game,
709
00:25:22.545 --> 00:25:24.765
if there's a call, like a, a difficult call,
710
00:25:24.765 --> 00:25:27.125
you've gotta go up to the replay booth or whatever mm-hmm .
711
00:25:27.315 --> 00:25:30.565
Then the, the, the head referee will come out in the middle
712
00:25:30.565 --> 00:25:32.205
of the field, the court, whatever, turn on their microphone
713
00:25:32.205 --> 00:25:36.205
and say, Hey, player X violation, Y penalties Z.
714
00:25:36.365 --> 00:25:39.365
And off you go. There's been an idea of having, you know,
715
00:25:39.365 --> 00:25:42.045
kind of a confessional style camera in race control
716
00:25:42.345 --> 00:25:43.845
and whether it's the race director
717
00:25:43.865 --> 00:25:46.205
or somebody nominated too, when there's one
718
00:25:46.205 --> 00:25:47.285
of these penalties come on
719
00:25:47.285 --> 00:25:52.045
and say, Hey, car X did, you know, violation y
720
00:25:52.425 --> 00:25:55.645
and uh, this is y we're giving the penalty.
721
00:25:56.265 --> 00:25:57.925
Is that something that you would like to see
722
00:25:57.985 --> 00:26:00.125
or that you'd be open to trying?
723
00:26:00.605 --> 00:26:01.925
I think the biggest challenge with
724
00:26:01.925 --> 00:26:05.165
that is having been in race control, uh,
725
00:26:05.435 --> 00:26:08.125
many times throughout my career, uh,
726
00:26:08.125 --> 00:26:10.485
it can get pretty animated in race control when you have
727
00:26:10.835 --> 00:26:12.485
sort of lots of different opinions.
728
00:26:13.085 --> 00:26:16.405
I think it's a hard one that to have cameras in there
729
00:26:16.465 --> 00:26:19.285
to allow people to be really transparent and, and,
730
00:26:19.345 --> 00:26:20.805
and walk through those conversations.
731
00:26:21.045 --> 00:26:23.445
I do think one of the things that is helpful is,
732
00:26:23.905 --> 00:26:25.325
and that's where I think the transparency,
733
00:26:25.325 --> 00:26:27.765
even if it's just written versus somebody talking about it,
734
00:26:28.245 --> 00:26:30.525
I do think transparency on why a call was made
735
00:26:30.545 --> 00:26:34.045
or why a call wasn't made helps you all tell the story
736
00:26:34.065 --> 00:26:36.405
of why that, and then also to be able to weigh in
737
00:26:36.405 --> 00:26:38.085
and go, well, I disagree or what, whatever.
738
00:26:38.085 --> 00:26:40.285
But at least you know, the formula, why,
739
00:26:40.305 --> 00:26:41.565
why those decisions were made.
740
00:26:42.065 --> 00:26:44.845
But I, especially in this, in this new format, I think, um,
741
00:26:45.765 --> 00:26:48.005
allowing, uh, stewards in particular to sort
742
00:26:48.005 --> 00:26:49.725
of debate on what's going on.
743
00:26:49.805 --> 00:26:50.965
I, you know, in an F1, you're
744
00:26:50.965 --> 00:26:52.005
not looking in the steward room.
745
00:26:52.005 --> 00:26:55.165
In fact, I, I found it interesting at, um, Vegas,
746
00:26:55.445 --> 00:26:56.445
I got a chance to kind of walk
747
00:26:56.445 --> 00:26:57.325
through how they do things in Vegas.
748
00:26:57.325 --> 00:26:58.325
So you got race control
749
00:26:58.625 --> 00:27:01.205
and you've got stewards in a completely separate room,
750
00:27:01.825 --> 00:27:04.325
not influenced at all by what's going on in race control.
751
00:27:04.325 --> 00:27:05.485
The way it works at IndyCar,
752
00:27:05.945 --> 00:27:07.525
our race director has an awful lot
753
00:27:07.525 --> 00:27:08.965
of influence on the stewards.
754
00:27:09.305 --> 00:27:11.565
Uh, and I kind of like that at some level.
755
00:27:11.985 --> 00:27:14.485
Um, so, so we just have to figure out how,
756
00:27:14.705 --> 00:27:15.925
you know, how things are gonna roll out.
757
00:27:15.925 --> 00:27:18.645
But having cameras in the, in race control's, probably not,
758
00:27:19.305 --> 00:27:20.605
at least in my mind, at the,
759
00:27:20.605 --> 00:27:21.885
at the end of the day, I'm not gonna control it.
760
00:27:21.885 --> 00:27:23.805
Right. Um, but in my mind it's probably not the,
761
00:27:23.865 --> 00:27:25.085
the, the, the thing to do
762
00:27:25.355 --> 00:27:27.005
From what I've heard, it would be its own
763
00:27:27.065 --> 00:27:28.245
really good reality
764
00:27:28.315 --> 00:27:30.045
show.
. Well, it really depends
765
00:27:30.045 --> 00:27:31.525
On you'd to
Are right now I,
766
00:27:31.855 --> 00:27:34.485
right now we have some colorful stewards, so yeah,
767
00:27:34.585 --> 00:27:37.725
You need somebody with the bleach, uh, definitely
768
00:27:37.875 --> 00:27:39.285
Dump button on that one for sure.
769
00:27:39.665 --> 00:27:41.925
Is there, is there like some selfish part of you
770
00:27:41.925 --> 00:27:44.125
that's just like, man, I have to deal
771
00:27:44.125 --> 00:27:47.445
with 8,000 things every day, just so relieved
772
00:27:47.465 --> 00:27:48.765
to have this off your plate
773
00:27:49.015 --> 00:27:50.885
where if somebody's mad about something, you can be like,
774
00:27:50.885 --> 00:27:52.045
no, no, no, this is on them now.
775
00:27:52.215 --> 00:27:54.605
Don't take it up with me. like, yeah,
776
00:27:54.625 --> 00:27:58.285
I'd, I'd, so I'd I'd say I'm 50 50 on that, you know,
777
00:27:58.285 --> 00:27:59.925
look, I've been around forever and I, and,
778
00:27:59.985 --> 00:28:01.965
and while we can do things better,
779
00:28:02.225 --> 00:28:04.485
and there certainly were optics issues, you know,
780
00:28:04.485 --> 00:28:07.965
from my side, clearly there weren't any, our team,
781
00:28:08.085 --> 00:28:11.365
I think in a lot of ways probably was more difficult on, uh,
782
00:28:11.465 --> 00:28:13.565
on Team Penske maybe than other teams just
783
00:28:13.565 --> 00:28:14.645
because they were worried about that.
784
00:28:15.065 --> 00:28:17.285
But I get the optics issues and, and I,
785
00:28:17.285 --> 00:28:18.845
and I certainly like the idea
786
00:28:18.945 --> 00:28:20.645
of being completely removed from that.
787
00:28:20.725 --> 00:28:23.805
I like the idea of letting somebody else, uh, handle that.
788
00:28:24.045 --> 00:28:25.085
I also do like the idea
789
00:28:25.085 --> 00:28:28.365
of not getting screaming phone calls from team owners either
790
00:28:28.385 --> 00:28:30.565
at the end of the race or it has happened during the race
791
00:28:30.565 --> 00:28:32.085
where team owners would call and,
792
00:28:32.085 --> 00:28:34.725
and expect me to walk in race control and change something.
793
00:28:35.025 --> 00:28:36.445
And I've not ever viewed that as,
794
00:28:36.545 --> 00:28:37.805
as my position in race control.
795
00:28:37.825 --> 00:28:39.685
So having that is definitely,
796
00:28:39.715 --> 00:28:41.325
there's a selfish side likes that.
797
00:28:41.325 --> 00:28:43.845
But, you know, I've been around for a long time and,
798
00:28:43.985 --> 00:28:46.045
and our series for the most part,
799
00:28:46.285 --> 00:28:47.685
I think is run really, really well.
800
00:28:47.925 --> 00:28:50.485
I mean, we have moments all race, all race directors
801
00:28:50.485 --> 00:28:53.165
and tech folks have their moments with drivers
802
00:28:53.265 --> 00:28:55.165
and with teams where they think they've been picked on
803
00:28:55.165 --> 00:28:57.205
or should have ruled a different way.
804
00:28:57.705 --> 00:28:58.645
But for the most part, I think
805
00:28:58.645 --> 00:28:59.765
it's been really good over time.
806
00:29:00.105 --> 00:29:01.805
So there's a little bit, a little side of me
807
00:29:01.805 --> 00:29:04.205
that's a little sad maybe to see it move on.
808
00:29:04.225 --> 00:29:06.045
But I think you're right. More than anything,
809
00:29:06.105 --> 00:29:08.485
I'm excited about this new, uh, opportunity to move forward.
810
00:29:08.565 --> 00:29:09.805
I think we have a great way of, like I said,
811
00:29:09.805 --> 00:29:12.285
being more transparent and making our fans
812
00:29:12.385 --> 00:29:13.805
and our teams feel better about the
813
00:29:13.925 --> 00:29:15.365
decisions that are made are not made. Yeah,
814
00:29:15.465 --> 00:29:16.765
Def definitely a lot of positives
815
00:29:16.765 --> 00:29:18.085
that are, that are coming out of this.
816
00:29:18.345 --> 00:29:20.725
Um, I guess the final thing, Doug, and,
817
00:29:20.725 --> 00:29:22.845
and again, thank you so much for, uh, for taking the time
818
00:29:22.845 --> 00:29:23.885
because again, you are
819
00:29:23.985 --> 00:29:25.525
and apparently the busiest part of your year,
820
00:29:25.525 --> 00:29:27.445
and here we are, you know, sapping up your time.
821
00:29:28.065 --> 00:29:29.525
Uh, what's sort of the timeline?
822
00:29:29.525 --> 00:29:32.045
You know, obviously we're, we're days away from kind
823
00:29:32.045 --> 00:29:34.045
of holiday break, new Year's is just around the corner,
824
00:29:34.225 --> 00:29:36.405
and then in less than two months we're going racing in St.
825
00:29:36.405 --> 00:29:38.405
Pete. When are we expecting
826
00:29:38.405 --> 00:29:41.525
to hear decisions on things like, you know, race director
827
00:29:41.525 --> 00:29:42.845
and stewards and, and kinda the
828
00:29:42.845 --> 00:29:43.885
rest of the structure below the
829
00:29:44.005 --> 00:29:45.005
MDO?
830
00:29:45.005 --> 00:29:46.925
Well, in our, in, in our initial get
831
00:29:46.925 --> 00:29:48.925
to know everybody phone call, uh, last,
832
00:29:49.205 --> 00:29:52.005
I guess it was on Friday, um, we've told them
833
00:29:52.035 --> 00:29:54.685
that basically the most important thing they have right now
834
00:29:54.745 --> 00:29:56.685
is, is getting a an MDO on board
835
00:29:56.685 --> 00:29:58.285
and figuring out what the structure looks like.
836
00:29:58.865 --> 00:30:01.005
Um, we'll get, we'll get that group together
837
00:30:01.345 --> 00:30:03.885
and they'll formally begin doing that, um,
838
00:30:04.285 --> 00:30:05.285
sometime probably this week.
839
00:30:05.465 --> 00:30:07.405
Uh, so I would hope that you've got an MDO
840
00:30:07.405 --> 00:30:10.285
and a structure really in place early in January.
841
00:30:10.465 --> 00:30:11.885
We, we, we really need it in place
842
00:30:11.885 --> 00:30:13.445
before we go to our first open test.
843
00:30:13.745 --> 00:30:16.005
So it really needs to be done by the middle of January.
844
00:30:16.545 --> 00:30:18.565
And then, uh, certainly, you know, they'll,
845
00:30:18.565 --> 00:30:21.205
they'll really be, uh, having to execute when we get to, uh,
846
00:30:21.205 --> 00:30:22.565
when we get to the first race at St.
847
00:30:22.565 --> 00:30:25.525
Petersburg, but we really want 'em in place, um,
848
00:30:25.585 --> 00:30:28.005
making the rounds, understanding how things work by that,
849
00:30:28.025 --> 00:30:30.245
uh, first open test in the middle of January. Alright,
850
00:30:30.345 --> 00:30:32.485
So it's all coming pretty quick. Coming thick and fast.
851
00:30:32.485 --> 00:30:34.565
It's coming fast. That's, it's coming fast. Yeah. Yeah,
852
00:30:34.705 --> 00:30:35.705
I'm
Excited.
853
00:30:35.705 --> 00:30:36.765
I'm excited about it. At the end of the day,
854
00:30:36.805 --> 00:30:37.725
I think it's gonna be good for,
855
00:30:37.995 --> 00:30:39.045
it's gonna be good for the sport.
856
00:30:39.165 --> 00:30:40.325
I think it'll be good for the teams, it
857
00:30:40.325 --> 00:30:41.405
should be good for the drivers.
858
00:30:41.505 --> 00:30:43.125
And like I said, the biggest thing I'm looking forward
859
00:30:43.125 --> 00:30:46.365
to the most is just some real transparency on decisions,
860
00:30:46.385 --> 00:30:48.005
why they were made or why they weren't made.
861
00:30:48.005 --> 00:30:49.445
And I think that'll make the paddock feel better
862
00:30:49.445 --> 00:30:50.605
about things and certainly our fans.
863
00:30:50.785 --> 00:30:52.925
And it eliminates one more reason
864
00:30:52.945 --> 00:30:54.925
to talk about something other than the amazing
865
00:30:54.925 --> 00:30:56.045
racing that we have on track.
866
00:30:56.195 --> 00:30:57.365
Doug, just one last thing
867
00:30:57.365 --> 00:30:59.485
and this, this might not be something that you can
868
00:30:59.545 --> 00:31:03.165
or want to answer, but are you expecting
869
00:31:04.555 --> 00:31:06.455
big changes in key roles
870
00:31:08.325 --> 00:31:10.265
or is it, is it likely that,
871
00:31:10.455 --> 00:31:11.665
because as you say, it's not
872
00:31:11.665 --> 00:31:13.105
that anything's been broken in terms of
873
00:31:13.105 --> 00:31:15.745
how things have been running that the, the powers that be,
874
00:31:15.745 --> 00:31:17.345
whoever the MDO ends up being kinda looks
875
00:31:17.365 --> 00:31:18.425
at what's been happening?
876
00:31:18.425 --> 00:31:21.505
Think, yeah, I mean, I'll, I'll pick, I'll pick a position.
877
00:31:21.695 --> 00:31:23.545
Kyle Novak's doing a good job as race director.
878
00:31:23.565 --> 00:31:25.705
No reason to change that. Or is there a thought
879
00:31:25.705 --> 00:31:28.065
that maybe there's some change coming? You
880
00:31:28.065 --> 00:31:30.025
Know, I, the, the answer to that is I really don't know.
881
00:31:30.485 --> 00:31:33.505
And I think that's really gonna be up to the MDO just
882
00:31:33.565 --> 00:31:37.505
to sit down and, and if, if you're, if you're that new MDO,
883
00:31:37.505 --> 00:31:39.225
you probably do look at the structure today
884
00:31:39.245 --> 00:31:40.785
and say, do we try
885
00:31:40.785 --> 00:31:43.465
and replicate this as we go forward and then build from there?
886
00:31:43.465 --> 00:31:44.825
Or do we try and start from scratch?
887
00:31:45.205 --> 00:31:46.865
So I think it's, it's really gonna be up to that.
888
00:31:47.025 --> 00:31:48.345
MDOI think you said it best.
889
00:31:48.445 --> 00:31:50.905
And, and I said this in a, uh, in a,
890
00:31:50.905 --> 00:31:53.505
in an owner's meeting also in a, in a driver's meeting, I,
891
00:31:53.565 --> 00:31:54.865
you know, um, Kyle
892
00:31:55.045 --> 00:31:57.465
and Rocket, this is not really about them.
893
00:31:58.015 --> 00:32:00.985
This is about how do we completely remove the officiating
894
00:32:01.255 --> 00:32:03.025
away from the paddock so
895
00:32:03.025 --> 00:32:04.345
that if there aren't those questions
896
00:32:04.405 --> 00:32:06.145
of did this person make this decision
897
00:32:06.145 --> 00:32:08.945
because they felt like he was pressured to do that
898
00:32:08.965 --> 00:32:10.305
or do, uh, or do the other.
899
00:32:10.405 --> 00:32:12.425
So, um, it's a great question.
900
00:32:12.625 --> 00:32:13.865
I I don't know the answer to it.
901
00:32:13.965 --> 00:32:16.105
You could see something completely different
902
00:32:16.105 --> 00:32:18.025
or you could see something that's relatively similar
903
00:32:18.055 --> 00:32:20.625
with a new boss in charge who's gonna just make sure that,
904
00:32:20.965 --> 00:32:23.625
um, things are, things are run, um, smoothly and,
905
00:32:23.645 --> 00:32:24.705
and maybe slightly differently.
906
00:32:24.735 --> 00:32:25.985
That just, that's really gonna be up.
907
00:32:25.985 --> 00:32:29.825
The MDO truly we are out of it, right?
908
00:32:29.895 --> 00:32:32.505
That it is not our job to tell people how,
909
00:32:32.965 --> 00:32:34.105
how that structure is gonna be.
910
00:32:34.125 --> 00:32:35.625
Our job is to hand them a rule book
911
00:32:35.925 --> 00:32:37.025
and let them officiate it.
912
00:32:37.035 --> 00:32:38.145
There you go. Alright.
913
00:32:38.325 --> 00:32:39.725
You heard it here first,
914
00:32:40.105 --> 00:32:41.485
or not if you heard it somewhere else.
915
00:32:41.665 --> 00:32:44.365
But, uh, Doug Bowles, thank you so much for coming on
916
00:32:44.365 --> 00:32:47.165
and giving us a little bit of, uh, of explanation
917
00:32:47.165 --> 00:32:49.285
and clarity about what's coming on the IndyCar side.
918
00:32:49.405 --> 00:32:50.645
I certainly learned a lot. Hope again,
919
00:32:50.645 --> 00:32:51.725
hopefully everybody listened in
920
00:32:51.945 --> 00:32:53.725
and really, really appreciate the time, bud.
921
00:32:53.805 --> 00:32:54.965
I know it's a busy time of year for you,
922
00:32:54.965 --> 00:32:56.925
but excited to get things going. Well, thanks
923
00:32:56.925 --> 00:32:57.925
For having me.
924
00:32:57.925 --> 00:32:59.125
And, uh, I'm excited to get things going too.
925
00:32:59.205 --> 00:33:01.045
I can't wait to, can't wait to get to St.
926
00:33:01.045 --> 00:33:03.245
Petersburg. Likewise. All right. Cheers, buddy. Take care.
927
00:33:04.715 --> 00:33:06.605
This has been off track with Hinch and Rossi.
928
00:33:06.785 --> 00:33:09.965
Off Track is part of the Sirius XM Sports Podcast Network.
929
00:33:10.385 --> 00:33:11.445
If you enjoyed this episode
930
00:33:11.445 --> 00:33:13.565
and want to hear more, please give a five star
931
00:33:13.565 --> 00:33:14.725
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932
00:33:15.365 --> 00:33:17.645
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00:33:17.825 --> 00:33:20.605
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934
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And if you wanna follow us on Twitter, we're at Hinch Town
935
00:33:23.445 --> 00:33:24.805
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936
00:33:25.025 --> 00:33:26.525
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937
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938
00:33:28.595 --> 00:33:30.805
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00:33:31.435 --> 00:33:33.325
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940
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941
00:33:35.225 --> 00:33:38.245
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