WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>This is, is off track.</v>

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<v Speaker 2>What happens if you start panicking?</v>

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<v Speaker 3>It's uh, it's just</v>

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'cause I really like the book, uh,

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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

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It's not like an anxiety thing.

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I take, I take medicine for that. Have

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<v Speaker 2>You ever thought to like have different backgrounds</v>

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for the three monitors?

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Because like, I don't, that seems aggressive.

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<v Speaker 3>I think that would be worse. I think it'd be weirder</v>

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to have like different backgrounds. Perspective.

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<v Speaker 2>It'd be like three, three pictures hanging on your wall.</v>

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You wouldn't have three of the same pictures. I

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<v Speaker 3>Don't like that.</v>

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I don't like that idea. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>You should make like one, a picture of me, won a picture</v>

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of Alex and then won a picture of me and Alex.

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<v Speaker 3>I literally, I have, I have a picture of you.</v>

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Yeah, I have a picture of Alex. Yeah.

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And then I have a picture of Hazel. So Right. I

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<v Speaker 1>There.</v>

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<v Speaker 3>I</v>
<v Speaker 2>Love how I got the middle.</v>

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah. Yeah. It's a good picture.</v>

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<v Speaker 1>So, alright, we'll retune this a little bit.</v>

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One picture of me, one picture of Alex

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and then one picture of Hazel, Alex and I.

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<v Speaker 3>Hmm. Um,</v>
<v Speaker 2>Without you.</v>

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<v Speaker 3>Without me. Yeah. No.</v>
<v Speaker 1>Got it.</v>

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I dunno if you noticed your name was not. I know. I

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<v Speaker 3>Don't know if that, uh, that picture exists yet.</v>

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<v Speaker 1>It might, might</v>
<v Speaker 2>Not. It's possible to happen very soon.</v>

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<v Speaker 3>That's true. I'm coming to nd like in</v>

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48 hours tomorrow. Yeah.

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Mm-hmm
<v Speaker 1>. So what you're saying is</v>

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we got some new screens coming. .

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All right, man. That was a slow start to an episode. Wow.

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Well it is 6:00 AM

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<v Speaker 3>Well don't</v>
<v Speaker 2>For some of ust James.</v>

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<v Speaker 1>Oh, don't worry. I I never do.</v>

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Um, what are you eating? Don't say

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<v Speaker 2>Breakfast.</v>

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Banana bread. It's awesome. Homemade.

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<v Speaker 1>Kelly. Kelly</v>
<v Speaker 2>Win Kelly's on that white girl cake.</v>

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You know how it was like sourdough and Covid

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<v Speaker 1>Was just gonna say she's years late</v>

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<v Speaker 3>On it.</v>

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<v Speaker 2>Well, whatever. It, it's cyclical.</v>

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It didn't say she was fast at

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things.
<v Speaker 3>.</v>

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<v Speaker 1>It is cyclical. And look, let's be honest,</v>

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banana bread never goes outta style.

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Banana bread's pretty fire.

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<v Speaker 2>Here's, here's what's interesting. I don't like bananas.</v>

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I mean, I will, I will eat bananas

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because they're a, a convenient snack

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and like heading to the gym source

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or the source of potassium workouts or whatever.

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But like, I force it down  Interesting.

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Get it phrasing  not

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'cause it's shaped just 'cause I don't like it.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you know what's good is if you have, if you dip</v>

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a peanut butter or dip banana

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and peanut butter mm-hmm. That makes it good.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not impossible. It's not stiff enough.</v>

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<v Speaker 1>again, he's right.</v>
<v Speaker 3>Phrasing like Right.</v>

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I understand the phrasing, but he's right.

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Like you would have to apply

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the peanut butter to the banana. You

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<v Speaker 2>Can't do at night unless you're</v>

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<v Speaker 3>Putting it in with the peel and then</v>

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we'll handle you Doesn't

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<v Speaker 2>Make any sense.</v>

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<v Speaker 1>That's kind of No, what I, let me,</v>

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let me paint you a picture.

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Yes. You can just like spread it on. That's fine.

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But if you're using like natural peanut butter,

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it's kind of goopy enough.

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You can just dip it in.

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If you're like rocking gif, extra crunchy or skip.

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Yeah, that's not gonna, that's not gonna work. Well

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<v Speaker 2>What the hell are we talking about</v>

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<v Speaker 1>Guys? This</v>

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<v Speaker 2>Is what happens when Dip bananas.</v>

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<v Speaker 1>This is what happens when we start recording early in the</v>

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morning after a long weekend.

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Uh, which we should probably talk about at some point.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, we should probably talk about it</v>

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because lord knows most people didn't see it. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>We'll talk about that too.</v>

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We'll talk about that too.

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But we should talk about the race itself

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and then we will get into who watched it or not and why.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay.</v>
<v Speaker 1>So Alex, let's just, we'll cover off your,</v>

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your weekend and then we will, we'll cover the race off,

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you know, in totality, right.

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And then we will cover some other stuff.

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But I remember very clearly that on this show you,

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after a very positive sim session declared

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that you were gonna win the race.

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<v Speaker 2>Did we not?</v>
<v Speaker 1>I don't know.</v>

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This is what the people are here to find out.

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So how did your weekend go?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, the 27 car one, it's just,</v>

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I'm five years removed from it. ,

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you just, there was a bit of a mix up there. Yeah. That

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<v Speaker 1>Car, that car does have good success there, Jeremy. That</v>

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<v Speaker 2>Car's really good there. Jeremy.</v>

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<v Speaker 1>Jeremy's won that race a lot.</v>

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<v Speaker 2>Jeremy, like, I'm starting to think</v>

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that maybe it wasn't me at all.

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Like Jeremy's just the man, , ,

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<v Speaker 1>Jeremy Mills of course.</v>

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The engineer of the 27 car.

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<v Speaker 2>No. Uh, okay. So yes, I was, um, I was very optimistic.</v>

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Uh, okay, when I signed up for this. Sorry,

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<v Speaker 1>Be more specific to what Okay. ,</v>

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<v Speaker 2>Um, I, I and the team</v>

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and probably everyone knew

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that like Long Beach was their worst track.

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And there was a lot of, there was a lot of things

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that came down the pipeline in the off season.

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There was a lot of things that were learned at St. Pete.

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Um, there was a lot of things that were developed in the sim

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and even though it's a road course, they were, uh, um,

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correctly applied at thermal.

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Um, there was a lot of, of very good things

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that were happening from an offline vehicle sim standpoint,

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from a shaker rig standpoint,

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from a driver in the loop sim standpoint to where I,

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I fully was, as I said on the show,

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like incredibly confident that we had resolved a lot

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of the issues that they had had there previously

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and that we were gonna have a, a really big step forward

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and, and be competitive.

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Um, and some of that ended up being true.

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Uh, unfortunately not to the extent that we were hoping for.

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Um, so on Friday we kind of came to the track

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with a sim develop setup, which is,

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is is a brave thing to do, I think.

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Yeah, it's in a lot of respects. It's

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<v Speaker 1>A little risky.</v>

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<v Speaker 2>It's a little risky. Um,</v>

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but the reasoning for it was, well, the baseline

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that we have there is a team sucks.

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So w why would we bo like start

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<v Speaker 1>There?</v>

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<v Speaker 2>That's insane. Why would you start there? As</v>

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<v Speaker 1>We already know, that one sucks. Yeah.</v>

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<v Speaker 2>So you might as well like swinging</v>

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for the fences a little bit.

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Um, which we did and,

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and we missed in, in some respects.

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Um, but what I love about this team,

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and it was clear from the first day at the, at the

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or first half day at the Sebring test, their ability

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to pivot, um, when things are

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in the &lt;inaudible&gt; is incredible.

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You know, because it's a small group.

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Because everyone ultimately

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that is in the engineering truck, whether it's my race,

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engineer, engineer or not,

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they're all involved in the building of the setup.

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So everyone has a very clear understanding of

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what the car is and why the car is doing X, Y,

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or Z, whether that's good or bad.

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Right? And so when you're, when you suck,

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it's quite, it's a fast, it's a fast turn.

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'cause you're not trying to convince one person

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who doesn't really understand why

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and is trying to theorize based on what they previously did

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or based on what the sim is saying or whatever.

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Like everyone came to this decision together

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and it's like, bam, okay, this is why it doesn't work.

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<v Speaker 1>Right?</v>
<v Speaker 2>Um, and so we, we, we kind of,</v>

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we, we kept some of the things

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and we went down a different avenue on some

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of the other things, uh, overnight and Saturday.

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And it was, it was much better.

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Um, and then we qualified eighth.

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So I think considering we were literally 24th in practice

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one and like, I couldn't drive the car

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to having a completely different day with conditions.

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Like it was much, much cooler Saturday than it was Friday.

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Um, and only seeing the green tires again in

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qualifying like the, the execution level

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and the ability for the team to like dig out

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of a hole is, is really, really good. So, and

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<v Speaker 1>That's, that's a big deal</v>

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because like we talk a lot about

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how in this series it's, you know, it's limited track time.

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You have two practices before qualifying.

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If you don't, we talk about this all the time.

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If you don't roll off the truck strong, it is really hard

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to rebound from like an off start.

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But the jump that you guys made from first practice

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to qualifying was like pretty significant.

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<v Speaker 2>No, it was huge. Um, and,</v>

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and ultimately like we, we were still missing a big step

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of pace to like the, the pace headers.

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But I think, I think a lot of that,

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I think Jim sleep a lot of think Jim

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<v Speaker 1>Fell asleep.</v>

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Jim fell asleep. Di actually fell asleep. ?

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<v Speaker 2>No, I was watching a video on my phone.</v>

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<v Speaker 1>Uh, I looked like he was sleeping.</v>

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Can we just cut it so that I like he was sleeping.

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Sorry Alex. I didn't mean to interrupt.

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I just thought that was pretty funny. It's fine.

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<v Speaker 2>So we were still missing a lot of pace to the,</v>

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to be contending for pole or honestly the fast six,

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but we were the second best Chevy.

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Right. And I think that as much as, I hate to say this

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and it pains me to say this, there's still a massive

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discrepancy at Long Beach in particular

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between Honda and Chevy.

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Just 'cause of drivability. No, no, no.

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The drivability Chevy has done such an amazing job in the

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off season with the drivability and the torque delivery

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and the consistency and everything.

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And like, it's good. Okay?

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There is just an architectural difference that is impossible

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for us to overcome until there's a new engine.

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Okay? When, when HPD designed the engine,

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and without getting into the details of it, there was very

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specific hardware components that they design

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that generates significantly more torque mm-hmm .

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And less top end than a Chevy.

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And Chevy built their engine

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for Indianapolis and for the 500.

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And that's why you see the difference.

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Now, there was a period of time where Chevy also on top of

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that had a lot of issues with drivability and traction and,

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and the torque surges and all that sort of thing.

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But that's all been dialed out

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and there's still this difference.

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00:09:55.625 --> 00:09:58.565
And it's like, well there's only, you can't, there's only

238
00:09:58.565 --> 00:10:00.245
so much you can do with a Homologated engine.

239
00:10:00.265 --> 00:10:05.045
You can't start changing components. Um, so that is it.

240
00:10:05.115 --> 00:10:07.605
It's cool because Chevy did everything that we asked.

241
00:10:07.835 --> 00:10:12.765
It's sad because we still are gonna indefinitely be in this

242
00:10:12.995 --> 00:10:16.005
hole at certain places until there's a new engine,

243
00:10:16.005 --> 00:10:17.805
which Lord knows when that'll happen.

244
00:10:17.985 --> 00:10:22.605
So, um, fast forward to the race, uh, we,

245
00:10:23.265 --> 00:10:25.925
uh, tires were a big topic of conversation.

246
00:10:25.975 --> 00:10:27.085
There was a period of time

247
00:10:27.085 --> 00:10:29.685
where it looked like the green tire was gonna hold up.

248
00:10:29.945 --> 00:10:34.125
Um, thankfully I think for everyone it didn't , uh,

249
00:10:34.125 --> 00:10:36.365
which meant, which meant it went to a three stop.

250
00:10:36.665 --> 00:10:39.765
But here's the thing, James, um,

251
00:10:40.915 --> 00:10:43.275
I really don't like this version of IndyCar, um,

252
00:10:43.425 --> 00:10:47.675
this version of IndyCar that we,

253
00:10:48.405 --> 00:10:50.055
okay, we extend the race distance.

254
00:10:50.835 --> 00:10:52.815
We all know why we, we want to try

255
00:10:52.815 --> 00:10:55.735
and get rid of the super massive fuel safe two stop and,

256
00:10:55.755 --> 00:10:58.575
and make it a race that's, you know, cars are pushing

257
00:10:58.755 --> 00:11:00.935
and um, you know, you can see,

258
00:11:01.235 --> 00:11:05.055
you can see true pace be the differentiating factor mm-hmm .

259
00:11:05.135 --> 00:11:09.175
But the, the alternate tire is so poor that it ends up not

260
00:11:09.735 --> 00:11:10.735
actually being a factor

261
00:11:10.735 --> 00:11:13.255
because you can't run a, a stint

262
00:11:13.255 --> 00:11:15.975
of any significant length on the alternate.

263
00:11:16.075 --> 00:11:19.655
So it ends up being a fuel safe tire save kind of two stop.

264
00:11:19.655 --> 00:11:21.975
Anyways. It's a, it's a pseudo fake three stop.

265
00:11:22.595 --> 00:11:26.895
And quite frankly, that's why aside from wheels, you know,

266
00:11:26.985 --> 00:11:30.735
quite honestly a rare mistake at the start in St.

267
00:11:30.735 --> 00:11:32.935
Pete, that's why there has been no yellows, right?

268
00:11:32.935 --> 00:11:35.655
It's because no one is driving at a hundred percent anymore.

269
00:11:36.095 --> 00:11:40.655
Everyone is driving around at 85%, 90% trying to kind

270
00:11:40.655 --> 00:11:43.455
of conserve tires, but also having to hit a fuel number

271
00:11:43.455 --> 00:11:45.615
because the alternate tire doesn't last long enough

272
00:11:45.615 --> 00:11:46.735
for you to be able to do anything.

273
00:11:47.155 --> 00:11:48.855
And this version of IndyCar sucks.

274
00:11:49.525 --> 00:11:52.255
It's not, it's not interesting. I'm sorry.

275
00:11:52.365 --> 00:11:55.365
It's not fun to drive, it's not enjoyable to race.

276
00:11:55.985 --> 00:11:57.725
I'm not saying that there can't be good shows.

277
00:11:57.905 --> 00:12:00.445
I'm not saying that the race on Sunday was bad,

278
00:12:00.905 --> 00:12:04.765
but the fact of the matter is there is no yellows

279
00:12:04.765 --> 00:12:07.525
because no one is trying, and it's wild to me.

280
00:12:07.745 --> 00:12:11.725
<v Speaker 1>So it seems like there's, is it,</v>

281
00:12:11.785 --> 00:12:13.005
is it one problem?

282
00:12:13.155 --> 00:12:14.525
Well, I feel like there's two problems.

283
00:12:14.685 --> 00:12:17.485
I I feel like the, what you're talking about on, in terms

284
00:12:17.505 --> 00:12:19.445
of the racing and what's happening

285
00:12:19.545 --> 00:12:20.885
and what you're having to do from

286
00:12:20.885 --> 00:12:22.605
behind the wheel one issue.

287
00:12:23.265 --> 00:12:25.765
But then you say it's not fun.

288
00:12:25.865 --> 00:12:27.405
Is it not fun because you're doing that?

289
00:12:27.425 --> 00:12:28.565
Or is the car not fun

290
00:12:28.565 --> 00:12:30.725
to drive even at a hundred percent? Well,

291
00:12:30.725 --> 00:12:33.885
<v Speaker 2>The, the car, I mean, long Beach, long Beach was a,</v>

292
00:12:33.945 --> 00:12:35.245
was one where it was very

293
00:12:35.645 --> 00:12:36.845
apparent, you know, the weight of the

294
00:12:36.845 --> 00:12:37.125
<v Speaker 1>Car. It was</v>

295
00:12:37.145 --> 00:12:40.045
<v Speaker 2>An eyeopening, it was an eyeopening one where, you know,</v>

296
00:12:40.255 --> 00:12:41.365
teams are developing

297
00:12:41.425 --> 00:12:45.325
and teams are, are able to, you know, get the thing

298
00:12:45.505 --> 00:12:46.765
to do a lap, right?

299
00:12:47.035 --> 00:12:48.685
Like, and, and the alternate tire is

300
00:12:48.685 --> 00:12:49.885
softer than previous years.

301
00:12:49.945 --> 00:12:51.805
So like the pull lap time was pretty fast.

302
00:12:51.835 --> 00:12:54.045
Like Kirkwood did a, like that's a fast lap,

303
00:12:54.505 --> 00:12:58.165
but it's, it's one, it's one iota of the weekend

304
00:12:58.225 --> 00:13:02.525
and it's such a small fraction of being able to push the car

305
00:13:02.525 --> 00:13:04.765
to that limit because even in qualifying it, it's one time,

306
00:13:05.075 --> 00:13:06.645
it's not like you get two laps at that.

307
00:13:07.065 --> 00:13:10.205
So you get ultimately throughout the entire weekend,

308
00:13:10.975 --> 00:13:12.365
three laps where you get

309
00:13:12.365 --> 00:13:13.565
to drive the car at a hundred percent

310
00:13:14.265 --> 00:13:17.085
and it does a pretty respectable lap time and it's like nice

311
00:13:17.085 --> 00:13:20.085
and fun to drive the rest of the time it's not there

312
00:13:20.085 --> 00:13:22.485
because the hard tire doesn't have really the,

313
00:13:23.025 --> 00:13:25.565
the ultimate grip to support the weight of the car.

314
00:13:25.715 --> 00:13:27.445
It's a good tire in terms of durability,

315
00:13:27.505 --> 00:13:29.925
but it doesn't have that grip level to,

316
00:13:30.185 --> 00:13:32.685
to offset the 70 odd pounds or whatever.

317
00:13:32.685 --> 00:13:35.405
Especially at a street circuit, especially with bumps

318
00:13:35.425 --> 00:13:37.405
and pavement changes and,

319
00:13:37.505 --> 00:13:38.885
and you know, challenging

320
00:13:38.885 --> 00:13:40.085
braking zones and that sort of thing.

321
00:13:40.505 --> 00:13:45.285
So yes, for very small glimpses it's like,

322
00:13:45.355 --> 00:13:46.885
it's nice and ex exciting,

323
00:13:46.945 --> 00:13:49.645
but it's such a, a rarity now over the weekend that it's

324
00:13:50.545 --> 00:13:53.405
on a, on a whole, the cars aren't fun to drive.

325
00:13:53.705 --> 00:13:54.725
Um, and

326
00:13:54.945 --> 00:13:58.165
<v Speaker 3>Is there a fix to that other than just the new car ?</v>

327
00:13:59.285 --> 00:14:00.885
I mean, is it, is it get rid of the hybrid?

328
00:14:00.985 --> 00:14:03.005
Is it fix the tire? Like change the

329
00:14:03.005 --> 00:14:04.405
tire compound in the middle of the season?

330
00:14:04.415 --> 00:14:05.965
Which I, I know they're not gonna

331
00:14:05.965 --> 00:14:07.005
do either of those things. There,

332
00:14:07.005 --> 00:14:08.965
<v Speaker 2>There is fixes none of which will be applied.</v>

333
00:14:09.095 --> 00:14:11.085
Maybe they will be applied in 2026,

334
00:14:11.225 --> 00:14:13.925
but for 2025, no I don't see a fix

335
00:14:14.465 --> 00:14:16.485
<v Speaker 1>For the, for the, for the racing itself, right?</v>

336
00:14:16.485 --> 00:14:17.725
Mm-hmm . We came into this year

337
00:14:17.825 --> 00:14:20.885
and Firestone was tasked by IndyCar

338
00:14:21.075 --> 00:14:22.565
with input from teams and drivers.

339
00:14:22.715 --> 00:14:24.605
<v Speaker 2>Firestone did exactly what they were asked to do.</v>

340
00:14:25.115 --> 00:14:26.645
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I know this is</v>
<v Speaker 2>Not, yeah, okay.</v>

341
00:14:26.645 --> 00:14:28.005
<v Speaker 1>Yeah. We're just making sure they have mm-hmm .</v>

342
00:14:28.085 --> 00:14:29.725
Making sure that's clear. Yeah. They were tasked

343
00:14:29.725 --> 00:14:32.605
with bringing a tires that had a bigger delta,

344
00:14:32.825 --> 00:14:34.645
bigger difference in lap

345
00:14:34.645 --> 00:14:35.845
time between the hards and the sauce.

346
00:14:36.745 --> 00:14:41.405
And that had the saws kind of fall off more and,

347
00:14:41.405 --> 00:14:42.925
and kind of not last a stint.

348
00:14:42.925 --> 00:14:45.845
That was almost sort of the idea in a lot of ways. Right?

349
00:14:46.025 --> 00:14:47.965
<v Speaker 3>But wouldn't that already happen with the,</v>

350
00:14:48.025 --> 00:14:50.445
the hybrid anyway, with the added weight? Yes.

351
00:14:50.985 --> 00:14:52.885
<v Speaker 2>I'm gonna pretend like Alex didn't tell me that</v>

352
00:14:53.315 --> 00:14:57.165
<v Speaker 1>They, they just wanted it, it to be like a very obvious</v>

353
00:14:58.505 --> 00:15:01.015
difference, like a, a big difference between the two tires.

354
00:15:02.115 --> 00:15:05.055
So we saw in St Pete that with the effect of the hybrid

355
00:15:05.315 --> 00:15:07.375
and the heat and all those things, it was almost,

356
00:15:07.395 --> 00:15:10.015
it was probably too much there right?

357
00:15:10.315 --> 00:15:14.535
But they make a street course tire in for both compounds.

358
00:15:14.675 --> 00:15:17.335
So that was kind of, I think a little bit unique to St.

359
00:15:17.335 --> 00:15:21.705
Pete. Um, so they, they,

360
00:15:21.705 --> 00:15:22.905
they did what was asked.

361
00:15:23.525 --> 00:15:25.945
And you're saying that the knock on effect of that becomes

362
00:15:28.365 --> 00:15:33.005
the alternate is so, uh,

363
00:15:34.335 --> 00:15:39.015
degrades so much that you end up having to just run it for

364
00:15:39.035 --> 00:15:40.055
as long as you can.

365
00:15:40.115 --> 00:15:42.335
But it's really not that as long as you can

366
00:15:42.355 --> 00:15:44.935
to then have the other stints just be super fuels

367
00:15:45.115 --> 00:15:46.335
on the primary.

368
00:15:47.435 --> 00:15:52.335
So we've inadvertently created a monster in that

369
00:15:53.565 --> 00:15:56.105
you can't push the alternates in the race too hard

370
00:15:56.215 --> 00:15:58.465
because you need 'em to last as long as possible.

371
00:15:59.045 --> 00:16:01.305
But that long as possible is just long enough so

372
00:16:01.305 --> 00:16:03.065
that way you put the hards on

373
00:16:03.125 --> 00:16:06.225
and it's just drive around to a number to make the race.

374
00:16:07.015 --> 00:16:09.505
<v Speaker 2>Correct.</v>
<v Speaker 1>Okay. So</v>

375
00:16:09.885 --> 00:16:11.505
<v Speaker 2>Street courses now street courses,</v>

376
00:16:11.505 --> 00:16:16.105
thermal is not a fair example because like the d there, it's

377
00:16:16.105 --> 00:16:17.665
<v Speaker 1>Just a weird</v>
<v Speaker 2>Race, it's a weird race.</v>

378
00:16:17.725 --> 00:16:19.985
Barber will be much more telling with

379
00:16:19.985 --> 00:16:22.025
how those races are gonna go because ultimately,

380
00:16:22.085 --> 00:16:23.745
and ultimately the compounds have not changed

381
00:16:24.325 --> 00:16:27.185
really from 2024 to this year.

382
00:16:27.485 --> 00:16:30.185
So there's still hope that this isn't the case

383
00:16:30.325 --> 00:16:32.705
for the entirety of the season, but certainly Detroit

384
00:16:32.705 --> 00:16:33.865
and Toronto will be this.

385
00:16:34.315 --> 00:16:37.145
<v Speaker 1>Right. And, and um, yeah, Barbara</v>

386
00:16:37.285 --> 00:16:39.785
and NGP will be good kind of yardsticks.

387
00:16:40.145 --> 00:16:41.425
'cause NG p's always been interesting

388
00:16:41.425 --> 00:16:42.985
because that's one of those ones

389
00:16:42.985 --> 00:16:46.145
where the tires work close enough that some teams

390
00:16:46.165 --> 00:16:48.265
and setups, it was a, it was a black race for them,

391
00:16:48.375 --> 00:16:49.705
some teams and set up it was a red

392
00:16:49.705 --> 00:16:50.705
<v Speaker 2>Race.</v>

393
00:16:50.705 --> 00:16:52.185
Well, no, just one car. It was a black race.

394
00:16:52.495 --> 00:16:55.145
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.  fair for the most part.</v>

395
00:16:55.335 --> 00:16:56.705
It's, it's a red race there. Right.

396
00:16:56.925 --> 00:16:59.065
Uh, so we'll see, we'll see what happens at those events.

397
00:16:59.525 --> 00:17:03.825
Um, but yeah man, the fact that we've gone essentially

398
00:17:04.815 --> 00:17:07.205
three races without a caution.

399
00:17:07.345 --> 00:17:09.605
We had one in a first lap thing. Right.

400
00:17:10.425 --> 00:17:13.365
Uh, pretty unprecedented. I don't, I don't know.

401
00:17:14.125 --> 00:17:15.205
I don't know if we've ever had that,

402
00:17:15.305 --> 00:17:19.565
<v Speaker 2>But that's what I'm saying, like my, there's not even a</v>

403
00:17:20.365 --> 00:17:21.965
a physicality to it anymore.

404
00:17:22.355 --> 00:17:26.045
Like you're just driving around in zone two. Yeah.

405
00:17:26.215 --> 00:17:27.685
Heart rate wise. Yeah.

406
00:17:27.745 --> 00:17:30.525
You know, because you can't exert yourself

407
00:17:30.785 --> 00:17:32.005
to challenge the car

408
00:17:32.005 --> 00:17:35.285
because you won't, well, A, you don't have the fuel to do it

409
00:17:36.185 --> 00:17:39.845
and b like the tire, even the primary, like it's not,

410
00:17:40.725 --> 00:17:43.135
it's not um, unlimited grip.

411
00:17:43.135 --> 00:17:44.575
Like it's good, it's durable,

412
00:17:44.635 --> 00:17:46.135
but like you can't just drive like &lt;inaudible&gt;

413
00:17:46.205 --> 00:17:48.095
because again, the extra weight of the car

414
00:17:48.095 --> 00:17:50.605
and all this sort of thing and the extra demand on the rear

415
00:17:50.605 --> 00:17:52.045
tires with hybrid deploy

416
00:17:52.065 --> 00:17:54.645
and all this stuff, like you can blow up the blocks

417
00:17:54.705 --> 00:17:55.885
as well. So right

418
00:17:56.825 --> 00:18:00.485
<v Speaker 1>Now that said, first laps are still risky.</v>

419
00:18:01.065 --> 00:18:03.005
Mm-hmm. And St. Pete, obviously we had an incident

420
00:18:03.065 --> 00:18:04.565
but thermal and Long Beach we did not.

421
00:18:05.345 --> 00:18:08.245
Pit cycles are still risky. Mm-hmm .

422
00:18:08.425 --> 00:18:10.645
And you know, it looked like

423
00:18:11.225 --> 00:18:15.005
the hards on an out lap at Long Beach were kind of tricky.

424
00:18:15.075 --> 00:18:16.765
Yeah, they were. They looked not great. Yeah.

425
00:18:16.985 --> 00:18:19.685
So when you've got guys in these, you know,

426
00:18:19.685 --> 00:18:23.325
green flag pit cycles coming out on hards when some dude on

427
00:18:23.325 --> 00:18:25.725
hot tires is coming up on them, not making mistakes,

428
00:18:25.865 --> 00:18:27.925
not having any of those passes go sideways.

429
00:18:28.445 --> 00:18:30.805
'cause we had, I mean we can get more to your race.

430
00:18:31.225 --> 00:18:32.885
You got ho you got hosed in that.

431
00:18:32.885 --> 00:18:35.365
You got, you had a stop that took longer than planned

432
00:18:36.775 --> 00:18:38.195
and ended up

433
00:18:38.345 --> 00:18:39.595
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Story of my life bro.</v>

434
00:18:39.595 --> 00:18:41.195
<v Speaker 1>Ended. Right. Uh, we'll get to that.</v>

435
00:18:41.445 --> 00:18:44.635
Ended up getting dumped out basically at the front

436
00:18:44.635 --> 00:18:47.675
of a five car train of cars on hot tires bad

437
00:18:47.675 --> 00:18:49.835
and just, I mean there's literally nothing you can do.

438
00:18:49.945 --> 00:18:52.275
Yeah. But that's a prime opportunity for,

439
00:18:52.655 --> 00:18:54.195
to go sideways and to have a caution.

440
00:18:54.935 --> 00:18:57.275
Um, uh, Erickson had a similar one

441
00:18:57.275 --> 00:18:58.715
where he just got dumped out in front of people

442
00:18:58.715 --> 00:19:00.435
and just got trained for two laps

443
00:19:00.495 --> 00:19:04.235
and like, again, so as much, you know, Kirkwood was under

444
00:19:04.775 --> 00:19:07.875
the most pressure you can basically have in an IndyCar race,

445
00:19:07.885 --> 00:19:10.715
which is street course on hard tires on an out lap with

446
00:19:11.435 --> 00:19:13.355
a good driver and a good car on hot tires

447
00:19:13.355 --> 00:19:14.995
behind you and nobody screwed up.

448
00:19:15.095 --> 00:19:17.635
So I will have, I, I gotta give you guys all a lot

449
00:19:17.635 --> 00:19:18.915
of credit as well for this.

450
00:19:19.255 --> 00:19:22.475
Yes, fine. For the 90% of the race where you're cruising

451
00:19:22.475 --> 00:19:24.635
around to a number, there's still 10%

452
00:19:24.635 --> 00:19:27.235
where there's o ample opportunity for guys to screw up.

453
00:19:27.305 --> 00:19:30.195
Sure. You're right. And haven't done it, um, outside of St.

454
00:19:30.195 --> 00:19:34.035
Pete. So, um, anyway, let's get back

455
00:19:34.035 --> 00:19:36.075
to your race qualified eighth, which was brilliant.

456
00:19:36.215 --> 00:19:39.875
Had an awesome start. Mm. Picked up a couple spots mm-hmm.

457
00:19:39.875 --> 00:19:41.915
Running sixth. And then,

458
00:19:43.495 --> 00:19:46.915
<v Speaker 2>Um, big shout out to both Marcus's, mark Marcus.</v>

459
00:19:47.195 --> 00:19:48.795
I Marcus Square

460
00:19:49.135 --> 00:19:50.315
<v Speaker 1>Mar</v>
<v Speaker 2>The mar the Mar</v>

461
00:19:50.705 --> 00:19:53.035
because, um, I was in a position

462
00:19:53.035 --> 00:19:55.155
where like I was the only place I could,

463
00:19:55.235 --> 00:19:57.075
I started on the outside of row four.

464
00:19:57.215 --> 00:20:00.395
So like the only position I could really be was on

465
00:20:00.395 --> 00:20:01.475
the outside of turn one.

466
00:20:02.335 --> 00:20:05.315
And because the way the Long Beach stackup effect,

467
00:20:05.315 --> 00:20:07.555
like rows three and four are like the magic rows.

468
00:20:07.715 --> 00:20:09.155
'cause you're like accelerating to try

469
00:20:09.155 --> 00:20:11.355
and catch up to the front two rows,

470
00:20:11.375 --> 00:20:13.555
but by the time you get there, they decide to go.

471
00:20:13.575 --> 00:20:16.035
So you're like, you're carrying some extra miles an hour.

472
00:20:16.035 --> 00:20:17.355
So it was awesome. Right.

473
00:20:17.355 --> 00:20:19.035
It's a long beach phenomenon

474
00:20:19.035 --> 00:20:21.515
that only really happens in those two rows.

475
00:20:21.515 --> 00:20:23.555
But anyways, so we had that momentum

476
00:20:23.975 --> 00:20:27.155
and we were able to get up alongside the marque.

477
00:20:27.735 --> 00:20:29.275
Um, but I, it was three wide

478
00:20:29.275 --> 00:20:31.155
and I was on the outside of both of them.

479
00:20:31.535 --> 00:20:35.475
And I gave as much room as I could to Armstrong who was

480
00:20:35.475 --> 00:20:39.035
inside of me, , who had Erickson inside of him.

481
00:20:39.735 --> 00:20:43.035
Um, and was there anything about it? No one hid anyone.

482
00:20:43.575 --> 00:20:45.195
No one, no one touched anything.

483
00:20:45.455 --> 00:20:48.005
And I sent both a text afterwards being like,

484
00:20:48.005 --> 00:20:49.605
thanks, glad we all survived.

485
00:20:50.665 --> 00:20:52.725
All of our races ended up being &lt;inaudible&gt;. Anyways. .

486
00:20:53.045 --> 00:20:55.085
So I, I mean whatever.

487
00:20:55.305 --> 00:20:58.125
Um, so yes, so we started six, we started on the alternate,

488
00:20:58.225 --> 00:21:00.685
uh, everyone before cars started on the alternate.

489
00:21:00.685 --> 00:21:04.385
And, and let me tell you, the cars started on the primes,

490
00:21:04.565 --> 00:21:05.945
uh, because there was no yellow.

491
00:21:06.775 --> 00:21:08.505
That was, uh, that was the magic.

492
00:21:08.845 --> 00:21:11.545
But again, who would've thought that

493
00:21:12.105 --> 00:21:15.345
a street course race in IndyCar would not have a yellow?

494
00:21:16.205 --> 00:21:19.825
Um, I banked on that in St. Pete. It didn't work.

495
00:21:20.205 --> 00:21:22.585
Uh, so I was like, well, I'm not gonna do that again.

496
00:21:22.645 --> 00:21:24.505
And, you know, had I done that again,

497
00:21:24.505 --> 00:21:25.665
it probably would've been pretty good.

498
00:21:25.885 --> 00:21:27.105
But I digress.

499
00:21:27.285 --> 00:21:31.855
Um, we came in with Kirkwood, um,

500
00:21:32.415 --> 00:21:33.815
a couple seconds back from him

501
00:21:34.955 --> 00:21:38.335
and we had a issue getting fuel in the car, uh,

502
00:21:38.385 --> 00:21:41.735
which whatever, I mean, I, it doesn't,

503
00:21:41.815 --> 00:21:43.215
I doesn't bother me anymore. Are

504
00:21:43.215 --> 00:21:44.375
<v Speaker 1>You like allergic to gas?</v>

505
00:21:44.525 --> 00:21:46.935
Like is that, guess I'm starting to think it's your problem.

506
00:21:47.375 --> 00:21:50.495
'cause like three different teams, multiple races, the,

507
00:21:50.515 --> 00:21:52.615
the common denominator here is like you're,

508
00:21:52.795 --> 00:21:54.775
you've got a weird magnetic energy

509
00:21:54.775 --> 00:21:57.615
that just doesn't want fuel around you. We call it the

510
00:21:57.935 --> 00:21:58.935
<v Speaker 2>Opposite of a Dixon.</v>

511
00:21:58.955 --> 00:22:03.815
No. Like . Yeah. Like I will accept all responsibility.

512
00:22:03.935 --> 00:22:05.495
I don't know what you want me to say like

513
00:22:06.875 --> 00:22:08.135
<v Speaker 1>At this point. Yeah. I'll just</v>

514
00:22:08.135 --> 00:22:09.135
<v Speaker 2>Take it at this point.</v>

515
00:22:09.135 --> 00:22:09.935
Like, yeah, whatever. Like I get,

516
00:22:10.135 --> 00:22:11.495
I don't even get mad anymore.

517
00:22:11.755 --> 00:22:16.535
Um, so, uh, we came out, we lost, uh,

518
00:22:16.535 --> 00:22:18.495
three spots just in that.

519
00:22:18.635 --> 00:22:23.255
And then I came out and I met Joseph who was on hot Tires.

520
00:22:23.595 --> 00:22:26.295
Mm-hmm . In one. I had to break, I lost another spot

521
00:22:26.355 --> 00:22:27.935
to someone at someone else.

522
00:22:28.395 --> 00:22:30.295
And then I ended up losing a spot to Erickson.

523
00:22:30.635 --> 00:22:32.455
And so then that kind of set our day.

524
00:22:32.515 --> 00:22:34.735
We lost like almost nine seconds

525
00:22:34.875 --> 00:22:37.095
and that whole exchange between the out lap

526
00:22:37.355 --> 00:22:38.415
and the pit stop.

527
00:22:39.115 --> 00:22:43.375
Um, and then ultimately we were on the,

528
00:22:45.015 --> 00:22:47.095
I don't wanna say wrong strategy, the,

529
00:22:47.835 --> 00:22:49.335
we were on the strategy that won the race.

530
00:22:49.335 --> 00:22:53.295
However, the four cars that started on the primes, um, lard

531
00:22:53.315 --> 00:22:56.655
who drove a great race, Santino, who drove a great race, um,

532
00:22:57.275 --> 00:22:59.735
Kiffin, who also drove a great race Yeah.

533
00:22:59.735 --> 00:23:02.015
Career Best and Stingray, who drove a great race mm-hmm .

534
00:23:02.395 --> 00:23:04.055
Um, those four cars were the ones

535
00:23:04.055 --> 00:23:05.135
that started on the primaries

536
00:23:05.155 --> 00:23:07.495
and they just vaulted everyone, uh, Dixon as well.

537
00:23:07.495 --> 00:23:10.735
But you would expect that. Um, so those all five cars,

538
00:23:10.955 --> 00:23:12.655
excuse me, not four, that star on the

539
00:23:12.655 --> 00:23:13.815
primes were in the top 10.

540
00:23:14.515 --> 00:23:19.295
So you combine our issue in Pit lane, plus we got beat

541
00:23:19.295 --> 00:23:21.015
by those cars and we end up 15th.

542
00:23:21.195 --> 00:23:25.855
So, uh, uh, positives to take from the weekend were,

543
00:23:26.315 --> 00:23:28.575
it was by far ECRs best Long Beach.

544
00:23:28.875 --> 00:23:32.815
Um, a lot of the things that we discovered

545
00:23:32.815 --> 00:23:34.535
and thought would work did work.

546
00:23:35.195 --> 00:23:37.055
Um, the sim correlation

547
00:23:37.315 --> 00:23:41.055
and the, um, all of the magic stuff

548
00:23:41.055 --> 00:23:42.695
that we thought we'd have going into Long

549
00:23:42.695 --> 00:23:43.975
Beach isn't quite there yet.

550
00:23:44.115 --> 00:23:45.925
Uh, but again, a a huge step forward.

551
00:23:46.025 --> 00:23:48.245
So I'm coming away with they're happy.

552
00:23:48.685 --> 00:23:50.725
I, I knew that the street courses were gonna be

553
00:23:50.725 --> 00:23:51.925
the, the challenge for us.

554
00:23:52.305 --> 00:23:56.485
Um, in 2025, we've survived two fairly well.

555
00:23:57.065 --> 00:23:58.405
Uh, two to go. Um,

556
00:23:58.465 --> 00:24:00.205
but again, getting to a part of the calendar

557
00:24:00.205 --> 00:24:01.325
that I'm super excited about.

558
00:24:05.305 --> 00:24:07.005
<v Speaker 1>All right. So that's, that's your day.</v>

559
00:24:07.545 --> 00:24:11.345
Um, the day on the whole mm-hmm .

560
00:24:12.005 --> 00:24:13.025
Was, was interesting.

561
00:24:13.165 --> 00:24:14.825
<v Speaker 2>Fan, fan turnout. Let's just talk about</v>

562
00:24:14.825 --> 00:24:16.065
that for a second. Dude.

563
00:24:16.525 --> 00:24:18.345
<v Speaker 1>How about Friday? Looking like race day?</v>

564
00:24:18.685 --> 00:24:20.425
<v Speaker 2>It phenomenal.</v>
<v Speaker 1>Like,</v>

565
00:24:20.455 --> 00:24:21.985
they're gonna start having a problem

566
00:24:22.295 --> 00:24:23.505
with too many people there

567
00:24:23.505 --> 00:24:24.945
and like, not being able to move around

568
00:24:25.205 --> 00:24:27.425
and not enough bridges and stuff. I,

569
00:24:27.455 --> 00:24:28.545
<v Speaker 2>I've never seen anything.</v>

570
00:24:29.185 --> 00:24:31.705
I I don't think I've seen anything like it outside of Indy.

571
00:24:31.705 --> 00:24:32.985
Like it was, it was mind

572
00:24:32.985 --> 00:24:34.185
boggling. It was really, really awesome.

573
00:24:34.795 --> 00:24:36.985
<v Speaker 1>Great to see. Um, it was fun</v>

574
00:24:36.985 --> 00:24:39.305
because it was, it was Buxton's first time going

575
00:24:39.305 --> 00:24:41.585
to Long Beach and seeing his reaction

576
00:24:41.605 --> 00:24:43.545
to it was actually kind of interesting.

577
00:24:43.665 --> 00:24:45.505
'cause obviously he's been to some big races in his time

578
00:24:46.125 --> 00:24:47.905
and, uh, he was just absolutely,

579
00:24:48.045 --> 00:24:49.265
he was like a kid in a candy store.

580
00:24:49.265 --> 00:24:51.105
It was hard to get him to where he needed to go.

581
00:24:51.305 --> 00:24:53.745
'cause he kept getting, he's like, you know, a DOS Right.

582
00:24:53.745 --> 00:24:54.985
Attention deficit. Ooh. Shiny.

583
00:24:55.165 --> 00:24:57.345
And he just kept getting, you

584
00:24:57.345 --> 00:24:58.705
know, distracted and around Susan

585
00:24:58.705 --> 00:25:00.105
<v Speaker 2>British version of Hunter Ray.</v>

586
00:25:00.685 --> 00:25:01.945
<v Speaker 1>Yes, exactly. Right, right.</v>

587
00:25:02.725 --> 00:25:05.825
Um, so yeah, huge credit

588
00:25:05.885 --> 00:25:08.465
to everybody at the GPLB

589
00:25:09.205 --> 00:25:11.305
and, uh, the Acura Grand Prix Long Beach

590
00:25:11.325 --> 00:25:12.785
and everything that they've done, Jim McMillian

591
00:25:12.785 --> 00:25:15.025
and his team, as we heard earlier in the year,

592
00:25:15.405 --> 00:25:18.385
the event's now been purchased by Penske Entertainment.

593
00:25:18.725 --> 00:25:20.505
So it's a Penske entertainment property.

594
00:25:21.165 --> 00:25:23.305
But, you know, I, I spoke to some of the

595
00:25:24.205 --> 00:25:26.705
big wigs up at Penske Entertainment who said like, look

596
00:25:26.705 --> 00:25:28.785
for this year we kind of just let it run as is.

597
00:25:29.565 --> 00:25:32.865
And, uh, watched now kind of

598
00:25:32.865 --> 00:25:34.825
through a different lens from the promoter side

599
00:25:35.525 --> 00:25:37.985
and took some notes on things, on things to do.

600
00:25:38.045 --> 00:25:41.345
But fundamentally, I mean, that team does a great job.

601
00:25:41.415 --> 00:25:42.825
It's, it's hard to argue with, with

602
00:25:42.825 --> 00:25:44.745
what they've done 50 years it's been going.

603
00:25:45.325 --> 00:25:47.385
And uh, and I mean,

604
00:25:47.625 --> 00:25:50.265
I dunno if I heard specifically this was a record crowd,

605
00:25:50.285 --> 00:25:51.985
but I'd be surprised if it wasn't. It

606
00:25:51.985 --> 00:25:52.705
<v Speaker 2>Was, it was. Yeah.</v>

607
00:25:52.755 --> 00:25:55.105
<v Speaker 1>There you go. Um, easy to</v>

608
00:25:55.845 --> 00:25:58.065
<v Speaker 2>210,000 people over the weekend, which is,</v>

609
00:25:58.455 --> 00:25:59.625
<v Speaker 1>Dude, that's huge.</v>

610
00:26:00.815 --> 00:26:03.145
<v Speaker 2>When you consider huge, when you consider F1</v>

611
00:26:03.145 --> 00:26:04.985
and the magnitude that it has gotten to

612
00:26:05.165 --> 00:26:08.465
and also the scale, like the, the tracks they go

613
00:26:08.465 --> 00:26:10.425
to are much larger than ours, dude. This is a

614
00:26:10.425 --> 00:26:11.785
<v Speaker 1>Small place like place.</v>

615
00:26:11.785 --> 00:26:12.825
There's not a lot of grandstands

616
00:26:12.975 --> 00:26:15.025
<v Speaker 2>Like that is, that is on par with</v>

617
00:26:15.025 --> 00:26:16.705
what F1 is pulling in in the States.

618
00:26:16.765 --> 00:26:18.505
And that's, I mean, that's incredible.

619
00:26:18.725 --> 00:26:20.185
<v Speaker 1>So like, let's, let's put it this way.</v>

620
00:26:20.485 --> 00:26:23.065
So I remember that Suzuka one

621
00:26:23.065 --> 00:26:24.825
of the most storied racetracks in the world,

622
00:26:26.005 --> 00:26:27.585
uh, permanent road course.

623
00:26:27.735 --> 00:26:29.265
Lots of space, lots of grandstands,

624
00:26:30.245 --> 00:26:32.505
255,000 over the weekend.

625
00:26:32.655 --> 00:26:34.825
Yeah. We did 210 at a street course

626
00:26:35.305 --> 00:26:37.385
<v Speaker 2>I know</v>
<v Speaker 1>Where like four</v>

627
00:26:37.385 --> 00:26:40.865
of the 11 corners have no possibility for viewership.

628
00:26:40.865 --> 00:26:42.865
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm . For like track side viewership. Mm-hmm . .

629
00:26:43.185 --> 00:26:45.245
So like almost half the track, like a third of the track.

630
00:26:45.245 --> 00:26:47.165
You're not even, there's not even an option to hold people.

631
00:26:47.195 --> 00:26:48.805
Yeah. So yeah. Super impressive.

632
00:26:48.905 --> 00:26:50.325
And like obviously you got the IMSA race

633
00:26:50.325 --> 00:26:51.405
on Saturday, which is huge.

634
00:26:51.405 --> 00:26:53.725
Mm-hmm. You got drift cars every night, which is awesome

635
00:26:54.395 --> 00:26:55.565
that when the IMSA pad,

636
00:26:55.565 --> 00:26:56.565
I mean Foreigner Foreigner

637
00:26:56.565 --> 00:26:57.765
played Saturday Night Foreigner played,

638
00:26:57.925 --> 00:26:59.925
<v Speaker 3>I feel like we're just glossing over the jumpy trucks.</v>

639
00:27:00.425 --> 00:27:02.485
<v Speaker 1>Oh yes. Stadium Super Trucks always a</v>

640
00:27:02.485 --> 00:27:03.645
popular addition to the calendar.

641
00:27:04.265 --> 00:27:07.285
Um, and dude, the the other one that blows me away is when,

642
00:27:07.355 --> 00:27:10.325
when Saturday Night Thessy pad clears out

643
00:27:10.825 --> 00:27:13.885
and that whole bit of the paddock area becomes this like car

644
00:27:13.985 --> 00:27:18.445
corral for insanely nice and expensive supercars.

645
00:27:18.545 --> 00:27:20.925
So you go from like millions and millions and millions

646
00:27:20.925 --> 00:27:22.365
and millions and millions of dollars in race cars

647
00:27:22.365 --> 00:27:25.565
and race trucks to like probably more millions of dollars

648
00:27:26.225 --> 00:27:30.085
in just like people's personal horses in Yeah, dude, it was,

649
00:27:30.255 --> 00:27:31.565
there was, they were packed in there.

650
00:27:31.565 --> 00:27:34.125
Yeah. I was walking around like I've never felt more

651
00:27:34.125 --> 00:27:35.325
poor than I do in this moment.

652
00:27:35.355 --> 00:27:38.245
Like, this was an unbelievable thing to get to walk

653
00:27:38.405 --> 00:27:39.645
through some really, really nice cars.

654
00:27:39.745 --> 00:27:44.445
So yeah, event awesome Race honestly was still pretty good

655
00:27:44.635 --> 00:27:47.365
because even though there's no cautions, um,

656
00:27:48.585 --> 00:27:50.845
we had those alternate strategies playing out

657
00:27:51.025 --> 00:27:53.005
and it was really fascinating to keep track of

658
00:27:53.535 --> 00:27:54.645
Luard and how he was doing.

659
00:27:55.345 --> 00:27:58.525
And Stingray career best finish for him.

660
00:27:58.675 --> 00:28:00.285
Shed out Stingray, uh,

661
00:28:00.465 --> 00:28:02.285
or career match best, uh,

662
00:28:02.285 --> 00:28:04.765
best on a Rotor street course career Best

663
00:28:04.765 --> 00:28:05.805
finish for Kiffin Simpson.

664
00:28:05.945 --> 00:28:09.165
It also drove a great race, incredible, you know,

665
00:28:09.195 --> 00:28:11.525
16 places up for Santino.

666
00:28:11.665 --> 00:28:13.525
So great job from him.

667
00:28:14.345 --> 00:28:16.885
Um, then you had still the Battle of the Andrettis,

668
00:28:16.885 --> 00:28:19.925
then you had Polo versus Kirkwood on that final stop.

669
00:28:19.955 --> 00:28:22.765
Like, dude, I was sweating for Kyle on that out lap.

670
00:28:22.835 --> 00:28:25.885
Like, it, it was, I've you've been in those situations,

671
00:28:25.905 --> 00:28:27.845
you know how tense it is and how tough it is.

672
00:28:28.265 --> 00:28:29.965
You've got the guy that's won every race

673
00:28:29.965 --> 00:28:32.445
so far this year on your gearbox on hot tires.

674
00:28:32.985 --> 00:28:34.445
You have zero room for error

675
00:28:34.645 --> 00:28:35.885
'cause there's concrete walls everywhere

676
00:28:36.385 --> 00:28:37.485
and you have to just go out

677
00:28:37.485 --> 00:28:38.805
and put your foot down and get it done.

678
00:28:39.265 --> 00:28:40.925
And he did it. He thrived under

679
00:28:40.925 --> 00:28:41.965
the pressure and got it done.

680
00:28:42.055 --> 00:28:46.265
Great to see lard getting that podium amazing.

681
00:28:47.085 --> 00:28:48.985
And moved up to third in the championship.

682
00:28:49.965 --> 00:28:51.505
And I gotta say, man,

683
00:28:52.925 --> 00:28:55.865
and you, you, you have a, you'll have a, a unique ability

684
00:28:55.885 --> 00:28:57.225
to have perspective on this.

685
00:28:57.845 --> 00:29:01.345
But since, since Patto kind of became the,

686
00:29:01.525 --> 00:29:03.385
the guy over at McLaren

687
00:29:04.005 --> 00:29:05.705
and you know, we've talked a lot about

688
00:29:05.725 --> 00:29:07.065
how this setup has developed

689
00:29:07.065 --> 00:29:09.425
around his very unique driving style and all these things.

690
00:29:10.135 --> 00:29:14.505
Everybody that's been alongside him has like taken some time

691
00:29:14.605 --> 00:29:16.705
to find out how to get pace outta that car

692
00:29:16.805 --> 00:29:20.785
or make the car their own three races into his time there.

693
00:29:21.015 --> 00:29:22.905
He's got two podiums in his third in the points.

694
00:29:23.305 --> 00:29:25.705
I don't know the last time Patto wasn't the top point

695
00:29:25.705 --> 00:29:27.825
scoring driver on that team.

696
00:29:28.125 --> 00:29:29.305
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

697
00:29:29.425 --> 00:29:30.385
I I know the last time

698
00:29:30.385 --> 00:29:31.545
he wasn't the head of the championship.

699
00:29:31.545 --> 00:29:32.865
Yeah. Say after two round, you know,

700
00:29:32.915 --> 00:29:34.865
maybe had bad St Peter something, but Yeah.

701
00:29:35.365 --> 00:29:37.865
Is that, is that, are we seeing like maybe a,

702
00:29:38.065 --> 00:29:40.745
a shift in the power dynamic over there? I don't, I mean,

703
00:29:40.785 --> 00:29:42.445
<v Speaker 2>I don't, I don't necessarily talk to too</v>

704
00:29:42.445 --> 00:29:43.445
<v Speaker 1>Early to tell.</v>

705
00:29:43.445 --> 00:29:44.765
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. I don't talk to enough people over</v>

706
00:29:44.765 --> 00:29:45.845
there still to know.

707
00:29:46.185 --> 00:29:50.965
Um, I do know that Christian's engineer Chris, uh,

708
00:29:51.285 --> 00:29:55.085
Lawrence, who was my engineer last year, doesn't subscribe

709
00:29:55.145 --> 00:29:56.605
to the philosophy, um,

710
00:29:56.675 --> 00:29:58.685
that it's the five car or the highway.

711
00:29:59.455 --> 00:30:03.805
Right. Um, and so I think Chris, in his third year

712
00:30:03.805 --> 00:30:06.005
of being a race engineer, like I saw what he did with Felix,

713
00:30:06.945 --> 00:30:11.365
um, and Felix's best year at McLaren was

714
00:30:11.675 --> 00:30:13.685
with Chris as a rookie race engineer.

715
00:30:13.985 --> 00:30:17.405
Uh, my best year at McLaren from a PACE standpoint,

716
00:30:17.745 --> 00:30:19.325
um, was with Chris.

717
00:30:20.065 --> 00:30:22.845
And so I think as Chris is getting more confident

718
00:30:22.865 --> 00:30:26.845
and getting more into that role of being a race engineer

719
00:30:27.025 --> 00:30:30.325
and he has someone as fast as Christian and and all,

720
00:30:30.425 --> 00:30:32.885
and honestly now with the experience that Christian has,

721
00:30:33.265 --> 00:30:36.125
you know, he's not a rookie or a young kid anymore

722
00:30:36.125 --> 00:30:37.285
seeing these things for the first time.

723
00:30:37.285 --> 00:30:38.645
Like he's, he's been around the block

724
00:30:38.645 --> 00:30:40.365
and quite frankly, like the Ray Hall cars on

725
00:30:40.365 --> 00:30:41.445
street courses are good cars.

726
00:30:42.185 --> 00:30:45.405
Um, they are able to, to make a, a good step.

727
00:30:45.565 --> 00:30:47.885
I don't think Patto has necessarily changed.

728
00:30:48.085 --> 00:30:50.685
I think Patto is still as quick as he's always been.

729
00:30:50.925 --> 00:30:53.805
I think Patto is still probably the lead guy there.

730
00:30:54.545 --> 00:30:58.405
But it'll be interesting as the year goes on if this dynamic

731
00:30:59.005 --> 00:31:00.525
continues in some way, shape

732
00:31:00.525 --> 00:31:03.445
or form, um, how

733
00:31:04.345 --> 00:31:05.685
the people start to spin it.

734
00:31:06.185 --> 00:31:07.525
<v Speaker 1>If you look at the facts, I mean,</v>

735
00:31:07.655 --> 00:31:08.765
Patto had a problem in St.

736
00:31:08.765 --> 00:31:10.565
Pete qualifying, I forget why he qualified as bad

737
00:31:10.565 --> 00:31:11.685
as, or like just me just

738
00:31:11.685 --> 00:31:12.845
<v Speaker 2>Made, made a mistake in turn way. Yeah,</v>

739
00:31:12.845 --> 00:31:13.845
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.</v>

740
00:31:13.845 --> 00:31:14.045
Fine. Made a mistake. Yeah.

741
00:31:14.665 --> 00:31:17.565
Had a, and then had had like a really bad hand dealt

742
00:31:17.565 --> 00:31:22.125
to him in um, uh, the race with a flat

743
00:31:22.185 --> 00:31:24.005
and whatever and drove up to 11.

744
00:31:24.065 --> 00:31:26.205
So I actually drove a really, really strong race. Yeah.

745
00:31:26.315 --> 00:31:27.315
Thermal

746
00:31:27.915 --> 00:31:28.845
<v Speaker 2>Pole. Almost won.</v>

747
00:31:29.145 --> 00:31:31.805
<v Speaker 1>Almost won really, really good drive. Mm-hmm .</v>

748
00:31:31.885 --> 00:31:35.495
Because again, as you talk about the kind

749
00:31:35.495 --> 00:31:39.015
of new requirements from racing an indie car in terms

750
00:31:39.015 --> 00:31:39.895
of hitting a fuel number,

751
00:31:39.895 --> 00:31:41.215
taking care of tires, whatever, whatever.

752
00:31:41.465 --> 00:31:45.725
Those aren't things you normally would attribute to

753
00:31:47.035 --> 00:31:48.405
Pado and, and like his driving style?

754
00:31:48.405 --> 00:31:49.765
<v Speaker 2>Oh, I would, I would say the old Pado.</v>

755
00:31:49.845 --> 00:31:51.365
I think PATOS figured it out by

756
00:31:51.485 --> 00:31:52.485
<v Speaker 1>Now.</v>

757
00:31:52.485 --> 00:31:52.605
That's what I'm saying. Yeah.

758
00:31:52.745 --> 00:31:54.525
So like Thermal was a great example of that.

759
00:31:54.675 --> 00:31:56.045
Mean only one guy beat him.

760
00:31:56.045 --> 00:31:58.165
They had better tires at the end, whatever. Mm-hmm .

761
00:31:58.585 --> 00:32:01.925
And then even in um, long Beach, he had qualified Christian.

762
00:32:01.925 --> 00:32:03.525
Christian just ended up on the

763
00:32:03.525 --> 00:32:05.085
alternate strategy, which worked really well.

764
00:32:05.085 --> 00:32:06.725
Like had Patto started on hard,

765
00:32:07.945 --> 00:32:09.005
he could have done the same thing.

766
00:32:09.105 --> 00:32:10.965
Mm-hmm . So maybe it's too early

767
00:32:10.985 --> 00:32:12.685
to be making conclusions like that.

768
00:32:12.685 --> 00:32:14.445
And if you think about it, Pat's actually had some really,

769
00:32:14.445 --> 00:32:15.485
really good drives this year.

770
00:32:17.125 --> 00:32:20.045
F1, spoiler alert, if you don't want to know

771
00:32:20.045 --> 00:32:21.125
what happened, turn it off.

772
00:32:21.865 --> 00:32:23.645
Pastry won for pole. Uh,

773
00:32:23.995 --> 00:32:27.045
another impressive drive from the young man, Russell second,

774
00:32:27.185 --> 00:32:28.805
Norris third Red Bull in trouble.

775
00:32:29.125 --> 00:32:30.845
I don't know, lots of different things,

776
00:32:31.225 --> 00:32:33.685
but it seems so I'll be honest, I didn't,

777
00:32:33.785 --> 00:32:36.765
now there's all the rumors that Max is leaving, right.

778
00:32:36.965 --> 00:32:37.965
'cause the car's not fast enough.

779
00:32:38.385 --> 00:32:40.405
But like if Max were to leave Red Bull, where would he,

780
00:32:40.405 --> 00:32:41.685
where would he realistically go?

781
00:32:42.565 --> 00:32:44.045
Wherever he wants, but, well,

782
00:32:44.045 --> 00:32:45.245
I mean it's not that easy, right?

783
00:32:45.275 --> 00:32:47.725
He's not gonna McLaren, he's probably not gonna Mercedes.

784
00:32:48.285 --> 00:32:49.725
'cause Antonelli is the chosen one

785
00:32:49.725 --> 00:32:51.165
and Russell's pretty close to a new deal.

786
00:32:52.465 --> 00:32:54.645
He, I mean, Aston Martin makes the most sense

787
00:32:54.925 --> 00:32:55.925
'cause he loves Adrian Newie.

788
00:32:55.925 --> 00:32:58.285
Adrian loves him. He loves Honda. Honda loves him.

789
00:32:58.515 --> 00:32:59.525
Both those guys are there.

790
00:32:59.825 --> 00:33:02.525
The team's already said that for 26, our drivers are set.

791
00:33:03.075 --> 00:33:05.125
It's Fernando Alonso who'd be hard to fire

792
00:33:05.705 --> 00:33:09.735
and the owner's son, which would be hard to fire.

793
00:33:11.245 --> 00:33:14.505
Not impossible. It is F1, but I don't know. I

794
00:33:14.505 --> 00:33:17.545
<v Speaker 2>Mean, I mean I think Ferrari, uh, it'll be interesting</v>

795
00:33:17.545 --> 00:33:19.385
to see how long Lewis lasts there.

796
00:33:19.765 --> 00:33:22.225
Um, I know. I mean, it's gonna be more than a year,

797
00:33:22.325 --> 00:33:23.325
<v Speaker 1>But Yeah.</v>

798
00:33:23.325 --> 00:33:24.585
It's gonna at least be there next year. Yeah,

799
00:33:25.385 --> 00:33:26.385
<v Speaker 2>I know.</v>

800
00:33:26.385 --> 00:33:26.605
So

801
00:33:26.935 --> 00:33:27.935
<v Speaker 1>I don't see, I don't know.</v>

802
00:33:27.935 --> 00:33:29.135
I just don't see it. I don't see

803
00:33:29.135 --> 00:33:30.135
<v Speaker 2>It.</v>

804
00:33:30.135 --> 00:33:32.135
We should, I mean we should give a huge shout out to Yuki

805
00:33:32.135 --> 00:33:35.295
because I think that that's the first time that a

806
00:33:35.875 --> 00:33:38.735
second Red Bull car has been anywhere near Max.

807
00:33:39.045 --> 00:33:41.095
Yeah. Um, he was near max in qualifying.

808
00:33:41.095 --> 00:33:42.135
He was near max in the race.

809
00:33:42.475 --> 00:33:44.575
So that's a huge step forward from

810
00:33:44.575 --> 00:33:46.175
what was a disappointing Japan, I think.

811
00:33:46.315 --> 00:33:47.735
Uh, which was good to see. Yeah,

812
00:33:47.735 --> 00:33:49.375
<v Speaker 1>He finished within 10 seconds of him in the race,</v>

813
00:33:49.375 --> 00:33:52.215
which is pretty solid, you know, two 10 ish

814
00:33:52.235 --> 00:33:54.495
and Q2 in qualifying, which is pretty solid.

815
00:33:54.715 --> 00:33:55.895
So yeah, shout out to him.

816
00:33:56.305 --> 00:33:59.215
It'll be interesting to see how that dynamic develops.

817
00:33:59.435 --> 00:34:01.935
Uh, over the year, Tony Stewart won his first top fuel

818
00:34:01.935 --> 00:34:03.215
race, which is very cool.

819
00:34:03.415 --> 00:34:06.695
Congrats to him. My, uh, young man,

820
00:34:06.725 --> 00:34:10.895
Liam McNeely speed group client swept the USF uh,

821
00:34:11.875 --> 00:34:14.335
2000 weekend in Nola.

822
00:34:14.625 --> 00:34:15.855
Shout out to him. I wanna give

823
00:34:15.855 --> 00:34:16.935
a big shout out to Rob Wickens.

824
00:34:17.605 --> 00:34:19.655
<v Speaker 2>Well, I want talk about his whole weekend</v>

825
00:34:19.655 --> 00:34:24.375
because Yeah, I got the, the debrief of it Sunday night.

826
00:34:24.375 --> 00:34:29.095
Sunday night And um, I, I'm just, I'm not surprised

827
00:34:29.525 --> 00:34:31.895
because why would I be surprised?

828
00:34:31.915 --> 00:34:33.975
But I am surprised because how can you not

829
00:34:33.975 --> 00:34:35.295
<v Speaker 1>Be surprised? It's still so impressive. Right.</v>

830
00:34:35.355 --> 00:34:36.855
<v Speaker 2>You</v>
<v Speaker 1>Can't, cannot be impressed.</v>

831
00:34:37.065 --> 00:34:41.535
<v Speaker 2>Right. Um, so practice one, uh, they had an issue with,</v>

832
00:34:41.915 --> 00:34:44.015
uh, some of the hand control

833
00:34:44.015 --> 00:34:45.215
systems and all this sort of thing.

834
00:34:45.835 --> 00:34:49.095
So didn't didn't get really any lapse practice.

835
00:34:49.195 --> 00:34:52.455
Two, he goes out and puts it P one like

836
00:34:52.525 --> 00:34:55.215
<v Speaker 1>Fastest car</v>
<v Speaker 2>Like DFAS is not, not unreal.</v>

837
00:34:55.645 --> 00:34:58.165
Like just fastest. Okay.

838
00:34:59.065 --> 00:35:02.165
And a very weird ims. A rule. I didn't know this existed.

839
00:35:02.765 --> 00:35:04.285
I didn't know knew for this year. Oh, okay.

840
00:35:04.795 --> 00:35:06.285
Well that's why I didn't know it existed.

841
00:35:06.505 --> 00:35:10.045
Mm-hmm  So in IMS a, which this is so stupid,

842
00:35:10.545 --> 00:35:11.545
<v Speaker 1>So dumb.</v>

843
00:35:11.545 --> 00:35:12.525
<v Speaker 2>Like this is ridiculous.</v>

844
00:35:12.745 --> 00:35:15.925
Uh, and we thought the FIA was bad , apparently

845
00:35:16.585 --> 00:35:19.045
if you cause a red flag in practice two,

846
00:35:19.545 --> 00:35:23.405
you get your fastest lap in qualifying

847
00:35:24.075 --> 00:35:27.685
another independent session deleted. I

848
00:35:27.685 --> 00:35:28.685
<v Speaker 1>Don't think it's just practice two.</v>

849
00:35:28.765 --> 00:35:29.685
I think it's any practice

850
00:35:30.595 --> 00:35:31.595
<v Speaker 2>Even worse.</v>

851
00:35:31.635 --> 00:35:32.925
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it's bad.</v>

852
00:35:33.515 --> 00:35:37.365
<v Speaker 2>Like walk me through James the rationale behind this.</v>

853
00:35:37.435 --> 00:35:39.685
Like why, why, why does this

854
00:35:39.685 --> 00:35:40.685
<v Speaker 1>Exist?</v>

855
00:35:40.685 --> 00:35:42.445
So I will explain to you in order all

856
00:35:42.445 --> 00:35:43.565
the reasons this makes sense.

857
00:35:44.475 --> 00:35:47.825
<v Speaker 2>Okay.</v>
<v Speaker 1>I'm done.</v>

858
00:35:48.395 --> 00:35:50.865
<v Speaker 2>Sweet.</v>
<v Speaker 1>But dude, when, when this rule was at,</v>

859
00:35:50.925 --> 00:35:52.665
so we were at Daytona in the driver's meeting

860
00:35:52.685 --> 00:35:55.505
and this rule was like explained in the driver's meeting you

861
00:35:55.505 --> 00:35:56.545
could have heard a pin drop.

862
00:35:56.935 --> 00:36:00.245
Everybody in the room was just sort of like, look at.

863
00:36:00.245 --> 00:36:01.325
They're like did I

864
00:36:01.935 --> 00:36:02.935
<v Speaker 2>Did</v>
<v Speaker 1>Did hear.</v>

865
00:36:02.935 --> 00:36:03.675
Did I hear that right? Did hear right. Yeah.

866
00:36:03.675 --> 00:36:05.515
Like he meant, he meant if you cause

867
00:36:05.555 --> 00:36:06.595
a red in qualifying right .

868
00:36:06.885 --> 00:36:09.155
Right Nene practice.

869
00:36:09.495 --> 00:36:11.995
<v Speaker 2>So if you cause a red in qualifying, do you get executed?</v>

870
00:36:12.815 --> 00:36:14.795
<v Speaker 1>Yes. Harsh but</v>
<v Speaker 2>Fair. Hmm. Uh,</v>

871
00:36:14.945 --> 00:36:16.555
<v Speaker 1>It's just here, here's here, let me just,</v>

872
00:36:16.575 --> 00:36:18.475
let me just vent real quick on why please.

873
00:36:18.475 --> 00:36:19.915
It's so obvious why that's dumb. Yeah.

874
00:36:19.915 --> 00:36:22.515
But like practice is just that. It is practice.

875
00:36:22.905 --> 00:36:25.675
That is when you are supposed to push beyond the limit

876
00:36:26.055 --> 00:36:28.155
to find the limit to drop a wheel,

877
00:36:28.215 --> 00:36:29.955
to go in a runoff to whatever.

878
00:36:30.305 --> 00:36:33.635
Half the time reds are caused by mechanical issues. Yes.

879
00:36:33.635 --> 00:36:36.555
Because cars have been sitting for a month since Sebring.

880
00:36:36.555 --> 00:36:40.435
Mm. Or three months since petite. When you get to Daytona

881
00:36:40.435 --> 00:36:41.435
<v Speaker 2>Or they're cars and they break</v>

882
00:36:41.735 --> 00:36:43.235
<v Speaker 1>And they're, the race cars being pushed</v>

883
00:36:43.235 --> 00:36:47.275
to limit &lt;inaudible&gt; happens like the to penalize teams

884
00:36:47.295 --> 00:36:51.275
and drivers in qualifying for look, if you like, are trying

885
00:36:51.295 --> 00:36:52.955
to race a dude and practice

886
00:36:53.095 --> 00:36:55.515
and you mess up, you know, mess up a breaking point

887
00:36:55.575 --> 00:36:58.595
and you t-bone a guy and end his, they can't qualify.

888
00:36:58.705 --> 00:37:02.115
Yeah. They can't run because you've totaled their car. Yeah.

889
00:37:02.145 --> 00:37:03.155
Fine. Maybe there's a,

890
00:37:03.155 --> 00:37:05.035
maybe there's some repercussions that should happen.

891
00:37:05.415 --> 00:37:09.155
But because a guy dropped a wheel on power spins out

892
00:37:09.215 --> 00:37:12.275
and the car won't restart 'cause the alternator's too hot

893
00:37:12.295 --> 00:37:14.515
or something to like,

894
00:37:14.515 --> 00:37:16.875
you just ruin the race at a place like Daytona, whatever,

895
00:37:16.875 --> 00:37:19.195
qualifying doesn't matter at a place like Long Beach,

896
00:37:19.595 --> 00:37:22.315
a hundred lap race for pass a hundred minute race

897
00:37:22.335 --> 00:37:25.195
for passing's impossible qualifying is everything.

898
00:37:25.215 --> 00:37:27.115
You literally ruin a team's weekend. Okay.

899
00:37:27.115 --> 00:37:28.875
<v Speaker 2>Rent over. So super stupid.</v>

900
00:37:29.015 --> 00:37:31.915
So anyways, uh, Rob apparently caused a red,

901
00:37:32.035 --> 00:37:34.635
I don't know the details of it, but uh, that's

902
00:37:34.635 --> 00:37:36.235
<v Speaker 1>Stuck in a runoff 'cause there was a mechanical</v>

903
00:37:36.235 --> 00:37:38.035
issue and couldn't reverse or whatever. Great. Anyway,

904
00:37:38.035 --> 00:37:39.035
<v Speaker 2>Great.</v>

905
00:37:39.035 --> 00:37:42.595
So he um, lost his best lap in qualifying, which meant

906
00:37:42.625 --> 00:37:46.355
that he had to do two fast laps, which is hard, uh,

907
00:37:46.355 --> 00:37:49.475
because tires as we all know don't last forever.

908
00:37:49.775 --> 00:37:54.355
Um, so to put in like, you can't have you,

909
00:37:54.385 --> 00:37:56.955
it's not like you can do like a, oh, a semi fasts lap

910
00:37:56.955 --> 00:37:58.355
and then a fast lap because a semi

911
00:37:58.355 --> 00:37:59.395
fasts lap ain't good enough.

912
00:37:59.395 --> 00:38:00.835
So you have to do like two heaters.

913
00:38:00.895 --> 00:38:03.795
And so like that's hard to get the, like the tires don't do

914
00:38:03.795 --> 00:38:04.835
that per se.

915
00:38:05.735 --> 00:38:08.235
Uh, so anyways, they started, uh, a little bit out

916
00:38:08.235 --> 00:38:10.875
of position, um, because again,

917
00:38:10.875 --> 00:38:12.115
they were fastest in practice

918
00:38:12.115 --> 00:38:13.995
and they ended up qualifying ninth, is that correct?

919
00:38:14.495 --> 00:38:15.995
<v Speaker 1>Eighth or ninth?</v>
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, eighth or ninth.</v>

920
00:38:16.495 --> 00:38:17.755
Um, but,

921
00:38:18.215 --> 00:38:20.515
and the race was what it was because you can't pass.

922
00:38:20.695 --> 00:38:23.955
And it was a just a, it was a war out there.

923
00:38:24.655 --> 00:38:28.955
But I don't think any of that should overlook the fact

924
00:38:28.955 --> 00:38:31.955
that he jumped in a car that he's really never driven, uh,

925
00:38:31.985 --> 00:38:33.275
with a hand control system

926
00:38:33.275 --> 00:38:35.765
that he has very little experience with, with a team

927
00:38:35.765 --> 00:38:37.445
that has no experience with.

928
00:38:38.225 --> 00:38:39.885
And they were immediately on the pace.

929
00:38:40.145 --> 00:38:43.365
And while we know Rob is like the man

930
00:38:43.465 --> 00:38:45.645
and can drive anything fast at all times,

931
00:38:46.505 --> 00:38:47.965
as we said at the beginning of this conversation,

932
00:38:48.475 --> 00:38:50.005
it's still incredibly impressive.

933
00:38:50.025 --> 00:38:52.525
And I'm super happy for him and proud of him.

934
00:38:52.785 --> 00:38:55.645
And it's awesome that I asked him point blank.

935
00:38:55.685 --> 00:38:57.725
I was like, okay. So it was ultimately a &lt;inaudible&gt; result.

936
00:38:57.745 --> 00:38:59.925
Was the team happy? He was like, dude, they're over the moon

937
00:38:59.985 --> 00:39:02.605
and that's all you can ask for as a race car driver.

938
00:39:02.605 --> 00:39:03.765
Especially in his position.

939
00:39:03.945 --> 00:39:07.925
So, um, I can't wait to see him in the other two

940
00:39:07.995 --> 00:39:11.165
that he's doing because if Long Beach is any indication,

941
00:39:11.365 --> 00:39:12.885
'cause he was like, man, quite honestly,

942
00:39:12.885 --> 00:39:14.845
like the hand control system history course sucks

943
00:39:15.195 --> 00:39:17.805
because like if you look at the hairpin, you know Yeah.

944
00:39:17.865 --> 00:39:20.325
You're trying to like, he was like having to guess

945
00:39:20.845 --> 00:39:22.045
'cause your hands come off the wheel.

946
00:39:22.245 --> 00:39:24.725
'cause it's so much like steering lock you have to put in

947
00:39:24.825 --> 00:39:26.165
and his hands have to stay on the wheel

948
00:39:26.165 --> 00:39:28.005
because that's what's controlling the brake and throttle.

949
00:39:28.265 --> 00:39:31.325
And so he was like having to judge like when his hand would

950
00:39:31.325 --> 00:39:33.125
come off, like the speed he needed to be at.

951
00:39:33.145 --> 00:39:34.605
So anyways, I can't wait

952
00:39:34.605 --> 00:39:35.725
to see him on a permanent road course

953
00:39:36.325 --> 00:39:38.085
'cause like it's gonna be

954
00:39:38.315 --> 00:39:39.405
Yeah, it's gonna mess everyone else.

955
00:39:39.795 --> 00:39:42.085
<v Speaker 1>It's gonna mess up, it's gonna mess up for people.</v>

956
00:39:42.115 --> 00:39:43.445
It's gonna be great. Um,

957
00:39:43.665 --> 00:39:46.925
and then that was his Saturday job then his Sunday job,

958
00:39:47.105 --> 00:39:49.405
you know, he's sitting on the 27th stand helping

959
00:39:49.405 --> 00:39:52.725
that car out and you know that that went pretty well for,

960
00:39:52.965 --> 00:39:56.605
I mean them so well, I mean he is there.

961
00:39:58.075 --> 00:40:01.805
<v Speaker 2>Okay.</v>
<v Speaker 1>That's that's the Sandy Sisson, I'm just saying.</v>

962
00:40:01.805 --> 00:40:04.245
Yeah, his car, his team won. Mm-hmm . It was a team effort.

963
00:40:04.245 --> 00:40:06.685
Mm-hmm . Um, but yeah, very exciting.

964
00:40:07.265 --> 00:40:09.405
Um, so yeah, that was Long Beach.

965
00:40:09.465 --> 00:40:11.685
You've already been in the sim since then. How'd that,

966
00:40:11.685 --> 00:40:12.685
<v Speaker 2>How your help?</v>

967
00:40:12.685 --> 00:40:14.125
How's your have James? Uh, good.

968
00:40:14.325 --> 00:40:18.205
I mean, what I love about what we're doing is, um, man,

969
00:40:18.225 --> 00:40:20.365
we are, we're correlating events immediately.

970
00:40:20.545 --> 00:40:23.445
So after every event we've been in the sim on Tuesday.

971
00:40:23.985 --> 00:40:27.485
Um, and that won't reap any benefits till next year,

972
00:40:27.625 --> 00:40:29.205
but next year it'll be, it'll be huge

973
00:40:29.205 --> 00:40:32.445
because, you know, so much of the,

974
00:40:32.585 --> 00:40:35.205
the problems, I don't wanna say problems.

975
00:40:35.425 --> 00:40:36.645
The question marks you,

976
00:40:36.945 --> 00:40:39.925
you have leaving a sim session is like, well is that real?

977
00:40:39.955 --> 00:40:41.605
Like is it really gonna do that in real life?

978
00:40:41.705 --> 00:40:46.245
If you, if you go do a 90 lap race at Long Beach

979
00:40:46.735 --> 00:40:48.325
after having been there for three days

980
00:40:49.185 --> 00:40:53.685
and then less than 36 hours later you are on the sim at Long

981
00:40:53.685 --> 00:40:56.725
Beach matching the feeling matching Right.

982
00:40:56.865 --> 00:41:01.085
The corner speeds matching the balance to a point

983
00:41:01.085 --> 00:41:02.925
where you're like, yep, that's exactly what it was.

984
00:41:03.315 --> 00:41:06.485
When we go back there in March of next year to prepare

985
00:41:06.485 --> 00:41:08.885
for Long Beach, like there's not gonna be questions

986
00:41:08.885 --> 00:41:10.245
of Oh is what's happening

987
00:41:10.245 --> 00:41:12.805
because you're not, you can't remember 12 months ago.

988
00:41:12.895 --> 00:41:15.445
Right. You remember break points, you remember certain Yeah.

989
00:41:15.445 --> 00:41:17.245
<v Speaker 1>Things that happened. Not the detail, not the minutia.</v>

990
00:41:17.415 --> 00:41:19.885
<v Speaker 2>Right, exactly. So no, it will be No</v>

991
00:41:20.065 --> 00:41:21.405
that's exactly what it was.

992
00:41:21.675 --> 00:41:24.285
That bump is real. That traction event you have is real,

993
00:41:24.355 --> 00:41:25.885
like that breaking instability is real

994
00:41:26.185 --> 00:41:28.605
and these are what we think we need to do to fix it.

995
00:41:28.985 --> 00:41:31.125
Did it fix it or not? Yes. Okay.

996
00:41:31.125 --> 00:41:33.245
Well you're gonna go to Long Beach a step ahead.

997
00:41:33.425 --> 00:41:35.365
So that's, that's pretty cool that we do it.

998
00:41:35.515 --> 00:41:37.605
I've, I've begged teams

999
00:41:37.745 --> 00:41:39.245
and manufacturers to do that

1000
00:41:39.425 --> 00:41:41.525
for the entire 10 years I've been in IndyCar

1001
00:41:41.525 --> 00:41:43.365
and this is the first time it's actually happened.

1002
00:41:43.505 --> 00:41:44.725
So it's pretty exciting.

1003
00:41:45.155 --> 00:41:46.925
<v Speaker 1>It's a lot of work. It's a big slog.</v>

1004
00:41:46.925 --> 00:41:48.845
It's you finish a weekend, you have to go straight

1005
00:41:48.845 --> 00:41:51.085
to the sim, which we've talked about is not always

1006
00:41:51.085 --> 00:41:52.325
the most fun day to do it.

1007
00:41:52.425 --> 00:41:54.965
No. And you are just trying to dial, it's like you said,

1008
00:41:54.995 --> 00:41:56.925
it's, it's such an interesting process

1009
00:41:56.955 --> 00:41:59.125
because you're come in fresh outta the car

1010
00:41:59.345 --> 00:42:01.165
and you're like, okay, in this corner it's doing this.

1011
00:42:01.265 --> 00:42:05.325
So they manipulate the, the track grip, the tire grip,

1012
00:42:05.645 --> 00:42:06.845
whatever for that corner to feel like that.

1013
00:42:06.905 --> 00:42:09.325
And then this corner to feel like this and this whatever.

1014
00:42:09.825 --> 00:42:11.445
And then you get So it's not even about

1015
00:42:11.445 --> 00:42:12.485
making the car feel good.

1016
00:42:12.665 --> 00:42:14.885
No. It's about making the car feel exactly like it did.

1017
00:42:15.305 --> 00:42:17.005
So now you've got the starting point for next year.

1018
00:42:17.155 --> 00:42:18.965
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we didn't make a single setup change.</v>

1019
00:42:19.105 --> 00:42:21.525
It was purely tire model changes.

1020
00:42:21.615 --> 00:42:23.085
Track model changes. Right. Um,

1021
00:42:23.865 --> 00:42:25.405
<v Speaker 1>So you put the setup that you ran mm-hmm  in the car</v>

1022
00:42:25.865 --> 00:42:29.725
and then you just tweak the model essentially until it's

1023
00:42:29.785 --> 00:42:32.525
so like what, do you know what your best race lap was?

1024
00:42:32.865 --> 00:42:36.445
<v Speaker 2>Uh, 68 9.</v>
<v Speaker 1>What was your best time in the sim?</v>

1025
00:42:36.475 --> 00:42:38.965
<v Speaker 2>Well, we, we</v>
<v Speaker 1>Like how close did did</v>

1026
00:42:38.965 --> 00:42:40.125
<v Speaker 2>You get we correlated qualifying.</v>

1027
00:42:40.915 --> 00:42:42.605
<v Speaker 1>Okay. Sorry. How'd you qualify? Uh,</v>

1028
00:42:42.775 --> 00:42:43.775
<v Speaker 2>67 1.</v>

1029
00:42:44.185 --> 00:42:45.405
<v Speaker 1>And what was your best time in the sim?</v>

1030
00:42:45.655 --> 00:42:49.365
<v Speaker 2>67. Oh,</v>
<v Speaker 1>I'd say that's pretty good. Pretty</v>

1031
00:42:49.365 --> 00:42:50.365
<v Speaker 2>Good.</v>

1032
00:42:50.365 --> 00:42:51.205
<v Speaker 1>I'd say that's pretty good.</v>
<v Speaker 2>Pretty good.</v>

1033
00:42:51.705 --> 00:42:54.645
<v Speaker 1>God. Technology's neat. I like that. I like that stuff.</v>

1034
00:42:54.945 --> 00:42:57.685
Pretty cool. Alright guys, well that's Long Beach.

1035
00:42:57.945 --> 00:43:01.285
Uh, got a weekend off coming up. Have any big plans?

1036
00:43:01.785 --> 00:43:03.605
<v Speaker 2>Uh, big plans, man, sleep.</v>

1037
00:43:04.015 --> 00:43:07.565
Enjoy one of two weekends off this month

1038
00:43:07.565 --> 00:43:11.005
because Lord knows once May starts it's &lt;inaudible&gt; for all

1039
00:43:11.005 --> 00:43:12.165
of us until September,

1040
00:43:12.705 --> 00:43:15.565
but hey, at least then no one can complain about

1041
00:43:15.565 --> 00:43:16.765
three week gaps between

1042
00:43:16.935 --> 00:43:17.935
races.
<v Speaker 1>?</v>

1043
00:43:19.825 --> 00:43:21.925
No, those get a September and complain about six

1044
00:43:21.925 --> 00:43:23.245
month gap between races.

1045
00:43:23.245 --> 00:43:24.725
But that's a different conversation. I mean,

1046
00:43:24.725 --> 00:43:26.245
<v Speaker 2>All of which should be complained about.</v>

1047
00:43:26.545 --> 00:43:27.765
Yes. I'm not saying it's wrong,

1048
00:43:27.825 --> 00:43:29.165
but at least for a couple

1049
00:43:29.165 --> 00:43:30.285
months we don't have to hear about it.

1050
00:43:30.665 --> 00:43:33.645
<v Speaker 1>Yes, true, true, true, true. Uh, Tim, go back to bed.</v>

1051
00:43:33.795 --> 00:43:35.805
Alex the plan. Alex, assume have fun at the gym,

1052
00:43:36.305 --> 00:43:38.405
<v Speaker 2>Uh,</v>
<v Speaker 1>Or wherever you're going now.</v>

1053
00:43:38.835 --> 00:43:39.965
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Thanks. I</v>
<v Speaker 1>Gotta go</v>

1054
00:43:39.965 --> 00:43:41.005
do laundry from a three week trip.

1055
00:43:41.815 --> 00:43:45.985
Wish me luck. This has been off track with Hinch and Rossi.

1056
00:43:46.165 --> 00:43:49.345
Off Track is part of the SiriusXM Sports Podcast Network.

1057
00:43:49.765 --> 00:43:50.945
If you enjoyed this episode

1058
00:43:50.945 --> 00:43:53.145
and want to hear more, please give a five star

1059
00:43:53.145 --> 00:43:54.185
rating and leave a review.

1060
00:43:54.825 --> 00:43:56.945
Subscribe today wherever you stream your podcasts.

1061
00:43:57.085 --> 00:43:59.745
We are at Ask Off Track on Twitter and Instagram.

1062
00:43:59.965 --> 00:44:02.865
And if you wanna follow us on Twitter, we're at Hinch Town

1063
00:44:02.865 --> 00:44:04.185
and at Alexander Rossi.

1064
00:44:04.445 --> 00:44:05.905
If you wanna follow them though,

1065
00:44:05.925 --> 00:44:07.625
we have no idea why you would.

1066
00:44:08.015 --> 00:44:10.305
He's at the Tim Durham on Twitter.

1067
00:44:10.895 --> 00:44:12.865
Find us on YouTube and subscribe to our channel

1068
00:44:12.885 --> 00:44:14.065
for exclusive video content.

1069
00:44:14.525 --> 00:44:17.345
Off Track is produced by Tim Durham and by that we mean fi.