Well, Timmy, when a rubber molecule and a piece of earth love each other very much, they do a special hug, see, and . . . uh . . . hysteresis . . . wait, no, it’s heat cycles . . . er . . . glass point?

Short answer: Magic! Tires are magic!

Warning: We get lightly tech-nerdy here.

This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. This format is called “Instant Expert.” Know squat about the topic? Pull up a chair, we’ll get you up to speed. Expert already? Grab a chair anyway, it’s chill, we got stories.

Related Trivia: We taped this a few weeks ago, shortly after Sam threw out his back while washing a car. 

Related Trivia to the Related Trivia: This episode was made possible by prescription pharmaceuticals. Just like Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours.” 

Unrelated Gibbering: Long-chain rubber molecules keep us together! Don’t stop thinking about temps and pressures—you can inflate your own way! (Check the forecast prior, though: Thunder only happens when it’s wet enough for rain tires, etc.)

This episode was produced by Mike Perlman.

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⁠Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023⁠⁠⁠

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Where to find us:

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ABOUT THE SHOW:

It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.

Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver and a world-renowned performance coach and author. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning journalist and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine. Together, we explore the emotion at the heart of the machine.

We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the bag of meat at the wheel.

New episodes every Tuesday.