Speed Street

Conor Daly is back this week with one pressing question: where did all the IndyCar drivers go? He and co-host Chase Holden discuss the lack of social media presence a lot of the paddock has displayed since the season finale in Nashville. They also debate whether race fans having access to drivers’ personal lives is good for the growth of the sport. Conor brings up the discourse surrounding NASCAR’s Playoff system and how it has kept NASCAR relevant in a sports market dominated by football. They also respond to Romain Grosjean’s spicy comments about how he will likely be sitting out next season due to a lack of funding after one of the best seasons in his career. 

Longtime NASCAR competitor and NBC broadcaster Parker Kligerman joins the show to discuss his decision to leave the pursuit of full-time racing to further his career in television. He and Conor relate on the ups and downs of being underfunded in racing, and how the glimmers of hope often drive several more years in the grind. Parker goes into what he describes as a symbiotic relationship between racing on Saturdays and broadcasting on Sundays, where he’s able to take anecdotes from his time behind the wheel that help him on camera. He also provides some insight into what else he’d like to try in motorsports before hanging up the helmet for good. Finally, the guys tackle the ever burning question of how to help spread the word of IndyCar.

As we continue to roll into the IndyCar off season, Conor Daly and Chase Holden are back on Speed Street with the latest driver silly season developments. Last week saw Kyffin Simpson confirmed as the third and final Chip Ganassi Racing driver for 2025, pairing him with Scott Dixon and Alex Palou. Prema Racing has solidified its two driver line-up by adding former Formula 3 Champion Robert Shwartzman to its operation to join Callum Ilott.  Conor also sheds light on why teams like Penske and Arrow-McLaren are testing unsigned drivers in the off season despite already having a set line-up for 2025.

Open wheel legend and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti joins the show to talk about his post-driving role at Chip Ganassi Racing and how the current day of IndyCar compares to his era behind the wheel. Dario comments that when he watches races at home as a fan, he believes that IndyCar’s on-track product is second to none. He speaks on the open wheel cars of the past and how the high-horsepower was a challenge for drivers to deal with. He and Conor relate on how the old IndyCar engines sound iconic and wish there was a way for the current hybrid systems to be tuned to sound similar. Dario explains what his week to week duties are at CGR and how he works with current drivers in the paddock to improve performance. He also reflects on his 2008 season in NASCAR and how it humbled and inspired him to become a better racer upon his return to the open wheel world. 

Conor Daly’s 2024 racing season has officially come to a close as he was once again in NASCAR Truck competition at Homestead Miami Speedway this past weekend. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss why he struggled behind the wheel with limited practice and how difficult the Truck is to adapt to in comparison to its NASCAR Xfinity counterparts. They also chat about Pato O’Ward’s massive, warm welcoming at the Formula One Mexico Grand Prix and how the huge showing at his personal appearance is a great thing for the future of IndyCar. Also, they ponder if this huge display of support for the IndyCar superstar will expedite the process of getting the series back to Mexico for a championship points race.

The return of the People’s Podium segment welcomes past guest Kevin Beck to the table to give his thoughts on the 2024 IndyCar season. Kevin makes the point that IndyCar had a great window of opportunity to find new viewership during the Formula One summer break this year, as the series put on some compelling races after the Indianapolis 500. The guys also discuss Pato O’Ward’s fan support from Mexico and how it can help elevate a sport similarily to Ayrton Senna in Formula One during the mid to late 1980s and Caitlyn Clark currently in the WNBA. Kevin argues that IndyCar needs to study what the WNBA is doing to market Clark’s popularity and how the series is capitalizing on the player’s stardom to help elevate its overall presence. Finally, the guys discuss what an IndyCar in Mexico could mean for the series and how it will be viewed on an international scale. 

Conor Daly prepares for his next challenge behind the wheel on this week’s episode of Speed Street. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss his upcoming NASCAR Truck race at Homestead and the challenges he’s facing in a grueling market for open seats in 2025. The guys also discuss the recent IndyCar test at Iowa Speedway as well as the Indianapolis Road Course test for 2025’s IndyNXT roster. Conor spent the past weekend watching racing and was disappointed with the outcome of the Formula One United States Grand Prix. He weighs in on the differences between IndyCar and Formula One track limits and how the race may have played out differently if the stewards didn’t have to get involved. 

Hailie Deegan joins the show to discuss her highly publicized transition from the NASCAR world to the IndyNXT paddock. Hailie explains that after her last NASCAR Xfinity event, she began to ponder entering the open wheel world and went to the IndyCar event at Iowa Speedway to take in the series firsthand. She compares the amount of track time she’s had so far in preparing for her first IndyNXT start to her past four seasons spent in NASCAR, which reveals a major challenge for developing racers in the stock car world. Conor and Hailie discuss the use of iRacing in helping to ease the growing pains that come with switching types of race cars, as well as the affordability of racing in IndyNXT versus a NASCAR Truck. 

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There were IndyCars on track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week for a hybrid system test, and Conor Daly was again behind the wheel of a Juncos Hollinger Racing Dallara participating. He checks into Speed Street to fill co-host Chase Holden and listeners in on what unfolded in the test, which was the first time a lot of drivers got to try the new hybrid cars out at the legendary oval. Conor explains with the newly added weight of the hybrid system, the cars are slow in comparison to previous years, but it’s still too early to make a prediction of how next year’s Month of May will be. The guys also dig into other big news items in the IndyCar world including more details being revealed about the Arlington Street Race, Fox beginning promotion of the 2025 Indy 500 and Hailie Deegan making the jump from the NASCAR world to run IndyNXT full time.

Conor’s former Ed Carpenter Racing teammate Rinus VeeKay joins the show to chat about his last minute hire to drive for Dale Coyne at the recent IMS hybrid test. Rinus explains that although he had recently been relieved of his driving duties at ECR, he still thought it would be good to show up at the IMS test and try to schedule some meetings with potential new teams, which led to him getting in the Coyne car for some laps. Having spent a lot of time at ECR with Rinus, Conor was curious to what factors may have contributed to the team’s struggles in recent years, despite driver effort. The guys also fielded questions from social media listeners, who wanted to know what the dynamic between Conor and Rinus was like as teammates and what the team was like after Conor left. Rinus explains that one of the main reasons he ended up making the jump from the European karting ranks to the Road to Indy was the scholarship system in place, which helped get him into the IndyNXT ranks and in front of IndyCar team owners. They also discussed what may be on the horizon for Rinus, to which he is optimistic he will be back in IndyCar full time.

Conor Daly’s “have helmet, will travel” 2024 tour continues as he was in competition at last weekend’s 8 Hours of Indianapolis Intercontinental GT Challenge event. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss the nuances that he and Alex Palou experienced in making the transition from a Dallara IndyCar to a GT3 sports car. He explains that ultimately a fuel pick-up failure took him and the Random Vandals team out of contention after running in the top-five for most of the event. They also discuss the star-studded endurance kart race which took place at New Castle Motorsports Park, IndyCar’s announcement of the 2026 Arlington Street Race and the upcoming hybrid test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The newest member of the Meyer Shank Racing team Marcus Armstrong joins the show to discuss how the new technical alliance between MSR and Chip Ganassi Racing has moved him to the number-66 Dallara for the 2025 IndyCar season. Marcus explains that he has worked with MSR veteran Felix Rosenqvist in the past and the integration from team to team has been smooth thus far. He also opens up about the difficulty in adapting to oval racing after spending the majority of his career progressing up the Formula ladder system in Europe. Marcus explains that even though he had resources like Dario Franchitti at CGR, he as a driver still had to go out on the track and perform, and his first experiences at tracks like Indianapolis and Milwaukee felt like a whirlwind. Marcus is excited to be a part of the IndyCar Series though and hopes that the championship trail will take them to new venues across the globe in the future.

Conor Daly traded his Dallara in for a Silverado this past weekend as he was in NASCAR Truck action at Kansas. He joins co-host Chase Holden to dig into how the Friday night event unfolded and how he managed to bring the PolkaDot sponsored Niece Motorsports number-44 entry home in 17th position. They also catch up on the latest IndyCar off-season news, where Alexander Rossi has been tabbed to be the new pilot for the Ed Carpenter Racing number-20 ride. Conor explains why he is upset with ECR’s lack of acknowledgement for former racer Rinus VeeKay’s contributions to the team. IndyCar’s rumored return to Texas and Michael Andretti stepping down from his position of power at Andretti Global are also discussed.

Team Penske Racing Engineer Luke Mason joins the show to help give listeners a better idea of the technical side of IndyCar racing. Through his position on Josef Newgarden’s team, Luke has won back to back Indianapolis 500s over the past two seasons. Conor and Luke discuss how some drivers in the paddock have struggled to get used to the heavier Dallara that has developed over the years with the introduction of the aeroscreen and the hybrid system. They also dive into the world of dampers and how much of a difference they make in car setup programs. Conor asks Luke about the aerodynamics of the car and trim methods used to help make speed in qualifying, as well as how his requests to find comfort in the car differ from Josef. 

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It may be the first weekend after the IndyCar season finale, but the news cycle is in full swing. Conor Daly and co-host Chase Holden report in to Speed Street with all of the latest breaking IndyCar headlines, including the monumental charter agreement and the effect it will have on bigger teams in the paddock like Chip Ganassi Racing. Marcus Armstrong and Callum Ilott announce their homes for 2025 and Logan Sargeant looks to make the jump from Formula One with a test for Meyer Shank Racing at Thermal Club. The development that shocked the IndyCar world last week was that Rinus VeeKay has been let go by Ed Carpenter Racing. Also, the guys weigh in on the FBI raid of Rahal Letterman Lanigan.

2024 IndyCar Champion Alex Palou stops by the show to talk about how he clinched his third title in four years during the Nashville finale weekend. After a rough qualifying effort and a grid penalty, Alex knew he had the odds stacked against him to stay ahead of Will Power in the final points standings. Alex explains that he was relieved when he heard about Will’s seat belt failure and unplanned pit stop, but was disappointed that they did not get to race each other properly for the title. Alex and Conor relate over how the race at Nashville played out and what made it fun, but different from other oval races this season. Finally, Alex talks about his goal to win an oval race next season and what it will take to stay ahead of the competition.

The checkered flag has flown on the 2024 IndyCar season, and Conor Daly brought the Juncos Hollinger 78-car home to a well-earned 10th place finish. He joins co-host Chase Holden to talk about the unknowns the paddock faced as they rolled into Nashville Superspeedway, a track the IndyCar Series last raced at in 2008 when only a handful of current drivers were competing. Conor explains that he actually leaned on his teammate from the 2024 Indianapolis 500 Ryan Hunter Reay for some intel on the track, to which Ryan provided his race notes from his last visit. Much of the weekend saw drivers dealing with the mountainous bump in turn four, which caused teams to focus on finding a balance in their setups to try and ease the jump. A race to the finish in the championship points standings was decided early when Will Power had a seat belt malfunction, and while Colton Herta drove into victory lane, Alex Palou celebrated his third season crown in four years.

Race winner Colton Herta joins the show to discuss his epic late race battle with Pato O’Ward, which saw the two front runners split slower traffic in a move that decided the final outcome. Colton explains that after an underwhelming qualifying effort, he wasn’t sure what to expect on race day. But the Andretti Global team’s improvements in raceability saw Colton making steady improvements throughout the season, and he was finally able to capture his first short oval victory. Conor and Colton relate on the confusion that short track racing can cause, as lead lap and slower cars are mixed across the surface, making it hard to determine which contests are for position. Colton is excited about the momentum this victory brings, and expects to be a championship contender in 2025.

The end of the IndyCar season is upon us, and Speed Street has everything you need to prepare for the showdown in Nashville. Conor Daly is in the thick of a Leader’s Circle points battle, and he fills co-host Chase Holden in on the other drivers to watch for this weekend as the final positions of the top-22 fall into place. They also chat about the championship battle between points leader Alex Palou and second place Will Power and how the various scenarios might play out for Will to overcome the 33-point deficit. Conor fills listeners in on the new alternate tire that Firestone will be bringing and how teams who haven’t tested at the track will be doing most of their prep work on the simulator.

The show welcomes former IndyCar racer and NBC broadcaster James Hinchcliffe to give his insight on the 2024 season and what’s to come this weekend. James believes that based on the oval action at St. Louis and Milwaukee that race fans and competitors alike are in for an exciting season finale. He also weighs in on the uncertainty the new alternate tire brings to such an important event. The guys size up the champion contenders and speculate as to who might come out on top based on their performance throughout 2024. Finally, James makes some podium predictions and chats about what the future holds for him after the IndyCar season concludes.