The Formation Yap joins the Indycar Dad Podcast to discuss their predictions for the 2026 IndyCar season, including championship winners, Indy 500 winners, first-time winners, and new race discussions. The conversation also delves into the concept of manifesting outcomes and the impact of fan energy on drivers. The conversation covers a range of topics including racing misfortunes, anticipation for upcoming races, challenges at Daytona, preparations for the Phoenix race, discussion about Prema Racing, Rookie of the Year contenders, and the start of rumors and gags. The speakers share humorous anecdotes and engage in light-hearted banter throughout the conversation. The conversation covers a range of topics including the youngest driver in IndyCar, predictions for the next winner, driver performance and expectations, controversial opinions, humorous interactions, personal anecdotes, rapid fire questions, and gossip/personal insights. The conversation covers a range of topics including driver speculation, future plans, Colton Herta's career path, Dale Coyne Racing's second driver, humorous race day scenarios, race day viewing habits, upcoming race attendance, and excitement for the IndyCar season. The participants engage in lively discussions about potential struggles in F2, predictions about driver performance, team decisions, and humorous race day ideas. They also share their race day viewing habits, upcoming race attendance plans, and express their excitement for the upcoming IndyCar season.

Takeaways

• Season predictions and discussions on championship, Indy 500, and first-time winners
• Insight into the impact of fan energy and manifesting outcomes
• Exploration of new race discussions and predictions Humorous banter and light-hearted discussions
• Anticipation and excitement for upcoming races Insightful predictions and opinions on upcoming races and drivers
• Humorous and engaging interactions between the hosts Driver speculation
• Future plans
• Colton Herta's future in F2
• Potential struggles in F2
• Speculation about Dale Coyne Racing's second driver
• Predictions about the driver's performance
• Humorous race day scenarios
• Creative and entertaining race day ideas
• Race day viewing habits
• Engagement with race day content
• Upcoming race attendance
• Social media presence and engagement
• Anticipation for the upcoming IndyCar season
• Passion for motorsports

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Season Predictions
• 06:10 Indy 500 Winner Predictions
• 16:39 Discussion on New Races
• 22:15 Challenges at Daytona
• 27:30 Discussion about Prema Racing
• 35:32 Start of Rumors and Gags
• 41:00 Controversial Opinions and Driver Analysis
• 46:15 Rapid Fire Questions
• 52:07 Colton Herta's Career Path
• 59:10 Humorous Race Day Scenarios
• 01:04:50 Upcoming Race Attendance and Social Media

Here is the Indycar news for the week of February 5th, 2026.

Here is what happened in Indycar this week. Presented in 5 minutes:

1. Mick Shumacher Testing. He had the entire track (homestead) to himself. He didn’t crash. Ryan Briscoe is his driver coach. I think that is a great result for the team. But there is no data to work with here. It will be useful to prep him for the Phoenix oval test. 
2. We have some spy shots of outside the PREMA shop and it doesn’t look good. 
3. Callum Ilot was interviewed and he also indicated that they don’t seem likely to be at the test days nor at St. Pete. 
4. The Freedom 250 was put on the calendar. We haven’t seen much detail, but everyone is promising a race in Washington DC as a celebration of our country’s 250th birthday. 
5. McLaren “launched” their 2026 cars. Considering they look pretty much the same and the chassis and engine is the same, the only thing we missed from that event was some free food. Maybe I’ll get an invite next year. 
6. It turns out that Romain Grosjean was at media day last week. He wasn’t part of the official images released by Indycar, but pictures of him in an all black firesuit that matched Dennis Hauger’s appeared on Getty Images. 
7. We all got to see a letter that Roger Penske wrote to Donald Trump. I always admired Roger Penske. I live near him and he always seemed like a guy who spent his money doing things that I would do if I was a Billionaire. I tell you what, I wouldn’t be writing letters to kiss anyone’s ass if I was Roger Penske. 
8. Dario Francitti will be racing at St. Pete this year. Unfortunately, he will be in a Toyota truck, but it will be fun to see him back and racing competitively. 
9. Conor Daly said there is a percentage of a chance that he will be at St. Pete in an Indycar. 

A week's worth of INDYCAR news in just over 5 minutes. Here is a summary of what happened this week in INDYCAR.

In this episode of the IndyCar Dad Podcast, I share my experiences and insights from attending the Rolex 24, focusing on the performance of IndyCar drivers, the challenges of watching a 24-hour race, and comparisons to IndyCar racing. I discuss the difficulties of following the race due to the complex nature of endurance racing and the impact of weather conditions on the event. The episode concludes with reflections on the overall experience and a preference for shorter, more intense races like IndyCar events.

• In this episode of the Indycar Dad Podcast, host Tom shares his expert tips for maximizing enjoyment at the Rolex 24 hour race. He emphasizes the importance of preparation, from researching the event on Reddit to organizing tickets and parking passes. Tom discusses his personal experiences, including the excitement of meeting fellow fans and drivers, and the significance of having a well-planned schedule for the race weekend. He also highlights the need for proper gear, such as comfortable clothing, sun protection, and hydration, to ensure a fun and safe experience at the event.
• Tom dives into practical advice for navigating the Daytona International Speedway, including tips for parking, avoiding traffic, and making the most of the race day atmosphere. He shares insights on what to pack in a backpack for the day, including snacks, water, and essential items for comfort and enjoyment. Throughout the episode, Tom's enthusiasm for racing shines through, making it clear that with the right preparation, fans can have an unforgettable experience at the Rolex 24.

The Rolex 24 hour race at Daytona is the first big race of the year and it is arguably IMSA's biggest race of the year. A lot of Indycar drivers participate in the Rolex 24. I spent some time looking over the entry list and created this podcast. In the podcast I cover the drivers, their racing class, and more. It is a great listen if you plan to watch the Rolex 24 or if you are just ready for the off-season to end.

What is it like to eat like an Indycar driver? Let's find out. Indycar hot shoe Kyffin Simpson let us know what he likes to eat after strength training, so I figured I would try to be like him.

I'm Indycar Dad and I do fun things related to Indycar. Eating like an Indycar driver seemed like a good idea, but will it be? Listen to this episode.

Welcome to the Indycar Dad podcast.  

This is the first episode that will be widely circulated, so I’m going to explain who I am, why there is an Indycar Dad podcast, and why you should listen to it.  

I’m Tom. They call me Indycar Dad because I go to the races and I’m a friendly dad kind of guy. 

I love Indycar races because I find them fun. I want you to find them fun as well so I started this project to make that happen. So my focus will be on having fun.

In my opinion there are four things that make Indycar racing fun.:

• Great racing
• A close-up fan experience
• friends and family 
• knowledge of the sport

So that is what we are going to focus upon. Those four things. 

• Great racing - I’ll include podcasts about what is happening, what factors make it happen, and where the drama will be or has been. 
• A close up fan experience - I’m hoping to bring you closer than anyone else. My focus is only on Indycar and I’m trying hard to get access to everything about the series. I’ll share it with you. I hope to deliver more information than any other Indycar podcast. 
• Friends and family - If I ever gain any fans from the project, You will likely be a person that I like a lot. So I don’t see a lot of risk in putting myself out there. If you see me in public, talk to me. We have a lot in common, so I’ll enjoy the conversation. 
• Knowledge of the sport - I don’t know everything about Indycar, but I want to learn everything about Indycar. I used to be an Automotive Engineer and I’ve been a fan of racing for 50 years so I definitely know what questions to ask, so I’m going to learn some good stuff. Also, I’m good at explaining things in simple terms so you’ll learn it too. 

I’m in this for the fun of it. I’m not paid. I don’t need money. I’m not seeking sponsors and I don’t want to sell you anything. This isn’t my job. This is my hobby. I’m a superfan. I’m here to have a great time. So, that’s the Indycar Dad podcast. Please subscribe and join the family.