On the eve of the Indianapolis 500, Jack Benyon and co-host JR Hildebrand, an Indy 500 runner-up, discuss all of the big talking points ahead of this year's race at The Brickyard. As cars circulate behind them, they recap qualifying, go over Graham Rahal's late call-up to replace the injured Stefan Wilson (with JR explaining how close he came to the ride), pick their dark horses and favourites for race victory, and much more...

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Alex Palou, the fastest ever Indianapolis 500 pole-winner, is our star guest for this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast.

The first Spaniard to win an Indy 500 pole is in good form, discussing why securing pole led to such an emotional celebration, how his analytical nature helped him capture P1, and his motivation and desire to score more poles, this being his first on an oval.

The 2021 IndyCar champion also looks at how his team-mates - especially Scott Dixon - helped him to win the pole, and how the changing conditions meant he thought his chance for pole on Sunday had slipped away before turning it around for the final showdown.

Co-hosts Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand also break down the bump day drama, where Graham Rahal was expelled from the event by RLL team-mate Jack Harvey, who we also hear from.

And finally, Juncos Hollinger's Callum Ilott stops by to explain his remarkable qualifying journey, which saw him dramatically switch to a backup car that he had just 12 laps in before delivering a run that got him in the field.

Don't forget, if you have a question for our hosting team, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected]

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On this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast Jack Benyon and co-host JR Hildebrand analyse Alex Palou beating the McLaren team he’s been linked to joining in the GMR Grand Prix on the Indy road course. Plus, with the build up now well underway, we preview the start of action at the Brickyard ahead of the Indy 500.

How will Palou winning so early in the season impact his assault on his year’s title? That's one of the key topics for debate, as is whether McLaren’s rise in performance has made Palou’s previous attempts to leave Ganassi for their rivals look more reasonable.

JR talks about what it is going to be like to miss his first Indy 500 after 12 consecutive attempts, and is also on hand to tell you how to view Tuesday to Friday’s Indy 500 practice action, without being duped by the time sheets.

He also discusses how Indy’s ride height conundrum will be affected by new aero parts, and how teams will look to manipulate and capitalise on set-ups to find an edge on the opposition.

Don't forget, if you have a question for our hosting team, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected]

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Reigning Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar championship leader Marcus Ericsson is our guest on this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast as we officially kick off the famous 'Month of May'.

Before getting to the Indy 500, Ericsson discusses his season so far, makes a promise to improve his out-laps, talks about Chip Ganassi Racing’s improved qualifying form, and explains how it feels to be leading the championship at this stage of the year.

Fresh from attending the Kentucky Derby, the 500 is, of course, a big topic of conversation for Ericsson as we are mere days from practice starting.

Ericsson, who will not benefit from being under the radar like he was last year, weighs up the likelihood of even more competitive rivals, the pressure to win again versus the peace that comes from winning already, having continuity in the personnel in his team, and how winning the race changed his everyday life beyond recognition.

We also ask him for the latest on his future, as he is in a contract year at Ganassi and the list of other suitors appears to be growing by the day...

Don't forget, if you have a question for our hosting team, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected]

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With a rematch of the Romain Grosjean/Scott McLaughlin on-track warfare and a fascinating strategy chess game, the Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber raised plenty of talking points to debate on this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast.

The Race’s Jack Benyon and IndyCar podium finisher JR Hildebrand analyse Grosjean’s drive, discuss whether his Turn 5 error gave McLaughlin what was already an inevitable win, and explain how he’s excelled in saving fuel in multiple races this year.

They also chat about McLaughlin’s habit for seizing an opportunity, whether that's looking dominant in the lead of the race or making a win seem inevitable when coming from behind.

The hosts also explain why they aren’t ready to hit the panic button for Josef Newgarden - fresh off of a starring role in IndyCar’s new documentary series - after another troublesome weekend, and wax lyrical about Christian Lundgaard’s ace overtake and why it was even more important than it looked.

Don't forget, if you have a question for our hosting team, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected].

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IndyCar’s latest race winner Kyle Kirkwood is our special guest on this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast.

Andretti Autosport's Long Beach victor had a best finish of 10th prior to that race, but with a calm and assured drive in what was a complicated event, Kirkwood emerged victorious - and he reflects on the experience in the show.

On the agenda, Kirkwood takes questions about his rollercoaster rise to the top, and how he handled the criticism, pressure, and expectation that came while trying to lead a struggling AJ Foyt team last year.

He also breaks down what the switch to Andretti has done for him, as well as discussing the “sanity check” benefit that comes from having experienced team-mates. And of course there's a deep-dive into how he won at Long Beach and how leading and fighting for a win is easier than being in the mid-pack.

There’s also some off-piste questions about whether Kirkwood has considered an F1 future, and if he could compete in any event or series, what would it be?

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This week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast digs into several spicy storylines coming out of the Grand Prix of Long Beach, including a driver claiming the gloves are off after a crash that the other party refused to apologise for, a breakthrough win for a long-touted racer, and a driver wanting his crash damage to be paid for.

After an action-packed Long Beach race even by IndyCar standards, co-host JR Hildebrand charts his former team-mate Kyle Kirkwood’s rise culminating in last weekend’s win, how criticism of him has been unfair, and what this win might mean for his future.

JR and co-host Jack Benyon also unpick the clash between Scott Dixon and Pato O’Ward, leading Hildebrand to question whether the racing code has changed and if O’Ward’s move might have been deemed unacceptable in the past, which could make Dixon more feisty in the future.

Jack also praises the performance of Marcus Ericsson, as the Ganassi driver picked up the points lead after another podium, and finally, the hosting team round-up what to look for at this week’s Indianapolis 500 two-day test.

Don't forget, if you have a question for our hosting team, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected]

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A ‘hate-mail’ inducing pit stop crash, Pato O’Ward’s mindset after heartbreak and success to start 2023 and the reasons for a brilliant Texas oval race punctuate the latest episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast.

Back after a short break to become a Dad for the first time, co-host and former Indy Lights champion JR Hildebrand breaks down the Kyle Kirkwood and Alexander Rossi crash in detail, as well as looking at some of the reasons this Texas race was so good after multiple poorer races have been the norm recently.

Josef Newgarden’s status given his first win with another new engineer is discussed, while the hosting team also round up some of the key stories from through the field.

Don't forget, if you have a question for Jack or JR, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected]

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The latest episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast provides an inside view on what it’s like preparing a rookie for their oval debut, with Agustin Canapino’s race engineer Charlie Ping joining the show.

Ping has worked for a broad range of IndyCar teams as well as the engine manufacturers and has also spent time in tin-tops in the Australian Supercars series, so is the perfect fit as Canapino’s race engineer having also worked with the show’s co-host JR Hildebrand in the past.

On the agenda for this week’s show is assessing Canapino’s adaptation and his somewhat surprising but welcome trait in one key driving area, as well as looking at the team culture Ping works in under boss Ricardo Juncos.

Ping also outlines how to prepare a rookie for ovals and some of the traits he looks for in oval newcomers - with Texas marking the first oval race of the season this weekend - as well as some of the key challenges rookies face in the unusual nature of racing in circles.

Don't forget, if you have a question for our hosting team, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected].

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In a bumper interview edition of The Race IndyCar Podcast, the series' most recent winner Marcus Ericsson and its latest breakout star Callum Ilott join to discuss their fast starts to the season.

Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson of Chip Ganassi Racing gives a unique insight into his St Petersburg victory, before delving into details of his new mental coach for this year, how that’s helped improve his performance and perhaps how speaking about it could break down the stigma associated with drivers getting help from professionals in this area.

Ericsson also discusses his post-race comments that he feels he hasn’t been in enough people’s minds for being a title contender this year.

F2 runner-up in 2020, Ilott, went from 22nd to fifth at St Pete having scored an incredible front row qualifying start in the last race of the previous season, keeping up his forward momentum.

Ilott’s performance in a new, one car team last year meant he was linked to bigger teams for the future and he discusses the team’s upward trajectory, how he’s been able to extract the most from Juncos Hollinger Racing, whether this race is a sign of things to come and a transition from European-based series to racing in the States.

Don't forget, if you have a question for our hosting team, you can email text and/or voice notes to be included on the podcast by sending them to [email protected]

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