This week on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin get you ready for this weekend’s buffet of racing, including IndyCar’s race at Texas Motor Speedway. They discuss IndyCar’s future at the 1.5-mile oval that has hosted the series since the track opened in the late 90s, what to expect from the race, how the PJ1 compound on the track will affect things, and some drivers to watch out for. Kevin and Curt speculate about what to expect from Jimmie Johnson, who will make his IndyCar oval debut Sunday, but has won seven times at Texas in the NASCAR Cup Series. The guys break down the recent news that Colton Herta will McLaren’s F1 team for testing. 

They talk to Juncos-Hollinger rookie Callum Ilott about his IndyCar oval debut this weekend, and how his season opener at St. Pete went. The former F2 driver talks about his adjustment to IndyCar, the challenges of being on a new team without a teammate, which tracks he is looking forward to most, and how he prepared for the high banked TMS. Ilott takes us through his path to IndyCar and what he hopes to accomplish. Later, Julia Steinbrenner joins the show to discuss her new ownership role in the Andretti-Steinbrenner entry with Devlin DeFrancesco. She talks about how she caught the racing bug and how the race team can help the Yankees and vice versa.

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This week on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin welcome A.J. Foyt Racing rookie Kyle Kirkwood to the show. They discuss last week’s rookie test at Texas, which was his first time on a superspeedway. We hear from Kyle about what challenges the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway will present later this month and his thoughts on his IndyCar debut at St. Pete. 

They break down what was learned at the recent rookie test at TMS, including who Ryan Hunter-Reay was mentoring and what RHR’s future plans entail. We discuss what factors have led to potentially only having 33 cars for the Month of May, and Ed Carpenter’s recent announcement that he’ll compete in the Indy 500 in the number 33 Chevy. Kevin and Curt talk about the controversy that F1 report Will Buxton spun up with a recent tweet about the aeroscreen.

In the second hour, we hear from Graham Rahal regarding the recent major concert announcements for the Iowa doubleheader weekend with Hy-Vee sponsorship, and the guys talk about the benefit to having Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton play at Iowa. 

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This week on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin break down the IndyCar season opener in St. Petersburg, won by Scott McLaughlin. They discuss the exciting personality of the second year Team Penske driver, and the similarities between the start of McLaughlin’s second season and defending series champion Alex Palou’s 2021 season opener. 

They break down Palou’s impressive second place run after crashing in practice Saturday. Kevin and Curt discuss some more drivers who impressed at St. Pete, along with those who are looking to improve going to Texas later this month. 

They talk about some recent news tidbits, including a potential NASCAR street race in Chicago and IndyCar’s desire to race in Mexico. Later in the show, Kevin and Curt talk about Will Power’s comments on backmarkers and IndyCar’s need for a blue flag rule, plus Alexander Rossi’s disappointing day in St. Pete and Kyle Kirkwood’s future. 

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This week on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin look ahead to this weekend’s festivities and the schedule for the IndyCar season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg. They discuss the recent “Back Home Again” commercial voiced by David Letterman, and the high level of interest in the Indy 500, which is less than 100 days away. Kevin and Curt mention Sunday’s Daytona 500 which was won by Austin Cindric, son of Team Penske president and Indy native Tim Cindric. They talk about whether the 23-year-old could one day drive in the Indy 500. 

They discuss Colton Herta’s hot streak, as he enters the weekend winner of two races in a row and as the defending champ at St. Pete. They also break down which drivers need to have a sense of urgency going into the first race of a 17-race season. In the second hour, the guys talk about Mario Andretti’s recent tweet about his son Michael’s bid to start a new Formula 1 team starting in 2024. Finally, they speculate on which drivers could make an Alex Palou-like jump in 2022 and be a surprise championship contender.

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This week on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin discuss the IndyCar testing going on at Sebring Monday and Tuesday. They break down Kevin Magnussen’s test with Ganassi, along with 16 other drivers who took to the track Monday. Kevin and Curt give their thoughts on which drivers and teams needed to take advantage of the track time. They discuss a few drivers who had disappointing 2021 seasons to varying degrees, and which drivers they expect to take a big step forward in 2022. 

Steve Wittich from Trackside Online joins the show to talk about the Sebring IndyCar test and some thoughts heading into the season. Steve breaks down the stellar IndyCar rookie class and what to expect from some of those first year drivers.

Kevin and Curt briefly discuss this weekend’s Daytona 500, and break down the recent news that Toyota will not be joining IndyCar as a third engine manufacturer within the next couple of years. Later in the show, they discuss the news that Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick are eyeing racing series to enter other than NASCAR.

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This week on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin update Max Chilton’s future plans as he and Carlin Racing step away from IndyCar, and discuss the 2022 plans for Juncos Hollinger Racing. The guys do an up-to-date car count for the Indy 500, including what teams could still add entries for May. They discuss the performance of IndyCar drivers Colton Herta, Jimmie Johnson and Helio Castroneves at the Race of Champions in Sweden. Kevin and Curt take listener questions, such as their expectations for Rahal Letterman Lanigan rookie Christian Lundgaard at St. Pete. 

We’re joined by James Roe Jr., who will drive for TJ Speed Motorsports in Indy Lights this season. The 23-year-old Irish driver introduces himself and how he got to the Road to Indy, and how he adjusted to Indy Pro 2000 last season. 

Kevin and Curt discuss the NASCAR Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and how it exceeded expectations. 

Later in the show, Ernie Francis Jr. calls in. We talk with the seven-time TransAm champion and SRX race winner about how excited he is to join Indy Lights with Force Indy. Francis tells us about his path to the Road to Indy and where he thought his future was headed until a surprise call from Roger Penske.

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This week on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin break down the exciting Rolex 24 at Daytona from this past weekend. They discuss the spectacular run over the past 14 months by 46-year-old Helio Castroneves, who added another line to his illustrious resume with an overall victory with Meyer Shank Racing. 

They’re joined by Devlin DeFrancesco, who was part of the LMP2 winning team DragonSpeed USA, along with Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta. We hear from Devlin about winning a Rolex and how the sports car effort came together. Devlin talks about his upcoming rookie season in IndyCar, his expectations, and how he is getting acclimated to the Andretti Steinbrenner number 29 Honda. 

Kevin and Curt discuss the announcement from last week that Ernie Francis Jr. will drive in Indy Lights this year for Force Indy in a continuation of the Race for Equality and Change. They pay tribute to Vince Granatelli, former IndyCar team owner who passed away recently. Kevin and Curt also discuss Helio Castroneves’ stated desire to run big events such as the Daytona 500, and Robert Wickens’ return to the cockpit.

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This week on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin preview the Rolex 24 at Daytona coming up this weekend, including a complete guide to the numerous IndyCar stars you can expect to see among the 61 entries. They discuss the comeback of Robert Wickens, who will compete for Bryan Herta Autosport in the BMW M Endurance Challenge Friday. Kevin and Curt also look ahead to the Sebring/Texas doubleheader in March and which IndyCar drivers could try to race in both, and answer Twitter questions such as the most recent Toyota-to-IndyCar rumors. 

Later in the show, they break down a variety of questions from the recent IndyCar Fan Survey, such as whether or not the Indy 500 should pay double points, whether races should ever end under caution and the most important races on the IndyCar schedule. Kevin and Curt go through some tidbits from last week’s IndyCar Content Days, such as expectations for Colton Herta and Pato O’Ward’s Formula 1 hopes.

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This week on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin wish a happy 87th birthday to the legend A.J Foyt, who has been in the news this week with the announcement that Tatiana Calderon will join his team this year. The guys wrap up the IndyCar Silly Season, with Conor Daly being announced as a full-time driver for Ed Carpenter Racing in the number 20 car. They break down what it means for Carpenter’s on-track future and how the unique sponsorship for Daly came to be. With Calderon only racing road and street courses for Foyt, Kevin and Curt speculate who could drive the number 11 car on ovals, and what to expect from the 28-year-old Colombian.

They preview IndyCar testing at Sebring coming up this week, and look ahead to the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. Kevin and Curt discuss the return of Robert Wickens to the driver’s seat, as the fan favorite will drive for Bryan Herta and Hyundai in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. 

Kevin and Curt are joined by Matthew Brabham, who will drive full-time for Andretti Autosport in Indy Lights this season. The 27-year-old breaks down his circuitous route back to Indy Lights after an Indy 500 start in 2016, his mindset about being back in the series and what he learned in the Stadium Super Trucks series. Later in the show, the guys recap the IndyCar content days; including engineering tidbits and what Graham Rahal’s future could hold. 

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This week on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin are back for the first time in the New Year, and look ahead to the 2022 racing season. The guys break down the news that Juan Pablo Montoya will be back with Arrow McLaren SP for a third Indy 500 entry in the number six car. They continue to talk IndyCar Silly Season loose ends, including who could end up in the Ed Carpenter Racing number 20 car, and where Ryan Hunter-Reay might compete. Kevin and Curt also discuss the upcoming IndyCar test schedule, and a bevy of engineering changes in the IndyCar paddock. 

The guys break down the IndyCar start times, including the lack of night races; plus the Indy Lights schedule, which was released Tuesday. Later in the show, they discuss Matthew Brabham returning to run Indy Lights full season this year, and touch on the Brandon Brown sponsorship saga over in NASCAR. To wrap up, Kevin and Curt pay tribute to Kevin Kalkhoven, T.E. McHale, and Carl Horton, whom we all lost in the last month.

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