Alex Palou making a mistake is big news in the IndyCar Series, especially when it costs him a win, and that’s a huge talking point on this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast. JR Hildebrand is back to discuss why this incident won’t matter for Palou, and also triggers a fascinating debate on what Palou’s form means for Scott Dixon’s career in light of his Mid-Ohio win. Hildebrand and The Race’s Jack Benyon also discuss Penske’s woeful form and its interesting decision to spurn outside help and p...
Jul 09, 2025•55 min
After an insane Road America IndyCar race, 2012 series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay joins from the ground in Wisconsin, but is also here to tell us about his incredible Indy 500 bid which really could and should have ended with victory. Hunter-Reay and host Jack Benyon look at Palou returning to form and how likely it is anyone can stop him after winning six races halfway through the season. Key storylines from Road America are also delved into before Hunter-Reay tells the story of how a pitstop pr...
Jun 26, 2025•30 min
Fox Sports analyst and six-time IndyCar race winner James Hinchcliffe joins Jack Benyon onthis week’s episode to review a brilliant Gateway race, discuss Will Power’s future and more. After being at the track, Hinch gives excellent insight into why this race - not normally an event he marks on his calendar - was a real thriller. And, with Will Power bagging a first pole since 2023, we discuss the two-time champion’s future, including why it’s such a complicated story and what might be causing an...
Jun 18, 2025•30 min
This week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast tackles a typically wild street course weekend, with Detroit throwing up plenty of controversy on and off track. Matt Beer joins Jack Benyon to break down Kyle Kirkwood’s win, assess his credentials as Palou’s closest rival long-term, and work out how he went from being rammed in practice to a barnstorming series of overtakes to win. Speaking of Kirkwood being rammed, the duo analyse IndyCar’s decision not to penalise Will Power for being the perpe...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr
Live from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and overlooking the yard of bricks, Alex Palou joins The Race IndyCar Podcast just hours after he became the winner of the 109th Indy 500. Palou - with a croaky voice after all of the screaming after the win - breaks down the race winning move and how it was shaped by his 2021 loss to Helio Castroneves. But we also get into his career path from being discarded on the ladder to F1 and identifying IndyCar as a future option, and how his dad, Ramon, fit int...
May 26, 2025•36 min
Getting two of your three cars thrown to the back of the Indianapolis 500 grid is a bad look for any top IndyCar team. When you’re the team whose owner also owns the championship and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it’s even more complicated. Matt Beer borrows The Race IndyCar Podcast Jack Benyon’s host chair so he can quiz Jack on the dramatic developments since Indy 500 qualifying in a bonus mini-podcast. Exactly what Penske did, the crisis over series regulating the fallout from it has creat...
May 21, 2025•29 min
After a stunning Sunday of Indy 500 qualifying action, Robert Shwartzman and Prema Racing gave us one of the storylines that will go down in the event’s long history, and he’s here to tell us about it. Shwartzman discusses the difficulty in putting his lap together, how the team went from nothing to being in contention for pole, what set up up to be able to achieve this, and more. JR Hildebrand - who calls Shwartzman’s Fast 12 run one of the most incredible things he’s seen at the Speedway, list...
May 19, 2025•46 min
IndyCar dominator Alex Palou joins this week’s The Race IndyCar Podcast, which also includes a full preview of the first week of Indianapolis 500 action as the event starts this week. Alex Palou - who has now won four of the first five races of the 2025 season - discusses what it would be like to win the Indy 500, how the new hybrid unit could effect the quality of the racing on track, and how the recent test shaped his expectations for his level of competitiveness at this year’s event. Indy 500...
May 13, 2025•52 min
Romain Grosjean joins this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast to discuss his plan to turn his reserve role at Prema into a series return, while James Hinchcliffe joins to break down Long Beach. Grosjean discusses how he’ll help Prema’s drivers, how he’ll balance giving away his secrets against potential future on-track rivals, his desire to get back into the series, plus he even gives his plan for what IndyCar’s next car should look like (if he was in charge!). Elsewhere, Hinchcliffe hel...
Apr 16, 2025•38 min
Felix Rosenqvist has had another strong start to the IndyCar season with Meyer Shank Racing, and is part of an equally strong line-up on this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast. Among other things, Rosenqvist discusses Shank’s high-profile tie-up with the team that has won four of the last five IndyCar championships - Chip Ganassi racing. He outlines how the relationship is working in practice, how it’s impacted results, and suggests where he thinks Ganassi is ahead of McLaren, the team ...
Apr 02, 2025•57 min
Two stars of IndyCar’s season opener join this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast, with Christian Lundgaard and Will Buxton joining the show. There was plenty of talk surrounding Lundgaard and what he’d be able to achieve entering a McLaren team built around Pato O’Ward, and he discussing that and the expectation he placed on himself before his eighth-place finish which was basically the worst result possible in a weekend that could have been even better. He discusses his affinity with B...
Mar 19, 2025•57 min
The Race IndyCar Podcast shakes off the off-season rust to get its teeth into the first race of the season in St Petersburg, which provided plenty of drama. Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand join forces to break down another Alex Palou series victory, how he undercut Dixon, Dixon’s radio dramas, how Scott McLaughlin and Colton Herta’s races fell apart, and some of the star names and drives in the top 10. There’s also a look at Fox’s first race as TV provider and what its big audience number could me...
Mar 05, 2025•48 min
The Race IndyCar Podcast is back to preview the St Petersburg race which promises to start a new era of the championship and its future. Jack Benyon is joined by JR Hildebrand as they assess the impact of Fox Sports taking over the series’ TV coverage and the massive amount of additional promotion that’s allowed for. To help preview St Petersburg, Benyon asks Hildebrand to name who he thinks will win, who'll be on pole, who'll spring the biggest surprise, and which of the drivers who are absent ...
Feb 28, 2025•37 min
The IndyCar off-season always feels much longer than other series, especially for fans, but luckily The Race IndyCar Podcast is back to pick out five things to watch in 2025. Indy 500 runner-up, IndyCar podium finisher and former Indy Lights champion JR Hildebrand is alongside The Race’s Jack Benyon to look in-depth at some big topics. What Andretti might look like with less Michael involved, how Prema’s new IndyCar team will fair, McLaren’s personnel reshuffling and Christian Lundgaard versus P...
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 1
It's the traditional The Race IndyCar Podcast post-season rankings episode, but did Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand get the top 10 right? Jack and JR offer their top 10s and had some pretty big disagreements in terms of where they placed some drivers (including Pato O'Ward and Scott Dixon) and both had drivers not included in the other's 10 on their list. Jack also discusses the last seats remaining in silly season to be filled. You can contact the show with questions (in a voicenote, if you prefe...
Sep 30, 2024•58 min
Freshly-crowned IndyCar champion Alex Palou pauses his breakfast to chat with The Race IndyCar Podcast about his latest title success. Palou discusses some of his standout stats this year, sticking with Ganassi, how his analytical skill fits IndyCar so well, and his next goal of winning on an oval and an Indy 500. He also addresses his future, and talks about his previous efforts to get to Formula 1 and where he stands on that now - he says he is “not knocking on doors” to get there anymore. Co-...
Sep 17, 2024•1 hr 1 min
It’s a packed episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast ahead of the series finale, with champions, podium breakthrough drivers, strategists and more all packed in. Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand preview what a Nashville oval IndyCar race might be like and look at the championship decider between Alex Palou and Will Power. Those drivers' respective strategists are also featured ahead of a big weekend for Penske and Ganassi. Elsewhere, the scorer of Juncos Hollinger’s first podium, Conor Daly, discusses...
Sep 11, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Everything from a lack of a race in Mexico to a brilliant Milwaukee double-header featuring a huge championship missed opportunity make up this week’s The Race IndyCar Podcast. JR Hildebrand is on hand for fascinating insight into how drivers bounce back from missed opportunities within their control after Will Power spun while looking set to erode the ailing Alex Palou’s points lead. Both drivers’ weekends are investigated. While talking about the race winners and Pato O'Ward, Hildebrand and Ja...
Sep 03, 2024•51 min
A shock first-time polesitter and a rare instance of Alex Palou's championship lead being reduced give The Race IndyCar Podcast plenty to review from Portland last weekend. More race control decisions in the spotlight, a much more traditional style of race and how that worked out strategically in race winner Will Power's favour, plus the changes made at AJ Foyt recently that made Santino Ferrucci's pole possible are all discussed by Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand. The duo also look ahead to the r...
Aug 27, 2024•58 min
An under-the-radar wildcard who's impressing team owners makes a guest appearance on this week's episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast, which also looks back at the Gateway round - where Penske team-mate drama and more issues for Alex Palou's title rivals made for a brilliant race. Jack Benyon is joined by JR Hildebrand to discuss the main talking point from Gateway: a controversial late-race restart. Hildebrand evaluates what he learned from seeing the data, which exonerates winner Josef Newgarde...
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 15 min
It’s the driver move nobody saw coming, as David Malukas joins The Race IndyCar Podcast to discuss his blockbuster decision to switch to the AJ Foyt team for 2025. Malukas has his third team in a year - after being dropped by McLaren after his wrist injury and returning to action with Meyer Shank - and he outlines the reasons for his decision to switch. He also addressed rumours about this being a ploy to get to Team Penske - linked to Foyt - in the future, and answers those who think this is a ...
Aug 15, 2024•45 min
We've got a bonus episode in the feed this week, from our sister podcast Bring Back V10s. Glenn Freeman and Matt Beer are joined by longtime IndyCar reporter Curt Cavin to look back at the 1995 Indy 500 - a race won famously by Jacques Villeneuve - which was the last before US single-seater racing's dreaded CART vs IRL 'split' that changed the racing landscape in North America. But this episode isn't just a celebration of Villeneuve's incredible victory after getting a two-lap penalty. We also l...
Aug 10, 2024•1 hr 26 min
IndyCar commentator Kevin Lee joins this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast to analyse Colton Herta's two-year win drought coming to an end in Toronto, and a shock call-up for Theo Pourchaire at the McLaren team which sacked him. Lee joins The Race’s Jack Benyon to discuss Herta’s path to redemption, plus the excitement in the paddock when it became clear Pourchaire would be flying from Nice to Canada to qualify and race for McLaren. The huge crash triggered by Pato O’Ward’s spin prompts...
Jul 23, 2024•40 min
A controversial Iowa double-header where overtaking was tough and an interview with race winner Will Power make up this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast. Power won race two and discusses his journey to being a better oval driver, a first win at Iowa (and the rebound that required), plus his chances of taking a third title with just six races in the series remaining. He also discusses how he feels about his long-term IndyCar future after questioning whether he should race while his wife...
Jul 16, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward joins this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast in a special interview after his race win at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. O'Ward discusses the weight being lifted of his and the team's shoulders following the end of a near two-year winless streak, talks about his rollercoaster season so far, and describes how he feels about his championship chances after vaulting into third in the standings. He also discusses McLaren's fight to catch Ganassi as IndyCar's top dog and the impact ...
Jul 10, 2024•1 hr 7 min
A ranking of the top 10 drivers in IndyCar so far this year and what to expect from its new hybrid unit are the big talking points on this week's episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast. JR Hildebrand is on hand to dissect Jack Benyon's top 10 rankings and ask some crucial questions of where Benyon has gone wrong, and pin down some of the areas he has right. Elsewhere the duo outline some key things to watch as IndyCar's hybrid unit makes a mid-season debut, and react to the news that Alexander Ross...
Jul 05, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Alex Palou destroying the opposition, a wild weekend for record-breaking Romain Grosjean, and a controversial yellow flag trend make up the talking points of this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast. JR Hildebrand and Jack Benyon are back together to analyse IndyCar's latest round in Laguna Seca, and how Palou came out on top again at a track he's made a habit of dominating at. They also assess Palou's title credentials, and who might be favourite with a host of ovals and the new hybrid u...
Jun 26, 2024•1 hr 9 min
It’s a huge episode as a driver dropped from McLaren discusses his return and an ace rookie talks his first pole position in exclusive interviews with The Race IndyCar Podcast. In our first episode since Road America, The Race’s editor Matt Beer joins to discuss that event and Will Power’s win and under-the-radar bid for a third title. He also gives his thoughts on Colton Herta’s amazing highs and disappointing lows and an ace comeback from Romain Grosjean. Linus Lundqvist was one of the stories...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Last weekend’s wild Detroit race is the subject of this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast. Was it a good race? It was certainly entertaining, but co-hosts JR Hildebrand and Jack Benyon reckoned it crossed a line. They assess driving standards (and how drivers need to do better), how the race was officiated, Dixon’s winning strategy, and how Alex Palou’s incredible 23-race streak came to an end. Angst in the paddock is also discussed after tempers flared between Santino Ferrucci, Colton ...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 5 min
This special bonus episode features a heartfelt interview with 2016 IndyCar champion and 2019 Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud, who drove his late mentor Gil de Ferran's car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week. Pagenaud raced for 2000-2001 CART champion de Ferran, who died in late 2023, when the former first came to America, and through the rest of his career de Ferran was a close friend and confidant Pagenaud could always lean on. Speaking to The Race, Pagenaud discusses the origins of t...
May 30, 2024•16 min
