Less than a couple of hours after his Indianapolis 500 win, Josef Newgarden joins The Race to discuss defending his title with a spectacular move on Pato O'Ward for the win. Newgarden discusses the move that won it, what it means given the controversy surrounding him and the team after he was disqualified at St Petersburg earlier this year, and how qualifying laid the foundations for the success. After that, JR Hildebrand joins Jack Benyon to analyse the key moments of the race with more detail ...
May 27, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Our annual Indy 500 retro special episode features special guest Kenny Brack, looking back on his landmark 1999 Indy win, 25 years ago. Brack explains how, after failing to get on the F1 grid, he landed in the newly formed Indy Racing League, first with Galles Racing in 1998, and then with Foyt, for whom he won the IRL title and the Indy 500 the following year. He recalls the 1999 race, what it did for his career generally (and in Sweden especially), and also packs in some other key career event...
May 23, 2024•1 hr 21 min
This episode features an interview with the winner of the fastest-ever four-lap pole run in the history of the Indianapolis 500, Scott McLaughlin. The Team Penske driver talks about how a change of line helped unlock speed, his journey from tin-tops to single-seater superstar in just over four years, and gives some insight into his race car for Sunday’s 108th running of the Indy 500. Tune in for more from McLaughlin. Elsewhere, co-host JR Hildebrand has been sleuthing in the paddock over the las...
May 21, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Alex Palou’s Indy road course win, a host of expletive-filled spats and a look at the Indy 500 starting this week makes up this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast. Hosting duo JR Hildebrand and Jack Benyon look at Alex Palou starting May in the same way as last year, with a pole and a win on the Indy road course, what that means for his title rivals and how Christian Lundgaard was hard done by. Of course, Colton Herta calling his team-mate Marcus Ericsson an “ass” and Romain Grosjean and Santin...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 3 min
It’s a bumper episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast as Theo Pourchaire discusses his new deal with McLaren, and points leader Colton Herta is also interviewed. Pourchaire will do all of the remaining IndyCar races for McLaren this season apart from the Indy 500, replacing David Malukas who was released after a hand injury. Pourchaire discusses missing out on an F1 seat (so far at least), the crazy month where he went from “sitting at home” to becoming a full time IndyCar driver, how he's adapting ...
May 09, 2024•1 hr 1 min
There's a lot to get into on this episode, with two of the biggest IndyCar stories in recent memory sandwiching a race weekend. Jack Benyon and co-host JR Hildebrand give their thoughts on the scandal engulfing the series last week as Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin were disqualified from the season opener for illegal push-to-pass usage. McLaughlin rebounded in the perfect way to give Penske victory last weekend at Barber and the episode breaks down how he did it, as at one point it was cer...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 4 min
On this episode Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand discuss Scott Dixon’s genius and how it led to a stunning victory in Long Beach. Dixon’s outrageous victory on the streets of California - underpinned by his insane fuel-saving abilities - drew praise from all corners of motorsport at the weekend. As well as discussing how he won and the qualities that mean Dixon can do things his peers can’t, Hildebrand outlines some memories of racing wheel-to-wheel with Dixon and what makes him great in the proces...
Apr 24, 2024•57 min
A crucial test for the Indy 500, an extended injury delay opening the door for the reigning F2 champion and an F1 feeder series juggernaut entering a new two-car team left plenty to discuss on this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast. JR Hildebrand and Jack Benyon are back to discuss Josef Newgarden and Team Penske’s form after topping the Indy 500 Open Test, and break down NASCAR star Kyle Larson’s second-fastest time performance with some key insight into how he’s approaching advice for...
Apr 14, 2024•54 min
The Thermal $1 Million Challenge non-points race has been widely panned by fans, so The Race IndyCar Podcast does a deep dive into the event this week. JR Hildebrand joins Jack Benyon to discuss the things we liked and disliked from the event. Of course, the fact that it was so seemingly universally disliked - at least on social media - triggers a worry for Benyon that IndyCar will be scared to try new things - something it has been criticised for not doing recently. The venue, heat format, push...
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 11 min
Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden joins The Race IndyCar Podcast to discuss his perfect start to the year with a pole and a win in the IndyCar season opener, and victory in the 24 Hours of Daytona with Porsche. Speaking to hosts Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand, Newgarden goes into more detail than he has before on the mental struggles he went through last year, even admitting there were times that he didn’t want to get into the car. He also talks about the intricacies of his win in St Pete, and what t...
Mar 20, 2024•35 min
The Race IndyCar Podcast is back to what it does best - analysing races - after the 2024 IndyCar season got underway in St Petersburg last weekend. Indy 500 regular and Indy Lights champion JR Hildebrand joins The Race’s Jack Benyon to provide some fascinating insight into Josef Newgarden's victory, and the American driver's comments about how he's struggled to enjoy his racing and the steps he has taken to fix that. Chevrolet and Penske’s strong starts are also discussed, as are terrible starts...
Mar 12, 2024•1 hr 28 min
James Hinchcliffe and Jamie Chadwick are the star guests on this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast, which previews the 2024 IndyCar season-opener at St Petersburg. After a long off-season, the series is back and as a former race winner at St Pete and one of the series' TV commentators, 'Hinch' is the perfect person to help preview the race alongside hosts Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand. Hinch analyses the track, paying special attention to Turns 3 and 14, and also talks about what winning at St...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr 7 min
We're delighted to welcome a special guest to The Race IndyCar Podcast this week, as Indianapolis 500-winning engineer Angela Ashmore of Chip Ganassi Racing joins the show. From watching short-track racing as a child to engineering in NASCAR, Ashmore has a diverse resume that most recently led her to winning the 500 with Marcus Ericsson as his assistant engineer, before being promoted to lead engineer for Marcus Armstrong at the team in 2024. Ashmore discusses how well the job of assistant prepa...
Feb 15, 2024•51 min
With the start of the 2024 IndyCar season a little over a month away, it's time for us to pick out five things to watch this year. Indy Lights champion and Indy 500 regular (and hopeful for 2024) JR Hildebrand is back alongside The Race’s Jack Benyon to break down some of this year’s most interesting storylines, including whether anyone can stop reigning champion Alex Palou. They also get into Andretti shrinking to three cars and Marcus Ericsson’s title hopes, a superstar debut at the Indy 500, ...
Feb 02, 2024•1 hr 7 min
The Race IndyCar Podcast is back for 2024 with an interview with one of the surprises of the silly season and more listeners’ tech questions answered. At one stage Alex Palou looked nailed on to drive for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar this year, but a change of heart meant McLaren had to move quickly to snap up a replacement. They turned to young prospect David Malukas, who joins the show for the first time as a McLaren driver. He talks about what is expected of him at McLaren given he is Palou’s rep...
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr 3 min
The Race IndyCar Podcast brings you a mega episode full of your questions relating to tech, and no stone is left unturned in the present or hypothetical future of the series. Of course, questions about IndyCar’s recently delayed hybrid unit dominate, but JR Hildebrand and our very special guest, engineer Charlie Ping, also take questions on a range of other topics including the 12-year-old chassis, while Hildebrand even outlines his future for what he thinks IndyCar should do to avoid stagnating...
Dec 18, 2023•1 hr 35 min
From sitting on the sidelines with less prize money than previous Indy Lights champions to scoring a “unicorn” IndyCar seat, Linus Lundqvist’s epic tale is the basis of this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast. After being “petrified” he'd miss his chance, Lundqvist put what little money he had into an audition which fired him to stardom and a seat at the Chip Ganassi Racing team that won the title this year, and which he’ll drive for in the 2024 season. Lundqvist joins the show and speak...
Nov 23, 2023•55 min
It’s a mammoth episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast this week as Romain Grosjean’s IndyCar reprieve at Juncos after being dropped by Andretti is analysed in detail. Indy Lights champion JR Hildebrand is back alongside The Race’s Jack Benyon, as they assess Grosjean’s time in IndyCar and if he did enough to earn this second-chance opportunity. Could it be that he’s found the perfect level here? How Grosjean might adapt to his new team off-track and how the social media abuse Callum Ilott received ...
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 19 min
We've got an interview double header on this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast, as host Jack Benyon (without regular co-host JR Hildebrand!) chats to both former Indy 500 champion Marcus Ericsson and IndyCar newcomer Juri Vips. First up, Ericsson discusses his big off-season switch from Ganassi to Andretti, explaining why he's so excited about the move, how his strengths could help Andretti’s perceived weakness, and the possibility of one day driving an Andretti F1 car. The Swede also gives Ja...
Oct 17, 2023•49 min
This week's episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast features a double-header: A rundown of the top 10 drivers of the season and an interview with the new Indy NXT champion, Christian Rasmussen. Indy Lights champion and Indy 500 regular JR Hildebrand co-hosts as usual alongside The Race’s Jack Benyon as they create a combined top 10 driver ranking. They highlight the key stats that support their decisions, and look back at their mid-season rankings to see which drivers moved around and why. Following...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 32 min
This week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast wraps up all the awards, battles and fights from the IndyCar season finale at Laguna Seca, with plenty to discuss on and off the track. With JR Hildebrand alongside host Jack Benyon, the pair discuss the contentious penalties and how they perhaps reflect a wider problem with officiating this year, with eventual winner Scott Dixon’s shunt with Rinus VeeKay and Colton Herta’s rocket start being used as case studies. There’s also a look at whether thi...
Sep 13, 2023•58 min
Freshly-crowned 2023 IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou joins this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast within hours of sealing his second title. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver discusses his evolution as a driver and how he didn't want to win this title through consistency alone - something he's certainly managed, with his fifth win of the season in Portland sealing the title. Palou also addresses the fact that he could have been at a different team if his move to McLaren had come off last year, ...
Sep 05, 2023•1 hr 2 min
A stunning Gateway drive gave Scott Dixon a second win in a row and left his rivals marvelling at his untouchable skills, making sure The Race IndyCar Podcast has plenty to talk about on this week's episode. Why more people didn't go for Dixon's three-stop strategy, and what it means for his title charge are discussed by co-hosts, The Race's Jack Benyon and Indy 500 regular JR Hildebrand. Whether Pato O'Ward is outperforming his car or he's a lost title contender after a rollercoaster year is al...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Ahead of the race where he earned his best IndyCar result last year, and amid rumours over his future, David Malukas joins The Race IndyCar Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation. The 21-year-old discusses his decision to leave Dale Coyne Racing and the reasons behind it, why this year has been a struggle for the team, and his belief that his talent could secure a better seat for 2024. He also talks about the changes he's made to his physical training and diet, and why he's using a mental coach...
Aug 23, 2023•30 min
How Scott Dixon pulled off a win from crashing on the first lap and the restart of the Alex Palou/Ganassi/McLaren fight headline this The Race IndyCar Podcast episode. There's only so many ways drivers can save fuel and yet Dixon is the absolute master, combining that with brilliant tyre management to shock everyone and deny Graham Rahal victory on the Indianapolis road course. JR Hildebrand gives you a behind-the-visor look at how and why Dixon's so impressive in these scenarios. Is Rahal under...
Aug 14, 2023•1 hr 5 min
This week's episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast looks back on Kyle Kirkwood’s second win of the year in Nashville and features an in-depth interview with debut star Linus Lundqvist. Hosts Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand debate Kirkwood’s progression in the series after his second win, discussing his sometimes questionable racecraft but also his outstanding pace that has put him above ace team-mates Colton Herta and Romain Grosjean this season. Lundqvist, meanwhile, gives his first interview since ...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 17 min
The winners of the last three IndyCar races are guests on this episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast , which sees hosts Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand in conversation with Josef Newgarden and Christian Lundgaard. Newgarden completed a sweep of the Iowa double-header the weekend before last, and joins to talk about that weekend, his winning of eight of the last 10 oval races, and joining an amazing club of three drivers to win five-straight oval events. He also discusses how tough in-season developm...
Aug 01, 2023•52 min
This week's episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast reflects on Josef Newgarden's Iowa double and how it impacts his title fight with Alex Palou. Ace oval racer JR Hildebrand breaks down the skills that have taken Newgarden to six career victories at the circuit, and gives his take on Newgarden’s post-race outburst about traffic. JR and co-host Jack Benyon also discuss Palou’s podium recovery and how he managed it with a “bad” car. The hosting duo also look at what it takes to come from Europe and e...
Jul 24, 2023•51 min
A wet qualifying made for a jumbled order, but even in the dry the Toronto IndyCar street race provided plenty of talking points for this week’s episode of The Race IndyCar Podcast, including a maiden win for Christian Lundgaard. Can Lundgaard now be considered one of IndyCar's elite drivers? And how much will the momentum from this win impact his peaky Rahal Letterman Lanigan team? Those are two questions expertly answered by Indy Lights champion, Indy 500 regular and our co-hoist JR Hildebrand...
Jul 18, 2023•1 hr 6 min
The Race IndyCar Podcast delivers its annual top 10 drivers of the season at the championship’s mid-way point, with one enormous twist. This year co-hosts Jack Benyon of The Race and Indy 500 regular JR Hildebrand have gone for a top 11 to reflect the foregone conclusion of runaway championship leader Alex Palou being the most obvious number one in racing ranking history. The co-hosts pick their top 11 of the season - or their top 10 without Palou, if you prefer - and then an average of the two ...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 18 min
