Trackside Podcast

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin speculate about the Racer.com report that Devlin DeFrancesco might be out of the number 29 car for Andretti Autosport at season's end, and the possibility for either Rinus VeeKay or David Malukas to race for either Andretti Autosport next year. They discuss new theories on the Alex Palou saga and talk about the number 10 car, including other names that could make their way into the mix with either Ganassi or Andretti.  Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is that former F1 driver Daniil Kyvat will drive in the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard in the NASCAR Cup Series and some of the other interesting entries for this weekend. Later, they continue to recap the Hy-Vee Iowa doubleheader and take listener questions, such as the future of Gateway and other schedule questions. Kevin then gives information on Thursday night's event at Prime 47 and some of the items that will available to bid on. See omnystudio.com/listene

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin recap the Hy-Vee Doubleheader at Iowa Speedway, with wins by Josef Newgarden and Pato O’Ward. They give the latest on Newgarden, who crashed while leading Sunday, and later collapsed and was transferred to a Des Moines hospital. They discuss his standby replacement for this weekend’s race on the IMS road course, Santino Ferrucci, and what the Connecticut native could bring to Team Penske. Kevin and Curt also speculate about other drivers that could have been options to fill in.  Later, they talk about O’Ward’s victory in the second race, what this weekend meant for the championship chase, and Jimmie Johnson’s strong weekend. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is the controversial finish from Indy Lights on Saturday, in which Linus Lundqvist was penalized three positions, giving the win to Hunter McElrea.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin look back on last weekend’s Toronto race, won by Scott Dixon. They discuss the Ice Man’s legendary career and longevity, after he tied Mario Andretti for second-most IndyCar wins and captured a victory for the 18th straight season. Kevin and Curt talk about the championship race, and if Dixon can win his seventh title. They talk about what to expect for Iowa, including how Chip Ganassi Racing struggled at an earlier test.  They continue to talk about the ongoing Alex Palou saga, where (if anywhere) he might be driving next season, and what Felix Rosenqvist’s future holds with McLaren. Kevin and Curt pay tribute to former USAC star Bobby East, who was killed last week in California.  Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is the upcoming doubleheader at Iowa Speedway and the promotion that Hy-Vee put into the event. Later, they talk about the “Hate Cauldron” from the Toronto TV broadcast, and how Alexander Rossi f

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin open the show by informing how to watch this weekend’s IndyCar race at Toronto on Peacock. Midway through the first segment (at 20:13), we learn that Alex Palou is leaving Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of the season and moving to McLaren. They discuss Palou’s stunning tweets that he will not be returning to CGR despite a press release earlier Tuesday stating his option had been picked up for 2023. Kevin and Curt speculate on which series Palou will be driving in next year, and who could drive the Number 10 car for Ganassi.  Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is Palou’s move. Kevin and Curt lay out the timeline for the defending IndyCar’s champion move from Ganassi to McLaren, and how McLaren has helped change the pay grade for top drivers. Later, they take listener questions, and talk Colton Herta’s Formula 1 test with McLaren at Portimao.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin discuss Sunday’s IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio, won by Scott McLaughlin in a battle with Alex Palou. They discuss the reliability issues for Arrow McLaren SP, with polesitter Pato O’Ward and teammate Felix Rosenqvist retiring early due to mechanical issues, and the decision by race control to wait to throw a caution.   Kevin and Curt discuss the fireworks among multiple Andretti Autosport drivers, especially Romain Grosjean and Alexander Rossi, and the dumpster fire of a weekend for the team. They break down the situation involving IndyStar reporter Nathan Brown, who was asked by an Andretti PR staff member to delete a video of a heated conversation between Michael Andretti and Alexander Rossi’s father Pietr. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is the results from the Road to Indy over the weekend.   Later, they talk about what’s next for Andretti, and the possibility we could see driver changes before the end of t

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin preview IndyCar’s return to action Sunday at Mid-Ohio. They chat about recent Silly Season news and rumors, including Felix Rosenqvist returning to McLaren in 2023, either in IndyCar or Formula E. They discuss if a Chip Ganassi Racing driver could be on the move, and also talk about the swirling rumors surrounding Tatiana Calderon with sponsor Rokit falling behind on payments to A.J. Foyt Racing. They take listener questions, including about a limit for entries for non-Indy 500 races, the potential return of the Milwaukee Mile to the IndyCar schedule, and the likelihood of returning to Texas Motor Speedway next season. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is the ESPY nominations for Best Driver, including Alex Palou on the IndyCar side. Later, Kevin and Curt discuss the dramatic SRX race from Saturday night at South Boston, the controversial IMSA six-hour race at Watkins Glen, and Robert Wickens getting back in

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee is joined by producer Sam Rumpza to assess the IndyCar season at the halfway point. They take stock of which teams have been impressive, and which still have work to do, including a stellar first half from Marcus Ericsson and a disappointing run from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.  They look back at A.J. Foyt’s final IndyCar win, which came 41 years ago Tuesday in a unique race at Pocono. Kevin discusses Jimmie Johnson’s comments on his IndyCar future, and whether he’ll be back full-time next year. Also, a mention of a possible NASCAR street race at Chicago, and whether IndyCar could be involved. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is the results from IndyCar’s test at Iowa.  Later, Kevin and Curt take listener questions, including about Helio Castroneves’ win in the SRX Series at Pensacola, Florida over the weekend. LMP3 drivers Nolan Siegal and Dakota Dickerson join the show ahead of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champio

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin recap Sunday’s eventful race at Road America, won by Josef Newgarden, and talk about how the Team Penske star could go on a dominating run in July. They talk about the beauty of Road America, which is one of the most fan-friendly stops on the IndyCar schedule. Kevin and Curt break down the incidents that included championship contenders Alex Palou and Will Power, and Power’s issues with Devlin DeFrancesco.  They discuss how Road America shuffled up the championship standings, how Indy’s NBC affiliate missed the start of the race, and the rising TV ratings from Road America. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway, is that vintage cars will be back at IMS this weekend for the SVRA Invitational.  Later, they take listener questions, and discuss Felix Rosenqvist’s strong run over the past few races and what that could mean for his 2023 plans, Callum Ilott’s impressive season, a

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin discuss Sunday’s thrilling Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, the last on Belle Isle before a move downtown next year. They look back at the legacy of Belle Isle and some of the pros and cons with the event moving to downtown Detroit. They discuss the different strategies that went into play, including Will Power’s long stint on red tires at the end of the race as he held off Alexander Rossi, who started on reds and pitted early. They discuss Power’s mental approach and his ability to get hot, and who they think the top championship contenders are at this stage in the season. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway, is Linus Lundqvist’s complete dominance over the weekend in Indy Lights.  Later, Kevin and Curt talk Silly Season, such as Helio Castroneves’ future with Meyer Shank Racing, the confirmed moves of Kyle Kirkwood and Alexander Rossi, the potential for Alex Palou or another b

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin are back with a two-hour show to break down the Indy 500 won by Marcus Ericsson of Chip Ganassi Racing. They discuss how Ericsson’s victory wasn’t that much of a surprise, and how some of the top contenders had their day ruined.  Kevin and Curt talk about how Ericsson hung around all day and pulled away from Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist at the right time. They chat about the Swede’s dedication to racing, how he will represent IndyCar as the Indy 500 champion, and his future in the series. They take Twitter questions on topics such as traffic, double points, and the “Dragon” move by Ericsson at the end of the race.  In the second hour, they discuss the decision to red flag the race in the final lap, if Sunday could have been Tony Kanaan’s last Indy 500, Alexander Rossi’s admission he was responsible for the Conor Daly hot tub prank, the entertaining Victory Banquet and the record-breaking purse. Later,

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee is live from the Carb Night Classic at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. He’s joined by Andretti Autosport Indy Lights driver Christian Rasmussen to discuss how his season has gone so far. Homes For Our Troops CEO Tom Landwermeyer talks with Kevin about his company, which builds homes for veterans and is sponsoring J.R. Hildebrand’s ride in Sunday’s Indy 500.  USF2000 star Michael d’Orlando joins the show to preview his race Friday night, and Indy Lights star Sting Ray Robb talks with Kevin. Jackson Lee discusses his game plan for racing at IRP and the mental challenge that goes into the quick short oval. Plus, the voice of the Road to Indy Rob Howden chats with Kevin about the up-and-coming stars of the current Road to Indy lineup.  Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is that Pato O’Ward has signed with Arrow McLaren SP through 2025. Later, Kevin recaps a wild Carb Day practice, wi

Thursday night on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin preview Sunday’s Indy 500, and which drivers they think have the best chance of drinking the milk in Victory Circle. They discuss how drivers prepare mentally for the race, some of the things they learned at Thursday’s Media Day, and which drivers they expect to lead the race early. Kevin and Curt rank drivers in tiers, from the favorites through the longshots.  Later, Curt is joined by Tim May, who covered the race for the Columbus Dispatch for decades. Curt and Tim chat about Graham Rahal’s chances to win his first 500, some of the things he gathered at Thursday’s media day from Ohio-based Meyer Shank Racing, and the parity in IndyCar. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway, is the report from Jenna Fryer on the contract situation of Rinus VeeKay.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday night on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin discuss some of the favorites for Sunday's Indy 500. They talk about the race strategies they expect to unfold, and how tire wear could play more of a role in this year’s race. Kevin and Curt chat about how passing could be difficult, and that the race could look more like a road course race in terms of strategies. They discuss the wide open nature of the field, and how as many as 27 or 28 cars could be in contention for a top-7 finish.  Later, they take Twitter questions, such as contingency plans for rain on Carb Day, how much they expect teams to practice Friday, and more. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is that Gainbridge extended its contract as the presenting sponsor of the Indianapolis 500.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin give their thoughts on the new Indy 500 qualifying format, which saw a new pole-speed record. They discuss some of the surprises from qualifying, the crowd’s reaction to laps over 234 MPH, and what led to those fast laps. Kevin and Curt also break down the disappointing speeds from Team Penske as well as Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.  We talk to A.J. Foyt Racing’s J.R. Hildebrand about his Month of May, and his sponsor, Homes For Our Troops. The 2011 Indy 500 runner-up gives his thoughts on what led to higher speeds over the weekend, and what to expect in Sunday’s race. Later, USAC Sprint Car Champion Brady Bacon joins the show to talk about short track racing coming up at Circle City Raceway as well as Anderson Speedway. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is David Malsher-Lopez’s report that Alexander Rossi has signed a new contract and it will be announced in three to four weeks.See o

On Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin open up the show live from the Burger Bash by talking with a pair of rookies in Kyle Kirkwood and David Malukas about how they are feeling going into the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500, what their full experience has been like leading up to the race, and then share some stories on how they got to where they are at in their careers today. Marcus Ericsson and Stefan Wilson later join Curt and Kevin from the Burger Bash. They ask Marcus how he's feeling going into the big race this weekend, why the team has been so dominant in practices for the race, and the consistent improvement from race to race so far in his young career. The guys ask Stefan about the challenges of gathering some sponsors and a car at the last minute, the adversity that he could face in connection to with starting at the end of the field, and what his goal is for the upcoming race. Later, Dalton Kellett makes an appearance on Trackside from the Burger Bash to give an update on how he's feeling fo

On Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin discuss a windy Fast Friday and preview Indy 500 qualifying. They talk about the updated schedule for Saturday with rain in the forecast, the ever-important qualifying draw, and who got lucky with early runs. They also break down the lengthy list of drivers that could advance to Sunday’s Fast 12. Kevin and Curt talk about the impressive day for the Dale Coyne Racing duo of Takuma Sato and David Malukas.  Later, they take Twitter questions and preview Monday’s Prime 47 Burger Bash at USAC headquarters in Speedway. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is the updated qualifying schedule, which gets underway at 11 a.m. Saturday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Thursday’s Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin recap a full six hours of practice from IMS and look ahead to tomorrow’s Fast Friday practice leading into qualifying this weekend. They discuss Romain Grosjean’s interesting day, as he nearly made wall contact on multiple occasions, and talk about the windy conditions in the forecast and what kind of speeds we can expect tomorrow.  Later, they take Twitter comments, look ahead to how teams will cool engines Sunday for Fast Six qualifying, and discuss Jimmie Johnson’s busy day of practice. Later, they break down Fernando Alonso’s comments about IndyCar’s aeroscreen and how he isn’t interested in returning to the Indy 500. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway honors the Road to Indy winners from last weekend on the IMS Road Course.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Wednesday’s Indy 500 practice rained out, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin look ahead to the rest of the week leading into qualifying this weekend. They discuss the hijinks with Conor Daly’s infamous hot tub in the driver’s lot and who they think could be guilty. Kevin and Curt talk about the sense of urgency teams have with just two days of practice before qualifying. They also discuss how wind could make Fast Friday even trickier than it already will be and the expected weather through the weekend.  Later, they take Twitter questions, and talk about Mark Miles saying IndyCar will likely not have any new venues on the 2023 schedule. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway is that A.J. Foyt Racing will test a few new drivers on the IMS Road Course for next season, including Benjamin Pedersen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin discuss the first day of Indy 500 practice out at 16th and Georgetown. They talk about a clean and green first day of preparations for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500, and the impressive day from Chip Ganassi Racing, with all four drivers ending the day in the top six on the speed chart. They give kudos to Stefan Wilson’s Cusick Motorsports/DragonSpeed/Foyt team for getting the car ready to run today and showing pace.  Later, they talk about a few reports of an IMSA race potentially coming to IMS in 2023, as well as the fact that F1 will likely not be racing at IMS anytime soon. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway, is that Ryan Hunter-Reay has signed with Chip Ganassi Racing to help develop their sports car program.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin recap Saturday’s GMR Grand Prix, won in the wet by Colton Herta. They discuss the brilliant strategy move from Bryan and Colton Herta to switch to slick tires early in the race, which propelled him from 14th to the lead. Kevin and Curt talk about the chaotic race, with multiple tire strategies and suspect conditions, and list all the drivers that could have ended up in the top five.  Later, they discuss how the aeroscreen held up in the rain for the first time in race conditions, what the drivers had to say about the conditions, and what can be improved for the future. Kevin and Curt also give information about the Prime 47 Burger Bash next Monday, and some of the exciting items that are up for auction. Our News of the Day, brought to you by the Indianapolis Speedrome and Circle City Raceway, is the Indy 500 practice schedule for Tuesday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.