Curt and Greg Recap Day 2 of 2025 Indy 500 Practice!

Tonight, on Trackside, it’s the late-summer break in IndyCar. With the Olympics starting up, IndyCar won’t race again until mid-August. Kevin and Curt discuss having a holiday for teams and why a series-wide holiday hasn’t happened like in F1. They also talk about the reasoning behind why there wasn’t a Peacock only race during the Olympics. They talk about what Olympic sports they have been watching, and how some of the broadcasting techniques for the games would fit into motorsports. They go into the research that goes into the games, and how to make motorsports appealing to casual fans. They also delve into silly-season talks.  Later, Kevin and Curt talk about the oval race in Nashville, and limiting car counts per team in Indy NXT. The two talk about how it is not ideal to have almost half the field racing under two teams. This makes it harder to field cars. They talk about the strength of team partnerships, and how limiting Indy NXT car counts can help the series flourish even more. They talk about requiring drivers to compete in Indy NXT before joining IndyCar full-time.   To round out the first hour, Kevin previews hour number 2.  In the second hour of the show, Kevin and Curt talk about the Prema Motosports opening a new shop in Fishers for the 2025 IndyCar season. They discuss Prema and what drivers they may hire for the coming season, including Logan Sargent and Alexander Rossi. They also talk about Rahal and sponsorship, and how much charters will sell for.  Later in the second hour, Kevin talks about drivers who completed every lap in a season. He answers some listener questions, including returning to Texas, and those long gaps early in the schedule. He talks about how IndyCar leadership tries to tell people what is possible, but if something doesn’t happen, they get ripped for it. They also discuss the possibility of a return at Kentucky Speedway.  Kevin ends the show answering a few more tweets, including one about Shane van Gisbergen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

31 Heinä 20241h 27min

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin and Curt recap the race at Toronto, and Kevin’s rough travel schedule with technical difficulties keeping him seated on his plane for seven hours. They talk about how Kyle Kirkwood was the perfect teammate for Colton Herta this weekend, and how if Colton was second and Kirkwood was first, Herta might have been more aggressive at passing his teammate. They debate on whether the two teammates will be more competitive next time if this situation happens again, and they run through the field to talk about how Ganassi and Penske performed. They talk about the caution debacle that led to a huge pileup, and what IndyCar will do going forward.  Later on, Curt and Kevin talk about how Alex Palou has pulled away in the championship standings, with a 48-point cushion going into the last few races of the season. Curt talks about how good Palou has been on ovals, and how consistent Palou has been with always getting top 5s. They talk about how it would require Palou to finish 18th or worse in two races for him to lose the championship.   To round out the first hour, Kevin reads some listener tweets, and how Scott Dixon is Mr. IndyCar. He also answers a question about splitting up qualifying for cleaner laps.  In the second hour of the show, the two talk about the Brickyard 400 and Kyle Larson’s win, and the controversy surrounding the finish. Conor Daly and Marco Andretti competed in the Brickyard weekend, and Kevin and Curt talk about how they performed. The two also provide an update on Alexander Rossi’s injury, and when he will be back in the car. They discuss the options McLaren could have had outside of Theo Pourchaire for this weekend, and some drama around Pourchaire’s comments about McLaren. They also talk about Oliver Askew being on-site but not racing, and why they chose Pourchaire.  Later in the second hour, they talk about O’Ward and Palou during qualifying, and how Palou was penalized for impeding Pato’s lap. Kevin encourages the idea of single car qualifying, and how it would benefit teams and drivers. Curt brings up how that could cause issues timing wise, and prefers three groups.  Kevin ends the show talking about what they missed, and reading tweets, including predicting the Simpson caution. He also answers a question about Fox making Iowa go down to one race. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24 Heinä 20241h 28min

Tonight, on Trackside with Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin, they talk about this past weekend’s IndyCar doubleheader at the Iowa Speedway with Team Penske continuing their dominance, but it wasn’t “The King of Corn Country”, Josef Newgarden, however his two teammates were victorious. Scott McLaughlin won the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 Saturday night for his first career oval win, while Will Power won the Hy-Vee One Step 250 Sunday night for his first win in Iowa. They talk about how the racing was subpar, especially for the new hybrid system, and how the crowd looked along with some revisions going throughout the speedway. They even talk about the crowd for the concerts from Luke Combs, Eric Church, Kelsea Ballerini, and Post Malone.   Later in the first hour of the show, Kevin talks to Curt about how he benefited from watching the race from pit exit at Iowa from the broadcast this past weekend. They also talk about the late TV channel change from the Saturday night to CNBC as the world reacted to the assassination attempt of former President, Donald Trump.  To wrap up the first hour of the program, Kevin talks about some stats from the Iowa Speedway, previews the second hour of the show, including the Brickyard weekend on the return to the oval for the NASCAR Cup Series, and more racing at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.  To start the second hour of the show, Kevin and Curt go through questions on Twitter, starting with how the Indy NXT Championship could play out, weather affecting the streets of Toronto, Hailie Deegan in the Indy NXT paddock, and more questions with the hybrid system.   Later in the second hour program, Kevin and Curt go through more Twitter questions, and talk more about Sting Ray Robb’s massive crash from Iowa and that he was cleared to return to racing this weekend at Toronto. They also provide some little silly season updates from Alexander Rossi and more.   Then to wrap up another addition of the show, Kevin talks fast thoughts about Hunter McElrea making his debut this weekend in Toronto and Robert Wickens winning in the Michelin Pilot Challenge at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

17 Heinä 20241h 26min

Tonight on a Wednesday edition of Trackside, Curt and Kevin recap an exciting race at Mid-Ohio. They also preview the HyVee IndyCar Weekend in Iowa. They talk about the new hybrid engine, but also how the cars will handle such a quck turn around between the two races. They talk about the repave, and how that will affect cars, and if it will make the racing better or worse. They also go into depth about how the hybrid will work on a short oval. Kevin believes the drivers won’t use the regen that much on the oval. They go into some of the plotlines of the Mid-Ohio race, including O’Ward’s drought of wins on-track.  Later on, Curt and Kevin provide more analysis on the Mid-Ohio race, including Andretti Global’s performance, and how they felt about the weekend, as well as other teams. They talk about Christian Rasmussen’s season coming to an end, and if he will be back with Ed Carpenter next year. Kevin and Curt talk about David Malukas and how his injury is healing, and how hard Iowa will be for him.  To round out the first hour, Kevin previews things to come in the second hour of the show.  In the second hour of the show, Kevin and Curt head to the X Box to answer some listener questions. They talk about the benefit of having the hybrid engine in the car, and how it is appealing to car manufacturers. They talk about regen zones for the cars on the oval at Iowa, and the best place to regenerate. Curt and Kevin answer a question about new cars being introduced, and whether it matters to casual fans.  Later in the second hour, Kevin talks about how everyone seems to think Kevin is in charge, and why commercial breaks happened when they did. Kevin talks about some of the things they missed on the broadcast, and the graphics for the hybrids deploying. Kevin also answers a question about the podium celebrations not making it to the TV broadcast.  Kevin ends the show talking about what they missed, including the Brickyard 400 coming up next week. Kevin also talks about Ed Carpenter’s return to the ovals, and Katherine Legge racing for Dale Coyne at Iowa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11 Heinä 20241h 25min

Tonight on Trackside, Curt and Kevin talk about Alexander Rossi being let go from Arrow McLaren and being replaced by Christian Lundgaard. Curt talks about how regularly McLaren shifts their drivers, and what this means for Rossi’s future in IndyCar. Kevin talks about the reason why this driver change came about, and how long this has been in the works. The two talk about Prema Racing, and if Rossi will end up there, and who his teammates could be. They are also considering going to Rahal. Kevin talks about getting hired vs getting hired with a big check behind you.  Later in the the first hour of the show, Kevin and Curt talk about a funny tweet from Scott McLaughlin, and they go through every driver change at McLaren and why the drivers were changed. Kevin reads some tweets, and brings up some comments from drivers and fans about the move. They also talk about the possibility of Juri Vipps joining IndyCar.  To round out the first hour, Kevin previews things to come in the second hour of the show.  In the second hour of the show, Kevin talks about the upcoming race at Mid-Ohio and Ganassi’s dominance at the track. They talk about the new hybrid engine, and how much of a difference it will make in terms of the racing itself. Kevin talks about how fuel mileage effects the new hybrids, and what will change about pit strategy. Kevin talks about the practicality of a hybrid, and how it is more appealing than all electric, and how electric cars are fading in popularity.  Later in the second hour, Kevin and Curt head to the X Box to answer more listener questions, mostly about the hybrid engine and what listeners are wondering about it. They also talk about the possibility of IndyCar racing at the Glen with IMSA, and COTA with NASCAR. They talk about the temperature at Honda, and the possibility of Honda pulling out of IndyCar, or continuing with the series. They also talk about if Ed Carpenter’s Team will get bought out by other charters due to lack of sponsorship.  Kevin ends the show talking about IMSA silly season, and driver free agency in IMSA. He also talks about Robert Wickens testing a Formula E car. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 Heinä 20241h 27min

Tonight on Trackside, Curt and Kevin recap the exciting race at Laguna Seca on Sunday. Kevin talks about Alex Palou’s dominance, and how he thinks Palou would have won regardless of pit strategy. They talk about his challengers, including Colton Herta, and give their thoughts on tire choices during the race. Curt talks about how hard it is to race at Laguna Seca, and how drivers cannot afford to make a mistake. They talk about the most entertaining races of the season, and how exciting Laguna Seca was. Kevin and Curt delve into the controversy about the caution flags not getting thrown until Josef Newgarden made it to the pits late in the race, and how they could resolve that problem.  Later in the the first hour of the show, Kevin and Curt head to the X Box to answer some listener questions. They talk about the hybrid engine and how it will change the reliability of the cars, and how Herta had to save fuel at the end of the race. They also talk about how to deal with cars pitting under caution and how to blend them out onto the track.  To round out the first hour, Kevin previews items that will be talked about in the next hour of the show.  In the second hour of the show, Kevin answers some more questions from listeners, and also about how IndyCar will handle the sheer amount of entries that will be part of the series in 2025. They talk about having cars get bumped every race or having guaranteed spots and then a few open spots up for grabs, or limiting how many cars a team can have. They also talk about the future of Theo Pourchaire in IndyCar later this season. They talk about Josef Newgarden and ovals, and if he is still a threat to win the championship, and if Palou can keep his championship lead through a long stretch of ovals. Kevin talks about scheduling the IndyCar race, and why IndyCar was put on CNBC.  Later in the second hour, Kevin and Curt talk about John Force’s frightening funny-car crash on Sunday. Kevin reads a statement about Force’s status after his crash and talks about Force and who he is like as a person. Kevin and Curt talk about drivers they remember getting dumped so quickly in IndyCar, They talk about schedules and how NASCAR’s schedule will change IndyCar’s schedule, and Kevin in the portal for broadcasting.  Kevin ends the show answering a few more listener questions, including the viability of racing Road Atlanta, and having 29 cars next year and what teams will cut back on their cars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

26 Kesä 20241h 29min

Tonight on Trackside, Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee talk about the massive TV deal IndyCar landed with Fox Sports, and how every single race will be on Network TV. We also talk about Nolan Siegal taking over Theo Pourchaire’s seat. Kevin and Curt talks about how Siegel has talent, but he also has a budget behind him that can benefit McLaren, especially with his dad’s connections to Fortune 500 companies. Kevin talks about how business is important in motorsports, and Siegel’s connections are perfect for the team.  Later in the the first hour of the show, Kevin and Curt talk about why McLaren has had such controversy with retaining drivers, and how easy it is to get fired in racing, and how drivers can make it difficult for teams to get rid of them. Kevin talks about the return of Agustin Canapino, and why he wasn’t ready for Road America. They also touch on Canapino admitting he did not handle the situation with Pourchaire correctly.  To round out the first hour, Kevin heads to the Xbox to read some questions sent to him by listeners, including the musical chairs at McLaren.  In the second hour of the show, Kevin and Curt delve more into the broadcasting schedule with Fox in 2025. They delve into how the 500 will be covered on Fox, and the fact that the season ends before the NFL starts. They talk about changes in the schedule, including moving race dates, and Thermal becoming a points race. Curt talks about how much clearer of a path Fox has for summer sports than NBC has, and the streaming component of the series. Indy NXT will also be on television, airing on FS1, which will build popularity for the series. Kevin also talks about the likelihood of his working for Fox next season.  Later in the second hour, Kevin and Curt talk about how Kanaan played a role in helping David Malukas at McLaren and answered some information on if Texas would return to the schedule. Kevin talks about why the IndyCar schedule is essentially the same as last year.   Kevin ends the show recapping what they missed during the rest of the show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

19 Kesä 20241h 26min

Tonight on Trackside, we recap Penske’s dominant performance at Road America, and what led to their success. We hear about the reason why Will Power’s celebration was so emotional in victory lane after his win, and the health problems his wife has had. They also talk about the likelihood of Power retiring after his contract expires, and why he is considering stepping away from racing in the future. They also talk about how the tires performed on the track, and how that led to different strategies during the race. They also talk about Newgarden running into the back of Colton Herta, which ruined Herta’s race, and Herta’s harsh comments on the officiating.  Later in the the first hour of the show, Curt and Kevin provide a brief recap of Milwaukee testing, including David Malukas’ performance, and how the track handled. They also talk about the state of the Iowa track, and how messy the surface is after NASCAR had parts of it repaved.  To round out the first hour, Kevin talks about the Le Mans broadcast, and Jackson Lee’s Michelin Pilot Challenge race that he ran over the weekend. He talks about the crowd and atmosphere there, and how the car performed for him.  In the second hour of the show, Curt and Kevin delve into IndyCar hybrid testing with Eric Smith of IndyCar.com. Smith talks about the changes to the track since the last visit in 2015, and how pit road feels a lot better than it has in previous years. He talks about what the drivers used the session for, and their thoughts on the engine. They also talk about the amount of studying that will go into the new engines to get a leg-up over the competition. He also talks about David Malukas and his thoughts on the test.  Later in the second hour, Kevin and Curt go more into detail about the race at Road America, and Agustin Canapino’s absence from the race. They also talk about Nolan Siegel filling in for Canapino at Road America, and how he performed, and the future for him in IndyCar. They also discuss Canapino and how sponsors view him.  Kevin ends the show looking at some listener tweets, and a little more on the Milwaukee test. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 Kesä 20241h 24min