Trackside Podcast

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin look back on the wild and unpredictable Grand Prix of Portland, in which Alex Palou earned his third win of the season and regained the lead in the point standings. The guys discuss the first lap incident where Palou was shuffled back to 16th and the confusion surrounding the reordering of the field after the first turn caution. They also debate what changes IndyCar could make to the start at Portland, which has seen a number of lap one incidents over the years. They break down Pato O’Ward’s speed issues from Portland and the potential for his team to switch an engine for the final two races of the season. Later in the show, Kevin and Curt look at the championship implications with two races to go, as Palou leads O’Ward by 25 points. Finally a preview for the potential 2022 IndyCar and NASCAR schedules, which are both expected to be released soon. They also look at the newest Silly Season rumors and news, including where Ryan Hunter-Reay could end up next season.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s race week once again, as IndyCar heads west for the Grand Prix of Portland, and Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee look ahead to the final three races of the 2021 season. They discuss the tight points race, with Pato O’Ward holding a narrow lead over Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon in the battle for the Astor Cup. They talk about new driver developments for this week, including Oliver Askew driving the third entry for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and F2 star Callum Ilott, who will pilot the Juncos Hollinger Racing car. To wrap up the first hour, Curt and Kevin take listener questions, including who could be racing for a 2022 ride this weekend.  Later in the show, Curt and Kevin play “Would You Rather” on a number of topics about the final trio of races this season. Finally, we are joined by Indy Lights championship leader David Maulukas to talk about the battle for the Indy Lights title, David’s time on a reality TV show as a 13-year-old, and his potential IndyCar plans for next season.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin and Curt remember our friend Robin Miller, who passed away last week at the age of 71. Kevin and Curt discuss Robin’s huge influence in Indianapolis over the past 50 years and his unique personality and generosity. Curt tells stories of his time at the IndyStar with Robin and Kevin looks back on his time working with Robin at WIBC in the mid-90s and how Grid Walks came to IndyCar TV broadcasts in 2011. They continue to break down Silly Season, including the Racer.com report that Romain Grosjean will drive for Andretti Autosport in the number 28 Honda in 2022. The guys give a shoutout to Myles Rowe, who became the first Black driver to win an IndyCar-sanctioned race this past weekend in USF2000, and mention the NHRA U.S. Nationals, which return to Lucas Oil Raceway this weekend. In the second hour, Kevin and Curt dig more into free agency rumors, including if Simon Pagenaud could end up at Meyer Shank Racing and the potential for Kyle Larson to run the Indy 500 for Team Penske. Late in the show, the guys talk about Jimmie Johnson’s test at Texas and if the seven-time NASCAR Cup champ could be in line to race in the Indy 500 next year.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin recap Saturday night’s IndyCar race at World Wide Technology Raceway outside of St. Louis, including how Josef Newgarden earned his 20th career win. They discuss the championship implications from the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 as Pato O’Ward took the lead in the standings after Alex Palou got caught up in a crash. Kevin and Curt look at Colton Herta’s half shaft issues which dashed his hopes of winning, and break down a pair of controversial crashes; one involving Rinus VeeKay, Palou and Scott Dixon and the other between Graham Rahal and Ed Jones. Later in the first hour, they break down the oval debut for Romain Grosjean and whether or not he will be full-time in the NTT IndyCar Series next year. In the second hour, the guys predict what the 2022 schedule will look like and break down the latest Silly Season rumors, including which Indy Lights drivers could make the jump to IndyCar next year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin and Curt look back on the action-packed weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the controversial ending to the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard, and whether or not the Cup Series should return to the road course in 2022. The guys discuss the convergence of IndyCar and NASCAR at IMS with fans for the first time, and if the curbing issues were the fault of the track or the drivers. They recap Will Power’s first victory of the season, and what other first-time winners we can expect in the final four races of the year. The guys look at the IndyCar point standings after Alex Palou’s mechanical failure, and preview this Saturday night’s IndyCar race at World Wide Technology Raceway, just across the river from St. Louis. Later in the second hour, they preview IndyCar scheduling news, as Iowa Speedway could potentially be added to the 2022 slate with an announcement upcoming Thursday, and more Silly Season rumors. Kevin and Curt talk about the career resurgence for A.J. Allmendinger, the deep connections to IMS for Xfinity Series winner Austin Cindric, and then close out the show with a tribute to Bob Jenkins, whose memorial service was Monday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, Curt opens the show with the news of the day, and talking about qualification results Friday evening. Kevin joins the show to talk about the day Pato O’Ward had, and the top spot he earned. The discussion continues to other drivers and the varying level of experience seen on the track on Friday. Curt looks back on all the events on the track this afternoon, including the best practice times on Friday. Kevin breaks down what he saw during the qualifications Friday evening. Curt and Kevin talk about the broadcast comparing NASCAR to INDYCAR laps. To conclude the show, Curt looks ahead to this weekend’s events.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin give the rundown for this weekend’s triple-header at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, wish a happy 88th birthday to 1963 Indy 500 winner Parnelli Jones, and reveal how to watch Bob Jenkins’ memorial service next week. They talk about next week’s BC39 at the dirt track in the IMS infield, and the debate about whether NASCAR should race on the oval or road course at 16th and Georgetown. They talk about drivers to watch out for this weekend, including Austin Cindric, who is competing in both the Xfinity and Cup Series. In the second segment, the guys talk about some news nuggets, including IndyCar’s potential return to Iowa Speedway, some sports car news and more IndyCar Silly Season speculation. In the final segment, Kevin checks in from the “Brickyard Prelude” event at Prime 47. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday on Trackside, Kevin and Curt preview this weekend’s IndyCar/NASCAR triple header at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and catch up on listener questions. Questions include clarification about working on your car during a red flag, potential changes to the Nashville street circuit, logistics for the upcoming weekend at IMS, and a tidbit about Graham Rahal’s success. In the second segment, the guys discuss recent Silly Season rumors, including the potential for Simon Pagenaud to move to Meyer Shank Racing in 2022, and where Ryan Hunter-Reay and Romain Grosjean could be driving next season. Later, the guys talk about how engineers play into driver moves, and if Conor Daly could be back with Ed Carpenter Racing next year.Finally, Kevin previews Thursday’s show, including excitement about the massive 28-car entry list for the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin and Curt continue to discuss the aftermath of the Music City Grand Prix, including record-high TV ratings, and which drivers had a strong weekend in Nashville. They discuss the cooperation between NASCAR, IndyCar and TV partners to maximize ratings, and changes that can be made next year to the Nashville street circuit. In the second segment, the guys look ahead to the triple-header weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and discuss scheduling news regarding sports cars at IMS and Formula 1 racing in the U.S. in 2022. In the final segment, we hear from F2 race winner Christian Lundgaard, who will make IndyCar debut Saturday in the number 45 car for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin and Curt remember our friend Bob Jenkins, the legendary racing broadcaster and former “Voice of the Indianapolis 500” who passed away Monday after a battle with brain cancer. The guys discuss Bob’s impact, both personally and professionally, and listen to some of his iconic calls from his long career in both IndyCar and NASCAR. Kevin and Curt recap the wild Music City Grand Prix and the energy surrounding the inaugural race on the streets of Nashville. In the second segment, they talk about Marcus Ericsson’s eventful Sunday, as the Chip Ganassi Racing driver went from an airborne crash early in the race to victory lane for his second win of the season. In the last segment, Kevin and Curt look at the repercussions from Nashville and the impact on the point standings heading to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin and Curt look ahead to this weekend’s much anticipated Music City Grand Prix in Nashville and where it ranks in most anticipated debut events. The guys talk about the logistics for track preparation for the street course and predict who they expect to perform well this weekend. In the second hour of the show, Kevin and Curt discuss the news that Juncos Hollinger Racing will join the NTT IndyCar Series full-time in 2022. They continue to talk about Silly Season, including the possibility of seeing Paretta Autosport on track later this year, who could fill the seat for Juncos Hollinger Racing and whether or not Conor Daly and Rinus VeeKay will be back with Ed Carpenter Racing next season. They discuss rumors for next year, including a potential doubleheader at Iowa Speedway and unconfirmed car and driver combinations for 2022. Finally, Curt and Kevin pay tribute to James Vasser, father of Jimmy, and speak about our friend Robin Miller’s health battles.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin open the show discussing Helio Castroneves returning to INDYCAR full time for 2022 with Meyer Shank Racing. They look through possibilities of a second driver candidate for the team to race alongside Castroneves. Kevin details where MSR’s Jack Harvey could end up. Silly Season discussion continues as Kevin and Curt talk about potential drivers for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and landing spots for Takuma Sato, Oliver Askew and Ryan Hunter-Reay. More potential free agents discussed include Simon Pagenaud, Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean. In the second hour, Kevin and Curt look ahead to the brand new Nashville street circuit and the excitement surrounding the Music City Grand Prix. They also take questions about the 2022 INDYCAR schedule, the Peacock streaming service and Kyle Kirkwood’s future. In the final segments, Kevin talks about the future driver lineups for Arrow McLaren SP and Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin and Curt open the show with the big news of the day regarding IndyCar moving certain events to Peacock Premium, a streaming service. Kevin breaks down how this deal came about, and then Curt weighs in on the effect of the decision. They both agree that IndyCar has done a great job of making the sport accessible on multiple platforms. Next, Kevin looks ahead to the future and how streaming could become more common in the sport. After the break, they return to look forward to possible schedule changes for 2022. They preview the announcement of a new video game in 2023. Kyle Kirkwood joins the show to begin the second hour. Kirkwood talks about the Indy Lights season and looking ahead to IndyCar in 2022. Following Kirkwood, Paul Tracy calls in to talk about the big news in IndyCar this afternoon, and his season up to this point.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin and Curt open the show talking about the status of the race in Toronto that has been canceled two years in a row. Kevin weigh in on the future of the event, and how these two years may impact the nature of the event moving forward. Next, they move on to the upcoming race in Nashville. Kevin previews the upcoming broadcast, and he goes through some stats on number of viewers for races that air on cable. The attention turns to Indianapolis and IMS, and they look forward to the busy weekend at IMS in August. Kevin speaks on some quotes from Roger Penske on future events that could be added to the IMS schedule. In the second hour, Kevin and Curt open with discussion on drivers that are anticipated to be free agents for 2022. Sponsorship value and implications on drivers looking to sign contracts with teams. Later, they look at what could be next for Romain Grosjean. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on Trackside, Kevin and Curt open the show by breaking down this past weekend at Mid-Ohio, and where IndyCar stands right now. They break down the fuel strategy of the race this weekend, and who was effected most. The two agree with each other that the race this weekend was more entertaining than previous years at Mid-Ohio. Kevin talks about the performance of Marcus Ericsson and the results starting to show his great performances. The two discuss how the championship may come down to four drivers. Kevin delivers the big news of the week. Chip Ganassi is selling his NASCAR operation. Ganassi is going to turn his focus to his other teams where he has a lot of success. They discuss what the next move for those on the Ganassi team will be. Curt and Kevin discuss a new car design without the rear wing. The two break down the difficulty of driving differently built cars. Finally, they discuss Formula 1 and the rules on passing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.