Episodes
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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 prefer) and suggestions, via our email address: [email protected]. Let us know your top 10 drivers of the season and where we went wrong.
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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-hosts JR Hildebrand and Jack Benyon also discuss Palou’s position as one of the IndyCar greats, Herta’s breakthrough oval win and title credentials and Jamie Chadwick joins to discuss her upcoming IndyCar test.
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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 that feat and being parachuted in mid-season, while seven-time Indy NXT winner Louis Foster also joins the show to discuss his amazing championship season and what could be next for him.
To view the full IndyCar championship permutations, click here.
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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 Jack Benyon examine the furore over NASCAR getting a race in Mexico before IndyCar, with debates over getting the most out of a diverse driver base and if IndyCar really needs to focus closer to home rather than looking further afield.
The fight for $1 million for the top 22 cars in the series also heated up and took a huge swing in Milwaukee as the event returned for the first time since 2015, while one team got its first podium ever and another got its first top fives of the year.
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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 return of the Milwaukee Mile, home of this weekend's IndyCar double-header after which only one race will remain this season.
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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 Newgarden of any wrongdoing on a slow restart late on that resulted in a crash and eliminated title contender and Newgarden's team-mate Will Power.
The pair also assess Linus Lundqvist's second podium and what that could mean for the rookie's IndyCar future as he battles to stay on the grid, Colton Herta's rollercoaster weekend and more.
Joining the episode is Toby Sowery, the Brit who got a shock IndyCar debut at Mid-Ohio earlier this year and equalled Dale Coyne Racing's best result of the year. He has the best average finish of any rookie in 2024 after two starts and will be back racing this weekend at Portland.
Sowery discusses his need to be adaptable, how his talks for next year are coming along, and how vital it is for his hopes that he performs well at Portland.
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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 backwards or sideways move, as well as discussing his strong form on his return.
Kyle Kirkwood - and Malukas - preview this weekend’s race at Gateway, too.
Andretti Global's Kirkwood also discusses his incredible consistency this year - something he’s been criticised for a lack of in the past - and talks about the adaptation to IndyCar from a successful junior career.
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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 look at the pre-race shock of the Penske team failing to qualify, Firestone's stunning return to the Speedway for the first time since the 1970s, Honda's recovery from a humiliating 1994 attempt, and the moment that decided the race, when Villeneuve's fellow Canadian Scott Goodyear passed the pace car on the final restart, getting himself black flagged while leading.
With 'the split' on the horizon, we also look at the political landscape in IndyCar racing in May 1995, when nobody realised just how bad the battle between CART and the IRL was about to become.
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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 discussion about the development of car safety in IndyCar, and the guys also chat about what to expect next from the title race after almost all of Alex Palou’s rivals stumbled while he went from 18th to fourth.
Lee also explains how he came to be a commentator in IndyCar, discusses the new perspective he's got since his son Jackson started racing, and gives his take on what the new hybrid has done both for IndyCar and for him as a commentator.
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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 was ill last year.
Elsewhere hosts Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand assess Scott McLaughlin’s claim he felt he wasn’t an IndyCar driver before winning on oval, Penske’s dominance at Iowa, and what transpired to make one of the most exciting oval races become such a poor spectacle in terms of on-track passing.
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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 of Tony Kanaan as the team's sporting director this year.
Elsewhere, regular hosts Jack Benyon and JR Hildebrand break down the Mid-Ohio race and have a very detailed look at how the debut of IndyCar's hybrid unit really went.
They also look ahead to this weekend's Iowa double-header where a repaved track alongside the hybrid's oval debut creates plenty to get stuck into.
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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 Rossi will leave McLaren and be replaced by Christian Lundgaard.
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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 unit ready to shake things up.
Grosjean’s rise up the order to deliver Juncos Hollinger’s best IndyCar finish is also on the agenda, as is the trend of IndyCar delaying a yellow flag to avoid cars being caught out and not allowed to pit.
The hosting duo also assess how David Malukas, returning from a wrist injury, and his 'replacement' Nolan Siegel (via Theo Pourchaire) got on in their new homes.
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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 of the weekend bagging his first pole, and he joins to break down that pole and how he’s feeling about what on paper might look like a poor season - even if so much has happened that's outside of his control.
Meyer Shank Racing's new signing David Malukas is also interviewed, jumping on to explain his recovery from a wrist injury, how last week’s Milwaukee test went, and what comes next for him before and after his series return at Laguna Seca next week.
Host Jack Benyon also brings us up to speed on all the big headlines that have happened in the last couple of weeks, including a new TV deal and 2025 calendar, the Agustin Canapino/Theo Pourchaire saga and intriguing information from Alex Palou’s lawyers in his legal defence from McLaren.
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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 Herta and Kyle Kirkwood.
Note: This episode was recorded before it was announced that Theo Pourchaire had received death threats from fans after a crash with Agustin Canpino during the race, so we’ll address that in the future.
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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 that relationship, and how Gil's family asked him to run demo laps of de Ferran's Penske car at The Brickyard. Pagenaud even wore de Ferran's suit and gloves from 2003 and ran a special helmet design.
We wanted to bring you the interview recorded on Thursday of race week because of Pagenaud's honest and emotional insight into de Ferran.
We won't be discussing Pagenaud's 2023 crash in this episode as we respect his right to privacy during his recovery, and wish him all the best in that continued journey.
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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 on Pato O'Ward, NASCAR star Kyle Larson and more.
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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 events like the 2003 Texas crash he was lucky to walk away from, and how his comeback in 2005 was enough for him to call time on his career. That comeback came with Rahal, a team he has joined again as a consultant in 2024 - and he explains that move, too.
Ahead of the interview, host Jack Benyon is joined by The Race's Matt Beer, to provide background on the unusual racing landscape in the US at the time of Brack's victory, when top-level single-seater racing was split between the IRL and CART (and top teams like Ganassi and Penske weren't racing at the 500).
Jack also speaks to journalist, podcaster and media ace Mattias Persson, a Swede who explains how important Brack’s win was for helping the country fall in love with motorsport again after a tough period, and how Brack helped inspired the current crop of Marcus Ericsson and Felix Rosenqvist.
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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 last week, identifying some of the key reasons for Chevrolet’s apparent gains over Honda and how a suspension part has been causing plenty of intrigue.
Kyle Larson’s stunning run to fifth on his Indy 500 debut and Marcus Ericsson’s fight to make the race as he was under threat from going home after a crash on Thursday as part of the ‘Bump Day’ drama are also analysed.
We’ll be back before the race day with a special annual retro episode featuring an interview with an Indy 500 winning driver on a special anniversary.
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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 Santino Ferrucci’s unusual wheel-banging feud are also analysed.
After that, Hildebrand explains some intricacies of how Indy 500 qualifying works, and gives his thoughts on how badly impacted reigning winner Josef Newgarden will be after some of his crew have been suspended ahead of the event.
There’s also a run through the schedule this week and some things to look for as practice unfolds.
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