133 - Balancing Act - Mid-Ohio Winner Pato O’Ward Ushers In the Hybrid System

The news we’ve all been waiting for is finally here as Conor Daly announces he will be driving full-time in the IndyCar Series for Juncos Hollinger Racing in 2025. He joins co-host Chase Holden to chat about how the deal came together and how talks really began after the season finale earlier this year in Nashville. Conor gives listeners some insight into what goes into raising funds to help secure a ride and what the partnership proposal process is like. The guys also chat about the prospect of being teammates with Sting Ray Robb and what Conor hopes to accomplish on track next season. 

Conor Daly and Chase Holden reconvene on Speed Street to discuss the latest IndyCar off-season news as 2024 winds to a close. Dreyer Reinbold Racing have named their 2025 Indianapolis 500 line-up, which raises questions about Conor’s plans for next season. He addresses where he currently stands and how difficult it is for drivers to concentrate on their craft when most of the fundraising efforts fall on their shoulders. The guys also discuss the prospect of new manufacturers coming to IndyCar and what steps can be taken to help bring more household name brands into the sport.2016 IndyCar Champion and 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud joins the show to talk about his long-term recovery after his harrowing crash at Mid-Ohio in 2023. Simon explains that he suffered a traumatic brain injury from the incident and his road to recovery is open ended, in which he has learned a lot about the human brain and how sports related injuries can affect it. Simon gives his insight from being on the sideline watching the sport this past season and he gives much praise to reigning IndyCar Champion Alex Palou on being a total package racer. Simon and Conor talk about racers who have struggled to adapt to the latest IndyCar chassis modifications, mainly the aero screen and the hybrid system. He speculates that drivers coming into the series in the last couple of seasons will flourish in the new versions of the car, while drivers who have been in the series for many years might feel that the car no longer speaks to them. The guys also discuss driver branding, the marketing of IndyCar and who will be on the podium next May at Indy.

Conor Daly was on the scene this past weekend in Las Vegas to serve as a track commentator for the Formula One race. He is reporting in for a special, bonus edition of Speed Street to share all that he encountered during his time in Sin City. He and co-host Chase Holden recap the latest IndyCar developments, including Gavin Ward’s dismissal from Arrow McLaren and Sting Ray Robb signing with Juncos Hollinger Racing. Then Conor tells listeners about his golf outing with Colton Herta, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, what he observed in the F1 paddock and what General Motors/Cadillac’s entry into the series means for the motorsports world.

Conor Daly and co-host Chase Holden report for duty on another edition of Speed Street where they fill listeners in on the driver evaluation tests taking place at Thermal Club this week. Conor explains the uniqueness of the test, which features only one full-time IndyCar racer, Louis Foster, among many outsiders like Logan Sargeant and Felipe Nasr. They also unpack the blockbuster news of Penske Entertainment buying the Long Beach Grand Prix, ensuring its place in the IndyCar stratosphere for years to come. Finally, Conor previews the upcoming Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix where he will be serving as a commentator for the second year in a row. 2024 IndyNXT Champion Louis Foster stops by the show to discuss his family history in racing and his recent signing with Rahal Letterman Lanigan for the 2025 IndyCar season. Louis explains after finding success in karts and the Ginetta Junior Championship, he ventured into the world of single seater racing through the Formula ladder, competing in the British F4 and F3 championships. He would leave Euroformula racing for the United States where he began on the Road to Indy, to which he credits most of his racing success. He fills listeners in on how his deal with RLL came to be, and how he is excited to lean on veteran Graham Rahal as a resource next season. The guys also discuss life away from the track, Louis’ quick adaptation to oval racing and the ever burning question of how to improve the IndyCar Series.

Conor Daly is back this week with one pressing question: where did all the IndyCar drivers go? He and co-host Chase Holden discuss the lack of social media presence a lot of the paddock has displayed since the season finale in Nashville. They also debate whether race fans having access to drivers’ personal lives is good for the growth of the sport. Conor brings up the discourse surrounding NASCAR’s Playoff system and how it has kept NASCAR relevant in a sports market dominated by football. They also respond to Romain Grosjean’s spicy comments about how he will likely be sitting out next season due to a lack of funding after one of the best seasons in his career. Longtime NASCAR competitor and NBC broadcaster Parker Kligerman joins the show to discuss his decision to leave the pursuit of full-time racing to further his career in television. He and Conor relate on the ups and downs of being underfunded in racing, and how the glimmers of hope often drive several more years in the grind. Parker goes into what he describes as a symbiotic relationship between racing on Saturdays and broadcasting on Sundays, where he’s able to take anecdotes from his time behind the wheel that help him on camera. He also provides some insight into what else he’d like to try in motorsports before hanging up the helmet for good. Finally, the guys tackle the ever burning question of how to help spread the word of IndyCar.

As we continue to roll into the IndyCar off season, Conor Daly and Chase Holden are back on Speed Street with the latest driver silly season developments. Last week saw Kyffin Simpson confirmed as the third and final Chip Ganassi Racing driver for 2025, pairing him with Scott Dixon and Alex Palou. Prema Racing has solidified its two driver line-up by adding former Formula 3 Champion Robert Shwartzman to its operation to join Callum Ilott.  Conor also sheds light on why teams like Penske and Arrow-McLaren are testing unsigned drivers in the off season despite already having a set line-up for 2025.Open wheel legend and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti joins the show to talk about his post-driving role at Chip Ganassi Racing and how the current day of IndyCar compares to his era behind the wheel. Dario comments that when he watches races at home as a fan, he believes that IndyCar’s on-track product is second to none. He speaks on the open wheel cars of the past and how the high-horsepower was a challenge for drivers to deal with. He and Conor relate on how the old IndyCar engines sound iconic and wish there was a way for the current hybrid systems to be tuned to sound similar. Dario explains what his week to week duties are at CGR and how he works with current drivers in the paddock to improve performance. He also reflects on his 2008 season in NASCAR and how it humbled and inspired him to become a better racer upon his return to the open wheel world. 

Conor Daly’s 2024 racing season has officially come to a close as he was once again in NASCAR Truck competition at Homestead Miami Speedway this past weekend. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss why he struggled behind the wheel with limited practice and how difficult the Truck is to adapt to in comparison to its NASCAR Xfinity counterparts. They also chat about Pato O’Ward’s massive, warm welcoming at the Formula One Mexico Grand Prix and how the huge showing at his personal appearance is a great thing for the future of IndyCar. Also, they ponder if this huge display of support for the IndyCar superstar will expedite the process of getting the series back to Mexico for a championship points race.The return of the People’s Podium segment welcomes past guest Kevin Beck to the table to give his thoughts on the 2024 IndyCar season. Kevin makes the point that IndyCar had a great window of opportunity to find new viewership during the Formula One summer break this year, as the series put on some compelling races after the Indianapolis 500. The guys also discuss Pato O’Ward’s fan support from Mexico and how it can help elevate a sport similarily to Ayrton Senna in Formula One during the mid to late 1980s and Caitlyn Clark currently in the WNBA. Kevin argues that IndyCar needs to study what the WNBA is doing to market Clark’s popularity and how the series is capitalizing on the player’s stardom to help elevate its overall presence. Finally, the guys discuss what an IndyCar in Mexico could mean for the series and how it will be viewed on an international scale. 

Conor Daly prepares for his next challenge behind the wheel on this week’s episode of Speed Street. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss his upcoming NASCAR Truck race at Homestead and the challenges he’s facing in a grueling market for open seats in 2025. The guys also discuss the recent IndyCar test at Iowa Speedway as well as the Indianapolis Road Course test for 2025’s IndyNXT roster. Conor spent the past weekend watching racing and was disappointed with the outcome of the Formula One United States Grand Prix. He weighs in on the differences between IndyCar and Formula One track limits and how the race may have played out differently if the stewards didn’t have to get involved. Hailie Deegan joins the show to discuss her highly publicized transition from the NASCAR world to the IndyNXT paddock. Hailie explains that after her last NASCAR Xfinity event, she began to ponder entering the open wheel world and went to the IndyCar event at Iowa Speedway to take in the series firsthand. She compares the amount of track time she’s had so far in preparing for her first IndyNXT start to her past four seasons spent in NASCAR, which reveals a major challenge for developing racers in the stock car world. Conor and Hailie discuss the use of iRacing in helping to ease the growing pains that come with switching types of race cars, as well as the affordability of racing in IndyNXT versus a NASCAR Truck. 21+ and present in North Carolina. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling problem? Call 877-718-5543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov.

There were IndyCars on track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week for a hybrid system test, and Conor Daly was again behind the wheel of a Juncos Hollinger Racing Dallara participating. He checks into Speed Street to fill co-host Chase Holden and listeners in on what unfolded in the test, which was the first time a lot of drivers got to try the new hybrid cars out at the legendary oval. Conor explains with the newly added weight of the hybrid system, the cars are slow in comparison to previous years, but it’s still too early to make a prediction of how next year’s Month of May will be. The guys also dig into other big news items in the IndyCar world including more details being revealed about the Arlington Street Race, Fox beginning promotion of the 2025 Indy 500 and Hailie Deegan making the jump from the NASCAR world to run IndyNXT full time.Conor’s former Ed Carpenter Racing teammate Rinus VeeKay joins the show to chat about his last minute hire to drive for Dale Coyne at the recent IMS hybrid test. Rinus explains that although he had recently been relieved of his driving duties at ECR, he still thought it would be good to show up at the IMS test and try to schedule some meetings with potential new teams, which led to him getting in the Coyne car for some laps. Having spent a lot of time at ECR with Rinus, Conor was curious to what factors may have contributed to the team’s struggles in recent years, despite driver effort. The guys also fielded questions from social media listeners, who wanted to know what the dynamic between Conor and Rinus was like as teammates and what the team was like after Conor left. Rinus explains that one of the main reasons he ended up making the jump from the European karting ranks to the Road to Indy was the scholarship system in place, which helped get him into the IndyNXT ranks and in front of IndyCar team owners. They also discussed what may be on the horizon for Rinus, to which he is optimistic he will be back in IndyCar full time.

Conor Daly’s “have helmet, will travel” 2024 tour continues as he was in competition at last weekend’s 8 Hours of Indianapolis Intercontinental GT Challenge event. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss the nuances that he and Alex Palou experienced in making the transition from a Dallara IndyCar to a GT3 sports car. He explains that ultimately a fuel pick-up failure took him and the Random Vandals team out of contention after running in the top-five for most of the event. They also discuss the star-studded endurance kart race which took place at New Castle Motorsports Park, IndyCar’s announcement of the 2026 Arlington Street Race and the upcoming hybrid test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.The newest member of the Meyer Shank Racing team Marcus Armstrong joins the show to discuss how the new technical alliance between MSR and Chip Ganassi Racing has moved him to the number-66 Dallara for the 2025 IndyCar season. Marcus explains that he has worked with MSR veteran Felix Rosenqvist in the past and the integration from team to team has been smooth thus far. He also opens up about the difficulty in adapting to oval racing after spending the majority of his career progressing up the Formula ladder system in Europe. Marcus explains that even though he had resources like Dario Franchitti at CGR, he as a driver still had to go out on the track and perform, and his first experiences at tracks like Indianapolis and Milwaukee felt like a whirlwind. Marcus is excited to be a part of the IndyCar Series though and hopes that the championship trail will take them to new venues across the globe in the future.