197 - In First Gear - Winter Off-season Updates

There may be snow on the ground in Indianapolis, but that doesn't mean that things aren't hot behind the scenes in the IndyCar world. Conor Daly stops by Speed Street for a new year update on the heels of the Rolex 24 and the first round of new IndyCar ads from Fox Sports. He also touches on IndyCar content day and why Prema Racing being absent may be a sign of major moving and shaking in the paddock.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Conor Daly returns to Speed Street with a special Christmas gift for listeners: the 12 Drivers of Christmas. After catching up on some off-season IndyCar news, such as Rahal Letterman Lanigan's signing of Mick Schumacher and the formation of the independent officiating board for 2026, Conor chats with 12 racers from all over the motorsports world, asking each of them a holiday question. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We are arriving at the end of the racing season, and Speed Street is here to put a bow on 2025. Conor Daly and co-host Chase Holden check in with the latest IndyCar silly season developments and Conor fills listeners in on his on-going search for a ride in 2026. The guys also discuss the recent IndyCar tests and the excitement around next year’s return to Phoenix. Finally, Conor addresses rumors that IndyCar may be adopting a Playoffs-style championship points format, comparable to NASCAR and how that is unlikely for the time being.Lead singer of the All-American Rejects Tyson Ritter joins the show to chat about his recent introduction into the sport of IndyCar racing and how the band’s relationship with Conor came to be. The guys explain that after a dinner discussion regarding the business side of auto racing, Tyson and the band decided to sponsor Conor's ride for the season finale at Nashville. During the conversation, Tyson also gives his impressions of IndyCar racing, how the band manages its busy schedule and how they are reinventing themselves 25 years later. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Do you have the off-season blues already? Don’t worry, Speed Street has you covered. Conor Daly and co-host Chase Holden are back in the studio this week to chat about Conor’s recent sports car excursion at the Indianapolis 8-Hour. The guys also chat about last week's test at Indy and how it's showing favorable results for the new Firestone tire development. Conor explains a potential, polarizing stock damper that may be introduced into the series and how it could level the playing field in the paddock. Finally, the IndyCar world was on Pato-watch as he made a guest appearance for McLaren during FP1 at the Mexico Grand Prix and Colton Herta announced his home for the upcoming F2 season.Longtime IndyCar competitor and new Fox Sports broadcaster Jack Harvey joins the show to talk about his 2025 Indianapolis 500 efforts and the announcement that he’ll be returning to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing next year. Jack expresses the relief he feels knowing he has his plans for 2026 set in stone so early, while other drivers, including Conor are still figuring out their ride arrangements. Jack reflects on his first year with Fox Sports behind the microphone and the growth he feels he’s had throughout the season. He explains that Jamie Little has been a great mentor and help in getting him up to speed, and he looks forward to continuing his role into next season. Finally, Conor asks Jack to make some way to early 2026 IndyCar predictions, and his answer may surprise you.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

IndyCars are testing, rumors are flying and seats are swapping. Our resident open wheeler Conor Daly is back on Speed Street this week to join co-host Chase Holden in catching up on all the off season madness. The news broke Tuesday morning that Rinus VeeKay will be signing on with Juncos Hollinger Racing for the 2026 season, making Conor’s path back to the full-time grid a bit murkier. Conor gives listeners some insight to his perspective on the matter and what opportunities may still be open in the paddock. The guys also take a look at the test results from Mid-Ohio and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, which saw IndyNXT stand-out Dennis Hauger top the speed charts and former Formula One pilot Mick Schumacher try his hand at an IndyCar for the first time.The fast driver of the week Dennis Hauger joins the show to give his first impressions of an IndyCar after making his test debut with Dale Coyne Racing. After running up the ladder as part of the Red Bull Racing development team in Europe, Hauger came to the United States last year to take part of the IndyNXT Series with Andretti Global. He turned heads with dominant results and will find himself on the IndyCar grid for the 2026 season, with DCR as part of their new technical alliance with Andretti. Dennis fills listeners in on what he’s observed so far from the partnership and what he’s looking forward to in the weeks to come. The guys also chat about Dennis’ first impressions of oval racing and what he anticipates from his Indianapolis 500 debut next year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The off-season crawls on, but Conor Daly and Chase Holden are back on Speed Street to get you up to date with all the latest IndyCar news. The big story of the last couple of weeks has been Team Penske’s signing of David Malukas to replace Will Power in the famed 12 car. The guys weigh in on how David will bring a breath of fresh air to the team, despite having big shoes to fill. Reigning IndyNXT Champion Dennis Hauger will also be making the move to the big leagues as well as he joins Dale Coyne Racing as part of a technical partnership with Andretti Global. Conor explains to listeners how crucial technical alliances between teams can be, and how information is everything in being competitive on-track.Legendary motorsports commentator and Fox Sports broadcaster Jamie Little joins the show to recap the first year of IndyCar on Fox. Jamie reflects on the massive showing at this year’s Indianapolis 500 and how it was a huge return on Fox’s early investments in the series. Jamie looks forward to next year’s collaborative efforts with NASCAR and how the Fox Sports broadcasts can continue to tell the stories of the drivers in the IndyCar paddock. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The off-season continues, only now we know where the NTT IndyCar Series will be racing in 2026. Conor Daly and co-host Chase Holden reconvene on Speed Street to react to the Tuesday morning reveal of the 2026 schedule. They break down where they felt the schedule improved and what they hope to see more of in the future. Also, after digging into the schedule, the guys go over their 2025 power rankings and compare to the pre-season ranking from episode 163.IndyCar champion Alex Palou joins the show to reflect on his dominant season in 2025 and all of the factors that led to his run away points victory. Alex explains that during a season as full of highlights as this, it’s hard to hone in on just one great memory. Alex refers to his win in the Indianapolis 500 and his first short oval victory at Iowa, which he feels is one of the hardest accomplishments in his career. The guys also talk about the blockbuster news that Colton Herta will be leaving IndyCar to pursue Formula One next year, and Alex gives insight from his time spent in Europe earlier in his career. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 2025 IndyCar season may be complete, but silly season is fully underway. Conor Daly and co-host Chase Holden are back on Speed Street to react to last week’s blockbuster news that Colton Herta will be departing from the IndyCar paddock to pursue Formula One, and his replacement will be none other than the legendary Will Powers, fresh off his long-time contract with Team Penske. Aside from the Penske 12-car, there are many other rides in question, and the guys make some educated guesses as to how the rest of the field will shake out for 2026. Conor and Chase also go through the season’s points standings and recap each driver’s performance on ovals and road courses. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The IndyCar season is officially in the books, and our resident open wheeler Conor Daly brought home his best finish of the year in Nashville. He joins co-host Chase Holden to break down his captivating dash from the back of the pack to 5th place and what changes the Juncos Hollinger Team had to make after a disappointing qualifying effort earlier in the weekend. Conor explains that the key to finding his way to the front was running in clean air in the third and fourth high grooves on the speedway, higher than the other competitors. An untimely caution brought out by Scott McLaughlin temporarily slowed Conor in his tracks though, allowing his tires to cool and preventing him from a possible return to the podium. Ultimately, Conor was happy to bring the team their best effort of the season, especially in his partnership with All American Rejects.Race winner Josef Newgarden joins the show to discuss his long awaited return to victory lane after a tumultuous 2025 season. Josef says that after starting the race wrecking loose, Team Penske was able to make changes that helped the car come around in the middle of the race. Once he was in position on the last restarts of the race, he was able to battle to the lead and hold on to victory. Josef also reacts to the breaking news that Will Power will not be returning to Team Penske in 2026 and reflects on what it's been like having the all-time great as a teammate. Conor and Josef also chat about the overall emotional journey of the season, the current day difficulty of competing in IndyCar and what is to come in the future. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With two races left on the 2025 IndyCar schedule, the series returned to the famed Milwaukee Mile, and our resident open wheeler Conor Daly had an up and down day. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss how difficult pit box selection made the afternoon challenging in a race where track position was key. Conor explains he felt the 78-team had top-10 speed, but the lack of passing ability on the flat one-mile oval made it difficult to navigate around lapped traffic on the last restart, which relegated him to a 13th place finish. The guys preview the upcoming season finale in Nashville, react to some Formula One rumors and the announcement of the upcoming iRacing/IndyCar console game.Milwaukee race winner Christian Rasmussen joins the show to chat about capturing his first career IndyCar victory. The feat makes him just the second driver in history to win championships in the lower three series of the Road to Indy and a points-paying event in the top division, along with Kyle Kirkwood. Christian reflects on what the accomplishment means to his career and talks about the amount of well-wishers from his past that have sent him messages of congratulation. The guys talk about the major improvements Ed Carpenter Racing has seen this season, especially on ovals thanks in part to their new partnership with Heartland Foods. The guys also break down the decision to pit late in the race for tires even though track position was so crucial, and how Christian was able to make it through lap traffic to pass leader Alex Palou to roll on to victory. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.