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Speaker 1: This is track side with Kirk Cavin and Kevin Lee

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Speaker 1: on ninety three five and one oh seven five the ban.

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Speaker 2: The fastest racing on A is back panels to green

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Speaker 2: and we are racing in Saint Pete Scott mcgloughlin immediately

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Speaker 2: going on the defensive. It's a good start from Marcus Erickson,

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Speaker 2: a good look up the.

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Speaker 3: Inside from Dennis Haugan. Do they make it through cleanly?

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Speaker 2: They all appear to do so in Scott mcgloughlin holds

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Speaker 2: the lead from the poll and Hauga had lost one

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Speaker 2: place and that is to the champion Alex Polo and

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Speaker 2: Big crash behind. There's two cars in the barrier sting

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Speaker 2: Ray Rob I believe is one of them full course yellow.

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Speaker 2: Oh and that is Mick Schumacher in there as well.

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Speaker 1: Alex Plow on pit lane the cover ten DHL car

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Speaker 1: just sclapped and serviced and leaving.

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Speaker 2: This is about to get even more crazy as Polo

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Speaker 2: blends out and Polow blends out win ease far ahead

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Speaker 2: of Marcus Ericson.

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Speaker 3: He's got almost the entire.

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Speaker 2: Stretch of the rundown to turn four. The best has

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Speaker 2: returned better than ever. The question remains, how do you beat.

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Speaker 2: This map Alex below makes it back to back wins

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Speaker 2: on the streets in.

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Speaker 3: Safety and we're off and running with a very familiar feel.

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Speaker 3: Highlights from a Firestone Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg from

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Speaker 3: Sunday and welcome to trackside ninety three to five, one

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Speaker 3: oh seven five the fan in Indianapololis. That's where Landon

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Speaker 3: Coons is at, Kevin Lee Kurt Cabin. Happy to be

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Speaker 3: with you tonight and we are going to keep the

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Speaker 3: momentum rolling with back to back to back weekends to

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Speaker 3: start the season. It's the return to Phoenix Raceway coming

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Speaker 3: up this weekend, and that's another combination event with NASCAR,

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Speaker 3: but this time it's the Cup Series on Sunday. Indy

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Speaker 3: car will race Saturday afternoon. Three o'clock Eastern time is

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Speaker 3: the green flag for that event. Let me double check

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Speaker 3: on that, yep. Three o'clock Eastern time. That's one o'clock

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Speaker 3: local time. The race will be on Fox. Practice on

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Speaker 3: Friday starting bright and early at eight am local ten

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Speaker 3: o'clock Eastern. Friday is an FS two day with practice

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Speaker 3: at ten Eastern, qualifying at two, and another practice at

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Speaker 3: four point thirty in the afternoon. And then the Cup

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Speaker 3: Race coming up on Sunday that's on FS one, starts

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Speaker 3: at three o'clock Eastern as well, and you'll see some

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Speaker 3: of our people as a part of the Cup Race.

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Speaker 3: I think Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe are going to

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Speaker 3: join the booth because they have all that NASCAR experience.

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Speaker 3: Now Townsend is a NASCAR broadcaster and James Hinchcliff is

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Speaker 3: a NASCAR driver. So we'll talk more about Phoenix coming

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Speaker 3: up in a little bit. But let's get back to

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Speaker 3: Saint Pete and the question everyone asks, is the championship over?

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Speaker 1: No, it's not. It's not over. But I bet after.

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Speaker 3: A couple of chances though, we are we up to

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Speaker 3: what did I say it was last week ninety two

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Speaker 3: point one or something? I might up that to ninety

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Speaker 3: seven point five.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, I'm trying to put a good spin

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Speaker 1: on it. I think the real variable for the intrigue

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Speaker 1: for the next few weeks he is going to be Phoenix.

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Speaker 1: I mean, you know, most people haven't raced at Phoenix

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Speaker 1: in this field. I think nineteen of the twenty five

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Speaker 1: have not. By the way, you didn't know on the

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Speaker 1: show tonight you have Lou Rawls or Johnny Cash because

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Speaker 1: I'm dealing with a head cold, so my voice is deeper,

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Speaker 1: I think, But I think that you know, that may

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Speaker 1: put some variables into it. But you know, Alex Plot

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Speaker 1: was so good last year on ovals. We talked about

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Speaker 1: the two wins, but he was on the podium a

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Speaker 1: couple other places, so you know, overall, he ran well

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Speaker 1: on the ovals, so I would expect more of the same.

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Speaker 3: I know he feels like he took a big step,

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Speaker 3: but talking with him before of the season, he does

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Speaker 3: not feel like he's anywhere close to his full potential

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Speaker 3: or a finished product on those short ovals, which is

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Speaker 3: kind of scary that there's room for him to get

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Speaker 3: better because he was pretty good. But I think you're

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Speaker 3: exactly right, and that's what I said in our Fox

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Speaker 3: call today. My big point was if there is going

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Speaker 3: to be a championship this year, it probably needs to

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Speaker 3: get started this weekend. One of the others that has

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Speaker 3: a legitimate chance needs to finish up at the front,

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Speaker 3: and he doesn't have to crash out, but just finish

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Speaker 3: ahead of Plow. You need to finish ahead of Polo

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Speaker 3: this weekend. If you're a championship contender, and if he

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Speaker 3: does have misfortune, you know, for example, Joseph Nugarten could

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Speaker 3: easily win this race and will be the favorite in

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Speaker 3: this race. And if Alex Pelow just has a solid

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Speaker 3: day and finishes seventh, championship is tied just like that.

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Speaker 3: And that's probably what it's going to take, is someone

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Speaker 3: to gain some confidence because if he finishes third again

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Speaker 3: and it's say Rasmussen and Rossi that are one two

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Speaker 3: no offense, are not championship contenders this year. I don't think.

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Speaker 3: I don't see how they are. But if he finishes

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Speaker 3: ahead of everybody, it's going to be a little more.

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Speaker 3: You know, it's one thing what they say publicly, but

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Speaker 3: they're all befuddled. They are all befuddled. As this guy.

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Speaker 3: We have no answers for right now.

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Speaker 1: Well, he was I mean, he won by an event

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Speaker 1: record almost thirteen seconds in Saint Pete and he was

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Speaker 1: he was clear nearly fifteen seconds at one point, and he.

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Speaker 3: Could just stop a little bit on the last lap,

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Speaker 3: he could.

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Speaker 1: Have set his own number. I mean, you know, you

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Speaker 1: could see it when it happened. And we'll get into

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Speaker 1: how the race was won, but you know, there was

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Speaker 1: so much made of the fact that in the last

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Speaker 1: stint he was going to be on the less preferred

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Speaker 1: primary tires.

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Speaker 3: We were reaching.

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Speaker 1: I know, you're reaching.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and and I think I even said it that way.

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Speaker 3: That's the only hope is that maybe that's a disadvantage

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Speaker 3: for him. But we wasn't going to be.

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Speaker 1: So I thought immediately as soon as he went to

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Speaker 1: the black tires, there's like thirty five laps left. I said,

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Speaker 1: for fifteen to sixteen laps, they're going to gain on him,

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Speaker 1: and they cut it from ten down to five. But

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Speaker 1: the last fifteen or sixteen laps he kicked her butt

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Speaker 1: and it wasn't even close, and he could have named

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Speaker 1: his time. I think he was just out there joy

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Speaker 1: riding a little bit. I mean, he's still turning laps

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Speaker 1: that were pretty close to the fastest of the race.

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Speaker 1: He's amazing, and he'll you know, I know, I already

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Speaker 1: gott I've already received text probably as you have it.

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Speaker 1: People said, well, you know, just I wish Polo was

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Speaker 1: not likable because this isn't fun. But I kind of

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Speaker 1: spent it the other way. I kind of root for

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Speaker 1: him and like watching it because you don't get many

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Speaker 1: chances to see greatness, truly greatness. And as Paul Kelly

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Speaker 1: said to me the other day, and I think this

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Speaker 1: is spot on. If this season goes like we're expecting

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Speaker 1: it to go to you're talking about the four round

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Speaker 1: Mount Rushmore is of IndyCar history, being Foight Andretti Dixon

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Speaker 1: and Pelo.

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Speaker 3: I think he's there. I think he's saying he's got

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Speaker 3: to do it this season. If he does it this season,

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Speaker 3: he might already be there. But if he backs it

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Speaker 3: up this season with another even five or six wins

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Speaker 3: and a championship, I think he's got to be in

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Speaker 3: that top five. Ish. It's always debatable, and the reality

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Speaker 3: is when you try to come up with your five,

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Speaker 3: you're probably going to have eight. But I don't know

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Speaker 3: how you can believe it leave him off. He's won

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Speaker 3: twenty races in five years plus one with Ganassi. I mean,

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Speaker 3: he's six years but he you know, he was a

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Speaker 3: rookie with dale Coin Racing and that wasn't really available

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Speaker 3: to him that season.

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Speaker 1: He easily could be a five time series champion before

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Speaker 1: he's thirty years old. I mean that's unbelievable. And he'll

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Speaker 1: race if he wants to stay here. He raced another

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Speaker 1: fifteen years.

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Speaker 3: Well, I think he will, you know. And I still

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Speaker 3: in the back of my mind and I don't want

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Speaker 3: Alex to go because, as just said, he's a wonderful person.

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Speaker 3: But part of me is still going back to what

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Speaker 3: I was saying last year kind of privately, will somebody

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Speaker 3: take him to Formula one because the race was awesome

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Speaker 3: from second and on it was really really good and

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Speaker 3: it's almost like a sports car race. Now, well, we

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Speaker 3: need a second podium for best in class. But he's

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Speaker 3: not going to Formula one because he's on the hook

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Speaker 3: with Chip one. It's probably contractually impossible for him to

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Speaker 3: go without paying back what Chip has done to cover

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Speaker 3: the lawsuit with Mclair. In edu case you didn't see

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Speaker 3: on what was that Friday morning? Saturday morning, an announcement

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Speaker 3: came out where basically Alex said, I listened to the

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Speaker 3: wrong people. I made a lot of mistakes and I'm sorry,

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Speaker 3: and I wish I would have just gone to Zach

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Speaker 3: Brown when I changed my mind and to see if

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Speaker 3: we could work this out. But Chip has covered this,

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Speaker 3: so if they haven't already agreed to an extension, I

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Speaker 3: also think even if he is not contractually obligated. I

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Speaker 3: think Alex has learned some things about loyalty and taking

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Speaker 3: care of the people that take care of you. I

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Speaker 3: will be shocked if he leaves Chip Ganassi unless it's

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Speaker 3: beneficial to Chip Ganassi, I agree, which would mean a

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Speaker 3: Formula one team writing a big check to Chip to

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Speaker 3: cover that. As great as he is and as much

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Speaker 3: as I think he would be well ahead of anybody

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Speaker 3: else that would be available in Formula one, I don't

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Speaker 3: think they're going. I think somebody would hire him if

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Speaker 3: he was just available, and I think he already would

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Speaker 3: have been hired. But now he's what twenty eight or

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Speaker 3: twenty nine years old, they think that's ancient. I don't

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Speaker 3: know why you wouldn't someone for a good four or

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Speaker 3: five years, but two and I do understand this. It's

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Speaker 3: not guarantee it's going to work for him, and you're

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Speaker 3: not going to pay Lando Norris money for someone who

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Speaker 3: has not proven themselves, because that's I think what it

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Speaker 3: would cost is thirty forty million all told to be

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Speaker 3: able to make that work. So he's here, and he's

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Speaker 3: going to be happy with being here.

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Speaker 1: You know, let's back up just a second and say

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Speaker 1: because I felt this way when I read it, kudos

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Speaker 1: to him. Maybe that was the only thing he could say,

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Speaker 1: but he apologized. There are a lot of people apologizing

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Speaker 1: for things in professional sports, and he apologized. He said,

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Speaker 1: I was listening to the wrong people. I mean, that's

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Speaker 1: admitting a mistake, and I was. I was pleased with

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Speaker 1: that response.

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Speaker 3: Might also have saved some money by doing that, because

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Speaker 3: any times, a lot of times a lawsuit is about

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Speaker 3: protecting your reputation and a lot of things were said

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Speaker 3: about Zach Brown and McLaren and I'm sure he wanted

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Speaker 3: it on the record. That was part of the statement.

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Speaker 3: They never lied to me, they never misled me, which

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Speaker 3: is exactly the opposite of what he said under testimony. Right,

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Speaker 3: he said I was led to believe I was going

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Speaker 3: to be in Formula one, and.

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Speaker 1: Well led to believe and lied to Is it two

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Speaker 1: different things?

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Speaker 3: It's very different. But the statement, I don't have it

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Speaker 3: in front of you, but was pretty clear that they

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Speaker 3: did everything they said and didn't mislead me. Actually, I'll

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Speaker 3: look out that because I did a screenshot of the statement,

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Speaker 3: because when it came out, we were getting ready to

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Speaker 3: go on the air, and it was one of those

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Speaker 3: tl DR too long, didn't read I've got other things

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Speaker 3: going on at this point. But I would imagine because

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Speaker 3: the next thing that was still not complete yet was

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Speaker 3: paying for court costs, which apparently could have been another

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Speaker 3: twelve million dollars or so. So maybe there was some

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Speaker 3: settlement to all right, we're gonna call it even, or

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Speaker 3: we're not going to charge you twelve million. We're gonna

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Speaker 3: come up with a different number in that regard too.

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Speaker 3: And Zach probably just didn't want it out there that

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Speaker 3: you can't trust me. Wanted someone to say, no, this

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Speaker 3: wasn't about the team, this was about the individual not

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Speaker 3: honoring the contract. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: I think there was probably a little bit of forced

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Speaker 1: insertion of conversation in. There are words that maybe Alex

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Speaker 1: might not have used, but you know, like they didn't

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Speaker 1: lie to me, blah blah blah, but just to say

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Speaker 1: I was I apologize and I was listening. You know,

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Speaker 1: he took ownership of his part of it. That's what

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Speaker 1: I was happy to hear.

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Speaker 3: Here's the statement. They fulfilled every obligation when above and

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Speaker 3: beyond delivered on everything they said in their contracts. I

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Speaker 3: was never misled by McLaren and I very much respect

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Speaker 3: their organization. So that is a direct quote.

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Speaker 1: I think I think that was encouraged that he put

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Speaker 1: in there, That's my point.

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Speaker 3: But anyway, he's not too distracted. Yeah, he seems to

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Speaker 3: be okay and in a happy space.

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Speaker 1: You know, he's a good egg. We've said it time

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Speaker 1: and time again. I'm happy for him. You know, he

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Speaker 1: may not make the kind of money through the course

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Speaker 1: of his career, but he'll do okay because and because

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Speaker 1: because he's still sort of paying back Chip and the loyalty.

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Speaker 1: You know, it's also four or five years ago. He

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Speaker 1: was twenty three, twenty four years old, it happens.

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Speaker 3: And at the end of that dale Coin season, he

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Speaker 3: didn't know if he was going to be able to continue.

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Speaker 3: I kind of got the impression that Team Go was

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Speaker 3: not necessarily going to be able to fund him at

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Speaker 3: the same level for year number two. It may have

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Speaker 3: been Will Financier year one, and then you're kind of

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Speaker 3: on your own. And I'm going to guess he got

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Speaker 3: a nice discount from dale Coin, as he often does

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Speaker 3: when he spots talent, and dale Coin spotted talent from

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Speaker 3: that test at Middle Ohio and thought that there is

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Speaker 3: something here and it led to circumstances. Did he replace

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Speaker 3: Felix Rosenquist? I believe he did so. Ganassi was wanted

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Speaker 3: Felix to stay, but the offer came a little bit late,

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Speaker 3: and Felix decided to go to McLaren and that open

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Speaker 3: up a seat, and that's how that all happened. And

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Speaker 3: if rosen Quis stays, there's no spot at Ganassi, and

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Speaker 3: maybe they figure out a way for him to run

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Speaker 3: a dale Coin again the next year, but you know,

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Speaker 3: he's not winning the season opener. Most likely he actually

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Speaker 3: might though have started winning that That would have been

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Speaker 3: so finite fascinating what might have happened in year two,

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Speaker 3: because remember year one was a COVID year that was

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Speaker 3: not typical and had to be the most difficult circumstance

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Speaker 3: for a rookie to settle into a new culture. But

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Speaker 3: you can't leave the house, you can't talk to anybody,

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Speaker 3: there's less testing, there's less practice on race weekends. The

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Speaker 3: first race I think was a one day show at Texas,

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Speaker 3: and on and on and on. So yeah, maybe he

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Speaker 3: would have maybe he would have won a race or

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Speaker 3: two that season and jumped and made dale Coin you know,

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Speaker 3: into a top five or six contender that year.

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Speaker 1: Well remember he had a third place finished with dale Coin.

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Speaker 1: I think it was a road America, So I mean

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Speaker 1: there's a strong at Indie too. He was strong at Anieware.

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Speaker 1: That's where he kind of, yeah, kind of took notice

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Speaker 1: of him. Here's what I think was the amazing thing.

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Speaker 1: And by mid.

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Speaker 3: Race it was, oh, so he's on the soft to

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Speaker 3: start the race, the red side walls, and I know

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Speaker 3: the plan for all those that were on the black

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Speaker 3: the hard compound, like the polesitter Scott McLaughlin, is we

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Speaker 3: want to run this stint as long as we can,

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Speaker 3: and we wanted to stay caution free other than maybe

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Speaker 3: a first lap crashed like we had. And this year,

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Speaker 3: and like last year, there were only a couple of

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Speaker 3: people that came in on that first lap because the

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Speaker 3: soft tire really lasted the same as the hard and

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Speaker 3: that's kind of a we need a happy medium there.

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Speaker 3: Last year was probably a little bit too much going

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Speaker 3: between five and twelve laps. This year they were running

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Speaker 3: and that's my point. Alex Polow ran eight I think

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Speaker 3: six laps, the eight laps on the first stint on soft,

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Speaker 3: so he went three laps longer than McLaughlin did. And

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Speaker 3: what he does.

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Speaker 1: And two more than ericson.

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Speaker 3: Yes, and what he does he saves fuel and tires,

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Speaker 3: let other people lead at the beginning, and when they pit,

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Speaker 3: he still got enough fuel to push hard and run

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Speaker 3: fast laps and goes from where was he at the

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Speaker 3: first pit cycle? Was he he went third to first?

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Speaker 3: He was third, okay, went third to first. He did

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Speaker 3: all that to the race. He does all that without

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Speaker 3: letting him go. I mean, he stayed in there in

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Speaker 3: their shadow. I mean, so it wasn't like he just decided,

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Speaker 3: I'm going to go take it easy. I'll fall back

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Speaker 3: six seven seconds. No, he's in the camera shot the

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Speaker 3: whole time. You know, I was thinking about I think

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Speaker 3: I even wrote this overcut undercut doesn't matter. Last year

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Speaker 3: he undercut Scott Dixon came out ahead. This time overcuts

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Speaker 3: him comes out ahead. Doesn't seem to matter. Now I

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Speaker 3: do think he gets he has caught some breaks. For instance,

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Speaker 3: you just mentioned one of them. This year, the separation

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Speaker 3: between the Reds and the Blacks not that significant, so

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Speaker 3: he could stay on the Reds longer. But that's also

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Speaker 3: smart strategy on the part of the team and him

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Speaker 3: to come up to know that they could do that.

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Speaker 3: And then second of all, he catches yellows. I mean,

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Speaker 3: he just does. If you look back at the last

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Speaker 3: couple of years, he's been lucky a few times on cautions.

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Speaker 3: But I think I've always believed those things iron themselves

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Speaker 3: out during the course of the season. They're even but

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Speaker 3: what it's all said and done, but I do think

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Speaker 3: he's been He's caught some breaks, and this was an

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Speaker 3: example of one of them. Because if those soft tires,

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Speaker 3: those red tires are going away.

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Speaker 1: Quicker, then he's got a pit. The overcut doesn't work.

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Speaker 1: Maybe he's still third.

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Speaker 3: I thought going into the weekend was that if the

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Speaker 3: soft was really soft again and not long lasting, I

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Speaker 3: thought that benefited Pulo more than other people. I think

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Speaker 3: he might have won by more because he makes the

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Speaker 3: tires last. And I think and that was the difference

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Speaker 3: between the teams with good setups and not so it

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Speaker 3: was all over the map. I had drivers an engineer saying,

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Speaker 3: you can't do this on two stops. You can't make

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Speaker 3: the softs last long enough. And then I talked to

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Speaker 3: the teams that you know, ultimately were running up at

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Speaker 3: the front and it was, Yeah, there's no difference. There's

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Speaker 3: no difference. You can go a full fuel stint on

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Speaker 3: the soft So that's all set up. If you've got

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Speaker 3: it figured out and your driver is nice to the tires,

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Speaker 3: no difference. I was really hoping for the softs going

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Speaker 3: to twelve to fifteen laps. I was thinking into the weekend.

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Speaker 3: When I heard there's a two stint rule that you

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Speaker 3: must use the saws twice. I thought we might see

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Speaker 3: a four stopper if the tire was the same as

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Speaker 3: it was last year. I think that would have been

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Speaker 3: fascinating to figure out. How do you manage that? Can

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Speaker 3: you go long enough on the hards to get it

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Speaker 3: done on three? And then lo and behold, we're at

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Speaker 3: two And I don't like two stoppers. Two stoppers means

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Speaker 3: everyone's on the same strategy. Everybody works really hard on

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Speaker 3: pit stops. Let's showcase that a little bit. If the

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Speaker 3: tire is going to be hard like this, and because

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Speaker 3: the firestone is so good, let's strength the fuel tank

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Speaker 3: eighteen and a half gallons is too much.

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Speaker 1: Well, I do think you know it's not a firestone issue.

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Speaker 1: They create the tire and do the best they can

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Speaker 1: to take a shot at it, and sometimes it's a little.

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Speaker 1: It goes a little one way or the other.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it's minute. Any might rather air on the side

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Speaker 3: if it lasting too long than not lasting long enough.

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Speaker 3: So that's not a kind of poke at Firestone because

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Speaker 3: and I get as much as we want from entertainment

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Speaker 3: to see a tire that just drops like a rock

376
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Speaker 3: and falls off. Fox is trying to bring in more

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Speaker 3: casual viewers, and the casual viewer that doesn't understand motor sport.

378
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Speaker 3: Now we need to do a good job of explaining this,

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Speaker 3: and we try to mention this as much as we can,

380
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Speaker 3: but that might not be great if Aunt Linda is hearing, oh,

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Speaker 3: the Firestone fell apart out for four laps, Well, I'm

382
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Speaker 3: not buying a Firestone, so we would have to work

383
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Speaker 3: really hard to explain that. And you know, you can't

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Speaker 3: guarantee everybody's listening all the time. So I get that

385
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Speaker 3: from Firestone, so I think, you know, it's really got

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Speaker 3: to last at least twelve laps or something like that.

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Speaker 1: And keep in mind that you know, if your four

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Speaker 1: laps on the reds is the standard will use for

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Speaker 1: the point of this conversation. You don't want a pit stop.

390
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Speaker 1: People go red red and they start on the reds.

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Speaker 1: They go four laps, start on the reds, then go

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Speaker 1: to the red that now it's lap eight, they've stopped twice.

393
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Speaker 1: You don't want that.

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00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:06,800
Speaker 3: That's too much and then it's probably fuel save the

395
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Speaker 3: rest of the way on the herds to be able

396
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Speaker 3: to get it done on the two more stops. Just

397
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Speaker 3: as an aside, I was talking to Brian Hurd a

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Speaker 3: little bit about what Colton is experiencing and in one

399
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Speaker 3: of the tests he did, the drop off from new

400
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Speaker 3: tires to late in a stint was twelve seconds a lap. Wow,

401
00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:31,200
Speaker 3: that's the difference on the pirellis. So that's what everyone

402
00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,400
Speaker 3: when you know, we ask the people that have gone

403
00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,359
Speaker 3: through have to and there's a lot of move over

404
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Speaker 3: here in IndyCar and in Indie next it's, oh, he's

405
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Speaker 3: got to get used to those tires. And that's the

406
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Speaker 3: adjustment that you know, Loan Guard and Schumacher all those.

407
00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:47,520
Speaker 3: When Loon Guard got over here, he was amazed that

408
00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:52,120
Speaker 3: you push every single lap there, You push in qualifying

409
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Speaker 3: and then you have to ride around in the race

410
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Speaker 3: because if you don't it's about managing the tires, managing

411
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Speaker 3: the energy, everything along those lines. So anyway, Alex Poulo,

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Speaker 3: he is really really good and he wins the opening race,

413
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Speaker 3: but there was great racing behind him. I think Scott

414
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Speaker 3: McLaughlin and Christian Luhanguard and Kyle Kirkwood all feel really

415
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Speaker 3: good about their weekends. Same from Poto Award. Marcus Erikson

416
00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,800
Speaker 3: is probably a little bit mixed and Podole feels good

417
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Speaker 3: because I don't know that they were awesome, but they

418
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Speaker 3: were okay.

419
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Speaker 1: Correct.

420
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Speaker 3: Yeah, Marcus is the one that's kind of mixed. When

421
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Speaker 3: you start in the front row and you run second

422
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Speaker 3: the entire race, that doesn't feel quite as good. Big

423
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Speaker 3: picture is that that's still a good start to a

424
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Speaker 3: critical season for Marcus Erickson. He showed pace, he ran

425
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Speaker 3: up front, and he said the difference from him was

426
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Speaker 3: that he only had one set of newsaus and ran

427
00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,719
Speaker 3: those ran those last. So he said it was the

428
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Speaker 3: middle stints and that's where he got eaten up. He

429
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Speaker 3: went from second to like eight or ninth before he

430
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Speaker 3: could pit, and then picked up a few more spots

431
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Speaker 3: to get back there at the end. But I feel

432
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Speaker 3: that was a really good weekend for Marcus Erickson.

433
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Speaker 1: I kind of felt both those and Ready cars, Kirkwood

434
00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,560
Speaker 1: and Ericson kind of seem like they suffered from the

435
00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,520
Speaker 1: same thing late in the race second half of the

436
00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,200
Speaker 1: race at least, you know, they were pretty good early,

437
00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,440
Speaker 1: but something fell apart in the last last part of

438
00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:24,840
Speaker 1: the race.

439
00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:28,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, Kirk was in position to finish second after taking

440
00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:32,320
Speaker 3: over from Marcus. I know the other I wasn't covering

441
00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:36,399
Speaker 3: his section, but I know. And it was odd listening

442
00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:39,679
Speaker 3: to Tim Sindric talk to someone other than Joseph Dugard.

443
00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:42,879
Speaker 3: He's back with the three car where he started his

444
00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:44,920
Speaker 3: career or it's been an awful lot of his career

445
00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,439
Speaker 3: with l e O Castroneves. And I even joke with

446
00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:51,480
Speaker 3: Tim that, you know, when I am going to find

447
00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:55,160
Speaker 3: New Garden and I'm walking down Pitt Road, I see

448
00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,920
Speaker 3: Tim and I go there because the color schemes are

449
00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:02,120
Speaker 3: still always stiimilar as well, and I of course did

450
00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,440
Speaker 3: when I was sent to go find will Power walk

451
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,080
Speaker 3: into the twelve box and he was riding next door

452
00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,560
Speaker 3: in the twenty sixth, but I did a quick one

453
00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,479
Speaker 3: there as well. But Cindric was telling McLaughlin he's going

454
00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,320
Speaker 3: to save here. You know you keep putting pressure on him,

455
00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,120
Speaker 3: but I think it might have been the tire going

456
00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,240
Speaker 3: away a little bit for him. But Kyle was still

457
00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:25,280
Speaker 3: pretty happy from where did he start fifteenth and finishes fourth?

458
00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,160
Speaker 3: And for a while I thought my prediction of if

459
00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,040
Speaker 3: anybody can beat Polow, it's Kirkwood was looking good because

460
00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,760
Speaker 3: he was running second best in class behind him.

461
00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:35,520
Speaker 1: I'm starting to think the only one that can stay

462
00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:39,199
Speaker 1: with him is McLaughlin. And I say that because I

463
00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:44,679
Speaker 1: think he'll be reasonable on the on the Ovals, you know,

464
00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:47,320
Speaker 1: and he surely won't go winless like he did last year.

465
00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,720
Speaker 1: But I'm probably going to write about Christian Lunguard later

466
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:54,360
Speaker 1: in the week. You know, he's he's this is such

467
00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:57,080
Speaker 1: an important week for him at Phoenix because he's got

468
00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:00,280
Speaker 1: to stay in championship contention, whether it's Polo Went or

469
00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:05,200
Speaker 1: McLaughlin or Kirkwood. Who pick your driver, Potto, He's can't

470
00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:09,000
Speaker 1: just he can't lose the farm on the Ovals. So

471
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,080
Speaker 1: it's a big week for him there. We'll get to

472
00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:15,360
Speaker 1: that more later, but I do think that McLachlin can

473
00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,040
Speaker 1: hang on the Ovals, and I think we'll see the

474
00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:19,640
Speaker 1: Penske's pretty good this weekend, so.

475
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,119
Speaker 3: Oh, no doubt, no doubt they'll be good. And ECR

476
00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,880
Speaker 3: was really good in the test as well. Week two,

477
00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:31,680
Speaker 3: Race two of eighteen, not seventeen of eighteen. But you

478
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:35,399
Speaker 3: look at the drivers that feel like they're legitimate, and

479
00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:39,639
Speaker 3: we feel like could be legitimate, if not championship contenders,

480
00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:43,000
Speaker 3: but top three to four in the championship if you

481
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:46,240
Speaker 3: want to talk winning the championship. And you had a

482
00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:49,000
Speaker 3: day like Scott Dixon did through no fault of his own,

483
00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,040
Speaker 3: the wheel literally fell off, and he might have had

484
00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:54,560
Speaker 3: a strategy play that was going to get him a

485
00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:58,480
Speaker 3: good result after they missed out and qualifying and started sixteen.

486
00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:01,800
Speaker 3: So he finishes twenty third, and will Power makes a

487
00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:04,840
Speaker 3: mistake brush the wall for the second time of the

488
00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:08,960
Speaker 3: weekend and he finishes twenty second. If they have misfortune

489
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:13,560
Speaker 3: again this weekend and finish in the twenties, is their

490
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:15,680
Speaker 3: championship not? Over right?

491
00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:16,520
Speaker 1: Pretty close?

492
00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:19,720
Speaker 3: You cannot finish in the back when Alex Polo is

493
00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,159
Speaker 3: in your series, he is at most going to have

494
00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:24,640
Speaker 3: two of these in the year, and if your two

495
00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:27,639
Speaker 3: are in the first two, you're now saying, well, I

496
00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,120
Speaker 3: can rally and maybe finish third in the championship would

497
00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:31,240
Speaker 3: be the best hope.

498
00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:35,600
Speaker 1: You know, I'll compare that to something that and I

499
00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:37,919
Speaker 1: may have the stat wrong. Eric Smith will slap me

500
00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,719
Speaker 1: if I got it wrong. But as I recall, Christian

501
00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:44,760
Speaker 1: Lingard has finished on the podium nine times in his

502
00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:48,840
Speaker 1: last few years here and seven of them Alex below

503
00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:49,480
Speaker 1: beat him.

504
00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,159
Speaker 3: As that in the post race press conference in the

505
00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,920
Speaker 3: notes I saw and I think it's his tenth career podium.

506
00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:59,520
Speaker 3: When you also go back to Ray Hall, Edman landingg

507
00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:02,879
Speaker 3: and I did cutting paste on that quote because I agreed.

508
00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:03,880
Speaker 3: I thought it was good, but.

509
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:05,840
Speaker 1: I think it's whatever it is.

510
00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:10,800
Speaker 3: It's it shows you seventh podium with Aaron McLaren okay

511
00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:12,960
Speaker 3: in just over a year, and he said, yeah, every

512
00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,919
Speaker 3: time on the podium he's first. It's pretty annoying. And

513
00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,200
Speaker 3: I think maybe somebody followed it up and like six

514
00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:18,760
Speaker 3: of them are.

515
00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,959
Speaker 1: Whatever the stat was, it's pretty unbelievable. And that speaks

516
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:26,280
Speaker 1: to your point. I'm Alex is going to consistent you

517
00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:30,480
Speaker 1: to death, and its consistency is great.

518
00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:34,840
Speaker 3: It's consistent as winning. I know, so normally we say

519
00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:37,440
Speaker 3: consistent you to death and that's finishing the top five

520
00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,000
Speaker 3: and that average is normally good enough to win a championship.

521
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,200
Speaker 3: But he's just going to win half of them.

522
00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:46,360
Speaker 1: I love the fact that, I mean just and it

523
00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:48,800
Speaker 1: was kind of you know, coach speak if you will,

524
00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:53,240
Speaker 1: but Ganassi's team rallying around the battle cry that we

525
00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:56,679
Speaker 1: didn't win eight races last year, we lost nine, and

526
00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:02,560
Speaker 1: that's just that's just that's puts it in perspective. You know,

527
00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:04,720
Speaker 1: they're they're gonna come for blood. And he may win

528
00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,040
Speaker 1: eight more this year. And by the way, if he

529
00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:09,640
Speaker 1: if he wins eight more seven more this year comes

530
00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:11,760
Speaker 1: up with eight, you know, he'll be tied with Johnny

531
00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:15,680
Speaker 1: Ruttherford for all time wins. I mean, this is unbelievable.

532
00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,640
Speaker 1: This year he's got a chance to pass Emerson, Fittipaldi,

533
00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:24,800
Speaker 1: Ralph de Palma, Johnny Ruththerford, Gordon john Cock. I mean,

534
00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:27,520
Speaker 1: these are these are just these are legends.

535
00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:30,960
Speaker 3: He could catch Rick Meures by early next season. You

536
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:35,120
Speaker 3: no catch Rick Mears this year if he wins ten right,

537
00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:41,040
Speaker 3: number twenty nine, Yeah, yeah, he's got twenty and this

538
00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:45,240
Speaker 3: will be his one hundredth race coming up on Saturday.

539
00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:47,720
Speaker 3: We'll go more into the box score and some other

540
00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:51,480
Speaker 3: notes and a couple of other things off the track

541
00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:54,520
Speaker 3: to get to in just a moment, we'll talk about

542
00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:56,880
Speaker 3: the weekend at Saint Pete and look ahead to Phoenix

543
00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:58,840
Speaker 3: as well. It's track side ninety three to five one

544
00:28:58,920 --> 00:28:59,880
Speaker 3: oh seven five the Fan.

545
00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,600
Speaker 2: This is Alex below, and you're listening to druck site.

546
00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:06,760
Speaker 3: Before I forget show next week also on a Tuesday, Tuesday,

547
00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,360
Speaker 3: March tenth, and we'll have a Monday on the sixteenth,

548
00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:14,360
Speaker 3: and then Tuesdays for the final two weeks of March

549
00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,200
Speaker 3: on the twenty fourth and thirty first, and that's as

550
00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,760
Speaker 3: far as we go TBD once we get into April,

551
00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:26,120
Speaker 3: and we will unfortunately or actually no, I will say fortunately.

552
00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:29,680
Speaker 3: As a Pacers fan, we won't have to worry about

553
00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:33,640
Speaker 3: the playoffs. There's no need this year. I'm a fan.

554
00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:36,400
Speaker 3: I don't care about the play in tournament. I want

555
00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,720
Speaker 3: ping pong balls. And I'm very angry at Adam Silver

556
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:41,960
Speaker 3: for finding the Pacers. I think they should do everything

557
00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,840
Speaker 3: they can to play the young guys and rest everyone

558
00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,680
Speaker 3: else as much as possible to make sure they're healthy

559
00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:48,600
Speaker 3: next October.

560
00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:54,800
Speaker 1: So one more baby, yeah, lose baby. One more. Alex

561
00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:59,560
Speaker 1: belowstat he reaches hundred races, hundred starts this weekend, right

562
00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:04,640
Speaker 1: have do you know how many wins Scott Dixon and

563
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:06,959
Speaker 1: Joseph Newgarden had at one hundred.

564
00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:09,200
Speaker 3: So that's one of the graphics we're going to prepare

565
00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,520
Speaker 3: for this weekend. And we're even going to we're going

566
00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:16,320
Speaker 3: to look at six years in you know, in comparing

567
00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:19,160
Speaker 3: him to Schumacher, and Foyd's going to be the one

568
00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,480
Speaker 3: because Foyd won everything. You know, he won more than

569
00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,640
Speaker 3: half the races, and he won most of his championships

570
00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:29,880
Speaker 3: in the sixties. But how many had Newgarden won because

571
00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,880
Speaker 3: he ran at the back as a rookie second year

572
00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,440
Speaker 3: a little bit better? Was it his fourth year when

573
00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:39,560
Speaker 3: he first won or maybe that third year. I'm going

574
00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:44,920
Speaker 3: to say Joseph Newgarden had won three races seven? Seven races? Okay,

575
00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:49,320
Speaker 3: so he had last big year with Did that include

576
00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:51,000
Speaker 3: a first year at Penske.

577
00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:55,840
Speaker 1: I believe it did seventeen? Yeah, and Dixon had won seven.

578
00:30:56,080 --> 00:31:00,000
Speaker 1: The only guy closest is Power as I counted him up,

579
00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:01,720
Speaker 1: and it's, you know, tough to make sure you got

580
00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,479
Speaker 1: them exactly right at one hundred, but Power had won

581
00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,040
Speaker 1: eighteen and Polo could come out of this weekend with

582
00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:08,840
Speaker 1: twenty one.

583
00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:11,720
Speaker 3: Mirrors might be a good look.

584
00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,240
Speaker 1: I didn't go through everyone that I could think of

585
00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:15,960
Speaker 1: by just trying to get the guys who are on

586
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:21,280
Speaker 1: the grid currently. But anyway, it's just you know, and

587
00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:24,880
Speaker 1: you can't say, well, it's because Alex is older than

588
00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:28,640
Speaker 1: these guys were. Dixon was really young, obviously, yes, but

589
00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:31,760
Speaker 1: and Joseph was too. But they're all about same age,

590
00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:35,200
Speaker 1: you know, and in their relative paths to get to

591
00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:39,000
Speaker 1: one hundred, they're all pretty close in age.

592
00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:43,080
Speaker 3: Of the event I think was each year it's just

593
00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:44,760
Speaker 3: a little bit better. I'm not going to say it

594
00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:48,920
Speaker 3: was massively more crowded, because it was really crowded last year,

595
00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,320
Speaker 3: but what seemed different this year is more people there

596
00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:56,240
Speaker 3: on Friday, and maybe you could tell from TV shots.

597
00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:59,000
Speaker 3: I still have not watched the truck rates broadcast back,

598
00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:02,480
Speaker 3: but it looked to me like it was pretty close

599
00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:06,280
Speaker 3: to the Sunday crowd, and from people that were distributing

600
00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:10,840
Speaker 3: sweet tickets, Saturday was in many ways more in demand

601
00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:13,480
Speaker 3: because it was new. They wanted to see if there

602
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:17,120
Speaker 3: was chaos. I think we all are shocked that they

603
00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:19,040
Speaker 3: didn't all want them up in the first lap in

604
00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:22,640
Speaker 3: the truck race. We were so counting on that that

605
00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,560
Speaker 3: we had Jackson moved to the back, but we were

606
00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:26,280
Speaker 3: still right. I knew there'd be a caution at some

607
00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:28,760
Speaker 3: point and maybe we should just do the little recap

608
00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,280
Speaker 3: of Jackson's event. Did you watch?

609
00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:32,520
Speaker 1: I did.

610
00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:34,760
Speaker 3: Apparently he got a lot of love on television, so

611
00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:40,160
Speaker 3: that's good. So that was nice. Practice getting rained out

612
00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:43,760
Speaker 3: was not really good for someone who's never driven a

613
00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,680
Speaker 3: stock car before. It took him even longer to get

614
00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:50,960
Speaker 3: going with the fit. So the Friday practice he couldn't

615
00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,240
Speaker 3: turn the wheel. The three d laps that he got.

616
00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:55,600
Speaker 3: It's one thing to sit in the shop and think

617
00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:58,480
Speaker 3: it fits, it's another thing to try to drive the thing.

618
00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:03,800
Speaker 3: And he couldn't turn fully either way because of his legs.

619
00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:07,000
Speaker 3: So he had three laps. He was probably like eight

620
00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:11,080
Speaker 3: seconds off the pace on Friday. So with that they

621
00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:14,480
Speaker 3: started on points because qualifying was rained out and he

622
00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:17,080
Speaker 3: was going to start twenty fourth and there were about

623
00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:21,000
Speaker 3: four or five trucks that were misplaced that I knew

624
00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:24,200
Speaker 3: were quick and we're coming through. So if you're going

625
00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:26,520
Speaker 3: to fall back to thirtieth while you're trying to learn

626
00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,240
Speaker 3: how to do it. Why not just start last? That

627
00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:31,719
Speaker 3: was my recommendation, and then pretty soon and Ford had

628
00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:35,320
Speaker 3: the same thing and our entire team, I'll move to

629
00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:37,160
Speaker 3: the back. So he used the first stage just kind

630
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:41,280
Speaker 3: of riding around, still pasted a few people, and by

631
00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:44,000
Speaker 3: the second stage thought that he kind of had a

632
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,000
Speaker 3: handle on it. And he's running laps that were second

633
00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:50,200
Speaker 3: to second and a half off the leaders, so it

634
00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:53,440
Speaker 3: was going well. He got up to seventeenth from thirty fifth,

635
00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:56,080
Speaker 3: and I think he was still nineteenth when he got

636
00:33:56,200 --> 00:34:00,760
Speaker 3: punted by the same guy who apparently hit somebody every

637
00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:03,720
Speaker 3: race he does occasional races. I know he hit Hinchcliffe

638
00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:06,200
Speaker 3: in this race, took somebody else out to They had

639
00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:09,640
Speaker 3: just warned his spotter that this guy behind i'll name him.

640
00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:13,239
Speaker 3: His name is Chris Wright, who used to run in

641
00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:18,640
Speaker 3: apparently in USF two thousand, in Pro two thousand and

642
00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:21,600
Speaker 3: is a bit of a menace. So he got his

643
00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,840
Speaker 3: welcome to NASCAR moment and officially got dumped in the

644
00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:29,040
Speaker 3: final corner. Just hit square from behind and turned, so

645
00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:33,000
Speaker 3: you know, you're half a lot behind, and then once

646
00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:36,239
Speaker 3: kind of the adrenaline of fighting and having a chance,

647
00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:40,480
Speaker 3: So the team was ecstatic, and I would say this

648
00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,239
Speaker 3: about NASCAR. This is one of the reasons why we

649
00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:46,520
Speaker 3: love IndyCar Dale Cooin Racing can qualify third and six

650
00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:49,960
Speaker 3: even if they are a so called midfield team or

651
00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:52,359
Speaker 3: whatever the case may be, and they can do it

652
00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:55,160
Speaker 3: more than once a season. You know, Jokos Hollinger will

653
00:34:55,160 --> 00:34:56,920
Speaker 3: be up there at some point even if they are not.

654
00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:01,880
Speaker 3: Penske Ganassi Andrettie McLaren. In NASCAR is a little bit

655
00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:05,600
Speaker 3: more like Formula One that your results and whether it's

656
00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:08,600
Speaker 3: a good day or not, are just based on the

657
00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:10,840
Speaker 3: team you're with, you know, and kind of what he

658
00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:13,320
Speaker 3: is capable. If you're if you were on the team

659
00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:16,800
Speaker 3: that hinches on, you know that truck, that car, whatever

660
00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:19,719
Speaker 3: series it's in, is gonna be good and you're going

661
00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:22,640
Speaker 3: to have a chance to be able to do something.

662
00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:27,520
Speaker 3: For our team, they generally average about thirty seconds, so

663
00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,120
Speaker 3: when they're inside the top twenty five, it's going well.

664
00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:33,160
Speaker 3: And when somebody knew was in the top twenty and

665
00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:36,799
Speaker 3: maybe heading to the top fifteen, he's like, yeah, this

666
00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:42,800
Speaker 3: is awesome. So they got the fit sorted for steering.

667
00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:46,280
Speaker 3: But I don't know if you've noticed on the onboard,

668
00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:49,880
Speaker 3: but his knees were like in his chin and he

669
00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:52,399
Speaker 3: ended up with some sort of a pinch nerve or

670
00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:57,200
Speaker 3: something and cramps and his legs just went numb. So

671
00:35:57,239 --> 00:35:59,680
Speaker 3: the team thought he was just hot. Like you said,

672
00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:01,960
Speaker 3: dari On Hinch, that looked worn out. He said, no,

673
00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:05,040
Speaker 3: that wasn't it. But he was saying, you know this

674
00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:06,880
Speaker 3: is dangerous. I'm going to So they rolled him down

675
00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:09,520
Speaker 3: through Pitt Lane. He couldn't push the brake, so he

676
00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:12,480
Speaker 3: eventually started right foot breaking to try to be able

677
00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:14,439
Speaker 3: to finish. And you know, they only lost a few

678
00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:17,040
Speaker 3: more positions. I think after he got punted, he was

679
00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:20,400
Speaker 3: back in like twenty sixth or something like that. So

680
00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:23,279
Speaker 3: that was the end of it. But so I asked

681
00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,560
Speaker 3: the owner afterwards, so I assume we're done. We're done here, right,

682
00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:28,399
Speaker 3: And he said, oh no, no, no, we can. Yeah,

683
00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:30,200
Speaker 3: we can move the pedals some more. There are things

684
00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:33,040
Speaker 3: that we could do and make him fit, so that

685
00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:35,920
Speaker 3: they were happy and kind of prove that he can

686
00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:40,319
Speaker 3: drive a stock car and can do it. So they've

687
00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:42,680
Speaker 3: asked us to come to Watkins Glen and you know,

688
00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:44,880
Speaker 3: we'll see if we can make that work. Either they

689
00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:47,680
Speaker 3: find a sponsor or. I find a sponsor to be

690
00:36:47,719 --> 00:36:49,600
Speaker 3: able to pay to run the car and maybe do

691
00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:51,920
Speaker 3: some more after that, so we still see. But it

692
00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:53,880
Speaker 3: was cool. I know, he had fun racing against Dario

693
00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:57,080
Speaker 3: and Hinch, and at one point Hinch was behind him

694
00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:02,440
Speaker 3: and Hinch got let me think, I think Hinch. I

695
00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:05,800
Speaker 3: forget how Jackson told me, but either Hinch hit somebody

696
00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:08,880
Speaker 3: or somebody hit Hinch and that hit Jackson. But that

697
00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,640
Speaker 3: was not the big ending with somebody else that got

698
00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:13,360
Speaker 3: into him. But it was a lot of fun, and

699
00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:15,160
Speaker 3: it was He's done a lot of interviews over the

700
00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,360
Speaker 3: week and it was kind of cool to see him racing,

701
00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:19,520
Speaker 3: you know, in the so.

702
00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:23,160
Speaker 1: Called big leagues. Yeah, I thought so too. The separation

703
00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:28,000
Speaker 1: of teams seems to be more prevalent in the Infinity

704
00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:32,600
Speaker 1: and Or and the O'Reilly, I've lost track of the names,

705
00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:36,800
Speaker 1: but in the Trucks and Trucks and Exfinity, the separation

706
00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:39,759
Speaker 1: of teams greater than the Cup Series. But Or there's

707
00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:41,560
Speaker 1: just more good teams in the Cup Series.

708
00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:45,120
Speaker 3: That's probably true. Yeah, So that's you kind of everything

709
00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:47,200
Speaker 3: is graded on a curve. You know, you're just trying

710
00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:50,560
Speaker 3: to do what you can and the business model is, hey,

711
00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:52,480
Speaker 3: make sure you make the race. You know, we just

712
00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:56,080
Speaker 3: want to stay in the top thirty one in points.

713
00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:58,279
Speaker 3: That's kind of how it works for being able to

714
00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:01,480
Speaker 3: be locked into the race. So kind of Michelman accomplished there,

715
00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:04,360
Speaker 3: and we did really like the team. Super nice guys.

716
00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:08,080
Speaker 3: The owner, Josh Reome, drove Jackson's truck the first two

717
00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:10,719
Speaker 3: races and he's an engineer. He has a college degree

718
00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:13,040
Speaker 3: in engineering, so he was the guy on the radio

719
00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:15,759
Speaker 3: with Jackson and he's over the wall helping with the

720
00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,759
Speaker 3: pit stops and everything else. So it's kind of fun

721
00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:21,839
Speaker 3: to watch how they operate. And I don't know how

722
00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:24,000
Speaker 3: the so called big teams do, but I was quite

723
00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:26,880
Speaker 3: impressed with the commercial level and everything they did, the

724
00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:29,160
Speaker 3: logos and everything, and the way they put the car

725
00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:32,480
Speaker 3: together spot on. So it was a lot of fun,

726
00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:35,440
Speaker 3: I would think. So I saw Kim Green after the

727
00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:38,440
Speaker 3: race and I said, was this turned out to be good?

728
00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:40,360
Speaker 3: And it was like, oh, yeah, this went really well

729
00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:44,520
Speaker 3: and I think it needed not to be chaos, you know.

730
00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:47,759
Speaker 3: It was a happy medium. There were some cautions. I

731
00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:50,560
Speaker 3: am shocked at the race ran the last whatever thirty

732
00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:53,919
Speaker 3: laps Green because after Jackson got punted. We thought it'll

733
00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:56,040
Speaker 3: be fine because there will be a caution soon and

734
00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:58,000
Speaker 3: he'll catch back up, and he can. You know, he

735
00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:00,520
Speaker 3: was faster than probably the seven or eight trucks that

736
00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:01,719
Speaker 3: were right in front of him, and he couldn't have

737
00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,680
Speaker 3: still finished in the top twenty. But it just never

738
00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:07,359
Speaker 3: went caution. So that was good because if the race

739
00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:09,640
Speaker 3: would have taken four hours, Fox might not have been

740
00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:12,680
Speaker 3: so keen to air it again. But I think it

741
00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:16,319
Speaker 3: commercially for the track, it went really, really well. The

742
00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:20,520
Speaker 3: suites are never full on Saturday, and they were pretty

743
00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,120
Speaker 3: packed on Saturday.

744
00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:25,360
Speaker 1: So, as I wrote for tomorrow, my big takeaway for

745
00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:27,760
Speaker 1: the weekend is this continues to be the right place

746
00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,319
Speaker 1: to open the IndyCar seat. This season, it just is

747
00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:33,520
Speaker 1: it looks good if you're there, if you're watching TV.

748
00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:38,680
Speaker 1: It's the right amount of entertainment. It's got brand equity now,

749
00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:42,160
Speaker 1: I mean it's had continuity, not always on the same weekend,

750
00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:45,480
Speaker 1: but basically the same part of the year, and except

751
00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:48,520
Speaker 1: for the twenty twenty season, it's just the right place

752
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:48,759
Speaker 1: to be.

753
00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:51,640
Speaker 3: Yeah, it'd be hard, and like we talked about last week,

754
00:39:51,880 --> 00:39:55,000
Speaker 3: Daytona is now only two weeks before this. The way

755
00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:57,880
Speaker 3: it's starting is the NFL season keeps getting longer and longer.

756
00:39:57,880 --> 00:39:59,879
Speaker 3: The Daytona five hundred is going to start two weeks

757
00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:03,880
Speaker 3: before this weekend next year. I did ask around a

758
00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:06,600
Speaker 3: little bit about Miami and that circuit, and one thing

759
00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:08,879
Speaker 3: I was told, and I have no idea whether it's

760
00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:12,919
Speaker 3: on IndyCar's radar or not, but the pit lane could

761
00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:17,240
Speaker 3: be a challenge because it's really narrow and some Formula

762
00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:20,279
Speaker 3: One tracks, even though they do differently with the garages

763
00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:23,719
Speaker 3: needed to be there, it's still wide enough to do

764
00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:27,160
Speaker 3: proper pit stops like you do in IndyCar. But apparently

765
00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:30,279
Speaker 3: this pit lane is not wide enough to do the

766
00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:33,080
Speaker 3: proper pit stop in the manner in which IndyCar does it.

767
00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:35,560
Speaker 3: So something would have to be different. Either you have

768
00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:38,480
Speaker 3: to find another pit lane somewhere else on a straightaway,

769
00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:41,560
Speaker 3: or you know, it's an exhibition like you had it

770
00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:47,839
Speaker 3: Thermal or something along that regard. But it's always fun

771
00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:51,879
Speaker 3: at Saint Pete. This was just a fantastic weekend. Hinch

772
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,760
Speaker 3: and Dario got into each other, or Dario got into Hinch.

773
00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:58,080
Speaker 3: So one of the fun parts of the weekend was

774
00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:01,840
Speaker 3: Jimmy Johnson, who was Dario's crew chief in the truck race,

775
00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:07,000
Speaker 3: organized a roast for Dario. Didn't tell Dario it was

776
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:08,919
Speaker 3: going to be a roast, just said, you know, we're

777
00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:12,279
Speaker 3: gonna honor Dario, and it's a sponsor event, and I

778
00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:14,480
Speaker 3: think maybe that's what it was. He was told, it's

779
00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:16,360
Speaker 3: a sponsor event and we're going to invite some of

780
00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:19,000
Speaker 3: your friends there, so don't be surprised if you see

781
00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:23,120
Speaker 3: them on Friday night. And then it was quietly a

782
00:41:23,239 --> 00:41:27,240
Speaker 3: roast hosted by Hinch and with you know, the normal

783
00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:34,440
Speaker 3: people associated with Dario like Cannan and Brian Hurda and

784
00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:38,320
Speaker 3: Jimmy and Scott Dixon and Barry Wanza and Chip Ganassi.

785
00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:41,520
Speaker 3: Chip probably had the best barbs, but it turned out

786
00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:45,120
Speaker 3: to be the friendliest roast ever. The best jabs beyond

787
00:41:45,239 --> 00:41:49,640
Speaker 3: Chip were probably from Dario's wife because of what I

788
00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:52,840
Speaker 3: gathered is that Dario has enough dirt on everyone else.

789
00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:56,800
Speaker 3: No one wanted to really dig in because they also

790
00:41:57,000 --> 00:42:01,160
Speaker 3: were likely a part of any embarrassing story about Dario,

791
00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:04,719
Speaker 3: or otherwise there would be other stories. But that was

792
00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:07,160
Speaker 3: still fun and ultimately, you know, Darius said, I'm going

793
00:42:07,239 --> 00:42:09,040
Speaker 3: going to get you back on track tomorrow and he did.

794
00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:10,520
Speaker 3: He shoved him out the way a little bit and

795
00:42:10,520 --> 00:42:13,960
Speaker 3: then he apologized after that. But I am impressed that

796
00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:16,759
Speaker 3: Dario has not raced. Yes, he did a sports car race,

797
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:21,120
Speaker 3: but it's been since twenty thirteen, and apparently it is

798
00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:24,480
Speaker 3: really hot in those trucks, and he's fifty two years old.

799
00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:28,000
Speaker 3: And if he had not had a mechanical, he was

800
00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:30,520
Speaker 3: going to finish in the top ten. And Hinch did

801
00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:33,200
Speaker 3: finish in the top ten, never driving stock car before.

802
00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:36,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's pretty impressive, but it doesn't surprise me. It's

803
00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:37,760
Speaker 1: kind of what I expected.

804
00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:40,239
Speaker 3: Yep, yeah, me too, Me too. They were in good,

805
00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:45,520
Speaker 3: good trucks. Colin Brown didn't get any practice like everybody

806
00:42:45,520 --> 00:42:47,239
Speaker 3: and finished I think he finished ninth in the race,

807
00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:49,600
Speaker 3: so that was cool. And then there's the cup side

808
00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:52,960
Speaker 3: of things where since he won a loss suit, Michael

809
00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:54,040
Speaker 3: Jordan has not lost.

810
00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:55,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, imagine how that works.

811
00:42:56,160 --> 00:43:00,560
Speaker 3: It's coincidence, and I do mean that they nobody keeps secrets.

812
00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:03,800
Speaker 1: So a couple a couple of things. Eryl McLaren, you

813
00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:07,280
Speaker 1: mentioned it didn't have a great you know, Friday and Saturday,

814
00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:11,400
Speaker 1: but came out with strong finishers third and fifth. I

815
00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:14,120
Speaker 1: think you would be happy if you're McLaughlin, you'd be happy,

816
00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:17,799
Speaker 1: if you're Hunkos Hollinger, you'd be with With Rena's VK

817
00:43:17,960 --> 00:43:20,920
Speaker 1: finishing ninth, obviously, dale Coin's team has to be excited.

818
00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:23,720
Speaker 1: That's the first time that two coin cars have finished

819
00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:26,960
Speaker 1: in the top ten of the same race since twenty

820
00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:31,080
Speaker 1: twenty two at Gateway, when Malucas was second and Sodo

821
00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:34,319
Speaker 1: was fifth. So good for dale Coin and the good

822
00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:37,600
Speaker 1: start for Hager. I think Hauger is somebody that is

823
00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:39,920
Speaker 1: going to be impressive as we move forward. I'm going

824
00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:43,040
Speaker 1: to change I guess I'm willing to say that Hawgar's

825
00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:45,279
Speaker 1: probably the rookie of the year, you know, leader in

826
00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:48,839
Speaker 1: the clubhouse. I feel for mix Schumacher. He got three

827
00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:53,080
Speaker 1: corners and now he gets Phoenix. Good luck with that.

828
00:43:54,239 --> 00:43:56,840
Speaker 1: He's going to be in a world to hurt at Phoenix,

829
00:43:56,960 --> 00:44:00,120
Speaker 1: and it's just it's just going to be hard for

830
00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:02,800
Speaker 1: I mean, it's just there's just no other way to

831
00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:03,200
Speaker 1: say it.

832
00:44:04,040 --> 00:44:06,600
Speaker 3: And if this was last year, when honestly the ray

833
00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:10,520
Speaker 3: Haul cars were really really bad on those type of tracks,

834
00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:13,719
Speaker 3: that might have been a disaster. But chatting with some

835
00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:15,480
Speaker 3: ray Haul people and I think it showed in the

836
00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:18,120
Speaker 3: times from Phoenix that they were maybe around tenth or

837
00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:20,840
Speaker 3: something like that, but they were really happy with the

838
00:44:20,880 --> 00:44:24,520
Speaker 3: progress that they made. So there is some optimism for

839
00:44:24,560 --> 00:44:27,240
Speaker 3: Louie Foster and especially for Graham, who has the worst experience.

840
00:44:27,239 --> 00:44:29,480
Speaker 3: So that gives Mack a chance. But it's got to

841
00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:32,320
Speaker 3: be hard, you know, his goal not even staying on

842
00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:35,120
Speaker 3: the lead lat that's going to be impossible. Just keep

843
00:44:35,200 --> 00:44:38,960
Speaker 3: running until the checkered flag, so to stay out of

844
00:44:38,960 --> 00:44:42,080
Speaker 3: trouble and just try to learn and get better, and

845
00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:45,919
Speaker 3: that will be plenty good enough in this particular race.

846
00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:48,839
Speaker 3: Hager might have been my biggest surprise the weekend, and

847
00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:50,759
Speaker 3: you know, I think the world of him. I think

848
00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:53,960
Speaker 3: he's really really good. But that's just a big step up.

849
00:44:55,239 --> 00:44:58,080
Speaker 3: So to qualify third, you know the race is a

850
00:44:58,120 --> 00:44:59,920
Speaker 3: little bit hard, but to just not make them as

851
00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:03,600
Speaker 3: run all the laps and finished tenth, that's awesome. What

852
00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:07,719
Speaker 3: I still don't know, I wasn't on his car this weekend.

853
00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:13,759
Speaker 3: How much Andretty technical support there is. You know, it's

854
00:45:13,760 --> 00:45:15,960
Speaker 3: not like some of the other technical partnerships. There is

855
00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:18,680
Speaker 3: not an Andretti engineer down there. But are they sharing

856
00:45:18,719 --> 00:45:22,520
Speaker 3: information on the damper program or is it? It may

857
00:45:22,680 --> 00:45:25,840
Speaker 3: just be more that you know, our trailer is open.

858
00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:28,480
Speaker 3: If you want to come in and ask Kirkwood a question,

859
00:45:28,800 --> 00:45:33,000
Speaker 3: you can or maybe talk over So I don't know,

860
00:45:33,160 --> 00:45:34,320
Speaker 3: I'll ask about that.

861
00:45:35,080 --> 00:45:38,560
Speaker 1: I do this weekend. I do know that they wanted

862
00:45:38,600 --> 00:45:42,080
Speaker 1: Michael Cannon on his car, and you know they insisted

863
00:45:42,160 --> 00:45:46,560
Speaker 1: upon that. So you know, Michael's strength is really going

864
00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:49,400
Speaker 1: to start to shine. I mean, howger he might be

865
00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:52,279
Speaker 1: a top ten kind of guy this weekend too. I mean,

866
00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:54,000
Speaker 1: seems unlikely.

867
00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:56,080
Speaker 3: That'd be a big ass because I know he agree

868
00:45:56,160 --> 00:45:59,279
Speaker 3: g ovils are where he doesn't feel I agree as

869
00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:02,520
Speaker 3: awesome at this point point, Yeah, I get it, but.

870
00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:04,719
Speaker 1: He could be you know, he could be in the

871
00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:07,439
Speaker 1: in the mix farther up than you would expect. Let's

872
00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:07,960
Speaker 1: put it that way.

873
00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:11,040
Speaker 3: Grosjean qualifying six the year and a half since he

874
00:46:11,120 --> 00:46:13,600
Speaker 3: drove an Indy car. He basically had one day of testing,

875
00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:16,120
Speaker 3: had a half day at Seabring and a half a

876
00:46:16,160 --> 00:46:19,560
Speaker 3: day the next day, and it didn't go awesome in

877
00:46:19,640 --> 00:46:23,760
Speaker 3: the testing and Phoenix the first day was really poor.

878
00:46:24,480 --> 00:46:27,359
Speaker 3: Second day got a little bit better, and when I

879
00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:29,560
Speaker 3: saw him at the beginning of the weekend, I didn't

880
00:46:29,560 --> 00:46:31,279
Speaker 3: have my notes on me, and I said, no, which

881
00:46:31,320 --> 00:46:34,799
Speaker 3: one is your engineer? And he said Bill Pappis And

882
00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:38,399
Speaker 3: I said, woohoo, that's really good. And he said, yeah,

883
00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:40,520
Speaker 3: that's what everyone keeps telling me. I don't really know

884
00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:44,000
Speaker 3: who he is, but okay, and I haven't asked him

885
00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:47,520
Speaker 3: that again yet. But Bill had not engineered a car.

886
00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:50,920
Speaker 3: I think he told me twenty fourteen, that's right, was

887
00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:53,160
Speaker 3: the last time he had engineered a car. Now he

888
00:46:53,200 --> 00:46:55,880
Speaker 3: had been involved with the team. He didn't go directly

889
00:46:55,880 --> 00:46:57,880
Speaker 3: to IndyCar in fifteen. That was another whatever two or

890
00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:02,160
Speaker 3: three years later. But yeah, it's pretty clear as we knew,

891
00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:05,960
Speaker 3: he's a smart guy and we'll figure it out in

892
00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:08,680
Speaker 3: short term. So that's what we love to see, the

893
00:47:08,719 --> 00:47:11,560
Speaker 3: teams that are the so called small teams not only

894
00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:14,799
Speaker 3: fighting with, but often beating the big teams. It's what

895
00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:19,080
Speaker 3: makes IndyCar more interesting. Yes, the big teams are more

896
00:47:19,080 --> 00:47:21,120
Speaker 3: often than not going to prevail the ones that have

897
00:47:21,160 --> 00:47:24,000
Speaker 3: the most budget, but it's not impossible and we have

898
00:47:24,120 --> 00:47:24,759
Speaker 3: days like that.

899
00:47:25,200 --> 00:47:27,880
Speaker 1: And last thing I'll say on the race weekend, I

900
00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:31,680
Speaker 1: think it was pretty clear that David Malucas and will

901
00:47:31,719 --> 00:47:34,359
Speaker 1: Power are pretty jacked up for this weekend, and they

902
00:47:34,360 --> 00:47:39,520
Speaker 1: both kind of made mistakes. Me Lucas overcooks attire and

903
00:47:39,560 --> 00:47:42,319
Speaker 1: that's you know, going into turn one. Will Power has

904
00:47:42,360 --> 00:47:48,040
Speaker 1: two shunts in Turn ten on consecutive days. I bet

905
00:47:48,040 --> 00:47:51,160
Speaker 1: they were just pretty hyped up for their debuts.

906
00:47:51,280 --> 00:47:54,239
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think it's probably going to be a

907
00:47:54,440 --> 00:47:57,440
Speaker 3: bigger adjustment for Will than Melucas because he has the

908
00:47:57,440 --> 00:48:00,239
Speaker 3: same engineer as he had last year. He had he

909
00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:04,080
Speaker 3: was a Penske supported driver last year. And you know,

910
00:48:04,120 --> 00:48:06,759
Speaker 3: as much as when Will sign we all kind of

911
00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:11,000
Speaker 3: immediately cracked. Guy who's won nine pulls at Saint Pete

912
00:48:11,239 --> 00:48:13,440
Speaker 3: now joining the team with the best street course package,

913
00:48:13,440 --> 00:48:16,000
Speaker 3: go ahead and pencil that in. But you know, in

914
00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:18,360
Speaker 3: the last few weeks, I know I have tempered that

915
00:48:18,440 --> 00:48:22,080
Speaker 3: thought saying it you know, it just seems likely it's

916
00:48:22,120 --> 00:48:25,239
Speaker 3: going to take him a bit, and he has said that, yes,

917
00:48:25,360 --> 00:48:28,719
Speaker 3: it's going to take me a while to acclimate to

918
00:48:28,840 --> 00:48:31,400
Speaker 3: a different style of car, So that's going to be

919
00:48:31,480 --> 00:48:35,400
Speaker 3: a process. I'm really curious to see what happens this

920
00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:39,000
Speaker 3: weekend because this is where a will Power can help

921
00:48:39,040 --> 00:48:41,640
Speaker 3: Andretti the most. That's where they've been the weakest in

922
00:48:41,719 --> 00:48:45,160
Speaker 3: recent years are the short ovals, and he came from

923
00:48:45,200 --> 00:48:48,600
Speaker 3: the team that's been the strongest, So what has he learned.

924
00:48:48,600 --> 00:48:51,160
Speaker 3: I know that they feel like they found some things

925
00:48:51,280 --> 00:48:54,040
Speaker 3: at the Phoenix test. Does that apply this weekend?

926
00:48:54,040 --> 00:48:56,279
Speaker 1: For will we'll see all right?

927
00:48:57,600 --> 00:49:02,040
Speaker 3: Mohammed at Moke Motorsport asked, do you guys think VK

928
00:49:02,200 --> 00:49:04,400
Speaker 3: will be in the top three drivers in free agency

929
00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:05,320
Speaker 3: to land a top seed.

930
00:49:05,520 --> 00:49:07,279
Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't let me.

931
00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:09,279
Speaker 3: Let me throw this in there. Here's something new I've

932
00:49:09,520 --> 00:49:12,560
Speaker 3: I'm told so I know it was mentioned on our broadcast.

933
00:49:12,719 --> 00:49:15,680
Speaker 3: I think maybe we'll mention this that Joseph Newgarten is

934
00:49:15,680 --> 00:49:18,120
Speaker 3: in a contract year. I will ask a little bit more,

935
00:49:18,239 --> 00:49:22,960
Speaker 3: but someone from Team Penske said he is not in

936
00:49:23,000 --> 00:49:27,160
Speaker 3: a contract year, notified our broadcast, So I think that's

937
00:49:27,200 --> 00:49:30,680
Speaker 3: a high enough authority. And we also always know that

938
00:49:30,719 --> 00:49:33,799
Speaker 3: there are clauses, there are options, and their abilities to

939
00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:36,680
Speaker 3: get out of a contract if both sides at the

940
00:49:36,760 --> 00:49:39,440
Speaker 3: end of this year are unhappy with the situation. And

941
00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:41,719
Speaker 3: I don't think we can guarantee that he's going to

942
00:49:41,719 --> 00:49:46,680
Speaker 3: be back, but it would take some maneuvering for that

943
00:49:46,800 --> 00:49:49,960
Speaker 3: to happen. So I think that's the correct verbage. That

944
00:49:50,160 --> 00:49:53,480
Speaker 3: Joseph Newgarden is not a free agent. Someone cannot go

945
00:49:53,560 --> 00:49:57,760
Speaker 3: to him in may or on August first, or whatever

946
00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:00,840
Speaker 3: the date normally is and just say I'd like you

947
00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:03,160
Speaker 3: to come and drive our car next year. It would

948
00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:04,920
Speaker 3: take more than that to happen.

949
00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:08,760
Speaker 1: I'll just say this. I've heard he looks and acts

950
00:50:08,800 --> 00:50:11,960
Speaker 1: like a driver who would be in his in another

951
00:50:12,040 --> 00:50:14,640
Speaker 1: seat next year. That's all. I don't know what his

952
00:50:14,719 --> 00:50:16,800
Speaker 1: contract status is, but he looks like a guy or

953
00:50:16,840 --> 00:50:20,120
Speaker 1: he has looked like a guy didn't want to. I mean,

954
00:50:21,360 --> 00:50:23,799
Speaker 1: I haven't been around him on a daily basis. I

955
00:50:23,840 --> 00:50:26,960
Speaker 1: apologize if it, you know, if I'm over my skis

956
00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:30,000
Speaker 1: on this, but just from the outside, he looks like

957
00:50:30,040 --> 00:50:32,680
Speaker 1: a guy who's ready to try something else. That's all.

958
00:50:32,840 --> 00:50:35,240
Speaker 3: I don't know what to make of Joseph. He's friendly

959
00:50:35,440 --> 00:50:37,800
Speaker 3: right now. He appears to be in a good mood.

960
00:50:37,880 --> 00:50:41,720
Speaker 3: But I think that that makes a lot of sense

961
00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:44,000
Speaker 3: just to try to do that. And I don't know

962
00:50:44,040 --> 00:50:47,440
Speaker 3: what he's thinking internally, and I think a lot of

963
00:50:47,480 --> 00:50:49,560
Speaker 3: it will have to do with how does it go.

964
00:50:51,000 --> 00:50:53,920
Speaker 3: Qualifying did not go well, but the race went great,

965
00:50:54,000 --> 00:50:56,839
Speaker 3: and because of that, he's still very much in the fight,

966
00:50:56,920 --> 00:51:00,799
Speaker 3: and if he wins this weekend, we can talk championship.

967
00:51:01,440 --> 00:51:03,600
Speaker 3: And I think that's what I came down with last week.

968
00:51:03,640 --> 00:51:06,319
Speaker 3: And I waffled back and forth between he and McLaughlin

969
00:51:06,560 --> 00:51:10,560
Speaker 3: who has the best chance. And I think any money

970
00:51:10,600 --> 00:51:13,600
Speaker 3: moded to New Garden because of what I think he

971
00:51:13,680 --> 00:51:18,480
Speaker 3: will do on the ovals. But I also said, if

972
00:51:18,480 --> 00:51:20,719
Speaker 3: it doesn't start well, then it might be oh, here

973
00:51:20,760 --> 00:51:24,239
Speaker 3: we go again. It started, okay, it started, okay, all right,

974
00:51:24,440 --> 00:51:26,279
Speaker 3: we'll see what we missed and more Well, back to

975
00:51:26,320 --> 00:51:28,440
Speaker 3: the VK question. Yes, I think VK is high on

976
00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:30,759
Speaker 3: the list of free agents. I think he's very high

977
00:51:30,760 --> 00:51:33,480
Speaker 3: on the list of free agents for next season. I

978
00:51:33,480 --> 00:51:36,360
Speaker 3: suspect he is on a one year and has an option,

979
00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:38,400
Speaker 3: and if he outkicks the coverage again with his team

980
00:51:38,680 --> 00:51:40,680
Speaker 3: and is consistently in the top ten and has a

981
00:51:40,680 --> 00:51:45,840
Speaker 3: couple three podiums, then he could be number one, or

982
00:51:45,840 --> 00:51:47,040
Speaker 3: at least really close to it.

983
00:51:47,080 --> 00:51:49,200
Speaker 1: I just don't know what team owners think. I mean

984
00:51:49,320 --> 00:51:51,439
Speaker 1: team owners at the top, that's all.

985
00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:53,200
Speaker 3: I think they think more highly of them than they

986
00:51:53,200 --> 00:51:55,040
Speaker 3: did a couple of years ago. I think they are

987
00:51:55,080 --> 00:51:59,160
Speaker 3: more convinced that he can get the job done. So okay, yeah,

988
00:51:59,239 --> 00:52:00,880
Speaker 3: all right, hey, well it's more to come in a

989
00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:01,840
Speaker 3: moment on track side.

990
00:52:01,960 --> 00:52:04,160
Speaker 1: How this is Scott McLachlin and you're listening to Truck

991
00:52:04,200 --> 00:52:06,919
Speaker 1: Side on ninety three five and one I seven five

992
00:52:07,160 --> 00:52:07,520
Speaker 1: the fan.

993
00:52:07,960 --> 00:52:11,520
Speaker 3: All right, final segment and what we missed. The television

994
00:52:11,640 --> 00:52:14,560
Speaker 3: ratings have come out and Indy Car again for the

995
00:52:14,600 --> 00:52:17,240
Speaker 3: second year in a row, gets one point four million.

996
00:52:17,280 --> 00:52:19,239
Speaker 3: Maybe it was one three something last year, but I

997
00:52:19,280 --> 00:52:21,399
Speaker 3: feel like it was one four so it's about the same.

998
00:52:21,680 --> 00:52:23,920
Speaker 3: And I don't know what the official stance is, but

999
00:52:23,960 --> 00:52:27,440
Speaker 3: my thought is that's good. One point four million is good,

1000
00:52:27,480 --> 00:52:29,839
Speaker 3: and that's better than just about every other race last

1001
00:52:29,880 --> 00:52:32,840
Speaker 3: year other than a couple plus the Indy five hundred,

1002
00:52:32,840 --> 00:52:35,359
Speaker 3: I think, so that's a good start. The truck race

1003
00:52:35,440 --> 00:52:38,080
Speaker 3: got one point oh four million, which I think is

1004
00:52:38,160 --> 00:52:41,840
Speaker 3: really good for a truck race on Saturday afternoon as well.

1005
00:52:42,320 --> 00:52:44,440
Speaker 3: By the way, I forgot to mention, Joey Logano is

1006
00:52:44,440 --> 00:52:46,120
Speaker 3: going to be with us in the booth for the

1007
00:52:46,160 --> 00:52:48,840
Speaker 3: IndyCar Race this coming weekend, so that'll be fun to

1008
00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:51,480
Speaker 3: kind of get his perspective and do the cross over thing.

1009
00:52:51,760 --> 00:52:54,000
Speaker 3: That fifty two car says, as much fun as it

1010
00:52:54,040 --> 00:52:57,080
Speaker 3: was to see Dario and Hinch and the trucks this weekend.

1011
00:52:57,160 --> 00:52:59,239
Speaker 3: Why Saint Pete Well, I think they felt like it

1012
00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:01,960
Speaker 3: would be unique. A street race certainly helps, and others

1013
00:53:02,000 --> 00:53:07,120
Speaker 3: mentioned other tracks like Milwaukee or Iowa. Could that help?

1014
00:53:07,320 --> 00:53:09,319
Speaker 3: I hope so. I hope they look into doing more

1015
00:53:09,640 --> 00:53:13,520
Speaker 3: IndyCar and truck weekends to add more entertainment throughout the weekend.

1016
00:53:13,640 --> 00:53:15,040
Speaker 3: Out of time, see you next Tuesday.