Pit Pass Indy

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INDYCAR’s “Nordic Track” – Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson and Denmark’s Christian Lundgaard Feb 09, 2022

Show notes

February 8, 2022

The world is celebrating the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and this week’s edition of Pit Pass Indy features INDYCAR’s “Nordic Track” of drivers. It’s Sweden’s Marcus Ericsson of Chip Ganassi Racing and Denmark’s Christian Lundgaard of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Although these drivers aren’t competing in any type of winter sports, they are from the Nordic Region of Europe that has produced some great Winter Olympians.

For Ericsson and Lundgaard, however, they are preparing for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opening race, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 27.

Pit Pass Indy host Bruce Martin interviewed both Ericsson and Lundgaard at INDYCAR’s “Content Days” at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

INDYCAR’s “Flying Frenchmen” – Romain Grosjean and Simon Pagenaud Feb 02, 2022

Show notes

February 1, 2022

The latest episode of Pit Pass Indy features INDYCAR’s “Flying Frenchmen” – Romain Grosjean of Andretti Autosport and Simon Pagenaud of Meyer-Shank Racing.

Both drivers are on new teams for 2022. Grosjean is a 10-year Formula One veteran who came to INDYCAR in 2021 driving for Dale Coyne Racing with RWR. After an impressive rookie season, the 35-year-old Grosjean has joined the powerful Andretti Autosport operation, driving the famed No. 28 DHL Honda in every race on the schedule, including his first-ever appearance in the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.

Pagenaud won the 2016 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship and the 2019 Indianapolis 500 with Team Penske. After seven seasons at Team Penske, Pagenaud has moved over to Meyer-Shank Racing for 2022. The INDYCAR season hasn’t even started yet, and Pagenaud has already won a major race. He was one of the four drivers in the No. 60 Acura DPi that was the overall winner of the 60th Rolex 24 at Daytona Sports Car Race January 29-30. It was Pagenaud’s first win in the Rolex 24.

Pit Pass Indy host Bruce Martin interviewed both Grosjean and Pagenaud at INDYCAR’s “Content Days” at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

Chip’s Champions – Scott Dixon and Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing Jan 26, 2022

Show notes

January 25, 2022

The latest episode of Pit Pass Indy features “Chip’s Champions” – Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon of New Zealand and 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou of Spain.

A popular hashtag in INDYCAR is #ChipLikesWinners. The longtime team owner likes champions even more.

Pit Pass Indy show host Bruce Martin interviewed both Dixon and Palou at INDYCAR’s “Content Days” at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

Reporting for Duty with The American Legion drivers Jimmie Johnson and Tony Kanaan Jan 19, 2022

Show notes

January 18, 2021

Popular drivers Jimmie Johnson and Tony Kanaan will both be “Reporting for Duty” with The American Legion once again in 2022. Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, begins his second season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as the driver of the No. 48 Carvana/American Legion Honda. He will drive the full schedule this year after competing in the street and road course races in 2021. That includes his first-ever appearance in the Indianapolis 500 in May.

Popular driver Tony Kanaan will drive an American Legion-sponsored Honda in the 106th Indianapolis 500 in May. It will be Kanaan’s 21st Indy 500. He won the race in 2013.

Both drivers compete for the famed Chip Ganassi Racing INDYCAR team.

Pit Pass Indy show host Bruce Martin interviewed both Johnson and Kanaan at INDYCAR’s “Content Days” at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Indianapolis January 17 and January 18.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

Testing begins with Indianapolis 500 winning team owner Michael Shank Jan 12, 2022

Show notes

January 11, 2021

It’s Season 2 Ep. 2 in 2022 for Pit Pass Indy as we speed ahead into the new year of IndyCar action.

Our special guest on the second episode of Season 2 is Michael Shank, the winning team owner in the 105th Indianapolis 500. Last May, Shank’s driver, Helio Castroneves, became just the fourth driver to win the Indy 500 four times in his career.

Shank, along with co-owner Jim Meyer, enter the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with two, full-time entries this season. Castroneves returns to full-time INDYCAR duty for the first time since 2017, when he finished fourth in the standings at Team Penske. He is reunited with former Team Penske teammate Simon Pagenaud, who moved over to Meyer-Shank Racing during the offseason.

Both drivers tested at Sebring Raceway on Monday, January 10 as team testing is underway. Later this month, Castroneves and Pagenaud will park their Indy cars and climb into Meyer-Shank Racing’s Acura DPi racing machines to compete in the Rolex 24 at Daytona IMSA Sports Car classic January 29-30 at Daytona International Raceway.

Pagenaud will join full-time drivers Oliver Jarvis and Tom Blomqvist along with the team’s endurance race driver, Castroneves.

Pit Pass Indy show host Bruce Martin interviewed Shank from a windy Sebring Raceway Monday evening to cover a wide range of topics.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

Checking in with 1997 INDYCAR Series Champion Tony Stewart Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

January 4, 2021

It’s Season No. 2 in 2022 for Pit Pass Indy as we speed ahead into the new year of IndyCar action.

Our special guest in the first episode of Season 2 is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of his INDYCAR SERIES championship. It’s 1997 Indy Racing League champion Tony Stewart. Before he went on to win three NASCAR Cup Series championships and become a Cup Series championship owner with Kevin Harvick in 2014, Stewart was an Indy car racing star.

In 1995, Stewart became the first driver in history to win all three United States Auto Club (USAC) National Championships in the same season when he won the Midget, Sprint, and Silver Crown series. That made him the perfect fit for a step up to the new Indy Racing League in 1996 as the original goal of that series was to promote grass roots, oval track drivers from the United States.

Stewart won the Indy Racing League championship in a 10-race season in 1997 that also included his first career INDYCAR victory at Pikes Peak International Raceway that season. He won two-more INDYCAR contests in 1998 with victories at Disney World and New Hampshire that season. Stewart finished third in the standings that year with Kenny Brack winning the championship and Davey Hamilton second.

Stewart traded in his Indy car for a NASCAR Cup Series car in 1999, setting a then-rookie record with three wins his first season. Stewart won Cup Series titles in 2002, 2006 and 2011. He retired from Cup Series racing as a driver following the 2016 season with 49 career wins. Stewart remains as one of NASCAR’s top Cup Series team owners and this year, started an NHRA drag racing team for his wife, Leah Pruett. He also owns one of the top grass roots operations in racing, Tony Stewart Racing.

Stewart continues to drive race cars around the country in various divisions at the grass-roots level.

Pit Pass Indy show host Bruce Martin interviewed Stewart at the famed “Yard of Bricks” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on December 10, 2021.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and sculptor William Behrends Dec 29, 2021

Show notes

December 28, 2021

As we get ready to close 2021, this week’s edition of Pit Pass Indy pays tribute to one of racing’s biggest winners this year. It’s Helio Castroneves, who won his fourth Indianapolis 500 on May 30.

He joined AJ Foyt, the late Al Unser and Rick Mears as the only drivers to win the “World’s Biggest Race” four times in their careers.

Pit Pass Indy show host Bruce Martin spent the day with Castroneves and famed sculptor William Behrends at the artist’s studio at his home in Tryon, North Carolina on December 13. Both Castroneves and Behrends join Martin on this edition of Pit Pass Indy.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

Mario Andretti and Rick Mears remember Al Unser Dec 22, 2021

Show notes

December 21, 2021

Al Unser was one of the greatest drivers in Indianapolis 500 history. When he won his fourth Indianapolis 500 in 1987, he joined AJ Foyt as the only drivers to win the famed race four times in a career at that time. Since then, Rick Mears joined them as a four-time winner in 1991 and Helio Castroneves won his fourth Indianapolis 500 on May 30.

Pit Pass Indy show host Bruce Martin pays tribute to Unser, who died from a rare form of cancer on December 9. Unser was 82.

In addition to winning four Indy 500s, Unser also won three INDYCAR National Championships and scored an impressive 39 victories. In addition to his outstanding IndyCar record, Unser also finished fourth in the 1968 Daytona 500 NASCAR race and had another fourth-place finish in a NASCAR race at Riverside, California in 1969.

Racing legends Mario Andretti and Rick Mears join show host Bruce Martin to remember the great Al Unser on this edition of Pit Pass Indy.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

“Lone Star J.R.” – Johnny Rutherford, Part 2 Dec 15, 2021

Show notes

December 14, 2021

Pit Pass Indy show host Bruce Martin wraps up his two-part, in-depth conversation with one of INDYCAR’s all-time greats. It’s “Lone Star J.R.” – three-time Indianapolis 500 winning driver Johnny Rutherford.

Part 1 was last week as Rutherford recalled how he got his start in racing, his NASCAR victory in one of the qualifying races for the 1963 Daytona 500 and his incredible Indianapolis 500 career all the way up through his retirement.

Part 2 is how Rutherford survived one of the most dangerous eras of IndyCar racing and his personal thoughts on some of the great drivers that he raced against.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

“Lone Star J.R.” – Johnny Rutherford, Part 1 Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

December 7, 2021

Pit Pass Indy show host Bruce Martin has Part 1 of an in-depth conversation with one of INDYCAR’s all-time greats. It’s “Lone Star J.R.” – three-time Indianapolis 500 winning driver Johnny Rutherford.

The driver from Kansas who later moved with his family to Fort Worth, Texas was one of the great drivers of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He came up in an era when racing was extremely dangerous but was able to survive to enjoy an incredible career.

Part 1 includes how Rutherford got his start in racing, his NASCAR victory in one of the qualifying races for the 1963 Daytona 500 and his incredible Indianapolis 500 career all the way up through his retirement.

Part 2 will be available next week. The subject of that episode is how Rutherford survived one of the most dangerous eras of IndyCar racing and his personal thoughts on some of the great drivers that he raced against.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

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