The Inside Line

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The Inside Line IndyCar Podcast: Alex Palou wins Barber May 05, 2025

Show notes

In this week’s edition of ‘The Inside Line’, IndyStar motorsports reporter Nathan Brown and his co-host Joey Barnes dive into the major on and off-track storylines lingering after yet another Alex Palou victory in 2025, this time at Barber Motorsports Park. The pair theorize who – and if anyone – can still make a run at Palou to challenge for the 2025 drivers’ championship and what that run ultimately would have to look like. They also give their picks for a “best of the rest” Driver of the Day, outside of Palou, before turning the conversation to the dialogue around the quality of IndyCar’s on-track product and what combination of the hybrid, Palou’s dominance or other factors are to blame. The pair also touch on a surprise penalty in the Indy NXT paddock at Barber that left more questions than answers. Also, be sure to listen for the code words that will allow you to win a pair of Indy 500 Snake Pit VIP tickets from IndyStar.

The Inside Line IndyCar Podcast: Indianapolis 500 test recap Apr 25, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Inside Line, IndyStar motorsports reporter Nathan Brown and co-host Joey Barnes comb through the timing sheets from the two days of the Indy 500 Open Test and talk through their initial takeaways from how the field is shaping up for the Month of May, including: the latest edition of the Honda vs. Chevy battle, the early front-running teams and drivers, who looked rather pedestrian during testing and who they’re keeping an eye on for possible Bump Day considerations.

The Inside Line IndyCar Podcast: Long Beach Grand Prix recap, poor TV ratings Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Inside Line, IndyCar motorsports reporter Nathan Brown and co-host Joey Barnes discuss Kyle Kirkwood’s win from pole in the Long Beach Grand Prix and how Andretti Global’s execution – and lack of it from competitors – led to the first race of the year not won by Alex Palou. The pair also discuss how tire strategy and wear continue to play an elevated role in how races have played out in 2025, and later, they dive into the plusses and minuses of several deserving IndyCar-centric driver candidates for Cadillac F1’s open seats. They end this episode with live reactions to IndyCar’s disappointing TV rating for Long Beach.

The Inside Line IndyCar Podcast: Alex Palou with back-to-back wins Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Inside Line, Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes discuss the ins and outs of IndyCar’s weekend at The Thermal Club, starting with how Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing turned in another race-winning performance and how tire deg and strategy played such a big role in IndyCar’s first points-paying race at the track. Later, the pair discuss the fallout from IndyCar’s lackluster TV rating and try to dive into why the series saw such a drop-off in audience, what could’ve been done to combat the low level of interest around Thermal and where IndyCar goes from here as it targets and prioritizes growth this spring and this year with Fox.

The Inside Line IndyCar Podcast: Palou wins opener at St. Pete. Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Inside Line, Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes break down how Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou emerged victorious in St. Pete. Then, they discuss the highs and lows of on-track performances outside the podium finishers. The two then end the episode breaking down Fox’s first IndyCar broadcast weekend, including both technology enhancements and glitches and what to make of the race’s TV rating.

The Inside Line IndyCar Podcast: 2025 IndyCar season preview Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Inside Line, Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes roll through each of the 11 full-time IndyCar teams on the grid in 2025 and ask their biggest questions facing them this season.

The Inside Line IndyCar Podcast: Recapping the IndyCar offseason Feb 24, 2025

Show notes

Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes draft their biggest news stories of the IndyCar offseason and discuss both their short and long-term impacts on the series. Topics include the new race in Arlington; Fox’s fast start promoting IndyCar; leadership changes at Arrow McLaren, Andretti Global and IndyCar; charters; and more.

IndyCar Weekly: Herta wins Streets of Toronto race Jul 24, 2024

Show notes

In this week’s edition of IndyCar Weekly, IndyStar’s Nathan Brown and his co-host Stefan Wilson dive into IndyCar’s trip to Toronto – highlighted by Colton Herta and Andretti Global’s triumphant, dominant win. To kick things off, Nathan and Stefan dive into how Herta and Andretti at-large finally capitalized on their latest strong performance and how important Kyle Kirkwood’s runner-up result was to ensuring the victory. The pair also break down the controversy around race control’s handling of what turned into a massive crash sparked by Pato O’Ward’s spin, how things could be improved and why it wasn’t nearly as much of an error as some have claimed it to be. To close, they look at where the championship stands and mention who they think is best positioned to challenge Alex Palou, and Nathan lays out where the current silly season landscape sits entering the four week break.

IndyCar Weekly: From Josef Newgarden's crash to Agustin Canapino's leave of absence Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

In this week’s edition of IndyCar Weekly, IndyStar motorsports reporter Nathan Brown and co-host Stefan Wilson discuss the storylines from Road America. From dissecting Josef Newgarden’s massive qualifying crash and Will Power’s race-winning sequence that helped him take over the championship lead to the latest in Agustin Canapino’s ‘leave of absence’ and what might be next for Juncos Hollinger Racing, the No. 78 entry and why Nolan Siegel might take over.

IndyCar Weekly: How to fix Detroit Grand Prix and a look at the championship race Jun 05, 2024

Show notes

In this week’s edition of IndyCar Weekly, IndyStar motorsports insider Nathan Brown and co-host Stefan Wilson discuss and break down the two major topics coming out of the Detroit Grand Prix: How to fix on the on-track product and whether there could be any changes to the circuit or the race venue in the near-future. In closing, they take a look at the championship race through six races and discuss who – if anyone – could have something to challenge Scott Dixon, Alex Palou or Will Power at the top.

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