Category: NTT Indy

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 15, 2025

STING RAY ROBB, driver of the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, met with the media at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Content Days in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Press Conference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: Good morning. Thanks for joining us here Day 2 of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES content days at the Indiana convention center. Sting Ray Robb leads things off, driver of the No. 7 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevy this year, beginning his third season in the series, had a ninth place finish at Worldwide Technology Raceway last year before the transition to JHR.

Congratulations on the transition to the new team. How are things going? Easing into it, I’m sure.

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, it’s a little bit of a return back home. I spent three years with those guys in the same shop. We won a championship together back in the USF Pro 2000 days, and hopefully we can get back on some of that winning form again.

It’s a good program. I think they’ve done a good job to kind of contain the group that they have and have some continuity going next season, which I think is a big part of it. Not relearning over the off-season is a good thing.

Q. A little bit of a homecoming, too, some familiar faces, certainly Ricardo.

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah.

Q. You guys go back a while right?

STING RAY ROBB: I began driving for Ricardo 2019 was my first year with them. The green is not foreign to me. It’s been a minute.

Q. First of all, how do you reflect back on your second year in INDYCAR? What sort of improvements maybe do you feel you made compared to your rookie year with Coyne?

STING RAY ROBB: I think that there was a lot that was improved on last year. I may not have showed it all the different times, but there was a lot of little mistakes that real are I cost us some good results last year.

I think the most obvious ones were in St. Pete, the brake failure there, Barber Motorsports Park, the steering wheel failure there, and then engine failure at Toronto — not engine but actually another mechanical failure.

It was just all those little details that kept catching us out, and I think that is where I am looking forward to improve most this year, is be consistent. Obviously have some better speed; qualifying is a big part of that. Hopefully we can do that.

Q. Can you talk maybe a little bit about how the move to Juncos came about and how long it may have been in the works and how things moved after you started discussions?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, our plan was to stay where I was going into the middle of the kind of crazy season, if you will, the summer break a little bit. But obviously with the news coming out about David’s signing I could see the writing on the wall that I needed to look elsewhere, and so we began talking to other teams.

When the Juncos opportunity came about, we got the deal done with them pretty quickly to try to solidify a seat, and also because Ricardo was very excited. I’ve been in that garage before, for three years. I think that Ricardo is a success because of where he came from and his winning passion is a big part of who he is, and it bleeds down to the team. It starts from the top.

I’m excited to be back in green. I think the deal was something that we had been trying to get together sooner, but when the announcement finally came out, it was nice to get that solidified.

Q. I just want to ask you about how you see the difference in the shop, in the team, since the last time you came with Juncos? What you can explain us a little bit about the growth of the team?

STING RAY ROBB: I mean, yeah. The last time I was there was back in the INDY NXT Series, and so the shop was much more focused around that program, I think, than what it is now. I think that INDYCAR has taken over the whole shop, which is good. I think that puts me in a good spot now.

I think that the group there has grown significantly. I remember when it was just a small group of us that were running USF Pro 2000. It’s nice to see them kind of grow into their footprint there in the garage and also just seeing the program grow.

I think Ricardo has done a good job to put people in place, along with Brad Hollinger, to put good, smart, intelligent engineers, mechanics, and having that be consistent throughout the seasons has allowed them to improve every year.

I think that that’s the big thing in INDYCAR racing, is you can’t expect to make huge leaps and bounds forward in the series. It’s the little things over time that make a big difference.

Q. About all these new charter systems, a lot of people are saying that now the budget, it’s changed a little, it’s growing; you need to have more funding. But also it’s some opportunities to try to work with the companies. You have been very good in finding these sponsors and move your brand. Can you explain how do you see it’s changed, all this, looking from the back up?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, it’s a great question. I think that everyone is kind of in the same situation right now. I think that we’re all fighting to gather dollars as quickly as we can. But the new FOX program is a big encouragement for that. I think the charter system is a big encouragement for that. We’ve seen some new companies on board on very recently as well as for other teams, as well.

I think for us we’re really excited to see this program grow as far as our team as well as INDYCAR as a whole. I think they’re headed in the right direction. They’re giving us more tools to work with.

Then for ourselves, I think what we’re looking forward to most is just having the ability to grow our footprint in the worldwide motorsports realm, and I think that’s going to be coming very quickly.

Q. Third team in three years, probably not ideal, but what kind of positives can you take from that? Can you sort of take the best from each team and bring it to this year? Is that kind of your goal? I know it’s not ideal to be at three different teams in three years.

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, I think this is a good spot for me to be in. There is a lot to learn from each place for sure, and I think that each program has been very different from the other and so I can kind of see the patterns that I like, the trends that I like, and also who those people are. Who are the key people that I really lead to lean on.

Each team has their core, and so being able to identify that core because I’ve been with three different teams, it is challenging going into a new season with a new team, but at the same time I’ve been able to see that kind of grow throughout other seasons.

I’m hoping this is going to be a good spot for me to stay for a while and have some continuity going into future seasons. But yeah, I’m excited for this year to be with the team I’m with.

Q. How about teaming up with Conor (Daly)? He’s a guy that generates attention that can only really help benefit you and the team.

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, absolutely. Conor is a great personality to have him in the paddock. It’s great to see him back in a race car. Obviously the team is very excited to have him on board with his podium finish at Milwaukee.

I think he’s been with a lot of teams, as well, so we’re both in a similar situation as far as a lot of knowledge from a lot of different places that we can hopefully put together and get some good results from.

Q. Has he got you lined up yet for Speed Street?

STING RAY ROBB: That is to come. You guys will probably see me on there in the near future.

Q. Third team in three years, but I’m sure all of those experiences are a little bit different. Do you feel any more confident or comfortable with the history that you have at JHR coming into this experience compared to coming in each of the last two seasons to a brand new team, brand new family around you?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, I do feel a lot more comfortable because there are familiar faces. It’s not just Ricardo. His brother Ale was my mechanic back in 2020 when we won the championship there. He’ll be on my car again this year.

So it’s nice to be able to have that familiarity, having that culture already known ahead of time. It allows me to be on form a little bit earlier than I would have been, and understanding the communication that’s necessary.

Now, I don’t know the rest of the crew as well. My engineers, the mechanics that are on the car, those are still all new to me, so I’ll be facing some of the same challenges I did in the past. And again, it’s not ideal, but being with the team, I think that’s a good spot for me.

Q. What is a good 2025 INDYCAR season for Sting Ray Robb?

STING RAY ROBB: Great question. Recently married, so hopefully that stays. Happily married, I’ll add. Keep the first things first.

But I think that enjoying racing is going to be a big part of it. I think that a lot of times this sport, especially for myself, I know why I’m here. I know what I’m doing. I’ve been a winning driver in the past, and I’ve enjoyed that. Winning championships. I think that’s easy to forget sometimes when you’re challenged like this going into a top-tier series like INDYCAR racing.

So kind of returning to that form would be nice. I know I’m not going to come out and win St. Pete probably, but at least enjoy it on the same level that I used to.

I think a winning season if you were to put a number to it, I’m not sure I could. I’m not sure I could tell you that.

Q. Sting Ray, you’re going from a Chevy team to a Chevy team, so that should be pretty easy for you to adapt. But in terms of testing, now you’re with a new team. There’s a couple open tests. Would you think that there needs to be more opportunity, or are you able to, with the time that you do have, get acclimated to everything so that you’re ready to go when the racing starts?

STING RAY ROBB: There’s never enough time. I think you ask any driver in the paddock they’re going to say give us more days, especially for me. I think that being with a new team, I would like to spend 10, 12, 14 days in the car, but that’s just not how it is.

We’ll be a little rusty I think even still going into St. Pete, but that’s the beauty of INDYCAR racing. You’re getting to see the raw talents go out and compete at a high level even without the seat time. We do have a few days, I think. I don’t know what the number is currently, but it’s never enough.

Q. When you were at Foyt, Michael Cannon was there as the technical director. Now he’s gone to Prema. I don’t know how much you learned from him because I don’t think you worked directly with him; you had a different engineer, but what do you think is going to happen at Prema? Do you see them as being a real threat based on what you know of him? Do you think he can convey all the knowledge, because he’s been from Ganassi, a lot of different teams even before that? What do you expect to see from Prema?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, Michael is, first off, a great guy. I think that he is a talent in the paddock that is definitely someone that I would like to work with again in the future. I think that he is one of those guys that he makes things happen, and to have him join Prema is a threat for sure. That team has some good results in their history, as well.

I think coming to a new series will be a challenge, having a new team put together will be a challenge. I think that they’re going to be hard-pressed to work well and form fit, I guess you could say, to start the year. When you get different personalities like that all working together as new people in the room, it can be a challenge.

I’m sure Michael has got some tricks up his sleeve. He’s a brilliant guy, and I’m sure they’ll have a good run at some point during the season.

Q. You didn’t steal his notepad before you left?

STING RAY ROBB: I may have taken some pictures. No, I’m just kidding. I wish. He knew better than to let me have access to those.

Q. Sting Ray, the last time you were at Juncos in 2021 your rookie year in Indy Lights back then was quite a struggle, I think. It ended with you leaving, ended with Juncos pulling out of the series altogether. Now that you’re back as a team, can you reflect on how it has changed compared to what you saw back then?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, I mean, that was a big part of our conversation when we began talking with them again. At the end of 2021, I was fairly disappointed with the results that we’d had after winning the 2020 championship in the category right below.

We were hopeful that we could come into the series and be strong right from the start, and it was a struggle. We didn’t get it figured out by the end of the year. The last race of the year was at Mid-Ohio and I remember being one of the front runners in that dry race.

We had the pace by the end of the season, but it was a struggle to figure out why we were struggling so much throughout the year. I think a lot of it was because the focus was on the INDYCAR program. A lot of the focus was kind of diverted to that and making that the best program it could be.

INDY NXT didn’t get to see the best of Ricardo Juncos. Ricardo and I have talked since then and I’ve seen him at his best. We won a championship together the year prior. It was quite the contrast for us. So being able to come back in a much better situation, I think the culture is much healthier now, the priorities are very, very good. The passion is still there.

I think that’s the big thing that’s important is this sport is very challenging, and INDYCAR racing is very, very competitive. It’s full of great drivers, great teams.

Having that passion can go a long ways just because it creates obsession, and that obsession can lead to good results. So I’ve seen that from Ricardo in the past, and I think that it will continue in the future.

Q. How has Sting Ray Robb developed since your 2021 rookie year in INDY NXT?

STING RAY ROBB: I think I’ve grown quite a bit. Obviously I’m a little bit older now, a little bit wrinklier maybe, but at the end of the day I think I’m in a much more mature spot. I’m in a much more confident spot.

2021 Sting Ray Robb was just a kid from Idaho trying to figure out what he was going to do with his INDYCAR dreams. I achieved those dreams now of being in INDYCAR now, so it’s on to the next step. We’re still dreaming big trying to do some good things.

Q. I wanted to ask you, you’ve had experienced in a Honda and a Chevy powered car, one season with Dale Coyne and one season with Foyt. What are the main differences from the past years, and how is your driving style going to adapt to the different challenges?

STING RAY ROBB: Great question. I think that the transition for me was a bit easier than I was expecting. Both programs are very, very good, and it’s great to have them both in INDYCAR racing.

I think the biggest difference for me and that driving style was sort of the focus on where they gather the speed from. A lot of times you’ll see a difference in the torque curve of each engine, and one can be better than the other depending on what circuit you’re at.

I think that’s the biggest difference is how the power is applied oftentimes leads to certain speeds on certain parts of the racetrack than others. The Chevy and Honda, they’re both very competitive, very well matched, and I think the Chevy this last year especially had a little bit more torque or horsepower at the top end so we saw them be so quick on the ovals.

So we’ll see what it’s like this year. I think it’s always a give and take and they’re always moving the needle forward, so we’ll see who comes out on top.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 14, 2025

NOLAN SIEGEL, driver of the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, met with the media at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Content Days in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Press Conference Transcript:

MODERATOR: Looking ahead to next year, full-time ride obviously, full season with a great team. How much are you looking forward to this?

NOLAN SIEGEL: I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve done a lot of work this off-season, and I think I’m really happy with the people that I have on my car. I’m excited about the group that we have on the 6. I can’t wait for St. Pete. It’s been too long.

Q. If I’m not mistaken, I believe you have been on the oval at IMS in both a Honda and a Chevy in the last year. What’s been the differences? What have you learned? The hybrid test obviously probably different than what you had back in May, but it gives you more of a baseline of comfortability heading into your quasi-rookie season.

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, as far as the differences on the oval, it was hard to tell at IMS. I did my ROP again in the Arrow McLaren car, in the Chevy, but hard to tell ROP kind of in the off-season, you’re going slow, the track is not there. It was the hybrid test.

There was a lot going on. I wouldn’t say that I really felt any major differences. I’m sure that they will come into play when we get running in May. But I think you need real running for that.

Q. My second question would be your relationship with Tony Kanaan. Obviously we saw him during the month of May kind of giving you some advice, as well. Now you’re officially alongside of TK. You’ve got Pato who’s been great at the 500; Lundgaard brings a new set of skills. What’s that process been like towards the end of last season and turning the corner toward 2025 and building that relationship with Arrow McLaren and Tony Kanaan?

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, it’s just been good to have time with everyone in the off-season because I started in the busy part of the season and we just didn’t have a lot of time away from the racetrack to get to know each other and to talk.

My relationship with Tony and with Pato, those relationships have grown a lot, and they’re both very, very valuable assets for me.

Obviously both have a ton of experience at the speedway. Both been very fast at the speedway. I’m looking forward to going back in May.

I think that’s the month that I am most looking forward to, and I think it’s going to be a different experience this time around.

Q. Will things come more natural now that you’re settled in, you know which race car you’re going to be running in, your dad is not running out of the paddock at Road America to go get your suit? Talk about only having to focus on being in the race car.

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, last year, I mean, really all year, I’d go to the racetrack, and whether it was I didn’t know if I was racing the next weekend or didn’t know what I was driving or something new came up, there was so much to think about apart from driving the race car.

That brought a lot of challenges that I won’t have this year. So I think it’s going to be really nice to know what I have and know what I’m doing and be able to focus on driving the race car instead of focusing on finding a ride for the next weekend or finding a ride in INDYCAR or WEC or IMSA, INDY NXT.

There’s so much less going on in a way, which sounds weird to say given that it’s my first full season in INDYCAR and first full season at Arrow McLaren, but it’s actually much more simple than it was last year.

Q. You’re going to have a new engineer this year, Kate. How cool is it to be working with someone that’s as fresh as you are and that probably will look at things a little bit differently like you might at your age?

NOLAN SIEGEL: I’ve really enjoyed working with Kate (Gundlach). She is new to the race engineer role. She is by no means new to INDYCAR. She has a lot of experience and has been doing a phenomenal job so far. Really excited about working with her, and I’ve spent quite a bit of time with her now, and we get along really well. I think that makes a big difference .Looking forward to it.

Yes, I think while on the surface you look at new driver, new engineer, how is that going to go, I think in a lot of ways a new perspective can be a good thing, and there are a lot of engineers that have been around for a long time and have a lot of experience and knowledge. Sometimes it’s nice to have someone that’s open to experimenting and open to trying to do things a little bit differently.

I think we’re going to find quite a bit of speed and have a good time doing it.

Q. What is a good season for Nolan Siegel when you look back in September?

NOLAN SIEGEL: The goal is to be on the podium and win races. It’s super competitive. It’s an incredibly competitive race series, and it’s by no means easy and every weekend isn’t going to be smooth, but I think if we capitalize on the weekends where we have a strong race car and we’re in the positions that we want to be in, we’re going to have chances to be up front and be celebrating on Sundays.

Q. Nolan, something that I asked Christian, obviously he’s the new addition to the team, but you came in at a very hectic time. McLaren is an internationally famous brand. It’s the brand that seems to sell the most merch, even at INDYCAR races. What is it like? Is there any more pressure driving for a team that not only has such a large and demanding fan base, but really you have a lot of demands with the media, with sponsors? This is a team that’s very, very involved. Describe that process and what it’s like to adapt when you join a team of this caliber.

NOLAN SIEGEL: It is difficult at times from that perspective. I think the expectations are very high from a team like McLaren. There are a lot of people watching. There are a lot of eyes on it.

At the end of the day, the people whose opinions I care about are still the people that I work closely with, and from that perspective, it’s no different than any other race team.

So yes, there are a lot of people watching, but at the same time, it’s the same size as any other race team, and I’m working closely with good people.

There are the media obligations and there’s a big fan base, but I think you have to kind of separate that from the on-track running, which is — at the end of the day, it’s a very good INDYCAR team. It’s an INDYCAR team.

I think just separating those aspects of it is important. But it’s an honor to be representing a brand like McLaren, and to be able to go to the Formula 1 races and see what those guys are doing and be a part of that organization, as well, it’s an honor for me, and it’s very cool and not something that I expected to be doing right now.

Grateful to be here, and I’m — I’m grateful to be here and grateful for all aspects of being a McLaren driver.

Q. I ran into you in Las Vegas; tell the people how fast you got the road track going on the backstretch there in Vegas.

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, we were doing 200 miles an hour in road cars in Vegas with passengers, which was — I remember it was me, Pato, Mika Häkkinen and Christian, and we all did our first session and came out and we’re like, we’re not doing it the next day. We’re done; no more.

Then we all came back the next morning and we were all excited to do it again. But no, it was interesting.

Q. You said in the summer kind of ahead of the closing of the 2024 season that your goal was to just learn and be in as good a shape as possible getting to St. Pete this year. How do you feel that learning process went as you went through those early races with Arrow McLaren, and do you feel that you are in a position where you can fight near the front this season?

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I was thrown into the deep end for sure, but I think that those challenging weekends and moments are when you learn the most. I feel like I am in a much better position going into 2025 than I would have been having not done those races, and I feel like myself and the whole team has used this off-season very productively, and I feel like we’re in a really good spot going into 2025. The goal is to go into St. Pete feeling like there was nothing more we could have done to prepare, and I feel like we’ve been doing that so far.

Q. You kind of mentioned the work that you’ve put in as a team over the off-season. Can you go into any of the specifics that you wanted to improve on yourself?

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah. Going into my first full season in INDYCAR, there was a big focus on physical preparation. I’ve gained like 15 pounds, which was a — I don’t think it was an issue last year, but I feel like I’m in a better spot physically now to drive the INDYCAR than I was last year.

We’ve reviewed at this point almost every race of the season from a strategy standpoint, just to help me better understand INDYCAR strategy and the INDYCAR rules. I think it was a challenge last year for me to be thinking about strategy in the car just because I didn’t have the experience and didn’t know what different scenarios really meant for our race.

So I think I’ll have a much better understanding of that and be able to be more involved in the strategy while I’m driving a race car.

It’s hard, right; we don’t have very much testing so it’s hard to really work on driving-specific things, but there’s so much more to it than that.

Q. As the youngest driver on the grid, with McLaren that’s a big expectation, but they do have an extensive junior program and resources for young drivers. Do you think that’s helped you, and do you think the team themselves have been prepared for a younger driver coming in because of that?

NOLAN SIEGEL: No, I would not say that I’ve been in any way part of the McLaren junior program. The INDYCAR team functionally is kind of its own thing. But having my teammates and having Tony Kanaan with me has been very helpful.

There have been people that have been very willing to help and have a lot of experience on the INDYCAR side, but there’s no real connection to any McLaren junior program in any other aspect. I’m not a part of the McLaren junior program. I’m a part of the McLaren INDYCAR team and the goal is to win INDYCAR races, not develop a junior driver.

Q. Since you’re with McLaren, is there any interest or has there been any discussions about you moving up into Formula 1 someday?

NOLAN SIEGEL: I would love to race in Formula 1. The goal right now is, again, to be a championship contender in INDYCAR. That is the main focus at the moment.

If I had the opportunity to do a Formula 1 test or have reserve position or something like that, I would absolutely be open to it, but my focus and goal is not to move to Formula 1.

Yes, I would love to do it, but there’s no focus being put on that. It’s all on INDYCAR at the moment.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 14, 2025

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, met with members of the media at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Content Days in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Press Conference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: Joined now by Christian Lundgaard, who will be in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet this coming season, beginning his fourth full year in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, a podium at the Indy GP for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing last season before making the jump to the new team this year. Papaya is looking okay on you. Are you getting used to it?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I feel seen now, visually. It’s a very bright color, papaya. It’s exciting.

I think the moment that I knew, it was pretty difficult to not really say anything because you want it to get out because you’re excited. But obviously it’s happening now, so I’m very, very excited for the season.

Q. How would you describe this transition to the new team?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: It’s been very smooth, to be honest. Obviously we did the test in October. It was exciting for me to try to feel the car on an oval, obviously, going into the Sebring test, as well, I’m just excited to feel it in different circumstances. But the transition with everybody has been very, very smooth. A lot of familiar faces, a lot of new faces, as well, and I think really that’s the challenge.

It’s the first time in my career that I drive for a different team in the same series. That’s the only thing that really takes some getting used to.

Q. What’s it been like switching from Honda to Chevy?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: It’s been very smooth, as well. Obviously I received a lot of questions from Chevy at the test at Indy, and I was kind of surprised in some of the differences. There’s obviously a few differences, but there was also some that was not really because of any manufacturer, just because of the car, and a lot of it turns out to kind of translate to just being the philosophy of the cars that were actually different.

But no, I think looking at where Chevy was in May, it’s something that I’m very excited for, and it’s a challenge that I’m prepared for at other tracks.

But I think it’s going to be a positive for me there. They’ve given me a lot of information and just resources for me to get up to speed from the get-go, which I appreciated a lot.

Q. I think you’ve had probably two of the most underrated runs in the 500 coming from the back. You’ve been very consistent in that race. Now being with a team that has consistently been at the front at the Indianapolis 500, I know you don’t want to look ahead of the first couple of races, but obviously the big elephant in the room is always the Indianapolis 500. How important was that test, getting some experience, and do you feel like you’re going to have to get a lot of data information during the April test to set yourself up for a run in May?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I mean, yes. I mean, at the end of the day, having done this for three years, having been in the race, fortunately/unfortunately I’ve had the pleasure of coming from the back.

In a way, I take that as a positive now because I’ve learned to race from the back with the most turbulent air. Obviously I don’t necessarily have the benefit of the more clean air, but I think from a race craft standpoint, I feel very confident in that.

The one thing I do believe is at the end of the day, the cars feel very similar but yet very different, but I think for me, it’s more the car has a lot more pure pace than what I’ve had previously.

I think it’s going to come easier in that sense, but I think the drivers that you race against are going to be battling harder for each position, which is going to be the challenge.

Q. Is there a track in particular that you say, I need to work a little bit more at or I need to get better at? Obviously there was a couple tracks last year we went to for the first time. We think of you, think of the Indy GP, you think of Toronto, you think of those places. Is it maybe the short ovals? Where do you feel you need to improve in 2025?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Honestly, all of them. I think being in a new car with new people, not having the information from the prior year, any data, it’s going to be tough in that sense. Obviously I know my way around, but there’s a lot of tricks and small little fine tunings that I think we all need to nail at the time, and we achieved that prior in some races and some we didn’t.

But I think from my own perspective, yes, the ovals are something that I need to improve. Having been in a position where it’s fighting for dear life just to a certain regard just getting the car home, and it’s tough enough to fight other cars out there, I’m excited for that challenge.

I’m excited to kind of feel more competitive. I did that at the 500 in 2024 when we came from the back. We were leading at some point — yes, we were on a different strategy, but at least you didn’t really feel hopeless or helpless for that matter, and it’s a lot more fun that way.

But I think all types of circuits, there’s going to be some fine tuning, because at the end of the day I was strong in one street circuit but not so much the other for whatever reason that might have been. I think our main goal for 2025 specifically is to make sure that we’re as competitive as we can be on every single racetrack.

Q. Obviously with changing teams comes a lot of change. Change of culture; change of learning Honda to Chevy. Do you embrace change? Is it difficult? How do you handle change? Is that something that you tackle or is it just kind of uncomfortable to?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: It’s how life goes, man. There’s always changes. I mean, it’s been a smooth transition so far. I enjoy it. I think change is good at times.

When things are working, never change them, obviously, but it was time for a change, and we were all up for the challenge. Race engineer, the entire team, me, everybody behind me. I think we’ll make the most of it for sure.

Q. Obviously you want to improve from year to year. Do you try to improve from the 45 car or do you look at what the 7 car, what Alexander did in that ride last year? How do you balance that as far as looking at a short-term goal for next season?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Well, ultimately I can always use Alex as a reference in that sense, and I can use myself in a different car. Obviously I can use the experience that I have from one car, but bringing it into another, it’s a different philosophy depending on the track, even all tracks might be a different driving style than what I’m used to, and obviously that’s the adaptation that I need to be able to handle.

I guess we’ll see, but I’ve taken all the information that I’ve been provided to me, and obviously what I don’t necessarily need, I can always throw away. But it’s about learning as much and having the information and then taking use of it.

Q. It’s not just a driving thing or a difference in the race car at McLaren; this is a team that is internationally famous. You see it with all of the drivers who drive for McLaren. You kind of gain international fame. You look around the racetracks, you see the jerseys and the merch that’s sold, that seems to out-sell every other team. What is it like to have that additional side to this deal, not just you have to learn a new team, a new car, but you also have a lot more maybe social pressure to perform?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Everybody loves papaya. You know, all my friends, they are like, wow, what is all this papaya running around? Who are these guys?

Yes, it’s in a way a lot of pressure, but I think it’s fantastic. I think what I saw the McLaren F1 team do from where they were a couple of years ago to where they are now, from a performance side, and just seeing the impact from a spectator and a fan side, it’s what we’re seeing here now, as well.

It was a no-brainer for me to make this transition when the offer occurred because seeing where they’re headed is something that I wanted to be a part of.

I’ve been a part of another Formula 1 team in the past, so I understand the importance of all the media that we have to do. And that was the big question that I was asked at first, and I’m like, well, I’m used to it, I don’t mind. It’s a part of the world.

Q. Some of the other drivers who have been a part of this program have gotten an opportunity. Is there any desire or a clause in a contract about a Formula 1 test incentive at some point?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: No. I’ve been a part of that, and in my opinion it’s passed. INDYCAR is where I want to be. Obviously I’ll never say no in the sense that it’s not a possibility, but it’s certainly not where my intentions are. It’s here in INDYCAR.

Q. You spent the better part of a decade trying to get to F1. You’re going into your fourth INDYCAR season. Does INDYCAR feel like home now?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Absolutely. It did from day one. I don’t really think this has really come out, even though I know I’ve said it multiple times before. INDYCAR reminds me of go-karts, which is what I fell in love with in the sport.

It’s the atmosphere, the way everything works around. It’s more — it’s about the racing rather than everything else. Yes, everything else comes with it, but it’s ultimately whoever finishes — crosses the start-finish line first is who wins. It’s just pure racing.

Q. Is that maybe why we’ve seen Callum, Marcus, now Robert Shwartzman all finding a home here, guys that were really successful on the road to Formula 1 but just not quite there? Is it nice to have a place that you can come and find and make a career?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Absolutely. I mean, I think Callum and I, in my opinion, I think Felix was a little ahead of time before people really realized from the European side what INDYCAR really was. I don’t think there was enough attention back then.

It’s obviously growing a lot more now, but I think me and Callum sort of opened the doors for Europeans to okay, this is an actual option, and because we were followed from Europe, I think it opened a lot of eyes of how amazing INDYCAR actually is.

I think all the Europeans are kind of stuck in the Formula 1 world and don’t really realize what we are doing, and I hope we’re here to help change that. Obviously even Will coming on board is a big factor for us, as well.

Q. Obviously with RLL they’ve sort of made clear that their oval package wasn’t as strong as it should be or where they wanted it to be, but McLaren on the know hand have a good oval package and the team have won races. From a personal standpoint we maybe haven’t seen what you can do in ovals, so from your perspective do you believe you’re at the standard where you can compete at the front on ovals?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Of course it is a question, but I think it’s now a time where I can prove that. I think ultimately it’s we’ll see whenever we get to May, but I’m very optimistic. I have high hopes myself.

Q. Joining McLaren, you’ve now obviously got the support of Tony Kanaan. Have you learned much from him yet, and is there anything you’re looking to get out of him?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I’ve spoken a lot to Tony about a lot of different topics. Obviously ovals being one of them. He’s been a mentor from an outside standpoint of view, as well, to other people, kind of covering, as well, because he’s been in the position where he’s won a 500, been in a not-so-good car and knows what it’s like driving a car that doesn’t necessarily handle the way we want or is purely fast enough.

It’s just tough. He’s been a big part of, one, giving me this opportunity, as well, but also understanding and kind of telling people, hey, wait and see until he’s in this car.

Q. I was just wondering, your road course results in 2024 were strong compared to your new teammate Pato O’Ward’s. How do you intend to carry that momentum while adapting to McLaren’s different car philosophy?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: That’s interesting. I didn’t even know that. I’ll have to tell him.

I mean, I’m going to try to improve those stats on the other two types of circuits but sort of keep my road course then, I guess.

At the end of the day, my previous position has always been — well, for the past three years, have been we know what we had on certain types of tracks and we knew that we were struggling an ovals. Obviously we were trying to improve.

We didn’t improve as much as we would have liked in the time frame, but we also didn’t improve enough on road and street circuits where I think the potential that Arrow McLaren has is massive. I’m not even in doubt that we will have all of those nailed.

Q. You’ve mentioned before in this press conference that change is part of life. Considering the previous test that you had in October with the McLaren car, have you changed something from your preparation for this season?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: I think — yes, the preparation has changed, but it’s minor. I don’t really believe that there’s a big reason to turn things upside down because at the end of the day, I was chosen for what I was able to do, so I don’t think there’s any reason to change that.

I think there’s just been things added on. Obviously a change of team takes time. It takes a lot of effort to get up to speed on certain things.

We’ve spent a lot of time preparing for that and getting up to speed as fast as we can, but I would say from my specific off-season standpoint, I think it’s been nice to be home with family spending the holidays, and we’re now back, and it’s business time.

Q. Another thing you’ve mentioned before is that your goal this season is to be as competitive as possible. To be that competitive, for example, is Pato O’Ward, who is the veteran driver of the team, is he a reference to be equally as competitive as him during the season in terms of results, or will a victory or podium be good for you?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, considering — this is my own standpoint of view, considering I already have podiums, I have a win, funnily enough it’s a P1, P2 and P3. I don’t have multiple of any of them yet.

But I think what Arrow McLaren and Pato did through the 2024 season, especially in Mid-Ohio with the hybrid being introduced, being the first winner also showed me that they’re up for the challenge and they’re ahead of everybody else.

For me going into this season, it’s not to take the first couple of races getting up to speed. We want to be ready to fight for podiums and wins from the get-go.

At the end of the day, I want to win all races. We all do. But I think by doing that, you have to be competitive in every single event and put yourself in the best position to have a good result. Again, by doing that, you need to be competitive from the get-go.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 14, 2025

DAVID MALUKAS, No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, met with members of the media at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Content Days in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Press Conference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: We continue this afternoon’s session, joined now by David Malukas, driving the No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, beginning his fourth season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, his first with AJ Foyt Racing after a couple of top 10s in the races you were in last year, 2024, brand new year. We all follow you on social media. We know you kind of enjoy that arena. What’s been going on?

DAVID MALUKAS: Well, I just finished up all the FOX stuff, which was so cool. They have a drone, and I even watched the guy, and he’s got these goggles on and he’s just flying around. He’s doing his own Indy 500. It’s just crazy. He’s doing like 10 donuts per person. I can’t believe it.

But it was so cool. We’re doing some cool poses, cool shots. They had the smoke machine, good music. I honestly was having a good time. I was so tired because I only slept five hours because of the early day, but that like my — that was a natural coffee boost over there. I was having a good time. That was awesome.

Q. New team, new year. I’m sure you can’t wait to get back on track.

DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, I can’t wait. Last year was chaos, definitely a year of learning and maturing, and at the end of the season I had actually another surgery on my hand to clean up all the scar tissue because the movement was very limited, so I had to still do some PT for a few months until Christmas time.

Now the hand is doing really well. We did the seat fit, got the grip strength back up, and I’m excited to go out there and perform and forget this injury ever — well, it’s not perfectly back, but it’s a lot better, so I’m really excited.

Q. David, this is a chance to have a complete season with the same team after last year’s saga. How important is that going to be for you to really get a chance to get off the ground running? I imagine you’re probably going to be pretty careful in the next couple of weeks.

DAVID MALUKAS: Oh, 100 percent. I’ve been so careful. I think the craziest thing I’ve done this off-season is go zip lining with my nephews and the drop was only like two feet. I had to lift my knees up the just do the zip lining. That was the most chaotic thing I’ve done.

But no, like I said, I’ve matured a lot, and not just from individuality and outside of the car, but also in the car I’ve matured a lot. I’m excited to take that maturity, be consistent, have a full season, and actually build with the team that I have and the crew is incredible and I’m very excited to get some very good results. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

Q. Also, FOX is gearing a lot of their telecast to the Generation Z, the younger generation audience, a lot of good young talent in the INDYCAR Series. Do you see INDYCAR at a tipping point here where there’s a lot of young faces, a lot of exciting drivers, and it may be a chance to really excite some of the younger crowd that may not be INDYCAR fans?

DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, I think you hit it spot on. I think the next generation definitely is starting to come in, and I think those fans are starting to come.

I’ve had a lot of experiences last season where fans would come up to me and tell me that they’re watching INDYCAR and they’re there because of me, and that made me feel incredible. It’s an incredible feeling.

I’m just really excited to actually be able to connect with my generation into racing and get them in. And I think with everything that FOX is doing, it’s incredible, because I am also Gen-Z, so it’s my generation, so it’s good.

Q. You’re one of the youngest drivers in the series dealing with one of the oldest people in racing, AJ Foyt. That’s got to be a little bit of a — are there times when the two of you kind of look at each other and try to figure out what the other is thinking?

DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, actually it was a pretty good — I met him at the Indy test a few months back, and he was telling me all of his stories. He’s got so many cool stories. It was a really cool experience. It was a good time.

But I think with what we’re doing at AJ Foyt, being with AJ and being the new generation, I think it’s a perfect setup going into this season. We have a lot of cool ideas and content with how we’re going to mix all that together and mixing the new generation with history. It’s going to be awesome.

Q. Obviously you’re going into a team who have a lot of momentum behind them coming off a really strong season last year. Do you have any expectations going into the new year?

DAVID MALUKAS: I think just from all the chaos, for sure 100 percent just having that consistency being up there. I think with the way the team’s success has been, especially this last season, I think it’s very, very strong. Expectations are definitely very high.

I think with the team that we have, we definitely want results. I think with my teammate as well, Santino, on the ovals we’re going to be a pretty strong suit.

Expectations are high going into it. But at the end of the day, it just feels good to do a full season and have a consistent season.

Q. We saw you’re going to have car No. 4.

DAVID MALUKAS: That is correct.

Q. How cool is that for you?

DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, it was a little bit last minute. I mean, I knew for a while. I wanted to say it really badly, and then I decided to just sneakily just do a post, just DM 4. I think that has a good ring to it and I’m really excited. I am just excited from constant side of things because I can just replace the “a” in Dave and just No. 4. I think it will be really cool. It’s good merch.

I’m just really excited because then I can wear it. Imagine little Dave but then the A is a 4. It’s pretty cool. I’m not gonna lie.

Q. Last year you didn’t really have a chance to get the season started like you wanted. You just kind of had to watch from the sidelines and everything. How important is that to have a defined start point and just do it as you planned from the beginning?

DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, sitting on the sidelines watching, that was really tough. That was hard. I definitely had to keep some emotions in watching everybody go around.

It was good. I learned a lot, especially being on the sidelines, just seeing what the engineers have to deal with, all the screens, the strategy. There’s a lot that I learned that as a driver you don’t really know much of what’s going on, so I think it was good by the time I got in the car I didn’t get angry at the engineers or the strategy on what’s going on because they can see a lot more than the driver can see.

So I think that was the No. 1 thing that I learned and that I will take going into this next season.

Q. The transition going from a Honda to a Chevy, I know you don’t have experience inside the cockpit yet, but what’s that transition in a simulator been like and how excited are you to join the Chevy family?

DAVID MALUKAS: Well, I did a lot of off-season testing just when the hybrid system was coming out with Arrow McLaren, so I did have a lot of Chevy testing done. I think that was their previous version before the hybrid came in, so it definitely was different.

So I have some familiarity with some of the Chevy engineers, as well. So going it, it’s not completely going fresh. I think we have something to already start going off of.

But as of what I remember and going into it, I think it’ll be fine. I know there’s some talks about the engines being a bit different, but from when I went into the car they felt very similar. I couldn’t tell major drastic changes.

Q. I don’t think the results, especially at Gateway last year, showed what you’re capable of doing with obviously running up front. I know you’re going to take it a race at a time and talk about the race that’s coming up, but you’ve got to be champing at the bits with Santino, with how fast the Foyt cars have been at Indy to get back to IMS, and that starts in April at the test.

DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, anytime I start thinking about it, the nerves and the excitement starts building up. I’m really excited, man. The car is going to good. Good teammates, good engineers, good crew. Everything is lining up, so a little bit of luck, who knows, it’s going to be really exciting.

Q. I’m excited to see what Santino and you can do at AJ Foyt Racing. You may not have been in the car with the team yet to figure out if both of you are similar in setups or different; how do you anticipate getting along with Santino?

DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, I’m very excited and interested to see how the setups and things are going to be. We did do some simulator work together, but as of now the driving doesn’t seem too far off.

Of course it’s not going to be until the Sebring test we’ll know the driving styles and how to compare. But talking with the engineers, it seems that we are in some form similar in some ways, especially on the ovals.

I think it’ll be pretty good. I think we’ll be good teammates and definitely be able to pick on each other and be able to do two different setups. I think that’s the main goal is having two drivers with the same driving style so we can use two different setups with the limited practice sessions that we have so we can clear two birds with one stone. I like to put it that way.

Q. I’m just curious on how much time you’ve spent with AJ Foyt and can you talk about what that experience has been like?

DAVID MALUKAS: I mean, it hasn’t been too much. It’s been short. I’ve probably had two conversations with him so far. But each conversation has been amazing.

Obviously for me it was a little bit hard because I’m going into it as, like, it’s AJ and you’re trying to have a normal conversation, but the entire time it’s like I’m talking with AJ, so I’m kind of trying to act normal, act normal, you’re not acting normal, and I think he could sense like what is wrong with this kid, what is he doing. I think he could sense it a little bit.

But he was very chill. It almost felt like we were good friends and he started talking about the stories and the past and the history. To say that he’s had me on the team, that meant a lot, too. Both conversations we’ve had have been great, so I just hope to give him some results in return.

Q. What did you get AJ for his birthday?

DAVID MALUKAS: I don’t know, can we say what we did? Unfortunately we can’t.

Q. An Indy 500 win would be the perfect gift.

DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, a little bit delayed but I don’t think he would mind. I think he would take it. That would be very cool.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 14, 2025

ALEXANDER ROSSI, driver of the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, met with the media at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Content Days in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Press Conference Transcript:

MODERATOR: Switching to the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet in 2025, Alexander Rossi, beginning his 10th season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Of course eight-time winner in the series with a bit of a new look team, a lot of changes for Ed Carpenter Racing heading into 2025.

I know you’re ready to get back on the track. You’ve got to wait a couple weeks before you do that, but are you looking forward to getting started?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: For sure. I think the team is changing at a rapid rate, which is pretty exciting to witness and be a part of, and I think that there’s a lot of excitement internally about the things that are going on. It’s certainly a busy time for everyone involved, and I think we’re all still trying to find our place a little bit in somewhat of a totally new organization. But it’s going really well, and experience that I’ve had so far has been nothing short of awesome. Looking forward to getting on track in February at Sebring and then seeing where that takes us for the first week of March.

Q. You did have an opportunity to hop on the Indianapolis oval with the team. Did that help break the ice a little bit as you look into this off-season?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Yeah, for sure. That was a good one to get under our belt kind of right before the super long break kicked off. The car and team operated at a level that you would expect based on their previous results and past performances at Indianapolis, so that was a pretty seamless day and an exciting day for everyone, to have our new partners in Splenda and Java House on board and represented. As I said, it’s growing and changing every day, so what you saw in October, it’s going to be a very different look come February and March.

Q. What is a successful season for Alexander Rossi this year? What does it look like at the end of the year?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: You know, it’s being in the conversation and having an opportunity to win at Indy, which I think is to be expected of ECR and myself. I don’t really have an expectation quite yet because I haven’t driven the car, so I don’t really know what I don’t know at this point. I’ll be able to answer that question a little bit better after the test in February.

Q. Kind of a related question, this is a very different challenge, a different team dynamic than what you’ve been a part of, I imagine, since you joined INDYCAR, an Andretti team that was used to being at the top of the sport, an Arrow McLaren team that wasn’t quite there but had high aspirations, and now you join ECR where this team has won races, been towards the top of the championship a time or two but maybe haven’t quite been, from a consistent performance standpoint, at a level that you’ve competed at the last couple years. Is this an intriguing, exciting new chapter for you, joining a team that’s a little bit different and trying to maybe take it to a different place than what you’ve been doing the last couple years?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: That’s a good question. I don’t really look at it that way so much as I think if you ask everyone at the organization where they’ve been the past couple years is not where they want to be, where they expect to be, so there was the effort and the search, I guess is the right term maybe, for how do they and we now as an organization change what the past couple of years have been.

This series is so competitive, and there is every year more cars and drivers that are capable of winning. Like what do we need to do from a staffing, investment, procedure, mindset standpoint to bridge the gap and make the step that everyone else is making.

That’s a work in progress. That doesn’t happen overnight. But I certainly think that steps are being made in the right direction, steps that are very cool to see.

I think there’s the potential to surprise a lot of people at points in 2025. Obviously, as I said, nothing happens overnight. We’re not going to go from the results that have existed the past couple of years to all of a sudden winning every race sort of thing, but I do think that everything in this sport is very small margins.

We’ve often talked about this car has been around for so long. It’s not that there’s some magic thing out there. It’s about putting puzzle pieces together correctly and executing efficiently, and that can add up to results pretty quickly.

We have the tools and resources and are gathering the tools and resources that didn’t necessarily exist in the past, and that’s opening doors and opportunities for what should be a step forward for the organization in ’25.

And then obviously to answer the first part of your question, yeah, this is a long-term thing that I’m a part of and something that’s very exciting to be a part of, to contribute to, and to do it alongside someone that I have a very good working and personal relationship with Ed, something that I feel like we as a group, Ed (Carpenter), myself, Christian (Rasmussen), Ted Gelov from Heartland Food Products Group, we can all do as this kind of foursome and push things forward and get the results that we want.

Q. This may be a tough question to answer because you were onboarded at ECR as Ted was coming on, as well. With the influx of support from him and Heartland, as best you know, how much — how big of an improvement can funding and new ideas and a partnership like that bring to this team and what you guys can do in ’25 in the future versus where they have been the last couple years?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Yeah, it’s a little bit of a hard question. I think that what we’ve seen in this sport and we’ve seen in other championships, funding and money isn’t the solution to everyone’s problems. It certainly gives you the capability to have a better rate of development. It gives you the opportunity to maybe entice people into your organization and that sort of thing.

But it’s still about the people, and I do think that a lot of the main people that have been at ECR — sorry, that are at ECR currently have been there for a very long time.

There’s a lot of loyalty in that organization, and there’s a very close-knit group of individuals that, in their own right and together, are very, very good at what they do. They’ve maybe just not had all of the tools, resources and people to help them deliver the results that they are capable of.

I think number one is people; number two is growing the good people and creating that environment; then number three is having the available funds to go do the projects and build the things that you need to do.

Q. I imagine you may have seen the commercial that FOX put out on Sunday with Josef. A lot has been said and celebrated on that type of marketing and the angle they took in trying to promote Josef and lift the sport up as this new relationship gets going. What were your thoughts on what you saw on Sunday and what you’ve seen over the last couple of months as this momentum has built toward FOX airing INDYCAR for the full season in ’25 and beyond?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: I didn’t know Josef was — I just thought it was a Tom Brady commercial. (Laughter). My guy. No, I thought it was great. I think is a commercial with Josef or a commercial with Pato or Alex going to change the perception of INDYCAR racing? No. Is it a huge step in a direction that we’ve all been looking for in terms of out-of-the-box thinking and cool, trendy marketing and all of the buzz word stuff that you want to be a part of and be doing? Yeah, 100 percent.

So I think this partnership with FOX has been talked about at length in terms of the positivities that it’s going to bring from a TV viewership standpoint, but I think the thing that’s possibly the most impressive/most important in my mind and I think a lot of the drivers’ minds is the kind of push that they’re putting behind it with their other properties, bringing in people like Tom Brady who are FOX employees, pushing it during the biggest sporting weeks of the year in the NFL playoffs and really using their other avenues of promotion to elevate the NTT INDYCAR Series is what we’ve needed and wanted.

Obviously it’s going to take more than a couple commercials, but this is a huge step in the right direction and something that is very, very awesome to be a part of. I don’t think any of us could be more excited and thankful for what they’ve done, and can’t wait to see what they do in the future.

Q. You touched on this, I think when you got here in 2016 you probably didn’t know a lot of people and had to learn three or four different teams when you went to McLaren as far as all those employees. Do you feel you’re maybe a little bit ahead of schedule? You have that test from October, you and Ed are close friends, live down the road, the close-knit community that ECR has. Do you feel like you’re closer to having those results earlier? Sometimes for drivers they go to a new team and it takes a half season or full season to start seeing results. Do you feel like that camaraderie is there because it is such a small group?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Yeah, I think we have a couple things going for us. Number one, it’s as you mentioned, I’ve known Matt Barnes for a really long time, as well, so having the relationship on the engineering side right out of the box is huge. We already kind of speak the same language in a lot of different ways. But also I think the other big thing is, yes, in 2023 going to Arrow McLaren was a big transition, but the bigger transition was really Honda to Chevy. So being able to stay in the Team Chevy family and not have to go through that driving style transition that I kind of had to do from ’22 to ’23 I think is really the thing that’ll put us on the front foot more than anything else.

Q. Have you set yourself any targets for the upcoming season?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Probably should. But no. Let me work on that.

Q. 10th season, hard to believe. Now that you evaluate your previous nine, have you accomplished what you’d like to accomplish? I know you’ve won the Indy 500, but I’m sure a championship would be on the line, too. How would you evaluate the first nine years? Just your thoughts on nine years in the series and now you’ve got No. 10 coming this season.

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Yeah, it goes fast. I think that it’s very easy to look back on — I think, any athlete looks back on the missed opportunities more than the success. That’s just the nature of the business. But, you also have to remind yourself that you’re entering 10 years, a decade of driving race cars, and being able to have a pretty good understanding of what my future is going to be for quite some time, it gives you the foundation to really have an unlimited view of what is possible.

I think that there’s certainly challenges ahead. I’ve certainly dealt with my share of challenges the past couple of years. But to be able to do it with ultimately friends is a pretty unique opportunity and one where I think it’s going to be able to push each other forward to go do the things we want to do.

I think there’s a lot of lessons learned. I think there’s some good times. I still lose sleep over the bad times. But it’s all motivation for what we have coming up in the future.

Q. Speaking of lessons learned, it could be nothing, but I noticed you went to a lot of IU football games this year. You’ve got a horse. Is that kind of the underrated story and coming to ECR could be the underrated story. Any lessons learned from watching IU football, seeing that culture, owning a horse?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Interesting. That’s a very good question. Owning a horse, probably not. I don’t think so.

Motorsports and horse racing are very similar, though. There’s so many variables that exist, right. In racing we all know about you add into that racing plus an animal, there’s obviously a lot you can’t control, but it still takes a team and a common goal and a common culture, which ties in very well to the next part of your question with IU football.

I didn’t really go to traditional college, so my knowledge of college sports was none, and then my friend group got very excited about IU football this year for obvious reasons, so I went to my first two college games this year, and not knowing anything about really IU’s college football past but seeing and understanding what the power of one person can do — we often talk about culture.

We often talk about it’s the people that are the most important element, and all of those things are true, but it really only takes one person to offer a new approach, a new way of thinking, and getting people to buy into that, and you can see the results that come from that.

That’s an inspiration, I think, for anyone that is either an athlete or looking to do something in business or in life, that it just takes one to make a difference.

I’m now a Hoosier fan for, I guess, life because that’s how college football fandom works, and look forward to next year.

Q. Season tickets?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: My buddy already has them, so I think we’re locked in there.

Q. Do you have a sweatshirt?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: I do have a sweatshirt, yeah.

Q. Do you tailgate? What’s the experience?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: So we were supposed to tailgate — the one time I went down to Bloomington, we were going to tailgate and it was the hurricane that ran through Nashville when we were there, had Helene, so we didn’t tailgate, but we still went to the game. Then I went to IU playing Ohio State, and that was really underwhelming because I was sold that that was this amazing magical place, and it’s just fine.

Q. I think a few people have asked this today to various drivers, but I’d like to get your take on the discussion of maybe a new car in 2027 —

ALEXANDER ROSSI: It’s not a maybe, man. It’s happening.

Q. What do you believe are kind of the keys that they kind of need from this new car compared to what there has been for the last however many years?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: I have to weigh my answer to not get in trouble.

Here’s the thing. I’ve actually talked to quite a few people at length about this. There’s some people that have the belief that it needs to be this super futuristic crazy looking ultra modern car. There’s other people that are like, okay, it needs to be this super light, high-horsepower thing that does track records everywhere.

Ultimately what I think needs to be done is we already have, and I don’t think it’s a debate, we already have the best product on track that exists globally, so to reinvent the wheel I don’t think is something that in my mind that needs to be done. I think it needs to be an evolution of the car we’ve had.

Obviously technology has developed, materials has developed. We have added a lot on to the DW12. So integrating all of that is going to have benefits from a cost standpoint, from a safety standpoint, from a workability standpoint for the mechanics to have things that fit and flow and work a bit better together.

But ultimately I don’t think we need to do anything that’s beyond what we already do because I think what we already do is pretty good. It just needs to be an updated version of what we have. So that’s my opinion.

Q. Have you seen the initial plans —

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Yes.

Q. Are you allowed to share any thoughts on that?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Probably not. You’ve got another 20-odd drivers to ask that question to, so I’m not going to be that guy.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 14, 2025

PATO O’WARD, driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, met with members of the media at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Content Days in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Press Conference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: No better way to kick things off in the NTT INDYCAR Series content days than with Pato O’Ward, back driving the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, beginning his sixth full season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, seven-time race winner winning three times this past season. Off-season, or non-racing season, because there is no off-season in INDYCAR because we’re always doing something —

PATO O’WARD: Are we, though? I’ve missed INDYCAR. I’ve been craving getting back here.

Q. What’s it been like the last couple months for you?

PATO O’WARD: Happy new year, everybody. Happy to be here. To me, it’s been a lot of traveling. I’ve done a lot of hours from Nashville all the way to like December 20th, I think, was kind of my first day off.

I haven’t had a lot of chance to chill out, but I have some time at the end of the month, which the team has been very courteous and generous in giving me a couple weeks off.

But yeah, I did a lot of traveling with the Formula 1 team, obviously. It was really cool to be part of their Constructors’ Championship and seeing that.

But FP1 in México, it feels like a whole year’s worth happened in three months. But it’s been great. But definitely happy to be back.

Q. (Indiscernible) it seems like they have a partnership with FOX Sports that’s knocking it out of the ballpark. What do you think so far of the marketing effort?

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, I want to publicly state that I think what FOX and INDYCAR are doing is freaking phenomenal. Like the commercial that just came out with Josef I think was so well done. It’s fun. It’s edgy. It’s flirting with that line where people do get engaged and you’re like, hey, this is different.

I have filmed mine. I have not seen it. I don’t know when it’s coming out. But it was — I would say it felt like I was doing a movie shoot. It really felt like the first time I was ever shooting a movie with all these different scenes.

I think it’s going to be a really, really cool commercial. I think you guys are going to enjoy it when you see it. Can’t wait for that.

I’m just excited to see what they come up with during the year. They really seem to be, first of all, on it, and secondly, they know what works, and I think that’s going to be probably one of the best decisions INDYCAR has ever done.

Ever since this news came out, I was really quick to text Bud Denker, and I said, man, this is freaking phenomenal. Congratulations. I think all of Penske Entertainment leadership is super excited to be working with them.

I think their imagination is kind of coming into truth, I would say.

Q. Down the road, a new car is being developed. What can you share with us from what you’ve seen of what that car will look like and what it’ll do?

PATO O’WARD: So I know you love me giving you headlines, but I have not seen anything. I have not talked to anybody about it because I’ve been, well, pretty much overseas a lot of this time.

But I know there’s a dinner somewhat soon or a couple drivers are going to get together with some of the leadership that hasn’t really had a chance to share with them, one of them being me, and I’m assuming I’ll hear more about it.

But I have no idea what it looks like, how heavy it is, how much power it’s going to have. I haven’t seen anything. But I hope that it’s just as good as Jay and everybody tells us.

We want to be low, fat, loud.

Q. I know you’ve had a busy off-season, but I imagine there’s been some reflection that you’ve done on this past INDYCAR season. There’s been a lot of changes at your team, as well. Now that you have some space from it, what do you make of the season that you put together in 2024 at Arrow McLaren?

PATO O’WARD: Inconsistent. I would say performance-wise, good days were great, bad days were horrible. It just seems to be the name of the game for us the last few years because I just don’t think we’re at the level where we need to be yet in terms of reliability. I’ve still made my fair share of mistakes.

There hasn’t been one thing that it’s like, hey, let’s just fix that, and it’s not simple because you go to these places and you’re so on the edge because if you’re not on the edge you’re 20th. Those joker cards, you will have to use them once or twice during the year, but you try and minimize that.

But I just think for us, we’ve had too many of those instances where we’re just throwing away points really. Cleaning that up and making our bad days better will have a significant impact in how we’re looking at the end of the season really.

Q. I know easier said than done, but as you look at it, is there anything that has led to that inconsistency, or is there something that you feel like you or the team is targeting to try and minimize that that is actionable in 2025?

PATO O’WARD: I mean, first off, development in the performance of the race car. I do think now that there wasn’t a lot of hybrid testing we’ve actually had a chance to hopefully find some good things to improve in the areas where we’re lacking the most in terms of circuits or whatever.

You can’t always — a season will always have its challenges. It’s never going to be perfect. It’s not going to be how you always want it to be. But you have to be as close to perfect as you can if you want to be a champion. You have to be close to perfect in an Indy 500 in order to win that race.

All it takes is just make sure that you’re well-prepared for the challenges that are coming ahead, because if you go into it being, I just want a chill season, that’s probably going to be a boring and slow season for you.

When you’re fighting at the top, there’s always going to be drama. There’s always going to be different highs and lows of emotions because that’s ultimately what makes it so special and entertaining for other people, as well.

I just think we need to be ready for that, and taking a page out of Andrea’s book, when you think about it, I think it’s such a privilege to be in such a high-pressure situation because that means you’re doing something well, and that’s what we’re going to try and do.

Q. Big changes within the team; Gavin Ward leaving as the leader of the INDYCAR program and Tony Kanaan stepping up to take on that role. You’ve worked with Tony for a couple years. What are your thoughts on Gavin’s exit and Tony stepping up to take over the team principal role for 2025?

PATO O’WARD: My job is to drive a race car and try and kind of help lead the team in terms of where we need to go. Engineering-wise and what we need.

But I think Tony is as qualified as anybody to be leading this group of people that — yes, he was a racing driver and he still says he’s a racing driver, but I’d call him retired. He is and has knowledge, experience of everything. He can dip his toes into marketing and communications. He can dip his toes with all the partners. He can dip his toes with his opinions with the drivers, especially with Nolan, that he’s coming into the team.

I know he did a couple races last year, but I think he will be a very good mentor for him, as I’m trying to be. It seems kind of weird, I’ve always been the baby of the team but now I’m the old guy. I want them to succeed, as well, because them succeeding means that — I know that’s just going to drive me forward and make me better, and when we’ve got two or three cars fighting, it’s very different to having one car fighting at the front, and ultimately that’s what you need in order to keep up with three strong cars.

But easier said than done. But I trust the decisions that have been made, and I told Zak I’m completely behind everything that has been done, and I’m always up to take on something else if there is an area that needs a little bit of attention and help.

Q. What’s that been like through the off-season? We saw a lot of cool social videos with you and Christian and Nolan and that camaraderie through the off-season; how important is that now that you are the senior driver on this team?

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, I definitely don’t feel like the — I would say I don’t feel like the senior of the team, but it’s a different role, I would say, because I’ve always had guys with quite a lot more experience than me.

But it’s called moving with time. That happens. I’m 25. I’m going to turn 26 this year. That’s just something that I’m going to have to accept as time goes on.

But that just means you’ve got more knowledge in your memory bank that you can go back on and use to your advantage whenever you need it during the championship and during the season.

But yeah, I think we’re going to have a good thing going, and it’s all about just working well because I’ve worked really well with all my past teammates, so my focus is just making sure that we can all kind of find what each of us likes in a way but also find where we can all kind of come together and create a package that is going to be strong, especially at these big events like the 500 and stuff like that. We need that.

Q. Obviously you’ve got Christian Lundgaard joining the team this year. What do you think he’ll bring to the team in terms of his experience?

PATO O’WARD: I mean, he’ll bring knowledge that he learned over at Rahal. I haven’t been so attentive, I would say, with the off-season because there really hasn’t been a lot of testing. I think there’s only been like one oval test that he did, which obviously very different car for him and stuff. But I haven’t really kind of dug into it too much until we kind of really start going and start working together.

But I’m an open book. He will be able to see what I do and Nolan does. We’ll be able to see what he does. I think it’s important that — different to, for example, to Formula 1, in INDYCAR you can cater to your liking a little bit more in terms of car setup and stuff.

I’ve always been on my own island. Everybody whines about how I like my car. I’ve always kind of been a loner in terms of where I like my things. I’m curious to see if he likes it, if he doesn’t like it.

But yeah, just seeing how everything kind of usually falls in INDYCAR, he’ll probably have his own kind of direction, and what’s most important is just making sure that all three cars are fast because a lot of times we’re each in kind of our own island and we all have the same issue, and you know there’s a fundamental thing there rather than actual setup.

Q. Obviously sounds like we’re moving towards a race in México at some point. How huge would that be for you, and what kind of response will the Mexican fans have?

PATO O’WARD: Ooh, man, people are going to be pumped. I’m going to be pumped. I hope all of you are going to be pumped. It’s going to be a great event. It’s going to be the best event on the calendar outside of the Indy 500.

I know there’s talks going on. I know it’s quite more advanced than what it’s ever been. Yeah, I really hope we see it on the calendar in ’26.

Q. Have you been pretty involved in it?

PATO O’WARD: I will be very involved, and I want to be very involved. I want to make sure it’s a success. I want to finish that weekend and be like, wow. I wanted to say something else, but not this early in the morning.

It’s the perfect market for INDYCAR to go and just really experience what that aficionado, that fan can bring to the table because it’s such a special group of people, such a special community that really embraces not just INDYCAR back in the day but Formula 1. Anybody that’s there they always make them feel so welcomed and special, and I know they’re going to do just that for us.

Q. Speaking of México, last year at this content days, you had mentioned you took three weeks or a month to decompress and download. Did you get a chance to do that this off-season?

PATO O’WARD: No, I haven’t had the chance to do that. I will at the end of this month. Last week of January and first week of February is kind of my — going to have my off-season, which is less than maybe some other years than I’ve had in the past. But I had a lot of time, or at least it feels like it because I had nothing in the off-season before December.

So in the new year, I really enjoyed that, and I came to Indy a little bit earlier than what I have in the past and just have really enjoyed being here. I love being here. I really, really missed it. It’s been very recharging, I would say, but there’s still some to go.

But I’ve got enough to give all of you this amazing energy that I’ve brought this morning (laughter), and yeah, ready for a full week’s worth of media for us.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024) – FOX Sports and INDYCAR have revealed the television schedule for the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone season. As part of the new media rights deal between FOX Sports and INDYCAR announced in June, the entire INDY NXT season will be available live on television for the first time. Twelve INDY NXT races will appear live on FOX Sports’ FS1 with two airing on FS2.

Additionally, all practice and qualifying sessions for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ developmental series will air on a combination of FS1 and FS2. All INDYCAR programming also streams live on the FOX Sports app.

“As part of INDYCAR’s exceptional partnership with FOX Sports, INDY NXT by Firestone will receive unprecedented exposure,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “As we have seen, the competition in INDYCAR’s developmental series is fierce and intense. A full season of live races on network television via FS1 and FS2 will prove to be a significant showcase for INDY NXT and the drivers vying to advance to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.”

In 2024, INDY NXT averaged the most starters (19.5) since 2009 and is on pace to see a record 24 full-time starters in 2025.

The battle for the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone championship begins on the palm tree-lined streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., Sunday, March 2 at 10 a.m. (All times Eastern). The 2025 champion will once again be crowned at the season finale at the thrilling Nashville Superspeedway Sunday, Aug. 31 at 11:30 a.m.

The schedule also includes a return to several venues where on-track passing records were broken in 2024:

• Barber Motorsports Park
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course
• World Wide Technology Raceway
• WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

INDY NXT drivers and teams also look to extend 2024 qualifying records at:

• Streets of St. Petersburg
• Streets of Detroit
• Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
• Iowa Speedway
• World Wide Technology Raceway
• Portland International Raceway
• Milwaukee Mile

Except for the United States, the INDYCAR LIVE streaming service will continue to provide live coverage of 14 INDY NXT races along with all practice and qualifying sessions. Click here for pricing and more information on INDYCAR LIVE.

2025 INDY NXT BY FIRESTONE TELEVISION SCHEDULE:

Date	Venue	Television	Time (ET)
Sunday, March 2	Streets of St. Petersburg	FS1	10 a.m.
Sunday, May 4	Barber Motorsports Park	FS1	11:30 a.m.
Friday, May 9	Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 1	FS1	7 p.m.
Saturday, May 10	Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 2	FS1	1 p.m.
Sunday, June 1	Streets of Detroit	FS1	10:30 a.m.
Sunday, June 15	World Wide Technology Raceway	FS1	Noon
Sunday, June 22	Road America	FS1	1 p.m.
Sunday, July 6	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course	FS2	11:30 a.m.
Saturday, July 12	Iowa Speedway	FS1	1:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 26	WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 1	FS2	4:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 27	WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 2	FS1	1 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 10	Portland International Raceway	FS1	1 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 24	Milwaukee Mile	FS1	11:30 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 31	Nashville Superspeedway	FS1	11:30 a.m.

A Record 19 Network Windows, All 17 Races on FOX, Expanded Indy 500 Pre-race Coverage

FOX Dedicates Six Hours of Live Coverage to the May 25 Indianapolis 500

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024) – FOX Sports and INDYCAR have announced the race broadcast start times for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule.

Announced in June as part of the new media rights deal between FOX Sports and INDYCAR, an NTT INDYCAR SERIES record 17 races will be available on broadcast television providing a massive increase in exposure for North America’s premier open-wheel racing series. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the only premier motorsport series in North America with all races broadcasting live on network television. All INDYCAR programming streams live on the FOX Sports app.

The season launches on FOX with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding at noon (all times Eastern) Sunday, March 2. The year also is highlighted by the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25, with the broadcast beginning at 10 a.m. to allow for over two hours of pre-race coverage before the green flag. The 2025 season will close in dramatic fashion on Labor Day weekend with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31.

“The unrivaled exposure FOX will bring to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, including an additional hour of Indy 500 pre-race coverage, will prove to be a spectacular showcase for our drivers and teams,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “With FOX’s tremendous partnership and support, we’re going to bring the most competitive and compelling motorsport on the planet to a growing and massive audience. We cannot wait to raise the curtain on the 2025 season with FOX.”

Other notes of FOX’s 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES broadcast schedule include:

• The first points-paying The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix on the 17-turn, 3.067-mile Twin Palms circuit at the scenic The Thermal Club, Sunday, March 23 at 3 p.m.
• A return to network television for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 13 at 4:30 p.m.
• Network coverage of the finishing hours of both days of qualifying for the Indy 500 on Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18 at 4 p.m. bringing the total number of network windows on FOX to a record 19.
• Non-stop racing action in July with five races in four weekends including the popular Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend doubleheader Saturday, July 12 at 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 13 at 2 p.m. at Iowa Speedway.
• The return to network television for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on the tight and unforgiving Streets of Toronto circuit Sunday, July 20 at 2 p.m.
• The historic Milwaukee Mile, which produced the most on-track passes on record in 2024, will be the penultimate race of the 2025 championship Sunday, Aug. 24 at 2 p.m.

WHAT NTT INDYCAR SERIES DRIVERS ARE SAYING:

“I’m excited to get the 2025 season started and go for a third straight championship with the No. 10 DHL Honda team. FOX Sports has been a great partner so far and I cannot wait to get back on track at St. Pete.” – Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

“On behalf of everybody in INDYCAR, we’re so excited about the new partnership with FOX Sports. They’ve given us so much already and I can’t wait to see what we can do together in 2025. I think we’re really going to bring INDYCAR to the masses and retell our story in a significant way. I think people are going to be really pleased with what they see. The first round can’t get here soon enough. It’s going to be a big year.” – Josef Newgarden, Team Penske

Coverage of all 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice and qualifying sessions will be featured on either FS1 or FS2. FOX Deportes will carry exclusive Spanish-language television coverage of the Indianapolis 500, with a more complete 2025 season schedule to be announced at a later date. Coverage schedule for the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone championship, the developmental series for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, also will be announced at a later date.

FOX SPORTS’ 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES COVERAGE SCHEDULE:

Date	Venue	Television	Time (ET)
Sunday, March 2	Streets of St. Petersburg	FOX	Noon
Sunday, March 23	The Thermal Club	FOX	3 p.m.
Sunday, April 13	Streets of Long Beach	FOX	4:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 4	Barber Motorsports Park	FOX	1:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 10	Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course)	FOX	4:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 25	Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval)	FOX	10 a.m.
Sunday, June 1	Streets of Detroit	FOX	12:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 15	World Wide Technology Raceway	FOX	3 p.m.
Sunday, June 22	Road America	FOX	3:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 6	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course	FOX	2 p.m.
Saturday, July 12	Iowa Speedway Race 1	FOX	5 p.m.
Sunday, July 13	Iowa Speedway Race 2	FOX	2 p.m.
Sunday, July 20	Streets of Toronto	FOX	2 p.m.
Sunday, July 27	WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca	FOX	3 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 10	Portland International Raceway	FOX	3 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 24	Milwaukee Mile	FOX	2 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 31	Nashville Superspeedway	FOX	2:30 p.m.

Note: Dates and times are subject to change.

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024) – 2024 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Josef Newgarden unveiled his likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy on Dec. 4 in Indianapolis, one of the most significant honors since he won his second Indy 500 on May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Newgarden, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, earned his second victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet. This was the 20th Indy 500 victory for Team Penske, and Newgarden is the first back-to-back winner since Helio Castroneves won his second Indy 500 while driving for Team Penske in 2002.

The unveiling ceremony took place at COhatch Polk Stables, a coworking space for entrepreneurs and startups located in downtown Indianapolis.

The bas-relief, sterling silver image of Newgarden is the 111th face to be affixed to the iconic trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the Indianapolis 500 since 1936.

“Having my face added to the Borg-Warner Trophy is one of the coolest parts about winning the race,” Newgarden said. “Seeing the finished product, with two side-by-side images of my face, is an unbelievable honor, and I look forward to hopefully adding a third likeness to the row after this year’s Indy 500.”

Renowned sculptor Will Behrends created Newgarden’s image, as he has for every winner since 1990.

Each face on the trophy is unique, even for a back-to-back winner like Newgarden. Behrends starts from scratch each year and begins his creative process by studying a series of 360-degree photos of the winner to get a baseline for sculpting before constructing a full-scale model of the driver’s face. Normally a driver would visit Behrends’ studio in Tryon, North Carolina, for an in-person session. This year’s visit was impacted by Hurricane Helene, so Newgarden and Behrends met virtually to make the final adjustments to the full-scale model.

This life-size clay version is used as reference for Behrends to construct the smaller model, a piece created out of a mixture of oil-based clay. The smaller clay model is turned into a mold and cast in wax before being sent to a jeweler to be transformed into sterling silver. Behrends completes his process by polishing and buffing the sculpture before attaching it to the trophy.

“Today is a special day for Josef and BorgWarner,” said Michelle Collins, global director marketing and public relations for BorgWarner. “Josef is one of only six drivers to win back-to-back Indianapolis 500 victories in the race’s 113-year history, and unveiling his face on this spectacular trophy cements his mark not only in INDYCAR, but all of motorsports. BorgWarner is honored to uphold the tradition of the Borg-Warner Trophy and celebrate Josef’s historic 2024 Indianapolis 500 win.”

Originally designed in 1935, the sterling silver trophy measures over 5 feet, 4-3/4 inches tall and weighs more than 110 pounds as it carries the sculpted face of every victor since 1911.

Early next year, Newgarden will receive his BorgWarner Championships Driver’s Trophy, also known as a “Baby Borg,” a miniature replica of the large-scale Borg-Warner Trophy.

Tickets for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and all Month of May events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway are on sale at IMS.com.