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Trackside Podcast

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The show of record for all things IndyCar. Kevin Lee is a part of both NBC Sports Network's IndyCar coverage and the IndyCar Radio Network, while Curt Cavin is now a VP at IndyCar after 30 years covering all things racing for the Indianapolis Star. Interviews with key members of the IndyCar community, and plenty of chances of listener questions and feedback.

Location:

United States

Description:

The show of record for all things IndyCar. Kevin Lee is a part of both NBC Sports Network's IndyCar coverage and the IndyCar Radio Network, while Curt Cavin is now a VP at IndyCar after 30 years covering all things racing for the Indianapolis Star. Interviews with key members of the IndyCar community, and plenty of chances of listener questions and feedback.

Language:

English


Episodes
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Curt & Kevin Preview IndyCar & NASCAR Trucks at St. Petersburg, Recap Phoenix Testing, and Make Season Predictions!

2/23/2026
Tonight, on Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they preview this weekends race from St. Petersburg as the 2026 season is finally here! They also talk about the star-studded lineup from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series that’s competing in St. Petersburg from Dario Franchitti, James Hinchcliffe, Colin Braun, Adam Andretti, and Jackson Lee. They also make some season predictions about who could be the best performing driver for each team. They later recap the overall testing from Phoenix. They also talk about who could potentially dethrone Alex Palou for the season and championship. In the second segment, Curt and Kevin talk about the new tire allocations for the green-sidewall tires for St. Petersburg. They later make their St. Petersburg winning driver picks. They also make predictions on who will be the next first-time winner in the series and in the Indianapolis 500, rookie of the year, turning heads, Prema Racing at the Indianapolis 500, the future of Josef Newgarden, and car/team count for the Indy 500. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks about the who and when teams can apply for the manufacture charters. Kevin also recaps the NASCAR races this past weekend from EchoPark Speedway with Tyler Reddick, Sheldon Creed, and Kyle Busch winning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:54:58

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Curt & Kevin Recap Daytona 500 Weekend, Talk Chevrolet & Honda Extension, Phoenix Testing, and the Return of Romain Grosjean!

2/17/2026
Tonight, on Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about NASCAR starting their season at the Daytona International Speedway. They talk about how each series win had some form of connection to the NASCAR lawsuit with Tyler Reddick, Michael Jordan, and Denny Hamlin winning the Daytona 500; Austin Hill and Richard Childres winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race; and Chandler Smith and Bob Jenkins of Front Row winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. They later talk about the upcoming NASCAR and IndyCar collaborations at St. Petersburg and Phoenix, with James Hinchcliffe, Adam Andretti, and Jackson Lee all competing in the NASCAR Truck Series race in St. Petersburg. They also talk about Chevrolet and Honda extending their relationship with IndyCar for the foreseeable future and having their own factory charters. Then, they talk about the futures for Marcus Ericsson and Dennis Hauger In the second segment, Curt and Kevin talk about Romain Grosjean officially rejoining Dale Coyne Racing for the 2026 season driving the #18 Honda, while Dennis Hauger will be in the #19. They also talk about the latest rumors on Prema Racing and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. They later talk about who could be the biggest competitor for Alex Palou for the 2026 season. They also talk about the passing of George Barber from the Barber Motorsports Park. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin recaps the first day of testing from Phoenix with David Malukas being the fastest over Josef Newgarden and Will Power. Kevin also talks about Caio Collet being the only incident of the testing session. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:47:33

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Kevin & Jack Harvey Talk Season Expectations While Curt and Nathan Brown Break Down Palou vs. McLaren!

2/9/2026
Tonight, on Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, Kevin starts the day recapping the first day of testing from Sebring, with Alex Palou fastest and Romain Grosjean testing for Dale Coyne Racing. Kevin also talks about Hunter McElrea testing for Ed Carpenter Racing and the latest update from Prema Racing. Kevin is later joined with Jack Harvey of FOX Sports and driver for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing to talk about their expectations going into the season. In the second segment, Curt is joined with Nathan Brown of IndyStar to talk about the more in-depth details between the Alex Palou vs. McLaren court case. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks more about Hunter McElrea testing for Ed Carpenter Racing at Sebring. Kevin also talks about the results from the first day of testing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:56:54

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Curt and Kevin Talk About the Washington D.C. Street Race and the Return of Franchitti & Cindric!

2/5/2026
Tonight, on Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about President Donald Trump signing the executive order to add Washington D.C. to the 2026 schedule as part of the America 250 celebrations. They also talk about Arrow McLaren’s livery launch. They later talk about Dario Franchitti and Jackson Lee announcing that they’ll be competing at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in St. Petersburg. In the second segment, they talk about Tim Cindric getting re-hired at Team Penske to be the strategist for Scott McLaughlin. They also talk about Mick Schumacher’s oval test at Homestead-Miami. They also talk about “TBA” (Romain Grosjean) making an appearance at Content Days. They later talk about the possibility of Conor Daly and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing potentially doing more races this season. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks more about the political nature of the Washington D.C. street race and the latest on the Carb Day concert rumors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:49:45

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Curt and Kevin Talk About Penske’s Daytona 3-Peat, Wienie 500, Washington Race, and Content Day!

1/27/2026
Tonight, on Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they recap the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona with Porsche Penske and Felipe Nasr winning for third consecutive year, and which IndyCar drivers performed well in the race. They also talk about the return of the Wienie 500 on Carb Day. They later talk about the rumors of a Washington D.C. race happening later this year after President Donald Trump posted an A.I. video of it on Truth Social. They also talk about the latest update from Prema Racing as they are skipping content days and the Phoenix testing. They later talk about the latest rumors from Romain Grosjean to Dale Coyne Racing and Conor Daly to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. They also talk about what happened today during content day. In the second segment, they talk about Nolan Siegel saying that he’s aware of his expectations ahead of the season. They also talk about Alex Palou ordered to pay $12M from the McLaren fallout. They later talk about the future of Graham Rahal. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks more about the Alex Palou/McLaren payout. Kevin also talks about Dennis Hauger having a blank suit at content day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:51:56

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Curt and Kevin Talk About IndyCar’s Championship Equivalent to IU, A Possible Herta 500 Return, Power’s Motivation, and Carpenter Returning for the 500!

1/20/2026
Tonight, on Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about if there is an IndyCar equivalent to the Indiana Hoosiers winning the College Football National Championship. They also talk about Emerson Axsom winning the Chili Bowl this past weekend. They later preview this weekend’s 24 Hours of Daytona, and which IndyCar drivers will be competing. In the second segment, they talk about who could land the fourth Andretti seat for the Indy 500: Colton Herta, Conor Daly, or James Hinchcliffe. They also talk about Will Power’s motivation for the season. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks about Ed Carpenter returning for the 2026 Indy 500, driving the #33 Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing, and recaps the latest Indy NXT testing from Sebring. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:50:12

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Curt and Kevin Talk About New MSR Sponsors & Castroneves, The Last Coyne Seat, & IndyCar Predictions!

1/13/2026
Tonight, on the 2026 premier of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about the relationship between Josef Newgarden and Will Power since they are no longer teammates. They also talk about the upcoming content days for the NTT IndyCar Series. They later talk about who could be the next stewards ahead and the future of Honda for the new season. They also talk about Meyer Shank Racing’s new partnership with Bitcoin Max and how it will sponsor Helio Castroneves’ car for the 110th Indianapolis 500. They even talk about the latest rumors for the last Dale Coyne Racing seat, a potential return of Romain Grosjean, and an increase in leaders' circle money. In the second segment, they talk about the latest on the Chili Bowl. They later answer fan questions about who becomes the next first-time winner of IndyCar and the Indy 500, along with first-time winners. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin answers more fan questions on the latest from Prema Racing’s status, why no one has broken up Alex Palou’s team, and fixing the offseason and schedule. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:47:30

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Curt and Kevin Talk About Phoenix Testing, Free Agency, and TV Times!

1/7/2026
Tonight, on the 2026 premier of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about what the biggest changes are ahead of the 2026 season and talk about Will Power and Josef Newgarden’s recent testing at Phoenix. They also talk about Nolan Siegel being on the hot seat with Arrow McLaren and Josef Newgarden free agency. They later talk about the TWG branding on the Andretti Global cars for testing. In the second segment, they answer fan questions from Twitter/X about the latest on the remaining Dale Coyne Racing ride and on the future of Prema Racing. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks about the start times unveiled for the 2026 season, except for Nashville, and how every race is on network TV once again. Kevin also talks about other potential TV conflicts and lead-ins with NASCAR. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:44:16

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Curt and Kevin Talk About the Last Coyne Seat, Independent Officiating, and More in the 2025 Finale!

12/16/2025
Tonight, on another edition of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about what the latest update is on who take the second seat at Dale Coyne Racing and final open seat on the grid between Romain Grosjean, Jacob Abel, Devlin DeFrancesco, Conor Daly, Linus Lundqvist, or any other F2 driver. They also talk about the possibility of Abel coming back for the 110th Indianapolis 500 with a higher-grade ride. They later talk about the rumors of Prema Racing falling out of the series. They also talk about the newest independent officiating board for IndyCar and the FIA restructuring the super license points. In the second segment, they answer fan questions from Twitter/X about the points battle between Will Power and David Malukas and how Power will do in points and race wins, Newgarden resigning with Penske, fan travel, Sunoco sponsoring Kyffin Simpson, To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks about Connor Zilisch competing in the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona, among other IndyCar drivers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:45:05

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Curt and Kevin Talk About Ilott Doubling Down, 24 Hours of Daytona Drivers, Lost Questions & More!

12/9/2025
Tonight, on another edition of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about the upcoming April open test for the 110th Indianapolis 500 and tire testing coming soon from Phoenix Raceway. They later talk about Callum Ilott will be doing double-duty in IndyCar and IMSA full-time in 2026. They also talk about which IndyCar drivers are competing in the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona. They later talk about what benefits F1 could get with their new TV deal from Apple TV. In the second segment, they answer fan questions from Twitter/X about lost topics, such as a third manufacturer, the ending of the 2002 Indianapolis 500, selling the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Juan Pablo Montoya’s return, month of May pranksters, hype of the hybrid, Kevin Cogan, and the FBI raid at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin answers more fan questions from Twitter/X about broadcasting the Indy 500 in 4K and the latest on Dale Coyne Racing last open seat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:44:29

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Curt and Kevin Talk About Sting Ray Robb Rejoining JHR and Who Remains for Coyne!

12/4/2025
Tonight, on another edition of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, Kevin is at Circuit of The Americas while Curt and producer Landon freeze in Indianapolis, and they congratulate Curt on the birth of his granddaughter, Lucy. They talk about Sting Ray Robb making his second consecutive season with Juncos Hollinger Racing, leaving Conor Daly without a ride. They also talk about who could take the last seat for Dale Coyne Racing between Daly, Yuki Tsunoda, Romain Grosjean, and Jacob Abel. They later talk about remaining Indy 500 open seats, along with Will Power competing in the 24 Hours of Daytona. In the second segment, they talk about the newest exhibit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. They later answer fan questions from Twitter/X. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks about when Dale Coyne Racing could announce their next driver and his time with Jackson Lee at Circuit of The Americas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:43:03

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Curt and Kevin Talk About Mick Schumacher Joining RLL, Fan Questions, 2026 Burger Bash and More!

11/25/2025
Tonight, on another edition of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, Kevin starts the show talking about Mick Schumacher joining Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing full-time in 2026 driving the #47 Honda, replacing Devlin DeFrancesco. Kevin also talks about RLL also bringing Gavin Ward to their engineer lineup. Kevin later talks about whether Juncos Hollinger Racing will retain Sting Ray Robb for next season and if the Team Penske technical alliance still holds with Caio Collet and A.J. Foyt Enterprises. In the second segment, they talk about the recent trials between Alex Palou vs. McLaren along with 23XI Racing/Front Row Racing vs. NASCAR. They later answer fan questions on TV contracts, show products, and early rookie-of-the-year predictions. To wrap up another edition of the show, they talk about the return of the Burger Bash for 2026, now on the Thursday before the Indy 500. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:48:30

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Ryan Hunter-Reay Joins Curt and Kevin to Talk Arrow McLaren/Indy 500 Deal!

11/18/2025
Tonight, on another edition of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about Ryan Hunter-Reay officially joining Arrow McLaren in the #31 Chevrolet for the 2026 Indy 500, and how great of an opportunity this is for both McLaren and Hunter-Reay. They also talk about that MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi had an opportunity to get Hunter-Reay’s seat. They later talk about the remaining open seats for the Indy 500. In the second segment, Kevin is joined by Ryan Hunter-Reay to talk about him going to Arrow McLaren to compete for the 110th Indianapolis 500. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks about which IndyCar drivers competed in the recent IMSA testing at Daytona. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:43:12

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Curt and Kevin Talk About Phoenix Testing, Collet to Foyt, Silly Season Latest, & Fan Questions!

11/11/2025
Tonight, on an in-studio edition of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they recap the recent testing from Phoenix Raceway with Scott Dixon and Alexander Rossi. They later talk about Caio Collet moving up to the NTT IndyCar Series full-time next year competing for A.J. Foyt Enterprises in the #4. They later talk about the possibility of Myles Rowe competing in a third Foyt car for the 2026 Indy 500. They also talk about Santino Ferrucci’s new sponsor and look for next year with Homes for Our Troops. They later talk about the latest in silly season. In the second segment, they are joined by in-studio guest and Burger Bash supporter, Ryan, answer fan questions about Phoenix Raceway and Conor Daly. They later answer fan questions from X. To wrap up another edition of the show, they talk about the recent ESPN streaming conflict and the latest on Jackson Lee’s racing in Atlanta. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:48:20

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Curt and Kevin Talk About Marco Andretti Retirement, Kirkwood Extended, & Other Offseason Moves!

11/4/2025
Tonight, on Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about the retirement of Marco Andretti and they look back at his career, especially in the Indy 500. They later talk about Kyle Kirkwood getting extended at Andretti Global. They also talk about whether Colton Herta will return to race the fourth Andretti car for the 2026 Indy 500. In the second segment, Kevin talks about Brian Barnhart moving from Arrow McLaren to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Olivier Boisson moving from Andretti Global to Arrow McLaren. They also talk about Kyle Larson winning the 2025 NASCAR championship, becoming the first driver to win a NASCAR championship and competing in the Indy 500 in the same year. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks about the NASCAR championship weekend and the amount of fan backlash from the playoff format, especially in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Connor Zilisch losing to Jesse Love. Kevin also talks about the significance of the championship loss from Connor Zilisch as he will no longer be able to test for Cadillac in WEC. He later talks about the interest of Connor Zilisch competing in the 2027 Indy 500, and A.J. Allmendinger returning to Meyer Shank Racing in the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:45:12

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Curt and Kevin Talk About Indy NXT Alliances & Testing, Herta in F2, and Jamie Little Joins the Show!

10/28/2025
Tonight, on Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about Cape Motorsports moving their alliance from Andretti Global to Ed Carpenter Racing in Indy NXT, along with HMD/Cusick/Morgan partnering with A.J. Foyt Enterprises. They later recap the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. They also talk about DropLight signing with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing as a major sponsor for 2026. They later talk about Colton Herta officially joining Hitech in F2 for next season, returning to Wayne Taylor Racing for IMSA endurance races, and his schedule allowing him to compete in the 110th Indy 500. They also talk about what the possibilities could be of Alex Palou going to Red Bull F1 to race alongside Max Verstappen. In the second segment, Kevin is joined with Jamie Little as they prepare for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. They later talk about her upcoming broadcast of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship finale from Phoenix Raceway and talk about the potential points change across NASCAR. They also talk about Jamie’s partial return to IndyCar coverage this past season on FOX. To wrap up another edition of the show, Curt talks about Jake Query’s interview with Alex Palou on Query & Company on 93.5/107.5 The Fan. He also talks about how Palou has embraced the city of Indianapolis by going hitting the anvil at Colts games and going on Big Noon Kickoff at IU. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:43:30

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Curt and Kevin Talk About Fall IMS Testing, Foyt to Indy NXT, Silly Season Latest, F1’s New TV Deal, and More!

10/21/2025
Tonight, on Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they recap today’s oval test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Takuma Sato, and Alexander Rossi. They also talk about how the test went after the repave in turn 2 along with new brakes and dampers. They later talk about A.J. Foyt Enterprises coming back into Indy NXT with a technical partnership from HMD Motorsports. They later get into the latest in silly season rumors regarding Dale Coyne Racing, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Caio Collett, Mick Schumacher, and Devlin DeFrancesco. They also talk about the latest news regarding Andretti Global and Prema Racing. In the second segment, they talk about the newest F1 TV deal that’s streaming exclusively on Apple TV, and how IndyCar can jump at this. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin answers fan questions about Mick Schumacher, racing at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and the Kansas Speedway, and Jacob Abel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:47:35

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Curt and Kevin Talk About VeeKay to JHR, Schumacher Testing, Brown vs. Palou, and More!

10/14/2025
Tonight, on a Monday night edition of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about Rinus VeeKay moving to Juncos Hollinger Racing as their lead driver in 2026, replacing Conor Daly. They later recap testing from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with Mick Schumacher in the spotlight. They also talk about what’s next and the latest contract words for Daly, Sting Ray Robb, Nolan Siegel, Devlin DeFrancesco, Romain Grosjean, Caio Collett, and Schumacher. In the second segment, they talk about the recent updates from the Zak Brown/McLaren vs. Alex Palou court case. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks about the recent TV numbers from this past weekend, and later answers fan questions on X. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:47:48

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Curt and Kevin Talk About the Possibility of Zilisch in the Indy 500, Testing, New Tracks, and More!

10/6/2025
Tonight, on a Monday night edition of Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk recap the NASCAR weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval with Shane van Gisbergen winning the Cup Series race, while Connor Zilisch won the Xfinity Series race. They also talk about the possibility of Zilisch testing an IndyCar with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. They later talk about if Ryan Hunter-Reay and/or Conor Daly could return to Dreyer & Reinbold or if he could be the fourth driver for Arrow McLaren in the 2026 Indy 500. Later, they recap the recent rookie testing from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with Felipe Nasr being the fastest, and preview the upcoming test days at World Wide Technology Raceway. In the second segment, they talk about the increase of leader’s circle prize money. They also talk about new street course races in the future that involve NFL stadiums. They later talk about Pato O’Ward speaking on the series missing out to race at Mexico City in 2026 and how to go forward. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin answers fan questions from X. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:45:23

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Curt and Kevin Talk About Harvey’s Indy 500 Return, Ruzewski to Andretti, and New Faces in Testing!

9/30/2025
Tonight, on Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee, they talk about James Hinchcliffe and Romain Grosjean getting to test a Haas F1 car at Mugello over the weekend. They later talk about Jack Harvey returning to drive the #24 INVST Chevrolet with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the 2026 Indy 500. They also talk about where Ryan Hunter-Reay could land for the 2026 Indy 500, and which open seats and drivers remain for the race. Later, they talk about Ron Ruzewski moving to Andretti Global as the new team principle. They also talk about new faces for the Mid-Ohio preseason testing: Niels Koolen at Chip Ganassi Racing, Kakunoshin Ohta at Meyer Shank Racing, and Felipe Nasr at Team Penske. Other testing news at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with Mick Schumacher at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Lochie Hughes at Andretti Global, and Enzo Fittipaldi at Arrow McLaren for Sebring testing. In the second segment, they talk about the significance of Mick Schumacher testing for Rahal. They also talk about the Alex Palou/McLaren trial going on in London. To wrap up another edition of the show, Kevin talks about a possible return to Cleveland in 2028. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:43:04