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The IndyCar Report with Elijah Poe (Mid-Season Report, Podcast No. 313.2) · The Central Indiana Sports Report

0:00
[SPEAKER_01]: You are listening to the central Indiana Sports Report podcast number three hundred and thirteen point two The first ever official indie car report with Elijah Poe Elijah and I give midseason grades to all the driver's teams The telecast the race product the racing formula the job that Roger Pinski's doing as series owner and an overall grade to the season
0:29
[SPEAKER_01]: as we had the race number ten at middle higher this weekend.
0:42
[SPEAKER_00]: You're listening to the central Indiana Sports Report with your host, Greg Mendel.
0:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome, Indie Carpan, to the Central Indiana Sports Report in our Indie Car Report with Elijah Poe.
0:57
[SPEAKER_01]: And Elijah, we are at the halfway point of the Indie car season.
1:01
[SPEAKER_01]: And for our first official Indie car report, I want to go through the standings with you and kind of talk about each driver and the kind of season they're having.
1:10
[SPEAKER_01]: And he thought you have about the driver.
1:12
[SPEAKER_01]: How do you feel about that?
1:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Elijah, welcome.
1:15
[SPEAKER_02]: Sounds great.
1:16
[SPEAKER_02]: Sounds great.
1:16
[SPEAKER_02]: Happy to be here.
1:17
[SPEAKER_02]: Happy to be here.
1:19
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
1:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I just rewatched in preparations for this podcast.
1:22
[SPEAKER_01]: We watched last year's Middohio race and man, another.
1:26
[SPEAKER_01]: fantastic permanent road course with a lot of places to get really racy last year Alex below defeated pattoe award by less than a second and on a road course that is a great race with Alex blows up I think I said
1:47
[SPEAKER_02]: Award be, yeah, I think you switched them out.
1:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
1:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Bye, everybody.
1:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Potto award be Dallas below by less than a second with, uh, pillows teammate with, uh, pillows teammate, given Simpson out in front of the both of them, um, trying to make a bit of a she came for, uh, for Potto award without, he didn't do anything dirty at all, but trying to make it so that his teammate could get by fantastic dramatic finish with two young drivers in fact, Elijah.
2:17
[SPEAKER_01]: The race was dominated by young drivers.
2:20
[SPEAKER_01]: It was below in a ward and Colton heard it was up at the top David Maluca started near the front, which was a surprise at the time.
2:28
[SPEAKER_01]: The season has been dominated by young drivers.
2:35
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think in general, that's the way, you know, this sport is kind of going, although we still have Scott Dixon, Will Power in the talks and everything, even Alexander Rossi, they're all American.
2:48
[SPEAKER_01]: New garden in the middle there, the middle aged ones.
2:52
[SPEAKER_02]: But I would still put them compared to, to Patto and, and a pillow and heard, I just a little bit older.
2:58
[SPEAKER_02]: I've been in a different class for experience.
3:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
3:02
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, but like I was saying, and this is absolutely, you know, a rising sport for for the younger drivers.
3:07
[SPEAKER_02]: You think of Santino for Ruchi, Paddo Award, who's been proven to be a great, great racer.
3:13
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't need to say anything about Alex Polo.
3:15
[SPEAKER_02]: I think everybody knows how good he is.
3:18
[SPEAKER_02]: And other guys like Cole and her to have been in the series for a little bit of time.
3:22
[SPEAKER_02]: I think you're really starting to find that age group, the awards, Polo.
3:28
[SPEAKER_02]: And for Ruchi Harda, I can go on and on.
3:31
[SPEAKER_02]: Really seeing that group really get their footing in Indie car.
3:35
[SPEAKER_02]: And you can tell that this core group is going to really lead this sport for the next however many years.
3:40
[SPEAKER_02]: It's hard to say that if we probably won't have the longevity, it's got Dixon.
3:45
[SPEAKER_02]: But that's right.
3:46
[SPEAKER_02]: There's some good drivers in that pack.
3:48
[SPEAKER_01]: And you have to say looking at these scores that this is now a three man race.
3:54
[SPEAKER_01]: If you don't think it's over already, which I do.
3:56
[SPEAKER_01]: I think this is pillow is going to be the champion.
3:59
[SPEAKER_01]: It would have to be really Scott Dixon if he went on a big run here could possibly get his name back in the conversation.
4:07
[SPEAKER_01]: But this is really pillow Kirkwood and award all three young drivers three different teams.
4:13
[SPEAKER_01]: In fact, four different teams in the top four of them standing.
4:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Honda dominates for the top five, but then the next four are Chevy.
4:24
[SPEAKER_01]: So let's go with Alex below and
4:26
[SPEAKER_01]: if he wasn't a superstar before winning the andy five hundred dominating the series like he has winning the last race and by not dominating uh... which was different he's let a hundred and sixty nine laps this year eight top ten finishes in nine races and of course he's one six of the nine Elijah what more is to be said about Alex flow
4:49
[SPEAKER_02]: He's just an absolutely perfect form and an indie car fans in myself are watching a performance that we haven't really seen since, you know, you get into the foie years, you get into the answer years.
5:02
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, you've got to go back a good amount of time to see a dominant stretch like Alex blows on right now and you've got to think he's won three out of the four last championships as well.
5:10
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's not like he is not winning, winning races in the past.
5:15
[SPEAKER_02]: He's just doing it at a level this year that is just
5:18
[SPEAKER_02]: six races in the first nine.
5:21
[SPEAKER_02]: That he's one is just unbelievable, especially in Indie car when you have so many drivers that are so competitive.
5:27
[SPEAKER_01]: It's been so competitive.
5:29
[SPEAKER_01]: It's been so competitive only two guys of one races.
5:32
[SPEAKER_01]: It's unbelievable.
5:34
[SPEAKER_02]: It's almost like if you were told me at the beginning of the Indie car season that we'd be nine races then and only have two winners.
5:41
[SPEAKER_02]: I would have thought you to the death because I would have thought there was absolutely no way, but you know what I would have thought.
5:47
[SPEAKER_01]: I would have thought they got the formula wrong.
5:50
[SPEAKER_01]: You know something's gone wrong, but that's not the case at all.
5:54
[SPEAKER_02]: No, it's really not.
5:55
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just been great racing and the greatest racer on the track is one every time and that's been either Alex Polo or Kyle Kirkwood.
6:03
[SPEAKER_01]: That's right.
6:04
[SPEAKER_01]: And Kirkwood's a guy who we've known for a long time.
6:09
[SPEAKER_01]: was kind of an up in the camera at a certain point.
6:11
[SPEAKER_01]: I started to wonder if it was ever going to happen.
6:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Then he won it long beach and since then has been really good.
6:18
[SPEAKER_01]: By the way, I'm going to give grades to all the drivers here Alex below.
6:22
[SPEAKER_01]: It's an A plus.
6:23
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, he had a couple of races there where he was in also ran right after Indy still in A plus.
6:30
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, Kyle Kirkwood, not by way.
6:32
[SPEAKER_01]: He's ninety three points behind Alex.
6:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, he has three wins as we said seven top tens in nine races and a hundred and five laps lead.
6:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, another eight plus season.
6:46
[SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely.
6:47
[SPEAKER_02]: And I would honestly think, you know, it's really going to be hard to challenge, pillow.
6:51
[SPEAKER_02]: It's it's hard not to say that he doesn't have this championship one.
6:55
[SPEAKER_02]: But if there were somebody to do it, it would be Kirkwood.
6:58
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think he could get below, especially on the ovals.
7:02
[SPEAKER_02]: Looking at the season remaining, we've got, you know, Hawaii's in Nashville, two in Iowa and one in Milwaukee, even though below, it's hard to say that he's not going to be outside the top fifteen.
7:14
[SPEAKER_02]: He's still really consistent on ovals.
7:17
[SPEAKER_02]: And he showed that at the St.
7:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Louis with an eighth place finish.
7:21
[SPEAKER_02]: just keeping the car in the running is what Polo so good at, but if Kirkwood was able to push Polo for the championship, it would definitely come on the ovals, where he's been pretty solid this year.
7:32
[SPEAKER_01]: And I would also give Patta Award a nay, and I know he's a little underperform this year, but here's why I'd give him a nay.
7:39
[SPEAKER_01]: He's the only Chevy in the top five clearly the Honda teams are a little ahead of the Chevy teams at this point.
7:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Not saying that's, look at the Pinsky season.
7:51
[SPEAKER_01]: It's been really bad.
7:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Six top tens and nine starts.
7:55
[SPEAKER_01]: He's had a little bit of bad luck, but he's led sixty four laps and he's legit.
8:01
[SPEAKER_01]: I think I think McLaren is still probably a little behind.
8:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Gamassi and Dreddy and Pinsky as an organization and for him to be competing for championship year after year.
8:12
[SPEAKER_01]: What an impressive driver.
8:14
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, absolutely.
8:15
[SPEAKER_02]: He's if not the most popular driver in Indie car.
8:20
[SPEAKER_02]: He's definitely top two.
8:22
[SPEAKER_02]: And you got to think Chevy hasn't even won a race this year this season at all.
8:26
[SPEAKER_02]: It's been all Honda.
8:28
[SPEAKER_02]: So to be up there in the top five it shows not only how consistent he is because he's not winning races.
8:34
[SPEAKER_02]: He's just getting himself to great finishes and to be third without a win.
8:39
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, it sounds weird.
8:40
[SPEAKER_02]: We only have two wares, but to be third without a win is impressive because he's he's sitting right next to Scott Dickson, Felix Rosenquist who's having a great year.
8:48
[SPEAKER_02]: His teammate Christian Lungard's also having a fantastic season and a Penske's not even on the board.
8:54
[SPEAKER_02]: So for him to be doing all that, he's really having a great season in twenty twenty five, even though he hasn't come across the finish line first.
9:02
[SPEAKER_01]: A couple other, in my opinion, A season so far.
9:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Felix Rosenquist with the Meyer Shank in fourth place in the standings.
9:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Only led seven laps with six top tens of nine races, a lot of consistency with a young and growing team.
9:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, he really is only a hundred fifty five points back.
9:26
[SPEAKER_02]: It's, you know, he's not going to be pushing for that first or second place, but he could still maybe even push patto for that third place in the championship as the season rolls on, but to be in a myrshank car in myrshanks, you know, they got a great a great car and great great organization as a whole, but you know, his teammate is down.
9:46
[SPEAKER_02]: in the eleventh place and that's a big jump from fourth to eleventh in the championship and he's running so well he's been quick his whole career.
9:53
[SPEAKER_02]: I would almost want to see love to see him in a ganache car or pinsky car.
9:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Because he's got the speed I mean he's qualifying monster he's get a little unlucky in races from time to time but that's just part of the sport.
10:06
[SPEAKER_01]: It is.
10:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Scott Dixon, I would normally give his resume something where in the B range, but for him, probably a C minus for what his expectations are.
10:17
[SPEAKER_01]: No wins, no polls, only three top five's.
10:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Not all of his doing, you talk about some bad luck.
10:24
[SPEAKER_01]: He sent had some bad luck.
10:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Also, ranks fourth in the series in laps lead this year.
10:32
[SPEAKER_01]: The only reason I would say see minus is for his standards and the fact that I think he could have a big second half of the season and make that a lot better grade.
10:41
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, if there's anybody that's going to win a race in a year, I mean, you have to look at Scott Dixon.
10:48
[SPEAKER_02]: He's just so inevitable in this series, such as staple for what any car is as a whole.
10:55
[SPEAKER_02]: And I mean, he could, you was starting in very last that wrote America a couple weeks ago and was in contention to win.
11:03
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's just who Scott Dixon is.
11:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, from last the first of a matter of lots, it's
11:08
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's not just him being fast.
11:10
[SPEAKER_01]: That's part of it.
11:11
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a lot like Rick Mears.
11:13
[SPEAKER_01]: When Rick Mears needed to be fast, he was super fast.
11:15
[SPEAKER_01]: But there, he was most of the time running a great race was what he was doing.
11:22
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's Scott Dickson has taken Rick Mears to the next level.
11:25
[SPEAKER_01]: The greatest ever to do that.
11:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Just kind of bide your time.
11:30
[SPEAKER_01]: And then, oh, hey, they're Scott Dickson.
11:34
[SPEAKER_02]: Exactly.
11:34
[SPEAKER_01]: He's always there.
11:36
[SPEAKER_02]: Always there.
11:37
[SPEAKER_01]: I was never a big fan.
11:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, because I'm not never a fan of the big teams.
11:41
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm always pulling for the smaller teams.
11:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Uh, but having said that you've got if you if he's not in your top five of all time, there's something wrong with you and he'd be higher if he had more than one in the five hundred.
11:54
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think it's only really a matter of time.
11:56
[SPEAKER_02]: He's fighting father time, but he seems to be beating that pretty easily.
12:01
[SPEAKER_01]: But I've been saying that for five years now, Elijah.
12:04
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just a matter of time.
12:05
[SPEAKER_01]: For Scott Dixon gets another one.
12:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
12:08
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, that's how the five hundred is though.
12:10
[SPEAKER_02]: It is.
12:10
[SPEAKER_02]: You really, you really can never say he's going to win.
12:13
[SPEAKER_02]: That's what I such a great race.
12:14
[SPEAKER_02]: We said that about Maro and Dreddy for twenty five years.
12:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
12:19
[SPEAKER_01]: He never won another.
12:20
[SPEAKER_01]: The second one's inevitable.
12:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's that second one.
12:23
[SPEAKER_01]: It's tough to do.
12:24
[SPEAKER_01]: It's india.
12:25
[SPEAKER_01]: The first one.
12:26
[SPEAKER_01]: They're all man.
12:28
[SPEAKER_01]: God's got to be shining on you and you got to be a great driver to win that race.
12:33
[SPEAKER_02]: You're absolutely right.
12:34
[SPEAKER_02]: God's got to be shining on you.
12:36
[SPEAKER_02]: I like that.
12:37
[SPEAKER_02]: That's right.
12:39
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
12:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Christian Lungard, great season.
12:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Also McLaren in seventh place, a hundred and fifty eight points back.
12:45
[SPEAKER_01]: Six top tens and the in the nine races.
12:49
[SPEAKER_01]: And he's led fifty, uh, fifty three laps.
12:52
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, for a first year in that era of McLaren seat, you know, you look at previous drivers who's been in in that number seven car.
12:59
[SPEAKER_02]: It's sometimes a little bit struggle.
13:01
[SPEAKER_02]: Some when you first start off with that organization, but loongards is ran really well.
13:05
[SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, he's still relatively new or to the series.
13:09
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
13:09
[SPEAKER_02]: So for him to be at a team like Arrow and be able to have this seat for next year locked in, I think we'll just see his progression through this end of this year and hopefully see a really competitive driver for next season.
13:22
[SPEAKER_01]: clearly a talent in the series, but we are still waiting for a day in victory lane.
13:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, we are.
13:30
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm partial to the day.
13:31
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just so you know, well power.
13:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, Chris, the loser would be be plus season.
13:38
[SPEAKER_01]: I would probably be higher, but he's second on his own team.
13:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Willpower, man.
13:41
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just one lap lead all year.
13:45
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a D minus year for willpower.
13:49
[SPEAKER_02]: It's been a struggle for power.
13:52
[SPEAKER_02]: He's been in positions to win.
13:55
[SPEAKER_02]: That's St.
13:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Louis.
13:56
[SPEAKER_02]: If it's tired and blow up, it's hard to say, I mean, it's an oval.
13:59
[SPEAKER_02]: You never really know who's going to win, but he was going to be up there.
14:02
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just having a bad year.
14:05
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's even worse knowing that that seat is not locked down for him next season.
14:10
[SPEAKER_02]: That's right.
14:11
[SPEAKER_02]: Which could he put some more stress on him as well to try to perform.
14:16
[SPEAKER_02]: But you know, the Pinsky cars have been so
14:21
[SPEAKER_02]: good, but they just can't deliver in races.
14:24
[SPEAKER_02]: And if there's anybody to deliver for them, it would be their their longest tenure driver and will power.
14:30
[SPEAKER_02]: He's been super consistent.
14:31
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just the issues.
14:32
[SPEAKER_02]: I've just gotten the best from this season.
14:35
[SPEAKER_02]: And you can say that for if for every pensky driver.
14:37
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, the D minus I gave is based on expectations.
14:43
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, that his seat being so warm that up to this point.
14:48
[SPEAKER_01]: It seems almost lost.
14:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, though, some ovals coming up, those, those, uh, Pinsky cars have been fantastic, have been fast on ovals and just had to have the results.
15:01
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and I stress the ovals when you have, you know, they won both races that I will last year.
15:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, you know, that's the next.
15:09
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, well, any cars going to.
15:11
[SPEAKER_02]: I would honestly be very shocked if if a pencil doesn't win one of those two races just because they are so done.
15:18
[SPEAKER_01]: But it's gone so bad.
15:19
[SPEAKER_01]: You almost expect for to to keep speaking of which in age places, Scott McLaughlin.
15:26
[SPEAKER_01]: He has been so racy, so competitive, probably the third most racy driver in the series this year here, Patto.
15:33
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
15:34
[SPEAKER_01]: And that was an eighth place, just a lot of bad luck, a lot of, uh, that Pinsky stuff.
15:40
[SPEAKER_01]: And sometimes he's forced his own bad luck this year.
15:44
[SPEAKER_01]: He's, he's made some mistakes.
15:47
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I know bigger than the mistake at Andy this year.
15:52
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, he was that that accident was actually right in front of me this year.
15:56
[SPEAKER_02]: And I'll tell you my draw a draw to the floor.
15:58
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just something not only you don't want to see, but
16:02
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, him climbing out of the car, hands in face, that kind of sums up his whole year this year.
16:07
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just been really rough.
16:09
[SPEAKER_02]: He's obviously had the pace.
16:10
[SPEAKER_02]: Like you said, he's been racing.
16:11
[SPEAKER_02]: He's led a hundred and five laps this season.
16:14
[SPEAKER_02]: And he's in eighth place.
16:17
[SPEAKER_02]: You have to go all the way up to Kyle Kirkwood in second, who has a hundred and five laps led this season.
16:23
[SPEAKER_02]: So obviously he's been on the front.
16:25
[SPEAKER_02]: He's just, he's just hasn't crossed the finish line in first.
16:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Man, Pinsky, just an F of a season so far.
16:32
[SPEAKER_01]: It is just a complete failed of them.
16:34
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, I'm not criticizing anyone in particular, willpower.
16:40
[SPEAKER_01]: It's not, I don't think it's willpower's driving has been a D minus.
16:43
[SPEAKER_01]: I think the situation is a D minus situation.
16:46
[SPEAKER_01]: That's all I'm saying.
16:49
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think the Pinsky guys themselves are they market themselves pretty well, you know, Pinsky perfects that whole saying it and these drivers, you know, they're likable will powers one of the best personalities in the sport.
17:00
[SPEAKER_02]: Scott McLaughlin surely unique and Joseph new garden is one of one in this course.
17:05
[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to get to him pretty soon.
17:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
17:07
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, I don't know.
17:08
[SPEAKER_02]: I wouldn't say pretty soon.
17:10
[SPEAKER_01]: He's not even pretty soon.
17:11
[SPEAKER_01]: You're right.
17:12
[SPEAKER_01]: He has been
17:14
[SPEAKER_01]: I can't even remember season.
17:16
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll get to that in a minute.
17:18
[SPEAKER_01]: By the way, what do we think?
17:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Scott McLaughlin C plus B minus just based on no wins and being in eighth place.
17:27
[SPEAKER_01]: I like a solid C. Yeah, a solid C. Yeah.
17:31
[SPEAKER_01]: I probably put a little higher because he's been up there in so many races, but you're right.
17:36
[SPEAKER_01]: And Santino for Ruchi, I would give a B plus or a B. His point team though, if there's another A plus to be given.
17:45
[SPEAKER_01]: So far in the season with Alex Plo, it's Fort Racing.
17:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Just an amazing year they've had so far.
17:50
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I'm not even stretched Santino up to an A. He would be higher.
17:56
[SPEAKER_02]: He would be sitting
17:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, in the seventh place right now, if those points from Detroit weren't taken away from him.
18:04
[SPEAKER_02]: So he's he's had a really great year and that foot team as a whole is just really coming to their own.
18:10
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean he would be beating every single pinky driver right now if those points from the trade was we're still there and he always runs well the five hundred ran really well at road America saving a third place and and fuel saving I was listening to off track with Henshin Rossi today and and the fuel saving numbers he gave out were just crazy Henshin was dying laughing because he almost couldn't believe it he was breaking
18:32
[SPEAKER_02]: He was just lifting and coasting so, so early.
18:35
[SPEAKER_02]: And I just can't believe he even even was able to save that, but he's just having such a great year.
18:39
[SPEAKER_01]: You're right.
18:41
[SPEAKER_01]: I was thinking, didn't really contend at Indy, but he did finish fifth after a couple of people were penalized.
18:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Clearly wasn't up to his teammates.
18:51
[SPEAKER_01]: And by the way, I heavily weigh Indy in these grades.
18:55
[SPEAKER_01]: You might imagine on the end of Central India and a sports report.
19:01
[SPEAKER_01]: But I think you're right.
19:02
[SPEAKER_01]: A top five in India with four top five finishes.
19:07
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to put for each of you is our fifth A on the year and make him an A minus.
19:13
[SPEAKER_01]: That's how I'm going to grade him.
19:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Colton heard it in tenth.
19:17
[SPEAKER_01]: I got to say it's been pretty disappointing year.
19:21
[SPEAKER_01]: You know,
19:22
[SPEAKER_01]: We really expected him to be one of the top five at least.
19:27
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I feel like it's almost a reoccurring thing in these past couple years where you really expect Colton heard it to be to be challenging for championship.
19:38
[SPEAKER_02]: He's obviously got the pace.
19:39
[SPEAKER_02]: He's obviously got the racing skills, but down in tenth this year when his teammates up in second, almost a ninety nine point differential in the point standings.
19:50
[SPEAKER_02]: And you know, Colton hurt is also, I've said it before, you know, he's driving for a possible seat in Formula One.
19:57
[SPEAKER_02]: He's been ready to be the next American and formerly the one in that Cadillac seat for a couple of years now and he's got to be up in fourth place to get his Formula One.
20:06
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, or FIA super license and you know, sitting in tenth place right now and seeing fourth.
20:13
[SPEAKER_02]: Was it like fifty odd points or something?
20:14
[SPEAKER_02]: It's going to be an upward climb for for Colton hurt or the rest of the year.
20:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Definitely had a D plus like season.
20:23
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, I think we're going to hear from more from him in the second half of the year.
20:28
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, he runs pretty well on on those ovals.
20:31
[SPEAKER_02]: He's always one ran well at middle high.
20:36
[SPEAKER_02]: He's always ran well at Laguna's sake.
20:38
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's not a, you know, he's going to be up there.
20:40
[SPEAKER_02]: He's just got to really get those results he needs to climb up this ladder in the second half of the season.
20:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Then in eleven place, Marcus Armstrong, with Meyer Shank, really good season for him.
20:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Only one top five, but very consistent with five top tens.
21:00
[SPEAKER_01]: One of those guys was just bringing it home and has himself ahead of a few stars of the series in the standings.
21:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think you said it well with what just bringing it home, you know, he's in his position right now with Meyer Shank racing where, you know, he obviously doesn't want to be out of a seat in the next couple years and he's trying to work his way up the indie cartoon ranking so to speak, but, you know, just getting across the line and getting those results has been big and sitting in the
21:27
[SPEAKER_02]: It is not a bad result at all.
21:28
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, he's obviously ahead of a pensky driver, had about the CR cars ahead of David Malucas as well.
21:34
[SPEAKER_02]: And so, you know, getting those results has been big for him, especially when he's, you know, relatively new to the indie car paddock.
21:41
[SPEAKER_01]: And with the good performance at Middohio, he could be in seventh place.
21:44
[SPEAKER_01]: He's only fourteen far, seven points behind Scott McLaughlin.
21:49
[SPEAKER_01]: So only fourteen points behind Willpower.
21:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Yep.
21:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Pretty impressive.
21:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And then the twelve place when it's kind of interesting because he's in twelve place and has been one of the top three drivers in the series probably this this year at least storyline wise maybe not performance wise although he's been a lot he's been up front a lot and that is of course his David Malucas he's led seventy one laps this year which is what fifth most in a foic car and very impressive but he's in twelve place so you got to go be
22:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I like it be for David.
22:27
[SPEAKER_02]: He didn't really find his stride with that point team up until that five hundred finish ever since then he's really been up and around around the top twelve for qualifying maybe in the fast six here or there, but he's been so consistent during these races, especially after the five hundred where he's having some great results and and he's been making a tipping off the the block of the championship ladder here as a season counts down and
22:50
[SPEAKER_02]: It's hard not to say he's not going to be in contention for for being on oval racing.
22:55
[SPEAKER_02]: You saw his performance at St.
22:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Louis who ran he ran a really really good race past my golf win and power on that opening lap.
23:03
[SPEAKER_02]: That's right.
23:03
[SPEAKER_02]: Got the speed.
23:05
[SPEAKER_02]: He's got the speed to win.
23:07
[SPEAKER_02]: He just needs some good some good finishes coming down the stretch to move up.
23:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Would really love to see that for AJ for it.
23:14
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, yeah.
23:15
[SPEAKER_02]: But I definitely want to see an age of eight racing when this year.
23:19
[SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, with their driver line up and the tracks coming up, it's totally possible for them to be in victory line.
23:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Sure wouldn't have thought so early in the year, but they looked like a well-oiled machine at Voight now.
23:32
[SPEAKER_01]: When Larry took over, that was the thought was eventually they would turn themselves back into.
23:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Of course, the series wants them to be good too.
23:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's not mince words.
23:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Everybody's hoping that Voight's good again.
23:44
[SPEAKER_01]: But it looks like it's finally here.
23:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, absolutely.
23:48
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think you said it best who doesn't want a story history like AJ Foit racing to be one of the series best.
23:58
[SPEAKER_02]: They obviously got the historical aspect and they're just great for the sport in general because not only do you bring in those those old time fans who say oh, I remember AJ Foit racing and I remember that all the the races he he won.
24:10
[SPEAKER_02]: Or you can look at younger fans and be like, oh, AJ, boy, racing.
24:13
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to look up who AJ, boy is.
24:15
[SPEAKER_02]: And then they learn more about this series.
24:17
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's just great, great for Andy Cars' hole.
24:20
[SPEAKER_01]: You knew it's not been great for.
24:23
[SPEAKER_01]: And that is your guy Alexander Rossi.
24:26
[SPEAKER_01]: When he finished second assignment page, you know, in the five hundred, my thought was this is the best guy in the series.
24:31
[SPEAKER_01]: He's going to dominate from now on.
24:34
[SPEAKER_01]: And it just hasn't happened.
24:35
[SPEAKER_01]: He has had four top ten finishes.
24:37
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's not been a horrible season.
24:41
[SPEAKER_01]: We thought Ed Carpenter racing fast car now he got a good road course racer and it just has not happened for Rossie for what's it been five years now.
24:51
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, around there.
24:52
[SPEAKER_01]: I hate it because he's such a great personality.
24:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, he really is and he's had some really good.
25:00
[SPEAKER_02]: running here as of late in these races, but you know, kind of caught the back end of a couple strategy calls here and there, especially at road America, he was on that strategy.
25:09
[SPEAKER_02]: That's right, with Dixon did perform and there.
25:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, he was on that strategy with Dixon and had to pit and but he's been he's been great at road America is whole career.
25:17
[SPEAKER_02]: So to be interesting, see how they
25:19
[SPEAKER_02]: can bounce back.
25:20
[SPEAKER_02]: We know he's good on ovals and in the ECR cars proved itself to be good on ovals with his teeth being in third at St.
25:29
[SPEAKER_02]: Louis.
25:29
[SPEAKER_02]: So he's definitely somebody I'm interested to watch in this second half because he sits in thirteenth right now.
25:35
[SPEAKER_02]: I know a lot of people have called him Mr. Top ten for finishing Top ten in the in the championship and
25:41
[SPEAKER_02]: Honestly, with the courses coming up, I would be shocked if he wasn't around that top ten area.
25:47
[SPEAKER_01]: And he's not far behind the top ten at all.
25:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Twenty three points, you know, but again, I think see minus season.
25:56
[SPEAKER_01]: That's for sure.
25:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, especially the
26:00
[SPEAKER_02]: He really wasn't super relevant to the five hundred and obviously ECR that is I mean, it's everybody's biggest race, but I feel like ECR has a little bit more focus just because of course, you know, Ed is from Indianapolis, everybody from India once he's born at the speedway.
26:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, everybody wants an ECR car to win.
26:22
[SPEAKER_01]: That's one person who's truly been there.
26:23
[SPEAKER_01]: It's an entire life in Indianapolis, the speedway is that carpenter.
26:29
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, Reena's VK who Rossi replaced in the number twenty car is fourteen, so at least Rossi's ahead of his replacement, so good there for him.
26:41
[SPEAKER_01]: VK, Dale going though, I would probably put at the back of the power pole when you talk about team racing.
26:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you know, so to be on the top fourteen, a good seat plus season for Reena's.
26:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I honestly would move it up to a B, just because, you know, these Dale Cohen cars, you know, it's still in Indie cars, it's not like they're totally undrivable, but the difference in power and the top teams to Dale Cohen, there's a big gap there, and for him to have, you know, five top tens and one top five is really impressive, and I would be, I would really be shocked
27:21
[SPEAKER_02]: to not see him being a bigger.
27:23
[SPEAKER_02]: There's not a lot of seats open for next year, but I would be shocked if he's not one of the the highest targets in the market for open seats next year, just because being up in fourteen with five top tens in a Dale coin car is eye popping and you look at his teammate, who's only has fifty six points on the year, and Reenus has a hundred and fifty seven.
27:44
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's a big gap.
27:47
[SPEAKER_01]: I underestimated his season.
27:50
[SPEAKER_01]: This happened a good one.
27:51
[SPEAKER_01]: That's why you're here Elijah.
27:52
[SPEAKER_01]: That's why you are here.
27:55
[SPEAKER_01]: And the other day is Christian Rasmussen, who is an Ed carpenter racing and another thing for Rossi is he's ahead of his teammate.
28:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Not been a great year for Ed carpenter racing, but Rasmussen's been racing.
28:09
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, he has been.
28:10
[SPEAKER_01]: He was good last year.
28:11
[SPEAKER_01]: He was good last year, but Ohio as well.
28:14
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, and he's been good at the ovals as well.
28:18
[SPEAKER_02]: You saw him at St.
28:18
[SPEAKER_02]: Louis charge up into third from pretty much the back of the pack was super impressive to watch.
28:24
[SPEAKER_02]: He's been very racy like you said.
28:27
[SPEAKER_02]: He's definitely not afraid to to bump some tires.
28:30
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, but he's been he's been interesting to watch, you know, he's been only been in the series for a couple years and for him to be fifteen, you know, only eleven points behind his veteran teammate is pretty impressive and and I know it definitely ECR is probably hopeful on on where Ras music can go for his career for them as well.
28:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Elijah, the history of Chip Ganesi racing from almost the start has been incredible and filled with the greatest drivers who've ever raised.
28:58
[SPEAKER_01]: But he's also had a few hidden misses guys he may be stayed with a little too long through the years like Charlie Kimball for example, Ryan Briscoe probably stuck with a little too long.
29:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Darren Manning, the Darren Manning years.
29:16
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm starting to get the feeling that that might be Kim Simpson or am I reading it wrong?
29:22
[SPEAKER_02]: I think it can be a mix of both.
29:24
[SPEAKER_02]: He's got three top tens in the top five finish.
29:27
[SPEAKER_02]: He's been pretty unlucky.
29:29
[SPEAKER_02]: He obviously would have started up pretty far at the NDGP this year, but had a mechanical issue before the race even got started and had to retire.
29:38
[SPEAKER_02]: But I think you're not wrong in the in the other sense where he has been a relevant in some of these races.
29:43
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, he said some pretty high highs and some pretty low lows to the point where he's not even really on your radar.
29:51
[SPEAKER_02]: It's hard to really register that, you know, he is a good Nazi driver.
29:54
[SPEAKER_02]: He is so new to the sport as well.
29:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Only being as I think or say, I think it's his only second year.
29:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah.
30:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Second year, these results aren't good enough in a Gamassie.
30:05
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm sorry.
30:07
[SPEAKER_01]: It's hard not to agree with you.
30:09
[SPEAKER_02]: It would be interesting to see how we can.
30:13
[SPEAKER_02]: I guess I can point it to you as this.
30:15
[SPEAKER_02]: I guess where where would you want him in the point standings for him to have a good year in a ganache car?
30:23
[SPEAKER_02]: But you got to be in the top ten.
30:26
[SPEAKER_02]: I think you could maybe finish in the top ten.
30:29
[SPEAKER_01]: What he does, I mean, the season's not over.
30:32
[SPEAKER_01]: We're only a bad way point.
30:33
[SPEAKER_01]: But so far, D plus these and for Kiffin Simpson to me.
30:38
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I would probably put him out of D as well.
30:40
[SPEAKER_02]: He's just he's been pretty good in qualifying.
30:42
[SPEAKER_02]: It just he hasn't really been able to pull it off in the races.
30:45
[SPEAKER_02]: And like you said, being in a ganache car, you've got to pull it off eventually.
30:51
[SPEAKER_01]: We're coming up to a couple of big ol' F of seasons.
30:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Elijah starting with number seventeen.
30:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And at least the top sixteen can all say, hey, I'm ahead of Joseph new garden.
31:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Wow.
31:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Wow.
31:04
[SPEAKER_01]: Wow.
31:04
[SPEAKER_01]: What a horrible season for Joseph New Garden.
31:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Not all his making probably none of his making to be honest.
31:09
[SPEAKER_02]: No.
31:10
[SPEAKER_02]: It's so unlucky.
31:13
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, he's we started off at the beginning of the year at St.
31:15
[SPEAKER_02]: Pete where he has that third place finished that should have been second, but he had a gas problem on the final lap with the pressure.
31:25
[SPEAKER_02]: And I feel like that one unlucky event has been the story of Joseph New Gardens year in twenty twenty five just been super unfortunate.
31:34
[SPEAKER_02]: We can talk about you know the attenuator stuff.
31:37
[SPEAKER_02]: If it really helps there's I mean we could probably talk about the whole attenuator issue at the any five hundred for hours.
31:45
[SPEAKER_02]: But at the end of the day that's not his fault really he probably doesn't even know it's on the car.
31:51
[SPEAKER_02]: He got unlucky at St.
31:52
[SPEAKER_02]: Louis hard to say he wouldn't have, he got hard to say he wouldn't have won at St.
31:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Louis.
31:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
31:58
[SPEAKER_02]: He was on Dickson's strategy at Rhode America, crashing so fast.
32:01
[SPEAKER_02]: And that was his fault.
32:02
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, that was his fault for sure.
32:04
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes.
32:04
[SPEAKER_02]: But given he was going to call him was not his fault.
32:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, at the end of the day, you know, he was up and eighth place from the back of the field in the five hundred before he had a few a few a pump issue.
32:16
[SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, knowing Joseph Newgarne around IMS, it's hard not to say he would be up there contending.
32:22
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just been unfortunate.
32:24
[SPEAKER_02]: He's also lost his, his main strategy, his Tim Syndric as well.
32:28
[SPEAKER_02]: So I feel like it's just a really, you know, the season's not over, but it feels like a wash year for Newgarne as a whole unless he can pull out the win.
32:37
[SPEAKER_01]: It seems so cliche.
32:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Elijah, but Joseph New Garden really the rest of season needs to just take it one race at a time.
32:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Every race is on championship.
32:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
32:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
32:49
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to go up with every freaking race the rest of season needs to be his mentality.
32:54
[SPEAKER_02]: And we know he's got the pace, especially on the ovals.
32:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
32:58
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't think there's a better old driver in the series.
33:01
[SPEAKER_01]: You don't go into a race weekend where Joseph New Garden isn't a factor.
33:06
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's a great point.
33:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
33:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Before we move on to number eight team, we got three more to go that we're going to go over.
33:12
[SPEAKER_01]: I want to point out that these guys are all in the top eleven this year in laps lead.
33:17
[SPEAKER_01]: You're ready.
33:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Ryan Hunter Ray.
33:22
[SPEAKER_01]: To Kuma Sato.
33:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Connor Daily and our number eighteen Graham Ray Hall has led forty nine laps this season and is an eighteenth place and has won top ten finish.
33:36
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm convinced he's talented.
33:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Elijah, I'm convinced of it.
33:42
[SPEAKER_02]: I think all those forty nine laps were probably led at Indie G. P. as well unless I'm mistaken.
33:48
[SPEAKER_02]: Correct.
33:49
[SPEAKER_02]: All of these were led at one track.
33:53
[SPEAKER_02]: A good way.
33:53
[SPEAKER_02]: He's still thirty one points ahead of his next RLL teammate.
33:58
[SPEAKER_02]: which makes me just think that program and organization as a whole, just doesn't quite have the pace.
34:04
[SPEAKER_02]: They just, yes, some things.
34:06
[SPEAKER_02]: And you know, they've been pretty good at something and be a road course.
34:10
[SPEAKER_02]: They always are so fast around the indie road course.
34:13
[SPEAKER_02]: We're in there.
34:14
[SPEAKER_02]: And you know, they're usually not too bad around middle high as well.
34:17
[SPEAKER_02]: So they're good there too.
34:18
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
34:19
[SPEAKER_02]: We're going to have to watch out for them this weekend.
34:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely.
34:22
[SPEAKER_02]: I wouldn't be shocked to see
34:25
[SPEAKER_02]: one of them in the fast six, maybe two of them in the fast twelve.
34:29
[SPEAKER_02]: Come qualifying.
34:30
[SPEAKER_01]: And of course, Louis Foster is not in the top twenty.
34:35
[SPEAKER_01]: We're talking about the top twenty here.
34:37
[SPEAKER_01]: And neither is Devlandy Francesco, both of them have had a couple of pretty good qualifying days.
34:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Defranchesco though.
34:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, he's had some pretty good advantages, and it just has not happened for him.
34:49
[SPEAKER_02]: Now it's just pretty unfortunate.
34:52
[SPEAKER_02]: He's just
34:53
[SPEAKER_02]: He had the pace as well, especially at NDGP, and then really hang on to a great finish.
34:59
[SPEAKER_02]: Just struggled bus all around for RLL.
35:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, what do we give Graham considering that?
35:05
[SPEAKER_01]: See, plus C?
35:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I like it.
35:08
[SPEAKER_01]: I like a good solency.
35:11
[SPEAKER_01]: And then we're going to give a B plus at least I am to our guy in nineteen place, Connor Daily, whom goes Hollinger, new team, difficult situation.
35:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, led forty nine laughs, led it into, led it.
35:23
[SPEAKER_01]: St.
35:23
[SPEAKER_01]: Louis had a real shot at winning at St.
35:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Louis again on the team that you'd probably ranked last or next the last on the power rankings in the Indie car series.
35:34
[SPEAKER_01]: So good, good be plus for Connor Daily.
35:36
[SPEAKER_01]: I'd love to see him in victory lane pretty soon.
35:41
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I love a B plus for Connor Daily.
35:44
[SPEAKER_02]: We obviously know he's he's so good on these goals.
35:47
[SPEAKER_02]: He's good every time Indie car goes to an oval.
35:50
[SPEAKER_02]: You just almost are hoping and praying that he can pull out a result on a road course.
35:55
[SPEAKER_02]: But then again, that the one goes, calling your, calling your cars are not great on a road course.
36:00
[SPEAKER_02]: But, you know, with that seat not being locked down, he's going to need some good results because I, I think it's a no brainer fans want to see him in the sport.
36:08
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just he has to get some results on courses that are ovals as the season wears down.
36:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's going to be a tough ask.
36:17
[SPEAKER_01]: No, let's think of
36:18
[SPEAKER_01]: is in twenty of place and I'm just going to go ahead and give him an incomplete because I'm not sure at all.
36:24
[SPEAKER_01]: I get a little bit of the kiff and Simpson vibe of he's racing above his team.
36:29
[SPEAKER_01]: He's with a team that's above his head, but sometimes I get the vibe that he might be the next guy.
36:34
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm going to give him a big incomplete.
36:37
[SPEAKER_02]: I like that incomplete grade.
36:39
[SPEAKER_02]: If I were to give him a letter grade, it would probably be a D just because, you know, you're in an era McLaren.
36:48
[SPEAKER_02]: And you are in twenty if your next teammate is in seven.
36:53
[SPEAKER_02]: That was in six.
36:54
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, that is a substantial gap.
36:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to give him, I'm going to give him a bit of a pass.
37:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Watch it because he's not as good as Christian Loone Guard and Pattole Ward and neither are most of the field.
37:09
[SPEAKER_01]: You're you're basing, you're grading him based on the curve and I don't think it's fair when Pattole Ward is busting the curve.
37:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I guess that's fair.
37:20
[SPEAKER_02]: I kind of look at it more as a point where I guess this is more of a formula one time point of view, but if you're not competing with your teammates, I think you look like the lone man out.
37:33
[SPEAKER_02]: He has had good results a couple top tens, but no top five, no top three, obviously no wins.
37:40
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, who wins in this, who wins in twenty twenty five, but unless you're Kirkwood or Polo, but yeah, for only two top tens to be in a era McLaren car is a little concerning for me.
37:51
[SPEAKER_02]: Obviously, this is he still technically a rookie.
37:54
[SPEAKER_02]: This is still his first full full year.
37:57
[SPEAKER_02]: I know we got a little bit of time last year, but
37:59
[SPEAKER_02]: He is in the seat again next year, which I think will be a really good test to see where he fits in as the series as a whole.
38:09
[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to go down to twenty first because I need to give one more F Elijah.
38:14
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, this is based on expectation, not performance necessarily, right?
38:18
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, he was right there at Indy and then ended up finishing for thirty first.
38:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And that, of course, is Marcus Erickson.
38:27
[SPEAKER_01]: not been a good year for him at and ready.
38:30
[SPEAKER_01]: The the fit has not been there and another guy who wouldn't be surprised at all for here a lot from him in the second half of the season, but it's been a big ol' five f of a year so far for Marcus Erickson.
38:43
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and he's been pretty unlucky as well in a couple of races.
38:46
[SPEAKER_02]: I think if you take that second point, place at the five hundred, he'd be sitting around fourteenth or fifteenth, which isn't great, but it's definitely not twenty first.
38:59
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't think anybody expected Erickson to be this low.
39:02
[SPEAKER_02]: And it feels like he's almost non-existent in this and dreaded group, you know, you're either talking about Kyle Kirkwood.
39:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you're talking about this appointment.
39:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, but I would still think if you're thinking and dreaded this year, you're going to think Kirkwood and Herta, you're not really thinking Ericsson just because he hasn't been there all this year.
39:24
[SPEAKER_02]: I think that five hundred results honestly is it hurts his season for the second half as well because he he didn't have a really good first start to the year.
39:33
[SPEAKER_02]: So getting that second place points and you know obviously getting a heck a lot more money than he got moving back to the pack.
39:42
[SPEAKER_02]: But kind of set his season off just as thinkers in in a whole just because now you don't have any good results and you have to start back from square one.
39:51
[SPEAKER_01]: And that brings up Kyle Kirkwood who would have eight top ten finishes in nine races with his if his result in he had stood and he'd be much closer to Alex flow and we might have a race.
40:03
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, he would be closer.
40:05
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, and I still think he can he can push from ninety three points behind obviously.
40:10
[SPEAKER_02]: Polos to being Elijah.
40:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Polos just too good.
40:13
[SPEAKER_01]: But ninety three points is a lot of bad luck.
40:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Hey, if there's, if there's a sport with bad luck right now for drivers, it is Indicard.
40:25
[SPEAKER_02]: No doubt about that.
40:27
[SPEAKER_02]: The way that chip can ask the ten crew is oiled, they don't even have to deal with luck because they are so organized.
40:34
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, they never miss a pit stop.
40:36
[SPEAKER_02]: The strategies always there.
40:38
[SPEAKER_02]: It would really take something, something magical for them, not to know.
40:42
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what I'm saying.
40:43
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what I'm saying.
40:44
[SPEAKER_01]: The very points is a lot of points to spot Alex below.
40:48
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it is a lot, but you know, it's when we get to the ovals, um, I would be very, very surprised if if Kirkwood's not in the mix, uh, getting some point in the manager on pillow.
40:59
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'll be surprised if pillow is not in the mix, too.
41:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Eliza before we go real fast.
41:04
[SPEAKER_01]: Just quick grades on the teams.
41:06
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll start with Gannasi.
41:07
[SPEAKER_02]: Uh, it's been an A, you know, having pillow and dicks in up on the top five.
41:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, EDA.
41:13
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, easy.
41:14
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
41:14
[SPEAKER_02]: And ready.
41:17
[SPEAKER_02]: I like a, maybe a B, B minus other than Kirkwood, Herta and Erickson.
41:24
[SPEAKER_02]: I've been struggling as a whole.
41:26
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe even a B just because Kirkwood has been that good.
41:28
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, there's only been two race winners and he's one of them.
41:32
[SPEAKER_02]: But as an organization standpoint, you know, having Erickson and Herta down there kind of hurts.
41:38
[SPEAKER_02]: Earl McLaren.
41:41
[SPEAKER_02]: I like a B as well, having Patto up in third and Chris and Loon Garden in six.
41:46
[SPEAKER_02]: Obviously, Seagull is having a kind of a different year, kind of like you said, you're not really sure how to grade.
41:51
[SPEAKER_02]: How Seagull is this year, but as a whole, you can tell they're really starting to really plant their feet firm and steady in the any car series as a whole.
42:01
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think it's only up for Aaron McLaren.
42:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, be it with the arrow pointed up for sure.
42:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Meyer Shank.
42:09
[SPEAKER_01]: That's kind of a hard one to grade.
42:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Man, that's an A minus for me.
42:14
[SPEAKER_01]: To be this young of a team and have two guys in the top eleven one in the fourth place.
42:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Very impressive.
42:21
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I was either thinking B plus or A minus.
42:25
[SPEAKER_02]: I like the A minus grade just because Felix has been so incredibly fun to watch this year.
42:31
[SPEAKER_02]: And so in our front side is great moments as well.
42:33
[SPEAKER_02]: And for a for a smaller team battling with some of the big dogs and indie car, what more can you ask for?
42:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Eleven top ten finishes and eighteen opportunities for those two guys.
42:45
[SPEAKER_01]: It's pretty damn good.
42:46
[SPEAKER_01]: Pretty damn good.
42:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Team Penske, we are degraded, right?
42:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think we all know it's enough.
42:52
[SPEAKER_01]: It's an F and Roger would agree with us.
42:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Roger would probably be the first to tell you.
42:59
[SPEAKER_01]: We've already, uh, grated AJ for racing as well.
43:02
[SPEAKER_01]: It's an A would be an A plus with a win, right?
43:05
[SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely.
43:06
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, maybe you in an A, I think it's maybe even an A plus now.
43:10
[SPEAKER_02]: Give them A plus plus.
43:11
[SPEAKER_02]: Uh, I think everybody's hoping they get their get it get a win this year.
43:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Ed Carpenter Racing.
43:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Honestly, probably a C, C minus the both in that podium from Christian Rasmussen.
43:27
[SPEAKER_02]: Haven't really been anywhere.
43:29
[SPEAKER_02]: I guess I guess I do have six top tens total and a top three, but it's just been pretty not pretty not strong for them this year.
43:42
[SPEAKER_01]: They'll go in racing nice performance for one car operation.
43:47
[SPEAKER_02]: Obviously, I would give them probably a B just for having the VK up in there alone.
43:54
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe even a B plus for him to be up in fourteen with five top ten.
43:59
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, five top ten's in top five.
44:02
[SPEAKER_02]: It's super impressive what he's doing.
44:04
[SPEAKER_01]: And Jacob Abel has not been had to result, but he said he's been racing with some, racing with some good drivers.
44:13
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, me as.
44:15
[SPEAKER_02]: And he's so, so young, obviously a rookie.
44:18
[SPEAKER_02]: It's kind of hard to compare him and VK just because VK has so much experience in in the series, but as a whole, they'll coin it is doing exactly what they would want to do is to get some top Tim finishes, maybe a top five here there and just get points on the board.
44:33
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's what they're doing with Reena's to for sure.
44:35
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's been a good solid see for who goes all injured or anything.
44:42
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I like to see rating as well.
44:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Connor, I think it's perfectly said, you can't really see him above a seed and can't really see him below a seed.
44:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Stingray Rob and Connor Daily have been in the mix here and there throughout the season and obviously they're not where they're at points wise with Stingray down in and twenty-fourth, but you get him on an oval and I don't think anybody would be too shocked to see Connor Daily up on a top five
45:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I would love to see him get a win so much, especially at Indy.
45:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Woodley all.
45:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Woodley would.
45:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Ray Hall, Letterman, Lannigan.
45:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Probably a D minus.
45:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I have to agree.
45:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no progress.
45:28
[SPEAKER_01]: They've been around for, they've been around for too long to be a non-factor.
45:33
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and other than the Indy GP qualifying, it's been non-existent for them.
45:40
[SPEAKER_02]: I feel like every year we're going into last week qualifying for the for the for the five hundred and you can almost guarantee there's going to be one or two gray whole cars there and like you said for them to be this long in the series and then still not really found the formula.
45:55
[SPEAKER_02]: It's off it really is.
45:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And then I'm going to give one more A and that is the prima.
46:01
[SPEAKER_01]: They've got to get an A right.
46:04
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, there's their first year in the sport and they won pull for the biggest race in the world.
46:10
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a much better than I get.
46:11
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a good day and column I lots been racially at times as well.
46:17
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and he ran really well in the five hundred.
46:19
[SPEAKER_02]: He did.
46:19
[SPEAKER_02]: It was going to be their their biggest points of the year and until he was disqualified after post race inspection and Swordsman's been there a little bit and
46:31
[SPEAKER_02]: He was there at St.
46:32
[SPEAKER_02]: Louis, ran really well.
46:33
[SPEAKER_02]: Calamilat was a really racy at Rhode America.
46:36
[SPEAKER_02]: So Prima is such an organized institution as a whole.
46:42
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, they have so many racing series that they're involved in.
46:46
[SPEAKER_02]: And you know, they're going to eventually be really, really well in any car.
46:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Love it.
46:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Love it.
46:54
[SPEAKER_01]: The more competition, the better and, by the way, we should point out that our guys are drier and run bold.
47:00
[SPEAKER_01]: let over a quarter of the laps at the end of the five hundred.
47:02
[SPEAKER_01]: It's an A for dry and run bold as well.
47:06
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, yeah.
47:06
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, if you listen to some of the post-grace interviews with other drivers, you can hear him saying, you know, if Hunter Wright didn't have that fuel pressure issue, he would have won.
47:16
[SPEAKER_02]: And he would have won.
47:16
[SPEAKER_02]: He had the perfect strategy.
47:19
[SPEAKER_02]: They executed it amazingly.
47:22
[SPEAKER_02]: And just a fuel pressure issue couldn't get him back out.
47:25
[SPEAKER_02]: He just had to see it for him, but I mean, what more can you ask for for one off team?
47:31
[SPEAKER_02]: And Fox so far, Greg.
47:33
[SPEAKER_02]: I think it's Fox a B minus C plus that's where the ratings have been better, which I think everybody likes to see obviously they had some of the that some issues with with graphics in the first couple weeks and you know the booth is still trying to to really find their their measuring as a whole, but
47:53
[SPEAKER_02]: If they're getting more eyes on the sport, I think that's all really a lot of people care about.
47:58
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, we want a great product and I think it's obviously getting there.
48:01
[SPEAKER_02]: I think there are five hundred product was some of the best we'll see from an organization.
48:07
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't think NBC, you know, could have done a two-hour pre-show and Fox given indie car, you know, the time on a main channel, which is, which is all indie car fans can really ask for.
48:17
[SPEAKER_02]: You're not having to go search
48:19
[SPEAKER_02]: through a legal streaming website to see a race because you know it's going to be on Fox.
48:25
[SPEAKER_01]: The racing package got a great for that.
48:28
[SPEAKER_02]: I'll put it out of the name.
48:29
[SPEAKER_02]: The race has been, has been fantastic.
48:32
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the sever bin.
48:33
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
48:34
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, every single race has been really, really, really competitive except for the ones that they set for the ones that they cut from the schedule, which was just a horrible race.
48:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I mean, thermal is a joke.
48:48
[SPEAKER_02]: I could probably go on to a big rant about that.
48:52
[SPEAKER_02]: They should not, they should never be racing out there, you know, to take it for fifty minutes in.
48:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's not go on a giant.
49:00
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just so ridiculous, but I'm so glad to have this schedule.
49:03
[SPEAKER_01]: And Roger Pinsky as the series owner.
49:08
[SPEAKER_02]: The way he handled the attenuator stuff this year and
49:12
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm cleaning house obviously is hard to do with with the three people he did fire, but it's something he had to do and he's really kept his foot out of the team-pensky racing side and has just led IMS and the any car series as a whole really well this year.
49:29
[SPEAKER_01]: I'd give him an A. I give him an A plus.
49:31
[SPEAKER_01]: It's what it and here's why the plus Elijah.
49:35
[SPEAKER_01]: He could have made the series anything he wanted and that included his team dominating it.
49:41
[SPEAKER_01]: And he chose instead to make more competition for the better of the series.
49:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Roger Pinsky as the owner of the series gets an A plus for me.
49:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Yep, I think agree with you more.
49:54
[SPEAKER_01]: And the season as a whole through the first half, you give a grade.
49:57
[SPEAKER_02]: I've given an A minus just for the fact we only have.
50:02
[SPEAKER_02]: two winners.
50:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Those were my exact words, Elijah.
50:05
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a perfect place to stop it.
50:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Those were going to be my exact words.
50:10
[SPEAKER_01]: Other than only two winners has been almost perfect.
50:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Yep.
50:13
[SPEAKER_01]: I absolutely agree.
50:15
[SPEAKER_01]: And get those back markers out of the way on the final laps at the five hundred.
50:18
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the other thing.
50:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Other than that, it's been almost a perfect season.
50:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
50:23
[SPEAKER_02]: I agree with you.
50:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Those two points.
50:24
[SPEAKER_02]: The back markers.
50:25
[SPEAKER_02]: Yep.
50:26
[SPEAKER_02]: And two winners.
50:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, it's been such a great finish to that five hundred.
50:32
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm glad we got the winner that we got though.
50:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, would have been a massive air kiss and had won.
50:37
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, man, that would have been a mess.
50:39
[SPEAKER_01]: And Alex Polo deserves it.
50:41
[SPEAKER_01]: He does.
50:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Well done, Indie Carr, what my last suggestion before we go and get nothing against the new guy, but Kevin Lee, I listened to Middohio last year, I went back and watched it.
50:54
[SPEAKER_01]: He's fantastic.
50:55
[SPEAKER_01]: He's passionate about it.
50:57
[SPEAKER_01]: He knows the sport.
50:58
[SPEAKER_01]: He's good at it.
51:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Why is he not the main guy?
51:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's make it happen.
51:04
[SPEAKER_02]: Love Kevin Lee, both eight grad, chair, chair.
51:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Seriously.
51:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, have nothing against the, I can't think of his name, the new indie car lead.
51:19
[SPEAKER_01]: play by play guide, but Kevin Lee's great, I didn't just don't understand why he's not in any way.
51:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much Elijah for doing that.
51:27
[SPEAKER_01]: That kid knows a lot about the sport.
51:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Love doing this with him.
51:31
[SPEAKER_01]: Love talking to Indie Carl, one of my passions.
51:35
[SPEAKER_01]: We will have a preview of Middohio on Saturday and a post race podcast with Elijah's reaction on Sunday and we will have an indie car report every single week of the year with a few exceptions where there's nothing going on in the winter.
51:55
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll do at least forty-five a year.
51:58
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52:02
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52:12
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52:13
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52:18
[SPEAKER_01]: The Central Indiana Sports Report is a product of AKG media.
52:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And I love Susie.