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A Solid 4 Beer Thoughts - Indy Car Spotter Bryce - 2025
33 Plays21 days ago
It has become a tradition around here with this episode's guest Bryce Dinninger. We know him from high school, but he is also the spotter for the #14 car for AJ Foyt racing, Santino Ferrucci. Every year he joins us for his insights at the track. Always a great time and always great info! Plus, he knows a little about a lot of things which makes for fun conversation. A brief this week in history with Lynk and of course Joke Of The Week with Brett (don't worry she can't hear it or see it). Enjoy!
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Transcript
Introduction and Fan Engagement
00:00:00
Speaker
A solid four beer thoughts. Pop a cold one and get interactive with us on YouTube, Facebook, X or Instagram. Now all you clowns can just do your thing. Welcome to another episode of a solid four beer thoughts. We're so glad you are here.
00:00:16
Speaker
We're very glad link is here. Yeah, you are. We got started a little bit late. Link had a, had a family, uh, diversion. Anyhow, hey, if you want to send us an email, you can do it at 4solidbeers at gmail.com. What if you want to be your sponsor, Tom?
00:00:32
Speaker
You bitches better step right up because we can make that happen. we can We can take your Venmo money and buy beer. We're good at that. I might need a Carb Day IV sponsor. Ah, there you go that's it now Now you're thinking.
Introducing Bryce Deininger and IndyCar Significance
00:00:46
Speaker
You know, we could we need to figure out a mobile kegerator. I think that would save a lot of time and trouble. Tonight we're going to be talking to, speaking of the famed two and a half mile oval, what we have now, I believe, are considering a solid four correspondent.
00:01:03
Speaker
um Bryce Deininger is joining us tonight. So Bryce, thank you for being back on. ah My pleasure, gentlemen. Always good to have you. I like it. Yeah, it's a it's become a tradition, and ah we rely on you to fill in all the blanks of the things that we just guess at and you actually know when it comes to IndyCar racing. So that's always fun.
00:01:23
Speaker
And ah the month of May wouldn't be the month of May without you. So we're glad you're here. We're going to roll through a couple of things like we always do. And ah even even this week in history with ah Linko, maybe. even um it's It's just this an exciting evening. It really, really is. You're over there pissing your pants, aren't you? You're so excited. I'm giddy.
00:01:41
Speaker
You are giddy. I'm so fucking giddy. This Tom. Fuck. We don't see that much. Yeah, this is great. Why'd you have to drop the F-bomb on there? I don't know. oh it just It's my personality, Jeff. ah Haven't you learned that yet? Douchebag. Thanks. Now you just made me not giddy.
00:01:59
Speaker
How was your weekend,
Weekend Activities and Humorous Banter
00:02:00
Speaker
Jeff? It was good. We went down to Lake. ah That was about it. ah cool Mother's Day. Went out to rob's my son Rob's house and had some steaks and hung out. Yeah, it was a good weekend. awesome what What kind of steak has become your go-to steak?
00:02:15
Speaker
but Because my mine has changed the last couple of years. Ribbeye. Yep. That's what mine is now. Shea loves filet, and I still love a filet, but there's no better flavor than a well good cooked, not well cooked. right Correctly cooked. Correctly cooked ribeye. Correct. yeah Michael, is ribeye your choice too? I think so. ah just the Cost- effectiveness cost factor is one honestly that rib eye isn't cheap anymore true but uh it's it's cheaper than a filet so i mean if you you can go cheap steak if you really want get it you can get a good sirloin and uh i can get a good look at a t-bone tom you know what i will tell you this
00:02:58
Speaker
By sticking my head up a bull's ass. you can if you If you pound on a sirloin just right and tender it up and season it right, it'll grill up well. It's too tough. It's not it's like a New York strip. Bryce, what's your go-to steak?
00:03:11
Speaker
I think a decent ribeye that just has to write about a marbling. Marbling, yeah. Yep, yep, yep. And seasoned properly. yeah Correct. And you're right on the temperature.
00:03:22
Speaker
Yeah. yeah the the the The New York strip, to me, is too tough. Sirloin, too tough. That used to be my go-to. Yeah. So you asked the question. Yeah. Did you ever answer? Oh, sorry. Ribbeye. Oh, okay. But if it's got like the gristly fat in it that you can't gnaw through in about three hours.
00:03:42
Speaker
i I love a little bit little bit of fat with a little bit of the steak. yeah Like three, four steak, a quarter fat. Fat is flavor in steak. Sure. Yes, it is. In steak only. Not in boobs?
00:03:56
Speaker
you o I mean, boobs are all fat, right? Technically. I'm just saying. And a little bit of milk. i think Right? That's what I was thinking. I mean, since we're in May, we're talking about, you know. Milk and cookies. Milk and cookies. yeah i get Is that where the term milk jug came from? um What was that? No, I think it went the other way. but what what did What did John say the other day? She was all chin, tits, and...
00:04:23
Speaker
What? Belly? Gut? Something like that. I can't remember what he said. Sorry. Chin, tits, and gut, probably.
Mother's Day and Domestic Humor
00:04:28
Speaker
That sounds like something John would say.
00:04:32
Speaker
All right, Waco, how about your weekend? What did you do? Did you celebrate your your wife? Yes and no. Okay. Current wife is out of town, so she left on Saturday. So good news is I didn't have to do shit on Mother's Day to celebrate her. Was she whistling out the door going, happy Mother's Day to me? A phone call.
00:04:50
Speaker
so So, yeah. Good. She's at an event. She taking Uber to the airport. Hey! Hey! o
00:05:01
Speaker
What? That's the first time I've heard that. What is that? yeah That's what happens when Nance takes an Uber. When my current wife tries to take an Uber and they leave as she's standing on the front porch. Yep, that's exactly what happens.
00:05:16
Speaker
Oh, yeah. mo so funny other no we You guys went out to to dinner, right? Saturday. Saturday. You went to Texas Roadhouse. We went to lunch. Yeah, we went to lunch. And then she took off from there and headed of town to St. Louis. Awesome. So yeah, got a new garage door. Oh, cool. That's ah that's that's actually kind of exciting. Installed?
00:05:35
Speaker
Yeah, installed and everything. It's it's good to go. goes It goes down. It's very quiet. And it works. That's all that matters. Hell yeah. How about you, Brett? I don't think yeah anything really jumps out as overly exciting. So I'm just going to say yeah we are negligent on this show of like wishing Happy Mother's Day prior to. Yes, the actual Mother's Day. And birthdays and some of that stuff. think part of that is all of our current wives refuse to listen. So that that probably is a piece of it. oh That's why we don't think of it. them then.
00:06:04
Speaker
so yeah So I got a question for all three of you. All righty. Do you buy your wife rabbiba no a gift for Mother's Day? I do not.
00:06:15
Speaker
I don't either. She usually has an idea of what she wants, and she just she generally just goes and buys it herself. Yeah. bri me yeah I do, but it's it's minimal. Some small flowers, whatever.
00:06:29
Speaker
so I used to always get her flowers. see yeah Then the cats started eating flowers, so we're not allowed to have flowers cut flowers in the house anymore. Yeah. How about uncut, Tom? No. The uncut version? No, we can't grow plants either because they get eaten as well.
00:06:44
Speaker
Got it. So, yeah, I said... we're Going with the joke. I know you were. So I said, she'll be on, i don't know, Friday, friday Saturday. what What do you want for Mother's Day? She goes... what i really don't want anything from she goes i'm not your mother i go i get that but you're the mother of but you know i want you to leave the house did she say that yeah i want you to die tomorrow wow oh wow so i cash in on your in insurance policy no that's right so that's aggressive and it it's a different holiday it is it is it's weird yeah i think it kind of falls on the kids i mean it's nice to cook a nice meal and all that stuff yeah so i i did we went over uh cooked out with with mom and dad yeah i'm fortunate to be in that situation correct completely absolutely yeah and it was a good day it was sunday
00:07:36
Speaker
it was a great day here side out by the pool had a few beers and it was nice i liked it so what about you tommy uh nothing we did mother's day on sunday uh we had a fillets and uh ribs so cooked that up had the uh did you have sushi No.
00:07:58
Speaker
No, you wouldn't eat that. um Oh, I love sushi. um but Sure you do. Nobody else does. So, yeah, I like sushi. um But, yeah, we had ah ribs ribs and ah fillets, and the the girls all ate fillets. and All the mothers were there, so we had a load of mothers in my house, and it was fantastic.
00:08:16
Speaker
what What about Bryce? Bryce, brush you have good weekend? You had a race. Yeah, well we'll ask. I guess we'll just ask him as part of the show. Yeah. Okay. All right. So now.
Golf Outing and Historical Notes
00:08:28
Speaker
what let go let Go ahead. and Oh, no, I was just going to say what I did on Mother's Day. played golf with my driver out of the brickyard. Oh, there you go.
00:08:35
Speaker
Really? And your putter? How about your nine iron? Did you use that, too? Did you just take one club out there? you take whole bag? One club round. yeah that's right. No, it was, uh, and I tell you, man, he can hit the ball. He can he can he can get a hold of it.
00:08:50
Speaker
Really? So we played with two guys, that father and son, that are, uh, I guess they have memberships now at the brickyard crossing, and, uh, So they were in from Plainfield, and I think they got a nice treat to play with an IndyCar driver for 18 holes. So they were pretty happy.
00:09:05
Speaker
That's pretty cool. That's awesome. Yeah, and he he has a lot of fun. yeah he's in they said that afterward. They're like, man, we didn't know you were like this. I go, man, he's just a normal guy. Are you any good at golf?
00:09:17
Speaker
ah I mean, I'm um ah probably between a 16 and 18. Okay, well, you're pretty damn good then. No, I mean, don't get me wrong. I can blow up, but, you know, it's...
00:09:30
Speaker
What'd you shoot Sunday? Do you remember? That's bogey golf. 94 on Sunday. okay That's at at the brickyard? yeah Yeah. That's pretty solid. I did not lose a ball, which is even more shocking. I lose a ball at putt-putt.
00:09:45
Speaker
Take me out to Eagle Creek and bring i got to bring a box. Were you playing at that putt-putt by the Razzmatazz? Razzmatazz! Listen to it. Bryce does have the best West Cycle. The Razzmatazz. Unbelievable.
00:10:01
Speaker
Great call back there. think we all played there as kids, right? Heck yeah, we did. That was only place. Razzmatazz and the bowling alley. Speedway girl Bryce or no? If we were lucky.
00:10:15
Speaker
one of ah One of my sisters dated a dude who worked at that putt-putt at 34th and High School. That was the best ah that was the best like nine months of my life.
00:10:26
Speaker
So you left after pregnancy? Sorry. So anyway. Got out just in time. No, man. Free putt-putt. Wow. Awesome. And she, ah yeah I don't know who dumped who, but. It's probably not a good story. How about this week in history?
00:10:43
Speaker
Now it's time for the ever-bucked recording of the show. This week in history. 1843. May 1843.
00:10:52
Speaker
the month of eight ti teas eighteen forty three may eighteen forty three No, just 1843. Oh, I thought you said May. Oh, it is May. Technically, it is this week. Thanks, Tom. The first wagon train sets out on the Oregon Trail.
00:11:10
Speaker
So come on, ride the train. Departed Terry. Departed from Elm Grove, Missouri, included over 1,000 pioneers, headed to the Pacific Northwest, led by John Gant, who charged $1 per person to guide the the peeps over there.
00:11:29
Speaker
All that way. 80% of you're going to die. yeah How many of them made it? It says nearly and all all of them survived the journey. They ended up in Willamette Valley in Oregon, where they divided the land into parcels of approximately 300 acres each.
00:11:45
Speaker
And over the next 20 years, nearly half a million settlers used that trail to travel west. And somebody in Willamette County planted grape seeds and started growing grapes out there.
00:11:55
Speaker
Because isn't that where the best some of the best wine comes from? i don't know yes in oregon bryson like bryce no thank you bryce go yeah and it's actually willamette i do not like to do that la it i am i got corrected oh you're called that you have someone corrected how you remember it is damn it willamette all right so and okay nice so that's on the west side i guess you're no longer west side pronounced it willamette but that's okay He drinks some. He's bougie. You bougie. That's right. He's drinking his beer with his pinky out tonight, apparently. And his wine doesn't come from a box. No box wine. That's true.
00:12:33
Speaker
Hey, this week in history, 1875, first Kentucky Derby. There's a lot of firsts in this week in history. It seems that way. Aristides. In history. ah Yeah, Aristides. Aristides. Sorry. ah ah ah Oh, yeah. I believe Bryce pronounced Aristides.
00:12:50
Speaker
um I was hesitant. I was so hesitant. He was the winning horse. The jockey was Oliver Lewis.
00:13:01
Speaker
So the event was actually organized by Meriwether Clark, grandson of William Clark. Really? Yes, that William Clark. That William Clark. Lewis and Clark. The one that tagged Team Sacagawea. Who explored the old Louisiana territory.
00:13:18
Speaker
First race was and a half in length. Now it's a one and a quarter. 15 horses competed. Approximately 10,000 spectators. ah The race has been held every year since 1875. Longest running sporting event in the U.S. Wow, cool.
00:13:32
Speaker
This will be 1977. First, chuck e cheese opens What? I don't know. First Chuck's Cheese. When? In 1977. 1977? Opened by Nolan Bushnell. Yes.
00:13:45
Speaker
That Nolan Bushnell. Co-founder of Atari. Oh, here we And creator of Pong. Oh, was thinking Long Bushnell. Yeah, I think that's what I thought. Nolan Bushnell. Binoculars. No, co-founder of Atari.
00:13:58
Speaker
And he created the game Pong. Crazy. Yeah. Huh. So then... What are we doing with our lives? Chuck E. G's later merged with a Competitor Showbiz Pizza. And there you go. And that's it. That's what you can see.
00:14:13
Speaker
All right. Wow. All right. Well, that brings us to a frozen camera. Sweet. And sweetden so that'll be fun. But the good news is it's all audio and we love audio. So...
00:14:28
Speaker
welcome bryce dininger it's all about you now buddy um oh no you guys are great man i tell you i get i get a lot of information from you guys sure you do you know i did was the huge little show of his pizza on thirty eighth street yeah yeah that's the one i remember it's where kids can be a kid that's right what was right next to it the ste and ale but We had a steak and ale on 38th Street for a bit. Yeah, for a bit. Yeah, didn't we? Yeah.
00:14:54
Speaker
There was a budget rental car up there. just remember the Godfather's on high school just north of 38th Street when we were in high school. right. Yeah. There's Derek going up there, too, and and a Target.
00:15:06
Speaker
Chi-Chi's was up there. us USA Skate Lane. Yeah, okay. USA Skate Lane still exists. Yeah, it Yep, still there. Okay, so anyway. Sorry. oh So I got a question for you, Bryce.
00:15:19
Speaker
Yes, sir.
IndyCar Strategies and Technical Insights
00:15:20
Speaker
I was out there at track today, and we were sitting in the F1, what I call the F1 suites. At one point in time, 24 cars were on the track at about 5 o'clock running around.
00:15:33
Speaker
What... what information are you guys getting from that? What information are you, cause it, it, you know, to an average spectator, it, it seems like, okay, these cars just run around. What, what information are you pulling from those laps that you guys do in practice in, in a caravan like they were running?
00:15:56
Speaker
Well, I think a lot of it is just race day setups. So, um, I think what you're really trying to do is just to find out how your car works in traffic. And in particular, our car was horrible in traffic.
00:16:12
Speaker
So we've got a lot of work to do. Yep. A lot of work. Santonia was down at the bottom. Yeah. Santino. Yeah. I like Santonia. That's kind of cool. Santino. Sorry. My bad. We only did 26 laps.
00:16:26
Speaker
Holy shit. Is that all? But our teammate only did 21. Yeah. and he went 224.6. So, yeah, we've we've got some we got some work to do. We're trying to figure out, you know, what what can get our car to be like it was the last two years.
00:16:42
Speaker
The hybrid obviously throws a little bit of a wrench into everything just because added weight. But, yeah, so we'll we'll see what tomorrow brings. The weather also didn't help. Yeah.
00:16:53
Speaker
kid know Bryce, can you quickly explain explain explain explain what the hybrid is exactly? ah I'd love to try. Here's the best thing I've heard.
00:17:05
Speaker
It's just another turbo. There's nothing hybrid about it. and i don't I don't know that to be true. In all honesty, it's an added um boost of power, horsepower, and then it has to regenerate. So, yes, it is a battery.
00:17:22
Speaker
um But... You know, it was something added on that we got at St. Louis for the first time last year. ah And, ah yeah, I think everyone's still adjusting to it.
00:17:36
Speaker
So is it, but is it, it's a market, is it going to be a permanent thing? Because wasn't that part of a contract negotiation with what Honda or somebody that they had to introduce a hybrid? I read this thing, you know, on racer.com, I read something very similar and, you know, two apiece Honda.
00:17:54
Speaker
Uh, so, you know, with, with the two, it with the two engine suppliers, um, yeah, I mean, but then again, it's one of those things you just have to deal with and say, okay,
00:18:05
Speaker
Everyone's in the same boat. How can we maximize, you know, our car in this new configuration? If you, you said you ran 26 laps, is that low in comparison to other teams?
00:18:19
Speaker
Oh God. Yeah. So I think I was just looking at it. Castroneves ran 114. wow. 107. Rosenquist, Felix 112. ah rosenquist felix one hundred and twelve um But then on the and on the flip side, because I was talking to a couple people over at Penske, and New Garden only ran 46 and was so happy with it, said, hey, let's just park He parked it. Yeah.
00:18:42
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, he parked at the end of the day. So so why why do you only run 26 laps? do you know that, hey, this isn't our day, this isn't our, we can't figure this out. what Why only 26? Lap time, when track time is so important.
00:19:01
Speaker
It can't be fixed on the track or in the pits. has to go back to the garage. its It can be anywhere from ah complete, um how would I say, wheelbase change to getting it back on the scale, ah weight distribution. There could be so many things that they want to do to get the car right.
00:19:22
Speaker
And Santino is smart enough where if the car is not right, he pulls in. He's like, this is, you know, it's a waste of time to just keep running laps and and wasting tires. Yep. So he's he's very good at knowing if the car, if he can make some adjustments inside the cockpit, he'll do it.
00:19:41
Speaker
But if it can't get him to where he wants to be, he's not going to take an unnecessary risk on a day that doesn't really mean much. Correct. So every change that you take back to the garage and make, do they go through ah tech inspection for practice days?
00:19:58
Speaker
ah You know, that's, yes, they do. Like we had to this afternoon after we made some major changes, it had to go back through tech and I believe it had to go back through tech one other time but i was already backed up in turn one because i was worried about the timing gotcha which is which is always like my biggest fear is they do a radio check and i'm not there so so it all depends on what the change is i'm assuming if it has to go back through and basically what i mean for people don't know i mean what what is tech inspection well they're going to go everything make sure the car is legal uh wings indy car officials right yes correct yeah yeah yeah
00:20:38
Speaker
And they they have all the templates and a lot of times it seems to be wings. There might be something on a wing that doesn't pass. We see that more on the short oval package where the wings are bigger.
00:20:50
Speaker
The IndyCar wing is really small if you haven't seen the rear wing. Yep.
00:20:59
Speaker
So yeah, that's it was a struggle. I mean, and it has been. I think tomorrow, i don't I didn't look at the weather forecast, but ah Yeah, we've got our we got our work cut out for 87 degrees and thunderstorms.
00:21:11
Speaker
But Friday, Saturday, Sunday is supposed to be beautiful. there Yeah. 73 and, yeah. So go like hell to qualify. Yeah. um Yeah, and we'll get the boost on Friday, too. That's what it is. Yeah.
00:21:24
Speaker
So they're running 227s now. I think ah we were, like i said, in the Andretti suite, and I think Colton Hurta came up and he said, well, we will do 231 on Saturday.
00:21:35
Speaker
is what he said will be our top speed of 231. So why why do they limit speed now and then give you the boost on Friday? The best I have heard is reliability and also safety.
00:21:50
Speaker
So you don't want to run the boost so high because we don't obviously run the boost like that in the race. you know So if you you look at the average race pace,
00:22:02
Speaker
regardless if you're saving fuel or not, you're down in the 215 range. Yep. Right. But for qualifying, I think it adds a little bit of excitement. and But this was the first time during that open test back in April that they gave us a day with high boost, and that's when Larson scraped the wall, yeah and Takuma had a very bad accident. Very bad accident.
00:22:26
Speaker
Yeah. Jeff. That week... we collectively jumped in turn one. Right. Yeah, that was nasty. That was a big hit. Ruin that car.
00:22:38
Speaker
ye Yeah. So what's your take on the season so far? Everything's been a road course. Indy's going to be the first oval of the season.
00:22:49
Speaker
um Obviously, things change between the road course and the oval. Some drivers better um on the oval than on the road course, things like that. So, so far this season, what,
00:23:04
Speaker
what What is the thing that you've taken away so far as as you've started? What are we five races in at this point? Jeff, can you rephrase that? Can I shorten that up? Yes.
00:23:18
Speaker
How do you think the season's going so far? Well, here's the comparison I would look at. it Alex Pillow is such on a different planet right now. Absolutely dominant.
00:23:29
Speaker
He's making it in golf tournaments when Tiger Woods had a ye stroke lead. Yep. And you're thinking, are we watching it just for Tiger? And no, I'm not comparing Alex to Tiger because we know ratings aren't even close to that.
00:23:44
Speaker
But it's the talent also of the entire team.
Driver Performance and Team Collaboration
00:23:50
Speaker
Well, the team, but I'm talking about even the the entire series.
00:23:55
Speaker
We don't really have ride buyers that don't have talent anymore. Right. Everybody that brings money is pretty darn good. That's why, besides Lucas having that overheating problem at the Grand Prix, we would have gone three races with no yellows.
00:24:09
Speaker
Yeah, that's <unk>s not good. Fox isn't happy about that. Yeah, yeah. Because they can't get their commercials in. Right. Absolutely, yeah. Well, they can go side by side. Yeah. which i They do. They have to. Okay, cool. Yeah.
00:24:22
Speaker
Now, I will say it does allow me to make my flights pretty early on Sunday. Especially for Barber. I'm like, oh, made it
00:24:32
Speaker
Get out of Birmingham as fast as I can. Right. So, we we talk about Palo, and he is awesome. He's won four of the five races. Is that correct? Yeah. Four the five.
00:24:43
Speaker
Three of the four? Three of the four. Is it four or five five? I think it's three of the four. Whatever it is. Whatever that number is. But... Plo has never won on an oval track.
00:24:56
Speaker
Never. Isn't that crazy? It's nuts. So I would, he finished second twice last year and the year before, right?
00:25:07
Speaker
I think he did. think he finished twice. Yeah, second twice. He unlapped himself ah two years ago, maybe. Yeah. I mean, but but he's still not one on an oval.
00:25:18
Speaker
um So it'll be interesting. Yeah. So what's the what's the good news coming out of the foight garage? Well, the fact that Maloukas only ran 21 laps and went almost 224-6, that should help.
00:25:35
Speaker
So we know, I mean... That kid's good, isn't he? Oh, he's good. He's just good. And and so just... even keel.
00:25:46
Speaker
Right. It's like, he doesn't get too high, too low. mean, he's, reminds me, this is going to get deep here, but I read a book from a sports psychologist named Trevor Moab about keeping it neutral.
00:25:57
Speaker
Right. He does that, where he doesn't, he just just seems to be, it's like whether he finished fourth or eighteenth Can't really tell. It's all was it's all copacetic. Yeah.
00:26:08
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. He's an interesting kid to see in interviews and and just see his demeanor when when he's in front of the camera or in front of people, because he just he just seems like a good kid that truly loves getting in the car and going fast.
00:26:26
Speaker
yeah I agree. and And what you see is what you get. And he's not different. Like some drivers are in front of the camera everyone thinks, Oh, they're the greatest person in the world. And when the camera turns off, they are totally different person.
00:26:37
Speaker
Uh, but no, this, he is really ah just a, this is the first year I've got to know him. And, uh, everyone told me they're like, Oh, you're goingnna really like him. Even though obviously worked with Santino, but, uh, yeah, he,
00:26:52
Speaker
Solid, solid driver, solid person. Great for the series. um It was an incredible get by Foyt slash Penske, however you way you want to look at that. yeah, absolutely. So, and and I think he's not, he doesn't, if someone is, you know, people have written about him taking over a Penske ride in a couple years.
00:27:15
Speaker
He doesn't act like that. It's almost like he is very present in what's going on right now. and And for to do that at age 21, that's That's impressive. Yeah. so So you have tied with ah Penske Racing, correct? Yes. You're you're sharing information.
00:27:32
Speaker
has that worked out from years past where you guys were on your own? Oh, it's it's unbelievable. I mean, we got the pole last year in Portland where we've been so off the back for so many years, and that was pretty incredible. We missed our race setup for cooler temperatures, but – That helped by Penske, and along with Santino's driving style, matching that, and then him coming up with almost like a hybrid, minus that word, his own little way of saying, I can take this, take that, and this is how I think I can make this work. yeah it's
00:28:09
Speaker
It's been great for our team. And, you know, Penske could say the same thing. Even though they've won now the race the last two years, they swept the front row last year based on a lot of things that we brought to them.
00:28:21
Speaker
So – A lot of people don't, you know, they kind of don't think about that. Where New Garden won two years ago from 19. Last year, you know, they swept the front row. And that's in in in this series, as tight as it is, that's that's extremely hard to do. So an example, like what information is shared where it's like, oh, yeah, but is it is it all setup related? Is it like...
00:28:42
Speaker
like certain track temperatures, tire compound. I mean, what I'm i'm sure there's a thousand data points, but what what are the common ones that would make sense to an idiot like me? Dampers, shocks.
00:28:53
Speaker
um Then you also have wings, probably some gear, the gearbox information. And then what drivers debriefs, I believe that is also being shared saying they felt this with this setup, you know, and, and so I think that takeaway it's, it's five drivers.
00:29:13
Speaker
you know, versus in the past, let's be honest, we've had basically one with experience and then a lot of rookies. yeah that was That was a lot of weight on C&T. So it's it's not necessarily how to ah enter and exit turn four, right?
00:29:31
Speaker
Right, right. It's more setup stuff with the car. Now they will say that they'll say hey you might be losing time, especially on road courses. You're losing time here, you're losing time there, but where we're losing it now is so minuscule compared to where we were a couple years ago, where if we were finishing in the top 17 and qualifying we'd be happy.
00:29:51
Speaker
Like Long Beach we would have been in the top six. Fairly easily, except he brushed the wall. And then he parked it because he knew something broke. But then that caused a red, so we lost our fastest two laps.
00:30:03
Speaker
um so And then we had to start dead last at Long Beach. He still came all the way up to with a really fast car. wow ah But we've also lost two engines in the last basically weekends. Yeah, he blew an engine last weekend.
00:30:17
Speaker
Yeah, and so the the guys in morning warm-up, mean, we were out on our first lap. And the engine blows. So then the guys are scrambling to put a new engine in. We have no time to really figure out how to get a race set up from qualifying.
00:30:33
Speaker
So even though we started 11th, you know, you you have no idea. and the car was just a mechanical nightmare. And, you know, Santino did his best job just to bring it home.
00:30:46
Speaker
Well, you guys, that was at the road course. Right. and And most of your races, I see, you know, you're pretty much finishing middle of the pack. So that's not unlike last year, I don't think. um So, I mean, looking forward to seeing you guys on the track in May. That's for sure. Because we've.
00:31:05
Speaker
by ah by virtue of uh you being a a solid four correspondent we've kind of become santino ferrucci yeah i'm all um and even have a santino hat yeah so i mean the reality is is that as i as i look at last year and this year right and at this point i mean fairly similar in a lot of ways just just in the finishes and and qualifications yeah i would agree with that i think we also made an engineering change uh James Schnabel, who is on loan to us from Penske, has moved over to the four car.
00:31:39
Speaker
And ah Mike Armbruster, who was with Stingray Robb last year. Right. ah Ray Hall before that is now the head engineer for Santino. So and and and now we have both cars up in Indianapolis, too.
00:31:53
Speaker
So that that just happened in the offseason. So there were a lot of changes that you you think, but just as you guys know, in any business, you add or subtract one person culture changes a little bit. sure So what you're hoping for is anyone that comes in can help you, it can help propel you closer to the front and I can definitely see improvements from last year based on our speed when it comes to qualifying and practice.
00:32:19
Speaker
but We're right there. i think we've had some bad or just some bad breaks in the races. Not necessarily just strategy not going our way, not knowing what the tires would do.
00:32:32
Speaker
But, yeah, you're right. I think getting to the month of May, we were looking at this saying, okay, this is what could really ah kicks kick kick start the season. Sure. The last two days are a little concerning, not going to lie. Yep.
00:32:47
Speaker
You, ah going back to last year, coming off carb day, you had the same, or maybe that was two years ago, you had the same experience. Like our carb day was horrible, right?
00:33:00
Speaker
Yeah, well, that was that was somewhat... ah Chevy related and they they found the issue. It wasn't a blown engine. It was just ah something we weren't getting the full power out of that car that we should have.
00:33:13
Speaker
They fixed it for the race, obviously. um But that was nerve wracking. So ah question for you in in the IndyCar race, the road course race last week, you had two sets of reds, two sets of whatever blacks, whatever they call them.
00:33:32
Speaker
but Yeah. Primary blast. Yeah. What, why is that? Why, why do you not run the same tire? Is that an Indy car thing? Is that, yeah that's they, they mandate, they mandate that you have to run these four sets of tires, no matter what, um, no matter how you sequence you do them, you've got to run these four tires.
00:33:57
Speaker
Yeah. Excuse me. Sorry. Yeah. They, um, the hops are The hops are getting to you Well, that and these allergies are killing me. Welcome to Indiana. was like, i never had that grown up. Aren't you glad you're back? Yeah, um yeah this month, yes.
00:34:13
Speaker
um but No, I think what what Firestone and IndyCar has tried to do is Firestone that did a great job. They they are the best partner tire-wise in any racing series, and and I think I've been around long enough.
00:34:28
Speaker
to state that pretty matter of factly. But what they have done is they have made two compounds for the road courses that one is supposed to go faster but fall off quicker.
00:34:40
Speaker
ah And that was like the what we call the alternate reds or if you see a green sidewall, um it's the same basically. But so what they found out at the St. Pete is the, I believe it was the,
00:34:56
Speaker
yeah Now I'm getting it backwards. One of the tires is falling off extremely fast. And I think it was the black tires. They were not, they were just not competitive. So, but they were only having to use them one time.
00:35:09
Speaker
So if there was a ah crash in lap one or something happens, you immediately come off. get Get on the red tires, and then you run those for the rest of the time. So I think IndyCar saw that and said, okay, we're going to change it up where you have to run most sets of tires twice.
00:35:23
Speaker
Now, we don't have to worry about that on ovals, at least at Indy. but but why why But why do they do that? Why wouldn't Firestone provide –
00:35:34
Speaker
And strategy. And strategy, yeah, because Rahal did not have that strategy last week because he nominated that race for the first, what, 50 laps or whatever, and then he had to go on the, I'll call them shitty tires, for for for no better reference. Well, he had bad pit stop, too. Yeah, he did. he yeah yeah Yeah, that pit stop killed him, but but not as bad as the tires did. Agreed. Yeah, and I'm just like, why why don't,
00:36:00
Speaker
Why doesn't Firestone say, hey, here's your tires. They're all the same tires. You know, you're all running the same thing. i Run what you want. Your choice. Well, in years past, I would agree with that. Is it a cost thing? Is it a cost thing? No. I don't believe I think it's a competition thing. It's a competition thing.
00:36:18
Speaker
I think the level of talent and the margin of error in these drivers today and the cars have a heck of a lot of downforce compared to what we grew up on.
00:36:30
Speaker
And I think you wouldn't you'd see very little passing. Okay. They were all in the same tires. I think that it'd be so much follow the leader. It would put people sleep. Yeah. If you go back to our guest last week, um, he's like, Hey, you know, sixties and seventies heroes were made, but the races sucked from a standpoint of a competitive standpoint. Right. He's like, if you have reliability, Yeah, if you had three people on the lead lap at the end, you were happy. And if half the field was running, that was probably a successful race from completion standpoint. So in both guests, Bryce John was a guest couple weeks ago. And then last week, they're like, this is a much more competitive racing time than we've had, than we've grown up with.
00:37:19
Speaker
Well, it's it's funny. I just finished about a month ago, and this is a selfless plug for our team owner, A.J. Foy, but his book, Volume 1, a must-buy, but it is, think, 300, 400 pages, but it goes back from his childhood all the way through 77. And to talk It's unbelievable to to your point what these guys, first of all, how they raced three and four times a week across the country in every different kind of vehicle and the danger.
00:37:52
Speaker
um Unbelievable. Entire development. AJ was really, that's why he's been, you know, he was with Goodyear for all those years because he he was a developer for them.
00:38:04
Speaker
And anyway, the book, I highly recommend it if you guys ever want to get a book. And if you guys it take, you know, a year to read something, i recommend that one. What's the name of it again? It's just AJ Foy.
00:38:17
Speaker
And I'm trying to think of the guy who wrote it. I'd have to look at Yeah, I'm on Amazon now. Yeah, AJ Foy. He wrote Black Noon. What do you call it? The secondary title? What's that called?
00:38:29
Speaker
Survivor Champion Legend? No, Jeff Hagen sucks. Buy that book version. I'm ordering it now. Yeah, I highly recommend it. It is yeah Survivor Champion. art Art Garner, by the way, he's the one that wrote Black Noon, which talked about the 1964 Indy 500.
00:38:51
Speaker
That took the life of Eddie Sachs and Dave McDonald. Jeff, don't check out yet. Add that one to your card, too. Add that to the card. Yeah, add that to your card, too. We need to get on. but Art Garner, he did not – what's great about this ah author, he wasn't a race fan.
00:39:05
Speaker
And he he came around this past winter for the book signing and all that, and we talked to him about it, and he said he wrote as if he was around racing his whole life, and he just – Some people have that knack to be able to write as if they did, but no, he was never around racing. Anyway.
00:39:23
Speaker
Wow, that's pretty cool. Yeah, that's awesome. but sit So is he, where's he from? Is he from Indy and he kind of grew up around it or, you know but not really? I believe he's,
00:39:34
Speaker
No, I believe he's california it's I don't think this is uncommon. a So I read a Dan Gable similar situation. Dude had never been around wrestling before and just hung out with him for a year. yeah I'm like, damn, this guy you know is good. It it all makes sense. Just immersed himself in yeah that person. But used the right terms, right? in Yeah, just just the...
00:40:02
Speaker
Stuff you almost have to grow up with, you at least it feels like, to to know it at that level. That's a skill. That's definitely a skill. yeah yeah app We can't even get beers right out of this fridge. Jeez, we're struggling.
00:40:17
Speaker
You know, those pull tabs are tough. Right. They can be. Especially after six. Hey, can I sidebar us here for a second? Still a racing question, just not specific to AJ or the 500 per se.
Penske's Impact and IndyCar Improvements
00:40:32
Speaker
Have you been to the museum since the redo? It's unbelievable. Crazy good, isn't it? It's very much worth the $25. $25. which I know some people were complaining about that. And I thought you got to be kidding. I said, uh, that is a very reasonable price.
00:40:51
Speaker
We don't even get a discount, even if we work on a team, but, uh, Oh, well, that's, that's, I've already been there twice and it's, it just blows me away. It was a way well overdue.
00:41:06
Speaker
ah yeah And, um, You know, yeah, Penske owns the track now, but even going back in that back room where it has all winners and all the rings, and you're thinking, thank God he owns the Speedway.
00:41:19
Speaker
and And I know that the museum is separate from the Speedway. I know they have a foundation and a board and what have you for all the cars and sponsors, but like even the Ray Hall collection and how I think they're going to, from what I understand, they may be rotating some of those cars in and out. Yeah, that that's what I was told, yes.
00:41:37
Speaker
Yeah, because they're good. I was told the same thing. So that, to me, you keep it if you keep refreshing it, it'll be worthwhile. But even just walking in and seeing the the minor details they did, and like the I think it was the Sam Hanks or no, Jimmy Bryan garage.
00:41:55
Speaker
The garages were cool. Janet Guthrie, and even like the TVs that they were showing with the An old TV and with a replay of that race being played in that garage.
00:42:07
Speaker
I mean, I can almost smell the guys smoking, you know. That's crazy. That's crazy. I just, and Brett mentioned this when he went, the fact that people are complaining about the cost of admission.
00:42:20
Speaker
And the reason is because I don't know that you can go to any quality museum, zoo. It's all free in St. Louis. anything Anything like that in this city that isn't a $25 ticket. You know what I mean? Or more.
00:42:36
Speaker
So I think people just got so used to going in there, going in the gift shop, going through the museum, checking out what was there for five bucks, whatever. Yeah, for five bucks. Yeah, and I think that's probably why people are bent, but I think, and I haven't been yet, and I really want to go, but...
00:42:56
Speaker
I think when people start going. It's probably in the week to go, Tom. Wait until June. I don't know. Maybe I'll sneak in there on a Saturday or something. Bryce, my only complaint, the video I thought was ridiculous, like the starting grid video.
00:43:11
Speaker
I kind of wish that would have been like the very end type of thing. Oh, I see what you mean. The video, that whole – and similar to what they're supposed to do with the cars, that video is supposed to change over time and update with drivers and everything.
00:43:27
Speaker
But it sort of simulates the the start of the race and what happens on the grid. it that was The video was ridiculously good. right So I think we got to also put in perspective, we go to the race – And we know what that feels like.
00:43:45
Speaker
And I think so many people come into the museum that have never gone to the race. They have no idea. So for them to get a feel like that, oh yeah um that I thought it was pretty cool. i thought maybe it was a little bit Disney produced.
00:44:03
Speaker
ah I thought it was incredible. Don't get me wrong. But I will be curious to see how they updated over the years. Yeah. yeah I'm curious to see how it changes. But yeah. you know and And right now, of course, it's easy when you have three Penske's cars there. It's like, right, how are you guys going to do that next year?
00:44:17
Speaker
But hell, they may sweep the front row again. I don't know. So how's that how's that working out with him owning the series, him having one of the top teams out there? You know, is there a lot of backlash? Is there a lot of murmuring in the backgrounds that – If so, I don't hear it. Okay. Because to me, I mean – They haven't won in a while.
00:44:40
Speaker
Yeah. So to me this year, i mean, willpower has been the best driver, at least I think points wise. And yeah, he's supposed to be the one that is at the last few years of his career.
00:44:55
Speaker
So no, I don't, I don't see it that way. Um, I don't know. guess I guess like i guess how some people could say, but he has so many people that are running his businesses and I don't, you know, he's not, as he's not, i don't think he's calling strategy anymore for any car.
00:45:11
Speaker
You don't think so? No, I don't think he is at all. Okay. You got Tim, you got Tim Sendrick, Kyle Moyer, and I'm trying to think who calls the third car, but no, I don't, like I said before, thank God he owns the place.
00:45:26
Speaker
Um, I would say, because I don't know what would happen in 2020 under the previous regime. Why why do you say that? Thank God he owns the place. what Why do you say that? Because there were some updates that were sorely, sorely needed. Okay. And and his business mind is exactly what the track needed.
00:45:45
Speaker
And you can just see the attention to detail, not only as he's always done since he came here in the late 60s, but you could just see it in the garage area. You can see it in the refreshments.
00:45:55
Speaker
you Even in the restrooms. Penske perfection, right? Right. And it's it's love it. raised the place up to where it needed to be. It's awesome. and and and And I know people, I think my if if i if someone were to ask me and say, okay, what's your biggest complaint?
00:46:14
Speaker
I'd say, well, I hate our car. I think it's... It's a tub of shit. Well, no, I'm not talking about individually. I'm talking about just in general. We've had the same chassis for, what, 13 years? That's ridiculous. This car could actually classify a vintage car. Really? Really?
00:46:32
Speaker
and theyve they they've had the same model car for 13 years the chassis yeah yeah besides they besides the body work it's the the chassis a dw12 i believe so wow you it's like guys what are what are we doing here um but thank god again and we have you know uh partners like chevy and And Honda and hopefully they stick around, but I would love to see more engine manufacturers.
00:46:57
Speaker
This is the first year i got signed on to do all the impsor races I can do with ah the Wayland Cadillac team. So I did the 24 hours with the GDP 31 Wayland car and to see all the manufacturers and MSA is You're kind of wondering, it's like IndyCar, how can't we reach out and try to get of those brand oils? A place that's been known for innovation and change over the years. What you're saying has been stagnant really for ah for a bit.
00:47:28
Speaker
Why is that? oh Why is that, Bryce? Cost. I think it's return on investment. So if another engine company comes in, the costs go down, right?
00:47:40
Speaker
I mean, if Nissan comes in or or somebody else comes in to that racing series, because I heard you say, hopefully Honda and Chevrolet stay around.
00:47:51
Speaker
I thought I heard you say. i do. Yeah. what what well Why would they leave? Yeah. Is that your question? i mean Tom, can you rephrase that for him? Nope.
00:48:01
Speaker
Okay. You're on it. You did it. You rephrased He mentioned ROI. Yeah, return on investment. And if Honda...
00:48:08
Speaker
is really looking to go NASCAR racing, then you if they have a certain money allocated yeah for North American racing, well let's face it, what where are the ratings?
00:48:22
Speaker
Even though I think And I'll be completely honest, I think the stage racing in NASCAR is a shit show. It's unwatchable. but's It's horrible. It's unwatchable. i am I am still amazed they call it America's great racing. Yeah, it's so almost like regular season NBA a little bit. Yeah, it's just i I can't take NASCAR anymore. I've tried. I keep trying and I keep getting disappointed.
00:48:46
Speaker
I haven't tried it. ill said that i'll I'll find myself back at a sprint car track. It is. It's a lot like that, Brett. please Stop.
00:48:57
Speaker
I haven't tried it in a while. I mean, honestly, NASCAR, just can't watch it. I have not watched a NASCAR race in probably, my gosh. We went to the 400. It's terrible. Was it last year?
00:49:11
Speaker
um it's terrible was it last year so We went to the 400? Oh, that's right. We were in a suite, weren't we? Yeah, we were in a suite. Yeah. That was the 400? You forgot about that. Yeah, we left halfway through. We were halfway in and we're like, yeah, I don't think this is getting any better. How into it were we, like you think? Oh! About halfway. And we left halfway through because we just couldn't take it anymore. We heard there was a sale on hoods. And so Brett was looking for a hood. Brett bought a hood. Yes, he did. Not a hoodie. hood. I think where IndyCar fails is in their marketing. It is the best racing series out there. You can take F1. You can take NASCAR.
00:49:53
Speaker
but You think so? but can't hurt. Could it? Well, you're looking at... yeah tom like Tom Brady's now going to be in the two-seater with Jimmy Johnson driving him around before the race. Are you kidding me?
00:50:06
Speaker
No, I mean, that's kind of cool. Sure it is. Links for Tom Brady fans. activation that they've done, I think, is much better than what NBC was doing. Agreed. So, mean, they even had the ads at the Super Bowl. the Super Bowl, yeah, they did. That's true. Yeah.
00:50:22
Speaker
that's true The jury's still out, but but at the same time, if you put on good shows, like I think what we did, what we showed at Milwaukee last year and Nashville, especially with my driver, we it was exciting. yeah yeah and It's the best racing out there.
00:50:39
Speaker
And I thought, guys, we maybe we need to relook at going to more ovals.
00:50:45
Speaker
You think? i thats I think that's a big thing. Yeah. I mean, when Pelot beat whoever he beat at the first turn last week, I said to my wife, I go, this race is over.
00:50:55
Speaker
It's over. So we're talking cost savings. If we go ovals, you don't have to put turn signals on those cars because everybody knows they're going left. You know you're going left the whole time. So Doug Bowles, I think, has done a hell of a job. Absolutely. I'm not close enough to know what or whatever, but, I mean, Link's talked about him before.
00:51:19
Speaker
but When I went through the museum, he was kind of in the back of the crowd showing people around, and I'm like, This dude's just a badass, man. Like, he seems to get what what what should happen. But you always see videos of him. you know, somebody catches him in a moment where he's interacting with some kids. I think last week I saw him doing push-ups with some kids in, like, the garage area. So I don't remember what it was last weekend. The dude's just life, and he I mean, he's just he just seems like that kind of likable guy in every element and like you mentioned about malukas being the same exactly the same guy camera no camera he's just that guy because i've seen video of him walking around speedway and just talking to people at their houses and some lady went up to him and kind of interrupted his i'm like i hate when people do that right just let him be in his crowd whatever but i get that's his role
00:52:12
Speaker
Just over the top, thanks, museums, great, whatever. he's like And she had two kids. He's like, ah glad you appreciate it. He's like, thank you for bringing the kids. Love to see the kids here. And like, well, shit.
00:52:24
Speaker
but I've had no interaction with this dude ever. I've heard you talk about Link, but I'm like... What a class act, man. And it seems sincere. It wasn't like, hey, it's a marketing. But I think he knows you're going to need those kids, right, in 10 years, in 20 years, and he wants those kids to bring their kids. And I think he's savvy enough. You think it's because the mom was hot?
00:52:47
Speaker
Well, it doesn't hurt, but I think he's savvy enough to know she wasn't that he wants to make sure that He gets it. The tradition. you see he tradition we We love it because we're from here. We grew up here.
00:53:02
Speaker
it's It's part of our lives. So did he, though. That's the thing. And I think that's why he gets it, though. Yeah. I think that's why. He's just he's a people's person, people's people, and just genuine. Is what he is. I mean, he's he's just like any of us. He's not a, hey, I am the president of the Motor Speedway and IndyCar. He's like, hey, I'm just here having fun.
00:53:29
Speaker
He's probably going, are you seriously? I'm getting paid? to do this exactly this shit's fun i mean he looks like he's having fun he's super genuine i don't know if there's a better job in the right in the whole world price honest with it bryce said it earlier uh he just real quick is he's saying at the track and away from the track right i mean i i saw that dude um ah waste management couple years ago know at the waste management open that's right by scottsdale You didn't yeah you didn't call me? I was there this year. I was there two years ago.
00:54:01
Speaker
So, yeah. Link bought boots. No, I actually i i saw him walking in the opposite direction. I walked up to him. I was like, hey, Doug Balls, how's it going? It's like, Link Holland. He goes, oh, my gosh, Link, how's it going? Like, literally sat and talked to me for about 15 seconds.
00:54:16
Speaker
And I just out of the blue. I'm like, yep, that's Doug. So, anyway, just good dude. So, yeah. Quick story about him down at St. Pete is I had this idea because I was purging at home and I thought, all right, I'll talk. I saw Doug. I go, okay, I'm going to steal his time for two minutes.
00:54:34
Speaker
And so we all all of us on this race teams have apparel, old jackets that we just have lining up our closets. Yep. And I said, i said, Doug, I said, you ever thought about doing coat drive at the Speedway with all our old racing jackets from, you know, from all the racing teams over the years? Now, obviously the ones that have tobacco on them, we can't do.
00:54:58
Speaker
And he goes, man, that's a great idea. I said, think about not just coats for kids, but we had a lot of homeless people in Indiana yeah that would need winter coats. You would not believe how many ABCs aj foy jackets i have which i wear once you know and i'm like what what am i doing with all these
Community Initiatives and Industry Challenges
00:55:16
Speaker
and i'm and i'm just the spotter i can't think of all the people that worked on teams for the last 20 30 years and he he said that's a great idea come see me in may let's let's work on that because really like that idea and he he wasn't just blowing me off he was like right that's that's a great idea you know
00:55:34
Speaker
and Again, that's about as far as my philanthropy goes. but It's something. yeah No, but again, it's one of those things where that's just how he is. sure right Sure. he He listens, and that's actually, me – that's actually to me The best thing about the Speedway right now is his involvement in any car and the Motor Speedway. He needs to be in a national commercial.
00:56:01
Speaker
He does. just For what? Just his enthusiasm for the Motor Speedway, the race, the whole nine yards. He he needs to be the face of...
00:56:14
Speaker
so what kind of I think that's, if for me, again, not knowing this guy at all, it seems like that's the beauty of it I don't think he must be the face anything. No, I think he does. I actually think he does. I think he wants to promote his drivers and stuff. He's a very good yeah so noy public speaker. I mean, Mike Krona is in his face. He's very good. i'm Very comfortable. Yeah, so ah Bryce, what... what have you heard anything or what could he do that, that he did for IMS?
00:56:46
Speaker
What can you do on the Indy car side um to help promote the series and and get, and get things rolling little bit faster? I would think we're in the infancy of that because he is still wearing two hats. Yes. And so I think in my opinion and a few others,
00:57:08
Speaker
He's probably, i don't know, seeing the landscape of what needs to be done yep and who's going to help yep and who who might be a cog in the wheel. ah It was nothing against Jay Fry. I like Jay Fry, too.
00:57:22
Speaker
Jay's a super nice guy. That's a great hire for Rahal. he ended up being a fall guy for probably things that were out of his control. ah And we still need, we keep hearing the promises of a third manufacturer, a third manufacturer.
00:57:37
Speaker
Well, you know, at some point it's crying wolf. It's like, well, we'll believe it when we see it. You know, it can't be another Lotus. um It just, that's what Toyota is a logical choice, right?
00:57:50
Speaker
Well, they, they, they were with us before and it was not correct. Correct. So, You know, you've got to be very careful on on the partner you pick. They have to be in it for the right reasons. They have to be in it like Chevy's in it and how Honda's in it.
00:58:03
Speaker
They have to coexist and say, okay, we're all going to have the same formula because let's face it, Honda and Chevy is about as competitive with each other and on equal playing field that we've had a long time.
00:58:18
Speaker
Personally, I would love to get Ford back, but I've heard that ship has long sailed. Kind of like a prom. You've got to be careful about the partner you pick. Yeah. You do. right You're right. Okay.
00:58:29
Speaker
Just checking. And if her chassis has ah if her chassis hasn't changed in 13 years, that's a keeper, actually. you I don't know if prom's that big a deal. No.
00:58:41
Speaker
Anyhow, go ahead. So Bryce, so if, if he went to like nine prom, if things continue with Santino, the way they have, and he's laboring, you know, you guys are still trying to figure it out. You're going to make the race.
00:58:56
Speaker
You're going to be in the 10th row. What's your strategy then? well, I mean, my strategy is the same, whether he's in the second row or 10th is just keeping him informed of, uh,
00:59:10
Speaker
Who's around him. ah We have a list of drivers that are, again. ah Blacklisted. ah so so We've talked about this before. Yeah, you have names, right? Let's be careful around them.
00:59:22
Speaker
I will tell you, that list is a lot smaller. That list is a lot smaller than years past. That's good, son. And there are some drivers that are that have improved tremendously.
00:59:33
Speaker
uh, from last year to this year, Kiffin Simpson's the big one. I mean, that kid is, he's really impressed Um, you know, and I like him it as an individual. I mean, he wouldn't know me from Adam except just talking as Santino spotter, but, uh, he's, you could just tell, and I'm pretty good friends with his spotter.
00:59:52
Speaker
And I told him, I said, Hey Mark, I go, He has impressed me this year. And he goes, yeah, he goes, me too. This is his first year with him. In what way has he impressed you? When you say that, in what way?
01:00:05
Speaker
Just his drive lines? Yes. His way he's been driving on track, awareness, ah not... He's not unpredictable. It seems as if he is driving as if he's becoming a veteran and not making stupid moves, uhu taking three or four people out.
01:00:24
Speaker
And I'm not saying he did that last year and he didn't. But what I'm saying is there are drivers out there that we would say, ah Hey, this number, we know what that person can be like. And, um,
01:00:36
Speaker
No, and again, he wasn't he was just a rookie last year, so that was that was our concern we had on ovals. But when it came to like what we've seen so far on road courses, mean, he's fast.
01:00:48
Speaker
So is ah i I don't remember if we talked about this before. Santino a big talker on the radio during races? No. No? Okay. He will... Or just all the pins.
01:00:59
Speaker
Yeah, he will respond... ah
01:01:04
Speaker
If something is going on on the track, he will say something, but he quickly moves forward. Excuse me. yeah He doesn't fester. Yeah, the hops definitely hops.
01:01:18
Speaker
That and a marble red. What'd you say? Hey, and there's a pap flight now. Good news, fellas.
01:01:29
Speaker
Marlboro Reds are the better tire, right? Yeah. That's what it is. That's what it is. But they go fast. They go fast, but only for short time. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. They fall off quick. Then they start talking like Nina Blackwood. Yeah, you do. Wow.
01:01:46
Speaker
Wow, Nina Blackwood. Hey, changing the subject just a little bit. Oh, to hockey playoffs? Nope. NBA. What's Jacob Abel looking like? I know he's towards the the end of the pack a little bit in the IndyCar points right now. but He's a top rookie.
01:02:05
Speaker
Is he a top rookie now? He's a top rookie, isn't he? He's like top three. he really? I think so. only ask him because I was at Total Wine a couple weeks ago, and he was there signing autograph. had no flipping clue who he was. I'd look him up. Okay, he's running his car...
01:02:21
Speaker
his his car has got the throwback to the spin and win the mvd the miller genuine draft sullivan car i i agree however but that that was again bryce at the earlier promotion it's no i agree most agreed it's got the miller light on the side and it's a dark ball mill graph but yeah So it whatever it is, it makes nothing like hard sell. understand, but that was how they promoted it as a throwback to that because that was 40 years ago this year. Isn't that crazy to think it was 40 years ago? Yeah, it really is. Yes, it is.
01:03:01
Speaker
ah yeah he i was telling some spotters where I was sitting for that spin, and ah I was with another Ben Davis alum, Kyle Moody. and he was He and I went to the race and we sat in the seats right in between turn one and two on the inside.
01:03:20
Speaker
and I remember him going really slow thinking, What the hell? He was almost in the lead. Why is he going slow? Right. yeah We didn't have any videos back then. Crazy. Absolutely. 40 years. Yeah. south So anyhow, that the that was a South Terrace, by the way.
01:03:37
Speaker
Back to your original question. I still don't know the stands. I do. I a ticket all the way. I don't know the stands. Link used to put stamps on your tickets. Heck yeah, i used to lick your stamps, Bryce. He is a stamp licker.
01:03:51
Speaker
So what we what was your question about Jacob, A. Hang on, that's what killed him? What was that? ah like I killed Costanza's wife. looking Oh, yes, he did. Yes, he did. see The stamps, the cheap stamps that he picked out. yeah And that's why Tom doesn't eat sushi, by the way.
01:04:09
Speaker
No, because I saw him at Total Wine. That's all. I was just asking him because of that. So he did have ah Miller Lite cases of Miller Lite. That was my first thought was. Because nobody drinks Miller Genuine Draft looked over. And I thought they were giving away samples because it's, you know, total wine, and everything.
01:04:26
Speaker
And I go, wait, there's Miller Lite cases sitting on the desk over there. There's no flipping away. They're giving away sample samples of Miller Lite. So I just kept staring over there looking. I was like,
01:04:39
Speaker
ah You know what? I think he's an IndyCar driver. i and i Like I said, I had to pull my phone out, and I was scrolling up and down the drivers going, who the freak is this guy? So anyway, but he i talked to him for about five minutes. He he seemed like good dude.
01:04:55
Speaker
He's struggled so far this year. who's Who's the kid that bought the ride on Arrow McLaren? ah Nolan Siegel? Yes. His dad's a billionaire. ah That's what I hear. Okay.
01:05:08
Speaker
Do you want to comment on him? It doesn't sound like he does. know Was he on that submarine that went? yeah Oh, yeah. So i I heard he raced for Jay Howard in the lower series. Is that correct? Say that again. He what? He raced for Jay Howard in the f two thousand or wherever the lower series are. Yeah. Nolan, wouldn't put him.
01:05:33
Speaker
in the category as like a ride buyer that isn't talented. He's got talent and he will, he will show that in the next couple of years. Okay. You look, you look at who his teammates are though. I mean, you got Pat O'Ward and Christian Lungard are, there's their law. When it comes to Nolan's experience, they're, they've got a many years on him.
01:05:55
Speaker
So yeah. Um, I mean, this is going to be a growing growing pain year for him. He's the third car, and quite honestly, that sixth car hasn't been good. If you think about who's been in in the past, it really hasn't been that successful.
01:06:11
Speaker
So, um no, he'll be fine. but Actually, the person that's been impressing me the most of the young drivers is Louis Foster. Really? he's the He's the one that's leading of the points of the rookies.
01:06:22
Speaker
Really? ah he's Yeah. he's In fact, I would say Rahal better sign him to a long-term deal. Because somebody else is going to come snatch him up? I would think so. If he can show that he can be fast on ovals, because that's that's what happens. You get some of these kids that come in ah you know, that grown up in Europe, even though he was the the lights champion.
01:06:44
Speaker
You come in, still call it Indy Lights. I'm always call it Indy Lights. Yeah, sure. Yeah, NXT Lights. Worst three time ever. No, but so you look at that and say, okay, here's a kid that is already fast and Graham probably doesn't have but a few more years, i would think.
01:07:02
Speaker
And Devlin brings money to the table. Louie would be the guy and on that team, in my opinion. So how how many races are in the season? 15, 16, 14? 17. 17 or 18. Okay. And follow-up question, how many ovals?
01:07:19
Speaker
Because we talked about ovals earlier. Indy, Iowa, Milwaukee. was saying less than half. We got five ovals. There were two of them. Five out of 17.
01:07:31
Speaker
Two are Iowa. is In a series that was tour in iowa started as an oval series. It used to be the other way around. ah great yeah I mean, out ah out of 15, 16, 18 races, it used to be five road courses. Six of the 17. Oh, by the way, you guys, they did, I don't know if you heard this, they they moved the St. Louis race to Sunday night.
01:07:53
Speaker
Oh, I saw that today. Yeah, so it's going to be um under the lights. Oh, Thank God, because that'll make, speaking of tires, that'll make for a better show. Oh, yeah.
01:08:03
Speaker
Cool it off. and Yeah, that's that's the other thing, too, is you've got a sponsor out there in Bomberito who's like a, um who's our big who's the big Indiana car dealer.
01:08:17
Speaker
Skillman. yeah Yeah. And he's in dealerships or like a Hendrick cars down in North Carolina. Yep. Right. Bob Marito is that guy. Yeah. St. Louis.
01:08:28
Speaker
yeah st louis Yeah. And so he is so big into that race and you're thinking, guys, we need to do everything we can ah keep him involved in sponsoring that, that race.
01:08:41
Speaker
And, you know, if you move that to a Sunday afternoon, and mean, that could kill it. And thank God they decided to move it to the night because I think that'll be a good show. Well, as an IndyCar fan, I know you've got no voice in the matter, but we need to see more ovals. The the road course racing is okay.
01:09:02
Speaker
Let's have Doug Bowles on next week. Yeah. He won't be busy, I don't think. We'll meet him out of the track in the second turn. He can wander over to McCray. Let's talk to him when I'm nine beers deep on car day. The series this series he does need more oval races.
01:09:19
Speaker
That's what Americans like. We we we do not like road course races, street course races. Long Beach is Long Beach. I get that. But oval racing in any car, to me, is where it's at.
01:09:35
Speaker
ah can Can I change this here for a second? We have to find those tracks. and Where are they? yeah I was going to ask that question. Let's build one. and Let's build one in Haulville.
01:09:47
Speaker
Pocono, Milwaukee, Indy, Iowa, Texas. Why not? Too flat? it just Personally, that was the hardest track I've ever spotted.
01:09:59
Speaker
Straightaway is so long. Anyway, it's it's anyway I mean, my driver would do it because my driver would race anything, che anywhere. Sure. I like it. Some of these young guys would just freak out. Shit their pants.
01:10:13
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. You know, you're coming down to turn two, and every every turn is different. You know, every turn, you know, i think, what is it? Turn one but supposed to be like Trenton. Turn two was Langhorne. And then turn three was supposed to be like Indy. Good call. I think.
01:10:30
Speaker
i that's touching my memory yeah but it that and then when you had a horrendous crash at paralyzed wickens and then the crash the very next year and we weren't getting any fans there none and it's like all right guys what are we doing uh i would prefer us to if kentucky is still open i'd say man what let's look at going back to kentucky really kentucky was a good little race Yeah, I mean.
01:10:56
Speaker
we went to that, too. Yep. Kansas. Is Kansas still open? i Well, but but here's the issue with that. If you go to any track that's owned by IFC, yeah we're gonna have the IndyCar would have to rent it. Yeah. And then who's going to promote it? The money involved. Yeah. yeah i'm I'm sure there's That's the problem with Phoenix.
01:11:14
Speaker
up Really? Yeah. Yeah, IFC owns it. And when IndyCar raced out there, IndyCar had to rent the facility. So who's going to promote it? Well, IFC's not because they're like, we got our money.
01:11:26
Speaker
you It was an open weekend. So, you know, you're going to have to staff, you know, a team to come out here and promote this race.
Sports Diversions and Anecdotes
01:11:34
Speaker
right, so i I'm going non-hockey question or non-racing question here. I think it's a hockey question. It is a hockey question. Or it could be a Pacer question, right? So we we we don't watch the NBA, but the Pacers are doing ridiculous stuff in playoffs again. right The hockey playoffs have been ah the best I remember.
01:11:57
Speaker
See you, Jeff. Thanks for coming down. Tell your mom I said hi. well The hockey playoffs have been the best I've remembered in the last few years for sure. So, Bryce, when you're not consumed with racing, are you watching a little Pacers, a little hockey, little everything? Or where are you at for your sports if it's not racing? Or is it just all racing right now?
01:12:18
Speaker
Well, a lot of it is racing. There's no doubt about it. But NHL playoff hockey, to me, it doesn't get any better. i don't really – it's sad that, I could probably name four Pacers, but they're an exciting team to watch.
01:12:32
Speaker
And in the past, I could name every Pacer, what college they went to, you know who who they got traded for. yeah you know Why does Granville Waiters look like he's 95 years old? yeah Absolutely. Hey, Granville Waiters, driver wow. So I learned this. we're feast you know Go ahead. Yeah, I learned ah i learned this stat.
01:12:54
Speaker
So the the Pacers game two were down seven points against Cavaliers with 56 seconds left, give or take, right? Sure. um In the last 1,600 NBA games, when a team under two minutes left has been down seven points, don't know.
01:13:15
Speaker
or more three teams in those 1600 games have won and the Pacers did it twice within a 10 day span maybe a 7 day span that's amazing yeah it's crazy is that all games or is that playoffs all games all games all all game games the last 1600 games where that scenario was intact so now it's happened 5 times the Pacers have 2 of those yeah in the last 7 days 7 days part or whatever that's crazy yeah Hey, Bryce, at Dawson's, did you get the milk jug with the beer in it?
01:13:47
Speaker
I did. That's funny. Good job. Good job. and I'm a sucker for that, man. I gave it to one of the ladies there that was sitting behind us, and she that's just one more thing I'd have to carry home.
01:14:01
Speaker
ah so Oh, the lady or the milk jug? Hold on. Hold Clarification. I'll bet it was you. Okay. She's putting the carry on?
01:14:14
Speaker
i mean, I could probably carry her, but the cane would be too much. Oh, no, you'd get the express pass. yeah Sure. You'd get somebody to wheel you. the yeah that's ah That's a gift, it? downtown.
01:14:32
Speaker
that's downtown has him too yeah She should have given you a kiss. I thought that was just a Main Street thing. yeah Where downtown has them? Everywhere? I have no idea. You're just making shit up. Same as downtown. eighteen bucks a is downtown i mean At least a Right?
01:14:51
Speaker
Huh? It's his sorry. What he meant to say is at least the hand job. um thought hands shot ah um don't look at me like that jeff don't even try it that's what he meant just get on with it gi joe with the kung fu grip anyway the best commercial holding it like jim courier i'm like what are we doing here top wow top spin holy goodness anyway that is a great that is a great tennis reference right there that's a great one oh i'm as random as they get you guys have no idea
01:15:31
Speaker
You know what's really funny, though? I will tell you guys this, but especially during the yellow. If there was ever a recording of what the spotters talk about, and we would have to at least you know make sure that it doesn't offend everybody.
01:15:44
Speaker
We cover every subject from movies, ah pop culture, ah just you name it. ah Stroker ace references. I mean, that always comes up. Stroker ace. Wow. wow That's hilarious.
01:15:59
Speaker
Yeah. If you guys ever sit down below us at one of the practice sessions, just yell at me. And yeah, we'll we'll come down and say hi. all right, so I'm going to give you a creeper moment here that Jeff confessed to before we started.
01:16:14
Speaker
Oh, boy. He tried to zoom in on you to take a picture of you today. Yes, and I i screwed it up. No, no. I saw all the spotters up there the top of the Southwest Vista. But he only wanted one. Yes. That's turn one. So, don't know, it looked like 40 you.
01:16:31
Speaker
That was a hell of a grab. That was a hell of a snag. Nobody else saw that. That was a sidebar. Yeah, sidebar.
01:16:41
Speaker
yeah So i I zoomed in on you guys up there, and I thought I'd push the button to take a picture, but obviously I didn't. and then and then my And then he went to the trough after he took the picture. the trough And then Kyle Larson walked right below me.
01:16:58
Speaker
Pat O'O'Ward, we were in those suites. Pat O'O'Ward walked right below us. I go, who's Pat O'O'Ward? Remember the the billboard? Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. and He looked up at me and he's like...
Promoting Driver Personalities and Upcoming Events
01:17:12
Speaker
award it was pretty cool yeah oh so he got the joke yeah he got the joke that's pretty cool he uh he is so good for the sport we we that's the other thing too you're talking about growing the sport is just keep promoting these people right yeah you know they gotta they gotta promote the characters uh and there are a number of them too uh yeah that is hilarious They got to go a little more wwe WWE with some of that promotion, though.
01:17:41
Speaker
There's no villain, is there? got a little trouble doing that last year. Oh, really? Oops. Our driver had a little comment in Detroit that got us almost put in the penalty box.
01:17:52
Speaker
Oh, okay.
01:17:55
Speaker
Referencing two guys that are good for friends. at Lincoln Tom? He listens to this podcast? Wow, that's awesome.
01:18:07
Speaker
Yeah, so. yeah you know But you're right. It's one of those things where you've got to promote yeah promote these guys. And yeah we'll see where it goes.
01:18:18
Speaker
All right. it's So, Bryce, you haven't left to go to the bathroom yet, so that's good on you. so how do we know of How do you know? Anyway. but He didn't hear any running water background. just saying, I know.
01:18:31
Speaker
Yeah. yeah Well, that's because you've just got to hit the back. Yeah. ah Got it.
01:18:38
Speaker
That is a good life lesson right there. Anybody that's worked from home understands that. but yeah it is true true yeah All right, so we've got a couple weeks left. Going to have a race here pretty soon. It's going to be exciting.
01:18:57
Speaker
Looking forward to having you back. um Hopefully we can get you in person. That'd be fun. After the race. Either after the race or next week as you ah you're getting into it. so As you're celebrating the... Send me where next Wednesday, Dan. I'll be leaving next...
01:19:14
Speaker
So what's the race on Sunday, obviously? Right. I'm here all through Monday. Then we fly back to Phoenix ah for my full-time real work for three days. And I'm off to Detroit on Thursday.
01:19:26
Speaker
Wow. Your job is fast. That turnaround is that quick. So we're going to be most likely at a house in Speedway. Next Wednesday. Oh, let's do this. So it'll be convenient for you.
01:19:37
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, we're definitely doing this. All right. Then we're going to cook out and be awesome to meet. oh yeah. We may not find horse cock brats, but we'll find some brats. I'll have some apparel for you guys again. All right. That works, too. Yeah.
01:19:48
Speaker
Sounds good. Thanks, Bryce. Bryce, it's always great to
Joke of the Week and Conclusion
01:19:51
Speaker
talk to you. Thanks. But you can't leave yet because it's now time. for what here we have called the ever popular part of the show joke of the week joke joke suffer through this part from the windows
01:20:20
Speaker
All right. In Utah. need to be here in person next week just to see all that happen. the gyrations are... Yeah. Yeah. Gyrations look like Jeff took a picture of you and actually did take you to the trough. To the window to the trough. To say the least.
01:20:38
Speaker
In Utah. Oh. What we learned last week, this joke is in central Utah. Oh, okay. That makes a difference. Northern and southern. Southern. We're southern Utah. suffer Different rules. Episode of the Noven. Keeping with the driving theme, why can't Helen Keller in central Utah, southern, northern, she probably can, but in central Utah, why can't Helen Keller drive a car?
01:21:08
Speaker
Thoughts? Aside from the obvious? For one, her seeing-eyed dog can't run that fast. For two... might be on something in there. that Can i hear the joke again? guy. yeah He kept out for a good mile or two. Every week.
01:21:30
Speaker
this guy Poor little fella. The big cat has listened to a year's worth of podcasts in the two weeks since he started his job. He's like, and at some point, like, why do you have to repeat?
01:21:43
Speaker
ah Because Joke the Week's newer, right? Yes. Why do you have to repeat it 19 times? joe fast oh Because all dead. So in central Utah, why can't Helen Keller drive a car? I'm sticking with my initial answer. Yep.
01:21:56
Speaker
I can't run that fast. I have no clue. I thought you would go with She's Dead. Well... I actually thought that's where you would go. ah There's that. Because She's a woman.
01:22:08
Speaker
Oh my gosh. Wow. That just happened. Where's my Uber? ah Again, Bryce. He just fucking left! Hey, can I add one?
01:22:21
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. What do you got? Hey, stop. Stop the music. Hold on. Hold on. Yeah. Can I add a Helen Keller joke? Absolutely. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. You can. just Make it a long one. second joke of the week. I have guys. I mean, come on.
01:22:36
Speaker
I love it. Well, it's kind of sad, but, you know, she had a seeing eye dog that actually ran in front of a car and killed itself. You know why? I can't imagine. She would, too, if your name was Blayette. Blayette.
01:22:53
Speaker
Wow. I i don't even know what just happened there, but anyhow, that's a solid form of success, Bryce.
01:23:05
Speaker
I can't wait to see you in person next week. The dog thought. The dog with a dog. Hey, don't worry. There's, yeah. The dog thought. She said, no, run across the street is what the dog thought he heard. No animals were harmed in joke of the week. No, not at all.
01:23:21
Speaker
It's a solid four beer thoughts. Every single week we do the same thing, no matter whether you... you like it yeah We're going to come back. Send us an email. fourol beers gmail dot com Don't forget if you check us out on the socials. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. All those good things. Like, follow, subscribe. and Until next week, I am Tom.
01:23:47
Speaker
What the? i'm I'm Link O' Ward. George George McGinnis. Bryce, are you anybody special? I don't know. Ernie McCracken. There you go.
01:24:03
Speaker
Good
01:24:06
Speaker
What the frick? You survived another episode. Send us an email at foursolidbeers at gmail.com for show ideas and input. Until next week, cheers.