Tonight, on Trackside, we have a new race on the calendar! IndyCar will be headed to Arlington, Texas, for a street race. Curt and Kevin talk about what the layout may look like, and if Texas Motor Speedway will ever return to the IndyCar schedule. They talk about the partnership between IMS, the Texas Rangers, and the Dallas Cowboys. Kevin poses the question about whether they are adding a race or taking away a race already on the schedule. They also touch on the Michael Jordan/NASCAR lawsuit.
Later, Kevin answers questions about usernames, an announcement for Mexico City perhaps joining the schedule, and where Thermal will fall during the calendar. They talk about the promo budget for races, and contractual obligations to promote races. They also talk about Michael Andretti stepping down from his leadership role at Andretti, and the press release he put out explaining why he stepped down. They also talk about Nolan Siegal retaking his rookie orientation again, as he did not qualify for the 500 last year.
To round out the first hour, Kevin previews the next hour and previews the Petit Le Mans IMSA race.
In the second hour of the show, Sam Schmidt joins the show with Curt to talk about the Conquer Paralysis Now headquarters opening in Indianapolis. Schmidt talks about the importance of the new building, and how paralysis healthcare has changed since Schmidt’s crash. He talks about how the program bridges the gap between the hospital and full recovery. He also talks about the charter system and becoming a grandpa. He also talks about the emotions he felt watching Pato lose the lead during the 500 on the last lap.
Later, Hunter McElrea joins the show to talk about his first IMSA win, and his time in INDY NXT. He tells Kevin about the upcoming Petit Le Mans race, and he describes what it’s like to drive an LMP2 car. He compares the weight to other cars, and talks about how LMP2 cars are similar in speed to an INDY NXT car, but in different areas.
To end the show, Kevin normally recaps what we missed, but for once, we haven’t missed anything!