Join Dan the Road Trip Guy as he explores the adventures, memories, and life lessons of diverse guests from all walks of life. This podcast goes beyond the road to celebrate the journey of life by uncovering stories of passion, resilience, and the pursuit of happiness. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or simply love a good story, Dan the Road Trip Guy will leave you inspired and ready to embrace your own adventures. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
I hope you enjoy the episodes. You can find me at https://www.dannyneal.com.
Racing bonds friendships in unexpected ways. For years, my friend Jeff Zurcher and I have shared our Indianapolis 500 experiences through hundreds of text messages, creating our own personal commentary regardless of where we're watching from. After this year's 109th running, we finally sat down to capture that friendship and passion in podcast form.
This post-race conversation takes you through the complete Indy 500 experience—from the unseasonably cool 63-degree weather and sellout crowd of 300,000+ fans to the historic performances that defined this year's race. We dissect Team Penske's qualifying drama that sent defending champion Josef Newgarden to the back row, rookie Robert Schwartzman's incredible pole position (the first rookie pole-sitter since 1983), and the strategic fuel management that ultimately crowned Alex Palou as a first-time winner.
Beyond the competition itself, we reflect on what makes the Indianapolis 500 truly special—the emotional military tributes, the pageantry, and the sense of American tradition that permeates the entire event. Whether you're a dedicated racing enthusiast or simply curious about the world's largest single-day sporting event, our conversation captures both the technical details and the emotional resonance of this legendary race. Join us for this intimate glimpse into the friendship and passion that the Greatest Spectacle in Racing continues to inspire year after year.
Welcome to Dan the Road Trip Guy. I'm your host, dan, and each week we'll embark on a new adventure, discovering memories and life lessons of our incredible guests, from everyday travelers to thrill seekers and everyone in between. This podcast is your front row seat to inspiring stories of passion, resilience and the pursuit of happiness. So buckle up and enjoy the ride. Today it's my good friend, jeff Zerker and I.
Speaker 1:
We have never watched the Indianapolis 500 together, but that has not stopped us from continual texting during the race, no matter where each one of us was at. We literally text hundreds of messages back and forth during the race, with our own commentating on the race, and this year was no different. In the past we've done a pre-race show to talk about the upcoming race, and sometimes the reception is just not good if I'm at the Speedway. So this year we decided we'll do a post-race show when each of us was sitting in our own studios, and that's what you got. Coming at you Just a few minutes with me and my good friend Jeff Zerker as we talk about the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Speaker 1:
I hope you enjoy this conversation between two friends who just love the Indianapolis 500. Well, we typically do a pre-race show. My good friend Jeff Zerker and I have done it a few years in a row, but today we decided let's do a post-race show, number one, because it's very difficult to get a cell connection. I was in Indianapolis, jeff was back here in lovely Cincinnati. So how are you doing, jeff?
Speaker 2:
Hey, good afternoon Dan. A lot better weather today, memorial Day, than it was yesterday. Certainly. I know you took some rain and some cold there at the track.
Speaker 1:
We were not dressed appropriately for the day, but we got through it.
Speaker 2:
We were watching the broadcast on TV, of course, and they were showing fans with not necessarily winter coats, but certainly fall attire, and my son, cale, asked me, dad, is it cold there? And I said, well, it's cold enough. They were showing a temperature of 63 degrees and a track temperature to start about 72, which caused some issues early on the sun.
Speaker 1:
The sun never came out and the wind was. The wind continued to blow and then we get outside. We're walking back to our car and we both my wife and I looked at each other and it was like there's no wind now.
Speaker 2:
Somehow it gets down into the 300,000 people in circles around that track.
Speaker 1:
I'll tell you it was a. It was a packed place, that's for sure. Yeah, I'll tell you it was a.
Speaker 2:
It was a packed place, that's for sure yeah, I believe they said it was the first sellout in I don't know 2009, 2010. Yeah, something wrong, but it's. It's, yeah, the first time in a long time.
Speaker 1:
So there were a lot of people there, for sure. Well, let's talk about uh, you know, leading up to this race, last week's qualifying, when we saw three Penske cars actually in the top 12, but then some drama occurred, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:
I mean, especially with the two-time defending champ getting moved to the back row. Will Power as well, another notable name. But yeah, you know Penske. I was reading some articles leading up to the race and you know people, of course different conspiracy theories with him, with his position at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway now, but man, I tell you, the cars availed themselves well and I saw that Penske fired a lot of executives that were supposed to be overseeing that kind of thing. I think he fired him last week before the race.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, he did, and you know it's a shame because most of those folks have been with him a long time and I don't know did that little modification. But as you and I know you know tenths of seconds are a big deal at that race.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, especially where you start from right. And that was the big news, especially if Newgarden could have finished, I mean, even if he wouldn't have won. But just the number of places gained, I think was almost a record. Uh, at one point uh, perhaps it was it was near tied to the record they're talking about on the TV broadcast.
Speaker 1:
So he ran a he ran a good race and then he had that mechanical issue in the pits, which, from where you were sitting right Pit row, you saw, uh, an inordinate amount of action on pit road we saw quite a bit, yeah, right in front of us just about and, uh, you know, leading up to the race, mclaughlin was also in the top 12, but he crashed his car in morning practice before, uh, qualifying yeah, I mean then you know, just to going from what I've listened, saw and heard on tv, the track was cold and and he's trying to break in the tires and do the swerving and just hit a cold spot or something, maybe a little, even moisture perhaps.
Speaker 2:
Man, it was sad to see and he was definitely distraught. You feel so bad, not just for the driver but the whole team. I think that's what a lot of people who maybe don't follow racing don't think about is all the people involved in getting that car onto the track.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and this is not a weekend event. This starts in early May after the Grand Prix and then they go through enormous practice time and then it comes down to qualifying. Qualifying is a little different today. I was looking back at an old schedule, I think from 95, and how much practice you know. Pole day was the first Saturday and that set the pole and then everything else started happening after that. It's a little bit different today.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, a little bit different, and nobody driving. You know we had Helio in the race as kind of the grandfather, but nobody driving back in 1995 is certainly driving now, speaking of new guys, robert Schwartzman, the first rookie on the pole since Teo Fabi, I think, in 1983. That was exciting for him. I know he didn't finish like he wanted to, but it was neat to see a rookie on the pole again.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that was great to see and that's a new team. Had a rookie rookie team on the pole this year.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and interesting, His, his ethnicity is Israeli Russian, so you don't you don't see too many Israeli Russian guys in in open wheel. So, uh, really really interesting storyline for him Of course.
Speaker 1:
Then you had, uh the veteran, uh veteran, Takuma Sato, sitting in the middle of the row, 48 years old, and ended up leading the most laps. I just looked it up a moment ago, but then unfortunately overshot his pit stall.
Speaker 2:
Which we again, you know you're, you saw a lot of that and, I think, the cold conditions. A lot of guys said that brakes were just locked up or gone and slid through and hit, hit the wall or, you know, overshot stops and that was a problem.
Speaker 1:
something on the brakes and it starts smoking and I thought wow, he's, he's done before we even start.
Speaker 2:
Right, I think you know he advantageous for him was McLaughlin causing the yellow right so they didn't have to start running hard. And they, they said it was a left rear caliper that they, they changed out and yeah, so that kind of ruined his day of having to change out a caliper.
Speaker 1:
But kudos to the team that they got it changed, got him back out.
Speaker 2:
I think this year too. He just passed, looking at some of the notes from the race Pat's AJ Foyt's record 20 consecutive races in his number.
Speaker 1:
Well, and the other was he now has 408 IndyCar starts, not Indy 500s, but IndyCar starts which just passed, the legend Mario Andretti, who had a 407.
Speaker 2:
Oh, wow, okay, yeah, I mean I think there was some cool history made yesterday, even aside from the winner of the poll, helio, trying to find that stat I was reading about. Um well, he had the fastest lap, which that's kind of interesting. And then, uh, you know, fourth place all time and starts with 25, with Foyt being 35 and Mario 29 and Alan Sir senior 27. And uh, the one other piece of history, helio. He completed the race, the full race, for the 19th time and that's a record. And check this out, dan, he's run 25 Indy 500s. How many times do you think he's finished the race? Do you have any idea?
Speaker 1:
You know, I don't know. I'm assuming you've looked it up.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it's not something I have in memory, but 23 out of 25 races he has logged the full go. Wow, that's a testament, obviously, to him as a driver, but, as we were talking about earlier, the team, yeah, that's an amazing stat. That might be one that will last for a while.
Speaker 1:
He still has just this fire, this passion. I watched a reel on him showing off his motorhome and it was just like, oh my gosh, he's selling everybody on a motorhome, just showing off all the details of it.
Speaker 2:
I'd still like to see him get number five. That would be well-deserved.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that place would go crazy.
Speaker 2:
I was going to say another veteran who we like, Ed Carpenter and his team, was running really well the cars on his team for a period, was running really well on the cars on his team for a period, but he's now driven almost 10,000 laps in the 9,975, which is fifth place. All time he surpassed Tony Kanaan at this race, so good to see Ed doing well. And another Hoosier, Connor Daly, had a good run there for a while too.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, connor, there, uh, for a while too. Yeah, connor. And then you know, david malukas, uh, another, uh young american who got, he got injured early last year and so he lost his ride with arrow, and this year he got, uh, he got on with with aj and uh, he ran a really strong race. So that was good to see.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, let's talk about your friend Stingray Rob for a minute.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, Stingray.
Speaker 2:
Unfortunate circumstance.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you know, it was like we couldn't see that crash. It went past us. But it looks like watching the replay that Kyle Larson, who's a NASCAR driver and was trying to do the double by going Indy 500 and then doing the NASCAR 600 in Charlotte but it looked like you saw it and you texted me what happened. But he downshifted in the corner, lost it, just hit. Kiffin Simpson took. Kiffin out and then Stingray tried to avoid, went up high and got in the marbles and just came down and hit the barrier.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and then he got out and stood up on his car and basically raised his hands, his, stood up on his car and basically raised his hands, uh, in exasperation. Basically, you know what are you doing, Kyle Larson, but I, you know very, very measured interview. Uh, later on, when they talked to him and he had mentioned to you know, they just didn't sweep it quite high enough. They would have swept it a little bit higher, he might have been able to stay in it, but man, it just shows you those high speeds. You have a slight touch and it'll do it to you.
Speaker 1:
You know for him and Kiffin just wrong place, wrong time, right, yep, yeah. But yeah, I texted his family I said hey, great interview he gave, didn't place any blame and he's just a fine young man. So hopefully he had a great finish at Long Beach, so Knight.
Speaker 2:
Well, and you know, got to lead the 500 last year and I think last year was the record for number of race leaders, if my memory served me correct, and I think this year there was what 13 or 14 guys up front at different times. This year there was what 13 or 14 guys up front at different times with Hunter, ray and Sato I think were the top lapers yesterday.
Speaker 1:
But then we see Alex Pillow. He's won five of six races this year.
Speaker 2:
This young guy is just hard to beat. Well, and the thing yesterday, you know, and you and I were texting about this, it was, you know, what's his, what's his fuel strategy going to be down the end, toward the end. Erickson, of course he got bumped, uh, with the post post race inspection down to the end. But you know, erickson was great on fuel, great on tires and, and alex was questionable on fuel and questionable on tires. But uh, man, once he got the word from the engineer and from the team, he just he went right around Erickson and I think those two cars that were lapped down really helped him extend his fuel where it didn't have any worries, towards towards the end there. So it was great to see him win and you, you called it, you said there's going to be a first time winner this year and certainly fun to see him win.
Speaker 1:
Well, it was clear, you know you're looking at. Well, of course Erickson's won, and so I'm looking at that list and I'm going oh man, there's got to be a first timer here and I was really happy to see that. It was great to see. Well, now AJ's car has moved to second place. You mentioned the penalty against Erickson, which is a shame.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, Well, and another guy who just has been so consistent these last four or five years, pato award, uh up to third and uh, you know he's gotta be. He's going to be breaking through, I think, in a victory here the next couple of years. It seems he's poised for that.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and he is a fan favorite. You could just sense it the races we've been to, people just love him and he's. He's got the energy of like elio uh, who just gets people excited.
Speaker 2:
Oh, and aj had another car in fifth with uh uh faroochi, yeah, yeah, good to see, yep, and of course, ganassi winning. And uh, I saw a stat. I think it was his sixth team win and second all-time behind Penske with 20 maybe. Yeah, long way to go, yeah, but hey, I think it's fun to see. You know you don't want to call a Ganassi team underdog by any stretch, but you know it seems like lately when a Penske car doesn't win, it's kind of a unique situation here.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, for sure, and you know I was telling you, uh, I found myself a bit emotional yesterday and you know it's just an emotional race, uh, not just the auto race, but just the. I call it kind of the tribute to America, the tribute to our veterans, uh tribute to those who have given their lives, but boy it it. It was, uh seemed like it was who have given their lives, but boy it seemed like it was just bigger than I had seen in the past.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it was neat to see on TV and I'm sure even better in person the helicopters there going around the pace lap. That was really cool. That was not something I've ever seen before.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that was very cool. We sat in stand A, which we'd never sat there. We said they're great seats, especially if the sun was out and just baking you because it's covered. But one of the things we missed was couldn't really see those helicopters. You know you could see them, but you couldn't see them. And then my wife loves it when the fighter jets fly over and we really couldn't see them until they made their second pass over and they flew right behind our head. That was pretty cool.
Speaker 2:
Well, another year in the book. Yeah, Cell phone connection much better now than the times we tried to do it when you're inside IMS.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
Always a lot of fun. I mean, I'm looking forward to maybe going again next year, but it's just about as fun to watch it on the big screen here and text you and give each other feedback and ask questions. What did you see? Were they showing on TV? What did you see live?
Speaker 1:
I know that was fun, fun experience. Yeah, I'm sure we had a few hundred texts going back and forth.
Speaker 2:
My phone actually died at one point, so I wasn't paying attention.
Speaker 1:
If you don't go to the race next year, maybe we should at least go to qualifying or practice or something, just to hang out there.
Speaker 2:
We'll do it. We can still text one another even though we're sitting next to each other.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, for sure. Well, it's always a pleasure, Jeff, to do this and appreciate it.
Speaker 2:
Yep, hey, hoosier Boy is one of my favorite days of the year, so it's always good.
Speaker 1:
Yep 364 days and we'll do it again.
Speaker 2:
All right, my friend. All right, buddy, take care. All right, bye-bye.
Speaker 1:
Thank you for tuning in to Dan the road trip guy. I hope you enjoyed our journey today and the stories that were shared. If you have any thoughts or questions or stories of your own, I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out to me anytime. Don't forget to share this podcast with your friends and family and help us to spread the joy of road trips and great conversations. Until next time, keep driving, keep exploring and keep having those amazing conversations. Safe travels and remember you can find me on the internet at dantheroadtripguycom.
