170 - Street Supremacy - Kyle Kirkwood Picks Up His Second Long Beach Grand Prix
Conor Daly had a rough showing at the Long Beach Grand Prix, and he is back on Speed Street to join co-host Chase Holden and break down what happened. After struggling in qualifying, Conor and the 76-Juncos Hollinger Team had an error in their fuel calculations during the early stages of the race, which Conor explains took him out of competition due to having to reduce speed to save fuel. He also outlines some of the mechanical changes the team was making to help get him more comfortable behind the wheel, but ultimately it was a difficult race day. Despite a record turnout for the historic race, IndyCar is once again in the headlines for the wrong reason: poor television ratings. Conor and Chase dig into the problem that has plagued the series in recent years and ponder solutions that can help put the series’ fantastic racing product in front of more viewers.Race winner Kyle Kirkwood joins the show to chat about Andretti Global’s success on street courses and how he was able to stay ahead of series point leader Alex Palou after the last pit cycle. The moment of the race was when Kyle managed to run competitive lap times on cold tires to keep ahead of the charging Palou, who made things interesting in the closing laps. The guys talk about the confidence Kyle will carry forward to Barber and the Indy GP with a win under his belt and how he hopes to close the points gap between him and Palou. Kyle explains how he hopes to improve on ovals this year and how he’s learned to love that form of racing in recent times. The conversation also touches on the electric environment in Long Beach and looks ahead to the open Indianapolis 500 test.
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1:17:43
169 - Spin and Win - IndyCar Legend Danny Sullivan Recounts His Historic Career
It’s finally Long Beach Grand Prix week, and Conor Daly has a brand new livery just in time for the famed event. He joins co-host Chase Holden to chat about the Mannkind-sponsored Juncos Hollinger 76 entry he’ll be piloting this weekend, as well as what listeners should expect to see when IndyCar hits the track. The race has been lengthened to 90 laps this season, which Conor explains will unlock new opportunities for strategy. Drivers and teams will also be dealing with a similar tire selection to the St. Pete season opener, which showed favorable results. The guys make their podium picks for the race and chat about the other latest news around the IndyCar paddock.In celebration of the 40th anniversary of his 1985 Indianapolis 500 victory, IndyCar legend Danny Sullivan joins the program. He fills listeners in on his journey from Louisville, Kentucky to the famous Jim Russell Driving School in England, which sent him on the path of formula racing. After a brief stint in Formula One in 1983, Danny would return Stateside and take his place in the CART paddock. In 1985, Danny completed the famous “spin and win” at the Brickyard, which has become one of the most iconic moments in the history of the race. He chats with Conor and Chase about what life was like on the grid back then and what the victory did for his life and career.
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1:14:01
168 - Flow State - Marcus Armstrong Discusses the Mental and Physical Sides of Being an IndyCar Driver
Conor Daly participated in an IndyCar hybrid test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course this past week. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss the results from the test and how the added weight of the new hybrid system seems to affect the balance of the car less at this track than others. The guys also weigh in on the social media discourse regarding IndyCar’s Thermal broadcast ratings and Conor gives insight into recent conversations he had with representatives from Fox Sports.Marcus Armstrong joins the show to chat about his new team experience with Meyer Shank Racing and how it is difficult to break the must-win mentality and take solace in having strong runs towards the front. He and Conor discuss their training for the IndyCar season this year and Marcus tells listeners about his ability to plank for long periods of time. The guys look ahead to Long Beach, chat about getting into a flow state behind the wheel of a race car and methods for introducing Formula One fans to IndyCar racing.
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1:32:16
167 - Grade A Beef - Scott McLaughlin Comes to Terms with His Rough Day at Thermal
The IndyCar Series had a great battle at Thermal Club, and Conor Daly brought home a respectable 16th place finish. He joins co-host Chase Holden to discuss the event in Southern California and how things panned out for the number-76 Juncos Hollinger team. Conor explains the difficulties around tire choices and gambles that didn’t play out as expected. They also discuss the Fox broadcast technical difficulties and the numerous hybrid issues experienced on the grid throughout the weekend.The hot topic of the race was Scott McLaughlin’s altercation with Devlin DeFrancesco, and Scott joins the show to unpack what he considers the worst weekend in his IndyCar career. He gives his take of the incident and lets listeners know how everything was resolved after the cameras went dark. The guys look at ahead to Long Beach and Scott weighs in on how he and the Penske-3 team expect to bounce back and begin to chip away at Alex Palou’s points lead.
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1:13:29
166 - Round Two - Conor Daly and Chase Holden Look Ahead to Thermal Club
It’s finally race week again and the Speed Street podcast is here to tell you everything you need to know for this upcoming IndyCar weekend at Thermal Club. Conor Daly and Chase Holden discuss the uncertainty of the tire package and how it will hold up to the increased weight of the hybrid system, which was not in use at last year’s $1 Million Challenge exhibition event. Conor explains that based on what we’ve seen from the track and the season opener at St. Pete, Alex Palou is still the driver to beat. The guys also chat about the recent test at Barber, this past weekend’s Formula One season opener and make some podium picks for Thermal Club.
Speed Street is a weekly show featuring IndyCar driver Conor Daly & motorsport content creator Chase Holden talking about the latest the auto racing world, IndyCar, and life on and off the track.