Tonight on the first Trackside of 2023, Kevin Lee and Curt Cavin jump into discussion about the upcoming season with the first race two months away and spring training in just one month. Kevin and Curt discuss some rumors and news from Chip Ganassi Racing and if the team might be preparing for Alex Palou to vacate a seat in 2024. Then, the conversation turns to what full time seats are still open for 2023, as well as the Indianapolis 500. Kevin throws out a handful of names that could be candidates for those job openings. Specifically, Kevin and Curt discuss where Takuma Sato will end up for the 500. For the first quarter of the show, the discussion continues on potential drivers for open seats.
Then, Kevin and Curt remember the late Ken Block, a rally driver and YouTuber, who died at the age of 55 in a snowmobile accident on Monday. Trackside then turns to what’s coming in 2023, specifically what’s going on with the docuseries coming ahead of the Indy 500 and Kevin’s role in the production. The first hour wraps up with some 2023 by the numbers.
To kick off hour two, Ed Carpenter Racing’s Conor Daly joins the program to kick off the new year. Kevin, Curt and Conor discuss Daly’s podcast – Speed Street – with Joey Mulinaro and what Conor has learned about doing a show and speaking into a microphone. Then the conversation turns to the popularity of IndyCar vs. Formula 1 and the work that can be done to grow the IndyCar audience in Indiana and the midwest. Conor then details what he knows about the upcoming docuseries and what he knows about the content. Are drivers going to be willing to pull back the curtain for the audience? Conor says he hopes so, because the sport doesn’t have a choice. The conversation ends with marketing the series, on-track testing ahead of the season at the Thermal Club, Ed Carpenter Racing, the 2023 driver lineup and Ken Block.
After over half an hour with Conor, Kevin and Curt wrap up the show with some reflection on their conversation with Daly, the docuseries and other motorsports news of the day.
