Dinner with Racers

Jack Hewitt is unlike any other in the sport, which is probably for the better? A dirt track legend, Jack has no shortage of accolades in different dirt track categories, including winning the famed Triple Crown and being the first to win all four categories in one night at the Four Crown Nationals. He’s probably most know, however, for his mouth. You’ll have to listen to understand Dinner was ser...

Again, do we need to describe Helio Castroneves. The most recent inductee to the famed Indianapolis 500 four-timers club, Helio is one of the true legends of IndyCar and racing as a whole, not just for his winning on-track, but his inviting personality off of it. We also learn it’s 100% real, and he gets to a level of candidness we honestly hadn’t expected. Lunch was served at Canoe in Atlanta, GA...

Again, do we need to describe Helio Castroneves. The most recent inductee to the famed Indianapolis 500 four-timers club, Helio is one of the true legends of IndyCar and racing as a whole, not just for his winning on-track, but his inviting personality off of it. We also learn it’s 100% real, and he gets to a level of candidness we honestly hadn’t expected. Lunch was served at Canoe in Atlanta, GA...

It’s Ken Schrader, do we really need to explain? This guy has literally driven, and won, in just about everything. Beginning in the midwest short track scene, he won big in USAC before pursuing a career in NASCAR, where he drove for such legends as Elmo Langley, The Wood Brothers, and of course Hendrick Motorsports. Even in his 70’s, “Kenny” is still at it today racing what seems like 100 times a...

If you like winners, like his boss Chip, then you’ll like Chris Simmons. A stronger driver in his own right throughout the junior open wheel and USAC ranks, Chris Simmons successfully transitioned from a promising open wheel driving talent to one of the best engineers in the history of the sport, having worked with a number of drivers like Tony Kanaan, Paul Tracy, and Dan Wheldon to winning about...

One of the most legendary engineers in INDYCAR, Michael Cannon has endured a nearly 40-year career as a driver, mechanic, engineer, most notably working with a number of legendary teams including Forsythe Racing, Dale Coyne and Chip Ganassi Racing, and drivers like AJ Allmendinger, Patrick Carpentier, Alex Palou, Scott Dixon and more. Dinner was served at Tegry Bistro in Indianapolis, IN with the...

The reigning 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, Alex Palou has burst on to the American open wheel scene as a major force, beating all of the legends including his own teammate in Scott Dixon. Hailing from Catalonia, Alex’s career has been anything but linear and traditional, growing up with modest means and crossing the European and Japanese ranks to get here. Lunch was served at Juniper on Main i...

The first-ever guest we’ve travelled back to re-visit! If you want the origins of Justin Marks, travel back to Episode 46. This episode is about the insane changes of Justin’s career since meeting in 2016, where beyond climbing some of highest mountains in the world, he’s also started a NASCAR Cup team, aligned with a major celebrity musician, and bought out the legendary Chip Ganassi Racing. Dinn...

The first-ever guest we’ve travelled back to re-visit! If you want the origins of Justin Marks, travel back to Episode 46. This episode is about the insane changes of Justin’s career since meeting in 2016, where beyond climbing some of highest mountains in the world, he’s also started a NASCAR Cup team, aligned with a major celebrity musician, and bought out the legendary Chip Ganassi Racing. Dinn...

When it comes to breaking barriers in racing, Deb Williams is one of the true unsung heroes of the sport. Having performed nearly every media function possible in the sport, from acting as a reporter for a wire service, writing for numerous stock car and road racing magazines, television, and even working in the PR department for Penske, Deb has been awarded numerous accolades along the way, and b...

While Corey LaJoie is a driver from a family of racers, including a father who won the Xfinity championship, Corey LaJoie’s story is very much his own. From winning nearly everything in the Junior ranks to effectively being unemployed, the peaks and valleys of Corey’s career has led him to a current position of hunger and thankfulness, which he elaborates in his own podcast, “Stacking Pennies.” Lu...

It’s hard to grasp that in just a two-decade career, AJ Allmendinger has gone from dominating everything in the American junior open wheel ranks, to a dominant force in ChampCar, to an eventual NASCAR winner who eventually won at the Brickyard and nearly the Xfinity Championship. AJ’s had a crazy ride of a career, with no shortage of peaks and valleys and he shares it all. Dinner was served at On...

It’s hard to grasp that in just a two-decade career, AJ Allmendinger has gone from dominating everything in the American junior open wheel ranks, to a dominant force in ChampCar, to an eventual NASCAR winner who eventually won at the Brickyard and nearly the Xfinity Championship. AJ’s had a crazy ride of a career, with no shortage of peaks and valleys and he shares it all. Dinner was served at On...

Chances are if you’re listening to this you already who know who Will Power is, but you may not know the “real” Will Power. One of the most dominant figures in INDYCAR competition for nearly 15 years, Will is an Indianapolis 500 champion, an INDYCAR Series champion, but more importantly he’s one of the most unique characters in the sport. In this two-parter we cover it all, from his on-track succe...

Chances are if you’re listening to this you already who know who Will Power is, but you may not know the “real” Will Power. One of the most dominant figures in INDYCAR competition for nearly 15 years, Will is an Indianapolis 500 champion, an INDYCAR Series champion, but more importantly he’s one of the most unique characters in the sport. In this two-parter we cover it all, from his on-track succe...

If a word could define Daniel Suarez, it would be perseverance. Growing up with modest means in Monterrey, Mexico, the idea of being a top-level NASCAR Cup series was as far fetched as it could be, yet Daniel’s talent and tenacity has elevated him to going from a kid who first moved to the US without knowing English, to a NASCAR Xfinity champion, and now with the very competitive upstart Trackhous...

Born in New Zealand and growing up in Australia, Scott McLaughlin made his name as the absolute stud of the Australian V8 Supercar series, but in 2021 made the bold move to come to the United States with a rare opportunity to drive in IndyCar with Team Penske. A champion in nearly everything he’s driven, the multi-time SuperCar winner is now the IndyCar rookie-of-the-year, who, thanks to marrying...

Tim Keene is one of the most iconic behind-the-scenes people in the sport of road racing and open-wheel, and his success is only matched by his mouth. Working through a number of crew and manager roles in the sport, Tim has worked with Chip Ganassi Racing, Panoz, Meyer, Shank and now finds his home with the reigning IMSA champions at Action Express Racing. The guy has stories and opinions unmatche...

Jon Ikeda is a great one for us because he’s the boss’s boss’s boss at Acura. His current title is Brand Officer, but he’s more of a designer than a manager, but most importantly, he’s a racer. Yeah, he’s the boss, but we only chose to sit with him because he’s a character and a great storyteller and sheds a lot of light on just how it all works. Dinner was served at Saint & Second in Long Bea...

Eric Foss is a classic journeyman driver who has gone from amateur racer to coach to now one of the staples of the touring and production ranks of current sportscar racing. Having won in nearly everything he’s competed in, Eric is a champion of the IMSA Pilot Challenge ranks and one of the most universally respected people in the paddock. Lunch was served at Fred’s Texas Cafe in Fort Worth, Texas,...

Felipe Nasr is one of the modern greats of road racing, and his legend is only growing. A native of Brazil, Felipe found huge success in European junior racing, including winning the British F3 championship before moving on to Formula One. He scored a top-five on his debut. He’s since gone on to become one of the greats in IMSA prototype ranks, winning his second championship this year on top of w...

Michael Printup is the current President of Watkins Glen International, but his history as one of the sport’s most dynamic track developers is long heralded. A staple of NASCAR and the former ISC family, Michael has developed race tracks ranging from California to Michigan, including one of the craziest stories on a development project in Staten Island, NY. Dinner was served at the Blue Pointe Gri...

Butch Leitzinger is a legend of the sportscar scene, having driven for some of the most historic programs in the 1990s and 2000s, including the Nissan GTU, the Bentley LMP, and most notably, Dyson Racing’s famed series of programs. Affable and very easy to get along with, Butch’s success at events like Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring, and beyond have made him a respected veteran of the sport and a heck...

Tommy Milner is a second-generation racer who has become a staple of American sportscar racing, most notably as part of Corvette Racing’s program. The son of Tom Milner, who has come up several times in our podcast, Tommy broke out of his family shadow by racing for some of the most prestigious brands in the sport, including BMW, Panoz, and eventually Corvette, where he’s gone on to win the 24 Hou...

Jeroen Bleekemolen has become a staple of GT racing around the world; there’s virtually never a weekend where he isn’t driving something…somewhere. It’s because he’s good. Born and living in the Netherlands, Jeroen is a Le Mans winner, an IMSA champion, and was even a national hero when driving for the famed Dutch A1GP program. Breakfast was served at Donna’s Restaurant in Corning, NY, with the so...