It's Not the Car

What makes a special place special? Wonderful people? Beautiful scenery? How you keep going back for more in the face of terrible odds? Some tracks are more than just tracks, and Wisconsin's Elkhart Lake—Road America—is far more than meets the eye. This show’s format rotates every episode, because squirrel. We call this format "Sam Rambles About a Thing." Related Trivia: Ross has opi...

Answer: The blowy thing goes WHOOSH and the invisible gas that keeps us all alive goes WHEEE and the racey thing stays put. And later, if you have done the math right, you maybe drive around in circles better than everyone! Alternate, more grown-up answer: physics and stuff. This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. This week's approach is called “Jeff Teaches Sam a Thing.” Jeff kno...

It’s another “No Dumb Questions!” You email us to ask, we sit down to answer. There are no dumb questions, but there might be some dumb answers. Today’s focus is . . . going faster with data and friends! Many race teams use data feeds to help their drivers improve. (Examples: brake pressure; speed over time; the four-dimensional thermocouple plot that lets Toto Wolff know just how far down to unbu...

“It will never have enough . . . until I can spin the wheels at the end of the straightaway in high gear.” A man named Mark said that. Mark engineered and drove race cars. In the early 1970s, he was handed a barely drivable, 700-hp Porsche. Because Mark had a brain the size of a planet, he made the car a blisteringly fast, 1500-horse dollbaby. It was so good, in fact, that it killed a prestigious...

There are so many answers to this: A favorite color. Human legs. An enjoyment of oxygen. But chiefly—this is the fun part—you can coach yourself to be better. Great, you say: How? We’re glad you asked! Ross is a professional performance coach—he helps race drivers get faster. And many of them, pro and amateur alike, have asked how they can improve when he’s not around. So we give you a primer! Thi...

And other things! Step right up to hear about work life at one of the world’s strangest day jobs! Do we share secrets on this episode? Do some of them involve Sam giggling at the wheel of a NASCAR Cup car at Road America, or Ross curb-jumping minivans at Thunderhill with Black Sabbath blasting from the speakers? Will this episode’s description be all questions, or will it actually have something t...

It’s the return of “No Dumb Questions!” You email us to ask, we sit down to answer. There are no dumb questions, but there might be some dumb answers. Today’s focus is . . . rain driving!  How do you adjust your mindset to be quick in the wet? What does Jeff do in the rain that many race engineers don’t? What does any of this have to do with the time Sam rode down a rally stage at speed with Ken B...

Sixty-nine years ago, two Englishmen entered an open-road race known for killing people. Ten hours later, they had seen nearly 1000 miles of Italy, left fourth-gear jumps four wheels up, and spent heaps of time at 170 mph. All in a car with no safety belts, no roof, and an engine borrowed from Formula 1. And they won. What does that look like through a modern lens besides . . . absolutely bonkers?...

What do Formula 1, NASCAR, IMSA, and countless moms of teenagers have in common? Answer: They all know *exactly* what’s going on in that dark room but have decided to stay out of it. This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. This week's approach is called “Jeff Teaches Sam a Thing.” Jeff knows a lot about a subject—in this case, the insanely expensive “driver in the loop” racing sim...

In the early 1990s, McLaren built the last great analog supercar. It wasn't supposed to be a race car, but they took it to Le Mans and won anyway. Why do we care? Sam and Ross have each driven a McLaren F1 on track. The same one, in fact—a factory-backed GTR that finished eighth at Le Mans in 1996. They loved it, but who wouldn't? Why does a machine like that make such a dent on people? Th...

Like Lionel Richie, the French do it all night long—on public roads, at more than 200 mph, every June. Why is the 24 Hours of Le Mans one of the greatest things on earth? The reasons are endless. And we’ve raced in it! (Well, Ross and Jeff have.) This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. Last week was our monthly centerpiece, where we dive into an epic moment from racing's past. Thi...

Drama, science, and 200-mph dogfights: The world’s most famous race is so much more than three hours of left turns. Sam, Ross, and Jeff use the story of Alexander Rossi’s landmark 2016 Indy 500 win—he coasted over the line with an empty tank—to highlight everything that makes the 500 great. Related Trivia: Jeff has engineered cars at Indy. Ross nearly died there in 1993. Sam once stood inches from...