CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 15, 2025

JACK HARVEY, driver of the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold with Cusick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Content Days in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Press Conference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: Continuing on this morning, great to be joined by Jack Harvey, this year driver of the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Chevrolet in his ninth year being associated in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and he’ll compete in the Indy 500 with the team later this year.

Just 130 days away from the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. We talked to you when the announcement was made, but how is the transition going to Dreyer & Reinbold? You’re at the shop a lot I’m assuming.

JACK HARVEY: Yeah, live in Indianapolis. I get to the shop a lot. It’s been a very easy transition. Obviously I’ve never worked with these guys and girls before, but everything that you hear about them is always very positive. What a great working environment that they provide everybody.

I’ve got to say, it’s absolutely true, their reputation is more than warranted and justified, and that transition has been so easy.

Q. What has impressed you in the last couple years about the program they’ve had for the 500?

JACK HARVEY: I mean, just generally how competitive they are. They always come and everything always looks really well prepared. Obviously they’ve always been very fast. Then you go to the race shop and it’s exactly the same way.

This is just the standard of racing that everybody at Dreyer & Reinbold hold themselves to, and they might only be in the 500 right now, but it’s a team that operates as high a level as I’ve been a part of. So whether they did the whole season or just one race, you just know that they have a basic standard they hold themselves to, and I feel very lucky to be a part of a program like that.

They’re just really nice people, as well. Dennis’ passion for the track extends to even how his race shop is esthetically, how it looks, having the old garages from Indy and whatnot.

So when you go to the track and see them be successful, it’s just through a lot of hard work and effort and passion for the track. Brett and Chase have been great to work with, as well. That kind of makes up their hierarchy there. It’s been a fantastic time so far, and we haven’t even turned a lap yet.

Q. If you can elaborate a little bit on Dennis, his background. It’s like he grew up at the 500 with the history, the heritage of that family, and just to have a guy that loves it that much in a team ownership position, even though you can’t do all the races all the schedule, he’s still full speed ahead for the 500.

JACK HARVEY: Yeah, honestly, it’s really cool when you go to the shop, just the amount of memorabilia, genuine memorabilia that he has. I don’t want to get in trouble because I don’t know how much of it is meant to be had and how much he promotes, but there are some really cool things there.

So then when you see how he runs his race team and also his car dealerships and everything, Dennis clearly just has a standard that he holds himself to, which is really cool.

But then when you see his passion for the speedway and then you start talking to him about just the events that I’ve been a part of and what he remembers and then how far back that knowledge goes. I mean, Dennis in his heart really is just a huge race fan, as well, and a huge advocate for the Indy 500 and really a lot of things in Indiana.

When you’re around somebody who has that much passion, it’s a thing that rubs off on you. Then you want to keep matching his enthusiasm and his effort level. I think that’s why they have a successful team is Dennis as a person and the way he goes about motor racing is an elevator because you don’t want to be the person not pulling your weight.

Obviously they’ve had a fantastic INDYCAR team for a long time, and I think with Ryan this year, as well, coming to do — is this his third race with Dreyer, I think? Having him stay on and have that continuity, it’s something that’s new for me, a new team. First time working with Chevy, but having Ryan there as that steady anchor point I think is going to be really good.

I’m hopeful that we have a really strong month of May because there’s a lot of effort that goes into it, and it really all just comes back down to Dennis’ passion for the Indy 500.

Q. Ryan was another thing I wanted to ask you about. He’s an Nico owe had a great career as a full time driver, former Indy 500 winner, class act. Just to have him as a teammate, how important is that to you?

JACK HARVEY: Well, I actually luckily have been teammates with Ryan before in the past when we were with MSR and the partnership they had with Andretti. I actually have done more 500s with Ryan as a teammate than I haven’t before.

I would say what’s going to be different about this coming year is perhaps it’s a bit more intimate. It’s just the two of us, whereas before it’s been a part of a very large team. I’m going to be leaning on him a little bit more, a little bit closer.

But he’s always been very open with his feedback, very happy to try and help, because at the end of the day he knows that helping me is also going to be pushing him, which helps just elevate the entire team, and ultimately that’s what we’re here to do as a single race entrant, I guess.

In some ways it’s an advantage I would say having that singular focus, and in other ways it’s a bit of a disadvantage perhaps.

The more that we can just work together and push each other along in a good way, just kind of the better really. When you look at what Ryan has achieved, there’s really nothing that he hasn’t. I think I said it when the announcement happened, I don’t have a set here’s what I do at Indy because I haven’t won.

He has won the Indy 500. He knows exactly what it takes. He knows what a successful month looks like, what the buildup can look like, when you’re in a good place, when you’ve got to do, and just having a teammate with that level of experience is always a good thing.

Q. These last two years, your 2024 season with Dale Coyne Racing and this year with Dreyer & Reinbold, very polar opposites in what you are spending all off-season focusing on. This year the sole focus is the 500. How different has this off-season and your mental approach been to this season where you’ve got essentially three hours of racing ahead of you that you’re training 365 days for?

JACK HARVEY: I mean, really it all came back down to a couple of conversations that I had with our primary sponsor, Invest, you know, just kind of throughout the year when we were starting to prepare for 2025. The decision to go racing for me isn’t entirely mine.

I have to be collaborative with people I’m working with, what are your objectives, what are your goals, and how can we basically bring these together so that everybody is happy. Not doing the 500 last year, at the start of the season we were just grateful to be racing. I think that gratitude has always got to be a primary feeling and one that you keep very high up your list all the time and very at surface.

That being said, when you are there in May and you’re on the starting grid but you’re not driving, not just for me but also for our partners and our sponsors, that was a bit of — that was a bad moment, really. It was a great moment but it was a bad moment that we weren’t going to be actually in the race.

I think it really just hit home to everybody how important doing Indy was. We’d had a few different conversations with people, and the reality was what budgets are now being required for the seats that were available at the time wasn’t going to be something that was achievable for us, and instead of trying to do another program that was a little bit pulled from numerous places to try and come together, I think we all collectively just felt that if there was a seat open at Dreyer, it was going to be the one that we pushed the hardest for because of that singular effort and focus that they’re renowned for having at Indy.

It was really just a case of a simple phrase of, is this coming season, is less more? I think in this moment it’s slightly less racing, but I think outside of my time at MSR, it’s probably the best opportunity that I’m going into Indy having. Certainly I really believe that.

Hopefully it comes to fruition.

But number one, I’m always grateful to be racing. I wouldn’t be here without some really great partners like Invest who are going to be our primary, so if they said, hey, we’re going to do all the street circuits, then I’m in. I just want to be in the car. Just want to be driving. But it really did center around the 500.

Q. You’ve been with two teams in the past, MSR won the 500 when you were with them, RLL had won a couple of years before. This Dreyer & Reinbold team has won — it’s been running just the 500 for a little while, but year after year they are constantly right around the top 10. Ryan put the car in the Fast 12 last year which was an impressive feat. I know it’s early days and you haven’t been in the car with them yet, but what do you take from this team, and does it feel like one that can seriously challenge for a 500 win one of these days?

JACK HARVEY: For sure. I think that’s the biggest thing when I went and met with Dennis, straightaway he wanted to see what my passion was for winning. I wanted to see what his was for winning, because obviously you see these people and you have a lot of respect for them as competitors but we hadn’t met in person or spent a lot of time together.

Our first conversation was just very good in the sense of we just were aligned on everything that you’d want to be aligned on. Some of the guys that go full time say just focusing on Indy is an advantage. I have no idea if it is or it isn’t. I think you could make a strong case either way that there’s aspects that that singular focus probably does free up some time and resources to focus on it.

That being said, us getting where people are St. Pete after testing and get into a rhythm with their engineers and stuff like that, clearly that’s not the case for us. That being said, they do employ a lot of people all year-round, so that car group of people are working together every day with a focus of winning the Indy 500, which one of my favorite things about Indy really is if it’s your year, it can happen for anybody.

First thing is make the race. After that, try and be on the lead lap. If you’re doing all those things and you’re in the right position and it’s your time, then I feel like anybody can win the 500. That being said, that’s something that’s easy to say, but in my heart, I really do believe, especially with Dreyer, if the opportunity comes up to win, that they are a team that is capable of winning.

That’s why in the end we felt like they were such a great place to be. Yes, I think we could feasibly go and at least know that that team is capable of it.

Q. You were on the coaching side of things last year at the 500. I was just interested, have you taken away anything from that sort of coaching side, taking that step back, which you can take into this year?

JACK HARVEY: Yeah, actually you get to see from not the driver’s seat, the flow of how a month can go, and obviously more so was working a little bit with Katherine. We were teammates at Rahal together, so I already knew Katherine.

Nolan was getting support some other ways.

But to go and just offer some experience of what good and bad months have looked like for me and pass it to them but also when you are one step removed it was wild how little pressure I felt during May which was something I’ve never had before, which really gave you just a bit more capacity to observe, things that were good, things that were bad.

At the end of the day it’s not the position I would choose to be in, but I really felt like I learnt a lot. I made the most of it and certainly will be bringing things — I will try to bring things forward into this coming May that I learnt last year for sure.

It was just a simple case of no matter what team I’m in, I want to do my part. I want to contribute. Last year at the 500 it was trying to help the guys and girls just do the best they can, and coming forward I’ll try and do the same just with new things that I’ve learnt.

Q. I know your focus is obviously on the 500 this year, but Dennis has said the team could be looking at going full time maybe as soon as 2027. Whether in a driving role or not, is it something you’d like to support the team and be involved in?

JACK HARVEY: Oh, for sure, absolutely. We already have chatted about that, not in an intense way or a way that would lock anybody up together, but from just purely if this project went ahead the way we all hope it might, it’s big time a project I’d like to be involved in for sure.

Q. You’ve had a very unique journey coming into INDYCAR racing with several different teams, and obviously you’ve mentioned that you learned a lot over those seasons that you’ve been here. Talk to me about how you’re planning to maximize the performance of the car, especially compared to preparing for a complete season, just for you as a driver?

JACK HARVEY: I’ve had very good teammates the whole time that I’ve been in INDYCAR racing really. What I’ve learnt really, you always should ask the question. I think the best environment I’ve been in is one where you can leave your ego at the door and really just immerse yourself with the team, with the engineers, and just ask. Ask as much as you can.

In terms of this isn’t the first time that May has been our first race. My first Indy 500 that was the only race we had sorted for that year. However, at this point — it’s not my first 500. I think this is actually going to be No. 8 for me. I think it gives you — you understand what it means on both sides of — a good and a bad month, what that can look like.

I don’t know if there’s any one thing that really I’m approaching it with other than a super open mind. Happy to have lots of conversations, will ask lots of questions, and will leave my ego at the door, because ultimately all I want to do is put myself in a position to compete the best we can.

Obviously if winning is on the cards we’ll go for it no matter what it takes, and if it was the final lap we’ll do whatever it takes to try and win. But I think it’s more so just the mindset of just complete openness and willingness to learn, and that’s probably my biggest thing heading into 2025 in general.

Q. Are you planning on being on call for some of the races just like Conor was last season?

JACK HARVEY: Well, I live in America all year-round, so it kind of makes sense to have my helmet available. I’m not targeting anything really before May. That was kind of one thing that me and Dennis had chatted about. If something pops up, then really it’s his call. I don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize the 500 program.

But absolutely ready in case something should happen or someone calls to do it. We haven’t got the rest of our 2025 sorted yet. There’s some things that we’ve been obviously working on and trying to put together that isn’t just driving.

Obviously the season starts somewhat soon, so that’s everybody’s timeline to get things sorted. But as far as just being ready and available, the 500 will be my first focus and my primary focus. After that, if someone wants to put me in a car, then that would be probably pretty groovy. We’ll wait and see what happens.

Obviously I don’t wish it on people, and having been someone that’s not finished the season we were meant to, we obviously won’t seek that out, but we’ll be willing and ready if someone approaches me about it.

Q. Is it a rumor that you want to be a pit reporter and you and Ryan were going to do that?

JACK HARVEY: I did hear that rumor.

Q. Is it something you’re interested in?

JACK HARVEY: Yeah, I’ve been pretty vocal about it I think a couple times that I think that’s a very — I think what FOX are doing right now is very cool. I came in yesterday to see part of content day before we got here, and I think it looks absolutely fantastic. I’ve said that I’d like to do it. Whether it comes together is not really in my hands.

Yeah, I think it would be fun. Ultimately it comes back to this. In my heart first and foremost I’m a race fan, and I absolutely love living in America. I love the INDYCAR paddock. If I could drive, then obviously that would be my very primary desire, but if this was a way to still be in this environment and in this industry and in this community, then I wouldn’t see it as a plan B or a — maybe a sidestep, but I would see it as something I would throw myself into and try and do the very best that I could because I love being here and everyone has made me feel very welcome the whole time, and I think I could contribute something kind of insightful to it.

But if it comes together, that would be fantastic, and if not, then I hope it’s a really fantastic presentation because this series deserves to have the eyeballs on it. It’s the best series in the world. It’s definitely the most competitive series in the world.

Either way, I’m a fan. I think INDYCAR really deserves to have this level of exposure.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 15, 2025

ED CARPENTER, driver of the No. 33 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, met with the media at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Content Days in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Press Conference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: Joined now by Ed Carpenter, who is obviously back driving the No. 33 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, beginning his 23rd year in the series, looking ahead to qualify for what I believe is his 22nd Indianapolis 500 this coming May.

Obviously the team has got some changes, as well. A lot to talk about this morning. Good morning to you. Just your thoughts on kind of a new look team for Ed Carpenter Racing.

ED CARPENTER: Yeah, it’s been a busy off-season welcoming in a new ownership partner and a new driver to the team, a returning driver to the team. We’ve talked about it at the shop, in a lot of ways it feels like 2012 just because there’s so much new, and some changes but also a lot of the same.

Anytime you bring a new group of people in — we haven’t had this much newness since we started the team back in 2012. It’s been an active off-season.

Q. How would you describe all of this? Is it kind of revitalizing it?

ED CARPENTER: Yeah, to me it’s exciting. It’s gone really well up to this point. A lot of enthusiasm, I think especially within the team. Hopefully that will carry over to external and results and everything else. Yeah, just really looking forward to 2025.

Q. Any good Rossi stories yet?

ED CARPENTER: We’ll save them.

Q. It used to be a struggle business-wise to get a sponsor. Now you’re getting ownership partners wanting to get involved in INDYCAR teams. That’s got to be a great sign from a business standpoint. How do you see the growth of that being so positive?

ED CARPENTER: I think there’s a lot of factors. I think all of us in this room and that have been in this sport have been feeling the momentum in the paddock build over the past couple of years.

I think the charter system plays a role in that. I think the FOX announcement plays a role in that. It just feels like the whole thing is picking up steam.

It’s a really fun and exciting time to be a part of this sport.

Q. I asked Alex this question yesterday. With Ted coming in, sponsorship that he’s brought along with his ownership role, can you go into as much as you can just some of the things that that coming in allows you to do that you just weren’t able to do or couldn’t do or chose not to do to make the most financial sense for the team the last couple years?

ED CARPENTER: You know, I think Ted, he’s a very smart and successful guy. He’s built a business from nothing to what it is today, which is very impressive. He and his entire organization, they’re an asset to us, especially on the business side of things, that’s expanded our operation and creating new opportunities and resources that we haven’t had.

Then as we shift that towards the on-track product, I think it’s just allowing us to maybe move a little quicker, make decisions a little earlier, and be slightly more aggressive in what we’re trying to do to accomplish our goals of winning races, winning the 500, and being a contender in the championship.

Q. From a staffing perspective, you mentioned doing a bunch of hiring at the level you haven’t done in quite some time, if ever. Do you know off the top of your head how many new people you’ve brought in this off-season or how much bigger this team is than it was six, seven, eight months ago?

ED CARPENTER: I mean, it’s not really that much — it’s not as much change as you would think. We’ve added a couple people in engineering, and we’ve added one up front, which there will be another hopefully soon.

But then there’s the addition of just some of the shared resources and capabilities that they have within his business.

When you roll into the shop, it has a very similar look to last year. I would just say it’s more just adding layers to capabilities.

Q. The rebrand that you guys announced this week, I know you explained a little bit of it in the release, but why did you guys feel like that was something you wanted to do to kind of change the image and the story?

ED CARPENTER: It’s something I had thought about even before we went through a bit of an ownership addition. But it just seemed like a good time to do it, to reinvent ourselves isn’t the right word, but just to take the next step as an organization.

I think we want to send the message that we want to be better and stronger, and obviously changing the logo doesn’t do that, but it is part of the process, and sending the message internally and externally that we’re doing things a little different than how we have in the past.

So just one piece of the puzzle that hopefully will go successful over the course of the year.

Q. You said in the past that the addition of Ted and the new partnership sort of came about through the charter system. Are there other benefits to the charter system that we’re going to see down the road or is it just giving someone value that wants to come in and partner with the team?

ED CARPENTER: Yeah, I think there’s things that we already feel like that. It’s making people want to be involved because there are — it’s limited now, where it wasn’t before. So I think that creates value and demand.

I think as the series continues to grow and becomes more valuable as a whole, it’s just going to expand on how charters are viewed. But it’s hard to say where it’ll go, but I haven’t seen any negatives from my perspective thus far. I think the process, it was long, but in the end it was done right and went well. I think it’s been a positive.

Q. You’ve got a couple consumer-facing sponsors now. I know you’ve had both the B-to-B stuff and the consumer facing. How important to the series is it to have a little bit more on the consumer-facing sponsorship side?

ED CARPENTER: Yeah, I think that’s really exciting. It’s something that we haven’t seen at a high level in our sport in a long time, so to be able to have some of the brands that we’re representing, especially around the Splenda brand, it’s something that pretty much everyone knows. Everyone knows what the yellow packet is and means.

From there, I think some of the opportunities that we’ll be able to see and develop, just the amount of shelves that they’re on and how we eventually are able to use that not only for our team but for the series, there’s some really exciting opportunities there that are — yeah, they’re going to be good for ECR, but as it develops and matures, it’s good for everybody, and even seeing the Andretti announcement yesterday, the more, the better.

We obviously want to be successful on the business side of things and on track, but the more success our rivals and peers have, it’s good for everybody. It’s great to see announcements coming out like that.

Q. Alex mentioned yesterday about this really being kind of a long-term project in his eyes, and in light of some of the changes you’ve had as a team, what is your vision maybe not only this year but further down the road, and do you feel this maybe alters the potential that you have as a team?

ED CARPENTER: What projects were you talking about?

Q. Alex just said yesterday that he views this as a long-term project at Ed Carpenter Racing. Do you think the changes you’ve had this off-season alter the potential you have?

ED CARPENTER: I hope so. Anytime you’re out signing drivers or re-signing drivers, we have to sell ourselves and what our vision is for the future. Alex and I have had a relationship for a while now. We were pilots together. But this is now a different relationship. But I think he bought into what we’re doing. I think he’s felt pretty comfortable within our organization from the first time he visited the building.

I think so far we’re off to a really good start, and hopefully it’ll be the start of us getting back to kind of the success that we had in the earlier days of our team. There’s a lot of effort going into it. We haven’t been happy with the ultimate results that we’ve gotten over the past couple of years, so we couldn’t just keep doing the same thing.

Q. There’s kind of been a lot of talk about a possible new car for 2027. I’d just like to get your take both as kind of a veteran driver and now a team owner, what do you think INDYCAR needs to do and needs to have from a new car, if that is to come in 2027?

ED CARPENTER: You know, I think that’s a hard question to fully answer. First off, we’ve had this car a long time. I’ve been around long enough that we thought we had the previous generation car a long time, and this one has gone on further. It’s definitely time for something new.

The other part of that is our racing over the past handful of years, especially at Indianapolis, is really strong. I think it’s critical that we don’t make any mistakes in the new car process that get us away from the style of racing we have right now because I think it’s the best product in the world.

But it does need a bit of a refresh and a reset to make sure we’re staying in front of technology and everything else. It’s something that needs to happen. But we’re all still learning a lot about it. We’ve seen some of the preliminary stuff, but even what we’ve seen, I think, is still not near a finished product.

We’re all excited to see how this project develops, as well, which I’m sure we’ll see more and more as we get into this year.

Q. Obviously you are stepping back to only running the Indy 500 this year. What do you feel made this the right time to step down your commitments a little bit on the driving side?

ED CARPENTER: Yeah, I think as I get older and the team matures and has challenges and opportunities, it was getting harder and harder for me to keep my focus and time everywhere it needed to be all the time.

Much like when I made the decision to not run the full season and step away from road courses, I think Christian, when he got in the car to finish the year on the ovals, he did a good job and did what I thought he was going to do and ultimately did a better job than I did.

I’ve always said I’ll put the team first. I think I bring the most value to Indianapolis at this point, so that’s where I’m going to focus my energies as a driver.

Q. Apologies for going slightly back in time, but I want to ask you about your thought process that led to your decision to part ways with Rinus at the end of last season after five years together, strong second half. What is it that you expect Alex to bring to the team that you haven’t been able to get from Rinus, and did Ted Gelov have any influence over this decision?

ED CARPENTER: I mean, everything we do is a team decision and there’s a lot of conversations and a lot of thought, debate process that goes into it. Ted was a part of the team at that point, so he was for sure a part of the conversation. But it wasn’t solely one person’s call.

To go back to the beginning of the question, I have nothing but respect and appreciation for the years we had with Rinus. I still consider him a really good friend and a really talented driver that I hope will find a spot in the sport. He deserves to be here.

But for us, like you said, he had been with us five years, our longest tenured driver ever at ECR, and it’s never easy to make those decisions, but we just felt like it was time to move in a different direction.

It could have easily been Rinus and Alex instead of Christian, but we made the decision that we thought was best for our team. I’m not going to go into all the details of why and how we got to that exact decision, but I think the important thing is, in my eyes, we had five really good years together, and I have nothing but appreciation and respect for Rinus, and hopefully we’ll be competing against him.

Q. As for Christian, first full-time season in the series coming up. What do you expect from him after a fairly promising rookie year?

ED CARPENTER: Yeah, I think we see a lot of upside with Christian. It’s really hard to be a rookie in this sport. We weren’t as good as we needed to be last year. I don’t think our problem was with our driver lineup necessarily. We weren’t good enough as a whole. But Christian continued to develop.

Then for me, I think I learned a lot about what he’s made of when we put him in a really tough position when I got out of the car at the end of last year and where we were in points with that, and how he dealt with the pressure of closing out and keeping us in the leader’s circle.

I’m expecting a big year from him. I think he has a ton of talent and potential, and I think we’ll see that this year.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 15, 2025

STING RAY ROBB, driver of the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, met with the media at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Content Days in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Press Conference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: Good morning. Thanks for joining us here Day 2 of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES content days at the Indiana convention center. Sting Ray Robb leads things off, driver of the No. 7 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevy this year, beginning his third season in the series, had a ninth place finish at Worldwide Technology Raceway last year before the transition to JHR.

Congratulations on the transition to the new team. How are things going? Easing into it, I’m sure.

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, it’s a little bit of a return back home. I spent three years with those guys in the same shop. We won a championship together back in the USF Pro 2000 days, and hopefully we can get back on some of that winning form again.

It’s a good program. I think they’ve done a good job to kind of contain the group that they have and have some continuity going next season, which I think is a big part of it. Not relearning over the off-season is a good thing.

Q. A little bit of a homecoming, too, some familiar faces, certainly Ricardo.

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah.

Q. You guys go back a while right?

STING RAY ROBB: I began driving for Ricardo 2019 was my first year with them. The green is not foreign to me. It’s been a minute.

Q. First of all, how do you reflect back on your second year in INDYCAR? What sort of improvements maybe do you feel you made compared to your rookie year with Coyne?

STING RAY ROBB: I think that there was a lot that was improved on last year. I may not have showed it all the different times, but there was a lot of little mistakes that real are I cost us some good results last year.

I think the most obvious ones were in St. Pete, the brake failure there, Barber Motorsports Park, the steering wheel failure there, and then engine failure at Toronto — not engine but actually another mechanical failure.

It was just all those little details that kept catching us out, and I think that is where I am looking forward to improve most this year, is be consistent. Obviously have some better speed; qualifying is a big part of that. Hopefully we can do that.

Q. Can you talk maybe a little bit about how the move to Juncos came about and how long it may have been in the works and how things moved after you started discussions?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, our plan was to stay where I was going into the middle of the kind of crazy season, if you will, the summer break a little bit. But obviously with the news coming out about David’s signing I could see the writing on the wall that I needed to look elsewhere, and so we began talking to other teams.

When the Juncos opportunity came about, we got the deal done with them pretty quickly to try to solidify a seat, and also because Ricardo was very excited. I’ve been in that garage before, for three years. I think that Ricardo is a success because of where he came from and his winning passion is a big part of who he is, and it bleeds down to the team. It starts from the top.

I’m excited to be back in green. I think the deal was something that we had been trying to get together sooner, but when the announcement finally came out, it was nice to get that solidified.

Q. I just want to ask you about how you see the difference in the shop, in the team, since the last time you came with Juncos? What you can explain us a little bit about the growth of the team?

STING RAY ROBB: I mean, yeah. The last time I was there was back in the INDY NXT Series, and so the shop was much more focused around that program, I think, than what it is now. I think that INDYCAR has taken over the whole shop, which is good. I think that puts me in a good spot now.

I think that the group there has grown significantly. I remember when it was just a small group of us that were running USF Pro 2000. It’s nice to see them kind of grow into their footprint there in the garage and also just seeing the program grow.

I think Ricardo has done a good job to put people in place, along with Brad Hollinger, to put good, smart, intelligent engineers, mechanics, and having that be consistent throughout the seasons has allowed them to improve every year.

I think that that’s the big thing in INDYCAR racing, is you can’t expect to make huge leaps and bounds forward in the series. It’s the little things over time that make a big difference.

Q. About all these new charter systems, a lot of people are saying that now the budget, it’s changed a little, it’s growing; you need to have more funding. But also it’s some opportunities to try to work with the companies. You have been very good in finding these sponsors and move your brand. Can you explain how do you see it’s changed, all this, looking from the back up?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, it’s a great question. I think that everyone is kind of in the same situation right now. I think that we’re all fighting to gather dollars as quickly as we can. But the new FOX program is a big encouragement for that. I think the charter system is a big encouragement for that. We’ve seen some new companies on board on very recently as well as for other teams, as well.

I think for us we’re really excited to see this program grow as far as our team as well as INDYCAR as a whole. I think they’re headed in the right direction. They’re giving us more tools to work with.

Then for ourselves, I think what we’re looking forward to most is just having the ability to grow our footprint in the worldwide motorsports realm, and I think that’s going to be coming very quickly.

Q. Third team in three years, probably not ideal, but what kind of positives can you take from that? Can you sort of take the best from each team and bring it to this year? Is that kind of your goal? I know it’s not ideal to be at three different teams in three years.

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, I think this is a good spot for me to be in. There is a lot to learn from each place for sure, and I think that each program has been very different from the other and so I can kind of see the patterns that I like, the trends that I like, and also who those people are. Who are the key people that I really lead to lean on.

Each team has their core, and so being able to identify that core because I’ve been with three different teams, it is challenging going into a new season with a new team, but at the same time I’ve been able to see that kind of grow throughout other seasons.

I’m hoping this is going to be a good spot for me to stay for a while and have some continuity going into future seasons. But yeah, I’m excited for this year to be with the team I’m with.

Q. How about teaming up with Conor (Daly)? He’s a guy that generates attention that can only really help benefit you and the team.

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, absolutely. Conor is a great personality to have him in the paddock. It’s great to see him back in a race car. Obviously the team is very excited to have him on board with his podium finish at Milwaukee.

I think he’s been with a lot of teams, as well, so we’re both in a similar situation as far as a lot of knowledge from a lot of different places that we can hopefully put together and get some good results from.

Q. Has he got you lined up yet for Speed Street?

STING RAY ROBB: That is to come. You guys will probably see me on there in the near future.

Q. Third team in three years, but I’m sure all of those experiences are a little bit different. Do you feel any more confident or comfortable with the history that you have at JHR coming into this experience compared to coming in each of the last two seasons to a brand new team, brand new family around you?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, I do feel a lot more comfortable because there are familiar faces. It’s not just Ricardo. His brother Ale was my mechanic back in 2020 when we won the championship there. He’ll be on my car again this year.

So it’s nice to be able to have that familiarity, having that culture already known ahead of time. It allows me to be on form a little bit earlier than I would have been, and understanding the communication that’s necessary.

Now, I don’t know the rest of the crew as well. My engineers, the mechanics that are on the car, those are still all new to me, so I’ll be facing some of the same challenges I did in the past. And again, it’s not ideal, but being with the team, I think that’s a good spot for me.

Q. What is a good 2025 INDYCAR season for Sting Ray Robb?

STING RAY ROBB: Great question. Recently married, so hopefully that stays. Happily married, I’ll add. Keep the first things first.

But I think that enjoying racing is going to be a big part of it. I think that a lot of times this sport, especially for myself, I know why I’m here. I know what I’m doing. I’ve been a winning driver in the past, and I’ve enjoyed that. Winning championships. I think that’s easy to forget sometimes when you’re challenged like this going into a top-tier series like INDYCAR racing.

So kind of returning to that form would be nice. I know I’m not going to come out and win St. Pete probably, but at least enjoy it on the same level that I used to.

I think a winning season if you were to put a number to it, I’m not sure I could. I’m not sure I could tell you that.

Q. Sting Ray, you’re going from a Chevy team to a Chevy team, so that should be pretty easy for you to adapt. But in terms of testing, now you’re with a new team. There’s a couple open tests. Would you think that there needs to be more opportunity, or are you able to, with the time that you do have, get acclimated to everything so that you’re ready to go when the racing starts?

STING RAY ROBB: There’s never enough time. I think you ask any driver in the paddock they’re going to say give us more days, especially for me. I think that being with a new team, I would like to spend 10, 12, 14 days in the car, but that’s just not how it is.

We’ll be a little rusty I think even still going into St. Pete, but that’s the beauty of INDYCAR racing. You’re getting to see the raw talents go out and compete at a high level even without the seat time. We do have a few days, I think. I don’t know what the number is currently, but it’s never enough.

Q. When you were at Foyt, Michael Cannon was there as the technical director. Now he’s gone to Prema. I don’t know how much you learned from him because I don’t think you worked directly with him; you had a different engineer, but what do you think is going to happen at Prema? Do you see them as being a real threat based on what you know of him? Do you think he can convey all the knowledge, because he’s been from Ganassi, a lot of different teams even before that? What do you expect to see from Prema?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, Michael is, first off, a great guy. I think that he is a talent in the paddock that is definitely someone that I would like to work with again in the future. I think that he is one of those guys that he makes things happen, and to have him join Prema is a threat for sure. That team has some good results in their history, as well.

I think coming to a new series will be a challenge, having a new team put together will be a challenge. I think that they’re going to be hard-pressed to work well and form fit, I guess you could say, to start the year. When you get different personalities like that all working together as new people in the room, it can be a challenge.

I’m sure Michael has got some tricks up his sleeve. He’s a brilliant guy, and I’m sure they’ll have a good run at some point during the season.

Q. You didn’t steal his notepad before you left?

STING RAY ROBB: I may have taken some pictures. No, I’m just kidding. I wish. He knew better than to let me have access to those.

Q. Sting Ray, the last time you were at Juncos in 2021 your rookie year in Indy Lights back then was quite a struggle, I think. It ended with you leaving, ended with Juncos pulling out of the series altogether. Now that you’re back as a team, can you reflect on how it has changed compared to what you saw back then?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, I mean, that was a big part of our conversation when we began talking with them again. At the end of 2021, I was fairly disappointed with the results that we’d had after winning the 2020 championship in the category right below.

We were hopeful that we could come into the series and be strong right from the start, and it was a struggle. We didn’t get it figured out by the end of the year. The last race of the year was at Mid-Ohio and I remember being one of the front runners in that dry race.

We had the pace by the end of the season, but it was a struggle to figure out why we were struggling so much throughout the year. I think a lot of it was because the focus was on the INDYCAR program. A lot of the focus was kind of diverted to that and making that the best program it could be.

INDY NXT didn’t get to see the best of Ricardo Juncos. Ricardo and I have talked since then and I’ve seen him at his best. We won a championship together the year prior. It was quite the contrast for us. So being able to come back in a much better situation, I think the culture is much healthier now, the priorities are very, very good. The passion is still there.

I think that’s the big thing that’s important is this sport is very challenging, and INDYCAR racing is very, very competitive. It’s full of great drivers, great teams.

Having that passion can go a long ways just because it creates obsession, and that obsession can lead to good results. So I’ve seen that from Ricardo in the past, and I think that it will continue in the future.

Q. How has Sting Ray Robb developed since your 2021 rookie year in INDY NXT?

STING RAY ROBB: I think I’ve grown quite a bit. Obviously I’m a little bit older now, a little bit wrinklier maybe, but at the end of the day I think I’m in a much more mature spot. I’m in a much more confident spot.

2021 Sting Ray Robb was just a kid from Idaho trying to figure out what he was going to do with his INDYCAR dreams. I achieved those dreams now of being in INDYCAR now, so it’s on to the next step. We’re still dreaming big trying to do some good things.

Q. I wanted to ask you, you’ve had experienced in a Honda and a Chevy powered car, one season with Dale Coyne and one season with Foyt. What are the main differences from the past years, and how is your driving style going to adapt to the different challenges?

STING RAY ROBB: Great question. I think that the transition for me was a bit easier than I was expecting. Both programs are very, very good, and it’s great to have them both in INDYCAR racing.

I think the biggest difference for me and that driving style was sort of the focus on where they gather the speed from. A lot of times you’ll see a difference in the torque curve of each engine, and one can be better than the other depending on what circuit you’re at.

I think that’s the biggest difference is how the power is applied oftentimes leads to certain speeds on certain parts of the racetrack than others. The Chevy and Honda, they’re both very competitive, very well matched, and I think the Chevy this last year especially had a little bit more torque or horsepower at the top end so we saw them be so quick on the ovals.

So we’ll see what it’s like this year. I think it’s always a give and take and they’re always moving the needle forward, so we’ll see who comes out on top.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 14, 2025

NOLAN SIEGEL, driver of the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, met with the media at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Content Days in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Press Conference Transcript:

MODERATOR: Looking ahead to next year, full-time ride obviously, full season with a great team. How much are you looking forward to this?

NOLAN SIEGEL: I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve done a lot of work this off-season, and I think I’m really happy with the people that I have on my car. I’m excited about the group that we have on the 6. I can’t wait for St. Pete. It’s been too long.

Q. If I’m not mistaken, I believe you have been on the oval at IMS in both a Honda and a Chevy in the last year. What’s been the differences? What have you learned? The hybrid test obviously probably different than what you had back in May, but it gives you more of a baseline of comfortability heading into your quasi-rookie season.

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, as far as the differences on the oval, it was hard to tell at IMS. I did my ROP again in the Arrow McLaren car, in the Chevy, but hard to tell ROP kind of in the off-season, you’re going slow, the track is not there. It was the hybrid test.

There was a lot going on. I wouldn’t say that I really felt any major differences. I’m sure that they will come into play when we get running in May. But I think you need real running for that.

Q. My second question would be your relationship with Tony Kanaan. Obviously we saw him during the month of May kind of giving you some advice, as well. Now you’re officially alongside of TK. You’ve got Pato who’s been great at the 500; Lundgaard brings a new set of skills. What’s that process been like towards the end of last season and turning the corner toward 2025 and building that relationship with Arrow McLaren and Tony Kanaan?

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, it’s just been good to have time with everyone in the off-season because I started in the busy part of the season and we just didn’t have a lot of time away from the racetrack to get to know each other and to talk.

My relationship with Tony and with Pato, those relationships have grown a lot, and they’re both very, very valuable assets for me.

Obviously both have a ton of experience at the speedway. Both been very fast at the speedway. I’m looking forward to going back in May.

I think that’s the month that I am most looking forward to, and I think it’s going to be a different experience this time around.

Q. Will things come more natural now that you’re settled in, you know which race car you’re going to be running in, your dad is not running out of the paddock at Road America to go get your suit? Talk about only having to focus on being in the race car.

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, last year, I mean, really all year, I’d go to the racetrack, and whether it was I didn’t know if I was racing the next weekend or didn’t know what I was driving or something new came up, there was so much to think about apart from driving the race car.

That brought a lot of challenges that I won’t have this year. So I think it’s going to be really nice to know what I have and know what I’m doing and be able to focus on driving the race car instead of focusing on finding a ride for the next weekend or finding a ride in INDYCAR or WEC or IMSA, INDY NXT.

There’s so much less going on in a way, which sounds weird to say given that it’s my first full season in INDYCAR and first full season at Arrow McLaren, but it’s actually much more simple than it was last year.

Q. You’re going to have a new engineer this year, Kate. How cool is it to be working with someone that’s as fresh as you are and that probably will look at things a little bit differently like you might at your age?

NOLAN SIEGEL: I’ve really enjoyed working with Kate (Gundlach). She is new to the race engineer role. She is by no means new to INDYCAR. She has a lot of experience and has been doing a phenomenal job so far. Really excited about working with her, and I’ve spent quite a bit of time with her now, and we get along really well. I think that makes a big difference .Looking forward to it.

Yes, I think while on the surface you look at new driver, new engineer, how is that going to go, I think in a lot of ways a new perspective can be a good thing, and there are a lot of engineers that have been around for a long time and have a lot of experience and knowledge. Sometimes it’s nice to have someone that’s open to experimenting and open to trying to do things a little bit differently.

I think we’re going to find quite a bit of speed and have a good time doing it.

Q. What is a good season for Nolan Siegel when you look back in September?

NOLAN SIEGEL: The goal is to be on the podium and win races. It’s super competitive. It’s an incredibly competitive race series, and it’s by no means easy and every weekend isn’t going to be smooth, but I think if we capitalize on the weekends where we have a strong race car and we’re in the positions that we want to be in, we’re going to have chances to be up front and be celebrating on Sundays.

Q. Nolan, something that I asked Christian, obviously he’s the new addition to the team, but you came in at a very hectic time. McLaren is an internationally famous brand. It’s the brand that seems to sell the most merch, even at INDYCAR races. What is it like? Is there any more pressure driving for a team that not only has such a large and demanding fan base, but really you have a lot of demands with the media, with sponsors? This is a team that’s very, very involved. Describe that process and what it’s like to adapt when you join a team of this caliber.

NOLAN SIEGEL: It is difficult at times from that perspective. I think the expectations are very high from a team like McLaren. There are a lot of people watching. There are a lot of eyes on it.

At the end of the day, the people whose opinions I care about are still the people that I work closely with, and from that perspective, it’s no different than any other race team.

So yes, there are a lot of people watching, but at the same time, it’s the same size as any other race team, and I’m working closely with good people.

There are the media obligations and there’s a big fan base, but I think you have to kind of separate that from the on-track running, which is — at the end of the day, it’s a very good INDYCAR team. It’s an INDYCAR team.

I think just separating those aspects of it is important. But it’s an honor to be representing a brand like McLaren, and to be able to go to the Formula 1 races and see what those guys are doing and be a part of that organization, as well, it’s an honor for me, and it’s very cool and not something that I expected to be doing right now.

Grateful to be here, and I’m — I’m grateful to be here and grateful for all aspects of being a McLaren driver.

Q. I ran into you in Las Vegas; tell the people how fast you got the road track going on the backstretch there in Vegas.

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, we were doing 200 miles an hour in road cars in Vegas with passengers, which was — I remember it was me, Pato, Mika Häkkinen and Christian, and we all did our first session and came out and we’re like, we’re not doing it the next day. We’re done; no more.

Then we all came back the next morning and we were all excited to do it again. But no, it was interesting.

Q. You said in the summer kind of ahead of the closing of the 2024 season that your goal was to just learn and be in as good a shape as possible getting to St. Pete this year. How do you feel that learning process went as you went through those early races with Arrow McLaren, and do you feel that you are in a position where you can fight near the front this season?

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I was thrown into the deep end for sure, but I think that those challenging weekends and moments are when you learn the most. I feel like I am in a much better position going into 2025 than I would have been having not done those races, and I feel like myself and the whole team has used this off-season very productively, and I feel like we’re in a really good spot going into 2025. The goal is to go into St. Pete feeling like there was nothing more we could have done to prepare, and I feel like we’ve been doing that so far.

Q. You kind of mentioned the work that you’ve put in as a team over the off-season. Can you go into any of the specifics that you wanted to improve on yourself?

NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah. Going into my first full season in INDYCAR, there was a big focus on physical preparation. I’ve gained like 15 pounds, which was a — I don’t think it was an issue last year, but I feel like I’m in a better spot physically now to drive the INDYCAR than I was last year.

We’ve reviewed at this point almost every race of the season from a strategy standpoint, just to help me better understand INDYCAR strategy and the INDYCAR rules. I think it was a challenge last year for me to be thinking about strategy in the car just because I didn’t have the experience and didn’t know what different scenarios really meant for our race.

So I think I’ll have a much better understanding of that and be able to be more involved in the strategy while I’m driving a race car.

It’s hard, right; we don’t have very much testing so it’s hard to really work on driving-specific things, but there’s so much more to it than that.

Q. As the youngest driver on the grid, with McLaren that’s a big expectation, but they do have an extensive junior program and resources for young drivers. Do you think that’s helped you, and do you think the team themselves have been prepared for a younger driver coming in because of that?

NOLAN SIEGEL: No, I would not say that I’ve been in any way part of the McLaren junior program. The INDYCAR team functionally is kind of its own thing. But having my teammates and having Tony Kanaan with me has been very helpful.

There have been people that have been very willing to help and have a lot of experience on the INDYCAR side, but there’s no real connection to any McLaren junior program in any other aspect. I’m not a part of the McLaren junior program. I’m a part of the McLaren INDYCAR team and the goal is to win INDYCAR races, not develop a junior driver.

Q. Since you’re with McLaren, is there any interest or has there been any discussions about you moving up into Formula 1 someday?

NOLAN SIEGEL: I would love to race in Formula 1. The goal right now is, again, to be a championship contender in INDYCAR. That is the main focus at the moment.

If I had the opportunity to do a Formula 1 test or have reserve position or something like that, I would absolutely be open to it, but my focus and goal is not to move to Formula 1.

Yes, I would love to do it, but there’s no focus being put on that. It’s all on INDYCAR at the moment.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR CONTENT DAYS
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JANUARY 14, 2025

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, met with members of the media at the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Content Days in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Press Conference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: Joined now by Christian Lundgaard, who will be in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet this coming season, beginning his fourth full year in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, a podium at the Indy GP for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing last season before making the jump to the new team this year. Papaya is looking okay on you. Are you getting used to it?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I feel seen now, visually. It’s a very bright color, papaya. It’s exciting.

I think the moment that I knew, it was pretty difficult to not really say anything because you want it to get out because you’re excited. But obviously it’s happening now, so I’m very, very excited for the season.

Q. How would you describe this transition to the new team?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: It’s been very smooth, to be honest. Obviously we did the test in October. It was exciting for me to try to feel the car on an oval, obviously, going into the Sebring test, as well, I’m just excited to feel it in different circumstances. But the transition with everybody has been very, very smooth. A lot of familiar faces, a lot of new faces, as well, and I think really that’s the challenge.

It’s the first time in my career that I drive for a different team in the same series. That’s the only thing that really takes some getting used to.

Q. What’s it been like switching from Honda to Chevy?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: It’s been very smooth, as well. Obviously I received a lot of questions from Chevy at the test at Indy, and I was kind of surprised in some of the differences. There’s obviously a few differences, but there was also some that was not really because of any manufacturer, just because of the car, and a lot of it turns out to kind of translate to just being the philosophy of the cars that were actually different.

But no, I think looking at where Chevy was in May, it’s something that I’m very excited for, and it’s a challenge that I’m prepared for at other tracks.

But I think it’s going to be a positive for me there. They’ve given me a lot of information and just resources for me to get up to speed from the get-go, which I appreciated a lot.

Q. I think you’ve had probably two of the most underrated runs in the 500 coming from the back. You’ve been very consistent in that race. Now being with a team that has consistently been at the front at the Indianapolis 500, I know you don’t want to look ahead of the first couple of races, but obviously the big elephant in the room is always the Indianapolis 500. How important was that test, getting some experience, and do you feel like you’re going to have to get a lot of data information during the April test to set yourself up for a run in May?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I mean, yes. I mean, at the end of the day, having done this for three years, having been in the race, fortunately/unfortunately I’ve had the pleasure of coming from the back.

In a way, I take that as a positive now because I’ve learned to race from the back with the most turbulent air. Obviously I don’t necessarily have the benefit of the more clean air, but I think from a race craft standpoint, I feel very confident in that.

The one thing I do believe is at the end of the day, the cars feel very similar but yet very different, but I think for me, it’s more the car has a lot more pure pace than what I’ve had previously.

I think it’s going to come easier in that sense, but I think the drivers that you race against are going to be battling harder for each position, which is going to be the challenge.

Q. Is there a track in particular that you say, I need to work a little bit more at or I need to get better at? Obviously there was a couple tracks last year we went to for the first time. We think of you, think of the Indy GP, you think of Toronto, you think of those places. Is it maybe the short ovals? Where do you feel you need to improve in 2025?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Honestly, all of them. I think being in a new car with new people, not having the information from the prior year, any data, it’s going to be tough in that sense. Obviously I know my way around, but there’s a lot of tricks and small little fine tunings that I think we all need to nail at the time, and we achieved that prior in some races and some we didn’t.

But I think from my own perspective, yes, the ovals are something that I need to improve. Having been in a position where it’s fighting for dear life just to a certain regard just getting the car home, and it’s tough enough to fight other cars out there, I’m excited for that challenge.

I’m excited to kind of feel more competitive. I did that at the 500 in 2024 when we came from the back. We were leading at some point — yes, we were on a different strategy, but at least you didn’t really feel hopeless or helpless for that matter, and it’s a lot more fun that way.

But I think all types of circuits, there’s going to be some fine tuning, because at the end of the day I was strong in one street circuit but not so much the other for whatever reason that might have been. I think our main goal for 2025 specifically is to make sure that we’re as competitive as we can be on every single racetrack.

Q. Obviously with changing teams comes a lot of change. Change of culture; change of learning Honda to Chevy. Do you embrace change? Is it difficult? How do you handle change? Is that something that you tackle or is it just kind of uncomfortable to?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: It’s how life goes, man. There’s always changes. I mean, it’s been a smooth transition so far. I enjoy it. I think change is good at times.

When things are working, never change them, obviously, but it was time for a change, and we were all up for the challenge. Race engineer, the entire team, me, everybody behind me. I think we’ll make the most of it for sure.

Q. Obviously you want to improve from year to year. Do you try to improve from the 45 car or do you look at what the 7 car, what Alexander did in that ride last year? How do you balance that as far as looking at a short-term goal for next season?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Well, ultimately I can always use Alex as a reference in that sense, and I can use myself in a different car. Obviously I can use the experience that I have from one car, but bringing it into another, it’s a different philosophy depending on the track, even all tracks might be a different driving style than what I’m used to, and obviously that’s the adaptation that I need to be able to handle.

I guess we’ll see, but I’ve taken all the information that I’ve been provided to me, and obviously what I don’t necessarily need, I can always throw away. But it’s about learning as much and having the information and then taking use of it.

Q. It’s not just a driving thing or a difference in the race car at McLaren; this is a team that is internationally famous. You see it with all of the drivers who drive for McLaren. You kind of gain international fame. You look around the racetracks, you see the jerseys and the merch that’s sold, that seems to out-sell every other team. What is it like to have that additional side to this deal, not just you have to learn a new team, a new car, but you also have a lot more maybe social pressure to perform?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Everybody loves papaya. You know, all my friends, they are like, wow, what is all this papaya running around? Who are these guys?

Yes, it’s in a way a lot of pressure, but I think it’s fantastic. I think what I saw the McLaren F1 team do from where they were a couple of years ago to where they are now, from a performance side, and just seeing the impact from a spectator and a fan side, it’s what we’re seeing here now, as well.

It was a no-brainer for me to make this transition when the offer occurred because seeing where they’re headed is something that I wanted to be a part of.

I’ve been a part of another Formula 1 team in the past, so I understand the importance of all the media that we have to do. And that was the big question that I was asked at first, and I’m like, well, I’m used to it, I don’t mind. It’s a part of the world.

Q. Some of the other drivers who have been a part of this program have gotten an opportunity. Is there any desire or a clause in a contract about a Formula 1 test incentive at some point?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: No. I’ve been a part of that, and in my opinion it’s passed. INDYCAR is where I want to be. Obviously I’ll never say no in the sense that it’s not a possibility, but it’s certainly not where my intentions are. It’s here in INDYCAR.

Q. You spent the better part of a decade trying to get to F1. You’re going into your fourth INDYCAR season. Does INDYCAR feel like home now?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Absolutely. It did from day one. I don’t really think this has really come out, even though I know I’ve said it multiple times before. INDYCAR reminds me of go-karts, which is what I fell in love with in the sport.

It’s the atmosphere, the way everything works around. It’s more — it’s about the racing rather than everything else. Yes, everything else comes with it, but it’s ultimately whoever finishes — crosses the start-finish line first is who wins. It’s just pure racing.

Q. Is that maybe why we’ve seen Callum, Marcus, now Robert Shwartzman all finding a home here, guys that were really successful on the road to Formula 1 but just not quite there? Is it nice to have a place that you can come and find and make a career?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Absolutely. I mean, I think Callum and I, in my opinion, I think Felix was a little ahead of time before people really realized from the European side what INDYCAR really was. I don’t think there was enough attention back then.

It’s obviously growing a lot more now, but I think me and Callum sort of opened the doors for Europeans to okay, this is an actual option, and because we were followed from Europe, I think it opened a lot of eyes of how amazing INDYCAR actually is.

I think all the Europeans are kind of stuck in the Formula 1 world and don’t really realize what we are doing, and I hope we’re here to help change that. Obviously even Will coming on board is a big factor for us, as well.

Q. Obviously with RLL they’ve sort of made clear that their oval package wasn’t as strong as it should be or where they wanted it to be, but McLaren on the know hand have a good oval package and the team have won races. From a personal standpoint we maybe haven’t seen what you can do in ovals, so from your perspective do you believe you’re at the standard where you can compete at the front on ovals?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Of course it is a question, but I think it’s now a time where I can prove that. I think ultimately it’s we’ll see whenever we get to May, but I’m very optimistic. I have high hopes myself.

Q. Joining McLaren, you’ve now obviously got the support of Tony Kanaan. Have you learned much from him yet, and is there anything you’re looking to get out of him?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I’ve spoken a lot to Tony about a lot of different topics. Obviously ovals being one of them. He’s been a mentor from an outside standpoint of view, as well, to other people, kind of covering, as well, because he’s been in the position where he’s won a 500, been in a not-so-good car and knows what it’s like driving a car that doesn’t necessarily handle the way we want or is purely fast enough.

It’s just tough. He’s been a big part of, one, giving me this opportunity, as well, but also understanding and kind of telling people, hey, wait and see until he’s in this car.

Q. I was just wondering, your road course results in 2024 were strong compared to your new teammate Pato O’Ward’s. How do you intend to carry that momentum while adapting to McLaren’s different car philosophy?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: That’s interesting. I didn’t even know that. I’ll have to tell him.

I mean, I’m going to try to improve those stats on the other two types of circuits but sort of keep my road course then, I guess.

At the end of the day, my previous position has always been — well, for the past three years, have been we know what we had on certain types of tracks and we knew that we were struggling an ovals. Obviously we were trying to improve.

We didn’t improve as much as we would have liked in the time frame, but we also didn’t improve enough on road and street circuits where I think the potential that Arrow McLaren has is massive. I’m not even in doubt that we will have all of those nailed.

Q. You’ve mentioned before in this press conference that change is part of life. Considering the previous test that you had in October with the McLaren car, have you changed something from your preparation for this season?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: I think — yes, the preparation has changed, but it’s minor. I don’t really believe that there’s a big reason to turn things upside down because at the end of the day, I was chosen for what I was able to do, so I don’t think there’s any reason to change that.

I think there’s just been things added on. Obviously a change of team takes time. It takes a lot of effort to get up to speed on certain things.

We’ve spent a lot of time preparing for that and getting up to speed as fast as we can, but I would say from my specific off-season standpoint, I think it’s been nice to be home with family spending the holidays, and we’re now back, and it’s business time.

Q. Another thing you’ve mentioned before is that your goal this season is to be as competitive as possible. To be that competitive, for example, is Pato O’Ward, who is the veteran driver of the team, is he a reference to be equally as competitive as him during the season in terms of results, or will a victory or podium be good for you?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, considering — this is my own standpoint of view, considering I already have podiums, I have a win, funnily enough it’s a P1, P2 and P3. I don’t have multiple of any of them yet.

But I think what Arrow McLaren and Pato did through the 2024 season, especially in Mid-Ohio with the hybrid being introduced, being the first winner also showed me that they’re up for the challenge and they’re ahead of everybody else.

For me going into this season, it’s not to take the first couple of races getting up to speed. We want to be ready to fight for podiums and wins from the get-go.

At the end of the day, I want to win all races. We all do. But I think by doing that, you have to be competitive in every single event and put yourself in the best position to have a good result. Again, by doing that, you need to be competitive from the get-go.

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