Jack Hawksworth

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This is, is off track.

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Hello and welcome to, uh, one of those rare off tracks

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with Hinch and Rossi on a Tuesday.

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Both showing up today

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because uh, we managed

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to wrangle ourselves a very special guest. It's be

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Honest, it's, we got an interesting guest for once

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That Well, that's true.

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So, yeah. So Jack, Jack Hawksworth joins us today.

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Hello Jack. Welcome to the show. Um,

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Evan is on.

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Yeah. Yeah. Alex likes missing the Tuesday episodes.

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'cause a lot of times it's just Tim

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and I talking about like, old racing movies

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or, you know, what we had for dinner. Um, exactly.

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Yeah.
So it's, it's understandable.

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But you know, when we had the opportunity

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to have you on we're like, hell yeah.

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And Alex said, hell yeah. And, and here you are.

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Um, so look, let's, let's, let's a little bit of background,

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a little bit of, uh, of an intro for the fans who, uh,

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don't know as much about Jack.

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Um, this is gonna be what year nine in IMSA with Lexus?

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Yeah, it'd be, uh, year nine in IMSA

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and, uh, year seven with, uh, with Jimmy and so effectively.

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So, uh, okay. Yeah, it's been, been quite a long,

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uh, a long tenure.

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And then well outside of that I did do a few IMSA races in,

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uh, you know, when in IndyCar as well. So yeah,

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Like pc, yeah,
Fulltime great.

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Yeah. And that's kinda how the whole whole

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whole Lexus thing came about.

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But, uh, yeah, it's been a while now.

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Almost 10 years. Well, we'll,

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We'll, we'll get to that.

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8 87 starts, 11 wins, 27 podiums

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a class championship.

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You've won Sebring, you've won Petite.

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I don't think you've won Daytona yet.

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That's, that was still trying hopefully this

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year.
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Yeah. Uh, hopefully. Yeah, in Gt d I'm a GT pro, so you

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Can still win.

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Yeah. Were you in the <inaudible> bar last year with

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The p Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

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With the P two early on. That was brilliant. Yeah,

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Because I think you guys,

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you guys were pretty much the class

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of the field all month, right?

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And pretty,

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We were good.

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Yeah, I think, I think in the end, the m BMW

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and the Ferrari were, you know, they kind

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of popped up on race date Ferrari always does.

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Right. Suddenly. Yeah, always the races seems to, yeah,

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they have the special map

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or whatever they put on the thing and they go.

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So I don't think we've had anything for them,

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but definitely podium position probably.

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So you mentioned how Ferrari

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and BMW popped up on race day.

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James and I have, you know, dabbled in the sports car stuff.

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Obviously he's, he's coming back this year with Lamborghini

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and we've talked a little bit, um, you know,

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and explained to the fans the BOP thing

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that exists in sports car racing and IMSA and,

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and the challenges that come with that.

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But I'd be very interested to hear kind of your perspective,

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'cause you have much more experience than us

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and kind of, you know, give us

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and our listeners a little bit of insight into like,

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the politics of that and how that game is played.

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And, you know, as much as Daytona is the,

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the crown jewel race, you know, that you wanna win

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and the the partners wanna win.

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You still have to look at the year as a whole

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and make sure that you don't kind of go too fast too early.

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So kind of walk us through how you approach a year

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and, you know, starting with Daytona here in, in a week.

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Yeah, it's, um, it's, I think the MTA season's, uh,

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it's kind of unique in that you obviously got the series,

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which is, you know, a highlight.

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Everybody wants to win that. But then really you've kind

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of got three bucket list races, start with Daytona,

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then Seing and then petite.

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And so the other races, you know, everybody wants

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to do well in the short races,

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but ultimately, you know, if you can win one

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of the big ones, then that's, you know, that's kind of what,

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that's what the

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manufacturers want and that's what the teams want.

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So, um, a lot of focus goes into those long races

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and then a lot of focus outside of

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that goes into almost being consistent

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through the shorter races

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to give yourself a, a shorter championship.

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But Daytona's probably the most unique race we do.

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'cause we have this official test the week before.

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So it's been notorious for everybody comes

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and does this three day test that the role before the 24.

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But then there's a, an opportunity for IMSA to make changes

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to the, you know, parameters of car.

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In terms of the, the way, um,

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last year it was like air restricted

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for naturally aspirated cars

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or, uh, turbo boost for, um, turbo cars.

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Um, so nobody ever wanted to be too shiny the weekend

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before the race, just in case, you know, IMSA made a change

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and they, they slowed you down,

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or if you were too slow they might bring you up.

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There's, I mean, some manufacturers I think played a game

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a little bit more than other ones.

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Um, but yeah, certainly there's some gamemanship

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that goes into being fast when you need

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to be fast is, is how I would describe it.

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Like you, you to, to win the series, you need

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to be consistent every weekend.

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Um, and you kind of,

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the saying goes when you've,

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and I guess it applies to any series,

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but if you've got a fast car

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and you're gonna show performance,

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then you better win that weekend.

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And then the wor the worst thing you can do is obviously

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show good performance and, and have a poor result.

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If that makes sense. Because BOP

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is ultimately based off yeah.

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Balance of, of the car's performance

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And it's, it's race to race, right?

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Or is it based on the last year's event at that track?

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Uh, so the rest of the season, Sebring through

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to petite is, is based off the seing through

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to petite races last year.

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But Daytona standalone just 'cause the nature of the track.

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'cause you've got the big long straits and stuff.

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Like the balance of performance for that track

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ultimately would need to be different to other ones as well,

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just 'cause the characteristics are so different.

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It's a bit like La Mon really.

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Um, so that BOP is, is standalone.

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Um, and, and I think as well just

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'cause the fact you have the test the week perform

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and stuff, it's always, I'd say a bigger talking point at

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that race than it is at any other one.

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But this year, this year's very different

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because they've just brought in that as, as James will know,

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'cause 'cause he's racing, uh, in the GT class

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that they just brought in

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torque sensors for all of the cars.

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Oh. So in the past it's been, uh,

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a bit more guesswork I guess,

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from IMS i's perspective in understanding, you know,

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the straight line speed of each car and the, the power

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and performance and whatnot.

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And this, this year they, uh, they're controlling the power,

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uh, a different way with these toque sensors

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so they can see exactly how much, uh, power we're putting

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to the ground during the race live.

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Um, so yeah, pressure will be on IMSA to, uh,

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see if they can make it, make it a competitive race.

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It's, yeah, it's gonna be fascinating, isn't it?

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Because so, so the, the phenomenon that you're,

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you're describing is if, if, you know,

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if you're listening at home, you've probably

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heard the term sandbagging, right?

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So that's what sandbagging is.

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You go to the roar, which if you're listening to this,

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we've just had it, we're recording it

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before, so none of us have been on track yet,

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but this will come out the Tuesday

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before the race, after the war.

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So in theory, Jack, you

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and I'll have been on track by the time people are hearing

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this, but yes, there is that gamesmanship.

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Like you say, you don't wanna show your hand too much

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because changes can be made to the BOP, the balance

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of performance before the race.

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But that's kinda where these torque sensors come in

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because I mean, you've probably,

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without giving away maybe any trade secrets from your own

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program , um, what are some of the clever ways

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that you've heard of from manufacturers

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and how they kind of sandbag

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and control their pace during the roar

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or practice sessions or whatever?

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Well, I mean, I don't wanna get myself in trouble here,

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so I'll, I'll, right, yeah, kind of, uh,

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What have you heard someone else do?

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What is BM BMW doing these days? You know, like,

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Well, there you go.

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I mean, that's a big one, right? So like you look at the

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race last year, uh, where Ferrari

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and BMW were actually penalized after the race.

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Um, they had all their championship,

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even though they were able to keep the race win,

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I think they were, uh,

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they had their manufacturer points

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deducted all this kind of stuff.

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And that was based on the fact that, um, during the, uh, so

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insa can see all of the micro splits around the track,

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there'd be like 12 different segments, right?

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So they can see, okay, exactly how fast each car is

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between each point of the circuit.

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The race teams can only see the three sectors

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during the race weekend,

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but they see a lot more than we can see.

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Um, and for instance,

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with like certain manufacturers not naming names are able

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to, or were before the toque sensors able

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to turn up their engines

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and turn down their engines quite a lot.

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So for instance, you know, you've been practiced at the roar

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and you might be quicker on the straight than, you know,

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say the, say the Ferrari or, or the BMW.

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And then you get through to the race weekend

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and suddenly that car, 10 ki kilometers an hour of whatever,

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you know, faster on the straight, it's accelerating harder.

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They've suddenly found, you know, one second a lap time.

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And a lot of it I think was done, uh, via the power plant

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and and manipulation there.

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The other thing that, uh, people would do is that, uh,

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you know, you could artificially run more wing in the car.

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You could artificially run drag your parts on the car.

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Same obviously you go to Indianapolis for the 500, right?

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You want the car to be as free as possible and, and,

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and you, you have all the best, best stuff on it.

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The counter to that is you can turn

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and put the row with all the worst stuff on the car

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and then get to the race

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and, you know, put, put all your free bits on free

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of bearings or Bryce, all that kind of stuff.

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So I think there's a little bit of that going on.

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And then, uh, the big one is obviously the

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driver can control a lot as well.

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It's very difficult when you look in the data.

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Um, I'd say a driver can tell actually more than an official

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or more than a, a tech person, right?

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Like when, when we look at an onboard video,

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we look at data, it's,

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we can see a little bit more if a driver's really pushing

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or not or if he's under the limit.

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But yeah, as a driver you can, you know, break,

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break a couple of meters earlier here,

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pick up the throttle a couple of meters later, um, you know,

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just roll two mile an hour, less speed

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to the apexes that happens and stuff.

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And yeah, you can, you can artificially

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manipulate it that way as well.

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Uh, you could run heavy with a, with old tires,

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there's 1,000,001 ways you can do it.

251
00:09:13.885 --> 00:09:15.085
You know, you can, you can make a

252
00:09:15.085 --> 00:09:16.845
car feel pretty bad if you want . Yeah.

253
00:09:17.145 --> 00:09:18.805
But like you say the, sorry.

254
00:09:19.195 --> 00:09:22.565
Yeah, I just, I think throughout all of that, you know,

255
00:09:22.585 --> 00:09:24.285
we, we complain about it.

256
00:09:24.385 --> 00:09:26.925
You talk about it, but it, it is amazing that at the end

257
00:09:26.925 --> 00:09:29.445
of the day, you know, of these endurance races,

258
00:09:29.445 --> 00:09:32.405
these 24 hour races, you're still coming down, you know,

259
00:09:32.465 --> 00:09:34.045
to the last hour, hour and a half.

260
00:09:34.205 --> 00:09:37.085
I know obviously yellows, you know, shape this up to be

261
00:09:37.085 --> 00:09:40.285
what it is, but across all classes most of the time,

262
00:09:40.505 --> 00:09:43.205
you know, you've got three or four cars fighting for the win

263
00:09:43.205 --> 00:09:45.725
and it's a, you know, it's a sprint race to the finish.

264
00:09:45.785 --> 00:09:48.485
So I think that as much as it's a challenge

265
00:09:48.665 --> 00:09:52.085
and frustrating, um, for, for teams in the moment, you know,

266
00:09:52.085 --> 00:09:53.405
especially when, you know,

267
00:09:53.405 --> 00:09:55.285
you do your homework in the off season, you come

268
00:09:55.285 --> 00:09:56.645
with a good program and a good package

269
00:09:56.745 --> 00:09:58.805
and, you know, sometimes you get penalized for that.

270
00:09:59.235 --> 00:10:01.645
Most of the time, you know, at the end of the race

271
00:10:02.305 --> 00:10:03.925
you're at least in with a shot, right?

272
00:10:04.165 --> 00:10:05.805
Assuming nothing bad has happened over the 24 hours.

273
00:10:05.865 --> 00:10:09.365
So I think, you know, that's still what makes IMS a

274
00:10:09.825 --> 00:10:11.845
so unique to, you know, IndyCar racing.

275
00:10:11.945 --> 00:10:14.245
And, and we'll talk about the comparisons and, and,

276
00:10:14.505 --> 00:10:16.885
and differences in a second from your experience,

277
00:10:16.885 --> 00:10:19.525
but I just, it's amazing to me how much it's become,

278
00:10:19.985 --> 00:10:22.645
you know, this this 24 hour sprint race ultimately.

279
00:10:22.705 --> 00:10:23.805
Oh, it's, it's unbeliev. I mean,

280
00:10:23.905 --> 00:10:25.045
and this isn't a knocker, this is,

281
00:10:25.125 --> 00:10:26.965
I actually think they do a really good job of it, right?

282
00:10:26.965 --> 00:10:28.885
Like it swings roundabout sometimes you,

283
00:10:29.065 --> 00:10:30.285
you know, might be on the good side of it.

284
00:10:30.285 --> 00:10:31.605
Sometimes you might be on the bad side of it,

285
00:10:31.625 --> 00:10:34.725
but yeah, ultimately, like you say, how many times do we get

286
00:10:34.725 --> 00:10:36.085
to an end of the race and it's a,

287
00:10:36.085 --> 00:10:38.205
it's a Corvette against a BMW against a Ferrari,

288
00:10:38.205 --> 00:10:39.285
against a Lexus against the mc.

289
00:10:39.355 --> 00:10:41.125
Like everybody's close, right?

290
00:10:41.325 --> 00:10:43.085
'cause everybody's doing the, the same kind of stuff.

291
00:10:43.105 --> 00:10:46.525
So ultimately, um, it works itself out and,

292
00:10:46.525 --> 00:10:48.325
and yeah, like, I mean, you can't knock 'em right?

293
00:10:48.325 --> 00:10:50.565
Every, every, how many times have we seen like,

294
00:10:50.565 --> 00:10:52.525
like last five minutes of a race, you know?

295
00:10:52.525 --> 00:10:54.965
That's awesome. Elbows out and, and yeah, it's, it's close.

296
00:10:54.985 --> 00:10:57.125
So super competitive, not easy to do as well.

297
00:10:57.125 --> 00:10:59.485
You look at how different these cars are, you know,

298
00:10:59.505 --> 00:11:02.885
mid engine to a front engine, you know, you look at the COG

299
00:11:02.885 --> 00:11:05.685
of, you know, the, the McLaren or the Ferrari

300
00:11:05.685 --> 00:11:07.565
and then you look at the height of like the, you know,

301
00:11:07.565 --> 00:11:08.685
the Ford Mustang or something

302
00:11:08.685 --> 00:11:10.805
and you're trying to balance those cars.

303
00:11:11.105 --> 00:11:12.805
Um, not an easy job. No,

304
00:11:12.805 --> 00:11:13.805
No, for sure.

305
00:11:13.805 --> 00:11:15.925
And then like you say, the driver has a big part to play in

306
00:11:15.925 --> 00:11:18.925
that and even look all the, all the technical stuff

307
00:11:18.925 --> 00:11:20.685
that IMSA can look at, aside, as you say,

308
00:11:20.685 --> 00:11:22.965
the driver can still influence it quite a bit.

309
00:11:23.025 --> 00:11:25.245
And there are a lot of times in sports car racing

310
00:11:25.375 --> 00:11:28.045
where you don't have to drive flat out.

311
00:11:28.045 --> 00:11:32.005
You shouldn't drive flat out as someone that came from a

312
00:11:32.665 --> 00:11:35.365
sprint racing background, you came from open wheel, you had,

313
00:11:35.385 --> 00:11:37.045
was it, you were three years in IndyCar.

314
00:11:37.345 --> 00:11:38.965
Yep. Right? Where predominantly,

315
00:11:38.965 --> 00:11:41.165
unless you're saving fuel, it's qualifying

316
00:11:41.195 --> 00:11:42.205
laps all the time.

317
00:11:42.945 --> 00:11:45.445
How hard was it to when you make that switch over

318
00:11:45.445 --> 00:11:46.845
to sports cars to kind of switch

319
00:11:46.845 --> 00:11:48.245
that mentality and be like, no, no.

320
00:11:48.245 --> 00:11:51.445
There are times where I have to be so disciplined drive,

321
00:11:51.445 --> 00:11:54.685
whether it's to a lap time or to just like a mental limit.

322
00:11:54.965 --> 00:11:57.485
'cause I know that going too fast is actually

323
00:11:57.485 --> 00:11:58.525
detrimental. Oh,

324
00:11:58.785 --> 00:12:00.325
It was, it was super difficult.

325
00:12:00.385 --> 00:12:02.085
It challenge, it was . Yeah.

326
00:12:02.195 --> 00:12:03.845
Well, the other thing as well, right, is like,

327
00:12:04.655 --> 00:12:06.965
especially when you come into a team early on, right?

328
00:12:07.025 --> 00:12:08.205
You, every driver wants

329
00:12:08.205 --> 00:12:09.765
to show, you know, what they can do, right?

330
00:12:09.765 --> 00:12:12.325
There's the, there's the, the selfish part of it

331
00:12:12.325 --> 00:12:14.565
where you wanna show that you, you know, you can go as quick

332
00:12:14.565 --> 00:12:15.925
as the other guy in the car or you can

333
00:12:15.925 --> 00:12:16.965
go quicker or whatever.

334
00:12:16.985 --> 00:12:18.885
So there's a, there's a personal element to it as well

335
00:12:18.885 --> 00:12:20.445
where you wanna show, you know,

336
00:12:20.445 --> 00:12:21.645
you wanna show your speed, right?

337
00:12:21.645 --> 00:12:24.485
You're a racing driver. Um, so yeah,

338
00:12:24.485 --> 00:12:28.005
certainly I remember coming, coming out of IndyCar, going

339
00:12:28.005 --> 00:12:32.405
to Daytona, and uh, you know, my whole mentality I think in

340
00:12:32.405 --> 00:12:35.045
that race was, okay, I wanna be, you know, every stint needs

341
00:12:35.045 --> 00:12:37.325
to be, you know, on the limit

342
00:12:37.425 --> 00:12:39.285
and, you know, I wanna have the, you know, you know,

343
00:12:39.285 --> 00:12:40.885
fastest average pay, all that kind of,

344
00:12:40.885 --> 00:12:41.925
all the usual stuff, right?

345
00:12:41.925 --> 00:12:43.685
And then you realize exactly to your point James,

346
00:12:43.685 --> 00:12:45.485
that actually big pitch here.

347
00:12:45.485 --> 00:12:47.245
And I don't know what it was like in the McLaren last year,

348
00:12:47.245 --> 00:12:50.485
but for us in the Lexus, I can tell you like, if we push

349
00:12:50.505 --> 00:12:53.525
for 23 hours, we get to the last hour of the race,

350
00:12:54.075 --> 00:12:56.085
there's the cars, there's nothing left of the car, right?

351
00:12:56.085 --> 00:12:57.405
Like you, the brakes are gone.

352
00:12:57.545 --> 00:12:58.685
You are, uh, you know, the,

353
00:12:58.865 --> 00:13:01.085
you might have lost a dive plane here or whatever.

354
00:13:01.085 --> 00:13:04.445
Like actually one of the biggest skills in endurance racing

355
00:13:05.225 --> 00:13:07.685
is, is getting to that last couple of hours

356
00:13:07.785 --> 00:13:09.925
and having, you know, all the bits on the car,

357
00:13:09.925 --> 00:13:11.565
having some breaks to go racing with.

358
00:13:11.565 --> 00:13:14.725
And like being able to really maximize

359
00:13:14.725 --> 00:13:15.805
what you have at the end of the race

360
00:13:15.805 --> 00:13:16.885
because you can, you know, all

361
00:13:16.885 --> 00:13:18.045
these cars start the race, right?

362
00:13:18.045 --> 00:13:19.645
And you might be two tenths slower than

363
00:13:19.955 --> 00:13:21.005
another manufacturer.

364
00:13:21.345 --> 00:13:23.525
Um, average pace when up when the

365
00:13:23.525 --> 00:13:24.565
cars are in great condition.

366
00:13:24.625 --> 00:13:26.845
But if you can get to hour 22, hour 23

367
00:13:26.845 --> 00:13:28.005
and they're carrying a little bit of damage

368
00:13:28.005 --> 00:13:29.485
or they've got a bit more wear on the brakes

369
00:13:29.485 --> 00:13:32.645
and your stuff's in perfect condition, then well,

370
00:13:32.645 --> 00:13:34.885
you leave your guy at the end who's closing the race with,

371
00:13:34.885 --> 00:13:35.965
with something to fight for.

372
00:13:36.025 --> 00:13:37.125
So, and something to fight with.

373
00:13:37.145 --> 00:13:40.365
So to show the first couple of years I was in, uh, um,

374
00:13:41.385 --> 00:13:44.645
sports cars, I definitely had the mentality of all in, uh,

375
00:13:44.745 --> 00:13:47.645
and then began to realize there's, oh, there's way more

376
00:13:47.865 --> 00:13:49.325
to, to this than that.

377
00:13:49.325 --> 00:13:52.765
And I need to adapt my mindset here,

378
00:13:52.765 --> 00:13:56.605
especially in these longer races, um, to yeah, be,

379
00:13:56.625 --> 00:13:59.205
be a little bit more MEChA mechanically sympathetic would be

380
00:13:59.205 --> 00:14:00.205
the, the word I'd use.

381
00:14:00.265 --> 00:14:02.525
So, but you, it is, it's like a switch though, right?

382
00:14:02.685 --> 00:14:04.565
Because there is that element of it where you need

383
00:14:04.565 --> 00:14:06.205
to protect the car, but then there's also the other element

384
00:14:06.305 --> 00:14:08.565
of it where you need to almost click your fingers

385
00:14:08.625 --> 00:14:10.285
and just go into kill more, be 10,

386
00:14:10.285 --> 00:14:11.285
10 again.

387
00:14:11.285 --> 00:14:12.005
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah.

388
00:14:12.025 --> 00:14:13.245
So it's, uh, it's an interesting,

389
00:14:13.605 --> 00:14:15.005
mentally it's an interesting challenge for sure.

390
00:14:15.515 --> 00:14:17.365
It's clearly something you picked up quick though,

391
00:14:17.365 --> 00:14:19.245
because I think, I think if you look at the

392
00:14:20.045 --> 00:14:21.725
American motorsport landscape, right?

393
00:14:22.065 --> 00:14:24.565
You've got, you've got three, three things

394
00:14:24.565 --> 00:14:26.405
that you would dream of doing as a kid.

395
00:14:26.675 --> 00:14:28.725
It's cup, it's IndyCar

396
00:14:28.825 --> 00:14:31.765
or it's, you know, a factory driver in sports cars, right?

397
00:14:31.785 --> 00:14:34.005
So to get to the level that you have achieved and,

398
00:14:34.065 --> 00:14:35.085
and have been with Lexus

399
00:14:35.185 --> 00:14:38.565
for nine years now in a factory program, um, you know,

400
00:14:38.565 --> 00:14:40.925
clearly you did something right in the beginning and,

401
00:14:40.945 --> 00:14:43.805
and you continue to, what do you think you know,

402
00:14:44.065 --> 00:14:46.085
is something that differentiates you?

403
00:14:46.905 --> 00:14:48.085
Um, you know,

404
00:14:48.085 --> 00:14:50.125
because there, there's a lot of drivers, right?

405
00:14:50.125 --> 00:14:52.805
In sports cars 'cause you're sharing the car, um, a minimum

406
00:14:52.905 --> 00:14:54.605
of two up to four sometimes.

407
00:14:54.605 --> 00:14:57.005
Like where do you think you've been able to find

408
00:14:57.555 --> 00:14:58.645
kind of this longevity?

409
00:14:58.825 --> 00:15:01.685
And was it, was it something that you thought

410
00:15:01.955 --> 00:15:03.485
that when you started this program,

411
00:15:03.745 --> 00:15:05.325
you were gonna be here almost a decade later?

412
00:15:05.385 --> 00:15:09.885
Or did you look at IMSA as maybe like a, uh, a gap here stop

413
00:15:10.185 --> 00:15:11.885
to, to get back to open wheel cars?

414
00:15:11.885 --> 00:15:13.285
Or like where was your mindset with that?

415
00:15:13.705 --> 00:15:15.245
Sounds like a job interview here.

416
00:15:15.265 --> 00:15:18.485
So what are your strengths, ? Who would you bring to the

417
00:15:18.485 --> 00:15:19.485
company? .
.

418
00:15:20.515 --> 00:15:21.685
Yeah, that's a difficult one.

419
00:15:21.785 --> 00:15:24.885
Um, I mean, uh, I mean, I guess to answer the,

420
00:15:24.885 --> 00:15:28.125
the last question when I first came into ims, a full-time

421
00:15:28.125 --> 00:15:30.845
with Lexus, like what did I, how did I see it?

422
00:15:30.905 --> 00:15:34.565
Did I see myself here for 10 years? Uh, that's difficult.

423
00:15:34.605 --> 00:15:36.365
I don't, I have a, I dunno what you guys are like,

424
00:15:36.365 --> 00:15:37.805
but I have, uh,

425
00:15:38.245 --> 00:15:40.085
a problem looking too far, if that makes sense.

426
00:15:40.085 --> 00:15:41.285
Especially as I get older now.

427
00:15:41.285 --> 00:15:42.565
Like, I've just noticed in this sports,

428
00:15:42.565 --> 00:15:44.045
things can change so quickly, right?

429
00:15:44.145 --> 00:15:46.405
And you just never, it's difficult

430
00:15:46.405 --> 00:15:47.925
to have a, a long-term plan.

431
00:15:48.025 --> 00:15:49.845
So, uh, at the time I didn't know.

432
00:15:49.925 --> 00:15:52.005
I still obviously had just left IndyCar

433
00:15:52.185 --> 00:15:56.365
and, um, at the time, uh, I was probably a little bit,

434
00:15:56.465 --> 00:15:58.885
you know, my IndyCar career hadn't ended the way I'd hoped

435
00:15:58.905 --> 00:15:59.885
and there was probably a little bit

436
00:15:59.885 --> 00:16:00.765
of bitterness there and stuff.

437
00:16:00.785 --> 00:16:04.125
So I was excited to be out of that paddock in a way and,

438
00:16:04.125 --> 00:16:05.165
and have a new challenge.

439
00:16:05.265 --> 00:16:08.725
So I wouldn't say I looked at it as a stop gap, um,

440
00:16:09.865 --> 00:16:14.405
so much, but, um, as a, an opportunity to uh, you know, kind

441
00:16:14.405 --> 00:16:16.045
of do something else and hopefully win some races.

442
00:16:16.165 --> 00:16:18.365
'cause it had been a, it had been a tough couple of years

443
00:16:18.365 --> 00:16:19.725
where I'd not been doing any winning

444
00:16:20.145 --> 00:16:21.565
and I just wanted to get back to winning.

445
00:16:21.565 --> 00:16:23.965
Do you know what I mean? Like, I always think for me, like

446
00:16:23.965 --> 00:16:25.565
as a racing driver, that's the bit I enjoy.

447
00:16:25.645 --> 00:16:28.725
I enjoy the, the, the, you know, when you can win.

448
00:16:28.725 --> 00:16:31.445
And I feel like any driver who tells you, you know, oh,

449
00:16:31.445 --> 00:16:32.565
they just enjoy being at the track.

450
00:16:32.725 --> 00:16:34.325
I dunno. I just, that's not fun for me

451
00:16:34.325 --> 00:16:37.205
and I have to feel like I have a ch a chance to do well.

452
00:16:40.385 --> 00:16:44.645
Is it, in terms of like, what's, I guess kept me, you know,

453
00:16:44.815 --> 00:16:49.295
where I am and I guess being able to, yeah,

454
00:16:49.645 --> 00:16:51.415
stay with the same manufacturer a long period of time

455
00:16:51.415 --> 00:16:52.695
because I feel like we've grown together.

456
00:16:53.375 --> 00:16:54.455
'cause you look at the Lexus program,

457
00:16:54.485 --> 00:16:57.735
when we first came in in 20 17, 20 18, it was not,

458
00:16:57.835 --> 00:16:58.935
we were not very successful.

459
00:16:58.935 --> 00:17:00.855
Like we didn't stand on the podium in the

460
00:17:00.935 --> 00:17:02.495
GTD class for the first two years.

461
00:17:02.555 --> 00:17:06.295
And then, um, you know, we finally got my first winning,

462
00:17:06.725 --> 00:17:09.735
well second winning in so, but first win with Lexus in 2019.

463
00:17:10.515 --> 00:17:13.815
Um, and so I felt like I developed a lot

464
00:17:13.815 --> 00:17:15.695
as a driver throughout those years as I was kind

465
00:17:15.695 --> 00:17:17.415
of touching on before, initially I came in

466
00:17:17.415 --> 00:17:18.775
and it was just bolstered a wall.

467
00:17:19.255 --> 00:17:20.375
I wanna show my speed

468
00:17:20.475 --> 00:17:24.295
and then the program wasn't quite where it needed

469
00:17:24.295 --> 00:17:29.005
to be in order to win either, which meant that, uh,

470
00:17:29.285 --> 00:17:30.365
I had to develop other parts

471
00:17:30.365 --> 00:17:32.405
of my game whilst the team was developing.

472
00:17:32.585 --> 00:17:35.965
Uh, and then slowly we developed the team, I began to, uh,

473
00:17:36.195 --> 00:17:37.685
have an understanding of these races

474
00:17:37.685 --> 00:17:39.605
and I think I became a more of a complete driver.

475
00:17:39.705 --> 00:17:41.045
And I think now, you know, seven

476
00:17:41.045 --> 00:17:42.685
or eight years down the line, I just have a really,

477
00:17:43.845 --> 00:17:47.245
I think quite a high race IQ in terms of like, I understand,

478
00:17:47.425 --> 00:17:48.925
you know, how the races are gonna unfold

479
00:17:49.225 --> 00:17:51.845
and I have a good idea of what's important

480
00:17:51.905 --> 00:17:53.885
and maybe what's not so important in terms

481
00:17:53.885 --> 00:17:55.085
of trying to get these results.

482
00:17:55.225 --> 00:17:57.285
And uh, and I just have good relationship with the team

483
00:17:57.285 --> 00:17:58.765
so we've grown together, if that makes sense.

484
00:17:58.915 --> 00:18:00.285
Yeah, yeah. That's awesome. I've improved

485
00:18:00.285 --> 00:18:01.685
and then the team's improved at the same time.

486
00:18:02.545 --> 00:18:06.445
And, and that team is, it's a serious factory effort.

487
00:18:06.605 --> 00:18:08.445
I mean, you, you know, everyone's gotta remember that

488
00:18:09.095 --> 00:18:10.685
Lexus is Toyota, right?

489
00:18:10.785 --> 00:18:14.125
So you, you guys are part of the, the TRD program

490
00:18:14.625 --> 00:18:18.005
and again, I don't know many manufacturers,

491
00:18:18.005 --> 00:18:20.085
certainly not in North America that spend

492
00:18:20.305 --> 00:18:22.285
and prepare the way that Toyota do.

493
00:18:22.305 --> 00:18:24.365
The facilities that you guys have available to you.

494
00:18:24.985 --> 00:18:28.165
Um, you know, obviously I know Townsend Bell very well.

495
00:18:28.355 --> 00:18:30.605
He's actually literally calling myself one at this very

496
00:18:30.605 --> 00:18:32.165
minute, sorry, Townsend , um, .

497
00:18:33.145 --> 00:18:35.965
But he's, you know, he's told me about the, the facilities

498
00:18:35.965 --> 00:18:37.845
that you have, whether it's the, the training,

499
00:18:37.985 --> 00:18:40.565
the simulator, I mean everything at the TRD campus

500
00:18:40.635 --> 00:18:42.365
that you guys have access to.

501
00:18:42.925 --> 00:18:46.005
I mean, this is a fully fledged factory effort.

502
00:18:46.745 --> 00:18:49.805
And I, I I just wondering if you can explain for everyone

503
00:18:50.465 --> 00:18:52.445
how much preparation goes into,

504
00:18:52.725 --> 00:18:54.565
'cause I, I kind of look at, you know, you sort

505
00:18:54.565 --> 00:18:56.165
of mentioned it, there's your, your championship,

506
00:18:56.165 --> 00:18:58.005
which everybody wants, that's the same across all motor

507
00:18:58.005 --> 00:19:00.445
sports, and there's a racer two that everybody wants,

508
00:19:00.445 --> 00:19:01.445
which I think is the same.

509
00:19:01.865 --> 00:19:04.245
The Indy car equivalent obviously is the 500

510
00:19:04.915 --> 00:19:07.885
Daytona is the 500, you know,

511
00:19:07.885 --> 00:19:10.405
how much effort goes into a Daytona 500 entry?

512
00:19:11.465 --> 00:19:15.245
Is it that same kind of feeling for preparing for the 24?

513
00:19:15.265 --> 00:19:18.125
Is it that much more energy, that much more effort,

514
00:19:18.125 --> 00:19:20.565
that much more focus that goes into it when you're

515
00:19:21.165 --> 00:19:22.165
starting the season off

516
00:19:22.165 --> 00:19:23.605
with the biggest race of the year? Yeah,

517
00:19:23.645 --> 00:19:24.645
I, I would say so.

518
00:19:24.725 --> 00:19:26.645
I mean, um, yeah, you're right. We're very lucky.

519
00:19:26.755 --> 00:19:29.445
Like as at Toyota, we do have a lot of great facilities,

520
00:19:29.445 --> 00:19:31.325
especially down here in Charlotte, the simulator,

521
00:19:31.505 --> 00:19:33.645
the shaker rig, all kinds of bits

522
00:19:33.645 --> 00:19:36.085
and bulbs, which a lot of other Manu manufacturers

523
00:19:36.085 --> 00:19:37.125
and teams don't have access to.

524
00:19:37.185 --> 00:19:38.725
So that's, yeah, pretty cool.

525
00:19:38.785 --> 00:19:40.445
The training facility, I was actually training

526
00:19:40.445 --> 00:19:41.925
with the Townend yesterday there.

527
00:19:42.185 --> 00:19:43.445
Uh, so it's funny you bring that up

528
00:19:43.745 --> 00:19:45.245
and he's the only person who's ever walked.

529
00:19:45.245 --> 00:19:47.405
So they have a strict, like you can't train with, uh,

530
00:19:47.435 --> 00:19:48.765
with your top off in there.

531
00:19:49.065 --> 00:19:51.845
And obviously t be walks in there first thing taps off

532
00:19:51.955 --> 00:19:53.365
like, yeah, it's pretty funny.

533
00:19:53.585 --> 00:19:56.565
So, so California used to surfing, so, so much sense.

534
00:19:56.715 --> 00:19:58.325
Yeah, Malibu Barbie is,

535
00:19:58.325 --> 00:19:59.685
we call was in there just

536
00:19:59.685 --> 00:20:01.245
with his shirt off. Yeah, I believe it. Yeah,

537
00:20:01.765 --> 00:20:02.845
I get a guy kudos though.

538
00:20:02.845 --> 00:20:05.845
He is like 49 and he's absolutely, he's shedding still. So

539
00:20:05.995 --> 00:20:06.995
yeah,
,

540
00:20:07.165 --> 00:20:08.765
I tell him, I was like, you're in better shape than one.

541
00:20:08.765 --> 00:20:13.325
You were racing . Um, so, uh, yeah, no, I mean for,

542
00:20:13.345 --> 00:20:15.645
for Daytona specifically, getting back to that, yes it is,

543
00:20:15.665 --> 00:20:16.725
it feels like there's a lot

544
00:20:16.725 --> 00:20:18.085
of prep goes into it very similar

545
00:20:18.145 --> 00:20:21.005
to I guess the mindset when you build up to the 500, right?

546
00:20:21.005 --> 00:20:22.165
Like, you know, that's the big one.

547
00:20:22.165 --> 00:20:25.605
You can win the Daytona, you can win the 24 hours a Daytona,

548
00:20:25.665 --> 00:20:28.445
and it's almost like the rest of the season, you know,

549
00:20:28.465 --> 00:20:29.605
you can, you can have have

550
00:20:29.605 --> 00:20:31.405
A, you're not have cruise control, but you feel, you know,

551
00:20:31.405 --> 00:20:32.525
you're gonna feel good at the end of the year.

552
00:20:32.715 --> 00:20:34.205
Exactly. You've got it in the bag, right.

553
00:20:34.225 --> 00:20:35.405
No matter what happens from there.

554
00:20:35.425 --> 00:20:37.005
You, you've had a successful year.

555
00:20:37.025 --> 00:20:38.685
So definitely a lot of work goes into it.

556
00:20:38.685 --> 00:20:40.485
And then I just think it's just a marathon, right?

557
00:20:40.485 --> 00:20:41.885
Like we have this test next week,

558
00:20:41.905 --> 00:20:43.365
so then there's the buildup to that test

559
00:20:43.385 --> 00:20:45.085
and you do the test and then you staying there.

560
00:20:45.545 --> 00:20:47.420
It reminds me a lot of the five, 500,

561
00:20:47.420 --> 00:20:49.325
like I always felt the 500 just,

562
00:20:49.465 --> 00:20:50.965
it dragged on for so long, right?

563
00:20:50.965 --> 00:20:53.885
There's so much buildup to it and Daytona's kind of similar.

564
00:20:53.945 --> 00:20:55.205
So it feels like there's a lot of effort

565
00:20:55.265 --> 00:20:58.965
and it's kind of, I feel like, uh, as a driver being able to

566
00:20:59.705 --> 00:21:01.325
not get too excited about it

567
00:21:01.325 --> 00:21:02.685
and be quite, you know,

568
00:21:02.715 --> 00:21:05.045
levelheaded from the beginning is, is important. Yeah.

569
00:21:05.795 --> 00:21:08.005
It's, it's, you know, one, one race out

570
00:21:08.005 --> 00:21:09.205
of a 10 race championship.

571
00:21:09.345 --> 00:21:11.965
But I, I think I read somewhere one year that between the,

572
00:21:11.965 --> 00:21:15.085
the Roar and the race, it's like one third of the miles run

573
00:21:15.085 --> 00:21:17.445
of the entire season are done at Daytona.

574
00:21:17.665 --> 00:21:20.765
So like, it's very heavily biased towards it as,

575
00:21:20.765 --> 00:21:22.405
as a driver, you know,

576
00:21:22.405 --> 00:21:24.965
we love asking drivers this in IndyCar as a driver,

577
00:21:25.375 --> 00:21:28.645
would you rather win Daytona or a championship?

578
00:21:29.745 --> 00:21:31.085
And I know it's a little skewed

579
00:21:31.085 --> 00:21:32.285
because you've won a championship.

580
00:21:32.285 --> 00:21:34.085
Yeah. And so I'm sure Daytona seems like it's so,

581
00:21:34.185 --> 00:21:35.645
but like let's say you had won neither

582
00:21:35.705 --> 00:21:36.765
or you had one of each,

583
00:21:37.225 --> 00:21:38.405
you know, what would you rather have?

584
00:21:38.915 --> 00:21:40.205
I'll always say championship.

585
00:21:40.225 --> 00:21:42.645
And that was always like, when anyone's ever asked me that,

586
00:21:42.645 --> 00:21:46.245
like, I would always, it'd be awesome to win Daytona,

587
00:21:46.265 --> 00:21:49.085
but I just think a championship is so hard earned.

588
00:21:49.395 --> 00:21:51.485
Like it's, it's such a slog, right?

589
00:21:51.485 --> 00:21:53.845
Like from January through to October or

590
00:21:54.165 --> 00:21:56.765
whenever in IndyCar march through to October,

591
00:21:56.795 --> 00:21:59.845
like you've gotta be, you've gotta be the best guy over,

592
00:22:00.385 --> 00:22:02.805
you know, the best team over, you know, 10 month period.

593
00:22:02.905 --> 00:22:05.965
So I, yeah, I'd love to win a Rolex 'cause I don't have one,

594
00:22:06.065 --> 00:22:09.525
but, um, I, uh, I would, I think in terms of

595
00:22:09.525 --> 00:22:12.285
what means the most, I think the championship in my opinion

596
00:22:12.285 --> 00:22:14.445
carries just a little bit more value.

597
00:22:14.865 --> 00:22:16.885
Um, just 'cause it's so hard earned.

598
00:22:16.885 --> 00:22:19.245
Like you, you, you can get to the end of Daytona

599
00:22:19.265 --> 00:22:20.925
and I always kind of say like,

600
00:22:20.925 --> 00:22:22.205
you're just putting yourself in the lottery

601
00:22:22.205 --> 00:22:23.405
ticket at the end, you know what I mean?

602
00:22:23.545 --> 00:22:26.325
To shoot out hopefully, uh, that a championship,

603
00:22:26.345 --> 00:22:27.485
you, you, yeah.

604
00:22:27.485 --> 00:22:28.885
It's just like every weekend you've gotta

605
00:22:28.885 --> 00:22:30.125
be relentlessly consistent.

606
00:22:30.225 --> 00:22:31.685
So I think that that's very hard to do.

607
00:22:31.985 --> 00:22:33.245
That's fair. That's totally fair.

608
00:22:33.425 --> 00:22:35.725
So for, let's talk about the rest of the season now.

609
00:22:35.725 --> 00:22:37.565
We've talked a lot about Daytona, which makes sense.

610
00:22:37.565 --> 00:22:41.445
It's coming up. Um, you a little bit of a switch for you.

611
00:22:41.905 --> 00:22:44.205
Um, you've been running in the GTD Pro class

612
00:22:44.505 --> 00:22:46.405
and you're gonna be moving to the GTD class.

613
00:22:46.505 --> 00:22:49.045
Why don't you kinda just explain for everyone what that,

614
00:22:49.115 --> 00:22:50.445
what that change means?

615
00:22:51.435 --> 00:22:54.525
Yeah, so that, uh, effectively we've always run two cars

616
00:22:54.525 --> 00:22:56.205
at VA Sullivan, the 12 and the 14.

617
00:22:56.205 --> 00:22:59.165
Initially both cars ran in GTD, then the inception

618
00:22:59.185 --> 00:23:00.285
of the GTD Pro car.

619
00:23:00.505 --> 00:23:03.245
Um, we, we were able to have one car in one class,

620
00:23:03.545 --> 00:23:04.565
uh, one car in the other.

621
00:23:04.625 --> 00:23:08.125
And uh, yeah, this year I'll be, uh, moving to the 12 car.

622
00:23:08.355 --> 00:23:10.045
I've raced in the 14 car for the last,

623
00:23:10.205 --> 00:23:11.245
I think six, seven years.

624
00:23:11.345 --> 00:23:12.725
So it's a bit of a change for me.

625
00:23:12.725 --> 00:23:14.085
It's new personnel,

626
00:23:14.085 --> 00:23:16.405
it's a new teammate in Pa Thompson, another Canadian.

627
00:23:17.025 --> 00:23:19.325
Um, and I'm super excited about it.

628
00:23:19.325 --> 00:23:22.005
Like, I think for us as a, as a team, it's,

629
00:23:22.305 --> 00:23:24.325
it basically spreads our bets a little bit more.

630
00:23:24.465 --> 00:23:26.645
So we have a, I think we have, uh,

631
00:23:27.035 --> 00:23:29.205
more opportunity across both championships

632
00:23:29.205 --> 00:23:30.325
than perhaps we've had in the past.

633
00:23:30.625 --> 00:23:34.325
Um, and then for me, I felt I needed a,

634
00:23:34.325 --> 00:23:37.045
something fresh is kind of how I would describe it.

635
00:23:37.045 --> 00:23:40.525
Like, I had a great time working with that side

636
00:23:40.525 --> 00:23:42.965
of the garage and a lot of, I mean, the engineer

637
00:23:43.105 --> 00:23:44.165
who I worked with on that side

638
00:23:44.165 --> 00:23:46.525
of the garage was Jeff Ficklin is the same guy I was working

639
00:23:46.525 --> 00:23:48.125
with in Star Mazda in 2012.

640
00:23:48.305 --> 00:23:50.685
So like, wow. I've been working with him for, you know,

641
00:23:50.685 --> 00:23:52.085
12 years basically on and off.

642
00:23:52.105 --> 00:23:54.885
And, uh, so I have such good relationships

643
00:23:54.885 --> 00:23:56.285
with everybody on that side of the garage.

644
00:23:56.305 --> 00:23:57.765
But I got to, for me personally,

645
00:23:57.845 --> 00:24:00.605
I just really fancied something different.

646
00:24:00.665 --> 00:24:01.965
You know, I felt like we'd had,

647
00:24:01.995 --> 00:24:03.285
it'd been the same driver line up,

648
00:24:03.405 --> 00:24:04.965
it'd been the same crew, same engineering.

649
00:24:05.085 --> 00:24:07.205
I just, for me to keep growing as a driver,

650
00:24:07.445 --> 00:24:08.965
I felt like I needed something

651
00:24:09.395 --> 00:24:10.565
just a little bit different, you know?

652
00:24:10.565 --> 00:24:12.405
And I felt this was exciting to me and,

653
00:24:12.405 --> 00:24:14.925
and it made sense for the team and we went ahead with it.

654
00:24:15.225 --> 00:24:17.045
So even though it's the exact same team,

655
00:24:17.545 --> 00:24:20.765
do you feel like it's it's a new, it's a,

656
00:24:20.765 --> 00:24:23.965
it's a new opportunity, like as if you're a first day

657
00:24:23.965 --> 00:24:25.485
of school type thing, even though it's the

658
00:24:25.485 --> 00:24:26.965
same organization?

659
00:24:27.635 --> 00:24:28.885
Yeah, completely. To be honest,

660
00:24:29.035 --> 00:24:30.405
it's like everything that's interesting.

661
00:24:30.405 --> 00:24:32.005
Wow. Yeah, it's nice. It'd be a bit, I mean, I,

662
00:24:32.085 --> 00:24:35.365
I guess it'd be a bit like, um, you know, if you are in, uh,

663
00:24:35.385 --> 00:24:37.365
in IndyCar and you had a three or four car team, right?

664
00:24:37.425 --> 00:24:39.445
And you did a complete swap, right?

665
00:24:39.465 --> 00:24:41.685
And now you are with different engineer, different assistant

666
00:24:42.565 --> 00:24:45.085
engineer, different, uh, you know, crew, chief mechanics,

667
00:24:45.115 --> 00:24:46.325
yeah, crew chief, everything.

668
00:24:46.385 --> 00:24:48.485
So for me, I just felt like, uh, yeah, I'm,

669
00:24:48.485 --> 00:24:49.885
I'm super excited about that.

670
00:24:49.885 --> 00:24:51.645
Like, that's great. I mean, as a team it's,

671
00:24:52.205 --> 00:24:53.325
I feel like we have a really strong team

672
00:24:53.325 --> 00:24:54.325
as a whole across the board.

673
00:24:54.825 --> 00:24:58.225
Um, but yeah, I feel like this year it's, we we're,

674
00:24:58.225 --> 00:25:00.665
we're set up really nicely to have a go at both series.

675
00:25:00.925 --> 00:25:04.385
Um, and it's just given me like a new,

676
00:25:05.095 --> 00:25:07.825
like I feel more butterflies than I did last year just

677
00:25:07.825 --> 00:25:09.265
because at the start of last year,

678
00:25:09.515 --> 00:25:11.825
everything was such a, a known quantity, right?

679
00:25:11.825 --> 00:25:14.305
Okay. I, I know how my communication

680
00:25:14.335 --> 00:25:15.345
with this guy's gonna be.

681
00:25:15.465 --> 00:25:16.905
I know how I need to work with this guy.

682
00:25:16.905 --> 00:25:20.945
And it was all so like, easy almost in terms, you know,

683
00:25:20.945 --> 00:25:23.185
it was too, it was too easy in a way where you just kind of,

684
00:25:23.185 --> 00:25:24.545
you, it's very, I dunno what you guys are like,

685
00:25:24.545 --> 00:25:26.385
but for me, like I can get into a rhythm with something

686
00:25:26.385 --> 00:25:28.665
and it just doesn't become monotonous,

687
00:25:28.685 --> 00:25:30.505
but you don't feel like you're challenging yourself.

688
00:25:30.605 --> 00:25:33.425
Whilst now I feel like, okay, I've gotta learn new people,

689
00:25:33.525 --> 00:25:36.225
new characteristics, it's a different situation.

690
00:25:36.885 --> 00:25:38.865
Um, different kind of pressure.

691
00:25:39.015 --> 00:25:40.425
Like, so I just, yeah,

692
00:25:40.425 --> 00:25:41.865
I feel rejuvenated by it, to be honest.

693
00:25:42.325 --> 00:25:45.145
Has it been the same car since, since the inception?

694
00:25:45.695 --> 00:25:47.705
Exactly. Yeah. Same car as well. So

695
00:25:47.705 --> 00:25:49.345
Yeah, that probably leads into it as well, right?

696
00:25:49.345 --> 00:25:51.425
Because it's, it's like there's only so much that you can do

697
00:25:51.885 --> 00:25:53.145
and develop, right?

698
00:25:53.215 --> 00:25:55.265
With the same package that you've had for a decade.

699
00:25:55.695 --> 00:25:56.785
Exactly. Same package.

700
00:25:56.885 --> 00:25:58.585
And then we've had pretty much the same tire now,

701
00:25:58.585 --> 00:25:59.825
I think it's the second year with this tire,

702
00:25:59.825 --> 00:26:02.105
but we're on Michelin's for the last six or seven years.

703
00:26:02.205 --> 00:26:03.465
So not always changed there.

704
00:26:03.465 --> 00:26:05.305
And that, honestly, if I'm being honest, the, the

705
00:26:06.195 --> 00:26:07.705
can't talk too much about the future,

706
00:26:07.925 --> 00:26:10.905
but there's some exciting stuff in the near future for Lexus

707
00:26:11.015 --> 00:26:14.545
with, with the GT program, but it's a known fact, right?

708
00:26:14.545 --> 00:26:16.905
That we are racing the oldest, you know,

709
00:26:16.905 --> 00:26:19.065
homologated cow on the grid right now. So you've

710
00:26:19.065 --> 00:26:20.945
Got the, the DW 12 of GT three

711
00:26:20.945 --> 00:26:22.105
cars
, correct?

712
00:26:22.465 --> 00:26:23.745
W with the old Arrow

713
00:26:23.765 --> 00:26:24.765
Kit.

714
00:26:24.765 --> 00:26:26.585
I can empathize. Yeah, yeah. . So, uh,

715
00:26:27.175 --> 00:26:28.745
Yeah, yeah, exactly.

716
00:26:28.775 --> 00:26:31.105
It's, it's based, it's quite similar in a way.

717
00:26:31.105 --> 00:26:33.825
And, uh, so also we're at a

718
00:26:33.825 --> 00:26:35.105
disadvantage in some ways, right?

719
00:26:35.345 --> 00:26:37.425
Compared to some of these newer manufacturers who have, uh,

720
00:26:37.855 --> 00:26:39.385
some, some, uh, you know,

721
00:26:39.385 --> 00:26:40.705
newer equipment and stuff like that.

722
00:26:40.765 --> 00:26:44.205
So I think having strong cars across both G-T-D-G-T-D PRO

723
00:26:44.535 --> 00:26:47.085
gives us a good shot of both series. So,

724
00:26:47.265 --> 00:26:48.765
And, and the, the difference really

725
00:26:48.765 --> 00:26:52.245
between the two classes is GTD PRO is an all pro driver

726
00:26:52.385 --> 00:26:56.525
lineup where GTD you have to have an an am quote unquote.

727
00:26:57.025 --> 00:27:00.245
Um, so your, so your argument to Im SA is

728
00:27:00.245 --> 00:27:02.845
that Parker Thompson is an am Is

729
00:27:02.845 --> 00:27:04.165
that, is that what I'm hearing?

730
00:27:04.165 --> 00:27:06.965
Because I mean, I've seen that kid wheel, I don't know

731
00:27:06.985 --> 00:27:08.085
how that's possible.

732
00:27:08.545 --> 00:27:09.925
And if I was a betting man,

733
00:27:09.945 --> 00:27:11.565
I'd be putting money on the 12th car

734
00:27:11.905 --> 00:27:13.525
to win the GTD championship

735
00:27:13.895 --> 00:27:15.045
today. I'm willing, because that's a,

736
00:27:15.465 --> 00:27:17.405
I'm willing to throw my ad in the ring if

737
00:27:17.405 --> 00:27:18.445
you guys need a different Am

738
00:27:19.925 --> 00:27:20.925
We we're good.

739
00:27:20.925 --> 00:27:21.985
I think, I think he's gonna be alright.

740
00:27:21.985 --> 00:27:23.665
Yeah, I think he'd be good. No, I mean, uh,

741
00:27:24.215 --> 00:27:25.425
it's the way the rules are written, right?

742
00:27:25.425 --> 00:27:28.145
Like you have a, each driver's given a, you know, a,

743
00:27:28.265 --> 00:27:30.905
a ranking by the FIA and, and Parker is a silver,

744
00:27:31.045 --> 00:27:34.425
but if you look at the GTD championship, really

745
00:27:34.695 --> 00:27:37.345
that silver driver is extremely important.

746
00:27:37.415 --> 00:27:39.585
Like if you look at the guys who've won it over the last few

747
00:27:39.585 --> 00:27:40.785
years, you look at when it was van th

748
00:27:40.785 --> 00:27:42.465
and Robeson, you look at when it was sellers

749
00:27:42.465 --> 00:27:44.065
and snow, the,

750
00:27:44.165 --> 00:27:47.065
the silver guy is always has to be exceptional, right?

751
00:27:47.085 --> 00:27:49.545
And de Angelis when he won it, they're not, these guys are,

752
00:27:49.645 --> 00:27:51.745
you know, a, a, a proper, right?

753
00:27:51.745 --> 00:27:53.345
So it's, uh, you know, bronze is kind of,

754
00:27:53.525 --> 00:27:55.585
if there was a bronze mandate, then it would be different.

755
00:27:55.585 --> 00:27:57.665
But with the silver mandate, it means it's, you know,

756
00:27:57.665 --> 00:27:59.465
like a, a young open and comer.

757
00:27:59.485 --> 00:28:00.665
And that's what we've got.

758
00:28:00.685 --> 00:28:03.385
The young, the Canadian cruise missile. Young, young Open,

759
00:28:03.565 --> 00:28:06.065
My guy, guy, my guy, the new pt. Yeah.

760
00:28:06.175 --> 00:28:08.945
Yeah. I love, but just to touch on PT though, he's, uh,

761
00:28:08.945 --> 00:28:10.145
yeah, I'm, I'm really excited

762
00:28:10.145 --> 00:28:11.305
about that as well, like working with him.

763
00:28:11.335 --> 00:28:13.225
He's, uh, he's super quick

764
00:28:13.285 --> 00:28:16.705
and, uh, like he's, he's, he's young

765
00:28:16.805 --> 00:28:18.825
and that's gonna keep me on my tours.

766
00:28:18.825 --> 00:28:20.145
Do you know what I mean? Like, working with him

767
00:28:20.145 --> 00:28:21.465
and he's super motivated.

768
00:28:21.585 --> 00:28:23.225
I, I know you guys know each other a little bit,

769
00:28:23.245 --> 00:28:25.505
but really, uh, yeah, professional

770
00:28:25.605 --> 00:28:27.945
and, uh, does kind of, does does the work.

771
00:28:28.085 --> 00:28:29.465
So I'm, I'm really excited about that.

772
00:28:29.465 --> 00:28:30.825
Like I say, we've got killer, killer Silver,

773
00:28:30.885 --> 00:28:31.945
so I'm, yeah. Yeah.

774
00:28:32.415 --> 00:28:34.585
Well, like, I'm, I'm a big Parker Thompson fan.

775
00:28:34.725 --> 00:28:36.065
I'm a big Jack Hawksworth fan.

776
00:28:36.245 --> 00:28:37.785
Uh, I'm super impressed with the,

777
00:28:37.805 --> 00:28:39.185
the program that you guys run at Alexis.

778
00:28:39.375 --> 00:28:40.745
It's always been, you know, one,

779
00:28:40.745 --> 00:28:42.065
you keep an eye out every time we show

780
00:28:42.065 --> 00:28:43.105
up to the track at imsa.

781
00:28:43.325 --> 00:28:45.065
So Jack, thank you so much for coming on.

782
00:28:45.085 --> 00:28:49.545
We wish you all the best for the 2025 Rolex 24, uh,

783
00:28:49.545 --> 00:28:51.105
and the entire IMSA season.

784
00:28:51.325 --> 00:28:53.385
Uh, like I said, if I was a betting man, uh,

785
00:28:53.385 --> 00:28:54.745
you guys are looking pretty, uh,

786
00:28:54.925 --> 00:28:57.665
season se early season favorites, I'd say for,

787
00:28:57.725 --> 00:28:58.865
uh, for a good title run.

788
00:28:59.005 --> 00:29:01.345
So thanks for coming along and, uh, and best of luck.

789
00:29:01.735 --> 00:29:03.185
Yeah, cheers, mate. And I'll see you,

790
00:29:03.185 --> 00:29:04.305
uh, see you at Daytona.

791
00:29:04.365 --> 00:29:06.385
You in, uh, Lamborghini this year, right? Yeah,

792
00:29:06.385 --> 00:29:07.385
Yeah.

793
00:29:07.385 --> 00:29:08.065
We've swapped over to the Lambo

794
00:29:08.485 --> 00:29:12.105
and, uh, the plaid is back, so you won't, you won't miss us.

795
00:29:13.005 --> 00:29:14.825
And uh, yeah, it should be fun.

796
00:29:14.885 --> 00:29:16.625
But again, we're, so we're in the, you know,

797
00:29:16.635 --> 00:29:19.065
we're in slightly different classes, so we, you

798
00:29:19.065 --> 00:29:20.745
and I can get along on track. It's fine.

799
00:29:20.775 --> 00:29:22.905
Yeah, we are you
Teammates though? 14.

800
00:29:23.815 --> 00:29:25.665
I'll let him know.
, what's

801
00:29:25.665 --> 00:29:28.145
The, uh, how's the, have you tested the Lambo yet, uh,

802
00:29:29.605 --> 00:29:30.605
As we're recording?

803
00:29:30.685 --> 00:29:32.865
No, by the time this is aired, yes, but, okay.

804
00:29:32.865 --> 00:29:35.665
It was a bit of a late swap, so, uh, I've been on,

805
00:29:35.685 --> 00:29:37.825
on I racing quite a bit, trying to get up to speed.

806
00:29:38.235 --> 00:29:40.225
There you go. Nice. I mean, exact sounds good.

807
00:29:40.225 --> 00:29:42.445
Anyway, so I've always, always wanted to, uh, the sound

808
00:29:42.445 --> 00:29:43.525
of it, the thing sounds better.

809
00:29:43.875 --> 00:29:45.045
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hopefully it

810
00:29:45.045 --> 00:29:46.205
goes as good as it sounds, right?

811
00:29:46.475 --> 00:29:49.365
Yeah. Yeah. And, and a are you racing Daytona Alexander?

812
00:29:49.985 --> 00:29:53.005
I'm not. Um, I'm gonna be in Hawaii, but, uh, . Oh, there

813
00:29:53.005 --> 00:29:53.845
You go. Fun. That

814
00:29:54.015 --> 00:29:55.015
Might be better.

815
00:29:55.015 --> 00:29:56.125
Enjoy, enjoy. Let's go to

816
00:29:56.245 --> 00:29:57.245
Maui for a week.

817
00:29:57.245 --> 00:29:57.965
I feel like we might actually

818
00:29:57.965 --> 00:29:59.165
be on the short end of the stick.

819
00:29:59.315 --> 00:30:01.965
Yeah. I mean, I'll watch. Maybe, probably not, but yeah,

820
00:30:02.105 --> 00:30:03.105
You won't watch.

821
00:30:03.105 --> 00:30:05.285
He's already got his Rolex, so he's, he's good man.

822
00:30:05.285 --> 00:30:06.405
He's gonna go sit on a beach. Good

823
00:30:06.405 --> 00:30:07.405
To go.

824
00:30:07.405 --> 00:30:07.915
Yeah. .

825
00:30:08.355 --> 00:30:11.005
Yeah. As buddy as you said. Um, thanks for coming on, man.

826
00:30:11.005 --> 00:30:13.205
We appreciate it. Good luck and, uh, we'll see you soon.

827
00:30:13.595 --> 00:30:14.805
Yeah. Cheers, fellas. Awesome.

828
00:30:16.355 --> 00:30:18.445
This has been off track with Hinch and Rossi.

829
00:30:18.625 --> 00:30:21.805
Off Track is part of the SiriusXM Sports Podcast Network.

830
00:30:22.225 --> 00:30:23.365
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831
00:30:23.385 --> 00:30:25.605
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832
00:30:25.605 --> 00:30:26.645
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833
00:30:27.245 --> 00:30:29.445
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834
00:30:29.625 --> 00:30:32.285
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835
00:30:32.465 --> 00:30:35.125
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836
00:30:35.125 --> 00:30:36.525
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837
00:30:36.905 --> 00:30:38.365
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838
00:30:38.385 --> 00:30:40.045
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839
00:30:40.475 --> 00:30:42.765
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840
00:30:43.315 --> 00:30:45.285
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841
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842
00:30:47.025 --> 00:30:49.965
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