RACER Weekly Audio Podcast

NASCAR 2026: Remembering Kyle Busch, the driver, the man, the father | RACER Weekly

The sudden passing of Kyle Busch left the world of NASCAR stock car racing reeling. On track, he was one of the giants of the sport. A multi-time champion, record-setting race winner and guaranteed future Hall of Famer. Off the track, the brash kid from Las Vegas had grown into a loyal and loving family man and a mentor and role model for his son and next-gen driver, Brexton. RACER’s NASCAR editor, Kelly Crandall, joins RACER Weekly to remember a racer whose talent and inner drive didn’t just make his competitors raise their game, but the media who covered him, too. Plus, we look back with Kelly at an emotional win in Charlotte’s Coke 600 for a guy who learned so much from Kyle, Daniel Suarez, put the spotlight on rising Cup Series force Spire Motorsports, and marvel at the season 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick has enjoyed so far.     
#KyleBusch #RowdyNation #NASCAR #KellyCrandall #Coke600 #DanielSuarez #SpireMotorsports #TylerReddick                                               

F1 2026: Antonelli’s winning habit puts Russell on the back foot | RACER Weekly

When Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli was handed the Mercedes seat vacated by Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton, the expectation and the pressure was sky high. How do you follow the G.O.A.T.? Now, just a handful of races into his second season of F1, the 19-year-old phenom is delivering on the hype, winning grands prix for fun, and stretching his lead in the world championship points. RACER’s F1 expert Chris Medland joins RACER Weekly to talk about the rise and rise of Kimi, how teammate George Russell can put his faltering title challenge back on track, and who can close the gap to Mercedes’ gold-standard silver machines. Plus, we look at Max Verstappen’s 24-hour reset and run the rule over some of F1 2026’s over- and underachievers.                                                  
 
#F1 #Formula1 #KimiAntonelli #GeorgeRussell #MercedesF1 #LewisHamilton #MaxVerstappen #Nurburgring24

Hitting 345mph with NHRA Top Fuel dragster ace Shawn Langdon | RACER Weekly

The fastest guy in motorsports? That would be Top Fuel racer Shawn Langdon, who hit a record-shattering 345.00mph top speed as he rocketed his Kalitta Air dragster to a 3.724sec ET pass in Southern Nationals qualifying, May 1. The former Top Fuel champ and current points leader joins RACER Weekly to talk about the art, science and brute force of taking a nitro-burning, 12,000hp dragster to record speeds, what it’s like behind the wheel as he accelerates through 1,000ft in 3.6 seconds, and how crew chief Brian Husen and his Kalitta Motorsports crew are making the magic happen. And if 20 weekends of Top Fuel action aren’t enough, Shawn tells us about the fun, satisfaction and lack of sleep that trailering his sportsman dragster around the country brings.  
#ShawnLangdon @KalittaMotorsports #NHRA #DragRacing #nitro #topfuel #Racing #RACERpodcast          

Fast, motivated and ready – Ryan Hunter-Reay knows he can win another Indy 500 | RACER Weekly

Ryan Hunter-Reay won the 2014 Indianapolis 500, and he can reel off the times he came oh so close again. It’s a race that rewards or frustrates on a whim, but Hunter-Reay is still in thrall to its challenge, and still fast and motivated as he seeks that second win. Last year, driving for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, he was a factor once again and led 48 laps – that’s a quarter of the race distance – before dropping out with a fuel issue. This time around, he’s adding firepower to the frontrunning Arrow McLaren team for his 18th start at the Brickyard. RHR joined RACER Weekly to talk 2026 chances, keys to the race, his enduring passion for the 500…and some of the ones that got away.      
 
#RyanHunterReay #Indy500 #Indianapolis500 #IndyCar #ArrowMcLaren

Learning fast with America’s rising rally star Seth Quintero | RACER Weekly

It’s a big season for off-road racing ace Seth Quintero. Already making his mark in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, he’s added a whole new challenge in the ARA National Rally Championship. From Saudi Arabia and Portugal aboard a T1+ Toyota Hilux GR, to the woods of Missouri and Washington at the wheel of the all-new GR Corolla RC2, it’s been a whirlwind few months for the 23-year-old Californian. Fresh off second-place finishes on Rally Raid Portugal behind WRC G.O.A.T. Sebastien Loeb and the ARA’s Olympus Rally in a 1-2 with his Toyota Gazoo Racing team boss and world rally legend Jari-Matti Latvala, Seth joins RACER Weekly to talk us through a breakout season and his journey so far. From family quad biking trips to the dunes and ravines of the Dakar Rally, it’s been quite the ride.    
 
#SethQuintero #FIAWorldRally #ARANationalRallyChampionship #GRCorollaRC2 #DakarRally

IndyCar 2026: Can anyone catch Alex Palou? | RACER Weekly with Oriol Servia

It’s early days in the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series, yet the story reads a little familiar in the race for the championship, with four-time and reigning champion Alex Palou sitting top of the points after taking three wins from the first five races. Déjà vu all over again? Maybe not, says RACER Weekly guest Oriol Servia. As the 11-time Indy 500 starter explains, the chasing pack – headed by Andretti Global’s early-season points leader Kyle Kirkwood – is closer than ever and it’s far from a done deal. Oriol and RACER editor David Malsher-Lopez look at who’s best placed to take on the serial champ, what Palou and the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing crew are still doing better than anyone else, and how the momentum could change heading into the Month of May and the season-defining Indianapolis 500.           
#IndyCar #AlexPalou #ChipGanassiRacing #KyleKirkwood #Indy500 #AndrettiGlobal

Formula DRIFT ace Fredric Aasbø on the art and science of sideways | RACER Weekly

Formula DRIFT brings the sideways spectacle, the tire smoke and the noise. Visually, it’s unlike any other motorsports – short, sharp, intense action where speed, power and precision meet showmanship and style. Three-time Formula DRIFT champion Fredric Aasbø joins RACER Weekly to explain the intricacies of sitting inches off an opponent’s fender – and the wall – at the craziest of angles while dancing with 1,000hp at 100mph-plus. The Norwegian sultan of sideways talks grip vs. power, drifting’s unique combination of high-tech and human judging, his continuing motivation and his quest for the perfect run. Oh, and his love of ice racing and DJ’ing.     
#FredricAasbo #FormulaDRIFT #RACERweekly #racing #motorsport #RACERpodcasts

IMSA 2026: Robert Wickens on overcoming disability and targeting winning | RACER Weekly

Robert Wickens’ inspiring return to top-level racing after suffering paralyzing injuries in a 2018 IndyCar crash continues with a second campaign in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship’s ultra-competitive GTD class. He’ll get behind the wheel of DXDT Racing’s specially-modified Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R for five races in 2026, sharing with friend and long-time teammate Mason Filippi. Robert joined RACER Weekly’s David Malsher-Lopez to explain the tech behind his Bosch-built hand controls and how the system has been developed for maximum feel and effectiveness. And as fast, confident and motivated as ever, he outlines his goals for 2026 and beyond. It starts with podiums and race wins, and then, bigger picture, the Canadian ace is targeting championships.   
#RobertWickens #IMSA #GTD #CorvetteZ06GT3R #PrattMiller #MasonFilippi #Bosch #racing #motorsports #RACERWeekly

IndyCar 2026: King of the streets Kyle Kirkwood aims for Long Beach glory | RACER Weekly

Four races in the books in the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series, and four-time and reigning champ Alex Palou…isn’t leading the points! RACER Weekly checks in with the guy who is, Kyle Kirkwood, to get his take on the season so far and the momentum he’s carrying into some of the season’s biggest races. After winning on the streets of Arlington, Texas, the Andretti Global driver is the guy to beat as IndyCar heads to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. With two wins in his last three SoCal starts, Kyle lets us in on a few Long Beach secrets, explains how Andretti is raising its game across the board, and looks ahead to the Indianapolis 500 and some unfinished business at the Brickyard.    
#KyleKirkwood #AndrettiGlobal #Indy500 #IndyCar #AlexPalou #RACERWeekly #ArlingtonGP #AcuraGrandPrixofLongBeach #Brickyard                                            

F1 2026: the story so far on new rules, a new star…and an unhappy multiple champ | RACER Weekly

What’s your take on F1 2026? Have Formula 1’s latest power unit regulations broken the world’s most popular motorsports series? Or are we at the start of a new era of competitiveness, unpredictability and thrilling racing? Chris Medland joins RACER Weekly and leans into the upsides and downsides of what we’ve seen so far and how things may evolve over the coming races. Plus, is Max Verstappen’s talk of walking away from F1 real or bluff? How is the Mercedes intra-team dynamic between George Russell and rising star Kimi Antonelli working out? And is McLaren’s title defense getting back on track? Oh, and is there any quick fix for a struggling Aston Martin and Honda?                                          #Formula1 #F1 #MaxVerstappen#GeorgeRussell #KimiAntonelli #McLarenF1 #AstonMartinF1 #MercedesF1 #HondaF1