Roger Pinkki announced that he was buying the Indianapolis Auto Road NTT Indycar series In November 2019. Since then, he has improved the series, while continuing to present the difference in its various wallets that include Indycar, Nascar And IMSA.
The Indycar 2025 season presented something new (Fox SPORTS now broadcasts races) and something seen before (Alex Palo Winning) but not the type of hegemony (Palu win in the first five races).
Fox SPORTS sat with Penske on Thursday in IMS and talked about the chain status, and what he wants to see in the race and new new car in 2027. Penske also touched on contract renovations – both with the engine manufacturers in the chain and its stable with Will power.
Fox SPORTS: From the Indycar ownership perspective, how can you evaluate the first part of the season, the first five events?
RP: Well, I think that when you look at it in general, some of our focus was on the TV and the partnership that we were pledged to Fox SPORTS. I must say that this was the operation of the house. I have never seen a partner weighing the way Fox has to support the partnership. We have risen about 25 percent [through four races] Above where we were before with the previous relationship. But the most important thing is that this age group from 18 to 34 has increased by almost 60 percent, which is essential. I think attending the main races was great. It is clear that thermal was a little focus differently, a different kind of race, but we are our commitment there and we are clearly continued. [Alex] Palo, give him three times the job he performed. We exploded. Gansei told this [he should] We waited for Indy, because we will focus on you, comrades there. It will be a great race. And when you look at the series and paths that get more attendees, something is happening positively. We also have 27 cars. I remember when we ran several years ago, we had 17 or 18 cars. So the number of difference, the quality of the difference, the care, and the relationship of Fox, and certainly, I will classify it with Indianapolis. We are very close to the sale. To think about the presence of more than 330,000 people here – 231,000 seats will be sold [general admission]. What do I say about the first part of the season? I think it’s great. We clearly changed management with [series president] Jay [Frye] Transfer. Fell [at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing]Where he loves to be the team manager. And I think so [new IMS president] Doug Bulls and his crew, [INDYCAR VP] Mark Sebla and the entire team … who operate the business with a great job.
You are talking about events and increased attendance. Regarding the schedule for the next year, do you look at any different places or a different mix of paths when it comes to oval -raising, road cycles and street cycles?
Well, Bob, we are supposed to have a mixture, and I think this distinction that we have with other race sports is that we have big paths in Indianapolis, we have cycles on permanent roads and have streets. I think this is diversification, which I think is excess. We definitely sell our shepherds on it. With the commitment next year to go to Arlington [Texas] For the race before Rangers and Cowboy The stadium, will be the first big step we present. We hope that there are other markets we talk to at the present time. Nothing I can announce now. But we will add this race to our chronological schedule, and we are looking at where we can go, clearly, to be able to add another oval if we can. But I believe that Arlington will be the big check box for the next year.
It is clear that Palu won four of the first five races. Is it good for a driver to control? Or do you want to see five different winners in five races?
This depends on who you are. Gansei loves her. I like it too, if we are in this position. See, it’s a race. I have seen [F1’s Max] Verstapen, I saw other people in NASCAR who won races. See, we must hit him. They got their work together. I give them 100 percent credit. This is not easy. I do not see it personally that it is good or bad. I think at that time, as a team owner – asked me about the series – the series may need five different winners, which will be great. But on the other hand, this is the work we enter. There is always a man who leads. We have to try to hit him. The whole thing is about implementation. And I say Palu at the top of his game.
As far as the series, what do you feel was the biggest challenge so far this year?
What is the biggest challenge? I think the real issue here is to try to understand the place we go in the future when looking at our new car, engine manufacturers, and what we want exactly to produce over the next ten years. We have a good car in design. We are in the wind tunnel. We expect to get it on the path in October, November this year. For me, this is the big step that we now offer in an attempt to determine [things]. We have made a decision to go with low effort, not a high effort, at this stage, which I think is the right step. We can strengthen what we have today. It is ridiculous, talking to drivers, and the number of different things they are trying to do, and it really makes a difference even with what they have today. So we will stay on this path.
I talked about engine manufacturers. Do you have confidence that Chevrolet and Honda will continue in this series?
We do everything in our power to renew contracts. We are good through ’26, and we want to renew these contracts. We have one or two manufacturers that also showed interest at this stage.
What have you been proud of this year in the series?
This is an interesting statement. I think I am only proud to be part of the entire organization and know what happened in Indianapolis, especially under the leadership [Penske Entertainment CEO] Mark Miles and Dog Bulls. Now the series has done a great job. And I think the other thing, before us, support the paths we have in this series [through recent acquisitions]I see this really control. It is very positive. Certainly we have seen pastors now that we have not seen it before. So it is a complete package for me. Fullly frankly, I wake up every day and the glass is half full, not empty. So it is difficult for me to say much better than something else.
Your IMSA teams win a lot, but how can you evaluate the NASCAR program and Indycar programs?
We already had more speed in Indycar more than we have shown. We have faced some problems. So I’m really a kind of checking it. We had a good tour here [at Indy last week] In the road race, I think enter 500 we are about to be a threat. As far as NASCAR, we have two of our car already in the qualifiers, and 21 [of the Wood Brothers] It is really our car. We are working with the wood brothers with Josh Perry. It was exciting to see him ascending. He is a player now, a competitor. Then look at SPORTSCAR, IMSA youth, win every race. And when you think it is 12 hours and 24 hours [among them]This is not easy. They were completely carried out at the top of their game.
The question that everyone seems to be asking us here is Will power You will return with you next year?
We have time, negotiating with the will we told it. He completely understands it. We are not outside the doors, and we expect to sit with him after Indy and with our arrival at the end of the season. But there is no secret, his contract has ended. He did a great job for us. We only look at our options, and I am sure he will do it too. But at the present time, we feel confident that he will return.
Is this used to how he is here?
There are a lot of things that play in it. You have the shepherds, you have a lot of things. But as much as I am anxious, he knows what to do, and we support him as if we always have. We want to get out of here with a victory, if possible. It is clear that his ability to rehabilitate the way he did for us was great. Therefore, it is at the top of the list as much as we may do next year.
Bob Pockrass Nascar and Indycar cover for Fox SPORTS. He spent contracts for motorsport coverage, including more than 30 Ditona 500, with a difference in ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR SCENE and (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow it on Twitter @Bobukras.
Best of Fox Sports’ Indy 500 Coveage:
Get more NTT Indycar series Follow your preferences to get information about games, news and more
