NBC documentary will honor four four-time Indy 500 winners for their only sitdown

By Mar 24, 2022, 2:00 PM EDT
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On the eve of the 106th Indy 500, “Pennzoil presents The Club” will honor the four four-time winners of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing in a documentary that will make its debut at 2 p.m. ET Saturday, May 14 on NBC.

Leading into coverage of the GMR Grand Prix NTT IndyCar Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, “The Club” will present the only recorded conversation with Helio Castroneves, A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser (a trailer of the feature is available here).

On May 30, 2021, Castroneves became the fourth four-time Indy 500 winner. The Brazilian gathered July 21 at IMS with Foyt, Mears and Unser, who died Dec. 9 after a longtime battle with cancer.

On May 29, Castroneves will try to become the race’s first five-time winner in the 106th Indy 500 with broadcast coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET on NBC.

“This is a truly once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch and discuss sports history,” IMS president J. Douglas Boles said in a release. “For fans around the globe, it’s an epic way to start the Month of May on NBC before tuning in to the GMR Grand Prix and Helio’s historic ‘drive for five’ on Indy 500 Race Day.”

Boles arranged for the secret sitdown of the four-time Indy 500 winners shortly after Castroneves’ record-tying victory. IMS Productions had a crew on hand for a meeting that took place in downtown Indianapolis and the famous Yard of Bricks at the fabled 2.5-mile oval.

“It’s still hard for me to believe that I am a part of this group of drivers,” Castroneves said in a release. “These are drivers that I have looked up to and watched all my life and to now be standing on the same level as them is incredible. My best memories have come from winning the Indianapolis 500, there is no other race in history that has that same feeling; the feeling of a month’s long hard work all coming to an end in the best way possible.

“I will forever be grateful for the people who have helped me achieve such a monumental accomplishment because it was not just me, it was a team effort each of those four years.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay hired as replacement for Conor Daly at Ed Carpenter Racing

By Jun 8, 2023, 9:05 AM EDT
Ryan Hunter-Reay Carpenter
Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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Ryan Hunter-Reay was named to replace Conor Daly in Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet, starting in the NTT IndyCar Series event next week at Road America.

Hunter-Reay is the 2012 series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner. He finished 11th for Dreyer & Reinbold last month in the 107th Indy 500, his first start since the 2021 season finale. He drove full time for Andretti Autosport from 2010-21.

“We need to improve our competitiveness and I wanted to add a fresh perspective from a driver like Ryan who has a massive amount of experience and success as well as a reputation as a team leader. I am excited to welcome Ryan to the team,” team owner Ed Carpenter said in a team release. “We have worked together in the past as teammates and he tested for ECR at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2021, where he made an immediate impact as we were able to qualify one of our cars on the pole following that test. I am confident that his experience and technical abilities will be an asset to ECR as we move forward toward our goals as a team.”

Hunter-Reay has 18 IndyCar victories, most recently in 2018. He also is a winner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, having been a part of winning entries in the 2020 Twelve Hours of Sebring and 2018 Petit Le Mans. Last year, he was an endurance driver for Cadillac Racing while being on standby for Chip Ganassi Racing.

He replaces Daly, whose departure was announced a day earlier in what the driver and team said was a mutual decision.

“I was surprised when I got the call from Ed,” Hunter-Reay said in a team release. “He described how frustrated he was that his team has not been able to realize its potential despite their efforts, investments, as well as technical and personnel changes over the past few years and asked for my help. Ed and I are very close friends and have been for a long time. I’ve worked with the team in the past and they are a very talented group with high expectations and a committed partner in BITNILE.COM.

“This will certainly be a challenge for me as well. It’s a tough situation jumping in a car in the middle of the season without any testing in what I believe to be the most competitive series in the world. Certainly, part of my motivation in saying ‘yes’ to Ed is the great challenge ahead. The last time I turned right driving an NTT IndyCar Series car was in October of 2021 with this team at Barber. However, I remain very confident in both my driving and technical abilities and believe by working with the talented people at ECR and Team Chevy, while representing BITNILE.COM, we will make progress. I am going to do everything I can do to help the team achieve its long-term objectives.”

Said Milton “Todd” Ault, the chairman of sponsor BitNile.com: “It is great for BitNile.com to be aligned with an Indy 500 Winner and an NTT IndyCar Series champion. I have followed Ryan’s career for years and I am confident he will challenge the entire ECR team to perform at higher levels. I wish everyone luck at Road America.”