Nate: [00:00:00] Today is Friday, May 22nd. We'll be at Carb Day later today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is the unofficial start of summer. It's the last Indy 500 day of practice. There's a pit stop challenge, the Oscar Mayer Weenie 500, and Counting Crows and Switchfoot are performing. It's gonna be a ton of fun.
We're recording three live podcasts out there from Carb Day. It's gonna be great. So today's episode is all about the Indy 500. This is year three of our Get Indiana Tailgate in Turn 3. We're gonna talk more about the rig and the backstory there, where it's kept during the off-season, and a ton more. Then we're gonna get into what you, your mom, dad, sisters, brothers, and friends can expect on Sunday if you come by our Get Indiana Tailgate, including meeting someone who's not only visiting Indiana for the first time this weekend, but traveling almost 4,000 miles from the United Kingdom to do so.
It's a wild story, and you're gonna love it. Uh, then you're gonna get an exclusive interview with Mike Nichols. He's Chief of Sponsorship Strategy and Activation at Group1001. That's the parent company of [00:01:00] Gainbridge. They are the presenting sponsor of the Indy 500. We're gonna talk about what goes into being the presenting sponsor for the largest single-day sporting event in the world.
It's an incredible inside look at all the work they're doing and, like, kind of some of the perks they get for being Gainbridge and being a huge sponsor of the Indy 500. We're gonna end the show with some fun Indy 500 facts, play a little Indy 500 trivia, and we're gonna pick our favorites. If you stay till the end, you're gonna get our favorites to win the 500 this year.
Let's get in. The Indy 500 is such a monumental event for our team here getting in at Get Indiana because it is the event that really started the entire company. It launched the business. I mean, it literally launched the business. So, oh man, the year is 2024. It's March. I had probably had 7,000 followers at the time, and I just knew, like, "Man, we gotta take a big swing."
You know, I wanted to, you know, really get into media and content creation. I wanted to help the podcast grow, and I said, "We should do something crazy for the Indy 500." And so me and my, my best friend Andrew had always talked [00:02:00] about buying a $500 truck off Facebook Marketplace, like, getting it ready, and just leaving it in the infield, saying like, "Dude, we're just gonna destroy that thing tailgating, and then we will, uh-" Like, it's not gonna get out of there.
It's never gonna make it out of there. And so finally- You need a tow truck ... I said, "We need AAA."
Cheyne Reiter: Yeah.
Nate: I finally said, "You know what? Let's, let's go do this thing." Um, we ended up putting out a video saying, "I'm on a mission to be the first truck in the infield of the Indianapolis 500, and I'm gonna host the first-ever all Indiana tailgate.
Beer, brats, beef, buns, breakfast, everything we serve at this tailgate will have ties to Indiana." And at the time for having 7,000 followers, it blew up I'm talking, you know, 90 to 100,000 views, something crazy like that. We had like 500 comments where people tagged their favorite Indiana brands, and then like all of a sudden Sun King and Upland and Four Day Ray and all these people were reaching out like, "We wanna work together."
Like, "Let me give you meat. Let me give you buns. Let me give you [00:03:00] beer. Let me..." Like it was crazy. And in six weeks, I didn't own a truck, so I had to document the process of buying this old truck off Facebook Marketplace. So you
Cheyne Reiter: got it off Marketplace. I, I want you to talk about the truck specifically too.
Like- Yeah ... this thing was- So- This thing was $500.
Nate: Like- No, it was $3,000. Okay. When I, when I bought it for $3,000 because it's a 1986, it's a first gen Dodge. It's not the diesel version, so it's like the least desirable of first gen Dodges. And it's kind of like a utilities- It's got a utility bed on the back.
Yeah. In, in a past life, the Rig, that's what it's named, it's named the Rig. In a past life, the Rig used to w- fix... It was tractor repair. So you'd have all the tools you needed. Mm-hmm. You'd have the welder, the whole nine yards in there, and it was farm, like helping fix tractors and farm equipment. Uh, we pulled it out of a barn in Akron, Indiana.
I go up there. So my buddy Andrew is like the king of Facebook Marketplace. He's a farmer. He just like he's truly an engineer to like bring this all together, and he sends me this one. He's like, "It's kinda rough, [00:04:00] but it would, it would be so sick if we turned that into a tailgating rig." We go up there, and I gave the g- again, I d- we had no money.
Like this was just like my personal investment. Mm-hmm. Like, I just said, "Okay, sure. Whatever." Like, I put up this video. It blew up. Like, I think we can make it work. And, and I went up there and bought the Rig, and it had no transmission. The brakes barely worked. Like it was rough, but we got it back to Bremen, which is where my buddy's farm is, and we went to work.
And, uh, some, a, a local guy named Mason, he redid all the brakes for us. Like he works on trucks. Again, it, we just like got it back in running order. We found a squirrel living in the dash. There were little acorns in there that are now our fuzzy dice around the mirror. Like it, it was wild. We installed bench, like benches down along the, uh, top of the utility box.
Like it, it's a total tailgating rig now, but at the time, dude, it was rough. Um, and, and I was so worried. I remember the craziest day was the journey of driving it from Bremen back [00:05:00] down to Indianapolis. Getting it down here
Cheyne Reiter: safely.
Nate: And I came down 421, like basically through, like ends up coming through Zionsville 'cause I was so scared to go on 31.
I was like, "Oh gosh, dude. There's no way I'll ever make it." 45 miles an hour the whole way there. It's like a two-hour drive was like three hours and
Cheyne Reiter: 30 minutes. And I remember you being at Victory Field in April, and I think that was when I first learned about the Rig. And you were like, "Yeah, here's the grand plan.
And w- I wanna be the first in the infield, and I'm selling sponsorships." And so we were sitting in section 109 close to home plate. I think Mello and a couple other buddies of ours were there, and we're looking around the stadium at Victory Field like Which partners can we go after? And I think Best1 of Indy, is that where you got your tires?
Dude, yes. I just like looked around
Nate: the stadium and I was like- We just
Cheyne Reiter: started pinpoint, like- Yeah, like who do we- ... who do we work with this one or this one? Yeah,
Nate: like who's, you know, in the Indiana community? And Best1 ended up like giving us a new set of rims and tires. That's awesome. We made some video content for them.
It was [00:06:00] so cool. Um, oh, year one, it was a... Like we remember driving it in and it looked like junk, and it came out with these brand-new, like American custom rims and tires and it looks just mean. It's like fit
Cheyne Reiter: now.
Nate: Yeah. Yeah. It's like, it's so, so cool. Mm-hmm. We worked with Upland, Four Day Ray, Sun King, Moontown Brewery.
Uh, year one was Hard Truth. A lot of, lot of, uh- Parlor ... lot of alcohol- Parlor Donuts. Parlor Donuts, yeah. A lot of alcohol brands, a lot of food brands. Uh- Java House ... it was Ja- Java House Coffee was there. Like, and it was truly just like a grassroots tailgate. It was the year of the rain delay. Mm-hmm. I gave away...
I forgot, Best1 gave me a coupon to give away $1,000 worth of tires from the infield of the Indianapolis 500. It's a full set. So, so we cut out everyone who commented on the post. We cut out their little like, their handles. We dropped them in this bucket, and from the center of turn three, I'm like reaching in this bucket and I pull out someone, and if they followed me and Best1 of Indy, they got a free set of tires.
It was crazy- That's [00:07:00] awesome ... dude. Like the whole thing was just nuts. And I remember going in the week after that and I quit my job and I set out to build Good Indiana. I mean, we got like almost a million views. I gained like 15,000 followers in six weeks. Uh, we made 10 grand at the time from sponsors year one.
And that, and that's what inspired you to
Cheyne Reiter: then go back to work and be like, "All right." I think I can make this happen. I think this is a... And now, yeah, here we go. So this
Nate: is year three. We're, we're doing it bigger this year. Obviously every year the internet wants you to go bigger and better. Mm-hmm. We're...
So last year we introduced a prize wheel where we have a bunch of fun sponsors on there. You spin it, we make content. We... Like it's just fun. Nothing on the prize wheel is like, uh, vulgar or bad. It's like- Mm-hmm ... you know, spend five minutes- It's fun stuff ... in a hotdog suit. Winners drink milk. You have to chug a- Yeah, there's I- Indy
Cheyne Reiter: 500 traditions are kind of tied into it.
Yeah, Kissimmee Bricks. Mm-hmm.
Nate: Like the whole nine yards. It's a really good time. Um, we have a, like two or three, like you get a, a, a free drink from, um, a sponsor or whatever, but like it's good for all ages minus those. Obviously they say [00:08:00] 21 plus on them, so you, you know, no one, no one underage- There's a disclaimer.
Mm-hmm ... no one underage is doing anything, any funny business there. Mm-hmm. But we did give out $2,000 last year. It hit early. So our wheel's set up. It's got like, you know, how many spaces? It's 15 spaces. 15 spaces. And I, we probably spun it 300 times, maybe more. Just testing. Not once did we land on the two grand.
And I was like, "Ugh, easy money, dude. Like it'll take them forever to get this." The fourth spin of the day, Andy comes up. Not our Andy, different Andy. He comes up. He has no idea who we are. He doesn't have social media, he doesn't follow us. He's like, "I'll give that thing a spin." Spins it Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
Fourth spin of the day. Ding, ding, ding, ding, d- ding. My heart went to my toes. He's like, "I just won two grand. Let's go." And I'm like, "Oh my gosh, it's ruined." Like, the day hasn't even started- Mm-hmm ... and somebody already hit the two grand. Like, 'cause come on, you can't keep giving out two grand. We're not...
Unless we have some big [00:09:00] sponsors out there that wanna help us out. But it was crazy. Like, it was legitimately insane. It was the fourth spin of the day. So we marked it down to 200, and we gave out, like, three more sets of 200. It was great. Um, but it was wild. And then I asked him, I said, "What..." Yeah, thinking this is turn three.
This is like, you get the, you get the bluest of the blue collars, and then you get some white collar people. But, like, I was like, "Oh man, $2,000 to, like, a blue collar family in Indiana will make a big impact." Like, that'll be- Or a college kid ... that'll be so cool.
Cheyne Reiter: Mm-hmm. "
Nate: Andy, what are you gonna spend your money on?"
"Probably on my wife and I's trip to Switzerland." I was just like, "Respect, dude. Respect." All right, so- Covers one of their flights. Yeah, right? So this year we are bringing that back. We have four different DJs that are playing. Armando's gonna be back for another year, plus we've got Angel Ora, we've got Broccoli Beach, we've got Timothy Lee.
It's gonna be super cool. We're gonna have, like, our own little, like, you know, setup there. It'll be fun. Um- And in turn three, which is- Right by the- ... cl- close proximity to the snake pit ... to the snake pit. Yeah. So, like, you can get [00:10:00] music, in between your music. Mm-hmm. Uh, we're giving away two grand again, but this year we're doing something even crazier.
So I had this wild idea, Shane. I wanted to... You know, I was like, "What would the internet love?" And it's like, what do I love doing? I love convincing people to go to their first Indy 500. I think that if you've gone and you're on the inside and you meet someone that's never gone, it's like finding the right words to explain to them and convince them to go atten- attend it for the first time.
I've hardly ever met anyone that was like, that went and was like, "I wish I wouldn't have gone." Mm-hmm. Just 'cause even if it's not your thing and you don't like crowds or whatever, it is just such a spectacle to see with your own eyes. The pageantry, the tradition, the cars, how fast they go, and just, like, visualizing over 350,000 people in one place is crazy.
So I was like, "How do we, how do I show that to the world?" And the idea to fly a man from the UK into the speedway, into Indiana for the first time ever- Came to me, and I was like, "Okay, we gotta do it." [00:11:00] And so we, uh, we're doing that. James Ward is coming over across the pond. He's gonna spend the entire weekend with me.
Flies in Thursday night. We're going to Carb Day on Friday. We're going to the parade on Saturday. We're doing a special little dinner downtown. We're gonna record a live pod from the Carb Day, and then, uh, he's gonna camp out with me the night before at the track. This guy from the UK is gonna be with me on the first vehicle in the infield for the Indy 500.
In your back pocket all weekend. He's in my hip pocket- Yeah ... all weekend. It's gonna be crazy, and we're gonna show this guy. He has no idea about IndyCar. He has no idea about Indianapolis. He has no idea about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and what 350,000 people looks like. He's been to America one time.
He went to- New York City, right? ... to New York City. Mm-hmm. I'm like, "Brother, you are just scratching the surface." Yeah. It's gonna be electric. Get off the coast. Yeah. It's gonna be so much fun, and I'm really excited to, you know, get to hang out with him, uh, and just, like, share my true passion and love for the state of Indiana.
So if you [00:12:00] see James and you see me, come up. Hoosier Hospitality. Meet him. Shake his hand. Show him what Hoosier Hospitality is all about. W- I wanna convince him to come back. I want him... This is not gonna be- I was gonna say, you don't
Cheyne Reiter: want this to be a one-off deal. No, I want
Nate: him to be like, "Every year I have to go back to the Indianapolis 500, mate."
Mm. That's how he talks. He asked us on the first call, he said, "Mate, what's a tailgate?" I was like, "Brother, you are in for it." It's gonna be, it's gonna be awesome. So we're gonna hang out with James. It's gonna be great, and then he's gonna man the wheel for a little bit so, you know, people can get stuff from 4 Day Ray, from Moontown, The Bricks, The Chugging Milk.
Indiana dairy's involved. Like, it'll just be so fun to see him get involved in all- Oh, yeah ... of the Indy 500 traditions. So- And for people to hear the accent, be like, "Whoa." Oh, yeah, like, "What is..." "Where are you coming from?" Yeah. "Who is this guy?" And I just think that it's a way to change perspectives. Like, so many people have a stereotypical perspective of Indiana, and I'm gonna take them through this thought exercise with James where he learns about Indiana, hopefully to let other people across the world [00:13:00] know what Indiana's all about, know what the Indianapolis 500's all about.
So anyone, it is not ticketed. It's a free event. Come, hang out, show. We have DJs, the whole nine yards. Just, like, vibe. It'll be so much fun. We're right on the front row of turn three. Check, uh, check out my Instagram, @natespangle. We'll have the map posted and everything there. It's gonna be a vibe for sure.
Look for the Get In flag flying. See two of them flying, right? You should see two of them flying. Next, we're gonna get into our interview with Mike Nichols. He is the chief of sponsorship strategy and activation for Group 1001. They're the parent company of Gainbridge. We're gonna talk ins and outs and, and talk about his announcement.
He just announced, uh, they just announced, Gainbridge announced on Tuesday that Caitlin Clark is gonna be the grand marshal of the 500. And so- Got Caitlin Clark ... Gainbridge- You got- Yeah. Gainbridge gets- ... Kurt Schnatti ... some, some super exclusive access with Caitlin. She's also a Gainbridge ambassador, so they're gonna be vibing, hanging out.
It's gonna be a ton of fun. Uh, so let's get into the interview. Now we've come to the part of the show where I get to sit down with the lead sponsor of the Indianapolis 500. My [00:14:00] guest is Mike Nichols, and he is the chief of sponsorship strategy and activation for Group 1001, where he leads the national sponsorship portfolio for Gainbridge, including partnerships with Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Indianapolis 500, and major investments in women's sports.
I'm so excited to dive into what it looks like to be the lead sponsor of the largest single-day sporting event in the world, and talk about the recent announcement that you guys made that is absolutely crazy, the most spectacular Indiana news I think I have heard since the Morgan Wallen walkout on Saturday night.
Mike, welcome to the show.
Mike Nichols: Thanks. It's, uh, it's great to be back. Um, appreciate you having me. But, uh, as you referenced, uh, we're excited earlier this week to announce Caitlin Clark is the grand marshal for the, uh, Indianapolis 500. So, you know, to bring, uh, one of our Gainbridge ambassadors, so she represents us across, uh, various events that we do and obviously with our partnership with the Fever.
But, um, what we, uh, b- to be able to include her with the Indianapolis 500, where we're the lead sponsor, was a opportunity we [00:15:00] couldn't pass up, and fortunately, the WNBA schedule cooperated.
Nate: I mean, can we talk about the absolute heater that Caitlin Clark is on? She goes from, one, the season starts back up.
First home game didn't go exactly the way we wanted it to, but back in action, back on the court, then gets to walk out with Morgan Wallen for night two of his stadium tour at Lucas Oil Stadium, to then, what, two weeks later be the grand marshal of the Indy 500? I mean, she's on a historic run.
Mike Nichols: Absolutely.
Well, she's, uh, certainly made herself part of the fabric of Indianapolis in a very, uh, and Indiana in a very short time. But, uh, you know, we're certainly proud to be, uh, affiliated with her, everything that she represents. Um, like you said, that opening night game didn't quite go her way, even though there was tons of points scored.
It was an incred- incredible game. But, uh, yeah, with the, with the lead up to the Indianapolis 500, bringing her out, being able to have her mix and mingle with our customers who are there- Yeah ... uh, as well is, uh, it'll be a great, uh, great day for sure. I mean, yeah,
Nate: I... Whoever you have in the suite or in wherever you guys are, you're like, "Oh yeah, we have a special guest stopping by," and they just look, and it's Caitlin Clark [00:16:00] just hanging.
Like, that's so sick. Uh, I do wanna talk about, one- Investment into women's sports has been a huge, uh, I mean, area of focus for y'all. I mean, you talk about F1 Miami, and then there's a soccer league, like the whole nine yards. Talk to me about why investing in women's sports is so
Mike Nichols: important for Gainbridge.
Sure. Real- really, uh, is the vision of our founder, uh, of Group 1001 founder Dan, Dan Toures. And, uh, he says, you know what, he, if you talk to him on this subject, he'll say, "You know, the really the only way to, um, grow women's sports is to become an active investor in women's sports." And so, uh, we-- he believes in sort of taking a leadership role and, uh, for example, we are the lead sponsor on the ANA LPGA tournament, uh, down in Tampa towards the end of the season.
We are the, uh, lead sponsor on a new, uh, women's soccer league in its second year called the Gainbridge Super League. It's on the, uh, as the USA Soccer Federation looks at it, it's on the same level as the NWSL. It's obviously starting, we're in year two, they're in year twenty-five. But th- that's an [00:17:00] opportunity for three hundred female athletes who've never had the opportunity to play professionally now cr- creates those opportunities, but not just for the athletes, for the coaches, for the front office, et cetera.
So, uh, Dan's really believed in sort of taking that leadership role and then hoping that others will notice that what we're doing and say, "Hey, th- that look appears to be working for Gainbridge," and then others can come behind us hopefully.
Nate: Well, I'm, I'm super excited to talk about the investment that you guys have made in the Indy 500 and all that comes along with that.
Like I think that that's just such a, I mean, a staple event for not only Indiana and Indianapolis, but the world. Like this is the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Today's Carb Day, I'm super excited to learn kind of how you guys fit in and plug in there. But you talked about Group 1001, you talk about Dan.
Just for listeners that might not know, like, can you, uh, can you explain a little bit about the difference between Group 1001, Gainbridge, how it all worked, and like what the business is? I think all of us know we've seen it on the FieldHouse, we've seen it on the 500, but like-
Mike Nichols: Wait, what's Gainbridge? Sure.
So, [00:18:00] uh, the holding company is a company called Group 1001, and, uh, we have in excess of $80 billion under management. So it is a significantly huge company. It's privately held, um, but there are a couple brands that we primarily focus on, um, trying to get out there through our sponsorship portfolio, and there's Gainbridge that you hear a lot about, and there's another company, Delaware Life.
So Delaware Life, both, both of the companies sell annuities, which for people who aren't familiar with annuities, think of sort of the performance of a CD that you would take to your bank but with, uh, better, uh, rates and performance and all of that sort of stuff. Delaware Life, historically, you've had to buy that product through a financial advisor.
So in order to have a financial advisor, you probably have to have a lot of money and, you know, that sort of goes to a very small demographic. But annuities can be a valuable savings tool for lots of people. So Gainbridge is our direct-to-consumer. You go to gainbridge.com and for as little as $1,000 you can be investing in an annuity that, you know, can pay somewhere in the neighborhood of 5%, whereas a CD might be paying one and a half or whatever.
So [00:19:00] that's really what it is, is a, is a savings platform and, uh, sort of playing in the new fintech space. So thank you for the m-m-- That's sort of the small advertisement, but hopefully that will help people understand- Yeah ... what we're talking about going forward. So with Gainbridge, given that it's our direct-to-consumer offering, that's the name that you'll see on major properties like the Fieldhouse, like you'll see advertised in the turns at Miami at the Miami F1 race at with the 500.
So, uh, that's really what we're trying to do is, you know, get that Gainbridge brand out there. Yeah. And the Indy 500 is a great opportunity to do that because I think, you know, sitting here in Indianapolis, this is such a Indiana institution, right? Like, for anybody who's from here, the Indianapolis is just part of the DNA of Memorial Day.
But taking the perspective of a guy from New Jersey, so I'm gonna give you sort of my perspective and memories- Yeah ... of the, uh, Indy 500 from when I was a kid. So I was a soccer player, and we would be out. Memorial Day was always when all the huge soccer tournaments are, and I remember my dad would try to figure out a way to sort [00:20:00] of have the television set with the rabbit ears so that between games we could watch the Indy 500.
And that's, you know, to me sort of s- says, like, this is how much a part of the sort of the American fabric this event is, and those names that used to race back then were really a part of the DNA of th- this country. So for us, that's what it is. It's a bucket list that really helps us get our brand out across the, across the country, not just Indiana.
Nate: Yeah. Well, I wanna know what goes into that? Like, you talk about deciding to be the lead sponsor of the Indy 500. Like, is that something where You know, they come to you guys and there's like a meeting and everyone has to talk through, like, 'cause like you talk about impressions. Like, what are the brand impressions that come from being the lead sponsor of the Indy 500?
Mike Nichols: Well, you know, for us, first of all, the deal, uh, Dan had the deal in place before I started, so I was not in that first room- Okay ... but I have been in some of the, the renewal discussions since. But, you know, even beyond the impressions, it's again, when you can associate your brand with something that is so national, [00:21:00] international, as you mentioned, the biggest sporting event, single-day sporting event in the world, that's, you know, something that there's very few of those opportunities that even exist.
I can't even think of, to be honest with you, outside of something like the Super Bowl, what another would be, but there's, you know, it's not gonna be the Gainbridge Super Bowl, right? Like, so, uh, for us to be associated with it is huge and, um, you know, ultimately it is a bucket list event. So we were talking about, you know, bringing in our customers.
There's, when I meet folks and they say, you know, what, you know, they look at our sports sponsorship portfolio and we talk about what we do, they, and whenever we get to the Indy 500, they go, "Oh my gosh, that's a bucket list event. That's the one thing I wanna do before I die." And so it's universally known, and so for us to be able to affiliate with something that, that has that sort of respect, that's something that, you know, is good for your brand to affiliate with that.
Nate: Yeah, and it's like, you know, we've had... Oh, Doug Boles on the show before, he kinda talked about what his day looks like and talking with sponsors and, you know, the most tenured, uh, uh, attendees of the 500. [00:22:00] I'm sure when you're the lead sponsor, there have to be some pretty cool activations that, uh, that Gainbridge gets to do.
Like, talk to me about like the crazy coolest thing that you guys, let's say crazy coolest perk you get as the lead sponsor of the Indy 500.
Mike Nichols: Well, I would say for sure the coolest perk is the hospitality. So our hospitality space is at the top of the pagoda. So that is by far is a, a... Had my daughter up for the race a couple weekends ago for the, uh, Sanzio Grand Prix and, you know, she has not been an IndyCar enthusiast.
This was her first race, and I, as soon as I took her up there, she was all in, right? Like, she's trying to figure out how to come back for the Indy 500. So, um, but that, that hospitality space, I truly believe there's not a better one in all of motorsports. Out on the patio you can see 360 around. You know, you can see the entire track, and there- Yeah
I don't believe there's any other place on property where you can see the track, uh, all the way around. So by far that is the coolest and coolest and, uh, obviously as I mentioned, the folks who've had it as a bucket list and then you bring them up there. You know, it's second to none. Oh. [00:23:00] With the Indiana's Indianapolis skyline in the background, it's, it's incredible.
Yeah.
Nate: I was there for the Brickyard last year, and like, I'm not, like, a diehard NASCAR fan. I'm not. I like, have, I have grown to love IndyCar because of the 500, because of the Speedway. I was there for the Brickyard and I was like, "This is the coolest thing ever." Like, you're in, it's like floor 10 or whatever it is.
You're way up there. You can see everything. They're, like, hauling the mail down the, the home stretch there, and you're like, "This is living. Come on." Does anyone from Gainbridge, have you guys gotten to do the two-seater?
Mike Nichols: Uh, yes. We, so we have people who are able to do the two-seater rides as a part of that sponsorship, not only there, but as our sponsorship across the, uh, season.
Yeah. And that's, uh, you know, uh, a couple years ago, so back in 2019 when w- was the first year we came aboard as a sponsor, some of our guests were actually lo- uh, able to ride alongside, or alongside, behind, uh, Mario Andretti. So we've, you know, in the pa- I mean, how cool would that be, right? Yeah. To be able to ride along with Mario at the, at the Indy 5- or at the Indianapolis- Crazy
Motor Speedway.
Nate: Okay, so you talk about being the lead sponsor since 2019. There's been huge [00:24:00] changes in IndyCar, specifically around the network. Like, Fox came in not only as the network to distribute it, but also an owner. What did that mean for you all when it comes to distribution? 'Cause it feels like IndyCar has exploded even more.
Mike Nichols: Yeah. So that was, that was huge, and it was very unique. There's not a lot of times where a network partner becomes an ownership of the league, let's just say, in the case of IndyCar. There's a couple. Some of the startup, uh, spring football leagues have sort of tried to dabble in that. But I think, uh, from, uh, Fox taking that sort of role with, uh, the, the league, in this case, IndyCar, is a game changer.
Uh, it, it was-- So they, they'd been a partner of the, uh, series as a broadcast partner since January of 2025. They became an, uh, one-third owner of the series in July of that year, so obviously this was something that was in the works when they, when they came aboard. But even before they were a partner of the league, the, just the platform that they gave to IndyCar.
So, for example, that, that [00:25:00] year, 2025, Fox had the Super Bowl, and there, there were ads running in the Super Bowl promoting IndyCar, and that's, you know, they say that's, you know, sort of publicity you can't buy. You can buy it, but it's cost-prohibitive, right? Yeah. Like, you wouldn't buy it because it's so expensive.
So that sort of promotion and then to have, you know, I think last year at the race they had, you know, Tom Brady and Michael Strahan. You know, they're promoting it through the playoffs. And so I think the, overall the series from the last year it was on NBC to the first year on Fox was up 27%, which is just cr-- I mean, that doesn't happen.
You know? That, there's a huge investment. I believe the first race in St. Pete last year had a 45% increase just year over year. 'Cause again, they had all that-- It was coming right off of all that promotion around the Super Bowl. So to have a partner like Fox, who is literally invested in the, in the series, um, you, you-- Again, that's, you can't pay for that sort of promotion, 'cause that sort of promotion is what drives viewership.
And so, uh, [00:26:00] that's huge for us and was a big part of the reason that we recently renewed.
Nate: Yeah. Um, okay, so talk about renewal. The other part, though, with increased distribution or increased visibility is like, oh man, this is a bigger product. This is a, an even bigger thing. I don't know how the Indy 500 gets any bigger.
But, like, when, what goes through your guys' head as you think about your continued investment into the Indianapolis 500?
Mike Nichols: Sure. Well, the, the health of the series is a huge part of it, right? Like, as I mentioned, the Indy 500 is big, but, like, what you're trying to do with the Indy 500 as a sponsor of that event is get what we call, you know, the casuals, right?
Like, the people who watch IndyCar week, week in and week out are gonna watch the Indy 500. But who are the people, me at a soccer tournament in New Jersey, who are watching it, right? Like, that's- Yeah ... those are the fans you're trying to get to. But the health and growth of the series is a huge part of that, 'cause that's what's gonna bring more fans overall.
So, um, definitely the, uh, impact of Fox and then just, you know, since, uh, Penske, uh, came in and bought the facility and what they've done, you know, even since 2019 in terms of [00:27:00] upgrading the facility. I mean, you know, they upgraded the e- elevator that takes us to our suite. Like, those sort of investments, those sort of capital investments are expensive, don't necessarily ha- There's not really a return on investment of doing those sorts of behind-the-scenes thing.
Yeah. But they matter to the overall guest experience. So the way that they've invested in it, um You know, it's just been, uh, you know, Doug Boles now sort of taking it, the leadership role, not only of the Speedway but of the, the series. So there's a lot more integration there. Yeah. And, uh, it's been great for us.
Nate: Well, I do wanna talk about investment because, uh, I do think there was one piece that I wanted to talk about that's a little bit outside of the Indy 500. So bear with me, listeners, 'cause we're talking about investment. You guys recently just opened your Gainbridge Assist, uh, the applications for that, and you talk about investing in local communities.
One, Indiana is always appreciative because Gainbridge is invested in the Pacers, like in the Fieldhouse, right? Like Gainbridge Fieldhouse, in the Indianapolis 500. But it's not just these big, large blue chip events and teams and sports leagues that you're investing in. [00:28:00] You're also You, you have a philanthropic arm with Gainbridge Assist.
Can you talk to me a little bit about what you
Mike Nichols: guys
Nate: are doing there?
Mike Nichols: So Gainbridge Assist is a philanthropic platform that we started a couple of years ago, and, uh, we're doing it in, uh, partnership with our sister company Parity. And what we're trying to do is try to support sports and education, a lot of the cases in the female and with young girls, um, i- through, uh, local philanthropic initiatives.
And what I think makes us a little bit different is, as you can imagine, for the last three and a half years, I see a lot of proposals for, you know, sponsorships of sports events, et cetera, and also, I also see all of our philanthropic requests. And I was sort of taken aback how one minute I would get a request for $300,000 and the next minute I would get one for $1,500, right?
And you- Yeah ... look at the two of those and you would say, "You know, I bet this $1,500 is gonna make a huge difference to this organization, and this 300,000, they'll say, 'Thank you very much,' and it'll go into the capital fund and whatever." Not that that money's not good, but, you know, what can we do at a grassroots level to help- Hmm
some of these other [00:29:00] organizations? And so, uh, we go out and seek, uh, people who need five, as little as $5,000 and just try to help them maybe seed their first event, or maybe it's like this, they're trying to get a team up and running, but they need equipment or uniforms or that sort of thing. So that, uh, that portal is now open, and if you wouldn't mind, uh, putting it in the show notes- Yeah
sort of the, the URL of how people can apply. But it's, it's not just- Okay ... Indianapolis based, it's a national initiative of ours. It's, uh, going into year four, and, uh, it's, uh, it's really been, uh, great to see sort of the tentacles of what that's- Yeah ... you know, those ones that we've seeded are now- Yeah ... a couple years later.
S-
Nate: so that is for philanthropic organizations or sports teams, like, that can apply for five grand, uh, that can apply for five grand grants to whether it be buy equipment or host their first event and get stuff up and running?
Mike Nichols: Yes, correct. So again, the idea is that maybe, like, a husband and wife were sitting around their coffee table and they might have a, a child that can't necessarily perform and they wanna start a new...
You know, they might have a disability or something like that. And so, uh, it h- helps maybe fund [00:30:00] those first things that k- some of them are maybe looking for a proof of concept, like, "Hey, we've got this idea. We just need some money to get it started." And it's been incredible looking back now at what- Yeah
some, you know, $5,000 can mean to a, to an organization to get up and running. Do,
Nate: do you, do you have a story of a grant that you guys have issued
Mike Nichols: that
Nate: made
Mike Nichols: a huge impact like that? Young lady named Amy Bockerstette. She's out in, uh, Phoenix, and she, uh, has Down syndrome, and so, uh, her parents started this, um, organization called, uh, I Got This.
And so they started the I Got This foundation. She was famously had been invited by a PGA Tour player out sort of under the ropes, and she, uh, played the par three and made a par. And so from that they started this organization. What they used the grant to was to, um, bring out some folks in Tampa Around our Annika LPGA tournament.
So they sort of brought their teachers, we were able to fly Amy out there, and they were able to introduce some ki- kids with similar disabilities, Down syndrome, to the game of golf. And so it was really cool to [00:31:00] be able to tie together what Amy's work was along with what we were doing with the Annika tournament.
Those a- young athletes got to meet Annika, so it's, it's really cool when you see that sort of impact you can make at a, with a f- smaller donation. But again, we, we do in excess of $200,000 worth of donations overall.
Nate: Let's go. That's awesome. Such a, such a great initiative. We're coming towards the end of the show here, and I wanna talk about how listeners can get involved with what you guys are doing.
There is a Gainbridge activation out at the track. Talk to me about what you guys are doing in the fan zone.
Mike Nichols: Yeah, so the fan zone, for those of you who don't know, is, i- in the midway, so inside the track. It's sort of right behind the pagoda there. And, uh, we have a reflex test. So Gainbridge is all about sort of speed and precision with, with your money.
And so, uh, if you've ever seen, uh, those reflex tests where the lights sort of light up and then you can go. So our, our, uh, Andretti drivers, so we're affiliated with the Andretti team, so our Andretti drivers will come sort of post their scores and times that it takes them to complete the test, and so fans can sort of compare- Mm-hmm
themselves against the, uh, IndyCar drivers. It's just sort [00:32:00] of a fun way to, uh, connect the b- the, uh, the fans with our brand as well as some of the drivers on the, uh, Andretti team.
Nate: Oh, absolutely. And i- going out there, it's not as easy as you think it might be. Like, doing those reflex tests, like, they are so hard.
And it's crazy to see how good the IndyCar drivers are with like, I don't know if you can train r- reflexes, you know? I'm sure you must be able to, but it's just, it's wild to see. So that'll be in the fan zone. Yes. And is that open all weekend long?
Mike Nichols: Yes. Uh, so Friday, Friday for the carb day as well as for the, uh, Indy 500 on Sunday.
Nate: Heck yeah. I love that. Out in the fan zone. Um, that's so fun. So you guys are affiliated with the Andretti team. Yes, sir. So who are the Andretti drivers?
Mike Nichols: So we have the 26, the 27, and the 28. Um, we, we don't sponsor all of them, but the, the Andretti drivers are Will Power on the 26, Kyle Kirk- Kirkwood on the 27, and then, uh, Marcus Ericsson driving the 28.
We do about half of the season with Marcus with our Delaware Life brand. So that's the, that's our driver. People may, uh, remember the 26, driven by Colton [00:33:00] Herta, was the Gainbridge car. He's now over training in Formula 2, so Will Power came in and took his seat. And, uh, our sponsorship is now with, uh, Marcus with a different brand, our Delaware Life brand.
Nate: Wow. Okay. Talk to me about what you're, what are you feeling for the Indy 500? Like, where, where does your heart lie on who's gonna get the job done?
Mike Nichols: Well, uh, you know, we're affiliated with Marcus Ericsson, so that's where I feel. He's a past champion, um, of the- Pre-
Nate: pre- previous guest of the show. Yes.
Previous guest. He came on and talked about... When, when you've won the 500, it's like you know what it feels like to get to,
Mike Nichols: you, to get the job done. Right. And a local resident, too. He, uh, resides full time, uh, here in Carmel. So he is a, you know, he is a true local. So if you're looking for somebody who's, has local ties even though he's from Sweden, uh, he'd be somebody.
But the, uh, the Andretti cars, uh, all three of them have been very, very fast this year. And, uh, you know, the, your, your, uh, listeners are m- much more well-versed in the history of the Indy 500 than I am, but, you know, it's, you know, the random pit stop or the timing of when you do all that stuff- Yeah ... or do you avoid the crash or whatever it is.
So it's incredible the amount, you know, you can be as [00:34:00] prepared as you want, and then, you know, something can happen.
Nate: Wait, I wanna
Mike Nichols: know, what was, when was your first Indy 500? Uh, so it would've been 2023. May of 2023. Take me
Nate: through what you thought when you saw the speedway for the first
Mike Nichols: time. So I had been to the speedway in the past, so I'd be- I'd been there.
But I, so we get there super early. We're in there in buses, and so we're there, uh, basically when the gates open. And I, my biggest takeaway was when you get there at, you know, 6:00 in the morning or whatever time we get up in the pagoda, and you go up there and you look, and there's not a single person on property.
Not a single person on property. And then you sort of go back inside, and you maybe have something to eat, and you're just talking to folk. And then, you know, whatever it is, three or four hours later, there's 300,000. Like, it's where did these people come from? Like, it's just crazy that suddenly in the course of a couple hours you go from nobody being there to 300,000 people there, and then three hours after the race, there's nobody there again.
It's just- It is ... you, you just can't conceptualize how many people that is. And I, you know, as [00:35:00] somebody who used to run events for a living, like, just the, how you get everybody in and... But again, that's the history of the event. People know I'm gonna park in this person's yard or, m- you know, this is the place our family's parked in this person's yard for the past 30 years, and that's just what we do.
So everybody has, uh, has figured it out.
Nate: Okay. 2023 was Palou Well, and then, do, have you gone every year since?
Mike Nichols: Yes.
Nate: I'm gonna say, was 2024 Newgarden with the crazy move, like right at the end? Yeah. Dude, you've been, you've seen some good ones.
Mike Nichols: Yeah. No, it's, it's great. I mean, I, uh, maybe it's 'cause, uh, I'm so close to it, but I truly believe that IndyCar has the best overall racing in terms of just how close the races are week after week.
Um, it's, uh, the, the series is great. The cars are just- Mm-hmm ... so agile, and so, um- Yeah ... it's, it's, I really enjoy the series. You
Nate: were down in Miami for F1 Miami, right? Yes. Can you compare and contrast a little bit what you like or dislike about F1 races in the US versus the Indy 500? I think people will be really, uh, curious to hear that [00:36:00] perspective.
Mike Nichols: Yeah. So especially because it's in Miami, I mean, if you think of what your picture of Miami, South Beach, the whole, that whole scene is, like, take that scene and bring it out to the race cl- racetrack. Whereas the Indy 500 is very much, you know, family-oriented and just sort of feels like, you know, bring your cooler and go sit on the- Yeah
you know, on the, on the grass and watch it from the infield. So it's just very much sort of like, I would almost call it like Met Gala high society at a race versus, you know, the, the race of the people. Wait, and so wait, why were you at F1 Miami? Part of our, uh, sponsorship there. So we have a sponsorship we've had since, uh, tw- uh, five years ago, so we're the foundi- one of the founding partners of the race.
So we have signage on, uh, with the Gainbridge brand on the inside, but we also have an activation, and what we were able to do with, uh, Gainbridge Super League that we sponsor, we brought out sort of a mini pitch. We had Briana Scurry, who's the goalkeeper from the '99 Women's World Cup. She's one of our Gainbridge ambassadors.
She was there, along with some of the players from the league. So again, similar to [00:37:00] Caitlin coming and being a part of the Indy 500, we brought an activation for this Gainbridge Super League to sort of tie together our sponsorship of the two events- Yeah ... and bring, bring attention to this league.
Nate: That's, uh, that's awesome.
Okay. I have to assume there was, like, a crazy moment or story from F1 Miami, where you're like, "Yeah, you know, Terry Crews invited me to go clubbing or something." Like, were there any moments where you're just like, "How is this real life?"
Mike Nichols: Y- uh, all the ti- I mean, you just, it's, it's a who's who of, you know, just people that you're passing on a day-to-day basis, you know?
Uh, Terry Crews was, uh, was at the race. How did I know? Yes, exactly. He wa- he wasn't looking for me to go clubbing. I mean, I don't think anybody's looking for me to go clubbing. But, uh, you know, so just the who's who of celebrities. And I think the thing that's crazy when you think about it is that it seems like so many of those celebrities, because of the high society and all that, are, you know, go to those events, and some of them are affiliated with the teams, but I think a lot of them just, like, go to, 'cause it's the place to see and be seen, and it's, uh, it's surreal.
If you haven't, uh, you know, ta- y- [00:38:00] it's hard to explain just how different it is from the Indianapolis 500. I, I feel like the Indianapolis 500 are more my people, so that's kind of where I, where I gravitate to. But, uh- Yeah ... but, uh, it's certainly an incredible spectacle and something we're certainly proud to be affiliated with.
Oh, yeah. Th- both events, excellent people watching.
Nate: Yes. At both, at both places. Yes. I love it.
Mike Nichols: Literally at the two ends of the spectrum, for sure.
Nate: So great, man. Uh, it's been a pleasure to sit and chat. The final thing I want to say, okay, activation for Gainbridge in the fan zone for carb day, for the race.
You can go out there, you can do the reflex test, you can learn more, and, uh, and just support a company that's supporting local. Like, I love that and the fact that you guys are, you know, all in with the Pacers. You're all in. I mean, the Pacers, the Fever, the whole actual, the building that is downtown is so incredible, and you guys are all in with the 500.
Like, that's so cool. I love it. Local company. If people want to learn more about Gainbridge or they want to learn more about the Assist program, where can they do that at?
Mike Nichols: Uh, just go to gainbridge.com and, uh, learn all about it. You know, people see how [00:39:00] simple it is to, uh, to invest with us. Heck yeah. Final please, where are you gonna be for the Indy 500?
Uh, probably we'll be in Gasoline Alley, uh, in the pagoda there. So, uh, it'll be, uh, it'll be a fun time.
Nate: Heck yeah. And we are, r- you're, you're looking for an Andretti winner? That's, yeah, of course. There we go. I love it. Marcus, previous guest of the show. Good luck, buddy. We'll talk to you soon, Mike. Thanks.
Isn't it crazy how much goes into being the presenting sponsor of the Indianapolis 500? They get the best seats in the house, up top of the pagoda. They get all the bells and whistles. A- and our, our, the whole crew gets to hang out with Caitlin Clark for the day. Like, she'll be in and out. Oh, yeah. That's pretty fun.
Mm-hmm. Uh, also, we'll be at their activation. Go check that out in the middle of the, the midway there, the fan center. It'll be great. Uh, Cheyne, I think it's time for some Indy 500 trivia. Let's do some
Cheyne Reiter: quick facts. Let's do some fast facts. So before the first Indy 500 back in 1911, again, this is the 110th running of the 500 this Sunday, 3.2 million bricks were laid to build the track's original surface [00:40:00] Today, you can only see one yard of those bricks at the finish line.
It's where it's got its nickname, The Brickyard. Those bricks actually came from a small town breakdown we did a few weeks back on Veedersburg. The Wabash Clay Company is the one that produced- Yeah ... almost all 3.2 million.
Nate: Yeah. It's a lot of bricks. People... I always ask people, it's like, "What is the distance of bricks at the Indy 500?"
And they're like, "I don't know, five feet, six feet, two feet." It's like, "No." One, one yard. It's not called the five feet. It's not called the brick five feet. It's called the Brickyard. And they, they're like- Or the brick meter. This is another interesting one, similar to, like, the old school days, 1911. Ray Harroun won the first Indy 500 in 1911 with an average speed of 74.602 miles per hour, which is, like, the average speed on- That's what I said on cruise control
on, on 465. Yeah. Yeah, right? That's so wild. He was also the only solo driver in the field that year. He innovated the first rear view mirror to help him navigate the track, 'cause this is 1911. They, the original cars were engineered for two people. Did we talk about that? Good for him.
Cheyne Reiter: It gets [00:41:00] into our next fast fact.
Oh, yeah. So from 1912 to '22, now Harroun in 1911 was the only solo driver. Everyone else in the field had two, a driver and a riding mechanic, and that's where this fact comes in. From 1912 to 1922 and 1930 to 1937, that second passenger, the riding mechanic, was mandatory. You had to have a second person on the vehicle, and if you dig into it, 12 of those riding mechanics died in accidents at the 500.
Whoa. It was a very dangerous job- Yeah ... to be, you know, you're, you're the one helping out your driver, kinda scoping the field. "Hey, there's a car on your left or on your rear right." You're looking at the tires. You're looking at the car's gauges. Like, you're doing a little bit of everything besides driving the car.
So those were- Dude, they're probably climbing- ... mandatory positions They're probably
Nate: climbing over stuff too,
Cheyne Reiter: and, like- 12 of them. And granted, okay, they're going 74 in 1911. What's that translate to today? Yeah, but you got- Like
Nate: With, like, a leather helmet and those goggles on- Yeah ... looking like the Red Baron.
[00:42:00] Yeah. Yeah, dude. Like, that is a... Those are- Yeah ... the real unsung heroes of the Indy 500. Yeah. The 12 riding mechanics that didn't survive the race. That's crazy. So
Cheyne Reiter: they phased out the riding mechanics in 1938, but it wasn't because of the deaths. It's because the people building the cars and the, the racing teams, they were like, "Well, the added weight and the wind resistance of having that second passenger, that's, that's slowing our cars down."
So that's why they cut 'em. That's
Nate: wild. It's crazy. Not, not because of the deaths.
Cheyne Reiter: And then cars around, like, World War II started to become just single passenger vehicles. Yeah. But- That's wild. Yeah So in 1913, the third Indianapolis 500, Frenchman Jules Goux drank six pints of not milk, not water- champagne-
during the race
Nate: Wait, you're telling me- And he won it ... in 1913, there was a driver who drank six pints of champagne during the Indy 500? At every, at every pit stop. One, he went 500 miles on six pit stops? Yeah. That's pretty good. So he [00:43:00] drank a f- a pint of champagne- Mm-hmm ... over the Indianapolis 500 in 1913.
Six pints. Six pints. A pint per stop. A pint per stop. And what'd they do the next year?
Cheyne Reiter: They put in a no drinking while driving rule. I'm, I'm glad.
Nate: But that's... That's wild. No drinking and driving during the Indy 500. Imagine that, dude. Imagine, like, the boys just ripping around. And they're like, "Yeah, dude, toss me a, toss me an Upland beer."
That's pretty- Oh my gosh ... "Toss me a Four Day Ray, man." Different time. That's great. Different time. He had to be sauced. Yeah. Six pints of... His stomach had to be so bubbly. I can't imagine. That's wild. Okay. So speaking of drinking, the tradition of milk being drunk in the winner's circle started in 1936 when Lou Meyer won his third Indy 500 and drank buttermilk.
Now, that tradition held until 1993 when Emerson Fittipaldi won the 500 and drank orange juice to promote his Brazilian citrus farms. He was ridiculed, and he ended up having to make amends by [00:44:00] donating a portion of his prize money to charity. Today, all 33 drivers in the field choose between whole, 2%, and fat-free milk.
They don't even get an option for buttermilk anymore? I don't believe so. Wow. For the 2026 Indy 500, 25 of the 33 drivers in the field chose whole milk, seven went with 2%, and only one chose skim. Who do we think chose skim? Who do
Cheyne Reiter: we think is a driver- I will say he was involved in the incident earlier this week, one of the three drivers involved in the incident.
Romain. Ro- Romain.
Nate: Romain Grosjean chose skim milk. Grosjean. The f- the, of course, the ex-F1 driver chooses skim milk. Mm-hmm. I like, I like Romain. He's a good dude, but skim
Cheyne Reiter: milk? Come on. What are we doing? So the reason they all, or that most of them go with whole isn't because they... Now, some of them maybe like drinking whole milk, but it's more for the photos.
If you win, the contrast of the whole milk [00:45:00] against the colors of all the uniforms and everything is the best contrast of color for the images. Wow. So that's why most of them go with whole milk. I mean, I want a heavy- Like Lorena ...
Nate: what about heavy whipping cream? Get some of that in there, some half
Cheyne Reiter: and half.
Come on. Are you ready for some trivia? Yes. Okay. So Nate is 29 years young, born in 1997, and I want to see how many of the Indy 500 winners in your lifetime you can name. So in those 29 years, there have been 20, 20 winners. Okay, 29
Nate: years, there's been 20 Indy 500 winners. And I think it's gonna be easiest if you go in reverse.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. So we'll start with Palou Yes, he won, won last year And, and then we'll pull Newgarden twice Mm-hmm. Back to back 20- 20... He could- 23 and 24 ... he could've been a three-timer if he- Coulda ... wouldn't have. Mm-hmm. Uh, then we have- Would've, could've, should've ... okay, wait, so that is, what is that?
25, 24, 23. Mm-hmm. 22 is that, um- This is a solo winner ... Marcus Ericsson? Yes. 22. Uh, then we go to- And you [00:46:00] go to 20- ... Helio- Yeah, I was gonna say ... Castroneves. Castroneves That checks off-
Cheyne Reiter: Come on ... 2021, 2009, 2002, 2001.
Nate: Four in my life. Okay, so there's, there's four of the 29 right there. Yes, yes. Okay. Uh, 2020 year, no
Cheyne Reiter: fans.
Two-timer. Mm. This one was raced in what, like August that year? Oh, God. My mom actually came down from, from Iowa for that one. Oh, is he still racing? Yes. Was it Takuma Sato? Yes. Yeah. There you go. Come on, let's go. Uh, 2017 was his other win. Yep. So now you've got- Is a Will Power in there? Will Power is in there.
He's 2018. Okay. Do I, am I missing 20- You skipped 2019. I skipped 2019.
Nate: Um- This one's tough.
Cheyne Reiter: Another solo winner.
Nate: Pagenaud Pagno. Pagno? Yeah. Simon? Simon Pagenaud yes. Simon Pagenaud Well done. Okay. Good pull. Oh, now is where it gets really hard for me. Okay. So you got Power. 'Cause I'll, I'll let everyone know, I went to my first Indy 500 in 2017.
Will, I think... Who was 2017? Sato. Takuma Sato. Takuma. I think it [00:47:00] would've been 2017 summer, that was the first race I ever went to, and then in 2018, my second 500, I had Will Power in the draw.
Cheyne Reiter: Hmm. Like, I
Nate: had him in our driver pool. Gotcha. And so I won money, so I remember that one. So now we're in 2016. So you've gotten seven.
So I have seven of the 20? Yeah. So I have 13 more to go. Yeah. I'm just gonna say some winners. Okay. Uh, we're gonna go with Tony Kanaan. Yes, 2013. Uh, do we have Eddie Cheever Jr.? 1998. 1998. You were two. Uh, yeah, the one that I think I- Or no, you were one ... I think I, I looked at the '97 winner. Is it, like, Aries- Aries Ar- Ari Luyendyk.
Arie Luyendyk, that's 10, so we're 50% of the way there. Now this is where it gets hard. Uh, Juan Pablo Montoya. There you go, tw- 2000 and 2015.
Cheyne Reiter: Okay. That's 11. Dan Wheldon.
Cheyne Reiter: Mm-hmm,
Cheyne Reiter: 2005 and 2011. Scott Dixon. Scott Dixon- Scott- ... in 2008. Oh. Scott Dixon. Scott Dixon in 2008, but that's a good pull. Oh, Alexander Rossi.
There.
Nate: Yeah. Wait, wait, wait. I was at that [00:48:00] one, too, so I- Rossi won the first one I was at. Okay. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was at that.
Cheyne Reiter: You were at the 100th running. I was the 100th. That's one when they were, like, pushing 400,000.
Nate: It was huge, dude. It was massive. It was crazy. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, that puts us to 14.
Yep. Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Cheyne Reiter: There. Ryan Hunter-Reay. Yeah.
Nate: Hunter-Reay
Cheyne Reiter: won it in 2014. Okay. The three-timer's Dario Franchitti. Eh, I wouldn't have got that.
Nate: Okay. Dario Franchitti. Um-
Cheyne Reiter: Dario Franchitti in 2007, 2010, and '12. Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006. Yeah. Buddy Rice- That one ... 2004. Gilles de Ferran Uh, 2003 The Marlboro
Nate: Team Penske?
That's hard. And Kenny
Cheyne Reiter: Brack in 1999.
Nate: I should have known Kenny Brack because Marcus talked about Kenny. Kenny Brack was from Sweden, I believe. And Marcus talked... I knew Kenny Brack, actually. Swedish former race car driver. He was, like, who Marcus looked up to growing up as a kid. Okay. So they both won it.
They both won it. Come on. All right, that's, that, I mean, that- That was pretty good. Okay. Are we gonna round out the episode by picking our Indy 500 [00:49:00] winners? We gotta pick our winners. All right, Cheyne, I wanna know who you think is gonna win.
Cheyne Reiter: I'm not going out on a limb here at all. Like, I'm gonna pick not a dark horse, but, like, a more of a reach, and then I'm just gonna tell you who I really think is gonna win, and I just firmly believe that Alex Palou is going to win.
Uh, he's got pole position. Here's his finishes this year. In, what is that, six races. Grand P- Grand Prix in St. Pete, started fourth, won it. Uh, in Phoenix, this was his worst pole start and his finish. Uh, started 10th, finished 24th. He did not finish that race. Go to Arlington, started second, finished second.
Go to Alabama, started first, finished first. Go to Long Beach, started third, finished f- finished first. At the road course just last week, started first, finished fifth. So when he's got pole position starting in the top five, he finishes top five. Like, go with a guy who's starting up near the front and is going to almost be a guarantee to [00:50:00] finish up near the front.
I don't know what it is with him and his team, but they have figured something out. And even when you had, uh, who was in studio? Was it Lundgaard talking about Alex, and just, like, how f- the gap in points?
Nate: Oh, it was Pato. He said like they- Oh, was that Pato? Yeah, he said you can't even... Like, it's, why even try?
Like- ... you, you can't win the championship. You can only win the 500.
Cheyne Reiter: Yeah. Which is crazy. It's wild. And so I, I, I wanted to choose Pato as well. Um, I'm gonna let you get to your picks, but the incident with Pato, Alexander Rossi, and Romain Grosjean, uh, earlier this week, there's a chance that he's driving his backup car, which kind of scares me away from Pato.
That, that's tough with, what, you've got one practice today, uh, to try and figure things out with a backup vehicle. Um, gosh, that's like throwing in Riley Leonard into a playoff situation for the Colts. Like, it, it just, it's tough. Um, the, the long shot, so I'm gonna say Palou as a winner, [00:51:00] and then a longer shot.
Uh, but Felix Rosen is- Rosenqvist? Rosenqvist, yeah. Uh, fourth in 2023. Fourth last year. He's pole position number four this year. Just feel like he's close He's been in that top five. Uh, he's got three top 10 finishes at the 500, and just feel like he can get it done this year.
Nate: Dude, he was fast in the quals.
Mm-hmm. He w- he came out there like a bat out of hell in the first round of the quals to get to the Fast 12. It was crazy.
Cheyne Reiter: Um- And he checks the criteria on a few things that I looked up. Drivers that start with pole position between 29 and 33 have never won, so you can cut those bottom five just out of the picture.
Wait, what? From where to where? From pole position 29 to 33. No one has ever won from there. Oh, yeah, 'cause in, in '29- Yeah, they're starting in
Nate: the back ... wasn't 29 the first one ever? I'm pretty sure 19- Uh, 28 ... ni- no, 1911. Well- I think it was, like, he got 20... Ray Harroun won the first Indy 500 starting from 28th position.
Oh,
Cheyne Reiter: yes. Yeah. But
Nate: it's like, but since then, I wonder what it is in the last, like, you know, 20 [00:52:00] years. Yeah.
Cheyne Reiter: So that takes five cars out of the field. Number two, there have been 10 rookie winners through the first 109 Indy 500s, only three this century. So long odds there. There are four rookies in the field, but I'm taking them out.
And then this is just kind of an oddity, uh, but the most common ages for an Indy 500 winner are 29 and 32. They've both happened nine times. And then 27 and 34 has been the ages of eight winners apiece. Felix Rosenqvist is 34. He's not a rookie, and he's not starting pole position 29 to 33. So he checks those three boxes.
You
Nate: really did your
Cheyne Reiter: research on this one. I did some homework.
Nate: Um, okay. So what I think about... This is so hard. Okay, I have, I have three- How many you
Cheyne Reiter: going with?
Nate: I have three that I'm talking about. Okay. Okay? One is, I'm with you. Had there not been an incident, I think Pato was my favorite. Mm-hmm. He is hungry.
He didn't [00:53:00] really... Like, I feel like everyone was freaking out, but, like, uh, through practice and quals leading up to it, he still has a fast car. He was, you know, six in the Fast Six. He started in the back of the second row. Like, he's fine. Chill out. Then the incident happens, and I'm a little bit more like, "Oh, I don't know."
I wanna see how it runs. Mm-hmm. So I, Pato would have been my one. Then two, there's a man fighting for a seat next year. He's fighting for a career, and he has a car that can zip, and this man is Conor Daly. Uh, he came out there, and he was... His hands were cranking during the, the first round of quals. He was getting everything exactly right.
He was having to take his hand off the steering wheel and adjust bars and stuff while they were driving the race car. It was insane. Like, he was zooming. The, uh, the ARCO Kingspan Chev- Chevrolet, he does a great job with the calling out his sponsors every time. So yeah, I'm driving the, uh, the ARCO Kingspan Chevrolet here, and it is fast.
Conor, I think that... Man, I think that he just has so much [00:54:00] to go for here. I think it's him. So let me give you some context. 2025, he started 11th, finished eighth. And I mean, he talks about being in a good place. He had one, like, a pit incident that messed him up. With like 30 laps left. Yeah. In 2021, he started 19th, got up to 13th.
In 2022, he started 18th, got up to sixth. Started 16th, got up to eighth in '23. Started 29th and got up to 10th in 2024. Now he has his best start ever. He's starting at the front. He's start- I mean, he's eighth. He's starting at the eighth seat. He has proven time and time again, I believe there's only been, I think this is his 13th Indy 500 start, and in the last, let's say in the last 10, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10.
In eight of the last 10 Indy 500s, he has gained ground. He has gained ground in eight of the last 10. I like that. You know, so he can- He's making moves ... so '25, 11 to 8, 29 to 10. That is [00:55:00] crazy to go from 29th to get all the way up to 10th. 16th to eighth, 18th to sixth, 19th to 13th. 2020, he went 18th to 29th, went backwards.
2019 went from 11th to 10th. Hey, you still beat your seed.
Cheyne Reiter: Mm-hmm.
Nate: 2018 went from 33rd to 21st, and then in '17 he went from 26th to 30th, so not good there, but eight- 80% he gains ground. So there y- you have that, that you have an 80% chance roughly that he's gonna get better than eighth, and I think, dude, he's got a fast car.
My other, my dark horse- I like him, too. I just
Cheyne Reiter: saw this, but he and I share a birthday. Hey. So.
Nate: There we go. And he's
Cheyne Reiter: 34.
Nate: Now, here is, here is my dark horse. My dark horse races for Chip Ganassi, and his name is Kegan Simpson. Kegan Simpson, he's like, what? Eighth, I think, for pole? Seventh. Seventh for pole. He's right ahead of Conor.
I was at dinner last night. I went to meet up with some buddies. This is, like, a, the weirdest conglomerate of people that have ever been assembled. Um, [00:56:00] but I was hanging out with some of the guys. It was just like a wild, weird, mixed bunch of guys. But great guys. Loved them all. But I met Kegan for the first time.
He's very quiet, very kind. He's from the Cayman Islands. But the dude can zip. He's starting seventh. I don't know what his... Is this his first Indy 500? Uh, no, he's not a rookie. Okay, so in 2024, he has one career start. He qualified 18th, completed all 200 laps. He led three laps, and he finished 21st. Now that he- So he had an early exit last year due to a crash.
So he must've got out last... Dude, he's starting seventh. He's my dark horse. Great guy. I had a great dinner with him. He was super polite, very kind. I think- Kiffin Simpson is- He was just at the same location you were having dinner Well, he was at dinner with us Oh, that's sick. It was me, Kiffin, uh, Mikey, Hunter, like some, just some, some guys, the, like my friends from Orr Fellowship, that kind, and then Sting Ray Rob and Spencer Schrader You know where
Cheyne Reiter: Sting Ray's starting?
Nate: Not 33rd. Because two [00:57:00] people didn't pass the inspection. He's starting in 31st Oh, is he down to 31st? All right. So he's already, he's already bumped up two spots. I told him that last night. I was like, "Congrats on, you know, making up some ground, dude," at dinner last night. It was great. Dude, the wild... Okay, it's, so it's, like, a wild group of people that are assorted.
Like, some are my business friends from, like, that kind of community. Uh-huh. And then it's Kiffin and it's Sting Ray Rob and it's Spencer Schrader, the kicker for the Colts, and it's- Oh, yeah ... Aaron Shackle, the Olympic swimmer. Wow, that is an
Cheyne Reiter: assortment of- What
Nate: a, what a mixed bag of people just sitting, uh- Wow
having dinner, and it was great. We played, uh, we played Fishbowl, like the charades game. Uh-huh. Imagine that. You walk into a restaurant and just back in the corner it's the Colts kicker, it's like me- This Olympic swimmer from Carmel ... Olympic swimmer, two IndyCar drivers, and a bunch of normal people just, like, sitting in a corner playing Fishbowl, like, acting out, like, one of the ones was Doug Balls, and you're, like, acting out like you're wearing the blue suit.
It was the wildest thing. Listen, y'all, I hope you have the safest, the most fun weekend ever at the Indianapolis 500. It's going to be a great time. The [00:58:00] 110th running. What's the forecast? It's, it's gonna be electric. Uh, Cheyne's gonna give us our- I'm gonna check the weather We're, we're, we're gonna go to Cheyne with weather in a second here.
Yeah. But listen to me, have so much fun. Get out there. Come see us in turn three. Be safe. Take care of each other. Ooh. Have fun. What's the
Cheyne Reiter: report? The report, the weather report from our unofficial weather partner at Fox 59, uh, high of 79, partly sunny, 10% chance of rain. Amen. We'll take those
Nate: chances. It's gonna be great.
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