until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
The Race IndyCar Podcast’s annual May retro special features 1999 Indianapolis 500 winner Kenny Brack this year.
Brack joins the pod to discuss his route from missing out on a Formula 1 seat to joining the fledgling Indy Racing League and becoming champion and Indy 500 victor with AJ Foyt’s team.
He recalls the race itself, what it did for his career generally and in Sweden especially, and also packs in some other key career events like the 2003 Texas crash he was lucky to survive and why his comeback in 2005 convinced him to call time on his career.
That comeback came with his long-time employer Rahal, the team he has joined again in 2024 and he explains that move, too.
We also call up The Race’s Matt Beer to discuss the ‘split era’ and Brack’s significance in the IRL’s rise - with his 1999 victory coming in the final Indy 500 before CART teams started returning.
And Swedish journalist and podcaster Mattias Persson explains how important Brack’s win was for helping the country fall in love with motorsport again after a tough period, and how Brack helped inspire the current crop of Marcus Ericsson and Felix Rosenqvist.
Previous May special editions include the story of the 1994 ‘Beast’ Penske engine which shocked the opposition at the 500 with Al Unser Jr, and a deep-dive interview with Rick Mears into his incredible career.
You can contact the show with questions (in a voice note, if you prefer) and suggestions, via our email address: podcasts@the-race.com.
