IndyCar’s Bravery Problem — with RACER founder Paul Pfanner

<p>This summer, for the first time in 15 years, IndyCar unveiled a new chassis. The Dallara IR-28 has a chance to change everything about the world’s fastest wheel-to-wheel racing. And when the car takes its first green flag in 2028, maybe it will. </p><p><a href="https://www.pfancom.com/insights/2026/8/13/what-comes-after-faster" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paul Pfanner</a> founded RACER magazine in the early 1990s and bloomed that brand into the media empire it is today. </p><p>Ten years ago, IndyCar management asked Pfanner and a few other visionaries to help dream up what the next IndyCar could be. The car that group proposed is not the IR-28—but that, Paul says, isn’t important. </p><p>What is important: Whether anyone at IndyCar is asking the right questions. And whether they’ve got the guts to be brave.</p><p>*</p><p>This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “GUEST TEACHES EVERYBODY.”</p><p>This episode was produced by Sam Smith. </p><p>Thanks, as always, to our friends at BFGoodrich for supporting the show!</p><p>**</p><p><em><strong>PAUL’S COLUMNS ON MOTORSPORT:</strong></em></p><p>https://www.pfancom.com/insights?author=5f6d579bf52bd37e3669f9d6</p><p>*</p><p><em><strong>DAN GURNEY’S WHITE PAPER:</strong></em></p><p>https://legacy.allamericanracers.com/wp/formation-of-cart-dan-gurney/</p><p>**</p><p><strong>Who We Are + Spicy Merch:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.itsnotthecar.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ItsNotTheCar.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>**</p><p><strong>Support It’s Not the Car:</strong></p><p>Contribute on Patreon <a href="https://www.patreon.com/notthecar" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/notthecar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>**</p><p><strong>Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think!</strong></p><p>⁠⁠<a href="mailto:INTCPod@gmail.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INTCPod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠⁠</p><p>**</p><p><strong>Check out Sam's book!</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Smithology-Thoughts-Travels-Semi-Plausible-Writings/dp/B0D2Q3P93Z/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>**</p><p><strong>Where to find us:</strong></p><p>⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<a href="https://www.instagram.com/intcpod" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/intcpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠⁠</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠⁠</p><p><a href="https://rossbentley.substack.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rossbentley.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://speedsecrets.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://speedsecrets.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>**</p><p><strong>ABOUT THE SHOW:</strong></p><p>It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.</p><p>Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of <em>Road &amp; Track</em> magazine.</p><p>We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.</p><p>New episodes every ot