Tony Kanaan | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #407
i want to announce a new tour date. november 3rd in san diego. at the balboa theater. we'll be heading down there with the. return of the rat tour. the uh patreon pre-sale starts today at. 2pm um. the artist pre-sale starts tomorrow. at 10 a.m. pacific standard time that's september. 7th with the code rat king. and the general on sale will be friday. september 9th at 10 a.m and they're.
available to everyone then with no code. as well we have october 11th and 12th in. wichita kansas. october 13th omaha nebraska. and october 14th denver colorado both. those shows are sold out but we will be. adding. new denver dates and some other colorado. dates. in the earliest part of the year it's. looking like january you can go to. theovon.com. tour t-o-u-r. for those tickets for all tickets thank.
you for your support i'm excited to. announce that we've got the new rat king. racing collection. hitting the store today. if you like being in a vehicle if you. like. driving or um. yielding using your blinker going fast. using gasoline if you like all of that. automobile area you'll love it it's at. theovonstore.com the rat king racing. collection shirts hoodies hats get that. hitter baby gang. today's guest is um he's that racer baby.
he's that scared boy you know what i'm. saying he likes being on wheels. he's been an indycar driver for 25 years. he's won the indy 500. he's from brasil. he's from another country. but he's put a lot of miles on america. that's for sure. um his team took me out earlier today in. an indy car. and man i hit a couple hundred. i hit a couple hundred miles i hit a. damn mock or a couple mocks i don't know. what i hit. i mean i was fan there's still people.
looking for me. so that's how fast we went uh i'm. grateful to have him here today to learn. about his life and to learn about racing. today's guest is mr tony. [Music]. me.
yeah man if i so if i seem flustered i. uh. the pool. you know. which immediately tells people that i'm. making money right um. the pool something broke and the the. water's flowing into the backyard right. now you know that's that's what i tell. my kids and my wife at home. because obviously we work hard we make. money but if we didn't have a pool we.
wouldn't have that problem right right. but like i was traveling to a race um. we. we live in indianapolis and i have four. kids oh wow they all go to the races. with me when they can. so i have obviously a smart home with. all the security because you know you. have to have it and. we i turn the alarm on and i can see. anything that happens i can see it on my. on my phone. and. going down the road driving to one of. the races uh my phone starts to go nuts.
and give gives me different alarms that. you know the bathroom lights on or i'm. like it's somebody's in the house and. i'm looking at the camera and i can't. see it i can't see it. we're not too far off i said you know. what we need to. turn around and see what's going on we. had nobody there so i turned around came. in. but first you get home you're like i. don't know how to fight i don't have a. gun i'm like if somebody's here but i. also don't want to call the police to. look like. the fool they're like hey. so i go in there is nothing going on i'm.
like what's what's wrong and the phone's. going crazy then i start try to turn the. light on. to check. doesn't turn on so i'm like something's. happening are we going to catch fire. anyway to make a story short because you. talk about your basement. i have it's a smart home and all the. equipment is in the basement in a room. with air conditioning because they say. needs to keep it cool like you know like. we do it in the studio. and. it's positioned in a room is. specifically made but that is one pipe.
one single pipe. that goes through. that was actually they put the rack with. all the equipment underneath ah it was. the sewer pipe no so it was dripping it. was broken damn. so. it leaked it burned the entire system so. the house wasn't working but also it's. the sewer pipe right so you can imagine. and you're fine not your finest pipe. yeah and and it was floating by the time. i got back it was at least 40 minutes. between and then it flowed the the. basement with no that clean water wow.
so who had to go in there. well i was in there as soon as i saw. that i'm not very good at i was i almost. barfed yeah i told my wife look. damage is done. nobody's going down there and i still. had to drive i mean we're like i have to. go to a race right so i called a couple. of the contractors the guy that built my. house and they helped me out and they. they sent people there we. fixed the pipe and had to call the. insurance company because.
that we had to change everything the. whole carp i mean everything was oh so. yeah is that probably the worst thing. that's happened to you as a homeowner. you think no. i uh. i lived in miami for 22 years and i used. to collect watches like expensive. watches and stuff but never really had. them in a safe or anything i had. probably. 35 expensive watches not insured. and but you do interviews you talk about. things yeah you like you know you have. cars you have this and it's not a brag.
but people are like oh so i know you. like watches. so then i actually had just given an. interview to a a watch guy. and i got home and they're all gone. a couple million bucks. really a couple million bucks worth yeah. some expensive was like if people don't. understand about watches but a rolex. poem which is very rare like yeah all i. actually got left with the watch that i. was wearing which is. always my workout watch which was the. cheapest one oh.
damn isn't that crazy how you'll get. something nice for yourself and then you. just kind of lock it away you know you. know that's something that i i i. hopefully i mean hopefully that didn't. happen to you but you feel so violated. right so you work so hard and i'm. i don't come from. a rich family i mean everything i've. done i really worked hard i gave up a. lot of things to. to do it never with the intention to. make money i mean to be rich i've never. said oh i want to be a race car driver. because i want to be rich i just want to.
race but then. you like nice things you make money blah. blah blah and then somebody just come. and takes it from you you know yeah that. must have been really disheartening did. you um it was so bad that actually to. this day i. probably have five watches now you know. i love watches and i bought. the. my top five because then you go you. don't need all of it you don't you. really like looks like you know. people can take you the wrong way to a. new brake wow i had 40 watches yeah i. just liked them i didn't you know it.
wasn't like uh. yeah how much time you need yeah. you know yeah you have one well you have. two wrists but you're only supposed to. wear one watch at the time so it's not. like. so i bought my favorite five watches and. and that's it i would never bought it. never bought it again now i have a save. then you insure them and so on but it's. it almost ruins your love for them a. little bit that somebody else you just. go that's it and it did go away like you. know on that particular. like i don't know whatever you want to. call like. pleasure that i have of collecting that.
is it's been gone ever since between 12. years now but yeah yeah. i could have thank god i could have. bought all of them back or some of them. right now i don't wanna. and did you call a detective or anything. like that so. we did but like like i said they were. not insured some of the watches i mean i. had listed so they say well if this. watch comes to service at rolex or. whatever. we can probably catch it if not they're. going to be gone so we put we think.
it's so hard because when you do an. interview look how many millions of. people are watching us right yeah and. then i could say something and nowadays. you can google anything. our lives yes because we live on a. social media. environment they know when you're gone. yeah right as soon as you post hey i'm. going to la i'm shooting in l.a today. whoever knows that where you live. they can't assume you're not in your. home. well if they come i hope they don't come. to swim i'll tell you that.
because. that's what i'm saying like and that's. my biggest fear especially coming from. brazil. which is it's a third world country and. is it yes it's it's quite you know it's. it's not as wealthy. as right as uh as america uh um you have. a lot of those kind of things and my. biggest fear is like when people know. i'm going my family's at home and they. know my wife is alone so. you try to protect yourself and in. brazil do they have a lot of kidnappings. and stuff like big time i mean i when i.
go down there which i do a lot. um i still have family there my oldest. kid still lives there i'm racing there. this year i have a bulletproof car. wow uh and i have two bodyguards that. follow me on another car and talk about. not having any privacy because if you. try not to catch catch attention. you know that well enough you shouldn't. walk around with four people right. looking like. you know like a wardrobe behind you like. double occ. yeah and then every time you stop. somewhere they go in first check it out.
and then you come out and people like. who's that right but a lot of people do. that which is it takes your privacy away. it takes a lot of things away and i'm. always worried about my mom. my mom is 74 and it's interesting. because it's almost like you know you. achieved some of your dreams and your. goals and then you have to. even if you want to be anonymous you. almost can't be just for your own sake. right but then when you talk about. kidnapping they're not going to come for. me right they're going to come to my. kids right to my mom to my sister. because they want me to probably pay for.
it yeah if they call if they kidnap you. they can't call you yeah they can call. me and then i say guys if i don't make. you get you the money who's gonna get. you the money. yeah unless they're the worst kid ever. ever and i said if they call my wife she. might pay them to keep me for a few. extra months. wow that's fascinating and um and. in brazil is it a i guess like well tell. me about that bulletproof car so that. thing is like dude it's the most amazing.
thing you see i mean it's. uh i i i race down there for toyota so. it's a corolla but. they add another i don't know nowadays. it's very you know exactly what i'm. talking about but very. uh the ballistic. stuff that you put in the car the metals. and stuff it's so light that is only. like 100 pounds. more that you add to the car but it goes. inside the door the column. all every single glass you can't break. like you could sit in your car and flip. anybody off and if you're locked in they.
cannot get it. like you just be like whatever you know. but which is not it's not funny but. like. they they still like an iphone just to. give an example an iphone down there. just think about currency you have to. think about one to one if i say because. the dollar there it's five to one. okay so yeah one dollar it's five of our. currency okay i got it let's pretend you. live there so if you make 10 grand. you're making 10. whatever right right so an iphone there.
it's 50 grand. 50 grand in uh in reality. but you have to think that if if you. live there you're making 50 grand of. something right so but i'm telling you. so and then the the minimum wage. it's 2 000. so i think about to work for 100 years. to make an iphone not 100 years but like. 10 years right yeah sorry yeah so you. walk walking you're walking down the. street talking on your iphone yeah. wow somebody takes it and then they make. two grand a month they can sell it okay.
it's stolen but for 40 that's almost two. years of of work so they take it but you. know in a bulletproof car they they. tried to actually they actually tried to. break the window and then you just flip. them off. not getting that one you keep on. knocking but you can't come in. i mean you know how it's miserable to. live a life yeah oh yeah it's like this. big game of hide-and-go-seek and it's. only because you achieved some of your. dreams or you had some success. you know i actually went to one time um. salvador salva that's where i'm from.
really yeah that's where i was born dude. i got mugged by a uh i mean it was oh. it's beautiful but also i got mugged. um by a woman there dude and i never. fought a woman but what did she take she. i had uh some of my money and just. belongings in my front pockets right. so she put one of her hands in my pocket. so i grabbed her wrist and held it. against my side so locked her hand in my. pocket but then now she and i each had. to start you know i never i didn't know.
she was a woman at first so i was just. ready to defend myself and then. we we each punched each other a decent. amount but guys look at look can you. imagine theo like does he look like a. brazilian walking down the street in. brazil now no that's why yeah. it was awesome and it kind of was like. and i hadn't had any coffee so it was. like free coffee i mean that'll get you. going oh it gets your adrenaline up but. it was also you know i mean i think some.
of that stuff is just. it's not a frown on the society it's. just part of. you know some cultures they're you know. they're not doing as well and i remember. there was a kid who said he would bite. me and that he was infected that he had. hiv right and it was just like a scam. you know and i was like. well i probably i might have something. you know. i mean. and then uh i think i just gave him a. couple of dollars but i actually i. admired his ingenuity a little bit you. right you know that dirty dragon that's.
desperation right you think about oh. yeah like it's just like being in the. jungle right you're like well it's not. fair that the lion's gonna eat the. little elephant but he needs to do that. to survive and that's basically. unfortunately. it's what. with like you know when your family is. starving. and you can't make ends meet and you're. making. less than a thousand bucks a month and. it costs you five grand to live yeah. people do desperate things oh you know. it's a shame it's really a shame yeah. and then it becomes a culture because.
then. starts like that but then people that's. easy. right right yeah i'll do it why am i. gonna work nine hours a day to make two. thousand dollars if i can steal a phone. and make it 40. right in 30 seconds and then you have. weird things where it's like okay if i. have one kid and he's out threatening to. bite people and making money why don't i. have five kids and have a little. nibbling family and then it becomes of. like you know yeah like a cool like a. chorus. right like just like you know they're. just out there just snacking on people.
um but yeah i think a lot of that is. just. it happens with poverty even in poverty. people have to find a way to survive so. correct the. and then when you're when you're poor. your enemy. because my enemy always growing up was. rich people mm-hmm i [ __ ] hated rich. people dude you know and for no reason. except that they were because they had. more money than us. and you kind of have to have an enemy. and you know especially when you don't. have anything you got to have an enemy. you know it's a motivation i take it as. a motivation that's what it is you're.
like you know what it's not i'll assure. you it's yeah you think you're rich yeah. it's a motivation man like i remember. the first time i went to somebody's. house and they had a dog in the in. inside. and it blew my mind it was an inside dog. i'd never seen it i thought it was like. a myth you know it seemed like something. out of the bible. you know i remember being by my buddy. scott you know dogs do acupuncture now. you know that they have masseuse do you. know that do they yeah man see you're. gonna hate them even more not the dogs. but bring up that dog acupuncture please.
let's get a peek at it i want to see. what you're talking about. because i never seen an animal shoot up. look at that oh wow yeah. oh come on see some of this seems mildly. satanic they have migraines. that's what they say i don't know i have. migraines i do acupuncture but yeah how. does your dog tell you you have a. migraine you know. i don't know somebody tells you that. right. yeah somebody tells you right and you. believe it yeah the dog isn't saying it.
yeah the dog this seems like a little. voodoo dog right there that one. wow hey can you bring up an article on. it please do you mind bub. dog acupuncture. yeah when i was young they didn't have. dogs didn't do acupuncture i think that. you like they say they have arthritis. like you know like some stuff like that. but they got four legs man if you got. four legs you're gonna get arthritis bro. if you don't think you're getting. arthritis and you're on four legs that's.
your fault. into the dog's body at specific points. where nerves and blood vessels converge. these points are located in sites called. meridians just like human huh just like. human acupuncture. but that's what i'm saying though but we. can go to. an acupuncture guy or doctor whatever. you call. say i'm having a headache. how do you know your dog does like yeah. you woke up in the morning so let me. take the dog to the vet. because. she barked a little weird it's.
just a migraine on it he had a long. night yeah i think he could yeah that's. crazy but it's wild and that's one of. the side effects having too much money. in it well but also it's this i i have. dogs i mean i had dogs all my life the. kids love them and then it becomes part. of your family so right and and you just. will do whatever. yeah i guess i would never i couldn't. imagine a dog getting acupuncture i. think i don't know if it would. i couldn't do it i don't think no matter. what was going on with it you know even. if i got a little note from it saying.
hey. i'd love you know. some you know a chinese therapy or. something i'd say i'd say no. i'd say no but i remember yeah the first. time i ever saw a golden retriever. indoors somebody's i've never seen a. golden retriever before. and it came around the corner of my. buddy scott's house and it looked like. it had just come out of the bible man it. was beautiful. god it was beautiful. um. in a in a poor country. is. because. nascar or.
racing. in america is often synonymous with with. poor people right you know and. and i don't know why that is really. uh. you know i know a lot when i was you. know i was poor and a lot of people like. cars poor people like you know getting a. car it's kind of there's something cool. about it because we can't have good cars. so we have to like cars because we have. the crappiest cars and you superman. they're always breaking that yeah. people would be like oh i got like i had. a 1990 i had a 1984 ford escort and.
somebody stole the passenger seat out of. it so you had to get in the front and. then just go sit in the back you know. it's actually like a limousine man it. was pretty nice man it wasn't too bad. but uh. it was weird though you know people. would get in the front door and like. well where do i even go like we'll. [ __ ] get in the back yeah. drive like i'm your driver so yeah. football. it's back baby. pigskins they're coming you can hear all. the pigs. scared. in their troughs.
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but is it a poor sport because you grew. up in brazil. what's it like there. it's well i mean actually it's funny how. it's it's cool to hear a prospect of. somebody that is not involved in racing. because actually. racing it's a very like it's a rich. people sport because you spend so much. money like people that work in racing i. can argue that mechanics and engineers. and even drivers and then especially in. the lower level it's a blue collar no. it's people that you know sometimes.
don't have but like. to fund a kid to race go-karts nowadays. you're gonna spend at least two hundred. thousand dollars a year wow and in. go-karts you don't find a sponsor to get. the return right i mean nowadays. a little easier but. so. brazil is like. we have soccer which is extremely. popular yeah. right because it's very cheap oh you all. are so good at soccer we watch right but. why we need to play soccer is. soccer ball right so anybody can have. that you can play anywhere so in the.
favelas which is like people live in. this cartoon houses. boarded yeah you can play anywhere so we. have the majority eighty percent of the. population plays out soccer. and then you have second the second. biggest sports racing because it become. it became very popular back in the day. but it's very expensive. so it becomes a rich people if you're. rich you go karting if you don't have a. lot of money you're playing soccer so i. was very fortunate because.
my family wasn't rich but we were not. poor poor we're mid. my dad worked really hard so. we i started i used to watch races with. him on tv since i was i mean since i can. remember so like four years old five. years old. watching formula one in indycar and some. nascar wasn't very popular at the time. it was more open wheel. and uh you go watch in person you guys. are watching yes both right so we do a. father and son. and uh so finally when i was eight years.
old i actually asked him for a go-kart. so he bought me a go-kart and. started to kind of fund it we didn't. have the best equipment but i was pretty. good at it. um i won every championship i've ever. raced since from from 8 to 16. but. what happened. was when i was. 10 years old. that got diagnosed with cancer. and he was really ill for like three. years and when i was 13 unfortunately he. passed. when he with his passing um we basically.
lost everything in into a year. my dad ran his business but my my mom. always my dad was from lebanon a very um. uh. mid like the mentality there was my my. wife will take care of my kids. right never mind. yeah no i when i get home everybody. needs to be ready you're talking about. tradition 48 years ago it's very. tradition but we need to wait it for him. to have dinner. and my mom and we all sit on the table.
very like. so mom was my dad was 42 when he passed. wow my mom was 36 and never had work so. basically to make a little story short. um. his business just went. bad we we lost everything so i we. basically went from mid class to like. then we really like. we had we didn't have a car uh we both. we both went my sister and i we were in. public uh private schools we went to.
public but remember public schools. there. are not like public schools here if you. go to public school it's because you. can't afford it and and the the. it's not good the safety level falls off. safety level um but even the education. is not as high it's not as good because. we it's just. like a product of. you know the government that we have but. so then i had to go work so my dad. made him promise him that.
one day the day before he passed he. called me up in the hospital. and we're sitting he was actually very. lucid there wasn't like and going to a. hospital. with him i did it for three years in a. row so it was very. it wasn't a problem he's like hey. let's go sit down have a chat so he. asked actually it was on a thursday he. called my mom i was at the racetrack we. usually like race weekends are friday. saturday and sunday even for go-karting. even for go-karting so it was thursday. afternoon i was at the track getting. ready for friday.
and he asked my mom to tell me. to stop by the hospital because he. wanted to speak to me so we sat down and. i sat in his bed he's. talking. obviously sick cancer you know no hair. but not like oh he's dying or something. and he's like hey man you know. if anything ever happens to me i you. need to promise me you you need to take. care of your mom and sister but also. you're never going to give up racing. because you're really good at it and i'm. like but he like over the course of the.
three years we had a lot of talks like. that i think he was trying to prepare me. i have a younger sister so i was the. oldest. my cat then she says in one day. you need to win the indy 500 for me. because we used to watch that race and. to me as a kid i mean it has nothing to. do with the win with i remember that the. window would take a picture with a. million dollars cash around the car that. for me was like. that's what i want wow like as a kid. you're like whoa yeah right it's like. dude i don't have a freaking million.
dollars here so. he says and i said yeah man sure but. what are you talking about whatever so i. go home that night. i fall asleep i wake up friday morning. to go to the track my mom is at home i'm. like what are you doing she goes wow. your dad passed last night. in the middle of the night um and uh so. i just came here to tell you but before. he passed he asked me to remind you what. you guys talked. really yeah so i was like then she says. do you know do you know what it is she. wasn't there i said yeah of course she.
goes okay i said well i'm gonna go to. the racetrack she goes what say well. that's what we talked so. we i did not go to his uh services i. didn't think i i didn't want to have the. picture of my dad laying there i think. as a kid he was going to adopt me for. a long time so was that a personal. choice or was that a part of your. mother's choice because that seems like. a strong. mom was actually because i said i know. i think the first thing was a promise. that i made them because i had a race. that weekend so i said i promise i'm. going to keep racing i can't miss a race.
right. so i went. but in the process i think. i think i don't recall exactly because. it was such a long time ago but i think. that probably led to. maybe. i mean the goodbye was. denied before it's not he's not gonna. talk to me right you know i know people. like to pay respects but i mean. that's my choice and your mother was. okay with you making that choice yeah. because that was because i told her the. promise i made him that i was gonna go. race and i won that race that wow so.
that trophy from that day. uh april 8 1998 my mother still has it. in her nightstand and her home oh that's. beautiful. so and then from then on. basically it starts. the poor kid living. right right and then i had to do. whatever i had to do. man that's um. it's interesting man yeah my father. passed the cancer when i was 16 and uh. and he was. um.
he was. 70 when i was born so he was older so. even today when i got to go over by you. guys track and ride around with uh mr. andretti who i think was 82. yeah it's like. that reminded me of being a kid riding. around with my dad i mean my dad went a. little slower. but. that was you know that was that mario. here's your huge when i was yeah when i. was 10 when i was 12 years old my dad. was 82 and we'd go drive and then when.
he when i was 13 he let me drive when i. was tall enough he let me drive and he. would just sleep and stuff while i was. driving which was insane because i. didn't know i had no idea what i was. doing. so. um. yeah i've never done anything like. nascar but uh that was the closest i. ever came was just driving a senior. citizen around um but that was a little. bit of a similar experience that i had. out there today. um. so the the prominence of racing is that. big in brazil it's big obviously it. could be bigger but it's so expensive.
that it's not but like a kid that is. born. in brazil and obviously follows sports. either they want to be a soccer player. or a race car driver and well it's easy. it's easier there for wealthier kids to. get into it's like the. in racing you have if you have 20 kids. one will be that has no money everything. everybody else. has a parent or somebody that is paying. a hell out of money to. for them to start wow and only becomes. more expensive right so when i looked.
because. let me when i look what my mother did. for me after my dad passed because. like i said we're mid class i mean dad. was responsible so we had some savings. and my mother. to keep my dream and my promise to my. dad alive. kept funding. that's why we ran out of money wow and i. told her that. i have four kids now. and with all due respect to my kids uh.
if they want to follow a career. i wouldn't jeopardize because i have i. had a sister that had to actually. sacrifice. for me as well wow right. i don't think i could do it to one of my. kids because what about the other three. okay i have a little bit too many kids i. think. for that but it was me and my sister and. i got all of it yeah spend all of it. and she was like what about me what. about me was there favoritism is there. like because you were the male as well. was that. you know that's something that i i i.
joke about it i said the day that i find. that i you know finally i'm not around. and i meet my dad again. he's gonna hear because it was a big. responsibility. that he put it on me because until this. day my sister never said a word wow i. mean. they all knew the story so i think it. was more of. dad's. word putting the responsibility on me. and on them to sacrifice for me for a. dream that we had him and right they had.
nothing to do with it wow so that must. have felt like an added pressure huh but. theo yeah because. because then you think about it after a. year and a half we lose everything. then i actually quit school i. i stopped i was in ninth grade because i. had to go to work pretty high. you know so i had to stop she obviously. graduated she's extremely successful now. but it becomes that i started working on. the go-kart factory to be able to have. money to pay for our bills and also.
had the equipment to keep racing. go-karts so it was correct it was a good. good situation but but then since then. well not my sister anymore but i still. take care of my mom yeah she's still my. responsibility so all of a sudden a. 15-year-old. had two daughters. i didn't have my mom oh interesting. right right my mom was 38. trying to find a job anywhere even here. a 38 year old woman that never worked in. her life.
trying to find a job that you can. actually maintain two kids. and you know it's hard nobody would give. her a job so yes tough i finally had a. good friend. that. owned. five nightclubs in brazil. and nightclubs i mean it's a mess right. so do you always worry about people. stealing from the cashier because they. deal with a lot of cash oh yeah oh i. used to work at when i stole. so. he was like hey man i need somebody to. take care of all the cashiers and. somebody that i trust and he knew my. mother would never.
so basically my mom was to go to work at. 11 at night and come back when they. close the nightclubs which in brazil. it's 5 00 a.m and 2 30 in the morning. like. some of the places here yeah so. we never really actually saw each other. oh wow nice passes yeah she'll come home. to sleep and i'll be leaving to go to. work and my sister had to go to school. so. so. when you get out of go-karts and because. i mean obviously you know you've had. like the penultimate of success like in. america is kind of i guess the indy 500.
you know it's like i'm sure it's a lot. of you guys's dream right so how do you. get from. you know go-karts when do you make that. transfer and how does that happen for a. driver do you get called up is it a. matter of sponsorship they are they are. all all the above. but. my story was i had no money i mean but. people knew my story so you have a. couple of friends that would help you. out you have a team that would but at. the end of the day. you have to win races that's the best.
way. you can actually achieve. success or move and get hired but and. why did you win do you think at that. point why were you winning. honestly i i. i could sit here and say well you know. i'm very talented i'm good in what i do. which i believe that but i think at that. point. i had no choice. i had to. right i mean. it got to a point that. like people asked me what about if it. didn't work so i never.
gave myself that option it was going to. work now was i going to go to indycar. and win the indy 500 i didn't know that. but i said this is what i know what to. do and then that's how i need to make a. living so it's going to work so. i think what made me good it was like. just whatever man i i slept in a floor. on a mattress on the floor in a race. shop for three years. wow in my boss's office. or get up and. kick some ass on the racetrack and i.
think. you can see that like you know when you. can see when somebody do you really want. it that bad man i mean i i left my. country i didn't speak when i came to. america i spoke zero english that was. back in 1996. oh i went to italy's first. car then he went into nascar. so. and i went to italy first before i came. here and and it was just i think to be. honest when people actually mike my 14. year old just asked me that question. because he's in the phase of. trying to figure out.
what he wants to do and kids nowadays. have. 3 000 options right yeah um. and i said i said i think it was the. no option. no choice. interesting. yeah i can kind of relate to some of. that like. even with stand-up comedy i never felt. like i was going to lose really right. but but you how many people said. go find a job man you think just you're. gonna make people laugh all your life. you think what about you're not that. funny you know like that is always and. there are people like no man go ahead.
you know yeah like that is always gonna. be and nowadays is even worse because. everybody has an opinion that they can. write about it right then you can get. instant on. but yeah i i. i never thought. anything i said i'm going to make this. work. because it's interesting. i thought maybe you would be a lot more. intense when i met you you know because. i i don't have a concept of what really. drivers are like you know the only uh. race car i met tony stewart one time i. did some commercials with him like years.
ago. yeah he was interesting he seen he kind. of like was like. kind of like uh. he seemed like a little. quiet and maybe crazy i don't know i. couldn't tell he was an interesting dude. where am i they know right. just tell me i'm interested to hear. i don't know what tony was like i saw. him at the comedy club actually a couple. years ago and i went up and said hey to. him i'm trying to remember what he was. like i can't i you know i can't remember. that that good he kind of kept to. himself a little bit and he had this.
blonde chick with him too man with some. damn bombs you know that's race car. drivers we always have hot chicks yeah. it is huh. yeah they just something but then we're. so short so every woman is a lot taller. than us it's crazy. yeah that's why a lot of times you don't. even know what driver the chick is with. because you just see the chicks just. look for the short guy and you find it. oh look at her old son. yeah exactly it's like you know. and then they're gonna go look he's. she's only with him because he's. somebody because he can't he can't date.
somebody that short. and then uh. and then i met clint boyer a few times. he was kind of uh who's a he's a buddy. and he's crazy he's crazy and he is. sheerly crazy like you could see that he. probably hadn't slept in maybe 17 or 18. years you know what i'm saying like he's. just got [ __ ] you know his his stare. is like 93 octane you know he's got. really. he's got diesel in his [ __ ] you know. just in his damn uh and his gums you can. really feel it coming off of them um.
so yeah i was like i was. my question is what is it is it. intensity what does it take to really. make someone who can. operate a vehicle at these speeds and be. in that sort of. atmosphere because uh even just going. today on the trial you know went around. for a couple of laps or something and it. was. you know it was just damn intense you. know all my blood went to my. back strap or whatever and yeah but you. know i was just full in the back you.
know. i felt like i just you know. i don't know i just felt like you get a. boner like you said you would dude i got. the opposite of a motor man. you know why i'll tell you why because. it gets tight so you ain't getting a boy. i didn't want to. spoil your uh comment there but yeah. i'll let you experience but. uh. no man i i i honestly think. the biggest thing is you need to be able. to convert lies like like you need to. divide what you can't leave your life. the way you race.
life's not a race. and and i i. i'm saying that now because i got. somebody brought that up to me. eventually. because. when you grow up. in a competitive environment. that's the only thing you know. right so. anything is a competition. oh if let's go down the stairs i want to. beat you yeah it doesn't matter it. doesn't even. what is that for if you're going to beat. me doesn't matter. let's go out.
i know exactly well where are we going. now where are we going to a bar and your. buddy's boring. okay how long it takes it's three miles. it's gonna it's like. my entire life was like that. so i think you. you met me in a. a. very good. i would say a very good moment of my. life that i'm more. but i'm calmer i mean i used to be a lot. more intense now i.
probably know how to. separate that and say okay. time to be intense it's when i put a. helmet on but i can't carry that all the. time right you know but just to give an. example this morning i i drove from indy. to here. wow and four in the morning and somebody. was trying to. pass me in the highway and i. just got the best out of me so you're. not passing me. 70. 75. i'm like dude come on give up and. and but you know so i guess i don't know.
maybe it's funny that. it it's i like to hear people that meet. me for the first time to hear their. because you didn't know me at all so. yeah you haven't followed me no i didn't. so which is a good thing i've seen i've. seen some pictures of you and that was. yeah we barely talked because we didn't. want to and and the same with me when. they i knew who you were but i really. didn't follow you all the time when they. said you're coming on the show i said. they said so here's an example of the. show i said i don't want to watch it.
yeah. because i know who you were i know what. you do as a combat i said i don't i. don't want to watch it because i want to. be that i want to experience because i. went oh you know i watched that and i. know what. i said i don't which was such a. coincidence that you said that the first. time we just met today is don't mind if. i don't speak to you right now yeah the. first thing we said to each other. i said i actually don't want to speak to. you either i don't hate you or anything. but which is i didn't want to which is. yeah no way to hear that because i'm. actually very intense wow but but it's.
nice that it doesn't come off all the. time yeah i i was like oh this guy's. really has a uh just a fun personality. that's what i thought and i thought. because i've always thought is intensity. the thing that these drivers need. because um we do it is we do i mean. there is no way you're gonna strap your. ass in a race car and go. some of the tracks 240 miles an hour. here okay here's 200 but you have walls. you can't make a mistake. and not be intense i mean just the. environment itself is going to bring the. pressure i mean it's a performance sport.
you win you're good. monday you got to do it again you're not. good anymore because sunday is best i am. in the next race you lose you're bad so. and that's just like that all the time. would you say that you probably became. pretty hard on i noticed from my people. always tell me i'm extremely hard on. myself do you think that you're 100 yeah. i'm my worst enemy like yeah i suck you. know you suck man. even when i win. but that's that's the thing and those.
are things that i'm telling you people. that brought that up to me i didn't. really um i'm smart enough to realize. you win a race. two hours later i'm like [ __ ]. well. yeah. you gotta do it again yeah. you're never happy you know he's like. what the [ __ ] man where does that come. from man i think we just you know. it when. when you're good at what you do man and. that's why we're good i'm not i'm not. here bragging i'm not here to say. sitting here says i'm the best but i. think that's what makes you good because.
if you are happy then then. oh yeah good job man that was a good. show good job i mean no what can i do. better right i want to race but. i you know. yeah i'll come on stage i will be people. will my group that is on the side will. be like awesome and you can see in their. faces they're literally. waiting to tell me how great it was and. i'd be like [ __ ] do you know i. chewed their asses because you guys only. tell me that because i pay you the day i. stop paying i want to hear what you have. to say. so let's do this i'm going to stop.
paying for a month you come to a race. and you tell me the truth at the end. you know because it's my friends bro. yeah awesome racist shut up yeah you're. my friend yeah you're never gonna are. you really gonna say you come off stage. and i'm one of your best but you know. what theo you suck right now that joke. was bad. like tk you drove. horrible it's like i wonder if i'd. appreciate it though one of my friends. actually said hey but you know i. actually my mother is the best one. because she does yeah. she's like why are you gonna crash again.
no well. the way you're driving. like what but i appreciate that yeah. it's like same thing the other day my. wife actually dressed up the other day. and said how do i look i said not good. yeah. i was like what the [ __ ] i said well. well let me explain to you. you i don't think i i'm not saying you. don't look good what you're wearing. doesn't look good it's not vulgar it's. just i don't like it your the pockets on. your jeans are spread apart it looks. like you have your mom's butt but.
so and i said i and you should. appreciate that yeah because i don't. think you'll look good and i think a lot. of people don't think that you but they. don't have the balls to tell you. and she actually says i actually. appreciate that i said well then can you. start telling me the truth as well so i. don't think in 15 years i look good all. the time i drove the best races of my. life i'm the best driver in the world i. haven't won a [ __ ] race in three. years so you can't tell me i'm good. maybe i am but there's a lot of people. better than me now. man yeah i used to i used to date this. girl and her she had the same butt as.
her dad it's it's great and it always. dude it was so like it made it. impossible sometimes for like i have a. challenge with my wife you know like for. sex you know because i'm every time. because she her mom you see her dad oh. well it just i didn't but her mom's like. her dad had this she just had a. distinctive looking butt and when i met. her parents i was like oh my god. don't they say that you're you're this. is going great guys. don't you think they say that you got to. look at your mother-in-law.
to see how your life your wife's going. to look like which i don't think it's. true because you said. you know oh. i told my wife you better not not on. this one yeah so that's going to get. divorced. no it's interesting though being hard. being hard on yourself is interesting do. you think that you had that your whole. life or do you think it happened after. your father passed away do you think it. was just built into you. well just granted from eight i started. racing i was eight eight to thirteen so. it was five years.
i think my dad was. pretty hard on me. like he was just that type of person uh. putting the pressure for me to be you. want to be a race car driver you got to. sleep. early you got to. eat well like. typical like like you got to be home for. dinner and. so. i really didn't do. anything apart from racing my entire. life. i suck at. anything else that you tell me to do.
um so it was like but but that's why he. wanted it and. we can sit here and debate. if he was still alive if would i. resent him or not yeah right. but because he's not it was a choice. that i made yeah right because you see. that on top at least all the time i mean. you see in tennis players like your. parents are the ones they will because. at eight years old. i can't just i didn't woke up and said i. want to be a race car guy he took me to. the races.
kind of induced me to same way i take my. kids to do. six different sports to see what they. like the most yeah whatever they like. we're going to help them because they. think it's healthy but. yeah. no i think. yeah i was always really like i don't. think ever. i finish a race. even if i win in the races that i won. that i would tell myself hey good job. yeah. which which is kind of sad. yeah. i've been man you're talking.
i am listening to myself right now you. know yeah it's it's sad in a way but i. can't do it i know and you always think. about next well because you raise the. bar right. well then. and everybody's watching because people. everybody's watching you your job is. much harder than mine because. people have to laugh or clap if i if i. crash they actually they clap because i. come out of the car alive i guess it's. constellation. loser go home you keep making fun i.
don't know your job your job might be. harder because people hate being in. traffic and that's what you're in you. know they hate me they hate me even more. so i drive a minivan. with kids in and they hate minivans i. can tell you that you see a minivan you. think it's an old lady with kids she's. going to be on her phone they just. whatever opportunity people have to pass. a minivan they will because they're like. i can't be behind this person. and then you get me driving the minivan. that give people to run over their money.
but then i have my kids in my life what. are you doing. i actually this is the only time i know. what i'm doing so shut up. yeah this is it this is it you know i'm. not dad you can't play baseball you. can't no i can't but this i can. so you guys shush it. once i park yeah i'm back right yeah i'm. back to the loser that you guys think i. am i can't tax i can't talk on the phone. i can't play any games i can't play. basketball nothing but this is what i do.
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b-a-b-b-e-l-dot-com. [Music]. theo. that's b-a-b-b-e-l dot com slash. t-h-e-o. for up to 55 off your subscription. babble language for life. ayah. i used to see i used to listen to this. singer called chimaya yeah. of course yeah that's my favorite. it had like love songs yeah man he's. awesome i met a for a guy a friend this. guy named patricio and he um.
he used to do racing actually too and. he's from brazil and uh. and he would always listen to it and. like sing it like he liked like. you know slow dancing with the ladies. like a brazilian soul like the guy the. singer yeah he passed away but it was. cool can you bring him up bring up team. do you know how to spell it i don't know. how to spell it t-i-m-space. m-a-i-a. here we go. oh yeah big dude big voice man this he's. awesome yeah.
dang. i bet you think i did a lot of children. you think dude uh i don't know his like. but that guy i don't think he ever ever. did a concert that he was not. annihilated that's why. but. like i'm like if i drink that much i. couldn't ever speak then the guy will. sing like i went i knew him personally. and when he really a few of his shows. awesome dude wow fun but typical rock. star you know. that's interesting that i brought him up.
yeah that's the only like thing about. brazil i know except for him and soccer. yep. um. what else did i see the other day. something about cars oh they found a. bunch of rats and cars. do you have that here we go why so many. cars have rats in them they chew all. your wires and stuff yeah. they sure do. for um so but you know you know what's. funny you know why like. they don't they are not hungry that they. want to eat the wires it's they always.
go to the engine compartment because. it's hot. oh so it's kind of cozy and so and then. they're there so i guess they go i might. as well eat that wire yeah. [ __ ] with them mine if i have some lunch. yeah yeah yeah. increasing vermin in cars. had doubled during the pandemic i guess. because cars were sitting. yeah what kind of do they have any. interesting vermin in um brazil. i don't know. we have a lot of rats they do yeah like.
it's. you know i i think oh there they are. because i used to sell hamsters my first. job when i was young i used to sell. hamsters and guinea pigs yeah. i told my kids that. yeah it was pretty big business for a. little bit but. people started doing drugs the guy that. i worked for. and they shut it down. but. um what do you think like so when i was. in that vehicle today so i had the. opportunity to go out there and ride.
right so what kind of car was i in. you're in an indy car it's an. independent cause of the lara that's the. make but it's a it's a special made. chassis for that. uh full carbon fiber which is a comp. composite that race cars are made. it's not. like a nascar car or your street car. it's the carbon fiber we have some. pieces in our street cars but it's a lot. rigid it's a lot safer you know because. you crash your car it goes like you know. you can see the door like getting.
smashed right those cars they have. intrusion panels so if you hit the wall. nothing comes in to your. open wheel which is. you don't have fenders and you have an. engine uh we race for honda but which is. around 700 horsepower oh yeah i used to. drive a um corolla i used to drive an. accord. yeah but they didn't have 700 horsepower. it was sedan no i don't think it did i. think it had i don't know what it had it. was four-whee it had 100 horsepower. yeah i don't know what it had it was.
okay though i didn't want a 700. horsepower in the street anyway yeah it. was i mean i like it but so basically it. was a spa yeah so the indy cars are. especially made just for the track you. cannot drive them on the streets you. know they're so low to the ground yeah. you saw it so when uh. the craziest part that i that i noticed. was so you're going. you're almost going. you're going so fast it feels like i. felt like i was on a ride at like. disneyland that's what i tried to tell.
people like this is what was it like i. said well. get on the craziest roller coaster. you can think of. and do 200 laps on it. wow. and that heat and other. you said it i mean that's the only time. we actually talked when you got out you. said i can't imagine when i did that by. myself if we had more people around yeah. be very alarming yeah but at 33 more. guys around it will get exciting so do. you do over time do you get like a feel. for things like is it become because i.
noticed with stand-up comedy like after. a while being on stage i get a feel for. what's going on right i get a feel for. like. i can tell when this part of the crowd. is. enjoying something i can tell when. they're waiting for the next thing. you know you start to just get like a. just an energy. is that something that grows over time. with racing like is it like what is that. like to well the fuel that you get. obviously you're feeling people we are. feeling a race car. and. with experience i've been doing indy.
cars for 23 years 24 years okay. i used to say you feel it in your butt. so basically you go out. and the way that the car behaves because. you're sitting so close to the floor. to the ground um. you can tell you can't tell when. somebody the way making changes all the. time you fine-tuning things it's so. complicated engineers have an idea you. don't agree or you agree and it's always. like a very. you know the engineers trying to say.
well but the computer is telling me this. i'm not the computer i'm your computer. you need to listen to me so you feel it. in your butt so you can't tell they. change something you go out in three. corners you can say this is going to be. awesome or this is oh this sucks. but sometimes you can do think things. about it and sometimes you can't. but that but then it's very it's. it screws with your mind because. we have so much. resources. that you're always looking.
to improve so you're never happy right. so he said tony so you just dominated. the race you won. kicked everybody's butt. how was the car that was okay what do. you mean it was the best car out there. well but that doesn't mean i liked it. right. and 90 of the times. you actually it's. i'll give you a stupid example you're. telling jokes that people think it's. funny but you think it's stupid. i'm driving cars that i it's cool to.
drive but i hate the way they drive but. they're fast and i have to drive it that. way. because i'm still better than them. so. it's very. so you feel it in your butt basically. [Music]. so you sat there yeah and you turned and. the car would. will behave so that's that's what i say. feel it in your butt so then you and. then you describe that to a person. that is sitting in front of a computer. and then we both say okay so. for this behavior you can do.
this for that behavior you can do that. if i don't want to get technical because. then people would just don't understand. what we're talking about but that's. basically. we have a fix for everything but doesn't. mean it's really fixed but you always. but then there's a fine line as well. because what's. what's your gauge it's your stopwatch. you make a change you go quicker. it's better. you make a change you go slower it's. worse not necessarily. sometimes you make two changes that are.
worse but then then you're trying to put. a piece of the puzzle together to be. better interesting and so you're making. choices. constant but you have to be so confident. that the choices you're making you can't. second out yourself. and that's a big. so that's what i think also race car. drivers become extremely confident. are they are a lot of race car drivers. do they have to be like. are they angry people are they a lot of. them like uh driven i think we're more. of adrenaline people they're angry i.
mean you can't adrenaline like driving. angry sometimes doesn't mean you're. going fast. actually it's prob sometimes it's worse. you make more mistakes because then. you're doing things that you're not. thinking yeah because when you're angry. your level of thinking it's. a lot less so he actually. the calmer guys i mean i have a teammate. scott dixon it's they call him the. iceman because the guy is just flat. and he's the fastest person but because. he thinks you know you're not mad you're. like okay this is how i'm gonna get.
sneaky you know in a good way but. are some cultures. like are some cultures better at racing. than other cultures do you think it's. just built into people i don't know i. mean obviously i'm not american i became. american a few years back my entire. family was born here with my kids but. i think we have. goods and bads like everything i mean we. you know like. me i'll give an example as a brazilian i. had to fight for what i wanted so.
i'm i actually perform well in a. pressure in a bad situation because. probably i'm being in bad situations a. lot more than i'm being good ones okay. so i'm really good at managing that. right i'm not really good managing when. everything is right every when. everything drives on what's going to go. wrong yeah because i'm not used to that. so too good to meet you okay scam this. can't be right totally and of course. what's what what's a shittier situation. than a bunch of people going really. [ __ ] right but i think it makes a. difference when a race car driver when.
you you're. constantly making choices. right or wrong. you have one second to make that choice. and i think guys that brought up in the. hard way we can think a little bit more. outside of. because it you know. you're forced to. when you're just i don't know if i'm. explaining about yeah you are because. you're already used to being in a shitty. like in a rough environment right so. you're like you're under pressure so you. know how you're more confident to make. that decision and it's not going to be a. bad one and if it's a bad one.
who cares i've been in a bad one plenty. of things right i'm right back where. i've always thought i was anyway. um what about like if you get into a. crash what do you do do you. like um. close your eyes you keep or what do you. do so um. it's it's human nature you you. definitely close your eyes you're not. gonna go all right let's let me watch. where am i gonna go oh that's cool. that's a wall. you just i we usually. the first thing you do you take your. hands off the steering wheel because it.
yanks and actually i have a i don't know. if you guys can see it but it's a pretty. big oh yeah i can see that easily dude i. didn't take my hand off the ceiling the. wheel came in and broke my arm. hit my elbow and i broke seven of my. ribs and knocked myself out i was in a. coma for two days but in a race in a. race in detroit yeah and did you. you just were driving and then it. happened you got knocked out it was a it. was a long corner wrong right hand. corner and we're racing on the streets. and we had a manhole. that actually.
the the car prior to mine a few seconds. ahead of me. went and actually. just leveled and brought it up a little. bit and our cars are solo and i was the. next car and then took off. and landed no brakes at the 180 miles an. hour into the wall. wow that's all i remember i mean i don't. somebody told me that and do you. remember coming by like just waking up. later i mean what so i remember that's. so sick. i'm telling you what they told me but. what i remember is i woke up. two days later so basically i had no.
idea what and my arm was hanging because. they just had surgery i had two plates. 14 screws and it was hanging because of. the swelling so. so and i opened my eyes and that's how i. remember i had my arm up there and i'm. like. what the hell where am i yeah like. you're probably in class or something. yeah i was like uh am i in heaven or. something yeah okay excuse me can i go. to the bathroom. so. when you like. are there different things that you have. to do for your body to take care of. yourself for this type of sport and how.
has that changed since when you got. started like are people physically doing. things different 100 really well you. think about it right so. racing hasn't been for the longest time. people didn't think it was we were. athletes because. well you're driving a car right. that can't be that hard right right if. you hadn't dreamed you're just trying to. stay away from it today you go. i get in my car put my sibling on. power steering. so it wasn't very common between drivers.
to work out because you didn't need to. like the cars were easier to drive and. then you know with evolution technology. and they becoming you're talking about. 240 miles an hour the thing is pull. three g's into the corner you saw how. much you're sweating on that suit oh. yeah so. but. it was not a specific training for it. because it was something new like you. know basketball players whether they. play basketball all day. and then yeah they go to the gym to try.
to improve a couple so for us was more. was the developing like okay what do we. need we need core. then we need neck. you need shoulders and you need forearms. so and then you start developing. you know and talking to experts and you. say okay what can i do nowadays i mean. i'm 47. really it's not very common to. to last this long. i mean you talk about any in any top. high level sport talk about tom brady.
he's old i'm old. but we we took care of each other like. of ourselves and and you know you're. lasting that long because you're still. fit. you're still sharp but today i think the. biggest improvement for us like you have. a lot of reflex machines and stuff that. you can train your eyes like first time. somebody told me you know you can train. your eyes i'm like stop man come on it's. like. yeah telling me am i not my dog needed. acupuncture. i'm just hanging out.
and you do so you have like nowadays we. we go to the gym yeah. um. for the heat as well so we go do a. session in the gym where let's say we go. lift weights. for 20 minutes they put you in a. freaking hot room and a sauna no reason. you come out you do another drill come. back in because that's you saw how hot. it was and you come here i mean. nashville street course 90 degrees. outside you have to sit there for two. and a half hours it's gonna be hot. you're gonna dehydrate and we train.
to drink as little as possible because. in a race car you're not oh let me drink. it 200 you don't want it like that and. there's not enough space to have a drink. bottle you have a little tube that you. can have. maybe less than half a gallon on your. drink bottle that you can you need to. suck at it like. it's like like what what. so. i think and the reflex machine it's. awesome it's just a flat screen tv. it's a program that you just it will pop. a light and you have to cause reflection.
but. and and you keep. you're getting better at it and then. that's something that you know you train. your eyes and then. the over corrections and you saw like. you're always fighting the steering it's. not just a drive from your house to the. supermarket so. it's has improved a lot and i think. uh since my generation we have increased. the level of. of fitness and and and sharpness and. then i think. like in every other sport one guy starts. doing and he does well.
everybody's trying to say oh i gotta. imitate i gotta do the same he does and. then he brings the level up and then you. just. do they had do drivers have to be smart. is it a smart man sport or smart smart i. don't think so i think we need to be. dumb to do what we do to be honest. now you strap yourself in the car. very uncomfortable you go faster than. everybody else but you can die every. time you hop in. but you don't think about that. yeah i know. no offense to us but.
yeah. i think actually i've always been pretty. close you know the stupider you are the. better yeah. because people's like you did so i just. told you i broke my arm seven ribs was. in a coma first thing i said when i woke. up the doctor asked me told me because i. don't kind of remember i had a. concussion i said when can i get back in. the car yeah that's stupid yeah yeah. yeah my sister's an idiot and she's the. best person i know she's the best person. i know. i mean. i you can't beat that you know i love to. be here because i can't say things that.
i probably wouldn't say i don't know. like you sit down on a podcast and go. wow you know like. yeah my sponsor is here from american. legion if i get fired after that i might. need to. what is your sponsor what is it american. legion american legion oh really it's. all the veterans oh yeah i went and saw. you know who i saw at the american. legion play not long ago was um hank. williams jr. or hank williams yeah junior is the one. that's still alive yeah. you know we we we raised the 500 of. their cars and it was a really cool. cause we are.
you know we have this campaign be the. one trying to save veterans from you. know depression and when they come back. and try to reintegrate them and you know. being veterans they think they need to. defend us and they never would admit. they they're in depression they actually. we lose seven lives a day. 17 a day so we've been trying to get the. word out so great sponsor and and a. great cause so. yeah it's interesting just a lot of the. mental health stuff these days is just. crazy um i don't know what's going on.
with with humans it's a weird time to be. human um. do you feel like y'all sport is at risk. of like automatization ever does that. ever do people ever start talking about. that or. look is always talks like they talk. about what about race cars are they all. going to be electric they're not going. to make any noise anymore or. we're going to have robots we don't need. drivers. i think. technology is around and we've been. getting but i mean. let's think about it that 20 years ago.
we thought we'd be flying. cars now that's true or we're not we. always think we're going to be doing a. lot more in 2022. cars are not going to have wheels. anymore you're going to be just like oh. space shuttles all right so yeah and all. we're doing is ordering pizzas and doing. dumb rides right but the humans are. still delivering it's not a robot. maybe a drone but you know what i mean. it's like a guy still knocking your door. hey yeah you know what i mean so no they. just had a guy actually what's that they. had a guy who. what did that guy do trevin can you look.
that up oh damn. god. put me. in a position to save kids in a burning. house this dude. right here delivery inside so but see if. you had a drone the drone wouldn't do. that no. yeah the truck just couldn't just drop. it. so yeah i mean okay you're gonna have. race car drive race cars without without. drivers. we this is you you know exactly what i'm. gonna say because you're in an. entertainer business if nobody watches.
you. not gonna have a show anymore yeah. anyway right if it's a comedy or your. podcast racing is the same thing. yeah you're going to show up to see. empty cars i don't know i if that. happens i don't think we'll be will we. actually be uh. like frozen frozen yeah. chronically frozen yeah. that's crazy because you're about to. talk with that guy but do you think like. because also then yeah you're not going. to have fans aren't going to want to. come watch a rock i don't know if fans. want to go watch my question is like.
people talk about you know there is a. lot of debate nowadays about the. electric cars which i think it's awesome. i mean the environment and everything. but then you talk about racing. like i said maybe the next three. generations won't know. what race cars sound in the past but we. still have enough people. would you go to a race and just. it would be quiet you can actually talk. goes. it's like hey. i think it's weird yeah they do have a.
couple series that they run which is. awesome but there is a place for them. too right i'm saying. are we gonna just vanish everything. it's the the the extremes for me it's. what people exaggerate. it's a great series they have a couple. they run it's it's innovative i think we. need that because what people don't. realize racing it's actually a lab. everything that you have on your street. car we've been developing for. decades the electric.
our stuff our engineers are guys that. the manufacturers are only involved in. racing to make their product better it's. not because we love racing yeah i guess. we do. but why are we getting out of it. right and that's what they do we develop. attraction control the pedal shifts that. you have on your steering we did that. traction control the the electric car so. my point is that is place for everybody. i hate when people say what you're not. going to be racing with few anymore in. 10 years i'm like come on man.
yeah we have that series there that will. and people come watch. right they can watch both right yeah i. mean if you like being quiet some people. go because they don't want to listen to. their spouse for damn three hours you. know. and that's the truth man true i can't. say that i think. well no but i think i can say and i. don't have a wife. but i think a lot of people you know you. see it you're just like just a second. honey and then yeah you know and she'll. say just a second honey you know and.
that's men or women you know um. but i i interrupted you earlier when you. were telling me how did you get from so. how did you get from the go-karts to the. next level so i. i was struggling to make ends meet and. working so i was on a go-kart track so. to make a little bit more money i i. i was teaching kids how to drive a. go-kart so i had a clinic and. so that i would make some extra money at. the go-kart places. what was it called to go carpet. interlagos it's in sao paulo it's one of. the most famous race tracks i actually.
just raced there. sunday. that's last week in a go-kart no no in a. stock car. i'm doing stockholm brazil as well this. year apart from the car so be traveling. quite a bit. and. granted man back in they uh we didn't. have cell phones. so. i was down at the go-kart track and the. guy that used to prepare my go-karts my. mechanic comes down the race shops are. always near a racetrack that's very. common indianapolis all the shops are. there he walked out and said hey uh.
somebody's on the phone. with for you up i'm like dude i'm. working no no so it was a guy called. nelson pk which is one of the biggest. most famous race car drivers. in brazil i'm like so i'm very well. known for pranking people so i'm like. that's one of my friends they're. screwing with me so whatever so i go up. and he says hey it's now so i'm like. come on man who is it he says no he says. listen. it's me and this is what this is the. deal um he was very well known people.
were very well known for like having. good race car drivers in brazil i have a. friend in italy that owns a team and he. says he wants a brazilian race car. driver if i knew somebody that was good. it was you so you have to go to it it. was friday you have to go to italy. tonight i'm like. dude. okay great. i can't have like i used to take two uh. public buses to go to work and come back. i'm like i barely have the money to take. a public transportation and had you been. practicing driving actual was this for.
this is for. uh this is for cars cars yeah but i was. actually racing cars in brazil for a. small series and doing go-karts so i was. already driving cars. so. i said all right so i called a couple. friends that you know had a little bit. more money guys i got this opportunity. can you help me out i need to buy a. ticket i don't know i'll pay you back. whatever it's like no no no no so a dad. of so my dad. uh sponsor me and a lot and not another. kid when he was alive this kid had no.
man a lot less money than us funny story. because then he passed the situation. flipped and then so his dad says no your. your father. helped us a lot. so i'll buy you the ticket oh wow so you. get over there so but i go there the. task was saturday and sunday i was going. to go home sunday night i had a ticket. it was a weekend so i go home i said hey. mom. at that point i was 16 but 17. i didn't have had to ask permission for. anything i was working so mom i'm going. to europe she's like hell how.
where did you stole the money to go. there i explained i left. so i landed saturday morning went to the. track they had 10 guys that they're. gonna choose. two drivers they're doing kind of like a. gong show putting ten guys together you. would go out to two cars and they will. time it and they will pick the two. fastest guys so i get there i didn't. speak in italian so i was i didn't know. the track i never had driven the car. so i go out. i do five laps like you did and i come. in and they they check the car they go. okay now you can go and do 10 laps.
and we'll check it out. i went out i did four more laps and they. actually called me in and and they said. get up i'm like. what did i do man i'm i screw up here. and the guy took me to the truck i mean. we're trying to talk i mean i didn't. speak italian he says you're good you're. good sign good so basically. i i think on my four laps i went half a. second quicker than everybody and he. says no you're good and he was looking. for a brazilian yeah he must have been.
good man so. he's like you hired i said okay so when. can i go so i'm gonna go home tomorrow. that was sunday and then when do i go. back he goes oh you you can't go home. all right. okay you're italian now then he goes. we're gonna hire you but i can't pay you. all i'm gonna do. is i'm gonna give you a car to raise for. free that's why i don't have any money. she's like wow. so i well then i can't stay here i don't. have i can't rent a house or yeah can't. just drive around all night so he goes.
well no okay we'll take care of it so. like you you figure out how you're gonna. find a way. to have whatever a little bit of money. but you're gonna you can we have the. race shop you can leave in the race shop. this is my office we're gonna put a. mattress there every morning when i come. here eight that mattress needs to be out. and clean because i'm gonna this is my. office. this is a tv. and i was under age so the shop was in a. remote area of the city in milan. it says at six o'clock we're gonna lock. you in you have a phone if you're in. trouble you call at seven a.m we open up.
and you can and you work on the cars. during the day i said all right jeepers. so i did that for three years. wow and we won a championship and then. at the end of 95 that's actually a funny. story that i like to tell my kids that. and people that. like. we talk about racing a lot that i start. racing now because of the money and same. to you you said i start you start your. career because you enjoy what you do. yeah. at the end of 95 i was making a thousand.
dollars a month. leaving for free it's a lot of money you. have no bills man i have no phone no car. 25 is good right so. i get uh. a call from a manufacturer in italy. saying hey uh can you come talk to us i. said sure i was racing an open wheel car. called formula three. and they invite me to says look this is. a contract for half a million dollars. damn. and we're gonna give you a house. in a car.
to drive apart from so it was audi at. the time and you're going to race the. touring cars which is the normal like. kind of mask or like just your streetcar. but convert it to like what do you mean. like a dodge neon or something right. something like that like yes just yeah. so i said okay he said he says here's. the contract take to somebody to look at. it if it's okay it's a two-year deal so. it was a million dollars damn bro you. must have been geeked up huh dude i'm. like i actually said where do i sign i. was i was like there's.
hey no lawyers looking to tell me like. ah where's the pen i'd have been licking. my [ __ ] legs tell me if somebody gave. me that but at the time i had one. sponsor. and there was philip morris at the time. when the cigarettes were yeah big and. racist good but the the ceo. was. one of like kind of like my mentor like. the guy he i mean he didn't have to. sponsor me i was nobody but he he knew. my story so i called him up and i said. hey i need an advice.
this is what what's going on and i. explained to her he says well i was. about to call you because. we. as phil morris we're gonna take. five drivers to this to united states. to do a test on indie light so in the. lights it's actually the series before. indycar like you got the ladder series. okay i was really young and says and. we're gonna do a test. and out of those five we're gonna pick. two guys and we're gonna fund it for two. years and if and the deal is you learn.
the first year because you're raising. ovals and stuff that we didn't do. and the second year if you win we'll. take you to indycar well in the car my. dad i promise him i'm like. well but what about if i'm not. if if you don't pick me he goes well. the team doesn't pick you that means. you're not good enough so and you have. to smoke too or no no he didn't know it. didn't matter not at all which is it was. thank god it was. it was kind of controversial at the time. because. i was an athlete so i used to go a lot.
of media training because yeah one time. i i sat down to do an interview and the. the reporter says hey. so. your car you have marlborough. sponsorship you know the cowboy stuff he. said yeah yeah they helped me and he. goes well how do you feel about. inducing people to smoke i was like. what do you mean i'm just here doing my. job yeah. i'm not telling you like i would never i. never did a commercial but anyway so. it was kind of iffy at the time um with.
so anyway back to. he said well but that would be your. choice it's it's your own risk. but man i had. like. it's like money time it's a million. dollars two years. like at that time. still i'm like i'm set for life man i'm. good i do two years i can't retire yeah. so at home and and and i'm like what do. i do what do i do and i had to make a. decision and and. you know at the time i'm like well i'm. young. yeah money is good but uh.
the promise i made my dad. i'm gonna go. so i actually bail. on the deal. and i came so the next day that he. bought me a ticket. and i came to america the december 95. spoke zero english i actually asked a. friend of mine to write it down in a. piece of paper a couple of keywords like. hello. i'm hungry where's the bathroom yeah i. landed here i went to phoenix. arizona and i did the test.
i was the fastest in the test i got. picked me and castroneves which he's. racing this weekend he won four indy 500. helios. yes yeah it's cool him and i we got. picked we were teammates. i finished second in the first year i. won the championship in 97 in indy. lights then i moved to in the car and. start to pursue my dream. but. but the story i like to tell the story. because. i could have actually had gone for the. easy. easy money right easy but i don't think. i would have fulfilled my dream and i.
promise i made my dad but then on that. probably need to thank him because it's. tough to make a decision like that. when you're broke yeah right. yeah dude i wouldn't have made it i. would have taken i would probably take. it yeah but i think i would oh yeah but. i would have two but then the only thing. that stuck out was. my dad wasn't around and that was what i. told him i was gonna do so. yeah. you think you your dad's proud of you. you think i hope so man i mean i i.
you know i took care everything he asked. i've done it. my mother is sad i mean i first thing i. did when i made enough money i told my. mother from today on. you're never going to work for the rest. of your life you tell me what you want. to do. and want to do one thing different every. day he will. and she is very obviously. like. lives a very simple life. she lives in a one-bedroom apartment. because she's actually kind of like me. when i i'm afraid to get old and become.
like her it's like one bedroom so nobody. comes to sleep in my house yeah. interesting they want to come visit me. they can sleep in a hotel come to my. house yeah and then they can leave. you're like a cat man you're interested. you know so. but she does she lives in rio de janeiro. which she goes to the beach every day. now she's 74. took care of my sister as. much as i could but my sister is a lot. smarter than me and extremely successful. and. i. i want 8 500 for him everything else.
obviously i have a beautiful family i. have four beautiful kids and i try to. show them as much love and my wife and. and um i hope so i mean i i i do hope so. i'm not perfect i mean in any many ways. but hopefully uh yeah you'll be proud of. me and according to you you'll never. will be you know i mean we we we we're. not we're never. yeah. my wife tells me that every day you're. not i said well just get used to it. i lived my entire life not being happy i. ain't changing now and i'm getting older.
it's really getting worse yeah right we. [ __ ] more we complain more you know oh. it's too hot oh man it's too cold it's. like when are you happy i'm not. it's two something it's always two-sided. right right um. who's like who is it a driver that's. just a who's like the just like. who's who's the toughest driver you. think you've met out there. it's it's hard there are so many.
generations right i'm a huge fan like i. can ask you the same question and what. you do you can go. 30 years ago to current so. i would say i would pick something in. the middle. okay. uh i think. the guys that raced prior to us back in. the 60s like we like because they burn. and death all the time. three of them will die a year wow you. lose three drivers a year four. nowadays we don't lose anybody you crash. at 200 miles an hour you get out of the. car hop in the backup car and you're.
racing five minutes later right so i. think aj foyt probably for me. like he worked in his cars you see a guy. he'll get out of the car and punch. people because he was mad get a hammer. to fix something you don't see that. anymore so those are the tough you bring. him up let's bring aj foyt up i want to. see him you know he fought a lion for. real. yeah no no. no you guys put just put aj fort. lyon. he went to do a photo shoot look the. lion attacked him.
he was doing a promo shoot. oh. you tell me if this is not a badass look. at him yeah let's see that article can. we get to that article this is. unbelievable look at that picture zoom. in on that picture he's going for his. jaw. look it looks like he's trying to hug. him a little too and then one. damn that [ __ ] looks good zoom in before. you saw that fought alignment survived. yeah. that's crazy looks like he's laughing. even like yeah but he's he i raced for.
him before i drove for chip ganassi. really he told me the story says you. know he's he's from texas yeah i can't. you know i fought a line here you go you. can't do that i cannot impersonate him. but he says you know i was doing a photo. shoot and they brought this. he speaks like he's freaking lying yeah. i'm looking at the lion. delight looking at me. i didn't think he liked me but i didn't. like him either and then all of a sudden. he was with stuart haas yeah he came at. me and then and i said but what was his. trainer he says well he was trying to.
get but like that's it. and a lion's trainer let's be honest. dude is just a trainer. the trainer knows the life he ain't. going for him. is mad come on. the trainer is a friend right the dude. who watches the lion you know when he is. mad yeah and if he's mad. you're going to hit him. yeah come attack me instead of him. go ahead my friend knock yourself out. sorry that's exactly who the trainer is.
see if you can see an article on that. that's crazy man that's unbelievable. being attacked by. it was such a long time ago that i don't. even know. that's beautiful though man you don't. get to fight a lion very often. unless you're doing like a wizard of oz. and you're like a boxing thing he's he's. a man i'm telling you he's one of my. heroes because this guy so he was in a. bulldozer he's 70. 70 74. okay. and he got attacked by he was in his.
bulldozer attacked by bees more than 300. bees. damn he was by himself. and survived like he's he beat him all. right oh dude you should see his eye. bank i was really see the bees huh i was. like the poor and then i said. so aj how was this. they thought they were gonna [ __ ]. kill me and i kill all of them because. when they bite you they die. yeah man. so i mean he can't he can't win yeah he. just like keep biting me but like a. hardcore dude but then very hard like.
you drive for him he will be the one to. say. what are you doing you go what do you. mean. you suck out there. okay. i'm gonna take you out of the car i'm. gonna put somebody else in he's that. type of person which i appreciate wow. that's powerful man that dude's a. freaking gangster. he's here this weekend is he really yeah. damn. i would like to meet yeah he won. everything like he's the type of person. that. like he drove.
car race cars are not the same like not. that you drive a nascar car you're gonna. be good in an indy car and vice versa. and he drove all types of cars and he. won and everything he drove wow like. mario that. old man that drove you around today yeah. dude he looks like he still pulls some. beautiful women too was he married yeah. he's he's a widow but yeah i guess he's. single now so yeah oh he's a widow yeah. damn. or male widow huh right i don't know. what that's called. um. what else i was gonna ask you about oh.
uh. the uh so what keeps you in it now. because you're. um i mean you're in your 40s now what. keeps you in. racing you've won the indy 500 you've. kind of achieved like is it. you got close last time i mean is it. like it was the it's it's. it's addicting to be honest. like you know like i think you relate to. that because you're very successful in. what you do so but you could say. why keep doing it right it's that.
adrenaline then you're gonna go. like the same way i believe i've never. actually obviously we do speeches and. stuff in front of people i don't get the. crowd reaction we don't hear them so to. me it doesn't affect me at all they can. be booing me i could care less i can't. hear you but. you know that moment before you get on. stage that you get. that butterfly in your stomach that. that's what keeps that's what it is it's. not yeah it's the speed it's but that. those kind of things i'm used to it. already right so you used to make people.
laugh you used to talk to people you get. you know how to ask the right question. but it's like. it's the feeling of. when you when i get in a car. it's my moment like it's it's me in the. car it's me and the beast and like we're. gonna go beat everybody. doesn't necessarily happen all the time. but. yeah i think the adrenaline and you know. i've been doing this all my life i think. the toughest part is. to realize i i said that the other day.
my biggest fear because i think i'm too. competitive and not because i think that. my results are still telling right i am. because that's that's our life too. it doesn't matter how old you are but. you have. a couple bad years. that's it that's it because you have to. perform it's a performance-based. sport but if tom brady had had the past. two seasons weren't good he wouldn't be. playing yeah and he wouldn't be coming. back but that's the toughest decision. it's to let it go. when you still think you have it. right and until the day that.
something overcomes that because. it's a very selfish. and you know that too because i mean. anybody can relate to that when you. dedicate your life to what you do. everything else comes second yeah my. wife. my kids. like my wife asked me the other day. which she knows very well because she. she worked in racing so she knows but. did you ever think about that something. could happen to you what about us i said. i do but i don't. because i still want to do this and i.
hope. you guys understand that and i'm but. then she says no i'm not asking for us i. said what about you are you fine with. that. i said. i am and i think the day that i'm not. that will be the day that i think i need. to say all right. now i'm done. but i'm not ready for that yet i mean. we just finished starting the biggest. race in the world we had a chance to win. i want to do it again and then there's a. bunch of annoying people saying when are. you going to retire. why should i.
yeah it was i that last yeah was i that. bad. i thought it was bad but i thought but i. have that opinion all the time about me. yeah right so it's a tough call man it's. a tough call and you know you think. about. out of my four kids i i wasn't there for. two of them on the day of their birth. wow and you miss. many things oh you miss many things. my girl went back today it's her first. day at school i'm here with you yeah am. i sad. i hate to say it but i'm not i mean.
that's our life and that's the way. i chose to live mind i mean i give them. the love that i can and as much as i can. and as much as i want but. it's a very selfish it is. and it's not even selfish to you it's. selfish to you but it's the requirement. of the job is a lot right because it's. not people think. that whatever we're doing here you just. had here right now we talked and we're. done what about the studio what about. the preparation the thought that you had. to put in who am i you're going to talk.
to me and the same thing with me i go. home i got to wake up and and work out. it's not just yeah the race car the. easiest part is to drive the race car. yeah what about go to the race shop talk. to the engineers dedicate yourself look. at it it's a full-time job it's not just. yeah you guys have the best life. right i mean this is my 14th weekend in. a row. that i spend in a racetrack wow so the. entire summer. we didn't go on vacation which i. understand a lot of people don't either.
but i'm saying like. it takes your entire time. and in the meantime you have kids to. race. you have soccer games to take them or. basketball whatever but then you just. try to make it. the best but like i said to answer your. question what makes it's. the selfish softness selfishness. softness sorry brazilians but and. selfness yeah yeah and and and uh. yeah it's interesting it's a selfish.
it's a very selfish life. everything needs to go. it needs to actually rotate around you. or me. right. oh we need to go. i want to take the kids to disney. when uh next week and well i can't i'm. racing but you can go or. can we go can we make a plans to go in. november well i don't know the team. might ask me to go test because we have. a new car we have you you don't have us. you can't have a schedule because you're. on call you're like a doctor.
you never know you might get lucky or. you said cool. let's tell the team we're gonna go this. week i'm going away with my kids. tk theo call you can be on his show i. mean i would be trying to go to see him. i'm a fan. honey i gotta leave yeah. how about well you guys can stay. and then you leave i know. yeah my whole life's been like that i. think doing things that and it's hard to. find people that understand that because. then it becomes so you don't wanna you.
don't wanna actually share your life. with me no i do but. but right but yeah it's my life. i know. yeah i'm hard to reach sometimes man i. think in a lot of like a lot of like. communication ways and stuff like when. it comes to relationships and stuff it's. really you know theo but i think at the. end of the day like i'm on my second. marriage uh. my my first wife which is the mother of. my oldest kid a great person but. she. she was a normal girl like normal girl i.
mean she got brought and raised lived. with her parents until she got married. um. never actually watched racy and stuff. and she couldn't she couldn't do it. and i couldn't do it because then. i couldn't do it more of. her requiring. and asking me all that it was a lot of. pressure yeah and then i get my wife. that i've been with lauren for 15 years. she was a reporter she had a tv show. all about racing cars she gets it more.
well she knows yeah and then it becomes. like. we'll do whatever he needs to do and. then in our relationship again it could. be flipped the other way if she. she had a much bigger dream probably i. would give up mine at some point and. leave hers to but in a relationship. somebody's gonna have to give up and i'm. not trying to say oh i'm the man no but. she met me i was already who i am right. you know and i think the same with you. like either. right. they get used to it or then that's not.
for you. yeah yeah. yeah best to give you like relationship. advices but no i don't think i would. but i feel like yeah it's the same kind. of stuff it's like man it's hard to find. somebody to fit into it you know and and. that understands right because. you never. have a schedule and that's for some. people it's a problem because you can. say all right you know tonight we're. doing this this this that you have all. these plans and you get a phone call hey. you got to go to l.a right now because.
yeah something changed yeah yeah you got. to sorry. i'm going yeah sometimes you can. that's at some point in your life you. will be able to say no. but even then. i think you're going to think about it. because oh but it's still. still a good opportunity there you know. it's a movie where you're like. man come on i mean if my boss calls me. and says you need to be in pittsburgh. tomorrow. i'm going to tell i know well yeah. you know. my girl has a because you're going to.
put on a steelers jersey and freaking. hit there okay yeah right yeah what time. yeah. what time do you need me there yeah what. time yeah i got six great watches what. are you doing what are you doing when he. calls his favorite word right he's like. hey what are you doing. whatever you need me to do boss. what do you want me to do no no i'm. asking what are you doing is i'm waiting. for you to tell me what to do. have they tried have they tried any like. advance like. alternate types of racing or things to. get the sport different or more ex not.
more exciting but to add variation to it. or have there been like we do it all the. time really i mean. it's it's no different that you know the. fans are the hardcore fans will be. critics they're the worst critics and. you're never gonna please everybody but. the best way we try to make in the car. is that everybody that actually is gonna. the they feel the car. they will have a chance to win the race. some serious that is only two teams that.
dominate and then that gets really. boring it's get it's awesome for the two. teams that are dominating but. so. we try to keep the competition level. side which is hard to control but with. the equipment and the cars and the. engines you give them rules to keep the. cars closed so then you take the best. out of the driver the engineers and. obviously there's always going to be the. teams that are well-funded. they have the funding to. hire. better people right it's like baseball.
right that's that's like like anywhere. in the world but. the way they're making so we're making. adjustments all the time and and you. talk about not just on the equipment but. how the way we race. uh i mean look at the challenge here in. nashville we have a street course it's. it's it's a street you just built around. it. yeah i don't know if it's going to be. good yeah. what do you so we did the first year. some places are bad then you come back. and you make it better uh we shouldn't. start the race at this point because a. lot of people crash you should start it.
over there so it's constant i mean it's. it's a it's a tough job you know but. that's what we do to equalize and then. it's easier to sell sponsorship because. when. you go sell your sponsorship. the the the the trickiest question. because. it's like let's say. i want to buy your drink i said how much. is that you know he said five bucks is. it here five bucks and i'll get it i. drink that's good my sponsor will ask. you how much is a season to win.
well that's not a question. because if you can give me the biggest. budget but that's still not guaranteed. i'm going to win so it's never it's a. risk. the season cost x million dollars. well cost five million dollars what. about if i give you ten are we gonna lap. the entire field no. oh about fifteen no and we're probably. lose to a team that had. two million dollar budget. so it's it's. never it's never guaranteed so you're.
kind of like trying to so. the way the series is you can actually. say all right well we don't we don't. have that budget but we're still very. competitive and you have a chance to. show off and be on tv and have a good. result to give the return to your. sponsor so we're making changes pretty. much. like every year there are different. rules and and you're trying to improve. every race. is it different being in um in your in. uh in indycar and in nascar are they two. different worlds kind of completely. different i mean i've never raced nascar.
but our team owner has a team i have a. lot of friends. uh tony i mean i know tony well and. clint. uh it's two different completely. different mentalities uh the way they. run things the cars are not similar they. run more of a raw. old school they're getting like more and. more advanced but we're technology-wise. we're i don't know in the future 15. years ahead of them. but that's not because they're not. capable that's the way they choose the. way they want it that's the product and.
it works yeah because then we don't even. compete like there is no competition. right. they go at 160 miles an hour 180 tops we. do 240 yeah. they corner at 120. we corner at 230. damn. you know so. but yeah there is huge difference and. and and the fan base as well because. then you go from the guy that likes. electric cars or. open wheel or. nascar. interesting. man i think i've learned a lot you know. i've learned a lot about you and i've.
learned a lot about the sport overall um. i think there's probably more stuff. about the sport that i could learn but i. think i just have to get out there and. experience it more i i think you got. probably the best shot as far as you. know experiencing something that. you know it's like you you've been on a. car now so you probably. you relate a lot more than if i just had. sat here and tell you know you go to a. roller coaster now now you know exactly. what we're talking about you talk about. you have you have a wheel that has it.
cost 50 grand. just the wheel. and you have 15 buttons that you have to. change them. four or five times the lap. why are you going. 230 miles an hour why are you having. cars all around why you have to look for. because you know that's another thing. people don't realize when you're going. that fast you're not looking what's. happening here you're looking what's. happening like. way ahead of you so. yeah i think you have i mean hopefully. hopefully you enjoyed it and you have a. different.
appreciation for. what what we feel well i certainly have. a a a appreciation for you now and i. have i think i have a better. appreciation just being in the car. and um. just kind of seeing what that's like you. know it's just amazing we come up on a. tournament like i don't know if we're. gonna be okay for this yeah what was it. and then we would just. you know we have the same thought right. yeah. but we have a little bit more notion. that it's gonna be okay but sometimes. like oh that's not gonna be okay.
when can you even pass someone i didn't. see any opportunities yeah i mean. you it's a setup man it's it's a cat and. mouse game. sometimes like in this type of track. there's probably one place to pass but. but sometimes that your car is not as. good at that place. so what you do you force the guy. to make a mistake you put enough. pressure on him until he pops and that's. when it comes in back to whatever we've. been talking for an hour now the. pressure the guy that can take it and.
but it's just really it is. like that and then you're relying on the. team too because we do pit stops right. we change four tires and we put 20. 20 gallons of fuel. in eight seconds. but then when you put those eight. seconds when you come into the pits. that the entire field of 26 cars that we. have. probably going to be in one and a half. seconds from first to last wow. if you come in and the guy has an eight. second pit stop and you have a 10.
because somebody made a mistake you lost. yeah you go from first to last and then. a place that you can't pass. you're done. so there's so many other things that are. out of your control as well. that they have to go right. that is it's actually it's brutal. you know what i mean because to win it's. brutal well because like in any other. sport some of the other sports if you. don't win it because you suck because. you suck you can't shoot the ball right. it's on you yeah. right.
well i can't make the basket i can't hit. the baseball but that's on you you need. to go there and pre us. you can be the best guy out there if you. don't have a team behind you you're done. there's a lot of factors right and on. top of that you have the best team but. the manufacturer that make the little. lug nut. one of those are defective and they. break and then you're like. so it's very uh. it's unfair. it's like life man yep 100. and we're never happy. we're never happy man life's unfair and.
so is that sport um tony thanks so much. for your time man thanks man i. appreciate it yeah thanks thanks for. having me i'm uh. i'm a fan and uh you know it's it's a. pleasure to be here that's the same way. that i feel man and i look forward i'm. gonna come out to the indy car and uh in. next may. so. hopefully hopefully it will be my uh. we're working on it putting it in the. people behind the scenes but yeah it's. uh. it's gonna be my 25th year and i if you. really serious and you have the time.
you'll be my guest and now i promise you. you're gonna experience something that. you never did with. 400 000 people in that place i'll give. you a radio you can listen to the. conversations during the race. yeah be sick i'll definitely make it and. i have to say it might be my next one my. last one so you'll probably be there for. the good farewell the shower and then we. can go potty sunday night yeah the way i. say we can go drink to celebrate or to. forget go get you a third wife. huh no no no no stop it i'm joking no no.
i'm joking miss get you a wife yeah oh. there we go she has some friends she. does yes i want a brazilian wife too. well she is not brazilian she's american. but i have a lot of brazilian friends so. yeah are you sure you want that yeah i. think so my friends married a brazilian. lady and she seemed like a great lady. all right well i'll uh oh i'll send you. some uh. yes some friends send me some tea maya. some tv. so i can play it for him uh tony thank. you so much for being here. [Music].
oh but when i reach that ground i'll. share this peace of mind. [Music].
