MFW podcast episode 78

On this week’s More Front Wing podcast, it’s an endless string of welcomes (and, as Paul despondently points out, of interesting accents)!

One of the site’s newest contributors, John Lingle, joins Paul and Steph to preview this weekend’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. We look at adding AJ Allmendinger to the Penske stable and whether anyone can bring an end to Team Penske’s domination at Alabama’s Gorgeous Facility.

We’re also joined by two young rising stars from within the IndyCar ranks, one who’s finding success at the top and the other who hopes to follow a similar path.

Tristan Vautier had a blockbuster debut weekend in the IZOD IndyCar Series piloting the #55 Florida Lottery machine for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. He shared with us some fascinating insight into how attractive the Mazda Road to Indy feeder system is for young drivers in Europe and how effectively it’s worked to get him to where he is today. He also talked about what set him and his team apart to be one of the few Honda cars able to keep pace with the Chevrolet entries throughout the weekend at St. Petersburg.

And from the Firestone Indy Lights ranks, Peter Dempsey of Belardi Auto Racing joins us to discuss his early career in Europe and his own decision to make the move to America to enter the Mazda Road to Indy system. Through a series of misfortunes his journey hasn’t been quite so cut and dried, but now that he has a stable team underneath him in FIL for the first time in years, he feels he has a proper shot at a run for the title and the scholarship that could guide him into the top level of American motorsport.

To listen to the podcast in its entirety, use the player below or search for More Front Wing on iTunes.

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