Let's Match IndyCar Drivers With NASCAR Drivers
NASCAR and IndyCar share the track at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, and here's who we suggest you root for
Stock-car and open-wheel fans, rejoice – both NASCAR and IndyCar will race this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. Following the tremendous success of IndyCar and the Craftsman Truck Series sharing the streets of St. Petersburg this past weekend, we are thrilled for another double-billing, this time on the esteemed sort-of oval in the “Valley of the Sun.” As mentioned above it’s happened before, and it’s great every time. We don’t have to draw a chalk line between the NASCAR and IndyCar garages and put a sign up that reads “BEYOND THIS POINT, ‘LOOSE’ IS ‘OVERSTEER’ AND ‘HAULER’ IS TRANSPORTER” or anything. It’s merely a chance to see the best of stock-car and open-wheel drivers compete. That said, if you’re looking for an IndyCar driver to root for, we have done our best to match a NASCAR driver with an IndyCar driver that share the same energy. Mind you, this is not scientific. We’re going off vibes only.
WILLIAM BYRON = JOSEF NEWGARDEN
Let’s start with the driver of the No. 24 for Hendrick Motorsports, William Byron. Clean cut. Always presentable. Really into Willy? Look no further than driver of the No. 2 for Team Penske and living, breathing Ken doll, Josef Newgarden. Josef is a superstar - he’s won two IndyCar championships, 32 races, and the genetic lottery. William won two Daytona 500s in back-to-back years. Well, Josef won two Indianapolis 500s in back-to-back years. You can easily picture these two hanging out together, comparing trophies for Crown Jewel races while whitening their teeth.
CONNOR ZILISCH = SCOTT DIXON
The issue we ran into was that IndyCar has like 40 drivers from New Zealand and we have one. Therefore, we couldn’t match all of them with Shane van Gisbergen and had to put on, as many who write things for the internet are known to do, our “reaching” caps. First, we’ll cast aside the the 26-year age difference and experience gap that’s as far apart as their birthplaces. But we can make a loose argument that Connor Zilisch is like Scott Dixon in training. You see, Scott Dixon, who drives for Chip Ganassi Racing, is frustratingly good at everything he does. His list of overachievements includes six IndyCar championships, 58 IndyCar wins, three Rolex 24 wins, and if that doesn’t make you scream “OK, ENOUGH,” he’s a triathlete also. Basically, he’s got that “I can win in anything” energy that we most certainly see in Connor Zilisch, who had 10 wins in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series last year and a Rolex 24 win win of his own. We can easily see years from now Connor having a list of accolades as CVS-receipt long as Dixon’s.
CARSON HOCEVAR = WILL POWER
We get that the irony is rich with this one, pairing Carson Hocevar with Andretti Global’s Will Power, AKA something Hocevar does not possess in the slightest when shopping on Facebook Marketplace. But if we really stretch, we for some reason, kinda, sorta, see a connection between Carson and Toowoomba, Australia’s favorite son who has won both the Indianapolis 500 and an IndyCar championship. Both have been aggressive with their cars – Will most notably during practice at Detroit last year, and Carson most notably kind of always. But their personalities are delightfully irreverent, fun and engaging. Equal middle-finger prowess also. Carson has used his toward his competitors, and Will toward his competitors and race control that one time. It was incredible. Two birds right towards the authority figures, as if he’d been possessed by Stone Cold Steve Austin.
JOSH BERRY = SANTINO FERRUCCI
There is absolutely nothing in common between these two drivers whatsoever. We are merely pairing them up because Ferrucci, who drives for A.J. Foyt Racing, has a few NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts under his belt, and during one of them, he wrecked Josh Berry. Josh Berry got out of his car and flashed the double bird to Ferrucci. Oh, and where did this happen? Phoenix Raceway in March of 2021. So basically we’ll be celebrating the five-year anniversary of this monumental occasion. TV blurred it out when it happened, but whatever – we know that behind those pixels, Josh sure as hell wasn’t doing the heart-hands thing.
TYLER REDDICK = ALEX PALOU
If you like Tyler Reddick, that means you like drivers that as of this writing, absolutely cannot lose. If that’s the case, if you don’t already know him, meet Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing. You may recognize him as the dominant IndyCar force who wins so much that he gets his mail delivered to Victory Lane. Last season, Palou stomped the field with eight wins en route to his fourth IndyCar championship. At the moment, neither of these fellows can lose. If Palou wins the IndyCar race, he’ll have won both IndyCar races this season. If Tyler Reddick wins the Cup Series race, he’ll have won all four Cup Series races this season. Collective dominance that leads to us handing Washington Generals jerseys to everyone else.
SHANE VAN GISBERGEN = SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN
These two New Zealanders are not only pals, but were fierce competitors in Australian Supercars, where both of them are three-time champions. Obviously, both ventured to the United States where they’ve had success in their respective series. Team Penske’s McLaughlin has seven career IndyCar wins, while SVG has six NASCAR Cup Series wins. While SVG is showing clear progress on ovals, two of McLaughlin’s IndyCar wins have come on circle tracks – Iowa Speedway and the Milwaukee Mile, and we’re not sure if they had to change the name of it to the Milwaukee 1.60934 Kilometers afterwards.
RYAN BLANEY = LOUIS FOSTER
“Why are you pairing an Ohio-born Team Penske in his 12th season in the NASCAR Cup Series with a British IndyCar driver in just his second season with Rahal Letterman Lanigan?” you’re probably wondering? Certainly not because Louis Foster looks like the result of asking AI to draw Ryan Blaney. Not at all. So many similarities between these two that are not at all related to them both bring dead ringers for Brian Fantana in “Anchorman.” We’d list all of them here, but they’re way too detailed and we value your time. But we promise none of them have an iota to do with the only difference between the two being the kinds of soup whose flavors reside in their mustaches – vegetable or chicken noodle for Blaney, and oxtail or Cock-a-leekie for Foster. We want these two to meet, exchange pleasantries, take a picture together then see if they can unlock each others’ phones with Face ID.
Rooting for a IndyCar, Scotty Mc 🏁🏆 at Phoenix. And since my man Alex Bowman is out I gotta go with Ryan Blaney or Christopher Bell.