'100 Days to Indy' Premier Knee Jerk Reactions
Solid first episode with plenty of storylines to build off of
Crowded at the Top; a fitting title for the first episode. The three drivers that were the focus of the tonight’s premier are certainly on the short list of championship and Indy 500 contenders this year.
Josef Newgarden
Who doesn’t love a good shirtless workout montage? Josef Newgarden clearly hasn’t gotten that dad bod yet and won’t have it anytime soon.
It’s fitting to kick this show off with him. He has to be feeling that pressure to win the 500 more than anyone else. Damn near everyone who had a mic in front of them this episode mentioned how Newgarden still needs that Indy 500 win. Even his boss, Roger Penske, doesn’t seem to care about Newgarden winning the most races in 2022. He only wants to win the 500.
Scott McGlaughlin
This show is only going to vault Scott McGlaughlin’s likability. The young Aussie has come onto the IndyCar scene strong and expectations are high for his third season. Winning the 500 in the Penske Yellow Submarine would make him “immortal” as David Letterman said.
The quick shots of the Penske teammates filming Bus Bros together was some great behind the scenes. Jenna Fryer’s got a point though. If McGlaughlin continues to challenge Newgarden on the track, could that affect their chemistry off it?
Marcus Ericsson
Marcus Ericsson’s involvement in this episode was just about as quiet as his wins in St. Pete and the 2022 Indy 500. There’s a clear reason he’s call the Sneaky Swede.
Ericsson and his girlfriend getting room service in their nice hotel was a strong pivot from McGlaughlin grilling out with his in laws outside his RV in St. Pete.
After the 500 win last year and currently sitting at the top of the championship standings, Ericsson doesn’t have to worry about everyone taking him seriously as a championship contender. He just came off a bit… vanilla. Give the guy a follow on Twitter, he’s got more of a personality than came through on screen.
We go a solid premier episode that hit on the key points. Three of the biggest names IndyCar has to offer today and three guys that can walk away from any race weekend with the win. The Penske vs. Ganassi narrative is the obvious jumping off point. Seems like next week we’ll get the narrative around McLaren and Andretti’s push to dethrone the two teams currently dominating the series.