Regardless of not having taken half within the “Biggest Spectacle in Racing,” not many drivers can declare to have made their mark on the Indianapolis 500 — however Nolan Siegel did.
In 2024, driving for #18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda, the then 19-year-old tried to qualify for the Indy 500 however fell quick in spectacular style. The best way he failed resonated all through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, actually and metaphorically.
Sitting in thirty fourth place within the last minutes of qualifying final yr, Siegel was pushing exhausting by Flip 1 on the second lap of his last try, clipping the wall at nook exit. The automotive went spinning, and slammed the obstacles at Flip 2.
“I used to be going to go dwelling as a result of I went flat and did every part I might. I wasn’t going to go dwelling as a result of I lifted,” he stated on the time. This assertion didn’t go unnoticed within the IndyCar paddock.
The 20-year-old from Palo Alto, California, displays on a brand new yr, now with the Arrow McLaren crew, his perception that he’ll solely enhance, what he has realized from working with Tony Kanaan, JR Hildebrand, the ever-impressive Kyle Larson — and his dedication to make a really totally different mark on the Indy 500 this time round.
Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
Picture by: Penske Leisure
What do you make of the season up to now driving for Arrow McLaren?
“I believe we have had a robust begin to the season in loads of methods. We have had some dangerous luck, however I believe the final couple weekends, Barber particularly, I really feel like we had been capable of present the tempo that we have sort of had all yr. So it was good to really get a consequence out of that.
“It nonetheless wasn’t every part that we had been in search of, however I believe the tempo has been there and it is only a new group of individuals on the #6 automotive. Just about everyone seems to be totally different they usually’re folks that are not new to IndyCar, however it’s a brand new group that’s studying tips on how to work collectively. I believe that each weekend, we have gotten higher as a gaggle, and I believe we’ll proceed to do this as we work collectively for longer.”
After all, you probably did ten races with the crew final season, however there have been some modifications for 2025, as you talked about, comparable to Kate Gundlach turning into your race engineer. Do you’re feeling 100% settled with the group?
“I believe we’ll proceed to get higher with time, however Kate has carried out a extremely, actually good job. Once more, she’s not new to IndyCar by any means. She labored with Pato [O’Ward] for a very long time. She’s labored within the IndyCar paddock for a very long time, however she’s new to the race engineer function. And he or she has carried out an amazing job stepping as much as that function. She’s been an amazing chief for the crew. And I believe that that is sort of the largest distinction for her is the truth that … I believe her and I are sort of the leaders of our group and she or he’s carried out a extremely good job with that. So, I am very, very pleased with the chance that I’ve to work with Kate. And, and I believe that given how good a job she’s carried out in her first 4 races as a race engineer, I believe by the tip of the season, she’s going to be phenomenal.”
Regardless of the modifications for this season, in 2024, you raced for 3 totally different groups at a really younger age. How a lot do you worth this stability now with an enormous crew like Arrow McLaren?
“Yeah, it makes an enormous distinction. Final yr was extraordinarily difficult, driving for a bunch of various groups. And once more, like we discuss how it should take time for our group to get higher working collectively after which for the outcomes to observe. And final yr, I used to be by no means in a single place for lengthy sufficient to actually get to that time. So having the chance to work with the identical folks week in and week out, and simply realizing the place I’m each weekend — it is good for me, it permits us all to construct collectively and, yeah, it makes an enormous distinction.”
Do you anticipate issues to vary after we attain the second a part of the season while you’ll be racing in locations you’ve got already visited as an IndyCar driver earlier than?
“Yeah, I believe so. I believe it is gonna be simpler to sort of be on tempo instantly, the place after I go to new locations like (the) Indy GP, Barber, St. Pete — locations that I hadn’t been within the IndyCar, it nonetheless takes the primary few runs of apply one to sort of get used to the IndyCar on that observe. I believe after we take that away, it should be a step ahead and we’re simply going to begin the weekend in a greater spot and begin the weekend additional forward of the place we now have been. So, I am excited to get again to locations I’ve raced. And I believe once more, just like the group’s going to maintain getting higher. I’ll preserve getting higher, I’ll be extra comfy at locations I I have been earlier than and I believe we’re simply going to maintain going up from right here.”
Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Heading into the Indy 500, it has been simply at some point of apply, plus the Open Check. How do you’re feeling about operating within the oval at IMS up to now?
“I really feel good up to now. It is, exhausting to understand how quick you actually are, on the open take a look at, clearly, after which even right here on the primary day, everybody’s doing various things. Our plan for the primary day was to be sure that I used to be comfy, every part was going properly. I believe we now have a superb race automotive. We now have good steadiness out entrance on my own. In order that was sort of what we targeted on. And the automotive is basically, actually comfy to drive proper now. So, I really feel good and I really feel like we’re in a great place to begin discovering some pace and making it much less comfy. As a lot as I hate to do this, it is sort of what it’s important to do. No, I believe we’re in a great place to begin with that.”
To go a little bit bit deeper on that, on this first couple of days, is the main target extra within the race setup, qualifying or do you sort of work for each conditions on the identical time?
“Early on, I believe it is each conditions on the identical time. As totally different as qualifying and the race are on the Speedway, I believe when you’ve got a superb automotive, you’ve got a automotive that has a pleasant steadiness, it should have a superb steadiness, whether or not you are in site visitors (or) by your self in the event you’re doing a qualifying run. Step one is to get the automotive to a contented window. I believe in the event you’re not glad and cozy, there is not any use in engaged on a particular qualifying automotive or race automotive. So, a superb automotive is an efficient automotive. And the aim is simply to get to some extent the place going from race trim to qualifying trim are like actually superb, small modifications, and we’re not in search of any huge chunks anymore. In order that’s, that is been the main target for, for the start of the month.”
Are you able to establish any particular areas the place you’re feeling it is advisable to enhance essentially the most? Is it the automotive’s general steadiness or the usage of the hybrid?
“Yeah, I believe. So the hybrid utilization goes to be very totally different in qualifying and within the race. In qualifying, ideally you are flat out for 4 laps. So you do not actually have any time to regen. So I believe that is going to be attention-grabbing seeing what totally different groups provide you with there. We’re not precisely positive what is going on to be greatest, however from a steadiness standpoint, I believe the hybrid has added fairly a little bit of understeer by the middle of the nook, so we have been making an attempt to work that out with out sacrificing rear stability on entry. And that is sort of the problem for us proper now. So we’ll proceed sort of making an attempt to eliminate that mid-corner understeer, however I’d a lot quite have a automotive that’s too understeery on a regular basis and we’re making an attempt to work that out, than the opposite means round. So once more, we’re in a superb spot and I do really feel like proper now it is simply actually small modifications and superb tuning, and we’re not in search of something big.”
Final yr, issues did not go as you wished, however do you worth having that have now? I imply, what about all these laps you probably did right here? How helpful is that now?
“After final yr, sure, it was extraordinarily tough, however I realized a lot from that. And I believe, now this yr coming in, having had that have, I’m so a lot better off than I’d have been coming right here having by no means pushed earlier than. So I am actually glad that I did that final yr sure, it was horrible within the second, however I believe it made me a a lot better driver and it definitely made me a greater driver on the Speedway. So I really feel like I’ve had a few years value of expertise already, given all the totally different conditions that I used to be sort of put in right here final yr. It was horrible, however I realized an enormous quantity from it. So, positively glad that I’ve that have now.
Final yr you had Tony Kanaan sort of serving to you to get to Indy 500. Now, he’s your crew principal. How is that relationship? Are you able to make the most of his expertise not just for the Indy 500, the place is extra targeted on Kyle Larson, but additionally for different races?
“Yeah, positively. He is working loads with Kyle this month, as properly, however no, it has been superior having Tony on my stand and he has a lot expertise and IndyCar is totally different from different race collection in loads of methods. And I believe there are loads of sort of IndyCar particular issues to work on, for me and having somebody like Tony is big. I do not assume I’d be capable to be taught as shortly as I’ve with out him. I do not assume we might have made as a lot progress as we now have with out him, and it is nice. He is helped me loads, primarily, I really feel like with sort of navigating an even bigger crew, that is been the massive change for me coming to Arrow McLaren because it’s only a huge group of individuals and having the ability to work with all of these folks successfully and such an enormous group of engineers is difficult and one thing new for me. He is carried out it earlier than at different huge groups and he is helped me sort of navigate these challenges.”
Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Whereas Kanaan is working intently with Larson for the five hundred, you are working with JR Hildebrand in Indy. He is a really skilled driver. May you give an instance of one thing particular he instructed you or how he helped you?
“JR has an enormous quantity of expertise and has at all times been actually good on the Speedway. So having that have sort of on my stand is big and it is tremendous useful for me. He is helped me loads with sort of how I can have an effect on the steadiness of the automotive with my driving and with the instruments. And , when perhaps I am not pleased with the steadiness, how I can use what I’ve to assist the automotive, whether or not that is driving it in a different way and taking a unique line to try to reduce understeer or reduce oversteer. No matter it could be, utilizing the instruments and utilizing totally different combos of the instruments. There’s loads that you are able to do as a driver to assist the steadiness of the automotive, particularly in race operating.
“So, as an alternative of me simply going and doing a bunch of laps and having to determine it out on my own, having that, , sort of assistance is, is big for me. JR has additionally been, I believe, a superb addition to the stand in that we now have loads of new folks. It is Kate’s first time engineering a automotive on the 500. I’ve a efficiency engineer as properly that is comparatively new to the function. He was not a efficiency engineer on the 500 final yr. And so he is serving to us all work collectively and serving to us all sort of develop collectively as a result of I believe all of us have loads to be taught. So having somebody that may assist us be taught shortly as a gaggle is, may be very useful.”
In addition to your common teammates Pato O’Ward and Christian Lundgaard, you’ve got Larson, who has been receiving loads of consideration from the media and followers as of late. He does not have a lot expertise within the 500, however many think about him a generational expertise in our sport. Has he impressed you in any means, both on or off the observe?
“I have never gotten to spend a ton of time with Kyle but, however each interplay I’ve had with him has been wonderful. He is a extremely, very nice man. Such as you stated, he’s positively a generational expertise and he has loads of media consideration and is a fairly well-known man as , Pato or any, , it isn’t the primary time that we have had a widely known driver, however he is extraordinarily all the way down to earth, keen to assist and only a enjoyable man to speak to. So, actually, actually take pleasure in spending time with Kyle and I am having fun with working with him.
“I believe what’s impressed me essentially the most is simply his capacity to make the automotive do what he needs it to do. And he is new to IndyCar, however you hearken to him discuss and it is like, did you utilize the instruments? And he is like, ‘no, probably not. I simply sort of labored on my driving and figured it out’. And it doesn’t matter what you give him, he goes quick. Like he does not actually care if it is good, he does not care if he isn’t utilizing the instruments accurately or no matter. Like he simply drives the automotive quick on a regular basis, and I believe that is fairly spectacular, particularly at a spot like this, the place every part is sort of targeted on making the automotive the way you need it. He is sort of simply not fazed by it and goes and drives the automotive quick, it doesn’t matter what he is given.”
As you stated, it was horrible for you that you simply could not qualify for the race final yr, however you earned respect all through the paddock for the way you tried to enter the Indy 500. You left fairly an impression. What sort of mark would you want to depart this time?
“That is an attention-grabbing one. I believe after final yr, I might wish to sort of present that I can come again after final yr and be aggressive and be like, I am not right here to simply qualify and end the race. We’re right here to compete. And I believe if we now have a automotive to win, then the aim is to be competing for a win. So yeah, I might like to point out those that after final yr, it did not have an effect on me all that a lot and I can come again and use the expertise that I gained and, and be aggressive on the Indy 500.”
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Federico Faturos
IndyCar
Nolan Siegel
Arrow McLaren
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