The reigning 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, Alex Palou has burst on to the American open wheel scene as a major force, beating all of the legends including his own teammate in Scott Dixon. Hailing from Catalonia, Alex’s career has been anything but linear and traditional, growing up with modest means and crossing the European and Japanese ranks to get here. Lunch was served at Juniper on Main in Carmel, IN with the song “Lucha by The Shears taking us out. Thanks again to Continental Tire, Acura and Valvoline for making it all happen.
Copyright dinnerwithracers.com
The first-ever guest we’ve travelled back to re-visit! If you want the origins of Justin Marks, travel back to Episode 46. This episode is about the insane changes of Justin’s career since meeting in 2016, where beyond climbing some of highest mountains in the world, he’s also started a NASCAR Cup team, aligned with a major celebrity musician, and bought out the legendary Chip Ganassi Racing. Dinner was served at The Diner in Nashville, TN with the song “Nashville Sun” by Matt McCloskey taking us out. Thanks again to Continental Tire, Acura and Valvoline for making it all happen.
When it comes to breaking barriers in racing, Deb Williams is one of the true unsung heroes of the sport. Having performed nearly every media function possible in the sport, from acting as a reporter for a wire service, writing for numerous stock car and road racing magazines, television, and even working in the PR department for Penske, Deb has been awarded numerous accolades along the way, and being the first woman to find herself in a number of these positions. Dinner was served at Harrisburg Family House in Harrisburg, NC with the song “50’s Kind of Love” by Paul Moody taking us out. Thanks again to Continental Tire, Acura and Valvoline for making it all happen.
While Corey LaJoie is a driver from a family of racers, including a father who won the Xfinity championship, Corey LaJoie’s story is very much his own. From winning nearly everything in the Junior ranks to effectively being unemployed, the peaks and valleys of Corey’s career has led him to a current position of hunger and thankfulness, which he elaborates in his own podcast, “Stacking Pennies.” Lunch was served at 44 Mills Kitchen & Tap in Concord, NC with the song “I Need to Go Somewhere” by the Neighbors taking us out. Thanks again to Continental Tire, Acura and Valvoline for making it all happen.
It’s hard to grasp that in just a two-decade career, AJ Allmendinger has gone from dominating everything in the American junior open wheel ranks, to a dominant force in ChampCar, to an eventual NASCAR winner who eventually won at the Brickyard and nearly the Xfinity Championship. AJ’s had a crazy ride of a career, with no shortage of peaks and valleys and he shares it all. Dinner was served at On The Nines in Mooresville, NC, which AJ co-owns, with the song “Top Shelf Liquor” by Redlands taking us out. Thanks again to Continental Tire, Acura and Valvoline for making it all happen.