I'm tired of being nice about it. The fact is, grip created by aerodynamic downforce is our enemy... At the moment, the downforce is so great that it masks the handling and hurts the racing

Rick Mears on what's wrong with IndyCar, Motorsport.com, October 28th 2015

Not bad for a part timer ;o)

Graham Rahal on finishing 5th at Toronto, via Twitter, July 2010

I lifted a little, but I didn't touch the brake.

Will Power on the art of restarting, St Pete's, March 30th 2014

Hope you're all snug in your beds, while Indycars dance in your head...

Simon Pagenaud on insomnia, Twitter, 4:31 AM, July 23rd 2019

We are trying to fix them but when you start behind the eight ball like last year you are playing catch-up and you will continue to play catch-up until we get rid of these stupid kits!

Michael Andretti on aerokits, Autosport.com, 15th April 2016

When Will was going off on Versus, I was cracking up. I was like, man, I didn't know you could talk like that! And I never knew you could say 'wanker' on TV, but that's my new word for now on... so I guess something good did come out of Toronto!

Tony Kanaan on Will Power, Toronto, July 2011

...if everyone agrees on a spec kit, IndyCar needs to really use the chance to get something that looks good, doesn't have all this winglet crap stuck all over it, and doesn't create all this dirty air.

Will Power on aerokits, motorsport.com, May 4th 2016

I hope all the fans out there were as excited about that race as I am. It was awesome doing so much passing. Racing can't get any better!

Graham Rahal on the Kentucky 300, August 2009

I know a lot of people say that Iowa is in the middle of nowhere, but you know what, we get such a great crowd and they're so enthusiastic. As a driver you could put me in paradise, but if there's nobody in the grandstands then it's not good racing.

Dan Wheldon on Iowa Speedway, June 2009

If you're an open-wheel racer and not at Indy in May, you're not really a race car driver. You just think you are.

Eddie Cheever

The last I looked, I earned the label of Indy 500 champion; those lobbing unfounded accusations at me have not.

Eddie Cheever Jr. after Watkins Glen 06

They're creating a much bigger problem than the one they're trying to solve. And it's mind-boggling, absolutely mind-boggling, that they don't see it and that these discussions have even made it this far.

James Hinchcliffe on INDYCAR mandating domed skids, Motorsport.com, April 5th 2016

NASCAR has nothing on us. Look at the crowd at Indy – that's three Daytona 500s all in one place.

Graham Rahal on the Indianapolis 500, Racer.com, June 4th 2016

Last season, we lost the championship in the last corner of the last lap of the last race to some other guy.

Chip Ganassi, Daytona 2008

I plan to be here hopefully until I'm into my 40s, and to accomplish something like Scott has done.

Alexander Rossi on building an IndyCar legacy, Mobil1TheGrid.com, December 10th 2018

Time to go to the back row party!

Ryan Hunter Reay, Indy 500 Bump Day 2009

This is and always will be the greatest spectacle in racing. This is the Indianapolis 500.

Leigh Diffey, as the green flag waved at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 29th 2022

I keep getting asked by Europeans, drivers also, if racing around IMS was boring an' easy. I just want to shake my head and walk away.

Connor Daly, June 6th 2013, via Twitter

If he wins this race with what he has to work with, they ought to name this place after him.

John Barnes on Sam Hornish Jr, indy 2003

Now it's obvious we were too conservative, we should have just gone for it

Eric Bachelart, Indy 500 Bump Day 2009

That's a good way to lose a championship.

Tony Kanaan, Kansas 2007

Some of the drivers roll out this 'safety' word, and suddenly it ties everybody's hands. But those arguments make no sense anyway. Remove downforce and you actually improve safety

Rick Mears on downforce, Motorsport.com, October 28th 2015

Finishing in the Top-10 here was because of nutrition.

A Sarah Fisher malapropism, Texas 2007

Rick Mears is a great race car driver. Hopefully I have plenty of years to try to earn his respect again.

Tony Kanaan, Detroit 2007

The track is narrower than I thought! You watch the television and you see three cars alongside on the main straight - now I am in the car on the main straight and it's hard to imagine how you can fit three cars there at speed.

Fernando Alonso after his first test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 3rd 2017

You need to learn how to f***ing count.

Arie Luyendyk, Texas '97

It was so scary for me. I don't know what else to say. I don't know what happened but it felt like my front and rear wings were upside down.

Marco Andretti, Kansas 2007

At 220mph friendship, risk and victory become extremely volatile.

Dan Wheldon

Racing IndyCars at Richmond is like flying fighter jets in a gymnasium.

Eddie Cheever Jr.

I told him I'd follow him anywhere he went, as long as it was on the racetrack.

Sam Hornish Jr on Tomas Scheckter, Texas 2005

Obviously we always see the good days, but Gil de Ferran told me if you can have a bad day and nobody notices, that's how you do a really good job - and that's how you win a championship.

Simon Pagenaud on the 2016 season, ESPN.com, September 18th 2016

When you tug at a guy in the pit lane, I think that is taking advantage of your gender, because it puts me in an awkward position.

Dan Wheldon on Danica Patrick, June 2007

Brad Pitt got a super license before me. Tough.

Colton Herta on Brad Pitt joining the F1 grid to film a movie, Twitter, May 4th 2023

I can't believe it. I cannot believe it. What a year for this Target team. It was so much fun to be a part of.

Dario Franchitti, Homestead 2009

Andy Granatelli for as much as he put into the sport, especially at Indianapolis. I had to deal with that big kiss. I can still smell the garlic.

Mario Andretti on Andy Granatelli after the 1969 Indianapolis 500

Going into Texas with four wheels on the car is pretty exciting!

Sarah Fisher after the 2009 Indianapolis 500

I think the IRL has been poised for a long time to be discovered by a lot of people.

Chip Ganassi

Everyone remembers the pole winner for two weeks. Everyone remembers the race winner for life.

Dan Wheldon on the Indy 500

Maybe he should start thinking about driving and stop thinking about dancing because that was a stupid move.

Tomas Scheckter on Helio Castroneves, Detroit 2007

I still have the passion to drive the hell out of it!

Juan Pablo Montoya on his motivation, NBCSports.com, July 12th 2016

Everyone thinks that running in dirty air causes the front end to wash out, but actually it affects the whole car and you just can't follow someone close in fast or medium-speed corners since the aerokits came in.

Will Power on aerokits, Motorsport.com, May 4th 2016

Heeeeere's something that's amazing... i-dent-ical laps.

Tom Carnegie

I prefer to be here, even 34th, then being at home like last year.

Fernando Alonso on the Indy 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 19th 2019

Whatever you heard, somebody made it up. For the first two days, he talked nonsense because he had a concussion. It doesn't matter what he was saying. He doesn't even remember it.

Tony Kanaan on the rumours of Dario Franchitti's retirement after Houston, 2013

Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug. And sometimes you have an air gun failure.

Simon Pagenaud on equipment issues, St Petersburg, March 11th 2018

I need a nap now.

Colton Herta on winning his first IndyCar race, COTA, 24th March 2019

When you've driven it for a day, you're going to feel naked without it.

Will Power on testing the Aeroscreen, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, October 2nd 2019

I just can't wait to get back in the car. I wonder if I'm still any good.

Will Power on the long off season, St Petersburg, March 21st 2013

I'm throwing this one out to Dan. This is his hometown, this is his car.

James Hinchcliffe after his first career victory, St. Petersburg, March 24th 2013