Name: Former IndyCar Driver Roger Yasukawa Podspeed # 37
Uploaded: 2021-02-26T20:32:41.457874+00:00
Duration: 5750 s
Channel: GTChannel

GTChannel

Former IndyCar racer Roger Yasukawa joins the Podspeed cast to talk about his racing career, which included five starts at the Indy 500 and finishing second to future series champion Dan Wheldon in the rookie-of-the-year voting in 2003. Roger also talks life after IndyCar, and his current managerial role for young Spanish driver Alex Palou. 

Sam Mitani also reports on rumors of a Toyota Corolla GRMN and a Lexus LC F in the works according to his ninja otakus in Japan, and James reports on the Mazda6.

<p>Former IndyCar racer Roger Yasukawa joins the Podspeed cast to talk about his racing career, which included five starts at the Indy 500 and finishing second to future series champion Dan Wheldon in the rookie-of-the-year voting in 2003. Roger also talks life after IndyCar, and his current managerial role for young Spanish driver Alex Palou. </p><p>Sam Mitani also reports on rumors of a Toyota Corolla GRMN and a Lexus LC F in the works according to his ninja otakus in Japan, and James reports on the Mazda6.</p>

https://d3ev5earl6dvd0.cloudfront.net/public-media/videos/001/704/001704/video_c9Pp0Mj.mp4

Retired Indy Car driver Roger Yasukawa started his racing journey in Italy, racing karts as a kid, before moving to the United States and continuing through the Skip Barber racing series. Roger eventually landed a ride with a Honda-based team in the Indy Racing League and made five starts at the Brickyard.

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

Indy Driver Roger Yasukawa's Journey From Karts To Bricks

Roger Yasukawa had a front-row seat for the early-2000’s battle between Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) and Indy Racing League (IRL). Having grown up a kart and road-race driver, Yasukawa wanted to race on iconic road courses like the Long Beach Grand Prix. But like any racer, he also wanted to run in the Indy 500 and later learned his driving style was better suited to oval racing.

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

Roger Yasukawa’s Road Racing Roots Lead To Ovals

Roger Yasukawa came up through the karting and road-racing ranks, so the jump to primarily racing ovals in the IndyCar Series came with a learning curve, including a different understanding of race tactics, strategy and patience.

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

Biggest Challenge Of Oval Racing Is Learning Tactics, Strategy

Indianapolis Motor Speedway can still raise the goosebumps, even on a retired racer who made 5 starts there. Roger Yasukawa recalls his initial feelings about the hallowed ground, and how deceptively small the track actually is, despite what you see on TV. 

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

Indy Speedway A “Special Place,” Still Brings The Goosebumps

There’s more going on in the cockpit of an Indy Car than meets the eye, especially when it comes to learning who to align with it comes to drafting. Roger Yasukawa gives some insight into the complex, unwritten rules of how racers learn to trust one another.

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

Former IndyCar Driver Roger Yasukawa Explains Importance Of Drafting Buddies

Roger Yasukawa made five starts at the Indy 500, finishing in 10th place in both his rookie and sophomore races. Roger cites his second start as most memorable since he had a good car and a good warmup session. That didn’t translate into a great qualifying session however, but he still started in the top 10 grid positions.

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

Indy 500 Most Memorable Moments Roger Yasukawa

Asked who he thinks was the best Indy Car driver of his era, Roger is unequivocal: Scott Dixon. Yasukawa says not only was Dixon fast, but also patient, strategic and methodical. It’s a testament to Dixon’s skill that he is still racing — and winning championships — to this day.

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

Scott Dixon Was The Best I Saw Roger Yasukawa:

After Roger Yasukawa called it a day on his IndyCar racing career, he moved into the automotive corporate world, working in public relations, consulting, and eventually into driver management, where he finds himself today.

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

Life After IndyCar: Roger Yasukawa Moves Into Management

While spotting for driver Takuma Sato at the 2014 Indy500, Roger Yasukawa told the Japanese driver that he was down to his final chance to pass race leader Dario Franchitti and possibly claim the victory. Sato went for it, but came up empty, clipping Franchitti’s car and spinning out into the wall.

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

Why Takuma Sato Made “Now Or Never” Bold Pass Attempt At Indy 500

Roger Yasukawa admits he had a pretty fortunate racing career in that he never had any spectacular life-threatening crashes. But the biggest shunt of his career did leave him with a nasty concussion with effects that lingered for weeks.

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

IndyCar Driver Yasukawa Recalls Biggest Crash Of Career

Former IndyCar driver Roger Yasukawa calls Alex Palou a natural talent with blazing speed. Yasukawa is Palou’s business manager, and helps guide the business and sponsorship decisions for the young Spanish driver who currently races for Chip Ganassi Racing in IndyCar. With a little more experience learning racecraft, Palou will be a driver to reckon with.

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

Alex Palou Young Spanish IndyCar Driver Is “Natural Talent”

As business manager for Spanish driver Alex Palou, Roger Yasukawa doesn’t have much wisdom to impart to the young driver anymore, especially since Palou has access to other legendary racers such as Dario Franchitti. But a driver appreciates anyone in his corner who has been battle-tested on the track, and Yasukawa fits that bill as business manager.

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RELATED LINKS: 
-Roger Yasukawa Joins GT Channel In Kart Enduro Race
https://gtchannel.com/video/843/we-went-to-calspeed-karting-with-an-all-star-team/

Yasukawa Says This Is IndyCar Driver Alex Palou’s Year

Sam breaks down information received from his auto industry insiders in Japan about a new variant of the Toyota Yaris GR. The rumored Corolla Sports GRMN, which stands for GR Meister Nurburgring, will use a turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine making 272 horsepower and 272 lb-ft of torque. With a six-speed manual and all-wheel-drive, the GRMN is taking aim at cars like the VW Golf GTI/Golf R.

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RELATED LINKS
-Robbie Nishida Checks Out Yaris GR Drift Car
https://gtchannel.com/video/1449/gr-yaris-drift-car-tokyo-drift-girl-heyman-robbie-gtchannel/

-Sneak Peek At New Fujitsubo Exhaust For GR Yaris
https://gtchannel.com/moment/8929/sneak-peek-at-new-fujitsubo-exhaust-for-gr-yaris/

Toyota's New Yaris Edition Takes Aim At Golf GTI

Will the Lexus LC F ever be a reality? Auto industry insiders seem to think so. Lexus seems to be serious about pushing the LC into supercar territory with the LC F, which would use a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 to make more than 600 horsepower and nearly 500 lb-ft of torque. Sam says the price would be around $93,000, which seems like an insane bargain. 

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RELATED LINKS
-Evasive Motorsports Builds 
https://gtchannel.com/video/436/evasive-is-building-a-lexus-lc-500-road-to-sema-2016-by-eneos/

Lexus Pushes Into Supercar Territory With LC F

James spent some time in the Mazda 6 GT and found that it has plenty to offer alongside its Honda Accord and Toyota Camry rivals. One of the 6’s hallmark features is its interior, which punches far above its class. Only the mediocre all-season tires and clumsy infotainment interface keep the Mazda 6 from truly owning this segment.

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