NTT INDYCAR SERIES NEWS CONFERENCE

May 21, 2026

Jack Harvey

Sting Ray Robb

Caio Collet

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Indianapolis 500 Media Day. Changing up the vibe a little bit up here. Maybe loosening things up a little bit. We'll see what kind of conversations we get out of all this as we roll through the 11 rows of three.

One exception. Graham Rahal's golf outing is happening. So Graham and Mick Schumacher will join us at the end of the day today.

We'll work our way up through the field. Starting with row 11, starting 33rd, making his ninth appearance in the 500, a rising star in American Motorsports, driving the No. 24 DRR INVST Chevrolet for Dreyer & Reinbold, please welcome Jack Harvey.

Starting 32nd, a rookie making big waves this month driving the No. 4 -- you pronounce it. Combitrans Amazonian Chevrolet, for AJ Foyt Enterprises, Caio Collet.

Starting 31st, making his fourth Indy 500 appearance, driver of the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Goodheart Chevrolet, it's Sting Ray Robb.

It's Media Day today. You've got a lot of interviews in front of you. At what point do you get talked out of the Indy 500?

STING RAY ROBB: I don't think Jack's ever going to get talked out.

THE MODERATOR: That's a good point. This is a special race, right? Hopefully the weather holds off. See how it all plays out. All of you looking forward to getting going tomorrow and then on Sunday?

JACK HARVEY: Absolutely. It's the biggest race in the world, certainly one of. It's the only one I'm scheduled to do really. I mean, it's not that funny -- it's funny, but it's not that funny. I think what it gives me is I don't mind doing all of the media stuff actually. Every sponsor event, every media event, interview -- I've been milking this day for as long as I can.

I'm trying to extend the Indy 500 into the week of Detroit as long as I can.

STING RAY ROBB: Careful what you wish for. The weather is not quite --

JACK HARVEY: I'll do it on Thursday, I don't care. We have to extend this month as long as we can.

THE MODERATOR: I understand. Before you get back to your real life or your real job or whatever.

JACK HARVEY: I was just talking about that. That's fun too.

THE MODERATOR: Caio, your car is really fast. I know you're looking forward to Sunday.

CAIO COLLET: Of course. We have a really fast car. I think we had a good month. My team worked really hard this month for me, and I was comfortable with the first laps. It was a little bit of a setback qualifying, but I think we have a fast car and a long race ahead.

THE MODERATOR: Sting Ray, qualifying, just watching you throttle and up, it was kind of a handful on qualifying. You only had one shot at it, but you made it through cleanly, right?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, I mean, clean is a -- yeah --

THE MODERATOR: A couple of squirrely moments out there?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, it was disappointing. With the car setup we have, we know we have a fast race car. We had to take a risk in qualifying, running no strakes like the rest of the field it seemed like. That was a bit of a mistake, hindsight. I think that Rinus, it really paid out for him, just with the conditions being right and the time of day and being one of the first cars to go out. The track temp went up, ambient temp went up. We just didn't have it.

It's frustrating. I know we have a good race car. Where we're starting is not indicative where we're going to finish by any means.

THE MODERATOR: You give it a "Whew" when he talked about no strakes?

JACK HARVEY: I did. Sting Ray is crazy. I felt bad for everyone in the 24, but I thought Caio has done an amazing job from the open test to the way he qualified.

I was bummed for us, but I was bummed for you too. I think you've done awesome this month.

CAIO COLLET: Thank you.

JACK HARVEY: And Sting Ray, I love this guy. He's growing a mustache. I don't know if you guys can see it where you are.

THE MODERATOR: Are you growing a mustache?

STING RAY ROBB: It's a little dirt on my lip. I apologize to anyone who had to see it. The whole 77 crew decided to do it for the month of May. I tried to join the vibe. I should have started in January.

THE MODERATOR: Nice of you to admit that. We'll open it up for questions.

Q. Jack, this one is sort of for you, looking at the conditions we've had so far this past week, like Thursday when we got here last week, it was hot. Sunday was very hot. We complained of being sunburnt. Now almost like an English summer's day out here.

JACK HARVEY: It's beautiful outside.

Q. Absolutely freezing. How much is that going to impact how you set the car up for Carb Day knowing it could be different again come race day?

JACK HARVEY: Our plan right now is to go out how we finished on Monday, truthfully. It's so difficult to try and predict where the track might be just from a temperature stance, but also now with so much rain, how much grip may or may not be on the track as well.

We're going to limit those variables, go with what we know at least what works on Monday. I thought we were pretty quick, and we could dice a decent amount. So that's good.

I think we tried to not be too smart in this moment and go with what we knew and adapt on Carb Day if we get it in.

Q. I've been going on and on about this, but this goes for one of you guys. How much does the tailwind impact getting into the corners?

CAIO COLLET: It's a different car when you have wind. When you have back wind, it's completely different. Like qualifying, for example, 1 and 4 felt really, really good, like you're driving with 100 kilos more of force. Then you go to 2 and 3 with the back wind, it's like the rear wing is off. It's completely different. It's really nice to adapt for the teams with the conditions. You need to nail what you have and especially with the tools, you need to be proactive. So it's cool.

Q. Caio, as a rookie, is this month what you expected it to be, or have there been some big surprises you weren't expecting coming into this month with all the different activities, festivities, and different things you've had to do as first timer here?

CAIO COLLET: I don't think you can understand how big is the race until you actually do it and until you actually start to be a part of it.

Last year was my first time watching and being here during the month, but when you're actually driving, like the atmosphere of the team, it's really impressive, the fans that you get in front of the garage. Then when you go and drive your car up to pit lane like on fast Friday and qualifying, they start to cheer you on, the fans. It's really awesome to be part of this.

I don't think you understand how big is the race until you are actually in it. It's really impressive.

THE MODERATOR: Sting Ray, you want to add to that?

STING RAY ROBB: Yeah, as a rookie, it's intimidating. 2023 is where it was back to full capacity. I'd been there in 2021 and 2022, and as a fan, seeing the half full stands, it was like, oh, yeah, it's a big event, right? Show up in 2023, and I had to put my blockers on because I was like this is overwhelming.

Especially when you do the driver introductions on race day. I remember looking up at the crowd and seeing everyone there, and the track seems smaller on race day. Going down to turn 1 when the first race starts, it's like a half width track it feels like. And you're three wide, so it definitely doesn't help things. It's definitely a fun month to be a rookie at.

Q. Jack, you lost, what, two rows worth of spots, I think, with the penalty and all. Does that change your attitude towards the start at all or the strategy at the start of the race at all or not?

JACK HARVEY: I was pretty bummed with that qualifying run. We had an issue with our fifth gear. Down the back straight, we were hitting the top speed we wanted to. Going into turn 1, we were missing like 5 miles an hour.

Generally I was bummed, realistically going from 29th to 33rd, more so as a pride thing. I was really trying to avoid the last row party, in all fairness, done that disco dance a couple times. Really more so bummed because I thought we had a car capable of being in the top 12.

To answer your actual question, no, doesn't change anything about our strategy, how we're going to be at the start. I know we're going to go forward. To be honest, I think it hurts me the most, when I said it to Caio, you couldn't even write the speeds down here, Dave? No time, no speed. That's savage.

THE MODERATOR: It was late at night when we did it. We ran out of time.

STING RAY ROBB: Unfortunately for Jack here, the last time we were at a last row party was together. We've got to agree to not do this again.

JACK HARVEY: Here we are doing it again. I don't know if I'm the problem or you're the problem.

STING RAY ROBB: Yes, team effort here.

THE MODERATOR: You brought a plus one. It's good. Last row party is tonight, by the way.

Q. I've got one for Sting Ray. You spoke after qualifying the potential that the run had to perhaps dent the confidence in the race car as well. Did you manage to find anything back on Monday and help you get more comfortable with the car?

STING RAY ROBB: Monday was great. I felt like we could race pretty well. Felt like we had a decent pace. We put the strakes back on like a normal person would. The car has natural speed, sucks up well on the straights. Trying to find the balance in the turn was good once we had the downforce back in the car.

We were out of that window on qualifying day. We were too trimmed for the conditions. When you have that, the car is going to do everything you don't want it to. It's going to understeer, it's going to oversteer. Like Caio said with the wind, it's different every turn.

You have to be proactive on your tools, and even when I was proactive with the tools, you get both things in the same turn. It's pretty frustrating to have a qualifying like that because it does dent your confidence. Only having one shot really screws with your head because you don't have the chance to go redo it.

Q. You've had a lot of experience here. You've experienced leading the race, but then also having to fight to make the race in 2023. How do you feel about those experiences of dealing with multiple different cars will help you race your way forward?

STING RAY ROBB: 2023, I was happy to be inside the 33. When we were in the last row, Bump Day with Jack and Graham, I remember just thinking like, please, Lord, let this happen. I just want to be in the race. I don't care where I start. We snuck it in.

Obviously the race didn't go to plan because we just really lacked speed, and our balance was really bad.

2024 was the exact contrast. We started mid-pack, but I had a great car, great strategy, led laps. I've seen both ends of the field, it seems like here, and I know that we have the potential to do well. So I know that in order to get to the front with those experience that's I've had, it's going to take kind of a long day and a lot of effort and a lot of risk to do that.

It's unfortunate we're starting in the last row, but it's not impossible to have a decent day.

Q. This one's for Caio. Sorry about the disqualification, but now that you're starting in the back row and your car's really, really good, have you had a lot of practice doing passing out there?

CAIO COLLET: I think on Monday, last week as well, we had a little bit of practice. But Monday was when everyone started to drive only with race cars, a lot of fuel and a lot of laps. I think I felt quite comfortable. When you're behind the pack, it changes a bit, the approach as well, and what we're doing with the car changes a little bit and the strategy as well with the team.

We had to adapt a bit, but hopefully we can do some good strategies, good pit stops, and move forward.

Q. Sting Ray, I heard you were one of three drivers who got to coach the Weinermobile driver. Can you talk to me about that experience?

STING RAY ROBB: We did that on media day earlier this year, which was a lot of fun. I think there were several drivers that got to do it. I think I'll be crew chiefing one of the wieniemobiles this year for the Wienie 500. Is that tomorrow?

THE MODERATOR: It is tomorrow, yes.

JACK HARVEY: Which wienie are you on?

STING RAY ROBB: Great question.

THE MODERATOR: Are you going to ride along with them?

STING RAY ROBB: I wish. Actually, I don't know how that works. I think I'll be getting a radio and calling the shots for them. I'll tell them when to pass. I'll be their spotter, eyes in the sky or something.

JACK HARVEY: Have you got a good reference for how you're going to do this? Wienie jokes, I'm clearly talking about.

STING RAY ROBB: I'll be fine. Don't worry about it.

JACK HARVEY: Could you give us one?

STING RAY ROBB: No.

JACK HARVEY: Please.

STING RAY ROBB: I think the jokes write themselves. You've just got to watch how it plays out, and then it's great.

THE MODERATOR: You want to "relish" that opportunity, I guess.

JACK HARVEY: That was good, Dave. Nice. You're good at this stuff.

Q. It's good that you "mustard" the courage to get that pun out. For Sting Ray and Jack, you all had the last row party a couple years ago. They gave you a check for the amount of money for the starting positions. Did you keep those checks? Did you cash them? What did you do with them?

STING RAY ROBB: I don't think we get any cash, unfortunately.

THE MODERATOR: You get 32 cents, 31 cents, actually. There's like a big check.

JACK HARVEY: I've never cashed it. I would feel ridiculous, cashing for 33 cents.

Q. I imagine you take the picture on your phone with the big check.

JACK HARVEY: I keep the sign and everything. Actually, I think I've got the checks somewhere.

STING RAY ROBB: I think I do as well. They're stored away deep in a locker at the very bottom, never to be looked at again hopefully.

JACK HARVEY: I was hoping we were going to keep the 3-for-3 jokes going on from the "relish" to the "mustard."

THE MODERATOR: Nothing?

STING RAY ROBB: Can't "catch up," can you?

JACK HARVEY: (Indiscernible) I don't know.

STING RAY ROBB: It was a ketchup joke, I'm sorry.

JACK HARVEY: Did I miss that one then?

STING RAY ROBB: I'll work on it. This is practice for tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Guys, thanks a lot. We'll get you back on your way.

Once again, Jack Harvey, Caio Collet, Sting Ray Robb. Good luck tomorrow and certainly on Sunday.