Kyffin Simpson: "Just pushing for that first win"

Chip Ganassi's advice for Kyffin [0:00]

If a meteor falls out the sky and hits your car and takes you out, that's an accident. Everything else is your fault. - Chip Ganassi

Kyffin: It kind of puts into perspective anything that happens. You can always find a way to avoid it. I love Chip. He's a great guy. He just loves racing. And his passion for the sport is incredible. He just always wants to do the best. And he always pushes you to be the best you can be. So, it's just great to have that extra motivation and someone to believe in you as well.

Kyffin Simpson's first podium in Toronto [0:29]

Greg: You got your first podium this year in Toronto. What was that feeling like? We were there, we watched you up there. How did it feel, you know, not only to have that happen, but also to do that when you've got two very accomplished guys who are senior on the team that you were ahead of?

Kyffin: Yeah, it was great. All season we've just been getting better and better. And then to have that podium really solidified it for us that we've been really making good gains. we've had a couple of races this year that definitely could have been podiums. So to actually get it done was very nice and kind of a weight off the shoulders in a way as well.

Greg: Does it ground you more? Does it motivate you more to get hungrier for the next thing?

Kyffin: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, now we knocked off the top 10, top five and a podium this year. So now we're looking for that win and now we're trying to move forward and get that win.

In good company with Alex Palou and Scott Dixon [1:15]

Greg: Kyffin doesn't just have to deal with the pressure to perform on a championship-winning team, he also has to perform in the shadow of championship-winning teammates. Alex Palou won his fourth IndyCar championship and first Indy 500 with only six years in the sport. And then there's veteran Scott Dixon, who's amassed 59 wins, six championships, and one Indy 500. Not to mention countless other accolades cementing him as a motorsport legend. No pressure, Kyffin.

When you've got those guys on your team, how has it evolved? Because I heard you speak before saying, when you're in Indy NXT, you're listening on the radio and you're in the Development Driver Program and you get to hear a bit of it, but now you're in the team, embedded with these guys who obviously are champions and have been very successful. How has that evolved your relationship with them?

Kyffin: It's been interesting because I've known these guys in some capacity for a long time and just learning how they work for a long time and then over time kind of seeing it more close up. It's a different perspective and getting to kind of relate actually in person where you are relative to them when you're driving with them, it helps you a lot to know where you can push yourself.

Greg: Have either of them, or maybe both of them, taken you under their wing, challenged you to try something different or go out of your comfort zone in some way as a driver to level up?

Kyffin: Yeah, I mean, they've both been very helpful in different ways. I mean, they both have their strengths. And I always try to learn from both of them. And Dario [Franchitti] is always around as well. So I always get to learn from Dario quite a lot, which is a huge help. And, you know, there's so much other experience on the team as well with from engineers and mechanics that you get to learn so much from everyone on the team.

Being the first Caymanian IndyCar driver and bringing Will Buxton roti [2:54]

Greg: While most professional drivers tend to come from European countries or cities in the United States, Kyffin Simpson actually races under the Caymanian flag, making him the first driver in IndyCar history to do so. Zoom in more. Just a little more. Almost there. Yes, those are the Cayman Islands.

So you're the first Caymanian driver in IndyCar history. What's that like? How does it feel to be in the series representing where you're from?

Kyffin: Yeah, it's incredible. I think I'm also the first driver from anywhere in the Caribbean to race an IndyCar. Just to be able to not just represent Cayman, but the whole Caribbean is just super special.

Greg: When it happened, did you have people coming out of the woodwork to cheer you on? Has it been special going back home and having people recognize you and get excited about what you're doing?

Kyffin: For sure. It's great having a lot of local support, a lot of friends and family in Cayman and Barbados. So they've all been very supportive and it's just been great having them all cheer me on.

Greg: Have you brought any sort the back home heritage to the paddock? Like have you done anything for the guys with catering or anything? We heard you brought Will Buxton some roti.

Kyffin: Yeah, my friends know him. Zane [Maloney] is a good friend of mine and he's from Barbados and he raced in F3, so he knew Will through that. And I guess they had talked about how Will really likes Rotis from Chefette. So we brought him some up at St. Pete this year. And yeah, we just wanted to do something cool for him, just a little local treat. And there's not a lot of like super local food. So I've not really done anything super different for the team.

Greg: Did you ask him to bring you anything from the UK?

Kyffin: I did actually, my sister really likes Percy Pigs. So I asked him to bring some over for her.

Greg: That's awesome.

Kyffin's favorite offseason activity: water sports [4:52]

Greg: Besides the racing side, you do a ton of water sports, a lot of out of outdoor stuff. Do you have a favorite water activity? We saw you went to Kelly Slater's, like private surf—I don't know if you call it, a camp or like a hotel.

Kyffin: Surf Ranch is what they call it.

Greg: What's your sort of grounding thing that you like to do?

Kyffin: My favorite thing always is just kite surfing whenever I get the chance. It's pretty big in Cayman and it's just something that I kind of started doing back in I think 2021 and I just fell in love with it because it's just a fun offseason thing and it really works out that the windy season in Cayman is our offseason for IndyCar. So it always works out well that way that I'm able to get a lot of kite surfing in whenever I'm home.

Greg: If you had to get Alex or Scott out, who do you think would be better at it? Or maybe you have taken them out.

Kyffin: I took Marcus Ericsson out one time a couple years ago. He was all right. He got up and going his first day, which was pretty good. I've tried to convince Scott a couple times. He's not super keen on it. He more just doesn't want to get hurt, you know? that's fair enough. Alex hasn't been to Cayman yet, but I'm sure we'll get him down there some time.

Greg: Has Scott come down to at least visit you and hang out?

Kyffin: Scott's been down, I think, twice now.

Greg: I feel like you're in the perfect spot as an excuse for any of these guys to come hang out with you.

Kyffin: Yeah, I mean it's a perfect vacation destination.

Greg: Yeah, exactly. And it's easy.

Goals for the 2026 IndyCar season [6:19]

Greg: Looking ahead to next season, you're going have some time off. What are you looking for next season to be for you and your career?

Kyffin: This season, I wanted to be top 10 every race. So just continuing to work at that. I think top 10 in the Championship is definitely achievable next year. This year, we were pushing for it. I think a couple things went our way. As always, you need luck to go your way. We were close this year. And if we end this race strong, hopefully we can finish definitely top 15, hopefully. But, just again, pushing for that win, and trying to get some more podiums under the belt and just maximizing every race.

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