Rephonic
Artwork for It's Not the Car
Indy 500
NASCAR
IMSA
Indycar
Le Mans
Formula One
Motorsport
Porsche 911
Ferrari
Road America
Racing
Days Of Thunder
Road & Track
Race Engineering
Porsche
John Godfrey Parry-Thomas
Race Strategy
Flow State
24 Hours Of Daytona
Gilles Villeneuve

It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts. Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer with time in NASCAR and IMSA. Sam Smith is an award-winning journalist, a club racer, and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine. We don’t love motorsport for t... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes112Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Sports

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for It's Not the Car

Latest Episodes

INTC’s Jeff Braun had to do it. Just a few weeks ago, only a few hours into that epic race, with a car still fast and healthy.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans. A GT3 Corvette. Months of fighting just to make the grid. Maybe you’d make the same decision—pull... more

LIVE from a Porsche Club of America weekend at Grattan Raceway on June 13, 2026!

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Want the INTC gang to come to *your* event and tape a show? Drop a line – ⁠INTCPod@gmail.com⁠ !

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Two weeks ago, Ross and Sam went to a PCA track weekend to coach... more

It’s another mythbusting episode! Ten classic racing myths, ten rapid-fire shoot-downs, no prisoners whatsoever.

Your answers, as always, come from INTC’s resident paddock veterans: Jeff Braun is a champion IMSA engineer with time in IndyCar and NAS... more

Why are some drivers fast in everything? What makes a person quick in Miatas but not Mustangs—or vice versa?

How do the pros wrap their heads around big jumps in speed, power, and risk?

This is show about many things. Precision. Restraint. A Corve... more

Key Facts

Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Spike's Car RadioSpike Feresten

Recent Guests

Ori Fadani
Team owner, 13 Autosport
13 Autosport
Episode: What it Feels Like to Quit Le Mans
Matt Bell
Pro driver, part of the Corvette GT program
Corvette Racing / IMSA
Episode: What it Feels Like to Quit Le Mans
Bill Elliott
NASCAR legend, Sprint Cup Champion, and American racing icon
NASCAR
Episode: Sliding Hoopties with a NASCAR Legend – (Live in Grattan, MI - 6/13/26)
Mario Andretti
Formula One World Champion and iconic American racing figure
Episode: Sliding Hoopties with a NASCAR Legend – (Live in Grattan, MI - 6/13/26)
Andrew Stittel
Crew chief and team owner of 13 Autosport (formerly AWA Racing)
13 Autosport
Episode: The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Jeff’s Car on Fire
Charlie Ping
Motorsport engineer and race engineer for 13 Motorsports
13 Motorsports
Episode: Get a Job as a Race Engineer! — w/ Charlie Ping
JR Hildebrand
Veteran IndyCar driver and designer of Blackbird 66
Episode: Racing is Broken, and Blackbird 66 Might Fix It — w/ J.R. Hildebrand
Marshall Pruett
One of the world's most accomplished motorsport journalists and an old friend of the hosts.
Racer.com
Episode: RECAP: 2025 IndyCar Season — w/ Marshall Pruett
Kyle Kinard
Freelance automotive journalist
Episode: INTC Movie Club – “Days of Thunder” (1990)

Hosts

Sam Smith
Host, journalist and motorsport writer; former executive editor of Road & Track; contributes deep-dive storytelling and editorial insights.
Ross Bentley
Host, former IndyCar driver and driver coach; renowned performance coach with a focus on driving technique and engineering context.
Jeff Braun
Co-host and champion race engineer; experienced in NASCAR and IMSA; brings hands-on engineering and team leadership perspectives.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 391 ratings
  • Sam needs to pump the brakes.

    I like this pod. I’d like it a lot more if Sam would talk a bit less. Good guy, just way too verbose and a bit overbearing.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    poortry
    United States2 months ago
  • Great Pod

    Such a great motorsports and car enthusiast podcast. Sam, Jeff, and Ross have so much experience and so many stories to share about their careers and life. A must listen for anyone who loves fast cars and racing culture.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    crashrideover
    United States3 months ago
  • Only learned one thing…

    …that it’s not the car

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bennyman008
    United States5 months ago
  • Ooozes Charm, Not Gross

    Interesting people using their astounding experience to discuss RACING CARS! YAY! (it’s not the cars!)

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    twodogsnamedbob
    United States6 months ago
  • Ooozes Charm, Not Gross

    Interesting people using their astounding experience to discuss RACING CARS! YAY!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    twodogsnamedbob
    United States7 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fans value long-form storytelling and practical takeaways for racing and car culture.
Audience notes high quality content, with occasional critiques about pacing or focus shifts between hosts.
Listeners appreciate the accessible explanations of complex topics and historical context.
Listeners praise the trio's chemistry and the depth of engineering and driving insights.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#49
Poland/Sports

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Sliding Hoopties with a NASCAR Legend – (Live in Grattan, MI - 6/13/26)
Q: If there is one skill that you could secretly install in our brains tonight, what would it be and why?
Sleep and rest—without it, performance and learning suffer; with a plan and proper rest, you can process and improve more effectively.
BONUS Episode PREVIEW – Listener Q&A – 11/25
Q: How do drivers manage sleep during a 24-hour race?
Drivers use various techniques including short naps, massages, and nutrition to manage rest during endurance races.
Did Patrick Dempsey Imagine His Way to Being Faster?
Q: Do you have any suggestions for how to overcome this hurdle?
Consider taking naps and practicing mental imagery to aid learning and focus.
Learning to Love (Hate?) the Porsche 911
Q: Have you had a moment in a Porsche that you went, oh, that would never have happened in another car?
No, but I've experienced moments where I've thought it shouldn't have been that easy.
RECAP: 2025 IndyCar Season — w/ Marshall Pruett
Q: What does Alex Palou's work ethic look like?
People from Ganassi emphasize that Palou's work ethic is extraordinary, paralleling it with the dedication seen in other top racing drivers.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About It's Not the Car

What is It's Not the Car about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A high-velocity mix of engineering brilliance, racing history, and human performance. Episodes center on vivid storytelling from seasoned racers and engineers, weaving technical deep-dives with personal anecdotes, mentoring, and the psychology of driving. Listeners often hear about legendary cars, dramatic on-track moments, and behind-the-scenes dynamics of teams and editors, with a strong emphasis on how skill, preparation, and innovation intersect in real-world racing.

A standout vibe is the trio's chemistry and the way they translate complex engineering and racing concepts into accessible storytelling, making it appealing to both hardcore motorsport fans and curious newcomers. The show frequently features memorable case studies, histori... more

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To see how many followers or subscribers It's Not the Car has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to It's Not the Car?

These podcasts share a similar audience with It's Not the Car:

1. The Carmudgeon Show
2. The Smoking Tire
3. Spike's Car Radio
4. The Marshall Pruett Podcast
5. Everyday Driver Car Debate

How many episodes of It's Not the Car are there?

It's Not the Car launched 3 years ago and published 112 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on It's Not the Car?

Recent guests on It's Not the Car include:

1. Ori Fadani
2. Matt Bell
3. Bill Elliott
4. Mario Andretti
5. Andrew Stittel
6. Charlie Ping
7. JR Hildebrand
8. Marshall Pruett

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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