“We are going to blow the doors off of Indy.” These are the words that you wish to hear from a new media giant at ‘The Greatest Spectacle of Racing.’ They came from none other than Eric Shanks, the CEO of FOX Sports. From covering Kyle Larson’s much-awaited ‘Double Attempt’ to navigating through the convoluted Team Penske scandal, NASCAR’s media partner has a lot to cover. But first, it gets a salute from an IndyCar champion owner.

Chip Ganassi was a former fixture in NASCAR, accumulating 20 Cup Series wins until 2021. But the team owner’s presence in IndyCar measures beyond words, holding 23 championships, over 250 victories, and five Indianapolis 500 trophies. As he approaches the 109th iteration of the Indy 500, he cannot help but appreciate the new presence.

NASCAR’s media partner gets a nod from a legend

FOX Sports may be arriving at the Indy 500 for the first time. But actually, the roots of both run deeper than visible. When he became CEO of FOX Sports in 2010, Eric Shanks had a wish list of events he wanted to cover. Among those, the Indianapolis 500 was always at the top. Finally, in 2025, Shanks’ long dream turned into reality.

He has vowed that the IndyCar Series crown jewel event will be the biggest production of FOX this season – a lofty promise considering its other engagements in the World Series, the Super Bowl, and NASCAR. Yet Shanks has a solid reason to live up to his towering prediction. Chip Ganassi is looking forward to his two stellar drivers, Alex Palou and Scott Dixon, doing marvels this season. And he trusts the media partner to trumpet their achievements.

In a recent episode of ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour’, the IndyCar legend shared his views. Kevin Harvick, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion, asked if FOX Sports’ arrival is good for IndyCar or not. Chip Ganassi replied, “Good question.” Then he went on to explain why Eric Shanks’ promise will work out after all. “First of all, I think it’s important to point out that the head of FOX Sports, a guy named Eric Shanks, is from the state of Indiana. You know, he grew up an hour from here in Terre Haute, just outside of Terre Haute. So the Indianapolis 500 is something he’s known about forever and basically grew up with.”

Eric Shanks spent the first five IndyCar races of the year working out early-season glitches that ranged from an unstable graphics package to a mid-race loss of transmission. The Thermal Grand Prix, in particular, was a moment where FOX had to save their face, as the broadcast faced a coverage blackout in the middle of the race, leaving fans stunned and frustrated at this lack of preparation. Since this work went on at the same time as FOX Sports’ duties in the NASCAR Cup Series, fans were asked to switch to the broadcast of NASCAR’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on FS1, which was not met with open arms by fans.

Now, with FOX Sports’ NASCAR leg of the season done, Chip Ganassi is convinced that Shanks’ dedication to the Indy 500 and IndyCar as a whole is only going to get better, and his Indianapolis roots only make the moment sweeter. He continued, “So, for him to now be in a position and be able to televise the 500 is quite a feather in his cap. And he’s approached it very, very…you know, you’re leaning in heavily to the series, the Indianapolis 500, and to the television product itself.”

Well, FOX Sports is not the only thing that is making Chip Ganassi happy at present. The dazzling smile on the team owner’s face is mainly derived from his star driver, Alex Palou.

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He is on a fiery run this season

The 2024 Indy 500 winner was Josef Newgarden, and the Team Penske star is a 31-time IndyCar race winner, hence makes a strong case for defending his title. However, that case lost most of its sparkle as Penske faced a massive scandal yet again, with three of its executives losing their jobs and Newgarden getting pushed to the rear of the race. Now, the spotlight is on Chip Ganassi’s driver, Alex Palou. In fact, it was already on him since the beginning of 2025.

He opened the season with two straight victories before he finished second to Kyle Kirkwood in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. That failure gave him an extra drive as he won the next two races at Barber Motorsports Park and the Sonsio Grand Prix. So currently, Palou leads the IndyCar season with four out of five race victories already!

What is more? Alex Palou has a fiery determination to continue that streak into the Indy 500. He came close by finishing second to Helio Castroneves in the 2021 Indy 500. But with the fastest speed in Saturday’s qualifications, the confidence is brimming in 2025. Palou said, “I feel more confident than ever before. I got to experience different parts of the 500, like running up front, running in the back, having to overtake, having a fast car, having not such a fast car. I feel more ready than ever, and I think it’s enough to win, so that’s why. And I’m hungry to win it. We are ready. You start getting excited thinking about traffic and how to get a fast race car for the Indianapolis 500. I’m excited for the race to come.”

Hence, Chip Ganassi has multiple reasons to smile ahead of the 2025 Indy 500. As the race looms into view, our anticipation is boiling over – so buckle your seats for this thrilling ride!