Robby McGehee: Chasing the Indy 500 Dream

From Rookie of the Year at the Indianapolis 500 to surviving devastating crashes and battling legends, Robby McGehee shares his remarkable IndyCar journey.

In this episode of Open Wheel Rewind, Robby sits down with host Ryan Nothhaft to reflect on his career:

• How a childhood essay about racing in Indy became reality
• His emotional debut at the 1999 Indy 500, where his crew chief was critically injured on pit road
• Leading laps and nearly winning the 2000 Indy 500 before a $7 spark plug ended his chance at victory
• Finishing inches away from his first win at Texas Motor Speedway
• Becoming the first driver to hit the SAFER barrier at Indianapolis
• Racing against legends like Juan Montoya, Jimmy Vasser, and Buddy Lazier
• Riding along with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Robby’s story is one of perseverance, adversity, and legacy—a powerful reminder of what it takes to reach the highest level of motorsport.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:47 Childhood dream to be an IndyCar driver
05:00 Skip Barber & USF 2000
08:23 Entry into the IRL
11:12 1999 Indy 500 debut & crew chief accident
16:16 Landing Energizer sponsorship
19:00 Joining Treadway Racing
21:35 2000 Indy 500
24:11 Inches from victory at Texas
28:25 The struggle & survival of small race teams
36:00 Texas crash & broken leg recovery
42:37 First to hit the SAFER barrier
46:07 Red Bull Racing
48:46 Memorable Races & Competition
51:52 Blue Angels Ride
57:04 Advice for aspiring drivers

MORE ABOUT RYAN & OPEN WHEEL REWIND:

For the past decade, Ryan Nothhaft has produced the Blue Angel Phantoms YouTube channel, preserving aviation history through interviews and documentaries that have reached millions of viewers worldwide. In addition to his passion for aviation history, Ryan grew up not only as an avid fan of IndyCar, but also with a deep interest in the business, strategy, and relationships required to build a successful racing team.

With Open Wheel Rewind, he now brings that curiosity to life—exploring the stories behind the drivers and the behind-the-scenes dynamics that make open-wheel racing possible.

👉 To contact and learn more about Ryan, click here: https://blueangelphantoms.com/contact

👉 To watch Blue Angel Phantoms, click here:    / @blueangelphantoms  

#IndyCar #indy500 #IRL #OpenWheelRewind

Music Licensed on Premium Beat by Shutterstock
Code: FPVK2Q0ERPMOVMT9