July 18, 2024 • 7 mins
Catching up with the latest Kiwi IndyCar driver. Hunter makes his debut on the streets of Toronto this weekend. Hunter joins three other kiwis on the starting grid.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Talking Motorsport now on the show where the IndyCar Circus
heads to Toronto the streets of Toronto this weekend for
the next round and the kiwis in the field will
go from three to four this weekend with Canterbury's Hunter
mclray joining Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin and Marcus Armstrong on
the grid which is pretty exciting. And the man himself
(00:22):
joins us on the show this morning, Hunter maclarray. Morning Hunter,
and first off, congratulations.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Thanks very much mate. Obviously extremely excited to finally get
in the car. It's been a long time coming. So yeah,
so excited to finally make my debut in IndyCar.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
So the debut in IndyCar with Dale con racing the
number eighteen Honda for this coming weekend. Talk us through
Hunter how it came about.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Honestly, I mean all year I've been pushing so hard
to try and get an opportunity. Obviously, I've spent the
last two years in Indie Lights which is now known
as Indy Next One, a lot of races. Second the
championship last year unfortunately dismissed the win. But you know,
obviously been looking for a long time to try and
get an opportunity and to finally get one now, I
(01:11):
mean it's been just such a wild year of seat
swaps and drivers getting injured things like that. So you know,
I've been ready, I've been making sure I've been ready
for when an opportunity comes up, and it finally has.
So it's going to be a big challenge obviously, just
throwing myself into the season one of the toughest three
tracks of the year. But you know, I'm prepared. I
was lucky enough to have a test just over a
(01:32):
week ago which went really well, and yeah, obviously got
the call up this weekend, so very.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Excited going from Indy next to an Indie car. The
real deal is there is there a big stape up?
Is there a big difference?
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I mean, like, of course, in a few ways there is.
I mean, obviously it's the pinnacle of kind of open
wheel racing, definitely in America, I think worldwide the end
of the car, Quicker is an F one car, right,
so it's quite cool to be, you know, at the
top of kind of the totem pole in terms of motorsport.
And yeah, you know, in a lot of ways, obviously
(02:08):
the car is quicker and obviously it's the hardest competition
in the world. But to be honest, I'm just so
excited and I know I'm ready for it. You know,
it's been something that, like I said, I've been working
for for a long time. But yeah, you know, like
you said that, it's a step up. But what I'm
ready for.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Is this just one off? Or do you think there'll
be more chances that will see you in drives for
the rest of the season.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
For now, it's just a one off opportunity. You know.
How it works this year is I'm only eligible to
race on a road course because I haven't done a
Noble Test yet and there's only this weekend and one
more you know, normal kind of road course as they
call it over here left in the season. So I
want to actually have any other opportunities other than Portland
(02:55):
to do another race this year, and I don't think
as of now anyway, I don't have anything finalized for that,
So as of now it's a one off. But for sure,
you know I was in a perfect world, I'd love
for this to lead to definitely more in the future.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
So Hunter for you your journey to get to Indy Cars,
I guess it started growing up well with your family.
I mean your granddad Rod Mckerray, he was an Oscar
Championship winner in eighty three. Then I remember watching your
dad race Formula Fords around the tracks of New Zealand
and that's where you started in a way, really, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, it's super cool. I mean I was lucky enough.
I added some carting and things like that, but I
never fully you know, it was a big go karter.
But I properly started racing in South Island form of
the Ford. So me and my granddad toured around in
the South Island with a trailer and as Sue, you
drove around and I raced straight from the Ford in
Queensland after that a little bit as well, but I
(03:48):
really made my debut in racing in South Island for
on the Ford. So yeah, Indy car in South Island
for the Ford is obviously far away, but you know
that's why I around my lay the ground one for
what was to come in the future. So pretty proud
of that.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
And you won the Australian Formula Forward Series in twenty eighteen,
so that's pretty cool too.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, it was mega. I mean I'm actually the first
Kiwi to actually win the former Ford Championship, the Australian
form of Fold Championship. That is so yeah, pretty proud
of that. Obviously. To be slain the flag for the
Kiwis and you know, to four of us in the
field is pretty wild to say, to be honest, especially
considering how small our country is. So definitely a proud
(04:30):
moment for me. And yeah, hopefully you know, in future,
in a perfect world for me, I definitely want to
pushing for a full time ride, so I don't want
to just make it a one off, but you know,
obviously for me, it's a huge opportunity in a great start.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
You've been racing in the Impster Endurance Cup and the
LMP two class with TDS Racing. How have you found
racing endurance races?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It's been awesome, honestly. I mean, you know, I'm not
going to lie. At the end of last year, when
it seemed like I was going to have no full
time opportunities in IndyCar, it was obviously something that I
was for sure disappointed about, but I kind of had
to go, Okay, you know, number one, I need to
drive something, and number two, I need a job. So
I've been lucky enough to you know, make a living
(05:16):
and pay my bills driving race cars, which is obviously
the original dream, and I've actually really enjoyed it. You know,
It's very different to what I'm used to, but I've
been so used to in the kind of junior categories,
just sprint races, so just so fixated on just one
lap speed because it's hard to pass, and then there's
no strategy that you can kind of play around with
(05:37):
to try and make positions up either, so you get
very very kind of single focused on purely lap time
and qualifying, whereas when you go race and durance, I
don't really care about one lap. It's all about being
good over a stint, looking after the car, looking after tires,
that if your pid stops, driver changes all this new stuff.
So it really kind of made me take a step back,
(05:59):
maybe in and look at the bigger picture of how
to get a result in a race. And obviously IndyCar
isn't necessarily sprint racing at all. You know, it's obviously
very one lap dependent and important with qualifying, but there's
a you know, eighty five lap race which roughly hour
to hour and forty five it kind of takes to
a race, so there's a lot more factors that are
(06:23):
needed to be made sure in line to get a
result other than just doing one quick lap. So I
think the endurance stuff's actually really helped me. And yeah,
I'm really looking forward to taking an IndyCar race off
and seeing if there's you know, much correlation between the
two in the.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Streets of Toron. You have you ever raced in any
class there before?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, so I raced there in twenty nineteen and had
a podium there on new esepted out, so good to have
a little bit of success there before, and it's been
a really cool event I've always watched. So I was
lucky enough to do some laps in the simulator about
two weeks ago, so pretty happy to do that. Obviously,
being a street track, it's very hard. It's impossible actually
(07:07):
the test there. So every year you rock up and
it's a brand new track and a brand new you
know surface for everyone, so it's not like a normal
track where you come back and it's the same. It's
guys that are putting walls up every year, so there's
always slight little differences and things like that. To take
care of and you know you're driving actually on city roads,
so the roads change a lot year to year with
(07:28):
the harsh winters and things like that, so it's a
fun challenge.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Fantastic and obviously the Americans love the kiwis, with the
amount of kiwis having great success in the IndyCar series
as well. So we wish you the best of Black
Hunter on the weekend.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Thank you very much, mate, appreciate it.
Talking Motorsport now on the show where the IndyCar Circus
heads to Toronto the streets of Toronto this weekend for
the next round and the kiwis in the field will
go from three to four this weekend with Canterbury's Hunter
mclray joining Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin and Marcus Armstrong on
the grid which is pretty exciting. And the man himself
(00:22):
joins us on the show this morning, Hunter maclarray. Morning Hunter,
and first off, congratulations.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Thanks very much mate. Obviously extremely excited to finally get
in the car. It's been a long time coming. So yeah,
so excited to finally make my debut in IndyCar.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
So the debut in IndyCar with Dale con racing the
number eighteen Honda for this coming weekend. Talk us through
Hunter how it came about.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Honestly, I mean all year I've been pushing so hard
to try and get an opportunity. Obviously, I've spent the
last two years in Indie Lights which is now known
as Indy Next One, a lot of races. Second the
championship last year unfortunately dismissed the win. But you know,
obviously been looking for a long time to try and
get an opportunity and to finally get one now, I
(01:11):
mean it's been just such a wild year of seat
swaps and drivers getting injured things like that. So you know,
I've been ready, I've been making sure I've been ready
for when an opportunity comes up, and it finally has.
So it's going to be a big challenge obviously, just
throwing myself into the season one of the toughest three
tracks of the year. But you know, I'm prepared. I
was lucky enough to have a test just over a
(01:32):
week ago which went really well, and yeah, obviously got
the call up this weekend, so very.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Excited going from Indy next to an Indie car. The
real deal is there is there a big stape up?
Is there a big difference?
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I mean, like, of course, in a few ways there is.
I mean, obviously it's the pinnacle of kind of open
wheel racing, definitely in America, I think worldwide the end
of the car, Quicker is an F one car, right,
so it's quite cool to be, you know, at the
top of kind of the totem pole in terms of motorsport.
And yeah, you know, in a lot of ways, obviously
(02:08):
the car is quicker and obviously it's the hardest competition
in the world. But to be honest, I'm just so
excited and I know I'm ready for it. You know,
it's been something that, like I said, I've been working
for for a long time. But yeah, you know, like
you said that, it's a step up. But what I'm
ready for.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Is this just one off? Or do you think there'll
be more chances that will see you in drives for
the rest of the season.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
For now, it's just a one off opportunity. You know.
How it works this year is I'm only eligible to
race on a road course because I haven't done a
Noble Test yet and there's only this weekend and one
more you know, normal kind of road course as they
call it over here left in the season. So I
want to actually have any other opportunities other than Portland
(02:55):
to do another race this year, and I don't think
as of now anyway, I don't have anything finalized for that,
So as of now it's a one off. But for sure,
you know I was in a perfect world, I'd love
for this to lead to definitely more in the future.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
So Hunter for you your journey to get to Indy Cars,
I guess it started growing up well with your family.
I mean your granddad Rod Mckerray, he was an Oscar
Championship winner in eighty three. Then I remember watching your
dad race Formula Fords around the tracks of New Zealand
and that's where you started in a way, really, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, it's super cool. I mean I was lucky enough.
I added some carting and things like that, but I
never fully you know, it was a big go karter.
But I properly started racing in South Island form of
the Ford. So me and my granddad toured around in
the South Island with a trailer and as Sue, you
drove around and I raced straight from the Ford in
Queensland after that a little bit as well, but I
(03:48):
really made my debut in racing in South Island for
on the Ford. So yeah, Indy car in South Island
for the Ford is obviously far away, but you know
that's why I around my lay the ground one for
what was to come in the future. So pretty proud
of that.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
And you won the Australian Formula Forward Series in twenty eighteen,
so that's pretty cool too.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, it was mega. I mean I'm actually the first
Kiwi to actually win the former Ford Championship, the Australian
form of Fold Championship. That is so yeah, pretty proud
of that. Obviously. To be slain the flag for the
Kiwis and you know, to four of us in the
field is pretty wild to say, to be honest, especially
considering how small our country is. So definitely a proud
(04:30):
moment for me. And yeah, hopefully you know, in future,
in a perfect world for me, I definitely want to
pushing for a full time ride, so I don't want
to just make it a one off, but you know,
obviously for me, it's a huge opportunity in a great start.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
You've been racing in the Impster Endurance Cup and the
LMP two class with TDS Racing. How have you found
racing endurance races?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It's been awesome, honestly. I mean, you know, I'm not
going to lie. At the end of last year, when
it seemed like I was going to have no full
time opportunities in IndyCar, it was obviously something that I
was for sure disappointed about, but I kind of had
to go, Okay, you know, number one, I need to
drive something, and number two, I need a job. So
I've been lucky enough to you know, make a living
(05:16):
and pay my bills driving race cars, which is obviously
the original dream, and I've actually really enjoyed it. You know,
It's very different to what I'm used to, but I've
been so used to in the kind of junior categories,
just sprint races, so just so fixated on just one
lap speed because it's hard to pass, and then there's
no strategy that you can kind of play around with
(05:37):
to try and make positions up either, so you get
very very kind of single focused on purely lap time
and qualifying, whereas when you go race and durance, I
don't really care about one lap. It's all about being
good over a stint, looking after the car, looking after tires,
that if your pid stops, driver changes all this new stuff.
So it really kind of made me take a step back,
(05:59):
maybe in and look at the bigger picture of how
to get a result in a race. And obviously IndyCar
isn't necessarily sprint racing at all. You know, it's obviously
very one lap dependent and important with qualifying, but there's
a you know, eighty five lap race which roughly hour
to hour and forty five it kind of takes to
a race, so there's a lot more factors that are
(06:23):
needed to be made sure in line to get a
result other than just doing one quick lap. So I
think the endurance stuff's actually really helped me. And yeah,
I'm really looking forward to taking an IndyCar race off
and seeing if there's you know, much correlation between the
two in the.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Streets of Toron. You have you ever raced in any
class there before?
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Yeah, so I raced there in twenty nineteen and had
a podium there on new esepted out, so good to have
a little bit of success there before, and it's been
a really cool event I've always watched. So I was
lucky enough to do some laps in the simulator about
two weeks ago, so pretty happy to do that. Obviously,
being a street track, it's very hard. It's impossible actually
(07:07):
the test there. So every year you rock up and
it's a brand new track and a brand new you
know surface for everyone, so it's not like a normal
track where you come back and it's the same. It's
guys that are putting walls up every year, so there's
always slight little differences and things like that. To take
care of and you know you're driving actually on city roads,
so the roads change a lot year to year with
(07:28):
the harsh winters and things like that, so it's a
fun challenge.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Fantastic and obviously the Americans love the kiwis, with the
amount of kiwis having great success in the IndyCar series
as well. So we wish you the best of Black
Hunter on the weekend.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Thank you very much, mate, appreciate it.
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