DiscoverIt's Not the CarShelby Cobras, Kimi Räikkönen, and Suspension Cork-Sniffing
Shelby Cobras, Kimi Räikkönen, and Suspension Cork-Sniffing

Shelby Cobras, Kimi Räikkönen, and Suspension Cork-Sniffing

Update: 2025-11-04
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How did Ross and a young Kimi Räikkönen end up sharing a fancy London apartment? After 20 years of testing fast cars for a living, which one still makes Sam misty? What really went wrong with Ross’s IndyCar career?

Answers to these questions—and more!—in this episode. Probably! Yes!

Every so often, INTC does a listener Q+A show. We call that format “NO DUMB QUESTIONS.” This isn’t that. This is Ross and Sam running a weird almost-gameshow and answering uncomfy questions from each other under pressure. 

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IN THIS EP: Ross and Kimi — A brake line bursting open in 70-mph L.A. traffic — Ross’s favorite street cars (and why) — How balance is the only thing that matters — a 289 Shelby Cobra — The time Ross watched a Concorde take off from the cockpit of a 747 on final approach — and more!

This show’s format rotates weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “SOME DUMB QUESTIONS.”

This episode was produced by Sam Smith.

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Who We Are + Spicy Merch:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ItsNotTheCar.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think!

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Check out Sam's book!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Where to find us:

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ABOUT THE SHOW:

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, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.

We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.

New episodes every Tuesday.

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Shelby Cobras, Kimi Räikkönen, and Suspension Cork-Sniffing

Shelby Cobras, Kimi Räikkönen, and Suspension Cork-Sniffing

Sam Smith, Ross Bentley, Jeff Braun