Nolan Siegel might be a motorsports phenom, but away from the racetrack he’s just another 20-year-old.
Siegel will make his first appearance in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25, as part of the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team. With a victory, Siegel would become the youngest driver to ever win the historic race. (The youngest Indy 500 driver of all-time was A.J. Foyt IV, who competed on his 19th birthday in 2003.)
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly during race week, Siegel explained how he likes to spend his time when he’s not trying to make history while driving hundreds of miles an hour.
“In the summer now I can go golf and play pickleball,” Siegel said. “I have plenty of friends that live close by. Basically the entire IndyCar field lives within 15 minutes of me, so I’ve got plenty of people to go and do things with. It’s been fun.”
The Palo Alto, California native recently made the move to Indianapolis, which he admitted was a bit of a tough transition.
“A lot of the activities that I could do in northern California are no longer options,” he said with a laugh.
Siegel added, “When I first came and started spending a lot of time here, it was like the start of winter. So that was a bit of a shock for sure.”
Once he adjusted — at least as best as he could — to the change in climate, Siegel started taking things into his own hands.
“I got my pilot’s license over the offseason and that’s been a new activity that I’ve really enjoyed,” he said. “That’s been a good, fun thing to do in Indiana.”
Professionally, Siegel finds himself busier than ever. And as his non-racing friends continue to hit certain milestones, he’s been forced to acknowledge that some aspects of his life aren’t quite so normal.
“There are definitely things I’ve missed out on all through school,” Siegel admitted. “Obviously now, all of my friends are in college and I’m missing out on that.”
He continued, “But I do not regret it at all. I wouldn’t trade this for that any day. Yes, there are things that I’m missing out on. But there are plenty of things that I get to do that they don’t get to do.”
One of those things, of course, is the thrill of racing in his first Indianapolis 500, which airs live on Fox Sunday, May 25, at 12:45 p.m. ET.
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