Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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10 JUNE/JULY 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME UNDER THE DOME The marriage between IndyCar driver James Roe Jr. and the University of Notre Dame is as much a stretch as it is a natural one, in many ways. Roe, who hails from near Dublin, Ireland, is one of the few Irish-born racers to ever compete in the United States. And, as an Indianapolis resi- dent now, the in-state relationship between the professional racer and Fighting Irish football was recently culminated with a unique initiative. On April 18, Notre Dame announced a collab- orative helmet endeavor between Roe and the Irish football program that will be highlighted later this month at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of Indy 500 events. Racing for Andretti Global in the developmental Indy NXT circuit, Roe will don a racing helmet designed to mirror the iconic gold helmets of the Fighting Irish football team when he competes at the IMS road course on May 10 and 11. To ensure authenticity, Roe's racing helmet was carefully produced with the identical painting process used for Notre Dame football. As part of this endeavor, Roe, 25, will return to campus this fall for myriad university events, including a helmet swap at an Irish football game. Blue & Gold Illustrated recently caught up with Roe during his visit for the Blue-Gold Game to talk about this unique relationship, his budding racing career and his impressions of the Notre Dame campus. BGI: What was the catalyst for you and Notre Dame to team up for this helmet initiative? Roe: "My vision was to merge these two fan bases together, to pool Notre Dame's fan base towards becoming IndyCar fans, and vice-versa, to take some IndyCar fans and direct them toward Notre Dame. "The main motivation is to create more exposure for all, and lift the profile for everyone involved." BGI: How did you become involved in racing? Roe: "Racing is kind of in my blood, so growing up the interest was always there for me. The family business back in Ireland is an auto repair shop so I've been around cars since a very young age and I always had a love for it. The sport is like no other." BGI: Andretti Racing is such an iconic name in the sport, what's it like being a part of that team? Roe: "It's huge. It's a fantastic team to drive for. Michael Andretti is an awesome boss from one of the premier racing families. In motorsports terms, the Andretti name is obviously well known. I'm very fortunate to have this opportunity." BGI: What were your first impressions of Notre Dame? Roe: "The only thing I can compare it to is that it's like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on race day. It's so busy with so much going on, yet it's so calm and so quiet. "It's almost an eerie feeling, to a degree. I love how passionate people are there." BGI: What has stood out so far with your new relationship with Notre Dame? Roe: "It's awesome to see and be part of this merger in the relationship with an Irish-born ath- lete competing in North America. That means a lot. And I think seeing the football and the racing communities pull together is awesome. Let's just keep Fighting Irish." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … IndyCar Driver and Ireland native James Roe Jr. Production And Opportunity Made It Gi'Bran Payne By Todd D. Burlage To say that junior tailback Gi'Bran Payne was overshadowed during his first two seasons at Notre Dame would be a grand understatement. This time last year, Payne entered the 2023 season as one of the frontrunners to become the No. 2 option behind junior standout Audric Estimé. Instead, Payne never became much of a rotational regular — though he appeared in all 13 games in 2023 — and he finished only fourth on the Irish with 168 rushing yards on 3.7 yards per carry, the lowest among all Notre Dame tailbacks. Still somewhat lost in the shuffle this preseason even after the departure of Estimé to the NFL, Payne seized his opportunity in the Blue-Gold Game and put himself in line for a more prominent role in the fall when he tied for game-high honors with 10 carries and led all running backs with 58 rushing yards. One spring scrimmage proves little. But the way Payne passed the eye test in the Blue-Gold Game after showing noticeable improvements in speed, shiftiness and patience compared to his first two seasons on the job leaves a great opportunity for him to expand his role. With budding star tailbacks in sophomore Jeremiyah Love and junior Jadarian Price both back and at the top of the tailback depth chart to finish spring, carries for Payne this fall are not guaranteed. But given the effort and production Payne showed in the spring game, he's certainly put himself in a great position to increase his workload, big time. Kenny Minchey Put Himself On The Map By Jack Soble Sophomore quarterback Kenny Minchey didn't play a perfect game April 20. He threw an ill-advised interception to sophomore safety Luke Tal- ich and nearly let another sophomore safety — Ben Minich — pull off a pick six. But he showed something in the Blue-Gold Game, and he put it on tape for all to see. Finishing his second spring with the Irish, Minchey completed 12 of 19 throws for 123 yards with 1 touch- down. He also had 5 rushing attempts for 48 yards and 1 score. Minchey showed why many consider him the "gunslinger" of Notre Dame's quarterback room, and why that's an endearing term. Minchey is adept at making plays with his legs, but his electric arm really jumped off the tape. He threw a 26-yard over-the- shoulder dime to freshman wideout Micah Gilbert for a touchdown, and he couldn't really step into the throw. With his spring game performance, Minchey accomplished two things. First, he reminded both Irish fans and his coaches that he can be Notre Dame's long-term answer at quarterback with four years of eligibility remaining. Second, if that does not happen, he dramatically increased his chances of starting elsewhere. If Minchey entered the transfer portal before the Blue-Gold Game, teams would have very little college tape to review. Now, other schools have seen what he can do. That's not a scenario Notre Dame fans want to think about, but it's reality in college football. If Minchey is not the eventual starter in South Bend, he will be somewhere else. The spring game helped ensure that. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHO HELPED THEMSELVES MOST IN THE BLUE-GOLD GAME? Roe will don a racing helmet designed to mirror the iconic gold helmets of the Fighting Irish football team. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS PAYNE MINCHEY