Tackling the Chicane
Episode 178 Recap: IndyCar Markham Mess, Scottish League Cup Drama, and Celtic's Statement Night
There's a lot to unpack in Episode 178, and honestly, the headline act might not even be the thing you clicked for. Yes, IndyCar rolled into Markham, Ontario as a Toronto replacement and delivered a street course that both hosts agree was borderline unnegotiable — more on that hairpin disaster in a minute. But the real story of this episode is Celtic, who put together their best 90 minutes in over a year in a Champions League qualifier that actually went right for once.
Layer on top of that a chaotic Scottish League Cup round 2 slate — an Ayrshire derby that nearly produced a massive upset, plus a straightforward but post-rattling Celtic win over Dundee United — and a lightning-round preview of the Premier League's opening weekend, and you've got a stacked show. This recap walks through the IndyCar Markham race, the Celtic vs LASK Champions League qualifier, the Scottish League Cup round 2 results, and what to watch as the Premier League 2025-26 season kicks off.
By the end of this post, you'll know who won at Markham, why Louis Foster's crash produced maybe the funniest Will Buxton call of the season, how Celtic dismantled LASK 3-0, why Camilo Durán might be the signing of the summer, and which two Scottish clubs the hosts have adopted as their second teams.
IndyCar at Markham: Marcus Ericsson Wins a Race Nobody Will Remember Fondly
Let's get the ugly part out of the way first. IndyCar's Markham, Ontario street race — a stopgap replacement for Toronto — featured a 90-degree hairpin so tight and so fast that it turned nearly every green flag into a demolition derby. The hosts didn't hold back: this wasn't a "challenging corner," as broadcasters tried to frame it, it was a dead end on a straight that nobody could actually negotiate cleanly. Cars stacked up like dominoes every time someone tried a pass there.
The chaos claimed Louis Foster, who had taken pole and led a race-high 32 laps before smashing into the wall trying to pass Marcus Ericsson — producing an all-time Will Buxton call ("Foster gets around... oh no!") that's already made the rounds on social media. Mick Schumacher also tore up his car on the same troublesome bit of wall geometry.
Out of the wreckage, Marcus Ericsson won for the first time in three years, likely saving his Andretti seat in the process. Romain Grosjean finished second yet again — his sixth runner-up finish without a win — and Alex Palou, who crashed in qualifying, salvaged fourth despite commentators treating him like the championship was already wrapped up. Spoiler: it basically is. The takeaway from the hosts is nuanced — IndyCar's overall schedule has never been stronger, but Markham doesn't crack the top five worst street circuits the series has run, and it shouldn't be back for long.
Formula 1 Returns From Summer Break: Dutch Grand Prix and the MGU-K Problem
F1 is back from its summer shutdown with a sprint weekend in the Netherlands, and the hosts spent real time on something bigger than the race itself: why the current hybrid regulations are actively making the racing worse. Pointing to an F1 Fanatic explainer on "super clipping," they break down how the MGU-K's energy harvesting can slow a car mid-straight with zero input from the driver — and how broadcasts often cut away before viewers notice the car doing something inexplicable.
It's a big reason the racing has felt flat this season, and it explains a lot of "why is that car slowing down for no reason" moments fans have puzzled over on TV. The fix already announced for next year — shifting the power split from 50/50 to something closer to 58/42 combustion-to-electric — is a step in the right direction, but neither host expects a full reversal, since manufacturers are too invested in hybrid tech's road-car relevance. As for this weekend: sprint qualifying and the sprint race land Saturday, August 22, with the Grand Prix Sunday at 9:00 AM ET.
Scottish League Cup Round 2 Results: Ayr United's Near-Upset and Celtic's Dundee United Rout
Scottish League Cup round 2 delivered exactly the kind of chaos you want from a cup competition. The headline result: Kilmarnock 3-2 Ayr United in an Ayrshire derby that had the away end packed and roaring. Ayr United, a Championship-tier side, jumped ahead 1-0 through Owen Steerton inside five minutes, got pegged back before half-time, then surged 2-1 up early in the second half through a Ross Taylor rocket. For over half an hour, an upset felt inevitable. Kilmarnock leveled through Larson in the 79th minute, and a goalkeeping fumble ten minutes later let Krasenko net the eventual 3-2 winner. A genuinely great cup tie between rivals who hadn't met in four years.
Celtic, meanwhile, cruised 4-0 away to Dundee United, though "cruised" undersells how many times United rattled the woodwork — five posts and crossbars in total, including two inside the first 15 minutes. Benjamin Nygren opened the scoring with a header off a corner, new signing Camilo Durán got his first Celtic goal, Sebastian Tounekti finally found the net after a quiet 2024-25, and the performance underlined a recurring worry: this defense still looks shaky even in comfortable wins.
Celtic vs LASK: Camilo Durán Delivers in the Champions League Qualifier
If there's one result to build the whole episode around, it's this: Celtic beat LASK 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League playoff qualifier, and it might be the cleanest European performance the club has produced in years. Celtic's history in these qualifiers is notoriously grim — cartoonish defensive collapses, inexplicable results, the wheels coming off at the worst moment. LASK nearly extended that trend immediately, putting the ball in the net inside 28 seconds (ruled offside) and again minutes later (also offside), sending an early jolt of dread through both hosts.
Instead, Celtic settled and took control. Benjamin Nygren — now scoring what the hosts jokingly call his "contractually obligated one goal per game" — opened the scoring in the 26th minute with a half-volley finish. Twelve minutes later, £5 million Colombian signing Camilo Durán, picked up from Karabakh off the back of five Champions League goals last season, scored his first Celtic goal, then added a second in the 67th minute to seal it. Durán, 24, doesn't even prefer playing wide — he's a natural center forward stuck behind big-money summer signing Kasper Hu, who already has a hat trick to his name — but on this evidence, Celtic suddenly have two dynamic center-forward options after a full year of shuffling makeshift forwards. A 3-0 cushion heading into the away leg in Austria is about as good as this fixture could have gone.
Second Team Reveals and Premier League 2025-26 Preview
As promised last episode, both hosts revealed their new "second teams" in the Scottish Premiership. One host picked Kilmarnock — Killie, blue-and-white stripes, Rugby Park, one League Cup title in 2012, and a soft spot dating back to the show's earliest episodes. The other picked Motherwell — yellow-and-amber kit, Fir Park, remarkable top-flight stability since the 1980s, and an absurd bit of trivia: an unofficial 1927 "Copa del Rey" edition in which Motherwell beat Real Madrid 3-1 in Madrid. Premier League second-team reveals were pushed to next episode.
On the Premier League 2025-26 season preview: newly promoted Coventry City (managed by Frank Lampard), Hull City, and Ipswich Town join a top flight where nearly every major club changed managers over the summer — Pep Guardiola is gone from Manchester City (replaced by Enzo Maresca), Liverpool bring in Andoni Iraola, Chelsea hired Xabi Alonso after a 10th-place finish, and Tottenham brought back Roberto De Zerbi after nearly being relegated. Arsenal, defending champions after edging City last season, kick off Friday against Coventry and are the clear favorites to repeat, mostly because everyone else is starting over.
Key Takeaways
- Marcus Ericsson won the IndyCar Markham race for his first victory in three years, but a brutal hairpin turn produced constant carnage, including Louis Foster's race-ending crash while leading.
- F1's MGU-K energy harvesting is quietly slowing cars mid-straight with no driver input — a real explanation for confusing on-track moments broadcasts often cut away from.
- Ayr United nearly upset Kilmarnock in the Scottish League Cup Ayrshire derby before falling 3-2 in a genuinely great cup tie.
- Celtic beat Dundee United 4-0 in the League Cup despite the woodwork being struck five times — a reminder the defense still has issues even in blowout wins.
- Camilo Durán scored twice in Celtic's 3-0 Champions League qualifier win over LASK and looks like a serious talent alongside fellow new signing Kasper Hu.
- Benjamin Nygren has gone from a fan favorite in doubt to arguably Celtic's first name on the team sheet, scoring in nearly every match.
- Arsenal enter the Premier League 2025-26 season as clear title favorites largely because nearly every major rival changed managers over the summer.
Want the full blow-by-blow, including the Will Buxton soundbite that's making the rounds and the "Shite Shifters" sponsor sidebar that derailed the show for a solid two minutes? Give Episode 178 a full listen and subscribe to Tackling the Chicane so you don't miss the next one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the IndyCar race at Markham, Ontario?
Marcus Ericsson won the IndyCar race at Markham, his first victory in three years, likely securing his seat at Andretti Global in the process. Romain Grosjean finished second, extending his streak of runner-up finishes without a win, and championship leader Alex Palou recovered from a qualifying crash to finish fourth.
What happened to Louis Foster in the Markham IndyCar race?
Louis Foster took pole position and led a race-high 32 laps at Markham before crashing into the wall while attempting to pass Marcus Ericsson. The wreck cost him a likely career-best finish and produced a widely shared Will Buxton commentary clip on the broadcast.
What was the final score in the Celtic vs LASK Champions League qualifier?
Celtic beat LASK 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League playoff qualifier. Benjamin Nygren opened the scoring in the 26th minute, and new signing Camilo Durán scored twice, in the 38th and 67th minutes, to give Celtic a commanding lead heading into the second leg in Austria.
Who scored for Celtic against Dundee United in the Scottish League Cup?
Celtic beat Dundee United 4-0 in Scottish League Cup round 2, with goals from Benjamin Nygren, Camilo Durán, and Sebastian Tounekti among the scorers. Dundee United hit the woodwork five times during the match despite the lopsided final score.
What happened in the Ayr United vs Kilmarnock Scottish League Cup match?
Kilmarnock beat Championship side Ayr United 3-2 in a hard-fought Ayrshire derby in Scottish League Cup round 2. Ayr United led 2-1 in the second half before Kilmarnock equalized through Larson and won it late via a Krasenko finish after a goalkeeping error.
When does the Premier League 2025-26 season start?
The Premier League 2025-26 season opens with defending champions Arsenal hosting newly promoted Coventry City, followed by a full slate over the weekend including Hull City vs Manchester United and Newcastle vs Liverpool, both clubs under new management this season.
Episode 178 covers a lot of ground — a genuinely disastrous IndyCar street circuit, an F1 explainer that reframes how you'll watch every race the rest of this season, a Scottish League Cup round 2 slate full of near-upsets, and a Celtic performance in the Champions League qualifier that might finally justify some optimism. If you only take one thing from this recap, take this: Camilo Durán is a name to know, and Celtic's Champions League hopes look a lot brighter tonight than they have in years.
Catch all the detail — including the full Ayrshire derby breakdown, the Kilmarnock and Motherwell second-team origin stories, and the Premier League lightning round — by listening to the full episode.
Listen to the Episode
Catch the full conversation on Episode 178 of Tackling the Chicane, covering IndyCar's messy Markham weekend, the F1 return from summer break in the Netherlands, Scottish League Cup round 2 results, and Celtic's statement win over LASK. Listen to the full episode here.