David Letterman is the longest-running late night talk show host in history, having hosted 6,028 episodes of late-night shows according to Time Magazine. So, the transition to IndyCar racing may seem strange for the uninitiated.

Letterman signed off from his eponymous show in 2015. Today, he and partner Bobby Rahal co-own what is now Rahal Letterman Lanigan alongside former co-owner of Newman Haas Lanigan Racing, Mike Lanigan. They work with their racers, Graham Rahal, Devlin DeFrancesco, Louis Foster, and a multitude of engineers, mechanics, and support staff on the team.

“I just love the activity of humans controlling mechanical beasts,” said Letterman.

“The fact that a human, you, me could theoretically control it, I find the romance of that empowering,”

Letterman took a break from festivities during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg for an exclusive interview with Spartan News Network to talk about his trajectory from television writer to the owner of an IndyCar team.

Born in Indianapolis, Ind., – home to the Indianapolis 500 – Letterman fell in love with the world of IndyCar as a boy.

In college at Ball State University, he got a job at a television station, starting out his entertainment career with comedy. He later started writing for television, his exposure granting him appearances on NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson’, becoming a regular guest host, according to Bibliography.

His own show, The David Letterman Show, debuted in 1980. Though the show lasted for a few months, it was a success. NBC saw potential in Letterman, and soon the young comedian got a late-night show of his own.

Letterman’s new show quickly became a hit with younger audiences, as his deadpan and sarcastic humor was unconventional for the time. By the late 1980s,

‘The Late Night with David Letterman’ was popular, and Letterman was cemented as a household name.

Letterman met many people through his work, including 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal. They quickly became close friends.

Letterman expressed an interest in becoming involved in IndyCar, and he became a co-owner of Team Rahal in 1996. Eight years later, the team changed its name to Rahal Letterman Racing.

But being a co-owner of an IndyCar team isn’t easy. First you need money; these cars aren’t cheap.

IndyCar teams typically made money from sponsorships, receiving funding in exchange for advertising the company on the cars.

Money from cigarette companies dried up after the health risks of smoking hit the mainstream, and alcohol money dried up soon after for similar reasons. For Letterman, raising money meant going door to door, and being on the phone year-round.

“It was more affordable as a sport then than it is today,” he said.

Being co-owner also opened his eyes to the danger of being behind the wheel.

Driver Paul Dana’s death in 2006 at a hospital after an accident on the track was sobering for Letterman.

“It is sadly, what is fundamental to the romanticness of the sport,” Letterman said.

Drivers must stay in top physical shape to be able to withstand the forces of driving the vehicles. Though most start in their childhood with similar motorsports to lower the learning curve, injury is a real threat even with drivers like Graham Rahal, who has reached his 19th year of IndyCar racing.

“Physically, it’s very demanding,” said Graham Rahal. “A guy at my size, there’s a lot of cardiovascular work.”

Of course, being a co-owner of an IndyCar team has its benefits. Much thought goes into these teams, from fuel, to engines and the cars.

Although the chassis of the cars are the same, a key difference between IndyCar and the custom-built Formula 1 cars, each one is configured to the driver’s size and preference.

Suspension, weight, steering wheel and pedal position are all factors engineers take into consideration. The smallest of advantages can make or break a win, and espionage is a legitimate concern for the teams.

“It’s a thrill for me to see these people going about their jobs,” said Letterman.

And winning isn’t too bad, either.

“For one moment, you’re Dave,” said Letterman, after recalling one of the team’s wins. “And for the next moment you’re part of the Indianapolis 500, and it’s like you’re on a cloud.”

For Letterman, the romance of the race isn’t just the wins, or the cars. It’s the life lessons.

“[It’s] an excellent metaphor for life,” he said. “You gotta be in the car, you gotta be at the flag.