Robin Miller's Mailbag for December 24 presented by Honda Racing/HPD

And if you have a question about the technology side of racing, remember that Marshall Pruett tackles them in his Tech Mailbags. Please send tech questions to PruettsTechMailbag@Racer.com.

Q: Loved the first installment of Tough Guys and so glad to see my homeboy Lee Kunzman (I'm originally from Dubuque, about an hour south of Guttenberg) up next with Gary B. I'm sure you have Mel Kenyon and Herk already on the list, too, but don't forget about Mike Mosley, Danny Ongais and Pancho Carter. Mosley gets badly burned at Indy two years in a row and returns in '73 to get a face-full of burning fuel from the spinning car of Salt Walther on the first lap. The dude gets his car fixed and is strapped in for the restart, like there was no question he wouldn't! Pancho survived many vicious crashes and injuries in sprint, midgets and Indy cars and always came back on the gas, and Ongais seemed to be afraid of absolutely nothing.
Steve, Eden Prairie, MN

ABOVE: Mosley at Indy in 1979 (IMS photo)

RM: They don’t make ‘em like A.J., Pelican Joe, Kunzman, Gary B. and Herk anymore. I always marveled at their spirit and the fact they never complained – they just kept racing.

Q: I was never a real A.J. fan but there's no denying his stellar record in many disciplines. Even at 80, the guy is tougher than a $2 steak. I think IMS needs to make Super Tex the 2015 pace car driver. If not A.J., then Sam Schmidt in a reprisal of his emotional and inspirational stint last year. Tell the suits at 16th &  Georgetown to make one of these happen. Surely they can't screw this up, can they?
Mike DeQuardo, Waukesha, WI

RM: A.J. drove the pace car a couple years ago so I don’t think he’s going to do it again but Sam would be a cool choice, or Uncle Bobby (1975) or Danny Sullivan (1985). But I’d get Jimmy Fallon or Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert because they could promote Indy to the younger generation.  

That said, innovation captures the imagination, storytelling captures the spirit and together they are the hook that brings in an audience. I love Rodriguez’s suggestion that the season end with the “500” rather than be a huge race somewhere near the first third of the season. He’s right –  the biggest race of the year should be the “500” and let’s face it, the world only tunes into that race.

The only flaw I can see in that is it ignores a large cold-weather fan base be it in Canada, upper midwest or northeast. I’d be even more radical and say start the season in January in warm climates in the U.S., Australia, and South America and then (yikes!) move the “500” to Labor Day (don’t shoot me!) and give September through December time to innovate. Sure you’re overlapping F1 but IndyCar could schedule heavy in August during the F1 break as a nice lead in to the Indy 500.

Bottom line, Diego Rodriguez is the type of innovator IndyCar needs to survive. I suspect he isn’t going to leave his company anytime soon but he makes a lot of sense; any chance IndyCar can hire him as a consultant?
Chris, Rochester, NY

RM: I think we were all impressed with his vision and making Indy the season finale would at least assure a big crowd, decent TV ratings and an atmosphere. I guess the trick would be keeping people engaged in June-July-August and then waiting six months for the season to resume. The IRL tried ending its first season at Indy and it had no impact, but it was only three races and people were too pissed off to care about it anyway. If the Boston Consulting Group recommended him, I’m sure Mark Miles would consider it.

ABOVE: The Cummins Diesel at Indy in 1952 (IMS photo)

Q: I can't say how much RACER should be praised for the article by Diego Rodriguez. Finally a person who makes sense. (Perhaps because I agree with him on almost every point). IndyCar spent $1,200,000 with Boston Consulting and they got straight horse poop, and no real vision.

I just read and watched a video of the new Duke axial engine. Wouldn't you love to see someone try to bring one to Indy in a few years? Is there a chance 16th &  Georgetown might listen?
One last thing: ending the season at Indy is brilliant! The Grim Reaper might finally climb in his casket and close the lid.
Grinning Reaper

RM: That seals it, if The Grim Reaper approves, it must be brilliant. But I haven’t met anyone yet who didn’t agree with much of what Diego proposed. His look at television vs. the internet might scare some people but he’s probably predicting the future. And his technology platform should be a must read for IndyCar.

RM: I think when a four-time Indy winner speaks, then IndyCar management should listen. Making the cars more difficult to drive because they are beasts used to be a way of life at Indianapolis. And, as you note, close racing hasn’t done anything for attendance or ratings so why not try something else?  

Q: I think that IndyCar needs a long-term strategy for building a fan base. It obviously isn’t going to happen overnight. And they need to be targeting a younger audience that will grow with the sport. And – there’s going to be a marketing budget – so they can’t break the bank. So I think of grass roots.

I keep hearing about a lack of interest in cars in the younger generation. I think there is a window of age 15-18 where kids are REALLY interested in cars. They are more aware of them just because they can’t wait to drive or because driving is new to them. Target this group. In every city that has a race, IndyCar should host a FREE karting night (or nights) at a local go-kart track. You must be 15-20 to get in. Promote it on social media. Send six to eight IndyCar drivers to just hang out with whoever comes. Graham, Josef, Marco, RHR, Justin –  hell, send Mario! Talk, laugh, race karts with them, introduce them to the sport! Send a show car that kids can sit in. Bring the street-legal two-seater and give free rides with an IndyCar driver. Set up driving video games so people can compete against IndyCar drivers. Give every person who comes two FREE general admission tickets and paddock tickets to the race.

Make a personal connection with youth in the community. Give them a reason to care. A reason to have a favorite driver. A reason to find it on TV. A reason to want to come pay to see the race the next year. Does this make a big enough dent over a few years to make it worthwhile?     
Mark, Littleton, CO
 
RM: Absolutely, I think this kind of interaction is much more effective than an autograph session where people are herded in and out as fast as possible. When I was a kid we were able to meet our drivers after the races because they didn’t have motorhomes and they would hang out. Your idea is exactly how drivers could make fans in a short amount of time. But IndyCar’s idea of a great promotion is putting an Indy car on a hoist and lowering it on New Year’s Eve in downtown Indy. Yeah, that makes a lot of new fans.
 
Q: Many of us have written you about innovation at Indy, rather the lack of, and you have commented on it as well. Darrick's letter in the last Mailbag got me thinking about it again. It takes a smart person to do great things with a small budget or even a large one and that has been the hallmark of racing all over the world.

Jim Hall, the greatest innovator of American racing (sorry Smokey, you are surely number two) showed that you could out think the competition without breaking the bank (see moveable high wings and vacuums). We have had FWD Millers and a turbine car, that, if it had not broken down, would probably have set the mark in racing for years to come. 

In 1980 Roger Rager took a block from a school bus and outqualified, let's see, A.J. Foyt, Gordon Johncock, Danny Ongais, the Whittington brothers, Dick Simon, Gary Bettenhausen, and Tom Sneva. And how about the Buick V6s and the pushrod 209? Most readers may forget that there was more than one 209 developed for Indy in 1994 (see Greenfield Indy 209). I am a hardcore environmentalist but I get so tired of racing trying to be "green"; it is bad enough to limit fuel but to do what F1 is doing with massively expensive and complex "power units" with restricted fuel flow is nuts. You can race an entire season in F1, NASCAR, and Indy combined on the amount of fuel California uses in a DAY!

Which brings me to the 1952 pole at Indy won by the Cummins diesel which had the same kind of bad luck as the STP turbine. If you want to get some new "blood" at Indy, make that blood diesel fuel. If you want Audi and Peugeot to come to Indy (and maybe even VW) try offering a diesel option; sports car racing made it work with spectacular results as Audi and Peugeot simply said we run diesels or we don't run at all. If you want to be "green" about it, make the fuel bio-diesel derived from the oil used to cook the french fries at the speedway.
Tom in Waco

RM: I was part of a media panel discussion the other day at the PRI show and somebody said that it wasn’t about the cars but rather the drivers. He’s not old enough to know what Indy was like in the 1960s and 1970s but of course the cars, and more importantly the ideas, were as much the attraction of Indianapolis as the brave men driving them.

Would that spirit of adventure and innovation bring back the crowds? It couldn’t hurt but I would suggest that it might be the only thing to revive interest among the automobile crowd and national magazines and casual observer. And run what ya brung might also be the only way we’ll ever see more than 33 cars.

Q: For the record, I'm a huge IndyCar fan under 30 years old...I just want your older, wiser and grumpier readers to know that we do exist! The on-track action is the best in the world, the drivers are more interesting than the cardboard-cutout personalities in NASCAR, save for four or five guys, and I'm excited to see where this series goes in the next 5-10 years, because I think it's really turning a corner. (Is it too late to hire Diego Rodriguez, by the way?)

Anyway, I agree that as good as the DW12 has been in terms of quality racing, we're missing out on the innovation that used to carry the sport. Innovation is expensive, however, and that's not something that the teams can handle right now; I get that. What if the series were to implement a "salary cap" on the car? Let's say, teams wouldn't be allowed to spend more than $1.5 million on a single chassis/engine/aero package, everything but the tires. Otherwise, feel free to design the car however you like. The innovation would come through teams having to be more efficient than their competitors, with a limited but equal budget. I'm sure this has been discussed before, by people smarter than me, so feel free to explain why this couldn't work.
Greg Gorham, Palatine, Ill.

RM: First off, nice to know there are younger fans out there. The real problem with your suggestion, if you advocated free thinking, would be policing the teams on spending. There was supposed to be a cap with the new cars and engines but it’s escalated and this is a spec car with all the parts going through Dallara. I like your concept, it’s just easier said than done.  

Q: Longtime reader and big fan. Seems like everyone and their dog has an idea of how to better market IndyCar. Isn't at least part of the issue that these guys spend so little time racing anything, that the majority of the drivers are unknown even among race fans? Old school guys used to fill their calendar with as many events and in as many formulae as they could, not just to keep the skills sharp, but because they genuinely loved it. They were heroes and a lot of their acclaim was due to this versatility.

There's no shortage of talent among the new crop but the adventurous spirit is gone, outside of the odd sports car race. If you follow these guys’ social feeds, they seem to spend a massive amount of time everywhere but in a car. Would it really be that hard for these guys to reach out to more World of Outlaws, midget, SCCA, late model and more TUSCC owners to get some seat time and some eyeballs on IndyCar?
Adam Sabah

RM: You make an excellent point. I watched Jim Hurtubise, Parnelli and A.J. at Terre Haute, Salem, the Indiana State Fairgrounds, IRP and IMS. Besides being front and center from April through September, they were also racing 40-50 times which made them sharp and versatile as hell. Today’s IndyCar drivers want to run more but, other than a couple sports car races, where would they go? Besides, most of the paid ones have binding contracts. We can’t even get Ryan Hunter-Reay and Scott Dixon in the Chili Bowl.       

Q: So here's an idea that I think makes sense, so it will never happen. Regarding the Indy 500 and adding the luster back. Step 1) Open up the rulebook to all forms of engines/chassis etc. Step 2) Keep the double points etc. Step 3) Only award points to the cars following the "normal" rule book.  Step 4) Increase the purse overall but award it to any car competing.

Now imagine this scenario. Penske is running his four cars plus a development team with a rookie in a turbine. The turbine quickly becomes the odds on favorite for race day. What to do? Put Helio in the turbine in an attempt for his fourth “500” win and move the rookie to Helio’s "normal" car in order to evaluate his talent better? Or keep Helio in his car with an eye towards the double points and his first IndyCar championship?

Theoretically you are choosing between being rewarded with a win or rewarded with a huge points boost. That's just one possible scenario, but the idea is to mix it up with technology AND strategy choices. What do you think?
Tim Elder

RM: I think if you made it an “all skate” and paid $10 million to win you would have ideas and cars coming out of the woodwork. I like your idea about points for the regulars but the purse has to be enticing enough that McLaren or Carlin or Tony Stewart or Rob Dyson could get a return on their investment. Good food for thought.   

Q: Though Formula E hasn't been embraced by everyone in the racing community, one thing I think they're doing right is their one-day-show model. Practice, qualifying, and the race all in one afternoon. I think this would be perfect for IndyCar on the larger ovals since there's really no viable support series to run without reconfiguring whatever track the series is at, which track owners won't be too receptive to.

I was at Pocono in July (ABOVE, LAT photo), and while I loved it and will go back next August, my dollar is not the one ICS should be chasing. (I'm a dedicated fan. If there's a race nearby, I'm going to it.) If ICS wants to get the casual fans in the grandstands, there needs to be something on track throughout the day. A one-day event would cut costs and make sure there's no boredom.
Pat Stager, Philadelphia

RM: Right on, Pat. I think I’ve written and said it on TV about 100 times in the past few years. Not one oval track promoter makes money on a practice/qualifying day so a single-day show saves them money and ramps up the energy. The teams also save money. A fan shows up at 9 a.m. and it’s non-stop action with an hour break between qualifying the race. They did it at Milwaukee and Phoenix forever and it worked. 

Q: I was thinking about some ways for IndyCar to attract new and maybe younger audiences and wanted to get your thoughts. Has IndyCar reached out to Facebook, Instagram, Apple, or Nikon to sponsor a race? Imagine a scenario where the race is called the “Nikon and Instagram present the IndyCar Grand Prix at Road America.” Then Nikon and Instagram can set up, say, six viewing platforms around the track. Each viewing platform can have representatives showing people how to better take photos with their camera or their smartphone and then posting those photos to their social media sites.
Another idea I have to attract new and younger audiences is to contact Formula E.

Formula E would not be the main attraction but would be another support race to add more racing to the schedule. With a trend to different types of racing, I would propose a race day Sunday schedule of Indy Lights race at 9:00 a.m., the Formula E race at 11:00 a.m. and the main event IndyCar race at 2:00 p.m. local time. I feel that the advertising window would be even larger with Formula E on the schedule. It might even draw an extra 10,000 fans to the race and maybe more for TV. These things just might work out if given a chance and hoping that Samsung or Twitter might want to get in on a different type of advertising than what they are currently doing.
Denny Z., Dallas, TX

RM: I don’t know the answer Denny but I sent your question to Jay Frye of IndyCar. Obviously, the Facebook 500 would receive lots of free publicity and promotion in addition to reaching millions of newbies that have no idea what an Indy car is or looks like.  

Q: I find it odd in IndyCar that the racers have little to no responsibilities to the sponsors. Seems like in F1 and stock car (other series as well) that race drivers have two full-time jobs, which is racing and marketing their sponsors; when they are not racing they are making appearances. How exciting would it be if Rahal was doing donuts in the parking lot instead of signing autographs and handing out coupons at NTB dealerships. You would think they would want to make more money similar to Danica, who earned it through popularity rather than race craft. 

I know that you mentioned that Scott Dixon was walking around PRI without a crowd, but you have to wonder how many times he has pounded the payment to become popular (can you imagine a burnout contest in a Target parking lot with Dixon leading the charge?).

Regardless of what series Rusty Wallace is in, he knows the old-school way of lighting up a room and getting the needed attention. Perhaps Rossi and Daly should try the approach of lighting up crowds and proving they will bring a crowd and attention. Think of how many hits Ken Block gets on his YouTube videos. Attendance can be drawn with the right driver; someone needs to step up.
Paul Hirsch, Erie, Pa.

RM: IndyCar drivers do plenty of off-track sponsor promoting – all the Penske drivers for Verizon, Graham for the National Guard, Dixie and T.K. for Target and Sato and Hawksworth for ABC Supply. Scott said the other day Target was shooting a new commercial with him so that’s the big key to exposure and that’s what NASCAR has in spades.

Q: Let’s say hypothetically five or six new drivers have sponsorship for a full year. Are engines and chassis available?
Vincent Martinez, Arcadia, CA

RM: Given enough of a warning and if they’re divided somewhat evenly, yes.

Q: Why haven't we seen any news on testing in Sebring?
Don Dahler

RM: All hush-hush because of aero kits.     

Q: IndyCar has its finale Aug. 30 at Sonoma. Indy Lights is not on that card, but finishes their season two weeks later with two races as an undercard for the Pirelli World Challenge weekend at Laguna Seca. I predict this will be a successful weekend for Mazda Raceway in that this is the first time open-wheel racers have attacked Laguna in anger since the DP01 test (ABOVE, LAT photo). This is part of the Mazda Road to Indy, so it’s a natural fit.

With a sexy new car, I’m wondering if the future holds for more standalone weekends for Indy Lights? This may be IndyCar throwing a bone to Laguna, but I could see other possible venues where sending Lights alone for a support race, or even a feature would be a good business plan and keep venues wanting IndyCar in the game. And maybe go the NASCAR Nationwide route and give the series a name that doesn’t call attention to the fact that this is a lower formula series, as in, get rid of “Lights”? This car reminds me of what A1GP brought to Laguna [when there was snow on the Corkscrew].
Paul, Carmel, CA

RM: That Laguna weekend is a nice mix of competition and gives Lights a chance to be a big headliner instead of a stepchild. So, in the right circumstance (maybe a prelim to an IMSA show), yes it could be good for Dan Andersen’s series. IndyCar has talked about returning to Laguna Seca but probably can’t run both Sonoma and Monterey. It would be good if one of the Lights teams running an IndyCar too was able to take along one of its IndyCars and a star driver to do some demo laps.

ABOVE: Paul Tracy, win or bust. (LAT photo)

Q: You’ve probably got some e-mails about the latest Formula E race in Uruguay. But the reason you got those e-mails really has little to do with FE technology, the drivers or the quality of racing. You received them simply because they are the only kind of open-wheel racing that’s on TV right now: In the dead of winter; the traditional off-season.

OW fans go through withdrawal about this time of year and the first IndyCar race is still three months away. If IndyCar wants to build an audience, why not race in the winter? It’s currently 73 degrees in Sebring FL, 70 and sunny in Austin, Texas and a sultry 68 in Fontana Calif. Racing in the South and West in the winter would free up the schedule in the spring and summer to race in the Midwest; the heart of the IndyCar fan base. Racing on American soil in the winter: Is the idea too bold for Milquetoast Miles to even contemplate?
Don, Chardon, Ohio

RM: No doubt Formula E has received a lot more attention because it’s the only show in town right now. But they’re playing football right now, so no chance Miles would consider it.

Q: Verizon should bring down the hammer on IndyCar for the idiot schedule ending in August or Labor Day. Money talks. Also, the drivers demanding rolling starts, single-file restarts, etc., and they whine about the poor attendance and TV ratings. All they do is kick the fans in the teeth and tell us to suck doorknobs. Wake up! Give US what WE want. New drivers are lined up to take their place if they can’t handle it.
Donald McElvain, Polson, Montana

RM: Not sure how Verizon looks at the short season but it would be good to know. I know a couple of people that told me a potential sponsor evaporated when it learned the season ended in August.  But, since Verizon spends millions in the NFL, maybe it’s happy with the way things are right now. Sometimes drivers don’t know what’s good for them.   

Q: The schedule is not what we all hoped for but any recent traction on additions for 2016? May sound early but I think they need to nail some of this down before Indy to help generate buzz and give fans/pundits something new to talk about between Indy and the start of football (LOL).

Also, I have not read much but am I the only one who cannot stand listening to those Formula E cars? I would not take free tickets to watch those cars and the sound reminds me of when I was 12 and got my first RC car.
Mike Nicholas, Fishers, IN

RM: I don’t think it’s a secret that a Boston street race is way past the talking stage and I guess Dubai still has a chance but that’s all I’ve heard so far. Question: Do Formula E drivers wear earplugs?

RM: P.T. was a force of nature and a little bit of a throwback because he usually said whatever he felt like, feared no one and drove like it was his last day on earth. Like Dario said, he was never boring.

Q: I'm not sure if or when this has been discussed before, but I get so incredibly frustrated watching IndyCar, and maybe it's all series', but saving fuel seems like a prominent discussion on all IndyCar broadcasts and even the Indy 500. Talk about a buzz-kill. Who watches racing to watch people save fuel? Who cares about the winner if all he did was drive just slow enough to save that last drop for the last lap or two. That's not racing. The last thing I want to hear about in the first few laps of a race is what fuel strategy a driver's on or the phrase "conserving fuel." Especially the Indy 500.

Talk of fuel and "saving fuel" is even more maddening to me than NASCAR's insistence that every race end under green and the endless "green, white, checker" manufactured drama. No wonder to me that racing suffers now. I couldn't care less about watching a race during which the winner gets to victory lane by having a softer pedal foot than someone else. I want to see guys race. I want to see drivers lead and run up front rather than sit back so they can conserve fuel. This has ruined racing for me.
Rob, Indianapolis

RM: I hear you and I agree that nothing is more irritating than “saving fuel” talk on lap 6 but, unfortunately, it’s usually a big part of the plot. And saving it like Scott Dixon can is an art. Funny though, I never heard A.J. or Parnelli or Jud Larson or Herk ever mention saving fuel.

Q: I have read in the past few years that it is struggle to get the 33 starting spots at Indy. I understand the implications for never changing the format, but maybe it is time to rethink this. I believe 30 cars with the option of 33 should be the "new" grid. Make it the fastest 30 cars and if there are more cars wanting to get in, then 31 to 33 will be the on the Bump Row. If one car can just make to 31 maybe that will lead others to at least make it to the "Bump Row."

Of course, bumping in the first 30 positions will still be allowed; the current format. Thus making the 11th row a bonus. I would start with this format on the 101st running. You can't mess with the 100th running of course.
Mike Y, Murfreesboro, TN

RM: Well, gotta disagree. Even though TG once said “33 is just a number,” it does represent the last bastion of tradition at Indy and, in this day and age, it’s not a good idea to turn anybody away. Last May’s format was similar to what you suggested but until there are 40 cars going for 33 spots, the word bumping should be forbidden. It’s a travesty to say somebody got bumped when everyone makes the show.

RM: According to Marshall Pruett, 8Star bought a new Dallara IL15 Lights car, but had their sponsor fall through, meaning young American badass Sean Rayhall is without a ride next season. They tested young Canadian badass Scott Hargrove last week in the car, but it's unclear whether Hargrove has the funding to do more than test.

ABOVE: Power and Dixon would be big draws Down Under. (LAT photo)

Q: I love reading this every week, great job! I recently saw Smoke is discontinuing his USAC team. Bummer! What is so poor with the USAC leadership that would cause him to leave? I've also noticed car counts are down on most USAC shows during the summer (20-25) when WoO shows are steady in the 30-35 range. Thanks and have a good Christmas!
Mac, Toledo.

RM: Not sure it’s because of USAC, I’ll ask him at the Chili Bowl, but POWRi seems to be usurping USAC’s hold on midgets (there weren’t even 40 cars at Turkey Night). Andy Hillenburg is doing his best to rescue the USAC pavement races but it’s a tough fight. WoO pays much better than USAC, so maybe that’s Stew’s reasoning.

Q: Love the Mailbag and all you do for open-wheel racing. Quick question. Have you ever been to Oswego Speedway? And if so, what are your thoughts on super modifieds?
Mike Chwalek, Oswego NY

RM: Oh yeah, I’ve been to the Home of Bentley Warren a couple times and it’s always a helluva show. I always thought it was a good training ground for Indy cars. Figured Doug Hevron and Todd Gibson would have been good with the proper chance and Joe Gosek gassed it in his IRL shot. Thanks for reading.  

Q: Greetings from Australia! I’m 18 years old and I live and breathe anything IndyCar since I saw the ‘03 Gold Coast race, so IndyCar isn’t lost on ALL the youth.

I’ve purchased “Beast” upon your recommendation and will be getting “Black Noon” shortly. I’m writing to you to ask what it is going to take to get IndyCar back down here? I still for the life of me can’t work  out why IndyCar isn’t exploring this more as there is Power and Dixon dominating the field most weeks and as well as Briscoe (hopefully) driving and occasionally James Davison, who could probably be accommodated in a wild card-type of deal if an Australian race were to happen. It would be highly worthwhile for them to explore it again.

As I’m sure you know, the Queensland government has butchered that badass course at Surfers in half and made it into a crappy bullring for the V8 Supercars and is no longer the great course of old. So as an alternative, I would like to suggest the Phillip Island track about 90 minutes out of Melbourne. It is an awesome, fast car/bike hybrid track sort of like Barber, but with much more runoff so it’s much safer. I feel that this is the most suitable option for IndyCar to show off their great racing without resorting to a possibly cost-prohibitive street course. Another bonus is that the facilities are pretty good due to the fact the track hosts MotoGP every year.

Of course, the big issue here is likely cost, but I like to think if IndyCar wanted this to happen, they would be willing to give a little leeway in terms of the sanction fee in order to get back in a market full of fans that genuinely want them instead of just a bunch of rich suits such as in Dubai or Korea. These are just the thoughts of a kid who’s VERY desperate to see the best series in the world race in my country.
Josh, Melbourne, Australia

RM: I have no idea why IndyCar doesn’t pursue races in Australia and New Zealand because Surfers was a hit even without any local drivers, so imagine the crowds for Dixie and Willy P at the height of their powers. I know the Surfers track is no longer operable because of construction but I’ve heard Phillip Island recommended by quite a few fans, so that might be worth a look. You’ve got passionate fans and a couple of big names so it seems like a no-brainer but I guess the Boston Consulting Group isn’t familiar with racing Down Under. Thanks for being a loyal fan so far away. Hope we see you some day…