Robin Miller's Mailbag for May 18, presented by Honda Racing / HPD

Your questions for Robin should continue to be sent to millersmailbag@racer.com We cannot guarantee we’ll publish all your questions and answers, but Robin will reply to you. And if you have a question about the technology side of racing, Robin will pass these on to Marshall Pruett and he will also answer here.

Pat Kleibor, Franklin, Wisconsin

RM: Ah, but it could be an upside if ISC embraces IndyCar and becomes true partners like Bryan Sperber was at Phoenix last month. Glen prez Michael Printup seems pretty gung-ho about trying to make it a September staple. Not sure what kind of concessions the Ferrari folks will get, but a larger audience might be one of them.

Q: Finally, IndyCar made the right decision to race at Watkins Glen during Labor Day Weekend. I kinda wish they would add the Trans Am series, but maybe that could be next year. Adding IndyCar at the Glen does have some historical significance because Formula 1 used to race there during the months of September and October.

Alistair, Springfield, MO.

RM: Indy Lights will be running at The Glen, and I'm sure if something permanent can be worked out for the future that the Pirelli World Challenge could also be added along with the rest of the Mazda Road to Indy series. Went to several F1 shows at The Glen but avoided The Bog.

Q: Just saw that the Glen was on the schedule. As long as we have all wanted it back on the schedule, it took the Boston screw-up to do it. Let's just hope enough people show up and the people in charge of the Glen and IndyCar can act like adults and come up with a plan for a multi-year contract.

Tom in Waco

Q: Many fans may not want to admit it, but it seems like IndyCar has been moving in the right direction the past season or two. But the problem is that high-profile blemishes like Boston and Brazil really have the ability to drag things down and weigh heavy in the headlines. What I can't understand is how IndyCar would let someone with such a shaky resume be in charge of a street race. Jim Freudenbuerg might be the nicest guy on earth for all I know, but how many failures has he been a part of? Dead, cancelled, or stillborn street races at Vegas, Phoenix, Denver and Boston.

On the other hand, Jay Frye seems to be a beacon of hope for the series. Making deals work with Phoenix and Watkins Glen on rather short notice are something fans have been clamoring for. Now what needs to be accepted is that attendance isn't ever going to be what it was in the '90s. They have to find a way to make the sanctioning fee work with today's crowds. In the past, IndyCar has never been able to find that balance, and it kept historic tracks off the schedule in favor of unsustainable government subsidized street races. Now it seems like Jay Frye has managed to find a way to make it work. Good on him.

Mike in St. Louis

RM: There were two or three people involved in Boston that raised everyone's eyebrows in the IndyCar paddock, so the fact it failed was hardly a surprise. As for Jay, he's aggressive and understands the schedule needs stability, and I'm quite sure his deals with Phoenix and The Glen were partner-friendly.

Q: Having Road America and Watkins Glen on the schedule give these cars two road tracks to fully show their abilities. Any chance Mexico City and COTA get added as well for next year? I know it's looking a gift horse in the mouth, but I can't help it.

Zack (Atlanta, GA)

RM: I think if IndyCar had a couple popular Mexican drivers it would be worth pursuing Mexico City and Mark Miles talked about it last year, but it's all gone quiet. COTA would be a nice addition but not going to happen as long as Texas is in play.

Q: I'm a little confused. IndyCar said it couldn't run at Laguna Seca as a replacement for Boston because of the close proximity to Sonoma, which would hold the series finale two weeks later. Google Maps tells me Laguna Seca and Sonoma are 152 miles apart. IndyCar runs at Pocono, above, on Aug. 21 and now at Watkins Glen on Sept. 2-4. Google Maps says Watkins Glen and Pocono are 172 miles apart. The distances are basically the same, so what gives? I would think Pocono has more to lose since IndyCar road racing fans may now skip Pocono to catch The Glen. The crowd at Pocono is growing slowly, but having no support races really hurts the weekend value. We can't afford to lose another oval.

Matt Demey, Middletown, PA

RM: You raise a fair point, but I guess the simple answer is that Pennsylvania has a lot of oval-track fans that wouldn't necessarily drive to Watkins Glen, and road racing fans that weren't planning to go to Pocono might now take in the Labor Day show. Not sure it would hurt either one, whereas two road courses with similar characteristics could cut each other's throats.

A race more than a month after the season ends, in a middle-of-the-night timezone, on the other side of the world, that means nothing, will garner just that. Nothing. Will the event really reap enough financial reward to IndyCar and the teams to make this worthwhile? I'm sure the remaining IndyCar faithful would much rather have effort put into to extending the regular season and engaging in some marketing efforts to grow the sport rather than take another risk of further failure by chasing yet another venue with serious doubts about what can be gained – if anything.

Rick in Toronto

RM: There are only two positives from an exhibition like the one Mark Miles is proposing in China: good money for each team and IndyCar plus a good reason to keep mechanics on the payroll for another six weeks. It doesn't do anything from a media standpoint or to really help most of the sponsors, so it has to be a nice treasure chest to even consider it.

Q: We always hear how IndyCar, and its promotion partners, don't necessarily want geographic competition, regardless of how far apart the respective events might be spaced on the schedule. It's the sort of the thing that, allegedly at least, keeps Eddie Gossage from allowing a race at COTA. It may also be at least part of the reason that Road America is back on the schedule, now that Milwaukee is off the calendar? My understanding is that Barber and Talladega both at least ran ads for one another's venues during their respective races. So, the obvious question becomes, has IndyCar ever considered pushing its various promoters to offer package deals for what would be two nearby races, even when the promoters in question are not the same entity?

These promoters could work together, with IndyCar possibly providing financial incentive to make it happen? Yes, I realize there's not a lot of money to go around right now, but I think this is possible, particularly now that IndyCar is potentially in the business co-promoting races, Phoenix being the first such example I can remember.

It could work in cases such as: Long Beach/Fontana; Road America/Milwaukee; Sonoma/Laguna Seca; St. Pete/Homestead; Texas Motor Speedway/COTA; Watkins Glen/Pocono. I'd also suggest Belle Isle and MIS, but I know IndyCar has zero desire to go back to the latter. Call me a wild-eyed idealist, but such a thing could possibly help the oval attendance and, dare I say it, make at least some peace within the IndyCar fan community. In all but one of the above cases, an oval would be promoted alongside a road or street course.

MG, California

RM: Milwaukee going away didn't have anything to do with adding Road America, and I'd have trouble believing that ISC promoted another race in Alabama with a different series and different promoter. I didn't see any of those ads. It sounds like a fabulous idea but I'm just not sure you could get Eddie Gossage and Bernie Ecclestone to help each other. That's the rub, but maybe with ISC becoming allies with IndyCar at certain places it could happen.

 

Q: Sunburn on Friday, needed Carhartts on Saturday – God I love Indiana! Made for some good racing though. Couple of weekend observations: 1. Matt Brabham, above, is the next guy that deserves a shot! Kid was strong all weekend. If he wasn't running for a one-off team, he would have easily been top 10. Every time he pitted they lost positions.

2. IndyCar has to get moving on fixing the passing. It is very annoying to watch a guy track a car down, then not even be able to get next to him without the push to pass. This race could have been amazing.

3. Dale Coyne gets zero respect. I was listening to the scanner. I herd multiple teams talking about Daly taking the lead was nothing but luck. Heck, one team even referred back to Huertas at Houston. Then when Conor was gapping the rest of the field, they were mocking his lap times. He may not have been turning the fastest laps of the race, but he was gapping secondnd place! Yes Coyne is no Roger Penske, but the guy does a great job of making calls to give his drivers a chance. Glad to see the hometown boy have a great run.

4. Honda, welcome to the party – Rahal and Hinch both proved Honda has a shot now.

Short Track Rat

RM: Matty Brabs was always impressive coming up the ladder system so it's no surprise, and the fact he's working with an engineer as clever and cool as Andy Brown makes his introduction into IndyCar even smoother. He damn-near qualified in the Top 12, too. Coyne is a very sharp and underrated racer that is better with strategy than 85 percent of the paddock. He was also a damn good CEO when he ran CART for a few months. And Daly has the chops to be real good, so watching him blow past Castroneves and pull away was fun. He had a good dice and similar pass on T.K. at St. Pete earlier this season. Rahal is driving as well as anyone again, and it's great to see Hinch bounce back on the podium.

Q: I'm feeling like something needs to be done regarding the future of the GP of Indy. From my living room it did not appear to be a very good turnout at all. I think the event needs time to grow, and I'm thinking that one way of doing so may be those ticket prices. Why not make it a flat $25 unless you require hospitality? Furthermore, why not do some community outreach and send every school child in the metro area home with a ticket to the GP of Indy? Cheeks in seats is the point, right? I have one more observation. Why not run the race counter-clockwise to avoid the bottleneck havoc at Turn 2? In the opposite direction, there is a ton of runoff area.

CJ Shoemaker

RM: It was a very sparse crowd (I estimated 15,000 on RACER.com) but it was a very cold day and, let's be honest, IMS is, was and always will be about the oval, speed and the Indy 500. Yes, the Angie's List GP has dwarfed what Pole Day drew since 1996, but it would be better served as the season finale in late September. Providing freebies for kids as opposed to empty seats always seems like the better option. I do like making every ticket $25 but I don't like reversing direction and using the real Turn 1 – a few things must be kept sacred.

Q: It was great to see Conor Daly make a pass for the lead on Helio on Saturday and then hold it until his pit stop – his future looks bright. It got me to thinking about the plight of another talented young American, Sage Karam, and what a shame it is for him not to have a full-time ride this year. I would think the perfect fit for him would be at Andretti Autosport since he is from Nazareth and drove for Andretti in USF2000 and Star Mazda. From the outside looking in, it appears Carlos Munoz is making a lot of mistakes. What are the chances Sage could step into the Munoz ride?

Adrian Long, Ringgold, GA

RM: That was the original plan for Andretti Autosport – to bring its hometown prodigy up through the ranks to IndyCar. But there was a falling out, so Sage driving there would be a long shot. Of course the odds of United Fiber & Data returning to sponsor an Andretti car were 1,000,000-to-1 following their lack of payment a couple years ago, but here they are again.

 

Q: Is the 33rd entry of the Team Lazier, above, courageous and in the grand Indy tradition of Indy-only teams or just a faded grasping at straws for both team and the 500?

Jenkins

RM: Considering how it was assembled by some old Indy mechanics with help from a former car owner, I'd say it was in the old tradition. Buddy is 48, so running once a year and being competitive is damn-near impossible on their budget (Townsend Bell and Oriol Servia being the exceptions), but Bob Lazier says he wants to field a full-time team and IndyCar certainly could use new owners. But this month is already better than previous ones because they've already been on track.

Q: Well, the boneheads that run IndyCar have outdone themselves this time. I live in the Chicago market and was looking forward to watching the Angie's List Grand Prix from Indianapolis. I turn on ABC to watch the race, and what do I see? The Chicago Cubs. The only sports entity that is more inept than the Chicago Cubs are the nitwits who run IndyCar. After "joining the program in progress" I was able to watch the final 18 laps of the race or 22 minutes of green flag racing. I understand the ABC affiliate had a prior commitment to show baseball, but don't you think that an alternate site could be found for the third-largest TV market in the US? And they wonder why their TV numbers are pathetic.

Dale C.

RM: It's not IndyCar's call about what each city's ABC affiliate chooses to do with programming and, no, there is no option unless ABC chose to move it to ESPN2 or ESPN News, but that's not what the contract calls for because it's a network race.

Q: Why was the IMS road course changed? Was it to prevent a direct lap time comparison to Formula 1 if IndyCar ran there? I seem to remember Graham Rahal testing there at the road course before there was any IndyCar race. Was it the original configuration or the revised one? If it was the original, how did he compare to F1 lap times? Also, looks like your prediction about Pagenaud being champion will come true, even if you were a year off!

Reginald, San Diego, CA

RM: The road course was reconfigured and opened up in Turns 10-11-12 after F1 left and in response to the MotoGP complaints about the course being too tight. Graham tested on the revised track. Pagenaud and engineer Ben Bretzman have always been a good combination so it was only a matter of time until they started winning. I don't think anybody expected them to be as dominant as they are right now, but the Friendly Frog may have the title clinched by July 1 at this rate.

Q: Wanted to know how you think Graham Newhall will do in the Indy 500?

Vincent Martinez, Arcadia, CA

RM: I heard ABC mention him over the weekend. Is he Graham Rahal's co-driver?

Q: Graham Rahal apparently kicked some ass on the way to the front of the grid after starting last and no one sitting on the couch at home knew how he carved his way forward. The ABC crew simply stated "And Rahal has somehow made his way to the front of the field." Are you kidding me? Their job is to tell us this sort of thing! Then again, what do I really expect from the guy that passed the pace car in the 1995 Indy 500 to blow the race!

T.J. Spitzmiller, Parker, CO

RM: Are you sure it wasn't Graham Newhall? Anyway, he got to the front because he was one of the fastest drivers all weekend and got some great pit stops, a good strategy call early, a timely caution and who passed quite a few cars. Had the booth bothered to ask Jon Beekhuis I'm sure he could have told them, because he actually pays attention and understands the product.

 

Q: It clearly looked like Scott Dixon moved over into Tony Kanaan, forcing him to move over and squeeze Seabass, did it not? It appears to me that Dixon caused that accident. I have watched racing for many years and that looked like Dixon's fault and he should have been penalized. The three announcers really said nothing about Dixon (not surprised). Sure would have loved to hear what P.T. would have said. What say you Robin?

Pat Canizaro

PS. Those announcers on ABC Are Barely Capable.

RM: I did a television show with T.K. on Channel 6 last Sunday night and there's no doubt he got squeezed by his teammate and then into Seabass. But it was just one of those "racin' things" with fast cars trying to crowd into a slow corner. And Dixie got speared a couple years ago in an accident that was a lot more heinous, and nobody was penalized.

Q: I wrote to you earlier asking about where in hell to park. When I wrote to you my wife had an ankle with a plate and screws in it, kind of like Davey Hamilton's. But since then my uncle had a slight stroke but he said he isn't missing the race. I spoke to the ticket office and explained the issues we've had come up, but they told me there was a shuttle once you got to the gate that would take you to your section. I knew that. We normally park at the library west of the high school, but that isn't really an option. So in essence the ticket office, didn't give any advice. I know homeowners allow parking near the track by the Coke lot, but I'm not sure how early in the morning to try that. I am also thinking about parking options off of 30th street. Would calling the Speedway police be helpful in gaining insight?

Matt Maxwell

RM: If you live in Indy, my advice would be to drive over to those side streets off Georgetown Road and buy a place ahead of time. Or possibly just take the shuttle from downtown to the track, because that will drop you off at the front gate and then you could hop the shuttle to your section.

Q: I'm sad to see Katherine Legge is going to be on the sidelines this May, and a little disappointed that Grace Autosport couldn't seem to get a car nailed down. Is there any chance that they'll be able to manage something for next year? Also: any guess about Gabby Chaves's career trajectory after Memorial Day?

Garrett from San Diego

RM: It's a shame, but I want to see Kat and Grace make a smart debut with a proper team and testing – not throw something together at the last minute to just to be in the show. But I have no clue about their future. Dale Coyne likes Gabby and acts like he wants to keep him after May.

Q: What are the rules regarding outside engine manufacturers? Could anyone build a 2.2-liter turbo and compete? Does the builder need to partner with an engine manufacturer or could it be a one-off?

Luther Prater, Muncie IN

RM: It could be a one-off, but they have to pay IndyCar a pricey participation fee.

Q: Are they or are they not going try for the track record this year? Did the spins last year really scare everyone that much? And by scare, I mean did IndyCar wuss out with all of the negative press?

George, Indianapolis

RM: Not likely to touch Arie Luyendyk's one-lap (237.498mph) or four-lap average (236.986 mph) but could possibly beat the DW-12's best of 231.067mph by Ed Carpenter in 2014. And there will be extra boost and the ability to run in qualifying trim.

Q: Are the teams this year allowed to use a qualifying spec aero kit just to try for pole and then revert back to the race aero setup? What are they aloud to do this year?

Rick Haugh

 

Q: I've heard you mention a potential race in Norfolk, VA several times now. Is IndyCar speaking with a promoter about such a race? Any idea where it might be located there? I live about three hours northwest of Norfolk, and although I'd love to see the Richmond race, above, return (I'm an hour northwest of that one and attended many), I'll take Norfolk. What are the chances of this happening (or a return to Richmond)?

Chris Pericak

RM: Gene Haskett, a longtime racer who worked for Roger Penske at MIS and Cleveland, has spent the past two years meeting with the city of Norfolk about staging an IndyCar race, and they have talked with IndyCar on a couple of occasions. The way Jay Frye is partnering up with ISC tracks, I think Richmond might have a shot again.

Q: At the beginning of the year, a lot of drivers were requesting power steering for the aero kits due to the downforce. Is that still a work in progress?

Nick, Maryland

RM: I haven't heard anyone mention it since Spring Training.

Q: We are bringing several new folks to the 500 this year, and it got me thinking about my own history of going to Indy and what has changed. Which is a lot, some of it is good, much of it not, sadly.

I did a quick check, and Wiki indicated that in 1984 there were 117 cars and teams entered. That would be the most ever. I was working at the Speedway that year, so I lived at the track the whole month. This year, for the 100th, we look to barely have 33 entries. That is a damn shame, and I just can't help but think that there could have, and should have, been extra effort to ensure there would be more than that. There are some talented drivers without rides sitting around. Not that this new qualifying system is something to get excited about, and given that there were only so many engines available. A huge part of the Month of May was the anticipation of witnessing those trying to make the field. Who was going to enter? In what? What speed would it take to make the field? All of the qualifying and bump drama.

If you would have asked me in '84 how many entries would be trying to make the 100th running, I would have had to guess 200. Nope. We get a road race, just an utter blasphemy in May, and a contrived shoot-out for the pole. Barely 33 cars. We know, we know, we know, it's money, money, money. There are some wealthy people around this series, and this month. Some of them have to be smart, and for the ones that are not, hopefully they're willing to hire smart people to do a little thinking for them. (This would not be the Boston Insulting Group.) The month of May will never be the same, it's not coming back, right and fine, and I know it is too late for it to happen this year, but instead of winglets and wheel pods and dome skids, it sure would be nice if we could at least get 50 entries to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

None of these wealthy and smart people can find a way to get there? That's hard to believe.

Aaron Carrico

RM: Because the engine manufacturers put their limit at 18, there was never going to be more than 36 entries, and that's certainly not enough to bring back the drama of Bump Day. All we have now is Reshuffling Day. But the only way for Indy to ever attract 40-45 cars again is (repeat after me) to change the rules, make cheaper cars and substantially increase the purse.

Q: I get why IndyCar is still working on a non-points race in China in order to lengthen the season, and to penetrate an international market to provide more value to sponsors. Is the idea to keep it as a non-points race in order to limit the risk and negative publicity if it does fall through? Say, for example, it was to actually happen in 2016 – if it's successful, what are the chances it'd be added to the calendar as an actual points race in 2017?

John, Okemos, MI

RM: No, I think it's simply the fact IndyCar wants to end the season in the United States and not halfway around the world at three in the morning.

 

Q: I am currently am working on my final project for my U.S. History class, and part of it is attempting to prove that someone (A.J. Foyt, above, for me) deserves a place in a 'Hall of Fame' for U.S. History. So, besides the fact that he won four Indy 500s plus one more as an owner and cheated death two or three times over in recent years, do you have any reasons why AJ was a true American hero? I probably should know more about him considering he was arguably the greatest of all time, but to say A.J.'s prime came long before my time would be a big understatement.

Eric Steinmetz

RM: Super Tex is the all-time IndyCar leader with 67 victories and seven national championships. He also won the Daytona 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans, and won his fourth Indy 500 in a car he owned, built and drove. He was as good on dirt tracks as he was on pavement, and a vastly underrated as a road racer. He raced with no cages, no fuel cells and no safety. He began his Indy 500 career in a roadster at 143mph and finished it in a rear-engine rocket at 223 mph. He was immensely popular, and today still has more fans than all the IndyCar drivers combined. If there has ever been a racer who belongs in history's HOF it's Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr.

Q: So I haven't read anything from anyone about something I find to be incredibly ironic. The Boston Consulting Group, that evil empire that all true IndyCar fans hate, can't even get its own city to pony up for a race! OK, so maybe they had no say in actually securing dates, permits, etc, but this was to be run on their own freakin' streets, for crying out loud! I just hope that someone in a corner office somewhere, say perhaps at 16th and Georgetown, would have asked themselves by now, "Why are we paying this group tons of money when their own town blows us off?"

Seriously, if the Indy suits are trying to figure out what the series needs, save the cash and just ask your damn fans (the ones that are still left, anyway). Then take the money you paid those idiots and promote your freakin' product! Good God, I never stepped foot in a college classroom and I can see the answer! So tell me, oh mighty guru, is IndyCar actually making the proper moves or at least headed that way?

Jerry Laake, Davenport, IA

RM: To be honest, I'm not sure the BCG even knew there was supposed to be a race or that it's been cancelled. But whatever they were originally paid was too much. If it was $1 million that could have been used for a national TV ad on Fontana last year or some kind of NASCAR-type personality ad for the IndyCar roster. But I do think Jay Frye is headed the right way with the schedule.

Q: A humanoid wearing a Boston Consulting Group shirt sat in front of me on an airplane. I was about to quiz him on IndyCar knowledge and then ask what makes him think ending the season in September is good thing. However, I fell asleep instead. Did I just blow a major opportunity?

Gray Fowler, Texas

RM: You did, because you could have asked how the ticket sales were going for the Labor Day weekend.

 

Q: Been a while since I wrote to the Mailbag, but I've been observing for the last few years the decline of OWR and IndyCar in particular. The struggle to reach 33 starters for the 500 is painful to witness, and it is obvious that OWR has become way too costly right across the board. What to do? Make it less expensive! From where I stand, the cars for the new Formula Thunder Tasman Series, above, look as sexy as all get-out and North America is full of engine builders who know how to get prodigeous power out of stock engines.

My proposal is for a formula where the engine has to be based on a V8 stock block, normally aspirated (with mufflers for street races) and 6- or 7-liter engines, with overhead cams. That would open the field to all the U.S. manufacturers as well as a whole lot of foreign ones who have V8s in their line-ups. The Tasman car I suggested is just a guide, but what I propose would similar, sanitized and beefed up for the unique rigors of oval racing. This business of a limited supply of Chevy and Honda (that few can acquire or afford) leases is strangling our sport.

To me it is criminal that people like Mike Shank, Eric Bachelart and others have shops ready to get into IndyCar but are effectively locked out of a virtually closed shop.

David M-K, Ottawa, Canada

RM: I believe Bill Pappas, Tino Belli and Jay Frye are looking at some major modifications for IndyCar, but not sure what they entail just yet. Shank is the only guy who basically wanted to come racing, bought a car and then got shut out because he couldn't get an engine. That should have never happened, and cannot be allowed to ever happen again. Engine manufacturers are important but should not be allowed to dictate numbers – but it's not like anybody was turned away this month that had a proper plan and budget. The real problem is that because of the Leader's Circle, anyone wanting to join IndyCar has no financial incentive and certainly can't make ends meet on the purses. So the whole shebang needs a major overhaul.

Dave McBride, Houston, TX
Former Nazareth Ticketholder

RM: While Mark Knopfler's tribute to IndyCar racing is no match for 'I Am Indy', it would be cool to see it used in some promotion. But you are assuming the PR staff is familiar with Dire Straits, Nazareth Speedway and anything that happened racing-wise prior to 2010.

Q: I'm in the middle of my usual Wednesday read of the Mailbag. And again, The Split and its disastrous results are mentioned. Although I've been a racing fan for over 60 years (since I was a kid growing up in Lafayette, Indiana), and followed The Split as it unfolded, I'd like to re-read the whole story. I suspect it would be very interesting, particularly in retrospect and as a prequel to open-wheel racing as it is today. Can you recommend a good source for The Story of The Split? And if there isn't one, it might be good fodder for you sometime.

Chuck Lynch, Greenville, South Carolina

RM: There is a book called 'The Indy Car Wars', written by a woman I never heard of, met or saw at a race, and I've heard it's more fiction than fact, but it's on Amazon.