Robin Miller's Mailbag for May 25, 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.

Q: This is without a doubt the most important Indy 500 in history, since there will only be one 100th running. We all have our own favorites, and momentum has Simon Pagenaud and Juan Pablo Montoya more than likely favorites. Whether it be TK, Dixon, Castroneves, Montoya or any of the crowd favorites, it will be a great race and we will have a deserved champion.

That being said, I can't help but feel like it is that much more important, looking to the 101st and beyond, that an American driver win the 100th running. The majority of us who are IndyCar fans are obviously unbiased because we know how great each driver is and how they are always trying to engage the fans, but to the casual fans who will only tune in for the 500, the NASCAR fans who are intrigued by the scale of this event, and the national media that will be centering around it, we need to see a Rahal, Andretti, Newgarden or Hildebrand rise to the calling and challenge for the win, not just for their own glory, but to keep the spotlight on the Indianapolis 500 for the years to come.

Alan Bandi, Butler, PA

RM: I've always maintained that IndyCar must have Marco or Graham or Josef lead the charge to get the national media back on board, and one of them winning Indy would certainly be a boon. RHR's thrilling victory in 2014 didn't seem to resonate at all but I blame IndyCar for doing a poor job of promoting him. An Andretti or Rahal win isn't going to change things overnight, but it opens to door to potential sponsors, commercials, exposure, etc.

D.W. Mawbrey

RM: I waited until Hinch was back at his house to go visit and he was moving gingerly, so say the least, for quite a while. He lost a lot of weight and muscle but Jim Leo and PitFit got him back stronger than before. He joined us for our annual trek to the Indiana State Fair and he was the old Mayor – posing for pictures with fans and making everyone laugh. But I've always liked how he changes to attack mode when the shield comes down.

Kunzman was one of USAC's most talented drivers in the late '60s and early '70s. He broke his neck and was terribly burned in a 1970 sprint car crash and returned a year later and won his first race back, even though he could barely hold his head up after 40 laps. He had just scored the first really good ride of his IndyCar career in 1974 when he crashed at Ontario and nearly died. He had to learn to talk and walk again, but two and a half years later he was racing again and damn near won Atlanta in an Indy car in 1979. He's the toughest guy with the best spirit I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Q: This 100th running could become the great story for Sam Schmidt and the Comeback Kids. And I do mean comeback. Pole Day weekend was like soap opera. Everyone was thinking Penske, Andretti Autosport, ECR, RLLR, and Ganassi. But it was the two little teams that could in James Hinchcliffe, Mikhail Aleshin and Josef Newgarden being in the Fast 9.

Josef (above) has finally matured after four years, earning his maiden Indy 500 front row start. But the story of the weekend deserves to have a Jim Harbaugh Captain Comeback Award. It is all about James and Mikhail coming back from serious injuries. Another great story is Alexander Rossi. After being left without a Formula 1 drive, Rossi showed his potential, and drove like a mid-pack driver in the series. This past Sunday he managed to snare a Row 4 start. I wonder what Manor F1 is thinking right now? Even though he was bumped from the Fast 9, he drove like a veteran. Looks like Alex may have something for 2017. And COTA wants a U.S. driver in the F1 grid. But nevertheless, the face on a piece of history, the zip of dairy and the brick lip-lock is up for grabs for Rows 1 through 7. From Rossi through Indy's one-off drivers through five past champions, it could be anyone's race.

JLS. Chicago, Il

RM: Any time someone besides Ganassi or Penske takes the pole at Indianapolis it's a good story because of their history, depth and talent. Hinch stole the show and has to be one of the most popular pole winners ever. But engineer Alan MacDonald won the pole in 2011 with Alex Tagliani, and engineer Blair Perschbacher has found Aleshin's sweet spot so SPM (and don't forget Oriol Servia who starts 10th) definitely was the hands-down winner of qualifying. Newgarden matured last year when he won twice and led the most laps in the series and it's not a surprise to see him up there, especially when you consider Ed Carpenter Racing's record at IMS, with two poles. Rossi did a superlative job, as did Andretti Autosport, and having two Americans and two smaller teams on the front row is also a good storyline. And it bodes well for an unpredictable race.

Bumping can bring great interest. Many engine/chassis manufacturers can bring great interest. In the absence of both of those, this is the next-best thing making a spec series seem far from spec. I have to admit I am still much less of a fan of the aero kits on road courses. The cars really need more bottom side and less topside down force to better enable passing on the twisty circuits. However for Indy qualifying, I thought it was awesome.

Joe in Philadelphia

RM: My criticism was the added wear and tear on the drivers, mechanics and budgets for no money – just positioning. But I'm glad you enjoyed all the different combinations, I just don't think many tickets are sold because of the aero kits. The fact it was so tricky and unpredictable, both days, because of the conditions gave us a scrambled lineup at the front and the teams that adapted were rewarded, and that's great theatre.

Q: I have to agree with you. I really thought Saturday was going to be a snooze. I did not see why anybody not going for the Fast 9 would even go out. But much to my surprise the entire session was exciting, and Sunday was amazing. Hollywood could not have written a better script. And from the TV coverage it looked like a great turnout (or, great for the last 15-20 years). What do you think the crowd was?

Joe Mullins

RM: I didn't say or think it was going to be a snooze – as long as you give drivers and teams a challenge they're going to respond, and they did. My contention (and the overwhelming consensus in Gasoline Alley) is that it's not necessary to have two days of qualifying for 33 cars – especially when it pays no money or points. If there were 25,000 total for two days it would be a surprise, because grandstands H & J weren't even open. First time I can recall that.

 

Q: Based on the results of Sunday's qualifying, can we conclude once and for all that Honda has been sandbagging since St. Pete 2015 to build a Cinderella story for the 100th running? ;)

Millennial

RM: That's what a couple Chevy drivers were saying on Sunday morning, but Honda said months ago its primary focus was on Indianapolis.

Q: Noticed that Hondas were consistently pulling 238-240 into Turn 1 during Indy qualifications while Chevrolets were topping out at 237-238. What do you expect this to mean on Sunday?

Lee, Saint Paul

RM: Considering Chevrolet was supposedly 3-5 mph faster down the straightaway in earlier races, I'd say Honda found something (RHR says it's definitely got more power) and a couple of Chevy drivers said it was hard to pass Hondas on Monday's practice session. But I expect Ganassi and Penske to be right in the mix with Newgarden.

Q: I have to say that, in hindsight, we got a great weekend of qualifying. In fact, dare I said it, could the new Saturday format be even better than the Bump Days of old? Here's my logic: We had meaningful bumping occurring on Saturday, and a bucket load of drama to go with it. More importantly, it was at the sharp end of the grid. I'd much rather watch these drivers go nuts for the front of the field than to try to make the Last Row Party.

Now, let's look into the crystal ball a bit. If we end up with 35-40 cars entered, we would actually end up with bumping occurring at both ends of the field. What could be more dramatic than watching a big name in 10th to 12th position sitting and sweating it out in the fast lane while a couple of stragglers try to live a dream? If we can get past our desire for everything to stay in 1995, we all just might enjoy this new format.

Chris Graham, Langhorne, PA

RM: Agree that Sunday was all you could hope for with only 33 cars and no 'real' bumping, and Hinch gave us a made-for-television moment. But, as I wrote, the risk didn't equal the reward on Saturday. And to run five times like Mikhail Aleshin did for no money is insanity. Qualifying at Indy has never lacked for drama, but it doesn't need to be manufactured. And a dream was Ted Prappas making the show in an old car, or Willy T. bumping his way in on his final attempt. I'll grant you that Townsend Bell, Carlos Munoz and Aleshin did a helluva job and were happy to be in The Fast 9, but other than winning the pole or making the front row, it's not a game-changer.

Q: Chevy looked like they had a bunch of aero bits to play with compared to Honda. Some of their pieces resemble their road course package. Did any Honda team try their road course pieces, are those pieces just not right for an oval, or is that not allowed? It was interesting to see how teams tried to find the winning package.

Let's hope for a thrilling 500!

Justin Lee

RM: "Chevy and Honda have the same type of aero kit options; the only difference is Chevy makes most of their options whereas Honda has a few more that are kept in place the whole time (long sidepod ramps, for example). IndyCar does have rules stating which aero kit pieces are/aren't allowed for each event, and Chevy and Honda must use their Indy 500/superspeedway bits for the month of May." Marshall Pruett.

 

Q: Have to agree with your opinion on present qualifying. I'd like your thoughts on my idea of mixing a little old school tradition with the present need to put on a show. Saturday, qualify all cars old-school style - three attempts, take the checkers, that's your time. The top eight go to Group A, next nine to Group B, next 10 to Group C. After these 27 'Shootout' cars are qualified, the remaining cars are allowed to 'bump' into Group C. On Shootout Sunday, C runs for $200,000 and winner advances to B. Group B runs for $300,000, and winner advances to A. Group A is the Pole Shootout and pays $ 1,000,000. Should create some old-school interest in taking the time or waving off the attempt, and some bumping.

Plus, you could have a frontrunner struggle on Saturday and have to come though Groups B and C to run for the pole on Sunday. I realize a good percentage of the total purse would have to be dedicated to qualifying, but would give teams a real monetary incentive for qualifying weekend.

Sam from Minnesota

RM: I appreciate your creativity, and if IndyCar insists on keeping the two-day format, then it must make it financially worthwhile as you suggest. But it's insulting to use the term "bumping" when there are only 33 cars. I got a better idea: qualify on Saturday, have final practice on Sunday for $10 admission, and maybe you could have some people watching 3,000 laps of running instead of empty grandstands.

Q: Once again ABC completely drops the ball. They don't start showing Saturday qualifying until 22 drivers have already got their first run, then send the last hour - with the Fast 9 constantly changing - over to ESPN News. Of course my DVR didn't change over because SportsCenter was listed as being on. I know it's just the first day and doesn't really mean a whole lot, but I was still looking forward to it. What ever happened to the whole month of May being on ABC? I guess the local programming of two guys practicing golf takes precedent.

Dustin Fincher

RM: Can't blame it on ABC. IndyCar opted to add an hour to Saturday's schedule and go to 7pm, so that just meant everyone sat around from 5 to 6 and waited on cooler temps in that extra hour. ABC carried the road course race and both days last weekend – just like last year – so the whole month on network television is better from a potential viewership standpoint than it had been with cable. Of course NBCSN does a much better job, and we'll carry Carb Day live on Friday (running and pit stop contest) beginning at 11 a.m.

Q: The Indy qualification rules in place today remind me of when JC Penny's board of directors hired an idiot marketing executive from Apple to be their new CEO to turn the company into a profit-making business, and paid him $52 million as a bonus signing deal. He hired his friends from Apple and together they bankrupted the company, spending millions they did not have with ridiculous changes that fell flat. It has taken many years to try to get back to where they were before hiring the fool.

Recently this idiot, in his brazen naivety, said he does not understand why he was fired and that his dumb ideas were the way the company should be. "Dare to dream", as the court jester told the court. The unpleased wise king had a better idea, and had him drawn and quartered. The same thing has happened to change the qualification format rules for show business ballyhoo nonsense. The IMS board of directors hired a bunch of clowns who know absolutely nothing about automobile racing, nothing about what the loyal fans expect to see, total disregard for maintaining the history of the 500. Tony Hulman must be spinning record-breaking revolutions in his grave.

The board trusted these cretins to revamp the process as if it were a silly reality TV show. It was not a problem to be fixed, and they bungled the job as badly as it could be screwed up. Never place serious thought to advice offered by an inexperienced amateur. Go back immediately to the old-time, proven way to reward drivers properly, and stop this show business hoopla crap. The present format is crap, totally insane. There does not have to be any activity on Sunday following the Pole Day, and qualification on Saturday when, the weather permits, you're filling the field with available cars (it does not have to be 33). If you are not ready to qualify on Saturday, then you will never be, so accept the fate and go home.

Thomas Grimes, Waco, TX

RM: One of the problems is that people who create this insanity have never risked their life at speed for nothing! If it paid $100,000 to start the Fast 9 and $1 million to win the pole (which it should) then that format makes a little more sense.

Q: Given today's economics with racing, should 33 at Indy be hard and fast? Personally I would rather take all comers (with a minimum speed) rather then see someone drop $300k+ to be sent home. I think we need to grow the sport, and Indy is the biggest chip to do that with sponsors. Tradition is one thing, and important for Indy, but growing the sport is more important. For example, if Grace and Shank were guaranteed a slot, with Lazier, 35 is better then 33 because now you have three teams with a toe hold on the future. Taking your tradition blinders off, what do you think?

Chris Cortez

RM: I thought Buddy Lazier should have been allowed to start last year, above. Who cares if it's 34 or 35? In this economy you cannot afford to send anyone home when it's such a small entry list. And we've started 35 before when USAC (1979) and IRL (1997) lost control of their rulebooks.

Q: Would IndyCar ever consider giving championship points during 500 practice to combat sandbagging? Maybe give a point to the driver with the best worst (i.e. the fastest slowest) lap on each day of practice? I don't like gimmicks (races with double points, forced green-white-checker finishes, etc.) but I do like rewarding overall performance, and if practice is such an important part of the 500, let's reward the drivers that perform well there. Also, is sandbagging even a big deal?

Joel Southall

RM: Many Mays ago there was actually a financial sponsor for fastest time of the day during practice so that's what I'd suggest, but then you'd have to police cheating. Sandbagging has always been part of Indianapolis (ask A.J. or Tom Sneva), but it shouldn't be rewarded.

Q: I gotta hand it to Bob Lazier. They got bumped last year but instead of folding up their tents, they took their losses and they came back. Are they going to be competitive? No. Are they be the slowest Chevrolet in the field? Yes. Will Buddy finish the race? I give him 50/50 to finish and no better than 10:1 to even be on the lead lap at the end. They know the score. But damn it, he resolves to put together a program and he does it. It harkens a bit to the privateers of the past during the run-what-you-brung era. Reminds of me the early years Andy Granatelli described in 'They Call me Mister 500.' If you want to be in the show, you do whatever it takes. Anyone can say whatever they want about the LPR program, Buddy will be driving in the Indianapolis 500 this year. How many of us would give our left (insert appendage here) to be able to say the same thing?

Dan Wagner, Ft. Worth, TX

RM: Bob is one of the great dreamers and a bit out of touch with reality some days, but I've always admired his enthusiasm and Buddy's resilience. The job he did in 2013 was impressive as hell considering how long he'd been out of a car. I'd love to see the Lazier family hire a young American and become a full-time team, and it sounds like Flynn (Buddy's 17-year-old-son) might be that driver. But the great stories of Jerry Sneva, Tom Bigelow, Bob Harkey and Rich Vogler taking one or two laps of practice in a car nobody could get going and putting it in the show in the final 30 minutes is what made Bump Day so special.

Q: You've always noted you're a betting man. We have a betting proposition for you: our Indy 500 viewing group every year has a betting pool; losers must pay extra for the tacos and pizza consumed in mass quantities. Every year the bet is the same; only the under/over changes. So we invite you to bet with us this year: how many times do we have to hear Scott Goodyear say, "well, actually." Over/under is 60.

Patty, Omaha

RM: I say under 60 on "well, actually," but over 60 on "eckspecially."

 

They had an entire year to figure this out. They had funding (or so they say). They had support and media and fan attention. They had a driver. What was the point of even having their whole announcement last year if they didn't go out and get a car? Is that not the first thing you should secure before moving forward? And then the excuses started rolling in. They explored getting a chassis but didn't have enough time to put together all the parts to make a run. Spencer Pigot's crew rebuilt his totaled machine in one day. I know RLL has spare parts, but Grace had a year to acquire them. Lazier Partners put together its effort better than it has in previous years with the aero kit parts and everything, so it was very possible.

I just think this looks bad for not only the sport and their organization, but for gender equality too. That was their sell, and they blew it. Would have been great to see them come out with a strong effort and beat some of the main players. Would have done wonders for the advancement of IndyCar. They would have had a ton of fans on race day and beyond. What a shame. And this is a real fantasy but if we can't get Cleveland back, the North Shore of Pittsburgh would host one hell of a race weekend around PNC Park and Heinz Field. Not a ton of action over in that area while the Pirates and the Steelers aren't playing, and it wouldn't shut down the city or cause any problems for locals. Match the racing with the river and skyline views. And Rahal has a bunch of dealerships over in that area, so a Rahal/Lanigan effort could make it work. It would be perfect. I'll keep dreaming huh?

Andy in West Virginia

RM: There have been a lot of false starts over the years in IndyCar, teams that were announced and never turned a wheel and we didn't expect them to after learning the participants. But Grace wasn't one of those, and I think it was a combination of inexperience and learning a lesson about the IndyCar paddock. But I think Beth Peretta, above, is better off not throwing something together at the last minute for her entry, and I hope she's successful down the road. A race in Pittsburgh? Chip Ganassi would have to try being a promoter again and I doubt that happens.

Q: My Dad and I are going to the 500 for our first time, as I'm sure many people are this year. We have been going to races for decades (mostly IndyCar and sports car) at road courses, street courses, and a few ovals, so we know the usual routine, but I was wondering if you could offer any insight into the must-see and must-do items for our first trip to the Brickyard. Of course there are the obvious things that we already plan on doing, like attending the 500 Festival Parade and visiting the museum, but what else should we (and our fellow first-timers) do and see?

Trevor, Dunellen, NJ

RM: Go to the memorabilia show on Saturday and take a lap around the track on your museum visit. You could also take in the USAC sprint car show at Terre Haute on Wednesday night, the Hoosier Hundred on Thursday evening at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the USAC Silver Crown cars at Lucas Oil Raceway on Friday evening, or the Little 500 at Anderson on Saturday night. Enjoy.

 

I am reminded, also, of the CART race that was canceled several years ago at Texas (ED: 2001) because the G-forces were so great, due to the higher speeds, that drivers were losing consciousness in the corners. If speeds continue to increase this could occur again and, possibly, at other tracks as well. I fear that the end result of this situation is going to be another death or serious injury, like Dario Franchitti. I know that most fans do not feel as I do, but I do not think that high speed is necessary for good racing. I grew up with racing in the 50's and there were good, enjoyable races when the speeds were barely over 100 mph. I don't think we need to go back to that level, but I think that racing under 200 mph could still be very enjoyable and entertaining, and would be safer.

Think about, as an analogy, what happens at Daytona and Talladega when there is always 'the big one' that involves many vehicles mostly because there is not enough time for drivers to react to an incident in front of them. I do like the idea of moving from the spec series, as long as steps are taken to keep speed under control. I would love to see the return of non-standard vehicles, thinking back to the days of the Novi, the Turbine car, above, and even the introduction of the rear-engine car that became the standard for the series. I hope that at some point cooler heads prevail and steps are taken to make sure the speeds do not exceed the human reaction time limit. Thank you for keeping us informed about things in our favorite racing series.

Thomas R. Clem, Sr.

RM: I was watching qualifying with Bobby Unser and Bill Vukovich, and they both commented that the cars go through the turns so fast that most times there is no way a driver can save it (although Townsend Bell made the save of the month going into Turn 1). Watching a driver fight the wheel for control or make a controlled slide is what attracted many of us to racing in the first place. And they were sliding through the corners over the weekend, but it's almost impossible to tell on television. Rick Mears has preached more power, less downforce to make the driver a larger part of the equation, and I think we all want to see the end of running flat out. It can be done with new rules and new cars, so let's hope by 2018 they're running 250 down the straightaways and 175 mph through the corners.

Q: Grace Autosport isn't allowed to participate at the 100th Indy 500 because it can't find a chassis? What a damning indictment of the pathetic closed business model our sport now has in place. Does anyone in the ICS or IMS realize how ridiculous that is? When is somebody going to wake up and make some serious changes at least for the month of May? This has become an elite nine or 10 car-owner country club that looks out for one another, and doesn't want any new blood to come play. And because IMS and IC are financing 20-25% of teams budgets each year with their welfare checks they pay out to each full-season entrant, they don't want any competition at Indy to possibly knock a full-time entrant or two out of the biggest race of the year.

It's a situation that is never going to change and will never get better as long as the current model is in place. And that's such a shame because it appears the ICS has some things going in the right direction. And the actual Indy 500 race is one of those. But the two weeks of May leading up to the race? A sham and a joke from what the Indy 500 used to be about.

Drew, Gale IN

RM: IndyCar was going to help Grace (ditto for both engine manufacturers) but a potential deal fell through, followed by the team finding a car that wasn't race ready. Trust me, there were cars out there to be bought a month ago, and Beth Peretta talked to SPM before the Oriol Servia deal came along. But don't blame IndyCar for Grace not being in the show. And it's a bit of a closed shop, but not because the owners don't want new blood. I wish it was still possible to just build your own engine or chassis, but right now its not and maybe never will be again. Not until the rules change.

 

Q: The fact that IndyCar is going back to Watkins Glen on such short notice should make everyone a little excited. Sadly, I'm a little skeptical. Not at the race, mind you, but with IndyCar leadership.

Jay Frye should be commended and cheered for what he's been able to accomplish at getting the series back on what appears to be more stable ground. I only got to go once to The Glen back in 2009 and was lucky enough to see Justin Wilson pick up Dale Coyne's first win as an owner, above, but will gladly lift my ban on New York (long story) to go back in the near future. Personally, I congratulate him on that alone.

But every time I see something positive come from Frye, one name keeps popping up in my head: Randy Bernard. Bernard was on roughly the same path Frye was on. He may not have had the connections Frye has, but the guy had the drive to 'Make IndyCar Great Again'. But what happened in the end? He was booted because the fans liked him more than the teams did. Part of me feels like at any moment, Frye will be kicked out on his gearbox and we'll be stuck, yet again, at square one. My lack of trust in Hulman & Company makes it hard for me to get excited past this year. Is it unfair for me not to get my hopes up, even with all the positive news (including the Boston Massacre) we've had this year?

Mat, Peoria, IL

RM: Hard to argue with your logic, but the main difference between Jay and Randy is that Frye has good friends and deep connections at ISC and a chance to form real partnerships. He's popular right now in the paddock, but I'm still going to buy him a snake-bite kit.

Q: On the scheduling front, I really, really, really hope that IndyCar doesn't get too big an ego out of what I expect are going to be successful Road America and Watkins Glen weekends, and try to over-expand too quickly. Finding new venues should no longer be any form of priority. Helping the current venues mature should be the single most important thing for the next few years, with a long-term plan of phasing out the venues that aren't keeping up with the demands of the fans/series (in that order).

When the time comes, and more venues are in demand (specifically road courses, because that's the way its going) the places they need to be are obvious. IndyCar does not have the clout to establish new venues. Period. They need to be in established markets, Laguna Seca (they and Sonoma need to get along - opposite ends of the schedule), COTA, Road Atlanta. These should only be the considered venues until IndyCar rebuilds the hold on American market share to where it has enough trust/support of the viewership to take risks. Every NOLA/Boston that happens, IndyCar loses people. The "I told you so" fans are not necessarily waiting for IC to do something smart, but the exact opposite, to help justify their break up from the series.

Matt Busby

RM: You make some good points. Not only going back to old favorites, but giving the promoter enough time to try and re-establish the market. Now that theory didn't work at Milwaukee and may not have at Loudon, but (like you said) I think you'll see a good crowd at Road America and hopefully something promising at Watkins Glen. New ovals will likely have to be a co-promotion like Phoenix because it's so risky.

Q: If only 33 cars are going to attempt to qualify for the race, why not just have single day qualifying? Time all 33 during the afternoon and then do your Firestone Fast 6 at 5:00pm and let the teams work on race stuff all day Sunday?

Steve Bennett, Fond du Lac, WI

RM: Have you lost you mind, Steve? Ramp up the drama for one day to try and draw a crowd? Run almost 3,000 laps of practice on a day where people might show up instead of a Monday? Shame on you for those sensible thoughts.

Jerry Laake

RM: The good news is that Firestone also has a couple of commercials in play right now with Mario and, while it's not a current IndyCar driver, at least it's somebody people can identify with racing.

Q: The Indy Grand Prix was super. I actually felt a bit of nostalgia for some reason. I think it was the bright colored Menard's livery on Simon Pagenaud's car. I think the Nap Brothers must have been mainlining caffeine as their color commentary was great.

I do have one concern. Simon winning the 100th is a distinct possibility. Can somebody get the proper pronunciation of his name out to the mainstream press? I only shudder to think how they'll carve up that name: "Seamoan Paganowd."

Brian Bristo

RM: 'Sea-moan' is actually the correct pronunciation, but he went with 'Simon' because everyone always called him that. Eddie Cheever seemed much more engaged and enthusiastic than usual and it was better, but I think 'great' is kind of a stretch.

Q: We've talked about how the Leaders Circle is hurting the prospect of new teams entering the sport. Between the Leaders Circle and purse payouts for every race not named the Indy 500 in 2016, I calculated that there is approximately $30.3 million going from IndyCar to its teams this year. Add in the 500 purse - we'll say $15 million - and you've got a little over $45 million going around. Let's say you kill the LC program, and now you have $45 million to give to teams however you like. What do you do?

P.E. Frey

RM: I raise all the purses to $1 million except Indy, where I distribute $1 million for the Fast Six in qualifying, $500,000 to make the show and $5 million to win. Whoever leads the most laps also gets $1 million.

Q: The Watkins Glen site only shows General Admission for $75.00 so will there be reserved seats?

Tony, New York

RM: No, the $75 GA allows you so sit in any grandstand seat and it's $15 for children 13-19 and $10 for 12 & under. There's also a $90 ticket for the weekend.

Q: I drove up to Indianapolis for the Angie's List Grand Prix. I know it was cold and windy, but you would think the home of IndyCar racing could do better than 15-20,000 in attendance. On the upside, my favorite young American, Conor Dalyhad a great showing and Graham came from the way back to the front. Seriously though, is there hope when a race in the heartland can't draw anyone?

Brian Henris, Fort Mill, SC

RM: I think IMS in May should only be the oval and move the road course race to September, and maybe you could draw 40,000. But Indy became famous for speed and the oval and daring-do – not road racing.