Robin Miller's Mailbag for August 10, 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: We have lost a true racer in Bryan Clauson. My dirt track racin' buddies and I are devastated. He was such bad ass. He could win in midgets, sprints, and Silver Crown, and he was the one USAC driver that deserved to race at Indy. We used to talk to his Dad at the track, and you could always find his motorhome in the parking lot with the fans. B.C. was a racer through and through, and was demonstrating it this year by running the 200-race grinder schedule. He was the man to beat every time he strapped into a non-wing open-wheeler on dirt, and was not too bad on pavement either. As good as you've seen?

Mike Hickman, Beech Grove, IN

RM: Certainly as good as anyone over the past 25 years in midgets and sprints, and just as versatile as Gordon or Stewart. But I think he resonated with your buddies and short-track fans everywhere because he was so humble and approachable and still such a bad ass. Working on his own car with his dad (Tim) just made it an even better story.

Doak

RM: That's a great suggestion and I sent it to USAC's Kevin Miller, because what we loved about B.C. was that he embodied the good old days of pounding down the road and making a living on the dirt. He also dealt with the realities of racing about as well as anyone I ever met. He knew he wasn't going to be a NASCAR multi-millionaire or hit it big in IndyCar, so he accepted the fact he was going to be a full-time midget and sprint driver and kicked ass while having fun.

Q: Devastating news about Bryan Clauson. Thanks for your wonderful article remembering him. One of his most remarkable stats is that he is the only driver to lead the Indianapolis 500 and win a sprint car feature race on the same day. I hope he is not the last USAC short track star to drive in the 500. With all his talent, why do you think his NASCAR career stalled after his Ganassi deal went away? With his continued short-track success rivaling that of Gordon, Stewart and Larson, it seems like he should have gotten another NASCAR ride.

Mike Jablo, Vernon Hills, IL

RM: Chip had plans for him, but the sponsorship didn't materialize and B.C. went back to his USAC roots to make a living – he didn't hang out at stock car races trying to get another deal. And, obviously, nobody in NASCAR made a run at him, so I think he was plenty content to get back to open-wheel. I never, ever heard him complain about not getting a fair shot or another chance – he was a racer to the core, and happy to make it as a USAC bad ass. And he looked at his Indy 500 opportunities as icing on the cake. He didn't expect it, but he was damn sure appreciative.

Q: Thanks for your kind words of remembrance of Bryan Clauson in your column. Do you have a favorite B.C. story?

Tony Mezzacca, Madison, NJ

RM: First time I met him at Chili Bowl, he was 15 or 16 (and looked 12) and I was told to go meet him because he was going to be the next "bad ass" in American racing. He was shy and polite and a little waif of a person, so I wasn't sure he was strong enough to wheel a midget. But, obviously, he got bigger, stronger, faster and better, and 10 years later he was standing in Victory Lane in Tulsa. And my other great memory is this year when Rico ran him down to win the Chili Bowl, did doughnuts for 10 minutes, climbed on top of his cage and fell off – and was caught by B.C., who had come over to congratulate him.

Q: It is with a sad heart that we have to mourn the loss of one of the greatest USAC drivers ever. Clauson was a world-class guy and a true racer! If it had wheels, and there was a race, he was in it. I never knew him personally, but I looked up to him, and realize that he possessed a real talent. He was a true wheelman, and a great ambassador for not only midget racing, but dirt track and oval racing in general. I always pulled for him when he ran the Indy 500, just because he was the underdog, and fought tooth and nail to get there. As nothing more than a career go-karter myself, it's guys like Clauson that I always rooted for, and wanted to see win. He was humble in victory, grateful for just having the opportunity to race.

George Houle

RM: You nailed it, George. Despite his monstrous talent and success, Bryan always seemed thankful for his lot in life and was always the most gracious winner, even though he did all the time. He was becoming the face of short-track racing in this country and while he didn't generate massive media attention, a lot of people from Kokomo, Bloomington, Gas City, Paragon and Lincoln Park probably watched the Indy 500 last May just because B.C. was in it.

Q: As an open-wheel fan, and a dirt racing fan, I appreciated the kind of racer Bryan was. Anyone that can race the Indy 500 and then get behind the wheel on dirt and win in the same day is beyond admirable. (I learned of the Indy-Kokomo doubleheader just this year. His involvement really made me interested in going to Kokomo after the 500 next year).

I've been a fan of this sport for over 25 years. I was at Pocono last year when we lost Justin Wilson. I'm a traditional open-wheel fan and don't automatically jump to the conclusion that we need drastic changes when we lose a driver - I'm not a fan of the halo - and I understand the natural risks of the sport. But this time, it just feels different. I went to a sprint race at Grandview Speedway in Pennsylvania just two weeks ago. It was a make-up race that was rained out, and Clauson ran in the event the first time around. Looking around, I noticed that hardly any improvements have been made to the machines or the facility since I first went to the track as a young child. Nothing. It still looks like 1989 to me, and to a more veteran motorsports person like yourself, it must still look like 1969.

I understand the need to keep costs low to increase participation, but the entire dirt track industry seems like it hasn't evolved in the name of safety, beyond perhaps implementation of the HANS. And now that we've lost a champion, I think it's time to do something. What do you think needs to be on that checklist of improvements? There's no better time than now for USAC, NASCAR and the other sanctioning bodies to get started.

Joe Heller, Havertown, Pa.

RM: Oh man, midgets and sprints are sooooo much safer now than in the '60s and '70s – just the seats alone afford the driver so much more protection. Of course having a wing might have saved B.C., but USAC midgets and sprints are exposed at that angle of impact, and it's one the hazards that got Jan Opperman and Paige Jones. Some people feel like all open-wheel cars should have wings but I don't, and neither did Bryan because we talked about it a few months ago. He liked going back and forth between non-wing and wings, but loved the look, feel and purity of a USAC car. I imagine some tracks could use some upgrades, but I think the cars are pretty damn safe.

Q: Not that anything done differently might have saved the wonderfully talented Bryan Clauson, or that it is reasonable to expect Holmatro Safety Crew standards, but in your view, are the USAC and other sprint, midget and outlaw series safety measures sufficient? Are there safety requirements for the cars, and are they inspected? Also, do the sanctioning bodies rely on the host track to provide equipment and medical personnel? I ask because at some of the USAC and similar events I've attended the organization seems a little haphazard.

David Spear

RM: I believe other than post-race engine tear-downs, most of the open-wheel, short-track groups in this country are self-policing and safety conscious (we don't see a lot of chrome cages like there were in the 1970s) and the HANS device (mandatory for some) and seat safety bears that out. As for safety crews, each track has its own, and obviously, some are better prepared than others. But watching Belleville on Saturday night, it appeared as though the response was good. There was nothing anyone could do for B.C. after that savage hit.

Q: We haven't met, but over the years I feel like you are a common thread in my racing peaks and valleys. You are always the guy who vouches for the racer everyone else overlooks or underrates. I'm sure losing J.W. and now B.C. must be agonizing for you. Thank you for allowing fans like me into the world of these amazing people.

Bary Berger

RM: It's the guys like Justin and Bryan that always make racing more interesting and fun to cover, because they were both "bad asses" with a permanent smile. And you fans pick up on that and tend to pull a little harder for them. Thanks for caring.

 

Q: Will Pocono's future depend on this year's attendance? Is there a hard attendance figure that it must reach? I'm hoping to do my part this year and drive down for the weekend. I think the rain during NASCAR's visit to Pocono gave IndyCar a huge TV boost. I hope some of those that found IndyCar while looking for NASCAR will come back again.

Cale, Waterloo, ON

RM: I can't speak for Pocono, but I believe it's on IndyCar's 2017 schedule and then it's going to be decision time. But the crowds have been disappointing the past couple years, so it could be a mutual decision.

Q: I was getting the DVR set to record NASCAR since they were going to Watkins Glen, and I noticed that because of the Olympics, they were booted over to USA instead of CNBC. I think it's pretty safe to say that more people watch USA compared to NBCSN, so is there a way to get one IndyCar race onto USA (Long Beach for instance) to help expand ratings to people who normally wouldn't watch racing?

Dan Henderson

RM: No, the Olympics rule, so even NASCAR got shoved off NBCSN. Of course USA would be better than CNBC, but the plan is to have IndyCar and NASCAR on NBCSN whenever possible. And if IndyCar gets a NASCAR lead-in (or rainout) it's usually a good cable number. Of course I think the goal is for NBC to get IndyCar away from ABC, and then the entire season would either be on NBC or NBCSN.

Don Hopings, Cathedral City, CA

RM: I like it, but right now the shared ovals are Phoenix, Iowa, Texas, Pocono and Indy so Iowa might be the only option since Indy cars run 50 mph faster than Cup cars at Phoenix. Target had a spot with Kenny Brack and Jimmy Spencer trading rides so JoNew and Paul Menard would be just fine.

Q: There has been much conversation about IndyCar's need to generate fans as well as sponsorship dollars for the owners. TV ratings are important to existing sponsors as well as prospective sponsors, so giving in to TV for start times seems somewhat reasonable from this standpoint. However, the late start times are often causing the ticket buyers to turn away. Several months ago I wrote to you and expressed my opinion that getting people to the races should be priority number one, the reason being that once a fan has experienced the sound and speed, and seen and perhaps met a driver, he or she is more apt to watch on TV. Am I more likely to support a sponsor if I've met their driver in person? Most would say yes. You are never going to create more than a casual fan from someone who only watches on TV. If people stop attending races, they might eventually quit watching them on TV. Ratings drop, and sponsors are turned off. Truly a marketing conundrum. I have no solution, but I stand by my feelings that getting and keeping fans in the stands should be given more consideration.

John Fulton, Akron, Ohio

RM: I agree a million percent – the paying customer that drives to your event should be Priority No.1. That's why I say start every IndyCar race at 1 p.m. and then show it on tape-delay (it certainly hasn't hurt IndyCar with the re-air on NBCSN at 5:30 because nobody watched it live on CNBC), but networks don't want tape delays. What the promoters and sanctioning bodies could do at ovals is pack the day with support races if you don't start the main event until 3 p.m. That's the big problem with ovals – all that sitting around with nothing going on and that's why road races and street courses are much more popular.

Q: I was reading that there is a group in Omaha that wants to host an IndyCar street race. They claim to have the finances in place and a course layout designed. Have you heard anything about this? I'm sure there are some concerns after the Boston fiasco.

Frank, Phoenix, AZ

RM: I've heard about it, but don't know much other than it's not on the agenda for 2017 or 2018 – yet. And, yes, IndyCar is very wary about adding new street races so they've come up with a request for qualifications paper to see if the city is really serious and has the wherewithal to host.

Q: Noticed you mentioned Calgary is a potential race site and that would be fantastic, but do you know where the venue would be? Guess it would have to be a street race since the powers that be in this area keep dumping on potential track sites around the area.

Jim Bray

RM: Yes, it would be a temporary track, and the two guys promoting it are encouraged by the response so far. As I've said endlessly, IndyCar needs at least three races a year in Canada.

Q: We strongly urge the people in charge of the scheduling of events to seriously consider racing every two weeks other than in May. It is really hard to keep the interest level up when there is such big a gap in the schedule like July 31st at Mid Ohio all the way to August 21st for Pocono. Fans seem to find other things to focus on when the series disappears for three weeks. What are your suggestions?

Douglas Loeffler

RM: This year August only had one race scheduled because of the Summer Olympics (before Texas was postponed), and NBC's and NBCSN's plate was full. It won't be like that in 2017, not from what I've heard.

 

Q: What do you think the odds are of Ford (AT SPA, ABOVE) returning to IndyCar? They have been running the six-cylinder twin turbo Ecoboost engine for some time now, so cost should be low for them. Would love to see another American manufacturer back in the series. I would think it would be a win-win for everybody although politics always seem to mess things up.

Kim from Hilbert WI.

RM: Slim, but Chip Ganassi is currently the flavor of the month after Le Mans, so he's the only one who might be able to talk them into it.

Q: Why is Ford not currently in IndyCar? Moreover; is there a Ford engine program in the offing for IndyCar? I asked this question several weeks ago, and may have missed your reply.

David R. Smith, Louisville

RM: They took their money and went to Le Mans. And Edsel Ford Jr. isn't a fan of IndyCar racing.

Q: I always enjoy your insights. Let's pretend that a combination of USAC sprint, midget and Silver Crown races pay out enough to pull in all the current IndyCar drivers with the exception of anyone that has raced in USAC (ie Ed Carpenter). They must race sprints at Anderson, Eldora and Salem; Silver Crown at IRP and the Indiana State fairgrounds. Midgets must race at the Speedrome and Bloomington. Who has the edge among current IndyCar stars? Could you tell me how the old roadsters faired when they ran dirt?

Terry Abel, Nineveh Indiana

RM: I'd like Will Power's chances on the dirt because that's where he started in Australia, and I'm pretty sure Mikhail Aleshin would love the high banks of Salem. Tony Kanaan and Juan Pablo Montoya would be carving people up at The Speedrome and Anderson, Scott Dixon would be smooth at the Fairgrounds' mile. while Josef Newgarden and Graham Rahal are built for IRP (Lucas Oil Raceway). The only roadster-type car that worked on the dirt was Don Brown's "Mechanical Rabbit", but it was a sprint car. I recall Lloyd Ruby trying to qualify his rear-engine Indy car at the Hoosier Hundred, but even with his bravery and skills, it wasn't enough. I know a few roadsters also tried the State Fairgrounds, I just can't remember who they were and how they did.

Q: Just wanted to share a few thoughts on the IndyCar race at Mid Ohio. My daughter and I attended all three days. We are both hard core fans, and while we've been to many IndyCar races in the past, we were wowed by the non-stop action on the track, the different vantage points, the accessibility of the teams and drivers, and the on-track action was superb. This race was a great lesson to racing promoters in how to make a successful race weekend for fans. My only complaint is that the track could use a few more big-screen televisions to keep the fans informed of what was going on. I have to say that I am feeling a lot of positive momentum for the series these days, and hope that this trend continues with good date equity, a shorter off-season and continued returns to some of the classic IndyCar venues in the future.

Richard, Flower Mound, Texas

RM: You've pretty much explained why Road America and Mid-Ohio remain popular, why Portland might work again and why ovals are dying on the vine. It's action, access and the freedom to roam. I heard from a lot of fans at Mid-Ohio they had a great weekend but wanted more big screens, so I sent your email and a couple others to Kevin Savoree and Kim Green.

Q: Why does IndyCar have this 2.2l, V6 engine formula in place? Is that not a restriction for manufacturers who might want to enter the sport? I agree with turbos, but why not let manufacturers enter any four or six cylinder engine with any displacement and compression, but have the ruling body do a HP limit? So no matter what engine type you enter, it will have a power cap. Allow manufacturers enter a close-to-production engine, or an engine that could be put into mass production.

Brent Logero

RM: I defer to Marshall Pruett. "The displacement and formula is something both manufacturers pushed for, IndyCar agreed with, and solidified. IndyCar has repeatedly expressed its willingness to allow engines that are outside but within range of the current formula, provided Chevy and Honda agree with the concession. A new chassis would be required and designed from the outset to fit a variety of sizes if production-based units were going to be allowed."

Q: That was one of the better Mid-Ohio races I've seen in a while. Pagenaud is becoming quite the bad ass. He wasn't intimidated by Power at all. One question: I've seen lots of helmet cam views on Twitter and Facebook with Graham Rahal and Hinch. Why doesn't NBCSN use them during the race? It gives the viewer a good idea of what the drivers are seeing and experiencing. Also, it was good to see IndyCar getting some publicity on Family Feud. The guys brought some fun and humor to the show, even though their opponents were a little distracting!

Doug Wright, Murrieta, CA.

RM: Mid-Ohio had some entertaining moments and that Pagenaud-Power battle was the best one. As for your helmet cam question, I'll let NBCSN producer Terry Lingner explain: "We don't have the technology perfected to get the bulkiness built into the helmet and be able to take it live. We did this with Paul Tracy in the early 2000's when it was standard def and it was awesome. Many of the go-pros are getting outlawed in other sanctioning bodies."

Q: I enjoyed seeing the five IndyCar drivers on Celebrity Family Feud. These guys have real and fun personalities on and off the track. IndyCar needs more opportunities like this to promote the series to potential fans and attract (and keep) sponsors. On a lighter note, rumor has it that the $25,000 was one of the largest purses won by IndyCar drivers outside the 500 this year.
Brad, LaPorte, IN

RM: It was good timing, shown the night of Mid-Ohio, which had a good cable rating with help from NASCAR's rainout. Hinch and T.K. would have made it in Vaudeville and it was definitely good exposure (literally and figuratively if you follow) for IndyCar and red-blooded American males.

Q: I liked hearing you talking about what you learned from the Formula Ford, and about racing midgets. It reminded me of a quote from Little Al Unser, back when he was racing at Manzy. He said: "Driving in Atlantics taught me to drive, but sprint cars taught me to race."

Chad R. Larson

RM: In 1972 I bought a Formula Ford from Vince Granatelli with Art Pollard as the broker, and I was proud as a peacock until I started going to lunch every day with Gary Bettenhausen, Bill Vukovich and Johnny Parsons. They told me to sell that "squat to pee" car and go get a midget or sprinter car to learn how to race. They were right. USAC had nothing but bad asses back then (many of the Indy drivers were still running midgets too) and it was an eye-opener in terms of aggression, starts, re-starts, slide jobs and balls. Best eight years of my life.

Q: HTo add to the good information in last week's Mailbag about IndyCar's streaming via YouTube, I thought I'd clarify that NASCAR does offer full race broadcasts for Cup and Xfinity on YouTube; just after a week or so delay. So it's nowhere near as quick as IndyCar turns them around. Also, TransAm posts its CBSSN broadcasts to YouTube after they air on TV, but given that horrible TV deal, it's usually a month or more after the actual event. IMSA puts its broadcasts on YouTube as well, but again, there's a delay. So other series are offering delayed race broadcasts for free via YouTube, but IndyCar still deserves to be commended for its quick turnaround time on its broadcasts, on top of the highlights, daily summaries, and the visor cam clips it puts out.

J.D., Marietta, OH (home of Larry Dickson).

RM: That's good to know, and thanks for the update. People without cable or NBCSN are always asking how to watch an IndyCar race and this is very helpful. And if you see Lightin' Larry, please say hello.

Q: Does it really make a difference to have the pit guys push a car off after a pit stop? I can't imagine it does - perhaps it's just an old school technique that makes them feel like they're helping??

Jim Muessig, Mineola, NY

RM: Certainly not like it did in the old days when I was on pit crews and everybody had to help push. With launch control it's not necessary, it's just that every now and then if there's any hesitation in leaving the pit box, it's a natural reaction.