Robin Miller's Mailbag for October 19, presented by Honda Racing / HPD
hpd.honda.com
and on social media at@HondaRacing_HPD
and https://www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPDYour 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: I know I'm late to the party on JoNew to Penske, but I only see this as a good thing if the dominos fall the right way. If Montoya ends up with Carpenter then the grid doesn't change and the only positive is an American with the best equipment and a chance to become the next Little Al. But if the open ECR seat goes to Pigot, Daly, Karam or another American (read: Zach Veach), that either a) adds another young American to the grid, or b) opens another seat for a young driver with a team likely to allow a seat to be bought.
Daly to ECR is an improvement for him organizationally, but perhaps his ride with notorious seat salesman Dale Coyne is available for an American with a budget like what Pigot is likely to have, at least in part. And I'm starting an online campaign to get Veach to (K)VSH. Savvy on and off the track. All he needs is a chance ... and about $6 million. Can you tell I've been drinking Kool-Aid with Derek Daly? BTW, any chance you were offered the VP job Cavin got? I think you'd ruffle more feathers than a sumo wrestler on a goose down bed, but no one would wave the flag any higher!
Dan W., Ft. Worth, TX
RM: If Newgarden has the success we all expect him to with The Captain, it will be a great thing overall for IndyCar's profile because of his media savvy, fan friendliness and personality. While Montoya seems to be the logical candidate for ECR, we know Ed's affinity for American drivers but all of those kids you mentioned above (plus JR Hildebrand) have talent plus time on their side compared to JPM. There are four full-time seats (and the road racing gig for ECR) open today, so here's hoping some of these Mazda Road to Indy winners (don't forget Matt Brabham) get a shot in one of them. The only job I want with IndyCar/IMS is to drive the tour bus when I turn 75.
Q: Are you surprised Penske has not had a press conference with Josef, or made him available to the media? Or is that the Penske way of doing things? I thought it would have been a great opportunity to get some publicity for the team and series. On a personal note, thanks for all the great stories and videos you do on RACER.
Steve Ruedy, Redmond, WA
RM: There was a national teleconference a few days ago with Josef and Tim Cindric that was well represented by the media, so it generated decent coverage. And thank you for reading RACER.com.
Q: As the dominos continue to fall, what are your thoughts about the Dale Coyne taking Takuma Sato and Honda money for the second car? This would help support his increased staffing of engineers and Bourdais. Conor Daly goes to Foyt in the No. 14 with red, white and blue colors and an all-American driver driving for a legendary owner. Is Foyt relocating the shop to Speedway? Thought I heard that was part of the plan to help revitalize their efforts. Karam in the second seat at Foyt.
Sage is a lot like Foyt in his youth – a hard-nosed racer with a nary a care what other drivers think. The only issue might be crash damage. Montoya to ECR in the No. 21, and pair him with Pigot or someone like Veach in the No. 20 on road courses to have an elder statesmen help with set-ups and engineer debriefs. Once Montoya retires, move the youngster up to the No. 21 and groom another new protégé in the No. 20. Will Rahal ever expand to two cars, or stay at one so long as the results stay strong? Having a smaller team like Rahal challenge the bigger teams is fun to watch. Is there any particular driver Graham would like to have as a teammate that would make RLL stronger?
Doug Elmore, Indianapolis
RM: I think if Honda wants to keep Sato in the series it's going to either be with Andretti's fourth car or Coyne's second (unless Ganassi wants him). I hope Conor gets one of A.J.'s two seats, and I was preaching Karam to him last week because of the exact reasons you stated. The ECR No. 21 seat is probably between Montoya, Hildebrand and Karam, although Spencer could be back in the No. 20 with Ed. Bob Rahal always says he'd like to run a second car full-time, and I know Graham would lobby for Oriol Servia if that happens. But I'm guessing Carlos Munoz and Daly to Foyt.
Silly Season video
on RACER, and have a couple thoughts. Now that Honda has Ganassi again and it has to drop a team or two, it makes total sense to drop Foyt. The team underachieves and there is something about it (chemistry, lack of leadership) that makes me think it will ever be successful. A while back Hawksworth said that he didn't care what series/car he drove, he just wanted to be with a good team. That speaks volumes. Also, I don't want Conor at Foyt! Jack Hawksworth went there with tons of promise and now he's out of the series.You mentioned that SPM might be on Honda's chopping block which is not smart for Honda. Hinch is a solid racer with loads of charisma that I would think would be valuable to a brand (especially Honda of Canada). But, the key, I think, is Aleshin. He is going to be the real damn deal, and Honda needs to keep these guys tied to the brand for down the road when the Kanaans, Bourdais, etc. retire. The same goes with Conor. Honda needs to foster these guys like they used to, and quit losing them to other teams/manufacturers. SPM has way too much to offer to let them go to Ilmor.
If SPM is chopped, it goes from potentially being Honda's new factory team (pre-Ganassi), to being axed. I know you'll say that Honda has to drop more than just Foyt. The next weakest, on paper, would be Coyne, but I like Dale's team and what it does with the resources it has compared to the Andrettis of the world is very commendable. Andretti can't be shown the door because it has already signed.
Was the Andretti deal new, or a pre-existing one? If it was new and Honda was pursuing Ganassi at that same time, then Honda needs to study its results a little better from the previous two years. Andretti has given Honda nothing! Perfect world according to Josh: Ganassi, RLL, SPM, Coyne all have Hondas. Andretti is split in half, RHR and Rossi running Hondas and the other two running Ilmors. Get the contracts ready.
Josh R., Salem, OR
Foyt to Chevy story
last week, but I based that video on the fact Honda said it wasn't going to field 15 cars in 2017, and I assumed either SPM or Coyne would be moved aside along with A.J. to make room for the Chipster. But now I'm hearing Honda will, indeed, supply 13 cars next year. I know Honda wants to develop some youth and it likes Daly, but I think I'd rather see him in a full-time seat with A.J. than sitting on the sidelines or being an Indy 500-only driver. Not sure if Andretti re-signed or was in the middle of a contract, but it's no longer the anchor team.R.C. Enerson
I noticed this statement from Marshall: "The Dallara DW12, with its modest power and insane downforce levels, has made it easier for new drivers to look like crusty veterans than any IndyCar I've seen in 30-plus years." We always hear about the depth of the field now and how everyone is so good – is that the case, or do the cars make everyone look better than they are? A racecar should be a beast, not for the faint of heart and scare the crap out of "couch racers" like me. I want a car that is scary fast, less downforce and takes a big ol' set to step in the cockpit and wring its' neck.Steve in Chico, CA
RM: I think what Marshall said is that the combination of power and downforce has made it easier for a rookie to jump in and go quick than the old days of 900-1,000hp with much less downforce. Enerson, in three starts, and Veach (in his test at Sonoma) had a lot more power than in a Lights car but handled it seamlessly thanks, in part, to the downforce. But it doesn't mean today's DW12 is easy to drive at the limit on a road course or street circuit, because it's physically demanding with all the loading and heavy steering. And the thrilling finishes at Texas this season and Fontana in 2015 required plenty of testosterone.
Q: The stability of having Target on board for 20+ years had to be helpful in building CGR into a dynasty. Not having to search for an annual budget every year shouldn't be underestimated. That rock-solid foundation enabled the team to invest long-term, confident that the big checks would be there year-after-year. With that now going away, could CGR lose its place at the absolute top? After all, Novo Nordisk is tied to Kimball, Gallagher to Chilton (and could go to KV/Carlin), NTT might have left with TK, and Dixon will be unsponsored (Honda?).
My point is: you just can't spend the same way when you don't have the stability of big checks rolling in year after year. And I could be wrong, but I don't sense Chip will spend his own money the way that Roger sometimes does. So if CGR becomes an annual sponsor-hunter (just like everyone else), and doesn't have a stable budget to invest for the long-term, do they start to perform more like everyone else?
Mike C., San Francisco, CA
RM: Very good question. The stability, success and loyalty at CGR is a direct component of having Target set the table for 27 years, and it's an irreplaceable partnership. If Ganassi had a replacement to sponsor Dixon, do you think he would have taken Honda's money? Guess it depends on the size of the check, but I do know that Chip spent his own money to keep Sage Karam on the track in 2015. And he's been able to run wheel-to-wheel with Penske for 20 years so I don't see that changing drastically. The Captain clocked everyone in 2016 and it's hard to see anything different for 2017, since the aero kits are frozen and CGR is not going to have that Chevy advantage. But, like Dixon said, it's good to have the series' two big dogs with different manufacturers, and CGR will be a good thing for Honda until Chip decides to go somewhere else.
Q: Really appreciate your coverage all season. Looking forward to 2017 and all of the Silly Season Updates. This past season was really my first year of paying attention to every last detail of IndyCar, and I loved every second of it. I truly believe IndyCar is better than Formula 1 in almost every way, except for how it is marketed. It seems to me there are aspects in the series that practically draw up the marketing material themselves, and I wonder if anyone at corporate is paying attention and really trying to bring in more sponsors.
One thing in particular is, how does the "Push to Pass" button not have a sponsor? I could think of numerous companies that would make sense here: Nitrous Express (NX), NOS Nitrous and Energy Drinks, Monster Energy Drinks, 5-hour Energy, the new Verizon 4G LTE ... Is anyone trying to get things like this done to help grow the sport or is this just not a focus? Is IndyCar asking for too much money, or, a more troubling thought, is it just that tough to get companies to invest in IndyCar?
Ryan Ward, San Jose, CA
RM: I don't know if IndyCar has thought about it (I seriously doubt it) but it's a great idea that I'll be happy to pass along. Marketing is one of IndyCar's weaknesses, but it doesn't have the budget or television presence of NASCAR and it is a tougher sell. But a Push-to-Pass sponsor seems like an easy sell.
Q: When the Ganassi rumors with Honda started circulating at Watkins Glen I started running some scenarios through my head; the first being that if this was false and the rumors of a third manufacturer coning in 2018 were true, Chip would jump to said new manufacturer after next year (we know now that he is now a Honda team again). The second scenario that came to mind is, if Ganassi did indeed switch to Honda, Andretti would change to said new manufacturer in 2018 (if we get a third). Do you see any writing on the wall regarding a third engine in 2018?
Alan Bandi, Butler, PA
RM: All I know is that IndyCar's Jay Frye seems optimistic there could be another manufacturer by 2019 or 2020 (no chance of 2018), and both of your scenarios would be in play because Andretti won't like being second fiddle to the Chipster and we all know Ganassi has no loyalty when it comes to engines.
Q: Will we ever see Townsend Bell in a full-time IndyCar ride, since he's won Sebring, Daytona, Le Mans; is a former sports car champion; and is probably the only guy, except for the late great Dan Wheldon, who can be a one-off driver at Indy and have a real legitimate chance at winning the 500 each time he's there? Or do you know if he has a full-time drive in sportscar next year?
Frank from Rochester, N.Y.
RM: Here's a direct response from NBCSN's analyst and once-a-year Indy 500 domo: "There's just something about digging into a steak and bottle of red wine with PT and Brian Till on a race weekend that suggests I'm past my sell-by date! Nothing to report right now. Enjoying the offseason...riding motocross and pretending to surf." TBell.
Q: Can we remind your readers to vote for Hinch on Dancing With The Stars on Monday nights? I'm sure most don't watch that show, but if they pay attention on social media, or just get the phone number to vote and call on Monday night, that would be a great thing. No matter what, James Hinchcliffe is a great ambassador for IndyCar racing right now, and he is getting really good press on that show. He also is leading this past week, and has been in second place the last couple of weeks with the judges. What he needs is the call-in vote! So if people don't like Dancing With The Stars, or even Hinch (which I would not understand because he is a hellava nice guy and great driver), then vote for the press this gets the sport! Remember that Castroneves won the thing a few years back!
Gary Nelson, Flagstaff, AZ
RM: Happily pass along your plea Gary, and I have to say that after working with Hinch on WIND TUNNEL, I was convinced his next career would be in broadcasting because he was so good and such a natural. But after watching him dance, he may have his own variety show some day.
Q: With Mark Webber announcing his retirement from motorsports, is there any chance that Montoya takes a drive in the 919 and the Indy only deal Roger offered him? It seems a touch far out, but JPM did test the 919 more than once for Porsche.
Kite in San Antonio
RM: JPM is adamant he's not ready to stop running IndyCar full-time, and I think he tested that Porsche last summer because his pals from BMW were running that program. I love the fact he still wants to run IndyCars and I hope he gets a decent ride, but it won't be with Porsche.
Q: If my memory serves, hasn't Michael Cannon had success with just about every driver he has engineered? Why hasn't he had been with bigger teams over the years?
Mike Bryan, West Bend, WI
RM: Mikey is one of the best race day engineers and one of the coolest guys in the IndyCar paddock. He helped A.J. Allmendinger unleash his potential, won with Patrick Carpentier and even put Bobby Doornobs (Robert Doornbos) in victory lane. But I think he rather enjoys life at Dale Coyne's – it's more laid back like he is, but getting better every year.
Q: We all agree that IndyCar needs a steady influx of new teams to not only be viable, but also to have a significant chance of fielding 33 cars for the 500 with some possible bumping. We also agree that the lack of race purse and the fact that new teams would not benefit from Leader's Circle until at least year two deters new teams from joining. I hope that IndyCar management considers new teams to be a benefit worth spending some money on.
What would the chances be that IndyCar would expand the Leader's Circle in the following way: Every year, IndyCar sets aside an amount given to one team, and that money is then available for a new team and would help get them over the hump of that first year. If the team makes it, then they become part of the normal Leader's Circle. To prevent too much money going out, the rule could apply to only one team per year, and they have to commit to running the full season.
Assuming the Leader's Circle is given only to already-competing teams and is not available for start-ups as it is now, this would encourage one team per year to enter the series. I know it would not fully fund a team, but the initial money would be a nice seed package. As IndyCar grows, its revenue increases and so the money put out would be well spent.
Keith, Maple Ridge, BC, Canada
RM: I don't know the chances of expanding the LC but I do like having a relief or emergency fund to help a Mike Shank. The only way to get any fresh ownership is to offer some incentives, and right now there are none.
Dan Weldon's legacy
and Brian Herta having two winning cars in the Indy museum. My question: does the Indy museum have the actual race-winning car? If so, does it purchase the car so the team owner can purchase a new one and continue to race? I wouldn't think most teams could afford to indefinitely loan a complete, race-ready car to the Speedway museum. What about the engine, which is leased - does GM or Honda also loan the engine, or is it purchased, too? Is the engine the complete race-winning unit, or just a shell that looks correct from the outside. How does this whole process work?Rob from NorCal
RM: Here's what Bryan Herta has to say: "The car in the museum is the actual 2011 winner, as will be the 2016 car. Engines may or may not be original – in this case the one in the car I don't think is the same as the winning engine, but car is 100% legit. The cars arrive at the museum in different ways. In the case of Dan's 2011 car Mike Curb, a long-time entrant of cars in almost every form of racing imaginable, was kind enough to purchase the car and donate it to the museum. In both cases (2011 and 2016) the winning car is documented by the team and returned to as close to as races condition as possible. For sure the cars you see are the actual cars that won the races, and not replicas or replacements."
Q: You discussed the possibility of KVSH being gone and how Trevor Carlin might want to buy his equipment. Later on is the discussion about Leader's Circle. If someone qualifying for LC money drops out, what happens to the money? Can they "sell" the LC money along with the haulers, parts, etc.?
Kurt Ullman, Carmel, IN
RM: There are really three scenarios: a buyout, a merger and going out of business. A merger doesn't effect anything if the existing LC team still owns percentage of new entity. A buyout may require a transfer fee if the owner that earned LC is not part of new entity (this will never happen/ways around system, but it's possible). A going out of business creates opportunity for next team that is in line and not currently on program to be a LC team. Like 23rd in points, etc.
Q: What do you think about Trevor Carlin situation? In my opinion, they have good relationship with Mazda and whole MRTI program. Maybe Trevor just waits for the 2018 aero package and newcomer Mazda?
Second question. What do you think about one race in Europe? Lausitzring and Rockingham have good facilities. I think this entire continent waits for the chance to meet IndyCar drivers. I am sure the event would have full crowd.
Jakub Dradrach , Szczepanow, Poland
RM: I think if Kevin Kalkhoven sells all his cars and equipment to Trevor Carlin at a good price, it might behoove him to do a deal right now. If not, then waiting until 2018 when everyone has the same aero kit makes sense (although Carlin could have a year's advantage with the current GM kit if he buys out KK). Not sure Mazda is going to be an IndyCar manufacturer because it seems to enjoy the Road to Indy ladder system. The CART/Champ Car races in Germany and England drew enthusiastic crowds but lost money, and I think IndyCar wants to start the season early in a warmer climate if it goes outside North America.
Q: I always liked the driver nicknames from past Indy generations; Salt, Howdy, Herk, Captain Nice. Lone Star JR, The Flyin' Hawaiian, etc. Nowadays the best we get are unimaginative initials; PT, TK, etc. Are there any drivers of the modern generation with interesting nicknames beside 'Spiderman' Castroneves?
Do you have a nickname?
Anthony 'Bone' Jenkins
RM: Well P.T. was the "Thrill from West Hill", but sadly there was never any moniker for Montoya, Franchitti, Dixon, Power or Kanaan. I called Mikhail Aleshin the "Madder Russian" in a tribute to Bill Vukovich, but you are right – we need some flavor. Vuky II nicknamed me "Bird Boy" and that stuck through the '70s and '80s before, thankfully, going away.
Q: Is the IndyCar leadership looking at the NFL drop in ratings and realize it is slowly losing its grip on being the fall Sunday monopoly? With 2017 schedule out, is it too late for IndyCar to jump on the NFL's dip and try to step in at least run until early October?
John Cleveland, Finger Lakes, NY
RM: Let's be realistic. Yes, the NFL's numbers are down, but they're still so far ahead of anything else in sports it's no contest. And mid-September seems to be about as late as Mark Miles is willing to run.
Q: I would think Cavin's slot would be filled at the Indy Star. Heck they can probably pay a newcomer less money and IndyCar probably brings enough eyeballs to the site to justify it. No?
Curious Lew
RM: The Gannett way is to not replace as many people as possible, cheapen the product and drive down circulation. So far it's working to a T in Indianapolis.
Brock Yates
. I grew up reading the automotive articles and commentaries he wrote. They fed the hungry mind of an auto-obsessed youth, and helped ensure I grew up warped and addicted to speed via burning dead dinosaurs. No good came from such a childhood influence as evidenced by my racing go-karts, owning a Mustang in high school, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, crewing for race teams, etc. It's been a hell of a lot of fun! So thank you for paying homage to a writer who influenced many people. Writers like Brock are harder to come by these days: people who loved it and lived it.John Balestrieri, Milwaukee
RM: Brock was such a wonderful writer with a great spirit of adventure who covered cars and racing with such a panache. As Dan Gurney said, he was also a brave man not afraid to take on anybody or anything. And I'll always be thankful I became his friend.
Ron H
RM: I loved the Formula 5000 series, especially when Mario, Big Al, Mosley, Ongais and Brian Redman were competing in it but sadly those days are long gone and not coming back because of contracts and schedules.
Q: I keep reading articles about the "Logan Lucky" movie that was filmed during the Cup race in Charlotte last weekend. The premise for the film is a heist that takes place during the Coca-Cola 600. Steven Soderbergh is directing the film, which features a star-studded cast that includes Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig, Hilary Swank, Adam Driver, Seth MacFarlane, Katie Holmes. Nothing says that Soderbergh shopped the idea around to different series, but what a missed opportunity for IndyCar, IMS and Indianapolis.
Dan O'Reilly
RM: Well, racing movies aren't necessarily a great promotional tool (need I mention "Driven"?) but other than Adam Corolla, I doubt if anyone in Hollywood realizes there are other forms of racing besides NASCAR. IndyCar didn't miss an opportunity because it was likely never considered.
Q: Whatever happened to the other Mario - Mario Dominguez? Talks of a Mexican race coming back got me thinking about him.
Mark Suska, Lexington, OH
RM: He called me last spring and had a sponsor for the Indy 500, but wasn't able to put a deal together.
Q: Did you read Norris Macdonald in the Toronto Star regarding Herk at a NASCAR race at Atlanta? Seems he had made an adjust flap that lowered the front end of his racecar to go faster in the race and raised for tech. Did he engage this in USAC racing? Thanks for the stories.
JD, Lake George, N.Y.
RM: Never heard that one, but when Jim Hurtubise won the Atlanta 500 in 1965 a year after nearly being burned to death at Milwaukee it was an inspiring story. If Herk or his car owner cheated, they were merely trying to keep up with NASCAR in those days. But when he drove for Norm Nelson on the dirt in USAC stocks it was mostly on dirt, except for the Yankee 300 at IRP and Milwaukee. But I used to steal beer and give it to Jim after those races at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in hopes he'd remember my face some day. To my great joy, he did, and gave me a job stooging for him at Indy in 1968 for a couple weeks before he had to fire me for being incompetent.
Q: Remember the Tasman Series? In the 1960s when the F1 season ended too early in the fall (sound familiar?) the F1 teams and a smart promoter in Australia/New Zealand figured out that they could have their own winter series, completely disconnected from the F1 powers, or in this case, Mark Miles. So the whole F1 circus went Down Under, and had a lovely championship of their own. The teams got a season of testing, the mechanics stayed employed, and the fans got to see a season of fierce competition with drivers that would otherwise never get to the continent.
Since then, worldwide television has opened up lots of possibilities that weren't available then. So here's the question. Could the IndyCar owners get together to offer a nice independent package of four or five races over the Northern Hemisphere's fall and winter, that some smart promoter could sell and make money on? There's even an oval in Australia. I would really rather watch racecars over the winter drought than curling championships, and I have to believe that a first-rate series with Dixon and Power, maybe Matt Brabham would be popular Down Under. Trademarks would keep it from being called anything like IndyCar, but the Tasman Series still has a nice ring to it.
Russ Wakeman
RM: I suppose if some rich guy (like the Formula E founder) came along with a boatload of money and proposed an open-wheel series Down Under in the winter for IndyCar it could happen. But just having an IndyCar race in New Zealand and Australia would seem a lot more sensible and do-able. And I think it's still something Mark Miles is considering.
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