Robin Miller's Mailbag for January 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: There have been a lot of public announcements recently that add stability for IndyCar. Dallara is signed up through 2020, and most likely beyond. The DW12 chassis has been extremely racy, especially at Indy and most of the ovals and road courses. There will be a sleeker body and common aero pieces beginning next year. Honda and Chevy are committed to basically supply half of the grid each. There has been interest from additional engine manufacturers. The 2017 schedule was announced soon after Sonoma, and includes the same venues as last year with the addition of Gateway. Portland is a possibility for next year. The driver line-ups have been set earlier than normal, and even Dale Coyne knows who his drivers and crew chiefs are. Drivers like Hinch, Scottie D, TK, and a few others are competing in other race formulas.

Even the DWTS TV show included screen shots of Hinch and his IndyCar. The TV schedule is strong with NBCSN channel covering most of the races, qualifying, and even some of the practice sessions and ABC covering St. Pete, both Indy and Detroit races. Verizon came on board as the title sponsor and added more digital coverage as well. Can you think of a time that the series has been this stable, given the current racing environment?

Mike Hickman, Beech Grove, IN

RM: Sure, the late '60s, early '70s and mid-'90s were IndyCar's healthiest period in terms of growth, participation, popularity and exposure, but right now IndyCar appears to be the most stable it's been in a while – at least in terms of rules, tracks and having a plan moving forward. To your point, it desperately needs some more car owners/new car owners and a way to entice them. It's not the "good old days" by a long shot and still has plenty of work to be done, but it's breathing on its own for the moment and that's encouraging.

Q: IndyCar has had a few good hires, passion in the paddock and grandstands, some great racing, and an almost-viable commercial product. There may be hope. From where you sit, does any of this go back to the BCG study, or has it evolved in spite of it?

Bob, Tucson, AZ

RM: No, I don't think shortening the schedule has anything to do with improved TV ratings, and the road race at IMS goes down in attendance every May so it's not a winner either. I think the good racing is IndyCar's meal ticket, and I think Jay Frye's willingness to listen and reason and rely on his people has helped soothe the paddock. Not sure the BCG did anything but cash a big check.

Chris, Washington, DC

RM: From a manpower and travel standpoint, Indianapolis is a good base. The schedule has five east/south races, six Midwest venues and three West Coast dates along with Texas and Toronto, so Indy is about as centrally-located as you could want. And A.J. moved one of his teams here because it's tough to get people to move to Houston. There's a wind tunnel and shaker rig on the westside of town, and I believe there's still some kind of tax break if your racing team is based here. So, yes, it's worth it.

Q: Other than the obvious TV ratings and race spectator numbers, what sort of things do a NASCAR team/driver offer sponsors that IndyCar cannot? It seems like a missed opportunity that sponsors do not find ways to incorporate the drivers into their own marketing plan.

Justin Lee

RM: Television plays a huge role in sponsorship and NASCAR's ratings dwarf IndyCar's, so the natural appeal is more bang for your buck in terms of eyeballs – and spectators, since NASCAR has 36 races over 10 months. I think NTT Data loves Tony Kanaan. Ditto for Arrow and Hinch, DHL and Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Charlie Kimball and Novo Nordisk. And Verizon will love JoNew. But Novo is the only one to do a TV commercial, and IndyCar doesn't have a big-time sponsor like Coke to foot the bill for group commercials and marketing. I wish IndyCar would use IMS Productions to make some national TV spots, but IndyCar would have to buy the time and I don't think it's ever going to be in the budget. And money drives marketing.

Austin Long, Nazareth, PA

RM: Don't think so, because Sage is driving the Lexus in IMSA and already has a deal with Dennis Reinbold for Indianapolis. But I wish he had a full-time ride in IndyCar.

Q: Have you heard anything on the sponsorship front for Scott Dixon? It's been awfully quiet.

Joe from Little Rock

RM: Last I heard there was an all-white No. 9 car in Ganassi's shop but, trust me, Chip has this season financed – it's 2018 that may need a cash infusion.

Q: Why can't Verizon take money from one or two TV commercials (a drop in the bucket for them) and put that towards the race purses and more publicity? Why they don't take the fantastic product of IndyCar to the next level is a mystery to me.?

Don, Minneapolis

RM: What if I told you the new CEO at Verizon isn't really keen on IndyCar racing? That's what I've heard. And, if anything, with two years left on the contract it may do less and less in terms of promotion and marketing.

Q: Back in 2010-'11 when IndyCar was deciding on what would become the DW12, one of the manufacturers (maybe Lola), had what I thought was a great concept. The chassis would be designed to be used for both IndyCar and Indy Lights with a few components switched. That seemed to me would be a very cost-effective and fairly inexpensive idea for the owners. It could have made it possible for many of the Indy Lights owners to run Indy and selected IndyCar races. Is there a reason(s) why this wasn't selected or was it even seriously considered?

Al Shonberg

RM: Tony Cotman, longtime mechanic, team manager, steward and currently IndyCar's track inspection consultant, was also part of the DW12 planning and new Lights' car. His response to your question:

"It's been considered, discussed and looked into quite significantly several times. The monocoques are as close as they'll ever be with the actual seating area being the same. Drivers can simply take their seat back and forth. The monocoque for an IndyCar has to absorb far more energy than a Lights' car which ultimately drives up the cost and makes it unobtainable for Lights teams. Ultimately, to be able to manufacturer what's best for Indy Lights, it's better to have their own monocoque as much lighter and you don't have to "give up" any design criteria. The Lights car has similar safety features, just on a smaller scale."

Q: I hope the management of IndyCar understands how important grid numbers are. The series has been growing with TV numbers and attendance. But if a casual fan turns the TV on, or returns to one of the events, and IndyCar has 20 cars, the show suffers. These people will not return. IndyCar will never grow.

Jeff Loveland, 20 minutes from Road America.

RM: I think Mark Miles and Jay Frye understand it's imperative to find some new owners, but they haven't yet figured out any kind of a financial incentive plan. As for car count, USAC used to put on a dirt-car show with 18 starters and 20 cars for IndyCar is fine (except for Indy obviously and not ideal for 500 miles at Pocono) because the competition is tight and the racing is good.

Q: Since Texas Motor Speedway is repaving their surface and installing new drainage, I was wondering if any other tracks are making/planning any changes? Will Road America have a dedicated pit out lane to keep from blending into cars in the front stretch?

Rob Peterson, Rochester, NY

RM: Here's what Road America president George Bruggenthies said to your question: "Road America is extending the blend line to Turn 1."

Q: My wife informs me that she has free companion ticket available on a major airline, so being that we are both IndyCar fans, I suggested the Grand Prix of Sonoma. Se's a wine snob, so naturally she jumped all over that idea. So now we are planning for the race, and some tasting of course, and are wondering where to sit. Like you, we are somewhat vintage and the idea of staring into the setting sun in Turns 7 or 9 doesn't fly. From a comfort standpoint the main grandstand looks good, but I'm sure viewing is limited to just the pit action.

How about Turn 2? The seats look concrete to me but facing east, which by the drop of the green flag may be quite desirable, concrete or not. Sun to our backs if you will. Do you actually get a reserved seat there in Turn 2, and what of the redwood deck location? I'll bet there's wine there. Any insights you have to enhance our experience would be welcome.

Jeff, Florida

RM: Not sure about the wine, but I think Sonoma has the best viewing areas for any road race because they're built into the terrain and you can walk all around the track. My suggestion: rent a golf cart and just spend the race driving around and drinking. And thanks for watching NBCSN.

Q: Is there a behind-the-scenes reason why Vitor Meira's IndyCar career never gained traction? In 2006 at Panther Racing (pictured), which was a single-car team that year, he finished fifth in the championship behind only the Penske and Ganassi cars. He also finished second at the Indy 500 twice, in 2005 and 2008. Yet he never got a sniff from the big teams and quietly disappeared after a couple years with Foyt.

Jimmy, San Luis Obispo, CA

RM: There's no definitive reason why Vitor didn't get a shot with the Big 3, because he was plenty talented and a wonderful person on top of it.

Q: I've been watching the old Indy 500s on YouTube, then found this list of pole winners and speeds with a note on 1974 that they first put pop-of valves on the turbos, limiting them to 80in HG; 1979 they reduced that to 50in HG, and now it's less than 40in HG. So many here talk about the 900 hp cars of the 1990's, but were they really? And what was it like in the late '60s/early '70's with all that power and so little downforce? Had to be crazy speed difference from the end of the straight through the corners.

Ron DeReus

RM: When Indy cars had unlimited boost they made 1,000 hp (A.J. reckons he and Howard Gilbert might have had 1,200 once), and drivers used the 3-2-1 markers getting into Turns 1 & 3. Running flat-out wasn't an option – it wasn't even considered. Then the big wings came along in 1972, the pole speed jumped 17 mph (Uncle Bobby & Gurney's Eagle, pictured) and USAC decided to turn down the wick after the 1973 Indy 500 and deaths of Art Pollard and Swede Savage. And CART cars most certainly had 900 hp in the '90s.

Q: You have the ears of the Hulman family and Miles. How about Mike Pence as Grand Marshal for Indy this year? Giving the command to start their engines from the starter's stand and wave the green? It would be good press!

Skip Ranfone

RM: Oh Skip I don't have the ears of the Hulman/George family, but I do speak to Mark Miles occasionally and I think IMS already has a grand marshall selected for 2017. As for politicians, it's a mixed bag. VP Dan Quayle didn't seem to generate a lot of emotion one way or the other, but as I recall former Gov. Matt Welch got booed so badly they pulled him in on the backstretch. I'd much rather see an old racing legend than any politicians.

Q: My parents got me and my wife tickets to this year's Indy 500 for Christmas. I can't wait; it's my first 500 and first oval race. I saw that in last week's Mailbag, you gave some advice to a first-time attendee, but I was wondering if you had any advice about getting to the track on race day? We're staying in a hotel in Carmel, IN, and I was thinking we would drive into downtown and pick up one of the shuttles rather than park at IMS, but please let me know if you have any tips regarding this.

Also, I was watching the Sylvester Stallone CART movie "Driven" recently, and had two questions: 1) Do you have any fun behind-the-scenes stories or trivia about the movie you could share? 2) I'm a huge Jacques Villeneuve fan, but I could not find him in the movie, even though from what I've read he is supposed to be in it. Do you have any idea where he appears? I'd try looking for him again but I don't think I could sit through the whole movie a second time!

Ben Saylor, Avon Lake, OH

RM: You are thinking correctly about taking the shuttle, and I think I'd just drive downtown and catch it. Last year was a debacle after the race because people waited forever to leave the track and IMS has assured me that situation has been fixed with the vendor. As for Driven, after watching it we named it "Drivel" because it was the worst acting, plot and action scenes ever. It was supposed to put CART on the map, and it was embarrassing. Thankfully for Jacques, he'd already left for Formula 1 when it was filmed. My only story is that when they were shooting in Toronto, we all saw actress Gina Gershon and tried to warn her it could be a career-ending cameo. And, sadly, it was.

Q: I'm happy to say at 59 years old I'm finally crossing the Indy 500 off my bucket list next year! We're staying near the airport. What's the best way to get to and from the track on race day? Any other suggestions?

Don, Minneapolis

RM: Take the shuttle from the airport – it drops you off right by the front gate and, hopefully, picks you up at the same spot afterwards. If you come in a day early, go the IMS Museum, take a tour bus ride around the track, go to the memorabilia show and either go watch the Silver Crown race at IRP or watch Tony Stewart run the Little 500 at Anderson.

Q: Watching the 2007 Champ Car race at Assen. Huge crowd. Could we ever see IndyCar there?

Russ Webster

RM: The Bavaria Grand Prix drew 61,000 people in The Netherlands' first and only race – won by Justin Wilson (pictured). Robert Doornbos was the only local driver but I don't see any effort being made to return.

Q: It's been reported that Jacques Villeneuve has said that Nigel Mansell's going to IndyCar in the early '90s annoyed Bernie Ecclestone, due to the fan and media interest, and that Bernie played some kind of role in the CART-IRL split. What are your thoughts on this? Is it possible that everything hasn't come out about the split?

Matt Wiser

RM: I always enjoy Jacques' take on things because he's so refreshingly honest in giving his opinion. But while Bernie was in shock when Mansell left in 1993 and very concerned about CART's popularity, I don't think he had squat to do with The Split. The ringleaders were Bill France Jr., Dick King, John Cooper, a former CART president and a couple of car owners.

Q: I have been wondering whether NOLA Motorsports Park will ever be back on the calendar. Clearly 2015 was a disaster, but overall I thought the track (in terms of track design) was a good one for the series, and once the south track is made, it'll be a five-mile course. And after seeing the concept art for the new aero kits, I'm wondering whether the series is any closer to determining who will manufacture the aero kits? I remember Red Bull Technologies' name being thrown around early on, but have not heard anything else.

Stephen Tampa, FL

RM: I can't imagine anyone having the courage to try and promote a track that literally is impossible to find and tough to get to, no matter how nice they end up making it. As for the aero kit builder, no word yet but I'm having lunch with Jay Frye next week so maybe I'll get him drunk and he'll spill the beans.

Q: Robin, could you elaborate on the apparently complex personal relationship through the years between A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti? Just read Foyt's "I didn't give a s**t when I ran against him" comment in the latest Car & Driver. Why the animosity? I also remember an Andretti interview in which he said he respected Foyt "on the track." Thoughts or insights? Incidentally, your columns and podcasts are essential reading and viewing for me (I'm 65 and remember the old days.)

John from Baltimore

RM: Publicly, A.J. acts like there wasn't any rivalry and he doesn't like "The Guinea," but privately he respects Mario and they had a wonderful breakfast together at Daytona a few years ago. When they tied for Driver of the Century, I called both for a story. Andretti said "it was an honor to be mentioned with Foyt because he was always the yardstick for greatness." A.J. growled and said he wanted to have a run-off to determine the winner and I replied: "what are you going to drive? A school bus? Because that's all you could fit in." (I was pretty brave on the phone). Let's put it this way, one of the great debates of all-time in racing is whether A.J. or Mario was the best. They're forever linked in history and that's cool – and the way it should be.

Q: Which North American track that IndyCar has never visited would you like to see them run on – and would it be feasible?

AMJ, Canada

RM: The only one that jumps out is Road Atlanta because it's such a great layout, but people always say there's not enough run-off areas for IndyCar so I don't think it's ever going to happen. If Sebring was smoother I'd love to see IndyCar run there as the prelim to the sports cars in March.

Q: Among the clearance deals I snagged from IMS was an Unser Family Reunion T-shirt. All the racing history in that family got me thinking about how awesome it would be to have an Unser in IndyCar today. I know Little Al has said in the past he regrets not putting more effort into Al III's racing career. I also recall AJ Foyt IV dabbling in IndyCar. Any chance we will see these families race in IndyCar again? Thanks for making the off-season bearable brother.

Tate, Kansas

RM: That's a good question because it's now up to Larry and IV and Mini Al to continue the tradition, but Larry is the only one directly involved in racing anymore so it could be the end of a couple eras. And thanks for reading.

Q: Tell us your stories of Indy and food experiences, Mom's Unser chili! Ever have some? Aside from the pork tenderloin, what's the classics for you?

J.R.

RM: There was a cafeteria at IMS for years and it was divided into racing people and fans. If you timed it right, you could buy one of those watered-down, god-awful hamburgers and pay for it at the same time Jim Clark or Rodger Ward were at the cashier. And you could always wait outside and get an autograph. I tried Mom Unser's chili once and I was in ICU for two days. Just kidding, it was spicy but good.

Q: I was reading my newly-acquired 1974 Indy 500 Yearbook and I saw that there was a turbocharger issue, and there were trips to the courtroom the week before the race. What was the dust-up about and how often did they go to court that decade? I read where they had to get a vote from the owners of cars qualified to have another qualifying session implemented. It just seems a lot of time was spent in the courtroom in the 70's, and it's a wonder the series flourished as well as it did in the 80s – or is that why the White Paper was so successful?

Kris Branch, Peru, Indiana

RM: The big story was the lawsuit filed by five teams to stop the race unless they got a chance to qualify because they claimed they were denied an opportunity. It was a big deal and Tony Hulman even had to testify but, two days before the race, Judge Frank Symmes dismissed the lawsuit.

The other controversy involved a big turbo used by George Bignotti's STP team because it proved to override the allowable boost, but USAC didn't have a rule against it. Wally Dallenbach (pictured) qualified on the front row and had a huge lead after a couple laps before his engine blew, and Gordon Johncock wound up finishing fourth so it turned out not to be any big deal. But in 1979 where was massive cheating of the boost that made USAC look like dummies so an extra session of qualifying had to be added and that's why there were 35 starters. And, yes, USAC's total arrogance and incompetence led to Dan Gurney's much-needed White Paper.

Q: I was thinking about a topic that constantly makes the rounds in your column (and all of the reader comments that follow). People like to talk about the "good ol' days" – which inevitably leads to the question, "Why aren't younger people attracted to IndyCar? Why does it seem like the current generation just isn't 'into' racing like the generations that came before?"

My answer? The standard 100,000-mile warranty. When I was growing up in the '70s it seemed like 100,000 miles was a huge landmark and if you knew someone who had a car that made it to 100,000 miles, it was really something special. Then the '80s came and Lee Iacocca promised us reliable cars and a fantastic warranty. Nowadays, it seems pretty routine that your family car will hit the century mark with only the most basic of maintenance. What seemed like a great idea for consumers has now resulted in a generation that grew up without actually having to work their cars. Necessity dictated that you had to work on your car, which led to an appreciation of what's under the hood.

Putting in your own sweat (and sometimes blood) created a bond between car and owner. In turn, this created an interest in cars, which created an interest in those who raced them. As a kid, I remember crawling under the car to watch my dad drain the oil. It was a messy job, yet interesting to watch an otherwise white-collar guy get his hands greasy in the driveway. Now all a car really needs is the occasional quick-stop oil change and tire rotation (often done for free by your tire retailer). So, when we wonder why the current generation doesn't have a connection to cars – I think the answer is a simple one. They don't have to.

Steve E., Normandy Park, WA

PS: Being a West Coast guy, I finally made it to Long Beach and had a blast. There was on-track action from 7:45 a.m. (IMSA practice) to well past sunset (Drift). I don't think there was ever more than 30 minutes of downtime. I know that street race attendees get a bad rap about "only being there for the party", but I found this to be false. I had such a good time that I also made it to Sonoma – and dragged my buddy along to boot. To all the street race complainers out there (who never attend races) – If you get a chance to go in person, do it! You won't be sorry.

RM: We've all said that kids today don't care about cars or even driving them, and your theory is an interesting concept. It did seem like lots of kids in the '60s were fascinated by what was under the hood and, to your point, could only have wheels if they put a junker back on the street. And your observation about Long Beach is what I've been saying for years. Sure it's a three-day party but there are a lot of die-hard fans from Riverside, Ontario and Fontana and some young ones in the making.

Q: Does PT do any competitive driving these days?

Vincent Martinez, Arcadia, CA

RM: He raced in the SVRA vintage show at IMS last summer but that's about all I know of – except when he's going to the grocery store.

Q: Just clicked on Sports Illustrated this morning to check last nights scores, and right at the top big and bold, "Indy Car Vice." A story about Randy Lanier. At least we get a mention I guess, albeit for this story. Do you have a good Randy Lanier story that you can share that doesn't involve pot? 

Aaron & Mossie

RM: I didn't know Randy, but Tom Sneva nicknamed him "Squiggy" because of his resemblance to the character on Laverne & Shirley.