Robin Miller's Mailbag for March 29, 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: Last year Chevy easily had eight of the top 10 drivers (Penske 4, Josef, Dixon, TK and Sebastian). This year they only have Penske and you can easily argue Honda has 11 out of the top 15 (only considering full-time drivers). Numerically I don't see how Chevy wins the constructor’s championship and statistically their odds at driver champion are greatly diminished. Is there any scuttlebutt about Chevy funding a fifth ride at Penske for JPM and/or a third ride at ECR for Briscoe (not sure where the WEC conflict is)? Bottom line is Chevy needs more bullets in the chamber.

Chris, Colorado Springs

Q: I know you’re more of an IndyCar guy, but I want to talk about F1 for a second. Pascal Wehrlein dropped out of the Australian GP because he didn’t feel fit enough after his crazy Race of Champions crash. This brings up the interesting point of the strain the new cars are going to put on the drivers. Sure, he’s injured, but never in my time watching F1 has a driver dropped out because he didn’t think he was in good enough physical shape. I love that there is now the added element and real concern of if a driver is fit enough to drive a full race. Personally, knowing my guy (Go Kimi!) might not make it to the end just makes me root for him more. Why isn’t IndyCar taking this kind of direction with the new cars? I think if we got faster the racing could still stay close, and we’d have an added variable thrown in. When Newgarden won Iowa last year with a broken hand, everyone went absolutely nuts, and rightfully so. But what if we got to the point where it was that impressive for a healthy driver to drive like that? I’m taking nothing from the current level of athleticism all across the paddock; the drivers are undoubtedly some of the most athletic sportsmen on earth. Plus, I don’t think anyone would be mad if we could keep the current level of racing with increased speeds.

Max Camposano, Los Altos, CA

RM: Wehrlein injured his back and, despite having four test days prior to Australia, didn’t feel fit enough to do a race and there’s no doubt F1’s cornering speeds are tough on the body. But is it any more physically demanding than an IndyCar with no power steering at Mid-Ohio or Sonoma?

From Tony Kanaan: “The biggest punishment is the G loads followed by short straights. The longer the corners the worse it is, especially if it's follow by a short straight because you don't have time to rest before you have to turn again. Mid-Ohio and Sonoma are the worst for that.”

Personally, I’d much rather see the speeds reduced in the corners on an oval and, between the mental stress and Gs, places like Texas and Phoenix are plenty demanding.

Q: I'm thrilled that proper bodywork is coming for 2018 and its potential for even better racing. Add the fact it might help fold a third engine supplier into the mix. However, I'll miss the added the intrigue of the Chevy/Honda aero kit battle. While it didn't add too much in terms of on-track action race by race, the kits certainly added luster to the teams that overcame Honda's admittedly inferior kits. Graham Rahal's results the last two years and Bourdais’ shock upset at St. Pete in the opener come to mind. I know one of the reasons for axing the kits was cost, but was it ever considered to let them do the new-style bodywork? Do you think Chevy/Honda will use the extra cash to promote their series involvement? Is there any way the series can ask them to?

Eric, Lancaster, NY

RM: Bourdais benefitted from whatever improvements he, Craig Hampson, Ganassi and Honda helped make in the off-season. And there is going to be new bodywork for 2018 and it looks pretty damn zoomy. Each manufacturer has to commit so much money to IndyCar and so much goes to marketing, but I have no idea what the numbers are or whether Honda spends more than required (which it appears).

Q: Why did they change the name of the May road course race from the GP of Indianapolis to the INDYCAR GP?

Ben Hartford

RM: It was called the Angie’s List GP of Indianapolis but since Angie’s List is no longer the title sponsor, it was dropped.

Q: You’ve referred to Kentucky Speedway possibly having an opening and becoming the home of the IndyCar finale. Are there any talks between Kentucky Speedway and Jay Frye?

Austin Blayney, Long Beach, CA

Q: I'm a big fan of the common aero kit that will allow the series to return the majority of the downforce to the bottom of the car and reduce it overall. That being said, I think it is awful for Indy. Indy doesn't have the same aero-induced issues by too much downforce because the long straights force you to make the cars as aero efficient as possible. Drag is to be avoided as much as possible while still creating the minimum downforce needed to keep the throttle as close to flat all the way around as possible. In addition, Indy should be about innovation, which doesn't mean everyone showing up with identical cars and the only difference being engine performance and a team’s mechanical grip setup. The last few years of having aero kits made Indy practice more interesting but I think the idea of the aero kit for Indy only should even be expanded such that each team can develop specific aero pieces they want to try. The rules should be written such that the amount of development possible is very small such that a team could easily be competitive in race trim with the standard aero kit. But if Penske and Ganassi want to spend a fortune developing fancy mirrors or a slightly different rear wing to reduce drag then let them. Interest by the hardcore fans leads to more discussion, discussion leads to more awareness and awareness leads to better TV ratings. Surely they have considered Indy only aero kits? Any chance they might give it a try?

Chris Vaught

RM: In a word: No. Chevy and Honda spent millions on aero kits and going to a common one for 2018 will also cost them money. An Indy-only aero kit isn’t going to sell any extra tickets or make Road & Track salivate or make the racing any better. I know a lot of fans want innovation and individuality but IndyCar has a five-year plan and it’s predicated on today’s economic reality in the paddock.

Rick DeBlois

RM: Yes, KK and Gerald Forsythe still own Cosworth and it sounds like business is booming. They are building a substantial number of engines for high-performance cars of leading manufacturers, in addition to designing and manufacturing engines for the Red Bull Supercar (a 1,000hp V-12). They’re building a new plant in Michigan, which opens this fall, and still have a significant presence in IndyCar with all the timing and scoring looms. And, in case IndyCar does get its third manufacturer, Cosworth already has an engine designed that could easily be badged. But they don’t want to brand their engines because they don’t want to be limited, according to Kalkhoven.

Q: Chase Carey has been quite vocal about the Liberty Group's plans to expand F1 in the United States, saying that they would like to see at least three races in the continental U.S., bringing the total to five races in North America. Assuming that F1 is able to do that, are the folks at IndyCar at all worried about the competition for the motorsports fans’ dollar? And is there a plan in place that allows IndyCar to compete head-to-head?

Doug Bowles, St. Albert, Canada

RM: I don’t think IndyCar can’t react to anything until it sees what F1 might have planned. But I imagine there’s a good chance there will be a conflict if Liberty wants to stage three USA races so I suppose IndyCar’s concern would be when and where. Obviously, a Sunday night race in Iowa wouldn’t be in competition with the Grand Prix of Hoboken but I don’t know that F1 would check with IndyCar about its schedule to try and avoid any direct conflicts.

Q: In what is seemingly now an annual tradition, there was an article out there about Formula 1 potentially stealing Long Beach away from IndyCar when their contract expires after 2018. If it were still Bernie's F1 I would say there is no chance since the economics would never work. But, with Liberty out there saying they will be more promoter-friendly, should we be worried?

Dennis Czosek, Franklin Park, IL

RM: Kevin Kalkhoven told RACER.com he hadn’t been in any discussions with Liberty and IndyCar fans need not worry, but I suppose if F1 offered $100 million to Long Beach to redo the circuit and build a new paddock and the state of California ponied up $25 million (like Texas does for COTA), then it could happen. But Long Beach, Toyota, Forsythe, Kalkhoven and IndyCar all seem pretty happy and it’s hard to imagine the financial windfall mentioned above happening. So it’s not impossible, but I’d say it’s improbable.

Q: I had some bizarre dream last night where Williams F1 announced that Ed Carpenter was going to replace Lance Stroll after the Australian GP. The dream scenario is obviously unrealistic, but when do you think an IndyCar driver will make the jump up to F1 again? IndyCar is extremely physical, just like the 2017 F1 cars, so some of the drivers could be a good fit. Dixon, Power and Pagenaud would probably do a good job in F1 but they're too old to move over. Is IndyCar-to-F1 just not a viable move anymore?

Joey P.

RM: Alex Zanardi, Cristiano da Matta and Sebastien Bourdais didn’t have much luck, success or fun and couldn’t wait to get back to IndyCar, so it’s not like F1 is scouting IndyCar for talent. I don’t think F1 cares about American drivers (not even Gene Haas) or the IndyCar champion and, unless you got paid a boatload, why would you want to go run 15th because you’re not going to get one of the primo rides? I think Alexander Rossi got the best break of his career in 2016, even though he may not have thought so at the time.

Q: I was witness to Dave Steele's fatal accident last night at Desoto speedway in Bradenton, Florida. I was shooting a video at the time and posted it on YouTube. My concern is the lack of an ambulance at the track. Following the crash the "emergency crew" responded to the scene. After about five minutes they made a PA announcement that said they needed an ambulance and put a call in for one that had to be dispatched from Bradenton (probably 10 miles away). They finally arrived at the track, I'd say within 15-18 minutes of the crash. In this case, I don't know if it would have made a difference in Dave Steele's survival, but it could have. Why aren't these track promoters required to provide "on scene" ambulance service before allowing competition?

Joe Weiss, Spooner, Wisconsin

RM: I don’t know if certain sanctioning bodies mandate ambulances but, obviously, it should be a given that one is on the property. I’ve watched the replay and it didn’t seem like that violent an accident and there still hasn’t been a cause of death announced, so it’s possible Dave’s head made contact with the wall – looking at the angle he went in. People have been emailing, texting and calling to voice their concern about a lack of response or proper procedure but you said you saw an emergency crew so we should wait until we get more information.

Q: I was sad to learn that David Steele, one of my favorite open-wheel racers, died on Saturday night. I was lucky enough to see him win in 2001 at the Turkey Night Shootout. I know some of his accomplishments as a driver, but I was wondering if you had personal stories or insights about David.

Gerry Courtney, San Francisco, CA

RM: I was working at ESPN on a show called RPM2Night and we had a segment called “Open Wheel Wednesday,” where I was allowed to do occasional features. Steele had been making headlines from the Little 500 to IRP to the Silver Crown series so I tracked him down at Milwaukee during an IRL/USAC doubleheader in either 2001 or 2002. I’d only met him a couple times but he had a great sense of humor and as I approached with my cameraman he yelled: "Oh my god, ESPN is coming to talk to the little people. But I don't have any makeup. Are you sure you've got the right guy? Do I call you sir, Mr. Miller or Mr. Open Wheel Wednesday?" He was a hoot and one of the best pavement racers EVER.

Q: I am heartbroken at hearing of the passing of Dave Steele. Dave was the definition of a wheelman. I moved to Florida 15 years ago. I hadn't seen much sprint car racing as I had lived in Virginia previously. The Tampa area had a decent pavement sprint car scene and I was exposed to Dave Steele. I had heard of Dave but to see him race was awesome. He was always fast, amazingly fast, but smart also. He was always the man to beat, but more than that he always supported the local tracks and turned out to support racing in the area. Dave was just the epitome of a racer and such a contributor to sprint car racing. He will be sorely missed. He seemed like a natural for the old IRL – any reason he didn’t drive in that series?

Bill Early

RM: He had a brief stint in the IRL with Markos and then Panther Racing. But he had some kind of mechanical failure at Indy, pounded the wall and received a bad concussion. His friends said that seemed to shake his confidence to the point he had none in an IndyCar. Then he tried NASCAR but got the constant runaround in tech and walked away. But with the right situation he would have been a badass in the IRL.

Q: With NASCAR's decision to give Las Vegas a second race at the expense of New Hampshire's late September race, I can't help but think it's a great opportunity for IndyCar to explore adding a race there. It's a track that produced some very dull NASCAR races but can produce IndyCar races much like Milwaukee used to. And unlike the 1.5-mile tracks that can really only host NASCAR's lower series on the support bill, NHMS is small enough to host great modified races and other open-wheel cars. I have to think it's an opportunity worth exploring, given that it could be a venue that would be able to host a full weekend of support races and Indy cars, which I don't believe was tried when IndyCar had the rain fiasco in 2011. Lastly, thank you for hosting this forum for fan opinions. I've learned a lot about the sport through the mails, which was hard to do otherwise as a 21-year-old college student in an area without many motorsport fans. I look forward to seeing the rest of the season, as well as you, PT, Townsend Bell and others on NBCSN in a few weeks.

Travis, Boston, MA

RM: CART put on one of the greatest oval shows ever in 1993 at Loudon between Mansell, Tracy and Fittipaldi, but the crowds vanished after the IRL took over and it was a ghost town in 2011. It might be a good place to race but unless IndyCar would be the promoter and take all the financial risks, I don’t think there’s any chance it ever comes back on the IndyCar schedule. But I’m glad you’re a young, East Coast fan of IndyCar, thanks for reading.

Q: I was just wondering how long Green-Savoree's contract with IndyCar and Exhibition Place venue in Toronto is? As the second-longest-running street course at 31 years next to Long Beach I hope it continues to be a staple on the calendar for years to come. They finally have a CEO in Jeff Atkinson that lives, breathes and sleeps auto racing and is fired up about this race. Judging from last year they're on the right course.

Geoff in Markham, Canada

RM: The contract runs through 2018 and there’s no reason to think IndyCar won’t want to continue its Canadian history. And I imagine Savoree-Green feel the same.

Q: Why does IndyCar throw so many full-course yellows on road/street circuits? At least half the time it appears to be a "quick fix" that could be remedied with a local yellow. I know they clean the track too, but it gets annoying.

DJ Odom, Anderson, IN

RM: The confines of a street course have a lot to do with it because there’s not much room for the debris to scatter. It was just a couple years ago a car ran over some debris, threw it over the fence and it hit a pregnant woman in the head while she was standing in the infield. And the debris at St. Pete was in the groove before it got knocked around a little, but it was still in play.

Q: How do you keep failing to mention Roberto Guerrero’s last-to-first in 1987 at Phoenix. Not just last-to-first, but decimated the field. Maybe had he not hit the tire at Indy (with a tragic outcome in the stands) he would be on the Borg-Warner Trophy. Big Al had nothing on him had he been able to get out of the pits.

Mick Fallon, Lexington, KY

RM: Because I’m old and not real bright, Mick. Hell, I was at that race! And Roberto had to overcome a late stop-and-go penalty and still won by eight seconds over Bobby Rahal. And, after suffering a massive head injury (in a coma for 17 days) while testing at IMS in the fall of ’87, Guerrero made a miraculous recovery in the 1988 opener at Phoenix by finishing second. Thanks for the heads-up.

Q: I understand the reasoning for closing the pits under full-course yellow to protect the safety team and prevent racing to pit lane, but why not just implement a speed limiter to prevent racing to the pits? This way the running order is kept intact and maintains the integrity of qualifying and will largely eliminate the backmarker strategy of pitting early in the hopes of catching a timely yellow flag. Furthermore, many of the drivers said that the debris from Kanaan-Munoz was off the racing line. Race Control could have just thrown a local yellow and radioed teams regarding the debris, giving fair notice to the leaders that they should probably pit, and then after giving the leaders a chance to pit Race Control then throws the full-course caution. I get that you reason that it evens out over the course of a season, but there aren't that many races to consider that a large enough sample size. Sure, if they ran 1,000 races it would likely even out but with only 20 or so races in a season, a lucky break here or a bad break here could make or break a drivers season (or career for a rookie).

Jonathan, Los Angeles, CA

RM: Pit speed limiters wouldn't prevent anything – the field is packed up before the pits are ever open – so it's simply a matter of being lucky, being unlucky or taking a risk after your fuel window is open. Look at St. Pete: The window to make it on three stops opened on Lap 14 and by the time the caution was thrown on Lap 26 to pick up the debris, 11 of the 18 cars running had already pitted. So seven drivers/leaders got caught out. It happened to Dixon at St. Pete and last year at Toronto but he also benefitted from it at Mid-Ohio a couple years ago when he started last, never passed a car and won the race. Would it be more fair of the pits were always open? Probably, but the teams all bitched about that a few years ago because they said they couldn't plan strategy so IndyCar went back to closing the pits. The bottom line is that there is no perfect system and racing is/has/always will be about good breaks and bad ones in between those rare, dominant victories where cautions play absolutely no role in the outcome.

Q: Is the RACER visor cam actually mounted on the visor or is it on the top of the helmet? I ask because I watched the 2003 race at Brands Hatch that IndyCar posted recently, and the coverage had a race time view from INSIDE Paul Tracy's helmet. Speaking of camera angles, is there anyway to bring back the close-to-the-ground angles that were used in CART broadcasts in the 1990s? I'm thinking of the nose cam view forward and the rear view from the gearbox/suspension. I think the current in-car cameras are great but these really gave a good impression of speed with the track so close – would be great to add to the mix.

Patrick from Brooklyn

RM: Marshall Pruett says: “I place it wherever I can – usually in the middle of the visor strip so the GoPro isn't a distraction to the driver looking out."

The nose cones and their quick replacement requirements present a big problem for mounting any kind of camera, but I’m told that Sebastien Bourdais will be providing some cool angles when NBCSN begins its coverage at Long Beach.

Q: I am like many who feel that having the final race of the year is a big snoozefest for the most part (in terms of a championship battle). It's always filled with good racing, but not something that is going to get you excited for the title decider. So here's what I would do if I were in charge of scheduling. Eddie Gossage is by far one of the best in the business at marketing the events at his track. Texas has always been one of the most exciting races of the year and also hosted the finale. Move Texas to the end of the season (yeah, you may be competing with college football, but with the right deal, people will take a week from football), re-schedule Detroit to Texas' June date, and bring back Milwaukee the week after the Indy 500, starting no later than 1:00 p.m. Will ever happen? Probably not, but I feel that it would be an ideal scenario.

Alan Bandi, Butler, PA

RM: Here’s a direct response from Gossage: “I’ll be happy to rent Alan the track for a season finale race during football season in Texas. It’s easy to spend someone else’s money so let’s spend Alan’s. Call me Alan! And bring me a personally guaranteed multi-million dollar line of credit. I’m ready!!! (BTW – you’ll need to do the same thing at the Milwaukee Mile to make your scenario come true. Others have tried it and lost their money. This time, though, let’s spend yours!)”

Q: I don't understand the constant moaning and groaning about double points, particularly for the final race of the IndyCar season. I agree that an oval race would be preferable to the current alternative but what's the difference whether its an oval, road or figure eight course if the championship's already been decided before the final race is run? Don't "double points" stimulate interest in the final events of the season when otherwise the championship may already have been decided several races before the end? Maybe a popular top driver had a "one-off" poor result or two early on that affected his/her points standing or perhaps a middle-of-the-pack team had an epiphany which made it more competitive in the latter half of the season. Wouldn't it behoove their fans and IndyCar in general if they are still in the mix at season's end? Shouldn't a series which is already suffering a decline do everything it can to keep fans interested for the whole season? There doesn't seem to be any "push back" from fans when a wild-card team wins the Super Bowl or World Series; or a lower-seeded team knocks off a top seed in the first round of the NBA playoffs or the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament. Robin, there are always two sides to a story and I value your opinion so please enlighten this longtime reader and first-time commenter.

Darrell, Salinas, CA

RM: I’m the loudest bitcher about double points Darrell, because IndyCar doesn’t need it. All but one of the past 12 years have come down to the finale without the gimmick of double points at a racetrack where the order is usually decided in qualifying. I love Sonoma and the people do a great job of promoting it, but the racing is never very good and why should this procession pay more points than The Testosterone 500 at Texas? I guess it you want to give double points at one race it could be Indianapolis but the season champion should be rewarded for his consistency and performance. And IndyCar doesn’t have to be like baseball or football or NASCAR; there’s some purity in crowning a true champion without qualifying points at Indy or double points at Sonoma. Plus, let’s be honest, it’s not like a lot of people sit glued to their television waiting on the double points finale at Sonoma.

Q: The Indy Lights field is up in numbers, slightly, this year, but perennially the grids are slim. This series is IndyCar's future. As part of the prize for winning the Indy 500, how about the obligation, for the winning team, to field a Lights car for the following season? Or the IndyCar series winner being obliged to run the Lights winner on an oval, road and street course the next year? Winners reap both the spoils of victory and the obligation to “give back.”

Anthony Jenkins

RM: IndyCar tried enticing owners to run Lights by offering extra test days and that didn’t make any difference, so maybe offering a $1 million bonus to the Indy-winning team if it happens to field a Lights car might help. Or simply adding $500,000 to the Leader’s Circle payout for supporting Mazda’s Road to Indy with a Lights effort.

Q: I have always been curious how car numbers might be selected by the driver or car owner, or whomever makes the call. As a point of reference, nine Indy cars are numbered 1-10, six cars are numbered 11-20, 5 cars are numbered 21-30, and 2 cars are numbered 31-99. This is probably a dumb question but do you know the history behind some of these number selections? Seems like some of the teams have consecutive numbers such as Penske 2 and 3, Chip 8-10, Andretti 26-28, Dale Coyne 18 and 19, Carpenter 20 and 21.

Paul, El Dorado Hills, CA

RM: From Brian Barnhardt: "IndyCar maintains the list of car numbers and assigns them to an Entrant on an annual basis. Once an Entrant is licensed, they select a car number from the available list of numbers. That number remains their number as long as they are participating on a full-time basis or until they request a change to another available number. Car number 1 is reserved for the Series Champion. If they use the number 1, their “other” number remains on hold or can be used by that Entrant (Penske, Pagenaud, Montoya scenario). Full-season participation takes priority for car number choices over Indy-only or part time participation. Most Entrants prefer lower numbers for a couple of reasons, including single digits take up less space on the car and look cleaner. Some number requests have sponsor affiliation too."

Q: I went to my fifth race at St. Petersburg and really enjoyed the weekend. The weather is always great and seeing what the race is doing for the city of St. Petersburg is amazing! When I went to the race in 2003 the city skyline looked like Des Moines by the ocean and now there are shiny new condo towers and the city is growing and will soon have a new baseball stadium a new skyline and new pier! If I was to get critical, and there is very little to complain about, I would ask you why the Lights cars have to backfire so much. Great looking cars, great racing, and Colton, but the Lights cars sound a little sick.

Doug Loeffler, Lakeville, MN

RM: Marshall says: “Hi Doug – what you're hearing does sound like backfiring, but it's done for performance by the engine's ECU to keep the turbocharger spinning and ready to go when a driver lifts off the throttle. Turbo lag is reduced, which allows the Lights drivers to accelerate faster after braking or lifting.”

Q: I'm thinking that the next step in NASCAR's futile attempt to put butts in the seats and in front of the TV should be to run the middle and/or last (contrived) segment(s) in the opposite direction from track normal. Or ... Odd-numbered qualifiers run the whole race, say, clockwise and even qualifiers run counterclockwise. Thoughts? Meanwhile, I'm watching IndyCar.

Fred Lawrence

RM: I’d be all for a NASCAR Figure-8 race but I’d the say the early returns on “segment racing” are less than enthusiastic.

Q: Old news but I wanted to share my experience of the St. Pete event. I couldn’t attend the race but spent Saturday there with my 17-year-old daughter and we had a great time. It was almost non-stop action between qualifying and the lower-tier cars. All were impressive and fun to see up close. The highlight for the crowd may have been the Stadium Super Trucks. Unlike anything else and the speed, height, and reckless abandon with which they race is awesome. Robby Gordon’s victory lap mainly on two wheels was great fun and the crowd erupted. I was there mainly for the IndyCars and it was exciting to see them running live. Most memorable was the opportunity to line the path from the paddock to the pits and see awesome cars, racing legends and personalities up close. There is a reason Helio is a fan favorite – the most relaxed, patient, autograph-friendly person there. My daughter got a nervous wave from Dario and she raced to see interviews with ECR’s and Penske’s drivers. I think she’s a fan. The day was definitely worth the trip for a long-time IndyCar fan, even without seeing the race, especially for the very reasonable general admission. The only downside was not finding Miller anywhere. Race promotion needs to be better. Several full-page newspaper ads appeared but they are black and white and are too subtle to capture much attention. At least one local sports anchor took a live on-air ride in a car through the streets – is that his idea or IndyCar’s offer? Anyway, the day was great, especially for a transplanted Hoosier, my first event since the first IRL event at Disney. I highly recommend it and look forward to race day next year.

Brian Moyer, New Port Richey, FL

RM: IndyCar always tries to put sports people or feature writers or TV folks in the seat, so to speak, and it’s pretty popular since they get a new appreciation and perspective (especially if Mario takes them around in Honda’s two-seater) and a chance to talk about themselves. Glad you and your daughter had a good experience – IndyCar needs young fans.

Q: First off, I'm a huge fan, love reading the mailbag, and give you a lot of credit for what you do and have done for the sport as an ambassador of IndyCar racing. I've been big into sprint cars since the second my dad took me to Williams Grove as a kid and we sat at the end of the back straight and saw the first car time trial wide open going into the corner. At that exact second I forgot all about NASCAR and just about everything else that we were going to see locally in New Jersey, but I always appreciated Indy cars due to their historical connection to the dirt tracks and drivers. Growing up, my dad would talk all the time about seeing AJ and the boys racing at Trenton when he was a kid but when the speedway closed up, he kind of lost interest. Anyway I went to Indy for the first time in the fall for a work event and stayed an extra day to go to the IMS museum, Dallara factory, and of course drink all the way down Main Street. So I decided to surprise my dad and got us a pair of tickets for the 2017 Indy 500 as soon as they went up for sale. So I'm just looking for some gems in town or other side action that maybe not everyone will know about. The plan so far is to hit the Little 500, the Indy 500, then haul ass up to Kokomo, but if you have any other recommendations I’d love to hear them. Thanks for taking the time.

Andrew Shuster, Trenton, NJ

RM: Well it sounds like you’ve already got a good plan. Maybe take in the Silver Crown race at the Fairgrounds on Friday night and be sure to visit the memorabilia show on IMS on Saturday before you head to Anderson. And get a cheeseburger at the Workingman’s Friend. Thanks for the kind words.