Robin Miller's Mailbag for May 3, 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.

Do you see the possibility in the future of shuffling lapped cars to the back? I think something needs to happen soon, because nearly every race this year has been impacted by yellow flags. I am all for a few blue moon shake-ups but this is getting crazy. I really hope this promised change for 2018 makes a difference. I also hope IndyCar can get these paid customers back to the track. If you ask me, IndyCar should help subsidize the cost of offering a huge discount on ticket renewals. Hopefully that would help bring back the fans that came this year. Has there been any talk about increasing the race distance as well? I hate long NASCAR races as much as the next guy, but 250 laps at 20s a lap seems to be pretty short.

Luke, Prescott, Arizona

RM: With all the shrapnel on the track going to a red flag would have been the right call, and 22 laps of caution is a rip-off to the fans, as well as a guarantee of instant channel-flipping on television. IndyCar has to think of its audience in that situation. Lapped cars to get shuffled to the back, but only with 15 laps to go. I haven't heard anything about increasing the distance, and I can't imagine wanting more of what we watched Saturday night until the cars get fixed. But some kind of discount ticket would be appropriate with the title "Give Us One More Chance."

Q: Please tell me the series will finally listen to drivers like TK and Power and get rid of the road-course aero setups for short ovals, and increase the horsepower on tracks like Phoenix and Iowa? The series is destroying what used to be my favorite tracks to watch. I am a hardcore fan and will watch regardless, but I can't imagine the action from Phoenix will attract any casual fans attention. We need super-speedway aero and at least 750hp on short ovals.

Brian, Joliet, Illinois

RM: I know a lot of drivers want the road course HP mixed with less downforce and IndyCar has something new in the works for 2018, so we'll see what transpires. And maybe get Firestone to make a tire that degrades quicker at places like Iowa.

Q: I have been going to Phoenix International Raceway since it opened in 1964. There have been a lot great races, and not many duds like last Saturday night. The track is a fabulous venue and it seems like the management is making a big effort to do the right things to make the race a success, like having the race under the lights and giving access to the pits with a garage pass. (I don't remember that in the past and it was fantastic).

After reading your article "IndyCar's Desert Debacle", I agree that IndyCar needs this race to succeed, and I will personally be heartbroken yet again if this race is dropped from the schedule. I can't imagine that the track management is feeling much love from IndyCar and it will probably take two or more years of great races to turn this situation around, so my questions are: 1) Reaching out to the ISC tracks was a brilliant move by Jay Frye - does this mean his influence is waning and is this the beginning of the end for yet another competent person? 2) Do you think that IndyCar has enough sense to offer any financial incentives to PIR to continue the race, or do they just not care?

Pete in Tucson

RM: I don't think so, no. There have been many boring races during the past 100 years, this just happened to be a repeat of 2016, and it's crucial for IndyCar to win back its old fans. As I wrote, Jay and his staff have done a helluva lot more right than wrong in the past couple years, but this was a black eye. And I think he's very enthusiastic over the new kits and car's look. As for incentives, PIR boss Bryan Sperber and Frye are good pals and I'm sure IndyCar was reasonable about sanction fees. And I know Sperber was smart about prices, because he wants the race to succeed.

Q: I am a staunch oval supporter, and by end of May will have attended half the IndyCar races this year -  St. Pete, Barber and the 500. Thanks for the pointers on where to sit at Barber, as it is a great venue. I have learned to embrace oval/street and road courses for the good of the sport, not because left and rights are my first choice. I love some of the progress in IndyCar, but Saturday night was ridiculous. For the second year in a row, no passing, single-file racing, and slow cars that could not be overtaken by much faster cars.

What I don't get is that it appears the drivers are telling IndyCar on a regular basis and after tests that they need less downforce and more HP for a better show. Is there a good reason IndyCar management won't listen, and is everyone in agreement that trouble like this should be alleviated by the 2018 bodywork and aero kit? I'm going to my 38th Indy 500 next month, and my son's 19th (and he's only 27)! There is nothing like the Indy 500!

Forrester, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

RM: Actually, everyone from first to 14th was running about the same speed on Saturday night so that's one reason it was impossible to pass. IndyCar has been good about listening to the drivers and teams on certain subjects and hopefully the new car next season will eliminate what we watched at Phoenix. But Indy should be like always and have plenty of action so enjoy #38.

Q: I love IndyCar because the schedule is a great mix of venues that test so many skills. It's why Alonso said he is coming to Indy. That said, last weekend's race at Phoenix was difficult. Watching on DVR, I could fast-forward through 50 laps at a time and see that there was barely any passing. NASCAR got to that same point on most ovals and attendance is plummeting. Watching older Phoenix IndyCar races, cars had to let off, brake, the groove was three lanes wide and watching the leaders fight for the lead while navigating traffic was compelling.

The ratio of aero to mechanical grip has shifted too far towards aero. When did we reach the point where having 20 cars on the lead lap so we could be told "it was a competitive race" supersedes the suspense of cars passing each other from the yellow line to the wall? How does anyone in the industry, including owners, drivers, sponsors, suppliers or IndyCar stomach it? I'm sick of seeing diminished product at great venues and being told that is just how it is and will be.

Jordan, Binghamton, NY

RM: Almost every driver knows it's insane to go 190mph through a corner because there's little chance to pass and no chance of reacting if something goes wrong. Almost to a man they want big HP so they have to back off for the corners at all ovals. And there have been some damn good oval shows (Fontana, Texas, Indy) in the past few years, and the road courses and street circuits have produced more passing and good racing than imaginable. One race hasn't diminished the product, but we want Iowa and Gateway to be racy, not a parade.

Q: I have to say, that might just have been the most boring weekend in racing. The quality of the on-track product was pathetic. The aero package needs to be fixed now. Less downforce, more horsepower. How hard is this? Perhaps they should take a look at the 1995 CART technical regulations and use that as a starting point. I watched a few past Phoenix events this week leading up to the race, which may have amplified how bad the current on-track product is. When PT had a two-lap lead on the field (1993), the race was more entertaining than what we have now.

If the IndyCar technical department is too stupid to fix this, then why we are bothering with new aero kits for next year? Yes, it will be nice that they will look more like a Champ Car, but if they still drive like an IRL car it seems to be more of an exercise in futility. The second concern I have is around Dale Coyne Racing and former points leader (and four-time champion) Sebastien Bourdais. His post-race interview seemed to imply that they have a car shortage. True?

Paul in Bradenton FL

RM: IndyCar believes it found a solution, it just didn't mandate it for this year – that was the mistake. And next year's car seems to have everyone optimistic about the look as well as the performance. Running three cars at Indy likely leaves most teams with a shortage, but I'm not sure how badly Seb's car was damaged.

Q: First of all, thank you for all of the insight – and humor – you have provided us fans over the years. I'm 31 and have been a staunch CART and IndyCar supporter my entire life; I don't like to criticize IndyCar unless it's warranted and constructive.
After reading your article "IndyCar's Desert Debacle," I felt the time was right for my first Mailbag email.

I attended the Phoenix race last year, and while I always find an in-person IndyCar race entertaining, it was largely devoid of on-track action. The crowd was obviously a far cry from the CART days, but it had me hopeful for future editions of the race. In October, I read that testing was being done to help improve the show and that a potential solution had emerged: running an undertray containing a hole. Your article indicates that the teams did not run with this modification due to cost ramifications. Of course, with many teams struggling with sponsorship, this is understandable.

I am not privy to the cost of this modification, but even if it was $50,000 per car – or $1,050,000 in total – why wouldn't the sanctioning body cover the cost for the teams? IndyCar is in the final innings of negotiating a pivotal television contract, and showing ratings growth – or at the very least not decreases – has to be vital. Having a dud of a race is a sure route a ratings decrease, and $1,000,000 is minuscule in the context of a 10 or 20-year agreement.

Also, given that last years' race was a dud, this was the last chance they had to win over Phoenix fans and possibly create a buzz for the final year of the contract. I know the Hulman-George family isn't nearly as flush as they were 10-20 years ago, but they still are a solvent enterprise, likely with tens of millions at their immediate disposal. Did word not get to Mark Miles and/or the board of directors that investing a million dollars to improve the show could juice the television contract and save the Phoenix race? It is precisely this sort of short-sighted thinking that keeps IndyCar from realizing its potential.

Tom Astbury, Indianapolis

RM: I'm told the under tray is two parts – $9,000 a side – so $18,000 doesn't sound too expensive to rescue a race from boredom (or extinction). IndyCar is always crying poverty, but I'm fairly certain last year's Indy 500 turned nice profit so maybe it could have offered to pay half the cost. Obviously, it would have been worth it and, even if it didn't work, at least your showed the fans you tried. Thanks for being a loyal fan.

Q: We all knew it was coming. We've been dreading it for a year now, but it still didn't make it any easier to watch. IndyCar butchered the Phoenix race again this year. Way too much downforce (did I hear PT say that they actually added 7 percent more this year?), way too little power (what exactly are they afraid of on a flat one-mile track?) and some truly idiotic handling of the blue flags. Not taking anything away from Pagenaud, he drove a hell of a race, but Power and Hildebrand never stood a chance with those two Ganassi Hondas holding them up.

Prior to the last set of pit stops, Power was cutting chunks out of Simon's lead, but once he got stuck behind TK, it was all over. IndyCar had a ton of momentum going into Phoenix after all the positive press about Alonso last week, and they fell on their flat on their faces. They can't afford to have this continue to happen.

Grayson, Broken Arrow, OK

RM: I watched rookie Ed Jones (ABOVE) - a good little racer, BTW -  in his IndyCar oval-track debut keep Dixon, T.K. and the Penske boys behind him for 20 laps, and he wasn't holding anyone up. Ditto for the Ganassi guys. Everyone was running about the same speed, lap after lap, before Ed finally let a couple guys go around. He asked me afterwards if he was holding them up, and I said it sure didn't look like it.

Q: I'm curious to know whether IndyCar was expecting to have the same type of racing this year at PIR as we saw in 2016. If so, why did they think another parade was a good idea? If they weren't expecting a parade, what had been done to make them think this year's race wouldn't be processional?

Kyle in Raleigh

RM: The drivers predicted it so I imagine IndyCar wasn't shocked, but opted instead to have its owners spend money on 2018.

Q: I'm wanting to understand the situation that put Pagenaud in the lead when the yellow flag was thrown at lap 138. PT seemed confused as well, and Rick and Townsend didn't really explain. It just sounded like the yellow fell at a magic moment that left him a lap up on almost the whole field? I get how he could have lapped those who had just hit the pits (No.3, No.12, No.21, etc.), but I just can't work out how he'd magically lap others on track - and I like to think I'm pretty good at understanding strategies normally. Any ideas?

Michael Thom

RM: I'll leave it to Russ Thompson, our guru of statistics, history teacher and all things common sense at NBCSN, to explain it:

"Pagenaud came out a lap ahead because everyone else had pitted. We figured at best the pit delta (time lost during a pit stop) was about 40 seconds. That's right at two laps. The lap chart plainly shows it. You pit (blue box) and then you are a lap down (grey box). Simon was the only guy who hadn't pitted. Common sense tells you if he put the cars a lap down who were second, third, and fourth, and they are still second, third, and fourth after their stops, then everyone else has to be a lap down or more as well.

"Then when Pagenaud pitted on Lap 141 it put the other four cars back on the lead lap, but just barely (tail end of the lead lap). He was right behind them in line. That's what was confusing the booth boys. I couldn't explain it to them until we went to commercial, and they were still skeptical until they saw it after it happened, but when they got the wave-around it brought them around the track back behind Pagenaud."

Q: I was really disappointed in last night's Phoenix attendance. It looked like a beautiful night. Was there other events going on in town? Are ovals dead? And what will Verizon do when its sponsorship is up?

Jim, disappointed in San Diego

RM: There was a baseball game, a soccer game and arena football (which reportedly drew 14,000), but it was a perfect night to sit outside. Ovals have been on life-support for a long time now. I imagine Verizon will quietly go away after 2018.

Q: I attended the Phoenix race for the second time this year, and I have to say that although the drivers put on a good show as far as speed and bravery go, the racing itself left a lot to be desired. IndyCar can't take the blame for the first lap accident that took out a quarter of the field, but the cars that were left could not do much except go around the track in a procession for the next 249 laps. There were a few passes, but not many by my count.

There was an article in The Arizona Republic that estimated the crowd at roughly 18,500. That was not profitable, and the absence of noticeable improvement is a disappointment. It also quoted Mark Miles as stating that "We would like to see growth" and "We don't put a number on it. We hope to see steady progress."

It seems to be a chicken or egg situation. In order to get better attendance, you need to provide the customers with good value for their dollars. In order to provide a better value, you need fans to spend their money so that more funds can be invested in improving the series. I am not going to speculate on exactly what needs to be done, but unless IndyCar provides the fans with a show that is worth the price of admission, I foresee a death spiral for the Phoenix event. Your thoughts?

Paul in AZ

PS – It was good to see the Silver Crown cars on the track again and also see Bobby Santos pass for the win.

RM: If PIR now holds 54,000, there wasn't anything close to 18,500 – more like 8,500. The frustrating thing is that Jay Frye and Bryan Sperber understand that PIR is part of IndyCar's heritage and could again be a popular stop on the schedule, so that's why it was so important to return with a good show after 2016's clunker. Sperber has really embraced IndyCar but he's got bosses and a bottom line, and I don't know how he can get people to come back in 2018. But the USAC show was really good at the front.

Q: So my wife and I made the quick flight from Orange County out to Phoenix for this weekend's race. We stayed out in Scottsdale and I know that's a long way from the track but literally no one we spoke to from our hotel, shops, or restaurants even knew there was an IndyCar race at PIR. We meet up with some friends who live in Scottsdale, and they had no idea. Even our Uber driver on Saturday to the track had no clue there was a race this weekend. Is this the fault of the promoter, IndyCar or both?

Eric Dufay, Newport Beach, CA

RM: I didn't get there until Thursday night, but my niece lives in Glendale and said there was quite a bit of promotion. Here's what PIR president Bryan Sperber said:

"The advertising and promotion was all over Phoenix. We had billboards, TV spots, radio, as well as a very active PR campaign that had current and retired drivers going out to every TV and radio station in our market, plus Tucson. I simply will not accept the "didn't promote it" line. Flat-out not true, and literally no one that was here last week would have said that. In fact, the IndyCar series officials who are in charge of marketing told me that they saw our ads/marketing everywhere they went last week."

Q: I live in Florida, and our spring training games regularly draw larger crowds that what we witnessed Saturday night in Phoenix. That was just flat-out embarrassing for the series. When your sport visits a metro area once every 365 days, you should be able to bring in a respectable crowd. Either the race promoter is doing a poor job at putting butts in the seats, or the series itself has no comprehensive marketing plan for the series as a whole, outside of the 500.

So my question to you is two-fold: Do you think IndyCar itself should be playing a larger role in dictating how these races are promoted, at least from a contractual standpoint with the race promotors? And should IndyCar itself be doing a lot more in terms of finding innovative ways to reach a variety of demographics and grow the appeal of the sport?

The Frustrated Fanatic

RM: IndyCar rented Watkins Glen last year (ABOVE), and I think it co-promoted Phoenix with Bryan Sperber, who has been nothing but good to IndyCar in terms of beating the drum for the race. It did both to re-establish a relationship, and IndyCar may find itself doing more of that unless it can score a title sponsor that will market and promote the series like it's a major league sport. And that won't be easy to find.

Q: I've been an IndyCar fan sine the mid-80s. It seems to me that no matter what this series is called, it has the same issues over and over. Why is it that they cannot have a decent start? Half the field wasn't formed up and they threw the green. We didn't even complete Lap 1 and 25 percent of the field was destroyed. I understand it was a long clean-up I'm certainly not questioning that, but I am questioning why the field wasn't brought to pit road and the race red-flagged?

They can't use TV time as an excuse. IndyCar was scheduled until midnight east coast time, if you include a post-race show. If I was one of those few ticket holders, I would be pissed that I paid all the money and I'm watching 22 yellow laps to start the race. It's time to do what's best for the fans/show. They should have let those teams get the backup car out, and if they can get it ready by the time they throw the green, let them race. As a fan I don't want to hear about rulebook and integrity of the race, IndyCar has made up rules on the stop time and time again. Remember the finale when Hunter-Reay won the title? They pulled a red flag out for the sake of the show.

Say what you will about NASCAR and all the new gimmicks (which I hate), at least they are trying to stop the bleeding. Wake up IndyCar! Do I have any valid points, or am I just getting cranky as I push 50?

Chris, FT Lauderale, FL

RM: No I think you are spot-on. I screamed into my headset when I saw the green flag because it was such a ragged start, and that just robs the spectators of the most exciting moment of the race. And I, too, despise some of NASCAR's red flags, but it does seem to cater to what's best for the fans, and a red flag should have been thrown last Saturday night. Beaux Barfield made the call at Fontana and at Indy, and it was definitely the best thing for anybody watching.

Q: Has IndyCar acknowledged that it screwed up? What is it going to do to get fans to turn out next year? What is Bryan Sperber thinking about the relationship? Will IndyCar work with Phoenix to repair the PR damage and try and give this race a future?

Chris in the UK

RM: No to your first question, and hopefully some kind of a discounted ticket (which IndyCar should cover for PIR). Sperber has been great and he and Jay Frye are good buds, so I'm sure they'll try to figure something out. And yes to your last question.

Q: Your 'IndyCar's desert debacle" piece was a spot-on criticism of the Phoenix race this past Saturday, and there seem to be many ways to resolve the issue. I hate to see another oval fall by the wayside, but another issue to me was the lack of on-track action. Such great racing a couple of years ago at Fontana (ABOVE), and poof, it's gone. Anyway, I was ecstatic to see USAC Sprint Cars there, but where were Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy?

Jeff Lowry

RM: From Dan Andersen, the owner of the Mazda Road to Indy:

"Our design for MRTI ladder series has one oval for USF2000, two for Pro Mazda and three for Indy Lights. I agree that oval racing is great and we generally put on a good show, but the reality of development series is that we need to fill seats, and ovals scare some away. We therefore have to offer what is an acceptable level of risk for some of the prospective drivers. Once they do them, they love them, but each year we are seeking new blood. It is what it is.

"We enjoyed our visit to Phoenix last year, I love that oval and the track staff were terrific. For 2017 though we felt it best to fill the wide open month of August with the new Gateway oval, and Iowa would remain as it is best for us to run USF2000 there alongside Lights. In addition, removal of a west coast tow for teams saves some budget, which is always a concern of mine. If we were doing Long Beach and Phoenix, the tow makes more sense."

Q: I know the majority of emails at this time are going to be about the Phoenix race, but what I have to ask about is a decision that may have been responsible for the majority of pain for the last few years. In the 2014-2015 off-season, the decision was made to remove the sidewalls and strakes from the rear diffuser for the purpose of reducing downforce and stress on the suspension components. I know that the sidewalls are important for increasing the power of the diffuser and the strakes for reducing sensitivity to air squeezed out from the rear tires.

I am posing a hypothetical question about where we would be now if they chose to keep the diffuser as is, and instead told the teams to run either fewer wing elements or to run less aggressive wing angles? Would the Phoenix races of this year and last have been better ,and would there even be common bodywork next year if viewers had been more satisfied with the racing in general over the past few years?

Victor, New Haven, CT.

RM: I will defer to Marshall Pruett:

"Great question, Victor. The sidewalls add a decent amount of underbody-generated downforce and, critically, reduced drag. As the drivers found during last year's let's-try-different-aero-setups-at-Phoenix-so-the-2017-race-doesn't-suck test, making more downforce with the underwing and relying less on the topside wings was the hot ticket. It's the stated direction IndyCar will take with its 2018 universal bodywork. The choice to skip the formula tweak they found in testing led to the terribly boring race on Saturday night, and I fear next year's crowd - which will be there for the third and final year on the contract with IndyCar - will be tiny. Two bad shows in a row at a track where you're trying to get people reenergized for a type of racing they haven't seen in more than a decade? Dumb, dumb and dumb."

Q: We saw the USAC Silver Crown Series return to Phoenix this weekend and race on the same day as IndyCar. It was a great race, and didn't look too bad for attendance after being absent for almost 10 years. Do you think the Silver Crown Series should race more with IndyCar at places like Iowa and Gateway, and maybe return as a group to places like Milwaukee, Richmond and New Hampshire?

Austin Blayney

RM: I think they fit perfect at Iowa and Gateway, and it's a lot more affordable for the teams to tow there. But not sure USAC could do a standalone at those other places.

Q: Having just returned from Phoenix, I decided to make a few comments. I've read the comments about the race. Perhaps I'm simple-minded, but any time I can see IndyCars at speed, its a good day. I enjoyed the whole weekend. The only gripe I have is the compressed time schedule. I wish the track would have opened earlier so you could walk around and get the lay of the garage area and spend money! I will be back next year! Also, rest in peace Joe Leonard. His '68 Lotus turbine was on display. It was great to hear it run!

Farlan Clutters, Hesperia, California

RM: Thanks Farlan, I know you didn't ask a question but you're the only positive email about PIR we got this week so I ran it. I thought everything opened by 2 p.m., which seemed early enough to me.

Q: IndyCar doesn't want to run at Auto Club Speedway, although the shows are thrilling. IndyCar has no problem running in single file, with way too much downforce at Phoenix. IndyCar doesn't want to run Auto Club Speedway at night. Yet, IndyCar just ran another 190mph parade at 9:30pm eastern time at Phoenix. Fontana or Phoenix? IndyCar better wake up and hurry while there are still some oval fans left. If not, I'll just have to track Mark Miles down and shave his stupid hair!

Some drivers said changes needed to be made and nobody gave two hoots. And honestly, before you say "Just wait for the new car", I don't believe that new car will do anything if the cars are going to continue running 200mph (max) and 188mph (slowest) at Phoenix. When you don't have to slow for the corners, there is no passing. At this rate, I hope they try New Hampshire (ABOVE) again and just dump Phoenix. This is coming from a fan who enjoys ovals and natural road courses much more than those silly street parades - but Phoenix is making St. Pete and Long Beach look good.

Justin

RM: Fontana might go with a day show if it was October, but IndyCar doesn't want to end its season on the west coast at night (even though it ends on the west coast in the late afternoon), and PIR draws more people - although it wasn't 100 degrees in June, like the last Fontana race. But Fontana always put on a pretty good show.

Q: I'm sure you'll get this same sentiment over and over this week, but the Phoenix Grand Prix (scrap that name, too, while we are fixing things) was a two-hour infomercial for a lot of what is wrong with our sport.

It's hard to put on a decent show on any oval with so few cars. A big part of oval racing is dealing with lapped traffic. Then you have Aleshin wipe out 20 percent of the field in Turn 1, and now you are down to 16. You've got a race package that is way, way too fast for a one-mile oval, and doesn't allow the drivers to actually drive the car. And it is that way because you've got car owners who don't want to spend money on anything, so there were no fixes to the exact same problem that existed the year before. Phoenix should be a crown jewel race on the IndyCar schedule. It's got the history. It's got a ton of real open-wheel fans. But why would anyone in their right mind show up to watch that? Or stay up late on a Saturday night to watch cars run around in formation at the same speed for two hours?

IndyCar can't afford to continue to put on these terrible shows. And three of the first four races this year have been dreadfully dull. Moving to Indy, since it's obvious now that IMS and IndyCar are picking drivers and funding teams to help fill the field each year, here's an idea for 2018. How about a online poll to help the fans pick the 33rd and final field-filler? Have it in April where fans can go to the IMS website and they can choose from a list of five drivers. Think of the fan interaction and activation you could have! An American Idol kind of way of making Fill Day just that much more special!

Drew, Gale IN

RM: I like your idea about the fans picking the 33rd starter, but the logistics of that would be almost impossible. Fans would want to vote in a NASCAR, F1, IMSA, USAC or WoO driver and there's almost zero chance a driver would be allowed to compete from F1 or NASCAR (except maybe Kyle Larson). So maybe you do it with Matt Brabham, Sebastian Saavedra, Alex Tagliani, James Davison and Katherine Legge this month. And you can put on great racing with 21 cars because IndyCar has done it several times in the past couple years (Texas, Barber, Elkhart Lake and Pocono weren't bad either).

Q: After the seemingly very small attendance at Saturday night's Phoenix race, one wonders how IndyCar decide on venues for some races. Although Phoenix has a long and good history as a CART/IndyCar venue, it is apparent that it is not working these days after another disappointing turnout. As much as short ovals should have a place in the best series on the planet, surely there are plenty of other tracks where successful events could more obviously run, as we have seen from the return to Road America and Watkins Glen.

A return Down Under would seem obvious, with great Aussie and Kiwi drivers and a double-header in Australian and NZ would seem a no-brainer. On the subject of Australian drivers it would appear that the chances of Matt Brabham appearing at the 500 this year seem to be diminishing. He's doing well in the Stadium Super Trucks, but the guy deserves to be in a real racecar.

Ken Bright, Australia

RM: IndyCar needs a few good ovals to keep that diversity, and Phoenix is a natural because of its open-wheel history and usually because it's been a great place to race. It's also warm, which is necessary, and PIR has been very accommodating. But it needs a winner next year to survive. As for racing down under, Scott Dixon and I were talking about Phillip Island (ABOVE), and he thinks it would be a great track for IndyCar. And I wish there was something for Matty Brabs, he was on his way up the ladder with Andretti when he got knocked off and I think he's got the right stuff. He just needs the green stuff.

Rob S Bennett, Thornton, CO

RM: I think one will be Spencer Pigot and the other TBD. IndyCar tested Tuesday at Gateway and there seemed to be a lot of track surface-related yellows.

Q: I was going to write about the attendance at Phoenix and how the race was a yawner, but you beat me to it. So, does any race actually attract a crowd big enough to pay for the fees and make any money? I know Indy sold out last year, but there have been some, by Indy standards, really low crowds there. Barber seems to draw a good crowd, as does Long Beach, and time will tell about The Glen and Mid-Ohio, but it seems we are in as big a deficit spending mode as the government. How long can this go on? Too bad as well, four races, four different winners, generally good racing with nobody (relatively speaking) watching.

Tom in Waco

RM: I think Road America, Long Beach, Barber and Mid-Ohio were the money-makers (besides Indy) and you are correct – without a title sponsor it's very difficult for a promoter to break even, especially on an oval.

Q: Is Ryan Hunter-Reay the Fernando Alonso of IndyCar - a former champion and Indy 500 winner whose talents are being squandered in an Andretti organization that suddenly looks like the team that couldn't shoot straight?

Brad C., Normal, IL

RM: Well he's had some dreadful luck the past two years and it's not really his team's fault. So, no, he's not in a no-win situation like Alonso, and he'll be fighting for wins again soon.

Q: Excellent article on Joe Leonard. I was at that race in Langhorne and vividly remember Mel's ordeal. My Dad was right there assisting, and if I recall correctly, were it not for Joe's actions Mel may not have gotten out of the fire. I think the fire truck's exhaust heat even reignited the fuel at one point. Also, during the initial Schaeffer 500 at Pocono, Mark Donahue had to take a class on how to get through Turn 2 from Joe in order to win. That was a good finish, and Leonard almost pulled what I believe to be an upset in his Samsonite Special, since the Sunoco McLaren was definitely a superior car. Godspeed, Joe. Got a favorite story?

Skip Ranfone

RM: Thanks, Pelican Joe was so talented, and so cool and such a great guy. And there's no doubt Kenyon would not have survived without Joe's assistance (and that of a couple of brave fans). One of his best friends, Steve Gregory, called me on Saturday to tell me of Joe's passing and asked if I would call A.J., Parnelli, Gurney and Paul Goldsmith and let them know. I was on the phone for an hour because those guys really respected and liked Leonard.

I still love the story Mario tells about when they were having breakfast at the old Holiday Inn in Ontario. All the drivers had a meal named after them, and Mario baited Joe by asking Al Unser if he'd received his check for $25,000 from the Holiday Inn. The Pelican went berserk and had the manager around the neck demanding his payment until he found out it was a joke.

Q: Saw the 1968 No.60 turbine at the Indy airport a couple weeks back. Nothing else says, "Welcome to Indy" better than some well-placed race cars at the airport. What an amazing-looking machine and how close those drivers were to the track... it must have been like driving a 200 mph go-kart. Any thoughts or memories from that era about these cars?

Kevin D., West Melbourne, FL

RM: I'll always remember that when Parnelli dropped out in 1967 a lot of people groaned because Rufus was so popular, but a lot of fans also cheered because they hated the turbine. But when Joe coasted to a stop with nine laps to go in 1968 and Uncle Bobby swept past him and into the lead, the roar was incredible because the turbine had broken down again.

Q: Hey Robin, been reading your columns since I was a youngster growing up in Indy. Please educate us on what can be shown regarding push-to-pass. If I recall correctly, two years ago we saw what all drivers had left in the push to pass with a nice graphic. Seems like that went away last year, and the announcers could only verbally tell us when a driver was using push-to- pass. At Barber, I saw the graphic comeback with Newgarden and Dixon. I love the graphic and when it's applicable to the action, I would like to see it. Will we continue to see the push-to- pass graphic this year?

Dave D, Atlanta, GA

RM: Yes, NBCSN has it and it shows when someone is one the button and how many seconds are left, so we will use it.

Q: I won't add to the "borefest" comments I'm sure you're getting. Instead, I have a rules question. How do they classify those involved in multi-car wrecks? Graham Rahal was the last one in, and through (kinda) that scenario in Turn 1 of the first lap Saturday night, and he was classified last. He essentially made it further along the track than Andretti and Aleshin, but that didn't show in the final standings. Same thing happened in Sochi during the F1 race. Alonso didn't even see the lights, and he was classified ahead of the two cars involved in that Turn 1 lap 1 incident. Please explain.

Brian, Mason, OH

RM: All cars are classified by qualifying position until they cross start/finish to complete the first lap, so distance traveled isn't factored in.

Q: I know you have stated there is no way Alonso and McLaren will come to IndyCar until the F1 program is up to speed. But Alonso was very unhappy at the race in Russia! Could IndyCar offer anything to them to bring them to IndyCar this year? My goodness, this could open up the international base! They could have a couple races a year in Spain that would bring hundreds of thousands of new fans to IndyCar. Am I crazy to think this? Great work with your Mailbag, I enjoy it every week!

Pat, Decatur, IL

RM: As I told the reader in the question above yours, when I posed the scenario that Emerson Fittipaldi began his "second career" in CART at age 38, Alonso smiled and said his skill and calling was in F1. And, even if he wanted to come run here, who could afford him even if he took a two-thirds cut in pay? My feeling is that he doesn't want to end his F1 career with four consecutive winless seasons after being a two-time world champion, so Indy will be checked off his bucket list and he'll focus on F1.

Q: Can you confirm that Alonso has been told that if he wins he has to drink the milk (not orange juice)?

Melinda Lammert, Cincinnati, OH

RM: No but I can assure you that if we would win Indy, he'd be so happy he'd drink whatever he was given.

Q: First of all, really excited to see Alonso coming to the 500! One thing that has always impressed me with him is his resilience. The years with an inferior Ferrari, when he would still drive the wheels off the car with no hope of a podium and bring that car home to a higher finish than the car deserved. He's still doing it at McLaren. It will help him immensely at Indy, but do you think Marco could benefit to seeing that example up close and personal?

Bill Jurasz, Austin, TX

RM: Hard to say. Marco obviously knows first-hand about disappointment, but it's two totally different scenarios. Alonso amassed 32 wins by 2014 but hasn't had a competitive car in four years, while Andretti's equipment has been to Victory Lane several times in that period. I think Fernando could be good for Marco, but Bryan Herta is making the biggest difference.

Q: After watching the various news conferences and interviews given by Fernando Alonso, it strikes me just how relaxed he seemed to be despite the unfamiliar surroundings and the size of the job he's about to undertake. It was in stark contrast to the feeling you get when the drivers are being interviewed on an F1 weekend - they always seem so grim. How did he strike you, up close and personal? He seems to have a pretty good sense of humor, too.

Steve C., Ithaca, NY

RM: He seemed thrilled to be coming to an environment that is so open and friendly, where he has a shot at being competitive. And F1 people watching our RACER video said they hadn't seen him smile that much in four years. His press conference in Alabama was very entertaining and it was obvious he has a great sense of humor.

Q: Big fan of Graham Rahal and sad to see him struggling in 2017. But the reality is that you have no chance as a single-car team in IndyCar today. Not with the level of competition that it has reached over the past three years. These guys are smart. Why haven't they brought on a second car? I don't get it. There are a lot of talented drivers that could complement Graham. There are a lot of talented drivers with money, also! I don't understand the logic here. Until these guys get a second car on track with a driver that can deliver, Graham will probably become a mid-packer at best. What are your thoughts?

Fernando, Torrance, CA

RM: It's very difficult for a one-car team to compete with Penske, Ganassi and Andretti, but Graham and RLL did a damn good job in 2015 and 2016. Oriol Servia is going to join him at Indy and possibly a couple other races and is the ideal teammate, but there aren't a lot of talented drivers with money floating around or RLL would be a two-car team.

Q: I understand all the difficulties of attracting high-dollar sponsorships, particularly with such minuscule television ratings, and all the various reasons and explanations. But despite a seeming uptick in IndyCar's health and a pretty good economy, things seem to be getting worse. I know the Indy 500 field likely will be fully-sponsored, but we're now three races into the season and save for Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport's cars are liveried like mid-90s IRL back-markers; Dixon has to borrow TK's sponsor, and his crew uniforms look like they came off the Sparco clearance rack. Do you recall times ever being tighter than now in the big money era, and do you see any promising signs at all?

David Spear

RM: The sponsorship situation is pretty dire, maybe as bad as it's ever been since big money came into CART, and it resembles some of those Champ Car/IRL days. Indy can still draw sponsors, but the series is a real challenge.

Q: Somebody on the IndyCar Reddit posted a link to the Dave Despain Wind Tunnel episode from right after unification was announced in 2008. (You co-hosted). Watching it made me wonder, what were your in-person interactions like with Tony George? Surely you ran into him once or twice since 1996. Did he ever have much to say to you about your opinions about the Indy Racing League or what happened to the Indy 500?

Kevin, Waukesha, Wisconsin

RM: We started out pretty friendly, then I went after him pretty strong as The Split unfolded and May disintegrated, so obviously we didn't have much interaction from 1996-2007. But early in 2008 I reached out to him about unification, we met at a pancake house one morning to compare notes, and started a daily dialogue of emails and sharing information. If I wrote something, I would call him or send him a rough draft so he could approve or veto it because the negotiations were very tenuous. If he asked me not to print something, I wouldn't and he was very upfront about everything and we operated like that for about three weeks until I broke the story on SPEED.com.

Q: Townsend Bell was a clear threat to win last year's 500 before the pit row incident. Yet, no mention of him as a potential driver this year. Is he possibly in negotiation for one of the Juncos Racing Chevys, bringing his sponsor from the last few years, or potentially a second car for Dreyer-Reinbold?

Ed Koenig, Sacramento

RM: No, I think TBell has retired from being an IndyCar driver and is concentrating on his two sons, his lovely wife, the business world, sports cars and keeping you entertained on NBCSN.

Q: What says open-wheel's wisest czar about Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s retirement?

Daniel, Cleveland, OH

RM: He'll either become a TV analyst, Governor of North Carolina, go back and help out at Goodwrench or all four. I don't really know him (I spent a few hours at Charlotte where he gave me a ride when I worked at SPEED, and he was a delightful young man to talk to) and I think he's a pretty good race driver, but even a better person who is a whole lot smarter than most people think.

Q: I was thinking about something that might spruce up practice for Indy, and maybe even other tracks. How about the car with the fastest practice speed gets selection on the qualifying order? Start with the fastest getting first pick, and work down from there. I think it may inject more intensity during the lead-up to qualifications. Just a thought...

Jerry Hatten

RM: Since they have the Fast Nine and multiple chances to qualify, it really doesn't matter what number you pick anymore.

Q: Now that it is finally May, what more is there to talk about than that excitement is finally peaking in anticipation for Indianapolis. If Honda's rumored speed advantage at the Speedway is true, rather than Chevy teams sandbagging in the previous tests, would any of the Chevy teams possibly be feeling frisky closer to race time and race with the low-drag qualifying sidepods?

Alan Bandi, Butler, PA

RM: Got no clue, but I did ask Paul Ray of Chevrolet during Saturday night's Bow Tie Massacre if this was a preview of May and he said no, but that GM would have a new engine for Indianapolis, so I expect competition to be good, but Honda still holding an edge in HP.

Q: I was wondering what your take is on the Norris McDonald piece in the Toronto Star saying that Fernando Alonso driving at Indy is actually part of Liberty Media's desire to merge F1 with/buy out the IndyCar series and create a single open-wheel series with the objectives of growing F1 in the U.S., cutting F1 costs, and solving IndyCar's attendance and money issues? Part of the theory is that this would involve eliminating some of the less desirable F1 venues (Malaysia, Bahrain, Russia) along with IndyCar races at Barber, Iowa, Gateway, Indy road course, and one Detroit race.

My first reaction is that would go over like a lead balloon on both sides of the pond. There are so many thoughts going through my head about this, and none of them are good. I don't see it happening the way this writer suggests. Sorry if you have already addressed this issue in the Mailbag.

Cyndy Riordan, Kankakee, IL

RM: I've not heard any scenario like that, but Norris is a good reporter so maybe he's got the inside track. If, indeed, Liberty wanted to merge F1 with IndyCar I guess it could either save open-wheel racing or destroy it in the USA. But I'm not sure what Liberty's motive would be to spend all that money since it's got a worldwide audience and a hefty TV contract. Would it do that to secure the Indy 500 and a half dozen good venues over here? Would this new series have spec cars, or would teams build their own? How many teams could afford to race all over the globe? It seems like Liberty has plenty of challenges in F1 right now without adding to them, but it has expressed a desire to come to America more often, so we'll see.

Q: The ESPN layoffs will affect IndyCar. Dr. Jerry Punch and Allen Bestwick have been let go. Bestwick gets to stay through Detroit, but I'm not sure Doc will be there, or at the Speedway. This is a slap in the face to Doc Punch. He's been a pit reporter, and occasional play-by-play man, for ESPN since 1984; longer than most of today's stars of IndyCar or NASCAR have even been alive. Unless Lindsay Czarniak gets Allen's booth position next year, ABC has no credible replacement on their payroll, and will have to hire someone new (Bob Varsha?) for 2018. Is ABC at all interested in renewing its IndyCar contract? You work for NBC Sports. Are they interested in carrying the whole season in 2019 and beyond? We'd have no more half-assed coverage, but it would be sad to see ABC's & IMS's 50-plus year relationship end.

Steve from Eugene, OR

RM: I know NBC will explore having the entire series if IndyCar isn't too greedy, and it would do a great job with Indianapolis just like it does the Kentucky Derby. But ABC only wants the Indianapolis 500, so at what point does it finally give up?