Robin Miller's Mailbag for May 24, 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: While Dixie's [pole] run was absolutely awesome (and it was so cool to hear the crowds cheer for the speeds), the single four-lap run on Saturday for all the cars had more drama than the field re-running again as well as the Fast 9 on Saturday. Is there any chance that IndyCar would change the qualifying to a single four-lap run on Saturday and save Sunday for the backup day in case there is rain? If, in the future, there are enough cars to call for bumping, then they could go back to a two-day format. Having a two-day format just doesn't make any sense for only 33 cars. Can't wait for the race, and I think Ed Jones could sneak into the top 10.

Jake Murray

RM: Not as long as ABC televises both days, because they're not going to book a day based on the hope something happens because of weather. I think it's insane the drivers and teams get no money for Saturday, and the Fast 9 is the only payoff for all that running and risk-taking. Jones, to quote his engineer Mike Cannon, has been a very pleasant surprise.

Q: Do you think we'll ever see a Bump Day for the Indy 500 again? Would this be considered the last part of the damage from the CART/Indy split? Or the fact that getting 40 to 50 cars together just doesn't seem on the cards anymore? Or does it have more to do with the huge cost to run the couple of weeks of May?

Lance

RM: I think it's a combination of all three, but unless the purse gets a substantial upgrade and prices come down, the most gut-wrenching, dramatic day in May is never returning. And if you somehow get 34 or 35 cars, start 'em all because you can't afford to turn anybody away anymore.

Q: The cream of the Chevrolet crop in qualifying were the two ECR cars, and while the team, Ed and JR have plenty of expertise in setting up and getting around Indy, I did notice a stark contrast between they and the other Chevrolet teams. While most of the other Bow Ties (including Penske) had a one-piece sidepod on the left (or both) side plus a singlet on the left side, the ECR cars had the standard sidepods and no winglets. They also seemed to run a slightly tighter line than most. Any reason why we didn't see more people with the same configuration as ECR? Although I am excited about the look of the new aero kit, I'll miss this aspect of setup and strategy next year. Great work on the daily videos - I think everyone is really enjoying them. Would be great if you two could continue to do them throughout the season.

Kevin in South Carolina

RM: Here's what pole-sitter Scott Dixon said last week about ERC: "We're always surprised by the Carpenter cars. They run a very odd configuration. It runs very fast. Almost race-level downforce. It's quite interesting to watch. You know, Ed is fantastic around this place, has been on the pole many times. They do a hell of a job at this place, actually a lot of the tracks that we go through throughout the season."

Q: Is it just me, or is everybody running easy-flat all the way around the Speedway? Last week Sage Karam told you he needed about 15 laps to go flat through Turn 1 again. A few minutes ago I turned on the live stream and watched James Davison complete his ROP... without hearing a single lift though the onboard camera. Same goes for Fernando Alonso, who never drove an IndyCar before May 3. I re-watched the 2014 last laps battle between Helio and RHR and here again: almost no lifts, unless one of them got passed. Which leads me to think: does IndyCar ever learn at all? Most of us have been craving for more HP and less downforce for all these years, and still in 2017 we've got drivers with very little experience that are able to go flat-out through all four corners at Indy. Am I the only one this is disturbing?

Xavier from France

RM: I think at certain speeds it may be easy, but if you saw Dixon's run and listened to guys like T.K., Dario and Servia talk about it after watching the in-car, it was on the edge and required big balls and a deft touch. But I think most of us want to see an Indy car go 250 down the straightaways and 175 mph through the corners. I also want the drivers to have a chance to react and save the car, instead of just being passengers. Hopefully the new aero package for next year can help this situation.

Q: Does Ed Carpenter have the largest "attachments" in the paddock? He had to have been running less downforce to get an Ilmor on the front row. And with all due respect to James Davison, why isn't Townsend Bell in that car? Did his sportscar gig prohibit running the 500 this year, or did Dale Coyne just want someone content to finish two laps down but not hit anything, given how much crash damage they've sustained in the last month?

Andy Bauer, Carmel, Indiana

RM: Absolutely, running and winning Winchester and Salem in a sprint car tend to develop one's testosterone, and Ed has never been afraid to push the envelope – or the throttle. TBell loved working with Craig Hampson last year but he would want a proper chance, not a last-minute fire drill. And Davison (who came up with some money) is certainly more than capable of doing a good job but not in these circumstances, with a road race car and almost no practice.

Q: Saw a video of Alonso on Twitter where he came out of the garage and was signing autographs. Does he seem to like interaction with the fans? Have the drivers like Power, Montoya and Dixon talked to him?

RM: He seems to love everything about Indianapolis so far, and he's been great with the fans and media. Of course he and JPM go way back, along with Servia, and all the drivers respect him and seem to like him as well.

Q: I am 37 years old and I have been a fan of IndyCar racing since my first race at Mid-Ohio when I was seven years old, so I can easily say how nice it's been to have the hype back at Indy because of Alonso being there. Seemed like the biggest Pole Day attendance I have seen in a while. Alonzo's run with Andretti is just like when Mansell came over for a year on loan to Newman/Haas and almost won at Indy – so much hype and attention; it was great.

Any chance Alonso sticks around in IndyCar next year? He has kinda implied in interviews that he is open to whatever next year. But who knows if he is just venting publicly his frustration with his F1 ride. Also, I wanted your thoughts on why a team like RLL doesn't try to merge with another team? They have great funding for one car, but just a one-car team. Graham sounds so pissed.

Michael Devine

RM: I never saw an aerial shot, but I had a couple drivers tell me it was the most people they'd seen for Pole Day in a long time. Was it 20,000 or 25,000? Maybe. Alonso has made more money than he will ever spend so at 35, I think he's going to explore his options to be competitive and be challenged. Could it be IndyCar? Sportscars? I told him at Barber that Emmo didn't start his IndyCar career until he was 39 so he was just a pup, but he said he'd wait and see how May turned out before he even thought about it. But if McLaren decides to run a car over here full-time, Alonso might want to sign up.

Q: First of all, we all enjoy watching Alonso coming to race at the 500, and it does remind us of Mansell, Piquet, etc. All the media outlets say he feels at home and relaxed here with the paddock being laid back, compared to what he sees day-to-day in Formula 1. Lets say, hypothetically, he does want to come over and race IndyCars as a second career like Fittipaldi did. With McLaren and Honda paying $40 million for his services, who over here would be able to pay him the salary he is going to demand even if he does take a pay cut?

I wouldn't think he would sacrifice his current lifestyle just to have a more relaxed environment over here vs in Europe. Sure, I would love to work as a ranger on a golf course because its more relaxed and fun, but that won't pay for my mortgage and two kids to go to college, so I deal with the corporate BS for the betterment of my family. He would be a nice addition full-time, that is for sure, but I don't think that would be realistic. Back in the day when the other F1 guys came, IndyCar and its owners could afford them... but not in the present day. Don't you agree?

Landon, West Chester, Ohio

RM: I don't think his decision would be based on money, and of course nobody in today's IndyCar paddock could afford him even if he only wanted $10 million. Ahh, but if Honda of Japan decided to help American Honda pay his salary then maybe it's more realistic, and I would imagine Zak Brown could find an American sponsor as well. But, like I said in the letter above yours, I think it's more about his chances to succeed and have fun than it is about a bottom line. And the F1 drivers of the '60s came to Indy because it paid so much more money so they gladly drove for 40 percent and I'm not sure (other than maybe Clark got a deal from Ford) that Stewart, Rindt, Hill, Brabham or Hulme got any extra money.

Q: Alonso was getting awfully close to the curbs during practice, sometimes even hitting the rumbles on the inside of the corners. I remember in 2013 when Munoz was running like a mad man with two wheels below the white line, all the talk was about how crazy he was. It seemed everyone was adamant that you should not get that low in the corners. Then in 2014 at Fontana when Aleshin had his wreck, I remember hearing that they thought he pinched the apron and bound up the front left enough to upset the car and cause a spin. Has anyone brought this up? Or is that a new line that guys have figured out?

Tim, Stamford, CT

RM: Seems like there's always been early and late apexers at Indy, and everyone predicted Munoz was going to crash (which he never did), so it's whatever works. I heard a couple of veterans say they thought Alonso had a nice line on Saturday and Sunday, so whatever he's doing is comfortable and it's working.

Q: You say we need a nickname for Fernando Alonso? How about "FERLO" (FERnando aLOnso) since he's on furlough from F1.

Mark Synovitz, Altus, OK

RM: That's the best I've heard this month.

Q: Three Chevys in the top 17 Indy 500 starters. That's gotta hurt! I'm sure the race will be more balanced, but how did this happen?

Alan, St. Petersburg, FL

RM: Not too surprising, since everyone has been saying Honda has more power on the superspeedways and Chevy's aero kit still rules just about everywhere else. I think Chevy's best hope is for 500 miles of reliability, since Honda has obviously got some gremlins.

Q: Well, there were a few minutes of excitement at the end. It would have been a really big story if Alonso had taken the pole, but good old Scott showed his mettle and skill for sure. So Pole Day at Indy used to be the second most-attended sporting event in the word, with what, 250,000; now it has maybe 25,000? Did they charge admission, and if they did, how much? I have watched Indy ever since the delayed telecasts started and in the first days of The Split, where most of the spaces were reserved for IRL drivers, but the only real appeal for me this year is Fernando and how well he will do. It is pretty sad when as big a fan as I am has to make sure and set his DVR in case he gets so bored he falls asleep. We all long for a real Bump Day to get the juices flowing.

Tom in Waco

RM: When my Dad starting taking me to "time trials" in the early '60s, we had to get to Turn 1 by 7 a.m. to get a seat and, gradually, as more grandstands were added, there may well have been 200,000 at qualifying in the late '60s, '70s and '80s. The drivers, cars and speeds were the lure, but it was also full because half of those people couldn't get a ticket to the race. The last time there was a monster crowd may have been Sneva's 200mph run in 1977, but at least 100,000 was the norm until the '90s. I think there were 80,000 on Pole Day in 1995, and the next year it was more like 8,000. It never recovered, and it won't – 33 spec cars don't draw much attraction.

Q: I'm conflicted on IndyCar allowing the No.18 car into the race without completing qualifying. I know other races allow it, but this is Indy and others through the years have given everything to make the race, sometimes with a last-minute banzai run. But now the series and Speedway seem ready to allow a new driver in an unqualified car into the race to complete the traditional field of 33, and in my mind that disrespects the other drivers over the years. I'm surprised a team did not attempt to put a back-up car out to qualify on Sunday for what would be an automatic entry into the race. Your thoughts - and where is a guy like Billy Boat when you need him for a late in the day run!

Dave Pisula, Westerville, Ohio

RM: IndyCar has a rule (8.1.8.1) that allows it to determine the size of any starting lineup permit qualified and un-qualified cars to race. And with all the engine leases in place for May, there's no rolling out a back-up car randomly anymore.

It is gimmicky that there has to be points for pole, or the first nine spots - whatever it is. The qualifying design is poor, and I wish they would go back to the way it was, but don't blame the gimmick for his wreck. He was fast on Friday with the tow and it would have been badass to have him and Coyne P1 at 231mph for the 500. That is what we want to see. We are in our late 20 and early 30s ,and bring our girlfriends and wives to see these events. We want to see drivers ride that edge; it just so happens he got loose.

Sounds like Graham needs a history lesson, because it sure sounds like he was saying qualifying doesn't matter. If he thinks qualifying doesn't matter, get the ping pong balls out and draws starting spots, and we can save a time and money. In fact, if he isn't willing to race, we will take our time and money and go watch a sprint car race where Robert Ballou comes back from a season-ending injury for $5,000 dollars at Eldora. It sucks he wrecked, and most of all that he got injured. In fact, it has pretty made me pretty sour that I am going to have pick another driver to root for. But what Seabass did out there is also what I like about Sage and Sato – those guys have a big set of you-know-what. Most, if not all, of the other drivers out there want to be P1.

If fans like me would like to send SeaBass a note about him having speedy recovery and looking forward to seeing him back on the track how would we go about it? My favorite suggestion, which will probably never happen but I keep making it: increase the horsepower, reduce the downforce, and let the drivers do their job. Will it ever happen?

Alex, Indianapolis

RM: I side with Rahal on this one, because it's crazy to send drivers out to hang it out just to do it again the next day to determine the order on when you actually qualify. And only nine drivers/teams get any money, and it's not much. Getting points for qualifying is a bad idea. It should pay money, like $1 million to win the pole and $100,000 to make the Fast Nine. But when there are only 33 cars, money is tight and you have to do something to make it look good for television, you get a Game Show. But I would love to see Ballou at IMS. And we'll see how the 2018 aero kit works in terms of better oval-track racing. Here's how to send Seb a card or email: Sebastien Bourdais, 13400 Budler Road, Plainfield, Ill. 60544 or email dcrsupport@aol.com.

Q: After Bourdais' hellish crash in Turn 2, I'm with Graham Rahal and with you: awarding points for qualifying is not only stupid, it's dangerous. It's an unnecessary risk for such an important race (which pays a pittance to boot). Please tell me the Speedway's management isn't so thick-headed as to not change this state of affairs ASAP.

Garrett from San Diego

RM: Jay Frye inherited this system but, as I said above, it's likely not changing as long as there is two days of national television to fill. We know racing is dangerous, that's part of the attraction, and nobody puts a gun to a driver's head. But having them make multiple runs (which they would have in good weather) for no money is ludicrous, and those decisions have always been made by people who never had to risk their life.

Q: Just watched the Fast Nine pole run, and got to say it was pretty exciting, but I think it's just a made-for-television dog and pony show. Asking these drivers to run on the razor edge again is inherently dangerous. How many wall kisses and close calls did we see in those nine runs? Luckily everyone soldiered on unscathed except for paint touchups, but could have been disastrous for one of them. What do you think?

Jeff, Florida

RM: It is made for TV and if the risk vs. the reward was financially viable, then it's a little different. But $3,000 for ninth starting spot barely pays for a set of tires.

Q: Will Sage have a full-time ride next year if his current team Dreyer and Reinbold moves up to full-time in the series?

Alistair

RM: I would certainly think so and, if not, I would hope Juncos or maybe Carlin (if they come) would hire the kid. He's good for IndyCar, on and off the track, and should be part of the future – not a once-a-year participant.

Q: Does the clear improvement that Alexander Rossi and Spencer Pigot have shown this year put any heat on Max Chilton at CGR? That is a prime seat, but is the funding tied to the driver or the team? From my perspective, I thought Max had a lot of potential as a rising star, but I just haven't seen great improvement in his race craft over the last two years, especially in comparison to the peers that I referenced. Do you see improvement that I'm not seeing? Second question, I noticed you have used two questions from Andy Bauer in Carmel over the last three weeks. I know Andy, and his questions can't be that great. Did he pick up your tab at The Mug n' Bun for the month of May or something?

Eric Franklin, Chicago, IL

RM: Max has had his good moments, just not as many as some people expected, but said yesterday he still feels like a rookie so it's still early in his career. And his sponsor, Gallagher, is his father's company, so that's why he's at Ganassi. We think if Trevor Carlin moves up to IndyCar that Mr. Chilton might help out financially and bring along his son. I try to make sure nobody asks more than one question per week, but I have a couple fans that contribute almost weekly because they ask good questions. Andy asks some decent questions too, but his weekly donation of $500 for my gambling problem also helps.

Mark Kidson

RM: The four best all-around racers of my life are A.J., Parnelli, Gurney and Mario, because they drove everything and won in everything they drove. I saw Clark at Indy and Milwaukee, and I know he was also good in saloon cars besides being one of the best ever in F1, and Foyt rated him high at Indy – but I wouldn't rate him above those four.

Q: I'm a huge Conor Daly fan and I like Carlos Munoz, but I continue to be disappointed with the efforts of the ABC Supply/Foyt racing team. Why are they not more competitive? Did the drivers make a mistake by switching teams? It seems both drivers were more competitive with their former teams. They are young, talented drivers that could compete with better equipment, engineers, teams, etc. I love A.J. Foyt and what he has done in his career and for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but what is the deal? When was the last season Foyt's team was competitive?

Wes Carpenter, Bedford, Indiana

RM: They switched from Honda to Chevy and made changes in the engineering department, so that's been a big adjustment. They don't have the depth of talent/experience that Ganassi or Penske have, and it's been hard to get people to live in Houston so now the team is divided between there and Indy. I think Larry and A.J. are going to give Daly and Munoz a chance to develop some chemistry and make it their team. Last competitive? I think Kenny Brack (1998 IRL champ, 1999 Indy 500 winner) and Takuma Sato (2013) with a first, second and a pole position.

Q: It looked like Josef Newgarden's car was in full race trim after they put his car back together from his Thursday crash - all weekend he was running both rear pod winglets while everyone else had removed the right, if not both winglets. Did Tim Cindric decide that one crashed car was Josef's limit for the month?

Joe, Carmel

RM: Naw, when you're struggling and you've got five cars, why run the same setup in all of them? They have the ability to try different things and obviously Josef's wasn't the hot tip.

Q: If Buddy Lazier is too far off the pace will IndyCar prevent him from racing? I seem to recall Milka Duno almost being called in during one of her 500 races because her slow speeds were a danger to the rest of the field.

Fred Alig, Golden Colorado

RM: It's possible anyone not maintaining what's considered a safe pace could be black-flagged and that's what happened to the poor Lotus drivers in 2012.

Q: What is the record for top speed at Indy. Not the average lap speed, but fastest anybody has ever reached at any point in time during a lap? It's obviously got to be at the end of a straight but I can't find that record anywhere.

Doug Baggett

RM: It doesn't exist but I've heard 245 mph going into Turn 3 on a windy day.

Q: I think Seb owes Tony George a big thank you for introducing the Safer Wall, is it the best thing to ever happen to oval-track racing?

Dave Z, Lowell, IN

RM: Without a doubt and Seb would not have survived that crash 25 years ago. It always cracks me up with the FOX telecasters tell us how NASCAR cared so much it invented the safer wall.

Q: I'm a longtime fan of yours, and the mailbag. I noticed during Seb's crash he followed the standard practice of turning (right) into the slide when the rear of his car broke loose. Both Jimmy Clark and Danny Sullivan turned in the opposite direction when they spun at Indy, turning the wheel to the left to make the car spin in a tight loop. Since Indy is a narrow track it would seem that Clark and Sullivan's approach is better suited when a car loses traction at the rear. Given Indy's long history was turning left into a spin ever considered as practical advice to avoid hitting the wall?

David Lessmann, Overland Park, KS

RM: The un-written rule of high speed, oval-track racing is to never turn right and the natural instinct is to try and save the car. It looked like Seb had a chance for a heartbeat and then reacted and it snapped right. Thankfully, unlike Gordon Smiley's fatal accident in 1982 when he hit almost head-on into concrete at 200 mph, Seb hit about 20 degrees and had the Safer Wall to cushion the inpact.

Q: I've also heard rumors of rumblings from different drivers and teams frustrated with the amount of attention being given to Fernando Alonso. As someone who has read all of the articles and followed Alonso closely... get over it. When the green flag drops on Sunday all I will care about are the cars up front with a cursory amount of attention being given to wherever Alonso is running. Finally let's play Honda roulette. It's lost six engines since the road race and I wonder if Honda will win or will they all blow up before the finish?

Ryan in West Michigan

RM: I think there's been a little good-natured grumbling about all the attention for Alonso but I also know everyone understands he's brought a ton of attention to Indianapolis. And, if anything, a few may be miffed because he's running so strong as an oval rookie. Honda is concerned and reliability has not been a factor for a long time but it may well be Sunday.

Q: Will the teams that ran asymmetrical wing set-ups on the rear tire pods (right side w/winglet, left side w/o wing let) have to run that same configuration in the race? I know the rules used to be that teams had to top run the cars in the same configuration as they qualified in (Brawner's hidden radiator in '69). Wondering if the rules are more "flexible" this year. Second question: some teams are running with barrel-shaped cameras mounted on top of the air boxes, aimed at the cockpit/front wheels. Are those used for to capture visual data that sensors don't/can't record? Or are they just there to get generic video? Love the work you guys are doing at the IMS. Always look forward to your evening stand-up routines.

Darrick in Indy

RM: "Teams are not locked into racing the same configuration they used in qualifying.
The round pod atop the roll hoop is for the 360-degree broadcast in-car camera, but those are only installed when NBCSN/ABC is broadcasting. During the practice sessions, teams use a GoPro cube or other chosen bullet camera to capture footage that's imported and overlaid with in-car data. Drivers will also look at the raw footage to pick up little details that happen during each run." Marshall Pruett.

Q: During qualifying laps at Indy, why do the drivers move far to the left while speeding down the straights? After watching Rahal, I decided to use Pythagoras and discovered that they are adding 1/16 to 1/3 of a foot, per straight. Multiply that by 8 straights and you could add a few extra feet to a qualifying session. What's the point?

RM: A couple of different theories, according to Marshall Pruett. Most drivers are copycats, they see others do it, so they do it. One of the other reasons some drivers prefer to turn in after loading the tires (they weave off Turn 4 and back up before entering Turn 1).

Q: I'm a long time Indy fan and been going to the Speedway since 1960. One of my favorite things is to attend practice through the week when things are a little more laid back and just watch the teams work. For some reason lately, the fans aren't allowed at the fence behind the track announcers' stand anymore. It's barricaded off. Love to stand there and watch driver interviews and so forth. Fan access in general has been greatly diminished. I guess things change, but not always for the good. It all started when Tony brought in F1.

Jon Miles

RM: The pits are simply too narrow for teams and fans to co-exist because the golf carts and work carts bringing out tires, it needs another 15 feet added but where would it come from? I see people on the fence when we're doing post-qualifying interviews and they can inter-act with the drivers. I'm more concerned about $15 programs, $10 tenderloins and charging people to park.

Q: Great qualifying with Dixie up front, but I still would like to see Carpenter win. My question is where's the new car? Also any news on the engine front? One thing I couldn't help but notice, the Jaguar commercials, if there's anything you can pass along it is always much appreciated.

Mike, Cincinnati, OH

RM: The new car should debut in July at IMS, that's what we hear. But nothing new on potential new engine manufacturers.

Q: With all the additional international interest in the Indy 500 this year I am curious if any of the teams have been able to attract some new sponsorship money. Does IndyCar have a "Marketplace" where potential sponsors can browse what space is available on each car or do teams typically have there own sponsorship staff?

Beau, Austin, Texas

RM: No, it's usually everyone for themselves unless IndyCar gets a specific request (and sometimes IndyCar goes after that money) but Fernando is a bigger international story than domestic and I haven't heard of anyone scoring big money because of his presence. I'm just glad Dixon finally got a sponsor (Camping World) for the race he's pacing.

Q: The Dinner with Racers' podcast has done some awesome interviews and a couple in their most recent season including Mike Shank and Alex Gurney talked totally unprompted about how highly Sam Hornish was rated on ovals. Given that this time every year I get to wishing that Hornish had never left IndyCar and was still getting after it in the #6, I want to ask you if Sam Hornish was one of the greatest all time in an IndyCar on an oval? I know it's a homer question but I'm a die hard fan.

Clint, Chicago

RM: Sam was easily the best oval racer of the IRL era (until Dario, T.K. and Helio arrived) but it's hard to slot him in with Vuky, A.J., Parnelli, Mears, J.R., Mario, Gordy and the Unsers because he didn't compete against the best all the time due to The Split. But on those mile-and-a-half, balls out, pack races – nobody was better.

Q: I'm currently reading the late Tom Binford's book from 1993. Bobby Unser didn't seem to like him and he made a lot of questionable decisions. What are your thoughts on Mr. Binford and how he botched the 1981 Indianapolis 500?

Geoff Eighinger, Ashland, OH

RM: I could never believe IMS made him the chief steward and his lack of knowledge and control really raised its head in 1979 during the pop-off valve controversy that constituted an extra day of re-qualifying. That was worse than '81.

Q: Sorry to her about Jim McElreath. I was there when he battled Art Pollard in the inaugural California 500. It was better than any 500 miler I'd seen (on closed circuit or TV) or listened to on the radio going back to the '57 Indy 500. Back and forth at the end until Pollard cut down a tire and nearly stuck it in the wall going through turn four giving McElreath the final pass. Thanks for remembering him and any good stories?

Jim Patton, Lindale, TX

RM: After Jim won that race, he was walking back to the Holiday Inn (at least three miles away) with his driver's suit tied around his waist before somebody recognized him and gave him a ride. That was him, a self-made bad ass and not one to ask anybody for favors or help.

Q: I was really touched by your interview with John Andretti. The racing community is family. My wife is Brazilian and is Instagram buddies with Ozz Negri. Two months ago Cleide (my wife) was diagnosed with breast cancer. I contacted Mike Shank Racing and Mike immediately got a hold of Ozz. In just 30 minutes, Ozz sent Cleide an email wishing her a speedy recovery and that he was praying for her. The racing community is family.

Jonathan Morris

P.S. - No surprise, I'm rooting for Mike Shank Racing.

RM: John is a fighter with a great attitude and his crusade to make others aware of what they need to do is about the only positive thing about this devastating news.

Q: For years I have tried to find out why the flowers are always in the Turn 4 on race day at the 500. There used to be a camera there but not anymore. If it is a tradition how did it start and why?

Duffy McKinney

RM: The theory is that there were weeds growing when that camera was first used so ABC planted flowers.

Q: There have been many discussion lately about Phoenix, and how the racing on ovals needs to improve to keep paying customers. Moving to the under-floor generated down-force (hopefully a bit less of it) on the new for 2018 bodywork should help at places like Phoenix. However, one thing that was mentioned for Phoenix was the possibility of tires going off and spicing up the racing, like what happens at Iowa. I saw that the Tin Tops are going to be running an "option" tire during their all-star race, has IndyCar or Firestone ever considered an red sidewall for the ovals? Use the same rules as the road and street courses for tire use throughout the weekend. There would potentially be diversity of tire strategy, give an opportunity for some closing speed at the end of the straight.

Jason Beck

RM: Mostly cost on the "reds" for ovals but also a safety factor because you don't want too make them too soft at places like Texas or Phoenix or Indy at those cornering speeds.

Q: Why not allow teams to use this year's aero kits - next year? It seems that would help lower the cost and increase the number of teams and we might actually end up with bumping again on bump day. And if they allowed it for the entire season, wouldn't that allow smaller teams starting out to get into the game? I know the engine lease is expensive, but wouldn't there be at least some savings? Another idea would be to allow a non-badged engine to be used at a lower cost as an option also to get started. I would really like to see 28 cars at all the events again and 40 at Indy.

Lynn Stanphill

RM: Because IndyCar wants to go back to the pre-aero kit days when it was truly as equal as it could ever be and the racing was better.

Q: Hypothetically speaking, if I approached Hulman & Company with the intent of buying INDYCAR and IMS with a blank check at my disposal do you think I could walk away with the two under my ownership?

Mike, Alabama

RM: Obviously, you wouldn't want IndyCar without the Indianapolis 500 and I don't ever see it being sold as long as Mari's kids and grand kids are working there.

Q: Thank you for all you and Marshall do to promote and advance IndyCar. The following is admittedly, a dream proposal, but please hear me out. Given the incredible success of Fernando Alonso's and McLaren's entry in this year's Indy 500, Liberty Media, with its deep pockets and interest in promoting F1 in the US, buys a 50% interest in the race. The monetary value of the Indy 500 is substantial, and the Hulman-George family is able to cash out a significant share of its assets while maintaining 50% ownership of the Indy 500 and 100% ownership of IMS and the IndyCar Series. F1 agrees to move Monaco two weeks earlier, in Barcelona's current slot, or two weeks later, in Montreal's current slot, and makes the 500 a full points race for all 20+ F1 drivers. IndyCar, of course, enters all 20+ of its full-time drivers, with perhaps an additional 5-10 one-off drivers. F1 uses the Dallara chassis as an F1 chassis would not be viable on an oval, but F1 uses its own engines and tires. As F1 is going to a simpler engine formula in 2021, presumably the F1 engines could be designed to fit within the Dallara engine bay. Imagine 50+ cars on bump day and 33 cars on race day, with Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Pirelli, competing with Chevrolet, Honda, a third Indycar OEM, and Firestone in front of a world-wide television audience, tens of millions in prize money, and the Borg-Warner trophy! If F1 truly considers itself the pinnacle of motor racing, this would put F1 to the test like nothing else. Both series would benefit immensely from the cooperation and incredible publicity a joint Indy 500 venture would generate each year. What say you?

Greg, Los Angeles

RM: I say I can't imagine Liberty wanting to do anything to help raise IndyCar's profile and I don't think more than two F1 teams would want to come here and run ovals and the expense would kill it before anyone could make a proposal.

Q: Did the Falcon IndyCar ever run any laps? Why did that car simply never make it to the track?

P. Worth Thompson

RM: The Falcon chassis was designed by Ken Anderson and funded by ex-Ford racing boss Michael Kranefuss and supposed to debut in 2003. But Ron Hemelgarn was the only owner to order a Falcon and, after one test, it vanished. It looked good though.