Robin Miller's Mailbag for July 5, 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: What's your gut feeling on Road America lasting on the schedule long-term? My family and friends are diehards and had a blast two weeks ago. But I worry that IndyCars do not have the wow factor anymore ,and Road America has paved to many of the corners and took away some of the character of the track to keep people's attention. Am I just being a curmudgeon?

Jeff Loveland, 20 minutes from Road America.

RM: I called George Bruggenthies the day after the race and he said the contract goes through 2018 and he's already talking to IndyCar about 2019 and beyond, so I'd say everything is just fine. I thought it was a damn good road race with plenty of overtaking and a great finish. Like I wrote on RACER.com, even though it wasn't the mob on race day that it was in 2016, it was still a damn good turnout.

Q: My friend and I went to Road America and had a great time last weekend, and the outside of Indy 500 crowd, it seemed great. Maybe not as good as last year, but still good! After seeing the crowd size there, and how it's been at other road/street events, what, in your mind, can oval track promoters do to draw in more people? I have many ideas that I'm sure have been tried and already failed, but writing them out and explaining them would turn this paragraph into a novel Thank you again for all your great coverage, love reading the Mailbag each week!

Todd Rose in Michigan

P.S. Saw you in the Paddock talking with Dale Coyne, at least I think it was Dale, before qualifying. I really wanted to say hello to you both but it looked like you were pretty deep in conversation and didn't want to interrupt, so since I didn't say hello then, "Hello!"

RM: The best thing oval-track promoters can do is give you paying customers more bang for your buck. Road America had doubleheaders with F2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights along with three Pirelli World Challenge races and it was non-stop action – or just the opposite of most ovals. So IndyCar needs to help Dan Andersen and/or the promoters and make sure the support series go to Iowa, Gateway and Phoenix. USAC put a great show with its Silver Crown cars at PIR but it was run too early in the day, while Texas ran Robby Gordon's trucks before and after the IndyCar race. But the days of people showing up at 10 a.m. for a 2 p.m. start to watch nothing but the two-seater drone around are over.

John Weaver, Camp Hill, PA

RM: It's tough for Pocono because of its size. USF2000 and Pro Mazda can't run there, while Lights opts not to as 13 cars would tend to get strung out real quick. There are also the sanctioning fees, and I don't think either Pocono or Dan Andersen feels like it's an affordable fit. At least the vintage cars can hold people's attention for a while, especially if they buy a paddock pass and get up close. And I think if there were 33 cars like the old days and a big purse, the Pocono 500 could stand on its own much easier. But your logic is why road and street courses bury the ovals nowadays in attendance – there is just so much more to watch.

Q: Can you tell us what happened to Ryan Hunter-Reay at the end of the race at Road America? After the last yellow flag, RHR was in seventh place and closing in on the wrecking ball known as Charlie Kimball. Then the camera flashes to his broken front wing and he gets passed by eight cars on the last lap! Since the focus was on the great finish by Scott Dixon with Josef Newgarden chasing, I didn't ever hear anyone say what happened to RHR. Is there a way for us to watch the incident? Was the matter reviewed by Race Control?

Mark Z, Discovery Bay, CA

RM: All I know is they got together battling for sixth and after his wing was damaged, RHR fell like a rock on the last lap. I know YouTube has a video of the race posted. Nothing from Race Control to my knowledge.

Q: I remember when you wanted to overtake someone on a road course it came down to who could corner faster and/or who could out-brake each other. Something happened along the way. I think Senna (ABOVE) started this "extreme blocking" technique, and maybe Schumacher brought it to a new level - now we're at the point where an extreme block is an accepted part of road racing. At Road America we could have had a good race on a great track, but in my opinion it was ruined by the defensive driving throughout the entire field. We have "push-to-pass" to bring overtaking back, but it seems like it doesn't have the same effect with the blocking. Lets institute a rule: Hold your driving line – period. No blocking at all. Reaction?

Mark, Niagara Falls, NY

RM: Tony Kanaan gets mad at me, but I blame the Brazilians for bringing it to IndyCar before Senna made it an art form in F1. And Schumacher's first move was straight across the track and I'm with you – I hate it. That's not how A.J., Clark, Parnelli, Stewart, Gurney, Rindt, Brabham, Marshman, Ward, Branson and the Unsers raced in the '60s because somebody would lose their life. In my world, your first block would get you sent to the rear of the field and the second you'd be parked for the day. Blocking requires no talent, unless of course it's a restrictor plate race in Cup.

Q: I want to express how strongly I disagree with fans who complain about fuel saving. Often the most memorable road races are the ones where the two and three stop (or three and four stop in Road America) are a dead heat. Then you have a hard charger catching someone saving at the end – it's great! On some of the more boring tracks, like Long Beach, it's the only good thing going. I still remember a year Pagenaud was on a three-stopper and reeling the leader in super-fast right at the end, only to fall just short. Race distances should be set to split the strategy call. On the better tracks, however, it doesn't matter. Road America was great.

John in Dayton

RM: It's become a big part of the show and strategy, with smaller fuel cells, better mileage and tighter competition, but I think what fans dislike is that we in the media and the drivers are always talking about fuel mileage before the green flag even drops. And I know it's a big part of the race, but I don't think anybody tunes in to watch drivers try and conserve fuel. "Parnelli is charging hard, sure hope he's got enough fuel." That's not why we watched. But it's today's reality, so I get your point.

Q: I'm a big fan of yours and IndyCar, even though I'm younger than my Miata. Thanks for all that you do on RACER and NBCSN. I've been to my home track at Mid-Ohio for the last four years, and I also went to Detroit in 2015 when it was cold and wet. However, this year I'm going to Iowa, which will be my first oval experience. Do you have any tips for ovals in general or anything else that's worth doing while I'm in town for a few days?

Matt in Cleveland, Ohio

RM: Sit up high so you can see all the way around, and go to Knoxville and check out the Sprint Car Hall of Fame museum. It's about 40 miles away, and Knoxville Speedway is running sprinters on Saturday night so I'm hoping to take Esteban Gutierrez and Ed Jones – you should check that out as well.

Q: I've got a couple of questions about Alexander Rossi. I've been a huge fan of his for some time now, and was thrilled when I saw him jump to IndyCar. Most people agree that other than winning the 500, he had a pretty standard rookie year. This year, however, he's been spectacular in my opinion, but just doesn't have the results to show for it. He was set to win at Long Beach before his engine blew, looked set to win at Indy before the fuel guy couldn't get plugged in, was running brilliantly at Texas before becoming the unwilling meat in a three-wide Ganassi sandwich, and was running faster than just about anyone at Road America before he lost his wing in a scrap with TK. Without his luck, I figure he'd be in at least the top five this year, yet I rarely hear anyone talk about him in any way other than the Indy 500 last year.

So what gives? I personally think he's doing amazingly and has barely put a wheel wrong all year. Do you think he's got the potential to become a consistent figure at the front and win championships? Now, the other way I hear him talked about is the way that everyone seems to think he's a robot with no personality who can't conduct an interview to save his life. Now, I totally get where this comes from, because he comes from Formula 1 where they aren't allowed to have fun. But I think he's really improved since joining IndyCar. I got to meet him and talk to him for a few minutes at Sonoma last year, and he seemed personable and engaging enough to me. I watched the Mayor on Air live podcast at Indy this year, and he was hilarious there. I think he's just a little bit more quiet in comparison to flamboyant and funny guys like Hinch, Newgarden, or Castroneves. But what do you see as someone who interviews him frequently? Thanks, your weekly Mailbag is always a welcome sight every Wednesday and I love reading your perspective on all things racing!

Max Camposano, Los Altos, CA

RM: I wrote in the mid-season report card that: "Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay need a 24-hour snakebite IV, because they've run so much better than the results show. They both had a great shot at winning Long Beach before being KO'd and they both were as fast as anyone at Indianapolis (Hunter-Reay led 28 laps, Rossi 23) before the former blew up and the latter had a disastrous pit stop. Hunter-Reay got collected in the big one at Texas while Rossi started third and was eliminated in a three-wide game of pinball. But they're both going to win a race before 2017 is over."

I think Rossi has driven exceptionally well and is going to be a factor in future championships. He's not Danny Ongais bad in interviews and I'm sure he's got a decent sense of humor, so hopefully it will surface sooner than later on television. Thanks for reading the Mailbag.

Q: Give us a analysis/critique on Robert Wickens in the SPM car. We don't know how much time/laps or how hard he pressed at Sebring, so how would you critique his day?

Jean-Claude Tabernac Tuktoyaktuc, N.W.T.

RM: Considering he only got 11 laps and was two seconds off Rossi's fast lap, I'd say he did fine with limited time. But I would have loved to see him get in two full days of running because Wickens belongs in open-wheel and he's got loads of talent. Great kid too.

Q: Max Chilton has to be looking at an LMP1 privateer ride in the WEC next year. It just makes sense – he gets to go back "home", it looks like that class will be able to run for the occasional overall win, and he will spend less money than racing in IndyCar if the other driver brings funding/sponsorships too (pretty much anyone in IndyCar who brings a decent check with them must be looking at that). Here's the interesting part. There aren't that many conflicts, so it's probably possible to do both. It would be great to see that happen with a few drivers, as it would drive interest in both series. I suppose you could get crazy and suggest a doubleheader somewhere. It won't happen, but I suppose we could dream.

Eric Harkrader

RM: A couple months ago I would have said Max will be out of IndyCar and into sportscars in 2018, but that was before he led Indy for 50 laps and started running better everywhere else. I think he's re-energized for open-wheel and has caught the Indy 500 bug.

Q: I have one comment and two questions. First, I'm really impressed with Spencer Pigot this year. He's had some nice drives, and if not for some bad luck may have had a podium. I'm hoping he lands a full-time ride soon. Last week you said 30th place in NASCAR pays more than winning the championship in IndyCar. I knew NASCAR paid more, but that was eye-opening considering how much more dangerous IndyCar racing is. How do IndyCar drivers salaries compare to other series – sportscars, Global Rallycross, Formula E, etc.? And regarding the Leaders Circle, doesn't IndyCar have it backwards? Shouldn't new teams and/or small teams be given financial assistance, not the big established teams? Do Penske, Ganassi and Andretti really need Leaders Circle money to field a team? I wouldn't think so, but Coyne, Harding, Juncos, Carlin, Shank, etc. probably do. Seems like if IndyCar would only help the teams that really need it, not the powerhouses, some of that Leaders Circle money could be rolled into the purses which would benefit everyone.

Blake in Flower Mound, TX

Q: I've always been an Helio fan. Every year at Indy I root for win number four. He keeps getting so close. How much longer will Penske keep him? I don't think we will ever see another four-time winner - competition is too close, and there's so much luck involved.

Bill Peer

RM: He drove his butt off again last May and I think he'll have a ride until he shows signs of slowing down (which he's not), but it wouldn't surprise me to see The Captain pair him and JPM in a sportscar and bring them back for Indy in 2018.

Q: My take on the state of IndyCar is like you and most readers: I'm worried about sponsorships, tenuous interest in the series, no attendance at ovals, and lack of visibility in the media. I have a few questions, and a recommendation, however.

1) Isn't this just basically a club series now? Be honest. Guys with their toys, enjoying the weekends with what they love, basically as a hobby?

2) With almost non-existent purses, are driver and team sponsorships effectively the vast majority source of income (sans Indy 500) for both?

3) We know your concerns, but what is your prediction for say, IndyCar 2019 or 2020? Here's a suggestion – IndyCar works a good deal with one of the headset rental companies to supply radio headsets to fans for a nominal cost ($5-10, or include option in ticket price with nominal increase?) at every race. Granted, that's more expense for IndyCar, but sometimes you have to spend money to make money. Even when I spent $30 for them at Richmond, it was worth every single penny. I went to Charlotte (IRL) and Richmond every year they raced there, and have been to Toronto three of the last four years, and one thing that made a huge difference in my experiences, even with the sport I already love, was renting headsets when available. Radio transmissions provide driver/car/race strategy/pit stop insight and humor along with the 'on-site' experience, and I think should be promoted and capitalized upon with fans to enhance the experience.

If it is promoted a little, for the benefit of the 'fan experience', it may be even a small carrot we need in a field of diminishing crops, and get more fans through the gates. Hell, at this point, I'm reaching for anything. What says you?

Randy Mizelle

RM: No owner has a prayer of making any money in IndyCar these days, so in a sense it's hobby but run like a business with poor cash flow. And there were always sportsmen like J.C. Agajanian, Lindsey Hopkins and Bob Wilke that did it for fun, but it was a much cheaper game back then, and you actually had a chance to earn some decent money if you won. I'm concerned that Chip and R.P. may be down to three cars in 2018, and who knows about Andretti? I could see 18 cars real easy. And I'm sure your headset idea would be great for the fans, but it's not going to solve all of IndyCar's big-picture problems.

Q: Any good news to report on John Andretti's cancer prognosis?

Tom Fitzgerald

RM: Yes he tweeted last week that his spleen and gall bladder were cancer-free, and I sent him a text saying to keep fighting. And he will.

Q: Sometimes my mind goes off to a land not many travel and maybe this is one of those moments, but bear with me. With so many series moving towards electric power and hybrid power such as F1, FE, and WEC, could this be an area IndyCar could possibly capitalize on? I know that I am not alone when it comes to my viewpoints on electric/hybrid "powerplants"; I hate the idea and it's hard for me to watch those series. I am 37, and in my opinion my age group been pretty fortunate. We remember a time when cell phones didn't exist, (we had to call the house phone to talk to a girl and actually had to talk to the parents), had no clue about what the internet was, and hell, we got paddled in school – at least, I did. We were sort of the last generation to experience both worlds.

I went to Mid-Ohio and saw my first CART race in 1998, and one thing that I remember standing by the fence coming out of the Keyhole was the sound of the car screaming past me. From that point on, I was hooked for life. My point is, I see many forms of motorsport heading down the path of hybrid/all-electronic racing. I think IndyCar should go the opposite direction. What would you rather watch if these cars are comparable with speed? A painful electronic whine, or the power and sound of a fuel-guzzling V8? You can't tell me F1 fans don't miss the sound of a V10 or V12 engine. Maybe I am starting to get old and nostalgic, but I know one fan who would be glued to the TV if that's the direction they went.

Hutch, Cabot, Pa

RM: My first racing memory was in 1957 during Indy practice when the Novi came whistling down the straightaway. It was a thunderous noise, it rattled all those green folding chairs in the paddock penthouse, and I was mesmerized. It was the sound that did it – not the car and not the speed. Those appreciations came next, but IndyCar without noise would be its death knell. Electric cars should be confined to amusement parks.

Q: I know you've been a huge supporter of having more cars and more owners in the series, but something at Road America this weekend made me wonder if that would actually be a bad thing for the series, at least on road/street courses. The point of concern was marbles. Specifically, Firestone marbles. From the Carousel to Canada Corner, and other spots on track, was all littered with marbles, and caught out Kanaan and I think Sato as well. More cars would mean more marbles thrown on the track, and take away more passing opportunities as the race goes on. Do you think this could become more of an issue than it already is if more full-time entrants join in the future, and is it possible that Firestone could make a slightly more durable tire that doesn't discard as many marbles?

Stephen, Florida

RM: I didn't hear any complaints afterwards, and IndyCar sweeps when it can during every race to try and alleviate that situation. Marbles are just part of today's racing and IndyCar will gladly take its chances that more entries will make things worse. And I think T.K. crashed because he lost his wing.

Q: My question why, in the year 2017, IndyCars don't have the cameras and technology to detect cars in blind spots? I'm surprised that one of the high-tech autonomous car driving companies have not at least attempted to install that tech in a race car for testing and demo purposes to showcase perfect lap times and racing lines etc. Maybe I'm dreaming, but I would love to see something like a Scott Dixon vs. a self driving race car match race just once. 

Dave Pisula, Westerville, Ohio

RM: God, we have paddle shifting, push-to-pass, pit speed limiters and spotters so I'm hopeful we can at least keep awareness as part of a driver's acumen. Sure it's tough to see on some (all) ovals but a racer worth his salt should always have a pretty good feel for where his competitors are on the track. A match race like you suggest could be interesting and a nice little feature for television.

Q: Do you know if IndyCar has ever tried to identify what current and potential paying customers want (other than Randy Bernard walking around asking people informally)? In the field I work in, we conduct things such as focus groups and do testing to see what people are actually looking for regardless of whether they are a current customer or a potential target customer for the future. For many years it seemed IndyCar they went with an idea and hoped for the best (and have generally returned to traditional markets). The consulting thing from Boston did end up being a bit of a s*** show however.

Justin Lee

RM: I know IndyCar has used exit polls and sent out questionnaires to fans, and I think it has a pretty good idea of the age, income and location of its followers.

Q: The reason and I love IndyCar (and other racing) is because I'm always learning about the technological side of the sport. Wondering if you can help describe and explain the various wickers on the cars, particularly for the ovals. I thought I saw on one of the Alonso videos that they were making wicker changes on the leading edge of the cockpit opening? Is that wicker or were they just trying out different windscreens? Where are the all wickers, and what do they actually look like?

JT, Toronto

RM: From Marshall Pruett: "Hi Joey. The wickers, also known as Gurney flaps, allow teams to increase or decrease downforce without changing wing angles. They're a great tuning device, and can also provide cleaner downforce – less drag – by pulling the low-pressure air flowing beneath the wing up and keeping it attached to the wing profile, which improves efficiency. As for Alonso's windscreen and heights, it would be changed to reduce helmet buffeting."

Q: I saw something called Nitro Circus (motorcycle jumping) on NBC in prime time recently. Really? Why can't NBC have a IndyCar race on primetime/anytime, promote it properly and see how it does? It is a mystery why something as good as IndyCar can't get on the major network NBC (other than the ABC races) as it's better than most anything else they have.

Don, Minneapolis

RM: Time buys are quite popular for something like the Nitro Circus, or Robby Gordon's truck series, or even RallyCross. But I think if NBC gets the rights to IndyCar racing in 2018 there will be a good chance of a weekly open-wheel show through the week during the season.

Q: I find the remark in the last Mailbag about Tony George – "Tony still believes he had a good idea but not a proper execution" – appalling. How could that little brat think that? He acts like a spoiled brat. I find the fact that he gave the command at this year's Indy 500 scary because he many return! He single-handedly destroyed racing in America, not just open-wheel racing. He should be banned from all tracks and all involvement in teams. His only accomplishment is the SAFER barrier – he should be proud of that and step down. I hope Mari Hulman George lives to be 200, but what happens when she's gone? Why did she not give the command this year?

Tony, Mamaroneck, New York

RM: That was my response to a reader's question, because Tony and I did a local radio show together a few years ago and that's the impression I got. He's the president of the IMS board but not in charge of IndyCar or the Speedway, and nobody seems to know exactly what the succession plan will look like after Mari is gone. She's been ailing and out of the public eye for most of the past couple years, so her health is why TG gave the command.

Q: I know this is a while back in 1992 and 1993 when Dan Gurney's Toyota Eagles were dominating IMSA winning just about everything. Why didn't P.J. Jones have a more remarkable career? He was a heck of good driver!

Doug Ferguson, Port Orange, Florida

RM: P.J. (ABOVE, at Long Beach in 1999) was saddled with the Toyota engine in CART but had some strong runs with a Ford/Cosworth (second to JPM at Nazareth), and he would have been a winner with John Menard in the IRL before breaking his neck in practice.

Q: Watched NASCAR Saturday night for the first time in a long time. What is with the Goodyear tires? Seemed like every five to 10 laps someone was into the wall because of a sudden tire failure. That doesn't happen with Firestones in the Indy car races. And I don't recall one driver complaining about it. What gives, Gag Order?

John T. Feeser

RM: I think its just part of the show, you know, like The Big One. But seriously, Goodyear has been blowing right fronts and cars have been bashing walls forever, and the drivers seem like it's going to be their turn every couple of races. But, other than Tony Stewart (bless his heart), you don't ever hear much criticism. Some people say it's the teams' fault because they're always experimenting with tire pressure or camber/castor, but Firestone is truly amazing in that it builds a tire that goes 40-50 mph faster on the same tracks and seldom has a problem. A good example is that when Helio crashed at Texas when he lost his right front, it was big news because it was so rare.

Q: In regards to the letter from Ryan in West Michigan (Mailbag June 28th) and his questioning about Simona de Silvestro's performance in this year's V8 Supercars series, please keep in mind that she is seeing these tracks for the first time, and that one second off the pole in qualifying means that you start from 20th position on the grid. Also the Nissan is generally not as quick as the Ford or the Holden, so she is not doing much worse than the other Nissan drivers who have had a lot more experience with both the car and the tracks. On a positive note, she has created a lot more publicity for both her team and the sport in Australia. She has a three-year deal so the true test will come in years two and three.

Paul Dudley, Melbourne, Australia

RM: Thanks for that info Paul, and keep us posted about the best female road racer ever.

Q: Robin, why is it that Kyle Hamilton, the kid who won Anderson's famous Little 500 (besting Kody Swanson and Tony Stewart) can't seem to get a permanent ride in anything? He is the most well-mannered, well-spoken kid you will ever meet. A sponsor 's dream. Can you give us some insight about this phenomenon?

Gary Links

RM: I don't know anything about him, except I watched the replay of the Little 500 on MavTV the other night and he was aggressive and impressive in winning it. I asked Dave Argabright about him and he said Hamilton is a great kid with talent, but is going to need money to keep moving up.