Robin Miller's Mailbag for July 18, 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: I am tiring of Ganassi and Penske winning all these races (8 for 12, or 67 percent so far). I’m 62 years old I have probably been to the Speedway 100+ times, and approximately 20 or more 500s. Been to Kentucky, Mid-Ohio, and the Baltimore race. I’m just losing interest, and if I were a backmarker I would quit wasting my money, IndyCar is becoming too much like Formula 1. Anybody can win? That’s B.S.; the results don’t show that.

Mike, Cincinnati OH

RM: Well there’s no doubt Team Penske and Ganassi are the dominant teams over the past decade (they’ve won nine of 10 championships and 118 races to date), but Andretti Autosport has captured 27 races in that same period and one title (RHR) and in the past few years Dale Coyne, Schmidt-Peterson and RLL have all scored multiple wins, so it’s really nothing like F1. And Ed Carpenter won the pole and ran second at Indy last May.

This season has Team Penske with five wins, Ganassi three, Andretti two, SPM and Coyne one apiece, while F1 has had three teams (Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull) win all the races, and NASCAR is dominated by Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex (they’ve won 14 of 19 races), so IndyCar still is the best place for a surprise winner. I realize The Captain and Chip have the most experience, depth and budget, but as an example, last year Scott Dixon only had one victory.

Q: My wife has become an IndyCar fan since I took her to races at Pocono and Texas, and she can hold her own in conversations with other fans now. She has become fans of two drivers: Rossi and Daly. Now I have been following both of them since about '09 and I am a fan of them myself, especially since they are closer to my age. However, the Amazing Race took my casual IndyCar fan wife (who said she was a Rossi fan) and made her a bigger Rossi fan and a fan of Daly. Daly also does so much on the social media side compared to every other driver, and he has fans that will travel – half of Noblesville, Indiana was at Watkins Glen two years ago!

All that being said, what does this guy have to do to get a full-time seat? He took the Harding car and qualified it just outside the top 10, and gave the team its best finish. He has been able to jump into many different cars and get good runs out of them (examples: Long Beach 2015, Detroit '16, and Gateway '17), and was one of Autosport magazine’s top GP3 drivers in his last year over there. I know he lacks funds, but he can race, and I suspect he is a fan favorite. Granted he doesn’t look like these wunderkinds that move up quickly, but he seems to be able to be a solid racer who is a good teammate and can get a car across the line in a competitive spot. Is he just going the RHR route, or am I am I too optimistic? How does the rest of the paddock see him, and how is his driving viewed?

Andrew Bane, Midland, TX

RM: Conor and Josef raced together a bunch growing up, and when they ran Lights I remember Sam Schmidt thinking CD was a little bit better. Not sure how the paddock sees him, but I think he’s always shown he was a pretty good racer with some chassis savvy who didn’t qualify real strong. It’s tough to judge most when they’ve never driven for a top-tier team, but I thought Conor did a good job for A.J. last season coming down the stretch. Without a little financial support from a couple of friends CD probably wouldn’t have been in the Harding car, but he did a nice job in tough conditions. The Air Force seems to like him so that could be big down the road. Bottom line, he still needs to bring money like so many in IndyCar.

Q: What was the crowd like in Toronto? Did having two drivers from the Toronto area and three Canadians overall boost the attendance?

Paul, Indianapolis

RM: Better than the last few years. I didn’t see many empty seats, and while there aren’t that many grandstands anymore, it looked full. Ran into co-promoter Kevin Savoree after the race and he was ecstatic with the attendance and the racing. He said that Hinch winning the week before really helped at the box office.

Q: I think Toronto was the best street race I've ever seen on TV! I go to Long Beach every year, but this had everything. And the crowd looked huge -- any word on attendance quantity or record? I saw your interview and post regarding Andretti having to fuel and that it might've been human error – does that mean the car didn't get filled, or that he didn't have to go in? Love all this IndyCar momentum, and keep up the good work.

CAM in LA

RM: We have to remember that in the Molson Toronto Indy days there were 70,000 people on race day alone, and towering grandstands down both sides of the straightaway. I don’t know how many seats are standing today, but it’s not a third of the old ones. But they were filled for the first time I can recall, and I imagine it was in the neighborhood of 25,000 (total) on Sunday. But in one of the largest cities in North America and with two Canadian stars, I would hope they could do even better next year. (Of course their space is limited with all the construction over the past decade).

Image by Owens/IndyCar

Q: I sat in Turn 11, across from Rossi’s pit. He spent a lot of time getting NAPA parts and service, so for him to finish eighth is rather amazing to me. It reminds me of two former CART/ImdyCar drivers that went through a lot of parts at Toronto and Long Beach. They often finished on or atop the podium. I think their initials were M.A. and P.T. He is the real deal.

Brian Bristo

RM: Yes he is, and I’m just glad that after driving a toilet in F1 he got a chance to show his talent over here. He’s got some of Michael and P.T. in his blood when it comes to running hard and being ruthless.

Q: I’m absolutely thrilled that Harding Racing has thrown CD a lifeline, if only for one race (nothing against Chaves, who is a class act). It seems like Conor’s career has been a series of do or die one-offs (Long Beach, Detroit) mixed in with full seasons in uncompetitive cars. It’s got to be so tough to jump in on a street course with no testing. Let’s hope he shows his gearbox to the Foyt cars. Why isn’t Conor racing in the IMSA enduros with so many of the other IndyCar drivers moonlighting there?

Lee Robie, Cincinnati, OH

RM: Actually it was kind of a mutual lifeline, because Conor needed a ride and Harding needed some money, but again, Daly showed he could produce under the toughest of circumstances. I think Conor wants to be an IndyCar driver as long as possible, or at least chase that full-time goal, and sports cars are more or less a backup plan.

Q: I hope you taped the Toronto race to watch once you got back home. Holy Crap! One hell of a race with an insane set of opening laps. Toronto was the street race we have been waiting for. Banzai moves, rubbing, shoving, drivers competing for the biggest pair of round brass objects. Great work by your NBC Sports team to cover the critical points and replay them to ensure the fans saw it all. But Robin, you have got to get P.T. to take Wickens to a track and teach him the way of the Chrome Horn. I know Canadians are nice (known many of 'em for years) but there is no way Wickens should take that crap from a Frenchman. It is time for the master to teach the apprentice. Any idea on the cost for the weekend? Looked like a number of noses, one rear wing, lots of bent suspension parts. Also, can you give an update on young Herta?

John Balestrieri, Milwaukee, WI

RM: That first lap was about as wild and entertaining as any street course race I can remember, and there was plenty of action all afternoon. These cars race so good on streets and road courses, and the drivers have been doing a good job of racing hard and not taking each other out. I know P.T. has publicly and privately told Wickens to fight back and get aggressive with people, and he will eventually. Lots of wings, tie-rods and suspension pieces, but nothing like the Texas damage a year ago. Colton didn’t need surgery on his thumb, so he was fitted with a brace and will be ready for Mid-Ohio.

Q: If you added up all the on-track passes in Toronto, and compared them to all the on-track passes for all the cars for all the tracks for any F1 season of the past 10 years, I wonder which would be higher?

Mark Lamontia, Landenberg, PA

RM: I think IndyCar’s street course racing this season has been the best ever in terms of being able to race close and hard, and pass people. And the drivers deserve credit for pulling it off. As to your question, I imagine Toronto surpassed (no pun intended) any F1 season in recent history.

Q: What is going on over at DCR with Vasser and Sulli? They started the season off looking somewhat like Newman/Haas, now they look like the old DCR that was a constant backmarker. I can’t imagine that Vasser and Sulli are happy. They seemed to get derailed earlier in the year with some severely questionable pit strategy calls. I vaguely remember Seb being pissed that they weren't using championship-winning strategy. Have the wheels totally come off, and what are the odds this pairing is around next year? Is it too much to hope that Seb takes his engineering staff and Vasser/Sulli money to another team like Ganassi?

Paul Hauluska

RM: Seb qualified and ran well at Indy, Texas and Road America, so I guess last weekend was the disappointment of the season since he started 14th at a place he usually rules. But he blamed himself for not being able to attack like he should have, and then they struggled in the race before he hit the tires. Not sure about his contract length but I imagine D.C. has Craig Hampson, Mike Cannon and Todd Phillips tied up. And as long as Hampson and Bourdais are a team they’re dangerous, so I wouldn’t throw in the towel on them for 2018.

Q: Just out of curiosity, does IndyCar generally honor suspensions issued in other racing series? Since Santino Ferrucci appears to have a couple of weeks of free time following his F2 stunts at Silverstone this past weekend, is there anything to stop Dale Coyne (or another team) from running him over here while he serves his suspension?

Mark Gillespie

RM: Wouldn’t see why not, he didn’t do anything wrong in IndyCar so no reason he’d be prevented from racing in the series.

Sonoma, 2017. Image by Abbott/LAT

1) Is there some bad blood between the track owners, or what is the history between these two tracks? I've never heard anybody say, "Well, if you race at Pocono you can't come to Nazareth" or, "Well, if you're doing Milwaukee you can't come to Road America." Business-wise, wouldn't a track owner try to host as many races as possible?

2) Is there at least the remote chance of having both tracks on the schedule? One in spring, close to Long Beach and the other one in fall? I'd hate to lose Sonoma, since the drivers praise it as such a challenging track, even if there's not much passing. Laguna probably has even less passing, but it's still great to watch and the drivers are mostly fond of it.

Bo from Germany

RM: Eddie Gossage had a clause in his contract that IndyCar couldn’t race at COTA, and Sonoma’s had the same thing about Laguna Seca. Could they both co-exist in Northern California? Probably. Will they? Doesn’t sound like it. As far as IndyCars are concerned it’s like swapping sisters, because neither track is very good for racing.

Q: If improved Sonoma racing is needed, as indicated by you, then race on the other Sonoma configuration. Would the other configuration still be called a road course? It isn't actually oval. Furthermore, I have a hard time believing that IndyCar should not shoulder some of the blame for declining IndyCar attendance because of its refusal to do any marketing, for anything other than for IMS activities. Is IndyCar primarily a feeder series for the IMS? Try Option D this year at Sonoma and see if improved passing opportunities can garner some revived interest in the North Bay. And someone, please advertise the different configuration to stimulate some excitement!

Bill in CA

RM: I guess you’re advocating that somehow Sonoma becomes an oval, but there is no way SMI or IndyCar is going to spend any money trying to make that happen. And Sonoma will be another asterisk in the litany of former IndyCar tracks after September. But promoting the race is usually the responsibility of the track and/or series title sponsor, and Verizon has been going through the motions for two years. Diana Brennan and her staff do a good job of trying to spread the word at Sonoma, but San Francisco could care less.

Q: Instead of picking one over the other, why not have Laguna Seca and Sonoma alternate? This has happened many times in Formula 1: if you've got two great tracks in the same country, just rotate the location of the grand prix. It seems like this approach would strengthen both Laguna Seca and Sonoma, as they attract fans from different regions of California. Plus, we wouldn't have to ditch a longtime partner track. Is this something IndyCar and the tracks would consider? If not, why?

Justin in Indy

RM: In today’s environment I don’t think it would work, because tracks want schedule stability to try and sell title sponsorship and tickets. I don’t know that IndyCar has broached that subject so I’ll ask Mark Miles, but can’t see it.

Q: Despite the whining about racing on ‘ice’ the Toronto race was pretty decent. But it's a little dismaying that the IndyCar schedule just can't catch a break: Phoenix gone. Belle Isle wavering – the contract is up and there is serious talk that the race may go away. Of course Eddie Gossage is licking his chops… or is Milwaukee a player again? And now it's Sonoma vs Laguna Seca... who will survive? Is there a plan if Belle Isle disappears? Are there possibilities of coming back to the schedule places like Richmond, Cleveland, Fontana, or (gasp) even Milwaukee to its traditional date after the Indy 500? Inquiring minds want to know.

Jake, Pasadena, CA

RM: The schedule is at least a month away from being finalized, but no way both Laguna and Sonoma will be on it. Ditto for Fontana, Milwaukee and Cleveland. Here’s the latest from Belle Isle, and I would never bet against The Captain:

“This morning, the Detroit Grand Prix submitted a formal proposal to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to continue hosting the annual motorsports event at Belle Isle Park. The proposal includes a three-year agreement to continue the Grand Prix on Belle Isle, beginning in 2019, with an additional two-year extension option. Additional key elements of the proposal include a 50% increase in the annual fee to host the race on the island to $300,000, along with yearly contributions of $50,000 to the Michigan DNR for targeted island improvement initiatives and $35,000 for projects and programming in the paddock area on Belle Isle. The Grand Prix will also continue to minimize its overall time spent on Belle Isle, reducing its total time on the island from 65 days in 2018 to 62 days starting next year. This timeline will be 12 days faster than the event’s total time on the island in 2017. The Grand Prix looks forward to working with the public, its stakeholders and the Michigan DNR over the course of the proposal process.” – Detroit Grand Prix

Q: I've only become a fan of IndyCar in the past couple of years (NASCAR's glue on the track finally tipped me over the edge), but I've been brushing up on my history and can't believe I've missed out on this racing. Great to hear Laguna Seca's coming back, many thanks are given to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors as well as SCRAMP for coming to an agreement with IndyCar, and I'm sure it'll be a hell of a show.

Anything beginning to brew regarding a possible return to Cleveland? I know ovals appear to be a dying breed, and I wouldn't want to drop one for another road/street course, but the few other New Yorkers I know who are into IndyCar would also like a return to BKL, and I think it'd draw a good Midwest crowd. If five-wide wasn't good enough at Toronto this past weekend, let's do 10-wide in Cleveland. I'll finally be getting to an auto race in my lifetime – not too many options around New York City to do that, but Pocono's pricing wasn't too bad, and it's one of the fastest of the season, so why would I keep saying no?

Hope to catch you in the garage sometime during the weekend, great deal on passes, and lots of access compared to NASCAR from what I've read. (Stewart-Haas got nailed by IndyCar and IMSA fans on Twitter about that a week ago)

Sam Blakey, Brooklyn, NY

RM: If Honda decided to throw its sponsorship behind Cleveland instead of Mid-Ohio then maybe Mike Lanigan would step up and bring back Cleveland, but Honda loves having a race close to its plant in Marysville. So it’s either incumbent on IndyCar to get a headhunter and find a sponsor for Cleveland, or for some fledging promoter to seek one out and give it a try. There is no doubt Burke Lakefront Airport produced some of the best crowds and races in the 1980s and '90s, and it’s an IndyCar fan wheelhouse so it would be an instant winner again. And maybe a great place for the season finale, because the Browns will likely be 0-3 by then anyway.

Iowa, 2018. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: So assuming that Laguna Seca is in and Sonoma is out (as appears to be the case), the 2019 schedule for the moment features 16 races at 14 venues by my count. My question is, where is the 17th race gonna be held? Mark Miles specifically said that there will be 17 next year. Hope he's right.

Kevin Kemer

RM: There will be 17, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised if a couple of the potentials become reality, but the schedule is still a long way from being finalized.

Q: Why do I get the feeling that we’re looking at a repeat of the failed revival of Milwaukee? No question Laguna Seca has the history and prestige and is a fantastic place to race. But, to quote "Top Gun," “It takes a lot more than just fancy flying…” Why has Road America succeeded where the Milwaukee Mile failed? It’s financial viability, marketing, a fan-friendly experience and great racing, to say nothing of the stewardship of the facility. The racing has been great at Laguna Seca over the years, so it would stand to reason that it could be a great show there again. That’s out of their control. But there have been lawsuits about financial viability and mismanagement in the last few years, and attendance hasn’t been great for other events.

Now maybe the plan about scheduling with other series is going to pan out to bring in the fans so the logistics are the main draw. But whatever that plan is, Sonoma (let’s forgive the Hindenburg that was the San Jose GP) has proven that there is no fan interest in IndyCar in Silicon Valley, or anywhere really north of Bakersfield, which is a shame because a company from that corner of the world could be something that could continue to help up the ante in the technology and innovation sectors as a new title sponsor.

Elkhart Lake’s fan base was more than ready for an IndyCar return, unlike Milwaukee, which was additionally plagued by scheduling issues. So unless SCRAMP follow the blueprints of John Bommarito or George Bruggenthies or there’s real sponsor money behind this one, I think we’re looking at the next Pocono, Fontana, Phoenix and Milwaukee. Which is a shame because Laguna Seca went out with a whimper one time. Twice would be downright shameful.

Dan W., Ft. Worth, TX

RM: To be honest, the last couple Champ Car races at Laguna Seca were awful. And so was the attendance. Can this new aero kit save it? Possibly. As you point out, it’s a tough area to draw nowadays, even though it was packed for CART in the '90s. A title sponsor is imperative to try and survive, because when you’ve been away for more than a decade you are going to have a hard sell on your hands.

Q: On the 2019 schedule, I guess location/track-wise, Laguna for Sonoma will be a direct replacement. As for Phoenix, there doesn't seem to be very much in the way of choice for IndyCar. If they can't find anything, do you think they would stay with 16 races, or bump Toronto or St. Pete up to a doubleheader? Frankly, it ought to consider it for Road America, given the crowds it had on Saturday up there.

Greg, Belleville, NJ

RM: It’s going to be 17, and I would try a doubleheader at a place like Laguna to try and do something different in promoting IndyCar’s return. Of course the downside is that it could be two bad races, but all those twin bills USAC ran in the '60s and '70s seemed to work.

Q: Iowa was a fantastic race this year. I heard that during the broadcast of the race, it was mentioned that Iowa Speedway was wanting to get the race back to a Saturday night race. Any chance of that happening? I was at the last night race at Iowa and at Gateway last year. Love to see these guys at night races.

Bill Oliver

RM: I kinda jumped the gun on NBCSN at Iowa and reported it was likely. I believe Iowa Speedway president David Hyatt will be making an official announcement soon about going back under the lights in 2019.

Q: Some of the posters on the RACER.com boards lament that not only are IndyCar's oval events suffering from soft attendance, but that crowds are down across the board and even NASCAR is experiencing a downturn – as if this makes the suffering of IndyCar's declining oval fortunes more acceptable and understandable. I say bunk, and here's why: IndyCar has watched the state of its oval events deteriorate over the last 10 to 15 years with the loss of all manner of ovals, whether owned by ISC (Homestead, Richmond, Michigan, Fontana, etc.), SMI (Kentucky, Loudon) or independently-operated such as Nashville, and done little to nothing to shore up its oval markets or reverse the decline of interest in oval racing, which remains the lifeblood of IndyCar and essential to balance the schedule with the road and street events

Many commentators point out that advertising, marketing and promoting the series' events is not IndyCar's responsibility, but rather the obligation of the track owners and promoters who, in exchange for ponying up what we are often told is a substantial sanctioning fee paid to the series, get to keep the gate receipts, concessions, parking, and other streams of income brought into the coffers on race day. While this has been the standard operating procedure for a long time, this model appears to need a revisit since something is not working, with venues like Phoenix throwing in the towel after experiencing money losses, and all ovals not named Indy are in jeopardy of extinction – and that would be a crying shame.

I say it's high time for Miles, Frye and their Hulman handlers to end the charade and get down to the business of figuring out how to save the ovals and turn around the declining state of oval racing with bold and decisive action. After all, the Hulmans are the stewards of the heritage and legacy of IndyCar racing, and if the ovals go the way of the dinosaurs, the blame will lie not with track owners and promoters sick and tired of losing money on events nobody wants to attend anymore. The blame will lie with the people in charge of IndyCar, which should conduct its affairs like a professional sports organization and not a club series.

Somebody has to take responsibility, and I say it's the people who profit the most off of the series' success and the hard-earned dollars that I and my fellow IndyCar fans shell out to attend events live and in person. We can all rest assured that the France family is not sitting around while NASCAR's attendance plummets. We'd see the Monster Energy girls behind wheel before we'd witness the Frances stand idly by while NASCAR watched its market share shrivel up and die.

Neil Rubin, Miami Beach

RM: Couple things: If Phoenix lost any money it wasn’t much, because IndyCar pretty much leased the track and was the promoter. And the Hulman/George family has nothing to do with the day-to-day operation of IndyCar. As for the solution to the lack of crowds at ovals, you tell me. Iowa started out adding seats and is now half-full; Texas use to draw 75,000 people and now can’t get 20,000; Phoenix was packed before The Split and has been a ghost town ever since. Why? Promotion? Marketing? Apathy? All three? Tracks shy away from an IndyCar race on an oval because the risk vs. reward is so skewed. Gateway worked because it’s got some smart people and a home run for a title sponsor with Bommarito, but they work year-round to keep the race in people’s minds and that doesn’t happen anywhere else except Indianapolis. I wrote that ovals were an endangered species because it’s the truth. Yes, they’re exciting and IndyCar’s heritage and we need them, but people don’t go anymore and IndyCar may be down to three by 2020.

Franchitti wins the 2012 Indy 500 under yellows. Image by Williams/LAT

Q: I am at a loss, Robin. I thought maybe after watching that fantastic race on Sunday that the tables would turn for pessimistic IndyCar fans, but oh no, they found a way. I've read this Mailbag for years, and only written in once. I am 33 years old now and was probably 27 when I wrote, but my letter was about reminding everyone why they fell in love with this great sport and to take that to the race track or television with them. I got a fist bump from JoNew at RA this year for wearing a shirt from his website, and I felt like I was 9 years old all over again. Can't imagine the feeling the actual 9-year-old next to me got after taking a picture with him. Other than 2009 when there was no IndyCar race in my home state (Wisconsin, went to Chicagoland that year) I have attended every single one since 1994, and will never miss one going forward. Iowa gets that night race next year, and you can sign me up for that as well, especially if we get the racing we had Sunday.

For years I have read this Mailbag and listened to fans clamor for the good ol’ days. Well guess what, that was it at Iowa, and people weren't entertained? Why, because they didn't cross the line five-wide for the checkers, or mindlessly swap the lead every corner, which means nothing when the overall goal of every race for every team is to be the car leading to the line when that checkered flag falls? I am not saying that that type of finish isn't entertaining either, but it's not something we should expect. Two drivers/teams nailed the setup on Sunday and carved that field up, and that in my eyes was absolutely wonderful to watch (Rossi at Phoenix also). Oh by the way, it was IndyCar’s two most marketable drivers, too!

We have heard we need a great-looking car – the thing looks even better in person than on TV, and it races damn well. We have heard we need American drivers – Newgarden/Rossi/Rahal/RHR/give Pigot another full season/Colton Herta/hopefully Telitz. We need more owners – has there been more interest in IndyCar? We need more manufacturers – yes from a money standpoint that'd be nice, but you increase the chance of ruining the racing. You could BOP them like sportscars, but that's the same thing you have now.

The point is, this series finally has some great leadership and put it in its best position since 2000, and that people are complaining that a race that went yellow with six laps to go and a pace lap that takes maybe 45 seconds didn't get back to green boggles my mind. There were two cars that should have won at Iowa and one of them did, period. Going back to green is a contrived way of manufacturing drama for what was a bad race, and that was not the case Sunday, certainly not because it ended under yellow. If you are not pleased with IndyCar in 2018 then what were you like in it's dark days when we didn't think open-wheel racing would survive. I will finish this by saying to all IndyCar fans: please, let’s ride this ascending ship to wherever it takes us, but more importantly enjoy the racing along the way!

IndyCar until I die Jeff, Milwaukee

RM: I’m not on Twitter and don’t read racing chat rooms or forums, but the majority of the mail I received for RACER was super-positive about what they witnessed at Iowa. Sure, a few were crabby about the checkered/caution finish but allow me to point out that 10 of the last 30 Indy 500s have ended under the yellow flag – two for rain and eight for late accidents that couldn't be cleaned up in time – and I don't recall many complaints about Emmo and Little Al in 1989 or Dario and Sato in 2012. The only real bitching came in 2002, when Helio got the controversial nod over P.T., but it wasn't about the yellow light – it was about who was ahead when it came on.

Q: I was thrilled to see a great crowd on TV this year for the Iowa race and the Texas race earlier in the summer. Both seemed to be much stronger than the crowds of years past. Have you come across any numbers that agree with that? I became an IndyCar fan in the all-oval days, so I hate whenever the discussion comes up of more ovals going away. I'd love to see some like Chicagoland or Kentucky back.

Sam W., New York City

RM: Nobody gives official numbers, but Texas was expecting 15,000 and maybe had 18,000 so it was the best in the past few years, and Iowa looked about half full in the grandstands and had a good motorhome crowd, so maybe 20,000?

Q: I was a little embarrassed by the Iowa crowd turnout. I thought it was rather sparse. Perhaps if all the people were sat together, it might have been half-full. I have no idea where my fellow Iowans were, but if things don’t change, I fear Iowa could go the way of Phoenix. It seems there are two camps currently in IndyCar – those that want to keep ovals, and those that want them to go away. I like Kevin Lee’s idea of a night race the week of the MLB All-Star game. If this were put on NBC at prime time, it might work. I would like to see the Iowa race shuffled to this week. The track already has permanent lighting, and if it were held on that Friday night, the crowds could show up. Iowa has always done well with crowds for Friday night dirt track races, so hopefully they would come out on a Friday. Barring this, I foresee the race being taken off the schedule due to dwindling support. What are your thoughts on this race, Robin?

Jerry Laake

RM: I think moving Iowa back to Saturday night will resurrect the crowd, and I’d really love to see it on Wednesday night of the All-Star break (tonight) like Kevin has touted for the past few years. NASCAR is talking about mid-week races and whoever strikes first will likely win, but it would be great for TV ratings. Just not sure how many promoters would take a flyer on a Wednesday night show.

Mosport has become a popular stop on the IMSA schedule, but IndyCar is unlikely to return anytime soon. Image by LePage/LAT

Q: There was as big a crowd as I've ever seen at Mosport since Hulme, Gurney, Hall, McLaren and Revson raced there in the Can-Am Series, and the hot rumor going around the garage was that this is the last year for the Honda Toronto Indy and it will be moving to Mosport next year. Asked Helio and JPM what they thought of the circuit – it blew their minds! Why not back-to-back Watkins Glen and Mosport weekends just like back in the '60's & '70s Formula 1 days? Get Mario involved, he loved that doubleheader!

Jim Cooke

RM: Bad rumor. IndyCar isn’t leaving Toronto or going to Mosport, as much as most of us would like to see both races happen. IndyCar has always maintained Mosport needed lots of work to be ready for IndyCars, and some drivers said there is no chance of any passing because it’s such a fast, flowing road course. But we need at least two races in Canada, so maybe Montreal can come back some day.

Q: We need a new name for the wall that ruined three races on Sunday. Also, Newgarden’s restart is the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen a leader muck up a restart like that before. Anyhow, on to my question. What do the drivers think the racing will be like at Laguna Seca? On paper it should be worse than Sonoma, so I don’t fully understand all the fan excitement around the return to the track. The track is special, but I just don’t see the appeal.

Ryan T.

RM: I did a video with RHR, T.K. and Seb at Toronto about which track they preferred, and all of them love driving at both. Sonoma and Laguna are fun tracks for these guys, but neither produce much in the way of good racing. Dixie said with the right tire he thought Sonoma could be a decent race like it was a few years ago (but I don’t recall it). The bottom line is that all our favorite road courses were built 60 years ago for smaller cars, and only Road America and Watkins Glen offers inviting passing zones.

Q: I wish you could enlighten me on who benefits from the current format for qualifying – it’s certainly not the fans. It escapes me why the clock keeps running when cars cannot make a valid attempt at a qualifying lap due to a red or yellow flag. It seems that the fans are cheated out of seeing the cars on track. I believe every attempt should be made to give fans, which IndyCar needs more of, as much opportunity as possible to see cars running. With qualifying time being pretty short, it makes no sense to me to shorten it even more with yellow/red flags.

Richard Gilbert, SC

RM: I believe it was reduced when several teams refused to go out for the first 20 minutes of a 30-minute qualifying session, so it was decided to ramp up the pace and make sure everyone was gung-ho for 10 minutes. But I don’t necessarily agree with keeping the clock running either for a yellow or red flag.

Q: The article “A weekend of extremes,” was right-on. Iowa was terrific. I had to watch by myself without the usual IndyCar fan gang here, but they all were blowing up my phone while we all watched from different locations. We all kept saying what an amazing display of talent to go that fast, that close, with that much passing, and really, no incidents. Crazy. I am not all thrilled about IndyCar races ending under yellow, but I hate green/white/checkers for any series. My wish is that they just didn’t count caution laps. If you don’t have the ability to improve your position, it isn’t racing. Just count race laps towards the race. Lastly, can you explain what you meant by Fernando Alonso having “that F1 mentality” and how/why it doesn’t exist in IndyCar? I’m not real dialed into F1. I like some of the tracks they go to, I just always end up thinking that I would rather see IndyCar series running there.

Aaron and Mossie

RM: I hate it when they count laps under yellow at the start of a rain race, and it would be cool not to count caution laps but then you get into a fuel shortage situation. Fair or not, F1 champs usually have the air of entitlement (not Clark, Stewart or Emmo), but Alonso couldn’t have been more at home than he was in Gasoline Alley – talking to fans, signing autographs but more importantly, adopting to Indy’s culture and picking up oval-track racing overnight. He was one of the most refreshing things to ever happen in the 50 years I’ve covered Indy, and I think the fans and media enjoyed his presence as much as he did competing again up front. He was total class all month and made thousands of new fans. Let’s hope we get to see him again.

Q: My 15-year old son and I are big road course fans, but were in the area so thought we'd give Iowa a try. Between the great seating, racing, relaxed atmosphere, being able to get a picture with Rossi, soaking up the vibe in Victory Lane and chat you up (I made the comment about Hinch having a hard time racing with so many sponsors' hats rolling around inside his car) my son and I left with a great feeling from Iowa. And some sponsor hats :-) Next year, we're hoping to make it to Road America during our midwest summer trip. Keep up the great work and don't retire.

Marty U., Belmont, CA

RM: IndyCar needs young fans and oval-track fans, so glad to hear it was a success. And you picked a great race to attend. Can’t retire, my jobs are too easy.

Q: Back in the day, "Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain" was (in my humble view) the best racing program for fans of many different types of racing. And I know you were part of it, so is there any chance that you could pitch a reboot to NBCSN and become the host since Mr. Despain is retired and most likely on a long-deserved motorcycle vacation?

Mark M., Floyds Knobs, IN

RM: It was the best racing show ever on television and had a loyal audience, and I still can’t believe FOX blew it up to waste millions on a bunch of shows that failed miserably. But I do think NBC and NBCSN will take a serious look at doing some kind of IndyCar show next year – just don’t think it would be the wide-open format of Wind Tunnel. And Dave is out riding his bike as we speak.

Q: I thought Iowa was a very good race. You pointed out that the promoter wants to go back to Saturday nights, and I couldn’t agree more. I’m aware this is probably a non-starter idea because of a lot of reasons – most notably the series’ absolutely absurd fear of running past Labor Day – but hear me out. Run the week after Labor Day, and have the Knoxville track champion in the Indy Lights race. The whole season of promotion at Knoxville and the chance to see one of their own get a taste of the big stage would have to send an appreciable amount of people to Newton for the race. While we’re on unattainable schedule goals, we all want Watkins Glen back. By moving Iowa to September, it would help give teams a break in July, so It’s not Road America, Watkins Glen (IMSA doubleheader), Iowa, and Toronto on four straight weekends. I know money doesn’t flow freely, but there are some options out there. Why wouldn’t the event’s very Iowa-centric sponsor be interested as well?

Eric Z, Lancaster, NY

RM: IndyCar will run past Labor Day this year, but it’s probably more a question of what fits best for Iowa. Regardless of when it’s held, I love the idea of the Knoxville champion running a Lights car after a proper test. I think that could draw another 4,000 people. Iowa Corn would likely do whatever is suggested by Iowa Speedway, but involving Knoxville would be very smart.

Q: A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Formula Promotions weekend at Mid-Ohio. Running with them that weekend was the U.S. Formula 4 series (sanctioned by the SCCA and run under FIA Formula 4 regulations). In what is only the series' third season, they have car counts of 30 or more. The SCCA is starting a Formula 3 series this year. What are your thoughts on whether IndyCar would ever adopt the F3 and/or F4 series as rungs on the MRTI and potentially abandon their current line-up of series? This formatting would be much more attractive to not only teams, but drivers as well.

Jacob Perl, Mansfield, OH

RM: I think there are way too many open-wheel series right now and maybe there’s some kind of middle ground that Dan Andersen’s Mazda Road to Indy could adopt, but it seems that Formula 4 is a much cheaper alternative and that’s why the big car count. I imagine if the Indy Lights field doesn’t get to 14-15 by next year then it’s time to do some re-thinking, but Pro Mazda and USF2000 have stout fields so they’re working.

Q: Been a lifelong IndyCar fan, and with all this modern era emphasis on making sure the races are entertaining, here is what I would do. Go Saturday night short-track style and make the fields start according to points, with the championship leader starting last and working forward according to standings. Guaranteed action. Change the name of qualifying to something else, but pay points. This won’t happen, but it sure would be entertaining!

Shannon Schmidt, Salt Lake City, Utah

RM: It could work and be very entertaining with sponsorship and decent purse to make that extra racing pay off, but it’s tough enough to find a title sponsor, let alone for something like this.

Q: Well another year of racing in Toronto in the books. What a weekend it was, too! Great racing, and the Ex was as full of people as I have ever seen it! It was also great having the opportunity to meet and chat with you in person about IndyCar, IndyCar racing in Canada, the Mailbag and how to improve the sport. Was honestly a highlight of my weekend! This leads to my question: have you ever considered writing a book about IndyCar? One of these "Tales from the Paddock" type books? I think it would be really cool to read some of your stories from over the years, as you have so many of them and always tell stories so well! I know I would be at the front of the line to buy it, and I'm sure a lot of other people would pick up a copy as well!

Ben from Toronto

RM: I imagine if I ever wrote a racing book it would include a lot about Indy cars from the '60s and '70s, and a lot about USAC racing and some of the characters I’ve been lucky enough to become friends with, but no plans at the moment. I’ve written down a lot of stories in case I start to forget, and A.J. will have at least three chapters. But I appreciate your sentiments.

Champ Car under lights in Cleveland, 2003. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: I often hear that IndyCar wasn’t promoted at The Glen last go-'round. I live near Rochester, NY and I saw ads on TV every day for a couple of months promoting the race, same on the radio, and I saw billboards around. The governor of NY threw in a couple hundred thousand dollars for promotion for the race, and I even saw IndyCar drivers on the Buffalo and Rochester news weeks before the event. Not sure it was horrible promotion, and I truly hope it’s not a sign that fans just aren’t interested anymore. I know I buy tickets even if I can’t get off work, and give them to family and friends. Such a shame because Watkins Glen is right here up there with Road America as the best in America/world. I hope they go back and fans support it.

Tom, Geneseo, NY

RM: Well that’s good because it the first time I’ve heard that but I think an IMSA/IndyCar doubleheader might be solution and IndyCar could run Saturday with the six-hour race on Sunday and both televised by NBC and NBCSN. The Glen is a treasure, just like Road America.

Q: I was watching my second-favorite open-wheel series, the F1 parade, but at Silverstone, shock of shocks, a ‘race’ broke out. Isn’t that the first time the F1 drivers actually raced since Kimi won Spa in 2009 (“Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing”)? Racing is something IndyCars do about every time. So, what about this fantasy: They somehow could race each other (cross fertilization a la Alonso), or the [unmatched] cars like Questor GP or the Race of Two Worlds. Seems impossible, but the FIA and IMSA pull it off to some degree at Le Mans! I don’t see how it would be done, but I’d love to see Kimi and RHR wheel-to-wheel.  Or Will Power and Max Verstappen. Delicious.

Mark Lamontia, Landenberg, PA

RM: In today’s world of contracts, egos and specialized drivers I just don’t see it happening unless somebody put up $10 million. They have that Race of Champions every year, but it’s hardly the stuff IROC was built on and not nearly as entertaining as the other two races you mentioned.

Q: I recall back in 2003 the Cleveland race for Champ Car being under the lights. Why was that the only year they attempted this? Is this a possibility for a future road/street course race?

Alan Bandi, Butler, PA

RM: They also did it at Milwaukee in either 2003 or 2004, but those Musco lights are pretty expensive, and the race at Cleveland stayed light until the final 30 minutes so it was kind of a waste of money. I think IMS plans to use that kind of lighting for the upcoming midget race in September. It would be too expensive to do at a road course, but possibly a street show if you had plenty of help from the downtown lights.

Q: After going to the Gateway race last year and seeing how heavily Bommarito Auto Group promoted it makes me ask whether this is profitable for the Bommarito Group, and if so, why doesn't IndyCar go to some major car dealers in the Louisville and Cincinnati markets with data how it has been a win for Bommarito Auto Group? Maybe that is what it takes to get Kentucky Speedway on future IndyCar schedules? Want my home state race back!

James Thomas, Campbellsville, KY

RM: John B. is evidently one of the largest, if not the largest, advertiser in St. Louis, so he inundated the locals with IndyCar ads and he also ran radio spots here in Indianapolis six months out. When you say profitable, he put a nice chunk of change to be the title sponsor so I don’t know if he got it all back, but Bommarito is an anomaly. He loves IndyCar racing and out his money behind the product and the folks at Gateway. I wish every track had a Jonathan Bommarito. I suppose IndyCar could try what you suggest, but right now they can’t sell a title sponsor for the series, road race or Pole Day so I’d say no way on your suggestion.

Q: Tommy Kendall stated during the IMSA race in Canada that he was told by Paul Tracy about a possible IndyCar test for Colin Braun. Have you heard the same? Colin has certainly paid his dues and raced anything he could fit into – sports car, trucks, etc. At 29 he would seem old, but back in the day that was the norm (especially after watching your Tough Guys video on George Follmer). What team might he test and sign with?

Jonathan and Cleide Morris, Ventura, CA

RM: P.T. didn’t say but he told me during our production meeting that I needed to get behind Braun and start promoting him. I remember 10 years ago when everyone was talking about him in open wheel but nothing materialized. RACER’s story last week showed just how versatile he’s been, so it would be cool if he could put something together.

Q: Don't do that! I just about leaped out of my chair with excitement at the thought of IndyCars on the 5/8 mile oval at Oswego! A full weekend with the nation's fastest purpose-built short track oval cars as well as the world's fastest purpose-built race cars?! Sign me up! It'll never happen, but imagine Friday with Indy practice, a 30-lap Limited Super feature followed by an ISMA winged super 50-lapper. Saturday, you have Indy qualifying and a 100 lap non-wing supermodified feature event. Sunday, it's the IndyCar feature of 250 laps. I would pay upwards of $200 for a weekend ticket to something like that!

They have enough seating. You'd probably have to replace the boilerplate/styrofoam combo with SAFER barriers and figure out the pit lane setup. It'd take money, but wow what a show that would be! The best thing? Oswego outlawed rear-engine cars in the '70s. It would be an incredible juxtaposition of the race car design split in open-wheel racing's past next to the modern incarnations of both ideas of race car design. The IndyCar with its stressed turbo V6 rear engine carbon fiber design and the super modified with its tube frame and massive 450 cubic inch offset flame-throwing bolted in power plants, both requiring smart aerodynamics. If you can't do it at Oswego, try to pull it off at Richmond. The ISMA and Oswego guys would likely make the trip for $10k to win! And definitely call it the Bentley Warren Classic! Supers and IndyCars are a match made in heaven where race fans don't know what they don't know.

Dave Long, Reading, PA

RM: I think it would draw, but the expense of preparing the track for IndyCars would likely be the deterrent. We’d have Bentley be the grand marshall and Joe Gosek sing the national anthem.

Super GT (pictured in 2017) sealed a rules tie-in with DTM, and the two series will meet on the track twice next year. Image by Ishihara/LAT

Q: I see DTM and Super GT are finding common ground and having two races as one in 2019. How about IndyCar and Super Formula? Would immediately bring in a new engine manufacturer, same chassis supplier. Some negotiations and maybe possible? I know this won't be an original idea so apologies if I'm regurgitating old arguments.

Oliver Wells

RM: I guess you’d have to know if Super Formula had any interest, because I don’t see IndyCar switching its rules as long as Chevy and Honda are playing.

Q: Why doesn't Miller, Coors or Bud sponsor a car? Why doesn't Stewart/Haas or Haas alone have a team or at least a Indy 500 entrant? Why doesn't IndyCar do was NFL does with Hard Knocks or F1 did with the McLaren team on Netflix? People who watch Netflix crave original interesting programming. I believe it would be a bit hit if they followed a team throughout the year. Why did Toyota leave? That is who needs to come back.

Steve, Pittsburgh

RM: They all sponsored cars in IndyCar and NASCAR back when money was flowing like suds. Stewart will do it some day. It would require spending money to make a documentary and that’s not going to happen. Toyota left because it spent a fortune in CART before it finally got competitive with a couple good teams and then it won and bailed. It’s never coming back. At least that was the company line.

Q: I am so perplexed reading all of these complaints in your Mailbag about NASCAR. What is with this inferiority complex that pervades IndyCar die-hards? Yes, I am a NASCAR fan first in motorsports, but I enjoy watching all motorsports. And I am second to no one in my problems with where stock car racing is nowadays, including the restrictor plate, but I would rather worry about addressing fans cheering for a wreck and being upset about that than being scared to death about the future of stock car racing when another Bobby Allison flips into the fence and kills a fan.

I am happy to acknowledge all of these problems with NASCAR and all of my problems with Brian France, but what is it the IndyCar fans really want in their complaining? Do they think that the 4-5 million NASCAR viewers a week will suddenly have this epiphany and say, "Oh boy! These hundreds or even thousands of dollars I spend making it to a weekend at a NASCAR track has all been a facade. These open-wheel spec cars with no mildly marketable drivers going around in circles are so much more exciting than what we have been used to!" Come on. I am happy to watch both forms of racing and I think we could stand a lot more cross-promotion. NASCAR has a huge set of problems that it should have addressed long ago, and now the chickens are coming home to roost. But please spare me the joke that what I watched at Chicago – for 400 miles – was so much better than what I could have watched with 30 indistinguisable IndyCar robots at Phoenix, alongside of the 1,200 viewers that watched or whatever the small number was.

I don't know what the complaining is about, but both sports need to work together because the data tells the story. And part of that story is that no one that these racing "fans" complaining about NASCAR are addressing is listening to them. They are busy watching NASCAR. 

And by the way: what is with these complaints in your Mailbox about the Dale Jr. "slide job" sound bite? What is he supposed to do, go into a 30-minute History Channel special about dirt racing and the origins of the slide job pass? 

And a second by the way – that race was broadcast by the NBC Sports crew. The last time I checked, IndyCar die-hards are ecstatic about being on NBC for the next little while. Maybe we need to focus on rising the tide to lift all boats? I just enjoy watching the races and vent my frustrations about how Brian France is ruining the sport. I don't sit here and complain about how it is so much better or worse than other motorsports. I know we are entitled to our opinions, and by all means keep voicing them, but it just gets a bit amusing sometimes.

Jeremy Lambert

RM: I think it’s a natural jealousy (at least on my part) that IndyCar is so much better racing but NASCAR gets 10 times the audience. But I think all race fans appreciate the talents of Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex and Jimmie Johnson, and I love watching them road race or go to short tracks. I also think NASCAR on NBC and NBCSN has helped IndyCar’s ratings because if we have a good lead-in from a NASCAR practice, qualifying session or race, it definitely helps. I think a lot of the animosity towards NASCAR is its litany of lucky dogs, stage racing, green-white-checker, preferential treatment and bogus cautions. Other than push-to-pass and the insanity of double points in the finale, IndyCar stays pretty pure. With Jay Frye’s connections and friendships, IndyCar and ISC have re-kindled some dialogue and partnerships and that’s good because they could help each other (especially with an oval or two or IMSA/IndyCar doubleheaders at The Glen). But to your point, all racing series are vying for fans, sponsors and media awareness. NASCAR remains the Big Dog and that’s not likely to change any time soon.