Robin Miller's Mailbag for February 6, presented by Honda Racing / HPD

Your questions for Robin should 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 read your story last week on RACER.com about Honda taking over as the title sponsor of the Long Beach Grand Prix. While it’s great that Honda is willing to step in and sponsor the race, I can’t help but wonder if Honda is overextending itself, and that in turn, the series is becoming too reliant on a single partner? In addition to being on engine supplier, Honda also title sponsors the IndyCar races at Barber, Toronto, Mid-Ohio, and now Long Beach. Add all of that up, and I can’t image how much money Honda is putting into the sport.

What happens if Honda decides to scale back its investment in IndyCar to strictly being an OEM (due possibly to a downturn in its business or a change in leadership that wants to de-emphasize motorsport)? Imagine having to replace title sponsorships for four races in a single year! Now, don’t get me wrong: Honda has been a fantastic partner for the IndyCar series and it’s great that they’re willing to step up and shell out the big bucks to invest in the series. But from IndyCar’s perspective, wouldn’t it be safer to diversify your partnerships? I know that may not be an option in the current economic landscape (Fortune 500 companies aren’t exactly jumping over one another to pour sponsorship money into motorsports), but it still gives me pause. What do you think?

Garrick

RM: I think of all the race sponsorships Long Beach is the most visible, and therefore, most valuable, for American Honda and a great place to promote Acura. And I think it’s obvious Honda is committed to IndyCar in a big way and always has been, so it must be satisfied with its return. And IndyCar can’t make Chevrolet do what Honda does in that regard, although Chevy does sponsor Detroit. Of course it’s always possible a new boss comes along some day and questions the investment, but it’s been going strong for three decades and I don’t see Honda backing off anytime soon.

Q: Starting with your recovery and added presence on RACER, so much great news coming from IndyCar over the last few weeks!  The announcement about Conor Daly just tops it off.  Even if only for Indy, to see him get a competitive ride is awesome – I just hope he makes the most of it. Will he have any chances for testing prior to the Speedway opening? Also, just a comment on Hinch: a couple nice appearances by him during the All-Star weekend for my other favorite sport, both on NHL tonight and PK Subban’s special. Nice move by Honda (NHL sponsor) having him involved, and as always, the Mayor was a great interview!

John Weaver, Camp Hill, PA

RM: Yes, Conor and Fernando will both be allowed to participate in the April 24 open test. Its possible Hinch may have a future in front of a TV camera.

Q: First, I want to say that my wife and I are big fans of yours and we both hope you are doing well. Second, with the announcement of the new Indy 500 presenting sponsor, is there any hope that some of the money will go towards the drivers/ teams and give entrants for the race a chance to at least recoup what they spend during the month of May? And finally, from my perspective, it seems as if the series is doing as well as it has in the last 20 years or so, but what do you think? What would you give as an overall grade on the state of the series, and do you see the series continuing its upwards trend?

Brian, Plainfield, Illinois

RM: While Gainbridge (thanks Zach Veach) is a nice addition to the IndyCar family, it’s likely not more than $1.2 million a year, so that’s not what the Indy 500 purse needs – it needs a big money infusion. I think IndyCar is healthier than we could have ever imagined a few years ago, and partnering with NBC is perfect timing. One more engine manufacturer would be golden. So I give Jay Frye an A and Mark Miles a B-plus (he can’t get an A until Indy and the IndyCar purses get a substantial increase), and thanks for your support.

Kanaan's an oldie but a goodie. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: Tony Kanaan is getting on, with his best years likely behind him. But he is still good on ovals and always strong at Indy. Is tying himself to Foyt a good move, or has he used up his options elsewhere? It seems a shame to end his career with a whimper.

Anthony Jenkins, Canada

RM: I think TK would admit there wasn’t a bidding war for his services at age 42, so being hired to drive for A.J. was his best option. And last May he was as fast as Will or Ed in the race, and that’s all Super Tex cares about anyway. At 44, this is likely Tony’s swansong but he’ll be stout at Indianapolis. He’s had a great run for a kid sleeping on a garage floor when he was 15, and everyone slows down.

Q: I got back from the Rolex 24 at Daytona and was wondering if McLaren might be utilizing Wayne Taylor Racing’s facilitates in Brownsburg as their base for Indy? There seem to be some natural tie-ins, not the least of which is Fred Alonso. Also wondering if you have reached out to Mr. Alonso about making a trip to the Mug n Bun, Charlie Brown’s or the Workingman’s Friend?

Joe, Carmel

RM: Not sure where McLaren will land, but Brownsburg is logical. I wanted to take Fred to the Workingman in 2017 with an NBC camera for our Carb Day Show, but couldn’t pull it off. Now that NBC covers everything in May, I’m going to give it another shot. How about A.J. and Fernando eating biscuits and gravy at Charlie Brown’s for breakfast and then a double cheeseburger for lunch at the Friend?

Q: I just bought eight tickets to COTA to take some of my managers to the race.  I bought GA tickets.  I know the course somewhat from TV, but have never been there. Any advice on how to get the best view of Turn 1?  BTW- no paddock passes available… what’s up with that?

Justin King

RM: I know Jay Frye is working with COTA to make paddock passes available to anyone that wants one, but I’ve never been there so allow Marshall Pruett to be your tour guide:

“Hi Justin. It's just a case of walking up the hill to Turn 1! There are grandstand seats for those who want to be as high as possible, and for the rest, standing on the hillside grass, laying out a blanket, or bringing a camping chair to view is the answer. The cool thing about COTA is it has a walking path that allows you to go up the hill to Turn 1 and keep going for a lap of the sprawling circuit. For anyone on the GA plan, I'd definitely recommend the walking/chair routine so you can see plenty of vantage points.”

Q: So I live in Austin and have been waiting for years for IndyCar to make it to Austin (No thanks to Gossage). This would be my fifth IndyCar race (canceled Texas, three Houston races) I have tickets and paddock passes for all three days. I was initially told they were out of paddock passes, but I called back a week later and they had some. They claim they were returned to them. Either way, I am thrilled. Because I bought all these tickets (for myself and my two sons) we are getting free admission to Spring Training and the Paddock on Feb. 12. Weather is forecast to be cloudy with a 20% chance of rain 65 high / 54 low. The 13th looks the same. What should I do and what can I expect during Spring Training? Will they run in the rain or on a wet track? Also, with three days of admission, aside from attending on Sunday, which is better: Friday or Saturday?

Darth in Austin

RM: Oh yeah, they’ll run in the rain, and I believe Firestone has a new rain tire. I would go on Saturday to see qualifying, because the Fast 6 shootout is always pretty entertaining, as is knockout qualifying in general.

Q: I just read the piece on Laguna’s upgrades for IndyCar. If they can do it over time, what would it take for Road Atlanta to do so? I am like many others who would love to see a race here – it’s close enough I can make an easy day of it (Barber is possible, but a bit harder because of time changes).

Paul Lewis, Macon, GA

RM: I don’t know, but the only incentive would be if RA hosted an IndyCar race and right now I don’t see any interest from either side.

Q: Robin, what’s your estimated best lap time by IndyCar at COTA? (Best lap at COTA last year was Hamilton’s 1m32.392s). Do you think it bothers casual fans that IndyCar is slower than F1? What was it like when Champ Car ran Montreal? F1 is faster than IndyCar, and I don’t mind it at all. I love IndyCar because competition is very close, and no-one knows who the winner will be until the checkered flag. I F1 races off once I see who passes Turn 1 first.

Noz, #1 Mailbag fan in Japan

RM: In 2006, Fernando Alonso won the F1 pole at 1m14.9s while Sebastian Bourdais ran 1m20.0s to take the pole for Champ Car, so I would imagine the difference at COTA would be in that five-six second range. The fans didn’t seem to care in Canada, grandstands were packed for Champ Car, and I think people will come to COTA for competition.

Q: I just watched Truth or Ego Pt 2 with Team Penske. Alexander Rossi looks incredibly focused while everyone else seems to be having fun. He seems to take umbrage to Simon Pagenaud when the question of OCD is mentioned. Is he generally accepted in the paddock? He seems to still be in the F1 mindset. He is appears to be auditioning hard for a Penske seat.

Randy, Pittsburgh, PA

RM: Alex is a pretty serious study, but he’s got a good sense of humor and I just think it takes a while for him to warm up to people, and vice versa. He came to our annual outing at the Indiana State Fair last year and had a good time, and I think he’s made a lot of friends the past year. He doesn’t have to audition for Team Penske – The Captain has been eying him for a couple years.

Hildebrand was a visitor to the McLaren garage at COTA last year. Image by Tee/LAT

Sean O, Vancouver, BC

RM: I’m hearing McLaren will only field Fernando at Indianapolis, so I know J.R. spoke with him but that wasn’t necessarily why he went to the F1 race. It seems like Alonso could use a veteran alongside, and maybe there’s still a chance but he got spoiled with Andretti in 2017 and all that feedback, so I imagine he would vote for a teammate. Kyle Kaiser did a nice job for Juncos last May and he can make the show again with Tom Brown as his engineer, despite only being one car. Servia always lands somewhere because he’s valuable. Thanks for the plug for RACER.

Q: Back in December you kindly emailed me on my planned visit to this year’s Indy 500 and best places to view the race from. You also hinted that Conor Daly may have a possible big deal on for 500. When it became known that Conor has a drive with Andretti Autosport I was over the moon, and it makes my trip over for race one a very special one as I am a huge Conor fan. Enjoy all your Miller’s Mailbags, and hope you are keeping well.

Austin Nolan

RM: I managed to keep a secret for a long time, didn’t I (smile). I think a lot of fans are thrilled that Conor is finally getting a shot with a frontrunner (although I think if he stayed with Dale Coyne and Mike Cannon he would have continued to impress).

Q: How did Matty Brabham drop out of the picture? I remember when he was the rising star and now he seems to be completely out of the conversation.

Paul Fitzgerald, Indianapolis

RM: I thought he was going to go all the way to the top with Andretti, but there was a disconnect after Lights. Matty is a great kid and a good shoe who won everything in the ladder system, and now he’s making a living in Robby Gordon’s truck series but he wants to drive IndyCars – just needs money.

Q: The Indianapolis Star did an investigative piece a few years ago and said the permanent seating capacity at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was 257,325. Even when the 500 was at its peak in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and every ticket was sold and the infield was packed, do you believe the Indy 500 actually had over 300,000 people attending the race? I've been to the Speedway once, and yes it is massive, but it's hard to believe that many people could be in the infield. The entire infield is not available to public for the 500. The Speedway has estimated the attendance as high as 350,00 to 400,000 for the race. So what's your best guess of the highest actual capacity for the Indy 500 back when the race was in its prime?

Dan, Raleigh, NC

RM: Good questions Dan, but first off, IMS had never estimated a crowd until the last few years (Joe Cloutier refused to give out a number and loved all the speculation), and it was the Indiana State Police that always used 400,000. My old friend David Cassidy told me the Speedway once had 305,000 permanent seats (all sold) and the most people ever in the infield was estimated to be 5,000 (general admission before the golf course), so I guess the largest crowd ever was 310,000. Photos from the 1950s show a lot of cars parked in the infield so there wasn’t a lot of room for fans, but the infield throngs were largest in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The Speedway today claims 30,000 are in the Snake Pit, and I call bull$%#. There are 30,000 in the Mini Marathon every year, so do you seriously think you could put them all in Turn 3? Please. The Indy crowd is always over 200,000, but beyond that it’s a great guessing game.

Q: I've been going to the 500 ever since my Dad took me as an eight-year-old in 1998. Seeing IMS at capacity for the 100th running felt like an out-of-body experience. The years before and after 2016 have patches of empty grandstands that are noticeable and somewhat disheartening. I understand the difficulty of somebody purchasing a $100+ seat to sit in the sun. I also see why IMS won't spend the money to renovate if they know it will only reduce their opportunity to sell more seats. They have already taken out the bleachers in the lower rows of the north end of Tower Terrace. My question to you is, what would cause IMS to sell out its grandstand seating? Will this ever happen again? How are ticket sales looking for 2019? I will go to this race for the rest of my life and what happens on the track is what truly matters to me. However watching past races and seeing the empty seats can be a bummer.

Andy, Indianapolis

RM: Lower the ticket prices? Get Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Rico Abreu rides? Put Lewis Hamilton in a Penske car? Hell I don’t know, but there are some crappy seats at IMS so it’s obvious to me why they’re empty. Go on the IMS website and try to buy four tickets, up high anywhere, together and tell me how you fared. That’s a gauge. But I think most of the good seats are sold for 2019.

"You're racing in WHAT next year?" Vautier's talents are missed in IndyCar. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: Had forgotten about Tristan Vautier until I saw him racing in the 24 Hours of Daytona. He did give Dale C.'s IndyCar a few good rides. Any idea if he is looking to return? I assume it all comes down to money and sponsorship.

Jim, Indy

RM: He never wanted to leave, but it’s all about your last line. He did a helluva job at Indy and Texas for Coyne in 2017.

Q: I’m responding to a comment you made in the Mailbag on the 23rd. You said that all cars should start the Indy 500 because a lot of traditions are already long gone. How about this for an idea? Have every car start the race but only the top 33 take the green flag, while the remaining cars start from their pit boxes. (Which would effectively start them a lap down.) That way, a ‘traditional’ field of 33 takes the green while Bump Day still remains important and we can avoid situations like what Hinch found himself in. Keep up the good work, Robin, and I’m glad your health is coming around, along with Marshall’s wife’s.

Curt Nelson, Seattle

RM: No, what I said is that if there are only 34 or 35 cars then start them all. If there are 40 entries like there might be in May, then bumping is fine. But I don’t think we need any gimmicks. And thanks for the kind thoughts. Marshall’s wife is doing fine.

Q: I, along with my brother and uncle, have gone to the Detroit Grand Prix for the past two years, and were quite excited that a deal was made for the race to continue for the next three-five years. But from what I've read regarding the future of the Grand Prix, it would appear that this contract will end up being the last one for this race. With Belle Isle not being in play and the streets of Detroit having a less than zero percent chance of coming back, I know you're sick of this question, but there even the slightest possibility of MIS returning to the schedule not next year, but in 2021 or later? As far as NASCAR goes, everyone has seemed to circle 2021 as a year of wide-scale changes, and Michigan seems to be a spot that could be downgraded to one race weekend a year. If that were to be the case, shouldn't IndyCar be a consideration as a replacement for the weekend that NASCAR eliminates?

M.S from Michigan

RM: I would imagine if Belle Isle goes away when General Motors might entertain the idea of going to MIS, and it would take a major player like that to get MIS interested again.

Q: I went to the 2016 and 2017 IndyCar events at WG and would love to go back to the track, but don't think I'd go to the Six Hour event on its own without it being paired with an IndyCar race. I live in New York City and go to the Indy 500 and Pocono every year, so not adverse to traveling to see a race, but IMSA doesn't cut it to make a trip.

Patrick from Brooklyn

RM: Thanks for your loyalty and honesty. I guess I see open-wheel and sports cars as the same fan base, so that’s why I think a twin bill would work at The Glen. And I think Michael Printup would make it affordable.

Q: In your last posting you opined that Pocono could be on the bubble for IndyCar. In light of the poor attendance in past years, it seems that little is done for fan enhancement, namely support races, etc. Would this be your opinion also? So happy for your recovering health. You are a godsend for the sport.

Michael Baley, Mount Joy, PA

RM: I think that’s the major drawback for most ovals (except Gateway) because people want to be entertained from the time they get to the track. Pocono has great ticket discounts and packages, and it had its best crowd yet last year, but it’s still a tough sell. Thanks for your kind words.

Q: In your response to Garrett from Reno, you had said about the dwindling attendance at Pocono and Iowa being a potential sustainability for the promoters. These are two great tracks that it would be a shame for IndyCar to lose. Has there ever been a grass-roots promotion considered for some of the major dirt tracks? Pennsylvania does, after all, have Williams Grove and Lernerville, which both have strong attendance. Would IndyCar ever consider doing a promotion night at tracks like these to help with promoting the Pocono race? There could be appearances by some of the more popular drivers and/or tickets could be sold at a slight discount, as well as a few raffled away just to try and draw some interest.

Alan Bandi, Sarver, PA

RM: I think Jay Frye is looking into doing something at Knoxville, The Grove and a few other short tracks to help promote those races and create some interest, because both states have a ton of open-wheel fans. I know Marco went to a sprint race a couple nights before Pocono a few years ago, but that’s too late. IndyCar has to be out in front of it by at least a month and give away hats, shirts and have drivers signing autographs. Plus your discount ticket idea.

Q: I enjoyed it when you used to co-host Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain. Thought you two made a great team. Were you ever offered a chance to permanently co-host with Dave, and if so, why did you turn it down? Also, do you consider Dave a friend and still keep in contact with him? I know he was a motorcycle enthusiast, but was he passionate about all forms of racing.

Steve, St. Louis, MO

RM: Thanks Steve, those were some of the most fun nights of my life and Dave was so generous to me. He was going to retire and called to say he’d recommended me to take his place and then FOX folded SPEED, so that was that. I try to talk to Dave once a month, and I consider him a dear friend that I wish was still on television.

Q: Over the years you have written so many touching articles about IndyCar drivers, mechanics, owners, etc, why not put together a complication of those articles? The earnings could replace the money from your 401K that you lost gambling. I would love to read those articles again, and I am sure that many others would, also.

Bruce from Pittsboro, IN

RM: That would be my preference Bruce, but unfortunately, all those columns, features and race reports are property of the Indianapolis Star, owned by Gannett, and we’re not big fans of each other. They won’t even let any of today’s Star writers quote me in any stories, so I doubt they’d be real accommodating about letting me do a book of my columns. But I appreciate your suggestion. I did have New England for $150, so now I’m only down $486,873.34 for my career.

There might be a crime taking place right behind that grandstand. Image by LePage/LAT

Q: In a recent Mailbag, you said "Toronto is like New York City without the crime." Well, newsflash! Toronto's homicide rate is now higher than that of NYC. Overall, although the crime rate in NYC per capita is still higher, the crime rate in Toronto is increasing per capita and is decreasing in NYC for more than a decade. I work in the safest big city in the U.S. Perceptions are hard to change, but I am trying to increase racing fans in NYC, especially IndyCar! Thanks to (Prince) George IV, I've got a shot. Another comment like that would be like Herk trotting out the "Mallard" for pole day 2019. Your perception as old news as Teo Fabi lining up the Porsche. In some ways, at 56, strange as it sounds, I'd like to intern for you and help you write your book. I wrote my Master's Thesis  (M.F.A. in Acting) in 28 days. I'm a tour guide in NYC, maybe you need to intern for me as most of my colleagues are 15 years older than I am. Please don't quit, open-wheel race fans need you!!!

David Parker, NYC

RM: Thanks for that update David, I had no idea. Toronto always seems too friendly. But we’re all fired up about the Steinbrenners and they got some big time press a couple months back in The Big Apple. No book plans at the moment, but thanks for the offer, Hell, why would I quit the two best jobs in racing?

Q: Jackie Stewart once claimed that the late, great Graham Hill could spot an attractive female in the crowd while racing at speed the same way someone walking or standing could. Do you have any stories of drivers with similar powers of observation that you can share with us?

Josh H.

RM: Bobby Unser could spot a divorcee or widow sitting in Tower Terrace from 200 yards without binoculars. And he wasn’t bashful about introducing himself. I’d tell you the turkey story, but it’s best you listen to Dinner with Racers.

Q: I was watching a program on Science channel and the hour-long episode was on the wind turbine farm in the North Sea. In discussing the production of the wind turbines and their blades, they spent 10 minutes about the addition of a Gurney flap to the edge of the wind turbine blades and the additional force they were able to get by the addition of the flap. They showed a picture of Dan Gurney, several Eagles (IndyCar and Formula 5000) and the original development of the Gurney flap as a race car application. They also made a mock up race car rear wing, set it on a scale and blew air over the wing from a hand-held hair dryer. The addition of the Gurney flap to the wing doubled the down force produced. I thought it was great the recognition Dan Gurney received in a diverse application on Science channel.

Richard in Memphis

RM: That is so cool but so indicative of The Big Eagle’s influence, thanks for sharing.

Q: I wanted to pass on some info about attending the IndyCar race at Barber. I’ve been going down to meet some local friends for the past few years, and Barber Museum’s Turn 9 Club is worth checking into.  For one person, traveling from more than 100 miles away, it’s $80 for a yearly membership to the museum/Turn 9 Club – here’s the link. If you’re there for the whole weekend, it’s worth it, probably not if you’re there just race day. As a side note, we always take an RV, and there are several places to shower on-site, if camping.

Here are some of the highlights: full access to the museum, meals and drinks throughout the IndyCar weekend in the Turn 9 Club located in the museum basement—Jennifer Nelson and her staff there make it very easy to register for everything for the IndyCar weekend (so they can keep tabs on how much food/drink is needed—this must be done ahead of race weekend). You can hang out in there as much as you want, with closed-circuit tTV (which was great with last year’s rain), outdoor seating at the exit of T9, access to the T9 bridge and the bridge/elevated viewing paddock just before T8 (that’s where I’ve always watched the start of the race – fantastic views).

In between those two bridges there are several spots where you can get right up to the catch fence and extremely close to the cars on course. If you plan on hanging down there for a while, they will check your baggage up front when you come in. Just wanted to pass this info along in case it’s helpful for any other inquiring fans planning on making the trip!

Kyle Allen

RM: Good stuff Kyle, I knew Barber was fan-friendly but had no idea about the Turn 9 Club so thanks for sharing this information.

Q: You're the best to get the real questions and answers.  You are 10 months older than me.  I've been going to the races since 1956.  I love racing history.  I don't have an agenda, no social media whatsoever. Just Curious! 1. Did you go to Mari Hulman George's funeral and was Guy Trollinger there? One time you told me he has always been with her since Elmer's death. How did Tony George handle that? Was A.J. like a surrogate father to Tony?

Tom B.

RM: I did not go so I can’t answer your first question. I’ve never talked to Tony, Josie, Nancy or Kathi about Guy, but I’m sure it was difficult and awkward for a long time, if not forever. I always thought Tony had an inherent sadness about him and that would certainly explain it. That would affect anyone. And I do think A.J. tried to be there for TG, albeit tough when you’re in Texas most of the time. But Tex ran him in Lights and tried to give him advice as he matured.

Indy Lights star Aaron Telitz caught the eye of some Mailbag readers with his drive at the Rolex. Image by Galstad/LAT

Q: How would you rate the IndyCar drivers performances at the Rolex 24? Obviously, Rossi finished third and did not put a wheel wrong in atrocious conditions, but my vote goes to the Indy Lights driver Aaron Telitz with Vasser's team. Had never driven a sports car before and the fact he was able to bring it home in a monsoon (in one piece) impressed me. What are your thoughts?

Jonathan and Cleide Morris, Ventura, CA

RM: I think you are spot-on, and Aaron has shown plenty of speed in Indy Lights, just wish he had a sponsor to move up to IndyCar.

Q: I'm not a gambling man, but has there ever been on-site track betting (like horse races) for IndyCar? If not, it seems like an easy way for the track and IndyCar to make money. At the very least couldn't the proceeds go towards boosting the race earnings for the drivers?

Kyle in Germany

RM: Not yet, but the gambling laws for sports have changed and it’s now legal in Indiana so maybe by 2020 we’ll have some kind of legislation. But I imagine it will be some kind of phone app and not live betting windows at IMS.

Q: Happy to see you back at it. I know this is crazy talk, but I think this would work. Bring back a point-paying dirt race to IndyCar using sprint cars. My thoughts are, there would be plenty of car owners more than happy to do a one off deal with IndyCar owners. Let’s say $50,000 for a week. A drop in the bucket to an IndyCar team, but a real shot in the arm for the owners of dirt cars. Hold it at Eldora and give plenty of practice time. It would help both series exposure to new fans. I bet most drivers would have a blast and it would make us old guys smile, too.

Tim West

RM: Ed Carpenter is the only owner you could sell that to, but between logistics, contracts and schedules, it wouldn’t have a chance. As cool as it would be, we’re never going back to the future.

Q: Glad to see you are back to being your normal cantankerous self. I wanted to thank you, Marshall and all of the RACER staff for keeping us going during the down season here in North America. Soon the racing season will be back upon us. I especially wanted to thank Marshall for some of the trips down memory lane like the Oral History of Fast Masters and the Jaguar XJ220s. I was living in Indiana and taking summer classes in West Lafayette that summer when I stumbled across the first showing of this event. I remember clearly thinking, what moron agreed to letting these guys race million dollar cars and I'm glad they did because this was going to be awesome! And it was. You can take old racers off the track, but you can't get the track out of their blood. They want to win, and if they aren't footing the repair bill, even better! I'm looking forward to the upcoming open-wheel season and am contemplating at least two races: Elkhart Lake and Iowa (now that it's on Saturday under the lights like it should be). I may try to talk my father-in-law into going to Indy since he has never been. Isn't Indy one of those pilgrimages that should be undertaken at least once in your life?

John Balestrier, Greenfield, WI

RM: Marshall is our MVP and the hardest working guy I know, so it’s to his credit you get treated to all those cool features, videos and podcasts. I enjoyed the FastMasters because I’d forgotten some of the beatin’ and bangin’ from those legends at IRP. You should definitely take your pop to Indy and get him up high in one of the corners if possible.

Q: Over the Christmas break, my wife and I visited several antique/resale shops in SE Michigan. I came across a 1972 Mark Donohue Sunoco McLaren Indy 500 whiskey decanter, which I would have bought had it been a diecast, and a book titled, "The Men and Machines of Indy Car Racing: CART 1987-88", which I purchased. I've enjoyed reading through the book, which contains a number of stats and nice photos. However, based on my limited knowledge of racing during that period, I'm left with some questions that I'm certain you can answer.

The book mentions the PPG Pace Car Team, which was separate from the pace car/safety car, and has several photos of the ladies that drove these "high-tech, high performance vehicles." Was the purpose of the team to simply promote women in motorsports, or was it more than that? Also, I was surprised to see that Al Unser Jr. failed to score points in six races, yet he finished third in points. Conversely, Arie Luyendyk and Geoff Brabham scored points in all but four races yet ended up in seventh and eighth place, respectively. Was the points distributed much differently then as compared to now? Lastly, a few observations on things that stuck out in the book that I certainly welcome your input on. First is the fact that Adrian Newey worked in CART before F1, and that his cars won two championships and two Indianapolis 500s! Impressive!

Second, Al Unser won his fourth Indianapolis 500 but only ran five races that season. Lastly, seeing the photo of Mario Andretti in his sunglasses, and the photo of Sir Jackie Stewart sitting with Roger Penske on the pit wall reminded me of how both of these men, Andretti & Stewart, just ooze coolness from every part of their being, and that I wish I could have been old enough to see both of them racing in their prime. It's great to have you back and sharing your stories and experiences with us, and taking the time to answer our questions. Thanks, Robin!

James Jackson, Livonia, MI

RM: The late Jim Chapman started the all-female pace car team and there were a couple serious racers (Desire Wilson and Kathy Rude), but I think he did it to get PPG more publicity as well as give those ladies an opportunity to stay involved. Indy paid 1,000 points to win back then, so that’s why Big Al was so far up in the standings. Mario and Newey made a great combination, and it was obvious way back then that Adrian was a special talent. Unser’s fourth win was memorable because he had no ride to start the month and the March he drove into Victory Lane was a show car when May began. JYS and Mario were two of the best ever – on and off the track – and people still flock to them like they do A.J.