More bumping should mean more drama. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: For me, the most fun part of bumping is the race against the clock: teams rushing back to the garage, making a quick tweak, and sending the car back out. There’s the whole “Will they get another shot?” element. The new format completely eliminates this aspect. Why not allow multiple runs for the Last Row on Sunday?

Justin in Indy

RM: I understand part of Bump Day’s allure was all the banzai runs and car hopping and tweaking under the gun, but this year’s format will be dramatic with only one shot – make it or go home. And fitting all the storylines into NBC’s time frame is also a big consideration, as it should be.

Q: Just wanted to say thanks for many years on the beat of a series that has delivered plenty of masochism for all involved (from the boardrooms to the bleachers). Also, I’m looking forward to more of you, Marshall and Seabass on RACER’s YouTube channel, it’s definitely a must-watch. I was wondering if the IndyCar paddock is as excited about this year as I hope? Last year was such a wonderful season (Wickens’ crash aside); it was an utter feast with good-looking cars racing well with a field of very talented drivers. This year promises more of the same. Yeah, I could complain about not every track being perfect, but last year we got a great race everywhere, and another year of that is probably underappreciated by fans who’ve forgotten that racing isn’t normally this good. Do the teams and drivers realize how well they delivered last year, and are they excited about building on that this year?

Duncan, Ottawa

RM: Will Power said a few weeks ago this was the deepest field in the 14 years he’s been racing over here, and I think that his opinion is shared by fellow drivers. And most are quick to point out it’s the most competitive series around, so I think they understand what they’ve got.

Q: Who is Clauson-Marshall Racing? Any chance of a Jonathan Byrd entry? Or will the Clauson-Marshall team be sponsored by Byrd? Just wondering about this Foyt-affiliated entry.

Jim McGlynn

RM: Tim Clauson is the father of the late USAC champ Bryan who fields a top-shelf USAC midget/sprint team with Richard Marshall. Their IndyCar will be sponsored by the Indiana Donor Network and A.J. is leasing them equipment, but is not really affiliated in any other way at this point. There had been talk of Foyt’s team lending technical support, but nothing was said at last week’s press conference. David Byrd is again bringing USAC star Chris Windom to IMS for the Indy Lights race, and I know he’s working on having his own IndyCar team someday.

Q: Are team radio frequencies made public at race weekends? If so, where can they be found? Geeked for St. Pete!

Vincent Martinez, South Pasadena, CA

RM: The scanner frequency of all the cars are available on the spotter guide, which is usually published on IndyCar.com by Tuesday of race week.

Q: You have been telling readers all along that NBC was going to do a great job covering IndyCar, and the shift is obvious even before the season has begun. Will Power appeared on NBCSN’s Motorsports Nation with AJ Allmendinger to talk about their qualifying techniques. It’s a small piece, but to reach NASCAR fans, this is the kind of cross-promotion that IndyCar has needed for years, and it’s a very good sign. Thanks for doing your part to keep up the coverage.

William in Los Angeles

RM: Did you see the promos for St. Pete during last weekend’s golf tourney on NBC? It’s the tip of the iceberg of what NBC is going to do for the Indianapolis 500 in the next two months, and I expect Dale Junior to make major contributions as well. I think NBC is the first true TV partner that IndyCar has ever had.

Q: Looking at the NBC Gold Package. Any chance it will include race day live streams of the in-car cameras? I think that would be a great addition to be able to watch the main broadcast on TV while having the option to switch between some in car cameras on a second device.

Mark Lauman, Atlanta, GA

RM: Not sure just yet what will be available on Gold, but hopefully we’ll know a lot more after this weekend.

Q: What IndyCar archive content will be available on NBC Sports Gold? Any classic races covered by other networks? Profiles of legends, similar to Sports Century? How much has NBC paid IndyCar for this three-year contract? Is it at least nine figures? Lastly, if Sam Flood will listen to you, please tell him to get Paul Page, Bobby Unser and Sam Posey involved in the Indy 500 broadcast. We could use a modern Delta Force intro from Paul, Sam providing “Posey’s Perspective” that is dearly missed from the SPEED Channel days, and of course if Uncle Bobby is in good enough health to get to Indianapolis he’ll talk any time (and all the time).

Steve, Redding, CA

RM: The Gold package programming is still being organized, but I would imagine old IndyCar races would be part of it, and I know NBC has a two-hour interview of A.J. at the IMS museum talking about each car he drove that could be plugged in, as well as other features. Not sure Sam and Bobby are healthy enough to travel, but maybe some kind of a cameo on tape could be worked out.

Q: For someone not already streaming TV, the cost of IndyCar Pass is a lot more than $49. The purchase of Roku Ultra was $92 including tax. Add  $42 including tax for the required HDMI cable to connect Roku to TV. So an extra trip back to Best Buy for cable. Total cost was $181 ,plus time and trip costs. Roku should better communicate you need a cable in addition to their unit. While true that Roku may be used for more than IndyCar, in my instance IndyCar will be its only use.

Mike Kellen

RM: I don’t pretend to know much about Hulu or Roku, but I do appreciate your patronage and passion and thanks for breaking down what Roku costs. All I know is that I paid $150 for five nights of streaming at the Chili Bowl, so even $181 seems reasonable.