Robin Miller's Mailbag for May 15, 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: Longtime reader, first time writing in. The Indianapolis infield course doesn't get a lot of love, but that may have been the most entertaining race I can remember in a long time. Most of the big names couldn't figure out qualifying, lots of new names out front, passes all over the place, and then of course rain for more chaos! These days I pretty much root for ABP (Anybody-But-Penske) to win, but even I couldn't help but admire Simon's drive. He's apparently in a class all by himself in the wet. Keep doing what you do, I look forward to every Wednesday!

Mike Foster

RM: Before the race we were talking about how the flat IMS road course had no character, but rain obviously helped make for such an entertaining race. Pagenaud grew up in the rain and certainly earned that victory – chasing down Dixon is no easy feat. Thanks for reading.

Q: Outside of the Indy 500, last Saturday was by far the best race I have ever attended. The entire weekend was action-packed, and the conditions kept things exciting. It was great fun watching everyone struggle with grip entering Turn 1 in the cold conditions on Friday, and of course Pagenaud showed pure talent and hunger in the closing laps with erasing Dixon's lead. If the Grand Prix is any kind of a preview of what to expect in two weeks, I feel like it's going to be a hell of a show!

Alan Bandi, Sarver, PA

RM: The way qualifying was mixed up was a precursor to the race, and it rained just enough to make it treacherous but tolerable. Harvey, Jones and Pigot came to the fore in those conditions and made some great passes, while Simon stole the show.

Q: What a race, the best ever on the road course at Indy since its inception.  And how about the driving skills exhibited throughout the field during inclement weather conditions? That could easily have been a yellow-flag fest and yet those drivers kept their noses straight, their foot hard on the gas and raced cleanly.  Kudos to Diffey, Bell or Tracy who pointed out that Pagenaud trained relentlessly in inclement conditions while driving for Peugot in France. That insight enhanced the viewer’s understanding of Pagenaud’s skills as he over took the top three contenders on his way to victory. And how about Tracy’s comment that that: “Pagenaud’s belief of overtaking Dixon from 35 seconds behind was a bit wishful thinking?” Priceless!

Daniel Bonham, Indianapolis, IN

RM: Yep, as impressive as Pagenaud’s charge was, the fact the drivers ran so close and hard and kept things so clean was what stood out. It was the debut of this rain tire and it seemed to be an improvement over the old one, and I think we were all expecting a crash-fest and instead were treated to a damn fine road race. Maybe even better than COTA. There were a total of 189 passes for position – that’s impressive.

Q: We just witnessed the answer to your last week’s question about a great race. That was fantastic to watch! A mixed-up qualifying grid, lots of passing, tire strategy, push to pass strategy, Harvey on the podium, and Pagenaud back at the top. Throw in a little rain for some drama. I don’t get too excited about this race usually, as most minds are on the Indy 500, but it was a great start to the month of May in Indianapolis.

Mark Suska, Lexington, OH

RM: Well put. This race never thrilled anyone before last Saturday, but a combination of the elements and some good driving made for a helluva show. From Harvey’s opening move to Pagenaud’s pass at the end, it held our attention for two hours and that’s all you can ever hope for in a road race.

Q: Glad to see Simon finally get the monkey off his back. I’m sure he’s still under pressure from Roger to perform to a higher standard. Hopefully Penske will keep him for another year. At least the GP was competitive this year. Enjoyed your article on Ed Carpenter, been a longtime fan of his.

Kevin C.

RM: Oh yeah, you can’t go more than a year without a victory at Team Penske and not be concerned, and Pagenaud understands the situation. But even if he’s replaced for 2020, he’ll get hired by Arrow SPM or somebody because he’s got a lot of good years ahead of him.

Q: You asked us last week to tell you what we feel makes good racing. Well, I think the Indy GP was a prime example. Watching Pagenaud hunt down and pass Dixon with two laps to go was one of the most exciting moments this season. And Jack Harvey having a stellar day (a stellar weekend, to be honest) and earning his own and his team's first podium was thrilling. I enjoyed every minute of the broadcast, [OK, I do wish there had been more post-race interviews, but I do understand about the time constraints of being on the parent peacock]. The 2019 GP definitely was the very best race in its short history!

Deb Schaefer

RM: Don’t think we could have asked for any better in NBC’s first network show, and the 0.85 overnight rating was encouraging since road races are tough to stay with many times.

Danica Patrick delivered a rare "crowd louder than engines" moment at Indy in 2005. Image by Kim/LAT

Q: I am about a third of the way through reading all the responses to your question to your readers of "What Makes a Good Race?" I would like to add this: The 2005 Indy 500 when Danica Patrick finished fourth was a "good" race. When the crowd in Turn 1 (including me) realized that Danica was leading the race coming down the front stretch, a crowd roar erupted that was the loudest crowd cheer that I have every heard at any sporting event before or after. Later she had a good duel with Wheldon. So for me, that made the 2005 Indy 500 a great race. That cheer can be heard on YouTube. Check it out.

Ron Ford, Muskego, WI

RM: I think watching history being made is paramount to your experience. Rufus topping 150 mph, Sneva breaking the 200 mph barrier, AJ winning No.4, Danica leading.

Q: When you can hear the crowd noise over the engines, that is a good race!

Joe Weiss, Spooner, WI

RM: First time I remember that happening was 1982 when Mears was stalking Johncock, and then in 2005 when Danica took the lead.

Q: It is 4:00 on Sunday afternoon as I write this. Is the yellow for Helio's spin over with yet? Seriously, that caution was eight laps for a car that spun and was pushed away. Do we have a lame excuse from IndyCar why they wasted four-five laps on that caution? The caution where a car actually crashed into a wall was four laps, and the other where two cars spun was three laps. There was no reason for that being more than three-four laps.

Mark in Cincinnati

RM: From Race Director Kyle Novak:

“Each Full Course Yellow (FCY) presents Race Control with a differing set of circumstances and scenarios. You may have noticed that the two FCYs earlier in the race were shorter than the third and final FCY. The major difference between the first two FCYs and the last FCY was that the last FCY featured a wave-by as an added procedural step, and the prior two FCYs did not. The sequence goes as follows; after the pace car has picked up the leader and the field has been neutralized, the pits will be opened to cars at the first opportunity. If the leader should pit and cars not on the lead lap choose to stay on the race track, we now have cars either a lap down, or the tail end of the lead lap between the pace car and the leader.

"In order to ensure that the leader leads the field back to the Green Flag, we “wave-by” those cars past the pace car so they may take the restart at the back of the running order. When we issue the wave-by, we again close the pits so that there is no incentive for the wave-by cars to race by safety vehicles attending to both the incident scene and track clean-up efforts. As an added complication during this step, the rain began to intensify as the wave-by was issued and the cars taking the wave-by were not able to pack-up to the back of the field as quickly as normal as they were still caught out on dry tires, leading to added laps that would not have normally occurred during a dry condition.”

Q: Even though it was cold and a little wet, the Indy Grand Prix was a really good race. But, what I don’t understand with IndyCar, especially at IMS, why did it take so long to get back to green after Helio Castroneves’ spin? Even at the 500 there are times it takes forever to get back to green. I’m all about safety, but I’m not spending money to watch cars parade around under yellow! Looking forward to the upcoming Indianapolis 500!

Brian Lancaster, West Lafayette, IN

RM: Read the explanation above.

Q: Great race Saturday. Hats off to Pagenaud, and Harvey and the Shank team. Just one question. Why was that last yellow so freakin' long?

John Fulton, Akron, Ohio

RM: It’s all about wave-arounds, closing and opening the pits and getting everyone lined up correctly. I know it was an eternity, but that’s today’s protocol.

Q: What's going on with Felix? In qualifying he's always super fast, but since his amazing move at St. Pete he hasn't set the world on fire in the races like we thought he would. Do we need to worry yet, or were we just spoiled by Wicky Bobby and Felix is just learning how it all works?

Jordan, Warwickshire, UK

RM: I really thought he’d win last Saturday, but he seemed to lose his pace after Dixie passed him for the lead. I still think he’ll win a race but he’s figuring out tires, tracks and his car, so it’s a process. But Colton seems to be catching on quicker.

Q: Can you shed some light onto what happened to Juncos and its sponsors? Usually, everyone has most if not all of their money locked up and signed. I know last minute deals happen, but this is not normal. Just curious, and I would love to see them compete at Indy and get a shot at more races next year.

John Balestrieri, Greenfield, WI

RM: The sponsor backed out, which is probably better than not paying at the end of the month, and that’s happened to teams many times. I talked to Ricardo today and gave him the name of a potential sponsor, so he’s trying to make something happen.

No pressure Ed, but reader Ryan has $10 riding on you. Image by IndyCar

Q: Instead of calling it my two cents, we’ll call it my $10. I listened to the test day and someone posed a question to Kevin Lee about the odds and underdogs this May. It just so happened my in-laws were in Vegas and when they said Ed Jones was 100-1. It was too much to pass up. Jones is driving for ECR. When it comes to IMS, the one team I expect to have their ducks in a row is ECR. Pigot was a road and street course driver in 2017 and was quietly impressive at the 500 in 2018. Whoever made the odds in Vegas screwed up on that one. Oh, and this year Scuedria Corsa is there with ECR. Servia was the only driver besides Rossi doing any passing last year. It’s only $10, but it’ll be exciting to follow the speeds over the next two weeks.

Ryan T.

RM: Vegas gets zero action on IndyCar except for the 500, and the people who make the odds are usually clueless (Kenny Brack was 40-1 in 1999) because there’s not much overage or information available to them. I made the odds for the Barbary Coast and Coast casinos for several years, but they had a $500 maximum and never got much action. We’ll see how the gambling app works in 2020, because I think it will be popular in May.

Q: One tradition I think well worth re-establishing at the 500: drinking the milk, but not pouring it all over one's head and driver's suit. I can only imagine what it begins to smell like an hour or two after the race. A way to guarantee it would be consumed and not thrown would be if the winner (like Louis Meyer who started the practice) chooses buttermilk instead of some weak 1% or 2% variety. Meyer knew: on a hot day, there is nothing as thirst quenching as cold buttermilk. Scoff if you like, but before I have anything else after a hot lawn mow, I reach for a big glass of buttermilk. Might be a tip worth passing along to Mr. Alonso!

Steve C., Ithaca, NY

RM: I agree 1000 percent. Drink the milk, don’t pour it and quit kissing the bricks. That was a NASCAR thing, and I want the next Indy 500 winner to do something different.

Q: With the recent controversial outcome of last weekend's Kentucky Derby (and bringing back memories of the 1981 Indy 500), what hypothetical winner or race event (excluding tragedy – knock on wood) do you believe would garner the most national media post-race attention from this year's 500? Also, how much could Indiana's (and other states) sports wagering industry boost IndyCar's multi-platform viewership and attendance? I am looking forward to being able to have a little "investment" in the outcome of a race while viewing on TV or sitting in the stands.

Brad, LaPorte, IN

RM: A victory by Marco on Mario’s 50th anniversary would likely carry the most weight nationally and internationally, along with a fourth win by Helio.

Q: Fifteen pages of what people think makes a good race? Who cares? The Mailbag was a bore.

Jerry, Houston

RM: That was my bad. I wanted to include everyone that wrote in, but it was probably way too long. I enjoyed reading several of the comments and giving the readers a chance to participate, but next time I’ll be more selective.

Q: What makes a great race for me is simple. Back in the CART days, if Michael Andretti won it was a great race. I didn't care if it was by two laps or by the nose of the car. Today’s IndyCar is simple as well. If Andretti Autosport wins, its a great race. I really think TV coverage has a lot to do with making a great race. This season we haven't seen many on-track passes for the lead, but NBC has done a great job showing all the action back in the pack. I've seen plenty of race action behind the leader to make each race seem really good. Even Long Beach – which unless you're an Andretti Autosport fan, was a snoozer – was pretty damn good because NBC did a great job showing everything going on behind Rossi. Good TV coverage and my driver/team winning is what makes a great race.

Chris, Ft Lauderdale, FL

RM: I think that was the mentality of the '60s with A.J., Parnelli and Mario – as long as they won, nobody cared by how much. TV coverage can certainly help, and last Saturday our camera angles and following all the great racing helped make things very entertaining.

Q: I'm late to the party as I prepare for my 20th year of kissing the bricks in a couple weeks. To me, there are two things that make a great race: 1) Memorable Moments. 2) Being There. Being there cannot be understated. As fans, we rarely talk about races. We talk about moments. Rossi's dominance at Long Beach this year will soon be forgotten by the TV audience, but it will stick with me forever because I was there to see it. It was an epic beat down in an era with arguably the highest caliber field of drivers and equipment parity ever.

I can't tell you much about the first 499 miles of the 2011 Indy 500, but I vividly remember standing to cheer rookie Hildebrand on to the checkers, the shock of seeing him hit the wall in front of us in 4, collective excitement watching Wheldon round that corner and drag race JR's broken car down the straight. I also vividly remember shaking Dan's hand the Friday night before that race, reassuring him "No more bridesmaid. It's your year," and the genuine gratitude as he took a moment to look me in the eye and put his hand on my shoulder and thank me. Little did I know how much "year" would mean. The tribute white sunglasses we all got in 2012 are on the shelf in my office above my laptop as I type this.

In 2005, you had to be in the crowd to feel the electricity when Danica took the lead. It was as close to the storming of the field and tearing down of goalposts I've ever experienced at a car race. Or the first time the B2 Stealth flew over, casting a great shadow on the grandstands like Independence Day. I can still hear the eerie sound it made after going by just above us. The sensory overload standing on the grid last year thanks to a magnanimous friend who's personally backed a couple of our favorite Indy underdogs. Or the way I nearly welled up every time Jim Nabors sang Back Home Again. Or the pride you feel, hand on heart during the national anthem – and even the collective amusement when Steven Tyler put his signature on it.

And Tom Carnegie. If you didn't hear him on a trackside speaker, you've never really heard him: "Rrrobbbyyy Gordonnn!" Most of that is pre-race nuisance on TV. Being there, it's part of the emotional build-up. Great races have great moments. That's what we live for. And they're even more indelible when you're there. To fans everywhere: get off the couch and get to a race. It's an investment with infinite Rocking Chair Equity.

Aron Meyer, Tucson, AZ

RM: Agreed. Most people can tell you if they watched Johncock and Mears live in ’82 or Little Al and Emmo in 1989 or RHR and Helio in 2014, because being here just heightens your awareness and leaves you with a memory or a story you always want to repeat.

We've figured out why some people keep getting confused about whether it's IndyCar or F1 on the Indy road course: both featured Takuma Sato. (Pictured celebrating a rare podium for the BAR team in 2004). Image by Etherington/LAT

Q: I’ve come to realize over the last few days that part of the attendance problem in Indy for the GP (perceived or otherwise) is related to branding. People think the cars running in the Indy GP are Formula 1. I usually go to qualifying and race. My wife goes with me to the race. I go to qualifying by myself because it’s during the work week. This year, I decided to ask guys from the office and other friends if they’d like to go to qualifying with me. All of them thought it was an F1 event. They all said the same thing, “I thought you were an IndyCar guy! Why are you going to see F1?” I think we all know (old CART included) that you can’t compete with the Indy 500. There are some smart people at 16th and Georgetown. Are they good with 35k attending the GP? Do they not want to compete with ticket sales for the 500?

I realize that many of the people attending the 500 are only fans of the 500. Many of them don’t even realize there is an IndyCar season of racing. Doug Boles said they expected an increase of 3-5%... I think that’s code for, ticket sales are static. To me, increasing sales incrementally to say 70k is about telling the right story in the right media platforms and doing that in the right geographic areas consistently. I realize that it’s easier said than done. Just wondering out loud.

Greg Phelps

RM: First of all, the only time there was close to 35,000 was the first race back in 2014, and last Saturday was lucky to have been 10,000. And either people think it’s F1 or they have no idea there is even a race going on. People go to IMS to watch speed and the oval, not a road race. But the fact it was on NBC is worth doing it and this race was very watchable, which helped the rating. But, judging by all the ads being run in the local paper, there are plenty of seats available for May 26.

Q: Me being a hardcore racing fan got to thinking, which most of us aren't to good at, what really does make a good race? I asked my parents, brother, girlfriend, some friends that watch racing, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, and some acquaintances that the only race they know of is the Kentucky Derby.

After thinking hard about the opinions I gathered, I think the median opinion about what makes a good race is a fair race. A race where every competitor has a fighting chance to win, no matter the starting line-up. Most said passing is a must also close racing is good. My dad and racing buddies said speed, competition, but they didn't mind someone dominating a race. Interestingly most ladies said that crashes make a good race(!?), the story behind the racers and how cute they are, and the given weather conditions for said race.

As for myself, the competition, drivers, teams giving 110% (when you see the drivers hang it out) make a good race. That comes with passing, strategy, mechanical failure, and crashes.

Mike Doe

RM: The best thing about today’s IndyCar series is that you never know who is going to win the pole or the race (five different winners in five races so far in 2019), and that should be a key to whether people watch or not.

Q: What makes a good race? Honest drama. “Honest” in that it’s not manufactured. Example, a legitimate caution late in a race that creates drama, fine. But cautions for the sake of drama… no, thank you. (Yes, I hate stage racing in NASCAR, debris cautions, etc.) As for drama, I think that depends on the person. For me, it depends partly on the series. A NASCAR race will have lots of on-track passing, but it doesn’t mean much until almost the end (stages aside). I can watch a grand prix and be quite happy with passing in the midfield. But the ‘possibility’ of a passing opportunity due to strategy or circumstance is equally dramatic to me. I enjoyed the Baku race more than most because I felt there was enough drama throughout, particularly at the end.

But drama is reliant partly on how it is presented by the commentary and producer. Focus on the battles with the right balance of setting the stage and a race is just as good with competition further in the pack as at the front for the lead. And competition does not have to mean passes. Knowledgeable commentary plays a huge role. Even a diehard fan watching at home cannot know all the intricacies of strategy and how it’s playing out at the time. I don’t want a fluff piece on what the driver had for breakfast, I want to know the strategies and consequences in play. Is driving style or setup letting them use the tires differently than someone else? Who is trying to use a short-fill for track position, or double-stinting tires?

Commentators that engage fans with an assumption they are somewhat educated on the sport are more appealing than those assuming this is everyone’s fist race. My assessment of drama in NASCAR is different than IndyCar, which is different from F1, etc. What keeps me entertained on a Dakar event over two weeks is obviously not “on-track” action. It’s the perseverance, endurance and changing circumstances. Watching Le Mans for the better part of 24 hours means I don’t expect to be “entertained” every 10 minutes. But a “good race” means it was close, or there was the honest possibility of it being meaningful somewhere in the field.

A purely well-executed race can be good regardless of the overall outcome. We tend to get spoiled and expect a fight for the lead on every lap, particularly the last one. This is not a staged reality show. Is every race exciting? Of course not. But surely there’s something to take away from most where we can say it was a “good race” somewhere in the field. I suppose it depends on expectations.

Mark, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

RM: That’s what made last Saturday compelling. Pagenaud was closing fast, but was he going to run out of laps and could he get by Dixon?

Q: What gets me to sleep is a cup of hot chocolate with just a touch of butterscotch schnapps, especially on a cold day. While I've got you here, before the race yesterday NBC ran a hour long special called "Drive Like Andretti" that was about the life and race driving career of Mario. It was not a slapped-together production. It was really well done. If you missed it, it is on YouTube already and will likely be repeated before the 500. Your predictions about NBC doing an excellent job of building up the 500 are coming true. I am sure their coverage of the race will be sooooooooooooo much better than ABC. There has been NBC advertisements for the 500 during the NHL playoffs and also during the Kentucky Derby.

Ron Ford, Muskego, WI

RM: That Mario documentary was first class in every way, and a much deeper story than just racing. NBC? Now Better Coverage, just like we knew it would be.

Q: I saw that some teams are mounting an antenna on top of the advanced frontal protection device. The device itself is designed to the strength of the roll hoop, and held down by massive bolts, but a two inch or so antenna on top, held on by only two screws or bolts, seems that it could just break off right into the drivers face if it was hit by something substantial. It seems that this could create a sharp and relatively strong piece of debris inches from the driver. Has this been evaluated? Should antennas be regulated to be mounted elsewhere?

Brandon, McKinney, TX

RM: From IndyCar tech chief Bill Pappas: “First, the antenna is not a structural piece, it’s made of Kevlar, a relatively compliant material. Second, it has been mounted to the tub where the AFP is now mounted.”

Q: I really enjoyed your article on Roger Penske. I live in Kenosha, WI and was fascinated to find that a former Penske mechanic, Steve Tredup, opened up a repair shop here a number of years ago. I drive Acuras that almost never end up in the shop, but I needed brakes about three years ago and took it to his shop (Autosport by Steve). He is the nicest mechanic you will ever meet, and is a wealth of knowledge. I had just read the Beast and asked him a few questions that he gladly answered.

Anyway, the point of my email: His shop is kind of a hole in the wall, but you could sit down and eat off the floor. While we were talking about my car, he saw a spot of oil on the floor, and without missing a beat in our conversation, got some cleaner and wiped the spot clean. Obviously, the Penske way has stayed with him and has served him well! I appreciate your Mailbag and articles and hope your health continues to improve!

John Ford

RM: That’s a classic example of the power of Penske and his influence on everyone in his organization. Thanks for sharing.

Q: Appreciate the column on Penske and his legacy in motorsports, and particularly at Indy. One frustrating missing link when you look at everything else that's he's accomplished in a first-class manner is the 2002 Indy 500 finish – why would a man of such integrity play along with the heist of the race from Paul Tracy? I know it's easy to hide behind the stewards, but at the end of the day the video evidence is as clear as it can be. PT was ahead of Helio before the lights went on. I'm no PT apologist, but it's a real shame.

Tim Glass, Dallas, TX

RM: It wasn’t Roger’s first time fighting for an Indy win in court, so why would you be surprised he tried to keep it? He was the IRL’s new mouthpiece by then, and PT was part of the hated CART regime and I think The Captain knew he had good odds in kangaroo court.

Q: In regards to your excellent retrospective on Roger Penske's IndyCar career, you mentioned that Mario drove for Roger from 1976 to 1978. You've omitted the years 1979 and 1980 when Mario drove the Triple Crown races for Penske. But thanks for mentioning the innovative years of the late '70s. You're right that the Captain and others sparked them. The Silverstone and Brands Hatch races in 1978 showed that the teams had outgrown USAC by then, especially after the plane crash that cost the lives of Dick King's key staff member. I'd like to see you do an article on that era.

Gerry Kelly

RM: Good catch, hell I remember the Essex Specials and the world class chef they brought in to prepare lunch every day for Team Penske and the media. Mario just never had any luck driving for The Captain; I think he won one race.

Q: Loved the story on Penske. You may have undersold him, though. His approach, in my opinion, also had huge influence in F1. He showed up at '71 Canadian GP with Sunoco, Donohue and Sunoco McLaren 19A complete with uniformed crew, and F1 adopted the practice seen today everywhere.

Mark Kidson

RM: Well you may be right, but I wasn’t around F1 back then (other than The Glen) to see if it was changing. I think Colin Chapman understood cultivating sponsorships before anyone else, but not sure when the paddock upgraded.

Montoya in his natural habitat. Image by IndyCar

Q: Forgive me if this question has been asked and answered lately; I haven't been able to keep up with Mailbag as much as I had in the past. Do you think Juan Pablo Montoya will ever race at Indy again? I get that he has a pretty good late career gig with Penske and has their sports car program rolling, but he was just so talented and always a favorite to win the 500. Any time you ever thought he had lost a step, the next race he dominated and was always exciting. How likely do you think we will see a swansong for him – or do you think we've already seen that? I think he deserves a final send-off for all of his fans out there.

Andy Strasser, St. Louis, MO

RM: No, sadly his Indy 500 days are over. I can assure you he still wants to run there and would still be a force, but The Captain has his contract and he’s not about to let JPM drive for someone else at IMS. And he just won Mid-Ohio two weeks ago, so he’s a long way from a farewell tour.

Q: Watching the build-up to the Spanish GP, heard O’Ward has signed with Red Bull. Not sure what this all means – it would be a bummer to lose him in IndyCar, but this kid is crazy fast. Any insight?

Paul, OC, CA

RM: I said a few weeks ago that Pato reminded me of Montoya, and obviously Helmut Marko sees this kid’s potential. I’m afraid we’re going to lose him to F1, but he can always come back to IndyCar if it doesn’t work out.

Q: I was skipping through the Spanish GP practice session for F1 Friday and the announcer David Croft was talking to the principal for Red Bull Racing about the new American IndyCar driver that was going to be with them. He named Patricio O’Ward and said he will be the first American driver since Scott Speed with an F1 team. The Red Bull principle basically said ‘yeah, it will be good to have an American back in the series, we need to keep America interested.’ Later Croft came back on and admitted Patricio was Mexican, but he said that is in North America! He said he needed to review his geography. Surprised me that the Red Bull representative didn’t correct him. I guess shows what they know about IndyCar racing.

Tim B.

RM: I heard that and laughed. Pato is a native Mexican living in Texas who is soon to be living in Europe.

Q: I watched a few hours of the Kentucky Derby coverage and the race. Man, that looked like a dirt track race with that slide job at the end. Too bad it didn't hold up in stewards court. But, on a brighter note, I saw more ads and coverage about the Indy 500 than we ever did on ABC/ESPN. It is great to see NBC going nuts over IndyCar. I hope it brings in more fans and gets the needle moving in the right direction. Hope to see you in Indy. They don't have any good breaded tenderloin sandwiches in OH like I grew up with in IN.

Eric, London, OH

RM: We had a million people watching last Saturday’s road race at IMS and that was the largest audience in five years, so I think all of NBC’s promotions are a big part of that rating.

Q: Coming from a NASA family and as a race fan, I was delighted to hear about my favorite astronaut Gus Grissom starting a race team with Gordo Cooper and Jim Rathmann in 1966. As I understand it, your buddy Art Pollard drove for them for most of that season. Any cool stories surrounding his time with the team?

Bryce Colangelo

RM: Grant King didn’t pay Art for May that year (they missed the show) so Pollard took all his tools as collateral. It went to court and Art won because he had Forrest Bowman as his attorney and a lock-tight case. Then he started driving for the astronauts in a Gerhardt/Offy (No. 76) sponsored by Pure Firebird. The highlight was his debut for them at Milwaukee where he finished fourth. Four years later, the hatchet had been buried and Art qualified a Kingfish sixth-fastest but broke early and finished 30th.

Q: For those who ask where to park, etc. at Indy, I'd like to offer a strategy that my buddies and I came up with years ago, and although it's been a while since we attended the 500 I'm sure it's still valid. There is a nice little neighborhood west of Turn 4 and it's easy to find residents who will rent a spot in their yard to you for a very reasonable price. We'd arrive Saturday afternoon, cruise around and find a good place, set up camp and fix dinner. In the evening, stroll a block and a half to Georgetown Road and enjoy the nightlife, and return later for a good nights’ sleep.

Race day morning, get up, fix breakfast while listening to the excellent radio coverage, and prepare to hit the track. After the race, be in no hurry to get out in the traffic jam so relax a bit and sober up if needed. This place is closer to the track than the Coke lot, and it's not an open field chock-full of crazies. The residents who accommodate race fans are nice folks who accept the presence of the race track along with the noise and fuss. Where I live, the nearest sprint car track (Winona Lake Fairgrounds) got shut down years ago because of noise complaints from neighbors...

Dave Widman

RM: Thanks for the tips Dave, a lot of people always wonder where they should try and park close to the track.

Q: I just watched a commercial on RACER that Mario Andretti did with MagnaFlow. He was talking about the sound of engines being his songs and what wonderful memories. Then at the end he mentions stock, NASCAR and Formula 1, and doesn't say IndyCar!!! I can't tell you how disappointed I am. He's a fantastic ambassador for IndyCar, I've even spoken to him in a couple races and he's always wonderful, but I can't understand why he didn't take the opportunity to plug IndyCar into that commercial. Any insight?

Disappointed CAM in LA

RM: No insight but I wouldn’t be too concerned, he’s usually promoting IndyCar every day of the week.

Q: Not a question for Mailbag so much, but I have two tickets to the 500 and cannot go because of a damn wedding! I live in Texas and cannot find anyone around here to take them. I’ve posted them on the Indy ticket exchange and a couple other secondary sites, but am not confident I’ll be able to sell them in time to mail them. There are two seats: Paddock Box 21-25 | Row K, Seats 6 & 7. I paid $130 per seat, but would take less. Hell, I’d probably give them away for free to someone who really wanted to go to the race, but couldn’t otherwise. Would you know anyone who’d be interested?

Mike M.

RM: No but I imagine you will have some takers when they read this. If anyone is interested, say so in the comments and hopefully you and Mike can make arrangements.