Robin Miller’s Mailbag for May 29, 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: At first I thought the Indy 500 race was good, but not great. As you have mentioned previously within Mailbag and elsewhere, the IndyCar fans have been spoiled with the recent Indy 500 races in that there is constant passing and action. So admittedly that was my mindset. As a Honda fan over Chevy down the stretch I had my preferences who I’d like to win so when Simon Pagenaud crossed the bricks I was thinking, “Meh.” Then I took a minute after the race to really think about what happened. To me, this was a “Mercedes F1” type domination from Penske and Pagenaud. It was their race to lose when you lead over 100+ laps at the Indy 500, and to lead with what seemed to be ease. So my hat is off to Penske and Pagenaud. Amazing effort with a just result. And the ultimate class act from Pagenaud was during the post-race interviews on NBCSN when he referenced being French but then followed up with thanking America for welcoming him. I thought that was fantastic and refreshing. Is he that good a guy?

Lawrence H., Sanford, FL

RM: It was a great finish but I think we all know the race had two classes – Simon and Rossi and everyone else. And Chevy definitely had a little more steam than Honda so that was the deciding factor. Pagenaud’s praise of America was very cool and classy, just like he is and he’ll make a great Indy champion.

Q: Such a great race! Didn’t want to see another Penske win, but it was fun. Simon will be a great champion. Is there any other racing in the world better than this? Only 364 days till the next one!

Tim B.

RM: Randy Bernard called me and said he made Garth Brooks watch the last 12 laps and they were screaming at the TV like 12-year-olds so that’s a pretty good endorsement.

Q: Santino Ferrucci would have been the driver of the race if it wasn't for the jaw-dropping performances put on by Rossi and Pagenaud. The kid kept clawing his way forward on track. He earned all of those spots and some of them twice.

Also kudos to Conor Daly and Felix Rosenqvist – they both had great races. The fastest driver won, but Rossi did everything he could to win No. 2 -- including putting two wheels on top of pit wall to make some passes.

So on the topic of Rossi: I don't think Power, Newgarden or Pagenaud are losing a seat. Is Penske expanding to four cars again if he can sign Rossi?

Ryan in West Michigan

RM: I’d say the fastest engine won but I agree with all your observations. Can’t see The Captain ever going back to four full-time cars and like I wrote on Monday, Simon sealed his deal for at least two more years with Team Penske after his amazing month.

Q: Pagenaud and Rossi (and a late charge by Sato and Newgarden falls short) scrap was a modern day duel harkening back to Ward and Rathman. Pretty great. The BIG question is, now that Pagenaud and Power have earned their way into keeping their rides for a while longer and Castroneves has run his last 500, does this put Newgarden on the proverbial hot seat, and will Penske keep a fourth car and add another hotshoe like Rossi (although realistically I don't see him leaving Andretti) or is there another driver The Captain has his eye on? If so, who? And, we can say it enough, NBC did a terrific job pre-race, race, and post race of covering the 500. And it will only get better.

Jake, Pasadena, CA

RM: Newgarden isn’t on the hot seat, he was leading the points until Sunday and R.P. isn’t going to run four cars even if Mears decides to come out of retirement. I think Roger covets Rossi but this trio is safe for a few more years.

https://twitter.com/IndyCar/status/1133100812236759040

Q: I really enjoyed the Indy 500 this year. It had a fantastic finish. Watching Pagenaud and Rossi slug it out was great. I loved Sato's effort. Sato and RLL have been great for each other this season. I think Santo Ferrucci really showed some balls around that track. Racing Kanaan out of the pits was awesome TV. When Bourdais and Rahal decided to do the tango, I could not believe my eyes when Santo "threaded the needle" to mow the lawn.

Peter McGinty, Australia

RM: Santino made a lot of fans with his drive last Sunday and was rewarded with Rookie of the Year and Sato came out of nowhere to take third.

Q: Too bad Alex didn’t have as many bullets in his gun as Pagenaud. I love to watch him race. If he would have had a Chevy, he would have been a two-time winner. Congrats to you for the Robin Miller Award at the track. Now if they would just add $10 million to the purse! Keep up the stellar work!

Phil

RM: Rossi made as many, if not more, new fans this year as he did last May and he reminds me of his car owner who was always worth the price of admission for how he went through traffic. Purse has been $13 million forever -- not nearly enough, and I’m hoping Miles finds a headhunter to sell a title sponsor for $5 million and dump that all in the purse. Thanks.

"In the end, it really didn’t matter because Pagenaud and Rossi were going to fight it out and a few more laps weren’t going to change the outcome." Image by IndyCar

Q: I know you are going to side with IndyCar on this, but let it be known it’s stupid to just come out of a red flag and figure out how to send backmarkers out of the front-runners’ way and then waste another three laps with drivers going around with no consequence in the race. I can’t believe IndyCar wasted 5 out of last 20 laps on yellow when we just came out of red. Yeah everyone is going to pat themselves on their back and say how good the race was based on the last 15 laps when there was already drama happening from the first 180 laps and IndyCar almost doesn’t care to want to allow the earlier happenings in the race to carry over. The race should have gone green immediately with the second lap after resuming from red, I know there will be an excuse for why it wasn’t blah, blah, blah… I felt like few more precious laps of green was stolen by IndyCar race control from the fans.

Shyam Cherupalla

RM: I agree with you and I was yelling right along with everyone else. But, in the end, it really didn’t matter because Pagenaud and Rossi were going to fight it out and a few more laps weren’t going to change the outcome.

Q: I'm back again to question Race 'Control.' In 2014, when there was a late red flag, Beaux Barfield had a two-lap caution before they went green. Why in the world, after a red flag long enough to let Marco catch up to the lead lap, would there be a seven-lap yellow flag? If the track was not ready for a two-lap yellow, it should have never gone yellow. Throw that in on top of the eight-lap Helio yellow in the Indy GP for a spin compared to four-lap yellows for wrecks and you really have to question what's going on. I would also question the penalty on Helio in pit lane. Davison should have been in the transfer lane and just flat stood on the brakes in the fast lane as he was about to pass his pits. Even on Twitter, Davison owned it as his 100% mistake. Race 'Control' effectively removes Helio from the race by making him do a drive-through and there were never any yellows to take advantage of to get back on the lead lap. Do we know if Brian Barnhart went up to help the fellas out after Herta went out?

Mark in Cincinnati

RM: My guess is that they used that time to sweep the marbles. I thought Davison was having trouble finding his pit box and Helio was just trying to out-guess which way he was going. Nice to hear that he took responsibility.

Q: The most frequently heard comment from Marco on his radio, "Oh my God." Pouring the milk on yourself is the stupidest new tradition imaginable. Take a drink and pass it off so the crew can enjoy some, anything but pouring it on yourself. Best flyover ever.

John Fulton, Akron, Ohio

RM: I heard Marco’s car got loose early and he went backwards but could never recover. I agree, pouring milk on your head is stupid, just like kissing the bricks. Do something different after you win.

Q: Been watching the 500 since 1988 and my first thought is I must have watched a completely different race than most. I was waiting patiently for Ed to make his move after Lap 150 and he did nothing. Half of the top 10 qualifiers were not even a factor and the others were just toys for SP to play with. To me 30 lead changes in a 500-mile race isn’t exciting. Please go and talk to Race Control -- how they have to run six laps of caution after a red flag was so pathetic and really ruined the race for me. Red flag, good idea, but does it really take 15 miles (six laps) to figure out running order and pit? How were cars pitting after five laps under yellow? Major letdown that could have been avoided.

Carb Day was a lot more exciting than the race. After weeks of build-up I just thought it was a letdown and left me pissed. Also watching Roger win another 500 is boring and does nothing for the sport, especially with a guy like SP who nobody knows even after his 500 win. It was a great win for him, but for IndyCar the race was maybe a 5 out of 10. Without Rossi the race would have been a 3 out of 10. I love IndyCar, attend a race or two yearly, and have attended the 2010 500, NBC Gold Pass member. So this comes from a viewer and a major fan. Seriously, did anyone expect Rossi to win? SP had the field covered and nobody had a chance. I watch F1 for parade racing, I watch IndyCar competition and we had none on Sunday. Hopefully next year will be better. Can’t wait.

Dan Michaelian

RM: Judging by the volume of mail, a lot of people shared your frustration with the extra-long cautions but did that really ruin a kick-ass finish like we saw? I say no. I expected Rossi to win and bet $200 (at 7-1) because he’s got Indy wired and he had the lead with two laps remaining before he got out-horsepowered. No doubt the first 150 laps were pretty processional but the restarts saved the day and I can promise you that 90 percent of the fans in attendance drove home raving about watching a great race just because of that back and forth battle at the end.

Q: Why did it take 10 laps to get Marcus Ericsson out of the way in the pit? They had him hooked up right away. Keep the blowers off the track. Marbles are part of the game at that point of the race. It’s the same for everybody. I understand the red flag to clean up the five-car Bourdais/Rahal mess but six PACE LAPS to restart. Come on! Instead of a 15-lap shootout it should have been more like 25. Outcome might have been different. How convenient for Pagenaud’s fuel deficit to go away.

Jeff, Florida

RM: I agree they were both way too long but I don’t buy the conspiracy theory that the yellows and red were instituted to help Team Penske. Either one rescued Pagenaud and the red flag was the right call so fans could get a race to the finish instead of a few laps. And I don’t think it had any bearing on the outcome. It was a two-horse race.

Q: Seriously, seven laps to get the cars lined up after a red flag? What is this, NASCAR? Pagenaud pulls two moves on Rossi on the last lap. I can remember when IndyCar called that blocking (Graham Rahal can verify). NASCAR again. Can’t say NBC did a great job, too may talking heads with limited knowledge. Tell Tirico that Danica was not the first woman to race at Indy. Dale Jr. was good, but next time NBC can leave the rest of the group at home.

Ron, Oceanside, CA

RM: I didn’t think Pagenaud did anything wrong and Rossi agreed. He didn’t make any moves in reaction to Alexander – he just broke the draft like everyone has been doing lately with the lead.

Q: What an exciting finish to this year’s 500. My question is why did the officials “waste” six laps after the red flag? They could have moved the lapped cars to the back of the line on the very first lap. I would have preferred 19 or even 8 laps under green to the end.

Scott Russell

RM: Not sure, couldn’t reach Kyle Novak so I’ll ask him this weekend.

Scary moment for Jordan King and his RLL crew. Image by Scott LePage/LAT

Q: Do you know why in a series at the forefront of safety, a yellow was not thrown for the severely injured crew member of RLL? They should have at least closed the pits to allow the safety team to attend to him in a less dangerous situation. Seems like quite a double standard that IndyCar is doing everything they can to make racing as safe as possible for the drivers while leaving their crew extremely vulnerable. Thanks for everything you do for IndyCar.

Melissa B.

RM: That’s a fair question and I was kinda surprised the crew went ahead and serviced the car while the injured tire changer was lying there. But I guess they picked him up and moved him behind the wall pretty quick so IndyCar opted not to go yellow. But he was certainly as vulnerable as Ericsson.

Q: Like on a highway, I suppose you are always somewhat at fault if you hit someone from behind, but did Helio really deserve a drive-through -- Davison was clearly “lost” and unsure what to do; was Helio expected to just stop and wait for him to decide what to do?

David Spear

RM: Davison admitted on Twitter that it was 100 percent his fault and I’d say Helio was just trying to navigate his way around him and did nothing malicious.

Q: For the first time in a long time, I watched the entire race, including pre-race. I thought the NBC coverage was fantastic. Dale Jr. was impressive despite not being "an Indy car guy." I would have liked a little fewer commercials but that pays the bills so it is what it is. I wanted Rossi to win, he deserved to win. Rossi is the best chance we have of an American in Formula 1, but his name isn’t Vettel or Hamilton and he doesn't have $100 million to bring to the ride. Sending him out in any other car besides a Ferrari or Mercedes would be a waste of his talent. I hope he went full A.J. Foyt on Oriol Servia. It breaks my heart to see Marco struggle so bad at Indy. I really wanted him to honor his grandpa and at least be a factor today. Graham Rahal was right, Seabass should have given him room. All in all, it was an entertaining race that makes me wish Indy was every weekend. Thoughts?

Joel, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

RM: I liked Dale’s enthusiasm and sense of wonderment at some of Indy’s traditions. Rossi has the eye of the tiger and mentality of a 1960s driver at Langhorne. He’s a delight to watch. I doubt he would want to leave IndyCar for some mediocre F1 ride. That was uncharacteristic of Servia and Marco had to have some kind of mechanical trouble to be that uncompetitive at a place he’s usually stout. I just wonder what Seb’s spotter was telling him prior to the contact.

Q: I thought NBC/NBCSN pre-race day overage for the 500 was excellent...but what happened on Sunday? If ABC was Always Bad Coverage, NBC became Nothing But Commercials. The network missed two pit windows and even put ads below the race side window on the side-by-side breaks. The only thing worse was having to suffer through Danica and Dale, listening to her brag about her career (seriously?), and Dale Jr. channeling Gomer Pyle, I kept waiting for a "Golly." I enjoy Townsend and Paul, but NBC needs to keep the NASCAR folks on the NASCAR broadcasts.

I enjoyed the race, but in typical cranky old man fashion, I'm disappointed that the league has taken a sport and turned it into entertainment. Horrible officiating on Sunday, Power gets penalized, but Helio and King don't? Rahal loses a podium finish at Long Beach for blocking, Pagenaud does even worse on the back stretch...no penalty. A red flag? Who punched a hole in the fence? Who was injured bad enough that they required extra time for extrication? It wasn't Sachs/MacDonald, just four car contact. Stopping the race was just as bad as a NASCAR green-white-checker...manufactured drama not racing. They have a red flag, but apparently lost the blue one with yellow stripe, or just forgot to show it for Servia. Yet on the last yellow they send the lapped cars to the back of the field, what kind of sense is that? I think they should let you pick three candidates for it next year and let the fans vote on it.

Napalm Nick, Locust Grove, VA

RM: Danica was hired to talk about her experiences at Indy and that’s what she did, not sure it was bragging per se. Helio was penalized and Power did run over his fueler’s foot so that was the right call. The red flag was the best way to ensure the race wasn’t going to end with only a couple laps and I think most of the crowd agreed with the decision. Not sure how the voting will work but the award isn’t for just writers or broadcasters so there are a lot of candidates who have devoted their lives to the Indy 500 and open-wheel racing.

Q: I hope you’re OK, missed you on the coverage. I had to sell our tickets for this year and missed a good finish in person. I’ll give NBC a “mulligan” on their first Indy. Sorry but it was far less than I expected -- missed pit stops, poor audio and Rutledge? Really? Strike one, my friend!

Skip Ranfone

RM: The ratings were up and the opinions are pretty much divided on the coverage but from what I saw NBC did it’s usual fine job of staying on top of the action.

Earnhardt Jr. was front and center for NBC. Image by IndyCar

Q: Can't say enough good about NBC and NBCSN before and after the race! That is with one exception, where were you Robin Miller? Coverage would have been given a 100% but only gave it 90% without you.

Kris Leach, Three Rivers, MI

RM: We only had four cameramen for our pit reporters and between the booth and NBC desk there were 10 people trying to talk so I was the odd man out.

Q: After seeing Sunday's race broadcast I now know that NBC means "Nothing But Commercials." I shouldn't be complaining because, overall, the coverage over the past two weeks (with NBC Gold) has been superb and is orders of magnitude better than the first (1949) 500 that I can remember. Back then the race broadcast was carried part time on our local radio station. But really, Mike, Danica and Dale Jr. added nothing to the show and dropping them ought to be worth a few less commercials and more time for Leigh, Townsend and Paul plus more of Jon Beekhuis and maybe even you. Where were you anyway?

Rich from Marion, NY

RM: Commercials are a necessary evil and I guess I didn’t notice much difference from any other telecast. I was sitting in the media center watching the show.

Q: I know people have been writing in and bitching about the coverage on NBC. I generally don’t have any complaints. Would I like to have seen every single lap of qualifying? Absolutely, but I understand that IndyCar had to condense the schedule for weather reasons. But even if that were not the case, catching the last three laps of every run, for free, sure as hell was a lot better than being in the dark short of buying a ticket to the show (and the plane to get me there). As far as Danica goes, I could do without her simply so I can stop reading emails in the mailbag from boneheaded morons that will always hold her to an impossible standard. So she wasn’t Scott ^%$@ing Dixon. So what. I don’t care if it was fuel mileage, she won a damn race, which is more than you can say for two or three dozen other flashes in the pan that have come and gone since. Get off my lawn.

Stitch Turner, Gainesville, FL

RM: Believe me, our producer Terry Lingner would love to have a race with no commercials (like NBC Gold) but that’s not realistic. I watched the whole race from the media center and I didn’t think NBC missed anything of importance, except maybe a couple pit stops during a break and one pass for the lead. Not bad in three hours. I get Danica is polarizing but, to your point, she was always good at Indy and her opinion has validity.

Q: For the last 10 years I've thought the ABC Indy 500 broadcasts were mediocre at best, but at least it was on. After watching the NBC all day long multi-show effort, I now realize the yearly Indy 500 ABC broadcasts were downright despicable. Well done to the entire NBC crew!

Mike Gray

RM: I’ll pass along your comments Mike. Just remember: Now Better Coverage.

Q: I didn't see you on the Indy 500 telecast, did NBC decide not to use you for this race? If they did that was a terrible decision, will you be back on TV for the Detroit races?

Greg

RM: I did 90 seconds with Dale and Rutledge about Troy Ruttman on the NBCSN pre-race show and that was it for the day because we only had four cameras. I would have liked to do something for the pre-race show on NBC but the producer they brought in from New York had no use for me. I’ll be at Detroit, probably doing NBC Gold.

Q: We are a season and some change into the UAK-18. I love it for the road and street courses, but not for the ovals. The DW12 with and without the kits really put on some thrilling oval racing. If I had a vote we would stick to the UAK for the road and street courses and allow the teams to utilize the aero kits for the ovals. If the goal is to put on a show and attract fans then we need improvement with the oval package. People went to and tuned into yesterday's race because it was Indy. That same show at Texas or Pocono will not draw accolades.

C.J. Shoemaker

"Restarts are IndyCar’s saving grace at Indy and have been for a long time now." Image by IndyCar

RM: A finish like we saw last Sunday would work anywhere but the problem is that nobody wants to lead the first 150 laps because it doesn’t pay anything and they’re all trying to save fuel. Restarts are IndyCar’s saving grace at Indy and have been for a long time now, so Sunday wasn’t really that different from other Mays.

Q: The Indy 500 was another classic finish. My question is why Whiney Will Power wasn’t given a drive-through penalty under green for hitting his fueler? He also seemed to have run over his air hose. Then Whiney Will complained about Race Control taking the race away from him. I know I have gotten tired of his childish act.

Frank V., Phoenix, AZ

RM: He was sent to the back of the field and that’s a pretty good penalty as tough as it is to overtake without restarts.

Q: Great race, but missed you on the telecast (we only got the NBC Network telecast in Canada so don’t know if you were on NBCSN or other). Have to say this is the best racing product by far as the outcome was really in doubt until the very end. These races are absolutely fascinating with the different strategies involved and the fact there is always unpredictability because of cautions and mistakes that happen that can have a dramatic impact on the finishing order.

Is there an explanation why some cars are very good in qualifying, yet are nowhere once the race begins; is it just a fact the setup for qualy is so different and some cars concentrate on just getting in the race and others on race setup? How much of a factor is driving talent in race conditions versus qualifying? Obviously, the top teams seem on top of the setup for both the qualifying and race, presumably more engineering resources, etc.?

Also, since the teams “share” data and engineers is there a reasonably simple explanation why, for example, Rossi is at the front all day, yet his teammates in equal equipment are nowhere, in particular Marco? I accept that Rossi is a special talent, but the difference seems huge?

Mark Kidson, Toronto

RM: I guess the best explanation is that some teams get it right for qualifying, some get it right for the race and some get both right. Rossi and Bourdais both said it’s all about the car in qualifying while the race is all about handling traffic, adjusting to the changing track conditions, pit stops, in and out laps and restarts. It’s not to say that hanging it out for four laps doesn’t take talent and balls, it’s just that the race is a whole different animal. Good example? Conor Daly drove a great race and got up to fourth before a bad last restart shoved him back to 10th.

Marco Andretti's throwback colors didn't bring good fortune. Image by LAT

Q: What on earth happened to Marco Andretti? He fell like a stone from the moment the green flag fell and couldn’t keep up with the field on any of the restarts.

Max C.

RM: Here’s what Marco said afterwards: “I don't know; we need to look at it, I need to look at it. But I picked a terrible day to have the worst race of my career. I don't know. It's pretty embarrassing. Today was, for sure, the wrong day to have a bad day. I wish I could say more, but we’re just not quite sure yet what happened with the No. 98 car. We came into the day behind from the start and didn’t have what we needed.”

Q: From the renditions of the new safety windscreen, it looks like IndyCar is getting the Halo as well. I'll be politically incorrect -- it looks a hot mess. You can't really see who is in there. One of the joys of being a fan of open-wheel is seeing the helmet of your hero, right there, battling a corner or competitor. A real live person was doing that! We saw Greg Moore, Zanardi, and Vasser plow at 150 mph into the Big Huevos turn in Houston. Your hair stood on end. Hiding the driver in the machine is disheartening. I get it, will shut up now.

Steven Boydstun

RM: Let’s be honest, we haven’t seen the driver since the 1970s and I like the Aeroscreen because it doesn’t take away the integrity of how an Indy car should look. Thank God for the in-car cameras (NBC had 13 at Indy) so we can at least look down in the cockpit and watch the driver at work.

Aeroscreen rendering. Image by IndyCar

Q: Just read Marshall Pruett’s column on the new screen. The look reminds me of Speed Racer’s “Mach Five.” There’s the new name. Seriously. Dario’s input to the article were almost haunting as he spoke of friends he’s lost over the years. I still cringe when I’m reminded of Helio just missing Dixie’s head at the Speedway.

How about calling 2.0 "Solution 99". Wow. How long has Greg been gone and I still get emotional as I recall that afternoon in California.

Brian Bristo

RM: Not sure anything could have saved Greg because of the speed and angle he hit and Justin’s accident was such a fluke because the debris came in like a mortar. Not sure it could have spared Wheldon but it might have given him a fighting chance. All the flying debris is scary and we’re lucky that it hasn’t killed anyone so this is a necessary step in the right direction.

Q: Has anyone taken a look at how qualifying would have gone this year if all the teams that qualified (and attempted to qualify), under this year’s rule had to qualify under a guaranteed spots in the field this year? What teams would have made it into the race this year, and which teams wouldn’t have made it into the race “IF” there had been a guaranteed spots rule? Has anyone taken a look to see how a new rule for guaranteed spots would’ve possibly affected this year’s qualifying? That might show us if it would be a good idea or a bad idea for next year!

Mitch Yanoska, San Jose, CA

RM: Using the Leader’s Circle for 2019, Max Chilton would have been in the race so Oriol Servia, Sage Karam, J.R. Hildebrand, Helio Castroneves, Kyle Kaiser, Pippa Mann, Conor Daly, James Davison, Ben Hanley, Jordan King, Jack Harvey and either Ed Carpenter or Ed Jones would have all had to qualify on speed along with Fernando Alonso. So really not much different than how it ended up.

Q: It’s not really fair to say the fastest 33 didn’t make it. The second day qualifiers had a lot better conditions. Technically you’re right, but I still think it’s the fastest 33. Who do you think was faster? McLaren couldn’t get it done in six tries.

Tim B.

RM: I merely pointed out to all the people screaming about tradition and guaranteed spots that the fastest 33 qualifiers did not compose the 2019 starting grid. And that’s a fact.

Q: Do you have any idea car counts for each team? I was blown away to hear a team like Arrow SPM is pulling parts off qualified cars to assist Hitch for Last Row Shootout. Or having to convert their backup, which is a primary road course car. Do teams not have two oval cars for the biggest race of the year?

Aron Morgan

RM: Arrow SPM was spread pretty thin fielding four cars so they had to rob parts for Hinch’s road race chassis, which became his Indy car. Teams aren’t allowed to have backup engines installed in backup cars but Arrow SPM had Hinch’s spare car pretty ready when he crashed so that’s why it only took them three hours and change to get on the track.

Q: A truism about IndyCar fans was proven once again in the May 22 Mailbag, if everything is good, they can still find something to complain about. NBC did a great job covering all angles of the drama of LCQ (Marshall Pruett was right, call it what was Sunday) and the Fast Nine, it was an amazing day and none of that was lost. But of course the Mailbag is filled with malcontents who have to pounce on the fact that part of a qualifying run was missed due to a commercial. At this point we should be thrilled that anyone is willing to buy time on a TV broadcast of our favorite sport and we didn’t miss an entire run, and if it’s that important to see every corner of every qualifying run you should be at the Speedway, besides you can watch the timing on the IndyCar app no matter what is on TV.

Mike, Milwaukee

RM: I’m not sure it’s possible to please a lot of fans because some of them are so negative about every little thing and you are spot on – be thrilled that NBC wanted IndyCar and is trying to advance it with special programming and eight network races and more promotion than ever before. Jeez, we missed a lap of somebody qualifying? How can we be so callous?

McLaren has vowed to learn from its failure at Indy with Alonso. Image by LAT

Q: I just read the article where Zak Brown vows McLaren will return to Indy. That is heartening and not the least bit surprising. It shouldn’t be a surprise that a proud bunch of racers want the chance to redeem themselves. I’m glad he and the board of directors at McLaren feel the same. I’ll include the other Indy only teams in this thought. I’m aware it’s down to money but it’s a tragedy of modern IndyCar economics that the Indy-only teams can’t find the resources to run another race -- Texas, and or Pocono are obvious choices. Racing at one or both would surely help their program at Indy. Do you know if these teams even bother looking for a bit more budget for this?

Eric Z, Lancaster, NY

RM: I don’t know that the board of directors is all gung-ho to return to Indy but Zak is the driving force and the boss and hopefully he’ll stay that way because I want McLaren in the IndyCar series full-time. I thought McLaren should have at least run the IMS road race just to work out the bugs, practice pit stops and try to get a little chemistry. I don’t know that they considered it.

Q: I’m not sure what people are expecting when they criticize Fernando Alonso for not showing emotion. What do they want? Do they want an angry tirade? Do they want to see him throwing things? Do they want to see tears? Sorry, they’re not going to get any of that. Why? Because he’s the consummate professional. He’s a driver who, when things get intense and crazy, will stay under control and manage the situation well. I’ve been following him for some time, and I can tell you that when others saw what they perceived as an aloof demeanor, I saw a man who was VERY frustrated, but stayed cool because he knew there was nothing to be done about it. Sorry folks, histrionics is just not his style. Oh, and Danica’s getting annoyed with Alonso made me even more annoyed with her than I usually am.

David N. Gawboy, Rosemount, MN

RM: I told Danica that Fernando was pissed and not to confuse that with not caring or being emotionally involved. He’s pure class and a great racer and I certainly hope he comes back to Indy.

Q: Why do you and some of the other people who write the Mailbag call Mr. Alonso Fred? His name is Fernando, he is from Spain and there is no reason to “Americanize” him. I find that quiet disrespectful. The same with trying to give drivers nicknames. Nicknames are something you get when you are young that stick with you, not names to make you feel like an insider with someone you don’t actually know. “JoNew” has to be the most contrived nickname ever. His name is Joseph, it is not that hard to pronounce or write.

Michael Oliver

RM: During the open test I asked Fernando if he minded the moniker “Fred” because it was more of an oval-track name. And then I said we’d make it “Fast Freddie” and he liked the idea. Steve Shunck made some decals and I gave Alonso one after Saturday’s qualifying and he said: “Maybe we should wait until next Sunday to put this on,” showing a sense of humor and also the reality of his situation. As for nicknames, drivers usually get them on their way up or after they’ve made it big and Josef (not Joseph) was always being mistaken for a Swedish native so I just tried JoNew and it really didn’t work. But Rapid Rich (Vogler) and The Gas Man (Tom Sneva) did.

Q: Is it fair to keep talking about McLaren as one of the “giants" in racing? Yes, the team has a storied history…but if the New York Yankees had turned in as many crappy years recently as McLaren has, we’d all be talking about “faded glory” and calling for the roster and management to be blown up and rebuilt from the ground up. Others have come to Indy in recent years and turned in McLaren-like efforts (yes, Lotus in 2012, I’m talking about you…I still think it was a bad idea to have Ashley Judd build the engines instead of John Judd), and were properly hammered for their lack of preparation and performance. Yet, it seemed like many people in the racing media were falling over themselves to not criticize McLaren openly -- perhaps out of fear that criticism might prompt McLaren to not come back to IndyCar in the future. Finally…props to your buddy Anders Krohn for his work in the booth during May. Perhaps he could be teamed with Jon Beekhuis to be “Professor A” and “Professor B.”

Mark Gillespie, Haddonfield, NJ

RM: That’s a very legitimate question because McLaren hasn’t been a power in F1 for more than a decade. But it does have a great history and a name that still resonates globally. But I saw a flock of stories (mine included) that correctly took McLaren to task. It didn’t get personal with any names but I don’t think anybody shied away from criticizing them. Anders is very sharp with a good sense of humor and a pleasure to work with and listening to him is very educational.

Q: Just read on RACER.com that McLaren is returning to IndyCar with a chip on their shoulder. Not unexpected but great to hear. The 103rd running might take a small hit with McLaren’s absence but the long-term winner will be the Indy 500. Way too many traditions and history have been mortgaged to advance agendas so keeping 11 rows of 3 -- regardless -- is nice to see. And McLaren, if they thought they were popular this year, will be amazed by the fan reaction when they return. Racers don’t always win (or qualify) but the best ones keep racing!

Brad, Bloomington, IN

RM: I totally agree. Having McLaren and Alonso in the line-up is good for everyone that cares about IndyCar and I hope both will return in 2020.

Q: I am a huge Rick Mears fan. I’m 50, so when I was a kid, everyone was either A.J. or Mario fans. I jumped on the Mears train when he won in ’79, when I was 10. I was arguing with a pal that at IMS, Rick was better than both A.J. and Mario. His numbers, in a much shorter time period, were staggering. I got the “he had better stuff” argument. I don’t remember A.J. or Mario ever having bad race cars. I told these fools that Uncle Bobby might have been the best at Indy, maybe better than all three. We ended up agreeing that Rick was the smoothest and fastest, A.J. and Mario are the two greatest drivers ever, and Uncle Bobby was one badass driver. What is your take on Mears?

Jamie W from Columbus, Ohio

RM: It’s always a great debate. A.J. Watson said the three best drivers he ever saw at Indy were Parnelli Jones, Troy Ruttman and Bill Vukovich in no particular order. Obviously, A.J., Al Unser and Rick will always be in the Top 5 conversation but then there is Mario and Michael Andretti, who led more laps than most without ever winning. None of the greats did it with bad cars and some like Foyt, Uncle Bobby, Mario and Mears developed their wheels as well as driving them. The Rocket was as smart as he was quick and never wasted motion – either letting the race come to him or grabbing it by the throat.

Did 1991 feature the greatest Indy 500 front row ever? From left: Mario Andretti, third; A.J. Foyt, second; Rick Mears, pole. Image by IMS archive

Q: When the IndyCar series returned to Gateway a few years, I decided to tune in since I grew up down the road from that track. I've been hooked ever since because, in my opinion, IndyCar seems to be the best racing product out there right now. I became a huge fan of Bourdais after that awesome pass at Long Beach! I live in Michigan now and I want to start going to a race each year throughout the Midwest. This year, I am attending my first-ever race and taking my wife and in-laws to the Saturday race in Detroit. What advice would you give a first-timer to make the most of the experience? Also, what should I circle on the calendar for next year?

Tyler Prough

RM: Buy a paddock pass so you can check out the IMSA sports cars as well as the Indy cars and a good seat would be as they brake for Turn 3. Do yourself a favor and head to Road America in 2020.

Q: No disrespect to Pippa Mann but why does she always land a ride and her fellow countrywoman Katherine Legge never gets one? I think Katherine is a much more of an accomplished driver. Also what happened to Carlos Munoz? That guy could drive!

Doug Ferguson, Debary, FL

RM: It’s all about finding money but I think Katherine has found a home in sports cars, while Carlos is one of those talented guys that’s simply fallen through the cracks of IndyCar.

Q: How can the Freedom 100 with 11 cars be much more exciting then any F1 race? Pretty embarrassing for F1, wouldn’t you say?

Fred Kurtz

RM: It’s amazing how good the Lights race is each May with so few cars but F1 doesn’t seem too concerned about a lack of action.

Q: Will the fact that sports betting is coming to IMS force them to increase (finally) the purse of the Indy 500 in order to attract a bigger field, etc.?

Jackson, MS

RM: Not likely. There is no legislation for IMS to get any percentage of the take, as Mark Miles said, the only way for Hulman & Company to reap any monetary gain will be through a promotional partner like Caesar’s or being paid by a tech company to monitor the on-line bets.

Q: Just wanted to take a minute to congratulate you on the Robin Miller Award! I read the article in RACER and was very happy to see this recognition of your years of excellent writing and insight for IndyCar racing and the Indy 500. Thoroughly enjoy all of your articles, the weekly Mailbag, and all your contributions to RACER and NBC's coverage.

Rob Pobiega, Lemont, IL

RM: Thanks Rob, it was a very nice surprise from Mark Miles, Jay Frye, Steve Shunck and Marshall Pruett and very cool of A.J., Mario, J.R. and Uncle Bobby to show up and make it one of the best days of my life. Very flattering, very humbling and very much appreciated.

Q: Congratulations Robin on your award! As someone who has been to 60 consecutive 500s, you have always been a part of my memories of the speedway. Your words have contributed to the mystique of this place. I’ve always appreciated your insight and your stories of my heroes from the past as well as the current generation of drivers. Well done! Will the award always go to a writer?

Joe Weiss, Spooner, WI

RM: Thanks Joe. No, the award is for anyone in the racing fraternity who has devoted their life/profession to the Indy 500, Indy cars and open-wheel racing. It could be someone like Bill Marvel or Jeremy Shaw or Dan Boyd or Roger Penske.

Q: They say that if you manage to make most people mad at you at least some of the time, you must be doing a good job! And as someone who considers themselves a fan of your passionately-written columns over the years and who wore a Robin Miller for President T-shirt to Portland last year -- even though I don’t agree with you all the time -- congrats on the well-deserved IndyCar honor and thanks for giving us armchair experts a spot to make our notions heard weekly.

Trevor Bohay, Kamloops, BC, Canada

RM: Thanks Trevor, appreciate all the years you have contributed to the Mailbag and your passion for IndyCar. The Mailbag is a testament to the fact we’ve got a lot of fans that care – 52 weeks a year. And I’ve made plenty of people mad in 50 years.