Robin Miller's Mailbag for June 12, 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: Just wanted to point out for all of us die-hards who love to bitch over the last few decades that Texas ended with American drivers P1 through P5. The racing was awesome and it was not a pack race. Amazing performance for an American rookie who could have easily won (Herta). Another solid drive from another American rookie (Ferrucci). Great rivalry brewing between two American drivers who are now veterans and have another decade (at least) of racing against each other (Newgarden and Rossi). And even Marco finished in the top 10!

Clint, Chicago

RM: I was getting ready to interview Graham Rahal on NBCSN after the race and he looked up at the scoring tower and said: “Americans sweep the top 5, when’s the last time we saw that? Very cool.” Well the last time, according to NBC stat guru Russ Thompson, was in the next-to-last IRL race of 2001, when it was Jaques Lazier, Sam Hornish, Eddie Cheever, Jeff Ward and Donnie Beechler. Now Wardy was born in Scotland but grew up in California, so I count him as an American. If you don’t count him as a Yank then it was Gateway the race before, with Al Unser Jr., Mark Dismore, Hornish, Cheever and Robbie Buhl.

Q: Scatter-shooting after attending Saturday’s race: Herta made a fan out of me, having the only stones in the field to use the outside of Turns 1&2. Scratching my head why Rossi didn’t at least try it once versus Newgarden in the late stages? Dixon/Herta was a 50/50 deal, but surprised Dixon conceded the way he did and Herta took little to zero fault for it. Much better race than last year, hope everyone enjoyed it. We need more ovals in the series. Aren’t you glad the FIA doesn’t officiate IndyCar?

Aron Morgan

RM: Herta is something else and was the star of the show, but he and Dixie were racing hard, going for the same spot, and it was avoidable but more of a racing accident than anyone’s fault. Rossi would have tried but never got a good enough run going into Turn 1. That b.s. call in the F1 race made me wish A.J. would have been in Vettel’s place, or at least owned his car. Can you imagine that post-race interview and podium ceremony?

Q: I thought the race at Texas was one of the best of the year. Colton Herta was doing some unbelievable passes until the contact with Dixon. What is it about Texas that seems to make exciting racing more often than not?

John Montgomery, Medford, OR

RM: The corners are a little more open than some 1.5-mile ovals and a second groove is usually possible, but Texas seems to bring out the aggression in drivers when it gets dark. And most seemed to think IndyCar’s aero change made for a good show. It wasn’t non-stop passing like the Hanford Device or stuck together like a pack race, you had to get your car working or take some chances (or both) to make passes.

Q: That was other solid race between Herta and Dixon. No one cut the other off, it was a fair fight. Respect to the two that race insane speeds. So to the point, IndyCar is just insanely good, but what do you think about Herta and Dixon?

Paul Angel

RM: I guess Colton could have backed off or Scott could have moved up, but then that kinda defeats the purpose of going for it, doesn’t it?

Rossi v Newgarden: The beginning of a beautiful rivalry? Image by Abbott/LAT

Q: Miller you have preached for years IndyCar needs a big rivalry. Right now it looks like Rossi vs. Penske. That’s OK, but I'm starting to see Rossi vs. Newgarden. It is becoming pretty clear that this will be the championship fight. If Penske is not able to steal Rossi, we could have a long-term rivalry. Newgarden impresses me more and more every week. Yes he drives for the best team, but no matter what issues the team is having, he ends up a factor in the end. I had to go back and re-watch the race again just to understand how he pulled out the win. Yes, it was a great call from the team to get him in position to have a chance, but it was his driving and refuse-to-lose attitude that won it.

I think the front-runners really overlooked him since he had not been running with them throughout the entire race. Very impressed with the rookies. Ferrucci with another great run. Herta, wow, Andretti had better go find some money. Ericsson is starting to find his stride. Lastly, a big shout-out to Conor Daly. I'm sure he is not happy with how the car ran, but to take a car that was not fast enough to qualify for the Indy 500 and finish 11th and only one lap down, that’s like a podium finish in my book. As an IndyCar fan, we can’t ask for much more this season. The racing has been great with plenty of storylines to follow!

J.R. Rouse

RM: That’s why it’s imperative that Rossi stays with Andretti, like I wrote last week – don’t break up the balance of power, and IndyCar needs to hope its current Big 3 lineup stays intact. JoeNew is a threat to win any race, and possesses a great temperament in the car that helps if things are rocky at the start. Daly did a marvelous job under the circumstances, while Ferrucci and Ericsson drove smart and smooth for their first test at Texas.

Q: IndyCar needs to do something to level the playing field. It’s boring for Penske to win all these races, I am tiring of it! Look at Canada, in F1 all you need to do is drive for Mercedes. I don’t understand why they even have races, it appears to me to be terrible waste of resources. In nine races, Penske has five wins. Dominance with a capital D! IndyCar needs to end the custom shocks, dampers, etc. They need to use a single rear wing, because I believe the problem of the cars losing rear grip and backing into wall (on ovals) really hurts the smaller-budget teams. Let’s be smart, a little more downforce is needed. Penske is looking more and more like Mercedes, and it’s pissing me off! Truth be told, everybody hated the IRL before Penske and Ganassi came back and the series became IndyCar, but I really liked the idea anybody could win. Today that’s just b.s.

Mike, Cincinnati

RM: Well we could add two wheels or make all the cars run on Kool-aid and Team Penske is still going to be a dominant factor, because it’s one of the greatest teams in motorsports history and it features three of the best drivers. But please don’t compare IndyCar to F1. Colton Herta won a race with one of the smallest teams, Takuma Sato dominated Barber, and Alexander Rossi could easily have three or four wins so it’s nothing like the Mercedes massacre. And I’m pretty sure a lot of IRL die-hards hated it when Penske and Ganassi abandoned CART for the IRL.

Q: What a year for IndyCar! The rookies are definitely making things interesting competition-wise and are competitive near the finish of the race. Then you throw in guys like Rossi and Newgarden at their peak, these next few years are going to be great! IndyCar really has to find a way to market these rookies and help them retain sponsorship for next year and keep them around. Why wouldn't IndyCar consider doing a doubleheader next year at a track like Texas or a market that they would like to return to, say, Nashville, Kansas, Chicagoland, etc? You could invite potential sponsors, teams that are interested in being in IndyCar and engine manufacturers. OK, we would be a support race, but think of it as a way to market your series more and poach a few more fans from NASCAR, or gain new fans when they can see drivers like Herta, Rossi, and Ferrucci make insane passes like we saw at Texas.

Don, Milwaukee, WI

RM: Probably can’t do a doubleh-eader next year but maybe by 2021, and it would be good for both series. IndyCar can’t really control whether drivers keep their rides and sponsors unless it would pay teams to keep status quo, and that’s not going to happen. I think the last time IndyCar spent money on a driver is when Tony George paid Al Unser Jr. to come to the IRL in 2000.

Q: What are your thoughts on Santino Ferrucci?

Scott Gibson

RM: Nice kid, fearless and pretty damn talented.

There's a lot more to him than a spicy haircut. Image by LePage/LAT

Q: What a great race on Saturday night. Someone needs to show Sato where the brake pedal is located – still a big fan of his. Then you had all the young stallions showcasing their talent – if you’re older than 30, look out guys, they are coming after you. You have to give Conor credit for running a good race and finishing only one lap down, not bad for a one-off deal. (Someone please give this guy a competitive full-time ride). Passing all night long for every position… what more could anyone ask? Glad you are getting more face time on TV both Friday and Saturday.

Kevin C.

RM: That was the old Sato (remember Pocono a few years ago when he slammed into RHR in the pits) but not the one who has been driving so smart and so well these past few years. He just badly overshot his pit, and fortunately the crewman wasn’t badly injured. I enjoyed the race, and the rookies shined again.

Q: The Texas race was a lot of fun, and was run at a blistering pace. The battles between Dixie and RHR up front and Rossi and Hinch for P3 made the first half of the race fun, and then the crashes started and Newgarden's crew gave him the position he needed to compete for his win. This made for an extremely fun chase for position back to P5, with Herta in the mix. Rossi made what could be the greatest save I've ever seen. I was listening to his scanner frequency during the near-collision. He hollered "Holy ___!" and meant it. Rossi was testing out an outside pass to eke out a photo finish win, but by four to go, it was clearly Josef's race. All in all, it was still memorable.

Also I would like to praise TMS as a terrific facility, with outstanding staff. TMS is extremely fan-friendly, especially letting everyone onto the track and into the pits and garage area after the end of race. That being said, the annual Texas race has always been appointment television for me in the past because of the wild two and three-wide racing, enough to motivate me to finally fly in from Chicago to see it in person this year. But this and last year's races were not that at all. This Texas race reminded me more of Iowa Speedway races, where a handful of dominant cars start putting the lesser cars laps down before 15-20 green flag laps in.

I enjoy the racing at Iowa, don't get me wrong, but I was hoping for an insane two- and three-wide Texas classic, and instead got an entertaining and competitive race, but not exactly what I was hoping for. So can we as fans ever expect to see the classic pack racing at Texas again?

Andrew McNaughton, Chicago

RM: Hard to say, everyone seems satisfied with Saturday’s aero package that rewarded good setups and big balls. It doesn’t have to be a pack race to be exciting, as you said and as we saw, so between Firestone and IndyCar it looks like they hit upon a good combo. Rossi’s reaction was instantaneous, and his in-car camera told the story.

Q: There’s been a lot of speculation about where Alexander Rossi may be driving in 2020 and about his career in IndyCar long term. He is Penske perfect. I was wondering if Roger wanted to sign him, what if any obstacles exist in departing Andretti considering he’s a Honda driver and Penske runs Chevys? I’m not sure who writes Rossi’s paycheck -- Honda or the team? Hypothetically, do you see any scenario where Chip Ganassi gets tired of Felix Rosenqvist crashing and not performing well in the number No. 10 to want Rossi in that seat?

Geoff Roberts, Unionville, Canada

RM: We all thought Rossi could be destined for Penske’s third seat until Pagenaud returned to form in May, and The Captain isn’t going to run four cars (except at Indy) so that scenario is gone. I imagine Chip could be interested, but why would Alexander want to leave Andretti? It’s now his team and Honda loves him, so I imagine between Michael, Honda and NAPA, they will do everything possible to keep him at Andretti Autosport.

Q: For quite some time, I’ve wondered why IndyCar allows tire changers to get out on pit lane and kneel down prior to their car’s arrival in the pit box. This seems dangerous as hell to me, and a senseless exposure of the tire changers to unnecessary risk. There was good luck all around at Texas Saturday night when Sato plowed through his pit box and took out one of his tire changers. It’s amazing and very lucky that his injuries seemed minor. Why not change the rules and require tire changers to remain on pit wall until the car is stopped?  It would slow the stop a little, but would be the same for everyone.  It seems like that would be a much safer approach and it doesn’t cost a penny!

Greg in Brown County

RM: That is a great question, and an even better suggestion. When I worked on Indy pit crews in the '70s we weren’t allowed to go over the wall until the car stopped and those were the days of no pit speed limit, so it made a lot of sense. It’s insane to have crewmen kneeling and at the mercy of drivers searching for their pit or trying to slow down or trying to turn into their pit box. Totally unnecessary, and IndyCar needs to change the procedure before someone gets killed.

Q: There are currently nine drivers on the "Big 3" teams. If we're only looking at drivers that aren't rookies or named Marco Andretti (zing!), that leaves seven drivers. Of those, six of them are in the top seven places in the point standings. The remaining driver is down in 19th place, and that driver is Zach Veach. If he doesn't start putting in some good performances, will he be on the way out? He had a few good runs late last year, but other than that I can't figure out why he's occupying such a nice seat unless he brings a lot of money.

Mike Foster

RM: First off, he’s got a good three-year sponsorship and this is year two, so he’s sticking around. Secondly, he’s had a few mistakes from trying too hard this year, but he’s had some good runs and is getting quicker. Hell, it’s only his second season so let him get some experience.

Veach has plenty of talent, and is still learning to put it all together on race weekends. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: Thanks for all the great coverage, and good to hear from one who has been following long before I started to watch CART/IndyCar back in the early '90s. Why is there no catch fencing on the inside wall running parallel to the pit lane at IMS? When a tire was hit in the pit lane during the recent Indy 500, it could have easily jumped the wall onto the track - yikes! Conversely, debris or even a car on track could easily jump the wall into the pit lane. Nobody uses pit lane boards anymore, and it doesn't seem to make any sense. IMS has spent millions on upgrading safety at the track so they must have a great explanation or reason why this hasn't been installed. If not, IMO this is a terrible and easily preventable accident just waiting to happen.

Dean Hirasawa, Toronto, Canada

RM: Totally agree. There should be a catch fence on the pit wall like was used for MotoGP and there should also be something similar and even stronger behind the pits, because if a tire ever gets punted into the crowd it will kill someone. And if a car makes it into the Tower Terrace section, turn out the lights. Indy has been so lucky through the years that nothing like this has ever happened, so quit tempting fate and do something about it. I don’t care if you have to remove the first 10 rows of Tower Terrace, it could prevent a disaster.

Q: I sometimes make the mistake of wading into the sewer and reading the comments at the end of a RACER article. The amount of complaints about the coverage of Leigh Diffey and Paul Tracy are just not to be believed. Does anybody remember that dynamic duo of Goodyear and Cheever and the coverage on ABC? Not a question I guess, but to all those complainers, I just have to say “enough already.” NBC, NBC Gold, and Diffey, Tracy, and Bell are a godsend. IndyCar fans can’t seem to help themselves. You could hand them $100 and they’d complain it wasn’t $200. I know you work with them, but what’s not to like?

Justin, Park City

RM: They’ve got chemistry, knowledge, they stay on top of the races and they aren’t afraid to argue with each other about a crash or a rule. And they all care. It shows.

Q: Another great finish at TMS. My question is about the extension of the contract for an additional four years. It seems the history of TMS and Eddie Gossage included keeping an IndyCar race out of COTA with a threat of ending the association with TMS. Now that it happened, and appears to be a success, it seems against the prevailing thought IndyCar would get an extension at TMS. Any thoughts on the matter?

Tom in Waco

RM: All I know is that Texas is big and there’s plenty of room for two races of different disciplines, and I’m glad TMS and COTA are on the schedule for the foreseeable future.

Q: Hey Miller, hope you are doing well. Traveling yesterday, I saw Scott Dixon at the Detroit airport. It surprised me that he flies commercial. Wouldn't Chip move his best driver on his personal jet? I didn't approach him because I believe in their personal space, but Dixie was gracious and friendly to the people who recognized him. Classy guy.

Jon Jones, Oologah, OK

RM: Sometimes Dixie flies on Chip’s plane and sometimes Scott charters a plane for his family and takes along another driver or two, but commercial is simply more feasible for certain races. And, yes, he’s a world-class driver and person.

Q: Huge congrats on the award you received honoring your contributions to IndyCar. That photo of you surrounded by racing's elite (Mario Andretti, Johnny Rutherford, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Unser) with those shirts is one for the ages. Speaking of Foyt, one of the things that makes IndyCar great is how often small teams can get to victory lane, so can you help us understand why Foyt drivers rarely get to the podium? From the outside, it looks like the team has everything it needs: ABC Supply is the most steadfast and reliable sponsor in the paddock, A.J. is one of the greatest drivers of all time, and they have a former Indy 500 champ behind the wheel in Tony Kanaan. But I see only two victories in any race since Kenny Brack won the Indy 500 in 1999, and most drivers don't seem to stay there more than a year or two. What do smaller teams like SPM and Dale Coyne have that Foyt Enterprises doesn't?

William in LA

RM: Man, William, if I knew that answer I’d have given it to Larry and A.J. a long time ago. You’ve got veterans like Eric Cowdin, George Klotz and now Scott Harner, but something is definitely missing. T.K. has always been a better oval-track driver than road racer, but like he said at COTA, “I’m not three seconds slower than Dixie,”. And Matheus started out in the Fast 6 as a rookie, so don’t think it’s the drivers. I asked A.J. if splitting the team was the problem, and he said absolutely not. Thankfully I think ABC Supply loves A.J. regardless of the results, but I know everyone on the team is embarrassed with this year’s lack of performance.

Everyone agrees that Foyt is missing something – but what? Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: My wife and I are attending Road America this year. Total cost for two GA tickets + camping + fees = $382. And that is with the $100 weekend early-bird ticket special! If we bought our tickets this week when prices go up, we would pay over $450. For comparison, that's more than double the cost of our 2018 trip to Mid-Ohio (two GA tickets + camping + fees = $220). Tell George B. that if he wants to sustain the big crowds, they need to rethink these prices. It is a rip-off to charge people for a weekend ticket ($140) and a campsite ($40), and then charge them another $65 for a "camping wristband." I love Road America, but it is hard to justify those kinds of prices when there are other great options for half the price within driving distance.

Justin in Indy

RM: I’ll forward your message, but does the wristband also serve as a pit or paddock pass?

Q: Great to see you are doing well. Why did Mark Miles have to open his mouth and throw shade on a possible IndyCar/NASCAR double-header? It's obvious this guy could care less what the fans want. He is a total zero in that regard. He may be a great businessman, but if you don't pay attention to your fans, you won't have a series to run. The series has such momentum there is no need for his negativity. For all the good he has done (hiring Jay Frye), he has done equally stupid $^*! (ie: double-points and ending the season in September). They shouldn't let him talk to the media.

I know you and the RACER boys love Colton Herta, and he's most definitely the future of the sport, but it seemed to me he was tick over-aggressive with his move on Scott Dixon. I realize Dixon took the blame (and the high road, I might add) but the view on NBCSN showed Herta down on the white line on the apron where he lost grip and pushed up into Dixon, who could have given him more room. Hopefully his father or his team talked to him about how if you're going to make that move – you need to make it clean or wait a lap when you have that good a car. I'm sure his sponsors (and his team) would have preferred seeing him on the podium and not on the wrecker. I know he's young and aggressive, but it looked to me like Rossi let the kid go because he knew it spelled trouble. Smart move by Rossi.

Scott St. Clair, Erie, PA

RM: I didn’t read the story but I can assure you that NBC, Jay and NASCAR have talked about a double-header and it’s far from being a done deal or being off the table. Not sure why Mark wouldn’t want something that could raise the profile of IndyCar, so I’ll ask him this week. Double-points suck, but I think he inherited that edict. Young racers make bold moves and it would have been nice if both drivers gave a little, but they didn’t so that’s racing. Good, hard racing. And little Hertamania isn’t like any teenager I’ve run across since Kyle Larson.

Q: Would it be practical and/or financially feasible to have a Sunday Labor Day weekend race at the Speedway? Maybe a shorter race so that it doesn't dilute the 500. Make it a 300-mile race. Call it The Indy 300. The Speedway is still by far the most exciting place for open wheel racing.

Bill, Nashville, TN

RM: Don’t think so. Two IndyCar races there are too many, so adding another would further dilute the mystique of IMS.

Q: What happened to the digital display panels on the cars Saturday night at Texas? All they displayed were the car numbers instead of position and pit times during the race. Why can't IndyCar get these panels to work consistently?

Dave Rinehart, Austin, Texas

RM: It’s not IndyCar’s fault, but the company that makes them is obviously having issues and has for a couple years.

Q: Jay Howard and Max Chilton are respectable racers. Chilton led a ton of laps at Indy in 2017 so I don't think fear is an issue, but he is stepping away from ovals. What is the temperature of the paddock on speeds, especially at Texas? What about a radical approach -- has IndyCar ever thought about testing a car with non-ground effects floor, compliant suspension and only enough wing to balance the car? I'm thinking it is time to give a different approach a chance...at least for a try. Prayers for Shabral and Marshall.

Rich in SC

RM: I haven’t heard anyone complain about speeds at Texas. I mean it’s hold-your-breath watching it and plenty hairy at times in traffic for drivers and I think they’re all glad its only once a year. But I think everyone is fairly satisfied with the aero package and the current car. The Pruetts appreciate all the support.

Q: Not surprised by Chilton’s decision. I seem to recall in a prior Mailbag you mentioning he did not like running on ovals. He gave kudos to the new driver screen coming in 2020, so do you sense he is willing to run ovals next year, or is this more of a permanent decision? Also, can’t fail to notice how much he is out-paced by O’Ward every week.

Don Weidig

RM: I think Max is fine with Indianapolis and could be back in 2020, but wasn’t wild about Texas or Pocono. Pato out-paces a lot of people.

Q: I'm trying to figure out what happened between this year and last year that would make Max Chilton step away from ovals. It's his life and his choice, but he was showing such promise on ovals, especially at Indy. I'm glad for Conor and I hope he has some good results, because I think he deserves a full-time ride.

Jim Otte, Speedway, IN

RM: Some believe it was Wickens’ accident; I don’t know because I haven’t asked Max yet. But if you’re not comfortable or confident, then walking away is pretty damn smart. Conor’s performance at Texas was almost as impressive as his Indy run when you look at the circumstances.

Racing on ovals requires tremendous bravery. So does admitting that you'd rather not do it. Image by LAT

Q: With Max Chilton stepping away from oval racing, presumably for safety reasons, my brother-in-law and I got into a discussion about the 2001 CART race at Texas that was cancelled. Has oval racing become too risky? Was that line crossed at TMS in 2001 with drivers reporting dizziness and disorientation due to speeds and g-forces? Or was something else going on? What are your recollections and interpretations of what went on that weekend at the Firestone Firehawk 600 at Texas Motor Speedway in 2001?

Lloyd Worley

RM: Oval-track racing has always been risky, that’s part of the attraction, and a 235 mph a lap at Texas was insanity. My recollections were watching Mo Gugelmin crash in Turn 2 and wind up in Turn 4, and then Cristiano da Matta did almost the same thing. The g-forces were more jet pilot than race driver, and Dr. Steve Olvey stepped in and got the race cancelled. I know Eddie Gossage and TMS were understandably pissed, but CART actually got great PR for putting the drivers’ safety first.

Q: Robin, the last two years have been the best-looking cars since the mid-'90s, and they look like an IndyCar. They lost me after the unification and I was depressed with the way the DW12 looked. This windscreen/halo will ruin IndyCar again. It is plain ugly, and I can't go back to F1 because they screwed up that formula forever. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. Racing will always be dangerous, but this is severe over-eaction. Don't you think IndyCar is playing follow the FIA again? What a shame. This lifelong fan will no longer watch.

Martin P.

RM: I was worried this new safety enhancement would compromise how an IndyCar should look, but I was pleasantly surprised. Nobody is any more old-school than I am, but IndyCar had to address the head protection issue and it’s not going to have any bearing on the racing.

Q: You had a letter from a guy named John Love last week, listing race lap times and which engine was in the car…

"Only nine cars had a race lap over 225 mph, seven of them were Honda-powered. The six best race laps were all set by Hondas. The fastest lap of the race, and the only 226 lap, was set by a Honda. Rossi’s best lap was 225.759 mph. Pagenaud’s fastest race lap was 224.264, a difference of 1.495 mph in Rossi’s favor. Thirteen cars had faster race laps than Pagenaud. Power’s best was just 223.7 and Newgarden’s best was 223.4. Rossi had a 0.529s advantage or roughly 8-10 car lengths after passing Pagenaud with less than three laps to go, suggesting that Pagenaud gained through and off the corners to help set up the draft and final pass. If the Chevys had so much more power, why didn’t any of the top Chevy runners post faster race laps? I suspect that the full data picture will show Pagenaud was more consistent and had a better-handling car."

My theory? Penske has been running nitrous for years. How do you explain the sudden burst (it was like he was shot out of a cannon, for God's sake!) for Sam Hornish when he overhauled Marco? This was more of the same. I personally think it's radio-controlled from the pits, and a self-contained unit inside the fuel cell. Undetectable. No wires. Remotely-operated. Transmitter in Turn 4, most likely. Something has to explain how they get from Turn 4 to the line so fast, more than drafting. Somebody check that walkie-talkie the spotter carries up in Turn 4?

Bill Bailey, Fresno

RM: I never comment on nitrous until I have a chance to speak with A.J. and he was out on his bulldozer Monday when I called him, so I really have no comment. But Marco backed way off on that last lap in 2006, and that’s what cost him the race. And a lot of people thought Sato’s Honda must have had nitrous in it those last 10 laps at Indy because he came out of nowhere. I love conspiracy theories, but yours is out there. I’ll check with Super Tex and report back next week.

Q: I have tried to research this, but couldn't find the answer. Were points awarded for this year's Indy 500 qualifying results other than to the pole winner? If so, what was the point distribution, and if not, how many points did pole winner Pagenaud earn?

Don Hinkle, Indianapolis, IN

RM: Mercifully, Jay Frye got rid of all those ridiculous points for qualifying (42 for the pole) and now it only rewards the Fast 9 so Simon earned nine points (it pays 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1).

Q: Is there any evidence in your opinion that Michael Andretti is a "bigger name" than A.J. Foyt as far as driving is concerned? Was Foyt capable of turning right on a race course? Does Foyt have any credentials that would place him in consideration as one of the GOATs, and does Michael Andretti's driving accomplishments also place him in that league?

Al from CA

RM: No. It’s A.J., Mario, Parnelli and Dan Gurney as far as Mount Rushmore for American racers in my opinion. A.J. was a good road racer, teaming with Gurney to win Le Mans in 1967, and was always quick in USAC and sports car road races. His GOAT credentials? How about 67 IndyCar wins, seven IndyCar driving titles, winning the Daytona 500, being a badass in midgets and sprints, and taming Langhorne? Michael was a helluva IndyCar driver, probably one of the top 10 of alltime, but Super Tex was one of the most versatile – ever.

Q: I will be attending my first IndyCar race this year in Portland. I’m 71 and my first race hero was Bill Vukovich. Who in your opinion is the best all-around IndyCar driver now? I’m a fan of Rossi since he is from my neck of the woods. Would you talk about the physical strain of back-to-back road courses after Indy? How do the little guys do it? Veach, as an example. I think Simon was gassed.

Mike Conley, Sacramento

RM: Dixon, followed closely by Rossi, Newgarden, RHR, Power, Seb, Pagenaud, Rahal and being hotly pursued in the not-too-distant future by Herta and O’Ward and maybe Ferrucci. Detroit is a physical track, but I saw more drivers suffering last Saturday night after 150 laps of green at Texas. And they’re all in great shape.

Doesn't matter whether he's on the track, off the track or in a fountain: Dixon's a class act. Image by IndyCar

Q: Enjoyed the Mario biography on NBC leading up to the 500. Are there any plans to continue doing those types of programs for the other drivers of that era? A.J., JR, Gordy, the Unsers... If not, I think you need to pitch it to your bosses, especially since we can't get you to write a book. A Robin Miller hour-long individual interview with these guys would be awesome. Certainly NBC could work in a lot of archival footage. It would be a great filler in the event of rain storms or red flags.

Napalm Nick, Locust Grove, VA

RM: I like your idea so let’s see if I can sell it. I know we’ve already got a 90-minute special on A.J. and I touring the IMS museum, and he talks about every car he raced. You will love that.

Q: Hope the F1 farce in Montreal never happens in IndyCar! How's this Harding Steinbrenner Racing line-up for 2020? Vettel, Alonso & Herta!

Tony, NY

RM: I don’t think IndyCar would ever be stupid enough to take away a victory for the leader fighting for control while he slides across the grass – it’s called racing. But Scott Goodyear did come across the finish line first in 1995 at Indy without getting the win after being black-flagged for passing the pace car. Great lineup, but where are you going to get $30 million to pay the first two’s salaries?

Q: Congrats on getting the lifetime achievement award at Indy. You love your job(s) and it shows! Question about the two-seater: does it have wing adjustments? Has Mario ever taken you for a ride?

Jim McGlynn

RM: Thanks, I’ve always had the greatest job you could want. The two-seater is an IndyCar so it’s got most of the adjustments offered to a current car. I was lucky enough to ride with Mario around Laguna Seca in 1999 when it was an elongated Reynard/Honda with lots of HP. Montoya was sitting on the pit wall and kept saying: “He’s going to scare the ^%$# out of you” and I kept saying, ‘No, I did that at Winchester and Salem when I was racing in USAC, this is one of the greatest drivers of all-time and it will be a blast.’ Of course it was, and I think we went quicker than a CART driver who was relieved of his license the next day. I just wish all the mechanics and engineers could have taken a lap there with Mario to experience the accelerating, braking and what the car feels like at speed.

Q: How do you not drink after doing the Mailbag all this time? I’ve never seen so much bitching. People -- NBC has a business to run and face it, IndyCar is a niche sport in the real world; weather happens; if you think Marco can’t drive, re-watch the slicks out-lap tape; and Race Control is a contradiction in terms. That said, two good thoughts from this latest whine-fest -- a regular Robin “Apparently Not Ready For Prime Time” Miller show on Gold Pass, and a full-season contract for that badass Detroit chopper pilot.

David Spear

RM: I don’t drink but I’ve considered starting on about Hour 6 of certain Mailbags, but most of the time it’s fun to interact with fans and hear their opinions or theories. Sure the bitching gets old sometimes, but I guess that’s part of our public forum. That helicopter pilot was a badass, and Marco on slicks in the rain was some badass car control.

Q: I’m glad people care enough to write to the Mailbag but, oh my God! I’ve only read three of 10 pages so far in June 5th’s Mailbag and I want to strangle several writers. I too got caught out by the first race in Detroit because of the weather. TFB for me. When I realized what happened, I read about it, then I watched what I had. NBC did what they could with the broken eggs they had. None of us should have a problem with how things were handled. Learn a new phrase – that’s the way it goes, or TWIG for short.

If a race has a fair amount of commercials, guess what? That’s good! It means ad people are spending money because they think people are watching IndyCar racing. It’s no worse than any other sport. Marco came up in last week’s rants too, and the guy made solid points. He always seems to have memorable races in Detroit and his name has $$ clout $$ but, really, it’s way overdue for him to step away from full time racing and be an Indy-only driver. Look at what Conor Daly did at Indy, and what he does in his patchwork appearances. Give Marco’s ride to Daly for 2020. I won’t ask what his chances are for replacing Marco, because I know the answer. I’m glad Daly had a ride at Carlin for Texas. What are the odds he’s going to be in the Carlin car for the rest of the ovals?

Eric Z, Lancaster, NY

RM: I truly don’t know what people expect when the weather is so violent and unpredictable like it was in Detroit. And I’m numb to commercials in any sporting event, but can IndyCar be any worse than most? As for Marco, he’s the conundrum of the past decade and I have no explanation, because he does have talent and car control, but lacks the hunger of Daly, who did an excellent job at Texas. I would hope he gets to run Pocono and Gateway, but it could come down to money for Trevor Carlin.

Daly impressed under tricky circumstances in Texas. But will he get another shot? Image by LePage/LAT

Q: Just now reading this week’s Mailbag, my first-thing-every-Wednesday favorite website. What caught my eye was this from “James, Columbus, Ohio”: What about weekly Robin show on NBC Gold? I am sure many fans would sign up for that! Personally, I’d happily pay $10-20 per month for a weekly 30-minute Robin Miller videocast, and there may be many, many more racing fans that would do the same. I know from personal experience the demands such an effort would place on you, as well as on lots of others who would be required to produce, edit, distribute, etc, etc. And perhaps, all things considered, it might be more than you’d care to deal with at this stage of your life and career. But perhaps it’s something to consider. I’m all in!

Chuck Lynch, Greenville, SC

(76 years and counting)

RM: Sounds like fun, and talking requires little effort; we’d just have to see if NBC was game and if we could do it without involving a bunch of people or money. Maybe a weekly podcast of great Indy moments or something like that I could do from my home. Thanks for your support.

Q: It is sounding like Pocono's future is up in the air (again). What gives? It seems like attendance has trended up the last few years, it is sponsored, and starting next year Pocono Raceway will only have one racing weekend with the Cup double-header. It seems like it should be a sure thing. Do the drivers not want to be there anymore? If Richmond comes back I was hoping it would be an additional oval, not a replacement for our only other 500-mile superspeedway race. What chance do you think it has?

Dennis C., Streamwood, IL

RM: I don’t think anything has changed with Pocono, it’s going to come down to whether it wants to continue hosting and if IndyCar wants to keep racing. If Richmond is added then that could change things, but still too early to tell. And I would change it to 400 miles with only 22-23 cars. But I haven’t heard any negative complaints from the drivers.

Q: A couple of dreams of mine that I know won’t come true, but I’d love to hear your opinion on: 1. Can we pretty please go back to Fontana? Great track, great racing, perfect place to end the season. 2. Can we pretty please bring Watkins Glen back? In my humble opinion, the best racetrack in North America, and it certainly deserves a place on the calendar. 3. Can we swap Colton Herta and Marco Andretti? Everyone needs to get real about how every year it’s gonna be “Marco’s year.” No it won’t. It will never be his year. If he wants to run in the middle of the field for three more years that’s fine, but let Andretti Autosport put that No. 98 in the hands of someone who can actually do something worthwhile in it. 4. McLaren team up with Harding and Andretti to run a full-season car in a similar capacity to how they run Harding now. If that gives Andretti too much power, let them do a Harding-type deal with Ganassi. Throw Alonso in for a season or two, then get someone young and exciting like O’Ward or even someone from across the pond to groom into a champion. 5. Three-wide starts at Pocono. Maybe that’s supposed to be just for the Indy 500, but the track is definitely wide enough and it would be pandemonium. 6. Get one NASCAR driver and one IndyCar driver to do the double in the same year. Cross-promote the hell out of it, benefit both series enormously. 6. One weekend of NASCAR and IndyCar sharing the same track. Again, cross-promotion, huge spikes in attendance, everyone wins.

Max Camposano, Moraga, CA

RM: Fontana likes IndyCar, but only at night in the fall when it’s cooler. The Glen likes IndyCar as well, but fans don’t seem to like it enough. Michael might add Colton sometime soon, but Marco co-owns the car and isn’t going anywhere. Alonso has no interest in running the full season, and Zak Brown said the other day to RACER’s Chris Medland that McLaren needs to get Indy right before thinking about a full season. If you only have 22 or 23 cars, you don’t need a three-wide start at Pocono because you may quickly have 11 cars for 500 miles. Remember the U.S. 500 in 1996? Better chance having an IndyCar/NASCAR double-header.

Q: People seem to be upset with the shortened race one at Detroit. I was there, and waited out the storms to see a pretty darned good race! As you mentioned, they had to wait out several periods of lightning and empty the grandstands – that weather was severe. But what many people don't realize is that weather radar showed another significant storm arriving after 6:00 p.m. It ended up just being more rain, but it looked like another significant weather event for a while. (We die-hards who waited things out watched enough weather apps to be amateur meteorologists!). So they squeezed the race into the window between storms, and did a very good job of it.

In typical Detroit GP fashion, the event workers and volunteers were extremely helpful, and kept everyone informed and safe. I'm glad that Sunday was a much nicer day, but do people not realize what IndyCar and NBC were up against on Saturday? I'll have to say I was disappointed with NBC's coverage of Indianapolis, although I think they can (and will) improve. They had very little pit road coverage or interviews -- for a while, I really thought they had no reporters on pit road. I didn't watch every minute, but I never saw any historical perspectives, technical features, or stories that explain what makes Indy great, and different from other races. No historical films (maybe due to ownership rights by ABC), no features/interviews with the Unsers/Foyt/Mears, no stories about the Clauson team and Bryan's career and life, no features about the technical innovations at Indy. Did I miss them?

And the pit booth with Tirico/Patrick/Earnhardt just felt like a NASCAR gimmick, and it needs to go away. I don't want to be reminded of NASCAR while watching the race. I actually thought Tirico was good, but they gave him no real role. Next year, I would like to see way fewer broadcasters, way more pit road coverage, and the inclusion of features by people who know and care about Indy – people like yourself. NBC has a lot of potential, but Indy was certainly not their best effort.

Tom Pate, Macomb, MI

RM: In between rain and lightning IndyCar and NBC tried to figure out how to get the first race run so the teams wouldn’t face two on Sunday and they pulled it off, albeit not satisfactory to many people because they truly don’t know or care what the circumstances were. I wish NBC would have used some historical features and let me host them, but maybe next May.

Neither of these people are Robin Miller. Image by IndyCar

Q: I discovered your weekly Mailbag a couple months ago and have enjoyed reading through it ever since! This is my first time sending a question. I’ve been to a handful of 500s, the Indy GP and the Detroit GP, but will be going to Mid-Ohio for the first time this year. I am looking into tickets for the race and wanted to know your thoughts on the best places to sit around the track. Is there any good racing around grandstands, or are there any areas in the infield you’d recommend we check out? We are also considering getting a weekend pass, so any recommendations for restaurants or things to do in the area would be appreciated.

JP, Fort Wayne, IN

RM: The grandstand by Turns 2-3 sees lots of passing, but one of Mid-Ohio’s best features is that people can walk around and see many different parts of the track. The best restaurant (hands down) in Mansfield is Rocky’s, and you’ll probably see Mario having clams and a steak. The best drive-in is on outskirts of Lexington is BJ’s, and has killer sloppy Joes that A.J. loves.

Q: As we head into the heart of the IndyCar season, what impresses me most about the series is the passion the drivers have for what they are doing. How about this quote from Sage Karam, who was fighting back tears after qualifying for the 500: "Just to race in this race, you’re one of 33 humans walking this earth that get the privilege of taking the green flag, and I don’t take that for granted.” Or how about the post-race interview with Rossi where you could tell he was absolutely gutted to finish second. Then there was Pagenaud, holding his head high through all the struggles and bad finishes, who put on the drive of his career to win the 500. None of the drivers, from the veterans to the rookies, take anything for granted in this series. It is the best series in the world where everyone can compete and you never can predict who the winner will be. Thank you IndyCar and drivers for giving us a real racing series that is a pleasure to watch.

Rick Schneider, Charlotte

RM: Thanks for your perspective.