Robin Miller's Mailbag for July 17, 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: What, in your opinion, has happened with Simon Pagenaud and Will Power? Pagenaud who looked very weak and faced speculation about being dropped by Penske after last season, is delivering powerhouse wins, while Will Power, dependably up front for years, is qualifying and racing poorly – at least by his exalted standards. What's up?

Anthony Jenkins, Mono, Ontario

RM: Racing is all about confidence and being in a groove, and right now those two are at opposite ends of that spectrum. Simon struggled last year and lost his mojo and was certainly in danger of not being re-upped before last May’s command performance. Now he’s driving like he did in 2016-2017, and is right back in the title picture. If Power won COTA (he dominated before the caution and subsequent mechanical failure), who knows what this season would look like? I do think he’s pressing, which is only natural when your teammates are kicking ass. But he’ll snap out of it. He’s too good not to.

Q: Would appreciate your perspective on what the pressure to win must be like for guys fortunate enough to drive for RP? Going all the way back to the days of PT and “Coogan,” I’d have to think it must be enormous? Could Power be feeling it, especially these days, given the uncharacteristic mistakes he’s been making? (Have to add how impressed I am with the way he is accepting responsibility for them; didn’t often see that level of maturity from him in years past.)

David Spear

RM: Will and I were talking Friday about pressure and he welcomes it, citing that you can never get complacent – especially driving for The Captain. The expectations for Team Penske are always to win and then keep winning. Cogan was doomed after blaming the car in 1982 at Indy, while P.T. handled that Penske pressure, they just weren’t a good match – like Sneva and R.P. But Power handled the pressure of not winning a title or Indy and kept fighting until he did. I think there’s a big difference between pressing and not responding to pressure. Will is the former right now.

Don't worry, he's fine. Image by IndyCar

Q: The 2019 race season started with a real buzz around the health and growth of the series.  With new teams and drivers joining, or considering the series, the excitement was likely at its highest mark in years – maybe decades.

However, the reality of how competitive IndyCar is, and specifically the Big 3 teams, has likely slowed or even defeated this early excitement. While there have been a few breakthroughs with the new or “newish” teams (Herta/Harding Steinbrenner at COTA, Harvey/Meyers Shank at Indy Grand Prix) there have been many more setbacks, in my opinion (Pato O’Ward losing funding at Harding Steinbrenner, then missing 500 with Carlin and finally funding at Carlin, Alonso missing 500 with McLaren, Ben Hanley/DragonSpeed not racing at Road America – a track they announced they would race at this year. I think I even read that Oriol Servia secured funding for extended racing with Stange racing but they have been absent from all races since Indy).

I would love your assessment of these new teams.  Can they stay healthy and continue to grow? Will we see some retreat and leave IndyCar? Inversely, are there other teams that may be considering the series for 2020?

Don Leeke

RM: I still think the best thing about the series is the uncertainty of who is going to win the pole and the race. I realize Team Penske now has won six of 11 races, but there have been seven different winners and nice surprises like Ferrucci and Ericsson. Herta alone has been enough to keep us interested, and losing Pato was a blow, but he might be back. Of course there always is a chance of losing and adding teams, but way too early to make any predictions on that front.

Q: Love the work you and the crew do on NBC. I have a question about the blue flag procedure for IndyCar. I watch both F1 and IndyCar and have noticed that one of the few things that Formula 1 does better than IndyCar is getting slower lapped cars out of the way of the leaders. It seems as though the FIA places much more of an emphasis on slow cars getting out of the way than IndyCar’s Race Control does. I see the blue flags wave, but cars don't move out of the way. Why is that? I know that pace difference between a Mercedes compared to a Williams is much greater than a Penske compared to a Foyt, but the slower cars in F1 make much more of an effort to get off of the racing line and let the leaders through.

In IndyCar, there is too much talk of "is the Chevy going to let the Honda that's leading through" even though the Chevy is already a lap down. It shouldn't matter what engine manufacturer or whose buddy is leading the race, they should just let the leaders by. I think we were robbed of a great finish in Toronto with Dixon chasing down a fuel-saving Pagenaud because a bunch of lapped cars didn't get out of the way. I know there are some purists out there that will say that the leaders need to get by the slow cars on their own, but I want the watch the leaders duke it out in the closing laps.

Jordan M. from Indy

RM: Veach, RHR, T.K. and Chilton were still on the lead lap when Pagenaud came up on them in the closing laps, and by rule, they do not have to get out of the way. But I think you saw some professional courtesy from those guys and their teams, and nobody really held Simon up. As for the teamwork among engine manufacturers, that’s just gamesmanship and nothing too sinister. Dixie had an open track to overhaul Pagenaud but just couldn’t quite get there.

Q: When CART raced in Toronto we had a weekend festival with 75,000+ on race day. Other tracks the same support. What would a CART race look like today if Tony George had not got involved?

Moody

RM: Tony didn’t have anything to do with Toronto’s decline in attendance. When Molson stopped sponsoring the weekend, the non-stop promotion and buzz that always accompanied the Molson Indy evaporated. You couldn’t walk 10 feet without seeing a sign or a banner, and there were street parties every night and a legit 65,000 on race day. Maybe not having the race in 2008 did a little damage, but I just think it’s a product of today’s racing landscape. If you can draw 25,000-30,000 it’s a good crowd anywhere except the Indy 500.

Q: I attended the IMSA race last weekend at Mosport and agree that Mosport would be a great IndyCar venue.  As you note, since Ron Fellows took over, a huge amount of work has been done to modernize the facility, and I can’t see any reason at all why the IndyCars couldn’t race there today. Obviously, I’m not a safety expert, but it seems to me the only big area of concern would be at the bottom of the hill at Turn 2 (very fast, flat out, top gear corner) and possibly some work at corners 1 and 8. A prototype did go off during the race on Sunday into the tire barrier and the driver did get somewhat bruised, but no serious injury.

If this corner needed adjustment I can’t see it being a huge problem – Ron’s partners in Mosport are a huge property development company Orlando (who have more money than Roger Penske) and you can see their influence everywhere where facilities have been built in the last five years, and a lot of run-off created in many places. A lot of earth has been moved (Mosport is basically built on a sand a gravel pit) and contoured to create viewing areas and areas for spectators and motorhomes (hundreds, possibly 1000+ at the IMSA race). I would think the biggest issue really would be financial, since the Toronto race is promoted by Green/Savoree (whom we presume still make some money) and, as with every race you need a sponsor to pay the bills (really shouldn’t be a big deal, Acura was a co-sponsor of the IMSA race and Canadian Tire invest in Mosport already). To me a huge crowd at Mosport would be a no-brainer – it really is the home of Canadian motorsport. Your thoughts?

Mark Kidson, Toronto

RM: Bobby Rahal thinks IndyCar would draw a good crowd, and Townsend Bell thinks IndyCars could run there without any problems. I asked Helio on Sunday about it and he said a couple of corners are really dangerous, but the LMP1 cars go as fast as an IndyCar through the turns there so why not? Could you run Toronto and Mosport? Absolutely. Two different crowds – downtowners and campers. MIS and Belle Isle coexisted in the CART days, and the more races in Canada, the better.

If you want to see HPD slugging it out with GM at Mosport, then for the time being you're going to have to be content with watching Acuras battle Cadillacs in IMSA's DPi class. Image by LePage/LAT

Q: Even though it appears Rossi is destined for Andretti beyond 2019, say he went to Penske. It’s been reported Cindric likes three cars and nothing is official until it's official. Would Penske be a three or four-car team next year?

Mark in Cincinnati

RM: If The Captain got Rossi it would be a four-car team, but a lot of us are hoping he stays with Michael to preserve the balance of power. And after speaking with Andretti last weekend, I think Rossi and Honda will both be back with him in 2020.

Q: What happened to Sage Karam that he lost four laps? What happened to Marcus Ericsson?  I know he was in the runoff on the lap 1 incident, but didn’t seem like there should have been any real damage. What happened to Will Power? I’m not talking about why did he finish 18th, I’m talking about who stole his confidence. What really set off Bourdais and Sato? If you gave me Vegas odds on IndyCar drivers likely to get in someone’s face, I think Sato would be towards the bottom, ahead of maybe only Zach Veach. I saw your interview post-race with Ferruci and Bourdais… if you gave me some odds, I would put Ferrucci near the very top. What was attendance like?  Each of the available grandstands looked like they had most of the seats filled.

Ryan in West Michigan

RM: Sage broke the toe link after brushing the wall and that ruined his race. Marcus was avoiding a crash in Turn 8 when he got rear-ended and suffered big suspension damage. Power is pressing and simply trying too hard. Read my fight story that was posted Monday. Stands were full, but probably no more than 15,000 seats total so maybe 20,000 at the race.

Q: Interesting choice of words from Robbie Wickens to start engines... "Future Drivers of Mine, Start your engines!" Can we read into this as his future as a potential team owner?

SoCal in Sun

RM: It certainly was, but I have to think he’s talking about competing against them again some day because he’s made it clear he wants to be the example of how to come back from a spinal cord injury.

Q: Wish Robert/Arrows/HPD/IndyCar could send his video to every hospital/rehab center treating patients with back injuries similar to Robert's. Hope, and a positive attitude, can help overcome many health issues.

David, Pittsburgh

RM: I’m sure they can grab that video off YouTube and use it for inspiration for people with spinal cord injuries.

Q: I thought Rossi ran over a hose on his stop, and a rerun sure make it look like he did? Did he, and what would be penalty?

Joe Moser

RM: From Race Director Kyle Novak: “Running over an air hose constitutes a pit safety infraction and may be penalized with a post-race monetary fine, drive through penalty, or stop and hold depending on the severity of the infraction considering the impact on safety and competition.” Rossi did run over a hose, but it didn’t endanger other cars or a crew man, so the team will get a monetary fine.

Q: The MLB played its Mid-Summer Classic last night, which means tonight is baseball free! How awesome would it be to have a Wednesday or Thursday night race for IndyCar with nothing else in the country running against it? Picture a one day show at Richmond or Kentucky or wherever with some afternoon practices, a dinnertime qualifying and 7:00pm green flag. The networks have only to contend with the World Series of Poker and some Law and Order reruns.

Someone needs to put this deal together and provide the loyal fans a midweek race. If you can’t cajole any of the bigwigs to copy Tony Stewart and run a Wednesday race, then just remind them New Hampshire’s Fall NASCAR race was lost to Las Vegas and now there’s room for a race. It would be a nice weekend of racing now that there’s a flat track in Loudon. And for what it’s worth, I miss watching you and Despain live on Wind Tunnel.

Richard from Dudley Massachusetts

RM: NBC’s Kevin Lee suggested this several years ago and I love the idea, but getting a promoter to race in mid-week would be a challenge. However, if you got a big enough title sponsor to help with the bottom line and IndyCar waived the sanction fee, it might work. It certainly would have a captive TV audience. Thanks, I miss working with Dave and W.T. – best motorsports show ever.

Q: I read your column on race attendance with interest. As someone who spent two decades covering sports and auto racing, beginning in 1990, there is no doubt the sports landscape has changed. In truth, so has the way we all consume products these days. In the past, attending sporting events was the thing to do. Now, with technology, it is often better to sit at home and view the product on TV without having to fight traffic, pay for high-priced hotel rooms, etc. This is true for all sports, not just auto racing. What has changed is there is no longer the number of free giveaway tickets at races. How many free tickets did Marlboro provide on a regular basis, or the engine manufacturers? To be honest, the future of auto racing – IndyCar, NASCAR, NHRA, F1 – is going to depend on TV viewership. A great comparison is the saturation of college football bowl games. Are there too many? Are there too many empty seats? Without a doubt. But they also out-draw anything else on TV when they air. That is why ESPN is constantly adding them. The cost for hosting the games is outweighed by the revenue generated through advertising and TV viewership. At some point, the future of auto racing is going to depend on increasing the TV viewership, not the increasing the attendance at the track, sad to say.

John "thankfully your ex-Gannett buddy in Louisiana"

RM: Can’t disagree with your logic, John. Whether it’s fair or not, the Nielsen ratings still rule and determine the fate of your sport or show. Even though NASCAR’s attendance has plummeted during the past few years, its TV ratings are still pretty damn good compared to daily baseball or basketball games. As for freebies, Honda, Toyota and Marlboro gave away thousands of tickets in the ‘90s and 2000s.

A big crowd for CART at Fontana in 1999 – but there were probably quite a few freebies among those ticket holders. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: In your attendance article you mentioned the "obligatory hotel room gouge" as part of the pricing discussion. But what about the camping gouge? I priced a trip to the Road America race for my wife and I this year. With weekend tickets for two, paddock pass and camping, the price tag went over $500! And the camping bill is a big chunk of that. Add travel expenses and that is way over budget for me. I could go to the Gateway race because I live close enough to go home afterward and the pricing packages are good, but I firmly believe that formula-style open-wheel cars don't belong on ovals (fundamentally unsafe) and I won't support it.

John Humason, Hermann, MO

RM: I haven’t heard too many complaints about camping fees at Road America, and I think a lot of people take advantage of the $100 discount that’s offered right now. I guess if you stayed three nights in a semi-nice hotel it would be at least $500, so not sure the camping fee is too out of line.

Q: Just wanted to share two thoughts from the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Kentucky Speedway. One - The more I watch Christopher Bell, the more I wonder, what if? This guy is good. He came in second, but as always he led a bunch of laps. You can tell he just has a pure talent for driving. What if he’d stayed open-wheel and went from USAC to Indy? I really think this kid could have been the answer us USAC guys needed for a competitive Indy 500 USAC graduate. I really think he could be a contender at Indy (Larson too). Two - I know there have been some rumblings about a IndyCar return to Kentucky Speedway. I have to say, sitting in the Turn 1 grandstand and looking into a narrow turn one corner; that to me looks very tight for IndyCars. Maybe four car-widths? I can see some wheels touching and some hard hits. Really looking forward to a possible return to Richmond if that materializes.

Andy, St. Marys, Ohio

RM: I was at the Chili Bowl a few years ago talking with Keith Kunz, who brought Kyle Larson onto our radar and into the big time. There was a fresh-faced kid standing next to one of Keith’s midgets and I asked about him. “That’s Christopher Bell,” said Kunz, “and he may be better than Larson.” That was hard to fathom back then, but today you can understand the logic, because Bell is a badass on pavement in a stock car and on dirt in a midget or sprinter. He should be in Cup right now, and I imagine Joe Gibbs just re-signed him for that purpose. I said last week in the Mailbag that I asked Chris about running the Indy 500 and that IndyCar was willing to help, and he wanted to do it but I imagine Joe would put the kibosh on it. But nobody in IndyCar or its ladder system made any move to sign him up back in 2015 and Kyle Busch did so it was off to stock cars. As for Kentucky, I recall IndyCar putting on some good races (Ed Carpenter edging Dario for Sarah Fisher’s first win), and now that it’s been repaved I think it would be fine. Looked like a decent crowd last Saturday night as well.

Q: Toronto proved again why Aaron Telitz should be in an Indy Lights/IndyCar full-time. He had the field covered in Race 1 with a pole and a convincing win. In Race 2 he immediately took the lead from third position at the start, led 23 laps, and set fastest lap of the race before being taken out by a foolish move from a guy who basically blew his chances for a championship while leading his only rival. All this after not having a whole lot of current seat time in a Lights car. Kudos to Brian Belardi for doing all he can to keep a local Wisconsin boy in a ride. Come on, you would-be sponsors out there! This kid is a winner.

Joe Weiss, Spooner, Wisconsin

RM: You are spot-on Joe, what an impressive weekend for Aaron. I talked to him and Brian afterwards and it’s so cool to see an owner work with a driver he truly believes in and not make it all about sponsorship. I know Vasser and Sully really like Telitz and want to test him in an IndyCar, so this story could get really good.

Q: For the last three years I volunteered in Formula E's NYC Eprix since I live in city and love sim racing (though I'm terrible at it), and loved to get among the action and support the racing operation. This year I was assigned to help manage and distribute credentials. For purpose of concealing my identity so as to not incriminate myself and protect my colleagues, I'm using the pseudonym MZ. In through the door comes a slightly shorter person than I am, and when asked, he says his surname first: Servia. My brain starts clicking and my bosses says "M, start looking for envelopes for 'Servia;" then they ask his full name and he mumbles "Oriol Servia." As my eyes are coming off the pile of credentials and my brain starts to backfire into vocalization, the very first things out of my mouths are following: "Of course I know you, Oriol, great to see you! Guys, he's the pace car driver in IndyCar."

Oriol immediately says, "20 years of racing and this is what I'm remembered for? Full credit, he is a wonderful sport and I was rightfully put in my place! It was regrettable moment, but it was somewhat humorous! None of the ladies I worked for knew of him and he was recounting how he was three laps short of winning the Indy 500 in 2018. He was psyched to be in NY for the first time to check out track, as I presumed he was representing Dragon. Did I do Oriol dirty? What's your favorite story/moment involving Oriol?

M.Z.

RM: Servia has a splendid sense of humor so his response was perfect, but not every veteran might have given you that same tone of voice. My memories are that he’s always been a smart, fast driver who made a great teammate but never had a top shelf steady ride for any length of time. You could plug him into any situation and he always delivered.

Oriol Servia, pace car driver extraordinaire. Image by LePage/LAT

Q: I always appreciate the insights you bring to NBC and your RACER columns. I have read your article and the Mailbag responses to the “young demographic” with interest. I am somewhat on the younger end of the IndyCar demographic (a strong 33 years old) and have thought a lot about how to get people my age into the sport that I can’t get enough of. I think witnessing the on-track action in person is key to appreciating and starting to understanding the sport.

I wonder if expanding tracks closer to urban centers would help getting the casual fan (regardless of age) into the grandstands and becoming fans of the sport? Portland seems to be a good move in this direction – you can stay in the city and easily Uber or drive to the track, it is a city with a relatively young population, and a great deal of local pride. Last year, I brought a couple rookie friends down from Seattle on the train: we made a weekend of it in Portland, and they loved it. I think the combination of proximity to the city, a friend to explain some of the nuances of racing, and an awesome race contributed to their new appreciation of the sport. St. Pete, Long Beach, Toronto all seem to be well-attended as well. What are the chances IndyCar continues to expand into tracks/street races nearer urban centers? Do you have any thoughts on a YouTube or other video series to help explain the tactics/strategy of racing to new comers-a sort of “So you don’t know anything about IndyCar” series? Thanks again for all you do for our great sport.

For the love of speed,

Neil, Hoosier expatriate

RM: There is no doubt that bringing the show to the people is the easiest way to generate a crowd, but by the same token only Long Beach and Toronto have withstood the test of time (St. Pete is nearing 20 years) because street racing is so expensive. We’d heard that Denver was a possibility to return but that died down and Norfolk, Va. had some potential a couple years ago and Nashville had a group that was interested. But other than Richmond, nothing on the immediate horizon. But getting the funding, the political help, the right date and a title sponsor is no easy task, and Portland is one of the few road courses in a major city so that’s a big plus. But the fact so much action takes place at a street road course compared to an oval has become as big a selling point as proximity. Don’t know of any videos like you are talking about, but that might be a good off-season project for IndyCar.

Q: I enjoy your TV role and your Mailbag. Thanks for the link to Scott Stiller’s article about PNC’s support of racing. PNC acquired Cleveland’s National City Bank about 10 years ago. We joke that PNC stands for Previously National City. So, do you think PNC would have any interest in being the title sponsor of a reinvigorated Cleveland Grand Prix at the airport? I could see two days of excellent racing featuring the MX-5 Cup, Porsche GT3 Cup, Michelin Pilot Challenge series, and of course IndyCar.

Don Velcio

RM: Maybe if PNC’s headquarters were in Cleveland, but getting them on Dixon’s car was a major victory so I imagine they’re happy with a single car sponsorship.

Q: Saw you dining with your sports reporter gang at Iaria's in 2017 – great bunch, hope you get to enjoy those colleagues frequently. The poster's comment at the Mailbag regarding Mosport is on the mark. I wonder if a back-to-back in Toronto and Mosport could be made to work, then let the dust settle at only one of the two venues if that's best for racing? Of course, for my money nothing beats the brats and racing at Road America! Your comments about roofed-grandstands and night racing are well-considered and stated; however, comfort gets many asses in the seats. If a venue wants it enough, shelter the throng – it can always rain, and if Mom knows they will be covered, she's going to go! Maybe drag the young'uns too.

Warren Knauer

RM: Not sure many share the opinion that Toronto and Mosport could co-exist, but if they were spaced properly on the calendar or even run back-to-back with some kind of dual ticket it could work.

Q: This may have been explained before, but I haven’t seen anything on it. How is the new aero screen/halo different in design that allows the drivers to see better on the banked ovals? From its appearance it seem identical to the F1 halo which, I recall, was a problem as far as many IndyCar drivers were saying. I’m all for safety and I don’t feel this hurts how the car looks.

Al Schonberg, Rockford, IL

RM: All I can tell you is that Scott Dixon said it passed the test and IndyCar has been meticulous in making sure visibility isn’t a problem, so I’m assuming it will be fine at Texas and Iowa.

If Dixon's happy, that's good enough for us. Image by IndyCar

Q: The problem with Colorado Springs was that the track wanted a different date – August instead of June – and IndyCar wanted the track to install SAFER Barriers at the track or they wouldn't come back, and they didn't seem to want to budge on the date. The group that owned the track didn't want to invest the money and ISC made them an offer to buy the track. This was the same time that ISC was considering building a track near Denver. The track accepted ISC's offer, the Busch series race date was given to Martinsville, and ISC sold the track with deed restrictions that make it impossible to ever have a major race there again. And they never built their own track near Denver. While it's possible that building the track north of Colorado Springs instead of south may have helped attendance, the fact is that attendance seemed to be growing each year. In the end Colorado race fans were screwed by ISC.

David Randall

RM: Thanks for that history lesson, David. The two locations that hosted CART/Champ Car in Denver were fairly well attended, and I only went to Colorado Springs once and the crowd was OK but I just remember locals saying the track was on the wrong side of town to draw Denver people. I recall Roger Penske wanting to build a track out there, and maybe that was the same one ISC talked about. So chalk it all up to a lost opportunity?

Q: I realize it's all about preference and we all differ, but I really had to shake my head at the letter about the simplicity of the current IndyCar wings/aero package. He says that the 'cool factor' of the Formula 1 wings is absent in IndyCar today but that is exactly why I like IndyCar racing again. If I want to watch clown cars with 526 vortex generators, hoops, loops, 37-layer wings with opening rear wing slats, multiple tire choices but mandates of how and when you use them, and race chassis that are about 95% controlled by the engineers from the pits and the driver is reduced to following the orders of 'the man behind the curtain', then I'll tune into the Formula 1 race. While I realize that a lot of those things are still a part of ALL racing series in the 21st century, sheesh... give the driver a little wing up front, a little wing in back and let the driver actually drive the car.

Brad in Seattle 

RM: I think Marcus Ericsson can give us a good analogy of what you’re saying. He’s having a fun time over here because he can make a difference and it’s more about the driver making the right move or tire choice than it is about all that technology. Last weekend was a good example of the drivers really having to answer the challenge of handling a rough, unforgiving surface in a concrete jungle with no room for error. It was hard and it bit some good drivers, but it’s supposed to be difficult.

Q: Robin, your comments about Rick Mears appear to have worked with the NASCAR Monster Cup Series this past weekend. The restrictor plates were removed but huge rear spoilers and other aero changes made the cars interesting and created better racing.  When IndyCar gets more horsepower and less downforce, the racing should get even better. Formula 1 needs to address all this in 2021 rules redo. The attendance comments were so true regarding why people are less likely to show except for certain types of events in certain areas.  As a fan who grew up watching with my dad in the '60s, '70s and '80s at Michigan and Indy, the circumstances have changed dramatically. Thankfully the variety of tracks new stars and great coverage has IndyCar back on an upswing.  A double-header with NASCAR would be great to get interest going. Let's get some drivers from IndyCar on dirt or at the Chili Bowl again, too. Back to the roots. Keep up your great – work no wonder Hurtubise hired you.

Craig Bailey, Palm Bay, FL

RM: That Mears guy is pretty sharp and he’s been preaching about more power and less downforce forever, but he’s right because it’s making IndyCar races better and tougher. Watching the in-car camera of Rossi at Road America or Rahal at Toronto just illustrates the ragged edge a driver’s got to be on. Herk hired me because I was free help and he fired me because I was a liability.

Q: I would like to get your honest opinion on something Indy-related. But first a little background on me. I’m 68 years old and retired about two years ago. Certainly not rich – I always had blue-collar warehouse jobs. I did manage to save a little when I worked in the hopes of fulfilling a couple of bucket-list items. I’m torn between getting an online racing set-up or getting a ride along with Mario Andretti. I’ve followed IndyCar since right before the rear-engine invasion, so I go back a ways. I’ve followed the Andretti family since then, and Mario has always been my idol. Thing is, I can’t get both of these; I can only pick one.  In your opinion, is the ride worth the $3,000+? I would love to feel the sheer speed of doing 200+ around the Speedway, but then I saw where you took a ride around the road course and seemed to feel the G-forces and braking more than would be felt on the Speedway. The online thing would provide more over the long run of course, but could never match the feeling of a ride, I’m sure. If you had to pick between the two, which would be your choice? See you in the pits at Iowa!

Jerry Laake

RM: If you are a diehard (and all signs point to that), you must take a ride with Mario. And I would suggest Laguna Seca if possible so you can experience the acceleration, braking, G-forces, elevation changes and handling on a scenic road course. I was lucky enough to ride with him there in 1999 and it was the best; I just wish all the mechanics and engineers could experience it to see what takes place at speed.

Matt Damon says Jerry should choose the two-seater ride. Image by IndyCar

Q: In last week's always-thought-provoking Mailbag, a viewer said that "Pocono would be beautiful under the lights, as it’s already a beautiful place during the day." There will be ten trillion mosquitoes anxiously awaiting a decision from Brandon Igdalsky. I would love for that to happen, don't get me wrong, but it's in the middle of the PA woods surrounded by lakes and forest. Beautiful place, but Bug City.

Bill Bailey

RM: I have to agree, Bill. I was at Pocono in 1972 when it rained for two weeks, and all the stores ran out of repellent because we were under siege from mosquitoes. Night races on ovals are cool, but Pocono is fine during the day.

Q: You can’t be serious about beating the traffic, right? The last 40 laps at Indy are always the best – you would miss the unreal finishes we are often treated to these days! I’ve found that by staying in my seats to watch the post-race, leaving the stands after they drive the winner by, and then killing about an hour rehashing the race with my friends in the Dotlich lot at 10th & Polco, I can then drive fairly unimpeded down 10th Street to downtown and go get an ice cream on Monument Circle. Spend a little time contemplating what I just saw, and begin anticipating next year. (Still can’t believe Rossi didn’t win this year).

Rick K, SD, CA

PS: 10 months until my 50th 500!

RM: Those were just the rambling of an old man, Rick. I’d probably stay for the finish if Bill Simpson let me watch from his Turn 2 suite. That’s good to know your escape plan, and it sounds like you’ve got it figured out. I was counting my money (I bet $200 on Rossi at 7-1) with two laps left but no win-place-show at Indianapolis.

Q: When the new IndyCar chassis comes out in 2021, will this make DW12 obsolete? Lower-budget teams used to buy year-old chassis back in the day, allowing them to get on the grid. This seems like a good way to raise the car count and make IndyCar appealing to newer or smaller teams. (See Juncos)

Kris in Kokomo

RM: IndyCar is looking at that option, but nothing is yet finalized so stay tuned.

Q: I saw this past week at the NASCAR race in Kentucky that M&M's sponsored and supported a "Glampground" (Glamorous Camping) -- providing tents, three meals a day for two day, showers, race tickets and garage passes for the weekend, WiFi, VIP guest speakers etc. for $500 per fan. I know there is some glamping in the infield for the Indy 500, but I would love to do something similar and turn-key as a fan at Portland or Laguna Seca for the IndyCar races later this year. Does something like M&M's Glamping exist at either of those tracks, or is it "do it yourself" camping in a motorhome or tent?

Brad, Lexington, Ohio

RM: I've actually heard rave reviews of what happened in Kentucky. My pal Kyle Petty was part of their activities in the glampground on race day and said the set-up was very cool. As for camping at Portland and Laguna, plenty of good camping is available for fans with some wonderful views of the track, but the is no "turn-key" camping/glamping -- you need your own camper or tent. Indianapolis is the only track on the circuit that provides some level of glamping that I am aware of. Maybe something for tracks to think about in the future.

Q: Love your Wednesday Mailbag and read it religiously. One of the items you brought up was a letter discussing using covered grandstands. Since I turned 65+ I demanded covered seating at Indy. My wife and I would not be able to attend if we had to sit in the sun for three or four hours on those 85 degree days. We can enjoy the race and not have to be concerned about getting heat stroke. I've seen several younger fans sitting out in the sun and passing out or be helped onto a stretcher and carted off during some of those hot days (like 2018).

The old county fair grandstands almost always had covered seating, and so many of us older folk watched many a race or thrill show at the county fairs. Perhaps this would help attendance. We attended many a race at MIS and would boil under the summer sun. I just couldn't take that anymore, so we haven't been back for over eight years now. We also attend Road America, but we rent a golf cart and can sit wherever we think will provide us the best racing and the most comfort. We don't walk as far and as easily as we did before turning 65+.

Finally, thank God Iowa is returning to nighttime racing again. We attended last year’s race (and several Iowa IndyCar night races before) and my wife had to miss over half of the race last year so she could sit under the bleachers and try and stay cool. We had said that we loved the race and the people who run it, but having a July race in Iowa during the day just was not possible for us anymore. I so hope the crowd returns for the spectacular IndyCar race under the lights. We will be there!

Ron Hofslund

RM: My pal Dave Scoggan, who knows more about IndyCar and drag racing than should be allowed, was talking about declining attendance at ovals when I wrote that column a couple weeks ago and he brought up the fact that not having covered grandstands on a hot summer day could keep people away. Especially ones our age (I’m 69), Ron. I’d never thought about it, but it certainly makes sense. Of course to think how much money would have to be spent by tracks to cover the grandstands makes it highly unlikely anything will be done, but it’s certainly a talking point that merits consideration. I just hope the Iowa crowd comes back Saturday night.

Iowa under lights, just as nature intended it. Image by LePage/LAT

Q: Follow-up on one of the Mailbag suggestions last week covered grandstands (or night racing) is a big deal. I’m going back to lower quality seats at IMS this year to get covered seats since I don’t have enough years yet to get into grandstands B or E, which is effectively Turn 1. I stopped going to the MIS NASCAR race years ago because of two things. Traffic into the track, and heat in the grandstands. There’s nothing comfortable about sitting in the sun on a hot and humid day that close to strangers – even if they’re nice strangers. For some tracks covered seating may be impossible because of track orientation to the sun. For those where it is possible, NASCAR included, I wonder what type of an impact that might make on attendance? If I’m NASCAR or IndyCar, I find a track I want to test that theory on and invest in the upgrades with the track and see what kind of an impact it has on attendance. There are a couple F1 tracks in Malaysia and I believe Shanghai with the template for what the upgrade would likely need to look like.

Ryan T.

RM: It’s a good question, Ryan. Would the expenditure of covering grandstands be rewarded with a big bump at the box office? I remember when the IRL ran Dover and about 3,000 people showed up and that prompted our hero (Anthony Joseph Foyt) to say: “You’d have to be a damn fool to sit in an aluminum seat for three hours in 90-degree heat with the sun kicking your ass.” I guess it’s been so long since I sat in the grandstands during a day race I never even considered the ramifications, but you and Ron in the letter above yours make some excellent points.