Robin Miller's Mailbag for August 14, 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: I love IndyCar; been a fan forever. My favorite driver of all time is Hinchtown! Where will he go? And how could there not have been any rumors about this tie-up between SPM and McLaren? Did you really know but were sworn to secrecy? Did this catch you off-guard? Is Hinch now the latest silly season target? Would Herta really leave the Andretti nest and go to McLaren/SPM? This is almost more juicy than the whole Rossi thing (another one of my favorites!) because it broke bombshell-style and now we are all scrambling to figure it out. Did the paddock see this coming? Do tell, Miller!

Paul Zajdel, Park Ridge, IL

RM: Derrick Walker and I try to have lunch as often as possible, and early last May he told me that McLaren was either going to buy into or buy out Arrow SPM. I didn’t give it much thought because of the Honda connection and, to be honest, I’d forgotten about it until Jim Ayello’s story in The Star. So Derrick says he’s done feeding me scoops because I’m a lost cause, and in this case, I have to agree. Please read last Monday’s silly season story on RACER.com, but Herta isn’t leaving Andretti. Michael could have farmed him out to McLaren had he gone with Chevrolet, because they would have been partners.

Q: How was McLaren able to get Arrow SPM to ditch its Honda deal (or vice versa) a year early? True, they get a fine team with excellent people, but no championship-contending drivers. I'm still quizzical as to why Mr. Brown couldn't have done the same with Michael Andretti, who didn't even have a Honda contract to rip up? You would have had RHR, Rossi, the Andretti family, and Colton Herta. McLaren in turn helps fill sponsor gaps for Rossi and Herta. Are we to assume that Honda gave Michael such a sweetheart deal that he punted on Zak and Chevy?

Greg in NJ

RM: Michael wanted to be partners with McLaren, but Chevrolet was the only option because Honda will not do business with McLaren after its F1 fallout. Zak made Michael a very substantial offer and it sounds like Andretti Autosport damn near became a Bowtie team again before Honda persuaded Michael to stay. McLaren made Sam an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Q: So, did we see the SPM/McLaren tie-in coming? What do you think is in store for Hinch and Rosenqvist? And please feel free to leak any info you may have. Thanks as usual.

Mike Talarico, Charlotte, NC

RM: I guess some people did, but not me. I think Arrow SPM was the obvious back-up plan for McLaren after Andretti stayed with Honda. Felix has a two-year deal and Hinch still has one year on his contract with Arrow SPM, which they say they will honor.

Q: I wonder what kind of odds you get on Hinch being back with McLaren SP in 2020?  I know Hinch has an actual contract, but I’d put a bigger stack of money on Nasr being with the team next year before betting on Hinch. Anyhow your one-man silly season just got hit by a McLaren hurricane. I’m not holding my breath waiting on a full time effort from Fernando. That said, it seems MSR and Hinch got the short straws. Putting on your best Nostradamus hat, how does this all shake out?

Ryan T.

RM: Yes, my one-man silly season story has been blown up with the McLaren merger, but I’m with you on Hinch, I don’t think he sticks around to be a lame duck. He’s a Honda ambassador and would be a nice fit in Rahal’s third car. As Marshall wrote last week, I think Mike Shank either goes back to Andretti, or maybe strikes up a partnership with Ganassi.

Q: I seem to always read about how Honda really loves and supports certain drivers. How come I never see this about Chevy? Are they just not as driver-centric? How many times I have heard ‘Honda wants to keep Rossi/Herta/Hinchcliffe’?

Craig Mashburn

RM: Good question. I think Honda is a little more PR-centric or forthcoming about certain things (it put out a positive release about IndyCar going hybrid) while Chevrolet choses to keep its thoughts to itself. As for drivers, Honda’s unofficial pecking order was Dixon, Rossi and Wickens last year, and now I think Colton has joined it. Honda always helped pay driver’s salaries in the CART heydays while Chevy seemed to concentrate on teams like Roger Penske’s. That’s not to say it didn’t help fund certain drivers, but I think it was more through the team than individually.

Q: With McLaren merging with SPM, a lot of talk has centered around what happens to Hinchcliffe and Ericsson. These are fine drivers and I am sure both will wind up with competitive rides. My concern is, what happens to Robert Wickens in this merger? SPM had promised him a ride once he was able to come back, but what happens now? His desire to be a competitive driver again has inspired many, and it would be a crying shame if this merger shattered his hopes and dreams. Have you heard anything of what Robert's future will be?

Dave, French Lick

RM: I think we just have to wait and see if Robert continues his amazing recovery and if driving an IndyCar again is feasible. I’m sure McLaren Arrow SP understands what an inspiring story this is and would be thrilled to provide a car when and if the time comes. I don’t think James or Marcus will be back in 2020 with the new-look team.

Q: How do you think the McLaren/Arrow SPM merger is going to change the landscape of IndyCar? Will they run three cars and might Hinch end up at RLL? Is HSR going to stay afloat?

Dino Raso

RM: If Alonso wants to run, yes I think three cars is in the cards – at Indy for sure, and maybe selected other races. Can’t predict HSR, and RLL would seem a good fit for Hinch.

Q: While I think it's great McLaren is coming to IndyCar next year, do you think it's a little disappointing they will be basically absorbing an existing team and not coming in as a new team with two new seats in the series?

David M, El Paso, TX

RM: Not at all. Zak Brown now has his foot in the door and he could run four cars on what McLaren spends on brakes in F1, so let’s give it a year or two. I mean, obviously, if he comes in separately and grows the series by two more full-timers it’s great, but after last May he needs a foundation, and he’s got one.

Q: I see where Andretti is drinking McLaren's Kool-Aid. What is going on? I would not want to get on the wrong side of Honda. Maybe they will sign Penske (what kind of cars does he run IMSA!). Who is your sponsor – not Generous Motors.

Dave T.

RM: Not sure I follow you, but Michael and Zak are good friends and I’m told the negotiations between Andretti, Chevy and Honda went down to the wire at Mid-Ohio. I think if you were looking at several million dollars (Zak’s offer to Michael), in today’s IndyCar landscape you would exhaust all your options to try and make it work. But, thankfully for the competitive balance of the series, Andretti, Rossi, RHR and Herta stayed with Honda.

Q: The McLaren announcement made me want to ask something I have been thinking about for a while. Say another manufacturer comes in. They aren’t going to want just cast-offs from Honda and Chevy. They are going to want at least one powerhouse team in their stable. How does IndyCar make this happen? I know it depends on the manufacturer, but what teams would leave their current supplier?

Greg, Indy

RM: Loyalty usually lasts about as long as it takes to write a check, and a new manufacturer would likely go after Chip since Andretti now has a four-year deal with Honda and I can’t imagine R.P. bailing on Chevrolet. Don’t forget that Ganassi won four consecutive CART championships with Honda (1996-99) but then became Toyota’s factory team in 2000 for a big pile of money.

Q: There is no way, I mean no way, that Michael Andretti lets Colton Herta get away! Honda needs to let Michael bring McLaren over here with Honda. They owe Michael that! Then Michael can be involved with Colton and Fernando! Thanks for listening to my rant, buddy! I fell in love with Michael because of the way he would dominate races with Newman Haas! I must admit part of me died at Indianapolis in 1992 with 10 laps left.  If anyone deserved to win that race it was Michael, then he got screwed by The Split.

Dan Kirby, Lima, Ohio

RM: He’s not going to lose Colton, but as you know by now the McLaren/Alonso/Andretti/Honda scenario will not happen. Lloyd Ruby, Ted Horn, Tony & Gary Bettenhausen, Mike Mosley, Rex Mays and Joe Leonard are always mentioned in the best to never win Indy, but I think Michael with his 42 wins and 382 laps led at Indy is No.1 on that list.

Q: It had been said many times that if Rossi had gone to Penske he could not bring current engineer Jeremy Milless with him as he would not be welcomed back. What was his job while he was at Penske, what driver did he work for, and what led to the ugly divorce?

Chris F., Charleston, SC

RM: Jeremy was assistant engineer on the RS Spider program at Sebring when The Captain called for a pit stop. Milless objected, rather vocally, and questioned RP’s racing acumen, and was released at the end of the season.

Once a Penske employee, Milless now engineers one of the biggest thorns in the team's side. Image by IndyCar

Q: OK Robin, I have to hand it to you. How you are able to do your weekly Mailbag without drinking is beyond me. All the bitching about the new hybrid/engine system is ridiculous. OK, yes. All-electric sucks. No noise, nothing about that is racing. But that's not what we're talking about here. It’s a system that will supplement what we have and give a boost to the power we already have. The new engine/hybrid package will be loud and very similar to what we have now. If IndyCar has any hope of attracting a third OEM and remaining relevant to what's on the street and where technology is taking us, this is what we need to do.

Like it or not, no manufacturer is going to be able to justify participation in our series without what they're doing on the track relating to the product they put out on the assembly line. Without manufacturers we are dead in the water. We have to be relevant. In the words of Aaron Rodgers, relax! (Never thought I'd quote a Packer but, hey). This is a great thing for IndyCar. This, combined with McLaren coming in, makes for a great week for IndyCar. My only regret is we have to wait one year more for new engines. Given that we seem to be free of ethanol sponsorship, would a return to methanol fuel give us a short-term boost in HP before the new engines? (I miss the smell of that!) Looking forward to hearing loud engines in 2022 and beyond. Thanks, Robin, for all you do.

JP in Denver

RM: The people who write in to The Mailbag obviously care deeply about IndyCar racing, but in this case I think some of them panicked because of the term “hybrid.” I made one call to Jay Frye when I heard it was coming and he said: “The cars will have self-starters and increased horsepower, but we’ll still have noisy, internal combustion engines.” I don’t have a clue about ethanol or methanol and I’ve exhausted my limit of Marshall questions this week, so let’s wait and I’ll try and get an answer down the road.

Q: I was encouraged by IndyCar's announcement that it would roll out a hybrid engine program in hopes of getting additional manufacturers into the sport. What I'm curious about is how it will be different from F1 hybrid program. Could you shed any light on the anticipated differences between the two series' engine programs, and what, if anything, IndyCar might have learned by watching F1 try this for the past several years?

William Tyree

RM: Mr. Pruett weighs in, thankfully: “Hi William. I don't believe IndyCar's KERS solution will have much to do with anything we've seen in F1. Where F1 uses two forms of energy recovery – heat and kinetic – we know IndyCar will stick with kinetic only. It also sounds like IndyCar's solution will be different from F1 in its planned location (within the bell housing) and its secondary use (to act as a starter).”

Q:  I’m 1.5 pages into the Mailbag concerning the hybrid announcement. Sounds like many either didn’t read Marshall’s story or didn’t understand the new system. Is it like adding a KERS system to the present DW12? It’s a thing that collects and stores energy, then passes it to the drivetrain for extra HP? The car would look the same, sound the same, race the same? Hey guys! Here’s a magic box of extra HP... bolt it in!

Todd in Danville, VA

RM: You got it, Todd. How about conducting a press conference at Pocono?

Q: OK Miller, I fully expected complaining after the hybrid announcement but... really? I will admit being terrified after reading the first headline, since it made me think that amazing scream would be replaced with totally silent cars. Then I did something crazy and actually read the whole article. So we are looking at more horsepower, possibly even louder cars, fewer cautions, and maybe a third manufacturer. I'm not seeing much downside here. If you had to make a prediction, would the third OEM be more likely to come from the U.S., Europe or Asia?

Tate in Kansas

RM: Got no idea about where the third manufacturer might come from, but I believe Jay Frye took this step to and score that third OEM. But, to your point, it’s not going to affect the sound or the competition, but it should give more HP when called on.

Q: I have no problem with IndyCar's planned move to hybrids. As long as the racing continues to be entertaining and wheel-to-wheel, I'm fine. Having said that, I enjoy following race strategy. Do we know if the hybrids will affect pit stop times, pit windows and refueling? I think that is one element that is sorely lacking in F1.

Jim Muessig, Carle Place, NY

RM: “Hi Jim. You've listed a number of things in the 'don't know' department. I've heard nothing to suggest the KERS systems will be used in ways to save fuel, but if the series chooses to activate all-electric power on pit lane, or if teams are given the option to use it while behind the pace car, we could reduce fuel consumption.” – Marshall Pruett.

IndyCar is joining F1 on Planet Hybrid, although the respective systems will be very different. Image by Etherington/LAT

Q: I have been a fan of IndyCar racing since the late '80s. The sound and fury of those high-revving turbocharged engines of the '80s and '90s living at the limit of performance were a drug, and I pity those who did not get to experience that era. So when IndyCar announced that turbocharged engines were returning for the 2012 season, I was thrilled. To my mild disappointment, however, I found the current engine formula to be, frankly, underwhelming.

Maybe I am mistaken about this, but it seems the necessary cost containment of the current engine formula with its mileage and reliability requirements has kept the revs down, and the fury at a simmer. Fast-forward to the 2022 engine formula recently announced, and I still wonder how much fury the new engine will unleash given the assumption mileage and reliability requirements will keep the revs in check.

I acknowledge engine costs still have to be controlled, but the question I have is, can IndyCar and its engine partners agree to some type of engine development competition which increases revs and power each year, but doesn't break the bank? Keep it modest, say 25 HP per season, but also increase the reward for reliability through the engine manufacturer's points system so there are trade-offs. Or perhaps, just for the crown jewel Indy 500, eliminate engine manufacturer's points and allow any HP the manufacturer's feel confident their engine can generate for 500 miles. What do you think?

David, Greensboro, NC

RM: I think IndyCar would like to get to 900 HP by 2021 or 2022, but I think good competition, great racing and 15 cars on the lead lap supersedes blown engines because manufacturers are free to turn up the boost. I told Jay Frye that I really don’t think people care anymore about a new track record or somebody upping the speed every day. Practice and qualifying haven’t drawn crowds since The Split, and while leased engines aren’t the fabric of what Indy was built on, they’re just fine for today’s budgets. And competition. The fact we have 22-23 full-timers and enough cars to have bumping at Indy with the paltry payoffs is amazing.

Q: I'm sort of lukewarm either way on the introducing hybrid units in IndyCar. If I understand it correctly, the KERS unit would be a spec item so all cars would use the same unit. What I can't wrap my head around is why would using a spec KERS unit make it more attractive to other manufacturers? I don't see how that makes it more attractive, if the manufacturers were to develop their own unit then I would understand, but as it is it makes me scratch my head as to the attraction.

Greg Wright, Rapid Racing Inc.

RM: I gratefully defer to Marshall: “Hi Greg. It's all about perception and promoting that perception. Formula E, for five years or so, used spec electric engines, and yet, it wasn't a limiting factor for waves of auto manufacturers. It's about ticking the box of being green and future-minded. Also, please know that as manufacturers look to race (or continue racing) in series where their road cars aren't transformed into race cars (IndyCar and NASCAR are prime examples), there will be increasing levels of resistance if those series only use internal combustion engines (ICE). We don't know what the future holds for the auto industry and what kind of propulsion systems will become the norm, but I can say that today, pure ICE solutions are regarded as old-timey technology, and by 2027, when the next IndyCar engine formula expires, there's no way IndyCar will have manufacturers playing in the series if ICE is the only thing it offers.”

Q: I’m finding it very amusing that the “purists” are raising hell and clutching their pearls over IndyCar’s 2022 switch to hybrid engines. These are usually the same people who think the good old days were when we had real innovation in the series. In the last Mailbag, “Joe in California” whined about having “heard and seen it all,” including “Granatelli’s beautiful cheese wedge-shaped turbine cars in 1968.”

Oh, please… give me a friggin’ break! Andy’s turbines were known as the “whooshmobiles” because that was the sound they made on the track, and they didn’t sound anything like an Offy or Ford, let alone today’s Chevy and Honda engines – yet Joe would probably have made a perfect USAC official back then and voted to ban the damn things because they didn’t make enough noise for him.

"Succumb to the showroom’s wishes?” Please. The manufacturers have been a part of IndyCar racing since 19-damn-11! Some people just aren’t happy unless they’re not happy about something. I need an aspirin…

Mark G.

RM: I’m an old-schooler that lives for days gone by and I do think the 1960s and 1970s were the best, so I never chastise anyone for living in the past. But this frenzy over hybrids is unnecessary because nothing of substance (close competition, engine noise and speed) is going to change because of this electric addition.

Q: Having just digested most of your recent Mailbag, I am frankly a bit embarrassed to be a part of its readership after just reading some of the letters that put pure ignorance on display. So many of your “anti” letter writers appeared to have read nothing more than the headline of the announcement as they seemed to confuse all-electric cars with hybrids.

IndyCar has a difficult task of trying to remain relevant in an automotive world that is going electric. This burden comes on top of the difficulties associated with changing demographics and lifestyle of our more youthful denizens.

It may be too much to ask of the four-cylinder Offy, “run what ya brung” crowd to understand this if they indeed can’t even read beyond a headline before they respond. Still, here is at least one person that is part of the unimportant over-40 demographic who appreciates what Jay Frye faces, and is supportive of his efforts to deal with it. These hybrid systems represent no downside for the race fan, upside for the series, and maybe some additional expense for the owners. It will be refreshing when this “controversy” goes away so we can get back to a more relevant Mailbag like when Cleveland is coming back?

Justin, Park City

RM: Good one Justin, I see a doubleheader at Burke Lakefront late next year. Anyway, like I’ve said a few times earlier in this week’s offering, the panic set in because of one word and people must not have read Marshall’s column because it nailed it and made it easy for even mechanical morons like myself to understand. Hopefully, people have calmed down.

If we're going to have a doubleheader at Cleveland next year, let's go all-in and have both series on track at the same time. Image by Feistman/LAT

Q: The announcement of the 2022 cars came as a (mostly) pleasant surprise. There’s now a good deal of experience in making MGU-Ks, so reliability shouldn’t be much of an issue. I just hope the drivers are given control over engaging the electric boost – push-to-pass, or whatever they’re going to call it – and only limit its use by what the cars and drivers can harvest. I know the current push-to-pass provides about 50 horsepower, so my concern is that with the engines only increasing in size by 12 cubic inches, the projected 40-50 horsepower increase provided by the MGU-K seems like very little. I thought the new cars were supposed to have a serious power gain, so I’d really like your take on that, Robin.

Included in the chat about the new cars is the possible return of standing starts on road and street courses. I have to say this is a burn point for me. In 2014, Sebastian Saavedra stalled on the line during the one and only attempt at a standing start and IndyCar nixed the starts out of hand. The reason they cited was a problem with the anti-stall program in the cars. Really? Let’s see… F1 and F2 have standing starts with no problem (and they have anti-stall). Are they just better drivers than the IndyCar jockeys? 

I’ve been around the sport long enough to have been in the grandstands and watched Parnelli, A.J., Jimmy Clark and Jackie Stewart do standing starts on the same grid in the same race, and the answer is, “Hell no!” IndyCar drivers routinely do standing starts out of pit boxes so tight the F2 guys wouldn’t recognize them, and the F1 drivers would probably boycott the track. I can’t think of any reason why we should have to wait for 2022 to see some of the best drivers on the planet make standing starts – can you?

John in Sacramento

RM: You don’t want to hear my take because Marshall’s makes a whole lot more sense. “Hi John. Indeed, the increase from 2.2 to 2.4 liters (134 to 146 cubic inches) isn't much, but it isn't just capacity that will bring more power – it's a complete redesign, more robust internals, more boost, and a general shift towards high power/small displacement, which is the opposite of the low-power/small displacement formula that emerged in 2012. Standing starts have come up a lot since the hybrid announcement, but I've heard nothing about it from inside the series, and know that after the previous attempts a few years ago, there hasn't been a desire for a return.”

Q: I’m a youngster making his first steps into the business/operations end of motorsports. I’ve been reading Mailbag for a while now and I must say that I have learned quite a bit from it. After reading last week’s edition I must say that I am astonished at the dismay and disillusionment that these race fans have, especially in regard to hybrid tech. As a 20-something who loves racing just as much as the guys who grew up watching Formula Fords and Can-Ams rip around, I simply don’t understand the mindset of the old guard.

As someone who will hopefully make it deeper into the sport, I have to say to these fans that racing will always be racing -- I love the noise, the smell and the shaking when a car drives by just as much as them, but if motorsport doesn’t adapt and change then it will die. Racing is in good hands -- the guys and girls in the paddocks love racing the same if not more than some of these readers, so the notion that hybrids or electricity or any advance beyond coal- or steam-powered engines is killing the sport is false.

Keep calm everyone, motorsports isn’t dying, and if we youngsters have any say, then motorsports will only get bigger and better. I suppose my question for you is, what can I do as someone who is young and full of ideas do to make motorsport enjoyable for the old guard? Is there something, or will we always have to deal with the those saying the old days were the best? Thank you for your work Robin, it’s much appreciated.

CB

RM: Very well-written letter, and always good to hear from the younger generation. I doubt there’s much you can do to make the old guard appreciate today’s racing because most were hooked on the dirt, roadsters, danger and bravado of Parnelli’s and AJ’s era. I get it, hell I still spend $500 at the Indy memorabilia show each May on old photos, programs, press kits and shirts because I don’t want to let go of the past. But even the most die-hard fans of the '60s and '70s have to admit that today’s IndyCar racing is more competitive than it’s ever been. That may not be enough to make them watch, but it’s a fact and all you can do is try and make some of your friends fans through your passion. Thanks.

Motorsport may well have been "better back then" but technology like hybrids are part of its future. Fans of the old days can enjoy a game of who, what, where, when with this shot, though. Image by LAT

Q: So we need to move to a hybrid engine formula. Great. Fine. As long as we can hear the beautiful loudness of a high-revving motor (and not a four-cylinder), who cares if we have to install some 50 HP widget down there to keep manufacturers engaged and happy? Finally we get on-board starters. Thank you. My decades-long complaint with IndyCar is the historical lack of starters. I know they dabbled with them a few years ago, but how many hundreds of races have been ruined over the years with the driver pounding the steering wheel and waggling his finger in a circle to the heavens. The weight for battery and starters would have been modest all these years, and performance and audience enjoyment virtually unchanged. So why has IndyCar (and other open-wheel series like that boring one in Europe) been so against starters? It makes no sense.

Marwood Stout, Camarillo, CA

P.S. It has been a pleasure to read your work over the decades, and a thrill to meet you in person (at Gladstone's in Long Beach. I am the oral surgeon in Camarillo who has offered to get you hooked up with a dental implant. (My offer still stands.) Where you proved what I always thought: that you were a very down to earth and kind gentleman, and one of the best assets of open-wheel racing. Thank you for taking the time to chat it up with me and the little nieces and nephews I am trying to turn into solid IndyCar fans.

RM: If I remember correctly, there was some kind of heating or weight problem with self-starters in the Champ Car days and after the false starts at Indy and again at Houston, I think IndyCar freaked out and forgot about them. But standing starts would be perfect for street races – especially Long Beach and Toronto, where they could get everyone on the straightaway. And the fact this hybrid assist will allow drivers to restart instead of waiting on a safety truck will be the best thing for keeping the race going and not bringing out a yellow for five laps. Thanks for your kind words and offer, but I’m thinking about surgery to remove one of my five chins.

Q: Carryover questions that I haven’t been able to get an addressed yet by you or Marshall.  I started noticing mid-year that the right-front tire changer and the crew member who waves in the driver in pit lane has a different colored team uniform that the rest of the crew. This seems to be for all teams. Am I hallucinating or did this change, and is it a rule?

And, all the furor over an engine rule change (that half the Mailbag writers don’t understand) is infuriating. I’m old also, Medicare this November. This hybrid addition to the engine spec is the way of the world. Get used to it. Reminds me of the guys my age and older complaining about the C8 'Vette. Get over it. GM needs to sell to people younger than we are. Most people seem to be missing the best part of the new engine – onboard starters. This alone improves the racing greatly. There. I feel better.

Mike DeQuardo, Waukesha, WI

RM: Ganassi Racing boss Mike Hull was kind enough to answer your first question: “Some teams have their outside front tire changer in a different-colored fire suit, or some have a full armband of a different color, while some do not. All teams use a sign board, as well as an additional sign on the top of their fuel tank to help drivers. For the night races, most teams have a lighted sign board. But there isn’t a rule requirement for off-setting uniform colors.”

As for your statement on hybrids, I think old guys like us will eventually embrace what’s taking place – especially if it lands IndyCar another manufacturer.

Q: Curious about AutoNation’s involvement in the sport. In your Rossi article, Michael says that AutoNation has been a great supporter of Hunter-Reay and that they really stepped up to make the Rossi deal happen. Then in Marshall’s article about Meyer-Shank’s alliance plans for 2020, Michael Shank says that his discussions with AutoNation and SiriusXM have been very positive. They have not stood out to me in the past as a prominent sponsor in the series, but apparently they have been involved with at least two different team/driver combinations.  Is their participation more aligned with Honda than it is with those teams/drivers? And, as always, please ask Jay Frye to remove the fuel knobs from the cars.

Kirby, Indianapolis

RM: Michael’s confession was a bit of a revelation since he said AutoNation was the deal changer, but it also sounds like Mike Shank is confident about the future. FYI, Jay isn’t allowed to touch the cars.

Q: Hey Robin, I don't really have a question but more of an observation. If you check out the number of social media shares on RACER.com in the last two weeks you will notice that at best McLaren news brought in about 4,000 + shares. However, your column on Little Al's alcohol struggles resulted to a whopping 26,000 shares. Seems like real life human struggle brings out the quiet IndyCar fans out of the woodworks. Going back to McLaren – I hope this team come back swinging next year, with or without Alonso. What they'll sell next year will be a story about perseverance and success. I'll be the first in line to get their merchandise.

Jon Litorja, Chicago

RM: I think it shows me how many people still care about Unser; he remains one of the most popular drivers ever and as many people who might have been curious about his status, most are pulling for him. McLaren merchandise will be back next May and hopefully it will be in the race this time.

Q: Great article on Al Jr. and his battle with alcoholism. Please let him know we're all pulling for him to beat this disease. As Roger said, "We have an ill-handling car, let's fix it." Come on Al, pull in the pits and let your friends help fix it! You can beat this demon. We know you can!

Jerry King

RM: I’ve received more than 75 emails and texts from Unser fans expressing your thoughts, and I’ve sent some of them to Al and he was very appreciative.

Q: Just read your story about Al Jr. on RACER.com. As I am the same age, he's my all-time favorite driver. Sad to hear of the recurring disease and its consequences, but glad to hear he can face and hopefully conquer the demons within. I've only had the pleasure of talking to him one time at Community Day (Danica's rookie season), but the memory will last forever. Because of him, I still eat Domino's Pizza! The gesture from The Captain was heartfelt. And I'll never forget that day in May, in the Media Center, that god-awful look on his and Emmo’s face when they did not qualify for the 1995 Indy 500. Junior if you're reading this, many of us are wishing you well in your fight to recovery! One day at a time, buddy.

Dave Zilai

RM: As much as everyone is pulling for him, we all know Al is the only one who can beat it or at least neutralize it, and it’s a daily battle. Let’s just hope he’s up for the fight.

Little Al is facing a big fight, but has a lot of support from within the community. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: Longtime reader, first-time writer! My wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary earlier this year. My wife was working for a large pharmaceutical company in Wilkes Barre/Scranton when we had our first date at the Pocono 500 in 1989. I have attended a few more IndyCar races over the year with my wife. We aren’t able to make this year’s race, so my question: What are the chances there will be a Pocono IndyCar race next year? We have two daughters and I was hoping to bring them and introduce them to this great sport! Thanks for all you do for the sport!

Bob Markley, Jr., Export, PA

RM: Honestly I thought a couple months ago it was 80-20 this weekend would be it, but I keep hearing both sides are interested in keeping it going if details and dates can be worked out, so let’s say it’s upgraded to 60-40.

Q: Could give us an explanation on dampers? I am 74 years of age, have followed IndyCar for at least as long as you have and I understand about springs and shocks, but what the heck are dampers? Thanks, always enjoy or videos, live Sports Gold appearances and your columns. Great job. Longtime fan.

Steve Smyser, Frendsville, TN

RM: No Steve, I’m not nearly smart enough, but thankfully I’m friends with Craig Hampson, the respected engineer for Sebastien Bourdais, and he graciously responded to your request:

“A damper is a device which dissipates the energy of a vibration, specifically in our case the movement of the spring in the suspension. The damper slows the movement of the spring by converting the energy to heat – which is a by-product of squeezing oil through controlled holes or ports or gaps. 'Shock absorber' is more slang and the shock absorber is the damper, but more correctly the energy of the shock of going over the bump is “absorbed” and controlled by a combined unit of a coil spring plus the damper.

"Inerters are also a device to store and release suspension energy. In IndyCar, the inerter, if utilized, must be built inside of the shock absorber unit. A damper reacts to the velocity or the spring movement, while the inerter reacts to the acceleration of the spring, meaning its change in velocity.”

As usual, he took the words right out of my mouth. Thanks Craig.

Q: Good morning Robin, AT&T/DirecTV have stopped airing NBC on their cable line-up. There is a dispute that's been going on since July 3rd. DirecTV has been disappointing over the years, so I took this opportunity to purchase YouTubeTV for $50/month. I can now watch live or recorded IndyCar from my TV, tablet or smartphone. I love it!

Darryl Lawson

RM: Thanks for the update Darryl, I’ve got DirecTV but still have NBC and NBCSN so not sure what’s going on with your hookup, but glad you found an option.

Q: Is it just me, or does IndyCar seem fixated on having only 17 races per year, no more? I'm just confused by the comments of Pocono's Nick Idalsky saying that they want IndyCar back, but apparently it's been complete silence from IndyCar's side. At the same time we read reports that Richmond will probably be added to the schedule (which is great, love that track). One step forward and one step back, it seems. It just seems to me that if a track wants your series to race (and an oval track at that), you go. What am I missing?

Kevin Kerner

RM: I believe IndyCar would like to have 20 races a year, but they can’t all be road courses or street circuits in order to keep the series the most diverse in motorsports, so keeping ovals is obviously desired but tricky because it’s a hard sell for a promoter.

Q: It’s Year 3 for Gateway/WWT and I was wondering how ticket sales have been, and if the momentum from the last couple of years is continuing? I know Gateway revised some of its seating and ticketing, and was curious how it’s been received by the paying customer? Also, track was repaved last year. How is the newer surface holding up, and is Gateway laying some rubber down to get a second groove in the turns?

Tulsa IndyCar Fan

RM: A comprehensive update from Gateway GM Chris Blair:

“I’m happy to report that ticket sales are going very well and it looks like we are on pace to meet and possibly exceed last year’s number. Our new naming rights sponsor, World Wide Technology, is actively involved with the event this year and the enthusiasm from their employees is really showing. To be totally transparent, we are down on some of the team hospitality programs this year (which I think having COTA and Laguna as new events this year may be a contributor to that), so when you factor in where we are on sales it shows that MORE of the ticket buying public are coming. We’ve had a lot of calls from people who are waiting to see the weather forecast, so we expect to see a lot of people hop off the fence and come to our race.

“The revised seating has been very well received once people started seeing the value of all they get if they buy the Checkered Flag Club package. The bus trips from IMS are really becoming popular, and a lot of people from areas such as Dayton, Detroit, Cincy are driving to IMS to hop on. It’s a good program and there’s a big push on radio in Indy right now to grab more people. I have a few surprises to announce later this week and early next week that fans will like.  We are placing more emphasis on giving the best show of any oval. Stay tuned for those ‘extras.’

Gateway is planning another first-class weekend. Image by LePage/LAT

"As far as the asphalt, we are very happy with it and it’s doing well. The quality of racing keeps getting better. I know The Mailbag is about IndyCar, but I just got some notes from NASCAR regarding our Truck event in June. From 2017 (last year of old pavement) to 2018 (first year of new pavement for them) we had an increase of three lead changes and an increase of 183 passes under green (484 vs. 667). This year, the second time for them on the pavement, we doubled the number of green lead changes from 8 to 16 and the total number of green flag passes increased from 667 to 866! That’s an increase of 382 passes under green in two years.

"Thanks to Cara Adams at Firestone we have a shipment of tires coming and Kurt Johnson of Total Venue Concepts is going to wear out multiple sets on the high side to get that groove brought in. We are taking the same approach we took to the Truck race where we had lots of three-wide racing taking place. In addition, we are going to drag the track with Firestone rubber just prior to the start of the IndyCar event so that the track is groomed perfectly to give drivers some grip and the fans a show.”

Q: I was just up with my wife and son at the Wisconsin State Fair this past Friday. To park the car we got to drive the track starting between Turn 1 and Turn 2, down the back straight and then into the infield around Turn 3. What great memories of IndyCar races from just the first decade of the 2000s. Highlights for me: Danica punch-pushing Dan Wheldon because he cut her off in the race, Helio and Sam Hornish’s rear wings breaking in the race because Penske tried to work his famous unfair advantage with the mounting brackets, and one of my favorites, actually watching in person a young Graham Rahal in the Newman Haas McDonald's car try to chase down Dixon and Dario – I think in 2010?

Anyway, as we were eating fried everything at the Fair, I had this thought: is there actually a better place for a combined NASCAR/IndyCar weekend than the Milwaukee Mile? Yes I know it's easy as a race fan to have pipe dreams, but think about it. Perhaps one of the few oval venues in the country that can offer the atmosphere of a street circuit. With support series you could have cars running around there all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I live on the north side of Chicago and it is faster for me to get to Milwaukee than Joliet/Chicagoland Speedway. Plenty of industry and brands in that corridor between northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Throw in Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and all of the other 100k population cities within 4-5 hours drive, and you've got the makings of a big winner at the box office. The track looked terrible admittedly, so I'm sure there would be a big investment needed, but the grandstands are still there and it's a crime that Belle Isle ever replaced that track on the schedule.

Clint, Chicago

RM: Unless Bob Sargent (who promoted the ARCA race earlier this summer) decides to invest a fortune in what’s left of our beloved oval there is no interest that I know of, and NASCAR is going to give Gateway or Iowa a race long before it would ever consider Milwaukee. Plus, State Fair Park isn’t nearly big enough to accommodate all the NASCAR and IndyCar transporters and hospitality. Just watch your old Dick Wallen videos, because that’s as close as we’re ever going to get to another IndyCar race at Milwaukee.