Robin Miller's Mailbag for August 28, 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: It must have been a rough week for Taku after what happened at Pocono. It was great to see he showed the speed at Gateway and proved he’s a helluva racer one more time! Job done, Taku! Now it makes me wonder what “IndyCar fans” say about it.

Noz, Yokohama, Japan

RM: Sato is a gracious person, and one of the most likeable drivers I’ve ever encountered. He took a pretty good beating on social media after Pocono, but he seems to have a resilience like few others. I was interviewing him right before the start last Saturday night and he got a nice ovation from the Gateway crowd, so I think a lot of IndyCar fans either forgave and forgot, or simply didn’t blame him. Prior to that we were discussing the fact that before last week I’d never heard any racial slurs thrown his way in the decade he’s raced over here, and he said the same. But he was a popular Indy 500 winner, and fans always seem to enjoy his attack mode behind the wheel. So a few experts hiding behind their computer shouldn’t bother him, because they didn’t speak for the majority.

Q: I went to the Gateway IndyCar race and it was my first IndyCar race outside of the Indy 500. Great facility, and pretty good race. Seemed like it was difficult to pass the leader, as it's been all year. I was very impressed by Ferrucci. Strategy kinda screwed him, then he overdrove Turn 1 but still managed fourth. Do you see him going to a better team next year? He deserves it.

Luke, Indy

RM: Passing was difficult, but there was plenty of it during the last 100 laps. That race usually starts out kinda boring and then comes to life. The yellow really hosed Santino, and he didn’t have a great last pit stop either. Dale Coyne says he wants to keep him, and unless Zak Brown comes calling, I imagine he’ll stay because it’s a small but mighty team that he’s fit into nicely. He and engineer Mike Cannon click.

Q: Two comments and a question: Make Gateway the final round! And the same cars from the Pocono wreck nearly wrecked again at the start! My question is this: I understand Newgarden was frustrated with Santino at the end of the race, but why not just ride to a solid fifth place and take the points?

Rob Peterson, Rochester, NY

RM: Gateway should be the season finale, but more on that next week. It looked like JoNew was just reacting to Ferrucci’s slide into the gray, so at that point what’s he supposed to do? It didn’t look like he really had time to do much except dodge a crash.

Well, that's one way to shut down any Pocono-inspired sniping. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: I have been to over 25 Indy 500s and have lived in the St. Louis area for over 15 years. Last year I brought five friends to the Bommarito 500 and this year brought seven while upgrading our tickets. Last year's crowd was nice, but this year's race blew it out of the water. We have made new race fans, and plan to continue to attend – where else can you get tickets at an affordable price, tailgate all afternoon, and have a top-notch race experience (at an oval nonetheless)? Tell the folks running Gateway to keep it up! Now, how can we get Gateway as the series finale? I'd rather have 42,000 screaming fans for the finale than a couple hundred folks out in Northern California.

Eric D, St. Louis

RM: You’re a good man for spreading the word and cultivating new fans, Eric. It was the best crowd in three years, and just a good race with a great finish. I wish you would talk to the owners about what constitutes a good finale. For my money it would be an oval with a great crowd under the lights at a track that promotes the hell out IndyCar and would pack the place. But I guess the owners would rather entertain their sponsors in front of 10,000 people at a track where passing will be passé, but they dine by the ocean.

Q: Wow!  What a great race! I’m ready for Gateway to be scheduled the week after the Indy 500 and as the season finale! Then, Gateway sells out and makes money, NBC gets ratings and IndyCar fans get great racing! Texas used to be twice a year, now it’s Gateway’s turn.

Bill Schemonia, Vergennes, IL

RM: I think one of Gateway’s keys is that it’s once a year and Chris Blair, John Bisci and the Bommarito Auto Group promote it year-round. Twice might really hurt it – unless it was the IndyCar/NASCAR doubleheader that Jay Frye wants to make happen, and Curtis Francois and Gateway are all in favor of it.

Q: I will say this about Sato, he definitely creates excitement. What an incredible race and an incredible event. I have stated before that Gateway deserves and should be the season finale. I understand the owners believe that tracks like Gateway and Iowa are not classy enough for the season finale, but at what point does common sense take over? Gateway has proven in three years it can draw a massive crowd, take a dip in attendance, and then bounce back with a crowd bigger than ever. What would you say was the attendance number? And do you think we ever get to a point when Mark Miles says enough is enough, we need to finish the season where the fanbase is and at event that comes across as a big-time event and not something that resembles a pre-season tire test?

Brian, Plainfield, IL

RM: This is no knock on Sonoma or Laguna Seca, but they’re not good tracks for Indy cars, and drawing a crowd is challenging. NBC will have to get creative next month to make it look like somebody is there. I’ve written and cajoled the owners about being short-sighted, and why wouldn’t you want the season finale and championship to be decided where there are passionate people and lots of them? It’s maddening because Gateway might sell it out, and there’s a big-time atmosphere there every year. It’s the perfect place for the finale, and if the owners want to wine and dine their sponsors, St. Louis is 10 minutes away and has plenty of good restaurants.

Q: I seem to be in the minority. That race wasn’t good for me. The restarts were exciting for about three laps and the finish was great, but the race was a bit of a parade. It took Ferrucci 30 laps to get by Newgarden, and he had to gamble to try and get on the podium with a car that was a cut above. On the subject of Ferrucci, I’m surprised you think he’s a candidate for SPAM (Schmidt Peterson Arrow McLaren). I don’t see how they can sign someone who is still so poorly viewed after he got banned from F2.  I think NBC would do well to let the kid talk about where he’s come from, what he’s learned and where he sees himself headed. What are your thoughts on any of this?

Ryan in West Michigan

P.S. If Bourdais doesn’t crash we have a Ferrucci, Bourdais, and Daly podium –not necessarily in that order–  and nobody else in the same zip code as those three. Agreed?

RM: Yes you are. Of the 200-plus emails, yours was the only one that didn’t like the race and I’m not sure how it could have been much better, given Gateway’s tight corners. What Ferrucci did a few years ago as a teenager shouldn’t have a lot of bearing on his future, and he’s been nothing but a model citizen over here – not to mention a bit of a revelation on ovals. I imagine NBC may set him down for an interview in the next few weeks. He got hosed by the caution, as did Conor.

Ryan from West Michigan wasn't impressed, but it seems most other fans enjoyed what they saw at Gateway on Saturday. Image by Abbott/LAT

Q: First off, that was an epic race and displayed everything that makes IndyCar the best top echelon racing series on the planet. If that race did not grab you, you don’t have a pulse. What was the crowd count? There is no doubt as to its gaining traction. What were crowd comments after? What are your thoughts about Conor Daly’s opportunity for a full-time ride? He did a hell of a job and has elevated Carlin’s game.

Emmett M. Murphy, Mesquite, Texas

RM: The main grandstand holds 40,000, and there were probably 25,000 in it and another 11,000 tickets were sold in Turn 1, so I’d say at least 30,000 were in attendance. The fans that have written to The Mailbag are like you – they loved it because it featured some hard, wild racing. I would hope that Trevor Carlin finds the money to hire Daly, because he’s turned that team around.

Q: Hey Robin, Saturday’s race was amazing for Conor Daly. I’ve been rooting for him for years, and it sounds like you have also. I really hope he lands at McLaren. Do you know if he’s going to be with Carlin at Portland or is Chilton back in the car? I assume so but there hasn’t been a mention of the situation for Portland.

Jeff Barker

RM: I think Zak Brown and Conor have texted each other and I know McLaren wants a big name, but Daly would be a solid choice. He’s hungry, talented and understands a chassis. His next race will be at Laguna for Andretti with Air Force backing.

Q: Nothing against Colton Herta, he’s a great young talent. Why does it appear that some teams are bending over backwards to sign him when Ferrucci’s record this year is far better then Colton’s (minus one win). Is Ferrucci still under contract? Does Colton bring more sponsorship? If I owned a team and looked at laps completed, average finishing position, and the fact that he doesn’t damage cars that often, I would want him on my team ASAP!

Brad Heuer, Coeurdalene, Idaho

RM: The only two teams that were “bending over backwards” were Andretti and McLaren because Colton is 19 and a little badass with a fabulous future. Ditto for Santino. Coyne says he wants to keep him and it’s been a good fit, but there aren’t a lot of places to go unless it’s Arrow McLaren SP or Foyt, and why would anyone think he’d be better off there? He’s kicking their ass every week with Coyne. I said on TV a couple of weeks ago that if I were Zak Brown I’d try and sign Ferrucci and Mike Cannon as package deal for 2020.

Q: I'm sorry, but in spite of Newgarden's protests that he is not a whiner, recent facts suggest the contrary. And these are not of the heat-of-the-moment variety. Yes, we get you're a Penske driver, Josef. So it's OK for you to push the limit but not others? Granted, Ferrucci's move on the last lap at Gateway created the problem when he got up in the marbles. It was the last lap and he was going for the podium! And the kid is a racer. Not unlike you Josef, running into the side of Hunter-Reay for position on the last lap just a couple of races ago. Ooops. Forgot. You drive for Penske.

I think you can make a pretty good argument that less than a second before the incident, Ferrucci was in the marbles and basically out of control. Instinctively, he turned left out of the marbles and got in to that very narrow groove in Turn 4. If anyone had a perfect seat to see what was going on it was Newgarden, who was running well behind Ferrucci. Maybe Ferrucci could have stayed out of the groove. Maybe not. I'm sure at the time he was more worried about getting control of his car on the last lap and not hitting the wall.

To his credit, he did take some blame and apologized to Newgarden. So I guess all the other racers on the track need to be careful not to race for position on the last lap if it somehow is going to affect Josef, unless it is Josef going for position. I like Josef but I am beginning to like Ferrucci a whole lot. Yes Josef, like you said, it is big-time racing. And Ferrucci is a racer. Your take?

Jim, Indy

RM: I watched a YouTube video and it was late, so not a real good view of how far back Newgarden was, but we interviewed him in the heat of the moment so it’s understandable he was pissed for losing a couple spots. But Race Control didn’t take any action because they felt Santino was fighting for control more than throwing down a heinous block, and he knew he’d caused Newgarden some grief so he went down to talk it over and apologize. Like I wrote Monday, it’s the first transgression for this kid on an oval, and he’s raced clean and hard all season, so I give him a pass.

Q: It was the snake that Dale Coyne would not let slither away. Back in 2015, the Campos GP2 team gave Rossi another chance into getting him to F1. But it did not work and Andretti Autosport picked him up for 2016. And look what happened: Rossi won the Indy 500. Then: Santino Ferrucci came along (I called him Cobra Kai when I saw the incident that got him kicked out of an F1 feeder series during a cool-down lap ). And wow. This year, three top fives in his last seven races (ovals, of course). We were thinking Herta and Rosenqvist for Rookie of the Year honors. Now he becomes a third wheel. Coyne lost out on Rossi to Andretti Autosport, and he was not willing to lose out on Santino. What will it take for Coyne to retain Santino?

Juan Solano

RM: Good question. I asked Dale after the race if he planned on keeping the kid, and he said absolutely so unless McLaren throws a big check at him. Not sure where else he could go that would benefit him more than staying put with a team he’s bonded with and that has helped him to excel on the track.

There's plenty of interest in what might be down the road for Santino Ferrucci. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: I'm not sure what to say anymore about the drivers in this series on ovals. The amount of blocking and weaving at Gateway was ridiculous and unnecessary. It hurt the show worse than the marbles, by far. Second gripe, why did Alexander Rossi not pit to top off along with Newgarden and basically two-thirds of the field on the last caution? They threw away a top six finish! To paraphrase yourself, I don't know what else Conor Daly needs to prove to get a full-time ride. In the past two years he's driven for four different teams, and immediately improved upon that team's prior results – with zero testing.

Greg in NJ

RM: Gateway has tight corners, real tight, so passing is a combination of balls and hip-checking, and of course swerving once is always allowed. Isn’t it? But if made for an exciting show, I thought. Conor can’t do anything else (short of winning) to prove his worth, but unless Carlin or McLaren hire him, I don’t know what other options are out there for him. Rossi didn’t pit when JoNew did because he was hoping for another caution (of at least 10 laps) to stretch his fuel, because they felt it was his only shot at finishing in the top five.

Q: Great race at Gateway. I seem to remember Rossi punting Wickens a couple of times last year, and his attitude was basically ‘too bad, I'm here to win.’ Rossi got into Sato at, I believe, Road America, and Sato basically said, ‘drive me hard but don't touch me.’ Couple years ago JoNew dives it down the inside of his teammate, bangs wheels hard a few times and says “too bad, I'm here to win a championship.” Ferrucci throws a tough block, and JoNew is upset. I'm sure we can all list lots drivers in IndyCar, NASCAR, IMSA etc who bitch and moan when Driver A gets into them but that same driver has a ‘valid’ excuse as to why they got into someone else. To me, it should make no difference if it's lap one, or "going for the win", or street course, or oval. With all that in mind, here's my question. Are all race car drivers hypocrites?

Caz

RM: Oh, hell yes. In every major series. It’s part of most drivers’ DNA to point fingers and bitch whenever they get fed a wheel, but they all have convenient memories. Of course blocking or rubbing on an oval is a lot more risky than on a street course, so that always heightens the furor.

Q: Once again, Gateway delivered a good race with passing, strategy calls, handling issues and plenty of drama at the end. Great coverage by NBC including that TV shot where the broadcast team caught the tire blisters during the first series of pit stops. Just great camera work, and a production team that cares. Never would have predicted Sato for the win! Now, on to the questions: It's been too long since we saw Tony Kanaan smiling at the end of the race. It was really good to see him race and finish well. Tony and the Foyt team have had a rough year. How much did this finish mean to Tony, and how much do you think this will help him decide about 2020? Can you lend some insight into what happened with Rossi's strategy? They had been able to get up front and compete, and then it all went backwards in the last 30 laps or so.

John Balestrieri, Milwaukee

RM: It was good to see T.K. and Ed Carpenter on the podium again, and I’m not sure what 2020 holds in store for A.J.’s team. Kanaan wants to have a farewell tour and certainly deserves it, but unless it’s Foyt, not sure where he’d go. NBC’s Kevin Lee told me he talked to Rob Edwards after the race and the strategy was to stay out and hope to catch one more caution, because it was the only way they figured a top-five finish was attainable.

Q: Gateway again put on a great race. I live on the western U.S., but hope to get there to watch in person some day! Always attend the Indy 500 (first turn, 35 years straight), but Gateway is becoming a must-see as well. Marbles. With all the technology involved, and the many years that Firestone has been supplying tires, why can they not supply a tire that has grip but doesn't shed rubber as we saw at Gateway? That race would have been awesome if running a second lane were possible without risking it all. You may never get rid of all the marbles, but some compromise where a tire will maintain its integrity but still have grip would allow two-wide racing without the outside car running on ice. Should IndyCar be open to other tire manufacturers?

If I heard right, Penske changed Newgarden's engine overnight. Is there no penalty in doing that? I thought there would be a penalty if you didn't start with the engine that was qualified?

Bob from Idaho

RM: A tire war isn’t going to get rid of marbles, it’s simply a byproduct of creating tires that perform at a high level before dropping off, which in turn, creates overtaking in most cases. I’m not sure you could have asked for a better race in the tight confines of Gateway than we saw last Saturday night. No grid penalty for changing engines, that’s F1 and NASCAR.

New engine, no problem for Josef Newgarden. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: First, hats off again to John Bommarito and Curtis Francois and their respective teams for another outstanding oval IndyCar race at Gateway. I attended the 2017 event and this weekend's event; I must say they have truly uncorked the genie on how to promote and run an oval weekend. Constant on-track action from multiple series, as well as celebrating IndyCar's past with the exhibition runs by the Vintage Indy Car group. They should put on a clinic for other track owners on how to make IndyCar work for them. 

As good as the race action was, I have one observation – that I also noticed in 2017 – and this involves IndyCar itself. On four separate occasions during yellow flags, IndyCar safety trucks were backing up into race traffic while in the middle of the track. This is an absolute no-no on any racetrack, and IndyCar should know better. There is no excuse for this, and somebody needs to get to IndyCar and get this fixed before the safety trucks run backwards into an oncoming race car and there is a catastrophic result. There were no injuries, and no reason for this action. Any idea what gives here?

Jonny, Foothill Ranch, CA

P.S. Also found my new favorite driver for the future while watching the Indy Pro 2000 race – with a name like Sting Ray Robb, how can he miss!

RM: Just a part of track cleaning, and all the drivers are aware of the trucks so it’s not a dangerous situation. As for Gateway, it’s the best of all worlds – a great owner in Curtis, promoter in Chris Blair, PR man in John Bisci and sponsor in Bommarito. It was hard not to compare the difference between Pocono and last Saturday. The fans were treated to non-stop action from noon until the checkered flag at Madison, while they sat in silence in Pennsylvania waiting for the late starting time.

Q: It was fantastic to see the crowd at Gateway for Saturday night’s race! What a great race as well. What has been the key to their success? Are all of these individual ticket sales due to effective promotion and advertising, or are corporate hospitality and complimentary tickets the key to the crowds? Either way, why can’t this formula be duplicated and work for the other ovals on the schedule?

Tom Anderson, Mesa, AZ

RM: The key is having an owner like Francois willing to do whatever it takes (re-pave the track, re-route the roads to help traffic flow, add parking spots, add concessions), a promotional mind like Blair who understands the product, and the audience and a sponsor like Bommarito that’s gung-ho and spends big money to help make the race an event. They had a few thousand comps given out last Saturday, but they were paid for by companies.

Q: I attended Gateway in 2002 and decided then that I would not return until the Grandstand in Turns 1 & 2 were open. I was surprised to see it open Saturday, because those seats were not available on the track’s website. Had I known they were open, I would have attended in a heartbeat. For me, it's all about sight lines. NBCSN didn't have a camera on top of the main stretch stand because they put them where the sight lines are good, like in Turn 1. Still, I will not return until I can leave home with Turn 1 tickets in hand. Was this stand opened out of necessity? Can you check with Gateway on their future plans for Turn 1?

The Rickyard

RM: It was a last-minute corporate buy and the request was for 11,000 tickets, so Turn 1 was the only place that could accommodate that number and keep them together. Just write to the track and ask about Turn 1 for next year. I’m sure the website has an email address. (ED: Try info@wwtraceway.com)

Q: Hey Robin, is it me or was attendance is down at St. Louis? Looks way more sparse in grandstands then previous years. Hope it's not that the area is already over IndyCar. Could it be lack of support events? Two weekends before, the Formula Drift series was at St. Louis. Going forward, it would be a good opportunity to combine events. IndyCar should invite them over and have bigger event. Plus, get more of the 18-35 demographic from the Formula Drift crowd to get some more followers of IndyCar.

Kevin, Long Beach, CA

RM: Not quite sure what you were looking at, but last Saturday was their best crowd of the three years, and I’d say 30,000. They ran Indy Lights, Pro F2000 and K & N stockers on Saturday, so not sure how you could have any more action than that (plus the vintage cars also ran). I don’t think IndyCar needs Formula Drift to draw a crowd at Gateway.

Q: Gateway puts on a good show with good attendance. Has IndyCar given any thought to doing two races at Gateway? Maybe a daytime one in April, and a night one in August? Best investment of the year has to be NBC Gold!

Jim McGlynn

RM: No, but they’ve lobbied for the season finale, which would be perfect. The days of two races in one year are long gone – way too tough to get a crowd once, let alone twice at an oval. Glad you enjoy Gold, thanks for subscribing.

Q: What a race! So if Gateway can fill the seats like they do, why can’t Kentucky, Chicagoland, and Michigan? It’s not marketing, either. Diehard IndyCar fans like myself in the Midwest don’t need marketing to know when and where they are racing, and IndyCar has a enough diehard fans to make it interesting enough for those tracks to host races.

Donald Mathews

RM: I have to disagree. It is marketing and promoting and wanting IndyCar at your track, which none of those places you mentioned do. Gateway advertises on the radio in Indianapolis three to six months out, and has bus trips from Indianapolis to the race. It doesn’t let people forget the date or month, and that doesn’t happen at Pocono or Iowa. Could IndyCar work again at Kentucky? Absolutely, if Kentucky wants to put in the effort.

The folks steering the ship at Gateway know what it takes to get people to show up for oval racing. Image by IndyCar

Q: It was great to see a good qualifying crowd (all things considered with the times) at Gateway. I know it was still not much, but in terms of oval qualifying attendance it had to be second-best to Indy, easily. Also, a good turnout for the race, as you mentioned on TV. My question: Despite a good crowd, what happened with the last 50 laps or so? It seemed like a lot of people left. I hope I was just seeing things; that was a bit discouraging for such a good race. There have been many positives about IndyCar lately, I hope we keep pushing forward.

Kyle Patin from Milwaukee

RM: Brother, I’m busy running around the pits or going to the medical center, and I didn’t notice people leaving early and you’re the first person to mention it, but it certainly could have happened. Seemed like a lot of folks were standing and screaming at the checkered flag, but it’s tough to gauge how many were left.

Q: Do you think Hinch, Rossi and Hunter-Reay got together before the Gateway race and decided to give Sato a bad time in Turn 1 to see what Sato would do? Conspiracy? Grudge? I agreed with you, Robin; the Pocono thing with Sato was a racing incident.

Barney, Reno, Nevada

RM: No, I don’t think anybody thinks like that on an oval. Everyone is scrambling for a spot heading into Turn 1, and it just seemed ironic those three nearly tangled again.

Q: After watching the race Saturday night, which was great, I don't ever want to hear one driver bitch about a track being unsafe after watching some of the outright dangerous driving they did. Hinch literally drives to the inside wall blocking the hell out of Pagenaud. What if Pagenaud didn't get out of it in time and climbed Hinch's wheels and hopped the pit wall and into who knows what or whom? Hinch would probably be the first to complain about the track. I am all for hard racing, but IndyCar needs to rein these guys in a bit or come down HARD on them.

Speaking of stupid driving, why didn't IndyCar give Ferrucci (awesome run, BTW) a penalty for his completely classless chop on Newgarden on the last lap? They have given a lap or 30-second penalty to drivers for far less. Newgarden lost two or three positions for that. He would have been fourth by passing Ferrucci. Instead he was seventh. Essentially, that cost Newgarden seven points, so remember these points in the final analysis.

Mark in Cincinnati

RM: Gateway breeds aggression and taking chances, but that’s why we watch, right? As for Ferrucci’s incident, here’s the take from Race Director Kyle Novak: “TK was aggressively defending on the back straight, Ferrucci overdrove the corner trying to make the pass, and got into the marbles in Turn 3-4. He kept correcting and Newgarden smelled blood and drove it into the grass trying to get by at the exit of Turn 4 and looped it. Newgarden thought the last correction to the racing line by Ferrucci was intentional, but since he almost crashed trying to save it, Race Control found it hard to assign blame.”

Q: Am wondering if Sebastien Bourdais has somehow lost his enthusiasm for driving? Not just in his interview with you after the Gateway shunt, but it seems like in every interview at least since and maybe even at Indy, his heart just doesn’t seem in it any longer. Thoughts?

David Spear

RM: No, you can’t go as fast as he does and not have your heart in it. I think he was pretty despondent after his crash at Gateway because he was having such a strong run, but he’ll be fine this weekend at Portland.

Q: As I watched the race at Gateway it seemed to me that yet another opportunity for passing was being ruined by tires that create so much debris that there's only one groove to race in. Simultaneously, the grip falls off so quickly (relative to new) that passing is very difficult. While I understand the driving skill and engineering setup required in order to maintain "good" tires for a long run, as a fan, my opinion is that this current tire philosophy is ruining the racing. The strategy/skill while esoteric, isn't entertaining. And it's not just the ovals – marbles off line, especially in the braking zones on the street and road courses, have the same effect. Outbraking someone is impossible on the marbles. By the way, outbraking someone takes way more skill and is way more entertaining to me than the "push to pass" gimmick.

We've heard from the Firestone engineers earlier, but they're just executing a philosophy handed them by IndyCar, so they build the tires that they do. If the philosophy from the top asked to greatly reduce/eliminate marbles I believe that Firestone could deliver. It would seem obvious that such a tire would have less grip but be more consistent through a stint, this could mean that cars could be driven more with the gas pedal, which also could be more entertaining (and they could add horsepower if necessary). Do you think this could work? If not, why not?

Doug Viall

RM: Here’s a response from Bridgestone’s chief engineer Cara Adams:

“Following conversations with teams, drivers and INDYCAR after last year’s Gateway race, we designed a new left-side tire that had a softer compound to provide more degradation and more grip over a stint, which would also provide the cars with more mechanical grip. As was the case this weekend, one of the engineering trade-offs is that oftentimes with softer compounds you’ll see a higher level of marbles. As we look to 2020, we’ll analyze the race data, collaborate with the series, teams and drivers, and combine that with testing of the technology evolution such as the aeroscreen to determine the best tire specification.”

Q: Does Ericsson have enough funding to end up with Carlin? How about Foyt or Coyne if seats open at either place? Speaking of Carlin, do you see a ride share with Kimball and Chilton? Nasr to McLaren Arrow seems to make sense now that Herta is off the table. Does McLaren have an IndyCar vet like Daly join Nasr, or would they place another McLaren contracted driver alongside? OEM: Was the switch to hybrid in part to take another shot at getting Porsche? How about all of the BMW rumors that were flying around on the internet earlier in the year. Might BMW bite with the hybrid engine?

Gordon from Dallas

RM: Marcus supposedly has $3 million in sponsorship so I think he could wind up at ECR, or Carlin, or Foyt, or even RLL. Charlie says he wants to run full-time in 2020, but if I’m Trevor Carlin I hire Daly full-time and let Max and Kimball split the other car like this year. No clue what McLaren has planned, but I’d look at Pato O’Ward, Ferrucci and Daly if I were Zak Brown. The hybrid was dangled to attract a third OEM ,but have no idea who it could be, or if it’s even close.

Ericsson has the skills to pay the bills. He also has some sponsors. Image by IndyCar

Q: Dixon's mechanical failure at Gateway was for a leaking radiator; I haven't heard of that before in IndyCar. Was that due to some debris from the racing surface, or a mechanical failure/leak in the radiator itself? What kind of telemetry data would indicate an impending gearbox/stack failure? I think that was on Rahal's car at Gateway. Great call on that one!

Regarding a possible move to incorporate hybrid technology by IndyCar (please don't call it KERS from Formula 1, which it wouldn't be!). Would that be the same for all cars, similar to the turbos, provided by Borg-Warner today? Currently, each internal combustion engine (ICE) manufacturer in F1 has its own take on (and programming of) their hybrid systems. They aren't all alike! On the racing side, thanks to RACER.com and RACER magazine for supporting us IndyCar fans, by you and Marshall, and your eloquent and always so politically correct hot poop (Not!)

Bill in CA (yep, I'm a GearHead)

RM: “A piece of a blown engine from the K&N Series was kicked up by a car Dixie was chasing and shot straight through the stainless steel mesh screen placed in front of the radiator, and cut a path straight through the radiator core. It will be a kinetic energy recovery system, so it's KERS, like it or not, and Formula 1 wasn't the first to use it. It's going to be a spec system. Thanks for the kind comments.” – Marshall.

Q: The night before Pocono, I drove 4.5 hours from Phoenix to Perris, CA to watch a USAC CRA/Southwest sprint car race. Jake Swanson, after spinning on Lap 1, came all the way through the field to win the 30-lap race. The crowd was going crazy, as they should have because the 22 starters put on a good show. Money, and time, well spent. The next morning I drove home with the anticipation of getting to watch my true racing passion, IndyCar, at Pocono.

As with every race I attend or watch, I am always concerned with the start. My concern is because I am hoping some new fan may be tuning in to see what the buzz is about, and I don’t want to see something stupid happen to send the race into an immediate yellow or red flag situation. And it happened. Multiple drivers being overly aggressive, and all the pre-race excitement and anticipation is slammed to a halt. It makes me wonder if some of these drivers had grown up on dirt, without mirrors and spotters, would they be a little more respectful of the consequences? Do they even care that for the sport to thrive you have to put on a good show?

Rick Navratil, Phoenix, AZ

RM: You’ve got to have spotters on ovals nowadays because it’s almost impossible to see out of the cars, but no doubt mirrors have always added to blocking, which I detest. I remember back in the late '70s that USAC allowed mirrors in the midget division when I was racing, and after about six races and all kinds of crashes and near fistfights, the mirrors were banned. The IndyCar drivers talked about having extra respect at a place like Pocono but they didn’t show it on that first lap, and it always makes the series look bad when 22 cars can’t complete one lap of a 500-mile race without hitting each other. But last Saturday night they beat and banged and blocked and tackled and put on a helluva show without taking each other out.

Q: Do you think Oriol Servia was ever considered at McLaren? He has the experience and technical background that might pair well with a young shoe.

Justin, Park City, Utah

RM: No, but if Zak Brown were to run an extra car at Indy then Servia would be an excellent choice to help set up the cars.

Q: What is the pecking order at Arrow McLaren SP? Who will run the team? Who has final say on who drives for them? It is very confusing.

Paul Fitzgerald, Indianapolis

RM: It’s between Zak Brown, Gil de Ferran, Sam Schmidt and Rick Peterson, but we don’t know what percentage of ownership McLaren has or what Arrow will demand in terms of drivers or whether Hinch will keep his seat. Lots of questions that we don’t have answers to – yet. But I’m thinking McLaren will have a lot of say about the drivers.

Q: Have there been any talks about expanding to more than 17 IndyCar races? That seems like the number it has been around for a while now, and while I think NASCAR and F1 run way too many races, 20-ish would be good. There were a couple of pretty big gaps between races this year, and I think one could slot into to split it up. Long Beach on April 14 to May 11 for Indy GP was the biggest, four weeks apart, along with a few three-week gaps as well. But a race at the end of April would make sense to add. I know its physically demanding and costs money to move all the equipment, and don't want to sound like an unappreciative fan, I just feel like it’s hard to keep fans involved with such big layoffs in between races. Your thoughts?

Anthony in Shrewsbury, MA

RM: Jay Frye has said he’d favor 20 races if they could find three more solid venues, so it’s possible in a couple of years. But I’ve seen the 2020 schedule and other than the Summer Olympics on NBC, there aren’t any big gaps. Ideally there would be an IndyCar every other weekend in June-July-August-September, but it’s not that easy because tracks and promoters pick specific dates for a reason.

Q: Lost in the to ‘race or not to race at Pocono’ debate, and justifiably so as safety comes first, is the possible lack of 500-milers if the superspeedways depart the schedule. Though reliability isn’t the concern it used to be, there still is something special about the added element of endurance, and it would be a shame to only have that once a year.

Pat Jenkins Columbus, Ohio

RM: My take on 500-milers is that if you don’t have 33 cars then don’t ever try to run one, because it’s a s^%$ show. And if IndyCar could find a big sponsor for a Triple Crown and go back to Fontana and Pocono, then maybe you do it. But that’s not going to happen. One 500-miler a year is plenty.

Q: I love racing for many reasons, and one of them is the thrill of speed. And nothing gives me my fix like an IndyCar superspeedway race. If Pocono is indeed gone, that only leaves two high-speed ovals in IndyCar. My question is, is that it? Have the drivers, teams, series, and fans lost the stomach for the risk involved? Are there any 1.5 mile-plus ovals that will ever be on the schedule some day – Kentucky, Chicagoland, anything? Or is the future Indy and a couple of short tracks?

Dennis C, Lake in the Hills, IL

RM: Obviously, the crowds at Texas and Pocono have not been overwhelming, so superspeedways aren’t easy for the promoters to sell. So do IndyCar fans prefer a short track compared to a long race with only 22 cars on a big oval? I think so. Texas is different because it’s only a mile-and-a-half, but it’s got good racing, just like Iowa and Gateway. But it’s not about risk, it’s about business, and ovals are exciting as hell but a tough sell. I don’t think anybody cares where they race, as long as it’s a successful show for everyone.

Insert your own 'dark clouds over Pocono IndyCar future' caption here. Image by Abbott/LAT

Q: We'll leave the Pocono 'in or out' controversy to last week. What tracks, no longer in the championship – or even in existence – do you remember fondly and wish would return to the IndyCar schedule?

Jenkins, Mono, Ontario

RM: Cleveland, Riverside, Ontario, Hanford, Montreal, Mont-Tremblant, Vancouver, Mexico City and Milwaukee. We tried Phoenix again and it failed miserably, but it was a great IndyCar venue for five decades.

Q: What a terrific race and what a wonderful crowd. It looked to be a solid mix of IndyCar diehards and local St. Louis sports fans. WWT Raceway, Bommarito, and all involved really know how to promote the event. It was a terrific atmosphere. There was tons to see and do Saturday even before the main event.

And the race itself was outstanding! Good to see the old guard conquer the podium, and good to see a redemptive arc for Taku since I feel he dealt with a disproportionate amount of nonsense in the hours and days following the ABC Supply 500. The Bommarito 500 promoters are definitely dialed in, and I'd love to see the other ovals take some of their cues to increase interest in and attendance of their events.

What's the status of Pocono for 2020? It was a great event to attend for the first time, and I'd totally go back. What's to keep Pocono remaining while adding Richmond? Six ovals and at least 18 races in 2020 would be my preference!

Second question: it was great to see the Indy Pro 2000 and Lights races at Gateway. Can we maybe get them back to Iowa in 2020 at the very least? Two ovals a year is not enough for the Road to Indy drivers, IMHO, and the Pro 2000 race was a doozy!

Thanks again for all you do, Robin. It was good to see you in the paddock. I'm glad you liked my IndyCar Versus Network polo! I'll look forward to seeing you at Indy next May, if not sooner.

Andrew McNaughton, Chicago

RM: I’ve said for the past three years that Chris Blair and his great staff should hold a seminar for how to promote an IndyCar race, because nobody can touch them. The status of Pocono is not looking good, how’s that? The more preliminary events from the ladder system the better, but it’s always up to the promoter. Gateway was another winner, glad you were there.

Q: When I go to NAPA for washer fluid, Shell for gas and chewing gum, DHL for shipping and my TAG Heuer dealer for a new battery, I never see any sponsorship ties to IndyCar. No posters, life-size cardboard cutouts of drivers or anything plastered to the outside of their company trucks. How does sponsorship work if it's not at eye level with people everyday? Heck, the guy at my NAPA store didn't even know they are the title sponsor for an Indy 500 winner. I would love to see Helio's smiling face plastered on the gas pump every time I fill up. His eyes saying "You know Fred, this V-Power stuff really works. I should know, I'm Helio."

Moving on to Portland. Our family recently moved to southern Oregon, so the five-hour drive to see the Portland GP is a no-brainer. My two sons have only attended the Indy 500 (six and four times respectively) and Portland last year was the only IndyCar race outside of the 500 they've seen. We really enjoyed the relaxed family atmosphere of the Portland Raceway. "Hey look over there, it's Hinch leaning on a stack of tires, go up and say hi for Pete’s sake." "Look it's Sato with a snow cone sitting on that golf cart." "This is so cool!" my boys say.

My special Dad moments were waiting to use the port-a-john only to have the door swing open and meet a very relieved Ed Carpenter then say something stupid like, "Hey Ed, hows it going?" Our biggest laugh was me getting clipped by Zach Veach on his scooter zipping thru the fans to get to his car for final practice. Damn hippie. I grew up in Indy, attended about 30 Indy 500s and will keep going as long as I can, but I can't wait to return for our "little race weekend" up here in Portland.

Fred Alig, Ashland, OR

RM: The key today is business-to-business relationships rather than drivers hawking products, although the Honda commercials with Hinch are cool and Shell used Helio a couple years ago. IndyCar’s access is its No. 1 selling point besides the racing and I’m glad you experienced it firsthand. See you this weekend.