Robin Miller’s Mailbag for Sept. 4, 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: Something has to be done to fix the madness at Portland! Every race I've watched at that track (since ’96) has had problems in Turn 1. Why not eliminate the Turn 1 chicane and let them go flat out to the end of the straightaway? It works at Long Beach, why not here? True, there isn't a runoff area at the current Turn 2 but maybe something can be done in that regard.

Jeff, Mesa, AZ

RM: That’s how IMSA use to start its races at Portland and it’s a great idea. Expecting 22 cars to go from 175 to 35 mph in a sharp, tight right-hander is dreaming -- just like telling the drivers not to get carried away on the first lap.

Q: I’m not a fan of the field getting so bunched up before the green flag. As much as I like close starts/racing...I don’t like them so bunched up and wrecking a quarter of the field. Just let the leader exit the last turn and gas it.

Rob Peterson

RM: Nobody likes first-turn, first-lap crashes but look at the start of the Indy 500 in the ’50s and ’60s and see how tight everyone is packed together. Sure, they’re probably going 50 mph slower than today’s cars but the point is that the drivers had more respect for each other and likely more control. To be honest, other than Pocono and Portland, the drivers have done a pretty good job of getting through the first turns at most tracks -- including cramped street courses.

So does Portland's start need fixing, or just drivers' approaches to it? Image by Scott LePage/LAT

Q: I HATE, HATE Turn 1 at Portland! What do they expect when they stick that kind of crap tight turn with open-wheel cars? Oh, I guess terminal speed would be too high for just going back to the old straight. But wouldn't it give them more time to sort out? That turn sequence absolute needs to be changed or removed.

Greg Williams, Apache Junction, AZ

RM: Jeff’s suggestion in the first question is a good solution but I watched 20 F2000 cars all get through the chicane so if a bunch of kids can do it, why not some of the best?

Q: What was Ryan Hunter-Reay thinking when he blocked Rossi on the main stretch? Will this make things awkward on the Andretti Autosport team going forward? Also, how was the crowd for the weekend?

Paul Fitzgerald, Indianapolis

RM: Nah, RHR didn’t take Rossi out so no problem. The camping crowd was much larger but it looked like the spectator crowd was definitely down from a year ago.

Q: Why don’t they move the start of Portland to a different area of the track?

Jim Kupstas

RM: Because you’ve got a great, wide straightaway made for an exciting start, It just makes IndyCar look bad when the “best” can’t control their cars and part of IndyCar’s heritage and allure is the flying start.

Q: Can the greatest race car drivers in the world get through the first lap? Was it Rick Mears who said. “You can't win the race on the first lap but you can certainly lose it"? I think Hinch repeated it at Pocono. Do you think this is a byproduct of the package, the tires or the tracks? Do you think the series and/or Firestone need to make a few tweaks for 2020?

Speaking of 2020, being a Pennsylvania guy I am disappointed to see Pocono dropped from the schedule. Pocono and IndyCar missed and their marketing people missed the boat because PA has great open-wheel fans. All they needed to do was tap into the fans of Williams Grove, Lernerville, Port Royal, Erie Speedway, hell even Sharon Speedway is just over the border in Ohio! Whatever Curtis Francois and Chris Blair are doing should be a blueprint for every IndyCar promoter. Maybe those two can give their notes to Mark Miles and company.

As far as Richmond is concerned IndyCar and their partners better come up with a package where cars can run the second groove AND the drivers need to rubber-in the second groove. Maybe IndyCar needs to give them an extra practice session to accomplish just that. Of course, if Firestone brings a tire that marbles up like the one at Gateway it won't matter if the drivers rubber-in the second groove because the drivers won't venture up there if it's like driving on ice.

Scott St. Clair, Erie, PA

RM: The Portland melees are a product of the chicane and overzealous drivers and date back to the infamous Greg Moore launch. so that’s why the start needs to use the old straight-line straightaway. Pennsylvania has as many if not more hard-core open-wheel fans as any state and other than having Marco sign autographs a couple nights before a race a few years ago I don’t think Pocono ever tapped into the sprint car crowd because I don’t think it cared. There were two distinct races at Richmond -- the first few were entertaining as hell with two grooves and the last few were boring parades. And Firestone figures heavily into the equation of how the return will be.

Q: With all the wrecks they have at the start of the races at Portland, why don’t they start on the back straight away like they do at Mid-Ohio?

Richard Rogers, Porterville, CA

RM: Why don’t they go back to a standing start like Champ Car used in 2007 when the hybrid comes along in 2022? Everyone made it safely through the chicane. Or why don’t the veteran drivers use their heads? No need to move the start, Richard, drivers just need to be more respectful of each other and the speeds they’re running.

How about a standing start? Champ Car tried one at Portland in 2007. Image by Michael Levitt/LAT

Q: There are some road and street courses that the first corner of the start of the race results in accidents, like Portland. Has IndyCar ever thought about having a single-file start to the race to avoid these accidents?

Greg

RM: God I hope not, The flying start is IndyCar’s calling card and the fact they restart single file sucks compared to two abreast, so don’t give the owners any ideas.

Q: Simply said, it is time to bring back the golden bowling ball. Graham and RHR both owned it but my goodness that deserves a trophy. Mark Hood posted this on Twitter so it isn't my original idea but if you or MP will present it I'll buy a golden bowling ball you can give to Graham or split in two so RHR can have a piece too. Second time this year an RLL car destroyed both SPM cars in Turn 1.

Ryan T.

RM: I’ll run it by Marshall and maybe we can get a sponsor for it but I’d forgotten both Arrow SPM cars got wiped out by the Pocono crash with Sato. And both times it was only Hondas that were KO’d. Both drivers apologized but I doubt if that prevented the NBC audience from flipping the channel. IndyCar is on national TV with little competition and the first 10 laps are run under caution. That hurts.

Q: I hated to hear that ABC Supply is scaling back their sponsorship of Foyt Enterprises; they’ve been a great partner for that team (and for the IndyCar Series) for quite some time. That said, I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer they were going to keep pouring money into a struggling team. I guess I have my answer.

In light of their recent struggles, do you think it would be wise for Foyt to enter into a technical alliance with a larger team like Penske or Schmidt Peterson? The engineering side seems to be where they’re really struggling, so if they can get some help there and get their performance up, maybe they can get out of the doldrums and start performing again. It would certainly bring a welcome change of tone to the coverage that the team has been getting lately.

Garrick Aube

RM: That’s an excellent suggestion and I would think maybe at least the Indy-based team could partner up with Arrow SPM like Michael Shank did. As for ABC, a 15-year run is damn good in this era (hell in any era) and at least they’re going to sponsor the No. 14 car at Indianapolis. I really don’t think it was ever about performance -- the late owner of ABC just loved A.J. and his widow carried on the tradition but ABC spent a lot of money bringing customers and clients to races so maybe the new COO decided it was time to go another direction.

Q: Why is the series taking three weeks off from the opening round in 2020?

Rob Peterson, Rochester, NY

RM: As you probably read (refer to my Sebring story) by now, COTA was originally scheduled for March 22 but that was the same weekend as Sebring’s endurance race so IndyCar and COTA wisely got together and moved the race to late April. It was a smart move for everyone because Sebring is an institution and gets lots of IndyCar participation and it’s just good for racing not to have that kind of conflict if it can be avoided.

Q: While not totally surprised that Pocono was replaced by Richmond, I'm disappointed. I hoped Pocono would stay on the schedule and traveled from Michigan to see the race last month. The crowd was pretty good for an oval race in this era. I would rather see a race from Pocono than any race at Belle Isle. However, I didn't know that ABC Supply was decreasing their IndyCar presence which was probably the final straw for Pocono leaving. How are ticket sales for the Laguna finale?

Jerry Mils

RM: I’ve written and said on television for the past couple years that the fans who do show up at Pocono are hard-core, T-shirt-wearing IndyCar die-hards. I wish this year’s attendance would have turned out the past few years and maybe Pocono would still be on the schedule. But contrary to what Pocono says, the race was poorly promoted and a well-kept secret and ABC Supply brought a fourth of the crowd a couple times (2,100 people) so I never felt like Pocono really cared if IndyCar came or left.

IndyCar at Pocono: Gone but clearly not forgotten... Image by Scott LePage/LAT

Q: Longtime reader, first-time writer, love the mailbag! Great that the schedule is out. I loved that it was broadcast on the NBC pre-race show!

I am disappointed that Pocono was dropped and replaced with Richmond. Not that Richmond was added, more so that Pocono was dropped. A race that has consistently increased its attendance (all be it from a very small starting point), should not be a race the series should be dropping. If anything, it should be one that the series is trying to build on to add to the overall Northeast coverage. Imaging having Toronto (street), Richmond (short oval) and Pocono (superspeedway) -- three distinct disciplines to present to the fans! If only we could find that natural road course somewhere up in the Northeast, then we’d have the Grand Slam of IndyCar racing!!! Thanks for all you do for IndyCar and it’s fans!

Jim Hall, Andover, MA

RM: Thanks Jim, I think if Pocono’s attendance would have looked like that in Year 1 then both sides would have embraced the idea about a long-term contract but I still believe the crowd was larger because people heard IndyCar was leaving and it was their last chance to watch a race.

Q: Do you have any specifics on why Pocono was eliminated from the calendar? Pocono’s future seemed to be written before the race last weekend, but it did not make the news any easier to digest on Sunday.

In my opinion the race was showing promising growth year after year despite lackluster races the last two years. I would also argue that this growth occurred with minimal effort on the marketing side from IndyCar before the race. I live two hours from the track between Allentown and Philadelphia and I only knew about the race because I was a fan. NASCAR is prominently advertised in the same area when their series is in town. My biggest issue, however, is with how Mr. Miles announced the decision to eliminate the last race in the Northeast. To flippantly say “we will be back in the Northeast at some point” during the on-air announcement is disrespectful to the fans in this region when there was a track on the table that had an active interest to make it happen, in my opinion. 

My brother, wife and I have been to almost every race in the Northeast since the last race at Nazareth, which at this point included all of the races at Baltimore, Boston (had tickets and reservations), all of the races at Watkins Glen, and all of the races at Pocono. Unfortunately, it looks like we will not have an outlet to support this series for the foreseeable future. 

Dan B., Quakertown, PA

RM: My theory is that Pocono really didn’t care about keeping IndyCar until NASCAR informed them they were being cut back to one weekend in 2020. By that time IndyCar was already down the road with Richmond. I know the Pocono president said he couldn’t get IndyCar to return his calls but I find it hard to believe that Stephen Starks would treat any promoter like that. Mario is very upset with IndyCar for not staying but admits the promotion was terrible and his voiced his displeasure. I hate that Baltimore didn’t work because it was a cool layout with great crowds and I just wish IndyCar could run with IMSA at The Glen.

Q: I am not a big fan of the move from Pocono to Richmond. Some drivers were complaining that Pocono was too dangerous. Same with Las Vegas -- it too was deemed too dangerous. As a matter of fact racing is dangerous. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is probably the most dangerous track of them all -- 73 people have been killed at the speedway. What if in the 1930s, ’50s or whenever, they said. “Hey this too risky, let’s quit racing here.” Where would we be today?

I am not saying I don't want safety. But people have to understand that this is an extreme sport that is not for everybody. If IndyCar is going to quit running every track because of the danger level, than the series is NEVER going to go beyond what it is now.

Matt Sutton, Indianapolis

RM: IndyCar and the drivers would have liked the fences upgraded but nobody said it was too dangerous and that’s not why IndyCar isn’t going back. And if Firestone gets the tire right, Richmond will be three times more entertaining than Pocono ever was with 22 cars over 500 miles.

Q: I always look forward to the Mailbag and reading the Q&A. My question is very simple: Why on earth aren’t we returning to Pocono?

My wife and I have attended the IndyCar race at Pocono three times since it returned to the schedule, and always found it be a beautiful facility and the attendance was pretty good. We were in attendance when Justin Wilson lost this life, and we were there when Robbie Wickens was injured; those accidents could have happened at most any venue on the schedule. If Pocono couldn’t make the numbers work that's business, but saying the place has a bad vibe, or saying that this year’s start was a near miss, is an admission that the series isn’t comfortable taking risk for the amount of viewers it attracts. Very disappointing.

Tim Little, Wichita, KS

RM: I think I’ve covered that in the questions above yours but safety is not why IndyCar isn’t going back. There was zero atmosphere at Pocono and nothing to do before the race and it was like a tire test with spectators. And the racing was never that good because everyone got too spread out with only 22 cars. I’m sorry it’s gone for your sake but I think you’ll see a much better show at Richmond if you can make the trip. Thanks for reading and supporting IndyCar.

Q: Before the grandeur that was the IndyCar race at Gateway fades away, I’d like to know why oval track (are you listening, Pocono ownership?) promoters don’t present the kind of non-stop on-track action throughout the weekend that we saw at Gateway? With the Indy Pro 2000, Indy Lights, vintage cars and NASCAR K&N series on the schedule, it seems like fans at the track really got their money’s worth. Are superspeedways like Pocono simply too big for those support series to race on?

But I suppose the smaller ovals also don’t give the fans in attendance the kind of action fans have come to expect at permanent and street road courses, either. What gives? You’ve got to keep the customers entertained. Is the management at Gateway just that much more proactive and creative than everybody else?

Rod, Houston

RM: Pocono had vintage cars on track for a short time before the race but that’s not going to make people show up a few hours before the green flag. Yes, it’s too big for the ladder series and eight Lights cars wouldn’t be much of a show but Robby Gordon’s trucks would keep people entertained. Or move the ARCA stock car race to the IndyCar weekend. But there seemed to be this attitude that there’s an IndyCar race and figure out how to stay occupied until 3 p.m. The Gateway boys understand that ovals need to provide the same non-stop action as street or road courses and they’ve got a great partner in title sponsor John Bommarito. They market, promote and bring in the support shows and I think we’ll see USAC back with IndyCar soon if Chris Blair can make it happen.

Q: I don't know what Chris Blair and company are doing at Gateway… er, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, but it should serve as a blueprint for all oval track promoters (hey Pocono!) on how to pack the grandstands. Looks like I'm going to have to add that to my travels in 2020, especially with Pocono not returning.

What's the latest on who goes to McLaren since Marshall's article points to Herta becoming a fifth Andretti entry? How do you see the dominoes falling?

Scott St. Clair, Erie, PA

RM: Marshall and I both wrote that after McLaren failed to get Little Hertamania because Michael stayed with Honda, it threw their plans into disarray. I think they want a veteran and a young gasser so maybe Conor Daly and Pato O’Ward for a year until Gil de Ferran can hire Simon Pagenaud (who I think only has a one-year deal with Penske). Right now it’s anyone’s guess except I’ll bet you all the money I can borrow from Bobby Unser that Hinch won’t be there. Track owner Curtis Francois, PR man John Bisci and president Blair are all racers and they promote the IndyCar race year-round. They advertise in Indianapolis six months out. They get it and they work hard and I said three years ago they are the template for any promoter -- especially ovals. They had 37,202 for the IndyCar race and the St. Louis Cardinals drew 35,000 the same night. That’s impressive.

Q: I went to Gateway for the first time this year and I think it is the best bargain in racing. For $150 per ticket, I had tickets to both days, paddock pass, parking pass, free food and drink, shade, and relatively clean bathrooms. It was a wonderful event. The crowd was good at Gateway, so why can't other ovals make it on the IndyCar circuit? (I used to love going to Phoenix, Milwaukee, Michigan, New Hampshire, etc.) I would love to see IndyCar at those venues or Chicago, Kansas City, etc.

Fred Meekly

RM: No other ovals have John Bommarito as a title sponsor and Chris Blair as the leader and those are the key ingredients (along with owner Curtis Francois willingness to make track upgrades when asked and react to the fans’ wishes). Iowa started out gangbusters before it got shuffled to another date. Texas drew massive crowds in the early IRL days when you had to buy an IndyCar ticket to get the NASCAR races. Both Iowa and Texas have great races and Eddie Gossage can promote when he’s motivated but both tracks have kind of hit a rut in terms of attendance. And Phoenix just never got on the radar. But I’m glad to hear you were happy with your experience.

Q: In your last Mailbag you took your natural "Midwest-is-special" swipe at places such as Laguna Seca holding the season-ending race (over say a Gateway). I would have been right there with that logic, when first looking at the seemingly well-filled stands at Gateway, and your initial descriptions. That being noted, you tossed all that logic out the window when you went and stated that all sorts of promotions (including bus trips) were advertised in Indianapolis, and that a sponsor bought up a slew of tickets for a usually closed stand in Turn 1 at Gateway.

While Indy racing, I assume, would like to have more than a regional brand, a simple look at this year’s schedule shows eight of 17 races were under 300 miles from Indy, and 11 of 17 were under 640 miles). The only outliers were three on the West Coast, two in Texas, and one in Florida (I'm sure that's six too many for you, Robin). While Indianapolis is a nice town, with certain good things to see other than IMS and the racing, there are some basic realities: Most sponsor HQs are not in the Midwest.

Side note: You do happen to know that HPD, who sponsors this Mailbag, is based in Santa Clarita, Calif.? Some other sponsors: NTT America - Plano, TX; Newgarden -- Hitachi -- Santa Clara, CA; Pagenaud -- Menards -- Eau Claire, WI; Rossi -- NAPA -- Atlanta, GA; Dixon – PNC Bank -- Pittsburgh, PA; Power -- Verizon – NY; Sato -- MI-Jack -- Hazel Crest, IL; Hunter-Reay- DHL America -- Plantation, FL; Rahal -- United Rentals -- Stamford, CT; Ferrucci -- Cly-Del -- Waterbury, CT.

Rare is the case where anyone from outside the Midwest is going to Midwest races.(the main exception of course being the Indy 500). You do Indy racing no help by talking down areas of the country, where Indy racing would seemingly like to have a bigger audience. If you need some help in this case, why don't you ask PT why he lives in Scottsdale, AZ, TBell why he lives in Pacific Palisades, CA or Diffey why he lives in Connecticut?

Jeff Joseph, Albuquerque, NM

RM: I’m sorry you got that impression Jeff. I think it’s great that IndyCar is the most diverse series in the world and races all over North America. My complaint is that the season finale will be at a track that won’t have any passing and likely not much of a crowd. My point is that IndyCar’s main fan base is in the Midwest, hence the best chance to draw a good crowd with an atmosphere for what is supposed to be your showcase race (other than Indy) on national television. There were almost 40,000 people at Gateway and it was a damn good race with a helluva finish -- wouldn’t that be nice to see to decide the title instead of a track where Max Papis once won a race without a passing a single car?

I’ll write a column after Laguna to illustrate how insane the logic is about the season finale. But I always heard people say there are too many races in the Midwest. Really? You mean because they get the best crowds at Road America, Mid-Ohio, Detroit and St. Louis? I wish IndyCar packed ’em in at Sonoma or Laguna or Fontana or Fort Worth but the truth remains those once-popular places for IndyCar are now a tough sell. It’s nobody’s fault, it’s just a fact.

Alex Zanardi leads Bobby Rahal at Laguna in 1996. Will this year's return measure up? Image by Michael Levitt/LAT

Q: Love IndyCar and reading the Mailbag, but it’s getting really old in regards with your negativity towards Laguna Seca. Mid-Ohio was a narrow track built for sports car racing and look at the show they put this year. Follow that great show up with a dud at Pocono, a place that you always said IndyCar needed to go back to because the series needs ovals. When can you ever recall a great race at Pocono? The series needs to go where they’re wanted and can draw fans. Let’s hold out judgment on Laguna until they go there. That’s what you said about Phoenix -- give it a chance. Would be fair to give the same thought to Laguna Seca as well.

Brandon Stevens

RM: Thanks for reading and participating, Brandon. As for Laguna, it’s a gorgeous track we all know that and I can remember in the CART days having to get up at 7 a.m. just to make sure we could get into the track because the crowds were so big. But unlike Mid-Ohio or even Sonoma, a road course that was built 60 years ago isn’t conducive to good racing for Indy cars. It was never a very good race in CART’s heyday (save for Zanardi’s move at the Corkscrew) but it was a big event. The last few Champ Car races didn’t draw squat so I’m hopeful that the unified series can help rectify that but as I said in my reply above yours, the season finale cannot be at a place that won’t feature any passing and probably not much of a crowd (a week after the IMSA race there). You are correct in that Pocono never had much on either front and 22 cars for 500 miles is always a bad idea and Phoenix was just a disaster. And you are also correct in your statement that IndyCar needs to go where they’re wanted and right now that’s the trick for Jay Frye and Stephen Starks -- finding those places, because there aren’t a lot of them anymore. I hope I’m wrong about Laguna, I hope there are 30,000 people on race day. But I honestly hope they have as many as Sonoma did last year.

Q: Previously I had asked you about a race in the Northeast if Pocono did not return. You had said possibly at Watkins Glen with IMSA's weekend. The mention of IMSA got me thinking, would there be any chance of them joining IMSA at Lime Rock? Connecticut would be a good spot for a Northeast race as all of New England is within range as well as being close to the New York border. New Jersey and Pennsylvania also are not far away. Ferrucci is from a town pretty close and I think he could help draw a crowd as well. Is this something that has a chance or am I dreaming?

Anthony, Shrewsbury, MA

RM: Cool track and nice idea but no chance IndyCar could run there. Track is too small, cars are too fast and not nearly enough runoff area.

Q: I was listening to Conor Daly on MP’s podcast that he is still job hunting in IndyCar. He seems to know everybody in the paddock. So if teams are looking for drivers it seems like a no-brainer. Have teams labeled him the super sub? At this point is he better off going back to Indy Lights to win the championship to receive the scholarship or just cut bait and run NASCAR/IMSA?

Paul Hirsch, Erie, PA

RM: I think he fears that but his performance this season is hopefully going to land him a full-time job with Trevor Carlin or Arrow McLaren SPM. I think he was thought of as a party boy and maybe not that serious about his career a year ago but I think he’s proven he can set up a car and drive it quite well and this is what he wants to do for a living. But no sense going back to Lights, he’s got Air Force for that much money and that’s a step nobody wants to make.

Q: I have been a huge fan of Graham Rahal since his Atlantic days, but the past two years reminds me of 2013 and 2014, where Graham was nowhere and struggling for pace. I was hoping you have more insight into what is going on with Graham, and why Eddie Jones is not his engineer anymore? It just seems weird that RLL split Eddie and Graham up after three good years and having two new engineers in as many years. 

Andrew Marshall

Graham Rahal has been unable to run up front consistently this year. Image by Scott LePage/LAT

RM: Good question, Andrew. He was contesting for the championship at the end of 2015 and won races the next two years and was the driver I always thought he could be. I don’t know what happened with he and Eddie and I do know he was gung-ho about Allen McDonald becoming his engineer this season but other than Barber and a couple other places they just haven’t had it while Sato is having a damn good year with Jonesy. Graham raved about his confidence in the car after testing at Indy last fall but something is definitely missing.

Q: It was nice to see Tony Kanaan finish so well at Gateway. At 44 it would seem there aren't that many races left in his future. I think Tony will move into management -- perhaps similar to the role Gil de Ferran fills at McLaren or Dario Franchitti at CGR. Has he indicated to you an interest in something like this? I'm certain he would excel as a technical adviser or as a team mentor.

Jonathan and Cleide Morris, Ventura, CA

RM: He’s headed for management all right with three sons and a daughter but I think he’s more geared for television or radio because of his personality and popularity. I really don’t see him wanting to get into management but then, I never envisioned Michael Andretti becoming a car owner so who knows?

Q: I’m a longtime Tony Kanaan fan, and obviously this season has been a disaster. But, out of the five oval races, he has four top 10s. That has to be a boost for the A.J. Foyt team, right? What do you think happens at Foyt’s team next year? Who drives there? There’s no way anyone wants to drive for them, right? And do you think this is the end of the line for Matheus Leist? If so, that would be really unfortunate, I feel like he never got the chance to prove himself in recent equipment.

Also, what happened to Juncos Racing? Can we expect more races from them in 2020?

Ben Leraris

RM: I talked to A.J. last weekend (see my story here) about how he’s losing ABC Supply except for Indy but vows to continue with two cars and doesn’t know who will be driving. Not sure T.K. has any other options for a full season -- he wants to have a farewell tour and deserves once but not a lot of places to go. Doubt if Leist returns (see Marshall’s story) and it is too bad because he started out in the Fast 6. Ricardo is campaigning cars in the Road to Indy and looking for sponsorship to run IndyCar.

Q: I am engrossed in a program on Netflix regarding the youth of drivers in F1. The career life span is getting shorter and the drivers are getting older. Why did Marcus Ericsson get bounced out of F1 because he was 28 and who is paying him to drive in IndyCar? 

Gabriel in NM

RM: Here’s the skinny from RACER’s man in F1, Chris Medland:

“Ericsson got bounced out simply because he’d not produced the results regularly enough compared to who Alfa Romeo could then sign. It’s not every day an experienced world champion like Kimi Raikkonen becomes available, guaranteeing a high level of performance each week. Alfa could then take another Ferrari young driver in Antonio Giovinazzi in the other seat to replace Charles Leclerc, so a blend of youth and experience. Marcus has backing from Sweden -- the owners of Tetra Pak were often mentioned as well as Olsbergs and H&M -- which probably helped prolong his F1 career when he was clearly quick but wasn’t showing consistency. It seems to be a group of Swedish businesspeople that he has links to, so the specific funding pipeline is likely to come from one that is interested in a bigger footprint in the US.”

McLaren-Arrow SPM are a done deal, Hinchcliffe's contract is in place, so they are all set for 2020 together... right? Image by Scott LePage/LAT

Q: Zak Brown indicated on NBC Gold that McLaren’s deal with SPM was sponsorship instead of equity. Any thoughts on this and is there a chance of an equity tie to it?

James B.

RM: Not sure what the agreement says but if anyone thinks McLaren isn’t going to have a say in the driver lineup….

Q: I read that Sam Schmidt supposedly verified Hinch was staying next year with the new McLaren SPM team. Since you are the only one I trust when it comes to driver news, what are your sources saying about Hinch staying or not? And you’re right about the comment you made in the Hamburger/French Fry podcast -- get rid of that chicane at Portland and let the boys race!

Chris Howe, Upper Sandusky, OH

RM: I’ve said and written that I think Hinch remains a Honda driver because he’s their most valuable spokesman off the track and I think if there’s a third seat at RLL that’s where he’ll be in 2020.

Q: The Gateway ratings were worse than bad. This is a crisis for the teams looking for sponsorship, the drivers and the series in general. If IndyCar wishes to keep the momentum experienced over the last few years on an upswing then strategy changes at NBC have to be made. For example, the series and NBC need to up their marketing budgets and go NBC (instead of NBCSN) for more or all races.

Oliver Wells

RM: Agreed, 300,000 is pathetic (especially for such a good race) but Saturday night cable isn’t ideal I guess. As for promotion and marketing, you cannot ask for more than NBC has delivered this year for IndyCar. It’s light years ahead of anything IndyCar ever had before with ABC. The fact IndyCar has eight network races is a miracle considering the ratings so just pray it stays at that number.

Q: I noticed Katherine Legge drove the two-seater at Portland. What’s the story? Does this indicate we might finally see her in IndyCar?

Todd in Virginia

RM: She drives a Honda in sports cars and she’s well liked and, oh yeah, she’s trying to put together a deal for next year’s Indy 500 -- in a Honda.

Q: LOVE the trio of announcers on NBCSN, but after watching Practice 2 at Portland, gotta say that the excitement and knowledge of Katherine Legge dictates that she would be a NATURAL in the booth or on pit lane! Wow. Go get her and sign her up!

Kenny Ramirez, SoCal

RM: Well that’s good to hear but I think Kat still wants to race for a few more years before trying anything else.

Q: What determines a driver’s group assignment (1 or 2) for Round 1 qualifying on road/street courses? Also, when the NBCSN broadcast of qualifying at Portland returned from a commercial following completion of Round 1, Group 1, and as the camera panned the track from overhead, your mic was hot and you said, “You’ll have to send me the bill.” Who were you talking to? What happened? Did you accidentally spill Gatorade on A.J.’s shirt?

Mark Synovitz, Altus, OK

RM: Practice speeds and then 1-3-5-7-9-11-13-15-17-19-21 go in Group 1 and 2-4-6-8-10-12-14-16-18-20-22 go in Group 2. I have no idea who I was talking to but it wasn’t A.J. because he wasn’t in Portland.

The New American Hero or sinister Fake News cover-up? Image by Michael Levitt/LAT

Q: The team at NBC seems to be going to great lengths to make an American Hero of Santino Ferrucci by totally and conveniently ignoring his actions in F2 last year. Will Buxton started bringing it up at an early race this year but was quickly quieted by Paul Tracy. I know you all read about the crap he pulled last year and the firing by team and sponsors, refusal to speak with stewards and the political stuff. Sounds like he had a major “little league” father too. Where is Daddy these days? Yes, I was dismayed when I saw he was immediately hired in IndyCar when he was an untouchable in Europe. Is he such a golden boy for IndyCar and NBC that no one will ask about his past? Very disappointing that “fake news” really does exist to cover only what is considered good news by those who benefit. He still said in a recent interview with Autoweek that he has no regrets about what happened last year. Really? That answer proves he has not really matured.

Mark Schoonaert, Michigan City

RM: I met Ferrucci last year and I’ve never dealt with a more pleasant, upbeat kid who also happens to be a hell of a racer. Is it an act? Is he really the devil? Should NBC ignore his driving and just talk about what happened in Europe? Should we not write about his surprising prowess on ovals? How many of the people who come to an IndyCar race or catch one care about what he did in Europe? He didn’t kill anybody and granted maybe he should be more contrite about it or more apologetic but we tend to give people clean starts over here and he’s become pretty popular in a short time. Does he need to mature more? Possibly but I only see him at the racetrack and what I’ve seen has been a well-behaved 21-year-old whose team has embraced him. His father comes to all the races but is always in the background and seems like a nice enough guy. Obviously, they rubbed a lot of people in Europe the wrong way and are persona non grata but why is that a current story over here? We mentioned his troubles and moved on. We cover racing, we’re not a courtroom.

Q: If you were to just go by IndyCar broadcasts and generic coverage, you might think Santino Ferrucci is the series’ new poster kid -- its rising star, ready to take on the world without controversy and with a carefree smile on his face. But Ferrucci did a lot of not-great stuff before entering IndyCar, and he doesn’t seem too sorry about it. Read the full story.

Scott Gibson

RM: I think he’s one of those impressive rookies in the NTT IndyCar Series and our job is to cover how he races, not what he did a year ago in another country. While fighting for control he almost took out Josef Newgarden at Gateway but he got out of his car and hurried down to talk it out so that shows me some maturity. He didn’t tweet or have his PR person defend him, he did it like a man. I like that and I like him.

Q: Great story on Santino Ferrucci! I’ve been a big fan of Al Unser Jr. and Will Power; winning and being involved with the fans is what made these guys my favorite. Santino and the new kids should keep us interested in IndyCar well into the future; I look forward to Ferrucci's first win!

TJ Spitzmiller, Sarasota, FL

RM: It could have happened at Gateway without that last caution but he’s shown us great car control on ovals and he’s been the surprise of the season.

Q: Great drive by Sato at Gateway. Shuffled to the back and drove his guts out to the front. Vindication.

Has there been a definitive “answer” the to the Pocono situation? At first I was quick to condemn his move. On first examination, it looked like just another ill-conceived and over-aggressive move on his part. After reviewing all of the in-car footage from all of the combatants I think it was a racing incident. From Sato’s in-car, it does not look like he moved to his left, but the view from his car does not tell the whole story. The view from Rossi’s car looks like he was getting squeezed just a touch from RHR and moved to his right by a couple of inches. You can clearly see Rossi’s right front touch Sato’s left rear, which begins the chain reaction of sending Sato hard to his left and starting the whole mess.

So my questions are: why was there no spotter directing Sato? Is Sato guilty of forcing the issue too early in the race or for being at the wrong place at the wrong time? I kind of have an issue if he is condemned for a move that was really more of a pure racing incident as opposed to just being reckless. In my opinion it looks like he was doing what he is paid to do -- win races and run hard. It’s too bad for Rossi in terms of the championship points as he was sure to finish deep into the points had he finished.

I’m really looking forward to the finish at two of my favorite racetracks. It just goes to show you that in order to finish first, one must first finish! Pocono MUST stay on the schedule, it’s too much fun and exciting.

The end of the season is going to be great stuff, just wish that there was another month of it!

Bruce Daviso

RM: Rossi still blames Sato and Takuma says his in-car camera proves he’s innocent and I say it was too much, too soon, too close and too fast for the opening lap.

Q: I really enjoyed the Gateway race and watching Sato answer his critics with a win! I was sorry, though, that DCR couldn’t bring home 1-2. That really would have been something.

One comment regarding the exchange between Newgarden and Ferrucci: It sure looked to me like Josef made quite a block on Santino a few laps earlier that include two defensive moves. How come it seems like I was the only one who saw it?

Skylor, Palos Verdes, CA

RM: I was in the pits so I didn’t see it but blocking was rampant that night so it wouldn’t surprise me.

Q: I’ve got a few observations and questions. The series struggles to get 50,000 fans to any race except Indy (and sometimes struggles with getting even half of that), the purses are paltry, viewership (though up) is still minuscule compared to our rival (but maybe soon-to-be partner) series, and venues can't seem to make money on the races yet Andretti adds another car and so will Rahal. Sure, most of the sponsorship seems to be B2B, but at least NAPA and AutoNation probably aren't, just to name two sponsors. 

So, what gives? How is anyone making money on this? Still seems like a club series for the rich who just like racing and want to play with expensive toys on the weekends, though with the limited exposure, I'm not sure why some of these companies choose to spend their advertising/marketing dollars this way.

Looks like Richmond is coming back and I plan to go (as long as scanner radios are available, or I guess I can use the app), but I sure hope the action and 'pre-race' activities are better than the last time I went (and I went to four of them previously). Remember, Danica was there then and so was Marlboro (their backyard), and Richmond's ticket deal included one of the NASCAR races. I'm skeptical, but I guess we'll see.

Talking about needing two lanes at tracks to make the racing better, I don't believe there were at the last Richmond race so it was a parade (I know, I know… the early races were good, but the last two or three weren't). I hope the attendance will be 50k but I don't think so. The Danica autograph line was worth 2,000 attendees itself.

BTW, "reading is fundamental" and those who got all up in arms about hybrids in IndyCar obviously (like you said) didn't read Marshall's story on it. As a lifelong fan of the series, it sounds like a great appeasement for the manufacturers and won't affect the racing at all. Great decision, Jay!

Randy Mizelle

RM: I’ve been asking myself that same question for a long time: Why do these owners run IndyCar and how do they afford it? Does R.P. make money? Maybe but don’t forget he didn’t have sponsorship one year when he ran four cars. Dale Coyne is pretty shrewd and Sam Schmidt has a rich partner in Arrow so maybe they make a little. But the financial pyramid is upside down and the purses are so embarrassing but whatever the reason, I’m glad we’ve got 11 owners and 22 cars, because it could easily be four or five owners and 10 cars. As for Richmond, the first few races were two-lane beauties and the last three were parades. I asked Dixie why and he said he thought he remembered the track being paved before IndyCar went there. If there are 30,000 people I’d be thrilled but track president Dennis Bickmeier will promote the hell out of it so it won’t be for a lack of trying.

Will IndyCar's return to Richmond (pictured in 2006) make up for the loss of Pocono? Image by Dan Streck/LAT

Q: I sit and recline back with a bourbon and a cigar, watch IndyCar on NBC Gold and never bother to leave my seat. Why? Because of the great coverage I just saw on NBC Gold. Great of you to bring Al Jr. back into the fold, Katie on point, the camera shots, esp. of Herta’s car going to P1 winner circle, combined with your interview with Casey Mears as an audio backdrop was excellent. And the dude missing the chip by a freaking mile, only to pick up his cigarette with look of disgust but yet acceptance of his hacker handicap was priceless. And FFH!! Keep up the great work.

Oh btw, Gold should consider showing the other ladder series without commentary or something, like race following qualifying, for an extra $5 annually maybe? ’Cause I’m cheap except for my bourbon. Nice stuff.

Michael Lindley

RM: Thanks for the note Michael, I’ll pass it on to our group, Most Gold subscribers seem pleased except when we show who won the race after they’ve taped it and avoided knowing the results.

Q: I just watched Marshall's video with Sebastien Bourdais with the Cosworth pit lane support booth behind him. On the Gold broadcast Paul Tracy and the men were talking about James Hinchcliffe and mentioned that Jerry Forsythe still has racing equipment assets. Kalkhoven and Cosworth are big into lidar and hybrid propulsion and have a technical facility in Michigan for automotive OE support. Do they still want to be in IndyCar?

Eric Gackenbach, Dearborn, MI

RM: Kevin co-owns the rights to promote Long Beach with Forsythe so they’re both still technically in IndyCar but no plans to come back as car owners, Cosworth would badge an IndyCar engine if needed but not be a manufacturer.

Q: A close friend and I returned to Gateway for the IndyCar event this year after missing 2018 due to health reasons on my part. We brought along a new racing enthusiast and made him into an instant fan! This year we bought the Bommarito VIP tickets which included parking, grandstand seat Saturday, GA Friday, pit/paddock pass, plus the Bommarito VIP tower and all the food, drinks and horrible pop music we could consume on Saturday. It was the best $150 per person I’ve ever spent on motorsports.

The parking was better than ANY of the other options including ADA, the food was BBQ with numerous side options from Sugarfire BBQ in St. Louis, a local favorite, plenty of A-B beers and soda/water plus the first floor of the tower had couches, A/C, a full bar, the works. Our seats were near Turn 4, Row 25 -- plenty high enough to see the entire track and dead center in front of the big screen. Great event, great racing in the support series, tons of people both days, I got to see many old friends from the racing world.

The best part for me was while waiting in line for access to the paddock Saturday was the team members arriving for work about noon and my friends going crazy with, “There is Marcus Ericsson,” or “Look, there is Dale Coyne,” and on and on as the troops all walked into the paddock to go to work. My new racing friend was blown away at how the crowd just let them all go about their business as they all mingled through the crowd. Great stuff! Bring on 2020!

PS: The race was up against a Cardinals baseball game at Busch Stadium -- they were playing the Colorado Rockies. While not the biggest draw there had to be 30-35,000 at the ball game if not more. For StL to draw to two major sporting events on the same night and have one of them be auto racing and to possibly match a baseball game? That is HUGE. It’s always been thought that you don’t do the laundry up against a Cardinals game. That the Gateway team not only took on the challenge but succeeded is big news.

Bryan Cohn, Topeka, KS (former St. Louisan)

RM: Glad to hear it, all the first-timers seemed blown away with Gateway’s show and it speaks volumes about the power of proper promoting. I just like the fact that Gateway responds to fan requests/demands/complaints and it’s always a better experience every year.

Bang for the buck at Gateway. Image by Michael Levitt/LAT

Q: Amazing race at Gateway, and thanks for the great coverage on the track. My question is about how IndyCar recognizes “the podium,” which almost never includes the top three celebrated together on TV. While most of your readers would agree that many F1 races are a bore compared to the close competition in IndyCar, even cynics would have to admit that F1 does an incredible job of literally elevating the podium finishers to hero status immediately after every single race, complete with champagne spray and national anthems. For long-suffering Tony Kanaan and Ed Carpenter fans who had not seen a top 3 finish in ages, how gratifying would it have been to see them on an actual podium during the broadcast? Why does IndyCar not routinely include a proper podium and trophy celebrations in its broadcasts?

William in LA

RM: CART started the podium because USAC always honored the winner on the front straightaway and CART copied F1 to recognize more people. I do like the F1 quick interview after the checkered flag but I also like the fact NBC tries to always get the top 5 and whomever else we have time for and the winner deserves a little extra limelight, which he’s given. But I interviewed TK and I think Kevin had Ed, so they got their plaudits. The F1 interview is only one question and move on so we try to give them more time.

Q: With tech inspection before the race IndyCar has no tech inspection after the race. NASCAR has tech inspection before AND after each race for the winner. Why does NASCAR do that? I’m thinking that if you’re racing with bumps, spins, banging around it could throw measurements off? I love IndyCar’s approach to this. 

Earl Brundage

RM: My only guess is that there is so much cheating in NASCAR on a weekly basis they figure two inspections is their best chance to catch them.

Q: In last week’s Mailbag debate on the first-lap crash at Pocono, fingers were pointed at Sato and others, but I do not recall anyone mentioning what I thought was the underlying cause. Since qualifying was washed out and the field was set by championship points, there were drivers (such as Rossi) whose pace did not justify an upfront start. This led to the bunch-up and (shortly afterward) pile-up. On the other hand, drivers such as Kanaan and Carpenter would certainly have been further up in the field had they been able to qualify normally. Their progress at Pocono, and certainly their finish at Gateway, is testimony to this. The speed in the back of the Pocono field, as much as any lack of speed in the front, led to the accident at the start. Is there any mechanism or precedent for IndyCar to use some method other than points for lining up the cars in the event qualifying is cancelled?

Jim in Arlington, VA

RM: They’re seven-wide at Pocono on starts and restarts and they’re always bunched up. I do recall qualifying being rained out and the lineup being based on practice speeds, which is fine, and it would have certainly benefited T.K. after he was quickest on Friday practice, But just because Rossi wasn’t fast in practice doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have improved for qualifying, he’s pretty good at that.