Robin Miller's Mailbag for September 25, 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: The Laguna Seca race was surprisingly entertaining. Reading your comments and remembering races I have attended, I was expecting the worst. However, there was passing, and all of the contenders were either passing, being passed, or under significant threat. With that said, I concede that the finale should be held at Gateway. This from someone who is not particularly fond of oval racing. But at Gateway, the crowd is large and anything can happen. Preaching to the choir here, but no double-points for the finale (enough drama to be had), and if the champion is crowned a week early, so be it. I'm also against double-points at Indy. Great spectacle, yes; biggest race of the year, yes; but still just a race and shouldn't be worth more than any other.

Mark, San Diego

RM: I agree. As surprising as the race and crowd were, along with a big event atmosphere, Gateway is in the heart of IndyCar’s fan base where the finale belongs. But two things work against it – the owners love taking sponsors to Monterey, and Gateway runs at night and would have to change to be on NBC. I detest double-points for the last race and I think Jay Frye feels the same way, so we’ll see what the future holds. But I’ll admit it did make for some race-long drama last Sunday.

Q: With my son having recently moved to San Jose, this weekend afforded my wife and I the opportunity to visit and then attend the IndyCar race on Sunday. So glad we went. The track is amazing, and the race was very entertaining. Initially was concerned about the price of the tickets, but we had access to everything and sat in the stands in the middle of Turn 4. My son and I took the trip up the hill to the Corkscrew, which was a chore for this 67-year-old geezer. There definitely was an excitement within the crowd around us during and before the race. Really thought Power would catch Herta, and the same with Pagenaud and Dixon. Having attended races at Mid-Ohio, Gateway and Indy (52 races), I think I may be qualified to say hats off to the staff at Laguna Seca and IndyCar and the drivers of the NTT IndyCar series for a job well done. Also, with a little luck and planning, I hope to be back next year and bring more friends with me.

Richard from Michigantown, IN

RM: Glad to hear your Laguna debut went well. A few people said they thought it was a parade, and I just shake my head. Herta was under fire all day from the best in the series and never cracked and Rosenvquist, Power and RHR must have passed 30 cars. Pagenaud and Rossi had a fierce duel, as did Dixie and the friendly Frog. The Corkscrew is a must-see for any race fan.

Battles like the one between Herta and Power kept Richard from Michigantown entertained last weekend. Image by King/IndyCar

Q: I don’t think you eat crow. Yeah, a few guys were able to pass, but Colton Herta led like 83 of the 90 laps. Will Power was evidently faster, but could not pass him, Simon Pagenaud was evidently faster, but could not pass Scott Dixon. So everything just locked into what it was for the last however many laps? I’ll bet there were 18 or 19 other drivers out there who didn’t think it was such a great race. The biggest thing that made me happy was Herta held on for the win. What did Rossi think? He was stuck the whole race.

Tim B.

RM: Most of the drivers I talked to were pleasantly surprised about how racy it was and how just about every position was contested all afternoon. Good, hard close racing with nobody crashing into each other is actually entertaining on a road course. Rossi was bummed about their tire choice, and other than his wheel-to-wheel moment with Pagenaud, it didn’t look like he did much but hold position, but I was in the pits so I didn’t see everything. But for a track built in 1957 for sports cars, I’m not sure how IndyCar could ever have a better race.

Q: I laughed out loud when I saw the headline of your article about eating crow. Honestly, I had no intention of giving you too bad of a time about your prediction. I am so very glad you were mistaken. I enjoyed nearly every minute of the race! I take back what I wrote previously about wanting to take a two-seater ride with Mario at Pocono. I want to experience the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. Heck, I would even take it in a pace car! I think I know which race will be my away one next season. It was thrilling to watch Colton not only win pole, but to see him lead nearly the entire race and fight off both Scott and Will for the win. What a future this wonderfully talented young man will have in our series. I cannot wait to watch it unfold. I would be remiss if I did not give kudos to Josef on his second championship. His genuine emotions touched me – were you surprised? I do not think we fans realize the amount of pressure these drivers are under to perform and win, nor do we fully understand just how much it truly means to them to earn a championship.

Deb Schaeffer

RM: I said last week that I hoped I was wrong and it turned out to be a good show, but nobody could have envisioned what transpired. JoNew tearing up kinda threw me because he didn’t show that emotion after his first title and he always seems Penske-like with his temperament. He said his fiancée was concerned because she’d never seen him cry, and I guess I’m too old school but I can’t imagine A.J. or Parnelli crying about anything. But Newgarden is a great kid and a helluva talent, and fine ambassador for IndyCar who deserved to be champion again.

Q: Thanks for your article on the Laguna Seca IndyCar race.  I enjoyed it, not as much as your RACER.com videos, but it was great! Was the crowd on hand really “stout” overall? Looked to me on Gold that the grandstand was pretty empty. Maybe there are a lot of folks all around the track.

Jim Fling, Trenton (Speedway), NJ

RM: The grandstand on the front straightaway is the last place I’d want to be at Laguna Seca (even though there’s a big screen across the way so they can see everything) because there are so many better vantage points. Yes, campers, motorhomes and foot traffic was the majority of the crowd, along with five or six big suites that were packed. If there were 25,000, that’s 15,000 more than I expected and an encouraging sign after a 15-year absence.

Q: I wasn’t a big fan of double-points when it started but have become a fan. The possibility of one of four drivers possibly winning the championship in the last race made for good drama. I was happy that the series returned to Laguna Seca, but was hesitant that it wouldn’t produce a good race but it did. Tire degradation has been a factor in several good races this year; hats off to Firestone.

Ascetically, Laguna looks much better on TV than Sonoma, and the shot of the cars coming over and through the Corkscrew is awesome to see again. I was wondering how the crowd was compared to the CART years? You mentioned that the track had sold 20k + in tickets, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but you seemed to think that the track was pleased with ticket sales.

Bob Rundgren, Villa Park, IL

RM: Firestone makes those tires specifically to help the show, and obviously, it did. As for attendance, I estimated 25,000 after asking Marshall because he’s there a lot, and talked to the WeatherTech folks, and that’s a damn good turnout after such a long absence on a track that never featured good racing (until Sunday). But it didn’t compare to the CART crowds of the ‘80s and ‘90s, which topped 50,000 as I recall.

Q: Pleasantly surprised with the race on Sunday. Though there weren’t very many passes, the strategy added a lot to the race. Very cool track with great TV camera points including aerial coverage. My wish for 2020 is that Marco would hang it up except for Indy and give his ride to Conor and continue with being the co-owner.

Joe Mullins

RM: There weren’t very many passes? I wrote Monday there were more passes on Sunday than I’d seen in the previous 22 races combined (and I’ve covered all of them), so I don’t know what you watched or what you expect at the narrow road course built six decades ago. There was all kinds of overtaking from start to finish. No, there was never a pass for the lead, but good God, little Herta had somebody on his rear wing all day and fought them off – that’s good racing. Marco isn’t quitting, and this question is going to be banned like MIS and Cleveland from here on out. Thanks for watching.

And with Robin's proclamation about Marco questions, this photo becomes a Mailbag collector's item: Marco Andretti at Michigan. Image by Streck/LAT

Q: I live in the area of Laguna Seca and I felt like it was a pretty good race – better then I thought it was going to be. My problem was, the crowd was underwhelming. I know I wasn’t expecting something huge, but I expected better then that. Maybe I’m wrong and most people were walking around, which is what I usually do at Laguna, but there wasn’t much advertising going on around the area. There was a little, but not a lot. Who is in charge of that – the track, or IndyCar?

Kyle Winslow

RM: Did you see the IMSA race the week before? It was ghost town, and we feared it might look like that on Sunday since (as you mentioned) there was zero promotion. But it was a damn good turnout (we estimated 25,000 at RACER) and credit to the California fans from Sonoma, Fontana, Riverside and Ontario. Road course crowds are impossible to gauge and only Road America ever tells the truth, but I think IndyCar came away very happy, as did Laguna Seca management. The promoter is in charge of marketing and promotion, although NTT also helps.

Ryan in West Michigan

RM: I watch races from the pits and look at monitors and I saw a slew of those passes, that’s why I wrote about it, so I guess I’m wondering how you didn’t. There was one major story that had to be covered constantly, and some great secondary ones like the rookie battle and how the contenders were handling their tires. I talked to Kyle Novak on Saturday after qualifying and he agreed IndyCar would look at the rulebook in the off-season because that’s too harsh to make a mistake in one corner and be totally shut out of qualifying. I think Kyle agrees, the stewards just went by the rule. But, yes, I think Felix and Colton would have been a great battle for the win.

Q: Am I correct in my assessment that JoNew is a combination of Bobby Unser without the ego and more outgoing Rick Mears? Either way, this kid is special and could not be more likeable if he tried. I'm a JoNew fan for life. Been an IndyCar fan since 1975, and I can't think of a young man with more superstar potential than Josef. All he needs is an Indy 500 win or five.

Daniel Tripp, Boaz, Alabama

RM: Good question. Uncle Bobby had to lead every lap and The Rocket only led when the time was right, but JoNew is kinda in between them because he’s pretty aggressive but usually pretty measured, and takes what the car gives him that day. But he is the Penske perfect driver in every way, and will be the face of IndyCar for a long time.

Q: I think Herta displayed a great deal of talent and nerve. He never flinched when challenged by Dixon on several occasions, and stayed within himself at the end. He never gave a hint of worry when being pressed by Power. The shame was the coverage by your NBC team, especially the last 15 laps, and more so the very weak coverage of Victory Lane. Yes, Newgarden did deserve some time for the championship, but NBC dissed Herta and it seemed often that the director calling the shots doesn’t know what camera to select. The Rutledge thing is stupid and senseless. Send him back to NASCRAP. Give us more of Professor B and you. The Rookie of the Year computation is ridiculous, Colton is the ROY and everyone knows it. Where does TK land if anywhere next year? Hope to see you at St. Pete and Indy in 2020!

Skip Ranfone

RM: I don’t think people can appreciate how bleedin’ (that was one of Dan Gurney’s favorite adjectives) poised Colton Herta is, but Sunday should have convinced them. He’s 19 years old and had the best in his series beating on his rear wing all day, and never put a wheel wrong. That’s unheard of – hell, even Power and the boys ran off track a couple times chasing him. We knew he was talented in Indy Lights, but I don’t know that anybody could have seen this kind of moxie, maturity and speed from a teenager. And the best part? He’s the nicest, most humble, polite kid you will ever meet. His DNFs hurt his ROY chances, but Felix did a good job all season and was also deserving. But two wins and three poles in your first year? Colton was almost driver of the year, let alone rookie. T.K. doesn’t have too many options but he’s working on it.

Herta and Rosenqvist both shone this year, but while the Swede took rookie of the year honors, Herta's three poles and two wins is a pretty decent consolation prize. Image by IndyCar

Q: I'm glad you are eating crow. That bodes well for IndyCar's future and shows how good the universal aero kit is with the Dallara. Hate to see it go, but it creates a solid building block for the next-gen car. Just wanted to say thank you to the entire NBC crew that put together this years TV coverage. We see a few people on air, but it takes an army to put together the solid product that we experienced. Camera people, technicians, directors, truck drivers, etc.  2019 was the best IndyCar coverage we have seen in decades, and we have the entire crew to thank.

Also have to thank NBC for the Gold Pass this year. I didn't get to use it as much as I wanted, but the coverage I was able to catch was worth it! Loved the in-car audio from qualifying when you can hear the car getting loose in the Corkscrew. Gold Pass was totally worth it, and if they keep the price reasonable, I'm on board next year. I also wanted to thank RACER.com and especially you and Marshall for your coverage this year. You guys may not be the most dignified, but you have integrity and call it like you see it. I can't ask for more. Marshall, we are praying for you and your wife and would ask others to help with the Gofundme site to help with the costs.

John Balestrieri, Milwaukee Woodwork

RM: Thanks, I think Dallara and Firestone get big props for making the last couple years so enjoyable to watch, and I’m sure the new car will keep many of the characteristics of this one while balancing the aero-screen. I think NBC showed IndyCar it was the partner it needs and has never had, and NBC Gold seemed to be well received. (Now if we can just get it in Canada). Marshall’s wife is improving and thanks for your concern.

Q: A great race at Laguna Seca for the IndyCar finale. One complaint is the coverage had way too much noise from the microphones, which drowned out the announcers. Thinking ahead to next year, any news on Juncos? Also Red Bull’s Helmut Marko made comments that Patricio O'Ward wasn't working out as hoped, even though he sure hasn't been associated with them long. How did he do in Japan, and could he be coming back to IndyCar? With Herta and Rosenqvist, Ferrucci and the other rookies, the future sure is bright driver-wise.

Also, any update on Conor Daly? Hard to see Foyt end the year knowing he will be down on sponsorship right when the series is looking up. Please keep up with all the driver news, as lots could be happening with Schmidt Peterson and Hinch etc. You and Marshall did a great job, as did RACER and NBC Sports. Lastly, please update us on that history of IndyCar book we are waiting on too. Maybe it can hit the annual holiday presents guide. Nice reference to crow, and you evoked thoughts of Mug and Bun breaded tenderloins. Pass the mustard indeed!

Craig Bailey, Palm Bay, FL

RM: I got several complaints about the noise, so I’ll see if we know what happened. No news on Juncos other than he wants to be full-time but needs money (and he’d love to run Renus Veekay if he had any). Pato struggled on hard tires in Japan and Red Bull will kick him to the curb, and I told him a month ago to get a hold of Zak Brown because they met for breakfast at Long Beach and that would be a good place for him. I think Conor is in the running for McLaren and Carlin. Gordon Kirby’s book on open-wheel history should be out next year. And it will be a keeper.

Q: Second-generation drivers are rarely good as their dads, but Colton appears to be better than his pop. Colton's performances could make for interesting team dynamics at Andretti. Who will be the top banana – Herta or Rossi? What's your take? I thought Power raced Felix really hard on one the last restarts (making more than one defensive move). Race Control made a non-call, but how did you see it?

Jonathan and Cleide Morris, Ventura, CA

RM: Bryan was a damn good driver who kinda got the bum’s rush at Ganassi and then did a good job for Rahal and Andretti. But Colton is a prodigy. I think watching he and Rossi duel next year will be fascinating. Didn’t see the Power/Felix battle, but there was a lot of good, hard racing all day.

Q: I have a hypothetical question regarding the Laguna Seca race. If (and that’s a big if) Pagenaud had managed to pass Dixie early and worked his way up to Power and Hertamania, would Power have given way to allow Simon to go for the win? If yes, would Cindric have given Josef the green light to charge after Rossi? It seemed like the No.2 car was in risk mitigation mode all race, which was logical given where the other challengers were.

Joe, Carmel

RM: The boys talked about it on NBC, and I agree with Kevin Lee’s perspective: The Captain isn’t going to play favorites at that point. JoNew led the championship all year, and even though Simon won Indy for him, R.P. would not have intervened unless something had happened to Newgarden, and then I’m sure he would have asked Willy P. to move over if it meant winning the title.

Q: Watched your Silly Season update with Pruett. Of course, Hinch and SPAM were at the center of your conversation, as he has been in many articles on RACER. My question is, why are you guys so convinced that Hinch must be leaving and going to Rahal? You guys have analyzed his potential to land at every single Honda team in the series, but I was under the distinct impression that he was staying for at least a year. When the announcement was made, Hinch released at statement on his Instagram talking about how he was looking forward to rekindling his relationship with GM and how excited he was for the future, despite the fact that he’d have to have a discussion with Honda Canada about what that meant for his future with them. Another site reported on September 1 that he’ll be staying. Many other organizations have said the same. So why are you so convinced that he’s leaving?

Max Camposano, Bethlehem, PA

RM: First off, we can’t write everything we’ve been told and it might be a while before we can, but Hinch and Honda of Canada have a great off-track relationship that pays nicely, and HPD also holds him in high esteem. James knows he’s a lame duck there at Schmidt and they certainly didn’t spend much time singing his praises in their press release. Throw in the flak he got for the ESPN Magazine shoot, and I don’t think he wants to stay there. But there’s another scenario nobody knows about yet and that may well come into play. Hinch is playing the game right now, but if Honda can find him a ride, he won’t be at SPAM in 2020.

Expect lots of Hinch-y intrigue over the coming weeks. Image by Galstad/LAT

Q: Ever wonder if Rossi is re-thinking his re-signing with Andretti? It's clear that Herta will be Rossi's main competition as the number one driver on that team, which makes one wonder if Rossi would rather be on a team where the teammates all have great equipment and are competitive at every race or to have one teammate who can match his talents? And do you think Andretti (even though it's good for IndyCar to have cars in the field) has spread itself too thin by being a five-car team as opposed to Penske's three-car team where all the teams can compete for the win?

Jake, Pasadena, CA

RM: No, even though there are five drivers at Andretti he knows the team is his, whereas he’d be the fourth wheel at Penske – which of course ain’t bad – but I think that factored into his decision. Now he’s got Colton to challenge him, but I think Rossi responds to that kind of thing. And I still feel like he wanted to be loyal to Honda as well. But I don’t think Michael is spread too thin, he basically ran five cars this season and won four times.

Q: That was a good race, and a very nice to have IndyCar return to Laguna Seca. Noticed on Colton Herta's second pit stop that Will Power’s crew was set up in the pit stall right behind Herta with their tires and front tire changers in pit lane, but when Herta's crew was doing their pit stop they picked up the tires and moved them over the pit wall. Power did pit a lap or two later, but I was wondering if this is legal to try and force a driver to make a mistake by having your pit crew set up for a pit stop they were not going to make?

Dick Mason, Crawfordsville, IN

RM: Oh hell yes, as long as you don’t leave your tires in the way or create contact like the Penske/Ganassi brouhaha back at Sonoma a few years ago.

Q: Great racing at Laguna today in my opinion, and a well-deserved championship for JoNew and the Captain and of course an incredible run by Colton Herta. Reflecting on the end of the 2019 season, my biggest surprise was, who would have ever though we would conclude the 2019 season with Bourdais, Hunter-Reay, Rahal, and Hinch all going winless? Additionally, who would have ever thought TK and the ever-struggling Foyt team would finish ahead of two Andretti cars and one SPM in the championship? It just goes to show how tough a championship that IndyCar has become. As always thanks to you, Marshall, and the entire RACER staff for outstanding coverage this year!

Steve P, Virginia Beach, VA

RM: I think that trio being winless (along with Rahal) was as surprising as Santino Ferrucci’s excellent rookie year, little Hertamania winning twice with three poles and Sato scoring two victories. But it’s becoming a young man’s game isn’t it? Except for Dixie, Power and Taku. Thanks for reading RACER.com and RACER.

Q: My question is about the schedule. I feel like the season is so short. Just like that, it’s over. F1 has six races left, Cup has 10, and even IMSA has one more. While I agree with the idea that we do not want our beloved series to go up against the NFL, I wonder why we don’t start sooner if we are going to end earlier. I think more races would be nice, but I understand your concerns with that. However if they were spread out a little better, would that not help crew members and personnel? Even if they couldn’t get more races, starting earlier could be a good thing for them.

Why not start the week after the Daytona 24? Assuming it would be in St Pete, many of the drivers are already there. And since so many drivers race in the 24 hour race, you could use that to hype up the IndyCar opener. Commercials during the 24 hour race for St Pete, cross-promotion, etc. That feels like a great way to kick off support for IndyCar from another series. There has got to be some benefit to starting before all the other series outside of IMSA, too.

Erik Steinbrecher, Oswego, IL

RM: Six months off is way too long, no question, and I know IndyCar would like to start earlier if possible, but St. Pete likes being the opener and its March date, and to be honest there are not a lot of options in January or February. The IndyCar schedule is compressed because Mark Miles does not want to go up against football, and the promoters have their reasons for their dates. The only benefit would be to find a venue that could draw a decent crowd in January or February because it might help the TV ratings. Daytona has no competition the day it runs.

Q: I know people are piling on Foyt Racing, but the fact is Tony Kanaan beat two Andretti cars in Veach and Marco in the standings, as well as Ericsson, who admittedly had one less race. It could have been much worse this year.

Russ in Indianapolis

RM: Oh gosh, I’m not sure about that, Russ. One podium at Gateway for T.K., and they weren’t competitive in May, and they’ve already let a couple key people go but they need some direction. Talked to A.J. last week and he’s still running two cars.

At least one reader managed to find a silver lining in TK's season. Image by Cantrall/LAT

Q: It's well known you're a big fan and promoter of Conor Daly. What happened to him in Laguna Seca? He hardly shone. Nor did the entire Andretti team, for that matter, apart from Herta? Daly went virtually unseen until teammate Marco took him out. And speaking of Marco, his qualifying and race were abysmal. As usual. With Colton Herta added to the team next year, Marco will become fifth man on a five-man team, and he finished this season doing nothing while a teenage rookie in related team lead all the way to win. How long can he, or anyone, tolerate this?

Bosco McNabb, Toronto, Canada

RM: Conor was in the first qualifying group Saturday and it was loaded, and he wound up just missing transferring to the second round. Other than posting the fourth-fastest lap of the race, Sunday was pretty forgettable, but let’s talk about how he ran at Indy, then how he did for Carlin and Arrow SPM. I think he proved his worth this season, and one race certainly doesn’t define that. Marco co-owns his team and shows no inclination to stop racing.

Q: Well Miller, we've reached the close of another season. 2019 has been a pretty solid year for IndyCar, but it also means that we're a decade removed from American open-wheel unification. What has surprised you the most in both a positive and negative sense over where IndyCar was in 2009 to where it stands today?

Mitch from Michigan

RM: I’m impressed with the level of talent and depth of the teams and the good racing. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well the Dallara races on street and road courses. And I like the fact Jay Frye has a plan. The most negative thing remains the purses – Indianapolis and IndyCar. They should never be published. It’s embarrassing and shows no signs of ever improving. But I think IndyCar has made a nice comeback from those dog days of 2000-2008, and even though it remains a well-kept secret, there’s no better racing.

Q: So, if Pagenaud were to do the unthinkable and head out to SPAM after 2020, who would The Captain choose to replace him? Rossi? Herta? Rahal? Helio? Please, Robin, inquiring minds want to know!

Nick in the Quad

RM: The Captain met the press Sunday at Laguna after claiming his 16th IndyCar title, and as he was walking away I whispered to him: “I decided not to ask you when you were going to sign Colton.” He just smiled. But Michael will have to fend him off to keep the kid.

Q: It’s been a while, but I have a few things I want your opinions on, the first being Oliver Askew’s chances of ending up in a third Ganassi car next year? To me the only thing he needs is a little more sponsorship, and Mike Hull seemed high on him after his test. Do you think Chip will take a chance on him and let him develop to potentially replace Dixon in a few years?

My second idea is this. We have the BC39, which yet again was a huge success for all involved. As a fan, getting the chance to see Larson, Bell and the other USAC guys run on a new track, on the grounds of IMS has been really cool the last two years. Seeing how good the crowd was for that event, and seeing a 500 veteran in James Davison running Silver Crown, my dad and I got the idea of moving the Hoosier 100 to IMS on the oval. A 40-lap race, live pit stops, and a front engine open wheel car turning laps at IMS. It could be run on Legends Day, and would probably draw a decent crowd. What do you think?

Ben, Noblesville

RM: I talked to Oliver after he clinched the Lights’ crown and he said he was going to have something good to announce here soon, so we can only hope it’s the Chipster. The IMS dirt track is way too small for USAC dirt cars but I like your thinking. Look for USAC to maybe try a sprint car race there some day, or maybe make the BC39 part of Midget Week.

Q: The season is now over and there might be drivers and engineers changing teams. Who does the set-up data belong to? The team owner, the engineer, the driver, or all three?

Dan, Anderson, Ind.

RM: It belongs to the team, but what’s to prevent an engineer from keeping good notes? Or a driver.

Q: I recently saw there were a couple of joint races between F1 and Indy in the late '50s at Monza. The story said the Indy cars won both races. Do you have more details? What drivers were involved? Were there other races? I had never heard of this, and have followed Indy since the 50s when we would listen on the radio as Vuky lead the field.

Todd Broadlick, originally from Kokomo, Jupiter, FL

RM: It was at Monza, Italy in 1957 and 1958 and it was called the Race of Two Worlds and pitted the best of F1 against the best of American ope- wheel. Jimmy Bryan won the inaugural show and Jim Rathmann was first in 1958, but the roadsters were so superior to the cars that were driven by F1 drivers it was no contest. Tony Bettenhausen won the pole at 177 mph and the pole that year at Indy was only 143 mph.

The start of the Race of Two Worlds at Monza in 1958. That's about as close as the F1 guys got to the roadsters all day. Image via Robin Miller Collection

Q: Why is there an obvious lack of attention from ESPN for IndyCar? Even when ABC was covering races it seemed it pained the ESPN anchors to even report the Indy 500 winner. They never mention the races on SportCenter, or even give it a line on the ticker at the bottom of the screen. I assumed it was a money thing and they want paid to report it.

Chad Wetz, Tipton, Indiana

RM: Good question that I asked every year when CART was cooking in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and yes there was a show called RPM 2Night that actually covered CART and then the IRL, but unless there was a spectacular crash or fatality the races never got a sniff on SportsCenter. That’s why Mark Miles’s best move was going with NBC because Always Bad Coverage could have cared less.

Q: Miller, I saw you taking a photo with a mechanic from Dale Coyne Racing on race morning. Who is he and what was that all about?

Russell L, Watsonville, Ca.

RM: That was John Sumner, and last Sunday was his final race after 20 years in IndyCar. He was the oldest (70) crewman over the wall on pit stops (ran the airjack) and worked for eight different teams taking care of gearboxes and shocks. One of the truly good guys, and a character that always had something funny to say.

Q: I take issue with the Mailbag comments about trimming the May schedule at IMS. I was lucky enough to be able to spend the Month of May at IMS in 2015 (100th running, bronze badge, Turn 1 short chute seat on race day). I had visited the track and museum previously, but never attended a race. That month will stand out as the highlight of my race fan life. I was there from opening until closing every day the gate was open. If I could afford it, I would do it every year.

Weekends at Laguna Seca, Long Beach, Vegas, Phoenix, California Speedway, or Road America don't come close (maybe Elkhart Lake does). All the participants were approachable. Drivers, mechanics, owners and media, all had time to interact with the fans. This was a different vibe from the other venues I have attended, where race weekend is a frenzy of activity. This race fan was in race heaven that Month. I wish every race fan could have the chance to attend the Month of May in Indiana. Please don't suggest shortening the Month of May to the Week in May thereby cheating future fans of a fantastic opportunity.

Mike G.

RM: Don’t fret Mike, it’s not going to change even thought IMS loses money all but Carb Day and Race Day. The city’s fathers like the three weeks of May so no matter how much some old geezers like me would love to see it shortened (along with all the teams), it probably won’t happen. Too bad you couldn’t have been around for the ‘60s and ‘70s when there were three weeks of practice and 75 cars. That was exciting.

Q: Hey Robin. In a recent column you asked, "Which driver era was IndyCar's best ever?" I cannot comment on previous eras as I became an IndyCar fan between 1997 and 1999. It was both Greg Moore and Juan Pablo Montoya which interested me in CART. But, in that column you said, "the Split voids 2000-2007." I watched both CART / Champ Car and the IRL during the Split. Originally CART had the better drivers early on in the Split. Penske, Ganassi and other teams eventually bolted for the IRL. Newman-Haas and Sebastien Bourdais subsequently dominated Champ Car during this era.

In the post-Split era, Bourdais was a regular staple in the IndyCar line-up. He put in some great performances in inferior machinery, and won! It would've been great to see what Bourdais could've accomplished in Penske, Ganassi, or Andretti machinery during this era. We will never know. Bourdais has 37 career IndyCar victories. Six of those 37 were during the post-Split era. So, if "the Split voids 2000-2007," how do you rate Bourdais's IndyCar legacy? Is he an IndyCar great like Dixon and Power? Or, are all of those CART/Champ Car victories not deserving of recognition?

Ken C, Thunder Bay, ON

RM: Seb is one of the best racers of the past 20 years, and certainly one of the most courageous, and he showed that after everybody got back together. But it’s hard to get real excited about those Camp Car years because Forsythe was Newman/Haas only competition for the most part until Carl Russo got Justin Wilson. But no question Bourdais is a great road racer in any era.