Robin Miller's Mailbag for November 20, 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: My question comes from the recent trend of talented drivers being left without a seat in IndyCar. There are obviously big names like Hinch and Daly, but there have also been several Indy Lights drivers end up in other series because nothing was available upon graduation. I know there are a ton of factors that contribute to this, the biggest being sponsorship dollars, but I'm curious about the impact of so few owners on the grid. With the recent Penske ownership news, this issue seems more relevant than ever before.

Should the cost of ownership be lowered to entice more people to get involved in IndyCar and therefore open up more seats? Or should the cost actually increase so as to make the teams that are on the grid more competitive? If you're Roger Penske, is your focus to get more owners into the fold, or to make the racing even better? Or is there some happy medium of being able to do both? Thanks for your insight!

P.S. If I had an extra $15 million lying around, I would be ordering some Honda engines and signing Hinch and Daly up tomorrow! But alas...

Tyler from Michigan

RM: As long as drivers have been buying rides (since the ‘80s), good ones have been left on the sidelines and that’s not going to change. The fact Colton Herta, Oliver Askew, Pato O’Ward and Spencer Pigot all got rides without bringing money is still rare but encouraging. And I think Jay Frye, IndyCar and Dallara have done their best to at least keep costs somewhat reasonable. But considering how much it costs and how bad the purses are, it’s amazing there are 22-23 full-time cars. Raising the purses and Leaders’ Circle might be one way to entice more participation, but right now it’s the one major series where a Mike Shank can come in with the right people and be competitive. That’s the major selling point.

Q: I see that Spencer Pigot has been dumped by ECR. It sucks for him, but he's had a decent shot at it, and VeeKay looks like a badass like Colton and Pato. Though I do wish that Ed would either stop driving or run a third car so he could still do the ovals. That way he fields two cars driven full-time by young hotshots. What's your view on this development?

Jordan, Warwickshire, UK

RM: I think Ed has given American racers like Spencer, JoNew and J.R. Hildebrand a fighting chance, but he’s not made of money and needs some help like everyone else. If he would hire Veekay and Conor Daly retains Air Force that would be a good pairing for 2020, and then he still gets to run Indianapolis. But I applaud him for “hiring” these Indy Lights champs through the years.

Q: With Pigot now officially out at ECR, a move to Foyt seems seamless. He’s young, American, has shown some really strong potential, and is a Chevy guy. Is this anything that you are hearing as a possibility?

Cade F.

RM: I talk to A.J. once a week and he and Larry haven’t made a decision yet, but I think they’re looking for a driver with money to go with Charlie Kimball and T.K. (who would share a ride). Just a guess.

Sounds like there could be some sort of C.K. + T.K. scenario for A.J.. next year. Image by Levitt/LAT

Q: I wonder if the IndyCar community is concerned about a big drop-off in attendance in Toronto if there isn't a Canadian driver? That has rarely happened.

Gary Wood

RM: Not sure, but I imagine it’s got the attention of promoters Kevin Savoree and Kim Green, and I think Hinch will have a ride for Indy and Toronto, at the least, and it would behoove IndyCar to invest in making sure it happens up north.

Q: The Derek Daly article about the two kinds of drivers got me thinking about A.J. Foyt Racing. Based on the assumption that Tony Kanaan is a "reflex" driver and Conor Daly is a "feel" driver, wouldn't it make sense to pair them up for Kanaan's last IndyCar season for both their immediate and future needs? Let's also assume that McLaren has their eye on Simon Pagenaud for 2021 when his contract expires with Penske. If McLaren lets go of either O'Ward or Askew to pair with Pagenaud, they would have both types of drivers. Foyt could then snatch up the freed young gun and have both types of drivers with huge potential for the future. Possible?

Mark Zac, Long Beach, CA

RM: That’s what T.K. was hoping before A.J. dropped Conor, but it’s not going to happen now. And Pagenaud was just a hunch about 2021, but now that McLaren has two youngsters I don’t think the 2019 Indy winner is in the frame. I know A.J. was interested in Pato and Ferrucci, but I don’t think they were interested in his team.

Q: I read your comments suggesting that it would be a great thing for IndyCar if Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti were battling for the championship. It certainly would not be a bad thing, but respectfully, it seems unlikely that both could jump to the front of the field and be battling for the championship now or in the foreseeable future. I would also respectfully note that the hope that this might happen and generate interest in IndyCar is indicative of a major problem; one that could be remedied. If the sport needs to rely on the legacy of Mario and Bobby Rahal, IndyCar is not doing its best to promote the sport. (Although current management is better than what we seen in a long, long time!)

I just watched the Showtime documentary on Motown and recalled how its founder, Berry Gordy, pushed his star acts into the mainstream. And, that was in the '60s. Today, with all of the publicity tools available, it would not be too hard to raise the profile of the best personalities in IndyCar racing. That could certainly include someone other than drivers, as there are plenty of interesting characters running around the IndyCar paddock (like a guy named Robin Miller.) I’m not suggesting they stage phony fights or create false controversies, but certainly a well-positioned agent, working for the series, could get IndyCar’s stars in the public eye more often and generate more interest in the sport as a result.

Please don’t tell me that the best thing IndyCar can offer to generate interest is a title battle between two second- or third-generation racers who, off the track, really are just not too interesting. If someone can make ‘stars” out of a bunch of low-lifes who visit the Jersey Shore or a bunch of middle-aged women fighting over nonsense (The Real Housewives of…) I’m sure they can find a tasteful way to promote the personalities in IndyCar.

Patrick Caserta

RM: You present an interesting scenario, and I’m afraid IndyCar does rely heavily on its connection to the past and hasn’t done nearly enough to promote its American stars like Newgarden and Rossi, or Dixon and Power, or its personalities like T.K. and Hinch. I’ve said for a long time that IndyCar needs to spend money on national TV ads and make a deal with NBC to have a weekly show featuring the drivers. There are a lot of great personalities in IndyCar but nobody knows about them. The time is right to introduce Colton Herta, Oliver Askew, Santino Ferrucci, Pato O’Ward and Rinus Veekay to the American public. And the ship has sailed on the Andretti-Rahal rivalry, but they could still make headlines and sell tickets if they started winning.

Q: The latest news of Nico Hulkenberg considering driving in IndyCar after being out of F1 got me thinking. As it is right now, Indy seems to be no more than just a plan B, or even C for ‘F1 rejects’ (I hate that term but it's widely used). From time to time we even hear some frustrated midfield F1 drivers complaining about how they don't stand any chance against top F1 machinery... but they continue trundling around fighting for that seventh place anyway. They just don't see any alternative – and IndyCar should be seen as one. As a European F1 fan, when I first discovered IndyCar a few years ago, it was eye opening. Here was this whole other world of great, competitive open-wheel racing with its own rich history and prestige... and nobody talks about it over here. I just wish the F1-centric part of racing drivers (and fans, while we're at it) could see that.

I'll admit I'm a bit of a dreamer here and I don't want to sound too naive. Sure, it's not as popular as F1 and doesn't pay as well, but do they all really care just about this? Don't any of them have any sporting ambition to drive in a more fair, competitive series? Even drivers out of F1 or unable to even get a chance there usually go in different directions – sports cars, Formula E – and very few seem to consider IndyCar at all. Do you think if there's anything IndyCar could do to become a more attractive option for these kinds of drivers?

Natalie, Poland

RM: When Justin Wilson came to Champ Car in 2003 he gave the most honest explanation: “Just being an F1 driver wears off in a hurry, and racing your teammate gets old. I want a chance to be competitive and win races. That’s why I’m here.” Alex Zanardi always had his eye on returning while Sebastien Bourdais and Cristiano da Matta gave F1 a go after winning CART championships because it was the next logical step. And Marcus Ericsson’s enthusiasm after his first practice session this year at St. Pete said it all: “This is why I wanted to be a race driver. To have a chance and be competitive.”

The best thing about the '60s at Indy was the influx of world champions to IMS, and that raised the level of competition and awareness to an all-time high that’s only been reached twice since (Mansell and Alonso). People keep saying that Rossi will want to go back to F1, and I keep saying: "Why?" Unless it was one of six seats, why would he want to leave IndyCar to run for seventh over there? I don’t think he would, and F1 isn’t the promised land it once was -- a lot of those drivers have to bring money as well. IndyCar doesn’t need to do anything but continue to have the most competitive series in open wheel, and if that interests a Hulkenberg or Perez or Riccardo, then maybe we’ll see them someday. The attraction is that they get to be race drivers again.

Does simply having a presence on the F1 grid beat having a shot at being competitive in IndyCar? Not if you're stuck driving a tugboat like the Minardi PS03, argued Justin Wilson. (And several others since). Image by LAT

Q: Just read your IMS Top 10 to-do list. Totally agree with everything you suggest. What a great improvement it would be for the fans and racers at IMS. Great job, and thanks for suggesting those improvements. Let’s hope that some, if not all, will happen over time. (I have experienced the masses of people and vehicles on Georgetown Rd for 50 years at the Indy 500 and my seats are in the Tower Terrace behind the chain-link fencing.)

Ted D.

RM: Thanks Ted. I sent them to R.P. and he responded immediately with a thumbs-up, but we all know he’s going to address most of those suggestions and a few more he’s already thought of because he’ll have a master plan.

Q: With the warm reception Josef Newgarden received after running demo laps at Charlotte, I called it “Bury the Hatchet Day.” It’s a big hatchet, but the bitterness some of us have felt towards NASCAR for facilitating the Split needs to go if racing in this country is to move forward. Now, with Roger Penske taking over the Speedway and the series, the split between CART and eye-are-el (I just can’t type the letters out) loyalists needs to stop. This will take a major symbolic gesture. Let me be the first to say that there is only one logical choice for whom should give the command to start engines at the 2020 Indy 500: Robin Miller.

Bary Berger

RM: Thanks for the nod Bary, but I think Tony George and his sisters should give that command next May, followed by Donald Davidson and Kathy Penske in 2021 and 2022. As for burying the hatchet, I truly don’t think open-wheel fans dwell on the Split nowadays because the racing is good and IndyCar is making a comeback of sorts. As for NASCAR, there is always going to be some jealousy because it dwarfs IndyCar in TV ratings and delivers half the show, but that’s likely not going to change any time soon.

Q: With the Hulman-George family out at IMS and the Penske posse in, who do you think will give the traditional command to start the 500 moving forward? Roger? A Penske associate (Miles, Frye, Boles, etc.)? You? Some random celebrity or former racer? Or, do you think Roger will allow Tony to carry on the tradition his family began nearly three-quarters of a century ago? In my opinion, the latter is the least palatable choice, but I’d understand if Roger gave it his blessing. Thanks for all you do, and I hope all is well.

Dr. Daniel Pratt, Texas, USA

RM: I would expect R.P. to honor the Hulman/George family, at least for the first year, and then maybe pick a famous winner like Mears, Rutherford, Johncock, Mario or Rufus.

Q: Now that the dust is starting to settle on the Mr. Penske’s purchase of the Speedway, I think we all should thank the Hulman-George for making open-wheel racing what it is today. Without Mr. Hulman’s vision and purchase of the Speedway in 1945, it’s hard telling what would have happened to the Speedway and what we would all would have missed out on for the past 74 years.  So, thank you to the Hulman-George family! That being said, I think it would great to go back to the traditional month of May, install lights and finish the season under the lights for the Indy Grand Prix.

Brian Lancaster, West Lafayette

RM: I think most of us have universally applauded T.G. for approaching R.P. and getting IMS to the right guy. But lights are way too expensive unless NASCAR pays half the bill.

Q: I wanted to start by saying I love the Mailbag as well as your comments, and look forward to it every week. On to your IMS to-do list: amen to all on the list except No. 2. I’m thinking technically the Apron is not part of the racing surface and the cars seem to get squirrely when they cross the line. Can you expand a little more on how this would be a legal cheat to go bellow the racing line?

Jack Conneway

RM: The Apron was not only a great place for Rube, Mario, Gordy and Vuky to use as a passing opportunity it was also a friend to any driver with a violent push and gave him an escape route. It should have never been removed, and the theory it caused head-on crashes was crap. Drivers broke their feet and legs because they sat so far up.

These are probably the only lights we'll see at IMS for now. (Indy Lights don't count). Image by Williams/LAT

Q: I'll honest in that I have lost track of Roger Penske's ownership interest in various tracks. At one time I know he owned Michigan International Speedway and a few others. Then I believe there was a merger of his tracks with ISC, but I believe ISC may have been acquired by NASCAR-related entity? Regardless of the history, my question is, does Penske currently have an ownership or management interest in any tracks other that IMS? I'm always hoping IndyCar finds it way back to more oval tracks.

Fred Melkey, Saint Louis

RM: The Captain owned Michigan, Nazareth, Fontana and sold them to ISC/NASCAR at the perfect time, and I figured he was out of the track business forever. Obviously IMS was a different animal and R.P. jumped at the chance to own his favorite track, but he’s got no other interests to my knowledge.

Q: After reading the emails last week, I was glad you talked about doubleheaders. I would love to see IndyCar double up with IMSA at The Glen in the first half of the season, for no better reason than that I live within 20 miles of the track and would love to see the IndyCar winner pin their wreaths on the wall at the Seneca Lodge again.

I do have an idea for the double with NASCAR on NBC. What do you think of them doubling up at the second Charlotte race? IndyCar could do the oval under the lights on Saturday night, and the tin-tops could do the Roval on Sunday. I like this idea because it would give IndyCar another oval to race on, and the Roval is part of The Chase. What do you think? One other question. This past year and in 2020, IndyCar will not race on an oval before the 500. This just doesn’t make sense to me. Wouldn’t it make for a better 500 in that the teams and drivers have already cut their teeth on an oval before they get to Indy?

Rich, Keuka Village, NY

RM: I think the prerequisites for a doubleheader would be a Saturday/Sunday weekend on NBC so Charlotte would fit that criteria. Watkins Glen remains a possibility for an IMSA/IndyCar twin bill, but not sure how serious either side is right now about pursuing it. I do think new IMSA boss John Doonan will help. As for no ovals before Indy, where would you go? Phoenix was a bust and Texas, Iowa and Gateway seem satisfied with their current dates and Richmond is positioned in between its Cup races. You get plenty of practice at IMS, so it’s not that crucial.

Q: I predict racing fans will be part of an unrivaled open-wheel renaissance. What about the IMS Museum and its collection; is that part of the deal? Is the Coke bottling plant part of the deal? Along Georgetown; what about the American Legion, a miscellaneous house or two and the trailer park to the South, is their fate eminent domain? R.P. is thinking big picture, don’t be surprised.

Phil Wolski, NE Indy

RM: The Captain owns the museum, but not the car collection. He owns the Coke lot, but not the building on it. Not sure about the Legion property or anything else on Georgetown Road.

Q: I listened to Marshall’s podcast interviewing car owners after the Penske announcement. Michael Andretti talked about budgets and the value for the sponsors, remarking that they need to come down to be seen as ‘value’ to the sponsors given the level of television and attendance. In that series of conversations one of the owners talked about the damper programs and alluded to the difference between the “haves and have-nots.” Apparently it was remarked that there were drivers who turned down offers because of the lack of resources for a top-notch damper program. How much of the budget is devoted to dampers? Knowing that we are dealing with tenths of a second here and there, the open damper programs take a ton of money for those few tenths. Can they do something to preserve creativity but at the same time control costs?

Emmett, Dallas, Texas

RM: I’ve heard shock/damper budgets anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million, and a few years ago the owners were asked about adopting a spec shock and vetoed it. It’s the one area on today’s car that is open game for creativity. And spending money.

Q: I’m excited about Penske owning IMS. Shocked, but stoked! I hope to see IMS and F1 link up and run a race on the road course. I think with the 2021 regulations, it’d be a good fit for F1, and the track would have two DRS zones for passing. Then, if Miami gets a race, F1 could do a three-race U.S. championship, with a bonus for winning two or three of the events. I think Alonso splits with McLaren and runs for Andretti at the 500, and Hinch will run a second Honda for MSR for a partial season. It makes sense, since Andretti is partnering with MSR already. What are your thoughts?

Ben Nea

RM: I think R.P. is a lot more concerned with improving the overall profile and Indy experience and finding money and a third engine manufacturer for IndyCar than he is with Formula 1. I suppose if he’s offered a race and lands a big title sponsor it could happen, but I don’t think it’s a priority. I wrote last week Andretti wants Fernando but it has to be OK’d by Honda and that’s no guarantee. I think I wrote that Hinch spent the weekend at Andretti recently, so it’s certainly a possibility.

Q: My hope is the 500 gets back to allowing and encouraging innovation for 500 entries and bounce out selling the same spec racer to teams. Excitement was when new engineering concepts competed – the Granatelli STP turbine, the Smokey Yunick  side car, the sound of the STP Novi and other so many long-ago interesting entries. Oh yes, I keep a photo of Herk in the Novi on my wall.

J. Jansen

RM: Afraid that’s never going to happen again. Can’t see enough interest, and don’t forget when IndyCar was shopping its chassis a decade ago only Dallara was interested. I suppose if a couple of sports car designers wanted to try and McLaren joined the club it could be possible, but spec cars are the most affordable, and as we’ve seen, the most raceable. Just keep that photo of Herk so you can remember those good old days of the 1960s.

What if we just make the entire grid use spec STP Turbines? Image by LAT

Q: With growing grids, will Roger Penske be able to shore up a third engine partner since Honda and Chevrolet are saying they are stretched with 33 cars at the Indy 500 and outside?

Mathew Marks

RM: I certainly hope so, and the early predictions are Toyota and Ford (just my guess/hope), but you can bet R.P. will have their ear if he already doesn’t.

Q: I have two simple questions. First, one week ago I was not worried at all about Honda leaving IndyCar, now however, with everything that has come to light, it sounds like it's greater than 50 percent that they leave. Thoughts on that? I read Hinch was getting paid close to $500,000 to drive for AMSP, is that below, above, or average for a veteran driver? Thanks for all you do for us fans.

Chris, Charleston, SC

RM: I’m not sure where you heard that, but I don’t think it’s true. Honda said it always looks at its motorsports options when asked about NASCAR recently, but that doesn’t mean they’re going. If Hinch’s figure is accurate I think he would be lower than Dixie, the three Penske drivers, Rahal, Rossi, Marco, T.K. and RHR, but ahead of just about everyone else that gets a retainer. But we think he’s well compensated by Honda of Canada as their spokesman. Thanks for being a fan.

Q: I just read that Honda was at the final NASCAR race. They’ve said previously that if they join NASCAR they’d have to quit IndyCar and IMSA. What does that say about the series if Honda quits, and how would that impact another OEM joining? Do you think Roger could get Chevrolet to supply the entire field? It would be a disaster to say the least.

Don in Minneapolis

RM: I don’t think Honda is going to spend the money necessary to join NASCAR and be competitive, and sometimes it’s just good to be seen and not heard to make sure IndyCar is paying attention.

Q: First off, the boom that could be heard all the way from Texas to Indy last Monday had to be Eddie Gossage’s head exploding knowing that he’ll never get to have the first race after Indy now that RP owns the IndyCar Series. Wondering, though… given Penske’s connections at Verizon, if Mari Hulman George would have signed off on this deal two years ago, is there a chance that Verizon would still be the title sponsor today?

Mark G.

RM: Nah, I think Eddie has been resigned to the fact that as long as Chevy is in IndyCar, then Detroit will follow Indy. I don’t think Mari would have wanted to sell and I was always told the new boss at Verizon wasn’t a fan of IndyCar, so who knows?

Q: With Penske Entertainment taking over the reigns of IMS and IndyCar there has been all of this talk that the Penske name will attract all types of new sponsorship. I think that there was an article stating that the Penske organization has more sponsorship for all of its racing projects than IndyCar combined. With that in mind, what are the chances that Penske Entertainment will be able to find the dollars to make the race purses more respectable? Or even change up the Leaders’ Circle grants?

Other sports – MMA as an example – award an extra $50K for achievements including “Fight of the Night” and “Performance of the Night.” Maybe IndyCar could come up with monetary awards for “Fastest Lap”; “Fastest Pit Stop”; “Drive of the Night” (voted on via NBC Gold); “Best Pass” (voted on via NBC Gold); “Longest stint on a set of Firestones” (Sponsored by Firestone). This way teams that maybe can’t win the race have a chance to earn some dollars in other ways.

For instance, let’s say Santino Ferrucci may be out of contention for the win, may opt to pit and go for a qualifying trim to get the “Fastest Lap” award and come back into the pits to get the “Fastest Pit Stop” award, walking away with an aggregate of $50K. That could be an automatic TV spot for Santino and his sponsors receiving and thanking the award sponsors.

K from Canada

RM: I think it goes without saying that The Captain is the best chance IMS and IndyCar has to find serious sponsor money and his marketing people are some of the best. So stay tuned.

Q: One of my top 10 suggestions would be to make sure efforts continue to get the car to perform the way the DW12 did from 2012 to 2017 at the Speedway. The 2018 and 2019 races were certainly very good, but they were at an entirely different excitement level with the high number of lead changes during the previous six years. With the coming of 2020, I'm hoping the air hole punched by the new aeroscreen will help, but beyond that, has there been any continuing efforts to try to improve the passing at Indy to get back to the magic formula of these previous years?

I think this desire is shared by many fans, and I hope it doesn't get lost in the shuffle with all of the other exciting news. Of course, I certainly don't want them to change anything with the street and road course package, as it has been outstanding on those tracks the past two years.

Jim in New Mexico

RM: Not sure you could ever ask for a better finish than this year, and IndyCar knows it has got a racy chassis everywhere and will stay on top of the rules. The aero screen will likely slow speeds by a couple mph, but the downforce/horsepower package seems to be putting the driver back into the equation more and more. I think Bill Pappas and Tino Belli understand what the fans want and Dallara is very accommodating, so I’d be happy if it stays the way it’s been the past two years.

You certainly won't hear Simon Pagenaud complaining about the finish to this year's Indy 500. Image by Baker/LAT

Q: With the Hulman-George family out, what is your guess as to who will say the command to start engines for the 500? Hasn’t it always been someone from the family? Will it be a surprise guest every year? Or is Roger the new voice of the most famous words in motorsports come May?

Ryan, Lake Villa, IL

RM: I’m guessing R.P. asks Tony and his three sisters, because that would be classy and the right thing to do.

Q: I think I observed the only change you immediately suggested for the Speedway was to bring back the apron. It is a must to do so. It will improve the racing at the 500, but it is the only way NASCAR will ever have a good race there. The larger cars simply need the extra room. The reasons for removing the apron over 25 years ago basically no longer exist. Safer cars and walls have eliminated lower extremity injuries like we saw in 1992. The biggest danger now is getting into the fence above the SAFER barrier, and the apron is a non-factor for that.

If anything, the extra track room allows for more time and space to scrub speed (same is true for a crash like Bourdais had). Secondly, I noticed the Miami mayor suddenly reacted to the detractors of the proposed (or supposed) F1 race there as soon as the Penske deal was revealed. This tells me F1 and Penske are leaning towards a return to the Speedway. I hope they improve and lengthen the track. They need to lengthen the road course significantly. Run it across the infield to the backstretch, and use part of that as a straight. There needs to be two configurations – one for IndyCar and MotoGP, and one for F1. Fingers crossed.

Keith Younce

RM: I made 10 suggestions Monday in a column and restoring the apron was one of them, but with people like Danny Sullivan lobbying for it I think it might have a chance. I’m not sure F1 holds an immediate interest for R.P., but I imagine he’ll listen to any proposals. IMS and IndyCar are his priorities, not F1.

Q: This question is very personal and important to me. You know that I am a mega Michael Andretti fan and that part of me died in 1992 when his car gave out with 10 laps to go! My question is, who was better: Michael or Al Unser Jr.? Now, I say Michael of course, because I love him and I’m biased. But I know Little Al won Indy twice. Now, Michael should’ve won his first and Roger bought his second with the Mercedes engine! You know that wasn’t fair! Those two cars were more than dominant that day. It was a joke and it still pisses me off.

Another thing. Little Al never got asked to go to F1 that I know of. When Michael went to F1, in my opinion, he was the best IndyCar driver at that time. The Split killed Michael. Now who is more successful today? No contest. Michael is Mr. Honda as Carl Haas was Mr. Lola. It would’ve been interesting to have seen Michael drive for Roger, but there must be a hate there. I know Michael made the statement about being happy that Roger purchased the series, but I know that they are rivals. I thought that Graham and Marco would have that rivalry also. I thought Graham would be Little Al and Marco would be Michael. Didn’t happen! I thought Graham would drive for Roger! And win for Roger! Both have underachieved. I’m interested to hear your take.

Dan Kirby

RM: Impossible to chose because they were both studs who resembled their famous fathers. Michael wanted to lead every lap like Mario, while Little Al was content to grab a race by the throat if he had the car or run fifth if that’s all it had. I worked for Lloyd Ruby and he was a badass in every way that should have won Indy at least once or twice. Ditto for Gary Bettenhausen and Mike Mosley. But I truly think Michael is the best to have never won Indianapolis (he led 431 laps, more than Dario, Helio, J.R., Little Al and Mears). Unser tested an F1 car for Williams in 1991 at Estoril but wasn’t physically prepared, according to the reports. My best memory of Little Al was in 1982 when he took the lead at Riverside in his IndyCar debut – he was just such a natural. And Michael was always worth the price of admission.

Q: Hey Miller, curious about your thoughts on the moribund IROC concept. Given IndyCar's real road racing stars, and a few guys in NASCAR who can actually do it, plus the threat of NASCAR and IndyCar doing joint events, might we see an actual revival of the IROC concept? I like the original concept because I'm a Porsche fan, but there must be a way to get these guys together in "equal" cars as a promotion. Alonso versus. Kurt Busch versus. Rossi versus a ringer like Pippa Mann? I think that would be a hoot. With Roger as the new owner, might we see a revival of the idea?

JJ, Oologah, OK

RM: I doubt it. Too many contracts, too many specialists and I’m not sure beyond the Busch brothers, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson how many players we’d draw from NASCAR. It was a great concept in its day because you had the best of F1, NASCAR and IndyCar, but those days are long gone and likely not coming back. Unless you could figure out some kind of a match race competition if there was an IndyCar/NASCAR doubleheader.

As a warm-up to squishing his Champ Car rivals in 2005, Sebastien Bourdais found time to win an IROC race at Texas. Image by Vaughn/LAT

Q: I have been a fan of IndyCar racing since the '80s and have read the Mailbag since it started. I have a few comments regarding the recent past, the next couple of years of the present, and the future of IndyCar.

The Past. I won’t dwell on the distant past of the '90s, but I did get to enjoy watching races at the Milwaukee Mile. I also got to experience the sound of the cars tearing through the air on the run down to Turn 5 at Road America. I would like IndyCar to post more nose camera footage on its YouTube channel. In particular, I would like nose camera footage of the Corkscrew. I feel that NBC Sports Gold was a great package and a good value.

The Present. I am excited that Roger Penske and the Penske organization will be leading IndyCar and IMS. I know that people fear that another Indy 500 tradition will be lost because Penske has advocated guaranteed starting spots in the past. I suggest that instead of a guaranteed starting spot for full season participants, how about an additional qualifying attempt for full-season cars if they end up in the last row shootout?

Can the cameras on top of the roll hoop be upgraded to a 360-degree camera? And, outfit all the cars with the 360-degree cameras, but only broadcast the sponsored ones but post good footage to the IndyCar YouTube channel.

The Future. I assume that specifications for the next generation chassis and engine are well underway. Why not set basic dimensional, downforce, and drag limits for chassis? IndyCar could wind tunnel test the chassis and homologate those designs that pass. RFID tags can be affixed to the components, and a price cap similar to the current system can be utilized. The one component that should be uniform and strictly specified is the safety cell. For engines/power trains, set a limit on horsepower. IndyCar could dyno seal the engines that pass with an RFID tag. Fuel cell size, battery size, fuel allotment per race, and/or energy limits pre race would need to be established. Maintain the current cost regulations. Avoid gimmicks like fan boost or Attack Mode. Limit the use of push-to-pass for passing only. Thanks for providing us fans a public forum.

Mark Troemel, Waukesha, WI

RM: I don’t know that R.P. will mess with qualifying since last year had everything NBC could have asked for and none of the full-timers were left out. There might be some tweaks down the road, but the Fast 9 is a good show, it just needs more money behind it. The next generation engine/chassis specs are already in motion, and why would you want to mess with what has been such a racy combination? Here’s NBC’s director for IndyCar Terry Linger on 360-degree cameras:

"Yes, focal length and keeping the lens clean are issues. Bandwidth is a bit of a problem too. The great upside is that you would never miss anything around the car in isolation. It’s coming. Been talked about since 360 first came out. I love the thinking. Send money. :)”

Q: I wanted to get your honest thoughts on the aeroscreen. The more I see of it, the less the look bothers me. I have the mindset that safety is what's most important, and if the drivers are behind it, I as a fan should be too, because they are the ones who put their butts on the line. I also believe that if the series follows through on getting the engines back over 900hp, a majority of fans will focus on that positive rather than what negative feelings they have on the aeroscreen and accept that things evolve.

Brian, Plainfield, IL

RM: They’re pretty fugly head-on but look like an IndyCar from the side, and like I’ve said, we’ll all get use to them and move on like people did in the '60s when the roadsters got phased out. As long as the competition stays healthy, the look may not matter.

Q: Last year I booked a hotel close to Iowa Speedway, literally a week prior to the IndyCar race, and there were loads of rooms available. Today I went to book rooms for next year and the place was already booked up, and hotels with openings were about $20 more per night. The seat selection also seemed more picked over than it did last year. Any word on them expecting an increase in attendance in 2020?

Justin E. Anoka, MI

RM: No, but I intend to send a note to Iowa Speedway and inquire. Thanks.

Q: Is it just me, or does the projected new F1 car look an awful lot like the preliminary drawings of a future IndyCar a number of years ago?

Tim B.

RM: That has been suggested by several people, and I think they also have an eye on IndyCar’s five-year plan.

Q: Hey Robin, thanks for answering my question last week and hope all is well in your world! My question this week revolves around the Haas F1 team. I cant help but think that Gene Haas is getting tired of being middle to rear of the F1 grid every week considering the amount of money he has to invest to be there. Could you see after the 2020 season a scenario where he gets out of F1 and transitions his F1 shop to IndyCar or IndyCar/IMSA? With Stewart in the picture, it seems to make sense to start a new team within IndyCar, and even perhaps an IMSA team to maybe help keep some of his NASCAR drivers around a little longer and add another incentive to driving for Stewart-Haas.

Matt Russell

RM: I’ve never met Gene Haas so I have no idea what makes him tick and what he likes in terms of motorsports. Just being a major part of F1 might be good enough for him with the results secondary, but he seems like a serious racer so just fielding a car at Indy with Smoke might whet his appetite. I still think Stew will field a car at Indy some day with a former or current USAC star.

"All I know is that every time I see a photo of Dale Coyne, he looks like he's having way more fun than I am." Image by Hone/LAT

Q: Does R.P. owning the series mean that Tim Cindric will run Team Penske now and when Penske passes? I believe Jay Penske is still doing Formula E, any chance this announcement has influence in him coming back to IndyCar full-time or for the 500?

Ryley W.

RM: I’m sure R.P. has provisions to keep things rolling along after he passes on and Greg Penske will likely be running the business while T.C. handles the racing side. But let’s not bury The Captain just yet, he’s the most robust and energetic 82-year-old on the planet and I predict he and A.J. will live to be 100.

Q: Well, 2019 certainly has been a very good year for Robin Miller – an enumeration follows:

1) You regained your health!

2) TV coverage of IndyCar launched on NBC, NBCSN and IndyCar Pass on NBC Sports Gold.

3) A very wonderful article about your career appeared in Sprint Car & Midget magazine.

4) Very appropriately you were awarded the "Robin Miler Award" for your decades of dedication in covering the Speedway, IndyCar and open-wheel racing (I would like to nominate Donald Davidson as the next recipient of the award).

5) IMS announced that the Dirt Track for the BC39 is now a permanent addition to the facility (now IMS needs to remove the defunct billboard/scoreboard carousel at the north end of the track ).

6) RACER.com announced a substantial increase in website traffic in regards to its IndyCar content.

7) The seismic event of Roger Penske's purchase of IMS, the IndyCar series and IMS Productions has to be one the best days of your life, and the lives of those of us who the Speedway in such high esteem.

I do have a question related to the SC&M article: what was the best thing about racing a midget and what was the worst? Thanks for all that you do for the fans of open-wheel racing; and here's to an even better 2020.

Mike Fox

RM: Thanks for all that Mike, I’m very lucky my cancer is treatable and not full of daily pain. The award that Mark Miles, Jay Frye, Steve Shunck, Mike Zizzo and Marshall schemed to get me was above and beyond anything I could imagine, and the fact A.J., Mario, Uncle Bobby and J.R. showed up made it perfect. The best thing about racing midgets was hot laps at Little Springfield or Terre Haute or Erie, Col. (when it was dirt) with a big cushion and that exhilarating feeling of being in and out of control. The worst? Brainfade, like piling into the wall at Kokomo Speedway in hot laps when I was going to start on the front row of a rained-out feature. Or towing all the way to Cedar Rapids, Ia. and never making a lap because the mag was out of time. But just going down the road with your car on an open-wheel trailer and anticipating the next track always made those long drives worth it. I was a very lucky boy to race in the mid-'70s when all the IndyCar drivers still ran midgets, and for all the great help I had (Bobby Grim, Tim Coffeen, Ricky Duman, Ronnie Shuman, Chris Cumberworth, Ray Kuelthau, Jerry Weeks, Marshall Sheper, Bubby Jones, Mark Alderson and Larry Rice) from 1975-1982. Wouldn’t trade those days for anything.

Q: I think it goes without saying that you have seen, witnessed, and possibly forgotten more racing history and events than the average fan will ever remember. What events are out there that you have not seen yet and would like to?

Michael in Brownsburg

RM: Just one. The Isle of Man. Biggest balls in all of motorsports. Not sure I’m man enough to stand there and watch because it scares the hell out of me on YouTube.

Q: While at the USGP last weekend and watching the Masters Historic ('70s and '80s Cosworth F1 cars) and Masters Endurance Legends races, it occurred to me that I hadn't heard of something similar being done with old CART cars. Is there any interest in a vintage CART series for support races at IndyCar events? I imagine that Tony George had no desire for anything even remotely reminding people of the CART/IndyCar split, but now that the Penske family is in charge, could the door open to something similar?  It would be great to see the old '80s and' 90s CART cars that I watched as a kid fired up in anger again.

Jason Smith, San Antonio, Texas

RM: Mike Lashnet and his Vintage Indy Registry series runs old CART cars at IMS and Gateway every year, and the Classic Racing Times guys have done the same thing at Pocono, Phoenix and Iowa. There’s a market, but the old roadsters still seem to carry the day – especially if they’re sporting a long-piped Offy.

Q: Somewhere Wilbur Shaw, Tony Hulman, Bill Vukovich Sr., Eddie Sachs, Jimmy Clark, Roger Ward, Bobby Marshman, Rex Mays, etc. are smiling and are happy with the news that the Speedway is in the hands of Roger Penske. I can only imagine what will happen. Here is a steward that will oversee the next phase of the Speedway after Project 100. Maybe build some backstretch suites, get a different pace car for the 500 besides the Chevrolet Corvette, lights for a night Brickyard 400 race ,and maybe a 24-hour sports car race, maybe convince Formula 1 to return, the big-name sponsors migrating back to the Speedway in droves, a much better fan experience, etc. I absolutely love it.  Best news since A.J. winning his fourth Indy 500 in 1977.  Sort of like finding that extra $50.00 bill in your coat pocket you forgot about.  R.P. owing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Priceless!

Greg (the best Indy Car fan in Maryland)

RM: Well you may have read the story I wrote where A.J., Parnelli and Uncle Bobby all gave The Captain’s purchase a big thumbs-up, so that convinces me those legends you referred to would all feel the same way. Lights would cost $20-25 million and you’d never get that investment back, so I just hope R.P. concentrates on title sponsor, increasing the purses and marketing IndyCar like it deserves.

Fine, we'll run another shot of Roger Penske. Image by LePage/LAT

Q: Hey Robin, I’m sure you get asked this all of the time, so if you have any standard answers that you just copy and paste in that’s fine with me! First the question. I’m wanting to go to the Indy 500 this year and I’ve never been. I’ll be going by myself (my wife just doesn’t get my love of IndyCar and racing) and I’m starting the planning phase. It’s a bit daunting and I have some questions on a few things. I’ll bullet point them out below.

RM: In one of the vistas in the corners, the higher the better

RM: Depends on whether you rent a car. If you want to see the sights then you can stay west of town for a pretty reasonable rate, and if you opt not to rent, downtown is perfect.

RM: Race day, I would take the bus from downtown. And if you’re only coming in for three days, take Uber, much more affordable.

RM: Don’t know about travel packages but you’re starting early enough you won’t need one. Go to Brickyard.com and see what’s available

RM: You’ll want to go to the museum, take a ride around the track and, what the hell, splurge for a ride in the two-seater and ask for Mario as your driver. Then eat breakfast at Charlie Brown’s with A.J., lunch at the Workingman’s Friend and dinner at Dawson’s.

Thank you for everything!

Jeff Barker