Robin Miller's Mailbag for January 29, 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: Four races before the two at IMS, and none of them are on the bigger NBC stage. St. Pete on NBC would bring excitement to more eyes to start the season, and the iconic Long Beach race would build the momentum a month later. Only one oval, albeit the oval, gets shown on NBC all season. Texas could be a great second helping, and in prime time no less. The ‘Indy’ in IndyCar screams oval track racing, yet most of what the masses see are road and street courses. Sports wagering. It’s legal in Indiana now. Any word on whether there will be win, place and show betting on the 500? Would IMS get a cut and, if so, that’s a potentially large recurring revenue stream that could fund a lot of initiatives. If you were to box a trifecta, who would you take?

Brian Balint, Mishawaka, IN

RM: The start of the IndyCar season is right in the thick of the PGA on NBC, and golf’s rankings (especially with Tiger back) dwarf any race except Daytona. The other four ovals are all night races, and NBC isn’t going to show an IndyCar race on prime time. And to be honest, the road and street courses are much better-attended than any oval except Gateway. Eight races on network is a nice bonus. Not sure what the gambling landscape will look like, but IMS and NBC are working on it. Andretti-Penske-ECR, but I’d box them.

Q: R.P. taking over IndyCar has had more people talking about bringing Ford in as an engine manufacturer. I realized this weekend that BMW already has a relationship with two IndyCar teams: RLL (GTLM) and Andretti (Formula E). Should there be more talk of BMW coming in as a manufacturer? Should someone from IndyCar be courting BMW at this point?

Dustin, Birmingham, AL

RM: I don’t think The Captain needs any advice or help on this subject, and I’m sure if there is any interest from BMW he will know about it. I’m pretty sure he’s fairly well-connected.

Q: Every year I hear about IndyCar wanting to expand its race season and am yet to hear a viable solution. Early or late season tracks are in super-high demand, and yet Sebring is ignored. I've worked as a race marshal at Sebring and at a number of other North American tracks, and I simply cannot find any reason why Sebring isn't on the schedule. Yes, the track is super-bumpy. Yes every bolt on an IndyCar is loosened. So why not grind it or pave it? If it's too expensive, just do two corners per year. You'll have a brilliant racetrack in three-to-five years. The WWII bombers and the winter frosts aren't factors, and nothing compares to a Green Park Saturday night with the massive crowds. So let's go. I don't understand the problem.

Jason, Toronto, ON

RM: As long as St. Pete opens the schedule a week before the 12 Hours of Sebring, there will never be an IndyCar race there. And the track needs work to accommodate IndyCar and, to be honest, why would Sebring spend a bunch of money when it draws a monster crowd for sports cars and still serves as a mainstay in testing for IndyCar?

If you want to see an IndyCar lapping at Sebring, you're going to have to hide in one of those trees during a test. Image by Arrow McLaren SP

Q: Was the 10/31/19 Toronto Star article on Hinch accurate? If so, and Hinch drives for any non-Arrow McLaren SP teams in 2020, does he forfeit his $500k salary?

Mike C., San Francisco, CA

RM: I didn’t see the story, but I know Hinch hasn’t spoken on the record about his contractual situation because he was advised by his lawyer not to discuss it. He had a contract with Arrow McLaren SP and they put him on the sidelines, so I would hope he gets some compensation, but who knows what that might be?

Q: Now that Hinch has a sponsor, but no team, it appears we will see him in some races this year. If I recall correctly, this SPM/McLaren contract dictated that we would be fully paid so long as he didn't join another team. If he did race with another team, he would get nothing. So my question is this: is it possible he's actually going to be earning less money by racing this year than by just waiting until next year?

Chris

RM: I don’t know where this information came from, but it wasn’t from Hinch so I’d say it’s all speculation about what he may or may not be entitled so if he drives for another team. But I do think that by Arrow McLaren SP not running him full-time will have financial ramifications related to PSAs (Personal Service Agreements) that will cost Hinch substantially. And maybe the deal with Honda of Canada would have even topped his retainer. Either way, he gets screwed.

Q: Looks like the 2020 starting grid is mostly complete, but haven't seen any information or heard any noise lately on Carlin. Are they going to be at St. Pete? Read some rumor a couple of months ago that they may sell their equipment and get out of IndyCar, but I thought the Carlin team said it would be at St. Pete and doing the full season. Would be disheartening if it closed up after two years. Do you see any last-minute announcements for any additional cars from teams for a full or partial season? Twenty-four full-timers if Carlin sticks around?

Rod, Fresno, CA

RM: From Marshall Pruett’s Silly Season update earlier this month: “Although there’s no indicator as to who will drive its pair of Chevy-powered entries, a team spokesperson confirmed those cars will be participating at the February 11-12 Spring Training event, and the full season afterwards. Everyone from Max Chilton to Formula 2 race winner Sergio Sette Camara to former Williams Formula 1 driver Sergey Sirotkin have been suggested as options for the team.” So it looks like 24 full-timers.

Q: It's been very quiet from Carlin this off-season. Do you expect them to be on the grid in 2020? Last we heard was Chilton and Sette Camera and someone for the ovals. Any news on Juncos?

Sean St. Louis, MO

PS: I talked to Kimball's spotter at Laguna and he said that Carlin would have a vet driving the non-Indy ovals for Chilton in 2020. Servia?

RM: Yes we expect Carlin, and Juncos reportedly made some strides in sponsorship last month and was hopeful of regaining his place on the grid rather than only two appearances like 2019. Oriol Servia would be a smart choice for the ovals for Carlin.

Q: Do you really think Charlie Kimball can find the two-tenths that Tony Kanaan couldn’t? No offense to Charlie, but he’s never been a front-runner and Tony has a lot more experience. Don’t get me wrong, I want A.J.’s team to run at the front, especially at Indy. Why has Tony been cast aside to a part-time role? Money?

Jim Doyle, Hoboken, NJ

RM: I guess we’ll find out, but Charlie has some chassis savvy, and with Mike Coliver and Mike Pawlowski heading up engineering it’s a fresh start and some fresh ideas. A.J. still thinks T.K. can be a factor on ovals (especially Indy), but Seb could really give them some direction on road and streets.

Q: Charlie Kimball has done very little in IndyCar for the past decade except get in the way. Sure he brings money, but other than showing up, what is achieved by either Kimball or Foyt in this paring of a mediocre driver with a consistently poor team?

Anthony Jenkins, Mono, ON

RM: Charlie did win at Mid-Ohio and always runs pretty well at Indianapolis, so I wouldn’t say he was in the way (although JPM and Willy P. might disagree), and he gives A.J. the ability to keep two cars in play.

Q: With the new sponsorship for the No. 4 car with Charlie Kimball and Novo Nordisk, what do you think the car livery will look like? Is there a chance we can get that late '80s black and red two-tone car again?

Larry

RM: Not sure, but we’ll likely find out next month at Spring Training when the paint scheme is unveiled at COTA.

Q: You mentioned that Sebastien Bourdais is likely, or at least a possibility, to drive the first four races of 2020 for Foyt. Is there any chance he drives in the 500 for Foyt or any other team? And the Indy GP? I come to Indy for the week of practice and qualifying every year. I will miss SeaBass if he's not on the pit lane.

Adam, North Carolina

RM: That’s Marshall scoop, and I imagine if they can have some success in those four races that A.J. would want to run Seb in a third car at Indianapolis.

Q: I started explaining racing to my son and sold him on Hinchcliffe, which didn’t take much as he instantly noted how great a speaker Hinch is. I showed him Hinch’s resume, which made it confusing to explain how a guy like him has no ride and others do. I told him it happens, and I tried explaining what happened to Bourdais with Coyne, and I realized I couldn’t. Can you help clarify the business arrangement he had with Dale Coyne, Jimmy Vasser and James Sullivan? Were Vasser and Sullivan cutting checks to Coyne for providing the hardware and support, and Coyne was cutting checks to Bourdais? Was Bourdais’ arrangement contingent on SealMaster? Or was his deal with Vasser-Sullivan and Vasser-Sullivan’s deal was contingent on SealMaster? Or, better said: Who employed who, and who fired who?

Dan W., Ft. Worth, TX

RM: I don’t know the details of the partnership, but I don’t buy that Seb’s salary was the breaking point. I think Alex Palou’s sponsor locked up No. 19 and Santino’s deal with Cly-Del, plus his resplendent rookie year, shoved Seb out of No.18. But Jimmy and Sully are both listed as co-owners for Ferrucci in 2020.

The only thing you can say for sure about the Bourdais/Coyne split is that it's a bummer. Image by Abbott/LAT

Q: I was wondering: with Pippa Mann's recent announcement that she has been unable to secure sponsorship for Indy, what does this mean for the Clauson-Marshall Racing team? Is there a chance they will compete at Indy with one of the veteran drivers that's without a ride, or even a short-tracker? They were a great story last year, and I'm hoping they are back for another try.

Gregg Rauscher, Port Colborne, ON

RM: I’ve tried emailing and calling Tim Clauson, but no response as yet. I imagine they would love to take Sunshine (Tyler Courtney) to the Speedway to carry on Bryan’s legacy and keep USAC in play at Indianapolis, but it’s all about money. Power Ball is big again so I’m buying $20 worth of tickets and if I hit, I’ll fund Courtney with Clauson-Marshall.

Q: In the new R.P. era of IndyCar our favorite series has two major problems for R.P. to solve. Increase manufacturer interest, and increase the fan base, particularly on TV/streaming.

The series has failed to bring in a third manufacturer, and Honda has even publicly said it would jump to NASCAR from IndyCar under the right spec deal. Yikes. We also have to note that manufacturers are quickly morphing their road vehicles to electric power away from ICE, and we see the increasing manufacturer push into Formula E as a result. Only problem with FE right now is that it is underpowered and boring racing. But it may be the future… eventually. I therefore think it is imperative for an IndyCar electric-powered support series to be planned by 2022 latest.

Perhaps IndyCar itself needs to transition through spec (inexpensive) hybrids, or encourage the use of inexpensive spec manufacturer engines such as used by the Aussie S5000 series. Decision time is in the next 6-12 months. I note IMSA has the same problem going forward, and I would encourage IMSA and IndyCar to talk about their engine future re crossover of manufacturers and an aligned spec, with IndyCar getting 100+ more HP and IMSA going for less HP but reliability.

Increasing the fan base is hard, as today’s racing product is already so entertaining that only another 100 HP would make it even more interesting on track. IndyCar needs to attract new younger fans/viewers. i.e. under 30 and those into the burgeoning business of eSports. Some kind of mutually beneficial linkage between and eSport series and IndyCar, with IndyCar drivers competing in a crossover eSport series with pure eSport young guns – perhaps with winners eventually getting a ride in an electric IndyCar support race? I am just one of those who for many decades has enjoyed motorsports, and wants IndyCar to survive and prosper for the next decade. We have got to make changes and be a leader as a series.

Ian Jardine, Charlotte, NC

RM: Roger Penske hasn’t officially been in charge of IMS or IndyCar for a month, so why don’t we give him a few months or maybe a year to sort out all of the pressing problems and address them, not to mention secure a third engine manufacturer? I don’t profess to know enough to predict the future of how auto racing as we know it will be powered in the future, but I imagine The Captain has some pretty good information at his disposal. As for your eSports suggestion, I sent your letter to Greg Penske and Bud Denker.

Q: I have some thoughts regarding Marshall Pruett's article "Time for a rethink in how IndyCar, IMSA approach hybridization."

As many of us fans are painfully aware, IndyCar has been using the same spec engine formula for nearly a decade now. In that decade, technology has dramatically changed. Unfortunately, the vision of IndyCar jumping in to use new technology has not. In many cases, the series has stagnated technologically. Cost is what always seems to be the issue. Then I ask: What was the point of IndyCar changing a key pillar of Jay Frye's original 2016 "Five Year Plan" – the debut of a new 2021 internal combustion engine (ICE) formula (which got delayed to 2022 in early 2019); to the hastily-announced 2022 hybrid regs in the summer of 2019? Wasn't that rapid departure supposed to be catering to what the manufacturers wanted? What about the cost?

Lastly, I ask Mr. Penske to help figure out what IndyCar wants. Does it forge ahead as a competitive racing series hamstrung to a budget? Or does the series dare to be bold and gradually bring back innovation? Since this is racing after all, there's a cost no matter what.

Rob Peterson, Rochester, NY

RM: I guess my response is that we’re going to have 24 full-time competitors this season and as many as 26-27 at some races (excluding Indy), with Honda and Chevy seemingly happy and Roger Penske stalking a third manufacturer. The racing has been excellent for the past few years and the crowds (at least road and street courses) have been good, so maybe I’m naive but the current five-year plan seems to be working. Sure, it could change in a heartbeat if one of the manufacturers bolts, but that’s always the case. And leased engines and spec cars are easily the most affordable way to go IndyCar racing today, and I just don’t see ever going back to the good old days of run what ya brung because there isn’t the interest or the money. And IndyCar has continued to discuss the future direction with potential OEMs. Like I said in an earlier response, let’s give R.P. a chance to shape the future, and I’ll bet he figures out the best engine formula to keep IndyCar relevant – even if it means staying the course for a few more years.

Q: Do you know if R.P. has plans to replace the bleacher-style seating in the Indy paddock with individual stadium-style seating with armrests, as was done in the Penthouse seats? This would dramatically improve the fan experience for those of us in the paddock. Thanks for providing this forum for IndyCar fans.

Ken, Geneva, IL

RM: I don’t know any of his plans, but I’m told he’s going to unveil them next month and I’ll be there won’t be a lot of muddy parking lots anymore, the restrooms will get modernized and I think he’ll listen to your fans about seating.

Don't stop at armrests – ask for cup holders and recliners, too. Image by LePage/LAT

Q: I’m daydreaming about the month of May, and thinking back to last year. Only one thing left me unsatisfied, and I thought you could pass a suggestion on to the powers that be. Why are the Fast 9 drivers only given a single run? Why not let them make multiple runs without pulling their times so they can keep bettering one another? That to me would add drama, which is the point of the Fast 9 to begin with.

The same is true for bumping. Give them a two-hour period and give them as many attempts as they can muster to keep bumping into the last row. The once out, all or nothing format just hung people out. It wasn’t dramatic, and without the McLaren/Fred story, it would have been a bust. 

On a side note, a number of years ago I recommended that the Mailbag be put out on Wednesday instead of Friday so it would come out before the race weekends began (and I also like to read it during the week when I should be working). Should I take credit for all of RACER’s success? I mean, we all come for the Mailbag and stay for the rest. Seriously though, the best part of the week is Wednesday.

Gary, Westfield, IN

RM: Before I forward your letter to R.P., let me give you my two cents. A driver hangs his ass out to make the Fast 9 for no money and then does it again on Sunday for a pittance. If the Fast 9 paid $3 million among nine drivers then maybe give everyone a second attempt, but the risk vs. reward factor isn’t worth it as it stands today. And the same for making the show. A third of the field makes $200,000, so other than the “prestige” of qualifying, it’s a financial loser, and to keep pounding around until you pound the wall makes no sense. It’s fine the way it is, and there was plenty of drama for NBC last year. As for your call to move the Mailbag to Wednesdays, send me your address because I will buy you a subscription to RACER for your foresight. Yes, Wednesday is a much better day, so thank you again.

Q: Just reading the Mailbag, and had a thought about the starts and how spread out it is now. It bothers me too, most years. Since R.P. is in the mood for some changes, how about before Carb Day practice starts, cars have to warm up anyway, they do a parade lap, a lap strung out, and then the formation lap up to where the green flag would fall, then send them back in to get ready for practice? It might help the race day alignment, and would offer some great pictures for those not attending the race.

Doug Skinner, Bloomington, IN

RM: Sounds too risky. What if you take out a couple rows on your practice start? I know we will likely never have those nose-to-tail starts of the '50s-'60s-'70s-'80s, but as long as they’re fairly close to each other the first lap still seems to have that rush.

Q: A questioner last week asked if the Milwaukee Mile is getting any support for racing.

The largest support comes from the State Fair Board, which operates the track. From their publicly available meeting notes (8/18/18), Chairman John Yingling stated: ”If we were to host a major race in the future, we would have to make some improvements to the track, and we’d have to pay back the PRB.” (Program Revenue Bond). Meaning the Fair Board supports major racing only they are in a Catch 22. They cannot bond money for the track without a race. This is where, as you suggested previously, Roger Penske comes in. His connections to NASCAR, IndyCar, and John Menard could bring people to the table to make major Mile races happen again.

The Mile is active. There was the ARCA race promoted by Bob Sargent last year. Sargent stated he is impressed by the facility with its soft walls, media center, and new grandstands – features few tracks he promotes have. The Mile has an active road course, Millers at the Mile, and street drags with car shows which are popular and profitable. The drag races and car shows are put on by fellow Wisconsin ARCA promoters Gregg McKarns and Chuck Deery. Millers at the Mile features vintage Miller IndyCars from the 1930s. John Mecum, CEO of Mecum Auctions, brings three cars. He lives just a few miles from the Mile, and could be tapped to support the Mile more. David Hobbs, a Milwaukee Honda dealer and former F1 racing announcer and racer, has been a diehard supporter of the Mile. Even though Hobbs lost money on a previous Mile promotion, when someone like R.P. comes calling, it could be surprising how much support there is for the Mile.

Bob Hunt, Lodi, WI

RM: Thanks for the update Bob, but it still seems like a real long-shot to get IndyCar back to The Mile because of all the previous struggles.

In 2004, CSI was the top-rating show on U.S. TV, Zuckerberg started Facebook, and Dario Franchitti - pictured here chasing down Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan – took his first IRL win at Milwaukee. Image by LAT.

Q: Have you heard anything from IndyCar, the drivers, or teams about what effect the new aeroscreen will have on the aerodynamics with regards to the racing? I have to imagine the airflow around and over the screen will be a fairly drastic change from before, so might it produce a bigger draft for trailing cars? Or make a more turbulent wake that might make passing more difficult?

Matt, Whitehall, PA

RM: No, I think we will probably wait until after practice and race day at Indianapolis before any determinations are made regarding your question.

Tom in Waco

RM: Thanks Tom, appreciate the info.

Q: First, I want to thank you and Marshall Pruett for all that you gentlemen do for IndyCar. There are definitely others doing great work, but you guys are the most consistent and thorough out there. F1 is set to release season two of Drive to Survive. There was also a documentary on the Williams team recently, and numerous other docs based on F1. Also a few from the sports car world to get through the lulls of the off-season. Does IndyCar have any plans to release something similar in near future? Mr. Penske has offered to help promoters through the use of IMS Productions; any rumors that their general content role for the series and IMS will be expanded as well?

Josh, Detroit, MI

RM: I don’t know; isn’t it driven by Netflix? It’s the same old question. Who pays for it? Sure it would be great to have an IndyCar-flavored documentary about a little guy like Mike Shank or Dale Coyne but there needs to be interest and money. I’ll ask IMSP.

Q: Robin, what would be the ideal on-track outcome for the maiden Xfinity road course race? Would it be a clean race with lots of passing, or a wreck-fest? I think it's the latter; the NASCAR audience isn't averse to wreckin' and the 400 doesn't lend itself to pileups that make TV highlights. The powers that be at IMS could never market the Xfinity race as "half these guys can't drive worth a hoot so come for the carnage!" but I think they wouldn't mind seeing just that. Thoughts?

John, Indianapolis

RM: The Xfinity races at Road America and Mid-Ohio have always been carnage because these drivers don’t road race, and I would imagine IMS holds the same fate. I don’t know if anyone will show up, but I do think the Cup race would be damn entertaining on the IMS road course because The Glen and Sonoma are two of their best races of the year.

Q: Besides the Indianapolis 500, when will we see women racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and IndyCar?

Chris Fiegler, Latham, NY

RM: Well, right now Hailie Deegan is on the fast track to NASCAR. Ford signed her to run ARCA in 2020 and the 18-year-old Californian will also be competing in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge for Mustangs. Natalie Decker is also well-regarded on the pavement, and Maria Cofer is making a name for herself on the dirt in sprint cars. So maybe one or all three make it some day?

Q: I have also asked myself why Haas is involved in F1. I have also wondered why is Tony Stewart not involved in IndyCar team ownership/co-ownership? Also, what's your personal opinion on removing the infield portion of the golf course and putting in more parking? Could it, should it?

Stephen Thompson, Indy

RM: I think Stew has plenty on his plate, but he’ll field a car at Indy some day. I hope they leave the golf course alone.

Q: You have written multiple times that Fontana might succeed if it was a night race in October. Your reasoning for this is high temperatures at the previous race at Fontana. Has IndyCar or Fontana entertained the idea of starting the season there? The temperatures would be nice, and it could help IndyCar with its goal of starting the season earlier. I think IndyCar would be smart to start earlier and on an oval. Hell, I watch the first few NASCAR races before IndyCar starts because I am itching to see any type of racing.

Clay Williams

RM: Fontana hosts NASCAR every year in March and doesn’t want two races in that timeframe. IndyCar tried returning to Phoenix 2016-2018 and that was a bust, so there really is nowhere to go early on an oval.

Q: I get my fix for my "racer" disease with your column, it is the best. Just wish it was more often. And of course of your NBC/SN coverage and grid walks are awesome. Most others don't have a clue. I raced Formula Fords and a 5000 car (ex D. Ongais) chasing my dream of the 500, but soon realized a fireman's paycheck would not continue to fund such an endeavor and wisely retired. I returned to my high school roots when some old buddies got me back into drag racing. A long story short, I then became involved in Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars for about 13 years.

John Andretti? Your answer last week that he won in IndyCar, NASCAR & USAC needs an addendum. He also raced a Top Fuel dragster for retired baseball all-star Jack Clark (Taco Bell car) and won some rounds – specifically at the 1993 Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway. He ran his career-best speed (299 mph) that day, and eliminated Top Fuel champion Joe Amato in the first round. In the quarter-finals, he beat Tommy Johnson Jr. (Mopar Express Lube car), of which I was a crewman for Tommy and witnessed it on the starting line. You would have thought John was a seasoned veteran to the sport. Be it driving, interviews or interaction with other teams/crews, he was a pro. John lost the following round to veteran driver and broadcaster Mike Dunn. John, we are pulling for you buddy! Always willing to help out a co-'ol timer and Ball State dropout in the event you weren't aware. IndyCar, let's roll 2020!

Bill Allen, San Clemente, CA

RM: Thanks for that info on John. I’d forgotten about his very successful NHRA debut that got him all the way to the semis. And thanks for reading the Mailbag.

John Andretti contemplates the view from the cockpit of Jack Clark's Taco Bell Top Fuel dragster at Atlanta in 1993. Image courtesy NHRA

Q: Though I would love to see it come to fruition, I think an IndyCar-NASCAR double-header is a lose-lose for NASCAR. If an oval is chosen as our double-header destination, even with NASCAR's attendance down overall at circuits, it still is presumably better for them then it is for IndyCar, so the only real boost to a full house would be to our open-wheel buds if, say, Texas is chosen since NASCAR already draws there, as an example.

If we go to a road course, save for possibly Watkins Glen, the significant speed difference would leave people with the sense of how slow those lumbering stock cars are compared to them rockets in IndyCar, thus hurting the perception of NASCAR's racing. Without a doubt, a combined weekend would create buzz for you in the media and of course us racing fans, but in the end NASCAR may not get as much out of it as IndyCar will, which is why they would be a loser if it ever did happen. Thoughts?

Pat Jenkins, Columbus, OH

RM: The idea of a double-header is to pick a track that might be struggling for both series and see if combining them would boost attendance. A Saturday night/Sunday afternoon on an oval would seem to be the preferred program, and since NBC likes the idea then it needs to be something in July after FOX is done with NASCAR. A place like Richmond might be ideal. But with both series needing to improve attendance at ovals, why not give it a try?

Q: I've been going to IndyCar races for a few decades. I've seen them at five different tracks. I would like to see IndyCar upgrade its on-track fan experience in a couple of ways. Getting into some tracks has required hours of sitting in traffic. Last year my son and I sat at dinner on Saturday night trying to figure out how early we needed to start to Road America to beat the rush. An app with more local flavoring like this would help. That app could also update fans on weather delays, too. On the topic of traffic, for years I avoided Indy due to its reputation for traffic. I've had great experiences there on sponsor buses. Could IndyCar work with the hotels to get more fans in and out on buses to improve traffic?

Finally, how about a buyer's guide for tickets and races? When choosing which race to go to last year, it would have been great to know that the lines for driver autographs such as Newgarden and Herta were one person at Road America compared to Indy, where it is hundreds. Describing what is available and different at each race would help people choose different experiences.

John, Tewksbury, NJ

RM: Good suggestion John, but this information already exists with many tracks. Here’s what I got from Steve Bidlack, who handles the public relations for Savoree-Green at St. Pete, Toronto, Mid-Ohio and Portland:

Q: I’ve read about and watched that 2002 Indianapolis 500 finish, and I honestly think that Paul Tracy won that race over Helio Castroneves. However the Indy Racing League at the time said no. Tony George said that it wasn’t the case. Was it the correct call, or was it a screw job because Tracy was with Team Green (a CART team during the split series era?).

Phillip Schmitz

RM: Screw job. I was working at ESPN and they had the tape that showed the light was green when PT took the lead, and Sam Hornish even said “Tracy just won” on his radio. Barry Green spent a lot of money in proving his case, but was finally told that he couldn’t appeal the chief steward’s decision. Green said he should have taken it to a higher court.

Q: As you've stated, Tulsa is already one of IndyCar's best TV markets, therefore it makes a lot of sense to leverage that interest by marketing the series there during the Chili Bowl. I hope the new marketing regime will have the patience for a little history lesson, because it backs up the idea that having a presence there could do a lot for the event in nearby St. Louis. In the '60s, when Dick Colvin was the promoter, the Tulsa Fairgrounds hosted the highest-attended weekly racing show in the U.S. For several years between 8,500 and 10,000 people showed up every Saturday night at the 3/8 mile oval. Sadly no longer there, it was nirvana for fans of controlled drift dirt racing.

In addition to the weekly programs, special events also drew large crowds: USAC sprints and during the State Fair, IMCA sprint and stock car events. (I still remember the spectacular sights and sounds of Ernie Derr's Hemi Dodge on that almost round oval... but I digress.) It isn't just the fact that the Chili Bowl packs them in now, there is a long history of major support there for racing of all types. I would also point out that the connection between Tulsa and St. Louis is longstanding, as many people from Oklahoma made the trek regularly to support the Cardinals since for decades the Tulsa Oilers were St Louis's AAA farm club. A show car and perhaps some of the growing list of IndyCar drivers who are racing there each year could do wonders for the series. A built-in (almost captive) audience... where else would it be that easy to get great advertising?

Steve C., Ithaca, NY

RM: IndyCar’s presence at the Chili Bowl was thanks to WWTR’s Chris Blair and David Byrd. Blair put up the signs advertising the IndyCar race in August and Byrd got Conor Daly, Santino Ferrucci and James Davison rides. I think IndyCar still needs a booth with driver autographs and free hats all week. Tulsa is an open-wheel town and IndyCar needs to embrace it.

Q: Hey Miller, some guy on the RACER.com forum was giving you grief for calling out IndyCar to support the Chili Bowl and then not going to the races or writing anything about Daly, Ferrucci and Davison. What gives?

Arthur K., Oklahoma City

RM: Well, I haven’t gone to the Chili Bowl the past three years since I got cancer because I can’t walk all those miles anymore, and I have no immune system so I always get a terrible case of the “Chili Bowl flu.” But I’ve bought the RacinBoys streaming service the past three years and covered each night from my home computer, and it works out fine. I wrote a story before the races started about the IndyCar guys and I mentioned how those three fared after Saturday, but didn’t write a feature and I probably should have because they all had a story to tell. Conor was kinda dejected because he’d run so good in Arizona in December, while Santino and Davison were fired up to try more dirt races. They showed the kind of moxie that race fans love, and I think they want to run the BC39 in July if David Byrd can pull it off.

Even by The Split's standards, Indy 2002 was a low point. Image by LAT

Q: I just watched five races from the Chili Bowl on YouTube. It's easy to understand why you like it so much. Super-good racing, and their throttle is stuck open. As for Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, I can only say they were visibly the smoothest dirt drivers I have seen.

One question, though: Is tire management a big deal in midgets? As an example, Bell had everyone covered for the whole week and looked like he was going to walk away with the Saturday A-main. About two-thirds distance, it seemed like he had a different car as Larson passed and easily (sorta) drew away. Were Bell's tires done? The track was pretty shiny and the cushion was all but gone, so was this the case? Anyway, loved the film of the races, and look forward to the next one.

Asvensk Dude

RM: Larson used traffic to get the lead and keep it, and both he and Bell had to call on their skill set to negotiate that top shelf that was violent. But tires weren’t a factor unless you got a flat. Those two guys are very special.