Robin Miller's Mailbag for March 11, 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: Good morning from Miami. Our local leaders are cancelling all manner of public events scheduled for this month such as the Ultra Music Festival and the Calle Ocho street party. What is the word regarding this weekend's season opener at Saint Pete?

Neil Rubin, Miami Beach

RM: Here’s the story I wrote on Monday night and everything is go for the IndyCar season opener as of Wednesday.

Q: Any word on race postponements due to coronavirus?

Mike, Sacramento

RM: Nothing new beyond the ones in F1, MotoGP and Formula E that had already been reported.

Q: Your recent article IndyCar's on the cusp of a golden era was spot-on. The only things that should be added is half of the races are on network NBC, including most of the best, picturesque road courses, and all ovals except Indy are under the lights on a Saturday night. IMS and the IndyCar Series are in the hands of the group best suited to carry the Greatest Spectacle in Racing and the sport into the future. More owners and new blood are looking to get into the series, even if it is for only a partial schedule until full time money is found. Now, if only we can get one or two more venues on the schedule... Can't wait for St. Pete to get the season started.

Mike Hickman, Beech Grove, IN

RM: Having the IMS road course, Mid-Ohio, Road America and Laguna Seca on NBC is pretty damn impressive, as are eight network shows total because IndyCar’s ratings aren’t exactly stellar. I think the goal is 20 good races, and R.P. is the man to find them. Thanks for your optimism.

Q: It's finally racing weekend again, so here’s some questions. Will we finally see a sub 1-minute lap at St. Petersburg this weekend? Jordan King missed it by 0.0477s two years ago. After Tony Kanaan passes 16 cars through Turns 1 and 2 on the outside after a mid-race restart at Indy, will you have paid off all of your gambling debts by getting that prop bet right so you can retire and write that book we are waiting for? Who do we, your Mailbag faithful, need to write to at NBC or whomever to guarantee that you get TV time during this year's Indy 500 race?

Frank, Minneapolis

RM: With the aeroscreen adding approximately 70 pounds, can’t forsee a track record anywhere this season. Hopefully T.K. won’t have to pass that many cars and he’ll be running up front, but that would be a good prop bet. We’ll know more about Indy gambling as we get into April, but there should be a lot of prop bets and I hope I get to help make them. As for NBC, they treat me very well and I’ll get plenty of airtime in May, but thanks for your offer.

Aeroscreen: great for safety, maybe less so for lap records. Image by Abbott/LAT

Q: I was terribly disappointed by the comments about Janet Guthrie in last week’s Mailbag. If the IMS Hall of Fame was intended solely to honor drivers who had enjoyed tremendous success at IMS, then perhaps they might have been merited. But in its own words, the IMS HOF was “established to perpetuate the names and memories of prominent personalities for their outstanding contributions to the sport of racing and to the development of the entire automotive industry.”

Guthrie more than meets these criteria. As you know, until the early 1970s, women were not permitted to enter the garage and pit areas at the Speedway -- even if they owned a car competing in the race. A woman driver? Well, that was unthinkable – offensive, even. Guthrie’s entree into that hostile arena required tremendous strength and courage.

Moreover, without Guthrie it might never have occurred to women like Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick, Simona di Silvestro, Ana Beatriz, Pippa Mann, and others to strap into a race car. Maybe some people don’t see this as an “outstanding contribution to racing.” But I sure do. My dad brought me to IMS for the first time in 1977 to watch practice. I had just turned five. I have a vivid memory of watching Janet Guthrie climb into her car, but I don’t remember anything else about that day. Janet inspired me, as she has millions of other women around the world. Maybe that doesn’t matter. But it should. Thanks for reading.

Kate Shoup

RM: Thanks for writing, Kate. I guess my objection is that any HOF should honor greatness or achievement and not simply participation. Yes, Janet was a pioneer and a brave lady with the odds stacked against her in an era that didn’t embrace the idea of women in racing. That’s why a statue in the museum would seem to be more appropriate. But she’s not a HOF race driver. I’m glad she got you interested in racing and you’re still a fan.

Q: I appreciated the question and answer about Janet Guthrie in the Hall of Fame, and took a look at the inductees, and it is pretty interesting for a long-time fan like me. But I was shocked that neither Gary Bettenhausen nor especially Jim Hurtubise are not in. Both contributed a ton to the history and tradition at the Speedway, and I cannot help but think their lack of admission is a Hulman-George Family grudge because they were both outspoken about management from time to time. The new management should make sure both are in next year’s inductees. Your thoughts, as you know or knew these racers well?

Andy, Las Vegas

RM: Herk stands out to me as the most blatant oversight, along with Paul Newman and Carl Haas, but his protest in 1978 shouldn’t keep him out of the HOF. My God, he was the most popular driver for a decade and sold a lot of tickets with his daring-do in the Novi. As for Newman/Haas, yes they were loyal to CART and Champ Car to the core and critical of TG during The Split, but also staunch supporters of the Indy 500. Gary B. never made any trouble and was an inspiration after his injury – especially his charge from 32nd to third in 1980. But I know R.P. is a student of history and wants to go over a list of deserving people who have been snubbed, so I have good feeling about these guys.

Q: I can't say I agree with you about Janet Guthrie. Maybe watch the documentary they made about her or read her autobiography – which she wrote herself, unlike a lot of guys. In my opinion, she ranks much higher than Danica, who was a marketing phenomenon. I was at the 500 she claimed she "almost won." Yes, Rahal left her out under caution, so she was the first woman who led a lap. But she didn't have anything for a dozen or so guys behind her, as a few laps quickly proved. She won one race on fuel mileage. Helio was the only driver on the same strategy. Big deal. She beat one car.

I was at Phoenix in 2001 (I think) when Sarah Fisher claimed she "steadily worked her way" up to wherever she finished. Didn't pass a car all day. Janet was not a bragger, and she had a good record in sports cars. What she didn't have in IndyCar or NASCAR was good equipment. You're making equipment excuses for Alonso, who got the star treatment. But you're ignoring what Guthrie had to go through. Read the freaking book. And watch the documentary.

Clyde Holler

RM: I don’t need to watch the documentary, I was covering IndyCar when Janet came along, and you are sorely mistaken about Sarah and Danica. The first time she drove an IndyCar at Texas, Fisher passed Billy Boat and Buddy Lazier on the outside in practice and she ran a legit second to Sam Hornish at Homestead. She was the first female racer in IndyCar to mix it up with the boys, and she never drove top-line equipment. Patrick always qualified good at Indy and her third place in 2009 was far superior to 2005 race. Her duel with Tony Kanaan for second place at Homestead was as fierce as it gets – as was her battle with Hornish and Ryan Briscoe at Texas. And Simona de Silvestro could have won a road course or street race had she ever been with a top-tier team. Guthrie had guts and the ability to go fast at Indy by herself, but don’t lump her in the racer category with those other three ladies.

Q: What was behind Carlin's last-minute call-up of Felipe Nasr to test at Sebring? Should we read anything into it, or was it simply a matter of needing a hot shoe to test the car? Hands down, Whelen Engineering has the most talented driver pair in IMSA. Nice to see Nasr to continue to test for Carlin and Derani for Mahindra in Formula E.

Jonathan and Cleide Morris, Ventura, CA

RM: Maybe the scheduled driver didn’t come up with the money and Trevor Carlin was smart enough to call Nasr, who drove for him previously. I just hope they stay together for 2020. [ED: Shortly after Robin filed this week’s Mailbag, Nasr was confirmed for St. Pete with Carlin].

Q: What drivers are making their IndyCar Series debut Sunday at St. Petersburg and will have a shot for rookie of the year for 2020?

Chris Fiegler, Latham, NY

RM: Oliver Askew, Rinus Veekay, Alex Palou and Felipe Nasr.

The Guthrie thread has reopened the debate into whether someone's contributions to the sport should be measured by results alone. Image by IMS

Q: Is it safe to say that this will be the last year that Helio Castroneves will run Indy, at least with Penske? How much longer is his contract with Penske, and do you see a scenario where he doesn’t renew it and goes somewhere else so he can run Indy again? How important is Gil de Ferran’s influence in the McLaren program? He was one of the most cerebral drivers that I’ve ever seen, and I feel like they should listen to him all the time because the man knows his stuff!

Leo Hilzendeger

RM: I imagine this is it unless he wins No.4, then everything changes. But with Scott McLaughlin waiting in the wings, it appears HCN will be sports cars only for The Captain after 2020. Would he drive for someone else at Indy? Not likely. As you stated, Gil was a very smart racer, so hopefully he’ll pass that knowledge to his rookies.

Q: With St. Pete looming, just wanted to say how happy I am to see Bourdais back in an IndyCar and especially with Foyt. At last year’s St. Pete autograph session, time ran out with lots of fans still in line. Most of the drivers quickly disappeared, but a couple left the tables and brought the remaining photos/cards out to the disappointed fans. One of those drivers was four-time champion Sebastien Bourdais. Classy. Do you expect good things from him with A.J.? Looking forward to a great season!

Brian in Florida

RM: I’ve been telling A.J. for the past two months he is going to love the French Fry because they’re so much alike as drivers – technically sharp, focused, driven, bad-asses that don’t tolerate anything but performance. I think with engineers Mike Colliver and Mike Pawlowski that Seb is going to put No. 14 back on the sharp edge of the grid in his four races. And I hope they find the money to run him at Indy as well.

Q: I'm assuming when Penske purchased IMS and the IndyCar Series it was a package deal with no option of splitting the two. I was wondering if Penske had the option of buying only IMS and not the series, would he

have done so? If so, is it possible that he may eventually sell the series, or are they just too intertwined to make that practical?

Jack

RM: I don’t know the specifics, but I can promise you that IMS wasn’t going to be sold unless the buyer took the series.

Q: I thought of the perfect scheme to put emphasis on Indianapolis, and it would be if someone can come in and win both the Indianapolis GP and Indianapolis 500 pay them an additional $100,000 bonus via a bounty-type challenge.

Matthew, Jackson, Ohio

RM: Not sure that’s enough money to merit a bounty. Maybe a million. But even with a bounty, it’s tough to get people fired up about a road race at IMS – although I’m hoping Alonso will draw some extra bodies. The bottom line is that it’s great the road race is on NBC, but people to IMS for the oval and the speed and the passes.

Q: It is great in general for IndyCar that Alonso is returning; however, do you take notice of how he treats fans? No autographs, no photos, no interaction… just run and hide? My 90-year-old mother in a wheelchair and I tried for three days last year just to get five seconds of his time for a photo and he openly snubbed us. Not just us, everyone else for that matter, including kids. This was during practice week and his car was in the shop for repairs. It’s not like he had to focus on driving. Never in my 52 years of coming to Indianapolis have I ever encountered a personality this unappreciative of the fans. It turned me from a fan to a “stay home Fred” guy…

Equally sickening was how TV announcers portrayed him on TV as “fan friendly” for signing a Kimoa hat after failing to quality. What a farce… Fred does know when the cameras are on.

I even had the opportunity to talk with Zak Brown about this. All he could do was shrug his shoulders and mutter something like “that’s just Fernando.” I think he needs education. Would you or R.P. find the opportunity to remind Fred that fans are what make Indy so special? And that if he could devote just 1% of his time to fans – say 10 minutes of his day each day at the track – that this goodwill would go a long way to fans providing enthusiastic support for him. Karma’s a bitch… or your best friend.

Dennis Watson, Loda, IL

RM: I’m truly stunned to hear your story, because I’ve observed Alonso signing and posing for photos for 20 minutes back in Gasoline Alley and also walking the pit lane and signing autographs. I get that he might have been a bit standoffish last May, and I’m sorry he snubbed your mom because you only get once chance to make an impression. I doubt there’s much we can do except point him towards eager kids or people in wheelchairs if the opportunity presents itself.

Q: Your piece on "Fred" made my blood boil. As an old-timer that witnessed the European Invasion of the '60s, I feel that any fan, and I mean any fan that thinks the Indy 500 is better off without a driver of Alonso's talent should be escorted off the Speedway grounds immediately. I don't have to root for Fred, but I'm glad he wants to be here. I met Nigel Mansell at Union Station one year after the Indy 500 and thanked him for coming to race with us. That's how I feel about foreign drivers in the 500, and anyone who doesn't welcome them and the international attention that they bring to the show is, in my humble opinion, not much of a fan. Rant over.

Jim Mulcare, Westbury, NY

RM: I didn’t hear too many anti-Fred sentiments, but he received a great ovation after dropping out in 2017 and I think most die-hard fans appreciate the fact he likes Indy and keeps coming back.

Apparently these fans had a little more luck than one of the Mailbag readers did. Image by IndyCar

Q: I don’t buy it that Fred picked McLaren over Andretti due to loyalty. That is a farce! Fred wants to win the race, and AA’s cars will be better and have more experienced teammates to bounce set-ups off of. So, Honda said no, period.

I don’t think Michael will leave Honda for two reasons: He doesn’t want the same manufacturer as R.P. Even though Ganassi is Honda, Michael really is its face in IndyCar. Thoughts?

Dan, Lima, Ohio

RM: I wrote last week that no matter what everyone says, Honda of Japan is why Alonso didn’t end up with Michael, and that subject is over forever as far as I’m concerned. Michael signed a multi-year extension with Honda last summer so he’s not going anywhere. And then Chip will either become the Toyota, Hyundai or Ford factory team by 2022.

Q: Just wanted to say that I'm already seeing the influence of Roger Penske on the Indianapolis 500. I live in Fort Wayne, IN. (about 120 miles north of Indy) and I've suddenly started seeing commercials for Indy and the NTT IndyCar Series on TV. Haven't seen those around here in a long time, so kudos to R.P. and let's hope that the ad campaign brings more to "The Show"! I'm planning on taking my new wife to the time trials this year (she's never been before).

Barry from Fort Wayne

RM: Actually those ads were in the pipeline before R.P. took over, and they’re running in cities that host IndyCar races in addition to having a massive campaign in Indiana. I think Matt Damon’s voice should attract more female fans (smile) but glad you’re taking your wife to qualifying.

Q: I noted the RACER article saying that expanded IndyCar grids are proving a problem for some venues with smaller pit lanes. Toronto, with its narrow, winding pit lane is one of these. I'm from near Toronto and have attended almost all of the 34 races held there. There have been condo and hotel developments on the Exhibition Place site. Did they cause the pit lane to be relocated from its previous location? Is the 'new' pit lane wisely sited, and can you see it being able to accommodate more cars?

And generally, regarding Toronto, what has happened? There are fewer grandstands in fewer locations and less of a 'buzz' in the city over the race. And for all Hinch's (he's from nearby Oakville) glib media friendliness, he hasn't captured local's imaginations like the brashness and speed of Paul Tracy did. Does Toronto have a long-term future in the series?

Anthony Jenkins, Toronto-ish

RM: The construction in and around Exhibition Place the past 15 years has neutered the track layout, as well as the pits and grandstands. Molson made “the Indy”, as the cabbies called it, a major attraction, and it was no exaggeration to say 70,000 showed up in CART’s heydays. And Hinch is popular but P.T.’s brashness and propensity to win it or wear it endeared him to a lot of people. Toronto is the third longest-running race and Canadians have always been loyal supporters of IndyCar, but I always wonder how much longer can it last since the crowds are a fraction of the old days. But I imagine as long as Honda is the title sponsor it can survive, although I’d love to see Mosport added to the schedule. Or Montreal. Or both.

Q: I read Marshall's article on the topic of the possibility of pit box shortages at some events. A great problem to have. While bumping somewhere other than Indy might be great drama for the fans, it is probably bad for the smaller teams and by extension, the series.

If enough space cannot be made, do you think the following would be a workable solution? Qualifying is configured as if there would be bumping, but instead of any car/team being sent home, the slowest x (however many in excess of the pit stalls available) cars from multi-car teams still make the show, but have to share a pit box with their team car(s). I say multi-car teams because it would guarantee each team at least once pit stall no matter where they qualify.

Beyond that, if you are not fast enough to earn one stall per car, at least you still make the show – admittedly with a high probability of compromised pit strategies, since you cannot pit all your cars on the same lap when they must share a stall, which would be the added penalty for not being fast in qualifying.

Joe in Philadelphia

RM: This isn’t the time to send anyone home and Jay Frye assures us that IndyCar will accommodate all its entries, so I don’t anticipate any scenarios like you’ve laid out. But pretty tough to share a pit box, though.

Q: I was reading RACER.com and came across an article written about the SRO GT World Challenge. The very first sentence in the article reads, “SRO Group has confirmed comprehensive TV and online broadcast agreements that will enable fans across the globe to follow the GT World Challenge Powered by AWS.” No money or subscriptions required to watch the full season of SRO GT racing. So what is IndyCar’s problem with providing comprehensive multi-service media to cover the full IndyCar season? SRO GT World Challenge is only two years old, and I can see every race during their race season.

I’m suddenly of the opinion that IndyCar either really doesn’t care about the viewing public, or they are not working hard enough to find alternate broadcasting venues for their dedicated fans in Canada, Australia, and any other third world nations like us. What gives? I did not watch IndyCar last year because I refuse to pay a couple hundred dollars to do so. I can spend the summer at Mosport with that money. I went to/watched sports car racing instead.

I’m wondering if the increase in popularity of sports car racing recently has anything to do with IndyCar viewers making the move to sports cars as I have. I’m certainly glad to hear about the increase in coverage, but it’s still not the whole season that we older folk remember having for so many years. I’ll be watching the Indy 500 as I always do, but after that, I can’t make any guarantees. It sucks to watch a TV series with an advancing plot line when some episodes are missing. Toronto without the Mayor? I suddenly don’t have the same motivation to attend the race. Best of health to you and thank you Robin.

Darren, Canada

RM: I read that CBS Sports Network is televising SRO GT Racing again, but there’s no difference in that than NBCSN airing nine of the 17 IndyCar races – they’re both cable and both require subscriptions. The big difference is that NBC has eight races on network and also promotes the hell out of IndyCar on both outlets. Paying to watch your favorite sport is the way of the world nowadays, and IndyCar’s Stephen Starks worked hard to improve the Canadian and Australian TV packages for 2020.

Q: I think is time to have an IndyCar race in Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez now that Pato is in a competitive seat. Do you agree? Try to pitch to it Mr. Penske.

Guillermo Calvillo, Winter Haven, FL

RM: I think if Arrow McLaren SP makes some strides and Pato becomes the force we all think he can be, a race in Mexico City makes sense. I know Mark Miles met with Mexico a couple years ago, but that was before O’Ward’s emergence, so we’ll see.

O'Ward's status as Arrow McLaren SP's de facto leader doesn't seem to weigh on him, so having the entire weight of a Mexican race on his shoulders probably wouldn't bother him either. Image by Cantrell/LAT

Q: One very happy Australian now that we have live coverage of all races in 2020, rather than the highlights package + live Indy 500 coverage from last year. Best news I've had in weeks! Don't know if Roger made a call or what, but it's tremendous news. Can you pass on thanks to the right people? Whoever is responsible should know that they've made a lot of Aussies happy – and with reigning Supercar champ Scott McLaughlin earmarked for at least one race this year (and hopefully many more to come) the series is going to be exposed to new eyeballs like it hasn't been since the last race down here. On that note, it's almost criminal that Will Power isn't a superstar down here. Hope the long winter is treating you well - see you at Road America and Richmond.

Andrew K.

RM: That would be Stephen Starks and I don’t think I can emphasize how difficult it is to negotiate television rights with foreign countries and all the hoops you have to jump through. But he worked hard to get you Aussies back in the game and ditto for Canada. I’ll pass along your kudos.

Q: In last week's Mailbag, you bemoaned your DirecTV subscription cost. You might want to check out YouYube TV. For $50/month plus whatever taxes apply in your area, you'll get, I believe, all the channels you listed. The only equipment you need to get it is a streaming box like Roku. It is likely that your existing internet service will work fine. I have no relationship with YouTube TV or Roku. I'm just tired of getting screwed by cable and satellite companies and am happy that there are alternatives. BTW - I use Sling, but with the channels you listed, YouTube TV is a better choice for you, IMHO.

David, Waxhaw, NC

RM: Thanks for the tip, David. I wasn’t really complaining as much as I was pointing out we all have to pay for television nowadays.

Q: I am 81 years old. My father and his brothers were big race fans. When I was six years old, they took me and a cousin to a midget race at the Yellow Jacket Speedway in Philadelphia. Many East Coast dirt track races followed. The Indy race in 1951 was the first of many. I saw races under AAA, USAC and IRL. Missed CART years. Missed many years of attending races due to cost of sending two children through college. After resuming attending races when extra money was available, sickness had me giving away Pocono tickets and Atlantic City three-quarter Midget tickets.

With two years of remission, attending again is possible, but my beloved wife is overly concerned about me traveling. TV satisfies the addiction. Indianapolis was the only paved track for many years. The rest of the schedule was dirt. Love ovals and dirt. So many happy stories to tell. Today it is trending once again for the Indy 500 to be the token oval with street and road course racing being the rest of the schedule. Am I one of an endangered species who likes ovals?

Lew from New Jersey

RM: No but you might be one of the few willing to travel and pay to go to an oval nowadays. Excluding Indy, attendance at ovals (except Gateway) continues to drop, and I don’t know why. Ovals are Indy’s heritage and still some of the most exciting racing you will see, but for some reason it’s lost its luster with the general public. Street and road courses offer more bang for the buck with all the support races and nonstop action, so that always hurt Pocono and people no longer drive for a couple hours, sit in a bleacher seat for a few years and just wait on one race. Gateway tries to emulate that street/road course experience and so far it’s working.

Q: Last week you showed a photo of Tom Sneva with a Skoal Bandit Racing sticker on symbol on his helmet, and that had me scratching my head. I don't recall him with that sponsor, and instead better recall one of my all-time favorite drivers with that sponsor in both F1 & CART. That would be Teo Fabi. He ran in 1983 for Skoal Bandit Racing in CART and I thought he was an under-appreciated driver over the course of his career, but I just don't recall Sneva and Skoal Bandit. What can you teach me my friend? I love green cars!

Mark McKinley, Floyds Knobs, IN

RM: The Gas Man drove The Skoal Bandit for Dan Gurney and Mike Curb 1985-87 before getting fired (and subsequently suing Curb) and replaced by John Andretti.

Q: Regarding the Dan Wheldon win in 2011 where JR Hildebrand crashed on the final turn in the. If JR would have crossed the line first, would he have still been declared the winner? Because don’t all cars that win go through post-race inspections to make sure they won fair and square?  Was/is anything in the rule book about such a scenario taking place?

John Cole

RM: If he made to the start/finish line first he wins, and there is a provision in the IndyCar rulebook for post-race inspection that gives tech discretion with regards to cars involved in contact during an event.

Q: Just wanted to say thank you for the weekly Mailbag. I look forward to it every week. I don’t write in that often, but I don’t miss a Mailbag ever. Thank you for always sincere and honest comments, for being a person that can be trusted when talking someone off a ledge, for terrific stories, especially from the past.  I enjoy those so very much. Thank you for your love of IndyCar and the Indy 500, and for your efforts to provide all the above and more for us die-hard fans. Oh, and thank you for keeping politics, either side, out of the Mailbag. I am worn out on that crap.

Now to my question. I was visiting some dear old family friends recently while in Columbia, SC. They were stationed on Okinawa with my parents and I, way back in the late '60s/early '70s. They shared a photograph they took when they were able to visit the Speedway back in the day, of Johnny Carson sitting in a car at Indianapolis. It was the No. 40 STP car, and he was wearing a helmet. You have any memory or backstory on that? I knew Carson liked to talk about the 500 with James Garner when he was on The Tonight Show, and I got to visit with “Rockford” a few times when he came down to the museum basement – he was a huge fan – but I didn’t remember Carson getting in a car.

Aaron Carrico

RM: First off, thanks for all the kind words, where do I send my check? As for Carson and the Turbine, that was all the promotional mind of Andy Granatelli. The Tonight Show was the biggest thing going, and Andy figured having its popular host take a few laps in Parnelli Jones’ controversial car would be a great media splash, and it was. I recall Carson running 140 mph, which delighted Rufus and Andy, but made NBC nervous when it found out.

Has Gateway cracked the elusive oval formula? Image by Abbott/LAT

Q: One hypothetical question I always wanted your opinion on. A.J. Foyt driving for Roger Penske at Indy; incredible head-butting implosion, or unstoppable unfair advantage?

Alan Bandi, Sarver, PA

RM: I thought The Captain and Bobby Unser would be World War III and they got along famously, so as much as I figure Tex and R.P. would clash, maybe it could have worked. For a week or so.

Q: Here's one that blew my mind. It paid $84,000 to win the '75 Pocono 500 and that's like 400 grand in today's money! Where in the world did all that money come from? I remember the race was a big deal as I was a kid back then and my family would go, but had no idea there was that kind of money back then. How is it possible that today's purses are so meager with all the manufacturers, TV money etc.?

Ryan (26 Indy 500s in a row) Gouldey

RM: You’ve got to remember that Ontario and Pocono drew massive crowds their first few years, and most of the purse came out of the gate since Marlboro was long gone as title sponsor and CitiCorp hadn’t yet come along. Nowadays, the purses are as pathetic as the crowds and all the money goes into the Leaders Circle, but hopefully Roger Penske will find a way to shore things up.

Q: Here is some good news for you to report the next time one or more of your readers asks about the status of the Milwaukee Mile: Vintage Indy recently announced that they will be coming to the Milwaukee Mile June 13-14 in conjunction with a ARCA event. This will be their second annual "Legends at the Mile." Last year the paddock was filled with 24 iconic Indy cars from the 1920s through the 1990s with multiple on-track appearances over the two days. This news was recently announced on RACER.com. You can bet on me being there in the pits. Lovin' that Mailbag.

Ron Ford, Muskego, WI

RM: I knew Bob Sargent promoted the ARCA race last year and did OK so he’s bringing it back along with Mike Lashmett’s vintage cars, but still don’t think IndyCar has much of a chance of ever returning. But thanks for the update.

Q: After watching the video of "Rapid Response" several times I am extremely impressed on the how far Indy car and other racing has progressed for accident response time and driver safety. From having a front row seat at the 1964 accident, it is really great to see all of the many improvements regarding accidents in open-wheel racing. But I have to say that watching the safety crews after the Newman crash at Daytona, NASCAR still could use a lot of improvement in safety crew response training. Your comments and suggestions to the powers to be in racing I think have a big impact. Also as a committee of two (son Jon and I ) we enjoy your knowledge and information about racing. Please continue all your great efforts for racing.

Harry from Ohio

RM: NASCAR made a point to document how quickly the crew got to Newman and how long it took to get the car turned over, but it seemed like an eternity to IndyCar fans. The fact NASCAR doesn’t have its own safety team like IndyCar is unconscionable.