Robin Miller's Mailbag for April 8, 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.

Don't miss RACER.com's first-ever Guest Mailbag, featuring Mario Andretti! Click here to check it out, and find out how to send questions to upcoming guests including Jimmie Johnson, Tony Kanaan and Rick Hendrick.

Q: A well-known motorsports journalist located in Toronto has suggested that the entire 2020 season should be cancelled for all major forms of racing. As a huge fan that attends many events each year, and does freelance photography at a few of them, I was initially disappointed and resented the suggestion. However upon reading his opinion, I think there is some merit to it. Given the current postponements and rescheduling of events, and realizing that each event may have to be cancelled eventually anyway (nobody knows), perhaps this will save many teams significant cash. I would rather cancel 2020 events in their entirety now knowing that such decisions will likely ensure strong fields in 2021! Would love to hear your thoughts on such a suggestion.

Joe Photo from TO

RM: Well nobody knows when racing will start, if at all, but I don’t see how postponing the season would help the teams. They would likely lose all their sponsorship money, or at least a big chunk of it, and probably have to lay off all their employees. Yeah, that saves the owners money, but it also might make them shut the doors. And why would anyone think the fields would be stronger in 2021 if all of 2020 were canceled?

Q: Have you talked to team owners about what the world is going to look like after this is done from a money perspective? I don't get the feeling that the marketing dollars from manufacturers and money from dealers that run teams is going to be there. Plus, there is going to be a big stigma in regards to going to large events, even after the virus is brought under control. Attendance is going to be down. It kills me to believe this, but I think it's so. I'm wondering if IndyCar is going to be running with some no-name engine manufacturer and garage-built chassis again, since all the infrastructure needed to build these pricey cars might go under.

Doug B.

RM: How could anyone make that determination based on what we know, or don’t know, right now? And why would Honda, Chevy and Dallara bail unless all the teams are gone? I don’t know the specifics of sponsorships for teams, but without any racing it can’t be good, and who knows if spectators will be allowed in sporting events by July?

Q: Since it seems there will be a second race on the Indy GP course, can they run the second one backwards, meaning come down the front straightaway the correct way? If I remember right, when they built the original F1 layout, it was designed so you could go either direction. Is this still the case? Might be a little twist not avoid having the same race twice.

Mark in Cincinnati

RM: I’ll ask The Captain, but it’s kind of got a flow to it the way it is now.

Q: Hope you are well. How long does it take to build a street course, ie Detroit, Toronto? Toronto has canceled all permits for events until the end of June.

Ken Sherwood

RM: Well, Detroit was supposed to start construction at Belle Isle on April 20, and that can’t happen because of the lockdown so those two races are canceled. And Toronto would need at least a month to get ready, so I’m sure that’s in jeopardy. It’s a long process with lots of moving pieces to put on a street race, and St. Pete might end up being the only one that gets run in 2020.

Street races will be few and far between in 2020. Image by Abbott/Motorsport Images

Q: Of all the changes in the schedule including cancellations, etc., there is still one item that I can't follow the logic of. Why in the world would Barber not want to reschedule into the fall? It is not like they have a lot of other races, and October-November would be a beautiful time to race down there.

Forrester, Myrtle Beach, SC

RM: College football. End of discussion. Barber isn’t about to go up against the biggest thing in Alabama.

Q: If Penske running a max of three cars in the 2021 series is a given, then who is making way for McLaughlin? Tricky, but my vote is Simon.

Oliver Wells

RM: Well if Simon signed a two-year deal last May then he’ll still have a contract, and I think Willy P. is good through 2021 and I imagine JoNew is due to re-up. So who says they won’t all be back and The Captain might have to run four cars for a year?

Q: Running an Indy 500 in the third week in August must present some Herculean challenges to tire engineers and the teams. The average high temperature in Indianapolis in May is 73 degrees Fahrenheit in August, the average high jumps 11 degrees to 84 degrees F. Temps could be much higher. Setups will be a crapshoot for aero even without the added heat factor, but keeping tires on these cars that might reach 235mph before going into Turn 3 will almost certainly be challenging at best. I doubt compounds/pressures currently used fit the bill.

How will the tire engineers gather data? How do local, state, and federal guidelines with respect to COVID-19 give them time to test? Indy in late August might be very interesting if we have a higher than average temperature.

John Del Rio, TN

RM: There have been several Indy 500s run in hot weather during May and Firestone has the wherewithal to adapt to any temperatures. They likely only need two days in early August to test at IMS to come up with a proper compound, so I don’t know that it will be a concern.

Q: I realize that watching other people play video games is popular with a large global audience even in normal times, but it never appealed to me until this weekend. The IndyCar Barber iRacing event was much better viewing than expected, and it was particularly satisfying to see Robert Wickens get behind a virtual wheel. I noticed Ryan Hunter-Reay, Takuma Sato and Marco Andretti did not participate. First, I hope they are all healthy. Assuming they are all OK, why would any driver choose not to participate? Seems like a great way to engage fans and sponsors when there is no alternative.

William in LA

RM: All I know is that Marco didn’t have a sim but is borrowing one from Sage Karam, and I can only guess that Mr. Sato and RHR found something more interesting to do.

Q: With IndyCar having its first virtual oval coming up next weekend, will drivers have virtual spotters? Hope you’re doing well, and love your Tough Guys video series.

Jeff Stejskal, Fishers, IN

RM: God I hope not, because that will really be the final nail in the coffin for me. Glad you like the Tough Guys series, it’s always fun to look back on real racing.

Q: I surprised myself, but I really like the IndyCar iRacing. It looks so authentic, and based on what the drivers say, it's realistic and not easy to do. Is there any chance that this could be a separate series that runs in the winter? It would be a great way to pass the off-season. Is there any way teams can benefit, like a sanction fee from the track that is represented?

Mark Suska, Lexington, OH

RM: I imagine if iRacing wanted to promote a series it could happen, but why would any track pay money for an internet race with no fans?

Q: Has anyone at NBCSN or IndyCar realized the potential promotional goldmine they could pull from the sim broadcasts? It might not be as good as the real thing, to be sure, but the race at Alabama proved entertaining. How about something like “You should see how they drive the real thing”? Has there been any further word on a potential crossover/collaboration with NASCAR as schedule jumbles continue? Also, how much do you think these sim showings say about some of the part-timers or rookies -- Sage Karam, Alex Palou, Scott McLaughlin, and the like?

Garrett from Reno

RM: Michael Andretti reportedly got a sponsor for his No. 98 car last weekend. What do you suppose it was for, maybe $500? I mean, how good somebody does on a simulator doesn’t mean anything in the real world. Sage showed his talents all through the ladder system and put together some good IndyCar races, but winning a simulator race isn’t going to get him a ride with Roger Penske. Has iRacing helped him and those other two? I imagine so, and McLaughlin said it keeps him sharp, so since testing is all but eliminated I guess it’s the next best thing. And it can help a driver learn a circuit, but does it mean he’s going to qualify a real IndyCar with red tires in the Fast Six? Of course not. People have lost their minds about how real this sim racing is, because there are no consequences for mistakes. And real racing is risk vs. reward.

Virtual car, virtual race, real sponsorship. Image by IndyCar

Q: Really disappointed not to be able to support IndyCar and watch the Barber race live. For all the excellent work with the iRacing (I enjoyed round one) there seems to be an unwavering desire to hover a gun over one’s foot. I have the IndyCar Pass, Sports Gold. But now I’m supposed to upgrade my TV package to have NBCSN? An angry 20 minutes trying to do that and I gave up. It’s tiresome that viewers are expected to perform a different gymnastics routine race to race just to watch and support the series.

George Moran

RM: I don’t know what to say except sorry. It sounds like you are a die-hard fan and IndyCar needs you, so I guess IndyCar could look at carrying the remaining races on IndyCar.com, but if NBCSN is televising then maybe it defeats the purpose.

Q: I understand you’re not that into iRacing/Esports. Neither was I, until last Saturday – I watched the first IndyCar event, enjoyed it, and plan to continue watching. If a virtual race like a 20-lap grudge match in WoO sprints between you and A.J. on the dirt at IMS were possible, complete with cameras and mics on each driver so the fans could hear the unedited trash-talking, would you do it? What if there were a massive purse, like tenderloin sandwiches for life, courtesy of the loser? Love your writing and service to motorheads everywhere!

Steve (just dreaming in Minnesota)

RM: I asked A.J. last week about racing on a computer, and his replay was #$%%###. When you’ve raced and excelled at the highest level in the most lethal era, what possible thrill could you get out of sitting in front of a screen and pretending to take risks? I’d be flattered to ride in the two-seater with Super Tex, but no interest in iRacing.

Q: For all those people that are complaining that the August 23rd date at Indy will be too hot… They want to know hot? Tell 'em to come to Oklahoma in August – 105+ degrees! I am looking forward to coming to Indy and cooling off! Any chance of having an iRace with you, Leigh, PT and Townsend?

Jim, Oklahoma

RM: We’ve had some scorching Mays too, Jim, but it’s likely to be warmer in August than most Indy 500s. I like the NBC booth in a match race, but I’ll take a pass.

Q: I have been watching old CART/Champ Car races. I started watching the 2004 season, and I noticed Bob Jenkins was the announcer for the first two rounds. I never noticed this before, because back in 2004 I didn’t realize that Champ Car was still on TV until the Milwaukee race, and Rick Benjamin was the announcer. Do you know why Bob was only around for Monterey and Long Beach? No disrespect to Rick, but Bob Jenkins was and is a legend.

Brian, Plainfield, IL

RM: Bob says he got let go after two races because the Champ Car fans said he was too connected to the Indy Racing League. But obviously he bounced back and spent several years calling IndyCar on VERSUS/NBCSN, and is still a mainstay at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Q: What drivers have competed in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 during the past 27 years?

Chris Fiegler, Latham, NY

RM: Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jacques Villeneuve, Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch, Sam Hornish, P.J. Jones and the late John Andretti come to mind.

Q: Regarding Foyt, Bobby refers to him as a ‘bully’. He also referred to Foyt being a bully several years ago in an interview Unser did at the Speedway with Parnelli, which is available on YouTube. Unser stated that Lloyd Ruby and Parnelli were the only drivers Foyt didn't bully, which I'm sure was an exaggeration in the moment since I'm guessing Foyt never bullied Roger Ward, for example. (I'm guessing no one else ever did, either). Yet in that interview, Unser praises Foyt's talent while giving an example of Foyt rubbing fenders to prevent Unser from wrecking in a stock car race.

 In your interview, Unser sort of damns Foyt with faint praise by stating that Foyt was an exceptional driver in everything he drove, but maybe not the best. On the other hand, Unser states that Parnelli was likely the best (a sentiment shared by Andretti a decade ago in an ESPN article). Yes, his opinion only. Yet Unser and many others have praised Foyt for being both a very clean driver as well as being relatively easy on his cars.

We're aware of Foyt's anger issues, from slapping Luyendyk in Victory Lane, to slapping you around a little, to threatening a Penske team member at Indy for using a radar gun on Foyt's car during practice. So such behavior is considered bullying, and it appears that Foyt's behavior was more extreme than others, but Unser's own behavior is questionable given things like his 35-year feud with Andretti, his legendary stubbornness, etc.

So what is the genesis of Unser's attitude toward Foyt in particular? I mean, Parnelli apparently smacked the fan of another driver with a trophy once, and I've heard that he also lowered the hood of his stock car onto the head of a NASCAR inspector at Riverside. Did Foyt do something to Unser himself, to a friend or family member?

Alfred N, Northern, CA

RM: No matter what their differences are today, A.J. and Uncle Bobby maintain a great respect for each other as racers. And they were friendly in the '60s and '70s, but I think Unser got under Foyt’s skin in the late '80s and early '90s when he kept saying he was washed up and it was embarrassing to see him out there getting lapped. When Super Tex was recovering from his Road America injuries I did a column saying it was time to quit and all the quotes were from Bobby, so that didn’t sit too well with Anthony Joseph. But as far as being a bully, I think A.J. was only in one fight (Johnny White). His physical presence was intimidating, but he screamed more at the media than other drivers. Yet most everyone was smart enough not to pick a fight with him.

A.J. in 1965, during his 'still friendly with Bobby' period. Image by Friedman/Motorsport Images

Q: Does anyone from days gone by, who is still alive, have any

wild stories about subjects like getting drunk, putting automatic transmission fluid in gas tanks, public nudity, etc. since some of the NASCAR greats have those stories from years ago? I figure some of the open-wheel greats may have similar stories since they might have had some fun on the road.

Matthew, Jackson, Ohio

RM: You mean Uncle Bobby putting M-80s in the salad bar? Or driving Jerry Grant off the road at Mosport? Or throwing a tarantula in the glove box of a rental car? Or A.J. tipping over the phone booth at Ontario with Mario in it so he couldn’t get out? Or the time in Japan the boys tried to fix up Bud Tingelstad with a female impersonator? Or wrapping up a crewman in silver tape at Pocono and loading him into a FedEx truck? No, hardly any shenanigans.

Q: Like many fans from an earlier era, I have a fondness for Novis – finally got to hear one run in Michigan in the '90s. I see the cars raced at tracks other than Indy a couple times – Monza in '57 and Atlanta in '65. How did they do? And what convinced Andy in '65 to try another location before STP started running the entire USAC circuit?

Frank Buczolich

RM: Jim Hurtubise qualified sixth and finished fourth in 1965 at Atlanta, and I believe it was the Novi’s finest finish ever. Atlanta was high-banked and fast, so I imagine Andy figured the Novi’s power was a good match. Tony Bettenhausen captured the pole at Monza at 177mph, and teammate Paul Russo suffered a terminal mechanical failure and did not race. Tony broke during the first heat, and that was it. The Novis didn’t return in 1958.

Q: I'm from East Central Illinois (Urbana). I was wondering if you could tell me about Don Branson and what people thought of him as a racer, and his contribution to racing, if any. Not a lot of publicity on him that I can find. Rumor in the area is A.J. stayed with his family when he started racing. Just wondered if you had heard any stories about Branson, or places I could find info about him and his racing? Thank you for your time, and everything you do for us race fans.

Ron Hardy

RM: “Pappy” was considered a master on the dirt, and guys like Mario and Bobby Unser idolized his prowess in Big Cars on the mile tracks. And he was also a badass in a sprint car in those lethal days. He didn’t come to Indianapolis until he was 39 years old, but he quickly became a factor and a winner. He also adapted to rear-engine cars and scored six USAC national championship wins before losing his life at Ascot Park in 1966 in a sprinter.

Q: I was wondering what motorsport books/biographies that I can get for under $30-40 bucks you would recommend?

Ian from SC

RM: Go to Coastal181.com and buy Bones Bourcier’s books on Parnelli Jones, Tony Stewart, Bill Simpson and AJ/Mario/Petty. Then order Bob Gates’ bio of Troy Ruttman and Bill Vukovich. Dave Argabright’s Lone Wolf is the story of Doug Wolfgang, and he’s also penned bios on Chris Economaki, Jack Hewitt and recently-released Jimmy Sills. That should keep you busy until racing season finally starts.

Q: Last week you mentioned that you thought Gordon Johncock won the 1966 Indianapolis 500. How many 500s had 'disputed' finishes? By my count, it's at least Hill in 1966, Unser in 1981, and Castroneves in 2002. What am I missing?

Kyle in Raleigh

RM: Thanks to my pal, author and Indy 500 historian Rick Shaffer, here are three more: “In 1938, there was a protest or threat of a protest against the winner Floyd Roberts. He only did one pit stop that day and the controversy centered on whether or not he got out of the car, which was required in those days. Supposedly the stop was so quick, no one noticed whether or not he had gotten out. In the end, the protest was either denied or dropped.

“In 1946, it was the same issue with the debate whether George Robson had gotten out of his car during his stops. Again, it was either denied or dropped.

“Finally, there was much consternation over the decision in 1940 to keep the cars running under caution during a light rain. I think Rex Mays finished second to Shaw and thought they should have red-flagged the race and got the track dried and then resumed the race. But I'm wondering if the fact the race was already past the halfway point, Mays had a legitimate gripe. The final 50 laps of 1940 were run under caution – the most consecutive caution laps in 500 history.”

Q: In recent years the IndyCar series introduced LED panels that display the car race position, push to pass activation, etc. In 2019 the panels were in use at the Iowa race. However at the St. Louis race they were missing from the cars. The panels are a great benefit for spectators, especially on ovals. Why did the series discontinue the use of the panels? Why does Indycar leave the race fan in the dark as to why the use of the panels were discontinued? Are the panels going to be used in the 2020 season?

Brandt Bechtold, Peoria, IL

RM: They were unreliable so that’s why IndyCar quit using them, and I haven’t heard anything new for 2020. But I think IndyCar has bigger fish to fry at the moment.

IndyCar tried a couple of versions of the LED panels, which were awesome in every respect but for their unreliability. Image by Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: Some decades ago there used to be regular Indy 500 entries from cars dubbed 'The Spirit of......' , usually some Midwestern town. Whatever happened to that concept, and did the towns in question really pony up enough to sponsor a car? Could that idea fly today – once racing resumes?

Anthony Jenkins, 'Spirit of Mono', Ontario

RM: Well there was City of Daytona Beach (1967 driven by Denis Hulme and 1969 driven by Joe Leonard), the City of Seattle (1968 driven by Johnny Rutherford), City of Lebanon (1968 driven by Mel Kenyon), City of Terre Haute (driven by Carl Williams in 1972), Spirit of Indiana (driven by Sheldon Kinser in 1975), Spirit of Orange County (driven by Jerry Grant in 1975), Spirit of Indiana (driven by Spike Gehlhausen in 1976) and City of Syracuse (driven by Lee Kunzman in 1977). I recall people giving money to Grant King to put their names on the side of the Spirit of Indiana and I imagine some sponsorship was given to the others, but I have no idea how to find out.

Q: In last week's Mailbag there was a picture of the Questor GP and the cars are going the opposite direction that they do now on ovals. Was that just an F1 thing, or did they switch at some point? Even the taxis go left.

CAM in LA

RM: That’s simply the way they ran the OMS road course, but never the full oval.

Q: In reference to Larry Martin’s question about the Formula A race at Sebring, I think that the race he remembers was the 1969 event. Gus Hutchison drove a Brabham B26A/Cosworth DFV to second place behind David Hobbs in a Surtees F5000. The chassis was B26/3, which had been Jochen Rindt’s 1968 F1 car, running with the Repco V8. For 1969 it was fitted with a DFV and was then called a B26A. In 1969 it was driven by Jackie Ickx in F1, winning two races, two poles, and finishing second in the championship to Jackie Stewart who dominated the season in the Matra/Ford.

After the last F1 race of the season in Mexico, the car was driven by Hutchinson in the last round of the L&M FA championship (Sebring), then six FA races in 1970, plus the U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. The car was entered in FA by (Doug) Champlin Racing of Enid, OK. Other drivers besides Hobbs and Hutchison in the Sebring race that competed at some point in F1 included Mario Andretti, Mark Donahue, and Jo Bonnier. Tony Adamowicz and Swede Savage competed in non-championship F1 races. As of 2019, Brabham B26/3 was in a private collection in Switzerland. After the sixth round of the 1970 FA championship (Dallas), which he ironically won in the Brabham, Hutchinson drove a Lola T190.

In reference to your comments about F5000 vs. F1:  F5000 cars could compete against top level F1 cars on some courses. The best example I can think of is the 1973 Race of Champions, a non-championship F1 race at Brands Hatch. Most of the British F1 teams were in attendance including McLaren, Lotus, BRM, Williams, and Surtees. The race was won from eighth on the grid by Peter Gethin in a Chevron B24 F5000, entered by VDS. If you run into Steve Horne some time, you should ask him about it. Not sure, but he may have been with VDS at the time.

Nostalgia is great, but I hope we have some racing at some point this season.

Mark Stetson

RM: Thanks for the history lesson, Mark. I just know that F5000 cars were no match for F1 cars at the Questor GP, and there was always a rumor that A.J. clutched his F5000 box in qualifying so he didn’t have to endure a beatdown in the race.