Robin Miller's Mailbag for May 13

Welcome to this week’s installment of Robin Miller’s Mailbag! Questions for Robin can be sent to millersmailbag@racer.com. Due to the high volume of questions received, we can’t always guarantee that your letter will be printed, but Robin will get to as many as he can. Published questions have been edited for clarity.

Q: With the first race scheduled for an Indy day event, on June 6, I can’t believe IndyCar will do a one-day event without a test day. So I will ask once again: why not do a test day at IMS? Are there any plans to do this? I still think Memorial Day weekend would be a good time: a week before the first race. Is the series planning a test day?

Bill Cantwell

RM: No test planned, and here’s a response from Jay Frye: “As we have the past few years, IndyCar has conducted numerous tests in late summer/fall for the upcoming season. Chevy/Honda/ Firestone [were] included/involved and they distribute the data to all their teams. IMS, Texas, Richmond and Sebring were all part of mix toward the end of last year. We also did the COTA Open Test in February. The main issue with testing going forward and prior to Texas event is there are different restrictions and regulations in each state we race in, and all are very fluid/changing.”

Q: Really excited to see IndyCar confirmed for a return for Texas, and I believe no fans was the correct and only call to make. While still concerned about COVID-19 for the teams, my biggest worry is the plan to do everything in one day. Being a high-speed oval, first oval and race with new drivers, the cockpit, practice in the day versus racing at night, etc., I fear dangerous accidents are a bigger threat than the pandemic. I have complete faith in Roger Penske and the series, but do you have similar concerns, or any insights on why they think one day isn’t a safety issue? Thanks, and I appreciate all you do.

Eric Schmoll, San Francisco transplant from Indy

RM: Texas is always edgy for everyone and the rookies got to test there earlier this year, so I don’t think it’s going to be any more challenging than usual. That’s part of stepping into the big leagues – learning your craft and the tracks – and back in the '60s every oval was a one-day show. Texas usually features close racing and big crashes, so let’s just hope there is more of the former.

Q: So has NASCAR beat IndyCar to it again? I know Penske is way capable, but they need to be racing even if no fans are watching in the stands. It’s the perfect opportunity when F1 and NASCAR are not racing. Any chance of The Glen being a fill in race again?

Tony, New York

RM: NASCAR’s season always starts before IndyCar’s, and they have three times as many races and own a lot of the tracks, so not exactly sure what you expect when May is postponed. NASCAR can run without fans and still make money because of its TV contract, but IndyCar doesn’t have that luxury and I’m sure it took some creative bookwork to make Texas an option on June 6. No talk of The Glen right now.

In the current environment, pre-Texas testing is not an option. Image by LePage/Motorsport Images

Q: Our governor (who doesn't care one bit about sports) ruled today that there would be no large crowds allowed at sporting events in the state of Oregon through at least late September. Have you heard any news about how this affects the Portland race? I know Texas is proceeding without crowds and other races may be in the same situation. Given that promoters only make their money from attendance, are more races in danger?

Scott in Portland

RM: I hadn’t heard about this until your letter, but I guess we’re all hoping that Sept. 13 will be late enough to allow spectators. But of course all the IndyCar tracks following Texas are in a state of limbo at the moment as we wait and see if this pandemic slows and there is a return to normalcy..

Q: I know that there is a lot of effort going on right now to get the IndyCar series going, but if they are going to run the road course again in October, why didn't they make that the 500? The weather would be great and surely better then late August.

Brian Lancaster, West Lafayette

RM: First off, there is no guarantee the weather in October is going to be great, and secondly there are a whole bunch of major sports vying for television time and Indy got a good shake from NBC with back-to-back weekends in August. The bigger concern is whether fans will be allowed at attend Indianapolis, and Mark Miles said last week that October could be an option if that’s what it takes.

Q: Went to Indy for the first time in 1956. I’ve been probably another 20 times, love the place and the race. It gives me the shivers every time I drive through the tunnel. I do not think they should run the Indy 500 without spectators – I would rather see them wait until next year, or Labor Day or something, but an Indy 500 with no fans would be disrespectful to the Speedway, the event, and the thousands of people who have made it a family tradition for 100 years.

Thomas Varner

RM: I think The Captain will do whatever it takes to insure there are spectators at the 2020 Indianapolis 500 – whenever it runs. But I also know he understands the ramifications of sponsorships if there is no Indy 500 so hopefully he won’t have to make that choice.

Q: So great to hear that IndyCar will return to the track at Texas. I read on RACER.com that NASCAR will drop their spring Richmond, Chicago, and Sonoma races for 2020. I understand that Mark Miles would prefer to work with their current track partners (double races and whatnot), but I also question his quote that they wouldn't consider any “extra" NASCAR tracks for events. My point is that there's no telling how many more IndyCar events will not take place (Richmond and Toronto seem iffy). So why not consider nearby (to Indiana) venues (without fans) like Chicagoland, Kentucky, or Milwaukee, where teams can drive up run it in a single day, and be home overnight?

Greg from N.J.

RM: Most promoters aren’t wild about IndyCar races on ovals when they have a year to promote, let alone playing before an empty house. There is no reason to think any of those tracks you mentioned have any interest in hosting IndyCar unless they were going to get paid handsomely, and that’s not going to happen.

Q: I still think IndyCar should ask NASCAR to move their MIS date back a week and do a doubleheader on June 14. Michigan has been one of the most locked-down states and the current NASCAR date of June 7 as the first ‘flyaway NASCAR race should be considered in jeopardy, and it would help them a lot to move it back. Plus, MIS is a driving-distance race for IndyCar… Just a thought. Plus, they’d come out of Texas without needing to reconfigure their cars and still have two weeks before Road America.

Ryan T.

RM: It’s already mid-May, and nobody is going to take on another race in mid-June – especially an oval – with or without fans.

Q: Well Robin, it appears the entire IndyCar circus is circling around the drain and maybe about to go down for the final time. The great iRacing Indy 500 event drew 140K viewers – really? With this event being on TV and most people still under stay at home orders, the dismal number of viewers for the event place a dark pall over the series.

Assuming the Indy 500 is held in August, there is no way the authorities will allow 500K+ attendees into the racetrack. And how many fans will actually attend anyway? I wouldn’t take the risk, and I’m think I’m not alone. Not by a long shot. The iRacing numbers point to the flaw with IndyCar racing – there just aren’t enough TV viewers to support the series sponsors’ expectations/desires. Yes, I know most sponsorships are the business to business type, which may not work going forward as business has been turned on its head. I just don’t see any company dropping three to five million a year per car to sponsor one IndyCar based on the viewer numbers and the current situation.

The problems in front of IndyCar and auto racing in general are that their time appears to have passed. Auto racing fans are a dying breed, and ICE auto racing is just not attractive enough for the casual fan to invest the time to follow and support it. There are several reasons, as you are well aware, that I won’t go into. Forget attracting the third manufacturer, IndyCar needs to worry about keeping the two it currently has. Running the actual Indy 500 in August with a limited number of spectators in attendance, or with no spectators is iRacing with the terrible TV numbers…you may want to start winding your activities down and retire.

Warbird Willie

RM: OK, let me get this right. IndyCar is doomed and going to fail because the cable TV numbers for a fake race weren’t very good? That’s the worst logic I’ve heard in a long time. There was a pretty good audience for the first one, but I guess a lot of real race fans decided it wasn’t their cup of tea and didn’t watch again. But so what? If they show up at Road America, Long Beach, Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca, St. Pete and Gateway, that’s what counts. Of course teams are concerned about sponsorships going forward because of our country’s economic freefall and all the layoffs and ramifications. The TV ratings haven’t been good for a long time but NBC has improved them, and IndyCar’s footprint with non-stop promotion and ratings didn’t keep companies from investing and taking clients to Indy or well-attended road and street courses. I guarantee you that all of motorsports is nervous about what this pandemic is going to do to the future, and everyone is probably going to have to get real creative in 2021. And there has never been 400,000 or 500,000 people at IMS – maybe 325,000 in its heyday, and much closer to 225,000 lately – but I imagine a lot of people that planned to be here in May won’t be able to come back in August, so of course there will be empty seats. Thanks for the career advice.

WE GOT A MICHIGAN LETTER! Image by Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: During the Roger Penske Speedway announcement he mentioned improvements to the Speedway before this year’s race. What is being done?

Jim Cox (I have been asking you questions since Indy Star days)

RM: Lots of paving inside the track, widening of Georgetown Road behind the grandstands, adding video boards, upgrading restrooms, removing trees to improve sight lines and a meticulous effort to make everything look better.

Q: I read in RACER that F1 is talking to potential new venues to round out the season. Seems like a totally natural fit, if need be, to run an F1 race without fans at IMS, assuming F1 can come up with money. Thoughts? Have you heard anything?

Clint Costa, Chicago

RM: Greg Penske has met with F1 about possibly returning, but it won’t be this year.

His response to your question: “We have a lot on our plate this year and don’t see how we could fit it in the current schedule – with or without fans.”

Q: The Penske Corporation has said they'll be looking at bringing other series to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- a return of F1, motorcycles, sports cars, etc. Why? I thought Penske was a Brickyard purist. He certainly doesn't need the money. The F1 race I saw at the Speedway was terrible; Mickey Mouse course and barely-populated grandstands. It demeaned both F1 and IMS. I think with Penske's funds and sense of tradition, he's in a position to return the Brickyard to the full 'Month of May' and a one-event only venue. What do you think?

Bosco McNab, Mulmur, Ontario

RM: Before the Michelin fiasco in 2005, the attendance for the USGP at IMS was damn good, and I imagine if it makes good financial sense that R.P. would have F1 back. And he likes and fields sports cars, so a major IMSA race would likely interest him as well. Not sure if you read the Forbes article but this pandemic has cost him millions and millions of dollars and with the uncertainly of Indy, even The Captain has economic realities to cope with. I wish NASCAR had never come to the Speedway and May was the only month the track was open, but the Brickyard 400 was a home run for a decade and F1 looked solid for a while, so they were good business for a time. And because of the TV money, NASCAR remains a money-maker. Might that change when the TV contract expires? We’ll have to see, but I think R.P. will keep it.

Q: What is Fernando smoking? He could be the first man to win an F1 and IndyCar championship? Does he know any racing history at all? Do the names Fittipaldi and Mansell ring any bells? Alonso just lost some big points on my respect meter…

Frederik Finck, Germany

RM: Fred is only in his 30s, so I’ll give him a pass on history. But don’t forget Mario.

Q: I read the May 6 Alonso article on RACER.com, and always like to read articles about this prima donna. After 2006 he was primed to be one of the real great ones. But he lost his fight, his determination, and his commitment to excellence. He became a ‘what might have been’ in my book.

In 2007 with McLaren, he couldn't dominate his teammate (rookie Hamilton) and threatened his own team with blackmail in an attempt to get preferential treatment. In 2010 at Abu Dhabi, in the final 40 laps, he couldn't pass three drivers, all of whom he out-qualified, to win his third world championship. During 2016-2018 with McLaren, he poisoned the team with his disgraceful and pathetic behavior. In 2019 at Indy, without the benefit of a front-line Andretti car and team like he had in 2017, Juncos Racing bumped him out of the field! Even his sole success since 2006, in the 2019 WEC, with the Toyota's speed, endurance, and team, practically any nut behind the wheel would have won.

As far as his fear of ovals on the IndyCar schedule as being a reason not to compete for a full season, consider this. In 1993, world champion Nigel Mansell was 40 and the CART schedule included three short ovals, high-banked super speedway Michigan and Indy. In 2021 world champion Fernando Alonso will be 40 and the IndyCar schedule will consist of three short ovals, high-banked Texas and Indy. And the cars are safer these days than in 1993. The difference between Mansell (he won four oval races!) and Alonso? See my opening paragraph. Alonso is nothing more than a better than average driver these days who is trading on his name only. His time is very nearly past. He ranks no better than tied for No. 30 on my all-time list.

Bill B.

RM: I think it goes without saying that most of the modern-era F1 champs are political creatures that scheme to get the best of everything from their team, and Alonso likely wasn’t that much different from Senna, Schmacher, Prost or Hamilton. As for being “scared,” of ovals he sure didn’t drive with any trepidation in 2017, he looked like a seasoned, oval-track veteran in traffic and had a shot at winning. I know his presence was good for the Indy 500 and I’m glad he’s coming back. I like him because he’s beyond understanding with the media and good with the fans, and people say it’s an act but he was a total pro a year ago in the middle of a disaster that wasn’t his making. And I don’t know where he ranks anymore, but Jackie Stewart reckons he’s still the best so that’s a good enough endorsement for me.

Racing fan: "Fernando's a what-might-have-been". Alonso: "I won two world championships". Racing fan: "Lame". Image by Motorsport Images

Q: I understand the reasons why the Indy 500 has been moved and I’m OK with it. I was hoping that USAC and Anderson Speedway (Little 500) would move their events to be around the Indy 500. I was a little disappointed that the Little 500 would be run on Labor Day weekend, as I will have to miss it (my wife will not let me come to Indianapolis multiple times!!). As of now, USAC looks like they have canceled the sprint and Silver Crown races for the week of Indy. Have you heard anything about them rescheduling? It makes for a busy and tiring week, but the races have been great!

Jon from Bemus Point

RM: No I haven’t, but with the annual Silver Crown race at Springfield, Ill. set for Aug. 22 it doesn’t look promising for anything else that weekend of Indy. And the Little 500 was just trying to find a good weekend to reschedule, and Labor Day could be a winner.

Q: I grew up watching midgets at Angell Park in my hometown of Sun Prairie, WI starting in the mid-'60s. And attended my first Indy race at Milwaukee in 1970 as a kid, until all that stopped a few years ago. I attended the 500 up until the 1982 race (wow, that was a great finish), and then attended the 2018 race.

One of the things I have noticed in recent years is how hard it is to identify the cars as they come around—and rather than displaying a prominent car number, one picks up who is driving the car by how it is painted, with sponsor logos sometimes too small to pick up on. Any reason why sponsorship names cannot be made more prominent on the car panels for all to see? Would it be good for NBC to zoom in on every car in a race to increase that exposure – perhaps as a field rundown? With so few owners carrying the sport, and sponsorship so important, it seems to make sense to have more prominent advertising. And count me as being one of those very interested in any book you put out! Thanks for keeping us connected.  I look forward to every Wednesday’s Mailbag.

Dennis Manthey, Middleton, WI

RM: Identifying a car at speed on an oval is a challenge, agreed, and there just isn’t much room on the car to advertise. I liked it when the driver’s name was on the rear wing, but obviously, that’s also prime real estate for a sponsor. I think NBC tries to give each car some love during the telecast, and I believe we do zero in on each car during our rundowns. Thanks for your support.

Q: Character. I prize it in a driver – and in people in general. Pironi's deceit in stealing a win from Gilles Villeneuve, Senna deliberately crashing out Prost at full speed before a charging field, Schumacher's cynical taking out of Damon Hill to win a championship. All these incidents were long ago and in F1, but forever colored my estimation of the perpetrators. I know your loathing of 'fake' racing (iRacing ) and share it. I was a fan of Simon Pagenaud. I am no longer. Real or simulated, in any competition, honor and character matter. Would you agree? Are there any real-life racing incidents in your experience that made you irrevocable change your opinion of a driver?

Anthony Jenkins, Canada

RM: I can’t believe you would let some meaningless video game change your attitude about a real racer who put on a helluva show last May. No I don’t agree. I wasn’t a big fan of Senna crashing into Prost on purpose, or a couple of Schumacher’s spear jobs, but I still respected their immense talents. And whether he was taking out Seabass, Dario or Michael, you’d get irked with P.T., but understood it was simply part of his maddening makeup despite all that speed and ability.

Q: Saw Matheus Leist and Tony Kanaan represent A.J. Foyt Enterprises at Virtual Barber in a iRacing IndyCar racing Series Lionheart day or two ago, and started to think – what is Matheus Leist's situation with Foyt team?

J. Ojanen

RM: He’s not with A.J. He is competing in the IMSA Weather Tech endurance rounds in a Cadillac DP1 entry, alongside Juan Piedrahita and Chris Miller.

Q: My question is more a suggestion on changing pit stop procedures. Over the past few years, IndyCar has worked to make things safer for the drivers, yet done nothing about the dangerous pit stops. The crews are kneeling on the ground, waiting for their car to arrive. How many times have we seen drivers slide into their pit stall and hit their crew? It is a miracle that no one has been killed. I propose that the crews must wait on the pit wall until their car comes to a stop. Then crews over the wall should be limited to a single front and rear tire changer, the fueler and a person to work the air hose for the air jacks. Also, the tires must be back to the wall before releasing the car. This would limit the number of people over the wall, and reduce the risk of someone getting hit. The WEC has a similar procedure that I think is much safer. What do you think about this?

Mark Bartholomew, Rochester, NY

RM: I worked on pit crews in the '70s when there was no pit speed limit, and 'ol Rube would come into the pits at 170mph. But we weren’t allowed to go over the wall until the car stopped, and I still wish it was that way. I’m amazed more crewmen aren’t hit, and I know IndyCar in constantly looking at this and talking to crews about it because they want it to be as safe as possible. Pit lane speed limits help, but those outside tire guys are way too vulnerable. I like your suggestion.

Schumacher makes his ill-fated lunge on Jacques Villeneuve at Jerez to decide the 1997 world championship. Is it fair to draw parallels between incidents like this and something that happens in an iRace? Image by Motorsport Images

Q: Been following you for years, going back to your days at the Indianapolis Star. Liked that you always "tell it like it is"... The other day, hunkered down at home on a very rainy Hoosier day, I looked through YouTube to find an old race to watch (not an iRace!), and came across the '87 race. Watching the start of the race got me to thinking. I don't know the numbers, and I am too lazy to look it up, but it seems we have had a Corvette as the pace car for way too many races.

In my many years of going to the 500 (first in 1973, missed two since), it seems we used to look forward to seeing what the pace car would be. Some very cool (first Viper comes to mind), some not so cool (a Chrysler LeBaron). My question: with The Captain now running the show, do you think it would be possible to return to those days and not have a Chevrolet every year?

I know that R.P. is a Chevrolet guy, and I know Chevy wants to showcase their new, mid-engine Corvette this year, and I agree with that, but after that would it be possible? Since today's auto world is really global, how about giving up on the "it has to be an American car" idea that I understand has been in play forever? I mean really, shouldn't Honda have an opportunity to showcase one of their cars considering the amazing support that they bring to the series? Could this idea be used to help bring in a third engine supplier? Yes, I know that it has to be almost as fast as an IndyCar, but I find it hard to believe that other automakers can't hot-rod one of their sports cars. Anyway, thanks for all you do for us "old timer" IndyCar fans. Hopefully we have seen the last "official" iRace! Keep up the good work.

Danny T., Tell City, Indiana

RM: From IMS president Doug Boles: “There are a variety of challenges to switching brands every year, not the least of which is our (IMS) relationship with Chevrolet. In addition to being the official vehicle, and the committed promotional efforts that go along with that, the manufacturer supplies IMS with well over 100 vehicles for operations (a variety of sizes of trucks, 15 passenger vans, utility vehicles, etc.), 500 Festival events, and promotional uses. Then, we need a similar amount of support for our NASCAR weekend and, this year, our October weekend. Operationally, it is much more seamless with one, consistent partner (not unlike many other tracks or events).

“Certainly Honda is an important partner to INDYCAR, and Chevrolet completely understands that and knows how important Honda is to the health of the entire series and the Indy 500. As the “exclusive” vehicle of IMS, Chevrolet has been working with IMS to provide Honda opportunities to establish OEM product displays/activation spaces during our events and other ways that Honda can utilize the largest single day sporting events to help grow the Honda brand. But pacing the Indy 500 is crown jewel of the relationship and likely will remain a Chevrolet asset for the near future. Finally, Chevrolet’s willingness to allow OEM promotion in the track and related to the track is certainly a key element that is attractive to potential new INDYCAR OEMs (a third engine supplier) and Chevrolet would like additional OEMs as much as INDYCAR would.”

Q: I saw some footage of the 1973 Indy 500. Wow. What a disastrous year. Drivers Art Pollard, Salt Walther and Swede Savage all involved in fatal or severe accidents.  Armando Teran killed in the pit lane. Unbelievable. Your involvement in the sport dates back to this time. What memories do you have of this tragic 500?

Duncan, Port Perry, Canada

RM: Worst May ever. Art was a good friend who helped me buy my first race car from Andy Granatelli, and we played basketball, softball, poker and hung out a lot from 1970-73. I was in his pits talking to him when he went back out on that Saturday morning to get in one more run, and he never came back. Johnny Rutherford and I visited Swede a few days before he passed away and he was in good spirits, and we thought he was going to pull through. Then, according to Steve Olvey’s book Rapid Response, he got some tainted blood and it killed him. Salt was a hard guy to like, but his ballsy attempt to make the show at Indy in an old toilet in 1990 earned him as much respect as coming back from his burns.

Q: I really enjoyed the great stories about Jack Conely and Jan Opperman. I look forward to more tales from your archives about outstanding efforts from small teams and lesser-known drivers. Do you have any interesting stories to share of the NASCAR drivers who crossed over to drive in the Indy 500 in the 1960s and 1970s? (Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Tim Richmond, Cale Yarborough, Lee Roy Yarbrough.) It would be interesting to hear how these stock car icons got along with the Brickyard crowd and how well they adapted to open-wheel racing.

Brad H.

RM: I always though Lee Roy and Cale were the two best to come from NASCAR, even though Donnie Allison had some good runs with A.J. Yarbrough had the inaugural California 500 won until the very end while Yarborough drew constant praise from teammate Lloyd Ruby in 1971. And Richmond started out as an IndyCar driver so he doesn’t count.

Q: Excellent Mailbag last week. To add to the Larry Bisceglia question, I believe that the Speedway has the Ford Econoline van now, it having been donated by Richard Rawlings, of Gas Monkey Garage fame. On one episode they showed him purchase the vehicle in Arizona, I believe, and then after deciding not to restore it he had a couple of his employees drive it to Indianapolis to donate it to the museum. And the best helmet I've ever seen was TK's with his children's images airbrushed onto it. Very beautiful and moving.

Jim Mulcare, Westbury, NY

RM: It’s there and it sports a decal on almost every square inch because 'ol Larry was very popular. TK’s helmet is a work of art, agreed.

T.K. wins the helmet debate. Image by Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: I'm loving the videos and articles on the tough guys and others like Jan Opperman, Jack Conely, etc. There are so many stories to tell about guys who struggled with poor or outdated equipment, yet they kept showing up and giving it their best. Most likely, their efforts kept some of those cars going longer than they really should have. It's those guys that really keep the sport going. I'm glad to see their stories are being told. A lot of those guys were the fiercest competitors on the track, but off-track would give you the shirt off their back if you were in need. I miss that crowd.

John Balestrieri, Milwaukee

RM: I get that IndyCar racing is deeper, safer and more competitive than ever before, but it was those Wild West days when anybody could try anything that hooked a lot of us on Indianapolis. And it’s always fun to tell those stories.

Q: I had the pleasure of sitting and talking to Chuck Hulse during a rain delay on Carb Day a few years ago. Among other things he told me about the start of the 1966 500 and how he was in line for the Dean Van Lines ride that went to Mario before he was hurt in a sprint car. Any stories you have?

Rusty Lewis

RM: Chuck was a great guy whose career may have turned on one bad break. He was running a sprinter at New Bremen in early May of 1964 when a car spun in front of him and he flipped as estimated 15-17 times. The crash was so violent it caused him vision and focus problems and he missed two years of racing. He was set to drive the Dean Van Lines entry at Indy in 1964 – one of the best cars at the Speedway. As it was, he made four starts at Indy with a best finish of eighth in 1966.

Q: Went to the Speedway for the first time as a kid with my father in 1960 to a practice day. We went to our first race the next year, and attended every year through 1985. Even though I've missed some races through the years, I always attended as many practice days as my work schedule permitted.  Since I retired seven years ago, I buy bronze badges every year and go to the track every day there is track activity. I remember how exciting, especially back in the day, the track announcers made qualifying.

Do you know of any place you can listen to live public address audio? I found one really good one on You Tube called "With a tremendous roar." It's Bobby Unser's qualifying run in the Novi his rookie year. Of course, Tom Carnegie was announcing time and speed reports while Chuck Baily described the run. You can hear that Novi all the way around the track. You can even hear Bobby backing off the throttle in turn three and picking it back up in the short chute. It's really nostalgic for an old-timer like me. There was a guy named Bob, I think from Texas, that worked the public address. Do you remember him and what his last name was?

J.M., Mt. Summit. IN

RM: I would go to the Indy Memorabilia Show in August and try to find the album “Great Moments from the Indy 500.” It’s got a little bit of everything – interviews, race calls, qualifying and some sounds, as I recall. Bob Funcannon was the IMS public address announcer.

Q: Thank you for all the joy you have brought my way over these many years. Another soul of your stature shall not pass this way again. Keep it going, never give in, never give up, and fight the good fight. Thank you! Now to my question. Back in 1968 I saw my first auto races at the Knoxville Speedway, IA. As I recall the race cars were called “super modified” and looked like Champ Cars. What was a super modified car in 1968, and how different was it compared to the dirt track cars of today?

Frank G. Hustmyer

RM: My pleasure Frank, thanks for the kind words. Well, some super modifieds had doors and roofs on them, others sported rollover hoops and some were glorified jalopies with big engines. But I don’t think there was any standard modified looks from Ascot Park to Oswego until maybe the 1970s or 1980s. They also had wings back in the 1960s, so I guess that’s the one common denominator with many of today’s sprinters. But it’s almost impossible to see the drivers, be it WoO or USAC or All-Star series, because of the cockpit cocoon and protection.

The Pink Lady super modified in the early 1960s. That's Art Pollard standing at far left. Image via Robin Miller

Q: As many of us have free time on our hands at this time, what are your top five Indy 500s to go and rewatch? I've already watched the 1994 500 with the Mercedes-powered Penskes and the 1977 500 to see Foyt win his fourth 500. Thanks for being a great ambassador for IndyCar and its history.

Kyle P. in Mass

RM: First would be 1982, followed by 1960, 1985, 1992 and 2014. Thanks for being a loyal fan.

Q: Please write a book! One of my favorite books is Chris Economaki's but I know yours would be better! I grew up going to Langhorne, Trenton and the real Nazareth with my dad and the drivers you hang out with were my heroes. Please do a book! Do you have a good Paul Newman story? I heard Gordon Kirby's book on Newman-Haas is being held up by Carl's wife.

Jim K.

RM: Yes, Bernie Haas put a stop to the book but not sure why, because Carl led an interesting life. My best PLN story came at Sebring in 2005. SPEED sent me to cover Bruno Junqueira’s first time back in a car after his big shunt at Indy. It was raining and I saw this guy dressed in all-white standing in the middle of the infield with an umbrella. I pulled up next to him and it was Newman. He got in and wondered if I was hungry and had any money. So we drove down to a diner, and as we were leaving the cashier asked if that old guy in the white hat, white shirt, white pants and white shoes was Paul Newman. I said no, he was a sign painter at the race track and PLN didn’t hear what I’d said so I repeated it, and he loved it. He made me tell that story for the next six months every time I saw him in Newman/Haas hospitality. He loved just being one of the guys, and that’s how he was always treated.

Q: You've probably answered this or referenced the answer to my question a hundred times, but thought I'd ping you to get it straight from you. What would you say is the quintessential book on the Indianapolis 500 and/or The Speedway? Thank you so much. Love your work. Be well.

Brian

RM: I enjoyed Vukovich by Bob Gates because it told the story of Indy’s greatest driver, and his re-write of Wilbur Shaw’s book 500 Miles To Go because it’s fascinating. I liked Black Noon by Art Garner because it captured the danger and ‘taking a chance’ mentality of the 1960s; Fast Company by Jerry Miller because he captured all the characters of open-wheel from the '70s; Bones Boucier’s book on Parnelli Jones (Why Yes I Am Parnelli Jones) because it’s just a series of great anecdotes, memories and quotes from Rufus and his contemporaries; Donald Davidson and Rick Shaffer’s Official History of the Indianapolis 500 because of its attention to detail and I can’t wait for Evi Gurney’s two books on The Big Eagle and Gordon Kirby’s tome on the history of American open-wheel racing.