Robin Miller's Mailbag for July 22, presented by Honda Racing / HPD

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. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of RACER or Honda/HPD.

Q: Iowa Speedway and IndyCar did a pretty good job at making fans feel comfortable and safe last weekend. I attended both nights, and had zero complaints about the accommodations. Staff were professional, fans were largely compliant with rules and procedures, and nearly everyone was polite and patient from what I witnessed.

In terms of crowd size, it seemed like the socially distant sell-out crowds consisted of slightly fewer people than there were at the last couple Sunday afternoon Iowa Corn 300s in 2017 and 2018. I hope this provides something for IndyCar and IMS to work with for this year's Indy 500. I'd feel a lot better about attending it with one-third capacity than 50%, but that's my preference. I'm curious to know what your thoughts are on how the Iowa weekend will inform plans for Indy, if at all?

Andrew McNaughton, Chicago

P.S. USAC and Little 500 champ Kody Swanson had a good run at the ARCA race at Iowa Speedway Saturday afternoon, finishing on the lead lap in eighth place.

RM: That’s good to hear, thanks for your report. I think Iowa was helpful to Indy, just like NASCAR at Bristol and Texas were because it showed spacing the grandstands and on the spectator areas. Not sure we’ll know what kind of capacity we’re looking at for IMS, it could be anywhere from 60,000-125,000, but I think IMS is large enough to make you feel safe. Good news about Swanson, too.

Q: The Iowa races showed IndyCar to be nothing but F1 with fewer manufacturers. Penske, Ganassi, barely Andretti. Other than major catastrophes in the pits or on the track, none of the others have a chance. They can spend exorbitant amounts and nobody else can. Most teams are barely hanging on the edge. Great-looking racing, just never matters in the end. I never understood how Michael Andretti came out with a team more powerful than an already-great name like Foyt?

Tim B.

RM: Really? Conor Daly on the pole Friday and up front most of Saturday night with the smallest team in the paddock. Pato O’Ward chasing down Team Penske before a problem in the pits. Oliver Askew and Jack Harvey running strong both nights. It’s true that the Big 3 dominate, but unlike F1, IndyCar gives a good driver with a savvy engineer a chance to be competitive. And I’m not sure where you got that most teams are barely hanging on, but I don’t think it’s accurate.

What with the pandemic and everything else that's going on, it's understandable that someone forgot to tell Askew (and Daly, and O'Ward) that only drivers with Big 3 teams get anywhere. Image by Barry Cantrell/Motorsport Images

Q: Even behind the mask, the frustration and disappointment of Michael Andretti was evident when Ryan Hunter-Reay crashed for the second night in a row coming out of the pits. And he can't be too happy when he sees his former Indy Lights drivers, Pato O'Ward and Oliver Askew, running circles around his more-established drivers. I know he has Colton Herta, but at what point does Michael start considering pulling the plug on some of his drivers (RHR and possibly Marco) and look to go younger?

Scott Cooper, Bargersville, IN

RM: Well you can’t blame him after watching his most accomplished and experienced driver crash twice in the same place leaving the pits, but the Andretti line-up obviously depends on sponsorship. Is DHL back with Ryan Hunter-Reay? This is the third and final year of Zach Veach’s deal with Gainbridge backing, will it continue? Rossi and Herta look set and Marco isn’t going anywhere, but RHR is still plenty quick so I doubt Mikey wants to cut ties unless it comes down to money. But what if Conor Daly gets a nice boost from the Air Force or Hinch gets a full ride from Genesys -- do they take their deals to Andretti?

Q: Two terrific races and several impressive performances in Newton. Pagenaud, Newgarden, Askew, O’Ward, Daly, Rahal, Dixon – all amazing each in their own way.  But my vote for the weekend MVP goes to the designers and builders of IndyCar’s mandated aeroscreen. I don’t think it’s overly dramatic to say they saved two drivers from very, very serious injuries… or worse. I truly hope this will quiet those who’ve somehow convinced themselves that the aeroscreen is bad for the sport. Following Texas, IndyCar’s racing has been characteristically spectacular and two young men were able to travel home on Saturday night who not have had IndyCar implemented protective measures any less far-reaching. We have no right to demand that drivers be exposed to unreasonable risks for our entertainment. Kudos to IndyCar and all involved with the aeroscreen!

Bert Reiser

RM: Red Bull Technologies, IndyCar and Dallara can take a bow for the aeroscreen.

Q: Do you think that the safety windscreen saved Rinus Veekay’s life? The screen appears to have lifted Herta’s nose, and prevented the left front from hitting him. Then, the chassis floor bounced up. It might have hit the roll bar, or the screen might have helped too. Then, the left rear bounced off, too. Pretty good design! Not only that, but the SAFER barrier helped with Herta. Congratulations to whoever designed the screen. And of course, the SAFER barrier.

Mark Lamontia, Ladenberg, PA

RM: I think it saved him from a serious injury for sure, and he was most appreciative in his interview so he knows its value.

Q: Aero engineer with an aero question. With all the discussion on cockpit heat, what’s going on in there? Are the vents in front of the windscreen bringing in hot air? Or is the air flowing up the inside of the windscreen and out the top of the cockpit, bypassing the driver? I would not expect stagnant air in there. I enjoy the guest mailbags, keep those coming!

Phillip Thomas

RM: After Iowa one driver described it as “sandy” inside the cockpit, while another said it was still ridiculously hot and a couple more said the new vents didn’t help much. So I guess it remains a work in progress.

Q: Why does it seem no one is upset that the restart being waved off for no good reason is the real cause of the aeroscreen test we witnessed on Friday night? Everyone accelerated and was in perfect formation, and as we know from experience, a faster restart is always safer than a slow restart that stacks everyone up. I’m really disappointed that no one is calling out whomever it was that called off the start, as that was ridiculous and obviously very dangerous.

Regards, TK

RM: It wasn’t a perfect alignment. Pato O’Ward started accelerating a couple hundred feet before the restart zone, so the restart was immediately called off (you can see the flashing lights on the cars’ attenuator indicating it’s still caution and they go off when the race goes green). It sounds like everyone got the word except Colton, and he said he heard green on his radio. Just some kind of communication problem that proved expensive, but thankfully not costly in terms of injuries.

Q: There is a strong rumor that Iowa Speedway will be closed or sold after this season. IndyCar, if it had half a brain, would be smart to buy the track outright or at the very least enter into a partnership with potential investors (past or present) and/or promoters and save the track from disappearing. However, given IndyCar's hands-off approach to promoting its product and looking out for its own self-interest, the likelihood will be that the track will close. Ultimately NASCAR will make IndyCar a deal to be the fourth tier series behind Cup, Xfinity, and the Truck Series. Eventually, instead of the other way round, IndyCar will be a support series (with maybe held a dozen race appearances) to NASCAR's big three racing series.

IndyCar drives me mad -- since 1964 (and as an IndyCar amateur historian going back since racing started in America) I've been a fan of what we term IndyCar racing, and it saddens me greatly to see the end of IndyCar racing coming in my lifetime. Thoughts?

Jest Jake

Q: Think is time to pitch the idea to Mr. Penske or Mr. Miles for a Mexican race next year at Autdromo Hermanos Rodriguez? Pato has been amazing. A lot of people are following him in Mexico, even there is no TV coverage; only live streaming. I guarantee a sold-out event.

Guillermo Calvillo, FL

RM: Sad there’s no TV, but hopefully he’s being covered by newspapers and local stations. I don’t know if it would be an instant sellout, but give Pato a couple years and some wins and it would be, for sure. IndyCar talked to Mexico City a couple years ago about a race, but had no Mexican star to promote. Now they do.

Hands up if you think IndyCar needs to revisit the idea of a race in Mexico. Image by Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: How awesome does the Arrow McLaren SP team look? When you see those two cars on the track, it looks like an F1 team in IndyCar. This is what IndyCar needs – supercool-looking cars with two young guns driving them. Scott Dixon is great, but my 20-year-old downhill mountain biking racing nephew is not going to care. Arrow McLaren SP will get his attention, not the boring Herta/Capstone car. Love the Iowa doubleheader, the RV section looked packed. Do you think it will be a doubleheader next year? If so, I’m thinking road trip.

Mark, Altadena, CA

RM: Well, it looked especially impressive with Pato leading late at Road America and he and Askew running strong both nights at Iowa. It’s a sharp paint scheme that is easy to identify, but hopefully the young talent behind the wheel will attract new fans like your nephew. No idea about the 2021 schedule yet, just hope Iowa is still around.

Q: There is a rumor that Sergio Perez could be replaced by Sebastian Vettel in 2021. Perez said he had been contacted by at least one F1 team and a couple of teams in other formula. Any idea if any of the other teams are IndyCar teams? Also, if you had to place a bet (I know you occasionally wager) as to who would end up with more career wins, Pato or Colton, who would you take?

Brian Henris, Fort Mill, SC

RM: No idea, but he’s going to have to take a major pay cut if he comes to IndyCar (he’s making $8 million in 2020 with Racing Point) and he’d likely have to bring money. I’d say those two former Indy Lights teammates are evenly matched in terms of racecraft, talent and maturity behind the wheel, so how about they each win 30 races?

Q: About Lenny Mishik’s question about AMSP. For what it’s worth, the two-story AMSP hospitality compound at Road America (where the Chevy display normally is) had huge ‘Arrow McLaren’ letters and very small ‘SP’ after it on the roof. I think Sam and Rick are out after 2020. And no one cheered themselves hoarse more than me after watching Felix stalk then pass Pato out of Turn 5. Nothing against O’Ward or Askew, but if AMSP never win a race it’s just fine with me after ditching Hinch the manner they did. I hold a grudge like I was holding my scanner at RA.

Mike DeQuardo, Waukesha, WI

RM: That was the rumor a year ago that Zak Brown and Arrow were buying out Sam and Rick so it’s certainly a possibility some day, but hard to cheer against those two kids because they had nothing to do with Hinch’s treatment. And like I’ve said before, I think James only has a beef with one person.

Q: What in the hell was Willie P talking about after Saturday's race? “It seems like if you did a good job in the series you just get screwed"? “I don't know what it is I have to do to have normal races like Dixon and Pagenaud, even if those guys qualify last they end at the front; maybe I just try less and be a much worse driver. I think I'll do way better”? He sounded delirious, and what was he complaining about, he finished second after last week taking two guys out on the first turn? I think Wild Willie has lost it! Let us know what you think, and we miss you at the races.

CAM in LA

RM: I think it was a combination of heat and frustration that his teammate started last and somehow won Friday night’s race. Plus, he’s always hated closed pits because it rewards luck more than pace, and dictates the outcome more often than the driver that dictates the pace -- which is Power’s strength.

Q: Watching the interview with Tony Kanaan during the pre-race coverage at Iowa, it seems like he’s reluctant to retire. Do you think he’ll be back for Indy next year? And any idea who he could drive for? It would be cool to see him reunite with Andretti or Ganassi, but they both seem at capacity right now.

KJ from Philadelphia, PA

RM: He’s said he wants to run Indy in 2021 and he’ll be able to get the sponsorship, but no idea which team he’s going to approach. But doubt if it’s Chip.

Q: Do you know if Sebastien Bourdais will race in IndyCar this year?

Bob Fontana

RM: He’s scheduled to run Portland and St. Pete for A.J. Foyt.

Sadly, opportunities to see Bourdais in an IndyCar are extremely limited this year. Image by Barry Cantrell/Motorport Images

Q: I am writing this after reading the Mailbag post-Road America, and before Iowa happens. A lot of people are slamming Will Power. I see it differently. Did anyone see Will turn into Ryan Hunter-Reay? I saw RHR move left to set up for Turn 1 and Will’s wing was already there. While bad for RHR, that is just a racing deal. Power in reality probably wasn’t thinking about being ahead of RHR so much as he was maintaining his position through Turn 1 with all of the cars trying to get by him. Lifting even a smidge to let RHR in would have likely meant someone dove underneath him and he would have lost a spot.

With the Rahal wreck, Power shoved it in there for sure, which is why he ran wide of the apex, but he gave Rahal enough asphalt on the outside. It wasn’t until Rahal got loose on the rumble strips on the exit with cold tires and a bunch of HP that he did his tank-slapper and went off track. I don’t like or dislike Power more than any of the other guys, I just feel like people are focusing on the results of the crashes and making things out to be a lot more than it actually was.

Andy Brumbaugh

RM: I watched the replay 20 times and I didn’t see much movement from RHR. Like I wrote last week, I don’t think Will did anything malicious but maybe misjudged the closing rate on the fastest part of the front straightaway. And nobody was going to get inside, he was out at the edge of the track. But hitting someone in the left rear at 160mph comes with some responsibility, so I thought his penalty was more than fair.

Q: You fielded several questions last week from fans critical of Will Power's driving at RA, and I think your responses were spot-on. I can't argue too strongly with the penalty issued against him because of the outcomes for Ryan Hunter-Reay and Graham Rahal, but as you pointed out, it was clearly unintentional and largely the result of the unusually slow start. Power has been the outright fastest driver in IndyCar over the past decade, but sometimes he can be his own worst enemy when he gets rattled. I really hope RP sticks with him. With another season or two, he will be the all-time IndyCar pole winner and top five on the winners list. Certainly Roger wants a piece of that, right?

Alan, St. Petersburg, FL

RM: Good question Alan. We believe WP’s contract is up at the end of this season and it appears R.P. wants to move Scott McLaughlin into IndyCar, so it could be a matter of whether it’s Power or Pagenaud (who may have an option year remaining, but who’s option?) moved aside. There is no doubt Will is still as fast as anyone, but The Captain is always looking ahead.

Q: Will Power is an extremely talented, dedicated, professional driver. Does anyone believe he wants to be sitting at this point in the season with barely more than 50% of the points Dixon now carries? Does he look to think the world owes him any special treatment on or off track? I think not. May any driver press a little too hard at times? Great racers are optimists, just as are the best hitters in Major League Baseball: they may all get out in six out of every 10 plate appearances, but they still expect to (and do) get a lot of key hits. When a winning open-wheel driver assesses the on-course traffic and situation, they don’t often plan to push an opponent off track in any location, let alone in the more dangerous settings. What say you?

Rick in California

RM: I agree, he was pushing hard at the start and ^%$ happens but RHR paid the price and WP was penalized. He’s winless after five races, so is he pressing? Possibly, but he had the Indy GP in hand before a bad pit stop, and was going to win Road America before getting beat out of the pits on the last stop, so it’s not like he’s lost anything. Besides a lot of points and some sleep.

Q: Heard Marshal’s podcast with R.P. on Indy Lghts – very interesting. Require each Leaders Circle team field a Lights car, use an old IndyCar chassis and detuned motor. R.P. talked about bringing midget and sprint guys into the series. Could this be the start of guys getting to Indy like the old days? I wonder if R.P. is thinking that bringing the short track guys to Indy would help build the IndyCar fan base – Indiana Midget Week had packed stands and great racing, and the Chili Bowl just keeps getting bigger and bigger. He did not mention RTI. I wonder if it really makes sense to have that ladder system – USF2000, Indy Pro, and then Lights – all of which suck up tons of money, and the scholarships don’t even cover the cost of the alleged next step. Dan Anderson better beware – his cheese is about to be moved. Your thoughts on getting young guys to IndyCar?

Tom, Michigan

RM: Roger said he had a plan for Lights, and since there is no market for old Indy cars, it’s certainly intriguing. But there still needs to be smaller steps up the ladder, even if something like that was adopted. And I’d love to see Kody Swanson, Justin Grant, Tyler Courtney and Chris Windom get a shot at Indy, but there’s no guarantee any of today’s IndyCar owners (except Ed Carpenter) would consider them. There are a host of really talented young guys in IndyCar right now, but I’m all for a few USAC stars being added to the list. But don’t discount Andersen; he’s kept RTI going and I think R.P. values his contributions.

Q: I am surprised at the seeming lack of buzz or enthusiasm for Ferrari as a potential third engine manufacturer. Is this because you don’t think it will happen/fatigue from the long-courtship and false starts around a third engine manufacturer? Getting Ferrari to be a third engine manufacturer would seem to be a huge deal. I am sure IndyCar, Honda and Chevy would welcome the new investment, and Ferrari is an absolute marquee name with terrific resources. Andretti Autosport would seem like a natural pairing. Please let us know how real the possibility is of Ferrari joining as a third engine manufacturer, and would they consider running a team too?

Andrew H., Chicago

RM: I think people got a lot more excited when they saw that R.P. admitted he was talking to Ferrari, so it’s a lot more real than anything we’ve seen in the past few years. But I don’t know anyone at Ferrari so have no idea who they might consider, or if they would be allowed to run a team. But, as The Captain said, stay tuned.

Q: The doubleheaders these last two weekends have been great. Any chance that with less tracks on the schedule next year we see more of them? It would give more bang for the buck to spectators, and make 20 races a possibility. Also, how is Alex Palou without a sponsor yet? How does Dale Coyne keep him going?

Bob Akerman

RM: NBC likes the idea of IndyCar/NASCAR doubleheaders so I think we’ll see a couple of those, and as far as IndyCar, it all depends on which tracks return and which ones might desire a doubleheader. My information is that Palou brought a nice seven-figure check to Mr. Coyne.

Q: Love the doubleheaders; I am sure the mechanics, not so much. Any word if we might have more than the Detroit race next year as a doubleheader? We are a month away from the 500; how many cars do we have going for the 33 spots?

Ron, Toronto

RM: I don’t know, way too early to ask. But I imagine Road America would entertain the concept again. IndyCar says 34-36 cars at IMS.

Q: I think the IndyCar points system is awful. Points are awarded right down to last place, and the gaps in points awarded from a win to a middling finish are too narrow. A driver with two seventh-place finishes (who watching cares?) would top a driver with win and a DNF. Consistency should be rewarded, but champions should be winners, not regular midfield finishers. Dixon has dominated this season with three wins, yet he's a couple of DNFs away from being behind Colton Herta, whose best is fourth. The system keeps title races tight, but like the abominable 'double points' finale, it is annoying and artificial. It demeans the championship. What do you think?

Jenkins, Canada

RM: I always liked the old F1 system because it only rewarded consistent performance (top six) but I understand IndyCar wants to have a playoff-like system for obvious reasons. I simply hate double points at the season finale. Hokey and unnecessary – it doesn’t make one more person watch NBC.

Q: Now that the ticket holder surveys are in, what are the chances for someone to get a single ticket for the Indianapolis 500 this year that wasn't already a ticket holder? Second quick question, how good was Peter Revson at Indy? He's one of the few Americans to win in F1, and if memory serves me correctly, he would have driven for Penske in 1974 in the car Mike Hiss qualified on the outside of the front row. Had it not been for that fateful day in South Africa, one has to think what could've been.

Todd J. Burnworth, Fort Wayne, IN

RM: Yes, you can go online right now and buy a single ticket. Revson was obviously damn good and well respected in USAC, F1 and sports cars. He was scheduled to drive for R.P. before losing his life that March.

What might Revson have achieved with Penske? Image by Motorsport Images

Q: Will teams be able to block off all the intake/vents for the aeroscreen for qualifying at Indianapolis? In the past we have seen helicopter tape sealing many areas of the car.

Javier, Coral Gables, FL

RM: From IndyCar’s Bill Pappas: “The nose ducts are not an option at Indy. The duct we used at Iowa would most likely not be an option because it impacts drag and downforce. The helmet duct most likely will be mandatory, we would allow the opposite side helmet duct an option. The vents under the windscreen must be run fully open.”

Q: Is it just… I’ll call it ‘pandemic rust’, or is there something else causing the staggering amount of slip-ups and rather large mistakes on pit lane this year?

Eric Z, Lancaster, NY

RM: Good question, but it’s been obvious there have been more unforced errors on pit stops this season that any I can recall.

Q: I know you placed a moratorium on Marco Andretti racing questions, but if you would indulge me and allow one that is not strictly racing related, I would appreciate it. While watching the Saturday morning practice session from Road America on NBC Gold they showed a new prototype air vent that was being tested by three teams. Marco was one of the three drivers testing the vent, and when they showed him sitting in his car on pit lane, they had a close-up and I noticed he had a sticker of a pineapple on the top of his helmet. I am wondering if that is something that he has always had, or is he wearing it as a tribute to Alex Zanardi? As always, thank you for your time and consideration.

Matt Fletcher

RM: Good eyes. Yes, Marco is honoring/celebrating/pulling for Zanardi as he recovers from his critical head injuries. The pineapple was Alex’s signature sign when he ran CART.

Q: Had some accommodation for Laguna Seca booked, but decided to cancel before having to pay in full which was by July 18. Not knowing if spectators will be allowed by the state of California or Monterey County by race day was just to chancy, plus all individual hospitality tickets were withdrawn. We were leaning towards the Flagroom just to have a place to park ourselves plus (food and drink perks for old people) and explore the track from there. So no Indy race trip this year, but looking at Road America next year. How much of the RA track can you get around on the pedestrian path I noticed on the broadcast? Hope to see you working a race soon. Miss the pit run interviews.

Jeff, Florida

RM: If you rent a golf cart (and do it as early as possible because they sell out quickly) you can drive around the whole track and it’s spectacular. I’ll probably only work Indy, but thanks for missing the elderly.

Q: Afraid to tell you that you may have missed an opportunity to educate someone on the history of open-wheel racing. Ryan from Michigan stated that we could possibly have more F1 drivers come to the States like Mario and Nigel when he asked his question about Vettel (agree with your answer, Vettel would be bored and he appears not to be much of a team player).

As you well know, but what is not known to those not up on open-wheel history, is that Mario emigrated to the U.S. from what is currently Croatia after Italy lost territory in the aftermath of WW2. He settled in Nazareth, Pa., near the old Langhorne Speedway, and cut his teeth on oval dirt track racing as a teenager (along with Aldo). Particularly midgets and sprints. He then got to Indy, won the 500, then in the mid-'70s went to F1. Came back after a bittersweet time in F1 and stayed in Indy car until retirement. Please think about expanding on your answer. Just afraid that IndyCar does not get the credit it deserves for developing the greatest driver of all time not named A.J.

BTW – They better have fans at the Indy 500, or I begin the recall petition for every elected official in Indiana who gets in the way

Greg R. (transplanted Hoosier living in Ashburn, VA)

RM: I think the fact Emmo, Nigel, Piquet, Fabi, Gugelmin, Blundell and Alonso all either gave Indy or IndyCar a shot is proof they respected the series and what it takes to race at IMS. But times have changed, and other than Fred, I just don’t see any of today’s F1 regulars having that desire. And Mario’s time in F1 was more sweet than bitter.

There's no shortage of highlights from Mario's F1 career. Image by Phipps/Motorsport Images

Q: I smiled sarcastically at Jimmie Johnson wanting to try some IndyCar road racing. The winningest race car driver in the world right now is Kyle Larson, having won 25 of 33 races across three disciplines since May. In a 300-mile road race Larson would lap Johnson. Who is going to step up and put Larson in and IndyCar? Ganassi gave him terrible cars for years in NASCAR – not that they've improved much – and held onto Larson by dangling an IndyCar seat. Hate to call Foyt's camp second tier, but that would be a place to start.

Richard C.

RM: I’ve said all along that I think Tony Stewart will sign Kyle, but don’t know if it’s going to be for NASCAR or the World of Outlaws. Would Stew bring him to Indy? Possibly. Hopefully. But Larson just mopped up in Pennsylvania, and I’m not sure if he wants to go back to stock car racing.

Q: Last week there was a question about the turbines in 1968. I have a couple of follow-ups. It is my understanding that Parnelli Jones decided to retire rather than drive the 1967 turbine in 1968. Sure the '68 wedge cars looked better and were probably faster, but had any development work been done on the '67 car, or had it just been garaged since the previous year’s race? I would think with a little development and better luck, Parnelli may have won in 1968 with the older car.

The other question is: with Clark, Spence, Stewart and Weld out of the seats, was there any consideration of putting Parnelli in a '68 Lotus yurbine?

Bruce Kerr, Philadelphia

RM: In Bones Bourcier’s excellent book (As A Matter of Fact I Am Parnelli Jones), Rufus admits Andy Grantelli and Firestone were pressuring him to drive the ’67 turbine in the ’68 race, but after seeing the new wedge designs he came to the conclusion the old car would be too slow and the new one didn’t look safe. There was no development work to speak of on the ’67 model, and Joe Leonard crashed it so he went into one of the '68s. Not sure if Parnelli was offered a ride in one of the new cars, but he never mentioned it.

Q: Just saw the movie Born Racer about Scott Dixon on Netflix. It is a great movie about IndyCar (huge upgrade on Driven). I also saw on Amazon that there are two new documentaries about F1 racers; Tommy Byrne and Niki Lauda. I feel that if more movies, documentaries, and shows were created about IndyCar history, that would help new (young) fans understand and appreciate the allure of the sport. Although I do not know much about Bill Vukovich, all I know is that he should have won Indy in 1952; did win in 1953 and 1954; and was crushing the field in 1955 when he crashed and died. The idea that someone could have won the Indy 500 four times in a row before A.J. Foyt turned a lap there makes me want to learn more about that racer. Who would you like to see have movies/documentaries made about? (Give us top three of well-known drivers and top three of less-known drivers)?

Arvind Mahadevan, Peoria, AZ

RM: Vuky would be a good one, but unfortunately hardly anyone who raced against him or worked him is still alive and he wasn’t real talkative, so it might be a short feature. Adam Friedman and I pitched ESPN about a 30 for 30 on Alex Zanardi about eight years ago and they told us they were booked for the next five years, but he certainly would be at the top of my list. A.J. would make a good one, and Dan Gurney. Then Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Jan Opperman.

Q: Did Charlie Brown’s in Speedway close? Also, with Chuck Hulse’s passing, who is still alive that drove both front-engine and rear-engine cars at Indy? Thanks for all you do.

Ralph, Indianapolis

RM: It’s set to re-open Aug. 3, according to the note on the front door. A.J., Parnelli, Uncle Bobby, Johncock and Rutherford are the last living warriors to race front- and rear-engine cars at Indy.

Q: I'm so sorry to hear of the passing of Chuck Hulse, another driver I watched in my youth. I met him several times at the HoF dinner and he was always delighted to talk to a fan that saw him race. I remember seeing him on TV at Trenton when the big cars came there, and his incident with Troy Ruttmann on the backstretch of the old mile. It looked like an ever so slight touch by Chuck, but it sent Troy flipping and, from what I've heard, led to his retirement from racing. My dad was there that day, and he thought it was the end for Troy. I enjoyed meeting him and offer my condolences to his family. Did you know him?

Jim Mulcare, Westbury, NY

RM: Got his autograph a couple times at dirt races, but never really met him. Everyone says he was the salt of the earth and a damn good sprint car driver.

Roadsters were very much heading out of fashion by 1965, but Gordon Johncock still managed to front-engine his way to fifth in that year's Indy 500. Image by IMS

Q: Any chance you remember Andy Brown (I think that was his name), the Indianapolis Racers goaltender and sprint car racer who raced with his false teeth out, but he carried them in the cockpit? I would like to nominate him for a Tough Guy segment!

Jim

RM: Of course I remember that crazy man, the last goalie to play pro hockey without a mask. His face looked like a relief map of the USA with all his scars, but he was as brave in a dirt car as he was on the rink. I went with him to the Indiana State Fairgrounds one night for a USAC race and he’d never been on dirt or a track that big, but he hustled that car down into the corner like a veteran. Problem with making him a Tough Guy segment is I’m not sure of how many times he even raced or where, and also not sure he’s still alive, so I don’t have much to go on.

Q: That car lift at IMS was supposed to have worked as far back as Tony George's updates when he fixed the track up 10-15 years ago. Apparently it took The Captain to actually make it work. It was installed, I remember hearing about it, and then… it didn't work and all victory celebrations were on the ground. This to me was a very public statement about the operation of IMS now. It's in better hands.

Bill Bailey

RM: The old lift that was constructed when the podium was built still exists. It didn’t rise to the top (only about 75%). It was used for some years in the early 2000s. IMS will use it this year as a photo platform for photographers to capture victory celebration on the podium.

Q: I received an email advertisement from Doak Ewing, the proprietor of Rare Sportsfilms, who sells vintage racing DVDs at the Indy 500 Memorabilia Show on the Saturday before the race. His email mentioned that the memorabilia show (slated for August 22) has been cancelled. So this year we fans are relegated to browsing Indy collectibles on the National Indy 500 Collector’s Club website or searching eBay for cool collectible memorabilia to purchase. I collect Indy 500 ticket stubs as if they are baseball cards. What Indy 500 stuff do/have you collected over the years? What Indy swag catches your eye?

Mark, Altus, Oklahoma

RM: I’ve got 5,000 photos and every book ever written on Indy, but my only real treasure was Jim Hurtubise’s pit board from 1964 and I lost it. Old helmets and goggles would be cool, but they get pretty pricey. Thanks for the info.

Q: The All-Star Race was a bit of snooze, but Bristol looks to have potential if they made the race a bit longer, allowed for practice and maybe add another 100 laps, it seemed to go by so fast. The lights under the cars were strange and I’m not sure the relevance. I think NASCAR and Indy cars look fantastic racing under the lights just as they are. What’s your thoughts? I’m sure Indy executives took notice; not sure they would implement something similar.

Jed Blake, Boulder City, NV

RM: I think everyone is in agreement that an IndyCar race under the lights is always a little more intense to watch because the track cools off and the cars look 20mph faster. That’s why Iowa wanted to go back to a night show and Texas always insists on a night race. Gateway got shuffled to Sunday but wants to go back to Saturday night in 2021.

Q: Wow, a complete Mailbag without any mention of my favorite subjects, so I feel obligated to ask. Does the aeroscreen affect the future ability to use the digital display panel on ovals like Milwaukee and Phoenix? Will excessive cockpit heat impact the raceability of the cars during a shared race weekend with IMSA at Watkins Glen? Maybe if they resolve these issues it can help secure a promoter for Cleveland? I’ll also suggest that IndyCar do a trial run of sharing more weekends with NASCAR, but do it on iRacing first and invite Alonso to see if it works for the TV audience and if the drivers can behave. Do you think there would be more chassis manufacturers if there was an apron?

DA, Chicago

RM: What better way to end this week’s Mailbag than with a smile. Nicely done, DA.