Robin Miller's Mailbag for August 12, 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: Back in March, I wrote that as a person for whom the Indy 500 is the high spot of my year, I had nonetheless come to be accepting of its cancellation for 2020 if that became necessary. You responded, “Why would you think it’s going to be cancelled?” I didn’t say that I thought it was going to be cancelled, but I did think that cancellation was a very real possibility as the pandemic took hold.

Since that time, we have seen the 500 moved to August, crowd capacity cut to 50 percent, then to 25 percent, and then to zero. The purse has been halved. With the race just days away, there is legitimate concern about having a full field of 33. I now say, although far too late, that this horse should have been shot. Cancellation for 2020, and coming back for 2021 with the May traditions intact, with fans in the stands, with a full purse and with a full field, would have been the better option.

Bob in NJ

RM: Just read what Bobby Rahal had to say in my Monday column about sponsorships and what cancellation would have meant. Not having Indy cripples IndyCar. And there are 33 cars.

Q: I would not have been surprised if they had cancelled the Indy 500. We are going through a global crisis with this pandemic. We went through a world crisis in World War I and World War II. They cancelled the races through the war years. This pandemic is not the Speedway’s fault. But what I don’t understand is running the 500 without fans? What’s the point? TV ratings? Sponsorship contracts? What? I think running races without fans is absurd. Sorry, but I’m a little put off about it. The coronavirus is not the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s fault, but if you can’t have people there safely then cancel it.

Matt Sutton

RM: It’s painful to think about Indy and no fans, but what’s more painful is to think about no IndyCar series and losing teams if Indy isn’t run this month. As Bobby Rahal said, it would have required teams to give back a lot of money so yes, it’s about trying to keep sponsors placated because nobody can afford to lose one right now.

Q: I need to shout because of what the Indy Star is writing about the 500. Roger Penske probably did the right thing on the no fan decision, but the Star has attacked the 500 again and again for even trying to open, and then said this: "People are dying from the coronavirus, but at least the 2020 Indianapolis 500 won't be the thing that killed them" – Gregg Doyel. Really! Of all the things to say about such a great organization and the cornerstone of Indy (the city). Everyone from the past owners and now owner R.P., has done everything they could to make it happen, but the Star has pounded and pounded them like they were criminals. I just don't get it. The 500 is everything to Indianapolis. I have been going to the race since high school in 1971, and I missed in 2004 because I was in Iraq. I served for my country, but not for this rhetoric.

Michael Yarber, Smyrna, TN

RM: Thankfully I quit taking The Star a couple years ago because it’s not the Indianapolis paper anymore – it’s a melting pot of opinions from people with no connection to or passion for the city. I was critical of IMS at times during my 33 years at The Star but I knew what it meant to the city and what it did for the overall economic development and profile. Roger Penske did everything he was asked to try and pull it off and deserves praise, but instead got cheap shots.

It'll be a different-looking scene at the finish of this year's 500, but it'll still be a career-defining moment for one of the 33 starters. Gavin Baker/Motorsport Images

Q: If you can hazard a guess on revenue lost at this point between limited crowds, no crowds and cancellations, what do you figure it would be? The Indy 500 is a good example of a race that would make wheelbarrows of money, especially at 300,000 paying customers on Sunday.

Matthew, Jackson, Ohio

RM: If you are conservative and take $100 per ticket times 200,000 seats, that’s $20 million with leasing a suite or selling a hot dog, a beer or a program. I think it was a $30 million hit for The Captain.

Q: Do you see a scenario where Roger Penske throws in the towel on the 2020 IndyCar Season after the 500 is run? Gateway looks iffy with potential restrictions due to COVID-19, with no races until October after that. It’s like boxing, where you have a great champion in Penske, but on this particular night your opponent has your number. Should you allow yourself to continue to get battered relentlessly, or throw the towel in so you can survive and fight another day? That’s what COVID-19 is doing is doing to IndyCar.

Nobody really wants to see two more IMS road course races because that track provides some pretty dull racing, and we’ve already been there earlier in the season. When it comes to St. Pete, that race depends on Green-Savoree’s situation and where COVID-19 sits with Florida come October. I really can’t see them constructing a track again and promoting it, and hitting even more unforeseen and expensive issues. I know Penske has to hit the magic number 14 for races because of NTT Data and team’s sponsors and other contractual commitments, but it’s looking more and more that it’s an extremely tall order.

Geoff Roberts, Unionville

RM: Not at all. I see him doing whatever it takes to get to 14 races and trying to keep IndyCar relevant in its roughest season ever. The Captain is a racer, a fighter and a force of nature, and has already shown us he’s in it for the long haul.

Q: I know you will get a thousand letters with the same(ish) question, but do you think it was irresponsible for Mr. Penske to say he would not run the 500 without fans and continue to push selling tickets when it was very evident to everyone that that would be a very iffy thing to pull off by August? People who bought tickets in good faith now cannot get refunds. People have spent hundreds or thousands on accommodations, transportation, parking, etc., on his word that the race would not run without spectators. I believe today’s decision is the right one, but I don’t think he should have ever made his earlier claims.

Mitchell Stacy

RM: No, because he meant it, and he spent weeks and weeks working on a plan that had the blessing of health officials and looked to be very doable. But something happened to make him pull the plug, and I don’t believe it was his decision -- I think he took one for the team, as they say. But with things opening back up in July and IMS dropping the max capacity to 25 percent, I was optimistic he could pull it off. Of course the downside is the money spent on airfares, hotels, etc., but I’m not really sure how many people were making a long trek. IMS said roughly 70,000 tickets were redistributed but I’d wager most were Midwest fans, so hopefully not too much damage done.

Q: I can't say I was surprised when I received the email from IMS saying that there will be no fans at this year's Indy 500. I just really appreciate everything that Roger Penske, Mark Miles, Doug Boles, Jay Frye and everyone at IMS and IndyCar have done so we could even have a season. My friends and I have been wondering how this would have been different under previous ownership? (And this is not a knock against the Hulman-George family). Thankfully Penske & Co will navigate these troubled times, and who better to be at the helm than The Captain!

I think that instead of bitching, moaning and complaining the IndyCar fans need to rise up, tune in as much as possible and help deliver to Roger and everyone associated with our favorite sport the best damn television numbers they have ever seen!  It's the best way we can say "thank you" for their efforts during this freaking pandemic. I for one will be tuned on NBC, NBCSN, IndyCar Pass etc., and can't wait to come back to IMS next year to see what Roger & Co have done to the old place!

Scott St. Clair, Erie, PA

RM: I don’t know that Tony George and his sisters would have had the mindset to pour in millions to keep IndyCar going after the millions they spent on the Indy Racing League and putting open-wheel back together, and who could blame them? The perfect person wound up with IMS and the series, and I’m not sure IndyCar would have survived without The Captain during the past eight months.

Sounds like pretty much everyone is happy to have The Captain navigating IndyCar through some very choppy waters. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: I would appreciate your honest opinion about something. Just how bad would the situation be for IndyCar and IMS if the Hulman/George family still owned the Speedway and the IndyCar series? My gut tells me it would be dire. Too many mouths feeding at the trough. My understanding of Tony Hulman is that he ran the Speedway as a separate business. He invested a lot of money up front in the Speedway, but he lived off income from other sources and plowed most if not all the Speedway money back into the Speedway for many years. Perhaps in later years he was able to take some money out, but by then the Speedway was self-sufficient. Obviously, Roger is the exact same way. He doesn't need the Speedway to support his lifestyle. The family, on the other hand, relies almost entirely on the trust funds for their livelihoods. Yes, some of them work in various ways and yes there are other non-Speedway oriented sources of income for the family, but IMS was a large part of their income, from what I understand.

With IndyCar probably being a cash drain for the past several years, the Speedway and the income generated from the 500 and 400 was left to cover IndyCar's financial shortfall and ‘feed the family.’ Ergo, I say if the family still owned IndyCar and the Speedway, things overall would be in dire straits. I don’t have any inside knowledge, this is just my gut feeling.

Ultimately I think that the sisters would have been more than happy to let IndyCar die (in order to stop the cash drain) and live off one race a year (Brickyard) or two if they could still muster up an Indy 500. TG may have been against it, but he would have been outnumbered. I know this sounds crazy, but desperate people do desperate things during desperate times. And finally, I think that if the family didn't sell it to Roger last year, they would have ended up selling to the France family this year or next. Just my two cents.

JRT

RM: None of us know what the Hulman trust said or what the terms of the sale were, but it was Tony George’s idea to ask R.P. if he was interested in buying it and that gave IndyCar a future. You say you have no inside knowledge but then you say the Hulman/George family was desperate, which I find interesting. Nobody loves IMS more than TG, but there was plenty of family turmoil at the end of the IRL days so selling it was probably the best thing. And there was another potential buyer in the Speedway, but I don’t think it was NASCAR. But TG looks like a genius for selling when he did.

Q: In your Monday article you had a quote from Bobby Rahal stating “I’ve said all along, thank God we’ve got Roger, and if he hadn’t come up with doubleheaders, we’d have lost some sponsors along the way.” I’ll raise one more thought for the racing public to chew on: imagine if this season played out the way it has (COVID-19) under the leadership of the Hulman-George family? No one likes what is going on. But the racing that we have had has been as good as always, with Road America really carrying the load for some unbelievable racing. But could you imagine if Roger Penske had not purchased IMS and IndyCar? The coffin would have been in the ground and the last nail hammered in.

Brandon Stevens, California

RM: I’m not sure anyone but R.P. could have kept this thing going (or had the passion to keep it going), and I think everyone is very appreciative that T.G. sold it to The Captain.

Q: Back in November 2019, shortly after the announcement Roger Penske and Penske Entertainment were purchasing IMS and its related assets, there was some talk of Penske Entertainment taking on additional investors and establishing an oversight board. Since then I have heard nothing on either the additional inventors or the board. Do you know of anything on this you can share?

Mark S. Graham, Naperville, IL

RM: I haven’t heard a thing, but wouldn’t John Menard be a good silent partner?

Q: What happened to R.P. saying no fans, no race even if it meant moving the race to September-October? R.P. doesn’t get that for many fans like myself, their consecutive race streak is a badge of honor – me since 1982. Perhaps R.P. didn’t hear Little Al say after winning “you just don’t know what Indy means.” I know there are those who say it isn’t worth the risk, I get that so they should stay home and the rest of us take the risk knowingly and get to enjoy our annual pilgrimage to the hallowed grounds. A man is only as good as his word.

Danny Fow

RM: R.P. actually never said that, I think it was Mark Miles, but we all assumed that would be the plan until we found out it wasn’t going to work for television in October. I think Penske has shown his commitment and then some during the past six months, but I know he’s not happy there won’t be fans on Aug. 23.

Q: 2020 will go down as one big excrement sandwich, on so many levels. My race attendance schedule has been destroyed this year. One of the few bright spots in the racing world is that IndyCar is being steered by The Captain. I really am extremely grateful to him and his entire organization for their dedication and commitment (that also means cash) to the sport I love. As for any nattering nabobs of negativity out there, they can piss off. See what I did there? A little British vulgarity in honor of our international friends.

Brian Bristo, stuck in London, Canada

RM: I was talking with Rick Mears this morning about how insane it is that people are throwing down on R.P. after all he’s done so far in 2020 to keep IndyCar afloat. But even as powerful and smart as he is, he cannot control the pandemic and restrictions it brings, he’s just trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Hopefully by next season we'll be back to something resembling normal, and fans like this lucky kid will again have the opportunity to experience special moments at the track. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: I have a strong desire to kick in $50 towards the Indy 500 purse. I'm so glad IndyCar has R.P. at the helm that I'm willing to do my small part to show my appreciation for him and the teams. Do you think there is enough others out there like me that it would it pay to try organize some type of crowdfunding towards the purse? I have no problem spending $50 weekly to take my family to Slinger Super Speedway for some short track action. I watch Indy for free, I feel like doing my part for Indy as I do for my local tracks.

Craig Claerbout, Slinger, USA, (and not too far from Road America)

RM: That’s a very kind gesture and suggestion, but with all the people struggling to keep jobs or find one, probably not a good time to be asking for donations to a rich man’s game. A longtime fan named Bob Strawser has the same idea and it just seeks like the timing isn’t right. But keep supporting Slinger, what a great track.

Q: Essentially I get to attend next year for free. This year’s fee will be applied to next year’s tickets, and I will be watching from home free of charge. So here is a challenge to the 160,000 ticket holders as of March 1. Donate $100 to the prize fund. It will take 75,000 of us to make up the $7.5 million. Robin, get the ball rolling on this.

Richard Hollingshead

RM: You fans have been patient, tolerant and supportive in the face of all this uncertainty, and like I said in the letter above yours, just don’t feel comfortable asking anyone to donate money when so many people are struggling. But I admire your passion.

Q: Are any practice days available for the public or is the entire facility closed to fans every day?

Jon S.

RM: Closed every day. Sorry.

Q: What is the plan if the Indy 500 gets rained out August 23rd?

Bob Gray, Woodland Hills

RM: Next available day – Aug. 24.

Q: Has IndyCar floated the idea if more then 33 cars enter this year’s Indy 500, letting then all race? As crazy as this year has been and the fact there won’t be fans, why not let everyone who enters run the race? I assume there is enough pit space for more then 33 since NASCAR has 40 plus.

Brad Heuer, Idaho

RM: I imagine if 34 showed up they might start 'em all, but that will not be an issue.

Q: Are you aware of what they'll be doing at the Speedway besides the race itself? How much pre-race hoopla will be retained? The marching bands will be out, but will they still release the balloons, have an invocation, and above all, have someone sing 'Back Home Again, In Indiana' over those acres of empty grandstands? I'm from Canada and visit Indiana just two days a year, but that song, floating out over a massive packed grandstands under a big Midwest sky, gives me the chills every time.

A. Jenkins

RM: I don’t believe the order of the day has been posted yet but there won’t be any balloons and I can’t imagine having too much entertainment for all those empty seats. Maybe just a good rendition of “Back Home Again in Indiana” for NBC.

Q: Any chance the Speedway is going to follow baseball’s lead and allow fans to submit pictures for cardboard cutouts to fill the stands? They could even donate all the proceeds to a charity.

Dustin, KS

RM: From IMS president Doug Boles: “We’ve had a lot of people ask about that over the last week or so. At this point, we have made the decision to leave the seats empty until the real fans can sit back in them in 2021.”

Q: Major League Baseball has been doing it this season, how about IMS offering fans cutouts for sale for the 500? I know they like the ads banners, but what about Mount Rushmore of Indy 500 banners in all corners starting with all the four-time winners first? Great way to honor past winners, and fans can add their cutouts of family members, or even past ones. It’s not the ideal 500 this year but let’s make the best of it!

James Thomas

RM: Also from Boles: “We will likely do a couple of banners. However, if we do them, they will be focused upon Racing Capital of the World theme and maybe a couple of others. We essentially have to start printing them immediately in order to get them installed. We already have some IMS color banners up (where lower rows on Tower Terrace had been removed) and an America flag banner (driver’s right entry to T1 where it is bare concrete).”

Q: What do you think of the possibility of IMS eventually holding a round of the Formula E series, either on the road course or (as a first in the series overall) running the 2 1/2-mile oval? I recognize that the top speed of today's E-Prix cars is about 175mph, and 200 for an Indy Lights car. But I'd think improvements in technology could add speed to the electric racers. Think people will come see these cars on an oval?

Al Mattei, formerly of Trenton, NJ

RM: I can’t imagine anyone coming to IMS to watch race cars that make no noise (the turbine had a distinct whoosh), and I can’t imagine Formula E spending the money to beef up their chassis to run an oval.

Q: Helio wants to come back to IndyCar. Awesome! But from what he has said, it appears his hopes of a fourth Penske car have been vetoed. Which seats are his realistic options for 2021? Does he bring any funding? Perhaps he can partner with Hinch and co-own Team Two-Step so both Dancing with the Stars alumni have a ride.

IndySteve in Redding, CA

RM: No idea what kind of options will be out there for 2021, but if he brings a sponsor I can promise you he’ll have a ride. He’s still got that desire and is in fabulous shape, but it’s going to be difficult to find anything comparable to what he’s had since 2000.

Helio's happy place. Motorsport Images

Q: So, we get through this year and start looking ahead. In a RACER article last week, Helio said he wants to continue racing and is open to different series. He also talks of IndyCar and would really like to win Indy a fourth time. He would love to race for The Captain, but understands that it may not happen. He sounds open to driving for someone else (a prospect I think I remember you have discounted in the past). Do you think Helio really meant he would drive for another Indy team? If so, do you see any opportunities for him (I assume he would need to bring a checkbook), and, if so, with what team(s)?

Kevin Eads

RM: He knows it won’t be with Team Penske, but at this point nobody knows that line-up for 2021 except Newgarden. I think Helio is serious about coming back to IndyCar, it’s just not going to be easy to find the kind of ride he’s used to. And I discounted it because I’m pretty sure his contract wouldn’t allow it.

Q: I’m beyond happy to have races this year given all that’s going on. However I don’t know how excited I am for three Indy GPs in one year. I would, however, be really interested in a second oval race at the Speedway. Not necessarily another 500. Maybe a 400, 325, 250. Or a twin 125. Your thoughts?

Shawn, Maryland

RM: Hell no. One oval race a year, with feeling, is all we need. That’s one of the few traditions still standing.

Q: My understanding is that Portland's IndyCar contract was a three-year deal, from 2018 to 2020. With the cancellation of this year's event, will the contract automatically roll over to next year, or do they have to renegotiate it? Is this different for each track with a cancelled 2020 date?

Matt, Bellingham, WA

RM: I don’t know and I’m not about to ask until this 2020 disaster is over for Green/Savoree, because who can predict which races will still be standing for 2021?

Q: I’m a long time Northeastern race fan. I’ve been to all the Nazareth IndyCar, Champ Car and USAC races going back to the days when it was dirt, as well as many of the Trenton and Pocono races. IndyCar racing has been pretty thin around here lately, and we have a racy one-mile oval at Loudon, NH that was built for open-wheel racing just sitting here with one NASCAR Cup date.

With the pandemic hitting the schedule hard this year, and Roger having difficulty get 14 races on the docket, any chance of him joining an existing race weekend at Loudon on September 13th? There’s a big Modified race on the weekend of September 11 & 12. All the track support personnel, concessions and infrastructure will already be there, and NBCSN will already be there for the Modifieds and ARCA Menards race. There is absolutely no major sporting events happening on the 13th (at least nothing that I’ve seen scheduled for NBC), and the NASCAR Cup won’t conflict because they run on Saturday. The NH Governor allowed the NHMS to run the Cup race with fans, and the Modified race is running with fans on September 12. IndyCar on the 13th seems like a natural. What do you think? Would Roger give it a shot?

Joe, Manchester, NH

RM: Pretty late in the game for any track to throw together a race, and with no chance to get a title sponsor and ease some of the expense I seriously doubt it. I will forward your request to R.P. and I think he’s very familiar with how racy Loudon was for Indy cars (the 1993 race between Tracy, Mansell and Emmo was epic), so maybe under the right circumstances IndyCar could return some day.

Q: With a lot of the traditional IndyCar venues cancelling out due to the virus and/or not wanting to run without fans, could there be some non-traditional sites IndyCar could race at? The SCCA ran an annual event at the Studebaker Proving Grounds back in the 1950s, Could IndyCar look at running at Chevy/Ford/Honda/Chryslers various test tracks? As long as safety considerations are up to par, there'd be no question of having fans or not.

How about one of the private 'club' tracks around the country? Heard any talk along those lines to get the season's race count back up? Again, with adequate track safety, you wouldn't need to worry about having fans in or not if IndyCar simply wanted to build up the schedule. As always, great work keeping us all updated and stay safe. I'm sure you'll still find plenty of news bits for us all to argue about.

Aaron Barker

RM: Considering R.P. may not get any sanction fees for 2020 because of co-promoting all the doubleheaders, it’s difficult to imagine seeking out test tracks that offer no chance of payment. Haven’t heard anything about new tracks for 2021, but I think everyone is preoccupied with trying to get to 14 races in 2020.

Q: Here's a headline from Fox Sports. Sad but true: “Space Force sponsors NASCAR driver Ed Carpenter’s car for Indianapolis 500.”

J&T Schwel

RM: Yeah I asked Ed about that, and he took it in stride. “It was nice to get national exposure for my new sponsor, that’s what really mattered,” he said.

He's the pride of Daytona. Joe Skibinski/IMS

Q: I’d like to make a $100 contribution towards the purse for this year’s 500. It’s wonderful that RP is continuing with the race, and the teams too, but the reduced purse will impact everyone. Could you let me know where I can send my check? Keep on keepin’ on, brother.

Don Finch, Chandler, AZ

RM: I sent your note to The Captain and he said to tell you thanks but please apply that $100 to charity.

Q: I have really enjoyed the one-day qualifying/race formats, they remind of the good old days at Milwaukee, and obviously I’m an old guy. I always thought it added excitement and made the drivers use a little more caution when qualifying. Do you think this is something that might stick around next year? I also love the doubleheaders.

Mike Miller

RM: I think IndyCar and the oval tracks have realized one-day shows are the way to go because nobody makes a penny on a separate day for practice/qualifying, and I also think doubleheaders are gaining some steam for 2021.

Q: Just a comment on Jimmie Johnson getting a tryout with Ganassi and the possibility of him doing a couple road races next year. Yes, he is one of the best in NASCAR and he got up to speed quickly, but I imagine any NASCAR driver could climb into an IndyCar and get up to speed in short order. Kurt Busch did extremely well back in '14 at the 500. Jimmie is 44 and there’s a lot of young guns already paying dues and trying to get a tryout themselves.

I know Jimmie could bring sponsor money and maybe get some NASCAR fans to watch the race he’s in, but probably none after that. I think it’s great to let these guys in the other disciplines try it and see what they can do but they don’t need a permanent ride or a couple of road races when there’s too many young open-wheel slingshots in the wings waiting to get on the stage.

Jeff, Florida

RM: We’re not sure that J.J.’s times were (I’ve heard conflicting reports) and you know the only way he’s going to be interested is if he can be competitive. It would be great for IndyCar if he drove in a few races, but I think road racing would be much tougher for him than an oval, which I don’t think he’ll ever run.

Q: Loved your answer about them in last week’s Mailbag about A.J. and Mario. I was fortune enough to have seen them many times back in the day, but A.J. on the Indiana State Fairgrounds Mile was like watching Picasso at work. When he would throw the car sideways (stocker or dirt car) halfway down the straight and then drag the front screen on the inside fence in the corner to knock the dirt off, was a sight to behold. That was car control even JPM would be impressed with! Thanks for all you do.

John T. Feeser, Wilmington, NC

RM: Watching A.J. or Rodger Ward on a mile dirt track was a thing of beauty, and Mario and Al Unser were also quite a sight. And of course it was that diversity that grew the fan base and made the 1960s-70s so badass. The Century 100 stock car race with Foyt, Jones, McCluskey, the Unsers, Hurtubise, Don White and Norm Nelson also showed the art of sliding a big stocker sideways on the dirt.

Q: OK, it seems none of us like double points unless it is for the 500.  But how about scoring Indy 500 qualifying as a race?

Dan, Lima, OH

RM: I hate that idea more than double points.

Q: I am sure you are being bombarded with commentary on no fans being allowed. It breaks my heart as well, as this was to be my 49th straight year of attending. But my question has to do with Indy car memorabilia. You mentioned in a recent Mailbag that not having the show saved you $500 and I can certainly relate. I see you there shopping every year. So my question is, what is your most treasured piece of 500 history? Mine is an original milk bottle from Victory Lane from Johnny Rutherford. The late Jack McKenzie was a dealer who also used to be in charge of delivering the Borg Warner Trophy to Victory Lane – he is in the Victory Lane photos for years holding the trophy. For years, the winner would just hand him the used milk bottles, and he would keep them to sell later. A man ahead of his time as far as collecting souvenirs go.

Michael Blades, Key West, FL

RM: I’ve got a great photo of Dan Gurney and Jim Clark after The Big Eagle ran out of fuel while leading Spa, and he signed it: “Woulda, coulda, shoulda” and it’s such a great shot of two of the best in such a memorable moment. And my Art Pollard trophy from one of his first modified victories is treasured, along with an old Firestone hat that Herk (Jim Hurtubise) gave me and Billy Foster signed.

Clark and Gurney both ran out of fuel at Spa in 1964, but Clark's Lotus 25 was polite enough to wait until just after the Scot had crossed the line in first place before doing so. Motorsport Images

Q: I began reading you in the Indy Star when I was 11 years old in 1968. Been reading your stuff ever since.  Love 'em or hate 'em, every article you write obviously comes from your heart. I know it has to be tough on you not to be at the races. Are you planning on being at the Speedway? If you don't want to because of your health, how about a daily blog from home? It wouldn't be Indy without you, but I don't want you to put your health at risk. You are too valuable to your readers and R.P. for being the person that tells it like it is. If you do go trackside, how about an article or package on R.P.'s improvements in your opinion, and with plenty of photos?

Dave Sutton

RM: It doesn’t look like we’ll be allowed in Gasoline Alley or the pits, so unless I get to help out a little in the booth for practice like I did last year, I’ll just stay home, watch practice on NBC Gold and cover it from my computer. Same for qualifying, and then Marshall, Mark and I will combine for some stories as the week goes on and trade off covering the action. I’ll probably go to the track to do an interview for NBC with A.J. the week of the race and then show up on race day for my 62nd-straight Indy 500. Thanks for your kind words.

Q: Didn't know who to ask, so it's fallen on you (again). Will the Star print qualifying speed charts in the paper or provide one online for fans to follow along? Will there be a race day driver’s lineup section in the paper? I'm way the hell out here in Oregon and always come home for the race. I count on the Indy Star providing those 500 inserts every year and am hoping they will or at least have them on line. Especially the timing chart.

Fred Alig

RM: I don’t take The Star anymore but I don’t believe they do the 11 rows of three like we did for seven decades, and I’m sure there’s no timing chart but I do think there will be a line-up on race day.

Q: I’ve noticed the TV numbers continue to be not what we’d all hoped for. Given that there has been very little competition for sports viewing, there is nowhere to hide. My hope is that the powers that be will realize that the people who watch and attend events are going to no matter what, and those that don’t, same reason. It’s time to stop being so insecure about the product and craft a proper schedule. A proper schedule in my mind would be mid-March to mid-October – Columbus Day at least.

No, ‘Oh, we can’t have Iowa or Mid-Ohio in September because of college football.’ I think both of these events would be significantly better off from a weather standpoint. It’s usually a billion degrees at Mid-Ohio. And yes, Iowa usually gets in, but the chance of thunderstorms in the high humidity days of mid-summer always thwarts my plans on going.

I’m very aware Mr. Penske and crew have their hands completely full with the pandemic and support their efforts 100%, including running the 500 without fans. If those races can’t be moved for my whims or for other more practical reasons, I hope new races can be added past Labor Day. I think three or four would be great. Do you know if there’s any appetite from any corner of the sport to extend the season beyond its current ridiculous one-race-past-Labor Day iteration? Obviously next year is not possible, but maybe for 2022?

Eric Z, Lancaster, NY

RM: I think R.P. will examine the schedule closely and not necessarily follow the recommendations of the past. But obviously the schedule is a compromise between tracks, television and IndyCar, so it’s not always easy to move things.

Q: Due to everything being closed up, I have plenty of time to watch old Indy 500 newsreels and read old editions of the Indianapolis Star. What really stands out when reading editions (at least in the 1950s) was the constant mention of prize money, including laps led prize money. In the Bill Vukovich 1954 Indy-winning car won $74,934.84, which appears to include lap led prize money of $150 per lap. There is a mention in one news article that Vukovich in 1954 raced only one race that year, the 500, due to his winning the 1953 race. There are several mentions that Vukovich was a pay driver. Back in that era, what did drivers receive as part of the prize money? Is there even lap led prize money anymore?

Paul V.

RM: Drivers’ percentage was all over the map in the '50s and '60s, some got 50 percent, some 40 and some less depending on their status. But Parnelli still talks about all the lap prize money he earned in the early '60s because that was a lot of money back then. As for now, here’s Doug Boles: “Last year was $775/lap to lead. Simon Pagenaud got $89,900 in lap prize awards. We have been working each year to drive the overall number up. Our goal this year was to be at $1,000 a lap, but I’m not sure where it will be this year yet.”

Q: I’ve mentioned USAC sprint cars coming to Toledo Speedway back in the day. Somewhere in the 1970s I recall an Offy-powered sprint car driven by Bentley Warren. It was either white or pearl white. I think it carried No. 18 in gold leaf. Warren made it to the feature, but crashed while avoiding an accident on the front straight. Toledo has a figure-8 course in the infield, but in those days it was lined with curbing. Warren hit it sideways and did one barrel roll and landed back on its wheels, but he broke his ankle. Anyway, I’m guessing that this was one of the last Offy-powered sprint cars to run in USAC, if not the actual last. The significance for me is that it is the only Offenhauser that I’ve seen run except for a few in vintage events. Does this bring up any memories for you? I’ve done some searching, but with no results so far.

Don Hopings, Cathedral City, CA

RM: I wasn’t there but Bones Bourcier’s book Wicked Fast details the accident. It was 1971 and Bentley broke both legs, both feet and spent three months in the hospital.

Leading 90 laps en route to victory contributed to a stout payday for Bill Vukovich in 1954. IMS

Q: This past weekend, I was at the FR Americas event at Barber Motorsports Park. I’ve been there several times for the IndyCar races, but this was my first visit for a non-IndyCar event.

Honestly, I was surprised by the level of participation I saw in both F4 and FR Americas; 28 cars for F4 and 13 for FR. Not bad, especially considering that these series have only been around since 2018. I immediately compared that to the Road to Indy, and I found that Indy Lights had only 10 announced entries for 2020 before the season was cancelled, while Indy Pro 2000 has been soldiering along with 17. That got me thinking. Is it wise for there to be two competing open-wheel ladder systems in North America given the current economic climate and state of motorsports? Let’s be honest, prospective owners weren’t exactly jumping over one another to get into motorsports before COVID-19; I can’t imagine that is going to change anytime soon.

Therefore, would it be wise for the SCCA and IndyCar to join forces here and create a single, unified North American open-wheel ladder system? It could provide a stable, sustainable platform for up-and-coming drivers and teams, while affording them more career options by not necessarily forcing them to choose between F1 or IndyCar early on.

Now, I know it’s not as simple as I’m making out. There would be numerous technical, regulatory, and competitive hurdles to overcame before anything like this could come to fruition. But I want to see open-wheel racing in North America survive and prosper, and I know that the Split almost killed it entirely. Rather than directly competing with one another, I think it would be best for all involved if North America’s open-wheel series to worked together whenever possible.

Garrick, Huntsville, AL

RM: I’m all for simplifying the ladder system if possible and I’m confused about all the different formulas myself, but there doesn’t seem to be much interest in anything like a universal formula at the moment. But after 2020 it may become a necessity.

Q: Back in February, Marshall Pruett reported that the boost pressure limit would be increased from the 2019 levels for Indy 500 qualifying. Does IndyCar still plan to move forward with this plan? Is there an anticipated increase of qualifying speeds from the previous five years or will it even out due to the drop in performance from the aeroscreens?

Thanks,

Taylor, Valencia, CA

RM: “Yes, through 2019, IndyCar let teams use 140 millibar (20.3psi) of boost in qualifying for the Indy 500 to post more impressive average speeds. For 2020, teams will have 150mb (21.7psi) in qualifying, and the change is strictly to compensate for the added weight of the aeroscreen (58 pounds). More weight slows a car, so with the extra boost, the goal is to prevent a loss in qualifying speed.” – Marshall Pruett