Robin Miller's Mailbag for September 16, 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: Just wondering if Colton Herta is developing a bit of a reputation? Heard Dixon was upset with his driving in Race 1 at Mid-Ohio, and in Race 2 he did not seem to give Santino any room. If you look at the replays, Herta was a little ahead, but not half a car like he mention in his end of race interview. Then he goes all the way out, and I thought you had to leave a little room. There were several cars that went through side-by-side. I understand Santino was out on the grass. In the TV booth, nothing was said about it.

On another note, not sure what IndyCar can do, but if you are in the lead there does not seem to be a way to pass. The cars just stall out within one or two car lengths. Both Mid-Ohio races were a little bit of a parade.

Richard Glass

RM: Colton hit the pit speed limiter on Saturday, and that’s why he slowed suddenly and Dixie hit him. Both P.T. and Townsend said on air he didn’t give Santino any room when they were watching the first replay. But watch some old tapes of Michael, P.T. or JPM, and tell me about contact or not giving any room. They were masters. Felix Rosenqvist passed Pato O’Ward for the win late in the Road America race and you have the top four drivers within two seconds of each other at the finish of Sunday’s race, so not sure what else you can expect from a narrow track that was built in 1962. Trust me, I’ve seen some parades at Mid-Ohio from Mario and Bobby Rahal, and that was not a parade. Lots of good racing in the pack both days.

Q: After watching two fine races at Mid-Ohio, I continue to be impressed with how good the package of the Dallara chassis, Honda or Chevy engine, and Firestone tires works as a race car. As we can see from the in-car cameras, these cars are always siding around. And I think this is one of the reasons we see such great racing. In IndyCar the skill of the driver still makes a difference, and they have to do this whether it’s on a street circuit, road course, or at the Indy 500. I am old enough to remember the innovative and great racing cars that were designed by people like Carroll Shelby, Jim Hall, Dan Gurney, and Colin Chapman. But what was originally designed as a spec car has turned out to be a really good race car – a car that races better than any series in the world. My hope as we move toward 2022 is that IndyCar doesn’t make changes that would jeopardize the great racing we have all been enjoying. As the old saying goes, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

Rick Schneider, Charlotte

RM: The street and road course packages have been as racy as anything you could hope for during the past several years, and also sturdy so Dallara gets a lot of credit. And Honda and Chevy are about as even as anyone could expect. I don’t think IndyCar will fiddle much with the current car.

He's certainly "developing a bit of a reputation" for being handy in an IndyCar. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: Admittedly, I’m a Santino fan. Can you explain the penalty for “avoidable contact”? Herta left him zero room, he was clearly alongside, the grass is soaking wet, what was he supposed to do? Quit? Unfortunate for the other drivers, but come on IndyCar. That’s BS. “I had to push him off,” Herta was quoted. Really?

Jon Jones, Oologah, OK

RM: Obviously everything happens in a nanosecond and Ferrucci was trying to regain control, but there has to be some consequence for just driving back into the pack and taking out two other drivers. It sucks, because Santino was the show in qualifying and it looked like it was going to be a great day for Dale Coyne with Palou up front as well. Colton didn’t leave much room, no question, but I feared two aggressive kids weren’t backing off regardless.

Q: As a teacher, I raced karts for 10 years on a very limited budget. Number one on my list was, do not tear up equipment. Most of the working class racers in our club felt the same. Then you had the few where money was not a problem. Getting up beside someone and having position going into the corner, usually a guy would give you room or else there would be contact. I said "usually." More often than not, if that guy had deep pockets, he had no problem running you off the track, knowing you would rather do that than risk contact. I liked Herta until Sunday’s start, when he ran the No. 18 off the track and said, "I had to run him off" after the race. No, he didn’t. Deep pockets let him do that. Been there and had it done to me.

JP, OVKA

RM: Not sure that’s really a viable comparison. Herta is on a big team, but don’t think his sponsorship is any better than SealMaster for Ferrucci. He was diving into a corner at 160mph and trying to maintain the lead with Scott Dixon breathing down his neck and Santino pulling alongside, so I seriously doubt he gave any conscious thought to what you’re suggesting.

Q: In Sunday's race, Newgarden could have closed the points gap to Dixon by more than he did if his teammates immediately ahead had backed off and let him past. I'm not a proponent of this tactic, but just wondering why the Penske team didn't do it. Is it simply considered bad form? Would the drivers refuse to comply? Something else?

Jim Garry, Delmar, NY

RM: I can’t recall R.P. ever giving any kind of team orders like that because he believes in letting his drivers race. It probably cost Montoya the title in 2015, but I’ve always liked that philosophy. And it would have only been four points, so I doubt it has much effect on the championship.

Q: The IndyCar season has been pretty good considering this crazy year. What’s your thought on Team Penske not letting Newgarden get two positions at the end of Race 2? If he loses the title by 10 points or so, it will have been a huge mistake.

Craig, Paoli, IN

RM: I like the fact The Captain lets his guys race, and four points isn’t going to make any difference.

Q: I realize the surface at Mid-Ohio is not the best when it gets wet, but it seemed like guys were all over the place in what looked like not-awful conditions for qualifying Sunday morning. Think they were just overly aggressive, or do they need to come up with a little better tire for the wet? I’m sure they don’t want to incur the cost of tire warmers, but the session was hard to watch. Or maybe give them a few extra minutes to run slower for a couple laps, which would be untimed, to allow for the tires to come in a little. Glad it dried out for the race.

Don Weidig

RM: First off, the helicopter couldn’t get in on time so qualifying started 30 minutes late, and that only left two hours before the race, so no thought of adding time. And it poured prior to qualifying, so even though the sun came out and the track was drying, it was still plenty treacherous. When “rainers” like Power and Harvey can’t make one lap, you know it’s tricky and that’s what made Ferrucci’s run so impressive. I don’t hear many complaints about Firestone’s rain tire since it got upgraded a few years ago.

Q: I noticed the events at Mid-Ohio were shortened to 75 laps which is 169 miles, but the title of the races still was the Honda 200. If they are going to run at a distance that is less than the advertised distance in this case, should they adjust the name of the event?

Daniel Bullock

RM: Really? The race is touch-and-go until the last possible minute because of the pandemic and you’ve printed tickets, flyers and advertisements using the Honda 200 long before it was switched to a doubleheader. I doubt if the 6,000 fans noticed or cared, but they seemed happy they got to watch IndyCar racing.

Q: My husband and I have all-access passes as well as bleacher seats for St. Pete. Thought you might have an inside track on how it's looking for fan attendance at season finale. Any word? We recently moved to Fernandina Beach, Florida so can drive down without much notice. When the season-opener was delayed, we were disappointed but saw the silver lining. Optimistically?

Karen Langenberg

RM: I wasn’t at Mid-Ohio but I understand the word around the paddock was that St. Pete is going to happen – just no details yet and whether fans will be allowed. So I’d say as sketchy as things looked a month ago, there is reason for optimism. And NBC is planning on it, so I’d say it’s got the green light.

This is 2020 so who knows what's around the corner, but for now, the chances of St Pete going ahead look reasonably good. Gavin Baker/Motorsport Images

Q: In last week's Mailbag and in your response to John Sims’ question, you made the comment that you are "really concerned about IndyCar and 2021." Would you please elaborate? Do you know something you are not telling us?

Miles, California

RM: I’m simply concerned about sponsorships – keeping the ones that teams have today, or finding new ones since COVID-19 has wrecked so many businesses and forced the layoff of thousands of people. I just can’t imagine a company that has to lay off a third of its workforce after losing a hefty percentage of its business will be able to justify sponsoring a race car.

Q: Why doesn’t IMS run the Harvest GPs on a different road course configuration than the previous GP there? There are multiple configurations they could run, and that course is already incredibly boring. Why not change it up and challenge the drivers? Maybe even run a different configuration for both Harvest GPs! Why not? Obviously there is time and money involved, but why not create a new challenge and give the fans something a little different?

Peter Clarke

RM: I don’t understand you people. There are three places to pass on the current IMS road course setup (Turn 1, Turn 7 and Turn 12) so why would you think there is anything that would be better? After all the money The Captain has spent keeping IndyCar and IMS alive, you want him to spend more on something that won’t sell one extra ticket or make the show better? Let’s just leave it alone.

Q: I'd say that trying out the Iowa and Gateway doubleheader qualifying procedure also at a road course would be an great idea, and showcase even more how consistent drivers can be over two laps on a road course. Has there been any thought of using the similar two-lap qualifying procedure with the first lap setting the field for first race and second setting the field for second race also at road course doubleheaders?

Jymy Ojanen

RM: Gotta disagree. One of the coolest things about a street race or road course weekend in its normal atmosphere is qualifying – getting to the second session and then the Fast Six. Times change constantly and it’s always the last lap before we know who is on the pole. It’s good for TV and the paying customers.

Q: Thinking back to the difference in the two Gateway races (first was pretty competitive, second was follow the leader, as everyone had their settings dialed in). If this same situation came up again in the future (running on the same oval two days in a row), isn’t there something IndyCar could do between the first race and the second race to change the car settings and make the second race more competitive? For example, IndyCar could mandate adding ballast to one corner of the car. Just significant enough that teams would have to revise their suspension and handling settings. Or maybe there’s an aero adjustment that would throw the car settings off just a little bit. Do you think something like this would be helpful to ensure back-to-back competitive oval races in the future?

Brad from Powder Springs

RM: No, IndyCar thinks more mechanical grip and a better tire would be the easiest and best fixes unless you could bank the track more in Turns 3-4, and that would be expensive. Plus, next year will be back to a night race and that also helps.

Q: I just read that the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California is being reconfigured into a half-mile oval. Why? I ask that rhetorically and with deep selfishness. I attended almost every IndyCar race there because IndyCars are the best on a speedway. Now my spiritual home near my actual home is going to be gone! Ontario Motor Speedway – gone after 11 years. Now Fontana is gone without a last IndyCar race. I’m stunned even as I write this. Why not at least a mile oval so maybe – maybe – IndyCar could come back? Please convince me to look upon this change as a good thing. In the meantime I think I'll go drink away my sadness!

Sean Raymond

RM: Fontana has been a stock car track for most of the past 20 years and NASCAR (which owns it) is simply looking for something different to draw more fans since the races aren’t exactly memorable. Auto Club president Dave Allen is a big open-wheel fan, but his job is to make money and IndyCar does not fit that template.

Q: I see that Auto Club Speedway is looking to convert to a short track for NASCAR. Do you think that IndyCar would be interested in getting Fontana back on the calendar for a night race?

Tom, San Diego

RM: A night race in October is about the only thing Fontana might take a swing at, but IndyCar doesn’t want to end the season on the West Coast on NBCSN.

Q: With the news of California/Auto Club being turned into a banked short track that would (more than likely) not be suitable for IndyCar, I feel very disappointed at the lack of ovals for that form of racing. It's really sad to look back on the mid to late '90s to see tracks that were managed by the likes of Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi and Tony George either no longer host any IndyCar race (Chicagoland, Michigan, California) or any race (Nazareth) at this point. I know the answer to this will be "fans didn't attend" and I get that. I myself have been trying to attend every Texas race ever since I moved nearby (and if money/time was more in the equation I want to add Gateway to mix), but it's very sad.

Tobin Enz

RM: Yes, it’s the fate of oval-track racing because there used to be big crowds at Michigan, Milwaukee, Texas and even Fontana in its first few years, but as good as the racing can be, it’s no longer popular with the paying customers. Gateway... sorry, World Wide Technology Raceway, does a great job of trying to give fans non-stop action like a street or road race, but it’s also got the luxury of having an owner like Curtis Francois, a promoter like Chris Blair and a gung-ho sponsor like Jonathan Bommarito.

Q: I’d like to go your thoughts on NASCAR’s plan to demolish the fantastic Fontana speedway and replace it with a half-mile Bristol/Martinsville hybrid. I go every year to the Auto Club 400 and I’ve never gotten tired of seeing the view of that massive track after driving over the bridge on Cherry Ave. I think this will end up killing interest in NASCAR for Southern California somewhere down the line. Next year is the last year for the track. Any chance that we get a last IndyCar race on it?

Gabriel from Victorville, CA

RM: I can’t imagine an IndyCar race at Fontana in 2021, but who knows, maybe they’ll need each other and do some kind of farewell race. But clearly NASCAR is trying to generate interest, and maybe draw short-track fans to a track that started out with so much promise.

A half-mile layout might have helped the grandstands to look a little busier in 2015. Nelson/Motorsport Images

Q: As a health care professional, I am amused by the miserable fit and construction of the face masks worn by all of the IndyCar drivers. Does anyone among them know where to obtain a good face mask? They can’t say three words without their silly masks coming down. Really?

William G.

RM: I don’t have a clue.

Q: After the announcement of J.J. coming to CGR, do you think they will stay with Honda or they will switch to Chevy next year?

Guillermo, Florida

RM: Let’s ask Dan Layton of Honda Racing and Acura Motorsports. “We fully expect Ganassi to remain a partner team with Honda for the foreseeable future, and look forward to working with Jimmie Johnson as he enters this newest phase in his already-incredible career."

Q: I am really pumped about J.J. coming full-time next year. With a popular and well-known driver like him, is this the catalyst for a rebirth of open-wheel racing in America, bring it to the masses with Penske magic? I really hope so. Your thoughts, sir?

Phildawg

RM: I think everyone needs to take a deep breath. He’s a great driver and person, but he’s 45 years old, and unless he changes his mind and runs the Indy 500, it’s going to be a really steep learning curve. I think it can help IndyCar if he’s successful, but how many stories is he going to generate running 15th? I hope he catches on and can be competitive, but he’d have a much better shot on ovals than street circuits or road courses.

Q: All I can say about the Ganassi/Johnson deal is... well, yawn. I get that Johnson wants to stretch his legs and try a better racing series, but at 45, what does his joining up really do for IndyCar? More eyes? Somehow I see that as negligible at best. A shot to win a title? Ummm... don't think so. An Indy 500 win? Doubtful. Other than as an exercise of egotism, what's the point of a 45 year-old Johnson in IndyCar? More importantly, what's in it for Chip?

Jake

RM: I love the fact he’s got some old Cale Yarborough in him and wants to venture into unknown territory, and he’s a racer for sure. But he’s not going to win any races or titles. I just hope he can be competitive and stay engaged. But first of all, I hope they find a sponsor so he can try.

Q: Hey Chip, I’ve got an idea for next season, J.J. for street/road courses and Juan Pablo on ovals! After some dieting of course! It would be fun to watch.

Dave S.

RM: I like your train of thought, but not sure JPM and Ganassi would be a match anymore.

Q: With the Penske Acura program ending, it seems Juan Pablo Montoya is back in the driver market and reportedly talking to some IndyCar teams. Any idea where you think he ends up? My money would be on McLaren – they could use an experienced driver in their line-up and they did just miss out on another big name in Jimmie Johnson. A Montoya-McLaren reunion would be very fun to watch. Andretti is another team that comes to mind after being close to a move before going with Penske – could he replace Veach? Or could he go back to driving school buses in NASCAR (perhaps part-time Xfinity for Penske if Cindric moves up to Cup)? Maybe a move to Europe in WEC to seriously complete the Triple Crown?

I think he was pushed out of IndyCar too early by The Captain – he's still got too much talent to call it quits now. And yes, I know sponsorship is hard to come by these days, but I think being more vocal about his intentions can help (like J.J. right now). If anyone can get the inside scoop, I know it's you...

Santiago Lopera, Toronto, ON, Canada

RM: One of his former rivals and pals from the CART days told me that JPM had talked to McLaren and Andretti about 2021, but I can’t get him to call me back because he knows what I’m going to ask him. Marshall interviewed him a few days ago but he was pretty coy about whether there was any future in open wheel. He just wants to be competitive. I don’t think he’s got any interest in NASCAR but he will be racing sports cars (Le Mans) for sure next year.

Q: What is your thinking the impact of J.J.’s participation have on attendance, TV ratings and acquiring new fans to IndyCar?

Mike W., Birmingham, AL

RM: If they pull it off, it could certainly get some new eyeballs for the first few races, but then I think it depend on how he runs. People aren’t going to rush to the TV to watch him run 15th, but I do think he could help the Indy 500 rating if he chose to try it next May.

Q: Sergio Perez is leaving Racing Point at the end of the season. Since there are very few F1 seats available, do you see any scenario where Sergio, and his considerable backing, finds his way to IndyCar?

Josh N.

RM: Zak Brown has said he is interested in talking to Perez about IndyCar for 2021. If it happened, along with Pato’s ascension, a race in Mexico City is a no-brainer.

Q: With Bubba Wallace announcing that he’s not returning to Petty and the No. 43 car, do you think there is any interest either from him or from anyone in IndyCar to bring him over?

Mark, Orlando, FL

RM: I can’t imagine him changing career paths, and I’ve never heard anyone mention him in the IndyCar paddock.

Q: With what happened to Seabass and then Hinch followed by this week’s announcement that Racing Point (Aston Martin in 2021) tore up Sergio Perez’s three-year contract to bring on Vettel, are driver’s contracts worth anything?

Dick & Sue Hildebrand

RM: Contracts are made to be broken. In just about every situation, the driver kicked to the curb gets some kind of compensation but has to take a vow not to badmouth his former owners.

Whatever Wallace does next year will probably involve him driving something pretty similar to what he's racing now. John Harrelson/Motorsport Images

Q: I see you're getting more questions about VIR. I asked two years ago about and you said I was nuts. They'd need to add sand traps for IndyCar. If they did, it would be as safe as Mid-Ohio and safer than Road Atlanta. People can stay in Danville, Virginia, about 30 minutes away. VIR could easily add more camping on site. I think it's incredible you said no way IndyCar could ever race there when you admit you've never been there. Ultimately, whether they're interested in IndyCar is another story... they do a ton of Michelin and BMW consumer testing there.

Steve Cox

RM: Are you sure I didn’t use the term “squirrely” instead of nuts? That doesn’t sound like me. As for the fact I’ve never been to VIR, it’s got no relevance because I’ve asked IndyCar officials and various drivers about the chances and they said quite a bit of work and pricey. That’s how my opinion was formed. So how does VIR afford IndyCar? Does it even want IndyCar? Does IndyCar want two races in Virginia? I’ve never seen any signs from either side that this is a potential marriage.

Q: Last week's Mailbag got me wondering about two of my favorite tracks from the past. What led to the demise of Cleveland and Michigan races? Being an IndyCar fan from the '50s, I should know, but old age wipes out a lot. Both were great places to watch a race. For years, Michigan was a b**** to get to, but pretty sure that finally got fixed by making route 12 one-way on race days. Thanks for the memory refresher.

Dave Seaton, Indy

RM: As long as Cleveland had a good title sponsor it was booming, but by the Champ Car days it had lost its momentum and that community awareness and support it had in the CART days. Mike Lanigan tried but threw in the towel when he couldn’t get any sponsorship. MIS was the victim of The Split. Check out the crowd in 1995 when Scott Pruett passed Al Unser Jr. on the last lap (75,000) and it was still healthy when Greg Moore beat Zanardi and Vasser in 1998. But when the IRL took over in 2002 attendance began dropping, and after Tony George put open wheel back under one roof in 2008, neither side wanted to continue to the best of my recollection.

Q: I have to start off by saying I am a huge IndyCar fan, watch all the races, have attended racers, regular on RACER.com, etc. I feel the need to say that because my question is, why? Why would anyone decide to go IndyCar racing -- do owners actually make any money from racing? I am talking big money, that is a worth a return on their time/investment. I am trying to figure this out because it seems like there are only about 800,000 or so die-hard IndyCar fans out there and the TV ratings are not great, so it just seems crazy to put so much into something if you are not seeing a return. I am glad they choose to do it because I love the sport.

Steve R.

RM: That is certainly a fair question and one I often ask, but you’ve got former racers like Rahal, Andretti, Vasser, Ganassi, Shank, Schmidt and Coyne, and it’s their passion. I think Dale makes money, and of course, in the big money days of Honda, Toyota and Mercedes and going public, I am fairly sure the CART boys did just fine. It is much tougher today and the purses are pathetic, so it’s all about funding. If you can assemble enough sponsors to break even, then that must seem like being in the black. And Andretti and Ganassi got sweetheart engine deals, and I imagine R.P. is the same with General Motors.

Q: I've come up with an idea to make IndyCar starts safer. Most problems occur because the drivers have too narrow a window to anticipate the green flag, knowing only that it will come between Turn 4 and the start-finish line. Why not have a two-lap window where the green can be dropped at the starter's discretion while the cars are anywhere on the track? If someone attempts to jump the gun, after 10 laps or so to get the race sorted they have to do drive-through penalty. This would prevent too much premature acceleration (which is an issue most drivers are reluctant to talk about) and give a much larger safety window to prevent a St. Louis style start.

W. Thompson

RM: First of all, how many first-lap crashes on ovals has IndyCar had in the past few years? Not many I can recall, and part of the excitement is the flying start, so I think it’s fine the way it is. Let’s not complicate it.

Q: This is a minor complaint, but IndyCar needs to get its website together. If you try to look at the championship order, it’s a disjointed mess. I know this is nitpicky, but this work does not belong on the CV of the premier North American racing series.

Max Camposano, Bethlehem, PA

RM: Give new PR boss Dave Furst a few months in the off-season to get a lot of things straightened out – including the website.

Q: In regard to my letter published in your September 9 Mailbag about fuel. First, I went searching through my library and found a book entitled "Technology of the Champ Car" by Nigel McKnight. On page 94 is found the following: "CART regulations promulgated at the start of the 1997 season stipulate that cars must achieve a minimum of 1.85 miles per U.S. gallon. A formula which takes into account such factors as the inside and outside circumferences of the circuit, and the number of laps of warm-up and race laps, determines a precise quantity of fuel which CART allocates to each team at the start of the race."

Next, I went online and searched "IndyCar rulebook" and was able to download the 2020 rulebook. (Anyone can easily do that.) Section 14.20.5 on page 79 is about fuel allotments. There are different (MPG based) allotments listed for different tracks, but the bottom line is that each team is allowed only a certain amount of fuel for that race's distance. Extending the race distance for overtime laps would require additional fuel to be delivered to each (still running) car's pit. This is not at all feasible. This should end the discussion regarding adding laps for a G-W-C finish.

Rick in Lisle, IL

RM: I think I wrote that finishing under green after a red flag would likely require an extra pit stop to make sure everyone had enough fuel to try G-W-C one time, but what about the teams that chose the correct mileage and could run full rich compared to those conserving fuel to make it to the end? That’s part of racing, and while I detest fuel mileage races, it’s also part of today’s strategy more than ever.

Lots of fuel management going on at Laguna Seca in 1997. Motorsport Images

Q: I’m 100% certain there was a fuel allotment restriction written in the CART rulebook in the 1990s – likely at the USAC-sanctioned 500 during that time as well. It might have varied, but I distinctly recall a formula of 1.8 miles per gallon that was used to determine fuel allotment before the race. I think I recall CART, in the event of the rare “before two laps are complete” red-flag and full restart like the 1996 US 500 and 1997 Australia that CART would add fuel back to the cars or tanks during the red flag to get everyone back to the allotment figured for the originally scheduled race distance. That being said, I don’t ever recall anyone running completely out of fuel (meaning the pit tank and car tank were dry), only running out of fuel in the car.

Dave Hinz, Wattsburg, PA

RM: Champ Car tried mandatory fuel windows once to try and remove that strategy of saving fuel, but I can’t recall why it didn’t work. But IndyCars have always had a set amount of fuel allotted depending on the length of the race and size of the track. And I can’t recall anyone ever running completely dry.

Q: Robin thanks for your coverage of IndyCar. I am a lifelong fan and grew up a huge J.R. fan. I want to put in a positive plug for Anderson Speedway. I attended my 20th Little 500 this past weekend, and really enjoyed it. I've missed sprints and midgets, and seemingly the shows are getting fewer and fewer. Is it a lack of tracks that want to run open-wheel cars, or funding that prohibits races? There is nothing better than open-wheel cars running wheel to wheel.

Rod Mattix

RM: I’m not sure there is any less racing this summer – we had Bloomington, Paragon, Putnamville, Gas City, Kokomo, Lawrenceburg and Haubstadt with weekly shows, and USAC has already run 23 sprint shows and 20 midget races so it looks pretty stout to me. But it’s always a tough nut for the promoter except in Indiana Sprint Week, when every track is packed.

Q: I’ve just watched the rather nasty F1 crash during the Tuscan GP. The carbon and shards flying all over the front of cars can be seen from the onboards. Glad our guys are protected with the butt-ugly safety screens. Is there any talk of the folks over at ‘The pinnacle of motorsport’ adopting the same?

Brian Bristo, London, ON

RM: I have no idea, but F1 seems quite happy with its halo.

Q: In the mid-'90s, when the speeds were hitting close to 240mph, IndyCar used the Hanford Device at Michigan to reduce the speed. It was a simple attachment to the rear wing that created enough drag to lower the speed, invented by one of the mechanics and named after him. The side effect was a big tow for the trailing cars. Made for a bunch of passing because of the 15mph difference between the lead and following cars. The result was 63 lead changes and two or three passes per lap. Greatest race we ever saw at Michigan. Why has this type of device been ignored since then? Everybody hates the no-passing cars in all of the top pro series and this simple and cheap device is an easy fix .

Jack DeVience, Valparaiso, IN

RM: Over to Marshall Pruett: "Want to bring outrageous speeds down and create cartoonish passing on big ovals? Just bolt a rectangular carbon fiber plate to the back of the rear wing, punch a monstrous hole in the air that acts like a second, third, and fourth turbo for the trailing car, and boom, we have the Hanford Device era of the CART IndyCar Series. In its first races, the wild slingshots produced by Mark Hanford's concept made for crazy viewing at home or in person, but it didn't take long for the novelty to wear off. Once everybody was capable of making big passes – from the worst driver in the field to the defending champion – the value was lost."

Q: I know IndyCar fans, and perhaps you, might not like the idea of IndyCar adding more temporary street/road courses, but let's face it, with the demise of Fontana and IndyCar not being able to get a race in the Northeast like Watkins Glen, Pocono and New Hampshire, maybe it needs to resurrect temporary races like the Meadowlands Grand Prix, Boston Grand Prix or see if it can they can find an abandoned airfield and have an IndyCar race. Example: Floyd Bennett Airfield in New York.

Alistair Fannell, Springfield, MO

RM: OK Alistair, you gotta stop drinking before you write. The Meadowlands? I was there, no thanks. A dud by a swamp. The Boston GP? All talk and no substance. An airport? Sure, if it’s Burke Lakefront. The best place for IndyCar would be The Glen as a doubleheader with IMSA. Period. Not Loudon, not Pocono, not Trenton, not Nazareth and not Langhorne. Just a great road course in upper New York with proper promoting and a good date.

Q: Watching the 500 this year, there were quite a few shots of the pit mules that the teams were using. Are these a standard item? Every team’s vehicle looked identical. What about technical stats: are they diesel, petrol, electric? Do they belong to the speedway, or are they each team’s own purchase?

Thomas

RM: “Pit carts are owned by the respective IndyCar teams. They are used to tote equipment, tires, crew members, pitlane equipment, and much more. They travel down the road in the center aisles of the teams’ transporters. Some are battery-powered, while others are gasoline powered. Years ago teams had to get in line for the SRS Group custom-built ones. Many of those are still in operation with two-stroke engines. The others are modified industrial electric-powered industrial carts. Between races, they spend as much time on tall stands for preventative maintenance as the race cars!” Mike Hull, managing director of Chip Ganassi Racing.

Q: This year’s postponements, delays, reschedules, and yellow/red flag arguments remind me of the 1986 race at Road America, claimed to be “the longest CART race in history!” The 50-lap race started on September 21 and ended two weeks and 2+ hours later. Red-flagged for torrential rain and standing water, the race was resumed on October 4th – when of course it rained like crazy again. I was pretty footloose at the time and drove up from Dayton on my own for the September date. Then I was too stubborn to see the start of the race but not the finish (I don’t think the second half was on TV), so I drove up and back again two weeks later to see my favorite, Emerson Fittipaldi, win. That’s about 1,800 miles for me, and 200 for the racers. Were you there? Could it happen again?

Phil Wagar, Bellbrook, OH

RM: I was there in 1986, and I recall a river running across the track, but I think that might have been in the '90s and Wally Dallenbach found some sand bags that allowed the race to restart. Of course it could happen again. Weepers didn’t let CART turn a lap at Rockingham until the day of the race, but it turned out to be a helluva show. Some of the first radial tires (I think 1997) at MIS blew up so that race had to be postponed a week. Iowa in 2019 didn’t end until 2 a.m. because of the rain, so unless it’s a drizzle at a road course, there are no guarantees you can race on said day.

Meadowlands. It was worth asking. Motorsport Images

Q: An older racer friend and I are trading a few books to read during C19. We both like IndyCar, sports cars, 1970s/'80s F1. You've periodically listed good racing books. Could you share your current top 10 list for these subjects? We're more interested in the people than race reports.

David, Pittsburgh

RM: Vukovich, Hurtubise and Troy Ruttman by Bob Gates, Rick Mears and Mario Andretti by Gordon Kirby, Foyt/Andretti/Petty, Parnelli Jones and Wicked Fast (Bentley Warren) by Bones Bourcier, Eddie Sachs by Denny Miller, Art Pollard and Billy Foster by Bob Kehoe, Lone Wolf (Doug Wolfgang) by Dave Argabright, Will Power by David Malsher and GO (the Bettenhausen family) by Carl Hungness. You can find a lot of these on Coastal181.com, and Art Garner is working on a bio of A.J. and Evi Gurney is finishing up her tome on Daniel Sexton Gurney.

Q: I was asked who I would most like to have dinner with, and my response was Bobby Allison or Robin Miller. My mother dated Jud Larson and I figured dinner with you might give great insight to who Jud Larson was about. My mother said he could you scare you death riding in a car with him.

Russ Lynas

RM: You need to get out more Russ, but I appreciate your tout. I’d have loved to have known Larson -- saw him at the Hoosier Hundred a few times and got his autograph, but he sounded like one of those great '50s and '60s characters.

Q: Just got done reading the Mailbag. I don't know how you do it. Everyone seems to be an expert, everyone has an opinion on how this or that should be done. I just wanted to say thank you for covering IndyCar with the passion, heart and soul that you do. Does the current situation with COVID and the fan restrictions and changing schedule stink? Sure does. Would I have preferred to be at the 500 in person and see it finish under green? Yes. Do I hope to attend the Harvest GP? Yes. But if I can't, I won't be mad and complain. I will be happy to be able to watch it on TV and just attend an extra race next year, maybe buy a few things on the series website to show support.

COVID or not, Tony George or Roger Penske, CART/ USAC/IRL whatever, it doesn't matter, there will always be things to complain about. I for one am just happy to have racing to watch, stories to read, sponsors to support, a favorite team to cheer for and a series to enjoy! Keep up the great work and hope to see you at a race in 2021.

Kyle, Plymouth, WI

RM: Thanks Kyle. I’m always amazed at the volume of mail I get 52 weeks a year, and it’s cool to know IndyCar has so many die-hards. Just think of The Mailbag as a psychiatrist’s couch. But I’m trying to end The Mailbag every week on a positive note, and you are the winner.