Robin Miller’s Mailbag for December 30, 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: It’s amazing to me that after such a devastating 2020 that the 2021 IndyCar field is expanding. This goes with all of the unknowns for attendance in 2021. How do you account for this? What happens if the coronavirus continues to deny fan participation?

Tim B.

RM: I was talking to David Letterman today about what’s going on in IndyCar for 2021 and we both confessed we were amazed the car count could be as high as 25 on a regular basis considering expenses, purses and how hard it is to find sponsorship. I think Jay Frye has done a good job of controlling costs, and between the Dallara’s raceability and the series’ equal engine footing, I think IndyCar is the best chance to buy a car, lease an engine and get a good driver/engineer package and be competitive right out of the box. Racers just want a chance to have a chance, and you can’t get that in F1 or NASCAR. As for the schedule, too early to say what the schedule may look like by the time we get to May, but IndyCar tracks must have spectators to survive.

Q: Thanks for a wonderful year of Robin Miller's Mailbag. As for next year, can you share your predictions? Who will win the title? Which team and which driver will surprise? Who will be a surprise winner? Which team will disappoint? How many races will be shown live in Canada, and what percentage of Canadians will be pissed off because it is too few?

Anthony Jenkins, Toronto, Canada

RM: Colton Herta will take the championship, Josef Newgarden or Graham Rahal will finally win Indy, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Jack Harvey and Rinus VeeKay will win their first races, and Scott McLaughlin will turn in some dazzling drives as a rookie. I hope Toronto gets to run, but that’s the only Canadian race in 2021. Because of the pandemic and fact we may all get a vaccine in the next couple months and IndyCar tracks are dependent on paying customers, I predict the season-opener will be at Barber on April 11 with St. Pete possibly moving back to the original Long Beach date of April 18 so it can sell as many tickets as possible.

Q: I have always held the view that had Juan Pablo Montoya had more reliability in 2000 he'd have won the championship in an inferior car. Do you agree, and what are some drivers that would have won the title had they had better reliability in any given season?

Nathan from Australia

RM: All I remember is watching him throw his SloLola-Toyota around Mid-Ohio with amazing reflexes when clearly the Reynard-Honda was the best combination that year. But JPM’s duel with Michael Andretti at Michigan remains one of the greatest of all time, and without six DNFs I’m sure JPM would have figured in the title hunt since nobody had more wins (three). But you could say that about Andretti almost every year when he was the Cosworth guinea pig, and in 1992 when he earned eight poles, five wins and finished second in the championship by four points because of five DNFs.

The Reynard was the thing to have in 2000 – and Montoya didn't have it. Motorsport Images

Q: We know that Scott Dixon is one of the best drivers in IndyCar history, and his long relationship of almost 20 years with Chip Ganassi is something that is no longer seen today, but I have always wondered if Roger Penske, knowing that he always looking to have the best drivers under his wing, ever tried to hire him, either for IndyCar or another category? Or never wanted to because of Dixon's relationship with Ganassi?

Rodrigo Garcia, Santiago, Chile

RM: "Not really. Timing never seemed to be right. Seemed like we were always committed whenever he was coming up for renewals." Tim Cindric, president of Penske Racing.

Q: My wife and I have been season ticket holders at Iowa Speedway since the place was built and attended an IndyCar race there every year, including this year. We saw a lot of damn good IndyCar racing on that fast bullring. We are disappointed to see such a fantastic facility go by the wayside. However, ARCA recently announced its schedule for 2021 and is racing there at the end of July. The July date fits IndyCar's schedule quite nicely because there is a three-week lull between Toronto and Nashville, and it would be just before the Olympics. Since IndyCar shared that track with ARCA on a race weekend for many years, is there any chance IndyCar could share it again in 2021?

Mike Hickman, Beech Grove, IN

RM: Everyone was sad to lose Iowa, but that ARCA show is a NASCAR-only event and ISC is not interested in being the promoter for an IndyCar race. Roger Penske spent a lot of his own money keeping the series running in 2020, but he’s not interested in being the Iowa promoter again because it’s too expensive. Thanks for all your loyalty, but it appears yet another oval is history.

Q: How about a little love for Aaron Telitz? His first season driving a sports car and he not only had a couple wins, he finished third in the drivers’ title chase. The kid has talent and should be in IndyCar. I know you know this, but I wanted to put it out there again anyway.

Joe Weiss, Spooner, WI

RM: Well you just gave him a nice plug, but I know Marshall has been very complimentary in stories and podcasts throughout the season so RACER is in his corner, and maybe he’ll get an IndyCar shot some day soon with Vasser/Sullivan.

Q: I was asked the following question: "From a driver’s perspective, how close are the simulators to driving the actual car during a race?"

Terry Daley

RM: Here’s a response from 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan: “The sim is only good to learn the tracks. Graphics are awesome and to refresh for the racetrack -- learn the right gears before we go to a race. As far as setups, I still think it’s a bit far away from the real thing.”

Q: When was the last time that IndyCar had a race in November?

Chris Fiegler, Latham, NY

RM: Champ Car ran Mexico City in November of 2007.

Q: Robin, any little whispers about a third engine supplier? What would be the rough cut-off date for an announcement for a new engine supplier so it would have the necessary time to build and test?

Ron, Toronto

RM: All quiet on the engine front, but it’s almost 2021 and the new engines are introduced in 2023 so I’d say it’s almost too late now.

Q: I just learned of the passing of former IndyCar team owner Bob Fletcher. He was 100 years old. In the 10 years he entered cars at Indianapolis, he employed a list of very talented drivers. Art Pollard, Bobby Unser, Pancho Carter, Bob Lazier, and George Snider were among them. I was hoping that you could recall some special memories of Mr. Fletcher and his team, or better yet, write one of your well-done tributes to him.

Bruce, Ft. Wayne, IN

RM: You forgot Lee Kunzman and Jimmy Caruthers, two of USAC’s best, and Kunzman would have been a potential champ before his second devastating injury in December of 1973. Bobby Unser scored Fletcher Racing’s only two wins in 1976 but the Cobre Tire Specials were always fast and well prepared. I didn’t really know Bob other than to say hello, but he was one of those owners who seemed to come out of nowhere and formed a good team, but was notoriously ‘frugal’ according to a couple of his drivers.

Q: I wouldn't believe that no one's asked this question in the past, not only between fans, but also to the drivers themselves. But I'll put it to you now. What do you think would've happened if, in the mid 1960s, A.J. and Parnelli would've been Champ Car teammates? In addition to the battle of the driving talents, who would've gotten the upper hand politically in the team?

Anthony V, Indianapolis

RM: I can’t imagine either one agreeing to it because they were so competitive, and I doubt there would have been much sharing of information. They might not have made it through high school, but they had miles of street smarts and knew how to get what they wanted and needed. The only time they ever came close to being anything resembling teammates is when Tex drove the Parnelli chassis in 1979 (finished second at Indy) and 1980.

Bourdais doesn't need any reminders about the last time the calendar ran into November. Dan R. Boyd/Motorsport Images

Q: I'm watching the 1980 Indy replay and Jackie Stewart mentioned that horsepower was down to an average of around 600hp. Do you know what happened to cause this? I didn't remember that fact.

DJ Odom, Anderson, IN

RM: Thanks to ‘boost insider’ Steve Shunck (and his Carl Hungness yearbook) we have an answer: “Going into the month USAC dropped turbocharger boost levels to 48 in HG across the board. Previously the levels were 50 in HG, and before that 80 in HG. The rule change slowed cars down by as much as 8-10 mph, and drew the ire of many competitors. Outspoken critics included A.J. Foyt who referred to it as "taxicab racing,” and Johnny Rutherford who said it made it difficult to pass other cars.”

Q: Greetings Robin, hope you are having a good holiday season. My question is about Russ Lake. Since you both ran in the same circles, I was wondering if you knew him personally, and if so, how is he doing and if you have any stories you could share? Russ, even though I've never met him personally, is responsible for me being the IndyCar fan that I am. I even had the honor of attending his Wisconsin Motorsports banquet a number of years back.

John Risser, Muskego, WI

RM: Russ is the oldest living racing photographer (84) I know, and no finer person exists in Wisconsin or anywhere else. His dad (Ted) was involved in Triple A and USAC when Russ started shooting races at the age of 14 with the guidance of Armin Krueger, another legendary shooter. To date he’s got over one million negatives and images of the Milwaukee Mile, Indy 500 and racing all over the Midwest. He was seriously injured in the 1971 pace car crash at Indianapolis but recovered after six months in the hospital and was back aiming his camera the next May. He also founded Wisconsin Motorsports Charities and raised $450,000 for Ranch Community Services, a facility for disabled adults. He says he’s going to publish all his photos in a book, and I can’t wait to see it.

Q: Me and a buddy were having a discussion about air-cooled engines and how much less weight the cars have to carry without water and a cooling system. Did an air-cooled engine ever qualify or try to qualify for the Indy 500?

Jim Doyle, Hoboken, NJ

RM: Historian Dave Scoggan says: “The Stein twin-Porsche in 1966 was air-cooled but it did not qualify for the Indy 500.” Author/historian Rick Shaffer says: “The only racing car with air-cooling I can recall was the 1968 Honda they introduced before the French GP. Surtees refused to run it in the race and they let Jo Schlesser drive it instead. It was his first F1 race, but he crashed and died in a fiery accident. They built another model and I think Hobbs raced it in the Italian GP that year. That car is in the Honda museum at Motegi. The turbine cars at Indy did not have radiators, but I don't think you could call them air-cooled engines.”

Q: Poor Ed Elisian. I don't think there is a single driver that raced at Indy that has been subjected to so many ugly rumors and just plain pure BS (maybe Kelly Petillo, but he earned most of his). He was before my time too, but so much garbage has been written about him. It's pure character assassination. I'm not surprised someone asked about him in the Mailbag, because there's a bizarre, almost morbid fascination with him based on all these ridiculous tales about him. Most of them seem to have come from one writer and has been passed along, spreading more wildly on the internet.

To answer Kevin, I have spoken with drivers who raced with Elisian and I heard no complaints. One driver told me he had absolutely no concerns racing wheel-to-wheel with Ed, adding that was something he couldn't say about another driver of the era. Elisian was hardly the only driver that had a gambling problem (Ruttman got suspended for same). There were drunkards, wife-beaters and borderline psychos out there at the same time as Elisian, yet he gets portrayed as the worst of the lot. All because, to some folks, mainly Hoosiers: "He killed Pat O'Connor."

The truth is there were many people at fault for the '58 pile-up. It was hardly all Elisian, yet he's the one blamed. That led to him being blamed in hindsight for Sweikert's death (as you wrote, he had absolutely nothing to do with that, but somehow it still comes up). Again, that seems to have come mainly from one writer's fanciful mind. Elisian had his supporters -- Tom Binford and A.J. Watson for two. If he was a lost cause and a total waste, I don't see those two backing him. I'm sorry he slammed the door in your father's face, but the kind of gambling debts he'd run up apparently made him rather surly and were the cause of all of his problems, like the bad checks. After receiving help, he seemed on the right path, but sadly he didn't get his redemption and set all things straight before he died at Milwaukee. Besides, shouldn't you have a bit of empathy for a fellow racking up gambling losses?

Jim Thurman, Mojave Desert, CA

RM: First off, I always pay the bookies so no sympathy in that department. But Elisian made things tougher on himself than necessary, and was always in the eye of the storm. Vuky liked him and so did Watson, so obviously he had some redeeming qualities, but there are very few people left that can give us a real picture of his personality. He certainly had balls and skill, just not a lot of luck. The saddest part of his story is that it took nine minutes to extinguish the fire that killed him at Milwaukee in 1959.

More than six decades after his death, Elisian still inspires controversy. Image by IMS

Q: What’s your educated guess on Ferrari joining IndyCar in the near future?

Giancarlo, Jensen Beach, FL

RM: It was reported recently the Prancing Horse will not be coming to Indy.

Q: I would like to know what A.J. Foyt thought of Jim Clark, both of whom I think are two of the greatest drivers of all time.

Carl Scott

RM: Tex said many times he admired Clark’s ability and attitude, and that it was an honor to race against him.

Q: In response to the question from Mike Edwards in last week’s Mailbag about Indiana natives who played basketball and ended up in IndyCar racing, isn't Tim Cindric the obvious answer? I thought I remembered from his Dinner with Racers episode that he lettered in basketball at Rose-Hulman (confirmed it on Wikipedia).

Sean Walsh, Arlington, VA

RM: I think Mike was wondering about big names in Indiana basketball that then went on to auto racing. I watched TC play in high school and he was good, but it’s doubtful he considers himself the caliber Edwards had in mind.

Q: Mike Edwards asked about basketball players who made it to Indy. I was surprised you forgot about Chris Kniefel, who at 6'6" was known to work out with the Chicago Bulls. I do not know about his previous basketball credentials, but "working out with the Bulls" suggests there was something there. He started in '83 and '84. As you know, he later became CART race director in 2001-2004.

Shaun Fagan, Berwyn, IL

RM: The actual question was wondering if any outstanding players from Indiana ever made it into auto racing as drivers, mechanics or officials. Kneifel wasn’t from Indiana and had some skill between the baselines, but I think he had a personal connection with the Bulls.

Q: As a non-U.S. resident who doesn't plan on moving out there (let alone traveling, because of COVID-19), is there a way for me to support my favorite sport? Buying merch? Subscribing to NBC Gold (I don't know if that's even possible from where I live)? Please tell me there's at least one! I got into sim racing a few months before the pandemic started. One year after, I'm still really liking it. I'll admit this is not my main hobby, though. I'm more of a casual player so I don't see the need to subscribe to iRacing. However, I'd really love to drive a virtual IndyCar some day. Do you know if there are any plans for an IndyCar video game?

What was the reason for the Bus Stop chicane at Watkins Glen? Also, I recall it wasn't a very easy spot to overtake at. These always seemed weird to me, since they're not particularly slow corners (you'd only go down to third gear or so), therefore not making for a very hard braking zone. Couldn't have they been designed differently, to facilitate overtaking? Or maybe removed?

You've often said Canadian fans are loyal, and even though I'm not a Canuck myself, with drivers like PT, Hinch and Wicky, I think Canada definitely deserves at least one spot on the schedule. However, I also think that the Toronto street track is not enough. Can't we, on a future schedule, have a second venue maybe the week after? What about Montreal or Mont-Tremblant?

Xavier, France

RM: All the teams have merchandise available on their websites as does IndyCar, so that is one way to support IndyCar from France (A.J. Foyt should have something new for Bourdais in 2021) but you cannot get NBC Gold in Canada, let alone across The Pond. A 12-month digital subscription to RACER magazine is a no-brainer at only 10 bucks though. No video games right now to my knowledge. As for the bus stop at The Glen (it really was a bus stop when the old track was a public highway), it was installed in 1991 after J.D. McDuffie was killed in a NASCAR race. There was talk Montreal might be interested by 2021 or 2022 in an IndyCar race and Calgary seemed to have some momentum a couple years ago, but that has all died down. I wish we had three races in Canada, but all it takes is money and a promoter.

Q: Hope we can get back to normal racing in 2021. I miss the open pits and the driver/team interaction at Road America. Missed being at the 500, but I spent four days camping at IRP for the U.S. Nationals. I took a couple hours break and went to the Speedway and I was talking to an older, very knowledgeable gentleman at the museum about all the old race cars, driver suits, helmets etc that are stored in the basement and all around the facility. I asked if he was ever there late at night and heard any weird sounds; he said yes, there’s definitely spirits in that building. I would love to spend a night sitting in a roadster in the basement. Have you ever heard any spooky stories from the museum or around the Speedway? Just curious. Stay safe, see you at Elkhart Lake!

Lee Dauber

RM: Spirits in the building? Hmm, maybe back in the old days when Tony Hulman hosted the media party and gave the entire state free food and booze, that’s the only kind of spirits I can imagine. Never heard anything about ghosts or spirits at IMS, just the superstitions of the '40s and '50s – no peanuts in the pits, No. 13 and no photos with kids.

Q: As those of us who have attended Donald Davidson's class or his talks, the now-retired historian has many stories he will tell in more intimate settings that he has never talked about on his radio show. One example was the story of Eddie Sachs being set up at a bar for a ruse about a jealous husband. I really think Donald owes it to the history of the track and its fans to put those stories down in print. After all, as someone who actually talked to Ray Harroun, he's only one degree from the first Indy 500. The title seems obvious: "Stories I Tell My Friends: the Characters, Pranksters and Legends of the Indianapolis 500" Then again, maybe this is a Robin Miller project, too.

Stephen Terrell

RM: I passed along your request but I’m not sure DD wants to do all the research and work a book requires. I think he wants to take a step back for a few months and then see if public speaking or radio shows still appeal to him. Obviously, we’ve both got a lot of material, but racing books are tough sells.

Q: I don’t know that is so much a question, but a suggestion. As a racing fan in general and someone who doesn’t watch much if any NASCAR anymore, the one weekend that grabs my attention is the Darlington throwback weekend. I enjoy how all the teams buy into the drivers and broadcast team all get into the period they have picked. Has IndyCar ever thought about doing something like this?

Mason Covey

RM: I imagine if IndyCar had the resources of NASCAR it might try something, but there are only three ovals in 2021 and they hardly the tradition needed for a throwback race except Indy (and nobody is going to sit their real sponsor on the side of the road to use one from 30-40 years ago). I guess the best option is Mike Lashmet’s Vintage Indy series that runs during in May (and again at Gateway) in all its old paint job splendor.

Throwback liveries do exist in IndyCar, but sightings are relatively rare. Modern restrictions on tobacco branding probably rule out a lot of the coolest ones regardless, but imagine what one of these would look like with a Johnny Lightning paint job... Gavin Baker/Motorsport Images

Q: I know that you ran midgets in USAC. Did you ever run the now-defunct Santa Fe Speedway outside of Hinsdale, IL? If so, what did you think of it? I was at Santa Fe a couple of times for a USAC midget event and a WoO event. One of the reasons I went to the midget event was to see Mel Kenyon, but he flipped in time trials and that was the end of his night. However, someone had a Cosworth Vega-powered midget. That thing had a wicked scream to it! I’m familiar with the production engine. Did the racing version have much of a following in the midget ranks? When you were driving, did you ever compete or test in a sprint car or a Silver Crown car?

Lastly, other than the last incarnation of Trenton, what tracks get your vote for odd layouts? Two that get my vote are the now-defunct Louisville Speedway and Bowman-Gray Stadium. Saw USAC midgets and NASCAR trucks at Louisville and pavement modifieds at The Mad House. Louisville was a true “D” shape and Bowman-Gray is built around a football field; both very odd.

Don Hopings, Cathedral City, CA

RM: Sante Fe Park and I have a very close relationship. I was hot-lapping there on Aug. 1, 1975 in my first year in a midget when I got speared and flipped into the five-foot tall wall that surrounded Turns 1-2 and tore off the cage. Got a pretty good head injury and was in the hospital for a couple weeks, but Don Brown rebuilt my car and I was back for the indoor season in 1976. They also took the wall down, so that was my contribution to racing safety. The Vegas ran good for Bob Higman with Pancho and Dana Carter and Larry Rice and they won some races. Brad Marvel let me drive his sprinter in 1981 at Whitestown Speedway, but I parked it after the heat race because the steering wheel was too close and I couldn’t drive it comfortably, so I didn’t want to wreck his pride and joy. Not sure about odd layouts, but I loved Little Springfield and Erie, Colorado (when it was dirt) and I ran my midget at Trenton to prove just how stupid I really am.

Q: Regarding Grosjean crash, I recall back in 1973, Francois Cevert crashed through the Armco barrier in his Tyrrell, splitting two segments much like Grosjean did, killing him. After that, I understood that F1 did away with such barriers and I was stunned when the same thing happened to Grosjean with near-miraculous results. My read of the crash (from the overhead view) was that Grosjean hit at about a 45-degree angle, which should not have pierced the barrier like that. A SAFER barrier or a tire wall seems a much better choice for that area, but have the powers-that-be forgotten Cevert?

Thanks for the '70s retrospective. I was a college kid for most of the '70s but followed IndyCar racing religiously even though you could seldom see it on TV, and I never made it to Indy until 1992. Pretty much all we had as fans was the printed word, which is rapidly vanishing from the landscape. Impossible to fathom how we became such devoted fans from reading magazines and newspapers, but we did. Hard to believe that medium is almost extinct. Looking forward to your '60s and '80s reviews!

Jim Wilson

RM: I have no idea what F1’s protocol is on fencing but Armco was gradually phased out of IndyCar ovals after the crashes of Merle Bettenhausen and Pancho Carter in the 1970s. As I’ve written, the Armco at Watkins Glen is tall and stout, and the one at Bahrain was a failure. Some Armco remains on road courses in IndyCar, but it has to pass an FIA standard. Glad you enjoyed the '70s reflection, going to try and do the '60s ASAP.

Q: Yes, there is a Santa Claus. After reading your Mailbag reference to participating in a Cannonball I asked my kids for a copy of Brock Yates’ book. My daughter found it on Amazon, and lo and behold, our beloved reporter is in Chapter 3 re-telling his adventure in a Vega. Still can’t believe that POS actually made the distance. Thanks for the mention several weeks ago, I’ve been grinning since the first chapter. Grinning is something we all need this year. In closing, what say we send 2020 off with a 21 gun salute – from a firing squad! Happy New Year, Robin. Your readers look forward to your columns in 2021.

Bob Young, Cincinnati

RM: OK, what better way to end the 2020 Mailbag than with a smiling reader. Happy New Year.