Robin Miller’s Mailbag for June 9, 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: Enjoyed the Mailbag last week and agree with Gary in California about Helio's comment after the race. It was almost the first thing he said when he finally got interviewed and asked about winning four: “I know P.T. has been saying things about 2002 but that was my win, P.T., all the way, it was my win.” Paul Tracy had been complementing him the whole time and never brought it up. He was actually rooting for him too. I think it was a great story for IndyCar, but was very disappointed when he said that; he could've been much more humble about it because we all know the P.T. was leading when that yellow came out. Maybe you can go back and watch the interviews? Keep up all the good work, we all appreciate it.

Cam in LA

RM: That tells me it’s always in the back of his mind, because he knows where P.T. was when that yellow came out in 2002. Not a very classy move when you consider how supportive P.T. had been all month, but it didn’t diminish his great run to the checker and Shank’s wonderful story.

Q: Guessing you aren't on Instagram and that's OK. But the comments by Helio toward P.T. might stem from Tracy’s three posts leading up to the race showing the replay of the caution light coming on, another of the pylon with his number at the top and the No. 3 below it and a third of a plaque showing him as the "real winner” with a photo of him ahead captioned as being the moment caution came out. P.T. seemed fixated on it this year.

Zach Burcham

RM: Who cares about Instagram compared to seven million TV viewers? Tracy took the high road all through the telecast and that’s what counts in my book, but thanks for the info.

Hope that wasn't his only bed sheet. Motorsport Images

Q: Seeing that you're better gambler than I am, what do you put the odds that Helio would run more than six races this year? Given the chance, I think he's got a good shot at making things interesting for the championship run. On another note, just heard F1 might add another race in the USA. Any chance that with Liberty Media in attendance for this year’s 500, The Captain might entertain the idea of bringing them back to Indy?

Kevin P., North Carolina

RM: Helio has five more drives with Meyer Shank to close out the 2021 season with everything but Gateway but he’s also got four commitments to Tony Stewart’s series over the next two months, so a run to his first title would be a long shot. Shank said Monday he is working on a full-time ride for Helio next season, but there are lots of moving parts. No F1 race at IMS in immediate future according to our F1 man Chris Medland’s latest story.  But Penske says he’s open to it.

Q: Great win for Helio! I don’t think anyone else has ever had a victory celebration like his. Very popular win by a guy who lives and breathes this sport. I’ve always liked the phrase: “Youth and exuberance is no match for old age and treachery.” While Helio wasn’t treacherous, he did have a great sense of knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold 'em. All of the four-timers were very astute about staying near the front for most of the race, staying out of trouble and keeping a little bit in hand for when they needed it. They were not car breakers and were never aggressive for the sake of being aggressive. Surely there were others who as quick and maybe even a touch quicker, but overall they weren’t quite at the level of the four-timers.

As far as everyone else is concerned, I was surprised at who finished closer to the back than the front – in particular, Herta, Dixon, Rossi, Power, Hunter-Reay and Andretti. The Andretti Autosport guys took a beating as did the Penske team, with the exception of Pagenaud. Granted, over the years I have seen this sort of thing before, but this year it just seemed more prevalent considering all of the folks who were quick in qualifying and/or Carb Day. What’s your take? Were you surprised that so many who are usually at the front were just so out to lunch?

Don Hopings, Cathedral City, CA

RM: Helio drove a lot like his mentor, Mr. Mears, and obviously has a touch at IMS. Dixon was going to be a factor before that unfortunate yellow (and maybe Rossi too), Hunter-Reay had a strong run prior to his brake issue and Herta was quick but got caught in traffic after making that extra early pit stop.

Q: What a great race! Plenty of action passing for the lead and serious competition. What more can you ask for? Easy, watching Helio celebrate! The man is like a kid at Christmas -- so much pure joy on his face and in his actions. Running down the front straight to share that joy with as many fans as possible has to be one of the things I will always remember. As a fan I was very happy with this outstanding race.

Boyce Williams, Salisbury, NC

RM: Palou also drove a masterful race, but the best possible result for IndyCar on a national and international platform was having Helio in Victory Lane.

Q: Congrats again to the Shanks for their vision and perseverance. They climbed their way up the ranks one step at a time. First time they tried to go Indy car racing, neither Honda nor Chevy would give them an engine lease. Then they won a championship for Honda in IMSA GTD, yet Honda denied them the Acura DPi program first time around, giving it to Penske. Never did the Shanks pout, they just continued to build their organization. Extremely well done!

Scott (will be at Belle Isle for both races)

RM: I think that’s one of the many reasons that Shank is so popular and respected – he’s just a racer to the core and keeps battling regardless of what’s thrown at him.

That's what being rewarded for 10+ years of grind looks like. Barry Cantrell/Motorsport Images

Q: Wasn't the 40% capacity number tied to the 300,000 total number that can fit into the Speedway? I'd say the grandstands had to be greater than 40%, but for example, my group's seats in Paddock 1 were spaced so that in 24 seats through two rows we had 13 tickets and nobody else was near us. As loyal Lot 2 campers, should we be concerned with Penske taking over the mobile home parks and Lot 2 and building a Taj Mahal museum like they have at Lambeau Field? The Speedway never fails to impress newcomers – we added two new guys to our 29-year-old group and they're now officially hooked. IMS Ticket Office, Doug Boles, City of Indianapolis and all the way up to RP – thank you for giving us our first real normalcy in 15 months.

Clint, Chicago, IL

RM: It was tied to a number, but I’d say it was closer to 300,000 judging by the size of the crowd. Or maybe they were simply allowed to sell more than 135,000 in the final tally. Not sure what R.P.’s museum plans are, but campers should be safe.

Q: The extra boost on Friday and qualifying offers good anticipation for increased speeds. Is that the reason it is only used for those days? Any particular reason it is not used all week, or have I answered my own question? I am sure, as many have stated, there were more than 135,000 in attendance. Most were without masks. Have you heard if the Speedway had any blowback from Marion County Health Dept on this? The racing was great, and a new record set for the speed.

Other than the caution that ruined Dixon's and Rossi's day, how much of a part did the cooler temperatures play in how the race played out? At the end, the lead group was catching a rather large group of slower traffic. Had there been another five to 10 laps, I wonder what effect it may have had on the outcome?

Ken, Bloomington, IN

RM: I guess they think it’s going to help the crowd, but I haven’t seen any real indicators of that. I imagine Pagenaud and Ed Carpenter. wish there had been five more laps, but not sure Helio was showing his hand. No reports from health department about COVID-19 at Indy. No clue about cooler temps except it likely helped the tires live a little longer.

Q: I read with great interest Marshall Pruett’s article regarding what caused the inordinate number of crashes in the pit in during the Indy 500. A couple questions come to mind. Why was this fix not discovered by the Indy race inspection crew? It had to be common knowledge by the mechanics in all or almost all teams that this is a way to keep the pads from accidentally dragging at high speeds on this big oval. Too many different teams had failures for it to be a secret option. Why was this “fix” to prevent brake drag allowed by the stewards?

Marshall said he estimated only five cars did not use the fix to prevent brake drag. What is the basis for this speculation? Hunter-Reay’s failure was not the rear brakes; rather, the front brakes locked and therefore his car did not swerve into the pit wall. It was not clear to me that both front and rear could be and were tweaked to prevent brake drag. It was my assumption that mechanics believe the rear brakes were more apt to drag than the front brakes, so only the rear brakes were tweaked. The consequences of these wrecks could have caused personal injury or even death of a crew member close to the crash. Tampering with the normal pad to rotor gap seems like an accident waiting to happen. It was a totally insane decision by the crew chief. What else can you add to this story?

Thomas Grimes, Waco, TX

RM: Racing used to be about taking chances or thinking outside the box but spec racing has taken away almost everything, so you try one of the few things available. Speculation? Marshall is a damn good reporter who is technically savvy and knows which people to ask so I can’t add anything, and why would I even try after his story?

Q: In last week's Mailbag, you said Rossi was "at the end of his rope" with Andretti and that Penske might be a possible option for him. I've been pondering that, and have a few questions. Why does Rossi want to leave Andretti? Do you think Rossi needs to leave? Does R.P. want to fire any of his current drivers? Rossi's driven for him in sports cars, but will Rossi fit into the IndyCar team? If R.P. doesn't want to run four cars and Rossi becomes available, will he regret re-signing Power (assuming Pagenaud is released)? What would you do if you were Rossi and R.P.?

Jordan, Warwickshire, UK

RM: I said I’d heard from inside the shop he was less than pleased with Rob Edwards and engineer Jeremy Milless but I speculated there didn’t seem to be anywhere to go because I couldn’t see R.P. running a fourth car again. But it’s way too early to say what that Penske line-up will look like for sure next year.

Q: Man, the Indy 500 never disappoints. (Not lately, at least)! It's incredible that there were no mechanical breakdowns. Was that the fewest cautions ever? While the lack of cautions led to a lot of single-file racing, there were way more passes than I expected, and the finish was as good as it gets! It was a great day. Will Karam or Ferrucci's stock rise after this? Impressed with their results and would love for them to be series regulars. I know it's an uphill climb, but they deserve it.

John Liebengood

RM: Fewest cautions and fastest race ever, with no crashes due to driver error and a great example of hard, fast racing. I think Dennis Reinbold would love to run Sage in a full-time deal, but Santino is getting another shot with RLL this weekend.

Q: During the 500 telecast, I heard one of the announcers say that before this year Castroneves didn't always drive for Penske, that he got his start with Hogan Racing. He actually got his start with (Tony) Bettenhausen Racing. I don't know if Helio ever mentions this in his interviews, but if not, he or someone should acknowledge Tony for giving him his start in Indy cars.

Jim, Ontario, Canada

RM: Good call, I think there was a shootout for that seat (or maybe that’s how Patrick Carpentier replaced Helio) but Tony helped launch both their CART careers.

His surname was yet to be streamlined and there was still some downforce to be taken out of the hairstyle, but Castroneves' driving talent was on show during his rookie Champ Car season with Bettenhausen in 1998. Motorsport Images

Q: What was the reason that the first yellow flag in the Indy 500 lasted 14 laps for a spin in the pits? As great as the race was, and I get that its important to get the scoring right, it seemed like USAC was back in charge for a short time. Frustrating, and yeah, it really didn't affect the end of the race, it just looked bad. Great race, and loved it for Helio, but was extremely happy for The Captain as well.

David McGriff

RM: We were told it was to get the field properly aligned after Stef’s spin into the pit wall and it did seem to take forever, but most cautions follow that trend by closing and opening the pits, and guys were running out of fuel as well.

Q: In your honest opinion, are you optimistic about the future of IndyCar? I watched Zak Brown interview Roger, and my jaw dropped when he indicated that he wanted to add more ovals. He sounds like Tony George lite. The reality is the championship is an afterthought minus the Indy 500. Max Chilton is willing to put aside his fear of oval racing because of the prestige of the Indy 500. I think most of the people who attend the Indy 500 do it because it is a Memorial Day tradition.

I understand oval racing is part of IndyCar's heritage, but the danger increases above short ovals, and NASCAR has a monopoly on that niche of racing. Most, if not all, the drivers come from road racing backgrounds, and they wouldn't hesitate if offered a decent F1 seat. If they're just biding their time, is it reasonable to provide them with more road courses to hone their skills so that they don't embarrass IndyCar if they do get that opportunity?

The uptick in foreign drivers considering IndyCar is due to the logjam in F1. F1 can relegate IndyCar to a couple of exhibition races every year if it wanted to. F1 is heading in the right direction by addressing the aerodynamics and skyrocketing budgets. Imagine if it poached O'Ward, Palou, VeeKay and Herta?

B Fontanilla

RM: Much more optimistic than I was five years ago when the car count seemed to be in jeopardy, and I’d feel real good if the purses were raised to proper standards. But all this hand-wringing about losing our young stars to F1 is absurd. F1 has a pecking order and it doesn’t include IndyCar drivers, and why would any of those kids you mentioned leave winning programs to run for 15th place?

Q: Any chance that Tony Stewart will invest in an IndyCar team either alone or as a partner with someone like A.J. Foyt? With A.J.'s team falling behind a bit, you would think that adding someone like Tony would be a boost – if there is any interest? The two at the 500 this year has piqued my interest in the possibility.

Andy, Fishers, IN

RM: I think Stew might field an IndyCar some day and A.J. would be his logical choice as a partner so he wouldn’t have to buy new equipment, but not sure he’s got the time right now with his new series and all his investments.

Q: Just got back from my 15th pilgrimage with my father to the World Capital of Racing. After taking a year off due to the pandemic, I really couldn’t find much to complain about, even after pitching a tent in 44-degree weather. As usual, we attended three different race programs at IRP, Anderson, and Indy. Along with many other open-wheel fans, I can find no good explanation as to why Kody Swanson is not hooked up with a big-name Indy ride. He dominated the Silver Crown and midget race at IRP then had another strong showing with a second at the Little 500. Just like many IndyCar legends, he has been a dominate force in USAC. With the reduction of ovals, will we see even fewer sprint car guys get their shot in IndyCar? I look forward to making another trip next year, and I’m hoping IMS brings back their traditional staple of serving those delicious bratwursts in concessions.

John Graham in Tennessee

RM: Nobody in the IndyCar paddock knows anything about Kody Swanson except maybe Ed Carpenter, and he did a nice job in his Indy ladder debut at IRP and Gateway but it’s going to take big money if he ever gets to Indy. The late, great Bryan Clauson only got to IMS because of Randy Bernard and David Byrd, and all of today’s USAC stars understand Indy is a dead end for them.

Q: In the hopes of not sounding like the president of Santino's fan club, c'mon, someone pick that kid up already! Felix is a great driver but man, could you imagine seeing Santino paired up with Pato and watching those two young hard chargers competing for the top spot? They would amazing to watch. I haven't rallied as hard for a driver who deserves a spot since the days of P.T.

Being a couple years younger than Tracy, I identified and rooted for him as the young underdog with something to prove. NBC made the right choice in keeping in the booth. Hopefully since you've been away from the in-person action you're not losing your whispers in the paddock and your contacts are keeping up with you. Any rumors about keeping that kid in the game? Is Rahal able to put something together? Or how about the big boys... AMSP, Ganassi, etc? There's gotta be something after another solid showing in the 500.

Ken P., Naperville, IL

RM: I think Santino’s father had a two-year plan to back his son, let him get established and then get hired but it didn’t happen – owners still expect money and it doesn’t appear he’s got much, but glad to see he’s running again this weekend at Detroit for RLL.

Q: When Team Penske went back to the 500 for a one-off, the government at the time limited cigarette sponsorship to one or the other series and Penske ended up going IRL. Do you think that was pivotal in the open-wheel war, or was the conclusion inevitable anyway?

Robert Pringle

RM: The Captain was coming back, hell or high water, especially after Montoya won for Chip, and Indy gave Marlboro its best bang for the buck anyway.

Q: Does the Borg-Warner Trophy contain all 105 winners of the 500? Are any of the older winners faces removed to make room for the latest winners, or is another part added to the trophy? And do all of the winning cars go into the Speedway Museum?

Rich Shiroky, Toms River, NJ

RM: From Steve Shunck, who handles the publicity for Borg-Warner: “Every winning Indy 500 driver from 1911 to 2020 is on the Borg-Warner Trophy; none have been removed. Winners from 1911 to 1986 are on the original trophy and winners from 1987 to 2020 are on the large sterling silver base added under the original trophy, along with Tony Hulman, who is the only "gold" face on the trophy. There are enough spaces to accommodate and keep adding new winner's images until 2034. Sculptor William Behrends will soon begin work on Helio's 2021 winning image and it will be unveiled by the end of the year.”

Ferrucci will get another chance to wow his fans in Detroit this weekend. Motorsport Images

Q: I see that John Oreovicz has written a book on The Split and you did the forward to the book. I was curious to know if I should buy it? I also came across an old episode of Wind Tunnel with you and Ed Hinton, and my goodness, you two were priceless. I loved when Ed said he has tried to defend you but you won't defend yourself, and he was going to let you plead guilty and he executed. How is Ed doing? I would love to hear his thoughts on Penske buying IMS.

Ryan McKeever

RM: If you want to learn the insides and outs of what nearly killed open-wheel racing, I would buy it – and I did. Haven’t talked to Eddie in a long time but he was always one of my favorite writers.

Q: Japanese media has a tendency to blame the team when Takuma is struggling and to praise only Takuma, not the team, when he's doing well. And it's the case again after the 500 this year. I'm badly disgusted with their attitudes, to say the least. They said "Takuma was forced to go for the 'passive' strategy." However, I think even if Takuma pitted as same as the majority of guys like Santino did, he'd have finished around where Santino finished – sixth or worse. I do believe if you have a chance to win the 500, you should go for it, so I'm really in favor of what the RLL guys did. If anything, if Takuma pitted as much as the other guys and finished sixth or whatever, I'd have wondered, "Why they did such an inactive strategy?"

What do you think of Takuma's (and Felix of AMSP's) strategy? Is it passive, or worth trying? It's all hindsight though.

Last but not least, I appreciate taking a photo with me during the 500 in 2018. I've been cheering you from the Far East.

Mitsuki Matsuura, Kanagawa, Japan

RM: Without talking to anyone on his team it’s purely a guess, but when you have three cars sometimes it’s smart to go with three strategies, and it’s all been working well for Sato at RLL over the past couple years. I never think of Takuma as “passive” so I’d want to ask him directly.

Q: This 500 certainly bodes well for the next TV contract, I would say. I really thought NBC hit a home run. P.T. and Jimmie Johnson were spot-on with their analysis, Mike Tirico was his usual good self, even Danica was good and Jack Collinsworth was sold on his experience in Indianapolis, the Night Before the 500 and on race day. The pre-race felt like 1968 or 1969 when I was watching the TV coverage. It felt vibrant and electric. NBC would be fools not to extend.

My prediction is, NBC stays on board for another three to five years, nine to 10 races on the network and the others on the Peacock streaming service. Then the series takes off with these young guns we saw racing for position on race day, and more corporate sponsors come to IndyCar and a new host of fans for future generations. I am 64 and cannot wait to take my 9-year-old son to his first 500 in 2022. We already have tickets.

Greg L., Westminster, MD

RM: One good rating in five years doesn’t guarantee anything, but as long as IMS doesn’t get greedy and ask for more money, I think NBC stays on. IndyCar better hope it does, because CBS or FOX would pale in comparison to the exposure NBC has given them.

Q: I just finished listening to Marshall Pruett's podcast with Helio, and hearing him talk about wanting to continue racing for a few more years got me to thinking. When it comes to the other members of the four-time club, have A.J., Al Sr. and Rick ever talked to you about when they realized/decided that it was time to stop racing? And if so, what was the deciding factor where the desire to step aside started to outweigh the desire to win number No. 5?

Brad in Seattle

RM: Rick said at breakfast the other morning he knew he was losing interest when he showed up for a test day and hadn’t given the car or setup one thought the night before. Big Al just knew it was time and so did A.J., albeit a few years too late.

Q: I consider the Borg-Warner Trophy to be one of the most iconic trophies in all of sports, only equaled by the Stanley Cup, which is awarded to the winning team at the conclusion of the National Hockey League playoffs. In recent years the NHL has had to remove winning teams’ rosters from the Cup as it’s becoming too large to handle. Has Indy Car considered a similar move with the Borg-Warner Trophy as it grows in size, or maybe considered creating a second trophy?

Mike Medlen, Livonia, MI

RM: Not to my knowledge -- it’s iconic and one trophy seems to be perfect.

Q: I’m a long-time race fan and a mechanic. I do wonder sometimes when I’m working: How mechanically-inclined are today’s drivers? Maybe not on their own race car, but are there some willing to tinker with a classic car or even change the oil on their own road car? While I’m on the subject, is there any unwritten rules in the garage area that says a driver has to lend a hand to the mechanics working on the car (perhaps offer donuts to the crew after a long night after a wreck)?

Brandon Karsten

RM: Drivers have to help the mechanics? Good lord no, they’d all want to quit. I have no idea who tinkers with cars except retired guys like P.T.

Not all modern drivers are afraid to get their hands dirty. (Possibly a poor choice of words considering he's wearing gloves, but the point stands). Andy Hone/Motorsport Images

Q: Can you tell me about this Eldora race? I live close by. So, this Tony Stewart thing, (ED: SRX) it’s a reality show/racing series? So, these drivers are gonna really get serious exposure? Marco and Helio… this could be good for their careers, aye? Are you going to Eldora?

Dan, Lima, OH

RM: Going to be identical tin-tops racing on CBS on six straight Saturday nights starting on June 12 at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, and wrapping July 17 at the Nashville Fairgrounds. And I expect it will draw well, but I doubt if it offers any career-changing moments. No, I’m not going but I’ll be watching. Here’s the schedule (each race will be shown at 8 p.m. ET on CBS): June 12: Stafford Motor Speedway; June 19: Knoxville Raceway (dirt); June 26: Eldora Speedway (dirt); July 3: Lucas Oil Raceway; July 10: Slinger Speedway; July 17: Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

Q: Just read your most recent Mailbag, then saw on RACER that Formula 1 is looking to avoid a date conflict with the Indy 500. What are the odds that we could get enough drivers, cars and teams to make this a game-changer? I'd be willing to be a stooge. (I'll have to practice my wall jumping).

The Amberjack

RM: Lando Norris and Kevin Magnussen said they’d like to try Indy some day, but so far McLaren is the only team that’s shown any interest.

Q: Hi Robin. Still miss ya on the NBC broadcasts.

My subject this week is IndyCar vs NASCAR on road circuits. I live near Road America and our IndyCar race is two weeks off and it draws one of IndyCar’s biggest crowds. Now that the powers that be at NASCAR have decided that road circuits are the way to go and RA will host its first NASCAR Cup race in over 50 years on the 4th of July… to hear everyone here talk, this will be the biggest event ever held on the track. Will IndyCar now have to start competing at yet another level with NASCAR when the tin-tops start poaching venues? There’s a limited supply of entertainment dollars available and I’d sure hate seeing them bounce IndyCar off of some of their most valuable tracks. Your thoughts? Hope you’re doing well.

Mike McFarland, Elkhart Lake, WI

RM: NASCAR finally figured out its road course racing blows its ovals away (Sunday at Sonoma was a good example) and street circuits will be next. Not sure NASCAR will outdraw the Mansell years at Road America, but look at The Glen and Sonoma crowds compared to IndyCar and it’s easy to see why the trend is road racing.