The RACER Mailbag, November 10

Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for Marshall Pruett or any of RACER’s other writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. Due to the high volume of questions received, we can’t guarantee that every letter will be published, but we’ll answer as many as we can. Published questions may be edited for style or clarity.

Q: Someone has surely thought of this before, but I think this idea has merit. We recently saw Roger Penske driving a Porsche RS Spyder at Goodwood. My idea is that we create a "side-by-side" IndyCar to replace the two-seater currently in use. This Porsche would be perfect for the job. The driver and guest would be side by side. The guest seat could be moved slightly back to accommodate larger individuals. The photo opportunities would be incredible. The guest could watch Mario Andretti at work behind the wheel. The body could be changed by removing the fenders. The engine could be changed out for a Honda or Chevy with the appropriate transmission. Of course, Firestones all the way around.

I firmly believe that the existing two-seater just plain sucks. The passenger cannot see crap. I know this is an outlandish idea, but I think everyone would embrace this as a much better solution than the existing car. Also, this could be another way for IndyCar to get a leg up on the F1 community. Once this has been done, I could see Formula 1 copying this idea eventually.

One other thought on this: I think the engine manufacturers should provide one car each. This way there could be two or three Indy side-by-sides, and this could open up even more possibilities. I firmly believe that this Porsche or something similar would handle better and offer an incredible experience for the driver and passenger. I also think that people would see the benefit of this arrangement over the current car, and wholly support it. Well, I have had my say. The ball is now in your court. Best of luck.

Brian Wilson

MP: I love your energy on this Brian, but what came as a surprise was learning in a follow-up email that you’ve never ridden in the two-seater. Wouldn’t that be a requirement before making declarations on how it sucks, what people can or can’t see, and what would make for a better driver/passenger experience? Like… if you’re going to give a restaurant a negative review, shouldn’t you eat there first before complaining? I’m totally confused.

Nonetheless, the two-season concept has been around forever and works as intended. It’s never been about creating a sports car side-by-side type of thing. The two-seater (and there have been the odd three-seaters elsewhere in the world) program does what IndyCar needs by thrilling and scaring guests who tend to step out of the cars with their minds blown. It’s about giving the average woman and man a chance to experience insane speeds, while exposed in an open-wheeler, and giving them a feel for the crazy forces at play. Dropping them into a weird LMP2 car is a great idea for a sports car series, but not IndyCar.

The Arrows AX3 three-seater F1 car doing its thing in 2001. If nothing else, it was more reliable than the A22 that the team actually raced with that year. Motorsport Images

Q: I live within an hour of WGI. Have attended the NASCAR, IMSA Six Hours and IndyCar weekends. Camping all weekend of course, so I have seen the various crowd levels first-hand. Love The Glen.

In regards to IndyCar, that track is loved by the teams and drivers. It’s a total shame they’re not there. A big issue I perceived during IndyCar’s run at WGI was date equity. The event was placed on terrible weekends for attendance (holiday weekends -- July 4th, Labor Day). These are big family gathering/backyard barbecue weekends, and not conducive to bringing people to the racetrack.

Why is it such a hurdle to put these cars on that track and give it a solid date with equity? IMSA and NASCAR draw very well there. Politics aside, since NASCAR/IMSA and IndyCar doubleheader weekends are now a thing, is there any remote hope of seeing these cars and drivers in the future at Watkins?

Thank you!

Ryan from Binghamton

MP: Count me among those who wait for the day when track boss Michael Printup – a big IndyCar fan – and the series announce our return to WGI. You mentioned all the people who love the race; let me add the local highway patrol, as well. Got pulled over for speeding up the two-lane road to WGI during IndyCar’s last visit, and after seeing my IndyCar parking pass and hard card, the officer was kind enough to let me off with a warning.

You raise a great point on dates. I wish I had something to report on talks taking place, but I haven’t heard anything on that front. If it were to happen, you’re right; it would need to land at a place on the calendar where IMSA and NASCAR events aren’t too close, and it would need to miss holidays and such. Who knows, maybe a local poll on preferred weekends for a return by IndyCar could get the conversation started.

Fact: Watching from behind as Indy cars fire through the Bus Stop chicane at impossible speeds and then disappear down the hill will change your understanding of speed and physics. Pure insanity.

Q: We know the core of the IndyCar is that it’s a spec series. But taking that spec car and tuning it through the aero, springs, dampers, and other options available to maximize its performance for the driver is tough. Communication between driver and engineer is critical. If they don't mesh, the team won't perform. We know what Rossi and Hinch can do in a race car. Cartoon anvils aside, they had an absolutely horrid year at Andretti. Can you lend insight into what happened? Was it communication? Did Rossi and his engineer take a while to mesh? Was Hinch trying to use a setup that didn't fit his driving style? IndyCar is incredibly competitive, and not meshing as a team can be the difference between top three and running 20th.

Sincerely,

John Balestieri

MP: Great question, and if we start with Hinch, he’s understood to have suffered a truly serious left leg injury during the pre-season that affected the majority of his full-time return to Andretti. Hinch and the team kept it quiet as he rehabbed and regained strength incrementally, but without the ability to attack the brake pedal with 100-percent force for at least half the season, his rivals had an advantage on every road and street course. The results weren’t always there on race day, but his performances picked up in the latter portion of the season to the point where he was starting to look like his former self.

As his leg grew stronger, his competitiveness rose. All that being said, the year was mostly a write-off because of the leg injury; if I found a spare $8 million under the cushions on our couch, I’d love to see what Hinch could do in 2022 with no limitations. I hate the idea of one of the series’ good guys bidding farewell on a low.

As for Rossi, he continues to work with the same race engineer, Jeremy Milless, who won a lot of races with Josef Newgarden at Ed Carpenter Racing and has combined with Alex to score six victories since joining Andretti Autosport in 2017. It’s also the same Rossi/Milless combo that placed second in the 2018 championship and third in 2019. Hard to dismiss the cartoon anvil’s effects on his 2020 and 2021 seasons. Something like 40 percent of his races last year were hindered by something silly, and that number increased to more than 60 percent in the season we just completed. Minus the bad luck, Rossi will be winning races and contending for the title in 2022.

Q: While reading the "10 years on" features about Dan Wheldon, the issue of the catch fence came up. Are there any developments in modernizing the way catch fences function? Even the phrase "catch fence" implies bad things for something hitting one at 180mph +. I don't think you want to be caught in one of those.

Jeff

MP: I wouldn’t pretend to be the guy who hears about such things first, so I reached out to my friend Tony Cotman who designs racetracks – among other things – for a living, including the Nashville street circuit, through his NZR Consulting business:

“The term 'catch fence' is more commonly known as debris fence in the FIA world. The biggest gain has been with the mesh and the high tensile steel system used by GeoBrugg. While there are many theories, several patents and general thoughts, there has not been an alternate system which has been formally tested and approved.

“As any other evolution it requires resource, time and extensive testing, amongst other things. Accumulating data is one thing, but real life incidents are so much more unpredictable. But there will be an evolution at some point without question.”

Hinch was hobbled for part of his 2021 campaign. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: Lots of top IndyCar drivers, – Juan Pablo Montoya, Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud, Alexander Rossi, Scott Dixon, Colton Herta, Sebastien Bourdais and others – typically run at Petit Le Mans and/or Daytona. Any reason why Will Power, Josef Newgarden and others don’t join the party?

FanForAll

MP: Before he joined Penske, Josef was actively seeking Rolex 24 At Daytona rides; I recall seeing him in the paddock for the Roar Before The 24 test one year, but nothing came of it. I just asked him if there was anything stopping him from doing long endurance races now, and he said, “There are multiple events and races that I would love to run one day, and I’m working hard to have those opportunities in the future.”

Power said: “I’m free to do them, but it’s too late in the game to get anything lined up.”

At times, there have been Penske sports car programs where the manufacturer (Porsche, Acura, and now Porsche again) have or will dictate most or all of the driver lineups. For Pagenaud, a past sports car champion, it made it easy for RP to pitch Simon as a driver due to his success and history in endurance racing. Now that he’s with Meyer Shank Racing, Simon’s going to be part of the team’s Acura plans in the future.

It often comes down to a team affiliation. I know Marcus Ericsson wants to do some long IMSA races, and with his Chip Ganassi Racing team in DPi, that door might open. But, and this is the counter argument, more than a few team owners are unwilling to let their drivers go play at Daytona or Sebring with another team, in order to protect their star asset. The last thing they want is to tell their sponsor that Driver X is out for a few races because they got hurt while letting them race for someone else in sports cars.

Q: Now that RLL has made its selection for the third seat, the question: what's happened to Ferrucci? He was a golden boy last year and most of this, but has seemed to fall out of favor with some top teams. Why? Thought by now everyone would be eating his dust.

Terry Clevenger, Leawood, KS

MP: If it weren’t for Christian Lundgaard’s stellar debut on the Indy road course and the stout backing that comes from Renault/Alpine, I’d bet Santino would have gotten the nod for RLL’s third car. Ferrucci’s brashness is awesome, for those who like that kind of personality, but in a paddock that veers more conservative than big and loud, I can see how buttoned-down team owners would be repelled by him.

And if we cut to the chase and skip the personality side, if Santino had scored a few podiums during his 40 IndyCar starts from 2018-21, I’m positive he’d be in greater demand. He’s proven to be a top six guy when everything goes well, and there’s nothing to criticize there. It’s just not the kind of thing that has Penske, Ganassi, and others in a bidding war for his services. Ferrucci did some wildly impressive things at times with a small team like Dale Coyne Racing, but it wasn’t enough to get the other team owners to do more than ask how much money he could bring last season. His stint at RLL was strong, but without millions to help capture the seat, he’s back to being on the outside looking in.

Q: With the IMSA WeatherTech Series replacing the GTLM category with a Pro GT3 category, how many series besides the WEC and European Le Mans Series will feature GTE-type cars, since they don’t seem to fit any of the selling points that the GT3-type cars meet?

Matthew Marks, Jackson, Ohio

MP: You’ve named the two, as after Saturday’s 10-hour Petit Le Mans IMSA season finale at Road Atlanta where the GTE/GTLM class bids farewell, Europe and the ACO/FIA series will be the last bastion for the factory GT formula. And the clock is winding down on GTE there, as well.

Q: We all miss Robin Miller, but it’s a great thing for the Mailbag to continue on in his honor. Recently we traveled six hours from Pennsylvania to attend the Indy Racing Experience at Indy with my wife and son to drive and do the two-seater IndyCar rides. But the bad weather and rain prevented this from happening and they had to cancel. Everyone at IRE was so nice, but disappointed but they had no choice to cancel. But in Robin's honor we stopped at Long's Bakery for donuts, and headed back home early Sunday instead. This was a trip to celebrate my one-year anniversary since kidney cancer surgery.

Roger Penske's new contract with the Indy Racing Experience has stopped any future driving experience, so no driving will be allowed in the future. In the big picture, for me this isn't really that big of deal, but I think he is mistakenly taking this away from future IndyCar fans. Robin might laugh at this, but at least Roger he didn't fire me in my hospital bed like he did the great Gary Bettenhausen.

Counting down the days until the 106th Indy 500!

Tim Doran, New Castle, PA

MP: I’ll be honest—I was unaware the "you-have-no-experience-but-we’ll-let-you-drive-a-race-car" thing was still a thing. Always seemed crazy to me. It sounds like you went to Long’s and let the active ingredients turn into rocket fuel in your belly, so that was a good call.

Congratulations on your anniversary! Between Robin’s cancer fight, Bob Jenkins’ cancer fight, Lindy Thackston’s cancer fight, my wife’s, and those of so many others in our paddock who prefer to fight privately, I’ve come to know how all-consuming it can be. Thanks for sharing your story.

Q: Will we see Tony Kanaan in the 2022 Indy 500, or in something elsewhere?

Igor Gamarra

MP: Look for him in a fifth Chip Ganassi car at the Speedway, and we should have some clarity before the end of the month around whether he’ll still do the other ovals in the No. 48 Honda.

TK's heading into year three of his farewell tour. BArry Cantrell/Motorsport Images

Q: The desire for an onboard starter has been visited many times, with packaging and weight being the main hurdles. With the hybrid engine package on the way, is there any possibility of using the electric power from the system to restart a stalled car? We all grimace at the pain caused by numerous laps spent under caution for an innocuous spin resulting in a stalled car, particularly at street circuits. (You can literally hear the footsteps of the casual fan walking away)

Could the battery energy be used to either spin a starter, or to drive the car forward with enough momentum to bump start itself? The last Toyota WEC car leaving the pits quickly under only electric power comes to mind. Totally different system, but certainly more than ample speed for a shot at a bump start. Short of being able to restart the ICE, perhaps the battery energy could be used to move the car out of harm's way or limp back to the pits?

George, Albuquerque, NM

MP: I sure hope so, because using the ERS unit as an onboard starter was one of the main items mentioned by IndyCar when the hybrid engine package was announced. As for using ERS for full-electric propulsion, that’s something I’ve been calling for in recent years and using the Toyota LMP1/Hypercar example as one to follow.

How about going the full length from pit-in on battery power, perform the stop, then launch and roll to pit-out with the battery before the internal combustion engine fires up and takes over? That would be a powerful sight at the Indy 500, and message to the auto industry that the Speedway is still a place where modern technology can be raced. I’m not saying hybrid engines are cutting-edge like they were 15-plus years ago, but what’s coming is a start in getting car manufacturers, electric vehicle manufacturers, and the tech world to care about IndyCar racing for the first time in a long time.

Q: We all see IndyCar drivers blasting out of the pits in a cloud of tire smoke and we are told it is to heat up the tires. I have two questions about that practice. First, while the rear tires get that heat, the fronts do not. So would that not create an imbalance and make an oversteer situation until the fronts come up to temp? And secondly, towards the end of the stint, wouldn’t the rear tires be prone to give up before the fronts because the driver left several laps of rubber on the pit surface? Maybe I’m overthinking this.

Gary Valente

MP: You’d certainly think it would cause problems. Two things to consider on the driver/competition side: During the race, there is indeed a competition to get out of the pit box as quickly as possible. Being too gentle on releasing the clutch and pulling away gently will lose time and positions, and doing a full NHRA burnout will leave you inching forward and killing the tires…while losing time and positions. So there’s obviously a sweet spot to hit with launching hard, but not to the point of being abusive with the tires.

The second part is what those heated rear tires give the drivers, and that’s a controllable car. With the rear-heavy Dallara DW12 chassis, having warm rears on that out-lap creates some stability and gives the drivers a chance to manage the car through understeer until the fronts get up to temperature.

For the tire longevity side, I asked Cara Adams, Firestone’s director of race tire engineering and production, to help:

“Great observations. A couple things to consider about the car and the tires. Several factors go into how the front versus the rear tires come up to temperature, including the weight distribution, that the power goes through the rear wheels (and thus IndyCar tires are wider in the rear), warm-up procedure (high steering input or braking), driving styles, car setup, brake bias, among several other factors.

“Leaving the pits hard enough to generate tire smoke may reduce the longevity of the rear tires, but if those tires are used less during the rest of the stint, it can even out.”

Q: Bobby R. from Chicago was on it regarding marketing. After all these years of Gene Simmons’ "I Am Indy" or "I Am Mindy" (I forget which) and "The IZOD Girl," the only marketing ploy I remember clearly is Scott Dixon playing Jenga. And is it just me, or did the Firestone Firehawk got less screen time this past year? I have high hopes Roger Penske will come up with a worthy marketing plan.

Regarding Roger and his three-car outfit for Indy – I believe he’ll have two extra cars. All the better to win Indy with.

Sincerely, Janis V.

MP: I just took the time to watch every session and every race from the 2020 and 2021 seasons to compare and can confirm Firehawk received 2.3 percent less screen time. (I really hope you don’t believe any of that, Janis.)

On a more serious note, I don’t know if IndyCar needs one big marketing idea as much as it needs to get the series in front of as many people as possible through social media and streaming content. No slogan is going to double viewership and awareness. So, I reported three for RP, and you say five. Loser has to eat a large order of onion rings at the Mug 'n' Bun with no napkins and wipe the grease on their pants. Deal?

I think we all miss Mindy. Image via IndyCar

Q: With Pagenaud out, any news around the Menards sponsorship at Penske? Also curious to know if Andretti has NASCAR on its radar. On Andretti, DeFrancesco doesn’t look like an exciting addition, although his life strongly resonates with me. Hopefully something to be found for Kirkwood there. Will Marco be back at Indy in '22?

Luc, The Netherlands

MP: I asked Team Penske about Menards and they aren’t prepared to confirm who’s sponsoring what next season, and not because there are issues there, but because they haven’t announced anything for its three drivers.

From a Penske PR rep: “We are fully sponsored on all three cars and exact details will be coming out soon.”

Andretti and Dodge almost happened in Cup a while back, but that’s old news. Best answer I can provide is Michael has not been deterred by things falling through to take control of Sauber F1. I think we’ll continue to see his ongoing pursuit of F1 team ownership as the top priority. Devlin’s done all of two tests and was quick in the second. Seen quite a few experts poop on the kid’s chances. Hopefully folks let DeFrancesco show us how good he is before making critical assessments.

By the time you’re reading this, Kirkwood should be either formally confirmed at Foyt, or within an hour or two of being confirmed. I texted Marco to ask and he didn’t respond, which is uncommon.

Q: What has happened with the IPO for Andretti Acquisition Corporation to raise $250 million? When this cash becomes available will Michael take another shot at buying an F1 team?

Bruce, Pittsboro, IN

MP: From all I understand, the SPAC through AAC was never about raising funds to buy an F1 team. I might be completely wrong there, but I’ve had more than one smart person tell me the $250 million fundraising is totally separate. A thing I need to know: How do I start the Pruett Acquisition Corporation and raise a cool $1 million?

Q: I know there have been many questions and observations about the LED panels. I think a more practical use would be for the panels to show their position in the championship as they run during the race. That could add more excitement and emphasis to the championship. Thoughts?

Jamie Carr

MP: Love the idea. Not sure if I care about enough about who’s where in the standings until we get to the second half of the season to make putting it on LED panels worthwhile, but I do think it’s worth adding to the NBC broadcast graphics, maybe as early as the Indy 500 since it pays double points.

There’s real drama going down once the championship hits Indy, but we usually don’t see how the standings were affected until each race is over when they show the rankings and how many points the drivers have in the post-race graphics. Why not add that info into the broadcasts as it happens so people can start feeling invested in how their favorite drivers (or the ones they hate) are rising or falling in the championship as the races are in motion?

Why do we bury the one thing we race towards at each event – top spot in the championship – until the checkered flag waves?

Q: This is not meant as a knock on Conor Daly – he's a talented driver, great personality in the IndyCar paddock and by all accounts a great representative for the Air Force – but if you walked up to Conor and Ryan Hunter-Reay and handed them both Air Force uniforms, one would be a convincing airman and the other, not as much. With clean-cut RHR vying for the seat, would Conor's mullet and beard factor into the Air Force's and ECR's decision?

John W

MP: It’s hard to bet against Captain America and his square jaw, but I wonder if hiring a driver based on their looks – all to boost military recruitment – is more of a WWII thing than a 2021 thing? It’s also an interesting subject with lots of points and counterpoints.

1. Even if he isn’t built like The Rock, Daly is among the most engaging characters in the series.

2. I’d think a series champion and Indy 500 winner like RHR would be a draw for ECR and the Air Force.

3. I’d also think that Daly’s incredible relatability would also be a powerful promotional tool.

4. Send both into the Snake Pit with a challenge to sign 10 recruits for the Air Force, and I’m putting my money on Conor.

5. Send both out to win the Indy 500, and I’m going with RHR.

The bottom line for the Air Force is driving enlistment through its sports sponsorship program. (And I feel compelled to mention that thanks to being married to a Marine, my wife told me early on that the only acceptable way to reference this branch in our house is "Chair Force"…) If their measurement of success is on-track results, RHR’s 18 victories, series title and face on the Borg-Warner trophy are hard to overlook. And if it’s through direct interactions, Daly’s man-of-the-people personality is the winner and, just so we don’t forget, he’s also damn good behind the wheel of an IndyCar.

Flip a coin and with either choice, the Air Force gets a star who brings different talents to the relationship. But what does the Air Force want?

Would the Air Force prefer Daly to revert to the low-downforce hair setup he used in Europe? Image via GP3

Q: Marshall, explain the economics of car/team ownership in IndyCar. Mid-pack drivers in Indy Lights are getting seats while the Indy Lights champion Kyle Kirkwood is yet to land a seat (as of my writing). I understand that the drivers getting seats likely bring more money to the table for a car owner. However, there seems something a little wrong with the business model if the best driver in the feeder series can't get one of the better seats available. Instead, those seats are going to drivers who Kirkwood regularly beat (and I was at Laguna Seca – "demolish" would be a more accurate term). Does potential performance not matter to the economics of car ownership?

Greg Martin

MP: It all depends on the team, since most need one or more of their cars to be funded by a wealthy driver or a driver who brings sponsors to cover their tab. Kirkwood isn’t a rich kid, so he’s had to rely on extreme talent to create opportunities; it’s an age-old story. Performance certainly matters, but if Team X needs someone to pay the $6-8 million bill for a full season of racing, driver skill is No. 2 on the list of importance. It’s been this way for decades, and since racing is a pay-to-play sport, teams need the money, first, before anything else.

On rare occasions, we get a wealthy team owner who likes to cover the costs. That happened a lot more back in the day, and very few – namely Dale Coyne – continue the practice. The good thing here is A.J. Foyt Racing and sponsor ROKIT wanted a talented young American in the No. 14 Chevy, and that’s who they’ve hired in Kirkwood.

Q: Marshall. You asked why Kellett should be out?

Let me count the ways:

Cons:

1. He was last in standings for full -time drivers – behind Castroneves who drive six races and two points ahead of Franchitti.

2. He started in the last three spots at every race – so he is lacking speed – so how does he contribute to the team set up by generating valuable data?

Pros:

1. He is not a roadblock during the race, but he rarely moves up due to passing people.

2. His best race was Gateway.

I am a Foyt fan. Read every one of their web postings about qualifying and the race. Read them, and tell me how the year went-

So he is buying his ride – that is why he is still at Foyt – not because he is an great plus on the track? Yes or no ? I think he doesn’t help them landing a good driver for the No. 14, but if he helps them keep the doors open, that is good.

Bill Cantwell

MP: I see this is going to become a weekly thing, Bill. Bring it on.

• Who said every driver contributes valuable data or feedback? When did that become a hire-or-fire criteria? Some of the fastest drivers in IndyCar, including one who vied for last season’s title, are almost useless in that regard.

• Every IndyCar season since the first in 1911 has had fastest and slowest drivers. Are you suggesting some sort of IndyCar Survivor show where the drivers at the back of the field are voted off the grid at the end of each season? Now, that idea I like. (Just as long as they don’t vote the slowest IndyCar reporter off the grid, because I’d be toast.)

• Seriously, though, what’s up with the fixation on Kellett? He’s just about the nicest guy you’ll meet. He’s Canadian, which is almost always a plus. His funding makes it possible for others to drive at Foyt and helps the team to employ dozens of people, mostly Americans. And he’s improved each season. So because he isn’t destined for wins and greatness, he should be booted from IndyCar? Man alive, if that’s the new approach to things, most of us deserve to be fired!

Q: IndyCar's lack of presence in the Northeast is a sad marketing mistake. Having a successful race in the Northeast would expose a lot of potential sponsors to the advantage of investing in IndyCar. During the years that IndyCar raced at Pocono (a track specifically designed for IndyCars) the event was a well-kept secret in New York City and probably also in Philadelphia, both of which are less than two hours drive time away, so of course the stands were never full.

What is needed is for a smart professional promotional organization to put on a race in the Northeast. Just not in April, like they did with Nazareth. With NBC's interest in growing IndyCar viewership, I'm sure they would be interested in helping support the promotion of a race so close to their headquarters. Drivers could appear on NBC's "The Tonight Show" (and maybe even CBS's "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert") during the week preceding the race to generate interest. Local news organizations and especially cable news outlets would probably be happy to air promotional human interest videos provided by the promoter. Possibly a video with Robbie Wickens returning to Pocono. Radio stations would jump on the chance to have free race ticket promotions. There are so many ways that smart promotion could make a race at Pocono a big success.

Is there any chance a smart promoter like Andretti Green Promotions would rent Pocono and put on an IndyCar race?

P.S. I was lucky enough to meet Robin at Pocono. He was a lot taller than I expected.

Michael Aldea, Hawthorne, NJ

MP: That was the first thing that came to mind when I first met Miller, Michael. Pocono was a favorite for me as well. IndyCar needing to get back to the Northeast? No doubt about it.

I think a lot of money could be spent to promote IndyCar’s return to the three-corner Speedway, but I don’t think you’d get many owners or drivers on board with that idea. Between Justin Wilson’s death in 2015 and Robert Wickens' crash in 2018, there’s just no appetite to go back from what I’ve been told when the topic comes up on pit lane or in the paddock.

The patchwork repairs to the fence after Robert’s incident really turned a lot of folks off on Pocono. Long before a single dollar was spent on advertising, you’d have a fairly united front with the drivers and some team owners demanding a complete safety upgrade to the fences, large new sections of SAFER barriers, and since that would cost millions, I just can’t see it happening.

It's probably a Poco-no-no for the foreseeable future. Which is a bummer. Scott LePage/Motorsport Images

Q: I guess it’s really not a question, but I wanted to commit on one of the Mailbag questions regarding IndyCars at COTA. I think COTA deserves another chance. I can’t remember the exact dates but from the date the race was announced to the actual race was just a couple months, that’s not enough time to promote the race, in my opinion. And when I heard there was going to be an IndyCar race I was really excited, as I live about 15-20 minutes from the track, and at the time I honestly thought it would be the next year, which would have made more sense.

I attended the IndyCar test session and talked to a lot of the drivers and crew members, and everyone seemed excited to be there. I didn’t realize who he was at the time but I had a great conversation with George Steinbrenner Jr., regarding the test session, COTA, tires etc., it was a wonderful day. Fast-forward to race weekend a short time later, I talked to people from all over – Mexico, plus several from the West Coast, East Coast and the Midwest – everyone was excited and really enjoyed the race. I also attend the F1 race ever year, and I know the crowd size wasn’t the same, but with just a couple months of promotion that’s to be expected. But honestly, low attendance isn’t anything new to IndyCar. The complaints about the run-off areas etc would be easy fixes, so let’s give it another chance

John Furnis

MP: We’re of the same mind here in our wishes for COTA to be a true success story for IndyCar. But it’s not going to happen. You could promote an event for a year, and it wouldn’t matter. COTA’s biggest historical turnouts are for F1 as you mentioned, and MotoGP.

When the IndyCar race was announced, I wrote that if it got a halfway decent crowd, I’d be totally shocked, and that was because I’d been to COTA for well-promoted events put on by IMSA, by the FIA World Endurance Championship – the amazing cars and drivers from the 24 Hours of Le Mans – and nobody came. The Supercars flew from Australia to hold a race, nobody turned up, and they were one-and-done.

NASCAR finally added COTA to its schedule, and for once, something other than F1 or bikes drew a decent crowd. It was rainy and far from perfect weather, but with the crowd estimated to be about 33 percent of what F1 just amassed, are we ready to celebrate Cup for coming in at 66 percent below the USGP? And if we figure that NASCAR remains far more popular than IndyCar, I just can’t see COTA as a viable option. Truly, I want it to work, but all the enthusiasm in the world doesn’t matter if tickets aren’t being bought.

Q: IndyCar had Richmond on a three-year deal when COVID hit, and now that it’s in the rearview mirror, what happened? Also, the talks of Mexico City not happening was because IndyCar did not have a Mexican driver. Well it has one Mexican and one Spaniard who just won the championship. And what happened to Circuit of The Americas? I find it hard to believe that F1 can put on a show for less money than IndyCar. Plus, IndyCar puts on a better show. F1 has only one-two winners every season. Boring. I was hoping with Roger Penske taking over IndyCar we would see some growth in the schedule, and all he has done is swap races around. The series needs 20 races. There are a lot of tracks that IndyCar has raced at that that have been idle for way to long.

Arnold Edgar, Danville, IN

MP: IndyCar still wants to go to Richmond, from what I’m told. But since they don’t own it, it’s not their choice. Did you see the F1 crowd at COTA in October? Bursting at the seams. Nobody was complaining about the quality of the show. I’d rather see RP and his team refine the schedule to include tracks that are packed with fans than go back to former circuits that failed to draw an audience. COTA was a failure.

Most team owners would have heart attacks if a 20-race schedule was announced in the near future. Teams need more money and more sponsors to pay for the increased costs coming in 2023 with the hybrid engines and new chassis parts that go with the package; one way to stress that fragile financial ecosystem is to dial up the budgets with more races. I love the idea of calendar variety and growth when IndyCar is ready for it. It just isn’t now.

Q: I read that Roger Penske is going to scale back his support of Paretta Autosport next year and Beth is now looking to partner with someone else. There doesn’t appear to be many good options out there. When the association with Team Penske was announced I thought Roger was going to loan or lease one of his own cars to the new team. Instead they used an old car that was part of KV Racing years ago. The idea to run a couple races late in the season didn’t materialize, even though Simona De Silvestro had room in her schedule. They had an excellent sponsor in Rocket Pro that is now a prominent sponsor on NFL games. There was even talk of full-time in 2022 but the affiliation with Team Penske certainly didn’t live up to the hype.

I’m beginning to think Simona got pulled into a politically correct maneuver that was more show than substance. That’s a shame because Sim has always presented herself as just a race car driver and never sought special attention for being female. Marshall Pruett intended to interview Beth Paretta during the summer but I don’t know if it happened. Any ideas about the future of her team? I am one of Simona’s biggest fans and it’s frustrating that she always seems to end up on the short end of things (Lotus, Sauber, outdated powertrain in Formula E, Nissan in Australia, etc.).

Patrick, Brownsburg IN

MARK GLENDENNING: Let’s go straight to the source:

“Simona is a great driver and was given an opportunity to run this year because of this program after years away from the Speedway. The car was rented – and returned – and then used by that team at the end of the year, which is why we did not run. Rocket Mortgage was an NFL sponsor long before working with us. 

“We do have returning sponsors and support and are building something larger. Penske is still supporting behind the scenes with technical information and guidance as they did in 2021. Stay tuned.” – Beth Paretta

Watch this space. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: With the NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway being the last race for the Gen6 car, I have a question. Where will the Gen6 cars go?

Kurt Perleberg

KELLY CRANDALL: The parts and pieces from those cars will be recycled into other divisions. NASCAR Xfinity Series teams will use the same chassis they have now, but will have the option to try and incorporate other technical elements from the Gen6 car into their programs. The same will apply to ARCA Menards Series race teams.

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, November 8, 2017

Q: I just read about your time working on Johnny Parsons' pit crew at Indianapolis in the 1970s, and even running the pit board. Has there ever been a better place to watch the race? Also, can you elaborate on the pros and cons of being embedded with a team and how that time helped with your perspective as a reporter? Many of us are jealous of your vocation and life and want that book that keeps being promised to come out.

Scott McCallum, Chillicothe, OH

ROBIN MILLER: Nobody with less mechanical skill and common sense around a race car has ever been luckier than I was, because I got to stooge for Jim Hurtubise and his Mallard roadster in 1968 at the age of 18 before Bill Finley took pity on me in 1969-76 and allowed me to be part of his IndyCar team. I was a stooge who ran the pit board and kept notes and speeds and tire temps, and on some race days I got to be the vent man during pit stops (and I never set the fueler on fire, which was a miracle).

Running the pit board is insanity and the worst place to be standing because of the obvious danger, but hell it was cool back then. But being around the action every day and watching how clever Finley operated at building an IndyCar from scratch in his garage was an experience that cannot be learned in books or fully appreciated without being there. Racing engulfed my life in the 1970s after I started running USAC midgets, and I wouldn't trade those days or memories for anything.