The RACER Mailbag, March 23

Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s 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 length and clarity. Questions received after 3pm ET each Monday will appear the following week.

Q: I’m returning to the 500 this year after a several-year absence. In the past there was a shuttle from the airport to the track on race day. I've been searching the internet trying to find information for this year's race, and all I can find is, "Not Offered in 2021"; nothing about 2022.

Evan Weisfeldt, Cape Canaveral, FL

MARSHALL PRUETT: IMS was checking into this on your behalf, Evan, and in the meantime, I might suggest calling the IND airport and making a directly inquiry.

Q: Very nice piece on Vic Elford, one of my favorites when I first took an interest in the sport in the early 1970s. He always seemed to be a great competitor and graceful gentleman. A thoroughly likable character.

I know that through the 1970s it was normal for drivers to race in multiple series, but Elford was one of the few I remember who did rallying extensively. I know Kimi Raikkonen tried it for one year when he was in F1 purgatory, but were there other notable drivers of Elford’s generation who were top rally drivers?

Steven Meckna, Long Beach, CA

MP: Not that I can think of in terms of serious accomplishments like Vic, who won a European Rallying championship and remained active in rallying for three decades. It’s not the same thing, but I do think of a Parnelli Jones and his efforts in offroad racing at Baja in a similar vein; he raced everything within reach and like Vic, loved leaving the ovals and road courses behind for a proper romp on unstable terrain.

Q: I have noticed that the stock car guys seem to be struggling with the single lug nut. If I understand correctly, some of the issues come from the direction of turning the lug nut to loosen or tighten it (clockwise vs. counterclockwise) on opposite sides of the car. I don't recall IndyCar guys having this issue, so do the lug nuts on IndyCars use the same system on opposite sides of the car as the Cup cars do? If IndyCars use this system, why don't they seem to have a problem?

As an aside, back in the day, I remember that Chrysler vehicles used right-hand thread and left-hand thread lug nuts on opposite sides of their vehicles. This caused some issues with folks who did not realize why some lug nuts would not tighten.

Paul in AZ

MP: The wheel nuts tighten to the rear on an IndyCar so the rotational forces of the wheel act to maintain the torque that’s been applied. I know this to be true because after our Genoa Racing Indy Lights team finished the 1996 season and moved up to the Indy Racing League, we dissembled the Dallara IR97 we bought from A.J. Foyt Racing and reassembled it for our first test at Phoenix and mistakenly swapped the front stub axles. A few laps into the car’s shakedown run, our driver Greg Ray -- the bravest of the brave -- radioed in to say there was something weird going on with the front wheels. He pitted, we shook the front wheels, and noticed the slack between the wheels and nuts…we’d flipped them side to side and even at three-quarter speed, the forces started to spin each nut off the stub axles…

Lesson learned in maybe three laps, we got to work on fixing the matter and never made that error again. As for why Cup teams might be having issues, it’s a radical change for them. I don’t expect it to be an issue for long.

"Ah, crap. I think the lug nut rolled under the car." Rusty Jarrett/Motorsport Images

Q: Could you explain what an FP1 is? I understand it stands for Free Practice 1, and is used in Formula 1. But what is it exactly, and why am I seeing it referenced in IndyCar?

Joe, Chicago

MP: Hi, Joe. It is used in F1. And sports cars. And all kinds of other series. So, not just F1. It denotes the unstructured nature of the session -- aka "free" -- compared to those with specific goals such as qualifying or pre-race warmup. And you’re seeing it referenced in IndyCar because... I choose to use it and you choose to read my reports?

Q: I'm confused about PJ1 and traction issues for IndyCar at Texas. Being darker in color, resulting in higher track temperatures, wouldn't that give the tires more grip? I know in cold weather (think the Indy 500, 1992) the tires have less grip.

Where is the fine line between low and high track temperatures related to traction?

Bill, Cincy

MP: Lots of variables here with the time of day the race has been run, but in general, a mismatch in grip between the left side tires and the rights is never a good thing. Despite the track temperature difference, there’s also the difference in rubber that’s been put down on the bottom lane (a lot) and the amount on the second PJ1 lane (a little).

Q: Does Texas Motor Speedway put down the PJ1 every year, or was it just a one-time application? In other words, did they just make one mistake that can't be undone or have they been continuing to undermine their IndyCar show year after year?

GS

MP: Multiple years and willingly and knowingly undermining the IndyCar show year after year to appease NASCAR’s demand for it to be applied before its events at TMS.

Q: I was wondering if you had any kind of backstory to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's choice of Jack Harvey over Santino Ferrucci? Ferrucci showed great progress last season. He had to have been a great spokesman for Hy-Vee, and he is young, energetic, and fits the age demographic that IndyCar needs. He proved that he has skills to come in at the 11th hour and fill in for Harvey, and not damage the Indy 500 car in the Texas race. Heck, he finished the best of the team. I look forward to your answer.

KO in Chicago, IL

MP: Couple of factors to consider here that might lead us to an answer. Santino charged like hell when he was in the 45 car last year, but I also think he destroyed two cars -- at least one, with the other being in a bad way, for sure -- so that would be hard to overlook when it came time to make a final decision. I heard co-owner Mike Lanigan was a big fan, but I also know Graham was integral in recruiting Jack as the two of them became good friends and believed they’d work well together. I didn’t hear those kinds of things coming out of the RLL camp last year when Santino was in the mix with Graham and Takuma.

As I told Santino before and after Sunday’s race, he’s built for this kind of stuff; the guy is a real gamer who can soak up the pressure and perform on ovals. I do think he’d be a strong choice for a team in need of balls and raw talent, but with where RLL is wanting to go, I think Harvey was viewed as a more complete package. At present, after doing a similar amount of damage as Santino, Jack needs to prove to RLL that they’ve made the right choice.

Q: Really a great half-day of racing this past Sunday for open-wheelers. The F1 race in Bahrain was substantially exciting, and while I remain of the opinion that DRS is a dumb gimmick, it's clear the various aero updates have allowed for even more F1 passing.

Next came the true jewel of the day, the XPEL 375 at TMS, where IndyCar deserves a clear tip of the cap for the show there! I feel like the new aero tricks for 2022 will make ovals a zoo once again. Will Power and sadly just six others deserve credit for working the high groove on Friday night. Great racing, strategy, cars coming/fading all over, and hey, Jimmie Johnson with a racing pulse!

Lastly, why does Devlin DeFrancesco not have a veteran driver coach? (If he does, fire him/her!) His lines entering/exiting the corners were absolutely horrible. Not dirty, just plain wrong, especially with a car on the outside. I cannot believe this went unnoticed by the team during practice and then the race. Kirkwood's strong run was ruined, but what he caused for Sato and then Rahal and Helio was far worse. I was stunned by their composure for what was a shockingly callous three-wide move.

Greg from NJ

MP: Devlin does have a few IndyCar veterans who’ve assisted in his growth. He drove like a rookie, so I can’t fault him for that part. It’s easy to pile on, but I’m not sure how that helps the situation. He knows he screwed up, and he’s the type of kid who will stew over the mistakes and do his best to learn from them. Nobody is giving him a free pass, but he’s taken his lumps from the veterans, which he deserves, and has no option but to come back at Long Beach, Barber, the Indy road course, and the Indy 500 and prove that he warrants their trust.

If he spears someone in Turn 11 like Ed Jones did last year to Pato O’Ward, or clobbers someone out of the way at Barber, he’ll become a target for harsh treatment by the rest of the field. And that’s not something he can afford.

Sometimes, rookies are just gonna rookie. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: When Myles Rowe crashed in the first USF2000 race at St. Pete, the commentators immediately went into a discussion about money. The front wing, half-shaft and rear wheel were still flying through the air, and they launched into a discussion about all the crash damage he would be responsible for and how that might be the end of his season. Thankfully no-one was hurt, and Myles was back for Race 2, which he won!

My questions are about the crash damage. How does it work? Who pays for it? Is it required? I’m always interested in the economics of racing and was hoping you had some insight.

Scott P, Miami, FL

MP: Every team handles crash damage in a different way. Some require an up-front deposit. Some rely on an insurance policy they take out and charge the Road to Indy driver/driver’s family for. Some just deduct the crash damage from the overall budget and leave it upon the driver/sponsor/driver’s family to fill it in if they want to do all the races, etc. In Rowe’s case, he has half a budget to start with and the crash bill was taken out of that sum, so from what I understand, he might not be able to continue after the May RTI races on the IMS road course unless more money is found.

Reputation also plays a role. If a kid is known to be a crasher, the team will go hard for the up-front coverage. If it’s a future star on a tight budget, the team might be willing to roll the dice and deal with the financial implications if there’s a big crash.

Q: How are hauler positions in the paddock decided upon?

Vincent Martinez, South Pasadena, CA

MP: Done by Entrant points, but it’s also governed by the size of the paddock and the sizes of the tents for some of the bigger teams. It’s easy at a place like Texas where they all unload into the garages. At Long Beach, it’s a hodgepodge of placement based on what fits and what doesn’t.

Q: Life-long Michael Andretti fan here. This F1 application is a big deal. Many good things could come out of this. F1 is not as much fun to watch as IndyCar, but it is the top of open-wheel racing minus the Indy 500. It would be great for Colton, and call me crazy, but Kyle Larson could switch to IndyCar and later to F1 if he truly is the greatest racing talent in the United States. If this goes through, I would really love to see an F1 race back at The Brickyard. Lastly, why Renault engines?

Dan, Delphos, OH

MP: Most popular form of open-wheel racing? F1, no doubt. Top form of open-wheel racing? Not so sure. Anything is possible if Larson wanted to switch to open-wheel, but I don’t think anyone would be afraid of him on road and street courses. He’s one of the great instinctual drivers of the last 20 years, but as the level of technology rises, the need for a driver who can also provide the tiniest details of car behavior and chassis setup directions becomes critical. Let’s just say that Larson’s ability to get the maximum out of a midget, sprint, or Cup car is unquestioned. Step up to a much higher state of technology in IndyCar or F1 where simply being an amazing talent behind the wheel isn’t enough to win races and championships, and there’s a real question as to whether Kyle would bring all the team needs.

Q: Can you update us on the status of the last handful of possible entries for the Indianapolis 500? When you last wrote about this in mid-February, your reporting suggested we should be skeptical that more than 33 cars/drivers would be entered. Has anything changed?

David Hill, Fishers, IN

MP: We ran an update a few days after you sent your letter -- you can find it here.

Q: The recent passing of Danny Ongais brings to mind one of my pet peeves about the points systems that have been in use for decades in American open-wheel racing.

Back in 1978 Mr. Ongais won five races compared to the series champion’s zero wins. The USAC points system back then rewarded average to mediocre performances. The same thing existed during the CART era and indeed, continues to this day.

The other thing that existed in 1978, which did not apply during the CART era, was that points earned in races were based on how long the races were. So while Danny won five races, they were only 200 and 150 mile races. Incidentally, 1978 was the year that Al Unser won all three 500-mile races.

In 1978, the USAC points standings and podium finishes were as follows with equivalent Formula 1 points:

Using the old F1 point system of 10, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1, which I consider to be the best point system ever used, Danny Ongais would have been the champion with 57 points to Tom Sneva’s 57, with Ongais being champion based on race wins.

Which brings us back to the current system. It rewards average to mediocre performances. Two sixth-place finishes are worth more than a victory. Even worse, three 10th-place finishes are worth more than a victory. This is silly. If it is necessary to award points to every competitor, that is fine, but the points for victories and podium finishes should be much more than they currently are. Since the maximum number of drivers in a race is pretty much 33, award points down to 33rd, but award 1000 for 1st, 600 for 2nd, 400 for 3rd, 300, 200, 100, 90 for 7th , 80, 70, 60, 50, 45 , 40, 36, 32, 28, 25, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 for 33rd. Or something similar that rewards excellence rather than mediocrity.

In closing, here’s to Danny Ongais. The true 1978 IndyCar champion.

Doug Mayer, Revelstoke, BC, Canada

MP: Bless you for that On-the-gas reverie, Doug.

But who would have been champion if they'd had a playoff system? Motorsport Images

Q: I couldn't help but notice that the IMSA DPi lap times are around two seconds per lap faster than the WEC Hypercar lap times around Sebring. Is it really true that DPi is the fastest class of prototype sports cars in the world? I always thought that the top class in WEC would be faster than the DPi cars, but to see them be a full two seconds slower is really surprising.

Now I know why the ACO wouldn't allow the DPis to run at Le Mans! If the Hypercar is two seconds slower at Sebring, then it would be five-plus seconds slower at La Sarthe and the WEC and ACO would've been embarrassed by the IMSA cars!

Mike in Tampa (slightly confused)

MP: Yeah, the Hypercars are nowhere close to the Hybrid LMP1s they’ve followed. Coming from an era where 1000hp-plus was the norm, a cap of 680hp can’t be overlooked. Brace yourself for LMDh/GTP in 2023 because there’s also an anticipated increase in lap times coming.

Q: My question relates to the ‘massaging’ of a chassis to make it truly "500 ready." You mentioned that a stock chassis needs a lot of work to make it ready for the 500, and in your article about Matt and Conor Swan last October you talked about Conor's yeoman-like work on Helio’s 500-winning chassis. Could you give some insight as to what components are massaged and sanded and any tricks that are known for their ability to squeeze that little bit extra out of a car's aerodynamics?

Tim Shipp, Evansville, IN

MP: Great question -- you’ve already referenced the bodywork massaging effort where teams, or specialist subcontractors they hire who do "body fits," dive in and blend any seams that aren’t smooth, align seams where bodywork connects to other bodywork or to the car, etc. That’s all done to remove all the tiny instances where air might get trapped, tripped, or cause drag. I always think of the body fit exercise as removing a thousand miniature parachutes.

And the other big area of massaging is within the spinny bits -- the rotating items in the suspension and drivetrain. Just as Chevy and Honda have engine dynos to measure how much horsepower and torque they generate with their 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6s, IndyCar teams develop their own gearbox dynos to measure how much mechanical drag is made. And unlike their engine partners who work tirelessly to make the numbers go up, teams work their magic with the bearings in the transmissions to bring the friction and drag number down. Same with the wheel bearings, where the artful application of polishing and other tricks can greatly reduce the rolling resistance and therefore make it easier -- taking less horsepower from the engine -- to spin the wheels.

I remember a few years ago at the 500, during a lunch break when a multi-car team was at their hospitality bus and the garage was empty, a frustrated Indy-only driver walked over to his car and spun the right-front tire to show me how much effort wasn’t put into his car. The wheel maybe rotated three or four times before coming to a stop. We then stepped over to his teammate’s car where he spun the left-front tire and the thing kept spinning for days. The driver in question -- a talented operator -- had been slow all month and wanted someone to see it wasn’t for a lack of trying. His car just lacked the Speedway love the other cars in the team’s stable had received and it showed on the speed charts.

Q: Just a suggestion for the top lane practice at Texas: why not just run a bunch of older show cars or two-seaters with the current tires to get some laps in? Maybe even throw in some past drivers that have raced at Texas. Plus, it was odd to see Power, who organized this, to run a lot of the bottom. I know he went in the top but it just seemed like he barely did.

Landon Coons

MP: I offered to join the group of seven with Firestones bolted onto my rental car, but alas, Jay Frye passed. Rather than organize all kinds of extra cars to be prepared at great cost and send transporters and crews and drivers to operate those cars for a 30-minute session, we need to get more of the IndyCar field -- the ones who are already there and ready to go -- involved in the rubbering-in process.

If someone had spent the entire month of May massaging your spinny bits, you'd be smiling too. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: It seems every time they bring the IndyCars in and shut them down the crew members struggle to connect the umbilical. Likewise, after start up, the disconnect seems to be as cumbersome. Do the drivers ever assist, and if not, why can’t they just plug it in and unplug it? Also, it seems like the connector is extremely deep in the tub. Why can’t they bring it up higher or have it as an external plug? If I was sitting in the seat I would just say hand it to me and plug it in, and then unplug and hand it out.

Doug Elmore

MP: That’s a great observation. The addition of the aeroscreen has made it more difficult since it sits higher up on the car and forces a bit of a stretch downwards to make the connection. Even before the aeroscreen arrived, making the connection usually involved some degree of wrangling and downward force, which is probably why the drivers -- who don’t have much leverage to apply -- aren’t asked to assist. The placement is likely part of the overall design mindset of keeping things short and low for the sake of performance. But yes, I’d have to think the DW25 or DW26 will have a friendlier umbilical connection to offer.

Q: Why did Andretti and Foyt not participate in the second lane running at Texas? Why didn't all the entries run? Seems short-sighted, unless I am missing something,

Oliver Wells

MP: Don’t forget Ganassi, which kept its four cars in the garage. Most just didn’t want to take the risk of having their cars crash.

Q: Did I miss much from the first 50 laps of Texas? Was it my error or what? Every guide I saw said the race started at 1:00 EST. But it was already 50 in by then...

Shawn in MD

MP: Yes, you did. Peacock should have the replay for you. I’d invite you to read our session reports, Shawn, which include "UP NEXT:" details on when the next IndyCar on-track activity will take place.

Q: It looks pretty obvious after two races that Chevy has made major improvements and now has the upper hand over Honda. Can Honda do anything or are we stuck with Chevy dominating all season?

Paul, Indianapolis, IN

MP: Let’s check back after Long Beach. If Honda doesn’t have a response to Chevy’s ass-kicking performance on the streets of St. Petersburg, we’ll know the advantage is real.

Q: Explain to me again why Santino Ferrucci doesn't have a full-time IndyCar ride.

Bill Carsey, North Olmsted, OH

MP: He doesn’t have the money to bring that got him the ride with Dale Coyne, and as far as reputations go, he’s not the most popular driver in the paddock. Now, that shouldn’t make a difference, but if a driver at Team X doesn’t like a candidate for a seat, they’ll make that known to all that will listen, and in most cases, that’s how a disliked driver loses out on opportunities. It isn’t fair, but more often than not, it is how things work.

Q: In my opinion, the more fingers Michael Andretti sticks in more pies, the worse his IndyCar teams do. I feel like he's going to lose Rossi at the end of this year, at least. What are your thoughts? Secondly, what in heck is Fox doing by updating the pylon on TV throughout a lap? It does not matter who passes who until they get the start finish line, does anyone care who passes who back and forth five times during a lap. This pylon is making me cross-eyed.

John

MP: Thank goodness I don’t watch NASCAR. Sounds like it’s making optometrists a lot of money. I hear what you’re saying on the Andretti front, but let’s give it a few more races before we hit the panic button. I sure didn’t expect Herta to be seventh and Grosjean 10th in the standings after two races; I figured we’d be something closer to second and fifth.

And Rossi’s 27th of the 29 drivers who’ve run a race this year. Unless he can go on an epic tear and live on the podium, his season’s shot in terms of fighting for a championship. Let’s circle back mid-May to see where the team’s at. Penske’s started off by throwing haymakers; Ganassi’s close but not close enough behind them, and after that, it’s up to Andretti, McLaren, Rahal, Shank, Carpenter and so on to decide who’s entering the Indy 500 as the other member of this year’s Big 3.

Q: What is it with NASCAR? If you ever want a contrast between real racing and a demolition derby, you saw it Sunday. IndyCars at Texas provided wheel-to-wheel dueling and a last-lap, last-corner pass for the win at 220 mph! NASCAR’s debacle in Atlanta was just the opposite. More than half the field wrecked and the race ended with the traditional crash. Yet the crowd at Atlanta dwarfed the crowd in Texas. I don’t get it. I guess the crashfest is what NASCAR fans want. I’ll take real racing myself.

Joe Weiss, Spooner, WI

MP: I watched zero laps of the Atlanta race so I’ll take your word on it, Joe. For what it’s worth, six of our 27 starters crashed.

Q: Read your piece on the slack crowd at TMS. Being that IndyCar travels all over the U.S. and relies on the locals for the most part to fill the seats, it's apparent that these locals aren't interested. Seems 140,000 spectators saw the 2021 COTA F1 race on the Sunday. Reportedly 400,000 over the three-day weekend. But how many were Texans? Since COTA was the only stop in the U.S. last year most of that crowd came from around this country and the rest of the world. Fans taking their one race vacation of the year converged on COTA. I don't think a later start would have made much difference. Can't blame it on not wanting to watch a bunch of foreign race car drivers. Plenty of them on the F1 side and 10 Americans racing and one winning this past weekend. Maybe time for IndyCar to take their ball and go home.

Jeff, Florida

MP: The hot rumor I heard from countless people over the weekend was that Milwaukee could be in play for a return. It could be the dog track at the Kalamazoo Fair for all I care; I just want to see full stands on an oval where our drivers look like heroes.

Q: Great race at Texas! Looks like it might be worth returning next year. My question concerns the PJ1 garbage that NASCAR needs. I was listening to the radio broadcast during the one of the endless TV commercial breaks and they were interviewing a lady from Firestone who claimed they couldn't build a tire that works well on the PJ1 and the untreated part of the track. So how does Goodyear do it?

Bob C, Mills River, NC

MP: If I had to interpret what chief Firestone Racing engineer Cara Adams was saying, I’d lean more towards "won’t" than "can’t."

Spending a lot of money to develop a custom tire just for Texas to overcome the problem caused by a rival series that uses tires from Firestone’s biggest rival would be ridiculous. Turned the other way, does anybody think Goodyear would spend that money to make special tires to compensate for an issue related to Firestone for one race on an IndyCar oval? Not a chance.

Q: IndyCar fan since ’57 and love the TV coverage and the sound of the cars whizzing by. The problem is you can’t hear the announcers over the engine noise during the broadcast. There has to be a way for the network to adjust this.

Thanks, FN

MP: I can only imagine the kinds of amazing memories you’ve amassed over the last 65 years. Please don’t hesitate to share some of them in future Mailbag submissions.

NBC Sports, you have been put on notice.

Q: I wholeheartedly agree that the race at Texas proved it was worth fighting for. Frankly, that's not something I was expecting, but I'm dang happy about it. All the factors you mentioned in your article -- more downforce, revised tires, the extra practice -- it all added up. I'm wondering if there wasn't one other factor, the lower temperatures brought about by this early date. We all know there's less grip overall when it gets hot out, so maybe since it was cooler out than it would have been in June, the now smaller disparity in the PJ1'd area made slightly less of a difference too?

Dylan Burgett, Villa Park, IL

MP: It’s certainly a factor to be considered. I wonder what it would be like if we went back to a Saturday night race in potentially cooler conditions with thicker air and more downforce.

At least with IndyCar, when you buy a ticket for Texas you get an entire row to yourself. NASCAR fans just get one seat. Suckers. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: I agree with many of your points regarding the attendance at TMS, but I'd like to argue for the opposite conclusion. Why does that venue deserve years and years in an attempt to bring in a decent crowd, particularly when the racing there is acceptable (on average) one year out of four? The fact that other events have had the plug pulled only after a couple of years makes continuing at Texas seem nonsensical.

Your estimate of 5,000 in attendance is exactly the figure I would estimate. Poor crowds have also been the excuse to cease going to COTA (along with COVID) and Watkins Glen. I was at both events and can testify that both had substantially bigger crowds than that, if not what one would hope for. But neither race had the chance to enjoy date equity or even decent promotion, and yet had the rug pulled out from under them.

Texas has had its shot. Enough already. Watkins Glen, Watkins Glen, Watkins Glen, Please!

Steve C., Ithaca, NY

MP: IndyCar has been on thin ice with its oval-loving fans, so if Texas gets cut, and despite loving Watkins Glen all day and all night, the replacement would need to be another oval.

Q: I was relieved that the Texas race was a good one. Not quite old-school Texas good, but still enjoyable. I hope IndyCar comes back next year and puts on another good show. My main question is, what's going on at Andretti Autosport? Sunday was a bad day for the team, but mechanical failures and miscues have not been an uncommon occurrence for the team over the past couple seasons. This is borderline unforgivable in a spec series, where so much of the car is bought by teams, with limited development opportunities. Is AA as a whole is stretched too thin, both within IndyCar and in the wider world of motorsports? And is the driving talent a flight risk if the team can't get its act together?

Kyle P. in Mass

MP: I hear you, but there’s the practical side of the equation we need to acknowledge. Michael’s efforts to create an F1 team doesn’t involve the crew members on his IndyCar program, so the wiring issue that’s said to have caused the alternator to stop working on Rossi’s car can’t be blamed on anything being stretched too thin. The apparent engine issue on Grosjean’s car would be a Honda thing. DeFrancesco just made a lot of rookie mistakes, and a botched pit stop and a really slow tire change torpedoed Herta’s chances. Four unique and unrelated things with no common thread. I’d put it down to a calamitous event instead of a sign that they’ve lost their edge.

Both Arrow McLaren SP drivers pooped the bed on the same pit stop and ruined their respective days, so Andretti wasn’t the only team to bat .0000 at Texas. Now, if the same thing happens at Long Beach, then we have an undeniable trend to point towards.

Q: I watched the IndyCar race on Peacock last night and it was vastly improved from recent races at Texas. Kudos to IndyCar and the great teams/drivers. I cannot say the same about TMS. I was on the Fort Worth Sports Authority board for 10 years which supervised and coordinated TMS construction with Speedway Motorsports and the City of Fort Worth. NASCAR was its only focus at the time, with any other form of motorsport being an afterthought. It was true then and is true now. That surface coating, which is awful for IndyCar, was designed as we all know to improve the NASCAR show, which in the past was as interesting as watching paint dry. IndyCar and its needs were never on the radar. As a consequence, after years of poor-quality racing with the new IndyCar body work, people stopped coming. Throw in glorious North Texas weather (low humidity -- a rarity) the NCAA tournament (TCU was playing), Spring Break week, and gardening season, you have a recipe for poor attendance.

Most importantly, TMS did virtually nothing to promote as far as I can tell as there were no other attractions to keep people in the stands and no opportunity to have a party like atmosphere.

So, here we are. Penske needs to have a proverbial sitdown with TMS.

Emmett, Dallas, TX

MP: Well, I can say I heard a radio ad on my drive from the airport to TMS which said there was a race going on last weekend. Unfortunately, it was a promo for the American Flat Track motorcycle race on the half-mile dirt oval just outside the paved oval…

Q: I just read your impression of the IndyCar race at Texas. I was there and have been attending for many years. I agree the crowd was sparse, but it was more than 5,000. Heck there were more than 5,000 cars in the parking lot. That big grandstand can be deceiving. In any event, we agree the crowds are light. I did notice that at this year’s race the crowd that did show up was more knowledgeable. These were IndyCar fans for the most part.

As to why the crowd was sparse, I have several comments. First, there were no support races all weekend. The Indy race on Sunday was it. Many did not make the effort because the schedule was light. Secondly, as you touched on, the before-noon start sucks. It does not enable many folks to attend. We had an extra ticket and I normally can find a willing taker -- not this time. A third factor is the track management. Things have gone noticeably downhill the last few years and it has frustrated the long-term season ticket holders, including myself. On the positive, the racing was better and I hope IndyCar continues its presence in the Lone Star state.

Bill Mapel, Austin, TX

MP: Thanks for the thoughts, Bill.

Q: That was the best Texas race I've seen! Newgarden showed his savvy, McLaughlin continues to impress and Will Power is showing patience and consistency early on.

Who is this Jimmie Johnson guy? Wow!

Why would Scott Dixon say that TX won't prepare Johnson for Indy? I know in his interview he said it was just a different track, but if you can race wheel-to-wheel at TX, that should say something.

TJ Spitzmiller, Sarasota, FL

MP: It does, but Indy is a different animal. Texas, with its high banking, does a lot to help with maintaining momentum. At Indy, it’s a giant power and aerodynamic exercise where the slightest mistake will cost time and momentum. Texas does more work for the car and driver than Indy, which is probably what Dixie was explaining.

Q: My question is about Kevin Magnussen. He seems like a decent guy, no filter and is evidently talented. However, after leaving F1 he gave numerous interviews saying he was happy to be out, tired of running at the back, wouldn’t go back to F1 unless it was a top team, etc... the switch to IMSA was a chance to compete for wins again. He repeated this line throughout 2021, plus he had a factory WEC deal with Peugeot to look forward to! 

One phone call from Steiner and he drops the lot to run at the back for the next few seasons (let’s face it, that’s where Haas will always be ). Just goes to show, despite what drivers say 99.9% of them would take a poor F1 seat just be be/remain in F1 than a competitive one in another series.  

John 

CHRIS MEDLAND: Hey John, I'm imagining you wrote this before the first race of the season, but Magnussen was returning to a Haas team that knew it could be much more competitive than it was during his first stay. In your defense, I don't think he knew it would be quite so competitive but he didn't expect it to be at the back, and the team was confident it would be in the midfield mix. But I put that very point to him, as he told us here at RACER at Daytona that he wouldn't return to a midfield F1 team, and he said he stood by that until he got the phone call and then realized how much he missed it because he was so quick to say yes. But I also think you're right with your final point -- almost every driver wants to race in F1, and then if you're racing in F1 you have the best chance of showing yourself worthy of a race-winning seat, so that's the logic.

Q: This is written prior to the first F1 race of the season, but I had a thought. What if Lewis Hamilton wins his eighth title in 2022 and retires? I am not a Hamilton fan, but you cannot deny that this is a distinct possibility. Who do you put in the Mercedes next to George Russell? I could only think of a couple of folks who come close to deserving the ride and might be contractually available: Alonso, Gasly, Bottas and Ocon come to mind. Verstappen, Lando, and the Ferrari duo are locked up. Who would it be? Who would you choose?

Bill Mapel, Austin, TX

CM: It's a very good point Bill, because there's part of me that could see that happening too. It would be a hell of a way to bow out, especially after the way last season ended. But then if he's still performing at a level capable of winning championships, would he walk away? Hamilton himself has said you're a long time retired...

Let's say he does leave, though. A lot would then depend on Russell, but I think we all expect him to do more than enough to show he could become the lead driver after Hamilton. So then you're looking at younger options, and I think Ocon would be most likely with his Mercedes ties, but I'd love to see Alonso get a shot in a championship-contending car again. Gasly's not a bad shout, but I'm not sure Mercedes would take him over Ocon. Don't rule out Norris, though -- he might well have a clause that makes him available to Mercedes (or any top three team) if McLaren has an absolute shocker this year, but I doubt the same is true of Verstappen, Leclerc or Sainz.

Q: Without raking up old news regarding the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, surely Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff should have been penalized for missing (a) post-race press conferences and (b) the FIA Prizegiving a few days later, both of which, as I understand it, are compulsory. Furthermore, I would have penalized Toto Wolff for disrespecting Mario Andretti when he called to discuss Andretti Racing F1. In the old days with Bernie and Max the fine would be $10 million for the offense and $90 million for being a ****. What do you think?

Andrew Hodgson

CM: To be fair to Toto, the Bernie and Max-era fines were for McLaren breaking rules, which Mercedes hasn't done, and I don't believe Toto will actively avoid Mario's calls, so I'd imagine they'll speak at some stage. I'd definitely fine him though if he did ignore Mario completely! In terms of the penalties for Wolff and Hamilton, I don't know about Toto but Lewis discussed the matter with the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in Bahrain and agreed a €50,000 fine for missing the event, with the money going to help a student from a disadvantaged background achieve a qualification in motorsport.

"Why yes, I did say I'd rather chew wasps than drive for a midfield F1 team again. But that was when I wasn't actually expecting one of them to call." Andy Hone/Motorsport Images

Q: In the aftermath of the Bahrain GP, I saw Jeddah trending on Twitter. I thought I would find people discussing the next F1 race, but the city's Aramco facility was apparently attacked by Yemeni/Houthis missiles. I have not seen any news about this in the racing press. Is this weekend's GP in Saudi Arabia really going to go ahead?

Jaret H, London, UK

CM: The short answer is yes, the race is going ahead. The reports haven't been independently verified but the fire -- whatever the cause -- did not lead to any casualties. It is still a hostile environment and was at the same time last year, so F1 hasn't communicated any increased security or protocols for the event, meaning it's business as usual.

Q: I haven’t written since the passing of our friend Robin Miller and when I did, it was always in regard to IndyCar racing. But today I’m here to piss and moan about F1. I used to like Lewis Hamilton when he first started in F1 with McLaren but that became short-lived. The 2021 race season is over and guess what, you lost the championship. Get over it! 

Back in 2008 the fight was on between Hamilton and Felipe Massa, and in the last race of the season in Brazil, Massa crossed the finish line and won the race and was F1 champion for about 10 seconds. But farther back in the field on the final lap, it was reported that Timo Glock lost grip and Hamilton passed him with no problem, picked up a spot on the track, was awarded more points and crossed the finish line with enough points to be awarded the crown. Race over, season over, championship decided, what a rollercoaster of emotions went through Massa, his family and the Ferrari team. Did they scream and cry foul?  Over the next several months did they demand an investigation into Glock, claiming that he let up on the gas and let Hamilton pass?  Was there any thought that the race was fixed by the race director? No!  So, I repeat, Hey Lewis, get over it! You lost! And let’s get on with 2022.

Thank you for this time allowing me to rant.  And as our friend Robin would remind us, Hate is good for racing.

Tony Piergallini, Titusville, FL

CM: Loving the hate Tony! They were very different scenarios, and let's be fair to Hamilton: he hasn't made much noise at all about the final race himself. In fact, he was gracious to Verstappen after the flag and then didn't say a word, which led to such intense focus on his future and mindset. But he came back in pre-season saying he'd never threatened to leave, and has been keen to move on himself. All he's asked for is for the FIA to be better in the future (a fair request) and more transparent, but neither he nor Mercedes asked for a change to the championship result after the initial appeal. I'd say it's a large section of fans that make the continuing noise, rather than the driver himself, but the FIA report did say the race director made a mistake with the way the rules were applied in Abu Dhabi, and the same can't be said for 2008 so they have a point.

But I'm with you, I'm glad 2022 has now kicked off because we really need to focus on great racing rather than the past, and hopefully we'll never have a repeat incident after the changes the FIA made over the winter.

Q: On March 12, Saudi Arabia executed 81 people it deemed as local terrorists. Does F1 plan to boycott the Saudi Arabian GP as it did the Russian GP? Saudi Arabia has an abysmal attitude toward human rights. Shame on F1 for looking the other way.

Jerry, Houston, TX

CM: I fully agree with you that the Saudi human rights issue needs addressing and can't be ignored, because if having an F1 race doesn't lead to improvements then it is sportwashing. But as questionable as Saudi's rights are, it's not the same situation as Russia invading Ukraine and killing thousands of innocent civilians as it goes. The latter is a war that the rest of the world is trying to end through non-military means, and I'm glad F1 took the right stance at the right time on that front. That move in isolation should be praised in my opinion, not used as a stick to beat the sport with regarding other places it races.

Q: So we’ve had an F1 race and are headed right into our next race. All the teams have emptied the sand out of their sandbags and we’ve got a more clear picture of the haves and have-nots.  Early in the race it felt like the haves were either the four teams with two cars in the top 10 and the two drivers who seem to have a markable advantage over their teammate, and the have-nots were those falling further and further behind.  The race didn’t quite end that way but it sure seemed to form a picture before pit stops.

So what do you think is the issue for some of these teams? Is it the Mercedes engine? At one point the bottom six cars were powered by Mercedes. Is there something about the packaging that created a performance flaw in the new regulations that all four Mercedes-powered teams are suffering with? Or is it a design flaw?  Did these teams not build the best mousetrap and of those teams (Mercedes included) how many of them can unlock potential in their car or need to perhaps pivot to something else entirely?

P.S. Other than a Q3 mistake a nice first Mercedes weekend for George Russell. Looks like the real deal. For those in the comments section, it is possible to be the real deal while simultaneously getting beat by Hamilton who is seven times the real deal.

Ryan in West Michigan

CM: I think the Mercedes power unit is central to those struggles given the bottom six finishers were all Mercedes-powered, but then reliability is a key factor that Red Bull will want to get on top of. I think we need to be a bit patient in terms of seeing the pecking order over a few races, because even two different circuits had opposing results, with the likes of McLaren and Williams looking more competitive in Barcelona. McLaren genuinely thought its car was good at the first test, but after Bahrain feels like it lacks downforce significantly. Some teams might just have underestimated the level they needed to reach to be competitive, but there's every chance some cars will simply be a bit off the pace all year due to the team getting the concept wrong (the Williams sounds like a real handful) and it could take a whole new car in 2023 to resolve it. It's definitely too early to judge who that might impact, though.

What's clear is Ferrari and Red Bull have an advantage over Mercedes, who are in no-mans-land ahead of Haas, Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri and Alpine. The order of those four teams, and whether Mercedes customers can get in the mix with them, is likely to vary from track-to-track still.

And well said on George, a very solid first outing and he just needs to learn that glory qualifying runs like he produced in the Williams are not worth the same risk in a Mercedes, as it can be a far more costly error. Drive it at 100%, not 110%, and he's going to do really well.

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller's Mailbag, 18 March, 2015

Q: You’re probably already aware, but Texas World Speedway is getting close to being bulldozed to make way for a housing development and join Riverside, Ontario and other tracks that have gone by the wayside. Any memories of TWS you have to share?  The only race of note on YouTube is from ’78 when A.J. pretty much left everyone in the dust during the USAC rules fight over the Ford/Cosworth V8s vs the Offy.

Brian Miller, Katy, TX

ROBIN MILLER: One quick flashback to 1974. Bentley Warren, driving for Bill Finley (I was a stooge on the team) kidnapped me and terrorized the residents of College Station in a rental car. We were pulled over and told to get out of the car with our hands up and Bentley cracked, “Our guns are in the trunk.” Fortunately, the police had a sense of humor and Bentley gave them tickets to the race.