The RACER Mailbag, May 11

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: To gear up for the 500, I watched a DVD this week from Rare Sportsfilms about the 1972 race. One segment featured Harlan Fengler riding around the Speedway in a street car showing off IMS’s brand-new caution light system, which featured lights and numbers to keep the race cars going at a constant pace of 80 or 90mph while under caution. At first thought, this seems like a pretty good system compared to the pack-up we see today, which results in what seems to be some unnecessarily long yellows. Why was the caution light system abandoned? Are competitors happy with the system we have today? I guess there’s added excitement upon the restarts, but on the surface the practice of keeping cars at a constant pace under yellow seems to be a more pure approach. What instigated the pack-up method? What’s your preference?

Mark Founds, Mason, OH

MARSHALL PRUETT: Well, there was that whole lawsuit by Roger Penske with the PACER lights system that took months to reconcile the winner of the Indy 500, then took Mario’s second win away and awarded it to Uncle Bobby that answers the first part. (Rather than rehash the whole thing in the Mailbag, my pal Dave Scoggan did a nice piece on it here).

I haven’t heard the current crop of drivers complain about Indy 500 restarts since former series president Randy Bernard had them going double-file. Unless we’re talking about a restart with one lap to go, we tend to see the driver in second or third catch the leader and a bit of back-and-forth take place. I’m fine with single-file.

Q: Do you think McLaren is having second thoughts about Herta, considering he’s made so many driver errors this year? Meanwhile, O’Ward is shining.

What’s the problem with Daly? It was always thought he just needed a full season with one team to put it all together. I noticed while VeeKay became your No. 1 free agent in your silly season update, you didn’t even mention Conor. Is he in the mix for a seat next year?

Tim B.

MP: It does seem to be a case where Colton hasn’t been the same 100-percent locked-in-and-focused guy we’ve seen the last two seasons. Despite doing our end-of-day videos, I haven’t had the time to do a deep dive with him on the subject, so more to follow there.

I did, however, connect with Conor after Barber and he was amazingly honest in his assessment of why the year has not gone the way he’d hoped. Look for that story this week. He signed a multi-year deal, so he’s good beyond 2022.

Q: I've never once watched a sporting event based on who the announcers were. And never didn't watch one for the same reason. And I am willing to bet that's true of everyone watching. I'm a huge fan of Jr. And we all agree Danica is a polarizing figure. I don't know if I understand why NBC feels the need to jazz up the set list of the 500. Is someone on the top floor of Rockefeller Center thinking more people will tune in to the most-watched motor race based on the talking heads?

Shawn

MP: I’ll watch an NBA game just because Kevin Harlan is doing the play-by-play, but I hear what you’re saying. It’s our biggest race, so while I agree that it seems highly unlikely the event will see a noticeable ratings boost by having Dale Jr. and Danica back, I understand why NBC wants to add pieces of flair to the broadcast.

I guess it's a change from people writing in to complain about Leigh Diffey. Image via Penske Entertainment

Q: I was watching one of the F1 pre-race shows and they were talking about a hole on the nose of the car that directs the airflow from front to the drivers cockpit area. I am wondering if Indy cars are doing the same thing, as it might possibly provide some relief due to the aeroscreen?

Shyam Cherupalla

MP: Racing in high ambient temperatures with radiators positioned on both sides of the cockpit that run at 200F or more will always make for a toasty cockpit experience, with or without an aeroscreen. IndyCar has used "nostrils" in the DW12’s nose since 2020.

Q: I read your latest silly season article. I think you should included two current F1 drivers: Nicholas Latifi and Lance Stroll. There are reports that Latifi will be dropped by Williams at some point of the middle of the season. With the backing he has, I could see him getting a better ride in IndyCar. Then there is Lance Stroll and his father Lawrence -- there are reports that he will put Aston Martin up for sale and sell it to Audi.

If that happens and Lance Stroll is dropped from the team, dare I say that Lawrence Stroll could help Lance by buying an existing IndyCar team like Dreyer & Reinbold and maybe bring Aston Martin as the third engine in IndyCar? By the way, IndyCar and IMSA should add a race at the new Miami Autodrome.

Alistair, Branson, MO

MP: IndyCar could definitely use more Canadians. I’d rather see Alberta’s Parker Thompson get the nod than Latifi or Stroll, but the kid doesn’t have family money to propel him into the series. Maybe young USF2000 race winner and Quebecois Thomas Nepveu will get there first.

Q: What is the attraction to DRS? You can't get the car to go faster through raw power so you do it by reducing drag? Is 200mph all an F1 car can do? In the pre-race, Danica said these are the fastest cars. I'm confused. The breathless commentator said DRS gave an additional 12mph. How many HP of push-to-pass does that take in the current IndyCar?

I get these cars are overwhelmed with aero and all that downforce means drag. But really folks, either get some of that drag off and test the drivers ability to keep the car under them, or get some more horses.

There were a couple of incidents that seemed to me to be the fault of the trailing car. Now, these guys have super licenses -- you know, the ones that IndyCar drivers don't ever seem to be able to earn -- and they don't know they're next to another car in the middle of a decreasing radius turn? Really?

I watched the race because I was curious. At the end, what I felt was disappointed and anxious for IndyCar to get back to racing.

John Maggitti, PhD

MP: Well, F1 had this thing where passing was sighted about as often as Bigfoot, so DRS was the answer to F1’s passing problem. They are doing 200-plus in a straight line, which impresses me; thought I saw 208mph on one on-board last weekend.

Q: I come to you today in the spirit of JFK, who famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country.” For the sake of this email, we will say, “Ask not what [IndyCar] can do for you -- ask what you can do for {IndyCar].” I am one who wishes IndyCar had as many races as NASCAR. I want to see them every weekend.

It seems some of the other racing series do a bit better at marketing their product. The hype around a certain other open-wheel series is impressive considering its parade-like races. So, with that, what can we as IndyCar fans do to better help get the word of IndyCar out there? How can we be a greater impact? I truly believe that IndyCar has a superior on-track product than the others. What would you like to see the fans do more to help IndyCar grow?

Michael

MP: I dream of having more IndyCar evangelists like you, Michael. That’s what I’d like to see more of… and what the series needs. I had a long chat with a smart and talented IndyCar driver last week on the topic of the series and its teams needing to do more on developing a bit of hero worship with our drivers.

Some of the footage in the grandstands during the F1 race made it look like mass hysteria broke out whenever Verstappen, Hamilton or Norris went by… I’d bet most of those fans couldn’t tell you what an MGU-K happens to be, and I’d also bet 99 of them have never met or been within 100 feet of Max, Lewis or Lando, but they worship them in ways our drivers simply do not receive. Do F1 drivers do things on track that warrant a higher level of fandom than what ours do in their cars? No, not at all.

So if it isn’t about what they do in the cars, it must be a case of feeling like you know the drivers enough to be heavily invested in their life and success or failures. The conversation with the IndyCar driver ended with a question on whether our drivers are too accessible, too common, and therefore, feel more like a brother, sister, or cousin, than a world-class athlete who deserves the same worship as your average F1 driver.

We’ll see a decent number of Grosjean jerseys and O’Ward jerseys this weekend at the GMR GP, but nothing like the F1 grandstands where fans are blanketed in team shirts, hats, and flags. It’s a damn shame.

Q: Well, after a phenomenal inaugural F1 race at the impressive Miami International Autodrome, is there any reason why IndyCar should or could not race there? The crowd was huge, the track impressive, and all the European atmosphere you could swallow!

Dan in Arizona

MP: I’m not sure the track is meant to remain fully operational between F1 visits, so that would be my first concern. My take: It’s F1 at its best. Insane amounts of money spent to put on an event and an insane response from fans, celebrities, and broadcasters who made it the most important sporting event in the country last weekend. I saw one photo where a F1 merchandise vendor was asking $80-120 for team hats. For effing hats! There’s a layer of cool and exclusivity that F1 offers and its fans can’t get enough of. I do wish IndyCar had that "problem"…but let’s keep the hats at a reasonable price, people.

They're smiling because it hasn't twigged that they could have bought similar-looking Felix Rosenqvist shirts for a quarter of the price. Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images

Q: What do you know about the new IndyCar spec engines that have been tested recently? Were you present on the hill at IMS for the first test? Does it make sense to increase engine capacity when trying to attract a third engine manufacturer, in a time where car makers are reducing the capacity of road car engines?

Mark, Seymour, IN

MP: I’ve heard a number of things and hope to put them in an article before the end of the month. I wasn’t at the test; RACER’s Lear jet was in the shop, unfortunately (kidding). Chevy and Honda were all for the move to 2.4 liters, so it made sense at least to the ones who are already here.

Q: In 1993, there were 22 different teams entered at Indianapolis. Forty-two car/driver combos attempted to make the race. In 1999, there were 28 different teams entered. Forty-one car/driver combos attempted to make the race. In 2011, there were 19 different teams entered. Forty car/driver combos attempted to make the race.

In 2022, there are 12 different teams entered at Indianapolis. There are 33 car/driver combos that will all make the race.

It’s very simple. In 2022, there simply aren't enough teams involved (or allowed to be involved) at Indianapolis. For real competition to return (which has to be a part of the Indianapolis 500; or a big part of the allure and uniqueness of the event vanishes) we need more teams for the month of May. Period. Or we'll continue this sad and pathetic song-and-dance we have been doing far more often than we haven't been in the last two decades.

Drew in Indy

MP: Yep, in the world of supply and demand, we’ve had a demand issue for a while now with team ownership. Ed Carpenter Racing is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and it’s the second-youngest full-time entrant. Meyer Shank Racing is the baby in the family at six. We have some great prospects in Beth Paretta and Don Cusick, but until they own cars, own a shop and transporters and have 15-plus employees on the payroll, it’s hard to count them in the same way as a MSR or ECR.

IndyCar knows it needs to radically rethink its structure as three teams comprise almost half the field; making a proper case for becoming an IndyCar team owner, based on sound business principles, is where its future will be secured.

Q: As I watched the first F1 race in Miami I noticed while there were marbles, it was way less than what we saw at St. Pete, Long Beach and Barber. Are we running super-sticky tires in IndyCar now to perhaps overcompensate for the heavy DW12? I just don’t recall marbles being as bad as they have been this year.

Gary, Round Rock, TX

MP: Going softer has been what I’ve heard from quite a few drivers, so what you’ve mentioned aligns in that area.

Q: The last P2P graphic I saw with one lap remaining at Barber showed VeeKay with 126 seconds left to Palou's 31 and O'Ward's 135. If Veekay had nothing for Pato, why not try to overtake Alex starting laps earlier. VeeKay was 11 seconds behind Palou. Seems like a waste of two minutes worth of 50 extra horsepower. Everybody from second position on back should have zero P2P remaining. Your thoughts?

Jeff, Florida

MP: I know most of the lead group, all on two-stop strategies, were having to save a lot of fuel to safely reach the finish line, so I’d suspect it was a button he’d have loved to push but knew he couldn’t.

Q: I attended Barber and while it was announced as a sellout, it seemed like fewer people overall than in the past. What constitutes a "sellout" at Barber? Do they stop selling tickets when they run out of allotted parking spots? Also, a few of the normal viewing areas had signage or team hospitality where people usually sit. Has there been more corporate involvement leading to a reduction of tickets for the public? No complaints, just sharing an observation.

Tulsa IndyCar fan

MP: We’ve been wondering the same things. The track has never responded to my inquiries on maximum capacity, so I can’t say on what’s considered to be a sellout. It was healthy, and took a good while to get out of the circuit thanks to all of the fans leaving, but I can’t recall seeing any of the spectator areas overflowing with people. I think you might be onto something with the parking limiting ticket sales because the lots were full but the trackside viewing sections weren’t.

Q: In light of there being no bumping at Indy this year, I'm wondering about the opposite scenario. What is the record number of qualifying entries in a single year? Is there a resource out there that would show total entries and bumps by year? Any color on the norm regarding entries over time would also be appreciated.

Ray in Indy

MP: According to IMS, 114 entries for the 1984 race was the all-time high, but as is often lost, we aren’t talking about 117 drivers… it’s the spare cars and the spare spare cars that push the numbers up. I wish I had the time to do a historical dive to answer the other questions, so maybe a reader has the info you’re looking for and can share for next week’s Mailbag.

Q: Doesn’t IndyCar have the capability to issue a penalty in real time during a race? One Verstappen in motorsports is enough, we don’t need Verstappen Lite in IndyCar. I kept waiting for them to black-flag Romain Grosjean for hitting Graham Rahal, not once but twice. Is there a good answer as to why this wasn’t punished during the race?

John Furnis

MP: It does. By the time you’re reading this, I hope to have connected with the series -- I put in a request last week -- to learn more about the non-call and whether IndyCar has concerns about Rahal and others taking the series’ lack of action as a sanctioning of such tactics going forward.

Q: With the success that IndyCar has had at Barber, has there been any interest or talks of maybe going to Road Atlanta or back to NOLA? If it’s working in Alabama it should work in Atlanta.

Arnold Edgar, Danville, IN

MP: I dream of IndyCar adding Road Atlanta, but continue to fear we’d be sending our drivers into outer space with some of the speeds and elevation changes at the Georgian road course. As always, all it takes is for the track to reach out to IndyCar and express an interest and the ability to pay the sanction fee. As for NOLA, heck no. That was a dumpster fire of epic proportions.

NOLA could become the Next Gen Mailbag's answer to Cleveland. Scott LePage/Motorsport Images

Q: Did Rossi have another bad pit stop to end the race at Barber? Before the final stops he was fourth. He ended up in eighth or ninth afterwards. Was this another case of his team letting go of another top five, or did something else happen?

Chris, Michigan

MP: His second and final stop was about a second slower than most of the front-runners, which didn’t help, but as I also recall seeing, it might have been a tire thing as his used alternates didn’t seem to have the same power-down capabilities as some of those he was battling with. The Turn 5 hairpin was especially unfriendly in that regard, and I also wonder if he was having to conserve fuel. A number of the two-stopper had to take it easy on the loud pedal to get to the finish.

Q: I know that NASCAR specifies the vendor for the wheel guns as well as the nuts, wheels, etc. I would expect IMSA to use the sam. What about IndyCar?

Joel Martin

MP: IMSA does not force its teams to use a specific wheel gun vendor, nor does IndyCar. That said, Paoli is the favorite and it’s used by most teams.

Q: In response to your comment from a writer, the Chaparral most definitely did experience porpoising in both sliding skirt and fixed skirt configuration. With the sliding skirts, I think we just lifted the car a little, then I cannot remember if we used stiffer springs to keep it from getting back down into the porpoising range. But with fixed skirts, which was at Indy, we definitely went with stiffer springs.

My understanding of the Lotus 80 was that the complexity of the skirt shape caused all manner of skirt-related problems, which did not present themselves with straight skirts.

Steve

MP: Thanks, Steve.

Q: In reply to Xavier from France, from a 25-year marshal: "Corner numbers," as you refer to them, are not corner numbers but rather marshal flagging stations.

For safe and secure track operations, marshal flagging stations are assigned… on a corner. Well, yeah. But also, whenever a driver cannot see what he/she is about to hit at high speed. This includes what looks to you like a minor kink on a straight or a small rise in the track where you have no idea what you're about to whack at high speed on the other side.

The same logic applies to things like double apex corners or extra-long corners. If it requires a marshal flagging station, it's a "corner."

On older tracks where they just don't want to renumber the whole thing at someone's whim, a new chicane in Turn 12 may be called 12A, for instance.

S0CSeven

MP: Thanks for the intel.

Q: Saw you in the Champions Club after the Barber race. You complimented my BadAss Wilson shirt as you passed by. My buddy and I were discussing driver winnings -- where does the money come from, what's the driver's cut, does every place pay, same for every race except Indy? Any insight?

I've worn that shirt every Barber race since I bought it. Every time Robin saw me in the paddock he would stop and we'd spend some time chatting and swapping stories, but you just blew right by on your way to something "important" like the Hamburger and Taco show! Big shoes to fill, Marshall Pruett!

Steve Gaver, Arab, AL

MP: One thing Miller loved was his free time, and trust me, he had plenty of it to use in his later years at the track… holding court with folks at Honda hospitality or in the media center or in the paddock was his favorite thing, so I’m glad you got some time with him.

IndyCar pays a nominal amount of prize money at the events, but most of it is given to the top 22 teams via the Leaders Circle agreements. Same for every race outside Indy, and it all depends on what each driver negotiates to receive.

Q: It feels like chassis have become precious commodities in the last year, with the smaller teams leasing/buying them off one another and teams hoping to get into the series unable to secure one. Does IndyCar not have the ability to have Dallara just… build more of them? What’s stopping (hypothetically) Vasser-Sullivan from informing IndyCar that they want to enter, and IndyCar then contracting Dallara to build a few chassis? They’ve built hundreds of DW12s by now. What is the roadblock that I am missing?

Steve in Dallas

MP: It isn’t hundreds, but yes, there’s nothing stopping you and I, or a small IndyCar entrant, from ringing Stefano dePonti at Dallara in Speedway and placing an order for a DW12. I mentioned in a few articles about the struggles to get to 33 entries that Dallara is ready and waiting to build cars and they say it would take about a month to deliver. IndyCar doesn’t actually need to get in the middle of the process. You might have read some offseason stories about teams, with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing being one of them, ordering more DW12s, and recently, Zak Brown told us Arrow McLaren SP has done the same as it prepares to go full-time with three entries next year.

What’s been missing is the desire by some aspiring Indy 500 entrants to fork out a lot of money to buy a car when it’s easier on their limited finances to try and lease a DW12.

Q: I just have a quick follow up question regarding Roger Penske being against Indy Lights cars on the IMS oval. Is Roger against fun?

Sue from outside of Boston

MP: Thankfully, no, but the Freedom 100 crash a few years ago where Chris Windom’s car broke in half scared the bejeezus out of R.P., and hence, no more Indy Lights racing on the big oval.

Q: I have a great idea for this year’s Indy 500. When Mario takes a lap or two of the Indy oval, how about his passenger being… A.J. Foyt? Two great icons of the USAC/IndyCar world! Then, at the end of the laps, they stop at the start/finish line waving to the crowd? We know A.J. won't be around forever given his health issues, and this would be a great send-off to him.

Jerry from Houston

MP: I say this with all due respect as a fat guy who couldn’t fit in the two-seater that I’m not sure Super Tex would have an easier time squeezing into the thing. That stuff aside, we’re not sending off A.J. He’s the Keith Richards of motor racing.

Even if A.J. was built like Zach Veach you'd probably have a hard time convincing him to take the back seat. Image via Penske Entertainment

Q: I am a long-time fan of IndyCar racing. Is it crazy that I miss the IRL and the great races they had, especially at Texas? Aurora and Infinity engines. But then again, I miss the days of the Buick V6 so I guess I am crazy. Comments?

Rick in PA

MP: An “I Am Indy” straightjacket is on its way to Pennsylvania, Rick.

Q: It is my understanding that IndyCar allows Chevy and Honda to make one update per year. Last year, I believe Chevy made its update at the beginning of the season and Honda did its before the 500, which it went on to win. Given Chevy’s dominance this year, I am assuming it has made its update for this year. Has Honda made one yet, or is it going to wait until the 500 again?

John Goetzman, Waynesville, NC

MP: IndyCar does not police how many improvements its engine suppliers make each year. It controls the type of updates and improvements that are permitted to be made. Both manufacturers will have new tricks and gains in the motors they dispatch for use on Carb Day/race day, and within the rules of what they can modify this year, they’ll keep after it all season.

Q: Reading about the difficulty of putting together the program for the 33rd car for this year’s Indy 500 has gotten me wondering about the alliances that come and go. My question centers on Dale Coyne’s business model. Most of his entries over recent years have been "Dale Coyne with XYZ Racing." The arrangements come and go and seem to end with little drama, unlike the dispute over ownership of the car that both Top Gun Racing and the Enersons lay claim to, although Sebastien Bourdais might not agree.

Does Coyne own the hardware and support equipment, hold the engines leases, employ the crew and effectively lease a turn key operation to his partners? In appears that the partners are responsible for bringing the sponsorship to fund Coyne and choosing the driver. This seems to be an effective model to keep Coyne in the series and open the doors to new organizations and drivers. If it’s not a lease, what’s the structure of Coyne’s deals? I know that in the past, Coyne has run cars out of his own pocket sporting Sonny's BBQ and Boy Scouts of America "sponsorship." Clearly, that wasn't a sustainable business model. Kudos to Coyne for finding a way to keep his team operating and relevant where others, such as Carlin, have failed.

Bill Carsey, North Olmsted, OH

MP: The only non-DCR assets that I know of were the Speedway-prepped Dallara DW12 that Vasser-Sullivan bought and placed with the team, and a VS engineering support transporter. Everything else is owned by Dale, DCR’s employees are paid by DCR, etc. The alliances with VS, RWR, and HMD have all been mechanisms to reduce Dale’s annual costs of competing in IndyCar, with VS bringing the aforementioned assets and about half the budget for that entry. I’d assume RWR’s sponsorship deal cover a similar amount, if not more on that car, and HMD is known to cover most of the tab on that car. Dale’s the last of the old-school team owners who puts millions of his own dollars into the team each year. I have nothing but respect for the guy for doing so.

Q: I'm surprised you mentioned IndyCar tracks have got to have FIA Grade 2 -- is it mandatory considering how IndyCar is pretty independent from FIA? The ovals we got must have gotten grade 999 by FIA standards.

On the other hand, next month I'll be attending my first-ever race event, the Jakarta ePrix. I'm very excited! The track itself is inside the Ancol Theme Park area so the ticket prices are already factored in park entry. I guess it's similar to how it works for races inside/next to any fairgrounds area in U.S. -- one ticket, multitude of fun.

Axel, Indonesia

MP: I don’t recall saying they had to be Grade 2, and yes, IndyCar sanctions itself, but the FIA grading is a solid indicator of standards for the series to use in its decision-making process. Enjoy the ePrix!

Q: Great to read the article about Wilson/Cusick/Julian putting the deal together to be the 33rd entry, but this started me thinking about years that had 34 and 35th entries as alternates. I understand the well-funded larger teams have spare chassis, but is there concern that a small single-car (tub) team could have a crash in practice or qualifying and have to withdraw and still be short of 33 cars in the field?

And in the never-ending discussion regarding Milwaukee, so many times I've see the comments about people saying they want the race, but the crowds are never big. Times have changed and let’s try it again, let us fans put our money where our mouth is. How about bringing in a promoter that says X number of tickets need to be sold to hold the race, then start selling tickets and if enough people show interest, hold the race, otherwise return the ticket money. Let the fans speak with their wallets, skip the speculation and let the fans decide.

Craig C, Slinger, WI

MP: Definitely a concern if Stef’s Foyt tub is damaged prior to the race. Considering how long it took to get a single chassis freed up for Cusick/DragonSpeed to use, I can’t see how any team would consider making a spare chassis available until after Carb Day. I love the idea about Milwaukee. Sounds like motivated fans need to get the ball rolling.

Q: So with Stefan Wilson now confirmed as the 33rd and final entry into the 106th Indy 500, are we going to hear the historic "Gentlemen, start your engines" command to start the race? I believe IndyCar owns the rights to that phrase. Unfortunately, no woman will be racing this year. That said, it would be a nice return to that historic and spine-tingling command we heard for so many decades.

Jim, Indy

MP: Out of curiosity, is "Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines" somehow less spine-tingling? Maybe I’m weird and different, but the act of starting the engines and getting the field rolling is what tingles my spine. I’d be saddened to hear that old-timey command again because it would only highlight the absence of women racers on the grid.

Q: What's the point of the hybrid? It hasn't attracted a third engine supplier. It has added unnecessary cost to cash-strapped teams, and weight to the chassis that will negate any power gains.

Who cares about green? IndyCar should go the other way and build monsters again. Just take the 2.4, crank up the boost and RPM and go from there. All this time they should have been designing a new chassis to go with the 2.4 and the safety improvements. The thought of an IndyCar tipping the scales at 2000+ pounds (with driver) just makes me gag. An IndyCar should be around 1500 or less (no driver) with insane amounts of power so it scares the drivers themselves. Is it even possible to reduce enough weight in the DW12 to save the handling, or will it corner like a pig? What a waste of money.

Jonathan, Plainfield, IN

MP: I know IndyCar’s veteran fanbase isn’t the one being targeted with hybrid and all-electric cars and trucks from Chevy and Honda, but the younger generation of fans are the ones who care. Also, Honda made it very clear to IndyCar that without adding a hybrid component to its next engine formula, there would be no Honda in the series. Honda has a number of new hybrids landing on the showroom floor later this year, and since they use racing to promote their road cars, we have hybrids coming to IndyCar. There’s some weight to save, but we’re talking double-digit, not the triple-digit you’re hoping for.

Q: The photography question from Erik S. in the May 4 edition of the Mailbag (along with my own ongoing quest to revive an old Canon DSLR) got me wondering about the gear the pros use to photograph cars on track. Are there particular brands or camera models that most folks in the business tend to own, or does it come down to each photographer's personal preferences?

PJ in NY

MP: Definitely a preference thing. I’ve been a Canon guy since I bought my first camera, a used A1, in 1986. Nikon is the other main choice, and more recently, Sony and a few other brands -- mostly of the mirrorless sort -- have become popular.

Canons loaded. And Nikons, and whatever else. Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images

Q: Why isn't the Penske organization loading up the Speedway with solar panels when the Speedway isn't in use? They could have the infield, the track, the seating and the top of the structure itself with panels and create enough clean energy to be one of the biggest power producers in the state of Indiana! They could leave the panels on top of the stadium permanently to run the place during events. The Penske organization is leaving some serious cash laying around...

If the motorsports industry wants to look like it’s going "green" by adding a hybrid power sources to racing series, why aren't all these speedways and racetracks using their stadiums and parking lots to make electricity – and money! – and get a little goodwill to boot?

Now that would be going green.

Richard S., Fort Worth, TX

MP: That’s a great question. I’m still trying to figure out where RP’s gonna get all those 2.5-mile long extension cords to keep the cars plugged in and charging during the Indy 500.

Q: I’m thinking back to the end of the 2020 season when Felix Rosenqvist gave the middle finger to Chip Ganassi Racing to join Arrow McLaren SP and then CGR quickly hired Alex Palou, who had finished 16th in the standings with one podium for Dale Coyne. A few weeks later it looked like CGR missed out on hiring Kevin Magnussen after he was dumped by Haas F1, and quickly hired him for the IMSA DPi team. The oops thing in this whole equation seems to be Palou, and yet he now appears to be the new Scott Dixon. Is this a "better to be lucky than good" situation, or is it the way Chip planned it all along?

Jamie Roe

MP: Total luck. I’ve written a few times that Ganassi had no idea who or what they were getting, other than a kid who had a few flashes of promise at Coyne and who seemed to be a quick study on oval racing. But they had no clue he had the goods to become a champ in his first try for the team, much less win the title and continue asserting himself as -- at least through the four opening races of the year -- its lead driver.

Q: While standing in the autograph line at Barber I asked Kyle Kirkwood if I would see him in an Andretti car next year. He smiled and said "maybe."

Tom Gish Louisville, KY

MP: You might have gotten to most definitive answer from the kid so far, Tom! It’s happening, which is far from a surprise, and what I love most is thinking of what Herta and Kirkwood can do together next year. Grosjean as well, who hasn’t been able to match Herta’s pace at most tracks, and will have another young lion looking to own him -- and Herta -- at every opportunity. And, if Andretti Global gets the green light for F1 in 2024, we could see Herta gone and Kirkwood as the new Andretti team leader in IndyCar. Wild stuff.

Q: What's the small hockey puck-like object F1 drivers remove before getting out of the car out on the track? I saw it in Bottas’s crash at Miami in FP1. After a driver stops, he has a small puck-like device in his left hand (usually) and sets it under the Halo on the cowling, then takes off the wheel and gets out. I saw Bottas throw the "puck" into the seat before he walked away. Does it disarm the electronics or high voltage?

Randall

CHRIS MEDLAND: Sadly, it’s nothing quite as cool or clever as something disarming the car. It’s the central locking point that the driver's harness clips into. Multiple points all clip into it, and they release their belt buckles from that device and then are able to climb out of the car quickly. Sometimes you don't see it because drivers might just drop it straight onto the seat rather than place it on the cockpit.

Q: At what point does Michael Andretti take the hint and move on from his attempt to enter Formula 1? The current teams are sending the not-so-subtle message that his entry would cost them money and that they're having none of it.

Bill Carsey, North Olmsted, OH

CM: At the end of the day, it's not just up to the teams. They have too much say in the rules sometimes (in my view) and if Formula 1 and the FIA -- the ones that would grant the entry license -- wanted to accept his team then it would be in. So in many senses he could ignore what the teams are saying, but I think he's doing the right thing in continuing to lobby them and push ahead with his plans, because new teams have always been a concept within F1, with only competitive enough ones able to take a slice of the revenues away from the others. The competition is healthy if you ask me, and it shouldn't be up to the teams to decide because of course they have vested interests. Andretti needs to keep pushing until there are no avenues left and F1 and the FIA has come out and said they won't allow a new team to enter even if it meets the criteria they've set out in the Concorde Agreement, at the very least to highlight that F1 has become a closed shop.

Michael Andretti at the Miami GP, possibly contemplating the merits of using ornamental cacti to decorate hospitality units. Guess we'll find out at Indy. Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images

Q: Marshall Pruett did the Hamburger and French Fry show with Bourdais, and recently did it with Pato O’Ward using the Taco name. Going to put you on the spot, Kelly Crandall. If you had to do a NASCAR version of what Marshall does, which drivers would you pick and what would your show be titled?

P.S.

KELLY CRANDALL: This is a fun question and something that I’ve never thought about, so let’s break it down. It would have to be a driver who wouldn’t mind doing more media and enjoys being in front of the camera. And a driver who is engaging, and with whom I have a good rapport. At least that’s how I look at it. With that said, I think about a Tyler Reddick, whom I’ve covered from Trucks up to Cup and who has a great personality that maybe people don’t see much of unless they follow closely on social media. Austin Cindric is the same. Another one would be Brad Keselowski for a veteran voice and insight; someone who is always a good interview and can dig into a topic. The same could be said for Joey Logano. There are definitely a few that would be at the top of the list whom I think would be a good fit for something like that if they were willing to do it.

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller's Mailbag, 10 May 2016

Q: Sometime this month, you’re walking through Gasoline Alley. You find an empty Clabber Girl can. You pick it up to shine it, and the ghost of Tony Hulman emerges. He grants you three wishes for the 100th running of the Indy 500, and they’re guaranteed to come true. What are they?

Steve, Eugene, OR

ROBIN MILLER: Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti finish in a dead heat and it takes 30 minutes to determine the winner, so IndyCar is on "SportsCenter" the whole time while the three of them are interviewed. Roger Penske buys IMS and gives it to me. I rewrite the rules, double the purse and ban all music from the track except “Back Home Again In Indiana” and the ballad of Jimmy Bryan. Have A.J., Parnelli, Dan Gurney, Gordy, J.R., Mario and the Unsers as grand marshals for the 110th Indy 500.