The RACER Mailbag, June 8

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: Why is it that Santino Ferrucci can step into an IndyCar and run in the top 10, but cannot get a full-time ride with any team in the paddock? He should be high on A.J. Foyt Racing’s radar as Santino brings more to the party. He needs to get back into IndyCar. Young American talent. What are your thoughts on possible teams he could land in?

KO, Chicago, IL

MARSHALL PRUETT: We’re on the same page here with "Santucchi." He’s American, fast, and experienced --— all things that should tickle the interest of Super Tex and Larry Foyt. I know the team is going to test some other drivers here soon, but it does seem like Ferrucci is the perfect fit for the opportunity and the team’s sensibilities. Other than Foyt, I wonder if Juncos Hollinger Racing, which wants to run a second car -- not sure if that’s part- or full-time -- next year, saw enough at Detroit to consider him for something bigger.

Q: Noticed during the in-car camera shots of Dixon at the 500 that his wheel was canted to the right as he went down the IMS straights, and was centered as he did the turns. Some, but not all of the drivers had this setup in their in-car camera shots. How standard is this, and how long have drivers used it? And is it Indy-only due to the matching turns?

Rick Smith, San Diego, CA

MP: Dixie’s been doing that for as long as I can remember and it is quite common. Yes on the matching corners, and I’d need to go back to watch some Texas in-car to see if anything similar is done there -- I just don’t recall.

Q: I can appreciate all of the hoopla around Jimmie Johnson running the 500. However, I think lost in all of this is Kurt Busch and his amazing sixth-place performance in 2014. He did not have the benefit of previous experience in IndyCar like Andretti, Stewart or Gordon did (with Gordon and Stewart matching the sixth place performance). Of all four who have attempted the double (let alone just the crossover between NASCAR and IndyCar) his performance still ranks at the top of any NASCAR primary driver competing at Indy (a la Johnson) and deserves more attention. His appreciation and respect for the 500 was also overwhelming.

Kathleen Lewis

MP: Excellent points on Kurt, Kathleen. He was super smooth and impressive all month. In hindsight, yes, I don’t know why we, collectively, didn’t make a bigger deal of how well he did in a strange and fast car with 32 other crazies out there. Makes me wish we’d get him back for another go at Indy 500 glory.

Busch did a stellar job to finish sixth in his Indy 500 cameo in 2014 – in fact, he equaled his second-best career finish in more familiar machinery at the Brickyard 400. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: Great job on the Mailbag. As an engineer I really dig the technical deep dives --  that is a big part of the appeal of IndyCar and RACER.com to me.

To that end, do you have any details of the crash-worthiness of the aeroscreen? I believe that there is physical testing that is done on the Dallara chassis to ensure that it provides adequate driver protection in the event of an accident. But was the same done with the aeroscreen? And if so, were any predictions made on the survival probability of previously fatal accidents? I'm really hoping that there is hard data that shows that the odds of surviving these kinds of accidents in the future have improved dramatically.

One just can't say enough positive things about the safety improvements that IndyCar has made over the years, and after seeing the aeroscreen for the first time in person at the Indy 500, it really looks pretty cool.

Ed, Hickory Hills, IL

MP: I’m not sure they’ve gone as far as survivability projections since there’s a million different scenarios where the screen or halo could be compromised. But yes, full load testing on the titanium halo was done and withstood 30,000 pounds of force without deforming. The screen was also subjected to the firing of heavy projectiles at it from various angles and withstood those as well. I believe we did an article or two on such things a few years ago that went into greater depth.

Q: Last week you asked, "Does the world contain one human being who would feel compelled to compose an email that complements NBC Sports?" I will. I think NBC has done a great job at trying to be a true partner of the sport. They've shown a desire to give viewers more IndyCar content, with the post-race show on Peacock, practice sessions, etc. It wasn't long ago you'd be hard-pressed to find races on broadcast/local television, and now all but three are on NBC.

They've even worked to give better coverage. I have loved having Hinch in the booth, bringing a current driver’s perspective. I thought all of this year's pit reporters at the 500 were great. They use all the extra time they have on Peacock during practice sessions to give glimpses into what drivers are doing while not in the car and how the race strategists work with their teams. Heck, I've even learned the names of some race strategists because of this! Sure, there's always room to improve things, but overall, NBC's partnership has been great for IndyCar's current growth.

Billy Fulton

MP: IT’S A MIRACLE! (Kidding.) Thanks for restoring my faith in humanity, Billy (kinda kidding).

Q: Speeds appeared to be up this year at Indy but I don’t know that anybody has really touched on why. It seemed to really add to the pent-up energy for this year’s race. The car is well sorted out by now and I would think any gains in chassis or motor would be minor. Any insight on that? Sealer perhaps?

Bob Vawter, Indianapolis, IN

MP: I asked that one to a lot of drivers and engineers, and most pointed to tire improvements from Firestone and general knowledge gains with the car and aeroscreen. Getting a really sharp answer to the question was surprisingly hard, so those are the best generalisms I can offer.

Q: Looks like drivers are changing places already with Rossi and Kirkwood on the move. Something I’ve always wondered is why can they negotiate with another team when they’re still under contract with their current team? With any other sport, the players have to wait until their current contract is up before signing elsewhere. I would think this would potentially lead to a team or driver not giving their all if know a change has already occurred.

Dustin, Pittsburg, KS

MP: In most normal scenarios, there’s no way teams would let their drivers start seriously negotiating before they’re allowed to, but this Rossi/Kirkwood situation was far from normal. Given the close friendship and business ties between Zak Brown and Michael Andretti, the Rossi deal was going to be handled differently. Alex has wanted to leave for a while, Zak wanted to hire him, and an early deal was done. I’ve heard the actual can’t-negotiate-until date for Rossi was July 1, but again, among friends, exceptions were made.

Even with the strict contractual language prohibiting free agents from negotiating before Date X, a lot of private coffees, dinners and phone calls take place between managers and the teams their clients are interested in. Nothing done in those meetings is official or put on paper, but a lot of probing happens on the car, crew, benefits, amenities like motor coaches and other incentives, and maybe even salary and bonuses will be discussed. Some teams will engage in these talks and others won’t.

As for teams not giving their all to a departing driver, that would be a perfect way to lose their sponsors, lose their best crew, etc. It’s not a thing.

Q: You wrote, "Indy 500. Memorial Day weekend. Just like it’s been forever" in last week's Mailbag. For the record, the Indy 500 used to be held on Memorial Day, regardless of the day of the week, on May 30th, before the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, effective January 1st, 1971.

Dan Schwartz

MP: Thanks, Dan.

Q: In Marshall's article about Rossi being confirmed for AMSP, the article quotes Zak Brown as saying, "Alex is a proven race winner and an Indianapolis 500 [winner]," when the quote from the McLaren press release without the square bracket correction was "Alex is a proven race winner and an Indianapolis 500 champion."

Was this a decision by Marshall or is the RACER stylebook taking the stance that you can't be the champion of an individual race?

Kevin S, Albuquerque, NM

MP: Yes, well spotted. A champion can’t be anointed at the sixth of 17 races, so it’s idiotic to hail the winner of the Indy 500 as a champion. It’s a big and super-important race, but that’s no reason to slap something silly like "champion"  onto the winner. Why not add "king" or "queen" or "president" if we’re going to abandon common sense.

Q: What is the status of the McLaren LMDh? Given that Alexander Rossi has signed with McLaren, do you think that LMDh with McLaren for Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona is part of the deal?

Trey, Florida

MP: I’ve heard nothing new on the McLaren LMDh front, and with the announcement of its entry into Formula E, I’m not sure there’s enough money and people to go endurance racing right now. But I hope I’m wrong. If McLaren goes factory LMDh/GTP racing, I’m positive that Alexander will be involved. But if they don’t, I’ll be curious to learn if McLaren will let him race with whomever in IMSA -- likely Cadillac, given how he’s joining Team Chevy.

Rossi will be suiting up for a new IndyCar team and manufacturer next year, and you can expect him to represent a different badge in the endurance racing world too. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: The perfect solution [to drivers being screwed by pitlane closing under yellows] does exist. Unless the accident is blocking the pit entrance, do not close the pits. Problem solved.

Dave Bostrom

MP: There you go.

Q: I took my family to the 500 for the first time this year. It was a great experience and we will definitely go again. The only disappointment was the lack of passing in the field. Once Palou got hurt with that first caution, he lost his chance to win because there was no way he was working through the field. For the next stint he was running just ahead of Jimmie Johnson. What is the answer to seeing more passing in IndyCar, but not so much as the previous generation car provided?

Mark, Indianapolis, IN

MP: The wake coming off the cars since the aeroscreen was added has been problematic since it was introduced, where all but the first car following the leader (of the race or a pack of cars) struggles to pass due to the buffeting and general instability created at the front of the cars. IndyCar has said for a year or two that it knows it needs to come up with a new speedway front wing design -- something more powerful than the current design -- that will provide more downforce and stability when pulling out and trying to pass. It’s time to test some of those new front wing ideas and give as much of the field as possible the chance to pass.

Q: Going back to the road course race at Indy this year, can you elaborate on the tire and wheel management when you have a race that is likely going to be run mostly in rain? Do the teams even travel with enough sets of wheels to fit with both rain tires and slick tires, or are they mounting tires to wheels during the race? Also, making the decision to go to either blacks or reds, do they have to make a decision with Firestone if they want more sets of reds or blacks prior to the race? I'm curious how things are allocated and managed both at the team level and with Firestone.

Steve, Danville, CA

MP: It’s pretty straightforward. Each entry has the same allotment to work with. Last weekend at Detroit, for example, all entries received six sets of primaries, four sets of alternates and five sets of rains. The only caveat is rookies get an extra set of primaries to use (and then return) for the first session. Teams have more than enough wheels to deal with regular usage. If it stars raining, most will flock to Firestone to get a few sets mounted.

Q: After reading last week’s Mailbag and noting the number of off-put TV coverage fans, I came to the conclusion that my habit of listening to radio coverage of the race (if I don’t attend) while hanging out and doing house projects is the absolute best way to not attend the race.

You have to love the turn-to-turn coverage by different announcers who can thrill you with a simple update of a pass.

My question for you is, why not do away with the big-name TV talent, show the race and tie in the radio call? I know there is a delay, but with today’s technology it is achievable and much more listener-friendly. Is this a steam or live TV option going forward?

John

MP: My guess is it doesn’t happen because networks employ a lot of people to put on the races and don’t employ the radio broadcasters, so the idea of firing their employees to use audio that doesn’t belong to them is a tangled mess. I can’t see it becoming a streaming option, but people have been muting TV and using IndyCar, sports car, stock car, etc., radio as the main voices for many years.

Q: I have to laugh at the whines about NBC/Peacock/whatever’s advertisement-laden coverage – try being a fan in Britain where no IndyCar racing has been seen on network TV since 2009. Paywalls, don’t get me started or on my conspiracy theory that F1 buys off every UK media outlet to ban the mention of IndyCar. You need to pay three times to watch the best series in the world: a TV license but then also, a subscription to Sky, then a further pay out for their F1 channel and who wants to watch that crap? Diabolical!

Moan over, here’s the praise: I get my IndyCar fix on my phone listening in to the IndyCar Radio Network. What a fantastic job Mark Jaynes, Davey Hamilton and the team do. There’s an old expression over here regarding radio sports commentaries: the pictures are always better on the radio. They are my lifeline to the series and their ad breaks seemingly don’t consume the huge amounts of time as their television colleagues do. I would be completely lost without them on those Sunday evenings when the races are taking place our time.

Peter Kerr, Hamilton, Scotland

MP: Mark, Nick Yeoman, Jake Query, my old driver Davey, Ryan Myrehn and the rest of the IndyCar radio team are a special group. They’re in my ears when I’m shooting trackside.

Q: I know you have zero connection with NBC, but do you happen to know how we send emails of discontent? I’m thinking the NASCAR folks and the NBC version of Michael Waltrip, Rutledge Wood, need to go. I know why they are there, people know them, but IndyCar deserves IndyCar people.

Dan Schertner

MP: I’m sure there’s an email address somewhere, Dan, but I wouldn’t be the guy to go searching for it when Google can produce the same results I might find.

Q: In a few interviews after the 500, Marcus Ericsson was thanking people (crew, family, friends, sponsors, etc.) he kept including “my long-time backers.” Any idea who/what a backer is?

Chad in Ohio

MP: That would be Finn Rausing, a Swedish billionaire whose name was in the racing headlines last year when he and the Longbow Finance group he’s a part of that owns the Sauber/Alfa Romeo F1 team made things impossible for Michael Andretti in his attempt to acquire the team.

Q: On episode 383 of The Dale Junior Download, Dale asked how to fix Texas given the recent poor racing at the All-Star race. Denny Hamlin responded, “The surface has gotten ruined by the PJ1, I don’t think you can scrape it enough or wash it enough to get that stuff off.” Hamlin went on to comment how they are only using 15 feet of the 100-foot wide track (sounds familiar). Does this spell hope that Texas could repave now that the NASCAR guys are also unhappy with the PJ1? Any news on this front?

David M., Pittsburgh, PA

MP: All great points, but IndyCar did prove, thanks to the select few who went out to put rubber down on the second lane, that more than the low lane can be used. I haven’t heard anything about a repave, but would it make a difference if TMS continues to apply PJ1 at NASCAR’s demand?

Hamlin at Texas. You can tell from his expression that he's thinking about PJ1. Rusty Jarrett/Motorsport Images

Q: After watching nearly all the coverage for the month of May on Peacock, I could not be more convinced that a similar show to DTS for IndyCar is needed. We have all the personalities, fun stories, and excitement that would make this show do well. So what if it’s a copycat of sorts. It will eventually grow its own identity.

It seems IndyCar is trying so hard to figure out marketing and how to be original. No one seems to know the answer. But if you see something that works, why not try it too? F1 is all about technology and yet the episodes are so much more about drama because that’s what people want. Not fans. The other people. The ones who we want to make fans.

The 500 was awesome. Beautiful day, great racing as a whole, and what an unexpected surprise for a winner. Hearing the crowd roar over the sound of 33 screaming engines was chilling and thrilling. I saw smiles everywhere. I love this sport. Thank God it’s thriving again.

What split?

Erik, Oswego, IL

MP: Either late last year or this this year I broke the news that IndyCar was working on a scripted reality show with a high-power producer whose credits include "Keeping Up With The Kardashians." I hope it sees the light of day. Great to hear you loved the 500. We’re in a good place right now.

Q: I saw a silly season rumor of Alex Palou to McLaren. One might ask how could Chip let him go? Here's my theory. First, you'll need a well-fitting tin foil hat. Chip has only one true love, Scott Dixon. Every other driver is to wingman for or garner sponsorship money for Dixie. Well, Alex keeps beating Scott, but doesn't really carry a big purse. J.J. brings enough money to fund the whole of IndyCar. McLaren spends more on F1 hospitality than on Indy but can't quite crack No. 1. So a winner outshining CGR's one and only with no money belongs to a team with money that needs more winning, while Chip wants a No. 2 with cash.

I've been drinking, can you tell?

Shawn in MD

MP: I’m jealous, Shawn! Maybe I need to start doing drunk Mailbags. AMSP went after Scott Dixon, unsuccessfully, and Felix Rosenqvist, successfully, so if you’re Chip Ganassi, how excited are you to hear rumors of AMSP going after yet another CGR driver? Palou is said to be under contract through 2024, so there’s nothing for AMSP to take, it would seem. As for Dixie, who know how many more years he’ll continues, but whenever he calls time, Palou would be the one to lead the team for the next 15 years, provided he wants to stay after his first contract is up. If Jimmie wants to continue in IndyCar in 2023, the headlines would suggest Carvana’s big struggles would mean he needs to find another major sponsor.

Q: I have a solution for the closure of pits killing a race needlessly: establish a pit entry line somewhere in the short chute to T4. If you’re under the line at certain marker, you must enter the pits unless an accident in pit lane specifically closes the pits. If a yellow comes out and you have not reached the commit marker, you must stay out or face a penalty. If you have reached the commit marker you are allowed to complete the pit stop because you have committed to it. Safe and clear cut.

As for red flags, IndyCar got it right this time. No artificial extension of the distance that would have required extra fuel, and no stupid racing to the line when you know there’s an unsafe situation on track, but a solid chance for a nearly green-flag finish.

Paul

MP: I hear you, Paul, and as much as I hate what happened to Palou, who was my pick for the win, I don’t want to see the Indy 500 become an event where every possible type of risk or misfortune is removed by adding rules each year to prevent whatever happened last year. I’m sure we could load the rulebook with all kinds of protective measures to make sure nothing unfair or undeserved happens, but why would we? It wouldn’t be realistic.

Q: I would really like to know what happened to Santino in the 500. He was consistently in the top six for a long time and ran as high as third and then he seems to have fallen off. Can you explain what happened to his last 50 laps or so?

Oliver Wells

MP: Santino was one of many drivers whose cars lost their balance in the last quarter of the race as temperatures rose. He reported the car became extremely loose, and from there, he was managing a crisis instead of charging forward.

Q: I feel that Felix Rosenqvist is a good fit for the third amigo role at AMSP. Obviously it's still up in the air but, other than Rinus VeeKay, who do you think is in the conversation for the third AMSP seat?

How about this wild scenario: Daniel Ricciardo remains under contract with McLaren but is moved to IndyCar. He made a comment about enjoying watching IndyCar this off season, maybe he would be open to racing in the U.S. full-time. Just a thought!

Ian, Santa Barbara

MP: I’ve rooted for Felix long before he got to IndyCar and hollered at Chip to sign him, and it’s great to see him back in a groove that had him holding ninth in the standings leading into Detroit thanks to that sixth at the Indy GP and fourth at the 500. But, after a year and a half with AMSP, he’s yet to win and yet to podium while Pato’s won three times and delivered seven podiums.

With Rossi on the way in, AMSP has the potential for a really strong two-car team, but since they’re expanding to three, zero wins and zero podiums isn’t what they’re looking for. I’m not sure the window for Felix remains open to stay -- as I mentioned on my podcast last week, I could easily see him slotting into McLaren’s new Formula E program -- unless he starts winning now.

Alex Palou’s name was floated as an option for a minute, but he’s under contract at Ganassi for a few more years. I’ve mentioned VeeKay as a top candidate, and after Rinus, it would likely be someone outside of IndyCar. With Ricciardo earning something like $40 million a year, that’s nearly double AMSP’s rumored budget, so if he wants to earn the most drivers get in IndyCar -- said to be about $3.5 million, which is what a lot of drivers say Dixon earns and Rossi will get at his new team -- he’s welcome to take a giant paycut.

Q: Last week, you answered a question about F1 drivers concerned about safety at the 500. The writer of the question mentioned the risks of driving at Le Mans at night and in the rain as being risky. You said Le Mans in a GT or Prototype was safer than what an F1 or IndyCar driver would experience in a given race. I know you have depth of knowledge in sports cars, but why is that? Why are they safer?

Brian Henris, Fort Mill, SC

MP: It’s fully enclosed cars, to start, with the GT cars formed from metal frames and steel cages surrounding the drivers. The prototypes have massive carbon fiber cockpits with yards of crushable structures. It’s as simple as that, Brian!

Rosenqvist has plenty of talent; now he just needs the results. Motorsport Images

Q: Why doesn’t IndyCar offer a standalone streaming product? Yes, F1 TV Pro is produced by a much larger business than IndyCar, but fans don’t really need all the superfluous videos. Just show us the race feed, flag to flag, with some intelligent commentary and no ad breaks.

In other words, someone please take my money!

Dave Mason (from DC by way of New York, LA, and Michigan)

MP: I can only hope it’s something they want to do, but with the long-term contract held with NBC/Peacock, IndyCar can’t just decide to start a streaming service while in the middle of a business arrangement with a major broadcaster/streamer.

Q: The 2022 edition of the 500 was a fantastic watch, as per usual, from the Tower Terrace section! Congrats to Marcus for a smart drive and well-deserved win, although it came at the expense of my guy Dixon's second victory.

I'd like to bring one item to the attention of Mr. Penske and Mr. Boles, to potentially add to their mile-long to-do list, and that is the mile-long lines at the concession stands.

From the time we arrived at our section (roughly 90 minutes before the green) to my last bathroom break with 40 laps to go, the concession lines in the concourse behind our seats were at least 60-70 people deep. At every single line. The folks in line near the end of the race probably missed it. This isn't a new issue either. Our group distinctly remembers the cheeseburger incident of 2018 when I missed 90+ laps going to get lunch. We learned from that ordeal, and our foursome survived 2022 on the beer, peanuts and beef sticks we stuffed in our carry-in cooler. It's not the workers' fault, they are busting their butts trying to get people served as quickly as they can. I'm not sure if the solution is to let more independent vendors come in to break up the lines, or offering more money to attract labor to the current food stands, but I feel like the Speedway team needs to take a hard look at this.

Thanks in advance to Roger & Co, and we can't wait for Road America!

Nick from Wisconsin

MP: Thanks for the details, Nick. I forwarded your note to RP. If people knew that stopping to get popcorn and a drink before the start of a movie would lead to missing half the movie, people would no longer go to see movies. Sounds like Doug and RP need to take this seriously because nobody wants to put in a big effort to pay for and attend Indy and then miss a big chunk of it waiting in lines.

Q: Back to your question from Chris in San Francisco on pole speed versus race speed -- doesn't the speed and time under yellow account for race speed also? And if so, were those years more dangerous and bigger crashes contribute to the race speed? Crashes they are having nowadays are so much safer and seem to be quite a bit easier to clean up.

CAM in LA

MP: It does. Everything was more dangerous prior to whatever the latest and greatest car and track safety measures were implemented.

Q: I saw RE at Belle Isle this weekend providing OTA frequencies for the IMSA fans but not for IndyCar fans. Educate me here. Can you explain the contractual relationship between a radio vendor and IndyCar? Is any other company forbidden to provide OTA programming? Since RE is already on-site can it provide OTA programming just to accommodate the IndyCar fans, or is it forbidden to transmit when IndyCar is on track? How does it work?

Jeff, soggy Florida

MP: Hi Jeff, I don’t understand all of the details, but as I was told, RE opted to let its contract with IndyCar lapse due to the lack of income coming in, largely due to COVID and the total lack of crowds or reduced crowd sizes from 2020-21 that meant trackside rentals were way down.

The new vendor, whose name I don’t recall, isn’t offering the OTA programming, and while I know IndyCar has heard the complaints about this, I think their position is one of going with whatever their new partner does or does not want to offer.

Q: I've spent a couple of weeks trying to figure out why the record qualifying and practice speeds at the 500 didn't excite me much. I think it was the knowledge that qualifying is run under different rules than the race. I guess I'm not a fan of turning up the boost to create artificial excitement. Is there another reason for doing it? (I'm trying not to become a curmudgeon as I get older, but occasionally it sneaks out.)

Tobey Taylor, Houston, TX

MP: It’s 100-percent artificial to create excitement. But I don’t have a problem with that. We get to see, for three days a year, what an IndyCar can do with most limitations removed, at the place that made the series what it is. Could the boost be increased even more? Without a doubt, but Chevy and Honda haven’t validated that power level, so it isn’t used. I’d look at it this way: We’re less than two years away from IndyCar having more than enough power to do big things in qualifying and race trim with the new motors. I love the idea of those four laps and again for the 200 laps that mean the most being something other than full throttle.

Scary speed and momentum forcing drivers to lift -- assuming that’s what we get -- would be pretty cool. Cars should always be faster than the tracks they race on and force the drivers to lift and differentiate themselves in how close they’re able to play at or near the limit.

Q: I want to give a fond farewell to racing on Belle Isle in Detroit. Perhaps getting on/off the island was a pain, and maybe viewing angles weren't always the greatest for fans, but it was a special place. A "temporary permanent" road course, if you will.

Although I didn't start attending events there until 2019, I will always have a soft spot for the island track. The park is beautiful. Walking around the paddock, which is literally and figuratively the heart of the track, was something special. Making your way from grandstand to grandstand, going between trees and picnic areas, was cool. And all this just a few minutes from a vibrant, exciting, downtown Detroit.

I get why the race is moving downtown, but will miss the unique experience found on Belle Isle.

Matt Philpott

MP: My first Belle Isle was in 1996 and I loved it from the moment I got there. Detroit, too. Like you and many others who don’t want to see it go, my question to RP’s Detroit GP leadership group is, what do they have planned to bring that special "feel" of Belle Isle over to the new downtown venue? I really hope is doesn’t suck.

Belle Isle, 1999. Dario Franchitti looked happier at the end of the weekend after taking the win ahead of Paul Tracy and Greg Moore. That weekend also marked Moore's final podium. Motorsport Images

Q: OK, I understand if you are in qualifying Group 1 you get placed ahead of the person in Group 2 at the same finishing position. But in Detroit, Will Power was 0.6s faster than Kyle Kirkwood and was placed behind him. Alex Palou was 0.5s faster than Santino Ferrucci and was placed behind him. Dalton Kellett didn’t even have a time and was ahead of Felix Rosenqvist. So please tell me how it makes sense that the faster person is not placed ahead of the slower person?

What is next, stage points? Why do you even have to have groups? Is there something wrong about having cars go out and try and set a time without groups? It seems to me if you have someone a lot faster placed behind someone slower it makes the start a lot more dangerous.

Tom in Waco

MP: Tom, looks like you’ve cottoned on to something that’s been done this way for a really long time. The ones who qualify in the first group, with less rubber on the track, get the better starting positions and those in the second group fall one spot behind -- a case of odd and evens.

Keep in mind that qualifying faster than someone on Saturday doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be faster on Sunday; setup changes don’t always keep the faster ones in front of the slower ones, and vice versa. As an aside, and as I noted, this odds/evens qualifying system has been done that way for quite a while; so if it were really a problem and more dangerous, why haven’t we seen evidence of it?

Q: Is there a plan to put the aeroscreen on the Indy Lights cars? Would there ever be a reason to take the aeroscreen off the IndyCars? I suspect not, but the halo makes it easier to view the driver while still offering plenty of protection.

Jon

MP: I called Indy Lights director Levi Jones and he said: “There’s no plans right now to do an aeroscreen, but we’re going to be talking about what kind of upgrades we want to do with the [IL15] chassis because it’s gonna be in use for a while longer. The aeroscreen is one of the things on our list to discuss, and if it or anything else makes the racing safer or better, those are the kind of things we’re looking at.”

Q: That's two weeks in a row Rossi has had one hell of a drive. If only the cartoon anvil hadn't hit him during the Fast 12 qualifying session. He was fast and the team got the strategy right. It could be he has no pressure since he knows he is moving on next year. Your thoughts? Also, a hell of a drive by Kirkwood, too.

Last question: silly season. So the big changes we expected (thanks to your reporting) dropped last week with Rossi and Kirkwood. With Pato’s deal extended, what is left for silly season? I know Rosenqvist is probably a question, but anyone else?

John

MP: Alexander’s known he was leaving Andretti for AMSP for a long time, so other than making it public, I’m not sure there was much of a surprise to trigger something better or different behind the wheel. Keep in mind that his amazing Indy 500 drive came before the announcement. As I’ve written dozens of times since he had a bad turn of fortune, they guy is amazingly talented and will break through the funk. And he has. No surprises there.

We have filling Kirkwood’s seat at Foyt, deciding who’ll be in Rosenqvist’s seat at AMSP — if they don’t retain Felix, questions over who will be in the No. 06 Shank car — will Helio get another full-time invite, or will he step into a month of May role, and then we have will or won’t VeeKay stay at ECR, and if he goes, who does Ed hire as his replacement. Juncos Hollinger is flirting with the idea of going to two cars, so who drives that if it happens? And there’s more, but that’s enough for now -- plenty to be decided!

Q: In a Mailbag a couple of months ago, you commented on the existence of a couple of relatively poorly-attended IndyCar races of late, with the series growing or holding steady in most venues. One of these was probably Portland.

I attended all of the IndyCar races at PIR from 2000 to 2007, and I made the last GPP in 2007 before the merger of CCWS and the IRL. (This race featured the first-ever standing start for IndyCars anywhere, and no usual pile-up in the first corner made for a great start for the race. Seabass won, driving a Panoz DP-01 for Newman Haas.) So I've seen the fans dwindle over the years. It may have been tied to the split, given the timing. I’ve also made all of the GPPs since the reboot in 2018. I have tickets for this year as well.

One thing that I noticed last year is that the race as an event has not seemed very engaged with the community of Portland. Watching the GMR GP at Indy this year and last, I noticed that the Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana was featured, this year on Romain Grosjean’s fire suit, and, I presume, on other promotions during the event. The Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana is the Feeding America (the nation’s largest hunger relief organization) affiliated agency that provides food banking services to a 21-county service area that includes Indianapolis.

If the Portland race promoters wanted to reach out to a well-known and well-loved charity that is involved in hunger relief, they could reach out to the Oregon Food Bank (OFB) in Portland. (Full disclosure: I worked for OFB for 15 years, retiring in 2012.) OFB’s service area is the entire state of Oregon, and Clark County, Washington, just across the river from PIR, and where Vancouver, Washington is located. Oregonians tend to support events that show some kind of interest in local charities and culture. Any due diligence on OFB will show that this is a very influential and beloved charity in Portland, SW Washington State, and the rest of the state Oregon.

In my view, having worked in the Portland area charitable agency world, such a partnership could really help the promoters get the GPP more firmly re-established for an ongoing IndyCar presence in the Pacific Northwest. It could even lead to a local title or presenting sponsor, that would appreciate the local, through the promoter, and national IndyCar interest in our community. I hope someone will try!

Tom and Bev Finlay

MP: All great info and thoughts, Finlay family. Only point I’d raise is IMS is a central beacon in the Midwest and a very powerful organization that works with a number of charities. I wouldn’t attach the same amount of power or reach or embedded community ties to an external event promoter -- Green Savoree Race Promotions -- at a city-owned venue inside of a park. That’s not me making excuses for GSRP, but they aren’t IMS by a longshot, so I understand why they might not be a hub for all things PNW.

That said, I’d hope to hear they’re planning on doing lots with local charities, and maybe they already are and I/we just don’t know about them. On the attendance side, I’d heard from some fans that after the positive return in 2018, ticket prices were jacked up and that led to a downturn in sales.

A charitable angle to Portland would be cool, but sensible ticket prices would also be a good step. Barry Cantrell/Motorsport Images

Q: This came to me while watching the Detroit GP at Belle Isle. Primaries were obviously proven to be the preferred compound. So you had teams playing with strategy -- getting the alternates out of the way earlier vs. running primaries twice to let the track rubber in and running alternates late. My question is, if rain suddenly began to the extent teams had to go to wets, would teams be penalized if they never get to the reds for safety reasons? Seems unfair (and unsafe) to force someone on a wet track on slicks. Thoughts?

Jason M., Indianapolis, IN

MP: They would not. Rain erases the need to spend time on whichever dry compound was not used.

Q: Great piece on the DW2. That thing looked as wild as they come. When was the last time we really saw a team build a one-off car built just for the Indy 500? It feels like the past 25 years or so have been all Dallara and Panoz chassis.

Michael in Brownsburg

MP: Thanks, Michael. I love writing about old weird or cool Indy cars. Penske brought its own cars to the Speedway through 1995, but I’d lean towards the real boutique constructors like Galmer in 1992, TrueSports in 1991 and 1992, and then Riley & Scott from 1997-2000 as the last true super low-volume independent builders.

Former Ford Racing boss Michael Kranefuss almost added to the funky Indy 500 chassis history books with his stillborn Falcon IRL chassis designed by Ken Anderson for the 2003 season. My former driver Greg Ray, who was running his own team at the time -- Access Motorsports or something like that -- tried to put a deal together to run it, but it never turned a wheel in competition. That’s the last of the non-Dallara/GForce/Panoz cars I can think of that were built for the 500.

Years later, a full-scale concept of the DeltaWing was created and shown at the base of the pagoda, but it wasn’t a functional car like the Falcon.

Q: Why have the starts on road and street courses been so sloppy this year? Other than the first few rows, no one has been packed up. It looked especially bad last weekend and I was disappointed that race control didn’t force them to try it again like they did at Barber. Ultimately, this isn’t the biggest issue IndyCar has, it’s just been bugging me a bit this season.

Josh E., Waterloo, IL

MP: We’re on the same page here, Josh. I’m reminded of A.J.’s old line about "It ain’t cheatin’ until you get caught." IndyCar keeps seeing its starts look like s***, but they apparently refuse to do anything about it. If the series doesn’t care that it’s gaining a reputation for disorderly race administration, and they aren’t willing to solve the problem, it ain’t cheatin’, I guess.

Q: Just want to comment on having the Mayor in the TV booth. I thought he was getting better as the season was going along, but it was at Indy during a practice day that really caught my attention. He pointed out so much that I never knew/understood throughout the day, and really added to my appreciation and love of the sport, which has been a lifelong passion of mine. He has such a different take/outlook than Townsend Bell (and Paul Tracy) -- without the ego need to top anyone. Townsend and Tracy were fun together, but I think that Hinchcliffe has really added substance to the broadcasts, without time-worn cliches. I will be happy for him if he gets back into the IndyCar cockpit, but will really miss him in the booth.

Jon Wright

MP: I might have called him at the end of that same day, Jon, to tell him how much I appreciate the insights he’s brought to a growing fanbase that want to know more, get smarter, and feel like they are experts. That hasn’t been the culture among driver analysts, so he’s doing divine work in tuning up IndyCar’s growing audience in meaningful ways. And yes, if all goes according to plan, he’ll be racing full-time next year, most likely in IMSA, and we will miss him like mad.

Q: First, the groaning about Peacock and the Indy coverage does get tiring and while there is always room for improvement, I don't think I'm alone in being grateful for Peacock and the talent. Overall I think it's excellent and I would hate to be without it. I think folks forget where we were before we had it. I will say the amount of commercial time in a race is remarkable and the content is curious. Most of the ads that ran during the 500 really seemed out of place. Count me as one of many who would gladly pay a premium to be able to watch select marquee events commercial free, as floated by you in last week's Mailbag.

My never-going-to-happen solution to the Monaco "race": Qualify in F1 cars to set the order, then race in identical 250 shifter karts or ones with some room for team enhancement. (Maybe divide up points between qualifying performance and the race result). I would love it if a top F1 driver would proclaim that what they do at Monaco isn't sport, "go Alonso" and say they are going to run the 500 instead.

Do you hear anything about IndyCar moving to the more universal halo for the next chassis or staying with the aeroscreen? No real preference here and both have their merits even if they both look like toilet seats strapped to the car. I hope whatever the route is that they become more integrated with the design of the rest of the car.

George, Albuquerque, NM

MP: I wrote a story last month, that outlined IndyCar’s work on a second-generation aeroscreen that will be deployed in 2024. We had a unique scenario with Alonso in 2017 where his F1 car and season were so bad, skipping Monaco made no difference. With all that’s changed in F1 since then, I can’t imagine a team allowing its driver to do a Fernando and skip off to Indy. Might be the only time we see it in our lifetime.

Who knows how the aeroscreen will evolve in the future, but let's take a look at how far it's already come. Here's the first public test of the prototype at Phoenix in 2018. Phillip Abbott/Motorsport Images

Q: 1. For Snoop Medland: On F1 gearboxes, what can be changed before invoking a gearbox change penalty? I assume ratios can be changed as Spa and Monaco ratios have to be way different. Is it mainly the gearbox casing?

2. For all three of you" What is the rationale for unsafe release penalties for a wheel coming off? The real penalty is obviously messing up the team’s race. The fines/suspension just seems to add insult to injury. Is this just the sanctioning body flexing and lining their coffers, or is there something more?

Doug Farrow, Plymouth, MN

CHRIS MEDLAND: Ratios can actually only be changed once in-season -- after having been nominated pre-season -- but this year there is a lot more that can be changed compared to 2021. Previously a gearbox had to do six consecutive events (Saturday and Sunday) but now the gearbox is split into two elements -- the gearbox case and cassette (we'll call element one), and the gearbox driveline, gear change components and auxiliary components (element two).

Teams can now use three of the parts in element one across the season without picking up a penalty, and four of the components in element two. They can use them in any order, so they don't have to be consecutive, and they also get four exemptions on a Friday to test components that are not included in that pool. Once those maximum number of elements are exceeded though, they will pick up a five-place grid penalty.

KELLY CRANDALL: For the second question, blame Tony Stewart. OK, not really but sort of. In 2016, Stewart and a few other drivers started to loudly complain to NASCAR about not feeling safe because teams were intentionally not tightening all five lug nuts to try and gain time on pit road. As a result, NASCAR implemented stiffer penalties, including the suspensions (side note: NASCAR did so after fining Stewart for his criticism. The driver council paid the fine for Stewart).

The penalty is still in place today despite the cars only having one lug nut because NASCAR feels the message still needs to be the same -- the sport cannot have a tire come off a car and fly into the grandstand, a crowd in the infield, or back onto pit road. Remember, at COTA the tire that came off Bubba Wallace’s car bounced off the track and over a fence. NASCAR very much wants to avoid anyone getting hit by a tire. Now, it can be argued that the penalty is too stiff since the crew chief is no longer calling for the team to leave a lug nut loose since they only have one. Or that it makes no sense to suspend experienced crew members to be replaced with perhaps less-experienced crew members who may make the same mistakes. But NASCAR isn’t going to completely do away with these penalties. If drivers and teams keep talking about how they aren’t fair, though, maybe a happy medium will be reached.

Q: There was talk about Andretti purchasing Alfa Romeo and a little about Haas, but I’m curious to know if Williams was an option? As I understand it, and I could be wrong, the team is owned by a VC firm (Dorilton). I thought VCs do purchases, clean up the mess and then sell for more money. Since Dorilton is a U.S. company, wouldn't/couldn't Williams be an option for purchase by Andretti?

CF

CM: Theoretically, yes, but this is where part of the issue with the Alfa Romeo purchase came to be. Once the Concorde Agreement was signed and all the teams were essentially franchised, their value went up massively. And most teams still see their value as a bit of an unknown figure, because no sale has taken place in the last 12-18 months to set the market average.

Williams is in the weeds, but Andretti is probably not the answer. Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images

Williams is one where Dorilton has put a number of people in place that Andretti would probably want to change just to have its own levels of control -- another issue that led to the Alfa deal collapsing -- and that would come at significant cost above and beyond the purchase price of the team. There would also still be plenty more work needed to bring the team up to the level of some others on the grid as it lacked investment for many years, but there is a capital expenditure limit under the budget cap that means that can't be done quickly.

Add in the fact that it would be very difficult to change such an iconic team name to Andretti without backlash from partners and fans, and it's just not quite as attractive as either of the two examples you mentioned or starting their own team.

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller's Mailbag, June 4, 2014

Q: Pre-race this year at the Indy 500 revived a very fond memory for me. My first view of the Speedway was Pole Day in 1968. As I was walking to my seat, Graham Hill was making his qualifying run in the turbine. It was great to see all three cars in running condition and on the track prior to the race with Parnelli, Mario and Vince Garantelli driving them. My question: as the only surviving driver of that team, was Joe Leonard at the track this month? I’d be curious to hear his thoughts on seeing No. 60 prepped as it was for the ’68 race. Would have been great to see him drive on Sunday.

Frank Buczolich, Bloomington, IN

ROBIN MILLER: No, Pelican Joe suffered a massive stroke two years ago and is pretty much confined to his rehab/nursing home but I speak to him every couple of months and he’s still got a tremendous spirit and sense of humor. A couple weeks ago I told him I was going to dinner with Uncle Bobby and Rutherford and asked whom he thought would pick up the check: "You will," he laughed. I sent him a Bobby Unser sweatshirt and the nifty turbine brochure that Steve Shunck, Brad Hoffman and the IMS museum produced last month and Joe was ecstatic to read it. A.J. nicknamed him Pelican (for swooping down and winning races) and calls Joe on his birthday every year. He was one of the true badasses on both two and four wheels.

Editor's note: Leonard passed away in April 2017