The RACER Mailbag, June 15

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 want to revisit the notion of why new chassis manufacturers are not allowed in the name of containing costs when even the IRL, at its inception, allowed multiple manufacturers -- where Dallara, G-Force and Riley & Scott were all in the field. Are things so dire in IndyCar compared to that time that this can't be done?

I can't understand how chassis competition was regulated with the limited scope of IRL -- although CART had a wider variety of chassis manufacturers competing at various times. Why not go to the times of how chassis competition was managed? The Indy 500 became famous because of the fact that the specs were so open that people brought new chassis, new concepts and fostered innovation that drove interests at all levels of society. People have the false impression that Indy 500 will get to the same level of the 1970-'90s period now, when there is nothing to look forward to in terms of variation in the field.

Shyam Cherupalla

MARSHALL PRUETT: I hear what you’re saying, Shyam. Like you, I came up in the sport at a time where the concept of spec open-wheel cars didn’t exist. Everything was different or custom, all the way down through what we, today, call the Road to Indy.

To your question -- the reason is super simple as to why the kingdom has been given to Dallara: Teams don’t want options. It’s the spec racing equivalent of Stockholm Syndrome. Owners have been so accustomed to spec racing and spec thinking that they’ve fallen in love with not being able to make the wrong decision. Other than not knowing whether it will be a Chevy or Honda year at the Indy 500, every other purchase or lease decision is protected. Everyone has the same Dallara DW12, same gearboxes, dang near identical engines, same tires, same fuel, same oil, etc. Granted, teams can make the wrong decisions on dampers, but all of the top teams manufacture the majority of them in-house, so even the one big and free area of development has been largely saved from the risks of buying the wrong off-the-shelf solution.

I don’t see how we ever go back to the days where different cars, tires, and the rest will be wanted and welcome. The only point I’d push back on is the notion that IndyCar won’t get back to its glory days because of the identical cars. I don’t know what the number is, but there are a lot of new and engaged fans who weren’t there in the 1970s through 1990s and have only known spec cars. As time goes by, those of us who lived through and loved the non-spec days will become a smaller and smaller number, so we can’t tie the series’ future growth potential to chassis variety.

Q: With Alexander Rossi moving to AMSP and a team with Chevy power, does that mean he will not be part of Acura's future sports car plans? Could we see Alexander and Pipo Derani in a Caddy? Chevy power in IndyCar, Cadillac power in IMSA -- all the GM boxes checked. That would be an awesome team -- even if it is for endurance races only.

Jonathan, Ventura, CA

MP: A really smart Cadillac team should certainly consider our guy Rossi because, if history is a guide, Acura/Honda is not keen on welcoming Chevy-powered IndyCar drivers into its sports car programs and vice versa with GM barring the door to Honda IndyCar aces climbing into its prototypes and GTs.

The only issue for Alex is the limited number of endurance seats on the Cadillac GTP side. It’s one car apiece for Chip Ganassi Racing and Action Express Racing, and based on their well-developed line-ups, I’m not sure there will be any openings to take.

Q: Hope all is going well and you are enjoying the season so far, with the many different pole and race winners -- looks to be a lot of parity.

Besides the Rossi and Kirkwood news for next season, I'm curious if you are hearing of any other news for 2023 drivers, either in, out, or new to the series? Additionally, with the current 26-car-count and several teams talking of possible expansion, and one or two new teams possibly joining, what do you project to be the full time entries next season?

Appreciate all that you do to keep the IndyCar community updated!

Rod, Fresno, CA

MP: We had a similar question in last week’s Mailbag that covered most of the first question. The main thing I’d add -- and I’ve had this conversation with a number of IndyCar drivers and team owners -- is the lack of proven talent available for hire. That ties into your last question, and yes, if a few plans work out as intended, we could see 28 cars on a full-time basis, assuming Foyt stays at three cars. We know AMSP is adding one and JHR is also keen on adding a car.

Where things get interesting is the likely need for teams looking to fill a vacancy to look outside of IndyCar for solutions. Just as Callum Ilott was a relative unknown to IndyCar fans, I wouldn’t be surprised if more drivers like him—front-running F2 pilots, F1 test drivers, etc. -- find their way into the series. RLL’s Christian Lundgaard is another perfect example of this.

Most of the best IndyCar drivers are under contract for 2023, and all but one or two Indy Lights drivers will be ready to step up and shine, so with the relatively empty talent pool to draw from, looking across the Atlantic is the next obvious step.

With Alexander Rossi set to move from Honda to Chevrolet, could we see him joining a Cadillac team for the long IMSA races? Motorsport Images

Q: Have not seen or heard anything about A.J. Foyt this year. Any news (hopefully good) on how one of the all time greats is doing?

Dave Seaton, Indy

MP: I’ve seen Super Tex a few times and he looks as good as I’ve seen in many years. I wanted to do a feature on him in May and he declined, saying he hates all racing magazines, including RACER. Oh well.

Q: A question this week about sponsorships: AutoNation sponsors both the Rossi and Castroneves/Pagenaud teams. I don’t recall seeing one cross ownership lines in the past. Is that unusual?

Phil from MI

MP: It is unusual! I believe they’re completely unrelated, with Meyer Shank Racing and Andretti Autosport having their own deals with the company.

Indy Q: A. The new Indy car needs the aeroscreen to blend with the lines of the car. Obviously it was a late addition, but the current one is ugly.

B. The new car needs a more angular/aesthetic nose.

C. When you look at Formula 1 and Formula E, the cars have a modern bent on the open-wheel aesthetics. IndyCar should not copy those designs, but get something different for the next go-around.

Tim Gleason, Chicago, IL

MP: On topic A, I believe we’ve now crossed the threshold of 100,000 people who’ve said the same thing since the aeroscreen debuted in 2020.

On B, I’ve been one of thousands to make the same observation, so let’s hope IndyCar and Dallara are listening.

On C, don’t look for the next car to stray too far from what you see today.

Q: Can Townsend and Hinch please stop referencing the tire options as primary and alternate? I know it’s network television and there are casual viewers but it’s easier for everyone if you just say blacks and reds. Explain the differences once then everyone can see the sidewall colors for themselves.

John from Indianapolis

MP: I’m sure they could, John, but that’s what they are -- primaries and alternates, as listed by Firestone -- so if the complaint is that they should stop using the correct terms, I’d also need to make the switch because I use the same terminology in my reports.

Q: Excuse the vent, but there is a question here.

For as long as I can remember, without doing a lot of research, Mid-Ohio has historically been scheduled in the early part of August, a few times at the end of July, and back in the CART days it was held in September. It basically had a relatively consistent place in the IndyCar racing season schedule.

So, along comes COVID and it disrupted the status quo for various reasons. But why has the Mid-Ohio IndyCar weekend now become a 4th of July thing for the second year in a row? I went last year only because my 2020 tickets (which I could not attend) were carried over to 2021. This year it's just impossible to justify going to an IndyCar race during a holiday weekend. Family commitments and traditional July 4th activities take precedence in situations like that.

I can understand IndyCar likes having a large crowd for TV. Mid-Ohio always draws well for IndyCar and looks great with the aerial shots, but this has disrupted the yearly plans of quite a few people -- not just myself -- who looked forward to the traditional late summer slot to share with racing friends and fanatics.

Is there any word from IndyCar and/or the Mid-Ohio ownership group if it will revert back to a familiar slot later in the summer?

Terry J., Germantown, MD

MP: I reached out to IndyCar to ask, Terry, and was told there are no plans to move off the July 4 timing for Mid-Ohio. The race runs on July 3, for what it’s worth, so I’d think most attendees will have the 4th to celebrate at home. NASCAR’s at Road America on the same weekend and they tend to race on or around the 4th every year, so I’m not sure I see the big foul on IndyCar’s part for trying to build a celebratory event at Mid-Ohio on a holiday weekend that NASCAR’s used forever to wave the American flag with its fans.

Q: In the last Mailbag, someone wrote in about the lack of passing in the Indy 500 and that after Palou’s incident, he was running just in front of Jimmie Johnson and couldn’t move forward much due to severe difficulties in passing. In your response, you elaborate that the aeroscreen is the issue and that it is well documented.

While there is no doubt that the aeroscreen has resulted in harsher air behind the race car, last year Pagenaud worked his way from 26th to third and Montoya from 24th to ninth. This year, Castroneves went from 27th to seventh and Montoya from 30th to 11th. How is it that, despite the aeroscreen and the dirtier air it creates, some drivers passed so much?

The 105th and 106th runnings of the Indy 500 have been incredible!

Richard M., Pittsburgh

MP: Well, one thing that’s always true is I’m an idiot, Richard, because I completely failed to mention the other big contributor to the problem -- possibly more than the aeroscreen -- is the absence of the rear wheel guards. While the devices weren’t a thing of beauty, they did wonders to clean up the air leaving the car to reduce drag and turbulence.

On top of introducing a new and more powerful front wing, I do wonder if IndyCar should consider creating an Indy-only return of the rear wheel guards, maybe with a new design as well, to make passing more common within a cluster of cars.

As to the primary question you’ve raised, there will always be outliers like Simon and JPM, etc. They tend to have better mechanical grip than those they’re passing -- that’s what the Ganassi team aced this year. If you listen to those who aren’t as fortunate, they all say the same thing about the struggles to pass, though.

Maybe we could just have the rear wheel guards back for Indy? Brian Cleary/Motorsport Images

Q: Love your work Marshall -- always fascinated by the volume of insightful postings you provide during the busy month of May.

Had a fantastic Indy 500 race day, as usual. That show never fails to deliver! Curious as to why Marcus Ericsson was so much faster than the other contenders the last 25 laps or so to enable him to win the 500. He was clearly dominant on those last stints, and he was able to create and maintain a sizable gap during those late green flag laps -- no other leader was able to do so all day. I told my fellow attendees that he had so much speed that he would have won over Dixon regardless of that late pit penalty. What did he and his team [do] to position themselves -- that the other teams didn't do -- to have that rocket ship late in the race?

John Sullivan, Lee's Summit, MO

MP: The Ganassi team found a rather amazing mechanical setup on their cars that made great cornering speeds without burning up their tires. We saw that across four of the five entries, with Jimmie being the only exception, at times, on race day. There’s also the oft-rumored "kill mode" Honda makes available to its drivers that is said to offer extra power; Chevy is said to avoid using a "kill mode" for the sake of increased reliability.

Q: Curious on your outlook for Jimmie Johnson in 2023. We’ve seen slight lap time improvements in the road course races, but absolutely nothing to warrant any significant change in his lack of competitiveness. Does Ganassi want him back? Or is it simply, if Jimmie has the backing of sponsors, he’s locked in no matter what? I figure he’s extremely frustrated running in the back and might only want to do ovals or an Indy 500 one-off in the future.

J.R. Fresno, CA

MP: Like you, I am surprised by Jimmie’s lack of forward progress on the grid. I didn’t expect him to take down a bunch of drivers and leap to the middle of the field, but I also didn’t expect him to be a complete non-factor outside of the ovals. Ignoring Texas and the Indy 500, every finish has been from P20 to P24 at the six road- and street courses. For the sake of added context, I think most fans would agree that rookie Devlin DeFrancesco has not had a great introduction to IndyCar, but in the championship he’s one point ahead of Jimmie who’s in his sophomore season.

On the team and business side, he’s absolutely beloved by everyone. Beyond being one of the nicest and most genuine people you’ll meet, he also brings a wealth of racing experience to the team that has made it better. Johnson also brings the budget to the team, so if he’s able to keep the money flowing in, and if he wants to continue -- which I’ve heard he does -- the No. 48 Honda is his to drive.

Jimmie Johnson hasn't made the step forward some might have expected in his second year of IndyCar racing. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images

Q: With the new hybrid engines coming in, will there be a need for refueling during the race?

Also, I'd like to say that I'm OK with the amount of commercials on Peacock. If that's what they have to do to make the product financially viable then I'm all for it. Eventually maybe they won't have to run as many ads if the series continues to grow.

I get that the coverage of the race isn't perfect, but it must be extremely difficult capturing every piece of action during an IndyCar race, especially when you have camera operators capturing one aspect of the race and the guys in the booth talking about another aspect of the race. Just my two cents for the frustrated fans out there.

Ian, Santa Barbara, CA

MP: Refueling will absolutely be part of the hybrid era just as it was when the FIA WEC went hybrid in 2012; the ERS units might cause some fuel to be saved as drivers look to lift off the throttle for longer periods entering braking zones in order to harvest energy, but the deployment of that 100hp ERS charge is meant to act as an addition to the full 800hp engine, not as a replacement for some of the engine’s output.

I think the issue being raised on the full-screen Peacock commercials stems from the use of side-by-side commercials on the cable/network broadcasts at the same time. I’d think the bigger production costs are on the cable/network side, not on the live stream, so the absence of side-by-side on Peacock comes across as greedy and unnecessary to those who complain about the product. And in this case, I can’t disagree.

Q: If Texas doesn't get a repave, instead of a rolling start, old school Le Mans foot race to the car to spice it up?

Shawn in MD

MP: Can we go ahead and make this the new rule for every race?

Q: Marshall, you zeroed in on something in your Cooldown lap that hadn't even occurred to me and that seems to be plaguing JHR: Ilott's hands were torn up on the streets of St. Pete and now Ferrucci's got brutalized in Detroit. What could possibly be so different in their setup than all the other teams?

Belle Isle used to be a doubleheader. Ferrucci ran that multiple times and I never heard of any major complaints. I couldn't even imagine what would have happened had it been another doubleheader.

Ferrucci was fast and then he just disappeared and I had no clue as a viewer what happened to him. Did Grosjean suffer some of the same hand issues being that scar tissue is not as pliable? Hopefully I get a chance to pry JHR a little at Road America.

Thanks for pointing out what happened to JHR. This is my first Mailbag since Robin. It took a while to get back into reading it and I just wanted to say thanks to the RACER crew for holding the fort.

Ken P., Naperville, IL

MP: The main thing that stands out to me is Santino hasn’t been on the full-time IndyCar trail, so his hands aren’t as beaten up and weathered as those who’ve done all the road and street courses. Detroit’s a brutal place to show up and go with soft palms. Teams have three different steering rack options that range from easier-to-turn to harder-to-turn. Every driver has their preference on the type of feel they want to get from the steering wheel, but if there’s an injury or buttery skin, the lighter option is the way to go.

Secondarily, there’s a suspension setting called caster -- commonly adjusted by lengthening or shortening the lower front A-arms to introduce a fore-and-aft tilt into the upright that holds the brakes and wheel and connects the steering rack to the front suspension. Some drivers like a lot of caster, which gives a lot of feel through the steering wheel, but also increases the effort to turn the car. It sounds like a combo of harder steering rack and higher caster is what’s at play here.

Santino Ferrucci in the process of battering his hands at Belle Isle. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images

Q: What has happened to RLL Racing? It seemed like, before the season, they made driver changes and they might start to challenge for wins again. However, they seem like they can hardly break out of the midfield, and even with a three-car team they can’t seem to get any momentum and I think they only have a few top 10s from Graham as the highlight of the season, and the month of May was a disappointment at best. They seem to have the big sponsors to get them what they need but can’t capitalize.

Eric D

MP: I did a deep dive on RLL with Graham Rahal last week that might offer some insights. In short, they need a brand-new damper program and a lot more engineers to keep pace with the teams they want to catch and defeat.

Q: Formula 1 drivers think they are the best drivers in the world but most of them say they would not run the Indy 500 because it is too dangerous. All racing is dangerous -- drivers get hurt at local short tracks as well as big speedways. What a lame excuse. I thought that if a driver wanted to prove they are the best that Indy would be the race they would want to be in.

David, Ft. Wayne, IN

MP: I’ve always rated WRC drivers as the bravest and craziest in motor racing. I respect the F1 drivers who, when asked about doing the Indy 500, simply say it doesn’t interest them. It’s the other folks who trot out the tired excuses who make me want to strap them into the two-seater with Mario, dial up the boost to 50psi, and let the GOAT take them for a 10-mile qualifying simulation at the Speedway. There isn’t a vacuum on the planet that could empty all the tears, among other things, from their seat after the run.

Q: Since we are seeing both IndyCar and NASCAR on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway the last weekend in July, will we see Jimmie Johnson racing in a NASCAR race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course since he is running full time in IndyCar?

Chris Fiegler

Latham, NY

MP: Since he no longer races in NASCAR and he did the same weekend last year with CGR and only did the IndyCar portion of the event, I’d have to imagine nothing’s changed this year, Chris. Given how Jimmie is struggling to run ahead of where he ran last year in IndyCar, adding a stock car distraction at the Brickyard/Indy GP event seems like a perfect way to get less out of himself in both cars.

Q: I want to shed some light on the reason why the pits are closed when a yellow flag is initially indicated at all tracks IndyCar visits.

The foremost reason is safety of the drivers and the safety team. IndyCar wants to ensure cars passing through an area where a car has crashed or otherwise stopped are going slowly enough to not endanger the rescue, fire, and medical personnel driving to or dealing with a crashed or stopped car. The best way to do this is to close the pits so that no driver feels they may be disadvantaged by being behind an accident area and therefore losing time to cars that are in front of the accident area. Not closing the pits would naturally cause drivers to take more risks, drive quicker prior to and through an accident area, and delay safety, fire, and medical vehicles from reaching the accident because of the extra risk involved when trying to stay out of the way of at-speed race cars.

We also have to consider the odd accident, usually at a street circuit, that completely blocks the track. You can't penalize the 10 drivers not involved in the accident but stuck behind it, nor can you advantage the 10 drivers ahead of the accident based on dumb luck.

It stinks that the single driver inconvenienced at IMS was likely to have an impact on the finish. I imagine the issue would be much less discussed if the offended driver was Jack Harvey, who was pretty invisible in the 500.

A "timing line" exemption would likely complicate the re-ordering process and lengthen the yellow flag time if it were to be implemented, which is something to be avoided based on the number of "yellows are too long" complaints received.

If you are asking yourself, "How can F1 not close the pits when a yellow comes out?" Well, I have the answer: Safety in F1 is a joke. Full stop.

Eric Lawrence

MP: Thanks, Eric.

Full admission here -- the open/closed pits debate has been going on for so many years and was covered enough times in the Mailbag by Robin that I just don’t have the heart to rehash something that’s been rehashed to death. So when good folks like yourself and others on the open or closed side of the conversation write in, I’m inclined to say thanks and keep it moving.

"I sure hope this tear-off works..." Brett Farmer/Motorsport Images

Q: I have used Rain-X on aircraft windshields with excellent visibility even in the heaviest rain. Is there some technical reason some kind of rain repellent can not be used or would not work on the aeroscreen?

Robert Bentley, Darien, IL

MP: The tear-offs used on the aeroscreen have a Rain-X-like coating that’s hydrophobic.

Q: In your previous mailbag, you stated, “We’re in a good place right now,” and I really want to believe it because I wholeheartedly believe IndyCar puts on the best racing product out there, but when I look at the ratings, it paints an entirely different picture. Judging by Twitter and other online banter that covers IndyCar, the 500 scored less-than-expected ratings while the following week’s Detroit GP appeared to be in the toilet with only 354,000 viewers. Are we really in a good place? What do you believe can be done to raise viewership? I worry because I absolutely do not want IndyCar to vanish down the road. I love it immensely and want it to thrive, but I know my dedication alone won’t keep it afloat.

Thanks for all you do! You’re one of the gems of this sport.

Nicholas Darter

MP: If we judged IndyCar’s health on Detroit’s rating from being on the USA cable outlet, we’d say it’s poor, but I always think of things like this in terms of songs on a new album from your favorite band. Is every track an all-time classic? Absolutely not. Hopefully the majority are really good and a few are truly exceptional (I’m on a flight to Road America listening to Moon Tooth’s 2019 gem "Crux," and it’s about 90-percent amazing).

IndyCar’s debut on USA wasn’t great and, in fact, reminds me of some of the less than impressive ratings that weren’t totally uncommon on NBCSN. On average, the ratings are solid when IndyCar is on the big NBC network, and it’s here where the positives are found. How do we get more people to watch IndyCar? There’s a Nobel prize for the first person who can answer the great open-wheel question of our lifetime.

Q: Have two comments/questions I hope you can answer.

First, do you know anything about the particulars of the Caesars/IMS deal regarding betting on the 500? I am in no way a huge sports gambler and because of that I have never joined any of the many betting services out there. However, over the years, and being a big Indy fan, I always thought it would be fun to place a few bets on the race itself. This deal with Caesars seems pretty limited (and obscure), and I believe you have to join their betting service to participate. Any talk about "betting windows" at the IMS track -- a la horse racing tracks -- where you can place a bet without providing your life history and credit card? I hope the argument or reticence isn't something to do with "family atmosphere" or something stupid like that. We're long past that silly excuse. And hey, maybe with the increased revenue from gaming, they could increase that still-paltry purse for the biggest single day sporting event in the world.

Second comment/question: Really must thank Roger Penske for putting millions into upgrading the facility, but in one instance he went too far. I have sat in the high rows of the Tower Terrace for years -- great seats at Indy; able to see the cars coming out of Turn 4, the entire main straight, and going deep into Turn 1 -- but with the construction of that stupid stage in front of the pagoda, the vast majority of Tower Terrace seats north of the pagoda have had their sight of Turn 1 completely blocked. If, as Mr. Penske says, it's all about the fans, what about the thousands of us who buy seats in the Tower Terrace who have had a rather large portion of our view of the track diminished?

Other than a fancy place for VIPs to stand during the race, what real purpose does it serve? Seems like the portable stages for driver introductions and Back Home Again in Indiana work just fine for pre-race ceremonies, and if you have to have something special for the winner, isn't the stage that comes out of the ground that raises the winning car enough? Really poor design and decision, IMO.

Do you know, is the Speedway aware of this issue? Can't believe others haven't complained. Do they even care? Still can't believe that silly permanent stage got approved and built. What, no other alternatives? Sorry for the rant. But I would like to hear some Speedway official logically defend it.

Jim in Indy

MP: Brother Jim, the Mailbag is always in need of a good rant; I actually wish we had more of them.

On the betting side, I genuinely don’t know, but I can say that if adding onsite betting windows will bring in significant profits for IMS, I’m confident they will be given a serious look at an interesting toe-dipping effort -- but yeah, it also comes across as aimed at hardcore gamblers, not casual bettors who want to put $20 on the 1,000,000-to-1 odds Jean Alesi wins on his return with Lotus in 2023.

On the big car lift in victory lane: I’ve heard it’s a somewhat funny but unintentional thing. As I understand it, the lift is the equivalent of the Andretti Curse. The thing is ALWAYS breaking down, so once it goes up and the banners go up to hide its inner workings, they really do not want to tempt fate by operating it any more than is necessary. Basically, it goes up to make sure it can go up, the dressing is added to the sides, and then then pray it will go down for the winner’s car and then go back up. There must be a solution to upgrade or replace the thing if it’s making you -- and other fans -- regret your choice of seating.

In case you couldn't see it, this is Colton Herta's crew rising to celebrate their Indy GP victory. Brett Farmer/Motorsport Images

Q: The pre-race traditions at Indianapolis are slowly changing, and not for the better. Since attending my 53rd 500 a week ago Sunday, I've spent time not only looking at the pre-race over the last few years, but also going back to the days before live TV. It used to be that Tom Carnegie and his team of PA announcers would manage the pre-race script and kept things moving at just the right pace. Jim Phillippe narrated some of the pre-race ceremonies and delivered the stirring, inspirational tribute to all Armed Forces veterans before the playing of "Taps." Radio and, in their earlier days, TV would follow the PA team.

Lately, it seems that TV is running the script. This has left the fans in the stands with a disjointed experience that really pales in comparison. TC and his crew's renditions kept things moving from the introductions of celebrities up to "The Command." This year, there were numerous "silent holes" while TV aired their commercials. The short video clip of cornfields and flags, while done in good taste, detracted from the once incredible buildup.

My dad, who at 91 still watches on TV, was wondering why that piece was aired so close to the start and there were no words before "Taps." It would have been much better if it was shown at the beginning of TV's pre-race show. What was once a beautiful progression is now just a series of events. Give the show back to the fans in the stands and let the rest of the world follow along. Calabro, Bestwick et al are more than able to carry it, I'm certain.

Dave Miller

MP: Thanks for the read-through, Dave.

As I often do, I’ll forward this to those who should hear it and hope they act. In last week’s Mailbag we had a great letter about the unreasonable lines to get food during the race that I shared with RP and he responded within minutes saying they received the same feedback and were both mortified to learn of the delays and would be resolving it ASAP. The Captain runs a tight, customer-first ship, so while he isn’t the one to manage the pacing of PA, we’ll always make sure the Mailbag acts as a conduit to whomever should receive sharp feedback from the grandstands.

As a closing aside, I enjoyed hearing Alan Bestwick alongside Dave Calabro.

ROBIN MILLER: Yes sir, there was a Ferrari Indy car designed, built and tested -- but never raced and many figured it was just a ploy by Enzo Ferrari to get his way with Formula 1. Ferrari was mad at F1’s engine regulations so he commissioned an Indy car. Ferrari talked to Goodyear about a CART program and it suggested Truesports. Bobby Rahal gave a demonstration run in his ’85 March at Fiorano along with Michele Alboreto (who would ironically end up in the IRL one day) and Gustav Brunner -- who would design the ’87-’88 Ferrari F1 cars -- first penned the Ferrari Indy car, which was unveiled to the media in ’86. Alboreto tested it but never raced it and it was handed down to the Alfa Romeo boys who came to Indy in 1990 (with disastrous results).