The RACER Mailbag, August 24

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: A ways back you had an article on TV ratings where Knoxville, Tennessee was the second-biggest market for the Indy 500. I paid attention because that's where my family is. There's Barber in the Deep South, but not much in Appalachia/Mid-South. Now, only two hours away is Bristol. That might be too NASCAR-y. Would Charlotte be a nice track to add an oval? Or maybe the Roval? Sure, it's NASCAR's home, but those that own Indy teams own NASCAR teams. And Josef looked good on the Roval a few years back.

Shawn, MD

MP: I seem to recall there being a fairly good crowd for the inaugural IRL race at Charlotte in 1997, but it went away after 1999 when a crash early in the race coming out of Turn 4 sent heavy parts and debris into the grandstands that killed three fans. It was an eerie and sad thing to witness from our timing stand on pit lane, and after the deceased and the others who were injured were tended to, the rest of the race was cancelled and interest in having high-speed open-wheelers at CMS was gone.

The renovated CMS infield road course is great for Cup cars and IMSA GT machinery, but it looks like it’s too tight and twisty to let a pack of 26-plus IndyCars do captivating things.

Q: The doubleheader at Iowa seems to have been a success. A doubleheader seems like a great way of making an oval race into a proper, full-weekend event since the suitable support category options are limited. Also, when watching on TV, I don't feel like two races per weekend is too much. Sometimes when I'm missing Sunday's race, I'm happy there's a race already on Saturday.

I wonder how much of an additional expense it is for teams to run two races per weekend, and if it would be feasible to expand the calendar by having more doubleheaders? I could imagine the cost of a doubleheader is less than two separate single-race weekends. To clarify, I'm not suggesting this as an alternative for adding new tracks to the schedule, which I would really like to see.

From the standpoint of the weekend schedule, IndyCar doesn't really have the kind of support categories to have a "headline" race for Saturday like NASCAR has with Xfinity or Trucks. I just don't see the qualifying as a match for what a race would be on Saturday. And a race surely gets better TV ratings than qualifying.

I'm not saying every event should be a doubleheader; shared weekends with IMSA already have a headliner for Saturday and IndyCar is Saturday's co-headliner in NASCAR's Brickyard weekend. The 500 will surely never become a doubleheader, but I don't think Saturday races at some tracks would dilute the value of Sunday's race. The two races should just be different in the distance to make a difference in race strategies (e.g. a tightly doable two-stopper and a certain three-stopper).

Kalle from Finland

MP: I like your way of thinking, Kalle. I know R.P. and IndyCar wanted to get away from doubleheaders, with Iowa as the only exception, and yes, holding two races at the same event does come with cost savings, but only if cars aren’t being trashed in those races. Ovals can be messy in that regard, but then we get a mostly clean event like WWTR and the argument is made easier for doubling up while there.

The only thing stopping IndyCar from doing more doubleheaders is a willingness to do them!

AMSP's Gavin Ward gives the international hand signal for "more doubleheaders." Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: In your interview with David Salters at Monterey, you pressed him on whether the new Acura motor was a monoblock. If your suspicion is true, will the new power unit be a stressed member as well?

From a logistics standpoint, Meyer Shank Racing would benefit from IndyCar/IMSA engines that share common components, but I'm guessing it's not that simple (with engines leases and all).

Jonathan, Ventura, CA

MP: It’s true. I do my best to only ask questions like that when I know the answer beforehand. It’s a rarity these days to have a motor in a big prototype that sits unstressed in a cradle, so yes, semi- or fully-stressed would be the expectation. I’ll know more when I get a look at the ARX-06 in testing in October. Or so I hope! I believe the turbos and plumbing, at a minimum, are different, and I’d expect fueling to be different as well, so a direct swap from a MSR GTP car to an MSR Indy car wouldn’t be possible when we get to 2024.

Q: How do you feel about the job the not-so-new-anymore management team is doing at Laguna Seca? As I remember you were not a fan of the move to replace SCRAMP with the team led by John Narigi.

Bill Branagh

MP: I was not a fan of the bidding process that was a sham, and with that sham in mind, I was worried about the capabilities of a racing newbie in John Narigi to lead Laguna Seca out of the dark ages. The bidding process aside, Narigi’s been a man of action and has not been prone to following the direction of those within the county who installed him as the track manager. I’ve been thoroughly impressed with most of what he’s gotten done and love the fact that he’s fought the county -- against some of the same people who awarded him the managerial contract -- when it was in the track’s best interest.

Still have some big hurdles to clear in generating revenue, promoting major events like IndyCar and IMSA to the point of bringing more than a tiny amount of fans into the facility, etc., but overall, I’m encouraged by what Narigi’s accomplished so far.

Q: I have a serious problem with the start times of several of the recent races. I know NBC doesn't want to devote prime time Saturday to IndyCar, which I understand. The first Iowa race I attended it was 97 degrees F at race time and EMTs were resuscitating collapsed fans. They should put the Saturday Iowa race and Gateway race at 7 or 8pm Eastern on USA Network. Saturday night ovals are very good TV, and much better for fans in the stands. Tell me I'm wrong!

Chriss from PA

MP: You’re wrong! (Don’t ask me to tell you you’re wrong because I always will…even when you aren’t.) The fact that the Iowa doubleheader was held a month ago and we’re still getting heat/time/channel submissions is remarkable. I know the series has heard this many times since the event ended, so let’s see if NBC agrees when the new schedule comes out.

Q: The announcers kept claiming Penske split their decision on making pit stops during the yellow flag at WWTR. If you were listening to Will Power’s radio, you would have known they wanted to pit Power too but made the call too late. This was not a Team Penske split strategy.

I really do not see teams like Penske coordinating split strategies like this. Each car will decide what they think is best. Am I wrong?

Craig

MP: I understand the same to be true, Craig, with Power being a miss rather than a plan to stay out. I can’t think of a scenario where a team would take their driver who’s leading the championship, and running well, and do something wonky by going off strategy on purpose. That’s what you do when the championship is slipping from your grasp, and that wasn’t the case with DJ Willy P.

Q: Always difficult to get a concise read from TV coverage, but the WWTR crowd looked pretty sparse for a Bommarito-promoted event. Curious as to which venues you see as the most attendance-challenged?

David

MP: My home race at Laguna Seca, without a doubt. Been a ghost town since IndyCar returned, unfortunately.

Q. With tire management being such an important part of IndyCar strategy, I wonder if teams have looked at what can be done to stop the tire smoke on the pit stop release? I have to think that the driver is leaving a good two additional laps of traction in the smoke.

John B. from NC

MP: I always err on the side of practicality John, and figure that since teams spend millions upon millions of dollars each year to try and beat each other, at least one of them would tell their drivers to avoid doing burnouts when leaving on new tires to increase tire life. But since they don’t -- from Penske on down -- we can safely assume it’s not a life-reducing issue the entire paddock has overlooked.

Lighting up the rears on the way out of the pits didn't do Scott McLaughlin's evening any harm at World Wide Technology Raceway... OR DID IT??? Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: I just saw a picture of Jim Rathman driving a roadster at Indianapolis with a huge wing mounted at the center of the car. They must have taken it off for the race, because I couldn’t find a race picture with the wing. The wing was enormous -- did it create too much drag? Did USAC ban it? Why didn’t they try it on a short track like Milwaukee or maybe they did? This was about a decade before wings became standard in IndyCar. Any info on this car would be appreciated.

On a side note, waiting for the rain to end at Gateway made for a great finish. David Malukas on new tires made a great charge. One more lap and he may have had Josef Newgarden.

Brian Henris, Fort Mill, SC

MP: Good old Smokey Yunick, 1962, his Watson roadster, a standard four-cylinder Offenhauser engine, and Rathmann giving a big wing a try. It performed as expected with increased cornering speeds, but with almost everyone running Offy-powered roadsters, the performance margins were thin and dragging that wing down the straights was a liability to top speed, so it was removed. Wings were formally allowed at Indy in 1968.

The new tires-vs-old tires game never fails to disappoint!

Q: Why does IndyCar hate Gateway? The first half of that race was terrible. Power caught the back of the pack and couldn’t lap them for, like, 30 laps. Literally, there were people in the stands around us asleep. I like the hospitality of this track, but I’m not sure how much longer I can wait for IndyCar to get the package right. If you look at the TV broadcast of the race, several fans have already made the same decision. Thankfully the No. 2 and No. 3 pitted for tires. It was exciting watching them carve through the field.

Glad they came back after the rain. We got a good restart, pass for the lead, and the 18 moving through the field. Sadly, this is not the worst race I have seen at this track.

Now as far as the track goes, this was the best vendor selection they have had. From food vendors, to merch booths, to local businesses, they were side by side almost the entire length of the straightaway. There was a lot to check out. Gave us something to do, as well. The only thing I missed this year was being able to walk around the infield. Hopefully that is something they change in the future.

JR Rouse

MP: Thanks for the report, JR. I spoke with one IndyCar team leader on Monday morning who echoed your thoughts on the quality of the racing. Minus the rain, would the second groove been a more powerful passing tool? Probably. But would an increase in downforce or a reduction in downforce make for better racing? That might be worth testing.

Q: I was really disappointed at the turnout on Saturday and I know the weather forecast probably scared some fans away. I think the big problem is the late afternoon starting time. Everyone knows the night races are the best at WWTR, and it certainly makes it more enjoyable for the people who are actually at the track. NBC/USA values Harry Potter repeats more than racing? Find a better TV partner. I hope WWTR, and Iowa along with Penske, can make a strong case to the network to return these races to the evenings under the lights where they made such a huge investment. Why can't NBC Sports leave a good thing alone?

Also, IndyCar needs to make an aero fix a priority for the short ovals in off-season testing. That minor piece added behind the front wheels didn't seem to make any difference over the previous events at Gateway/WWTR. Every car runs 10 lengths behind the car ahead. Power caught the tail of the field in only 23 laps but then rode behind a tail-end car for 30-35 laps, unable to break through the dirty air. Every car just riding in a parade doesn't grow the fan base. If an aero solution can't be found, how about Push-to-Pass?

Kevin Kelly, St. Louis, MO

MP: Hard to argue with anything you’ve mentioned, Kevin. Thank goodness for goofy David Malukas, because without him, the race would have been a snoozer from start to finish. I hate P2P, but maybe we do it contest-style during the race? Have Hinch ask a series of trivia questions to the entire field over the race, and the first with the correct answer gets 10 seconds of P2P to use right then and there. Do that every 20 laps, and maybe we get a truly random result at the end? Or maybe not. My brain might be broken.

Q: You know the whole reason they restarted the race was so Newgarden could win, right? Penske didn't want McLaughlin to take points off Newgarden. Scott practically lifted to let Josef by. Gotta get the win for the Penske golden boy. They even screwed Power by not letting him know in time that the pits were open after the Harvey yellow. All for the All-American boy.

Ryan, writing from the Burkhart Lake Airport Grand Prix offices

MP: The only thing I like more than a good conspiracy theory is a bad conspiracy theory. The part you forgot to mention is Penske rigged the race so Josef could finally get his first win at Gateway.

Q: We watched the extra practice at WWTR to try open up a second lane. Even though IndyCar went to the trouble of marking the lanes, several drivers seemed to do no more than occasionally straddle the line. (Looking at you, No. 27). I realize we're limited by what's shown by NBC's cameras, but any chance IndyCar would consider black-flagging drivers who don't at least try to work the high line? Otherwise they're just getting extra practice time and an extra set of tires and not really helping to add a second lane.

John

MP: Seems like something they should have been doing as it happened, John. Can’t say why they wouldn’t.

It'd be fascinating to know how many new social media followers Malukas gained in the 24 hours between midday Saturday and midday Sunday. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: Is the 2023 Sebring 12 Hours going to include the WEC cars? Do you know if any of the Hypercars will run with the new GTP cars in the 12 hour race or vice-versa?

P.S. Let’s go No. 2! If the No. 2 car didn’t have mechanical at Iowa 2, he would likely be the winner of every oval race except the 500 this year.

David

MP: Hard to say what will happen at the second IMSA race of 2023 when we still have a race or two in 2022 to complete. The invitation is open, but two endurance races in two days is a lot to ask any team to do.

Q: I watched the IndyCar race at Gateway this weekend, and as always it was an exciting event with lots of passing, plenty of side-by-side racing in the turns and great competition.

My question is, why was IndyCar able to start the Gateway race at 6pm ET, but not able to start either of the Iowa races later in the day? Remember the 96-degree temperatures in Iowa's first race last month? Whenever that question comes up with regard to Iowa Raceway we're always told "It is because that's what the broadcast television network wants," yet the Gateway race was also on broadcast television. Both races are run in the hottest part of the summer, and both would benefit from a dusk start time.

Kevin P., Los Angeles, CA

MP: Two things: NBC said it had other obligations over the Iowa weekend, so having a network date free for WWTR doesn’t mean they secretly had openings at Iowa. I’m guessing you have times where one weekend is packed and another isn’t? Also, Iowa scheduled major concerts after both races that went into the night, so what they had for a schedule is what they had for a schedule.

Q: What happened to the crowd at WWTR? It looked like a practice day. I noticed nobody was there for qualifying which seemed strange, but then the crowd for the race was pathetic. Also, Power’s qualifying speed sounded way faster than last year's -- was it the fastest-ever at WWTR?

CAM in LA

MP: I wondered about the sparse crowd as well, Cam. Seems like it was down a bit two years ago, then down noticeably more last year, and Saturday was rather alarming with the big pockets of nearly empty sections in the main grandstands and the low stands in Turns 1 and 2. Was it the specter of rain that kept people away? Hard to say, but based on the informal eyeball test, crowds for IndyCar at WWTR are trending in the wrong direction.

Q: For the fourth year in a row, I leave WWTR satisfied by pretty much everything and am happy with Curtis Francois, John Bommarito, and everyone else’s efforts. The water bottle filling stations helped me not get heat exhaustion like last year, and everyone was so kind as always!

The only thing I would add is that the last 40 laps showed me two things: David Malukas is going to be exciting for many years to come, and this race needs to always be scheduled as a night race. The racing seems to be better at night, August nights are cooler than August days, and the atmosphere around a night race is so much better!

Josh, Waterloo, IL

MP: Preach, Brother Josh. Saturday night oval racing is amazing, and that Malukas kid is a quick learner. He pooped the bed a lot in the first third of the season and has since shown he’s one to take seriously in the years ahead.

Q: My amateur race team uses a cool shirt in the 24 Hours of Lemons races (and I noticed there is never any RACER coverage on these compelling races), where we put 8lbs of ice in one gallon (7lbs) of water that pumps through the shirt. That whole rig weighs 19-20 lbs. The ice is melted after a two-hour stint. So the big question is, what type of system are they using in IndyCar that only weighs 8 lbs, and how do they re-cool the flow media? I can't think of anything that would not either weigh more or use precious power.

Gray Fowler, Texas

MP: Thanks, Gray. Guess you haven’t been keeping up to date with our Lemons coverage on AMATEURRACER.com. The system is made by Rini and uses the same basic principle of recirculating refrigeration that’s been around for decades. You can read more about it here.

Q: I'm planning on attending Long Beach in 2023. It’s been 20-plus years since I last went to Long Beach, and this 2023 trip is a special one for my wife and I. My question is with accommodation – do you have hotel recommendations? It’s been so long I have no idea where to look. Just want to be close – hopefully walking distance – to the track.

Grant Bruegman

MP: Great to hear, Grant. I’d get to booking right away, and neither are cheap, but you’ll find most teams stay Hyatt Regency Long Beach, Renaissance Long Beach, or Hilton Long Beach. The Queen Mary is also a memorable place to stay, but it’s more of a shuttle ride/Uber than a walk.

Lots of other choices, all much cheaper, but you and your wife will be miserable at those nearby roach motels.

Q: I am writing about my annual disappointment that the IndyCar season is ending too soon. While the series strives to build fan interest, too many months go by with nothing while IndyCar's main competitors -- NASCAR and Formula 1 -- race on into November. It's as if though IndyCar admits it cannot sustain during football season while NASCAR and F1 can.

I would advocate a fall Aussie segment and run a few races Down Under. It would be spring entering summer down there and IndyCar has Aussie heroes in Power, McLaughlin, and Dixon.

I recall as a kid the old Tasman Series, an offbeat series for Formula 1 during the off season. The Captain has a team down there and surely IndyCar could come up with a sponsor. Surfers Paradise, Melbourne, and Adelaide? How about it?

James Harrison, Olathe, KS

MP: Well, the Captain did -- past tense -- but sold his stake. We’ve had the season start in February and runs into September, so I wouldn’t think of that as short. But IndyCar does have a desire to go to 20 races, and that might force a move into October.

We don't need much of an excuse to run a Tasman Series shot. Here's Graham Hill in his Lotus 49T en route to fourth at Lakeside in 1969. Motorsport Images

Q: This year I attended my last 500. In my lifetime I have probably been at the Speedway at least 100 times including 20-plus races (that’s a very conservative guess), and many other venues. Spent lots of money. My wife asked me a question last year, and I’m going to ask you the question she asked me: How is it that the owner of the series wins all the races? Isn’t that a textbook example of corruption? My answer was that it pisses me off too! The sport I once loved, I’m beginning to hate! It’s where F1 flunkies come to retire!

Mike, Cincinnati

MP: Provided facts are important things to consider while planning a boycott, here’s a couple off the top of my head that might be worth considering:

• The last year Penske didn’t own the series, which was 2019, he won the Indy 500 with Simon Pagenaud and the IndyCar championship with Josef Newgarden.

• The first year he owned the series, which was 2020, he didn’t win the Indy 500 or the championship. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon dominated, led the championship from start to finish, and RLL’s Takuma Sato won the Indy 500.

• In 2021, the second year he owned the series, he didn’t win the Indy 500 or the championship. Ganassi’s Alex Palou won the championship and MSR’s Helio Castroneves won the Indy 500.

• And so far this year, the third under Penske’s ownership, he failed to win the Indy 500 -- that went to Ganassi’s Ericsson.

• In 2022, his team has been the class of the field in the championship, just as it was in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019, when it won IndyCar titles. Penske also won recent Indy 500s in 2015, 2018, and 2019, so if we’re talking corruption, it took place before he bought everything and it appears the boycott is late by a few years.

• There are two big things to win each year with the Indy 500 and the championship. If a Penske driver gets the title in 2022, that would mean R.P.’s gone one for six since buying the series and Speedway.

Q: I realize that when IndyCar qualifying is on the network it has to end at a specific time. However, when it’s on Peacock only, it can run as long as necessary. So why can’t a red flag, such as occurred at Nashville, stop the clock, and restart it when the track is cleared? Perhaps even adding time back if applicable? This gives every driver an even opportunity, and gives fans the show they pay for.

Mike Talarico, Charlotte, NC

MP: Qualifying is only aired on Peacock.

Q: Has there been any thoughts to an alternative supplier of IndyCars in the event that Dallara is not able to participate in the future? For example, what if Dallara decides to stop manufacturing racing cars due to some "black swan" event?

Steve

MP: No. Dallara has supply contracts in F1, IMSA, IndyCar, and more, just as it has for many decades. It’s their business to make race cars, so deciding to stop being in business would be one of the strangest decisions ever made. And if there were a bizarre event where Dallara was no longer IndyCar’s BFF, I’d bet series president Jay Frye would be on the phone to his friends at Red Bull Advanced Technologies to inquire about a new chassis design. Lola wants to get back into open-wheel chassis production. Ligier, Tatuus, Mygale, ORECA, and other constructors would also have an interest, I’d imagine.

Q: In last week’s Mailbag you hoped that more IndyCar fans would embrace IMSA. I must say that I have become one of them. I’ve been an IndyCar fan for 64 years, having attended 61 consecutive Indy 500s. In the last few years I’ve enjoyed watching Aaron Telitz progress through the Road to Indy ranks and finally find a home with Vasser Sullivan and the Lexus IMSA team. Aaron has won at every level he has competed in.

As a result I have attended Sebring and Road America in person to watch the IMSA competition as well as tuning in on TV for other IMSA events. The competition is exciting and the various classes competing on track at the same time create a unique challenge. Although I wish Aaron would get a shot at an IndyCar seat, I like the show that IMSA puts on and wish him well in his career.

Joe Weiss, Spooner, WI

MP: Thanks for sharing your story, Joe, and I’m with you -- that Telitz kid is special. And one heck of a painter, as well.

In the case of Telitz, IndyCar's loss is IMSA's gain. Brett Farmer/Motorsport Images

Q: Many years ago, I put a question to Robin Miller, so I will ask you to see if anything has changed. To me, doubleheaders have always made a lot of sense. But, as a variation, there are some ovals that incorporate road courses, such as the Charlotte Roval. It has been in place for a long time (I attended a Camel GT weekend there in the mid'80s, but has been pretty much underutilized until recently). The thought would be a road course/oval doubleheader over the weekend. The schedule would be the road course event on Friday and the oval event on Sunday. At that point in time (one or two iterations back for the Dallara chassis) the issue related to the time needed for conversion. What is the situation for the current cars?

I don’t necessarily have favorite drivers, but there are some who have particularly impressed me over the years. The first I’ll mention is Juan Pablo Montoya. I don’t know if he has ever been intimidated by anyone, up to and including Michael Schumacher. Further, that nearly 163mph lap at Monza was simply epic! Danny Sullivan passed Mario Andretti in the same spot where he had previously spun. Amazing compartmentalization and just getting on with the job at hand! Alex Zanardi always impressed me with his sheer competitiveness, and as we’ve seen, that continued even after his accident at the Lausitzring. There were no dry eyes after he came back and completed those laps. All the best to him as he recovers from his truck accident.

I met Rick Mears once and he signed one of my Indianapolis books. When he finished, he said “thank you.” Aside from the fact that he completely earned the name "Rapid Rick," was always a threat for the win and also referred to by some as "The Ovalmeister," he seemed to be a genuinely nice guy. I’ve been collecting autographs for close to 30 years and no one has ever said that to me.

In more recent times, it has to go to Scott Dixon. The man is like dandelions; he just keeps coming back. You think you have him covered and that he has fallen back off the pace. Next thing you know, he’s on your tail looking for a way to pass for position and going for the win. Amazing driver and person! Lastly, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen last season at Silverstone and Monza. Hard lessons for Verstappen to learn, but he has to realize that not everyone is intimidated by has antics. Honorable mention goes to Rickey Craven and Kurt Busch for their finish at Darlington in 2003. That was a classic example of desire.

Now we know the there are many very fast race winners and series champions out there. What I’ve said is not to detract from any of them, but these are ones that stood out for me. In looking back at what I’ve said, I think it goes back to attitude. People have talents and it is possible to hone and massage those talents. However, attitude is the sort of thing that you either have, or do not.

So, Marshall, are there any that stand out in a similar fashion for you?

Don Hopings, Cathedral City, CA

MP: Yes, it would take a while to convert the cars from oval to road course spec. If the series and an oval share in the belief that a combo oval/roval doubleheader would draw a big crowd, I have no doubt it will happen.

Newgarden is made from extraordinary stuff. There are plenty of drivers he respects, but I can’t think of one that he fears. He’s got a chip on his shoulder but does a good job of keeping it under wraps most of the time. Same with Dixon, JPM, etc. His DGAF moment while talking about walling Grosjean at Nashville was a revealing of sorts. Santino Ferrucci also comes to mind as a driver whose performances are directly tied to his attitude.

Q: The sports car ruling bodies spoke to interested OEMs and announced the spec for LMDh and announced a timetable, which they have met. The LMDh cars are certainly not inexpensive, and yet at least four manufacturers are enthused to develop and bring new engines to LMDH for 2023 and four chassis builders and maybe two more OEMs for WEC. Probably more for 2024 as packages get offered to more privateers.

Contrast this to IndyCar and the slow rollout of the new power units (two OEMs) and one chassis provider (for a chassis that’s 12 years old). Schedules are missed and continually pushed out.

I know that there are many more independent teams in IndyCar and that causes budget issues, but the money in IMSA is far less than in IndyCar. Less live fans, less sponsors and less TV exposure. In summary, IMSA has just got a big jump up the technology and racing level through excellent management decision-making.

While I respect Mr. Penske and we owe him a debt for taking over IndyCar, I am concerned about why he has apparently been strategically outplayed by IMSA in its technology and relationships with OEMs and execution, and the recreation of a top ranked racing category.

In terms of technology, IndyCar is currently way behind IMSA and even GP2. Yes, it has good-sized grids and good racing, but it needs a big technology lift ASAP.

Ian Jardine

MP: It’s worth mentioning that Chevy/GM and Honda have committed to the GTP class with Cadillac and Acura, so we have both IndyCar manufacturers deciding they could not miss being involved in the new formula. That’s an important conversation point, which speaks to auto companies leaping at the opportunity to go endurance racing in hybrid prototypes because of the closer link to their road cars -- easier to see the lineage with a GTP car than an open-wheel car -- and the global appeal of being able to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in cars badged and promoted as their own.

That’s nothing new, honestly.

Q: With me historically being an Andretti Autosport fan, this year has been a bit difficult to watch, with the exception of Colton Herta, and the recent reemergence of Alexander Rossi over the last couple of months, and Romain Grosjean having some good outings.

My question is about whether you are hearing anything about the team for 2023? I know Herta is back, and Grosjean will be there too, but with DeFrancesco being 23rd in points and Kirkwood 24th, and little chance of either earning any Leaders Circle money, along with both wrecking a lot of equipment, does Andretti still plan on running both of them next year ?

With the lineup for 2023, one would think Andretti would be replaced in the Big 3 by AMSP -- it looks like the weakest roster Andretti has had in a number of years. Your thoughts?

Rod, Fresno, CA

MP: All depends on what happens with Andretti’s No. 29 entry, but yes, we’re seeing the same possibility here. If it stays the same, you’ll have a four-car driving team starting the 2023 season with nine combined seasons of IndyCar experience and seven total wins.

Expressed another way, if you remove Colton Herta from the equation, you have four years of IndyCar experience and zero wins across Romain Grosjean, Devlin DeFrancesco, and newcomer Kyle Kirkwood. In losing Rossi, that’s seven years and eight wins headed out the door, and before that, it was farewelling Ryan Hunter-Reay and his 18 years and 18 wins.

Moreover, who becomes the new veteran leader after Rossi departs? Will Herta assert himself as that guy, or will Grosjean attempt to step into that role? Lots of questions here for Andretti that the AMSPs, Ganassis and Penskes don’t have to deal with next year, but if Andretti can find a front-running star to takeover the No. 29, which he’s been searching for, their upcoming fortunes might be less of a mystery.

In fairness to the No. 29, DeFrancesco was Andretti's best performer for a decent chunk of the WWTR weekend. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images

Q: Regarding the Dixon/Richard Mille watch question last week. It was brought up that wearing a six-figure time piece in a race doesn't seem the best idea, and it sure seems plausible that the watch Dixon wears in the race for flash could definitely be a display unit provided for the appearance.

My argument to support this is furthered by the knowledge (source: friend of mine from Monster Energy who works with a certain team and driver of theirs in a certain stock car racing series that is popular) that the Monster cans you see the drivers sipping from at the track is packaged and low-key labeled as "tour water" that is supplied in otherwise identical packaging, and used for those flash/appearance promotions to represent the brand. Still waiting on him to give me one of those, but I am told they exist, and Monster protects their assets/swag very closely.

Now expand that out to a $250K watch!

Ed in Westfield

MP: Thanks for the timely submission, Ed.

Q: IndyCar 101 Question: I often hear race engineers instruct their drivers to go into "emergency mode" on the radio when their cars have issues. Can you explain more about that?

Stu A., Wisconsin

MP: I asked our friends at Honda Performance Development to help with the answer:

"Emergency Mode is a driver-selectable override for the gearbox control unit. It bypasses the normal operating control and safety functions (blips, overrev protection, etc.) and allows the driver to 'force' shift the gearbox. This is done in situations of a gear position sensor failure, or if difficult to select say neutral or reverse. Because the normal controls and safety systems are bypassed there is risk of gearbox damage as well as greatly reduced shifting performance." - Wayne Gross, Manager, Trackside Support

Q: Would it benefit A.J. Foyt Racing to consider becoming an Indy 500-only operation? 1) It’s the only race A.J. cares about, anyway. 2) It would require a far smaller annual budget for the cash-strapped team, resulting in… 3) less need to hire drivers based solely on the funding they can provide. 4) ABC Supply is still a partner for the 500, reducing the required sponsor hunt. 5) Foregoing Leaders Circle funding isn’t an issue; the team has already raced its way out of that program, and likely wouldn’t qualify in future years due to funding-based driver choices. 6) It could eliminate the clunky two-location team structure, instead operating solely out of the Speedway garage. 7) It could field a fairly competitive 500-only team with Hildebrand and Kimball driving (or even perhaps bringing Bourdais or TK back into the fold). 8) Have I mentioned, it’s the only race A.J. cares about?

Seeing the team drag the chain at 16 other races doesn't seem to benefit anyone.

Larry in Springfield, MA

MP: It would not. We’ve gotten glimpses of what the team can achieve when all goes well last year with Sebastien Bourdais and this year with Kyle Kirkwood, and Hildebrand was pretty quick at the 500, so there’s no reason to throw in the towel and focus solely on May. They’d lose all their mechanics and engineers if that happened, and Larry Foyt, who runs the team, cares about all of the races.

Racing’s about trying to do better, not quitting and doing the easiest thing. Can’t argue that it’s been tough to watch, but pick the sport and you’ll find a Detroit Lions or Houston Rockets at the bottom of the pile, and they’re constantly tweaking their rosters and trying to acquire better players to improve their fortunes. Same here. I expect the arrival of Benjamin Pedersen to come with a significant retooling of the Foyt organization, and assuming they can sign a high-caliber teammate/mentor to guide him, I’d think the team would be capable of digging itself out of the basement and moving up a tier or two in the standings.

Keep the faith. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: You wrote a piece a few years back about the pre-1993 apron at Indy. The article included a comment from Rick Mears that he couldn't run on the apron in qualifying trim because he was already leaning so hard on the right rear that moving down to the apron would have caused him to spin out. As someone with a pretty limited understanding of racing physics, I'm curious about why this is. Was Mears referring to a loss of grip when the right rear hits the white line, or does driving all the way down to the apron require more wheel steer at the apex, increasing the tendency of the rear end to step out? Or both?

I feel like I've run enough laps on racing sims that I ought to know the answer to this, but I don't. Would greatly appreciate any clarification you can provide.

John

MP: I don’t recall writing it; sounds like a piece from Robin. I’ll be sure to ask Rick the next time we speak.

Q: How do we get A.J. Foyt Racing to bring back the Ford Poppy Seed red color to at least one of its cars?

Ross Rudolph

MP: Send them lots of U.S. Department of the Treasury green, my friend.

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, 24 August, 2016

Q: Following the recent passing of the great Chris Amon, I was reading an interview he did a few years back where he said he tried to get Parnelli Jones into the Ferrari Formula 1 team with him in 1968. Amon said Jones was one of the greatest talents he ever saw. Pretty amazing to see the respect people have for Parnelli Jones, still to this day. My question is, was there ever a chance of this happening? F1 would probably not have been his sort of scene, but can you imagine Parnelli Jones kicking butt in F1, in a Ferrari? Pretty incredible to think about.

Bill Eisler, Indianapolis

ROBIN MILLER: Let’s go one better. I was interviewing Rufus a few years ago (IMS sells the DVD of the interview with Parnelli, Mario and Dan Gurney) and said it was a shame he never got a chance to run Formula 1. He said, "Oh I had a chance. Colin Chapman wanted me to be second driver with Jim Clark, but I told him I wasn’t anybody’s B driver." How cool is that? And the reason Foyt, Gurney, Parnelli, Rutherford, Johncock, Gurney and the Unsers are still revered today by so many people is because they thrived and survived in the most lethal and exciting era of motorsports. They were gladiators and heroes to a lot of people.