The RACER Mailbag, October 19

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 have a large collection of RACER mags in chronological order from approximately 1992-2003. Just curious to know what you think this is worth?

Todd McCreary

MARSHALL PRUETT: I’d have to guess $5/per for the newer ones and $10 for the early stuff, Todd. I have a similar collection of RACERs from the same period, plus the rest of the 2010s and I think everything else up to the last issue. I also have a lot of duplicates I need to pass onto new homes and will probably follow the same $5/$10 approach. Same with a ton of old Autosports, On Tracks, Motor Sports, and other magazines that occupy way too many crates in my office closet and in storage.

I’m always afraid the next knock on our door will be from the racing memorabilia division of the TV show Hoarders…

Q: I’m a big fan of Kyle Larson and read he has permission to run the Indy/Charlotte double. What IndyCar team would he run for? I think he would be great because of his skill and talent and practice time. With the right team and guidance he would be competitive like Kurt Busch was a few years ago

Mike Mehl, Vancouver, WA

MP: Hi Michael -- as always, thanks to the great contributions to the sport from your father. He was a good man.

Kyle’s a Team Chevy guy, so that cuts his options in half. We know Team Penske has no interest in expanding for Indy, so the next-best team is Arrow McLaren SP. There’s been plenty of rumors of Kyle heading to AMSP, but I believe he was recently informed that he wouldn’t be in a fourth car for next year’s Indy 500. Beyond AMSP, Ed Carpenter’s expressed zero interest in diluting his efforts to win his first Indy 500, and after Ed, there are no Chevy-powered teams worthy of Larson’s talents.

Q: There was speculation on the "Trackside" radio show that Ed Carpenter Racing might make sense for either Kyle Busch or Kyle Larson, given Ed’s previous association with John Menard. I doubt that Ed wants to run five cars, assuming he plans to continue driving. He might not even want to run four. I’m afraid Simona could get pushed aside. Beth Paretta seems to feel she is on solid ground with Chevy, but someone is going to end up on the outside looking in. What do you think?

Patrick, Brownsburg, IN

MP: I’d use recent history as a guide, Patrick, where McLaren came calling with Fernando Alonso and a lot of cash to run its 2019 Indy 500 program, and Ed -- and I love this about him -- couldn’t give two farts about the money, driver, or team trying to get him to put another car in the field.

That’s not meant as a disrespect to Fernando, McLaren, etc., but more of an appreciation of how Ed’s daily focus is on how he can make his full-time team better and win the race he lives to win -- the Indy 500 -- as a driver or, second-best, as an entrant with his entrenched brothers and sisters. Taking a big paycheck to help a one-off driver to win the Indy 500, as he said in basic terms back in 2019, makes no sense to him. If that were to somehow change and Busch/Larson ends up in an extra ECR entry, I would be shocked and disappointed. He and Beth are already working together and trying to grow their relationship; if ECR is going to run someone else at Indy, it should be Simona.

Ed's probably holding the keys to Larson and Busch's Indy 500 hopes for next year. Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment

Q: Do Chevy and Honda ever communicate with other engine manufacturers with regard to possible participation in IndyCar? "Hey, Toyota, come play with us in IndyCar! Here's what you need to know..."

Matt Philpott

MP: They have in print, Matt. Both brands have been very vocal, at times, since the 2013 season when they were left to split the engine supply responsibility when Lotus bailed. But are they calling the switchboard at Toyota, Ford, BMW, and so on, and asking to speak to the CEO? No.

Q: Is Texas Motor Speedway consulting with either NASCAR or IndyCar on its redesign?

Shawn, MD

MP: The track tells me they are not, Shawn.

Q: Is Alpine committed to introducing a Hypercar for 2024? I have seen some posts and a video regarding what looks like a Hypercar concept, but I'm not sure if it is a pure concept or an actual race car. There seems to be mention of hydrogen fuel in the video comments. If it is a Hypercar, one would assume Mecachrome would be a partner, perhaps using some F1/F2 technology? Regardless, the concept is awesome -- looks like cross of an Acura ARX-06 and a Peugeot 9X8. And it's a really cool color of blue...

Jonathan and Cleide Morris, Ventura, CA

MP: They’ve said they’re coming to Hypercar. But if what they wrote is truthful, it’s a concept car. It would be strange to present a race car as a concept car if they intend to race the car. Looks amazing.

Q: How will the Nashville stadium construction impact the Nashville GP? If construction made the area unusable for a year or two, would the promoters bite at promoting a race at the Nashville Superspeedway oval?

Gordon from Dallas

MP: I understand the looming new-stadium build will force the Nashville GP promoters to come up with a new layout. The promoters don’t own the oval, nor would I expect them to try and run their race on someone else’s track. I bet we’ll see some new configurations appear leading into the next race, provided the new stadium is confirmed and its location is where it’s been mentioned.

Q: With the news of next year’s IndyCar spring training being at a private track in California, a thought came to me, which is this: How many hotel rooms does IndyCar need for a race weekend? Of course I’m talking about rooms for drivers, team principles, mechanics, caterers, sanctioning body support staff, media, etc., but not fans. In terms of logistics for holding a race at that track in California, it seems quite a bit isolated. Do they have enough rooms even within a half hour of the track?

David

MP: Folks will be flying into Palm Springs airport, which is an indicator of the general area where Spring Training will be held -- a well-established vacation and resort community dating back to the '40s and '50s. There’s no concern about a lack of places to stay, eat, etc. Most teams have their crews going two per room, so depending on the size of the entry list, plus the operational side of the series, and the rest of us monkeys, I’d guess 150-200 hotel rooms per night.

Q: I am curious to know if there have been any rumblings of Colton Herta getting another test outing with McLaren since it seems like both Alex Palou and Pato O'Ward have been getting a lot of miles with McLaren in the past few weeks. Or, is there any chance that with all the attention Herta got from Red Bull/AlphaTauri, he is not going to be getting any more seat time from McLaren?

Richard, Flower Mound, TX

MP: Rumblings, yes. Something formal? Not to my knowledge. I’d think the testing contract he signed was part of the bigger plan to get him ready for F1, but with that not happening -- at least for 2023 -- I can’t see the reason to continue with more tests for that specific purpose. But, separate from the Colton-to-F1 angle, I’d say it would be in McLaren’s best interest to find ways to include Herta in testing because he’s not just a rocket, but he also brings exceptional feedback to his engineers.

The kid’s one of the smartest and most observant drivers I’ve come across in decades. I’m not saying other young drivers in the McLaren F1 family are lacking in those attributes, but I can say that Herta’s special in that regard. His ability to think through wickedly complex items in an instant and provide feedback to improve the car is his superpower; whether it’s McLaren or another F1 team, he can make them better, even if it’s limited to testing.

Q: This is not about racing itself, but about the ones who race in IndyCar. About 10 days ago I was at the San Diego airport and spotted Simon Pagenaud, on his way to Charlotte with his beautiful family. (His wife is a San Diegan.) He was chasing after his toddler with reflexes faster than what's needed for the Indy 500. I presented myself and had a brief chat; he was gracious, and really appreciated the recognition, took his time and we commented on many things -- family, the amazing San Diego weather and how much he would love to spend more time here, etc. I was the only one that recognized him. Our sport needs a lot of exposure.

Alfredo

MP: One thing the modern IndyCar Series has been terrible at doing is marketing and promoting its stars. Nothing new there -- Miller preached about the dismal efforts to make the Dixons and Hunter-Reays and most who followed them into the most basic of sports figures. Give it a few years, and I’ll bet the average sports-loving person in the U.S. will know the names of the top five pickleball players before they can name the top two IndyCar drivers.

I truly hope Penske Entertainment has or will sign a significant firm -- one with coast-to-coast reach -- to help dig the Pagenauds and Hertas and Newgardens and Palous out of near total sporting anonymity.

The unmistakable smile of a man who is thinking about the weather in San Diego. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images

Q: So, I've been thinking... I know, that's an incredibly dangerous thing to do, but I've gone and done it anyway. But I had an idea that I think IndyCar really needs to look into to both help fill in the time during its extremely long offseason, and potentially draw the attention of the younger crowd.

A lot has been made about how IndyCar struggles to engage with younger audiences, and the lack of IndyCar-centric video games is sometimes cited as a contributor. (It’s occasionally claimed to be the biggest issue, but I doubt it actually goes that far). But IndyCar does have a significant sim racing presence, which does get the attention of that all-important youth crowd. So the key here is to dovetail off of that in some unique way to make them stand out, and I think I have it.

Use the virtual racing scene to show off IndyCar history. Get a partnership with iRacing or some other major sim organization to get some vintage IndyCars on the platform -- old roadsters, early rear-engines, the 1960s/’70s transition where the cars still had to have bodywork-integrated aero, all of it! Make an offseason league for vintage IndyCar sim racing broadcast on the IndyCar YouTube channel. And most importantly, make sure active drivers are involved.

What's more, IndyCar gets the short end of the stick in vintage racing to begin with, so this could also stir the attention of some of the old-school fans who might be able to pull their younglings in through it, so it wouldn't depend entirely on those same younglings all finding it on their own.

A short list of cars to start with:

Watson roadster

Lotus 38

Brawner-Hawk

Lightning Colt

McLaren M16

72/73 AAR Eagle

1977 Coyote

Penske PC6 & 7

Chapparal 2K

And maybe the Parnelli VPJ6 as well -- I have a soft spot for that car.

FormulaFox

MP: 316 words worth of ideas and not a single mention of creating Dr. Jack’s Crest-sponsored Dallara-Infiniti IRL car for "the yoots" to drive. Shame on you, FormulaFox.

Q: Please don't take this question the wrong way, but do you think the lack of power steering in IndyCar is an unintended barrier to more female participation in the sport?

I know IndyCar drivers are proud of the physically demanding nature of the sport (and rightly so), but I also know this is something that Danica in particular struggled with on road and street courses, and was something that her team mentioned when she transitioned to NASCAR. I'm curious to know if power steering is a factor for prospective female drivers when deciding on their career path.

Garrick

MP: I wouldn’t limit the scope to women racers. Smaller, thinner people in general, and anyone who is unable, based on their unique body type where amassing enough muscle and strength to push at 100 percent on road and street courses for an entire race isn’t possible, are going to struggle in a high-downforce IndyCar without power steering. Zach Veach admitted to having those struggles, all despite packing on some serious upper body muscles specifically for IndyCar.

De Silvestro is by no means big in physical stature, but she is fortunate to have the frame and the ability to put on the muscles she needs to wield an IndyCar without compromise. One of the reasons Nyck de Vries struggled a bit in his test, I’m told, was due to his frame. With narrow shoulders, he lacked the leverage to turn the car for long periods of time. It’s a size thing, not a gender thing.

Q: As Don Hopings pointed out in his recent Mailbag letter, rides in IndyCar’s two-seater seem to be given to celebrities these days. Whatever happened to the practice of giving lucky fans a chance to meet Mario Andretti (or other former drivers) and experience the thrill of riding around the track?

DKL, Maryland

MP: I believe it happens all the time. The two-seater experience is a standalone business that provides its services to IndyCar and folks can buy rides at plenty of events. I know someone who’s been on eight or nine rides with Mario. For what IndyCar pays for, yes, I believe it’s done to raise awareness for the series, which is smart and also the original idea for two-seater F1 and IndyCar builds.

Q: Thanks for the great article on Jack Harvey recently. He mentioned when discussing the transition to RLL how different and uncomfortable the car was compared to his previous IndyCar experience, and that there are several areas of the car that teams can modify to make them handle differently. Mention was also made about Rosenqvist experiencing the same thing when he moved to McLaren. Could you explain what areas of the car can be changed and how some of the modifications affect the car’s handling so much?

Steve in MN

MP: We’re primarily speaking about damping and suspension geometry and adjustments to the transmission’s differential. Braking is another area of choice for teams in the sizing of the master cylinder and how it affects the feel and the force needed to be applied to slow the car.

We could spend all day talking shop on damping/suspension setups, so let’s just go for the basics of how some teams, based on the chassis setup philosophies applied by its technical director or individual race engineers, might prefer going with a stiffer approach that makes the car take a hard set while cornering and can produce really quick lap times. But if the driver is accustomed to a softer approach -- a more compliant and forgiving car -- the harsher ride characteristics can make it tough to feel what the car is doing beneath them. And as a result, make it harder to extract the maximum performance from the car.

Or, the inverse is possible -- the driver likes a super-stiff car, like a go-kart -- and if the team errs towards the side of softer springs and damping curves, that driver will be complaining that the car feels like an old Cadillac that rolls around and sways like it’s drunk. So if you’re a Harvey and like things one way and the team has gone down the opposite direction, it will take time to refocus that approach to meet his needs. Neither side is right or wrong here -- just a case of needing to tailor the handling to what makes him feel at one with the car.

Q: In last week’s Mailbag, Kevin wrote in asking about electric tire guns vs air. You mentioned night races making the sparks visible. I wanted to write in and 100% confirm the sparks from the air guns. I forget what racetrack we were at, but it was a night race and I was on the gun for the rear tires on our stock car. (Could have been the Truck Series -- my memory has faded). When I got to the side with the fuel filler nozzle, I was extremely aware of the sparks as our gas man was having trouble and I was getting splashed with racing fuel. Not a few drops, but the left side of my torso was soaked with it.

Fortunately, there was a major building about 20-30 feet behind our pit stall that had a hose faucet. I did my best to wash that gas off of me immediately after the pit stop was done. For some reason I just wasn't that comfortable doing another pit stop while soaked with racing fuel.

Good times!

John

MP: Thanks, John. One of the benefits of having worked in IndyCar for a number of teams is having been on pit lane as a crew member to share insights of what I’ve seen firsthand, like the aforementioned sparks.

Sounds like you escaped a potentially disastrous situation unscathed!

Not exactly related, but I was refueling at a sports car race where we had a few volunteers helping to round out the over-the-wall crew, and let’s just say that we soon learned that one of those volunteers had sniffed or injected some really powerful stuff right before the green flag.

We knew this because halfway through the first pit stop -- while I was halfway done filling the car -- I  felt some shoves and punches landing on my left side. Thanks to the meth or heroin or whatever unfortunate thing they took, they got it in their mind that they were supposed to be doing the refueling and decided to let me have it while I’m firing gallons of 110 octane into the damn car. Luckily, they weren’t that big or strong, so I was able to use my left arm and elbow to push back and block some of the blows, but after I was done and the driver was sent on their way, I did feel rather fortunate to have avoided spilling fuel everywhere and lighting the car, driver, and myself on fire.

First and only time I’ve taken part in an impromptu, one-sided boxing match during a pit stop. Wild times.

Sylvester Stallone and Michael Schumacher recreate a Marshall Pruett-style sports car pit stop. Motorsport Images

Q: Earlier this year you mentioned that James Hinchcliffe was working on a deal for an IMSA ride in 2023. Any news on that? Things seemed to have gone very quiet with respect to his plans for next year.

I've really enjoyed having The Mayor in the booth this year and hope to retain him in that role moving forward. If he does drive in IMSA next year, I hope it is a somewhat blended role, like when Townsend Bell drove for the Vasser Sullivan team.

Gary, Glendora, CA

MP: I haven’t heard anything of late that places The Mayor in a full-time IMSA seat, and he must have been tapping trees for maple syrup when I rang to get an update, so I’ll share if and what I learn the next time we speak.

Q: History question. Which driver has the most DNFs at the Indy 500?

Russ Wakeman, Canton, MI

MP: Let us all say thanks to the Intergalactic IndyCar Stat Lord, aka, Russ Thompson, who knows all (because I know nothing!):

"The answer to his question is Mario. He really did "slow in the backstretch" more than any other driver. It should come as no surprise the top five (six with a tie) in DNFs are among the top nine in most Indy 500 starts.

20 - Mario Andretti

17 - A.J. Foyt

16 - George Snider

15 - Gary Bettenhausen

14 - Gordon Johncock / Johnny Rutherford

"As far as percent of DNFs to races, I show 228 drivers who have started an Indy 500 have a 100% DNF rate! Poor Johnny Seymour started six Indy 500s between 1928 and 1936 and only saw lap 100 one time, and in that race he fell out at lap 170 when his supercharger failed. So six for six for Johnny is the most of the 100 percenters.

"If you want to look at it the other way, I show 151 drivers who have never had a DNF in the 500. Simon Pagenaud has 11 starts with zero DNFs. Not only that, but he has completed 2197 out of a possible 2200 laps. All but three laps. That's an incredible record, although it helps he has competed in an era where DNFs are not near as prevalent as they were back in the day.

"Then there is Carlos Munoz who ran in six Indy 500s and completed every lap in every race! And he had five top 10 finishes in those six races. Makes you wonder why someone hasn't put him in a seat since 2018....

"As far as drivers with a DNF, JR Hildebrand has the best percentage rate with an 8.33% DNF rate (one DNF in 12 starts). Helio is next at 9.091% (two in 22 starts) and Dario Franchitti and Ted Horn are next at 10% (both with one DNF out of 10 starts). Horn's is probably the most impressive, his numbers being set when way more drivers failed to finish than were running at the finish."

Q: Do those silly-looking rear V-shaped fins actually serve a purpose on the Formula E cars? Formula E cars look like someone took a Hot Wheel and made it into a race car, hoping the design would be attractive to modern day kids.

Am I the only one who finds them a bit ridiculous to look at? I’ll accept a slap in the face if it’s just me.

Sean Raymond

MP: I asked the world, and yes, it’s just you, Sean (kidding). They (on the new car) serve a purpose as rear wing end plates, but the rest -- all of the excess height -- is largely presentational. Vertical lights are embedded front and back, with the rear light strips used to signal when energy harvesting is taking place. But no, there’s no real performance-related function to be found with the extra height. It’s for looks, which, in a spec series, is the kind of thing I hope IndyCar considers with its next car from Dallara.

I’m not wanting silly-tall RWEPs, but since it’s a spec car, put some effort into the looks and make it a stunner. There’s no reason not to…

Q: I’m a framing carpenter from western NY. I use all battery-powered circular saws; these saws have far more power than corded tools. My idea –-- battery impact guns eliminate air hoses, which eliminates penalties! They could even have built-in hook so tire changers don’t have to throw guns!

Enrico, Rochester, NY

MP: They would certainly eliminate the running-over-hoses penalty. Yep, the instant torque offered by an electric motor is hard to beat. Stay tuned!

Q: In the last laps of the Cup race at Charlotte, did Cole Custer race “at 100 percent of their ability with the goal of achieving their best possible finishing position in an event,” as is the NASCAR rule since 2013?

If not, why has he not been penalized, and why is his teammate Chase Briscoe still in the playoffs?

Don Anderson, Oak Park, IL

KELLY CRANDALL: Cole Custer was penalized with a fine and points deduction. Stewart-Haas Racing is appealing the penalty, and it sounds like at least some of the argument will be based on Custer experiencing a problem with his race car.

The 100% rule is one of the most ridiculous things a NASCAR executive has ever uttered, right up there with "boys have at it." It leaves the question of what racing at 100% looks like open to interpretation, and what it means to be racing to achieve the best possible finish. So, does that mean drivers can’t lay back at superspeedway races to ensure they finish because that isn’t competing at 100% but instead playing a strategy game to try and get the best finish? Does that mean Custer has to go full-throttle at all times on the last lap at Charlotte, or if he really did have a problem with his race car and is trying to make sure he gets the better finish, he takes it easy instead of crashing?

Forget the 100% rule, which is what NASCAR needs to do. NASCAR needs to focus on enforcing what it believes is manipulation of a race finish, as it determined Custer did by alleging that he “blatantly” pulled over for his teammate. And to reiterate why Briscoe is still in the playoffs, NASCAR deemed that he would have advanced without Custer’s help, and there was also nothing incriminating heard in a review of Briscoe’s in-car radio from Charlotte.

Custer and SHR paid a price for the Charlotte shenanigans. Gavin Baker / Motorsport Images

Q: Why would NASCAR officials let Bubba Wallace walk 20 yards along an active track? He and Larson had just wrecked with significant wall/car contact. Shouldn’t safety dictate Wallace be immediately directed to a vehicle for transportation to the care center?

It was obvious Wallace was seeking a confrontation, but several NASCAR officials stood by, and let a physical assault occur. Was this just another grab at publicity? I thought it was ridiculous.

Tim B.

KC: I cannot recall a recent time when a safety official or NASCAR official stopped one driver from approaching another driver. These are grown adults and whatever happens, happens, and the driver has to live with the consequences. Wallace was seeking confrontation, and he got it, and personally, I don’t think it’s anyone’s job to step in the middle of it. Let the drivers have their moment. If it gets completely out of control, then security or someone needs to step in.

After being involved in an on-track incident, all drivers are supposed to lower their window net to signal they are OK and then wait until the safety crew arrives to climb out of the car and go to the ambulance for the mandatory trip to the care center. But drivers often climb out on their own before the crews arrive. Drivers are going to do what they want to do regardless of the rules. Walking on a hot track is not something NASCAR likes, and it will rule on each case differently. But it’s far-fetched to believe it are going to stop a physical altercation, because it’s never worked well in the past. Earlier this year, an official was injured when in the middle of the Ty Gibbs/Sam Mayer scuffle at Martinsville Speedway.

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller's Mailbag, October 21, 2015

Q: I’ve seen you refer to Elmer George in previous answers and I understand that he was Mari’s husband and Tony’s father and a VP at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But I want to know if he was a good race driver?

M. Jennings, Calistoga, CA

ROBIN MILLER: Elmer was the 1957 USAC Midwest sprint-car champion and won 11 features during his career. He was called "King of the High Banks" for his prowess at Winchester, Salem and Dayton and captured his one and only USAC Champ Car main event at Syracuse, N.Y. in 1957. He made three starts at Indianapolis (1957, 1962 & 1963) with a best finish of 17th and best start of ninth in ’57 but never took the green flag after tangling with Eddie Russo on the pace lap.