The RACER Mailbag, December 14

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'm writing this hot on the heels of the announcement that IndyCar is stopping the plans to introduce the new engines in 2024. As a deeply invested fan, that's quite disappointing. I've read your articles on the situation, and I think you and I feel pretty similarly -- it's a shame this is the situation that unfolded for the series, but ultimately it was the prudent decision to make. To plow ahead likely would have done greater harm to IndyCar as we know it.

Having said that, I think things still hurt for a number of us invested fans. We've been dealt a lot of blows recently. Third OEM going nowhere, no set plans for a new chassis, the whole Iowa ticket price stuff, and now this. I get it. It sucks. But, in almost every case, I see some legit business decisions being made. Doesn't make the pills easier to swallow, but in the name of fairness, I typically "get it."

I want to close with an ask of my fellow invested IndyCar fans. As difficult as it probably is, can we keep our negativity in house, and among ourselves? Despite some of the recent disappointments, IndyCar still has a number of positives going for it, and those are the things we should focus on highlighting if we hope to bring aboard our online followers, friends, and family as new fans. And if we're successful in doing so, perhaps that means we will have done our part in helping to erase some of the disappointment we're feeling today.

Matt Philpott

MARSHALL PRUETT: I hear what you’re saying Matt and can’t disagree with the general note of continuing to accentuate the positives. So, as fans, keep building a wider base and use all the good stuff IndyCar has as the rallying point. And as a reporter at an independent outlet, I’ll keep highlighting not just the good, but also the bad and the in-between, because that’s the job.

Q: I just finished reading the devastating article than the 2.4-liter engines are delayed yet again or canceled.

Reading the tea leaves, it sure seems like Chevy and Ilmor’s hands are all over this cancellation. Honda has tested its 2.4L engine on track and has had it dyno for a long time. It is also running a version of it in the IMSA series. Am I off-base here, or should Honda be asking Chevy and IndyCar to be reimbursed for all the money it already sank into the 2.4L engine?

Bill, Dublin, OH

MP: The word "ultimatum" was spoken to me more than once in regard to the taking-over-the-ERS-project-to-save-hybridization situation while I was developing the story last Monday and Tuesday, and again after the 2.4L/2.2L stories went up on Tuesday from a few more people in the paddock who I trust.

On the refund topic, I’m sure it would be appreciated, but since the series’ owners are never wrong, there’s nothing to give back since no problem exists. I just hope this budgetary cluster-bleep doesn’t result in good folks at the series and manufacturers losing their jobs.

Q: After reading your article "IndyCar's made the right call, for the wrong reasons," I'm now legitimately concerned for the future of the series. What HPD President David Salters said honestly scared me, and I hope it got IndyCar's undivided attention. If I may, the quote was: “We’re not here to make a racing series. We’re here to promote through a racing series. But we’re not here to make the racing series. That’s not our job. That’s somebody else’s job. We’re here to support it, but only if it gives us something back. And we have to also show a return on investment, and that needs to be people watching.”

The last part of the quote could be the epitaph for IndyCar. The rest of the article was eye-opening, but when an OEM is putting their name to public statements like this, IndyCar needs to use this as an immediate call to action. The series should thank their lucky stars for these two OEMs -- I know I do!

Rob, Rochester, NY

MP: I’ve come to appreciate the honesty and clarity Salters brings to the sport from his vantage point as a highly influential person atop a major auto manufacturer’s racing programs. I’d say the same thing about his VP, Kelvin Fu, Honda/HPD’s Chuck Schifsky, etc. (Big nod to GM racing boss Jim Campbell in that regard and to Chevy IndyCar program manager Rob Buckner, as well.)

Granted, amid being told off by Roger Penske in the Daytona paddock last week (the morning after my 2.4L/2.2L story and commentary went up), he also said everything I wrote was wrong and everything Salters said was wrong, so there’s that.

My main takeaway from the latest in an extensive line of ongoing IndyCar engine delays and changes is the series should be calling Chevy and Honda every day to thank them for being the best friends they have. Without their collective intervention to keep IndyCar from missing its pushed-back shift to hybridization in 2024, at least one would have been gone at the end of next season.

This entire exercise that’s about to happen leading into 2024 is a result of Chevy and Honda demonstrating a level of care and love for IndyCar that deserves unparalleled gratitude, not derision and dismissiveness.

While the manufacturers and the people representing them in IndyCar may all love the series, that's not in their job descriptions. Motorsport Images

Q: I know there is currently a fee that IndyCar gets paid for a manufacturer to be involved in the sport. Typically the break-even point is then through a combination of the engine leases and the marketing revenue generating the ROI for the company. In the case of the third manufacturers continually backing out, how much did the fee to the sanctioning body hinder budget allocations from the manufacturers versus the excitement over the package? If the budget was the hinderance for all three, were there any discussions of IndyCar taking more of the hit to get the package up and rolling and then rolling back in the sanctioning fees as the R&D costs started to go down?

On the other front, did the package still not enthuse a manufacturer to a point that they would have invested, at which point did the series make any attempts to try and harmonize the wants of the third manufacturer with the wants of Honda and Chevy? At a certain point there is a reality that one uniform engine package is not going to work for IndyCar anymore the way it has worked for NASCAR. Every manufacturer is looking to get different ROIs out of their powertrain programs.

If I were working as a chief engineer for a big powertrain manufacturer deciding whether to invest, I would anticipate a large emphasis on KERS deployment schemes, electrical power integration, and electric powertrain development in order to make the investment a valid return for the company. Hence, I can understand why IMSA's platform took off while the IndyCar one has run to a standstill.

Lastly, how much is the DW12 chassis hindering any other potential design options for motors/powertrains that would be more enthusiastic at this point?

George, Prince Edward Island

MP: I’ve not heard of IndyCar having an interest in absorbing any costs related to the 2.4-liter TTV6s that were in development for nearly two years. Prior to the start of designing and building those 2.4s, Chevy and Honda said they were open to making adjustments to the formula -- within reason -- if that’s what a third manufacturers really needed to join the party. There were no takers.

If there’s the potential of a positive with sticking with the 2.2s for a few more years, it’s the opportunity to re-imagine IndyCar’s future engine formula. It’s been clear for all to see for a good long while that sticking to a single formula with rigid specifications -- must be the same exact displacement, V-based layout, cylinder count, and be twin turbocharged -- simply hasn’t worked in terms of attracting new manufacturers after Chevy, Honda, and Lotus opted in back in 2010.

Tricky times ahead. One thing’s for sure: The single-formula-that-fits-all approach will need to be retired if IndyCar wants to have more than two manufacturers.

Q: I just read your article on the current engine situation. As depressing as it is, it makes fiscal sense for the engine manufacturers. My concern is since a third engine manufacturer hasn't come forward and the current suppliers have budget constraints, is IndyCar losing relevance within the worldwide automotive industry? Sports cars seem much healthier and appealing to manufacturers by comparison.

John, Seville, OH

MP: Yes, but that’s nothing terribly new. Having just spent three days crawling all over the four new hybrid IMSA GTP models from Acura, BMW, Cadillac, and Porsche, I can tell you the energy and excitement in the IMSA paddock is unlike anything I’ve felt in a long while -- dating back in the latter half of the 2000s with the former American Le Mans Series, and again when we had Audi, Peugeot, Toyota, Porsche, and even Nissan for a brief moment, with their mind-bending LMP1s. That kind of energy does not exist in IndyCar. I want it to be there, but it’s not.

We have truly incredible drivers who put on amazing performances, but there’s no buzz about the cars or technology because they’re so damn old: IMSA’s got iPhone 14s and IndyCar’s still clinging to its flip phones.

Here's the rub: The new factory GTP programs are spending crazy sums to be involved. Of the four models debuting next month at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, all have completely unique internal combustion engine solutions. Those brands love that aspect of the GTP formula and will be promoting the heck out of the individualism found with their cars. And in 2024, the four will become five as Lamborghini joins GTP. I expect a sixth to jump in around 2025, too.

Maybe that’s another lesson for IndyCar on the subject of killing the one-spec-formula-fits-all engine mindset. Given enough technological freedom, centered around a cost-minded LMP2 car, IMSA has delivered a hybrid haymaker to IndyCar. Yes, open-wheelers and sports cars are radically different vehicular designs, but that’s not what stands out here.

IndyCar actually announced it was going hybrid a year before IMSA, but after looking at the regulations for both, IMSA has attracted some big names to play in its marquee class while IndyCar has not. IMSA already had Acura/Honda and Cadillac/GM, just as IndyCar has both. But BMW, Porsche, and soon, Lamborghini all chose IMSA’s hybrid formula over IndyCar’s, and that can’t be discounted.

A whole new world of technical variety is to be found in IMSA for 2023. Motorsport Images

Q: Why are there no beer sponsorships in IndyCar? Is it a dry series now?

Steve

MP: It’s not a dry series. I’d guess the series’ average broadcast audience isn’t big enough to interest the Buds and Millers and Buschs of the world.

Q: I’m not surprised that development has been terminated on a new engine, as in my view IndyCar was always playing with someone else’s money, i.e. the series’ major component suppliers.

IndyCar has no one to blame but itself. When it sold the series to Chevy, Honda and Dallara it was only a matter of time before those companies would see that there was no viable payback for supporting the series with their products. I’m surprised the current trio has stayed around as long as they have.

The whole house of cards was created when IndyCar when spec. Now it is essentially captive to the interests and spending of the aforementioned OEMs, and the lack of fans in stands and on the couches in front of TVs places all cards in the hands of not IndyCar, but the OEMs.

IndyCar couldn’t even get a working hybrid add-on from a separate OEM, and either could not or would not fund the design and manufacturer of the units itself. Or, find the money to fix its problems. So it went to the current engine OEMs and asked them to make the units work. And with the OEMs are already subsiding the series at an estimated $500k loss on each engine lease per year. Each OEM supplying 12 teams means the loss amounts to around $6m per OEM per year. Ouch.

Look at car sponsorships -- they have long lost the major consumer brands. Now the sponsors of the cars and teams are of the business-to-business types and at the cost even for a partial-season sponsor package, I opine that it won’t be long before they become scarce, again to due to the poor return on investment.

Warbird Willie

MP: Have I mentioned IMSA’s healthier than ever and has a bunch of super-cool new prototypes and GTs to enjoy next season?

Q: With the news of the postponement of the new IndyCar engine, any chance a new chassis moves to the front of the line?

Vincent Martinez, South Pasadena, CA

MP: In quotes to me for RACER last March or April, and other outlets in recent months, Penske Entertainment has been consistent in saying it sees no value in updating its vintage racing chassis.

I’ve written this many times before, so pardon its return, but at the onset of the 2022 season, since most vintage series require cars to be at least 10 years old to be accepted, IndyCar’s Dallara DW12 became eligible for vintage racing. If you want to bring a DW12 to Goodwood or the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion or run it with the Vintage Indy Registry series, there should be no barrier to entry. The DW12 will be 12 when it goes hybrid, and yet, this isn’t seen as a problem by IndyCar.

Regardless, the vintage-eligible DW12 was always going to carry the new motor and ERS system, so I don’t think sticking with the 2.2L would change their views on commissioning a new chassis.

The same new gearbox, bellhousing, and all the new ancillaries to keep things cool and functioning properly in 2024 are still happening, and teams tell me they are bracing for outlays of $250,000 to $300,000 per chassis to buy those items. So, no, I can’t see IndyCar turning around and announcing a DW25. But I remain ever hopeful that they will.

Looking at the same damn car for more than a decade, with the same damn engine for more than a decade, is a soul-crushing thing for those of us who are inspired by innovation.

Q: It's time to drag the owners kicking and screaming into a new chassis. I find it hard to believe the big five (Penske, Ganassi, McLaren, Rahal and Andretti) don't have the resources to field at least two cars apiece assuming any new chassis has similar costs to the DW12. Shank is established enough now to expect him to manage one, and throw in Dale Coyne's uncanny ability to always find a decently skilled pay driver and you ought to be able to get 15-16 just across them. (I expect Andretti at least, and probably McLaren and Penske, would still likely squeeze in three). I doubt Foyt or ECR would be going away, even if they tightened the belt to on apiece, and I'm sure some part-timers could get us to an even 20 (the smallest I'd call a "full" field) at most, if not every, race).

My big concern would be entries for the 500, but when have we not had a bit of a concern with that? Might not be a bad idea to design a chassis that could take a modern equivalent of the old Buick stock block to help fill out the Indy field. Have IMS itself sell them to Indy one-offs. It'd be a pain balancing them weight-wise, but if you build a chassis around the plan, it could work. The way things are today, adapting a chassis not designed for such will never be competitive.

One thing I can be sure of is my friend's ground effect "wingless wedge" idea probably couldn't be further from what we'll likely get. (Though his design mockup is absolutely stunning.)

FormulaFox

MP: I hope that whatever we get from Dallara in the future allows for a variety of engine sizes and layouts.

Q: Could you pass on to Michael in Brownsburg that he can find the old Indy 500 DOS game here, completely free and legally!

https://www.myabandonware.com/game/indianapolis-500-the-simulation-oe

He’s got excellent taste in retro games!

Trixxy, UK

MP: I will be downloading this… Played it for the first time as a mechanic at Pfeiffer Ridge Racing in 1989; our boss/driver Bob Lesnett bought it and installed it on the PC he put in his office that was also used to download and analyze early forms of onboard data acquisition. Good times.

Q: I love IMSA and IndyCar. There is much excitement going into the Rolex 24 At Daytona with the new cars, and heading into the IndyCar season we have the disappointment of no third manufacturer in 2024. I have memories of attending Watkins Glen and watching the Eagle MKIII in GTP dominate, and looking around to see almost no fans. Later that year I went to an IndyCar race to see a big crowd. This year I attended an IMSA race -- hardly any fans. Later that year at the same venue, three generations of my family attended an IndyCar race that may have not met the days of the ’90s, but had leaps and bounds more fans over any IMSA/Grand-Am/ALMS race that I have attended.

As fans we have been told the IndyCar Series needed to come together, then it needed an American, and now as fans were are told that we are not watching or attending enough events. As fans, we didn't run the series into the ground, and while I am hopeful for the future, everything lies on the team owners, organizers and IndyCar.

Paul Hirsch, Westlake, OH

MP: Preach, Brother Paul.

Are F1's start times a minus or a plus for U.S. viewers? It might depend on your lifestyle...and your time zone. Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images

Q: I rarely watch IndyCar races live on TV. I am a big fan, but kids' sports, golf, picnics and bike riding are my weekend activities. However, I watch most night races live if and when they happen. I DVR most races and leisurely watch them Sunday night with an adult beverage. Do TV ratings capture my DVR replay?

You made fun of F1 start times in the U.S., but that works to my advantage. I watch most F1 races with an 8am start time where I live. Adult beverage swapped out for coffee, but perfect for my watching preferences. As for attending live, I normally get in at least one event a year, and Iowa is only a two-hour drive. I have been there numerous times but have vowed to not attend another afternoon race -- 2pm to 5pm is many times nearly unbearable in late July in Iowa. Sorry, but I’m not going to risk my advance money on a 3-4pm start.

My most pleasurable Iowa race was a few years ago when I bought scalped tickets near the track for $20 and there was a rain delay -- races started about 11pm. Nice and cool under the lights -- perfect.

Jim C, Rock Island, IL

MP: You’d need to be signed on as a Nielsen Rating participant for your viewing habits to be monitored, so there’s that, but if you’re recording the races, I’m sure that would be tallied as a view, no matter when you actually watch the event. No clue on replays.

I’m jealous of your time zone as I’m one of many longtime F1 fans who’ve gotten up at 3 or 4am or whatever early hour for decades to watch live.

Q: Not that it will ever happen or even be seriously considered, but what would it take to transition Long Beach to F1? The local authorities would have to approve, the sanctioning fee found, track modifications made… what else? I assume it’s not economically viable and we won’t be hearing about it in the future.

Jack Woodruff

MP: Lots. Since F1 doesn’t work from transporters and tents, we’d start with building a massive new pit lane and garage structure which would require all kinds of approvals and purchasing/usage of crazy expensive real estate. The part where the county and city would need to pay F1 a zillion dollars for the rights to hold the race is a good one, and then we’d have redoing the entire circuit with F1’s preferred barriers and fencing. If it were to happen, I’d bet the layout would change quite a bit to meet F1’s standards for everything which are vastly different than IndyCar’s.

Q: I grew up in Indiana and attended my first Indy 500 in 1981. I was hooked, and by 1990 I was attending several races a year in the Midwest. I have been to over 150 IndyCar races to date (CART, Champ Car, IRL, and IndyCar) and I travel by plane, stay in hotels and rent a car to go to five-six races per year. I would like to write to you about two letters in last week's Mailbag.

First, Mike in MN is right, there is way too much negativity in this weekly offering. If I didn't know better, I'd think the Split was still on-going. Hey everyone, get over it -- we are fans of a small niche sport that has about 1.1m viewers on a weekly basis watching the races. We have a major network, NBC that covers the sport for us. Would you like to go back to the days of MAVTV? No thank you. And yes, NBC offers streaming for about $5 a month, I think that comes out to 17 cents a day and I find it hard to believe that no one that reads RACER can't afford 17 cents a day!

Secondly, John from ? writes about the high prices at Iowa and defends his thought process by claiming he can go to Elkhart Lake for $160 for four days per person. Over those four days, he will see one IndyCar race, one NXT race and zero concerts. That is a lot of downtime staring at a track with no car action. I am on the Iowa Speedway website right now and you can sit in Section 411, the top of the grandstand near Turn 4 for $190 per ticket for both days. That gets you two IndyCar races and four concerts and one NXT race.

And don't give me the Newton, Iowa excuse. Drive to Des Moines, get a hotel, check out the wonderful craft beer scene and go to the Iowa Taproom and have their Iowa ham balls. You will not find a better Midwestern dish and a cold beer awaits you. Walk around the downtown area -- I have been there several times and it is safe, very walkable, and the locals are very accommodating. It is always a nice surprise to go to a city during a race weekend and they actually know we're in town for an IndyCar race.

Peace out,

Rob Bennett, Denver, CO

MP: Peace out, Rob.

Unimpressed by Iowa amenities? Just wait til you've had a few cold ones and Iowa ham balls.  Phillip Abbott/Motorsport Images

Q: After the IndyCar announcement about dropping the 2.4l engine I'm left wondering how close they actually were to signing a third manufacturer. My guess is that they were very close, otherwise why would Chevy and Honda commit to spending millions of dollars to create and develop the new engine when also knowing, based on the expected cost/expenses required, that they would only be able to supply 8-10 cars (absolute max of 12) due to the budgets available to them?

It's hard for me to imagine that Chevy and Honda would have moved forward with those expenditures only having their fingers crossed hoping that a third manufacturer would be joining them in the series. I would have to think that IndyCar, in good faith, was keeping them updated on the status of a third manufacturer which then gave them the confidence to move forward with the research and development of the new engines knowing that this manufacturer would be able to support the remaining teams that Chevy/Honda would not be able to support.

If this was the case, my additional guess is that this third manufacturer then got cold feet based on the current and projected economic environment and backed out. Anything you can add to these thoughts?

Tim, Elburn, IL

MP: Nowhere close at the time of the decision to bin the 2.4s. From what I know, you’ve come up with a scenario that never happened. Both manufacturers were told by the series that IndyCar was confident it would have at least one new manufacturer ready to sign on, and we also know Honda made it clear to IndyCar that if it didn’t modify the 2.4L formula to include hybridization, it wouldn’t continue in the series…and so IndyCar added that component.

Keep in mind that both Chevy and Honda signed multiple supply extensions after they introduced their 2.2L TTV6s in 2012, and there were hopes expressed by IndyCar along the way that a third manufacturer would be joining in. Signing onto the 2.4L formula wasn’t some new leap of faith; that faith was involved at each new extension signing since 2012.

Both brands had the ability to react to a failure to sign a third by limiting their leases to offer a smaller number of 2.4L leases that better fit their budgets, and that’s exactly what was going to happen until this 2.2L decision was made.

Toyota was the only brand I can think of that was actively interested, and that interest rose and fell over a few years. I revealed in early September that Toyota was not moving forward, so there’s no linkage to this decision being related to anything recent.

Q: Any news on when the IndyCar racing game will launch for consoles? Read about this a while ago and they said it was going to launch in 2023, but haven't heard a word since.

Hutch

MP: Other than the Mailbag note last week about the entire executive board behind the video game quitting, I haven’t heard a thing. IndyCar’s been taking a lot of Ls lately, so I’ve given this topic some breathing room before formally inquiring.

Q: Not the biggest NASCAR fan but I was excited to hear they are going to Le Mans. Well, excited until I started crunching some numbers. I was comparing lap times of NASCAR’s Next Gen cars to IMSA GT cars on common road courses (COTA and Road America). When I project the time differences to the eight-plus mile Circuit de la Sarthe I estimate the Next Gen car could be 20 seconds per lap slower than the GT cars.

How closely will the Garage 56 Camaro resemble the NASCAR Next Gen Camaro? Please tell me they’re doing more than slapping on some wipers and headlights. I don’t want to see them get embarrassed.

Mark in Buffalo, NY

MP: I don’t have the full view of the Camaro ZL1’s G56 build-out, but they are adding downforce, which will obviously help in the corners, and it should still be somewhat slippery on the many long straights, so that big V8 engine should make it less of a lap time liability. Le Mans winner and road racing guru Mike Rockenfeller is leading the development from inside the cockpit, which gives me a lot of hope. Rocky knows what’s needed to get the car in the window of performance so the Camaro won’t be stumbled over by the rest of the cars. Nonetheless, it’s still a big and heavy Cup car and there will be limitations that can’t be erased.

How will NASCAR's Garage 56 entry compare to the results of this Richard Brooks/Dick Hutcherson/Marcel Mignot W.C. Donhavey Ford Torino at Le Mans in 1976? It completed 104 laps before its gearbox cried "Enough!" Motorsport Images

Q: Last week you had a question about IndyCar drivers and the NHRA. There were at least two who have done that: one of my heroes John Andretti and one of my favorites from childhood, the "Flying Hawaiian" Danny Ongais. Both won NHRA events.

Wes Wills

MP: Indeed; John was mentioned and thanks for the reminder with On-the-gas.

Q: The talk about whether “100 Days to Indy” airing on The CW will generate new fans brought to mind my path to being an IndyCar fan. I didn't watch any racing, other than an occasional bit of NASCAR on "Wide World of Sports" or the Indy 500, until I saw a TV interview with Jeff Gordon in the ’90s. That intrigued me enough to watch a few Winston Cup races, and I became fan of Jeff Burton, who was a rising young star. Soon I was watching every race in all three NASCAR series.

The NASCAR Truck Series came to Texas Motor Speedway for a doubleheader with the IRL in 2001, and the race sponsor put together a dirt-cheap package deal for both races. We went for the trucks, but the sound and speed of the IRL cars blew me away. (Scott Sharp won in an Oldsmobile.)

We attended several more IndyCar races at TMS, and I've watched every IndyCar race on TV (Peacock excluded) since that day. Relevant to the CW show, that TV interview with Jeff Gordon was the first domino that fell on the path to making me a lasting IndyCar fan. If that can do it, then the CW show focused on the 500 is bound to capture some new fans as well. And maybe some of those new F1 fans created by "Drive to Survive" will convert to IndyCar, like I did, if someone can get them to attend a race.

Jeff Burton retired, and my NASCAR interest faded to almost zero, but I still love IndyCar.

Chris in Shreveport, LA

MP: Thanks for the story, Chris. I was there as an assistant engineer with Sam Schmidt Motorsports for that combo IRL/Trucks event, and in those early IRL days, the Trucks were a common partner at our events. Like you, I hold a hope for The CW and Vice TV to make new IndyCar fans.

Q: IndyCar and sprint cars are going different directions. With the introduction of the High Limit Sprint Car Series and the large payouts at many races, it would seem that big-time sprint car racing is growing in popularity. Several years ago, I asked Robin Miller if he thought that any top sprint car drivers that he knew had ever expressed interest in Indy cars and he said they didn't want to take a pay cut!

Consider that the upcoming Chili Bowl, as of today, has over 300 entries and most of the drivers aspire to race NASCAR or World of Outlaws 410 sprint cars. I recognize that the Road to Indy and IndyCar are just spec racing for the wealthy. 410 sprint cars aren't cheap, but are a small fraction of IndyCar racing costs. I have no suggestions but sadly I fear that IndyCar will continue to lose its significance if its future talent pool grows smaller as the cost of admission to the club increases. Does anyone at IndyCar recognize this, or care?

CD, Beer Hill, PA

MP: Racing’s never been cheap, so I wouldn’t place junior open-wheel or IndyCar in a new category of costliness. No doubt short track racing comes in way below open-wheel, though. IndyCar’s growing in popularity, but at a glacial pace. I know Miller always believed a big link-up with the world of midget/sprint/etc. racing would bring tons of new fans to IndyCar, but I never saw it. Both forms of racing are huge in the Midwest and I doubt both fan bases are unaware of each other. Just seems like two worlds that aren’t as alike -- in this century, at least -- as we’d hope.

Q: I couldn't be happier for Colin Braun. The man has driven everything with four wheels on it -- he's certainly paid his dues. And to be back with MSR… it doesn't get any better than that. Would love to see Acura/MSR at Le Mans with Colin in tow.

I'm excited about Jamie Chadwick at Andretti Autosport with solid sponsorship. She will be in the U.S. a lot next year. If the schedules line up, could we see her in the Andretti LMP3 at IMSA endurance races?

Jonathan and Cleide Morris, Ventura, CA

MP: Agreed on Braun. It will be interesting to see how he fares alongside Tom Blomqvist and Castroneves+Pagenaud at Daytona. Anything’s possible with Jamie, but Jarrett Andretti’s IMSA racing program is more of a Jarrett thing run for him by Andretti Autosport than an Andretti Autosport thing where Michael picks the drivers.

Q: I always wondered how driver's skills make a difference in NHRA. For someone like me who doesn’t follow NHRA/drag racing at all, it seems that it's purely about car/engine and driver is there just to hold a steering wheel and press the throttle. So how is it in reality?

Note that I'm not a hater, I'm just a total layman and would like to know something more!

Szymon

KELLY CRANDALL: I love this question because there are plenty of folks who don’t know what goes into drag racing, and it’s very easy to believe the driver steps on the throttle and hangs on. They go straight, right? There is so much more to it than that.

While having a great car and horsepower is important -- as in all of auto racing -- a driver plays a big role in drag racing. From reaction time on the starting line to visualization and being in the right mental mind space so as to not blow it before the Christmas tree goes green, to handling the horsepower, the brain trying to process everything that is happening in less than four seconds, fighting the car, pulling the parachutes when it’s time, and more.

They're both just going straight, right? How hard can it be? Very, actually... Photo by NHRA

Drag racing is violent, which is a common sentiment when talking to drivers, and a driver’s body goes through so much in less than four seconds while trying to get the car down the racetrack. And I assure you, it’s not going straight. I’ve had a few NHRA drivers on The Racing Writer’s Podcast, and they’ve all spoken about the battle they have with their machine getting down the track, so I recommend those episodes to understand it more. Shawn Langdon also walked me through everything he does leading up to and going through a run before the events at zMAX Dragway last year that shows how much a driver has to put into what they do and what it feels like physically.

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, December 9, 2015

Q: Watching Jeff Gordon run his final race, how is it that CART could have totally overlooked this guy’s talent? I watched the video again of him driving Montoya’s F1 car at Indy several years back and he was immediately fast. Imagine how many Indy 500s he might have had if Penske instead of Hendrick had signed him in 1992?

I read an article about F1 and how much trouble they are in. Has any interest been shown by a Lotus or a Force India-type team to join IndyCar? I think they would look at the cost comparisons and be shocked. They could run a three-car team in IndyCar with a chance to win every week.

Finally, I think racing continues to fade away in 2015. So here is my last question. If we had a time machine, took the CART series from 1995 and dropped in 2015, would people come?

Rick, Charlotte

ROBIN MILLER: John Bickford tried to get an audience with Ganassi in the CART paddock at Cleveland in the early ’90s and I don’t know if he also reached out to Penske but, obviously, nobody gave Gordon any encouragement. Would he have been just as good in an IndyCar as he was a stock car? No doubt, providing he got with Penske or Newman/Haas or Ganassi. But his career turned out OK. Considering the TV money, if you are an F1 team in trouble I can’t imagine how or why you would look to IndyCar. There’s no financial incentive to come here. As for your last question, all I know is that the crowds and sponsors were never bigger than in the mid-’90s, Indy was a sellout and CART was neck-in-neck with NASCAR.