The RACER Mailbag, August 16

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: Saw this device handed to Scott McLaughlin after winning pole at Nashville. What is this?

Also, although you print so many complaints about Peacock, I love it. At the start of each season I subscribe to Peacock -- commercial-free. IndyCar, NXT, IMSA, Supercross, Tour de France… all with no commercials.

Ed

MARSHALL PRUETT: Per Penske’s Ron Ruzewski, it’s an electronics cooling device. We’re on the same page with Peacock, Ed. Whether it’s the racing content or the other pieces of entertainment, it gets used quite a bit between my wife and I.

Q: I wonder if there’s any chance to see Hemelgarn Racing again at the Indy 500, as the team still competes in USAC Silver Crown series? Or are there any other potential old or new teams for IndyCar in the next two to three years?

Frank Lehmann, Germany

MP: I’ve heard Vasser Sullivan mentioned a few times of late, but that’s about it. It would be amazing to see Ron and the Hemelgarn team back in IndyCar, but I wouldn’t associate their efforts in USAC with anything that’s brewing for the 500.

Q: Just reading that Alex Palou won’t honor his signed 2024 contract with McLaren. His Monaco Management people parted ways with him. Zak Brown is on receiving end of losing a driver this time. Court with Ganassi last year, and now this news. Alex sure doesn’t seem to have any integrity or character. I hope his career tanks.

Craig, Naples, FL

MP: Of all the things I never thought I’d write, there’s a strong James Harden vibe with Palou. Harden, who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, is trying to force his third trade in three years, all despite signing multi-year deals with Houston, Brooklyn and now the 76ers. He’s disliked the situations he’s been in and pushed until he got what he wanted, regardless of what his contracts required him to do.

The best reaction I saw to the latest Palou drama was on Twitter, where someone posted a meme that read, “Honey, if they’re willing to cheat with you, they’re willing to cheat on you,” in response to Brown’s aggrieved email to the Arrow McLaren team. We’ve got a lot of Palou letters to cover, so I’ll move onto the next…

No doubt there will be other opportunities to run photos of Alex Palou before this week's Mailbag is done, so instead, here's a shot of compatriot Oriol Servia jumping a fence at Mont-Tremblant in 2007. Fun fact: According to the Wikipedia list of IndyCar drivers by nationality, only two Spaniards have started an IndyCar race -- Servia, and... Fernando Alonso. Motorsport Images

Q: I realize this is probably the 47,000th Palou email, but mine requires a little bit of a tin foil hat.

He realized the McLaren path was DOA. Smart bet would be Chip backing up the Brinks truck. But no. Michael is buying Alpine, Alex runs in Andretti IndyCar next year. Then the Andretti-GM-Renault F1 team in 2025.

Shawn, MD

MP: As I said in my pre-race silly season video on Saturday, I have it on good account that within the last few weeks, Andretti thought it was getting Palou, but I then heard he signed to stay -- and for a long while -- with Chip.

Q: I may be getting ahead of the game, but it could be a confusing driver lineup at MSR next year -- one driver named Blomqvist and the other named Lundqvist. What about a third car for Rosenqvist?

From your reporting, Andretti/WTR is fielding two cars in GTP next year. Is the second Acura for Andretti/WTR the leased MSR chassis? If Acura drops MSR, will they return in GTD, GTP or LMP2? Will Colin Braun be given the opportunity to sign with another team, or will MSR retain his services?

Jonathan and Cleide Morris, Ventura, CA

MP: If the No. 60 MSR Acura isn’t rolled down to WTRAA after the checkered flag waves over Petit Le Mans, I’ll be very surprised. I’ve asked Acura, which doesn’t want to talk, and the same goes for MSR. The moment the Daytona penalties were announced, I had a feeling it would be a dealbreaker for the manufacturer, so we’ll see what happens here in the next two months.

Shank said on Friday that he’ll know if his team can continue in IMSA in the coming weeks, which isn’t the answer you’d give if everything was continuing as planned with the manufacturer you’ve represented for years and won a championship for in 2022. If they don’t, or assuming they change manufacturers, I hope WTRAA pulls Colin Braun over because he’s been a rocket alongside Blomqvist.

If MSR is going to race in IMSA, it would be as a paid team, most likely aligned with a manufacturer.

As for Linus, he just delivered MSR’s best result of the season with the No. 60 Honda with his run to 12th on Saturday, and in the greater Andretti/MSR universe, Lundqvist was second only to Kyle Kirkwood, who finished ninth. I think he’s given them a lot to consider for next season, and MSR isn’t expanding to three full-time cars, so if Rosenqvist is going to drive for MSR, it would need to be in the No. 60 car.

Q: Too bad 100 Days To Indy isn’t season-long to capture all this soap opera drama! Couple of things:

1) McLaren has been a positive to IndyCar, adding a worldwide team name, plenty of money, and added competition. However, they always have seemed to be in the midst of some shady contractual dealings which started with the Hinch ousting, the Askew skewering, the not so subtle almost sidelining of Rosenqvist, etc. It is a bad look.

2) My tea leaves assessment seems like Palou thought he was getting, at a minimum, a quality for quality ride swap heading to McLaren, probably an increase in pay, and some type of opportunity in F1. My guess is the F1 stuff evaporated and with the domination at Ganassi… he simply thought better of leaving. That said, despite the talent, now both teams have been burned by Palou’s hot/cold decision making, and his management team has left him. He’s mega talented, but if I were either team I’m not exactly sure I’d want or trust a driver who has crawfished on his contracts multiple times now. It’s kinda like dating someone that one minute is in love with you and the next wants their ex. I think both teams should cut him loose.

Ross

MP: I’m the son of a man born in Arkansas in the 1940s and thought I’d heard every Southern colloquialism, so I give you props for the use of "crawfished," which is new to me.

The problem here is that Palou is too good behind the wheel to jettison. There’s a reason McLaren fought to hard to get him, CGR fought so hard to keep him, and held onto him once he decided McLaren was no longer the place he wanted to be.

Ganassi is like an elephant; he forgets nothing, but he’s also as pure of a racer as you’ll find. He gives zero ***** about the drama and nonsense and just wants to win and stomp Penske, Brown, Andretti, and the rest. If the weapon to do that -- along with Scott Dixon -- is Palou, he’ll live with the TMZ nonsense that comes as an added price for dominating CGR’s opposition.

Q: I think the safety team for IndyCar does a great job. That said, just a single lap into the Gallagher Grand Prix, they failed to get Newgarden's car freed and restarted before he lost a lap.

I suppose they weren't in on the conspiracy to get him wins and the championship that keeps getting discussed in the comments. (Of course, as big of a fan of him as I am, he could have qualified better to avoid that mess.)

Also, what a move by DeFrancesco to take the lead!

So what's your take on this supposed conspiracy to always help Newgarden that keeps getting mentioned in the comments?

Mark, PA

MP: When I hear folks mention conspiracies to help Newgarden, I stop listening. Devlin’s incredible move around the outside is an easy P1 on the Best Passes of 2023 highlight reel. And then, as usual, his day went in the dumpster.

The smile suggests this was taken very early in the Gallagher GP weekend. Joe Sibinski/Motorsport Images

Q: Ganassi has obviously upset and underpaid his drivers. His last Indy 500 winner openly criticized his pay. For Palou to purportedly take advance 2024 money from McLaren and then not honor a signed contract is sleazy and wrong. Not a good way for an F1 prospect to gain favor and make an impression. He is toast now with F1 teams. Ganassi may have competitive cars, but his driver treatment and treatment of his professional colleagues is deplorable. Penske would never get involved in such a legal can of worms. Strangely silent is Dixon, who soldiers on. He had a great Indy road course win. Hopefully O’Ward or one of the other Arrow McLaren drivers will get more F1 consideration.

Zak Brown also didn’t impress when he poached Piastri, who clearly was under an Alpine contract. Hard to cheer for such dastardly teams with unprofessional owners. Let the lawyers handle it. Robin Miller would not be impressed. In old Indy days, a handshake and a man’s word meant everything. Many a veteran driver would jump in an unproven competitor’s car to try and get a fellow driver up to Indy 500 qualifying speed. This was at considerable risk. Bravo to the old timers who had integrity and not greed. They would help out colleagues and not screw them or the team owners or mechanics.

Craig B, Naples, FL

MP: Oddly, Dixon has been approached by McLaren multiple times, including this year, and each time, Dixon -- who isn’t cheap -- chose to sign new deals with Chip. Robin would be laughing like a hyena. We haven’t lived in a handshake world in decades, so while everything you’ve said is true, it hasn’t been relevant for quite some time. Alpine failed to sign Piastri, as F1’s Contracts Recognition Board found, which allowed Zak to make him a McLaren driver. It was one of many embarrassing moments for now-former Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer.

Q: Is there any truth to IndyCar going back to Milwaukee?

Jeff

MP: They’re trying, but I haven’t heard about anything being done for 2024.

Q: Please can you tell me if at all possible is IndyCar looking at ways to stop cars getting "entangled," for lack of a better word, with each other each other in future chassis updates like what happened with Newgarden and Armstrong on the opening lap at Indy

Leo Capella, London, England

MP: Nothing that comes to mind, Leo. Not with fenderless cars. Even cars with fenders end up on top of each other from time to time.

Q: Man, what a great race on Saturday! For me, it was easily one of the best on the road course I've seen. Good battles and interesting strategy calls throughout. I was disappointed Rahal couldn't get the win, but Dixon displayed again why he's the best of his generation. I'm a guy who's been into IndyCar racing since the ’70s, and I have a question: Is seeing IndyCar play opening act to NASCAR at IMS of all places as bitter a pill for you to swallow as it is for me?

Rod, Houston

MP: I’ve said this every time I’ve been to the Brickyard event: It feels wrong being at the track that named us and made us while serving as the opening act to NASCAR’s opening act on Saturday, and gone from the facility before the Cup headliners take over on Sunday. I hate everything about IndyCar looking small and unimportant at its birthplace.

Q: Palou is undeniably a talented driver, and seems to be a genuinely nice person. But it is time for him to grow up and stop this wishy-washy contract nonsense. It would be a real shame if his lack of commitment overshadowed his talent, and teams started to avoid him.

Bill, Cleveland, OH

MP: It would be nice, wouldn’t it? Imagine all of the wasted hours we’d get back if he just did what he agreed to do. But, that’s not what he’s done and so here we are with a Mailbag that might be 10,000 words by the time we’re done. I wish I got paid by the word.

Q: Does Palou sign his contracts and letters of intent with disappearing ink? His lack of maturity and judgment outside or a race car is baffling.  The lawyers on both sides of this mess must be thrilled at the prospect of a cornucopia of billable hours.

Bill Branagh

MP: When you have his kind of talent, using it as a tool to get what you want is an option. It’s also an option for the others in his upper echelon of talent, but most don’t wield it in such a divisive or destructive manner.

Q: I don't know about you, but there is a hard valuable lesson for up-and-coming athletes and entertainers -- they need should always read the contract before signing it. I don't want to point fingers at Alex Palou over the McLaren-Ganassi drama over the last two years.

Perhaps his advisers told him that if he did sign the contract, it would lead to a Formula 1 ride. Well, Oscar Piastri also signed the contract with McLaren F1 after he was pulled away from Alpine Racing. I do hope Alex ends up in Formula 1 because I think he's one of the most talented drivers to race in IndyCar and is the type of driver that, if given a chance like Red Bull, would give Max Verstappen a run for his money. But he and his handlers should have read the contract to make sure it was a guarantee that he was going to drive for McLaren in F1.

Alistair

MP: I doubt we’re dealing with a failure to read the fine print here. If a superstar doesn’t want to play for his current team, contracts be damned, they either give in and play or get released. The I-don’t-want-to-drive-for-you game Palou played with Chip in 2022 is the same he’s playing with Zak in 2023, and if we assume he’ll be driving for Chip for years to come, we’ll also be on the lookout for another I-don’t-want-to-drive-for-you move if he gets bored or thinks he can drive something else for someone else.

As for Max, I don’t think the Dutchman would lose a moment of sleep if Alex was his teammate.

OK there's your Palou shot. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: I took my son to the Brickyard because I had heard last year kids were able to get paddock access and that it was an open area (the IndyCar area, that is). I didn’t do my due diligence to see what the plan was for this year, and was surprised that it was gated off. OK, no big deal, I’m sure paddock passes are for sale. I went to the credentials office and they told me you had to be 18 or older to get one. This is not like IndyCar at all. I waited in line with my son to get autographs from the Team Penske drivers. We talked to people around us, and without my prompting they complained about kids not being able to get paddock access as well.

I know the credential came with pit access and you probably don’t want kids on pit lane. In May, the garage area is restricted to an expensive bronze badge. (Expensive if you don’t live in the area to use it, but a bargain if you’re in the area). It would be great if we could find a way to open up the paddock/garage to kids at some point during the year for the road course weekend(s).

Ryan, West Michigan

MP: That sounds like a perfectly reasonable request, Ryan.

Q: With Palou seemingly not going to McLaren anymore, and Rosenqvist in discussions with other teams, is there a possibility that he doesn’t return to the team next year regardless of Palou’s plans? If so, have you heard anything on anybody else McLaren might be scouting?

Tom

MP: Felix had yet another good run going and was felled by a gearbox problem, which felt like the perfect summation of his time at Arrow McLaren. Minus Palou, I’d assume the team will make him an offer to stay, but I hope he doesn’t take it. Rosenqvist has the look of someone who needs to start over somewhere else.

I’ve heard McLaren thinks highly of Callum Ilott, as do other teams with seats to offer.

Q: For those of us who may not have been paying close enough attention, can you give us a Reader's Digest-type synopsis on the Palou contract saga? Is there an obvious good guy or bad guy? Is this just a typical (albeit high-profile) contract negotiation that, unfortunately, got disclosed? Will there ultimately be long-term animosity?

Rick, Lisle, IL

MP: Alex wanted to renegotiate his contract with Chip that paid very little money after winning the title in 2021, and Chip said no. Some form of outreach was made to McLaren by Palou or his former management team with the belief that Alex could be signed, and while there was an interest held in Palou by McLaren, he wasn’t someone they would go to the end of the world to hold onto. Alex signed a deal with McLaren while under contract to Ganassi, which wasn’t appreciated, so Ganassi sued Palou. McLaren backed Palou and covered the lawyer fees, and Palou countersued Ganassi for things I don’t fully understand.

Chip was willing to play the long game here and in the final stages of the season, as the lawyer bills started piling up and it became clear Ganassi wasn’t going to back down, McLaren stepped back. Without McLaren’s backing, Palou abandoned the idea of fighting Chip on his own and opted to sign a one-year extension which had a concession in it from Chip that would allow Palou to leave, if he chose to, after the 2023 season.

In that contract, Palou was given a non-compete/non-negotiation date of September 1, 2023, which made the revelation from McLaren last week that it was already paying Palou to race for them in 2024 a bit of a shocker. We’ll see where this goes and if McLaren will sue Palou to try and enforce a contract that may or may not be valid, if Ganassi will sue McLaren for what may or may not be tortious interference with its driver, and so on.

Q: Do you know if/where IndyCar posts its owners points or points by car number? I can't find any listing of points by car online to check who's in the top 22 for the Leaders Circle bonus. With Palou having the championship all but wrapped up, following who isn't going to get the LC bonus will be interesting to track over the remaining races.

Kyle, San Diego, CA

MP: For the public, this is a good resource, although it can take a few days for entrants’ updates to land.

Q: I will defer to everyone else regarding who’s wearing white and black hats among Palou, Ganassi, and McLaren, and ask instead about the role of agents in IndyCar.

All right, that’s a lie. I think that no matter how messy, it is good for IndyCar and Palou that he stays put at Ganassi.

But what about Monaco Increase Management’s role? I cannot escape the impression that it whispered sweet F1 dreams in Palou’s ears, then dropped him the moment he decided to pass on all this. Raising the obvious question as to whether the agent was working in the client’s best interest or its own?

Agents are high visibility in F1, and it seems there is a mixed record there. For every Mark Webber, who, despite criticism, maneuvered Oscar Piastri away from Alpine to McLaren, there’s a Craig Pollock, who both helped engineer Jacques Villeneuve’s stunning rise and his equally stunning fall.

So, what’s the story on agents in IndyCar: success stories? Epic fails?

Al, Boston, MA

MP: There aren’t many, but most have been around for a while. Stefan Johansson. Adrian Sussman. Pieter Rossi, etc. We aren’t talking about crazy sums like in F1, so we don’t get similar levels of drama; Palou has been the wild card, and FWIW, his now-former managers were a mystery to the paddock until things blew up last year.

Q: I’m sitting in a sports bar watching Little League baseball on ESPN (main channel!) and I think, “What racing needs is go-karts on ESPN!”  We need to involve the kids and give them kid racing heroes.

Bruce Merchant

MP: I’d love to see karting on a mainstream outlet.

Q: Just returned from IMSA at Road America. Tough Sunday for RLL and Connor Di Philippi in particular. Being there brought up a question: are there more paid drivers anywhere in motorsports than IMSA?

Keith Conroy

MP: You might be onto something, Keith. There’s also more paying drivers, across all of the IMSA-sanctioned series, than any other organization.

Q: With your rumor of Alex Palou maybe going to Williams, do you think there’s a possibility of Logan Sargeant (re)exploring the possibility of IndyCar? This would make sense for him to sign Andretti, giving Andretti another driver option if he were to get his F1 team. [Ed's note: This letter arrived before Palou's latest contract excitement kicked off last week]

Ken, Lockport, NY

MP: It could be a case of my ears failing, but I haven’t heard Sargeant mentioned once by teams or free agents as someone who’s in the mix for 2024.

Sargeant's probably the only person who hasn't featured in IndyCar's silly season so far this year. Michael Potts/Motorsport Images

Q: After watching Nashville and previously Detroit, it seems IndyCar had made terrible track selections. Certainly Belle Isle was a far better track for views and passing. Nashville was a joke, with no places to pass and way too narrow. From Cleveland to Portland to Laguna Seca to Sonoma to Watkins Glen, there are choices. Milwaukee and Michigan and other ovals have heritage also. I just don’t see what Penske and IndyCar are thinking -- poor management of the series, and they’re not advancing like NASCAR, IMSA, WEC and Formula 1. The cars are old, but fortunately some there are great talents coming through as drivers. They don’t shine on crappy tracks. IndyCar deserves a big rethink.

CB, Naples, FL

MP: Thanks for writing in, CB.

Q: The bizarre wing failure on David Malukas’s car happened right in front of our grandstand. Do IndyCar officials meet the car in the paddock to try to determine what caused the failure? Also, if a tub is damaged, does it have to be sent to IndyCar headquarters after being repaired to be certified for use, or is it inspected at the next race where it’s used?

I had a great time at Nashville but the Big Machine Twitter site could have been better at updating fans about the weather on Friday and Saturday. I missed a lot of practice sessions for other series because of slow -- or no --  updates. Other than that, a solid 10 weekend.

Mark

MP: Yes, IndyCar’s safety/technical team meets the crashed cars when they’re returned to the paddock and photograph everything as it is, and if a deeper investigation into something is required, they’ll ask for the component to conduct an inspection.

Tub damage is inspected and acted upon by each team; it’s their property, and if repairs are required, there are resources in Indianapolis that can handle almost anything. Glad to hear you enjoyed Nashville.

Q: Something needs to be done about the marbles. I am a huge IndyCar fan but I slept through two-thirds of the Nashville race. No one dared to pull out of line and attempt to pass for fear of ending up in the wall. What if IndyCar went to a competition yellow at the midway point?  Take 10 minutes to allow teams to service their cars and make any legal adjustments they might want to make. While this is going on, have two trucks with rolling brushes on the front make a lap around the track and push the marbles off to the side, nearer to the walls.

I am also getting frustrated with so many teams constantly going into fuel saving mode. Maybe if they had more room to attempt passing, there would be less fuel saving.

Don't get me wrong, I still think IndyCar racing is the best racing in the world. It just needs a couple of adjustments to make it even better.

Bob Linn

MP: Agreed on the track cleaning, if necessary; I think I suggested the same in-race pause to do so last week.

Q: In last week’s Mailbag, you wrote that Conor Daly "has been exceptional in the right team and circumstances." You’ve been a long-time supporter of his. I guess my question is, what am I missing? Daly’s made more than 100 starts, with some good teams, and I can barely remember him being in the race at most of them. With other young drivers, I can think of "wow" moments -- Linus Lundqvist at Nashville, Christian Lundgaard at Toronto, Rinus VeeKay on the Indy road course, David Malukas at Gateway, Carlos Munoz in his Indy 500 debut -- but I’m struggling to come up with much for Conor. I don’t have anything against him; just don’t understand the years of hype. Can you let me in on the secret?

Andrew, Sacramento, CA

MP: He was strong on a number of occasions in 2015 and 2016 with midfield teams and seemed to thrive in the high-downforce aero kit era with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and Dale Coyne Racing with five runs in the top six. From there, he’s had a lot of forgettable outings with teams that were quite bad, and on rare occasion, he’d put in a 10th with Andretti at the 500 or take pole and a sixth with Carlin.

He’s evolved into more of an oval specialist of late and has been really effective at Indy. There's no hype involved here. If you’ve been watching, his capabilities in teams that aren’t plumbing the depths of mediocrity have been noteworthy. Unfortunately, he’s usually been with teams that are miles from the real contenders.

Q: You didn’t come right out and say it, but doesn't it stand to reason that Simon Pagenaud, if he returns to full health, would be exactly what the Meyer Shank team needs for at least one more season while a rookie driver breaks into the team and series? He still knows what it takes to win, and I think Simon is still a threat to win the 500 again. I'm just not sure why the consternation on bringing him back for another season.

Andy R., Brighton, MI

MP: I’d love to say yes, but not with the season he was having prior to the crash. MSR’s drivers were 20th (Helio) and 24th (Simon) entering Mid-Ohio where the crash took place. Said another way, MSR’s pair of entries have been drastically underperforming all season, and they to turn both cars into proper contenders. Tom Blomqvist is the first step in doing so by taking over from Helio, and based on Simon being in the midst of his worst season of results since he debuted in 2007, I can’t see MSR or any other team paying millions to drive unless he’s able to show he’s back to his previous standard.

There are lots of drivers who know what it takes to win, and as we often see, their days of winning are mostly in the past. It’s the ones who can either keep winning, or have their team in the top six on a regular basis, who get contract extensions. With a pressing need to get better with both cars, the nostalgic hiring of a beloved driver just isn’t how a team makes real progress. There needs to be proof that a Pagenaud or any other driver can do big things tomorrow, not in yesteryear. And that’s why everyone’s rooting for Simon to get back out this season and show he’s healthy and fast in order to get more contract offers.

Looking forward to Team Pagenaud having something to cheer about again sometime soon. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images

Q: Last week Shyam wrote to the Mailbag about standing starts in IndyCar. Having watched the start of the Long Beach race four times from the hairpin prior to the start/finish on Shoreline Drive, I can only agree.

One of the interesting attributes IndyCar has is the three disciplines of street courses, road courses and ovals, which tests the drivers’ abilities. If the series had rolling starts and standing starts, this would further enhance the series as a test of driver skill, and at some tracks, improve the racing.

Oliver Wells

MP: It might. One of my favorite parts of working on SCCA Pro Formula Atlantic teams (think Indy Pro 2000 cars but with the big downforce and tires from Indy NXT car) were the standing starts, so I’m not against the idea returning to IndyCar. I like your idea of their select use. Reserving them for the race start on street courses would be a fun thing to try.

Q: I’m curious to know how Indy got a six-hour IMSA event so quickly? I think that the series would be a bit more interesting if there was a four-hour floater that changed every year. Racing at dusk adds a lot more of a challenge, and running it on various tracks would benefit not only the tracks, but the fans. The race could be on a Saturday to allow support races earlier on Sunday so the teams could still get back to the shop early in the week.

Craig

MP: Penske Entertainment and IMSA wanted to turn the event into something special -- more than the 2h40m standard-length race -- after its upcoming return in September. It was under discussion to be a long race from the start, but both sides opted to get once event done before going bigger.

Q: At the risk of this turning political (I hope not!), I have a question concerning the funding of a certain IndyCar team. As a Hoosier and a veteran of 49 Indy 500s, I have a subscription to the Indianapolis Star, mainly because they are (I think) the only newspaper in the country that covers IndyCar in at least some capacity.

The Star has a columnist, Chris Doyle, that most people have a love/hate relationship with. I read his columns because I find them amusing, and sometimes insightful. He has mentioned several times, with disparagement, the funding for the McLaren IndyCar team. A quote from a recent column: "An IndyCar team, the one run by McLaren, needs PIF blood money. Oh sure, McLaren is funded by the PIF (Saudi Public Investment Fund) and another noxious Middle East government, the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain.”

I haven't heard much about this in IndyCar circles and wondered what your take on this is? I know that teams need money to exist, and it is common knowledge that McLaren and Zak Brown seem to throw cash around like no other, but is it fair to say that they are funded by "blood money"? What say you?

D. Thomas, Tell City, IN

MP: If a Saudi envoy arrived on pit lane offering $250 million contracts, most of the IndyCar paddock would be fighting each other to sign first. I do my best to skip the "fake outrage" industry on cable and in print, and this premise appears to fall into that category. I’ve heard the topic raised on rare occasions, and when it happens, it’s usually from a team owner or leader who would take that "blood money" in an instant, so let’s not kid ourselves or act precious here.

Q: I read the latest Mailbag and there was a question about safety cars and virtual safety cars. I recall that in 1968 there was an attempt at something like a virtual safety car at Indy. They implemented pacer lights at the 500 that year. The drivers were to follow the lights and maintain position, meaning no bunching up. Late in the race there was a crash with Joe Leonard leading in a Lotus turbine and Bobby Unser chasing him down. Unser got trapped behind Art Pollard, who was driving for the same team as Leonard. Unser thought Pollard was intentionally slowing him down and eventually passed him. Of course, when the caution was over both turbine cars failed and Unser took his first 500. And by the way, I was at the race.

Ron Farris, Sykesville, MD

MP: I’ve never heard someone suggest Uncle Bobby skirted the rules…HA! If you wanted to lose three hours of your life, you asked Bobby about the pacer lights… Robin Miller would wind him up on a regular basis just because he liked pulling pins on hand grenades.

Q: In the August 9 Mailbag, in response to Jerry’s question about marbles, you wrote, “Yes, Firestone could make tires that are so hard that they do not shed much rubber, but then we’d have the worst competition imaginable because the cars would light up the tires under acceleration, would corner like turtles, and would brake early and forever due to the lack of grip. The racing would be terrible, my friend.”

To which I opine:

Oh. Hog. Wash.

If the cars were to light up the tires under acceleration, corner like

turtles, and brake early, then the racing would be great! You have described powerful cars that would be very difficult to drive, requiring skilled drivers to wrestle them to the front.

And without marbles, those drivers could so go side-by-side as necessary, instead of crashing into the fence whenever they strayed a few inches off the clean line.

Bring on the hard tires, my friend!

O.F., Penna

P.S.: We have not had marbles "forever." Following the 1964 Indy 500, Firestone ran a magazine ad touting the fact that the tires on A.J. Foyt's winning car went the entire distance and that they still had plenty of life left. No too many marbles from those cast-iron tires!

MP: Any letter that includes the words "hog wash" gets my vote as the best of the lot.

Think of them as "fun balls". Motorsport Images

Q: While I know that the Mailbag is designed for short Q&A and not long dissertations, I found the part of your answer to the letter about marbles: “The racing would be terrible, my friend” was quite condescending, especially since you didn’t offer any data to support your claim, just the opinion that more tire spin and braking was bad. However, the second part of the answer suggesting racing pauses to clean the track (I hope not more yellow) was an interesting concept to pursue.

But I want to go back to the premise of the original question, and perhaps get a better/longer explanation of how IndyCar (and perhaps other series) arrived at the current level of grip versus tire degradation (and therefore marbles), and I how it is now considered "optimal."

Let’s consider some facts:

First, fans see many different kinds of racing series with different levels of grip racing on similar, if not exactly the same, road and street courses, yet the quality of racing is not inherently better for series with more grip versus series with less grip. So why expect that IndyCar would necessarily be worse with less grip? In fact, we see IndyCar (and other series) race on wet circuits with significantly less grip in the course and in the tires, and that in fact can be quite good racing. Also, wet racing actually tends to level the field at times. If this was actually a feature of dry racing, why would this be bad?

Second, IndyCar, F1 and others already have tires of various grip levels available that are designed make the race teams choose between grip versus longevity. Since the grip is already being limited by design, why would even less grip be worse? Perhaps it would be more entertaining to see drivers display more of the more visible skill of "keeping the car under them," versus the more ethereal skill of "saving tires"?

Third, for virtually all corners on street and road courses, the quickest route through a corner uses all of the available track, so when two cars enter the corner together in order to get through side by side, both cars must leave the optimal line and go into whatever marbles exist. Therefore, if the marbles are bad enough to ruin the car’s handling, not just in that corner but also for a significant time after, why would any driver attempt two-wide in any corner? They might actually try it more often if the marbles weren’t so bad.

Finally, while I’m sure I’m older than you, no, we’ve not had marbles forever. At least, not in the apparent handling-ruining way that they exist now. While it is true that the optimal racing line has always been, and will always be, cleaner and have more rubber, and therefore more grip, being offline has not always been the apparent handling-killer that it is now. This actually is the point you are making with the suggestion about cleaning the tracks more often: same effect, different method to get to the same result.

Doug, Phoenix, AZ

MP: It wasn’t written with condescension, Doug, so that’s an opinion you’ve formed that isn’t based on fact. And yes, my use of the word "forever" was imprecise. Maybe I should have written "for a really, really long time" and that would have been better? Last week’s Mailbag was almost 7000 words in length, and you’re right, this isn’t the format for written features where I present answers or views and then deliver in-depth support of those views or points. Thanks for taking the time to share yours.

Q: I was seriously concerned by your article saying Laguna Seca is no longer under consideration for a March 2024 date and fear, once again, we will be stuck with that huge gap between St. Pete and Texas. Would it not make sense to pair Laguna Seca with Long Beach? This would put Laguna Seca on April 28, two weeks prior to its IMSA date on May 12.

Start at St. Pete on March 10, (Sebring is the following week), Texas on March 24 (Easter is 31st March), Barber on April 7, (final round of U.S. Masters is April 14), Long Beach on April 21 and Laguna on April 28.

For me, this seems to the best way to organize the front portion of the schedule without the need to add a race.

Graeme, Hull, UK

MP: We have St. Pete going one week later than last on March 8-10, and IMSA’s big Sebring race where Andretti, Meyer Shank, Penske, and Rahal need to compete on March 14-16, and that "early" Easter on March 31, so that leaves March 22-24 as the one weekend where nobody would be upset if it was filled with an IndyCar race that month. But that’s the rainy season around Monterey, which is why the track wasn’t interested in hosting an event. The late April option isn’t bad, but teams tend to be in Indy for the 500’s Open Test at that time, and rain is still a thing at Laguna Seca in that window. That’s why I’ve heard they’ve pushed for a June or July date and I believe IndyCar is looking to accommodate such a thing.

Q: IndyCar has a ton of unique personalities in the paddock. You have made great relationships with many of these folks. Equally as unique are the team owners. Which team owner (current or former) have you built the closest relationship with?

Not a Disgruntled Race Fan

MP: Spending time with Bryan Herta is always a treat. Mike Shank is a hoot, and I can say that about most of the team owners today. I’ve really enjoyed some of the newer owners like Bill Abel or a Don Cusick whose passion for the sport hasn’t been jaded by decades of being in the business of owning a racing team. All-time favorite was the late Dan Gurney.

Q: I saw on another IndyCar news site that if Will Power retires after the 2024 season when he will be 44 years old, Kyle Kirkwood could be a possibility to join Team Penske. Has there been indication from Will that he may decide to retire after his contract is up? Who else might be a candidate for that team?

Mike Bragg

MP: I wrote that here about Kirkwood a week or two ago. Power’s contract is through 2024, I’m told, and I need to ask him if he’s wanting to retire. Unless Christian Lundgaard signs an extension with RLL to stay beyond 2024, I’d bet he’d be a top pick. Callum Ilott also strikes me as a driver who Penske would covet. Fast and all-business at the track is the trend we’ve seen in their hiring choices over the years.

Q: The NBC/Peacock TV/steaming is a mess when it comes to their televising both NASCAR and IndyCar.

I have cable, that I pay for. In paying for the cable, I get charged a fee for the local "over the air" stations in my locale to get NBC. I have also subscribed to Peacock for an additional payment that does not go to the cable provider.

I have no problem with NBC loading down the races they show over the air; however, Peacock, while it observes the same commercial breaks, doesn’t have the time sold to an advertiser, and all I get is a sign that the program will restart shortly. My real peeve is that I am paying specifically for Peacock, over and above the normal cable bill. Peacock should be streaming commercial-free.

Chuck McAbee

MP: Thanks for writing in, Chuck.

Let the "Ilott to Penske" rumors begin. Gavin Baker/Motorsport Images

Q: If Alex Palou does move to F1 for next season, who do think will be in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren for 2024? Do you think the team will stick with Rosenqvist, make a move for Ericsson, or look to a younger talent such as Ilott, Malukas, or maybe even Lundqvist?

Si Harrison, Orlando, FL

MP: I have it on good account that Alex has signed to stay with Ganassi. Rosenqvist is drawing interest from other teams and might be on the move, and while I do think Felix is a strong option provided he doesn’t sign somewhere else beforehand, he has the look of someone who could use a fresh start at a different team. I think Ilott was in the frame to replace Palou at Ganassi, but with that looking unlikely, I’d bet McLaren would want him for the No. 6 or through a satellite Juncos Hollinger-McLaren entry.

Ericsson’s said to be on the way to Andretti, and McLaren has a lot of drivers within its open-wheel empire to draw from, or who’d love to come drive for them out of F2 or F1 testing gigs.

Q: Does NASCAR's Elton Sawyer get an advanced Mailbag copy? Last week, Shyam wrote about Nashville: "Scott McLaughlin was frustrated at how these starts happened and how it affected racing at the back, and how backmarkers dive bomb and how it breeds more yellows. I agree that the last apex should be the point where they go on a restart."

In the same Mailbag, Glenn Timmis waxed poetically about Parnelli Jones. My memories of him go back to my first 500 in 1967 when Andy Granatelli’s STP Turbine "whooshmobile" was the talk of the entire month of May, and yes, it was true (per the late Jack Friedman, who was a mechanic on his 1963 Indy 500 winner and my ex-father-in-law) that Andy Granatelli presented a briefcase with $100,000 in cash in it for Parnelli to drive the car.

I seem to remember a few weeks ago where you derided this engineering masterpiece, which took three years to develop, as showing up with “a helicopter turbine” but in fact, if you watch the Paramount newsreel (thankfully now on YouTube) on the development of the car through the post-race, it was quite the technical achievement, especially -- as Glenn points out -- the biggest advance was the four-wheel drive, also used on the four 1968 doorstop turbines driven by Joe Leonard, Graham Hill, Art Pollard and Mike Spence, who was killed in practice.

Finally, Shyam also wrote that “IndyCar and IndyCar’s support system (ecosystem, media) never take something and make it better.”

I can give you two concrete examples otherwise:

1) Racing on the three-quarter mile trioval at Richmond starting in 2001, where the cars were turning left 70% of the time, and actually turned right on the backstretch. All over the garages at Indy that year, the excitement was palpable for a race four weeks later on the shortest track IndyCar ever raced on in the modern era. After the race, when Economaki asked winner Buddy Lazier what it was like, he started his question with “you look as wet as a dishrag -- what was it like out there?” and Eddie Cheever said, “it was like flying a jet fighter in a gymnasium.”

2) The restrictor plate IRL races at Texas, which were actually better than the NASCAR originals but which they couldn’t quite replicate at the similar Charlotte and Atlanta tri-ovals. Yes, they were dangerous as hell (just ask Davey Hamilton and Robbie McGehee, who tore up legs and catchfences); but they filled up the grandstands.

Dan Schwartz, Atlanta, GA

MP: Thanks, Dan. I don’t recall deriding the STP Turbine. It’s one of my all-time favorite cars. A friend from IndyCar noted the same thing about NASCAR taking the thing some people complained about after Nashville and changed stock car’s restart procedure to mimic the exact Nashville process at the Brickyard.

Q: Please ask IMSA why they have decided to drop the GTP class from Mosport? I think this decision needs to be reversed and they must take a full field to Mosport. It's a matter of integrity. Their only event outside the U.S. is Mosport, and they chose to damage its lure by telling the Canadian (and American) fans that they are not worthy to see the fastest cars on the fastest racecourse! Will it be televised on NBC network this time sans GTP?

If circuit size or pitlane size is the problem, such as at Lime Rock Park, I can understand that they split the field to race, but still expect to see the GTP on the same weekend in a separate race.

Why can't every IMSA weekend showcase all the classes? What is the point of having a good collection of entrants and quality cars if they are not being showcased on any given weekend?

Adam Lipcsey, Toronto, Ontario

MP: I hear you, Adam, but if we use that approach, IMSA’s also told fans in Connecticut with the dropped Lime Rock event that they no longer matter, and in recent years, that attendees of the GT-only Lime Rock event and the GT-only VIR rounds aren’t worthy of having prototypes, so I don’t see this as some Canada-specific offense.

To keep costs under some semblance of control in the most expensive class, IMSA has been strict in limiting DPi/GTP to 10 races in most seasons. The return of Detroit, which is sponsored by and the home event for GM, was an obvious place for the Cadillac GTPs and the Corvette GTDs to play in front of the Motown crowd, so with the addition of Detroit, IMSA’s 10-race commitment to its GTP manufacturers and teams was maintained and Mosport was the chosen sacrifice.

IMSA rarely makes a major decision like this without heavy input from its manufacturers and partners. Let’s hope they place a greater demand on adding GTP back to Mosport in the near future.

Q: There’s been a lot of complaints about commercials, but I realize they are necessary and part of all commercial TV, and to use the F1 deal as an example is unfair. I DVR the races so I can avoid sitting through the commercials, even when it’s side by side coverage. What I will complain about is the Nashville race went to commercial on lap 5. Lap 5? Seriously? You settle in to watch a race, and less than seven minutes in they cut to commercial. Another complaint I have is, after I have sat through four minutes of commercials -- I mean, fast-forward through the commercials -- we are treated to 20 or 30 seconds of Iowa cornfields or a city skyline. Why? Can’t they come out of commercial right back to racing? That doesn’t seem like a big ask.

Also, can you explain the difference between the start getting waved off because the field wasn’t packed up, and getting the green the next lap? The field looked exactly same to me on both laps at Nashville.

Dave

MP: They can come out of commercials right back into the racing, no doubt, but they aren’t perfect. As I saw it, the waved-off start had the back half of the field in disarray and the next attempt was better in that regard.

No need for passports in the IMSA GTP paddock next year, sadly. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: For all the IndyCar complainers, I'm in the Old Guy demographic that the series apparently appeals to. I wish there were more races, more engine manufacturers, a more modern chassis, more tracks, more short ovals, more media promotion, more consistent officiating, easier passing, less dominance by money, and less commercials on NBC. But that doesn't change the fact that IndyCar is the best racing on TV. So I watch the races on DVR and speed through the commercials. It's still better than 90% of what's on TV.

Robert, Washoe Valley, NV

MP: Amen, brother.

Q: What is the typical decision threshold teams encounter when deciding to make a unapproved engine change, given the associated grid penalty? Wouldn’t the engine manufacturer be able to diagnose and determine the overall health?

Doug, Brownsburg, IN

MP: All depends on what happens and where, Doug. A full cleanroom-style lab that you’d find at GM Powertrain/Ilmor Engineering/Honda Performance Development isn’t something they have at the track, so if there’s a concern about something internal, there are limits to what Chevy or Honda would want to crack open and inspect at the track.

There’s also the hope and timing part, like with the David Malukas fire in the engine bay. Malukas and the team hoped they’d be able to use the motor at the Indy GP last weekend and avoid going to a fifth engine, but HPD wanted to do a deep dive on the engine so it was yanked and a fifth motor was installed, which triggered the six-spot grid penalty. If they had the option, they’d rather have gone to a fifth engine at the next race on the Gateway oval where, despite the penalty being nine spots, it would be much easier to erase the deficit than the six on a road course

Q: I'm crushed for Graham Rahal as he had the best car on Saturday. But I totally admit watching Graham run down Dixon at the end of the race was hella entertaining. RLL has come so far since Indy. I hope the team left the track with their heads held high. They worked their butts off and it's showing on the track. To lose to the best driver of this IndyCar era is nothing to be gutted about.

Now onto the real question of my email. After last year and this year, I get the sense Zak Brown is someone who likes to do things purely for the sake of stirring things up. I don't pay enough attention to what Zak Brown does in F1, so maybe Chris Medland can chime in, but this just seems like it's just his nature. Like a cat that demands pets, but then shreds your hands.

Thanks for reporting on the silly season with what information you have. Until Palou or Ericsson sign a legally binding contract and announce it, the drivers and fans are just in a holding pattern.

John

MP: There’s no doubt that Zak loves to goad Ganassi, but I wouldn’t dismiss his actions as being strictly for the sake of stirring the pot. He thought Piastri would be the better driver for his F1 team, and went and got him. Presented with a chance to improve his IndyCar team, he went hard to get Palou, and who knows where that situation will end up. I’m not saying he’s an angel, but I wouldn’t paint him as the devil. His methods are bullish, but no more so than a Christian Horner or Toto Wolff. If I had my say, we’d leave the drama to F1 and spare our tight-knit IndyCar community from this stuff, but that’s no longer an option.

CHRIS MEDLAND: From an F1 perspective, Zak’s never been afraid of upsetting anyone, but more in the sense of doing whatever he thinks it takes to get the best for his team.

If you look at where the McLaren team was in F1 when he was appointed and where it is now, it’s a very different image but it’s certainly a team that has been turned around and is showing a lot of potential, so I don’t think we can say that approach isn’t working. But Zak’s a marketing man who also loves to get behind the wheel himself, so competition is something he’s fed off -- and been successful at -- for a while, so I do think he sometimes goes looking for it.

Q: Trivia: The last American to score a point in F1? Michael Andretti in 1993 -- 30 years ago. What needs to be done to get another competitive American driver in F1? Considering that a country the size of Finland has produced multiple F1 champions and drivers, it gets me wondering. 

Dave

CM: That is a crazy stat isn’t it?! But I don’t think there’s much that needs to be done now in the sense that F1 is growing in the States, IndyCar drivers are starting to get more and more recognition for what they can do, and teams want a successful American driver in their car if it’s the right fit. So I don’t think Logan Sargeant is going to be the last one for nearly a decade like it was with Alexander Rossi.

But more importantly, it’s not that the drivers weren’t always competitive, it’s that their teams regularly weren’t. Now, the whole field is closing up so that anyone getting a seat will be in with a shout of points at some stage in a season, and hopefully that will continue to develop to the point of podiums and wins.

Put it this way: As we stand right now, I reckon Logan will pick up a point before the year’s out and end that drought. And if he is able to do that and show how Americans can make it into F1 through the European ladder, then a few more might follow. Add in a strengthening of ties with the U.S. ladder -- which I think we’ll get in the coming years -- and hopefully that becomes the biggest gap between points we’ll see.

Q: If I’m remembering correctly, after Romain Grosjean had his accident in Bahrain, Toto Wolff said that Mercedes would give Romain a test so he could finish his F1 career properly. Am I remembering this correctly? If so, I don’t think it has ever happened. Do you think it will? Have you heard anything about it?

Andy, melting away in Dallas

CM: First up, sympathy for the heat in Texas! As for the Mercedes run for Romain, it was all planned out and set to happen and then COVID restrictions led to it being cancelled in 2021, and last year both sides said it’s still part of the plan but the IndyCar schedule and testing restrictions made it too tough to nail down.

As far as I’m aware, it’s still something both sides are keen to make happen, but given how active Grosjean still is in racing it’s not being rushed through. I reckon we’ll see it eventually.

Q: Out of the three, who’s your odds-on favorite to be signed by Audi/Sauber: Norris, Sainz, or Leclerc?

Also, do you think F1 should switch back to two dry tires instead of three? Feels like the novelty of three tires has worn off, especially when the softest tire of the three is primarily used for qualifying only.

Andrew

CM: I’d actually say Sainz. As much as I expect Audi to be strong, it would just still be a gamble for a Norris or a Leclerc to leave the established teams that brought them into F1, and there’s a lot of time for both McLaren and Ferrari to make further improvements that would convince them to sign further deals where they are. If they look elsewhere, I just don’t see Audi being at the front of the queue given the interest they’ll have.

Sainz has worked with Andreas Seidl though and impressed him enormously, and has shown up well against both drivers. Plus, he’s shown he can adapt to multiple different teams and cars, and would bring varied experience to Audi/Sauber.

And it’s a no from me on the tires. The softest is genuinely designed to largely be a qualifying tire at each venue so that we see cars at their outright fastest but then have something more robust to race on. The majority of grands prix see strategies run on two compounds, but when we get races that allow all three to be used, then the strategic differences can add excitement. 

The heady days of September, 1993: Mariah Carey at the top of the charts with "Dreamlover," "Home Improvement" the number one sitcom, and Michael Andretti putting the U.S. on the F1 podium with McLaren at Monza. And then leaving the team almost immediately afterward, but that's a story for another time. Ercole Colombo/Motorsport Images

Q: Chris, I just read your very good article "Where is F1’s U.S. baseline now?" You and Tyler Epp raised an excellent point about the one thing F1 still needs to do in the U.S. to build a longer-term fan base: engage more directly with fans. I’ve been an F1 and IndyCar fan for many years and F1 is great in many ways, but teams have never been good at that, or have not felt the need to. IndyCar teams have been engaging with fans for a long time. That to me is a critical thing Andretti can bring to F1 in the U.S. that I haven’t heard discussed yet. Direct fan engagement that would be a real ongoing boost. Agree?

Jeffrey Brown, Bernardsville, NJ

CM: Thanks Jeffrey! But to be honest, I don’t think Andretti will bring that much more direct engagement compared to F1 teams now. The amount of engagement definitely seems to have increased in recent years -- what each team does at the North American races is clearly above what they do elsewhere -- but plenty of it is restricted by racing timezones and calendars.

Don’t get me wrong, Andretti would probably be able to engage better and more consistently as a U.S.-based team, but don’t forget it would actually be F1’s global nature that be attractive and while IndyCar gives Andretti a strong American footprint it will be also be looking to engage with fans outside the U.S. if it becomes an F1 team.

It’s certainly not a bad thing, but I don’t think it would be a game-changer in the sense that it would be central to Andretti’s hopes of getting in. I still feel that centers around bringing GM in.

Q: I'm really curious about this Legacy Motor Club/Noah Gragson situation. With the team moving to Toyota next year, I can't imagine Chevy is giving them any meaningful support, especially not if that's going to betray its approach for next season.

Has there been any conversation around LMC leasing that charter out to another Chevy team who can use it to test a younger driver or general setup experimentation for Chevy? I'm imagining a car built and prepared by Spire with Carson Hocevar behind the wheel, and then right before they load it on the truck, they slap a 42 on the door and a Sunseeker logo on the hood.

Maybe LMC doesn't want to do Chevy the favor, but why bother finding replacement drivers for the rest of the year who are willing to get behind the wheel of the slowest car on the track?

Chris, Philadelphia, PA

KELLY CRANDALL: Well, the simple answer is that’s not how it works. Legacy Motor Club has no reason or incentive to move its charter, and no team would do that during the year. Those things need to be done for a full season, and NASCAR has to approve it. The manufacturer has no control over what the team does with its charter. Legacy Motor Club is just trying to get through the season; they haven’t given up on 2022 by any means as they continue to try to make what they have as competitive as it can be, but the hope is to be much better off next season. And to be clear, Legacy Motor Club was never getting much Chevrolet information to begin with because it is not a key Chevrolet partner.

Q: The only manufacturer that still seems to sell a lot of V8 products is Chevy. Does Toyota make a V8? What motors are the NASCAR teams actually running?  

Pete Pfankuch, Wisconsin

KC: All NASCAR Cup Series teams are running V8 engines from their manufacturer.

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller's Mailbag, August 19, 2015

Q: I was looking back at Justin Wilson’s idea to replace catch fencing on ovals with big overlapping metal sheets, since that would be a lot safer for drivers than catch fencing. The obvious drawback is that you can’t put those metal sheets in front of a grandstand, since it obstructs the fans’ views. But what about the areas of ovals without grandstands?

The catch fence that killed Dan Wheldon wasn’t in front of a grandstand -- it was in front of a bunch of billboards and a parking lot. Why on earth was there a spectator-friendly catch fence there instead of something safer for drivers, if there were never going to be any spectators there in the first place? If IndyCar tracks replaced all of the catch fences on ovals that aren’t in front of grandstands with Wilson’s metal sheet idea, they could cut the amount of oval catch fencing almost in half, and they could have it done by the start of next season. That would be a big step forward for driver safety, and it wouldn’t obstruct a single fan’s view of the action. It would cost some money, but I don’t think it would be outrageously expensive, and if the series had done this four years ago, Wheldon would probably still be alive.

Tracks could cut down on catch fencing exposure even more by designing a removable metal plate system that can be bolted on to existing catch fences and can be put up/taken down in a few hours. That would enable tracks to put up the metal plates in front of a grandstand when that stand is closed, and take down the plates when the stand has fans in it. That might have saved Tony Renna, and would have probably helped Kenny Brack at Texas as well. The racing world obviously needs to find a safer replacement for catch fencing that can be used in front of grandstands, but, but it’s going to be years, if not decades before we find that solution. Replacing the catch fencing in front of areas without spectators would be a good interim solution that can be implemented very quickly, if the desire is there.

Max L.

ROBIN MILLER: There is no doubt keeping cars and debris out of the grandstand should be all of racing’s paramount concern and some kind of a guard like you propose needs to be developed. Tony George took the lead on the SAFER barrier so it would be nice to see NASCAR get out in front of this because if Austin Dillon’s engine goes into the spectators at Daytona we might not be having this discussion. Or any more races.