The RACER Mailbag, February 28

Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. 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: The new DHL livery on Palou’s car is pretty rad. It's good they continue to also have the Indy 500 livery with LBGTQ colors. My question is, why DHL doesn't run that livery at LBGP event as well? Not only because it's other marquee event on the calendar, but city has huge LBGTQ community right off Broadway Ave near the track would be good tie-in. Could bring in that community that's probably hesitant to come out to event, but seeing the Pride livery car may make them feel included. Thoughts?

Bradley Nowell, LBC

MARSHALL PRUETT: It’s a great idea. I’d guess the Indy use is aligned with the biggest spotlight of the year being offered at the 500, which would  -- through the images and messaging from IMS -- reach a much wider audience.

Q: Can you explain in layperson terms how the supercapacitor hybrid concept works? As I understand it, the traditional battery and harvesting does not apply to how a supercapacitor works. Where does the energy come from to utilize? Also, this version of hybrid was necessary because of the need to fit within current chassis and weight configuration. Lastly, does this version have any applicability to Honda and/or Chevy road cars?

Jeff Smith, State College, PA

MP: It is traditional harvesting, actually. It’s no different in concept to a standard "battery" as we think of them in a Tesla or similar; the supercapacitor stores electrical energy it receives from the motor generator unit and releases electrical energy back through the MGU.

The energy is made by a spinning metal drum, the MGU, which is driven by a driveshaft that connects it to the transmission. The MGU is no different in concept than what’s used in a city’s power station, where a shaft is turned at a high rate of speed and spins something akin to an MGU with magnets and coils inside (the 2m15s point of the video below is a good demonstration) the MGU that generates electricity.

Since the existing Dallara IndyCar chassis doesn’t have space to carry a big battery, the miniaturization offered with supercapacitor cells was the smart direction to go. Supercaps charge quickly, and since they aren’t big and can’t hold a ton of energy, they also get depleted rather quickly.

I’m not aware of any road-car applications for Chevy or Honda due to the small amount of energy that can be held compared to a traditional battery.

Q: I have been involved with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar racing since 1954. This will mark my 70th consecutive year at IMS and my family’s 104th year and five generations at IMS. I served on the USAC tech committee for 10 years. My company has been a primary sponsor on two race cars, has presented awards to participants and placed advertisement in the programs. I was honored to be on Tony Hulman’s personal credential list for the past 53 years.

I enjoyed the golden years at IMS in the 1950s and ’60s. In the ’70s I watched USAC try to sanction a 200mph sport with their 100mph mentality. I saw the politics of the 1963 and 1966 finish, the 1967 STP Paxton turbine and the Scott Goodyear black flag as the beginning of the decline of IndyCar racing.

When Mr. Hulman passed away in 1977, then came incompetent leadership of IMS and USAC, the politics of USAC/CART, the Split, the IRL and the collapse of CART.

With the news that Roger Penske is the new owner of IMS and IndyCar, there was hope that IndyCar racing would be brought back to its former glory. This has not happened.

Other than the Indianapolis 500, IndyCar is racing in front of empty grandstands, poor TV ratings, sad corporate sponsorship, and forgetting their old friends for their new friends. Unfortunately, there are not many new friends.

The Penske ownership of IMS has done away with so many of the Indianapolis 500 traditions that made it the greatest spectacle in racing and one of the all-time great iconic sporting events in the world.

The Indianapolis 500 might survive without an IndyCar series, but the IndyCar series cannot survive without IMS.

It seems that Penske leadership is attempting to carry IndyCar racing on the back of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tony George attempted to carry the IRL on the back of IMS and it did not work. He who forgets history is doomed to repeat it. Is IndyCar racing repeating its history under the leadership of Penske ownership?

My biggest disappointment in the 70 years that I have been involved with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar racing is the ownership and leadership of Roger Penske. So much for the long hoped-for Savior.

Yes, I will be there with my son on race day. I pray for a fast, safe, green flag and dry Indianapolis 500. Looking forward to “Gentlemen, start your engines.”

David Felstein, Terre Haute, IN

MP: With Katherine Legge rumored to be in the second Coyne car at Indy, at least, if not all of the ovals, I’m expecting to hear "Drivers, start your engines," rather than "Gentleman." I hate to hear about your disappointments, especially after spending a lifetime at the 500, but you aren’t alone.

Be it rainbow spec or regular spec, Palou's DHL color scheme looks very cool. Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

Q: Not sure if you watched TBS' NBA All-Star Saturday night but the introduction was led by the Borg-Warner Trophy, faces from the trophy speaking, and pictures of Indy 500 drivers and cars. I thought it was very well done and provided cross-promotion. Not sure if IndyCar was involved but if not they should contract the creators to develop cross-promotion videos.

It got me thinking about the Pat McAfee Show, which is set in Indy and on ESPN daily and YouTube. They have the desired audience. What if IndyCar asked Pat McAfee to set up a remote broadcast during practice and had drivers, crew, etc., drop by during the show? If Pat and his hosts have not been to Indy, I think they would be blown away and be a natural promoter. Your thoughts?

Last, I wondered if you have talked with any Formula E drivers, because it seems to me it would be a strange/new experience to drive without engine revs to help with shifting and braking. Sense of hearing seems to be useless.

Rick, Miami, FL

MP: Hi, Rick, yes, I shared the intro moments after it aired.

Getting McAfee involved would be a coup, especially considering that he’s highly employed by ABC/ESPN, IndyCar’s former TV partner and key rival to its current partner NBC. Pat did some things with Conor Daly years ago when he wasn’t affiliated with a major/competing network, and that got some traction, but I can’t see how it would happen while he’s being paid a fortune to represent ABC/ESPN.

Yes, I’ve spoken with many past and present FE drivers, and FWIW, the cars aren’t silent. They have mechanical motors that rev and whine, transmissions that whine, and tires that squeal, so there are plenty of audio inputs to use while driving.

Q: If I am correct, IndyCar will begin the season running the updated lightweight driveline components without the hybrid system. Then something latter this season the hybrid system parts will be added.

My question is, are the Indy-only teams such as Dreyer & Reinbold required to update their cars to run Indy even they won’t be running at any other races this year?

John, Indianapolis, IN

MP: Yes, indeed. The hybrid specification for the DW12, even though it won’t have the MGU and ESS in the bellhousings, is now required at every test going forward and in every race this season. That means DRR, Abel Motorsports, and any other Indy-only entries must be in full 2024 specifications for the Indy Open Test in April and the Indy 500.

Q: From The Daily Express (London):

"As all three cars crossed the line, Fox announcers were initially unsure of who had clinched victory, blown away by the millimeter ending. But a photo finish showed Suarez of Trackhouse Racing had just pipped his rivals.

"It was an ending for the ages with spectators scarcely believing what they had just witnessed. Suarez led for just nine laps during the race and claims his second win. Yet it is still behind the closest finishes at Darlington in 2003 and Talladega in 2011, with both of those coming in at 0.002 seconds."

Indy Lights had exciting finishes like this in the Freedom 100; and IndyCar had them at Texas. [OK, Ross Chastain’s "Hail Melon" at Martinsville was one we’ll never see in open wheel.]

Fans want excitement on the track, plain and simple. Both Chastain’s and Suarez’s finishes -- and Little Al vs Scott Goodyear in ’92 -- made highlight reels all over the world.

Provide a product people want to watch… and they will.

Dan Schwartz, Atlanta, GA

MP: Yes they will!

Q: ESPN is now running regular F1 ads stating it is the"‘greatest spectacle in motor sports."  And The Rock said something similar pre-race Daytona 500. I know IndyCar has been quick to put a halt to this in the past, so it seems these other series are dancing around what is actually trademarked. Do we know what IndyCar actually has trademarked with the "greatest spectacle" phrasing?

Jim Fillmore

MP: Yep, it’s a proper trampling of the trademark IMS has held for about 40 years. Its "The Greatest Spectacle In Racing" is what I’ve understood to be trademarked since the mid-1980s.

If there’s a way to fix that inappropriate usage and kill the rampant and epically stupid practice of calling the winner of the Indy 500 a "champion," we’d have a double win.

IndyCar needs to jump in and trademark '"he Fastest Spectacles in Racing" in case Max Verstappen ever requires glasses. Motorsport Images

Q: What if IndyCar would adopt a naturally-aspirated V10 formula rather than go down the hybrid route like every other major series? Every manufacturer still loves making fossil fuel burning high-performance cars and yet there’s no place for them to showcase it.

IndyCar should create a great-looking car, and be the place for manufacturers to do something besides trying to appease people who don’t watch or go to races anyway and be the series that people will love for basically giving the finger to the establishment. My son is 20 years old and all he and his friends want is to see and hear something that they can only find in YouTube videos of the past with F1 cars that made your ears bleed. I’d bet money that if IndyCar would do this, they’d attract more manufacturers as most all of them are still making 7-800hp naturally-aspirated engines because they love it and realize there’s a market for it.

IndyCar is so far behind, but yet they’re acting as though they’re creating something new. They should just realize that they’re in the entertainment business and that business for them would be better suited if they’d do something cool right now instead of doing what everyone else has been doing for years.

Leave the high tech to F1, IMSA and Formula E and give folks what they really want, which is ear piercing sounds from 15,000+ rpm and a car that makes people go wow! Adopting a hybrid that may generate 60 extra horsepower on command, on a 12-year old car that now weighs 150+ extra pounds, isn’t going to move the needle.

TK

MP: If IndyCar went to a high-revving V10, it would have happy fans, provided the series still existed, because it would lose all of its auto manufacturers since none of those I know of are trying to make or promote V10s. The other way to think of it is if manufacturers really wanted V10 IndyCars, they’d have been pushing the series to change its formula, but they haven’t. Same goes for F1, where those incredible sounds were first heard by the masses in 1989. I’d love to hear it, but IndyCar’s financial ecosphere would collapse.

Q: I have a close friend who works for FedEx and had a delivery last week to a hipster young adults store called PacSun. My buddy is a big F1 fan and has been since the 1990s. How surprised he was when he dropped off his delivery to see the table up front filled with F1 gear!

Saturday evening, he's telling me this over a nice Thomas Handy -- me, being a fan of the sport even longer, was even more shocked! I had to actually look that up on the PacSun website and there it was: F1 merch.

Never did I ever expect to see this. I remember having to drive an hour to just get a copy of F1 Racing or Autosport magazines.

Is this part of Liberty's push to make the sport more popular in the States, or is it just a thing now with younger people? I know my youngest daughter who is nearly out of high school, had a few mates on her travel soccer team that have worn Lewis/Merc and Charles/Ferrari gear, which was a shock as well.

We keep hearing that the F1 bubble will burst, and sure, eventually it will. But I wonder if the play for Liberty is to make it cool with the younger demographics, thereby extending the popularity of the series?

Andrew

MP: From 30 seconds of Googling, I see PacSun and F1 are involved in an official collaboration, and yes, F1 is absolutely trying to widen its American fan base and attract new and younger fans.

Q: So many people talk about the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 as "doing the double" but for my money, it's Indy and Le Mans.

With that in mind, who is the most likely to join A.J. Foyt as the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the same year: Scott Dixon, Alex Palou or Romain Grosjean? Wonder what the betting odds are?

In my brief research, only Foyt (both in 1967) and Graham Hill (Indy 1966, Le Mans 1972) have won both Indy and Le Mans, and only Hill has won Indy, Le Mans and the F1 World Championship.

Stephen Terrell

MP: Dixon and Palou have been the most dominant drivers at the 500 in recent years, so that answer is clear.

Q: Just finished reading the 2024 IndyCar TV schedule. Glad to see there is a disclaimer at end of schedule that says, "Dates, times and networks/platforms are subject to change." I could not believe that Long Beach has been assigned to USA Network. A second-class network for such a premier event is embarrassing! Then the Milwaukee race is delegated to Peacock and USA! This won't help to resurrect the twin bill with high viewership. The Toronto race remains as a perpetual second-class Peacock race. Hoping the Nashville race was going to be a night race, it’s but not at present.

The question is, do you hear of any effort to right these wrongs on schedule? Again, another disappointment added on to all the others of the past six months. I sure hope the Fox interest in getting the TV contract pans out and we get a schedule in the future that does justice to all the races.

Dave

MP: They just published the broadcast schedule, and did so much later than expected, so making additional changes is not something I’ve heard of, nor would I expect any changes. I had the same reaction on Long Beach; second biggest race on the calendar… second-tier outlet?

Q: As a follow up to Palmer from Indy's question, per Paul Page's book the oval at IMS is measured at two and a half feet above the white line on the inside of the track. Yes, there is no hard and fast rule, but since he is from Indy maybe he was wondering about IMS.

Don Weidig, Canton, OH

MP: Thanks for the share, Don.

Q: I saw the question about track measurements in last week's Mailbag. I can't speak to to all tracks, but according to info in the Floyd Clymer yearbook, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was measured at three feet from the inside of the track.

Stephen Terrell

MP: And thanks as well, Stephen.

Q: With regards to the 500, I'm 97% in the camp of, if you want to race, be in the fastest 33; yet 3% if you want to be in the race, show up for the whole season. How much of the idea to grant guaranteed spots is to keep those already there happy versus trying to get new teams to commit to full-time?

Shawn, MD

MP: Strictly about reducing risks for the full-time teams, not to try and make more full-time teams. Qualifying can be a bit like the stock market where things usually go well, but there’s occasional volatility and unexpected losses occur. This is Penske wanting to erase any question marks about market volatility for charter members and guarantee they always get paid while letting the non-charter entries worry about losing out.

Guaranteed starting spots means all full-timers go into race day with a chance to pose next to this later in the evening. Jake Galstad/Motorspoert Images

Q: This is more so the born and raised NASCAR fan in me typing. I do support guaranteed starting spots to full-time teams in the Indy 500. Usually when it comes to the Indy 500, that is the only race that sees more entries than what any other race sees. So, I am a believer that if you are going to run a full season, then your team and sponsor should be locked into the Indy 500. That way, we don’t have another situation of an fifth-place season points contender missing the show because of a bad qualifying day. And the one-off teams and part-time teams can battle for the remaining spots.

With that said, here is my qualifying idea: There are 27 teams slated to compete full-time in the 2024 season. The 2024 Indy 500 is slated to have 35-36 entries this year. Which means there are eight or nine one-off or part-time teams competing for six available spots. So have Saturday of qualifying weekend be qualifying day for those eight to nine open entries to vie for those six available spots. At the end of that day, two open entries go home, and six of them are in the 500. Sunday can be qualifying day to set the field of 33.

I say that is fair enough because the full-time teams are locked in, and with six open cars in the show, there is still a real possibility that an open car could be a Fast 12 or a Fast 6 qualifier.

Or, here’s another idea: Keep the current qualification format at Indy as is, but eliminate it from being a points race. Just race for the glory and the milk and the trophy and don’t make it a points race that counts towards a championship.

Hope this doesn’t ruffle traditional IndyCar fan feathers!

Kevin Pearman

MP: We need IndyCar’s version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe where there are unlimited realities where all of the different takes on Indy 500 qualifying can exist at the time but in their own realms.

Q: IndyCar hasn’t been shy about promoting Kyle Larson and Fernando Alonso in the 500, but otherwise doesn’t really acknowledge that other racing series exist. Would it be that hard to for IndyCar to set up a wild card entry for select races the way NASCAR and MotoGP do for select races?

Will Coffey

MP: It’s possible if IndyCar would want to do such a thing. Since IndyCar doesn’t own cars and have engines of its own, it would either need to invest in such things to make a ready car available teams from other series or, I’d suggest, connect with its teams and identify the ones that would welcome running an extra car and establish a business link -- one that gets the team paid -- to field the car.

Q: Nashville resident observing the comments on the venue change.  Apologies if I have missed anyone's earlier comments on this same line of thinking.

The popular view has been that the change is part of mismanagement, or a conspiracy created by Big Machine. My pragmatic view is that municipal and commercial resources could not unilaterally agree to a solution in a timely manner.

Creating a new circuit down Broadway would likely result in the pit lane being on Broadway, as it is the only street wide enough to support the infrastructure. This could negatively impact access to the myriad of bars on Broadway hoping for a huge influx of money.

The Speedway has:

Personally, I find it infinitely easier to attend events at the Speedway than downtown or at the fairgrounds.

David D Franzen, Franklin, TN

MP: Great insights, David. No doubt about a purpose-built speedway being the easier venue to turn on and for fans to use.

Q: Can we get the Freedom 100 back on Carb Day? Watching the big cars warm up and pit competition is nice but the 100 was great racing.

John Sedlak, Venice, FL

MP: We cannot. The big crashes Penske saw in the Freedom 100s scared the race out of existence.

Q: This is not a question so probably won’t be published, but I am 76 years old and have been to 44 Indy 500s as well as more IndyCar and CART races than I can count. Unfortunately, I am less able to travel than I used to.

Guaranteed spots for the Indy 500: yes please. Reward the teams and sponsors that are willing to commit the time and resources to run the entire season with the opportunity to run the world’s greatest race. There are still spots left for bumping by today’s standards. If you want a guarantee, then commit to the sport. If 34 or more teams commit to the season then bumping will still take place. If 33 commit, what a great racing season that would be.

Jim, Phoenix, AZ

MP: Not sure why we wouldn’t run this, Jim. The Mailbag is a public forum, and your take on the situation is as important as any other.

Q: How likely do you think it is that IndyCar produces a significant enough cost reduction in its engine formula to keep Honda? Do you get the sense that Honda's concerns are falling on deaf ears, or is the series brass truly motivated to keep them around?

Joe

MP: I know for a fact that Honda’s warning shot was heard and felt by IndyCar’s owner and his executive leadership. I can’t say on the motivation side; we know they will say in public that they value all of their partners and want to keep them, but time will tell if IndyCar turns words into action.

Q: I know the last trip didn't do well due to bad calls in race control, but it sure would be cool to see IndyCar back at New Hampshire! They'd be the most exciting thing to hit the flat-ish one mile oval since Eastern modifieds. NASCAR is pretty boring there, and NHMS is down to one Cup race anyway.

Barry Burke, Middletown, CT

MP: I’m down with the idea, provided Firestone brings oval rain tires and Team Penske brings bird repellent for Will Power.

Hey, it's a change from letters suggesting IndyCar goes back to Cleveland. Paul Webb/Motorsport Images

Q: I fall into the group that fell in love with IndyCar back in the very early ’90s when it was on par with, or above, any other form of racing in the U.S. I have been attending races regularly since then, Milwaukee, Road America and Iowa Speedway. It has been an idea of mine for some time that to appeal to younger fans, IndyCar should be direct as well as online.

The direct part would involve multiple trailers with show cars in tow. These trailers with the cars in tow and "teams" of younger excited presenters reach out to larger school districts and the junior high-upper elementary and high schools, one or two months in advance of a race in an area. I would think the very real STEM aspect of the car would allow for an assembly. Present the technical aspects, wings you see and those you don’t, pit stop strategy, etc., interspersed with some exciting video on track. The cars would be there to see up close so they can take pictures and be used to emphasis science and math aspects.

Point out some of the setups for differing tracks, road course vs oval vs street circuit etc.. The presenters could do multiple 45-minute presentations a day and the students leave with voucher for a free ticket with a paid adult electronic, and paper. Point out the access to the cars/drivers in the paddock area, multiple support series, etc. Support all this with links on IndyCar website, YouTube, etc., for parents and kids, specifically tailored to family friendly day/weekend at these events. This would provide air support for the teams at the schools prior to and after the assemblies.

I would think keeping track of number of vouchers out and then those redeemed would make it easy to track its success. Presenting to potentially thousands of new young fans with attending adults would seem like a viable path to put more butts in seats? Perhaps, this would be viewed as too much work?

Doug Postel

MP: Before he was asked by Jim France to run IMSA and become its new president, John Doonan create a program as the head of Mazda Motorsports where this exact program was heavily funded and seriously impactful during the Mazda RT24-P DPi program. I did a story back then on how Mazda sent a show car to local schools right before a IMSA race, sent some of its factory drivers, and they put on STEM presentations to school-age kids and brought lessons on aerodynamics, physics, etc.

All Penske, who races in the series that Doonan leads, needs to do is call and ask for the playbook he created at Mazda.

Q: According to my very smart phone, Nashville Speedway is around a 12-minute drive from downtown Nashville. I don't know the cost, but it strikes me as a great idea for the promoter to offer regular coaches from the track to all the downtown festivities and lodging. I would consider attending if they did.

Being in downtown Nashville for the weekend and able to partake at my leisure without worrying about driving anywhere to see a race is pretty compelling. Heck, they could have people promoting and selling tickets downtown as close to an hour or so from the green flag. Run the coaches on a consistent basis and play IndyCar highlights or "100 Days To Indy" on the screens. Put drivers' headshots on the outside.

My first notion was that this was silly, and yet the more I think about it, the more I think it would be great to be able to jump back and forth from the track to downtown in air-conditioned comfort. The devil is in the details and they'd need nice coaches and a commitment to running them as much as needed, or it won’t work. But do that and make it obvious to all how it worked, and it could be something. Maybe. Perhaps TK can get his CDL in time?

George, Albuquerque, NM

MP: It’s about a 30-40-minute drive, as I recall from doing it a few times back in the day, but it’s not crazy-far. But that’s why I’m not sure this would be a real draw. It’s not far, so staying downtown and doing the Uber/Lyft routine to and from is a no-brainer. Renting a bunch of buses to do half-hour rides sounds like a way to lose money.

Q: Thanks for the article about the IMS safety upgrades. When Kirkwood's wheel took flight last year, I'm sure I wasn't alone in my great fear -- immediately for the lives of the spectators, and to a much lesser but still important extent, the future of the Speedway and the series. Just a small change in the trajectory of that wheel and things could have been catastrophic.

Have you heard whether any additional measures are being contemplated to protect spectators? More to the point, have the Speedway's/IndyCar's insurers required additional measures in order to maintain coverage? Of course, this is racing so there can never be any assurances of complete safety, but I'm wondering if outside forces may require IndyCar to redouble its already-significant efforts in this regard.

Peter, NJ

MP: As you might expect, the series/IMS won’t talk about insurance -- I asked -- and I’m told that no changes to the existing Turn 2 fencing are planned, which also aligns with our not mentioning any changes in last week’s story about other safety changes made for May. Your question was helpful because it confirmed the future part of the puzzle; I knew there weren’t any changes so far, and now we know there aren’t any on the schedule.

Q: I recently saw this press release about a significant milestone in a GM + Honda hydrogen fuel cell partnership.

"In a pivotal moment in the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell systems, GM and Honda today announced the start of production at their 50-50 joint venture production facility, FCSM. FCSM is the first large-scale manufacturing joint venture to build fuel cells."

There are other great quotes in there but here's the relevant question: With their symbiotic relationship over the past decades in IndyCar already, combined with Honda's recent comments about ROI requirements and their effect on the future of Honda in the series, could this FCSM partnership be a path to a common power unit?

It's new technology, not a 2009 F1 hybrid retread idea like the upcoming iteration. It's not BEV like Formula E. It would position IndyCar as a place where new technology is introduced, could get Honda it's ROI, and could actually get back to the idea of racing technology and development making its way into GM and Honda street vehicles.

I honestly have no idea if hydrogen is even a good fit for a series like IndyCar, but if it's feasible do you know if they are discussing this with the OEMs?

Dave

MP: I don’t know if this specific tech has been pitched by the series, but I’d guess Chevy and Honda have raised it with the series as something to think about. The series wants to get hybridization across the starting line before going too far into the minutia on future engine formulas.

Q: Since much discussion has been put into the season finale at Nashville or Gateway or wherever, I would like to add my two cents. A quick bit of research (helping my memory) tells me Road America hosted at least half a dozen CART races in September and a few more at the tail end of August. I went to every one of them, a crisp fall Wisconsin day, trees have a tinge of color... what would be a better place to end the year than right there? We all know from history that the place will be packed; just make sure the Packers are out of town that weekend! What you say?

Dan C

MP: Boom. A winner. Plus, the beer is waaaaay better at Road America.

Season finale at Road America? Count us in. Motorsport Images

Q: I've recently learned of Indy's safety upgrades, including new fencing in Turns 3 and 4, as well as safer barrier foam all around the track. I appreciate the efforts.

Given the 2023 accident in Turn 2 when a wheel came off Kyle Kirkwood's car and went over the catch fence into a parking area, have there been any safety changes to prevent or reduce this from happening again? I know all risk cannot not be eliminated, but I would have thought at least something would have been done and made public...

Mark Herbert

MP:  I’m not aware of any fencing changes to Turn 2, but the series has mandated new rear suspension components for Indy and the other ovals that further address the failure that allowed Kirkwood’s hub assembly to break free from the car.

Q: I read several snippets in last week's Mailbag about the possibility of Honda leaving IndyCar and going to NASCAR. Objectively speaking, I think this makes a lot of sense. Think of the publicity generated for Honda if Honda Cars could say, "Our Honda Accord beat the Toyota Camry at the Daytona 500" or anywhere else.

Jerry, Houston

MP: Indeed. If Honda leaves for NASCAR, which I only hear more chatter about these days, it would be for the reason Honda’s Chuck Schifsky told us about late last year: Return On Investment.

Doing NASCAR would cost a ton more than IndyCar, but the costs could be justified by the bigger TV ratings and bigger crowds at more of its events. This has never been about Honda being poor or being unwilling to write huge checks. It’s been centered on how much it spends in IndyCar and how much it gets in return for it, and as Honda told us, the balance -- for them -- is off. That means IndyCar needs to increase the measurable areas of value like TV ratings and crowd size or bring the costs for Honda to compete way down to being in line -- better balanced -- with the smaller returns they’re seeing.

Q: I have a thought on the full-time IndyCar teams being guaranteed a spot in the Indy 500. What if one of the full-timers doesn't qualify in the top 33, and Kyle Larson does, but is the slowest of the part-timers? He would be then bumped from the race. I think this would have a huge negative impact on the TV ratings, as many NASCAR fans who normally don't tune in, would this year if Larson were in the race. This rule could also deter other NASCAR drivers from wanting to race at Indy.

James, Ontario, Canada

MP: I think we’re missing the point that guaranteed entries can’t fail to qualify, so it wouldn’t matter if their qualifying speed was 30mph or 300mph. For guaranteed entries, the only question is where they’d start in the field of 33, not whether they would be in the field of 33.

Q: I am curious to know what the ideal Indy 500 looks like to Marshall, Chris, Kelly and the commenters in 100 years. Powertrain type? Speed? Length still 500 miles? Ol' Penske still kickin' it? Track fan capacity? Snake Pit? Official beer? I want answers to it all. Get creative with it.

Andy, Warsaw, IN

MP: That might be the silliest question of all time, Andy. It will be the Dallara DW12, in its 113th season of use, with hybrid 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engines, the same speeds, and still doing 500 miles. I’m sure the beer will expensive and tasteless, and Bret Michaels will be in his 100th year of residency at the Snake Pit. There will be no human fans; it’ll all be sentient hybrid and EVs watching from the infield.

CHRIS MEDLAND: Powertrain can almost be anything as long as it’s loud – the visceral experience of a pack of cars at that speed making such a noise is incredible. But I’d hope speeds have gone up (as safety has improved) because pushing the boundaries and setting records is always so exciting and addictive.

Surely you can't change the length, but give me even more fans and perhaps a special way for workers to get in so they don’t have to beat the cannon! Oh, and more guest drivers. I love seeing how they get on, and think it gives casual fans even greater appreciation of how good the best are.

Q: I read an article saying that two executives of Audi that were instrumental to the Audi F1 program have left the company. The new Audi CEO is said to be lukewarm to the F1 program. Could this be an opening for Andretti Cadillac to possibly buy Sauber?

Frank, Mooresville

CM: I’d be amazed if that door opened again, given how it all fell apart when Michael Andretti tried to invest in it a few years ago. That deal appeared to be pretty close but then fell apart due to disagreements over who would actually be running the team, as Andretti wasn’t getting full control.

There’s a glide path to the investment that means Audi does already own a percentage of Sauber, and I think the speculation actually comes more from the lack of involvement from Audi up to this point. It doesn’t want to spend money on someone else’s team at this stage, and similarly current owner Finn Rausing doesn’t want to invest more in a team that Audi will take over soon as he doesn’t get a return on that.

It’s kind of left the team in limbo, but if I was Andretti I would sit tight because if there’s any change of heart from within Audi and it is keen to sell, then he’s going to be the first person that gets a call.

Q: The first F1 test sessions are over and we didn’t hear much about Mercedes. Obviously way too early to know the true performance of each car but Lewis going to Ferrari got me wondering…

Do drivers have an idea how the car will perform before the first test? Would make sense that simulation and wind tunnel data is shared with each driver before those test sessions begin. Could Lewis have seen something in the data he didn’t like (prompting him to exercise his “get out” option)? I know it sounds all conspiracy theory but I can’t help thinking that drivers have a good idea what the performance of the car should be before they even begin testing. Possibly he wasn’t seeing any gains being made in this year’s model?

Darrin, Brentwood, TN

CM: Yes they’ll have some knowledge, but only on this current car, and that means if Ferrari were to show the same data to Lewis after he signed (highly unlikely but you never know) then it still only shows him which one offers up better numbers in simulation for 2024. What matters to him is 2025.

It tends to be other tangibles that can be used to attract a driver. Things like people who have been hired but not announced yet, or facilities that are being improved or invested in. Picking between Ferrari and Mercedes at the moment is a really tough choice as both have cars that perform at similar levels, and I don’t think that would be cleared up by wind tunnel data or how the car handles on the sim.

Something Mercedes showed Hamilton back in 2012 (to sign him for the following year) clearly convinced him, and I think that was the work being done on the 2014 power unit -- the same one Mercedes would get -- but why it was so important to integrate that with car design. This time around, I feel like it was more personal factors like contract length and feeling like Mercedes hadn’t listened to him last year when it came to car development that played a bigger part. That, and the fact it was now or never to make the move.

Q: Not sure if this question is best suited for Marshall or Kelly, but I'm curious about the state of the NASCAR charter negotiations. Most (but not all) who speak on the matter (teams, series leadership, press) seem pretty confident that a deal will get done and that a split or anything like that is nearly unthinkable. I imagine that was also true at some point before the CART/Indy situation turned a corner and went hurdling beyond the point of no return.

My question is, what do you think was at play 30-ish years ago in open-wheel racing that isn't at play in the current NASCAR negotiations? Is it just that we're talking about so much more money now with NASCAR that none of the parties could afford walking away from each other? I assume the truth is, as with all things, quite a bit more nuanced than that. Very interested in any informed insight or wildly irresponsible conjecture you might be able to offer.

Chris M, Portland, ME

MP: There was no real money from TV contracts in the CART franchise days, so it was more about owners taking control of the series they created and/or supported. It’s quite the opposite for NASCAR team owners.

KELLY CRANDALL: I can’t speak to the open-wheel situation because that was before my time and I don’t feel educated enough on the subject. But yes, on the NASCAR side, they feel confident a deal will get done, and I think the teams do, too. It’s a matter of everyone getting what they want. There has been no murmurs from either side about breaking away. It just doesn’t seem logical or financially responsible by the teams, whose whole argument is about needing more money to be profitable and healthy. Marshall can better dig into the open-wheel side of how that works, but also remember that when it comes to NASCAR, it is a private company so I think that makes these business dealings different and more complex behind the scenes as well.

The difference between the current NASCAR charter negotiations and the CART era can be summed up in three characters: TV$. Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Images

Q: In this day and age of the NASCAR charter system, how do Cup Series teams who do not have a charter survive?

Kurt Perleberg

KC: It’s very, very tough Kurt. The charter teams are guaranteed a fixed portion of the purse money whereas the open teams do not, so they receive considerably less purse money. So, when you do see open teams, they have worked very hard to put a deal together with some funding behind it so that it makes sense to even enter a race. But those teams are hardly competitive, and you might say the love of racing is what keeps them coming back (because it’s not the money).

Q: Considering you are supposed to be journalists, someone who is by design of the job, required to speak truth to power, it therefore begs anyone with a true sense of the idea of what truly constitutes sport to ask why does nobody classed as an auto racing journalist call out the sanctioning bodies for employing gimmicks such as giving laps back, late-race cautions and overtime as nothing more than entertainment, akin to Roller Derby or Professional Wrestling?

When a sport manipulates the proceedings to create artificial close finishes, it tarnishes it in a manner similar to being a musician lip syncing songs.

But I suppose like the quote by Upton Sinclair rings true in auto racing journalism. “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

If a person plays the stock market and picks a stock that goes down in value, they don’t have a pause in trading in order to allow everyone to regroup on equal footing and pick another stock, you have to try and dig yourself out of the hole you created for yourself.

Auto racing journalists do a severe disservice to motorsports by playing along with what is a form of racing socialism, not unlike the dreaded Balance of Performance.

Shame on you!

Gary De Bock, Delhi, Ontario, Canada

KC: NASCAR gets called out when it deserves to get called out. I have not agreed with every rule or format it has implemented, but I also don’t need to beat a dead horse every day or every week about it. Sorry, Gary, but I’m not feeling much shame over here. I hope you have a blessed day.

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller's Mailbag, February 22, 2017

Q: In the last couple years Roger Penske has hired Simon Pagenaud, Juan Pablo Montoya and Josef Newgarden and I am happy for them. But every time I see a new driver get their chance with Penske I get depressed because its another reminder to me that I feel robbed of not being able to see what Greg Moore would have done for The Captain. No offense to Simon, Juan or Josef -- as good as they are I don’t feel like they are as talented as Moore. I thought he was in a league of his own and his last year of Indy Lights was just domination plain and simple.

I watched Moore take the Mercedes engine, which was not as strong as Honda, and blow by the Ganassi boys twice late in races at Rio and Michigan in 1998, which was a thing of beauty. If the Split never happened and Moore would have stayed his entire career in IndyCar with RP I am sure we would have got to see him pull a daring move going into Turn 1 in the last laps to take my breath away just like he did to Zanardi at Rio. If fate wouldn’t have been so cruel and the split never happened, do you think Greg could have been the first five-time winner at Indy and would he have got to 50 career wins?

Ryan Mac

ROBIN MILLER: Let’s rewind a minute. Helio Castroneves took Greg’s place (as he was on his way to sign up with Morris Nunn) and he’s won three Indy 500s and twice finished second, so I think it’s entirely possible that Moore could have been at least a four-timer. He was ferocious on ovals. Fifty wins isn’t out of the question either (Dixon has 40, Dario 31 and Helio 29) when you consider Moore would have likely been a lifer with Penske and devoured the IRL before it became CART Lite. But don’t discredit JPM -- he’s one of the finest racers of the past 25 years and certainly one of the most versatile. Pagenaud is no slouch either with a sports car and IndyCar crown on his growing resume and JoNew has just begun to scratch the surface of his considerable abilities.