The RACER Mailbag, May 1

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.

Editor's note: IndyCar's news cycle has been quite a ride over the past few days, and RACER's readers had a lot to say about the controversy surrounding Team Penske -- far more than we could fit into a Mailbag. To keep things somewhat manageable and minimize repetition, we've chosen a selection of submissions that we feel represents the full spectrum of letters and opinions that we received. Apologies to those whose letters we couldn't fit in, but we hope that you'll still find the answers you were looking for amongst those below. OK, here we go...

Q: Who was it that said, "If you ain't cheatin' you ain't tryin' hard enough"?

Were the penalties honest mistakes by Team Penske, or were they trying to cheat? Since IndyCar found it without much effort, I find it hard to believe that Penske did it deliberately. What do you think?

I think the penalties to Newgarden and McLaughlin were appropriate, but why was Will Power docked points if he didn't use push to pass on restarts?

Doug Mayer

MARSHALL PRUETT: I think it was Ricky Bobby who said that.

There are so many amazing people who work on and run Penske’s cars that I know, and I don’t look at them as being accomplices in or responsible for this nonsense.

There are also so many contradictory statements from Josef Newgarden and Penske president Tim Cindric where Josef swore everyone on his car thought they could legally use P2P like they did at St. Pete, saying “The key difference on the 2 car, which is important to understand, is that somehow, some way, we convinced ourselves that there was a rule change to restarts specifically with overtake usage.”

But the day before, Cindric, the boss and strategist of Newgarden’s car -- the most important member of the "we" Newgarden referred to -- told me this with his managing director Ron Ruzewski on the call: “The number one thing I wanted to understand, that Roger [Penske] wanted to understand collectively is, was this done on purpose? And if so, who, what, where and why? Who would think that they would even remotely get away with something like this? And if we did, for how long?”

So if the No. 2 Chevy team -- again, led by Cindric, the boss of the team, and the boss of the car -- believed they could use the anytime P2P on restarts, why on earth would Cindric launch an internal investigation to find a potential cheater… since, according to Newgarden, everyone on the No. 2 car thought what they were doing was legal?

Both things can’t be true. At least one must be false. So which is it?

Have you ever heard of a situation where a team, which thought they weren’t cheating, searched for a cheater?

It’s just insulting. As my father would say when he thought someone was lying, "Don’t piss on my head and tell me it’s raining."

And for the sake of absolute clarity, not once did Cindric or Ruzewski tell me in our 45 minutes that they were confused about the rules. Not once. Never hinted at. Never alluded to. Never mentioned.

I doubt we’ll ever know for sure, but Newgarden did himself no favors -- at least within the paddock -- by doing that press conference and directly and publicly contradicting what Cindric told us in our story that went up a few hours earlier. Instead of calming the waters, the contradictions, which is what triggered so many alarm bells in the paddock, made matters worse.

On the Power situation, he should have had entrants’ points taken away; that’s the championship for the teams, and this was a team thing where Power’s car was in an illegal specification. Taking 10 points from the drivers’ standings when he didn’t use the button illegally is hard to understand.

And so it begins... Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

Q: Understanding the importance of the integrity of the sport and its history of creative gamesmanship, are we making too much of Team Penske’s infraction?

Gary, from The Road

MP: We aren’t. If this was Joe Smith Racing, it would have been more of of a nothingburger -- an oops by a small team that’s not a championship or Indy 500 winner with decades of operating as the gold standard in the series.

Instead, it’s the team owned by the guy who owns the series, whose team fielded illegal cars that exploited the illegality to finish a demonstrative first, and to a lesser degree, finish a distant third. This is such a terrible look and loss of respect for the series.

Q: Rather than going on a lengthy screed there is one word to describe Newgarden's and Cindric's verbal behavior at Long Beach -- irony. What will be the ultimate punishment for Team Penske? In-depth analysis of 2023 with Newgarden's Indy 500 win being voided? Or sponsor withdrawal either all or in part if the further investigation goes sideways for Penske? Keep us posted, as always, of this black eye for IndyCar racing. A damn shame.

Diana

MP: IndyCar told us it has looked through 2023’s data, found nothing, and this is a closed matter. I would rather have seen an external investigator brought in to do a multi-year review. That takes the burden of pressure on IndyCar president Jay Frye -- the series' commissioner -- having to investigate the guy who signs his checks, and would probably ease a lot of the paddock’s concerns that this is being put to rest too swiftly instead of hiring an independent firm to do a full compliance dive.

Time will tell if the team will bear any financial repercussions.

Q: Thank you for the explanation of the penalties to Newgarden and McLaughlin. It seems to me both drivers knew about the push-to-pass violation or why would they even push the button at the start and restarts? I cannot imagine drivers pushing the button when they know it is disabled. And according to your report it seems Chevrolet would have been aware of the violation as they track the data of each car but remained silent.

I know the St. Petersburg race is not as large as the Rolex 24 but seems what Penske did is not very different from what the Michael Shank team did -- manipulation to gain an advantage. A big difference for me was Honda reported to IMSA what they found, Chevrolet did not report to IndyCar. Your thoughts?

Rick, Miami

MP: Drivers push the disabled button all the time across most teams, so that is real.

So far, Chevy has avoided the data review topic altogether.

I’d like to see a new self-reporting clause in the rulebook that comes with an eight-race ban for teams/manufacturers who fail to self-report. If the data showing a violation sits for more than seven days without it being handed over to the series, we’ll see you and your car/your brand’s car eight races from now.

Call it the "F*** Around and Find Out" rule.

Q: Did other teams testing the hybrid bypass the push to pass too? That would make a difference to me. If they did then I can accept Penske’s explanation, but if not I am skeptical.

Geoff Branagh

MP: Four main teams conducted hybrid testing where the ECUs allowed full-time use of P2P. Arrow McLaren, Andretti Global, and Chip Ganassi Racing all managed to make sure the hybrid software configuration on their test cars’ central logger unit (CLU) was not loaded into their 11 combined race cars that arrived at St. Pete.

Also, most teams, I’m told, do not manipulate the CLU code to give the ECU the all-day green light to give P2P. They use a beacon system, just as IndyCar does at the races, to send a signal to open P2P. I’ve had more than one high-level IndyCar data engineer (who are responsible for working with the CLU) tell me Penske’s alleged methods of making P2P work at the test are not the standard practice.

Q: Like Colton Herta said, everybody knows the P2P rules. Hell, everyone watching on TV knows the rules. The announcers usually tell us when drivers are "on the button" and we always know how much P2P remains. How was this hidden or unknown on the restarts?

TJ Spitzmiller, Parrish, FL

MP: A possible answer, while the race is live: It’s not something I’d think to look at, and per Cindric in our call, they aren’t looking at the P2P countdown number on timing and scoring, because it’s not active on restarts. At least through Long Beach. I bet every team other than Penske had someone welded to the T&S screen, filming with their phones, watching for any P2P countdown irregularities on restarts.

Q: If an IndyCar driver "reflexively" pushed the P2P button (expecting it to be inactive), and it worked anyway, wouldn't they feel it?

Don, Estero, FL

MP: Yes. Newgarden admitted to knowing it was on and feeling the extra power the three times he used it illegally.

Q: Your interview with Tim Cindric has left more questions than answers in my mind. The P2P programming was a carryover from the August 2023 Sebring test, yet according to Penske and IndyCar it was not used in any of the remaining 2023 events. So how does it suddenly reappear on the cars for the St. Pete race? I wonder if the P2P time used by Penske on restarts at St. Pete was not being logged since IndyCar had the button disabled? This might explain why nobody in race control caught it. This could have given the Penske drivers the old “unfair advantage” of 200+ seconds of P2P during the race.

Ed Davis, Plain City, OH

MP: I listened to an impassioned explanation from one of the paddock’s most successful leaders last weekend about how tricking the P2P system to be used on ovals, to work before and after the allotted 150-200s has been consumed, and other methods of P2P rule bypassing has been done. It makes me think P2P needs to go, because it sounded like it has been an area of exploit for a while.

Is there a case to be made for ditching P2P altogether? Richard Dole/Motorsport Images

Q: Most of us love to hate success and root for underdogs, therefore, I am not a Penske team or driver fan. As the software scandal was coming to light, I wanted Penske and their drivers to pay a bigger price than IndyCar was levying and hoping IndyCar would go back and dig as deep as possible for any potential P2P issues over the last few years. I was rooting for one of IndyCar's most successful teams to be severely punished beyond the initial announcement.

After watching Josef Newgarden's presser, I am extremely impressed at his adult approach to what happened and willingness to take ultimate responsibility. I now want IndyCar to move on and all teams to be aware that cheating or rule breaking would be met with zero tolerance.

In retrospect, I like to be forgiven for my mistakes and don't know why I wasn't willing to give it. After all, it's just sports, right?

Kris Leach, Three Rivers, MI

MP: It is. But we also want to know what we’re looking at isn’t cheap or fake -- if it’s a true sport, that it isn’t an orchestrated deal like the WWE. This Penske debacle has raised those concerns, and all aspects of the team’s recent success have been cast under a spotlight for illegalities.

My issue with the penalties is they were of the obvious variety. A team cheats, gets caught, gets disqualified, loses points, loses money. That’s a by-the-book response that’s entirely predictable in any sport.

What IndyCar didn’t do was show us they’re serious about sending a message, in light of which team this was and who owns it, by doing suspensions, race bans, or outright exclusions for the rest of the year. This wasn’t an illegality that helped the team to place fifth at St. Pete. It was used to win the race by a mile. If you want to show the other teams, and their sponsors, and the manufacturers, and your broadcasters, that this is the most serious offense that can be committed, do more than the predictable response.

The message here is: If you get caught cheating, we’ll take the win away from you and charge a nominal fine. Hell, if that’s the only risk, it seems like the smartest move is to cheat until -- and if -- you get caught.

Q: I wish to divert your attention momentarily from the scandal to delve into two specific aspects related to Penske's performance at the recent Long Beach Grand Prix.

Firstly, let's address the trials faced by Will Power and his team during practice. As you're aware, Power encountered adversity during practice sessions, finding himself in the unfortunate position of kissing the wall not once, but twice. Understandably, such incidents can rattle the resolve of any team. My query is twofold: amidst the setbacks, do the teams harbor frustration, or do they maintain a stoic resolve, appreciating Power's relentless pursuit of perfection in mastering the new corner setup?

My second inquiry pertains to Power's race day strategy. Despite demonstrating formidable pace in both practice and qualifying, Power found himself tasked with a fuel-saving strategy during the race. This decision seems paradoxical, given the undeniable speed exhibited by Power and his car. One can't help but wonder: does such a strategy induce frustration in drivers, knowing they possess a potent weapon beneath them yet are constrained from unleashing its full potential?

Mike, Utah

MP: All depends on the team and driver. If it’s Power, that guy’s golden. If it’s a dud on a bad team and you’re changing bent suspension and broken bodywork for the ninth time this month, it kills your spirit. I’ve been in both situations with a driver we’d do anything for, and one or two others who made the season miserable. On the frustration, yes, of course. Purebreds aren’t meant to trot.

Q: It's been long said in racing that if you ain't cheatin', you ain't trying. Maybe that's the culture of racing, so maybe I should not be too upset about the findings that Team Penske was illegally using the P2P system, but this seems to run much deeper. For starters, this isn't just a team cheating. This is a team whose owner also owns the series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That position requires Roger Penske to be completely fair and even-handed in the operation of his team. Roger Penske's position and status allow him to exert both direct influence and indirect influence as employees may feel compelled to go along for fear of being blackballed.

Team Penske's feeble explanation has made them not only look worse, but appear to be outright liars doubling down in attempt to save face. Now there are suggestions that Team Penske may have been manipulating the P2P system possibly as far back as 2022. They may have won a championship by utilizing this unfair tactic. It also gives legs to conspiracy theories that the 2023 Indianapolis 500 may have not finished under yellow as many thought it should, in the mere possibility of giving Josef Newgarden one more shot at the win. While the P2P clearly was not used at Indy, Penske's power can certainly be seen as influencing decisions about competition on the track.

If the manipulation of the P2P system goes back a couple of years, it clearly was no mistake. In any other sport, this kind of rampant and blatant cheating might easily result in a lifetime suspension. It may not be the Black Sox scandal of MLB in 1919, but the Houston Astros cheating scandal could be an apt comparison. Those involved received long suspensions. So why should Roger Penske get special treatment just because he owns the series?

Imagine this series without Team Penske. It could be a death knell for a sport already facing a questionable future. It probably will not result in the loss of sponsors, but it could. Roger Penske has inflicted more than a black eye to the series, in my humble opinion. He has put the future of the series in danger by tarnishing the integrity of the on-track competition. Hyperbole? Maybe. But is it worth the risk?

So, tell me, why should sports fans tune in to a sport where the series owner will blatantly cheat to give himself the self-proclaimed unfair advantage and then lie about it?

Scott R., Portland, OR

MP: Because it wouldn’t be fair to kill the nine other teams that weren’t caught cheating. And if we tuned out from or turned off all of the things in life where people blatantly lie and take advantage of situations, we’d be left living in the wilderness with the animals. And because of optimism that the series will do better and learn from this in meaningful ways.

Q: A semi-question combined with a rant. So Penske cheats in IndyCar, and Penske cheats in NASCAR with Logano. What else have they been doing? This is not a coincidence anymore. There goes the polished image.

Shameful.

Luc, NL

MP: I’d forgotten about Penske’s DQ from last year’s Watkins Glen 6 Hours IMSA race when its race-winning Porsche 963 was found to be out of technical specification in post-race tech. BMW was awarded its first hybrid GTP win.

Q: This cheating scandal would be a lot more fun if Tim Cindric were banging on trash cans every time Newgarden drove by.

Bill Williams

MP: That’s an Astro-nomical observation, Bill.

Which one is the "Trouble" button? Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

Q: This may go down as one of the biggest scandals that I've seen in the last decade. Do you think Penske was punished more severely because of the team’s last name, or do you see the punishment as fair?

Also, the Firehawk is amazing. We need more of him, not less.

Jason, Terre Haute, IN

MP: I don’t think the punishment was within 100 miles of being severe. This was a slap on the wrist.

Q: Long Beach was a great race because the yellow split the strategies. It could have been better if the alternate tire would degrade more quickly. IndyCar tells us that the harder tires this year are because the weight of the car will be higher after they finally employ their gimmicky hybrid.

I have a suggestion: IndyCar could develop a bolt-in piece that would sit where the capacitors will mount to the engine to replicate their weight, or just admit that Firestone has produced tires that don't have a big performance or durability difference between the two compounds.

P.S. Glad to see that Will Power, unlike his teammates, choose not to cheat.

Matt

MP: They could, but we’re just over two months out from going hybrid and adding a heavy hunk of metal to the cars just to make the tires happier isn’t my first choice. That would also require a decent amount of testing by every team, which costs money and takes time that they don’t have with Indy 500 practice arriving in two weeks.

Q: What are the chances we see some of the newly announced or rumored teams -- i.e. PREMA, Pratt & Miller, Abel etc. -- absorb/buy some of the current teams on the struggle bus? I'm looking at you ECR, Foyt, and Coyne. It would make sense for PREMA to take over ECR, Pratt & Miller to take over Foyt (FPM Enterprises sounds cool) and Abel with Coyne (let the man finally retire!). This makes the most sense instead of increasing grid size and would result in a net gain of quality teams with budget and competence.

Additionally, with the horrific Long Beach TV rating, is RP's throne as the leader of IndyCar getting hotter? Clearly the man does a great job with Team Penske and the 500, but it appears the series is totally out to lunch on the marketing/commercial side. Would love to see Liberty step up and buy half (or whole) or someone else like a consortium of Towriss, Andretti and Zak Brown assume ownership. Penske Entertainment has got to go.

JAH from the Dirty South

MP: I was told by the first team owner about PREMA’s efforts to buy charters on Friday morning, and had more confirm they’d received the same call from the team. None of the teams are looking to sell, to my knowledge. I can’t picture the day where Roger sells or willingly cedes control.

Q: So we’ve now learned that within the space of roughly a week, Team Penske was cheating in NASCAR with Joey Logano’s webbed glove at Atlanta, and cheating at St Petersburg with P2P. Is this just part of the "Penske Way" now? I’ve always had great respect for the team and its accomplishments, but I don’t know if this smell is going to come out in the wash. I hope R.P. or Tim Cindric step up and answer questions from the media about this instead of just hiding behind carefully worded statements.

Ed Fisher, Chicago, IL

MP: Between IndyCar, IMSA, and NASCAR, Team Penske has spent more time over the last 10 months than it would want in those series’ haulers being asked to explain why their cars/drivers don’t conform to the rules.

Q: Racing is all about finding and pushing the boundaries in the gray areas of the rules. It's been that way since humans started competing. But what occurred at St. Pete (at minimum) was not pushing the boundaries, but plain old breaking the rules. I am leaning towards the shared online media opinion that the explanation offered by Team Penske doesn't pass the smell test.

I think McLaughlin was right in putting out a statement. It is being argued about on social media as to whether helps or hurts his cause. I get that Newgarden is probably upset at having the win taken away. But he needs to get a statement issued. In fact, he needed to get his PR people working on it after the race on Sunday in Long Beach. He probably did not know the penalties, but they could have/should have been working on various drafts that can be adjusted quickly and issued. I saw Josef at Carroll University along with Roger Penske recently, and it really looks like Josef is working to position himself for a post-driving career. Taking a long time to issue a statement is not good for that professional image he is cultivating.

John

MP: This was obviously sent before The Josef Show aired on Friday. Know this: The team was instructed not to talk when the thing broke on Wednesday. I’m told McLaughlin fought to speak and share what he did, and ultimately was allowed to do so -- or maybe he defied orders and did it anyway -- and said what he had to say. That’s passion. That’s fighting to be heard. I respect that.

McLaughlin was quick to respond publicly when the P2P issue came to light. Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

Q: My question has to do with the means by which P2P is enabled during any private testing, not merely the recent hybrid tests. I cannot believe that other OEM engine "private" tests in the past didn’t frequently evaluate all the effects when P2P was enabled on a new modification to the engine, given the propensity to blow up plenums back in the early days of these powerplants in the DW12.

Your piece notes that there has been concern in some quarters about the ability of the CLU to load and run rogue code that spoofs the P2P enable signal, and we know that the CLU is always in the signal chain between the beacon and the ECU.

I also recall that even during private testing, a series rep is supposed to be present -- at least, that was in the rulebook for years.

In the absence of a P2P enable being transmitted from race control as I assume would always be the case at these tests, does the series rep show up with a special ECU code package that the OEM engineers load into the ECU that keeps P2P active at all times, that is then removed at the conclusion of the test?

Alternatively, is some "test code" loaded to the CLU that spoofs the P2P enabled signal so the "standard" series controlled layer in the ECU code need not be modified for the test?

Seems to me that the only way Cindric’s excuse holds any water at all is that Penske engineers added something to the standard CLU code to enable P2P for the hybrid test, then inadvertently forgot to remove that modified CLU code.

As far as I can tell, no one has suggested that modified CLU code was cloaking the use of P2P, right?

How many Penske chassis were at the last hybrid test, though? Only one per some sources, so how did any code of any sort, CLU or ECU, end up on the chassis that were not there?

The only thing I can figure in that regard is some engineer mistakenly saved modified CLU code under the wrong file name, which then led to it being loaded in error on chassis that never needed it for testing.

I agree that it seems odd that the series would have the capability to monitor use of P2P when no P2P enable signal was active.

Steve Jarzombek

MP: Thanks for keeping the questions to a reasonable 97. At a hybrid test, teams would run with the ECU unlocked, as I was told by a few data engineers/engine techs. That makes it easy to use P2P, and at that point, it’s just a case of either using a beacon and the MyLaps/CLU to fire the "always on" instructions for P2P into the ECU. The alternate method in lieu of using the beacon, as Cindric described, was to change the P2P code in the CLU to give the "always on" signal.

The four main hybrid test teams set aside a hybrid test car. One data engineer, who was at those tests, says they would fire themselves if they copied anything over from the hybrid car to their race cars. But that’s what Cindric says they did.

Q: Can I make a few of copies or screenshots of your comments regarding the lack of response from IndyCar regarding Mannii wanting to do something at Long Beach? I have no idea who Mannii is, but anyone with that amount of followers certainly merits a response. I want let to Bud Denker or Mark Miles or Roger Penske or Doug Boles know what an opportunity they lost. Influencers get young people involved and interested these days. It's not "put up a billboard" or "buy an ad" anymore.

Not sure how much it would have cost to provide a media credential (a few minutes of effort?) for Mannii but I guarantee IMSA understood the value of responding and got great exposure to a new audience that probably never heard of them before. I also don't know why IndyCar doesn't just hire five kids with degrees in social media fresh out of college each year to try to get out of the dark ages of marketing. Seems like a no-brainer. (Just like a race in Mexico City.)

Also did IndyCar target any social media/ marketing in the LA area to the Latino community with Pato?  Big-time Latino car culture in LA. Or did they miss an opportunity there?

Ed D., Milford, MI

MP: I got one call from the series asking about the Mannii situation. If I’m ever asked to connect another influencer with the series, I’ll be connecting with a different person…

I don’t keep track of who the series reaches out to for influencers, but the GP did have Gabriel Iglesias as its grand marshal who gave the command to start engines. Fluffy seemed like a pretty big get.

Q: I wanted to say what great news it is to hear Zak Brown is going to contribute to the marketing task force at IndyCar.

I was at Long Beach last week and McLaren-branded shirts, caps and other kit were by far the most common among spectators. I, myself, was sporting my AR7 shirt.

McLaren gear ruled the roost. The second most common kit I saw was anything F1-related. I really only saw a smattering of other IndyCar team gear in comparison. There is an obvious bump marketing-wise by having teams in IndyCar and F1 at the same time, too.

So with just a few years in IndyCar, Brown and his team have turned McLaren into the top-selling brand by my observation. I'm excited to see if he can bring some of that badly-needed magic to IndyCar itself.

Adam H, Simi Valley, CA

MP: Zak and I planned to meet up over in the HMSA Historic IndyCar paddock about an hour before the Sunday race at Long Beach. Tight window, but I was also going to make an introduction to a friend he wanted to meet, and do so away from the ever-present "Drive To Survive" mob that follows him. It never happened. We were within 5-10 feet of each other the whole time, but the 15 minutes we’d set aside was filled with non-stop photo requests and adoring folks who wanted to tell him something. We chatted for maybe 30 seconds as he left, but damn, even in a far-away corner of the paddock where I thought we’d have some peace, his presence -- as a team boss, not even as a driver -- was 15-deep within a minute, about 30-deep in two minutes, and just ridiculous after three.

I share that little tale to reinforce how powerful McLaren, its drivers and DTS have become as a brand. They’re so far out ahead, at least in IndyCar, that second place can’t be seen. Great for them, but sad for the rest.

Q: In last week's Mailbag, Gary B wrote in asking why the Long Beach Grand Prix was shown on USA, instead of NBC. The answer is the LBGP was up against The Chevron Championship, an LPGA major. Viewership reportedly peaked at 1.9 million, significantly more than the LBGP ratings mentioned. Nelly Korda had won five in a row, and LPGA viewership has been trending up. She's a star, and probably has more name recognition than any current IndyCar driver. It's hard to believe that IndyCar and NBC don't realize the importance of the LBGP to the series and viewership and schedule when it can be shown on network television.

Erik, Long Beach, CA

MP: Long Beach’s number last year was 1.1 million, so based on what the LPGA delivered, NBC made the right choice because we haven’t seen 1.9 million at any race other than the Indy 500 in forever.

It blows my mind that anybody thinks golf is more exciting than IndyCar at Long Beach, never mind 1.9 million anybodies. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images

Q: I recall being a wide-eyed 11-year-old standing on the Plant Field clay next to the Black Deuce Bardahl Special that Pete Folse had driven to victory in the IMCA sprint car feature. Car owner Hector Honore was also standing there. I did not recognize him, so I asked "Mr. Bardahl?"

“Talking to me, son?”

"Is this the kind of car they race at Indianapolis?"

“Same engine, son.”

If Indy adopted the aluminum 410 sprint car engine, the entry list for the 500 would be so large they could hold a consolation event for non-qualifiers on Carb Day.

Manufacturer participation would be welcome but not necessary because there are many shops that build this engine.

I know this will never happen, but if it did what would you think?

Tarnow and Frankie's Dad in FL

MP: It wasn’t an aluminum sprint V8, but we did have cheap stock block V8s to buy and run in the IRL starting in 1997, and it helped with car counts because the price to participate was greatly reduced. The IRL also championed short track drivers -- tried to push the all-American oval talent angle -- and it did nothing to attract more fans. So, we’ve already been there, mostly, and done that, and nobody cared. Steve Kinser was there and Jack Hewitt and Donnie Beechler and Tyce Carlson and a bunch of other legends and badasses of sprints and midgets and modifieds and so on. Powered by deafening, bellowing V8s. And it didn’t move the needle. Can’t see why it would work now, unfortunately.

Q: Am I the only one confused by Zak Brown's recent "quality over quantity" comments on desiring less cars on the IndyCar grid (which, remembering the skimpy fields of the split years, is a terrible idea by the way)? Isn't McLaren actively pursuing a bigger facility and future expansion from three to four cars?

Nicholas

MP: In F1 parlance, if F1 was verging on 30 cars like IndyCar is facing in 2025, Zak sees value in more McLarens, Red Bulls, Ferraris, and Mercedes on the grid than Alpines, Williamses, and Haases. I don’t entirely disagree. At F1’s 20-car grid, you tend to know how each car/driver is doing in the races. At 27, today, and 29 next year, how many of the IndyCar backmarkers are you able to track during a race? I know I need to go seeking info after the race on a bunch of entries because there’s too many to accurately monitor. And how many of those cars get camera time? I’m not saying IndyCar needs to get to 20, but I can see where pushing 30 is loaded with diminishing returns for a lot of cars.

Q: Big Possum suggests Little Dave consult with Don and Mel Kenyon for a solution to his wrist/ hand problem. When Mel got his hand burned off in a roadster crash at Trenton back in the day, they made a glove it a hole in it and a post for the steering wheel so Mel could put the glove over the post and keep racing. Mel went on to win multiple USAC Midget championship and top five Indy 500 finishes with the glove and post.

A side note: When Big Possum’s son was racing Kenyon midgets we were strapping him in one night and Big Possum was on one side and Mel on the other, and we were having  some sort of an issue getting it done. Mel got frustrated and said “you got to help me, I only have one hand.”

Big Possum

MP: First, thank you for staying committed to third-person. New challenge: Speak in fourth-person with the next submission.

Mel didn’t have 4600 pounds of downforce to wrangle without power steering, Big Possum. We don’t want Davey’s hand to snap off in the cockpit.

Q: Bob from Topeka, KS should be ashamed of his comment in last week’s Mailbag. Just because there is a prayer, it does not mean to exclude anyone. This is about praying for safety to God, and a God of one’s choice, be they Hindu, Muslim or whatever. It is inclusive, and if it were discriminatory they would have another narrative prior to the start of the race.

The comments regarding Liberty Media are spot on. Penske is in a time warp and perhaps there will be some light shed when Zak has real input. I suspect Roger rules with the proverbial iron fist.

There is no reason IndyCar should be a niche sport. At times people I think certain powers that be are still yearning for the Offenhauser days…

Emmett, Dallas, TX

MP: Having lived in, worked in, and loved the days when IndyCar wasn’t niche, all I want is for it to get out of its self-created shadow.

Q: Among many questions I have about Team Penske’s cheating (let’s call it what it is), do you, and others you’ve spoken to under cover, think the penalty fits the violations?

I’m especially concerned that this was pointed out last year as something possibly done. This is a huge red flag. We’ve not seen details about what if anything was investigated in 2023, but this makes Team Penske look even worse and brings into play a much larger potential breach. Do you have any further insight on this back to 2023?

Finally, is the presumed Penske Entertainment prohibition against talking negatively about this by other teams ramped up now?

Mike DeQuardo, Milwaukee and Elkhart Lake, WI

MP: Covered a lot of this in previous questions, so I’ll just add that I’ve heard nothing from the other teams about being asked to stay quiet.

Q: In response to Kurt Perleberg's comments about Liberty Media buying IndyCar, I hope to whatever deities may or may not exist that his outline of what would happen doesn't come to pass even if Liberty does somehow end up acquiring IndyCar.

NXT merging with F2: Terrible idea. F2 cars are much more expensive than NXT, and much faster. NXT is on a similar performance tier to FIA F3, while IndyCar is closer to F2. It'd be a needless jump.

Bringing in all those manufacturers would only happen if IndyCar's tech rules changed to be similar to those of F1. I don't think I need to explain how that would ruin IndyCar by way of both increased costs and ruining the good racing -- never mind the fact that F1 cars aren't built to oval safety standards (and fixing that would only make the cost issues worse). Most of those manufacturers aren't going to build just engines for the series, particularly Aston Martin which doesn't even build its own F1 engines.

F1 drivers would not likely be participating in IndyCar races with the regularity he implies, but that, and the notion of IndyCar/F1 doubleheaders, are the only positives he outlines.

I feel like Kurt may not fully understand what makes IndyCar unique. If it becomes just another F1 series it’s not going to help it at all -- people who like F1 already have F1.

With all that said, Kurt did make me think of a good idea: Contract Red Bull to design the next IndyCar. Let Dallara build it, but get Red Bull, and most importantly Adrian Newey, in on the design. And if anyone is skeptical of the idea, remind them that Newey's first championship-winning designs were for CART, and those designs won everywhere -- ovals, road courses, street circuits, and the Indy 500. Give him a clean sheet of paper with the only restrictions being "close racing, multiple engines" and let him go at it.

FormulaFox

MP: According to the internet, Adrian’s taking Italian lessons at the moment and won’t be free to pen a new IndyCar.

We've already seen what happens when somebody gives Adrian Newey a clean sheet to design from. And since IndyCars don't need headlights, maybe these ones can be rigged up to glow when the driver is on P2P so nobody can do anything sneaky? Two birds, one stone. Red Bull Content Pool

Q: After reading the latest Mailbag submissions it’s clear that a lot of RACER readers are impressed with Scott Dixon’s fuel-saving abilities.  However, I’m sick and tired of the whole idea of fuel-saving strategies and boring racing. I don’t find anything exciting about watching Scott coast into every corner with no challengers. Reminds me of a Freightliner taking a slow corner off I-95.

Why doesn’t IndyCar go to full points-paying heat races? Not the Thermal kind, but short, flat-out heat races. So, complete normal qualifying, Heat 1: Every odd qualifier (e.g., 1, 3, 5, etc.). Heat 2: Even qualifiers; Final: Top 16 to 20 finishers equally from each heat race. Quarter standard race points for each heat race, and half points for the final. Details could be worked out.

This approach would work best on short, confined-space tracks -- St. Pete, Detroit, Toronto -- and would solve other problems with those tracks.

Scott, Miami

MP: There’s no fuel saving in F1, and most of their races suck. We have fuel savers and fuel burners at Long Beach, and spend most of the race on edge to see which strategy will work, but since the fuel saver guy won instead of a fuel burner, it was boring? OK.

A thought: With IndyCar going hybrid here in a few months, I’m not sure the "we burn every drop of fuel we can find" approach fits where the series is trying to go. Granted, in every race, we have those who are flat-out and those who are conserving, so it already happens, but a complete change to eliminate fuel strategy options? Because fewer ways to win makes for better racing? I’m confused.

Q: The wife and I took a Caribbean cruise recently and I milled around online for a good book to read on that big boat. I recalled a few advertisements and tidbits on RACER about this Race Girl novel, and bought it. It was maybe the most entertaining story about racing I ever read, and now the wife is into it. Now she even wants to do Indy with me this year, which is a first. While not a documentary, I think this may be the best book about the IndyCar series ever written and this author, James Herbert Harrison, seemed quite familiar with the festive atmosphere of Long Beach and the drama and stress of the month of May at Indy.

I have two questions from it. Do race teams have agents that court sponsors, and does RACER really host a big party at Long Beach? If so, how do I get an invite?

John Masters, St. Peters, MO

MP: Teams have business development teams, sponsor hunters, agencies, etc. RACER’s last Long Beach party was before the pandemic.

Q: Will we see an IndyCar and NASCAR doubleheader on the same track and the same weekend again like we did when NASCAR was on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course?

Chris Fiegler, Latham, NY

MP: Maybe in iRacing, but that’s about it, Chris.

Q: What with all the high speeds, shaking and bouncing IndyCars go through on track, do/can IndyCar drivers even use their rearview mirrors?

Janis, Tampa

MP: What is this alien "rearview mirror" technology you refer to, Janis?

Q: Why was Herta not given a penalty for rear-ending Newgarden at Long Beach? He even admitted it after the race.

Jim Doyle, Hoboken, NJ

MP: There was nothing to admit to; it wasn’t a question or debate about whether he made a mistake. We now know Penske’s P2P illegality was known to the series a few hours before the race. I wonder if that made it hard to find the referee’s whistle.

Q: Thanks for sharing the video of the Newman/Haas Lola and getting an in-depth interview with one the people involved in that team. It is one of the cars that got me into IndyCar. As someone who lives next to Huntingdon, it is great to hear more stories about Lola-based cars. It is also lovely to see the Lola building back to being used for racing after being a PVC window manufacturer for years.

Anyway, to my question. For the Long Beach GP we (the UK) had to cope with the audio periodically going out of sync and random different audio levels. At other races the feed will just drop out. I was wondering if the new TV deal in discussion will include improving the international feed? Or is that provided directly from IndyCar itself? Ironically, it is much better for the practices and qualifying.

Dan Mayhew, Godmanchester, UK

MP: My friend, if I had the ability to know if improved international audio was part of the TV deal negotiations, I’d also be a trillionaire due to my psychic abilities and constant use of it to win lotteries and profit from the stock market.

When I’ve asked about the bad audio in the recent past, I’ve been told there are separate audio mixes that happen.

Having Lola back warms my heart.

Q: I have just booked my ticket and paddock pass for my first IndyCar race at the Portland GP later this year. Any tips on paddock etiquette would be gratefully received. Are the drivers generally approachable on, say, Friday for an autograph or photo?

Also, by accident I went down a YouTube rabbit hole on IndyCar roadsters the other day, an area I need to do a lot more homework on. But I can't say I have seen a better-looking race car than the 1957 Kurtis Kraft 500G. Just stunning. I can't imagine what the 500 would have been like in that.

Matthew, Peterborough, UK

MP: IndyCar is a close second to IMSA for being super open and friendly. If you see a driver, on any day, they’re expecting to pose for photos and sign, if they aren’t jetting to or from wherever they need to go. There are a few who are less accommodating, but that’s normal.

Happy to show you around and introduce you to your favorite drivers there. Parnelli drifting a roadster at Indy is one of the greatest visuals the sport has produced.

As a general rule, if an IndyCar driver has time to stop and pose for a selfie at the track. they will. Travis Hinkle/Penske Entertainment

Q: In my crazy mind, I figure the Penske debacle is in fact a marketing ploy by Penske Entertainment to get the whole motorsport world abuzz with the rule-bending story. I bet the viewing figures this weekend are up and that the social media scene is running red hot. People will be like bees around a honey pot with this story for the whole season, keeping the series on the front page until the checkered flag at Nashville. So in fact, everyone's a winner here!

How many years back should I be putting an asterisk by all IndyCar results involving Penske? Or is this really just a very unfortunate one off that has tarnished the image of Team Penske in spades?

Rob Bridgman, Waterlooville, Hampshire, UK

MP: Are we talking about the same Penske Entertainment that couldn’t be bothered to respond to two emails asking to credential and welcome a social media influencer with a combined following of 36,000,000 people at Long Beach?

Q: This may be an unpopular opinion, but when it comes to Push to Pass, why doesn't IndyCar get rid of it altogether? Drivers in the 1980s and prior had to win races by duking it out lap after lap on pure talent alone. If the series got rid of it, the problem would be solved right away. What are your thoughts? Do you think what happened will have permanent damage to Josef Newgarden's career? I sure hope not, because he is one of the most likeable drivers in motorsports and a talent to be reckoned with regardless of hitting a magic button on his dashboard.

David Colquitt

MP: IndyCar drivers in the 1980s weren’t competing in identical cars powered by nearly identical engines, so there was no need for P2P to create separation as the lap times could vary by many seconds from car to car.

Take P2P away and nobody tries to cheat in other areas? Problem not solved!

Mike Shank weathered the cheating storm of 2023, so I’d imagine Josef will do the same.

Q: Two events where Penske cheated with open software code? That’s really dirty business. I can’t ever support Newgarden and the team again. How do we know with all their resources that they haven’t bent the rules before? It took a long time since first race in St. Petersburg to come clean. It’s kind of a conflict of interest to own the IndyCar Series, the team, and the employees who independently police it.  Wait until they win Indy 500 again with "conforming car."

Reminds me of when Mario lost the 500 in court to Bobby Unser and Penske. Or when Paul Tracy was cheated out of 500 win (again to Penske). No credibility with Penske. And he wants to guarantee 500 entries, which will benefit his franchise. He tries the same stuff in NASCAR, IMSA and WEC. Bend the rules and deny when caught. Not very noble, and a pattern.

Craig B, Leland, NC

MP: The latest plan, which still isn’t final, is for guaranteed Indy 500 entries to not be part of the charters.

Q: Is it true in all auto racing that there are only cheaters and losers?

Don Velocity, Cleveland, OH

MP: No. We also have winners. And winners who don’t cheat. And losers who don’t cheat. And we recently had cheaters who won. Lots of options.

Q: I'm a fan of Josef's and want to take him at his word. But his story just doesn't pass the smell test. I'm just wondering if it would be wise to have an independent set of eyes looking at the data for 2023? Especially at the data from one event in particular that is held toward the end of May? Is it even possible for IndyCar to call ACCUS and ask them to have a look? Just to take all looks of impropriety out of the equation?

Andy, Brighton, MI

MP We’re in agreement on the independent review. Only thing I’ll add is Josef’s choice to hold a press conference and says the conflicting things he said, which only dug the hole deeper within the paddock, will be referenced for years by PR reps and driver managers as something they will never allow.

Q: Other than the obvious job description of Roger Penske, could you give a brief overview of the job titles and descriptions for Jay Frye, Mark Miles and Doug Boles? I am slightly confused as to each of their specific responsibilities within the organization.

Joan from AZ

MP: Jay’s the president of IndyCar, as in the operations side that puts on the races. He’s IndyCar’s commissioner, like Adam Silver is the commissioner of the NBA. Before Penske bought the series, Frye was the main decision-maker for the series as a whole, well beyond the sporting commissioner/operations side. New tracks? Significant negotiations? Seeking/signing major partners? That was Frye. Since Penske arrived, almost all of that was taken by Penske Entertainment.

Miles is Penske Entertainment’s CEO. Before Penske, he had a bigger decision-making role. Since? Not so much. He’s used more as a spokesperson to represent the true executive leadership Penske directs.

Boles is the president of IMS. Of all the role changes and power shifts since Penske bought everything, Boles has undergone the least amount of disruption to what he did prior.

Q: I noticed during Barber practices, none of the pit crew members were wearing helmets. I thought this was odd, given the focus on safety these days. Now watching qualifying and every pit member is wearing a helmet. Is this just due to the lack of urgency during practice sessions?

Pongo in SoCal

MP Indeed it is.

Q: I found Newgarden's explanation to be comical (along with Cindric's attempts). With McLaughlin, I'd been really impressed with how he's adapted to IndyCar, and how he's projected himself as a driver and person. But I struggle to buy his explanation -- these guys are professionals who treat P2P as a precious commodity. It's worth remembering he left Australia with a few questions around his reputation after the 2019 Bathurst 1000 (where his team -- yep, Team Penske -- was fined massively and stripped of championship points for holding up the field behind a safety car).

But I'm really interested in your perspective on the intra-team dynamic at Penske. My observation last year was that Will Power was something of a lone wolf within the team, with Newgarden and McLaughlin as a clique (I know that relationship has since cooled). Getting a bit conspiratorial, but is it possible that other parts of team were up to tricks and Power just wasn't aware? I'm biased as an Australian, and I know Power has a reputation as a bit of a whinger, but he's always struck me as what we'd call a "fair dinkum" bloke -- a no B.S., straight-up sort of character. Again, in the absence of independent and credible information, it'll be hard to believe the truth has emerged.

Adrian, Australia

MP: As it has been characterized to me by multiple people who would know, this was very much of a Josef thing, instead of a Josef+Scott+Will thing. It can’t be an only-Josef thing since Scott used P2P illegally one time, but I have heard Josef did his walling-himself-off routine right after Long Beach.

Turns out the easiest way to navigate a cheating controversy is to be the guy who didn't cheat. Who'd have thought? Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

Q: Do you think IndyCar can/should/will be launching a new chassis timeline (two-four years out) and do you think it will have a universal engine design? What specifically would you recommend as five-seven year plan to make IndyCar more relevant and grow the brand? Do you see IndyCar ever becoming a highly electric-motor series in the next 15 years or more?

With Roger Penske up in years, leaving the series with a growth plan seems to make sense as he will hand it over to his family at some point.

Tim Gleason, Chicago, IL

MP: No on the chassis and yes on the engine. The spec-ish engine plan Honda suggested to IndyCar is what I’ve backed. It gives the series the best chance of getting more manufacturers involved for a much lower annual price point. Progressively leaning towards higher levels of hybridization and exploring the possibilities of introducing hydrogen power in the 2030s would appeal to every auto brand. I can’t see a future for IndyCar without some sort of internal combustion engine included.

Q: I don’t believe for a moment that R.P. had any direct knowledge of his team’s cheating. At the same time, I believe there was some shady activity going on within the team’s inner workings. There is no way the manufacturer didn’t know about the overrides. Whether it was an innocent mistake or a deliberate cheat will never be known.

Has the complexity of the equipment overtaken the inspection tools? And going forward, should there be an independent rules body governing this stuff to eliminate the illusion of self-dealing? I remember the old CART/USAC wars and believe enforcement and competition will always be a challenge.

Pete, Ohio

MP: Plenty of his former drivers and personnel believe he knew about it because that’s been his management style -- extreme micromanaging -- where no decisions are made without his approval. I’ve also had a solid number of folks tell me he was clueless to what happened here, and I lean in that direction, although it’s just an uninformed opinion.

The area in the electronics/software that is said to have been exploited is one the teams have known about for a while and told the series it needs to be locked down.

What this has revealed to the public is IndyCar does not check for such things in technical inspection. I asked if the series would add more staff to handle software specifications and settings legality checks, and was told no, they have enough people to do so.

Q: There was so much talk and opinion this past week, on television and in print, on the Team Penske penalty. I saw/read responses from Penske drivers and team administration. Was there any reaction from The Captain himself, and were any team staff penalized or dismissed as a result of this?

Anthony Jenkins, Ontario, Canada

MP: Nope on the former, and no on the latter -- at least that we know about.

Q: Is this a first in racing? A driver who is classified finished behind a driver who completed fewer laps. Pato deserved his penalty for punting Teddy Porkchop at Barber, and it had the knock-on effect of Pato, who completed all 90 laps, finishing behind a driver who finished 89 laps.

Ryan, West Michigan

MP: It sure sounds like it!

Q: When does Zak make Theo Pourchaire first banana at Arrow McLaren? You can make a reasonable argument that Theo has outperformed his more experienced teammates over the past two races.

Jonathan and Cleide Morris, Ventura, CA

MP: Assuming Theo is in for the Indy GP, that to me would be the first event where we can make a real comparison of his capabilities against Pato and Rossi. The road course is smooth and flowing, and it will take Pourchaire all of three laps to figure it out. I’m thinking of what Christian Lundgaard did with RLL a few years ago to put his name in lights with a starring performance in qualifying.

We don’t know how competitive the Arrow McLarens will be, so this is all about where Theo lines up in comparison to Pato. If he’s close, he needs to become a bigger part of their plans. We know the No. 6 car needs a new driver in 2025. The No. 7 could as well.

Q: I’m sure you are so over the onslaught of P2P emails this week, but my husband came up with a pretty solid idea. In addition to DQ’ing the cars who break the law, be it for P2P violations, illegal tire pressures, etc., why not also make them pay by not allowing them to use P2P for the remainder of the year or, in the case of tire cheating, limit the sets of tires that they are allocated on any given weekend? That’ll teach ’em!

Kim Hindman

MP: I’m jealous and wish I’d come up with that, Kim! Brilliant idea.

Q: When it comes to the Penske P2P ordeal, what are your true thoughts on Newgarden's story? My opinion means nothing, but I tend to side with Herta in that the drivers know the rules and they are reiterated in the drivers meetings.

Also, what are the other drivers saying off-camera? On camera on Peacock they were very diplomatic, but I imagine there are quite a few that are very pissed off.

Last, do you think anyone could be on the chopping block at Penske over this? I saw there was a closed door owners meeting with Roger and I would bet it wasn't pleasant.

Joey, Florida

MP: I’d guess I spoke with 20 of the 27 drivers from Wednesday-Sunday, and more than a few wanted to talk right after it was announced, and the situation hasn’t changed: I continue to wait for the first of those 20ish, or the other seven, to say they think the Penske drivers were clueless to the situation.

After Newgarden’s presser, those I’d heard from previously doubled down (is tripling down a thing?) on Newgarden. As I mentioned in RACER’s post-qualifying video, Josef’s the least-liked driver -- among drivers -- in the series. And by a mile. Because, as many have said, due to his interpersonal behavior.

It makes a situation like this a tough one on Newgarden since he’s left with so few friends and allies within the paddock, and even within the Penske driver group, to lean on. It’s also, as I’ve been told for a little while now, a situation that’s of his making. As I mentioned in the video, if this was a Pato O’Ward, or a Felix Rosenqvist, the reaction would be entirely different.

Pre "Dark Josef"-era Newgarden makes his debut at St Pete with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing in 2012. He finished a very solid 11th And man, that 2012 bodywork is jarring... Eric Gilbert/Motorsport Images

Q: Wow! What a week! What a race at Barber! It was great to see the three-stoppers stick it to the two-stoppers in the end. I'm sick of the fuel mileage races, so it was very refreshing seeing the Thirsty 3's just biting the bit, pin back the ears, and cuttin' loose. I mean, three-second delta in lap times?! No thanks. I was entertained with how it played out.

Other thoughts: I know open-wheel cars ideally aren't supposed to bump sidepods and tires, but wow, the elbows-out racing was entertaining. Everybody remembered Long Beach and said, "Let's go, bro!" Kudos to Firestone. Perfect compound. The drivers had to actually drive around these corners, and the tires gave just the right combination of grip and slip to have the drivers actually drive the corners. Either they nailed it or they bit it and lost position. And anti-stall worked! So good to see cars spin out, recover, and get on their way. It was exciting those spins didn't bring out yellows.

Looking forward to May. Just found out I'll be at the track for Fast Friday and Day 1 qualifying. Where should I go Friday night for food?

Jordan P., St. Louis Metro East

MP: Same recommendation as last week’s Mailbag: The Workingman’s Friend for a cheeseburger and fries. Or, if you like a proper racing-themed meal, head to the Foyt Wine Vault right across from Turn 1 and dine and revel in the A.J. imagery and memorabilia. Great folks there.

Q: In a recent piece you noted that Newgarden wasn’t on everyone’s Christmas present list prior to the recent events of St. Pete and his press conference. I’ve always had the impression, and Townsend Bell touched on it during the broadcast on Sunday -- if you’re racing someone hard and at the speeds of IndyCar, Josef is one of the cleaner guys to race with on track that you have a big trust factor with. I know Robin was always a big supporter and many seemed genuinely happy he got to where he is at Penske.

So where does the animosity come from towards Newgarden, if that’s the correct term for the situation that existed prior to mess from St. Pete?

Second, as a long-time fan of the series since ’93, how is it that Penske was unable to secure a Canadian TV deal for 2024? To me if the options up here for our TV don’t want to carry IndyCar, that can’t be good for the future of Toronto.

Paul

MP: The many beefs with rivals or teammates existed long before we arrived in St. Pete. As I’ve been told repeatedly, it’s had nothing to do with the on-track stuff and everything to do with interpersonal behavior.

I’ve never seen an IndyCar driver change more from the start of their career as Newgarden. I’ve said this before, but I met Helio Castroneves as a Indy Lights rookie in 1996. All these years later, he’s the same guy. Also met Tony Kanaan as a 1996 Lights rookie. Same guy today. They’ve won everything, become heroes and stars and wealthy beyond what any of us will ever know, and yet they are no different than who they were 30ish years ago.

Juan Pablo Montoya was a full-time a-hole. He knew it and owned it. And I love the guy for it -- he’s as real as they come, which is why he was such a popular person to interact with and interview. Having an amazing driver who also acts like a jerk is nothing new.

Hard to say what’s changed with Newgarden, but he’s gone from being one of the favorite drivers among drivers to an outcast for most. That’s something that was kept quiet because he’s important to the series and has a solid base of fans. But with this scandal, and the firing of shots his way in public by some drivers, the effort to protect his fans from the reality of the situation behind the scenes was no longer possible.

Q: Good race on Sunday. It was my first time at the track; it truly is beautiful and well-kept. (Hello, Mid-Ohio?) My wife and I had pit passes, it was amazing to be up close and personal with crews, drivers, and officials -- except Josef, who was clearly not a happy camper post-race. He stormed with scowl straight out of the car to the hauler, staring straight ahead.

JB, Downers Grove

MP: The "Dark Josef" era has been in effect for a few years now. For his sake, I hope he wins a championship sometime soon because with each new year that he doesn’t add to his last in 2019, the anger that’s seen when things go wrong for him seems to build and build and build. It often looks like he’s containing an inner explosion.

I can’t think of a driver who hates losing more than Newgarden.

Q: After learning that Josef Newgarden is generally disliked by the majority of the drivers including his teammates, I have to say I’m not surprised. About a year ago I noticed a big change in his attitude during interviews. Gone was the smiling, jovial driver who was appreciative to be in the series, replaced by a serious, frowning and entitled personality.

One of the things that has always drawn me to IndyCar racing is the camaraderie between the drivers. There is a respect they have and some genuine friendships that are never seen in F1. You might call it a fraternity. My question is, without naming names, do you know what happened with Josef that brought on this disdain from the other drivers? Did he break one of the fraternity’s unwritten rules?

Rick Schneider, Charlotte, NC

MP: I’ve been told many stories of wild behavior directly from those who received it, including a new one last weekend that made my eyes cross, and none of those stories were told in an on-the-record capacity, so I can’t share them.

Q: How in the world can this be the only punishment that Josef Newgarden receives? His statement was clearly B.S. He knowingly cheated. He said that at Thermal they could use P2P on starts and restarts and while that is true, Thermal was after St. Pete. Why is that pertinent? Since the P2P was changed in August does that mean that he also cheated at Portland and at Laguna Seca last season? I certainly hope that IndyCar checks. Could he be suspended? Would R.P. choose not to rehire him? I hope all is on the table. One thing I know… he is a cheater!

Paul, Indianapolis, IN

MP: The fun part about being caught cheating -- intentionally or unintentionally -- is it lends itself to having all of a team’s recent achievements brought under scrutiny.

Q: Is the Barber Motorsports Park road course just too narrow for IndyCar? Is that why we see such aggressive passing, overly optimistic maneuvering and blatant shoving, the likes of which we typically don't see on other IndyCar circuits? As Townsend Bell mentioned, it resembles NASCAR driving at Bristol Speedway.

In particular, I noticed drivers being extremely aggressive right from the start of the race, I'm assuming they are anticipating the build-up of marbles in the corners well before the first pit stop and want to gain track position before it becomes even more difficult to pass.

I believe that the course is narrow and the drivers have adopted a preemptive elbows-out driving style to manage the challenge. Is this track just not suited for IndyCar racing?

Kevin P., Los Angeles, CA

MP: I wish we had 10 more tracks that induced Barber’s annual Tables, Ladders, and Chairs IndyCar matches.

The elbows were out early at Barber. Josh Tons/Motorsport Images

Q: How on earth does Tim Cindric get a pass on this? He oversees the whole Penske operation, and sits on Newgarden’s box!  Should’ve been a minimum two-race suspension. I’m only being nice because the 500 would’ve been the third. Thoughts?

Chad Brueggeman

MP: If this was NASCAR, we’d see Tim and a few others from the No. 2 team dismissed until June or July.

Q: I am perplexed as to why there is such a different reaction to Newgarden as opposed to McLaughlin from their fellow drivers. Both used the push to pass illegally and neither reported it as being a malfunction during the race or afterward. They were both disqualified for these actions. You reported that there is a real mistrust of Newgarden of his actions, but not as such about McLaughlin. Why the difference?

You even stated there even seems to be tension between Josef and his teammates. What has changed about Josef from when he was the Golden Boy with Sarah Fisher's team to being the Bad Boy at Penske? Not a good image for the squeaky-clean Penske team.  Does this affect his contract negotiations even if he is still the No. 1 driver?

Dave

MP: After the 45-minute call with Cindric about the P2P stuff, he confirmed a previous inquiry of mine about the team making progress on re-signing him. Most drivers like McLaughlin, so it’s not a surprise that he’s received more sympathy than his teammate.

Q: The mannequin falling on the track at Barber made the ABC morning news. Is this one of Zak Brown’s marketing ideas?

Tom Hinshaw, Santa Barbara, CA

MP: Bingo!

Q: Kudos to Santino Ferrucci and A.J. Foyt Racing for a strong seventh-place finish at Barber. As of today, Ferrucci sits in the top 10 in season points standings ahead of big names Josef Newgarden, Marcus Ericsson, Alexander Rossi and Romain Grosjean.  In your opinion is this a fluke, or a sign of things to come?

Tom Knisely, Blaine, MN

MP: It’s a solid reflection of how far the team has come in its technical partnership with Penske, and a reminder of how damn good Ferrucci is on road and street courses. He’d never seen an oval until he got to IndyCar, and excelled. That excellence also overshadowed his road racing skills to the point of leading people to believe he was better at the former than the latter, which is silly.

But we also have to acknowledge that, with some of the drivers you mentioned, there are some outliers in the standings -- Lundgaard is another -- who we’d expect to move ahead of Santino in the next month or two.

Q: Is McLaren looking at a package of drivers to fill the No. 6, or one driver ?

Eric, Hayward, CA

MP: Hello again, fellow East Bay resident! I’m expecting Ilott, Pourchaire, and maybe one more.

Q: During the Chinese GP broadcast, the commentators remarked at least a couple of times that it was a sold out weekend. I couldn't help but wonder, why then did they have a full grandstand in Turn 1 covered in a giant advertisement, and the entire stands near Turns 12 and 13 unused? 

Seems like a giant opportunity missed with the hometown hero on track!

Marc Hamann, Columbia, MD

CHRIS MEDLAND: I think it’s still fair to call it a giant missed opportunity, but those grandstands aren’t safe to be used at the moment. You may have heard that the track surface gets a lot of attention because of the marshland the circuit was built on, and that means certain stands have been out of action, too. Work on the Turn 1 grandstand started last year but while one side was finished in March, the other side wasn’t. That one will be open next year.

Turn 13 sounds like it will depend if demand stays high and warrants rebuilding for use, or if it just stays as an advertising area as it is right now.

Q: Assuming there is no accident, how long does the medical emergency vehicle stay on track after the start of an F1 race? And what’s the point of F2 if F1 keeps its ancient drivers (I’m looking at you, Hulkenberg) signed year after year?

Janis, Tampa, FL

CM: In the case of the medical car it’s one lap. It waits near the back of the grid and pulls into position once the grid forms, then follows the field on the opening lap before returning to the pits if all is well.

I guess the F2 argument is, drivers need to show they’re good enough to be worthy of replacing someone doing a good job already in F1. Hulkenberg has been performing very well since returning, but his move to Audi is likely to open the door to Ollie Bearman to get a seat. And that means someone else already on the grid will lose their place. I wish more drivers got a chance to race in F1 to see what they can do, but experience and feedback counts for a lot with how complex the cars are, and Audi needed that for when it enters in 2026.

Q: How will the announcement that Adrian Newey is departing Red Bull impact the team? Could this be the domino to fall? Could Marko and Max be considering leaving? And could this lead to Ford considering staying on? This could really shake up this year’s and future F1 stories. Both Aston Martin and Ferrari have courted Newey. Audi could also consider courting Newey for their new program. The next few months will be interesting.

Frank, Mooresville, NC

CM: As much as it seems like Newey is moving on, there’s been no official communication yet, and it could also be a tactic to change something about his current position at Red Bull. He’s had changes of heart before when it comes to moving teams, so I wouldn’t read it as a certainty until something is announced.

All teams would love to have Newey, but he’s got to want to still work in F1 (don’t forget he’s done so for over 30 years and currently oversees many other projects at Red Bull so isn’t full-time on F1), and potentially be willing to wait a number of years to be able to do so depending on his contract situation.

I’d be surprised if the Ford deal is directly tied to Newey’s presence -- as amazing as he is, Red Bull’s success isn’t solely down to him -- but I’m also sure nobody at Ford would be delighted to see him leave, either.

Add the above together and you’re definitely right -- it’ll be an interesting spell!

But they look so happy together. Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images

Q: Hello Chris, I am sure you knew that Mario Andretti was the 1978 world champion in the Lotus 79. I have a theory about why F1 does not want Andretti to start in 2026. I believe they are pushing the timeline out so that Andretti Global comes in mid-regulation. That would set the Andretti  team up to be noncompetitive with teams that would already have two years of experience with the new regulations. And that would set up F1 to say "see, we were right." Seems pretty obvious to me that the Piranha Club would think that way. Any thoughts on my theory?

Kind of related was Theo Pourchaire’s weekend at Long Beach. It looked and sounded like he thoroughly enjoyed his experience. We know driving an IndyCar is not easy with the heavy steering feel, but he showed his talent keeping it off the walls for 75 laps! Inch perfect, 22nd to 11th and honestly he looked just fine during his interview considering the effort needed to survive those 75 laps. And he is just sitting on the sidelines because there are only 20 seats in F1. What a travesty. I am hoping to see him give F1 the Steve McQueen two finger salute as he signs for one of the IndyCar teams. Do you think he will get a ride in F1 next year?

Glenn, Renton, WA

CM: Regarding your theory, Glenn, I don’t think F1 is being that subtle. I think it’s as simple as, any new team (not just Andretti, but anyone) would either need F1 to give up more of its revenues as prize money, or teams to give up some of their share. Neither wants to do either option, because they want to receive or keep as much money as possible, and don’t see a new team arriving being able to make them more. (And they are arrogant enough to think if more can be made, it doesn’t need any new team coming in to make it.)

Pourchaire’s an interesting one, as he’s another great example of how well F2 (and perhaps Super Formula) prepares drivers for IndyCar despite being focused on F1, but he hasn’t quite convinced Sauber to give him a race seat so far. I’d have thought his chances for 2025 would have been higher with Stake if it wasn’t for Audi incoming and wanting experience and ideally big names.

I feel like with all the potential movement and chances of Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli getting a shot, there’s no obvious space for Pourchaire. A more convincing title win last year might have made a difference, but instead he's a bit like Christian Lundgaard -- I’m with you and think he’s better off focusing on trying to get a full-time IndyCar ride.

Q: Hey Kelly, a question that comes up from time to time at the Chevrolet dealership I work at: What is General Motors going to do about the Camaro in NASCAR? GM is ending production of the Camaro after this year.

(I think they’ve already stopped making it. I handle putting on accessories on some new units that come from the factory. I’ve not seen a Camaro since January, and the last one actually was the Le Mans 56 edition Camaro.)

Do you know what General Motors is planning to do to replace it in NASCAR going forward? The only cars Chevrolet makes is the Malibu and the Corvette. Don’t know if the Malibu would seem to be ideal, and the Corvette is a mid-engine car. Could GM perhaps switch its branding to Cadillac?

Phillip, Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

KELLY CRANDALL: Chevrolet did stop production on the Camaro in January, but there have been no updates when it comes to what they are going to race in NASCAR. Chevrolet can continue with the Camaro for the foreseeable future since it was put in competition when its counterpart was introduced as a production vehicle. It’s grandfathered in. When I reached out to Chevrolet to see if that was still the plan -- to go forward with the Camaro as they stated at the beginning of the year -- they confirmed that it is, and there is nothing to share about planning for a successor.

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller's Mailbag, May 8, 2014

Q: You actually said something nice about Ayrton Senna this week! Maybe because of the 20th anniversary of Imola. Anyway, sticking to this side of the pond, do you have any inside information from The Captain or Emmo or The Chrome Horn about Senna’s famous (but secretive) IndyCar test at Firebird in 1992?‬‬‬

Larry Parker, Miami, FL

ROBIN MILLER: There’s no denying his ability and I’ve changed my feeling since watching the "Senna" documentary again. After the hosing he got from Balestre, I don’t blame him for taking out Prost at Suzuka in 1990. As for the Firebird test, Emerson encouraged Senna to do it because Indy cars were more race cars than all the active suspension stuff in F1. Senna was damn fast in that test -- faster than Emmo -- and he loved the fact the car wasn’t over-teched, but he didn’t like the thought of ovals.