The RACER Mailbag, January 22

Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. We love hearing your comments and opinions, but letters that include a question are more likely to be published. Questions received after 3pm ET each Monday will be saved for the following week.

Q: I read that Mike Cannon has abruptly left PREMA. Is that an accurate report, and if so, do you know why? There has been a massive turnover of engineers, technicians and managers the last several years, so this isn't a huge surprise. Does he have a new destination? Can't imagine he would find something more appealing.

Dave

MARSHALL PRUETT: One of the great things about working in racing as a mechanic and the other things I did from 1986-2001 was making a ton of friends who remain in IndyCar (and IMSA) today. One of the negatives, at least in a professional capacity as a reporter, is some of those conversations with friends in the paddock are of a personal nature and aren’t subject to sharing at the time they happen.

But Michael later chose to share his side in a public forum, and said it was due to the team ignoring his input and feeling his experience was being wasted. There's more to the story, but falls under the between-friends category.

Cannon was only at PREMA since the end of last year, so this was indeed a surprise. I’ve heard from two team owners who are interested in acquiring his services, and doubt we’ll get through the next Mailbag or two without his confirmation at a new (or former) team.

Q: Do you have any information about what happened to Benjamin Pedersen after being dropped by Foyt in 2023? Did he hurt his chances in the series that badly with his antics at Mid-Ohio that year?

Matthew Houk, Columbus, OH

MP: Mid-Ohio didn’t hurt his chances. The team wasn’t great, and his family allegedly got the deal of the century with a three-year, $9 million contract, but with the numerous crashes, including the destruction of a chassis on the first lap of the season, that three-year budget was said to have been used up mostly in Year 1. There were other allegations about missed payment deadlines, and those misses opening the door to exiting the contract.

I haven’t seen the contract, so I can’t tell you what’s real or not real. But the fact that the kid was replaced by Sting Ray Robb, who was rumored to bring $9 million for a single year, suggests what the team needed to survive as a two-car program.

I always liked Benjamin. He didn’t get much of a chance to show us anything. Given a second season, with a better team than he had in 2023, I think he’d make a more positive impression. Not saying he’d be bothering the top half of the field, but he wouldn’t be parked at the back.

Who knows when we'll see Benjamin Pedersen in an IndyCar again, but he'll be in action at the Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend in PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports's No. 52 LMP2 entry. James Gilbert/Motorsport Images

Q: What a great response to the question/comment from Mike in Michigan, and yes I am a Rush fan as well. That said, despite my age (73) I identify with younger people on most things and in the case of IndyCar we are aging out of relevance.

Of all the owners who make their opinions known, Zak Brown comes closest to nailing the fundamental problems with the series. I start with the machines themselves and we state the obvious in saying that they, too, are aged out.

There is little about them that excites, and the only reason to watch is that the racing is fantastic and the drivers are, for the most part, tier one players. But as you said, that alone does not make it work. Watch races from the golden era in the 1990s, and the fields were not tight, with the quality up and down the grid far more variable. However, the cars themselves were weapons, and when they all started/warmed up on the grid it was incredible to the senses.

As an aside, I was on the false grid at Long Beach in 2017 in the Can-Am feature that year. I was in my M8F big block, and as I was sitting waiting to get on to the blend line, James Hinchcliffe saw me and this car and said, “That is f### awesome!” It was the visceral sensation of that power and sensory overload that clearly was in his mind.

As for the cars, put them on about a 200-pound diet, bring up the power and let’s use a real state-of-the-art chassis. We are not recreating F1, but we can have something very sexy, fast as hell and far less maintenance. I really wonder if the ownership looks beyond 12 months in this business.

Management at the top has to get younger and re-invigorate the program. You say this in your piece -- the C-level people need to be in their 40s and 50s, not in their 70s and 80s.

IndyCar will never be F1. However, in North America it can be far more influential and an additional race in Canada other than Toronto, a race in Mexico and perhaps in South America have to be consummated. I fail to understand how they have not run with the popularity of Pato O’Ward to secure a major event in Mexico City or Monterrey.

FOX is a big plus, the Dallas event will be a big deal and the broadcast team will be first-rate. I am still a fan, but for goodness sake, let’s take some risks.

Emmett, Dallas, TX

MP: Lots of interesting thoughts here, Emmett. From a racing perspective, Penske Racing -- the era before the rebrand as Team Penske -- was all about taking risks, pushing everything to the edge and beyond at times in the name of not just beating the opposite, but destroying them. Much of that same spirit lives on the team today, but I can’t say I recall seeing that cavalier approach at Penske Corporation, of which Penske Entertainment falls within.

Spending a small fortune to conceive and make "The Beast" and utterly dominate the 1994 Indy 500 with a motor that exploited the far reaches of the rules -- which were waiting to be exploited -- and making history with that ballsy decision? You bet. Read Jade Gurss’s book on the project; you won’t be disappointed.

Doing something bold and boundary-pushing with a business, and IndyCar is indeed run like a business by Penske? I’m sure I’m wrong and have missed the examples, but I’m unaware of anything that would be considered wild when it comes to business decisions. I continue to hope the ultra-conservative approach we’ve seen so far with Penske’s ownership of IndyCar does not carry over into the upcoming chassis and engine formula it is creating, but I won’t be surprised if it does.

Q: I'm currently reading and really enjoying Art Garner's bio of A.J. and it made me wonder if you know what is going on with the bio on our other hero Daniel Sexton Gurney? Hopefully it is progressing...

Stu Lehr, Scottdale, AZ

MP: Checked in with Justin Gurney about it recently, and they hope to have it completed by the end of the year.

Q: So, is this FOX deal it? If this deal does not deliver all that we want -- consistent TV numbers in the millions, a video game, a new chassis, a third engine manufacturer, etc. -- can we fans finally admit that IndyCar is a niche sport loved by about 1.5 million people in this country?

I say this not as a bad thing; I just want to move on from the "if only" laments that dominate being a fan and avid follower of this series. If only we had a new car, new engine manufacturer, Burke Lakefront Airport, American drivers, a return to sprint car roots, etc.

Can we just finally sit back watch the races and appreciate IndyCar for what it is -- a fantastic series with great racing, but unfortunately, for any number of reasons, not enough people watch and not enough manufacturers participate in?

Steve, Chico, CA

MP: You raise a great point. Our late friend Robin Miller always said he believed about 5000 people woke up every day caring out IndyCar like it was their NFL. I think that number is bigger today, no doubt, but if we’re talking true diehards, who watch every race, read all the sites daily, know the names of all the teams and drivers, and their car numbers, and so on as a diehard would, it’s still a small number.

But back to your point, it is and has been a niche sport for about 24-ish years. CART in 2001 was the last time I saw the series at its peak, and when most of the CART owners moved to the IRL, IndyCar racing -- in both series -- took a big step back from the national spotlight.

And that’s tied into something I struggle with. For those of us who’ve been around since those days, and worked in CART and the IRL as I and many others did, we know what it was like to see IndyCar as the beast that eclipsed NASCAR in popularity. And saw it slam the brakes on that fandom and fall into relative obscurity. So with that kind of personal and first-hand experience, I want today’s series to get closer to what IndyCar once was within the U.S.

And maybe that’s stupid, or naïve, or both. For decades now, I’ve wanted to see IndyCar restored to its former glory. And the asinine things its owners have or haven’t done in recent years, and under its previous owners, drive me mad -- mad, because I love the series.

That takes me back to a brewing revelation in the back of my head that fits your note: Maybe we just need to accept IndyCar for what it is, which is a lesser version of what it once was, but for newer fans, who never saw CART at its peak, there’s no disappointment to have because there’s no context to apply.

For those of us who know how a can of Coke hits when that sugar bomb hits your taste buds, tasting Diet Coke of Coke Zero for the first time is a big letdown. But if you’ve never tasted a full-bore can of Coke, and only know the flavor and impact of Diet Coke/Coke Zero, there’s no reminder of what’s missing.

Maybe it’s time to accept all of the faults and accept the series for what it isn’t. But I’m not good at giving up and giving in. A Catch-22.

Those were the days. Motorsport Images

Q: The loss of streaming is a disaster for me, and I'm sure thousands of others. I cut the cord so I cannot validate viewing on FOX, and I'm certainly not going to replace my Peacock streaming for another service at 10x the monthly cost.

If the various series -- F1, NASCAR and IndyCar -- want viewership, it might be good for them to review their broadcast business plans, because right now it requires a cable subscription (FOX), an Amazon subscription, a cable subscription for The CW (or watch a day later on stream), a Peacock subscription and an ESPN subscription.

I've been an enthusiast for more than 60 years and never expected that I'd be shut out of viewing in this fashion.

Christopher Hebeler

MP: Lots of strong opinions about this, for sure. We were looking at cutting the cord, but I’m going to wait a few months and see where we end up with IndyCar and FOX on streaming.

Q: I saw your article "Venu demise causes IndyCar streaming headache". My research since then shows there is a streaming option in FOX called FOX Nation and resembles everything like Peacock is with NBC. I saw a lot of news shows listed here and shows related to every category like lifestyle, documentaries and so on are listed but no sports shows.

I think all that is needed is for IndyCar management to convince FOX to list IndyCar races in FOX Nation. The price for this is $4.99 per month if one subscribes for 12 months and $7.99 a month if subscribed on a monthly basis. Perhaps IndyCar management should look into this.

Shyam

MP: It’s a great idea, Shyam. Another idea: ESPN is forming its own streaming service to include all of its sports channels, so it might be time for FOX to do the same and create its version of what IndyCar fans had with NBC and Peacock where a dedicated streaming package could be paid for that delivers just what you want. It has FOX Nation up and running, so that might be a great head start to take the next steps and offer a FOX Sports+.

Q: Do you think we’ve seen the last of Romain Grosjean as a full-time or even part-time IndyCar driver given that he’s now reserve driver for PREMA for the 2025 season? I know he’s a bit of a liability -- one minute he’s showing great speed and the next he’s spinning into a wall. Nevertheless, I think IndyCar is better off with him. He’s still driving for Lamborghini in IMSA, so I’ll look forward to seeing him there.

Jack Taylor

MP: I do. He becomes the new super sub if someone gets sick or hurt. I spoke to him on Friday morning and he confirmed what I suspected, which is if he’s offered a race seat elsewhere, he’s free to take it. He’s too good to be gone from open-wheel racing. He earned six top-10 finishes last season for a decent, but far from excellent, Juncos Hollinger team. That’s not "time to hang it up" output. It’s also not the kind of record that has other teams clamoring to hire you, which is why he’s on the outside with more and more teams choosing paying drivers over the Grosjeans who command a lot of money.

Q: There have been a number of things I’ve seen recently within IndyCar that give me F1 vibes. The renderings of the track in Arlington. PREMA's car launch in Charlotte. And now we’re talking Will Buxton as our lead personality on TV.

Some of these things do seem to elevate the appearance and sophistication of the sport, and certainly have a cool factor. But is there a risk that IndyCar could just cause confusion among the general public, by trying to look too much like F1 -- that it’s not carving out its own identity? Are these things simply underscoring the notion that IndyCar is simply an F1 wanna-be? Or is this all a sign that things are trending positively, and that this is all needed, especially since we’ve been racing with the same car for the last 15 years?

Mark, Mason, OH

MP: In order, how does a new street race in Arlington fit into the F1 angle? PREMA’s launch highlighted how much IndyCar teams haven’t done to make their new drivers, liveries, and sponsors look special prior to each season. This is totally an F1 thing, and most IndyCar teams -- only Arrow McLaren has tried to do similar things -- need to level up and make an effort to put on a pre-season show.

As I’ve often said about the places where IndyCar chooses to race, and those venues, and the size of the crowds, needing to be something that makes IndyCar look important, the same exact notion applies here. Put on a show for one day, at your shop, or at a gorgeous local venue, and dress up and make an effort to drum up interest in your new season ahead. Hire Kevin Lee, Katie Kiel and Alan Bestwick, and all of the familiar nearby talent, and coordinate with IndyCar and FOX Sports and stream it to the world.

Every major movie has a press junket where the stars sit in front of the cameras and answer questions and sometimes play silly games to drive interest in the film and try to get people to the theaters. Same concept, but with race cars. Let’s do it.

Will loves IndyCar and is here because of that love. Before Will, we had Leigh Diffey, who also called F1 races, but came here because of IndyCar opportunities and became the lead commentator. If people limit their minds to see Will-the-F1 guy, that’s both dumb, and it’s on them.

FOX is about as American as a network can get. The people they have coming in to call the races all, no matter where they’re from, love the series more than most people and it will show in the final product. Trying to be F1 isn’t the motivation.

Pre-season launches weren't always the sole domain of F1: Fernandez Racing launched -- or more accurately, conjured -- its car with the help of a magician at its team launch in Mexico City ahead of the 2001 season. Phillip Abbott/Motorsport

Q: I don't get what the big fuss is about IndyCar not being available on a streaming service. Since I cut the cord I watch NFL games on Peacock, Paramount + and ESPN apps, but when the game I want to watch is on FOX, I switch to the digital antenna I bought for $30 and stream the game out of thin air. I will be streaming IndyCar races the same way.

Josh, Flo-Town, KY

MP: Sounds like you have it figured out.

Q: Just read the article about the new helmet cams. Can someone please pass along to IndyCar to make the NTT app in-car camera or helmet cams work on a TV like FireTV or Android TVs? Having a second TV with your favorite driver camera would be a game-changer.

Jason Morrison

MP: Do what Jason says, IndyCar.

Q: I read the article about the upgraded steering wheel in IndyCar a few

weeks ago. Andretti and MSR are missing from the list of teams that have ordered this steering wheel. Will they use the old one, or do you know anything more now?

Tomas Gustafsson

MP: If the teams not listed as buying new steering wheels intend to have their drivers use steering wheels, it would not be with new ones, right, since they weren’t listed among those using the new ones?

Q: Excited to see the new IndyCar booth for FOX. Glad Hinch and Townsend Bell are back. However my real question is, how did IndyCar and FOX lure Will Buxton (a phenomenal addition) to come Stateside for this? I thought he really had it made in F1 circles.

Jeff Smith State College, PA

MP: It’s a job Will wanted and one he sought.

Q: Big Possum gives a shoutout to David Spear for proposing BP as IndyCar Competition Director in last week's Mailbag -- a wise and learned man, for sure. Big Possum will accept the position of IndyCar competition director when he receives enough signatures on the petition and the acclamation of all present. Big Possum’s platform is "Get the wagons in a circle and return to the glory days of yesteryear where appropriate."

Big Possum will appoint David Spear as number two to move IndyCar forward. If Marshall could post an online petition for all to sign, we will be on our way. And by the way, Big Possum, as a man of the people, has multiple most excellent ideas for IndyCar in almost all areas and will be assisted by his son Little Possum (age 25) to turn up the wick on social media and all that encompasses. Sign early and often.

Big Possum

MP: I’m going to need to hear more about your plans before getting the petition taped next to the 10 Most Wanted pictures at the post office.

Q: Have you heard anything about Ryan McCarthy since he was blamed by Michael Shank for the tire pressure manipulation at Daytona in 2023? Google didn't return much beyond a lawsuit filing.

Kyle

MP: Haven’t heard a peep.

Q: Is Ilmor playing any role in the Cadillac F1 engine program? It would seem natural given the IndyCar program and previous F1 experience.

Doug Farrow, Plymouth, MN

MP: Not that I’m aware of. Maybe RACER F1 reporter Chris Medland knows more?

Q: Marshall, take it easy. I think Rush got more mailbag ink than Andretti, Foyt, Mears and Unser combined last week. I like Rush’s music too, but I am realistic about their shortcomings. If you are stumped as to why Rush never developed a huge mainstream following, I invite you to pull your vinyl off the shelf, drop the needle, and listen amusingly to Neal's unusual lyrics and to Geddy's "distinctive" voice. There is your answer. Despite their fantastic sound and perhaps rock's greatest ever drummer, they were always one lead singer away from superstardom.

Marwood Stout, Camarillo, CA

MP: Pure heresy. Rush, without any of the three, wouldn’t be Rush. Like the band Yes that served as Rush’s greatest influence, any group that chose "prog rock" was signing up for second- or third-tier popularity. And while I’ve never been unaware as to why Rush never hit the mainstream, we have a different scenario with IndyCar. It was mainstream, had superstardom, and lost it. And hasn’t been able to find it for a quarter century.

Q: Regarding the Honda/Nissan IndyCar engine tie-up question and answer from the Jan. 15 Mailbag, it would more be like bringing in a roommate to help pay for the mortgage and utilities and not just switching out a $20 bill for 20 ones, correct? I would think Nissan would need to fully fund the four or six cars and then work with teams to get the leasing money back, which would reduce Honda’s bottom line. While no one wants to sublet a bedroom of their house, when times are tough, it can make monetary sense.

Zack, Atlanta, GA

MP: If they’ve merged, isn’t it the same bottom line? If Honda supplies 12 engines and Nissan takes six, it’s still the same cost at six and six from the same company, no? I’m confused. I think.

Q: I have a question about McLaren’s GTP/LMDh program and wider racing ambitions. RACER reported that the powertrain might have another manufacturer involved besides McLaren. And there is also reporting about McLaren’s Formula E program tying up with Hyundai in future, as well as some rumors that they’re also pitching potential F1 involvement. Is Zak Brown thinking of Hyundai as the GM to his Andretti? Or is this too many separate rumors being strung together to make 1+1+1=17?

Duncan, Ottawa

MP: Going hybrid prototype racing in 2027 is the kind of thing that makes me think McLaren will no longer have a need for Formula E, since it’s the third form of electrified open-wheel racing -- a distant third -- it’s involved in after F1 and IndyCar. Add in racing at Le Mans and Daytona in a hybrid GTP/Hypercar, and that’s a deep hybrid roster of series for the brand.

Is the clock ticking on McLaren in FE? Andrew Ferraro/Motorsport Images

Q: I was at my local Walmart shopping today and going over to the diecast car section I came across some F1 cars. Had I had the money (and room) I’d have purchased them because I collect diecast race cars and at the price ($10 for 1/43 and $25 for 1/24) they were hard to pass on.

Why can’t IndyCar do this? Their 1/18th diecasts are $80 and the small Hot Wheels versions are $12. They have models you can put together, but they are $80 as well. How do you get a kid involved in collecting with prices this steep? At one time they had inexpensive collectibles in big box stores.

I’ve long complained about the IndyCar merch. I don’t even buy merch at the track anymore. I buy vintage stuff online and there is some cool stuff on Etsy. But IndyCar has the same stuff every year, it lacks imagination (Andretti’s stuff looked like it came from the ABC catalog) and it’s pricey.

I get the "pricey" because concert t-shirts are $45 or more, but how about some quality? How about some creativity? Outside of McLaren and Penske’s own merch, everything is, as the kids say, mid. Same design on multiple shirts, team logo on gray shirt, you get my drift. No wonder F1 is bigger. Yes, they have pricey merch at the track, but they also have merch in retail stores in the malls and they have great-looking diecasts at my local Walmart. You want kids involved, you have to have a good pricing point for them (and their parents) This is what F1 is doing.

Hey IndyCar, do you see this? Maybe copy this idea. But what do I know? I’m just a paying customer.

Kris, Kokomo

MP: I saw those Burago models at Target and Walmart late last year while searching for IMSA "Rexy" Porsche 911 GT3 Rawr Hot Wheels. Cheap and perfect as first real-racing model for kids, and even big kids like us. I believe IndyCar continues to have its 1:18 model deal with Greenlight, but I have held no interest in buying modern IndyCar models, so I could be wrong, and don’t know if anyone makes 1:43rds. I’d assume that if a big retailer wanted IndyCar models and whatnot, they’d be on their shelves.

Q: It's so sad that IndyCar is not looking with urgency to solve the issues with streaming that Bob noted in his question last week about the Venu collapse. Waiting until “the season starts and the FOX relationship gets moving,” to quote the story, is crazy and too late.

If I were IndyCar I'd be begging FOX to figure out a way (even if it is short term) to add a paywalled opportunity for IndyCar on the FOX Sports app for folks that want to watch starting with St. Petersburg. Or, begging FOX to allow IndyCar to stream it on their website with all the ads that FOX has. Or on Fox's website. Or any other crazy idea that would allow folks to watch the start of the season via their TV, laptop, phone or connected device, even if they have to pay a few bucks.

How is this not an urgent priority? It's 2025 and it shouldn't be this tough.

Ed, Milford, MI

MP: Seems like all we’ve heard when it comes to new sports broadcasting deals is two things: Big dollars by big networks to secure long deals with the major stick-and-ball sports, and then all of the new/different/better/expanded ways that streaming will be used in those deals to grow the sport.

The second part is what was missing from the IndyCar/FOX deal. There was the Venu Sports option, but it wasn’t about increasing the series’ reach; it was just an expensive way to get to pay to stream IndyCar.

If I had a hope for them, Penske Entertainment would work with FOX to see if a much bigger platform -- of the Netflix variety -- would be open to streaming FOX’s feed and put the series in front of a huge new audience. FOX wants the eyeballs on its network, first and foremost, so it wouldn’t make much sense to divert those eyes to a big streamer, but I can dream, right?

Q: I read the story saying that McLaren has now purchased the remaining shares of Schmidt Peterson Racing, leading me to wonder what Sam will do now? I would argue that while racing almost killed him, it's racing that's kept him going so strong for so many years.

He's an inspirational figure in the paddock and I hope he remains a part of the IndyCar community for years to come.

David, Vancouver, Canada

MP: Sam has been flat out in expanding his paralysis rehabilitation centers, having expanded from Las Vegas to Indianapolis last year, and leading his Conquer Paralysis Now foundation, for a long while.

Schmidt will be missed in the paddock, but he has more than enough going on to keep him busy away from the track. Chris Owens/IMS Photo

Q: Do F1 teams use self-driving as training elements? Could they set up Sergio Perez’s car exactly like Max’s and have the car drive the exact route/throttle/braking when Max gets a pole and Perez is ninth? Perez would sit and not touch a wheel. It would help a driver to get a feel and view a driving line that is better than what they are doing. 

Steve Mattiko

CHRIS MEDLAND: The short answer is no, they don't. Driving aids that would allow the car to do that are not permitted, and even if you installed the extremely complex technology required to do it, you would end up with a much heavier and very differently packaged car, and therefore couldn't replicate what the other car had done.

But further along these lines, it's often not a difference in line. It will be things like brake pressure and style of steering inputs (for example, an initial sharp turn of the wheel that destabilizes the rear a little, or more coaxing into a corner, but both on the same line) that can make a huge difference in lap time. A driver that is more comfortable fighting a loose rear end at those speeds will be able to carry more speed through the corner and react to its instability, compared to one who prefers a more understeering car and would want it to be more stable through the corner. If the front tires won't bite at all, though, then the driver trying to be aggressive can be hurt more. It's so much more about feel and split-second ability to react rather than just training a line and timing of inputs.

Drivers do get all the telemetry from the other car (assuming a good team harmony!) so in the example you give, Perez could see the exact setup Verstappen has and the way he drives the car through all of the inputs, but his driving style and ability meant it wasn't something he was able to replicate himself.

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller's Mailbag, January 22, 2014

Q: Most of us have long heard the famous story of Leon (Jigger) Sirois and his ill-fated qualifying attempt at the Speedway in 1969. My question is, if Jigger had kept his laps/attempt and was declared pole winner in 1969, what would have happened if 33 other cars had outqualified him? Would he have been bumped? Would Jigger have not been bumped, due to the fact that he was declared the pole winner? And what would happen if that scenario happened today?‬ I’ve seen and met Jigger at the Speedway the last couple of years and he is a very nice guy, but doesn’t seem to want to answer the question.‬‬‬

Dave Krueger‬, West Allis, WI

ROBIN MILLER: Of course he would have been bumped if 33 others beat his speed, but that’s the cruel irony: his average of 161mph-plus was quicker than Peter Revson’s slowest speed of 160.851mph, so Jigger would have not only made the race but kept the pole because he was the fastest qualifier on the first day. I’m sure he’s tired of talking about it, but I was with him last week in Tulsa when he was inducted into the National Midget Hall of Fame and he remains one of the classiest and best people on this planet. Pretty damn good midget racer, too.