The RACER Mailbag, February 5

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 just read about Ford joining the WEC, which is pretty awesome. I’m excited to watch that. But I’m seriously concerned about the future of IndyCar. It still seems no other manufacturer wants anything to do with the series, and there isn’t a new chassis coming until 2027. Is that enough? The Indy 500 used to be the one thing that brought manufacturers (I’m thinking the Buick/Menard in the 1980s and '90s as well as the Mercedes 209 in 1994) to the forefront of motorsport. What is the allure of IndyCar with its charter system and spec chassis? What incentive does IndyCar give to a manufacturer’s ROI if it’s strictly a spec series?

Kris, Kokomo, IN

MARSHALL PRUETT: Not much I can add to the conversation that I haven’t added 100 times or more since Lotus left after its disastrous single-season of engine supply in 2012.

Only item to tune up, possibly, is we can’t hang this one on Penske Entertainment as being at fault. Penske’s owned the series for five racing seasons -- about to become his sixth -- and IndyCar’s inability to procure a third or fourth manufacturer is 12 seasons old and about to become 13 seasons once St. Pete gets under way. The Hulman George family bore huge responsibility for that, and IndyCar CEO -- now dual IndyCar and Penske Entertainment CEO -- Mark Miles who was brought in by the family and has been in that position since late 2012, which covers the entire two-manufacturer span.

That covers off the past and 2025 (and 2026, which is said to be the last year for the current car and engine formula). What matters is what happens with TV ratings, audience growth and gains in younger fans in 2025, because that’s what new and potential manufacturers will be watching to decide whether they want to start getting motors ready to join in 2027 under whatever engine formula is ratified.

So, yes, total mess from 2013-24 in terms of landing a third. But the hand-wringing is over. What matters is the gains Penske Entertainment makes this year to show its series is worth major investment from the auto industry.

And a final note: It also needs to get both of its current manufacturers to agree to stay. Chevy seems like a lock, considering Penske’s ties in making Chevy’s motors through the Ilmor Engineering firm he co-founded and co-owns. Honda? Wait and see.

Q: I was at this year's Daytona 24 Hours and I had a wonderful experience. During the night I saw the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Porsche spin after it appeared to blow a tire exiting NASCAR Turn 2. That incident had me thinking, and after digesting some video highlights of the race, it seemed to me there were a lot of tire and suspension failures from what I've seen in Daytona races past.

What issues did Michelin come across over the course of the race? Were there some suspension set-ups the teams were using that could cause the tire failures like the ones we saw?

Brandon Karsten

MP: I don’t recall any trends in tire or suspension failures from the race that led me to think there was an issue with the tire vendors or suspensions as a whole. Teams don’t share setups, so that’s hard to answer, but there was new curbing at the Le Mans Chicane (aka the Bus Stop) which could have had an adverse effect for those who were overly aggressive in driving over them. Also, a tire puncture from debris is a fairly common thing in endurance racing; lots of hours so lots of increased odds of it happening.

Three manufacturers. Ah, the good old days.  F. Peirce Williams/Motorsport Images

Q: This question comes from before your time, but I’ll bet Big Possum remembers when tire companies (and I don’t recall if it was Goodyear or Firestone) would run ads bragging that their tires just lasted 500 miles at Indy or Daytona or wherever.

How much faster might they have been with current tire compounds? Why don’t organizations require harder compounds so they would be more durable, and also eliminate or reduce marbles, which might make better racing with more passing options?

John, sadly, in Illinois

MP: How much faster would old tires be if they were new tires? My brain is confused on that one.

Hard tires provide limited grip, which tends to make for terrible racing, unless you like really long brake zones, and a lot of coasting through corners instead of accelerating, and waiting until the car is pointed straight after the corner to hit the throttle. Drag racing, basically.

Goodyear, Firestone, Michelin and Pirelli can all make hard tires that last forever and cast few marbles. And then we’d all be complaining about how the racing sucks because nobody could pass. If you’re looking for an example, find the Iowa Speedway IndyCar doubleheaders from last year and watch and see how long it takes before you fall asleep. I was there and needed three cups of coffee to keep from snoring.

Q: With the incredible growth in IMSA from both a manufacturer and fan perspective, the only thing missing is more races on the schedule. The current schedule has such large gaps it's easy to lose fan interest. Have there been any rumblings about adding races at some of the great venues like Mid-Ohio and COTA?

Joe Hartsel

MP: There have not. It’s just an entirely different style of racing where its endurance underpinnings is the gift. Take your 17 IndyCar races, all of which last just under two hours (Indy is the exception). That's 34 hours for those 16, races.  IMSA tops that after its first two races -- the Rolex 24 and Sebring’s 12 Hours -- with 36 hours of action. And that’s nothing new.

I don’t disagree; I’d love to see it up around 15 or 16, up from the 11 it’s run for a little while now, but the costs to race for 24 hours, and 12, and six at Watkins Glen and Indy, and 10 to close the season at Petit Le Mans add up to a fortune, plus the two 100-minute street races and the rest which are 2h40m.

In Europe, IMSA’s counterpart at the WEC, which has a similar situation -- it holds just eight races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The European Le Mans Series does six races.

If things continue to prosper for IMSA and its manufacturers and teams want to do it, I’d love to see something that bridges the six weeks between Daytona and Sebring. At least for comparisons, IMSA does have a longer season to enjoy with its first race in January and last in October. IndyCar’s first is in March, and has a steadier frequency until its last in August.

Q: I always thought Danny Sullivan was the king of cool during his open-wheel career. The TV would always play ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man when he was on the scene. It’s been 40 years this year since the spin and win 500; his fifth at Monaco driving an old Tyrrell DFV in the turbo era wasn’t bad either! Did you ever share a Miller with the 1988 champion?

Yanie Porlier

MP: I haven’t, but I’d like to and definitely with something more memorable than a Miller.

Q: Other than Marty Roth for start-and-parking in 2008, have there been any other IndyCar owners over the years who have had their competition license suspended?

Kurt Perleberg

MP: I’m sure there have, and I’m drawing a blank on providing answers. Maybe readers will fire in some answers to share next week.

Q: What (if anything) do we know about 100 Days To Indy for 2025, and what in the name of all things holy will it take for Racing Electronics to come back to the 500? I simply cannot rely on myself to compile and program frequencies over my dinner table when it can be done by pros in 90 seconds.

Harry Staruk

MP: I’m told 100 Days is dead. Last time the Racing Electronics question was raised a year or two ago, I believe the series/track said it was a decision by the vendor.

Q: I know it’s a small sample size, but Connor Zilisch seems like he’s got all the tools to be the next big star. Is it too late to get him into the IndyCar pipeline, or has that ship sailed? I remember Jeff Gordon had a desire to get into IndyCar and nobody stepped up to help him. I hope we don’t let another American star slip away.

Mark

MP: He’s driving for Trackhouse in stock cars. That ship reached its destination and Connor has been safely deposited in his new land.

Zilisch is the real deal, but his future lies a few states south of Indiana. Matthew T. Thacker/Motorsport Images

Q: Couple of questions after your response to my latest contribution to the Mailbag.

About Portland, you wrote “all I hear from the paddock each year is how much they hate [it].” This reminded me of this podcast that Hinch and Rossi recorded right before the 2023 race in which Alex said that he doesn't dislike the track but hates the city, to which James simply replied with “It's the worst.” I’m on the other side of the pond, so sorry if this is a dumb question or if I’m missing the obvious, but what exactly is wrong with Portland? Why all the hate?

About a Mexico race, I am with you on the fact that IndyCar should race on its own track (although this particular point wasn’t part of your response to my message, but someone else’s). Even though I think a Mexico street race (as you suggested) would be a banger and I still dislike Hermann Tilke’s version of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, I am also totally with you on bringing back the complete Peraltada Corner.

So, if IndyCar’s discussions with the Mexico Grand Prix promoter focus on racing on the aforementioned road course, how about using a different layout that F1? How about this: first, take the NASCAR right-hander instead of the T4 to T7 section; second, at Foro Sol, take an amalgamation of the F1 and the FE route (basically a tinier version of Hockenheim’s Motodrom) and then the whole Peraltada corner? And maybe third, if possible, replace T2 and T3 with a flat-out, flowing chicane to get a bigger top speed coming into T4. Just because F1 cars work best with tracks that are made with pointy corners and super long (DRS) straights, doesn’t mean the other racing series should follow suit, right? ;) Kidding aside, how do you like my proposal?

About Nashville, since Penske Entertainment will now be promoting the race, do you think this will help keeping it on the schedule in the long-term? If so, and if, as you wrote, the Superspeedway becomes the new season finale venue for the upcoming seasons (which I think is fantastic), could IndyCar consider having the T3/T4 bump removed? Obviously the track is paved with concrete, so that might be different than with asphalt racetracks, but since the said bump caused Nolan Siegel to crash during practice and had Alex Rossi doing a scary save in his qualifying run, couldn’t it become a safety issue?

Xavier

MP: Regarding Portland, you’d have to ask those who hold that opinion because I’ve loved the place since my first race there in 1988. Among the general complaints, its allowance of homeless people to use public lands to encamp, with some of those encampments being at one of the exits taken to get to the track, has been pretty common. For folks who haven’t grown up with homelessness, I’d imagine it’s jarring. Some cable news outlets also paint Portland as the root of many evils for its liberal ways, so I’d guess there are a few pathways into hating it. I think of Portland as rainy Berkeley, where I’ve spent a lot of time, which is probably why it makes sense to me.

As for Mexico, if IndyCar does race at the Autodromo, yes, I hope it’s not the full F1 configuration because the performance gap would be huge.

And for Nashville, the track is owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc., so anything is possible if Penske Entertainment makes the ask.

Q: I forget what they are called, but regarding the lights behind the driver's head in IMSA that showed the position of the car and, while in the pits, showed the elapsed time of the stop, have you heard any word about whether IndyCar has any interest in trying to fix that system and include in the new chassis? I don't care what people think, those were really cool. And informative.

Jim, Indy

MP: The LED panels went away because the unique vibrations in a lightweight open-wheel car at such high speeds broke the connections on the boards. I do think we’ll have something similar, maybe even on the aeroscreen, when the new car arrives. Lots of cool new and thin screen technology has emerged in the years since IndyCar’s LED panels went away.

Q: After watching GTP at Daytona over last couple weeks, I'm convinced that racing GTPs at the Indianapolis 500 would be gigantic. The crowd would be enormous. Current badass cars vs old outdated one.

Mark Crellin, Springfield, OH

MP: We do have GTP cars racing for six hours on the Speedway road course in September, so there’s that. But I do love your wild streak and desire to see Acuras, Aston Martins, BMWs, Cadillacs, Lamborghinis, and Porsches throwing down against Dallara DW12s.

Q: Just giving you the heads up if you haven't seen the news yet. FOX Sports will be available on Tubi, which is a free ad-supported streamer. Should help some of the IndyCar fans out there without a cable/satellite subscription  I don't believe it will include FS1 or FS2 content, but beggars can't be choosers.  I'll leave it to you to teach people how to get Tubi.

Tom, Greenwood, SC

MP: Yep, it’s a FAST channel. Teaching people how to find TV channels isn’t in my contract. [ED: Watch it via your browser at tubitv.com, or download the Tubi app.]

Q: Why is Homestead-Miami Speedway not used to its potential? In the early days there was IndyCar and GTP racing, among other events, and it was great. The location is good; the weather is great.

Is it because it was bought by NASCAR people and that's all they want to do?

Jack, Ft Pierce, FL

MP: No clue. IndyCar had an interest in holding Spring Training there a few years ago, but that never happened.

Q: I get that there are likely multiple reasons why IndyCar racing on the oval at Daytona is unrealistic, but has there ever been any discussion about potentially racing on the road course? After watching the Rolex 24 I couldn’t help but think that the high banked oval combined with the flowing turns would make for an awesome IndyCar racing. I get NASCAR isn't likely to want to share Daytona with a competitor, but it’s not like they haven't been racing at IMS for years.

Daniel Snider

MP: A test of IRL-era Indy cars on the Daytona road course happened about 20 years ago, but it went nowhere afterwards. Road course racing at Daytona doesn’t exactly pack the place. IMSA just had its best crowd there in forever, and the grandstands were maybe 25 percent full. The infield was packed, but on TV, and even in person, the empty seats look bad.

If I’m Roger Penske, I’m going nowhere my series is going to have bad visuals like empty-ish stands.

If the Daytona road course is a non-starter, would you settle for the Charlotte Roval? Lesley Ann Miller/Motorsport Images

Q: I am writing to you in an effort to hopefully have you not only print the following, but to see if you have any power to correct the following.

I have been a loyal fan and have attended the Indy 500 for 43 years. Last year’s post-race traffic experience was one from hell. I, along with approximately 600 other attendees, stay at the Courtyard by Marriott on Crawfordsville Road, just 1.9 miles from the track. For no apparent reason I, along with them, were prohibited from making a left hand turn into the facility and ended up almost in Joliet, Illinois!

It took me five and a half hours to get back to Crawfordsville Road, where I had to wait another one and a half hours in the parking lot across the street from the Courtyard before the state police would let me into the hotel. This is absolutely ridiculous! I complained to the appropriate authorities of the Speedway and they informed me that there is nothing they can do. They plan on doing the same traffic pattern again this year.

I am going to be 77 years old for this year’s race and should not be forced to walk to and from the track, which totals approximately four miles. The staff and individuals that had a party at Courtyard were literally held hostage until approximately midnight before there were allowed to leave.

Whoever came up with this utterly stupid idea should be fired and the Speedway ashamed.

Alan D. Previtali

MP: That’s all kinds of dumb. I didn’t leave the track until 11pm or so, and there was a torrential downpour which knocked out some stop lights as well, and I also found my return path to the hotel impacted by Speedway police blocking some obvious roads I’d normally use. The 20-minute drive ended up being about 1h15m mostly due to the same kind of traffic routing, which was comically short compared to your experience.

Let’s hope IMS president Doug Boles can intercede.

Q: This is in reference to John in the January 29 Mailbag about power steering. We have to remember that racing is supposed to be hard. It’s part of the challenge of it. Power steering makes the sport easier, which isn’t always good. Referencing Jamie Chadwick and Katherine Legge in his comment is discounting that Janet Guthrie, Desire Wilson, Lyn St James, Danica Patrick, Pippa Mann, etc., were all women that did this sport without power steering. It should be difficult regardless of gender.

I am positive that someone like Addison Ianniello (who is an upcoming karting star) would gladly get in a IndyCar as is and love it. This sport should be hard mentally, physically and emotionally. That’s how we find the best of the best. It’s how legends are born.

Tom Harleman, Carmel, IN

MP: Sure. So driving F1 cars, with power steering, is easy? GTP cars with power steering? Janet, Desire, Lyn, Danica, and Pippa never drove extreme-downforce IndyCars on road and street courses, so your examples don’t apply.

Q: This is a somewhat pedantic question, but with road relevance being cited by every racing series that has gone hybrid, has anyone ever pointed out that hybrid cars have been around for over 15 years and, according to ChatGPT, make up less than 20% of the cars on the road in Europe and less than 10% of the cars in North America?

Will, Indy

MP: While we’re being pedantic, I don’t keep track of how many people have or haven’t pointed out this topic. Out of curiosity, what does ChatGPT say about auto manufacturers involved in racing making powertrain choices that aren’t solely based on today’s popular technology, but the technology they are developing for tomorrow?

Q: I’ve got three things I want to go over today.

1) A note in response to Al in Boston last week: IXO does have a track record with open-wheel diecasts. In addition to the 1:43 diecast of Richard Verschoor's 2019 Macau GP-winning F3 car sitting on the shelf above my monitor, they have done a great many classic F1 cars (their website currently lists 1:24 replicas of the McLaren M23, Tyrrell P34, and Lotus 72D), including the Ferrari La Storia Collection that had produced a ton of 1:43 replicas of Ferraris cars from the start of F1 all the way through the 2000s, and this collection is still shown on their website. I don't think we have much to worry about quality-wise from them.

2) Regarding dropping 250 pounds in the next IndyCar, that actually shouldn't be too difficult. A big part of why the current car is so heavy is because there's a lot of compromise, and a lot has been plonked onto the car after the fact and therefore not wisely integrated. A tub that is built from day one to integrate the halo part of the aeroscreen should be able to drop 30-40 pounds on its own. Better integration of the ERS system could do a bit as well (though that will also depend on the engine regs), and pulling in the sides of the floor and the wheel ramps should be able to save at least ten pounds, though that would obviously have aerodynamic drawbacks. This is just what I can observe from the outside -- I'm sure the engineers tackling it can figure out that much and then some.

That being said, dropping weight isn't as important as making sure the weight that is balanced well. A car that's well-balanced can still be quicker than one that's lighter but terribly balanced. I'll take whatever they can do weight-wise as long as it’s better balanced than the current car.

3) I would like to present to you, complete with attached photos (below), my extremely rushed kitbash of a 2027 IndyCar concept. Comments in response to my outlining of my ideas in a previous Mailbag (and random conversations outside of it) indicated that people weren't envisioning my idea well in their minds, and that some people would be keen on seeing it with their own eyes. So I put this together in an afternoon, thus its extremely rough nature -- I'm not the best kitbasher under ideal circumstances, but this was rushed as its meant to communicate an idea, not to be a refined creation, so as long as it gets the idea across its good enough.

Also, I apologize for the photo quality and the hairy frontstretch. My good camera broke and my phone refused to focus on the car at all unless I held it like this.

In any case, I used a Greenlight 1:64 diecast for this concept to reflect the fact that the 2027 car will probably bear some similarities just on account of the realities of aerodynamic design. I obviously put a different front wing on it to show how much of the design is built around keeping the aero fairly simple to reduce some drag, seeing as the rear wheels are more exposed. I just plonked a halo on it because the base model was pre-aeroscreen and I'm lazy like that.

The sidepods are reprofiled in a way reminiscent of the 2003-07 Panoz/G-Force IRL car, partially for looks, partially because I think that might actually help the airflow. The floor and wheel ramps are pulled in, putting more tire in the airflow, but then we get to the big changes -- the small wings produce a fair amount of downforce while reducing how much air directly hits the rear wheels, and there is a low-slung rear wing with endplates integrated into the diffuser at the back.

The idea is this wing is a single-element wing that would simply be removed in speedway configuration(with the endplates remaining since they're part of the diffuser exit) rather than completely replaced, with the wings over the rear tires being the primary overbody downforce generator at high-speed tracks. This is to make up for the rear wheels sticking out more and creating some additional drag.

The shark fin on the engine cover is purely aesthetic. I don't see a purpose for such on this design with the central wing hanging so low. I also did up the forward edge of the floor similarly to current F1 cars simply because it makes sense to me as a ground effect design.

Hope everyone finds it interesting. I'm really just hoping to spark some fun debate about how to make the cars more interesting without going too crazy with design.

FormulaFox

MP: Topic 1: Richard Verschoor! Topic 2: Dunning-Kruger. Topic 3: Do not try and microwave your Hot Wheels, kids.

Q: I'm the new president/dictator of IndyCar.  Please pass on these rule changes to everyone:

I appoint Adrian Newey to design the new IndyCar chassis that is powertrain agnostic. Engine covering and cooling may be modified to fit the engine/transmission. IndyCar will provide each full time entry with one chassis for year one. Any IndyCar newer than five years old may continue to be utilized indefinitely.

I declare the new engine and transmission formula effective immediately: Run what you brung. If you can fit it in the current car and mate it to the WAE-manufactured IMSA spec hybrid battery system or the current hybrid unit, you can run it. Want to use gas? Diesel? Hydrogen? Jet fuel? Two-stroke? Four-stroke? An old Judd V10? A Mazda 4 rotor from 1991? We don't care, but you get X amount of energy over any one-hour period (subject to adjustment), and Y amount of maximum torque. Use any transmission you want.

200 seconds of extra torque is available for each driver to use during the race. The driver at the three-quarter distance that has moved up the grid the most from their starting position shall be awarded an extra 25 seconds of torque.

I reserve the right to balance the playing field at my discretion including for reasons such as I don't like you, or your car is ugly.

All cars as run are subject to being claimed for a fee to be determined at a later date.

David Volk

MP: Report to Roger’s office in Detroit Monday morning at 7:50am. Start time is 8, but remember, in Penske’s world, if you’re on time, you’re 10 minutes late.

Q: As a Honda fan, I'd like to ask you about the prototype side of things. With such a number and new OEMs coming into the WEC, why doesn't Honda join? It has the car, it is under the HRC umbrella and it doesn't have to be a full works operation if budget is the obstacle.

Also, did this play any part in the split with WTR, since WTR wants to run Le Mans?

Nicholas, Greece

MP: Honda Racing Corporation US and American Honda/Acura fund the program’s IMSA GTP effort. HRC US has an ambition to take its ARX-06s to Le Mans, and possibly the WEC, but isn’t funded to do both at the same time.

WTR reunited with its old friends at GM after Ganassi and GM couldn’t come to terms on an extension. Acura and Le Mans weren’t a factor.

Q: Ford and Trackhouse Racing are seemingly now everywhere (and Stellantis nowhere) in motor racing. Forgive me as I ramble through a list of questions: What's the Ford family butthurt with IndyCar about? Does the new charter system scare away new possible teams like Trackhouse? Why is the Chrysler group so lame?

Shawn, MD

MP: Why would Ford having zero interest in IndyCar equate to being "butthurt"? It sees no value, like all but two of the world’s dozens of auto manufacturers. Yes on charters. Because Bob Lutz isn’t in charge.

Q: I’m thoroughly enjoying the golden era of sports car racing and excited for more manufacturers to join.

I’ve recently read that large auto manufacturers’ profits are under pressure from Chinese competitors. Given F1’s cost cap and growth, it seems immune to financial cycles. How much does a GTP program cost to run per car annually, and how resilient do you think GTP is to these financial hardships?

Willem

MP: Hard to answer, right, since every manufacturer is different and spends a different amount. Tens of millions is a safe starting point. More manufacturers are involved in racing today than at any time I can remember, and they’re always under financial pressure. GTP is exploding with interest, so other than Lamborghini looking a bit iffy on the factory side, I have no concerns.

Q: When Bill Ford says “There is no track or race that means more to our history than Le Mans,” how should IndyCar feel? Ford could’ve come back to IndyCar but instead chose to jump into the deep end of a crowded pool in IMSA. Is this another nail in the coffin for our beloved IndyCar series? We know we wanted Ford back to fight with Chevy and Honda. Now what?

Bill Bailey

MP: I’d suggest Bill Ford gives zero poops about IndyCar’s feelings. Le Mans is the big family story for them, so despite all of the awesome Indy 500/IndyCar results and history, there’s no nostalgia -- nothing that’s meaningful -- to cause Ford to spent tons on an IndyCar engine program. And that’s OK.

Ford being uninterested has no bearing on IndyCar’s health since its disinterest is now decades old.

It'll be a long time before an IndyCar gets that close to a Ford logo again. Motorsport Images

Q: Since there has been radio silence since September, I assume 100 Days To Indy is dead. Although I believe it was a flawed concept to concentrate on only a third of the season, the show did a really good job of humanizing the drivers. There was so much potential to make the show better, and longer, that I was hoping FOX would pick it up or produce its own show. Maybe next year FOX will both solve the streaming fiasco, and produce its own IndyCar reality show?

Tim

MP: 100 Days To Indy is indeed dead. Anything is possible, but seeing how FOX Sports killed its long-running daily NASCAR show last year, and NASCAR is a much bigger draw than IndyCar, it would take some significant growth in IndyCar’s audience size to warrant that kind of expense with a dedicated show of some sorts. Love to see it, but it feels like a longshot at this early point.

Q: For all those that are clamoring for Ford to do IndyCar, the announcement about building a prototype and racing at Le Mans speaks volumes: "And there is no track or race that means more to our history than Le Mans…” That’s a quote taken from the RACER article. Didn't a member of the Ford board say that IndyCar was just never going to happen? I fully understand their position, it's others that need to get clarity. I doubt Miles/Penske can convince them otherwise. Maybe I will be proven wrong, hope so as Ford vs Chevy (Cosworth vs Ilmor), was some fun times.

Dan Schertner

MP: Those were great times. Also, Penske has won multiple NASCAR Cup championships with Ford, including the most recent title. If he can’t get his close friends and partners at Ford to join the series he owns, nobody can.

Q: This isn’t a question, but more of a rant. I’m sickened by the flurry of social media accounts regarding the IMSA teams’ loss of components by theft and inappropriate behavior from "fans" in the Daytona paddock this last week.

What makes our sport special is our open access to the teams’ "locker rooms." The accessible paddock allows for a better understanding of the sport, interaction (when done correctly) with participants and an up-close look at the cars. No other sport allows this access to ordinary fans.

Please fans, behave yourselves! Don’t touch anything, respect barriers, and don’t bother racers or crew members when they are thrashing on a car. Everyone in the paddock is under much pressure to perform perfectly and time is the enemy. I’m concerned we will lose access in IMSA and IndyCar if people continue to display bad behavior.

Mark Bolster

MP: These weren’t fans. These were opportunists who exploited holes in security. IMSA and its teams need to defend their property while the races are taking place going forward.

Q: TPC (Testing Previous Car) seems to be the hot topic in F1 right now. I know there’s a mileage limit of 1,000km spread over four days of testing, and a further two promotional days of 200km each. Does that mean that each team actually has a maximum of 1,400km total TPC allowance for the season?

How is the mileage calculated? Just multiplying the number of laps at any given track? And does that include all in-out installation laps, etc.? Does the FIA representative have to sign off on said declared distance?

Also, I learned that all Formula 1 teams have spare car numbers after Oliver Bearman ran the No. 38 for Ferrari and No. 50 for Haas last year. And presumably Jack Doohan running the No. 61 for Alpine at Abu Dhabi. Is there a list of all 10 teams’ spare car numbers, and how long has this practice existed?

Tom Harader, Florence, OR

CHRIS MEDLAND: You're right about it being a hot topic Tom, especially with Ferrari utilizing it so much with Hamilton and Leclerc at the moment, but also other teams doing plenty of their own without it always being so public. And I'll forgive the confusion, because the testing regulations are very complex...

So, TPC running has to be a car that's at least two years old, whereas those promotional days you mention are with a current car (so, the 2025 car this year), and don't count towards the TPC allocation. The TPC mileage limits of 1,000km over four days are for the race drivers only, but teams can complete up to 20 days of TPC running in total during a calendar year. The race driver limit counts towards that, so if Hamilton did four days, for example, then there would only be 16 left available for non-race drivers.

Mileage is indeed calculated by the car's ECU (electronic control unit) and sensors, but the simple way is working out how many laps of a given track you can complete without exceeding the limit, and that includes all movement of the car on track -- so, in and out laps, and installation laps, too. You're also right that the FIA representative then monitors what the team does, both in terms of mileage and the car specification used, as only parts that have been used on the car at least once in the year it was designed for can be run in a TPC.

As for the driver numbers question, yes there is a list of numbers below, which was provided by the FIA. Each team has two numbers for reserve options, and they've been in operation since permanent driver numbers came into effect in 2014. Any changes have been because drivers have wanted one of the numbers for their permanent choice:

McLaren: 28, 29

Aston Martin: 34, 35

Red Bull: 36, 37

Ferrari: 38, 39

VCARB: 40, 41

Williams: 45, 46

Haas: 50, 51

Alpine: 61, 62

Mercedes: 72, 73

Sauber: 97, 98

Pato who? Oh, the guy in the 2021 McLaren MCL35M F1 car. Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

Q: As someone who is Kernersville/Winston-Salem, NC born, it made my heart happy to see my favorite sport of the NASCAR Cup Series make a stop at a venue that I went to many Saturday nights for local racing as a kid!

I was not able to fly to NC for it so I watched back in Arizona live on FOX.  I thought the format was outstanding to set the main event. The LCQ had a lot of drama, with beating and banging and wrecks in drivers trying to make the main event. The main event itself, I was satisfied that they had fairly long green flag runs and it was not a wreckfest. I think the Cup stars definitely put on a good show and it was good to have the Series most-popular driver in Chase Elliott take the win.

I don’t know what happens to the Clash next, but I hope that Bowman Gray is able to remain on the Cup schedule in some way or form next season and in seasons beyond.

Kevin, Arizona

KELLY CRANDALL: The reaction since Sunday night has been overwhelmingly positive, which is a win for NASCAR. Not only did the Clash serve a passionate fan base, but it was sold out and good racing. So, as I wrote in my column, it checked all the boxes. And to see that fans and drivers would be in favor of seeing it again is also a good thing instead of NASCAR hearing about how they did something wrong. There are a lot of opinions about what should happen next, and I’m sure there will be just as many opinions after NASCAR makes a decision. 

THE FINAL WORD

From Robin Miller's Mailbag, February 5, 2014

Q: I’m going through the 2007 Champ Car season and really missing those cars. Imagine in 2008 that the Champ Car/IRL merger never happened. IF Tony George had still been removed, would there have been a chance for these two series to remain separate and have a BoP between the DP01 and IRL cars for the Indy 500? The United SportsCar Championship is proving that rival series can get along if the right people are in place.

Matt, Milwaukee, WI

ROBIN MILLER: I suppose they could have remained separate but Champ Car would have eventually died without the Indianapolis 500. And the DP01 wasn’t an oval-track car so I doubt it could have worked.