The RACER Mailbag, July 8

Q: Big Possum attended the BC39 midget show at the dirt track at IMS this week. Great show as always – if you have never been to BC39, you are just letting the best in life pass you by.

On the Wednesday morning prior the race, Big Possum visited the Grant King Race shops and museum on Crawfordsville Road out by IRP – wow! What a trip back into the history of racing and IndyCar racing. Big Possum recommends that all who are able to visit this shop. While there it was pointed out that AJ Watson's Indy operation was next door – gone now – but that got Big Possum remembering that back in the day in the old garages at the Speedway, Big Possum happened to be in the restroom doing business next to AJ Watson, whose cars won Indy six times, the last with Foyt in 1964.

As luck would have it, Big Possum was in the restroom at the Speedway under the media center next to the podium just prior to the start of the Indy GP some years ago with the cars on the grid ready to start. In the door in his race suit rushed Felix Rosenqvist for one last tinkle just before the start.

It has occurred to Big Possum that perhaps anyone next to him at a urinal could be tapped to be an Indy 500 winner – as we all know, the Speedway picks the winner, but could this be part of the equation? Two tinkles, two winners. Your thoughts, Marshall? 

Big Possum

MP: I see a new future for myself as your agent, Big Possum. Can’t wait to schedule meetings with A.J. and Roger and the rest to pitch $500,000 contracts to have you stand in Speedway bathrooms on the morning of the Indy 500 and rush to use the urinals next to their drivers. My parents would be so proud.

Q: I have to say that any time in the past where I had seen headlines about Dixon and McLaren, I have shrugged it off as no more than clickbait. Boy, did I not have this on my silly season bingo card because of that. I wonder if Chip's going to give him a proper sendoff for the past 25 years and six championships, or if he's just going to have Dario take him to the site of the former Taco Bell on 16th to get mugged again?

Alan Bandi, Sarver, PA

MP: Well that turned awfully dark after the final comma, now didn’t it? 

Chip can be gruff, but he’s also someone who appreciates hard work and dedication. He’s still stunned by Dixie’s decision to leave, but I’m sure he’ll gather the team at the final race and do a proper sendoff at Laguna Seca.

Q: So, Marcus Armstrong is staying at Meyer Shank Racing but moving to the 60. Is there significance to being in a different car on the same team. Is that side "better?" Does an organization favor one of its rides over another? Or does maybe Marcus just like the number better?

Shawn, MD

MP: There is. The No. 60 is MSR’s lead car, and has always been its lead car across all of its pro racing activities in Grand Am, IMSA and IndyCar. This is a symbolic move for MSR, which shows his faith in Armstrong and speaks to his serious growth at the team to be entrusted with its Indy 500-winning entry. Both crews and engineering teams are amazing, so on that side, no, there isn’t an A car and a B car with talent.    

Number 60 is kind of like number one. It doesn't work in math, but it does at Meyer Shank Racing. Paul Hurley/Penske Entertainment

Q: After reading the comments posted in the previous Mailbag, I realized I had omitted a crucial point in my email.

My biggest complaint about the points system is how confusing the championship race becomes toward the end of the season. Too many guaranteed points create a hassle – you have to do the math just to figure out who still has a shot at the championship before the race, or which team has the upper hand during the race. Viewers want to get caught up in calculating fuel consumption and lap-by-lap time gaps – they don’t want to have to deal with additional factors to calculate.

If the current points system is sufficient for determining who the champion is, then IMSA.TV should increase the frequency with which it displays the virtual championship standings during the Petit Le Mans.

While I’m at it, I’d like to ask: The Genesis Magma GT3’s debut is still some time away, but once it does debut, will they be able to find teams willing to purchase it and race it?

For Genesis, which is new to the GT3 category, finding customers will be difficult, and I don’t think the number of manufacturers competing in GT3 will decrease in the next few years compared to now.

Hayashi, Japan

MP: Thanks for the additional context. Genesis has offered no insights that I know of about its Magma GT3 availability plans.  

Q: Is the McLaren IndyCar team in financial trouble? They’re the only good team this year with a pay driver. Swapping Lundgaard for Dixon makes sense in terms of selling ads and t-shirts, but doesn’t make sense in terms of race performance, and Dixon has maybe a few years left.

The IndyCar team is doing the opposite of what the F1 team did in dropping Daniel Ricciardo for Oscar Piastri.

Is there any rule preventing Nolan Siegel or Sting Ray Robb from racing in Indy NXT again?

Will, Indy

MP: They are not the only good team with a pay driver. Ganassi’s Kyffin Simpson is supported by business/sponsorship brought to the team by his family.

Arrow McLaren is replacing Nolan’s rumored $22 million with paying Felix Rosenqvist and Scott Dixon vast sums of money, so no, I’d say the team is not in financial trouble.

I’m not aware of an NXT rule that would prevent Nolan and Sting Ray from returning to the series. But I am aware that there’s no reason or scenario rooted in reality where that would happen.