Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers could be despatched to mailbag@racer.com. We love listening to your feedback and opinions, however letters that embody a query usually tend to be printed. Questions obtained after 3pm ET every Monday will likely be saved for the next week.
Q: Why is it potential for the Trans Am collection to placed on a race at Watkins Glen and at COTA and IndyCar can’t?
Additionally, I seen on the Milwaukee Mile this 12 months that the drivers will not be driving across the paddock on these little Honda motorbikes anymore. As an alternative, they’re driving round on stand-up scooters. Pato got here round a blind nook and simply missed operating me down. My guess is the chances are in the end gravity will take over and a kind of drivers will ultimately go down exhausting leading to harm. What occurred to the bikes?
Steve Sporer, Chicago
MARSHALL PRUETT: It’s potential as a result of Trans Am chooses to race at WGI and COTA, and WGI and COTA select to take their cash to allow them to race at their amenities. If IndyCar selected to race at each, and each wished to pay IndyCar to race at their amenities, or to take rental charges from IndyCar to placed on Penske-promoted occasions, I’m certain IndyCar can be again at WGI and COTA.
Scooters are nonetheless utilized by some groups, however most now want the smaller and lighter e-bikes.
Q: Just lately noticed that RLL have taken supply of the McLaren automobiles for IMSA. I’m curious, although, what the logistical processes are of going from the GTP to GTD? Does the staff simply pack up every little thing and ship it again to BMW? Does BMW retain all of the race information during the last couple seasons?
Not that Stefan Johansson
MP: RLL ran the BMW M Hybrid V8s final week at IMSA’s annual pre-season Stability of Efficiency check at Daytona and handed off the automobiles and car-specific help gear to WRT, the brand new BMW Motorsport service supplier for GTP (which already runs the M Hybrid V8s for BMW in WEC Hypercar), as soon as the check was full.
RLL introduced all of it right down to Florida, did the check, and farewelled every little thing on the monitor. BMW would have all the information in its possession from the primary day of operating with RLL. If and what occurs to the info on RLL’s facet is dependent upon no matter they agreed to of their contract, however most often, groups don’t shred information and drill holes in exhausting drives and scrub all data held on inside/distant/cloud-based servers. There tends to be language that forestalls the sharing of the information, in fact, however most producers are sensible sufficient to know that groups don’t overlook what they know.
Q: I feel the 2025 WWT Raceway oval was the proper IndyCar race! I vote a month-to-month Saturday evening occasion there for the summer time months yearly!
David Monnett
MP: I second your vote, David.
Q: Nice information for Ryan Hunter-Reay being named as fourth McLaren driver for Indy. A a lot wiser alternative than Larson final 12 months. Ryan is a winner, he is aware of the automotive and there’s no battle with scheduling. Larson was nice PR however not a superb share to win. The query is, what different drivers do you count on to be nominated as Indy 500-only drivers? Plenty of expertise is ready within the wings to show their value.
Dave
MP: I don’t suppose we’ll see any main surprises. If Conor Daly isn’t capable of take the full-time seat at Coyne, he’s on pole place for the very best 500 seat out there. Stefan Wilson continues to search for a brand new alternative. Charlie Kimball often tells me I overlook to say him as a 500 candidate. Like Daly, if Jacob Abel’s not in for the season someplace, I do know he’ll need to make it into his first 500 if a superb seat is out there. Indy NXT veteran James Roe is on my radar for one thing at Indy. Sebastian Saavedra needs to get again for one more month of Could. Katherine Legge remains to be . After that, I’ve run out of names.
Oh, and Valentino Rossi was imagined to be the massive shock Arrow McLaren had within the works for Could. By a colleague on the WEC season finale, I requested him about it. His reply? “I do know nothing about this.”
Q: I simply completed studying John Oreovicz’s ‘Class of ‘99.’ It was an ideal learn centered round my favourite period of IndyCar racing. Whereas describing the difficult years for Penske round that point, Oreovicz talked about Crew Penske swapped right into a Lola chassis after points being aggressive within the Penske chassis in the course of the 1999 season. I don’t recall that occuring, however being solely 12 on the time, I used to be seemingly unaware.
What settlement did groups have with engine/tire/chassis producers throughout this period? Might any staff drop a producer mid-season from their ‘bundle’, or was Penske capable of run a special chassis since they have been swapping from their very own?
Chris, Olney, MD
MP: Penske’s PC27 regarded superb however wasn’t aggressive, so sure, they went to the Lola B99/00 across the one-third level of the season. I labored on one on the Hogan Racing staff; fairly appreciated that automotive.
Exhausting to reply the final query since groups had particular person agreements, and there have been 15 or 16 groups. Basically, tire and engine provide contracts weren’t issues to monkey with, and if it was a prime staff, cash was seemingly paid to the tune of thousands and thousands coming in from the producer. On the chassis facet, these have been commodities to be purchased, so Lola would fortunately promote automobiles at $500,000 or extra apiece to Penske. If Penske wished to run a Reynard and a Swift, I’m certain each would have offered them automobiles as nicely, however since Reynard was the dominant mannequin, and had massive improvement offers with its prime groups, I’d guess there was some pushback by its main groups to arm Penske whereas Penske was irrelevant in 1999.
In the course of the offseason, we all know that modified and Penske not solely purchased Reynards, however modified them considerably – to the purpose that they have been known as ‘Renskes’ – and romped away to win the 2000 and 2001 CART titles.
In 2000/2001, there have been Reynards – after which there have been *these* Reynards. Jon Ferrey/Getty Photographs
Q: Our grandfather and grandmother lived subsequent door to the Hulmans in Terre Haute after which moved to Indianapolis. With their six youngsters and the Hulmans subsequent door there was an on the spot baseball staff. Grandfather constructed the primary scoring pylon in his storage and transported it by way of horses and wagons to the Speedway. Is there something left of the unique scoring pylon?
Phil Barrett Jr
MP: If we’re working from assumed timelines, the primary massive pylon went up in 1959, and in a name with the nice people on the IMS Museum, they don’t have any items of that construction in stock. If it exists partially or in complete someplace else, you’ve acquired a enjoyable world search to embark upon.
Q: I want that latest IndyCar check at Pheonix had been for the entire subject as preparation for a January opener in Orlando or Homestead, identical to the outdated days.
Talking of which, are you able to recall Dr Helmut Marko’s transient flirtation with the Indy Racing League? Was it solely two races with the late Dave Steele earlier than his F3000 squad went again to Europe with their tails between their legs? The IRL protection in Autosport journal was dreadful then, so I’m attempting to dig this out of deepest reminiscence. Did his automotive in actual fact have a BMW engine within the again, or am I actually imagining issues? However I’m certain that BMW have been being touted as a potential third provider alongside Oldsmobile and Nissan. Does RACER actually have a image of the Marko automotive?
Makes you surprise, if the RSM Marko staff had been profitable within the unique IRL of the late ‘90s then what would the IndyCar panorama seem like now? I imply, this was a superb few years earlier than Eddie Cheever acquired his Pink Bull sponsorship deal. I’m certain IndyCar would love that model concerned once more.
Peter Kerr, Hamilton, Scotland
MP: I used to be there on the staff facet on the time with our TKM/Genoa Racing outfit and noticed it happen with RSM and Steele. There was no BMW involvement. Big fan of Steele, which is why I used to be so eager to see this happen, and with the added angle of a prime F3000 staff making the try, albeit with IndyCar veterans behind this system. Mike Colliver, who was with Dale Coyne Racing final season, not too long ago jogged my memory of his participation within the effort.
It might have been nice for RSM to succeed, however I’ve by no means considered that being one thing which might have reworked the IRL. In comparison with CART on the time, the IRL was rather a lot like Indy Lights/F3000, which made it straightforward for Lights groups like ours to go straight from Lights in 1996 into the IRL in 1997 with the identical employees and be aggressive instantly. That will not have been potential in CART.
I wished to do a function on Marko’s transient and oft-forgotten dalliance in American open-wheel, however then Steele died in 2017, which was horrible, and I misplaced curiosity. A couple of years later, I did ultimately attain out to Marko to see if he’d be up for a chat in early 2021 and that is what I acquired again:
Expensive Marshall,
Sadly our look at Phoenix was very long time in the past so I haven´t any reminiscences left.
Greatest regards
Helmut Marko
Q: Whereas a damper program is probably not the most important deal, the IndyCar grid is tight sufficient for it to be an element when it is about who’s first and who’s second. So, I suppose, a possible OEM wanting on the groups they’re going to must associate with would have some considerations about with the ability to win a championship (I do not imagine Penske and Ganassi promote the identical dampers that go of their automobiles). Going with spec dampers may assist that time. I believed Penske would provide the dampers, although.
After which, within the check they have been additionally utilizing a torque sensor. I do not suppose IndyCar can get new OEMs with out utilizing these these days.
Are these two issues an indication that individuals managing IndyCar lastly achieved frequent sense and new OEMs are becoming a member of (and Honda is staying)? Or am I studying an excessive amount of from this?
William Mazeo
MP: If there’s a single auto producer that’s on the fence about committing $50 million or extra to a multi-year IndyCar engine provide program who would look to spec dampers because the factor to make them say sure, please hold that lame-ass producer away from the collection.
Going to spec shocks has nothing to do with frequent sense. No matter is left open for improvement will likely be the place groups spend essentially the most cash. Shocks have been left open, in order that’s the high-price R&D expenditure. Take shocks away and groups will spend the cash on the next-best space. And if all the open objects are eliminated, groups will spend much more as a result of the differentiators are all however gone and practically unattainable to seek out. Whole recreation of whac-a-mole being performed yere.
Producers routinely use torque sensors in assessments and even throughout choose apply classes; I seen Marco Andretti had them on his automotive at some point in Could at Indy. However I do count on to see them turn into commonplace fare with the subsequent automotive.
Q: F1 is unquestionably on a serious in upward path in North America. Not too a few years in the past it was IndyCar, then NASCAR, after which F1 within the U.S. IndyCar has discovered its strategy to No.3, and I am unsure it stops there. What’s the long-term impression on the Indy 500? The information media and the youth (those who care about motorsports) at the moment are enamored with F1, which ought to scare the hell out of the IndyCar powers-that-be.
Jim Riddle, Highlands, NC
MP: On the Indy 500, it’s had two of the most important turnouts in 2024-2025 that I’ve seen in a long time, and the TV viewers has sharply risen the final two years, so if I’m going off of numbers and developments, I’m feeling good concerning the 500 and its future.
The opposite factor that offers me confidence is similar youth who’ve discovered about F1 within the final 5 years and help it wholeheartedly are additionally studying about IndyCar and supporting it in the same approach. The ‘youthification’ of IndyCar (not a phrase, however I prefer it, so I exploit it) is without doubt one of the greatest and most essential positive factors made by the collection since 2024. That’s the way it sustains itself for the long run.
IndyCar is reaching younger followers – and hopefully turning them into life-long ones. Joe Skibinski/Penske Leisure
Q: Simply Googled Burke Lakefront Airport and IndyCar only for giggles, and found that Cleveland Metropolis officers are exploring bringing the race again and probably are in talks with IndyCar already. Although it could most likely be a road race as a substitute of on airport property. I feel with a tie-in to the Rock Corridor of Fame like perhaps a pair live shows, ticket offers, help races, this may very well be big. This has the potential to be a Lengthy Seaside on Lake Erie spectacle.
Additionally think about the latest collaborations with Meyer Shank/Sirius XM – Bon Jovi, Creed, Ozzie Osbourne and Metallica. Looks like an apparent marriage that needs to be aggressively pursued. And… Willie P performs the drums. What else do you want?
Any rumblings that you just can disclose? Are they speaking?
Jeff, Colorado
MP: I’ve solely heard of it as a road race. Nolan Siegel performs the guitar. Josef Newgarden performs the jazz flute identical to Ron Burgundy (he doesn’t, however I really like the concept).
As a lot as I really like the Corridor of Fame, it’s a bit too old-timey for what’s wanted right here. If Penske Leisure/Fox goes to create a collection of recent road racing festivals throughout the nation, it must be skewed in the direction of a youthful viewers. IndyCar already has its elder fan base, which makes utilizing the museum a case of enjoying to its base. A lot of the bands on the MSR/SiriusXM automotive have been cool, but additionally attraction nearly solely to older followers. I occur to like a few of these bands, BTW, but additionally know that I’m not the goal demographic IndyCar must appease.
The motivation for the road festivals is to attraction to new audiences whereas figuring out the bottom would seemingly have an interest as nicely.
Q: Given how good Ferrari’s 2024 tempo was, how a lot of an impression did the change from push rod to tug rod suspension have on the 2025 automotive? Round preseason testing time, I appear to recollect dialogue about this being a major change in idea and design.
Tifosi Bo, Edmonton
CHRIS MEDLAND: Truthfully, an enormous one, however I would assess it extra as a knock-on impression. Ferrari went from push rod to tug rod on the entrance suspension, following McLaren and Pink Bull in that idea. It was designed to enhance the automotive in excessive pace corners, cleansing up the airflow and permitting the automotive to be run nearer to the bottom to extract extra efficiency from the ground.
In actuality, that hasn’t labored out. As evidenced very early on, there have been related results that meant the automotive really could not be run as little as Ferrari wished, as a result of it risked an excessive amount of plank put on (a part of the rationale it acquired a double-DSQ in China earlier this 12 months). We have seen different occasions the place a major quantity of elevate and coast has been wanted late in a race, with the speculation that because the nook speeds improve on decrease gas, the ground once more may turn into a legality subject.
In some methods, Ferrari was doing the proper factor in altering method to chase an even bigger step in efficiency, figuring out McLaren wouldn’t be standing nonetheless. However the related issues which have include the change haven’t been addressed nicely in any respect, and that led to Ferrari slipping additional off the tempo.
The slight silver lining is that it was one 12 months of ache with the change, earlier than the whole overhaul of laws subsequent 12 months.
Q: I am an enormous Brad Keselowski fan and noticed the article the place he mentioned he was interested in fielding an IMSA team. Any likelihood he may probably enter a race on behalf of the staff, or goes to strictly run it as an wwner? Personally, I would wish to see Brad race in not less than one occasion!
Additionally, is it potential Brad brings RFK again into the Xfinity or Truck Collection, and will probably enter as a driver in just a few races?
Zach
RJ O’CONNELL: I’ll defer to Kelly relating to RFK’s future plans beneath the Cup Collection. As Keselowski mentioned although, he’s not trying to IMSA as an off-ramp from NASCAR, he’s by no means been eager on the Cup Collection including extra street and road course races, and he by no means actually stood out as one of many elite street course racers even throughout his prime at Crew Penske. You may by no means say by no means in terms of a Rolex 24 drive, although. Brad even mentioned on Twitter (at present X) in 2012 that he’d wish to run the race at some point, however that the timing was by no means proper. Maybe a GTD PRO or GTD drive in a Ford Mustang GT3 can be possible, I simply can’t see him having a really excessive aptitude in the direction of driving the present technology of GTP automobiles… although I’m at all times open to be improper.
KELLY CRANDALL: Something is feasible, however there was no indication of curiosity from Brad Keselowski or these at RFK Racing about increasing into Xfinity or Vans. The addition of a 3rd Cup Collection automotive was an enormous deal and the principle precedence for the previous couple of years, and the main target does seem like on the Cup Collection facet of issues.
The group has positively improved since Keselowski arrived just a few seasons in the past, however everybody would let you know there’s nonetheless a lot to do and extra issues they need to accomplish, particularly given the historical past of that place. So, once more, by no means say by no means, however there hasn’t been any motion towards that. The final time I can bear in mind Keselowski mentioning the Xfinity Collection specifically was in 2023, when he was desirous about how the CW deal would work for the collection.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, 20 November, 2013
Q: I had many alternatives to talk with Dario Franchitti, most likely like many followers. Dario and I talked about what it was wish to drive Jim Clark’s Indy 500 Lotus and most not too long ago the good racing at Baltimore. Each time we talked, he handled me as if I have been his neighbor in Scotland. However greater than that, I beloved how he took time with the children who wished a photograph or autograph. Dario will retire as one of many all time finest Indy automotive drivers. And successful the Indy 500 thrice makes him immortal. So I do know first-hand how participating he’s and I had the nice fortune to see all his 500 victories, however I am conscious that you’re nearer to him and know way more about what went into his success as a driver. What is going to you bear in mind about Dario?
Gerry Courtney, San Francisco
ROBIN MILLER: How shortly he tailored to 900 horsepower and the CART tracks, however principally how immediately aggressive he was towards an ideal subject of drivers. He wasn’t intimidated or awed by his new environment, he walked in like he belonged as a result of he did. And I like to argue with him about automobiles, tracks, TGBB and all issues racing. However his persona, humorousness, intelligence and sense of historical past made him nearly as good off the monitor as he was on it.
