Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers might be despatched to mailbag@racer.com. We love listening to your feedback and opinions, however letters that embrace a query usually tend to be revealed. Questions obtained after 3pm ET every Monday might be saved for the next week.
Q: I do know that alternates on the road programs are nonetheless an merchandise beneath improvement and are undoubtedly part of the push for sustainability, however they actually need a rethink. I like the truth that IndyCar is making an attempt one thing, however whenever you see the race begin and the vast majority of the sphere pitting by lap 4 to ditch them, it actually makes them appear extra like a gimmick than pure technique.
I do know that we now have had cases like that with the reds a handful of occasions, however for probably the most half, the degradation on them hasn’t been as excessive (particularly when you’re Scott Dixon and have a sixth sense for making them final with minimal falloff). Plus there may be normally a large enough efficiency delta, and it results in some very attention-grabbing methods.
Alan Bandi, Sarver, PA
MARSHALL PRUETT: The nice factor is we shouldn’t expertise the zero-life alternates once more till June at Detroit. The street course alternates last more, had been the popular tire at Thermal, and I’d suspect they’ll be good at Barber and the Indy GP. After Detroit, the one different zero-life avenue course left on the schedule is Toronto, so this experiment IndyCar requested for is half over and can solely have an effect on two of the 14 remaining races.
With the lengthy manufacturing lead occasions to make racing tires, there’s no possibility for Firestone to redo its avenue course alternates forward of Detroit and Toronto, however I can’t think about this may proceed in the identical method subsequent 12 months.
Q: I used to be aghast studying the article “Penske Entertainment looking to bring Long Beach vibe to more IndyCar events.” Is it not utterly apparent that folks like days full of on-track exercise, meals vehicles, music, leisure and no matter retains the vibe going? Have these “promoters” been this clueless all this time?
I may give many examples, however let’s take Texas Motor Speedway. You drove manner out of city to the ability the place there was nothing occurring exterior of some merch tents, sat within the warmth till the race began, after which went dwelling. Even when the race was unimaginable, it wasn’t that nice of a time. How do you retain youngsters entertained in that situation?
We’ve taken our children to Barber the previous couple of years. One in every of them loves vehicles and racing, however what they’re all most concerned about after about 20 minutes? The bouncy homes, Ferris wheel, and the displays the place they’ll put stuff collectively or attempt to win one thing. There’s a automotive present and a museum. There’s even an Indy NXT race earlier than IndyCar. It’s a enjoyable day! Because of this avenue races are widespread – it’s simpler to remain entertained all day, and the shut quarters make the occasion really feel particular and busy. I’m not the professional right here, however it’s not rocket science.
Ross Bynum
MP: I hear you. That is the way in which Lengthy Seashore has executed it for many years, so it was there for the copying by any promoter who was prepared to concentrate.
However Bud Denker’s insights on seeing the LBGP for the primary time from the within, from having a brand new motive to go round and soak up the entire distinctive issues in regards to the occasion, ought to make for higher Penske Leisure owned/led occasions elsewhere on the schedule.
Irrespective of what number of occasions you’ve been someplace, there’s at all times a chance to see issues with contemporary eyes. Chris Jones/IMS Photograph
Q: Doesn’t it appear Colton Herta’s staff has an uncanny knack of fumbling race outcomes? Looks like each transfer is incorrect. It’s both pit errors or awful technique.
Mark, Buffalo, NY
MP: The attention-grabbing factor is teammate Kyle Kirkwood’s been having the same early season run when it comes to potential. Kirk has finishes of fifth, eighth and first. Colton has a fourth and a seventh, however began the 12 months with a few pit lane disasters at St. Pete with a tire after which with refueling that left him sixteenth. They had been robust at Thermal, and had a light-weight tire-change delay and an underwhelming race at Lengthy Seashore.
They undoubtedly have to tighten issues up, however they aren’t in dangerous form. A very good run at Barber or Indy will get Herta as much as the place Kirkwood resides at the moment. They had been the clear better of Andretti World in 2024 with two wins and a run to second within the championship, so we all know what the 26 automotive is able to producing.
Q: Any phrase on what the precise difficulty was with Newgarden’s belts?
Joey Selmants
MP: Finest guess is Josef was hitting the buckle whereas turning by the hairpin and launched the belts. Your letter got here in earlier than we revealed a narrative about it — when you missed it, here it is.
Q: Any concepts on get the balloon launch again on the IMS through the singing of “Again Dwelling Once more in Indiana”?
David Brown, Birmingham, AL
MP: Finest suggestion is to convey your individual balloons and helium bottles, as a result of this isn’t coming again.
Q: Some musing whereas watching the WEC race. F1 has a few of the worst-looking and sounding vehicles. It’s costly to look at in individual – the merch prices are insane – and has deserted us conventional followers, however it’s the preferred motorsport ever.
IMSA and WEC have small calendars (IMSA 11 rounds, and WEC eight) and vital gaps between races. Nevertheless, they’re experiencing appreciable development, attracting followers and producers.
Why do I elevate this? These are each causes people blame IndyCar for its present predicament. It’s true that we want a brand new automotive and a greater schedule; nevertheless, this isn’t the explanation why IndyCar is struggling to develop. We’d like solutions to the next: What’s the imaginative and prescient for IndyCar? What does success seem like?
Dan Mayhew, UK
MP: Talked about right here a number of occasions during the last 12 months that we do not need, nor have we had, an IndyCar State of the Union handle from Penske Leisure that I can consider after the preliminary buy, so it’s exhausting to know its wide-reaching imaginative and prescient for the sequence, its tracks, and its plan for the longer term. We get issues in bits and items as sure individuals from the corporate converse on no matter subject, however nothing like what another sporting leagues do on an annual foundation. Possibly that may change with Doug Boles answerable for IndyCar; in principle, there’s no motive that couldn’t occur. If his bosses needed to do one on the mum or dad firm, it could be welcome as properly.
Success ought to be the identical as at all times, which is larger reputation as measured by tv viewers and dwell attendance, and prosperity, measured by subject dimension and the monetary well being of all groups. IndyCar additionally has the distinctive have to develop a brand new and youthful fan base, and that metric can be straightforward to trace.
