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 embrace a query usually tend to be revealed. Questions acquired after 3pm ET every Monday will likely be saved for the next week.
Q: Why is it attainable for the Trans Am sequence to placed on a race at Watkins Glen and at COTA and IndyCar can’t?
Additionally, I observed on the Milwaukee Mile this yr that the drivers will not be driving across the paddock on these little Honda motorbikes anymore. As a substitute, they’re driving round on stand-up scooters. Pato got here round a blind nook and simply missed working me down. My guess is the chances are in the end gravity will take over and a type of drivers will finally go down laborious leading to damage. What occurred to the bikes?
Steve Sporer, Chicago, IL
MARSHALL PRUETT: It’s attainable 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 choose the smaller and lighter e-bikes.
Q: Not too long ago noticed that RLL have taken supply of the McLaren vehicles for IMSA. I’m curious, although, what the logistical processes are of going from the GTP to GTD? Does the group simply pack up every little thing and ship it again to BMW? Does BMW retain all of the race knowledge over the past 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 take a look at at Daytona and handed off the vehicles and car-specific help tools 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 take a look at was full.
RLL introduced all of it right down to Florida, did the take a look at, and farewelled every little thing on the observe. BMW would have the entire knowledge in its possession from the primary day of working with RLL. If and what occurs to the info on RLL’s aspect is dependent upon no matter they agreed to of their contract, however typically, groups don’t shred information and drill holes in laborious drives and scrub all data held on inside/distant/cloud-based servers. There tends to be language that forestalls the sharing of the information, after all, however most producers are good sufficient to know that groups don’t overlook what they know.
Q: I believe the 2025 WWT Raceway oval was the proper IndyCar race! I vote a month-to-month Saturday evening occasion there for the summer season 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 yr. Ryan is a winner, he is aware of the automobile and there’s no battle with scheduling. Larson was nice PR however not share to win. The query is, what different drivers do you count on to be nominated as Indy 500-only drivers? Numerous expertise is ready within the wings to show their price.
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 perfect 500 seat out there. Stefan Wilson continues to search for a brand new alternative. Charlie Kimball normally 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 seat is offered. Indy NXT veteran James Roe is on my radar for one thing at Indy. Sebastian Saavedra needs to get again for an additional month of Might. Katherine Legge continues to be . After that, I’ve run out of names.
Oh, and Valentino Rossi was alleged to be the massive shock Arrow McLaren had within the works for Might. 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 incredible learn centered round my favourite period of IndyCar racing. Whereas describing the difficult years for Penske round that point, Oreovicz talked about Workforce Penske swapped right into a Lola chassis after points being aggressive within the Penske chassis through the 1999 season. I don’t recall that occuring, however being solely 12 on the time, I used to be probably unaware.
What settlement did groups have with engine/tire/chassis producers throughout this period? Might any group drop a producer mid-season from their package deal, or was Penske capable of run a special chassis since they had been swapping from their very own?
Chris, Olney, MD
MP: Penske’s PC27 appeared 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 group; fairly appreciated that automobile.
Exhausting to reply the final query since groups had particular person agreements, and there have been 15 or 16 groups. Usually, tire and engine provide contracts weren’t issues to monkey with, and if it was a high group, cash was probably paid to the tune of thousands and thousands coming in from the producer. On the chassis aspect, these had been commodities to be purchased, so Lola would fortunately promote vehicles at $500,000 or extra apiece to Penske. If Penske wished to run a Reynard and a Swift, I’m certain each would have bought them vehicles as effectively, however since Reynard was the dominant mannequin, and had large growth offers with its high groups, I’d wager there was some pushback by its main groups to arm Penske whereas Penske was irrelevant in 1999.
Through the offseason, we all know that modified and Penske not solely purchased Reynards, however modified them considerably – to the purpose that they had 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 Pictures
Q: Our grandfather and grandmother lived subsequent door to the Hulmans in Terre Haute after which moved to Indianapolis. With their six children and the Hulmans subsequent door there was an immediate baseball group. Grandfather constructed the primary scoring pylon in his storage and transported it through 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 large 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 partly or in entire some other place, you’ve bought a enjoyable world search to embark upon.
Q: I want that latest IndyCar take a look at at Phoenix had been for the entire area as preparation for a January opener in Orlando or Homestead, similar 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 automobile the truth is have a BMW engine within the again, or am I actually imagining issues? However I’m certain that BMW had been being touted as a attainable third provider alongside Oldsmobile and Nissan. Does RACER actually have a image of the Marko automobile?
Makes you marvel, if the RSM Marko group had been profitable within the authentic IRL of the late ’90s then what would the IndyCar panorama appear to be now? I imply, this was 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 group aspect on the time with our TKM/Genoa Racing outfit and noticed it happen with RSM and Steele. There was no BMW involvement. Enormous fan of Steele, which is why I used to be so eager to see this happen, and with the added angle of a high F3000 group making the try, albeit with IndyCar veterans behind this system. Mike Colliver, who was with Dale Coyne Racing final season, just lately jogged my memory of his participation within the effort.
It will have been nice for RSM to succeed, however I’ve by no means considered that being one thing which might have remodeled the IRL. In comparison with CART on the time, the IRL was quite a bit 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 immediately. That will not have been attainable 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 number of years later, I did finally attain out to Marko to see if he’d be up for a chat in early 2021 and that is what I bought again:
Pricey Marshall,
Sadly our look at Phoenix was very long time in the past so I haven´t any recollections left.
Greatest regards
Helmut Marko
Q: Whereas a damper program might not be the largest 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 trying on the groups they will have to accomplice with would have some issues about with the ability to win a championship. (I do not imagine Penske and Ganassi promote the identical dampers that go of their vehicles.) Going with spec dampers may assist that time. I assumed Penske would provide the dampers, although.
After which, within the take a look at they had 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 folks managing IndyCar lastly achieved widespread 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 sequence.
Going to spec shocks has nothing to do with widespread sense. No matter is left open for growth will likely be the place groups spend probably the most cash. Shocks had 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 the entire open objects are eliminated, groups will spend much more as a result of the differentiators are all however gone and almost inconceivable to seek out. Complete recreation of whac-a-mole being performed yere.
Producers routinely use torque sensors in checks and even throughout choose observe classes; I observed Marco Andretti had them on his automobile at some point in Might at Indy. However I do count on to see them turn into normal fare with the following automobile.
Q: F1 is certainly 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 solution to No. 3, and I am unsure it stops there. What’s the long-term influence 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 largest turnouts in 2024-25 that I’ve seen in many years, 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 an identical means. The “youthification” of IndyCar (not a phrase, however I prefer it, so I take advantage of it) is without doubt one of the largest and most vital features made by the sequence 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 presumably are in talks with IndyCar already. Although it could most likely be a avenue race as a substitute of on airport property. I believe with a tie-in to the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame like perhaps a pair concert events, ticket offers, help races, this could possibly be big. This has the potential to be a Lengthy Seashore on Lake Erie spectacle.
Additionally think about the latest collaborations with Meyer Shank/Sirius XM – Bon Jovi, Creed, Ozzie Osbourne and Metallica. Looks as if an apparent marriage that ought to be aggressively pursued. And… Willie P performs the drums. What else do you want?
Any rumblings that you simply can disclose? Are they speaking?
Jeff, Colorado
MP: I’ve solely heard of it as a avenue race. Nolan Siegel performs the guitar. Josef Newgarden performs the jazz flute similar 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 sequence of recent avenue 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 taking part in to its base. Many of the bands on the MSR/SiriusXM automobile had been cool, but in addition enchantment virtually solely to older followers. I occur to like a few of these bands, BTW, but in addition know that I’m now not the goal demographic IndyCar must appease.
The motivation for the road festivals is to enchantment to new audiences whereas figuring out the bottom would probably have an interest as effectively.
Q: Given how good Ferrari’s 2024 tempo was, how a lot of an influence did the change from push rod to tug rod suspension have on the 2025 automobile? Round preseason testing time, I appear to recollect dialogue about this being a big change in idea and design.
Tifosi Bo, Edmonton, BC
CHRIS MEDLAND: Truthfully, an enormous one, however I would assess it extra as a knock-on influence. 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 automobile in high-speed corners, cleansing up the airflow and permitting the automobile 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 automobile truly 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 bought a double-DSQ in China earlier this yr). We have seen different instances the place a big quantity of elevate and coast has been wanted late in a race, with the speculation that because the nook speeds improve on decrease gasoline, the ground once more may turn into a legality challenge.
In some methods, Ferrari was doing the suitable factor in altering strategy 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 effectively in any respect, and that led to Ferrari slipping additional off the tempo.
The slight silver lining is that it was one yr of ache with the change, earlier than the entire overhaul of laws subsequent yr.
Q: I am an enormous Brad Keselowski fan and noticed the article the place he stated he was interested in fielding an IMSA team. Any probability he may probably enter a race on behalf of the group, or goes to strictly run it as an proprietor? Personally, I would prefer to see Brad race in not less than one occasion!
Additionally, is it attainable Brad brings RFK again into the Xfinity or Truck Sequence, and will presumably enter as a driver in just a few races?
Zach
RJ O’CONNELL: I’ll defer to Kelly Crandall relating to RFK’s future plans under the Cup Sequence. As Keselowski stated although, he’s not seeking to IMSA as an off-ramp from NASCAR, he’s by no means been eager on the Cup Sequence including extra street and avenue course races, and he by no means actually stood out as one of many elite street course racers even throughout his prime at Workforce Penske. You may by no means say by no means in the case of a Rolex 24 drive, although. Brad even stated on Twitter (at the moment X) in 2012 that he’d prefer 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 era of GTP vehicles… although I’m at all times open to be unsuitable.
KELLY CRANDALL: Something is feasible, however there was no indication of curiosity from Brad Keselowski or these at RFK Racing about increasing into the Xfinity (quickly to be O’Reilly Auto Components) Sequence or Vans. The addition of a 3rd Cup Sequence automobile was an enormous deal and the principle precedence for the previous few years, and the main target does seem like on the Cup Sequence aspect of issues.
The group has positively improved since Keselowski arrived just a few seasons in the past, however everybody would let you know there may be 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 keep in mind Keselowski mentioning the Xfinity Sequence specifically was in 2023, when he was fascinated about how the CW deal would work for the sequence.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, November 20, 2013
Q: I had many alternatives to talk with Dario Franchitti, most likely like many followers. Dario and I talked about what it was prefer to drive Jim Clark’s Indy 500 Lotus and most just lately the nice racing at Baltimore. Each time we talked, he handled me as if I had been his neighbor in Scotland. However greater than that, I beloved how he took time with the youngsters who wished a photograph or autograph. Dario will retire as one of many all-time finest Indy automobile drivers. And profitable the Indy 500 3 times 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 far more about what went into his success as a driver. What is going to you keep in mind about Dario?
Gerry Courtney, San Francisco, CA
ROBIN MILLER: How shortly he tailored to 900 horsepower and the CART tracks, however principally how immediately aggressive he was in opposition to an incredible area 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 vehicles, tracks, TGBB and all issues racing. However his persona, humorousness, intelligence and sense of historical past made him nearly as good off the observe as he was on it.
