Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers will be despatched to mailbag@racer.com. We love listening to your feedback and opinions, however letters that embody a query usually tend to be revealed. Questions acquired after 3pm ET every Monday can be saved for the next week.
Q: What are the probabilities Mick Schumacher drives for Rahal subsequent yr? To do that they must do one thing with Devlin DeFrancesco’s contract. Can they get out of that?
What about ovals? If I bear in mind accurately his father and uncle Ralf should not followers of ovals.
David
MARSHALL PRUETT: If Mick desires to develop into an IndyCar driver, he’ll have a automobile and group to name residence at RLL. It’s as much as him to determine whether or not to make the change to America.
No matter his dad and uncle considered ovals has nothing to do with him. He’s his personal man. The truth that he got here to check an IndyCar would recommend he’s . His post-test feedback in a media session hosted by IndyCar included feedback from Mick that his subsequent take a look at would should be on an oval to get a correct really feel for the sequence.
DeFrancesco’s contract is believed to comprise efficiency clauses that wanted to be hit as a way to set off a return in 2026. If that’s true, inserting 26th within the championship – subsequent to final – wouldn’t have met any minimums I can consider.
Q: Nicely, how about this. I assume it is potential for a racing sequence apart from NASCAR to thrive in October. The place there is a will, there is a manner.
Derek
MP: I used to be so glad to see that common viewership of two,065,000 individuals for the post-NFL-game NHRA race, and sure, it confirmed – as a lot as one thing taking place as soon as can verify – it’s potential for IndyCar to get the identical type of raise by wedging races in proper after the final NFL recreation of the afternoon…which I appear to recall saying wasn’t potential from a programming standpoint when somebody requested about it right here within the final month or so.
Excited to be mistaken, and as you famous, all it takes is a willingness between FOX and IndyCar to cook dinner up the 2027 schedule, because the 2026 calendar is finished, to incorporate some September and October Sunday dates the place IndyCar follows instantly after the ultimate NFL on FOX recreation airs.
Having grown up working in IndyCar and its feeder sequence the place it was regular to race into October – it occurred as lately as 2013, when the season finale was on Oct. 18 – I’d welcome breaking free from the NFL-inspired programming jail we’ve had since 2014.
Q: I’ve written earlier than about my hope that IndyCar would return to Phoenix. Glad it is doing so, and I believe it is a good suggestion for them to do it with a NASCAR weekend. Simply hoping that the promoters will truly market it!
I might suspect they will have a take a look at day forward of time. Have you ever heard something about that? I might additionally hope that it could be open to the general public to assist construct curiosity within the occasion.
Nick Plenzick, Clarkdale, AZ
MP: First run, which is a tire take a look at, is slated for early November (I don’t have the precise date) and one other is deliberate for January, possible for the complete area. I used to be lately instructed by somebody who is aware of that the Saturday Phoenix race date is not going to have IndyCar in a late morning slot, however fairly in additional of a featured afternoon broadcast window.
Q: I simply watched observe for the U.S. Grand Prix and I seen a touch of movement visualization, or flow-vis paint on a Ferrari. It’s normal to see flow-vis paint in F1, however what about different sequence? I requested on-line about IMSA, NASCAR and IndyCar. It appeared to point that IndyCar makes use of flow-vis paint however we by no means see it, or perhaps we do not get an opportunity to see it. I googled for footage of IndyCars with flow-vis paint on them and I bought nothing. RACER has an unlimited assortment of pictures. Do you’ve got any footage of an IndyCar, or any sequence apart from F1, with flow-vis paint on them?
Tim Davis, Detroit, MI
MP: Struggling to think about the final time I noticed flow-vis on an IndyCar. With the spec bodywork used from 2012-1014 and 2018-today, there’s been no want to make use of it in public assessments since there’s nothing new in want of movement visualization. However I could be forgetting a group or producer utilizing it late in 2011 or early 2012 when the Dallara DW12s have been new.
I’m positive the customized producer aero kits noticed flow-vis utilized throughout personal offseason testing in 2014 via the following few years earlier than the freedoms have been locked down main into 2017.
Hope McLaren’s aero group what they wanted to from the gallon of flow-vis they threw onto Norris’s automobile throughout observe at Imola final yr. Mark Sutton/Getty Pictures
Q: Are you aware, or know any person who would possibly know, the whereabouts of the ceremoniously positioned gold plated brick that accomplished the 1909 paving of IMS?
Rick
MP: I don’t, however I’m positive a Mailbag reader would possibly know.
Q: Assuming Colton Herta does the truth is have an F2 seat for subsequent season, which can be introduced earlier than the following Mailbag is revealed, his racing calendar continues to be extensive open within the month of Could. Additionally assuming he would not have take a look at or observe periods for F1 in the course of the handful of Indy observe, qualifying, and race days, are there any plans in movement for Herta to try the five hundred in 2026? Or am I assuming an excessive amount of?
Pete, Rochester, NY
MP: He’s headed to the Hitech Grand Prix team. I requested the group in regards to the Colton/500 angle on Monday they usually mentioned it’s nonetheless a subject of dialogue for Herta, and whether or not Marco Andretti makes a return.
Herta’s extraordinarily good and versatile, which might make it simple for him so as to add a 500 program into his F2 and F1 testing season, however with two Indy 500 winners on the full-time roster, I’m unsure I see the necessity to re-insert Colton past the fundamental enchantment of doing one other 500.
Since Herta’s profession is being rerouted to Europe to get to F1, throwing an Indy 500 program and the entire intense preparation it requires would do nothing to get him nearer to the first purpose. There’s an open window within the schedule, as you point out, however I can’t discover the worth or logic in such a transfer. Importing Herta for Indy wouldn’t be a foul factor, however I additionally like the thought of letting the brand new trio of Energy, Kirkwood and Ericsson construct on their chemistry with out too many one-off voices within the room.
Q: I do know my two questions have been mentioned previously, however experiencing it was important in my thoughts! I had not attended an IMSA race because the early ’80s at Street Atlanta, till this yr’s Petit Le Mans. What an excellent occasion! It was the most important crowd I’ve ever seen at Street Atlanta, with all of the camper spots taken!
However the greatest wow have been the fan areas; the big dimension, with a number of meals vehicles, the merchandise on the market with giant tents from producers Ford, Lexus… very spectacular.
My query is, why can’t my favourite sequence, IndyCar, duplicate this? I normally attend the Barber race, and the fan space doesn’t evaluate to IMSA’s at Street Atlanta. IndyCar administration must attend subsequent years Petit Le Mans to get a greater concept what fan-friendly assist is all about! IndyCar can do significantly better – it needs to be the very best!
Secondly, in the course of the autograph session, I requested Scott Dixon, “Why not IndyCar at Street Atlanta?” His reply; “I’ve by no means acquired an excellent purpose why they can not race IndyCar at Street Atlanta. It will be a fantastic venue.” I inspired him to maintain asking! Having witnessed a number of F5000 races at Street Atlanta within the Nineteen Seventies, I believe it could be an epic occasion to observe at my favourite monitor!
TSS, Germantown, TN
MP: It will be epic. In all probability gotten this query within the Mailbag 20 occasions and the reply is similar: An IndyCar is just too quick in some sections to race with out important security modifications to the circuit. GTP vehicles and LMP2s are super-fast as nicely, however they’re additionally totally enclosed and have the equal of an additional IndyCar tub’s price of crushable construction or extra on each side of the drivers.
I wouldn’t use Street Atlanta’s huge vendor halfway actual property atop the hill for instance that may be replicated at each monitor, however there are some lengthy or giant stretches prefer it at choose IndyCar venues – Laguna Seca, Portland, Indy, Lengthy Seaside, Mid-Ohio, Street America and Nashville come to thoughts, and I’m positive there are others.
The important thing distinction with IMSA’s huge midways and a number of the smaller ones seen in IndyCar is the producers. Chevy and Honda hardly ever pay for a big plot for giant shows the place three to 5 new automobile and truck fashions are offered for followers to peruse – like a cell dealership dropped at the racetrack – however it’s the precise reverse in IMSA, the place there are 18 producers competing throughout the vary of sequence. Quite a few these manufacturers want giant footprints to erect their shows and current their street vehicles, and that’s why the common IMSA halfway is a large factor.
I hung out at Petit Le Mans drooling over BMWs and Cadillacs in these shows, realizing I had no probability of taking one residence…
The opposite enjoyable facet of the IMSA vendor midways is the number of sellers that I hardly ever see at IndyCar occasions. Loads of auto/racing guide/journal/poster retainers, a lot of mannequin sellers, artists doing reside artwork and promoting prints, and normal merch gross sales with hats, shirts, stickers, and so forth. I purchased a Rexy hat from the AO Racing merch trailer, and some of the stickers at three for $5. I additionally discovered a framed photograph of Bob Leitzinger’s IMSA GTU Nissan 280 ZX from 1982 or 1983 for $4 and needed to take it residence.
Q: I believed you would possibly get a kick out of this: IndyCar vs NASCAR at Road America.
I do not know if that is affordable or wishful pondering. What do you assume?
Doug Mayer, Revelstoke, BC, Canada
MP: That’s enjoyable! Little doubt it’s potential. After F1, an IndyCar is the quickest open-wheeler on the planet on street programs, and a Cup automobile would in all probability rank 10th to 12th after all of the Indy NXT and F2 and related junior open-wheelers and GTPs and LMP2s and fast GT courses, so there’s no shock right here.
I vote that we ditch the simulators and settle these kinds of questions the old school manner. Swope/Getty Pictures
Q: Within the Mailbag final week, you wrote, “Of the 27 full-time drivers from 2025, I rely 17 as being correctly paid by a group, as in, being 100% employed for his or her expertise, which leaves fairly a number of who get up day by day trying to find extra money to proceed their careers in 2026 and past.”
Of these drivers who seek for cash, how do they make ends meet in the course of the six month off season? Equally, how do the pit crew members survive the lengthy low season? I do know there isn’t a manner I might go six months with out pay.
Jerry, Houston
MP: Paying drivers like Conor Daly, who carry tens of millions of {dollars} to a group, signal agreements the place they obtain a proportion of what they bring about, so it’s not a case of getting a paycheck each two weeks in the course of the six-month season and being with out an revenue the opposite six. Conor has additionally been paid to drive by groups, which makes him a little bit of a unicorn.
However within the years the place he’s introduced sponsors and their {dollars} in trade for a race seat, these like Daly go into the season with a six-figure revenue (or extra) baked into their contract, and receives a commission on no matter interval they’ve organized within the contract. On the crew facet, groups rent their staff for the yr.
The one concern, which occurs greater than you’d assume, is groups and sponsors in these preparations will be gradual to pay, or just fail to pay the motive force. Generally, drivers do their offers straight with the sponsor and are topic to the identical slow-pay or outright failure to receives a commission.
It’s a brutal deal since drivers within the pay-to-race conditions who carry sponsors (as a substitute of household cash) are inclined to reside modest lives and aren’t rich –not by race automobile driver requirements. Some groups/sponsors are totally conscious of it, and know the motive force has restricted funds to struggle them in courtroom, so the motive force will get screwed. I do know a number of drivers who’re chasing their proportion from two or three years in the past and at all times appear to be owed a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars}. It makes me unhappy.
Generally it occurs to the groups, as nicely, the place a driver brings a sponsor, an preliminary cost is made, the sponsor seems on the sidepods for a number of races, the second cost was as a result of arrive, however will get “delayed,” and since most groups taking paying drivers are determined for funding, they’ll maintain the sponsor on the automobile within the hope of sustaining a optimistic relationship – to get the cash they want and are owed – and it by no means reveals up.
This occurred in 2025 with a joker who pulled the identical stunt on a group about 5 years in the past. He confirmed up this season with a special firm – I noticed him within the paddock at Barber and couldn’t imagine he had the gall to indicate his face because the group he scammed continues to be within the sequence – and he discovered a brand new mark that fell for a similar routine. I instructed the group in regards to the earlier stunt, they usually mentioned they have been conscious of it.
Basic ploy: Pay somewhat little bit of the massive deal up entrance, string the group alongside, get a number of races of publicity, after which disappear after they understand it was vaporware. Embarrassing.
Q: You might have many mates and sources within the IndyCar world. What engine design do group house owners need assuming no group had a manufacturing unit deal or assist, or concern of Roger Penske? Degree taking part in area, 2026 and past.
Dave
MP: CART turbo V8s or F1 V10s and V12 from yesteryear. Just a few have instructed me they’d wish to see if IMSA GTP engines might be used, however they know all however the Acura wouldn’t come near becoming in that tiny area.
Q: In Chris’ response to a Mailbag query two weeks in the past, he mentioned that he thinks Colton Herta is doing two years of F2.
My understanding of how the F1 Tremendous License system works is {that a} driver has to earn 40 factors over a rolling three years. Colton Herta has 30 factors from second place in IndyCar in 2024, and 4 factors from 2025 for a complete of 34.
If Herta’s rookie F1 season goes to be 2028, then the 2024 Tremendous License factors will expire and Herta wants to attain 36 factors throughout 2026 and 2027.
Am I appropriate in saying that Herta cannot afford to complete worse than fifth, price 20 Tremendous License factors, in F2 in 2026 if he desires a 2028 shot at F1?
Will, Indy
CHRIS MEDLAND: Not fairly, Will, however you truly illustrate my level for me. If Colton had a studying yr that left him ending outdoors the highest 10 in F2, then he might end within the prime three in 2027 (price a full set of 40 Tremendous License factors), or fourth and nonetheless have 34 factors. He might additionally decide up factors via FP1 appearances for Cadillac.
After all, the identical continues to be true subsequent yr, so a top-eight end within the championship can be sufficient for Colton to get the Tremendous License factors, and he instructed me this week his goal is only one yr after which stepping up, however that there’s no rush to determine if a second might be an choice.
Herta want to be one and accomplished in F2. Joe Skibinski/Penske Leisure
Q: I’m within the minority and just like the F1 Dash races higher than one other observe session. However I believe two qualifying periods is an excessive amount of, particularly the dash qualifying which really feel rushed.
I would favor two observe periods on Friday with the outcomes from the second observe session used to line up the dash race, then the dash race and qualifying on Saturday.
What are your ideas on this?
David, Hilton Head, SC
CM: I don’t thoughts the thought of getting a special technique to set the grid, but when the outcomes of the second observe session have been used, then it could nonetheless flip right into a qualifying session. So I believe it could should be a structured qualifying session fairly than a free-for-all hour if you’re unsure when a lap might show to be one setting the grid.
One purpose that shorter qualifying exists, is to verify there’s a aggressive session on day by day of the race weekend, which I additionally assume is an efficient transfer. And the 2 periods can generally ship completely different grids as groups be taught via the weekend, whereas for those who dropped that shorter qualifying fully you’d find yourself with extra probability of repeat races from the identical beginning line-ups.
Perhaps the timings will be tweaked to make it really feel much less rushed, however I do assume that’s simply going to be a byproduct of the primary qualifying session coming so early in a weekend, when there’s normally an even bigger build-up to a Saturday afternoon.
Q: After Singapore, Lando Norris mentioned he would face some penalties for his collision with Oscar Piastri. Zak Brown confirmed there can be some sporting motion, and that it could “in all probability not be seen.”
I believe I seen what that could be. Throughout the COTA race Martin Brundle commented on how lengthy Lando’s pit cease took, suggesting that McLaren must work on pit stops. I seemed on the McLaren post-race stuff they revealed on-line and Oscar’s pit cease was 2.3 seconds whereas Lando’s pit cease was 3.9 seconds. I believe that the “penalties” for Lando are going to be some barely slowed pit stops for a race or two (or extra!?).
What do you assume? Am I simply trying too arduous and discovering proof to assist my idea? Contemplating Lando was sooner on monitor, I can not think about they added additional ballast. The one factor that McLaren can truly management can be how lengthy it takes to do a pit cease, and it could definitely be a really cleverly hidden however actual consequence for Lando.
David Volk, Oregon, OH
CM: I definitely don’t assume it’s that, David, as that may be a serious sporting hit and within the Austin case simply hurts Norris’ probabilities of beating a Ferrari fairly than serving to Piastri in any manner.
There are a selection of different methods the group can favor Piastri – for instance, the best way the drivers execute their run plans, the timing and order the vehicles depart the storage, the precedence the group provides in technique calls – fairly than one thing that’s as extreme as a race time loss that I’m sure no group would ever take into account.
McLaren does want to enhance within the pits, although! That was one other gradual tire change on one nook and there have been a number of delays in current weeks that would show actually expensive within the struggle towards Max Verstappen.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, October 23, 2013
Q: As an IndyCar lifer, I get very delicate each time NASCAR claims to be the best, most-skilled, greatest, quickest, and so on. In mild of that, I would like somebody to clarify to me (like I am a 5 year-old) how Talladega is the “world’s quickest racetrack,” as we have been reminded yesterday with unabashed fervor after each business break.
I perceive that the monitor’s dimension and excessive banking lends to increased speeds for NASCAR and that the restrictor plate controls velocity, however I am not discovering the statistics that again up the declare of being the world’s quickest monitor. Is it a mentality of, “If it did not occur in NASCAR, then it did not occur”?
My brother, who has drunk the NASCAR Kool-aid, checked out me like I used to be an fool and, dripping with contempt, instructed me, “It is the quickest monitor in NASCAR, and if the IndyCars ran on it, the drivers would cross out, so it is the quickest racetrack,” to which I responded, “However that hasn’t been confirmed.” Uncomfortable silence for a number of minutes. In all sincerity, please assist me perceive the place I am off monitor.
Cyndy Riordan
ROBIN MILLER: To begin with, smack your brother as a result of he is mistaken. Gil de Ferran set the all-time, one-lap oval-track file of 241mph at Fontana in 2001 in an INDYCAR!!! Final time I checked, the speeds on the Indy 500 have been 20mph faster than Cup vehicles at ‘Dega (and IndyCars lap IMS 40mph faster than Cup vehicles do). So smack him once more.
