Q: What's with this recent fear of having IndyCars racing during the football season? A good chunk of the population goes to bars and restaurants to watch the games, where a variety of sports are being shown on TV. Even if actual event attendance isn't the best, it still seems like a prime opportunity to get your product in front of people by being that something else on TV next to the game everyone came to watch. Besides, not all races in the rumor mill are in locations with football teams to go watch. Throw those races into September. Am I crazy, or am I just cranky about the season being over and having to begrudgingly spend my meals out watching football till next spring?

Lyle, Dayton, OH

RM: Very few American promoters want to go up against the NFL so maybe September and October are good spots for a return to Australia or another date in Canada? And I can’t see many bars carrying an Indy car race over the Bears-Packers.

Q: Do you ever see an opportunity for IndyCar to be racing again at the Glen? Watkins Glen is such a great track for the cars. Is there some type of politics with the Glen's support of NASCAR-related races the key factor from preventing Randy from being able to get them on the schedule?

Chris in CT

RM: They talked last summer but it’s a matter of money – just like Elkhart Lake. We all want to go back but it’s got to make CENTS.

Q: I went to three of the five Champ Car races that took place in Europe and I would love to have an IndyCar race to go to soon. I guess it´s only a dream, but what about Nürburgring (the Grand Prix track or even the "Nordschleife") now that Bernie E. isn´t interested anymore. It shouldn´t cost too much... and backing it up with another run at Eurospeedway Lausitz? I would assume that at least 60,000 people would turn up (at least that´s the number achieved in 2001 and 2003 at Eurospeedway). Is there a chance that we will see the return of Indy cars to Europe in the near future?

Roland from Germany

RM: You’ve got to remember that the promoter must pay for bringing the teams and equipment to their country, plus house everyone so if you don’t have a HUGE title sponsor or silly money it’s a very daunting promotion. The ‘Ring would be awesome so keep buying lottery tickets and you become the promoter.

Q: As much as I'd like to see ICS at Road America, I think that they would look pitiful unless the horsepower of the cars is boosted by at least 100. I'm having visions of Indy cars being slower than some of the cars at June Sprints. What's your take?

Paul, Salem OR.

RM: They have stock cars at Elkhart Lake nowadays so an Indy car would still look like it was going 200 mph faster but most of the drivers are hoping for 75-100 more HP for road races next season.

Q: I would like to know if you completely lost your integrity, I read your mailbag regularly, and I read that IndyCar is great and all the good things happening. But absolutely nothing from you on all those mechanics who has been laid off. About 55 guys if my count is correct. If you ask me things aren’t so great. I know that you know some of those guys personally, you call some of them friends. The season is intense for the working people of IndyCar, working like crazy for six months and then get laid off as soon as the season ends, do you think that's fair? If you ask me the season should be longer and no back to back races, that would save some jobs. Look at ALMS.

A pissed off IndyCar mechanic (who didn't get fired)

RM: Marshall Pruett is finishing up a story for SPEED.com about the layoffs (and I gave him a couple quotes from a mechanic) and hell yes it sucks and it’s terribly unfair. That’s why I support Randy Bernard wanting to start the season in February and end it in late October but me calling out the owners isn’t going to get your fellow mechanics their jobs back. It’s a sad reality of this sport right now and it needs to change but what can be done except extend the season?

Q: Has any Indy car driver ever crashed out twice in the same race? I asked myself this as Will Power took to the track to do 12 more laps in Fontana. This IndyCar season was incredible. F1 and NASCAR had nothing on these guys! (except they are still racing...) Yeah, the car's ugly, easily the worst looking IndyCar ever in my opinion, but I'll take it! The racing was super, the suspense was great and the drama was good for the series. Awesome!! Best year I can remember.

John in Friendswood,Tx

RM: In the 2000 Indy 500, Greg Ray crashed in Turn 2, his car was repaired, he then went back out and crashed again – in Turn 2. It was a helluva season.

Q: When you get down to it, the MAJOR issue with IndyCar these days is TV ratings. Correct? And I appreciate the new schedule takes one small step on the path to consistency by putting the ABC races into a cluster. Good. Is it possible to take another step on that path and have the same on-air talent and/or the same production company produce ALL IndyCar shows, no matter what network airs them? I am not slamming one group or another, just proposing, for the sake of the fans, some consistency in how things are presented. For example, during the month of May NBC sports may be talking about issues and stories that are completely different from what ABC talks about during the race. After all, local baseball, hockey and basketball teams have seen the wisdom of this approach for ages. And aren't all the on air folks contractors, anyway? Why can't we do this?

Ed Joras, Derrfield, Ill.

RM: Not going to happen as long as ABC and NBC hold the rights but there was a collaboration this past season when the NBC crew was called in to do a race that aired on ABC. That’s the best you can hope for.

Q: I would like to start by saying that I am very excited that IndyCar has decided to have some standing starts! In addition the return of the Triple Crown will be a good thing for the sport. I understand some are not happy with one of the races being only 400 miles but it’s a very good start and the series can build on that in the coming years. One thing that I feel that IndyCar really needs to have a serious look at is the sound of the engines. I feel that they really need to make these engines scream. Will Buxton went to a race this year and mentioned that and it could not agree with him more. There is no doubt that these cars are fast but they just don't sound so fast. Having an engine that turns at least 15 or 16 thousand RPM is a 100% necessity and will create excitement for those who attend the races and they will pass the word on. The sound currently coming out of the cars is just too low and boggy sounding or as my buddy stated....dronish. My question is about the aero kits. I can't seem to find a definitive answer anywhere on this issue. Wikipedia states that aero kits will be in play for 2013. Other research I have completed shows that Randy was in discussion with owners and they are against it due to cost. But I can’t find anything where Randy has said yes or no... So what is it? The fans want to see differences in the cars and this was one of the main points that came out when this car was being designed and for good reason!

JP Vandenberg

RM: The car owners told Randy they couldn’t afford aero kits for 2013 so that’s where it stands and I don’t imagine we’ll see a new one until 2014, if then.

Q: What's the deal with Newman Haas Racing? They were going to enter a car at Indy, but pulled out. However, I remember them saying they were going to run the full 2013 season. Is this still the plan? Are they looking at a driver? Do they have any sponsors in place or an engine deal?

Katie, Royersford, PA

RM: There was a rumor last summer that Seabass was going back to Newman/Haas but I haven’t heard a word from Lincolnshire, Ill. Brian Lisles is pretty secretive but I know that he and Craig Hampson want to get back in the series and it would be great if they could.