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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Miller’s Mailbag, 1.11
The new Miller's Mailbag has arrived.
Little has been heard from INDYCAR Race Director Beaux Barfield since he was hired, which is just the way it should be, according to Miller and Mailbag readers. (IndyCar Series)
Hello open-wheel types and thanks for all your questions. I intend to answer your questions every week during the season, so just email me at . Don’t feel left out if I didn’t directly respond. I appreciate your interest and passion.
~Robin Miller
Q: You're spot on. A race director should be invisible. While I have watched the occasional ALMS the past few years on TV or the internet, specifically the ones at Laguna Seca or St. Pete, I have never heard of Beaux Barfield prior to you mentioning him as a replacement for TGBB during the summer of 2011. I can't even recall him during his Formula Atlantic stint. That's how it should be! Hats off to Randy Bernard and Beaux and we can only hope that the flying start is re-discovered during the month of May this year.
Brandon Stevens
RM: That’s always the mark of a good umpire or referee and Barfield certainly had the respect of the ALMS paddock because he was fair and consistent. That’s all the INDYCAR drivers want and I believe they’ll get both.
Q: I think you should have come right out with Paul Tracy's name in your recent article on TGBB. Not everyone will know the story of the 2002 Indy 500.
As far as Barfield goes, if he can do a job similar to what Tony Cotman did in Champ Car then he'll be doing it right. I wonder what Barnhart would have done about the pit lane exit incident at Toronto in 2005 between Tracy and Bourdais? Cotman called that incident correctly. Newman/Haas didn't like it but it was the right call. They knew it was right, complained a little bit but then let it go. It was a racing incident between two intense competitive drivers that was decided on the track. Not in the board room. I'm hoping the hiring of Beaux Barfield will be the best thing to happen to open wheel racing for many years to come.
Doug Mayer
RM: The thing we have to remember (as Marshall Pruett pointed out last week) is that Beaux wasn’t hired to be a messiah or savior and he doesn’t want to be a focal point of a race weekend. He wants to do his job and blend in with the scenery, which is exactly what Cotman usually did – even in the eye of the weekly Tracy/Bourdais war.
Q: In reading several articles on SPEED, the credentials of Mr. Barfield are very extensive and he certainly has the experience to replace TGBB and bring some organization to the table. With the difficulty in trying to find a replacement for TGBB, why is Barfield only being given a one year contract? If there were no other really qualified or interested parties then why didn’t Randy lock up his contract for a couple of years or at least get an option, just like driver contracts? If after only one year Mr. Barfield leaves, then Randy will be in a hell of a mess as no one else seems to have wanted the position or been qualified.
Peter in Phoenix
RM: That’s a good question that I need to ask but I would assume there’s some kind of option clause for either side. Barfield left a country club environment for this mine field so he should get some stability if he does the job.
Q: Robin... I'd say that was four good ones... four good swift kicks in the a**!!! Bravo!!
Alan Edmonds
RM: It felt good, thanks.
Q: At least when Beaux Barfield screws up, “TGBB” is still in play.
Dennis H, Pittsburgh
RM: Hopefully it will stand for Thank God for Beaux Barfield.
Q: Did you ask Barfield's views on racing in the rain on ovals?
Ernie Connell, The vengeful S.O.B. in Vermont
RM: Beaux says he prefers a downpour to a light mist because it tends to keep the speeds down.
Q: On the departure of Mr. Barnhart: I'd sing a merry chorus of "Ding dong the witch is dead", but that enthusiasm is still severely muted by Las Vegas.
However, if anyone still questions what Beaux Barfield can do, just go back to the Baltimore GP weekend, and contrast how the ALMS and INDYCAR races were run. Yeah, including Graham Rahal's close call. That being said... there is still that "next career step" for TGBB- the one he seems of have inspired to all along- directing the sequel to Driven.
William Fuchs Jr.
RM: For example, Barfield had the ALMS cars straddle the chicane at the start instead of taking it which made things much cleaner. Of course if INDYCAR had done that then that safety truck might have had just enough time to collect Rahal.
Q: Good choice by Randy to hire Barfield. And if Walker gives his blessing that speaks volumes for him because Derrick is a standup guy all the way around, having dealt with him personally. I like all of the other individuals being considering but they all have some sort of connection to owners. Barfield did a nice job over at ALMS. I just hope he has the ability to handle the owners at INDYCAR they are a completely different bunch compared to ALMS.
Jeff Laughlin
RM: It wasn’t that Pruett, Kendall or Dallenbach couldn’t do it; it was more that Beaux has lots of experience, the perfect attitude to be chief steward and really wanted to do this thankless job. As for dealing with IndyCar’s owners, Barfield has spent time in New Mexico so he can identify most reptiles.
Q: A little variety from the lack of oval diet we’ve been getting…how about a question on the Indy 500? Here’s my pet peeve, the Indy 500 is the most important race of the season, and the start is the single most important moment of the year. Can you please suggest to Randy Bernard that Mr. Barfield or Mr. Cotman do the flag waving duties? How can the drivers take the traditional start seriously when IMS has some Hollywood Yahoo, who’s never even been to Indy before, waving the flag like he’s waving flies off of his potato salad? I want to see above the eleven rows of three, the sight of twin green flags, frantically waving independently across one another, like in the classic starts of the past. Please talk to Bernard so we can do away with this lame Hollywoodization of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Oh, and Robin…just give me four good ones out there…
Paul Davis
RM: The flag waver gets his orders from Race Control so it really doesn’t matter who waves the green. I think we’ll have a return to the tradition flying start this year.
Q: I think many are pleased with the hiring of Beaux Barfield as Race Director and even more are happy about the ouster of TGBB. I’ve read that Barfield wants to crack down on blocking and put more back-and-white into the rule book. That all sounds great but just how is he going to do it? I recall that Justin Wilson, who is one of the leaders in the INDYCAR Driver Advisory Group, suggested that GPS sensors be installed on all four corners of the cars so that race control knows exactly the position of each part of each car on the track. This would make blocking and avoidable contact calls much easier to make. Has there been any talk of making these technical additions? It just seems that INDYCAR has advanced less technologically than any other major motorsport in the last 10 years and this would be one way that they could be technological leaders again.
Don Davis, Chardon, Ohio
RM: Not to my knowledge but with enough cameras and replay, it’s not that difficult to call blocking, protecting and spearing. As for the final tally of votes on TGBB’s ouster, as of this morning it was 2,167,444 in favor and one against.
Q: Now that we have our new guy in race control can you tell him we want standing starts? Hope the Mayor shows up at Andretti and PT gets some full time gig. Let’s look forward to a new car and level playing field with Beaux; we are getting what we wished for.
Duane ,London Ontario, Canada
RM: I hope standing starts become mandatory for street races and places like Mid-Ohio. Hinchcliffe got the GO DADDY ride and I think P.T. is close to a deal with a new team.
Q: Why does Randy keep Brian Barnhart employed? (Thank god he is out of the racing part). Are the sisters telling him to keep him? Secondly, what are the prospects for Oriol Servia, Sebastien Bourdais and Paul Tracy this coming season?
Pat
RM: Not sure since TGBB is the last link to the old IRL administration and certainly wasn’t an ally to Bernard last season in the 2-abreast starts/restarts. Servia is going with Dreyer & Reinbold, Seabass looks like he’s full-time in sports cars and Tracy is talking to four teams but would prefer a Honda connection.
Q: After reading and enjoying your mailbag, I am left with the sense that Randy Bernard is hamstrung with two factors. Once again, the owners are dictating the racing and the running of the series and the sanction fee for an Indy Car race is killing off actual racing events. Is this a fair assessment, or am I missing something here?
Loren
RM: I don’t think either is true. For instance, Bernard has re-tooled the leader’s circle parameters (see Marshall Pruett’s story on SPEED.com) which hasn’t made them all happy and changed Race Control without getting everyone’s blessing. As for sanction fees, there are different prices for different events. Could it be a deal breaker? Sure, but it’s negotiable.
Q: I'm a casual fan of IICS and am still mourning the loss of Dan Wheldon. I know there is apprehension for the broadcasters to show this sort of racing after the Las Vegas incident. I'm a little anxious to find out about the TV schedules and which races will be broadcast on NBC Sports and ABC and if they are still willing to produce the live shows. Is there any second thoughts going through networks NBC and ESPN? When will the websites put up the TV listings for the IndyCar events?
Allan W in Brooklyn
RM: ABC will telecast St. Pete and Indianapolis with three others yet to be announced and the rest on NBC Sports (aka VERSUS). NBC network will not televise any races. Ditto for ESPN. TV schedule will go up when the final schedule is set.
Q: This week in the mailbag you answered a poster from Texas with this line:
“RM: I think you’ll see Houston in 2013 but Austin may have to wait until F1 is done with it. I’m always pleasantly surprised by the fans in Texas, they’re loyal to NASCAR but they do support open wheel.” I want to be crystal clear on this – I am an Indy Car fan first and foremost. Yeah I watch some NASCAR, like you say Kyle Bush is almost always worth watching, but brother we are not all red-necks down here in Texas. There are plenty of civilized folks like myself down here who like proper racing cars, who prefer Indy Cars and Formula One over NASCAR period.
John Cassis, Houston, Texas
RM: I guess what I meant to say was that even though Texas draws huge crowds for Cup races twice a year, there always seems to be a legit 60,000-70,000 for INDYCAR every June and that’s impressive. And they always seem enthusiastic. Glad you’re a fan.
Q: There is a rumor that the race in Milwaukee may return next year. All I have heard recently is a bunch of complaining from race fans about why attendance is down. My solution: GO OR STOP BITCHING. I will make this personal guarantee to Randy Bernard. I, along with five of my friends, will be the first in line to buy tickets. How about the rest of you fans making the same commitment? Let’s pack the place. However, we first must get some items ironed out.
1. A 12:00 or 1:00 local start time for the race. If there is a support race, start it after the main event. If we have rain, with this starting time, we can still get the track dried so I have a better chance of not being disappointed.
2. Qualify race morning. That way I get maximum value for my ticket. I get to watch all day, how cool is that? This will also drive the concession stands.
3. Please give me the National Anthem played as it was written. How about a service band? People watching auto sports don’t care about some rapper/R&B singer or American Idol contestant singing the Anthem. The phrase, “I’m going to Indy this year, and I can’t wait for Kelly Clarkson to sing the National Anthem” has never and will never be uttered. Save your money, don’t hire them.
4. A race distance that promotes racing, not fuel saving. At least 2 green flag pit stops at speed to complete the distance.
5. As a paying fan in the stands I want, and deserve, every green flag lap of racing that I can get. Don’t insult my intelligence with phantom yellows or extra-long track clean up time to get in more TV commercials. As you grow the attendance, the ratings will follow.
Dale Christenson, Aurora, IL
RM: I’ve been preaching a 1 pm starting time at Milwaukee for the last few visits because 3:30 or 4 pm means nobody from Chicago is going make the drive and go home in that 7 o’clock traffic. But television dictates the green flag. And I like the idea of practice, qualifying and racing all on Sunday, just like it used to be, because it creates more excitement and saves teams and the track money.
Q: I'm a lifelong resident of Milwaukee and since 1962 have only missed five open wheel races at the Mile. When I read that there was a grassroots movement to get the Mile back on the 2012 schedule I was very surprised and happy. Over the last several years, and last year in particular, it has been my observation that one of the biggest problems with attendance is the almost complete lack of local promotion. I look for information and have trouble finding it. There are other issues with how the race is run but I will not make this a long drawn out email. My question is how would you suggest the local fan base get involved with this grassroots effort? It would be great if there could be some kind of meeting that could be set up between some of us fans and the powers to be to discuss things. Talking with my fellow race fans here in Milwaukee we would be more than willing to donate our time to do what is necessary to bring back the Indy cars to Milwaukee.
Thomas Spehert, Greendale
RM: Randy Bernard is talking with a potential promoter and if he opts to give it a go, then I think you and some of the fans could ask for a meeting (which I would be happy to help coordinate). It’s important to try and keep Milwaukee on the schedule and it can succeed with the right prices, access, schedule, time and promoter.
~Robin Miller
Q: You're spot on. A race director should be invisible. While I have watched the occasional ALMS the past few years on TV or the internet, specifically the ones at Laguna Seca or St. Pete, I have never heard of Beaux Barfield prior to you mentioning him as a replacement for TGBB during the summer of 2011. I can't even recall him during his Formula Atlantic stint. That's how it should be! Hats off to Randy Bernard and Beaux and we can only hope that the flying start is re-discovered during the month of May this year.
Brandon Stevens
RM: That’s always the mark of a good umpire or referee and Barfield certainly had the respect of the ALMS paddock because he was fair and consistent. That’s all the INDYCAR drivers want and I believe they’ll get both.
Q: I think you should have come right out with Paul Tracy's name in your recent article on TGBB. Not everyone will know the story of the 2002 Indy 500.
As far as Barfield goes, if he can do a job similar to what Tony Cotman did in Champ Car then he'll be doing it right. I wonder what Barnhart would have done about the pit lane exit incident at Toronto in 2005 between Tracy and Bourdais? Cotman called that incident correctly. Newman/Haas didn't like it but it was the right call. They knew it was right, complained a little bit but then let it go. It was a racing incident between two intense competitive drivers that was decided on the track. Not in the board room. I'm hoping the hiring of Beaux Barfield will be the best thing to happen to open wheel racing for many years to come.
Doug Mayer
RM: The thing we have to remember (as Marshall Pruett pointed out last week) is that Beaux wasn’t hired to be a messiah or savior and he doesn’t want to be a focal point of a race weekend. He wants to do his job and blend in with the scenery, which is exactly what Cotman usually did – even in the eye of the weekly Tracy/Bourdais war.
Q: In reading several articles on SPEED, the credentials of Mr. Barfield are very extensive and he certainly has the experience to replace TGBB and bring some organization to the table. With the difficulty in trying to find a replacement for TGBB, why is Barfield only being given a one year contract? If there were no other really qualified or interested parties then why didn’t Randy lock up his contract for a couple of years or at least get an option, just like driver contracts? If after only one year Mr. Barfield leaves, then Randy will be in a hell of a mess as no one else seems to have wanted the position or been qualified.
Peter in Phoenix
RM: That’s a good question that I need to ask but I would assume there’s some kind of option clause for either side. Barfield left a country club environment for this mine field so he should get some stability if he does the job.
Q: Robin... I'd say that was four good ones... four good swift kicks in the a**!!! Bravo!!
Alan Edmonds
RM: It felt good, thanks.
Q: At least when Beaux Barfield screws up, “TGBB” is still in play.
Dennis H, Pittsburgh
RM: Hopefully it will stand for Thank God for Beaux Barfield.
Q: Did you ask Barfield's views on racing in the rain on ovals?
Ernie Connell, The vengeful S.O.B. in Vermont
RM: Beaux says he prefers a downpour to a light mist because it tends to keep the speeds down.
Q: On the departure of Mr. Barnhart: I'd sing a merry chorus of "Ding dong the witch is dead", but that enthusiasm is still severely muted by Las Vegas.
However, if anyone still questions what Beaux Barfield can do, just go back to the Baltimore GP weekend, and contrast how the ALMS and INDYCAR races were run. Yeah, including Graham Rahal's close call. That being said... there is still that "next career step" for TGBB- the one he seems of have inspired to all along- directing the sequel to Driven.
William Fuchs Jr.
RM: For example, Barfield had the ALMS cars straddle the chicane at the start instead of taking it which made things much cleaner. Of course if INDYCAR had done that then that safety truck might have had just enough time to collect Rahal.
Q: Good choice by Randy to hire Barfield. And if Walker gives his blessing that speaks volumes for him because Derrick is a standup guy all the way around, having dealt with him personally. I like all of the other individuals being considering but they all have some sort of connection to owners. Barfield did a nice job over at ALMS. I just hope he has the ability to handle the owners at INDYCAR they are a completely different bunch compared to ALMS.
Jeff Laughlin
RM: It wasn’t that Pruett, Kendall or Dallenbach couldn’t do it; it was more that Beaux has lots of experience, the perfect attitude to be chief steward and really wanted to do this thankless job. As for dealing with IndyCar’s owners, Barfield has spent time in New Mexico so he can identify most reptiles.
Q: A little variety from the lack of oval diet we’ve been getting…how about a question on the Indy 500? Here’s my pet peeve, the Indy 500 is the most important race of the season, and the start is the single most important moment of the year. Can you please suggest to Randy Bernard that Mr. Barfield or Mr. Cotman do the flag waving duties? How can the drivers take the traditional start seriously when IMS has some Hollywood Yahoo, who’s never even been to Indy before, waving the flag like he’s waving flies off of his potato salad? I want to see above the eleven rows of three, the sight of twin green flags, frantically waving independently across one another, like in the classic starts of the past. Please talk to Bernard so we can do away with this lame Hollywoodization of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Oh, and Robin…just give me four good ones out there…
Paul Davis
RM: The flag waver gets his orders from Race Control so it really doesn’t matter who waves the green. I think we’ll have a return to the tradition flying start this year.
Q: I think many are pleased with the hiring of Beaux Barfield as Race Director and even more are happy about the ouster of TGBB. I’ve read that Barfield wants to crack down on blocking and put more back-and-white into the rule book. That all sounds great but just how is he going to do it? I recall that Justin Wilson, who is one of the leaders in the INDYCAR Driver Advisory Group, suggested that GPS sensors be installed on all four corners of the cars so that race control knows exactly the position of each part of each car on the track. This would make blocking and avoidable contact calls much easier to make. Has there been any talk of making these technical additions? It just seems that INDYCAR has advanced less technologically than any other major motorsport in the last 10 years and this would be one way that they could be technological leaders again.
Don Davis, Chardon, Ohio
RM: Not to my knowledge but with enough cameras and replay, it’s not that difficult to call blocking, protecting and spearing. As for the final tally of votes on TGBB’s ouster, as of this morning it was 2,167,444 in favor and one against.
Q: Now that we have our new guy in race control can you tell him we want standing starts? Hope the Mayor shows up at Andretti and PT gets some full time gig. Let’s look forward to a new car and level playing field with Beaux; we are getting what we wished for.
Duane ,London Ontario, Canada
RM: I hope standing starts become mandatory for street races and places like Mid-Ohio. Hinchcliffe got the GO DADDY ride and I think P.T. is close to a deal with a new team.
Q: Why does Randy keep Brian Barnhart employed? (Thank god he is out of the racing part). Are the sisters telling him to keep him? Secondly, what are the prospects for Oriol Servia, Sebastien Bourdais and Paul Tracy this coming season?
Pat
RM: Not sure since TGBB is the last link to the old IRL administration and certainly wasn’t an ally to Bernard last season in the 2-abreast starts/restarts. Servia is going with Dreyer & Reinbold, Seabass looks like he’s full-time in sports cars and Tracy is talking to four teams but would prefer a Honda connection.
Q: After reading and enjoying your mailbag, I am left with the sense that Randy Bernard is hamstrung with two factors. Once again, the owners are dictating the racing and the running of the series and the sanction fee for an Indy Car race is killing off actual racing events. Is this a fair assessment, or am I missing something here?
Loren
RM: I don’t think either is true. For instance, Bernard has re-tooled the leader’s circle parameters (see Marshall Pruett’s story on SPEED.com) which hasn’t made them all happy and changed Race Control without getting everyone’s blessing. As for sanction fees, there are different prices for different events. Could it be a deal breaker? Sure, but it’s negotiable.
Q: I'm a casual fan of IICS and am still mourning the loss of Dan Wheldon. I know there is apprehension for the broadcasters to show this sort of racing after the Las Vegas incident. I'm a little anxious to find out about the TV schedules and which races will be broadcast on NBC Sports and ABC and if they are still willing to produce the live shows. Is there any second thoughts going through networks NBC and ESPN? When will the websites put up the TV listings for the IndyCar events?
Allan W in Brooklyn
RM: ABC will telecast St. Pete and Indianapolis with three others yet to be announced and the rest on NBC Sports (aka VERSUS). NBC network will not televise any races. Ditto for ESPN. TV schedule will go up when the final schedule is set.
Q: This week in the mailbag you answered a poster from Texas with this line:
“RM: I think you’ll see Houston in 2013 but Austin may have to wait until F1 is done with it. I’m always pleasantly surprised by the fans in Texas, they’re loyal to NASCAR but they do support open wheel.” I want to be crystal clear on this – I am an Indy Car fan first and foremost. Yeah I watch some NASCAR, like you say Kyle Bush is almost always worth watching, but brother we are not all red-necks down here in Texas. There are plenty of civilized folks like myself down here who like proper racing cars, who prefer Indy Cars and Formula One over NASCAR period.
John Cassis, Houston, Texas
RM: I guess what I meant to say was that even though Texas draws huge crowds for Cup races twice a year, there always seems to be a legit 60,000-70,000 for INDYCAR every June and that’s impressive. And they always seem enthusiastic. Glad you’re a fan.
Q: There is a rumor that the race in Milwaukee may return next year. All I have heard recently is a bunch of complaining from race fans about why attendance is down. My solution: GO OR STOP BITCHING. I will make this personal guarantee to Randy Bernard. I, along with five of my friends, will be the first in line to buy tickets. How about the rest of you fans making the same commitment? Let’s pack the place. However, we first must get some items ironed out.
1. A 12:00 or 1:00 local start time for the race. If there is a support race, start it after the main event. If we have rain, with this starting time, we can still get the track dried so I have a better chance of not being disappointed.
2. Qualify race morning. That way I get maximum value for my ticket. I get to watch all day, how cool is that? This will also drive the concession stands.
3. Please give me the National Anthem played as it was written. How about a service band? People watching auto sports don’t care about some rapper/R&B singer or American Idol contestant singing the Anthem. The phrase, “I’m going to Indy this year, and I can’t wait for Kelly Clarkson to sing the National Anthem” has never and will never be uttered. Save your money, don’t hire them.
4. A race distance that promotes racing, not fuel saving. At least 2 green flag pit stops at speed to complete the distance.
5. As a paying fan in the stands I want, and deserve, every green flag lap of racing that I can get. Don’t insult my intelligence with phantom yellows or extra-long track clean up time to get in more TV commercials. As you grow the attendance, the ratings will follow.
Dale Christenson, Aurora, IL
RM: I’ve been preaching a 1 pm starting time at Milwaukee for the last few visits because 3:30 or 4 pm means nobody from Chicago is going make the drive and go home in that 7 o’clock traffic. But television dictates the green flag. And I like the idea of practice, qualifying and racing all on Sunday, just like it used to be, because it creates more excitement and saves teams and the track money.
Q: I'm a lifelong resident of Milwaukee and since 1962 have only missed five open wheel races at the Mile. When I read that there was a grassroots movement to get the Mile back on the 2012 schedule I was very surprised and happy. Over the last several years, and last year in particular, it has been my observation that one of the biggest problems with attendance is the almost complete lack of local promotion. I look for information and have trouble finding it. There are other issues with how the race is run but I will not make this a long drawn out email. My question is how would you suggest the local fan base get involved with this grassroots effort? It would be great if there could be some kind of meeting that could be set up between some of us fans and the powers to be to discuss things. Talking with my fellow race fans here in Milwaukee we would be more than willing to donate our time to do what is necessary to bring back the Indy cars to Milwaukee.
Thomas Spehert, Greendale
RM: Randy Bernard is talking with a potential promoter and if he opts to give it a go, then I think you and some of the fans could ask for a meeting (which I would be happy to help coordinate). It’s important to try and keep Milwaukee on the schedule and it can succeed with the right prices, access, schedule, time and promoter.
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