INDYCAR: Miller's Mailbag, 1.14

IndyCar

INDYCAR: Miller’s Mailbag, 1.14

We've got a fever, and the only thing that'll satisfy it is More Mailbag. Here's the latest batch of Q&A items from the best Indycar scribe on the planet.

Robin Miller | Posted January 14, 2010 Indianapolis, IN

The GALMER, a joint production between team owner Rick Galles and designer Alan Mertens (GALles-MERtens) won on its Indy 500 debut in 1992, racing the following year at the Brickyard with Dominic Dobson. (IMS)

Hello open wheel types and thanks for all your questions. I intend to answer your questions every week during the season, so just . Don’t feel left out if I didn’t directly respond. I appreciate your interest and passion.

~Robin Miller

Q: Do you think that people like Kyle Petty actually believes what comes out of their own mouth? He made the insinuation that NASCAR is a higher level of racing. The cars are crap, they go slow, and they have by far the easiest job in all of motor sports, going slow and bumping into stuff all the time while turning left is not that hard. Even the world class racers (and there is only 3) in NASCAR, are retired. Montoya, Stewart and the good Gordon are not what they were 10 years ago. Stewart and Montoya can't even fit into an Indycar, and Gordon sold his soul and is staying in the retirement league. If any driver in NASCAR could get an F1 ride including Montoya, don't you think they would? I know you work for SPEED and they suck up to NASCAR, but really isn't NASCAR a chump series were people like Kyle Petty can drive around for 30 years taking up space.

Peter Bernier

RM: I think because of all the money and attention (and the war), there's no doubt NASCAR has supplanted Indy car with the American press and public. Is it tougher to drive a stocker wide open at Daytona than it is an Indy car at Kansas City? Probably not, they've both got their challenges on certain tracks yet it does make me sick when JPM says winning at Sonoma in Cup was better than Monaco or Indy. What also hurts is that there is a lot more technology in stock cars right now than Indy cars. I think Kyle Busch would try (and succeed) in anything with four wheels and it would enhance Indy's image to get Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, the Busch brothers and Stew to come here just like it upgraded Daytona when A.J. and Mario competed. But I don't consider four hours of commercials, pit stops, saving tires and trying to avoid speeding in the pits anything close to resembling a race like 90 minutes at Edmonton as hard as you can go or 40 laps at Eldora in a sprinter.

Q: Isn’t Kyle Petty just a marketing machine? If his name was Kyle Smith, would he really have over 800 Cup starts? Maybe he should jump his no talent ass in an Indycar if its so easy.

Zack, Atlanta

RM: I like Kyle but he's not exactly the guy who should be pointing fingers about taking up space is he? Larry Woody wrote a rebuttal on SPEED's web site yesterday that says it all.

Q: I just wanted to comment on Ron from Portland's question about Danica being promoted too much. I live in the panhandle of Florida after having followed CART in Michigan and Arizona for many years so my most recent Indy car experience was this past spring to watch the open test at Barber Motorsports Park. It was really a shame that during a break, people were ten deep behind the fence to get a look at Danica while she was out of her car talking to her crew and in the next stall, the only people that were watching Tony Kanaan get interviewed were my two kids and myself. It was even funnier to watch as she walked down pit road and this whole gaggle followed her en masse and looked like a flock of seagulls following somebody tossing bread in the air. I almost felt sorry for her. To me this was just a bunch of groupies chasing a celebrity. Hopefully, the future will improve for the series.

Steve, Crestview, Fla.

RM: See, I don't mind that people are enamored with Danica because she's become a rarity -- an American open wheel racer with a following. I understand some of the resentment for the media firestorm on her every move but don't you think a lot of people are attracted to her because she's a competitive young woman in a man's domain? Sure she's pretty and sexy but she finished third at Indy last year and was fifth in the point standings. She's not Mario Andretti but she damn sure isn't just window dressing either. I think she's brought a lot of young fans to the races.

Q: Tony Cotman leaving the IRL can't be seen as a good development for the league or for the new engine or chassis. Do you get the sense his ideas weren't embraced by Barnhart & others in leadership? The league needs a "foil" to Barnhart and Cotman was it! Does this mean only Dallara & Delta Wing are going to be the only players for this upcoming chassis? And do you think Barnhart will give the Delta Wing car serious consideration or just a "quick look" to pacify the owners involved? Whoever talked about starting a petition to remove Barnhart, forward it to Erie and I'll get some signatures and send it back. Barnhart should be the one going and Cotman should be the one in charge.

Scott St. Clair, Erie, Pa.

RM: You are dead on, it's a bad day for open wheel because TC had so many good ideas about rules, cars, tracks and, as I've preached for the past several years, the integrity and common sense to run Indy car racing like it should be. I think Barnhart is going to do anything he can to make sure the Delta Wing project is rejected, at least that's what I'm hearing.

Q: What is your take on Cotman leaving the IRL? I know you have always said in the past that the IRL needed to put him in charge. Is there anybody else out there that you would recommend replacing Brain Barnhart?

Joe, Muncie, Ind.

RM: I think it's terrible news on all fronts but the only guy I can think of would be Steve Horne because he's respected, he's very smart and very principled.

Q: I take it that the news of Tony Cotman and John Anderson are leaving IndyCar is (really) bad news for the series and the series has no idea how bad it is?

Craig Phillips, Suwanee, Ga.

RM: The good news about Ando is that he's got a new job with USF1, the bad news is that he had to go looking because Gil de Ferran isn't going to be able to field an Indy car. As for Cotman, he's a progressive thinker with tons of good ideas but obviously his input wasn't appreciated.

Q: Any news on JR Hildebrand where he might end up? I was hoping he gets a test-role with Force India after some very promising tests but if a current Lights Champion can’t even get an IndyCar seat, there is something wrong with the system!

Waldemar Warkentin

RM: There's been something wrong with this system for a long time but I understand JR has a better shot of getting something in GP2 than IndyCar. And that's just sad.

Q: Any chance we see an American in that second Dale Coyne entry? Assuming Wilson is in the other entry I think Hildebrand would do well. Maybe Summerton or Buddy Rice?

Ray Hando

RM: My answer would be, sure Ray, if you hit the lotto and want to donate, I'm sure we could get JR or Jonathan in that seat or Buddy back in the saddle. Now that Dale has the Boy Scouts as a sponsor, an American would be a perfect fit. But I'm not optimistic.

Q: What news have you heard on Anthony Foyt IV racing in 2010? He missed the majority of 2009 and hate to see him miss 2010.

VLG in Houston

RM: I know his golf game is getting better but I imagine his only appearance (if any) will be during May if grandpa provides a car.

Q: I have not been this excited for IndyCars since I don't know when. I finally got a look at the proposed "Delta Wing" car and I think it looks fantastic. This is exactly what IndyCars need to keep themselves fresh and relevant. It's time we look forward only. It's time we think change on every level. We know the problems, we know what we want, now we are on the way to making it happen. Throw everything from before out the window (minus the history and record books). Let's play with the rules, let's play with the engine types, let's play with the points system. Make this series look totally new and fresh with a few key changes and you've got something exciting. We have a hip, fresh sponsor, we have a great concept for a car, we know we have a following and we know we have teams and drivers. Now we have hope! I'm not going to bank the entire future on one thing, but I hope they keep this ball rolling. I want to rub my eyes of the blurry past tens years or so and open them to something I know but have never seen before. And I hope that IndyCars can be refreshed back to life in a way I have only dreamed was possible.

Erik Steinbrecher

RM: I'm not sure how you got to see the car but it sounds like you approve. Obviously, the goal is to excite the public as well as the automotive world, bring the prices down to where they belong, be eco and green friendly and bring some creativity back to Indy cars. But I don't think your enthusiasm is shared by the IRL racing division.

Q: Adding another theory to the Delta Wing name; I would guess that it might refer to designs used for delta wing aircraft, just turned upside down for downforce. So the new car certainly wouldn’t be without downforce. The means for producing downforce would just be incorporated into the car or vise versa, alluding to “flying wings” of delta wing aircraft like the Stealth Bomber or Stealth Fighter. Robin wrote that it looks “stealthy.” It may utilize ground effects, like under body tunnels, to produce sufficient downforce while reducing turbulence and drag produced in great effect by external wings. The lack of drag could make it easier to go faster and the lack of turbulent air flow could make it easier for following and passing cars. This was part of the concept in designing the DP01, using less external wing and more ground effects in hopes of better racing. They, however, still wound up with wings claiming necessity in controlling air flow over the wheels and continuity of appearance. The look of the wings on open-wheel cars has always appealed to me, but form following function trumps just about everything for me. I could embrace no wings if it successfully achieves a worthy objective. I may not like the look of it at first, but I could certainly come around. I look forward to seeing the Delta Wing and hope the design is accepted. Delta is also good symbol for change that is needed in Indycar, as pointed out by Don Davis in the 1/8/10 mailbag. Something or things need to shake things up, I am losing interest in indy car racing, as I did after 1996. I didn’t come back ‘til 2002, by chance. Indycar won’t last that long if they don’t shake things up.

Troy Grossman, Twin Cities, Minnesota

RM: I took the liberty of reading your email to Ben Bowlby, the Delta Wing designer, and he was impressed that "you got it." Obviously, Formula One shook things up last year and had the most compelling season in all of motorsports and IndyCar simply needs to follow suit because nobody gets excited about four red cars winning every race with the same old ugly cars.

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale: Jan 19th-24th

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robin Miller

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