Q: The greatest news from the state of IndyCar? Not double-file restarts. Not engine rules. Not that Randy is a genius (we already knew that) No. The best news is that Indycar is trying to reach younger fans. I think that most exciting news was that younger fans would be allowed in the pits (9 and older).What I wouldn't have given to be in the pits when I was 10/11/12 years old. Hook'em while they’re young.

Ryan McNallie from Milwaukee

RM: I think you credit Randy and Jeff Belskus and it's very smart to make the paddock more accessible and let kids get close to the cars and drivers.

Q: The greatest amount of the readers are taking this upcoming 2011 season, as a lost one, waiting till the changes of 2012, the anticipation is killing us. My question, maybe to be acted on, is this, Are there any restrictions/rules, that could be lifted/changed for the season to increase speeds or change how a driver may drive, to give these patient AOW fans a tease of faster things to come? Some of the big changes are the little one done. It sure would help on waiting for 2012 season, losing the phrase 'Same ole grit !', and regaining 'Now THAT'S, what I'm talking about !'. Please make sure Mr. Bernard has heard Tom Carnegie calling the qualifications, '…aaaannnnnd HHHe's on it. ''It's a tick faster!' 'It's a new track record !', a few of my favorite things…at Indy.

Jerry Adler

RM: I think the double file restarts are exactly what you're talking about -- trying to liven up a lame duck car/engine/season. And, yes, Randy has watched some old Indy videos and heard Tom's booming call of qualifying. I think that's why he's toying with the idea of trying to break the track record in 2011.

Q: I'm glad to hear the positive steps that IndyCar is making. RB just may be the savior this sport needs. I don't care either way about the double file restarts. Moving the go zone up is what was really needed along with putting a muzzle on TGBB's mouth. I hope this means 3 wide into Turn 1 at Indy again. One can only dream. The one issue I still have is horsepower or the lack there of. There needs to be a minimum of 800 not a maximum of 700. Go back to days when these car were beasts and you had to manhandle them. I've seen enough of this out for a Sunday drive BS. I also heard about the pit selection rule being changed. Good move. I'm sure Penske and Ganassi will still dominate the pit stops but it gives a few other team a chance. Overall I believe we are headed in a good direction. Here's hoping we continue the positive momentum.

Andre Good

P.S How about this for your tag line: Sometimes cold but never filtered, Miller!

RM: Scott Dixon said moving the go line will make for slower starts and that should lead to better starts. And the pit box selection being based on previous qualifying is good because it can be a huge advantage and needs to be spread around based on performance instead of just points.

Q: I'm psyched that IndyCar is coming back to Loudon this year. I never got to see a race as I was probably in 5th grade back in the CART days. Did Loudon have variable banking in those days? I know they changed it a few years back to try to spice up the NASCAR races. Will it have any effect on the IndyCar race?

Kevin Tilton, North Conway, NH

RM: I don't think the surface has changed much since the track first opened but I can tell you that in 1993, Paul Tracy, Nigel Mansell and Emerson Fittipaldi staged one of the greatest oval-track races ever at Loudon. It's a good track for Indy cars.

Q: I keep hearing on other sites that Fox may want to jump into the bidding and try to steal Indy and other races away from ABC (and NBC). And now that ALMS has put all of its eggs in ESPN’s basket, might CBS be interested? If either would replace ABC, does that open up the contract with Versus to potentially put more races (other than Indy and three that ABC currently buries) on free TV or is the Versus contract iron clad? Question 2, what’s the latest with the Baltimore race? Are things getting better in terms of viability or is this one going to be one and done? Love the mailbags – rants and all.

Greg in Arlington

RM: I believe that Randy Bernard is sharp enough to shop the Indy 500 rights around and now that NBC/Comcast is official, one more network may figure into the picture. The way ABC/ESPN has treated Indy car racing the past 20 years, just about anybody would be a better partner.

Q: TGBB told your friends at The Star this week that he might allow Milka to run the oval races only this year…please, for the love of God, tell me he was just joking! Her level of stink isn’t as bad on the ovals, but she still represents a hazard to other drivers with her lousy racecraft and inability to maintain a steady line. Hell, Dario’s lucky he won the title at all last season after Milka almost clipped him near the end of the Homestead race…I’m sure his dry cleaner had to spot the skid marks on the firesuit after that race! Would it be fair to say that Barnhart is the Milka Duno of race directors…and could this decision be the one that finally pushes Randy over the edge?

Mark, Haddonfield, NJ

RM: All I know is that Randy Bernard made it clear he didn't want un-qualified drivers in the series and he was talking about Milkmaid. Wonder if TGBB was listening?

Q: There has been a long running theme that IndyCar needs US drivers in order to be popular in the US and on US TV. Take a look at your own mailbag – fans are often asking about their favorite drivers, and the names are often Tracy; Servia; Wheldon; Kanaan; Wilson; De Silvestro … it looks to me that US fans want to see drivers with personality and hard driving attitude. As long as they speak English so we can understand them, it really does not matter what country they are from, and in fact the international flavor makes the series more interesting and more believable in regards to the “best drivers”. It is a global world now. The best marketing for the series is to show the fans what the drivers are all about – pit access and driver background stories is a strong point for Indycar over F1. The “Chrome Horn” sells and every fan likes to see a hard charger… Why don’t you do a poll and asks your readers to list their top 5 or top 3 favorite IC drivers? Or do a poll on the web site. I’ll bet you find it is all about driver character, not nationality

Duncan

RM: What IndyCar needs right now is what CART had in the '90s: some talented drivers from around the globe anchored by 10-12 American stars. The only way to increase attendance, visibility and get the US media behind IndyCar, is to have RHR, Marco, Graham Rahal and Danica start winning races. We loved Zanardi because he challenged/beat Michael, Little Al, Rahal, Vasser, Herta, etc. and vice versa. Without some American bad asses, IndyCar cannot regain any type of presence in this country.

Q: I know Will Power's hometown has been heavily affected by flooding. I'd love to donate to help the relief effort. Do you have any idea if Will or Team Penske have any thoughts about the best place to do so--or if they are organizing anything?

Tim Williams, Madison, WI

RM: Here's a fund set up by the Queensland government: http://telethon.smartservice.qld.gov.au/

Q: I have been an open wheel fan since the early 50's (remember Dayton Speedway?). I am concerned about all of the interest in going faster and faster. At what point do we exceed the reflex ability of the drivers or other physical limitations? How many deaths or serious Sam Schmidt injuries will we have to endure before the powers that be realize that faster is not necessarily better? Remember CART at Texas a few years back when the race was canceled because the g-forces in the turns was causing momentary blackouts of the drivers? I think there are better ways to make the racing more exciting without endangering the drivers. Moving the restart point closer to the S/F line will certainly make the restarts more exciting. I could care less about a new track record at Indy and would be quite content with a real battle for starting positions and close racing during the race, at reasonable speeds.

Tom, Wilmington, NC

RM: To be honest, Sam wasn't hurt because of speed, he just didn't have proper protection in the seat/cockpit area. Ditto for Jovy Marcello and Scott Brayton. And nobody is saying they want drivers averaging 240 mph at Indy in the race -- just for four laps in qualifying if the right scenario can be crafted. I think a lot of us would love to see 220 mph down the straightaway with a big lift/brake for the corners.

Q: Been away from racing for quite some time until last summer – got caught up in the F1 season and dabbled in Indy racing as well. Looking forward to the 2012 for IndyCar and was wondering when was the last time that Indy cars were on par with F1 and do you think they will be close to performance again when it comes to F1’s 2013 season.

Jake

RM: Not unless they get more HP and a lot lighter.

Q: Has Paul Tracy gotten a full time ride or not for this year, or, is he even looking for one? What’s his status for this year (2011)? Also, I thought a heard a rumor late last year that Sebastian Bourdais might be coming back? Is that true? I thought I also heard Kyle Busch had some interest in Indycar? Any truth to that?

Kenneth Howard, Lincolnshire, IL

RM: PT is working with Eric Bachelart to try and put together a full-time deal but don't think his old pal Seabass has any interest in coming back. Randy Bernard asked Kyle last summer about running Indy and he said he'd love to but Joe Gibbs probably wouldn't hear of it until he won a championship first. But Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne are very interested. Ditto for A.J. Allmendinger.

Q: With at least one email every week asking when Elkhart Lake will be included to the schedule, it got me thinking about Katherine Legge's spectacular crash & how we all held our collective breath until she walked out of the medical trailer with a big smile. I was just curious as to what she's up to? Last I heard she was racing in Europe. She was always a great ambassador to Champ Car. Simona reminds me allot of her.

Doug, Murrieta,Ca.

RM: Katherine is back in Indy, looking for an IndyCar ride after running DTM for a couple years. She is a sweetheart and she needed Mike Cannon back when she got thrown to the wolves in Champ Car.

Q: I thought that the Mailbag was supposed to come out on WEDNESDAY? This week's edition says it was posted on Thursday...and apparently late in the day. You bet against Auburn? My Auburn? Haven't you been paying attention to which conference is 7-0 in, including winning the last FIVE, BCS Championship games? I we're gonna have to have a talk, old man!

Craig Phillips, Suwanee, GA

RM: That was my bad. I didn't get it finished and filed until Wednesday but I promise to do better this week. I had Oregon plus two and a half. Ouch.