Q: I'm just a dumb high school history teacher from central PA who happens to love open-wheel racing. Let me use an analogy to the firing of Randy Bernard. When Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for his second term in office the country was still in an economic depression. When he won people said he could have burnt down the White House and still got elected because at least he was doing something, unlike his predecessor Hoover. This is how I feel about Randy Bernard. At least he was trying. At least the series was going somewhere. I don't like the new car. I think it is ugly but I understand much safer and thus the reason for the change. I attended the Indy 500 this year and it was great. Being from central PA I love the new schedule which includes Pocono. If this series doesn't get its act together soon I will give up. It is a 10-hour drive to Indy from my house. Not worth the effort if this series keeps acting like children fighting over a toy. It was great seeing Bryan Clauson in the Indy 500 this year and then watching him in a USAC sprint car on the dirt at my home track of Port Royal Speedway. These are the things that Indy Car needs. It seems Randy was thinking outside the box. Are we back in a box?

Brian Strawser

RM: That’s why Randy was popular. He tried new things but also wanted to link the past glory days with the future and getting a USAC star back to Indianapolis was important to him. He also helped Josef Newgarden and created a fund to help the non-Leader’s Circle members and listened to the fans about Milwaukee and Pocono. I fear we’re back in a box with handles.

Q: In your opinion, does Jeff Belskus have a passion for the sport or is he a bean counter?

David, Waxhaw, NC

RM: Both. He’s been part of the Hulman-George family for a long time.

Q: I know many people are saying "I'm done" over the firing of Randy Bernard. I just wanted to add my perspective to a comment I heard that it was crazy that the CEO was more important than the racing. To me it is not Randy Bernard personally that has me fired up it is the statement it makes that the series/board has so little respect for the fans. After all the frustration of the last 15 plus years, with the breath of fresh air and a focus on the fans that Randy brought I had once again traveling to watch races, even joining the IndyCar Champion Fan Club and attending events. I am now convinced that the internal politics of IndyCar trumps the interest of the fans. To put it in perspective I just cancelled my reservations for Long Beach, Indianapolis and Baltimore. (Others were planned but not yet reserved) Make no mistake for many of us it is the last straw. No matter how happy some of the owners are, a series with no fans is not a series at all.

DeWitt in New Jersey

RM: I’d say you are correct and Bernard’s popularity was that he listened to the fans and wanted to please them if possible, which had never happened in the 44 years I’ve been covering this circus.

Q: Since Turbogate is one of the large sources of dissatisfaction imagine how boring the season would have been without helping Honda and making the Lotus owners stay with Lotus. Odd that Ganassi was the prime benefactor of Turbogate and still seems to be one of the lynch mob. All those folks that want aero kits should be prepared for worse racing ‘ the haves get advantaged no matter what equalization they do … you can see that on the grid at any F1 race- — the haves and the have less have their assigned places.

Chuck

RM: Honda and GM were pretty damn close most of the time but Ilmor and that twin turbo gave Chevrolet the advantage. No aero kits for at least another year but you make a good point because it will be tough to keep things as even as it is today.

Q: I waited to email you because I thought it would be prudent to let my emotions calm down and avoid writing something stupid. So now, days later, I have nothing good to say, so I'll just vent. How the heck do people this stupid get into powerful positions? I guess it's an example of what's wrong with America. Do these people not understand how hard Randy was working to make the schedule work and actually make the series successful? You don't just wake up one morning and make a series work. There isn't a major sports organization that is not struggling with declining attendance and profitability. Even the typical big boys of sports (NFL, NASCAR, NCAA men's football and basketball) are seeing massive declines in attendance and other revenue streams. IndyCar is considered by most to be a niche sport, and now you go and kill the only person who has shown IndyCar the light at the end of the tunnel. There are tons of options for the sports fan to spend their money on and you think you can just pull something like this and expect it to work? Regardless of whether I continue to watch the sport or not, the series itself is risking a total collapse to where the only thing left is the Indy 500. Then what do you propose?

Maybe we can do a reality series starring Kim Kardashian to spice things up. I've never been shocked when something is done for financial reasons. As much as fans hate to hear it, sometimes you just have to do things because money talks. But the money doesn't say do this. Who does something when the only result is a massive loss of money? Auto racing people should understand since sponsorship (and the money behind it) has always been critical to the success of racing. But, maybe that's just one of the problems here; no one making the decisions should be considered a "auto racing person." I've got a bachelor's and master’s in marketing from Clemson and I would be happy to take over as CEO of the series. It would be the shortest stint for a sports/racing series CEO. I would do one thing, beg Randy to come back, and then go back home and become a fan again. Logic dictates a lot of things, but you can't predict, comprehend, understand or cure stupid. Terribly ashamed of what has transpired. I think I'll start watching endurance racing. It seems pretty cool.

Tom, Greenwood, SC

RM: That’s the part of this sordid mess that is so hard to accept. They got rid of a guy who took over a carcass and restored it to life in less than three years for what reasons? It’s beyond stupid and senseless.

Q: What about someone like Rick Mears to run things? He’s been out of the car for 20 or so years so I'm sure he has a good idea what the owners have to go through and he also knows what the driver goes through. He is even-keeled and smart ... Seems to me like a perfect guy to have in place???

Bill, WPB, Fl

RM: Oh no, The Rocket is way too smart to even consider working for these clowns.

Q: While I am deeply disappointed with the approach IMS has taken with Randy, I cannot, and will not begin to say I am done with the series. I want to stick around to see TK win a 500. As well as Hinch. And one of Sarah Fisher's cars, too. I want to see Helio and, or Dario become a 4-time winner. I don't ever want to not hear Jim Nabors sing Back Home Again in Indiana, as long as I live. I don't ever want to miss getting to my seats early in the morning to watch the sun coming up over the Speedway on race morning, calm and quite, before the stands fill in. The greatest race track in the world. And I want to go to Pocono. To Baltimore. To Mid-Ohio. To Milwaukee. I want Marco to sign a book I have about his grandfather. I can never forget Dan. My first 500 was in 1969. I was three. I have been a life-long fan ever since, as well as an IMS employee, working in the museum for a few years during and after high school. There are too many great memories and experiences to share. The 2012 season was one of the greatest I have witnessed in a very long time. IMS, the BoD, the owners, the drivers, the sponsors, the fans, every stakeholder has to remember the Indianapolis 500 is the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. This is a very critical time in open-wheel racing. IMS and the BoD absolutely cannot jack this situation up any further. It is time for everyone to get together. What can I do to personally, to get this message to IMS and the BoD, the owners, the sponsors?

Aaron in Indy

RM: It’s a nice thought but not sure how realistic it is because everybody has an agenda and that doesn’t always include what’s best for the series. Bernard read the mailbag and responded to emails so I guess you can hope Jeff Belskus does the same.

Q: This is to all the people writing in saying they will not attend the 500 next year. You people are missing out on a great opportunity. Look at the bright side. With all the lost ticket sales after this latest train wreck we all should be able to improve our seat locations after the 2013 race. Hell I just need to move up one row to QQ in the North Vista. Had it not been for all the turmoil over the past years, I'd still be behind the catch fence …

James M. Petro, Canton, Ohio

RM: Good point Jim, thanks for casting the first positive spin on this mess.

Q: A few things glaringly stand out in the press releases this week. Drivers & owners don't like almost every change that has occurred or the fact that Randy Bernard's popularity is more significant than theirs’. What makes no sense to "Us" the fans is that these statements absolutely oppose each other. "You" the teams & drivers want to be popular enough to matter on a national scale. Check. For "You" to be popular the entire organization needs to be rethought. Check. The person at the helm of those changes is going to become instantly popular because the existing loyal & passionate fan base is waiting for it. Check. A change like double file restarts helps produce "Us" arguably the best Indy 500 that anyone below the age of 30 can remember. Check. "You" the teams & drivers are against those changes but want to be popular. Che ... Wait, what?. The upheaval started before Randy made his first visible change. It is evident that Randy came into an organization where poor decisions & childish egos are the foundation. The disconnect between "You" & "Us" is the most evident example. This led to those who compete having more power & authority than the CEO. My question Robin is how will IndyCar ever be successful if these thoughts are so institutionalized that the drivers & owners dictate the decisions from the bottom up? The last time I participated in a sporting event where the players dictated the rules so significantly was a pickup game. To the drivers & owners who wonder why Randy has recently been more popular to "Us" than "You." No one pays money or travels hours to watch a pickup game of anything. IndyCar prior to Bernard's joining was the "professional" representation of a pickup game. This is why it began its spiral into non-existence & we lost interest in all of it including "You.” Randy brought a validity & professionalism to the sport that had been visibly missing since "The Split." So Mr. Belskus' realization that "the long-term success of the IndyCar Series is growing our fan base" rings the alarm. It seems the thought is let's alienate our past & existing fans enough to start over with a new base. Well guess what drivers, teams, owners & board? The same base you are kicking to the curb will simply not take their kids to see 'Turbo'. If "You" want to be the stars of a pickup game while being introduced with your shades on to empty seats, good luck.

Jordan, Binghamton, NY

RM: I was talking to a driver the other day who found it troubling that more people seemed to care about an ousted CEO than a good driver who loses a ride. I said that’s because Bernard connected with the fans for the first time in many years on many levels. Drivers and owners were never heard in the ‘60s and ‘70s and those eras turned out OK.