INDYCAR: Miller's Mailbag, 12.21

IndyCar

INDYCAR: Miller’s Mailbag, 12.21

Always genuine, never lite: It's Miller time. Here's the latest Q&A from SPEED.com's IndyCar guru.

Robin Miller | Posted December 21, 2011

The Dallara DW12 is on the hot seat once again in the mailbag. (Photo: HPD)

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: I’m just wondering, why so many people (IndyCar fans) are unhappy about new Dallara DW12? Where is that big problem that makes all those people angry and unhappy? I know, I know, Dallara didn’t give the car that they promised. It’s safer (I hope so) and it’s slower... in some tracks. Is that the only problem? Fans are unhappy because new car in Indianapolis goes 216-220 mph instead of 225-230mph? Yes, race fans don’t like slow cars, but... do we really can see the difference when a car goes 220 mph or 225 mph around the track? We should look at the bright side - 220 mph is still a lot. Not every race car in this world can reach speed like that. Still we are unhappy, because new car is slower than we expected in ovals. Ovals? Why we talking about them so much? Let’s take a look what schedule we have for 2012. Less than half races will be held on ovals. Most of the time drivers will spend on street or road courses. Does a new car have problems there? I guess not. So why are we making such a big problem? I would fully understand people if a new car would be 20-50 mph slower than the old one. But it’s not. Yes, the DW12 isn’t perfect, but it’s ok. I will tell you why.

Take a look at F-1. Big teams like Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes... they create new race cars every year. And you know what? They have problems. Mercedes and Ferrari didn’t create a good car. McLaren had a lot of problems in testing with their new car. All those teams, which have a lot of money and great engineers, created bad cars. They worked hard and solved problems. Now Dallara and other manufacturers are working hard and I believe they will solve their problems. I liked what Roger Griffiths said: “... it’s just a number” Yes, 5-10 mph difference is just a number, not a tragedy and Dallara, like others, is not perfect. No one can make all people happy. Some say: “Swift, Lola would be better”. Yeah? I have a question for those people who talk like that: How do you know? Life is simple. The new Dallara race car is also simple. Yes, it’s not the best looking car, but there are people who like it. When we’re talking about DW12 and its problems, we should remember one simple thing - no one is perfect!

Arunas Vilnius, Lithuania

RM: It remains to be seen whether the new car is safer and it may be quicker on road courses but the concern is the weight, suspension geometry, bodywork and making the car suitable for Indianapolis. Yes, we’re only going to have 3-4 ovals in 2012 but it obviously needs some work. But it is just a race car and it can be fixed.

Q: I love most forms of auto racing, especially at the higher levels. Road racing is my favorite but I watch everything from NHRA to F1. The top levels of most sports seem to have a similar problem: they are getting to the point where the performance attained is reaching "extreme" levels and pushing for more can cause extreme consequences. The g forces reported in the Weldon report are huge. When I first saw the DW12 I was struck by how much it resembled a Le Mans prototype. As the speeds continue to increase, the cars continue to move toward what the ultimate racing vehicle would be. The ultimate in speed, handling and safety. I can see that being a meld of Lemans Prototype, F1, and IndyCar. Perhaps this is good, but I doubt the traditional fan would take to cars with covered wheels at the Speedway. I find "kit-car racing" to be unappealing, especially when cars can race at full throttle most of the time. I would be much more interested in "Formula racing" with a variety of designs, as in F1. Artificially making the cars "look different" with body pieces doesn't do much either. It was the individualism and inventiveness that kept bringing me back to the Speedway each May. I would love to see Indy car develop a workable, relevant formula (set of rules) and let the racing teams develop their cars.
I'm afraid the route that Indy car is on will result in full bodied cars at Indy within five years. I wonder how the Audi R18 would do at the Speedway?

Dave Ahlberg, Valparaiso, IN

RM: I agree with Mario in that open wheel and open cockpit go hand-in-hand and I’d hate to see that tradition be replaced. But the DW12 has some distinctive Delta Wing features and maybe it would take a radical change in design to tempt Audi, Porsche, Peugeot to consider the Indy 500. But before you change the rules, you need some commitments.

Q: After reading 12/15/11 mailbag, sounding like for most people the sky is falling, which I feel bad for those people if that is how they react to change. This is a big change for Indy car and of course, there will be issues and overreactions associated to the new car. Think about all the other series that change their rules and chassis in F1 they just about change every year if not mid-season. Of course, every change that they made F1 there was adaptations phase for fans, teams, engineers, drivers etc. so this is truly a time for a team, engineer, and driver to shine. If the car is so hard to drive find a better driver, if it is too difficult setup find a better crew. If the mechanics and drivers are complaining maybe, the source of all of Indy car’s problems is not just the past owners. Glad to hear Josef will be in INDYCAR next year, will anybody be mentoring or possibly a part driver helping out? Seems like that helped Hinch and hurt JR last year.

Paul Hirsch

RM: I think we’d all be thrilled to see a good driver and his engineer make the difference, regardless of their budget, but it sounds like some of the best drivers are concerned with fundamental problems in the new car (and Dallara is already swapping out the suspension) so I think it’s more than just bitching. Oriol Servia was a big help to Hinch and JR needs a teammate to accelerate his growth. Josef might get one for the Indy 500 only.

Q: I just got done reading Marshall's article and I could not believe what I was reading about not increasing the HP and that 215mph laps at Indy is no big deal as long as the racing is good. What are they thinking? Indy has always been known for speed and skill and they think the paying customer is going to be OK with lap speeds that we did in the 80's!! Between this peace of crap looking and handling car and the HP and lap times INDYCAR really wants to deep six the ship fast!!!!!!!

Jeff Laughlin

RM: Speed and track records were the lure for big crowds on Pole Day and practice but those days are long gone and likely not coming back regardless of how this new car performs. Last year’s race had the best crowd since The Split and Indy is no longer about speed and innovation, sadly, but it doesn’t seem to matter.

Q: I’ve enjoyed reading all of the info trickling out from you and Marshall regarding band aids for the all-new DW12. I think we all expected teething issues, just not to this magnitude. With discussion of the magnesium gear boxes, new suspension set ups, adjustable ballast, and aero updates, I just keep thinking two things – cha and ching. Any word if our esteemed “friends” at Dallara are picking up the tab for this as part of their development cost?

Andy, Nashville, TN

RM: Yes, Dallara did the right thing and is paying for all the new suspension (as it should) and the next bullet could be bodywork/aero kit.

Q: Will Dallara be bringing the road course body kit back for 2013? Or will it still the same kit for both? I really liked the road course look that they unveiled at IMS I wish they would use it in the upcoming season. Is Lotus going to be ready Jan 12th when the testing ban is lifted? And finally do you know if they will be testing in Alabama anytime soon? Because that’s the closest track to me and I would like to go checkout the new car. Do they let the general public into tests?

Jorge Sandoval

RM: Let’s try and get through 2012 before we start worrying about 2013. Lotus will be testing for the first time at Palm Beach, Fla. on Jan. 13-14 with HVM and Simona de Silvestro. No word on any planned Barber tests but most are open to spectators unless it’s private tire/car/engine deal.

Q: You made a comment that caught my attention, “But let’s say we have four aero kits for 2013 and one of them is clearly dominant.” I hadn’t thought about that. I realize there will likely always be a dominant car(s), but what if someone does come to the show with a kit that blows the doors off of everyone else? I’m assuming that the teams will have to sign contracts with their kit manufacturer, but I think your comment really highlights the need for IndyCar to loosen up the regs. There must be room for updates and modifications, i.e. aftermarket parts, without getting into the realm of F1 development. This would open up the market for vendors. Perhaps IndyCar could provide extra incentive to buy from American vendors. Actually, why not tie the resurgence of IndyCar to the resurgence of America? It would be a great marketing tool; open up the sport to allow for diversity and showcase American ingenuity. After all, even if most of the drivers are not American, the series will ultimately triumph or fail based on the wallets of the American consumer.

Jeff in KCMO

RM: Originally, INDYCAR had talked about allowing teams to change their aero kits once a season but can’t imagine Honda or GM allowing any of their teams to try a rival’s brand. We will know more when the new rulebook is finished.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robin Miller

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