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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Miller’s Mailbag, 7.26
Always genuine, never lite: It's Miller time. Here's the latest Q&A from SPEED.com's IndyCar guru.
Takuma Sato's run to second was one of the stories to emerge from Edmonton. (Photo: LAT)
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 thought Edmonton was a great race and seemed a decent crowd again up there. Are they back next year? And I don't dislike Helio, but for years I have always found him to be so fake. I am curious what the other drivers think of him on a personal and professional level? Again he seems OK but more than any other driver seems to be an actor.
Mike Nicholas, Fishers, IN
RM: There is another year on the contract and they had a pretty good walk-up on race day so if they can secure a title sponsor I’d say yes. Vitor Meira once called Helio his favorite actor in the IndyCar media guide so that might tell you something but I have to say that he’s always been this outgoing character with fans and media and I do think he’s genuinely a nice person.
Q: Wow! A temporary road course without cautions... who could have predicted that? Just goes to show what happens when Paul Tracy is not on the grid (grin). As much as I like to see an American driver having success, I was totally turned off by Ryan Hunter-Reay's overuse of the P.T.C (Push To Cry) button ! I like the racers that put their foot on the gas when they get passed instead of whining and crying on the radio about it. Was nice to see Helio get his Edmonton win (and keep it this time) and also what do you think about Sato? He seems to be more focused with Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan than the past few seasons.
Indy Bob
RM: It was kinda the heat of the moment from RHR and he was over it by the time the race ended. Will said he didn’t blame him for calling in to complain because it could have had big implications in the championship but Power said he did exactly what was allowed. Rahal has been trying to get Sato to pace himself and then attack and it worked quite nicely last Sunday. If the guy ever wins a race, he might be a monster.
Q: I have to comment on the “no call” between Will Power and RHR. The guys in the booth made a comment that if Power crossed the dotted white line exiting the pits, he should get a drive through penalty (as it was “discussed during the driver’s meeting.”) Watching the replay, the ONLY part of Power’s car that wasn’t on the dotted white line was his right front tire; and that barely touched the solid white line. So what did I miss? Also, I don’t recall you answering this question when asked during the SPEED Center Sunday evening: should this have been a drive through penalty for Will Power? I don't want to ever hear Power say other drivers are "dirty" since he is now one of them.
Lawrence H.
RM: Chief Steward Beaux Barfield said it was an easy non call because: “Will crossed the end of dashed line precisely as I described what would be allowed in the meeting.” I said on WT that I didn’t think it was a chop job.
Q: I am not sure how big of a fan I am of "Push to Pass.” All I felt like it did this weekend at Edmonton was allow for "Push Not to Get Passed." It was obvious in the final stages of the race that due to his advantage in PTP, Sato was not going to be able to get around Helio. Listening to the commentators and team radios focus on PTP rather than unaided speed and driving ability took a little bit away from the race for me. I think these cars and the product on the track before PTP was great and nothing more was needed. Undoubtedly it was a fantastically executed strategy by Helio and his team. Saving the PTP until the end of the race allowed for maximum defense of any attempted pass. I for one would have much rather watched Sato bury it into Turn 1, 5 or 13. I think he would have got close enough to have a chance without PTP & we all know he would throw his nose into any sliver of daylight!
Jordan, Binghamton, NY
RM: I think when you’ve got second place right on the gearbox of the leader for the last 20 laps it’s still about ability, either not making a mistake or forcing one and Castroneves never gave Taku an opening.
Q: The race yesterday didn’t make me excited. It wasn’t a race I wanted to tell my fellow motorsports friends about and tell them what an awesome race they missed. When I think about the race I’m not sure why that is. Tags gained two spots on the first lap, there was a lot of great racing early, pit strategy came into play, there was drama with Will Power exiting the pits in front of RHR (I agree with race control’s decision but I’m biased) and then there was more drama later when Helio took the lead and Power was charging. It was a great very competitive race. I think for me it comes down to the fact that the last 10 or so laps we saw Sato unable to ever mount a serious attempt to overtake Helio and didn’t get to see any other racing on track. If you add to that the booth’s obsession with push to pass and I think for the first time I’d like to be a little bit critical of the NBC coverage. It seemed like a little kid who got a new toy to play with and couldn’t talk about anything else. IndyCar developed the telemetry and graphical link to push to pass and that was the theme of the race here in Edmonton. The last few laps were all about how Helio had more push to pass and when does he use it and does Sato save it and in the end it amounted to nothing due to the significant advantage Helio had managed by having nearly twice as much time left on the button compared to Sato. If you add to that Power’s fuel strategy fail the end of the race was rather anti-climactic.
Ryan in West Michigan
RM: Stat guru and historian Russ Thompson points out there were 61 legitimate passes for position at Edmonton and I thought it was a good show. To have two cars within a few feet of each other storming for the checkered flag after 90 minutes is pretty much all you could hope for with no cautions.
Q: I'm curious to know what you think about the ability of the team to monitor and advise the drivers of their push-to-pass. I like the P2P, but I don't think its status should be known to anyone other than the driver. It should be up to the driver to use and monitor the P2P, not the team.
Mark McCauley, Hurst, TX
RM: It would be great but television needs it to keep the fans informed so there would be no way to hide it.
Q: I’m a huge Graham Rahal fan, having watched him all the way up the ladder in his career and was brought up watching his dad. That being said, at times I feel like a Cubs fan, except instead of waiting until next year I’m saying wait until the next race. It seems to be the same pattern most races... unload off the truck slower than the Target cars, be somewhere mid pack then play catch up all weekend before qualifying in at the tail end of the Top 10 or right outside it. Either get caught up with some bad luck, poor pit strategy, or make mistake. All of which leads me more often than not saying "maybe next week." Is it a simple case of pressing too hard for results or are there some issues behind the scenes? It’s very frustrating given the amount of talent and speed Graham has, and it would seem that the Chipster would certainly expect more as well.
Alan S.
RM: I’ve been accused of being Graham’s unofficial PR man but I agree with you that he showed so much poise and promise as a teenager in a Champ Car that we expect big things. He was never out of the Fast 6 a couple years ago and had that ability to pull a fast lap out under the gun. He was out-shining both Target drivers at the end of 2011 so expectations were even higher. This season has been disappointing to say the least and I think he pushed a little harder after throwing away that win at Texas. But he finally looked like his old self at Edmonton and I think Chip knows this kid (23) should be his future on the A team someday.
Q: I know there's a lot of hype and possibilities with Newgarden and Penske, do you think Ganassi may be considering bringing a younger driver such as Rahal or Kimball up to the main team in the not too distant future? Franchitti and Dixon are both great drivers, but they're getting old in terms of IndyCar age. Dixon was able to instantly get up to speed with the new car and I also see him being able to compete for the win no matter how old, but to me, Dario seemed to hit a few bumps transitioning to the new car at the beginning of the year. Is this a sign that there needs to be a changing of the guard in the makings in the Target garage in the next few years?
Alan, Butler, PA
RM: Whoa, Dixie just turned 32 so he’s got a LOT of good years left and Dario may be 39 but he still drives with plenty of vigor so let’s not retire him just yet. I always thought Graham would be perfect for Penske but I would think Chip has him in mind to eventually take Franchitti’s seat.
Q: With the rumors going around about Andretti Autosport adding a NASCAR team and Marco struggling on street/road courses have you heard any rumblings about him possibly moving to NASCAR? We've seen how hard the transition has been from AJ, Danica and Sam. Also, if the schedule went to about 20 races (more would be great), do you think the majority would continue to be street/road courses (Circuit of the Americas, New Jersey, Road America and a return to Montreal???). Personally, besides the Indy 500, I wish they were all street/road courses.
Patrick, Iowa
RM: There’s no doubt Marco is much better on ovals than road courses and Larry McReynolds said on WIND TUNNEL a couple weeks ago that Michael was going to run a current IndyCar driver on his NASCAR team so I guess it’s possible. But I wouldn’t think a new team would throw a rookie with ZERO stock car experience into the fire. Randy Bernard wants 19 races in 2013 and it’s probably going to be an even mix of ovals and road/street races.
Q: This 10-spot grid penalty thing is asinine. All it does is hurt the drivers/owners and does nothing to penalize the manufacturer and now it is starting to affect the championship! All one has to do is look at what has happened to Scott Dixon the past two races. The engine ate itself at Toronto so Dixie loses tons of points then gets a 10-spot penalty at Edmonton. Then, the engine or electronics get diarrhea after the green drops. Isn't this penalty enough! Can't Randy B come up with something better than this? I'm sure fining Chevy or Honda won't happen because the series needs them but I've had it with this B.S. What did IICS think was going to happen with engine competition? The engines would be bulletproof. PUH-LEEZ!!! At the very least, the series should drop the penalty when the car blows up and the team scores no points because of the failure. I understand the spirit of the rule but this is the FIRST year of this new design. It pisses me off that this engine penalty rule is hurting the title fight. Also, have you heard anything on course changes the Green-Savoree folks talked about when they bought Mid-Ohio? Our contingent from PA never misses the race and I think the DW12 will put on a better show but the place needs some more passing zones.
Scott St. Clair, Erie, PA
RM: The engine manufacturers came up with that penalty but Bernard says he’s going to look at ways to not make it so tough on the driver. No changes for Mid-Ohio this season but maybe by 2013.
Q: Push-to-pass is a sad substitute for more HP, less downforce, and aero kits. These three things can bring healthy competition back. Saddled with the spec cars IndyCar has right now, the only driver who apparently can make a substantial move in a full green race is Will Power. Sadly Marco thinks, according to a tweet he sent Sunday, that the lack of passing in mid-field was because the drivers are so talented. Sorry Marco, the cars are equal, except for Simona's and it masks mediocrity in the mid pack. At least with the aforementioned changes the teams can help the cars separate the pack a bit, and bring more racing in the process. I agree with you completely on the idiocy of the engine change penalties.
Alan the Louisvillian
RM: Brazil, St. Pete and Barber had plenty of passing without PTP but there was also lots of overtaking last Sunday – just not at the end of the race.
~Robin Miller
Q: I thought Edmonton was a great race and seemed a decent crowd again up there. Are they back next year? And I don't dislike Helio, but for years I have always found him to be so fake. I am curious what the other drivers think of him on a personal and professional level? Again he seems OK but more than any other driver seems to be an actor.
Mike Nicholas, Fishers, IN
RM: There is another year on the contract and they had a pretty good walk-up on race day so if they can secure a title sponsor I’d say yes. Vitor Meira once called Helio his favorite actor in the IndyCar media guide so that might tell you something but I have to say that he’s always been this outgoing character with fans and media and I do think he’s genuinely a nice person.
Q: Wow! A temporary road course without cautions... who could have predicted that? Just goes to show what happens when Paul Tracy is not on the grid (grin). As much as I like to see an American driver having success, I was totally turned off by Ryan Hunter-Reay's overuse of the P.T.C (Push To Cry) button ! I like the racers that put their foot on the gas when they get passed instead of whining and crying on the radio about it. Was nice to see Helio get his Edmonton win (and keep it this time) and also what do you think about Sato? He seems to be more focused with Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan than the past few seasons.
Indy Bob
RM: It was kinda the heat of the moment from RHR and he was over it by the time the race ended. Will said he didn’t blame him for calling in to complain because it could have had big implications in the championship but Power said he did exactly what was allowed. Rahal has been trying to get Sato to pace himself and then attack and it worked quite nicely last Sunday. If the guy ever wins a race, he might be a monster.
Q: I have to comment on the “no call” between Will Power and RHR. The guys in the booth made a comment that if Power crossed the dotted white line exiting the pits, he should get a drive through penalty (as it was “discussed during the driver’s meeting.”) Watching the replay, the ONLY part of Power’s car that wasn’t on the dotted white line was his right front tire; and that barely touched the solid white line. So what did I miss? Also, I don’t recall you answering this question when asked during the SPEED Center Sunday evening: should this have been a drive through penalty for Will Power? I don't want to ever hear Power say other drivers are "dirty" since he is now one of them.
Lawrence H.
RM: Chief Steward Beaux Barfield said it was an easy non call because: “Will crossed the end of dashed line precisely as I described what would be allowed in the meeting.” I said on WT that I didn’t think it was a chop job.
Q: I am not sure how big of a fan I am of "Push to Pass.” All I felt like it did this weekend at Edmonton was allow for "Push Not to Get Passed." It was obvious in the final stages of the race that due to his advantage in PTP, Sato was not going to be able to get around Helio. Listening to the commentators and team radios focus on PTP rather than unaided speed and driving ability took a little bit away from the race for me. I think these cars and the product on the track before PTP was great and nothing more was needed. Undoubtedly it was a fantastically executed strategy by Helio and his team. Saving the PTP until the end of the race allowed for maximum defense of any attempted pass. I for one would have much rather watched Sato bury it into Turn 1, 5 or 13. I think he would have got close enough to have a chance without PTP & we all know he would throw his nose into any sliver of daylight!
Jordan, Binghamton, NY
RM: I think when you’ve got second place right on the gearbox of the leader for the last 20 laps it’s still about ability, either not making a mistake or forcing one and Castroneves never gave Taku an opening.
Q: The race yesterday didn’t make me excited. It wasn’t a race I wanted to tell my fellow motorsports friends about and tell them what an awesome race they missed. When I think about the race I’m not sure why that is. Tags gained two spots on the first lap, there was a lot of great racing early, pit strategy came into play, there was drama with Will Power exiting the pits in front of RHR (I agree with race control’s decision but I’m biased) and then there was more drama later when Helio took the lead and Power was charging. It was a great very competitive race. I think for me it comes down to the fact that the last 10 or so laps we saw Sato unable to ever mount a serious attempt to overtake Helio and didn’t get to see any other racing on track. If you add to that the booth’s obsession with push to pass and I think for the first time I’d like to be a little bit critical of the NBC coverage. It seemed like a little kid who got a new toy to play with and couldn’t talk about anything else. IndyCar developed the telemetry and graphical link to push to pass and that was the theme of the race here in Edmonton. The last few laps were all about how Helio had more push to pass and when does he use it and does Sato save it and in the end it amounted to nothing due to the significant advantage Helio had managed by having nearly twice as much time left on the button compared to Sato. If you add to that Power’s fuel strategy fail the end of the race was rather anti-climactic.
Ryan in West Michigan
RM: Stat guru and historian Russ Thompson points out there were 61 legitimate passes for position at Edmonton and I thought it was a good show. To have two cars within a few feet of each other storming for the checkered flag after 90 minutes is pretty much all you could hope for with no cautions.
Q: I'm curious to know what you think about the ability of the team to monitor and advise the drivers of their push-to-pass. I like the P2P, but I don't think its status should be known to anyone other than the driver. It should be up to the driver to use and monitor the P2P, not the team.
Mark McCauley, Hurst, TX
RM: It would be great but television needs it to keep the fans informed so there would be no way to hide it.
Q: I’m a huge Graham Rahal fan, having watched him all the way up the ladder in his career and was brought up watching his dad. That being said, at times I feel like a Cubs fan, except instead of waiting until next year I’m saying wait until the next race. It seems to be the same pattern most races... unload off the truck slower than the Target cars, be somewhere mid pack then play catch up all weekend before qualifying in at the tail end of the Top 10 or right outside it. Either get caught up with some bad luck, poor pit strategy, or make mistake. All of which leads me more often than not saying "maybe next week." Is it a simple case of pressing too hard for results or are there some issues behind the scenes? It’s very frustrating given the amount of talent and speed Graham has, and it would seem that the Chipster would certainly expect more as well.
Alan S.
RM: I’ve been accused of being Graham’s unofficial PR man but I agree with you that he showed so much poise and promise as a teenager in a Champ Car that we expect big things. He was never out of the Fast 6 a couple years ago and had that ability to pull a fast lap out under the gun. He was out-shining both Target drivers at the end of 2011 so expectations were even higher. This season has been disappointing to say the least and I think he pushed a little harder after throwing away that win at Texas. But he finally looked like his old self at Edmonton and I think Chip knows this kid (23) should be his future on the A team someday.
Q: I know there's a lot of hype and possibilities with Newgarden and Penske, do you think Ganassi may be considering bringing a younger driver such as Rahal or Kimball up to the main team in the not too distant future? Franchitti and Dixon are both great drivers, but they're getting old in terms of IndyCar age. Dixon was able to instantly get up to speed with the new car and I also see him being able to compete for the win no matter how old, but to me, Dario seemed to hit a few bumps transitioning to the new car at the beginning of the year. Is this a sign that there needs to be a changing of the guard in the makings in the Target garage in the next few years?
Alan, Butler, PA
RM: Whoa, Dixie just turned 32 so he’s got a LOT of good years left and Dario may be 39 but he still drives with plenty of vigor so let’s not retire him just yet. I always thought Graham would be perfect for Penske but I would think Chip has him in mind to eventually take Franchitti’s seat.
Q: With the rumors going around about Andretti Autosport adding a NASCAR team and Marco struggling on street/road courses have you heard any rumblings about him possibly moving to NASCAR? We've seen how hard the transition has been from AJ, Danica and Sam. Also, if the schedule went to about 20 races (more would be great), do you think the majority would continue to be street/road courses (Circuit of the Americas, New Jersey, Road America and a return to Montreal???). Personally, besides the Indy 500, I wish they were all street/road courses.
Patrick, Iowa
RM: There’s no doubt Marco is much better on ovals than road courses and Larry McReynolds said on WIND TUNNEL a couple weeks ago that Michael was going to run a current IndyCar driver on his NASCAR team so I guess it’s possible. But I wouldn’t think a new team would throw a rookie with ZERO stock car experience into the fire. Randy Bernard wants 19 races in 2013 and it’s probably going to be an even mix of ovals and road/street races.
Q: This 10-spot grid penalty thing is asinine. All it does is hurt the drivers/owners and does nothing to penalize the manufacturer and now it is starting to affect the championship! All one has to do is look at what has happened to Scott Dixon the past two races. The engine ate itself at Toronto so Dixie loses tons of points then gets a 10-spot penalty at Edmonton. Then, the engine or electronics get diarrhea after the green drops. Isn't this penalty enough! Can't Randy B come up with something better than this? I'm sure fining Chevy or Honda won't happen because the series needs them but I've had it with this B.S. What did IICS think was going to happen with engine competition? The engines would be bulletproof. PUH-LEEZ!!! At the very least, the series should drop the penalty when the car blows up and the team scores no points because of the failure. I understand the spirit of the rule but this is the FIRST year of this new design. It pisses me off that this engine penalty rule is hurting the title fight. Also, have you heard anything on course changes the Green-Savoree folks talked about when they bought Mid-Ohio? Our contingent from PA never misses the race and I think the DW12 will put on a better show but the place needs some more passing zones.
Scott St. Clair, Erie, PA
RM: The engine manufacturers came up with that penalty but Bernard says he’s going to look at ways to not make it so tough on the driver. No changes for Mid-Ohio this season but maybe by 2013.
Q: Push-to-pass is a sad substitute for more HP, less downforce, and aero kits. These three things can bring healthy competition back. Saddled with the spec cars IndyCar has right now, the only driver who apparently can make a substantial move in a full green race is Will Power. Sadly Marco thinks, according to a tweet he sent Sunday, that the lack of passing in mid-field was because the drivers are so talented. Sorry Marco, the cars are equal, except for Simona's and it masks mediocrity in the mid pack. At least with the aforementioned changes the teams can help the cars separate the pack a bit, and bring more racing in the process. I agree with you completely on the idiocy of the engine change penalties.
Alan the Louisvillian
RM: Brazil, St. Pete and Barber had plenty of passing without PTP but there was also lots of overtaking last Sunday – just not at the end of the race.
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