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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Miller’s Mailbag, 7.6
Always genuine, never lite: It's Miller time. Here's the latest Q&A from SPEED.com's IndyCar guru.
Costs and Dallara lead off this week's Mailbag. (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: As I read more and more into the cost containment issues that IndyCar is experiencing, I think it is safe for most of us fans to say “I told you so!.” What I find stunning is that both the team owners AND the series were actually gullible enough to believe that doubling down on another one-make spec car formula, with Dallara being the SOLE provider of ALL parts this time around, was actually a viable & sustainable idea. Are the owners and IndyCar leadership required to be screened for drugs? What about that ICONIC panel? They had to have been passing something around to reject the Lola, Swift, BAT and the DeltaWing as possible ideas! Last time I checked, they teach you in basic economics that monopolies, while yielding great short-term results, almost always end up with higher costs and a lackluster product. This series obviously didn’t learn the first time with the last iteration of cars! I once heard that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing repeatedly while hoping for a different outcome. Yes, the racing is good so far. Yes, something new on the track is better than the same pigs we’ve been watching for years. Yes, the teams are all grumbling about aero kits (an expensive exercise in arriving at the same solution, so good on them for wanting to try to control their costs!). Hey IndyCar, you want a solution to the cost control problem? Loosen your grip on the rules, and let other chassis manufacturers in! You are in no position to tell them whether or not they will survive in the field. Let the economics of the racetrack figure that out. Money talks, and BS walks. More competition & variety, with adequate controls & enforcement in place, will inevitably lower costs and mix up the field a bit. There may not be enough time to open it up for 2013, but certainly for 2014. Mr. Bernard, you’ve done great deeds for IndyCar. Please do the right thing!
Brian, an American in Ansbach, Germany
RM: Here’s the deal Brian, none of those other chassis builders wanted any competition – they all wanted exclusivity so I’m not sure it would be any different regardless of the manufacturer. Having said that, if Dallara doesn’t grant the desired relief across the board, then I think the teams will start building parts in-house and draw a line in the sand.
Q: Just got done reading Marshall Pruett’s article on cost of replacement parts for the DW12. After seeing what the team owners did to contribute to the demise of CART, I usually have a deaf ear to team owner complaints, but I 100 percent understand where they are coming from on the parts issue. I don’t follow how IndyCar allowed the current supply contract to give Dallara the pricing power they have. I seem to remember the reason cited by the ICONIC committee as to why we have a spec car (and an ugly one at that) is because this was supposedly the only way to control costs. As a fan only, I have limited understanding of the Dallara arrangement and why it was structured the way it is, but it sure seems like the boat was missed on this one and Dallara pulled a fast one on IndyCar. What would happen if IndyCar issued an immediate edict to allow teams to source their own parts (parts which are made to the rulebook and could not be made to have a competitive advantage to the “OEM” Dallara version)? Dallara’s pricing would come down and the owners would have the cost reductions they need if they are to remain viable in this economy. I don’t understand why we are here.
Steve, Hallandale Beach, FL
RM: The devil is in the details and the owners claim they’re not allowed to see the contract between Dallara and IndyCar so I’m trying to get a copy of the prices (current and last year) to write a comparison story.
Q: Kyle Larson finished 10th in his truck series debut last weekend. Can we please get somebody, anybody to step up and get him a ride in the Road to Indy ladder system? He is a talent you CAN NOT let get away.
Ray Hando
RM: He signed with Chip Ganassi but I think his road to Indy will be tin tops and the Brickyard 400.
Q: For too long we've waited for a Rahal or an Andretti to save open wheel. It looks like Ryan is the first American driver we've seen in years who knows how to seize the moment. He's got everything we need to rebuild an American fan base. Short of picking a fight with one of the Busch brothers, what can we do to seize this moment and make him a big-time name in American motorsports?
Chris Dixon, Arden, NC
RM: RACER magazine had me write a little capsule last spring about how RHR could be the IndyCar champion and he’s always had the ability, just not the consistency that he’s been displaying. He’s an articulate, handsome, fan and media friendly graduate of the Atlantic ranks who would be very deserving. As far as making a big-time name? Just keep winning.
Q: Now that we have push-to-pass back, any word on standing starts for the remainder of this year?
Steve Sporer, Chicago
PS - Been reading in the Chicago Tribune about a possible GP race around Buckingham Fountain in Chicago. For a while there it looked like it was going to be a go, but now it doesn't look so good. Have you heard anything? If they ever approve a street race in Chicago, I'll eat my shorts!
RM: Standing starts won’t be tried until 2013 and Chicago was looking good a couple weeks ago so I’m trying to find out what happened.
Q: I was wondering if you think we'll ever see Sebastien Bourdais on a top-tier Indy Car team in the future. There's no doubt he would be contender if he had the proper car.
A.J., California
RM: The answer to that is whether Ganassi, Penske and Andretti stay pat in 2013 and I’d say it’s too early to tell. Obviously, Seabass can still peddle.
Q: Will the Friendly Frog get a shot at a "red car"? After all, it didn't take too long for The Captain to snap up ol' Helio way back when or will it take more than talent? With the entertaining low downforce DW12, does that finally bring the end of hope to those so-called oval IRL specialist pretenders/defectors to NASCAR and your USAC boys?
The Vengeful S.O.B. in Vermont, Ernie Connell
RM: Sam Schmidt has an option on Pagenaud but I’m sure that contract could be sold for the right price and I would hope the Big 3 is paying attention to the Friendly Frog’s performance. If Bryan Clauson gets that fourth lap in on Pole Day and starts in Row 4, it helps change some opinions but any USACer will still need to bring money.
Q: I have been hearing some drivers wanting more horsepower, up to 900 HP. I think the fans, including myself, would like to see that as well. Going back to the CART days wasn't horsepower one of the problems controlling cost and can the teams and the series afford the increased cost in this economy?
John Blevins, Seaford, DE
RM: The fans say they miss the wow factor of a car accelerating on a road or street circuit so at least 850 HP would help rectify that but I don’t think you’ll ever see more than 700-750 (if that) on ovals. But HP expense wasn’t a problem in CART — it was throwing away cars every year that eventually took its toll.
Q: I have noted quite a few letters to the mailbag recently regarding potential new tracks for the IndyCar series: Road America, Road Atlanta, Pocono, etc. I thought that I would toss out another suggestion: Mosport. A friend and I did our annual visit with our sons to Mosport for the May 24th Victoria Day races. Ron Fellows and company have made massive improvements to this facility. New tunnels to make entry and exit from the track easier, new facilities, a massive family area to keep the kids entertained. I was truly astounded. My gut feeling is that they are trying to get a Truck or Nationwide series race there. Do you think that there is any chance that IndyCar would ever race there? Two races in the Toronto area may be a stretch (they would need to be spread out time wise). That said, it would be pretty cool seeing the Indy Cars roaring around Turn 2.
Duncan, Port Perry, Ontario
RM: I’ve heard nothing but good things about the improvements Fellows & Company have made to the track that hosted Indy cars in 1967 and 1968. But the concern was always that Indy cars were too fast and needed more runoff areas but not sure that’s still true. Canada could support four races.
~Robin Miller
Q: As I read more and more into the cost containment issues that IndyCar is experiencing, I think it is safe for most of us fans to say “I told you so!.” What I find stunning is that both the team owners AND the series were actually gullible enough to believe that doubling down on another one-make spec car formula, with Dallara being the SOLE provider of ALL parts this time around, was actually a viable & sustainable idea. Are the owners and IndyCar leadership required to be screened for drugs? What about that ICONIC panel? They had to have been passing something around to reject the Lola, Swift, BAT and the DeltaWing as possible ideas! Last time I checked, they teach you in basic economics that monopolies, while yielding great short-term results, almost always end up with higher costs and a lackluster product. This series obviously didn’t learn the first time with the last iteration of cars! I once heard that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing repeatedly while hoping for a different outcome. Yes, the racing is good so far. Yes, something new on the track is better than the same pigs we’ve been watching for years. Yes, the teams are all grumbling about aero kits (an expensive exercise in arriving at the same solution, so good on them for wanting to try to control their costs!). Hey IndyCar, you want a solution to the cost control problem? Loosen your grip on the rules, and let other chassis manufacturers in! You are in no position to tell them whether or not they will survive in the field. Let the economics of the racetrack figure that out. Money talks, and BS walks. More competition & variety, with adequate controls & enforcement in place, will inevitably lower costs and mix up the field a bit. There may not be enough time to open it up for 2013, but certainly for 2014. Mr. Bernard, you’ve done great deeds for IndyCar. Please do the right thing!
Brian, an American in Ansbach, Germany
RM: Here’s the deal Brian, none of those other chassis builders wanted any competition – they all wanted exclusivity so I’m not sure it would be any different regardless of the manufacturer. Having said that, if Dallara doesn’t grant the desired relief across the board, then I think the teams will start building parts in-house and draw a line in the sand.
Q: Just got done reading Marshall Pruett’s article on cost of replacement parts for the DW12. After seeing what the team owners did to contribute to the demise of CART, I usually have a deaf ear to team owner complaints, but I 100 percent understand where they are coming from on the parts issue. I don’t follow how IndyCar allowed the current supply contract to give Dallara the pricing power they have. I seem to remember the reason cited by the ICONIC committee as to why we have a spec car (and an ugly one at that) is because this was supposedly the only way to control costs. As a fan only, I have limited understanding of the Dallara arrangement and why it was structured the way it is, but it sure seems like the boat was missed on this one and Dallara pulled a fast one on IndyCar. What would happen if IndyCar issued an immediate edict to allow teams to source their own parts (parts which are made to the rulebook and could not be made to have a competitive advantage to the “OEM” Dallara version)? Dallara’s pricing would come down and the owners would have the cost reductions they need if they are to remain viable in this economy. I don’t understand why we are here.
Steve, Hallandale Beach, FL
RM: The devil is in the details and the owners claim they’re not allowed to see the contract between Dallara and IndyCar so I’m trying to get a copy of the prices (current and last year) to write a comparison story.
Q: Kyle Larson finished 10th in his truck series debut last weekend. Can we please get somebody, anybody to step up and get him a ride in the Road to Indy ladder system? He is a talent you CAN NOT let get away.
Ray Hando
RM: He signed with Chip Ganassi but I think his road to Indy will be tin tops and the Brickyard 400.
Q: For too long we've waited for a Rahal or an Andretti to save open wheel. It looks like Ryan is the first American driver we've seen in years who knows how to seize the moment. He's got everything we need to rebuild an American fan base. Short of picking a fight with one of the Busch brothers, what can we do to seize this moment and make him a big-time name in American motorsports?
Chris Dixon, Arden, NC
RM: RACER magazine had me write a little capsule last spring about how RHR could be the IndyCar champion and he’s always had the ability, just not the consistency that he’s been displaying. He’s an articulate, handsome, fan and media friendly graduate of the Atlantic ranks who would be very deserving. As far as making a big-time name? Just keep winning.
Q: Now that we have push-to-pass back, any word on standing starts for the remainder of this year?
Steve Sporer, Chicago
PS - Been reading in the Chicago Tribune about a possible GP race around Buckingham Fountain in Chicago. For a while there it looked like it was going to be a go, but now it doesn't look so good. Have you heard anything? If they ever approve a street race in Chicago, I'll eat my shorts!
RM: Standing starts won’t be tried until 2013 and Chicago was looking good a couple weeks ago so I’m trying to find out what happened.
Q: I was wondering if you think we'll ever see Sebastien Bourdais on a top-tier Indy Car team in the future. There's no doubt he would be contender if he had the proper car.
A.J., California
RM: The answer to that is whether Ganassi, Penske and Andretti stay pat in 2013 and I’d say it’s too early to tell. Obviously, Seabass can still peddle.
Q: Will the Friendly Frog get a shot at a "red car"? After all, it didn't take too long for The Captain to snap up ol' Helio way back when or will it take more than talent? With the entertaining low downforce DW12, does that finally bring the end of hope to those so-called oval IRL specialist pretenders/defectors to NASCAR and your USAC boys?
The Vengeful S.O.B. in Vermont, Ernie Connell
RM: Sam Schmidt has an option on Pagenaud but I’m sure that contract could be sold for the right price and I would hope the Big 3 is paying attention to the Friendly Frog’s performance. If Bryan Clauson gets that fourth lap in on Pole Day and starts in Row 4, it helps change some opinions but any USACer will still need to bring money.
Q: I have been hearing some drivers wanting more horsepower, up to 900 HP. I think the fans, including myself, would like to see that as well. Going back to the CART days wasn't horsepower one of the problems controlling cost and can the teams and the series afford the increased cost in this economy?
John Blevins, Seaford, DE
RM: The fans say they miss the wow factor of a car accelerating on a road or street circuit so at least 850 HP would help rectify that but I don’t think you’ll ever see more than 700-750 (if that) on ovals. But HP expense wasn’t a problem in CART — it was throwing away cars every year that eventually took its toll.
Q: I have noted quite a few letters to the mailbag recently regarding potential new tracks for the IndyCar series: Road America, Road Atlanta, Pocono, etc. I thought that I would toss out another suggestion: Mosport. A friend and I did our annual visit with our sons to Mosport for the May 24th Victoria Day races. Ron Fellows and company have made massive improvements to this facility. New tunnels to make entry and exit from the track easier, new facilities, a massive family area to keep the kids entertained. I was truly astounded. My gut feeling is that they are trying to get a Truck or Nationwide series race there. Do you think that there is any chance that IndyCar would ever race there? Two races in the Toronto area may be a stretch (they would need to be spread out time wise). That said, it would be pretty cool seeing the Indy Cars roaring around Turn 2.
Duncan, Port Perry, Ontario
RM: I’ve heard nothing but good things about the improvements Fellows & Company have made to the track that hosted Indy cars in 1967 and 1968. But the concern was always that Indy cars were too fast and needed more runoff areas but not sure that’s still true. Canada could support four races.
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