Q: Many have called for a second race at IMS. I agree with you that this would be a bad idea, but after watching the final Nationwide series race at IRP (Lucas Oil Raceway) I got to thinking. What about a second Indy Car race in Indianapolis but at IRP? Would this even work? Could Indy Cars run on a 5/8 mile track with graduated banking? It would be all accelerating and braking! I imagine there would be no aero influence, just driving. They might as well take the wings off. Wonder how that would look! I know there is no seating at IRP but what about a made for TV race say on a Wednesday night? Could “the best drivers in the world” handle a race like that or would it be like Toronto on 5/8 of a mile? Just curious

Bill Phypers, Brewster, NY

RM: No way, much too tiny for an Indy car (I went to the Indy car races at IRP's road course in the 1960s and nobody showed) and we need to have only one oval race a year for Indy cars and that's IMS.

Q: Just watched Mid-Ohio. Since his first start in CART I have had a lot of respect for Dario but I have to say his whining is really getting old. Yes he and Will Power had contact at the start. So what? Neither car was hurt, no one lost anything. He seems to think that he has more of a right to compete than his fellow drivers. The guy has won three and soon to be 4 championships in a row. I am wondering when he will act like a champion and rise above every little incident being seen as an offense rather than competition. Do you think Zanardi or Montoya worried about a little rub at the beginning of a race? Also, has IndyCar thought about having all the cars carry cameras? It would help a great deal when they reviewed incidents and would improve coverage. Finally, you were spot on with your comments about the sudden probation of selected drivers. The officiating in IndyCar is such a joke. I really think TGBB is acting out of desperation. I appreciate Randy B's desire to stand by him as most good executives would early on in the transition of leadership however this season has shown he is not capable of being the chief steward of a "world class" racing series. Al Jr really made it clear months ago that they are looking at who the car owner is, the obligation of the guy in the lead to follow a certain line etc etc. None of that is racing and I cannot think of any other series in the world with such rules. I hope that Randy makes a clean break at the end of the season so that next year there is a new car, steward and world class officiating. Do you think Herta Racing and Weldon are getting an unfair advantage by testing the new car given they are planning on competing next year?

Tom, Gilbert, AZ

RM: He mentioned it briefly in our interview on SPEED but I think he was just having a little fun with the "rivalry" angle. There are several in-car cameras and Race Control has many screens so not much can be missed. I'm not allowed to bash TGBB in front of Randy because I already used up my allotted time. No, I don't think it's going to be any major advantage.

Q: Why on earth is IndyCar considering returning to these failed venues of the past like Richmond, Phoenix, and Loudon when there is places like Houston, Cleveland and Road America where Indy car has done so well and are dying for these guys to come back? They need to quit racing at any France/Bruton Smith/NASCAR tracks and form their own identity! Also what’s the latest on my girl Katherine Legge? She is a better driver than Danica but always seems to get the short end of the stick.

Doug

RM: Richmond drew a legit 40,000 every year and I call that a good crowd for an oval nowadays while Phoenix is still the best oval in the country. We'll see if Loudon can get some of the 50,000 people back who showed up for the last CART show in 1995. Legge is looking for a sponsor.

Q: Hopefully someday racing sanctions like INDYCAR and NASCAR will place a value (points) on each lap. This will promote better racing throughout the entire race and eliminate the test sessions for 90% of the race. I know as a race face, I am quickly losing interest in professional racing and would rather support local Saturday night racing. Looks like many other race fans feel the same way I do by the empty seats in the grandstands.

Rob Thompson, Plattsburgh NY
Airborne Raceway Fan

RM: Dale Junior correctly said that NASCAR needs to cut two hours of its races but that's not going to happen because television needs four hours of commercials to try and recoup its investment. But most Indy car races are 90 minutes and they run as hard as possible from green to checker. Sure, it's not a 30-lap sprint feature but it's not supposed to be.

Q: In the mailbag last week, you said The Pineapple was seriously considering running Vegas, but only for Chip. Is there any way that we can put Chip on his shaker rig and shake some sense into him to put Alex in a Target car? Given all Alex has been through since 2001, his back story, and talent, having him in the race would generate so much interest (dare I say, people would cheer more for him than Danica?), all involved would get so much benefit. Heck, while his best driving days are well in the past, if he were to lead a lap in the race (even under yellow), I am sure there would be so many tears from his friends/family, teams, and fans. I believe it would be the first or one of the first times a disabled person competed against able-bodied people, so from a historical piece alone, it would have so much meaning. Randy needs to do EVERYTHING to get Alex in the race. If the race were on any network other than Always Bad Coverage, we'd have so much good coverage, too. I could see NBC running a special on the nightly news, something during the week, and at least one show on NBC Sports showing how it was possible for him.

Kevin Kirby

RM: Chip was all for it when Randy and Alex first brought up the subject but he lost interest pretty quickly and without Zanardi and Kasey Kahne (Penske indicated to Bernard he might run KK but has since changed his mind) and no Travis Pastrana, there's really no reason to offer any bonus.

Q: Just read the 8.3 mailbag and heard some great points, I loved the "I'm so old" rant and really liked the comments about the 500. I'm not so old that I remember much of the stuff talked about in the letters but I do own video equipment and have watched many many many old Indy 500 races. I have also set in corner 4 for the last 5 years and love it, BUT miss the crazy innovation!(I have dreams about living in the museum) Why can't we have special rules for Indy? The last time I checked it is a special place, and race. How awesome would it be to see 5 or more different manufactures trying to qualify? Oh yeah and then the crazy redneck that built a car just to run the 500, that would be great. I mean we already have tech inspections going on, so why can't they inspect more than one chassis and three engines? I understand that our buddy Barney is in charge of race control and would probably be overwhelmed, but I have faith in the tech boys. Just think about it, let there be racing, if you can build it to meet specs run it! Let the teams run whatever motor, chassis, tires and fuel they want (just meet specs). This way when somebody wants to pull out of the series, oh well we have somebody else already waiting. Like the deal with Firestone saying they were leaving INDYCAR. If the 500 were open for anybody to run, maybe we could of had two or three other "proven" tires ready to go for the series. The same would go for all other pieces and parts, hmmm Indy is the proving grounds. Then just maybe we could bring back the MONTH of May, maybe some testing and proving time the first couple weeks. By the way all this would bring more casual fans to the T.V. and eventually to the races.

Pipe dreaming fan in Ohio.

RM: If Indy could have one set of rules and INDYCAR another, your suggestion could work but not in this economy. We may have trouble fielding 33 cars next May but it's a nice dream.

Q: Robin: You are, IMO, WRONG!

RM: I think INDYCAR loves the frenzy of everyone pitting and swerving and burning out too much to adapt a rule like they've used in sports cars. Timed penalties certainly has some traction in this Mailbag, as does jettisoning TGBB. All quiet on the new bodywork front but something should be announced by the end of the month.”

According to the mailbag, and me in particular, they have traction with those who pay the bills – VIEWERS. I have quit watching IndyCar shortly after the start of this season because of the TOTAL STUPIDITY of TGBB. I read Mailbag because of your erudite responses to the comments posted by us, and will watch the first couple races next year with ‘new rules(?), a new Chief Steward (?), and the new cars, and then decide whether to come back to the fold. You may recall that I have been a OWR fan for going on 60 years now. I gave up on NASCAR several years ago and, the way thing are going, may just have to take up ping-pong for entertainment.

Hal Thompson, Glide, OR

RM: We've had some good races this year (Brazil, Indy, Iowa, Edmonton) so don't give up just yet.

Q: Before asking the my racing question, I need to know which was the better football team, the 69 Capitals or the 07 Colts? Now my racing question. What is the latest coming from the George family regarding TG? Everything seems to be going well in open wheel's future, but I am nervous about TG's opinion regarding the sport.

Daniel Bonham, Indianapolis, IND

RM: Peyton gets the edge over John "The Rifle" Walton so I'll go with the Colts. Tony goes to the races but he's been pretty quiet so I don't know what's up. No news is good news?

Q: Not to put a damper on the Mailbag but World Champion Motorcycling legend Gary Nixon passed away from a heart attack this past Friday. Though born in Oklahoma, Gary eventually made his home up here in the Phoenix/Sparks/Monkton Maryland area... just over the hill from us but too cramped an area for me to keep up w/ the exact zip code... when you party w/ someone who keeps up w/ the details! But there you are... starter for a tribute story? Tributes are pouring in from around the world from fans and fellow racing legends alike ... see FaceBook and or YouTube. I don't have the details but the viewing and funeral are this coming Wednesday and Thursday. RIP Gary Nixon!

Peter Bell, Monkton, MD

RM: I got to cover Gary at the Fairgrounds and he was a helluva rider and a good guy.

Q: I am still fuming about the probation joke that INDYCAR is trying in order to save face. What was this crap about HCN being on a phantom probation? Was that like Dario’s phantom penalty? JOKE, JOKE, JOKE! But perhaps I am being too critical. What is the car count on Viso again? I have lost track. Here is a idea! Instead of penalties and probation and all that crap, maybe we could paint little images of cars under the cockpit like fighter pilots? We could have three categories. One for off track excursions, one for damage and one total carnage. And when the get Ace status we can paint the front and rear wing red to honor them. Starting on the backstretch was just plain stupid too. If the track isn’t conducive to racing PICK ANOTHER TRACK!

WDC, Fairfax, VA

RM: A short, to the point rant.

Q: So I've been reading the ol' mailbag regularly. It seems no one is happy with the racing. Let's back up for a second. There has been lots of good things happening in the series. Namely the Indy 500. Are you kidding me? An American rookie 1000' from the finish line stuffs it in the wall, keeps his foot in it and gets passed by a one off ride driven by a fan friendly driver, crowd loses its mind! I was there, it seemed most spectators just sat there and tried to comprehend just what the hell happened!!No one left till they realized just who the winner was. So what if Milwaukee was a snoozer. Iowa was a blast to watch! Eventually the race in Toronto is broadcast for all to see. Though the season hasn't been perfect, I've been inclined to watch every weekend more so than in years past. Shouldn't we all be honest? Who really cares if someone crashes someone else. Sure, I hate to see a car/driver I like to watch get taken out, but man, it leads to drama and intrigue in subsequent events.(trust me, I don't want to see a car in the stands!!!!!! I've written about that too!!!! I'm not ghoulish) I have an idea, instead of everyone claiming just how awful the drivers are lets change some things. First, all the pundits should strap on one of these cars and see if you can hang on without wetting your pants, can you say Texas? You want driving etiquette? Tell you what, let’s get rid of the Hans device, lower the head protection so their shoulders are exposed, like Formula 1 cars of the early 90's. Take 6" off the tire width's get rid of 75% of the wing surface area and mandate 1000HP. Trust me, you'll see drivers behave. I'll guarantee the boys and girls would tip toe and not chop and block. They'll have no choice, look at the roadsters of the 50's and 60's, at least they wore a kerchief over their mouth with a face exposed helmet! How's that for safety huh? They'd have to use heel and toe lest they end up someone's pallbearer. Like AJ says, the drivers nowadays just don't realize how safe the cars are. Therefore, if they punt someone, punt back who cares...If anyone really believes TGBB is gonna do a what's right, they are just fooling themselves. If Brian can't follow the orders of the owner of the IMS (regarding 3 abreast start) he's not going to listen to any one of us. Have faith in Randy, he's doing what seems to be right routinely. Maybe stubs his toe now and again, but what a mess he's been thrown into to clean up. He's no fool and my guess is Brian's time is short. Hate to be so cynical, but jeeeeeez, find what's good and enjoy that!

Chip Stetson, Wilmington DE

RM: A kinda positive rant to take us to Loudon.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED.

Robin Miller brings 40 years of experience to his role as SPEED.com's senior open-wheel reporter, and serves as a frequent contributor to SPEED Center and Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain.