-
Home
-
Latest Headlines
-
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
IndyCar
INDYCAR: Miller’s Mailbag, 8.12
We've got a fever, and the only thing that'll satisfy it is More Mailbag. Here's the latest batch of Q&A items from the best Indycar scribe on the planet.
Danica Patrick left a Mailbag reader with a positive experience at Mid-Ohio. (LAT)
Hello open wheel types and thanks for all your questions. I intend to answer your questions every week during the season, so just . Don’t feel left out if I didn’t directly respond. I appreciate your interest and passion.
~Robin Miller
Q: I went to my first Indy Car race in over 10 years at Mid-Ohio this past weekend and I must say that I'm sorry that I had not done so sooner. It had been difficult to support the IRL since it was Tony's league and he was the one who has destroyed open wheel racing, but now that he is gone and NASCAR has been a joke last few years, I'm making my way back to open wheel. I personally hope that the IRL takes it to NASCAR, I think they are learning and are being proactive that a spec racing series either does not generate, or loses interest pretty quickly (Are you reading this Brian France? Sorry for the mini rant Robin). I look forward to seeing the new car and hopefully more engine manufactures in the coming years. A few points and maybe a question thrown in: I have a lot more respect for Danica Patrick, my friend and I stumbled upon her while you interviewed her on Sunday before the race, her people said she wouldn't sign anything or take pictures but she took a few minutes to do both and I was very impressed. Mila Duno continues to dumbfound me. I watched as she struggled to even stay within three seconds a lap of the drivers running around her. I listened to her radio during the race and her crew basically had to guide her through each lap and tell her when to brake, when to hit the gas and 'keep the tires warm' under caution. Not the mention the numerous times that she was brought into the pits so she wouldn't be in the way of the leaders. How much longer until she is removed? What's her racing background because it doesn't even seem like she's qualified to run in iRacing!
Dave Judson, Willoughby, Ohio
RM: Danica can be as personable as anybody in racing and I'm glad you had a good experience. The ovals can mask Milka's shortcomings but there is nowhere to hide on a road course. I hear she's looking for an ARCA ride next year but I like your idea of iRace.
Q: It was a another great weekend of racing in Ohio with good weather and looked to be a large crowd. Seeing Tags lead for a long time and Simona running great added even more excitement, but there were some comments that had me worried.
1. "On the gas! Harder! Harder!" -MD's spotter during the race on Sunday when she was exiting the Keyhole.
2. "I would like a banana split with no ice cream" -RM at an ice cream stand on Saturday evening in Lexington, OH.
Robin - Please defend yourself. I've been a fan for a long time because you tell it as it is.
BB, Pittsburgh, PA
RM: Literally, her spotters, engineer and crew chief try to lead her around the circuit, that's how bad it is and how totally out of her depth. I was ordering for my pal Steve Shunck, who is lactose intolerant and can't eat ice cream so he got a banana split sans the main ingredient.
Q: I was at Mid-Ohio last weekend and found it entertaining. The crowd was similar in size to the CART days. Simona was cooking; too bad she didn't have a set of reds for her last stint. On paper, the racing will be improved with the 2012 car and turbo engines. Do you think that Forsythe might venture back into the series at that time?
Jim Barnett
RM: It wasn't a '92-'98 CART crowd but it was pretty healthy and most of the people who come for two or three days are pretty passionate. So even though the track needs a makeover, it's still a good venue for Indy cars. But I think it needs to keep ALMS and not split into separate dates.
Q: Hats off to Dario for shutting down the pit report after the race who started in about how many IndyCar league wins vs total wins. I loved it when he told he didn’t count which wins were from which series. To him it was 25 wins. Maybe they will finally stop with the whole “Indy Racing League Wins” count thing. Go Tags and Simona!
Miller from Memphis
RM: Dario is a student of racing history and he understands there was Indy car racing prior to 1996 (unlike some of the IRL zealots) and he was honored to have tied Gordon Johncock on the all-time list. And Scott Dixon also gets it. When he broke Sam Hornish's win record for IRL, he made sure to state in the press conference that A.J. Foyt was the all-time Indy-car leader.
Q: Need the scoop there RM. It's been reported in other media outlets that the new chassis specs are still a figment of the ICONIC panel's imagination and that there was a meeting of sorts this past weekend between ICS/Dallara and the team principles that went over like a Milka Duno hot lap. This ridiculous choice is looking more and more like a Candid Camera moment. Here's a clue to Ropin' Randy....racing is expensive. Get over it. There should have been green lights for Swift, Lola, and Dallara, not this silly safety cell thing that no big name manufacturer is going to get behind (Boeing....yeah right!). So what if they were $685K each? Better than $1 million. Is it too late to back-track with a little egg on their face and reach back out to Swift, etc. and say yes, please? Randy seems to be a-stumblin' right now and it's not good. Any schedule rumors or updates? Did The Glen make the cut? Are we to expect only Honda in 2012?
Derek
RM: There is certainly some concern about who is going to write the new rules and enforce the prices and the owners are already pissed that Dallara is starting to dictate things. That's why Tony Cotman and Scot Elkins need to be hired ASAP. But don't blame Bernard for the fact the ICONIC committee chose about the only two options available at the moment. None of the chassis companies you mentioned wanted competition, just exclusivity.
Q: A lot of space has been dedicated in this column to bashing Milka Duno for obvious reasons. Have you ever spoken to her about the situation? Does she really not understand how much slower she is than everybody else? Do you think there's a chance that CITGO could move her to the broadcast booth (I assume there is a Spanish language broadcast of the races) and give the sponsorship to E.J. Viso? Also, now that California Speedway is apparently losing their fall NASCAR date, what are the chances that Indy Cars could fill the opening?
Mike, Apple Valley, CA
RM: I've never spoken to her but I can assure you she is as far behind a race car as can be and woefully lacking in talent, awareness and speed. Viso does get some help from Chavez but he loves what Milka does for CITGO. As for Fontana, I know ISC is trying to get IndyCar to go back but it was a loser the last few years in the IRL and I don't see that changing.
Q: There seems to be a grassroots effort underway to fire TGBB and this t-shirt seen at Mid-Ohio this weekend seems to be at the forefront. Notice the shirt has an endorsement by HCN on the right shoulder. Also, what is the outlook for Adam Carroll at Andretti? Could he be full time next year?
Brian Henris, Fort Mill, SC
RM: I didn't see the fire TGBB shirts but I heard about them from several fans. I know Michael likes Carroll very much and has said he fits into future plans.
Q: How about getting Disney as a corporate sponsor...It would fit, after all it looks like they already have Mickey Mouse running the place!
John Miller Marysville Oh.
RM: If I controlled the Bobbleheads, you would be getting one.
Q: With NASCAR's schedule "shakeup," have you heard anything about the IRL adding Atlanta to the 2011 schedule? What do you think the odds are that it will happen? I know it's not much time, but Indy Car and SMI have a good relationship. What about 2012? How will the NASCAR Cup race at Kentucky in July effect the Indy-Kentucky race? That is a traditional trip from Indy for me. This May, the IRL changed the format of the Indy 500 again, even more deviating it from the traditional format. Do you think that this is temporary? When the league has, say, 40-plus cars going for the 33 slots, will we see the full month of May again with four quals days, one time per car, etc?
Chris, Greenwood
RM: Atlanta staged some great CART races but nobody ever showed (more people came after the race once to see Charlie Daniels) and the IRL crowds weren't much better so I'd say "no chance." Not sure about the Kentucky date yet and I'm sure if May ever has 50 cars going for 33 spots again, the month will be adjusted accordingly. But, really, two days of qualifying is more than enough.
Q: Is Chip Ganassi on track (or already there) to be the best car owner in all of auto racing ever? Yes, even better than Captain Penske. I'm talking "auto racing" as a whole, not just Indy.
Paul, Salem, OR
RM: Not until he wins Indy 16 times and also fields his own winning car in F1.
Q: Now that NASCAR has snatched IndyCar's late August/Early September date at Chicagoland, it should be a no-brainer for IndyCar to solidify an ALMS/Indycar late August double-header at Elkhart Lake, shouldn’t it? The Mid-Ohio race shows that the RACETRACK makes a tremendous difference in the entertainment value of a Road Course race. What road course is more entertaining that Road America? Even the Nationwide series was entertaining there. Unlike Mid-Ohio, there are at least three excellent places to pass at Road America. Places where it does not matter if everyone has the same car, because it is up to the guts and skill of the drivers. Turn 5, a 90-degree turn at the bottom of a hill after a 190-mph straight leaps to mind. Some of the best CART passes happened at that corner! Now is the time: Move Chicagoland to June, and do Road America in August. Either run Milwaukee in June or forget it entirely. When will Indycar wake up?
Ed Joras, Chicago
RM: Milwaukee and Elkhart Lake are both being considered but the former is a financial loser with no sponsor while RA needs a title sponsor to afford a race. Don't get me wrong, we'd all like to see both of those on the schedule but there's more to it than just penciling them in.
Q: I guess you can lump this email with my earlier email concerning a possible return to Phoenix. With Kansas getting a second Sprint Cup event, does that eliminate Kansas from the IndyCar schedule for next year?
Mike Hickman, Beech Grove, IN
RM: I would say KC, Homestead and Chicago could all be gone by 2011. And that's not a bad thing.
Q: Michael's team is all over the grid but mostly at the back - even TK! What's your take on the team's problems?
DAB - Dallas
RM: Good question. Ryan Hunter-Reay has by far been the A Team while everyone else struggles for consistency. Peter Gibbons was let go a couple weeks ago but that didn't seem to help anything last weekend.
Q: Could you give us your honest opinion of what would happen to OW racing here in the U.S. if the IRL folded? Do you think Bernie E would step in (not as a buy out) to start his own series here in the states? Would Roger/Chip or some set of IndyCar owners try to do what Kevin K was doing with Champ car? I'd be interested to see what your deep thought armchair crystal ball says.
Doug, Stafford, VA
RM: I can't imagine Bernie doing anything but I could see the owners coming up with a series if that's what it took.
Q: What are the qualifications of becoming a Indycar driver (other then of course money)? Indy Car league has a great opportunity to show case Indy Lights instead of sticking inexperience rookies with little track time in Indy Car, I don't think it was a better show with 27 cars on the track at Mid-Ohio. I think it would also be smart to put those who are having a difficult time keeping pace back down to the "minors" Indy Lights to get better experience. Which would put more of a investment and money to Indy lights which desperately needs it.
Paul Hirsch Erie, Pa
RM: I guess the only real prerequisite is to pass your driver's test at one of those mile and a half ovals. In the old days, USAC really made it difficult to even get a TP (temporary permit) to run an Indy car and then you had to perform on a mile before you were allowed to take a rookie test at Indy. It might have been too strict at times but it was damn sure better than today. Problem is, there's so little money out there, owners and IndyCar have to settle for ride buyers. That's why getting the overall costs down by 40-50 percent could change things for the better.
Q: With Roush-Yates and Ford teaming up to build a 3.2L twin turbo V6 for the ALMS LMP2 class, could we not see that same engine architecture reduced to 2.4L of displacement and applied in the 2012 IICS formula? They’ll be battling with Honda in the same class who will be building a 2.8L turbo V6. This is a production based engine formula that is obviously beginning to attract manufacturers and engine builders to the series. Could we possibly see the same philosophy adopted for the 2.4L engine formula in the IICS in 2012?
Todd W., Knoxville, TN
RM: I have no clue about all things mechanical, but Marshall Pruett was kind enough to answer this:
The new engine Roush Yates is building is part of the production engine move the ACO is making for the LMP2 class starting in 2011. All signs point to the 2012 Dallara IndyCar being built to only accept fully stressed, purpose-built engines, so the Ford you’re referring to might not be something that’s suited to IndyCar racing. For a wider, taller prototype chassis, there’s plenty of room to add in a lot of extra supports and bracing to keep the engine properly secured. It makes using a production V6 like the EcoBoost motor a snap. In the back of a low and narrow IndyCar chassis, I just don’t see how these LMP2 engines will work, unless Dallara is required to build a cradle for production-based engines to be dropped into.
To your point, as many as six new LMP2 engines are expected for 2011. If Randy Bernard and Co. were smart, they’d tweak the 2012 engine rules to make it a breeze for those engines to be used in IndyCar racing, rather than going on a world tour asking car manufacturers to build similar, but more costly motors that only suit open-wheel racing. For some reason, they are determined to bring their own sand to the beach. Just sayin’…
Q: I have been mulling over the future of the Indy Car series ( which is tenuous at best ) and I think something is overlooked by many a reader and fan of the mailbag. Recently all of the talk has been about the new chassis for 2012 and if other manufacturers would join the series as engine suppliers. But I think the biggest detriment to Indy Car is one thing; it is a RIDE BUYERS series. After watching the races for the past two years, I still don’t know who half the drivers are or where they came from. And the finest example we have of this ongoing scenario is Milka Duno, who couldn’t run in the professional Lawn Tractor series! Though we have talked about the lack of American drivers, it is the ride buyers that have diminished a series that was once a melting pot of talent from around the racing world. As I conclude this letter, I am stumped as to how to fix the problem.
Rick Schneider, Charlotte
RM: You have correctly identified the enemy and the problem and I guess about the only hope we have is that if an owner can buy a car and lease an engine for $1 million, maybe some Americans can get a job without bringing sponsorship.
Q: If for no other reason this series needs PT as a full time competitor. Where are the tasty donuts after a race win? Rest assured if PT won a race you could bet the house that he was going to burn down a set and do the best donuts in the paddock. What has happened to these guys? Has the TGBB neutered these guys? I know that engines leases are ridiculous and you have to protect your equipment and all but come on? Even before the merger the two series would try and outdo each other just on victory donuts after a race? Remember Andretti Greens one, two, three, four at St Pete a few years back when all four cars did donuts? Where is the emotion? Less ECN melt down last week. At least he showed some. I find myself longing for the days of AJ Allmendinger and SeaBass burning expressing true emotion with a Smokey homage to the crowd after a hard fought race. Next rant, Do you have any idea if Honda will have a competitor in 2010? I love the twin turbo V6 idea! I would love to see Audi, Porsche or heaven forbid an American manufacture step up and give Honda a run?
Chris In Kansas
RM: Haven't paid attention to the victory celebrations lately but I don't think doughnuts are banned. Be nice to see PT get a farewell tour. Randy Bernard has met with several manufacturers and is headed to Europe for more meetings in a couple weeks but nothing definite so far.
Q: As an open wheel fan since 1982, I have followed many versions of F1, CART, Champ Cars and the IRL... and I have to say, now that I've finally figured out the current Indycar qualifying rules (that don't seem to be posted anywhere!)... they are the worst I have ever seen. They are ruining the series with such arbitrary rules in place. Although similar to the three round knockout qualifying in Formula 1...there is one MAJOR difference. F1 sets qualifying order for each round on time alone... whereas in Indycar, time is secondary to the arbitrary "pick of the draw" that puts you into group 1 or group 2. Pick of the
draw may be fine for choosing which group... but after they set a time... the time should be the most important factor.
Mid-Ohio accentuated how idiotic this formula is. Dan Wheldon who was the quickest of the first session qualifiers that fell outside the top 6 that advanced. By virtue of being in the first group, he was lined up directly behind the 2nd and 3rd round qualifiers... but he was slower than SEVEN of the drivers who started behind him. The 2nd group of first round qualifies set a much faster pace... so much so that Wheldon was only faster than Jay Howard who was in last place of the 2nd group.
Yet by virtue of the random draw... Alex Tagliani, Mario Moraes, JR Hildebrand, Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick, Vitor Meira and Graham Rahal all started behind Wheldon... and since it alternates placing the 1st group driver with a 2nd group driver, you had drivers like Vitor Meira and Rahal who had qualifying times of 1:08:0414@119.469mph and 1:08:0459@119.461mph respectively, starting behind Francesco Dracone who had a 1:11:3968@ only 113.854 mph!!! Add this arbitrary qualifying to the horrible rule that the lead driver not only can't defend his line, he has to LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN!!! This goes against what racing is supposed to be all about. These people are ruining what used to be my favorite race series back in the CART days. Now it's becoming a joke...
Bruce, Erie, Pa.
RM: You raise a very good point and I've heard some grumbling lately about this "pecking order" because it doesn't make a lot of sense. Hmmm, kinda like TGBB.
Q: I listened to the opening of the Mid Ohio IndyCar race on Versus. The dynamic dum dums Jan and Robbie tried to back peddle to protect the franchise and agree with the BB over the IndyCar only blocking rule (re: Helio). Does any other national or international racing series define this situation the same way IndyCar does? I guess BB knows best!! We now have designated braking areas with cones and overhead bridges defining where drivers need to do certain things on the track. So at the next road course race should we expect to see lines and arrows painted on the track with marshals taking pictures on cell phones to send to BB for immediate conviction of lane change violations? This series is a friggin' joke. Why would we expect any good American driver to want to participate in this clown show? Give me any racing on TV but Indycar!!!
Paul Margiotta
RM: None of the veteran road racers who chimed in on WIND TUNNEL last week had ever heard of such a rule, nor did they think it made any sense. If your fan base hates the rule then you best be changing it. The way TGBB explained the rule, I guess HCN was guilty and that's probably what Buhl and Beekhuis were saying (I didn't see the telecast).
Q: I have been reading your writings and opinions for a long long time, since the days of REAL open wheel racing. I caught the bug watching sprints and midgets at Reading and Williams Grove and the champ cars at Indy, Langhorne, Trenton and the Grove in the early 50's Watching for so many years and seeing so many good races i sometimes find it disturbing and difficult to keep interested in today's Mickey Mouse IRL ( international racing league ) product that we have to watch at some of the racing venues.......SO let me ask you if you are allowed to take comments and answer questions about what many of us old timers consider REAL racing......the USAC silver crown, sprint, midget and new gold crown racing series.......what is the latest on the gold crown cars and series ?......will the gold crown series and the silver crown series be combined to crown a USAC national champion ?......it would be great to read about some other racing news and views and not just the IRL......this is not a rant but just my opinion......
PD Hoch
RM: Not sure what is happening with the gold crown but USAC's other three divisions continue to produce some of the best racing (and drivers) in North America and Randy Bernard has some ideas on how to get them back involved at the Indy 500.
Q: Now that it is been two weeks since Edmonton, I am even more confused. Previously I said the rule about staying out of the inside line was asinine. I still believe it is asinine when it is an airport circuit and the track is 200 feet wide. I listened to Robbie Buhl and Jon Beekuis during qualifying and the race this week. It was obvious they do not like the reality of the rule at airport circuits or at start/restarts. They made some good and valid points about positive effects (more passing) of the rule on street and road circuits-especially courses with limited passing zones. I agree that the rule seems to increase passing and let's face it while I am a Dario fan I would prefer a couple of passes on the track over ten passes in the pits. No one, that I remember, addressed the reason for the rule-the fact it is a spec cars and spec engines. So the way I see it, one more year of the rule, but not on airport circuits. This leads to some questions: 1-Do Robbie and Jon truly believe in this rule? Or have they been forced to legitimatize the rule by the powers that be? 2-Was my first thought that it is an asinine rule correct? Or do I keep drinking the Kool Aide and accept that it is a bad, but necessary, rule given that Indy Car is a spec series? No matter what the rule needs to go once there is more than one engine and several aero packages.
Jamie “Confused in Ohio” Carr
RM: Like I said above, I think the way TGBB explained his rule, HCN broke it and that's how those guys explained it (I'm guessing because I was at the race and didn't see the telecast). But you are correct, it's a bad rule for a wide open airport and all it did was piss off 99 percent of IndyCar's audience.
Q: I think the IRL, NASCAR and Formula 1 wankers should all attend a motorcycle flat track race to see how a program should be run, and once and for all get off this stupid rule about where a driver has to be on the track to pass. In flat track and other forms of two wheeled racing it is your job to get around the guy in front of you. As long as you do not blatantly knock him off or cause him to crash it’s ok to pass. Safety cars and yellow flags must be respected. As for the drivers in those 4 wheel series, jeesh folks get over your selves, hitch up your drawers and drive like you know you can and stop whining.
Doug Anderson
RM: Flat trackers still put on the best shows anywhere and they lean on each other and race hard. Is it dangerous? Hell yes, it's supposed to be but they have more respect for each other than anybody on four wheels.
Q: As much as I hate having to use a sundial to time Milka Duno's laps on road courses, does the IRL really expect us to believe that she is more dangerous to the field than Mario Moraes is? If Milka directly caused half the carnage that Moraes has in his three seasons, she would probably be gone from IndyCar grids already. Yet, Moraes still races probation free. How does that happen in a series allegedly so intent on keeping its integrity and driver lineup strong?
Buck, Akron, Ohio
RM: He seems to lack the ability to concentrate and he bowled over three of his pit crew during Sunday morning warmup.
Q: This is pure speculation, but ever since the announcement about Sam Hornish's uncertain future in NASCAR, rumors have been floating in the IndyCar paddock about Hornish's possibly returning to IndyCar with his old team, Panther Racing. Obviously, Dan Wheldon is there right now, but he hasn't had the most enjoyable stint there and generally hasn't finished well on road and street courses. In addition, Wheldon has expressed interest in NASCAR in the past. Could a Hornish return to Panther mean a Wheldon departure to NASCAR?
Drew in Bloomington, Ind.
RM: That's probably my fault because I was just speculating that could be a possible home for Sam (especially if the National Guard sticks around) but Roger Penske told me last weekend he didn't see Sam going back to Indy cars, that he wanted to make it in NASCAR.
Q: I so glad I found a venue where my opinion could be heard. Its my understanding that since the formation of the Indy Racing League after the 1995 season, IndyCar has lost 20 million fans. Personally, I was so outraged after the Indy 500 and Michigan 500 was run on the same day (splitting the field in half) I didn't watch Indy racing for ten years. I bet you can't guess what brought me back.......I'll give you a clue. It has to do with that idiot that said he didn't want chicks in auto racing. That's right, Danica Patrick. I've seen every Indy car race since then. She and she alone brought me back to the sport. Which brings me to the main point. It’s my contention that there are too many street courses and not enough ovals. (especially like Texas) I love to see the side by side racing. I believe I've heard the same from the drivers as well. Also from a vantage stand point, at most tracks, you can only see a small part of the race. Oval racing, you see the entire track. Last and maybe most important. Danica Patrick is a marketing machine. And although she is getting better on the road courses, she can race with anybody on the ovals. Take away a couple of the street races, add a couple ovals, and you’re going to increase her chances of winning. Now I ask you, what is that going to do to the popularity of the sport when she goes back to victory lane. I think the answer is obvious.
Garry Titus
RM: Danica brought people back like yourself as well as made many new fans and you are correct in that she can run with anybody on ovals. The problem is that the worst crowds are on ovals and IndyCar wants to race where people want them.
Q: Can you tell me how the IMS can make money on only two races a year? With all the maintenance and upkeep of the grandstands and track, wouldn't it be more profitable to have race weekends for Indy, NASCAR, ALMS, Grand Am, Moto GP and possibly an Indycar road race? I don't think additional events would take away from the Indy 500. Personally, I would love to see a 6 or 12 hour ALMS race there.
Steve M, West Bloomfield, MI
RM: It costs a lot of money just to open the gates so, yes, there's a point where it doesn't make financial sense to have a race. The MOTO GP is going to be a tough sell this month and I can't imagine 20,000 people showing up for an ALMS race on the IMS road course.
Q: If Hulman/George family decides to stop funding IRL after 2012, and make INDY 500 a freestanding, independent race, open to all race cars, what other races would survive as independent promotions? Texas? Iowa? Long Beach?
Darryl Miyahira, Honolulu, Hawaii.
RM: Impossible to say but I would imagine Long Beach and Iowa could sustain a crowd.
Q: I've been following Indy car racing & especially the Indy 500 since 1970 when I was 8 years old & got a Johnny Lightning 500 set for my birthday and found out they had a car in the real Indianapolis 500. The question I have to ask is this: Will an American driver ever win the Indy 500 again? Will an American driver ever win ANY Indy Car race. Last week, when Graham Rahal crashed out of the race, I shut it off. It was the only IRL race I've even turned on this year. I know Danica Patrick is American and finished 3rd, but does anyone think if she wasn't a novelty act and wasn't cute and was named Dan Patrick and was a guy instead of a girl, she'd have got a shot in the IRL? And that if Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti weren't named Rahal and Andretti that they'd have rides either, at least rides with good teams? Or that Ed Carpenter would, had he not had his close family ties. They can call me a xenophobe all they want. I have nothing against foreign drivers in Indy Car racing or any form of racing. But this is supposed to be an American racing series. Only 11 of the 33 drivers in this year's Indy 500 were American. I can see the day coming when there will be two—Rahal and Andretti, if even them. I believe, as you have said, that Danica Patrick will at least take a flyer in NASCAR. The situation is anomalous in American open wheel racing. We have many great lower level open wheel series with no major league series to rise up to. The IRL uses cars which are completely foreign to American style racing. They are not built here and the lower level series that supports the IRL are similar foreign type formula cars which have no history and no meaning to American race fans or drivers, and even these series are dominated by foreign drivers—as is logical to assume they would be. So the best of American open wheel drivers, having no high level series to aspire to, of course, go to NASCAR. Which is where open wheel fans like me have been forced to turn. Open wheel racing in this country is very much alive, except at its top level, where it's dead. I've given up on it. I don't watch racing series where American drivers are excluded. It's sad for me to say it but most of my Indy Car watching nowadays is old tapes & highlights films. I hate to live in the past, but that's all Indy Car has—a past The only way to save Indy Car racing is to return to an American type front engine car. I'd do it next year, if I had to buy a bunch of old Winston Cup cars and take the fenders off them while developing a modern roadster type that would be suitable for super speedway racing. We know this will never happen. Right now IndyCar is just watching a bunch of 3rd rate F1 knock-offs running around with drivers who most of us have never heard of and don't care much about in races nobody watches. This is how it's going to continue until the whole structure comes crashing down. Maybe that will be a good thing. Maybe when there's no IRL and IMS is desperately looking around for some kind of cars to run Memorial Day weekend, they might throw 33 Silver Crown cars out there and have them run the 500. It would be better than what we have now. As it is, all that is left for a long time fan like me is memories. The present holds no interest for me, and the way things are going now, there clearly is no future.
RF Mojica
RM: A concerned red, white and blue rant.
Q: As a long time open wheel racing fan going back to the early 70's with my Dad and myself seeing the Rex Mays and the Bettenhausen classics at the Milwaukee Mile, getting chased out of the infield bathroom in 1976 by A.J. after his win at Indy only to help push his car onto the flatbed trailer to haul back to Texas....That being said I was a huge CART supporter for many years, 1991 I went to every race except Australia and could not get enough. Well after the split in 1995 I was done with the Speedway and Tony George. During the downfall open wheel racing the American Le Mans Series has really taken hold and has the machinery that Indy Car used to be and have made the formulas work. After the demise of Champ Car I was reluctant to follow the IRL even with Champ Car people there and watched the pre season test at Homestead that year. I have tried to embrace this series but with the cars, motors, personalities and Brian Barnhart I have had enough.... It was bad to take away a win from Helio for blocking even though Brazilians are the worst. For BB to make a cal like that who does not race or never has races was horrible. At that point this is a WWE/WWF series and I no longer can support that. I went into this past weekend thinking I could care less about anything Indy Car just waiting for the ALMS to run and was able to watch via the Internet and via Radio Le Mans which is worldwide. To my horror during this fanatic race I hear the announcers laughing at BB and the ridiculous rules that are in place... The lead car cannot have the inside line into a corner and thank god that we have real racing here...WOW once again worldwide this was heard...for all to see what a joke. The starts and restarts are a joke. That being said Indy Car could spread gold around the circuit and I still would not ever come out to watch live or TV coverage. I have passes to everything at Homestead and would just assume burn then to ever use to see a waste of time that IndyCar has become. A true laughing stock of the world. The best thing about open wheel racing is Robin Miller so you should come over to the ALMS and join the party. It is great racing and everything Indy Car used to be....
Kevin Kann
RM: An Indy car turned ALMS fan rant.
Q: I just got back from a great weekend at Mid-Ohio, but I know this track usually gets a fair amount of complaints for producing boring Indycar races, so I thought I would write in to sing some praise for this great event. First of all, the organizers of this event do a fantastic job. Between GT3 Cup, the newly combined World Challenge Series, Indy Lights, ALMS and Indycar, there is always someone on track throughout the weekend, giving ample opportunity to watch racing from everywhere around the beautiful circuit. Some friends and I gate-crashed Friday morning to camp at the track, and from Friday at 8:00 AM until Sunday night there seemed to be non-stop action, and the diverse series kept things interesting all weekend. The ALMS race was especially exciting this year, with three and four way battles for the lead in both GT and LMP, and while the Indycar race came down to strategy this year, a 0.5 second margin of victory on a road course is nothing to complain about. The ALMS and Indycar series complement each other very well, and need to collaborate on as many weekends as possible. The fans who come for the sports cars get to see the reinvigorated IndyCar Series, while the Indycar fans get introduced to some of the best racing around right now. Mid-Ohio is all about the fans: they can sit anywhere they want around the track and get to see seven races during the weekend, they can get up close in the paddock and watch the teams work on the cars from balconies in the garage area, all for a $70 weekend pass. As a Cincinnati native I frequent the Kentucky race and Mid-Ohio (as well as Indy) and the difference in fans is clear. Most of the Kentucky Speedway fans are only there because they bought the season pass for the Trucks and Nationwide races, while the people at Mid-Ohio are the sports car crowd and the die-hards from the CART days. The people at Mid-Ohio care about the drivers, they know their names, they know the current points standings, they know about the recent changes to the ALMS rules and the latest updates to cars, they reminisce about Can-Am and Champ car and complain about the latest Formula 1 scandals, these are the people who buy the F1 season recap yearbooks, quote Steve McQueen from “Le Mans” and pay $200 for the latest Randy Owens or Roger Warrick artwork to hang in their living room. And these are the people that show up in droves every year at Mid-Ohio, the real fans that the Indycar series should fear losing. Kentucky speedway can hardly draw 20,000 people, while the first year Indycar came back to Mid-Ohio, the race had to be delayed because of the number of fans still trying to cram into the track. Admittedly, the Sunday crowd this year was slightly smaller than last (perhaps due to the vicious Midwest heat wave this week), but the Saturday crowd looked larger than ever, and the campground at the track was nearly full on Friday night and hummed with the sounds of pre-raceday festivities into the early morning. There is a huge fanbase in this part of the country, who have been showing up for this race year after year since the early 80s, so while the race may draw criticism from those watching on TV, IndyCar should always make sure to have a summer stop for one of the best fan experiences in the business, at Mid-Ohio.
Ohio Native
RM: A positive rant to end the week.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, SPEED, FOX, or NewsCorp.
Robin Miller became an Indy-car junkie in late 1950s and stooged for his hero, Jim Hurtubise, at the 1968 Indy 500. He went on to work as a vent man and board man on Indy pit crews from 1971-77. Miller bought a Formula Ford from Andy Granatelli in 1972 and raced it in SCCA until 1974 when he purchased a midget from Gary Bettenhausen, competing in the USAC midget series from 1975-82.
Robin flunked out of Ball State College in 1968 and began working at The Indianapolis Star sports department in 1969, covered motorsports there from 1969-2000.
In addition to his broadcast work. Miller's also covered IndyCar racing for Autoweek, Autosport, Car & Driver and On Track magazines over the past 35 years.
~Robin Miller
Q: I went to my first Indy Car race in over 10 years at Mid-Ohio this past weekend and I must say that I'm sorry that I had not done so sooner. It had been difficult to support the IRL since it was Tony's league and he was the one who has destroyed open wheel racing, but now that he is gone and NASCAR has been a joke last few years, I'm making my way back to open wheel. I personally hope that the IRL takes it to NASCAR, I think they are learning and are being proactive that a spec racing series either does not generate, or loses interest pretty quickly (Are you reading this Brian France? Sorry for the mini rant Robin). I look forward to seeing the new car and hopefully more engine manufactures in the coming years. A few points and maybe a question thrown in: I have a lot more respect for Danica Patrick, my friend and I stumbled upon her while you interviewed her on Sunday before the race, her people said she wouldn't sign anything or take pictures but she took a few minutes to do both and I was very impressed. Mila Duno continues to dumbfound me. I watched as she struggled to even stay within three seconds a lap of the drivers running around her. I listened to her radio during the race and her crew basically had to guide her through each lap and tell her when to brake, when to hit the gas and 'keep the tires warm' under caution. Not the mention the numerous times that she was brought into the pits so she wouldn't be in the way of the leaders. How much longer until she is removed? What's her racing background because it doesn't even seem like she's qualified to run in iRacing!
Dave Judson, Willoughby, Ohio
RM: Danica can be as personable as anybody in racing and I'm glad you had a good experience. The ovals can mask Milka's shortcomings but there is nowhere to hide on a road course. I hear she's looking for an ARCA ride next year but I like your idea of iRace.
Q: It was a another great weekend of racing in Ohio with good weather and looked to be a large crowd. Seeing Tags lead for a long time and Simona running great added even more excitement, but there were some comments that had me worried.
1. "On the gas! Harder! Harder!" -MD's spotter during the race on Sunday when she was exiting the Keyhole.
2. "I would like a banana split with no ice cream" -RM at an ice cream stand on Saturday evening in Lexington, OH.
Robin - Please defend yourself. I've been a fan for a long time because you tell it as it is.
BB, Pittsburgh, PA
RM: Literally, her spotters, engineer and crew chief try to lead her around the circuit, that's how bad it is and how totally out of her depth. I was ordering for my pal Steve Shunck, who is lactose intolerant and can't eat ice cream so he got a banana split sans the main ingredient.
Q: I was at Mid-Ohio last weekend and found it entertaining. The crowd was similar in size to the CART days. Simona was cooking; too bad she didn't have a set of reds for her last stint. On paper, the racing will be improved with the 2012 car and turbo engines. Do you think that Forsythe might venture back into the series at that time?
Jim Barnett
RM: It wasn't a '92-'98 CART crowd but it was pretty healthy and most of the people who come for two or three days are pretty passionate. So even though the track needs a makeover, it's still a good venue for Indy cars. But I think it needs to keep ALMS and not split into separate dates.
Q: Hats off to Dario for shutting down the pit report after the race who started in about how many IndyCar league wins vs total wins. I loved it when he told he didn’t count which wins were from which series. To him it was 25 wins. Maybe they will finally stop with the whole “Indy Racing League Wins” count thing. Go Tags and Simona!
Miller from Memphis
RM: Dario is a student of racing history and he understands there was Indy car racing prior to 1996 (unlike some of the IRL zealots) and he was honored to have tied Gordon Johncock on the all-time list. And Scott Dixon also gets it. When he broke Sam Hornish's win record for IRL, he made sure to state in the press conference that A.J. Foyt was the all-time Indy-car leader.
Q: Need the scoop there RM. It's been reported in other media outlets that the new chassis specs are still a figment of the ICONIC panel's imagination and that there was a meeting of sorts this past weekend between ICS/Dallara and the team principles that went over like a Milka Duno hot lap. This ridiculous choice is looking more and more like a Candid Camera moment. Here's a clue to Ropin' Randy....racing is expensive. Get over it. There should have been green lights for Swift, Lola, and Dallara, not this silly safety cell thing that no big name manufacturer is going to get behind (Boeing....yeah right!). So what if they were $685K each? Better than $1 million. Is it too late to back-track with a little egg on their face and reach back out to Swift, etc. and say yes, please? Randy seems to be a-stumblin' right now and it's not good. Any schedule rumors or updates? Did The Glen make the cut? Are we to expect only Honda in 2012?
Derek
RM: There is certainly some concern about who is going to write the new rules and enforce the prices and the owners are already pissed that Dallara is starting to dictate things. That's why Tony Cotman and Scot Elkins need to be hired ASAP. But don't blame Bernard for the fact the ICONIC committee chose about the only two options available at the moment. None of the chassis companies you mentioned wanted competition, just exclusivity.
Q: A lot of space has been dedicated in this column to bashing Milka Duno for obvious reasons. Have you ever spoken to her about the situation? Does she really not understand how much slower she is than everybody else? Do you think there's a chance that CITGO could move her to the broadcast booth (I assume there is a Spanish language broadcast of the races) and give the sponsorship to E.J. Viso? Also, now that California Speedway is apparently losing their fall NASCAR date, what are the chances that Indy Cars could fill the opening?
Mike, Apple Valley, CA
RM: I've never spoken to her but I can assure you she is as far behind a race car as can be and woefully lacking in talent, awareness and speed. Viso does get some help from Chavez but he loves what Milka does for CITGO. As for Fontana, I know ISC is trying to get IndyCar to go back but it was a loser the last few years in the IRL and I don't see that changing.
Q: There seems to be a grassroots effort underway to fire TGBB and this t-shirt seen at Mid-Ohio this weekend seems to be at the forefront. Notice the shirt has an endorsement by HCN on the right shoulder. Also, what is the outlook for Adam Carroll at Andretti? Could he be full time next year?
Brian Henris, Fort Mill, SC
RM: I didn't see the fire TGBB shirts but I heard about them from several fans. I know Michael likes Carroll very much and has said he fits into future plans.
Q: How about getting Disney as a corporate sponsor...It would fit, after all it looks like they already have Mickey Mouse running the place!
John Miller Marysville Oh.
RM: If I controlled the Bobbleheads, you would be getting one.
Q: With NASCAR's schedule "shakeup," have you heard anything about the IRL adding Atlanta to the 2011 schedule? What do you think the odds are that it will happen? I know it's not much time, but Indy Car and SMI have a good relationship. What about 2012? How will the NASCAR Cup race at Kentucky in July effect the Indy-Kentucky race? That is a traditional trip from Indy for me. This May, the IRL changed the format of the Indy 500 again, even more deviating it from the traditional format. Do you think that this is temporary? When the league has, say, 40-plus cars going for the 33 slots, will we see the full month of May again with four quals days, one time per car, etc?
Chris, Greenwood
RM: Atlanta staged some great CART races but nobody ever showed (more people came after the race once to see Charlie Daniels) and the IRL crowds weren't much better so I'd say "no chance." Not sure about the Kentucky date yet and I'm sure if May ever has 50 cars going for 33 spots again, the month will be adjusted accordingly. But, really, two days of qualifying is more than enough.
Q: Is Chip Ganassi on track (or already there) to be the best car owner in all of auto racing ever? Yes, even better than Captain Penske. I'm talking "auto racing" as a whole, not just Indy.
Paul, Salem, OR
RM: Not until he wins Indy 16 times and also fields his own winning car in F1.
Q: Now that NASCAR has snatched IndyCar's late August/Early September date at Chicagoland, it should be a no-brainer for IndyCar to solidify an ALMS/Indycar late August double-header at Elkhart Lake, shouldn’t it? The Mid-Ohio race shows that the RACETRACK makes a tremendous difference in the entertainment value of a Road Course race. What road course is more entertaining that Road America? Even the Nationwide series was entertaining there. Unlike Mid-Ohio, there are at least three excellent places to pass at Road America. Places where it does not matter if everyone has the same car, because it is up to the guts and skill of the drivers. Turn 5, a 90-degree turn at the bottom of a hill after a 190-mph straight leaps to mind. Some of the best CART passes happened at that corner! Now is the time: Move Chicagoland to June, and do Road America in August. Either run Milwaukee in June or forget it entirely. When will Indycar wake up?
Ed Joras, Chicago
RM: Milwaukee and Elkhart Lake are both being considered but the former is a financial loser with no sponsor while RA needs a title sponsor to afford a race. Don't get me wrong, we'd all like to see both of those on the schedule but there's more to it than just penciling them in.
Q: I guess you can lump this email with my earlier email concerning a possible return to Phoenix. With Kansas getting a second Sprint Cup event, does that eliminate Kansas from the IndyCar schedule for next year?
Mike Hickman, Beech Grove, IN
RM: I would say KC, Homestead and Chicago could all be gone by 2011. And that's not a bad thing.
Q: Michael's team is all over the grid but mostly at the back - even TK! What's your take on the team's problems?
DAB - Dallas
RM: Good question. Ryan Hunter-Reay has by far been the A Team while everyone else struggles for consistency. Peter Gibbons was let go a couple weeks ago but that didn't seem to help anything last weekend.
Q: Could you give us your honest opinion of what would happen to OW racing here in the U.S. if the IRL folded? Do you think Bernie E would step in (not as a buy out) to start his own series here in the states? Would Roger/Chip or some set of IndyCar owners try to do what Kevin K was doing with Champ car? I'd be interested to see what your deep thought armchair crystal ball says.
Doug, Stafford, VA
RM: I can't imagine Bernie doing anything but I could see the owners coming up with a series if that's what it took.
Q: What are the qualifications of becoming a Indycar driver (other then of course money)? Indy Car league has a great opportunity to show case Indy Lights instead of sticking inexperience rookies with little track time in Indy Car, I don't think it was a better show with 27 cars on the track at Mid-Ohio. I think it would also be smart to put those who are having a difficult time keeping pace back down to the "minors" Indy Lights to get better experience. Which would put more of a investment and money to Indy lights which desperately needs it.
Paul Hirsch Erie, Pa
RM: I guess the only real prerequisite is to pass your driver's test at one of those mile and a half ovals. In the old days, USAC really made it difficult to even get a TP (temporary permit) to run an Indy car and then you had to perform on a mile before you were allowed to take a rookie test at Indy. It might have been too strict at times but it was damn sure better than today. Problem is, there's so little money out there, owners and IndyCar have to settle for ride buyers. That's why getting the overall costs down by 40-50 percent could change things for the better.
Q: With Roush-Yates and Ford teaming up to build a 3.2L twin turbo V6 for the ALMS LMP2 class, could we not see that same engine architecture reduced to 2.4L of displacement and applied in the 2012 IICS formula? They’ll be battling with Honda in the same class who will be building a 2.8L turbo V6. This is a production based engine formula that is obviously beginning to attract manufacturers and engine builders to the series. Could we possibly see the same philosophy adopted for the 2.4L engine formula in the IICS in 2012?
Todd W., Knoxville, TN
RM: I have no clue about all things mechanical, but Marshall Pruett was kind enough to answer this:
The new engine Roush Yates is building is part of the production engine move the ACO is making for the LMP2 class starting in 2011. All signs point to the 2012 Dallara IndyCar being built to only accept fully stressed, purpose-built engines, so the Ford you’re referring to might not be something that’s suited to IndyCar racing. For a wider, taller prototype chassis, there’s plenty of room to add in a lot of extra supports and bracing to keep the engine properly secured. It makes using a production V6 like the EcoBoost motor a snap. In the back of a low and narrow IndyCar chassis, I just don’t see how these LMP2 engines will work, unless Dallara is required to build a cradle for production-based engines to be dropped into.
To your point, as many as six new LMP2 engines are expected for 2011. If Randy Bernard and Co. were smart, they’d tweak the 2012 engine rules to make it a breeze for those engines to be used in IndyCar racing, rather than going on a world tour asking car manufacturers to build similar, but more costly motors that only suit open-wheel racing. For some reason, they are determined to bring their own sand to the beach. Just sayin’…
Q: I have been mulling over the future of the Indy Car series ( which is tenuous at best ) and I think something is overlooked by many a reader and fan of the mailbag. Recently all of the talk has been about the new chassis for 2012 and if other manufacturers would join the series as engine suppliers. But I think the biggest detriment to Indy Car is one thing; it is a RIDE BUYERS series. After watching the races for the past two years, I still don’t know who half the drivers are or where they came from. And the finest example we have of this ongoing scenario is Milka Duno, who couldn’t run in the professional Lawn Tractor series! Though we have talked about the lack of American drivers, it is the ride buyers that have diminished a series that was once a melting pot of talent from around the racing world. As I conclude this letter, I am stumped as to how to fix the problem.
Rick Schneider, Charlotte
RM: You have correctly identified the enemy and the problem and I guess about the only hope we have is that if an owner can buy a car and lease an engine for $1 million, maybe some Americans can get a job without bringing sponsorship.
Q: If for no other reason this series needs PT as a full time competitor. Where are the tasty donuts after a race win? Rest assured if PT won a race you could bet the house that he was going to burn down a set and do the best donuts in the paddock. What has happened to these guys? Has the TGBB neutered these guys? I know that engines leases are ridiculous and you have to protect your equipment and all but come on? Even before the merger the two series would try and outdo each other just on victory donuts after a race? Remember Andretti Greens one, two, three, four at St Pete a few years back when all four cars did donuts? Where is the emotion? Less ECN melt down last week. At least he showed some. I find myself longing for the days of AJ Allmendinger and SeaBass burning expressing true emotion with a Smokey homage to the crowd after a hard fought race. Next rant, Do you have any idea if Honda will have a competitor in 2010? I love the twin turbo V6 idea! I would love to see Audi, Porsche or heaven forbid an American manufacture step up and give Honda a run?
Chris In Kansas
RM: Haven't paid attention to the victory celebrations lately but I don't think doughnuts are banned. Be nice to see PT get a farewell tour. Randy Bernard has met with several manufacturers and is headed to Europe for more meetings in a couple weeks but nothing definite so far.
Q: As an open wheel fan since 1982, I have followed many versions of F1, CART, Champ Cars and the IRL... and I have to say, now that I've finally figured out the current Indycar qualifying rules (that don't seem to be posted anywhere!)... they are the worst I have ever seen. They are ruining the series with such arbitrary rules in place. Although similar to the three round knockout qualifying in Formula 1...there is one MAJOR difference. F1 sets qualifying order for each round on time alone... whereas in Indycar, time is secondary to the arbitrary "pick of the draw" that puts you into group 1 or group 2. Pick of the
draw may be fine for choosing which group... but after they set a time... the time should be the most important factor.
Mid-Ohio accentuated how idiotic this formula is. Dan Wheldon who was the quickest of the first session qualifiers that fell outside the top 6 that advanced. By virtue of being in the first group, he was lined up directly behind the 2nd and 3rd round qualifiers... but he was slower than SEVEN of the drivers who started behind him. The 2nd group of first round qualifies set a much faster pace... so much so that Wheldon was only faster than Jay Howard who was in last place of the 2nd group.
Yet by virtue of the random draw... Alex Tagliani, Mario Moraes, JR Hildebrand, Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick, Vitor Meira and Graham Rahal all started behind Wheldon... and since it alternates placing the 1st group driver with a 2nd group driver, you had drivers like Vitor Meira and Rahal who had qualifying times of 1:08:0414@119.469mph and 1:08:0459@119.461mph respectively, starting behind Francesco Dracone who had a 1:11:3968@ only 113.854 mph!!! Add this arbitrary qualifying to the horrible rule that the lead driver not only can't defend his line, he has to LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN!!! This goes against what racing is supposed to be all about. These people are ruining what used to be my favorite race series back in the CART days. Now it's becoming a joke...
Bruce, Erie, Pa.
RM: You raise a very good point and I've heard some grumbling lately about this "pecking order" because it doesn't make a lot of sense. Hmmm, kinda like TGBB.
Q: I listened to the opening of the Mid Ohio IndyCar race on Versus. The dynamic dum dums Jan and Robbie tried to back peddle to protect the franchise and agree with the BB over the IndyCar only blocking rule (re: Helio). Does any other national or international racing series define this situation the same way IndyCar does? I guess BB knows best!! We now have designated braking areas with cones and overhead bridges defining where drivers need to do certain things on the track. So at the next road course race should we expect to see lines and arrows painted on the track with marshals taking pictures on cell phones to send to BB for immediate conviction of lane change violations? This series is a friggin' joke. Why would we expect any good American driver to want to participate in this clown show? Give me any racing on TV but Indycar!!!
Paul Margiotta
RM: None of the veteran road racers who chimed in on WIND TUNNEL last week had ever heard of such a rule, nor did they think it made any sense. If your fan base hates the rule then you best be changing it. The way TGBB explained the rule, I guess HCN was guilty and that's probably what Buhl and Beekhuis were saying (I didn't see the telecast).
Q: I have been reading your writings and opinions for a long long time, since the days of REAL open wheel racing. I caught the bug watching sprints and midgets at Reading and Williams Grove and the champ cars at Indy, Langhorne, Trenton and the Grove in the early 50's Watching for so many years and seeing so many good races i sometimes find it disturbing and difficult to keep interested in today's Mickey Mouse IRL ( international racing league ) product that we have to watch at some of the racing venues.......SO let me ask you if you are allowed to take comments and answer questions about what many of us old timers consider REAL racing......the USAC silver crown, sprint, midget and new gold crown racing series.......what is the latest on the gold crown cars and series ?......will the gold crown series and the silver crown series be combined to crown a USAC national champion ?......it would be great to read about some other racing news and views and not just the IRL......this is not a rant but just my opinion......
PD Hoch
RM: Not sure what is happening with the gold crown but USAC's other three divisions continue to produce some of the best racing (and drivers) in North America and Randy Bernard has some ideas on how to get them back involved at the Indy 500.
Q: Now that it is been two weeks since Edmonton, I am even more confused. Previously I said the rule about staying out of the inside line was asinine. I still believe it is asinine when it is an airport circuit and the track is 200 feet wide. I listened to Robbie Buhl and Jon Beekuis during qualifying and the race this week. It was obvious they do not like the reality of the rule at airport circuits or at start/restarts. They made some good and valid points about positive effects (more passing) of the rule on street and road circuits-especially courses with limited passing zones. I agree that the rule seems to increase passing and let's face it while I am a Dario fan I would prefer a couple of passes on the track over ten passes in the pits. No one, that I remember, addressed the reason for the rule-the fact it is a spec cars and spec engines. So the way I see it, one more year of the rule, but not on airport circuits. This leads to some questions: 1-Do Robbie and Jon truly believe in this rule? Or have they been forced to legitimatize the rule by the powers that be? 2-Was my first thought that it is an asinine rule correct? Or do I keep drinking the Kool Aide and accept that it is a bad, but necessary, rule given that Indy Car is a spec series? No matter what the rule needs to go once there is more than one engine and several aero packages.
Jamie “Confused in Ohio” Carr
RM: Like I said above, I think the way TGBB explained his rule, HCN broke it and that's how those guys explained it (I'm guessing because I was at the race and didn't see the telecast). But you are correct, it's a bad rule for a wide open airport and all it did was piss off 99 percent of IndyCar's audience.
Q: I think the IRL, NASCAR and Formula 1 wankers should all attend a motorcycle flat track race to see how a program should be run, and once and for all get off this stupid rule about where a driver has to be on the track to pass. In flat track and other forms of two wheeled racing it is your job to get around the guy in front of you. As long as you do not blatantly knock him off or cause him to crash it’s ok to pass. Safety cars and yellow flags must be respected. As for the drivers in those 4 wheel series, jeesh folks get over your selves, hitch up your drawers and drive like you know you can and stop whining.
Doug Anderson
RM: Flat trackers still put on the best shows anywhere and they lean on each other and race hard. Is it dangerous? Hell yes, it's supposed to be but they have more respect for each other than anybody on four wheels.
Q: As much as I hate having to use a sundial to time Milka Duno's laps on road courses, does the IRL really expect us to believe that she is more dangerous to the field than Mario Moraes is? If Milka directly caused half the carnage that Moraes has in his three seasons, she would probably be gone from IndyCar grids already. Yet, Moraes still races probation free. How does that happen in a series allegedly so intent on keeping its integrity and driver lineup strong?
Buck, Akron, Ohio
RM: He seems to lack the ability to concentrate and he bowled over three of his pit crew during Sunday morning warmup.
Q: This is pure speculation, but ever since the announcement about Sam Hornish's uncertain future in NASCAR, rumors have been floating in the IndyCar paddock about Hornish's possibly returning to IndyCar with his old team, Panther Racing. Obviously, Dan Wheldon is there right now, but he hasn't had the most enjoyable stint there and generally hasn't finished well on road and street courses. In addition, Wheldon has expressed interest in NASCAR in the past. Could a Hornish return to Panther mean a Wheldon departure to NASCAR?
Drew in Bloomington, Ind.
RM: That's probably my fault because I was just speculating that could be a possible home for Sam (especially if the National Guard sticks around) but Roger Penske told me last weekend he didn't see Sam going back to Indy cars, that he wanted to make it in NASCAR.
Q: I so glad I found a venue where my opinion could be heard. Its my understanding that since the formation of the Indy Racing League after the 1995 season, IndyCar has lost 20 million fans. Personally, I was so outraged after the Indy 500 and Michigan 500 was run on the same day (splitting the field in half) I didn't watch Indy racing for ten years. I bet you can't guess what brought me back.......I'll give you a clue. It has to do with that idiot that said he didn't want chicks in auto racing. That's right, Danica Patrick. I've seen every Indy car race since then. She and she alone brought me back to the sport. Which brings me to the main point. It’s my contention that there are too many street courses and not enough ovals. (especially like Texas) I love to see the side by side racing. I believe I've heard the same from the drivers as well. Also from a vantage stand point, at most tracks, you can only see a small part of the race. Oval racing, you see the entire track. Last and maybe most important. Danica Patrick is a marketing machine. And although she is getting better on the road courses, she can race with anybody on the ovals. Take away a couple of the street races, add a couple ovals, and you’re going to increase her chances of winning. Now I ask you, what is that going to do to the popularity of the sport when she goes back to victory lane. I think the answer is obvious.
Garry Titus
RM: Danica brought people back like yourself as well as made many new fans and you are correct in that she can run with anybody on ovals. The problem is that the worst crowds are on ovals and IndyCar wants to race where people want them.
Q: Can you tell me how the IMS can make money on only two races a year? With all the maintenance and upkeep of the grandstands and track, wouldn't it be more profitable to have race weekends for Indy, NASCAR, ALMS, Grand Am, Moto GP and possibly an Indycar road race? I don't think additional events would take away from the Indy 500. Personally, I would love to see a 6 or 12 hour ALMS race there.
Steve M, West Bloomfield, MI
RM: It costs a lot of money just to open the gates so, yes, there's a point where it doesn't make financial sense to have a race. The MOTO GP is going to be a tough sell this month and I can't imagine 20,000 people showing up for an ALMS race on the IMS road course.
Q: If Hulman/George family decides to stop funding IRL after 2012, and make INDY 500 a freestanding, independent race, open to all race cars, what other races would survive as independent promotions? Texas? Iowa? Long Beach?
Darryl Miyahira, Honolulu, Hawaii.
RM: Impossible to say but I would imagine Long Beach and Iowa could sustain a crowd.
Q: I've been following Indy car racing & especially the Indy 500 since 1970 when I was 8 years old & got a Johnny Lightning 500 set for my birthday and found out they had a car in the real Indianapolis 500. The question I have to ask is this: Will an American driver ever win the Indy 500 again? Will an American driver ever win ANY Indy Car race. Last week, when Graham Rahal crashed out of the race, I shut it off. It was the only IRL race I've even turned on this year. I know Danica Patrick is American and finished 3rd, but does anyone think if she wasn't a novelty act and wasn't cute and was named Dan Patrick and was a guy instead of a girl, she'd have got a shot in the IRL? And that if Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti weren't named Rahal and Andretti that they'd have rides either, at least rides with good teams? Or that Ed Carpenter would, had he not had his close family ties. They can call me a xenophobe all they want. I have nothing against foreign drivers in Indy Car racing or any form of racing. But this is supposed to be an American racing series. Only 11 of the 33 drivers in this year's Indy 500 were American. I can see the day coming when there will be two—Rahal and Andretti, if even them. I believe, as you have said, that Danica Patrick will at least take a flyer in NASCAR. The situation is anomalous in American open wheel racing. We have many great lower level open wheel series with no major league series to rise up to. The IRL uses cars which are completely foreign to American style racing. They are not built here and the lower level series that supports the IRL are similar foreign type formula cars which have no history and no meaning to American race fans or drivers, and even these series are dominated by foreign drivers—as is logical to assume they would be. So the best of American open wheel drivers, having no high level series to aspire to, of course, go to NASCAR. Which is where open wheel fans like me have been forced to turn. Open wheel racing in this country is very much alive, except at its top level, where it's dead. I've given up on it. I don't watch racing series where American drivers are excluded. It's sad for me to say it but most of my Indy Car watching nowadays is old tapes & highlights films. I hate to live in the past, but that's all Indy Car has—a past The only way to save Indy Car racing is to return to an American type front engine car. I'd do it next year, if I had to buy a bunch of old Winston Cup cars and take the fenders off them while developing a modern roadster type that would be suitable for super speedway racing. We know this will never happen. Right now IndyCar is just watching a bunch of 3rd rate F1 knock-offs running around with drivers who most of us have never heard of and don't care much about in races nobody watches. This is how it's going to continue until the whole structure comes crashing down. Maybe that will be a good thing. Maybe when there's no IRL and IMS is desperately looking around for some kind of cars to run Memorial Day weekend, they might throw 33 Silver Crown cars out there and have them run the 500. It would be better than what we have now. As it is, all that is left for a long time fan like me is memories. The present holds no interest for me, and the way things are going now, there clearly is no future.
RF Mojica
RM: A concerned red, white and blue rant.
Q: As a long time open wheel racing fan going back to the early 70's with my Dad and myself seeing the Rex Mays and the Bettenhausen classics at the Milwaukee Mile, getting chased out of the infield bathroom in 1976 by A.J. after his win at Indy only to help push his car onto the flatbed trailer to haul back to Texas....That being said I was a huge CART supporter for many years, 1991 I went to every race except Australia and could not get enough. Well after the split in 1995 I was done with the Speedway and Tony George. During the downfall open wheel racing the American Le Mans Series has really taken hold and has the machinery that Indy Car used to be and have made the formulas work. After the demise of Champ Car I was reluctant to follow the IRL even with Champ Car people there and watched the pre season test at Homestead that year. I have tried to embrace this series but with the cars, motors, personalities and Brian Barnhart I have had enough.... It was bad to take away a win from Helio for blocking even though Brazilians are the worst. For BB to make a cal like that who does not race or never has races was horrible. At that point this is a WWE/WWF series and I no longer can support that. I went into this past weekend thinking I could care less about anything Indy Car just waiting for the ALMS to run and was able to watch via the Internet and via Radio Le Mans which is worldwide. To my horror during this fanatic race I hear the announcers laughing at BB and the ridiculous rules that are in place... The lead car cannot have the inside line into a corner and thank god that we have real racing here...WOW once again worldwide this was heard...for all to see what a joke. The starts and restarts are a joke. That being said Indy Car could spread gold around the circuit and I still would not ever come out to watch live or TV coverage. I have passes to everything at Homestead and would just assume burn then to ever use to see a waste of time that IndyCar has become. A true laughing stock of the world. The best thing about open wheel racing is Robin Miller so you should come over to the ALMS and join the party. It is great racing and everything Indy Car used to be....
Kevin Kann
RM: An Indy car turned ALMS fan rant.
Q: I just got back from a great weekend at Mid-Ohio, but I know this track usually gets a fair amount of complaints for producing boring Indycar races, so I thought I would write in to sing some praise for this great event. First of all, the organizers of this event do a fantastic job. Between GT3 Cup, the newly combined World Challenge Series, Indy Lights, ALMS and Indycar, there is always someone on track throughout the weekend, giving ample opportunity to watch racing from everywhere around the beautiful circuit. Some friends and I gate-crashed Friday morning to camp at the track, and from Friday at 8:00 AM until Sunday night there seemed to be non-stop action, and the diverse series kept things interesting all weekend. The ALMS race was especially exciting this year, with three and four way battles for the lead in both GT and LMP, and while the Indycar race came down to strategy this year, a 0.5 second margin of victory on a road course is nothing to complain about. The ALMS and Indycar series complement each other very well, and need to collaborate on as many weekends as possible. The fans who come for the sports cars get to see the reinvigorated IndyCar Series, while the Indycar fans get introduced to some of the best racing around right now. Mid-Ohio is all about the fans: they can sit anywhere they want around the track and get to see seven races during the weekend, they can get up close in the paddock and watch the teams work on the cars from balconies in the garage area, all for a $70 weekend pass. As a Cincinnati native I frequent the Kentucky race and Mid-Ohio (as well as Indy) and the difference in fans is clear. Most of the Kentucky Speedway fans are only there because they bought the season pass for the Trucks and Nationwide races, while the people at Mid-Ohio are the sports car crowd and the die-hards from the CART days. The people at Mid-Ohio care about the drivers, they know their names, they know the current points standings, they know about the recent changes to the ALMS rules and the latest updates to cars, they reminisce about Can-Am and Champ car and complain about the latest Formula 1 scandals, these are the people who buy the F1 season recap yearbooks, quote Steve McQueen from “Le Mans” and pay $200 for the latest Randy Owens or Roger Warrick artwork to hang in their living room. And these are the people that show up in droves every year at Mid-Ohio, the real fans that the Indycar series should fear losing. Kentucky speedway can hardly draw 20,000 people, while the first year Indycar came back to Mid-Ohio, the race had to be delayed because of the number of fans still trying to cram into the track. Admittedly, the Sunday crowd this year was slightly smaller than last (perhaps due to the vicious Midwest heat wave this week), but the Saturday crowd looked larger than ever, and the campground at the track was nearly full on Friday night and hummed with the sounds of pre-raceday festivities into the early morning. There is a huge fanbase in this part of the country, who have been showing up for this race year after year since the early 80s, so while the race may draw criticism from those watching on TV, IndyCar should always make sure to have a summer stop for one of the best fan experiences in the business, at Mid-Ohio.
Ohio Native
RM: A positive rant to end the week.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, SPEED, FOX, or NewsCorp.
Robin Miller became an Indy-car junkie in late 1950s and stooged for his hero, Jim Hurtubise, at the 1968 Indy 500. He went on to work as a vent man and board man on Indy pit crews from 1971-77. Miller bought a Formula Ford from Andy Granatelli in 1972 and raced it in SCCA until 1974 when he purchased a midget from Gary Bettenhausen, competing in the USAC midget series from 1975-82.
Robin flunked out of Ball State College in 1968 and began working at The Indianapolis Star sports department in 1969, covered motorsports there from 1969-2000.
In addition to his broadcast work. Miller's also covered IndyCar racing for Autoweek, Autosport, Car & Driver and On Track magazines over the past 35 years.
2013 INDY 500 Practice
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
GRAND-AM: Valiante Joins 8Star For Mid-Ohio
Daytona Prototype ace to sub for Stephane Sarrazin in next month's… -
MILLER: My Annual Indy 500 Quiz
It’s time for Robin Miller's annual Indy 500 quiz. -
INDYCAR: Miller's Mailbag, 5.23
It's time for SPEED.com's weekly IndyCar Q&A with Robin Miller's… -
INDYCAR: HIPPINO.com To Sponsor Kanaan At Detroit
Just a few weeks after announcing the KV Racing-SH Racing entry of… -
PHOTOS: Indy 500 Practice & Qualifying 2013
Enjoy a huge collection of photos from practice and qualifying while… -
LE MANS: BoP Adjustments For GTE Announced
GTE-Pro Aston Martins handed extra weight, larger restrictor for… -
LE MANS: Jim France Named LM24 Starter
GRAND-AM founder and NASCAR Vice Chairman to wave tri-colour flag… - More News
