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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Miller’s Mailbag, 8.31
Always genuine, never lite: It's Miller time. Here's the latest Q&A from SPEED.com's IndyCar guru.
Miller models the latest in IndyCar Series fashion. (SPEED)
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: First of all I love that T-shirt you wore on SPEED Center. Where can I get one? Secondly, can the T-shirt guy print Brian Barnhart: Reign of Error on the back? Third, where do I donate to Will Power to help pay his fine? If his conduct was so detrimental to Indy Car what about all of TGBB's stupid moves that have brought shame & embarrassment to the series? That guy is a one man campaign to drive fans to NASCAR. I can't believe Randy Bernard sat there and defended him in front of you. That was lame trying to excuse TGBB's bad calls by saying there are officiating errors in other sports. Barnhart's officiating has gone way beyond one or two bad calls. His tenure has been an endless parade of bad officiating, meddling and just plain gross stupidity. If Randy doesn't respect the fans and teams enough to rein in or fire TGBB then perhaps his tenure needs to be called into question. An occasional bad call can be forgiven but Barnhart has repeatedly and continually shown he is unfit for the job and Randy Bernard defending this idiot hurts his own credibility. Barnhart's racing knowledge couldn't fill a gnat's ass, get rid of him before Indy Car goes down with him.
Bob Hendrickson
RM: That Indy Rain League shirt was an underground special and they were all snapped up in a couple hours. No fund established yet for Will but I'll keep you posted. As for Randy defending Barnhart, I kinda hope he's just giving the supportive company line until the season ends.
Q: Is the INDYCAR series a racing series dedicated to racing or is it a business dedicated to generating revenue? While there is a delicate balance between the need to generate money to sustain racing and the need to maintain the legitimacy of a racing series, it appears that INDYCAR has festered into nothing more than a charlatan business venture. Randy Bernard was brought in purely to generate money at the expense of racing. Nothing could possibly be clearer after the last three weeks of dismal news supporting the perpetual decline of open-wheel racing. I did not watch the race this week nor will I drive one hour to Baltimore next weekend, but I did catch the gist of Randy's interviews. He could care less about the racing as long as the numbers add up. Facebook isn't strong enough to axe BB, but it was to axe Trump. While this assumption may hold some semblance of merit to a marketing director it pales in comparison to the actual numbers of other true sports with legitimacy. For example, WNBA - 300k followers, Tennis, 576k followers, Cricket, 2m followers, PGA tour, 300k followers, and US Soccer, 600k followers. Perhaps a more saddening number is 6.6m followers of WWE. An even more discomforting assumption is to compare the INDYCAR to the Indianapolis 500 in terms of assessing the fans happiness. For most fans the season has been so pathetic that the season ended after the Indy 500. So to assume that the "fans" are happy with BB is an insult to any open wheel fan. 300 people on Facebook are probably the only 300 that still take the time bother with this miserable excuse for a racing series. Randy Bernard has no racing background and blindly supports Brian Barnhart. Does Randy understand racing or does he merely understand numbers based on what is left after identifying INDYCAR in a pile of raw sewage? More importantly, can Randy fathom the kinds of numbers that INDYCAR would have if BB was gone and INDYCAR returned to its open wheel legacy? NASCAR has 1.7m followers and I am certain that many of those followers are a direct result of the favoritism and buffoonery of Brian Barnhart, Tony George, and the Hulman family. Randy is just another puppet for the board. They should make BB CEO, at least that might get him out of race control. And the new car is nothing more than a Crapwagon with a 6 cylinder engine. All the cheap gimmicks in the world are not saving INDYCAR. Case in point... Who is racing for the $5 million dollars at Vegas?? Nobody even wants to try one INDYCAR race for $5 million dollars. Robin, tell me again how great the series is doing?
WDC, Fairfax, VA
RM: Well, I think you're right inasmuch as Josie George knew how much money her brother spent in 15 years and the IRL was NEVER run like a business, nor did it really have a plan and lost MILLIONS of dollars. She picked Bernard because of his marketing savvy and business acumen, absolutely, and if you knew all the things behind the scenes he's done a nice job for the family. But don't dismiss him as someone who doesn't care about racing, he's trying to learn on the fly and nobody can absorb everything in a couple years. Has he been too loyal to Barnhart? Absolutely. When Barnhart went against him in the 2-abreast restarts that should have been immediate dismissal. But I don't think Randy ever felt comfortable making a "racing decision" and probably still doesn't but I do think he understands there is a problem in Race Control and with the rule book. But just getting rid of Barnhart isn't going drive up television ratings and fill the grandstands. Indy car racing was irreparably damaged by The Split and it's going to take a long time to bring it back even close to where it was before the IRL came along.
Q: I believed Randy Bernard to be IndyCar's last best hope for its resurrection. With his proclamation of support for TGBB's continuing series of ignorant actions at Loudon, and citing "the rule book" as the dirty rotten scoundrel that "made him do it," I'm done with this Series. My loyalty to Indy Car Racing in all of its forms dates back to 1960, but my tickets for Kentucky and Las Vegas are now for sale; sadly, there won't be any new purchases. As an avid consumer of your writing and TV career (in its entirety), I have questions for you: can you please offer some explanation for the "corporate vice" that may be compressing Mr. Bernard's head? It's the only reasonable conclusion given his usual high energy, infectious enthusiasm and, yes, his honesty that ignited my optimism in The Resurrection as I'm certain it did for many other ICR fans. Replay video of Mr. Bernard's statement and tell me that his eyes are projecting a belief in the words he's speaking? Is "La Familia" trying to destroy Randy Bernard, too?
Migtube
RM: As I said above, don't think Bernard feels comfortable making "racing decisions" yet and I know for a fact he didn't think there was anybody to take Barnhart's place a year ago. I do think he's been enlightened now and understands there are qualified people who can run Race Control much better than Barnhart. But whether he pulls the trigger at season's end will be his decision -- not the family's.
Q: Once upon a time there was an art to making a pass. This involved getting on the inside, complete an out-braking maneuver and then on exit drift out to the normal turn out point. When done correctly the car on the outside has no choice but to give way or run off course. What I just described is exactly what I saw Pantano do on his pass of Seabass on the last lap today. What is his reward for completing this picture perfect pass? A PENALTY!!!! This is just another example of TGBB trying to re-invent the rules of racing. This rule is like saying the slide job is no longer allowed in dirt track racing. The more people want to see great racing the more TGBB does to prevent it.
Glenn J. Snyder, Naperville, IL
RM: I still haven't seen a replay but judging by the emails most of the fans agree with you. Pantano has a good quote in the story I wrote yesterday that's posted on SPEED.com with Dennis Reinbold's complaints about Barnhart.
Q: First let me thank TGBB for penalizing Giorgio Pantano with that stupid "you can't hold the inside line" rule, and costing me 40 points in the informal "SpeedTV Forum" pool. Second, I'd like to hear his explanation for moving lap cars around on the last restart, like he's a seven year old playing with his matchbox cars? He moved James Jakes out of the way of Briscoe, Dario and Dixon, and stuck him in front of Pantano. Pantano is not a full timer, so I guess Brian didn't think he counted in this race? Here again, like Loudon, I think Brian has some kind of "good" intention of making the "show" better, but he throws fairness and his rule book to the wind. If he wants to save his job, he should write an iron clad on track rulebook, like NASCAR has, where nearly all situations are accounted for. You leave the cheating stuff open, so you can rule as new things come up, but on track rules should be iron clad.
Greg (Belleville, NJ)
RM: That's one of the things that pissed off Reinbold, why was Bourdais' lapped teammate placed in front of Pantano? But the rule about not being allowed to defend the inside line on a corner is simply the dumbest thing in the history of road racing.
Q: I have a great idea. Let's penalize a driver for one of the only overtakes in the Top 10 in a 75-lap parade. I might be bordering on hypocrisy since I've had complaints about the lack of penalties for poor driving, but in a series that won't allow you to defend your position by taking the inside line and a pass which did not result in a wreck... sorry I'm speechless and confused. Indy Car needs to do a focus group with their drivers and their fans. Please let me know where to sign up.
Ryan in West Michigan
RM: Sure you wouldn't like to sign up for Chief Steward?
Q: Alright, I consider myself as knowing the rulebook pretty well from a fans standpoint. With saying that, I have no idea why Pantano was docked positions. As a race fan that wants to see RACING, I thought it was a good move. My point is, they need to get rid of the rule because even hardcore fans like me, didn't see an issue with the pass. Hell, it was one of the few passes all day. So I don't want to hear the, rule is there for passing, card. Didn't help so get rid of it. Racing is about trying to pass and trying not to get passed by any means. Need to get back to that. The guys I run with at Fast Times Karting on the north side of Indy know that. I REALLY hope Randy looks at the rulebook AND those who apply the rules after the season. You tried your best to tell him that on VS. A change needs to be made.
KT, Noblesville, IN
RM: Other than a few of the current INDYCAR drivers, every ex-racer I know just shakes their head and laughs at this inane rule about leaving the inside open on a road course. As much as I think of Tony Cotman, this was something he instituted in Champ Car to try and promote passing but it sucks.
Q: Another race, another wrong call from Brainfart. The same “block” that Pantano used is what kept me on the edge of my seat as I watched the F1 race at Spa. Sonoma by comparison was a snoozer. Pantano’s drive was a highlight of the race and race control ruins it again. Wake up Randy, Barnhart has to go!
Kevin, Lithia FL
RM: My question is simple: if that was a "regular" do you really think he or she would have been penalized?
Q: I usually don't email twice, but there are few times when it needs to be done. Despite doing a number of face palms after watching Loudon, I have to give credit to Bernard for sticking to his guns. It may not be popular, but a good leader needs to stand by what he says. Randy has said all year that he supports his staff and this was the ultimate litmus test. While I think there is a limit to how much support you can give (at the least, demote TGBB to second man and move Tony Cotman up to head marshal), I have to give credit where credit is due. Good for you Randy Bernard for sticking by what you say. Are you planning to run for president soon?
Dave Zipf, Newark, DE
RM: As I said earlier, I think Bernard may be stating the company line right now for morale but he never said on VERSUS that Barnhart would be back in 2012 when asked directly.
Q: Just wanted to get your thoughts on Randy Bernard’s UNBELIEVABLE support for TGBB. Do you think it is real or is he just making an attempt at being "politically correct"? If he does support him it's time for him to go also. Maybe back to the rodeo circuit!
Steve
RM: I think he supports Barnhart like a general manager does on a 4-10 NFL team with two games remaining. In other words, he's got 100 percent support for the moment.
Q: First time writing in. Love the mailbag. I loved that you asked the questions that needed to be asked of Randy Bernard on Sunday before the race. The ABC guys should have called TGBB out for catching him in a lie in their booth after the Loudon race so it was good to watch someone get their feet put to the fire on camera. It might just be my imagination, but Randy seemed to come off like a sniveling apologist in answering your two questions with his seemingly blind support of TGBB and his continued ubiquitous blame of the rule book. Did you catch that same vibe? Thanks for standing up for a sport that hasn't stood up much for its fans!
Dan Wagner, Burleson, TX
RM: Thanks but that was kinda mild compared to some of our dinner conversations about Barnhart the past two years. But I don't think Randy said what he wanted to either.
Q: Thought RB's answers regarding TGBB were pathetic and cause for concern. What you said to him was spot-on and his responses were almost incoherent. His analogy to other racing series was silly. How often do we see articles about Charley Whiting? And I have no idea who the chief steward is in NASCAR. Lastly, towards the end of your interview with RB it looked like you were given the cut sign from your colleague, and then you kept looking at someone/thing off screen. What was going on? Questions for RB too tough?
Gary C, Pittsburgh
RM: Any time the chief steward of a racing series gets more air time than the drivers, you've got a big problem.
~Robin Miller
Q: First of all I love that T-shirt you wore on SPEED Center. Where can I get one? Secondly, can the T-shirt guy print Brian Barnhart: Reign of Error on the back? Third, where do I donate to Will Power to help pay his fine? If his conduct was so detrimental to Indy Car what about all of TGBB's stupid moves that have brought shame & embarrassment to the series? That guy is a one man campaign to drive fans to NASCAR. I can't believe Randy Bernard sat there and defended him in front of you. That was lame trying to excuse TGBB's bad calls by saying there are officiating errors in other sports. Barnhart's officiating has gone way beyond one or two bad calls. His tenure has been an endless parade of bad officiating, meddling and just plain gross stupidity. If Randy doesn't respect the fans and teams enough to rein in or fire TGBB then perhaps his tenure needs to be called into question. An occasional bad call can be forgiven but Barnhart has repeatedly and continually shown he is unfit for the job and Randy Bernard defending this idiot hurts his own credibility. Barnhart's racing knowledge couldn't fill a gnat's ass, get rid of him before Indy Car goes down with him.
Bob Hendrickson
RM: That Indy Rain League shirt was an underground special and they were all snapped up in a couple hours. No fund established yet for Will but I'll keep you posted. As for Randy defending Barnhart, I kinda hope he's just giving the supportive company line until the season ends.
Q: Is the INDYCAR series a racing series dedicated to racing or is it a business dedicated to generating revenue? While there is a delicate balance between the need to generate money to sustain racing and the need to maintain the legitimacy of a racing series, it appears that INDYCAR has festered into nothing more than a charlatan business venture. Randy Bernard was brought in purely to generate money at the expense of racing. Nothing could possibly be clearer after the last three weeks of dismal news supporting the perpetual decline of open-wheel racing. I did not watch the race this week nor will I drive one hour to Baltimore next weekend, but I did catch the gist of Randy's interviews. He could care less about the racing as long as the numbers add up. Facebook isn't strong enough to axe BB, but it was to axe Trump. While this assumption may hold some semblance of merit to a marketing director it pales in comparison to the actual numbers of other true sports with legitimacy. For example, WNBA - 300k followers, Tennis, 576k followers, Cricket, 2m followers, PGA tour, 300k followers, and US Soccer, 600k followers. Perhaps a more saddening number is 6.6m followers of WWE. An even more discomforting assumption is to compare the INDYCAR to the Indianapolis 500 in terms of assessing the fans happiness. For most fans the season has been so pathetic that the season ended after the Indy 500. So to assume that the "fans" are happy with BB is an insult to any open wheel fan. 300 people on Facebook are probably the only 300 that still take the time bother with this miserable excuse for a racing series. Randy Bernard has no racing background and blindly supports Brian Barnhart. Does Randy understand racing or does he merely understand numbers based on what is left after identifying INDYCAR in a pile of raw sewage? More importantly, can Randy fathom the kinds of numbers that INDYCAR would have if BB was gone and INDYCAR returned to its open wheel legacy? NASCAR has 1.7m followers and I am certain that many of those followers are a direct result of the favoritism and buffoonery of Brian Barnhart, Tony George, and the Hulman family. Randy is just another puppet for the board. They should make BB CEO, at least that might get him out of race control. And the new car is nothing more than a Crapwagon with a 6 cylinder engine. All the cheap gimmicks in the world are not saving INDYCAR. Case in point... Who is racing for the $5 million dollars at Vegas?? Nobody even wants to try one INDYCAR race for $5 million dollars. Robin, tell me again how great the series is doing?
WDC, Fairfax, VA
RM: Well, I think you're right inasmuch as Josie George knew how much money her brother spent in 15 years and the IRL was NEVER run like a business, nor did it really have a plan and lost MILLIONS of dollars. She picked Bernard because of his marketing savvy and business acumen, absolutely, and if you knew all the things behind the scenes he's done a nice job for the family. But don't dismiss him as someone who doesn't care about racing, he's trying to learn on the fly and nobody can absorb everything in a couple years. Has he been too loyal to Barnhart? Absolutely. When Barnhart went against him in the 2-abreast restarts that should have been immediate dismissal. But I don't think Randy ever felt comfortable making a "racing decision" and probably still doesn't but I do think he understands there is a problem in Race Control and with the rule book. But just getting rid of Barnhart isn't going drive up television ratings and fill the grandstands. Indy car racing was irreparably damaged by The Split and it's going to take a long time to bring it back even close to where it was before the IRL came along.
Q: I believed Randy Bernard to be IndyCar's last best hope for its resurrection. With his proclamation of support for TGBB's continuing series of ignorant actions at Loudon, and citing "the rule book" as the dirty rotten scoundrel that "made him do it," I'm done with this Series. My loyalty to Indy Car Racing in all of its forms dates back to 1960, but my tickets for Kentucky and Las Vegas are now for sale; sadly, there won't be any new purchases. As an avid consumer of your writing and TV career (in its entirety), I have questions for you: can you please offer some explanation for the "corporate vice" that may be compressing Mr. Bernard's head? It's the only reasonable conclusion given his usual high energy, infectious enthusiasm and, yes, his honesty that ignited my optimism in The Resurrection as I'm certain it did for many other ICR fans. Replay video of Mr. Bernard's statement and tell me that his eyes are projecting a belief in the words he's speaking? Is "La Familia" trying to destroy Randy Bernard, too?
Migtube
RM: As I said above, don't think Bernard feels comfortable making "racing decisions" yet and I know for a fact he didn't think there was anybody to take Barnhart's place a year ago. I do think he's been enlightened now and understands there are qualified people who can run Race Control much better than Barnhart. But whether he pulls the trigger at season's end will be his decision -- not the family's.
Q: Once upon a time there was an art to making a pass. This involved getting on the inside, complete an out-braking maneuver and then on exit drift out to the normal turn out point. When done correctly the car on the outside has no choice but to give way or run off course. What I just described is exactly what I saw Pantano do on his pass of Seabass on the last lap today. What is his reward for completing this picture perfect pass? A PENALTY!!!! This is just another example of TGBB trying to re-invent the rules of racing. This rule is like saying the slide job is no longer allowed in dirt track racing. The more people want to see great racing the more TGBB does to prevent it.
Glenn J. Snyder, Naperville, IL
RM: I still haven't seen a replay but judging by the emails most of the fans agree with you. Pantano has a good quote in the story I wrote yesterday that's posted on SPEED.com with Dennis Reinbold's complaints about Barnhart.
Q: First let me thank TGBB for penalizing Giorgio Pantano with that stupid "you can't hold the inside line" rule, and costing me 40 points in the informal "SpeedTV Forum" pool. Second, I'd like to hear his explanation for moving lap cars around on the last restart, like he's a seven year old playing with his matchbox cars? He moved James Jakes out of the way of Briscoe, Dario and Dixon, and stuck him in front of Pantano. Pantano is not a full timer, so I guess Brian didn't think he counted in this race? Here again, like Loudon, I think Brian has some kind of "good" intention of making the "show" better, but he throws fairness and his rule book to the wind. If he wants to save his job, he should write an iron clad on track rulebook, like NASCAR has, where nearly all situations are accounted for. You leave the cheating stuff open, so you can rule as new things come up, but on track rules should be iron clad.
Greg (Belleville, NJ)
RM: That's one of the things that pissed off Reinbold, why was Bourdais' lapped teammate placed in front of Pantano? But the rule about not being allowed to defend the inside line on a corner is simply the dumbest thing in the history of road racing.
Q: I have a great idea. Let's penalize a driver for one of the only overtakes in the Top 10 in a 75-lap parade. I might be bordering on hypocrisy since I've had complaints about the lack of penalties for poor driving, but in a series that won't allow you to defend your position by taking the inside line and a pass which did not result in a wreck... sorry I'm speechless and confused. Indy Car needs to do a focus group with their drivers and their fans. Please let me know where to sign up.
Ryan in West Michigan
RM: Sure you wouldn't like to sign up for Chief Steward?
Q: Alright, I consider myself as knowing the rulebook pretty well from a fans standpoint. With saying that, I have no idea why Pantano was docked positions. As a race fan that wants to see RACING, I thought it was a good move. My point is, they need to get rid of the rule because even hardcore fans like me, didn't see an issue with the pass. Hell, it was one of the few passes all day. So I don't want to hear the, rule is there for passing, card. Didn't help so get rid of it. Racing is about trying to pass and trying not to get passed by any means. Need to get back to that. The guys I run with at Fast Times Karting on the north side of Indy know that. I REALLY hope Randy looks at the rulebook AND those who apply the rules after the season. You tried your best to tell him that on VS. A change needs to be made.
KT, Noblesville, IN
RM: Other than a few of the current INDYCAR drivers, every ex-racer I know just shakes their head and laughs at this inane rule about leaving the inside open on a road course. As much as I think of Tony Cotman, this was something he instituted in Champ Car to try and promote passing but it sucks.
Q: Another race, another wrong call from Brainfart. The same “block” that Pantano used is what kept me on the edge of my seat as I watched the F1 race at Spa. Sonoma by comparison was a snoozer. Pantano’s drive was a highlight of the race and race control ruins it again. Wake up Randy, Barnhart has to go!
Kevin, Lithia FL
RM: My question is simple: if that was a "regular" do you really think he or she would have been penalized?
Q: I usually don't email twice, but there are few times when it needs to be done. Despite doing a number of face palms after watching Loudon, I have to give credit to Bernard for sticking to his guns. It may not be popular, but a good leader needs to stand by what he says. Randy has said all year that he supports his staff and this was the ultimate litmus test. While I think there is a limit to how much support you can give (at the least, demote TGBB to second man and move Tony Cotman up to head marshal), I have to give credit where credit is due. Good for you Randy Bernard for sticking by what you say. Are you planning to run for president soon?
Dave Zipf, Newark, DE
RM: As I said earlier, I think Bernard may be stating the company line right now for morale but he never said on VERSUS that Barnhart would be back in 2012 when asked directly.
Q: Just wanted to get your thoughts on Randy Bernard’s UNBELIEVABLE support for TGBB. Do you think it is real or is he just making an attempt at being "politically correct"? If he does support him it's time for him to go also. Maybe back to the rodeo circuit!
Steve
RM: I think he supports Barnhart like a general manager does on a 4-10 NFL team with two games remaining. In other words, he's got 100 percent support for the moment.
Q: First time writing in. Love the mailbag. I loved that you asked the questions that needed to be asked of Randy Bernard on Sunday before the race. The ABC guys should have called TGBB out for catching him in a lie in their booth after the Loudon race so it was good to watch someone get their feet put to the fire on camera. It might just be my imagination, but Randy seemed to come off like a sniveling apologist in answering your two questions with his seemingly blind support of TGBB and his continued ubiquitous blame of the rule book. Did you catch that same vibe? Thanks for standing up for a sport that hasn't stood up much for its fans!
Dan Wagner, Burleson, TX
RM: Thanks but that was kinda mild compared to some of our dinner conversations about Barnhart the past two years. But I don't think Randy said what he wanted to either.
Q: Thought RB's answers regarding TGBB were pathetic and cause for concern. What you said to him was spot-on and his responses were almost incoherent. His analogy to other racing series was silly. How often do we see articles about Charley Whiting? And I have no idea who the chief steward is in NASCAR. Lastly, towards the end of your interview with RB it looked like you were given the cut sign from your colleague, and then you kept looking at someone/thing off screen. What was going on? Questions for RB too tough?
Gary C, Pittsburgh
RM: Any time the chief steward of a racing series gets more air time than the drivers, you've got a big problem.
INDYCAR BRAZIL
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