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INDYCAR: Miller’s Mailbag For 6/18
Written by: Robin Miller   
06/18/2009
Indianapolis, IN
 
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: What if Kevin Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe, and Paul Gentilozzi had stuck it out for another couple of years with ChampCar? Would the Hulman family forced Tony to shut down the IRL and cede the sanctioning of the 500 and the series to ChampCar? What do you see as the chances that the family could make a deal with some entity like ALMS/IMSA, USAC, or Ben Johnston to come in and run the series?

Craig Phillips, Suwanee, Ga.
Could Jerry Forsythe play a role in the new IRL if the series is sold by the George family? (LAT) ยป More Photos
RM: Obviously, that would have been the preferable option if Tony's sisters do not want to prop up IndyCar any longer. But, as I've said for three weeks now, IMS and IRL are joined at the hip for the immediate future and I don't see any of the groups or people you mentioned being able to afford to run IndyCar or even wanting to.

Q: Are TG's sisters playing a game of high stakes chicken with the Indy 500? Indicating that maybe the old CART/IMS marriage was not a bad one, are the sisters trying to force the formation of CART part deux (that's 2 for you midwest boys)? OW as I remember in the pre-CART days was a series of convince only for the IMS. You had the 500 and the seven dwarf events around the country to help employ drivers and pay costs. If IMS cuts lose the IRL and makes the rich guy's there pay the bill and form a league to contest the 500, and it fails, will that kill the 500? Are the sisters willing to lose the race rather than lose more money down the IRL rathole even for a year or two? Whatever comes out of the present poop-storm it may be OW's last chance.

New York Dave

RM: I don't think the sisters are playing chicken, I think they're trying to stop the bleeding but as I said above, IRL and IMS need each other for the immediate future. I always heard none of the sisters favored TG starting the IRL and, from their perspective, it's been an expensive hobby they really didn't chose or participate in. Having said that, their sons and daughters are the future leaders of IMS (and currently working in the IRL) so it behooves them to try and keep IndyCar afloat until the economy turns around and maybe then a title sponsor can be secured. Ideally, yes, I think they'd like to see the old days where CART ran the series and IMS ran the Indy 500 but that's no longer an option.

Q: Let's see, you write a story that TGeorge was voted out by his sisters, lost his power and no longer controls the IMS checkbook. Mari George issues a three-paragraph statement that basically agrees her son is likely headed for relocation, the IRL owners hurry and put together a statement of support and then Vision Racing cuts back to one car because it doesn't have any more money to run Ryan Hunter-Reay. Sounds like to me your report was pretty accurate.

Mike M., Detroit

RM: No Mike, I actually made all that stuff up to see if The Indy Star would bite... Obviously, things are changing at 16th & Georgetown and, if TG can't get $750,000 to run RHR the rest of 2009, that's a pretty good indicator.

Q: With all the turmoil on 16th & Georgetown, I would like to see the grin on Jerry Forsythe's face. Have you talked to J.F. of late? Does he have the stomach to shake things up and take-over the series, and are there any of those sweet DPO1's hanging around? Who doesn't like a hostile takeover! Revenge is sweet.
Ernie Connell

RM: Forsythe might be smiling but nobody else is in the IndyCar community because they all realize that TG funded the IRL with that big Hulman/George family pot that includes IMS and right now there's a lot of doubt about the future. I surmised that Gerry could easily afford to buy IndyCar and run it, thereby making him an instant hero for
saving the day. I haven't spoken with him in more than a year but I know he hated folding Champ Car and merging because he looked at it as a loss of face instead of a gain for open wheel. So I'm really not sure what his reaction would be to the current situation.

Q: Danica to Ganassi is interesting. The dynamic is the money she would bring to the table. No doubt companies love her and a move to a team like Ganassi's would only enhance her marketability since TCGR is one of the top two teams in the IRL. But wouldn't TARGET sponsoring her make more sense ie:women & shopping? Or do you think her sponsor is someone like Motorola/Boost that could possibly sell products at retailers like Target? I think she'd look pretty cute in the Pink drivers suit that Lloyd campaigned at Indy.

Scott St. Clair, Erie, PA

RM: Her management company, IMG, already has a strong relationship with its client Tiger Woods and TARGET so it could be a natural match. Does Target see Danica as a brand? Can IMG find a sponsor that has crossover with TARGET? The possibilities seem to be there.

Q: I got to thinking after I read your article about Danica maybe going to Chip Ganassi. Even though it is simply a rumor, I honestly am not sure if I want to see this happen. Wouldn't it just be pushing the inevitable switch to NASCAR even more likely to happen? I mean, she obviously will remain in the IndyCar Series for at least a few more seasons, but she will have the perfect opportunity to go NASCAR racing with Chip and Teresa whenever she wants to? Also, if she would switch, would she replace Scott, or will he stay at Ganassi?

Scott Richards, Hughesville, PA

RM: Not necessarily. It might afford her the chance to test a Cup car and see what she thinks but on her press conference Tuesday she made it pretty clear she's got goals in IndyCar to achieve and that if she wasn't with one of the Big 3 teams in NASCAR, why bother? The story I wrote said she would be a third car at Target/Ganassi.

Q: I just can't get over Marco Andretti. I actually think he had every reason to be upset with Danica but the way he handled it was so unprofessional. I think the fact that he backtracked his statements a few days later ...which by the way made no sense......proved someone on the team told him he was wrong. His arrogance is unbelievable. During autograph sessions he ignores fans and looks annoyed. He does nothing for charities or for his community and is worried about hanging with Ludacris and Playboy Playmates. What do you think the chances he will have any sponsors next year? I would NEVER sponsor him with his attitude and treatment of fans.

Ken

RM: It appears he needs the same talk that IMG obviously gave Danica. She's been great with the fans all season, as she should be, and Marco simply needs to follow his grandfather around and see the proper way to interact and make fans. I remember at KC a couple years ago, he started to walk by a bunch of people asking for his autograph and Dan Wheldon grabbed him and told him to go back and sign, which he did. Not sure how he is with sponsors.

Q: After reading the mailbag this week it's clear to me that people just don't like Marco Andretti. What is amazing to me is that not one of your Andretti bashing emailers actually saw what Danica did. She chopped him to pieces a couple of times on the backstretch coming into Turn 3 - HOW DID THEY MISS THAT? Now, I agree that Marco needs to shut up and race as hard as he can, he'll never make any fans or friends by complaining all the time. However, I still can't believe how many of your readers sided with little Miss Go Daddy Girl.

Steve Sporer, Chicago

RM: I asked a couple drivers and they said she changed her line a few times and chopped him pretty bad a couple times. They also said that Brian Barnhart just looks the other way when Helio and Danica do something like that and, so naturally, they continue to do it.

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