Q: Does Indycar or the IRL or whatever they call themselves now, have any idea how bad the pre-race show on VERSUS is? They have some women behind a table who has a voice like nails on a chalkboard who reads something written for her, and obviously knows NOTHING about racing at all. Then they show some driver at home lounging around with the basic smoking hot race car driver wife, followed by a commercial with a bunch of drivers complaining that driving is so physically demanding. Unbelievable!! Show drivers at the race shop working turning a wrench!! Then show them talking about how they have the greatest job in the world and they love every minute of getting paid to drive a race car! Then have them invite everybody to join them at the next race and to be sure to the come into the paddock and say Hello to them!! It is becoming pretty obvious why open wheel racing has had so much trouble recently.

Disguted Downs

RM: I do believe that Randy Bernard understands the telecast needs some personality and something different. Terry Linger does a good job of producing but the overall show, from start to finish, lacks storytellers, gossip, controversy and some pizzazz.

Q: How much different are the Indy Lights cars going to be from the new Indy cars? Are the Lights cars going to continue to be natural aspirated or are they going to be a milled turbo engines. I hope that they will be turbos so there won't be a difference in the transition to the Indy cars

Ryan Ward

RM: Not sure that's been decided as yet, I'll try to find out and print the answer.

Q: It seems that the owners have calmed down a bit over the last couple of weeks. To me, people are entitled to their opinions; self-serving though they may be. However, the thing to I didn't like was all of the stuff becoming public. If the owners had kept this to themselves and only made it public when things were sorted with Bernard, no one looks bad or has to save face. The thing is, I doubt if they run their businesses this way, so why did they do it in this case other than to reflect on Bernard?

Don Hopings, Corning, NY

RM: That's probably my fault because I got tipped off about the meeting, then I got pissed off and wrote a news story before I wrote a commentary. But I should say the majority of the group seems to be behind Bernard, especially after the last two meetings.

Q: Until Road America gets added onto the schedule, what are your favorite memories from the CART days there? I was fortunate enough to attend the 1994 and 1997 CART races. In 1994 I got close enough to Mario to get him to autograph one of his diecast, got to talk with Michael Andretti at his merchandise hauler, got close enough to see Mansell's showcar...... Watching Jacques V come out of the forest into Turn 5 in the lead with the three Penske cars all over him... and the roar of approval from the crowd drowning out the engine noise. Ahh, those were the days. What are the chances that Firestone Indy lights driver Pippa Mann will move up to an Indycar ride at some future point? Maybe she could go into the CITGO car?

Frank, Minneapolis

RM: Probably the day Paul Tracy went from last to first and drove maybe the best race of his career. He stopped, stood on the sidepod and saluted the crowd. If Pippa finds money, she'll probably have a ride with somebody. But not in the CITGO car.

Q: Who do you like in this year's 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora? And, more importantly, will you be taking part in the Roast of Jack Hewitt? If so, what on earth can you say bad about the guy?!
Jay Matheny, Mayfield, KY

RM: Bryan Clauson, Levi Jones, Bud Kaeding and Tracy Hines. Not roasting Jack, just toasting him.

Q: Doing some revising of my Indy files and I came across a very cute picture. It is in Carl Hungness' 1981 Indy 500 Yearbook on page 34. As I've said before, you have to write a book. What did you write to make A. J. so pissed? I'll bet it was a beauty. You must have a million such stories. I also bet some of the stories at your dinners with old pals are classics. Sadly most of the racing news we get is about whiners and wankers. I really look forward to the mailbag each week. Just one big question. Will Barnhart be around in 2011? I hate to say this but if Randy doesn't get on his horse and do the right thing I might forget IRL. It's too bad they don't ask people like you what is wrong and how to fix it. I think the main problem is the bean counters and a few of the promoters. Let’s hope 2011 is going to be a better year.

Don Betsworth, Torrance, CA

RM: I suggested that AJ's straightaway speeds were raising eyebrows up and down pit lane, he took exception and smacked me in the back of my head in front of 20,000 people on the night before Pole Day. I wrote a story about him being a cheater the next day, he sued The Indy Star, we settled by me apologizing and then (after a year of not speaking) we became buddies again. We always got a long before and after that incident. As for Randy, he is listening to the fans and people with passion like myself. And I think he's doing a good job of trying to turns things around.

Q: I read that Randy Bernard had been reading Carl Hungness Indy yearbooks and it caused me to go down in the basement and dust off the old yearbooks I'd collected as a kid. Whatever happened to Carl Hungness and those yearbooks? They were sure great books.

Matt, Lilburn, GA

RM: Hungness has a pool hall in Madison, Ind. but all his yearbooks are now back on sale at the IMS gift shops. The real tragedy of this story is that Tony Hulman gave Carl permission to start up the yearbooks after Floyd Clymer's passing and Hungness did nothing put positively promote Indy and Indy car racing so what does Tony George's henchman do? They throw Carl out, then try to run him out of business with their own book.

Q: For those of us who are old enough to remember such things, there was a time at Indy when the cars were at least as much the stars of the show as were the drivers. People were Novi fans regardless of who drove them. People either loved or hated the Lotus Fords regardless of who was driving. Everyone except the Speedway management (and the other drivers) was a fan of the STP Turbine Car, the fact that Parnelli drove it was just icing on the cake. A field of cookie-cutter Dallaras even with different aero packages can never generate the sort of enthusiasm that was commonplace in the 60s and 70s. Does anyone in Indy Car management even begin to understand this? For this reason alone, the 2012 car is doomed to failure before it even gets off the drawing boards

Mike Grove

RM: None of us want 33 Dallara/Hondas but the bottom line is that none of the car manufacturers seem to want any competition and we don't know yet if any engine companies might be playing in 2012 or beyond. You are correct, some radical designs and ideas can restore some interest but it takes money and nobody has any right now. At least not for open wheel racing in this country.

Q: In light of the 2012 chassis announcement and the ensuing hilarity of the owners’ refusal to accept them, it is time to voice my opinion. As has been stated before and will be stated again, A major motor racing series is not the place for a standardized chassis, that is for a feeder series. Even if a team or manufacturer can tweak the aero package, this eliminates the opportunity for innovation in any other department. Personally, I fail to see how this potential future will be any different from the current situation, since the Penske/Ganassi teams currently spend an incredible amount of time tweaking in the wind tunnel, and will continue to do so in the future; no matter what chassis they are using. Keeping this in mind, the idea of a price ceiling is a complete farce, since the teams with money can just tune their equipment as much as their wallets will allow, after spending the predetermined amount of money to purchase their equipment. Instead of determining what company all of the teams should purchase from, the panel should have worked out a set of rules, and let the market dictate which cars are used. The manufacturers would then have to create a product that is both effective and cost efficient. Producers know that they could make the best Indycar in the history of the racing, but if it costs $100 million no one is going to buy it. If a manufacturer builds a car that falls within the guidelines, they should race it. If the current Buster-ass POS car falls into the guidelines, Cool let it roll. If a team wants to build a Delta-thing and run it, let them do it. Hell, If a '95 Reynard falls in the regulations, Roll that bad boy out of the IMS museum and put her back on the track. However, instead of providing options, the powers that be have just made the decision for the participants. Children who have overly controlling parents generally come out with serious behavioral issues, and the IRL baby just turned 15. If this kid is going to make it in the future, Mommy and Daddy are going to have to allow it some independence. Otherwise it is just going to keep getting beat up by the NASCAR bully, and live in Mommy George's basement for the rest of its life.

Ryan Wolfe

RM: This is a short, spirited rant.

Q: You got this story out, (Both Barrels) before I could express my thoughts which echo your same sentiments. After I read stories and heard reports of the Double Secret Behind the Door Meeting out the California to discuss Randy Bernard's performance where we wasn't allowed to defend himself, I thought that was pretty Chicken-S$%t. I am one of the fans that have been hoping that IndyCar come up with a new car to level the field, one that gives some verity in body styling, competition between engines and manufactures and drive the cost down so team owners could afford the new cars and hopefully bring a few more owners into the IndyCar Series, (Either old ones who left or new ones from Indy Light or another racing series who wish to climb up the food chain). Well, Randy is meeting with the wishes/demands of the fans and the owners. New cars are on the way with a drastic cut in purchase cost of the car and replacement parts. The main chassis builder is going to be located at 10th & Main Streets in Speedway Indiana, not across an ocean so tubs can be trucked down the street when repairs are needed. Auto manufactures for engines and design from both foreign and domestic companies are being sought to get involved, that means if they do, they bring money along with them along with diversity in the next generation car. I understand how and why the Old IRL got in bed with the ISC Tracks, by bringing NASCAR to IMS it was just natural to think that the France family was going to help Tony George out,,, well the aid to Tony never came in the way it should in advertising the series and promoting events at their tracks. NASCAR has always treated the IRL as a Step-Child and used it as filler time for their Truck and Nationwide/BUSH races at non Cup events. So for Bernard to start pulling IndyCar out from some of the ISC Tracks is no shock to the system, but that will be a shame for diehard IndyCar fans who have been faithful to the series and have been part of the small crowds who have attended. I'm not an aerodynamic engineer but if an IndyCar goes faster than a Cup Car and weighs about half as much, it's only a matter of time that a faster lighter IndyCar gets launched into the air, clears the fence at one of these high banked mile & half ISC tracks and ends in the grandstands. It's bad enough when car parts such as wheels & tires injure and kill fans like what happened in Michigan & Indy in years gone by, imagine what would happen if an entire car got into the grandstands. So good riddance to the dangerous Cookie Cutter High Banks.

For team owners to come together, (And agree with those 2 guys who walked around the Speedway all May long wearing T-Shirts that read "Mary Hulman George Please Bring Tony Back" and say that they wish to have Tony George return as the leader of the IndyCar Series is enough to make my head spin right off of my shoulders. Do they think that if Tony did return that the Hulman family check book would come along with him??? That the checks would start coming back in the mail to financially support smaller underfunded Also-Ran-Teams through the Clabber Girl Bank Account. Guys, Those days are gone!!! As for VERSUS TV coverage, well it is leaps & bounds better that ESPN or ABC. True, it isn't in as many homes across the nation, BUT!, if an IndyCar fan is a true fan and they don't get it with their local cable company, GET OFF YOUR ASS AND CALL DISH TV OR DIRECT TV!! Enough on that topic. The last box that needs checked off on the To Do List is to get rid of TGBB and if a replacement is needed does anyone have Steve Horne's phone number???

E Pluribus Unum IndyCar fan,
Tony Piergallini, Steubenville, Ohio

RM: This is a long, spirited rant.

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.