MILLER: Robin's Indycar Mailbag for March 19th

IndyCar

MILLER: Robin’s Indycar Mailbag for March 19th

We've got a fever, and the only thing that'll satisfy it is More Mailbag. Here's 30 Q&A items from the best Indycar scribe on the planet.

Robin Miller | Posted March 19, 2009 Indianapolis, IN

Were standing starts a good thing in the former ChampCar Series? If nothing else, tracks like Las Vegas and San Jose provided plenty of airborne excitement once the race began. (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

It's a rotating door in the HVM Indycar until RHR lands his own dedicated entry. (LAT)

Q: With the official announcement that Ryan Hunter-Reay is going to split time with HVM's no 13 entry can we read into this that he will be driving a sister car to the no 13 this season? With the work that it takes to put a driver into a car it only would make sense. I mean the days of just jumping into a car is over don't they have to fit him to a seat adjust pedals and so on. If this is true has TG come thru again to help put RHR into the car? One last question do you think it is possible that Versus could sponsor a car for say Paul Tracy out of the Derrick Walker stable?
Jim, Evansville

RM: HVM owner Keith Wiggins wants to run two cars and prefers it to one but it still a long way from having the proper budget. What you can read into this test is that RHR's only shot at a full-time ride is Wiggins and, no, I don't think TGeorge has spent a dime on this project. But I do know the IRL is trying to help get sponsorship to make it happen. Can't see VERSUS sponsoring a car, they've got the whole series.

Q: You mentioned KV Racing as a possible seat for RHR to land in and that got me thinking; what was the relationship like between JV and RHR when they were teammates on American Spirit Team Johansson? Was JV a mentor to Ryan? Were they friends off-track or were things strictly on-track between them? Does this in any way help or hinder Ryan’s possibility of landing at KV Racing?

John Wertz, Zionsville

RM: They got along just fine and RHR won Australia for them but the only possibility for a renewal of this partnership would be if KV secures a sponsor and I believe Oriol Servia and Paul Tracy would have the inside line if that would happen.

Q: Pressure needs to be applied to IZOD and for them to go all the way to sponsor RHR into a seat. It's the only way using him and the IRL to sell their new line is legitimized. Otherwise, there's no credibility or connection. Any potential customer of this new line will know that and it could seriously jeopardize the success of the program. As it stands right now I think it's a half-assed approach.

Rick M, Toronto

RM: I have to disagree. IZOD has already budgeted millions to promote RHR and IndyCar and you can't just go back to the board of directors and demand another $4-5 million. IZOD was led to believe RHR is one of the mainstream stars of the IRL and it had no control (or idea) he might not be in a car. My take is that the IRL had best do whatever necessary to keep IZOD happy and not make them look bad.

Q: One thing that I read in your columns week after week, it seems, is how the IRL/Tony George messed up by not making sure XYZ driver had a ride. Now while I’m usually in agreement that XYZ driver SHOULD have a ride and I pretty much don’t have a use for Tony, why on Earth is it solely up to the IRL/Tony to make certain the right drivers are in the series? It seems like every day I hear about how this bank, that car company and those poor homeowners need bailed out. I happen to think they should be smarter and work harder and I think drivers/teams should do the same. I realize things are tough, but looking for handouts isn’t the cure and won’t solve any problems, in fact, it’ll create an atmosphere where driver/teams expect the money rather than having to compete to earn it. We got headed down this path and its time to turn it around.

Joe, Bloomington, Ind.

RM: As I stated last week, we can't expect TGeorge to prop up the IRL for the rest of its existence and you are correct, at some point it's got to stand and deliver on its own. But this is not the time to pull back the checkbook. TG's already spent millions and millions on teams, drivers, engines, cars, marketing and purses since 1996, and this is a crucial season. It's imperative to keep Buddy Rice, Hunter-Reay, Servia and Tracy in the series, if not Tags and Scheckter as well. Unification means nothing if the lineup is a bunch of weak sisters.

Q: Not sure if you've seen the promos for the St. Pete race, but in it are multiple images of IRL cars taking flight. What are your feelings about them using the current cars propensity for leaving the track as a means to attract viewers? Personally, I find it very disturbing that they are taking a critical defect in the car design and showcasing it as a reason to watch.

Rich W., Buffalo, NY

RM: I haven't seen it yet but you are about the 10th person who has told me about the flying cars. Yes, I'm certain VERSUS is trying to sell the thrills and shock value of Indy cars and get viewer's attention. I guess if you mingled in a couple spectacular accidents with close finishes and some head shots of drivers, it's understandable.

Q: I've been noticing lots of IRL promos during some NHL games I'm watching on Versus. Any kind of promotion of IndyCar racing I view as a positive. Now the IRL, track owners/promoters, sponsors need to take the next step. Drivers like Dixon, Danica, Franchitti, Kanaan need to be plastered on TV and radio and the league, promoters, sponsors need to flex their muscles to make it happen! Drivers needs to be seen on places like Good Morning America, Today, Early Show, Weather Channel, Food TV etc, It also appears that the "Split" confusion has created some apathy in the "mainstream media." Maybe it's time the league gets out the 2-seater and takes Diane Sawyer or Robin Roberts for a ride screaming down the Avenue of the Americas, that would be cool. I know I became a HUGE fan after seeing my first race at MIS. If you were TG, how would you attempt to get more of the "mainstream media" interested in sending a reporter or crew to cover a race?

Scott St. Clair, Erie, Pa.

RM: Educating and entertaining the mainstream media is an excellent idea and all your suggestions make sense. It would be good to have Danica give Robin Roberts a ride or let Letterman and Leno drive the 2-seater (Hugh Downs once drove Art Pollard's car at the Speedway for the TODAY Show and Johnny Carson drove the turbine) but the real key is getting newspapers and TV stations to treat IndyCar like a big deal again. That's going to take time, keeping the same drivers year after year, having Americans do well and maybe a special "charter flight" for various publications around the country to take in a race. Don't make it a free ride, just a nice discount for air travel and board.

Q: Danica Patrick, Graham Rahal, and Marco Andretti have all been mentioned for the USF1 - or should I say USGPE seat. Let's say Danica is just a publicity ploy - that would leave Rahal and Andretti. Both Graham and Marco have said their intent is to stay in Indycar but also added they well never say no to any "good" opportunity. So what if Rahal or Marco went to USF1 and did less then impressive - how about they went and did well? Would this hurt or help Indycar's image? Would it help IndyCar to lose a growing star to gain some global respect? What if we wait 5-7 years down the road and (God blessed) USGPE is still alive and thriving and at the same time Marco and Graham are regular winners or even champions in Indycar. If Graham and Marco went to F1 during this stage in their lives would this be ideal for Indycar or their careers?

Bourdais Fan, Wisconsin

RM: If either left it would be bad for IndyCar because those two are the future, along with RHR and Danica. If open wheel is ever going to make a comeback with the American public and media, Andretti and Rahal must be winners and/or champs. If by some stroke of luck the proposed US F1 team could somehow field a competitive car, I'm sure they'd both be interested. But I think we all know the chances of that happening don't we? A very long shot.

Q: I've been doing some searching and I don't think I've ever heard anybody ask Tony Stewart about having his own IndyCar operation (not necessarily driving) in addition to his NASCAR stuff like Chip Ganassi and Roger Penske. Have you ever asked him about that in particular? Is that something he thinks could happen someday even if he can't drive? Heck, he could partner with AJ. Does Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi talk to their NASCAR team owner counterparts about getting into Indycar? Why don't we not see more teams over there looking at trying it out in addition to their NASCAR operations? Certainly the big teams could afford an Indycar. Have you asked around in stock car land about that?
thanks!

Doug who lives in the middle of stock car racing saturated Virginia

RM: I asked Stewart a few weeks ago at the Chili Bowl and he didn't rule it out, he just wants to get this NASCAR deal sorted out. I'm sure he would be interested, he's got a team in USAC and WOO, if the sponsorship is there. I still believe he'll run the Indy 500 again, maybe even this year (providing GM would allow him to drive a Honda). Can't say whether RP and Ganassi tried to recruit any NASCAR boys to IndyCar but it's not exactly an inviting financial situation to come in to compared to Cup.

Q: Everybody in this country feels Milka shouldn't even own an IndyCar license, the fact that everybody hates her is great for the sport. If we can convince Danica to punt her into the wall in the first race, it will not only gather large amounts of media attention but it will paint her as an American hero and humiliate Chavez. Hell, if PT had a ride his countrymen could look at him as an aggressor as in ice hockey and we'd root for him to take her out. Ok, now to be realistic, what does Sneva (former Texaco man) think of her?

Brian (I will never buy Citgo) Nault, Chicago

RM: I don't think anybody hates Milka, I think a lot of us hate the fact she's driving an Indy car when real racers are on the sidelines. I suppose if she and Danica tangled a few times it would be great PR and get IndyCar some airplay but is that really what we need? Sneva said if he worked with Milka for six weeks, she'd be running in the Top 10 every race. Naw, he really didn't say that.

Q: Has the milkmaid been confirmed at NHL yet or do we have to wait until the first practice section to find out who's driving where?

Mike White

RM: Still no official announcement (I think the Artic Ice deal hit some rough water) but they expanded the shop at Newman/Haas/Lanigan, hired more people and looked like a 3-car team at Homestead. But she might not be running the full schedule now.

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Robin Miller

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