If you have a question about open-wheel racing, send it to MillersMailbag@Racer.com. We can’t guarantee your letter will be published, but Robin will always reply.
And starting tomorrow here on RACER.com, you will find Marshall Pruett’s Racing Tech Mailbag at PruettsTechMailbag@Racer.com which will open a dialogue with open-wheel and sports car racing fans to look beneath the bodywork and bring answers to your questions about the technology found in some of your favorite cars, race engineering, and some of the strategy and rules that shape the sport.
Q: Regarding the recent news about the LBGP: Is this going to light a fire under IndyCar to stand up and fight for what they have claimed since 1984? Is it even realistic F1 could win the bid and overthrow IndyCar’s reign? The costs would more than double (probably triple) and would people pay that much after being accustomed to IndyCar prices for so long? Or would the existing fan base be replaced by a different fan (of F1)? If anything; this is a good litmus test for IndyCar’s current popularity: Are fans tired of the current offering or are they ready for a change?
Dan, Louisville, KY
RM: If the City of Long Beach decides it wants to make a change, there’s not much IndyCar can do, short of matching whatever Bernie offers (and that ain’t gonna happen). When Chris Pook dropped F1 for CART in ’84 I think we all wondered how that would be received but the CART crowds from 1988-’98 were comparable to F1’s best days in the early ’80s and there’s a lot of crossover. This is about whether Bernie and Pook can convince Long Beach that re-investing in F1 is best for the future.
Q: What’s your take on the decision by the LBGP to put its race up for bid? I can’t believe they’d seriously be thinking about going with Bernie and his circus unless Chris Pook paints the rosiest of pictures. Given his history in building the race to where it is – not to mention its impact on growing the city – I think Pook could hold a lot of influence on the board’s decision. Losing Long Beach would be a dagger to the heart of IndyCar, just when it’s fighting to get back to relevancy.
Scott C, Bargersville, Ind.
RM: The vote Tuesday night determined whether bids will be entertained but you can bet Pook and Bernie are armed with lots of roses. And, yes, if IndyCar should lose Long Beach, it’s the beginning of the end.
Q: Well, it’s finally official…Kurt Busch has announced that he’s going to run the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. With that said, what are your realistic expectations for Kurt in his first try at “The Double?” And, is Kurt the only NASCAR driver that will give this a shot in 2014?
Jay Matheny, Mayfield, KY
RM: Andretti Autosport usually has fast cars at Indianapolis so I would expect Kurt to qualify in the top 20 and if he runs all day maybe get a top-15 finish (geez that sounds like a NASCAR soundbite). Yes, he’s the only one we may ever see until Kyle Busch wins a Cup crown for Joe Gibbs. He definitely wants to try Indy.
Q: I for one am excited about Kurt Busch driving for Andretti in May. I can’t think of any downsides unless he gets injured. He has started rebuilding his reputation, growing from a brat to a guy who wants to be perceived as able to drive anything for anybody and drive the wheels off it! Great news for Indy. I was also happy to hear Villeneuve will be getting the Schmidt Peterson ride and I don’t think he is washed up; I agree with Pruett’s assessment of the value that the 1995 “500” and CART champ and ’97 F1 Champ can bring. Hopefully these developments will help the series attract a few more entries and we can actually get a Bump Day. Busch, especially, will garner wide North American attention, don’t you think?
Trevor Bohay, Kamloops, BC, Canada
RM: I love the fact Kurt Busch has the stones to try another discipline at the highest level and he showed his moxey the first time he tested a Champ Car at Sebring and again last summer when he ran RHR’s car at IMS. It’s going to give the Indy 500 more media coverage and if IndyCar was smart it would charter a plane and fly the NASCAR press to Indy and back to Charlotte.
Q: I’m very excited for the return of Jacques Villeneuve. I care little for the retread talk and people complaining, I think he has shown that he can still race. How he didn’t pull off the win in some of those NASCAR road races is beyond me, he seemed to be the fastest in all of them. What I love is the symbolism in all of this. We have the last pre-split Indy winner returning for his first race in the post-split era. Thinking of it that way makes it a very joyful occasion in my opinion. A certain “my son who was lost has been found” biblical story comes to mind. Hopefully we can all use this to further heal the wounds of the split and move on; this should be a springboard for the future.
John, Dayton, Ohio
RM: True. Had there not been unification, Ray Harroun would have won the first Indy 500 and Jacques would have won the last in 1995. One thing I’ve always liked about him is that old-school soul he’s got about going fast, danger and taking chances. He’s very much his father’s son and gives Indy another good storyline.
Q: You will be flooded with emails about Jacques Villeneuve this week I am sure and someone will probably already ask this but: would JV also run the inaugural Indy Grand Prix on the road course in early May or just the Indy 500? Any other drivers that you have heard for that matter doing one-offs on the road course?
Dan, Louisville, KY
RM: No, he’s got a commitment to RallyCross and doing F1 commentary so only one race in May. Don’t know of any one-offs but it would be cool if somebody gave Sage Karam and Conor Daly a ride for the road course.
Q: I am very happy to hear of Jacques’ return to Indy. He was a driver who deserved to win when he did, and would have won more if he had been part of a team other than BAR Honda. Of all the cars on the F1 grid at the time, they were the most likely to have mechanical problems, and did with great regularity. Jacques has been involved in all sorts of motorsports in recent years and I am sure he will be able to get up to speed by the start of the race. He certainly won’t be a rolling chicane, and it will be interesting to see the race between him and Montoya. Now if we could only get other retired racers to come out for another go, like PT, Carpentier, de Ferran, etc, and it is sad that we will not be seeing Dario try to win another 500. I agree with those who say we need more of the young drivers in the race, but their time will come when the older guys are gone.
Keith Hines
RM: Well don’t forget JV left his championship-winning team just one year later, for a money grab at BAR that made him rich but left him in a gunfight with a knife. I do wish there would have been a proper farewell for Paul Tracy, especially at Indianapolis, and I was kidding with de Ferran and Bobby Rahal the other night they might consider making a comeback. Kidding. But, as much as we love nostalgia, IndyCar needs to make some new heroes.
Q: I just read about Panther Racing suing over losing the National Guard sponsorship. They are making claims that the process was rigged in Rahal’s favor. Is there any truth to this, or is John Barnes just crying because he lost and is desperate for money?
Kirk Riley
RM: If you read Marshall Pruett’s analysis of the suit, it’s obviously full of many accusations from Barnes that he was done wrong. But maybe going winless for six years after getting an estimated $80 million from The Guard was reason enough to make a change. Or the fact he asked for $5 million more than Rahal’s 2014 bid.
Q: My feeling is that John Barnes needs to just go away. He used to speak about how great Indy was and gave his full support to Tony George when he wanted to create the IRL. What has happened to John thinking Indy and IndyCar are the greatest? Well, let me see if I can put it in perspective. 1. He started to show his true colors with the way he allegedly treated his drivers both on and off the track away from the press. I know you are aware of this. 2. He was one of the individuals instrumental in getting Randy Bernard removed because he did not agree with him. 3. He was upset that TG was removed and IndyCar went in a different direction away from only ovals. 4. He has not been competitive in a long time due to the quality of teams that have come back to IndyCar. 5. He is the last of the old IRL teams and he feels he is owed.
Conclusion? John is not only going to possibly make the National Guard leave IndyCar but he is also torpedoing Indy and IndyCar in the press with his crazy lawsuit by dragging the Speedway through the mud because he did not get his way. Please do not let the door hit you in the butt on the way out! IndyCar should revoke his ability to ever compete at the Speedway or in any other IndyCar events. He is a big baby because he lost out on sponsorship to someone else. I cannot tell you how many times this has happened to me when I was in the sport in the 1980s and early ’90s and I did not file lawsuits. I feel sorry for the staff at Panther being out of a job but John can go pound sand.
Jeff Laughlin, Eagle, Idaho
RM: Of all your accurate assessments (except A.J. Foyt was an original IRL-er too), the one that jumps out to me is he’s suing a series that brought him millions of dollars over the past two decades, not to mention, gave him an identity.
Q: An open letter to John Barnes: Go away, John. Go away mad, if you must, but just go away. Please. You are doing irreparable damage to the sport with your lawsuit. Just go away.
Bill Carsey, North Olmsted, OH
RM: People who know him well say his intent is to make such a stink that The Guard either pays him to go away or, sooner than later, it goes away.
Q: Wouldn’t you love to see GAINSCO get behind Alex Gurney and maybe Jon Fogarty and send them to Indy? Fogarty was really promising in Formula Atlantic. Gurney has run there once or twice, no? I’d love to see that.
Bill Bailey
RM: They both should have been in Champ Car but never got the opportunity. Fogarty tested for Rahal and was offered a full-time IRL ride but didn’t want to run all ovals and turned it down. It would be great to see them at Indy but probably won’t be happening with GAINSCO.
Q: I keep reading in the Mailbag that there’s zero publicity for the IndyCar series…while I agree that there should be a LOT MORE in print and other “traditional” outlets, I wonder did anybody hear the free promotion the series was getting at the Phoenix NASCAR race on FOX? A few times I hear Darrell and Mike Joy talking about how the Team Penske cars reminded them of watching Roger’s boys in an IndyCar race (mainly the 500 I think,) and Mike was pushing the IndyCar references off and on throughout the afternoon. Of course with JPM coming back to IndyCar from the stock cars the mentions COULD be higher but I wonder if there’s a corporate limit which the air talent must adhere to during the broadcast. It seems to me that some of the BEST advertising the series can get comes from the two owners that run both series…as long as Joey, Brad, Jamie Mac and Kyle “the Kid” Larson have good days on track! Can’t hurt.
Johnny C.
RM: Well, it’s refreshing to know that they acknowledged IndyCar exists and I would imagine now that with Kurt Busch coming to Indy would generate a couple months of free publicity.
Q: “Tell Us Your Story.” Please. A warm touch for fans, but unless IndyCar was turning fans away, pretty worthless. How is this going to put new butts in the seats? I just don’t get it. IndyCar has long needed a really effective, proactive, on-going marketing program. They keep changing the faces at the top but the effort (and results) pretty much stays the same. Gimmicks aren’t going to sustain long-term growth.
As an example, seeking a title sponsor, I would bet the number one goal was how much money they can squeeze out of the deal. Granted, I am sure the margins are thin. But really short-term thinking. If the people aren’t going to come to you, you need to go to the people. What could help with your exposure is a highly visible, high traffic, top-of-the-mind title sponsor, which would be a hell of an investment in the future, too. IZOD? Verizon? Niche companies. If it’s Verizon, doubt we see any national commercials supporting IndyCar. And how many people visit a Verizon retail store on a regular or repeat basis?
Maybe they should have targeted a deal with a high traffic, cross demographic retailer that could help promote and build the series by attracting new fans. Take a little less money upfront. Make it a progressive income scale if needed, like 5-year deal with a review after three. Base the $$ on the numbers to make it initially palatable to a potential sponsor. How about Subway, or a similar company? You can park those old cars in the parking lots. Pass out napkins with schedules and individual driver profiles. Cross promote the hell out of it. If you’re where IndyCar is right now, get freaking creative!
Having been a businessman and an IndyCar fan my entire life, I guess I’m just a little frustrated to see a group of people fritter away what was once proud and highly popular series. Like you, I agree that times have changed. But, unlike you, I think there is still a big, untapped market out there that has never been exposed to IndyCar. If you like X-games, why wouldn’t you migrate to IndyCar, if given the chance? Whenever I have taken new people to an IndyCar race, no matter the age, the exposure has always led to new fans, even if the initial interest wasn’t there. I just believe that finding a title sponsor should be much, much more than just an exercise in finding a new revenue source. There are and should be other business considerations. Bottom line, is there any hope in our lifetimes?
Jim, Indianapolis
RM: Well that’s an Indy 500 promotion, I guess, but it never mentions dates, tickets are available, etc., and much like “Indy or Bust” last year, how does that sell tickets? As for a title sponsor, if it is Verizon like we’ve been hearing, don’t be surprised if they launch a national advertising campaign instead of just giving money. IndyCar needs those NASCAR-type commercials and promos that show off the drivers and races. But, like it or not, IndyCar is a niche sport in a shrinking landscape so I just hope it survives.
Q: Lately, your Mailbag seems to be filled with fan’s thoughts on how to attract new followers. Thought I might throw my two cents in. I would like to see IndyCar sign about four teams each year to make a barnstorming tour throughout the country from say January to March. The country could be divided into four quadrants and a team assigned to each for one week or so. Take the driver, team members and even a car in the hauler and visit the fans. It doesn’t even have to be the current car – an older car would make do. The important idea here is to greet the fans and make some new ones. Visit schools, TV stations, radio stations, maybe even some of the sponsor locations. (Are you listening Chevy? Do you hear me Firestone?)
A team or driver could even hold a contest on Twitter or some other media to see what city they go to. It should be a combination of both large and small cities.
I’ve also been noticing a lot of fans are weighing in on the “NASCAR vs. IndyCar” wars. It does seem as if NASCAR is the “big bully” and wants to kick IndyCar when it’s down. Forgetting to mention Mario’s championships and A. J.’s as well was no “accident” on NASCAR’s part. The last time I checked, the last NASCAR driver to win a World Championship was a guy named Andretti, and he was/is more known as an IndyCar driver. My point is, IndyCar fans need to realize that NASCAR is NASCAR and IndyCar is IndyCar. Neither will ever up-root the other. They both have their place in the racing world.
Jerry Laake, Davenport, Iowa
RM: Many years ago there was the Champion Spark Plug Highway Safety Program and Indy drivers went to schools all over the country during the off-season and it worked. So something like you are suggesting would be a good start, then have a Fan Day in some Indy shops and maybe a walk through the IMS museum with Mario for kids.
Q: NASCAR copying IndyCar in the grid walk and knock-out qualifying? You should have set the record straight because they were copied from Formula 1.
Ben Loosli, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
RM: Good call Ben. The grid walk was started by Terry Lingner at ESPN with John Bisignano in F1 back in the ’80s and ’90s because they had so much time to fill. And knockout qualifying began in 2006 for F1.
Q: There was barely any IndyCar news all off-season, and now we have several great stories sprouting up. I would be thrilled if Cosworth can put together a partner to come back to the IndyCar Series but as usual, I’m very cautious. I can see IndyCar not jumping on this as a huge marketing opportunity and bending rules to make it work. They will probably shoot themselves in the foot again, and somehow restrict Cosworth from making it back into the series. On the other hand, having Jacques Villeneuve back is huge for this series. I had forgotten how accomplished he is and how worthy he is for the Indy 500. I don’t believe his age would be a factor. It’s just too bad he can’t come back full time, and race in Canada also. Please Indycar – there are at least four of Villeneuve’s former racing series watching this news – please don’t miss out on the chance to promote the hell out of Villeneuve’s and Montoya’s return.
Mark Suska, Mansfield, Ohio
RM: Obviously, we’d all love to see a Ford/Cosworth back on the grid but right now it’s just wishful thinking there could be a partner out there.
Q: With Simona de Silvestro heading to Sauber F1 as a test driver and Susie Wolff recently being promoted to an on-track test driver for Williams F1 could there be a possibility of these two ladies getting a seat in 2015 or 2016? And seeing great battles again between Sauber and Williams with a twist, a marketing jackpot of a twist?
Matt Allen, Calif.
RM: I imagine anything is possible but, don’t forget, most F1 teams have several “test drivers” and it sounds like the one who brings the most money usually gets the seat. You would think Bernie wants to join the female movement led by IndyCar/NHRA but he hasn’t been inclined, at least up to this point.
Q: I was wondering if there will be more standing starts this year? Given the diversity of the current schedule, it seems nine standing starts and nine rolling starts would be good. Indy, Texas, Pocono, Iowa, Milwaukee, Fontana, Detroit x 2 & Mid-Ohio could have rolling starts, while St. Pete, Long Beach, Barber, Indy GP, Houston x 2, Toronto x 2 & Sonoma could have standing starts. This keeps the diversity in the series and gives the teams/drivers more practice. I’m not advocating standing starts on ovals and Detroit’s too narrow & Mid-Ohio’s start/finish straight isn’t long enough. What do you think?
Graeme Watson, Brentwood, Essex, UK.
RM: I think Long Beach, the road race at IMS, Houston and Toronto are the likely standing starts in 2014 but haven’t seen anything official as yet.
Q: I noticed NASCAR is getting it. If you watch their coverage on FOX, they stop the commentary, and allow the viewer to see the speed of their cars on track. They call this part of their coverage “Crank It Up.” No commentary, just the speed and sound of the cars – all with wall-side and in-ground camera angles. You get a real sense of how fast the cars are going. IndyCar’s television coverage would be much improved if they would regularly do a similar thing. But, the IndyCars are so much FASTER! If IndyCar would insist on doing this their broadcasts, it would help the viewing public sense this! Most IndyCar broadcast coverage is filled with wide camera angles. You never really have any sense of the speed of the cars. If only the TV viewers who never make it to the track could see this.
Tim Shaughnessy, Knoxville, Tenn.
RM: Is it difficult to convey the speed to the camera, although there’s a great angle at Indy coming out of Turn 4 that captures it and a few places around the circuit. Crank It Up is my favorite part of the FOX telecast. Think about it.
Q: Since it looks like Sage Karam is going to be without an IndyCar ride; was it more of a curse that he won the Lights title? Zach Veach is spending another year in Lights, and I may be in the minority, but I think Karam could use another year too. Is it that he feels the need to use the million he received from winning the championship rather than let it go to waste, or is there just no ride for him in Lights either? I feel like if the car counts were much higher, he would have had a strong year last year, but likely not be the champion, and would be spending another year in Lights.
John, Clawson, Mich.
RM: I don’t think Sage gains anything by going back but it might be better than watching, if there was an opportunity. I still think there’s a chance he can get something for Indy (maybe the whole month) with his Lights money but his situation is certainly not a good endorsement for the ladder system.
Q: You always talk about the great racing characters of the past, and when I watch old races on YouTube, I love hearing Ken Squire talking about “Geoff Bodine from Chemung, NY”…or Jim McKay talking about some personal element about a driver I otherwise wouldn’t care about. I feel like this element is missing from racing today. Where are the personalities? Where are the stories? Otherwise it’s just a bunch of similar-looking dudes in cars that look exactly the same going around in circles. If IndyCar, and NASCAR for that matter, want to promote the sport to new fans, give us a reason to love or hate the drivers. After all, it’s not always about the racing.
Stan Takaki, Chicago, Ill.
RM: The personalities are out there (Kanaan, Hinch, Newgarden, Pagenaud and Rahal) but there is not a lot of those Tracy/Bourdais rivalries the fans relish. Maybe Montoya will create a couple but you can’t make fans love or hate anybody – it’s got to be spontaneous or built up over time.
Q: I was thinking of the many underfunded IndyCar teams that have come and gone over the years, but then there’s Dale Coyne Racing. He has survived over 30 years with limited resources. I know one reason he’s been able to stay alive over the years is that he has hired pretty good shoes: Paul Tracy, Adrian Fernandez, Buddy Lazier, John Paul Jr, Sebastian Bourdias and Justin Wilson, just to name a few. What do you think of Dale’s longevity and the reasons why he’s been able to buck the fate of other underfunded race teams?
Gerry Courtney, San Francisco, Calif.
RM: Coyne is smart, frugal and quite a survivor. But he’s confounding. He finally won a race with Justin and Bill Pappas and then couldn’t keep them together. He then brought them back together for 2012, but now Pappas has gone again. Coyne did manage to win Detroit last year with Mike Conway, no testing, a solid little squad and the engineering of John Dick and Pappas. But now both those engineers are at RLLR. Dale doesn’t believe in bidding wars so maybe that’s his strength.
Q: I have a bunch of old VHS tapes with the CART races from the 1990s and after reading a story in Car and Driver from 2010 about Paul Tracy, I pulled out and watched Phoenix from 1993. What I noticed most was the cars seemed much faster but the speed differential between the Penske cars and the rest of the field was unbelievable. We all know the story of PT crashing with two laps on the field but what I did not realize was Emmo crashed out a few laps later. He said that something broke but is that really true? Sam Posey and Uncle Bobby said about Paul that as soon as you lift and lose traction the back end of the car spins around. Mario went on to win which was his last win.
Then on to Long Beach where PT said he fell off his mountain bike but we now know he crashed racing shifter karts with Mark Smith. PT seemed to know that if he did not perform in that race, his chances were slim on keeping his ride. He then gets a flat tire, passes Mansell and wins the race! An incredible drive.
My questions are 1) was it ever proved or admitted that the Penske cars were using traction control? 2) How volatile was Roger and PT’s relationship? I guess as long as you make it to Victory Lane, all is forgiven. I’m a huge PT fan and watched his entire career starting in Indy Lights, but as exciting as he was, there were many disappointments, too. What do you think his real potential might have been if he learned some patience and savvy a la Rick Mears? Speaking of Indy Lights, is it true that Vince Neil ran a few races?
Jim Doyle
RM: Tracy should have won the championship in ’93, he led the most laps and tied Mansell for victories with five but had SEVEN DNFs. But we loved him because he could be brilliant or brain-dead all in the same race and his passes alone were worth the price of admission. The Captain farmed him out and then brought him back but they were oil and water, much like Penske and Tom Sneva. As for traction control, we always thought that was between Honda and Toyota, much later in the ’90s. Yes, Neil did run some Lights races and Derek Daly touted him as the next Senna (just kidding).
Q: Two things occurred to me as I read that last Mailbag about IndyCar TV coverage. One, they refuse to pay attention to what the fans would like to hear in an announcer. Bestwick is an improvement but once again its either a hand-me-down or a boring re-tread. Your idea of getting Al Jr. and PT in the booth is brilliant: it would be a lot like the glory days of Little Al’s uncle and Sam Posey!
Secondly, I fell in love with IndyCar in the early 1980s when ESPN needed anything and everything to fill out the broadcast day and would rebroadcast races ad nauseam…but I would catch it from time to time and soon was I was hooked. Let NBCSN air it live whenever IndyCar can run a race that is best for the people in the stands to be there (forget about when NASCAR or the NFL is on), but get a contract that guarantees some late night and midday rebroadcasts. Nights will hit the younger fans when they are most likely to actually watch TV which is a diminishing thing anyway. And that leads to an idea that might break some ground: be the first sporting events on Netflix or Hulu.
Mike, IndySLOTcar commish, Milwaukee
RM: Probably won’t see P.T or Little Al on ABC but there’s a chance they could make a cameo on NBCSN this season. I always like re-airs and I imagine if NBCSN can make it happen, it will.
Q: I was thinking of a way to help rookie drivers get more seat time and give fans more action. IndyCar should adopt sprint races in double-round events, meaning on Saturday there’ll be a sprint race for only rookies of either Indy Lights or other formulas and it will be a 50-minute race. Sunday will be the usual feature race. I think this would help since testing has been so restricted in recent time due to cost, and most rookies don’t do well in their first full season except the few who get rides on mid- to top-quality teams. So it will give drivers more time to hone their skills in bigger cars, and also give owners a better way to evaluate talent. What do you think?
Kevin from New Jersey
RM: I suppose if there were 8-10 rookies it could be tried on a Saturday but you can’t throw an F2000 driver into an Indy car and it’s just too costly unless you came up with some big purses and that’s not likely. Also, it would be tough to get most of the owners to come out of their motorhomes and watch.
Q: It’s 1993 and Nigel Mansell has left F1 for Newman/Haas Racing and CART. After considering his options with McLaren, Ayrton Senna decides to join Penske Racing and also race in the CART series. NOW, how do you think the season would have gone?
Joe Davis, New Castle, INnd.
RM: Well, Paul Tracy won five times and Emerson Fittipaldi three so I imagine Senna would have fared pretty well. Maybe not as strong as Mansell on ovals but certainly a threat to win on road courses and street circuits.
Q: What are the reasons for not returning to the open specs for Indianapolis, similar to those they had prior to running a spec series? I mean, why not specify a minimum weight, maximum width, maximum length, maximum height, maximum engine displacement and required safety equipment, and let the innovators take it from there? Second, if that was done, what would the likely result be? Would there be more or fewer entries? Would we see innovation like we saw throughout the history of Indianapolis, i.e., the Novis, turbines, sidecar, etc? I long for those days.
Peter, Dumfries, Va.
RM: Cost and interest would seem to be the two major factors. To abandon everything and start from scratch would require at least a two- or three-year lead period to gauge interest from teams and manufacturers. I suppose if you made it cheap enough or enticing enough with the purse, you might attract NASCAR and sports cars teams to try Indianapolis. I would hope that would create a lot more entries but I don’t think it’s a slam dunk. We all want to go back to those days at Indy but not sure if it’s feasible.
Q: To quote you from the last Mailbag, “I know the cars and speeds don’t hold the attraction today they did when I was growing up…” Well, Robin, why is that? This is the crux of the non-interest dilemma facing both the TUDOR Championship and IndyCar Series, but why?
I think the automobile manufacturers have to shoulder huge blame for this, however not through anything draconian. Technology itself I think has peed all over sports car and open-wheel racing to a great extent. Even F1 has lost its flavor (at least in the USA). Running/racing machines that are so insanely complicated (sophisticated?), not to mention mind-bogglingly expensive can in no way relate to any one of us sitting in front of the television or in the stands. It is too much about the cars’ performance and not enough about the individual drivers behind the wheel.
We have no Bignottis or Yunicks anymore, either, behind the scenes. We now have computers in place of good ol’ fashioned ingenuity. The rules now mandate we get spec racers to entertain us. It ain’t workin’. Everything takes money, and today it takes more money than some entire countries’ GNP to fund a team. I get that, but unless TUDOR and IndyCar find a way to beg, borrow, or steal away a top-shelf NASCAR marketing exec to peddle their shows, there will continue to be the same (dwindling?) numbers of fans in the stands and it’s a crying shame.
Michael, Mount Joy, Pa.
RM: As I said in the answer above your question, you have to have a gauge on what the interest level is today for this kind of innovation. You would think it’s a no-brainer, that all the manufacturers might build a special engine to show off their prowess and there has to be some young Smokey Yunicks and Mickey Thompsons and Dan Gurneys out there, but how would we know in advance? And how do you get them interested in the Indy 500? A purse with $10 million to win and $1 million to start would be my suggestion. Make it the Indy 500 presented by Budweiser and the only rule is at least four wheels.
Q: The USAC Sprint Car Series is, in my opinion, the best racing and most exciting. But it makes me wonder, despite some teams having sponsors, how they can make ends meet when a feature win pays $5,000?
Secondly, how’s Gary Bettenhausen these days? He was one of my favorites back in the day.
William Abel
RM: I’m always amazed when I see 50-plus sprinters in USAC’s Indiana Sprint Week because it’s so expensive nowadays. But at least sprint car drivers running Gas City/Bloomington/Paragon/Lincoln Park/Kokomo/Haubstadt can make a little if they hit a lick. Midget engines cost $30,000-plus and they run for the same purses we did back in the 1970s, when I bought my first midget from Gary B. for $5,000 WITH AN ENGINE.
Bettenhausen is doing fine, I see him once a month at lunch with his twins and brother Merle.
Q: I just wanted to pass along some sad news that Ronnie Kaplan died last week at age 87. You may have known Ronnie from Indy, as he was a mechanic on the winning team with Jim Rathmann at Indy in 1960, but was involved with many other teams thereafter. He also ran the AMC Trans Am team from 1967-1969 just before Penske took it over. He lived and breathed every kind of racing from the late 40’s all the way up to the last decade. Great guy, really was.
Brian McCartan, 30-year Indy car fan
RM: Thanks Brian, had quite a few emails about Ronnie and he was a racer to the bone. Check out Marshall Pruett’s appreciation of him here.
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