Q: Robin, you are the man! Give me all the RLL news you can give me! Plus, remind me why I have to pay for the NBC Gold IndyCar Pass for something that used to be free? When is the testing at Mid Ohio? My daughters and I make it father/daughter day!

Gold Vette

RM: I think Hinch may wind up there for Indy, how’s that? Water used to be free. No test day set yet for Mid-Ohio.

Q: In your Mailbag for Feb. 5, is there a particular reason why Chris Economaki was omitted from your list of favorite broadcasters and writers? An inadvertent oversight, perhaps?

Rick in Lisle, IL

RM: The fan asked about all the former and current writers, not broadcasters, and while Chris kept Speed Sport News on the forefront of American for five decades, he wasn’t a writer, per se. He was obviously a pioneer of broadcasting and the most well-known media personality but his Editor’s Notebook was a melting pot of facts, rumors, opinions and not a column or feature. I probably should have included him anyway. I owe Pete Lyons an apology because I totally spaced on him and he’s one of the premier motorsports journalists and historians on the planet. Hell, I’ve got his books and posters and I simply had a brain fade. Bob Russo was another trend-setter for Speed Age magazine and a reader reminds me I also omitted Jean Shepherd, who wrote brilliantly for Car & Driver on occasion.

How different might things have been if Sam Hornish Jr.’s last-lap pass of Marco Andretti at Indy in 2006 hadn’t happened? Image by Sutton/LAT archive

Q: I was watching some past Indy 500 races from the 2000s until recent. If you could change the result of any Indy 500 from that period, which one would you choose and why? Which different result would have had the biggest impact on the history of IndyCar, driver, or a driver’s career?

For example, If Marco beats Hornish to the line in ’06, would his career be completely different that it is now? Would you change the Tracy/Castroneves outcome? What if Castroneves outduels Hunter-Reay in ’12 and wins his fourth 500? If J.R. doesn’t crash in Turn 4 on the final lap, would his career have been different? I know they are all what-ifs, but I am curious on your thoughts on what we would be talking about today if any of those races ended differently.

Ryan, Lake Villa, IL

RM: You named the two that could have changed history — Marco in 2006 and J.R. in 2011. A victory changes everything for their careers’ trajectory, not to mention their overall confidence.

Q: The interviews I just watched with you and Super Tex and Uncle Bobby are worth the weight in gold. Those stories are priceless and had me laughing and tearing. My first of two questions is how was Mario Andretti ever OK with that nickname? The second question is are you over the whole Fernando Alonso deal? I am. I know he is a world-class driver but I just don’t care about it at all. I love a good story as much as anybody, but a far better drama would be the Air Force car putting a lap on Fred before the first green flag pit stop. Thanks for getting me hip to some of the best races I’ve ever watched. Have a good 2020 and I’ll shout at you when you pass me in your golf cart. #bbclegrandprix

Steve, Lakeview Park Beach, Ohio

RM: Thanks, they’re two of the best interviews of all-time because they say whatever is on their mind and truly don’t care if anyone likes it or is offended. Being called “The Whop” by Bobby was a more of a term of endearment and Mario just laughed it off in all their travels together. I want Alonso in the race with a good car because he’s a great driver with a massive following and he really embraced IMS in his two years here.

Q: When you were working for the Indy Star, who scared you more as a reporter, angry A.J. when you accused him of cheating or an angry Bobby Knight? What classic things did Super Tex or The General say to you when you wrote for The Star?

Ryan McKeever

RM: I thought A.J. might drag me into Lake Erie and drown me in 1982 at Cleveland before we buried the hatchet but he was always good to me before 1981 and we had/and have a great relationship. I try to call him once a week or two and just shoot the breeze because he’s an American treasure and I love listening to his stories. As for The General, I was the first local writer to really criticize him and we didn’t have a relationship. He hated me and the feeling was mutual. I always tried to ask one question in the post-game press conference so he would have to call on me and I wasn’t scared of him. But we never had one conversation.