Q: What in the hell was Willie P talking about after Saturday’s race? “It seems like if you did a good job in the series you just get screwed”? “I don’t know what it is I have to do to have normal races like Dixon and Pagenaud, even if those guys qualify last they end at the front; maybe I just try less and be a much worse driver. I think I’ll do way better”? He sounded delirious, and what was he complaining about, he finished second after last week taking two guys out on the first turn? I think Wild Willie has lost it! Let us know what you think, and we miss you at the races.

CAM in LA

RM: I think it was a combination of heat and frustration that his teammate started last and somehow won Friday night’s race. Plus, he’s always hated closed pits because it rewards luck more than pace, and dictates the outcome more often than the driver that dictates the pace — which is Power’s strength.

Q: Watching the interview with Tony Kanaan during the pre-race coverage at Iowa, it seems like he’s reluctant to retire. Do you think he’ll be back for Indy next year? And any idea who he could drive for? It would be cool to see him reunite with Andretti or Ganassi, but they both seem at capacity right now.

KJ from Philadelphia, PA

RM: He’s said he wants to run Indy in 2021 and he’ll be able to get the sponsorship, but no idea which team he’s going to approach. But doubt if it’s Chip.

Q: Do you know if Sebastien Bourdais will race in IndyCar this year?

Bob Fontana

RM: He’s scheduled to run Portland and St. Pete for A.J. Foyt.

Sadly, opportunities to see Bourdais in an IndyCar are extremely limited this year. Image by Barry Cantrell/Motorport Images

Q: I am writing this after reading the Mailbag post-Road America, and before Iowa happens. A lot of people are slamming Will Power. I see it differently. Did anyone see Will turn into Ryan Hunter-Reay? I saw RHR move left to set up for Turn 1 and Will’s wing was already there. While bad for RHR, that is just a racing deal. Power in reality probably wasn’t thinking about being ahead of RHR so much as he was maintaining his position through Turn 1 with all of the cars trying to get by him. Lifting even a smidge to let RHR in would have likely meant someone dove underneath him and he would have lost a spot.

With the Rahal wreck, Power shoved it in there for sure, which is why he ran wide of the apex, but he gave Rahal enough asphalt on the outside. It wasn’t until Rahal got loose on the rumble strips on the exit with cold tires and a bunch of HP that he did his tank-slapper and went off track. I don’t like or dislike Power more than any of the other guys, I just feel like people are focusing on the results of the crashes and making things out to be a lot more than it actually was.

Andy Brumbaugh

RM: I watched the replay 20 times and I didn’t see much movement from RHR. Like I wrote last week, I don’t think Will did anything malicious but maybe misjudged the closing rate on the fastest part of the front straightaway. And nobody was going to get inside, he was out at the edge of the track. But hitting someone in the left rear at 160mph comes with some responsibility, so I thought his penalty was more than fair.

Q: You fielded several questions last week from fans critical of Will Power’s driving at RA, and I think your responses were spot-on. I can’t argue too strongly with the penalty issued against him because of the outcomes for Ryan Hunter-Reay and Graham Rahal, but as you pointed out, it was clearly unintentional and largely the result of the unusually slow start. Power has been the outright fastest driver in IndyCar over the past decade, but sometimes he can be his own worst enemy when he gets rattled. I really hope RP sticks with him. With another season or two, he will be the all-time IndyCar pole winner and top five on the winners list. Certainly Roger wants a piece of that, right?

Alan, St. Petersburg, FL

RM: Good question Alan. We believe WP’s contract is up at the end of this season and it appears R.P. wants to move Scott McLaughlin into IndyCar, so it could be a matter of whether it’s Power or Pagenaud (who may have an option year remaining, but who’s option?) moved aside. There is no doubt Will is still as fast as anyone, but The Captain is always looking ahead.

Q: Will Power is an extremely talented, dedicated, professional driver. Does anyone believe he wants to be sitting at this point in the season with barely more than 50% of the points Dixon now carries? Does he look to think the world owes him any special treatment on or off track? I think not. May any driver press a little too hard at times? Great racers are optimists, just as are the best hitters in Major League Baseball: they may all get out in six out of every 10 plate appearances, but they still expect to (and do) get a lot of key hits. When a winning open-wheel driver assesses the on-course traffic and situation, they don’t often plan to push an opponent off track in any location, let alone in the more dangerous settings. What say you?

Rick in California

RM: I agree, he was pushing hard at the start and ^%$ happens but RHR paid the price and WP was penalized. He’s winless after five races, so is he pressing? Possibly, but he had the Indy GP in hand before a bad pit stop, and was going to win Road America before getting beat out of the pits on the last stop, so it’s not like he’s lost anything. Besides a lot of points and some sleep.

Q: Heard Marshal’s podcast with R.P. on Indy Lghts – very interesting. Require each Leaders Circle team field a Lights car, use an old IndyCar chassis and detuned motor. R.P. talked about bringing midget and sprint guys into the series. Could this be the start of guys getting to Indy like the old days? I wonder if R.P. is thinking that bringing the short track guys to Indy would help build the IndyCar fan base – Indiana Midget Week had packed stands and great racing, and the Chili Bowl just keeps getting bigger and bigger. He did not mention RTI. I wonder if it really makes sense to have that ladder system – USF2000, Indy Pro, and then Lights – all of which suck up tons of money, and the scholarships don’t even cover the cost of the alleged next step. Dan Anderson better beware – his cheese is about to be moved. Your thoughts on getting young guys to IndyCar?

Tom, Michigan

RM: Roger said he had a plan for Lights, and since there is no market for old Indy cars, it’s certainly intriguing. But there still needs to be smaller steps up the ladder, even if something like that was adopted. And I’d love to see Kody Swanson, Justin Grant, Tyler Courtney and Chris Windom get a shot at Indy, but there’s no guarantee any of today’s IndyCar owners (except Ed Carpenter) would consider them. There are a host of really talented young guys in IndyCar right now, but I’m all for a few USAC stars being added to the list. But don’t discount Andersen; he’s kept RTI going and I think R.P. values his contributions.