Q: Just saw the movie Born Racer about Scott Dixon on Netflix. It is a great movie about IndyCar (huge upgrade on Driven). I also saw on Amazon that there are two new documentaries about F1 racers; Tommy Byrne and Niki Lauda. I feel that if more movies, documentaries, and shows were created about IndyCar history, that would help new (young) fans understand and appreciate the allure of the sport. Although I do not know much about Bill Vukovich, all I know is that he should have won Indy in 1952; did win in 1953 and 1954; and was crushing the field in 1955 when he crashed and died. The idea that someone could have won the Indy 500 four times in a row before A.J. Foyt turned a lap there makes me want to learn more about that racer. Who would you like to see have movies/documentaries made about? (Give us top three of well-known drivers and top three of less-known drivers)?

Arvind Mahadevan, Peoria, AZ

RM: Vuky would be a good one, but unfortunately hardly anyone who raced against him or worked him is still alive and he wasn’t real talkative, so it might be a short feature. Adam Friedman and I pitched ESPN about a 30 for 30 on Alex Zanardi about eight years ago and they told us they were booked for the next five years, but he certainly would be at the top of my list. A.J. would make a good one, and Dan Gurney. Then Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Jan Opperman.

Q: Did Charlie Brown’s in Speedway close? Also, with Chuck Hulse’s passing, who is still alive that drove both front-engine and rear-engine cars at Indy? Thanks for all you do.

Ralph, Indianapolis

RM: It’s set to re-open Aug. 3, according to the note on the front door. A.J., Parnelli, Uncle Bobby, Johncock and Rutherford are the last living warriors to race front- and rear-engine cars at Indy.

Q: I’m so sorry to hear of the passing of Chuck Hulse, another driver I watched in my youth. I met him several times at the HoF dinner and he was always delighted to talk to a fan that saw him race. I remember seeing him on TV at Trenton when the big cars came there, and his incident with Troy Ruttmann on the backstretch of the old mile. It looked like an ever so slight touch by Chuck, but it sent Troy flipping and, from what I’ve heard, led to his retirement from racing. My dad was there that day, and he thought it was the end for Troy. I enjoyed meeting him and offer my condolences to his family. Did you know him?

Jim Mulcare, Westbury, NY

RM: Got his autograph a couple times at dirt races, but never really met him. Everyone says he was the salt of the earth and a damn good sprint car driver.

Roadsters were very much heading out of fashion by 1965, but Gordon Johncock still managed to front-engine his way to fifth in that year’s Indy 500. Image by IMS

Q: Any chance you remember Andy Brown (I think that was his name), the Indianapolis Racers goaltender and sprint car racer who raced with his false teeth out, but he carried them in the cockpit? I would like to nominate him for a Tough Guy segment!

Jim

RM: Of course I remember that crazy man, the last goalie to play pro hockey without a mask. His face looked like a relief map of the USA with all his scars, but he was as brave in a dirt car as he was on the rink. I went with him to the Indiana State Fairgrounds one night for a USAC race and he’d never been on dirt or a track that big, but he hustled that car down into the corner like a veteran. Problem with making him a Tough Guy segment is I’m not sure of how many times he even raced or where, and also not sure he’s still alive, so I don’t have much to go on.

Q: That car lift at IMS was supposed to have worked as far back as Tony George’s updates when he fixed the track up 10-15 years ago. Apparently it took The Captain to actually make it work. It was installed, I remember hearing about it, and then… it didn’t work and all victory celebrations were on the ground. This to me was a very public statement about the operation of IMS now. It’s in better hands.

Bill Bailey

RM: The old lift that was constructed when the podium was built still exists. It didn’t rise to the top (only about 75%). It was used for some years in the early 2000s. IMS will use it this year as a photo platform for photographers to capture victory celebration on the podium.

Q: I received an email advertisement from Doak Ewing, the proprietor of Rare Sportsfilms, who sells vintage racing DVDs at the Indy 500 Memorabilia Show on the Saturday before the race. His email mentioned that the memorabilia show (slated for August 22) has been cancelled. So this year we fans are relegated to browsing Indy collectibles on the National Indy 500 Collector’s Club website or searching eBay for cool collectible memorabilia to purchase. I collect Indy 500 ticket stubs as if they are baseball cards. What Indy 500 stuff do/have you collected over the years? What Indy swag catches your eye?

Mark, Altus, Oklahoma

RM: I’ve got 5,000 photos and every book ever written on Indy, but my only real treasure was Jim Hurtubise’s pit board from 1964 and I lost it. Old helmets and goggles would be cool, but they get pretty pricey. Thanks for the info.

Q: The All-Star Race was a bit of snooze, but Bristol looks to have potential if they made the race a bit longer, allowed for practice and maybe add another 100 laps, it seemed to go by so fast. The lights under the cars were strange and I’m not sure the relevance. I think NASCAR and Indy cars look fantastic racing under the lights just as they are. What’s your thoughts? I’m sure Indy executives took notice; not sure they would implement something similar.

Jed Blake, Boulder City, NV

RM: I think everyone is in agreement that an IndyCar race under the lights is always a little more intense to watch because the track cools off and the cars look 20mph faster. That’s why Iowa wanted to go back to a night show and Texas always insists on a night race. Gateway got shuffled to Sunday but wants to go back to Saturday night in 2021.

Q: Wow, a complete Mailbag without any mention of my favorite subjects, so I feel obligated to ask. Does the aeroscreen affect the future ability to use the digital display panel on ovals like Milwaukee and Phoenix? Will excessive cockpit heat impact the raceability of the cars during a shared race weekend with IMSA at Watkins Glen? Maybe if they resolve these issues it can help secure a promoter for Cleveland? I’ll also suggest that IndyCar do a trial run of sharing more weekends with NASCAR, but do it on iRacing first and invite Alonso to see if it works for the TV audience and if the drivers can behave. Do you think there would be more chassis manufacturers if there was an apron?

DA, Chicago

RM: What better way to end this week’s Mailbag than with a smile. Nicely done, DA.