Welcome to the RACER mailbag. Questions for RACER’s writers may be despatched to: mailbag@racer.com. We welcome your feedback and opinions, however letters with questions usually tend to be printed. Questions obtained after 3:00 PM EST every Monday will probably be saved for the next week.
Notice: Kelly Crandall is on trip, however your NASCAR questions will probably be answered when she returns.
Q: Announcement of latest Impartial Board of Administrators (IOB) in IndyCarI want to know if this new board has the authority to make race calls? Particularly, will the IOB be the host of the Indy 500 and determine when it’s applicable to pink flag the race? What I need to know is whether or not the brand new IOB will probably be answerable for race pink flags just like the one which led to the ultimate lap shootout between Ericsson and Newgarden on the finish of the 2023 Indy 500.
Kevin P., Los Angeles, California
Marshall Pruett: That is an excellent query. No, the IOB won’t be situated at race management or to name balls or strikes when the Indy 500 or every other IndyCar race is being held. That is what IndyCar president Doug Bolles informed us a number of months in the past, and we have not heard something to refute that element.
IOB is a brand new administration layer that can substitute Penske Leisure because the boss of those that set up IndyCar occasions. Barring some shocking improvement that I am not conscious of, this is similar as bringing in new management from IOB and relieving executives from Penske Leisure.
Sure, the IOB is answerable for all features of IndyCar race administration, from operational and compliance capabilities. In the event you like calls from race management, credit score IndyCar Officiating, Inc., the brand new non-profit guardian firm created by Penske Leisure to accommodate IOI, IOB, Managing Director of Officiating (MDO), and all IndyCar officers. In the event you do not just like the telephone calls, then IOI, MDO, and if that particular person is employed, IOB members will probably be blamed.
It stays to be seen who will probably be in control of race management, however I would not be stunned if longtime race director Kyle Novak stays within the job. The identical goes for driver stewards. Arie Luyendyk and Max Papis have supplied that resolution for years, however as I recall, Novak will not be appearing as choose. If Driver A hits Driver B towards the barrier, it is as much as Allie and Max to determine whether or not to present Novak and the remainder of the refereeing staff a penalty.
The query I have to reply is how does the IOB determine what to name a race? Penske Leisure has mentioned that the IOB follows the foundations created by IndyCar, which is smart, however {that a} secondary a part of race officiating is penalty pointers that stewards use to cope with most conditions that come up. Whereas the rule e book is also known as the “letter of the regulation,” the penalty pointers are extra just like the “spirit of the regulation.”
Right here, I count on IOB and MDO members to have a presence and have a religious side of the officiating. and within the tone of their referees moderately than instructing race management methods to adjudicate every case. As is widespread in stick-and-ball sports activities, some umpires are overzealous from the primary seconds of a recreation, bashing gamers for the smallest issues, whereas others are extra lenient, blowing the whistle just for egregious fouls.
There are new expectations for brand spanking new bosses to infuse racial administration with a “spirit of the regulation” view, simply as previous bosses did.
Q: Why precisely did IndyCar determine to chop Jay Frye? He was a really devoted man and appeared to place a variety of effort into enhancing the collection, which may be seen by the expansion of the staff shortly after his introduction. It is mindless in any respect for them to chop somebody who was lively within the discipline and concerned within the operation.
Austin Blaney, Texarkana, AR
MP: He was given no rationalization and Penske Leisure has solely mentioned on the file that they wished to nominate Doug Bolles, who they felt had higher power in a number of areas. What we did know within the paddock was that Frye had disagreements with Roger Penske and Penske Leisure CEO Mark Miles on numerous points and repeatedly clashed with them.
Frye served as president of IndyCar for 5 years underneath proprietor Halman George, however when he bought the automobile to Penske, the homeowners of the brand new collection wished issues to go their method, and Frye was mentioned to have caught to his weapons and pushed again many instances. It does not matter whether or not he was proper to attract the road or not. If the corporate you’re employed for is acquired and the brand new homeowners need to do issues in another way, you’ll be able to both associate with it, combat again and hope that the homeowners will see your method as one of the best ways, or go away the corporate. Fry tried the second choice, and though his two or three years there have been depressing, he remained extremely loyal and by no means give up.
Looking back, I am glad he was fired for his personal sake. As a result of he’s a lot happier in all features of his life. Boles additionally appears to be settling into his new position nicely.
For the reason that shake-up in IndyCar’s management, Frye and Bolles each appear to be in a cheerful place. Walt Kuhn/Penske Leisure
Q: Thrilling and inspiring developments taking place with the IR28 chassis. Thanks for placing collectively the primary two updates. Given our present actuality, the unfolding scenario feels each comprehensible and thrilling.
One improvement chance that I might be disenchanted to see realized is to maneuver the remaining driver adjustment instruments to the steering wheel. One of many extra gratifying features of the dashcam view is which you can watch the motive force make changes utilizing side-mounted instruments. Successfully and captivatingly spotlight areas the place drivers are making a distinction.
Transferring these instruments to the steering wheel enormously reduces their sight.
Christopher Attempt. Seattle, Washington
MP: Early in my profession as a race automobile mechanic, round 1989 or 1990, I wished to plot a semi-automatic anti-roll bar adjustment system for the junior open-wheel automobiles I labored on. Most ARBs had 5 adjustment positions the place you pushed or pulled a lever to lock the adjuster cable in place. My thought, and this was earlier than digital dashboards and hydraulic/electrical/pneumatic actuation had been commonplace, was that there have been 5 buttons to press, the primary being the softest ARB setting, and the toughest button being the fifth and last button, pressed on a panel mounted to the entrance of the cockpit above the steering wheel.
This idea had nothing to do with security or taking levers out of the cockpit. It was to offer a fast and straightforward method for drivers to swap entrance and rear ARBs to offer optimum dealing with in various kinds of corners. If you need one thing delicate and supple popping out of a bobby pin, you may get it immediately with the press of a button. Do you will have a quick nook in entrance of you and want a tough platform? Press the button and extra. Fishing and rowing the adjuster deal with was too time consuming and never all the time correct.
Effectively, 35 years in the past I did not know methods to use a push-button ARB change system to optimize corner-by-corner dealing with, but when IndyCar’s Mark Scibra’s thought involves fruition, my previous thought may very well be realized by the steering wheel. Identical to utilizing a fast-acting weight jacker to rapidly collapse and increase the jacker to channel downforce down the straights on the Indy 500 and return the automobile to its unique place. The strategy to Turns 1 and three maximizes cornering potential.
The staff locations a potentiometer on the ARB in order that the staff and driver all the time know the settings. Possibly that is one thing IndyCar and FOX Sports activities will incorporate into their broadcasts.
Q: Nice protection of the upcoming IR28. Listed below are some random questions.
Aerodynamics and DRS: Would not the IndyCar aspect be serious about having versatile wings on their street course packages to scale back drag and weight and improve prime velocity? In my slim thoughts, I believe versatile means being light-weight, however that could be an oversimplification on my half.
Hybrid/Powertrain: The two.4 engine is the spec and is there any consideration about opening up the MGU to improvement? Or you can maintain the two.4 open for the primary few years and maintain the hybrid spec, and finally open that up as nicely. Honda appears to need open improvement on the MGU aspect moderately than the engine.
Are there any elements of this automobile that may very well be opened up for improvement with out spending some huge cash and would have a constructive impact on everybody?
Perry, Georgia, Derek M.
MP: Versatile Wings – Since IndyCar drivers are inclined to have a variety of driver-to-driver contact, I believe strong wing buildings are right here to remain in favor of thinner, lighter, versatile wing parts that will probably be trash by the point avenue racing is over.
Engine/Hybrid – There was a variety of dialogue about going principally or full spec on the inner combustion aspect to open up the power restoration aspect for play and private expression (this will probably be a spotlight in a number of upcoming IndyCar 2028 articles). The ultimate resolution overturned that notion. It’s unclear whether or not ERS will open sooner or later.
I’ve spent many hours fascinated with it with a purpose to proceed to develop and launch distinctive options that allow measurable differentiation for producers and groups. Open shocks are not obligatory attributable to value. Open aerodynamics was tried from 2015 to 2017, and the producer wasted a considerable amount of money whereas producing no significant development for the collection in TV rankings or ticket gross sales, and with no recognized improve in automobile gross sales. Due to this fact, it solely brings dangerous reminiscences economically. The wheels are specs. Aero is spec. The engine is a 2.4 liter V6. ERS is a specification. Gearbox is spec. Digital tools is topic to specs.
I am undecided what else to contemplate to not be fastened as a spec and go away it open to convey actual character and distinction with out an enormous price ticket. Possibly a Mailbag reader may help me with some concepts I am lacking.
Q: Mount Rushmore of IndyCar pit reporters. I’ve to go together with John Beekhouse, Gary Gerard, Calvin Fish, and Kevin Lee. What do you assume?
Ed, Jersey
MP: That is a powerful vote. However it might be incomplete with out Jacques Alto.
Q: I believe the probabilities of Penske Leisure doing this are slim to none, however I have been a proponent for a while of permitting “particular” entries into the Indy 500, alongside the strains of the final thought of Storage 56 for the Le Mans 24 race, as a option to permit innovation in a really managed method.
Years in the past, this might have been a enjoyable and sensible option to discover the delta wing idea (with out having to construct a complete fleet). Within the present case, IMS would notify JR Hildebrand ( Blackbird 66Mk.1 ) and Laura (DGR-Curler FE automobile) If yow will discover a option to construct an idea automobile, you are welcome to enter the Indy 500 as a “particular” entry, supplied, after all, that you just qualify as one of many quickest 33 automobiles squarely.
This may give us an opportunity to qualify this weekend Actually That is attention-grabbing for the broader motorsport world as nicely (who would not need to see a 66Mk.1-wrapping IMS sprinting at full velocity on a heat day in Could? Or how a super-modified FE automobile would do to qualify for Indy?)
It additionally permits for a glimpse of innovation whereas stopping an air arms race the place present NTT IndyCar Collection groups construct and modify their very own chassis. It additionally has the built-in excuse that if certainly one of these Storage 56-esque entries carried out exceptionally nicely towards the established IndyCar Dallara components, they had been a “particular” entry that was allowed to play outdoors the foundations.
Is there a chance that IMS and IndyCar will permit non-concept automobiles to be proven at occasions?
Nick, Wisconsin
MP: You must begin with the “issues everybody would complain about” half and work backwards in the direction of the reply. This does not require a lot to achieve a conclusion. Each staff proprietor and engine provider would lose their thoughts pondering {that a} “gasoline alley 34” entry would lap sooner than their automobile or engine, even when the particular entry wasn’t sooner over the course of a lap, that the sponsors that pay probably the most cash or the lion’s share of the season would come alongside, or that they might get extra media consideration than what we see at Indy.
That is a one hundred pc draw back for the groups and everybody on the competitors aspect (that is pondering from the collection aspect) until the GA34 machines choke and get sucked in and produce embarrassment to the occasion.
The spirit of innovation and making an attempt to beat one another with completely different and higher automobiles has lengthy since disappeared amongst most IndyCar staff homeowners. Everybody was fearful of not being equal, and as soon as that concern was eliminated by specifying virtually all the pieces, there was by no means any probability of going again to the previous methods of competing completely different chassis fashions with completely different engines and completely different tire manufacturers.
33 It could be a variety of enjoyable to see a Blackbird 66 Mk.1 within the discipline, however it might even be very unrealistic. Picture by Patrick Fallwetter
Q: I have been lurking for a few years, however that is my first name. For all of the discuss surrounding full-time entry into the 2026 IndyCar season (and neighbors and just one seat left open), little has been mentioned about further Indy 500 entries. Any information from DRR (who was very profitable final yr) or groups that will make further entries?
Dave Lundin, Woodridge, Illinois
MP: DRR will probably be two automobiles once more. The one query is who will substitute Hunter-Reay. Daley is an apparent identify to get again there and attempt to win. We all know Andretti has an additional automobile and Arrow McLaren has an RHR. Final time I requested, Ganassi had no intention of constructing any further automobiles, and Foyt was reluctant to take action whereas partnered with Penske. Carpenter will return as a 500 entry, with Castroneves additionally returning together with Meyer Shank. Sato will return to RLL. There are a number of different names I’ve heard of as potential 500 members, however PREMA is main the cost attributable to engine availability.
In the event that they had been collaborating, the entry record would replicate what was in Could, and we’ve got solely heard that they’re collaborating. But when not, it may very well be attention-grabbing.
Q: Do producers collaborating in IMSA pay a price to compete and can they obtain extra protection through the Web? I haven’t got web entry, so I missed a lot of the IMSA protection final yr. Which is a disgrace as a result of I believe it is one of the best collection in America proper now.
rob
MP: In the beginning of the DPi period in 2017, annual advertising and marketing and promotion charges had been obligatory, however I’m not conscious of any adjustments since then. The annual minimal per producer is rumored to be $1 million.
Sure, each race collection is getting increasingly protection through the web. I additionally simply realized that I do not know how this was despatched or what the response seems to be like if I haven’t got web entry.
Q: Think about the following nice open-wheel racer instantly grows up. All of a sudden, I used to be 6 ft 10 inches tall. Will it slot in an IndyCar or F1 cockpit? Will automobiles instantly turn into longer or taller drivers need to go elsewhere?
Isaac, Fruitport, Michigan
MP: Sizing is simple. For many who lived in flats and houses from the Twenties and Thirties, making an attempt to navigate hallways or slip by doorframes is a reminder of how small the common was in comparison with us at this time. So do many traditional race automobiles. If most drivers had been to be NBA dimension, there can be a change as there’s at the moment no place for them in any collection.
Q: Primarily based solely on instinct and rumour. As NASCAR’s case continues, what are the probabilities we’ll hear that IndyCar’s restrictions on oval racing are a part of NASCAR’s antitrust efforts?
Sean, Maryland
MP: I do not know if a lawsuit is critical to reply this query.
NASCAR has lengthy stored IndyCar off the oval, with some exceptions. We ended up paying IndyCar to lease Iowa Speedway, which had simply completed. WWTR/Gateway is privately owned by Curtis Francois. The Milwaukee Mile is owned and operated by Wisconsin State Truthful Parks. Nashville Speedway is owned by Speedway Motorsports. IndyCar’s return to Phoenix Raceway, a NASCAR-owned monitor that would be the solely circuit of its type within the collection in 2026, will probably be performed by FOX Sports activities, facilitating fast out and in Friday by Saturday Cup weekends.
I lined a Grand Am race a few years in the past throughout the NASCAR Cup summer time race at Daytona. IndyCar does not need to cope with that in Phoenix, as Cup and different collection compete on ovals and Grand Am makes use of rovals throughout the identical occasion, an odd prevalence, however the feeling of being an irrelevant member of the race weekend has all the time existed on Guam. I used to be out and in till Saturday and nobody cared. And Grand Am is again to headlining his personal occasion. Let’s examine how IndyCar fares on the NASCAR Phoenix undercard in March…
Q: I do know they’re ready for one more engine provider to affix IndyCar with hybrid know-how, however will Honda be a part of or will they go away? Toyota at the moment sponsors Haas in F1 with out supplying a powerplant, DRS has been scrapped, and the PTP model now has extra battery energy. When are you going to cease this nonsense?
I am all for methods to sluggish or cease international warming, however we’re speaking about probably the most superior racing automobiles on this planet. Watch YouTube and return to IndyCar and F1 racing within the ’90s, shut your eyes and take heed to the sounds of V10s and turbo V8s screaming on the monitor. That is what racing is all about.
We have to get this again by some means, and the earlier the higher. The hollowed-out lands of Indianapolis and Monza want to listen to this voice, not the noise of Singer’s stitching machine buzzing, buzzing, buzzing, buzzing, buzzing.
Joe, Los Angeles, California
MP: I like the concept of breaking Honda information in a mailbag. If I get a solution, I’ll share it.
No have to closely rehash what I’ve written many instances, however sure, I might prefer to see and listen to one thing greater and higher, supplied IndyCar’s engine suppliers do not require hybrids or small-displacement turbo V6s as a situation of participation.
At greatest, Chevrolet gives the look of being tired of hybridizing IndyCar, and we all know Bowtie likes naturally aspirated motors. Honda is thought for its love of small turbos and hybrids. Nobody is aware of what the brand new producer will need.
But when a 3rd installment comes alongside and helps what Chevrolet might want, Penske Leisure might change course with out risking changing into a single-manufacturer collection.
Q: It has been reported a number of instances that IndyCar leaders need to cut back participation to 25 automobiles if PREMA is disbanded. Any rationalization as to why? 25 vs. 27 automobiles does not appear to dramatically change the working prices of the collection.
I additionally assume Sting Ray Rob will get a variety of unfair remedy from IndyCar followers. His efficiency was basically the identical as Louis Foster and Nolan Siegel, each of whom had a lot better automobiles than him. Sting Ray was solely 80 factors behind the way more skilled Daley (the identical level distinction that was between Herta and Dixon this yr). Rob might be not a future champion, however neither ought to he be the face of paid drivers in IndyCar.
Will, Indy
MP: There are numerous motivations for downsizing the sphere. In conversations with staff homeowners, Penske Leisure CEO Mark Miles places the quantity at 22, pushed in idea by searching for increased high quality entries and extra worth/exclusivity with fewer entries. Some staff homeowners are searching for it to extend the worth of their charters.
Stingray, come on, come on. He has outperformed different paid drivers comparable to Benjamin Pedersen and Jacob Abel in three seasons, however is the one paid driver to realize a twentieth place end.th The rating was decrease than that for all three years. If Pedersen, Abel and Devlin DeFrancesco had the identical three-year tenure, I can perceive the argument that certainly one of them can be the face of the paid driver, however he is the one fixed all through that interval. Siegel was honest recreation so far as similarities, however the point out of Foster beats me.
Q: Will the NASCAR settlement have an effect on IndyCar concerning the constitution system?
Vincent Martinez, South Pasadena, California
MP: That is an excellent query. Nothing for now, however IndyCar staff homeowners will probably be pondering quite a bit concerning the future.
final phrase
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, December 17, 2014
Q: In the event you might have an unique 20-minute interview with Bernie Ecclestone, what would you ask him?
Mark, Orange County, California
Robin Miller: I believe I known as him at his home in the course of the night time in 1979 and requested him if he remembered waking him up and asking him questions on Porsches, however he refused to reply and hung up on me. Then I might ask him (though he had to make use of a polygraph) how a lot he was afraid of CART when Previous Man Nige defected in 1993.
