Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers may be despatched to mailbag@racer.com. We love listening to your feedback and opinions, however letters that embrace a query usually tend to be revealed. Questions obtained after 3pm ET every Monday might be saved for the next week.
Q: I do know that alternates on the road programs are nonetheless an merchandise beneath growth and are positively part of the push for sustainability, however they really want a rethink. I like the truth that IndyCar is making an attempt one thing, however while you see the race begin and nearly all of the sector pitting by lap 4 to ditch them, it actually makes them appear extra like a gimmick than pure technique.
I do know that we’ve got had situations like that with the reds a handful of occasions, however for essentially the most half, the degradation on them hasn’t been as excessive (particularly for those who’re Scott Dixon and have a sixth sense for making them final with minimal falloff). Plus there may be often a sufficiently big efficiency delta, and it results in some very attention-grabbing methods.
Alan Bandi, Sarver, PA
MARSHALL PRUETT: The nice factor is we shouldn’t expertise the zero-life alternates once more till June at Detroit. The street course alternates last more, had been the popular tire at Thermal, and I’d suspect they’ll be good at Barber and the Indy GP. After Detroit, the one different zero-life road course left on the schedule is Toronto, so this experiment IndyCar requested for is half over and can solely have an effect on two of the 14 remaining races.
With the lengthy manufacturing lead occasions to make racing tires, there’s no choice for Firestone to redo its road course alternates forward of Detroit and Toronto, however I can’t think about it will proceed in the identical method subsequent 12 months.
Q: I used to be aghast studying the article “Penske Entertainment looking to bring Long Beach vibe to more IndyCar events.” Is it not utterly apparent that folks like days full of on-track exercise, meals vehicles, music, leisure and no matter retains the vibe going? Have these “promoters” been this clueless all this time?
I might give many examples, however let’s take Texas Motor Speedway. You drove approach out of city to the ability the place there was nothing occurring outdoors of some merch tents, sat within the warmth till the race began, after which went house. Even when the race was unbelievable, it wasn’t that nice of a time. How do you retain children entertained in that situation?
We’ve taken our children to Barber the previous couple of years. One in all them loves automobiles and racing, however you realize what they’re all most serious about after about 20 minutes? The bouncy homes, Ferris wheel, and the displays the place they will put stuff collectively or attempt to win one thing. There’s a automobile present and a museum. There’s even an Indy NXT race earlier than IndyCar. It’s a enjoyable day! That is why road races are well-liked – it’s simpler to remain entertained all day, and the shut quarters make the occasion really feel particular and busy. I’m not the knowledgeable right here, but it surely’s not rocket science.
Ross Bynum
MP: I hear you. That is the best way Lengthy Seaside has carried out it for many years, so it was there for the copying by any promoter who was keen to concentrate. However Bud Denker’s insights on seeing the LBGP for the primary time from the within, from having a brand new cause to go round and absorb the entire distinctive issues concerning the occasion, ought to make for higher Penske Leisure owned/led occasions elsewhere on the schedule.
Regardless of what number of occasions you’ve been someplace, there’s all the time a chance to see issues with recent eyes. Chris Jones/IMS Picture
Q: Doesn’t it appear Colton Herta’s crew has an uncanny knack of fumbling race outcomes? Looks like each transfer is improper. It’s both pit errors or awful technique.
Mark, Buffalo, NY
MP: The attention-grabbing factor is teammate Kyle Kirkwood’s been having an identical early season run when it comes to potential. Kirk has finishes of fifth, eighth and first. Colton has a fourth and a seventh, however began the 12 months with a few pit lane disasters at St. Pete with a tire after which with refueling that left him sixteenth. They had been robust at Thermal, and had a light-weight tire-change delay and an underwhelming race at Lengthy Seaside.
They positively must tighten issues up, however they aren’t in unhealthy form. A great run at Barber or Indy will get Herta as much as the place Kirkwood resides at this time. They had been the clear better of Andretti International in 2024 with two wins and a run to second within the championship, so we all know what the 26 automobile is able to producing.
Q: Any phrase on what the precise subject was with Newgarden’s belts?
Joey Selmants
MP: Finest guess is Josef was hitting the buckle whereas turning by means of the hairpin and launched the belts. Your letter got here in earlier than we revealed a narrative about it — for those who missed it, here it is.
Q: Any concepts on how one can get the balloon launch again on the IMS in the course of the singing of “Again Dwelling Once more in Indiana”?
David Brown, Birmingham, AL
MP: Finest suggestion is to convey your personal balloons and helium bottles, as a result of this isn’t coming again.
Q: Some musing whereas watching the WEC race. F1 has a few of the worst-looking and sounding automobiles. It’s costly to observe in particular person – the merch prices are insane – and has deserted us conventional followers, however it’s the most well-liked motorsport ever.
IMSA and WEC have small calendars (IMSA 11 rounds, and WEC eight) and important gaps between races. Nevertheless, they’re experiencing appreciable progress, attracting followers and producers.
Why do I elevate this? These are each causes people blame IndyCar for its present predicament. It’s true that we’d like a brand new automobile and a greater schedule; nonetheless, this isn’t the rationale why IndyCar is struggling to develop. We want solutions to the next: What’s the imaginative and prescient for IndyCar? What does success appear to be?
Dan Mayhew, UK
MP: Talked about right here a number of occasions during the last 12 months that we don’t have, nor have we had, an IndyCar State of the Union tackle from Penske Leisure that I can consider after the preliminary buy, so it’s arduous to know its wide-reaching imaginative and prescient for the collection, its tracks, and its plan for the long run. We get issues in bits and items as sure individuals from the corporate communicate on no matter matter, however nothing like what another sporting leagues do on an annual foundation. Possibly that can change with Doug Boles answerable for IndyCar; in principle, there’s no cause that couldn’t occur. If his bosses needed to do one on the mum or dad firm, it will be welcome as effectively.
Success ought to be the identical as all the time, which is bigger reputation as measured by tv viewers and dwell attendance, and prosperity, measured by area measurement and the monetary well being of all groups. IndyCar additionally has the distinctive must develop a brand new and youthful fan base, and that metric can also be simple to trace.
