Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers could be despatched to mailbag@racer.com. We love listening to your feedback and opinions, however letters that embody 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 undoubtedly part of the push for sustainability, however they actually need a rethink. I like the truth that IndyCar is attempting one thing, however if you see the race begin and nearly all of the sphere pitting by lap 4 to ditch them, it actually makes them appear extra like a gimmick than pure technique.
I do know that now we have had situations like that with the reds a handful of instances, however for probably the most half, the degradation on them hasn’t been as excessive (particularly if you happen to’re Scott Dixon and have a sixth sense for making them final with minimal falloff). Plus there’s often a sufficiently big efficiency delta, and it results in some very fascinating 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 highway course alternates last more, have 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 avenue 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 instances to make racing tires, there’s no possibility for Firestone to redo its avenue course alternates forward of Detroit and Toronto, however I can’t think about it will proceed in the identical method subsequent yr.
Q: I used to be aghast studying the article “Penske Leisure seeking to deliver Lengthy Seashore vibe to extra IndyCar occasions.” Is it not fully apparent that folks like days filled with on-track exercise, meals vans, 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 manner out of city to the power the place there was nothing happening outdoors of some merch tents, sat within the warmth till the race began, after which went house. Even when the race was unimaginable, 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 among them loves automobiles and racing, however you understand what they’re all most all in favour of after about 20 minutes? The bouncy homes, Ferris wheel, and the displays the place they’ll put stuff collectively or attempt to win one thing. There’s a automotive present and a museum. There’s even an Indy NXT race earlier than IndyCar. It’s a enjoyable day! Because of this avenue races are common – it’s simpler to remain entertained all day, and the shut quarters make the occasion really feel particular and busy. I’m not the professional right here, nevertheless it’s not rocket science.
Ross Bynum
MP: I hear you. That is the way in which Lengthy Seashore has finished 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 motive to go round and soak up all the distinctive issues concerning the occasion, ought to make for higher Penske Leisure owned/led occasions elsewhere on the schedule.
Regardless of what number of instances you’ve been someplace, there’s all the time a possibility to see issues with contemporary eyes. Chris Jones/IMS Photograph
Q: Doesn’t it appear Colton Herta’s staff has an uncanny knack of fumbling race outcomes? Looks like each transfer is incorrect. It’s both pit errors or awful technique.
Mark, Buffalo, NY
MP: The fascinating factor is teammate Kyle Kirkwood’s been having an analogous 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 yr with a few pit lane disasters at St. Pete with a tire after which with refueling that left him sixteenth. They have been robust at Thermal, and had a lightweight tire-change delay and an underwhelming race at Lengthy Seashore.
They undoubtedly must tighten issues up, however they aren’t in dangerous form. A superb run at Barber or Indy will get Herta as much as the place Kirkwood resides at the moment. They have 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 automotive is able to producing.
Q: Any phrase on what the particular situation was with Newgarden’s belts?
Joey Selmants
MP: Finest guess is Josef was hitting the buckle whereas turning by the hairpin and launched the belts. Your letter got here in earlier than we revealed a narrative about it — if you happen to missed it, right here it’s.
Q: Any concepts on how you can get the balloon launch again on the IMS through the singing of “Again Dwelling Once more in Indiana”?
David Brown, Birmingham, AL
MP: Finest suggestion is to deliver your individual 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 look at 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. Nonetheless, they’re experiencing appreciable development, attracting followers and producers.
Why do I increase this? These are each causes people blame IndyCar for its present predicament. It’s true that we’d like a brand new automotive and a greater schedule; nevertheless, 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 like?
Dan Mayhew, UK
MP: Talked about right here just a few instances over the past yr that we don’t have, nor have we had, an IndyCar State of the Union deal with from Penske Leisure that I can consider after the preliminary buy, so it’s laborious 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 in control of IndyCar; in concept, there’s no motive that couldn’t occur. If his bosses needed to do one on the mother or father firm, it might be welcome as effectively.
Success ought to be the identical as all the time, which is larger reputation as measured by tv viewers and reside attendance, and prosperity, measured by discipline dimension 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 be simple to trace.
