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 printed. Questions obtained after 3pm ET every Monday shall be saved for the next week.
Q: Linus Lundqvist’s likelihood of a full-time IndyCar seat in 2025 appears slim, however can an Indy 500 one-off be on the playing cards? Aside from that, are you conscious of him having had discussions with groups in different classes? I’m considering IMSA could be an excellent choice to get some observe time, in let’s say an LMP2 group.
Fabian Blåder
MARSHALL PRUETT: As I perceive the place open seats stand immediately, Linus has Dale Coyne left as the one place to go. I’ve pointed him to plenty of IMSA LMP2 groups, and in addition instructed pursuing choices as one of many greater IndyCar group’s official check and reserve driver, as we see with groups in F1, to make sure a title contender has a rocket on standby who may assist with simulator work, engine check days, straightline testing, and a number of the different much less desired duties that veterans usually wish to skip. I haven’t checked in since our final story went up and don’t know what he’s obtained. There was an IMSA GTD risk I heard of a short while in the past, however can’t say if that was only for the Rolex 24 or extra.
Q: In mild of Oliver Bearman’s feedback concerning the present Tremendous Method automobile (additionally constructed by Dallara), might the 2027 IndyCar place to begin be higher ranging from the SF23s?
Gordon, Dallas
MP: It’s an fascinating name that I’ve heard others within the IndyCar paddock point out as nicely. Solely word so as to add is Dallara’s spec SF chassis is constructed purely for highway racing and lacks the entire added – and vital – design options to maintain drivers secure within the occasion of an oval crash. With Graham Rahal within the collection — and any future drivers who’re both tall or broad (or tall and broad) — Dallara’s IndyCar tubs must be bigger than something they’d make for different open-wheel championships.
It makes doing one thing authentic for IndyCar a pure place to begin as an alternative of making an attempt to adapt a design from one other shopper.
Q: Could I counsel that the design of the subsequent IndyCar chassis be an analogous footprint and fundamental look because the 1979 F1 Ferrari 312, which might be up to date with carbon fiber wings, physique and so on., of every group’s distinctive design? I feel IndyCar ought to attempt to be completely different from FIA, F1, F2 designs of immediately’s lengthy snouts, and trick DRS wings. IndyCar must be a singular product, to attempt to be higher than F1.
Together with this I counsel that work be executed with race engine suppliers comparable to Ilmor to breed the sound of the V12 engines of 1979 F1 to go with the brand new chassis.
Generally you have to look backwards to maneuver ahead.
Mark Stadelmann
MP: It will be the best-looking/sounding retro-modern open-wheel collection on this planet, which might be an improve to easily being the world’s one and solely retro-moderns open-wheel collection like it’s immediately. A query, although: Does copying one thing that already exists, and was retired almost 50 years in the past, qualify as distinctive?
Now attempt to think about it with an aeroscreen. Rainer Schlegelmilch/Motorsport Photographs
Q: After 25 years, SoCal’s iconic Irwindale Speedway has succumbed to the ever hungry actual property market. On Sunday December 8, the drag strip boasted 250 vehicles, the place racers and followers alike stayed for emotional Ultimate Cross at sundown. As a crew member of this A/FX historical past run, I’m proud to say because of the Speedway together with the numerous racers who made it need it was.
Denny Valdez
MP: A tragic growth. The primary racetrack I keep in mind visiting — Baylands drag strip and figure-8 facility — presently lives underneath the parking tons and big-box shops on the subsequent exit south from the place we dwell. Too many tales like yours and mine and others who beloved going to Monitor X and are left with nothing greater than recollections after it was offered and was one thing else.
Q: I haven’t seen or heard something about this however, what’s going to occur to an IndyCar constitution if a group who owns a constitution can’t provide you with sufficient sponsorship {dollars} or discover a driver with sufficient cash to run a full or partial season? IndyCar has mentioned that they don’t need a revolving door of drivers, so let’s suppose Dale Coyne or Juncos can’t provide you with the cash to run their two vehicles – have they got to promote their charters? Can they lease them to a different group? How will it work?
John
MP: I might be incorrect, however I consider there’s the equal of a ‘When you don’t use it, you lose it’ clause within the constitution. Just like the Leaders Circle contracts, the place groups decide to coming into a LC-possessing entry for the complete season to get the $1 million payout, I’m assured in saying charters have the identical full-season requirement.
Needless to say no group really owns its charters; these belong to Penske Leisure, so if a group is unable to area a chartered entry, I’d suppose Penske would turn into centrally concerned to reclaim the charters if a sale of the charters to an accepted purchaser couldn’t be accomplished. No gross sales are executed with out Penske’s approval, so in each situation, the mothership could be concerned.
An space of curiosity for me in such a situation, or if somebody merely desires to promote and get out of IndyCar, is how that may play out on the customer facet. We frequently consider an proprietor with two vehicles and two charters promoting each to a newcomer, however what concerning the different two-car groups who would possibly wish to develop to 3 constitution entries? If Staff X is trying to get out, would a Foyt or a Shank — present two-car groups — get the primary shot at shopping for one of many two charters earlier than a brand new entity was thought-about?
Q: The article on the styling of the proposed 2027 IndyCar was fascinating. Is a decrease weight chassis nonetheless a precedence for the design group as nicely?
Bob
MP: It’s. There are a selection of choices on the desk that would convey down the general weight, however a brand new and heavier power restoration system is coming, so it received’t be straightforward to take a bunch of weight away from the factor.
