Welcome to the racer’s mail bag. Any questions from the racer writer are: mailbag@racer.com. We love hearing your comments and opinions, but letters containing questions are likely to be published. Any questions received every Monday after 3pm will be saved the following week.
Q: Why has Kyle Kirkwood never mentioned it in conversations with Pensuke or Chip Ganassi? He appears to have the most advantages as long as a young American driver goes.
Dave of JC
Marshall Pruett: Because he has a contract with Andretti until 2026. This is well known in the paddock. If he is a free agent and is not interested in returning to Andretti, I’m sure he’ll be driving towards Pensuke next season. Unless Dixon decides to retire, Ganassi is great for MSR, except that it is possible except that it will be cultivated to a second Meyer Shanklace entry, but if he wants to leave Andretti, he will have to run Kirkwood through concussion protocol.
If Dixon retires at the end of 2026, hell yes. He quickly signed Kirkwood and has a Parow and Killer combo for the next 15 years. I know that Power hasn’t finished its contract at the end of 2025, so it’s not suitable for Kirkwood at this point.
It’s still back in positioning, and whether the best move is to leave the team that established itself as a top dog, is it rare, or is there McLaughlin who left champions like New Garden and Power and had won seven races in 2021? Teammate Colton Hertha is a big problem that most of his time solves. Therefore, life at Andretti is not easy, but it is difficult to find the advantages of leaving it behind, as it is a home he knows and thrives.
Also, looking at the pockets of all three teams, we can’t guess how Andretti will be upwards for Kirkwood’s service. While Ganasi and Pensek are not lacking wealth, under Mark Walter and Dan Touris, New Era Andretti has the deepest pockets in the series. Sometimes the best move is not moving.
Q: Does the general vibe in Paddock take into account the Ghost Town of Iowa, another delay regarding the new chassis/engine, one make/driver dominance, and the growing anxiety/indifference within the fanbase, given that the non-500 TV numbers are rising from flat to slightly (as they are airing mainly on more favorable channels)?
Are there any team owners who will explode Penske Entertainment? News about Liberty Media trying to run to buy the series, or intervening to fix the course for those who are not 16th and Georgetown?
It’s very clear that sports need fresh eyes and people rather than being from Indiana and getting things around, not fresh eyes and people. Doug Boles isn’t the answer
Related fans
MP: You can’t buy anything that’s not for sale, so you don’t have any freedom. If that changes, I hope Liberty will be lined up first. No, after the Attenuator deal exploded, there was a cooperative “ranking is all close rank” from the series to team owners in May, “Don’t oppose Roger/Pensk Entertainment, Don’t oppose Roger/Pensk Entertainment.” I’ve heard complaints – it’s natural, but they’re hardly said about public consumption.
As of today, Doug has served as President of IndyCar for 23 weeks and a day. You don’t need to take the Red Bull approach and draw Liam Lawson to that guy. Maybe he’s able to declare whether he’s the answer or not until he’s spent a year at work and actually gets involved in pre-season brainstorming and planning.
Kirkwood is not a stupid seasonal conversation. Because he can’t sign it. Joe Skibinski/IMS
Q: It appears that IndyCar is chasing entertainment delivery methods for the last year or the past decade. Last year, everyone seemed happy that the race was being played on Over the Air Network TV. As a cable cutter living in an area without an airborne fox outlet, I was not a fanatic. Fox’s partial seasonal viewing count is not overwhelming.
when New York Times There’s this interesting bit in the article on CBS’ late-night show cancellation. F1 is negotiating for a new US media deal, and ESPN is in the mix, but F1 is not seeking to win a race at ABC. Rather, F1 is looking at Netflix, Amazon and Apple as potential partners.
Isn’t loyalty to network television a symptom of the same thought that gives us a race before the empty stands in Iowa? Perhaps looking to the future (or even the present) is a better path for promotions in both the media and venues.
PS Chabral’s courage and resilience tends to me to trust her judgment, but I like the Opossum shirt.
Tom Hinshaw, Santa Barbara, California
MP: I think you need to go on tours, wear MailBagger to MailBagger for a week, take a photo and post it before sending it to the next person.
I read something similar a week ago and it was eye-opening: Broadcasting is below 20% of TV use for the first time.
A solid review of NASCAR running on Amazon Prime spoke about the future. The average was about half a million viewers per race, down from a linear 2.6 to 2.1 on stream, but that audience was much younger, which was important. I thought the average was under 2.1 million (I didn’t know how many people were using Amazon Prime. I used it for at least 10 years, but I thought it was a more niche than that. And I learned that there is a 22% US market ahead of Netflix).
Fox will feature a new Fox-only streaming service that is expected to be released in the coming months. This is great for those who love both Fox, Love Indycar, or Love, but Peacock is a niche pay service like NBC. Also, Fox+ doesn’t have a wide audience to reach the veins of Netflix or Apple+ or Amazon Prime like the typical streamer. This is purely about reaching and increasing the maximum streaming number possible. If it’s not a wide-ranging general streamer, there’s no reach.
Networking is still a way to connect with older audiences, but if IndyCar really wants to grow, you will need to find a common streamer with a huge audience to carry the product for the latest fans.
Q: Again, no replays of Practice 1 from Toronto are available on my Roku TV’s Fox Sports app. Do you have contact information for Fox? Because there are more eyes in every commercial. Peacock uploaded the replay an hour after the original broadcast.
Jim Doyle, Hoboken, New Jersey
MP: I hope people at Fox make notes.
Q: I became a huge fan of Dreyer & Line Ball Dracing/Cucic Motorsports on the Indy 500. I hope they run more races and go full time, but I’m sure they’re taking part in the lack of a new charter system in progress. Do you know if we’ll be together again at 500 next year?
I also read in another publication that Don Cusick hopes to expand his program. This could involve partnering with another team next May, including Indy NXT, and/or partnering with another team in 2026 or 2027. He is a passionate owner who belongs to IndyCar! Thank you for your insight.
Ted Yesman, Sonoma, California
MP: Don spends a lot of money on him forking and spending a lot of money on funding a race program, buying or leasing equipment, etc., not having a big financial demand and avoiding significant commitment in time and budget. One is fun and doesn’t put big drugs on your time and savings. The other feels like a full-time job. Because it will always be a full-time job, I don’t know if that’s what he wants after leaving that long ago.
He told me about the same plan of thermals you read, so it’s consistent. I need to catch up and see where things have gone or haven’t been going in the last few months.
Sometimes it’s a good idea to turn your hobby into a job. Sometimes it’s not. James Black/IMS
Q: Where is the Paloo/McLaren lawsuit? Do you think Parow’s advantage this season will affect settlement negotiations, assuming it is still ongoing?
Steve, Danville, California
MP: As I’ve heard last time, it’s certainly heading towards a conclusion, and the estimated loss to McLaren of over $20 million that the team was sought to could range from zero to millions. This feels like it’s become old news. Even if it’s $5 million to $10 million, I don’t know if it will cause craters in Parow’s life or enrich McLaren. If it’s over $20 million, it’s a completely different deal.
However, the lawsuit is about money and not the execution of the contract, so McLaren will not get a paroo when it’s over. Apart from stricter financial pain that may bring joy, it is impossible to get a big payday with the series’ most dominant driver, so it’s ultimately about a billionaire fighting over the dollar amount to ease ego and embarrassment.
Q: Last week I received a long letter from Jah from ATL. ATL spoke about Indycar’s image and history, pointing out that it is far older than Formula 1 and is the only series to crown a true national champion.
Your answer seemed to blow him away, and in the reply to the next letter, you said with Fox that you would see where Indycar lives in terms of national perception and interest.
Indycar agrees that you should do everything possible to play the fact that you are awarding the Astor Cup, dating back to 1915. You cannot purchase a historic source. IndyCar needs to get all the help. Someone from PenskeEntertainment read the letter. I know what they did, they read the mail bag. It’s a bit creepy, but not as creepy as that big possum shirt.
Bill Bailey, Fresno
MP: People who know about the history of Indycar and its national champion crown are either current fans, longtime fans, or former fans. I thought the National Champion Angle performance would attract new fans and make a slight difference in expanding the audience, but it turned out to be a response.
Source is important. But isn’t it hooks that involve the average person in sports? Amazing people see them doing great things with bats, balls, steering wheels and more. The sporting class is not a frontline item, along with the history and legend that built the league, and the strands that connect the past to the present. It’s not my life experience. It’s secondary, or sirdonderly (which made it). So I don’t see the premise of defending a national title as more than a fun footnote. As always, I could be totally wrong.
Q: Has McLaughlin’s left rear wheel nut failed or was it simply not attached? From the replay it appeared to be two materials that leapt out of the car. I wasn’t sure if the nuts had broken into multiple pieces.
Joey
MP: I spoke to the team and it was an error, not a failure. They thought the nuts were safe, but that was clearly not the case.
Q: Will there be anything I would like to report on Power or Veekay regarding my contract next year? Personally, I like how Veekay and Coyne gel, and I’d like to see them together next year in more sponsorships.
John Balestrieri, wait, Wisconsin
MP: No one can think of the team except Armstrong and Meyershank, the second car, sitting in 7th place. Penske’s power seats are obviously great, but that team is not looking for current employees and Malukas as a solution.
Veekay’s manager is talking to everyone in Paddock, and while the few who have seats to pay for the seats offered would be ridiculous to ignore him, he is currently defeating everything but MSR with Coyne and Race Engineer Michael Cannon. There are not many surprising opportunities in 2026, so we recommend keeping the station and exploring the market in 12 months.
When it comes to power, he has a lot of interest. If Pensuke lets him go, he will fly from Charlotte to Indy to sign a new contract and be unemployed for a long time to attend a press conference.
If electricity becomes available next year, flooding of incoming calls will be one of Verizon’s cell service stress testing in NC. Joe Skibinski/IMS
Q: Questions about Indycar and Yellows. The pit was left closed a bit after Alexander Rossi crashed last weekend and Pat O’ward was in the pit. However, last week in Iowa, Josef Newgarden pitted and turned yellow. The pits seemed to open as quickly as possible and rock the hose.
yes? no? Or am I overreacting to the event?
Kim
MP: I think we can put Pensuke’s hints on the scale of his driver’s favor. Neither decision was thought to have been made intentionally in a way that would help or hose either driver.
Q: I’m happy to see Linus Lundqvist in the colour of papaya this weekend. I hope he finds a more permanent drive in 2026. Is McLaren still holding him as a spare driver for the rest of the season, or was this one-off?
Handsome Joe
MP: Only one time. But yes, Linus has been attracting renewed interest since McLaren Outreach. He needs to be in the series.
Q: Why is the New Hampshire Mile not suitable for Indy Curls?
John Sedrack, Venice, Florida
MP: I didn’t know that Loudon had stopped being appropriate. Indycar recently raced there in 2011. This gave us the best meme ever for Will Power Flipping Race Control of Double Birds. It is owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc, which also owns Spensville Speedway, for Penske Entertainment to rent from SMI to host the season finale. Penske thinks that SMI president Marcus Smith has the figures to discuss Indycar’s oval options in the range of Smith’s supervisor’s tracks. He’s a sharp guy and I don’t understand why he wouldn’t welcome SMI’s tracks into more tracks, unless he puts too much stress on his relationship with NASCAR.
Q: Your comment was correct regarding LBGP. The 2025 event was my 46th year in the race.
I think the biggest reason for the continued success of the event is that there is some form of race on the track from 7:45am on Fridays and Saturdays to 8:00pm. There will then be a rock concert on Friday and Saturday nights.
For a while, I missed the Indy Light, which had been dropped a few years ago. But then they added a historic Formula 1 car and I’m in heaven.
Ed Kelly, Los Angeles
MP: I’ve heard, Edit Indy NXT understands that there is a possibility for 2026.
Q: Another successful Toronto Indy weekend is in the book. However, there are a few questions as follow-up.
Last week’s email bag said there’s a high chance that Toronto will be back. As an annual attendee and a proud resident, this is a shock to me. The World Cup will be held at BMO Field, in the middle of the track, from June 12th to July 2nd. The city has made abundantly clear that there is no chance of truck setups occurring until this time. It usually takes 3-4 weeks. They also have to be defeated by mid-August for CNE. Do we see the race in late July as a possible schedule shuffle, or would we consider skipping 2026 and returning to 2027? This year’s attendees looked like the best I’ve ever seen!
My other questions are about the rules. With regard to the use of full course yellow and its timing, the oval shape clearly shows yellow immediately. Road courses give drivers time to drive. Why were they so fast tossing yellow on Sundays? Partly due to the obvious needs of doctors and blocked trucks, but for example, the Rossi incident was a kiss on the wall. Why did it have to be yellow immediately? The results of the race (and perhaps the championship) have also completely changed. Wouldn’t it make more sense to refrain from getting everyone’s chances to pit, like NASCAR, because of minor incidents? I have no problem with my yellow luck. It’s a race, but it felt a bit extreme and avoidable.
Finally, the yellow lace. Sometimes we paint it red and sometimes we let it go to the end. It was too late to red on Sunday, but are there any rules that aren’t written about when they throw or let go of red? If not, should it be? Or do you need to add an option with a red flag and add one or two extra wraps and wrap one or two wraps to finish under green (or try)? Just a thought. Like NASCAR, you have a chance to finish at least under the green, rather than the complete randomness of racial distance.
Maybe if it’s 4-10 laps to go to the oval or 4-7 laps on the road and street, paint it red instead of yellow and set it up for a reboot. In three cases, add a wrap with a red flag. If you’re going to two, add two with a red flag. If it’s on the white flag wrap, we’re done.
Ben, Toronto
MP: President of IndyCar Doug Boles said he expects Toronto, Portland and Laguna Seca to return. If not, he would have refused to answer the question – I led him to ask about Toronto – which would have been clear. Of course, things can change, but the arrival of the World Cup is never a new conflict to consider, so yes, I think a return to Toronto will involve avoiding other forms of football. And if the races disappeared in 2026, I think they’ll return to 2027 because it’s a cool, popular classic that dates back to 1986.
Why did Rossi crash when all sorts of car parts explode from the car and scattered across the race line? I hope the answer is clear. Calls of judgments made when race control feels that full course attention is the right decision are made, but it is not exactly urgent or scary – for cars sitting in the middle of the road and cars parked from the 50-foot course – therefore the flow of the race is taken into consideration so as not to kill leaders’ day. It doesn’t happen every time. That’s why that’s what judgement is.
You are right in a race that ends carefully. It became an IndyCar unicorn. It used to be a rather ordinary and inconspicuous way to end a race. But it’s been happening so many times these days, I think you feel when or shouldn’t be allowed for a formal process or structured chart. I don’t. I would rather read the situation and call the race control to judge.
It doesn’t mean I love all of their decisions, but I don’t want to be trapped in some essential matrices that they should follow. Sometimes the game ends with the quarterback kneeling and running out of watch.
I will not assert the need for yellow after a crash in Rossi. Joe Skibinksi/IMS
Q: What do MailBag readers think of this radical idea? The tires remain the same between the yellow flags. You can go in and refuel, but unless you have a flat tire, you will change that tire, and that’s it.
I don’t think most fans like their favorite drivers being sn-grown with a terrible yellow flag of timing. I want to know what other people think.
Jim Doyle, Hoboken, New Jersey
MP: I imagined a large team with drones warmed up and carefully prepared to fly the circuit, waiting for the car to head towards one side of the truck, dropping a small claw on the drone to puncture the tire, and putting a free pass into the pit lane.
Q: What have you been dealing with NewGarden recently? Bad seasons happen, but it appears he hasn’t been his normal self this year, to deal with adversity through grace. The few times he did the interviews are very short and look very non-Pensk, as there are no better words. I’m not saying he’s a great one (to quote Seinfeld) not Pensuke’s material. I’m worried that the Joseph’s new garden from the past, which we all loved, will be gone. I’m sure many will agree to miss the fun and hilarious “Josef New Garden” version of the SFHR era.
Alan Bundy, Salvar, Pennsylvania
MP: Please tell me you didn’t read 99% of Newgarden-Questions MailBag last week.
The playful kid who drove for Sarah and Ed, and the first few years deal with life and life in any way he chose, compared to trying to please people like the first half of his career. He appeared on camera last weekend when everything went wrong again, and although he had little to say, it seemed like someone from Pensuke sent the message that talking to Fox was no longer an option.
Q: We are currently jeting towards Race 14 of our 17 race seasons, but we still don’t have one (Indy only) replacement driver participating in the event. For those of us who are thriving with rumors of Padoc Cheos changing drivers, it is dangerously quiet and perhaps unprecedented in the modern IndyCar series. I went back to 2010 and every year there was at least one more driver change than this. (Who is the one-time unforgettable for Giorgio Pantano’s CGR in 2012?)
Please tell me there’s one fill by the end of the season. Or is that stupid season still not cancelled entirely?
pp
MP: As far as I know, all paid drivers meet their payment schedule. This leaves drivers who are being paid, or drivers who will bring in partial budgets, and the schedule is actually the biggest barrier to making changes in the second half of the season. It was easy when the championship ended with a run from Portland to Laguna Seca. For two road courses, two road courses plugged in with Felipe Drugvich or Dennis Hauger makes sense.
But it’s far more likely that the veterans who fought will have strong results for their teams and their sponsors, rather than when the year closes in Milwaukee and Nashville. So sorry Giorgio.
Q: I participated in the Toronto IndyCar Grand Prix last weekend, and I’m happy. I have not returned to this race since 1994, but many of the races have changed. The race weekend was fun and the grandstand was full. I did some simple calculations based on the grandstand on Turn 11 (directly across from Alex Parrow’s pitbox), and came up with a rough figure with about 18,500 seats, including premium seats along the pit lane. That number does not include general admission ticket holders.
Do you know how many fans participated in the Toronto Grand Prix? Is that number, or a close estimate, published? The reason I ask is that I saw an estimate of 6,000 fans per race over two race weekends in Iowa. The 18,500 fans reminded me that even if they sold out, they weren’t the big figures at major sporting events. Of course, it didn’t help that the Toronto Blue Jays were in town at the same time on both Saturday and Sunday.
Kevin P., Los Angeles, California
MP: I don’t. Most basketball arenas hold around 18,000 seats, so that’s what motor racing gets, and if no one’s upset with the Knicks or Fever when it’s sold out at MSG or Gainbridge, then it’s probably a Toronto math track. I think Iowa’s numbers were 3K on Saturday and 3K on Sunday. If we were to employ both Iowa laces and add thermals, it was rough for events attended by record lows.
The Torontonians appeared with strength. Chris Owens/IMS
Q: In my opinion, it’s time to stop chasing eggs and worry about having a certain amount of money in my schedule. Many times, they have generally failed in today’s racing world. There are two or three exceptions that do not include 500. This seems like street and road courses are far better business decisions these days. People show up for six people on weekends. It’s time to add some of them to your schedule and build the series and brand like that.
Yes, there’s a hardcore fan who wants eggs and more eggs, and I’m mostly in that camp, but that business model doesn’t work. Stay in major cities, take on road courses and leave trucks owned by NASCAR. The 30-year-old’s “vision” is not working and shows no signs of work.
As I would like to say, right, wrong, and so, and it doesn’t include a balanced schedule of eggs. If Indycar builds brands and demand, eggs can come to them.
Mark, Milford, Ohio
MP: I heard the influential team owner today and said I hope Iowa 2.0 will end the season at Nashville Speedway after the Big Machine sets off as promoter. Hopefully that’s not the case, but up to your point, we’ll see what the eggs promoted by Pensuke in Milwaukee and Nashville produce for grandstand ticket sales.
Hy-vee unlocked herself from Iowa and the results were as expected. Milwaukee was better than expected with the 2024 doubleheader return, so Pensuke and the people at Fairgrounds must believe they can fill the stands for next month’s single race. I know the big machines spent tons and have worked really hard to promote their return to speedway. Like Hy-Vee, we’ll quickly find out how Big Machine’s losses will affect voter turnout in IndyCar’s season finale.
Q: Andretti’s right-sided failure should be related. I understand that no one will show you their setup sheets, but I would like your thoughts on some observations:
from Your Article We understand that IndyCar requires Iowa maximum tire pressure. Do they also mandate minimum pressure? What about the biggest negative camber? Is there a specification for that?
I noticed a significant difference in steering wheel position on straights in oval races, especially in the IMS camera. Some setups will be a fair amount of “right hand”, but the steering wheels from other teams look more neutral, like road course setups. My guess is that this is from a different caster lead setting. Do you think this has something to do with excessive right front tire wear?
Ron, Lakeland, Minnesota
MP: Yes, there is no way a single team could have made the same mistake without a common root cause on all three cars. Casters are a critical suspension setting, and are more for some drivers than others, but with a short oval like Iowa with banks and constant turning, you’ll be surprised if someone struggles with the casters.
Firestone offers recommended pressure and camber ranges, but Indycar is unlike some series that direct or risk being punished, either dictating a fixed number that must be followed.
Q: Doug Boles has proven to be a great promoter for IMS and its events (it doesn’t require much promotion), but did you know that as the president of the series, he intends to work with other tracks and promoters to make race promotions better? Penske Entertainment appears to maintain distance from other venues for all practical purposes. When you hear fans living in the city where the race is held, talk about the lack of awareness and promotion surrounding the event, you’ll wonder who is responsible for what.
Scott C., Greenwood, Indiana
MP: They sign contracts to pay to hold races at venues, process all promotions (such as Iowa) and are paid to hold shows at venues such as St. Petersburg and Barber where promoters are in charge of such things.
The evolution we see at Penske Entertainment is exactly what you described by playing as much more active role as possible in shared promotional efforts at events where promoters welcome support or input. It’s not at all events, but it’s growing.
Q: Regarding Tim’s question a few weeks ago, I asked if someone had tried a mid-engine car with dirt during the USAC Championship era. Yes, a few times. Al Unser Sr. DNQ did an EISERT for two dirt races in 1965. George Morris put the ducoy-in’s obscure Taylor on the field in 1965, and Bill Sullivan DNQ won the same car in Sacramento a month later.
In 1966, Ronnie Dumant qualified for the Springfield Race Icert, but the most notable “mid-engine” was the 1968 Mongoose Roy Dolby. His crew member, John Lau, was quoted in Competition Press & AutoWeek.
Ruby experienced turbo lag and did not go as well with races where he sat much lower on dusty tracks. Ruby retired after cutting the wall on lap 13. Ruby and Laux tried to qualify for two more dirt races on their schedule, but failed (Springfield and the Hoosier Hundree). Additionally, the standard starting field for the miles dirt ellipse was 18.
Jim Thurman, Mojave Desert, California
MP: Thank you, Jim.
Q: What happened with the Deltawing Project? There was a story that it was the IndyCar of the future.
tov-o, Saltel, Minnesota
MP: Races at Le Mans in 2012 as the original Garage 56, continuing to race in the American Le Mans Series, and until 2016 he competed for IMSA’s Weathertech Sports Car Championship.
Maybe it’s still the indycar of the future. Brian Cleary/Getty Images
Q: I wanted to back up a letter I published last week from Mike in Cincinnati, but I repeated the issues he is experiencing with audio during the race. The engine noise is too loud and the exact same problem is encountered as the explanation is largely blocked. Interestingly, listening to radio commentary while watching Times on the IndyCar site means that the volume has been changed to zero on TV.
This was not an issue last week as I attended the Iowa Double Header. Coming from the UK, I always go to the double header for obvious reasons, so can I always have it on a schedule?
Oliver Wells
MP: As Oliver says, Fox and Indy Car.
Q: I’ve been in Iowa in the past when tickets were $20 each and my kids were free. I also spent the first year of the concert, but it was 100 degrees and missed the Saturday race to avoid heat strokes. My son (now 12), who is watching on TV this year, asked if he could return next year. My response was “probably.” The current ticket prices and the heat of mid-July are not on my to-do list. I was able to live with one of these two issues, but not both.
Fox is holding this week’s national MLB game at 7pm on Saturday nights. Use it as a lead to participate in the actual Saturday night race that starts from 10pm to 9pm in the East. Turn on the lights and rip them out. For truck fans, you have the NXT and perhaps one other lead-in, and it’s a good day of racing. What do you think? Is it plausible?
Ryan, West Michigan
MP: I don’t change things.
Q: I’m continuing to read how the IndyCar team claims they don’t have enough financial resources to invest in all-new cars and engine formulas, but it appears there’s enough money to build a new factory/garage facility around the Indianapolis area. As they say on Sesame Street, “one of these is different from the others.” What do you attribute this to?
Steve Summers, Ann Arbor, Michigan
MP: Yeah, one of the simple things that sound like a “gotcha” moment, but it doesn’t take long to realize that we’re not like each other.
Funding for large brick and mortar construction projects: It is not difficult for an established team/business to receive loans and use bank funds to make it happen. Or, it will last for a major new investor to partially or fully fund, knowing that it is an asset they own.
It will fund the purchase of a new car for an estimated $1.2 million. Most banks do not offer loans to generate. This means that teams will need to withdraw from cash reserves, investors, or profits to pay for 4-10 new cars.
Raises between $8 million and $11 million for each IndyCar entry for the season. It’s not easy because banks can’t lend that money, so you’ll need to constantly chase multiple sponsors to donate slices of your budget pie.
With the exception of a handful of truly wealthy participants, the remaining teams operate on a tight budget that summons over $5 million to get a new car.
Q: Yearly check-in. I have some news that you probably don’t know if you are or don’t know. My last message was New Year’s Day, and I posted my thoughts on the existence of video games… so kind. I’m not sure if you know, but it’s that IndyCar was released in a very quiet way to the Forza Motorsports portfolio.
This news caught my attention after an Xbox One update in late June. After the update, to my surprise, the 2025 Honda Indycar and the 2025 Chevy Indycar were able to race in both freeplay and online multiplayer. I hate being a bitch about this, but it’s been a month since this update was released and none of my knowledge from IndyCar, site, or one word has been posted on Racer.com.
I can’t help but think that this should be something IndyCar should promote, or at least make a press release. NASCAR and F1 have Diecast/Legos, while F1 has released films. I’m happy with the baby steps because it’s much better than nothing, but let’s get it.
That being said, driving until my shoulder hurt was refreshing. If the car represents what a real DW12 can do, these people are totally bad.
I hope it will shed some light on this or at least help you tweak the promotion/IndyCar series a bit.
Tom, Bluebell, Pennsylvania
MP: Thank you, Tom. I’m sure Indycar knows about it. It’s their job to promote their series.
Q: What happened to the helmet cam? They were such a cool feature that I think new fans can get in. Did Fox drop the ball on this or did they have a glitch? The views at Road America and Mid-Ohio would have been spectacular. Even Iowa would have been cool with unexpected side races.
Douglas Wright
MP: I think we announced that Fox will be used in four races. I don’t know which races are on the list.
There are no photos of the helmet cam, so you need to settle for a helmet shot. To be precise, it’s Nolan Siegel’s Indy 500 helmet. Chris Jones/ims
Q: I’m writing this on July 16th, so there are only five races left for the IndyCar season.
I’ve seen people mention that they’re doubling in places like Road America… I’m camping all weekend for an hour from RA and going out all over the event. It’s the best weekend of the year. Yes, even better than Indy’s Memorial Day weekend…
That being said, I don’t think doubled over another race weekend is feasible… Many campers come from around the Midwest, so asking them to do trek twice is a difficult question. Locally, it would be difficult for me to afford another four-day IndyCar celebration financially.
Especially on my annual trip to Indy, Milwaukee, and sometimes to St. Pete/Iowa/Barber. Despite her becoming a full-fledged fan, I don’t know if my wallet or wife will be able to take more and more!
Adding a second race at places like RA will provide a slightly smaller crowd of two, fearing that it will make the June weekend much more special. Especially when IMSA is an even better option.
I love your ideas about a day or two-day show in Iowa. Saturday night race, that afternoon qualifying. If Big Fox can’t put it on the TV, throw it on FS1… Just tuning it into the network, it’s not like the TV number dipping low…
Whenever there are fewer numbers on the empty grandstand or TV, it hurts my soul, but I just say, “There’s nothing you can do.” I took nearly 40 people to the first race, turned a quarter of them into regular fans, and doubled my own TV audience by running two TVs in my house…
I don’t think this is a question, but I really like the sport, so it’s a more therapeutic journal entry.
Dirt Track Dave (kind of nickname Robin Miller)
Last year, MP IMSA missed Indycar at Road America, which was a surprise, but in your opinion, there have been many fans appearing in both series at least once a year, and now Milwaukee has returned, three major events in the same region within two months.
I’ve heard IMSA ticket sales are rising this year, but this is insane considering how full the place is in 2024.
Q: Will I have to reduce the Iowa double header to a single race? The double-header format may force the fan to choose one or the other. Perhaps in a single race, all these fans will see appear in a single race.
Doug Mayer
MP: It’s certainly possible. As a single race at the time, it had strong attendance.
Q: MailBaggers’ critique of the IndyCar Iowa Speedway event was not positive in the long shot. Attendance rates have been mentioned many times for good reasons.
I didn’t drive for 60 minutes to sit in the hot sun just to watch the IndyCar race. Anyone planning these events requires attitude adjustments and has fans in mind 100% of their time in mind.
- They will get to enjoy the car on track with open access to the paddock where the car is being prepared.
- We’ll be introducing race cars and former racers from the past decades to match vintage IndyCars.
- Contact road race cart clubs like SCCA, Mazda, Vintage Sports Car Groups, Accra to fill track times and use road courses if practical. In 1981, the SCCA National Race was part of the Kurt Indy Car Race at Watkins Glen. I attended over 60 showroom stock venues that weekend.
- If they are available, run under the lights. The temperature is cool for fans and drivers too.
Like the field of baseball’s dream, race attendance has increased with competitive IndyCar races and is associated with track activities that will interest and entertain fans.
David, Pittsburgh
MP: Thank you, David.
Indycars, Iowa, under the lights. As if they were supposed to be. IMS Photos
Q: I speculate that Audi and Red Bull power units might struggle in 2026 to be as competitive as other manufacturers. Although Red Bull understands that they had not produced racing engines before, they have received technical assistance from a new facility, Ford, and have certainly hired people who could do their job. Why can’t they produce competitive power units?
As for Audi, they have produced turbo hybrid power units over the years, acquired Le Mans and have Sebring many times. So why do critics suggest that Audi also struggle?
David, Danville, California
Chris Medland: The main answer is experience. They are playing against established F1 power unit manufacturers who have experienced more than a decade of challenges and hurdles in turbo hybrid regulations, and are extremely complicated. Hiring people and investing in facilities is obvious, but all of them can be coordinated efficiently and effectively, but building the ability to respond quickly does not happen overnight.
Taking Mercedes as an example, there is an established, successful program that was able to begin exploratory development of new power units from the first hints of regulations returning in the summer of 2022. At that point, Audi had not yet announced that it was about to build the facility. It naturally puts both behind and for all the reps you want to hire, you also need to wait for long gardening vacation times to be adhered to, to avoid IP crossovers.
Red Bull never built an engine in history and has only partnered with Ford with battery technology, but Audi could succeed with Le Mans and Sebring, but that was a decade ago and was drawn from WEC at the end of 2016.
Neither of them were incompetent, but they had to start later than anyone else on the grid. Look at Honda to enter Formula 1 with new technology in 2015 – it was a lot of trouble, but you learn through R&D. That’s what Red Bull and Audi are targeting, rather than expecting to be on the forefront of the word Go.
Q: The F1 Movie asks for the following questions: What do Sylvester Stallone think about the remake of Brad Pitt’s “Driven”?
Josh, Louisville
CM: Ooooh, Harsh Josh! There were a lot of F1 films that I didn’t like (you can read my first impressions from the first viewing) here) I also felt realistic enough to assure anyone watching it and to ensure they check out the race for the first time. Even if there are a lot of Hollywood-style take on many aspects, I don’t think it’s too far from reality to create that link.
But at the end of the day, it’s not a documentary, it’s a film. And because it is designed to raise interest in sports, it needs to appeal to people who have never given the sport a chance before. To that end, I thought that inclusion of current driver/team bosses was a great nod to give some more depth to anyone new to the sport.
I’m sure you’re still going to object to me about such things. But I hope we can find at least a common basis that Clash’s physics was founded in reality and that Sony Hayes and Joshua Pierce didn’t steal some F1 cars from the event to the London race…
Q: Will CW start streaming Xfinity races and broadcast immediately, as it is always done for practice and qualifying sessions on the CW app? Is it a contract that makes races accessible only through broadcast television? I haven’t seen much about this issue since the beginning of the season, but this will be a great help to fans living in areas where local CW affiliates show other programming. It’s pretty ridiculous to be as easy as putting a live stream of races on an app that’s been going on for many years on Fox and NBC and isn’t currently in 2025 on TNT Max.
Josh
Kelly Krandoall: CW has no plans to start streaming races. I checked in as they were just practicing and qualifying right now. Even if the CW reaches many homes, local affiliates may not show it and have seen a lot on social media, so the frustration is understandable. However, the app also has an in-car camera during the race.
The final words
July 25th, 2018, from Robin Miller’s mail bag
Q: You Works by Morris Nunn Reading is a joy. Really well done. Dale Coin element. Are there any good side stories you can say?
Ron Ford, Muskego, Wisconsin
Robin Miller: Bernie called Morris for a pre-Formula One press conference and declined because he didn’t have enough money to fly (I think it was in Paris). So Ecclestone sent out his private jet to deliver Mr. Nun. During a press conference, MO was asked about next season and said it looked unstable as he had no sponsors or prospects. After that, Bernie reads the riot act and says, “Don’t tell people there’s no money or future. Lie until you understand something.” Then I think he gave MO two new engines and $50,000. But it can be said that Morris and Bill Finley came from the same fabric that can do everything, homemade racers.