The RACER Mailbag, April 17

17/04/2024 11:11

Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER's writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. We can't guarantee that every letter will be published, but we'll answer as many as we can. Published questions may be edited for length and clarity. Questions received after 3pm ET each Monday will appear the following week.

Q: When will Arrow McLaren or somebody get hand controls in an IndyCar for Robert Wickens? It was done for Alex Zanardi.

Steve Coe, Vancouver, WA

MARSHALL PRUETT: When someone steps up to fund the project! Also, I'd say getting to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is a greater ambition these days for Robbie.

Last time I spoke about it with him, a six-figure investment was needed to create the IndyCar-specific system. I asked if there were any off-the-shelf solutions, or if he could simply adapt the system he's used to win the IMSA TCR championship in the Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai, and he said no to both.

An area he mentioned as being vastly different is with the speeds of inputs and reactions. In basic terms, the system in the Hyundai is perfect for touring car/GT machinery, but for a LMP2/GTP/IndyCar, something different and customized that can handle the super-quick signals he'd need to perform at the limit.

Zanardi had folks who were willing to spend the money, with a big auto manufacturer in BMW being the most recent, who put a ton of time and dollar into perfecting the system he used when he last raced at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Of the many things I want, one of them is for Robbie to get to racer where he belongs in IndyCar.

Q: As more rumors emerge surrounding the charter proposal, one thing seems almost taken as gospel now. How did the unmoving magic number of 27 entries as the maximum IndyCar field outside of the Indy 500 come about? Which venues specifically have only 27 pit stalls, and how difficult would it be to rework existing pit lanes or shrink pit stalls to accommodate a slightly larger field? Do you think sharing pit stalls would ever fly in IndyCar? To me, it would be better to shoot for races at larger venues with garage and pit space while welcoming additional entries rather than turning them away to stay put at some of the smaller tracks on the calendar.

Pete, Rochester, NY

MP: The potential cap at 27 entries for everywhere but Indy is based on the number the series knows it can host at every track.

Toronto and Mid-Ohio are the two main tracks IndyCar cites as being unable to hold more than 27 cars on pit lane. Unless we're talking about tracks IndyCar owns, the rest would need the owners/promoters to spend their own money — unless Penske offered to pay — to accommodate IndyCar's needs.

I'd hope IndyCar would not drop races that have been around since the 1980s that can't do more than 27 just because there's a current hike in interest.

Q: On the April 3, 2024 edition of a podcast, Mark Miles clearly states that guaranteed entries will not be a part of the potential franchise system. You continue to suggest that the possibility of guaranteed entries has not been ruled out, and that you think Penske Entertainment is just stupid enough to not make “the right decision.”  Are you saying that Mark Miles is lying?  Is so, on what basis?

Kirby, Indianapolis, IN

MP: What I'm saying is I rely on my own work and what I'm told to my face, not being baited into some bull**** about whether Miles is or isn't lying to someone else.

Before I interviewed Miles about charters at The Thermal Club on March 23 for our feature that went live on April 3, I made plenty of calls and did a lot of research and verification beforehand about the charter plans, and he confirmed the current plan which is for the 25 to have guaranteed starting spots. Prior to my Miles interview, two other sources confirmed the 25 guarantees; Miles was simply the voice to back it up in print. I also noted in our charter story that the only major question left on this facet was whether the 25 guarantees would apply to the Indy 500, noting my sources said it's 50-50.

For giggles, I rang one of those sources today to ask if what Miles told me on March 23 might have changed in the days leading into whatever interview you're relying on, and I was told no. I was told there's been no change, and the plan for the 25 to be guaranteed everywhere (but possibly the Indy 500) is still the plan.

If that were to change, and the guarantees get taken away, that would be a development that happens between today, April 13, and the finalization of the charter system.

Q: I was surprised that IMSA announced its 2025 schedule so early in the year. I was kind of hoping to see some new venues, or the return of tracks that had been off the schedule like Mid-Ohio or Lime Rock. What are the chances of seeing those tracks come back on the calendar? Also, are there any other tracks IMSA is considering having a race at in the near future?

Brandon Karsten

MP: I haven't heard of anything truly new coming into play. I suspect Mid-O and LRP are first alternates if any of the existing venues fall through, but the reason IMSA was able to publish its schedule this early is due to the long-term agreements it has with the tracks in its schedule.

Q: I found a promo code for free Friday tickets to the Long Beach Grand Prix and I will be going. However, I don't want to pay extra for reserved parking. So where's the best place to get free parking that's easy to find?

Aeren Maxfield, Westminster, CA

MP: Please pay extra for reserved parking or use one of the parking garages behind Ocean Blvd. The far-off places where you might park come with a strong chance of getting a parking ticket. Back in the day, I tried the free parking routine once… and only once.