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 embody a query usually tend to be printed. Questions obtained after 3pm ET every Monday might be saved for the next week.
Q: Thanks to your latest article replace in regards to the security enhancements made at Mid-Ohio. Hooked up are two aerial photographs of the observe I took on November 27, whereas en route from Maryland to Indiana for Thanksgiving, that fellow readers would possibly take pleasure in:
Chris R, Olney, MD
MARSHALL PRUETT: I wish to understand how you bought the pilot handy a tough proper to present you two distinctive angles! Thanks for sharing these, Chris; we requested the observe for pictures, however they declined, citing ongoing and unfinished work with the fencing.
Q: Is IndyCar stagnant, rising, or declining?
Geoff Branagh
MP: I like questions like this, Geoff. It was stagnant for a lot of the decade however has began to develop with issues just like the transfer to hybridization, which many like to piss and moan about, however has signaled the collection is not a technological dinosaur, and the shift from a protected TV accomplice to one thing greater with FOX, and the efforts to give you a brand new automobile for 2027, a profitable return to Milwaukee, and an bold new occasion in Arlington in 2026.
The deserving criticism throughout Penske’s first 4 years of possession was the overarching lack of the phrase ‘new’ regarding the collection, all whereas its foremost rivals at NASCAR, IMSA, and F1 made huge strides with new issues that drew — and proceed to attract — loads of consideration.
I’ve loads of optimism about the place IndyCar is headed, however as anticipated, there are persisting considerations as nicely, led by the excessive prices to compete. This is the reason the transfer to FOX holds a lot hope for the paddock, with an anticipated rise in scores and groups’ capability to hunt greater offers from sponsors on account of the bigger viewers.
Q: Watching F1 over the weekend and all the eye given to the constructors’ championship, and it’s one thing IndyCar may use. My thought could be the groups would choose their two drivers to earn factors firstly of the season. The reward is for the fellows and gals again on the store plus within the pit lane.
David Bowers
MP: We may rename the Entrants’ championship because the Groups’ championship, and add some form of prize fund, however Penske Leisure is never in search of methods to spend more cash, and the Entrants’ deal is already used to award $1 million contracts to the highest 22 entries.
The reward is thru the Drivers’ and Entrants’ for the crew, however as a former crew member, I’m all for something that gives higher wealth or recognition for the individuals who make the racing occur.
Q: IndyCar must not be off for six months out of the 12 months. There isn’t a scarcity of historic tracks that followers wish to see return. We all know that when Penske Racing examined ‘The Beast for Indy, Roger had them carve a observe out of the snow so Paul Tracy may check the engine at Nazareth. It seems Roger offered the property, nevertheless it’s nonetheless undeveloped.
Enter the Nazareth WinterPrix.
Penske Leisure will get the land again for affordable, restores the observe, after which they wait till February. Firestone debuts the Bridgestone Blizzak Winter Guayule, and off 25 IndyCars go for 150 laps.
I stay up for receiving an e mail from IndyCar’s advertising and marketing crew to work out the logistics.
Ed, Jersey
MP: Let’s kick it off with making Pikes Peak (the actual Pikes Peak, not the crappy ex-IRL oval) a multi-week championship of its personal. Hearth DW12s up the hill in rain, snow, and dry situations. Survivors earn the heavenly respect of Bobby Unser and Parnelli Jones.
Q: Your remembrance of Dan Gurney’s Pepsi Challenger jogged my memory that I had an previous photograph of that automobile with Mike Mosely racing A.J., most likely early within the race as Mike began second between Uncle Bobby and A.J. that 12 months. The image was taken from ‘behind the fence’ in Stand Ok (now the North Vista) between Turns 3 and 4 on the 1981 500. I suppose this was only one Sunday earlier than Mike took the automobile to victory at Milwaukee however I didn’t look to verify that. I used to be 13 years previous and the shot was taken with a Kodak 110 digital camera.
Andy R., Detroit space
MP: The truth that you took this with a 110 is outstanding.
Q: In the event you may choose an IndyCar driver that you just assume would make IndyCar followers care about Cadillac F1, which driver would you choose? Doesn’t should be an American – or does it?
Ryan, West Michigan
MP: I could possibly be improper, however isn’t there a pure connection for IndyCar followers by Andretti World? If not, IndyCar’s two hottest drivers in Pato O’Ward and Josef Newgarden could be the go-to drivers to pursue.
I’m additionally half satisfied the complete ordeal with Michael Andretti is a ruse; he’s the American driver being referenced and can return to F1 in 2026 to finish the season with McLaren that was minimize quick in 1993.
