Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers will 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 acquired after 3pm ET every Monday will likely be saved for the next week.
Q: Excellent news about Hailie Deegan becoming a member of NXT for subsequent season. She was pegged to be a future star of NASCAR and had backing of Ford. I do know her stint with the truck sequence didn’t go effectively and it appeared assist for her out of the blue dropped. Glad she is difficult herself to begin anew. With Jamie and Hailie each in NXT, this offers that sequence extra consideration. Do you’ve gotten any background info on how this steal from NASCAR occurred? No expertise in open wheel, so is that this a push to get one other lady in sequence or is there actual potential in her adapting to the sort of racing?
Dave
MARSHALL PRUETT: Jamie isn’t a assure to return to NXT. It wasn’t a steal as I see it; Hailie’s alternatives in inventory automotive racing went away, and by summer time, she and her backers have been searching for a brand new area to strive. My favourite half is how dedicated she is to this change to open-wheel racing. She spent 4 days on the HMD store final week and is shifting to Indianapolis. It’s additionally a multi-year deal, which is large for her.
Her profession so far jogs my memory a whole lot of what Austin Cindric had in his adolescence — a whole lot of bouncing round from one sequence to a different, making an attempt a whole lot of completely different vehicles – and whereas it was all useful in sure methods, it wasn’t till he locked in on NASCAR and did a number of seasons till he actually developed his expertise.
Hailie’s been in that very same cycle, so breaking out of it and dedicating the following few seasons to NXT is a superb choice. Like Cindric, we all know she’s gifted, however gained’t know how gifted — not till she will concentrate on one sequence — till she’s capable of absolutely make investments herself in NXT. By the top of 2026, the total measure of her capabilities will likely be on show. Will that lead Deegan to IndyCar? Who is aware of, however I’m rooting for her.
Q: To Donald in Estero, FL from the final Mailbag – NASCAR appears to be the winner for swearing on dwell TV. At Atlanta 1992, Richard Petty’s in automotive video had him saying “Carry the f****g fireplace extinguisher” to the nook employee. By no means heard it on any replays. In an after race interview on being requested about successful Talladega for the fifth or sixth time, Dale Jr. mentioned, ” That don’t imply s**t, Daddy gained 10 instances.” I consider he was fined for that. As for IndyCar, Arie Luyendyck had the worldwide transfer over signal on full show from his on-car digicam.
Walt, Dolan Springs
MP: Shut the entrance door! Whisky Tango Foxtrot! See you subsequent Tuesday!
Q: What do you suppose are the possibilities of Renault coming to IndyCar? Appears odd that they’re leaving F1 on the finish of 2025, and that Honda demanded IndyCar get a 3rd producer. The timing appears excellent. Come on Roger work some magic, we don’t want an-all Chevy IndyCar Sequence.
AE, Danville
MP: Renault’s efficiency model Alpine has been looking for potential companions within the U.S. for an IMSA GTP program. Because the model is all about sports activities vehicles, and Alpine has a worldwide open-wheel presence in F1, I’d suppose utilizing its FIA WEC Hypercars in IMSA can be essentially the most related path to go as they give the impression of being to introduce Alpine to the U.S. in a number of years. I’d put the possibilities of Renault or Alpine in IndyCar at zero p.c.
It’s very potential that we’ll see Alpine racing within the U.S., however the closest it’s prone to get to IndyCar is the IMSA paddock at Lengthy Seashore. JEP/Motorsport Photos
Q: Whereas I used to be at Petit Le Mans down within the paddock, I observed that when the vehicles have been going from their garages to the monitor, all the vehicles have been pushed all the way in which out apart from the Ferrari 296 GT3. The Ferrari was both towed all the way in which to the monitor or a pair have been towed to the gate proper earlier than the pits when the engine was then fired. Is there any explicit purpose for this, or only a coincidence?
Ian
MP: Nice statement, Ian. I’m instructed by a 296 crew that the vehicles have a very aggressive clutch launch which makes low-speed maneuvering within the paddock round followers an actual problem, so groups simply do the towing or pushing routine.
Q: I’ve a number of questions on subsequent 12 months’s 500. Have you learnt if Dreyer and Reinbold is coming into two vehicles? And is Rahal coming into a fourth automotive? If these all occur, then it seems like 34 entries. Have you learnt of every other potentialities?
Jim, Ontario, Canada.
MP: Sure on DRR. I’d count on many of the groups who’ve paying drivers or sponsorship in search of to do the five hundred to enter further vehicles. With working prices for the season having shot up between 30-40 p.c, working an additional automotive on the Speedway is a stable money-maker.
We’ll have 27 full-time vehicles, plus recognized or anticipated extras from Andretti with Marco, Arrow McLaren with Kyle Larson, ECR for Carpenter, and MSR for Castroneves. Invoice Abel plans to enter. I’d wager Ganassi could have an additional automotive, and certain with Coyne and RLL. Possibly a Foyt and Juncos as effectively. After which there’s the DRR vehicles. A lot of choices to go effectively previous 33.
Q: Any phrase on the place Seabass will likely be racing subsequent season? Any probability for him to hitch one other IMSA crew, or possibly an IndyCar experience?
Steve, Chicago
MP: He’ll be busy racing in Europe. Hope to have him for choose IMSA rounds, although. Keep tuned.
Q: Did the proposed up to date speedway wings die on the vine?
Billy
MP: Not lifeless, however not taking place in 2025. Look to 2026 on the earliest.
Q: Apart from value, what’s the barrier to IndyCar having a brand new chassis? The DW12 is just too outdated. Additionally, has there been any dialogue on having further producers? Again within the day it was interesting to me to see completely different chassis producer similar to Lola, Reynard, Penske, and March.
Steve
MP: Penske Leisure retains saying a brand new automotive will likely be right here in 2027 or 2028, so there’s no obvious boundaries at the moment. There’s no discussions to be held; Dallara is IndyCar’s official chassis supplier and the sequence isn’t looking for a second.
