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 embrace a query usually tend to be revealed. Questions obtained after 3pm ET every Monday can be saved for the next week.
*The Mailbag is taking its remaining scheduled break of the 12 months subsequent week, however hold sending your questions and we’ll save them for when it returns on October 16.
Q: Is the constitution system actually only a grid spot assure (apart from Indy) plus possibly the rights to promote your grid spot assure to the very best bidder down the highway if you wish to exit IndyCar? And did any of the staff house owners take exception with the truth that there isn’t a merit-based payout to the chief’s circle award and that the Leaders Circle doesn’t cowl all charters?
Andy, Detroit
MARSHALL PRUETT: The Leaders Circle continues to be a merit-based system the place the members with the 25 charters have equal alternatives to earn one of many 22 $1 million LC contracts.
In response to those that instructed me about it, Michael Andretti/Dan Towriss pushed Penske to develop the LC to cowl all 25 charters — an annual enhance of $3 million in prize cash outlay by the collection’ proprietor — and he took umbrage on the thought.
Penske’s response was that he wouldn’t enhance the LC to cowl all 25 by placing within the further $3 million, but when Michael actually wished it to extend from 22 to 25, he’d do it and simply divide 25 into the $22 million and dilute everyone’s deal to $880,000 to pay for the additional three LCs. To the shock of no person, it has stayed at 22 LCs at $1 million apiece.
Q: Please clarify Andretti International to me. My understanding is Andretti International is (was) owned by Michael Andretti. Does Andretti International embrace all Andretti race groups (IndyCar, IMSA, Method E …). Does it additionally embrace the tried Method 1 effort? What does the latest change imply to the Method 1 plans?
Who’s Dan Towriss? Was he a part-owner all alongside? Does he have any motorsports background and/or data? Can the followers anticipate a special look from the staff? or will or not it’s enterprise as regular? And the large query: Why?
Shocked and confused, Buffalo, NY
MP: Michael Andretti and Dan Towriss fashioned a brand new guardian firm a number of years in the past named Andretti International which, I consider, homes the entire groups we all know of, together with, and particularly for, the F1 program. We’ve written about Towriss for a few years – you’ll discover a few of these items right here, right here and right here.
He arrived in IndyCar in 2018 as a newcomer and sponsor of Zach Veach at Andretti with Group 1001/Gainbridge. The F1 plans are going ahead and have skilled no planning or monetary interruptions. No modifications are anticipated with something that I do know of, apart from seeing much less of Michael.
As for why, the staff, and Andretti, and Towriss, are working onerous to current this as a contented and welcome growth. I don’t purchase it. To push this tough, and to get this near restoring the staff’s greatness in IndyCar and to getting the nod to make it into F1 as an entrant, after which unexpectedly, that is the time to step away? No person I’ve spoken to believes this went down within the gosh-and-golly method it’s being bought.
Q: What’s the actual purpose Michael is relinquishing possession? I don’t purchase any of what’s being reported. Make no sense as his racing enterprise has been increasing, together with an enormous new headquarters being constructed.
Anthony, Wellington, FL
MP: Identical. I’ve heard some attention-grabbing theories floated from F1 insiders about Cadillac wanting to maneuver ahead with out the Andrettis — however not with out Towriss and his large funding by way of the Andretti International staff he controls — with its desired F1 program, and that is the expression of that organizational play. We’ll see what the longer term reveals.
Q: Attempting to make sense of a few of the Andretti International information. On September 5, RACER reported that WTRAndretti is altering its identify to WTR, in accordance with Wayne Taylor, “on the request of Cadillac to each simplify the identify and to honor the longstanding, championship-winning heritage that exists between Taylor and Basic Motors in endurance racing.” That didn’t odor proper, since decoupling the Cadillac and Andretti names wouldn’t appear to assist the duo’s ongoing mission to enter F1 collectively.
Then on September 24, because it pertains to IMSA GTD class with Lamborghini, on September 24, a press launch appeared on the IMSA web site asserting, “Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2025 within the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class.”
So Lamborghini needs to be related to the Andretti identify, however Cadillac needs nothing to do with it?
Subsequently, RACER reported that Michael Andretti is transitioning to a “strategic function” at Andretti International, whereas SI reported that McLaren’s Zak Brown has joined the board of administrators for Andretti Acquisition Corp. II.
Any insights into how this all provides as much as the way forward for Michael Andretti’s involvement in racing, or the way forward for Andretti International, could be a lot appreciated.
Lifelong Andretti Fan
MP: The GTP program is a manufacturing unit deal the place Cadillac foots a lot of the payments. In GTD with Lamborghini, that’s not a manufacturing unit deal, so there’s no linkage.
I don’t know what we’ll see from Michael within the coming years, however I’m not a fan of him being nearly fully on the skin wanting in.
The official rationalization about Michael’s subsequent steps appears to have made most individuals extra confused about what he’ll truly be doing. Motorsport Photographs
Q: I used to be very shocked to learn the article about Michael Andretti stepping again from his possession function in Andretti International.
Any inside particulars you’ll be able to share? The article notes Michael stepping again to “give attention to a extra strategic function,” no matter which means. Is that this the one was to get the F1 staff really accredited, by having Michael out of the image operationally?
Do you see Cadillac in the end taking on full management within the years to come back and maybe arrange a staff with each IndyCar (switching to Chevrolet energy) and F1 pursuits in the best way McLaren has?
I ponder how for much longer the Andretti identify can be related to the groups (IndyCar, F1, IMSA) going ahead.
Rob Pobiega, Lemont, IL
MP: Persevering with from the final query, I’ve heard there’s a need for one thing nearer to a Cadillac Racing F1 program than an Andretti International+Cadillac scenario, and contemplating the entire cash that may be made by being the entrant/staff behind this system, there’s a legitimate purpose to do no matter it takes to get accepted.
I don’t foresee GM approving a large finances to do all of it by itself with Cadillac, not with enormous investments coming throughout its transfer to going electrical by 2035.
If we glance to subsequent 12 months, Chevy is up from 12 vehicles to 14 out of the 27 full-timers. Honda has 13. For Chevy to tackle three extra from Andretti, who will get dropped? A.J. Foyt? Arrow McLaren? Ed Carpenter Racing? Juncos Hollinger Racing? PREMA Racing? Staff Penske?
Juncos and PREMA are the 2 latest members of the Chevy household, in order that’s the one place that is sensible with Penske and Foyt in an alignment, plus the power of Arrow McLaren, and the patriotic angle with Carpenter in thoughts.
The query right here is whether or not Chevy is actually motivated to make all the things at Andretti International a GM product or whether or not it solely cares about F1. The WTR/GM hyperlink existed lengthy earlier than Andretti/Towriss purchased WTR, so it might be good to take a look at that as extra of a reunion of former companions than some large Andretti initiative. I feel WTR and GM would have gotten again along with or with out it being a part of Andretti’s portfolio.
Q: I simply learn that Michael Andretti is stepping again at Andretti International. Studying between the traces, it seems like he was pushed out by the large cash man he introduced in to fund all of his enlargement. What’s the complete scoop?
Josh, Erlanger, KY
MP: The story they’re telling is that is one thing Michael has wished. Racing is the centerpiece of his life, because it has been since he was a toddler. To counsel he needs to step apart, turn into a particular advisor and, comically, an envoy for his personal staff, is a reminder that we stay in a free society the place and have freedom of speech, which incorporates saying foolish and insulting issues and making an attempt to cross them off as the reality.
